The Heart of India

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So I started this blog a little late, but I feel like I made it just in time to start the real part of journey. So far I have already been in Guwahati for 2 weeks and then traveled to Thailand for 2 weeks, and am now back in Guwahati. I will be here for 3 weeks before I begin my trek across India. I have experienced so many different things since I've been here already. From being stared at by every single person I come into contact with for being white, to biting my tounge everytime our driver swerves out of the way of a giant cow laying in the middle of the road. While those things are less important, I do feel like things are changing with me that feel much more real.

I'm beginning to see how much love can be shared between beings when that's all there is to be shared. The kids here in Guwahati have inspired me to look past material things, and to see the inner being in each and every person. A lot of this realization has to do with a new book that I'm reading called A New Earth by Ekhart Tolle. It is a book about defeating your ego, the human unconciousness, and just being. It is the most interesting book I have read in a while, and I feel like it couldn't have come at a better time for me. Everytime I find myself hating India or something that happens in India, I find the words from this book playing over and over agian in my head, and see a beautiful side to what's happening.

So far I can't say that I have had an experience so far of catastrophic proportions. Everyone here is so full of heart and has been nothing but kind to me, aside from the overly pushy cab drivers you get at the airports. Yesterday some German cyclists came through Guwahati that were doing a fundraiser for the kids in eastern India, and the father of our shelter home had a great party for them. He had kids from the 5 shelter homes around Guwahati all come and preform dances for them. Although I'm sure they appreciated the gesture, they definitely seemed a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. Imagine you and your 4 friends surrounded by hundreds of Indians all coming up to shake your hand like you are some great god. Celebrities are probably used to something like this, but going from no one really going out of their way to meet you to pushing through to meet you is quite a change.

After the perfromance, we proceded to the stadium where the germans were thanked and facilitated. This took around twenty minutes, and afterwards a band played some english rock songs. At first I was not dancing, while everyone around me was hooting and hollering as if they were having the time of their lives. Until a boy came over who I have made friends with from one of the shelter homes, partly because he is one of the only ones that can speak english, and said I should come dance. At first I was so self-conscious, thinking everyone was watching me, but after a while a decided to let my ego take a hit and just let go. It was the best time I have had since I have been here. Everyone was just singing and dancing and different people would come up to me and show me different dance moves to try, and then move on. The one boy, Ricky, said something after the band quit playing and we all sat down to rest. He began telling me how tired he was from the day, how he had cycled with the Germans for the earlier part of the day, and then danced so much at the end of the day. This is not what caught my attention though, it is what he said immediately following. He said that he must do these things though, because he will NEVER get another chance like this again. It's then that it really hit me, how important and fun something like this was to him. To me, a privilaged American, this was nothing more that what I could do every night of my life back in America. I could go to night clubs and dance my life away whenever I wanted, but to him it was something he may never get to do again. How differently people here think compared to people back home.

Since the Germans have left things have gone back to normal again. We play with the kids whenever we can, which is very seldom as I'm begining to see why my sister hates one of the sisters here so much. This particular sister, sister Vulsa, likes to control every situation she possibly can and is the most jealous person I have ever had the "privilage" of meeting. She can't stand anyone else getting attention from the children, except for herself. The minute Cami or I begin to play with the children, she will come into the room and begin speaking in Asamese, and all the kids will scramble out of the room. Although I respect the woman for what she is doing here, spending her whole life with these children, I can't help but feel a little bit of this anger towards her that Cami feels. I feel bad for the children because the only time they get to really play is when we're her to play with them. I hate to think about when the time comes that we will be leaving, and it will be just the kids. Just the kids and sister Vulsa. I want to just scoop them up and take them all with me so they don't have to live this life anymore, which I know is impossible. But if there is one thing that I will do, I will not forget about them. I will write them and call them as much as I can once I leave here, never forgetting that there are other places in the world besides the paradise I'm used to, and they need people to help them through it. Cami and I were talking today about Americans and how rediculous it is that they don't care about people over here when they know full and well that extreme poverty is happening, but then I remembered that before I came here I was the exact same. Seeing is believing, it's as simple as that, and now that I have seen I will always believe.

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Comments

[Jimmy]

Hi Colin
Hi Colin, Say hi to Cami for me as well. I didn't know you were over there too. You and your sister are great people for taking such a big step to help others, and to see "how the other half lives". I wish you well. Get more play in with those kids while you can. Jimmy