That Time We Almost Went to An Indian Wedding

I have been doing a lot of reading on this trip. During our long bus rides and flights, I have found books that interest me to keep me busy. I’ve read everything from mystery to romance novels, and from historical fiction to non-fiction. None of these were as meaningful and relevant to my life than Sarah MacDonald’s Holy Cow, a story about her journey throughout India and the paths she crossed to find herself. 

I am not attempting to be dramatic by saying I have “found myself” here, but I can honestly say that I have figured out a lot about myself just by being in this wonderful country. Sarah exposes herself to all of the apparent religions in India before she comes to the conclusion that she finds strength in various parts of each one, so she realizes that she doesn’t have to choose. Her experience in India is very similar to mine when she refers to the chaotic driving in Delhi or the Christian signs everywhere in Chennai, and especially when she mentions the men traveling in packs here-it’s absurd! Sarah gets the India experience from the point of view of a Westerner, and it was fun to relive each city we have visited through an author’s eyes. 

  
I had the chance to finish my book in a coffee shop on our free day this past Sunday. Ruth, Kristina and I boarded a bus at 8:30 AM that went nine stops before reaching Haus Kaus Village, our destination for the day. After finding a park that we decided to sit in for a while, we eventually found the village that was not too far away. Between a mix of hipster and modern Asian, the village was a combination of funky cafes, art galleries and eco-friendly shops. We spent some time reading, shopping and eating our PB&Bs (peanut butter and banana sandwiches) that we had packed this morning. At the end of the day before we started back home, we decided to go to the rooftop bar we had spotted all day. We ended up meeting a guy from New York who was in Delhi for a wedding. To make a long story short, he invited us. I started dreaming out with excitement, but it didn’t work out, it’s still pretty cool that we were invited to an Indian wedding though. 

  
Monday had a slow start (not until 1 PM), so I had a leisurely morning spent running in the park and beginning a new book. This one is about people stuck in the Indian Embassy in America after an earthquake- should be a good one. We went to the World Bank and learned about their programs and ability to finance projects at local levels via the government. 

Tuesday was more site visits, but this time with an NGO that is a school for children living in the slums nearby. We visited classrooms where the children sang nursery rhymes or recited words in English flush for us. In return, we sang The Hokey Pokey which was a crowd favorite. What really impressed me was their program for special needs children. They serve over 70 kids with disabilities and although they are in the same location, classes are separated and different focus is placed on these children. I even got to play ball with some of the boys during recess. Like the slum we visited in Pune, these children are so happy and genuinely excited to learn and to go to school. And they are smart- really smart. Five year olds were having good conversations with us, and their first languages are Hindi! I will absolutely bring back with me the spirit of these kids and their passion for learning, and I will remember it when I don’t want to get out of bed for class one day in the spring. 

   
 After a delicious lunch at Kahn Market, a high-end shopping area close to Lodi Gardens, we visited the National Gallery of Modern Art. The four-storied building went on for miles it felt like, and the art perfectly portrayed the transition that art went through once foreign artists came to India. With a wide range of modern art, however you define it, I was thoroughly entertained throughout my time there and could have stayed longer. 

  
With Thanksgiving coming up, there is so much to be thankful for. Although I will miss our family traditions at home, I can’t wait to celebrate with this group in Incredible India. 

Pollution Who?

I am definitely in my happy place here in Delhi. I know that might sound odd considering it is the city of nonstop traffic and the highest rates of pollution, but it doesn’t phase me. Sure, black dirt might appear when I sneeze and we might all be coming down with colds because of the dryness in the air, but nothing can beat the hype and energy that this city breeds. 

One of the many reasons I love Delhi is absolutely because of our quaint little bungalow in the heart of New Delhi. Lutyen’s Bungalow, built in the 1930s, is located in the diplomatic area of the city as well as Lodi Garden, a famous garden known for its ancient tombs and excessive paths for running and walking. We are right next to countless embassies and close to the popular markets and hotspots, which is clearly any youth’s dream. I spend each morning before breakfast running in the gardens, which are packed with people of all ages doing various kinds of exercise. I’ve seen yoga classes next to large ruins, laughing classes (yeah, someone does this for a living), cricket matches, and an exercise park. The latter is literally an adult playground with the equivalents of exercise equipment made out of metal that you would find in a children’s playground. It’s all a great scene and very safe to run each morning. 

  
Following my workout, I come back to a lovely breakfast complete with reading the papers laid out for us. As you can imagine, the news is filled with international affairs page to page, and each day I can’t get through one without seeing Obama or another foreign political leader’s name. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the weather here. It is actually cold in the mornings and nights! Around 50 degrees when the sun is beginning to rise and set, the rest of the day is hot as usual, but pleasant. I have to eat breakfast and dinner with a shawl or sweater on! 

Our first day in Delhi included a visit from a Climate Control Youth Group NGO and a visit to the American Center. This is a branch of the U.S. Embassy, so we had to use our passports to enter. Technically, we were on American soil for about an hour. We learned all about the foreign service and what goes on at the center. It is an extremely challenging job living in a country that is not your own, but the Americans we met love their jobs and are doing very well. 

  
  
The following two days were all touring, and they were actually two of my favorite days of the trip. We visited Humayan’s tomb, part of the Mughal empire, which resembles the Taj Mahal in structure and in purpose. The next place we visited was the Lotus Temple, in the shape of a half opened lotus and dedicated to the Bahai faith, which stands for unity among all religions and peace among all of mankind. We got to sit in the large room of worship, where I had the chance to reflect on all that I have learned about religion in the last seven weeks. Later in the day we went to a Ghandi Memorial and Nehru Museum, followed by one of the first cities in Delhi at the Qutan Complex. To add a little spice -literally- to the day, we went to an Indian McDonalds. When I say a my meal was spicy, it was spicy. I got a Spicy Paneer Wrap and my throat was on fire long after we left. The restaurant is way different than our fast food fun at home. It’s clean and has a different menu than back in the U.S.. My throat finally calmed down after a nice ice cream cone. 

  
Saturday brought more exciting visits to the largest Mosque in Asia, Jama Masjid, where all of us had to cover ourselves from head to toe and wear ridiculous outfits that they lent us. 

  
Then we walked through the town of Chandi Chowk, an old city with narrow streets built by the Mughal empire. We stopped to look at the architecture while also not trying to get run over by the dozens of motorbikes trying to get through. The walk led us to the Red Fort where India’s indepemdence was declared. It is a very large structure made of red stone, and definitely served the purpose of warding off enemies. As we walked towards the front of the Fort, we came across a Hare Krishna Festival, which was actually a sect of religion created by Westerners. See for yourselves the colors here in the picture below. 

  
Our last stop of the day was my favorite, the Gurdwaras Bangla Sahib. This Sihk temple was my first experience with the religion and it impressed me so much with its place of worship and incorporation of serving the community. The inside of the temple alone is rich with gold and pearls and our group was able to sit inside the prayer area, where I got to observe the inside more closely. I noticed that all of the men had noticeable daggers on their belts, and I saw everyone wearing a silver bangle, questioning what could be the reason for daggers to get through security. I soon learned that there are five staples in Sikhism, including keeping a dagger on you at all times, and never cutting hair. This applies to both men and women. The temple also serves meals each day to anyone who comes to eat, and our group actually helped make some chiapatti in the community kitchen. I loved seeing how a place of worship helps the community around them. 

  
As you can see/read, Delhi is packed with lots to do. Time is flying here, sadly, so I am trying my best to pack each of my days full. 

  

The Infallible Test of Civilization

I have been on a lot of planes in my life. Not an overwhelming amount, but a decent amount. They have been in a range of seasons, dates, times and circumstances, but no matter what, I always try to see what’s below me when we see land. Still, to this day, I try to find my house when we fly into BWI airport. Naturally, when we flew from Kerala to Bombay (now Mumbai) at 1 in the afternoon, I was looking for landmarks that I would remember as we drove throug, if I could see anything through all of the pollution. But as we were about to touch down, the only thing I saw were slums. Thousands of flat roofs stood, but more like slumped, next to one another right in the middle of one of the most crowded cities in India. It was an incredible sight to see, but it was not even close to what we saw the next day. 

  

  
Between Mumbai and Pune, we had a beautiful view of the Western Ghats on our four hour drive. The terrain was breathtaking, and despite how tired we all were from our long day of traveling, we kept our eyes open for the view. The Novotel, our hotel right on the outskirts of Pune city, is gorgeous and was just what we needed to see after twelve hours of traveling. After exploring the premises, a few of us had a movie night before our busy first day in the city. 

  
Our professor works for an organization known as Dining for Women that gives grants to NGOs. With connections such as these, we have had the opportunity to learn about some great non government organizations, including the one we saw on Friday. The Unforgotten is a group of volunteers and staff members who focus on implementing programs for female waste pickers and their daughters to get them out of the “profession” of waste picking. With programs in India (specifically in Pune), Zambia and Sierre Leone, the NGO has made strides and has positively impacted many families. They work in various slums in Pune and actually let us go visit one of them. The girl in the picture below, Manci, is one of the girls being benefitted from the NGO, and she loved to dance. 

    
Never have I seen something like a slum before. Of course, we have been driving by them for the past five weeks, but we have not had the opportunity to go into one. We spent an hour visiting women that were being benefitted from the NGO and were invited into their homes to meet their families. Not even a quarter of our entire group (17 people) fit into one home. It was virtually the size of my small bathroom at home. The room in which I take for granted is the size in which a family of six sleeps and eats everyday. Following the visits was a chance to play with the children from the community. From the moment we stepped into the slum, we drew a crowd, so the kids were waiting for us when we exited the last home. We played games with them, exchanged names and watched some dances. These children were so happy, and it was evident by their smiling faces and carefree attitudes, despite their living situation. It was heartbreaking to watch the kids follow our bus when we left and had to say goodbye. Although this was not a glamourous part of the trip, it was one of my favorite days thus far. In light of what happened in France this past week, the world is a scary place. Being abroad has not made that idea go away, and it is clear after our travels that people live in fear all the time. People in the slums fear not being able to feed their families, not being able to provide for them and losing their already minimal homes. What will it take to take away fear from the world, in all regards? 

  
The next day was a busy one, but when is it not? Our day began at 6:30 with a walking tour of the city, followed by a tour of a local palace, a cave temple and the location where Ghandi was imprisoned for two years. We didn’t get back until 4:30, so we were exhausted by the time dinner came around. Linking back to this week’s tragedies is Ghandi, a man who envisioned unity among the world. Seeing his memorial was touching, but looking back on the visit after the attacks on Paris makes me sad that full unity in the world has still not been met. 

   
 Following our busy Saturday was a free day in Pune! Some of us went to the cinemas to see The Mawrtian. In English, of course. As I have mentioned before, the Indian film experience is quite different from the American one. We had to buy our tickets in advance to get assigned seats, and once we were in the theater everyone stood for the National Anthem. Midway through the film, there was even an intermission for the audience to buy more food (which is way cheaper than the movies at home). The movie was wonderful, and I was happy to say that I finally got my Indian cinema experience. 

Our last two days in Pune were spent at a nearby college, Symbiosis International College. This small liberal arts school hosted a series of lectures and events for us over the span of a couple days, including topics on dance forms, international relations and urbanization. In between lectures, the school organized planned times for us to meet with current Symbiosis students. They are way more similar to us compared to the MCC students, and we actually met a few girls this time! Back at MCC, girls were usually too shy to come talk to us, so we only made guy friends in the south. I get the sense that people our age here are more progressive than in the parts of India we have seen thus far. 

  
You can say it has been a chaotic week. With all of the news coming from around the world and the craziness that has been our schedule, I think we could all use a small break before our travel picks up again. Farther north we go! 

Life’s a Beach

Dear Mom & Dad, 

I’m never coming back-life is literally a beach here. Just kidding on the not coming back part, but life really is a beach here in Kerala. I should have known how much I would love Kerala when I stepped on the bus after arriving in the Kochi airport where we were greeted with necklaces stringed with jasmine flowers. This was followed by arriving at our hotel for the week, the Taj Gateway, and being immediately greeted with beverages and teekahs (red paste on forehead for welcome). Safe to say, we felt welcome here in the city of Kochi. 

Sunday was a busy day filled with a city tour and performances. First we saw the oldest Synagogue in South Asia, located in Jew Town, Kochi. Yes, there is actually a town called Jew Town. It was once occupied by Jewish families who came to India under Portuguese rule. They were always protected by the Kerala kings, and lived well there until Israel gained their independence in 1948. This caused most families to leave, leaving Jew Town with very few Jewish families. We were lucky enough to see a few of the homes of current Jewish families living there, and we even met one of the four Jewish women living today. 
  

  
 Sarah Cohen, 93 years old, has worked in an embroidery shop in Jew Town for as long as she can remember. We met her in the shop, and I even spoke to her individually after she learned of my religious background. She said she has lived in Kochi, learned the language and the culture, since she moved here as a teenager. She claims she will die here and has not married because there are no Jewish men for her. Living in India, she constantly gets questions regarding why she has lighter skin. Her answer: “I guess God wanted me to look this way and He wanted you to look that way. I had nothing to do with it.” She also asked me if I had found a nice Jewish man yet. Her spunk was enticing and I loved spending time talking with her.  

  
The synagogue is small and by no means is it glamorous, but I can imagine families who lived here before 1948 coming here together weekly. It was prohibited to take photos inside, but I bought a postcard of the inside to remember. Ironically, a Hindu temple is right next to the Synagogue. But then I remember that this India and religion is everywhere. Later on, we visited a Jewish cemetery with carefully crafted gates and architecture of the premises. Jew Town is also known for their spice markets, so of course we stopped by there before heading out. 

After a short break at the hotel, we went back to the city for a collection of dance performances at a place known as Greenix Village. For an hour and a half we watched traditional Kerala dance forms. My favorites were the martial art form and the Kathakali dance, which is a very dramatic performance involving lots of eye, face and body movements to tell a story. The costumes were also very overwhelming, which emphasized the stories more. And this was just the first day!

    

   

 Fast forward a few hours of sleep and we were on a house boat touring the back water lakes of Kerala. A meal of traditional Kerala fish and prawns caught that morning were served for lunch, and the rest of the time was spent gazing, chatting and singing. Our boat took us right up to our next Taj resort, where we spent the next hours exploring and relaxing. The next day served as a traveling day, complete with a Diwali celebration and dinner at a famous restaurant in Kochi, The Grand Hotel, known for their seafood.     

   

Think of Christmas, Hannukah, Thanksgiving and Fourth of July mixed in one. That’s what Diwali is, or the Festival of Lights. The employees at the Taj let us help decorate the hotel lobby before the festivities, and it felt like I was decorating the tree back at home. Kerala does not celebrate this holiday as much as those in the North, so they did this just for us. Once we had finished decorating, the lights were turned off and employees from all parts of the hotel gathered in the lobby to watch the celebration. We made our way outside for fireworks and sparklers, and that’s when I really felt like we-our group and the hotel-were a family. I’ll really miss the Taj for being able to do that while we travel so much on this trip. We then had an array of calamari, fish and prawns and every bite was delicious. My first Diwali celebration was a success! Also, I guarantee we will be on the Taj Gateway’s website come next week after our huge photoshoot during the celebrations. Stay tuned. 

  
  
Wednesday was our free day and most of us chose to make it a calm one. My friend Kristina and I had intended to go to a coffee shop we found online. When the hotel receptionist told us it was an hour walk, we thought that wouldn’t be the best idea so we started walking around. Luckily, we found the famous FabIndia, a modern clothing store and popular brand all over India, so we decided to go shopping. After sitting in a coffee shop just two blocks away (thank goodness we didn’t walk for an hour), we took a bus just for the experience. And it was a good one. We made a scene as always while waiting for the bus, and we probably raised a lot of questions when we got off after two blocks, but it was worth it. Use mode of public transportation: check.

    

I am so sad to see our time in Kerala end because I loved the location, the people and the food. But with nothing but great thoughts about the Southern part of India, I am looking forward to exploring the North for a while. Off to Pune we go! 

Goodbye Chennai, Hello Sri Lanka

Our last few days at MCC were filled with goodbyes and last minute shopping trips. We spent time going to the market one last time to buy gifts, since southern prices are cheaper than in the north. We said goodbye to the boys who work at the guest house that we had all grown so found of. But it was time to head off to start our next journey and we left with great thanks and admiration for Madras Christian College. 

Remember the first week I was here and I mentioned a party at a man named Suri’s house? Well, we thought it was only appropriate to end our last night in Chennai at Suri’s house on campus for one last horrah. This, of course, made the 5:30 wake up call tough the next morning, but we made it through immigration and security without passing out from fatigue. 

After being served a traditional Sri Lankan meal on our Sri Lankan airline flight, the one hour trip was done and we descended into Colombo. First reactions were: wow. I thought to myself, how can a place so close to Tamil Nadu appear so different? Everything about Colombo was different from our last location. From the prestigious towering buildings everywhere we turned to the cleanliness of the streets, we knew we were not in Chennai anymore. I also noticed the sudden change from Hindu to Bhuddist symbols that are not as prevalent in India. We tackled both the Sri Lankan Museum of Natural History and the city tour in one day, while on the second day we got to sit in on a few lectures at a local Sri Lankan university. 

  
Although the academic and sightseeing side of our time in Colombo was intriguing, my favorite experience was when we hopped on a train. For ten Sri Lankan rupees, which is about five cents in the U.S., we could travel via public transportation along the waterfront nearby our hotel. To say it was chaotic is an understatement, considering each packed train that went by was met by dozens of oncoming passengers mauling their way to each car. The seven of us that set out on this trip split up and held hands to make our way onto the cart. Each of the boys on our trip (2 to be exact) grabbed a group of us and made sure we got on without a scratch. While we were speculating at the chaotic entrance to the car, we were busy being the spectacle for those already on board. We got off only after one stop, making commuters wonder why we even got on in the first place, and were met by pouring down rain. When we got back to the hotel, we were soaking wet and ready for a delicious meal at its restaurant overlooking the water. After a long shower, of course. 

   
 Two days came and went like that, and soon we were off to our next city Arundapadura. Just as quickly as our minds had allowed us to think Sri Lanka was drastically different than India, it changed again and we realized each region was very different, similar to India. Arundapadura is a holy site of Buddhism, filled with temples and stupas every few meters. There is something so peaceful about Buddhist locations with the permeation of incenses, soft hums of monks and nuns and the overwhelming serenity that takes over the compound. I enjoyed each one we visited and I even had the chance to meditate at one of the stupas. This is something I have been taking the time to do at specific locations-this seemed like the perfect place to do it. 

  
Sigirya was the next place on our list and gave the halfway point of our trip the “kick” it needed. Did I mention the majority of our group came down with food poisoning and/or the Rota virus? I got the latter and luckily not too bad, but I can’t say the same for my peers. Despite our health troubles, the trip went on while those who needed it went to various Sri Lankan hospitals. Although I was having a mild wave of the virus, I continued with the Lion’s Rock trip in Sigyria, where we climbed over 1,000 steps to see the most amazing view. Once a palace covered with intricate murals and reliefs, most are gone but the ones preserved are gorgeous. We had the chance to climb even more that afternoon to  a Buddhist temple in caves. Luckily, our climb was not as long as the morning -our bodies could not take anymore, especially after the health crises occurring in our  group. 

  
Sorry for such a long post, but this is not even half of it. We went to yet another city, Kandy, for the last part of our time in Sri Lanka. It’s a fun name for a city, huh? Unfortunately we lost seven people for our tour of the city from the virus, but like always, we kept plowing through our itinerary. It was worth it when we saw the gorgeous Botannical gardens and the Tooth Relic temple, also known as the Pink Palace. The latter is the most sacred place for Buddhists in Sri Lanka, as well as in the world. There is a huge procession each year involving elephants. 

  
Speaking of elephants, want to see some photographs of them? If you do, you’re in luck because we went to an elephant orphanage on Friday. It may have been the cutest thing I have ever seen. Herds of elephant families feed and bathe together and we saw all of it. Being an elephant in Sri Lanka would be wonderful with this view.

   

  

Oh, we also went to a spice garden and saw demonstrations on Ayurvedic oils and their purposes. We were shown hair removal cream, snoring prevention “wine” and aloe Vera, all made at the garden. Then we got to shop for some of our own products. Sri Lanka is known for their spices, so I may have gotten a thing or two there. 

  
Do you think we did enough in Sri Lanka? It sounds like we did, but we merely covered the surface of such an incredible country. In our time there, it did not appear to have just ended a civil war. We learned in our city tours which places were in the most turmoil, Colombo being one of them, and yet they are doing well from the surface. That is the problem, however, because most of the problems are not evident to tourists. Our tour guide from the week said something as we arrived at the airport that stuck with me. He said only big countries like the States and India have the power to help Sri Lanka not be forgotten after the war. It is important to remember Sri Lanka for all of its wonderful qualities and resources, and if I am able, I would love to come back. The guide also told our group specifically to stay healthy.