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Namaste, India!
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I was warmly welcomed into New Delhi, India’s capital city, in early March last year with bright yellow garland and a red dot on my forehead. I had come to this beautiful, spiritual country, for a voluntary teaching assignment at a local government school.
It was during my voluntary work that I discovered the art of making chapatis (Indian flatbread). I saw our cook use a rolling pin on a flat surface to roll small wheat flour doughs and give it a pancake-like shape. He would skillfully throw them on the stove, flip it once or twice and take it off just in time. I even learnt to speak basic Hindi, India’s national language.
I visited the beautiful and ancient Delhi landmarks Kutub Minar and Red Fort. The India Gate, Parliament House and Connaught Place gave me a sense of modern India. I found peace of mind inside Humayun’s Tomb, Gandhi Memorial Garden and Jama Masjid and ended with a trip to magical Taj Mahal.
My own Indian adventure started after the voluntary work when I decided to make a trip to India’s financial and party capital Mumbai. Because I didn’t know anyone in Mumbai, I was filled with anticipation on my arrival in Mumbai. The city taught me a lot and helped me grow individually as a person. The experiences I’ve had while living in Mumbai have shaped me for life and taught me many of life’s lessons which I will continue to live by.
I discovered Mumbai over the next few weeks as a single foreign tourist and Chinese lady in India. I learned that India is very different from China and that I have to understand Indian culture better and adapt myself if I want to keep on exploring this fascinating country.
That’s why I decided to soak in Mumbai’s art and culture scene and meet as many locals as I could.
Towards this, I visited Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla Zoo, the famous Jehangir Art Gallery and walked around Colaba Causeway. I was fascinated by Victorian architecture, very similar to the buildings we have along the Bund.
In a desperate bid to find inner peace I became a student of Ashtanga Yoga at a very famous yoga institute in south Mumbai. Slowly, yoga became my passion. By the end of the year, I completed the certificate course in yoga.
Yoga taught me how to be present and how to let go of the past. I became rooted, calm and more confident. Most importantly, I felt happier!
My daily life in Mumbai became organized with yoga in the morning, French class in the afternoon and a bit of Mandarin teaching in the evening. I commuted by local trains which can be a good test of endurance.
One day, while taking a stroll in Kala Ghoda in south Mumbai I was attracted by a gorgeous blue dress displayed in a boutique. I knew I could not afford it but could not stop stepping inside. I struck up a conversation with the designer. She not only made it affordable to me but we managed to stuck up a friendship. I would talk to her often. It was a big help in a foreign country.
Soon I was pinning to see the rest of India. One long weekend, I drove with some of the friends I had made in Mumbai to Pune, which was refreshing — green and lots of fun.
Pune gave me the confidence to go further and explore southern India. Chennai welcomed me with its profound historical and academic atmosphere. Although the rickshaw drivers were not always friendly, I observed something impressive on the bus. On every crowded bus I took, passengers would pass on the change and tickets back and forth for each other.
Having checked out south India, I took a flight to Guwahati, Assam, in northeast. I enjoyed the friendly city and the wildlife sanctuary. Two days later I took a ride on the zigzag mountain up to Cherrapunji, the wettest place on Earth — and it was actually raining! I enjoyed the refreshing air and warm tea at a small shop.
Darjeeling is a crescent town resting on the Himalayan Mountains, with its famous tea plantations, Tibetan monasteries, various wildlife and breathtaking beauty.
I stayed in India for nine months and was told many times that I had an Indian soul. Maybe. India can be bewildering at first, and amazing and wonderful once you spend some time there. It is a nation with ancient wisdom, kindness and forgiveness. I believe in karma and the goodness deep down in every one of us.
I went to India as an international volunteer, and came back learning so much more than yoga. Now I call Mumbai my second home and am ready to go back to India anytime — for more knowledge and experience. Why not?
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