From the Land of Rickshaws and Rain (Vol. 2)

Below is a letter a wrote home on my third night in Bombay. Enjoy.


Dearest family, friends, teachers, and miscellaneous loved ones,
Greetings from Bombay! I only arrived here about two nights ago and already so much has happened, so much has been seen and such connections have been made. It's somewhat hard deciding where to start, but I guess I'll begin by saying that I have arrived safe and sound, my flight was long and arduous but fine, and I'm thrilled to be back in India. The same goes for the rest of the folks in my program, though some have already been confronted with, and thankfully overcome, their first dose of the culture shock that this country so generously doles out.

I must say though, as I compare my reentry to this country through the port of Bombay to my initial experiences last year in New Delhi, I feel that India has in fact been somewhat stingy in providing us with its aformentioned copious and intense amounts of culture shock. Where are the constant blaring horns and streets fully lined with garbage? What about the overcrowded sidewalks rife with claustraphobia? Where is the entirely unbreathable air? Where are the lepers, beggers, and otherwise handicapped individuals following us for blocks on end asking for change? And what about the streets merchants that so love to harrass Westerners to the point that we'll buy their low quality goods simply to get them to leave us alone? Not here, at least not to the extent that I experienced them in my previous travels to so many other cities in India. It almost seems as if Bombay is a country a ll its own, or at the very least a diet version of the India of yesteryear. Even as I try to tell my fellow travelors what a comparatively pleasant experience they're having , I realize that one cannot know this difference easily through stories and language; only the medium of experience can truly tell the tale.

Not that I'm complaining per se, but I had prepared myself for Bombay as I remembered the rest of India. I hadn't imagined an Indianized version of New York, which is very much what it feels like. Cosmopolitan is the word of choice, and I really believe that the two cities have much in common. One can walk down the street with a great deal of anonymity, even as a Westerner, as people here are so busy that they don't have the time to harrass you. There is a great deal of culture, from the center of the Indian film world, Bollywood, to large cinemas playing Western movies. There are nightclubs and bars, restaurants offering an extensive array of cuisines(except, unfortunately, Japanese), and art galleries galore. (I've even been to one already!) Shumona, our organization's in-country representative, said that she would introduce me to the apparantly thri ving Bombay Photographic Society, a community that she has interacted with in the past. All of these things excite me, as I fully intend on exploring all of these subcultures during my time here.

Somehow I doubt, though, that any of these will be as inviting as the one subculture our group has been invited into already, that being the unique Jewish community of Bombay. While we have been here for less than three days, the group already feels like we have a deep connection to this small but devoted group of people. Our organization had originally planned to arrange homestays in Jewish families, and had hoped a possible connection could be forged between the American Jewish community and the indiginous Jews of Bombay. It seems that their hope has already been and will likely continue to be fulfilled.

On our first day in the city we were invited to Friday night dinner in the home of one of most respected men in the community, and he extended to us a permanent invitation to his home on Shabbat and all holidays. Originally from Baghdad, this man has lived in Bombay for over seventy years in the same home. When he invited us back to his home it was no 'come back any time,' but a deep and serious look into each of our eyes that told us just how sincere his generosity is. It is this kind of sincerity, generosity, and devotion to community that seem characterize much of this small group. These people clearly have much pride in their heritage as Jewish people, and I feel that India, a country that is almost inherently religious and communal, is one of the only places in the world that can foster this kind of strength in community.

In any case, our being welcomed into this community just barely after we stepped off the plane has indeed been a boon for our adjustment to the city. For though this experience has been a bit easier for us than some other possible encounters we could have had, even a 'low carb' India is still India nonetheless, and India is never without a good bit of difficult learning about the harsh realities of the world. I imagine that Bombay certainly has plenty of these realities that we have yet to experience, and I am glad that our feet are firmly planted in a solid community so that when the monsoon winds do in fact blow hard, we won't be blown away with them.

may you all be well and happy,

Rafi