(Westport, CT, October 18, 2011) – Geringer Global Travel is offering a fully customizable and authentic trip to India, combining local family home stays with accommodations at charming bed and breakfasts and intimate boutique properties in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mandawa, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. In a home away from home, guests will enjoy the warm hospitality of Indian families, immerse themselves in local knowledge, indulge in rich, home cooked regional cuisines, and visit India’s most fascinating sights. This suggested 11-day itinerary, priced at $1,759 per person, double, is valid October 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012.*

Day 1-3: Delhi – Agra
The journey will begin with a home stay at Thikana, an intimate family property nestled in the quiet and relaxing neighborhood of Gulmohar Park in South Delhi. The hosts, Atul and Sheetal Bhalla, create a comfortable environment to make your stay as memorable as possible. On day two, guests will explore the sights of Delhi including the Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Chandni Chowk. On day three, guests will drive to Agra and check into Col. Lamba’s Indian home stay, hosted by a retired army officer from the Punjab Regiment. From this property guests can see the glories of the Taj Mahal very clearly. In the afternoon, sightseeing will include a visit to the Agra Fort and a sunset visit to the Taj Mahal.

Day 4-6: Jaipur – Mandawa
The next morning, guests will visit the Imperial ‘ghost city’ of Fatehpur Sikri en route to Jaipur. Upon arrival, guests will check into Dera Mandawa, a charming boutique property located in the heart of Jaipur. This historic estate built in 1890 is hosted by Thakur Durga Sing, a modern traditionalist delighted to share his activities of rain water harvesting with his guests. On day five, guests will embark on a full day city tour of Jaipur visiting the Amber Fort, City Palace and Jantar Mantar. On day six, guests will head to Mandawa, an ancient feudal settlement in Rajasthan and home of a royal castle. Decorated with frescos of famous merchants from the region, Mandawa is a veritable open gallery. Guests will stay at Mandawa Haveli, a majestic architectural marvel combining old world charm with the finest of present day luxury.

Day 7-8: Bikaner – Jodhpur
After breakfast guests will drive to Bikaner in north Rajasthan, a city dotted with scores of sand dunes and known for having the best camel riding in the world. After checking into the Vijay Guest House, guests will explore Junagarh Fort and the Jain Temples of Bhandeshwar and Sandeshwar. On day eight, guests will drive to Johdpur to be welcomed at Mohan Niwas, a home stay built by the father in law who was part of the Maharajah family of Johdpur. Sightseeing in Jodhpur includes the Meherangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada.

Day 9-10: Udaipur
En route to Udaipur, guests will visit the Ranakpur Jain Temples before checking into Devra, a privately owned five acre estate in the tranquil Aravali Hills with views of an 800-year old temple. Host, Major Durga Das, a former officer of the Indian elite Armoured Corps and of the premier nobles, is delightful company for bird watching or walks around the estate. His wife, Jyoti, is a fantastic cook and prepares beautiful meals for guests. In the evening guests will enjoy an enchanting boat cruise on Lake Pichola. On Day 10, sightseeing will include Jagdish Temple and a visit to the City Palace, one of the largest palaces in the world.

Day 11: Udaipur – Delhi
This day is free to relax or explore on your own until your flight to Delhi.

This suggested itinerary starts at $1,759 per person, double occupancy and includes: accommodations for 10 nights on twin sharing basis; daily buffet breakfast; all domestic transportation; rickshaw ride in Old Delhi; elephant ride in Jaipur; boat ride in Udaipur; entrance fees as per itinerary; English speaking guide; all current applicable taxes.

*Prices valid October 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012. Blackout Dates: December 20, 2011 – January 5, 2012.

(CHICAGO, IL, October 12, 2011) – In celebration of the captivating music, dance and poetry of the Sufi culture, Greaves Tours LLC (www.greavesindia.com) is presenting the Nagaur Sufi Music Festival itinerary to India.

This six-day group tour is limited to 20 people and will take place February 15 – 20, 2012.  The Nagaur Sufi Music Festival tour is priced from US$2,699 per person, based on double occupancy.

“Experiencing the Nagaur Sufi Music Festival allows travelers to enrich their soul, move to the rhythms, and be inspired by the performance art and vibrant culture of this destination in the Indian Thar Desert,” said Carole Cambata, President of Greaves.

Discovering the Enchanting Fabric of Sufi Culture
The six-day Nagaur Sufi Music Festival itinerary includes:

• Accommodations at Bal Samand Garden Retreat Hotel in Jodhpur (one night), The Royal Tented Camp in Nagaur (three nights), and The Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai (one night)
• Domestic flights in Economy Class for sectors Delhi to Jodhpur to Mumbai
• Gala dinner and drinks at Mehrangarh Fort hosted by His Highness The Maharaja of Jodhpur (on February 15)
• Breakfast at Bal Samand Palace (on February 16)
• Lunch by the swimming pool at Bal Samand Palace (on February 16)
• Breakfast, buffet lunch, cocktails and dinner at The Royal Tented Camp
• Passes to the Sufi Festival
• Museum tour in Nagaur

• Afternoon tour by tuk-tuk (an auto-wheeler) of the great walls of the Citadel and a visit to the tomb of Buland Darwaza in Nagaur
• Buffet dinner at Citrus restaurant at The Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai (beverages cost extra; to be paid directly)
• Transfers and excursions by an air-conditioned private Toyota Innova Car or Minicoch (including mineral water in the vehicle)
• Porterage at airports
• All applicable taxes including Government Service Tax
• Services of knowledgeable, English-speaking local guides in each destination, who are well-versed in the history, customs and language of the region

This exclusive itinerary can be expanded to include additional destinations in India (pre- or post-festival) for an enhanced travel experience in the country.

The option to upgrade to an all-suite program is available for a supplement of $500 per person.  The all-suite program includes the Regal Suite at Bal Samand Lake Palace and one Junior Suite at the palatial Ranvas resort.

Prices exclude international airfare to/from India; Indian visa fee; meals except where noted on the itinerary; alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages at meals where not included; accommodations in Delhi (as the tour officially begins in Jodhpur); personal items such as telephone, laundry, gratuities and travel insurance; and any changes travelers may choose to make during the trip.

Tours may be booked with a Greaves travel specialist at sales@greavesindia.com or by phone at 800-318-7801.

Across Asia, the African continent, and Central and South America are children holding out their hands for coins. Travelers and expats encounter beggars in every corner of the globe. Whether you have become so accustomed to beggars that you don’t notice them anymore, or you were recently accosted for the first time and felt sick to your stomach, facing poor people on a daily basis is a reality in many developing countries.

In many tourist and backpacker hotspots, there is a general belief that Caucasian foreign visitors must be rich. For this reason, foreign tourists are approached by beggars much more even than wealthy locals, and asked for money or for food. It isn’t unusual to be harassed countless times in a day by beggars.

In today’s Mumbai, India, begging is organized and aggressive. I’ve seen tourists give oranges to begging children, and then seen those oranges being re-sold. I’ve seen foreigners give ten rupees to an eight year old, and then seen him go back to gambling or buying tobacco with his other eight year old friends. I’ve seen mothers at traffic intersections rub dirt onto their babies’ faces, or strike them across the head so that they cry to make them look more pathetic.

As someone who is working in the social sector, I generally don’t give to individuals. Giving money or food encourages dependence, it doesn’t encourage development, organized charity and long-term projects go further in terms of aid….these are facts that side against giving a few coins in any currency to any beggar in any country. It’s true that donating time and money to local NGOs will go further to improve people’s lives over the long run than a few coins or handfuls of rice into one person’s hand.

On the other hand, when you are approached by a mother and her baby, you may realise that whatever money you are giving to UNICEF or World Vision or even a local grassroots NGO will likely never reach her. Her need is very immediate, very urgent, and you have the choice to do a simple thing for her in that moment.

Will you encourage her begging? Yes. Will you solve her problem? No. But you may allow her and her child to sit down and rest for a little way. You are only giving her a fish instead of teaching her to fish…but that fish is not nothing, and it will feed her for now.

I can’t support giving to beggars, and also can’t say that it should never be done. The more often one faces this question, the more one realizes that there is no single answer. The answer is, it depends. I would recommend the following best practices for giving, and encourage people to use their best judgment in every situation.

•Do not give money. Money can be spent on anything, and many people will not spend it in a responsible way.

• If you wish to give to beggars who approach you on the street, give a meal or some food. Prepared food from a little restaurant, dry rice or pulses, or an open banana don’t have much of a resale value and must be used as is.

•If you have spent long enough in one place to get to know a family that you would like to support, help them in a tangible way. Pay for school fees, a bicycle or home items. This will help to improve people’s lives in a lasting and meaningful way.

• Give of your money and time to local NGOs who know and understand the needs of the people that they serve. Volunteering or making regular donations can be invaluable for both yourself and the NGO whose work you are supporting.

Bronwyn McBride is from Vancouver, Canada. After years of circus school in Montreal and Quebec city, and then a long summer in Varanasi, she now lives in Mumbai. Besides working in communications and fundraising for an educational NGO, going for runs and sampling Mumbai’s fabulous variety of street food, Bronwyn loves to observe and write on all facets of Mumbai’s diversity, beauty and struggle. Her personal blog can be found at www.littlebirdbombay.com

In the stations and compartments of Bombay’s local train, there is a new smell offered up every second.  These smells range from tantalizing to nauseating: one will make your mouth water, and the next will make you gag.

One businessman stands on the platform and has his shoes shined. He smells of slick coconut hair oil. The rag that is being brushed across his leather shoes smells of dirty, staining black oil. The man sitting and doing the work smells of salty sweat and unwashed undershirts.

Inside the compartment, a baby nestles against his mother. Together they smell of soap and sandalwood. They lean against the seats: old metal, sour and hot sweat.

Underneath the enormous clock is a young woman selling freshly cut fruit in beautiful sculptures on recycled paper plates. In the middle of her fruit arrangements is a big stick of dhoop to deter flies: incense, sweet and smoky.

Two rats rustle through the human and animal waste that lies beside the train tracks in a game of tag: filth, garbage, rotting food.

Another man sells snacks. He drops battered onions into boiling oil with a spatter: salty, hot, oil burning into smoke. A boy helper squats behind the oil vat chopping green chilies and fresh ginger: fresh, spicy.

A group of ladies rush past, whipping others in the faces with beaded dupatta and sari ends: red rose perfume and talcum powder.

The mix of all of these aromas smells like a scent you could never imagine.

Bronwyn McBride is from Vancouver, Canada. After years of circus school in Montreal and Quebec city, and then a long summer in Varanasi, she now lives in Mumbai. Besides working in communications and fundraising for an educational NGO, going for runs and sampling Mumbai’s fabulous variety of street food, Bronwyn loves to observe and write on all facets of Mumbai’s diversity, beauty and struggle. Her personal blog can be found at www.littlebirdbombay.com

As I anxiously await the processing of my next Indian visa, I dream about the job I’m going to do when I get back to Mumbai.

I volunteered with Atma Education Trust for three months before being invited on board to work with the NGO. Though I’ve done volunteer work all over the country, working with Atma was by far the most worthwhile and fulfilling experience I have ever had.

Atma began when founder Lee Bolding realized that there were over 60,000 NGOs in Mumbai and still an overwhelming number of social problems. Her goal was not to begin another school or build another orphanage, but to help existing educational NGOs do their work better. Atma provides resources like consultancy, skilled volunteers and an exchange platform to their partner NGOs, with the aim of creating quality education for all children.

What a new and interesting idea, I thought! How many countless NGOs are there in Mumbai and across India that are doing incredible work but struggling with a lack of funding, manpower and other resources? Why not support these NGOs instead of creating a new project?

These are some of Atma’s achievements in the field of education, through its partners:

CHIP: From the time of Atma’s involvement, it’s partner CHIP expanded the impact of its Balwadi Program from one school to seven schools

Mumbai Mobile Creches: Atma Fellows helped MMC expand its reach from 4,000 to 10,000 children and helped raise over 32 lakhs in corporate sponsorships. Twenty five laptops were also donated to network the Creches site offices.

Muktangan: A 7-year-plan built by an Atma Fellow helped secure a 270 lakh grant from Tata Foundation. Atma Fellow Marianka built the curriculum for English-as-Second-Language training for teachers in the school.

Nareshwadi: A Fellow performed water-testing to demonstrate water quality had improved after Atma’s efforts.

The aspect of Atma’s work that impressed me the most was how thoroughly and completely they access the skills of their foreign volunteers. Too many times have I seen Ph.D students come to volunteer in India who are told to ‘go and play with the kids.’ This is because any foreign volunteer requires a little bit of integration and help before they can truly be involved, and many NGOs don’t have the resources to give that effort. Atma provides that help and integration, and then treats your volunteer role as a professional job. You are responsible and accountable for your actions, and will complete a project that is meaningful and will not be forgotten. It is a partnership and a commitment on both sides, and the result is an incredibly worthwhile, on-the-ground experience with an educational NGO. I would highly recommend Atma as a volunteer experience, and can’t wait to start my new job as communications associate with them.

More information about Atma and its work can be found at:

Bronwyn McBride is from Vancouver, Canada. After years of circus school in Montreal and Quebec city, and then a long summer in Varanasi, she now lives in Mumbai. Besides working in communications and fundraising for an educational NGO, going for runs and sampling Mumbai’s fabulous variety of street food, Bronwyn loves to observe and write on all facets of Mumbai’s diversity, beauty and struggle. Her personal blog can be found at www.littlebirdbombay.com

Having spent many months running all over Mumbai, day and night, I can confidently recommend the following 10 places, activities and experiences. No matter how long you’re in the city, do your best to enjoy a well-rounded visit: you will be blown away! In no particular order:

1. Dress up and dine out in Bandra

Many of Mumbai’s most fabulous international restaurants are located in the suburb of Bandra. Head out to enjoy Italian, Thai or any other cuisine, and you might get lucky and spot a celebrity at one of Bandra’s hot spots.

2. Experience an eye-opening tour of Dharavi

The Dharavi slum is spread over two square kilometres and houses over a million people. However, it’s not exactly what you think. Take an enlightening tour of the area and support incredible local charities while you’re at it. Check out www.realitygives.org for more information.

3. Taste real South Indian cuisine

Madras Cafe at Kings Circle in central Mumbai has been around since 1932, serving up the best idlis, dosas and other southern specialties. Make sure to try their delicious filter coffee: a steal at Rs 15, whereas real coffee at any other high-end coffee shop will start at Rs 78!

4. Find Bollywood wannabes and shopping bliss in Lokhandwala

Lokhandwala market in Andheri is amazing for both western and Indian clothes and jewelery. Go there to see lots of aspiring actors and models, waiting for their big break.

5. Enjoy an evening walk along the legendary Marine Drive

Possibly the best place to be in Mumbai between 5 and 9PM is Marine Drive, where thousands of people of all ages come to walk, enjoying the weather and the view.

6. See a Bollywood movie in theatres

Bollywood cinema is an integral part of Mumbai culture. Go to a historic theatre in South Mumbai like the Regal in Colaba, and check out the latest ‘picture’.

7. Drink fresh juice, eat snacks or taste Banarsi paan

Mumbai is famous for its street stalls, featuring all kinds of fresh snacks and juice. Try any puri: bhel puri, pani puri, dahi puri, the list goes on. Cool your tongue with a sweet, fresh juice like mosambi or watermelon, and try Indian mouth-freshener paan if you’re brave enough!

8. Break the dance floor at a five star hotel

Mumbai is amongst the global cities that never sleep. The nightclubs that stay open the latest (think 4 or 5AM) are located in beautiful hotels. Dance like crazy to the hottest western and Bollywood music, but make sure you have a couple of drinks before arriving, to be gentle on your wallet.

9. Visit a Temple, Mosque, Cathedral, Gurudwara or all of the above

Spirituality in all of its forms can be found in Mumbai. Visit as many places of faith as you can to get an understanding of the different beliefs that make up the feeling of the cosmopolitan, multicultural city.

10. Take the local train across the entire maximum city

Any time spent in Mumbai is incomplete without taking a trip in the local suburban train. The train runs from North to South Mumbai, and is as crowded, smelly and full of intensity, as you would hope of any authentic Mumbai experience. Take the train and see for yourself.

Bronwyn McBride is from Vancouver, Canada. After years of circus school in Montreal and Quebec city, and then a long summer in Varanasi, she now lives in Mumbai. Besides working in communications and fundraising for an educational NGO, going for runs and sampling Mumbai’s fabulous variety of street food, Bronwyn loves to observe and write on all facets of Mumbai’s diversity, beauty and struggle. Her personal blog can be found at www.littlebirdbombay.com

As I’m currently in a space living between Vancouver and Mumbai, I can’t help but imagine and invent the differences between peoples’ lives in each place.

Today in Vancouver, it’s sunny and 14 degrees outside. Some leaves lie crunchy on sidewalks; others that had fallen a longer time ago are reduced to paste, mixed with rain. Ground into cement by shoes and the elements, like a paste of cilantro, green chillies and garlic ground into a board by a woman’s marble rolling pin.

The person whose shoes helped crush the leaves into the sidewalk could have been walking his dog on a foggy morning, tugging at the leash as the dog sprang to chase squirrels who were roaming through dew-laden grass. He could have gone home and wiped his dog’s muddy paws on an old towel on the porch before going inside to have a bagel and read the newspaper.

The person who made the cilantro paste to be thrown into hot oil could be the wife of any man in India. She might have tucked her long sari pallu into her petticoat at her waist and squatted grind spices between marble and wood. Afterwards, she might have mixed atta with water for chapati, and then gone outside to pull the clothes off the clothesline.

Even on the nicest day, people in Vancouver are inside shopping malls, looking incessantly for something

they’ve been convinced that they need. I know, because I am also there in a rush to get everything I need before I leave. What the rush is, I don’t know, because, as of now, I am not staying here or going there or anything. In Mumbai, people are pushed by the same mentality to buy different things.

Anyone and everyone can be found in a mall in Vancouver: teen Vietnamese girls, whole Arabic families (veiled wives pushing strollers with dark-haired sons) hipsters, hippies.

Those shopping might very well be daughters in a lower-income family, spending the day at the mall because it’s fun for free. They might have text messaged friends to come and meet them there. They could have tried on clothes made in China from the sale rack in a shop, and taken pictures of themselves in the changeroom’s mirror.

Those in Mumbai could be upper class ladies, shopping for saris at a shop near Crawford market. They may have sat drinking tea while the salesboy wrapped himself in zardozi-embroidered saris to model them. One sari is worth more than the salary he receives in two years. The women might have fluttered their hands in discussion over which draping style and jewellery would be most appropriate for the upcoming event before leaving the shop and enjoying dahi puri in the street.

Bronwyn McBride is a student from Vancouver, BC, and now lives between India and Canada. After quitting her intensive study of circus arts and dance in Quebec, Bronwyn flew across the globe alone to see if she could live in a very different way. It wasn’t her first visit to India, and wouldn’t be her last!
Wherever she is, Bronwyn explores different ways to volunteer and get involved with local communities. She’s worked with severely disabled kids in a Mother Teresa orphanage in Kolkata, crossed the country with a social change performance tour, and has spent long months through the boiling summer in Varanasi, working in a school for girls. Next up: enjoying volunteerism and a foray into Bollywood in India’s cosmopolitan metropolis, Mumbai.

More of Bronwyn’s writing can be found at: www.bronwyngrace.wordpress.com

Over 100 new migrants squeeze into Mumbai on a daily basis. Those counted come with official papers, so the real number is probably around 500 people. Many, many of these migrants become “pavement dwellers.”

It’s impossible to move around the city without seeing whole families spread out anywhere there is space for them. Seeing such families every day, I can only marvel at the capacity of the human race.

Mothers of many tie their dupattas at their waists and meet at any source of water that is available. This is a gathering place for all of the women, who scrub stainless steel dishes with ash and talk together.

Nearby, Hindu and Muslim kids play cricket or badminton with whatever equipment they can find or create. I never had to make a roadside into a park, I wonder. But these children have done that. They laugh even more loudly than the traffic that surrounds them.

In the evening, Dad comes home and the family gathers to eat together. They squat rather than sitting, and eat simple dal and rice with their fingers. How rich am I, I wonder, to be able to worry about the nutritional value of the food I put in my own mouth. The migrant family’s needs are much more immediate and relevant to the moment they are living in.

Come evening time, the whole family spreads out to sleep, evenly spaced on a tarp in that covers the ground that they call their own. Over time, they toss and turn and their limbs fall over each others. Husbands and wives that have never known privacy sleep side by side on the ground, under bright lights. I from the west, with the blessing and the disease of too much privacy, watch and wonder. What a sad thing, to have to sleep so close.

Back in my own comfortable, furnished room, I lie underneath the fan. Hours later, I wake up sweating from a nightmare, and there is no-one there. I’m a million miles away from my own family. For a moment, I wish that I wasn’t richer in everything else, but richer in community.

The roadside woman possesses a plethora of stunning textures. She wears clothes from every place she’s been, with beads and threads that are coal black, crimson sindoor, pale dust gray. Her hair is coarse but her skin is as though polished: shining, rich, dark. Too soft for someone who has spent life like a flower offered to the salty, dirty ocean, being swept here and there.

The nonchalance with which she throws her ragged sari pallu over her shoulder and glares her raven eyes has been mimicked by many wealthy actresses and fashion models. None of whom can match her impossible combination of carelessness, frustration and softness, because none of them have her history.

The wealthy Indian model has been flown all over the planet, and requires many attendants to take care of her needs. The migrant woman has walked all over India on her own bare, hard feet, while being a strength for many more, and all of that gracefully. Facing life head on because she has knows no other way to do it. With her heavy silver ankelets singing.

What takes me is that these women don’t know that they are doing something that is difficult, because they have never done anything that is easy.

Bronwyn McBride is a student from Vancouver, BC, and now lives between India and Canada. After quitting her intensive study of circus arts and dance in Quebec, Bronwyn flew across the globe alone to see if she could live in a very different way. It wasn’t her first visit to India, and wouldn’t be her last!
Wherever she is, Bronwyn explores different ways to volunteer and get involved with local communities. She’s worked with severely disabled kids in a Mother Teresa orphanage in Kolkata, crossed the country with a social change performance tour, and has spent long months through the boiling summer in Varanasi, working in a school for girls. Next up: enjoying volunteerism and a foray into Bollywood in India’s cosmopolitan metropolis, Mumbai.

More of Bronwyn’s writing can be found at: www.bronwyngrace.wordpress.com

One of the first things I observe about any place is the ratio of city to jungle. Of man-made infrastructure versus nature. The most modern and cosmopolitan cities are made of marble and glass, and even a blade of grass has a hard time popping up between the curbs. Even in India, many big cities are turning into concrete jungles as opposed to the natural places they started as.

The city of Trivandrum, in Kerala, is the opposite: as though bungalows and buildings have been nestled into a wild jungle without taking over. Greenery is everywhere, climbing over old rusted cars and crumbling houses as though to take them back into the earth.

If you’re in a big Indian city and have some time, or are thinking about visiting India, make sure to head down to Kerala. There, rivers, lakes and the ocean all meet. Take a boat along some of the backwaters and wonder at the tranquility.

Keralan food is generally wetter and lighter than its north Indian cousins. Coconut palms dot the landscape and so coconut finds its way into many dishes. Enjoy specialties like payasam, puttu, idli sambar and any fish curry!
If you’re from North India, or most of your experience in India is there (like myself), observe the differences in locals’ clothes and attitudes towards work and rest.

Visit small towns like Poovar and Kovalam, and check out the beautiful black sand beaches. You’ll find locals, sitting back and taking it easy in the middle of the afternoon. Take the time to chat with people and soak up the serenity of such a pristine place.

Bronwyn McBride is a student from Vancouver, BC, and now lives between India and Canada. After quitting her intensive study of circus arts and dance in Quebec, Bronwyn flew across the globe alone to see if she could live in a very different way. It wasn’t her first visit to India, and wouldn’t be her last!
Wherever she is, Bronwyn explores different ways to volunteer and get involved with local communities. She’s worked with severely disabled kids in a Mother Teresa orphanage in Kolkata, crossed the country with a social change performance tour, and has spent long months through the boiling summer in Varanasi, working in a school for girls. Next up: enjoying volunteerism and a foray into Bollywood in India’s cosmopolitan metropolis, Mumbai.

More of Bronwyn’s writing can be found at: www.bronwyngrace.wordpress.com

“I’m also from Uttar Pradesh!” I confess, in Hindi, to rickshaw drivers in Mumbai. Most of them are from Uttar Pradesh or Jharkand area. I don’t look Indian though, so they shake their heads disbelievingly until I explain: I’m actually from Canada, but lived in the ancient city of Varanasi before coming to Mumbai. They nod understandingly, and then we discuss how peaceful it is in the North, and how the Mumbai traffic makes everyone crazy.

Varanasi and Mumbai could be cities in different countries for all of the differences between them. I recently took a decision that will keep me in the metropolis of Mumbai for the next year, and with that, started to remember the small things that I miss about life in traditional India.

In Varanasi, things move more slowly, none of this big-city running around, this workaholic attitude. People take the time of day to sit on the ghats and drink tea, to chat together, to have afternoon naps.
In Varanasi, there’s music all the time: not pumping Bollywood hits, but age-old bhajans and ghazals that announce the arrival of each rose-tinged morning and evening: a promise of another day to come.

In Varanasi, women take their time down by the Ganga river, throwing soaking laundry over clotheslines. Men sit together in their shops and stalls, chewing and spitting paan. Kids use every place to play, and fly torn kites from the rooftops.

In Varanasi, there’s a lot less: fewer people and animals and vehicles, smaller spaces, less electricity and fewer other conveniences.

In Varanasi, there’s a lot more: more peace, more patience, more rest, more community, and more time to consider life as it passes by.

Bronwyn McBride is a student from Vancouver, BC, and now lives between India and Canada. After quitting her intensive study of circus arts and dance in Quebec, Bronwyn flew across the globe alone to see if she could live in a very different way. It wasn’t her first visit to India, and wouldn’t be her last!
Wherever she is, Bronwyn explores different ways to volunteer and get involved with local communities. She’s worked with severely disabled kids in a Mother Teresa orphanage in Kolkata, crossed the country with a social change performance tour, and has spent long months through the boiling summer in Varanasi, working in a school for girls. Next up: enjoying volunteerism and a foray into Bollywood in India’s cosmopolitan metropolis, Mumbai.
More of Bronwyn’s writing can be found at: www.bronwyngrace.wordpress.com