It is now a few weeks since we returned from an extended visit to India, the first two weeks of which was our first Links with India Journey. The grey cold that met us on our return was in stark contrast to the blazing heat we had experienced in Chennai, our last stop in India. We are still slowly adjusting to our lives back here; not easy for two ‘nomadic cross-pollinators’ - a description coined by one friend in India as we travelled from place to place!
A moment’s reflection on our two week Learning Journey emits thoughts of the richness of relationship – human beings from such diverse cultures and backgrounds connecting in equality and interest; ever changing nature; the folly and arrogance of individuals the world over driven by greed and stupidity in their thoughtless pursuit of ‘progress’. These thoughts are fed by memories of chance encounters, friendship and affection, some discomfort, thoughtful conversations and much joy. Whether it be Aruna Roy’s delight in showing us a film of the visit of the Dalai Lama to Barefoot College, her husband Bunker revealing to us that he feels self-reliance is utterly vital in a modern Indian society suffering from being told what to do for so long, or the group of grandmothers from diverse African villages training to be solar engineers at Barefoot whose delight in meeting us all continues to infect us with joy.
When you travel within a predetermined programme there is a danger that you might take the consumerist view, less of an exploration and more of a process of ticking off a list of experiences. However, it is possible to travel with an open heart, observe without an agenda and make human contact across cultures and beyond the barriers of language. Such a journey is not merely a gathering of anecdotes to create a narrative, but an intricate part of the story that makes up an individual life.
In India it is possible to be submersed into the reality that our sense of individual existence is somewhat of an illusion closely interwoven with our sense of being in control of our life. We have waited for moments of punctuality, wished for central heating and then air-conditioning, sometimes less chilli in our food, but always there is the awareness of the struggle for survival the vast movement of fellow human beings face each day. There is a levelling of perceived difficulties when you are in a crowded room, in the dim light of a solar lamp, listening to the stories of the children in the night school whose days are spent looking after their family’s goats or helping at home and whose nights are given to energetically learning to read and write. Despite the challenges they face in their day to day life their enthusiasm to learn is unbounded.
So the journey took us from the noise and chaos of Delhi via the Mussoorie Express, a slow overnight train, to Dehradun. The unseasonal level of coldness we experienced in the early mornings and once the sun had gone down took us by surprise, and the Himalayas lay stubbornly shrouded in mist. From there we travelled to the sun of Jaipur and into the villages of Rajasthan where we had the unexpected delight of seeing Siberian Cranes resting before their migration north. From there to the city of Udaipur set amongst the brown deforested hills and the lakes calling for a plentiful monsoon. Everywhere in this vast country it is impossible to ignore that fact that humanity and nature are inextricably bound together.
A moment’s reflection on our two week Learning Journey emits thoughts of the richness of relationship – human beings from such diverse cultures and backgrounds connecting in equality and interest; ever changing nature; the folly and arrogance of individuals the world over driven by greed and stupidity in their thoughtless pursuit of ‘progress’. These thoughts are fed by memories of chance encounters, friendship and affection, some discomfort, thoughtful conversations and much joy. Whether it be Aruna Roy’s delight in showing us a film of the visit of the Dalai Lama to Barefoot College, her husband Bunker revealing to us that he feels self-reliance is utterly vital in a modern Indian society suffering from being told what to do for so long, or the group of grandmothers from diverse African villages training to be solar engineers at Barefoot whose delight in meeting us all continues to infect us with joy.
When you travel within a predetermined programme there is a danger that you might take the consumerist view, less of an exploration and more of a process of ticking off a list of experiences. However, it is possible to travel with an open heart, observe without an agenda and make human contact across cultures and beyond the barriers of language. Such a journey is not merely a gathering of anecdotes to create a narrative, but an intricate part of the story that makes up an individual life.
In India it is possible to be submersed into the reality that our sense of individual existence is somewhat of an illusion closely interwoven with our sense of being in control of our life. We have waited for moments of punctuality, wished for central heating and then air-conditioning, sometimes less chilli in our food, but always there is the awareness of the struggle for survival the vast movement of fellow human beings face each day. There is a levelling of perceived difficulties when you are in a crowded room, in the dim light of a solar lamp, listening to the stories of the children in the night school whose days are spent looking after their family’s goats or helping at home and whose nights are given to energetically learning to read and write. Despite the challenges they face in their day to day life their enthusiasm to learn is unbounded.
So the journey took us from the noise and chaos of Delhi via the Mussoorie Express, a slow overnight train, to Dehradun. The unseasonal level of coldness we experienced in the early mornings and once the sun had gone down took us by surprise, and the Himalayas lay stubbornly shrouded in mist. From there we travelled to the sun of Jaipur and into the villages of Rajasthan where we had the unexpected delight of seeing Siberian Cranes resting before their migration north. From there to the city of Udaipur set amongst the brown deforested hills and the lakes calling for a plentiful monsoon. Everywhere in this vast country it is impossible to ignore that fact that humanity and nature are inextricably bound together.
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