First Impressions of Delhi

Arthur, as leader of the day, asked the group to think about the contrasting images of the day and for those in the group who have read White Tiger, he asked them to consider “the light” and “the dark” as it is explored in the novel which takes place in Delhi. Before the group started sharing, he asked everyone to take a moment of silence.

Jordan- I was impressed with the India Gate and the number of people gathered there. It made me think about growing up in Washington, DC and how rarely I go visit the monuments on the National Mall.

Carl- I kept thinking about how sweaty I was, but as the day went on I noticed others’ struggles, and that made me want to stop complaining about the little things in my life.

Willem- We are fortunate to travel half way around the world to see what people do and how they live.

Ashton- In the morning when we visited a Hindu Ashram it made me want to know more about what was going on in other religious centers in the city, like in the Muslim mosques.

Mary Esten- The contrast between the western style mall and the chaotic intersection just outside reminded me to pay attention, be present and learn as much as possible about peoples’ lives.

Arthur- Although I noticed details, I like to think about the city as a whole and recognize that it’s a pretty cool city.

Caroline- I watched the driver navigating the city and noticed that there was so much to see while driving and that everything seems to happen so fast.

Carli- Even though things seem to be moving fast, people don’t seem to be in a hurry to get places.

Mr. Alter- I thought about proximity today, about how close things are which we don’t experience at home. While driving, it’s not about watching your blind spots; it’s about basing your decisions off of the energy of others.

Peyton- I noticed that people who I observed had so many different emotions. Not everyone is happy, sad or miserable, and I am aware that this is a surface level observation.

Gannon- In the morning, we wandered into an Ashram and joined a small group of worshippers in prayer and afterwards we offered a snack. That warm experience made me realize that people have ways to counter the awful aspects of life and that one can be bought back to a peaceful place.

Praveen- When I first went to that mall, I thought that it was charming and that it was full of light because where I am from we don’t have huge buildings like that or so many different stores selling clothing.

Anna- It’s important to realize that we aren’t witnessing people’s complete stories when we pass them in the street. If you saw me on Christmas dressed up in nice clothes, you might think that I always looked and felt like I do on Christmas, but that wouldn’t be real. We should remember to think about how people’s happiness and health can change at a later time.

Mr. Kempe- Our brains are trying to figure things out. We are making connections to White Tiger, like thinking about “the light” and who’s in it. People who can be in the mall can be in the light, but reading White Tiger taught me that those same people’s own lives might be really crappy. The easiest life isn’t what everyone aspires to live; it’s not always “the light”.

Mary Esten- We are reading The Invisible Man in Honors Humanities. The story is a reminder to me that it is easy to be invisible in this environment.

Suman- Going to the mall opened my mind to the different perspectives that people have on things like cleanliness. The differences can be like night and day.

Ms. Kreider- Delhi makes me think about how we views places as separate, but where does one place begin and another end?

Nathan- I thought about the light and the dark and the sadness and the joy.

Kieran- I remember a small girl, about 5 years old, sort of following us around, repeating “Aloha” after she heard Ms. Wilbanks say it. Her family didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight, and I wondered how it was possible for someone to be so alone in a city this full of people.