Off to India

Reflections...

2005-08-03T14:00:00.000+05:30

This is an ongoing list of thoughts I've had since returning to the States. Some of them are just things I've come to realize, and some are things I realized were left out and should have been included...

STP/IPC/PCO
This was the name of the phone and internet booths that are sprinkled throughout India. They are used regularly by both travelers and natives. Of course, seeing "STD" everywhere is pretty amusing to Americans. "It's spreading across the nation," I said at one point.

TNP
This was the term we affectionately ascribed to our frequent stoped while traveling to "tea and pee."

Dynamic pluralism
India is host to many Major World Religious. Even Hinduism isn't really one conglomerated belief system, as there are many divergent and conflicting views and Gods. Hindus are "hendotheistic," meaning that while they support a particular God, they are aware of the existence of other, and that others worship them, and this is not problematic. This general sentiment can be said of most of the people of India. There are so many varied beliefs, and people are not oppresive or condemning of others simply for acknowledging a different belief system. This was one of my biggest takeaways from my travels in India
Of course, with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the Hindutva militants, one can see the teachings of Gandhiji slipping away...

Symbols as visual theology
Every temple and mosque is intricately carved and decorated, just as is much of everything in India. What at first glance simply looks beautiful and impressive can upon further inspection tell you so much about the time and culture when it was created. It can offer stories of the opeople who visited it. It can open your eyes to things you hadn't previously consider. This visual theology is everywhere, and one need only a brief introduction to start seeing it.

Mr. Subramaniam, Nikky Singh, Cathy Asher
These were the guides that accompanied us on our trip. They were invaluable as leaders, translators, teachers, and friends. They made the trip the huge success that it was, and I feel forever indebted to each of them.

CNG
Compressed Natural Gas. The autorickshaws are run on this, and some newer ambassadors use the new fuel type as well. As the world approaches peak production of oil, and gasoline becomes much more expensive, I think this is the next option. Of course, it is no answer to the world energy crises...but to see smaller, lighter vehicles provided for mass transit within the city and running on this is very symbolic of India's awareness and commitment to environmental friendliness. Rickshaws, for the record, seem like the perfect blend of public transportation and convenience. I think they'd go over well in most large cities and college towns, if it weren't for all the (explitive deleted) SUVs.

Nikky and the Prime minister
The day before ManMohan Singh traveled to America to meet with President Bush, he met with Nikky. She informed him of her concerns for women's rights, and also transferred an idea Mary had to employ the homeless in trash collection. She and he are both Sikh, and it was sort of exciting to talk with someone right after they had met with the Prime Minister.

Sitting by river - productivity vs. purpose
While sitting on the side of the Ganga in Haridwar (the night I couldn't stay alseep), I sat thinking about the primary difference I see in Indian and American culture. Americans seem to be searching for productivity and efficiency in all that they do, whereas Indians are looking for purpose and meaning. As the two nations start to merge, I see that our productivity is rubbing off on them. I really, sincerely hope this can be a two-way street, because the function of our life is not to produce and grow an economy. Without searching for purpose and meaning in life, I worry about the willingness of Americans to become corporate drones, working 10 hour days and purchasing things they don't need, only to achieve a fleeting sense of happiness and a feeling of purpose that will not endure. While you can't spend forever deciding what you believe and what your purpose in life should be, I see that as infinitely enviable to simply working and making, with no purpose past that of your corporate master.

Shigella
I returned to the US with a new friend! Shigella, a foodborne illness similar to E. Coli and Salmonella, has gone everywhere with me - through 22 hours of plane rides to Amsterdam and Detroit, for a 3 day trip to Columbia to move things up to my third-floor apartment, and to the Emergency room, for a get-to-know-you session.

Reverse culture shock
Upon my return to the US, I had to overcome the reverse culture shock, which was almost as difficult as the Shigella. Things seem slower, and I feel more calm and in control. I find it difficult to feel overwhelmed (though Master's school is giving me a run for my money). I also am amazed that such a smart and powerful nation can be inhabited predominantly by people who have no zest for knowledge, no want of civic involvement, and no worries regarding the state of the world. On a number of occasions, people said to me that "travel abroad should be compulsory for American students." Having now traveled abroad, I agree completely - for this and so many other reasons.

Last Day in Delhi (Day 24)

2005-08-02T05:21:00.000+05:30

When we woke up, we had arrived in Delhi. We bargained for a rickshaw ride home. One guy said he couldn't do it for any less than 200 rupees, so I said "well, I guess we'll just ask anybody else, because we don't have that much money." And we didn't. But the bluff worked, and we got a ride to Defence colony (about the entire extent of Delhi away from where we were), for the equivalent of $3.

When we got back, we immediately passed out on couches. We didn't get far, however, because the Jaipur Inn next store claimed that we had made reservations with them again. Unlike last time, I strongly objected this time. I tried to explain how silly it was to imply that we would have booked BOTH an overnight sleeper cab AND a hotel room for one night. They didn't seem to like it, but I was too grumpy to care in the least. When we finally did wake up, we spoke with Purnima (who is amazing), and she hooked us up with a key to one of the bedrooms, where we went and took showers. After this, I packed up my stuff, and divied up the Ganga water I had into separate bottles. I then distributed them to Prunima and a student who was in her office, to Ashok, the cook who had raved about the water, and to Purdeep. I then gave the rest of a water-bottle full of the holy water to Purnima, and asked her to distribute it on our behalf. Everyone seemed elated by this. Maniji was going to leave shortly, so Lee and I said goodbye to the guy who is perhaps the coolest guy I've ever met.

Then we headed out. We went first to the Defence Colony market, hoping to get some street food. I had been saying that I would do so the entire trip, and the mutton fritter, as it turned out, just turned me on to eating more. It was really hot, so we bought a bottle of water for Rs 12. We searched for a streetside food stand, but Defence COlony is a little too posh for that. Across the street and down the road from the market, however, we found what we were looking for. In retrospect, we must not have been looking very hard at all. There were about 300 flies circling the food prep area, and a bunch of Indian men with grease on their shirts and hands. We paid Rs 12 for our entire plate of food, which we ate standing. It wasn't particularly good, but it wasn't awful. I would come to think otherwise.

From there, we caught a rickshaw to the Gandhi museum (we were very scrutinizing in picking a driver this time). We arrived, and spent another 5 hours at the Birla house, where Gandiji was asassinated. This time we went upstairs to all of the multimedia, and though they usually rush people through, we insisted on being shown every video and audio clip. It was all humbling, just as it had been before. Once we had finished viewing multimedia, we went out again to the back lawn, and to the exact site where Gandhi was shot. We paused and took it all in for a minute, then departed, knowing that everything from here out was in an attempt to exit. But right outside the museum, another streetside vendor was selling pakoras and aloo bread, so we got some of that really quick, first.

We caught a rickshaw back to the AIIS guest house, and gathered up our things. We went and ate masala dosas and stuffed ourselves, then packed up and said our goodbyes. Soon after, we were headed to the airport. Our plane left at 12:30 am, and we made it. We had left at 9:30, so we actually had quite a bit of time. Lee find a humongous bottle of whisky and considered purchasing it, only to find out that customs would make him pay duties on it because, at 4.5 Liters, it was 3.5 Liters over the limit. Eventually, we boarded our plane, and were on our way.

The plane ride got worse for me as we went. I believe the Rs 12 rupee plate of food was the cause of what would later be diagnosed as a Shigella infection. I spent the majority of the 22-hour trip back home in the bathroom. I had hot and cold streaks, and tried to sleep as much as I could. Eventually, when I was assuredly completely empty, and feeling completely miserable, I was able to drift off to sleep. When we got to Amsterdam, I was able to make it through the overlay and run through customs with no problems. On the next plane, I tried eating again, and thus spent most of that trip in the bathroom as well. When we got to Detroit, even though I had just gone to the bathroom before deboaring, I went to the bathroom again. Lee did as well, but that lucky punk did not end up getting sick. Finally, when arrival at my gate, we said our goodbyes. It was kind of sad to depart, but he goes to KSU, and I figure I will see him again. Maria goes to MU, so I knew I'd see her soon enough. And Tony has promised to make a trip across country all the way to Maine, where Nikky Singh lives. We'll see (especially with the cost of gas now...)

Hiking, the long drive to Amritsar, and a disaster barely averted (Day 23)

2005-08-01T12:34:00.000+05:30

As soon as we were all awake, we headed to breakfast at the hotel. It had a reputation for serving great food; it was decent. When we came back to Maria's room, we were surprised to see a monkey reaching his hand inside and trying to get at her food through the gate! Unlike the grey monkeys, which were passive but defensive, this was a red monkey, which we'd heard was aggressive. That indeed appeared to be the case. He hissed at us, he shook the wire grating holding him from entering the room, etc. We fed him some banana chips, and Lee even gave him some pudding he had brought back to the room. Then Lee put some of the pudding on his finger, and the monkey licked it off. Then, we all did it. But that didn't make the monkey go away. We were headed out to go on a hike and see the Bhagsu Devi temple, so we left with him still there. However, Tony (whose room it was also), unlocked the door to go back and get something, and found the monkey had gotten inside the room! Luckily, it crawled back out as soon as Tony came in, so he closed and locked the window, and we left.

We walked out of town and up the hill, with Yovindar telling us about how we were his friends and he was a good driver. He insisted that we go to the Bhagsu Devi temple, and I was interested anyway, so we headed that way. After about 3 km, we arrived. It sits up higher in the hill range than McLeod Ganj, and has a waterfall that flows into a man-made pool. All of this sits right in the temple, but we chose to skip it for now. Instead, we walked up into the hillside to take pictures. The view was amazing, as we were very high up and could see many smaller peaks around us, and the mountain range in front of us. We decided to hike through tall grass on the side of this large hill, which was very dangerous. Eventually, we made it down to a path (that we could have just stayed on from the temple, and saved about half an hour), and followed it onward. We walked up, up, up, with Tony saying he was going to bathe in the Ganjes when we got there. Eventually, we passed a small stream, and everyone washed their hands and feet (if they were wearing sandals). Soon enough, Yovindar made us aware of a leech that was on his foot, which he removed with a stick. We all assumed it was from the water, but we didn't see any on ourselves, so we moved on. Soon, we came to a little covered tea shop. Runoff water was being used to ice a bunch of sodas sitting into a chiseled-out hold in the rock. A tarp had been pulled over a small area that had been cut out, which made for a small dining area. We ordered some tea, and sat watching as it began to rain. Suddenly, Maria screamed as though she had been attacked by an animal. I turned to see what was going on, and found that there was a leech on her foot. When she took off her sandals, she found five more. There were none on me or anyone else, but after Maria's had been removed Lee put one on his skin (because he is slightly insane). The attendant informed us that the leeches were not in the water, but in the grass of the hill we crossed. He put them on a piece of paper and tossed them into the river. Then he brought us our chai, which really hit the spot. It was now pouring rain, and just as it began a Japanese guy came under the tarp with us. We talked to him for a bit and then, realizing it was 11:45, Lee and I began hustling back to the hotel we needed to check out of by noon.

We rushed back, with Lee taking time to shop and me taking time to check out the Bhagsu Devi temple (so, not much hustling). We ended up getting a rickshaw most of the way, since we had come a long distance and it was still raining. When we got back I took my last hot shower, packed up all my wet clothes, and gave away those belongings I would no longer be needing. Then came the goodbyes. Lee and I were headed out, so we took time to dwell on our travels and properly send each other off - Maria and Tony headed to Shimla and on, and Lee and I headed back to Amritsar, then Delhi, then the US.

So we got in the car with Yovindar, and Lee and I both chose to sit in the back. At this point, we both thoroughly disenjoyed Yovindar's company, and also his conversation. We had also become aware, especially when I stated it aloud and heard no rebuttal from him, that "He doesn't really know a lick of English past basic conversation." From that point on, we would regularly direct comments to him in accents, telling him that the music was absolutely terrible, and that we hated him. WWhat did it matter? He didn't understand us. We spent most of the trip reading "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's way of Life" (which I just finished - enlightening, yet confusing) and a book on Guru Nanak and Sikhism. I held my laundry out the window for a bit just to get it dry (not clean). We listened to the iPod over the blaring of the same 8 Bongra songs he had played all the way up. We stopped at the same restaurant to pee. Lee threw Walnuts at water buffalo. In short, we bided our time, hoping we would make it back to Amritsar for our 9:30 train.

We arrived in Amritsar with about an hour to spare. Lee and I decided, on Yovindar's sugestion, that we would go and get some beer. Yovindar wanted to go to a sit-down establishment, but Lee very explicitly stated he wanted to go to a Godfather (a streetside liquor store). After we passed two of them, Lee said, in a wild voice, "You better go to the next one, I'M WARNING YOU!" It was hilarious, because we both knew he didn't understand. Eventually, we pointed frantically and he pulled over. He of course expected us to buy him a beer, but we refused. At this point, he had asked us "You like my driving" (No, he was terrible) about 67 times. We realized that appeasing him by saying yes throughout the course of the trip made him feel a tip was warranted. We told him we'd pay and tip him once we made it to the train station. We still had 40 minutes to spare, but we told him to head to the train station because we still had to find our particular train, and didn't want to risk it. On the way, we saw a Ferris wheel. Yovindar kept driving, and soon pulled into a sit-down drinking establishment. Instead of acquiescing, I started LOUDLY SCREAMING, from the back seat, "Ferris Wheel! Ferris Wheel!" Lee joined in on the chanting, and soon enough Yovindar gave up and turned around. Lee started to laugh in this high-pitched, insane style of laughter, and I just busted up. We were slap-happy, it was late, and we figured out that we had the time (the station was close by).

We arrived near the fairgrounds, and rushed in. We found a bunch of kids playing on playground equipment, a bunch of junky, unsafe carnival equipment, and the Ferris wheel, which was somewhat different from the ones I'm used to. For starters, the booths seat passengers toward each other, not next to each other. Instead of sitting facing outward along the track of the wheel, you sit perpendicular to it. Last and most important, it goes way faster and the booths swing way more. Before we got on, however, Lee had an idea. We pooled our money, and then went and got every kid in the entire park. We told them we were going to pay for a Ferris wheel ride for everyone - that it was completely on us. After getting this across, about 35 kids came with us to the Ferris wheel. We were seated, and the thing started up. Against our wishes, they sat Lee and I together, but we still got to talk to the people in the carts ahead of and behind us a little bit as we circled around. The kids were ecstatic, and audibly pleased. As soon as the ride ended (we were the first ones off), we realized that we had to go immediate. So we left, and the kids never really knew why we had decided to be so charitable. It was the perfect setting though, because it just made us both feel really good.

Then we headed to the train stop. We arrived with about 15 minutes left and found, much to our dismay, that our train had been CANCELLED. There was no alternate route. Our only option would be to catch the Golden Temple train on the next day, and that would cause us to miss our flight home. I was in a state of near-panic, and Yovindar wasn't helping. We had already paid him, but he lingered on (presumably because he has no friends). By coincidence or fate, I ran into a Punjabi named Nafdeep who was very rational, had full control of the English language, and who was on the same train as us. He was also Sikh, and in that selfless manner that I have come to find characteristic of Sikhs, Nafdeep helped us through the process. He said he was actually glad to have found two white guys, as it would better his chances of getting his own arrangements fixed. I told him I felt like it was fate, because Lee and I had been reading about Guru Nanak the whole ride there. Unfortunately, fate didn't have it in the cards. Nafdeep decided he would just travel another day, and the bus authority refused to exchange our tickets for a train that would be passing through Delhi and leaving in an hour. They would, however, bargain for our tickets, and then go and trade them in on their own time. We didn't have the time for this, so we had to accept. Luckily, Nafdeep made sure we got the price of our tickets. Then Yovindar butted in again. His friend (also his uncle (but who isn't?)) owned the bus line in town, and could get us seats if we hurried, and of course bought him a beer. So we went to a Godfather, and bought him, and when he started whining like a bitch, Rintu beers. Just to trump it up, Lee and I each got two beers for ourselves. We also stopped by a streetside food vendor, and got a fried mutton fritter. It was absolutely delicious. We slammed the first of our two beers while eating it, and then, when Yovindar showed no urgency in making it to the bus, we got out and started walking back. We made it, and Yovindar soon pulled up. Our bags were already packed, so we were just waiting to get on the road. In that bit of time, Yovindar's friend, happy to have gotten his beer, gave us a shot of Indian rum (good!). He also rolled up a hash cigarette, which was worthless, as I found most Indian hash to be. We came to discover, but not be surprised by the fact, that Rintu's "Uncle" had no affiliation with the bus line whatsoever, outside of knowing it existed. But whatever. We got on the bus, trying hard as we might not to have to say bye to Yovindar.

We went from being on a second-class AC sleeper cab, which would take 8 hours to get to Delhi, to riding back on an non-AC bus on bad roads that would take 10 hours. This was impetus enough to slam our second 40, in the hopes of passing out. It would have worked well, but that Lee had no urinated for a while. Somehow, almost immediately having pulled out of the station, all the Indian passengers were sound asleep. Lee walked down the entry steps, pissed into his bottle (at the time, I thought he was pissing on the floor), and chucked it out the window. I waited until the first stop, which was just alongside some field. Everyone got out, even women, and urinated in this field. We got back on the bus, and soon after I was finally able to pass out (though I was awaked repeatedly).

Dharamsala (Day 22)

2005-07-31T22:54:00.000+05:30

We woke up early, and went to meet with Mr. Naga. He was a new hire of AIIS, and is working for the library of the Tibetan government (not the gov't itself). His niece was the desk attendant at our hotel (Hotel Tibet), coincidentally enough, so he met us there. We then walked to a coffee shop in the rain to have chai and chat. Mr. Naga, as we would soon learn, spoke English, Hindi, and Tibetan fluently. He was also a historian of sorts. Basically, he was the ultimate tour guide. He told us about the four lineages of Tibetan Buddhism: Nyingma, Kargyue, Sakya, and Gelugpa. While the original master's were just teachers in the main line, their followers picked up these titles over time. After tea, we headed to the Dalai Lama's temple!

The Dalai Lama arrived in India in 1959, and the Tibetan government settled in McLeod Ganj in the 60s. With Nehru as Prime Minister at the time, the area was ceded to the government in exile because it's cold, hilly terrain was similar to that of Tibet. Travellers from all over the world will come to stay for days, months, or years. If they stay long enough and can convince their home country, they can actually even get the little green book required for Tibetan citizenry.

The Dalai Lama had just left, so we did not see him at any time. We did, however, meet many monks, and visited the rooms of the Lama and the oracle (Tibetan society believes in state and national oracles that can be possessed and used as a conduit when need be). Mr. Naga explained that our presence there, according to a Buddhist, was made to hopic by a karmic connection, and that nothing happens without some Buddhist cause. He also said that Buddhists believe that if you are very intelligent, you rise above all religions, and become a true philosophers.

The first temple looks like what we see on tv. It was red, with lots of ornate decoration, and big bald gold statues (Buddhas) all over. There were big metal wheels that you spun with your hand when you walked by, called "mani," or prayer wheels. Truning them earns the merit equal to recitations of the mantras printed on the wheel. There were a lot of these in and around the complex. Inside, a large gold Buddha sat in a chair at the head of the complex. On a sign next to him, a sign read "Never commit any evil deeds, accumulate a wealth of merits, completely tame one's own mind...this is the teaching of the Buddha." Everywhere in the complex were small butter lamps, which are burned in offering to the Buddha. Some of these lamps have the ligght fan lamps above them, that spin with the rising of the heat. Also in the room were offering trays. People would offer money sometimes, but also packaged food, and other things that seemed odd to me. When I asked Mr. Naga about this, he explained that what one is giving is not of importance. It is the gesture and the personal significance of giving that appeases the Buddha. He told the story of a young boy who once came to make an offering, and dropped a pile of sand at the alter. Although this gift had no practical use, it was all the boy had to give, and he had given it generously and willingly, and thus the Buddha was joyful. The thou8ght mprocess behind that intrigued me.

After checking out the temple, we headed out and started hiking down a small shale path around the side of the hill. As we walked, Lee and I began to sing. "We'll be yelling rade rade when we come. We'll be yelling Bom Bolay when we come. We'll be yelling Namaste, we'll be yelling hari krishna, we'll be yelling Kaje Rade when she comes!" It was hilarious. At one point, someone made the comment that water doesn't flow uphill, to which I responded, "unless you turn the hill over." At the time it was really funny also, but I think it loses something in transcription.

In due time, we arrived at the Tibetan Library where Mr. Naga works. (On the way over, we passed a basketball court!). We went upstairs and took our seats, and soon after a Tibetan Buddhist monk and translator arrived. We were sitting in on a one-hour philosophy lecture. I quickly made count: the ratio was 38 white people to 8 asians, which I found sort of disconcerting. Nonetheless, the lecture was very good. Upon the Monk's entrance, everyone stood up and bowed, then sang a ten minute chant/song. We were attending the third lecture in a series on the third stage of the Bodhisattva, which discussed the "perfection of giving." The monk, in his low, gravelly voice, told us that the Bodhisattva awakens into a Buddha-field, and attempts to awaken other minds so that they all may escape cyclical existence. They approach this noble goal through the perfection of ten stages. The art of giving means to give selflessly of oneself, as there are no such things as personal possessions. The Buddha-to-be is even willing to give of his flesh if it betters the lives of those around him. The lecture was very educational, even though one guy decided to try to argue with the 80-year old monk on basic principles of Buddhism and essentially wasted the last 20 minutes of the period. After that, everyone sang/chanted again, bowed to keep their head below the level of the monk's (I figured this out by the second time around...oops!), and awaited his exit.

We went back downstairs to rejoin Mr. Naga, and he took us back upstairs to a small museum. We saw a miniature version of the Lhasa Tsuglag Khang (the name of the Dalai Lama's temple, both here and in Tibet). We saw many artifacts, and sand art. Our teacher was there as well, along with some other monks. We greeted them, and them us. They took special interest in Lee's belt buckle, which had a large turquoise amulet on it. We would think of it as very country, but the monks have a special affinity for turquoise, I guess. After this, we headed downstairs and into a room for library employees only. Here, we were shown the original writings of the Tibetan Buddhists, along with many writings that had been written since. This is not something most people get to see, and we felt especially honored when they took out one of the original bindings, opened it's cloth cover, and let us touch the paper. There were two types: one that is thick like a card stock, and another that is strong but thin, and doesn't get wrinkles when folded. The symbols on them were illegible to me, but I still felt like I was viewing something of great importance. It was, in short, hecka cool. Mr. Naga informed us that these were holy scriptures, and that there were 108 volumes with block prints on paper (minus the ones from Tibetan, which were hand-scripted). They were wrapped in different colors of cloth, which roughly categorized them to the lineages of Buddhism (but not exactly). Yellow was Gelugpa, red was Nyingma and kkargyue, orange were the sort of scattered, and blue were part of the "bonbo texts." Bonbo refers to the Tibetan (as opposed to Buddhist - these aren't strictly religious texts) writings. The library was thus very colorful, and the scripts were very old and important. I was amazed when they gave Maria the OK to take pictures.

We then headed out, cutting through and around buildings in the complex on our way to the temple donated to the Dalai Lama when he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. As we arrived, we saw the bus taking off, and we had to jump onto the MOVING BUS! We all made it fine, though, and were on our way. Bus rides costs RS5, or roughly 10¢, and the bus travels all the way to a distant town of Manila. AT on stop, I made eye contact with a gorgeous girl sitting in a room on the side of the room. We had that kind of connection that is hard to break, and both looked away only to look back. I notice it because I will never forget her eyes. Sadly, I will never see them again...

Anyway, we shortly arrived at the Gyoto Ramoche temple. The first thing we did was headed to a restaurant where some monks were eating (meat, no less - though it is not looked well upon, Buddhism is not ascetic and strict - but more of a guiding principle). Mr. Naga explained to us that the monks take turns running the tempple, the restaurant, and other enterprises. We sat down to order, and Mr. Naga explained the difference between chow mein (noodles) and tugba (noodles sans soup). I ordered Chow Mein, and also some momos (meat-filled dumplings) for the table as appetizers. While we were waiting, Mr. Naga explained that the original Buddha had a wife and children before becoming a religious leader - but that other monks do not marry. He said anyone can become a monk, as long as they have a sense of pronunciation of earthly rights and ownings, and are willing to dedicate themselves to the teachings of the Buddha. Still, it is awkward for older or already-married men to start training, and thus it is very rare that these things happen.

When our food arrived, all hell broke loose. Yovindar (who had been bitches about how hot it was, and how he didn't want to walk any more, and just generally crying all day) had been served a meat dish. Not that it matters, but he did order it of his own accord. Still, he felt the need to produce a picture from his wallet of a Hindu image, and decry to all "THIS MY GOD!" Mr. Naga quickly defused the situation by saying that he would eat Yovindar's meal, and that Yovindar could order another. When that plate of food arrived, Yovindar declared that it also had meat in it, and it took the cook and Mr. Naga quick some time to convince him that it was, indeed, a vegetarian meal. Whatever. My chow mein was -awesome.-

After lunch, we headed up into the temple area. Along the path, there were small apartment complexes on each side. They didn't have doors. There were monks sitting and conversing outside. We headed up to the temple, and after removing our shoes, headed in. There were many, many images of Buddhas here, along with offerings and a gigantic image. Mr. Naga and I had bought white scarves, which we wrapped around a pole in front of the image as an offering. Next to the Buddha, there were mean-looking images. Buddha believes in wrathful deities, and includes them to highlight the calm and peacful nature of the Buddha. We viewed them all, and I was again surprised when we got the go-ahead to take pictures. After spending about 15 minutes just taking it all in, we headed out.

We jumped on a return bus, and this time I was sitting behind a cute little boy and his parents. He kept turning around to look at Tony and I, so I said "Op kanam kia hey?," which means what is your name? He answered, and his mom turned around with a huge smile. I made small talk with the young boy until we got off on our stop, and the mother was absolutely riveted. I don't think the dad took well to it, though... It was on this same bus ride that I made a humorous comment to Tony (which he subsequently stole and used as the headline of one of his posts (the bastard!)): An AmerIndian, a Hawaiian, 2 white guys, an Indian and a Tibetan walk into a Buddhist monastery..."

The next stop was at the Norbulingka Institute, where the Tibetan environment has been simulated. There were streams, rock paths, prayer flags, bridges, small pools of water, and tibetan-looking buildings. Inside them was a museum and a small store. It was a very interesting area. Deeper inside, we found large, open prayer area with large image, and a library with scripts similar to those we had been shown before. We were also taken to a back room where monks study and train. The large shelf of books were written in Tibetan (which is, by the way, phonetic), but a smaller shelf had books in English. Here are some of the titles I scribbled down in a hurry:

Putting People First - Governor Bill Clinton and Senator Al Gore
Java 2
Windows 95
Pagemaker 6.5
Schindler's List
Professional Journalism

We left this complex, and started walking back in the direction of the bus. Along the way, Yovindar started whining AGAIN. The next taxi that drove past us, he nabbed. While I was surprised to find a taxi out on this little country road, I wasn't all that opposed to just getting a ride back and not dealing with walking and buses. After all, we had walked a lot that day!

When we got home, I took a short nap. When I awoke, Maria, Lee, Tony and I headed out on the town. We did a little shopping, ran into Mr. Naga at a cafe, and then stepped into the "friends cafe" when it started raining. We ended up having about a 2-hour political discussion while drinking banana lassis, lichi juice, and waiting out the rain. When it finally died down, Lee and I did a bit more shopping, then went back to our place. My laundry was still pretty much soaking, so I adjusted it, wrung it, and did everything I could to aid it in drying (to no avail). I wanted to take a hot shower, but the water heater would not turn on. I got a stafer to come help me, and he revealed that the water heaters were set up on a fuse, and where the control box was. After saying "thorry" numerous times, he went back to working. With a hot shower in my sights, I went about cleaning my room and packing. 20 minutes later, I took a hot shower, then hit the lights and went to bed.

Amritsar, Pakistan, and the ride to Dharamsala (Day 21)

2005-07-30T23:30:00.000+05:30

We exited our sleeper cab into the soft light of a 6am sun in Amritsar. Almost immediately after stepping onto the platform, a man was asking to be our driver. Little did we know, we would be getting to know this man very well over the next few days. We discussed it for a while, and decided we just wanted to be taken to the Golden Temple, and then maybe to the bus station, for now. And off we went...

When we arrived at the Golden temple, we had to remove our shoes and cover our heads. Upon walking through the entry arch, we were confronted by a magnificent, radiant structure. Made of white marble and plated with gold (though I don't think it's gold anymore), the structure floats on a pond that is surrounded by a walkway and a building. We stood and stared for a while, then began to circumambulate. Many people were bathing in the water (which wasn't exactly clean, but oh well). At two corners, they were giving out water in metal bowls. We stopped for a drink, talked to some people (Sikhs are so open and friendly), and continued to the bridge. Before crossing, however, we made a donation and got leaf-bowls of prasad. Tony was absolutely loving the Sikhs at that point, because although they asked for a Rs 10 donation, he gave Rs 100 and refused change. He got a HUGE bowl of prasad, which is basically sweet dough. So then we headed to the bridge. We weren't allowed to cross until we had eaten some of our prasad for some reason, so we started chowing down. It wasn't bad, but I don't like breakfast, and especially not a bowl of sweet raw dough. But anyway, we then crossed the bridge, and went into the ornately decorated temple. It has two floors and the roof, and we explored all of it. On both floors men were reading "the book" as others sat and listened. It was a bit crowded, but I bet it gets worse at other times of the day and year. Finally, we left the structure. We weren't allowed to make an offering of our prasad because we had eaten from it (but they made us eat from it, so I'm still quite confused about all this), so Lee started throwing his into the water. Almost immediately, big goldfish came up and ate it. Soon enough, Tony and Maria and I were doing it as well. When we got to the end of the bridge, there were a lot of goldfish, and little kids were watching. It was fun,. but I think it might have been disrespectful. Then again, a few Sikhs had joined in as well. From there, we went into the buildings at the front of the complex. In one they had a book sitting, and a donation box. In the basement of another, there was a small group of instrumentalists chanting, with people listening. We stayed there for about 15 minutes. Finally we regrouped (Maria has wondered off to take pictures), and headed outside. We went to retrieve our shoes, and the attendant asked if we had seen the museum. We hadn't, so we recovered our heads and went back in.

Our second trip into the Golden Temple was thus to the museum. It was filled with paintings of the gurus and other important Sikhs, as well as mighty battles and important historical scenes. Also, they had a number of artifacts and weapons on display. A number of them started talking to me, and took a lot of interest in me. I ended up talking to a group of guys my age for about 10 minutes, twice. After spending about an hour in the museum, we regrouped and headed back out. This time, the attendant asked if we had langar while inside. Langar is the free meal, in which everyone sits in the order in which the entered. We rcovered our heads, and went to get Langar. Volunteers serve out daal and pani to people, and the dining experience is supposed to indicate equality and community. The food was actually pretty good, especially considering that they were pouring it out of buckets. After we finished, we headed out to return our plates. Then we went back, and this time, we were given our shoes. There was nothing more to see. Still, the Golden Temple is a very impressive site, and we ended up there for about 5 well-spent hours.

When we returned to where our driver had been, we were relieved to find that he was still there, and had not just gone through our stuff and ditched us. We got into the cramped vehicle, and asked him to take us to the Pakistani border. He said he lived near there (though we came to find that him saying he lived somewhere, owned something, or was related to someone was pretty much just banter), and that it would be no problem at all. So off we went.

Because of our driver's "connections," he was able to get us into the customs zone between India and Pakistan. At the gate, we were refused entry. We met a teacher from a women's college there, and also an actress and a producer (who had passport stamps from about 20 countries). We started having a good conversation, and in the meanwhile, our driver was able to work out a little deal. One of the guards took us around the side of the gate, and we were able to walk to the actual ceremony area where, every night, soldiers from both countries do a demonstration, then families are allowed to cross (even without Visas). We even got to go right up to the line of Pakistan, and take pictures with the guard. We even got to step over that line, so I count it as having entered Pakistan.

We then returned to our driver's "boss's" restaaurant, just on India side of the border. We had more Limcas (we'd had some upon our arrival), and then Lee and I requested beer. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to serve us beer, so they....took us around back of their shop and did so anyway. It was thunderbolt, which is terrible, but it was hot enough that we enjoyed it. Afterward, we returned to our friends. Soon enough, however, they ended up heading back to where we were, so we could negotiate the possibility of a ride up to Amritsar and back. The deal we ended up striking was for transport two ways, a driver to go anywhere we wanted while there, and that it had to be Rintu, our driver before (because he spoke a moderate amount of English). (This would turn out to have been a dumb decision later, but $100 for 4 days and 400 miles of traveling IS a good deal). So we moved our stuff to an even more cramped 4-door AC car. Soon after, we were on our way North to Dharamsala.

One of the first things I noticed was a little picture of Deep Singh on the dashboard. Deep Singh is famous because, after being decapitated in battle, he reportedly kept fighting for several minutes, headless. I thought this strange since I knew that Yovindar was Hindu, but whatever. His real name was Yovindar, but he went by Rintu. However, since he decided that he should call me "Jonny boy," I would only refer to him as Yovindar for the rest of the trip. Also, he decided that Lee looked like Dirty Harry (he didn't, and I doubt Yovindar has even seen that film), so he called Lee Harry for the entire trip. Lee never actually informed him that his name wasn't Harry though, on the other hand...

The ride was not fun. It had been sweltering in Amritsar, and for quite a while the temperature kept up. The AC didn't do anything; it was a useless and expensive amenity. We listened to his collection of Bonghra music (about 8 songs, total), on a loop all the way up. He claimed to be friends with every artist, stating that he "parties with them" (a blatant lie). Lee and I ended up sharing my iPod earphones, in a vain attempt to drown it out. Luckily, after we had gotten North by quite a bit, it started to get noticeably cooler. Moreover, he turned the music down and spent the majority of the trip talking to Maria (much to her dismay - but the front seat comes at a price!) Once we got into the rolling, tree-covered hills, it started to actually feel comfortable. The mountain air, once we got farther North, was more refreshing still. Through the course of our ride, we passed several temples, many of them dedicated to the monkey God, Humayun.

Eventually, we stopped to eat. The place we stopped at sat across a small stream (that normally wasn't there, but for the monsoon rains) from a Shiva temple. I went to explore, and found out it was cute into a cave. It was pretty cool. In the mean time, Lee climbed out onto the rocks between the temple and the restaurant, which was pretty dangerous, but ah well. Eventually, we took our seats and had a decent meal (Yovindar ate off us; this would come to be a regular thing). The owner came and talked to us a while, and said he intends to move to New York very soon. He was a very nice guy, and we talked to him for a while. At dusk, we headed out to make the rest of our trip.

Though I might have mentioned it before, driving at night in India is dangerous. Many of the truck drivers drink excessively, plus driving in India is always a little scary. The road is delineated by lines painted on trees on either side of the road, since there are no reflective lines to follow. People still pass, often, at night. So, with all that in mind, imagine our frustration and worries as we started heading up the steepest part of the mountain, and our car started having transmission trouble. After about 30 minutes of worrying, and Lee at one point climbing out of the window and onto the roof of a moving car, we made it to Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj.

It was late, so we unpakced. Lee and I decided to go for a walk just to check things out, nonetheless. My immediate impression - so many white people, so many hippies. We stopped into a STD/ISD/PCO shop to call family, and afterward ended up having a conversation with the owner about that very topic. He had a very cynical view of the Tibetan Buddhists, and of the white girls and boys that come to Dharamsala. He was very open with us, and while some of what he said hit me off as non-sense, it was interesting nonsense. Our conversation actually started when a larger white woman started addressing a dog outside of the shop, telling it that it was a "friendly dog, who loved friends," and gently tapping it in the face with her umbrella. The guy told us that people here were nice to white people because they knew there was money in it. He also said that white girls come to Dharamsala to have sex with Tibetan boys, and that he knew of a number of instances in which this had happened. Unrelated, he told us that English is now compulsory in most schools, thus his seeming mastery of the language.

We then headed back to our hotel. At the narrow shop next door, we found our driver conversing with the shopkeeper. We started chatting with them, but were soon interrupted by a fight in the alley right behind us. A bunch of asian guys were driving by, and right as they did an Indian guy punched this dude RIGHT in the face. The guy got out of the car, and started trying to fight back (understandably). They eventually moved down the alley, and then...one guy picked up a large rock and THREW it at the other guy. Fighting broke out again, and soon the group of Indian guys can walking back our way. Lee and I were just kind of looking, and one guy turned to us and sai "Fuck you, and fuck your country." Of course, he couldn't differentiate us from any of the other white people, and probably didn't know which country we were from...but whatever.

When we got back to the room, I decided to do some laundry. I soaked and washed things in a bucket, and hung them out to dry. Hindsight is everything: if I'd have known that these clothes would not be clean and dry until I got back to America, I would have saved myself the trouble.

Finally, after a brief allergy attack, I feel into a land of dreams...

Two white guys, a Hawaiian, an Indian, a Tibetan, and a Hindu walk into a Buddhist monastary...

2005-07-29T16:27:00.000+05:30

This is a "fill in the blank" joke; While in McLeod Ganj, Jon observed special nature of our group dynamics. So make up a good punch-line and enjoy yourself because the north has been an amazing experience. I don't know which part to even talk about, and given that I will be coming home soon I am apprehensive to even try. Jon and Lee left two days ago and we took Maria to Mundi Yesterday. Currently I am alone, the group has split and soon we will all be homeward bound. After we went to Amritsar and spent about 4 hours at the Golden Temple our crazy driver took us to the boarder of Pakistan. After drinking a few Limcas at the boarder we continued on with our akward driver to Dharmshala and McLeod Ganj. This place is not like India, it feels completly different. Can you just walk down the street and find an operating government in exile? The answer is "yes" if you are in McLeod Ganj, or "Little Tibet." So aside from the lecture on philosophy from a Tibetan Monk, the leeches Maria picked up on our hike, more monkey menace, really good Chow Mein, tons of rain, and really big representations of the Buddha, not much has happened here. Alas, tomorrow morning I begin my long journey home; after a few taxi rides, a 10 hour bus, an overnight train, 18 hours of flying and the Sia Express from SeaTac, I will be home. Shout out to Mom, Sia, Yari, The Fam, the gang, and the office.

AA

Packing, Birla house, and a ride on the Sleeper Cab (Day 20)

2005-07-29T00:34:00.000+05:30

Upon waking up on the couches at the guest house, we were informed that we did indeed rent rooms at the Jaipur Inn. Since we were paying for them anyway, I headed over to take a shower. When I returned, I realized that Mary, Lee and Tony had ditched me to go to Catholic mass. Since I had some spare time, I repacked some of my stuff, including a duffel bag full of souvenirs. Maria came down and started packing as well.

When Mary returned, she, Maria and I headed to the Defence Colony market to get some Subway. Maria and I both got a falafel and hummus sandwich for Rs 70 (a little under $2). I made a quick trip to the ATM, then we headed back.

My intention was to hit up a few spots in Delhi that friends had recommended. Mary decided she was tired and didn’t want to come, but Lee and Maria did, so we headed out looking for a rickshaw. We found one who would go for Rs 70 , but a guy pulled up right behind him that said he would go for 60 (you negotiate even the rides, of course), so we got in his rickshaw. What we began to realize, as the ride went on, was that our driver a) didn’t know where the Birla house was, and/because b) our driver didn’t speak a lick of English. I think he stopped to ask for directions (not out of the ordinary) 6 times (that was when we began to worry). Eventually, we passed a sign, and I pointed out the direction of the Gandhi museum. I’m fairly convinced that we came across that sign by nothing but coincidence. I gave our driver Rs 61 and sent him on his way.

The Birla house, which is where Gandhi was shot, was fascinating. It had been transformed into a museum that included a nice yard marking his final steps, a room full of clay figurines depicting important moments in his life, and a room full of his writings and other materials. Maria got ahead of us, but Lee and I spent a lot of time taking in the site. At the end of the day, we found out that if you go upstairs, there are all sorts of multimedia that we had missed out on, so we pledged to return. Nonetheless, the site was incredible and humbling.

Our rickshaw driver on the way home made up for the last one. He spoke English well, and even knew where Hawaii was (an ongoing joke for us). He played along when we told him that women take multiple husbands there, and men pay dowries. He told us a few things that we hadn’t heard expressed about Indian weddings elsewhere, and I won’t bother to defoul this blog with them. Suffice it to say, this hombre was quite a joker. We had him drop Maria off at the market to get some masala dosas while Lee and I headed back to pack the car – we had to make it to our train!

At 6pm, we were en route to the train station. We got there in time, and the AIIS staffers that brought us delivered us to our part of the track. They even decided to wait with us until our 7:30pm train. In the mean time, Maria and I headed up to the walkover. From there, one could see the families of rats moving in and out of the elaborate tunnel systems they had dug through the feces-covered tracks. The train stations have a charm all their own that eclipses the rats, the smell, the stray dogs, and the homeless people. Anyway, I held on to that thought for a while until we found out that our train would be 2 hours late, at which point I started to think a bit otherwise. Maria and I ate our Dosas right there in the station, along with some Manaqqa. This set the stage for some wonderful conversation with a group of Punjabis who sat down next to us. They were all joining the Indian army, and though most of them had mastered some simple broken English, one of the boys had studied in school and was fairly fluent. We ended up playing Pictionary, taking turns drawing pictures of men and women from each other’s culture. I let the kid wearing a “Cali” hat listen to a little Tupac Shakur (he didn’t like it). Lee touched a dog that was limping around the station, but this was nothing new for Lee.

Eventually, our train arrived. Or so we thought. One of the AIIS staffers had departed, leaving the older man who didn’t speak much English to help us. When someone told us our train would be coming on different tracks, things started to get iffy. We ended up getting help from a number of people, including a 6’6’’ black guy who, when I began to fold my hands to thank him, stop me to say, “No no no my friend. I am Jose Christian!” Sorry friend, my mistake!

In due time, we found a place to sit. I went and grabbed 4 Limcas, which we quickly downed. Then Tony went and got more Limcas, which we again downed. We sat on the ground next to a group of attractive Indian women. I managed to create a seat between Lee and Maria, who were sitting at a slight diagonal. We rocked out to some tunes, and Lee let that same dog lick his face when it returned. Finally, our train arrived and we found our cabin.

On our walk to it, we witnessed a robbery. To be exact, it happened right behind me, and had I realized what was going on just a few moments earlier, I could have dropped a mean clothesline across the small Indian man’s face and floored him. Instead, the Chinese girl he pilfered from yelled as he ran off. But wouldn’t you know it, thirty feet up, a tall Japanese guy was escorting the thief back the other way, and as we passed I tapped him and said “good job,” to which he smiled.

So then we got on our train. Sleeper cabs are COOL. We were on a second class, so there were only two beds per stack, which gave each berth about 4 feet of clearance. I was in an upper birth opposite from Lee, and Maria was on the single bed on the other side of the aisle from us. Tony was in the bunk below her. The beds and the chains that hold the upper birth beds up are wrapped in this bright blue pleather, like gymm class mats. After eating some sunflower seeds and edamame I had brought, Lee and I had a really bad, but really cheap meal. Chai was 4 rupees, and bread was 10. The little bags of water that came with the meal were UV radiated, and presumably safe to drink thus(?). Eventually, I drifted off to what ended up being a terrible night of sleep. Might I suggest, to anyone with allergy problems, that you try to get a bed that isn't under a vent...

Back to Triveni ghats and Onward to Shri Trayanbakshwar (Day 19)

2005-07-28T19:11:00.000+05:30

This morning, Maria, Tony and I headed back down to Triveni ghats to witness the other daily ritual that occurs there. In the morning, people bring buckets of milk to the ghats, pour it into the river, then bend to collect more, and repeatedly pour the water in from above their heads. It's kind of neat to see people doing this, eyes closed, at daybreak, as a thick fog slowly rises up from the river. The other interesting spectacle is seeing men and women of all ages getting in and bathing. First, because the water is no cleaner in the morning than any other time. Second, because it is COLD. I think the quote I uttered at the time was, "These men may have balls of steel, but they are small." Anyway, as I walked around, I met a river ecologist who told me about the significance of the river in non-religious terms. He told me the major river systems actually form the image of a cow (don't know if I believe that). I walked onward, and saw a cow trotting along the ghats. This is the most movement I have seen a cow make so far on this trip. Most of them just lay down, usually in the middle of highly trafficked roads. It began to rain as we headed out, and was pouring by the time we made it to the hotel.

Which signaled nap time for me. I had a great nap, and some crazy dreams (maybe due to the malarone, but I usually have crazy dreams, so who knows.) Long dream short, I had a vision of a kid sprinkling something on a rock, and making it become a star. Somehow all of my graduating class had gone on a senior trip to India, and met me in Haridwar to sit in circles and see this. But whenever I took a picture, the screen would show up black. Then I stood up, and the hall was empty.

I awoke to the sound of my phone ringing. My ayurvedic massuer had arrived. I thought ayurvedic massages involved a steady stream of oil on one's third eye, but this one was more or less a regular massage, but the best $12 massage I'll probably ever have. My heel was still in all sorts of pain, which the massuer helped me figure out. When he was finished, I felt quite relaxed. So much so that Lee decided to schedule a massage for himself. While doing so, he also expressed interest in a banana lasse, so I ordered two. They were decent, but it was the quickest thirty rupees I spent on the trip. After that, I relaxed, showered, then packed up some of my stuff and moved it into Maria and Christy's room so Lee could get his massage in peace.

That's when the fun started. Christy and Tony were out on the balcony, and Christy pointed at some grey monkeys running around on nearby rooftops. I got the rest of some crappy trail mix, and we chucked it on the roof of a nearby building. Soon, about 20 monkeys, including moms, dads, and "little oo-oos" were running around. Soon enough, they realized where the food was coming from, and started heading up. Within ten minutes, we had two mamas, two baby oo-oos, and a guardian papa sitting on our balcony. Tony handfed the dad, who just took the banana chips from his hand. But when Tony tried to pet it, it got mean, and thus we immediately went inside. We proceeded to throw banana chips out the window while snapping pictures for the next hour. During this time, the babies started playing tug-of-war with Maria's orange skirt, chewing and rolling to their hearts' content. Then they played a little tag. Then they wrestled. All of this while mama sat by the window and tried repeatedly to get in, as she was in full defense mode. In time, she decided we weren't a threat, and backed off. By the time Lee, who is mildly insane, came to the room, we thought it'd be ok for him to go out and pet them. And he did. One of the babies touched his palm a few times, and the mama let him pet her side and tail. But when he tried to pet the dad, dad got mad again. This kind of ended monkey time. We headed to lunch and I was finally able to get some chaat (I got aloo chaat, which was cold potatoes and herbs). After lunch, Moses was ready to go, so this we did.

So from there we headed to a 13-story temple called Shri Trayanbakshwar. The walk down to it revealed it as a touristy destination: when little streetside shops selling carvings accept credit cards, you begin to realize their targeted audience might not be locals. After walking through the small town, we came to a large bridge. As we walked across, an older man saw my mala (beaded necklace) which I had around my wrist and thumb. He took my hand, raised it in the air, and shouted "Ram! Ram!" Knowing not what to do, I just sort of smiled and said Bom Bolay, which he reacted kindly to. Christy told me that "Ram! Ram!" is a dedication to Ram, and is similar to bom bolay or hello. Anyway, it was pretty cool. Also on this narrow, shaky bridge were cows and motorcycles...

On the other side of the Ganga, standing like an enormous phallic symbol, was the temple. This temple required the visitor to walk all around each level, ringing a bell at North, East, South and West (you are supposed to touch these walls when in Hindu temples anyway, so the bells were a nice "touch"). The temple featured images of Gods such as Ganesh, Ram, Brahma, Kali (God of Death), Saraswati, Durda, and Shiva, to whom the temple was dedicated. The images appeared in separate small rooms, many of which have been converted into stores (in fact, one whole floor was all shops). On about floor six, a small boy smiled at us, and we said hello. We had gotten most of the way along the floor when he came running towards us, shook Lee's hand, smiled, and ran back to his mom. It was SOOOO cute. Toward the top, we started seeing, instead of images, these egg things with lines and dots on them. Christy told me that you were supposed to look into these eggs, and through them you would see the image. I'm no good at magic eye posters, and I couldn't do this either... After walking back down all 13 stories (my heel was purple again), we headed back to the car, and after some brief shopping, got on the road to Delhi.

The trip home did not go well. For some reason, most of the major roads had been shut down, so we were rebuffed in our return effort about three times. Each time, we were redirected to roads of worse quality. Eventually, we stopped for a meal at a hotel. We did the unthinkable: We had a meal without daal OR paneer (Tony will contend that one of the dishes had paneer, I will contend that Tony is a complete liar). When we finally got into Delhi, we had turned a five-hour drive into about a 9 hour drive. We made it to a gas station in the nick of time. Many of them close down at night so they won't get robbed, and this has the unfortunately side effect of creating long stretches of road where no gasoline can be purchased. While at the gas station, one of our group members kept holding out a stalk of marijuana leaves out the window, and asking the attendants, in a superb towelie voice, "you wanna get high?" This person even offered it to a guy holding a gun, who took it, looked at it, and HANDED IT BACK. See, the plant grows literally everywhere. Collecting it was no challenge whatsoever, and possessing it was no cause for alarm for anyone. They just thought the person offering it was kind of strange. That's why we made sure to tell them we were British before we left.

We got in late, and headed straight to the couches to pass out.)

Highest-ever monsoon rains strand 150,000 in India

2005-07-27T00:34:00.000+05:30

Are you anywhere near bomboy? Apparently they got like 3' of rain in a day.

USATODAY.com - Highest-ever monsoon rains strand 150,000 in India

--Oliver

I drank from the Ganga

2005-07-24T14:33:00.000+05:30

Right out of the river, it was pretty cool. I figure if the Hindu Gods protect them from water borne illness, my God will keep tabs on me. In Haridwar our hotel was like a woven hut on the bank of the Ganga. It is a religious holiday right now, so thousands of men, and a few women, came to Haridwar from throughout the region. Anytime during this month they will come, stay for a few days in large tent cities and bathe in the Ganga. Then they will carry very ornate yokes with Ganga water back to their homes by foot. Throughout the process the water may never touch the ground, it is holy and will bless their houses and used for medicine and other religious purposes. While in the city the men were very festive; most had a 12-15 day walk ahead of them, but were empowered by the number of other Hindu believers in the city (which was very apparent because they were all clad in bright orange clothing with Shiva markings on them.) There were virtually no other tourists there so our group of five was like a parade. Everybody wanted to talk to us, take pictures with us, and just follow us. The girls, who were by far the most popular, always had at least a dozen men around them. Lee would often yell "Bom, Bom" and the street would just echo back in an uproar of people "Bom Bom Bolay, Bom Bom Bolay, Hare Rade." The people were very excited. In Rishikesh we got to see a candle ceremony that takes place on the river bank at twilight. We sent flower bowls with candles down the river. There was nothing familiar to me, but I could not stop thinking about Shan, it was really moving. At our hotel we coaxed some monkeys onto our balcony with some of Jon's trail mix. At first I fed some banana chips to a male. Then we retreated behind our windows for about 50 minutes while two baby monkeys and their mothers and the male relaxed on our porch. They played in some of Mariah's clothes that were drying. Then Lee went out and was petting them and holding their hands. I have rode an elephant and petted a monkey. Tonight we leave on a train for Amritsar; at least we will not be able to get detoured and have to drive obscene distances at night like our last excursion (that was another story.) For Sia, my flight home is Northwest Airlines landing at 11:30 am on August 1, you can bring my phone from my bedroom bookshelf if you want, you should come hungry because I will be, and be early because I will give the pilot a little Baukshish to expidite the flight (that is how we work in India.) Shout out to Mom, Sia, Yari, The Fam, the gang, the office, C-Woo and all our new freshmen who are coming, DHC, Mat and Joe.

AA

Ganga, Mansadevi temple, drive to Rishikesh, Triveni ghats, and the Great Gonga (Day 18)

2005-07-22T22:15:00.000+05:30

Upon waking up, I headed out of our grass hut and saw Indians everywhere in the river, bathing and swimming. Our group got up and headed upstream a bit to a bridge, from which we jumped 10 feet into the river. I think all of us got banged and bruised in some way; for me, my entire right heel is purple (and still was not entirely healed three days later). The ritual bathing done by the Hindus is in an effort to cleanse themselves of impure actions and thoughts. For us, it was maybe a bit of that, but more just fun. Lee decided to swim all the way across, which almost caused him to puke. It was amazing how many Indians wanted to take pictures with us, and I gladly obliged. The water is very cold and moves very fast. It's not nearly as clean as I thought it might be...

From there, we headed into the market. Lee and I picked up orange shirts, and he decided to get a streetside shave. While he was doing so, I talked to a guy around my age from Nepal, who had recently graduated with a degree in business administration. He was a smart guy, and we had some interesting conversation. Lee and I then shopped it up, and I bought a staff and a drum, among other things. The shiva shirt I bought was a bit too small, but was the largest one I could find (when I tried to stretch it onto me, the shoulders ripped, so for the rest of the day, picture me in a slightly undersized shirt with ripped-open shoulders.)

After this, we headed through town on foot to the Mansa Devi temple. All of the pilgrims are coming to worship Shiva, and just as the Vrindavan villagers worshipping Krishna said "raday raday," these pilgrims say "Bom Bolay!" Actually, you say "bom bolay" and they break out into dance and song of "bom bolay, bom bom bolay." The spin around on one foot, hit drums, dance about...It's so friggin cool. We proceeded to instigate them all along our walk to the temple, which was briefly interrupted by lunch at a hotel (that didn't actually serve food, but since the owner also owned our hotel and we were white, they pulled together tables in a room with a view of the Ganjes and retrieved our order from surrounding restaurants - seriously, Indians are SO hospitable.) After walking through small crowded streets, we arrived at a chair lift that led up to the temple. Riding this up gave us a magnificent view of the town and the river, the hills and the temple. When we got to the top, we entered the temple and got our bag of string, bindi, incense, and coconut with which to make our offering. After walking through the temple and giving away our offering materials, we headed back out and down. As we walked back, we were stopped severeal times for pictures, and it began to rain. The whole experience was reminiscent of Vrindavan, but not quite as amazing...just a little different, I guess.

When we got back to the Bhaj Govindam, we packed and checked out in order to head to Rishikesh. It's about 25km from Haridwar. When we got to the city, we headed straight for the Triveni ghats. As we walked up, we heard them saying "two minutes." At these ghats at 7pm, they ritualistically make offerings to Ganga, the river Goddess. All of India refers to the Ganjes as the Ganga, which threw me off for a bit. Anyway, the offering was a small leaf boat filled with flowers, a stick of incense, and a bowl of prasad with a small opaque square in it. The little square was lit on fire, and after moving the leaf boat in a circle a few times, I placed it in the water and let it sail away along with many others...Then we all headed to the ghat's center to make our offering. There were big pillars of fire here (and umbrellas, as it was stormy but not yet raining). The whole scene was backdropped by sporadic lightning, adding something to the experience. As we left, some children approached us and chatted for a while. Lee swung a little girl's hands back and forth for a while. She was real cute, but her tummy was bulging out and probably weighed more than the rest of her. Moses said she probably had worms or an intestinal disease, and that people in this area sometimes lead a very hard life. It was a sad thing to see.

Which made me feel a bit ridiculous heading to our first-class hilltop hotel, the Great Gonga. From our balconies, you could see the river rushing by. I actually took the wash buckets from the rooms, headed across the street, snuck in to a building complex, around the back, and lucked into approaching a locked gate at the same time that a guy unlocked it. He didn't say a word, and we went in with him. We carried the two buckets of Gonga water back on our heads, and left them in our rooms overnight to let the sediment settle. While all that was going on, Christy and Maria ordered a room service dinner for us that included, among other things, "buff cheese," or macaroni and cheese made from buffalo milk. The whole meal was great, and I think it cost about $2 each... It was a great impetus for passing out, which is what I did next. Bride and Prejudice was on, so I faded away to an Americanized view of India.

Driving to Haridwar (Day 17)

2005-07-21T23:40:00.000+05:30

I was the first to wake up this morning from our group. I head downstairs to find that Mary had just finished breakfast. I got a quick bite to eat (Ashok, the cook, is fantastic), and Mary and I headed out to do just a bit of sightseeing. We first headed to the Lotus temple. This is a bahai temple, and while the architecture was very interesting, the rest really wasn't. From there, we caught a rickshaw over to the Kolkaji temple. This was a definite NONtourist temple. There were about 30 images on the first floor, with a pool of water in the center. Upstairs was a market and a small inner sanctum. Mary and I were most certainly the only white people there, and the experience was just cool.

Around 3:30pm, we were packed and ready to depart for Haridwar, which is about 200km from Delhi. Our driver was a Christian man named Moses, and in time he proved to be cool as well as a valuable resource. Lee had left two Kingfishers (beers) in the freezer, and instead of forgetting them, he put them in his camelbak backpack (a backpack with a pouch for liquid with a hose that you can drink from). So on our way to the Hindu pilgrimage site that allows no meat or alcohol consumption, we chugged 2 40s out of a backpack...=P

As we drove, we kept passing men dressed all in orange, carrying intricately designed carriers with buckets at each end. Moses informed us that these men were performing "kavardi," or the ceremonial walking of Ganga water back to their villages. The ceremony lasts 22 days, and some of the pilgrims will walk up to 300 km back to their hometowns. Particularly, they must carry the water back to the exact site from which they made a wish to Shiva. All along the walk, they must keep the water from touching the ground. Little huts are built all along the return routes, where the villagers can rest and eat for free. While doing so, they must place their carriers on wooden stands. The water is viewed as a holy healer - it can be sprinkled on houses to keep away demons, given to sick people to nurse them back to health, or dropped into the mouths of the dead to help their souls escape their transmigratory paths. Seeing groups of men dressed all in orange carrying buckets of this stuff while singing really got us excited about the trip.

In addition to these Shiva devotees, we also saw a number of tree farms, where the flora had been planted into neat rows. There were many fields of sugarcane. Cannabis grows wild, and is such a hearty plant that it actually dominates much of the countryside. Seeing weed leaves in every direction for miles upon miles is kind of a trip, given the amount of regulation that exists in America.

When we reached Haridwar, we made our first stop at a large Shiva statue right on the side of the river. It appeared blueish-green, and hundreds of people were napping under it. We walked in, and many of them approached us. We ended up sitting down with them, each of us with separate groups, and talking about their voyage, and Shiva, and our purpose there, and music and movies and life, etc. Soon enough, we were being told that we had to leave because our driver couldn't stay parked, so we regretfully departed.

From there, we went to our hotel, the Bhaj Govindam. It was situated, no joke, 20 feet from the Ganjes. The hotel was a row of little air-conditioned grass huts. They were fronted by a small grassy courtyard, and then ghats and the river. It was SO cool. The river was rushing by very quickly. We sat and took it in for a little bit, then headed into town to get something to eat. During our meal, the electricity went off twice, which is really nothing new at this point. We then headed back to our hotel. As I was in a double with a total of three guys, I opted to let them have the blankets, and used towels as mine. I ended up waking up and sitting by the river for about 30 minutes in the middle of the night. It was a very esoteric, zen-ish experience.

The group divides

2005-07-20T22:39:00.000+05:30

Nearly half of our group left a short while ago for the airport. With the program officially over, this is a conclusion to an amazing chapter in my life. Three weeks ago I did not know these people and tonight I could look at them and honestly say "I will really miss you." I feel that I will see most of these people again at some time or another, but right now it is mildly depressing. I know I still have nearly two weeks in India and several of the students are still with me, including Lee, Jon, Mariah, Chris B., Mary, and Brent, but I feel slightly lonely right now. We spent the day recapping, so I have been thinking about all the things in the program that transpired - a lot of things that did not go according to plan but were Amazing. It is also kind of weird because we have been in really close quarters for the last couple of weeks. Right now I am the only participant in the guest house and it feels very weird to be alone. With so many of us heading home, I cannot help but think about Washington. I appreciate things like beef, driving, stories, music, the campus, and the valley. I am not sure how much I will be able to blog while we are traveling in the North. I will for sure be able to post one more time (Sia, I will have my flight information then and I expect a party at SeaTac.)

On a much more lively note, we had a really good lecture today on Muslim authors. Nikki also had her uncle come and speak to us; he is the Chair of the Minority Committee and a member of the Indian Parliment. I was able to visit a tea shop today (can you say "darjeeling") and get a second fitting for my suit. I am fairly tired because we went to a couple of bars last night - although it appeared to be "gay night." Don't worry, I have lots of stories about that. Until then, shout out to Mom, Sia, Yari, The Fam, the group, Mr. and Mrs. Mundy (I want a welcome home dinner, LOL), the office, Crimson & Black, V. Hoek, LW, Superman, Annie, the church family, Exec. Media, and E-burg.

AA

The future!

2005-07-20T17:42:00.000+05:30

The workshop is now completed, and I will embark with Christy B (only to Haridwar/Riskikesh), Maria, Tony and Lee to Haridwar and Rishikesh tomorrow at 3pm. I doubt I'll have any internet access again until I come home, so I will detail the trip now and fill in the details later.

We will first travel to Haridwar, a Hindu pilgrimage site where thousands of people put candles in leaf boats and float them down the Ganjes every night. The Ganjes is backed by the Himalayas, and is at the point where the Ganjes emerges from them. While in the area, we will also visit Rishikesh, which is where the Beatles went to study transcendental meditation. We will stay there for two days.

After that, we will return to Delhi for a day. I want to visit a jain temple, the lotus temple, lodi gardens, the crafts museum, and a few other places. I will likely do this with Mary, as it will be her last day in Delhi.

Following this, we will take a sleeper cab to Amritsar, where the Sikh Golden Temple is. This is the center of the Sikh religion, and we saw a model of this amazing temple in a museum in D.C. I've heard that people outside will "read your face," or tell you about your past and future simply by looking at you. I've also heard that this is free, so I'll probably be doing it.

From there, we will head up to Dharamsala in the heart of Tibetan Buddhist country. We will spend one day in McLeod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Lama, though he won't be there at the time. I've heard the countryside here is very beautiful, with some exquisite places of worship.

After two days in Dharamsala, Lee and I will catch a sleeper cab back to Delhi. When we arrive, we will pack and head to the airport at around 9pm on July 28th. We should be back to the Midwest some time around noon on the 29th, for those who have missed me.

An adventure begins where another has ended. With some behind and more ahead, I see a life full of stories and am trying to read each one as slowly and carefully as possible. Knowing not what lies in store, I delight in the content, the language, and the script that has of recent become my life. What a fine read it is. =)

Poetry, parlaiment, wrapping up, silver- and tea-shopping, packing, departure, a night on the town? (Day 16)

2005-07-20T17:32:00.000+05:30

This morning, we had a brief lecture on Urdu and muslim poetry. We had been assigned five short stories that depicted the indo-islamic and hindu-islamic relations in India both before and after partition and other important dates. After that, Nikky Singh's uncle, who is a member of Parlaiment and the chair of the human rights commission, came and spoke with us. Both speakers were good.

Then we had a wrap-up session with Cathy, Rick, Nikky, and Narayaniji. We talked about the pluses and minuses, what needed fixing, what was perfect, favorite points, suggestions, etc. This was followed by lunch.

After lunch, we had a little free time, and then Christy C, Lateka, Tony and I headed to the market. We first stopped by a good silver market, and got a few nice pieces. The girls working in the shop had the most unusual/enticing eyes and teeth, and were very attractive. We weren't sure if they were Indian, but they probably were (India is so diverse...) From there, we headed to a tea shop that Rick knew the owner of. I made massive purchases at what seemed like bargain-basement prices. The gave us samples, explanations, and suggestions. The wood boxes they make are made from left over ends from a furniture shop down the street, which I found very cool.

We then returnned to the guest house, and I started packing stuff up. People will be departing within the next three hours, and parting will of course be sweet sorrow...

After saying our goodbyes with the group members who were leaving that evening, Lee, Maria, Christy and I headed to Defence Colony market to meet with Megha and Savita (which I figured out is the consonantal inverse of a strain of marijuana) from Ogilvy. We met up at a place called MB's, and after 2 bottles of wine and some other drinks, great conversation, and a host of other guests joining us, we made plans for this weekend and departed. It was mucho fun-o! As the Americans had their semi-drunk munchies on, we went to pizza hut and scored some Indian pizza, then took a rickshaw home (with Lee and Maria riding on the bumper). Upon our arrival we met Cathy's daughter Alice, just in from Hong Kong. After chatting a while with her and Tony, we all headed to bed (except me, as I stayed up to write postcards for an hour.)

Indian films with Anand, a trip to Ogilvy Delhi, a celebration of sorts, and a dull night out (Day 15)

2005-07-19T22:19:00.000+05:30

This morning, we awoke and headed to the guest house to see a presentation on Indian films. Anand Taneja depicted muslim representations in film. Most Indian films are shot and produced in Bombay, which is very Hindu. Thus, as the political tides change, the movies, which are keen on political linings anyway, seem to carry the thread. Interestingly enough, muslims are usually depicted as gangsters or people involved in illicit activities. These are the types of movies I generally enjoy, and I found the parallel noteworthy. Anyway, it was a poignant and factually based presentation/argument.

After the presentation, I met with Justin Rabindra, knowledge manager of Southeat Asia for Ogilvy (one of the biggest advertising agencies in both the U.S. and the world). He took me to eat and chat at an Italian restaurant in Defence Colony. Afterward, he took me to his office, gave me a tour, and let me chat with his employees, which I did for the next 4 hours. He, they and I talked about advertising, India, my adventures, politics, music, women, education, and anything else that came to mind. Tomorrow night, they'll likely be taking me out on the town...=) It seemed like a smart and efficient operation...but that's what I've come to expect from Ogilvy, having visited their NY location as well. I must thank Beth Ronsick for the hook-up - this was a valuable experience for which I am very thankful.

I arrived home just in time for drinks. Our instructors had some wine and beer for us, and we had a semi-celebration, then some dinner. They presented floral necklaces to us all, we took all kinds of pictures, chatted, and voiced our repeated thanks. It was sort of sad to see things winding down, but nothing is forever.

Afterward, we headed to the Park Inn to go dancing (I'm not much a fan). The bar was empty because Tuesday is a Hindu religious day. Moreover, as we came to find out, this particular bar had gay night on Tuesdays! After about 30 minutes, we departed, and most of us headed back to the hotel. I fell asleep soon upon my return.

Peanuts?

2005-07-19T00:39:00.000+05:30

Ok, so that is an inside joke. I finished my last blog in a hurry. I am not going to get into details, lets just say the last day I have had some.......experiences. We just arrived at the guest house in Delhi. We did quite a lot our last day in Lucknow, but I was not there on account of consumption disagreements. If there is a lesson to be learned it would be "don't ever stop drinking your pepto bismol." Don't fret because I feel almost entirely better and after the 6 hour train ride it has to be all downhill from here. Another one of our members was more under the weather than myself. Johanna got sick prior to myself, but is now also showing improvement. Tomorrow we have more lectures. The program is over in a few days and over half of the group will be heading home. I would never admit to being "homesick" because I think that limits my ability to appreciate what I have here. But when the time comes, I will certainly be ready to breathe that Washington air. Oh yeah, the movie, it has my approval. It actually says that it is the tribute to the Godfather. Only there is less time to tell a similar story, so a large portion is just the good guys (bad guys) bringing wrath on the bad guys (worse guys.) Shout out to Mom, Sia, The Fam, the gang, C-Woo, and the office.

AA

July 19 & 20

2005-07-19T00:33:00.000+05:30

Back in Delhi, we were treated to two presentations. One on Indian film by Anand Taneja focused on the treatment of Muslim communities in Indian film over a 60 year period. This presentation, which included a number of film clips, gave insight to Indian cinema in general as well as to Indian attitudes towards minorities. A second fine presentation was by Dr. Asaduddin on Muslim short stories which we had read in advance. The rest of the time was spent evaluating the overall experience and giving every one a chance to pack, shop and spend time exploring Delhi on their own.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS SUCH A GREAT EVENT!

~Cathy

Botanical Gardens, a bookstore, and a train ride home (Day 14)

2005-07-18T22:10:00.000+05:30

This morning, a few of us woke up at 6am to visit the botanical gardens with Cathy and Mr. Subramaniam (the infamous mani-ji). Maniji was very tired, as it turned out, because he had stayed up from 2 to 5am to take care of Johanna. He got a doctor, who diagnosed her with Colitis, then he made a pharmacy open up just to get her medicine. What a hero!

So anyway, we walked around the gardens, saw people doing yoga, viewed the cactus house, etc. Then we headed back through the trash-filled streets of Lucknow. I note this because it is a marked difference - Dehli and many other larger cities have developed at least basic sanitation, and are moving rapidly forward.

When I got back home, I packed, ate breakfast, and rested for a bit. At 11, I headed into town to check out Mr. Advani's bookstore. Mr. Advani has lived in the area for about all 80 years of his life, and has lots of books on Lucknowi culture. I met him the other day, and he seemed quiet but nice. It was nice, but nothing special. From there, Lee and I walked around, distributing balls of Bhang I had no intention of using to homeless people. We found Christy and Maria shopping, and stopped by with them for a bit. Finally, we headed back to the hotel for some lunch with the Urdu grad students, who for the most part we do not get along with, I guess. They play Urdu Boggle (the game, with Urdu instead of English) together, but I get the idea that they aren't a very well-formed group otherwise. They seem very standoffish, minus a few of them, and this sentiment has been echoed by most of our group. I guess we were lucky to have become such a cohesive entity.

Just before lunch, I ate one of the balls of bhang. We then left for the train, and I had a very enjoyable ride up to the point that I fell asleep. Part of the blame lies in that I was listening to lectures on tape by a guy with a soothing voice. Anyway, even when we got home, I headed straight to bed, and probably slept about 12 hours total. Much needed. Great dreams.

An offer I couldn't refuse

2005-07-17T18:03:00.001+05:30

Today in Lucknow we (just our group of undergrads) went to the Residency. That is where the British lived and governed from until they were sieged in 1857. It was a pretty sweet area, except there was almost too much to see. There were tons of ruins that I did not know what they were; so I was kind of looking without understanding. A lot of the buildings had big holes in them from cannons when the Indians sieged it. The siege lasted from June 30th until November 25th. Something tells me that the importance of this victory was vastly inflated because there was a tremendous sense of "we expelled the British." In reality if the Indians had as many cannons as the story seemed, then they did not know how to use them properly. I just don't see how the siege could have lasted nearly 5 months. We also went to see a movie in the theatre. It was the Indian version of the Godfather. It was pretty sweet. I really have to go, will finish later. Shout out to planet earth and Pepto Bismol.

AA

The Old British Residency, La Martinere, and "Sarkar," with more to come (Day 13)

2005-07-17T12:56:00.000+05:30

This morning, we headed to the Old British Residency. All the buildings (that remained) had bullet- and cannonball-holes in them. They were all named after the original residents. There was a grassy area in the center surrounded by palm trees that resembled the quad. All in all, this site did not impress me.

From here, we went to the home of La Martinere. This site was built on the bank of a river by a Frenchman who got rich selling European things to Indians. Upon his death, he left the mansion he built for himself to be an all-boys school, and his tomb was stored under the building (which I checked out - bats, guano and all!).

Next we had lunch, then saw the film Sarkar at an Indian theater. I had heard this would be a real cultural experience, and I was anxious to partake. Unfortunately, Sarkar didn't have any musical numbers, so it was much like watching a movie in the US. Later that evening, picked up some more bhang and did more shopping.

Lectures, Lectures, Lectures...and the Imambara (Day 12)

2005-07-16T22:44:00.000+05:30

This morning, I woke up incredibly tired. I headed downstairs to the first lecture, and proceeded to play the dot game and word scrambles with Tony. After the lecture, we had another great lunch. After lunch, we had another sweet lecture. This time I played word scramble with Mary and Brent. I think the lecture was on Islam in the Lucknow area.

Finally, we were released to see the Shah Najaf imambara. An imambara is basically a storage for processional materials, such as tazias. This area is a shia stronghold, and the tazia is a shia tradition (though it is practiced differently around the world).

Upon our return from the hotel, we had some dinner. I watched a movie and played "get to know each other better" with Mary and Johanna. I read a little. Basically, today was very boring.

In Lucknow

2005-07-16T12:36:00.000+05:30

We are in Lucknow, Internet access here is kinda sketch, but hopefully it will get better. This is one of the most conservative places we have been in India so far. There are very few women on the streets, many of the girls in our group feel uncomfortable because of the intense stares they get. Still, I do not feel unsafe. Lee, Jon and I got mildly lost in some isolated backstreets the other day towards dusk. With the exception of the raw sewage and grazing cattle in the streets (I have lost my fear of the motorized vehicles) I felt very safe. We have been getting a lot of lectures while here on culture, poetry and history. Yesterday we went to SEWA, an association designed to market the artisan skills of women and prevent explotation of their labor. I heard the founder of this organization has been nominated for the peace prize. Not only does it give the women their livelihood, but it also requires that they can read and write by providing education. The motto was "learn and earn." The girls in our group almost teared up as we were greeted by a large crowd of women singing songs of equality and prayer (a daily tradition that the SEWA group performs.) Last night Jon, Lee, and I were walking back to our hotel and we came across an Indian wedding. There were tons of people, a marching band, fireworks, guns fired, confetti, dancing, and a groom who was escorted to his horse. I don't want to say that we crashed a wedding, but Lee was totally getting his dance on. Besides, we blend in completely, I am sure nobody even noticed that we were not part of the family. Shout out to Mom, Sia, The Fam, the group, the office, CWU, and LW. Poke, no poke back.

AA

P.C. Little's lecture, SEWA, Huzarat Ganj shopping, A beer and Bhang Lassi (Day 11)

2005-07-15T22:50:00.000+05:30

This morning, we headed down to the basement of our Inn to listen to one of the worst lectures I heard in a long time. Actually, it might have been good had we been informed of anything about Awadh prior to attending. Ah well. During the break, I went with two of the grad student girls and we talked about our trip and members, their studies and members, Indian, and etc. They gave me some manaqqa, which gave me a sort of light, relaxed high through which I remained very aware and conscious. From there, we went to a delicious lunch. After lunch, we went to SEWA, the Self Employed Woman's Association. UNICEF gave money to a group of women working in textiles to help raise their quality of life. The home, which is only for women, develops markets for Chikani products, and schooling and purpose for children and some adults. The whole story was very touching. The cultural contact, devoid of language, made for a lot of emotion and staring. In one room, two very attractive girls my age were looking at me, and I looked back, and the group continued to get semi-flirtatious in our eye contact. It was a memorable experience, anyway.

From there, we headed back home, then after a brief relaxing period, out to the Huzarat Ganj (for my first time). I bought a wallet, a flask, and about 25 manaqqa (more later, when I actually know what this is). Tony, Lee and I got a little rearranged, and ended up having to find our way home very quickly. We made one guy ride all 570 lbs of us down the main street to our hotel (for only Rs 30). When we got back, we were whisked away to dinner. The food was good, but our waiters were terrible...One kept asking if we wanted any more to eat, even up to the point as Lee left the room. At one point, as he was reading the dessert list to Lee and Lee was repeatedly responding he didn't want any, I turned to him and said "how about you take this bowl." He left pretty quickly after that.

After dinner, we stopped by the bar we had rented out for the private party. It was very narrow, and lined with mirrors on both sides. I had half a beer, then, feeling a little uncomfortable, headed back.

Upon our arrival back at the hotel, we found a large wedding celebration beginning. There was confetti, bright lights, a horse, a guy dressed like a king, and a lot of spectators. We started dancing around, and were actually invited to the wedding. Unfortunately, we had to ditch, because...

When we got back, a few of us mixed up bhang (marijuana derivative) into lassi (yogurt like sweet drink), and drank it. It was great.

Train to Lucknow, meeting the grad students, and a visit to Ultraviolet (Day 10)

2005-07-14T22:32:00.000+05:30

This morning, I was awoken at 4:55 to be informed that our wake-up call did not come through. Luckily I was already packed, but I rushed to grab some toast on my way to the bus that would take us to our train. I manage to down the toast, but I am NOT a morning person (especially after only 2 1/2 hours of sleep), and especially not someone who can eat in the morning, so I spent most of the drive with the windows open, focusing on the cool breeze as I tried not to throw up. When we got to the train station, Cathy hired a coolie (baggage handler) to carry her bag on his head to the spot on the platform we'd need to be to catch our particular bogi (train cab). We would be riding a shatbdara (sp?) bus, which means a chair-filled day bus. On the way to the train, I left a peanut butter banana sandwich on a sleeping homeless guy's leg. I hope he enjoyed it more than did I.

Our train was sort of new, air conditioned, and had sealed windows, so it wasn't like the Indian train experience I thought I would have. I stayed awake the whole time, planning our post-workshop trip and accomplishing a few other tasks. I used the squat restroom on the moving train, which I feel I should be commended for. I ate some below-par food, as well.

When we arrived in Lucknow, Sandeep-ji met us and directed us to cars that would take us to our hotel. We arrived at Park Inn, unloaded our stuff, then pretty much headed right out to meet the grad students studying Urdu in Lucknow. We went to the AIIS house, and after introducing each other, I chatted with a few of them...Jaffar, Bart, Suzanna...then I headed over to lay across four chairs and pass out, because I was in much need of sleep. In fact, even when we went back to the hotel, I slept for another 2 1/2 hours. I slept through Brent yelling, Nikki calling, and almost Sandeep calling, but I finally headed down to stare at a plate of food.

After dinner, we had convinced Sandeep to drive us to Ultraviolet. UV is a hookah bar in Lucknow, which is cool and low-lit. We had mango sheesha, which I found fitting. Tony, Megan, Donna, Christy, Maria, Lee and I all tried it, Brent came but opted out. Sheesha is a tobacco smothered in molasses, and produces a light, fruity smoke. We all left very relaxed. In fact, after watching some TV briefly, we all headed to our rooms to pass out.

Coolest CAT in town

2005-07-14T01:34:00.000+05:30

Listen up Chris and Alex. Today after a few lectures we had a bunch of free time in Delhi. I was able to get a cab, with Purnima's help, and go to a tailor. While there Jon and I picked out fabric for a new suit. I am pretty stoked about it. It will be 150 knit cashmere suit. It is a dark blue color with a really nice sheen; the inner linning is crimson. I will go back in for a refitting after we get back from Lucknow, then pick it up for good before I leave. Be jealous; Be very jealous. I also got a piece of cloth sewed at another tailor. That specific man thought I was Sikh, from America. By the end of our converstation he also thought I was very good friends with a few of his other valued Sikh customers. Eventually he was very willing to make my adjustments at that very moment while I stood there. Donna and I were commenting on how our role has changed while being here. At home we are college students - not very high on the social ladder and always blamed for social discontent. However, here we are treated like traveling scholars and ambassadors with the highest form of social respect. I will definately miss more than the 3 wonderfully cooked meals a day when I go back to the states. But don't worry, all of you are worth it. Shout out to Mom, Sia, The Fam, the gang, Crimson, black, the home valley, Eugene, and Annie.

AA

July 14-18

2005-07-14T00:33:00.000+05:30

This period was spent in Lucknow, a city associated with a rich Muslim culture during the 18th and 19th centuries. Several talks were given by notables of Lucknow providing important background to Lucknow’s artistic, literary and religious traditions. This was followed by visits to Lucknow’s mosques, temples, imambaras, the British Residency (the site of the so-called Mutiny of 1857-58) and even houses built by the Europeans who provided Lucknow’s Muslim rulers with European goods. The workshop also went to a Hindi movie, giving students insight into popular Indian culture. Some of us visited a popular Muslim shrine where once again we heard qawwali performed. Highlights of this tour included dinner at the home of Dr. Salim Kidwai, one of our contacts in Lucknow, who provided the students with home-made delicacies of Lucknow’s famous cuisine. Another inspiring highlight was the visit to SEWA, a cooperative of women workers who are involved in the Chikan tradition of Lucknow. Chikan is a type of embroidery particular to this city. Here under the guidance of Rana Banerjee, poor Muslim women are able to improve their status in society by earning a decent wage and learning to read and write as well as educate their children. The spirit of these women, who are taught to respect all the religious and cultural traditions of India, was truly inspiring.

~Cathy

A Journalist, Southern Indian food, Narayaniji, suit shopping, Swagath and a day to relax (Day 9)

2005-07-13T19:03:00.000+05:30

After breakfast this morning, we were visited by Ms. Seema Mustafa of the Asian Age. She is a female editor, which is much less of a rarity in this day and age, but wasn't common when she got started. As a journalist, she covers Indian politics. She kept her discussion open for the most part, and it was very informative. I was told yesterday that the majority of rural villagers are well-informed, even if they can't read. Ms. Mustafa said this was true. She explained the various political parties, and gave us some backgrounds on each. She also explained the difference between private and common law. The conversation was lively and liberal (my questions led it there). We talked about women's rights, secularism, privatization, poverty, political corruption, and much more.

After this, we headed to Sagar, a southern indian restaurant. We had dosas and upathams. I had the rava masala dosa and a mango milkshake (good!). We had to rush back, however, as Narayani-ji was coming to give us a lecture on the Indian educational system.

Ms. Gupta is a cute fun older woman. She told us about the difference between government and public (which is actually private) schools. She then answered a barrage of questions ranging all over the educational spectrum, from comparison with american students to the history of the Indian educational system. She is such an extremely positive and intelligent woman. I'm glad we'll get to see her again before we leave.

After this, Tony and I headed to the local tailor. With my help, Tony picked fabrics for a new suit. He got measured, and we'll pick it up next week. Suits here are relatively cheap, and I fully intend to get one, but now is not the time. I was actually amazed to see 180-thread count material. If and when I return to Dehli, I will definitely nab a custom-tailored suit of that thread count for roughly $550...craziness. We then looked at wallets, and Lee met up with us so we looked at suitcases. We then headed back to the guest house, so I could pack and catch up on a massive amount of blogging!

We'll head to Swagath in a short while, which we ate at before heading to Jaipur. I'm sure it will be great. Tomorrow, we head out to Lucknow on a train at 5am...in the case that I don't write for a while, best wishes to all until I see you again, and may each of your days be productive yet relaxing.

Back in Delhi

2005-07-13T00:46:00.000+05:30

We left Jaipur and drove to Delhi today. I have a crimson turban and I got mistaken for a Northern Indian 5 times (Pat I am truly becoming your leige brother.) Today we were supposed to go to an animal reserve, but high alert for poachers prevented us. I saw the Indian Bonham tonight, ok, not quite but he was damn good. We went to the program headquarters in Gurgaon and watched some Qawalli singers. I don't know if it is appropriate to call a Sufi "pimp" but this guy was. The drummer went to town on his hand drums for well over 2 hours; it was very impressive. It was followed by a very nice reception. There was another AIIS group there; those individuals were high school teachers that were getting an "update" in their curriculum. Hope everything is going well at home - don't be afraid to shoot me an email. It is nice to have a connect with E-burg. Shout out to Mom, Sia, The Fam, Ester, the church family, the office, CWU, those without internet capacity, roomates, primates, and Mr. Singh.

AA

July 13

2005-07-13T00:33:00.000+05:30

Two excellent presentations by Narayani Gupta on the Indian educational system and by Seema Mustafa on the Indian political system were the focus of the first part of the day. Both scholars gave short talks and then allowed us to ask many questions. The afternoon gave the students free time for shopping and errands. Dinner was held at one of Defence Colony’s excellent restaurants.

~Cathy

Qawwali at the new AIIS center in Gurgaon (Day 8)

2005-07-12T22:40:00.000+05:30

Today was supposed to include a trip to the Sariska wildlife preserve, but do to a recent increase in poaching, our passes were revoked. Damn poachers...

So instead we headed back to Dehli by way of Gurgaon. When we arrived, we took a tour of the relatively new AIIS Center, which is architecturally appealing from both an appearance and energy conservation standpoint. It features open courtyards, rooftop verandas, photovoltaic panels, plant life, a fountain, a humidity and temperature controlled room, a library, and much, much more. I ended up having a lengthy conversation with the employees in the Digitization area, where we talked about photoshop, then their work, then the internet, then India, then America, then everything else. In due time I was retrieved and taken to the cafeteria on the top floor, which had been transformed to serve as the music hall. A popular ten-person qawwali band played a long set list. The drums and vocals were absolutely incredible. Chilling, even. After the program, they served dinner outside on the verandah. In attendance also was a group of teachers from the Philadelphia area who were visitng on a Fulbright. Their coordinator, Sunila, was someone I wish I had found more time to talk to. On the drive back to Delhi, Lee, Christy, Maria and I broke out the tablas and clapping and had our own sort of concert on the back of the bus. Delhi never sleeps, which was easily noticed in the large number of people out wandering around. I love it.

Shout out to Dave from Chomsky - your girlfriend misses you much. =P

Birla temple, Charles Koriya Cultural Center, Sangi Mandir Jain temple, Salim's paper shop (Day 7)

2005-07-11T22:38:00.000+05:30

I woke up at 5:30 am today and headed out with Christy B, Maria and Mani-ji to the Surya temple. We went by rickshaw, which was quite an interesting experience. Upon our arrival, we headed up the hills along a narrow path shared by cows, monkeys, goats, squirrels, and Hindus. I had brought along a trail mix I didn't particularly enjoy, so we started feeding the hundreds of monkeys that surrounded us. On the way back down, we handfed the cows. The people in the temple let us take pictures of the shrine, gave us flowers and a talik, and even took pictures with us. From this height, you could see all of Jaipur laid out between the hills, and it was impressively expansive.

We headed back to the hotel for a quick bite to eat, then headed off to the Lakshmi Narayan Birla temple, built in only 1985. The Birlas are a rich Indian family who supports universal tolerance. Side note, Gandhi was shot at the Birla house, and that home is now home to the Gandhi museum. The Beatles are said to have visited the Birla temple we went to. Made of white marble, the perimenter of this temple was etched with depictions of Guru Nanak, Saraswati, Mother India, Umar Devi, Vishnu, Gatri Devi, Savatri, Indra, Yaruda, Socrates, Moses with the ten commandments, Zarathustra, St. Peter, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Madonna with Christ, Mahavir, and Surya, among others. The inside was very austere. It had stained glass and thin marble on the walls. After making an offering and circumambulating the deity, I was given some Prasad, which this time was in the shape of small sugar lumps. An Indian family approached me to chat, then asked me to take a picture with them. Donna ended up joining in on the fun. Woo hoo!

From here, we headed out to the Charles Koriya Cultural Center. Koriya, a University of Michigan grad, is one of the world's best architects. The center was designed to be modern, yet still embrace the past. It succeeded on both counts. We didn't have much time to explore, though...=(

From there we headed to the Sangi Mandir Jain temple in Sangener. This temple was very intricately carved, but I've been told it pales in comparison to the ones down South. There is so much to say about the Jain faith...It started as an offbreak of the Hindu church, with a push for total ahimsa (non-violence). My brother's friend Rishi would probably really like the temple more, as he is Jain. Jainism is a very radical and impressive lifestyle that I know I could never keep up with.

From here, we headed to Salim's paper shop. Salim is a business mogul in Jaipur, having traveled to China and other such places to learn from them. When he returned to set up a shop, his ideas about organization and compartmentalization allowed him to set up such a factory. We ended up spending quite a bit of time and money in the gift shop, which was chock-full of great, hand-made, cheap stationary.

When we got back to the hotel,we had a small break before we headed back out shopping with a Lucknow student. She took us to the better stores and did the negotiating, so I got Kortas, a silver ring, and a silver necklace for CHEAP. I think others fared equally well. When we made it back to the bus (late), I found that Lee had negotiated a two-sided drum for me for only Rs 500. DEAL! Mane-ji informed me that this type of drum is known in south India as a mrithangam. I hit it all the way home.

That night, I ate with Tony, Lee, Megan and Donna, met a new friend named Myanmar, and goofed around and relaxed for the first time in a while. It was great!

Elephants, Camels and Monkeys, oh my!

2005-07-11T21:31:00.000+05:30

I really like Jaipur. First because some of my favorite animals can be found in the street either domesticated or wild. The people here are very nice. I went walking in the streets last night by myself, and really did not feel in any danger. The local population is very curious and stares a lot, but not out of malice. Many of the individuals in our group are frequently asked to be in pictures with Indians - keep in mind that we go to monuments, so they are using a picture of an American over whatever landmark we are at. The streets are filled with rickshaws, these little motorized or unmotorized three-wheeled bikes used as a taxi. While walking last night I realized that the rickshaw is generally the only possession the driver has; at night they park their rickshaw and stretch across the handlebars and seat and sleep. When I was passing these homeless people last night they were curious but friendly. People are excited when I say I am an American. Many people are particually interested in my long hair; I recently found out that it is congruent with the popular perception of a moviestar. Another point of cultural confussion is my Bison pin. It is perceived as a cow, something very sacred to about 85% of the population. Some venders even thought the Bison pin was my way of publically declaring my overwhelming masculinity and fertility to the ladies - there was a language barrier so I just kept smiling and let them imagine the full capacity of my manliness. Today we went to a paper mill. We were allowed to see the process that takes shreds of discarded cotton through to high-end packaged stationary. You really don't visualize in your head that "made in India" means there is a factory here somewhere where human labor is cheaper than mechanized work. Often times that "factory" is in a nook on a flooding street with a foot-powered sewing machine. This paper mill was actually very nice, although small for an American perception of "factory." The owner (Salim) was considered to be one of the most important members of the Jaipur community. Yet the workers appeared to be paid better than average with good working conditions. I assume that this factory would have been one of the better jobs in the region. I have been able to pick up a few gifts; I got some anklets for Faith and some bendi's for Yari and Ashli. Tomorrow we travel back to Delhi. Shout out to Mom, Sia, The Fam, the gang, the office, Wellington, LW, France, EMC, and Joe.

AA

Still Here

2005-07-10T22:35:00.000+05:30

We took a 6 hour round trip bus ride today to visit one of the most conservative Mosques and Hindi Temples in India. I am really struggling to keep details of all the holy sites we are visiting separate - if I don't stay on top of it they will become one big religious site. Our hotel in Jaipur is really nice, they serve semi-American food here, which is heavensent for parts of the group with upset stomachs. However, I have been taking a daily dose of Pepto and not had a single problem yet. The food is so good. I will be taking a serious degrade in the quality of my diet when I have to go home and cook for myself again. Hope everything is going well at home. Shout out to Mom, Sia, the group, and planet Earth.

AA

Ajmer, Pushkar, and the Govinda Deva temple (Day 6)

2005-07-10T22:25:00.000+05:30

We awoke earlier en route to Ajmer and Pushkar. These cities, which are pilgrimage grounds for Muslims and Hindus, respectively, are located outside of Jaipur. Both cities have tremendous religious significance.

At Ajmer, we first attended the Anasagar Baradari, which is basically a shoreline along a manmade lake where there are five medium-sized marble tembles. The trees in this area were draped with large bats commonly referred to as firefoxes. The breeze here was very nice. The pavilions were erected by Shah Jahan in 1637.

From there, we headed to Adhai Din-ka Jhonpra. This temple was red sandstone with a white marble prayer shrine, and is said to be one of the oldest in India, dating back to 1199. It had a large, intricately carved screen (basically a big wall carved with arabic script) and vaulted ceilings with 5 corbelled domes. We left this area and walked through the center of the small town. On our walk, we saw people chopping pieces of meat covered in flies, among other discomforting things. While I have enjoyed the previous market environments, this one was a little on the dirty side, and the people here seemed much less happy for us to be there. When we reached the end of the market, we appeared at the Shah Jahani masjid, which is a famous Islamic temple. We had pre-arranged to meet with one of the Sufis there, who was a descendant of the Chishti line. Coincidentally enough, our appointment with him was arranged by the head brahman at the Hindu temple in Pushkar, thus disproving the notion that Hindu and Islam stand in any sort of opposition at a leadership level. I think the mosque we were attending is the final burial place of one of the Chishti saints, but I can't quite remember. Nonetheless, after purchasing bandanas to cover the heads of those of us without hats, we headed into the mosques. It was small and crowded, and teeming with action. I put my head under a sheet to pray, then continued walking around the tomb. A women who was breastfeeding right next to the prayer area turned and rubbed her breast on me, which was sort of an interesting experience to have in such a place.

After exiting, the sufi took us to a dargah (prayer/study room) and spoke with us above the interplay between the muslim faith and America. He had some important things to say. He does not feel that Islam and America are inimical on religious grounds, but rather on political grounds, and particularly he placed blame on "petrol." He also delineated between sufis and other muslims, saying that sufis, who are mystics, absolutely do not condone of terrorism. He argued that no muslims do, but that it would behoove Americans to realize this significant difference between two orders of the muslim faith. I find much merit in all that he had to say.

From there we headed to Pushkar. We first stopped to eat lunch, and while we were eating the head brahma actually came to meet us (I was surprised and impressed). He was a small older man, and very polite. He accompanied us on the bus ride to Govind Devji, his Brahma temple, which we couldn't tour as it was not open. (Religious customs demands that the temple not be opened even for visitors outside of the approved time to worship - not even by the brahman!) He showed us a fabulous collection of books, ranging from archeaological chemical cleansing to the effects of multinational corporations on religious institutions. He also gave us two kinds of rice. The first was sweet and sort of odd-tasting, the second made me almost throw up in my mouth. A local journalist was present, and asked us to line up to take a picture in front of the temple for the local paper. We then went to a side area and viewed the processional carriages, which kind of looked like merry-go-round animals. He then showed us the impressive front gate to the temple, which had been 30% chemically cleaned. He explained that he was consulting a number of major players to refurbish the old temple to make it something special again. He seemed like a wealth of knowledge, and I was glad to have shared his company if only for a while.

From there, we headed to a waterfront area. We walked in, up some stairs, and down some more. There, at the waterfront, men dressed in religious garb sat us down and had us put our feet in the water. With fish nibbling at our toes the whole time, he had us repeat different hindi words such a "brahmaputra, shivaputra, ganeshaputra, a bunch of familynames-putra, lake and sky-putra..." you get the idea. He handed us flowers and spices to throw in, then a coconut (which we didn't throw in). Then he asked us to repeat "donation," then "500 rupees," then "promise." When I gave him only 100, which I felt was being overly generous already, he said I owed him four more. So I got up and left. He didn't harass me much, but the one who serviced Donna followed her up and yelled at her. Its sad that these men are making a scam of religion. I suppose it is better than those who just flat out ask for it by putting their hand by their mouth. Tough call though.

In order to give us some sleep time the next morning, we squeezed in the Govinda Deva temple back in Jaipur before calling it a day. We reached the temple just in time for its closing ceremony (darshan). Though this temple was not as keen on exuberant displays of worship, it was still very loud and exciting. Gongs were banging, fire was being burnt, Hindus were throwing their hands in the air...the image they were worshipping, which was of Radha and Krishna, was the one that Raja Man Singh spent 15 years transporting from the Red Sandstone temple in Vrindavan. Christy, Nikki and I were invited into the gated area to approach the image and make an offering. It was hecka thrilling. After doing so, and as I started to walk away, one of the orange-clad brahmans called out to me, and threw a big, thick floral necklace to me! I wore it with pride as I headed back to our bus.

When we got to our bus, we had to wait on the other half of our group. Christy and I went to take pictures of cows, and when doing so were aproached by some Indian boys who spoke English well. We talked to them about Jaipur, and America, which they very much wanted to visit. So many Indian people have expressed admiration for and a longing to visit America that is deserves mentioning. They gave us their email addresses (I was amazed that these kids had email addresses), and we gave them ours. I then gave my pen to one of the children in the area (they LOVE "schooly-pens"), and got on the bus.

Jaipur, Rama Man Singh Temple, Elephant Ride to Shila Mata (Day 5)

2005-07-09T23:24:00.000+05:30

We were up before dawn to depart for Jaipur. This city is in the state of Rajasthan, and is about 3 hours' drive away from Delhi. Jaipur was originally uniformly painted creme, and is set up on a grid with a main through-way that is six elephants wide (which, at the time, was a big deal). At some point, one of the area leaders decided the city would be painted pink, and now all stores are mandated to paint their storefront to this particluar color (which I thought was more of an orange than a pink, actually.)

Our first stop was at the Rama Man Singh temple (the City Palace). This was an intricately painted palace that was much more modern than many of the others we visited. I was surprised to see an Indian midget guarding one of the buildings. His name was Suraj, and I got a picture with him:

In this same palace, Lee was able to bargain for three tablas (drums) and two discs of tabla music for only Rs 3000. This palace was nice, but not entirely impressive.

At our next stop, we rode elephants! We were at Amber palace, and we fit four to an elephant headed up a path that cut back and forth up the hill. I sat next to Nikky Singh, and Donna and Megan sat behind us. When we reached the top, we were surrounded by people trying to hock crap on us. "Silk" pictures of elephants, pictures of us riding the elephants (one-minute photo, anyone?), little wooden carvings, etc. I was even offered someone's child to hold, which I've heard plenty enough stories about to know better than doing. Anyway, we headed past that to a Hindu temple dedicated to a blood-taking God. They used to sacrifice goats to it, but that was made illegal, so now I guess the God is hungry, but whatever. This temple, like most of the others, was constructed of beautiful white marble. Oh yeah, and you always have to take off your shoes when you enter these temples. And in this particular one, you couldn't bring in anything leather (which I found humorous, given that it was a blood-taking God). We headed out of here and further up to the palace above. It was expansive, and Cathy said that she almost got lost in it last time she was there. It was a very nice palace, with a large central garden and beautiful silver-inlaid rooms. A man lit a candle, and the reflections in all the inlaid silver looked like stars in a night sky. It was a very large palace with lots of long hallways, screened windows, and other architecture. It is built next to a man-made lake, which elephants were bathing in at the time. On our way out, I offered one of the beggars 2 rupees for some carving I didn't want, hoping he would be insulted and leave me alone. Instead, he followed me all the way out of the palace, and even back down the elephant path. I was bounding the steps three at a time and had almost lost him, when my group starting huddling at the top of the hill. I climbed back up, and eventually gave up and bought his wares. Please note that I am fairly adept at getting street merchants to leave me alone, both because I say nahi (no) and jow (leave me alone), and because I'm 6'2'' 190. But this guy was persistent. I ended up getting him to drop his price from Rs 300 for one elephant figure, to Rs 100 for 4. The bonus, of course, is that he finally left me alone.

We then drove back to the hotel. That night, we went to "Spice" a pre-fee restaurant. Pre-fee means you pay a set price and can have as much of as many of the options as you want, which they bring out one by one. Let me advise any fellow travelers against eating "Goat Trotter soup." Firstly, because argument by design suggests that goat's feet should never enter your body in any form. Secondly, because this soup made me cry twice before I gave up on it. I like spicy food, but seriously...I heard some guy almost have a heart attack later in the evening, and I think I know why.

That night, we planned to go to an Indian wedding. On the drive in, we saw chalked elephants, decorated camels, lights, and all other sorts of livestock and equipment being brought in for the processional. Unfortunately, as we were tired and had to be up early the next day, we ended up falling asleep instead...=(

As an aside, Christy Brook says hi.

Jaipur

2005-07-09T22:13:00.000+05:30

We left Delhi early this morning to drive to Jaipur. More than 5 hours later we arrived for some very welcomed lunch. Under the Mughal Empire Jaipur was a vassal principality ruled by a prominent Hindu family. So we quickly snapped to visiting forts and royal palaces built between the 16th-17th centuries under these Hindu rulers. There is a marked expression of Hinduism in the architecture because this principality was the most favored vassal of the Mughal Kings and received special
treatment. The highlight of the day was getting to ride an elephant to one of the fortified structures - it was way cool, Thanks Dr. Asher and Purnima for making it happen. I really like Jaipur much more than Delhi. Delhi reminded me of Mexico city, whereas this place is very similar to the central plateau region; sort of rid and hot, distinct vegetation. Jaipur actually reminds me of good ol' home - except...there are elephants and camels everywhere. Right now a big Indian wedding is taking place and fireworks are being shot off with a huge parade. My new return plans have me leaving Delhi on August 1st, Sia I will send more info later. Shout out to Mom, Sia, The Fam, the gang, AKC, V. Hoek, Tunisia, LW, The Office, Exec. Media, The church family, and Mat.

AA

July 9-12

2005-07-09T00:33:00.000+05:30

The workshop set off for a four-day (three night) tour of the Jaipur region in Rajasthan. In Jaipur and Amber students we were introduced to the culture and history of the Kachhwahas, a Hindu Rajput princely family that during the 16th through 18th centuries were the loyal supporters of their Muslim Mughal overlords. We visited the fort at Amber where we rode elephants to the top. We also visited the City Palace in Jaipur and attended darshan, that is the opening of the curtain to have auspicious sighting of the deity, in the Govinda Deva temple, which gave insight into the performative aspect of Hindu devotion. The workshop also visited a modern temple, known as the Lakshmi Narayan Birla temple, giving us insight into the changes that Hinduism has undergone over the last several hundred years. In nearby Sanganer, we visited a Jain temple, thus exposing us to yet another important minority community of India, one that frequently served as the bankers of jewelers of India’s princes whether they be Hindu or Muslim. We were also able to visit Salim’s Paper Factory where magnificent hand made paper is produced for international consumption. In addition they learned about the role Jaipur’s Muslim community had in the production of the arts in this Hindu principality. One day was spent visiting Ajmer, the site of India’s most important Muslim sufi shrine, the dargah of Muin al-Din Chishti, and Pushkar, a major Hindu pilgrimage site. At each place the students were introduced to important keepers of temples and shrines who spoke to the workshop about their own religious traditions. Particularly exciting was our contact in Pushkar, a Hindu priest, who contacted his friend, a Muslim custodian at the shrine in Ajmer, telling him to show the group around. This tradition of mutual cross-religious cooperation made a strongly positive impression on all of us.

On the return to Delhi, the group stopped at the AIIS headquarters in Gurgaon, just outside of Delhi, for a performance of qawwali, the sort of music that is played and sung at sufi shrines. While we had heard this at the Ajmer shrine, they enjoyed tremendously the two-hour concert. Afterwards the AIIS hosted a dinner at the Center.

~Cathy

Red Fort, Chodni Chawk, Jami Mosque, Sikh temple, Swagat (Day 4)

2005-07-08T21:24:00.000+05:30

From here on out, I must apologize for mispellings or entirely incorrectly ascribed names. We have traveled so much, and had so much packed into our days, that things are getting lost in the shuffle. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Today, we began the day by taking a tour of Delhi's Red Fort with Navina Jafa, a recently inducted Sufi muslim, and also a recent Fulbright awardee. She was very intelligent, and told us a lot about the fort, which wasn't actually all that impressive (perhaps only comparatively).

We then headed out and across the street to Chodni Chowk. This area was teeming with life. Storefronts were everywhere. The hustle and bustle was as amazing as the heat. We went through the various storefront frenetically approaching a Jami mosque in the center of town. When we got there, we were ushered in under some sheets providing shade. We drank a bit of fresh lime soda (electrols!), then headed in to the prayer chamber itself. We then walked the perimeter of the area, and checked things out. After that, we left out through the Chowk once again. We were taken down a small alleyway, which then surprisingly opened to a pillared area surrounded by porches. We talked about urban Indian home life in the sweltering heat, then headed onward to a Sikh temple called Gurudwara. We circumambulated the area as "the book" was read. Sikh is based around the 10 gurus beginning with Guru Nanak, and after all ten had passed, the religion moved toward the teaching of the book. Sikh is very tolerant of all religious groups, and is more an ideology than a religion. I really enjoy the underlying philosophy, but don't have the time to detail it right now...=(

Upon our return, we were left with some free time. Maria, Christy, Lee and I went to shop at the South extension, which is a shopping center that caters more directly to locals. Lee ended up buying a really nice Giovanni suit! We were picked up and delivered there by the personal driver of Christy's boyfriend's relative. He waited for us, then took us to Puja's house. She and her daughter were SO cute. They took us to their neighborhood swimming pool, and we swam in crystal clear water. Maria was wearing a bikini, which is a big no-no in Indian culture. We had some good laughs as boys stared for an hour. Finally, we air-dried, and headed out.

That night, we headed to Swagath for dinner. We sat in the basement, and had some fabulous food. I was wearing a nice white korta with my new red shoes. We had SO much food, and, by Lee and my actions, SO much beer. We left in good spirits, and attended the adjacent bookstore. I ended up buying four books, then walking back to the guest house. Lee tried to ride a cow on the way home - it didn't go over as well as he might have hoped. Upon our return, Mary and I had an in-depth intellectual conversation, mostly politically oriented. Good times.

What day is it?

2005-07-08T17:13:00.000+05:30

We have been in India for less than a week, yet it feels like I have seen and experienced so much that I have aged months. I am finding it very difficult to maintain a grasp on time and dates (for those who know me, I truly am running on Indian time now.) Inspite of all the trouble we had getting here this trip has been amazing. Dr. Asher (our leader) and her husband (also Dr. Asher) have been able to supply us with answers to virtually everything. There have also been several people
helping our group who have filled essential roles. I have trouble spelling the names, but our guide through Agra and Jaipur (affectionately known as "G-Mony") has been super. I do not look forward to Lucknow without him. Nikki (a professor from Maine who is coming with the group) specializes in religion and symbology, so it has been very valuable to listen to her comments on the temples and mosques we have been seeing. The Director of AIIS here in Delhi is one of the nicest women you will meet - she is so willing to help. I have been unsuccessfully trying to find something in the market for a couple of days so I went to her office to ask for advice. She immediately said, "I will take you" and we got in the car and she helped me purchase it. Now I have a really sweet turban (yes, it is Crimson, I am a wildcat to the grave.) I briefly mentioned Rick (Mr. Asher) but he has been in India for several decades and resolves problems nearly instantly (for the group, he reminds me of Mr. Mundy, a good guy to have on your side.) I absolutely could not forget Ashok, our cook - I am telling you the Dalis delish.

Tomorrow we leave for Jaipur - I don't know what to expect. As you can read we have already seen such amazing Temples, Mosques, Forts, and of course the Taj. Not to mention the massive rain storm that had us walking for like 20 blocks in sewage, garbage, and water to a living (active) Hindu Temple. That was something that words can not capture and I will never forget. I know it will have a tremendous impact on my life, seriously, it was a cultural experience like none other. Shout out to Mom, Sia, The fam, the gang, all the wildcats, and a few of you who are not.

AA

First week in India

2005-07-08T13:38:00.000+05:30

Apart from mild stomach sickness, sometimes referred to as DelhiBelly, things here are going very well. Our accomodations are far more luxurious than I would have expected (let's hear it for A.C.) and the culture, the food and the scenery are fabulously diverse and rich in unexpected ways. So far I've seen many temples and important sights in Delhi (including a Hari Krishna temple) and temples en route to Agra where we got caught in monsoon rains in the street with water up to our knees. Also we have just returned from Agra, the city made famous by the Taj Mahal, and other Moghul monuments. The mixture of Hindu, Islam and a world of other influences is everywhere as are people. Literally, you are rarely out in public somewhere where there aren't many many people all at once. Quite the change from the midwest. Today it's quite hot with no rain, but high humidity and tomorrow we leave Delhi again to make a trip to Jaipur, Pushkar, and another city I can't remember off the top of my head. Yesterday we were informed of the London bombings and a warning on religious sites within in India. At any rate, I'm doing very well, and being very careful.

Christy

An Extraordinary Group

2005-07-08T06:52:00.000+05:30

You are an extraordinary group, and it's been a privilege to work with you. Your energy level, enthusiasm, an innate curiosity have been wonderful to see. As you head off to wonderful places -- Jaipur, Ajmer, Pushkar and Lucknow -- please know that I'll miss you and look forward to seeing you and hearing about your adventures when we're all back in Delhi.
Best wishes, Rick
=====================================
Frederick M. Asher, Chair
Department of Art History
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Phone: 612/624-4500 Fax: 612/626-8679
AIIS on the Web
http://www.indiastudies.org
=====================================

The Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and a screening of "Bombay" (Day 3)

2005-07-08T02:08:00.000+05:30

This morning, we woke early and headed down to grab a complimentary breakfast. We had mango juice, omelettes, bhaji, something like fish sticks, and much more. It was great. Then Lee and I headed out to the pool for a swim. It was being cleaned at the time, and apparently is every day. The pool was oddly shaped, with marble footsteps running across one part of it. Lee and I thoroughly enjoyed our morning swim. He did the whale, and I did the otter (swimming techniques we made up at the time, I think). Staff brought towels out to us, then took us down to show us the health center. It had a steam room, sauna, hot tub, and massage table (I SO wanted an ayurvedic massage, but there wasn't time). We then headed up to pack our bags, and Lee lent me a green korta that everyone said made me look sort of like a prince. We left the exquisite Man Singh hotel, on our way to one of the 7 wonders of the world.

We went to a parking lot, where we boarded some electric cars headed to the Taj. We entered through security, walked through the open courtyard, and through the entry. In front of us, under a grey sky, was one of the most breathtaking sights mine eyes have ever been laid upon. After admiring it from a distance for a while, we made our approach. We walked along the water pool to the marble base of the massive structure. We checked our shoes, and headed up. Cathy, Nikki and I first headed out to the mosque facing in the direction of qibla (muslims face this direction when praying, to face Mecca). It in itself was just a daunting building. I ended up sitting, looking through a dark arch, at the Taj, mediatating and feeling humbled. I feel uneasy and yet complete all at once. I felt alive. I knew it would be impressive, but it really is otherworldly. I'll happily share pictures, but they'll be insulting incapable of capturing the wonder and majesty of Shah Jahan's mosque.

Afterward, I headed over a large expanse of red sandstone, up some stairs, and out onto another level from which you could enter the tomb. We looked at the carvings on the outside, which showed herbs and flowers in beautiful colored marble, along with sanscrit script. I headed in alone, and circumambulated the tombs themselves. Akbar's wife, Nur Jahan, was in the tomb that is directly at the center of the whole complex. During a brighter way, it is said to radiate white, as all light comes to that point. Shah Jahan's tomb is just to the left of hers if looking in from the door. The script on the wall, I was informed, is made of one solid sheet of marble, as were the gates surrounding the tombs. This is incredible to me. Cathy informed us that the basement has several small vaults. Because the Taj is a heavy marble structure on the bank of a river, it is hypothesized that the engineers built a system of seven wells on which the Taj actually FLOATS. In-freaking-credible. After staring in awe at the inside of the tomb, I headed back out, and circled the tomb on the platform outside. The four minarets at each corner were imposing and incredible. Around back, the river was clear to see. The Taj Mahal is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. I don't know how better to express my sentiment toward this structure.

From there, we headed off to Fatehpur Sikri. Built by Akbar, this was a living center for his mother, himself, and the harem, as well as a meeting place for his nobles. The private audience chamber was aligned with Akbar's open-air bedroom, which was aligned with his personal showing window. The symmetry of the site was just plain cool. Built of red sandstone with white marble trim, this superstructure is one I would be happy to call home. The complex system of waterways moved water along, letting out branches at various locales. Fatehpur Sikri is so large that it is almost mazelike. I really don't know how to describe it much more than this, but it deserves a longer paragraph, Then again, let this be a reflection on just how incredible the Taj was, and we'll call it even.

From there, we headed to the mosque at Fatehpur Sikri, which is not considered an archaeological site. This means that it is free, and thus swarming with people trying to sell things. My basic knowledge of Hindi quickly came to use, as it had a few times before. Necklances for 100 rupee? "Nahi." (No) OK, ok, I make you special deal. 50 rupee. "Nahi. Jow." (No, go away). When you are 6'2'' and 190, you really kind of tower over many of these people. Being assertive in a way they understand is quite effective. Anyway, the mosque was built by Akbar as a thanks to the muslim saint Sheikh Salim Chishti. Chishti had predicted the forthcoming birth of Akbar's heir, after he had lost several children in infancy. After the child had lived for two years, Akbar developed Fatehpur Sikri for Chishti and moved there himself. The mosque was large and open, with a lot of visitors. A guide named Abdar came up to give me a tour, claiming he was a student and not a salesperson (he was telling the truth, more or less, and gave me a very informative tour). It turns out that many of the beggars and merchants at this site are actually descendants of Chishti, and because there are no available jobs, the people stay in his mosque. I ended up paying 200 rupees to buy cloth, flowers and string (knowing that was a hustle, but feeling like he deserved it). I made my offering in the tomb, and then headed out.

Soon after, we were on the bus headed back to Dehli. After a crazy-bumpy 5 hour drive, we arrived back home. We had a delicious supper (the okra was the best), then settled in to watch a movie called Bombay, which we projected onto the wall. The movie is about a Hindu man who falls in love with, marries, and has children with a muslim women, much to the dismay of their relatives. They move to Bombay, where he is a journalist. About halfway through the movie, the love story takes a twist toward reality. The bombing of Ayodhya, an event that actually occurred, spurs rallies and murders. The complex struggle the main characters go through in defining themselves as a family, as opposed to Hindu or Muslim, makes for a tearjerker of a film that is really moving and telling. I spent thirty minutes struggling as hard as I could to keep the tears welling up in my eyes from running down my face. This was a good movie to watch given the context in the real world recently, as a bombing has lead to riots in part of India far from us. The religious sites will be on high alert from here out though, and we really hope we will still have access to them. Honestly, I'm not all that scared, because we will be in safe areas. But bombing and killing in an attempt to bring oneself closer to God is foolish and puzzling, and something that, though we wish we could put behind us, does not seem to be a way of the past just yet.

July 8

2005-07-08T00:33:00.000+05:30

The day started by visiting Old Delhi’s important sites under the guidance of Dr. Navina Jafa, who has written her dissertation on gender issues and patronage of the performing arts in north India. She commenced her tour at the Mughal Red Fort in Delhi, then went to the huge Jami mosque built under the auspices of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. The group walked through Old Delhi’s famous narrow gullies with its silver shops and areas that sell the apparatus needed for Indian weddings. Navina Jafa also showed us Delhi’s old mansions known as havelis, explaining the fast-fading culture of Old Delhi. This trip concluded with a visit to a famous Gurudwara, a Sikh temple. This gave everyone an opportunity to learn about another important religious community in India, the Sikhs. Nikky Singh, a Sikh herself, explained Sikh beliefs and customs, contextualizing them within the larger Islamic and Hindu traditions. In the afternoon students were given free time so they might explore Delhi on their own. Dinner was at one of the many fine restaurants in Delhi’s Defence Colony.

~Cathy

AIIS Trip Update

2005-07-07T23:23:00.000+05:30

I thought that some of our parents and friends might have heard about some trouble in Ayodhya or Varanasi in North India. We'd like to assuage any fears at the present; there have been some riots in Varanasi but that is more than 500 miles from here. We will never be closer than 300 miles away from Varanasi, as well, while we are on this trip. The directors of the program wanted to make sure we knew about the trouble, and we have confidence in the judgement of Cathy Asher who has spent much of her adult life studying or living in India. The directors don't seem worried, but we'll keep you updated if they have any concerns. We've already visited a major monument of religious signficance (the Taj Mahal), with no hint of trouble at all in the air. So for now, we're on schedule and having a great time!

~Megan

Agra is over.

2005-07-07T23:16:00.000+05:30

Hey!
Well we got back from Agra tonight around 6pm (it's 10:45pm now) and ... wow.. I dunno. It's just a lot at once i guess. When we got back we talked about the bombing in India and the ones in London that happened today. So, needless to say I'm kinda feeling shitty right now. Everyone says we're safe here, and I believe them... I'm just worried about the ride home. I'm definately coming home the 21st... I don't think I can take more time here. Wish I was more balsy, but I'm not. Other than that, I'm slowly,slowly, slowly getting used to the beggers. They're as bad as you might think. Cripples trying to sell you postcards,and really young children. I broke down and cried like a baby today in one mosque. I was doing fine until this little girl, must have been six or seven tried selling me stuff... I dunno... just got to me. Okay, on a happier note, yesterday we had an unexpected little pilgrimage of our own. We were in Vrindiban heading to the temple known for being the birth place of Lord Krishna and wow!!! Straight out of the National Geographic. We had to trek through one those really narrow crowded streets in calf-deep water from the monsoon rains. What made it all so crazy was that our destination was this temple like nothin i've ever seen before... it was just this ultimate crescendo.. wow that sounds cheesy but it's true. So yeah... that's the kinda stuff that's goin' on here. I just wanted ya'll to know that in light of all the bombings and stuff I'm fine, and expect to continue being fine.So please don't worry (Mom and Dad, especially you :))Mom, I do have my holy water with me everywhere :).
Well, I miss you all, and my pampered American-ass misses home.

Lots of love,
Donna

Vrindaban, Akbar's tomb, and Agra Fort (Day 2)

2005-07-07T01:11:00.000+05:30

First off, I must apologize. I am short-changing my readers. I have been in India for three days, but feel that a month has passed. I had no idea I had this much room to grow, but now I don't see an end in sight. So please enjoy what can only be an unfair snippet teaser. I'm not skilled at expressing emotion, and the spiritual journey that this trip has already become is something I will be horribly, horribly inadept at conveying.

We began the day with breakfast, then were on the tour bus by 7. Fittingly coincidental, the word "tourist" was printed across the sun visor on the bus. to be fair, the side of the bus did say "unique." We drove for a few hours to a small restaurant at which there were camels, horses, and an elephant. Though we could have paid for a ride, there was no time. Instead, we headed in for some tea and vegetable frittatas of some sort that were -so good.-

After a short drive, we made a surprise stop at Iscom, a Hari Krishna temple in the center of a small village. It was made of white marble, and had a group of devotees in orange kortas singing "hari krishna, hari krishna" toward the front. It was a pleasant temple, but looking back, it pales in comparison to what was forthcoming.

We headed further on, headed toward Vrindavan's bankibhiari temple, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. This temple is renowned for the extreme shows of devotion by its Hindu visitors. Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, often taking the form of a small naughty boy. Krishna is known as a happy God, and the first to introduce the concept of love as primary in Hindu religion. The people of Vrindavan greet each other with the term "raday raday," which is similar to namaste. The temple is actually far off the main road, and necessitated a walk. Soon after exiting the bus, the monsoon rains began to pour down upon us. As we walked through the narrow streets, the water rushed from all angles, and at times we were almost knee-deep. As we walked through the sewage water along the poor-quality concrete streets, we passed the small storefronts of craftworkers. We saw tribes of monkeys sleeping on buildings, stray dogs, goats, and other animals. We were greeted by smiling facing and chants of raday raday everywhere we turned. After a long, wet, exciting journey, we finally hit the marble. We removed our shoes, and entered the temple. The crowd of Hindu worshippers was thick, and let out occasional exuberant cheers as the brahmans transferred offerings of food, flowers, cloth and coins to Krishna. Christy B, Maria and I worked our way to the front quickly, and were led aside to a small door, on the other side of which were a few people cooking prasad (dough balls). Christy offered some flowers to be delivered to Krishna, and we were given a leaf-full of prasad. We each ate one (they were tasty), then bullied our way through a moshpit-like crowd to approach the altar. With a little strategic body posturing, I was able to get Christy close enough to offer our prasad and flowers. The brahman gave us coins in return (many of the offerings are redistributed to the worshippers as gifts from Krishna, and are given even to the poor and homeless in the community (those of the Shudra caste). We then headed back down to the main floor, where waves of devotees were kissing the wet marble at their feet, letting out loud cries of faith, and encouraging us to join in. Upon exiting, our foreheads were smeared with a yellow powdery substance. The emotion and intense spirituality of this experience can't really be put into words, so I wrote a little poem of free association when I got back, knowing I could do nothing better:

walk
rain
scents smells
smiling boy
offering
prasad
women's circle
shoes off
raday raday!
Krishna
Cathy, Mane-ji
rickshaws
monkeys
Akbar
Rama Man Singh
Red Sandstone temple
flowers/coins
snake basket
mosh pit
street concrete
cows/boars
shops
handbells
forehead exit
flooding

We were followed out by a small boy who spoke only Hindi, but who was so happy to spend time with what was surely a spectacle to him. He followed us out, pointing the way, smiling, saying things that only Christy could somewhat understand, but altogether being happy just to share our company (he was way cute). About half-way out of the city, another boy approached Tony with a basket, and opened it to show him his pet snake. Tony was freaked out, and mentioned it to me. The kid slowly made his way around our group, and even when Christy told him to leave, he kept approaching other members of our group. After turning a corner, Nikki Singh turned around and asked what all this was about a boy with a snake at the EXACT SAME TIME that he opened it and offered it to her. She went off in a way I never thought she could in Hindi, and that little boy left us ALONE. (Go Nikki!) We continued to travel back until we made it to Rama Man Singh's Red Sandstone temple in the center of the city. We stepped in to get out of what was now only a drizzle, and viewed a really impressive structure that Man Singh had commissioned while serving under Akbar to increase dynastic visibility. (Without going into detail, Akbar is one of the most famous rulers of the Mughal empire, a liberal, music-loving guy who created the notion of "shuli-kur," or universal religious tolerance. In other words, my kind of guy)

Eventually, we made it back to the bus, and headed toward Agra. On the way over, Christy taught me a few Hindi expressions that have since proved very useful (more on that later). We then headed to Akbar's tomb. This large complex is rather plain, to reflect Akbar's piety and likeness to the common man (though he was believed to be semi-divine.) The intricate carvings on the building face were just incredible. The tomb itself had three walls, one for each wife: one Hindu, one Muslim, one Christian. When Lee, Johanna and I circumambulated the structure, we were approached by some Indian guys a little younger than us who just wanted to talk. They were happy to talk to Americans, and think it is a good country. They were anxious to take pictures with us, especially Johanna. We chatted for a while, then continued to walk, taking note of the green gardens, the gazelles who live on-site, and the large monkeys that were out under the trees.

We then continued toward Agra. We decided it was too late to head to the Taj, plus we were feeling a little overwhelmed with emotion still, so we went to Agra Fort instead. Situated alongside a river, this large complex was made of red sandstone and trimmed with white marble. It was massive, and much of it is actually still used as a military complex. There were a number of mosques, including the one that Shah Jahan (Akbar's son, whose name translates to King of the world) had built. Lee and I actually pulled ourselves up onto one of them to get an amazing vantage point on the entire area. Shah Jahan had added considerably to the site throughout his life, which turned out to be a good thing, since his son Jahangiri, when assuming the throne, imprisoned his father there for the last 6 years of his life. We viewed the Taj from across a highway, likely from the same balconies that Shah Jahan is said to have sat at and cried as he viewed the superior mosque of his creation that he could see but not attend.

Finally, we headed out toward our hotel. We stayed at the Man Singh hotel, which would be considered a five-star hotel in America. Marble floors, ceiling, everything. I took a quick shower, then ended up passing out in Maria and Christy's room for a while. Nikki and Cathy (our amazing program director, who is an endless wealth of knowledge) called to wake us and invite us to dinner. I could only eat soup, but it was really good soup. Eventually, Lee, Tony, Christy and Maria made their way down, but also weren't hungry. When Nikki and Cathy headed up for bed, we headed out. We went just across the street to a shop, where we looked at all sorts of clothing. I bought a nice marble box and a few kortas. Then I hung out and talked with one of the owners, who lived above the shop, about its history, and his life, and Agra, and everything. He was very open, and it was a great conversation. As we headed out to leave, he came out to smoke a cigarette. I had heard about a drink called bong lasse (sp?), which is basically a marijuana derivative used widely at Indian weddings to encourage dancing and good times. I had the nerve and felt comfortable asking, so our group ended up learning about it, and finding out that they are relatively difficult to find outside of weddings. He could have found some, but it wouldn't have been until the next day, and we already would have departed.

Some of the more reserved readers may think negatively of me for having even had an inkling to try something like that. I urge you to recognize the culture-specific prejudice involved in your line of thought. I was surprised to find that even Cathy had once tried bong lasse at a wedding. Unlike in our country, where many pejorative, untruthful statements are made about the marijuana plant, Indians are much more open-minded with regard to the use of bong lasse. Still, its a good idea to have some sober supervision. But with proper safety precautions having been arranged, it would have been an experience I definitely would have tried, likely enjoyed, and never regretted.

We headed back with our purchases to the hotel, and decided we would go swimming. Unfortunately the pool was closed, so we decided to head to bed, looking forward to a quick dip in the morning.

July 6 & 7

2005-07-06T00:33:00.000+05:30

Under Cathy’s guidance we took an overnight tour to visit the Hindu monuments of Vrindavan (ISCOM Temple [new modern Hari Krishna temple], the 16th century Govind Dev temple, and Banke Bihari with its ecstatic devotees], an important Hindu pilgrimage site, and the Muslim Mughal monuments of Agra including Akbar’s tomb, the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, and Akbar’s palace and shrine complex at Fatehpur Sikri. This gave us insight into India’s dominant religious traditions as well as to the important historical developments under the Mughals during their height in the 16th and 17th centuries. During part of this particular trip it rained very heavily and to reach some of the monuments the group had to walk through narrow streets with knee high water. Rather than being horrified at this, everyone found it to be great fun and felt they were experiencing what they called the “real India.” This positive attitude lasted the entire workshop.

~Cathy

Qutb Minar, Dali Haat, The International Center (Day 1)

2005-07-05T22:34:00.000+05:30

Our first day in India could not have served better to expose us to its history and culture. We began with a solid Indian breakfast consisting of mangoes, cereal with hot milk, toast, preserves, and tea. We then had an orientation session, and met Rick and Cathy Asher, Purnima Meta, Narayani Gupta, Nikki Singh, Pandeep, and a few others (my spelling may be horrible, but suffice it to say these people are absolutely wonderful). We then packed into the vehicles with Cathy and Nikki to head to the Qutb Minar.

The Qutb Minar is a spectacular muslim shrine. It was built in three phases, and the architecture of each was very distinct. At the time of its construction, the Qutb Minar was the tallest building of its kind. The spolia screens that surrounded the prayer chamber were intricately carved with arabic script and flowers, some pointed in to the chamber (where the light of God would be). Because the capability of dome-building was not known during the first construction, many of the ceilings had corbelled domes (much like when you build an arch out of legos.) The site was fascinating and impressive.

An interesting side note: We were at one point approached by Hindras requesting rupees. Hindras are hermaphrodites, and often dress as women though they pretty obviously are not. Unlike in our country, where difference is shunned and hermaphrodites are "fixed" at birth, hindras are viewed as almost holy. The can come and take away hermaphrodite children from parents and raise them on their own. They can actually do almost anything they want with fear of harm. Some people fear them, thinking they will be cursed for crossing them. Other people do not fear them at all. Anyway, it was an interesting experience, to say the least.

Upon our return, we had a traditional Indian lunch at the guest house. I love Indian food, particularly because the spices open up my nasal cavities and I can breathe so much easier. This was a very mild meal, but some of the students had trouble with it...they're really in for some fun! After lunch, we were graced with the presence of T.N. Madan, a world-leading sociologist. He spoke with us about Indian religion and its rich and varied history. During the presentation, the building's power went out, which is not uncommon in India even at as nice a place as the AIIS guest house (though the presence of 12 students, likely all running AC units, probably played a significant role). After Madan-ji's presentation, we had tea. Then Narayani Gupta gave us a lesson about language and regions in India. When India claimed independence in 1947, the states had been pre-conceived by many of the congress party leaders while they were in prison (plenty of time to write and think.) The states are roughly divided by language spoken in the region, minus the "cow belt" of central India in which mutually intelligible versions of Hindi are spoken.

After this, we headed out to Dali Haat, a market in Dehli. It cost Rs 10 to enter, and I spent Rs 1100 to buy two pairs of shoes, a korta (sp?), and a chained bell. I think everyone did pretty well. The most valuable thing in the market, in my opinion, was free of charge: the conversation with the sellers. I chatted with a Rajasthani who makes brushes out of squirrel hair, and paints silks. I met a small boy who spoke English well enough to discuss his school day with me, and he then introduced me to his family, who ran several of the shops. I also did a considerable amount of people watching. Indians are a pretty people.

Afterward, we returned home, then headed to the International Center for dinner. The invitation-only club is attended by intellectuals and the arts crowd, as well as liberal political people (my type of crowd!). I had a fresh lime soda to drink, and a thali, which is basically a sample platter. All nine options were delicious. I had naan (a puffy bread) as well. For desert, I had honey and fig ice cream (a-freaking-mazing). My fellow travelers had mango and honeydew ice cream. All of it was just delicious.

Tomorrow, we're up at 6 am to head to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. On Thursday, we will visit Fatehpur Siri and the Agra Fort. I likely will not be able to write about these until our return on Friday, so until then...namaste (the inner light in me bows to the inner light in you!)

July 5

2005-07-05T00:33:00.000+05:30

All the students had arrived by the 5th thus making it possible to commence the workshop officially. We started off with a trip to visit the Qutb Minar complex, North India’s first mosque after the Islamic Ghorid conquest of India. Cathy led the tour and discussed the monument in terms of its historical context. After lunch two scholars made presentations to begin orientating the students to India, its culture and history. Dr. T.N. Madan, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi University, discussed the regions of India with a special emphasis on the growth of Islam in Bengal and Kashmir, regions where there was mass conversion to Islam. Narayani Gupta focused on a discussion of regions and languages in India. We all had dinner at the Guest House.

~Cathy

Mango Ice Cream

2005-07-04T23:46:00.000+05:30

Hey Guys,

It was our first day in India. It was very cool. We went down to the market and to a Hindu Temple built in 1939. The best was the house where Ghandi was killed. They had brass markers for his last footsteps, it was cool. The food here is great, there is no way any of us will lose any weight. We went to a really nice academic club for lunch (our professors, Dr. Rick & Cathy treated us.) The mango ice cream was the best, even better than Michocana bars (if you know me that is a high standard of quality.) The rest of the cohort should be here soon. Chris B., Chris C, and I walked down to a market tonight - exploration! I found a book store that is so cheap. I got a dictionary for 99 rupees which is like $2 american. Hopefully this will post for all of you (I have been having trouble with that.) Shouts out to Mom, Sia, Yari, The fam, The gang, C-Woo, and Max.

AA

Happy 4th of July

2005-07-04T09:00:00.000+05:30

Hello All, Sorry I have not been blogging much so far, this is the first time that I am not paying 25 cents a minute to use the internet. I believe now I have told everyone to check this site so I can write a single message to all. I am finally in India. We came in at about 1 am on the morning of the 4th. I am not quite sure but I must be at least 13 hours ahead of E-Burg. I did not get to go to Milan, nor did I get here a day early. After our flight cancellation on Thursday, I was scheduled to fly out of Dulles Airport on Friday. Instead I spent the entire day in the airport; I did not even make it past the initial ticket counter. Throughout the day represenatives of Northwest were rude, demeaning and even lied to me (I wrote about 6 pages in my journal on the incident just to calm myself.) Eventually, on Saturday I flew out with Chris B., Chris C. and Jo. My flight buddy to Amsterdam was a very smelly Dutch man, but the flight went supprisingly quickly. In Amsterdam we left the airport and grabbed a train into the city - wow. I have never seen a social structure that was built so completely around Pot, Mushrooms, and Sex. Also, when we arrived a large party of about 45,000 youth had gotten over, so there were large groups of people walking around in all white. We did have a delay in Amsterdam because our engine might have been broken, but that was the end of the excitement. Our arrival in India was almost anticlimatic, but I think that was a good thing. Today we are going to a market where I can purchase authentic Indian garb; I am also excited to reunite our cohort. Shout out to Mom, Sia, the fam, the gang (Faithius, Mundy, CB), The Office, Castle, Luke, V Hook, DHC.

-AA

A day in wait

2005-07-04T00:59:00.000+05:30

Today was airplane day! We had two semi-consecutive 7 hours flights, interrupted by a 4 hour layover in Amsterdam at a time I deemed too early to bother traveling out at. So Maria and I had draught Heineken instead. I had some crazy allergies going on on the plane, which was unfun. The played "Robots," which I found cute. I also listened to some lectures on tape about Gandhi's use of Power and Indian economics.

When finally we arrived, the scent, which I heard was notable, was. But I actually sort of liked it. It was a beautiful night out, and we've just checked in. I went out and stood by a fence to look at the city and traffic, and saw a little kitten further down the way (didn't touch, did admire). Everyone has been helpful, and I am anxious to begin.

But now we sleep.

July 4th

2005-07-04T00:33:00.000+05:30

The four students who were able to reach Delhi by the 4th of July were taken to lunch at the India International Center and then to Birla House, which marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. We then visited the famous Birla temple, one of New Delhi’s first Hindu temples provided by a major industrialist and supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. The temple, built in the Gandhian spirit, was the first to be open to all followers of Indic religions regardless of caste. After this the students walked through Lodi Gardens which are renowned for its 15th and 16th century tombs, mosque and beautifully planted gardens.

~Cathy

A "Monumental" Occasion

2005-07-03T00:53:00.000+05:30

It was an active day. The eight of us that remain in DC (Mary, Maria, Megan, Lateka, Donna, Brent, Lee (von) and myself) headed out to the World War II Memorial. On our way, we stopped by for a few photos at 1600 Penn Ave. Then we headed to the newly-opened WWII memorial, which was pretty impressive, and took pictures by the post for our state. Afterward, we walked along the reflecting pool to check out the Lincoln Memorial, then the Vietnam Memorial, then we headed back. I stopped in the Folk Life exhibit for another Fruit Smoothie, then Lee, Donna and I headed to the AmerIndian museum. It was pretty impressive, and we got some good chews afterward.
Later that evening, we got some tapas at La Tasca, then Mary, Maria and I headed down to the lawn of the capitol to watch a non-dress rehearsal of a July 4th performance. Nifty.

When do we get to leave?

A Day in the D.C.

2005-07-02T18:24:00.000+05:30

Today was a layover day in the D.C. We all broke up into groups. Lee and I headed out to the folk life exhibit on the mall, escorted by Brent, Donna and Megan. We saw how soy is made, a honey exhibit, etc. Lee and I stayed on to perform a native dance, see how Omani instruments are played, and to drink a WONDERFUL fruit smoothie. Eventually, we headed over to meet everyone at the national museum of art. We viewed some Monets, some Picassos, etc., then took a tour of the sculpture garden and sat by the fountain. Then we headed back and took a little rest.

Eventually, we headed out to get a bite to eat. I ended up at "California tortilla" with Christy C, Megan, and Mary. Afterward, the four of us headed to Starbucks (where I didn't drink caffeine, as usual). When we finished, we headed back to the hotel. A bunch of us piled into my hotel room, where we watched Cats and Dogs, then Hitch. Then it was lights out.

This morning, we're going to hear back about flights. Wish us luck...
(Fingers crossed, middle finger pointed toward Northwest airlines.)

An expression of my distaste for Northwest Airlines

2005-07-02T14:47:00.000+05:30

I see blogs as having many uses, but the most commonly referenced always seems to be personal rants. I think this stereotype is off-base, but I will justify it to some extent with this post, mainly because the issue at hand warrants a little bitching.

Northwest Airlines will be receiving a letter from me. I am upset with their organization. Firstly, they canceled our flight to Detroit due to weather, thereby ensuring that we missed our connecting flight to Dehli. I was thoroughly displeased to see that another airline's plane left from the directly adjacent terminal headed to Detroit only 40 minutes later. Not a concrete complaint, but aggravating, to be sure.

Further, though Northwest canceled our flight, they do not feel any burden of responsibility for our extended stay in D.C. rests on their shoulders. Thus, the fudge room in CAORC's budget was absorbed by our additional transport and hotel costs, as opposed to going toward our activities and the personnel facilitating them. I find this especially troubling, because Northwest is irrefutably responsible for our prolonged stay, and seemingly unwilling to man up to their responsibility. I suppose this bothers me because I think, if I were a private consumer, my lodging would have been covered. Because, instead, I am participating in a governmental program, my concerns are of lesser importance to the private industry. Certainly, at some point, Northwest lobbied the government to mandate that all governmental programs fly on a domestically based airlines. This isn't an absurd idea in and of itself, but if this governmental handout serves to detriment those governmental institutions financially and temporally, something has gone awry. I see Northwest as the instigator.

Lastly, I was accosted by the Northwest respresentative at Washington Dulles airport. Jay, a woman seemingly of Indian heritage, asked why I was traveling to India. I informed her that I was traveling to Dehli, Agra, Ajmer and Lucknow to visit the religious, political, and cultural sites of India. She responded "we don't like evangelists in our country." I was amazed, but responded that I was not an evangelist, and not even Christian. She told me that we were not wanted in her country. I told her that I was sorry to hear that. She explained that our nations had nothing to talk about. I said that I disagreed, and wished her a good day.
This woman should be fired.

Step forward to step back...

2005-07-01T08:00:00.000+05:30

We headed to the airport with the knowledge that our flight would be delayed due to weather. Inevitably, it was canceled, thereby assuring that we missed our connecting flight to Dehli. We'll spend two more days in D.C., and rearrange our schedule in India to accomodate our late departure.

I'd like to note that AIIS has gone to some impressive efforts to accomodate what is absolutely not their fault. They extended our food stipend and put us back in our hotel, rescheduled our flights and made new travel arrangements, and made the calls to make sure that none of our learning experience is lost in the transition. I feel so fortunate not only to have been selected, but to have been selected by some real winners. AIIS, you rock!

So tonight we ate Thai food, and it was muy delish. We're headed back to the hotel next, and tomorrow I'll probably take a nice walk and do some logic puzzles. If anyone in the D.C. area wants to help me occupy my time, feel free to call the Red Roof Inn on H street and ask for us - we've got some time to smother!

Activities of the workshop on India and Islam

2005-07-01T00:33:00.000+05:30

Organizers and Workshop Leaders:
Catherine Asher, Associate Professor from the University of Minnesota, and Narayani Gupta, Professor Emeritus from Jamia Milia University in Delhi, were the main organizers. Narayani Gupta assisted in locating appropriate lecturers, while Cathy was with the group of 12 students throughout the workshop. They were assisted by Frederick (Rick) Asher, University of Minnesota, who helped with many of the logistical arrangements in India. Also helping was Professor Nikky Singh of Colby College in Watertown, Main who accompanied Catherine Asher throughout the program. Manaji was there for us always and a huge support.

The Program:
The workshop got off to a late start in India due to the cancellation of the students’ flight, causing considerable delay in their arrival in India. Originally you were schedule to land in Delhi on July lst. Four students were able to reach Delhi by July 4th but the other eight were delayed until the 5th. While the loss of so many days at first was a blow to both organizers and students, we were able to compensate by providing a rich packed program.

~Cathy

Orientation

2005-06-30T09:29:00.000+05:30

Today was pretty sweet! We had lectures all day in the Smithsonian about the history of India and the Muslim culture within India. Last night 5 of us walked around the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial, which was awesome. Tomorrow we leave.

G2G

Bridling the excitement

2005-06-30T09:19:00.000+05:30

It was a day in wait. We went to the National Museum of Natural History and met with CAORC staffers, a State Dept. Official, two professors, and a SITA traveler. The wealth of information bestowed upon us was large but digestible, and all in all it was a worthwhile experience. Later this evening we headed to the Cosmos Club to meet with more State Dept. Officials and mingle. It was a thrilling time. I have 50 cents left, so I'll have to expound later...=)

In the D.C.

2005-06-28T20:41:00.000+05:30

I arrived in D.C. around 4pm yesterday. My Honors College Advisor/best friend Jonnel and her Poli Sci Prof husband Joey picked me up, and I checked out their new casa. Muy bonita!

I'm now at the University of Maryland to check email. I'll head over to the Red Roof later today, where I look forward to meeting all of you!

We leave in two days!

India is upon us!

2005-06-28T00:54:00.000+05:30

I will be leaving my house in 12 hours for the airport. I cannot believe this trip is here. I have so much to pack before I go.

Jon, I am giving this site address to all my friends and family so they can track our blogging. Thanks for getting this site up.

AA

Yogurt

2005-06-22T07:00:00.000+05:30

I've been eating two cups of yogurt every day for the past week. I've heard it's good to have the live cultures in your stomach. Also, I friggin love yogurt.

Yay for Yogurt.

Bollywood for the Skeptical

2005-06-20T11:04:00.000+05:30

Scroll down a bit to read a background on the Bollywood industry.
Bollywood for the Skeptical

Final preparations

2005-06-20T06:13:00.000+05:30

I've spent the last few days wrapping up projects, getting things in order for the move, and reading. I finally got the books last week, and am trying to rush through them...but they aren¹t the best reads, for sure. Still, I think I'll be happy to have some background info, as it will allow me to better understand what I am experiencing when in India.
On Leno the other night, he noted that India is currently having a heat wave, and had high temperatures of 130.5 degrees. I say, bring the shit on. I am going to lay out tomorrow, I'm bringing sunblock, and I've convinced my dad to turn the AC down on one level of our house for the next week. It's gonna be hot, but at least I¹ll be approaching a state of readiness...=)
I was happy to see that my International Student Identification Card came in two weeks, especially since they said it would take four. If anyonehasn't gotten one, check it out online. It will give the user discounts on travel and hotel, etc. For those of us heading to Goa and elsewhere, it will likely pay itself off quickly.
I drafted playlists for the trip, and reloaded my iPod last night. I brought a bunch of lectures on Hindu culture, along with some Ravi Shankar. I'm anxiously anticipating the opportunity to acquire cheap burnt CDs of Indian music, which my friend said is a must.
I have two friends who have traveled through India, and their tips will probably prove valuable, so I thought I'd share: Don't spend too much time taking pictures, because you'll miss everything. No tap water, no prostitutes. Get up at the crack of dawn and head to the markets its when everything happens. Get a hot chai from a street vendor it'll be the best you've ever had. Divide your money and put it in different pockets, so if you get hustled, they will let you go without getting all your cash. Sleep as little as possible, knowing that you can catch up when you get back home. Stay hydrated - the average temperatures for this time of year are around 115. Don't give anything to beggar, even "schoolypens." (my friend gave a child a bic pen, and was followed 2 miles outside the town by a horde of children thinking she had more.) Put rubber bands on your wallet. Bring along some nuts or trail mix: the portions are smaller, and meat is not a central part of the diet, so you will be hungry and in need of protein. Focus on being aware of your surroundings. Experience and Enjoy.

Damn I'm psyched.

Amsterdam

2005-06-02T22:57:00.000+05:30

Jon,

I am always up for an adventure! Do you know how long our layover is going to be? How much clothes are you planning on packing? Don't worry, I am hardly moving along in my readings as well.

AA

Prepared...

2005-06-01T08:50:00.000+05:30

Well, I've got my shots, I've printed off the chapters, I had to select the clothing I'd bring so I could bring it with me to Troy, and last night, I want and got supplies. I got water purification tablets for like 6.6 gallons, so if at the end of the trip I have any left, I'm taking one HELLA PURE bath or something. I also got "Maxi DEET" which is 100% DEET and was only $4! I looked for "Oral Rehydration Solution," but no one knew what I was talking about, including myself. I think ORS means Gatorade, or maybe just water. Those AIIS jokers! Tomorrow, I'll go and try to pick up the other two books from the library. I'm probably a big slacker. Has everyone else already started/finished them? How silly of me!

Who is down for a quick adventure in Amsterdam during our layover?!!

check 1 2

2005-05-31T11:02:00.000+05:30

Just wanted to give this blogging thing a try. I am a huge baby and finally going to get my shots and stuff tomorrow. Seriously, I can't believe I waited this long. Well, it's exactally one month now until we leave...I can't wait to meet all of you and get on the plane already!
See ya soon!

*christy

Mullings

2005-05-17T21:17:00.000+05:30

So in about a month and a half, we'll be off! I've never participated in bloggery before, so I'm looking forward to the experiment. After our collective introductions via email, I'm excited about the variety of interests represented by our group. I think I'm right in remembering more than a few Anthropology and/or Communication-esque majors, which makes perfect sense. But I'm glad to see that AIIS didn't limit their prospects to a certain major or two.

I've been to India before - last summer, for two weeks - but such a short trip hardly gave me a chance to form a first impression. While I won't be able to stay after the three-week workshop is over like some of us, I am excited about revisiting some of the places in Delhi I wanted to spend more time observing. And, typical girl, I want to shop. Oh, how I want to shop.

I think what I'm most excited about is being able to observe Islam's role in India society in addition to merely reading about its significance in a book. I hope I'll have the nerve to ask all of the questions that will pop up while I'm reading. Maybe I'll post some of the questions or topics that I find interesting here, so we can discuss a little before the trip. Sound good? Well, in summary, I'm pumped. What are the rest of you looking forward to most?

I am online with blogging capability

2005-05-16T22:46:00.000+05:30

Thanks whoever established this communication venue, Jonathon I assume. I am very excited about going. I cannot believe that it is only like 6 weeks before we leave.

AA

Pre-India

2005-05-16T03:59:00.000+05:30

I am not sure how this blogging thing works, I guess I just ramble on about my thoughts and feelings and the like. I am super excited about India, but as time goes on I keep getting more concerns from people and thinking about things that make me nervous, so I just want to go already before anyone else warns me about curry. This experience will change our lives and since change is a catalyst to growth, I hope to come out of this opportunity having grown to be a better person. For so long I have read about people living in extreme poverty, suffering from terrible disease, and have planned on crusading around the world righting these wrongs. This will be the first experience I have of seeing for myself how other people live and getting to know and appreciate their way of life. I hope that this galvanizes my excitement to aid the injustices I have seen, rather than discourage me. I can't help people that I do not understand and respect. So cheers to step one in the process of fighting injustice!

I'm IN!

2005-04-30T11:01:00.000+05:30

As of 3:11pm yesterday, I have officially been offered the opportunity to travel to India this summer!

>>
Dear Jonathon:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the American Institute of Indian Studies summer workshop in India! We will be sending more details soon, but in the meantime, please let us know if you accept our offer of admission. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Elise Auerbach

American Institute of Indian Studies
1130 E. 59th Street
Chicago,IL 60637
http://www.indiastudies.org

The deadline

2005-04-29T04:13:00.000+05:30

The American Institute of Indian Studies will notify applicants on or before May 10th. If I am selected, I will be posting updates to this blog.