Whew! Made it back to the Bay after what seemed like an endless series of flights and layovers (actually it wasn't that bad, but still -- it feels good to be sitting on my couch instead of a plane).
I'm sooo glad to be back, though it does seem a bit surreal to look out my window and not see rickshaws, stray dogs, and paan-wallahs everywhere. Good in some ways, not so good in others. I'm really really really glad I made the trip, especially with partner in crime Goochi -- next time I won't let ten years pass before I visit again!
So, the real question is, has India changed as much as everyone said it had? In some ways, YES, but in others, not really.
The changes I noticed were a lot more consumer-oriented: malls, cell phones, chain restaurants, and, at least in Bombay, a more accepting attitude towards things Western.
The things that felt the same were: staring at "foreigners" in smaller towns, the way most transactions and interactions involve a clear power dynamic, and the sights, sounds, and smells :)
Speaking of sights, I caught a glimpse of one of my favorite Bollywood actors, Aamir Khan, on the street in Lokhandwalla the day before I left. Sumer, the driver, pointed him out as he walked past our parked car. Nobody else seemed to notice him or bat an eye as he walked down the road -- I gawked like a typical Amreekan tourist.
Pictures are up. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment