Today I ended my trip by boarding a 12-hour flight back to NYC.

After being here for a week and a half, I have concluded that India is an incredibly interesting place comprised of significant inconsistencies.  The younger generation is torn between the paths of new western cultures and the ways of old.  Advertisements depicting modern cities are painted on crumbling buildings.  The homeless read newspapers.  Religion varies between Hindu and Muslim while skin color is relatively homogeneous.  The majority of the country is impoverished while the wealthy spend time adorning each other at the Indian Academy Awards.  The community integrates with nature, but pollutes and litters in abundance.  Theft and violence seem uncommon, but hustling is accepted.  There is not enough tax revenue to build sufficient roads, despite a glut of cars. 

India faces some major transitions in the future and it will be interested to watch how this rapidly evolving country develops.

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