As I sit under grey skies and listen to the howl of Bristol’s winter wind, it feels like if I closed my eyes, I could be sitting at my favourite Vancouver coffee shop, watching the rain pelt against the sand on Kitsilano beach.

It’s hard to believe I’ve been on the road for nearly two months and today my heart is still back in the warmth, chaos, and contradictions of India. Why don’t we go back there for a few moments? I want you to have the chance to experience both the dark and the light sides of the Oakla Phase II slum (as seen through the eyes of my Cross-Cultural Solutions roommate and new soul sister, Marianne Schroeder)…

“I can feel hundreds of eyes upon me as I enter Oakla Phase II slum. The lone Caucasian in a mass of brown-skinned humanity, I take care to stay close by Lalit (my translator) and the Muslim teacher from Vidya School. Oakla is predominately Muslim and they do not take kindly to Westerners with pity in their eyes touring their community, taking pictures, handing out candy and 5 Rupee coins to their children. My status as a woman further implicates me within this culture; Western woman are seen as “loose” and “amoral” by Indian and Muslim standards. Dressed in my plainest salwar kameez, I was mindful to stay composed and avoid eye contact with the men.  As I walked, I bowed a quiet “Namaste” to the women watching me from the corner of their eyes.   I was aware a group of young school- aged boys followed me ala Pied Piper fashion.

We turn to enter  structures that somehow pass for homes- literally stacks of ill constructed “boxes” no bigger than 10×10 rooms housing families of 4 and 5 people, without windows for ventilation, running water or toilet facilities. Rickety handmade wood ladders provide a means between two and three levels of floors. The path I walk is only as wide as a pro football linebacker’s shoulders. I place my feet on narrow ledges close to the side of the buildings to avoid stepping in the gulley of stagnant polluted water that serves as sewage drains. The stench of human waste is overpowering. I remind myself people live here, do not react- compassion not pity, Marianne.  Practice compassion. A surreal realization; I am in Slumdog Millionaire territory.” Click HERE to keep reading…

If you keep reading this beautiful piece, you will find lessons about the resilience of the human spirit as well as have the opportunity to witness pure grace in action.

Volunteering internationally introduces you to both the celebrations and struggles of a country as well as gives you the opportunity to form tight bonds with your fellow volunteers, as you support each other through the ups and down of daily life on the other side of the globe. On my final weekend in India, Marianne and I travelled to Agra to live out our lifelong dreams of seeing the Taj Mahal. I feel incredibly blessed that I got to share this experience with a brand new friend-for-life.

Today I will leave you with the wonderful quote Marianne uses to start her post:

“I always believe that we human beings are all essentially the same-

 mentally, emotionally and physically.” ~ The Dalai Lama