Danger in the Face

Hello all: I am fine - Mumbai is far away from here. Delhi is under high alert - especially with the elections happening on Saturday the 29th.

At this point, I am still traveling to Jaipur (no elections there - complicated story - but all of India doesn't vote on the same day). We will go by private car(I have canceled my much looked-forward to train ticket!). We will see the sights, not stay in a high-end, chain Western hotel and try to blend in....

Yes, it is scary - really scary. CCS knows where we are at all times and we have to sign in and out to go anywhere right now. I will actually feel better away from Delhi-since those staying in town will technically be under "house arrest" on Saturday -everything is closed and lots of activity related to the elections is expected. I feel very "white and western" right now - very visible....

Please feel free to email me - I will be out of touch Friday afternoon and Saturday but will check and respond to all emails. I also have text messaging available!

I will take care -I promise - this seems much closer even than 9/11 in some ways.

Will blog on my trip Monday...

In Delhi

It has been a busy first week.

I am not yet allowed to take pictures at placement but will try this week - the children are amazing. I am absolutely exhausted after two hours. They are on so many different learning levels from barely able to write numbers and letters to doing 100s multiplication, and everywhere in between. They are so sweet and happy too.

On the "tourist" front, the CCS group visited India Gate (above) and several other places - I was glad to have been to Lotus temple before - the museum was closed the day CCS took us.


Over the weekend, several of us braved the rickshaws and went into Old Delhi - a great mass of tiny alleys and wide streets to go shopping and have lunch and see the Red Fort. We carefully watched our bags, bought salwar material to have made here near where we live (South Delhi), said no a thousand times to people trying to sell us stuff we didn't want, and tried to look everywhere at once. It took one autorickshaw and one bicycle rickshaw to get where we were going (at a higher price than we should have paid). We were grateful to the one young woman, Nam, who is Indian/Aussie and spoke quite good Hindi! This is definitely not a city to relax in - and in the thick of it - fun is not the first word I would use.

We had lunch at Halderam's a food court that seemed, and was, safe- we were careful to eat cooked foods, and finished with galobjamen (sweet dough in hot honey sauce!)



On our way to the Red Fort, we came across a tent bazaar that was right out of McLeod - Tibetians selling lots of the stuff from up there. I bought one more shawl - my only purchase for the day actually. I am picky and the little stuff doesn't call to me. Jewelery is plentiful here. We also ended up down an set of streets that were all electronics - from the plugs, etc for house building, to lights for your parties, to computers, etc. There was a big jam of cars delivering stuff.


Lots of people were selling cut fruit and it looked so good- until you saw them douse it with tap water to keep it cool and shiny! Sigh... It was actually very hard to take pictures because of the crush and not being able to stand still.





The Red Fort is a Mogul tomb/fort area that is very "touristy". You buy your ticket and are searched then go through gates into a "mall" of stores that have stuff at very high prices. The fort is pretty "ordinary" - I liked Qutr Minar better. There was a quiet place to sit further in - this is Nam and Sue two of my Delhi mates.




We finished the night at a "Johnny Rockets" restaurant - with fried chicken and corn/spinich bake. For four of us this dinner came to 1700 Rs (about $25). This was at the Habitat Learning Center - a wealthy area and beautiful building Then we stopped by a Sufi concert that was not terribly good. We were tired and got a cab and went home - deep sigh....

Fighting a cold, we went to the zoo on Sunday - We were part of the exhibit. Early in the day- large groups of young men come and just walk about - they stare frankly and followed us around taking our pictures...it was really uncomfortable at times. We stayed near families and groups of school kids in uniform.




The zoo was a mix of great open areas and small cages - obviously a work in progress. The elephants were active, as was the white tiger. There was a huge exhibit of storks - flying free, etc.


We then went to Lodi Gardens - quiet, families picnicing, etc. Lunch was a splurge at the Lodi Garden Restaurant - hummus and pita, lamb kabobs, some pasta...in a very western setting - open garden - we may try the buffet here as many Westerners were eatting here and the food was covered and cooked to order.


The afternoon was spent resting, watching "A Knight's Tale" and enjoying the quiet. After a light dinner of dal and eggplant (with the usual roti, rice, and salad) bed was early - to help get rid of the cold. Back to work tomorrow (Monday). Hoping for pictures of my kids this week.

Smoggy, Busy, Wild Delhi!

I flew out of Dharamshala late Thursday afternoon and arrived in Delhi just before dark - yellow smoggy, off smelling Delhi. Wild traffic did not "freak" me as it did the first time.




I am in a flat with 7 others in a triple this time - three beds. We have a TV, and oh yes a microwave - I have missed that convenience, and nonfat milk (I know but after 8 weeks of whole milk it is a real blessing). Current volunteers walked Kai and I around market and got a bit oriented...so easy to get lost. I bought a magazine and found a Daily Goods store and Big Apple grocery where I proceeded to buy some Daliya (porrage mix)....we pretty much do our own breakfasts here, though the cooks do great lunch and dinner. First lunch was FISH CURRY!!! - I have so missed fish and totally pigged out on this.



Kai and I went out Friday (other new vols were arriving later, so we had one more day together - we were flatmates in D/shala). We went to Lotus Temple (those watching Amazing Race - this where they were), and Qutb Minar (very old structure from the Muslim Sultinate and Mogul times. Lotus Temple is the big one for the B'hai Faith (they believe all religions are basically the same - just with different prophets and words of God). The museum there was very interesting -they did not have many postcards - no photos allowed inside - but we will return as a group and I will probably buy the "book".

The seats were a hot flashing woman's dream - sorry guys - Marble floors, marble seats and open wood backed pews! Beautiful religion emblem in the ceiling, showing the integration of man, God, and the word of God and the world. I will try and find it to paste in some time.

We have a great computer at the flat that is pretty fast too -so no more internet cafe's for me.

Between the Lotus and Outb Minar we had to bully our way through rickshaw drivers who either wanted too many rupees for where we were going (got estimate from CCS staff) or wanted to take us "shopping" - they drive you to a shop where they get a commission, etc....very challenging when six are around two of you - you really have to be firm.



The Qutb Minar was built between 1100 and 1300 and is being restored. The pillar is awesome. There are many different buildings in different states of repair...It costs 250 Rs to get in for foreigners (only 10 Rs for Indians)- this is true of most sites including the Taj (25 Rs for Indians and 700 or so for foreigners).


I do feel more of a foreigner here and the "big city" is hard to miss- though I have yet to see skyscrapers, etc. It is over 300 kms (200 miles) around Delhi area, so things are quite spread out. I got a Delhi map and am getting oriented.

I will be working with children of migrant workers at the rebuilding of the Nehru Stadium (mobile creches are set up to help keep the children of the workers safe and give them some socialization and education while their parents are working). I will be working with a lovely woman from the UK (no time yet for pictures- they are coming). It will be challenging - various respiratory bugs and head lice are a problem here - so I will have to keep eating lots of oranges and pomegranates (cheap and plentiful).

Sorry for the lack of detail...this was a trial run of the computer here.



I have found a bookstore close by (across the Metro they are building and a very busy 8 lane street - with challenging crossing but doable. The owner and I chatted and I got a "bookstore discount" on my two books I bought- I will return there - it is small and crowded but full of interesting stuff. Mostly the covers are British and paperbacks run 350-575 Rs (about $7-12 US). They have more current books in paperback - ones still in the US in Hardcover (sorry for those non-bookies - this is for my Bookstore friends!)

Off to get "oriented" and will probably blog more. Questions and requests are welcome. Thanks to those that have.

Leaving Dharamshala

It has been a week of finishing for me - as well as some new adventures.

I leave tomorrow - Thursday the 13th for Delhi and the start of my four weeks there.

On request, I am including some photos of people from CCS, my "mates" as well as some pictures of things I have done (all depending on how fast the internet is today).



This is a pictures of me and volunteers on the front porch of the main house - dinner and lunch are taken here and a lot of good conversations lasting long into the night transpire. The staff also is here and we have the opportunity to interact with them.(sorry for the computer gobbly gook- I couldn't get rid of it and ran out of time to redownload - appologies).
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This is a picture of vols Donna (from Australia), Jessie (from Boston), and Kit (oops I don't remember where he is from) and MuMu - the puppy we at the house are "rescuing"- she will get spayed and go to a new home soon!




This is Anju- she works for CCS Dharamshala and is the translator for the women's group - she dances and has an 18-month old son.







This is Surich (Sun). He is one of our "guards" - they work alternating weeks on day and night shift - they are great!






This is Rakesh- the chef- no he is not a cook - he is a chef- He is also a very interesting person to speak to -early in the morning eating breakfast. He made my favorite breakfast - daylia - porrage- twice this week just for me. He has given me some of his recipes, and I will help with the Naan bread tonight for my last tandoori night! Yum.





This is Kanchan. She works for CCS and is a great dancer. Here she is dressed in a special sari and is preparing to dance a Bollywood dance for us! She always wears the newest fashion.




There are other staff at CCS- including Anil-ji the Program Head here - He is hard to get a picture of - he is always very busy. I will try before I go. All of the staff work hard to keep us in bananas and milk and chai, great food, clean rooms and beds and teach us some Hindi along the way.


They always have a ready smile and are impeccably polite. I am also namaste'd in the market by those coming to recognize me. I tear up knowing that I am also now a part of these people's landscape - I have shared tea and talk. I am so much smarter about this part of the world - there is no Shangri-La but despite many difficulties, theirs is not a "terrible life".


This is Raju my yoga teacher - he is always encouraging us to "open eyes with great smiling on your face". I love his wisdom and great attitude to life- I will miss him greatly. He is only 19 and is going to southern India to study more yoga for five months - this is a great opportunity for him!


Over the last week I have visited the Fort at Kangra. This is a very old fort and is being restored. It was beautiful- some of it dates back to Paleolithic times, as well as Mogul times and the British Raj.


We also had a tabla and sitar and Harmonium performance. Some of the guys are taking lessons and demonstrated their new skills.


As I move on to Delhi - I will miss these people. I have shared chai in one room homes and is larger more formal places. I have learned so much about India. The most important this I will take is "slowly slowly". I do not know how this will translate at home - but I must somehow bring this into my life.

My placement in Delhi is with 4-7 year old in a mobile creche. I could have up to 40 children and only one other person there besides myself. I will be working about four hours a day - five days a week - quite intense in the big picture. There will be five new volunteers there besides myself. I am also looking forward to trips to the Taj Mahal and Jaipur in Rajestan to see the Pink Palaces there and maybe ride an elephant.

Dharamashala is forever in my heart- I know this sounds corney - but these gentle, hardworking people are dear to me. I don't think I could ever live here but despite all the places in the world I would love to see- coming back here would be on my list.

Weekend in Amritsar

After a wonderful long weekend I am "home" again.

Amritsar is in the Punjab - a state in India west of Himachael Pradesh. The drive took us from 1:30 p.m. til 6:15 p.m. to make. The roads were interesting. We opted to pay a bit more for a taxi with AC and were glad of it. (the driver stays with the cab, takes you where you want to go and returns you - all for about $40 per person total - so with four people it was 8000 Rs). Coming into the Punjab the land gets flat and there was tons of harvesting going on- rice, wheat, sugarcane, etc. The "goods carriers" decorated trucks that carry everything everywhere were full of hay and grain. The roads varied between quite good and barely there. There was a lot of construction going on - especially of bridges and overpasses. Unlike in the States where detours take you - around - the mess - the temporary roads go right under the construction of huge overpasses, etc. Other temporary roads are just raised bits over big dry riverbeds.



All manner of vehicle run on these roads, bikes, scooters with up to four people on them, cars, carts, pedicabs, rickshaws, and trucks of all sizes. Horns are used to pass (especially when there is oncoming traffic). At night they "use dipper" to let others know they are passing (dipper is your bright lights which you "blink"). There are few if any traffic signals and no lanes.

Arriving in Amritsar at 6 p.m. we were cleared through a police barrier into the inner circle near the Golden Temple. This is the most holy site for Sikhs and has the best safety record of all-no stampedes, deaths, riots, etc. After settling in our rooms (there were four of us and we shared two view rooms- 2750 Rs per night about $45 each for two nights). Before entering the temple, you put your shoes with a shoe keeper - free- you get a chit and a cubby -everyone who works at the Golden Temple is a volunteer and all races, creeds, etc are welcomed with open arms. We wore Indian clothes and while we got stared at quite a bit and asked often for a "snap"- photo with a person, family, or group - we were in no way harrassed! After storing your shoes you cover your head - men and women both, walk through a shallow running water area to clean your feet and enter up into the temple. It is a rectangular area with the "Golden" part in the middle accessable by a walkway. We never got that far since the lines were very long- several hours worth usually. The center building is where the holy book is kept - it is brought in early in the morning and brought out for safekeeping late at night. We were able to see it brought out. A kind Sikh man from Toronto explained a lot to us and tried to get us to go closer. While it is safe, the fervor was palpable and we were a bit intimidated. The four of us were determined to go about only together or in pairs.



After walking around the entire complex, we went back for dinner - usually starts about 8:30. We were unable to find a "safe" restaurant, so we ate Indian at the hotel - actually quite good. Specialties included corn roti and a spinich, corn, peas mixture - we also kept vegetarian for safety - there was tons of food around but we were wary of street food - though there were times I considered it - especially in the mornings when only jam toast and tea were available.



The next day we went to the Golden Temple before sunrise to watch the sun on the buildings. Again, we were noticed but not bothered. Men were bathing in the holy water (Amritsar actually means holy nectar - relating to the water around the temple). People can stay and eat in the complex for a few rupees donation. Over the course of the weekend, the numbers increased but there was never any real feeling of crowding - it was a big big place.

After breakfast, we walked about and visited the memorial to the people killed by British troops in 1919. There was a beautiful garden and we were snagged for several group "snaps". It was quite hot and after a bit of window shopping we headed back and walked around the outside of the temple past the guest houses and some other gardens. Amritsar is very crowded and the rickshaw drivers are very forward in attempting to persuade you that you really do need a ride. It is really bad, if you are lost, to get in one because you will really "be taken for a ride"! Toes must be guarded at all costs. There is also a great number of beggars- much more assertive than in McLeod or Dharamshala - probably more like Delhi will be. I found some tabla but ended up buying them the next day.




Later that day we took our cab to several temples and then to the India/Pakistani border for the changing of the guard. Since our cab was only allowed out once a day-we had to do it all in one go. The first temple was the Durgiana Temple - another temple to Durga - Again, and I haven't got a clue why, but I was very uncomfortable. This is also called the silver temple because all the doors are huge silver panels. There was another "lake" around this temple.




The second temple was the Mata (mother) temple. It was like an amusement park - you went up stairs, around and up and down following a predesigned path. There were statues, stories, alters, glass mosaics, etc. There was a tunnel to crawl through and a "river" to wade in - ankle deep - to guarantee pregnancy (though not all of us have that to worry about!). There also was a bedecked statue to Indira Ghandi whose assassination day remembrance was 31 Oct.

After this, we took an hour drive west to the India/Pakistani border. This is quite a show. We got there early and sat and had Coke with a group of school girls (high school age) and then a big crowd push to the stands. It was really tight and men and women were separated for searching - only water bottle and camera and belly bag with passport were allowed.


We got to the stands and got a great seat. There was a Master of Ceremonies on both sides, chanting call and response with the watchers. There was dancing in the street coming up to the border gates. It was quite wild. Our side was bright with colorful saris and salwar suits (men and women sit separately). At 5:15 the guards from both sides march around and change positions. The two countries flags are brought down. There is much stomping about and showing "off". The national fervor was wild and we joined in the chants for "Hindustani jindabad!" - Great India - while the Pakistani side chanted "Pakistan jindabad!". After it was over, we filed out - less packed in than coming in and drove back in the dark to Amritsar. I really enjoyed the students we were with and all the color. Despite the tight quarters, the women look after each other carefully and we were well taken care of by the girls.

We ate dinner in the hotel that night - very tired. More Indian dal, aloo (potato), etc. In the morning we shopped for shoes and I bought my tabla (drums) for 450Rs (about $5). Shipping them home will cost more. We left for home about 11 a.m. and stopped and had lunch in Pathancot - a town close the the Himachael border. It was lovely eating out in the garden. I had thali (plate lunch) which included a dal, a vegetable curry, naan bread, crisp bread, raits (a cold youghert and herbs - I ate a little and did not fall ill!) and a tea. We arrived tired but well sated about 5:30. Time for a shower and rest.

This is only a brief overview - there was so much going on- to see, hear, feel. I barely seem to notice the dirt, bustling etc. I respond well to horns and can dissuade touts with a 'nei' 'nei' and swipe of the hand with the best of them. I felt good getting "out of town" and enjoyed seeing another part of India. I really don't think I could do this country "alone" though....it can truly be overwhelming. Try though

It is hard to believe I have 10 days left here in Dharamshala- I got a bit teary riding up the hill and looking at "my" town. There is so much I don't know about this place but it feels comfortable and I am more at ease here than in the bustle. That will be a big challenge in Delhi where I will be more restricted in where and when I can go alone. I feel safe in the market and hills here and love waking to the birds and clopping hooves. This week we will have some new women joining and it will be a full week of class - no holidays. Several people have fallen ill with Delhi belly - but I have been lucky. I hope truly that my "luck" continues. I am missing chocolate badly but have gained a few kg and need to watch my portions. I will probably have one more salwar suit made before I go (for a total of five). I am enjoying the colors.