As I sit here in a lovely air conditioned internet cafe, I am struggling to sum up what we have experienced, and what it has all meant, over the last 3.5 weeks.
India has been a roller-coaster; with the full-noise days in Kolkata followed by relaxing Varanasi, the uplifting tour of Freeset followed by the dead boy on the pavement; all serving to batter our minds, bodies and emotions into pulp.
When people at home inevitably ask me "what was India like", I really do not know how I'm going to respond; even though I have spent a good portion of the time here in Goa thinking about how I might answer.
While it will be all to easy to say to them "you will not understand, you were not there", I believe this is not the answer. We as boys have both grown and learned so much from this trip, that it would be a terrible shame to just shut down and stay quiet. I believe to really justify this trip, we must apply what we have picked up to our lives in New Zealand, to the benefit of ourselves, our loved ones lives and our community.
I am not suggesting that we, as a group, should forgo all future plans and lead a life dedicated to starting a small NGO that will not be of much real impact. I'm just merely saying that we should try and lead the best life we possibly can, and try and be both kind and helpful when necessary.
If everyone was to do what really mattered to them, and do what made them happy, then maybe the world would be a nicer place to live?
Just a thought from a naive youth who wants to help the world.
Hamish
India has been a roller-coaster; with the full-noise days in Kolkata followed by relaxing Varanasi, the uplifting tour of Freeset followed by the dead boy on the pavement; all serving to batter our minds, bodies and emotions into pulp.
When people at home inevitably ask me "what was India like", I really do not know how I'm going to respond; even though I have spent a good portion of the time here in Goa thinking about how I might answer.
While it will be all to easy to say to them "you will not understand, you were not there", I believe this is not the answer. We as boys have both grown and learned so much from this trip, that it would be a terrible shame to just shut down and stay quiet. I believe to really justify this trip, we must apply what we have picked up to our lives in New Zealand, to the benefit of ourselves, our loved ones lives and our community.
I am not suggesting that we, as a group, should forgo all future plans and lead a life dedicated to starting a small NGO that will not be of much real impact. I'm just merely saying that we should try and lead the best life we possibly can, and try and be both kind and helpful when necessary.
If everyone was to do what really mattered to them, and do what made them happy, then maybe the world would be a nicer place to live?
Just a thought from a naive youth who wants to help the world.
Hamish
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