Reflecting on Delhi – a glimpse into our discussions

Elias: “The city is hectic but the people aren’t describes how the city works. The peoples seem calm inside and to us it looks so busy – but it’s actually not busy once you understand it.”

Kam: “The crab last night was delicious.” “The best time so far was returning to the airport in Port Blair with Suman to get my visa for the Andaman Islands. It was special to have an adventure just with him.”

Merrick: “The city seemed laid back in the midst of chaos. It stuck out to me that there weren’t many women on the streets, but it seemed much safer for women to be on the streets in Port Blair.”

Caleb: “It’s already off to a comfortable start being my third trip to India. I feel very comfortable here, natural. The food – it’s good to be tasting that food.”

Mariana: “We’ve done so many things. It feels like we’ve been here for so long we’ve only been here for three days. At the end of the day I’m exhausted but at the same time happy and satisfied because we’ve seen so many things different from at home.”

Charlene: “I appreciate my life and the environment at Christchurch because of the pollution in Delhi. It is really different from other countries that I have been to – I felt like I was in Hanoi almost a hundred years ago looking at my grandparents life because the traditional, classic architecture of Old Delhi and the less modern way of life.”

Suman: “Another epic trip is here, Andamans it’s always good to be back! Can’t remember how many times I’ve been here but feels so amazing and connected, building a connection to this lovely place!”

Sally Belasco: “Transitioning from the dry, winter air at home to this tropical humid climate has been a refreshing reminder of exactly where we’ve traveled. Sometimes with so much travelling, it’s easy to forget to take in everything around you. The change in weather has been a nice reminder to stop and think about where we are.”

Hannah- “I’ve gotten fifty headbobs so far. I’ve really improved this year. I feel more connected to the people. I was so excited to be back in India when we headed out to spend the first day in Delhi. Blair said that she thinks I should just live here.”

Hunter-“There’s a busy vibe. Everyone is always going somewhere or doing something. I haven’t really felt culture shock. It just seems like people are living their lives. It’s not wrong, just come of the practices are different from my own.”

Claude: “I’m surprising myself on how easily I can slip into a new cultural routine. It’s been an easy transition.”

Blair: “My first impression was wrong. It wasn’t crazy and hectic, but fast moving and systematic. I felt uncomfortable at first, but I already feel that if I returned to after being in the Andaman Islands that I would appreciate Delhi more.”

Jack: “I noticed how the kids passed their time, playing cricket and running around chasing each other. The city, like the kids playing was a place of constructed chaos.”

Praveen: “I feel that there are more rich people in Delhi and the Andamans than in Agora. People can buy food and even bottle of water. In Agora we grow our own food and don’t have to buy water. I can talk and communicate with people everywhere because most everyone speaks Hindi. People have been friendly to us. I also noticed that there are no beggars on the Andaman Islands.”