Babson BRIC has made it to Delhi!
BRIC is comprised of one experience of a lifetime after another and it’s amazing that Babson has the ability to make this trip a possibility for all of us. With that said, we arrived in Delhi, India this week. The climate here is “tropical” it’s very warm, very dry and there is a lot of commotion. It almost feels like the Dominican Republic, but life outside the resort. Traffic here is unbearable, but somehow everybody is able to get around, we all commute on “rickshaws” (3-wheeled motorcycles that have a roof) and are able to see the city. So far we have visited an old Mosque surrounded by old living quarters, which was really fascinating to see. We got a chance to stop by a museum and see some ancient Hindi art and sculptures. We were able to meet local students and spent time exploring old ruins and ancient areas with them. It is amazing to see how much history this city has, especially by looking at different structures from the 15th and 16th century, medieval times.
Another interesting component is the breakdown of religion in the culture here. While India is predominantly Hindu (~80% of the population) we see a lot of Muslim influence. A stop by the local market and you will see tons of people, primarily Muslims, from Kashmir selling Pashmina and other fabrics, shawls and clothes. Most of the students in our group have embraced Indian clothing and have bought themselves “Kurtas.” Some of the ladies are having saris made from the cloth they’ve bought here. Overall Babson is having an easy time embracing India and the culture here.
On a side note, it’s also fascinating to see the amount of opportunity that India has. While the poverty levels are extremely high (the legal minimum wage here is $3 per day) we see how much we could help the people in the community. It’s also nice that food medicine and shampoo are so affordable, compared to the US, Russia and even China.
If anyone has read this far you may be interested in some of the bad news… More than half of the group has already gotten a little sick from the food here. It’s hard for our bodies to adapt to the new environment, and although they may taste good, the spices in the food make it hard for us to adapt. Nevertheless, we’re resting and recovering quickly, I’ve had a chance to recover with the help of some antibiotics (which have also been easy to get). Overall, we’re happy, healthy and safe… India has put us all into “survival mode” and we’re all focused on safety more than ever.
All the best,
This week’s leaders: David and Soph