Preparing

I've grown a little disheartened about my apparent inability to keep in touch with everyone. So I've decided to put up a blog where people can read about my travels, perhaps comment, and maybe send an e-mail when they have a minute. To start off, I've written a short blurb below on why I decided to make this trip.

The inception of the India trip took place during my Canada World Youth exchange. I was the "token ethnic Canadian", as everyone jokingly called me, but I was a poor specimen. My Bengali is, um.."accented", and I have never taken to the usual Indian cultural activities that second generation immigrants seem to flock to. Before my CWY exchange this didn't seem like a big deal; I think I actually preferred it. But during the trip I felt rootless; a point hammered home when my Project Supervisor (also known as "Jesus" because of his resemblance to the great man himself) played Ravi Shankar on a tape and asked me if I knew anything about him. My dad's a huge Indian classical music buff, and my own ignorance was horrifying. I decided that I would go back to India and connect with the culture on my own terms.

So, two years later I'm preparing for departure--a process that has had its own complications...I just got my student visa yesterday (a story all on its own), got my shots today, and my suitcase has nothing in it yet. I'm leaving on Saturday.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Comments

  1. RotemDecember 24, 2008 at 10:34 PM

    I think it's good that you found your own way to explore your origins. Although I know nothing about second generation immigrant activities you mentioned (for Indians at least), I do know more than enough about similar activities for Jews who were not born in Israel. The best word to describe them is "biased".

    People like you have to figure out what's really going on, and I believe you will have a better understanding now than, say, two or three years ago from such a trip.

    So I'm looking forward to reading all about it.

    ReplyDelete

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