In India

Today is August 31st. I have nearly completed the CFHI study abroad program. This week we visited a palliative non-profit care organization called Cansupport. Cansupport employees typically consist of a councilor and a nurse and/or a doctor. They regularly visit terminal patient’s homes. They provide psychological support, logistic assistance, and medical assistance. Specifically, Cansupport can give medications such as morphine to help ease the transition into passing. I had the honor to shadow these lovely people as they visited different patient homes. This granted me a unique look into the lives of the common person in India. During my observations, the female doctor was quite curious about American politics and culture. Her inquires gave me the opportunity have a conversation about both cultures. We visited a patient who had lived in a “slum” in New Delhi. There was an entire community in the alleyway space. There was only enough space for one person to walk down the alley at a time. Grey water thickly lined the open drainage ditches. Trashed clogged the flow of grey water. There were large-crumbling concrete buildings on either side. Each room in the building was no larger than a bathroom, and this room was the person’s entire home. The doctor explained to me what the slums were then she asked me, “Do you have slums in America?”. I quickly replied “Of course. It’s everywhere in the world.” The doctor seemed surprised by my quick response. I explained that slums may look different in the United States. “People will typically live in makeshift tents near the streets or even in tent cities.” I then showed her photos of homelessness in Seattle. I think people abroad will paint America in broad strokes. America does have its luxuries, beauty, and successes. However, America also has its poverty, ugliness, and failures. India does too. Every country does. This solidifies my ideas that no country is perfect nor should it be painted in one wide-monochromes stroke. She later asked me if the cities are clean or dirty, filled with trash, and polluted like New Delhi. I told her that the cities can be dirty and trash may be around, but it is not really similar to New Delhi. Her reaction was less shocked at this answer.

Before I left for India, I did have images of pollution, trashed streets, and recurrent human excrement lining the streets. People do empty their waste buckets on the streets in some places still. Free roaming animals eliminate waste wherever in the streets and there is a huge littering problem here. This is mainly on the highly used public streets. Delhi has very nice areas as well. The metro is extremely clean and modern. It was better than the Czech Republic metro in my opinion. While I was with Cansupport, I visited some lovely enclaves of massive apartment neighborhoods as well. The complexes were in a 1 kilometer radius. There were security personal and beautiful maintained landscaping. The architecture of the buildings is quite nice too. Inside these apartments are marble floors, spacious rooms, and modern home electronics. These enclaves are everywhere in India. However, these enclaves are closed off from the public streets, so travelers do not typically get to see this beautiful city side of India. During a routine security check in the metro station, the security woman asked me where I was from. I told her that I was from the United States. She smiled and inquired “Is it nice in America?”. I had little time to explain or converse due to exiting the line, so my response was brief but sincere. I said “Well, yes, for the most part it is very nice in America.” She may have preconceived notions of America being 100% luxury and peace. She likely asked me this question because I look like a foreigner.

I visited a woman’s home with my other classmate. The woman said that my classmate looked Indian, but I looked very foreign. I am pale and platinum blonde. I truthfully was not expecting to be the only pale person in New Delhi. I have spent two weeks in Delhi and never seen anyone who looked like me. In the tourist areas in Jaipur and Agra, however, there were people from all over the world. I get hard stares in New Delhi, I cannot blend in no matter what I do. It’s a strange feeling to be seen so easily. I think my skin and hair color makes people automatically think that I may have some monetary status. The children beggars attempted to steal my “gold” earrings. I bought my earrings for two dollars. I have no monetary status. Being in India would not be possible for me if it were not for the help of scholarships and financial aid. I come from a poor family. My parents did not finish high school nor did they attend college. I was able to go to Europe and India only because of the study abroad program at UWT. No one else in my family has ever been to either place. The last person in my family that has been to the other side of the globe was probably my first ancestor who traveled on the mayflower to get to the United States. These experiences are such a important milestone of success for me. It’s nearly unfathomable that a person of my background can be here in college studying medicine and traveling the world. I am unequivocally grateful. I know that I tried my best to make the most out of these opportunities.