Sitting at a restaurant waiting for my dinner. As the rain is coming down heavy outside and hearing all the jolly conversations mixed with the waiters taking orders I am starting to realize that I live here. These past two weeks have felt like a vacation trip and my mind hasn’t, until now, been able to comprehend the fact that Banaras, and the district of Assi, is my home until Christmas. I guess the culture of India can do that too you, it is like the culture chock sledgehammer hits you right in the face as you step out of the airport and I have been dizzy ever since. Now that I have started studying and getting some routine in daily life here I am getting more used to the thought of staying here for awhile.

As the thunder is joining the rain, I am thinking of the book I am currently reading for my studies. It is about citizenship in the time of globalization and the many ways you can define citizenship. When thinking about citizenship and nationality in India I can’t stop this thought that is visiting my mind, and don’t take my cloudy head too seriously.

 What if the whole world arranged a “Nation swap day”. This would be a day when anyone could freely choose where to live in the world for whatever reason. Maybe it would be for the climate, people, political system or why not security reasons. I wonder how many people actually would move. Probably the ones in need for refuge but the question is how much your sensation of home is worth. I am sure many people wouldn’t move no matter the circumstances because home is home. When walking through the alleys of Assi here in Banaras I sometimes get a quick glimpse of households where common families are living. It is very simple, small and with my Swedish eyes very dirty accommodations. I think that the demand for a nation swap day must be high here until I see the smiles and hear the laughter. I am sure these families wouldn’t like to move because this is their home, sure they could probably use some higher standards but what it comes down to is that no dirt or lack of square meters can take away what you truly love and treasure.

Here follows some pictures of the alleys of Assi. Why not listen to “Veni, Sancte Spiritus” by Timbre while looking at them, she is a lovely artist playing the harp.