Chennai, India

Everyone warned me before arriving in India about the horrors I would see. Unhealthy people with unimaginable diseases and deformities, a vast gap between extreme wealth and extreme poverty, dirt streets; I was told I may not be able to look up for first day. When I got off the ship in Chennai, India, it was definitely a completely different world. There was hardly any paved streets and buildings were certainly no higher than 2-3 stories. Dirt was everywhere! Not just a light dusting, but a thick coat of black grime that if you sat down would most likely permanently stain your clothes and most definitely left a nice tan dirt line on my foot, clarifying where I had shoes on and where I didn't. India was an assault on my senses at first. The smells at points were so strong that my nose didn't know how to process it, so my mouth took over and I could essentially taste the scent instead. (Not exactly pleasant... kind of like accidentally eating poop. Not sure how one would normally do that, but in India, it was very possible we ate some poop...) It also was blazing hot, but we had to wear covered shoulders and knees. I discovered a new places I could sweat, it was a level of sweaty. Who knew eyebrows could sweat that much? Yes, for the good first few hours spent in India, I thought I would be miserable. But the dirt, grime, and extreme smells are only a surface layer. I soon found that India is an incredibly beautiful country made up of beautiful, kind people who want to learn as much about others as we wanted to learn about them.

I only spent one day exploring Chennai. I went to Spencer's Mall, a run down (yet "high class") shopping area where I purchased some Indian clothing- I got aladdin pants and gold beaded shoes! I expected that the fashion would be similar to a western style since we were technically in a large "urban" city, but the fashion for women in India is almost solely the sari, the multi-colored textiles and dresses with scarves around the neck. The colors were gorgeous. Against the brown backdrop of dirt, the seas of people that walked the street were brightened by a rainbow of colors. Amongst the vibrant colors were warm faces of incredibly happy people, yet they seemed (at least on the outside) to live in despair. I was fairly confused. I mean, I've seen people who live in villages without electricity, or have to walk a ways for water- but in that case I sorta felt ignorance was bliss. The people were happy with what they had because they had been innovative, even with a simple way of living. But in India, most people knew what other standards of living were out there. Bollywood is huge, depicting romanticized versions of life.

My Global Studies project for the end of the semester is based on "happiness." Myself and six other students are exploring what makes people of other cultures "happy," how do they define happiness, and is it sustainable. In the US many might say "The American Dream" is happiness, yet a consumer way of living is hardly sustainable today. In India it was difficult to decipher what others defined happiness as, however after much digging I believe happiness in India revolves around the family. Families (whether they are immediate or extended) stick together. Those that seemed the most content were usually surrounded by friends or family, just enjoying each others company. Family is what each member pays their respects to and they are unified by the god that they worship in the Hindu religion. Honoring the family gives them the satisfaction they need. The next day I was heading off to the southern part of India, wondering if their beliefs were the same.