[Tessa] Week 6.5 and home

In The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a movie which takes place in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the main character Evelyn comments on her experience in India:

“Nothing here has worked out quite as I expected.”

Muriel, an older woman staying at the same hotel as Evelyn responds by saying “Most things don’t. But sometimes what happens instead is the good stuff.”

For me, India took my expectations, put them in a blender, and spit them out to give me the most amazing experience imaginable, or as Muriel would say ‘the good stuff’.  For this reason I spent my first flight home crying, and my second one watching and re-watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Also interesting to note, I turned off the AC in the plane immediately after boarding, and the person next to me turned to say “You have obviously been in Delhi for far too long.”

I already miss my colleagues, the rickshaws, the henna, the mangoes, the smiles of the children in the basti . I have started working on my impossible mission to re-integrate to Western society. How is that I am facing more culture shock on my way back?

Below you will find a picture of the Indian food aisle at Meijer. Three words: Less than par.