the only way to travel "if you stay true to yourself, you will always remain on track, even if that track takes you off the beaten path, to places you could not possibly imagine." ~ Debra Ollivier

the best word i can come up with for India is intense. spices are spicier, sweets are sweeter, colors are brighter, life is just louder. the culture is just more intense, and there are so many more people, everyone living on top of one another.

in Chennai, i went to a court hearing for Novartis. i rode in an autorickshaw in the morning traffic from my hotel to the courthouse, see my pictures for a better idea of what this means. to give you an idea: you're in a little vehicle about the size of a tilt-a-whirl carriage with no seatbelts, no windows, no doors, weaving through rush hour traffic where the only traffic rule seems to be "whoever gets there first wins." it was the first of many rickshaw rides. after surviving the ride to the courthouse, it was really interesting seeing the court in action -- i've worked a ton on a project involving this case since January and it was enlightening to see everything in person.

throughout the case, we've talked about there being "two Indias" and when you're there you realize that this couldn't be more true. when i pictured these two Indias, i pictured them separately -- in reality, they're superimposed. a Borders-style bookstore and coffee shop sits right next to a run-down, overcrowded apartment building. families of five travel on one motorcycle alongside an american-sized SUV carrying only a driver and one passenger. this first struck me in Bangalore, but the same theme was visible everywhere i went.

i had a great time in Bangalore, touring on my own by day and hanging out with Carly and several of her E&Y colleagues by night. i enjoyed exploring the city and taking in some of the culture -- it does take some adjustment. i saw monkeys in the Lalbagh botanical gardens, which made me laugh out loud. the gardens were also the first place i experienced an interesting phenomenon: countless people approached me and asked me to pose for a photo with them. i realize it was only because i look different, but i found it to be incredibly awkward and embarrassing. worse were the people who didn't ask and took paparazzi-style candid photos when they thought i wasn't looking. on one hand, how can you say no...on the other hand, i ended up feeling a little like one of the monkeys.

saturday was one of the most enjoyable days in Bangalore -- Carly and i spent the day being led from shop to shop by Richa, a colleague and friend of Carly's from E&Y. we saw sarees and silks, bartered for bangles and braved the traffic before retiring to Richa's for flatbread stuffed with cheese and chili.

Delhi was a harsher city -- more to see, but the people were much more aggressive. i joked that in Delhi, people don't sell, they harass until you buy. i attracted more attention then ever eating in restaurants. in India, people traditionally eat with their right hands, never their left. being left-handed, i naturally eat with my left. i did make an effort to eat with my right but i'm just not that coordinated.

i took a day trip from Delhi to Agra to see the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. the fort was interesting, but the Taj was really the star of the day. it was incredible to see in person, even if the tour was sketchy and the day was incredibly long. on the bus, i met a wonderful family from Kerala (in south India) and a Brazilian named Carlos who is in the midst of an around the world tour. when going new places and seeing incredible things, it makes everything better when you have people to share those experiences with. there was a long security line at the Taj, but it was separated for men and women so i got through quickly. after all of the waiting, i didn't have as much time as i would have liked, but it was still a majestic sight. we were there about an hour before sunset, so the white marble looked golden in the sun. i read that a trick of the architecture is that the monument is placed on a raised platform, meaning it's always viewed against only sky, which makes it all the more picturesque.

back in Delhi, i explored the fort and the markets -- tiny alleyways bursting at the seams with people and stuff. you can buy anything you could possibly want from plastic laundry baskets to handmade paper to silks. i also spent an afternoon with Carlos and we checked out the Bahai temple (yes, NU folks, there's one in Wilmette too, super random).

my final stop was Mumbai, home of Bollywood and the Novartis India offices. Mumbai is a city more like those i'm used to, except for the fact that it's home to 14 million people (that's twice the population of Switzerland). it's incredibly metropolitan. i took a boat trip to Elephanta island off the coast (home to some ancient cave carvings), took a walking tour to see some of the impressive architecture, and enjoyed an evening of sightseeing, shopping and dinner with my colleague Svetlana. she also invited me to join the Novartis celebration of Dussehra (Hindu festival celebrating the victory of good over evil) on friday night. it was incredible -- they really know how to throw a party. traditional dress, dancing, games, food...you name it, they had it on the roof of their building overlooking marine drive. i also saw Ghandi's home in the city, which is now a small museum/memorial, and was asked to be an extra in a Bollywood movie (sadly i had to turn them down as i was leaving that night).

all in all, the trip was an amazing experience. there were rough spots, as there always are traveling, but i'm so glad i went and saw this place i've learned so much about over the past 10 months. it truly makes a difference to go and take it all in, so many things that frustrated me working on my "India" project are clearer now. and this was a wonderful opportunity to see many new places and spend time getting to know new people! credits: thank you to Carly, Richa, E&Y in Bangalore, Novartis India and Svetlana for their incredible generosity and hosting abilities. this trip would not have been the same without you!