As we arrived in Delhi, our first impressions of India were of Ahuja residency. The website’s statement of the hotel exclaims them as “The premier name in hospitality in India” noting the “accommodation facilities offer comfort, affordability and safety to discerning travelers.” This has been true on all accounts for us, alleviating some of the stress of being in such a different situation than what we are used to in Portland. Multiple times now throughout the trip I have heard people describe our temporary home as an “Oasis.” Part of this stems from the fact that our entire group has been able to take over the space in a comfortable way, using the dining area and basement as classrooms as well as having the balcony as a nice place to hang out and catch up with the group. Personally it has been a great place to be able to reflect on our experiences here which have often times been a stressful and chaotic contrast to the calm sense of place at Ahuja.
Right off the bat I noticed the gated off aspect of the hotel right away, this being the first time in which I have experienced a place being walled off from the outside. There have been numerous barriers such as these that have influenced our time here so far that have been both concrete and abstract. A few visible ones have included, separate gendered security entrances in the metro, temples and some markets, while more conceptual ones being language, race and position here as students. One of the hardest encounters that I have experienced thus far have been when we visited Agra. We felt more on display there as foreigners, countless people asking for pictures with us as well as taking photos without our permission. It has been mentally draining to have to keep up with balancing academia, taking in our experience of India and others reactions to our large group of foreigners. At one mosque in particular there were young boys who latched onto almost all of us, giving us a tour and surprising us with their familiarity with upwards of seven languages. They explained that this knowledge came solely from all of the tourists who would come and visit, speaking to us in impeccable English, French and Spanish. It was interesting to discover that they all had similar spiels that they would use with each of us. When we told them we were from the United States they all responded with “Obama, Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan!” which seemed to be their only reference points to American pop culture. It was also the place that I found the most aggressive vendors who would not accept when we did not want to buy any of their souvenirs, following us as we explained that we did not want anything, sometimes placing them in our hands or laps when we refused.
At one point I started to give out paper cranes that I have been making while here. All of a sudden I easily had twenty little kids surrounding me, curious and waiting while I would make more as fast as I could. We have been told not to give money to anyone, some people have even warned against food, but it was nice to have a break of having people ask for something and shift my position as a consumer, if only for a short time. One aspect of this exchange which I found intriguing was that soon after I have started, a few of the children went up to others in our group and tried to sell the origami back to them, some claiming to have made them themselves. It was hard to see how economically driven these children were but also understandable and informative of their situation. Before the trip our professor while here in Delhi, Sunil, told us that the people in Agra were “waiting for us” a statement that struck me as eerie when reflecting on our visit.
Another aspect of this trip has been people’s lack of belief in my position here as an American. There have been multiple people who have tried and said hello to me in Chinese as well as question where I am really from after I say that I live in the United States. However I do not want to only focus the negative aspects of India. After our trip to Agra I was able to meet up with a family friend who was also visiting India, showing his seven students from Japan around while focusing on Law. He brought up how many of his students had been experience similar frustrations that I had felt concerning race, many times being mistaken for Chinese but that he warned them to think critically about how they would explain India to family and friends upon returning home. He explained how there will be many people who will ask how your trip went and that you will have about twenty seconds to fill them in so you have to be wise with what you choose to share.
We have had so many great experiences while here and they have not been outweighed by the negative ones by any means. One of my favorite parts so far has been discovering how we have to bargain for almost everything. We have gone to countless markets as well as taken auto rickshaws and as we have lived here longer we have had the chance to figure out how to get better deals on clothes and rides. At first I found it uncomfortable but quickly have found it to also be an enjoyable custom that is ordinary and expected. As our time in Delhi is coming to a close it has been surprising at how fast I became comfortable here. The traffic is insane but also impressive as auto rickshaws, cars, bikes and motorcycles weave through each other through a constant buzz of horns. At night there are huge fruit bats which fly around our temporary home as well as numerous geckos sticking to all sides of the walls outside. As I feel a new ease and appreciation for Delhi I am both excited and sad to leave. This bittersweet feeling is alleviated a bit knowing that we will return for our last week but also by the thrill of the many new and unfamiliar areas in India that we will be experiencing and not knowing what to expect.