People of India

Visiting India after thirteen years was an amazing experience! I hardly had any previous memories, except that of my house and school from when I left at the age of eleven. I went back with low expectations. To my surprise though, every part of my trip went above and beyond what I was expecting. 

I visited five major cities in 13 days; Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kochi, and Bangalore. Obviously, I met a lot of people! Some people made me feel happy. My cousins who could hardly walk thirteen years ago, were all grown up and going to college. My aunts and uncles had grown old, yet they hadn't changed much. They still loved me and cared for me like I was a little kid. 

However, some people and their way of living saddened me. Such as our tour guide in Delhi, female construction workers in Hyderabad, security guards in Mumbai, and employees of our resort in Kochi. At first, looking at them made me feel like they weren't happy with their lives. As I got to talk to some of them and get to know them better, I realized that they are completely content. 

They are content with their lives; their income, their possessions, their jobs, and their way of life in general. This made me wonder whether or not I am content with my life. Despite having countless blessings, I complain. Do I really have a reason to? 

I think it is time I count my blessings. Care to join me? 

Taj Mahal

I never thought that the Taj Mahal would be this big. It is enormous! Our guide took us through the grand gate of the Taj, I stopped and admired the gate itself for about an hour.

As we made our way towards the wonder, our guide insisted that we admire the symmetry. Honestly, if it wasn't for him, I would not have even noticed half the things. It took Shah Jahan, the emperor about 17 years to build the Taj Mahal and 5 years to build the surroundings, a total of 'year twenty twos' as our guide likes to say it. 

Ever since I was a child, I always heard that the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. Well, now that I have learned a little more about it, it means much more than that. It represents the determination of the emperor, the eagerness to build something unique, and something symbolic by which him and his wife will be remembered. 

I like the concept of being remembered. At times, I wonder if I have done something that people can remember me by. I encourage you to read more about how the Taj Mahal was built, I mean the nitty gritty construction of it, how the marble was transported, how the stones were carved it, etc. It is truly amazing. Hopefully, it will inspire you to do something good, something ever-lasting, something you will be remembered by.