On the train to Kerala now. I’ll have a bit more stability in Kerala with a welcome and comfortable home to live at. Probably won’t be doing as much hopping around and being continually on the move as I was in Mumbai. One of the things I’m continually reminded of when I’m traveling by myself and was just recently reminded of is how great people are in general when it comes to helping travelers out. Whether it was Dubai, Europe or India, I felt like I could always count on the locals to help me out with anything, as long as I approached them the right way. I’m continually surprised how patient people are with broken language skills and will take the time to explain directions or certain things to you. If they can’t, they’ll even find someone who can. Too many people have helped me out with sincerity on trains and buses, and even went out on limbs to make sure I was going to be okay. The power of the human spirit is pretty incredible with this, imo. I can’t believe I just spent two weeks living in and exploring Mumbai by myself though. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while, along with traveling more in the northern parts of India which I hope to have a chance to do later. Mumbai is a very exciting and dynamic city, but I think I have had enough of the Mumbai ‘Madness’ for a lifetime. A lot of people love the ‘madness’ of the city and they just soak it up. The crazy traffic, the continuous downpour of rain during the rain season that makes it one wet mess, the huge population of people all in a small place, the shopping frenzies, etc. But for me, all that as a traveler was exciting for a short while before some frustrations started setting in. It’s a really hard transition from living the conveniences of a western lifestyle. Aside from needing more space and convenience than what I could afford in Mumbai, it was also hard dealing with the social disparities thrown in my face and the helplessness I faced in seeing them, especially over time. The social issues are something I want to revisit again if/when I am more capable of doing something about them in the future. Some great times, good seeing some family friends, meeting interesting people, great practice for my Hindi and I got the opportunity to see how medicine is practiced in two different clinical settings in India. Currently listening to an argument on my train the next berth over about seating. Most awkward convo ever as a dude is sleeping and does not want to give up his seat even though it’s assigned to someone else. The whole compartment is listening to them debate very awkwardly lol.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 19:14:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015