Ok so technically I got back like almost a week ago, but what can I say? Jet lag's a wanker. I can in all honesty say that it SUCKS to be back. India was awesome, and the trip was painfully short. I cried like someone spit in my ice cream when I had to leave. Its hard to explain...Ive only ever been there once before (when I was 8, and got the chicken pox) but as soon as I got there it felt...comfortable, almost like I was going home in a way. Maybe because I was surounded by brown people it kinda reminded me of mill woods, I dunno. But it was incredible, and seeing (basically meeting) my family there was great.
In some respects India is very westernized; they've got pizza hut (which I might add is WAY better there than here), starbucks-like coffee shops, tommy hilfiger stores, harry potter DVDs, Honda CRVs etc. and then you turn around and its like you went back in time to a completely different world. Even with all the western influences (seriously, you cant open your eyes without seeing a coke or pepsi sign) there is still so much culture. Its really something to see. Shopping in a bazaar is nothing short of madness. People really have no regard for something I really value...personal space, but you get used to it pretty fast. You kind of have to if you dont want to get run over by a family on a scooter. And I really did get used to it. I could weave my way through the streets like it was nobody's business.
Although I didnt get to see very many sights I did go to a lot of gurdwaras (sikh temples). I dont consider myself a very religious person... I dont know much about my religion at all actually, but visiting these temples (especially the Golden Temple, which is actually painted in 24 karat gold every year or two) was really something else. The Golden Temple especially is completely breathtaking, and when you see the pictures inside and read the scriptures (which are sometimes written in english) and just take a look at the intricacies of the architechture, the feeling you get is really overwhelming. One minute you're standing in this tiny, chaotic street and then you walk through the doors and see this incredibly beautiful shrine where people are filled with so much faith....trust me you dont have to be religious or even be sikh to be overwhelmed by it all.
Aaah i miss it. I miss the awesome coffee (that the salespeople serve you while you're shopping), I miss the incredible food (oh my god do I miss the food), I miss the colors and the smells (well not all the smells), and I even miss the blackouts and the beggars accosting you for money. Seriously if you ever have the chance to go to India and you're not afraid to have people severely violate your personal space, I strongly suggest you go. You wont ever forget it.
