Doke, khaande, goodagay, paayachi boate

(Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes) We learned body parts in Marathi class on Tuesday, and I tried to fit it to song but there was way too many syllables. My Marathi teacher had no idea what I was blabbering excitedly about, but we enjoyed singing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes in Marathi.

It has been a busy week with three papers, non stop class and internship things starting. I was moved to a different organization, but I am happy to say that I'm working with BAIF- the organization we stayed with while we were visiting the tribal villages (www.baif.org.in). I'll be doing environmental education activities with secondary school children. I'll visit in a few weeks and officially start the first week of April.

As Hannah and I arrived home today at 4:40 pm, the earliest I have been home all week, I secretly hoped that she would fall asleep and we would skip meditation. Preston, our Alliance alum advisor and our go- to person for just about everything, has been hosting meditation sessions at his host dad's house. This was the first time Hannah and I went, and I ended up being glad since the person who thinks they're too busy to meditate is probably the person who needs it the most. Everyone did a "check in" with how they were feeling today, and it was a nice experience to share; Preston said he enjoyed the time he normally spent talking to us, but he also enjoyed being with us not talking.

Now after my 10 hour night of sleep and meditation session, I feel ready to go on a trip this weekend with my Environmental Perspectives class and then visit Mumbai on Wednesday for 5 days with the program.

Cows on the Beach

Janjira Fort

Janjira fort is visible from land, but completely surrounded by water. The boat ride took about ten minutes, and we rode with all kinds of Indian tourists. The boat pulled up near the stone steps into the fort, giving you no choice but to jump. 

Bessie stopped to chat when we greeted her hello, gave a few nods as Kelsie was shooting the breeze, and continued on her way as we said goodbye. 

As Lindsey and Kelsie meditated, I creeped behind them to take a picture and unintentionally disturbed their serene state of mind. 

We cooed at a baby in his mother's arms, and he started scrunching up his face like he was going to cry. The mother looks at Emily, holds out the baby, and says, "Here, carry him." Emily tries to kindly refuse, but the dad just goes, "No problem!" and snaps a few pictures. 

Last weekend I took a trip to Marud Janjira, a beach on the coast of Maharashtra, with a large fort in the water (Janjira). I have taken fresh air for granted many times in the US; I realized it once we were celebrating our ability to be breathe happily upon our arrival. We ate delicious food- lots of veg. thali, which is a mixed plate (basically like getting a home cooked meal with daal, chapati, veggies, masala or curry and dessert) and omelet sandwiches on fresh rolls.

We were all excited for the beach but tried not to get our hopes up. Everyone on the beach was fully clothed- no bathing suits- and people were not lounging in the sand with umbrellas/towels/chairs, but it was perfect nonetheless (there was also a crowded beach nearby that was probably more beach like but we went to the one next to our hotel). The  water was warm and clean and clear, we found lots of pretty seashells, we walked endlessly through the groovy sand in the shallow afternoon tide, and we gazed at the water until the sun set. I was only asked once for a picture, and we didn't draw much attention on the beach except for when we did our little hippie dance with our scarves at sunset. Kelsie talked to a very kind cow, we saw some sunbathing pups, and we enjoyed the wind in our hair.

Mi lihite (I write)

Hannah and I went to the opening of the Vasundhara International Film Festival where they had traditional Indian dance- kathak ballet- portraying the six seasons in India.

Valentine's Day

As Hannah and I left for school, my host mom came out onto the little balcony and shouted to us that she hoped we would get roses. We laughed, but as I was walking back from class on campus, I was stopped by a student who said, "Excuse me, ma'am" and handed me a rose wrapped in heart cellophane. Valentine's Day is not an official holiday here or largely celebrated, but with so many Western traditions coming in, it has become an acknowledged holiday. Stores sell holiday cards for it, and roses are sold on the street. We received an email the day before from our program director entitled "Valentine's Day Unrest" (no worries- I witnessed nothing like this):

Summary: Protests, vandalism and other forms of unrest are possible across India through the Feb. 14 Valentine's Day holiday. Right-wing Hindu groups strongly object to the observance of the unofficial holiday. Unrest is particularly likely in Bangalore, Mangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi and major cities in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh states.
Background & Analysis: Valentine's Day is very popular among many young Indians, but pro-Hindu groups such as the Sri Ram Sene, Shiv Sena, Bharath Sena, Hindu Jagran Manch, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) consider the holiday an affront to Indian culture and an example of gross Western commercialism. These groups regularly threaten to disrupt holiday events. Protests are common, especially outside major government buildings, hotels, eateries (including multinational fast-food outlets) and shops selling Valentine's Day sundries. Demonstrations can turn violent - protesters have ransacked shops, burned greeting cards and posters and harassed and assaulted people celebrating the unofficial holiday. Confrontations with police could occur.
Advice: Avoid protests and limit exposure to gift shops, hotels, restaurants and other targets whose proprietors typically ignore warnings to shut down. Use caution in crowded commercial areas and avoid public displays of affection. Potential troublemakers are often easily identifiable; right-wing Hindu activists regularly wear saffron-colored clothing or carry orange flags.

A Typical Day in the Life

6:00 Wake up, bucket shower, move the couch and chairs
6:30-7:30 Yoga in the living room with our teacher, Gauri (twice a week)
7:50 Walk to the rickshaw stand in our neighborhood and find a rickshaw that will take us to school since sometimes they say no, usually to me so I make Hannah ask
8:00 Arrive at the program center on the Fergusson College campus, eat breakfast
8:30-9:30 Do homework, read the newspaper, talk with friends
9:45-11:15 Class
11:30-1:00 Class
1:00-2:00 Lunch
2:15-3:45 Class
4:00 Walk home (45 minutes)
5:00 Homework
6:30-7:30 Marathi class, painting class or meditation
8:00 Dinner
8:30 Homework
10:30 Bed

Food I commonly eat:

Breakfast- hard boiled eggs, spinach chapati, oatmeal (thick sweet milk with oatish things), yogurt, pohe (flattened rice with onions, chiles and spices), wada pav (fried potato dumpling eaten in a bun, called the Indian burger) fruit- bananas, papaya, guava, apples, pears, watermelon, grapes
*Since breakfast is served at the program center, it's prepared to somewhat please our American tastes, but there is definitely an Indian identity to some of it.*

Lunch- My favorite place to go is Parathas, where my friends and I split a paratha filled with palak (spinach), aloo (potato), or mushroom and cheese. They serve it with a side of yogurt, a cucumber salad type thing, and chutney. Uttapas are also very delicious- a buttered pancake like food, sometimes with tomato and onion cooked in it, served with chutney and a tomato soupish like dish. You can find sandwiches at many places- lots of vegetable filled ones (mayonnaise, cucumber and tomatoes) or peppers and masala (spices). Any bread but white is slightly difficult to find though. The day we ate Smokin' Joes Pizza was surprisingly good, considering I am very picky about my pizza (they gave us ketchup and mustard packets, which  make up for the lack of sauce on the pizza). If we aren't full, there are lots of good ice cream places near our college, as well as a bakery.

Dinner- A cook comes to my house every morning. My host mom sometimes makes part of our dinner and heats up what the cook prepared. We always have chapatis, rice, dal (lentil stew), some vegetable dish (potatoes, cauliflower, peas, pumpkin...), a raw salad like cucumber/tomatoes/onions, and something sweet. The food is served on the plate in a specific fashion with salad on the left, vegetables on the right, chapati at the bottom of the plate and the dal/curry in a little bowl at the top of the plate. You serve with your left hand and eat with your right; I have become quite good at this but it can still be difficult sometimes to use your fingers like a spoon.

This weekend I will be in Marud Janjiri on the coast of Maharashtra. There's supposed to be a nice beach, a historical fort in the water, and (cross your fingers) some fresh air!

You know you're not in the US when...

Student from the concert at the deaf school

1. You see three goats and a dog eating out of the same dumpster

2. Men are walking down the street holding hands, with their arms around each others shoulders or lounging in the grass posing for pictures

3. Women in beautiful saris are cruising their 2 wheelers down the street with a kid on the back carrying his diorama project

4. People wear ear muffs, hats and sweatshirts in (70 degrees) winter

5. You have to hoard your change because everyone claims they have none and refuse your large bills

6. The only thing sold at the post office is stamps and if you want to mail a package, you have to glue on 50 little pictures of Gandhiji

7. You spend more time washing your feet than your hair

8. You blow your nose and find black polluted boogers

9. The gym isn't open at convenient hours

10. 100,000,000 children and young men ask to take your picture and look devastated when you say no

11. Old men stop their 2 wheelers on the side of the road where you're walking just to ask where you're from and drive away

12. The little pink and purple castle across the street is not a child's playhouse but a temple

13. Most houses don't have ovens

14. Your peripheral vision is clouded with human/animal waste

15. Women are nowhere in sight

16. Children are in school on Saturdays

17. There's a veg restaurant on every block, not a Starbucks

18. Coffee and peanut butter are hard to find

19. Kids eat vegetables from their lunchboxes

20. Girls stare at you for bringing your own tp into the bathroom

21. Jumping on a bus while it's moving is totally normal

22. Someone tells you that you're the first Jew they've ever met

23. Women are smart enough to scope out future inlaws as well as husbands

24. Parcel means "to go" and you have to pay extra

25. Shaking your head from side to side (which doesn't mean "no") can be a whole conversation

26. Enthusiastically responding yes multiple times to your questions doesn't necessarily mean yes

27. You consume more chai than water

28. Scheme does not denote a villain's evil plan (but rather a cell phone plan or health insurance)

29. The hand that feeds you wants you to eat sugar and gain weight

30. Mango is the most popular flavor for everything

31. You have to check your purse at the grocery store

32. There's no waitresses (just waiters)and service is slow...everywhere

33. Even white people stare at white people (usually in disbelief and to guess what country they're from- or maybe that's just me)

34. "Happy Birthday" or "Silent Night" blares from your car as you back up

35. Sidewalks are covered with spit, not gum

36. When you ask for index cards at a store, they hand you a protractor and compass set

And the list goes on and on and on...

Guavalicious

Kate couldn't say no when people asked her to be in their pictures!

I have been pestered to update, and I'm not holding back on purpose- I am actually going to school, and I do have homework sometimes (*cough Mom*) plus my internet has been terribly slow.

The caves were awesome! The trip was long again- another 6 hour drive plus the drive from our hotel to the caves themselves, but it was well worth it. Indian citizens pay 10 rupees ($0.25) to visit the national heritage site while foreigners pay 250 rps ($6.25). There was a decent number of tourists, but we still remained the minority. By the end of the weekend, we were convinced that the only reason Indians went to the caves was to photograph themselves with white people. I cannot even guess the number of times we were asked to pose for a picture, sometimes alone, sometimes with one Indian man, sometimes with a large group of young men, sometimes with 100 school children. Poor Kate attracted the most attention and just couldn't bring herself to refuse, although we tried to drag her away countless times from the insistent crowds.

Anyway, we visited Ajanta Saturday and on Sunday we visited Ellora. Ajanta has over 30 caves of relatively the same size, all in the same area. Most are Buddhist caves with elaborate paintings inside. Ellora is most famous for its largest cave, number 16, which is the best place for Hide and Go Seek I have ever seen (I resisted the temptation- didn't want to be sacrilegious or draw any more unwanted attention to my tall white self). There are a number of other, smaller, less impressive caves spread out. Ellora is known for its architecture. We didn't use a tour guide or read most of the signs, so I apologize for not being able to give you any history on these beautiful sights. We had the most fun on Sunday watching the monkeys leap across the little bridge where we stopped to take pictures of their strangely long tails and funny playfulness, while the Indians took pictures of our strangely white skin and funny behavior.

I'm finally done with police registration! Our program's director was so happy when we came back with our official approved documents that she bought us mango ice cream. There's this complicated process that changes all the time where you have to register with the local police station if your visa gets a "registration required" stamp. I've been there 3 or 4 times, with one visit lasting 3.5 hours (we had to wait an hour while a worker took a chai break).

Didi took Hannah and I to a concert at a school for deaf and mute children where her friend works. The students performed skits, read poems and danced; they were adorable and terrific. One of the skits was about a boy named Bablu who didn't want to do homework- all he wanted to do was watch cricket on TV. He started having bad dreams about school subjects as monsters (cue the math monster with blinking devil horns, face make up and math facts written on his costume) until his parents had his teacher tutor him. He started to play cricket with the math monster until he understood, and then he got his brand new cricket bat signed by a famous cricket player. Totally every little boy's life here...haha.

Breaking news- My internship in April is going to be at the Center for Environmental Education. I don't know anything else about it yet, but I'm happy about the placement!

A post wouldn't be complete without me talking about food! Here's something for you to try- cereal with warm milk. Absolutely delicious, although it might cause sogginess. Also, pb and nutella sandwiches are pretty tight (apparently Colorado's version of "wicked"- thanks Hannah) for picnic lunches inside caves.
Dude, have you ever had a guava?!?! They have an amazing yet indescribable taste. Nothing guava flavored in the US does justice to the real thing. And they're not all pink- the outside is green and the inside can be either pink or white (and you eat the whole thing- waste free fruit). There are so many different kinds of fruit here!

Laamb Aathawada (Long Week)

Lots of happenings from the past week and a half!

Ajay and Atul Concert- my favorite little boy

Student on Republic Day dressed up as the god Kali

• Republic Day (January 26): Our group was invited to a school for an Independence Day assembly. We sat in our white attire in a group of chairs in front of the microphone, performance area, and at least 500 parents, teachers and students outside in the school courtyard. So it wasn't embarrassing when myself and a few others walked in late and a teacher beckoned us over to walk to our seats in front of everyone. The assembly consisted of student and teacher awards (the school year begins in January) and song/dance performances from students. What makes the national holiday that much more significant today is the fact that there are some who can celebrate it having been alive pre-independence (India gained freedom in 1947). 

• Movies: Didi took Hannah and I to see Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries- coming out in the States), which means laundry place. It has a good chunk of spoken English in it because one of the characters is an American so we understood it for the most part. The theater was really nice, and not only did they sell popcorn, they sold sweet corn (the veggie), coffee, ice cream, bakery goods, chips, samosas and veggie sandwiches.

• From PC to FC (Fergusson College): With the semester just having begun, all the departments and student clubs put together various events for a week of celebration. All kinds of theatrical performances, sidewalk games, singing and large dance parties took place last week. On Saturday (school does happen on Saturday- primary through college), Hannah and I watched a parade of music and dancing that continued for over two hours in the hot sun. 

• Ajay and Atul Concert: Ajay and Atul are two brothers who sing Marathi music, very popular in this area. We bought cheap tickets, sitting in plastic lawn chairs very very very far from the stage where Ajay and Atul were lowered by a crane carrying them in lit up box. There were all kinds of special effects- laser lights, confetti- and lots of dancing, by performers and the crowd. I had just as much fun watching the crowd as listening to the music, especially as audience members started stacking their chairs to give themselves a better view. A security guard came and yelled at a whole group of people in front of me to unstack their chairs, so they began to grudgingly, stopping when a woman stood up to the guard, refusing to move her three chairs. The guard smiled and walked away, and everyone happily restacked their chairs. I couldn't help watching the little boy who managed to get 6 chairs high to the point where his feet became far from the ground and used this height to carefully stand up and flag down the popcorn seller. 

• Tribal Village Visit: We stayed at a lodge run by an NGO called BAIF (http://goodnewsindia.com/Pages/content/institutions/baif.html), started in 1967 by Manibhai Desai, a follower of Gandhi. The lodge is relatively near to the villages where they work, which we also got to visit. They mainly do small sustainable agriculture projects with the villagers, helping them to begin gardens and small farms, growing tomatoes, cashews and mangoes. Desai, now deceased, is the reason that many of the villagers recovered from alcoholism, which is common in tribal areas. BAIF also helped bring clean water to the people. We saw all of this work in action at the villages (with Desai's picture hung up on houses and trees), as well as touring a Primary Health Center that serves a population of 35,000 people from 30 different villages, 98 hamlets. Our public health professor who lived in the village for a year translated for us while we asked the medical officer questions at the health center. In that 30 minute visit, we saw a woman who had given birth 24 hours prior with her newborn baby as well as another woman being carried in who had been poisoned. Our professor said his best guess would be she tried to poison herself since the suicide rate in tribal areas can be as high as 10% because of poverty, debt, family fueds, infertility and a lack of future. 

Too short of a stay (2 days)
Reminiscing of Kenya and Nicaragua
Interested Indian adolescents (taking pictures with white girls)
Beautiful scenery
Adorable children (my car mates were sick of me saying "aw")
Latest I've stayed up in India (11:15 pm- LOSER)

Very talented artists (paper mache, Warli paintings)
Incomplete but usually paved, bumpy roads
Long, hot car rides
Lack of western toilets
Actually smiling, friendly village people
Gained interesting knowledge on tribes/health
Effective NGO work

• Panorama of Cultures 2011: The foreign student organization at FC held a performance where students sang and danced to traditional music from their respective countries, ending with the singing of each country's national anthem. It was amazing to watch, although I am starting to realize that the American attention span is much shorter than the Indian's. There are 450 international students at FC from 36 different countries, and I'm proud to say that I went on stage with our group to sing The Star Spangled Banner (no practice, no warning). I learned about a new country, Mauritius, watched a French girl try to keep up with the Indian dancers, and tried not to laugh at the grinning South Korean boy doing a "hip hop" dance. 

Off to see the historical caves Ajanta and Ellora this weekend, which are one of the most recommended sites to see in India, with their beautiful architecture and paintings, depicting various religious drawings. Thanks for reading!