Today was my first day in India-it started off with a crush of people in the airport. I almost lost the group leaving the terminal! We were whisked off to a hostel where most of us did not sleep. In the morning, we were all nervously waiting for something to start-anything. When it finally did, it was like jumping into an ice cold pool; completely breathtaking.
The University at which are staying had come to life-from the dark road we saw during our arrival to a swirling array of colors and smells. All the students and the faculty that we had met were more than helpful and friendly. Out in a dirt area outside the hostel, students played cricket, which is a big sport in India. During our tours and our presentations, everyone was happy to answer our questions as well as ask some of there own.
I met with some young women-most of which were younger than me-who were the only 5 to 8 girls in the program (those I talked to were currently studying domestic engineering; a study of household appliances). They seemed almost embarrassed the attention we showered on them for being women, and a minority. They preferred to discuss what they did or just general introductions.
The first impression India has left on me is deep. Here at the University I see life, empowerment, hope for the future, whereas just outside my hostel window, I can see on of the many slums of Mumbai. Is this a world of such striking differences?
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