India: my first impressions

It doesnā€™t look like anything I have seen before…

ItĀ is very complicated to describe what I see everyday. Lot of people everywhere. Lot of cars, motorbikes andĀ rickshaws (tukĀ tuk) on the street.

The Indian life-style isĀ surprising me;Ā Everything is so different here. I can’t compare it to anything else. Moreover,Ā I donā€™t know how I should explain or describe what I am living as it doesnā€™t look like anything I have seen beforeĀ !

Ā Something will always shock you

When peopleĀ talk aboutĀ Ā«Ā IndiaĀ Ā», theyĀ have in mind the famous movieĀ Ā«Ā Slumdog MillionaireĀ Ā». Famous movies about India show streets full of beggars, people knocking on car windows to ask for money, young children in the streets,…

I won’t compare India to these movies but it is true thatĀ something will always shock you.

Ā«Ā And soĀ ? You were expecting a proper street like in a proper cityĀ ?Ā Ā» – my friend asked meĀ on my first day.
Well,Ā I had never imagined streets without pavement, zebras crossing or traffic light.Ā Would you?

Ā A country of contradiction

India is an emerging global market, which means that some Indian people are very healthy (much more than youĀ and IĀ together), while others are very poor. And thatā€™s all about India.

India is…

the place where you can see a 5 stars hotel located just next to a slum;

the place where you can drive aĀ big American car, while others won’t even have a motorbike;

the place where you can buy an Indian dress for 1000$ or you can buy one for 1$;

the place where you can meet the richer person and the poorest one atĀ the same location;

the place where you can pay aĀ beer 10$Ā but you pay yourĀ cleaning house maid 20$ a month…

India is a country of contradiction.
But the biggest contradiction, in my opinion, is that this situation will never change because everyone is happy that way.

A life-changing experience

Travel can change your life. It doesnā€™t really matter if you travel for one month or for one year. Some places, some people, some experiences can transform you totaly.

A single place orĀ a single person can heavily influence a life decision.

India was much more than a life-changing experience. It opened my mind over some issues that I had never thought before.

For the first time of my life I was “the” foreigner. I was the “expat”. For the first time of my life I was different from the people around me. I had to adapt. This made me realise how difficult it can be, sometimes, for the foreigners who live in Belgium. This made me realise how an Indian would feel if she/he lives in Belgium. How it feels to be looked at just because of the “difference”.

Eventually, I don’t take life for granted anymore…

Ā 

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