Let me start by apologizing to everyone for the lack of updates at the end of last semester. Everything was so crazy with my Wheaton buddies visiting, a two week field trip to Ecuador, home for spring break, a last minute trip back to Nicaragua and a hectic portfolio writing week.
The summer was long, jam packed and pretty enjoyable. I was able to journey to Ohio, Scotland, Canada, Maine, Boston, numerous trips to NYC, Tanglewood and also work at two very different and amazing camps.
On a new note, I have now reached the land of Milk and Honey, India! All put together, it is a place of chaos, but every small thing is completely wonderful; besides rickshaw drivers but I’ll get into that later. It has been a little over two weeks since my arrival and I think it would take hours upon hour to write everything that was packed into that time. I will explain some of the more exciting things that have happened and some details you might be interested in. I am in a story telling mood so this might be long.
Orientation:
This ended up being longer than I expected. We started in New York with a two day gathering of all first year and second year students. Basically everyone who was going to Costa Rica, China or India was there. It was really great to be with everyone in my class all together again before parting ways. We had a good time staying up all night talking and catching up. After some meetings on the 3rd, mostly with Dean Glass, everyone said farewell to their parents and we had some waiting to do. The Costa Rica kids left first, there were a lot of tears in that group because they are going to College for the first time and in another country, then china left and had some tears because they are our classmates and finally in the evening India departed. My first flight I assumed I would be flying alone because I was not on the group flight, turns out one of the new students was with me. This was great because the flight flew to Brussels and was very long. It was pretty empty so we were able to sit next to each other. Jet airways is an awesome airline. The food is fantastic as well as the in flight entertainment system thing and the service. I watched some bollywood flicks and also some Hollywood flicks. Pretty nice. In Brussels I had only a two hour layover and I was off again on a flight to Delhi. The whole back of the plan was empty so I moved myself and slept for those many hours all the way til landing, spread out on four middle seats. My first experience of India was in Delhi. I had to figure out getting my bag, even though the guys told me I would not have to get it until India, I took a wild guess and waited for my bag. Good thing I did because It came out and I would have a lost bag in Delhi somewhere. Then I had to try to figure out how to get from the International airport to the domestic airport and it was about 1am at this point. I found a shuttle place and got on the one that some guys shuffled me to and for awhile I was a little scared they were just putting me on some random bus. It delivered me to the domestic airport after awhile of driving through the night and thankfully my friend molly found me in the parking lot while she was out there trying to ask a question. I found my fellow students that were on the first group flight in the waiting area. Now this started a long round of waiting rooms for the morning. The first was just a large room with chairs and by the time I got there at 130am they were all taken up by Indian men spreading their bodies across them and snoring loudly. I was able to squeeze myself in next to my friends and began my waiting. The next step, checking in and checking bags was in the next section which didn’t allow entry until 4am. SO.. we sat. At one point I had to use the restroom and this was my first real step into Indian air. The air smelled of burning trash and food and reminded me of some smells of east Africa. Molly and I walked across the street and found a public toilet which we had to pay 2 rupees to use and it was, yes mom, without toilet paper. The drip method worked fine for this though. Granted this was the worst bathroom I have used to far, no worries. When I sat back down, some random young French speaking hippie dude sat next to me. He took his shoes off and I almost died. I had to smell the stench of his rotting feet for the next two hours while he casually read his lonely planet north India guide book in French. Finally the doors opened and I was able to check my bag. I some how got away with not paying a heavy baggage fee in both Newark and Delhi! In Newark I put my bag up and it was 27 kg which is about 60lbs. A bag cannot be over 50lbs or you get a fee. Anyways the dude checking my bag said, “I guess I will let this one slide”. He was cool. I just brought my empty hiking backpack as a carryon and put in overhead. In Delhi I just right away said “oh I checked it all the way through to Bangalore”, and they didn’t even ask me. They did give my friend Sam a hard time about bringing his skateboard as a carryon and he had to check it in Delhi. Then came more waiting, this time in a waiting room that had food. I wasn’t hungry because of all the airplane food so I just sat and talked to my friends. We had to sit there until they called our flight number which was about 530am. Our flight was at 630ish. They called us and we had to go through security twice. The first one was just a general bag one, then we had to stand in separate lines men an women. Women walked into a booth where there was a lady with one of those black detector sticks and she rubbed it all over our bodies. It was quite awkward. We all passed and then came MORE WAITING. We sat in another waiting room just reading and listening to music until they called out flight and we stood in line again. We thought we would be getting on the flight but instead, after getting our tickets torn, we all got on a bus! This bus took us to our airplane and finally we were on our way to Bangalore!
We arrived and were picked up in a van that said “Infant Jesus”, it was really funny. We were already jetlagged and just wanted to sleep. We got to our home for the next week, the United Theological College hostel. It was nice. We had two days, one at school and then Saturday to sleep and explore. On that Sunday, the whole school; students and staff, left to the outskirts of the city to a peaceful little sanctuary place. It was so nice! We continued our orientation here to get adjusted an away from the city. There was a pool and green grass and I can’t really explain it but there were lots of flowers. We did all the normal meeting type things there like safety, academics, blah blah. We also did some cultural things like our professors showed us typical dress, we learning north Indian dancing for out long field trip and we drew Rangoli (colored sand pictures on the ground with flowers). On our last day I caught the virus that was going around. A couple other students got it as well. I thought it was Delhi belly at first and just travelers sickness but ohh no. Every student who got sick went through the phases; chills, fever, puking, diarrhea. Nice right? So I puked right before getting on the bus to go back to Bangalore and again at the UTC. Then I was sick for about 3 days and I started to take my meds. Anyways it passed. More orientation things happened at school and finally one week later, Friday, we moved into our Apartments!!
Apartment and Neighborhood:
I thought I would be living with some other students but turns out things were decided when I got here. I am content with that because I really love where I live. I have a studio apartment so basically it’s a big room with an attached bathroom and an attached kitchen. Its really nice and big according to Indian standards. There is the ground floor, the first floor and then my floor. The first two are actual floor with two apartments on each and then mine is special. You walk up the stairs from the 1st floor and onto the terrace, turn the corner and there is my apartment right on the terrace! Its awesome because I just open my door and walk outside and I can see the whole neighborhood. There is also another roof type thing up above me. I live in an amazing neighborhood. Most of the other students live all together in an apartment building on the other side of town. While their apartments are new and fancy, they definitely are lacking a neighborhood. It’s a very homely type place. Two students Alane and Freddy live downstairs so I am not completely alone. My neighborhood is predominately conservative Muslim. There is even a beautiful green mosque on my block. Everyone is always out in the streets cooking food and hanging out. I hear the call the prayer five times a day and its so cool! This past weekend there were even camels walking down my street for some strange reason? I think for children to ride? I have already become friends with some of the neighbors and neighborhood kids. My friends and I were hanging out on the terrace the other night and our neighbor who lives across the street turned five years old, I didn’t know them at this point, but he and his mom came over and delivered us cake and snacks! It was so nice. Alane and I have since been to their house to chat and look at her Sari’s. Anyways, I am happy where I am living.
Classes:
Classes just started last week. So far so good. We have only had two of each class so far. Hindi is really difficult. I have never learned a language where the characters are completely different. I am going to struggle with this I think. We are learning the alphabet but my teacher is trying to teach us both classical and modern at the same time! Ahh! For my other classes we have already had some great speakers and gone on a field trip! We went to the market and some of the old palace in Old Bangalore. It was quite an interesting trip. I like my writing teacher best so far, we talk about the most interesting things. Today he read aloud a selection on Cows in India. My advisor is also really great, Dr. Kumar. He is helping me be able to work at this organization for Independent Study time. It’s an organization that works with children that used to work/work in the sex industry. They are prostitutes, children of prostitutes or children affected by HIV/AIDS. They have tons of programs and hopefully I will be working with one. Not much else to report on the class aspect because I haven’t had many yet!
Transportation:
The main mode of transportation here is the auto rickshaw. Now this little yellow device is a three wheeled moped with a driver’s seat and a back seat that can fit 3 people uncomfortably or four with a person on a lap. Now these guys really piss me off. Rickshaw drivers really make me lose my cool. They all have meters, and during all hours they are supposed to use the meters. Even at night they are supposed to do meter and a half and after midnight double the meter. Meters start at 14 rupees, and from my apartment to school its usually around 25 rupees which is a little over 50 cents. Every day I have to fight with these drivers to take me where I want to go. Before even getting to the payment options, you have to get a rick to want to take you someplace. This is not like in other countries where there is a cab or some other mode of transport and since it’s their job, they usually will take you where you want to go. Now I stand on the side of the road and flag one down. They will either slow down and keep gliding or stop completely. At this point I yell “MARAPPA GARDEN” which is my neighborhood and they will either drive away without saying anything, give me a really angry face and drive away without saying anything, shake their head and drive away without saying anything, not know what I am talking about OR Agree to take me. Now that I have reached this step I need to find one that will not take me for a fool and use his Effing meter. On a good day this will take about 3 or less tries but usually I will need to ask about 6 drivers. They give their little head bobble (an Indian way of saying “okay”) and smile goofily and said “60 rupees”. Hell no. If this is the first rick I asked then I try to negotiate and tell him that he needs to use his meter. Then he just says no. By the time I get to the 3rd rick I am usually pissed off and I just say “psh” and wave my hand at them as if saying “do I look stupid to you?” Other times when I get really angry or I really need to get someplace on time I might start yelling. I have gotten in fights, well not fights, but yelling at rickshaw drivers and I really say, “do I look stupid to you?” or sometimes I will even say, “Whats your rickshaw number I am going to call the police.” Just threatening, because they are by law supposed to use the meter. At some major spots in Bangalore there are rickshaw stops and cops actually stand there. One time the drive had such nerve. My friends and I stood in the rick line next to the cop and the drive said “okay meter” when we got to him. Then as soon as we sat inside and he thought the cop wasn’t looking he said “40 rupees!” At this point we decided to start getting out of the rick and he fought with us and finally pushed the meter thing down. One of my friends even said once she pushed the meter down herself when a rick was being that way.
SO now it comes to being inside the rickshaw. Sometimes when I think I am getting a good deal like a 20 rupee ride, these buggers totally trick me and once I am in say, “one stop madam, one stop” They take me to a high end shop that they have a deal with. If they bring shoppers they get new uniforms, glasses, money, etc. It is so frustrating. Others will take you on random back roads trying to increase the meter. It’s a good thing I basically know how to get to the places I want to go and usually end up directing them. Its just very annoying the whole process. But I do love riding in them. They are fun if I am not in a bad mood and feel good with the wind. AHH
Festivities:
India is the land of festivals. There is always something amazing going on. Since being here I have participated in many, usually by random. One evening last week, my friends and I were walking around their neighborhood trying to find a place for dinner. We came upon a restaurant with an upstairs. We walked up and noticed we couldn’t eat there because there was some type of party going on. While we were looking from a distance, we were spotted and quickly rushed in. Turns out it was a one year olds birthday party! Everyone was so friendly and wanted us to take part in the festivities. We took pictures with the birthday baby and then ate the most fantastic food… oh and it was free of course! That reminds me, I love eating with my hands! You really get a feel for your food, literally! We all got jasmine chains to put in our hair, something that many Indian women do daily. It smells so delicious! We definitely crashed a one year olds birthday party. On the same evening on our way home we ran into another festivity. Now the first week and a half we were in India, was the Hindu holiday, Ganesha festival. This is I think 9 days of celebrating and worshiping lord Ganesh (He is the elephant diety). In every neighborhood, the people set up their own stature of him and pray to him daily placing flowers and bananas and such at his feet. There are festivities every day. Now on the last day, which happened to be the day we were wandering the streets, the people of each neighborhood gather around thair statue and party until the men take the statue away in a big truck to go find a body of water to dump it in. So we were wandering the streets by my friend’s apartments after the birthday party and we hear tons of music and cheering and we decided to go check it out. It was the neighborhood ganesha festivities. There were drums banging and we all started dancing. Sam went in the middle of a big circle of boys and had a dance off with a 5 year old. It was hilarious. We all started dancing with the children then some kids and women grabbed our hands and lead us to the statue. They welcomed us into the little shrine where we bent down and waved the incense/smoke in our faces then they gave us delicious sweets. Now we probably shouldn’t have done that because of the sickness risk but it was totally worth the experience and we didn’t get sick. So then we all kept dancing and talking with people until they lifted the statue into their truck. Women, big no no going into that truck with the rowdy men. They wanted us all to go but we didn’t and sam, being the only guy also did not go. They drove off crazily shouting in the street and we went home.
Another quick story. As I stated before, my neighborhood is predominantly Muslim and this is the time of Ramadan. There is always something going on in the hood. On the corner by my apartment man gather and cook food for the whole community in a HUGE pot. Then they hang out there all night because the last 10 days they are supposed to stay awake the whole time to pray. Anyways, last night Alane and I heard a band playing in the street. We ran outside and saw a giant parade type float with lights and people on it. There was a band and people marching through the streets. Surprisingly we found out that it was a Christian saint! I think it was some sort of holy day. Nellie would know. Everyone was shouting and having a good time, we didn’t stay long because we would have had to follow the float around the neighborhood and we had hindi work to attend to.
SOOO Basically everything is going well so far! We already only have one more week and then we are going on a long field trip to north India to Rajasthan! I am really excited! I will update again later this week! Ciao for now!
