the poverty in the north is oppressive in a way it isn't in the south. the divide is obvious and vast. in the south, the poor are there, but they live next to the rich. the segregation here makes it that much more tragic.
possibly more so, because the extreme dichotomies are what i love about india. the hut next to the expansive manse. the clothesline of bright clothes near a dark heap. the bright lines of lights in villages. the flowering plants that flow out of the homes in the poorer areas. the beautiful bright saris worn everywhere, in every area. jasmine flowers being strung together for others to wear in their hair by street urchins.
the beauty next to dirt. i love that. it's everywhere in the south. perhaps i'll see it again here in the north, but i'm currently overwhelmed. and sad in a way that i haven't been since i've been here. the poverty is crushing. and the opulence is evident. it feels like delhi has sold it's soul. the western influence is definitely apparent here. my cousins are always surprised that i prefer rickshaws to air conditioned cars. the dirt to western like malls. i want india to be india. not rome. not dc. not london. i hope that it can do that while still moving from third world forward. progress does have a price. and here in delhi. well, i don't like it. not at all.
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