orientalism?

It's probably far too dramatic to say that I love and hate this place in equal measure. Probably not true either. But I do find that India is perhaps in equal parts charming and irritating. No, those words fail as well. It's blast furnace hot, but I like the feel of the wind in my face when riding around in a rickshaw. There are mangy dogs and bony cows in the street, with occasional moneys on rooftops. But then you step into the cool marble courtyard of a 600-year old mosque. There's excessive dust and trash, but also a fantastic profusion of color--saris, garlands, piles of produce. Old ladies stop to chat, invite you for tea, then say "God bless you" and continue their shopping. It's a place, like any other, with plenty of problems and possibilities. It's vibrant chaos and languid gentleness, all on a massive scale and if I didn't love it, I wouldn't keep coming back.