Saturday, April 28, 2012

Sunrise Sunset


The view from my hammock.


Here we are in Goa, the last leg of our trip. This trip hasn’t been the smoothest, easiest, most relaxing travel experience in the world. In fact, Ian and I are beat. Luckily Goa is just slow enough to accept the fact that all we want to do is sleep all day in the sun only occasionally dipping in to the ocean to cool off. It is nice to have sun and sand and beach to end some amazing, but stressful travel.

Let me give you the highlights since I last updated you. Amritsar was such a blessing to us. We made many friends there and it seemed as if half of our Guest House was on the bus we took to Dharamsala. When most people think say they are visiting Dharamsala, they actually mean they will be staying in McCleod Ganj. McCleod Ganj is the sleepy mountain town that houses the Dalai Lama’s temple and is inhabited by many Buddhist monks working with the exiled government of Tibet.

As we drove up in the bus, the Himalayas hit me straight in the heart. I have been wanting to see the Himalayas for my entire life, and let me tell you, they don’t disappoint. I literally felt like crying or laughing hysterically the first time I saw them.  They are that immense and enchanting.  The first day we were there we went on a hike to a beautiful waterfall in the nearby town of Bagsu. Strewn with shops and prayer flags, the mountains were warm and welcoming.


The next day I woke up feeling bad….really bad. I struggled with a fever and chills the whole day, alongside some serious stomach issues. Everyone will tell you that you’ll get sick traveling in India. It’s something I thought was a bit of a myth. Yeah, I’ve had some issues in Kerala, but most of them had to do with my personal carelessness. Traveler sickness is a real thing here, but you can avoid it by being careful. I was so excited about traveling that I forgot to be careful about my eating. So if you are thinking about coming to India for travel, DO IT!!! Just don’t eat from a bus stand like silly old me. I am fairly certain that’s what gave me my little 48 hour bug.

Sunrise over Delhi
Anyways, I was too sick to travel so we stayed an extra day in McCleod Ganj and rearranged our plans a bit. My plans were to be having a rooftop dinner in Agra on the evening of my 23rd Birthday….instead we boarded an overnight bus to Delhi that was driven by a man who must have had something chasing him. He drove faster and crazier than I ever thought was possible in a big chartered bus.  It was a jarring experience to say the least. We arrived in Delhi at 4 a.m. dazed and ready to get some actual sleep. The sunrise over Delhi was a beautifully peaceful way to arrive.  Delhi seemed like an entirely different place by the dim glow of morning.




In Delhi we recooperated, had a nice evening at a big shopping mall, ate at Hard Rock Café and Hagen Daaz, and we took a crazy day trip to Agra.

The day trip was crazy not only because we saw the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, but also because the minute I stepped off the still moving train in Agra, I fell and sprained my ankle.


In a crowded train station where no one speaks your language, it is pretty crazy to be injured, cursing and crying.

 Luckily, we made a helpful friend who also had a taxi service. He took us to a medical store and got me ointment and a cloth wrap for my ankle.

He then took us to the Taj, and to a beautiful workshop where traditional Mughal marble work is still being done. We got back just in time for a crowded train back to Delhi.


Another crazy travel experience came promptly after my ankle sprain, a 4:30 a.m. train to Jaipur.  Once we found our train car, Ian and I slept until we had almost reached our destination.

The morning train thing wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. We rested all day our first day in Jaipur and enjoyed our beautiful hotel, which also had a delicious restaurant. We ate there for every meal.

Monkey at the Monkey Temple
In Jaipur we got lucky and found a driver who would take us to all of the big sites in 2 days for a decent price. We saw The Amber Fort, The Monkey Temple, some Mughal Tombs, The Central Museum, the Jantar Mantar, The Palace of the Winds, The Water Palace and many roadside markets.

We figured out that the autorickshaw drivers who offer to take you on a tour generally have a few friends who own nice shops. They take you to these shops to support their friends. It is a pretty clever way to help out your buddies. Take some gullible tourists to “insider” shops and they will most likely buy something. Ian and I splurged and got wall-hangings for our homes that are hand embroidered and made with vegetable dye.  I also bought too many earrings from a silver jewelry shop.

Jaipur is in the state of Rajasthan which is said to be one of the most beautiful states in India. I loved seeing the women dressed in bright colors.  They were great accessories to the beautiful desert sunsets. I would love to travel around Rajasthan more and get to see the “real desert” which is further inland. We Texans are quite partial to desert-style- beauty. It seems that almost every place we have been, I have told myself that I will return someday. There is so much to see in India. So much that swings open the doors of your mind and soul. I can’t help but know that I am meant to come back here. India is telling me all about it.

Sunset
We actually took an easy flight to Goa and gave ourselves a break on the intensity of our travel. We got to Goa easily and we are staying in Goa easily. Everything is incredibly laid back. Most of my days have been spent laying in the sun reading books, so it has been the perfect way to wind down.

Goa is also a little strange. Sometimes I feel like beaches transport you into a different world. My experience of Goa is no different. It is like an alternate universe where you forget you are in India.  It is endless blue water, clean sands and foreigners, so quite literally it feels like we could be somewhere in Europe right now.  It is nice to have this little escape, but I am happy to return to Kerala in a few days. I have missed the place I call home.

So things have been shocking, difficult, new and strange. Things have also been incredibly beautiful, meaningful, and transformative. We have met so many brave, interesting, friendly travelers along the way. They have inspired me with their willingness to put themselves outside of their comfort zones and just go out there and take on the world.

Meeting so many travelers has also made me thankful for the opportunity YAV has given me to really get to know one place. There is no way that I could absorb the individual culture of Rajasthan after staying there for 3 days, but with Kerala, I have learned the language, fallen in love with the community, and adapted to many parts of the culture. It is amazing that in this program we get to first develop a new sense of the word home, then go out and see how others make their homes in India. I wouldn’t trade either experience for the world.

My quote comes in the form of a photo today. This was carved in the marble at the Central Museum in Jaipur: " 'Tis from the soul the man within, that actions all their value win; No outward state, whate'er it be, affects an action's quality." - from the Mahabharata 

Friday, April 13, 2012

Delhi and Amritsar

Indiaaaaaaa!

I originally wanted to write a blog in each place on the All India tour, but staying in Delhi seemed like it came and left faster than the blink of an eye. We did a lot of walking in Delhi, we saw some major sites, and we learned to navigate the metro.

@ Live
We stayed near the New Delhi Railway station in an area called Paharganj. The place was bustling with life and I loved the main bazaar area. You could see a shop filled with amazing spices, fresh fruits, and authentic hand carved treasures right up next to internet cafes and tourist traps. It was a cool mix of old and new. The vehicles reflected that as well. A sports car around one corner and a mule pulling a bullock cart around the next. The cows lazily sat in the middle of the traffic every once in a while, causing everyone to simply pause and weave around them.

Our first day in Delhi was overwhelming to say the least. I would recommend staying at least 3 days in Delhi to other travelers because we needed one full day to adjust to the completely different atmosphere. Kerala is a laid back place and generally a place filled with warm and friendly people. In Delhi, it was confusing to find out that many people were trying to scam us simply because we were travelers. We had a lot of outrageous offers and instances of people following us after we refused. It was also really difficult to be irritated at these people. They clearly needed the money they were trying to get us to pay. They clearly were asking for some sort of reason. The people got inside my head a little bit, as did the poverty juxtaposed with extreme wealth.

Red Fort
That first night we relaxed for the evening at a cool place in Connaught Place called @live. There was a very nice Malaysian band that played stuff like....Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan. It was a nice place to unwind and enjoy ourselves after a pretty stressful 24 hours.

The Second Day we traveled via Metro to The Red Fort, Humayun's tomb, and the Lotus Temple. The Metro was a great way to get around.

The Red Fort was so astoundingly huge, we wandered around through the crowds of people just kind of dritfting from place to place.
Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb was definitely the favorite of the day. The architecture and marble work was so detailed. Walking up to this place we were both just completely struck by how immense the main tomb area was. It was also a lot less crowded.

 The Lotus Temple was also a good experience. A nice example of modern Architecture. lt was also a great opportunity to meet volunteers at the temple from all around the world. We met a guy named Taylor who was only 19 and had been living and volunteering at the temple for 3 months who was from Baltimore, Maryland. The Lotus Temple is a Baha'i holy site.
The Lotus Temple

The next day we headed to Amritsar in a 12:45 train. We were projected to arrive around 10:55 at night. We wasted time by talking to people, reading, and laughing at a really cute kid named Sacshem who ran around the train crying "doo dooo dooo dooooo." Suddenly at around 10:20, our train came to a stop....a long long stop.

Once we hit about 10:50, Ian got up and asked one of the train workers what was going on. Through a lot of Hindi and confusion, Ian fugured out that we were supposed to get off of our train and on to a passing train to Amritsar. Apparently our train was going to be stuck for a while. I trusted his judgement and we just grabbed our stuff and went for it. We hopped off of our train and onto the rocks. When the train came on to the neighboring track it didn't stop....it just kind of crawled. So I can now mark "jump on to a moving train" off of my Bucket List. haha.
The Golden Temple

We arrived pretty late to the hotel and passed out. The next day we woke up and met some friendly fellow travelers. We decided to go to the Golden Temple with Iris, a French girl who has been traveling around India for Six months.
Ian and Iris in a traditional rickshaw!

Sree Durgyana Temple
She has been a great friend here to both me and Ian. She is so young, only 20 years old, and so brave. We ate lunch at the Golden Temple in the Temple kitchen which was SUCH a crazy/awesome experience. Afterwards we got slices of coconut and took a rickshaw to the Sree Dugyana Temple (also called the silver temple) nearby. It was equal to the Golden Temple in it's stunning intricacy. Sree Durgyana is a Hindu holy site, and The Golden Temple is a Sikh holy site.
Flags at the Border Closing Cermony
In the evening we traveled with a big group of travelers to the India/Pakistan Border Closing Ceremony. It was a serious display of patriotism including long loud hooping and hollering, border guards doing high kicks and lowering the flags.

Today is a new day and Amritsar is wide open. Tomorrow we will be heading to Dharamsala/ McCleod Ganj with our new friend Iris!

 "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."-St. Augustine

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Gethsemane

It is the night before Good Friday and appropriately, I can't sleep.  In Mark, Jesus asks his disciples to stay awake with him through the night in the garden of Gethsemane. At first it seems like a question of group solidarity, but toward the end of the passage, we get a glimpse of a very life-like Jesus. He is on edge.

In Mark chapter 14, verse 36, Jesus agonizingly gives over his feigned control, "Abba, Father, remove this cup from me; yet not what I want, but what you want."...but Jesus is the only one praying. He only hears the sound of his own voice and the crickets outside.

When Jesus finds those silly disciples conked out and snoring, we see his torture. "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?" Jesus asks them to pray for him. You know the line..."his spirit is willing, but his flesh is weak."

I don't think Simon just rolled over and said "yeah, yeah, yeah...just go to sleep you weirdo." Simon and his friends just have nothing to say. They are sleepy. Sleep is something that everyone needs. Why would Jesus want to go without sleep? They could pray during the day. They could pray tomorrow morning.  Maybe they didn't get why praying would be such an urgent thing in the middle of the night.

Was Jesus looking for group solidarity? Did Jesus really need the support of his friends to make it through what must have been the most difficult night of his life? Maybe. Maybe Jesus longed for support and love just as we all do. Maybe Jesus was just like one of the inmates in the geriatric ward here at Mandiram. Maybe all he needed was a loving touch and some words of kindness on that night.

Would the outcome have been different if Simon and the other disciples had gathered around their leader for an all night candle lit vigil? Probably not. Jesus (being Jesus) must have known that fact. He shows in verse 36 whose "wants" will be met. So why did Jesus want prayer and support? Why did he want something he knew he didn't really need?

I enjoy the language and the urgency in this passage. Jesus yells "Keep awake!" and "Enough!" and gets a little sassy with Simon. The most subtle urgency to me however, is the use of the word "want" instead of the word "need."

If you replace the word want with need, we end up with "yet not what I need, but what you need." This would imply that Jesus would have felt so attached, so obligated to his body just as it was, that he felt the need to stay. It implies that Jesus was deciding to sacrifice his needs for an assignment from God. When the crucifixion becomes something that God needed Jesus to do, it becomes a little less special.

Instead we are presented with a savior who wanted life, wanted support, wanted love just like everyone else in this world. Instead we are presented with a Jesus who is willing to transform the idea of what he wanted for himself. Jesus places wants out of his hands. He trusts in the thing God wants for all mankind.

God wanted to show humanity the true meaning of servanthood. God wanted to forgive his people. God wanted to watch his son transform from a physical body, to a body of followers.

On this night, I am thinking about all of the special times this year that I have been reminded of what I want and what I need. The times that have truly changed me are not the times in which I have sacrificed or fulfilled a need. The times that have transformed me are the ones where I can truly say, this is what I want. Or, more importantly, this is what God wants for me.

I am currently having difficulty embracing my decision-making pattern. It is amazing how lucky I get with opportunities in life. Most of the time the thing that sticks in my head, the thing that I really can't stop thinking about, is where I end up. It happened with Austin College, it happened with YAV, and it is currently happening with Austin, TX. I just have that city (and one particular job) stuck in my head. I am chasing after a job, something I need, but I hope that I can eventually say that it is what I want.

I also sometimes just have random things tossed in my wake that throw me for a loop. I am going to be co-teaching a Conversational English Class at Kumarakom Lake Resort each Saturday of the summer (and maybe for the rest of my time here in India.) It was great to meet some of the staff who will be taking the class today. Most of them are trying to make it in the tourism industry and are struggling to move up because of their level of English.

It is open to all positions at the Resort, so we expect to be serving people from all kinds of backgrounds and all different levels of English. I hope that it will be an opportunity to help these people succeed and serve them in a way that I know how. It will be a challenge for me, but hopefully a challenge that I can accept.

It challenges me in other ways because today's meeting made me feel unnecessarily powerful. A free lunch at the Resort restaurant, a tour of the grounds and an offer for a free houseboat ride. All of that hospitality was given from the heart, but I don't think I can do the job well if I feel somehow...compensated for the service. In order for this to feel right, it has to feel like I am volunteering. I just have to stand my ground and discern what I deeply and meaningfully want to give to, and take from this experience.

I will not let material, superficial wants get in the way. Only the transformative ones. Only the wants that God nods at through the loving body of Christ.

Thank you for not falling asleep on me. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray with me.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Newness

I am sitting in my new flat here at Mandiram Society. I "moved in" yesterday with the help of Ian and a very kind staff member, Baby Sir. I was proud of myself for only bringing 3 small bags for the entire summer. I will be staying at Mandiram for a very small part of April and all of May for summer vacation since classes have ended.

Let me fill you in a little bit about Mandiram. It solely serves as an old age home. The residents consist of both paid residents and people called "inmates." Inmates are typically people who are not here by choice. Many are sick and may not have a family to take care of them. In Kerala, it is custom for the youngest son to take care of their parents once they get old. By take care I don't just mean visit them when they are sick, I mean the whole family lives together. Mom, Dad, children, grandma and grandpa.

The value placed on inter-generational living is something that is pretty central to Kerala life. Many of the inmates are not just physically suffering from old age, many are also emotionally suffering from a missing piece of their lives: being cared for by their children. At Mandiram they get round the clock care from a nursing staff, food from the mess hall, and lots of pastoral care. The staff and ministers running the place try to fill in the gaps in the hearts of inmates and paid residents alike.

Mandiram has many other programs. I am still learning about some, but one that is very dear to me is the Balika Mandiram orphanage. The orphanage is home to around 10 vibrant, smart, funny, adorable girls. The girls go to good schools and are sponsored by donors to Mandiram Society. They live in the same building as the inmates, who are fondly called the "ammachis and appachens," grandmas and grandpas in Malayalam. So, in a way there is a new kind of family unit here at Mandiram. It is bigger and not what every person is used to, but to the youngest girls in the bunch, this is literally home. Sarah, age 6 and Leya, age 9, have been living here since they were tiny. Manna, age 3, came directly from the hospital to Mandiram.

I have been here before, as you may remember from previous blogs. My program mate Nicole was here before she left India in November. I fell in love with the community with her. It was difficult for me to imagine what Mandiram would be like without Nicole. I was worried that I might get here and feel like I was trying to fill a void. I was worried that people would miss Nicole too much to want to interact with me.

Of course my worries and predictions were futile. People here definitely miss Nicole a lot, but it actually feels really good to be a link for her here. I can tell the people she loves so dearly that she is doing well where she is. Just like a family, they are immensely happy that she is happy. The community is also so warm and inviting toward me as an individual. I already feel at home here, and it sounds like May will be pleasantly busy.

So, why will I only be here for a small part of April and the full month of May? Because on April 9th Ian and I leave for our ALL INDIA TOUR 2012!!!!! I am beyond excited! Let me give you a rough outline of our itinerary.

April 9- Delhi (Red Fort!)
April 12- Amritsar (Golden Temple!)
April 15- Dharamsala/ McCleod Ganj (Tibetan government in exile! Himalayas!)
April 19- Agra (MY BIRTHDAY! TAJ MAHAL!)
April 22- Jaipur (The Pink City!)
April 26- Goa (Palolem Beach! Hippies and Sun!)
May 1- Return to Kochi

Sorry for the one million exclamation points. I have exceeded my exclamation quota for this post by leaps and bounds. Please pray for Ian and I as we prepare for the journey. It will be interesting to switch roles from "culturally quasi-assimilated foreigner" to "tourist." It will also be interesting to navigate these new places and navigate new parts of our teamwork abilities. Expect updates as we journey along! The swanky North has some hotels with internet (ooooooooo)

In conclusion, my life is an open book right now. I feel full of possibilities, ready to use my gifts when I am called, and ready to adventure out into the unknown when it is necessary. I feel stronger and more focused than I have in a long time. I am so glad for God's gift of compassion. I feel it radiating throughout this community and resonating deeply in my heart.
last week's YAV India meeting at Mandiram

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them we cannot survive."- The Dalai Lama