ParentNet

While I was driving down to Chicago on May 21, I sat in the car thinking of what I would write about. One idea that I had turned over in my head was the similarities of airports world-wide. For example: every airport I’ve visited has the same stressed and tense-feeling filled with exhausted people and cranky children. This sounds so negative, but there really is an upside to it . . . it’s predictable. The predictability of each airport gives a sense of normalcy that can be quite relieving after (or in between) a long journey.

Another completely different thought that I had was to share the tale of my very frustrating visa ordeal. I had applied for my visa six weeks before departing from Chicago. I thought that this was plenty of time to acquire it stress free, but unfortunately I was completely wrong. After countless phone calls inquiring as to the status of my passport/visa, week after week, I was told that a letter had been mailed from the university I was going to the program handling my information. This letter then had to be faxed to the visa outsourcing company that would get it to the Indian consulate. Of course, it just didn’t work out that way. The letter was faxed, but never received. So, with 3 days left, I re-faxed the letter and crossed my fingers. Luck was just not on my side though. I called the next day to be told that the real problem all along had been the misspelling of my name on the documents from the school. The documents from my school did not match my passport and thus they could not accept them. That problem was solved though, and I was left with only one more issue: My address. You see, six weeks prior to my departure I had been taking classes at Tech still and my address was that of my apartment in Houghton. By the time the problems were all fixed though, I was staying in Marquette with my parents. The visa outsourcing company said that they couldn’t mail it to any other address (than Houghton) without a signature. I faxed in my signature and received my passport back the day I left for Chicago. Can you say stressed!?!?

So these were the two thoughts that I had planned to share prior to arriving in India. Once here though, I was instantly overwhelmed by everything around me . . . the good and the bad. The bad aspects were the more obvious and talked about issues of rapidly developing countries and I don’t feel the need to elaborate on them anymore. One of the really good, yet still overwhelming, aspects includes the intense energy all around. India, from my perspective, is a country of miraculously organized chaos. There are unspoken rules that seem to not exist to the casual observing outsider, yet somehow maintain order. This constant chaos gives off an energy that is practically tangible. Walking down the street, weaving in between obstacles, animals, and rickshaws, it is impossible to exist in your own little world. You are literally forced to be wide-awake and observant of so many little details. The feeling of being so completely alive is absolutely exhilarating, even in the face of the constant fears and stresses. I think it would be easy to burn yourself out living here, but it might just be a brilliant way to go!