Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

Before leaving for India, I was asked how I felt about the trip and my response was "I am very excited but nervous since I have never traveled anywhere like India/Southeast Asia." To my surprise India reminds me of many places I have been before, and furthermore countries and cities I never would have predicated.  Parts of Mumbai remind me of Los Angeles, specifically the juxtaposition between skid row and the gentrification that has occurred in Downtown and Little Tokyo.  It brought back the overwhelming feelings I experienced during our cultural immersion of "Is it even possible to fix such a monumental problem?" Visiting DNA and speaking with Yogesh Pawar helped to mitigate some of these disheartening feelings through his explanation of finding one's niche within the profession and utilizing your specialized skills.  He also emphasized the power and reality behind taking small steps to reach a larger overall goal, which has helped to offset the feeling of helplessness. Seeing the strength in the organizations we visited, specifically the strength and  resilience in the women was inspiring and also helped to decrease these feelings of helplessness.

Overall, Jawhar made me forget I was in India and I felt I was back in Costa Rica, because of the beautiful landscape, the contrast between simplicity and complexity of life in a rural area, and finally the genuine positive human nature in the people.  I realized that I did not expect to see such beauty in the landscape in India, especially  after the over crowded streets of Mumbai, and the general consensus of my friends and family's somewhat pessimistic views that they relayed to me.  Jawhar was a pleasant surprise and a necessary relief after being in such an over stimulating city.  The relationships we were able to form with the villagers and Ugewall provided us with a deeper connection and understanding of India that I was not expecting, but will always be extremely grateful for.  This genuine nature does exist in Mumbai as well, as people will come up to us without being asked to help us locate our destinations, as we pathetically attempt to ask rickshaw drivers.  This has happened many times, with no intention of something in return.  It is also endearing to see the locals become protective of us, and make sure we are safe and not getting cheated on prices.

India has also taught me even more about seeing past life struggles and appreciating beauty in various situations.  I was surprised that I did not feel as sad or affected by the extreme situations we experienced, and I attribute that to the resilient and happy spirit of the people.  This gives me an even greater respect for the organizations that are empowering others, because they are able to achieve such great things, with almost nothing. Despite  the conditions they live in, they continue to live, strive, and find happiness everyday.  These aspects have put things into perspective and has made me more optimistic of our conditions in America. I have learned that a smile goes a long way here, and is truly a form of universal communication.  When one of us smiles at a local, they almost immediately return that smile (This surprised me since this same interaction is not returned a majority of the time in various parts of Los Angeles). Although most Indians never smile in posed pictures, when we are able to capture candid photos, their eyes light up and their happiness is extremely evident.