On Riding Motorcycles (…Sorry, Mom)

 

Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays hold a sort of magical quality for me. They represent an end to the intensive work week and endless possibilities. Those days are completely free for you to mold into whatever you want. From Netflixing to backpacking, the weekends offer a respite from the activity of the week – a time for replenishing energy or a time for expending it in a blaze of glory.

After a full week of work and meetings focused at progressing my fieldwork, I felt so excited for those sensational days where I could shape my own fate. Even though I still have to do some work over the weekends, I’ve been determined to make the most of every moment possible while I’m here, which often starts with saying, “Yes!” to things that you may normally be hesitant to do… like going on a motorcycle trip on a Monday morning.

Again – sorry, Mommy!

On Saturday, I got to do some exploring around Bangalore on my own which was kind of new. The words “on my own” haven’t really been in my vocabulary for the last 2 weeks. I’ve been constantly surrounded by colleagues, roommates, and friends since I arrived in India so it was a welcome chance to rediscover what being on my own feels like.

Turns out – I like being around people WAY more. Big surprise!

I didn’t have a bad time being on my own. I went to an athletics store called Decathlon and shopped for some goodies for an unanticipated trip I’ll be taking in June. I toured the store, the staff was friendly and helpful, and I left with everything checked off my shopping list. The best part of that experience though was interacting with the store staff, telling them about what I’m doing in India and hearing about their journeys as well. My heart is always filled by engaging with others and creating a sense of community and camaraderie that connects deeply to our fundamentally social nature as humans.

Recognizing this, I was excited for the plans I had made with my friends to go out to one of the premiere microbrewery in Bangalore called Toit. While it took us almost an hour to get there in the heavy city traffic, the wait was well worth it. With 5 delicious house brews and a tantalizing menu to match, the atmosphere had me feeling worlds away from the noise and lights of the hectic, fast-paced city outside.

While there, I observed that there were A LOT of foreigners in this brewery – more than I had seen over my entire time in India thus far. While I could definitely see the pull to come to this amazing place, it had me reflecting on the values we carry with us as we travel.

My dear friend Ranjit from Canada left me with some wise words as I prepared for my trip. He said, “Don’t go with a western attitude, thinking you know better than those around you. Go with an empty heart to be filled.” As I was being filled in community with my friends and learning more about Indian culture, I couldn’t help but feel that many of the other travelers around me were simply being filled with alcohol.

As I left that night, 2 of my friends walked me to my Uber and made sure my driver knew where to take me. On the way home and as I got into bed, I received at least 5 messages from my friends making sure I made it home alright. As I fell asleep, I felt so sorry for those other travelers that were secluding themselves into their foreigners’ cliques and felt so overwhelmingly appreciative of the way my heart is continuously being filled from the community of my local friends.

Sunday brought its own excitement as well – a flea market that I attended with my roommate and some of her friends. When Shweta was telling me about it, I was expecting some sort of rustic bizarre but in actuality, Southern California hipsters would have felt right at home at this event.

We wandered the aisles in the oppressive heat and picked out fun clothes, presents, and tasty treats. Thanks to this event, my toes are now properly outfitted with some beautiful toe rings and I have a deep appreciation for the creation of pop-up tents that allow you to hide momentarily from the sun.

After the flea market and doing some grocery shopping, Shweta and I stopped at a store to bring home dinner and I am happy to report that I have officially found my favorite food in all of India (so far) – cheese masala dosa. I don’t know if I was just really hungry or just really missing cheese in my life, but the taste was utterly delectable and I now look forward to having this self-proclaimed delicacy weekly.

And now for the motorcycles.

I slept over at my friend Adhiti’s house on Sunday night in preparation for the 4AM start to our adventure – our destination the Nandi Hills for sunrise. The Nandi Hills are these beautiful range of prominent hills about an hour and a half north of Bangalore. They range from rocky outcroppings to grassy knolls, but we were headed for the hill that houses an ancient fortress. 4 of my friends and I set out to catch the sun’s first rays at this prolific locale.

 

For those of you not used to riding on motorcycles (me included!), there is something to be said about riding on one at least once. Between the air running around your body and the lack of glass between you and your surroundings, there’s a certain beauty to this kind of travel as you get an unimpeded view of everything passing you by. Admittedly, there was also a certain amount of fear I experienced with there being nothing between me and my surroundings, but with my helmet secured and my frequent reminders for safety to my friends that were driving – Ankur and Vikram – I let the beauty lead instead of the fear.

But this beauty does not compare to the natural beauty I witnessed in the Nandi Hills. There was a large amount of people there for 5:30AM on a Monday, but having gotten our entrance tickets, we set out on the path less travelled to reach the top of the fortress. After climbing stone steps cut into the rocks, treading on newly paved roads, and walking dirt paths, we reached the scenic overlook just as the sun broke out above the clouds.

After taking a few minutes to just absorb the haunting beauty of the misty sunrise, we went into the temple that was perched atop the hill next to the overlook. As I walked in, I turned around and saw my friends looking ever so slightly horrified behind me, waiting at the threshold of the entrance. I looked back and motioned for them to come along, to which Adhiti answered, “I think we should take our shoes off first since this is a temple.”

Yes – I had left my shoes on. It’s the one thing you don’t do in a temple and I had done it.

I quickly ran back out and removed my shoes, feeling a twang of guilt run through me for not remembering this important piece of the culture. After my feet were lain bare, we walked through the temple and were invited to go inside where the shrines are housed. As we walked in, I realized how little I know about traditions in the Hindu religion. The priest talked and offered us a lit candle, a pile of ash, and a spoonful of liquid sequentially. Observing my friends’ actions and mimicking them, I wafted the warmth of the candle light toward my face and took a deep breath, I pinched the ash and placed it on my forehead, and I put out my hand for the liquid to be poured into, then drank it.

While I identify as a Christian, I felt deeply the spirituality connected to these ritual acts, particularly through my friend Deva. Watching the way he let the warmth of the candle fill him and the faithful appreciation he showed in bowed and humble prayer as he entered the temple made me acutely aware of the ways we all connect to the Divine. To me, that higher power, whoever or whatever it be, is made more beautiful in the diversity through which we experience and express spirituality. Here, in a temple. At home, in a sanctuary. In my soul, by wandering in the wilderness.

As we made our way back to Bangalore in our little motorcycle gang (in time for all of us to get to work by 10AM of course), I heard the words of my friend Ranjit ringing in my head again: “Go with an empty heart to be filled.” I don’t know that my heart can ever be considered empty. With the amazing community I have all around the world, my heart will perpetually carry pieces of the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve had them with. I can say, however, with confidence that my heart will never be completely saturated. In my journey through this life, I will always leave room for my heart to be filled, to forget my prejudices, and to humble myself in the diversity of the human experience.

Oh yeah – and I’ll leave room for more motorcycle trips, too.

Namaste.

-Dani