Ode to India

I'm sad to say that this morning was my last day in the wonderful land called India. I'm now in Bangkok and I feel a bit of culture shock. I miss India in a weird sort of way. I am making a vow to one day return to India, it may not be until I'm 40 or older, but one day. Next time I plan to stay longer and volunteer for a while and see all the cities that I have not yet been blessed to see.

Below is a summary based on my own experiences that I've had in the last 2 months. By no means is it a true and factual description of India. I'm sure that for many of these things I write about there is a rhyme and reason to it all. Unfortunatley most of the Indians I've met here are in the Tourist, Restaurant, or Hotel Industry and they do not always represent the whole of Indian people or culture. Forgive my poetry skills!


Oh India!
Land of women in coloful sarees
and men in long longhis
From the Indian Himalayas
to the dunes of the Thar desert
and the beaches on the Arabian sea,
I thank the Hindu gods,
for sharing India with me.

A land where the air is polluted,
and black boogers are the end result
Where cows are truly 'holy cows',
that produce 'holy shit!',
which, in turn become a means of fueling a fire,
to cook a meal on the street.
There is nothing holy about stepping in it!

India, a land where the cities are filled with NOISE
where bumper stickers on most vehicles read,
"'please sound horn!"
Crossing the street is a game of risk
that you always seem to win.

Though a bus may seem full,
to them it is not,
only once there's no more standing room,
let along breathing room,
is it considered full.
But yet, there's always more room
for at least 5 more and their baggage.

Oh India!
Land of women in coloful sarees
and men in long longhis
From the Himalayas
to the dunes of the desert
and the beaches on the sea,
I thank the Hindu gods,
for sharing India with me.

A holy land is India
With Hindus a many
Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Hanuman
These are a few names of their many gods
Walk a long a street and you'll find
statued shrines decorated,
with marigolds and incense a plenty.

Sadhus walk the streets,
they pray all day,
and will eat all night
and beg for rupees along the way.

Where marriage means an arrangement
divorces a rarity.
children a plenty,
and mistresses are many!

Death as sad as it is,
women are not often at the funeral pyres
where bodies are cremated and
spread into a channel of the Ganges river.
Please reincarnate them into a higher caste,
in their next life.

Oh India!
Land of women in coloful sarees
and men in long longhis
From the Himalayas
to the dunes of the desert
and the beaches on the sea,
I thank the Hindu gods,
for sharing India with me.

India, country full of languages
Hindi, regretfully to some, the international dialect
Lots will prefer to speak broken English.

Same, same.
No problem!
Your problem!
Possible
Not possible
Please come
Hello Madame!
Yes?

'Have a nice day'....
oops... I mean 'Namaste'

India, a land where body language is often enough,
where moving one's head side to side
is a gesture for 'yes' and 'thank-you'
Prayer hands are often a
'heartfelt greeting' or a genuine 'thank-you'
especially since thank-you's in any form
are not common at all.

A push is not a crime,
its an 'excuse me'
a brush against your butt,
or a hand rested on your leg,
is not a come on,
its being comfortable in a tight space

Oh India!
Land of women in coloful sarees
and men in long longhis
From the Indian Himalayas
to the dunes of the Thar desert
and the beaches on the Arabian sea,
I thank the Hindu gods,
for sharing India with me.

A country where, for men to hold hands is okay,
but a huge rarity to be gay!
Where men take holidays with only other men
and women and men are hardly seen together.

Coolies (porters) walk the streets
with large and heavy items on their heads.
Gandhi's name is a street in each city and
his face graces us on each rupee note
Rickshaw drivers are always scandalous
and local children ask for 'one pen'.

A land where the electricity will
cut out at any given moment.
And the garbage bin is the street
and its the responsibility of one or two
old woman with short brooms to sweep it up.
Fires light the streets,
as smell of old rubbish and burnt plastic fill your nostrils
Where peeing and spitting or hoarking
on the walls is a normal sight to see.
Staining the walls with red betel juice
or leaving the scent of urine.

A country where day old
newspapers are a treasure
hand/foot towels,
napkins
bed sheets to sleep on the floor
disposable plates
wrappers for takeaway food
Indians know how to use their resources.

Oh India!
Land of women in coloful sarees
and men in long longhis
From the Indian Himalayas
to the dunes of the Thar desert
and the beaches on the Arabian sea,
I thank the Hindu gods,
for sharing India with me.