Welcome to Ian Forber-Pratt's Website...

A classmate inquires, what is the perfect Indian woman? - A question whose answer might evoke an emotional response and put someone in discomfort. The teacher, however, doesn’t miss a beat. It is a woman who is honorable, true to her family, her husband her children. She is cultured, educated and respectful (he explains that to be respectful is to be fully covered - parda). Another question from a different source; “so does beauty matter?” Again little time is needed for a response, no it’s not he replies. Skin beauty, he explains lasts only 5 or 10 years but inner beauty is the most important.

How many Americans can actually practice this type of view of women? Some, of course, but I would argue that an overwhelming majority, myself included, are hard pressed to exclusively view beauty in this way. But this entry is not about the view of women…

The grease on the social and business wheels of India is all about the people you know. This is not a specifically Indian trait of course. Throughout the world networking involves meeting the right people and having them introduce you to even more effective people for whatever your respective cause is at the time. This is a basic form of human communication that I suspect has been in existence since there were communities and multiple people. So how is it different in India? It’s extreme…

Mukesh’s mother comes in and out giving us water and chai. I asked is she would answer some questions and Mukesh translated that she thought I would be unclean if she was in my presence. She felt that it would be insulting to me to be around her. I assured her this was not the case and she sat for a few moments, clearly uncomfortable evidenced by the lack of eye contact and her constant shifting in her seat. She refused to say much even when I did ask her questions through Mukesh, she would move her head side to side as I asked questions and would often answer “ji, ji” and that was all. It was if she agreed and understood that I was talking, but didn’t feel she could/ would/ had to respond. I made her uncomfortable, simply by having the potential to be a higher caste. This type of thought, I’m having issues beginning to fathom.

Someone in our group had a unique way of looking at beggars today, and I had to share it. We (the group) have all been confronted with a woman and her children begging. The scene is often similar; a young woman walks up holding one or two children. They are clearly wearing tattering clothes and either say the word please or simply make noises and hold out their hands, looking you in eye whenever possible. So, we have talked a lot about changing the tone of the interaction. Giving to every person in India is not only impossible but most likely completely ineffective. I have learned that one must place the conversation on a level of respect rather than a commodity based interaction - I have something and they need something. The woman in our group did her best to see the person as a human being and a member of Indian society. She did what she felt was most human, she engaged the beggar in conversation.

The next couple days will see less in the way of blogging and certainly less in the way of picture taking. We are spending our days in the classroom in the morning and on interviews in the afternoons. It is refreshing to have a set schedule. Perhaps that means I’m getting old and like routines, or perhaps it means I am maturing. I hope it’s the later. So my research topic was supposed to fall in line with my senior capstone on untouchables in India. I’ve found through a number of preliminary interviews and informal conversations that my continued research would yield a paper that hundreds of people have already written. So I am left with the need to focus my research on something contemporarily under debate or at the very least, interesting. As I spoke with Manvendra, our group’s fearless Indian leader, he explained that the reservation system in India is under constant debate.

As my small school group followed a young tour guide around the dirty streets of Delhi the juxtaposition of wealth and abject poverty was overwhelming. When we emerged from the underground metro we were literally bombarded by intensity like nothing most of us had seen -- thousands of people, all of different levels of caste and class, and clad in vibrant colors were everywhere. Desperate sounds attacked our senses. It was clearly difficult for some in our group when a young beggar girl, (she had to have been 3 or 4) walked into the middle of the group and started touching people and asking for money. The senses reeled as women and small children could be seen sleeping and eating in the dirtiest of street corners while Indian men and women wearing Prada bags walked by on their mobile phones. It seem that as Americans we are often unaware that this type of poverty exists. It is one thing to see poverty on TV and to read about it on the news.

I just got back from a little Ian solo exploring mission. It was everything I hoped it could be. This morning we went on a quick trip to a beautiful garden. It would have been amazing if the fountains worked, but they were off for cleaning so it was nice -ut not amazing. The tough thing was that outside the garden were some women and children, dressed in rags begging and banging on the bus. It was a little overwhelming. We then went to this 'mock' village that is set up to show tourists what it is like in the villages. The problem was that it was like a 'Beverly Hills' view of villages and not the real deal. But it was nice to see.

Hi everyone,

I sit here, as ants, lizards and flies swarm around the keyboard and smile because I'm in India.

If you don't have facebook, I would recommend getting it because the pictures of Udaipur are astounding to say the least. This city of 500,000, small in comparison to Delhi's 15 million, is the essence of beauty and wonder. I can't even begin to describe it. The city is well taken care of in stark comparison to the crumbling old Delhi.

The Rajputs here, warriors who have deep pride in their linage and hertitage also have a fierce love for their city and all who come here. I asked our guide, who is a strong Rajput, if he would fight to defend his people if the need arose. He shook his head yes and mentioned with awe "If only I could be so lucky. To defend my country." The sense of honor is like nothing I have ever seen. This place, the people, everything is beautiful.

Today was an interesting day. I spent some time thinking and writing about the issues that Indians face: inefficiency of government, lack of education and shocking disparity between the rich and the poor.

I wrote a new, revises, 'about me' profile... What do you all think?

On the cusp of light, I write you a story. Not even knowing the significance of the lessons to be learned, I perch, teetering on increasingly solid legs. The pure momentum of forward movement tips the proverbial scale and sends me reeling into the light. Anchors are drawn in and new ones cast in sand thick enough to withhold them. I am what you get.