I'm in the Dubai airport now--almost home!! I'm reflecting back on the past 5.5 weeks and the travels through Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. I'm trying to determine what it is exactly that I want to take away from this trip.
The biggest truth I've come to understand through this experience is that we always have a choice. I've seen some of the poorest people living in worse physical and economical circumstances than I could have imagined--and yet, they choose to smile and laugh. Some of them have taken to begging or are reliant on the charity of others to get by, but none of them have surrendered to their tough conditions. They choose to be survivors, not victims. They accept their hardships and continue on. The love, light, and joy I have seen in these people's faces never ceased to humble and amaze me.
It's scary to think of going back to my life in California and picking up just where I left off. I don't want to lose the value of this experience. I am continually reminded of the story of the birds that go to a "flying training" (if you know this story, forgive me for butchering it). At the training, they all sore through the air for their first time and are thrilled with the experience. Then, when the training ends, they walk home.
I don't want to "walk home" after this. I want to find a way to help those people that refuse to surrender. I want to make a difference. And, at a bare minimum, I want to make sure I never forget that I always have a choice in my actions and attitude... why not choose to be happy.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sun Rays in Sri Lanka
So we did finally make it to the Hilton hotel in Sri Lanka around 6:30am today. Originally we were scheduled to come in yesterday around 5 or 6pm. I was a little upset about the delay because it had actually taken a bit of coercing to get a room at the Hilton. I had to send several emails to the US and Asian Diamond Status Customer Service Centers along with an email to the Colombo Hotel directly in order to get the room booked--and I hated to see all that effort go to waste if we were only going to have a few hours at the hotel. I had been quite perplexed by the difficulty in booking the room at the Colombo Hilton until we arrived in Sri Lanka and realized that they were hosting the Cricket World Cup (keeping up on the news had proved to be a difficult task) at a stadium in Colombo just minutes from our hotel.
Luckily, dealing with the Hilton folks in Colombo (once the reservation had been established) proved to be much easier... and it definitely helped that I was able to pull out my Diamond Status card (such a blessing on this trip!). The front desk guy was even kind enough to let us have a 5pm check-out, rather than enforcing the standard 11am check-out time. Since our flight back to the states wasn't until 9pm, that worked out perfectly, giving us time to sleep and still be able to enjoyed the pool, gym, executive lounge and other amenities :)
Heather went promptly to sleep upon checking in. I was a little restless at that point though. I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours, but then my frugal side (and hunger pains) kicked in and I decided it was important that I go get my free breakfast in the Executive Lounge before they closed--which was definitely worth trading an hour of sleep for--best breakfast I've had the entire trip! I also had time to thoroughly explore all that the hotel had to offer and get a workout in while Heather slept :)
We met up at the pool in the afternoon (where I managed to get a sunburn in less than 1 hour!), then cleaned up and grabbed a late lunch before heading back to the airport. It's a shame that we didn't actually get to go to one of the cricket matches, or see the city, but Sri Lanka still proved to be a nice break from all the travel as we prepared for our long flight home.
Luckily, dealing with the Hilton folks in Colombo (once the reservation had been established) proved to be much easier... and it definitely helped that I was able to pull out my Diamond Status card (such a blessing on this trip!). The front desk guy was even kind enough to let us have a 5pm check-out, rather than enforcing the standard 11am check-out time. Since our flight back to the states wasn't until 9pm, that worked out perfectly, giving us time to sleep and still be able to enjoyed the pool, gym, executive lounge and other amenities :)
Heather went promptly to sleep upon checking in. I was a little restless at that point though. I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours, but then my frugal side (and hunger pains) kicked in and I decided it was important that I go get my free breakfast in the Executive Lounge before they closed--which was definitely worth trading an hour of sleep for--best breakfast I've had the entire trip! I also had time to thoroughly explore all that the hotel had to offer and get a workout in while Heather slept :)
We met up at the pool in the afternoon (where I managed to get a sunburn in less than 1 hour!), then cleaned up and grabbed a late lunch before heading back to the airport. It's a shame that we didn't actually get to go to one of the cricket matches, or see the city, but Sri Lanka still proved to be a nice break from all the travel as we prepared for our long flight home.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Unexpected/Expected Delays
Today has been one of those fabulous travel days where things seem almost too easy, and then, suddenly, it becomes one of the longest days of your life. Our flight was supposed to leave from Kathmandu at 10:20am today, have a quick layover in Delhi, and then continue on to Sri Lanka where we had a luxurious night at the Hilton booked. However, due to fog, the flight was pushed out a few hours. They wouldn't even let us check in for our flight since the delay meant that we would miss our connection from Delhi to Colombo.
After standing to the side for over an hour a man took our flight information and said he would see what he could do. About a half hour later he came back and said the only option we had was to wait for a 1:30pm flight to Mumbai and then wait about 10 hours in that airport for a 2:10am flight to Columbo that would get us there around 4am (12 hours later than planned). Luckily, this will not effect our final flight to the states (which doesn't leave until tomorrow night), but we are very sad to be spending 12 hours in an airport rather than at a nice Hilton near the beach in Colombo :(
Oh well... you win some, you loose some. If this is the worst flight delay we have to face (and all of our bags make all the connections), then I will still consider us very lucky!
After standing to the side for over an hour a man took our flight information and said he would see what he could do. About a half hour later he came back and said the only option we had was to wait for a 1:30pm flight to Mumbai and then wait about 10 hours in that airport for a 2:10am flight to Columbo that would get us there around 4am (12 hours later than planned). Luckily, this will not effect our final flight to the states (which doesn't leave until tomorrow night), but we are very sad to be spending 12 hours in an airport rather than at a nice Hilton near the beach in Colombo :(
Oh well... you win some, you loose some. If this is the worst flight delay we have to face (and all of our bags make all the connections), then I will still consider us very lucky!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The End of the Road
Today was a day of uneasy silences and fast pace trekking as we reached our final day on the Annapurna Circuit. At breakfast this morning our guide asked for a 10,000 rupee (1 USD is worth about 70 Nepalese Rupees) advance--which seems reasonable since we hadn't paid him anything yet. However, we were under the impression that all bills would be covered on the last day and did not have 10,000 rupees on us, so it got a little tense and awkward--the fact that Dorgee's English is not great and we do not speak his language didn't help.
Once we got on the trail a man started following us. He stopped when we stopped and started again when we did. None of this help with the uneasiness in the air. On the bright side, it seemed that the fact that this was our last day on the trail really lit a fire under Heather's feet. She seemed to enjoy the hike much more today ;)
Dorgee told us we trekking for 4-5 hours today, but after only 3.5 hours we had reached the end of the route. It was only 10:30am at that point, so rather than stop for lunch as originally planned, we hailed a taxi and crammed in for our 2 hour ride back to Pokhara.
Dorgee had been working on changing our flight (he had booked us on a flight tomorrow morning, but we worried about possible delays and missing our flight to Colombo) and just before reaching Pokhara, he told us we would be flying back to Kathmandu this afternoon rather than in the morning. We were relieved about our flight, but sad to have so little time in Pokhara. So we opted to skip lunch and make the most of the 2 hours we had before we needed to go to the airport. Pokhara is a pretty cool place, parts of it are quite sketchy, but I loved all the little shops--especially the "North Face" stores where you can get high quality gear for a fraction of the price :)
By the time we arrived in Kathmandu, we were famished. So, we unloaded at the hotel and headed strait back out in search of food. Heather had been craving Mexican, and it just so happened that the first place we saw featured a few Mexican dishes (along with Chinese, American, Nepalese, and a few others...). I wouldn't say that it was the best Mexican food I've ever had, but hey, it was food!
Once we got on the trail a man started following us. He stopped when we stopped and started again when we did. None of this help with the uneasiness in the air. On the bright side, it seemed that the fact that this was our last day on the trail really lit a fire under Heather's feet. She seemed to enjoy the hike much more today ;)
Dorgee told us we trekking for 4-5 hours today, but after only 3.5 hours we had reached the end of the route. It was only 10:30am at that point, so rather than stop for lunch as originally planned, we hailed a taxi and crammed in for our 2 hour ride back to Pokhara.
Dorgee had been working on changing our flight (he had booked us on a flight tomorrow morning, but we worried about possible delays and missing our flight to Colombo) and just before reaching Pokhara, he told us we would be flying back to Kathmandu this afternoon rather than in the morning. We were relieved about our flight, but sad to have so little time in Pokhara. So we opted to skip lunch and make the most of the 2 hours we had before we needed to go to the airport. Pokhara is a pretty cool place, parts of it are quite sketchy, but I loved all the little shops--especially the "North Face" stores where you can get high quality gear for a fraction of the price :)
By the time we arrived in Kathmandu, we were famished. So, we unloaded at the hotel and headed strait back out in search of food. Heather had been craving Mexican, and it just so happened that the first place we saw featured a few Mexican dishes (along with Chinese, American, Nepalese, and a few others...). I wouldn't say that it was the best Mexican food I've ever had, but hey, it was food!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Welcome to the Jungle
We slept in today--clear till 6:45am :) Breakfast wasn't until 8 so that gave us some time to read, talk, and lie lazily in bed enjoying the view of the sun rising over the mountains--which was excellent. It was still cold this morning, but so much warmer than yesterday. At breakfast Dorgee went over today's agenda with us. He said it would take us 3 hours to get to Ghandrung (where we would be staying tonight). He said we would stop there for lunch, and that we needed to take showers there, then we would hike to a museum.
I tried to joke with him asking him if we stink, but he didn't take it as a joke, he just answered "yes" in a very matter-of-fact tone. Although, I'm sure we did stink. Once we saw our first "lodge" here, Heather and I agreed to go without showers until we finished the trek--which I was fine with, but apparently Dorgee is sick of smelling us, so alas, I did shower upon reaching Ghandrung. I should mention that the toilet, shower and sink are all in one small room, which sounds typical for a small bathroom I suppose, but the difference is there is nothing separating the shower from everything else, so the whole bathroom gets soaked when you shower.
I've gotten a touch ahead of myself though. I have to say, this mornings 3 hours of hiking was gorgeous (of course--everyday has been). We were in jungle territory today though so we saw (actually we heard them long before we saw them) lots of big white monkeys (and a few baby monkeys) in the trees reeking havoc on the branches as they leaped from one tree to another.
After a quick, almost hot, shower, Heather and I had lunch and then she stayed at the lodge while I went on a tour of the town with Dorgee and our porter. I thought we were going for a 1-hour hike to visit a museum, but it turns out it was just down a few rock stairways and around a few bends. The museum wasn't the most impressive one I've ever seen, but it was entertaining. It was in a little adobe house, but the lights didn't work, so we got three little flashlights and read about the artifacts and the typical jobs/days of the people that used them. There was also a latter like staircase we followed upstairs, but there was even less to see there.
Upon existing the museum, Dorgee asked if I wanted to see the monastery--which was kind of funny because it turned out to be a Buddhist temple (like all the ones we saw in Bhutan only not as fancy) and Dorgee is Hindu. After we finished exploring the temple, Dorgee led me to another building, which turned out to be a clinic of sorts with a helicopter landing pad behind it overlooking the valley. Dorgee and I sat on the cliff edge there and took in the valley below. It was a beautiful moment, and then, eventually, it started to feel a bit awkward, so I suggested maybe we should head back. Good times.
Heather and I tried to read out in the courtyard since we had the luxuries of time and sunshine today, but despite the sun, it was still a bit cold and we ended up spending the remained of the afternoon huddled up under our scraggly blankets in our room. I don't understand how the sun did not warm up our room (at all), but I will be so grateful to finally be warm again--hopefully tomorrow :)
I tried to joke with him asking him if we stink, but he didn't take it as a joke, he just answered "yes" in a very matter-of-fact tone. Although, I'm sure we did stink. Once we saw our first "lodge" here, Heather and I agreed to go without showers until we finished the trek--which I was fine with, but apparently Dorgee is sick of smelling us, so alas, I did shower upon reaching Ghandrung. I should mention that the toilet, shower and sink are all in one small room, which sounds typical for a small bathroom I suppose, but the difference is there is nothing separating the shower from everything else, so the whole bathroom gets soaked when you shower.
I've gotten a touch ahead of myself though. I have to say, this mornings 3 hours of hiking was gorgeous (of course--everyday has been). We were in jungle territory today though so we saw (actually we heard them long before we saw them) lots of big white monkeys (and a few baby monkeys) in the trees reeking havoc on the branches as they leaped from one tree to another.
After a quick, almost hot, shower, Heather and I had lunch and then she stayed at the lodge while I went on a tour of the town with Dorgee and our porter. I thought we were going for a 1-hour hike to visit a museum, but it turns out it was just down a few rock stairways and around a few bends. The museum wasn't the most impressive one I've ever seen, but it was entertaining. It was in a little adobe house, but the lights didn't work, so we got three little flashlights and read about the artifacts and the typical jobs/days of the people that used them. There was also a latter like staircase we followed upstairs, but there was even less to see there.
Upon existing the museum, Dorgee asked if I wanted to see the monastery--which was kind of funny because it turned out to be a Buddhist temple (like all the ones we saw in Bhutan only not as fancy) and Dorgee is Hindu. After we finished exploring the temple, Dorgee led me to another building, which turned out to be a clinic of sorts with a helicopter landing pad behind it overlooking the valley. Dorgee and I sat on the cliff edge there and took in the valley below. It was a beautiful moment, and then, eventually, it started to feel a bit awkward, so I suggested maybe we should head back. Good times.
Heather and I tried to read out in the courtyard since we had the luxuries of time and sunshine today, but despite the sun, it was still a bit cold and we ended up spending the remained of the afternoon huddled up under our scraggly blankets in our room. I don't understand how the sun did not warm up our room (at all), but I will be so grateful to finally be warm again--hopefully tomorrow :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunrise in the Fog
We woke up at 5:15 this morning so that we could hike to "Poon Hill" for sunrise and what we hear is a spectacular view of all the mountain peaks. It was difficult to get out of our beds and face the freezing morning, but we did eventually get our layers on and head out the door. We hiked by head lamp for the first half hour or so, and the the sky started to brighten. It was a cloudy day though with lots of fresh snow from last night's storm. The path was quite slippery, but we did eventually make it to the top of Poon Hill (elevation ~3,200m). Sadly, there was no view from the top :( We couldn't even see the sunrise through all the heavy clouds. So, we drank some hot chocolate and headed back to our lodge to pack-up and have breakfast before heading out for the day.
Today was a much easier trekking day and it actually included a fair amount of downhill between all the steep catwalks. It was, however, very slippery. With the melting snow and ice, the steep downs became quite entertaining. I was tempted to stop and video one group as the headed up an especially slick pass--but decided that may be considered a bit rude and continued on (it would have been funny though). It's amazing to watch the local porters wiz past everyone with their huge loads (which are usually strapped on like backpacks and then then they have one additional padded strap that goes across their forehead--yet they never use the hip strap on the nicer packs--I can't even comprehend how they do it!). There was one point in the trail today were I was busy focusing on my granny-like side step shuffle (with a cane/walking stick), Heather had her walking stick in one hand and was clingy to Dorgee with the other, and then the porters came, blazing down the mountain in flip flops with their 50-100 lb. loads strap to their heads and back (I should also mention that many of these porters couldn't weigh much more than 100 lb.). Truly astonishing!
We stopped for lunch today and I have to say, the menu's at these restaurant's in these tiny village continue to crack me up. They usually include most of the same things, but it's everything from soups and sandwiches, to curry and dal, to pizza and lasagna, to mo-mo (which is kind of a mix between a pot-sticker and a dumpling). They also serve custard, popcorn, apple-pie, and snickers rolls (basically a candy bar that is breaded and deep fried)...just to name a small sampling!
We arrived at our lodge around 3:30 this afternoon. Lol--just when you think it can't get any sketchier. We share a bathroom with about 20 other rooms. The walls are made of thin wood and there is a small hole which looks directly into our neighbor's room. The blankets are lumpier and even more tattered than last nights. However, it still beats sleeping on the cold muddy ground and having only the woods for your outhouse. Our room is on the corner, and actually has quite a breathtaking view of the mountains--it also feels like we might tip over into them, but hey, what's life without a little risk.
Today was a much easier trekking day and it actually included a fair amount of downhill between all the steep catwalks. It was, however, very slippery. With the melting snow and ice, the steep downs became quite entertaining. I was tempted to stop and video one group as the headed up an especially slick pass--but decided that may be considered a bit rude and continued on (it would have been funny though). It's amazing to watch the local porters wiz past everyone with their huge loads (which are usually strapped on like backpacks and then then they have one additional padded strap that goes across their forehead--yet they never use the hip strap on the nicer packs--I can't even comprehend how they do it!). There was one point in the trail today were I was busy focusing on my granny-like side step shuffle (with a cane/walking stick), Heather had her walking stick in one hand and was clingy to Dorgee with the other, and then the porters came, blazing down the mountain in flip flops with their 50-100 lb. loads strap to their heads and back (I should also mention that many of these porters couldn't weigh much more than 100 lb.). Truly astonishing!
We stopped for lunch today and I have to say, the menu's at these restaurant's in these tiny village continue to crack me up. They usually include most of the same things, but it's everything from soups and sandwiches, to curry and dal, to pizza and lasagna, to mo-mo (which is kind of a mix between a pot-sticker and a dumpling). They also serve custard, popcorn, apple-pie, and snickers rolls (basically a candy bar that is breaded and deep fried)...just to name a small sampling!
We arrived at our lodge around 3:30 this afternoon. Lol--just when you think it can't get any sketchier. We share a bathroom with about 20 other rooms. The walls are made of thin wood and there is a small hole which looks directly into our neighbor's room. The blankets are lumpier and even more tattered than last nights. However, it still beats sleeping on the cold muddy ground and having only the woods for your outhouse. Our room is on the corner, and actually has quite a breathtaking view of the mountains--it also feels like we might tip over into them, but hey, what's life without a little risk.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The day of rest... but maybe not so much this week...
Today was our first real day of trekking in the Himalayas--and oh what a beautiful day! Stunning views, fantastic terrain (a bit steep, but doable), rivers, waterfalls, bridges, charming little farming villages, hill side terraces of rice and vegetables, stunning winding rock stair cases up and around the mountain peaks... you get the point.
I think we climbed around 2,000 meters today over the course of about 9 hours--and it turns out Heather actually doesn't enjoy hiking, she just knew that I loved it, so she agreed to make it part of our trip (oops!). Luckily we do have a porter (guy that carries stuff) and a sherpa (guide). I figured that they would each take one of our bags and felt horrible when I realized that our one skinny porter was going to take both of our big backpacking bags and his own small backpack (the load must have been around 90 lbs--possibly more!).
Our sherpa, Dorgee is so sweet, there was a point when Heather wasn't feeling well, so he carried her smaller backpack for her for the rest of the day. He also makes sure to help us whenever the train gets slippery, and patiently waits for us whenever we can't keep up.
I think Dorgee was easing us into the sleeping accommodations with last nights "lodge" though. Today's was definitely a down graded--It was freezing, and had no lights. Luckily, it did keep us out of the snow though. It has been weird today to go from sweating in a T-shirt earlier today to sleeping in layers of clothing, socks, my fleece jacket, a hat, and my head lamp (to keep my ears warm), and still being cold.
I think we climbed around 2,000 meters today over the course of about 9 hours--and it turns out Heather actually doesn't enjoy hiking, she just knew that I loved it, so she agreed to make it part of our trip (oops!). Luckily we do have a porter (guy that carries stuff) and a sherpa (guide). I figured that they would each take one of our bags and felt horrible when I realized that our one skinny porter was going to take both of our big backpacking bags and his own small backpack (the load must have been around 90 lbs--possibly more!).
Our sherpa, Dorgee is so sweet, there was a point when Heather wasn't feeling well, so he carried her smaller backpack for her for the rest of the day. He also makes sure to help us whenever the train gets slippery, and patiently waits for us whenever we can't keep up.
I think Dorgee was easing us into the sleeping accommodations with last nights "lodge" though. Today's was definitely a down graded--It was freezing, and had no lights. Luckily, it did keep us out of the snow though. It has been weird today to go from sweating in a T-shirt earlier today to sleeping in layers of clothing, socks, my fleece jacket, a hat, and my head lamp (to keep my ears warm), and still being cold.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Hello Nepal!
Heather and I were slightly skeptical of the flight out of Bhutan after Chencho told us that the Paro airport is one of the most dangerous in the world (to his credit--it did try to reassure us by saying that the landing is more dangerous than the takeoff). It was a bit of a bumpy takeoff, but no real problems and we were lucky enough to get seats on the right side of the plane so that we had a sweet view of Everest as we flew over the top :) ...FYI: If you ever want to travel to Bhutan, I would be happy to put you in contact with Chencho. He is an amazing guide and it is actually much easier and cheaper to travel Bhutan if you go directly through a guide.
I have to admit, my first thought upon arriving in Nepal was "Oh crap! We're back in the craziness". After 5 peace-filled days in Bhutan, it was a bit of an adjustment being bombarded by taxi drivers the moment we walked out of the Kathmandu airport. Luckily, we were able to find our sherpa, Dorgee, fairly quickly and he led us briskly through the crowd, into a tiny car with 2 other people (for a total of 5). We soon reached the terminal for our connecting flight to Pokhara and boarded the small 2x2 seater plane. Actually, I should back up, we had to take a shuttle bus out to the plane, and just as it was pulling out a little guy carrying both mine and Heather's bags jumped on. It was nice to know that our bags were going to make the flight--but the process was a bit worrisome.
Upon reaching Pokhara and heading out to the parking lot, we walked strait up to a nice roomy SUV... and then we kept on walking... out of the lot and down the street for 2 or 3 blocks. We then had lunch at Dorgees auntie's place before piling into another TINY car--again with 5 people--to Naya pul (the trail head for our trek on the Annapurna Circuit). Do to some flight delays this morning, we checked directly into our "lodge" (which might actually be less luxurious then camping...) rather than trekking for in for and 1.5 hours as originally planned--which means we will have a big day tomorrow!
I have to say, though I was very skeptical of Nepal at first (and frankly would have rather gone strait home from Bhutan), I think I am going to like it here. The terrain is gorgeous and it's got everything an outdoorsy person could want for--from river rafting, to trekking, to skydiving :) Plus you can get sweet gear for super cheep (bonus!).
I have to admit, my first thought upon arriving in Nepal was "Oh crap! We're back in the craziness". After 5 peace-filled days in Bhutan, it was a bit of an adjustment being bombarded by taxi drivers the moment we walked out of the Kathmandu airport. Luckily, we were able to find our sherpa, Dorgee, fairly quickly and he led us briskly through the crowd, into a tiny car with 2 other people (for a total of 5). We soon reached the terminal for our connecting flight to Pokhara and boarded the small 2x2 seater plane. Actually, I should back up, we had to take a shuttle bus out to the plane, and just as it was pulling out a little guy carrying both mine and Heather's bags jumped on. It was nice to know that our bags were going to make the flight--but the process was a bit worrisome.
Upon reaching Pokhara and heading out to the parking lot, we walked strait up to a nice roomy SUV... and then we kept on walking... out of the lot and down the street for 2 or 3 blocks. We then had lunch at Dorgees auntie's place before piling into another TINY car--again with 5 people--to Naya pul (the trail head for our trek on the Annapurna Circuit). Do to some flight delays this morning, we checked directly into our "lodge" (which might actually be less luxurious then camping...) rather than trekking for in for and 1.5 hours as originally planned--which means we will have a big day tomorrow!
I have to say, though I was very skeptical of Nepal at first (and frankly would have rather gone strait home from Bhutan), I think I am going to like it here. The terrain is gorgeous and it's got everything an outdoorsy person could want for--from river rafting, to trekking, to skydiving :) Plus you can get sweet gear for super cheep (bonus!).
Friday, February 18, 2011
Saving the Best for Last
Today was our final day in Bhutan and we saved the best for last--Tiger's Nest. I love a good hike and this one is quite unique. Tiger's Nest is a monastery that is built into a cliff high above Paro. The hike takes around 4 hours with an elevation gain of roughly 10,000 feet. I've been looking forward to it since we decided to add Bhutan to our itinerary. So, I made a deal with God last night in the midst of throwing up and what not. I told him I would take whatever he had to give me during the night, if he would just get me better in time for the hike this morning.
I have to say, last night was one of the longest, most miserable nights of my life, but by around 5am, I was finally starting to feel better and was able to get a couple hours of sleep. Heather tried to convince me the hike might not be a good idea (as did the hotel manager and our guide), but my deal worked out and I made the hike without any issues. And I'm so glad I did--it was awesome! I should mentioned that the hike was made a bit easier by Heather, who insisted on me resting every 200 yards or so, and by Chencho and Ugyen, who insisted on carrying all of our things and provided us with walking sticks, water, and hot herbal tea--I'm going to miss being treated like a princess all the time.
After the hike we rested for a bit, then we hit the town. Ugyen suggested that we get a feel for the night life in Bhutan and try out the local Karaoke scene tonight. I was looking forward to seeing Ugyen dance and sing (Chencho gives him rave reviews) but alas, by the time we finished dinner, neither Heather or I was feeling so great, so sadly we were not able to witness Ugyen's mad skills first hand. Perhaps next time. I hear the trekking Bhutan in the spring is beautiful...
I have to say, last night was one of the longest, most miserable nights of my life, but by around 5am, I was finally starting to feel better and was able to get a couple hours of sleep. Heather tried to convince me the hike might not be a good idea (as did the hotel manager and our guide), but my deal worked out and I made the hike without any issues. And I'm so glad I did--it was awesome! I should mentioned that the hike was made a bit easier by Heather, who insisted on me resting every 200 yards or so, and by Chencho and Ugyen, who insisted on carrying all of our things and provided us with walking sticks, water, and hot herbal tea--I'm going to miss being treated like a princess all the time.
After the hike we rested for a bit, then we hit the town. Ugyen suggested that we get a feel for the night life in Bhutan and try out the local Karaoke scene tonight. I was looking forward to seeing Ugyen dance and sing (Chencho gives him rave reviews) but alas, by the time we finished dinner, neither Heather or I was feeling so great, so sadly we were not able to witness Ugyen's mad skills first hand. Perhaps next time. I hear the trekking Bhutan in the spring is beautiful...
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sandals in ther Snow
We have been told that it only snows once or twice a year in Bhutan--apparently, today was that day. I was feeling slightly mischievous today, so I decided to wear my flip-flops (it's the little things here). The first day Heather and I arrived in Bhutan our guide, Chencho, had noticed that we were wearing flip-flops and advised us on the pros and cons of them. He gets very concerned about the details (like our feet getting cold when we take off our shoes to go in a temple). It is very considerate, but also somewhat amusing to me. I am not used to having someone look after me so closely. So, today, with snow and all, I chose flip-flops.
As usual, the moment we finished breakfast, Chencho and Ugyen (our driver), were in position ready to assist us. We had a lot of terrain to cover today as we were headed back across the mountain pass, stopping briefly back in Thimphu, and then onto our final destinations in Paro (where the airport is).
Our little car cruised at a steady, but snail-like pace up the mountain road, passing many deserted cars along the way and several people who had decided to proceed on foot. One lady waved, so Heather waved back and Chencho stifled a laugh as he politely explained that they do not wave to say hello in Bhutan, she was actually hoping to catch a ride...lol!
After what may actually have been hours, we were finally nearing the top, and wouldn't you know it, we hit a road block. Rather than sit in awkward silence (as we so often do), Chencho and Ugyen got out and started building a snowman/woman. Heather and I were quite amused at first as they added horns and other random things to their snow-person, but before long, the policeman was adding a little more detail then we cared to see in our snowmen, so we admired the road for a bit and then retired to the car to watch an episode of The Office on Heather's iPad.
Eventually we did make it over the mountain and we stopped for lunch. All Heather and I could think about as we ate was the little ice-cream store we had passed on our way in, so on our way out, Heather asked Chencho (I was too chicken) if we could go off schedule for a bit and get ice-cream. He politely appeased our request and even let me go down the street to a grocery store all by myself (this took a little convincing). I felt so free as I walk half-way down the block and into that store--it was unreal!
I should mention, we saw some cool things today, with the highlights being Paro's Museam (which is a really cool building--it used to be a watch tower), and the ruins of a fort that burnt down in the 1850s (I think?)--Chencho also tells us it is know as one of the local "Lover's Points". Awesome.
As for the flip-flops, it turned out that Heather was much more concerned about my illogical footwear than Chencho, but it still provided me with some entertainment. And I'm sure that Chencho was relieved that Heather was pointing it out so that he didn't have too. ...scratch that, I spoke too soon. I got a 10 minute lecture from Chencho at dinner about the importance of wearing the right shoes tomorrow.
Bonus feature--I'm sick again. Worse than before. So much for that rock-solid immune system I thought I had.
As usual, the moment we finished breakfast, Chencho and Ugyen (our driver), were in position ready to assist us. We had a lot of terrain to cover today as we were headed back across the mountain pass, stopping briefly back in Thimphu, and then onto our final destinations in Paro (where the airport is).
Our little car cruised at a steady, but snail-like pace up the mountain road, passing many deserted cars along the way and several people who had decided to proceed on foot. One lady waved, so Heather waved back and Chencho stifled a laugh as he politely explained that they do not wave to say hello in Bhutan, she was actually hoping to catch a ride...lol!
After what may actually have been hours, we were finally nearing the top, and wouldn't you know it, we hit a road block. Rather than sit in awkward silence (as we so often do), Chencho and Ugyen got out and started building a snowman/woman. Heather and I were quite amused at first as they added horns and other random things to their snow-person, but before long, the policeman was adding a little more detail then we cared to see in our snowmen, so we admired the road for a bit and then retired to the car to watch an episode of The Office on Heather's iPad.
Eventually we did make it over the mountain and we stopped for lunch. All Heather and I could think about as we ate was the little ice-cream store we had passed on our way in, so on our way out, Heather asked Chencho (I was too chicken) if we could go off schedule for a bit and get ice-cream. He politely appeased our request and even let me go down the street to a grocery store all by myself (this took a little convincing). I felt so free as I walk half-way down the block and into that store--it was unreal!
I should mention, we saw some cool things today, with the highlights being Paro's Museam (which is a really cool building--it used to be a watch tower), and the ruins of a fort that burnt down in the 1850s (I think?)--Chencho also tells us it is know as one of the local "Lover's Points". Awesome.
As for the flip-flops, it turned out that Heather was much more concerned about my illogical footwear than Chencho, but it still provided me with some entertainment. And I'm sure that Chencho was relieved that Heather was pointing it out so that he didn't have too. ...scratch that, I spoke too soon. I got a 10 minute lecture from Chencho at dinner about the importance of wearing the right shoes tomorrow.
Bonus feature--I'm sick again. Worse than before. So much for that rock-solid immune system I thought I had.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Nunneries and Fertility Sticks
We followed the usual course today... lots of long drives on bumpy roads, visited some temples and stupas, were further indoctrinated in Buddhism, got kicked out of our hotel room by the Prime Minister.
Okay, we didn't exactly get kicked out of our hotel room. Apparently, the Prime Minister is staying at the hotel we had booked for tonight and our guide thought it might be to "rowdy" for us. Heather questioned him on this saying, "Is your Prime Minister very rowdy?". She was kidding, but he took it very seriously, which made it even funnier. He got very concerned by this question and quickly came to the defense of the Prime Minister, letting us know that he is not rowdy, but all of his follower can create some commotion. The short of it is, we got ousted to a little bungalow in the "jungle". No worries though--our jungle bungalow is still quite nice and has a charming little balcony (although, not quite as charming in the rain).
I think my favorite moment from today was when we visited the "Temple of the Divine Madman" (aka "the Temple of Fertility"). It is a Buddhist school so there were lots of little Monks running around (so cute). When we entered the temple there, they were just starting a ceremony so we were able to hear some of their ceremonial music--Heather loved it ;)-- and then we were blessed with the "Fertility Stick"...only when they blessed Heather it was more of a WACK....lol...it's always Heather. We tried to contain our laughter, but once we got back on the road we couldn't contain it anymore and by the time we arrived at the Nunnery we were both in tears.
The Nunnery was interesting because it was similar to the Monasteries, only much better kept--the touch of a woman perhaps. I actually didn't know that their were Buddhist Nuns before arriving in Bhutan. I think I may have mistaken them for monks since they also shave their heads and obviously they do not wear jewelry or makeup. Glad we got that cleared up.
I have to mention that we have a lot of awkward moments with our guide throughout the course of a day--he is so attentive that sometimes we're not sure quite what to do with him. Also, he is very polite. Earlier in the day, Heather asked him what the normal age was for people to marry in Bhutan and where boys and girls meet. He kindly answered her question and even joked around with us about it. Then a few hours later he said (in a very hesitant voice) that he had a very personal question for us and he hoped we wouldn't mind him asking, but "what is the average age for people in your country to marry?". Perhaps we should be a little less blunt with our questions...
Okay, we didn't exactly get kicked out of our hotel room. Apparently, the Prime Minister is staying at the hotel we had booked for tonight and our guide thought it might be to "rowdy" for us. Heather questioned him on this saying, "Is your Prime Minister very rowdy?". She was kidding, but he took it very seriously, which made it even funnier. He got very concerned by this question and quickly came to the defense of the Prime Minister, letting us know that he is not rowdy, but all of his follower can create some commotion. The short of it is, we got ousted to a little bungalow in the "jungle". No worries though--our jungle bungalow is still quite nice and has a charming little balcony (although, not quite as charming in the rain).
I think my favorite moment from today was when we visited the "Temple of the Divine Madman" (aka "the Temple of Fertility"). It is a Buddhist school so there were lots of little Monks running around (so cute). When we entered the temple there, they were just starting a ceremony so we were able to hear some of their ceremonial music--Heather loved it ;)-- and then we were blessed with the "Fertility Stick"...only when they blessed Heather it was more of a WACK....lol...it's always Heather. We tried to contain our laughter, but once we got back on the road we couldn't contain it anymore and by the time we arrived at the Nunnery we were both in tears.
The Nunnery was interesting because it was similar to the Monasteries, only much better kept--the touch of a woman perhaps. I actually didn't know that their were Buddhist Nuns before arriving in Bhutan. I think I may have mistaken them for monks since they also shave their heads and obviously they do not wear jewelry or makeup. Glad we got that cleared up.
I have to mention that we have a lot of awkward moments with our guide throughout the course of a day--he is so attentive that sometimes we're not sure quite what to do with him. Also, he is very polite. Earlier in the day, Heather asked him what the normal age was for people to marry in Bhutan and where boys and girls meet. He kindly answered her question and even joked around with us about it. Then a few hours later he said (in a very hesitant voice) that he had a very personal question for us and he hoped we wouldn't mind him asking, but "what is the average age for people in your country to marry?". Perhaps we should be a little less blunt with our questions...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Simple Life
Today started with a long drive on rough winding road--we were leaving Thimphu and heading to Phobjikha valley. Heather and I both attempted sleeping, but it was not very effective as we bounced from side to side in the car. I also tried reading, but again, difficult. It was a nice drive though and we stopped along the way a few times to visit a Dzongs (forts-which usually have courtyards and temples within them), Stupas, and Temples.
I was a little disappointed that we weren't able to visit Bhutan during one of it's big festivals; however, we got lucky and were able to stop by a smaller festival along our way. It was in a huge Dzong with an awesome bridge out front--again it seemed like something out of a fairytale. I felt very underdressed in my jeans and jacket as we crossed the bridge going to the fort and our guide pointed out that everyone was wearing their finest clothes (guys where longish robes called "gho" tied around the waist by a belt called "kera" and the women wear ankle-length dresses known as "kira"--which are made of bright colored fine woven fabric with traditional patterns).
Once inside the fort we entered the courtyard where traditional dances where being performed by monks in bright costumes with scary (in my opinion) masks. We stood out a bit in our street clothes--not to mention the white skin and blonde hair (although I did see one Bhutanese girl with blonde hair). Bhutanese people seem much more reserved than people in India were though. No one really paid any special attention to us--with the exception of the court gesture who jumped in front of Heather and was blocking her path dancing and waving his hands about waiting for her to make a donation. Our guide had to run interference on our behalf and break the news that we had left our money in the car before he would leave. I thought it was pretty funny--but I don't think Heather was as amused.
Once we arrived at our hotel we had a few minutes to chill (and it was cold) before our hot stone bath was ready. Originally we were going to stay at a little farm house without hot water and a shared bathroom, but sadly, the pipes had frozen, so we were forced to stay at the luxurious slightly more western styled lodge up the road. It was a gorgeous place and provided me with some great inspiration for my own lodge (which I plan to open at some point down the road).
We were a little skeptical about what a hot stone bath entailed, but it was pretty rad. Apparently most villages have one or two of these that are shared by the community, but there are tubes kind of out in the open. Fortunately, ours was inside a little shack with a 2' x 1' opening just in front of the tube which is used to place the hot stones from the fire into one part of the tub (they cover the opening by leaning a board against it while you are actually in the tub). The tub itself is just big enough for one person and it is devised into two parts by a piece of wood with holes in it. So what they do is fill up the tub with water, and then put the hot stones in the smaller section of the tub. Then they use a bucket to pull the water from the main section of the tub and dump it into the hot stone section to heat up the water. A man stands outside at the fire so if you want more stones they can slip them in through the little opening (Heather and I decided we were fine without adding stones mid-bath).
When we returned to our rooms after a hot bath and dinner, a fire had been lit in the "oven" (wood burning stove) in our room and a hot water bottle had been placed under the MANY blankets in our beds to warm it up... I could get used to this.
I was a little disappointed that we weren't able to visit Bhutan during one of it's big festivals; however, we got lucky and were able to stop by a smaller festival along our way. It was in a huge Dzong with an awesome bridge out front--again it seemed like something out of a fairytale. I felt very underdressed in my jeans and jacket as we crossed the bridge going to the fort and our guide pointed out that everyone was wearing their finest clothes (guys where longish robes called "gho" tied around the waist by a belt called "kera" and the women wear ankle-length dresses known as "kira"--which are made of bright colored fine woven fabric with traditional patterns).
Once inside the fort we entered the courtyard where traditional dances where being performed by monks in bright costumes with scary (in my opinion) masks. We stood out a bit in our street clothes--not to mention the white skin and blonde hair (although I did see one Bhutanese girl with blonde hair). Bhutanese people seem much more reserved than people in India were though. No one really paid any special attention to us--with the exception of the court gesture who jumped in front of Heather and was blocking her path dancing and waving his hands about waiting for her to make a donation. Our guide had to run interference on our behalf and break the news that we had left our money in the car before he would leave. I thought it was pretty funny--but I don't think Heather was as amused.
Once we arrived at our hotel we had a few minutes to chill (and it was cold) before our hot stone bath was ready. Originally we were going to stay at a little farm house without hot water and a shared bathroom, but sadly, the pipes had frozen, so we were forced to stay at the luxurious slightly more western styled lodge up the road. It was a gorgeous place and provided me with some great inspiration for my own lodge (which I plan to open at some point down the road).
We were a little skeptical about what a hot stone bath entailed, but it was pretty rad. Apparently most villages have one or two of these that are shared by the community, but there are tubes kind of out in the open. Fortunately, ours was inside a little shack with a 2' x 1' opening just in front of the tube which is used to place the hot stones from the fire into one part of the tub (they cover the opening by leaning a board against it while you are actually in the tub). The tub itself is just big enough for one person and it is devised into two parts by a piece of wood with holes in it. So what they do is fill up the tub with water, and then put the hot stones in the smaller section of the tub. Then they use a bucket to pull the water from the main section of the tub and dump it into the hot stone section to heat up the water. A man stands outside at the fire so if you want more stones they can slip them in through the little opening (Heather and I decided we were fine without adding stones mid-bath).
When we returned to our rooms after a hot bath and dinner, a fire had been lit in the "oven" (wood burning stove) in our room and a hot water bottle had been placed under the MANY blankets in our beds to warm it up... I could get used to this.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentines in Bhutan
Our 3:30am wake up call came way too early this morning, but despite the early start, it has been a pretty great day for many reasons.
1. Our hotel not only gave us a wake up call at 3:30 to ensure that we made our flight, but they also brought us fruit salads for breakfast and hauled our huge bags downstairs for us.
2. The new airport in Delhi is sweet! It has nice bathrooms and it's like a little mall that is open 24 hours a day :) There are not too many places where you can buy chocolate, souvenirs, smoothies, and/or ice cream at 5am.
3. Drukair has even better service/flight attendants than Emirates and more comfortable seats--no movies or star lit ceilings, but still, pretty nice.
4. Bhutan is awesome!
5. Our tour guides are not only the nicest Bhutanese guys I've ever met (...not that they have a lot of competition), but they also laughed at all my jokes--whether they understand them or not I think ;)
6. The king here is 30 years old and single. I could live here...
Bhutan is a magical piece of history brought to life. It's like opening a book and stepping inside. I couldn't believe the breathtaking views of the mountains as we flew in, and then it was even cooler once I saw the cliff side dwelling and unique style of architecture. I was saddened to see that the mountains did show signs of forest fires and that the air still had a bit of smoke in it, but still, the tranquility of this place is hard to match.
We drove to Thimphu today and saw lots of cool things...Temples, a sweet Fort, a Stupa, The Kings house (we didn't exactly get invited in for a tour... but we admired it from afar), craft shops (weaving, painting, carving, and paper making are a few of the local specialties), and amazing views of the city. However, my favorite part was the new animal I met--a Takin. Naturally, I instantly fell in love with the deer/mule/moose-like creature and wanted to take a few home with me... but I settled for a picture. Before my brothers get any big ideas, I should mention that these animals are considered sacred to the Buddhist people; therefore, it is highly unlikely that they would let you hunt them.
To top off the day, Heather and I even land ourselves a romantic Valentines dinner-date at our awesome guest house/restaurant (the Yeedzin Guest House where, apparently, Prince Charles himself has been a guest). Actually... I might have exaggerated a bit on the "romantic" part of our dinner-date, but we did have a lovely dinner with our fabulous tour guide and our "jolly" (meaning funny, not fat) driver who met us outside of the restaurant, helped us with our chairs, insisted that we dish up first (even dishing up some of it for us), helped us with our coats, paid for dinner, and have already planned how they would like to spend the rest of the week with us in Bhutan--what more could a girl want?
The architecture is awesome, the culture is rich, the beliefs are fascinating, the company is excellent, and the guest house is charming. Not a bad way to spend Valentines Day :)
1. Our hotel not only gave us a wake up call at 3:30 to ensure that we made our flight, but they also brought us fruit salads for breakfast and hauled our huge bags downstairs for us.
2. The new airport in Delhi is sweet! It has nice bathrooms and it's like a little mall that is open 24 hours a day :) There are not too many places where you can buy chocolate, souvenirs, smoothies, and/or ice cream at 5am.
3. Drukair has even better service/flight attendants than Emirates and more comfortable seats--no movies or star lit ceilings, but still, pretty nice.
4. Bhutan is awesome!
5. Our tour guides are not only the nicest Bhutanese guys I've ever met (...not that they have a lot of competition), but they also laughed at all my jokes--whether they understand them or not I think ;)
6. The king here is 30 years old and single. I could live here...
Bhutan is a magical piece of history brought to life. It's like opening a book and stepping inside. I couldn't believe the breathtaking views of the mountains as we flew in, and then it was even cooler once I saw the cliff side dwelling and unique style of architecture. I was saddened to see that the mountains did show signs of forest fires and that the air still had a bit of smoke in it, but still, the tranquility of this place is hard to match.
We drove to Thimphu today and saw lots of cool things...Temples, a sweet Fort, a Stupa, The Kings house (we didn't exactly get invited in for a tour... but we admired it from afar), craft shops (weaving, painting, carving, and paper making are a few of the local specialties), and amazing views of the city. However, my favorite part was the new animal I met--a Takin. Naturally, I instantly fell in love with the deer/mule/moose-like creature and wanted to take a few home with me... but I settled for a picture. Before my brothers get any big ideas, I should mention that these animals are considered sacred to the Buddhist people; therefore, it is highly unlikely that they would let you hunt them.
To top off the day, Heather and I even land ourselves a romantic Valentines dinner-date at our awesome guest house/restaurant (the Yeedzin Guest House where, apparently, Prince Charles himself has been a guest). Actually... I might have exaggerated a bit on the "romantic" part of our dinner-date, but we did have a lovely dinner with our fabulous tour guide and our "jolly" (meaning funny, not fat) driver who met us outside of the restaurant, helped us with our chairs, insisted that we dish up first (even dishing up some of it for us), helped us with our coats, paid for dinner, and have already planned how they would like to spend the rest of the week with us in Bhutan--what more could a girl want?
The architecture is awesome, the culture is rich, the beliefs are fascinating, the company is excellent, and the guest house is charming. Not a bad way to spend Valentines Day :)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Sleeper/Sleepless Train to Agra... Home of the Taj Mahal
Finding our train last night was an experience in and of itself. After phoning to confirm that our train was on time, our guide speedily weaved us through the throngs of people, up and down flights of stairs, with our huge backpacking packs and the rest of our gear, only to find out that our train was delayed, but expected very soon. After 30-45 minutes of waiting a British guy came up to us and asked if we were Heather and Jennifer (apparently our names and faces stood out from the crowd). He had seen our names on the passenger board and informed us that we were in the same car, but he wasn't sure where or when the train was coming and was afraid he might have missed it. Long story short we ended up having to rush to another platform than wait for another half hour before our train actually arrived, but thanks to our British friend and our guide we did make the train.
I figured our sleeper car tickets would be for a private car that Heather and I would share; however I found out just before we boarded that it was going to be 6 beds, not two, to a room. Then, when we actually boarded, it turned out that they weren't really even rooms, just sections. The only thing private about it was a little curtain that went from one side of my bed to the other--it was like sleeping in a little hut (with your bags taking up half the space). Not only that, but Heather and I had beds basically in the walkway right next to the door to our car, so at each stop throughout the night people would be banging open the door and brushing up against my bed. Occasionally they would even whip open the curtain for my bed--great fun! The best part of the night was when I finally had managed to fall into a deep sleep and then someone fell right on me nearly knocking the breath out of me--it was Heather. She slipped trying to climb into her Bunk. Lol.
We finally made it to Agra about 2.5 hours later than planned. Luckily our British friends were on top of the delays and kept us posted so we knew when to get off. And really, I shouldn't complain about the train, at least we were able to lay down. I can't imagine if we had gone with the lower class seats without beds!
Heather and I were feeling pretty grunged out by the time we met up with our Agra guides, but we passed on their offer to give us time to freshen up at a hotel (hence our beautiful Taj pics) since we were already 2.5 hours behind schedule on our one day in Agra. I have to say, our guide had a difficult task to try to get us to enjoy our final day in India after our rough night on the train, but he did a great job! He had us laughing and taking all those stupid touristy pictures in no time.
The Taj Mahal surpassed my expectations! I knew it would be beautiful, but I had no idea that it was such an architectural master piece! We learned that the Architect and most of the builders were Turkish--there were also a lot of Persians involved. In total it took about 20,000 people about 20 years to complete this mausoleum that the king built for his deceased wife. Apparently, he cared far more for her than his other two wives. Our guide suggested that we request a similar token of love from our boys in the states for Valentines Day--I suppose I would be okay with that rather than the usual chocolates and flowers.
Moving on... The "Baby Taj" and other sight we saw in Agra were also really cool, but my other great love in Agra was the "Red Fort"--which met my expectations of what a castle/palace should be. It's beautifully built, has great views, jeweled walls, a mote (just need to add water and the crocodiles). I'm thinking about moving in...
After cruising around Agra all day we headed up to Delhi to spend the night. We had planned to go to bed early since we had to wake up at 3:30am the next morning for our flight to Bhutan, but an amazing dinner at the "Punjabe by Nature" restaurant and free Internet access at the hotel kept us up a bit later than planned and we only ended up getting a few short hours of sleep... Vacations can be sooo exhausting!
I figured our sleeper car tickets would be for a private car that Heather and I would share; however I found out just before we boarded that it was going to be 6 beds, not two, to a room. Then, when we actually boarded, it turned out that they weren't really even rooms, just sections. The only thing private about it was a little curtain that went from one side of my bed to the other--it was like sleeping in a little hut (with your bags taking up half the space). Not only that, but Heather and I had beds basically in the walkway right next to the door to our car, so at each stop throughout the night people would be banging open the door and brushing up against my bed. Occasionally they would even whip open the curtain for my bed--great fun! The best part of the night was when I finally had managed to fall into a deep sleep and then someone fell right on me nearly knocking the breath out of me--it was Heather. She slipped trying to climb into her Bunk. Lol.
We finally made it to Agra about 2.5 hours later than planned. Luckily our British friends were on top of the delays and kept us posted so we knew when to get off. And really, I shouldn't complain about the train, at least we were able to lay down. I can't imagine if we had gone with the lower class seats without beds!
Heather and I were feeling pretty grunged out by the time we met up with our Agra guides, but we passed on their offer to give us time to freshen up at a hotel (hence our beautiful Taj pics) since we were already 2.5 hours behind schedule on our one day in Agra. I have to say, our guide had a difficult task to try to get us to enjoy our final day in India after our rough night on the train, but he did a great job! He had us laughing and taking all those stupid touristy pictures in no time.
The Taj Mahal surpassed my expectations! I knew it would be beautiful, but I had no idea that it was such an architectural master piece! We learned that the Architect and most of the builders were Turkish--there were also a lot of Persians involved. In total it took about 20,000 people about 20 years to complete this mausoleum that the king built for his deceased wife. Apparently, he cared far more for her than his other two wives. Our guide suggested that we request a similar token of love from our boys in the states for Valentines Day--I suppose I would be okay with that rather than the usual chocolates and flowers.
Moving on... The "Baby Taj" and other sight we saw in Agra were also really cool, but my other great love in Agra was the "Red Fort"--which met my expectations of what a castle/palace should be. It's beautifully built, has great views, jeweled walls, a mote (just need to add water and the crocodiles). I'm thinking about moving in...
After cruising around Agra all day we headed up to Delhi to spend the night. We had planned to go to bed early since we had to wake up at 3:30am the next morning for our flight to Bhutan, but an amazing dinner at the "Punjabe by Nature" restaurant and free Internet access at the hotel kept us up a bit later than planned and we only ended up getting a few short hours of sleep... Vacations can be sooo exhausting!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Sensory Overload
Today has been a pretty intense day. Varanasi is an amazing city and I would highly recommend taking the time to experience it first hand if you ever find yourself in India, but I've been pretty sick and we covered a lot of ground today, so I've been experiencing some serious sensory overload.
We started off with a 6am sunrise boat tour of the Ganges (a sacred/healing river in Varanasi). Here, we saw an breathtaking view of the city, a beautiful sunrise on the water, people bathing in the sacred waters (most clothed, others... not so much), men washing sheets (Heather was pleased to see that it was men rather than women), and two cremation areas--one at the north end of the city and the other at the south end. One of the main reasons people come to Varanasi is to have their loved ones cremated and the ashes put into the Ganges. Hindu's believe in reincarnation, but they also believe that by laying a body to rest in this way (in the Ganges) their soul will finally be at peace with the Gods and therefore will not need to be reincarnated (for all my Hindu friends--please correct me if I have this wrong!). Seeing the city and Ganges from the boat was really cool, but with the "bumper car" like maneuvering and an upset stomach, I was quite relieved when we finally docked.
However, the next portion of the tour included walking around the cremation area at the south end of the city and up through the winding streets (where cows often left surprises in the road for you). Again, my stomach was on the rocks! Luckily, we got to sit briefly inside a shop after a quick glimpse at the Golden Temple (I think that little break saved me!). After our walking tour of the city, we went back to the hotel for breakfast. Naturally, I wasn't really in the mood to eat, but I was extremely relieved to have made it through the morning without throwing up and felt much better after a hot shower. We had time to rest for a bit as well (thank goodness!), and then it was back to the city.
The second half of the day was much easier to handle. We went to a Buddhist Museum and ruins (both were really well kept and a night change from the craziness of the streets). Our next destination was a silk factory, but on the way there we got stuck in an ally way because a fight had broken out just in front of us. A few men chased down one man, knocked him to the ground and were stomping on him and kicking him. Heather and I were pretty shocked by the scene and immediately locked our doors. Our guide reacted a bit differently--he rolled down his window to ask one of the bystanders what was going on and then chuckled a bit as he rolled up his window. As we drove past our guide explained that the man was trying to steal something from the shop. I suppose he considered this justice, but Heather and I were still a little disturbed by the it.
Luckily, the silk shop was a much better experience and pulled us out of our melancholy moods. I fell in love with one of the extravagant silk saris and some of the silk fabric, but my practical side won out and I settled for some scarfs. By the time we stopped for lunch (around 2)--I was still a bit sick, but feeling much better.
I have to back track momentarily to tell you the best thing that happened to me today--Early (like 3am ish) this morning I was in and out of consciousness because of my stomach and I had a light bulb moment and realized that I was actually prepared for "Delhi-Belly"--I had a prescription (Cipro--a must for first time India travelers) to handle just that! Usually I am pretty anti-drugs of any type... but the reminder of the pills kept coming back to me. So, finally, just before our sunrise boat ride, I gave in and started the doses (2 pills a day for 3 days). I was amazed to find out that I was about 90% cured by the time we boarded our train that afternoon for Agra (only two pills in)! And thank goodness for that because the bathrooms on the sleeper train that night were not so great (to say the least)!
More about the train ride to come... must sleep....
We started off with a 6am sunrise boat tour of the Ganges (a sacred/healing river in Varanasi). Here, we saw an breathtaking view of the city, a beautiful sunrise on the water, people bathing in the sacred waters (most clothed, others... not so much), men washing sheets (Heather was pleased to see that it was men rather than women), and two cremation areas--one at the north end of the city and the other at the south end. One of the main reasons people come to Varanasi is to have their loved ones cremated and the ashes put into the Ganges. Hindu's believe in reincarnation, but they also believe that by laying a body to rest in this way (in the Ganges) their soul will finally be at peace with the Gods and therefore will not need to be reincarnated (for all my Hindu friends--please correct me if I have this wrong!). Seeing the city and Ganges from the boat was really cool, but with the "bumper car" like maneuvering and an upset stomach, I was quite relieved when we finally docked.
However, the next portion of the tour included walking around the cremation area at the south end of the city and up through the winding streets (where cows often left surprises in the road for you). Again, my stomach was on the rocks! Luckily, we got to sit briefly inside a shop after a quick glimpse at the Golden Temple (I think that little break saved me!). After our walking tour of the city, we went back to the hotel for breakfast. Naturally, I wasn't really in the mood to eat, but I was extremely relieved to have made it through the morning without throwing up and felt much better after a hot shower. We had time to rest for a bit as well (thank goodness!), and then it was back to the city.
The second half of the day was much easier to handle. We went to a Buddhist Museum and ruins (both were really well kept and a night change from the craziness of the streets). Our next destination was a silk factory, but on the way there we got stuck in an ally way because a fight had broken out just in front of us. A few men chased down one man, knocked him to the ground and were stomping on him and kicking him. Heather and I were pretty shocked by the scene and immediately locked our doors. Our guide reacted a bit differently--he rolled down his window to ask one of the bystanders what was going on and then chuckled a bit as he rolled up his window. As we drove past our guide explained that the man was trying to steal something from the shop. I suppose he considered this justice, but Heather and I were still a little disturbed by the it.
Luckily, the silk shop was a much better experience and pulled us out of our melancholy moods. I fell in love with one of the extravagant silk saris and some of the silk fabric, but my practical side won out and I settled for some scarfs. By the time we stopped for lunch (around 2)--I was still a bit sick, but feeling much better.
I have to back track momentarily to tell you the best thing that happened to me today--Early (like 3am ish) this morning I was in and out of consciousness because of my stomach and I had a light bulb moment and realized that I was actually prepared for "Delhi-Belly"--I had a prescription (Cipro--a must for first time India travelers) to handle just that! Usually I am pretty anti-drugs of any type... but the reminder of the pills kept coming back to me. So, finally, just before our sunrise boat ride, I gave in and started the doses (2 pills a day for 3 days). I was amazed to find out that I was about 90% cured by the time we boarded our train that afternoon for Agra (only two pills in)! And thank goodness for that because the bathrooms on the sleeper train that night were not so great (to say the least)!
More about the train ride to come... must sleep....
Friday, February 11, 2011
Welcome to Varanasi
Today we left Chennai and flew to Varanasi. Despite our comfortable beds, I couldn't sleep last night and 4am came much too soon! Also, it seems that the smoggy city air does not agree with my throat and my stomach has finally succumbed to Delhi Belly. Not good... I was actually kind of jealous that Heather was sick while we were at Rising Star, because I figured it was inevitable and, if your going to be sick, it's nice to have the option to lay low for a day or two.
Varanasi is an amazing city. I was pleasantly surprised that the busyness of the city was not too overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it is a LOT to take in with the overcrowded streets, bright colors everywhere, monkeys scampering across roof tops, cows wondering through the streets and into the shops, and incense feeling the air... but we felt pretty safe with our guide and were able to appreciate the unique vibe that is Varanasi.
We went to a ceremony that blesses the Ganghes tonight. Too be honest, I was a bit distracted by my churning stomach (scared to leave the hotel and what I might face should an emergency situation arise), but it was an awesome sight to behold. I thought that all the pictures I had seen might be extreme examples, but they were right on--only they don't capture how it all comes together with the parades of people carrying their Gods to the Ganges, the music, the smoke in the air, and the candles lighting the water. I'm not sure how to capture it in words, but I'm sure you can get a better feel once we post the pictures.
Varanasi has indeed surpassed my expectations so far--hopefully my stomach does not stop me from taking it in fully.
Varanasi is an amazing city. I was pleasantly surprised that the busyness of the city was not too overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it is a LOT to take in with the overcrowded streets, bright colors everywhere, monkeys scampering across roof tops, cows wondering through the streets and into the shops, and incense feeling the air... but we felt pretty safe with our guide and were able to appreciate the unique vibe that is Varanasi.
We went to a ceremony that blesses the Ganghes tonight. Too be honest, I was a bit distracted by my churning stomach (scared to leave the hotel and what I might face should an emergency situation arise), but it was an awesome sight to behold. I thought that all the pictures I had seen might be extreme examples, but they were right on--only they don't capture how it all comes together with the parades of people carrying their Gods to the Ganges, the music, the smoke in the air, and the candles lighting the water. I'm not sure how to capture it in words, but I'm sure you can get a better feel once we post the pictures.
Varanasi has indeed surpassed my expectations so far--hopefully my stomach does not stop me from taking it in fully.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Bitter-Sweet Farewell
We left Rising Star this morning with mixed emotions. It was hard to say good-bye to the adorable children and the wonderful volunteers and staff there, but the fact that we are continuing on our journey (and may go back someday) makes it a bit easier to go.
I made a goal a couple weeks ago to eat at least one meal with my hands with the children. I had hoped to take that on yesterday, but that plan kind of fell through. It ended up being a blessing in disguise though. All of you who know we well understand how much it kills me not to follow through on a dare/goal once I have committed to it, so this goal of mine was just the motivation I needed to get up early and have one last meal with the kids before we headed out. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our stay for me. They laughed at me as I attempted to follow their lead, using my hands instead of a fork for this final meal (apparently, my technique could use some work!). Good times though. I love those kids and it was so great to have that last bit of quality time with them. I will take these sweet memories with me as we continue on our journey.
It was sad to part with the other volunteers today as well! However, our sadness was eased by chocolate, a "Jughead" (the most amazing milkshake ever made--if only I know their secrets!), some real food, and last but definitely not least, a hotel room with all the perks. I've never been so happy to stay at a Courtyard Marriott before in my life! Not only did we have a clean comfortable bed, hot showers and western toilets waiting for us, but we also have access to an executive lounge with plenty of food, bottled water (essential here), and Internet access. We are on cloud nine...too bad we have to leave at 5am tomorrow :(
Bitter-Sweet day indeed!
I made a goal a couple weeks ago to eat at least one meal with my hands with the children. I had hoped to take that on yesterday, but that plan kind of fell through. It ended up being a blessing in disguise though. All of you who know we well understand how much it kills me not to follow through on a dare/goal once I have committed to it, so this goal of mine was just the motivation I needed to get up early and have one last meal with the kids before we headed out. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our stay for me. They laughed at me as I attempted to follow their lead, using my hands instead of a fork for this final meal (apparently, my technique could use some work!). Good times though. I love those kids and it was so great to have that last bit of quality time with them. I will take these sweet memories with me as we continue on our journey.
It was sad to part with the other volunteers today as well! However, our sadness was eased by chocolate, a "Jughead" (the most amazing milkshake ever made--if only I know their secrets!), some real food, and last but definitely not least, a hotel room with all the perks. I've never been so happy to stay at a Courtyard Marriott before in my life! Not only did we have a clean comfortable bed, hot showers and western toilets waiting for us, but we also have access to an executive lounge with plenty of food, bottled water (essential here), and Internet access. We are on cloud nine...too bad we have to leave at 5am tomorrow :(
Bitter-Sweet day indeed!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Day of Unanswerable Questions...
"When will you return?", "Do you like India or America better?", "Why aren't you married?", "Will you come back when you are married?", "Will you bring your family back?", "Why are you leaving?", "Do babies come from your stomach--how do they get there?", "Will I see you again?"...
That's right, I got asked every single one of these questions today. Most by children (how do you answer these questions when they are asked by darling innocent little children?), some by staff. Some of them many times, others only once (thank goodness!). If only I had perfected the head bobble--that would be the best answer! As it were, I just deflected half of them--I handed off the baby question to Heather ;) --and answered as best I could for the rest.
Whether I will return to Rising Star in person is hard to say for sure, but I have a feeling I will stay connected to this program and these people for years to come.
People I will miss: the kids of course (especially Sagayum, Mariyambee, Amirthama and many others!), the Hendershots family and all of the volunteers and staff I had the privilege of working with (I got the sweetest note from my favorite house mother--Rajee-Kumari--love her!), and the amazing people I met and worked with in the colonies.
Things I will not miss: red rice (for every meal), bucket showers, squatting toilets, thin twin sized mattresses (actually--I may miss this as we continue on our journey through Asia...), and worrying about the possibility of getting lice or pink-eye.
Farewell Rising Star--I'll be in touch!
That's right, I got asked every single one of these questions today. Most by children (how do you answer these questions when they are asked by darling innocent little children?), some by staff. Some of them many times, others only once (thank goodness!). If only I had perfected the head bobble--that would be the best answer! As it were, I just deflected half of them--I handed off the baby question to Heather ;) --and answered as best I could for the rest.
Whether I will return to Rising Star in person is hard to say for sure, but I have a feeling I will stay connected to this program and these people for years to come.
People I will miss: the kids of course (especially Sagayum, Mariyambee, Amirthama and many others!), the Hendershots family and all of the volunteers and staff I had the privilege of working with (I got the sweetest note from my favorite house mother--Rajee-Kumari--love her!), and the amazing people I met and worked with in the colonies.
Things I will not miss: red rice (for every meal), bucket showers, squatting toilets, thin twin sized mattresses (actually--I may miss this as we continue on our journey through Asia...), and worrying about the possibility of getting lice or pink-eye.
Farewell Rising Star--I'll be in touch!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Adorable Little Monsters
One of the 1st grade teacher is going to be out for the entire week, so yesterday Heather and I substituted from 9am-12pm. I think that may have been three of the longest hours of our lives. Have you seen Kindergarten Cop? We reenacted it. It was especially infuriating because these kids are angels for their regular teacher and when any one of the other teachers stepped in to see what was going on (I'm afraid we may have been disrupting the entire school) they would quite right down.
Needless to say, we were fired from our substituting gig and went back to our usual work around the school today. It is a blow to the ego, but I think everyone involved is better off. Heather and I were about to run for the hills yesterday!
Today, after having a little distance and getting back to our usual routines we were able to appreciate the children much more. We spent a couple hours with them at play time and I even went back over for story time. They were so cute--even as they were sneezing on me and decorating my hair with sticks and flowers ;)
Take away point for today--you need to fully understand a situation before you try to fix it. Over the past few weeks Heather and I have sat in on several classes and offered our recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of the teachers, but perhaps we underestimated (make that grossly underestimated) how far they had already come with the children.
There are lots of things like that... Many issues here seem fairly strait forward and easy to handle, but without fully understanding the culture and how things work, it's nearly impossible to make a lasting change for the better. Lesson learned the hard way.
Needless to say, we were fired from our substituting gig and went back to our usual work around the school today. It is a blow to the ego, but I think everyone involved is better off. Heather and I were about to run for the hills yesterday!
Today, after having a little distance and getting back to our usual routines we were able to appreciate the children much more. We spent a couple hours with them at play time and I even went back over for story time. They were so cute--even as they were sneezing on me and decorating my hair with sticks and flowers ;)
Take away point for today--you need to fully understand a situation before you try to fix it. Over the past few weeks Heather and I have sat in on several classes and offered our recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of the teachers, but perhaps we underestimated (make that grossly underestimated) how far they had already come with the children.
There are lots of things like that... Many issues here seem fairly strait forward and easy to handle, but without fully understanding the culture and how things work, it's nearly impossible to make a lasting change for the better. Lesson learned the hard way.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
How to Make a Differrence?
This Sunday was "Fast Sunday" which means that we skip two meals (generally going without food or water for about 24 hours) and we donate the money we would have spent on food to those in need. We open our fast with a prayer for guidance, strength, or help (either for ourselves or for others who are in need) in regards to a specific question or issue. I would say it's a form of meditation. Prayer and fasting help us become more receptive to the influence of the Lord. Through prayer and fasting we learn to shut out the things of the world and focus our attention on the things of the spirit (or things of God). My fast today was focused on how I can better utilize my talents to serve others. I don't mean to do a deep dive into my religion with all of this, but I hope my explanation helps everyone understand where I am coming from... and for all of you who are Christian and/or have access to a bible, I'll reference Matthew 25:15-30.
I've been thinking a lot today about how much I take for granted--even here at Rising Star. Heather and I have our moments of complaining about the lack of food, cold bucket showers, or the "toilets", but we are still living pretty well out here. We have air conditioned living quarters, a cleaning lady that does our laundry, drivers, drinkable water, mattresses... Luxuries that the most of the people in the colonies live without. The first week we were here I kept expecting the cleaning ladies to wash my sheets and make my bed for me--perhaps I have gotten a bit too used to hotel living. It's frustrating to me that I have come all the way to India, I am surrounded by so many in need, and I still have to remind myself regularly that I am here to serve. It's easy to just check off the days until we move on to our next destination, but it takes focus to really make the most of our time, to leverage all of our talents, and to make the difference we are capable of making.
Lesson for the day, never let daily life become a checklist. Each day is filled with so many opportunities to make a difference in the world--sometimes it may be as easy as smiling and saying hello to someone that is lonely or having a rough time, other days it may require more. For example, I think of Heidi Hyte (a fellow volunteer). She works for a company that helps people learn English using simple, yet effective, computer programs and has been able to implement these programs at Rising Star. The teachers here love the program and spend hours on the computers every week working to improve their English. This in turn trickles down to the children who will now have more effective teachers. Another example is Wendy from "Pearls with a Purpose". By sharing her unique skill set and business knowledge with Rising Star, she has enabled Rising Star to start a new micro business in the colonies which will dramatically improve the quality of life for many families.
I'm still trying to figure out how I can better leverage my own skills and background to make a difference here, but perhaps the small gestures (the smiles and hugs) are what the people here need most?? There are so many ways each of us can better the lives of others--it's important not to let these opportunities pass us by.
I've been thinking a lot today about how much I take for granted--even here at Rising Star. Heather and I have our moments of complaining about the lack of food, cold bucket showers, or the "toilets", but we are still living pretty well out here. We have air conditioned living quarters, a cleaning lady that does our laundry, drivers, drinkable water, mattresses... Luxuries that the most of the people in the colonies live without. The first week we were here I kept expecting the cleaning ladies to wash my sheets and make my bed for me--perhaps I have gotten a bit too used to hotel living. It's frustrating to me that I have come all the way to India, I am surrounded by so many in need, and I still have to remind myself regularly that I am here to serve. It's easy to just check off the days until we move on to our next destination, but it takes focus to really make the most of our time, to leverage all of our talents, and to make the difference we are capable of making.
Lesson for the day, never let daily life become a checklist. Each day is filled with so many opportunities to make a difference in the world--sometimes it may be as easy as smiling and saying hello to someone that is lonely or having a rough time, other days it may require more. For example, I think of Heidi Hyte (a fellow volunteer). She works for a company that helps people learn English using simple, yet effective, computer programs and has been able to implement these programs at Rising Star. The teachers here love the program and spend hours on the computers every week working to improve their English. This in turn trickles down to the children who will now have more effective teachers. Another example is Wendy from "Pearls with a Purpose". By sharing her unique skill set and business knowledge with Rising Star, she has enabled Rising Star to start a new micro business in the colonies which will dramatically improve the quality of life for many families.
I'm still trying to figure out how I can better leverage my own skills and background to make a difference here, but perhaps the small gestures (the smiles and hugs) are what the people here need most?? There are so many ways each of us can better the lives of others--it's important not to let these opportunities pass us by.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
A Day of Indulgence
Really, I would say that our day of indulgence started Thursday night when Heather and I were able to watch 2 episodes of an American TV show-a first for us since leaving the states! The indulgence continued through the entire day Friday. I was finally able to talk to a couple friends back home on Skype (another first since leaving the states), I went on a "field trip" with the other volunteers, and to top the day off, I got to watch an American movie while eating popcorn and drinking Lemonade--it doesn't get much better than that!
Since today (Saturday) is "Sports Day" and we will not be leaving the campus, and because this is the last weekend at Rising Star for a few of us volunteers, Steel, the Managing Director here, agreed to let all the volunteers borrow one of the school vans and a driver (the streets are crazy here--local drivers are a necessity!) to go to Mahabalipuram (A resort/beach town about 2 hours away). We spent the day seeing the sights, shopping and enjoying the ocean (I assumed we would be swimming, since it's a beach town, but when we got there we found out that the locals don't really swim there... not really sure why, but we decided it was probably best to follow their lead and refrained from jumping in).
The main sites in Mahabalipuram are an ancient temple and "Butter Ball". "Butter Ball" is a park featuring several ancient ruins. The namesake for the park is a huge round bolder that looks as though it could roll down the hill and crush you at any moment. I'm not sure where the butter comes into play... Besides the "Butter Ball", temples, archways, and steep stairways carved into the rocks, my other favorite thing at the park was the monkey's--especially the baby monkeys!. One of the volunteers, Audrey, warned us that the monkeys were actually pretty aggressive and not as cute as they look, but most of us didn't think too much of it and got pretty close (within 2 or 3 feet) without any problems. I think maybe the monkey's caught on to Audrey's words of condemnation though, because on the way back to the van they "attacked" her. She was holding a fruit drink with one hand and they came at her from both sides and knocked it out of her hands! No harm was done, but Audrey nearly hyperventilated, and it caused a pretty hilarious scene.
The rest of the day was spent eating amazing Indian food, checking out the ancient temple, and shopping. I thought I would be tired of curry by this point in the trip, but the curry I had today was the best food I've eaten yet--by far! Plus, I'm not really sure if you can count what we eat at the school as curry (no offense to the cooks). I had less than 5 Rupees (42-45 Rupees is equivalent to $1) left by the time we got home, but I picked up some awesome souvenirs in Mahabalipuram and for the first time in weeks I was full!
My favorite thing about today was probably just discovering a different side of India. It was nice being in a town that wasn't overcrowded or filled with the sound of honking horns. The scenery was beautiful and the company was excellent :) Good times!
Since today (Saturday) is "Sports Day" and we will not be leaving the campus, and because this is the last weekend at Rising Star for a few of us volunteers, Steel, the Managing Director here, agreed to let all the volunteers borrow one of the school vans and a driver (the streets are crazy here--local drivers are a necessity!) to go to Mahabalipuram (A resort/beach town about 2 hours away). We spent the day seeing the sights, shopping and enjoying the ocean (I assumed we would be swimming, since it's a beach town, but when we got there we found out that the locals don't really swim there... not really sure why, but we decided it was probably best to follow their lead and refrained from jumping in).
The main sites in Mahabalipuram are an ancient temple and "Butter Ball". "Butter Ball" is a park featuring several ancient ruins. The namesake for the park is a huge round bolder that looks as though it could roll down the hill and crush you at any moment. I'm not sure where the butter comes into play... Besides the "Butter Ball", temples, archways, and steep stairways carved into the rocks, my other favorite thing at the park was the monkey's--especially the baby monkeys!. One of the volunteers, Audrey, warned us that the monkeys were actually pretty aggressive and not as cute as they look, but most of us didn't think too much of it and got pretty close (within 2 or 3 feet) without any problems. I think maybe the monkey's caught on to Audrey's words of condemnation though, because on the way back to the van they "attacked" her. She was holding a fruit drink with one hand and they came at her from both sides and knocked it out of her hands! No harm was done, but Audrey nearly hyperventilated, and it caused a pretty hilarious scene.
The rest of the day was spent eating amazing Indian food, checking out the ancient temple, and shopping. I thought I would be tired of curry by this point in the trip, but the curry I had today was the best food I've eaten yet--by far! Plus, I'm not really sure if you can count what we eat at the school as curry (no offense to the cooks). I had less than 5 Rupees (42-45 Rupees is equivalent to $1) left by the time we got home, but I picked up some awesome souvenirs in Mahabalipuram and for the first time in weeks I was full!
My favorite thing about today was probably just discovering a different side of India. It was nice being in a town that wasn't overcrowded or filled with the sound of honking horns. The scenery was beautiful and the company was excellent :) Good times!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sports Day
"Sports Day" is a BIG deal in southern India! It's very similar to what my school called "Track & Field Day". The kids have been practicing all week for a wide variety of events ranging from the traditional 4X100 relay races and the 400 meter dash, to less traditional races like the "Lemon & Spoon Race" and the 40 meter Run (which is interesting because they have to blow up a balloon until it pops before they can start running). The kids have also been testing their long jump and high jump skills; however, for their high jump, rather than landing on an overstuffed blue mat, they land on sand! I should also mention that the majority of the kids run the races barefoot on the track which is made of dirt (but full of little rocks and pebbles. These kids are dedicated.
The excitement has been building all week at Rising Star for the big day. Families have been bussed in from the colonies and all of the students and staff were on-site for the big event. The kids spent most of the day decorating and preparing the field for the events yesterday. They had made little flags that went all the way around the track and hung overhead and tents were rented to provide a shaded seating area for the families and staff.
Many of the preliminary events were held earlier in the week, so the races moved along very quickly. After the races, the kids showed off some other skills and exercises including: "pyramid" (3 groups of about 20 kids work together to make creative human pyramids--my favorite event of the day), "yoasanas" (some intense yoga moves performed in unison), and a few others. After the exercises, prizes were awarded: a silver bowl with a lid for 1st place, a cup for second, and a plate for third. The parents were also invited to participate in one final contest (similar to the cake walk from what I could tell...) and the winners of their event received a silver pot.
My favorite part of the day was seeing the kids run up to their parents afterwards. 80% of the kids live on campus at Rising Star and only go home twice a year, so at most they get to see their parents once a month (every first Saturday of the month is parent-teacher-day). The families all found shady place under the trees to picnic and enjoy the precious time together. It was fun to see the kids with their parents, but sad to see the few who either didn't have parents or who were crying because they didn't want to be separated again from their parents. We saw several parents checking their kids for lice--a loving gesture I am told. The most exciting part of lunch was probably the ice cream though. I thought it tasted more like marshmallow cream--but the kids loved it!
It's great to see the kids so happy :) All in all a good Saturday!
The excitement has been building all week at Rising Star for the big day. Families have been bussed in from the colonies and all of the students and staff were on-site for the big event. The kids spent most of the day decorating and preparing the field for the events yesterday. They had made little flags that went all the way around the track and hung overhead and tents were rented to provide a shaded seating area for the families and staff.
Many of the preliminary events were held earlier in the week, so the races moved along very quickly. After the races, the kids showed off some other skills and exercises including: "pyramid" (3 groups of about 20 kids work together to make creative human pyramids--my favorite event of the day), "yoasanas" (some intense yoga moves performed in unison), and a few others. After the exercises, prizes were awarded: a silver bowl with a lid for 1st place, a cup for second, and a plate for third. The parents were also invited to participate in one final contest (similar to the cake walk from what I could tell...) and the winners of their event received a silver pot.
My favorite part of the day was seeing the kids run up to their parents afterwards. 80% of the kids live on campus at Rising Star and only go home twice a year, so at most they get to see their parents once a month (every first Saturday of the month is parent-teacher-day). The families all found shady place under the trees to picnic and enjoy the precious time together. It was fun to see the kids with their parents, but sad to see the few who either didn't have parents or who were crying because they didn't want to be separated again from their parents. We saw several parents checking their kids for lice--a loving gesture I am told. The most exciting part of lunch was probably the ice cream though. I thought it tasted more like marshmallow cream--but the kids loved it!
It's great to see the kids so happy :) All in all a good Saturday!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Treating Leprosy
Rising Star Outreach is a three part program--I've helped with the Micro Finance piece and at the school, but today was our first day going out to the colonies with the Med Team. We went back to the art colony and I was able to help the Doctor locate a woman that I met last week when I came to help with the Pearl Jewelry. This little old lady is so sweet. Her hands and legs have been badly affected by Leprosy. She lives in a little hut hidden back through winding paths in the "Art" Colony. She can't stand, so she spends most of her day outside sitting on a piece of plastic on the ground. For all of you that are familiar with my strong sense of direction (let's just say I would spend most of my life lost in transit if it weren't for my Garmin GPS and iPhone), you'll know it was a small miracle that I was able to lead the doctor back to her--only having to back track once. The woman was so happy to receive the medical attention and we left her with a huge smile on her face.
Once we returned to the building where the medical team was setting up we had about 20 patients waiting and more on the way. Our "medical team" consisted of Dr. Susan (the amazing full-time Indian doctor that Rising Star hired), two of her assistants, Chris (an EMT from America), Susie Hyte, Audrey Bergeson, Heather (my fellow volunteers), and I--It's hard to imagine how they do the med clinics without the extra help of the volunteers because we were all busy cutting off old bandages, washing out the wounds on their feet, legs, and hands, and changing out the water between each patient. We saw some pretty gruesome things--a foot that looked like it had been cut off half way up with a dull knife, lots of missing hands and toes, one man was completely missing his foot and had open flesh wounds that would rub against his prosthetic leg. The sad thing is that leprosy is treatable, but the longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to cure.
I was so worried about causing the patients more pain as I pulled the dirty old bandages away from the crusted over wounds, but what was really shocking was that not one patient cried out in pain or shed a tear. Instead, the sound of laughter filled the clinic as one of the ladies tried to claim Audrey as her grand-daughter and others expressed their gratitude. Many of the people were in sever pain, but the only way you would know was by the small expressions of discomfort that showed on their face. These people are so resilient, spending the day with them helped me realize that we all have a choice when we're faced with seemingly unbearable trials. These people choose to be happy.
Once we returned to the building where the medical team was setting up we had about 20 patients waiting and more on the way. Our "medical team" consisted of Dr. Susan (the amazing full-time Indian doctor that Rising Star hired), two of her assistants, Chris (an EMT from America), Susie Hyte, Audrey Bergeson, Heather (my fellow volunteers), and I--It's hard to imagine how they do the med clinics without the extra help of the volunteers because we were all busy cutting off old bandages, washing out the wounds on their feet, legs, and hands, and changing out the water between each patient. We saw some pretty gruesome things--a foot that looked like it had been cut off half way up with a dull knife, lots of missing hands and toes, one man was completely missing his foot and had open flesh wounds that would rub against his prosthetic leg. The sad thing is that leprosy is treatable, but the longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to cure.
I was so worried about causing the patients more pain as I pulled the dirty old bandages away from the crusted over wounds, but what was really shocking was that not one patient cried out in pain or shed a tear. Instead, the sound of laughter filled the clinic as one of the ladies tried to claim Audrey as her grand-daughter and others expressed their gratitude. Many of the people were in sever pain, but the only way you would know was by the small expressions of discomfort that showed on their face. These people are so resilient, spending the day with them helped me realize that we all have a choice when we're faced with seemingly unbearable trials. These people choose to be happy.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Kindergartners...
This will be short since I'm writing from my iPhone tonight. Just a little shout out to all the adorable kindergartners I got to hangout with today. It doesn't matter what country you're in or whether the kids are rich or poor, they are always cute with a touch of a mischievous side at this age.
I was finishing up some materials for the teachers today when I looked out the window and spotted 4 little kindergartners headed home from school, by the time I got out side, they were completely caught up in a game of rock and mango throwing (at each other... and these were not small objects!). I thought I could distract them from the hazardous game by taking their picture (they LOVE pictures), but as fate would have it, that just set them off on a rampage. They were showing off for the camera with their posing, dancing, and tree climbing skills... But when they started jumping off large objects I decided it was time to put the camera away. It's great to see that kids are kids anywhere.
I was finishing up some materials for the teachers today when I looked out the window and spotted 4 little kindergartners headed home from school, by the time I got out side, they were completely caught up in a game of rock and mango throwing (at each other... and these were not small objects!). I thought I could distract them from the hazardous game by taking their picture (they LOVE pictures), but as fate would have it, that just set them off on a rampage. They were showing off for the camera with their posing, dancing, and tree climbing skills... But when they started jumping off large objects I decided it was time to put the camera away. It's great to see that kids are kids anywhere.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Changing the World... one child at a time
Over the past day and a half, I have spent a lot of time in the classrooms at the school with the teachers. The principal here, Celina, asked me to sit in on some of the classes and then provide some insight on how the teachers are doing and how they could improve. The first class I sat in on was a science class and the teacher happened to be my favorite house mom. We go read bedtime stories to the kids whenever we can and I always go to her dorm. If you've seen the pictures of my sweet henna "tattoo" on facebook or Heather's blog--she is the artist behind it. I know I shouldn't have favorites, but this girl, Rajne Kumar is my favorite--even though I'm still working on how to pronounce and spell her name :| She is so sweet and adorable with all the girls--she's only 23 but she works full-time as a teacher and also as a house mom living with and looking after 20 girls age 4-17.
Anyway, she was the first teacher that I evaluated and I could tell that she was nervous to have me in the room. She struggles a bit with her English and goes back and forth between English and Tamil (the local language) in her lessons, so her class was somewhat challenging for me to follow. After class she came up to me and timidly asked how I thought it went. I thanked her for letting me sit in and tried to reassure her by telling her I am just looking for ways to help make the classes even better. It's hard to explain, but it about broke my heart to even attempt to give her constructive criticism knowing how much this job means to her and how well intentioned her efforts are.
The other classes were easier. One class was working on a Biology project and spent most of the period outside collecting bugs--FYI I learned that dragonflies eat each other! They caught two in a little jar and the larger one was eating away at the smaller ones head :( The third class I sat in on yesterday was math, which went pretty smoothly. I went into the math class again today. They were just starting in their brand new Saxon Math books and were really excited about the books (which were recently donated to the school). The math teacher is really good, but since the books are from the United States, they use "$" signs and other symbols that he wasn't familiar with, so he just needed a little coaching to be able to effectively teach with the new books. He asked me how much the books costs in America--I told him I wasn't sure but probably over $100. He, along with the students, were a bit awe-struck by this--and now even more excited about the new books. It was really fun to see and made me think how much I took for granted in school.
I met with Celina yesterday after I had sat in on a few classes to debrief on what they could do to improve the classes. I was again humbled as she told me how hard it had been to get these teachers. The science teacher they had before Rajne Kumar used to put one boy and girl in charge of beating the kids if they made a mistake or misbehaved and if the child didn't beat the other children when asked, the teacher would beat both of them. The tricky thing here is that it's illegal to fire an employee, so it has been a huge challenge for the school, but they have come a LONG ways! ...Side note: it's also illegal to hold a child back a grade regardless of their skill level, but it's not illegal to "change" their date of birth... I am really impressed with Celina's dedication to the school and with how far it has come over the past couple of years. Celina is a very gifted teacher and has sacrificed a lot to be here (prior to Rising Star she was a professor at Duke). She has decided to extend her time here for another year- but it will be a sad day for the school when she goes.
Just one more note for today. It has been a rough day for some students and for Celina and the others that care so much about them. There is one little girls (who happens to be an albino Indian) and boy at the school that lost their house yesterday. They lived in a hut in the village a few miles away, but it burned down yesterday and they lost everything. The kids were upset about losing their uniforms for school and one of them lost their glasses. Their mom is a tailor and her sowing machine was saved from the fire, but broken in the processes. The school had $300 set aside that they were planning to by materials for the reading program with, but they will now be loaning it to this family to rebuild their life. Sadly, that means the reading supplies will have to wait, but isn't it amazing that this family can rebuild with only $300. Of course, some things can't be replaced, but it will be enough to get them back on their feet.
Anyway, she was the first teacher that I evaluated and I could tell that she was nervous to have me in the room. She struggles a bit with her English and goes back and forth between English and Tamil (the local language) in her lessons, so her class was somewhat challenging for me to follow. After class she came up to me and timidly asked how I thought it went. I thanked her for letting me sit in and tried to reassure her by telling her I am just looking for ways to help make the classes even better. It's hard to explain, but it about broke my heart to even attempt to give her constructive criticism knowing how much this job means to her and how well intentioned her efforts are.
The other classes were easier. One class was working on a Biology project and spent most of the period outside collecting bugs--FYI I learned that dragonflies eat each other! They caught two in a little jar and the larger one was eating away at the smaller ones head :( The third class I sat in on yesterday was math, which went pretty smoothly. I went into the math class again today. They were just starting in their brand new Saxon Math books and were really excited about the books (which were recently donated to the school). The math teacher is really good, but since the books are from the United States, they use "$" signs and other symbols that he wasn't familiar with, so he just needed a little coaching to be able to effectively teach with the new books. He asked me how much the books costs in America--I told him I wasn't sure but probably over $100. He, along with the students, were a bit awe-struck by this--and now even more excited about the new books. It was really fun to see and made me think how much I took for granted in school.
I met with Celina yesterday after I had sat in on a few classes to debrief on what they could do to improve the classes. I was again humbled as she told me how hard it had been to get these teachers. The science teacher they had before Rajne Kumar used to put one boy and girl in charge of beating the kids if they made a mistake or misbehaved and if the child didn't beat the other children when asked, the teacher would beat both of them. The tricky thing here is that it's illegal to fire an employee, so it has been a huge challenge for the school, but they have come a LONG ways! ...Side note: it's also illegal to hold a child back a grade regardless of their skill level, but it's not illegal to "change" their date of birth... I am really impressed with Celina's dedication to the school and with how far it has come over the past couple of years. Celina is a very gifted teacher and has sacrificed a lot to be here (prior to Rising Star she was a professor at Duke). She has decided to extend her time here for another year- but it will be a sad day for the school when she goes.
Just one more note for today. It has been a rough day for some students and for Celina and the others that care so much about them. There is one little girls (who happens to be an albino Indian) and boy at the school that lost their house yesterday. They lived in a hut in the village a few miles away, but it burned down yesterday and they lost everything. The kids were upset about losing their uniforms for school and one of them lost their glasses. Their mom is a tailor and her sowing machine was saved from the fire, but broken in the processes. The school had $300 set aside that they were planning to by materials for the reading program with, but they will now be loaning it to this family to rebuild their life. Sadly, that means the reading supplies will have to wait, but isn't it amazing that this family can rebuild with only $300. Of course, some things can't be replaced, but it will be enough to get them back on their feet.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday's in Chennai
I have to back up a day and say that yesterday, Sunday, was a pretty good day. I was dreading getting back on the bus for our two our ride to church, but when you subtract the 18-20 kids and add A/C, the drive goes much smoother. Also, it was cool to have some quality time with some of the awesome people we have with us at RSO right now--namely Jean (a legendary photographer--she's most well known for sneaking into Afghanistan about 15 years ago in the midst of all the craziness with another female photographer--her work is incredible), also Doug (he has done quite a few documentaries on non-profit organizations and won a Emmy for his last documentary of RSO)...I could go on, but that's enough for now. Point is, the bus ride went much better.... On that note, I have to say I was glad I wasn't on the kids bus going home Saturday night after their performance. I thought it was bad that we had one little girl throw up, but they had three kids throw up on the way home :|
Church today was interesting. I know that only about half the people reading this blog share my religious beliefs, but I just couldn't skip over this, so hopefully it makes sense.... The first three hours followed the standard format--although they did make a special announcement in Sacrament meeting to say that David was in the congregation and would be holding a special "fireside" (meeting/presentation) afterwards. Also, their were two people being baptized (Ron Gunnell, a RSO Board Member from Utah, was instrumental in introducing them to the church and performed the baptisms) after the regular 3-hour block of church. It was great to meet the members in Chennai and see how strong they were in their beliefs. One comical moment during the meetings was when the power went out (that happens pretty regularly here--usually once or twice a day for a minute or so), the teachers just kept on going with their lessons though. Most of the rooms had a small backup light, just for this reason, but one of the classes didn't so they just continued on in the dark!
The baptisms were neat to witness and the fireside with David and his mom was awesome. David sang a couple of songs ("I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" & "How Great Thou Art"--both amazing of course) and talked about his decision to try-out for American Idol. Apparently, at the time of the auditions, he had just landed a job after quite a bit of searching and he had to quit in order to try-out. He figured his chances were pretty slim and wasn't going to bother, but then he prayed about it and felt like he needed to believe in himself and give it a shot--he said he felt like he had something to learn from the process. He said during the season he got lots of letters from fans saying they felt something special when he sang and they wanted to know what it was. He always tried to pick songs that had a special meaning to him, but was surprised that his fans could feel it as well. I've been really impressed with him and how eager he is to use his talents for good. He and his mom both brought a strong spirit/feeling of love with them, and by the end of the fireside, many people had been moved to tears.
With the regular 3-hour block of church, plus the baptisms, and the fireside, we were in the church building from 2pm-7:30pm--a new record for me I think! By that time we were all starving so we got some pizza on the way back. Usually I'm a little picky when it comes to pizza, but I have to say that pizza, mystery meat and all, was one of the best things I've ever eaten!
Church today was interesting. I know that only about half the people reading this blog share my religious beliefs, but I just couldn't skip over this, so hopefully it makes sense.... The first three hours followed the standard format--although they did make a special announcement in Sacrament meeting to say that David was in the congregation and would be holding a special "fireside" (meeting/presentation) afterwards. Also, their were two people being baptized (Ron Gunnell, a RSO Board Member from Utah, was instrumental in introducing them to the church and performed the baptisms) after the regular 3-hour block of church. It was great to meet the members in Chennai and see how strong they were in their beliefs. One comical moment during the meetings was when the power went out (that happens pretty regularly here--usually once or twice a day for a minute or so), the teachers just kept on going with their lessons though. Most of the rooms had a small backup light, just for this reason, but one of the classes didn't so they just continued on in the dark!
The baptisms were neat to witness and the fireside with David and his mom was awesome. David sang a couple of songs ("I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" & "How Great Thou Art"--both amazing of course) and talked about his decision to try-out for American Idol. Apparently, at the time of the auditions, he had just landed a job after quite a bit of searching and he had to quit in order to try-out. He figured his chances were pretty slim and wasn't going to bother, but then he prayed about it and felt like he needed to believe in himself and give it a shot--he said he felt like he had something to learn from the process. He said during the season he got lots of letters from fans saying they felt something special when he sang and they wanted to know what it was. He always tried to pick songs that had a special meaning to him, but was surprised that his fans could feel it as well. I've been really impressed with him and how eager he is to use his talents for good. He and his mom both brought a strong spirit/feeling of love with them, and by the end of the fireside, many people had been moved to tears.
With the regular 3-hour block of church, plus the baptisms, and the fireside, we were in the church building from 2pm-7:30pm--a new record for me I think! By that time we were all starving so we got some pizza on the way back. Usually I'm a little picky when it comes to pizza, but I have to say that pizza, mystery meat and all, was one of the best things I've ever eaten!
kids, kids, and more kids
So I have to admit, I love kids, and I definitely want my own someday, but I have a hard time being around mass quantities of them sometimes! They're adorable and fun, but I can't help thinking, "when was the last time they washed their hands--and what have they done sense then??" or "what are those little specs in her hair--am I going to get lice if I sit next to her?" I don't want to mislead you, the kids here are very well kept by and large... but you never know...
I ate lunch with the kids today. I usually considered myself a pretty adventurous eater, but maybe I should qualify by saying I love trying new things, but maybe not so much eating those same, kind-of strange, things everyday. Rice with a soupy curry-like vegetable sauce it pretty much the standard meal for all meals here. The sauce is different everyday--but not that different. The kids--and the local teachers too actually--eat with their hands out of cake-pan-like dishes. The older kids help everyone else dish up their heaps of rice and sauce. The kids (always with their right hand) mix their rice and sauce together and then pinch it together and scoop it into their mouths. I sat on the ground with them at lunch today and the little girl next to me was trying to show me that I should be using my hand instead of the fork--in the process, she got a bit of her lunch mixture on my lap--yummy! I wanted to try it, but my stomach just couldn't handle it today. I'm a little OCDO when it comes to keeping my hands clean while eating, and was getting a little grossed out. Again, I hate to say it, but it's true. One of my new goals here is to eat with my hands with the kids at least once while I am here. I know it sounds silly--but hey, to each their own.
I ate lunch with the kids today. I usually considered myself a pretty adventurous eater, but maybe I should qualify by saying I love trying new things, but maybe not so much eating those same, kind-of strange, things everyday. Rice with a soupy curry-like vegetable sauce it pretty much the standard meal for all meals here. The sauce is different everyday--but not that different. The kids--and the local teachers too actually--eat with their hands out of cake-pan-like dishes. The older kids help everyone else dish up their heaps of rice and sauce. The kids (always with their right hand) mix their rice and sauce together and then pinch it together and scoop it into their mouths. I sat on the ground with them at lunch today and the little girl next to me was trying to show me that I should be using my hand instead of the fork--in the process, she got a bit of her lunch mixture on my lap--yummy! I wanted to try it, but my stomach just couldn't handle it today. I'm a little OCDO when it comes to keeping my hands clean while eating, and was getting a little grossed out. Again, I hate to say it, but it's true. One of my new goals here is to eat with my hands with the kids at least once while I am here. I know it sounds silly--but hey, to each their own.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Longest Bus Ride Ever
Yesterday was a loooong day. It was Saturday, so we got to sleep in a little bit, and then we helped at the school for a couple hours. Heather and I were grading papers in the library and then they brought David and Stacey in to meet with the kids. Stacey read a story with the little girl she sponsors and then David read a book to all of the kindergartners. David was really cute with the kids--he had them counting and hopping around the room--they were sad to see him go.
We had some more time to chill in the afternoon, and then the real "fun" began. We got all dressed up in Saris (the cleaning lady from the village had to help me put mine on--they're a bit tricky) for the big fundraising event tonight--I even did my hair! Then we went to board the vans, only to find out that Heather and I would be making the 2-hour drive on a 16-passenger shuttle with 20 kids and 4 adults without A/C... good times! The drive started off fine. The bus had a TV so the kids wanted to watch a Bollywood movie. They loved the movie, it was blasting in our ears and the kids were dancing in the isles. Everything seemed to be going fine despite being smashed into the hot van, but then, then one of the little girls started crying. Heather picked her up and tried to console her, but it only got worse until she threw up... all over Heather... twice! Gross. I must say, Heather handled it a lot better than I would have, but still not a fun ride for either of us.
Once we arrived at the Marriott in Chennai we were relieved to find clean nice western style bathrooms. We got cleaned up and then went in and watched the dress rehearsal. It was a really great event with performances by Stacy (from "So You Think You Can Dance"), Sean (who performs on Broadway), and, of course, David. Becky (the president of Rising Star Outreach) gave a presentation on the school, showing were these kids have come from and what RSO is doing in the Leprosy Colonies. Then, there was the final number with all of the kids, Stacy, Sean, and David--it was so cute, and moving. You really got a sense for how much these kids have overcome to be where they are today.
After the performance they had a dinner buffet--best food I've had in weeks--ironically most of it was western style though... Then we drove home on what turned out to be the loooongest bus ride of all time. We weren't with the kids this time, but traffic was terrible, the roads were super bumpy, and our van died in the middle of the highway at one point. We finally arrived home at 1:30am and were thrilled to be back, but dreading heading back into Chennai in the morning for church :(... not a big fan of Chennai...
We had some more time to chill in the afternoon, and then the real "fun" began. We got all dressed up in Saris (the cleaning lady from the village had to help me put mine on--they're a bit tricky) for the big fundraising event tonight--I even did my hair! Then we went to board the vans, only to find out that Heather and I would be making the 2-hour drive on a 16-passenger shuttle with 20 kids and 4 adults without A/C... good times! The drive started off fine. The bus had a TV so the kids wanted to watch a Bollywood movie. They loved the movie, it was blasting in our ears and the kids were dancing in the isles. Everything seemed to be going fine despite being smashed into the hot van, but then, then one of the little girls started crying. Heather picked her up and tried to console her, but it only got worse until she threw up... all over Heather... twice! Gross. I must say, Heather handled it a lot better than I would have, but still not a fun ride for either of us.
Once we arrived at the Marriott in Chennai we were relieved to find clean nice western style bathrooms. We got cleaned up and then went in and watched the dress rehearsal. It was a really great event with performances by Stacy (from "So You Think You Can Dance"), Sean (who performs on Broadway), and, of course, David. Becky (the president of Rising Star Outreach) gave a presentation on the school, showing were these kids have come from and what RSO is doing in the Leprosy Colonies. Then, there was the final number with all of the kids, Stacy, Sean, and David--it was so cute, and moving. You really got a sense for how much these kids have overcome to be where they are today.
After the performance they had a dinner buffet--best food I've had in weeks--ironically most of it was western style though... Then we drove home on what turned out to be the loooongest bus ride of all time. We weren't with the kids this time, but traffic was terrible, the roads were super bumpy, and our van died in the middle of the highway at one point. We finally arrived home at 1:30am and were thrilled to be back, but dreading heading back into Chennai in the morning for church :(... not a big fan of Chennai...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Rising Stars
Today was a big day for Rising Star, but my day started out pretty much the same as yesterday. I went to the "Art Colony" again to help with the Pearl Jewelry micro business. We arrived and hour earlier today so the ladies weren't there waiting for us like yesterday. We took advantage of the time and walked around the village. We went by the new community center that Rising Star is building and I was immediately distracted by the mangy little puppies lying in front of the building. I wanted to pick them up an play with them so badly, but they looked like they were already flea infested! For any of you who know how much I love puppies, you can imagine how hard it was for me to walk away from them without touching them :(
Once we got back to the old community center where we do the jewelry the ladies started to trickle in. Today went smoother than yesterday--the ladies were really getting the hang of it. They made some beautiful necklaces (in half the time and with half the help) and again it was great to see their sense of accomplishment and the pride they took in their work. Also, we got to go say hi to the artist in the Bindu Art School again, so that was fun. There were a couple low points in the day... First, one lady brought her tiny 6 month old baby and laid him on her on the floor with out a diaper or pants. She did lay her on a blanket and she had a little rope around the babies waist. I couldn't figure out why at first, but then the mom pulled the blanket up through the babies legs and tucked it into the rope in front--so I guess blanket subs for the diaper :| Anyway, the baby was turning over so the blanket didn't stay in place that well and the baby was basically rolling around on a dirty floor. Which reminds me, yesterday the same mother and baby came in, but the baby was fully clothed and we didn't realize she didn't have a diaper on until Heather was holding her and she peed all down her...lol... I didn't see it first hand, but I love the story.
The second bad thing that happened today is that I almost lost my stomach at one point (after I was so happy with myself yesterday for maintaining my composure). What happened was, a elderly man from the community center came out carrying this tin bucket full of greenish liquid with lumps in it that and it didn't smell so great. I thought that it was human waste and he was only standing about 3 feet away from me with it. I quickly moved to the other end of the room. However, it turns out that it was their lunch--just the sauce that went on top of their rice. So, I sat down and ate with them.... Okay, that's a lie. I was still struggling with the smell of it and remained on the other side of the room until they were finished.
Once we finished with the jewelry, we found out that our ride was an hour behind schedule, so we explored the village some more. We came across a little store and found that three of the woman who had come to make jewelry ran the store. It was fun to see them in their own house and we met their grandmother as well. All the people in the village are so friendly and excited to see visitors. We were welcomed into homes and had a chance to see what life was like for the people. I was surprised to see that most of the huts we passed (made of dried palm leaves and mud) had electricity. They connect a wire to the main city lines and bring it across the trees and into their house (just a small fire hazard). So one of the huts that we visited had a small beat up twin sized bed, a chair, and a TV, with a light bulb wired to one of the trees out front---wow.
I was a little bit sad that our ride was late because everyone on campus had been preparing for David A's visit (as we have been referring to him--you may know him from American Ideal). Heather had spent the morning preparing the "Pathway of Hope" (a walkway made bricks which are engraved with donors names--don't worry, bricks are still for sale if you would like to buy one) for David to cut the ribbon and walk down while the kids sing and throw flowers (he's helped bring in a lot of money/awareness for Rising Star). Anyway, as it turns out David and company had been out visiting the colony and were just headed back to Rising Star, so they stopped and picked us up on the way. It was really funny getting out of the van on campus because all the kids had their flowers ready and all the photographers were set up.... so I quickly moved to the side and the show proceeded. It was really cute though. David and his mom are so sweet-he barely said a word as we drove in and then when he saw all the kids lined up along the path he pulled out his phone and wanted his mom to get a picture. After the kids finished with play time David, Sean and on of our other big guest, Stacey (a judge and choreographer from Dancing with the Stars-Canada) worked with the kids on a performance they will be doing tomorrow in Chennai for a big fund raising event. It was so fun to see the dress rehearsal, and especially to remember the meaning behind their dance--it's a lyrical style dance, but Sean had them help with the choreography by thinking of someone they knew that had a hard life, and to make a dance about their suffering. The first day they rehearsed the dances, they shared their stories--many of them described the suffering of family members afflicted with leprosy, others had stories of domestic abuse, or other similar hardships. Buy the time they were done sharing their stories, the whole room was in tears.
This day has been pretty incredible, but this blog is getting long, and it's late.... which reminds me of one last story. The kids wanted us to come read stories to them again tonight, but by the time we finished dinner and got over there most of them were already in bed, so rather than waking them up, we tried to sneak back out. A couple kids spotted us though. They tried to get us to come back and read to them, but we told them that we didn't want to wake the little ones up and tried to say good night. They responded with, "No, bad night. Come read." It's hard to capture how humorous it was--but if you could listen to their broken English and there spin on the popular phrase, it was pretty funny.
And on a final note, my roommate just found a beetle in my hair. SICK :( ...but at least it wasn't lice :)
Once we got back to the old community center where we do the jewelry the ladies started to trickle in. Today went smoother than yesterday--the ladies were really getting the hang of it. They made some beautiful necklaces (in half the time and with half the help) and again it was great to see their sense of accomplishment and the pride they took in their work. Also, we got to go say hi to the artist in the Bindu Art School again, so that was fun. There were a couple low points in the day... First, one lady brought her tiny 6 month old baby and laid him on her on the floor with out a diaper or pants. She did lay her on a blanket and she had a little rope around the babies waist. I couldn't figure out why at first, but then the mom pulled the blanket up through the babies legs and tucked it into the rope in front--so I guess blanket subs for the diaper :| Anyway, the baby was turning over so the blanket didn't stay in place that well and the baby was basically rolling around on a dirty floor. Which reminds me, yesterday the same mother and baby came in, but the baby was fully clothed and we didn't realize she didn't have a diaper on until Heather was holding her and she peed all down her...lol... I didn't see it first hand, but I love the story.
The second bad thing that happened today is that I almost lost my stomach at one point (after I was so happy with myself yesterday for maintaining my composure). What happened was, a elderly man from the community center came out carrying this tin bucket full of greenish liquid with lumps in it that and it didn't smell so great. I thought that it was human waste and he was only standing about 3 feet away from me with it. I quickly moved to the other end of the room. However, it turns out that it was their lunch--just the sauce that went on top of their rice. So, I sat down and ate with them.... Okay, that's a lie. I was still struggling with the smell of it and remained on the other side of the room until they were finished.
Once we finished with the jewelry, we found out that our ride was an hour behind schedule, so we explored the village some more. We came across a little store and found that three of the woman who had come to make jewelry ran the store. It was fun to see them in their own house and we met their grandmother as well. All the people in the village are so friendly and excited to see visitors. We were welcomed into homes and had a chance to see what life was like for the people. I was surprised to see that most of the huts we passed (made of dried palm leaves and mud) had electricity. They connect a wire to the main city lines and bring it across the trees and into their house (just a small fire hazard). So one of the huts that we visited had a small beat up twin sized bed, a chair, and a TV, with a light bulb wired to one of the trees out front---wow.
I was a little bit sad that our ride was late because everyone on campus had been preparing for David A's visit (as we have been referring to him--you may know him from American Ideal). Heather had spent the morning preparing the "Pathway of Hope" (a walkway made bricks which are engraved with donors names--don't worry, bricks are still for sale if you would like to buy one) for David to cut the ribbon and walk down while the kids sing and throw flowers (he's helped bring in a lot of money/awareness for Rising Star). Anyway, as it turns out David and company had been out visiting the colony and were just headed back to Rising Star, so they stopped and picked us up on the way. It was really funny getting out of the van on campus because all the kids had their flowers ready and all the photographers were set up.... so I quickly moved to the side and the show proceeded. It was really cute though. David and his mom are so sweet-he barely said a word as we drove in and then when he saw all the kids lined up along the path he pulled out his phone and wanted his mom to get a picture. After the kids finished with play time David, Sean and on of our other big guest, Stacey (a judge and choreographer from Dancing with the Stars-Canada) worked with the kids on a performance they will be doing tomorrow in Chennai for a big fund raising event. It was so fun to see the dress rehearsal, and especially to remember the meaning behind their dance--it's a lyrical style dance, but Sean had them help with the choreography by thinking of someone they knew that had a hard life, and to make a dance about their suffering. The first day they rehearsed the dances, they shared their stories--many of them described the suffering of family members afflicted with leprosy, others had stories of domestic abuse, or other similar hardships. Buy the time they were done sharing their stories, the whole room was in tears.
This day has been pretty incredible, but this blog is getting long, and it's late.... which reminds me of one last story. The kids wanted us to come read stories to them again tonight, but by the time we finished dinner and got over there most of them were already in bed, so rather than waking them up, we tried to sneak back out. A couple kids spotted us though. They tried to get us to come back and read to them, but we told them that we didn't want to wake the little ones up and tried to say good night. They responded with, "No, bad night. Come read." It's hard to capture how humorous it was--but if you could listen to their broken English and there spin on the popular phrase, it was pretty funny.
And on a final note, my roommate just found a beetle in my hair. SICK :( ...but at least it wasn't lice :)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Colonies
Today was my first day out in the Leprosy Colonies. We went to a colony commonly referred to as the "Art Colony" because there is a micro business that was started there to help the people cope with the effects of leprosy (both mentally and physically) and express themselves through art. The art now tours around the world and paintings go from about $40-$500 dollars. We went into the Bindu Art School and had a chance to meet the artist and look through some of the work. One of the ladies there is nearly blind and completely deaf--her art work is beautiful though. Most of their work is full of happy vibrant colors. Naturally, I had to pick up a couple pieces and get a picture with the artist. It was so fun to see the joy in her face when I selected her paintings. Once we left Heather commented on the fact that it was our first experience talking with the people with leprosy--I actually was a bit startled by the comment because I remember thinking it might be a shocking experience and that I was going to need to mentally prepare so that I did let that shock show in my face when I met them--but the cool thing was, I didn't even think about it. It was so fun to see there work and the proud smiles that lit up their faces with every compliment, that it was easy to be completely ignorant to the way the disease had taken it's toll on them physically.
Although buying art was a fun way to pass the time in the colony, the real reason we came was actually to help start a new Micro Business in the colony. A lady named Wendy flew in this week to partner with Rising Star on this new venture. Wendy has a company called "Pearls with a Purpose" that she started in the Philippines to help impoverished women support their families. The ladies in the "Art Colony" were so excited about having the opportunity to earn money for their families by making jewelry--if you have been to India you will know that rich or poor, the women here love jewelry and are always decked out with earrings, bangles, anklets, etc. We had nearly 30 women show up today and worked with them to make necklaces and other items. Today we encouraged them to show their creativity to create new designs while simultaneously teaching them to use patterns to enhance the beauty of each piece. Some of the women caught on quick and created gorgeous pieces--I fell in love with one ladies necklace the moment I saw it and had to stake my claim before it was even complete. Other ladies struggled a bit, and sadly tomorrow, they will need to select the top 10 "jewelers" and let the rest leave early. For the business to be effective, the women really need to be skilled enough that minimal oversight is needed. It is sad that they can't all continue with the work, butt for those few who are selected, it will make a huge difference in their quality of life.
As we rode back to the Rising Star Outreach campus today it was again humbling to see the circumstances in which the people live. A large portion of the houses are made of little more than dried palm leaves with dirt floors. We stopped at one store and as we walked in we saw a baby sleeping on a mat on the cement floor without a diaper, blanket, or any type of covering. It's sad to realize that for some people, that is everyday life. Hopefully, with this new business, and least a few more families will be able to afford a house made of brick and cement or at least a blanket for their baby.
Although buying art was a fun way to pass the time in the colony, the real reason we came was actually to help start a new Micro Business in the colony. A lady named Wendy flew in this week to partner with Rising Star on this new venture. Wendy has a company called "Pearls with a Purpose" that she started in the Philippines to help impoverished women support their families. The ladies in the "Art Colony" were so excited about having the opportunity to earn money for their families by making jewelry--if you have been to India you will know that rich or poor, the women here love jewelry and are always decked out with earrings, bangles, anklets, etc. We had nearly 30 women show up today and worked with them to make necklaces and other items. Today we encouraged them to show their creativity to create new designs while simultaneously teaching them to use patterns to enhance the beauty of each piece. Some of the women caught on quick and created gorgeous pieces--I fell in love with one ladies necklace the moment I saw it and had to stake my claim before it was even complete. Other ladies struggled a bit, and sadly tomorrow, they will need to select the top 10 "jewelers" and let the rest leave early. For the business to be effective, the women really need to be skilled enough that minimal oversight is needed. It is sad that they can't all continue with the work, butt for those few who are selected, it will make a huge difference in their quality of life.
As we rode back to the Rising Star Outreach campus today it was again humbling to see the circumstances in which the people live. A large portion of the houses are made of little more than dried palm leaves with dirt floors. We stopped at one store and as we walked in we saw a baby sleeping on a mat on the cement floor without a diaper, blanket, or any type of covering. It's sad to realize that for some people, that is everyday life. Hopefully, with this new business, and least a few more families will be able to afford a house made of brick and cement or at least a blanket for their baby.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Squatting Toilets & Bucket Showers
Since our arrival here in India we have been adjusting to a lot of things--namely squating toilets and bucket showers (as in one not-so-hot bucket of water per shower that you use by dipping a smaller bucket into it), and perhaps the even bigger adjustment for me--no chocolate! I did bring an emergency supply, but I'm sad to say it is nearly gone and we are only a few days in :(
So far Heather and I have been spending most of our time helping out at the school. We have been working with the kids 1-on-1 to improve their reading and writing skills. I am impressed with how well behaved the children are and how eager they are to learn. However, what surprised me more was that the house mom's (most of the kids live on campus in dorms with 20 kids and one "house mother" per dorm) and teachers are equally anxious to learn. They are so humble and welcoming. I think of my, perhaps half-hearted, attempt to learn french and how easy it is to give up, but these women are amazing. They put forth their best effort to teach these kids a language they are still learning themselves.
We spent much of the day yesterday working on Teacher's Guides with Answer Keys for the teachers to reference as they go through the workbooks with the kids--know one will be surprised to hear that 3rd grade spelling got a a little rough for me, so I switched out with Heather and took on the first graders guide book (sadly I'm serious).
My favorite part of today was eating lunch with the kids. Today is a holiday for them, Republic Day, so instead of their usual uniforms they had their own clothes on-and man were they cute! The little girls looked so decked out with their scarves, earrings and bangles--I couldn't resist pulling out my camera\iPhone. The kids went crazy over the pictures, with the exception of a few shy kids, who only wanted to pose with friends, most of the children loved having their pictures taken and then checking it out right after.
Later in the evening, just before bedtime I went and read stories to the girls in one of the dorms. Just last night I was feeling sorry for myself because I was missing my warm comfortable bed and blankets (we have thin mattresses with thin sheets, and basically a third, more decorative sheet as a bedspread). But, tonight, as I sat with a bunch of the girls and the house mom, Rajne-Kumar, on their matts on the cement floor I was truely humbled. I'm not sure if they even have blankets, but they seemed perfectly content.
These kids are so awesome and I am so excited about what this program is doing for them. Without Rising Star Outreach they most of them would be begging on the streets, but now they have a chance to get real jobs and change their lot in life. I'm excited to get to know the kids and house mothers better. These are truely amazing people!
So far Heather and I have been spending most of our time helping out at the school. We have been working with the kids 1-on-1 to improve their reading and writing skills. I am impressed with how well behaved the children are and how eager they are to learn. However, what surprised me more was that the house mom's (most of the kids live on campus in dorms with 20 kids and one "house mother" per dorm) and teachers are equally anxious to learn. They are so humble and welcoming. I think of my, perhaps half-hearted, attempt to learn french and how easy it is to give up, but these women are amazing. They put forth their best effort to teach these kids a language they are still learning themselves.
We spent much of the day yesterday working on Teacher's Guides with Answer Keys for the teachers to reference as they go through the workbooks with the kids--know one will be surprised to hear that 3rd grade spelling got a a little rough for me, so I switched out with Heather and took on the first graders guide book (sadly I'm serious).
My favorite part of today was eating lunch with the kids. Today is a holiday for them, Republic Day, so instead of their usual uniforms they had their own clothes on-and man were they cute! The little girls looked so decked out with their scarves, earrings and bangles--I couldn't resist pulling out my camera\iPhone. The kids went crazy over the pictures, with the exception of a few shy kids, who only wanted to pose with friends, most of the children loved having their pictures taken and then checking it out right after.
Later in the evening, just before bedtime I went and read stories to the girls in one of the dorms. Just last night I was feeling sorry for myself because I was missing my warm comfortable bed and blankets (we have thin mattresses with thin sheets, and basically a third, more decorative sheet as a bedspread). But, tonight, as I sat with a bunch of the girls and the house mom, Rajne-Kumar, on their matts on the cement floor I was truely humbled. I'm not sure if they even have blankets, but they seemed perfectly content.
These kids are so awesome and I am so excited about what this program is doing for them. Without Rising Star Outreach they most of them would be begging on the streets, but now they have a chance to get real jobs and change their lot in life. I'm excited to get to know the kids and house mothers better. These are truely amazing people!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
PICTURES!!
I know what most of you really wanted was not long heart-felt stories or my clever remarks, but in fact, pictures... Your day has come... sort of... Heather has posted photos on her blog which illustrate many of the stories I've shared. Check them out on her blog "hhreachingforthestars" (see link in top right corner).
Cheers!
Cheers!
Monday, January 24, 2011
So long Sri Lanka... hello India!
As we were leaving the Hill Country of Sri Lanka today, I couldn't help but be amazed that a place so unbelievably beautiful could leave me with a feeling of such anxiety. The people seem so friendly, peaceful, and incredibly humble--but the religious/political conflicts there create a bit of a different vibe. When we first arrived in Sri Lanka and were driving into the Hill Country, we saw a diversion on the side of the road. Kids and people from the village were lined up along the street. Our driver got out to see what was going on--I really wanted to see for myself and was just about to get out when our driver returned and said that there was a dead man in the ditch, just off the road, his throat had been slit. That said, for the most part, Sri Lanka seemed very peaceful, but the after effects of war are definitely still felt there.
On to India, the heart of the journey. We arrived in Chennai this morning and were a bit over whelmed by all the taxis and hired cars, but luckily our driver and Sean Perry (Sean volunteers with Rising Star and also runs his own Charity focused on teaching life skills through the arts) where able to pick us out of the crowd pretty easily so we didn't have to search long. Apparently knowing that they were looking for two white females was plenty of information to set us apart from the crowd!
We had a bit of business to take care of in Chennai before we could head off to Rising Star--we had to stop a studio to visit with the "people" of one of Bollywoods biggest stars (name to follow), much to the dismay of our driver, we did not meet the star himself, but we did get to see where he lives, and one of the major movie studios, so that was cool. Chennai is a busy city! It was interesting to see how the rich and poor (we're talking Slum Dog Millionair poor) really do live side by side there, but with the crazy traffic and musty air, we were excited to head out to the Rising Star campus (2 hours outside of Chennai).
Rising Star really is an Oasis. It's amazing to pass by such impoverished villages, drive down bumpy one-lane roads, and arrive at such an emasculate place. The campus consist of a school, playground, mess hall, girls and boys dorms for the kids, and volunteer headquarters (bunk rooms, kitchen, etc.). We took a quick tour of the volunteer headquarters, dropped off our bags, picked out some clothes (they have a room full of traditional clothing for the volunteers to wear--which is really cool), and then headed off to thee playground to meet the kids (adorable and so much fun!). We finished our day with dinner on the roof of our volunteer headquarters (as I like to call them). At dinner everyone goes around the table and says their high and low of the day--it's a great way to share experience and also to see how far the program has come and what challenges are still ahead--my low was learning that they usually kill a snake a day at the campus :| (I hate snakes!)
All and all, a great first day at Rising Star. The people here are amazing, the kids are adorable, and I'm excited to jump in!
On to India, the heart of the journey. We arrived in Chennai this morning and were a bit over whelmed by all the taxis and hired cars, but luckily our driver and Sean Perry (Sean volunteers with Rising Star and also runs his own Charity focused on teaching life skills through the arts) where able to pick us out of the crowd pretty easily so we didn't have to search long. Apparently knowing that they were looking for two white females was plenty of information to set us apart from the crowd!
We had a bit of business to take care of in Chennai before we could head off to Rising Star--we had to stop a studio to visit with the "people" of one of Bollywoods biggest stars (name to follow), much to the dismay of our driver, we did not meet the star himself, but we did get to see where he lives, and one of the major movie studios, so that was cool. Chennai is a busy city! It was interesting to see how the rich and poor (we're talking Slum Dog Millionair poor) really do live side by side there, but with the crazy traffic and musty air, we were excited to head out to the Rising Star campus (2 hours outside of Chennai).
Rising Star really is an Oasis. It's amazing to pass by such impoverished villages, drive down bumpy one-lane roads, and arrive at such an emasculate place. The campus consist of a school, playground, mess hall, girls and boys dorms for the kids, and volunteer headquarters (bunk rooms, kitchen, etc.). We took a quick tour of the volunteer headquarters, dropped off our bags, picked out some clothes (they have a room full of traditional clothing for the volunteers to wear--which is really cool), and then headed off to thee playground to meet the kids (adorable and so much fun!). We finished our day with dinner on the roof of our volunteer headquarters (as I like to call them). At dinner everyone goes around the table and says their high and low of the day--it's a great way to share experience and also to see how far the program has come and what challenges are still ahead--my low was learning that they usually kill a snake a day at the campus :| (I hate snakes!)
All and all, a great first day at Rising Star. The people here are amazing, the kids are adorable, and I'm excited to jump in!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Local Kine
Ella is quite the charming village. This morning we hiked Mount Ella (which sadly I can't show you pictures of yet), but again... take my word for it--beautiful. We walked along the railroad tracks up in the mountains. When the local woman walking ahead of us started running, that was our cue that a train was coming, so we jumped off the track for a bit--luckily we weren't to the bridge yet. After a bit a local man started following us. They're used to the tourist hiking to Mount Ella, so he intercepted us early so that he could be our guide--smart man. He led us through a farm, down to a waterfall and then up to the top of the mountain where the views were spectacular! The coolest thing about it was seeing the local people along the way though... again... it will be cooler once I have pics. We passed an elderly woman who was haling a bundle of sticks on her head, bare foot, with a machete (at least that's my guess) stuffed in the back of her skirt. Rad.
After the hike, the owner of the house called a TUK TUK (3-wheeled car) to take me into the village for a local Ayurwedayurweda (spa) treatment--I got a 1-hour message, oil-head message, and a steam bath (which is essentially a one-man sauna that you lay in with your head sticking out--sounds weird, but it was pretty sweet).
To finish up the day, we took a "cooking class", where the ladies of our house laughed at my lack of skill when it comes to shredding coconuts--good times ;)
Oh yah, and I got to take a shower today! YEAH! In fact, it was so nice I took two!
After the hike, the owner of the house called a TUK TUK (3-wheeled car) to take me into the village for a local Ayurwedayurweda (spa) treatment--I got a 1-hour message, oil-head message, and a steam bath (which is essentially a one-man sauna that you lay in with your head sticking out--sounds weird, but it was pretty sweet).
To finish up the day, we took a "cooking class", where the ladies of our house laughed at my lack of skill when it comes to shredding coconuts--good times ;)
Oh yah, and I got to take a shower today! YEAH! In fact, it was so nice I took two!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sri Lanka
Wow! Sri Lanka is absolutely beautiful. Pictures will have to come later as we are struggling with our Internet connection, so you'll have to take my word for it.
We landed at 8:30am (local time) and spent most of the day driving through villages to the "hill country". We have been getting accustomed to being part of the minority group over the last couple of days traveling, but today we spent 6 hours driving through villages and didn't see a single white person outside of the airport and Ella (the village we are staying in).
The views really are spectacular though. There is a hammock just outside of my room on the balcony that overlooks the mountains and waterfalls. Also, my brothers will be excited to hear that I spotted a boar just beyond the Terrance about 20 feet. Apparently, monkeys, deer and snakes are also prevalent --although I haven't seen any of those yet.
We landed at 8:30am (local time) and spent most of the day driving through villages to the "hill country". We have been getting accustomed to being part of the minority group over the last couple of days traveling, but today we spent 6 hours driving through villages and didn't see a single white person outside of the airport and Ella (the village we are staying in).
The views really are spectacular though. There is a hammock just outside of my room on the balcony that overlooks the mountains and waterfalls. Also, my brothers will be excited to hear that I spotted a boar just beyond the Terrance about 20 feet. Apparently, monkeys, deer and snakes are also prevalent --although I haven't seen any of those yet.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
15 hours and counting
We survived the 15.5 hour flight from San Francisco to Dubai. Despite my best efforts to go "Carrry-on" only, the made us check our backpacks. We won't be seeing them again until we land in Sri Lanka, and my luggage has a tendency to disappear on flights like this, so keep those bags in your prayers... kidding kidding. We are a bit worried about them, but Emirates air has been pretty good to us thus far. My favorite airline to date--from the warm towlets at take-off, to the stars lighting the ceiling while you sleep--it's not a bad way to fly.
There were a lot of extra seats on our flight, so I was looking forward to having an empty middle seats next to me to spread out. But as fate would have it, someone did take that middle seat and withing a couple hours of takeoff they had decided to share their orange juice with me--and by share, I mean spill it down my leg. Despite the rough start, it was actually a pretty good flight. Oddly enough, I love long flights.
We're chilling in Dubai now at the airport in some sweet little recliner chairs. I finally managed to sleep for a bit. After staying up all night to pack and wrap things up at home last yesterday, I think I'm up to a total of 4 hours now in the last 48 hours.... I'm going to be lots of fun by the time we make it to Sri Lanka ;)
There were a lot of extra seats on our flight, so I was looking forward to having an empty middle seats next to me to spread out. But as fate would have it, someone did take that middle seat and withing a couple hours of takeoff they had decided to share their orange juice with me--and by share, I mean spill it down my leg. Despite the rough start, it was actually a pretty good flight. Oddly enough, I love long flights.
We're chilling in Dubai now at the airport in some sweet little recliner chairs. I finally managed to sleep for a bit. After staying up all night to pack and wrap things up at home last yesterday, I think I'm up to a total of 4 hours now in the last 48 hours.... I'm going to be lots of fun by the time we make it to Sri Lanka ;)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Why this, why now?
I love to travel!! I think it should be a requirement that everyone (especially world leaders and politicians) spend some time abroad. The more places I visit the more I realize how much I still have to see. Travel is always an adventure; it opens your mind to other ways of thinking—other ways of life--and provides you with a glimpse of the bigger picture. Also, it’s addicting...
Every trip I take has a purpose of sorts. This adventure has been in the works for quite a while now. I have been wanting to volunteer in a third world or developing country for years, but only started really looking into it about 6 months ago.
Just as I was really diving into my search for the right volunteer program, I happened to sit down with some friends as Amy Antonelli (the former Executive Director of Rising Star) was describing the purpose of Rising Star Outreach. She immediately captured my attention as she spoke about the program she had helped build in India to provide a way for the Leprosy colonies to become self-sufficient communities. I was impressed by the 3-pronged program, which includes: a school for the kids, support to help the people establish their own small businesses, and medical assistance.
As I have continued to learn more about Rising Star Outreach, I am even more amazed. This program has come so far in such a short period of time and has already made such a significant difference. I am excited to get involved and hope that you are as touched by the mission of this program as I have been.
*For more information about Rising Star Outreach or to make a donation please visit http://risingstaroutreach.org
**For a better blog about this trip, please visit my travel-buddies blog at: http:hhreachingforthestars.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The much anticipated blog...
The journey begins tomorrow, January 19th, 2011 with a 15.5 hour flight, 8 hours in Dubai, and then onto Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and back... with any luck...
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