India (Day 1)

(Delayed blog entry from June 2012) 
New Delhi, India (4 am)

My first 24 hours in India have been nothing short of amazing to say the least.  There are SO many people here … the vast majority of whom live in extreme poverty.  The level of chaos sensed from being immersed in this city can be overwhelming yet energizing if you don’t let the chaos consume you.  I feel as though I've been here for 3 days already. A few of us from our volunteer group have visited a few sights around the city: the gates of India, lotus temple, a Sikh temple and a few restaurants.

To witness so many people devoted to their rituals, traditions, and religious artifacts is truly astonishing.  I must admit that a lot of what I've experienced so far reminds me of life growing up in Trinidad and is very nostalgic.  The people share a sense of carefree hope that divinity will take care of future needs, leaving them to only focus on the present day/hour/moment.  Faith fills the gap between what I known and cannot be predicted or explained.  I wonder if such philosophies differ from scientific thoughts in the west; for all knowledge seems faith-based and all belief is in itself a promiscuous undertaking.

Let’s see what today has in store for me. I am ready to learn whatever the universe is ready to teach.