Well I'll start with the most important: KU LOST IN THE SECOND ROUND!
If you didn't know, since I have been in college, my life pretty much revolves around KU basketball, literally. Friends know not to call or stop by when a game is on and club meetings, homework, and meals are all scheduled around games. As a RA, I picked my duties based on KU games and in the rare and unlucky times I got stuck with a duty on game night, I did first rounds roughly an hour to half an hour before the game started so as not to miss any of the action. Needless to say, KU basketball is kind of a big deal.
Just like every other fan, I have waited in anticipation for the NCAA tournament because this year was KU's year . . . at least it was supposed to be. We had an awesome starting line up that included talent and experience. We had an amazing coach. The path was set for KU, all they had to do was follow it. And for the most part they did. They only lost 2 games this season. Time and time again they proved why they were the number one team in the nation. This isn't to say that KU didn't have it's moments. There were many games when I would scream at my laptop, (being abroad you can only stream the games) "Who is this playing? Definitely NOT the number one team in the nation!" But then they would win and I'd find a way to forgive them. Although, I'll admit, throughout the season my biggest critique was that KU never played to its potential. They just played what was good enough. And that attitude finally caught up to them. It's one thing not to get the championship and lose in a quality round, say elite 8, final 4, or the championship game. But losing in the second round? EMBARRASSING and RIDICULOUS! Don't get me wrong, I still love the Jayhawks, but seriously?
In addition to my frustration and confusion about the game, I have to admit, I'm a bit upset. Just thinking about the game makes me sick to my stomach.
Everything was set in place . . . it's like being hungry and seeing food in front of you but it's just out of your reach. You can get it if you push yourself to reach far enough. Only in the case of KU, someone named Northern Iowa came and snatched the plate of food away just as you were about to take it. That sucks. Which is why over the last few days I haven't felt well and have yet to watch another game. Yes, it's ridiculous to get upset over a basketball team. But at least I didn't cry, like some of the guys I know. I realize there are more important things in the world to get upset about. Sometimes you need something to distract you from the harshness of life. Basketball is my escape. Moving across the country alone to a place you don't know, is difficult. Or it's supposed to be. I found it was an easy transition because I had basketball to take my mind off of anything that may have made me homesick. Here, when I was having trouble adjusting to the poverty and cultural norms, I could retreat to the world of basketball. So yeah, to some people, it's lame and ridiculous that I care so much (I'm not sure I can watch anymore basketball games until next season) but oh well. Feel free to judge me.
Now on to other things. This weekend I stayed at the residence to watch basketball games. I was supposed to go to Sri Lanka with my friends but I didn't see the point in paying $200 to sit in a hotel room and watch games. Everyone who didn't go to Sri Lanka instead went to Kerala. So the residence was pretty empty. Most of the weekend was spent in my room, but Saturday I managed to go to the Baha'i Lotus Temple. I went on the 20th and the 19th is their New Year, so I only got to go into the main temple and not the information center. This means I'll have to go back, which is alright with me. The temple, built to look like a lotus flower, was amazing. When I first arrived, I thought the temple was small. Ok, it's not small, just smaller than I thought it would be. It's very simple inside, just a series of benches that have marble seats and wood backings, all in rows. It's quiet and you just sit there until you feel like leaving. Four times a day they have prayer time, where scriptures from various religions are recited. I didn't get to see a prayer service, but I'm going to, when I go back. I took a few pictures but I haven't uploaded them yet so I apologize for the lack of visuals.
The other big outing was Sunday night. One of the girls that lived in a homestay, moved back into the residence last week. Apparently everything is always about her host mom and that was really stressing her out. Anyway, the 16th was the beginning of the Navarati festival and they were having a puja at their home. My friend invited me and I said yes. I came here to experience the culture and learn about the religion, so it seemed like an awesome opportunity. The puja (or offering/ceremony) was 4 hours long. We showed up for the last hour and a half. We arrived in the neighborhood and we could hear a loud speaker. I turned to my friend and asked
"Is that coming from your house?"
"No, I don't think so," she replied.
"Is that coming from your house?"
"No, I don't think so," she replied.
As we walked closer to her house we realized it WAS coming from her house. When we got to her house, we ran into a sea of women sitting on the floor. And by sea, I mean between 40-50. On the other side of the room from where we entered, there were about 5 women sitting around a drum. One woman was playing it while 2 others were banging the outer part with metal spoons. The other two women were singing into microphones while the sea of women sang too. We had to walk across to the other side of the room where chairs were cleared for us. The songs were each about 10 minutes long. Some were slow, others sounded like Punjabi hits on the radio. For the latter songs, my friend's former host mom, would randomly grab women and tell them to dance. I wasn't sure if this was a wedding or a religious ceremony! After the singing and dancing, it was time to eat. Various Indian snacks were laid out. I won't attempt to name them because there was so many, but I'll try to describe them. One was what I will refer to as "Indian Chex Mix." It consists of rice crispy looking stuff, nuts, spices and random other things that I don't know the name of. It's both salty and sweet and really good. There were also chips with masala seasoning, puffed rice cake things. I thought they tasted like styrofoam but my friend really likes them. There was also the Indian standard of chai. Even though we arrived late, we were given bindi and bracelets. The bracelets consist of pieces of string and they represent a friendship bond with a goddess. We weren't told, but we think it is the Goddess Durga. Because you are friends with her, if you ever need anything, ie a good grade on an exam, directions, or help, you can ask her. I just really like the bracelet. It's nothing fancy but I think it looks really cool.
And that was the weekend.
In the past few weeks I've done a few things like travel. So now I'm going to attempt to tell you things without making this too long. We'll go in the order that they happened:
Jaipur
Also known as the Pink City, because most of the buildings are made from red sandstone that looks pink, it is the capital of the state of Rajasthan. I went with some of my friends. We had fun but they only cared about shopping. We went to some forts and palaces but they only wanted to walk around for 10 minutes and leave. I wanted to take tours, read the information and really appreciate the place I was visiting. I was in the minority, so we walked around and went shopping. The best part of the trip was when we to this place that can only be described as the "Indian Disneyland." There is an entrance fee that includes a "traditional Rajasthani Thali" and then you have access to various attractions including elephant, camel and bullock cart rides, henna, traditional Rajasthani dancers, live music, puppet shows, carnival games and massages, to name a few. I know it sounds like a tourist trap but there were very few tourists there. This is a very popular hang out for the locals! You bring the kids out on a Friday or Saturday night and in addition to dinner, you'll have hours of entertainment and fun. I liked it because in addition to all of the attractions, we got to ride an elephant. How cool is that? I'll tell you, it's pretty AWESOME! Definitely one of the coolest things I have done here.
Other than that, nothing exciting really happened in Jaipur. Except, at the palaces and forts I got us in for the Indian price, which is a big deal. All national monuments have both a Indian and Foreigner rate that is set by the government. Indian price: 10 rupees. Foreigner price: 250 rupees. If you are in India for more than 180 days you have to register as an Indian resident. I'm here fore 186. At first I was angry because the Foreign Office for Registration is a bureaucratic nightmare and basically a waste of an entire day . . . in which you aren't even guaranteed to get registered! The day I went, I was lucky enough to get in and out in 3 hours. Some of my fellow classmates were there for 8 hours! My logic is, if I had to get this thing, I'm going to use it. So with a little persistence and Hindi I was able to negotiate the Indian price. We spent all of a dollar to see stuff. If we paid the foreigner price, that would have instead been about $20.
I also helped my friends out with shopping. Using the bargaining skills I learned in Oman, I was able to get stuff brought down to nearly half of the original price. Perhaps when I actually buy something I'll get a good deal. Until then, I'm having a good time enhancing my bargaining skills.
Agra
My program takes us on "field trips." The first was to Khujaraho, the second was Agra and the final trip will be to Darjeeling. I'm excited because on Easter Sunday, I get to watch the sun rise on the Himalayas! But about Agra . . .
This "field trip" was an actual field trip. I say "field trip" because it's kind of a joke. They pay for all of our accommodations. We have to show up to see stuff during the day and at night, we are given money to feed and entertain ourselves. However in Agra, one of our professors came and we actually had to listen to a lecture. She was our personal tour guide at every site we went to; most of which we only went to because they were part of her lecture.
The most shocking part about Agra was when I realized that I basically spent 48 hours visiting tombs. The architecture it just so amazing, you forget that these are mausoleums where dead bodies are housed. Ever since I was a kid, I've been freaked out by dead bodies. I think it's because I saw MJ's Thriller video when I was too young. I also recall going to a funeral when I was 5 (I think) of a relative in Guthrie, OK. I don't remember knowing the relative but I remember being freaked out about seeing a dead body. I thought it was awkward, who looks at dead bodies? My mom said we just had to walk by and I didn't have to look if I didn't want to, so I felt better. That was until the first few people got up to view the body and one of my cousins, who was an adult, broke down at the casket. He started crying and then he hugged the body. I remember sitting in the pews thinking something along the lines of, "You know that's a dead body right?" The whole scene just freaked me out and for some reason, even though he touched the body, I was afraid it would touch me. And so began my fear of dead bodies. I've always hated going to the cemetery for Memorial Day. The whole idea of being in the land of dead bodies just bothered me. Until 8th grade, when I went to Arlington National Cemetery and for the first time in my life I wasn't afraid of a cemetery. Being there I didn't even think about the dead bodies and since then, I've been okay with the dead. Even at funerals since , when you have to view the body, I've been okay. But the idea of dead bodies still bothers me. When I die I want to be cremated. I don't want my body to rot and freak out young children. So, when it finally hit me that I was visiting tombs, aka houses of dead bodies, I had to step back and think about that. It made me really appreciate the beauty in facades.
We went to Agra on the night of a full moon so the first time I saw the Taj Mahal was under the moonlight. For night viewings, you are only allowed to go up to a platform that is at least a football field and a half. away from the actual building. Standing there, looking out at the Taj Mahal, I was absolutely speechless. Even though I couldn't make out the intricate details, the building was still so beautiful and being there felt surreal. For thirty minutes I stood in the moonlight in pure bliss. To be honest, it was as if time stopped because I was in a trance from the mesmerizing Taj. I remember walking to the platform, looking out, and trying to take pictures. Eventually, we found out that if you adjust the exposure on your camera, you could get a decent picture. I took a few pictures and then I found a good gazing spot and then the next thing I remember is being told that we had to leave. I looked down at my watch and magically 25 minutes had passed.
As a group we decided that we wanted to see the Taj at sunrise so we had to leave at 5:45. The Indian government officials have a different idea of sunrise than everyone else. I thought we would actually be inside and get to see the sun rise on the Taj. The Indian government's idea of sunrise is when the sun is "officially risen." So once that happens they let you in. What I'm trying to say, is that I had to get up at 5:45 only to wait for half an hour to see the Taj. That means I could have slept for an extra 30 minutes and still made it at the same time. Thank you Indian Government for robbing me of 30 minutes of sleep!
Before leaving, my friend Sara and I decided that we would take our stuffed animals to the Taj for pictures. Sara's dad gave her a "travel buddy" before she left. It's a small and white teddy bear that is about 6 inches long. She named it Monkey. My stuffed animal is a moose. It's about a foot long and is an unofficial travel buddy. Not long after I decided to go abroad for a year, my best friend broke the news that she was graduating a semester early. So when I return, she won't be there. One of the main reasons I love Rochester is because she is there. She was taken back that I was leaving for a year and I was shocked that we wouldn't be spending our last semester of college together. I think it's going to be tough to not have her for a semester but she has to deal with two semesters without me. Don't worry, she's already told me that if our friendship dies, it's my fault.
With all of this in mind, I wanted to do something to demonstrate that I both care about her, and our friendship. Also, even if I can't be there in person, perhaps I could be there in other ways. So, last semester, whenever I wasn't hanging out with people, I was working on "The project." For 3 and a half months I came up with 12 different gifts that I thought would make the year easier. On the 6th day of every month (6 is her favorite number), she opens the gift for that month. Each gift has a letter explaining why I picked the gift/it's significance. March's gift was a moose because her favorite animal is a moose. We each have an almost identical moose. The only difference is that hers has a red ribbon and mine had a green one. I got rid of the ribbon because I thought it made it look to dressed up. Her moose is supposed to represent me and my moose represents her. My moose is named Spock (my nickname for her) and her moose is named Bow (her nickname for me is Lil' Bo and the name has a double meaning because the moose is wearing a bow). We came up with the names on our own, by the way. Whenever someone leaves or dies, people always try to comfort you by saying that the person will always be with you, in your heart. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? What good is someone if they are in my heart? I can't talk to them. I can't see them. I need something tangible. So we each have a moose and now, in addition to being in each other's hearts, we're always together.
So I thought it would be cool to take pictures with Spock at the Taj. Only, stuffed animals aren't allowed into the Taj Mahal complex. So Monkey and Spock were put in my backpack and one of the shopkeepers outside of the Taj Mahal watched them for us. Who knew that you couldn't take stuffed animals in?
I thought the Taj was pretty awesome at night, but it was breathtaking during the day. Suddenly all of the inlays were visible, so in addition to the beautiful white marble, there were colored jewels all over. The symmetry is also more apparent during the day. Shah Jahan, the Sultan who commissioned the Taj Mahal, made sure that no matter what side of the Taj Mahal you are standing on, it looks identical. Aside from the beauty of the building itself, the symmetry really adds to the experience.
To be honest, I don't really know what to say about the Taj Mahal. It's beautiful. It took my breath away. I didn't fully believe it was real until I touched it. But you've heard all of that before. There is just no way to fully convey visiting the Taj Mahal except that it's not just a visit. It is an experience. My professor told me that she has been to the Taj Mahal a million times and every time she goes she finds something new. I won't say that going to the Taj Mahal changed my life, but I did feel different after seeing it. Maybe that's a consequence of fulfilling a life dream. Maybe the place is just magical? I will say, that pictures don't do the place justice. I'd seen the Taj Mahal a million times in pictures and when I saw it in person, it was almost like I was seeing it for the first time.
Also, being at the Taj Mahal made me think about doing things for the people I love. This amazing structure was built after the love of Shah Jahan's life, died. She never got to see the beautiful creation he had erected in her honor. I think it's great that he built it, but how awesome would it have been if she also saw it? I have no doubts that she was aware of how much he loved her; she went with him everywhere he went. But as I was walking inside of the actual building and looking at the tombs, it occurred to me just how much I hate eulogies. Why it that we wait until someone is dead to say how we really felt about them? Maybe I'm narcissistic and I just like hearing good things about myself, but I think waiting until someone is dead and can't hear what you are saying is useless and being at the Taj Mahal only helped reinforce that. Since my visit, I have decided to make more of an effort to tell people how much they mean to me.
Salaam Baalak Trust Walk
In my Cities of Delhi Class, we have field trips. Most of them are to ruins or monuments. However, last week we went on the Salaam Baalak Trust walk. Salaam Baalak Trust is a non-profit organization that was started by the Indian Director Mira Nair after the release of her movie Salaam Bombay, which is about street children. Over 300 trains come into Delhi every day and every train that comes to Delhi has at least one child who has runaway from home. Many of these kids are picked up by gangs and either forced into prostitution or begging on the streets ,only to have the money they make taken by the gangs. SBT tries to provide them with a safe alternative.
The walk I went on is organized by SBT to expose Indians to the life of street children. At first I thought it was going to be a tour of a slum which I have mixed feelings about, but instead it was more than that. The tour guides of the walk are former street children from SBT.
The walk started next to Delhi's main train station. We walked along the train tracks to an area that was about a block from the main station. There, next to the tracks and in some cases on the tracks, was a slum. About 300 people lived there. Most of the inhabitants were migrant families who had no where else to go, so they joined the slum community near the tracks. SBT set up an unofficial school in this slum to educate the children. However, a couple of days before we arrived, the police had come by and announced that the residents had a week to move because in 7 days, the government was going to destroy this illegal community. No one really seemed to be worried about it because notices like this happen all of the time. Also, most people don't have any where else to go, so they hold on to what they have until the bulldozers kick them out. Another group of students went on the walk this past weekend and they said that the slum had been destroyed. All the was left was piles of broken bricks. I also found out that many of the people living in the slum, work for the railroad and were in charge of cleaning the tracks. Their newest assignment is to clean of the rubble of their former homes.
We then got to tour the station where children picked up from the trains by the police are taken. SBT volunteers then take them to the SBT home where they are fed, given medical attention and given a home and schooling. Throughout the walk we were told about the lives of street children and our tour guide told us his story. He came from a small village and one day he decided he didn't want to live there anymore. He knew he couldn't get a proper education in his village and he would always be poor. A friend who had runaway, had recently came back and told him about SBT, so my tour guide got on a train for Delhi. When he arrived, he asked the first kid he saw about SBT and they showed him where to go. When he arrived at the center, the director of the program asked him why he had run away. He explained and then the director told him that he should go back home because he had a family that loved him. Most of the children there didn't have families or were running away from bad circumstances. He then called my tour guide's family and informed them where he was. The father and older brother of my tour guide came to pick him up and he said his father was in tears. He then demanded that my tour guide come home and my tour guide said no. The director of SBT then told the father of my tour guide that he was adamant about not returning. If they forced him to go, he might just runaway again and who knows if he would be so lucky. So it was settled and my tour guide got to stay at SBT. In addition to giving tours, he is also a karate instructor for the boys at the SBT.
Aside from the various contact points, where children are picked up and SBT holds schools, we were given a tour of the city. I really liked it because in the neighborhood around the train station, which is where I stayed my first night in Delhi, there is a whole world that I completely missed. As we walked down back alleys and along twisting roads, I got to see life in Delhi as I have never seen it before. We met a 98 year old man who has spent his entire life making pots, cups, and various other utensils from Indian clay. We even got a demonstration.
The walk concluded at the SBT center were the kinds sang Jingle Bells for us and asked us questions. Having dreadlocks in India is a big deal. Everyone wants to touch them, know if they are really my hair and how I made them; the kids at SBT were no different. After amusing them for about 15 minutes or so, we left.
A few days after arriving here, we were informed that we live in a really nice neighborhood. In comparison to the nice nieghborhoods I've seen in the States, I was kind of shocked. However, as the days began to pass, I became more and more aware of the cars being driven in my neighborhood and the fact that you have to drive for a good five minutes outside of the nieghborhood before you see any beggars or street sellers. The same day we were told that we live in a really nice neighborhood, we were told that the India we see would be our choice. What was really being said was, if we wanted, we could only go to upscale places and never see the Real India of beggars, dirtiness, and things that just make you uncomfortable at times. While I've made a huge effort to see and experience the Real India, the SBT walk made me realize how poorly I am doing. There is so much that I miss everyday!
Thailand
Almost a week after my Salaam Balaak Trust walk, I got an email informing that Ihave been accepted to spend next fall studying in Thailand. Looks like my plans to spend 2010 abraod are starting to fall into place! I've wanted to go to Thailand since my freshman year of high school and in the months leading up to college I decided that I wanted to study there. Why? . . . Why not? Actually, I was inspired by the Fredericksons. I wanted to follow in their footsteps and experience for myself, the place they talk about so passionately. I was deadset on going to Bangkok until my sophomore year, when there was a study abroad expo at my school. My study abroad adviser encouraged me to go and talk to the representatives from the company that offers programs in Thailand. I didn't really want to, but she has a way of talking you into things you may not necessarily want to do, so I did. As I started talking to the rep and he showed me the programs, I instantly fell in love the the Development and Globalization program in Khon Kaen. I was so in love with the program, the fact that it is hosed in Thailand no longer matter to me. It could have been in Canada for all I cared, it was the content that now motivated me to apply.
In addition to "working side by side with villagers, NGOs and others working for social change through site visits" there is the opportunity do actual field work! For an entire semester, in addition to doing just about everything on the Peace Corps "how to become a better candidate" list, I will get to do my own anthropological field work! I couldn't have dreamed of a better program and now I'm going to participate in it!
Jordan
In the time it has taken me to type all of this, I have also been accepted to study Arabic in Jordan this summer. I have applied to another program and if I am accepted I'll have a big choice. Needless to say, studying in Jordan isn't official but this definitely means that I'll be spending all of 2010 outside of the US!
The next 3 three weekends will be spent traveling both for class and with my program, which makes updating a little difficult, so until the next one, I'll be . . .
. . .continuing to engage in adventures . . .
