I love India I hate India I love India I hate India

India is a crazy place. It literally pulls you in every direction - emotionally, geographically, ethically and intellectually. I spend my day wavering between loving and hating this place, which is a strange way to feel.
India seems to embody an astonishing spectrum of life. Before I left, our neighbor told me that you could literally see life and death in the streets of India. I didn't really know what she meant at the time. Life and death? What is that a metaphor or some kind of extreme statement to get your point across? No, its a literal translation for in the morning you see babies, on the sidewalks clinging to their mothers and you actually wonder how they will ever make it in life. And I have also passed people laying in the street and I wonder how close to death they are. And then there is everything in between from women in burkas to others in short skirts and strappy sandals. Old men on bicycles and others riding spiffy motorcycles. Some people are absolutely reject religion, most adhere to some kind of religion (or a blend of many) and sometimes you see pilgrims traveling the country to sacred sites, or Sadhus who have renounced the material world and wonder naked, mediating in caves and living a completely different lifestyle. In any given day I go from loving to hating India.
For example....
I love India because here this place gives me an appreciation for the kind of life and education that I have.
I hate India because it makes me feel a little helpless about the fact that so many people are disenfranchised from certain important things in life, such as education.
I love India because it is so beautiful - the landscapes, beaches, flora, fauna, wildlife, sunsets/rises and even the gritty cities are really breathtaking.
I hate India because there is trash everywhere! People throw plastic, cellofane, paper, just about everything out the train windows, out car windows, the streets, rivers, streams, sidewalks and even some beaches always have garbage. Its a problem.
I love the smells of street stalls cooking samosa, juices, bel puri and other amazing delights.
I hate the smell of urine, trash and the 5pm daily burning of garbage that also permeates the air.
I love the food. Its absolutely incredible. I have had some of the best food in my life here... and in Sri Lanka of course. Can't get enough spice!
I hate that no one has figured out how to get proper water filtration in the place - adding of course to the plastic water bottle waste.
I love Indian hospitality. I have been welcomed into people's homes, shops, and conversations. So many people are welcoming and are genuinely interested in why I am here and are so passionate about how much there is to see and do here.
I hate that some people have really strong misconceptions about foriegners. It seems that we are thought to be wildly wealthy. So many rickshaw drivers, shop owners and travel agencies are trying to squeeze you for outrageous and totally unfair prices.
I love that this place makes you think about spirituality. I haven't really experienced a place where people are so welcoming about their religious practice. It feels nice to be so openly included in a morning puja at a temple or welcomed into an atmosphere into which you are clearly not acustomed.
I hate that there are many Indian men who think that because I am a woman that I am a) something to gawk at b) an idiot who needs to be told what to do c) someone not really worth listening to.
I love India because it is fascinating. There is so much variety. Even in its extremes, there is everything in between. India can be so warm and welcoming and it is also so frustrating (every once in a while it is infuriating). There is so much to offer about culture and tradition, about fashion and art, technology and creativity. Its hard to sum up sometimes and even more difficult to articulate.
I guess as I am starting to look back on the past 2 months and look forward to the next one, I have realized a lot about my own personality and culture and how it blends, influences and is shaped by being in India. Everything that i have seen, from ancient ruins, to devastating poverty and environmental craziness to beautiful kind people to bus rides, food, etc - there is something about BEING here. It takes you so fully out of your element and forces you to think about all of your concept in life; what I am grateful for, what I hope to help change in this world and what inspires me are all at the forefront of my mind while I am here.
To conclude this vague and perhaps esoteric entry, lets talk some facts. Where am I again? Specifically, I mean - back in Bangalore. From Mysore I tried to get to Pondicherry, but the place ws totally booked up - do you believe it? I am so glad I called ahead to check! So, I gave Amy Letts (for those of you who don't know, we met in Goa and went to Hampi together) a call and we decided to meet up in Kanyakumari. This is the southern most tip of India and is the place where the Indian ocean, the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal converge. The sunsets and sunrises are spectacular. Gandhi hung out here and it is a popular pilgrimage site, hosting one the many important temples of India (devoted to the Virgin Goddess). While we spend a lot of our time in a tarvel agency trying to figure out how to get out of there, we did some beautiful site seeing and strolling through the town. Now we have a day in Bangalore (after a 14hr sleeper bus) and tonight we'll get on yet another sleeper bus to Gokarna. I'll leave from there back to Goa for Christmas and New years. How I ever get out of Goa (in any kind of affordable fashion anyways) is totally beyond me. The next stop will be Varanasi, potentially, if I can handle the 42 hour train trip. We'll see how I fair. Somethign else I am realizing about this fine country. It takes a bloody century to get anywhere, and not because of distance. The roads are just so crazy no one moves very fast. For example: Took a bus from Madurai to Kanyakumari. Distance in Km = 222. Time it took: 8.5 hours. You do the math but I think we can all agree.... India is crazy!

Until next time