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Crossing the street in Mumbai. I kind of wished I took better pictures during this trip. |
India, March 2012. Attended the Design Forum in New Delhi, then went on a three day trip to Mumbai. Inspiring; the cliche word describes it best, both the forum, and India itself. The forum gave me the chance to meet some of the people I am very fond of: Paola Antonelli, Lidewij Edelkoort, and Nacho Carbonell to name a few. It was a giddy moment; I was excited to attend the conference, and I left the conference feeling far more excited than before.
There was this specific focus discussion on India's national branding; they were concerned about how young people seem to shy away from their heritage, and yet women dressed in sari on the streets is still a very common sight throughout my travel.
Then I come to ask: their culture is still so bold despite the young guns shying away, and they are worried about the national identity, then what would that make my country's culture? A different approach is needed, for sure, as Indonesia has a very diverse manner of culture say, in all aspects. Buzzes of thoughts still remain in my head, perhaps to be spoken off one day.
I am just sure that it was a start of my many future visits to India. There are so many things to learn about, so many to admire, so many to enjoy. I see similarities, between Indonesia and India; through history and religion, economical condition, identity, and yet I also see diferences in respecting the culture, and national pride. We could trace the footsteps on how the two nations has influenced one another, through the paths of merchants and monks in the past, educating, resulting in similar behaviors between the lands.
One week was enough for the last trip. Too many exams back home to ignore, but it was worth it. My near future list would be to trace the routes traveled by the ruling travelers of the past; the trading and religion spreading route all the way around India, Nepal, Tibet, entering mid-China and down to South-East Asia where it finally ends in Indonesia. Studying about it would be the best option in order to enjoy and understand the culture spread and yes, it is what I will do. Perhaps one day I might also want to go to the other side, West, and learn about how the Islamic culture finally entered Asia; creating two big Islamic nations; Indonesia and Malaysia.
It is interesting to learn about your nation's history and past—or maybe I am just this freaky nerd. But no, it is interesting to know how things are formed, how various cultures could create a new one, it teaches you that evolution knows no stopping sign, and learning about the past and present behavior could lead you to see what the future brings. It keeps your feet on the ground, knowing that in the end, every single dot is connected.
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*I would definitely come back to learn more about the textiles (Cashmere! Wool! Silk! Hemp! Organic cotton! Linen!), and natural coloring. // If you want to see more interesting pictures, especially ones about the warm and colorful Holi Festival I experienced last March with fellow friends, you could click here: Nabila Adani's blogspot page.
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