Land of the Pure

I am here. In Pakistan. And I am still at a loss for words as to how to convey its intricacy to you. I feel as if if I have a very large responsibility upon my shoulders, as I am aware how many of you are eager to hear what I am experiencing. I may be the only voice for you all to hear besides those treacherous leeches we call the media. I am a bit attached to this place already, and I feel quite betrayed by what I have been seeing on all those news channels. Not because what they say isn't true--but because of the degrees to which they emphasize such incidents. But I will not complain of the media because that is a waste of time.

Pakistan is complex and wondrous and beautiful. I have felt such a span of emotion in these last few hours, that I am still not so sure what I think or what I feel exactly. But I am in awe of this place. Perhaps because it is so different than what I had ever expected and yet, so familiar. And in India, I did not feel so much a foreigner (because I am Indian!)--but here I am really feeling like an outsider (as much as I act that I am not!) I feel that this country is really living.
I am in a funny place--I don't often trust my initial impressions, yet I am comfortable with my naive sincerity.

I had some trouble with India immigration on the way here and was quite flustered and panicky as I was making my way. Luckily, I made a friend with a beautiful Ismaili woman on the flight who recognized me from khane the day before. Thank goodness for her! She really helped me make the journey. I was missing India terribly until we made landfall in Karachi, and then all of that was pushed aside. I began to immediately absorb all the beauty and hustle bustle and it really is something.

My uncle and aunt have been very loving and hospitable and I will be staying with them until I begin my internship Monday. We went to the seaside where hundreds of lower to middle-class families spend their time enjoying their Saturday afternoon. The beach was a carnival--with pani puri stands and children selling flowers on strings. There were camel rides and vendors selling roasted corn with chili and lime. There were monkeys on leashes, horses, cotton candy stands, and children playing in the water. Pakistan is like a dessert. Especially in the Sindh province where I am staying. The terrain is rocky and sandy! It is quite windy as well, so there are sandstorms and the dust gets everywhere! I am quite sure I am still covered in the grime, as I can feel it under my eyes and on my skin.

Alot of men and women have been staring at me. But I do not think it is anything rude or dirty. Rather, I feel that people are curious as to who I am and why I am here. I have really tried to blend in by wearing Salwaar Kameezes at all times but even then, my freshman excitement is quite noticeable.

I shall post some photos and let them do the talking.
Also, a note to everyone: Thank you all (Gabe, Ishita, Dan, Imrahn, Katy, Nyssa, Spoorthi, Robyn, Nitin, & Shruthi) for commenting. I know I have been dreadful at replying and keeping in touch. As soon as all gets settled, I will make sure to reply to you all. And to all the other readers, please know that I am flattered that you are viewing my thoughts and very grateful for your support. This is all for you!

Mumbai

You will never truly understand India until you visit and that is something I began to understand as soon as I spent my first two days here. Engrained in the environment is the mellow happiness that is ubiquitous here. I spent all yesterday in the entertainment (Bollywood) capital of India, Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay because of British control, hence Pune/Poona and Kolkata/Calcutta.) It has approximately 15 million people and is the 5th most populous city (people per square km) in the world.

It is hot and moist--crowded and diverse. Dirt and dust rise in clouds getting trapped in your shoes, blackening your feet. Hundreds of Gulmohar trees brighten the surroundings with deep orange blooms. The flowers and full and soft. The food is nourishing. And my goodness, the Mangoes! Here they are warm and pulpy and sweet.

I spent the day with my cousins, Ulil and Alykhan--who are both Indian males which was quite advantageous because I am ostensibly foreign and female. We visited Prince Aly Khan Hospital, a hospital staunchly involved in the community for medical care to the needy. The conditions there would have shocked any American doctor because the life, the people, the mentality--the whole "jing bang lot"--differs in ways that some Americans would find at detriment to the patients. I do no think this is carelessnes, but looser stringency placed on formality. Because it is a hospital that provides general care to those whom are living in poverty for 40 rupees (approximately $1 US for a 2 hour general consultation,) it is quite apparent that the doctors here are doctors because of who they are and how they have come to fit naturally into such a role. Because, at the end of the day, despite all the hard work and generosity, in some hospitals there are still hundreds of sick and dying crammed into the waiting rooms or the available hospital beds. On the other hand, hospitals here are incredible in their scope of care. An average doctor in India will see anywhere from 15-50 patients per day and those who are poor automatically receive free treatment with the proper government papers.

I saw a young boy while travelling by rickshaw (indian taxi) in a very poor part of Mumbai. He was naked, stooped on the ground, and pooping. And he had no toilet paper, he was using dirty stagnant water that had accumulated in a shallow area of the ground to clean himself. It is what it is. It is the only life he has known. And while there are incredible stories of people coming out of such poverty to lead very successful lives, such a life may only be there for him in the future. And so, for many, a future is quite bleak--without adequate shelter, food, and even proper education. However, right across the street the case is oolta (hindi for opposite.) There are metropolitan areas, hundreds of shopping malls, women and men wearing the latest fashions and using the best of technology. Hospitals here are still using state-of-the-art machinery, industries are developing some of the world's most advanced products, education is incredible, and the financial markets are thriving. To say that there is class polarity or diversity in India is a gross understatement.

With that said, I am exploring how my project fits in here with the people of India. I have found that many of my friends here in America are very excited or touched or inspired by the project. But I find that this concept in India for some is a luxury. It is an esoteric question without material significance because when it all boils down to the point, exploring such a philosophy will not, to be hackneyed, "feed the children" or "provide medical care to those whom are sick and dying." However, this in no means demeans the significance of such exploration because I think the Bollywood movie industry plays a similar role. (But that discussion is for another time.)

Good night/shub ratri

Anticipation

Tomorrow morning I leave for Bombay and spend a few days there before I make my way to Karachi.

When I am completely new to something, I make the most sincere observations because I have not been around long enough to attract bias. I will have to pay special attention to storing my initial impressions to memory before I begin to fall into the fringes of familiarity.

Here's what Ralphie Emerson says:

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." I think that sounds really right.

au revoir mes amis!

Or, far more appropriately, fir milenge mere dost!

Wonderful News!

I was awarded the travel fellowship! (Thanks to CMU - Leslie McAhren and Courtney Dow.) 

I leave for Pakistan this coming Saturday, so please enlighten me with any of your ideas! 

CG Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan Travel Fellowship

A week ago I submitted a thick-packet proposal (cut down, thanks to Maria's brilliant eye!) for the $1000 Corrigan Travel grant. It rose from my desire to continue the  project which I began in the interdisciplinary studio course Art & Biology taught by Patricia Maurides at CMU. (Good news by the way! I was just notified that I am a finalist and we shall see what we shall see.) 

The project is called Human Being: An Exploration of the Human Body & Soul.

And it is based off this yearning (ever since I began with Dr. G) to delve into the disconnect and/or the connection that exists between the aesthetic exterior of a person and that exquisite essence that lies within. 

And while "soul" has a religious connotation, I find it is indeed the only word (I should ask Dan, if he can think of any good synonyms!) that can convey some sort of driving life force--some fragrant core that comprises people's every desire, passion, idiosyncracy, etc. But I think Khalil Gibran put this best when he wrote in Sand & Foam: "Only once was I made mute. It was when a man asked me, "Who are you?" 

The greatest trouble I am facing is figuring out the means in which to convey this project. It is a mix of two polar ideas (I always want to use the word mezcla, which is the English equivalent of "mix" or "amalgamation," in Spanish but I find "mezcla" is FAR more suited for this concept, because it is a more lyrical term for this notion,)-thus, a "mezcla" of two elements (BODY and SOUL) and I am still ruminating on how to convey all these facets I come across. 

As of now, I will use photography to capture the physical beauty of the people I come across--most likely by asking them to show me their most beautiful feature/body part. And then, I guess I would let them speak a little freely about the body and the soul and how they hold these concepts in their mind's eye. I may barrage them with a questionnaire I have composed, but as of now, everything is in some wispy smoke because it is freeform and I am not so lucid about my strategy. 

But does everything need a strategy? I feel some of the greatest thoughts I've had just come to me after I've let them stew in the back of my mind for a while, (this is why I am such a grand advocate of the subconscious) and then something sort of comes to me whether or not I am completely aware of it. 

So, in essence--I am trying to explore this connection between the tangible and intangible. I will take photographs and connect them to some aspect of their internal being. Is there some question that really conveys some aspect of a person? Is there a certain concept that I should only focus on e.g. love, religion, soul? 

Anyways, please give me your feedback and ideas!