What a Weekend, Kerala!

This weekend's trip was not what I expected, to say the very least. I guess I should have realized that going to three cities in five days and having a relaxing vacation is kind of paradoxical. Especially in India, where traveling can go so wrong. And, on this particular journey, it felt like anything that could go wrong did.

In some ways, getting through the weekend felt like a test. India was saying-- You can't proudly go home to America until you jump through these ridiculous hoops and over these impossible hurdles! India threw us curve ball after curveball and we dodged one after another, committed to staying safe and maintaining a positive attitude. During our orientation, we were told that most people either love India or hate it, and Suzanne and I had absolutely joined Team Love. But, this weekend, Kerala tested our loyalty, asking-- Will you still love me when you're disappointed and sick and dirty and tired? 

The three main things that I wanted to do in Kerala-- rent a house boat, visit Jew Town, and trek in Munnar-- did not happen. We spent a total of 10+ hours on a cramped public bus. In addition to all of this busing, we also walked, ran, taxi-ed, rickshaw-ed, ferryed, canoed, flew, and rode a train. It was a truly exhausting amount of travel. We slept in a different hotel each of the five nights (meaning our heavy bags were on our backs a lot). Suzanne got sick from one of our dinners and I broke my big toe nail in half. It rained all day on the only day we could go to the beach. One day was so chaotic that we didn't eat a real meal from one lunch to the next. The dinner and breakfast between consisted of rest stop snacks (cashews, dates, banana chips, chocolate, and chai), which we lived off of for almost 24 hours. We arrived in one city around 11pm, only to have to leave the next morning by 5am. We got to the airport by 6am and waited for eight hours until we could fly out at 2pm. Hotels lost our reservations and we made reservations that we didn't keep. I took two ice cold showers and one hot "shower" with buckets. I think this is painting the picture without chronicling every outrageous incident-- the weekend was kind of a mess.

Let me say, whole heartedly, that there is no one in this world that I would have rather had as a travel partner than dear Suzanne. I have a tendency to take on people's happiness and comfort as my personal responsibility, but Suzanne never let me feel guilty for all of the misfortunes out of my control. We made each other laugh when we had more reason to cry. At one point, we started cursing every aspect of the town of Munnar by whispering the most creative, vindictive insults into each others ears as we rode out of the town on a crowded bus. We were upset, but somehow made humor out of the ludicrous circumstance and kept each other smiling. We ate too much chocolate and didn't judge. We killed the many idle hours with fabulous conversations reflecting on our semester with fun hypothetical questions, like-- If you were gifted international round trip tickets to anywhere that never expired, where would you go and when? If you could only eat one thing you have eaten this semester for the rest of your life, what would it be? If you could open a hotel in India, where would you pick and what would it be like? This great game let us think about all sorts of things that were much more fun than the constant planning and re-planning that consumed way too much of our mental energy.

We really did try to make lemonade out of lemons, even though ours were rotten old lemons and we had dirty water and no sugar. Thank goodness, there really were a few positives to focus on. I discovered Kerala porotta, which may be my new favorite food. The people in Kerala were MUCH friendlier than those in Hyderabad. We were driven by the nicest rickshaw driver, who basically gave us an unsolicited tour and even stopped the ride to take a picture of us with the pretty backdrop we were passing. (If you knew half of the experiences that I have had with rickshaw drivers in the city of Hyderabad, you would realize how straight astounding this was.) We also befriended a cooky middle-aged woman from the UK, with whom we shared a canoe ride through the backwaters of Alleppy with endless interesting conversation about love, marriage, work, travel, food, and poverty. We spent one night at a homestay in the hilltops of Munnar, which I think now rivals Darjeeling for the most beautiful place on earth. Just hilltop after hilltop, lined with tea farms and half covered in clouds. We went to a museum where we learned about the Munnar's history, which basically has a lot to do with ethical businesses and empowering laborers. LOVED IT!

All and all, it was quite a trip. Maybe not the most fun or the most satisfying, but definitely memorable. And I am actually still really glad that we went. Kerala taught me that I am not invincible and I cannot do everything. But I can do somethings against the odds, and when the other things are disappointments, I can cope. I learned that I can plan every detail perfectly and still cannot stop cities from going on strike or buses from being delayed. Roughing it to new extremes heightened my gratitude for the fairly cushioned life I lead in Hyderabad and the comforts of America to which I will soon return. I learned that I like pushing my limits and trying new things, but there is a certain level of safety and comfort that I do require. And, missing out of some of our plans gave me a few more reasons to come back to India one day.


When I got back to Hyderabad and the best hug from Uncle, I was relieved to have survived the trip. But, considering the circumstances, I would say we thrived. We jumped through the hoops and over the hurdles and ate some delicious food and took some beautiful pictures and laughed a lot and made memories and learned about India and ourselves. And yes, I am still on Team Love, so take that, Kerala!

A Happy List

A few months ago, I wrote a whiney posting that listed all the things I missed about America. It should be known that in that very same handy notebook, I have been making a list called, "Unique Experiences in India," where I have documented experiences that might have never happened if I hadn't decided to pick up and move to Hyderabad for five months. With just ten quick days left, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my semester. I am so happy looking back on each of these memories, so I thought I'd share the joy...

1. Saw the Taj Mahal at sunrise
2. Lived on a rice-based diet
3. Showered with ice cold water in complete darkness
4. Ate paneer at McDonalds
5. Got chased by a water buffalo
6. Learned Hindi (and some Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit)
7. Made eggless cake in a pressure cooker
8. Skinny dipped in the Arabian Sea
9. Attended a yoga workshop in India
10. Had a doctor diagnose me based on only my pulse
11. Drove a moped
12. Wore a sari
13. Snuck into a private party at an expensive nightclub
14. Lived in a traditional Indian household
15. Filled TWO journals cover to cover
16. Was the only foreign student in a class of eighty Indians
17. Watched an ayurvedic surgery from one meter away
18. Was served daily by a hired cook
19. Had my eyebrows threaded
20. Bought custom designed leather sandals for $7
21. Participated in Hindu ritual and festivals
22. Was drenched by a monsoon (x3)
23. Learned to comfortably eat with my hands
24. Saw a Bollywood movie in theaters
25. Took an overnight train
26. Learned henna design
27. Stayed in the foothills of the Himalayas
28. Visited an Indian village
29. Helped increase access to health care in Hyderabad
30. Ate yogurt twice a day every day
31. Got in a bike crash with a moped
32. Learned to navigate public transit on my own in a foreign city
33. Forged friendships with Indian students and co-volunteers
34. Climbed boulders to overlook my campus and the city
35. Bought lunch every day for less than one dollar
36. Visited an assortment of NGOs across the city
37. Volunteered at Hyderabad's first marathon
38. Drank Darjeeling tea in Darjeeling

Let's note that this list is longer than the list of things I miss from America. But, the best part about this list is that I am not done writing it. Tomorrow, I leave for my last trip of the semester to Kerala, India's southern-most state. Its just Suzanne and I traveling this time, for our last week together until who knows when. Before we leave tomorrow, I will take my last exam of the semester, and I can't wait for the relief that will inevitably come from finishing that test and getting on the plane. We have been looking forward to this trip all semester, and I can't believe it is finally here. Kerala is known for its backwaters, tea plantations, ayurvedic medicine, and wildlife reserves. We plan on taking it slow, swimming a little, reading a lot, getting a massage, and eating some seafood. In just five days, we hope to hit three cities, using local buses to get from one to another. Best of all, we're going to rent a houseboat for 24 hours.. Thats one more thing to added to this list of amazing experiences in India! So, I am off to call the hotels and confirm our reservations and then cram cram cram some sociology! I get back on the 29th, with four days to wrap things up and head out!

Elements of Everyday Living

I have been meaning to blog about most the following information for months now. There are so many elements of every day life in India that I have grown to take for granted. I want to document and share them all to recognize their value, even in comparison to traveling around the country or volunteering in a village. Just because every day happens every day, doesn't make it any less incredible. So, heres to the little things!

Food

I literally remember having the idea to make a posting called "A Day in the Life of My Stomach" back in July, and then thinking I would wait until I moved into my home-stay... and now its November. HAH. Better late than never, right?

Breakfast at the Ramanans is easy and simple. We have hot oats with a big spoonful of honey and a little bit of warm milk, along with one or two pieces of toast with butter. When we were missing American mid-semester, we splurged on (imported, overpriced) peanut butter that we brought to the kitchen once and a while to mix up the meal. Sometimes, Durga will be make more Indian breakfast items to accompany our oats, like idlis (steamed rice/lentil patties), dosas (kind of like savory lentil crepes), or this cous-cous like dish. Right as we are finishing the toast, Durga drops her signature line, "Leo-na, coffee? chai?" Thats often chai number one of the day. (Ask me about the Leo-na nickname sometime, fun anecdote.)

Lunch happens on campus at one of the several "canteens." All canteens have "dal rice," which is exactly what it sounds like-- dal (kinda lentil soup) and rice, sometimes with yogurt or a little fried fritter. This simple meal is 18-23 ruppees, depending where you go, which is 40-50 US cents. "Talis" are one step up from dal rice, including a heaping bowl of rice and little side bowls of dal, curry, vegetable, and yogurt. If your lucky and the canteen is feeling fancy, you might get a banana, a garnish of raw cucumber slices, or a handful of these little yellow fried chips. Beyond the tali, most canteens have fried rice and fried noodles that you can get with veggies, egg or chicken. The biggest canteen has a full menu with varied tali options, a large assortment of vegetable or meat curries, panner dishes, eggs served in all sorts of form, and an assortment of Indian breads. 

This amazing place is called "Gope's," named after the couple who did most of the cooking back in the day. "Gopes" became me and Suzanne's constant hang out as we killed the many gap hours on campus between different classes and activities. At first, we never knew what to order because the menu was indecipherable and endless. We would literally just point to something on the veg menu and get it with rice and it was always delicious. But eventually we fell into a perfect routine, sharing north Indian tali, and one veg or egg dish. (Gopes is one of the few canteens with meat options, but we never opted for the tempting protein because the sanitation is questionable to say the least.)

There are no lines. You have to keep screaming your order and shaking your money in the guys face until he takes yours. I've gotten pretty good at it. Also, I dont know what on this menu is considered Western of Fast Food. Maybe they mean that the talis are fast?

Its not quite Cox Hall, but I'll take it.

A standard tali. The big bowl is the dal. Then little curry and spinach (jackpot!) as the vegtable of the day. The plastic behind the plate is a seperate yogurt we got because its much better than the watery one that comes with the tali. Then you can see the rice, pulka (the best bread option), raw veggies, and chips that all came with. This kind of tali totals to 32 Ruppes, which is about 65 cents. 

On this given day, we chose to share the tali, along with a two-egg omlet and an alu parata (basically mashed potatoe stuffed bread)

There was a point this semester when I thought eating rice twice a day was going to kill me, but I have come to really love eating at Gopes, and am always looking forward to trying another mystery dish. I am REALLY going to miss is being able to buy a freshly cooked, well-rounded meal for under a dollar. 

Dinner usually happens around 8:00pm, but tea time at 4:00 breaks up the long afternoon. Chai number two of the day is usually accompanied by a few buscuits, which is like a cookie/cracker with an identity disorder. If I meet with my peer tutor, or get out of Hindi class early, or decide I need to treat myself, chai number three enters the evening. 

Back in the saftey of the Ramanans (which is one of my most-used phrases this semester), dinner is always the event of the evening. Durga usually starts us off with a typical south Indian rice-based entity, such as idlis, dosas, or rice mixed with spices and squished into a ball (dont remember the name for that one). This is served with either dal, curry, or sambar (kind of like a vegetable stew). As we eat, she comes around and serves a side vegetable (often eggplant, potato, okra, or green bean), which is cooked to death and chopped to oblivian so that it is easy to smoosh between our fingers and mix into our rice. Each dish gets a little compartment on these nifty metal plates so it can be mixed with rice to our personal desired proportions. When we finish the rice-based item, we get a big heap of rice, which we keep nom-ing as she refills our dal/curry/sambar. Every meal is topped off with homemade curd served over white rice. Uncle takes his with salt, while Suzanne adds sugar, and Kyla and I opt of ginger pickle (I dont know how to explain what that is, but its delicious). I no longer feel satisfied at the end of a meal unless its topped off with some perfectly tart yogurt!

I have picked up a lot of Telugu from dinner interactions with Durga. Its funny because when I show off my Telugu to Indian friends, I realize that my vocab is really only relevant to someone serving me food. I can communicate-- just a little, thats enough, thank you, I want, I dont want, serve me please, take this, I ate well, nice, very nice, water, rice, yogurt, ginger, etc. Durga lets out a huge chuckle when we butcher the words, but that makes it all the more fun to learn.

Weather

Its getting to be serious winter here in Hyderabad, meaning 60 degree mornings and 85 degree days, WOO FREEZING! Actually, the 50 degree nights are feeling pretty cold, since my body is so used to the heat now. But the daytime weather is really perfect-- beautiful, sunny, and warm, but not sweltering. I can go a whole day and not even sweat through my clothes, which I definitely could not have said a month ago. My last trip is coming up this week and I am heading out to Kerala, India's Southern most state. We will be laying on the beach and renting a houseboat on the backwaters, soaking up this perfect weather for our last week here!

Check it!

Power outages

As some of you know from trying to communicate with me online, the power in India goes out a lot. And the internet goes out with it. (I am currently typing this post in a document that I will later transfer to the web when the internet comes back.) Every day, the power goes out around 9:45am and comes back around 12 noon, and then goes out again around 3pm to return by 5ish. These times are pretty flexible though. And there are also unscheduled outages that can happen whenever. I have taken a shower in complete blackness. I have learned to charge my laptop when I can, just to be safe. I have learned to plan my laundry around these dangerous outages, or else the load gets stuck sitting soggy in the machine for three hours. If I sleep in (rare here) and come down during the morning power outage, I just get bread instead of toast, and there's a BIG difference. 

At first, I was under the impression that these scheduled outages were part of the Telagana Separate State Movement strikes that were happening all across the city. But that issue has settled recently and the power outages persist. Auntie mentioned once that it has something to do with a shortage of coal or something, I'm not really sure. Businesses that need their power and internet to be consistent have to invest in a generator that kicks in a few times a day. I feel like no one would stand for this in the US, but I have noticed that in India, it is often up to individuals, private companies, and NGOs to make up for the government's deficient services. 

Bike

SIP 40, forever and always

My bike is a big part of my life here. Every morning, I leave the house and walk to the main road, where I catch a shared auto or a bus to the campus gate, where I pick up my bike and begin the 20 minute ride to class. We are not allowed to take our bikes off campus, which at first I thought was ridiculous, but now I perfectly understand. Roads here are chaotic to say the least, and the campus is just a little bit better than city driving. Biking is definitely the best way to get around this sprawling, green campus. Its amazingly faster than walking, and on the hot days, biking can generate a refreshing breeze. There is really a culture for biking on this campus.. almost every student has one!

In India, everyone (is supposed to) drive on the left, but the pervasive potholes often require drivers to bend that rule. These roads are shared by pedestrians, bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, cars, shuttles, school buses, trucks, tractors, and wild animals. Its pretty insane. To add to the chaos, students like to walk arm and arm four friends across or park their bikes to have a quick convo, assuming that traffic will just get around them. My right hand has been trained to quickly snap down to my little bike bell, which has literally saved few times. Did I mention there are no bike helmets in India? Cause, no one wears helmets in India. I don't even think I could find one in a store if I tried. 

Unfortunately, there have been a few incidents when my bell couldn't do anything to help me. The first bike accident was 100% my fault. I decided I could answer my phone while biking (Indians seem to do this effortlessly all the time). But I had only one hand on the handle bars and had to jerk around a bump as a giant bus started passing me and I jerked too quick and then counteracted too dramatically and went directly into a light pole on the side of the road. I was totally fine besides a little rip in my capris and a giant bruise that made it look like I took a cricket bat to the thigh. Woops, lesson learned.

Bike accident number two was 90% NOT my fault. I was biking down a hill on the main road and a moped jumped out for a foot path short cut intended for walkers. I would have had right of way in the States, but Im not sure that concept exists here; both drivers just have to pay attention and go around each other. And, this time, we were not paying nearly enough attention. He drove perpendicular into my front wheel, which turned on impact and my body went into my handle bars as I went down. I was pretty shook up and I still have a giant bruise fading on my thigh (again) and one on my stomach (ew), plus a nice series of scabs on my hand. Oy, India. Its such incidences that make all of the terrible culture shock symptoms come out when I just hate anything and everything that makes India different. This spill happened just this week, so I reminded myself I have two short weeks to keep surviving until I return to the safety of home. Only a few days after this accident, I returned my rented bike and got back the 3500 rupees ($70) that I put down as a safety deposit. Felt sooo good-- goodbye stressful biking, hello money in my pocket!

But let the record show, for the most part, I have really loved getting by on public transport and biking this semester. Its nice to power myself with the energy in my legs rather than paying at the pump!

Sandals

Remember how my Birkenstocks died? A while back, I replaced them with custom leather shoes made by the tanner on campus. They are the same color as my birks with a different style, and I have worn them almost every day since I got them. They cost me only $7 USD, so I can't complain that they are stretching out and wearing down a little. People on my program have been trying to get all sorts of dresses, suits and shoes custom made because the service is so cheap here, and I would definitely say that these sandals were one of the more successful endeavors. 

Dogs

Who noticed that adorable pup in the pic? A dog on campus just had a litter! I got so many cute pics of puppies. Nothing picks up a dragging day like seeing some adorable puppies waddle by while you sip your chia!! Sometimes, the dogs on campus are really upsetting because they are so thin, sad, and sickly. Its hard to see dogs like that when we are accustomed to seeing them so health, happy and pampered. But here, dogs are wild animals that are just more comfortable around humans, kind of like squirrels in America or something. But, unlike squirrels, these pups are ADORABLE! We decided they were too young to be diseased and even pet them a little (and then immediately washed our hands). While we're talking about k-9s, I MISS KUBI!

Indian English

When I said I was going to be living in India, a lot of people asked me if I spoke Hindi, and I reassured them that I would be at a University where everyone would know English. But the truth is, I hadn't realized just how pervasive English really is in India until I arrived. English is enthusiastically embraced by Indians, because it is associated with education, Westernization, globalization, business, politics, opportunities, etc. Hindi, on the other hand, is sometimes resented, because many feel that it was arbitrarily chosen as the national language and they shouldn't have to learn it when English is more useful. Besides the government schools that only serve the poor, the entire education system in India uses English. So, children grow up learning their mother tongue, Hindi, and English, at the very least.

In everyday speech, certain worlds, like mobile, are always in English, because Hindi never generated a word for cell phone. There are other English words or phrases that have come to be more common than their Hindi equivalent. If you watch a Bollywood movie, you could probably piece together the plot just by following facial expressions and the intermittent English that is constantly thrown in. There is really no ideal of purity in the Hindi language. Our Hindi teacher actually told us that if you don't know a word, we should just insert English, so we will say sentences in class like, Mera man pasand movie Garden State hai (my favorite movie is Garden State). I specifically remember my Spanish teacher always saying that if you don't know a word, you should find a way to communicate the thought using words that you do know. I find it so interesting what these different approaches say about each language and culture. 

The English spoken across India is very distinct, often referred to as Indian English. Many of the phrases are British, like Auntie's favorites Nonsense of a bloody fool! and You dare fellow! Other British vocab includes calling flashlights torches and bathrooms washrooms. In India, cup means what we call mug, and glass means what we think of as cup. Bike means motorcyle, and cycle means bike. Sleeping late means you went to bed at 2am, not you woke up at 1pm. Its a confusing world I live in!

Other funny phrases combo Hindi and English, like ek minute, which is used instead of one minute, even if the conversation is happening completely in English. I have learned that some of my phrases are unique to America. When I first moved in and Uncle offered me more food, I said, No, I'm good. He responded, I never though you were bad, I just thought you might want some more rice. He was kidding, but then explained that my response was totally American and made no sense to him. 

My favorite aspect of Indian English is the awkward sayings that crop up because of the imperfect way that Hindi translates to English. For example, in Hindi, there is no word for a or the, though the word one is sometimes used in such places. So, Indians will translate English the same way and say, I am staying in one nice hotel in Chennai this weekend. Also, in Hindi, the sentence always ends in a verb, so many Indians will structure their sentences in English in the same fashion. When we would say, There are many options, and Indian might say, Many options are there. In Hindi, live and stay are the same verb, so people ask me, Where does your family stay? and I say MD, but I want to add that they've been there for a long time and aren't going anywhere soon haha. There is this word in Hindi that is used for emphasis and it translates roughly to only or actually, though it is used in many places where these English words are not. In the following two examples, this emphasis has a specific implication that the Indian is not actually intending to insert-- I stay am studying computer science only, or I am feeling sick actually. When any number or letter repeats, Indian English calls for saying double or triple rather than saying the repetition. So, an Indian would spell Mississippi by saying M - i - double s - i - double s - i - double p - i. 

This might not be as interesting to all of you as it is to me, but now at least you will be able to understand me if I come home with a few Indian English mannerism in my speech!

The End

This is a really long post. Thanks for making it to the end! :)

Sowmya's Snaps

As promised, here are some more photos from my trip to the village! (You'll have to read the last posting to get the story behind the pics.) All the credit goes to my co-volunteer, her snazzy camera and artsy eye :)

Where our morning began...

SO. MANY. GLASSES. All in order my number and name for quick delivery.

The symmetrical nose piercing look has yet to make it to America

We all fell in love with this baby and kept her more than occupied while her grandma waited in line

They don't look to happy to be waiting, haha

I did this awkward pose many times...

I actually really like this one because you can see the whole happy scene

The initial confusion

Check out those fresh new specs!

Now at the girls school, our meeting with the teachers

My gracious audience

Taped for the YFS website, haha. But look how cute Swathi is!

Sowmya took some beautiful portraits, which was her goal for the day

Another great one

The dam wasn't much to see.. it was more the water behind it.

What a place to end our day!

Look! I have Indian friends!

I really like this one because it perfectly captures the expression
 I get when people see my foreign face in the car window

Maybe the Best Day of My Life

Saturday was one of the most interesting, powerful, and overwhelming days of my life, so the idea of summarizing it in a blog post is a bit daunting, but here goes nothing--

I woke up at the crack of dawn (yes, sixth day in a row) and joined my fellow Youth For Seva volunteers by 6:30 am. Together, we made the 3 hour ride from Hyderabad to a little rural town center that serves the 22 surrounding villages. At the primary care center, we distributed glasses to villagers who had gotten their eyes screened by volunteers the month before. My daily life in Hyderabad does not lend itself to such positive interactions with bone-thin, toothless farmers and construction workers, so this was a really unique chance to meet a different population of Indians. Most were so so excited to be getting free glasses, and such emotions overcome all language barriers. I really don't know how some of these individuals have been crossing the street when I saw how strong their prescriptions were. There was lots of sitting around, but over all, it was a very feel good morning!

In the afternoon, I went with a few girls from YFS Health sector's to meet with the principle of the girls school a few blocks away that serves 500 girls from all of the surrounding villages. We told her all about our project and asked for permission to do an awareness talk next month. She, and all of her teachers, we so receptive and enthusiastic, it was really incredible! And the school was so big and well maintained and organized.. better than a lot of the urban schools actually.

After the meeting, they gathered the middle school age girls together and we introduced ourselves. With my fellow volunteers and the teachers serving as translators, I ran a ice-breaker game I know from Camp Mosh. It was really incredible to see 200 or so Indian schoolgirls playing a familiar game I play with Americans every summer, though of course it did look a little different across the world with ten times the people. When we were all warmed up, I explained that I am from America and am studying in India. Swati, my team leader, had the idea of allowing the girls to ask me a few questions about America.

At first, they didn't know what to say, so a teacher started, and asked me how the educational system is different in my experiences in the US and India. The teachers and volunteers translated between me and the schoolgirls. Soon enough, their questions started pouring out-- Why are you in India? Why isn't your hair braided? Whats your favorite Indian food? What do you like about our village? What do you like to do when not studying? Whats your favorite flower? Have you been to the statue of liberty? Do women wear saris in America? What do you eat in America? Are there beggars in America? Is there caste? Honestly, how did they think of these questions! Kids are amazing, across the globe. I told them so much about myself and America. I explained the concept of a sandwich, told them that cows are only in farms in America and never roam the streets (the exact opposite as in India), told them that not everyone in America is rich, explained that we have groups of different groups of people by your skin color or language or religion or how much money you have, its just not called caste.

Explaining my religion was the most interesting. The conversation with the teacher attempting to translate my response went about as follows--

      Teacher:  She asked if you worship g-d?
      Me:  Oh jeez, haha, um tell her-- yes, but in a different way.
      Teacher:  What do you mean? What's your religion?
      Me:  Im Jewish actually. You can tell her that my religion only has one G-d.
      Teacher:  Oh, so you mean Jesus. Youre Christian.
      Me:  No, its one g-d, but not Jesus
      Teacher:  Who is it then?
      Me:  Um, just g-d, just the lord.
      Teacher:  He doesnt have a name? What does he look like?
      Me:  There are no pictures or idols or names or anything. Its just g-d
      Teacher:  (confused face)
      Me:  Its more like Islam that way. No picture, just one big g-d.
      Teacher:   (head bobble, kind of a gesture of "ok")
      Me:  You can tell them that, like in hinduism, we have a temple we go to for worship
      and rituals, just in a different way.

      Teacher:  (face of recognition as she turns to translate to the school)

SO INTERESTING. Who would have thought that I would identify with Islam as a way of explaining my religious beliefs. So incredible.

After I thought that I had survived the worst on-the-spot interrogation, the no-longer-shy middle schoolers decided that I should sing an English song. Really, I should have seen it coming, SO Indian. (As I explained regarding Diwali, everyone sings here, not just certain people who are considered talented or something.) But I suddenly just couldnt think of a single English song. My mind went blank and my nerves started rushing through my blood. They were insistent and I had to refuse really adamantly and try to explain myself to Swathi. I am really not a performer, and the whole thing had already been quite enough for me, so I got serious and told her to stop asking before things got really awkward. I think she saw the desperation in my face and moved on.



In some ways, I did feel uncomfortable about the afternoon's activities. Especially when we were taking pictures before I left. The girls started reaching to shake my hand, and then literally almost trampled me in a stampede of twelve year olds trying to touch me. It was a little too much like "The Leah Show". Its hard to explain, but somehow, all of the attention kind of felt like I was being objectified or fetishized for my race and nationality. I kind of wanted to say, "I'm not so interesting, I promise, I'm just another human being like each one of you girls sitting out here." But Swathi felt really good about the whole day, and helped me understand why. These girls probably haven't gone far outside of their village before, and so it is very exciting to have a visitor show up from all the way across the globe. And, I wasn't perpetuating superficial stereotypes, I was actually educating them about another part of the world and providing a unique cross cultural experience. Plus, the afternoon set up a good dynamic between the school and YFS, who will be back next month to educate the girls of health and hygiene. And Swathi was so happy that I got a chance to experience what she considers, "the real India."

After we left the school, we drove ten minutes to this big lake/dam that provides energy to the area's villages. It was so peaceful and beautiful under the just-setting sun. The perfect end to the day! The trip home was long and exhausting. On the final stretch to my house, the city bus so was crowded that my perpetually-bloated stomach was being pushed into the handrail and strangers' bodies were squished up against me from all other sides. Fourteen hours after this journey had begun, I was just so so tired and really wanted to be safely home. All of the sudden, I had tears welling up in my eyes. My head had too many thoughts and my heart had too many feelings and my body needed food, water, and rest. But, I just took a big swallow and a deep breath and was totally fine, as I thought to myself, welp, "I think I almost just overflowed."

P.S. One of my fellow volunteers brought an amazing camera and took so many pictures, so I may make another posting just sharing great pics
 from the day when I get them all from her.

A Week of Healing

It turns out, I might not be able to blame that giant hamburger for all of my stomach problems this past weekend. When my symptoms persisted long after that meal had left my body, I decided it was time to contact a doctor here in Hyderabad. She started me on three drug regimen, which I dutifully followed, despite my skepticism in her over-the-phone diagnosis and hasty prescription. To my (and my mom's) relief, my symptoms turned around in 24 hours! I still don't really know what these magic medicines are, but I am feeling totally like myself again-- thank goodness!

But, this week was not only healing for my digestive track! My mind and soul were also rejuvenated at a five-day beginners workshop in Sri Sri Yoga. Uncle had previously participated in a workshop with the same foundation, called Art of Living. He highly recommended the course, but Suzanne, Kyla, and I weren't so sure about the idea. Firstly, it required getting up at 5:00 am all week, a week that happened to end in my most stressful final exam. Plus, the flyer made it kind of sound like a bunch of bologna, guaranteeing five yoga classes would bring definite weight loss, strengthened bones, better functioning of endocrine gland, and decreased reliance on drugs.

At the same time, I have been complaining all semester about wanting to do more yoga while I am living in the philosophy's birth land. The class at the campus yoga center conflicts exactly with my hindi class, and I have been too busy to commit to a course off campus. With a little trepidation, I decided that this workshop could be the perfect opportunity to fit yoga into my India experience. Plus, what better timing for "more pleasant and peaceful mind" and "decreased tension and stress" than my first week of finals. I was hoping the deep breathing might somehow help regulate my digestive track, too, since the advertisements made this practice sound like a cure-all.

I was still pretty sick on Monday morning, when my alarm went off at 5:15 am. But, now that the week is complete, I could not be happier with my decision to attend this workshop. First of all, I was surprised how much I really loved waking up before the sun. My days this week felt so long, in the most productive and fulfilling way.  I hit the bed every night around 10:00 pm feeling absolutely accomplished, before I instantly fell asleep. In this city of constants sights, smells, and sounds, the morning time is refreshingly peaceful. The air is cool and crisp and the sunrise is a beautiful faded peach color, behind the now-familiar sky line. I got back home each morning around 8:30, to have breakfast at my usual time and head to campus feeling so alive and energized. Uncle continually told me this week that he could "see my halo glowing", which I thinks means yoga worked its magic.

I was one of about three hundred Hyderabdis to attend this workshop, in a beautiful outdoor venue ten minutes from my house. The yoga class itself was two hours longs, but most days it flew by. We practiced breathing techniques, sun salutations, all sorts of asanas (yoga positions), a little cardio, and of course, meditation. We also did this really interesting exercise where you basically force yourself to laugh. It was awkward at first, but I really think that it improved my mood! Of course, there is that psychological principle that if you act as though you feel a certain way, you will actually take on that emotion. I also think that feigning laughter really required letting our guards down and just looking silly in a way that was totally refreshing.

The yoga instructor was this extremely charismatic woman named Kamlesh Barwal, who has been living in an ashram for the last thirteen years. She had a great sense of humor that kept us smiling throughout the class, because apparently, "Theres no such thing as a yogi with a frown." She was full of wise words, giving sermon-like speeches on the benefits of different types of breathing or how to eat well to maintain your body's energy and wellness. Like in my Ayurveda class, I did not listen to her speeches and think, "Oh, so thats how it works," but more "Isn't it interesting that she thinks this way." On the first day, she made the crowd take an oath to have a sort of healthy detox week-- no meat, no eggs, no fried food, no coffee, no chai, no alcohol, no smoking, and lots of water. I mostly complied, besides 1.5 cups of chai. But thats my usual daily intake, so I definitely made an effort!

On Thursday, an Ayurvedic doctor guest-starred at our workshop. She gave a little speech and it felt pretty cool to already know everything she was talking about. At the end of the yoga class, she offered to do pulse diagnoses-- a controversial practice where certain ayurvedic doctors claim to perceive the body's constitution (according to the three humors), the present imbalances, and any required natural medicines, all just by feeling your pulse. Suzanne and I eagerly pushed to the front of the line. She instantly said that I was the exact same composition that was determined at the beginning of the semester by an extensive questionnaire-- COOL! However, her guesses at my current health problems were pretty off until I gave her a few big clues. I am SO EXCITED to show the write-up to my Ayurveda teacher on Monday and discuss the whole experience.

What a week it has been! Besides my rejuvenating mornings, I had pretty stressful days packed with reading hundreds of pages and memorizing dozens of sanskrit words for final exam today in Anthropology of Indian Society. In general, I think that the peaceful effects of the workshop did help mitigate the chaos of my studies. But it wasn't a miracle cure for my perpetually anxious ways-- I am ashamed to admit that I took out my handy notebook and wrote a to-do list today mid-meditation. With all of that crammed information swimming around, I just couldn't clear my mind. But hey, my week of yoga taught me a lot, and I am inspired to keep practicing and keep learning!

Hard Rock, How Could You?!

This week, I was elated to win first place in CIEE's essay contest, "What Will Your Story Be?" The prize money was the perfect excuse to finally make a trip to Hyderabad's branch of the infamous Hard Rock Cafe. Along with Suzanne, Karen, and Valerie, I splurged on some good old American eats to the tune of classic American rock. With money to blow, I went all out-- one mojito, a shared chicken quesadilla appetizer, the hugest beef burger, additional side salad, and a shared chocolate peanut butter moose for dessert. After four months in India, this American feast was the definition of indulgence! The meal had a truly celebratory mood, as we each enjoyed our first red meat in months and rocked out to the blaring soundtrack. It was almost a perfect evening...

... Until I woke up the next morning and ran to the bathroom, sick as a dog. Hard Rock, HOW COULD YOU!? I thought we really had a connection! I thought we shared something special! You have imported ingredients and dishes I grew up eating, so I trusted you with my poor sensitive digestive track. And you played me like a fool! Maybe I should have seen this coming, but a girl can be blinded by ten ounces of juicy, succulent beef. I wore my taste-buds on my sleeve, and you took my prize rupees without looking back. If that's who you really are, Hard Rock, maybe I am better off without you. I was fine without your American food for four months and I will be again! I am deleting your reservation contact number from my mobile!! That's right, I'm an independent woman! (Or, just a woman who can only eat toast and yogurt.)

So, yea, that sucked, and I did not leave the house for the rest of the weekend. Womp womp. But, it was actually a good time to be on house arrest, because I have plenty of work to keep me busy. Classes are slowly coming to an end-- just as each professor started the semester according on their own schedule, each class is ending depending on how much material is left to finish. As my courses wrap up, my homework is beginning to pile. On Tuesday, I have a presentation in Ayurveda and the last unit test in Sociology. Then, my first final exam is on Friday in Anthropology of Indian Society. The test is worth 60% of my grade and I have been pretty bad about keeping up with readings. So, the past few days have been spent glued to my books, while resting up and lounging around. I have spent hours analyzing the critiques of Sanskritization, but the big lesson of the weekend is-- I must temper my food cravings and treat this poor, sensitive bod with tender kindness as I gradually readjust to the American diet come December. 

Last Month, Fast Month

You read that correctly... today marks exactly one month left in India! For a long time now, I have found myself counting the days until my return to the US. Its not at all that I haven't been enjoying my time here. Its just as though a part of me is holding my breath until I make it home safe, sound, and still capable of digesting food. Staying in such close contact with my friends and family has been surprisingly easy and enriching this semester, but lately, there has been a lot of talk of my return. I am so so excited for my first Shabbat at home, back with the fam. I am looking forward to my Mom's birthday, seeing my WJ friends, New Years with camp friends, a family trip to NJ for my cousin's bar mitzvah, and then a road trip down to Atlanta. So much love and good food to come home to! But in focusing on that, am I wishing away this experience of a lifetime?

Best family pic yet,
from the Farewell Dinner (Sari Day Round Two)

On Monday night, my program had its "Farewell Dinner," which involved a slide show presentation on re-entry into your home country and preparations for reverse culture shock. It was interesting to talk about, though it did seem a little premature. Obviously, I have certain concerns about the adjustment back, but I am glad to have so much down time to recuperate before Spring semester picks up at Emory in mid January.

The talk about departing continued last night at the SIP Cultural Evening. International students (more talented than myself) preformed Indian song and dance in the University's big auditorium. The idea was to "present what we have learned this semester" and the speeches and thank-you's at the end were so conclusive, I wanted to stand up and remind everyone-- WAIT! THERES STILL ONE MONTH LEFT!

Beautiful Charminar

And then it hit me! One month left! This is it! That part of me thats still waiting to breathe until I am back in the US... its starting to turn blue in the face. October ended as soon as it began, and I suddenly find myself with a change of heart. Its not one whole month until I go home, its 30 speedy days, 4 short weeks! How can that be possible? I'm ready to be home, but I'm not ready to leave India! I don't want to get on that plane with any regrets of places I didn't go, foods I didn't try, things I didn't buy, experiences I didn't have. 

This week, I have been reevaluating my "India Bucket List" (I know, another list, I can't help it). These items are no longer fictitious things I hope to do one day-- they're events I need to fit into my agenda! In the next three weekends!! 

A view of Hyderabad from the top of Charminar

To start, Suzanne, Kyla and I had a fully Hyderabadi day on Saturday. We went to Charminar, Hyderabad's most famous monument in the middle of the bustling old Muslim city. We had been once during orientation in July, but we were with the whole program and only had enough time to snap a pic and get on to the next big attraction. So, this time we gave ourselves the whole afternoon. We used our classic mix of English and broken Hindi to convince the man in the ticket booth that we live in Hyderabad and should not be charged 100 rupees entry fee for foreigners, but rather the 5 rupee local fee. Success! Feels equally empowering every time that works. Then, we went up the spiraling staircase inside one of the four tours of Charminar. When we got to the top, the city was sprawled out in all directions around us. We snapped pictures and took it all in before the shakier journey back down the steep steps. 

Onto the next classic Hyderabadi activity-- bangle shopping in Lad Bazaar outside of Charminar. I'm still traumatized from the pain of wearing bangles for Diwali, so I mostly just looked around.. and boy was there a lot to see! Glitzy stores with rows upon rows upon rows of bracelets in every color, covered in glitter, reflecting the lights hanging all around.  After many failed attempts, we finally found a shop keeper who understood our more simple ascetic, and we bought a few nice silver bangles. I have been wearing two silver bangles every day already, so I added a third while Kyla and Suzanne each got a little set-- all the same bracelet. FRIENDSHIP BANGLES! 

Then, we were off to our classic Hyderabadi dinner, Biryani. Hyderabad (especially the old city) is famous for this rice and meat dish, but I still had yet to really get all the hype. So we headed to Hotel Shadab, which received rave reviews in Lonely Planet and happens to be our program directors favorite restaurant in the whole city. I can finally say, I have joined the Biryani craze-- the rice was long and flavorful, covered in a savory gravy and mixed with perfectly cooked and seasoned meat. We took the hour-long train commute back to our side of town and gave each other nice pats on the back for a day full of bucket-list-cross-outs. 

I hope to keep making the most of my present life in this present place for the next thirty days. I know that all those great American comforts will be mine soon enough, and when they are, I'll miss sweating in my kurta while I shovel down the rice.