OMG... Oh my God!!! Jaipur.....

Hi all,

OMG... Oh my God!!! Jaipur is everything that you think of when you think of India. The city was built in the 1700's according to ayurvedic and astrologic principles. It was one of the first planned cities, built on a grid pattern with 9 quadrants corresponding to the 9 planets (Pluto was still in the club then). We visited the Hawa Mahal this morning, the staging grounds for royal processions and celebrations during the 1700 -1800's. It was stunningly beautiful architecture, reminiscent of the moorish influences in Morocco. The Mughal dynasty, builders of the Hawa Mahal, must have been moslem, because the doorways are arched and the windows are screened in a diamond pattern to allow the women of the court to look at the processions without being seen by the men below (God forbid...). The plaster walls are all colored a salmon pink, creamy yellow and a gentle orange, all made with vegetable and fruit dyes.

So that was the beautiful side of Jaipur. The down side is the noise, the trash all over the streets and sidewalks, the dirt everywhere, and for the first time, the beggar children. These barefoot little waifs follow you everywhere, with their hands outstretched, begging for 10 or 20 rupees (about 50 cents). They are persistent, filthy and dressed in rags 2 sizes too big. They are professional in their begging and I feel a combination of sadness and disgust at the same time. We have been warned not to give to the children until the last day, otherwise we will be mobbed by them.

Ah, India, there is so much this government should be doing for its people. Indians that we have talked to in the airports and restaurants say that graft and corruption takes most of the money away from the neediest persons in this country. There are no pulblic trash collection services, no public road management agencies and no safety net like Medical Assistance or Medicare for the poor. Children don't attend school because even public schools charge fees that the families can't afford. School uniforms are expensive and so many families keep their children out of school and send them to beg. Honestly, Slumdog Millionaire isn't far from the truth.

As we were visiting the tailors, a young boy, maybe 11 years old, followed us and became our assistant guide, showing us shops that we wouldn't have found otherwise. This young boy was obviously bright and very friendly and I couldn't help thinking how successful he could be if he attended school. He has learned to live by his wits and his assertiveness, even stopping 2 lanes of traffic with his skinny little arms to help us cross a busy road.

4 hours in Jaipur feels like a week. I am exhausted tonight - exhausted by the sounds, the poverty and the sheer enormity of the difficulties here. But I must say that the Indians look happy - they laugh and tease each other, they haggle over purchases and seem to go about their lives with a sort of acceptance. The bobble head reply, where Indians sort of wag/wobble their heads back and forth, conveys their sense of "yes, that's life... ok, no, and it's all ok". I'm practicing my bobble head so I can use it with my kids. "Mom, can I borrow some money?"... "Mom, can I borrow your car, mine is out of gas?"... I see the benefits of perfecting this Indian art...

Donna