So Saturday night I ended up getting food poisoning and coundlt leave the “hotel” (more like a hell hole) the entire day. I never want to go back to Agra or Fatepur Sikri ever again. Although I definitely don’t regret seeing the Taj Mahal, I would never want to go back. Agra is just so dirty and filthy that I don’t trust anything that comes out from there. I still feel queasy whenever I try to eat food so I’m going to have to take it slow for the next couple of days.
It’s starting to get hotter each day here. My painting teacher said only 10 more days of nice weather and then it sky rockets into the high 90’s. And that’s just spring! Time to break out the sunscreen.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Feb 20, 2010
This morning we woke up at dawn to see the sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Although we didn’t get there until after sunrise, it was still stunning. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. The entire architecture of the Taj is complete perfection. The fact that Shah Jahan created such a flawless and magnificent building out of love to house his wife’s tomb makes the Taj even more exquisite.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the Agra Fort built by Akbar. It was a military fort with a palace inside. It too was a beautiful piece of architecture. The Mughals definitely had it down. Or too much money to spend. It was so fascinating to walk through the fort and look at semi-precious stone inlays and know that it has been there for hundreds of years. I forget that we have shared this planet for thousands of years with billions of people.
After the Agra Fort we went to Itamad-Ud-Daula built by Nur Shaha. It was a tomb for her parents and was built in the same style of the Taj Mahal, just on a smaller scale. Out of all the tombs I have seen so far in India, it was definitely the most ornate and stylized one. She had great taste. The entire building was covered in semi-precious stones which made up flowers climbing the walls. The entire building was so beautiful and such an incredible display of love and honor for her parents.
The city of Agra is my least favorite so far. It’s so dirty and the kids begging on the street are ruthless- you have to keep your doors locked and windows up at all times because they try to get in your car. I never thought I would miss Delhi so much.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the Agra Fort built by Akbar. It was a military fort with a palace inside. It too was a beautiful piece of architecture. The Mughals definitely had it down. Or too much money to spend. It was so fascinating to walk through the fort and look at semi-precious stone inlays and know that it has been there for hundreds of years. I forget that we have shared this planet for thousands of years with billions of people.
After the Agra Fort we went to Itamad-Ud-Daula built by Nur Shaha. It was a tomb for her parents and was built in the same style of the Taj Mahal, just on a smaller scale. Out of all the tombs I have seen so far in India, it was definitely the most ornate and stylized one. She had great taste. The entire building was covered in semi-precious stones which made up flowers climbing the walls. The entire building was so beautiful and such an incredible display of love and honor for her parents.
The city of Agra is my least favorite so far. It’s so dirty and the kids begging on the street are ruthless- you have to keep your doors locked and windows up at all times because they try to get in your car. I never thought I would miss Delhi so much.
Feb 19, 2010
I am currently on my way to Agra for the weekend to see the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, both built in the Mughal dynasty. We’re taking 5 taxis because the train was delayed 5 hours. No problem, if anything I’ve learned in India so far it’s be flexible.
I just watched the sun go down. I’ve never seen such an exquisite sunset. It wasn’t the sky that was so memorizing but the sun itself. It felt so big and close it was as if you could touch it. It reminded me of when I was at the Bedouin camp in Israel and I hiked up a hill at night to look at the stars. It literally felt as if I could reach up and pull them down. It was exactly how I felt with the Indian sun; it felt so close as if I could walk right up to it. The orange-red that filled the sun was the most intense and striking natural color I have ever seen. Because India is so flat you can see the sunset almost anywhere. India definitely takes the cake for sunsets (although Seattle is close second).
I’m falling in love with India more and more every day. I think all of my judgments have somewhat dissolved and I can just enjoy India for what she’s about. I’ve realized that I need to let go of all my preconceived judgments about India and just take every minute in. When I first arrived I looked at the poor on the street and just assumed how miserable their lives must be. But I’ve learned that they aren’t poor. In fact, they may be the richest people on earth. I’m slowly learning you can’t measure wealth with material things. When it all boils down, material things don’t matter- you can’t take them with you when you pass on. All you can take is your state of mind. These people on the streets have it figured out. They know how to find happiness without objects and stuff; they know how to enjoy life as it is. They have it figured out. I could definitely learn something from them…
I just watched the sun go down. I’ve never seen such an exquisite sunset. It wasn’t the sky that was so memorizing but the sun itself. It felt so big and close it was as if you could touch it. It reminded me of when I was at the Bedouin camp in Israel and I hiked up a hill at night to look at the stars. It literally felt as if I could reach up and pull them down. It was exactly how I felt with the Indian sun; it felt so close as if I could walk right up to it. The orange-red that filled the sun was the most intense and striking natural color I have ever seen. Because India is so flat you can see the sunset almost anywhere. India definitely takes the cake for sunsets (although Seattle is close second).
I’m falling in love with India more and more every day. I think all of my judgments have somewhat dissolved and I can just enjoy India for what she’s about. I’ve realized that I need to let go of all my preconceived judgments about India and just take every minute in. When I first arrived I looked at the poor on the street and just assumed how miserable their lives must be. But I’ve learned that they aren’t poor. In fact, they may be the richest people on earth. I’m slowly learning you can’t measure wealth with material things. When it all boils down, material things don’t matter- you can’t take them with you when you pass on. All you can take is your state of mind. These people on the streets have it figured out. They know how to find happiness without objects and stuff; they know how to enjoy life as it is. They have it figured out. I could definitely learn something from them…
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Feb 14th
Valentines Day! …apparently they don’t celebrate it here.
I’m currently waiting for the water to heat up so I can take a bucket shower. My towel is as stiff as a board from doing laundry the other day. I would give my soul for some fabric softener right now.
Yesterday we went to Lodi Gardens for a little picnic with some of the girls. The park was so beautiful and pleasant! We walked around a little bit and just chilled on the lawns. After Lodi Gardens we went to Cannaught Place Market where I spent way too much money shopping. Everything is just so beautiful and cheap I can’t resist!
After we left C.P. we went to a Kitak dance performance. Although it wasn’t anywhere as good as Rajasthan Roots it was still appealing to watch. The only downside was it was all in Hindi so we had no clue what was going on or what the story was about. But the dancing was fun to watch. You could kind of get the story because the dancer’s moves were so specific and precise.
Today is homework day for me. Just a lazy Sunday reading for my independent study project (ISP) and doing some Hindi homework. I changed my ISP to elephant conservation, I’m so excited! I can’t believe I’ve been here two weeks already, it feels like I’ve been here for two months but at the same time the days go by so fast. I’m just trying to take it all in.
I’m currently waiting for the water to heat up so I can take a bucket shower. My towel is as stiff as a board from doing laundry the other day. I would give my soul for some fabric softener right now.
Yesterday we went to Lodi Gardens for a little picnic with some of the girls. The park was so beautiful and pleasant! We walked around a little bit and just chilled on the lawns. After Lodi Gardens we went to Cannaught Place Market where I spent way too much money shopping. Everything is just so beautiful and cheap I can’t resist!
After we left C.P. we went to a Kitak dance performance. Although it wasn’t anywhere as good as Rajasthan Roots it was still appealing to watch. The only downside was it was all in Hindi so we had no clue what was going on or what the story was about. But the dancing was fun to watch. You could kind of get the story because the dancer’s moves were so specific and precise.
Today is homework day for me. Just a lazy Sunday reading for my independent study project (ISP) and doing some Hindi homework. I changed my ISP to elephant conservation, I’m so excited! I can’t believe I’ve been here two weeks already, it feels like I’ve been here for two months but at the same time the days go by so fast. I’m just trying to take it all in.
Feb. 12th
I’m starting to get in the flow of things here.
We had Hindi in the morning (which is getting harder and harder each day) and then a lecture on Islam and Sufism. It was definitely interesting to learn about Sufism because I had no clue what is was about. Apparently they are all about using music to reach God and building a relationship of pure love. Sounds good to me.
We didn’t have any excursions planned today so Ayshea and I went to try to find a Shiva temple since today was Shivarti (Shiva’s birthday). We didn’t end up finding the temple but we stumbled upon (quite literally) the Baha’i Lotus Temple which was absolutely breath taking. It’s shaped as a giant lotus flower and the inside was as if you were a tiny dew drop being engulfed by this enormous flower architecture. It was so meditative inside because everything was bathed in white and there was no speaking inside.
After the temple we wondered around until it was time to go to the Rajasthan Roots concert. We didn’t know how far it was so I asked some guy in an important looking uniform if he knew where it was. The guy was so sweet that not only did he find out where the concert was but he stood out in the pouring rain looking for a rickshaw for us and then continued to argue with the driver until he gave us a fair price. By that time a lightning and thunder storm had rolled in and we rode through the streets of Delhi in the pouring rain. Mind you that the rickshaw has no doors so by the time we arrived to the concert we were drenched. But since it was our first Indian rain storm we didn’t mind.
I didn’t really know what to expect for Rajasthan Roots but it blew my mind! There were all sorts of instruments I have never even seen. The band played traditional Rajasthani folk music fused with blues, jazz, and electronica. For a few songs a Rajasthani woman dancer came out dancing in full on traditional dress with a pot of flames balanced on her head- true talent if I ever saw it. The entire performance was amazing. They were all about creativity and spreading their music so all can enjoy. It’s so cool how no matter what culture you’re from anyone can enjoy and appreciate music. Although the entire concert was in Hindi I was able to fully enjoy myself and dance along with the other spectators.
I definitely fell in love with India today. I just realized that the people of India are the most warm-hearted people I have ever met. They really do care. The man who helped us find a rickshaw, the rickshaw driver himself, the woman working at the concert who found me in the crowd just to give me the coke I left- they all genuinely care. Their hearts are enormous, we could all learn from them.
I can already tell I’m going to miss this city a lot when I leave. Everything is just so exciting here. Just taking a rickshaw to class feels like a huge adventure and accomplishment when it’s over. More and more everyday it feels like home here.
We had Hindi in the morning (which is getting harder and harder each day) and then a lecture on Islam and Sufism. It was definitely interesting to learn about Sufism because I had no clue what is was about. Apparently they are all about using music to reach God and building a relationship of pure love. Sounds good to me.
We didn’t have any excursions planned today so Ayshea and I went to try to find a Shiva temple since today was Shivarti (Shiva’s birthday). We didn’t end up finding the temple but we stumbled upon (quite literally) the Baha’i Lotus Temple which was absolutely breath taking. It’s shaped as a giant lotus flower and the inside was as if you were a tiny dew drop being engulfed by this enormous flower architecture. It was so meditative inside because everything was bathed in white and there was no speaking inside.
After the temple we wondered around until it was time to go to the Rajasthan Roots concert. We didn’t know how far it was so I asked some guy in an important looking uniform if he knew where it was. The guy was so sweet that not only did he find out where the concert was but he stood out in the pouring rain looking for a rickshaw for us and then continued to argue with the driver until he gave us a fair price. By that time a lightning and thunder storm had rolled in and we rode through the streets of Delhi in the pouring rain. Mind you that the rickshaw has no doors so by the time we arrived to the concert we were drenched. But since it was our first Indian rain storm we didn’t mind.
I didn’t really know what to expect for Rajasthan Roots but it blew my mind! There were all sorts of instruments I have never even seen. The band played traditional Rajasthani folk music fused with blues, jazz, and electronica. For a few songs a Rajasthani woman dancer came out dancing in full on traditional dress with a pot of flames balanced on her head- true talent if I ever saw it. The entire performance was amazing. They were all about creativity and spreading their music so all can enjoy. It’s so cool how no matter what culture you’re from anyone can enjoy and appreciate music. Although the entire concert was in Hindi I was able to fully enjoy myself and dance along with the other spectators.
I definitely fell in love with India today. I just realized that the people of India are the most warm-hearted people I have ever met. They really do care. The man who helped us find a rickshaw, the rickshaw driver himself, the woman working at the concert who found me in the crowd just to give me the coke I left- they all genuinely care. Their hearts are enormous, we could all learn from them.
I can already tell I’m going to miss this city a lot when I leave. Everything is just so exciting here. Just taking a rickshaw to class feels like a huge adventure and accomplishment when it’s over. More and more everyday it feels like home here.
Feb. 11th 1010
Today was a good day.
Hindi in the morning wasn’t too bad today. Its hard trying to learn a year of Hindi in just two months but it they do it every session I guess its possible.
Our lecture afterwards was about all the different gods in Hinduism which was so interesting. There are over one million of them! I’m pretty sure there’s a god for everything from driving to making love to eating. The god Ganesha is definitely my favorite. He’s the “remover of obstacles” and “god of beginnings.” He represents the perfect balance of human and animal nature, emotional yet logical. He’s such a powerful and strong deity and plus, he’s half elephant. What’s not to love?
We went to the National Craft Museum after lunch (which was incredible as always- fish, green chutney, a pumpkin squash mixture, rice, roti, paneer, and fruit custard) in north Delhi. There were all sorts of art work from ancient South Asia. Everything from sculptures to textiles to painting to jewelry was in the museum. And everything was so beautiful and detailed, even from thousands of years ago! It made me think about how important art is because it’s a form of expression, and outlet to show emotion that can otherwise be hard to express. And the art I was looking at from thousands of years ago was all done my people. People with families, worries, feelings, jobs, passions, favorites, and problems. I mean who knows who these people were when they were creating these masterful pieces of artwork. They could have been going through a break up, been falling in love, been going through the loss of a loved one. People are people, we’re all the same. We all have these worries, hopes, and problems no matter what time period we live in. Time may pass but people are still the same people even now. We all need to express ourselves in some shape or form. Life is truly impossible without art.
It was pretty cool, at the museum there was an ancient hookah from the 20th cent which was decorated beautifully. Even back then humans knew how to chill out and relax. There was also gorgeous Indian dress and jewelry from hundreds of years ago (not much of their style has changed I realized). They even had lace undergarments from soooo long ago! It’s going to be crazy to look back at the clothing styles from today fifty years from now and see how much it changes. I mean, even in a single century styles change dramatically.
There was a piece of architecture that was some sort of balcony with windows that had pierced screen coverings. It was used for women to be able to look out without them being seen. It makes me so mad that men have been forcing women to conceal themselves to the depths of blackness for centuries, shielding them from the outside. For hundreds if not thousands of years women have been forced to do this. Look at the burka- man’s attempt to hide woman from the world. And why? Who do men have such an urge to hide women? What are they so afraid of? And why do women take it? Why are we so scared to fight back? Being here in India had made me so much aware of “modesty.” Just showing your ankle is being improper and even slutty in some cases. When did this start to evolve? Who said that women must be modest? We are beautiful creatures, and individuals. Men should not have the power to dictate us. It just aggravates me to even think about. I guess you can’t understand everything about a culture just from being here for one month. Maybe one day I’ll understand their reasoning, maybe not. It’s not my culture so I shouldn’t judge.
On a lighter note, Ayshea and I did laundry out of the bucket today- quite a scene. We put our clothes in the bucket with machine laundry soap (we didn’t know what else to use) and kind of just mashed it around. Our clothes are drying on the line right now; it should be interesting to see how they come out. I think we might just end up hiring a dobhi-walla (washerman) by the time the programs over…
Tomorrow is Shiva’s birthday. Apparently he was known as a great ganja smoker so in order to celebrate it is customary to drink “baung” with is a milky drink infused with hemp oil. Basically an edible. Sounds like a party to me…
Friday tomorrow, yay. I need the weekend.
Hindi in the morning wasn’t too bad today. Its hard trying to learn a year of Hindi in just two months but it they do it every session I guess its possible.
Our lecture afterwards was about all the different gods in Hinduism which was so interesting. There are over one million of them! I’m pretty sure there’s a god for everything from driving to making love to eating. The god Ganesha is definitely my favorite. He’s the “remover of obstacles” and “god of beginnings.” He represents the perfect balance of human and animal nature, emotional yet logical. He’s such a powerful and strong deity and plus, he’s half elephant. What’s not to love?
We went to the National Craft Museum after lunch (which was incredible as always- fish, green chutney, a pumpkin squash mixture, rice, roti, paneer, and fruit custard) in north Delhi. There were all sorts of art work from ancient South Asia. Everything from sculptures to textiles to painting to jewelry was in the museum. And everything was so beautiful and detailed, even from thousands of years ago! It made me think about how important art is because it’s a form of expression, and outlet to show emotion that can otherwise be hard to express. And the art I was looking at from thousands of years ago was all done my people. People with families, worries, feelings, jobs, passions, favorites, and problems. I mean who knows who these people were when they were creating these masterful pieces of artwork. They could have been going through a break up, been falling in love, been going through the loss of a loved one. People are people, we’re all the same. We all have these worries, hopes, and problems no matter what time period we live in. Time may pass but people are still the same people even now. We all need to express ourselves in some shape or form. Life is truly impossible without art.
It was pretty cool, at the museum there was an ancient hookah from the 20th cent which was decorated beautifully. Even back then humans knew how to chill out and relax. There was also gorgeous Indian dress and jewelry from hundreds of years ago (not much of their style has changed I realized). They even had lace undergarments from soooo long ago! It’s going to be crazy to look back at the clothing styles from today fifty years from now and see how much it changes. I mean, even in a single century styles change dramatically.
There was a piece of architecture that was some sort of balcony with windows that had pierced screen coverings. It was used for women to be able to look out without them being seen. It makes me so mad that men have been forcing women to conceal themselves to the depths of blackness for centuries, shielding them from the outside. For hundreds if not thousands of years women have been forced to do this. Look at the burka- man’s attempt to hide woman from the world. And why? Who do men have such an urge to hide women? What are they so afraid of? And why do women take it? Why are we so scared to fight back? Being here in India had made me so much aware of “modesty.” Just showing your ankle is being improper and even slutty in some cases. When did this start to evolve? Who said that women must be modest? We are beautiful creatures, and individuals. Men should not have the power to dictate us. It just aggravates me to even think about. I guess you can’t understand everything about a culture just from being here for one month. Maybe one day I’ll understand their reasoning, maybe not. It’s not my culture so I shouldn’t judge.
On a lighter note, Ayshea and I did laundry out of the bucket today- quite a scene. We put our clothes in the bucket with machine laundry soap (we didn’t know what else to use) and kind of just mashed it around. Our clothes are drying on the line right now; it should be interesting to see how they come out. I think we might just end up hiring a dobhi-walla (washerman) by the time the programs over…
Tomorrow is Shiva’s birthday. Apparently he was known as a great ganja smoker so in order to celebrate it is customary to drink “baung” with is a milky drink infused with hemp oil. Basically an edible. Sounds like a party to me…
Friday tomorrow, yay. I need the weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
