The Story Begins...

My prediction of being not "out of my comfort zone" but "thrown out of my comfort zone" here in India is the perfect way to describe the time I have thus far spent here. Immediately you are overwhelmed by the large amount of people in the city of Delhi. It is not uncommon to see men showering in the street, auto-rickshaw (taxi) drivers pulling over to the side of the road to urinate against a wall, a barber cutting someone's hair, garbage piled high with someone eating immediately next to it, boys playing cricket, tarps being used as a roof for someone's home on the side of a busy street, motorcycles swerving in between buses and cars, or even babies being held on the back of motorcycle down a busy street. In Delhi alone, there are around 2,000 traffic fatalities a year and now that I have been in this city I understand exactly why. The streets are bustling and bursting with people, unusual smells and energy everywhere. Before I left the States, I read from Santosh Desais' book, Mother Pious Lady, that there are more television sets in India than toilets. As I ride, walk or ride a rickshaw along the streets in Delhi and see tiny shacks on the side of the road with a satellite antenna perched on their roof, I now understand Desais' point. Or as I read in the book, The Bottom of the Pyramid, poverty in India truly has no boundaries.

I've mentioned some things that immediately threw me out of my comfort zone however, there are many incredible things about this culture. Our tour guide started our journey by telling us how cohesive the Indian culture is in religion, faiths, and nationalities. Indeed, about 82% of this country is Hindu, yet there are Islamic cultural centers, Catholic churches, and even Baptist churches nestled around street corners.

One of the most amazing things I have experienced thus far in my time here in India was riding a rickshaw. I lied; it was one of the most incredible 30 minute experience I have had not just India but my entire life. A rickshaw is a man pedaled bicycle with a seat for two passengers on the back and are a common mode of transportation here.

Our tour bus pulled up to a group of anxious rickshaw drivers and were immediately met by anxious beggars. We paired up and hopped on the back of the rickshaw to venture on a 30 minute ride through the side streets of Delhi with an end destination of a mosque. I could not stop grinning the entire time as our driver Shanam pedaled through the crowded streets with peppers on tied to the from of the bicycle with the purpose of bringing us good luck. The first minute you realize that you need all the luck you can get with the cars, motorcycles, vendor carts, and pedestrians walking right next to our rickshaw.

We were immersed in not only the crazy street traffic, but also we saw true snippets of individual's lives. Riding on an air conditioned bus and snapping photographs from inside is great, but this was more than that. It felt like we were a part of the individuals' lives as we got to see real homes that buses can't see or I wouldn't normally venture on foot. As a fair skinned foreigner, I tend to draw a lot of attention to myself, especially in an Asian country. This was what I loved about this rickshaw; I felt like a fly on the wall leading the pact of our rickshaws down the tiny streets with wires dangling everywhere and monkeys lurched on the wires staring down at us. I quickly was in and out of people's lives almost as if I were taking quick photographs of all the scenes going on around me. There were stories there. Each person we passed, vacant house, story front shop, or vendor we passed had a story to tell, and by riding that rickshaw through those streets and seeing what they probably do every single day, I felt like I understood a part of their story. I wish I can walk back down that street some day and sit down over a cup of Marsala tea and have them tell that story. Some day. I can do all the reading I want on this incredible culture, but to me that 30 minutes alone was worth more than any book written on this country.