Shy and timid, bright and loud, hot and humid, joyful and disheartening, harsh and unforgiving,
India is the land I first discovered at the tender age of 17. I fell in love with it the minute I landed at then
Santa Cruz Airport in the Northern suburbs of then Bombay (now
Mumbai), a mega metropolis located on the lush tropical coast of western India. I stayed long enough to realize I would be back later on in life. Exactly 10 years later, I returned to India and lived in
Delhi for 3 years. Needless to say I got close and personal with India. I got to know the good, the bad and the ugly. As a matter of fact when you are in India you get to see all three in one sitting. You can't go to town without the smells and the loud noises of traffic, you can't see the
Taj Mahal without first being harassed by beggars and you can't go shopping without bargaining. India is like a mirror you put in front of your face. You may not understand or like what you see but when you learn to deal with it, it becomes a lot simpler. Some people just can't or won't deal. It's that simple. India forces you to open doors in your soul which sometimes are better left closed. It can be disturbing but never dull. It is guaranteed to open your senses and drive you crazy. It is a journey which must be taken at least once in a lifetime.
