Welcome to India

It's been a week now that I have been in what is known as the Temple City of India (Bhubaneswar). Traveling to a different country, most people have a perceived conception; an idea of what to expect or some sort of stereotype that they have gathered through various pieces of information. I too, had a perceived conception of what India was going to be like. Asking some of the other students who are with me on the CapAsia program what they expected, my answer was similar in the fact that we all have perceptions from movies, but mine derived from Slumdog Millionaire.
Slumdog Millionaire, I have discovered, actually does give a good visual idea of the different levels of social class to expect while here, from the slums (which is not what the residents of these areas call them and it is not what we call them as CapAsia students - they are known as "self-built homes"), to middle class housing, and even beautiful new homes. Although I am not living in Mumbai (the main city Slumdog was filmed) for the next 6 weeks - like I am in Bhubaneswar - it will be interesting to see the difference between the cities and states as I travel through India in the future.
So far, I am in love with India (at least Bhubaneswar). Okay, so it's dirty; there is trash everywhere, stray dogs running around, the road sides are mainly red/brown dirt leaving my feet in a constant tan, there is a constant smog in the air, the driving is (how I see it) an organized chaos, the honking never stops, crossing the road becomes a game of Frogger,  you can only drink filtered or bottled water and people never stop staring. But the food is amazing, the city is well planned, there is always an efficient and easy way to get around (I will explain more of the transportation aspect later), there is a rich history and culture, the people are generally nice and welcoming, I happen to love the puppies running around, the architecture is unique and interesting, the constant array of colors beautify the city and there is a happiness here that is hard to find anywhere, especially back in the States.
Apart from having a difficult time adjusting to living here and traveling with a group, the constant feeling of being babysat and having minimal time for personal exploration and growth, I am learning so much about Bhubaneswar and their culture. I enjoy the constant discovery of new things without trying, the new impressions and changing perceptions.
I know by the end of this trip, I will have something more that I came with; what that will be, I don't know, but it will be worth coming for.

Photos: To live vicariously through me, click here.