Second Chances

Woman selling marigolds to adorn alters of various gods

Dilli Hat- A tourist market... but hey, I had fun!

Sidewalk art

The Delhi metro system is wonderful

At "Lodi- The Garden Restaurant" a swank outdoor dining spot where Jav got asparagus rosotto and I had sundried tomato shrimp!

So.. I decided that since Delhi was only a five hour express train away from Dosarka that I would give it a second chance. I LOVE THE BIG CITY. I would never want to live in Delhi but it is a great place to reccuperate from the 104 degree temperatures (in an airconditioned "hotel" room) and curry/masala overload. We took the metro, went shopping, and wined and dined. It was wonderful.

Tibetan Lady with prayer beads

Tibetan monks participating in Buddhist chant and movement ritual

View of the valley

These guys rule the town

You will see Tibetan monks throught this region of India

Moth on a thistle

This lady looks almost prehistoric to me.. she was just snoozing in the middle of the road.

McLeod Ganj

Himalayas

Wheat harvest

This is the second round of photos that I have from McLeod Ganj (the home of the Dalai Lama). When we went the last time it was the Tibetan New Year (Losar) and everything was closed. Not to mention the heat has been killing us in the low lands so it was nice to gain some altitude.

While we were there we tried to get a Tibetan astrological chart made at the astrologist's office of the Dalai Lama however the waiting list was extremely long. They said it would take almost 6 months to even apply for the chart to be made. It made me sad that sacred things like that are now turning into comodities and that I was actually buying into it. On a lighter note, we took a Tibetan cooking class from an amazing man who escaped from Tibet about 12 years ago. He left with only one other person in the height of winter (mid January). It took him 28 days to cross the Himalayan mountain range and seek refuge in Nepal. His entire family is still in Tibet, they have limited contact because all interaction is highly monitored. Nonetheless, he met his wife in McLeod and now has a son who is almost two-years-old. You could see the sadness in his eyes when he was telling his story but you could also see graditude. He told us, "You can ask me anything" which for me implied a sense of pride that he escaped Chinese tyranny and began anew in the safe haven of the Dalai Lama. For him, teaching Tibetan cuisine is carrying on his heritage and culture so that it will never die... he was given a second chance by the Indian government and is doing everything he can to hold onto his culture.

Intern Farm Day & Chandigarh Weekend

Farming DAY! Jav and I organized a day for fellow interns to

come out and help us farm.

Everyone working away!

Javin and "Papa B" discussing future plans

Photo taken by jav: "A bee in the rose garden"

Chandigarh

Birds like art too:)

Sukhna Lake- Chandigarh

Our paddle boat

Natalia and I

Jav and I at Nek Chand's Rock Garden

One must practice meditation to stay sane in India

Rock Garden

Rock Garden

WHAT?!

I <3 catss. MEOW

Farmin'

I’m sure that many of you are wondering what I am actually doing here. That is probably because I haven’t posted a thing about it and have been focusing on writing and publishing photos about my travels, culture, etc… Nonetheless, we broke ground! Finally!

After being here nearly a month we started to farm the plot of land that was given to the organic farming interns by the organization. It was actually quite a hilarious first go at farming in India. In order for you to understand why it was so entertaining first I must give you a brief history lesson in Bhullar genealogy. The man who manages the ViKAS centers name is Baljinder Bhullar. He was previously a pilot in the Indian army who decided that he much rather work doing seva (Shik word for service or volunteerism and is a major guiding philosophy in the religion today) than flying fighter jets. This is when he began an alliance with EduCARE India and started opening up ViKAS centers (where Jav and I work) around Punjab. Anyways, we affectionately call him “Mr. B” for short. Currently I am living in “Papa B’s”, Mr.B’s father’s house, in Sotla. Papa B is also the owner of the land in which we are farming and is a farmer himself. He is a very knowledgeable man but has not quite been convinced on the pluses of organic farming; even so, he has left the plot of land that we are farming pesticide free for almost two years so that Mr. B’s dream of spreading awareness about organic farming can be peculated throughout the rural community of Sotla then eventually to the rest of Punjab (Punjab is considered the bread basket of India). One day about a week ago Papa B took Jav and I out to survey the land and to see what we had to work with. We discovered that the land is a perfect size and has a good amount of sun and shade exposure- the only down side was that there were several other crops that Papa B had to harvest. He did however give us a strip of land running down the middle that we could get started with right away. So after a couple of days, after we had wrapped our heads around what we had to work with, we woke up around 6:30 AM to farm! We only had one hoe and the head was broken so we needed to visit Papa B to see if there were any more available. Papa B proceeds to walk with us to the plot of land- we conversate about our plans for the land and what we envision this doing for the community. Once we get to the land he asks us how long we plan to work. Keep in mind that by the time we reached the land it was already 7:30 so we say around 1-2 hours because it is already around 80 degrees at 9 AM. We get down the business- I start hacking away at the weeds and trying to aerate the soil and immediately I am told that I am doing it wrong by a man whom I am guessing is Papa B’s employee and proceeds to show the “right” way which is EXACTLY what I was doing! We clear a good amount of land but the other hoe we have is broken and the head keeps flying off every 5 minutes. After we worked for about an hour we had to call it quits. It heated up quickly and I had to be at the center to teach a morning class. So we decide to pack up our things. As we are packing we heard Papa B’s voice out of nowhere. We soon realize that he had been in the small shed watching us the entire time we were working! When he came out he lectured us about how we were working the land and was upset about how long we had spent there (only an hour) and made comments about how he knew we wouldn’t last long out there- but the funny part was he was right! I kept trying to imagine what was going through his mind. He is an older man probably around 65-70 who has lived his entire life in a farming community and has made the majority of his wealth from working the land. Then a couple of youngsters from the US come to his village to do organic farming. It must seem preposterous to him. I know that he has a wealth of knowledge to share with us and I am excited to learn more about the farming community through him. He also has quite a presence in Sotla which I know will help me in the long run when I try to do some local outreach through farmer field schools: http://www.farmerfieldschool.info/. All in all I would say that our first farming experience was a success!

I have also been involved with other things at the center like teaching English classes daily and taking over the migrants program from a fellow intern who recently finished her internship. The migrants program works with children from migrant camps on the outskirts of Dosarka (where the center is located). They live in sugarcane huts and have no running water. They mostly work for the farmers in the area doing field work and often their children will help in the fields as well. They are considered the community outcasts- sometimes I am in need of a local volunteer to come with me to help translate at the camps but it is very hard to find someone who is willing to be seen in the camps. Migrants are seen as dirty and you are seen as dirty by associating with them. What the migrant program aims to give the children in the camp some basic English skills while teaching them basic math, reading, and writing. Because the children spend a lot of their time working with their parents they do not attend school- the migrant’s program is there to give them a sort of release from their normal routine. I have found that the children are extremely mature but more loving than anything else. To say the very least, I have already fallen for them…

McLeod Ganj to Amritsar

McLeod Ganj (home of the Dalai Lama in excile)
Tsuglagkhang complex- Buddah in Temple

Tsuglagkhang- Candles burning

Rishikesh Waterfal hike- those guys came out of
nowhere

Rishikesh- Swarg Niwas Hindu temple
taken from Lakshman Jhula bridge

Sadus in meditating by the Ganges

Henna

Women working at Vandana Shiva's
Farm

Seed Saving- Best part about Navdanya

Navdanya

Holi

Amritsar- Golden temple (Shik)

Chapatti making at Golden temple-
All of these people are volunteers
and are prepairing for the communal
meals that feed 60,000- 80,000 people daily

Golden Temple- Cooking!

Sotla

Because it has been over a week since Javin and I arrived as interns with EduCARE I feel like it is time to finally update you on what has been going on in our lives. It has literally been a whirlwind since we got here! It’s amazing to me that it has almost been two weeks since we have started our work here.

Sotla: When Jav and I arrived in our final destination of Sotla (a small village of about 1000 inhabitants) I was dumbfounded. Before we arrived I had no idea that we would be living in a village. Maybe that was just ignorance on my part. I knew that we would have no hot water or shower but for some reason it did not register village- and actually, most of the other interns subtracting the ones that live in Sotla live in more of a town/city setting but have neither of those luxuries.

When the bus dropped us off and we began to walk through the village various smells assaulted my nose- I believe for the most part it was cow manure but there were several other mysterious looking fecal deposits sprinkled about the main dirt road. Not to mention that India has no waste management program. This means that there is trash EVERYWHERE. I have yet to see anywhere in India that is not contaminated with the sight of confetti colored wrappers carelessly strewn  up and down roadways, trees, bodies of water, etc. etc. Coming to India on the behalf of the environment and seeing this everyday is quite depressing to say the least and with a population this vast it is rather disheartening. Nonetheless, Javin and I (along with our new roommate Adria from Spain) press on down the road to see our new home. When we pushed open the gate we were greeted with the very friendly faces of our new housemates. This was incredibly welcoming but when we got to looking around the house I was amazed. Our kitchen is unattached from the house and is VERY minimal. We have a two burner gas “range” which is really just one of those detachable stove tops that connect to a propane tank- if you still don’t know what I am talking about… think barbeque. There are two concrete shelves lining the walls with various pots, pans, spices, rice, and other cooking supplies. Our dishes and cutlery looks like it’s about one hundred years old and is a hodgepodge of cups, plates, bowls…And our sink is like a dismal dying place for all the food scraps (we also have a compost bin). There is an upper and lower level to the house. On the upper level there are two bedrooms and one bathroom with a shower like device (basically a cold water faucet). One of these bedrooms is mine- I share it with a lovely girl named Paula from Spain. I think the most shocking thing I encountered was my bed… it is just a cot with a few blankets on top. On the bottom floor there is another two rooms, a toilet (thank the gods it’s Western style), and a dining area with a fridge that has been dubbed a freezer because it is so cold it freezes everything.

I never thought I would live so minimally but now I am realizing that this is vital to my stay here- I must be able to understand the culture in which I am living and in order to do so I ought to live like the locals. I soon learned that our house in Sotla was not by any means considered minimal to the rest of the community. Overall, I am learning everyday that how we live is very doable. It makes me feel good that I have adapted so rapidly and that I can clearly see all the luxuries we have at home. It also makes me feel like a lot of what I do is excessive and unnecessary… but let us leave that for another day when I am feeling more philosophical.

The MOST annoying thing thus far that I have came across while living in Sotla is the Gurdwara or Sikh temple that is less than 100 meters from my house. Every morning at around 4 AM the town guru blats prayers over the loud speaker. The loudness seems to vary depending on the guru’s mood. If the guru is especially excited he will play a few religious tunes then recite some prays but this also means that the volume is at the maximum. This usually occurs on Sundays when the praying goes on for more than 12 hours. Last Sunday morning it began at 4 AM and ended at 6 PM. To give you an idea of how loud it was Javin and I were in my room trying to watch a movie with our computer at full volume and we could not even begin to hear it. To say the least it was extremely exasperating but by the time 6 PM rolled around and since we had been in the house all day it began to get depressing. Thankfully, on the weekdays the volume is substantially lower but I have yet to sleep through one of the prayer sessions. Other interns say that it gets better and better as time goes along. Nonetheless, Javin and I have vowed that we will not stay in Sotla on Sundays.

Since I have mentioned one of the most annoying factors about living in Sotla I must mention the most amazing factors. This is the walk to and the ViKAS center that we work at in Dosarka. It is about a 3 km walk one way and it is BEAUTIFUL- there are seas of green wheat fields, blooming almond trees, wild parrots and peacocks, and the soothing aroma of eucalyptus trees perfume the air (when other vile smells are not dominating). Not to mention walking to and from work has really linked us to our community because many people spend their mornings and evenings outdoors so we are really given a chance to say ‘hello’ and be friendly. The children especially enjoy a wave or two. This really makes me miss my kiddos back home but I could write a whole blog entry about that so I will just leave it for now.

McLeod Ganj: Tomorrow (Friday) Javin and I will travel to McLeod Ganj. This town is 10 km away from Dharamsala and the Dalai Lama is quaintly situated between the two. I am very excited and will fill you in shortly about my experience here but for now I must part.

I miss and love you all!

New Delhi- Chaos, cars, and cows

Delhi: We arrive at 3:30 AM, wait to collect our bags from baggage claim for over an hour, then clamor around to trying to find the driver that was supposed to be readily awaiting our arrival. No such success. Once we find the prepaid taxi outlet we discover that they drive on the other side of the road... Should have expected as much since India is a British colony. However, this doesn't really matter because they drive on either side of the road depending on where they need to go, traffic congestion (which can mean a number of things- oxen, bicycles, horses, personal cars, taxis, motos, auto-rickshaws, bicycle-rickshaws, pedestrians, etc. There is defiantly a hierarchy here depending on how big and how fast one's mode of transportation is.), and their general mood. We tell the driver that we will be staying at "Hotel Tara Palace". This means nothing to him because he had never heard of it. Thank god for Javin's brilliant memory because he remembered the street name in which "Tara Palace" is located. Once we came upon the street the driver asked a local for the hotel's location. The driver inched back a few feet to a dismal ally way in Old Delhi. "NO" I shout... "This cannot be it!". Javin decides to jump out of the taxi to scope things out. Keep in mind that it is still very dark and the ally way looks like a labyrinth into the great abyss. He does a couple double takes before he sprints into the darkness. All the while I am in the taxi literally gnawing off my fingernails. He reemerges with a nice looking young man who appears to be the bellhop. Javin explains that “Hotel Tara Palace” is in fact located down the dark ally.

When we get into the hotel the scent of incense is overpowering. It’s like going to a traditional Catholic mass but times ten. Javin and I decide that the hotel itself is okay to say the least but we later decide that it was wonderful (you will later learn why). There was hot water and an actual bed (by bed I mean an elevated coffee table with a 4 in. foam pad on top), a TV with a couple English stations, and they served a yummy complimentary breakfast. 

After we slept for a couple of hours we decided it is time to hit the town. First thing on our agenda: Red Fort or as the locals call it Lal Quila- its beautiful red walls are sprawling and take up two square km of space in the heart of Old Delhi as it once was the epicenter of the Mughal Empire.  After a good history lesson from Javin (he took a whole class on the Mughal Empire) we decided it was time for lunch and some shopping. This is when we discovered McDonaldsJ And it was an actually discovery because it is a totally different menu here than in the States. My favorite was the McAloo Tikki all for 25 Rupees which is about 50 cents. Potato and pea patty seasoned with curry and other such spices, curry mayo, tomatoes, and onions all on a nice soft bun. Now why can’t we have that back home?!    

Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, was next on the list. When the rickshaw driver dropped us off at the  mouth of the street that led to the mosque there were thousands of people, animals, motos, fruit and meat carts, and basically anything you can think of swarming around us. We came to discover that it was a holy day in the Muslim world and there was a huge parade going on. Go figure… we thought it was like that every day. We then decided that we would just go back to the hotel since it was very close and ended up falling asleep around 6:30 PM Delhi time. This was no good because we woke up around 3:30 AM the next morning.

More to come soon. Miss you all so much!