上个礼拜莫名地感受到紧迫感，觉得实习工作任务可能完成不了，于是紧赶死赶的，没想到今天就把最终的评估设计完稿了。心里又不知昨的慌起来，印度这个地方不比中国，我这么快把工作做完了，后两个礼拜干啥去？每天空耗时间的日子可不好过。所以和老大谈了一下，准备过些日子在组织里做一个关于这个评估项目的报告，让大家了解一下我这三个月来到底弄了些什么玩意儿，还可以乘机向组织里的“核心人物”们煽煽火，让他们意识到这个项目的重要性。不然我花了这么多精力做的设计，等我人走了以后他们往文件柜里一扔，从此不闻不问可不好。要是那样的话，我还不如把我这点工资和实习基金直接捐了得了。

 

昨天和室友去了红堡，果然是气势雄伟，然后又在边上的小市场里一家非常著名的馆子里吃了烤羊腿，那是相当的过瘾啊。说那家馆子著名，是因为纽约时报把它评为了印度最有特色的馆子之一，然后国家地理杂志还和它做过一些节目啥的。其实是一个小破店，没空调没厕所，不过里面坐着大把的外国人，如果你要是外交部或是大使馆工作人员的话似乎还可以免税。大家有机会来印度的话推荐去那里尝尝鲜，毕竟整只的羊腿在印度不是到处买得到的。

 

放了些照片上来，大伙将就看吧。
 

我是为了想问题而找死，还是找死了之后才想问题？

Culture shock is a term used to describe the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within an entirely different cultural or social environment, such as a foreign country. It grows out of the difficulties in assimilating the new culture, causing difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not. Often this is combined with strong disgust (moral or aesthetical) about certain aspects of the new or different culture. (Source: Wikipedia.com)

所谓“文化冲击”不是没有预料过，毕竟在美国也呆了一些日子，而且自己也一直在作跨文化交流方面的工作，还同时辅修国际教育，原来以为自己比起大多数人来是很有一些“文化敏感性”（Culture Sensitivity）的，来之前也自以为对面临的文化冲击做好了充分的心理准备，可是没想到，上个星期连续发生的事情（懒得在这里说了）让我的理智和情感接受了前所谓有的挑战。无数的问题每天绕在脑子里：“如何面对贫困？”“如何帮助贫困？”“他们为什么贫困？”“一个人怎么在无效的系统里发挥力量？”“什么是‘正确’的生存态度？”“什么是‘正确’的信仰？”“要不要改变一个人的命运？怎么改变？”……有些问题想想也就有了答案，但有些问题却怎么都是一团浆糊，而且即使是有了答案的问题真正践起来也存在各种各样更多的问题。于是有时候自己会觉得莫名的混乱和无助，或者说是爱莫能助，再加上自己又稀里糊涂的卷入一些私人情感的affair，真是一时间脑子里天昏地暗。看来这个礼拜要好好调整调整才是。

前天在电影院看Die Hard 4，忽然怀念美国。

 

在中国有一个体制，我做起事来总是很方便。

在美国有一个体制，我做起事来总是很方便。

在印度有一个体制，我做起事来总不很方便。

 

想呀想呀想呀想，可惜的是中国不像美国，却更像印度，只是在中国我在体制内，在印度我在体制外罢了。

 

可爱的中国的精英们啊，你们对得起“精英”这两个字吗？

虽然我是属鼠的，但也经不起老鼠这样折腾啊……

 

昨天晚上一如既往的断电了，德里这个地方基本上无论地点，每天至少是要断电三四次的，不过一般都只是二十分钟左右。昨晚断的这次时间特别长，家里的老鼠开始在房子里猖狂起来。虽说前前后后我们已经用物理和化学手段干掉了七只老鼠，但屋里现在还是时不时的能略见到他们的芳踪。再加上此时黑灯瞎火，它们也就不再向往常一样沿着墙角逃窜而是在房间里恣意地活动起来。当然，我发现这点的原因是……有一只老鼠爬到了我的腿上……还好印度的老鼠是小个头的，有点像中国的小白鼠，要是换成俺们天朝上国肥壮的大老鼠，估计我昨天非得吓死不可。

 

小老鼠你等着，下次我抓到你看我不打断你的腿。阿弥陀佛。

终于坐在了本次旅途的最后一间宾馆房间里开始整理四天的回忆，宾馆的院墙外面就是刚刚参观过的Bharatpur国家公园鸟类自然保护区。虽然在三个小时的参观中并未看到在斋浦尔那样满山随处可见的孔雀，但翠鸟、印度红鹤、印度龟、梅花鹿等野生动物还是让我眼花缭乱。更重要的是这片国家公园完好地保有包括森林、湿地、草地等各类原生生态环境而未加过多的开发。虽然我雇了一辆人力三轮车在园内充当交通工具，但大多数时候还是我和当地的讲解员一起背着望远镜在各种陆面上徒步行走。每每发现近处远处的鸟类或其它动物时，讲解员就会很兴奋地把我拉过去，一边让我用望远镜瞄着远处，一边向我讲解某某鸟的名称、辨别雌雄的方法以及主要的习性。如果碰上候鸟，他还会介绍这种鸟每年的迁徙时间和路径、生产期等等。而我则是一边忙着端着望远镜向远处搜索，一边时刻注意着脚边会不会突然钻出一条传说中的眼镜王蛇，整个过程颇有一番现场版的国家地理杂志《鸟类世界》专题节目的味道。虽然现在是公园的淡季，园内活动的鸟类只有100余种（冬季的时候有400余种），而且我们在三个小时内看到的也不过二十来种，但还是或多或少地体会到了一些野外探索的乐趣。加之本次旅行的主题并非探索，浅尝辄止也足以令我满意了。

 

那让我们回到本周的主题，它无关探索，也无关历史，我无意用一周的奔波记录满篇名胜古迹的简介，甚至不关心我究竟去到了哪些地方。我所希望的仅仅是用一个星期的时间放松自己前段时间紧绷的情绪，悠闲地享受一下一个短暂的假期。单独一个人，离开德里这个喧嚣的都市，好好收拾一下自己的心情。同时也想借着这个机会认真地体验并试着融入到这个国家的节奏中去。当然，我不想把这定义成类似“享受强奸”的被动接受，而更愿意把这看成是一种主动的融合。

 

五天四晚的旅行，行程1000多公里，很多时间都花在了交通上，每天真正参观所谓“景点”的时间可谓寥寥。即使是在景点最多的斋浦尔，几乎所有的参观也都是在半天的时间内完成的，其它大部分的时间都花在了宾馆的房间和各式各样的餐厅里。但似乎这就是所谓的“印度时间”，一切都好像被拉长了似的不紧不慢，任何紧凑的计划都可能随时因为各种各样的原因搁置下来。于是你应当学习如何在无计划的缓慢节奏中生活，除非你能够享受计划被不断打乱后抓狂的快感。

 

于是我每天用上午的时间坐在车里，用下午的时间参观和闲逛，用晚上的时间看书和写日记，缓慢而平静的生活。在山顶上，我和拖着翠绿色长尾的孔雀一起悠然自得地散步；在圣湖边，我和素不相识的巴西兄弟和比利时情侣海阔天空地畅谈到深夜；在宾馆的泳池边，我静静的仰望天空，平生第一次这样清晰地用肉眼分辨出大熊星座的北斗七星。我默默地注视着那把勺子在空中划出的长长的轨迹，脑海里蓦地闪现出前天在探索发现的旅游生活频道里引用的一位印度政治家的名言：“When travelling..., I see more than I remember, and I remember more than I see.（旅游的时候，我看到的远比我记住的多，而我记住的却又多过我所看到的。）”

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -- Saint Augustine

 

I didn’t write too much in Jaipur simply because I was lazy, but came the time I had to say goodbye to this city, I felt like something had eternally attached to my mind, the overwhelming pink color, the spectacular forts and temples, the authentic Rajasthan food and the hardworking elephants. Like someone says:” I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.” Jaipur is a place that can, and will, give you the tremendously exotic experience that you may never have in anywhere else in the world. It is just amazing!

 

But my trip was not over. Although I wondered if it would be better to stay in Jaipur for another day since I had no idea about the remote and small Pushkar sitting at the back of the mountain, I did come, for a simple reason of exploring more diversity on this mysterious land, and, I think I was right.

 

The hotel in which I’m now staying stunned me when I got off the car. I knew it was a good hotel before I reached and I knew it’s a heritage property, which means it was historically used as a small palace or other private asset before its conversion into a hotel, I was still amazed by what I saw. The traditional style of architectures, with paintings and embedded sculptures all over the ceilings, corridors and ever stairs, the condensed tropical plants and vegetations in the backyard garden, in the center of which stood a gorgeous marble fountain, the authentic wooden furniture… everything just looked as exotic, as luxurious, and as classy as I have ever seen in any 3+ stars hotels. I unpacked my backpack, took a shower, ordered lunch, recharged the camera and then started to explore the town, full of excitement. But Pushkar is nothing like Jaipur. This city is not about sightseeing or shopping at all. Yes, there is a famous Brahma Temple, but not too much bigger than a McDonald’s restaurant. There is also a holy lake, which in fact looked like a big swimming pool. What’s the point of being here?

 

I first wandered in the local market, sort of lost the direction. The vendors along both sides of the alley greeted at me, trying to rip some money out of my pocket like in any other touring site in India. I just walked through the zigzag lane in the market, without map, and eventually get lost. Even like that, I didn’t want to talk with the local people because I knew they would lead me to a guide and sell me some flowers and ask me to do Buza on the lake, and at last, charge me a big amount of money. Motorized vehicles were prohibited to enter the market so my driver was waiting me in the hotel. I could call him, but still, I didn’t even know my location, then how could he come and find me?

 

Luckily there were some white people sitting by the street, holding a map and pointing on it. I approached them and asked about the direction to the lake. They were brothers from Brazil. We had a short talk about the place and it tuned out they had quite enjoyed the “crappy” town. I was quite confused and asked where I could go for some sightseeing. They smiled and said:” You don’t get too much to see here. It’s just a peaceful small town. We shall just sit and talk somewhere near the lake.”

 

We then sat together in an open restaurant by the “swimming pool” and I started to learn more about this tiny town. Pushkar is famous for its Brahma Temple and the holy lake, not because the temple was gorgeously built or the lake is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s all about religion. Brahma is one god in Hindu Religion, but for some reason he was cursed and couldn’t have more temples after the Pushkar one was built. Again, for some other reasons, some people had already converted to the god Brahma and Pushkar became the only place they can gather and worship the god they believe in. The holy lake also has some stories related to this one but I cannot remember. However, because of the religious belief, Pushkar has become one of the most peaceful cities in India. The entire city is vegetarian, and you don’t even find eggs in the restaurants. Drinking alcohol and smoking are also prohibited by the religion. Even shoes are forbidden to wear or carry near the temple and the lake. “You gotta find the pace then you’ll enjoy the place.” The Brazilians told me.

 

We left the restaurant together to the lake and the Brahma Temple, barefoot. The floor was burning after being exposed to the sunshine, but pilgrims were sincere to their holy god, so did us. By the lake, we met a local musician and his beautiful daughter under the shade of a big tree. He showed us his pictures on some Korean and Indian newspapers, as well as photos of his family. He had five sons and six daughters, and the entire family lived in a tent on the desert area by the other side of the lake. He also played some local instrument and sang a “cheerful song” with his daughter to us. Of course, he tried to sell us his own CDs. We rejected his request, but did tip him for that beautiful song. We all were shocked by his peaceful attitude in such a “terrible” life under our standards. I couldn’t even imagine more than ten people living in a tent family without any stable incomes, social security, medical care and even the basic “human rights”. Pedro (one Brazilian) said: “We were raised in our situation…They might have been like this for many generations. Maybe it’s good for them.” Is it? I personally doubt the argument, but I know there is a huge paradox. Just like my advisor Dr. Kleiner always says to me: “It’s all about balance.” But it’s too simple of a conclusion, isn’t it?

 

I left the old man and the lake with the same question I had when I visited some temples and mosques in Delhi: “What’s the point for people to respect gods so much when they don’t even respect other people?” I know it’s like the question: “how can you love other people when you don’t love yourself?” that may never have a “correct” answer, but I believe that it’s never a bad thing to repeatedly ask similar questions.

 

When we turn back to the situation in China, shall we ask: “What’s the point of making some people more privileged when more and more people are actually becoming underprivileged?” I know it might not be appropriate to say this when I’m staying a heritage palace and watching people living in tents, but I DO SOMETIMES FEEL BAD OF BEING PRIVILEGED.

总是不明白为什么Avril的第二张专辑Under the Skin在大陆要翻译成《酷到骨子里》，直到时间慢慢过去才发现自己原来倒也有一点“酷到骨子里”的特质。表面上平静随和，骨子其实却有些“恣意妄为”的思想在做怪，总是想做一些别人没有做的事情，去没有人去的地方，看没有人看的风景。当然我不敢自比Avril那样彻头彻尾地“酷到骨子里”，最多也就是个“酷在骨子里”的程度，而且还限于自身的经济和自然条件有和很多想法不能完成。不过这周的印度之行倒是让我好好地感受了一把“酷”的感觉，一个人坐着车，拖着行李行走了一千多公里，从混乱喧嚣的德里，到炫丽的“粉色之城”斋浦尔（Jaipur），到遥远的山间小镇普什卡（Pushkar），再到原生的巴哈拉浦尔（Bharatpur）国家公园鸟类自然保护区，我看到了惊心动魄的贫穷，也体验了千金难求的宁静，经历了黑心商贩的狡猾欺诈，也感觉了国际友人的温暖关怀。二百张照片，两篇日记，待我传入电脑里再和大家分享。