After preparing for a couple days before all the students arrived, the South Asian students presented on their cultures for the international students. You can read more here, and see a few student interviews here, beginning with Olga!
Monica
Mohammad
Rohini
Kultwisiso
Shilpi
Today was an amazing experience. We started our day of with the heritage walk trough the old city in Ahmedabad. Our first stop was A Hindu temple build in the 1800s. The walls of the building were filled with figures and carvings of people and gods. Being a polytheistic religion there were indeed many gods depicted on them. I actually got in trouble in this temple because I did not realize that it was divided by gender and I walked in lady’s section. While funny this made me realize just how much there still is a patriarchy here In India.
This wasn’t the only holy place we visited. We also saw a Jain temple, Hindu temple, and a Mask. There we learned more about pols (small knit communities) and history of religion.
Today we also learned about the influence of all the rulers of the past and how they affected the architecture and culture. Because of the many different ones, there were many many different styles of of buildings very close together.
Because of this walk, I learned that even though everyone has differences we can still respect and coexistence in love and peace with one another just as they do here.
Have you ever had that feeling where you are made to be grateful for the life you have, that moment where you start regretting the reason behind most of your complaints, that moment when you see actually how privileged you are?
Well that was me two days back when I was in Zostel Mumbai. My reaction at first was just complaining non-stop, I remember I even taught to myself that my bedroom back home is bigger than the room I had to share, these thoughts kept coming back, Even after we had a great night at the cricket club, We were dancing like it was our last day together. It was not only until the morning after, when Naveen one of my Indian roommates shared that the Zostel is actually the best in Mumbai, he shared how actually the space in our room was bigger than most homes in Mumbai, it was at that exact moment when he said that, I froze and taught to myself how unappreciative I have been, at that moment I literally started to count my blessings and I saw that really I had it easy in life. I mean the room we shared is the size of my bedroom alone and that is including the bathroom. I learnt from that exact moment in room 205 Zostel Mumbai that I actually shed a private tear and saw that sometimes we are quick to judge and criticize but what we are criticizing is actually mini heaven for someone else.
In essence I learnt that I should judge less and try to be more grateful and understanding, I learnt that before I criticize I should put myself in the shoes of someone who has no place to sleep or a smaller place to sleep in.
With all that being said I just want to take this opportunity to thank the 360plus network and leadership for truly such a great opportunity I have received, I know we still have a full two weeks in India and a lifetime as a 360plus alumni and global citizen but already I now have a different perspective of the world and I am more appreciative of the world around me only because of spending a night in Zostel Mumbai and getting to learn from Naveen, who I met through the 360plus Leadership Collective and that is what I truly wanted from this travel experience.
Since this morning, I never thought that so many creeds can exist at one place!
Today, we had a Heritage Walk around Ahmedabad through which I finally experienced the unique spirituality of India- the thing I was looking for the most before coming here! Ahmedabad is a mind-blowing city that carries centuries of history within its architecture and streets. We visited Hindu and Jain temples as well as some mosques! Furthermore, it was good to see how the British Raj has influenced the appearance of the city.
After lunch we had an eye-opening presentation on Mahatma Gandhi and the principles of his movement! Later, we visited Gandhi’s Ashram and through various exhibitions there became familiar with his life! All these activities dedicated to Gandhi put in order all the information I have been trying to memorize at school for a whole year!
We couldn’t have acquired so much knowledge for a day, if it wasn’t for the local organization that welcomed us so warmly here!
