perspective

These two pictures are taken of the same mountains – just different perspective.

The mountain that looks the tallest here (the big triangle) is actually 1600 ft shorter than the one to its right. Its 3300 ft shorter than the one to its left.

In this picture – that big triangle mountain that looked so big before is the small one in the right hand side of the picture. The perspective is different – you can see more accurately here – but that mountain all the way to the left – it’s the tallest one in this picture.

Perspective – its pretty powerful.

I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective recently. Here’s what brought it up. I just went to Nepal for a “vacation.” And if I were to describe Nepal to you I’d say things like “it was wonderful.” I’d say it was peaceful. The weather was amazing. The food was great. I’d say that women in Nepal were empowered. I could dress how I wanted to. It was an amazing time of rest – much needed rest.

WMF also has a field in Nepal, my co-worker who lives and works and knows the people on the streets where I was “vacationing” probably wouldn’t describe Nepal those ways. She comes to Kolkata sometimes for vacation – and marvels at the restaurants we have, and the great shopping etc. (sometimes in the developing world I think anywhere but where you live/work is a vacation).

If most of you were with me in Nepal you’d see it with very different eyes than I did. You would think it was dirty (it is). You probably wouldn’t think the food was anything to write home about (compared with what I usually eat in the states, it really wasn’t). You’d probably be a bit overwhelmed by the smells, crowds, and poverty surrounded us. You probably would have thought twice about the hotels we stayed at. You probably wouldn’t have noticed that men are really respectful of women (well, at least much more than I’m used to) or that there were women driving motorcycles (something I never see here).

When I walk down the streets – generally its automatically assumed that I’m rich because I’m white – and for the most part relatively speaking its true. In the US sometimes when I watch TV shows or hear about really rich people who spend my entire month’s income on a dinner out or a dress I’m appalled. I know that I have purchased clothes here for a price that to you and I isn’t that much – but could feed a family for a month (pretty easily).

So much hinges on our perspective. So much is relative.