Dave the Nomad

Sam and I arrived in Bangalore by train, on what continues to be a pleasant experience talking with the locals sitting next to us. Today is Valentine’s Day, and Sam and I spent the day doing some last minute shopping and posting of pictures online. I was reading the local newspaper which conveyed a different spirit to this holiday.

There is a lot of elder and conservative opposition to the outward expression of love and “western ways.” The best example is from the state of Haryana, where our EWB work was done. The government was offering instant marriages to couples wanting to marry out of consent from the families and panchayat social caste structure, and also guaranteeing their safety with 24-7 security. The security is because family members are ashamed of such actions and a member of one or both families will usually kill the lovers.

The holiday has also been a banner for women’s rights in general. We passed a man holding a sign in the middle of the road that said, “I support my mother, my wife, my daughters, and all women.” He gave us a nod of recognition as we passed. We also happened to see a few commercials on the TV. One of them basically said, “If you’re wife wants to learn to drive, don’t stop her.” The other ones were focused on domestic abuse and giving people examples of how to confront a neighbor, including a gang of boys playing cricket, and a single guy knocking on the door and asking for some help with something and then proceeding to walk away. Its a new take on a greeting card holiday and refreshing to see societal progress blossom out of it.

This was certainly a different side to India, and seemed to be a bit of hope far from the dark gloom of the Ganges in the north. Early tomorrow, Sam and I are headed to Kathmandu to meet up with his dad and brother to trek in the Everest region of the Himalayas. I’ll be out of touch for a while, but hope to hear from everyone at some point.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone