Today was another great day in Mumbai. We started out the day with a ride on the local train. We were headed in the opposite direction of rush hour and were lucky enough to have seats. Krishna told us that usually it is so crowded you can barely stand of two feet and there are 10 to 15 deaths of the trains every day! After we got off the train we started our tour of the Dharavi slum. I think everyone's expectations were exceeded (both negatively and positively). We started in the industrial part of the slums and walked through the numerous recycling shops. All together we saw the locals recycle plastic and aluminun paint cans, create clay pots, dye and print fabrics, and bake special treats. Everyone was so compact and loud and seemed like the last place anyone would want to work. The greatest surprise of the day was just how happy the people were to be there. Everyone was friendly and smiling and there was an overwhelming sense of community.
What was profoundly heart warming was the joy that radiated from the people saying hello or waving even though they were living and working in conditions that were not only very different from ours, but sometimes very hazardous to their bodies. While walking through the clay area we passed what they use as a kiln. A large mound of burning cotton and other materials that produced a very thick, smelly smoke that circulated in the narrow walk way of the slum.
The group split up into seven and seven. One half went to a kindergarten class while the other taught a class of students how to make a bill on Excel. This integral activity really submersed us in the culture and community of kids our age growing up in what we would consider much worse and intense conditions. The diversity among the pairing of students from two very different nations was incredibly educational and one of the most inspiring and encouraging moments of the trip so far.
After the slum tour we were all exhausted and ready for a power nap. We all split up into separate taxi's and went back to the hotel in what seemed like a near death experience. Our tour guide told us that if you could cross the street in Mumbai, you could cross the street anywhere. After a well needed rest we went to the movie theater and watched a "classic" Bollywood movie. It was was an interesting contrast from our movie experience. The plot was so complex and surprisingly easy to follow even though the movie was in Hindi. We once again had short rest and then spent around 45 minutes having an intense debriefing about the morning. We discussed a lot of the issues that we noticed in the slum as well as the general attitude of the community. From this we deduced the principle issues that the slum has as well as possible solutions based on roots of the problems in the slum.
A special thanks and appreciation is deserved for our two wonderful guides and leaders, Chris and Krishna, as well as the other members of the Reality Tour service. They have successfully led us through Mumbai, a city where you can't cross the street without at least five horns honking at you, and tomorrow we leave for our homestays. Very excited.
What was profoundly heart warming was the joy that radiated from the people saying hello or waving even though they were living and working in conditions that were not only very different from ours, but sometimes very hazardous to their bodies. While walking through the clay area we passed what they use as a kiln. A large mound of burning cotton and other materials that produced a very thick, smelly smoke that circulated in the narrow walk way of the slum.
The group split up into seven and seven. One half went to a kindergarten class while the other taught a class of students how to make a bill on Excel. This integral activity really submersed us in the culture and community of kids our age growing up in what we would consider much worse and intense conditions. The diversity among the pairing of students from two very different nations was incredibly educational and one of the most inspiring and encouraging moments of the trip so far.
After the slum tour we were all exhausted and ready for a power nap. We all split up into separate taxi's and went back to the hotel in what seemed like a near death experience. Our tour guide told us that if you could cross the street in Mumbai, you could cross the street anywhere. After a well needed rest we went to the movie theater and watched a "classic" Bollywood movie. It was was an interesting contrast from our movie experience. The plot was so complex and surprisingly easy to follow even though the movie was in Hindi. We once again had short rest and then spent around 45 minutes having an intense debriefing about the morning. We discussed a lot of the issues that we noticed in the slum as well as the general attitude of the community. From this we deduced the principle issues that the slum has as well as possible solutions based on roots of the problems in the slum.
A special thanks and appreciation is deserved for our two wonderful guides and leaders, Chris and Krishna, as well as the other members of the Reality Tour service. They have successfully led us through Mumbai, a city where you can't cross the street without at least five horns honking at you, and tomorrow we leave for our homestays. Very excited.
