A few nights ago I was reading in the kitchen around 10pm. In came this cute little precious kitty, looking mischievous yet adorable. I decided to let the poor hungry thing go through the scrap bin and try and find some food. I named him/her Teli after Jessica Teliczan because that kitties attitude reminded me of her. Then Teli quickly left and returned with a cat twice the size of her. She shared her food but Cole (the other cat's name) was being a DIVA and wouldn't share the food. Poor Teli was trying to be nice and share but Cole was hissing and batting away Teli. I could tell she regretted her generosity. Eventually Cole felt bad and shared some scraps with Teli, but OH NO!!! The queen mother of all cats (it had to be part tiger) sauntered in like he owned the place, stared be right in the eyes and hissed so loud. I was actually scared of this feline monster. This one I dubbed Ferranto, I think the real Michael Ferranto could be proud and not offended at this. Sorry if you don't know these people in real life because I just wasted your time.
My mother sent me a package which, for the boys who live here, contained lollipops and a nerf football. It took some getting used to with the football and after playing for awhile they got really upset (especially No'rbu) about it getting so dirty. He immediately washed it off and hilariously wrapped as much clear tape as he had around the football. Haha, he only had enough to cover half the ball so I helped and chipped in some of my tape. The tape provided a layer of protection against the pretty purple and pink ball from getting dirty. They never play with it because of this, it cracks me up...the football is cleaner than their faces and hands.
Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference, we were watching Tom and Jerry Saturday night and I though this would be a good opportunity to give them the suckers. I've never seen such a FRENZY! They went mad! It was soooo funny....I really cannot describe it. They would show me a new exciting way they invented to suck the lollipop that then they would run up to me and say "AUNTI SISTA! Look...(then show me they fancy way to suck the lollipop.) I would say "Woooow...amazing." Then the rest of them would imitate that kid and scream,, "me too...sista I invented that also!" HAHAHHA. Somewhere in their schooling they learned that American's love chocolate and somehow they also learned that every American candy is called "chocolate" So they kept thanking me for their sour apple chocolate. First you need to understand that Akash is very dark skinned and in the darkness of the room he thought his grape sucker was black. After most of the excitement about the "chocolate" died down Akash ran up to me and yelled "Aunti! Me black skin...me black chocolate!!!" He was so happy at this discovery and kept repeating it all night for me, he probably didn't understand why I thought it was so funny,but he kept saying it because he knew I would laugh.
Quote of the trip so far.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
How Little Suffices For Happiness
I've had two very different things teach me the very same lesson recently. I'm reading Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankel, he was a physcotherapist and it's a story of his struggle through the holocaust, more significantly a physcologist view from inside the prison bars at the worst concentration camps. Through his desperate situation he found not only hope but even laughter and bliss! He says...
"What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us."
"What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us."
More importantly he talks about love and how it's so simple to miss the point when in striving for an unattainable objects to bring us happiness we forget that love and love alone is more powerful than material things; furthermore we forget that the embodiment of that love is in our families, closest friends, and in our God. All of these are free, and most people miss this simple point. He says, "Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love." This comes from a man dying of starvation and ridden with lice, edema, and typhus.
The same day that I read this I met with Shriram again and through a few of his stories I realized he was getting at the very same message! He wrote this and I want to share it with you...
How Little Suffices For Happiness
by Shriam Jaiswad
Our happiness is not depended upon riches of the world. If we are going to be really happy then even a simple thing can bring us joy. A child on the sea shore playing with a heap of sand is much happier than a king clinging to a heap of gold.
Our happiness is not depended upon riches of the world. If we are going to be really happy then even a simple thing can bring us joy. A child on the sea shore playing with a heap of sand is much happier than a king clinging to a heap of gold.
He had written many sort stories with the moral of love being free and yet priceless. He condemns the greedy politicians and rich brahmin families for their materialistic hording of India's wealth. He even wrote in a story titled The 5 Rupee Note where he mentions how when children find a spare moment in time where they have nothing to do they play, oppositely when an adult has nothing to do he broads over the past and complains about what can be better in his life.
A wonderful and beautiful girl names Sara, from England came to the school yesterday to visit. We talked for hours (I even had to cancel my English classes) and I showed her the temples, ruins, and she wanted to meet Shriram. While there, as usual, he complained about his health and how he has never done anything significant with his life. After a couple of hours of reading his stories, talking, and tea we headed out the gate and he thanked several times for our time. Sara turned around a said "I know you realize you don't have much time left on this earth, but don't forget your own advice. " He asked her what she meant by this and she told him that although he is an adult he should never stop playing. He smiled and we walked away without another word.
A wonderful and beautiful girl names Sara, from England came to the school yesterday to visit. We talked for hours (I even had to cancel my English classes) and I showed her the temples, ruins, and she wanted to meet Shriram. While there, as usual, he complained about his health and how he has never done anything significant with his life. After a couple of hours of reading his stories, talking, and tea we headed out the gate and he thanked several times for our time. Sara turned around a said "I know you realize you don't have much time left on this earth, but don't forget your own advice. " He asked her what she meant by this and she told him that although he is an adult he should never stop playing. He smiled and we walked away without another word.
It's such a basic lesson and we've all heard it before. Love, whether for you wife, your God, or your family...love is the only way to happiness, hope and even bliss. If something in our life is not driven by love, drive it out before in takes up roots and becomes a permanent blight eating away at our happiness and our youth.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Meditations Part 2
Doing more posing than sweeping. "Sistah pictcha...you take..me...I smile...Aunti! Didi Sisti Lisaji...you take!
Sunni Jeshual meditating
Akash never misses a photo opp.
My brothers, Sanjay, Brijesh, and Rajesh! I wouldn't survive without them. Sanjay is the computer guy, Brijesh is the only one around with a drivers licence so he brings us everywhere, he also teaches yoga and history. Rajesh is a class 5 teacher and is helping me learn the art of Indian Cuisine. Both Sanjay and Rajesh want to start an Alice branch in the Chakma village in Northern India.
Laundry...
My room is the far door on the left. There is a garden on the right and through the door and down a path is the Tara Temple.
Vivek putting the final touches on Ganesh.
My home.
Sharvaun coming back from town. He's my chiavalla! The best chia maker in India, next to Jamal Malik.
No'rbu!!!!!! The one and only. Right now he has a huge swollen hand because of a bad infection from an oil burn while cooking...poor guy. :(
Omar, No'rbu, Boom, Sonnu, Vikash and Me! Sunday, August 23, 2009
Meditation and Tobias
The meditation went really well, we did a feet washing ceremony with jasmine and lemon scented water, 14 young boys, candles and Samskeyti (Heima version) playing the background...as you can see it was crazy beyond words amazing. Then we laid down and meditated for about a half an hour while Hoppipolla, Se Lest, Vaka, Festival and my favorite
Ára bátur played loudly. Yes. They loved it! Guru, Akash, and Vivek want to do it every night. Haha.
I visited Shirim, a 75 year old post teacher of the Alice Project. he is too ill to come to work so I visited him at his apartment yesterday and this morning as well. His wife made us Chai and served lemon cookies, which I know for them were really expensive. Everyone here goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. If a member of the community sees they are friends with an American it makes them have more status in the community and also they are very curious people. Shirim is old and very sick but he is so interesting to talk to and has lived a very interesting life. He is very poor and owns no land so he thinks he hasn't done anything useful or worthwhile with his life. He speaks great English as well as Hindi, Sanskrit, and Russian, all of which he taught to himself since he could not afford school and has only passed the 3rd grade. He is a wonderful writer of short moral and biographical stories all rich with imagery and vibrant metaphors. I've been reading them helping him edit and revise what he considers his life's work. They are truly wonderful, 2 have brought me to tears and 3 so far have made me laugh out loud. I'm glad I can help with this and learn what I can from this man who will probably die before my time in India is over. I'm worried about what will happen to his wife when he dies because widows here are considered the lowest of the low in caste. Meeting with him is exhausting because he is a little depressed and mentions it every 10 minutes but I think he likes recalling all of this trips around India, Nepal and Burma for me. Their small one room apartment is filled 3 walls from floor to ceiling with paperback novels and other books he has collected in his life. All in one of the 4 languages he is fluent in. Their chai table is even made of stacks of books, it's quite a sight to see, and I wish one of you could meet him to understand what I am saying to the fullest because I can only write 5% of everything I feel and experience here.
I'm doing pretty good eating with only my right hand, it just takes a lot longer considering everything is rice supplemented so yo get like 20 grains of rice at a time. It's okay though because I get to savor all the taste longer and sit for an hour and joke around with my brothers here. I've officially ridden side-saddle on a bike and motorcycle and it's really fun! Actually I like to think of every excuse I can to go to town so I can ride.
I have some pictures all ready but the computer isn't loading them today.
I think school is getting ready to start at home, actually I don't know the date somewhere between August 20th and 25 I think.
EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!
A friend I meet in Ecuador from Switzerland is coming to India to visit me and we are planning a trip around India for the first two weeks of November! This is so amazing because I really want to see India and this will be really fun because he is very adventurous and super friendly. Plus (mom) it will be really safe because he is a part of the Swiss Army. I'm pretty lucky and I know it's so far away but it is really exciting planning a trip! Okay and here is the best part...his name is Tobias, and only Arrested Development fans will understand why obviously this is the best part. (Cam: I miss AD nights!)
I think my package from my family comes tomorrow or Tuesday so I'm eagerly awaiting that!
p.s. I just found out I missed Mango season by a month...BUMMER!!!!
Namaste Friends, Family and Strangers!
Ára bátur played loudly. Yes. They loved it! Guru, Akash, and Vivek want to do it every night. Haha.
I visited Shirim, a 75 year old post teacher of the Alice Project. he is too ill to come to work so I visited him at his apartment yesterday and this morning as well. His wife made us Chai and served lemon cookies, which I know for them were really expensive. Everyone here goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. If a member of the community sees they are friends with an American it makes them have more status in the community and also they are very curious people. Shirim is old and very sick but he is so interesting to talk to and has lived a very interesting life. He is very poor and owns no land so he thinks he hasn't done anything useful or worthwhile with his life. He speaks great English as well as Hindi, Sanskrit, and Russian, all of which he taught to himself since he could not afford school and has only passed the 3rd grade. He is a wonderful writer of short moral and biographical stories all rich with imagery and vibrant metaphors. I've been reading them helping him edit and revise what he considers his life's work. They are truly wonderful, 2 have brought me to tears and 3 so far have made me laugh out loud. I'm glad I can help with this and learn what I can from this man who will probably die before my time in India is over. I'm worried about what will happen to his wife when he dies because widows here are considered the lowest of the low in caste. Meeting with him is exhausting because he is a little depressed and mentions it every 10 minutes but I think he likes recalling all of this trips around India, Nepal and Burma for me. Their small one room apartment is filled 3 walls from floor to ceiling with paperback novels and other books he has collected in his life. All in one of the 4 languages he is fluent in. Their chai table is even made of stacks of books, it's quite a sight to see, and I wish one of you could meet him to understand what I am saying to the fullest because I can only write 5% of everything I feel and experience here.
I'm doing pretty good eating with only my right hand, it just takes a lot longer considering everything is rice supplemented so yo get like 20 grains of rice at a time. It's okay though because I get to savor all the taste longer and sit for an hour and joke around with my brothers here. I've officially ridden side-saddle on a bike and motorcycle and it's really fun! Actually I like to think of every excuse I can to go to town so I can ride.
I have some pictures all ready but the computer isn't loading them today.
I think school is getting ready to start at home, actually I don't know the date somewhere between August 20th and 25 I think.
EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!
A friend I meet in Ecuador from Switzerland is coming to India to visit me and we are planning a trip around India for the first two weeks of November! This is so amazing because I really want to see India and this will be really fun because he is very adventurous and super friendly. Plus (mom) it will be really safe because he is a part of the Swiss Army. I'm pretty lucky and I know it's so far away but it is really exciting planning a trip! Okay and here is the best part...his name is Tobias, and only Arrested Development fans will understand why obviously this is the best part. (Cam: I miss AD nights!)
I think my package from my family comes tomorrow or Tuesday so I'm eagerly awaiting that!
p.s. I just found out I missed Mango season by a month...BUMMER!!!!
Namaste Friends, Family and Strangers!
Friday, August 21, 2009
American Meditation and Caddo Bunga
Yesterday I learned a new game called I Spies, it's sort of like a backwards version of hide and seek. You chase hide and then try to touch the person who is "it" before they say your name. I also learned to make a new delcious kind of curry and am going to practice making it tonight. In other news I massacured serveral spider families (hundreds of babies) today. I needed a boy or perhaps Hagrid to help me but I went it alone and I think I did a spendid job. Hopefully I can sleep more soundly tonight.
In my adult enligh class yesterday we attempted to play blows, attempted being the key word here folks. I tried to explain what to put on the cards and almost everyone wrote different proverbs. It was so difficult to get through the first round with a bunch of deep sayings on the cards, and they didn't understnad the game, and they don't speak english well. Bowls fail.
I decided, other than family and friends obviously, I will miss fnp and bowls. I'm starting lost season 3 on my Ipod tonight thanks to Michael Watson.
Norbu and Bikash and some of the boys wanted me to teach them some "american meditation." Haha I racked my brain and tonight I'm going to have them lay down in a comfortable posistion and play sigur ros songs for an hour. I know they will love it because they are really open minded and love every little thing. Plus I think this is giving America a way better reputation in meditation than we deserve. I can't wait! It's going to be awesome...it made me think of when I used to do that at night on field b at camp. On that note it's official, Akash is a Caddo. And also I found out from my Indian friends that so was Ghandi.
Sorry if your my family not from Missouri because you probably missed most of the references in this post. I love and miss you and yes Aunt Rose, Oreos would be crazy amazing. It will be a different experience since they serve their milk steaming hot. Still delicous though, I;m sure.
Namaste!
In my adult enligh class yesterday we attempted to play blows, attempted being the key word here folks. I tried to explain what to put on the cards and almost everyone wrote different proverbs. It was so difficult to get through the first round with a bunch of deep sayings on the cards, and they didn't understnad the game, and they don't speak english well. Bowls fail.
I decided, other than family and friends obviously, I will miss fnp and bowls. I'm starting lost season 3 on my Ipod tonight thanks to Michael Watson.
Norbu and Bikash and some of the boys wanted me to teach them some "american meditation." Haha I racked my brain and tonight I'm going to have them lay down in a comfortable posistion and play sigur ros songs for an hour. I know they will love it because they are really open minded and love every little thing. Plus I think this is giving America a way better reputation in meditation than we deserve. I can't wait! It's going to be awesome...it made me think of when I used to do that at night on field b at camp. On that note it's official, Akash is a Caddo. And also I found out from my Indian friends that so was Ghandi.
Sorry if your my family not from Missouri because you probably missed most of the references in this post. I love and miss you and yes Aunt Rose, Oreos would be crazy amazing. It will be a different experience since they serve their milk steaming hot. Still delicous though, I;m sure.
Namaste!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Bangles and Bling
A little girl named Shawani told me I wouldn't be a pretty Indian girl unless I wore glass bangles on my arms and gold earrings. I rememberd yesterday at the market, they were 40 rupees so I bought them. She wasn't lying...I've only been awake here for 3 hours and I've gotten 5 compliments.
Only In India! Part 2
No'rbu, dancing inside the temple. He's from Nepal and hasn't seen his family in 7 years he said.
The one and only Akash on the left, then some kid I don't know then on the right is Bikash *Akash's older brother*
Fruit, Balloons, Toys, Flowers, Incense, Curry, Statues, Books, Streamers, Posters, etc...
Some of my Cricket friends.
2 of the nuns who live at the Tara temple at the Alice Project.
Happy Independence Day India!
Watching the dancing and festivities.
Henna tattoos. These children were getting ready to do a reenactment.
Waiting. Presh.
Looking out from one of the classrooms.
Akash being hilarious.
Pankaj on the right and Boom on the left. Pankaj is one of two teachers at a branch school 4 hours away. Boom is 15 years old, he's a refugee from Tibet, he speaks Tibetan, Hindi, Italian, and English, he is also teaching himself physics. *He is the one who put the green rope lights on the Buddha.*
Just Dance! I forgot the upload the few with me in them sorry everyone.
In front of the Shrine, I'm in the back right corner with Akash and Bikash smashing me.
No'rbu wanted me to take a picture of him pretending to meditate. Haha, he is absolutely amazing and has the biggest smile.Sunday, August 16, 2009
Only In India
Here is a new and better address (use it instead):
Universal education school
Alice project
Ghurohoopur, singhpur sarnath -varanasi
State-uttar pradesh
pin code-221007
Friday was great because it was a holiday for some Hindu god, Krishna maybe? Who knows there are like 300,000,000 so one of the important ones I guess. The goddess had something to do with children so they got out of school. In the afternoon a bunch of us gathered in the temple at the Project (there are two: one for Hindus and one for Buddhist, and there is a huge statue of Mary and Jesus in a glass case right in front of the shrine for Buddha, so who really knows what's going on?) Anyways I was cracking up all afternoon because I got to watch 16 guys attempt and reattempt to set up the perfect shrine for Krishna. It was hilarious! First of all other than artists men don't have the best sense of aesthetics and decorating. So first they set up this tiny table with a golden statue of the god and put a flower by her. They lit incense and then decided that this was a sucky shrine so they got a little bit bigger table and added some more statues and flowers and two spots for incense. Still not good enough...not even kidding 2 hour, 5 tables,11 different sized an colored silk cloths later this is what they came up with: It's a large table one foot from the ground with 4 spots of incense and lots of statues and huge necklaces of flowers strung together. They went into town and bought some Christmasy tinsel and glitter and balloons and what looks like birthday streamers. They hung these all around inside the temple and around the shrine until it was definitely a fire hazard. Okay so that's not good enough, so then they go into storage and get a huge trash bag of these manky old smelly stuffed animals, and army men, and McDonald's toys and arranged these ever so carefully around everything else. My favorite was the stuffed Santa Claus hanging from the ceiling. For the final, final, final touch obviously some blinking Christmas lights were used all around the Shrine until the whole scene looked like some Bollywood version of Christmas Vacation. Amazing. The best part was the Buddhist student Boom was sad that in comparison the Buddha statue looked boring so he found some lime green rope lights and swirled them around him. HAHA! No one understood why I thought it was so funny. They were 100% serious about how freaking beautiful it was and that made everything better.
Then from 5:00 pm to midnight the boys who live at the school had a huge dance party playing the same few technoy-Indian-discoy songs over and over. It was SOOOO LOUD! I felt like I was back at Bungalow 6 in Ecuador. I was talking to Cameron on the phone and had to walk at least 200 feet away and close the library door before I could hear anything. So I discovered that Akash is such a good dancer! People were giving him rupees because he was so entertaining. He would go up the the speaker and act like it was a girl and bow to it, then pretend to dance with it and blow kisses why he was dancing. All the boys were really good dancers though, I think it's from watching too many Bollywood films. After a bunch of "Aunti Aunti, you dance! I show you! You dance! I teach!" I couldn't say no and I tried my best, which in comparison was dismal but the pictures are still framed so at least none of you can judge me. I laughed so incredibly much that night, mainly at Akash and No'rbu being hilarious break dancers right in front of this crazy Krishna shrine thing.
Then Saturday was the Indian Independence from England (1947 I think.) The students and a bunch of the community came and watched as several students sing and Do dance reenactments of certain events. They dressed in beautiful colored sarees adorned with henna on their hands and feet and jewelry all over their faces. That night was the t.v. premiere of Slumdog Millionaire (Slumdog Coltapati) and twenty five of us made green cheesy curry and watched. Earlier that day Rajeesh and Devendra were walking to Sarnath to buy sweets for the boys because of slumdog and the festival but got caught in a huge monsoon. We had to huddle with many others under the shelter of a tea shop till the rain was walkable.
So I really need to de-spider my room but I'm so afraid to try and move or kill the spiders because they are really jumpy and stealthy. Until last night we have had an agreement about me now smashing their webs as long as they don't get of their webs. Today the 2 biggest broke the deal and now I'm all about revenge...as soon as I get a really long stick and some guts to do it.
I'm working on getting some pictures of the dance party and festival up soon!
Namaste. Goodbye.
Pedimilanghe. Goodnight.
Subrahtre. Talk to you later.
http://http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/2221993428_4efc9f090a.jpg?v=0
Universal education school
Alice project
Ghurohoopur, singhpur sarnath -varanasi
State-uttar pradesh
pin code-221007
Friday was great because it was a holiday for some Hindu god, Krishna maybe? Who knows there are like 300,000,000 so one of the important ones I guess. The goddess had something to do with children so they got out of school. In the afternoon a bunch of us gathered in the temple at the Project (there are two: one for Hindus and one for Buddhist, and there is a huge statue of Mary and Jesus in a glass case right in front of the shrine for Buddha, so who really knows what's going on?) Anyways I was cracking up all afternoon because I got to watch 16 guys attempt and reattempt to set up the perfect shrine for Krishna. It was hilarious! First of all other than artists men don't have the best sense of aesthetics and decorating. So first they set up this tiny table with a golden statue of the god and put a flower by her. They lit incense and then decided that this was a sucky shrine so they got a little bit bigger table and added some more statues and flowers and two spots for incense. Still not good enough...not even kidding 2 hour, 5 tables,11 different sized an colored silk cloths later this is what they came up with: It's a large table one foot from the ground with 4 spots of incense and lots of statues and huge necklaces of flowers strung together. They went into town and bought some Christmasy tinsel and glitter and balloons and what looks like birthday streamers. They hung these all around inside the temple and around the shrine until it was definitely a fire hazard. Okay so that's not good enough, so then they go into storage and get a huge trash bag of these manky old smelly stuffed animals, and army men, and McDonald's toys and arranged these ever so carefully around everything else. My favorite was the stuffed Santa Claus hanging from the ceiling. For the final, final, final touch obviously some blinking Christmas lights were used all around the Shrine until the whole scene looked like some Bollywood version of Christmas Vacation. Amazing. The best part was the Buddhist student Boom was sad that in comparison the Buddha statue looked boring so he found some lime green rope lights and swirled them around him. HAHA! No one understood why I thought it was so funny. They were 100% serious about how freaking beautiful it was and that made everything better.
Then from 5:00 pm to midnight the boys who live at the school had a huge dance party playing the same few technoy-Indian-discoy songs over and over. It was SOOOO LOUD! I felt like I was back at Bungalow 6 in Ecuador. I was talking to Cameron on the phone and had to walk at least 200 feet away and close the library door before I could hear anything. So I discovered that Akash is such a good dancer! People were giving him rupees because he was so entertaining. He would go up the the speaker and act like it was a girl and bow to it, then pretend to dance with it and blow kisses why he was dancing. All the boys were really good dancers though, I think it's from watching too many Bollywood films. After a bunch of "Aunti Aunti, you dance! I show you! You dance! I teach!" I couldn't say no and I tried my best, which in comparison was dismal but the pictures are still framed so at least none of you can judge me. I laughed so incredibly much that night, mainly at Akash and No'rbu being hilarious break dancers right in front of this crazy Krishna shrine thing.
Then Saturday was the Indian Independence from England (1947 I think.) The students and a bunch of the community came and watched as several students sing and Do dance reenactments of certain events. They dressed in beautiful colored sarees adorned with henna on their hands and feet and jewelry all over their faces. That night was the t.v. premiere of Slumdog Millionaire (Slumdog Coltapati) and twenty five of us made green cheesy curry and watched. Earlier that day Rajeesh and Devendra were walking to Sarnath to buy sweets for the boys because of slumdog and the festival but got caught in a huge monsoon. We had to huddle with many others under the shelter of a tea shop till the rain was walkable.
So I really need to de-spider my room but I'm so afraid to try and move or kill the spiders because they are really jumpy and stealthy. Until last night we have had an agreement about me now smashing their webs as long as they don't get of their webs. Today the 2 biggest broke the deal and now I'm all about revenge...as soon as I get a really long stick and some guts to do it.
I'm working on getting some pictures of the dance party and festival up soon!
Namaste. Goodbye.
Pedimilanghe. Goodnight.
Subrahtre. Talk to you later.
http://http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/2221993428_4efc9f090a.jpg?v=0
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Cricket and Curry
So last night Rajeesh and Sharvaun said my food was too boring so they taught me to make real delicious Indian curry. Yumm! One dish down... Today I prepared for the English class by writing down new vocabulary words from Blessed To Be A Witness by Ben Harper. Yesterday I played them Let It Be, and they didn't understand it all all, it was hilarious, 35 blank faces staring up at me! They also really like the phrase "it's not a big deal" and say it all the time to me. I think I will call class early today and play cricket because I need to work on my bowling "pitching" which is difficult. So the rules of Criket are very confusing if you only understand 1/2 the words they say and 1/2 those words you can only understand some of the pronuction. haha but I'm catching on fine I think. They keep encouraging me and they say I'm really good for a girl, but I think that's pushing it a little too far. We lose the ball a lot over the walls of the school and they children climb up the wall so fast, shoelessly, they look like monkeys the way they can climb trees and walls like it's no big deal that it's 12 feet high.
Mom: I did not forget to call you, I just went to Varanasi to the orphanage instead, sorry but I really wanted to go because it was a good chance for me to see the city and the ganga.
Oh by the way I haven't said anything about the weather but it's be really freaking hot if you hadn't already figured that out. Also the rainy season has been really dry here due to climate change so the crops are more expensive and the villages wells are slowing running dry. It's supposed to rain every single say but it has only rained once. Very sad. And when I said "it is hot" I mean 10x hotter than camp. First it's hot yes, but I have to wear long pants and a scarf. Second it's not just 'sweat through your clothes hot" it's "sweat so much you go back in time and sweat through any clothes you have ever worn, yeah like a wormhole" I wake up very thirsty because of sweating so much in the night time. Speaking of sleeping...I'm having lots of zombie dreams...what can this mean? Professor Trealwny?
About 20 boys live here at the school because they live too far away from the school, like Burma or Nepal, or because they are refugees of persectution because they are Buddist in a Muslim area. So Valentino lets them live here but they live in a room all together with no toys except a soccer ball and a cricket ball *that I bought.* I would like to get them some board games or toys and maybe candy. They also need clothes if you have extra smaller shirts or small shorts or kids pants. If you want to help the boys at the school but don't want to pay for shipping you can send me a check at my home address
Lisa Dennis
15818 N. Eldridge
Holt, MO 64048
and my mom can deposit the check and I can buy the children new clothes *most only have 2 shirts* or games. It's not that I'm asking anyone to send anything, the only reason I have said this is because a few people have asked for this information and I said I would put it in the blog.
I miss you all!
Namaste,
Lisa
Mom: I did not forget to call you, I just went to Varanasi to the orphanage instead, sorry but I really wanted to go because it was a good chance for me to see the city and the ganga.
Oh by the way I haven't said anything about the weather but it's be really freaking hot if you hadn't already figured that out. Also the rainy season has been really dry here due to climate change so the crops are more expensive and the villages wells are slowing running dry. It's supposed to rain every single say but it has only rained once. Very sad. And when I said "it is hot" I mean 10x hotter than camp. First it's hot yes, but I have to wear long pants and a scarf. Second it's not just 'sweat through your clothes hot" it's "sweat so much you go back in time and sweat through any clothes you have ever worn, yeah like a wormhole" I wake up very thirsty because of sweating so much in the night time. Speaking of sleeping...I'm having lots of zombie dreams...what can this mean? Professor Trealwny?
About 20 boys live here at the school because they live too far away from the school, like Burma or Nepal, or because they are refugees of persectution because they are Buddist in a Muslim area. So Valentino lets them live here but they live in a room all together with no toys except a soccer ball and a cricket ball *that I bought.* I would like to get them some board games or toys and maybe candy. They also need clothes if you have extra smaller shirts or small shorts or kids pants. If you want to help the boys at the school but don't want to pay for shipping you can send me a check at my home address
Lisa Dennis
15818 N. Eldridge
Holt, MO 64048
and my mom can deposit the check and I can buy the children new clothes *most only have 2 shirts* or games. It's not that I'm asking anyone to send anything, the only reason I have said this is because a few people have asked for this information and I said I would put it in the blog.
I miss you all!
Namaste,
Lisa
Monday, August 10, 2009
I'm not sure how to express everything that has been happening and in no way can I begin to type out the richness of the colors, smells, etc. I'm going to try and give an example of what my day here looks like. Yesterday (Sunday) is the only day that the children have off from school. So tried to sleep in but failed and got up at 7am. I made myself some bread with tomatoes cut up on top. mmm haha you kind of have to get used to organic tasteless food after awhile. Which reminds me, I am kicking myself for forgetting the Emerils Essence Joel gave me before I left, darn! Then I had my first washing-my-clothes-in-a-bucket experience. I think it went well though. As a scrubbed the clothes against the cement ground with soap and water, a smaller than average sized boy name Akash "took in shower" meaning he just frantically splashed himself all over, it was really cute. When I was hanging them up to dry it started raining, I laughed because it had not rained since I have been to India, yet as soon as I hang my clothes to dry in was pouring! Then I played soccer/football with Bikash, Akash, No'rbu, and Bhoom. Then the 4 of us walked to a market about 25 minutes away and we got some onions, green beans, potatoes, pomegranets, apples, jam, and some spicy nut snacks. This is what I will eat for the next week. I'm going to try to see how many different ways I can stretch these few ingredients into new dishes. Luckily the Italians left me a couple bags of pasta before the left for Italy, although I will lament the day it runs out. So after the market we walked to a 'zoo' it was kind of sad all the animals looked depressed and hot. I tried to learn some Hindi animals names but I didn't have my hindi notebook (copi) so I cannot remember. Then when I got back Valentino introduced me to a nice Italian man who has been living in Varanasi (Benares) for 3 years. He started a school there that has adopted the Alice Projects philosophy. A boy who lives at the school made us a feast of boiled potatoes, bread, and pasta with tomatoes and onions. It was sooo good and the conversation was better. Valentino and I talked about a class I will be teaching from 3-6 pm every day. It will be an intensive English course for the younger teachers and bright students Valentino recommended. There will be around 18 students (all male) haha. All of the young teachers are my age who live at the school and they are very nice and respectful. They treat me like a sister and are always offering to make me some chia ('tea' in Hindi.) When I changed rooms they ran and begged me to let them carry my stuff so I didn't have to lift anything heavy.
Later that night Valentino, Rishikar, Sanjay, Pankaj, and I went into Varanasi, a 30 minute drive where we visited a school/orphange that overlooks the Ganges (Ganga in hindi) river. It's huge, very slow moving, and very very polluted due to the cremation of bodies, factories, and holy oils poured into it. The orphaned children where so happy and vibrant as they jumped off the dock to swim in the river, I sat there with Sanjay and watched the kids and the sun retreat behind an enormous old Palace built by the British, during their rule. Then I was offered some chi (and I never refuse because it's so good!) and stayed behind while the others went to eat dinner. Rishikar, Sanjay and I stayed to be a part of/witness a Hindu ceremony the orphans do every night to worship the mother goddess and the Guru who founded the school. Legs crossed and eyes closed we repeated 'om' several times while a 'priest-like-boy' passed insense for everyone to rub their hands in and pretend to wash on their face. Then they sang a very long mantra then got out a bunch of drums, bells, and conch shells that they used as horns. It was sort of beyong words, very relaxing yet crazy. Then we took our Jeep to the ghats and ate pizza (score!) and apple pie (double score!) I felt sick on the way home, I think the ice cream was fermented a bit, at least it tasted like alcohol and that can't be good.
Today was a school day and the students arrived at 7am and sang matras and did some meditation for 20 mintues or so. Then I ate apples for breakfast while reading Harry Potter VII. Then for a change of scenery I went to my room and peeled a pomegranet whilst listening to "Everytime" by Britney Spears on repeat (yes, and why? Because that song rules and you know it.) Then I visited Sanjay and we talked about getting a cell phone for me then I did some work preparing for the English class that starts tomorrow. So if you don't already know this I'm not and English teacher by any stretch of the imagination. So my lesson plan is as follows:
First we will discuss China's one child policy and they will prepare a solution in paragraph form and read it out loud. Then I'm going to read The Hobbit to them and discuss it and pick out new vocabulary words. Then will have a break for chia! Lastly I will play them The Lighthouse Tale by Nickle Creek and they will try to figure out the story behind it. Their English is just okay so this all will take 3 hours, then class dismissed! Who wants to join? So basically my making preparations for the class is reading the Hobbit and listening tomy Ipod. Yes please. So after I 'prepared' I went to a 5 grade class of students and helped with an English lesson then taught them to play hangman. Oh, and I also taught them "If all the raindrops were lemondrops and gumdrops oh what a rain that would be..." because it was raining at the time. They like the song but honestly their pronuciation of words is so poor that their singing sounded like a bunch of goats who were very thirsty (which thanks to India, I know what that sounds like).
Then went to Tara Temple and attended a philosophy lesson that Valentino teaches every day for the older students and teachers of older students. His lessons are crazy interesting but difficult to follow because of his Italian accent, then of course I don't understand the Hindi translator. But I think since it is every day I will pick up of his accent and get more out of them.
Then I made myself lunch potatoes, green beans and onions and drank apple flavored water while saying namaste about 700 times to students and reading about the Silver Doe, the mysterious patronus that led Harry straight to the sword of Gryffindor! Now, I'm waiting for Sanjay and Shukindruh to pick me up and go shopping in Varanasi seeing as I have 2 pairs of pants and a skirt. Okay, I can't type anymore but I hope you are all having a great time in "Amedika." :)
Next time I will write about the specific needs of the school if anyone is interested, oh yea and yoga and crikett.
Namaste
Later that night Valentino, Rishikar, Sanjay, Pankaj, and I went into Varanasi, a 30 minute drive where we visited a school/orphange that overlooks the Ganges (Ganga in hindi) river. It's huge, very slow moving, and very very polluted due to the cremation of bodies, factories, and holy oils poured into it. The orphaned children where so happy and vibrant as they jumped off the dock to swim in the river, I sat there with Sanjay and watched the kids and the sun retreat behind an enormous old Palace built by the British, during their rule. Then I was offered some chi (and I never refuse because it's so good!) and stayed behind while the others went to eat dinner. Rishikar, Sanjay and I stayed to be a part of/witness a Hindu ceremony the orphans do every night to worship the mother goddess and the Guru who founded the school. Legs crossed and eyes closed we repeated 'om' several times while a 'priest-like-boy' passed insense for everyone to rub their hands in and pretend to wash on their face. Then they sang a very long mantra then got out a bunch of drums, bells, and conch shells that they used as horns. It was sort of beyong words, very relaxing yet crazy. Then we took our Jeep to the ghats and ate pizza (score!) and apple pie (double score!) I felt sick on the way home, I think the ice cream was fermented a bit, at least it tasted like alcohol and that can't be good.
Today was a school day and the students arrived at 7am and sang matras and did some meditation for 20 mintues or so. Then I ate apples for breakfast while reading Harry Potter VII. Then for a change of scenery I went to my room and peeled a pomegranet whilst listening to "Everytime" by Britney Spears on repeat (yes, and why? Because that song rules and you know it.) Then I visited Sanjay and we talked about getting a cell phone for me then I did some work preparing for the English class that starts tomorrow. So if you don't already know this I'm not and English teacher by any stretch of the imagination. So my lesson plan is as follows:
First we will discuss China's one child policy and they will prepare a solution in paragraph form and read it out loud. Then I'm going to read The Hobbit to them and discuss it and pick out new vocabulary words. Then will have a break for chia! Lastly I will play them The Lighthouse Tale by Nickle Creek and they will try to figure out the story behind it. Their English is just okay so this all will take 3 hours, then class dismissed! Who wants to join? So basically my making preparations for the class is reading the Hobbit and listening tomy Ipod. Yes please. So after I 'prepared' I went to a 5 grade class of students and helped with an English lesson then taught them to play hangman. Oh, and I also taught them "If all the raindrops were lemondrops and gumdrops oh what a rain that would be..." because it was raining at the time. They like the song but honestly their pronuciation of words is so poor that their singing sounded like a bunch of goats who were very thirsty (which thanks to India, I know what that sounds like).
Then went to Tara Temple and attended a philosophy lesson that Valentino teaches every day for the older students and teachers of older students. His lessons are crazy interesting but difficult to follow because of his Italian accent, then of course I don't understand the Hindi translator. But I think since it is every day I will pick up of his accent and get more out of them.
Then I made myself lunch potatoes, green beans and onions and drank apple flavored water while saying namaste about 700 times to students and reading about the Silver Doe, the mysterious patronus that led Harry straight to the sword of Gryffindor! Now, I'm waiting for Sanjay and Shukindruh to pick me up and go shopping in Varanasi seeing as I have 2 pairs of pants and a skirt. Okay, I can't type anymore but I hope you are all having a great time in "Amedika." :)
Next time I will write about the specific needs of the school if anyone is interested, oh yea and yoga and crikett.
Namaste
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Aunti! Aunti!
Lisa Dennis
Alice Project Universal Education School
Ghurahoopur, Sarnath, Varanasi-221007
(U.P.) India
I have to make this quick because I have Italian women waiting for me. I will elaborate on my adventures later. So far India is crazy and wonderful. New Delhi and Varanasi are very very busy and confusing but Sarnath and the smaller village Ghurahoopur (where the Alice Project is) are smaller and quieter. Yesterday was a holiday festival for brothers and sisters so there was no school, I visited the first place Buddah gave a sermon, there were monks from all over the world and the place was covered in colorful prayer cloths. I haven't been eating any hoof soup-type things yet because I have the Italians to cook pasta and all sorts of delicious food for me. There are about 20 students who live at the school with me and I am already growing close to them. Today at school I got introduced to the schools 1,000 students! SO wonderful! They call me "leesha" or Aunti! I think I am too old to be an Aunt so I told them to call me "sista" but out of respect they will not. They are very poliet greeting you with a bow saying "namaste, how are you Aunti?" Later I will tell you about my adventures learning Crikett (spelling?) and yoga. (They are pretty hilarious.)
Today poor Akash, a 12 year old boy who is a good friend of mine now, is very ill. I think he has the flu, Sharvan told me he had "oily poo" haha. Well on that note...namaste!
Alice Project Universal Education School
Ghurahoopur, Sarnath, Varanasi-221007
(U.P.) India
I have to make this quick because I have Italian women waiting for me. I will elaborate on my adventures later. So far India is crazy and wonderful. New Delhi and Varanasi are very very busy and confusing but Sarnath and the smaller village Ghurahoopur (where the Alice Project is) are smaller and quieter. Yesterday was a holiday festival for brothers and sisters so there was no school, I visited the first place Buddah gave a sermon, there were monks from all over the world and the place was covered in colorful prayer cloths. I haven't been eating any hoof soup-type things yet because I have the Italians to cook pasta and all sorts of delicious food for me. There are about 20 students who live at the school with me and I am already growing close to them. Today at school I got introduced to the schools 1,000 students! SO wonderful! They call me "leesha" or Aunti! I think I am too old to be an Aunt so I told them to call me "sista" but out of respect they will not. They are very poliet greeting you with a bow saying "namaste, how are you Aunti?" Later I will tell you about my adventures learning Crikett (spelling?) and yoga. (They are pretty hilarious.)
Today poor Akash, a 12 year old boy who is a good friend of mine now, is very ill. I think he has the flu, Sharvan told me he had "oily poo" haha. Well on that note...namaste!
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