What to bring back?!

Whenever I have traveled or lived somewhere, I have always brought home with me some elements of the culture that I liked and our household is by now quite a collection of all my husband’s and my travels and experiences, both in cuisine, decorations and philosophies. East, west, north and south all come together, blended in a liberal and conservative setting. Yes, we have quite a household, but I love it.

This trip should be no different and I have already been searching the internet for spices and ingredients I will need for some of the delicious dishes and flavors I have been introduced to. Indians have a gift to take the most boring ingredients in the world (like lentils) and make them taste like the best dish on earth.

I have also found several attitudes and lessons in India I wish to emphasize stronger in our home. After our son David was born, I learned that true perfection lies in the ability to reach beyond perfection and live despite imperfection, or rather with imperfection. Incorporating it again into our household, our home.

That lesson has allowed me to bring back other elements from India. Here, you really need to look beyond the preconceived notions in your mind. If you had come here, expecting the “perfection”, some kind of experience of the India in the novels and gone-by days, you would have been immensely disappointed. India is nothing like your imagination, the story books. As we flew back in over Mumbai, the pilot gave his usual speech of weather conditions etc. and he started out by welcoming us to “Mumbai, the city of dreams”. I nearly chocked, wondering if he actually had visual contact or was flying blind only. Surely, he did not mean that this filthy, grey, trash and slum filled area sprawled out over miles and miles, was someone’s dream. It made me wonder about Bombay and the hopes and dreams of the people who live here. Even in the wonderful places we have visited, I have seen things that are so remote from the visions of “mystical India”.

If you had come here, expecting the “perfection”, the fortunate Westerner who has come to graciously save the poor people of India, they would have let you have your hallucination and you would have brought back nothing more than more building blocks to your pride.

If you had come here, expecting the “perfection”, seeking to be treated to the “experience of mystical India” you will get that, but in that case you bring nothing home with you. The “experience” is like cotton candy, worth nothing.

There is nowhere on earth you will be treated to the mystical experience we Westerners think we are entitled to, just because we can travel to far and distant places. This trip has reinforced my belief that nobody is entitled to anything! We like to think we are but in reality our place on earth is about duty, not self serving. Even in India.

When you come to India, you need to be able to see beyond "perfection". Leave your preconceived notions and pride and story books behind. It is just clutter taking up valuable space in your suitcase. The only thing you should bring with you is your willingness to share without needing something in return. Then, suddenly your suitcase will overflow with treasures.