This is India

Those who have seen the movie Blood Diamond (if you haven't, do it) might remember the acronym "T.I.A.," which means this is Africa. In the movie, it served as a simple way to describe the utterly complex, intricate and random workings - from the land to the people - of the entire country of Africa.

Similarly, our group has adopted T.I.I. (this is India) to describe the disappointment, the stress, the sheer chaos, the filth, the underlying simplicity, the sense of purpose, the respect, the history, the beauty, the humor, the delightful surprises and all serendipitous happenings that we all experience each day here.

Kolkata is the New York City of India. It is filled with people, personality, and an extensive public transportation system. The food ranges from good to great, and there is never a dull moment or a lack of things to experience. The streets are littered with taxis and buses that look like they came straight from the 1940's (to be honest, it wouldn't surpise me of some were that old) and serves as a reminder to just how resourceful the local population is here. When you don't have much (and many in this city don't), you do what you can to keep and treasure what little you have for as long as you can. In India, and especially Kolkata, things we would normally throw away or give up on are embraced here, "MacGyver'd" new life and are put to full use. One man's trash may be another's treasure, but in Kolkata, if something is found discarded you can be sure it is truly beyond repair.

The hustle-and-bustle of this city (and I suppose any large city) is a double-edged sword; it gives and it takes. We are all engaged in the personal challenge of meeting the needs of our curiosity with the city while still providing enough time and space for ourselves to relax with a good book, grab a cold cocoa cream drink and reflect on the day, or just have a quiet nap - perhaps all three! I think I can speak for the group when I say the juice is undeniably worth the squeeze, and we are all growing as individuals and as a cohesive whole because of it.

In closing, one of the things we have all learned and seems to be the most pertinent in this city at this point in the trip is that there is much more then meets the eye with India. It is easy to dismiss things as chaotic, disorganized, unpleasent, broken, or even just stupid. What it really comes down to, though, is simplicity, efficiency and tradition. Undearneath it all, there is much to learn from these people. T.I.I.

Desmond