A recent email from a friend of mine inspired me to share this reflections with you, my dearest readers. He asked whether I was telling all that was to tell in the blog, whether I have no complaints, no issues with the stomach and if I am not missing the Alps or other things from Switzerland. Very fair questions. I’ll try to respond honestly.
What I am writing in this blog is like a snapshot, like a picture taken with a camera. It shows an extract but cannot reflect the full picture. Whenever possible I try to use the space for positive things in life as I believe that this is what makes life so beautiful – finding the positive and wonderful side of all things even if in the first moment they may not appear nice. Sure, I also keep my critical eye with me and observe, observe, observe and try not to judge but to understand. India, I have to say, is really a special case, this whole experience is very difficult to reflect in words – I have only written very few times into my diary because I just couldn’t find the right words. I made attempts to writing just to find out that there were no words, only the experience. Lots of things touch and move me inside, everyday.
Like today, for example. I was walking down the road after a phone call with someone I had met some weeks ago. Something during the call made me feel a bit sad, you may know this feeling when you have a little disappointment, a little flame of hope that comes to cease. Suddenly, around the corner a woman gave me her hand and her most wonderful smile that you can imagine, her face was shining, so full of love, and she presented herself to me and told me how happy she was to meeting me. Just like that. And she wouldn’t stop smiling, shining, while we continued the small talk. It was magic! The same happened two weeks ago, it was a child, a young boy, who offered me his most beautiful and biggest smile with happiness shining through his big brown eyes and gave me a little stone he had found, like a talisman, in a similar moment, when I just was a little down. These are the little angels. They make me forget immediately every sorrow and bring back the big smile on my face, full of gratitude and love. It is so wonderful! I am grateful!
What about complaints? Not really. I don’t like so much to complain as I feel it doesn’t really help. Ok, maybe sometimes, we need to get it out of ourselves, that’s fine, I think. But in general, since everything is different here, I just have to accept it and can only try to understand, adapt and live with it. There are also many things that we can learn from the people in India, things that I sometimes miss in Switzerland, like the colorful dressing that create great pleasures for our eyes, the spontaneous smile between people when walking down a street and the natural curiosity for other people (just imagine, smiling and chatting people in a tram, a train or a bus in Switzerland…wouldn’t it be wonderful?)
Food? My stomach is also very happy, he loves Indian food, it’s really extremely tasty, natural and always fresh. A lot of vegetables, tropical fruits and fresh spices. I also found a strong connection between the digestion of events and the digestion of food. So whenever there was a day where I struggled to accept the situation, my stomach would also struggle. Therefore, I may have chosen the way described above to deal with issues. Just going with the flow. Accepting what comes, not creating any aversions or resistance.
What am I missing? Currently, I am again in the mountains…so yes, it always feels a little bit as “my territory” and from time to time I have the need to see and touch rocks and mountains and oversee the hills and lower lands. Then, family and close friends. Who can make up for them? There is no real replacement and I often think about them and so I have them always with me. But as they are in my heart, I do not really have to miss them, I know that I will be extremely happy to see and hug them again when I am back and appreciate every moment I have with them. Sometimes I also think about the concept of family and look at it in a broader way and if so, I also feel that I am very lucky to meet so wonderful people all along my journey who make me feel very close and connected to them, too. A little bit the world feels like “one big family” 😉
So no pictures today…or at least no snapshots, rather a few indepth insights. Hopefully inspiring 😉
With love from India
Franziska
viafranziska.com 
What a beautiful blog post. I will read it again and again!