October 15, 2008

We had an environmentalist come in to talk to us about the garbage and pollution problem in Goa.  It is hard to be in India and not notice the overwhelming amount of garbage in the streets and everywhere else.  Goa is a beautiful place but it definitely has a problem with garbage.  I was on the beach and I found medical waste.  I thought that I was going to set on a dirty needle or something.  That’s really scary to think about.  I don’t have to live in it and I have a huge problem with it.  I can’t imagine what the people do who live here.  There isn’t a good system to get rid of the garbage.  I think about my own garbage.  I’m the sort of person who doesn’t think about the garbage once it’s out of sight, but here I don’t get that luxury.  The garbage is everywhere.  It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to live here and have to see this garbage everyday.  I wonder if I would do something about it or if I would wait for someone else to do something.  It’s hard to say what I would do because this isn’t my reality.  I get to leave.  I don’t have to stay here.  Garbage is a problem throughout India.  This is a paradise spoiled by empty Kingfisher beer bottles and plastic shopping bags.