Folks,
I'm Indian and been hanging around this board for a while
now (NO, I'm not the Ravi who posts abuses sometimes!) and
I was just wondering after going through some of the posts
here, why do you folks go to India? I mean, I see a lot of
tension and even some bitterness around here, (which is
understandable, even I get pissed off with my people
sometimes) and I wonder, why are you folks going?
As an Indian interested in History, I've travelled within
India to places of historical importance, hindu, Muslim,
Sikh, whatever. I tend to therefore view my country through
a historical perspective. So when someone asks me where to
go, I say go to this fort where this battle happened or
this palace where this emperor ruled, etc, etc. As an
Indian whose present has been shaped by the deeds of these
men, this really exerts the greatest grip on my
imagination. Since I'm also into nature, I tend to
gravitate towards the Himalayas, the Thar, the Rann, etc.
But for the travellers out there, since you really have
no emotional attachment to Indian (or oriental) history,
how do you chose which places to go to? and why? is it just
a search for the orient and finding some place with
interesting stories? I mean, I would imagine the fort at
Jaisalmer is really not that different from Crusader forts
in the Holy land or Berber forts in the Maghrib. The same
would go for many Indian monuments which are really no
different from those scattered all over the Middle East and
North Africa from an outsiders perspective. So why come
here instead of going there? (or do you do both). Is it
just that India is this freaky destination which appears
more acessible and less intimidating than the middle east?
The same could go for nature too. You could concievably
go to Nepal and never set foot in India (which I guess
happens often) or you could go to jordan or Syria or
Tunisia to check out the desert. So why come here?
One of my points is that some people appear to be coming
to India looking for a freak show (which does happen
ocassionally I guess, though on a scale only slightly
larger than the middle east) and for things unusual, and
when something does happen, they get upset. That is really
the wrong approach to take in India, believe me. If you're
looking for something under the surface and know what that
something is, then you can tolerate the mundane and see
what you seek. But if you really don't know what lies
beneath and are just cruising with the flow, then things
will happen which will piss you off, and since that's all
you can see, you will have a rotten trip.
Anyway, I digress. Maybe my sense of what's "exotic" is
totally different from a western perspective and I see
things differently. So do tell, why do you folks come to
India, what do you hope to see, and where do you try to see
it?
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Because you guys are all below the poverty line and we take
pity on your shitty race.
Our tourist dollars feed you.
I hope you get a lot of serious answers because I think this topic is worth pursuing. I assume you have traveled yourself, and you must have noticed how different India is from any other country in the world, especially North America and Europe and UK.I have met tourists in India who chose to go there as their very first trip out of their mother country, and when I asked them why India, they replied that they thought it would be the most different, and not so full of the multi-national corporations that influence their Western world and make so many cities seem the same. Whether one plans to or not, all one's values are re-evaluated after being exposed to the differences of the peoples, religions, smells, culture and history of India.The meaning of time, beauty,etc are challenged. It is just plain different! Just my opinion.
I come over to exploit the people and take pictures of cool
stuff.
I go to India because the culture is so apperent, it's
thick. The people are honest, not the staunchy narrow
minded conservapigs that have established and dominate
western culture at least North America....
I am lost in my mother culture I do not relate so why not
be lost in a culture as rich and colourful as India's....
In India the focus of society is spiritually based, the
base of western culture is material and does not go much
deeper than that, most spirit or awareness has either been
genicided, repressed, obscure or imported...
I have a hard time living in the materieal world so when I
found myself lost in India something from deep inside of me
resonated, I was reminded of something my soul had
forgotten for a couple hundred years....I can understand
that some of us westerners look out of place or even do not
belong in your country but have compassion for them for you
are born into a country that is richer than many empires
will every become...
I go to India to find the answer for why I go to India.
Reasons people go to India:
Europeans (A): it is their version of Disneyland. Dress as
they like, smoke as they like, complain as they like. Still
completely absorbed in the oriental myth, and don't have to
give a shit about indiginous opinions or customs because
they are not as real as the Europeans. SOme on a spiritual
quest so long as it doesn't involve getting up early or any
actual work - mostly Spanish and Italian
Europeans (B): sun destination that is cheaper than Greece.
But while we are there, let's get some good baragains and
see some sites. Interested in India so far as it is a 'good
deal' but only curious about religion and society in the
same way they would be about a train wreck -- they just
can't help but stare. Also are drawn because everyone else
goes there -- mostly English.
Europeans (C): Interested in history, religion,
spirituality, and have a genuine desire to understand how
Asia works (Said would be proud). India is an important stop
in all Asia tour. Will actaully argue amongst themselves as
to whose comprehension of India is most profound - Germans
and Scandinavians.
North Americans (A): Package tourists largely interested in
confirming the horrific third world poverty that they've
seen in the 'Feed the Children' advertisments on TV.
Biggest hearts of any other group, but fail to see the irony
of them staying in a 4 star hotel, and stories when they
return revolve around the terrible conditions and the
beggars and cripples - middle aged midwesterners, and west
coasters.
North Anericans (B): Largely ignorant of India's history or
social system, this group comes because it seemed like a
neat place to go. Gentler travellers than Europeans as they
don't feel any claim on Asia, genuinely interested in things
in so far as they are different from home, but never really
manage to understand what is actually happening - Canadians
and US 20 somethings.
AusNZ: Just another stop on the round the world piss up.
Complain least of anyone, but also don't really give a damn
about anything except the next destination country, and
where a pint can be had.
Ravi,
I think you have answered most of your own questions in your
own thoughtful rambling's and observers delightful reply is
as good a collection of stereotyping as you could hope for
(Ah stereotypes - both truths, lies and a laugh all at
once).
For me, the reasons I first went to India are mixed.
It was always the land my dreams. As a child I watched
Bengal lancers on the TV, read Kipling under the covers with
a torch and feared the tigers in the forest of the night. If
there was one word that conjured up colour, adventure and
the exotic it was India. Further, as a young adult it was
the place where you could get a smoke for only a few cents
and dream my hippy dreams until I was blue in the face.
The reasons I've been back are just as mixed.
Its escape from the drudgery of office work. Trekking up a
valley where the last foreign name in the FRH register is
dated 1947 is quite a contrast to project managing migration
of accident coding systems to national standards and a
zillion times more fun than child abuse research. But no,
the reason I go back is more simple than that. Some where in
the hills south of Udaipur, while gazing out the window of a
smoke-belching monster, I fell in love with the land and her
people. And who can explain love
Ravi,
Observer mentions Edward Said, whose books 'Orientalism' and
'Culture and Imperialism' probably hold the answer to your
question. A lot of tourism theory is based on Said's work,
which as a passing gratuitous aside, I'm not sure that
Observer quite follows. India is one of the countries that
Westerners already 'know', its 'Otherness' is essential in
the construction of Western subjectivity. We go to India to
discover our own culture, not Indian culture. This includes
the European type 3 of Observer's typology who are basically
orientalists of the old school.
Hi Ravi
Can we swap places? I've been living in a country so very
near to you - Sri Lanka - and I love this place with all of
me; I would say we're probably as historically
and culturally diverse as India is.
Still, there is something in me that just hungers to go over
to India. I don't know why. Something in my soul that I
will find only there.
Its culturally vibrant, spiritually challenging and has some
of the best example of Mother Natures' all powerful beauty
that I've ever witnessed.
I forgot... and also it obviously gives you very shakey
hands!!
Edward Said says it all anyway, but...
I was just wonder what your opinion is of Asians who come to
the western world (lucky ? I don't think so), not many come
to travel as we in the west do ?
Many come and live and work extremely hard in the west,
enduring racism, and long working hours. They send the
money back 'home' and buy land for instance in their own
country (I know people who do this) Most of them have made
provision to be shipped back home when they die. Many
attend our Universities and colleges and become, Doctors,
Dentisits, Engineers etc. and take their expertise back to
their country at the taxpayers expense. I know of a few
asian families who claim they are one parent families (the
government doesn't recognise some muslim marriages) then go
to the top of the housing lists and claim every benefit
going. By the way, this is not meant in any way to be
racist or nasty, I am of asian origin myself, but these are
experiences I have had.
Its not all one way, theres exploitation everywhere.
By the way, it is the 'otherness' of India that attracts us.
Its not like the west and that is why it is so attractive to
us. I find in India that even though is is very poor, many
Indian people have such a generous spirit that it is
humbling to us in the west, who have lost a certain amount
of 'spirituality'.
India isn't the lonely country suffering from travelers.
I can ask why people go to Europe? There's nothing extra
exciting if only high prices or old frayed palaces...
I suppose the question should be why do they (we) travel
at all, as need to get out from here comes first, destination
is the second.
I agree with BB, for me it is the question of why one starts
to travel in the first place. And I'm not talking about
tourists who stick by the hotel pool and even bring food
from their own countries with them because they cannot live
a week eating the local stuff. I grew up in a tiny village
(less than 500 people) in Northern Scandinavia. It was
extremely isolated and when I left at the age of 18, all I
wanted to do was to travel and see how other people lived.
I've since been living/travelling around Europe and the US
and later this year I'm going to India for four months.
It'll be different than anything I have experienced before
and that's what attracts me. India wasn't the only option,
hopefully in the future I'll see many more countries, but
this time I JUST FELT that's where I want to go, it's
difficult to explain. I want to feel how it is to live in a
place with so many people, I'm interested in completely
different religions, history, food, nature, wildlife...
People often see their own countries very ordinary, even
boring, and cannot understand why other people would travel
there voluntarily. But what is ordinary to one, is exotic
and exiting to other! I'm dying to see some elephants...
Hola Ravi & friends
I'm a Chilean who'll be bound to India in a couple of
months (Aug-Sep)and I'm reading my mom's encyclopedia &
lonely panet's India in order to understand and learn about
such an extensive country.
Now that I've been in some basic reading I can realize how
little I knew ; for example I'm very impressed by the huge
diversities of languages ... and I'm still a bit confused
with historical events (why did Aryans get there? ...who
were the dravidians? ...how extent was the trading with the
Roman empire? ...what was the scope of the Muslims? ...how
long did the mongols seized power? ...why the Spanish
didn't establish trading posts as the
Dutch/french/portuguese? ...how did the british managed to
gain control?... why after WWII is was merged into one
country and not into several
Hindu/tamil/sikh/Republics?........
I gotta admit I'm suffering some "provincial-isolated-
syndrom" since it's hard to find info about India in my
country or beign able to talk to Chilean travellers who
have gone there!!... so if you guys may recommend some good
historical info (preferably in Internet) I would be very
thankful ...
thanks in advance for helping me
muchos saludos
Tomßs :)
PS: if anyone needs info on Chile or South Anerica, I'll be
glad to give some help
Folks, thanks for replying. I expected this thread to be
lost in the slanging match. Thankfully not. Observer, your
classification was pretty funny and really interesting.
I do understand when people say that they want to see
something exotic. Hey, I do too, but of course coming from
India my idea of exotic revolves around the Middle East and
Central Asia while India appears mostly mundane. I guess
that's why I focus more on the past than the present since
as an Indian I can see the flaws in the present system much
more clearly.
My point was that for people wanting different
cultures, religions, etc, there are places which are a
little more easy on you, at least as a first time
traveller. You could possibly go to Turkey or Tunisia or
other friendly middle eastern countries if you're
intimidated by some of the others. I'm always amazed when
people tell me that they are going to India for their first
trip abroad, since it is a huge culture shock and you'll
notice more of the bad things than the good things first
time around. I'd think a period of acclamatization in
another third world country would be ideal before a trip to
the sub continent.
I guess I'm also a bit sceptical that anyone could
travel without a plan and with little prior knowledge of a
country, it's history and culture and still understand it's
people. I remember this website about an Asian overland
Dragonman trip where the people went to Persepolis to see
the ruins. The people on the trip said something like "nice
stones" or something to that effect. And I was thinking..
is this the level of involvement these people have on their
trips? Everything is just "nice rocks" or "cool stones" or
a good photo opp? I'm thinking this happened because to
these people the places they went through were just "the
orient" a vague identity comprising of places to be ticked
off on a map. They really did not care to understand the
history and culture of the people they were interacting
with. Everything was just a coloful shawl or Turban or a
nice dagger..
Please note that I'm not accusing everyone traveller
to India of doing this. Most do not. But there a few (as in
any country) that come and hang out without being in the
least interested in the country or it's people (for what I
don't know). These are the types who have a hard time in
India, and make it hard on themselves, the Indian people,
and any fellow travellers unfortunate enought to cross
their tracks. I've had the misfortune of meeting a few in
India and wonder.. why not spare everyone (including
themselves) the trouble?
Tomas,
Here's some basic help. I'm sure all the Indians on the
board would be happy to help. So next time, post a topic so
that more people can see it.
Here's a very basic historical website:
www.itihaas.com
(itihaas is history, by the way.)
Should help you with the timelines. Indian history is very
convuluted and complex. Even Indians are still fighting
among themselves trying to interpret it today. There are 2
main streams of thought - the rightists and the commies.
The rightists view India as occupied by Marauding Muslim
hordes who were, are and will remain outsiders. The commies
reduce everything to a class struggle between upper and
lower class hindus with Muslims thrown into the mix. Each
cannot stand the other and much blood has been spilt in the
last 50 years over this. So depending on whose book you
pick up, you get totally different histories. A very good
almost centrist work is "history and culture of the Indian
people" a work of around 7000 pages in 11 volumes. I'm sure
you don't have the inclination for this, so I'd suggest
internet sites for now.
Let me answer some of your questions very briefly:
1) Aryan invasion theory is very contreversial. A lot of
newer Indian historians view this theory as a creation of
European nationalism. Newer evidence suggests that there
was no "Aryan invasion" at least not in the times and
manner described in earlier texts. There are no simple
answers in this topic.
2) There are 2 ethinic strains in India- Aryan and
Dravidian. Who's who is not easy to pinpoint any more. But
conventionally, people living in the 2 southernmost states
- Tamil Nadu and Kerala, call themselves explicitly
dravidian. No one else does. The deal is that there are 2
main source languages in India- Sanskrit and Tamil.
Sanskrit is a northern language, one of the so called Indo-
European (Aryan) languages. Tamil is a southern language
(Dravidian) with a different structure. Of course, now
several sanskrit words exist in Tamil and vice versa. Have
I confused you enough?
3) Extensive trade with the Romans. This happened both at
the time of Alexander's Greeks, and under the Kushans it
was at it's highest. (All via the silk road). Afterwards,
trade still continued by the Western Sea routes - through
the Red Sea (Aden, Egypt, etc).
4) Most contreversial topic of all time. Muslim conquered
most parts of India by 1320 starting around 1050. Then
Hindu kingdoms popped up again and the see-saw started.
Finally, there used to be a muslim Mughal emperor at Delhi,
ruling over both Hindu and Muslim overlords. The largest
area under one emperor was under Aurangazeb, almost to the
southern tip of India in the late 17th century. After that,
regional and short lived national Hindu powers contested
even nominal Muslim supremacy.
5) They did not. The Turkish Sultans of Delhi kept them at
Bay. They only got as far as Multan and Lahore in present
day Pakistan for a short while.
6) Spanish- that's a European question. I don't know.
7) Through Trickery, deceit and pitting one ruler against
another. The fact that they were better armed did not hurt
either.
8) The growth of Indian nationalism under the British rule
and the spread of a common language (English) created a
nationalistic elite across the country. They kept it
together.
Ask me more and I'll try to help. Hope this was a
decent (albiet short) intro.
My reason for repeatedly visiting India may be the oddest of
all mentioned here.
.
I went to Kashmir in 1991, and spent time trekking and
visiting the villages and temples. Typical touristy stuff.
Although I didn't know it then, I fell in love with India
and left my heart there. Perhaps one can say I've repeatedly
returned to India to re-capture my wandering heart, but
never doing so(thankfully!).
.
2 yrs back, I decided that I should broaden my horizons and
visit other countries, so I went to New Zealand and
Australia. Both were lovely delightful places, but it lacked
something my soul craved. I can't put my finger on it, but
there it is...
.
Nowadays I go to India with no misgivings that I am missing
out on other parts of the world. To me, India *is* the
world.
India is only one of my travel destinations. I travel to
learn, discover, explore and often merely to relax from
demanding jobs. I do both short term and long term travel
with India being one of the latter.
History intrigues me as does different people, cultures and
religion. I like to observe different landscapes and how
people operate within these - whether they are urban,
village, rural, monuntain such as the himalyas or watery
landscapes around Kerala or Vietnam. India is one of my
favourite countries because it contains all these elements.
Not only that, but it encapsulates modernity with a culture
and way of life that is steeped in tradition. Bollywood and
ancient music and dance co-exist as do microwaves and simple
cooking techniques.
The sheer force of history is impressive, moghul, maharasta,
ect etc. Then there is religion - the religious edifices and
how history impinges and relates to these: Amristsar, the
synogue in Cochin, the Catholic churches in Goa and
Pondicherry. I was impressed by the great mosques in the
northen parts of India and the social environment that
surrounds them. Then there is the colourful opulence of the
hindu temples, particularly on the south - I have a great
fondness for Rameswaram. The landscapes of India fascinate -
especially Ladakh and Kashmir.
I like interacting with and observing people from cultures
other than my own. I loved the hustle, bustle, colour of the
major Indian cities. I enjoy the diversity of activity on
the streets - cars, bikes, buses, cows, holy men and
dependent upon the city, camels and horses. For different
reasons, I enjoy the smaller towns and villages. Through the
spectrum of places I meet and talk with Indians who are
interesting and hospitable - inviting us into their homes
for meals.
I get a buzz from Indian trains - upper hard berth, rattling
through the night, jam packed day trains and for a change
some first class and whilst travelling alone, purdah
carriages. Equally the range of accommodation appeals
whether it is basic hotels, some old British raj hotels and
the Udaipur Lake palace and of course the house boats. I
love Indian food which is my main staple at home.
Hope this gives you an inkling for why I like India.
Congratulations for triggering this debate - so refreshing
after messages from some very lost and insecure people. And
apologies for misspelling etc - my fingers were flying.
i like it because it is cheap. there is lots to see in ONE
country. yet the desert in India is totally crap in
comparison to the Sahara, Wadi Rum, Arizona (in pure
scenery terms). the mountains are awesome. the people are
like anywhere in the world - there are good and bad people.
it is interesting to see the religions and laugh at the
various gods that people are gullible enough to beleive in..
it's cheap!
It's a little hip to talk about! (ask alanis morisette)
It has abundant 'grass'!
It has mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, forests, temples,
ruins, languages, beaches, islands, people, religions, great
spicy food, value for money clothes, pollution, handicrafts,
spirituality, scams, slums, poverty, terrorism, immature
coalition politics, nuclear capability, largest democracy,
free press, human right issues, environmental problems,
raring to go economy.....
What else do you want?
Then WHY NOT??
i'm blasting off for the subcontinent around december in hopes of evading the mass-
hysteria of america and her y2k fixation. not so much afraid of a date, moreso of thedumb
group mentality that we as a nation have demonstrated over and over again.
i am looking forward to being in a place where the bulk of its population have not been
lobotomized by technology, and where i needn't worry about big hurky guys from the
trailer parkcoming after my loved ones with arsenals of hand grenades, guns and army-rationed
beans in a can.
Personally, I have very few soft spots left for my own country, crappy asthat might sound. You
are welcome to tell me that if I don't like it I can get the hell out. It is being arranged.
It horrifies me that we as a people have systematically destroyed every element of spirituality
that had ever existed in our history (be it Native Americam, environmental, human rights..)
and now we look to other cultures for it.For shame!
We then use it as a way to make lots of money. I think that as long as the United States keeps
on its path of systematically breaking down its people spiritually, countries like India will always
have its draw. And , just like anything else, there will be those who genuinely respect the
culture and go there humbled and astounded and with the best possible intentions, and there
will be others ( like some on this site) who are looking for Disneyland,for a Grateful Dead show,
who are looking for someone to blow sunshine up their asses, or are lookingto pay lots of
money for a rent-a-guru to tell them that everything's gonna be alright.
Ravi, I appreciate your planting this seed in so many of our minds. It is a very important
point to ponder, about any destination.
Again I say ( and I will say again) it's not where you are, it's where you're at. Nama
quite literally - I'm going to India to teach english and
photography at a women's college. Now why did i choose
india? I think most americans get caught up in their
country and don't notice the rest of the world. I think
seeing other people and ideas and places makes me
understand something about the world as a whole better.
India, as everyone here said, is very very different from
what most north americans and europeans know. there are
hugfe amounts of anti-arab and muslim country propaganda in
the U.S., which might steer poeple away from there, and then
there's africa, where a lot of people do go too for
something different, but which sadly is taught in most
schools not to have much history, except for egypt, which
falls under the arab terrorism scare story. yes, this is
simplistic, but i think it's what most people know. I do
still believe in intercultural exchange, even though it
doesn't improve economic conditions, or some westerners'
tendency to romanticize poverty etc. and then be disgusted
when it affects them when they're travelling. there is a lot
to be said about seeing the different, because if we don't,
a lot of people can forget that it's there.
Ravi,
First , I want to thank you for starting this thread. And to
the folks who answered ..thanks...it was interesting
to read everyone's reasons..and reflect on my own
reasons of why I go to India...this is why I guess i still
read this particular bulletin board even though we do have
some ignorant and offensive posts.
I think my reasons are a mixture of many of the reasons
given by people ...love for different cultures, hustle,
bustle vast and rich history, the architecture...etc etc
but there was a post that said this
"
Some where in the hills south of Udaipur, while gazing out
the window of a smoke-belching monster, I fell in love with
the land and her people. And who can explain love "
Yes who can explain Love and that is why go to India too!
Ravi,
Thanks for asking the question. Many of my friends and
family asked that too. I went to India for about 1 month 1
1/2 years ago when I was 56. This was my first foray out of
the US with the exception of quick visits to Mexico and
Canada, always with others. I have no words to explain why
I have been ALWAYS drawn to India. I am an AMerican of
African descent and many thought my first trip so far from
home should have been to MY motherland. THough I claim my
African ancestry as my "identifying racial group", when one
looks at me, I have a very mutiethnic face. I have been
mistaken for everything from Eurasian, Hispanic, Indian,
Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern people. As a young woman,
I would create "sari's" from colorful cloth, although I
knew no one from India at that time. Perhaps there is truth
to reincarnation and I was, in fact, destined to go "home".
Tucked in the back of my head was desire - even a need to
someday visit India. My chance came when I took early
retirement and decided that I could afford to take at least
one month to live my dream. I went alone and planned the
trip basics before I left, but l was not wedded to any
plans other than making the return trip as my round trip
ticket dictated. I had a most serendipitous trip. I did
home stays as well as stay in modest hotels. I was
enthralled with the many diverse sights, sounds, smells,
etc that I encountered. I experienced sensory overload many
times. I was in India during the 50th anniversary year and
experienced the excitement - and passion - of the election
process. I could not help but think that my own country
after 50 years away from colonialism had in no way grappled
with the kinds and magnitudes of problems that India has.
The US could not even begin to address and resolve the
monumental social and cultural issues in 50 years. It
really burns me when people do not care to look at the
history of India and its progress before comparing it to
the US or other western countries. Citizens in the US still
do not have enough outrage against race and gender crimes.
I attempt to teach the so-called "at risk" children of
Americans who are so angry and alienated from their
families and their society. I certainly did not look over
the poverty and suffering that I saw during my travels in
India, but I believe that I also tried to put into its
appropriate perspective and tried not to compare it to the
US. If I could be in India today, I would! . I met the
warmest, most giving people there. The scenery is forever
imbedded in my mind. I met other travelers too and was
reminded again and again of the similarities we all shared
and not the differences. I felt safe, experienced no
illness and experienced great serenity whenever I visited
the many temples that I visited, even though they were
often located in crowded, dirty (by US standards)
marketplaces. The peace created a wonderful transcendence
for me.
Ravi, I went to India to follow a true dream of mine.
Nothing about India disappointed me. If I had the time and
fewer financial obligations, I would spend 3 -4 months per
year there. I hope to return soon.
Thanks for your question. I hope my answer offers more
insight for you.
With peace and love,
Gee
First off, I am apalled at some of the above comments, why
bother talking such shit? Now, in response-I want to see a
little bit of India, experience being in a different
environement. It's all about expanding your social
conscience. The 'freak show' seekers are usually bored and
overpaid folks who think they can "culture" themselves. I
have a penchant for Indian food, and I would really like
some authentic chai. Plus, Talvin Singh is a badass!
Peace
People are becoming more knowledgable about India in the
West and are making more informed travel choices.
Travellers can discriminate between the north and south and
may now visit only the south on a first visit-witness LP's
new South India guide. Trekkers choose the Indian Himalayas
or Nepal, Kerala or Sri Lanka.
Good job, Ravi and others. I am on my way back to India in
ten days!! Will be there for two months. Why? It is my home
country, like someone said above, to me, India is THE
world. Regardless of its "problems", its full of life, has
a soul, and has something for everyone. Warm and cheap too.
So, go and enjoy, everyone. I sure will, even during the
monsoon time!
.
hi ravi.
i'm from israel. yea, that holly middle east place.
twop years ago i went down the metro station in Paris and
bumped into a huge poster advertsing the experience of "a
week in Jerusalem", as the closest thing to extasy. funny,
i lived there 4 years and it's a wonderful city, but still,
Paris makes me vibrate. i assume that the french walking
along monmart quarter on their way to work don't stop to
think about that.
my point is, that "exotic" is a very relative term. and
your country is considered enchanting and exotic among many
other cultures, what can i say. i know how you feel,
because when i read travellers stories to my country i
often am puzzled as well, how they admire a market in a
small shitty town that makes me laugh, and things like
that. i take my country forgranted even when i try not to.
i myself am coming to india next month, and i'm sure i'll
find it as exotic as any other tourist.
one last point - tourists see your country from different
angles than you do, even if you travel around just like
them. i notice that in my country. that's the way life
is.... feel free to email me if you want to discuss this
further. :)
I'm from the U.S. I went with a law school group to study
human rights and comparative law. Different systems of
regulating society interst me. India has always been a
dream, the most exotic place on the globe. I wanted to see
Gandhi's land. I was inspired by the actions of Gandhi.
He was the greatest social dissident and lawyer of all times
(in my opinion at least)
I had heard the saying "everything that can be said
about India, the opposite is also true". and it was. A lot
of the U.S. is over-regulated, over-sanitized and so
horribly commercial. It was fun seeing the bright scenry.
The history of India even seems more interesting that U.S.
history-- epic.
I visited the High Court in Shimla and the Supreme Court in
Delhi as well as several of the lower courts and also did
the train rides, back packing part too and was charmed
by all of it. Some friends from the U.S. went because their
parents' are Indian and they wanted to discover their
family roots.
Why i will go back? To visit friends in Delhi. One of
which is a charming lawyer who hid sihks in his house during
the violent anti-sikh riots-- a very brave and kind man.
If I wanted a freak show I would go to America. I was doing
voluntary work in a health library in Mumbai recently and I
did it to understand Indians better. Next week I go back to
India to do some travelling up north and improve my
language skills. Yes, India does seem exotic sometimes and
it throws many surprises at westerners. At other times,
especially when you get to know the details of peoples'
everyday lives, it's just completely normal.
Get a good piece of ass. I've already fucked all the
whores in the USA.
Currently, I'm working in the hi-tech industry in Seattle
and the project we're working on has involved a company in
India. We've been working with approximately 50 people from
India who have flown over to the US to help get this
project off the ground. In the months that I have been
working with them, they have become not only great "team",
but they have fast become my friends. Their levels of
devotion, hard work, magic, faith, vision and endearing
spirit are truly to be admired, as well as their levels of
excellence and professionalism. I am lucky to have such
fine friends. So, having never traveled before, I'm off to
India in November to visit my friends. Cheers...
To me India represent the only intact culture left, meaning
a TRUE culture where religion, philosophy, social structure,
ways of living and thinking haven't changed much for
centuries. It feels so ingenuos, so real, so mystical and
incomprehensible, but at the same time so familiar and
intimate... I don't think any other country regardless of
the beautiful nature, historical sites and culture have this
increadibly strong sprituality which is present everywhere
in India.