Diversity of Impressions
Despite the many discrepancies and oddities about India that seem bizarre to a European, nevertheless, an Indian sojourn is a great way to learn interesting things about another culture; and most importantly, about oneself, says Leonie Rodenbuecher
The most fascinating but also the most shocking aspect about India is the diversity of impressions. When I walk across Madurai, I am over flooded with different colours, smells and noises. Everywhere, I see a lot of bright colors because of the gaudy clothes, the formidable temples and all the small stores on the fringes of the street. I smell different snacks of the many takeaways mixed with the stench of traffic and waste. And the row of the scores of people and the continuous hoot of vehicles makes it nearly impossible to have a conversation.
The inordinate, aggressive traffic makes me feel lost in chaos. There seem to be no clear rules because all the trucks, cars, rickshaws and motorbikes ruthlessly wind their way through the other vehicles. In between, walkers and cyclists try to cross the road. On my first day, I was so overwhelmed that I was very relieved to cross the road not alone, but with the other volunteers.
After a few days, I got used to the many sensations and the chaos on the street. But what is very difficult for me to become accustomed to, is that every public place is so crowded. Scores of people are walking, working and even living on the streets. And as a stranger, you’re always attracting attention. Lots of seemingly poor people are staring at you and even want to touch you just because you look different. Seeing such people and all the poverty makes me very reflective. I have a lot of respect for how they make a living.
Many Indians, however, are in the lap of luxury because they benefit from rapid development and adapt to the Western culture. In Madurai, you experience first hand, the social and environmental problems the one-sided development in newly industrializing countries implicates. And you can see that large sections of the population are left out in the process of development.
Despite it all, Indians seem to take life as it comes and are happy about what they have, instead of complaining. A lot of locals greet me with a contagious smile on their faces as if meeting me was the highlight of their lives. When I asked a poor farmer in a town near Madurai the problems he faces in everyday life, he answered that everything was fine, although he has to work a lot to earn money for his big family which lives in an ordinary mud house. Another man from the city, proudly showed us every room of his house although it was small compared to other houses we had seen.
For Europeans, it is very hard to get used to Indian standards and be confronted with all the problems here. But if you look around with an open mind and return the smile of the locals, they welcome you with warmth and you can learn interesting things about you and the society..
The chaotic traffic on the streets of Madurai
A Bird’s eye view of Madurai
