A reminder that our cultures differ

After dinner, a walk was in order. It was New Year’s Eve, and we couldn’t go to bed at 8:30. Since it was dark and the students were tired, we headed off for a short walk that, like that afternoon, turned extraordinary. Because the students trust in their leaders, they let me set the route, and I started down a couple of the major streets nearby. The wealth of stimuli of an Indian city prompted two of the students to talk about how “there’s so much here that my mind is having trouble processing it.” This came while walking past a variety of commercial establishments amidst a throng of people, most of them openly staring at our group as we walked along a lighted street. There were clubs, restaurants, many closed shops, art for sale, people sitting around fires, beggars, dogs, vehicles racing by with constant horns beeping adding to a world of sounds and smells totally unfamiliar to us and constantly changing. Then things got weird.

Deciding to head home, we turned off the main street into a dark side street, lit by occasional streetlights and the ever-present vehicles hurtling by. Once again we found ourselves the center of attention, but this time we were bombarded with cries of “Hello” and “Happy New Year” from the dimly lit fronts of tiny houses with entire families with residents rushing up to shake our hands. Here we passed cattle and the unmistakable odor of a farm lot – then a camel lying down. People wanted their photos taken, to touch us, to look at “Americans,” as I heard more than one person mention. This was the dark side of Ahmedabad, not only in lighting but also in life. We’d call it a slum. I don’t know what the area’s residents would call it. And it was a bit unsettling. We weren’t used to such areas. We aren’t used to being such centers of attention. All the students were affected; the walk home was virtually silent. Both women blogged about it, Andrea’s blog especially showed its impact. Again a memory that won’t be forgotten.