First Impressions

I don't know where to begin - my senses are overwhelmed by all that is new;
sights, smells, tastes, even the air feels thick and heavy. In smug certainty
that my overseas upbringing would prepare me for anything, I found myself
to adapt to this new life. The first 3 days left me breathless as my emotions
swung back and forth on the pendulum of experience. Let me write of some
wonderful observations - probably of no interest to those experienced with
travel to Asia, but intriguing to me ... most assuredly a Westerner.

Trucks here stand out as beautiful works of art, all the more appreciated as
I wait in endless mazes of traffic. Designs vary a bit, but there seem to be 2
main styles; small panels along the length depicting idyllic tropical scenes, or
beautiful stripes of color along the sides. The front may have a metal plate
depicting a temple, or golden tassels that hang from the grill. The back door
usually displays the words "Horn OK Please," presumably a request to beep
your horn if you pass the truck. How the driver could possibly identify the
passing car's horn over the cacophony of horns blaring from all 248 other
cars around it I don't know.

People are everywhere. The impoverished and homeless break my heart as
some even resort to sleeping on the median as traffic zooms by on both
sides. Shantytowns lining the road to work serve as constant reminders of
how lucky people in the the U.S. are. Brightly painted buildings appear at
regular intervals along the shantytown strip; I am told these are
bathrooms - the only source of running water for hundreds of people
crammed into the small, corrugated metal huts.

There is a pervasive layer of dust over everything, so all you see is a dull
brown which only serves to accentuate the brightly colored saris worn
by the women. Even some of the beggar women wear beautiful, clean
saris. How the fabric shines so brightly when all else fades to brown
is a tribute to the women who spend hours washing clothes every day.