29 March 2024
One does not tour India and leave unaffected. In 2005, I wrote:
“I know I will never forget India, nor will I ever be able to adequately describe her. A country where little has changed in 200 years, more people sleep on the pavement and in dirt than sleep in beds, people worship ornate elephant and monkey gods, and where modernity means the women now collect the dung with gloves.”
1 March 2024
In Los Angeles, I boarded my giant flying Garuda (Hindu mythical bird god) to ferry me across the sky and back to India after 18 years.
My interest lies in discovering change both in India and myself. A lot of water has flowed down the Ganges since 2005. Will my more mature self find a better appreciation for India?
Shattering Memories of Delhi?
After our tour of India, (cities of Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata , Darjeeling, Gangtok, and Kalimpkng), my niece and I took a look at my comment made after a more extensive trip in 2005. I was curious about our two perspectives. How would her more youthful eyes view the experience in India?
2005
I love the varied architecture of Delhi. Its intricate designs and carvings are magnificent. However, all monuments, temples and forts aside, Old Delhi’s architecture is uniquely 'Early Decay.' You don't want to see how structures are built, with large bamboo poles bracing the floors until the cement dries. I never saw a cement mixer but witnessed a lot of women carrying the cement and dirt on their heads. This is a country where the buildings look old before they are completed. Everything looks half finished, moldy, or falling down. No trees soften the landscape as people collect everything that burns for their cooking fires. California has its tree huggers to save the mature forests, but India advertises its campaign to plant trees then convince their people to allow the tree to grow.
2024
I haven’t witnessed much change. More electrical wires clog the poles. Air pollution is horrendous! There are more cement mixers.
Gabrielle thinks: More women seem to be using their heads for an education than manual labor.
2005
There were celebrations when India's population had reached one billion. I am amazed by the numbers of homeless that literally live on the pavements sleeping in the dirt and rocks at the side of the streets. The Indians are resilient. They carry everything with them. Their blanket, tin can for drink and food. When the people tire, they roll themselves up in their blanket like a carpet sample. The public latrine is usually the nearest wall or rock.
2024
Today, population estimates are 1.4 billion people. Perhaps there are fewer people sleeping in the dirt or, more likely, we did not travel in the worst sections to see them. Kolkata is a different story. I did smell urine in some streets. The biggest difference I witnessed was now people are sitting in the dirt with iPhones.
Gabrielle’s response is a simple Yeah.
2005
Cows wander everywhere, eat everything organic, including paper, and less than organic like plastic, leave dung where they wish, and some have really big horns. I am not certain which are sacred and which are the ones the neighbor sets free to wander and forage during the day. The owner sometimes uses a bell. And we are told the cows do go home at night.
2024
They’re everywhere! They’re everywhere! Cows still reign supreme on the highways, main streets and parks.
Gabrielle: I heard that once the cow looses its usefulness, they are turned out to fend for themselves. Too sacred to eat, but not sacred enough to protect and care for in old age?
2005
Don’t get me started on the wandering dogs. I have traveled few places in the world where I felt the strays in the streets should be removed for everyone’s own health and safety. Indian is one of those places. A credo not to harm any animal can be taken too far when they are allowed to breed, eat, shit, fight, bark and die anywhere they want.
2024
Ditto.
Gabrielle grants that Indian dogs are not aggressive and see humans as good.
2005
The women of India are grace and beauty. Almost all wear a colorful, elegant sari. Little western dress is seen. In spite of a lack of water in the shantytowns, even the beggar women wore spotless saris. On the streets and in the markets, the men reigned. But I could see the real elegance of the country lies with the women. They were hard-working and friendly. Unlike the men, we never saw women loitering.
2024
No change.
They do seem to wear more western clothing, mentioned Gabrielle.
2005
The children are a delight. Wide-eyed, energetic and interested children wear school uniforms; however, I realize the majority of youth are in the streets and have never seen the inside of a schoolroom let alone a book. The goal is to have everyone read and write by 2050. I have my doubts this will happen.
2024
I have seen no reason to change my perceptions. Perhaps there exists fewer children begging on the streets. Perhaps more children have now read a book. I am told that India is funding uniforms and schooling. I see no reason to think this applies to all children in all states of India.
2005
I earlier wrote of the culinary arts of Indian cuisine. After a period of time, I began to rate restaurants on a scale of 1 to 5, depending upon the strength of the curry smell. If I smell curry upon entering the door, it is a 5. After a week of curry, it appeared all restaurants were a 5.
2024
I find the food less curry-offensive than peppery. Perhaps I like curry more. However, the use of hot chilis is prevalent and one must taste with caution. “Not too spicy” to an Indian is hotter than hell to this American. In general, the Indian food was delicious. The garlic naan continues to be a favorite along with India’s Kingfisher beer.
2005
The airports are clean, efficient, safe, organized, and on time. Yes, I said "on time." I don't think any of my internal flights left even a minute late.
2024
Flying into Indian is surely worse than ever. Security is prevalent here in order to enter a hotel or airport. An Indian e-visa is required. A boarding pass of sorts is required to enter the door of an airport. Cars are checked under the hood and in the trunk before being allowed into parking. Once inside, Kolkata airport is barely passable; Delhi’s International Airport is chaotic. The lounges vary from basic to fair basic. Thank Buddha we had an eight hour layover in Delhi as our plane was 4 hours late. The Encalm Lounge in Delhi has no wine or beer. Drinks are charged even tho one is flying business class. Lots of shopping though. If nothing else, I would never return just to avoid their airports. There is an immense redundancy in bureaucracy.
2005
Don’t remember much about the driving except bumpy roads, slow traffic, motorbikes and cows in the street. I was on a large bus and perhaps, being larger, we didn’t notice the little guy. I do remember a boy opposite the driver who hung out the window on the left and yelled at people to get out of the way. This was during their "Lane Driving is Sane Driving" campaign.
2024
It is obvious the lane driving campaign failed miserably. There is no such thing as lane observance in India. Give an Indian driver a 4-lane road and emergency berm and they will maneuver four cars, a truck, two tuk tuks, and five motorbikes into the space. Driving is a horror of horns and squeezing a size 12 into a size 8 shoe.
Drivers exhibit immense patience and skill. Never does one miss an opportunity to squeeze between slower cars; we slip in front of a truck with two inches to spare. Empty space is no option. At times, I could reach out and clean another’s side mirror, shake their hands and offer to share my peanuts. I could practically read their emails on their phone.
Occasionally, individual maneuvers earn gold stars of excellence, or survival. One wants to cross four lanes to enter an exit? The driver simply crosses the road to the other side, much like the proverbial chicken. Or, like our driver who missed the highway merge on the left. So he stopped, backed up a few yards and completed his turn. All the while, cars whiz past on either side. I watched in our car’s camera as headlights approached from all sides.
There has been an attempt to expand highways and add a Delhi to Mumbai Toll Road. However, there is also the addition of millions of cars and drivers.
And, the boy on the left have been replaced by louder horns.
2005
Bathrooms need attitude adjustment on my part. I am getting too old and cranky for a lone sheet of paper and squat toilets.
2024
As for bathrooms, there are more western toilets in the better restaurants and cafes. There remains many squat toilets. Toilet paper is more available but few towels for drying hands. As long as one sticks to the better hotels and restaurants, one should not have to “hold it” until hotel check-in. Unbelievable, but the toilet in the Kolkata Lounge stunk even though the woman assigned to care for it was sitting in the room. Perhaps she needed to get off her cell phone.
2005
Shopping is an experience one won’t forget. Entering a store for the first time resembles taking one’s first baby steps. Quite a challenge to buy what you want. The deal is if they can get you into their store, you will eventually buy something. If nothing else, you buy just to shut them up and get out.
2024
Nothing has changed. It is impossible to convince the rug merchant you just don’t want one at any price. I hate to be put in the position that it takes rudeness to set ourselves free. It is the same stuff in kiosk after store. I found several “Made in China” tags.
So, what?
All in all, I am not a fan girl of Indian. As Gabrielle says, “I am sooo over India.” As her senior aunt, “I’m beyond over it.”
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