Scott Visits India

So Long, India

May 28th, 2006 at 1:45 am

Home again, Home again. The trip back was pretty uneventful other than the great food on the flight and being harassed by the customs officer about what I had the in the box I was taking along with me. It was simply dirty clothes that I needed somewhere to put, but since I had just come into the US on a flight from Amsterdam, look young, and was by myself at the time - I figure he was thinking I may have brought a little herbal supplement home with me. “No officer, I do not have any food or plants with me.” I think I answered that question 5 or 6 times.

To sum India (and the experience I had there) up in a few paragraphs would be irresponsible at best. The whole thing is so surreal to think back over even now, and I almost forgot what my day to day life back in the states was like. I got to see some amazing sites, meet some wonderful people, and really see how people in other parts of the world live. The amount of poverty we saw and just the sharp difference between the have and have nots made me somewhat ashamed of how selfish and materialistic the majority of people in the US (including myself at times) are.

I gave our driver a pretty significant amount of money when we left and in some small way, it made me feel like I was helping. Sure, there are millions and millions of other people there that need help, but the money I gave him will hopefully be enough to make a significant difference not only his life, but the life of his wife, baby, and parents. It still pains me though to know that there are so many people there (and all around the world) that do need help, and have no way of getting it. It is ridiculous that we are trying to decide on which new iPod to buy or if we can afford that new Lexus when there are so many people out there that could live a full year off that iPod money, or a whole village that could have food and water the rest of their lives for the price of that Lexus. Now that I am home, it is the time when I see if I am all talk and let myself slip back into my comfortable life, or really work to do something and support people that are trying to help fight poverty throughout the world.

Despite these comments about poverty, the Indian people are headed towards a whole new way of life, and it was pretty amazing to be in the middle of it, watching it happen. The government and people are heavily supporting education and you can see so many of the youth getting advanced degrees and looking for professional jobs. The city we were working in was all dirt 6-7 years ago, but is already full of high-rises, a subway under construction, major highways being built and you can see progress all around you. While some people have strong objections to outsourcing and offhsoring because of what hey fear it will do the American economy, after this trip I support it more than ever and feel that I can make a pretty strong case for it, should you care to discuss.

And lastly…it feels so good to be home! No more: worrying about if the food is safe to eat at a restaurant, smelling like the curry used in all the dishes at our hotel, trying to find something to watch on TV out of the 3 channels not in Hindi, having to find someone that could translate for me in certain situations, brushing my teeth with bottled water, basically holding by breath in the shower so I don’t drink water, worrying about my wife, missing my wife, eating protein bars for dinner, working until 3am, freaking out when being driven down the road, getting asked to have my picture taken with locals, working out in a gym that was 95 degrees, enduring the 115 degree heat, and no more having to worry about what time it is on the East Coast when calling home.

It’s good to be back!