Preparation

Is it really possible to fully prepare for 3 months in New Delhi? I am skeptical, but trying nonetheless. From researching to getting vaccines (ouch!) India, India, and India is all that is on my mind! I depart September 7 and am currently absorbing the calmness, the tap water, and the spaciousness of my home in Canada. Soon enough, I am expecting 24h honking, bags and bottles of water, and tight corridors shared with an impossible number of bodies. Excellent! Friends and colleagues here have asked me « Are you excited? » and « Are you scared?? » but I am often thinking about small details like « What formal wear do I need to bring?? »
It is incredible, the diversity of the country. Reading an illustrated history of the country produces something like fireworks behind my eyes; it is beautiful, shocking, and even illuminating. And there is so much to learn: India’s strained relations with Pakistan; understanding the black and white photo of three sisters who hanged themselves because their father was too poor to afford a dowry for marriage; and even marveling at the colours of Holi celebrations.

New Delhi, Bangalore, Thar Desert….see you soon!