Reactions and Receivings
From the beginning this experiment has been about connection, and connections are not one-sided. The idea was to give and receive both ways. I thought documenting reactions and receptions would be an integral and essential part of the project. What happened?
I dropped the ball, sort of. There has been so many positive reactions, feedback, responses, in so many different forms and sizes. And I receive so much from India and Indians, even before I can initiate an exchange. I couldn't keep track of it all. It was further complicated by the fact that my transient one-bag-and-a-pair-of-tabla lifestyle didn't allow for extravagant gifts or thank you gifts.
Recognizing the spectrum of manifestations of giving also helped me understand: there are many ways of saying thank you. It didn't seem right to end every encounter with, "Now smile and say thank you for camera." When people share and give from themselves, it's really impossible and silly to keep track of what gift is a response to what gift,
Below I'll give an off-the-cuff list of things I received, but first to generalize:
From the social organizations I donated to, on behalf of my American friends, there were copious and thorough thank yous. Many dramatically-official receipts, pamphlets and booklets, lifetime subscriptions to newsletters, pins, calendars. Answers to any question I could imagine to ask on visits (these I liked very much, as I learned and got to see much - leperacy, slums, etc). I always explained my project, and the American sources of concern that were putting the wind in my sails, and the thank yous were extended to them. Occassionally there was eventually a further request for help. Subash wanted to buy an ambulance for the labor union; he would put my name on it. Sanjoy Damyanti asked for an exorbitant amount to fund his school; I discussed with him how this external, over-ambitious funding would've been frowned upon by Gandhi, and two months later he found the funding locally.
From the small gifts I gave, there was always a wonderful combination of surprise, delight, appreciation, and pulling closer.
From the aquaintances and friendly conversations, I learned so much about India, life, everything. These people didn't bother to offer physical stuff, but told me I could visit them and stay at their houses, or call them if I had any trouble at the train station, or go to their friends' shop and get a discount.
From the unspoken connections straight between hearts (meaning deep centers of selves), I got the strongest positive feedback. Understanding, peace, pure kindness. Needless to say, these were hard to document and relay, but I felt them very powerfully - whether while picking up plastic, or pausing to make eye contact and smile, or letting someone notice me eat Indian-style one-handed.
Did I leave my American friends out? Rather than give a list of X says thank you for Y, I tried to tell the stories of the encounters. These stories are the essence of this experiment, and their telling is the manifestation of the positive connections that have been made.
Everywhere I go in India, I tell my story, and the stories of America. I told the young man who carried a photo of Osama bin Laden in his wallet about my sister, studying creative writing in a New York skyscraper. At the same time, on this website I tell my Indian story to America. I showed pictures of Diwali and explained the depth of Indian classical music.
The Indians learn about America; the Americans learn about India. India comes to understand and care for America; America comes to understand and care for India.
Now a list of gifts and return gifts I received, in no particular order:
--innumberable cups of chai
--innumberable meals: in homes, in restaurants, on the street, in trains (it is unacceptable to eat in front of someone without offering them some food, and it is almost unacceptable to refuse when offered)
--free rides: bus, motorcycle, scooter, rickshaw, car
--companionship: on Thanksgiving, when sick
--smiles and positive affirmation ("You should talk to more people.", "You should continue to travel in India and meet Indians.")
--the 'subash experience': a sort of overwhelming being together, that I first felt with Subash Tora, and may try to elaborate on later, or not
--call to home by Subash Tora: to say thank you and wish my family a happy Diwali
--help with my laptop: straight from the source, Anjali the call-center worker I met in Mahabaleshwar
--lessons in hindi: from talking to thousands of talkative Indians
--guides at almost everywhere
--directions almost everywhere
--to learn so many things
--complements on hindi, project, tabla
--sacred cloth at Gwalior gurudwara: they told me I could only use it on my head and shoulders, but I'm not the type that walks around with a sacred cloth on his head, and my towel had just been stolen from the hotel roof, and I consider my whole body to be sacred - so it became and remains my towel
--holy candy offering at Gwalior gurudwara: which I carried around until I decided to throw it towards Mt. Everest when I saw it
--a week of free, high-quality food: from Scott the Swarthmore professor, who was still thinking in dollars
--about 40 days of free lodging: from staying at Sarah's in Pune, Sadhana Village, Mira's in Pune, and Suraj's in Darjeeling
--help at train stations, banks, Post Offices (go to Gwalior Post for one of my favorite HKE stories)
--lifetime subscription, pins, calendars, pamphlets, thank you notes, and official reciepts: for donations
--meeting up with Subash Tora and seeing him working at his new job
--Rs. 5 from a Sadhana Village man who wanted me to give it to a Hindu temple for him; it emotionally turned into Rs. 500 at the Kali temple in Kolkata
--homemade candle from Sadhana Village, given to Mira
--homemade cloth from Sadhana Village, used for my tabla seat
--wonderful, large shawl from Mira as a parting gift, used for warmth, a pillow, and soon-to-be-sleeping-bag
--use of all sorts of warm clothes for our trek, from Amar in Darjeeling
--all-expenses-paid stay in Darjeeling, at Suraj's youth hostel, from Suraj
--several thank you cards and emails
--so much, from sharing music with folks
--a massage
I dropped the ball, sort of. There has been so many positive reactions, feedback, responses, in so many different forms and sizes. And I receive so much from India and Indians, even before I can initiate an exchange. I couldn't keep track of it all. It was further complicated by the fact that my transient one-bag-and-a-pair-of-tabla lifestyle didn't allow for extravagant gifts or thank you gifts.
Recognizing the spectrum of manifestations of giving also helped me understand: there are many ways of saying thank you. It didn't seem right to end every encounter with, "Now smile and say thank you for camera." When people share and give from themselves, it's really impossible and silly to keep track of what gift is a response to what gift,
Below I'll give an off-the-cuff list of things I received, but first to generalize:
From the social organizations I donated to, on behalf of my American friends, there were copious and thorough thank yous. Many dramatically-official receipts, pamphlets and booklets, lifetime subscriptions to newsletters, pins, calendars. Answers to any question I could imagine to ask on visits (these I liked very much, as I learned and got to see much - leperacy, slums, etc). I always explained my project, and the American sources of concern that were putting the wind in my sails, and the thank yous were extended to them. Occassionally there was eventually a further request for help. Subash wanted to buy an ambulance for the labor union; he would put my name on it. Sanjoy Damyanti asked for an exorbitant amount to fund his school; I discussed with him how this external, over-ambitious funding would've been frowned upon by Gandhi, and two months later he found the funding locally.
From the small gifts I gave, there was always a wonderful combination of surprise, delight, appreciation, and pulling closer.
From the aquaintances and friendly conversations, I learned so much about India, life, everything. These people didn't bother to offer physical stuff, but told me I could visit them and stay at their houses, or call them if I had any trouble at the train station, or go to their friends' shop and get a discount.
From the unspoken connections straight between hearts (meaning deep centers of selves), I got the strongest positive feedback. Understanding, peace, pure kindness. Needless to say, these were hard to document and relay, but I felt them very powerfully - whether while picking up plastic, or pausing to make eye contact and smile, or letting someone notice me eat Indian-style one-handed.
Did I leave my American friends out? Rather than give a list of X says thank you for Y, I tried to tell the stories of the encounters. These stories are the essence of this experiment, and their telling is the manifestation of the positive connections that have been made.
Everywhere I go in India, I tell my story, and the stories of America. I told the young man who carried a photo of Osama bin Laden in his wallet about my sister, studying creative writing in a New York skyscraper. At the same time, on this website I tell my Indian story to America. I showed pictures of Diwali and explained the depth of Indian classical music.
The Indians learn about America; the Americans learn about India. India comes to understand and care for America; America comes to understand and care for India.
Now a list of gifts and return gifts I received, in no particular order:
--innumberable cups of chai
--innumberable meals: in homes, in restaurants, on the street, in trains (it is unacceptable to eat in front of someone without offering them some food, and it is almost unacceptable to refuse when offered)
--free rides: bus, motorcycle, scooter, rickshaw, car
--companionship: on Thanksgiving, when sick
--smiles and positive affirmation ("You should talk to more people.", "You should continue to travel in India and meet Indians.")
--the 'subash experience': a sort of overwhelming being together, that I first felt with Subash Tora, and may try to elaborate on later, or not
--call to home by Subash Tora: to say thank you and wish my family a happy Diwali
--help with my laptop: straight from the source, Anjali the call-center worker I met in Mahabaleshwar
--lessons in hindi: from talking to thousands of talkative Indians
--guides at almost everywhere
--directions almost everywhere
--to learn so many things
--complements on hindi, project, tabla
--sacred cloth at Gwalior gurudwara: they told me I could only use it on my head and shoulders, but I'm not the type that walks around with a sacred cloth on his head, and my towel had just been stolen from the hotel roof, and I consider my whole body to be sacred - so it became and remains my towel
--holy candy offering at Gwalior gurudwara: which I carried around until I decided to throw it towards Mt. Everest when I saw it
--a week of free, high-quality food: from Scott the Swarthmore professor, who was still thinking in dollars
--about 40 days of free lodging: from staying at Sarah's in Pune, Sadhana Village, Mira's in Pune, and Suraj's in Darjeeling
--help at train stations, banks, Post Offices (go to Gwalior Post for one of my favorite HKE stories)
--lifetime subscription, pins, calendars, pamphlets, thank you notes, and official reciepts: for donations
--meeting up with Subash Tora and seeing him working at his new job
--Rs. 5 from a Sadhana Village man who wanted me to give it to a Hindu temple for him; it emotionally turned into Rs. 500 at the Kali temple in Kolkata
--homemade candle from Sadhana Village, given to Mira
--homemade cloth from Sadhana Village, used for my tabla seat
--wonderful, large shawl from Mira as a parting gift, used for warmth, a pillow, and soon-to-be-sleeping-bag
--use of all sorts of warm clothes for our trek, from Amar in Darjeeling
--all-expenses-paid stay in Darjeeling, at Suraj's youth hostel, from Suraj
--several thank you cards and emails
--so much, from sharing music with folks
--a massage
posted by Luke Wolcott at 7:31 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home