Comments (7)

By Lorraine Kasyan, July 7, 2013 7:59 am

India! She has exhausted me but that is largely due to the 15-hour flight and jet lag. We have had a whirlwind tour of the sights of Mumbai and my heart is full. The colors and sounds have not overwhelmed me yet, they mesmerize and beckon, but thus far I am in gentle awe of this kaleidoscopic ecosystem of opposites. Decadent wealth and the meanest of poverty co-exist here in such close proximity it seems your eyes are pulling tricks on you.

Our tour guide spent a year in North Carolina having earned a scholarship from the Rotarians when she was 16.  She has fond memories of the United States and a deep pride in her country. She wanted most to impart the spirit of the people of India to us. Our stops allowed us to get a brief glimpse of so many different types of people living and working together, allowing others to do as they will, keeping to the laws of Karma that dictate you are in the station you deserve and whatever you do in this life will affect you again. No good can happen from harm. A sense of positivity permeates even the slums.

When we arrived last night we were greeted with smiles, bows and apple juice. We were welcomed by a lovely young woman who dipped her finger in a brass bowl and anointed us with our own bindi. Each of us exhausted but also proud to offer our foreheads in friendship. To represent our schools and America here feels important. This sense of responsibility in our delegation is deeply routed and this group is one I am quickly gaining a special fondness for.

There are many more lessons, observations, ponderings, and anecdotes to share. I will get back to you when I next have internet.

Namaste