Pre-India Reflections

Pre-India Reflections

It is less than a week before I head to india! Yesterday Emily and I did some last minute arrangements before we leave. I found this awesome Indian fashion shop in Newtown (the suburb that literally has a shop for everything), and so I am really excited to try my hand at conjuring up some Indian style, (haha style and Erica do not usually appear in the same sentence, let’s be honest!) I want to be very mindful of respecting Indian dress codes whilst I am over there. Emily and I have found in our research that it is not appropriate to wear anything that exposes ones elbows or knees if you are a woman. Whilst I love wearing shorts, I understand that it is important to acknowledge the traditions of another culture, regardless of one’s individual beliefs and standpoints. I am ready to accept the challenge of adjusting my own views, and making room for the thoughts and traditions that have engaged other people for many years. 

As I was packing my bag last night, I asked my dad what he thought I needed to bring to India. His answer was a pouch bag, clean underwear and a good luck charm. Three essentials, I agree! The good luck charm that I have chosen is a black and pink love heart that tingles when you shake it. On it are the words, “be truthful, gentle and kind”. This is a quote from Gandhi, an inspiration that I am sure many people look up to, including myself. What I like about a lot of the things that Gandhi says is that they can be applied to many different situations in life, and even more importantly, many different religious contexts. For example, these same words are still very relevant in Christianity and Islam. That really inspires me to take on board what he is saying when I interact with others. 

Many people have asked me why I am going for a month to teach english when I am studying a medicine degree. I think that the main reason is, I feel that I need to develop my skills a lot more before I can really be of any use in the medical field. I have been teaching for a year at a weekend school for students who are struggling with english and mathematics, where I have three classes from about 10 to 15 students, and this experience has given me a bit more confidence in my ability, which is still really developing, mind you!

One of the most important things to me is that I am actually making a difference, not just jumping into a situation to tick it off the extensive ‘bucket list’ of things that need to be done, but I have just not gotten around to doing. Each experience should be one that I can really reflect on and learn from, and I am hoping to do just that when I go to India. 

Emily and I will be living in the city of Jodpur for a month, staying in a cottage that is located where the school is located. I am really excited to engage in some mindful, not mind-full activity! I would also love to learn some Hindi. I have been practising with a chart of Hindi phrases in my shower, but I do not think that it has really worked. What I need to do is just get out there and immerse myself in the Indian culture. I cannot wait to try proper Indian dhal and rice! I have often made my own short-cut version of dhal and rice (chucking a mixture of half split peas and half rice into my rice cooker! Less dishes to clean makes me very happy), but this will not compare to the traditional Indian version. 

When I was sitting in the Indian visa centre on Kent Street, waiting for my documents to be processed, I felt a real sense of reality hit me -  all these people in this room wanted to go to the same country for a thousand different reasons. That is what makes travel so special for me, that people all want to expand their own horizons, enriching the vibrancy of their lives. What a gift this world truly is. 

I suppose that this was my dream since year eight. All that I have ever wanted to do was to do volunteer-oriented tourism - it basically sums up the ideal experiences that I hope to engage in. I still know so little of the cultures and traditions that thrive and are abundant in my wonderful world, and I want to change this immediately. There is no excuse to block oneself off from the many diverse and rich cultures that abound in this world. There are just too many options and possibilities to engage in. 

I think that this month will be one of reflection. I imagine myself as an Indian Tolstoy, with an opportunity to remove myself from the routines of my life at the moment (which are great, I might add!) but never the less, it will be fantastic to see the world from a different perspective. I can see myself looking back on this month in years to come, appreciating the time away from Australia, and I suppose ‘spontaneously’ throwing myself into a country (even though we have been planning this trip for almost half a year, it does not feel that long ago that we first started talking about it!)

The truth is, in this piece of writing I have used a lot of brackets. This is probably because there is really just so much that I have to explain. All of these special moments of reflection and preparation are coming together, and in a way, I still cannot really believe that it is all happening at once. I am very excited though. Starting my three month break with a cultural shock will be a good experience. My anticipation is great, and my excitement is greater. India, here I come.