Holidays!!

Happy Holidays everyone! Also congrats to the new Outbounds! I hope you are satisfied with you future destinations! I am so excited for all of you to embark on your new adventures, and it may not seem like it yet, but it begins now! The North tour summary is coming, but I just wanted to say Happy holidays! Right now I am in Baroda with some of the other exchange students at the Youth Exchange Chairman's house, and we spent all morning decorating his house to make it Christmasy (we have a fake tree and everything!). The whole group is also planning to attend Christmas eve midnight mass, followed by brunch the next morning!! Then after returning back to Bharuch christmas afternoon the three Bharuch exchange students are planning on making Christmas dinner for my host family! Wishing everyone the best, and safe travels if you are traveling for the holiday season! Feliz Natal (portugues), Feliz Navidad (spanish), Merry Christmas, and Joyeux Noel (french)!!!!

Gujarat Tour

In short, my tour of Gujarat was a lot of Rotary meetings, temples, and riding in the bus, but we had a ton of fun through most of it. After all they say it’s not where you are, but who you’re with, and with the 16 other long term exchangers and the extra 12 Malaysian short terms that joined us for the Gujarat tour, everyone managed to have a good time.

We started off our tour with a fun train ride that reunited us back with everyone living in other cities. After a Rotary Meeting in Ahmanabad where Mayara, Morie and I performed a Japanese Dance and a pop/country dance to Shania Twain’s “Man! I feel like a Woman!” there was a four hour bus ride to Rajkot where we spent two days sightseeing there, staying a host families, and attended a Rotary Meeting.

Once we had completed our stay at Rajkot we spent the day traveling stopping at one city to see a Jain temple and then continued on till we reached the Jain city of Polytana that has several temples all built at the top of high hillsides. This happened to be Thanksgiving day and that night we stayed at a temple hostel. Surprisingly I had a very fun thanksgiving, and I spent a lot of the day explaining Thanksgiving to the students from other countries. After our 6:30 dinner of temple food (not Thanksgiving dinner by a long ways) some of the students brought out their hidden stash of peanut butter and Nutella and with cookies covered in these condiments we made a fake turkey, we went up to the terrace of the hostel, sat in a circle, and everyone went around saying what they were thankful for. It was a very universal Thanksgiving.

The next morning we got up early to go and see one of the temple and managed to a make it through the crowds of people begging on the sides, there was a wedding going on, and then all the other visitors to the temple. Finally we made it up and saw the temple which was very pretty, but being a Jain temple has a series of almost identical-appearing statues of Gods. After another crowed walk back to the bus we then drove up a twisty road up to the top of a hill where a beautiful, white marble temple lay at the top looking out over everything. The temple was still in the process of being built, but it was so open and light that you just felt blinded by the light of holiness. Although at one point we were walking up to the next story and it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, and you had to feel your way up the steps.

That night we went to a Rotary meeting in Bhvnagar and that night I stayed in a private hospital. At the hospital we actually slept in the hospital beds and later that night we met the only patients and I held a five hour old baby. The stay and host were a little strange, but it was still fun and definitely a new experience. During the next day it was a very temple filled day and all day we were in the bus we then stopped to see a temple and then eat at the temple then we kept driving until we stopped to see then eat at and then stay in the temple’s hostel.

On this particular day the temple experience was to the extreme and we had the experience of eating what the poorer pilgrims ate and see how they sleep on the floor outside the temple. The association with the other pilgrims was a great experience at the temples. Unfortunately the hygiene of these places was a little questionable and for dinner that night we were able to watch a domino show of bodies shoot standing strait up (accompanied by shrill screams) as a rat ran along the wall they were leaning on to eat. Despite the bad hygiene (see a rat, people using their hands to serve us food ect.) the temple had a very unique kitchen where one side could make kurd (yogurt) without adding anything to make it solidify. The kurd was at least good there.

For our next destination we had all thought that we were going to the Sasan Gir Reserve where the last Asiatic Lions survive, but due to the expense to high for most of the students and time constraints we had to skip that and then drove to the beach in Diu!! Oh the beach was soooo much fun! The beach didn’t smell like a proper beach, but there was water for swimming, sand, shells, and one of the exchangers even found a poisonous snake slithering about. Needless to say anywhere near water I am in heaven so I loved Diu!!! After lots of swimming and in my case a little body surfing we went in to have dinner and later that night a dance party on the beach!

The next morning most of the exchangers woke up early to see the sunrise! Myself and two other girls went for a run along the shore, and then spent a ton of time searching for seashells and other treasures. When we were almost back to the hotel a huge group (25) of tribal women carrying firewood overtook us and surrounded us talking in their native tongues, a couple grabbed pieces of our clothing, and others touched our hair. Honestly it was kind of a startling experience. By then most of the other exchangers had gone back to sleep, but I was glad that I had stayed up to enjoy the sunrise to its fullest extent and enjoy the beach for as long as possible.

After a late start out of the hotel we visited a fort overlooking the ocean, saw a Catholic church, and then had a very long bus ride to Porbandar. Luckily on the way we stopped to see this amazing Hindu Oceanside temple in Somnath, and then again on the beach for a short dip your feet and enjoy the sand, and then it was more time on the bus. In Porbandar we ended up staying at a girls school/hostel and we went and hung out with the girls after a Rotary meeting. With the girls we stayed up late dancing and chatting with them, and finally at about 1:00 in the morning we all went to sleep only to wake up at 5:00 the next morning.

During our stay at the girls hostel we saw them perform and visited the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and then we had a 13 hour journey to our next destination. Most of us all slept the first part of the day and then as soon as it got dark it was party time on the bus. One of the exchangers had speakers for his ipod so we cranked the music and started dancing on the bus. The bus was crazy and because the roads in India are horrible everyone was falling all over the place as the bus swerved around, but the important thing was that everyone was having a blast.

Upon reaching Anand we had another Rotary meeting with a great dance performance and then everyone stayed in host families. Originally I was staying with one of the other exchangers, but one of the Rotarians came up to me and asked me to come and stay with him because his daughter was crying because none of the exchangers were going to stay at there house. Well I get in the car and the little girl looks and me, and then terrified shrinks as far away from me as she can. I personally don’t think I am that scary, but I felt bad for the little girl that she had to have me living at her house for one night. The next day the little girl began to warm up to me, and then I left with her father who showed me around the city a little before we saw the Amul Co-Op milk factory. That Afternoon we arrived in Baroda to stay in host families, do a little sightseeing, and then for the next couple days participate in a leadership camp.

Wow! When you are gone for such a long time, and see so many things you have so much to talk about. Sorry if this entry is a bit long, but I have a lot to catch everyone up on, and hopefully I will be able to summarize my North Tour soon also. Basically my Gujarat tour was a great time to spend with all of the exchangers, and going by bus was a great way to see more of Gujarat. I would have to say my favorite places were Polytana and Diu by a long shot, but as a whole the tour was great. Next time I would like to see more of Gujarat in a little more detail, and take a little more time to enjoy my surroundings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well I just wanted to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving before I leave on my Gujarat and North India Tour!
I am thankful for so much, but thanks for all of the support from back home while I am embarking on my grand Indian adventure!

SEWA Rural

The day after I got back from my Rajasthan trip I watched two movies in the movie theater Saawariya and Om Shanti Om, and then went to a birthday party. The next day my host father arranged for my host siblings, my host brother’s friend, Morie, and I to all go to Jhagardia (a nearby town) to visit a basically nonprofit hospital for the nearby villagers and tribals. This amazing program is called SEWA (pronounced seva) Rural and it works to help educate and aid the villagers and tribals in the surrounding villagers. That day we just visited the hospital which has a large optimology department, and basically a full hospital.
Besides the hospital the SEWA Rural trains villagers and tribals skills like welding, electronics, mechanics, and agriculture skills for one year to help provide skills for jobs. They live in the hostels at the training facility, and then for the women they have sewing machine training and a place where the women make snacks and an everyday chip-like food called Papad to sell around Gujarat. They also have internships, some medical training for local students and a ton more. Besides classes and trainging, they also educate the villagers and tribal women about maternal things, women empowerment, proper care of themselves while they are pregnant, training for the midwives in the villaege, and help in child planning.
After visiting the hospital we went into the field to visit a village, and see the type of stuff they were working on there. In the village we went with the nurse who looks after 14 villages to check up on a woman who had a 25 day old baby, and then a woman who was 8 months pregnant. We also were able to meet the village midwife and see her birthing kit which was provided by the hospital. The village itself was really quite a nice and modern one with water pumps, some huts even had electricity. For the main part the houses were made out of sticks and covered in dried cow dung, and with all of the animals, flowers, ground wood stoves, you really felt like you were in a village. About 99.7% of the villagers were tribals and most either worked agriculture or in the nearby coal query. At the time we were there the quary wasn’t working because it was draining too much of the river’s water, but I was happy to hear that for the 6 months the mine wasn’t working the government was compensating its workers.
After our village visit we went to a nearby town to meet blind people who were able to find jobs and make a living for themselves. One man wove the bottoms of chairs, one ground flour and could read money, and one little girl was going to school and could read brail. The whole SEWA Rural was a really impressive program, and included a bunch of really wonderful people. I met one nice couple from San Francisco (one a optimologist and one a eurologist) who would be there for 6 months volunteering their time, and another girl from Chicago who would also be there for six months. Hopefully in the next few months I am in India I will have the opportuninty to visit Jhagardia again.

Rajasthan trip!

Just recently I returned back from a week long Diwali vacation with my family to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. First to get there we drove about 15 hours on Indias roads (which always includes some dodging of cars, cows, people, and for about half the way potholes). Along the way one exciting thing was when the back of the van I was riding in blew open littering the road with everyones luggage. In hindsight it was comical to watch the oncoming trucks and cars dodging the bags, food packs, and water bottles scattered over the road, but at the time it was a little scary.
Once we reached Jodhpur, and asked 6 different for people for directions we reached our gorgeous hotel on a wildlife filled lake in the middle of the desert. One thing that was really cool about the resort was that on one side of the lake it was quite deluxe with a lovely lawn, garden, nice hotel and restaurant, and then on the other side you could see a small hovel with it’s fire burning silently every morning and night, cows, goats, waterbirds, and a temple that played worship music almost all hours of the day.
Moving out of Jodhpur to officially start our trip in Jaisalmer we stopped at a couple temples. One was a lovely Jain temple with ornately scultped temples, another was a hindu temple with hundreds of stairs leading up looking over the town with its pastel houses of purple, blue, orange, and green. In the inside of the temple the intire inside was covered in colored glass, colored/decorated tiles, and mirrors (really beautiful). Another temple was connected with one of the largest libraries in Asia, and we went at night near Diwali so candles were being lit on all the steps leading to the temple, and all of the houses surrounding.
When we reached Jaisalmer we visited the tourist sights, and being white I really felt like a tourist. It was funny because each time my host mother saw another white person (which was a lot) she would say “Katie look your friends!” The really funny part was that whenever I would say good morning or hello to a westerner they would totally ignore me, but if any of my host family said hello you would have thought they were long lost brothers. In Jaisalmer we went to see the largest inhabited fort in India which was interesting but because I wasn’t India everything like going into the temples with my host family, and everything was difficult. Being a white in India kind of often makes you a target. We also saw a lake that had tons of temples in the middle of the lake, some havelis, which are like Indian Mansions with the walls totally sculpted, and more Havelis.
After a day of sightseeing in Jaisalmer my whole family set out for a desert safari. On the way to the desert safari was that the van we were driving got a flat tire, but personally I enjoyed our time on the side of the road because it gave me time to observe my surroundings, watch a couple working in the dried fields, see their stone hut covered with sticks at the top, and check out further areas with my binoculars.
Once we reached the desert safari my host sister and I rode on one camel together and my host father and brother on the other. Riding on a camel was a lot like riding on a horse, but at the beginning to get up the camel starts with first lifting its hind end and then its front. Honestly it felt like I was on a teeter totter. Through the desert with sand dunes covered with other Indian tourists, traditional dancers, and intrumentalists. I really felt like I was in a tourist area, but thank goodness this time most of them were indians. I was interested to hear that about 70% of the desert inhabitants join the armed forces and all the rest are in the tourist buisness.
Letting us off, and promising to pick us up after sunset, our camel guides left us to enjoy our surrounding sand, sun, music, and fellow tourists. After a beautiful sand dune sunset my family and I were waiting for the camel guides to pick us up. Well of course they didn’t come so my host family and I walked back to our camp. Even though it wasn’t very far I think my host sister and I were the only ones who really enjoyed the hike.
That night we stayed in luxury tents complete with beds, carpet, toilet, lights, ect, and enjoyed the traditional dance and music. At one point all the audience was allowed to come up and join in the dance, and of course I joined in and had a blast. Of course I was the only westerner in our camp so people kept asking to have their picture dancing with me. Afterwards the music band sang a song about me in english, but even though it was in english I only understood about two phrases that they actually sang. The whole evening was a blast, and I ended the desert safari by waking everyone up in the morning to watch the sunrise with me in the morning. I should also add that in the desert the temp reached a low of 14 degrees celcius!! Yeah for cold!
The next day we went back to Jaisalmer to visit a Haveli and go to temple to celebrate the Hidu New Year. At the temple the holy men had brought out the statue and shrine of the god Vishnu into the middle of the partially open air temple. One thing that was special about this Vishnu was that he had a huge diamond in the middle of his chin. The shrine was ornately decorated with silver designs of elephants, flowers, and peacocks on a black background. In front of the Vishnu was a huge pile of cow poop covered in saffron powder and rose petals holding a black rock on a handkerchief. Over the black rock the holy men were pouring milk and then rinsing it with water. To top it all off someone drug in a terrified baby calf to walk in front of the god a couple of times, put a red saffron dot on its forehead, and wrap it in a saffron scarf. When the baby calf went to the bathroom some of the nearby women stuck their hands out to catch the urine and put it on their foreheads.
For the rest of the day we drove back to Jodhpur, saw another Jain temple popular for pilgrimages, ate in its dining hall, and then reached the same resort we stayed at the first night. At Jodhpur we saw the fort, some temples, and palace, did a little shopping and came back. The drive back to Bharuch included some more stops at a couple more temples one kind of tourist destination, and the other a very religious destination that is one of the most heavily visited temples in atleast Gujarat in the city of Umba, worshiping the goddess Umba (durga, pavarti, ect for other names) several thousand people were there, and it was another shove fest to even inch your way any closer. Finally around 2:00 in the morning we reached home after a wonderful trip.

Gurdwara

Oh my goodness! I have soo much catching up to do! Before I left for my trip to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur I went to Gurdwara (the Sikh temple) with my friend Mayara (from Brasil), Morie (from Japan), and Mayara’s host family (who is Sikh). When attending for worship everyone needs to cover their heads as a sign of respect. Both Sikhs and non-Sikhs are allowed to come and worship, and there was a mix of turbaned, and non-turbaned men present. Really the non-Sikhs are just not as strict, but still believe the basics of the same things.
Walking in we went before the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib and kneeled before, gave a monetary donation and then sat in gender specific areas. While reading was going on out of the holy book, which is on a kind of special platform and canopy of silver, a featherduster looking silver inlaid brush was waved over the holy book to keep the evil spirits away. The holy book in a way is kind of like their god, and they have a special room in their temple where they keep the book, and every night they put it to bed (like with a sheet, bed, and everything).
The hymns and reading is done by those Sikhs who are baptized and follow the 5 K’s which are visual identification of a Sikh: Kesh (uncut hair), Kanga (wooden comb), Kaacha (specially-designed underwear), Kara (an iron braclet/bangle), and a Kirpan (a sword strapped over their shoulder and around their waist), and they had special colored turbans. It was interesting to see the all the special identifications (minus the underwear of course), and then see the swords. Once the readings are completed Prasad (a holy food) of a kind of buttery, goopy, flour pudding is given to everyone (not my favorite).
After worshipping Langar a meal where food is free for all is served. The food is made from donations, and the kitchen is open most of the day and night. To eat you go into a large dining hall with strips of carpet/cloth laid down for people to sit on. People come around to serve you food of curry and chapattis (tortilla like bread). The chapattis are kind of holy, and to receive on you have to hold up both your hands in acceptance instead of holding out your hands. After you are done eating then everyone goes and washes their own dishes so that they are ready for anyone else who might want to eat.
Overall it was very interesting experience, and now when I see a Sikh on the street I have more appreciation for what they believe in (honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God, and never bowing to tyranny). Oh yeah they don’t cut their hair because they think that it is a gift from god, and you should cherish that gift.

New Family

So far things are great with my new host family, but of course I miss my old host family, but I get to see my host siblings at school sometimes, and for everyone else I will just have to go visit. My new host family is very kind, and they are a very jolly and happy bunch.

Last night I went to a Rotarian's house to celebrate the Full Moon. The farmhouse was on the outkirts of a village looking right over the Narmada River. The moon just lit everything up, and with the combination of good company, good food, and the eating of the special sweet and sweet milk (I didn't realy care for either) everything was really fun.

In a couple weeks my schoo has Diwali vacation, and then right after I am going on a Gujarat tour with Rotary, and then right after that is the North tour of India with Rotary, and then right after that is the Disrict Conference. Basically I will be out of station (out of town) for the next two months. Should be super fun, but I am going to miss my school friends a ton.

New Family and Good luck future Exchangers

Thought I should mention that on Thursday I am moving to a new family. They have one daughter (around my age) and one son who is older. The daughter was in France last year on Rotary Exchange. I have met them once, but it was on my first day in India and it was at a birthday party. I keep everyone updated, and when I know my new address I will let everyone know.

I have also heard that the selection process for the new Outbounds has begun! Good luck to all of you! I cannot beleive that this whole process started a year ago! As they say in India " All the best!"

Navratri

Wow! Wow! Wow! Words cannot describe how amazing Navratri is (so this will be a long blog entry) !! Nine nights of dancing from about 11:00 till about 2 or 3 in the morning (on the last night of Navratri I didn’t get home until 5:00 am), can’t get much better than that. Of course the downside was that every morning I had to get up again at 6:00 to go to school, but let’s not talk about that.

Each night around 9:00 families and children would gather to give Puja to the Goddess Durga who the festival is celebrating. The festival celebrates the nine incarnations of her, her defeat of a demon (defeat of good over evil), and just plain having a good time. For Puja everyone gathers around her stature which is surrounded by flowers, incense, sweets, and burning candles, to wave their own pans holding oil and burning cotton. The fire-filled pans are waved up, then down the way they came, and then back up again, and then this is repeated over and over again while singing a special song.

After Puja the younger kids with their mini chania choli’s and pajama suits (boys traditional costume) dance around a huge tree covered in lights, swishing their skirts, and attempting to copy the precise movements that the adults have perfected (the adult dancing doesn’t start until 11:00). At around 11:00 my family normally takes me to a different place to play (that is what they call dancing garba here in India).

The place where I spent almost everynight swirling and twirling was in the Patel Society. On the into the Patel society a huge fence dripping with lights encompasses the dancing grounds, and lights aren’t the only thing dripping on the fences each end is surrounded by people trying to catch a glimpse of those dancing inside. Before even seeing the society you can hear the rhythmic beats and shrill voices sung and played by the tablas (drums), snares, the casio (keyboard), harmoniums, and many singers that make up the Navratri band.

When you first walk in the loudspeakers covered in bright lights lies in the middle of the garba circle. On the outskirts of the wide cicle lie seats for spectating, the stage for the garba band, and the platform holding Durga. Eveyone goes to Navratri whether you are a hard core dancer or spectator. I think I would go more in the category of the hard core dancer (or atleast the wannabe hard core dancer).

The festival of Navratri is a feast for the senses allowing you to know immediately that you are at the garba grounds. You nose is in seventh heaven taking in the smells of sand, fast food, incense, flowers, sweat, burning wax, and if your lucky the occasional whiff of perfume. The senses of touch and taste aren’t quite so pleasing, but part of the experience none the less. Every night my feet were worn raw from the sand that grinds down the skin on the soles of your feet (twirling is a rigorous activity), your hands are raw from clapping, your mind is spinning (as well as your body), your throat is dry from whooping and all in all you are about to collapse from fatigue, but somehow you keep dancing.
I think one of the best parts of Navratri (besides the dancing of course) is the feast for the eyes. With all of the colors, textures, and moving. The circle of twirling dancers looks like a human kaleidoscope. Everyone is wearing bright colors covered in decorative mirrors, beads, shells, and jewelry that catch the light as well as your eye as the spin past you. Also the mirrors, beads, shells, and jewelry help to add a soft background tinkle along with the swishing of fabric made by the skirts.

Navratri is such a wonderful celebration that despite all puja for Durga I asked a lot of my classmates (most of who are hindu), and everyone said it is all about having fun! Oh my goodness yes! Each night was so much fun, and despite you body’s fatigue you still want to keep dancing, and twirling, and enjoying yourself. Your mouth hurts from smiling (I wish I had some Vaseline to make it easier), and yet you don’t want to stop. A lot of the fun is that you can feel the aura of happiness and joy about you, and you remember why it is so wonderful to be alive.

skit

Hey everyone! On the 12th Navratri started! On the very first night I went with one of the Rotarians from my city, and he drove the three exchange students from my town to a Rotary Navratri celebration in Mahemnabad (about 30 min from Ahemnabad). I found out that part of the celebration is for the Goddess Durga (one of the better known incarnations is Pavarti), the consort of Shiva (the god of dance, destroyer, creator, and many other things).
Before we began the dancing we gave puja for Durga, which consisted of some waving of holy fire, singing, clapping, and the eating of sweets. The live Indian band began to play, and everyone started dancing in a big circle around the statue of the goddess. In the Indian band there were about 8 singers, some tabla players (drums), a casio player (keyboard), and some more instruments. We danced, and danced until about 2:00, and then at the break we went home. (the dancing was only half way done).
Of course before we left we were told that we would be back that evening, and to just bring a chania choli to wear for dancing. Well, at 2:00 am we didn’t drive home so we made do with what we had, but all three of us decided you need to be prepared for anything and everything at all times in India because you normally don’t really know what your doing.
Last weekend I went with the Inner Wheel club of Ankleshwar for a picnic. We didn’t really go for a picnic , but we visited a temple, and then went to see an animal shelter. The next day we were helping set up for the Inner Wheeel district Rally, and at about 9:00 pm the night before we the Rally Morie and I were told we had to perform a skit or sing a song in Japanese and Enlgish together. Together we complied a skit making fun of some American, Japanese, and Indian stereotypes.

Scene: On an airplane with both of us sitting together. Morie is dressed in a Japanese Komona, and I have on a bright pink flowy shirt with purses all over it, hair down, with sunglasses, jeans, and high heelsMorie enters doing a Japanes fan dance and sits down.I come on the intercom of the plane as the flight attendant saying:
Flight 246 Bombay please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff.
Enter Katie: Cheering: All the fans in the stands let me hear you clap your hands (clap clap clap clap clap clap), Now that you’ve got the beat let me hear you stomp your feet(stomp stomp stomp stomps stomp stomp), Now that you’ve got the groove let me see your body move (awooo ah ah ah awoo ah ah ah). (MOrie looks bewildered, and tries to fill the seat next to her to prevent me from siting down_
Katie: Hey my name is Katie from America? What’s yours?
Morie: Tanaka Morie from Japan
Katie; Tankaka, Tanka cool name!
Morie: Can you please call me by my name not my surname?
Kaite: But you said your name was Tanaka?
Morie: NO it is MOrie
Katie: Whatev. I am going to go use the little girls room (exit)
Morie: bye (bow)
In the mean time I am throwing on a scarf to be a stewardess, and MOrie is taking pictures of everything in sight with her camera
Flight attendant (me): Can I offer you something to eat?
MOrie: Lice please (rice, Japanese can’t say their r’s)
FA: Lice, Lice, hmmmmm
Morie: Yes Yes lice
FA: Do you mean Rice??!!
Morie: Yes Yes Lice lIce!!!!FA: Ok one minute (exit(Moreie exite to put be the stuaress. I strut in and flip through a TEEn Vogue Magazine
FA (MOrie): Can I offer you something to eat?
Katie: Can I get a burger and fries?
FA: Head bobble ( Indians often wobble their head back and forth as an answer to questions think bobble head)
Kaite: Yes?
FA: head bobble
Katie: NO?
FA: head bobble
Katie: Which One?
FA: Veg. Ok?
Exit and enter Morie back into her seatAnnouncement comes on saying:
Warning Warning Culture Crash! Please Brace yourself for the future!Morie and Katie look at each other and scream, and put their heads between their legs

That is the skit! I don’t think everyone actually got all of our jokes, but the both of us sure were roaring writing it.

A week in Baroda

It has been a while since I have actually written blog entry, and I am sorry that it has taken so long to make a written update. A couple weeks ago my school had their assessment series (a week full of exams), but luckily I went to Baroda for a week of traditional dance lessons with the three exchangers from my town, and the three students from France living in Baroda.
Throughout the week we were kept busy with eating a lot in the morning, and then going to dance practice to learn a prayer dance for Ganesh and a folk dance. In the afternoons we ate some more, compiled a version of Hakuna Matata from The Lion King including Hindi, Portugues, Japanese, French, Spanish, and English, sometimes a little shopping, and then more dancing and yoga. In the evening we often made something, (I don’t know anyone who has an oven in Bharuch, and of course I brought five pounds of scone mix) like a cake, and ate some more normally ending the evening with a movie. Besides the cooking and fun we went to a Traditional Gujaratia and Rajastani dance program, visited the Gaekwad palace, and volunteered at a orphanage.
While in Baroda we did a little sightseeing around the town. One of my favorite places we went to go see was the EME Temple. The temple was built by the military out of air plane scrap metal (picture a round, open silver structure). Surrounding the temple are huge Banyan Trees, and statues from ancient temples, along with recent statues of Gods. The Banyan Trees with their roots hanging from their branches seem to be paying their respects to the gods (in Indian to pay respect to elders or gods you touch their feet with your hands and then touch your hand to your heart).
When you first walk into the vicinity of the temple you have a sensation of peace and serenity. One thing that is fascinating about the temple itself is although it holds the statue of the Hindu god Shiva (and also pictures of the other relevant Hindu gods and goddesses), the temple’s structure includes a Christian, Jain, and Muslim religious architecture as well. Walking in the temple any little move echoed, and when the little voice of Morie piped up, the whole temple was filled with her voice. All in all it was amazing.
The dances themselves were lots of fun, and one was a prayer dance to the elephant god Ganesh and once was a traditional gujarati folk dance. The prayer was beautiful, but comical at the same time complete with trunk and ear motions for the elephant, and muscle flexing some baby holding, and peace signs over the eyes to show the strengths of Ganesh. I think after dancing I felt like the elephant I was trying give a prayer for, hopefully it will get better before we have to perform it.

Mattieu (France), Marion (France), Morie (Japan), and Lison (France)

The District YOuth Exchangers

Luis, LIson, and Mayara on the train

Marion and Lea playing with some skit props (the skit was from MOnty Python)

On the way to school

Temple on the way to school.

on the way to school

MOre on the way to school (Bharuch)

Now you can see why our celebrations for Teacher's Day and Janamashtmi were literally flooded out! :)

The boys that ride in my jeep often stop at the little stands to buy chips and things on the way home.

Bharuch

More Janamashtami

My eleven Science stream friends all dolled up for TEacher's Day.

The school Janamashtami Puja (worship, not my host sister :)

The Puja band

Some of my 12 stadard friends and the exchangers (l-r Pooja, morie, mitali, shruti, mayara, and I)

School Fun!

This is actually a kind of funny story. Being different is a kind of odd comodity here, and some of the boys wanted to have their pictures taken with the three of us exchangers. Well, since the association between boys and girls isn't really encouraged in school one of the teachers saw the picture, made them erase it, and yelled at them!!! They were into so much trouble, and all over taking their picture with us! Luckily I still have the picture to laugh at.

My host siblings and I all dressed up for Teacher's day and Janamashtami.

Morie, Mayara, and I posing with Mayara's scarf trying to be modest Indian girls.

My classroom

Religious Puja (worship)

The anniversary of the opening of my family's Hotel Shalimar (the best place to stay in both Ankleshwar and Bharuch, and the best food not that I am prejudice or anything)

The baby Lord Krishna in his cradle. Notice the chocolates and goodies on the outside of the frame.

After welcoming Lord Krishna into the world. As you can see I was the only one that actually got hit with powder. (Morie and I)

A baby Lord Krishna in the house of a family friend.

The Golden Bridge

This is a picture taken from the car of the entry to the Golden Bridge going over the Narmada River. I go over this bridge atleast two times a day. Notice the donkeys walking in the middle of the road.

This is a temple right before the Golden bridge

Kind of hard to see, but this is on the bridge supports where a man is sitting to take a rest from life.

Food!

Several times while in India I have had people ask me, “what are the differences you notice between the US and India?” This has got to be one of the most difficult questions. Besides EVERYTHING the US and India are very similar. It would take me a whole day to really explain all of the similarities and differences, but I am going to try my best to touch on some of the main things.

I’ll start with food because all of the activities you do in India revolve around food. You wake up and then you eat. You go to school, and the period you look forward to the most is break where you eat. After coming home from school you always eat a HUGE meal, and then after or during any activity there is always eating. Even after and during religious ceremonies you always have the holy fruit/trail mix or sweets, and often times after the ceremony you have a full out feast.

For the most part in India you eat Asian food, occasionally there will be India pasta (very sweet) or US pizza (last time I checked Italy was famous for it’s Pizza), but on a regular basis Indian food is eaten.

Breakfast: weekdays: biscuits, bread, and tea, masala, or just plain milk
Weekends: same, but with dhokra

Break (at school): often times I will have dhokra, pori, craker like things with seasoning,
Rotli and veggies, pakra, potato tasting things with onions and garlic, or whatever
Else ends up in my tiffin (metal lunch pail)

Lunch: rotli and curry, salad (onion and tomato), curried veggies, okra, always with rice
And dhal.

Tea Time: tea or Masala (milk with ginger root, tulsi leaves, green tea leaves, and tea
Masala, but without the actual tea mixture) Normally at this time I have a little
Cracker snack thing, biscuits, or a banana.

Dinner: This varies between huge and small meals. When my family is at home by
Themselves we eat a small meal of grilled sandwiches, noodles a lot like top
Ramen, omlets on occasion, or something cooked in a pressure cooker
Like Kitchree (very yummy seasoned rice) dumplings, or different kinds of rice .
Also we eat a lot of curried veggies and then dip bread in it (soo good)
If it is out of the house it is similar to lunch, but with more food and choices.

I have asked a lot of my school friends what there eating habits are, and it sounds quite similar to the eating habits of my family, but my family has Kitchree every Sunday as a tradition. Also most of my friends are pure veg, and don’t even eat eggs. If they are jain then they don’t eat much of anything that is eaten under the ground like garlic, onions, potatoes ect. When my family is just eating alone, everyone eats when they have time with maybe one or two people eating together. When the extended family and friends come the children eat first at the table, the men eat in another room, and the women cooking eat last.

Also something that is part of the Indian hospitality as well as food; whenever you go to someone’s house it is a kind of unsaid rule that you can’t leave until you have eaten something, or at the very least had a glass of water. I enjoy the hospitality, but if you go visiting to several peoples houses you become full in a hurry, and they always want you to eat more 

A Bike Ride Alone

One of the things that has been somewhat frustrating here is my lack of freedom to get out and about as I like. I understand why I am not allowed to go out by myself, but it just takes some getting used to. Last night however it changed a bit. My friend from Japan was over practicing Mendhi with me, and she had ridden her bike to my house (something which I am not allowed to do unless it is with my host mother or right in front of my house). At 6:00 pm we both had Yoga class, and my mother allowed me to ride my bike both to and from yoga class, which is several miles from my house.
On the way to yoga was an adventure by itself, with lots of dodging donkeys, rickshaws, other bicycles, pedestrians ect. There is so much to see in India, and I am so used to just gaping out the window of a car. On the bike ride I was often gazing on the other side of the road where a camel was pulling a cart, and then I had to slam on the breaks because a rickshaw was heading straight for me going the wrong direction on the road!! One thing I should mention about India is that there are road rules, but no one follows them, and it is very common to have people driving on the wrong side of the road. After a few close calls of just barely missing getting hit we both made it to yoga safely without a scratch.
All through yoga I was trying to keep my mind off of the bike ride back. Since I have not been allowed to go anywhere by myself until now, riding my bike for fifteen minutes home, alone, in the dark, during rush hour, was going to be a huge feat for me. Of course during yoga I got a cramp my calf muscle doing on of the moves. After yoga I hobbled down the steps, and made my way to my bike. By this time my calf had loosened up a bit, and a bike ride was going to do it some good. Crossing the road was an adventure, but don’t worry mom I looked both ways. Yelling Av-jo to my fellow yoga friends I took off down the road. Amazingly enough I made it home safely with only a couple of “oh my goodness” moments. I hit a couple of potholes (the dark isn’t very revealing), almost hit a donkey, but other than that I have never felt so empowered by something so simple.
Seeing a country by bike has to be one of the best ways to really get a feel for the country. If you ride in the car you can see everything, but you miss the smells and sounds. While riding my bike home I could smell the burning garbage (which actually smells a lot like burnt macaroni and cheese), the garbage heaps, the spices, the wet vegetation, everything more magnificent by night. When you are out at night I always find that your senses are magnified, and you are ten times more alert, and aware of your surroundings. It was so fun to see the things that I drive by everyday in a new light, or in this case dark. All of the shacks by the road were in the process of making dinner over their small stoves, the donkeys and cows were just settling down for the night, and one carload of people sounded like they were just beginning their night banging drums, and singing on the top of a truck. I know feel much more confident, and comfortable in my new surroundings, and all because of one little bike ride home, alone.

Rotary in India

One thing that is really cool about my town is that we have both a Rotary and an Interwheel club. The Rotary is your typical Rotary club, but with an Indian twist, and with projects that are appropriate for the area. The Interwheel club is all women, and primarily concentrates on only local needs. My host mother is in the Interwheel club, and she often takes me to their meetings and project viewings.
A couple of weeks ago they had their district chairman come out to view the progress of their club, and I received an opportunity to see most of their projects. My favorite one was the school for mentally disabled children that the Interwheel club helped to fund. The school was very impressive, with 64 students some of which had participated in the special Olympics, and played on the Cricket team. Other ways that the school was funded was through craft projects that the students had made, bowls made from recycled goods that the students had made, and inside the school there was a physical therapy center (low cost for the local residents).
The particular day we went to visit the school was the day before Raksha Bandhan, and all of the Interwheel club tied Rakhis on the students. I had so much fun interacting with the students, and it was very special to see what the Interwheel club had done. The next weekend I was invited to attend a polio vaccination outing, but my family had other plans. My host mother said there would be lots of other opportunities to be involved in the Interwheel projects.
The Rotary club also has some very interesting projects, which include helping fund local schools, a hospital for low (or no) income residents, an athletic club, and a bunch more that I haven’t seen yet. I had an interesting conversation with my counselor about community rotary projects, and how much they vary around the world according to need. In a place like India, the need is very great, and all of the rotary projects are very impressive, and make a HUGE difference in the community. In other areas of the world the projects might not sound as impressive, but they are just as important as projects anywhere else. Go Rotary!!! Also thank you to all of the Rotarians who have been sending me such wonderful postcards!!

Interwheel Project

Me tying a Rakhi on one of the students.

The students of the school waiting patiently for their turn for Rakhis and sweets.

The Interwheel club with some of the students.

The students singing us a song of farewell.

The group of women who were part of the Rakhi tying assembly line!

My cousin Ashka tying a Rakhi on one of my cousins.

The Rakhi tray with rice, powder, sweets, and the orange and red Rakhis

My host brother Dipan and my host cousin Ashka demonstrating their love for each other. :)

Celebrations

Wow! This has been the month of celebrations. Over the past two weeks, each week has had at least one special day, and for the most part it is celebrated several days before and after. Last week was Raksha Bandhan, and this week was Janamashtmi.
Raksha Bandhan is the celebration of brothers. Each sister (which can be biological or otherwise) gives a Rakhi (bracelet) to her brother, and in return he promises to protect her. My family actually celebrated two Raksha Bandhan one with my father’s side of the family, and on with my mother’s side of the family. For my host fathers side there were about 40 people all dressed to the nines to have lots of eating, talking (in Gujarati of course), and tying Rakhis.
There is actually quite a process to undergo; first you dab you ring finger in red dye and put it on the center of your brother’s forehead. Then you place rice in the middle of the red dot. After that you tie the Rakhi on your brother’s wrist, feed each other sweets, and then your brother gives you a gift (normally money). Uncles, Fathers, Cousins, and Brothers all sat in a row, and the girls made a Rakhi tying assembly line. The whole concept of Raksha Bandhan is really great, but being an only child, and in a family of all girl cousins the holiday wouldn’t ever occur in my actual family.
The next big holiday was Janamashtmi, which is the day of Lord Krishna’s birth. For the days before, and on the day of his birth my host family played cards, pranks, and tricks like Krishna because he was very much a trickster. The night before, and of the celebration my host father and all of his friends played Flush for hours. One night he had people at our house until 4:00 in the morning. Before 12:00 am on the 5th we went to my cousins to play some more cards, and then the festivities began.
At around 11:45 pm everyone in my family went to one temple to watch the unveiling of the baby Krishna in his cradle. A huge sheet was put around his statue until the exact moment of his birth, and then they tear it down, pop balloons, throw colored powder on everyone (being tall I was covered in powder, where as everyone else wasn’t so bad), holy water, and chant some happy chants. After Baby Krishna is unveiled, blessed by holy fire, and celebrated, everyone crowds in to rock the cradle. The amazing thing about the cradle is that it is totally covered with packages of cookies, chocolates, and other things that a young child might like. Up until this day the temple people change the decorations on the cradles. After the first temple my family all went to a second temple to be blessed again. We then went to a friend’s house to eat holy fruit, and laugh at how much powder I had on my face.
One thing that is amazing about the statuses of the Gods is that everyday the caretakers of the temple bath and change the little clothes of the God statues 5-6 times a day!! I was watching my host mother change the clothes and ornaments of the gods that are in our household, and it was quite a process. First they bath the gods with holy water, then they change their clothes and ornaments, then they reapply the red dot on their forehead, offer food, burn incense, and bless with the holy fires. Also to be allowed to touch the god you have to be clean. For this reason it is compulsory for me to take a bath (not that it bothers me with India being so hot).
The next day my school was supposed to have a Janamashtmi celebration with Garba (dancing with clicking sticks), and a type of tower made out of bodies to gather a pot full of goodies. Kind of like a piñata, but the boys have a make a tower with their bodies to reach the pot hung high in the air. Of course it’s India so guess what happened? It rained, and rained, so much that our assembly patio was flooded. That day was also teacher’s Day, and the upper class students were supposed to play the role of teachers for a day, but also due to rain it was cancelled. The fun thing about the day was that everyone dresses in traditional clothing, and the whole school was a very colorful place to be.

Both of these pictures were taken in one of the Temples my family and I attend regularly. This month is the month of Lord Krishna's Birth and every day they change the decorations in the temple. Down below they are reading off things to sing and clapping hands to the beat. Always lots of chanting in the temples.

This is the temple that we walked the 14 km to the one night and above is a picture of Hanuman. Below is a things of wax where you dip your finger and put it in the middle of your forehead.

Swim friends at the meet

NIce costumes, believe it or not these are nice compared to some of the girls wearing what looked like floral dreeses!

Go!!