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I just grabbed this from a letter I wrote a friend tonight...

We got a glimpse of it today… real India. I think it shook up a couple of the women in the group, but in a good way. We went on a walking tour of old Delhi and it was a little overwhelming for many. Once we got out of the metro we were literally bombarded by intensity like nothing most have seen -- hundreds of thousands of people, all levels of wealth to abject poverty and vibrant colors and sounds. I know it was tough for some when a little cute beggar girl, (she had to have been 3 or 4) just walked into the middle of the group and started begging and touching people. There were women and small children sleeping and eating in the dirtiest of street corners while Indian men and women wearing Prada bags walked by.

So yes, the culture shock -- you know, it’s so tough to describe unless you’ve been to a place to completely different from the US. To see things that are completely different from what you are used to all your life can tug at the core of all you know. India is a place where over a billion people co-exist in often-small, confined spaces. They love each other, they are emotional, they yell to make their points and they smell like dust, Indian food and perspiration. But it’s such a beautiful thing to see the smiles on their faces. The smiles that can invigorate anyone from down times. However, on the same token, when you see people and animals dying in the streets you immediately question everything.

It's tough to take all in...