Experiencing Beautiful Bangalore

Jan 5th, 2012 - First day in Bangalore

Our professor allowed us to sleep in to compensate for our long flight and jet lag, but there were a few of us who were up and moving early. So, of course, we decided to take a little adventure on our own! Following our noses we stumbled upon a Catholic church a street over from our hotel. We were hoping we could look inside but we were surprised to find a wedding taking place. The bride looked beautiful in a white gown and the women wore the traditional Indian Sari (picture 2). I wasn't able to get a good picture of the bride but I did snap a picture of the church. 

Continuing on our way we came to an intersection...and naturally you're supposed to cross the street. However, in India this can be quite terrifying considering there are very few traffic lights and even fewer people who follow them. The strategy is simply to start walking and make them swerve. I'm not a very trusting person though and graciously God gave us a slight pause in traffic so we could dash across (3rd picture). We continued to wonder on getting used to the sights, sounds, and smells of Bangalore. There were many things I encountered that were out of the norm such as: the police wore cowboy hats (4th picture), women were sweeping the streets with handleless brooms, trash lay in the streets and alleyways, children were sitting on streets begging for money, stray dogs lay in the shade of trees, people sold stuff in garage shops or just by standing on the side of the street (6th picture), and so many people were walking and driving around. Those are just to name a few. We drew attention everywhere we went. The men especially liked to stare at us girls, but they didn't really approach us unless to sell us something. We learned that all the shops opened at 11:30. These shops weren't what I was expecting - and to be frank neither was India in general. 

Just walking from street to street my mind began to wander to the things that I wanted to fix, laws I wanted to implement. From simple things like putting a handle on a broom, to trash service, to exterior aesthetics of businesses. Just by fixing basic infrastructure India could see a drastic change in their profits and living quality. Many of these things are taken for granted in the United States and I find almost as common sense. If I were to start a city I would automatically build store fronts, use trash cans, and implement traffic laws. In countries like India, though, these are not common practices. 

I did stumble on a few treasures in the midst of filth. There was a wall covered in what looked like chalk. It brought a smile to my face and a little hope to its surroundings (picture 5). Our first sketchy encounter came when a man approached us and tried to lead us to where there were open stores. We followed him a ways thinking that it'd be neat to shop a little, but being a girl in the streets of India I began to get nervous. I told the boys for the safety of the women in the group we should stop following the man and find our way back to the hotel. The man wasn't happy when we left, but I'm glad we did. This was the first time my eyes became open to the danger present in India. I was never put in harm's way, but I realized I could have been. The world is not safe. There are people who get abducted and there are people who live in slavery - and it is here in India. The children who sit on the streets and beg - they are not the same as the homeless in America - they are slaves; slaves to poverty. My heart breaks for this country. I yearn to comfort this nation. 

Deciding to stick with tours from Dr. Gaspar, we returned to the hotel. Our journey began with a visit to Vidhana Soudha, which is a natural rock hill with a small place of worship on top. Standing at the peak, you could look out over the city. It was beautiful. (Photo 8) One thing I wasn't expecting of India was the tropical environment. There were palm trees and green vegetation everywhere your eye landed. It was here that we encountered our first photo shoot with Indians. They are so amazed by us and so friendly - I finally know what it's like to be famous!
Getting on our golf cart things we started our drive through the rest of the Botanical Gardens. It was so truly beautiful - everywhere you looked there was green grass and leaves. Sitting on the back of the golf cart I enjoyed waving and "awwwwing" at the couples that were spending their day in the gardens. It was so cute how the women would get so flustered! 

The rest of our day was spent visiting the Bull Temple and the houses of legislature. I could go on forever about every aspect of the day but I'll end here for today. India has been full of beauty and adjustments! I am constantly learning of their culture and practices. 

My prayer - Lord, please continue to watch over us and protect us. Help us to do your work here and help me to be a messenger of your love - here in India and every day of my life. Thank you for bringing me here to open my eyes to your existence in the least expected places. With love, Amen.