I know it has been forever, and I apologize! I left off in Jaisalmer Fort, which was guided by an audio tour that was really well done. Apparently, there has been more rain in Rajasthan in recent years, and Jaisalmer has been thought to be in danger of structural damage due to too much water! We took a train to Jodpur after that, which consisted of a neat section lined with blue colored houses that could be seen grandly from the Jodpur Fort. This fort was similar to Jaisalmer's fort except that it seemed to have higher and stronger walls, though it is no longer a "living fort"- the townspeople live around the fort. To be honest, after the fort tour, a few of us took pleasure in staying in the hotel and ordering room service while watching movies on cable. It was a much needed dose of home, and we ended the night by dancing in a really cool bar that felt like a cottage. There was even a DJ just for us, and some serious lighting including strobe lights and black lights!
That weekend, I headed for India's capital- Delhi! Tom and John came too to visit my friends Luke and Brent who have a flat in the south end. We visited some crazy markets, one underground that sold some random things including liquor flasks and binoculars. There was also the Government Cottage Industries Emporium, where traditional goods of the country are sold at fixed, fair prices where the proceeds go to the small manufacturers themselves. Literally, almost every ware in India was within those 5 floors! We also enjoyed the dirty bird (KFC) and Mickedees a few times. There was a Tibetan rally one day where about 150 tibetans roared in the streets against China's inexcusable actions and merciless killings. My friend Luke hangs out with street kids sometimes, so we spent one afternoon playing games with them in a park and utilizing coloring books. Tom and John and i bought some stogies and took some pics near India Gate, which was WAY bigger than I thought it was. Along the way, a man with two monkeys on leashes let us take our picture with them for a fee. India Gate is a unique experience because it is surrounded by a huge park of grass and trees where Indian families come in droves to spend the evening together. It definitely felt more like a place and symbol of pride for locals than a tourist destination, which I liked. By far the most impressive part of Delhi was the subway (metro) system! It is brand new, and it so pristine. Funded 60% by a Japanese bank, they will continue construction for about 3 years, and it will link all of Delhi gloriously. Honestly (probably due to it's newness) it trumps Toronto's subway by far.
Studying continued for a week, and then John and Katie and I went in search of the elusive tiger on a safari in Ranthambore! We met a German couple in our hotel, and early one morning, we stood in a line to book an open-topped jeep to enter the park. After about 1.5 hours of craziness at 4 in the morning, we were off! I picked our route from a bag, and we sped off in a park that felt like a slightly dryer version of Jurassic Park. The animals we first saw were some spotted deer and long-tailed monkeys. Then there were many birds, but I can't name them. We kept listening to warning calls from other animals that would give away the position of the tigers, and at one point, about 100 spotted deer ran out from a bush, so we thought for sure a tigress was out for an early morning kill! However, after 10 minutes and no tiger, we were getting discouraged that we wouldn't see it. The park is strict about sticking with the route you choose (there are around 10), but our guide knew that the tiger was just one track over! So he talked with some other guides, and asked us if we were willing to pay a bit extra to keep some mouths quiet, if we wanted to see the tiger. Morals aside, we REALLY wanted to see it, so we agreed, and the next 3 minutes went by ridiculously fast. Our driver sped through the adjacent track like a rally racer until we arrived at a spot where 5 other jeeps were parked and silent. I caught a glimpse from the side (and a few photos!) of a slowly meandering beast with magnificent orange and black stripes. Within moments, we were racing out of there, and out of the park. So exhilarating! Within the little town that Ranthambore was in (about 3 hours south of Jaipur by train) there was an incredible local restaurant that sold masala dosas and delicious sweets that was satisfying to the taste buds, stomach, and wallet, and we couldn't ask for anything else.
Exams were intense, and were over fast. The final party/get-together was at an outdoor restaurant with all our host families and teachers. It was an odd and abrupt way to say goodbye to our friends of 4 months. Everyone dressed up so well (except the guys... figures) and red wine filled our palates. Thus ended our India Semester. Some have gone home to Canada, but most are still traveling in India, Europe, Thailand, Nepal, and others.
I will tell of an unforgettable week in the Himalayas next...
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Rajasthan, full of desert cities
On our way to Jaipur from the Taj, we stopped at a the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary where we saw a number of beautiful kingfishers, peacocks, storks, and spoonbills among others. The land was bought by the Maharaja Bharatpur in the early 19th century, declared a national park in 1982, and a World Heritage site in 1985. Unfortunately, due to decreasing annual rains during the monsoons, the actual "wet" part of the wetlands and marshes now spans only a fraction of what it used to, so many migratory birds are either moving somewhere else, or decreasing in number due to scarcity of survival space. It was nevertheless a great opportunity to feel like a geeky camera-carrying eco-tourist, but instead of wearing a goofy hat, I sported a bandana that most bandits would be proud of.
We arrived in Jaipur soon thereafter, to first meet our host parents who we are to stay with for the duration of this month of classes in the University of Rajasthan. When I discovered that the house-father of Tom Abel and I is a retired a colonel in the Indian Army, I became slightly nervous. Was I to shave my face and hair? Will there be strict rules and curfews, including random pushup workouts for wrongdoings? I had no idea, but was pleasantly welcomed by a kind man who has been retired since '87. He lives in a mansion of a house in North Jaipur, along with his wife, daughter, two sister-in-laws, brother-in-law, two housekeepers, and tintin (the white alaskan dog, who looks much like "snowy" on the show "tintin"). I honestly get pampered with hot breakfasts in the morning (omelette, toast, and chai), packed lunches, awesome dinners, internet in-home, laundry service, and an interesting family to hang out with. Two women in the house are professors at the University of Rajasthan, and there is a really intelligent 17-year old who is currently writing her 10th standard plus two (grade 12) exams.
The courses I'm enrolled in are extentions of the last module (in Mysore), but are each independent in nature. My courses include Indian Philosophy, Politics, Economy, Public Administration, Environment, and I'm auditing Hindi. They have been going well, but the days are long, with 6 hours of class per day. I feel like I'm back in grade school with my packed lunch, backpack, and cheap notebook.
Last weekend, my friend Luke visited me from Delhi. He came with his friend Brent, and along with Tom and John, we rented a taxi to explore Jaipur. We first went to Amber Fort and Jaighar Fort, situated north of the city. We had so much fun in these forts because they were so big. Unlike many other such structures, the construction was so asymmetrical that there was a seemingly unending amount or doors and passageways like portals to unpredictable destinations. We saw the tallest tower with a bold flag blowing in the wind, and were determined to make it there eventually, so that was our unofficial goal to our wanderings. When we reached it, there was a massive lock on the door. However, on the southern edge of Jaighar Fort, there lies the largest cannon on wheels in the world, with a range of 22 kilometres and weighing thousands of metric tonnes. They call it Jaivan and it has only been tested once. We went to the "pink city" later, which is a walled portion of Jaipur where every building is painted pink (after fading, it is really all red), which is supposed to be a color of welcome. They re-painted it pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, and again at the event of the visit of President Bill Clinton. We checked out an ancient astrological observatory called Jantar Mantar, and I saw Hawa Mahal later with Tom, which is a large wall made for the "ladies of the court" to observe the city's events without being observed themselves. Also pink.
The next day, Luke and Brent and I hiked up to the Nahaghar Fort, which offers a breathtaking panoramic of Jaipur city, as well as a switch-back road up and a sketchy hike down. Tom and I might visit them in Delhi soon.
On Thursday, our big group took a night train to Jaisalmer, which is where we are right now. It is on the outskirts of the Thar Desert, that is, the Great Indian Desert. The Fort of Jaisalmer is situated on the highest point of the city, and is one of the only living forts still existant- about 25% of the city still lives in the Fort itself. This place is alive with turbans and brightly colored garments worn by the locals, as well as beautiful instruments like a violin-like instrument played with a bow that resounds like a tunnel. We checked out a nearby lake, which is filled with ghats and a few personal collections of heritage that have been turned into museums. There are also Havelis in the city itself, which were basically beautifully built multi-level houses owned by rich business men. Each has a welcoming room which was used to serve opium to newly arrived guests (apparently the first thing to offer guests!). The bed frames in the living quarters were made of pure silver, and the women's powder room was stocked with expensive jewellery. The most exciting part was the incredible view of the Fort at sunset from the top of the Havelis.
One of the most anticipated items of our itinerary happened yesterday, which was a camel ride amid the Thar Desert. We piled in jeeps and drove west towards Pakistan for about an hour (we were apparently around 40 kilometres from the border. yikes!), largely offroading until we got to where about 30 colorfully dressed camels were patiently waiting in the sand. It wasn't my first time riding these gentle beasts, but it was my first time riding them in massive, smooth, gleaming sand dunes! It was like all the postcards and movies but brought to life in real time. The heat wasn't too bad because we rode from about 4 until 6:30 at night or so. One of the camels kept sending off mating calls (they were all male by the way, so I assume this was the dominant male) where he would bellow a deep rumble from deep inside his diaphragm, and then his massive tongue would protrude out the left side of his mouth, and blow up like a balloon, adding a unique auditory element to the call. It was grotesque to watch, but fascinating to listen to, and we joked about what would happen with all these males in the event of a wild female camel approaching from the distance (the consensus was that we would all die from falling off our running camels as they chased her through the desert). We watched the sunset over the dunes as we drank chai and ate snacks. Dinner was rice and dahl, and was followed by a performance of local dancers and singers, playing the harmonia, drum, and hand-held wooden slabs that reminded me of when musicians play the spoons. That, coupled with firelight and thousands of stars made the night romantic, but I'm sure the romance was taken once we started singing english tunes like "in the jungle" and "summer of '69" at the top of our badly tuned lungs.
Well, I'm off to see the Maharaja's palace here in Jaisalmer Fort, more to come...
We arrived in Jaipur soon thereafter, to first meet our host parents who we are to stay with for the duration of this month of classes in the University of Rajasthan. When I discovered that the house-father of Tom Abel and I is a retired a colonel in the Indian Army, I became slightly nervous. Was I to shave my face and hair? Will there be strict rules and curfews, including random pushup workouts for wrongdoings? I had no idea, but was pleasantly welcomed by a kind man who has been retired since '87. He lives in a mansion of a house in North Jaipur, along with his wife, daughter, two sister-in-laws, brother-in-law, two housekeepers, and tintin (the white alaskan dog, who looks much like "snowy" on the show "tintin"). I honestly get pampered with hot breakfasts in the morning (omelette, toast, and chai), packed lunches, awesome dinners, internet in-home, laundry service, and an interesting family to hang out with. Two women in the house are professors at the University of Rajasthan, and there is a really intelligent 17-year old who is currently writing her 10th standard plus two (grade 12) exams.
The courses I'm enrolled in are extentions of the last module (in Mysore), but are each independent in nature. My courses include Indian Philosophy, Politics, Economy, Public Administration, Environment, and I'm auditing Hindi. They have been going well, but the days are long, with 6 hours of class per day. I feel like I'm back in grade school with my packed lunch, backpack, and cheap notebook.
Last weekend, my friend Luke visited me from Delhi. He came with his friend Brent, and along with Tom and John, we rented a taxi to explore Jaipur. We first went to Amber Fort and Jaighar Fort, situated north of the city. We had so much fun in these forts because they were so big. Unlike many other such structures, the construction was so asymmetrical that there was a seemingly unending amount or doors and passageways like portals to unpredictable destinations. We saw the tallest tower with a bold flag blowing in the wind, and were determined to make it there eventually, so that was our unofficial goal to our wanderings. When we reached it, there was a massive lock on the door. However, on the southern edge of Jaighar Fort, there lies the largest cannon on wheels in the world, with a range of 22 kilometres and weighing thousands of metric tonnes. They call it Jaivan and it has only been tested once. We went to the "pink city" later, which is a walled portion of Jaipur where every building is painted pink (after fading, it is really all red), which is supposed to be a color of welcome. They re-painted it pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, and again at the event of the visit of President Bill Clinton. We checked out an ancient astrological observatory called Jantar Mantar, and I saw Hawa Mahal later with Tom, which is a large wall made for the "ladies of the court" to observe the city's events without being observed themselves. Also pink.
The next day, Luke and Brent and I hiked up to the Nahaghar Fort, which offers a breathtaking panoramic of Jaipur city, as well as a switch-back road up and a sketchy hike down. Tom and I might visit them in Delhi soon.
On Thursday, our big group took a night train to Jaisalmer, which is where we are right now. It is on the outskirts of the Thar Desert, that is, the Great Indian Desert. The Fort of Jaisalmer is situated on the highest point of the city, and is one of the only living forts still existant- about 25% of the city still lives in the Fort itself. This place is alive with turbans and brightly colored garments worn by the locals, as well as beautiful instruments like a violin-like instrument played with a bow that resounds like a tunnel. We checked out a nearby lake, which is filled with ghats and a few personal collections of heritage that have been turned into museums. There are also Havelis in the city itself, which were basically beautifully built multi-level houses owned by rich business men. Each has a welcoming room which was used to serve opium to newly arrived guests (apparently the first thing to offer guests!). The bed frames in the living quarters were made of pure silver, and the women's powder room was stocked with expensive jewellery. The most exciting part was the incredible view of the Fort at sunset from the top of the Havelis.
One of the most anticipated items of our itinerary happened yesterday, which was a camel ride amid the Thar Desert. We piled in jeeps and drove west towards Pakistan for about an hour (we were apparently around 40 kilometres from the border. yikes!), largely offroading until we got to where about 30 colorfully dressed camels were patiently waiting in the sand. It wasn't my first time riding these gentle beasts, but it was my first time riding them in massive, smooth, gleaming sand dunes! It was like all the postcards and movies but brought to life in real time. The heat wasn't too bad because we rode from about 4 until 6:30 at night or so. One of the camels kept sending off mating calls (they were all male by the way, so I assume this was the dominant male) where he would bellow a deep rumble from deep inside his diaphragm, and then his massive tongue would protrude out the left side of his mouth, and blow up like a balloon, adding a unique auditory element to the call. It was grotesque to watch, but fascinating to listen to, and we joked about what would happen with all these males in the event of a wild female camel approaching from the distance (the consensus was that we would all die from falling off our running camels as they chased her through the desert). We watched the sunset over the dunes as we drank chai and ate snacks. Dinner was rice and dahl, and was followed by a performance of local dancers and singers, playing the harmonia, drum, and hand-held wooden slabs that reminded me of when musicians play the spoons. That, coupled with firelight and thousands of stars made the night romantic, but I'm sure the romance was taken once we started singing english tunes like "in the jungle" and "summer of '69" at the top of our badly tuned lungs.
Well, I'm off to see the Maharaja's palace here in Jaisalmer Fort, more to come...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
From the Ganga to the Taj!!
Since Pondicherry, it's been non-stop travel and excitement. We got on a 40 hour train from Chennai to Benares (Varanasi), which is Shiva's city. It is situated on the bank of the holy river of Ganga (the Ganges), and ghats (steps leading into the river) line the entirety of the west bank of the river. What an incredible yet bizarre place to be. There are two "burning ghats" in the city which is the location of public cremation ceremonies that occur 24-7, and have been for around 5000 years continuously! Apparantly the flame beneath one of the temples from which they light a torch to then light the bodies has been ever-burning for hundreds of years. I observed how a dead body wrapped in white cloth would be brought to the river in a procession held by 4 men, dipped in the Ganga, and then laid on a pre-stacked wood pile. Spices, sandalwood powder, flowers, and scents would be sprinkled on the body before lighting the fire. The oldest family member of the deceased would wield the fire stick (would tend to the fire and especially the body in case any body parts would detach and roll away - it is common with heads - so that everything is properly burned). However, though I observed slight natural mourning, grief was not present in any of the family members present. In fact, there is a 10 - 14 day celebration of the life of the individual after the cremation. A Catholic monk from San Fransisco named Robert explained to me that Hindus really understand that the opposite of death is not life, but birth. Thus, as birth is a part of life, so it death, and it is silly to an Indian to grieve for too long. Other than the ghats, there were plenty of neat tiny roads around old Varanasi which I grew to love, some great bakeries, and music shops where I took a 2 hour tabla lesson and 1 hour sitar lesson. I also got to watch Pujas (holy men) do a little dance near the ghats in the evening as they ceremonially played with fire and smoke, as well as watch a community cricket match on a platform near the river. Also, taking boats on the Ganges early in the morning to watch the sunrise and the pilgrims bathing (with clothes on) from the ghats was a memorable experience.
We visited Saranath, which in an area outside of Varanasi where Buddha was said to have given his first sermon under a certain tree. We visited this exact site, and were surprised to discover that though the same tree had died thousands of years ago, seedlings from the original tree have been continually planted in the same site. In other words, the tree that we visited is a great great great grandfather of the original tree (give or take a few greats)! Aside from that, there were tibetan, chinese, indian buddhist temples within a short walk away, each differing in style of building and the specific figurines that were chosen to share the worship stage along with Buddha. There was also an 80-foot high ancient stupa. A stupa is a solid semi-sherical clump of brick that is otherwise astonishingly void of form. It was the first site of worship for Buddhists who didn't consider Buddha one to be worshipped (Buddha never asked for such treatment). Rather it was anti-figurative to symbolize an earnest search for truth instead of worshipping a deity, which was the custom of Hinduism at the time. I left my bag in the tibetan temple and went back to get it an hour later, and they were very kind to give it back.
A train took us from Varanasi to Jhansi, where we visited a palace nearby, in which I dressed in my best green and gold silk tunic. There was a great tour of it, along with a nice little touristy village and a river where the monkeys almost attacked us. Basically I was taking photos when one glared his teeth (which, if it has ever happened to you, you know that it scares the bageebees out of you) and followed us a little. Later, we had dinner at the palace (I know, it sounds hot) where a little ensemble of a harmonia (like an accordian) and tablas were accompanying a transvesdite dancer. What!?, you may ask. Well, this person was dressed like a lady, and was bellydancing, but had a veil over his face the whole time. Except, his belly was straight, not curved like a woman's, and one time he lifted his veil and smiled at one of the girls. She gives testimony to the fact that the dancer was male, and I must say it was more than slightly uncomfortable to watch the awesome moves he was making on that dance floor.
We took a bus to a series of temples called Kujaraho. These are unique in India because they are the only temples that display explicit sexual stances and activity alongside all the religious deities and depictions of the ancient texts that are commonplace (Ramanyana and Mahabharatra). Most of the temples were Shiva temples, though there were carvings of Parvati, Vishnu, Brahman, and Ganesh. When I say Shiva temple, I mean it had a shiva lingam inside the central chamber, which is incidently also supposed to be a phallic symbol (perhaps the association with sexual carvings lies therein). My overall thought of the temples was that only about 5% of the carvings were sexual in nature, yet because it is the only one, all the postcards hone in on these like the other 95% don't exist. One interpretation I offer is that this is an example of amplification of an obscure topic in the name of tourism and capital gain. Or simply an obsession of sex in a sexually repressive and perhaps deprived culture. Or both.
On the way to Agra, we came across a traffic jam that lasted 2 hours, and that had started 5 hours before we got there. We were in Rajasthan, and apparantly an accident had occured where the family members of the victims barricaded the street demanding immediate action against the perpetrator (perhaps the driver was drunk?). This tells me that Rajasthan's people have a strong social will to them, and also that their provincial judicial system may not be up to par. Anyways, there were litterally 200 locals surrounding our bus for hours, beggining with kind and excited conversations (in which I left the bus and talked with them outside) but ended in opening our windows and asking for things, as well as actually harrassing some of the girls on our trip. I switched seats with a friend of mine so that I was on window side, and the next time they opened the curtain, they saw my face, and the look on their face of astonishment/surprise was pretty hilarious. Unfortunately I was too upset to enjoy the situation, as I was yelling things in Hindi and English that expressed my frustration. Eventually, flowers, garbage, and even little pebbles were being thrown in through the windows (they were really hard to keep closed with no locking device). I was quite happy to start driving away.
But we made it to Agra!!! Thank goodness because it was unbelievable. Almost everything I've seen up to date has not fully reached my expectations (if I were to be honest with myself) compared to the hype that is involved. However, the hype attached with the Taj Mahal is world-wide and the great expectations I entered with were met with a magnificent marble structure at the height of the potential of things made by man. Maybe it is too high an appraisal, but I was taken aback by its beauty. In other perspectives, it is also a symbol of a misuse of wealth because it was made by the sweat of hard working poor people, in a land where the poverty was rampid. This could be viewed as a good provider of jobs, or as an exploitation of human capital. To add insult to injury, in many cases it was this grandeous manner in which the rich lived that kept the poor in their poverty. Of course, there can be an infinite perspective on all things, so I give only a few. Alas, instead of the overused expression, "You have to see it to believe it", I say, "You have to see it to perceive it".
We visited Saranath, which in an area outside of Varanasi where Buddha was said to have given his first sermon under a certain tree. We visited this exact site, and were surprised to discover that though the same tree had died thousands of years ago, seedlings from the original tree have been continually planted in the same site. In other words, the tree that we visited is a great great great grandfather of the original tree (give or take a few greats)! Aside from that, there were tibetan, chinese, indian buddhist temples within a short walk away, each differing in style of building and the specific figurines that were chosen to share the worship stage along with Buddha. There was also an 80-foot high ancient stupa. A stupa is a solid semi-sherical clump of brick that is otherwise astonishingly void of form. It was the first site of worship for Buddhists who didn't consider Buddha one to be worshipped (Buddha never asked for such treatment). Rather it was anti-figurative to symbolize an earnest search for truth instead of worshipping a deity, which was the custom of Hinduism at the time. I left my bag in the tibetan temple and went back to get it an hour later, and they were very kind to give it back.
A train took us from Varanasi to Jhansi, where we visited a palace nearby, in which I dressed in my best green and gold silk tunic. There was a great tour of it, along with a nice little touristy village and a river where the monkeys almost attacked us. Basically I was taking photos when one glared his teeth (which, if it has ever happened to you, you know that it scares the bageebees out of you) and followed us a little. Later, we had dinner at the palace (I know, it sounds hot) where a little ensemble of a harmonia (like an accordian) and tablas were accompanying a transvesdite dancer. What!?, you may ask. Well, this person was dressed like a lady, and was bellydancing, but had a veil over his face the whole time. Except, his belly was straight, not curved like a woman's, and one time he lifted his veil and smiled at one of the girls. She gives testimony to the fact that the dancer was male, and I must say it was more than slightly uncomfortable to watch the awesome moves he was making on that dance floor.
We took a bus to a series of temples called Kujaraho. These are unique in India because they are the only temples that display explicit sexual stances and activity alongside all the religious deities and depictions of the ancient texts that are commonplace (Ramanyana and Mahabharatra). Most of the temples were Shiva temples, though there were carvings of Parvati, Vishnu, Brahman, and Ganesh. When I say Shiva temple, I mean it had a shiva lingam inside the central chamber, which is incidently also supposed to be a phallic symbol (perhaps the association with sexual carvings lies therein). My overall thought of the temples was that only about 5% of the carvings were sexual in nature, yet because it is the only one, all the postcards hone in on these like the other 95% don't exist. One interpretation I offer is that this is an example of amplification of an obscure topic in the name of tourism and capital gain. Or simply an obsession of sex in a sexually repressive and perhaps deprived culture. Or both.
On the way to Agra, we came across a traffic jam that lasted 2 hours, and that had started 5 hours before we got there. We were in Rajasthan, and apparantly an accident had occured where the family members of the victims barricaded the street demanding immediate action against the perpetrator (perhaps the driver was drunk?). This tells me that Rajasthan's people have a strong social will to them, and also that their provincial judicial system may not be up to par. Anyways, there were litterally 200 locals surrounding our bus for hours, beggining with kind and excited conversations (in which I left the bus and talked with them outside) but ended in opening our windows and asking for things, as well as actually harrassing some of the girls on our trip. I switched seats with a friend of mine so that I was on window side, and the next time they opened the curtain, they saw my face, and the look on their face of astonishment/surprise was pretty hilarious. Unfortunately I was too upset to enjoy the situation, as I was yelling things in Hindi and English that expressed my frustration. Eventually, flowers, garbage, and even little pebbles were being thrown in through the windows (they were really hard to keep closed with no locking device). I was quite happy to start driving away.
But we made it to Agra!!! Thank goodness because it was unbelievable. Almost everything I've seen up to date has not fully reached my expectations (if I were to be honest with myself) compared to the hype that is involved. However, the hype attached with the Taj Mahal is world-wide and the great expectations I entered with were met with a magnificent marble structure at the height of the potential of things made by man. Maybe it is too high an appraisal, but I was taken aback by its beauty. In other perspectives, it is also a symbol of a misuse of wealth because it was made by the sweat of hard working poor people, in a land where the poverty was rampid. This could be viewed as a good provider of jobs, or as an exploitation of human capital. To add insult to injury, in many cases it was this grandeous manner in which the rich lived that kept the poor in their poverty. Of course, there can be an infinite perspective on all things, so I give only a few. Alas, instead of the overused expression, "You have to see it to believe it", I say, "You have to see it to perceive it".
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Hampi, Madurai, Pondicherry, and NGOs
Namaste! I am currently in the city of Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry), which is in the union territory of Pondicherry, which is ruled directly by national governance instead of the states of india, which are substantially autonomous. It was a French colony until 1954 I believe, even though India had been independent from the British since 1947. There are many sections of the city that are clearly remnants of colonial France, exemplified in residential buildings, churches, and city infrastructure like sanitation and road planning. Other than that, it still feels a lot like India with the markets everywhere, and a side street with a Hindu temple that has an elephant who blesses people just outside.
There is a terrific beach called Auroville beach, that has white sand and warm water! It is 8 km away from the international commune called Auroville, which claims it is an experiment for the unity of humanity. There are many nations represented there who basically are non-political peace lovers who seek to achieve unity within diversity. Many work on projects of sustainable living, and most (if not all) practise yoga as a means of peace and unity. The Matrimandir is a large golden dome within the commune which people can meditate and perform yoga in when they choose. "The Mother" is a woman who started the whole thing, and today is actually the celebration of her ideals, one of which was the non-existance of constitutionalized marriage.
Last night, there was live music in the middle of Nehru Street in Puducherry, consisting of a stage full of electric drums, tablas, male and female singers, and a keyboard. Then, down the road, there was a brightly lit statue of a deity on a float rolling through the same road, powered by a generator behind it. There were many shopkeepers and townspeople coming to offer gifts, and 3 brahmins dressed in white lungis (man skirts, of which I own and happily wear 3) accepted the offerings. The gifts consisted of strings of flowers, shawls from clothing venders, and fruits. Most of which would be put in a metal pan and burned, giving off an aromatic smoke.
Madurai was a pretty awesome town, with the normal hustle and bustle of a normal Indian town, but with an incredible temple called the Minakshi Temple. Minakshi (or Parvati) is the consort to Sundeswerar (or Shiva), so the temple also had dedications to Shiva. There were a number of gopurams (towers) and many halls, each including ancient decorative pillars. It is the custom to have markets, or bazaars infront of temples for people to sell their wares, so there is a large one in Madurai. One night, my friend John and I met a guy about our age who took us on a city bus to the other end of town to another temple out on the water. He wanted to take us on a boat, but it was dark, there were no other boats around, and he had an engraving on his arm from a knife carving. The scar constisted of four letters which he was unable to truthfully explain (he told us a few different answers). So we figured he was part of a gang or at least super sketchy due to the situation, so we took a rickshaw back to town. Altogether a good time. We also visited the Gandhi Museum in Madurai, which told an extended account of the liberation of India (from the Brits) and Gandhi's life and works aside from that. The facility was created by Nehru, suitingly, as they were good friends and colleagues throughout the birth of the nation. The day after visiting the temple and the museum, we visited 3 NGOs around Madurai. The first was a Mercy Home, which took abandoned girl babies and abandoned elderly and gave them a place to live (for the babies, they also helped arrange foster parents). The second was a movement to empower women by education (of both women and men) and rights awareness. The third was called DHAN (development of human action) which basically facilitated micro-credit loans all over the country for small self-governing groups of people. All have had tremendous success and serve a vital part of Indian social society.
The weekend before Madurai, we went to Hampi, which is an area in nothern Karnataka which has many really old archealogical sites. There were so many temples that I couldn't really count them. Many were Hindu, some were Moslem, and some of the ruins simply consisted of religious baths, and simple city infrastructure like roads, waterways, and tunnels. One morning we climbed a small mountain (more of a large hill- it took about an hour) to watch the sunrise- absolutely breathtaking from up there! It was neat because we had just seen all the sights the day before, but now we got a bird's eye view.
In between all these places, we have been taking night trains, which has become quite an enjoyable experience. I have gotten good sleeps and met some really cool people. And of course, the most memorable phrases are repeated mercilessly by sellers (namely, "Chai" and "Coffee"). A little Indian girl named Sita kept coming to speak English to us (numbers 1 to 10 and nursery rhymes like "twinkle twinkle little star"), which was priceless. I think she had a crush on me. Well, off to supper. Something French.... maybe baguettes and pasta?
There is a terrific beach called Auroville beach, that has white sand and warm water! It is 8 km away from the international commune called Auroville, which claims it is an experiment for the unity of humanity. There are many nations represented there who basically are non-political peace lovers who seek to achieve unity within diversity. Many work on projects of sustainable living, and most (if not all) practise yoga as a means of peace and unity. The Matrimandir is a large golden dome within the commune which people can meditate and perform yoga in when they choose. "The Mother" is a woman who started the whole thing, and today is actually the celebration of her ideals, one of which was the non-existance of constitutionalized marriage.
Last night, there was live music in the middle of Nehru Street in Puducherry, consisting of a stage full of electric drums, tablas, male and female singers, and a keyboard. Then, down the road, there was a brightly lit statue of a deity on a float rolling through the same road, powered by a generator behind it. There were many shopkeepers and townspeople coming to offer gifts, and 3 brahmins dressed in white lungis (man skirts, of which I own and happily wear 3) accepted the offerings. The gifts consisted of strings of flowers, shawls from clothing venders, and fruits. Most of which would be put in a metal pan and burned, giving off an aromatic smoke.
Madurai was a pretty awesome town, with the normal hustle and bustle of a normal Indian town, but with an incredible temple called the Minakshi Temple. Minakshi (or Parvati) is the consort to Sundeswerar (or Shiva), so the temple also had dedications to Shiva. There were a number of gopurams (towers) and many halls, each including ancient decorative pillars. It is the custom to have markets, or bazaars infront of temples for people to sell their wares, so there is a large one in Madurai. One night, my friend John and I met a guy about our age who took us on a city bus to the other end of town to another temple out on the water. He wanted to take us on a boat, but it was dark, there were no other boats around, and he had an engraving on his arm from a knife carving. The scar constisted of four letters which he was unable to truthfully explain (he told us a few different answers). So we figured he was part of a gang or at least super sketchy due to the situation, so we took a rickshaw back to town. Altogether a good time. We also visited the Gandhi Museum in Madurai, which told an extended account of the liberation of India (from the Brits) and Gandhi's life and works aside from that. The facility was created by Nehru, suitingly, as they were good friends and colleagues throughout the birth of the nation. The day after visiting the temple and the museum, we visited 3 NGOs around Madurai. The first was a Mercy Home, which took abandoned girl babies and abandoned elderly and gave them a place to live (for the babies, they also helped arrange foster parents). The second was a movement to empower women by education (of both women and men) and rights awareness. The third was called DHAN (development of human action) which basically facilitated micro-credit loans all over the country for small self-governing groups of people. All have had tremendous success and serve a vital part of Indian social society.
The weekend before Madurai, we went to Hampi, which is an area in nothern Karnataka which has many really old archealogical sites. There were so many temples that I couldn't really count them. Many were Hindu, some were Moslem, and some of the ruins simply consisted of religious baths, and simple city infrastructure like roads, waterways, and tunnels. One morning we climbed a small mountain (more of a large hill- it took about an hour) to watch the sunrise- absolutely breathtaking from up there! It was neat because we had just seen all the sights the day before, but now we got a bird's eye view.
In between all these places, we have been taking night trains, which has become quite an enjoyable experience. I have gotten good sleeps and met some really cool people. And of course, the most memorable phrases are repeated mercilessly by sellers (namely, "Chai" and "Coffee"). A little Indian girl named Sita kept coming to speak English to us (numbers 1 to 10 and nursery rhymes like "twinkle twinkle little star"), which was priceless. I think she had a crush on me. Well, off to supper. Something French.... maybe baguettes and pasta?
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Hospitals
Asha Kirana is an HIV/AIDS hospital that is next door to our hostel, and they arranged an education presentation to a nearby police training facility in which I tagged along. The police sent a bus with bars over the windows (clearly for transporting criminals!) which picked us up and drove us across the city. When we got there, we were brought to a room with about 200 constables wearing tan colored uniforms and matching hats. They reminded me of "man in the yellow hat" in curious George... but with tan hats. I got some pretty hilarious photos of some officers posing on their motorbikes afterwards. The talk itself was in Kannada (the language of Karnataka), but the presentation was in English, so I understood most of it. I feel it is actually fairly strategic to inform the policeman who will be enforcing prostitution laws (for example) how HIV can and cannot be transmitted, as it will help their judgment and keep them from propagating social stigmas. But can you believe that men who have trained and educated for 12 years in the police force have never heard of the basics of HIV/AIDS? How much do uneducated know about it? It's scary to know that a very conservative figure of 5 million HIV positive people live in India. Who knows how high the liberal number reaches? With little education, lots of stigma, and not universally organized system of ARV distribution, this country may see the ravages of HIV/AIDS similar to the likes of South Africa or worse.
On a lighter note, we visited the "Hospital in the Forest", which is an NGO that operates about half an hour away from Mysore. It serves tribals of the area, but also provides schooling and sanitation. It is an organization that operates very well, and shines as a model for other NGOs that want to do similar work in other areas of India.
Now I gotta study, I have 3 tests and 2 papers due in a few days, so phir melege (see you later)!
On a lighter note, we visited the "Hospital in the Forest", which is an NGO that operates about half an hour away from Mysore. It serves tribals of the area, but also provides schooling and sanitation. It is an organization that operates very well, and shines as a model for other NGOs that want to do similar work in other areas of India.
Now I gotta study, I have 3 tests and 2 papers due in a few days, so phir melege (see you later)!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Banana leaves and exhaust
Last night, six of us took two rickshaws to a restaurant in downtown Mysore. The drivers were friends, so naturally, they were playfully passing each other as they drove, allowing us to yell at our friends as we raced. These were among the more souped-up rickies (which means they could probably drive 80 km/h downhill (about 20 km/h uphill!), pretty impressive for glorified 3 wheeled motorbikes). The best part of those little motors is that you shouldn't feel safe in them, even though you do, so its an adventure every time.
The food at the restaurant was served on banana leaves as plates. It was mostly scoops of vegetable chutneys, a mountain of white rice, and bowls of soupy curries (accompanied with a 7-up). It was hilarious because our server was a 10 year old boy, and they didn't have most of what was on the menu that particular night. However, his little face lit up when we ordered something they did have, and he would bob it side to side excitedly (that's how indians nod- it means yes, or an approval, or I like to think it means "of course, you idiot"). I asked "do you have fish curry?" (a disappointed "no") , and "do you have fish fry" ("no"), and because someone had already ordered it, I said "but what I REALLY want is the chicken masala," and he was ecstatic!
However, after thinking about it, it settles well with me that they didn't have a lot of what was on the menu. It simply means that they didn't buy any fish that afternoon. In Canada, we buy a quarter chicken from Swiss Chalet, and of course it's available! They just go get it from the freezer where it has been for that last month. In Canada, everything is available all the time. Here, fruits are available in season, and products based on demand.
Back to the automobiles idea, the Tata Nano is a car that has been put on the market, and sells for around Rs. 100 000. It is the most affordable car ever in India, and people are expected to buy it like hotcakes. For the Tata car company, and workers everywhere who have been waiting for a cheap form of transportation and westernization like this, this is a godsend! From my humble point of view, the congestion is already reaching its limits on many roads. And with global climate change being a pressing issue these days, making a car available to hundreds of millions of salivating consumers is a slippery slope. But its
The food at the restaurant was served on banana leaves as plates. It was mostly scoops of vegetable chutneys, a mountain of white rice, and bowls of soupy curries (accompanied with a 7-up). It was hilarious because our server was a 10 year old boy, and they didn't have most of what was on the menu that particular night. However, his little face lit up when we ordered something they did have, and he would bob it side to side excitedly (that's how indians nod- it means yes, or an approval, or I like to think it means "of course, you idiot"). I asked "do you have fish curry?" (a disappointed "no") , and "do you have fish fry" ("no"), and because someone had already ordered it, I said "but what I REALLY want is the chicken masala," and he was ecstatic!
However, after thinking about it, it settles well with me that they didn't have a lot of what was on the menu. It simply means that they didn't buy any fish that afternoon. In Canada, we buy a quarter chicken from Swiss Chalet, and of course it's available! They just go get it from the freezer where it has been for that last month. In Canada, everything is available all the time. Here, fruits are available in season, and products based on demand.
Back to the automobiles idea, the Tata Nano is a car that has been put on the market, and sells for around Rs. 100 000. It is the most affordable car ever in India, and people are expected to buy it like hotcakes. For the Tata car company, and workers everywhere who have been waiting for a cheap form of transportation and westernization like this, this is a godsend! From my humble point of view, the congestion is already reaching its limits on many roads. And with global climate change being a pressing issue these days, making a car available to hundreds of millions of salivating consumers is a slippery slope. But its
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Mysore Palace
I heard a subtle sound of crunching metal and I got up from my seat at the internet cafe. Peering outside, I saw a man who just had a small accident in his motorbike (he seems to be okay), but already within 1 minute, a crowd of 100 people had circled the site: a demonstration of the care, curiosity, and density of people in this country.
I've been in Mysore for a few weeks now. The classes I'm enrolled in are really interesting: Hindi, culture and civilization of India, science technology and development, Indian Economy, and Natural Chemicals of the Environment. I share a room with my friend Tom in a hostel down the street from the school. It's called VILD (vivekananda institute for leadership development), but our specific sector is SVIIS (swami vivekananda institute for Indian studies). The profs are mostly retired professionals, so they provide good insights into their respective fields.
Last weekend, we visited Mysore Palace, which was built in 1912. It's designs amalgamate hindu, muslim, gothic, and rajput styles of architecture, which was recognizable inside. Some rooms were so different from the next that I was surprised it was all the same place. The money and intricacy that was put into this place was incredible. Unfortunately, taking photos is strictly prohibited so i didn't get any of the interior.
We also visited a huge dam built near the city (the 2nd in the world after Niagara falls to harness hydroelectric power), where after dark, there was a light show over large gardens that grow there. We stopped later at a Muslim Palace that was a grave (same idea as the Taj Mahal), and a Hindu temple on the top of the highest hill in Mysore. There were lots of monkeys there, along with a street full of vendors of the most brightly colored spices and grains.
You have perhaps heard that cows are holy here. They are treated as such, and when I asked why, the answer I got was that they only give. They give work to farmers (pulling tools), milk for drinking and butter (later turned to ghee), and manure for fertilization. Why would we kill something that only gives? A novel idea to be sure. I obviously don't think they are holy, but it's neat to see not only the care for them by people, and their reaction to this treatment. They own the road, along with wherever they choose to roam. I have been in countless traffic back-ups due to a cow slowly mozying along the road. They do react to car horns, but its as if they reserve the right to be on the road, like they know they're invincible!
jared
I've been in Mysore for a few weeks now. The classes I'm enrolled in are really interesting: Hindi, culture and civilization of India, science technology and development, Indian Economy, and Natural Chemicals of the Environment. I share a room with my friend Tom in a hostel down the street from the school. It's called VILD (vivekananda institute for leadership development), but our specific sector is SVIIS (swami vivekananda institute for Indian studies). The profs are mostly retired professionals, so they provide good insights into their respective fields.
Last weekend, we visited Mysore Palace, which was built in 1912. It's designs amalgamate hindu, muslim, gothic, and rajput styles of architecture, which was recognizable inside. Some rooms were so different from the next that I was surprised it was all the same place. The money and intricacy that was put into this place was incredible. Unfortunately, taking photos is strictly prohibited so i didn't get any of the interior.
We also visited a huge dam built near the city (the 2nd in the world after Niagara falls to harness hydroelectric power), where after dark, there was a light show over large gardens that grow there. We stopped later at a Muslim Palace that was a grave (same idea as the Taj Mahal), and a Hindu temple on the top of the highest hill in Mysore. There were lots of monkeys there, along with a street full of vendors of the most brightly colored spices and grains.
You have perhaps heard that cows are holy here. They are treated as such, and when I asked why, the answer I got was that they only give. They give work to farmers (pulling tools), milk for drinking and butter (later turned to ghee), and manure for fertilization. Why would we kill something that only gives? A novel idea to be sure. I obviously don't think they are holy, but it's neat to see not only the care for them by people, and their reaction to this treatment. They own the road, along with wherever they choose to roam. I have been in countless traffic back-ups due to a cow slowly mozying along the road. They do react to car horns, but its as if they reserve the right to be on the road, like they know they're invincible!
jared
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)