April 17, 2010
I am currently on the bus to Jaipur to actually start my ISP. I have the AC blowing on my face and I couldn’t be happier.
This past week was sort of a whirlwind. I was crashing in a flat in Lajpat Nagar with Amanda, Francesca, Kat, Kyle, Katie, Kenzie, and Joan. It was so much fun living with them but I’m glad I left when I did… it was starting to turn into a sorority house.
A few days ago I met with an elephant owner and his driver in Delhi for my project. It was truly the most depressing sight ever. The elephants were illegally tied up to cement pillars under a high way where they stay when they are not being used in religious or wedding ceremonies. They were bathed in a near by marsh field flooded by leaking pipes and soiled water. I saw the elephant driver (age 25 and half my size) punch one of the elephants in the eye repeatedly when she was moving “too slow.” When I got closer I saw that her eye was discolored and looked almost as if it was a blind eye. It was so painful that I only stayed for two hours when I was supposed to stay for three days. I saw what I needed to see.
I’m excited to be traveling on my own now. I feel like so many things have been happening to other students on ISP and its finally time for me to experience India on my own. I’m truly a free bird right now with everything in a backpack on my back.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 13, 2010
April 13, 2010
R.I.P Angel the best cat ever to live. My first pet and my favorite. I’ll love you forever, Angel bear.
R.I.P Angel the best cat ever to live. My first pet and my favorite. I’ll love you forever, Angel bear.
April 6, 2010
April 6, 2010
Tonight is my last night in my home stay. Ayshea left for Hydrabad this afternoon so I am alone for the night. I’m actually really sad; my home stay experience was more than I could ask for. Sunita-ji is the sweetest woman and so laid back which made it really easy to live with her. Not to mention she was a fabulous cook! I had some good times in this house and I definitely want to stay in touch with her. She lives alone and it pains me to imagine her eating alone night after night. I want to write to her at least once a month for sure.
ISP has officially started… I can’t believe it. I only have one more month left in India, it’s all happening way too fast. Life is funny, sometimes it seems so slow and then when you look away for one second it all whizzes by. Tomorrow I move into a hotel with Christina, Grace, and Anne for three nights in Para Ganj. Leaving the home stay feels like leaving for college all over again. I am going to have to take care of myself, remember to feed myself, drink water…. I feel like if I survive this I can survive anything life throws at me.
Tonight is my last night in my home stay. Ayshea left for Hydrabad this afternoon so I am alone for the night. I’m actually really sad; my home stay experience was more than I could ask for. Sunita-ji is the sweetest woman and so laid back which made it really easy to live with her. Not to mention she was a fabulous cook! I had some good times in this house and I definitely want to stay in touch with her. She lives alone and it pains me to imagine her eating alone night after night. I want to write to her at least once a month for sure.
ISP has officially started… I can’t believe it. I only have one more month left in India, it’s all happening way too fast. Life is funny, sometimes it seems so slow and then when you look away for one second it all whizzes by. Tomorrow I move into a hotel with Christina, Grace, and Anne for three nights in Para Ganj. Leaving the home stay feels like leaving for college all over again. I am going to have to take care of myself, remember to feed myself, drink water…. I feel like if I survive this I can survive anything life throws at me.
March 19, 2010
3/19/2010
I can’t believe it is already half way through March. Life is going so fast right now!
Calcutta (now called Kolkata) was so much fun. The British influence was much more in your face in here than anywhere I have been. Kolkata is mostly Bengali populated so the food we ate was Bengali which meant TONS of seafood. We went to dinner at this one restaurant which had amazing fresh seafood, maybe the best I have ever had. The crab just melted in your mouth and the sauces used were so rich in flavor and spice. I used to be such a spice baby but after living in India I feel like I can eat anything.
The Hotel we stayed in in Kolkata was called Hotel Fairlawn. It was the most flamboyant, kitche, fabulous I have ever stayed in. It was owned by a 90-year-old woman who is still feisty as ever. There was not an inch of bare wall because the entire hotel was covered with photographs, articles, artifacts, and art. It was sort of living in a grandmother’s house with everything plastered to the wall except there were no plastic coverings on the sofas.
Storm-ji took us around to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Park Street Cemetery, and the Victoria Memorial. It was definitely interesting to see the British institutions plopped down in India. It was as if we were in an English city rather than an Indian one. The cemetery was so eerie to walk through because all the tombs (all British) were of people who died who were my age. They were all young people coming to India to work for the East Indian Company who just couldn’t handle the disease and bacteria. A much as I felt bad for them, part of me felt like it was their karma to die in India. They just expected to move to India and become rich from exploiting all f her resources for the benefit of the British economy. They attempted to conquer India but in the end it was India who conquered them.
The Victoria Memorial was probably one of my favorite places in Kolkata. It was a museum full of paintings and photographs of India done of the British in the 1750’s- 1850’s. It was so cool to see how much India has changed and developed since then. They had illustrations of lush green land where my school is which is now in the middle of a bustling city full of roads and cement.
Right now I’m on the plane back to Delhi. I am sort of over Delhi right now. After seeing places like Kolkata, Rishikesh, Bandhavgarh, and Orissa it just makes me want to explore India even more. There is so much to see and I am only here for such a short period of time. I can’t wait until ISP where I’ll be in Jaipur and then Bandhavgarh on my own. Although I am nervous to travel alone, I’m even more excited to get my feet wet.
I can’t believe it is already half way through March. Life is going so fast right now!
Calcutta (now called Kolkata) was so much fun. The British influence was much more in your face in here than anywhere I have been. Kolkata is mostly Bengali populated so the food we ate was Bengali which meant TONS of seafood. We went to dinner at this one restaurant which had amazing fresh seafood, maybe the best I have ever had. The crab just melted in your mouth and the sauces used were so rich in flavor and spice. I used to be such a spice baby but after living in India I feel like I can eat anything.
The Hotel we stayed in in Kolkata was called Hotel Fairlawn. It was the most flamboyant, kitche, fabulous I have ever stayed in. It was owned by a 90-year-old woman who is still feisty as ever. There was not an inch of bare wall because the entire hotel was covered with photographs, articles, artifacts, and art. It was sort of living in a grandmother’s house with everything plastered to the wall except there were no plastic coverings on the sofas.
Storm-ji took us around to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Park Street Cemetery, and the Victoria Memorial. It was definitely interesting to see the British institutions plopped down in India. It was as if we were in an English city rather than an Indian one. The cemetery was so eerie to walk through because all the tombs (all British) were of people who died who were my age. They were all young people coming to India to work for the East Indian Company who just couldn’t handle the disease and bacteria. A much as I felt bad for them, part of me felt like it was their karma to die in India. They just expected to move to India and become rich from exploiting all f her resources for the benefit of the British economy. They attempted to conquer India but in the end it was India who conquered them.
The Victoria Memorial was probably one of my favorite places in Kolkata. It was a museum full of paintings and photographs of India done of the British in the 1750’s- 1850’s. It was so cool to see how much India has changed and developed since then. They had illustrations of lush green land where my school is which is now in the middle of a bustling city full of roads and cement.
Right now I’m on the plane back to Delhi. I am sort of over Delhi right now. After seeing places like Kolkata, Rishikesh, Bandhavgarh, and Orissa it just makes me want to explore India even more. There is so much to see and I am only here for such a short period of time. I can’t wait until ISP where I’ll be in Jaipur and then Bandhavgarh on my own. Although I am nervous to travel alone, I’m even more excited to get my feet wet.
March 18, 2010
3/18/2010
Who ever said this Calcutta excursion was going to be stressful couldn’t have been farther than the truth. I’m on vacation right now.
Today we slept in and then had a delicious breakfast at the hotel. We went to a small paining village afterward which was incredible. The entire village painted all over their walls and all of the houses were covered in paintings and color. Every man kept bringing me to their house and showing me their hand painted art which was all so detailed and beautiful. It was incredible to see the young children paint the paintings I was buying right in front of my eyes. It made me feel good that I was supporting not only the arts but their entire village. I would have bought from each family if I could afford it but sadly money doesn’t grow on trees as I am quickly finding out.
South India is completely different than North India in every possible way. South India is exactly what I imagined India to be before I came here… jungles, rural villages, monkeys… everything here moves at a much slower pace. It is almost like a time warp. Sometimes I forget not everyone lives in a city and has access to electricity or let alone running water. Visiting South India has definitely been a humbling experience so far.
Who ever said this Calcutta excursion was going to be stressful couldn’t have been farther than the truth. I’m on vacation right now.
Today we slept in and then had a delicious breakfast at the hotel. We went to a small paining village afterward which was incredible. The entire village painted all over their walls and all of the houses were covered in paintings and color. Every man kept bringing me to their house and showing me their hand painted art which was all so detailed and beautiful. It was incredible to see the young children paint the paintings I was buying right in front of my eyes. It made me feel good that I was supporting not only the arts but their entire village. I would have bought from each family if I could afford it but sadly money doesn’t grow on trees as I am quickly finding out.
South India is completely different than North India in every possible way. South India is exactly what I imagined India to be before I came here… jungles, rural villages, monkeys… everything here moves at a much slower pace. It is almost like a time warp. Sometimes I forget not everyone lives in a city and has access to electricity or let alone running water. Visiting South India has definitely been a humbling experience so far.
March 17, 2010
3/17/2010
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Yersterday we visited the Yogini Temple in Bhubaneshwar. The temple itself was in the shape of an open courtyard in circle form with little yoginis (goddesses) carved into the walls (no ceiling) and a small dance pavilion in the middle. It was so cool to see a temple entirely dedicated to goddesses see the female essence being worshiped. Apparently it used to be mainly a tantric practice to worship these temples thus the temples being in really remote places.
After the Yogini Temple we went to Dhauli to see the Ashoka edicts where Emperor Ashoka declared he was going to rule his kingdom with morality. The inscriptions themselves were from 2nd century BC- SO OLD!! All the architecture in India is so old and so beautiful. It is kind of sad that there is no patronage anymore because all the architecture commissioned by royalty is so incredible and exquisitely detailed. But I guess democracy has its pros as well…
At night Kat, Amber, Darren, and I went to the beach and stood in the water. The water was so warm I just wanted to swim in it all night. It kind of made me homesick to be by the ocean and smell the salty air. (side note: power just went out. Pretty sure this occurs about three times a day no matter if you are in a youth hostel or a 5-star hotel. The other night the power went out while I was eating with my home stay family and we just continued eating…in the dark… like nothing happened. Just a great example of how India teaches you to be patient and flexible. I’d rather have this happen than an electrical fire… also a common occurrence.) Anyway, you could definitely tell the ocean was an Indian ocean because all along the shore was piles and piles of trash. It is so sad how this country could be so beautiful but there is so much trash everywhere that it just distracts the eye from her natural beauty.
Today we went back to Bubaneshwar to see a handful of Hindu Temples. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning about the architecture but once you have seen ten Hindu Temples, they all start blending together. I think I am just on temple overload right now. When we were driving back from temple hopping, the main road was closed so we were forced to take the back roads through the villages. It was so interesting to see actually village life- such a different way of living. Although their way of life was much simpler than ours, they definitely have a good business head- They were charging every car that came through ten rupees about every kilometer, making hundreds of dollars off of us. We had no choice but to pay because they would just stand in front of the car until you did. I’ve realized that this country runs off of bribes alone.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Yersterday we visited the Yogini Temple in Bhubaneshwar. The temple itself was in the shape of an open courtyard in circle form with little yoginis (goddesses) carved into the walls (no ceiling) and a small dance pavilion in the middle. It was so cool to see a temple entirely dedicated to goddesses see the female essence being worshiped. Apparently it used to be mainly a tantric practice to worship these temples thus the temples being in really remote places.
After the Yogini Temple we went to Dhauli to see the Ashoka edicts where Emperor Ashoka declared he was going to rule his kingdom with morality. The inscriptions themselves were from 2nd century BC- SO OLD!! All the architecture in India is so old and so beautiful. It is kind of sad that there is no patronage anymore because all the architecture commissioned by royalty is so incredible and exquisitely detailed. But I guess democracy has its pros as well…
At night Kat, Amber, Darren, and I went to the beach and stood in the water. The water was so warm I just wanted to swim in it all night. It kind of made me homesick to be by the ocean and smell the salty air. (side note: power just went out. Pretty sure this occurs about three times a day no matter if you are in a youth hostel or a 5-star hotel. The other night the power went out while I was eating with my home stay family and we just continued eating…in the dark… like nothing happened. Just a great example of how India teaches you to be patient and flexible. I’d rather have this happen than an electrical fire… also a common occurrence.) Anyway, you could definitely tell the ocean was an Indian ocean because all along the shore was piles and piles of trash. It is so sad how this country could be so beautiful but there is so much trash everywhere that it just distracts the eye from her natural beauty.
Today we went back to Bubaneshwar to see a handful of Hindu Temples. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning about the architecture but once you have seen ten Hindu Temples, they all start blending together. I think I am just on temple overload right now. When we were driving back from temple hopping, the main road was closed so we were forced to take the back roads through the villages. It was so interesting to see actually village life- such a different way of living. Although their way of life was much simpler than ours, they definitely have a good business head- They were charging every car that came through ten rupees about every kilometer, making hundreds of dollars off of us. We had no choice but to pay because they would just stand in front of the car until you did. I’ve realized that this country runs off of bribes alone.
March 16, 2010
3/16/2010
This morning we left for our group excursions. My group is going to Orissa and Calcutta to study art history. I am currently in Puri sitting on my hotel’s balcony overlooking the Great Bay of Bengal. There are palm trees to my left and cows to my right… Sort of like Florida mixed with India. I could sit here forever.
This morning we left for our group excursions. My group is going to Orissa and Calcutta to study art history. I am currently in Puri sitting on my hotel’s balcony overlooking the Great Bay of Bengal. There are palm trees to my left and cows to my right… Sort of like Florida mixed with India. I could sit here forever.
Monday, April 5, 2010
March 14, 2010
I am currently in Rishikesh and never want to leave. This is the most magical place and exactly what I imagined India to be. This whole weekend has been such an adventure, let me start from the beginning….
So we caught a Grace, Darren, Austin, Ben, Katie, Joan, Hayley, Kyle, Ayshea and I all caught a bus at 9 pm on Friday from Delhi heading to Rishikesh. Of course India being India the bus was really sketchy and overcrowded but we nursed some wine on the way so the ride wasn’t too bad. The ride seemed to take forever and I’m pretty sure we crashed into a few things along the way (once again, I didn’t seem to mind thanks to the wine). At around 4 in the morning the bus stopped in Haridwar (about 45 minutes outside of Rishikesh) and orders everyone to get off. They explain that since this weekend is a major holiday (Kumela- people come to dunk themselves in the Ganga River to wash away their sins from the past 12 years and the next 12, happens about every 12 years and we just happened to be here for it) and all the roads are closed. So what do ten American students do? Drink some more wine and catch rickshaws heading to Rishikesh. If anything I’ve learned so far in India it’s to be patient and flexible. So no problemo, we rode to Rishikesh crammed into two rickshaws singing Grateful Dead and Sublime songs along the way. We finally found our hotel after asking directions about 20 times (we didn’t know the hotel name except we knew it had the word ‘castle’ in it..) and passed out until 11 the next morning.
When we woke up we all had breakfast at the German Bakery looking across the Ganga River. It was so amazing to just chill by ourselves and soak in India on our own time. The entire area was filled with Sadhus and people from all over the world on a ‘spiritual journey’ (tons of Israelis not surprisingly). Good energy was floating all around.
Grace and I went crystal shopping and dunked everything we bought in the Ganga- so epic. Just being on the Ganga was so incredible. It was so magical to watch thousands of people- both Indian and foreign- wash themselves in what is considered to be the holiest river in the world. The fact that I was touching the same river that has been around for thousands and thousands of years really had a powerful effect on me. If I have ever felt such real strong energy it was definitely from that river.
The next day we went water rafting on the Ganga with an Israeli couple we picked up along the way and a few local rafting guys (who were quite good-looking I must admit). The rapids were a level 3 so it was a little intense but overall it was quite pleasant. At one point the guide told us to jump out of the raft and just float along the river. Disregarding the lecture we were given from Dr. Storm about how not to touch the river, we submerged ourselves and floated leisurely down the river, something I will never forget, let alone regret. I can’t even describe the feeling of being carried by the Ganga. I now know why Rishikesh is just a spiritual place for people; it just oozes a beautiful aura. I wanted to stay forever.
After river rafting we walked around and did a little shopping. There were so many Israelis that some of the signs were in Hebrew, no lie. It made me miss Israel so much. Just being in India makes me miss Israel. Here I definitely feel like the “other.” Sometimes I even ask myself what I’m doing here especially since I have no ties to this country- it’s all just pure interest. With Israel I feel like I’m at home. I’m one of them, not the other. It’s so much more comfortable and easy being there. Maybe that’s why I came here in the first place though…
Our last day we woke up super early and hiked to the Ashram where the Beatles stayed and supposedly composed some of the “White Album” at. The entire place was completely grown over which gave it an eerie feeling. Ayshea, Kyle and I were walking around and ran into a Hindu acetic wondering around. Apparently he was on his 3rd stage of life and gave up everything he had. He went to University for English literature so his English was perfect and he gave us a tour around the ashram and explained the history to us. He took us into the underground meditation cells, the giant lecture hall, and John Lennon’s meditation room. When I entered Lennon’s meditation cell I immediately felt a strong active presence circulating inside. It was such an intense feeling to be sitting in the exact spot where Lennon meditated. It was nice too that nothing was restored and everything was just as it was in the 70’s, just covered with Mother Nature. I bet in twenty years the entire ashram is going to be a tourist attraction. It was nice to appreciate it with nothing changed and the energies untouched.
Since it was the weekend of Kumela, it was really hard to find a taxi leaving Rishikesh- poor planning on our part. At around 2 in the afternoon we finally found 2 taxis to take us back. When we were leaving Rishikesh our taxi slightly clipped a motorcyclist in front of us. We pulled over and the motorcyclist and taxi driver got into an argument and the next thing I know they were pushing each other and the motorcyclist punched through the taxi windshield. Luckily, none of us sitting in the car were hurt. Of course by this time the entire village got involved and figured who was in the right and who was in the wrong. It was so intense but at the same time so India. After some time, we finally changed taxis and rode the 9 hours home.
This weekend was definitely one of the best weekends of my life. At one point Grace and I were crossing the suspended bridge over the Ganga and we had a cow on our left, money on our right, sadhu in front of us, the Ganga below us, and crystals in hand. This was the India I was looking for. This is the India I love.
So we caught a Grace, Darren, Austin, Ben, Katie, Joan, Hayley, Kyle, Ayshea and I all caught a bus at 9 pm on Friday from Delhi heading to Rishikesh. Of course India being India the bus was really sketchy and overcrowded but we nursed some wine on the way so the ride wasn’t too bad. The ride seemed to take forever and I’m pretty sure we crashed into a few things along the way (once again, I didn’t seem to mind thanks to the wine). At around 4 in the morning the bus stopped in Haridwar (about 45 minutes outside of Rishikesh) and orders everyone to get off. They explain that since this weekend is a major holiday (Kumela- people come to dunk themselves in the Ganga River to wash away their sins from the past 12 years and the next 12, happens about every 12 years and we just happened to be here for it) and all the roads are closed. So what do ten American students do? Drink some more wine and catch rickshaws heading to Rishikesh. If anything I’ve learned so far in India it’s to be patient and flexible. So no problemo, we rode to Rishikesh crammed into two rickshaws singing Grateful Dead and Sublime songs along the way. We finally found our hotel after asking directions about 20 times (we didn’t know the hotel name except we knew it had the word ‘castle’ in it..) and passed out until 11 the next morning.
When we woke up we all had breakfast at the German Bakery looking across the Ganga River. It was so amazing to just chill by ourselves and soak in India on our own time. The entire area was filled with Sadhus and people from all over the world on a ‘spiritual journey’ (tons of Israelis not surprisingly). Good energy was floating all around.
Grace and I went crystal shopping and dunked everything we bought in the Ganga- so epic. Just being on the Ganga was so incredible. It was so magical to watch thousands of people- both Indian and foreign- wash themselves in what is considered to be the holiest river in the world. The fact that I was touching the same river that has been around for thousands and thousands of years really had a powerful effect on me. If I have ever felt such real strong energy it was definitely from that river.
The next day we went water rafting on the Ganga with an Israeli couple we picked up along the way and a few local rafting guys (who were quite good-looking I must admit). The rapids were a level 3 so it was a little intense but overall it was quite pleasant. At one point the guide told us to jump out of the raft and just float along the river. Disregarding the lecture we were given from Dr. Storm about how not to touch the river, we submerged ourselves and floated leisurely down the river, something I will never forget, let alone regret. I can’t even describe the feeling of being carried by the Ganga. I now know why Rishikesh is just a spiritual place for people; it just oozes a beautiful aura. I wanted to stay forever.
After river rafting we walked around and did a little shopping. There were so many Israelis that some of the signs were in Hebrew, no lie. It made me miss Israel so much. Just being in India makes me miss Israel. Here I definitely feel like the “other.” Sometimes I even ask myself what I’m doing here especially since I have no ties to this country- it’s all just pure interest. With Israel I feel like I’m at home. I’m one of them, not the other. It’s so much more comfortable and easy being there. Maybe that’s why I came here in the first place though…
Our last day we woke up super early and hiked to the Ashram where the Beatles stayed and supposedly composed some of the “White Album” at. The entire place was completely grown over which gave it an eerie feeling. Ayshea, Kyle and I were walking around and ran into a Hindu acetic wondering around. Apparently he was on his 3rd stage of life and gave up everything he had. He went to University for English literature so his English was perfect and he gave us a tour around the ashram and explained the history to us. He took us into the underground meditation cells, the giant lecture hall, and John Lennon’s meditation room. When I entered Lennon’s meditation cell I immediately felt a strong active presence circulating inside. It was such an intense feeling to be sitting in the exact spot where Lennon meditated. It was nice too that nothing was restored and everything was just as it was in the 70’s, just covered with Mother Nature. I bet in twenty years the entire ashram is going to be a tourist attraction. It was nice to appreciate it with nothing changed and the energies untouched.
Since it was the weekend of Kumela, it was really hard to find a taxi leaving Rishikesh- poor planning on our part. At around 2 in the afternoon we finally found 2 taxis to take us back. When we were leaving Rishikesh our taxi slightly clipped a motorcyclist in front of us. We pulled over and the motorcyclist and taxi driver got into an argument and the next thing I know they were pushing each other and the motorcyclist punched through the taxi windshield. Luckily, none of us sitting in the car were hurt. Of course by this time the entire village got involved and figured who was in the right and who was in the wrong. It was so intense but at the same time so India. After some time, we finally changed taxis and rode the 9 hours home.
This weekend was definitely one of the best weekends of my life. At one point Grace and I were crossing the suspended bridge over the Ganga and we had a cow on our left, money on our right, sadhu in front of us, the Ganga below us, and crystals in hand. This was the India I was looking for. This is the India I love.
March 7, 2010
What a week!
On Tuesday we caught a morning train to Jhansi and from there we drove to Orchha. We stayed in the nicest hotel called Hotel Anar Mahal and it was truly a palace. My room looked like a honeymoon suite and it even had a WORKING SHOWER! It was the 1st time I got to use a shower in India and boy was it glorious. I never thought water pressure could feel so good.
We had a lecture as a palace that was turned into a hotel and from there we split into small groups for a “drop off.” Our mission was to find the specific temple given to us but my group just wondered area and literally stumbled upon a handful of ancient temples (probably from around 11th cent A.D). They were placed along a river running through the town and were completely untouched with their original architecture still intact. I love India for this- you go for a stroll and stumble upon thousand year old architecture like it was no big deal.
After our walk we went inside the hotel palace where some musicians were playing local folk music and a dancer was dancing along. The dancer turned out to be a hiraj- a cross-dresser dancer commonly found in India. He was an amazing dancer and I definitely wouldn’t have known it was a male if someone hadn’t pointed it out. It is so crazy to see the stuff I learned about in all of my Indian culture classes back at school up close and personal. It all changes when it’s not in a book but in your face. It makes it all so real.
Wednesday we left for Kujaraho to visit the Hindu temples. The actual village of Kujaraho was so cute, I definitely want to go back. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. We rented bikes and some of the girls and I biked into the village to try to find some temples to sketch. It was such a scene, five white girls riding bikes from the 70’s that were twice our size, riding into the village with laughing naked children running after us, swerving around cows, and old Indian women just staring. At one point I fell off my bike (swerving from hitting a goat) and a little boy ran after me to help, resulting in his cow running after him, his dad running after the cow, and the entire village laughing hysterically. I have a black stain battle wound on my kurta do remember the scene by.
After biking we met a few teenage boys who knew every kind of language possible from just all the tourism that came through their town. It was incredible how smart they were! One of the boys was obsessed with Michael Jackson and we sang Michael Jackson songs for a good two hours.
The Kujaraho Temples were absolutely stunning. They had erotic carvings all over them, some of the positions I had never even heard of! We were told that the images were supposed to represent being in union with someone, much like how you are supposed to feel when you pray to God. I guess that’s one way of depicting it… It just made me realize how humans have been naughty and sexual from the beginning; I guess it’s just in our nature.
On Friday we went to Bandhavgarh to the tiger reserve. It was a little ridiculous, we drove around for about 4 hours in the hot sun looking for tigers and when we found them they were sleeping so we just stared at them for a solid half an hour. I don’t even want to know how much that cost the program. Some groups didn’t even get to see them. It was all worth it in the end because on the 2nd day I got to see an elephant- my first one in India!!! It just made me so excited for my ISP. I want to live with the elephants, eat with them, bathe with them, and become one with them. I don’t know why but they just have a magical spell over me.
On Tuesday we caught a morning train to Jhansi and from there we drove to Orchha. We stayed in the nicest hotel called Hotel Anar Mahal and it was truly a palace. My room looked like a honeymoon suite and it even had a WORKING SHOWER! It was the 1st time I got to use a shower in India and boy was it glorious. I never thought water pressure could feel so good.
We had a lecture as a palace that was turned into a hotel and from there we split into small groups for a “drop off.” Our mission was to find the specific temple given to us but my group just wondered area and literally stumbled upon a handful of ancient temples (probably from around 11th cent A.D). They were placed along a river running through the town and were completely untouched with their original architecture still intact. I love India for this- you go for a stroll and stumble upon thousand year old architecture like it was no big deal.
After our walk we went inside the hotel palace where some musicians were playing local folk music and a dancer was dancing along. The dancer turned out to be a hiraj- a cross-dresser dancer commonly found in India. He was an amazing dancer and I definitely wouldn’t have known it was a male if someone hadn’t pointed it out. It is so crazy to see the stuff I learned about in all of my Indian culture classes back at school up close and personal. It all changes when it’s not in a book but in your face. It makes it all so real.
Wednesday we left for Kujaraho to visit the Hindu temples. The actual village of Kujaraho was so cute, I definitely want to go back. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. We rented bikes and some of the girls and I biked into the village to try to find some temples to sketch. It was such a scene, five white girls riding bikes from the 70’s that were twice our size, riding into the village with laughing naked children running after us, swerving around cows, and old Indian women just staring. At one point I fell off my bike (swerving from hitting a goat) and a little boy ran after me to help, resulting in his cow running after him, his dad running after the cow, and the entire village laughing hysterically. I have a black stain battle wound on my kurta do remember the scene by.
After biking we met a few teenage boys who knew every kind of language possible from just all the tourism that came through their town. It was incredible how smart they were! One of the boys was obsessed with Michael Jackson and we sang Michael Jackson songs for a good two hours.
The Kujaraho Temples were absolutely stunning. They had erotic carvings all over them, some of the positions I had never even heard of! We were told that the images were supposed to represent being in union with someone, much like how you are supposed to feel when you pray to God. I guess that’s one way of depicting it… It just made me realize how humans have been naughty and sexual from the beginning; I guess it’s just in our nature.
On Friday we went to Bandhavgarh to the tiger reserve. It was a little ridiculous, we drove around for about 4 hours in the hot sun looking for tigers and when we found them they were sleeping so we just stared at them for a solid half an hour. I don’t even want to know how much that cost the program. Some groups didn’t even get to see them. It was all worth it in the end because on the 2nd day I got to see an elephant- my first one in India!!! It just made me so excited for my ISP. I want to live with the elephants, eat with them, bathe with them, and become one with them. I don’t know why but they just have a magical spell over me.
February 24, 2010
Today was quite the cultural day. On a field trip we went to the Indian National Museum which was full of amazing stuff like ancient coins from the 2500 B.C. and miniature paintings done under Muslim patronage around 11 cent A.D. Everything was SO OLD! Everything Dr. Storm showed us in the museum were things we learned about in class so I could piece the history to everything I was actually looking at. There was one sculpture I really liked with a woman holding an empty glass being held up by two friends… even in the 5th cent BC people knew how to party.
In the evening I saw “My Name is Khan” at a local cinema. It was so intense… Seeing this movie as a foreigner in India definitely gave the entire movie a different meaning to me compared to an India viewer. America was dramatized and stereotyped in a way which I knew existed but had never seen before my eyes. The way the movie portrayed Americans as violent and vicious after the attacks on September 11th by having them attack Muslim store owners and killing Indian boys at school cast the impression that this was a daily occurrence (which to an extent may have been) but made me realize how this distortion could be easily created. This movie is a popular movie in India with thousands of Indians viewing it every night. They walk away with this intense twisted view of America from just a three hour movie. Their views are constructed entirely from what is chosen to be portrayed by the director. This made me step back and question what I know about other countries where I have never even set foot in. Take coming to India for example. I had an entire view of India in my mind composed from only images I have seen and stories I have been told. As I am learning, the India I had stereotyped in my mind is far different from reality.
In the evening I saw “My Name is Khan” at a local cinema. It was so intense… Seeing this movie as a foreigner in India definitely gave the entire movie a different meaning to me compared to an India viewer. America was dramatized and stereotyped in a way which I knew existed but had never seen before my eyes. The way the movie portrayed Americans as violent and vicious after the attacks on September 11th by having them attack Muslim store owners and killing Indian boys at school cast the impression that this was a daily occurrence (which to an extent may have been) but made me realize how this distortion could be easily created. This movie is a popular movie in India with thousands of Indians viewing it every night. They walk away with this intense twisted view of America from just a three hour movie. Their views are constructed entirely from what is chosen to be portrayed by the director. This made me step back and question what I know about other countries where I have never even set foot in. Take coming to India for example. I had an entire view of India in my mind composed from only images I have seen and stories I have been told. As I am learning, the India I had stereotyped in my mind is far different from reality.
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