News from 3.w in India

We are on the edge between the modern and the traditional in the land of contrasts: India. On the flight here you sense this duality looking at beautiful skyscrapers in one moment and poor slums the next. The first thing that hits us is the humidity and the massive amounts of people. It is rush hour constantly and the transportation and waiting time to Pune is hard on us all. Though the long travel has been hard, the hospitality and friendliness of our Indian hosts bring a smile to our lips.

In Indian households family is important, but so is competition and studying. They study hardcore science, but at the same time they accomplish all their daily puma-rituals. The Indian students are very generous, they have given us saris, Ganesha figures and lots and lost of daal, chapati, baradha and sweets. 

Besides getting used to brushing our teeth in bottled water and experience ‘bad stomach’, we have been exposed to lots of beautiful Hindu temples and prehistoric caves filled with naughty monkeys on Elephanta Island. We have also experienced the Ganesha festival, which can be described as very unifying. You feel the united energi that occur across castes and religion. 

Even though we have learned so much about India and confirmed and rejected prejudices, we are still in awe over, how a country in such rapid development still manages to hold on to religious and cultural roots. We will use the last couple of days to take in all the colourful and spicy impressions and try to figure out how the Indian people do it. 

- Emil & Selma, 3.w