7/31/10 5pm
We had an incredibly busy day yesterday and I didn't get home until fairly late- and by then I was both exhausted and relaxed- so that's why I didn't get around to posting an update.
Yesterday was quite an exciting day! We were granted leave from our regular KV host schools to visit a school run by Deepalaya, an NGO that has a number of projects and initiatives going to empower people and communities in India. The organization has been around for over 30 years and their school was a really wonderful place. It seemed to me like the Indian equivalent of a charter school (except it was run without any public funding). They receive their funds from the NGO and from donors and grants, and charge very nominal fees to the students; when students' families have a difficult time paying, the organization helps their families find gainful employment so that they can not only pay their expenses, but become self-sufficient in a sustainable way. I really liked their philosophy, and I wish I could have learned more. Thankfully, we were given information packets by the Principal plus I hear they have an excellent website- so whenever I get around to looking at that, I'm sure I'll be ready to make a donation- and so will you!
Anyway, we spent a good amount of time with the principal, had a tour of the school, met one of the founders, and most important, taught demonstration lessons in teams to classes of actual students. Our lesson was on poetry, and there were three of us working together to read, interpret, and respond to poetry. I won't bore you with the details, but it was an enlightening experience to hear the students' interpretation of the poem. The math teachers and the science teachers had equally successful lessons. Given that we didn't know much about the students or their prior knowledge before walking into the classroom, I think we did admirably- and this is great practice for me because in just over a month I'll be getting acquainted with the Class of 2014!
I definitely noticed some similarities between my host school and the NGO school. Not having spent much time in either school I can't say whether one was more effective than the other. But I suppose comparing KV No. 2 to Deepalaya School would be like comparing apples to oranges, as each school has a vastly different mission and caters to a vastly different community. Either way, it is an invaluable experience to see that just as in America, there is no such thing as a "typical Indian school"- each has its own personality. Next week we'll be visiting another school to teach another demo lesson, and that will undoubtedly give me an even better picture of the variety within the Indian educational system. I'm really thankful to have all these opportunities!
We spent the afternoon touring the Presidential Palace- the Indian version of the White House. One of our group members, David, works with someone who has great connections, so we were able to get an invite. Only 200-500 people visit the palace each day, and there are tour guides that take each group around. The palace was built during the British Raj when the rest of New Delhi was constructed. It is quite impressive and conveys a sense of power and prestige without being opulent or posh. We saw life-size portraits of all the British folks who held important posts during the Raj, gifts given to India by other countries (a wide variety!), old photographs, paintings of important historical events, and a couple contemporary works by Indian artists. We also saw the ballroom, which had a stunning ceiling mural of animals, people, and flowers- words can't describe it. We saw the place where Indian independence was declared at midnight on August 15, 1947, and we also saw the dining room which is decorated with swords and more paintings of dignitaries, and has a table that seats 104 people. The British Prime Minister was just there, and there were people bustling around cleaning up the place as we walked through. Finally, we saw the Mughal Gardens, which were more French/British in style than Indian. It was sort of like Versailles, on a smaller scale. We weren't able to bring in cameras, unfortunately.
As soon as we got back to the hotel, some of us decided that it was high time for a visit to the Taj Mahal hotel for a swim. I hadn't been there yet, so I was delighted to go. Because our hotel doesn't have a pool itself, we are allowed to take a free car over there (it's about 5-10 minutes away) to use the facilities. And boy, we did. The pool is enormous and luxurious, and they also have a spa area with a jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. Plus really nice showers. We ordered some poolside cocktails and had dinner there as well- kinda pricey but why not? I really felt like I was on vacation! It was such a relaxing way to spend an evening after a day of having to be on point, and it's something I will repeat as much as I can before I go back to the good old USA!
This morning, it was up early for a day at school. Yes, many schools in India run 6 days a week! The teachers are always quick to remind you that they have the second Saturday of each month off and work fewer hours each day- but still! I don't think I could handle that schedule. Because the students are in the middle of exams (Philly teachers: think Benchmarks… in every class… and the teachers have to grade them all by hand!) the class schedule was not the normal one, so I didn't actually end up teaching any classes. However, I spent some time talking with the teachers about cultural differences between India and America, and got some reading done. I also watched the teachers do the monthly reconciliation of their roll books, which is something quite familiar to us in Philadelphia! I'm telling you, once you get over the initial superficial differences there is so much alike between my home school and my host school!
Just as students were being dismissed, the power went out and the school was plunged into darkness for about 45 minutes. There was a pretty serious thunderstorm going on with very strong rains and winds and it was very dark outside. Exciting!!! I was glad it happened during the day and when I was safe inside, and it was over soon enough. By the time I left school a couple hours later it was only raining lightly, and now a few hours later it has stopped completely. So far this has been our third big rainstorm in as many weeks, and the rainstorms are quite a spectacle to behold! I hope for a couple more before we head back to the states.
After the official school day was over, I attended the staff meeting. Staff meetings in India are a little bit different (assuming this one was a typical meeting) in that it was just administrators talking about certain problems at the school and other issues, without input or questions from the staff. At SOTF, all we do during staff meetings (sometimes) is debate- so this was quite a different experience! The whole thing was in Hindi, so I understood not a word of it- luckily my cooperating teacher was next to me taking notes in English so I peeked over her shoulder every now and then to see what they were talking about.
Then there was a series of speeches and songs from teachers to honor a teacher who is retiring. In India, teachers retire when they turn 60, and so this was a very special day. This teacher, Mrs. Thakur, is very sweet and wonderful and kind and loving, and I will never forget that she took care of me at school one day when I wasn't feeling well by giving me a banana that settled my stomach right away. Her three children and two grandchildren were there to participate in the festivities, and I was able to talk to them a bit and let them know how many wonderful things their mom had to say about them, and how nicely she treated me during my time at the school. Unfortunately, all of the farewell speeches and songs were in Hindi, so I really had no idea what people were saying, but I could get sort of an idea from the periodic translations from my cooperating teacher plus people's facial expressions.
After the lunch, I came back to the hotel and was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the hours of Hindi I had just endured. I went over to the market after a short nap to buy some books, and unless something else comes up I plan to spend some time reading this evening. I may or may not go out, we'll see, and as tomorrow is my only day off this week I will savor the opportunity to sleep past 6am!
The days are really flying by, and I'm thankful to be experiencing so many interesting and exciting things. I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I'm sure it'll be a blast.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Pictures!
Click here to see all the pictures I've taken so far- it looks like I've figured out how to sort them so they should be in the correct chronological order. I haven't gotten around to captioning them yet because it's kind of a pain with Picasa (which I thought would be easy).
Tomorrow we're teaching demonstration lessons at another local school, by subject group. I'll be working with the two other English teachers in our group to teach a lesson about poetry!
For those folks too lazy to click, here is one picture of me at the Taj Mahal. I took it myself:
Tomorrow we're teaching demonstration lessons at another local school, by subject group. I'll be working with the two other English teachers in our group to teach a lesson about poetry!
For those folks too lazy to click, here is one picture of me at the Taj Mahal. I took it myself:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Taj Mahal etc.
7/28/10 5pm
A disjointed description of our trip to Agra follows:
First and foremost, the Taj Mahal. It's going to sound like a cliché to say this, but there really aren't words to describe how beautiful and magnificent it is. And pictures don't capture it, at all. But I took lots of them anyway because when I look at them, I'll be able to remember in my mind's eye what I saw. I don't remember feeling in such awe of it when I saw it in 2000, so I suppose I'm now older and wiser!
The full moon viewing was really neat. Security was quite tight- a couple sets of metal detectors and full-body patdowns, and we weren't able to take ANYTHING in except our cameras- and the tickets were issued specially in our names only. We could only go inside the gate- about 200 yards from the Taj itself. There were armed guards everywhere and they only allow 30 to a group, for 30 minutes at a time. So it is a privilege to get tickets, and I am thankful we could! Unfortunately… I didn't get to see moonlight glistening off the marble domes- it was a bit cloudy- but what a rare treat to be there when it was completely empty and quiet! The Taj Mahal itself loomed off in the distance, lit only by the moon, almost a ghostly presence. As I gazed at it, I pictured what it might have looked like if it had been a clear sky. I pictured the full moon gleaming off the clouds, the stars above, and glistening marble. Very breathtaking!
Then we went back to the Taj in the morning. We left the hotel at 5:30 so we could be there at 6 when the Taj opens. This served three great purposes: the heat wasn't so bad, it wasn't crowded, and best of all, the light was wonderful. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the color of the Taj Mahal changes. It went from a cool gray, to a buttery yellow, to a gleaming white. I was so lucky to be able to witness this! Again, words don't really describe it. Anyway, we walked around the grounds, took a lot of pictures, made comments about the wardrobes of all the tourists there. Apparently MC Hammer pants are a big trend amongst the European backpackers. Should I try to score a pair?
The other sightseeing component of the trip was an excursion to Fatehpur Sikri. It's basically an abandoned palace and mosque complex that was built and inhabited a couple hundred years ago by one of the Mughals. It was distinctly different from the other monuments I've seen so far- it reminded me a lot of the Forbidden City in Beijing (which I also visited in 2000) and there were lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore, and our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the purposes of the various areas we went through. Additionally, we went to the mosque area which also has Chittri's tomb. The inside of the tomb was quite spectacularly painted with flowers and the marble had gorgeous inlay- if it looks this beautiful in 2010 I can't even imagine how it must have looked when it was first built. Anyway- there's a tradition at the tomb to tie a thread around the marble lattice that serves as a window into the tomb, and make a wish. I am a sucker for things like this so naturally, I got some thread from the guy there and made my wish very earnestly. (If you want to learn more about Fatehpur Sikri just check out this Wikipedia page as a starting point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatehpur_Sikri).
Also, the hotel was really nice, and instead of doing some more sightseeing I opted to stay back and get a spa treatment. My treatment was called a Spice Rub. It consisted of about 30 minutes of me being vigorously scrubbed with warm oil mixed with spices, followed by about 15 minutes wrapped in warm towels soaking it all in. The spices used were things like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, things like that. It was relaxing and invigorating at the same time, and afterwards I felt wonderful! What am I going to do when I get back to the US and can't afford these frequent luxurious beauty treatments? Well, maybe I can get enough of them while I'm here that I get sick of them? Think that will work?
But perhaps the most interesting part of the trip was the drive there and back. It was about 6 hours each way, in a very luxurious and spacious mini-bus that had great air conditioning. Like I said in my earlier entry, it was totally different than taking a road trip in the US in that it was all on what you would consider back roads or rural/state/county highways. We passed by numerous Dhabas- outdoor restaurants with attached inns- and through many small towns. We also saw a bit of rural life: cows, pigs, goats, and people in the fields. Every stretch of road had something new and exciting to see, and in between little catnaps I just looked out the window trying to take it all in. I saw and elephant and a camel, even.
You know how there is that stereotype about cows being everywhere in India? Well, outside the cities it's basically true. Families keep cows for a certain number of years (until they can no longer produce milk) and then let them go, at which point they essentially become stray animals because it is illegal in India to kill a cow. Fortunately, within the Circle of Life that is India, the cows still serve a purpose: since there's no formal organized garbage collection in most of India, the cows (and pigs, and other stray animals) take care of consuming things like food scraps, and their dung is a great fuel. Not the system we are used to in the US- but a system nonetheless!
Anyway, now I am back to my normal routine of school in the morning followed by miscellaneous stuff in the afternoon and an early bedtime. Today I actually had to do errands: take laundry to the cleaners, pick up my new Salwar Kameez, and go to the ATM. I also went to the gym. So I am maintaining a pretty busy schedule I guess- and the time is flying by. In just over two weeks I'll be on my way home- hard to believe! There are still a couple places I would like to visit, but, now that I have seen the Taj Mahal (again) it seems like everything else would just pale in comparison. I plan to visit Jantar Mantar (an observatory, which is supposed to be really cool) and hoping to make it to Akshardham Temple. Both of these places have been highly recommended to me by guidebooks, people, and the students at my host school, so I know they are well worth the time and effort! The other place I plan to check out is a crafts bazaar called Dilli Haat. You know, for gifts.
Well I've just spent over an hour writing this blog entry and still have so much to say- but I will have to leave that for another time, as my internet time is almost up.
A disjointed description of our trip to Agra follows:
First and foremost, the Taj Mahal. It's going to sound like a cliché to say this, but there really aren't words to describe how beautiful and magnificent it is. And pictures don't capture it, at all. But I took lots of them anyway because when I look at them, I'll be able to remember in my mind's eye what I saw. I don't remember feeling in such awe of it when I saw it in 2000, so I suppose I'm now older and wiser!
The full moon viewing was really neat. Security was quite tight- a couple sets of metal detectors and full-body patdowns, and we weren't able to take ANYTHING in except our cameras- and the tickets were issued specially in our names only. We could only go inside the gate- about 200 yards from the Taj itself. There were armed guards everywhere and they only allow 30 to a group, for 30 minutes at a time. So it is a privilege to get tickets, and I am thankful we could! Unfortunately… I didn't get to see moonlight glistening off the marble domes- it was a bit cloudy- but what a rare treat to be there when it was completely empty and quiet! The Taj Mahal itself loomed off in the distance, lit only by the moon, almost a ghostly presence. As I gazed at it, I pictured what it might have looked like if it had been a clear sky. I pictured the full moon gleaming off the clouds, the stars above, and glistening marble. Very breathtaking!
Then we went back to the Taj in the morning. We left the hotel at 5:30 so we could be there at 6 when the Taj opens. This served three great purposes: the heat wasn't so bad, it wasn't crowded, and best of all, the light was wonderful. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the color of the Taj Mahal changes. It went from a cool gray, to a buttery yellow, to a gleaming white. I was so lucky to be able to witness this! Again, words don't really describe it. Anyway, we walked around the grounds, took a lot of pictures, made comments about the wardrobes of all the tourists there. Apparently MC Hammer pants are a big trend amongst the European backpackers. Should I try to score a pair?
The other sightseeing component of the trip was an excursion to Fatehpur Sikri. It's basically an abandoned palace and mosque complex that was built and inhabited a couple hundred years ago by one of the Mughals. It was distinctly different from the other monuments I've seen so far- it reminded me a lot of the Forbidden City in Beijing (which I also visited in 2000) and there were lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore, and our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the purposes of the various areas we went through. Additionally, we went to the mosque area which also has Chittri's tomb. The inside of the tomb was quite spectacularly painted with flowers and the marble had gorgeous inlay- if it looks this beautiful in 2010 I can't even imagine how it must have looked when it was first built. Anyway- there's a tradition at the tomb to tie a thread around the marble lattice that serves as a window into the tomb, and make a wish. I am a sucker for things like this so naturally, I got some thread from the guy there and made my wish very earnestly. (If you want to learn more about Fatehpur Sikri just check out this Wikipedia page as a starting point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatehpur_Sikri).
Also, the hotel was really nice, and instead of doing some more sightseeing I opted to stay back and get a spa treatment. My treatment was called a Spice Rub. It consisted of about 30 minutes of me being vigorously scrubbed with warm oil mixed with spices, followed by about 15 minutes wrapped in warm towels soaking it all in. The spices used were things like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, things like that. It was relaxing and invigorating at the same time, and afterwards I felt wonderful! What am I going to do when I get back to the US and can't afford these frequent luxurious beauty treatments? Well, maybe I can get enough of them while I'm here that I get sick of them? Think that will work?
But perhaps the most interesting part of the trip was the drive there and back. It was about 6 hours each way, in a very luxurious and spacious mini-bus that had great air conditioning. Like I said in my earlier entry, it was totally different than taking a road trip in the US in that it was all on what you would consider back roads or rural/state/county highways. We passed by numerous Dhabas- outdoor restaurants with attached inns- and through many small towns. We also saw a bit of rural life: cows, pigs, goats, and people in the fields. Every stretch of road had something new and exciting to see, and in between little catnaps I just looked out the window trying to take it all in. I saw and elephant and a camel, even.
You know how there is that stereotype about cows being everywhere in India? Well, outside the cities it's basically true. Families keep cows for a certain number of years (until they can no longer produce milk) and then let them go, at which point they essentially become stray animals because it is illegal in India to kill a cow. Fortunately, within the Circle of Life that is India, the cows still serve a purpose: since there's no formal organized garbage collection in most of India, the cows (and pigs, and other stray animals) take care of consuming things like food scraps, and their dung is a great fuel. Not the system we are used to in the US- but a system nonetheless!
Anyway, now I am back to my normal routine of school in the morning followed by miscellaneous stuff in the afternoon and an early bedtime. Today I actually had to do errands: take laundry to the cleaners, pick up my new Salwar Kameez, and go to the ATM. I also went to the gym. So I am maintaining a pretty busy schedule I guess- and the time is flying by. In just over two weeks I'll be on my way home- hard to believe! There are still a couple places I would like to visit, but, now that I have seen the Taj Mahal (again) it seems like everything else would just pale in comparison. I plan to visit Jantar Mantar (an observatory, which is supposed to be really cool) and hoping to make it to Akshardham Temple. Both of these places have been highly recommended to me by guidebooks, people, and the students at my host school, so I know they are well worth the time and effort! The other place I plan to check out is a crafts bazaar called Dilli Haat. You know, for gifts.
Well I've just spent over an hour writing this blog entry and still have so much to say- but I will have to leave that for another time, as my internet time is almost up.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Back from Agra
So in the past hour I have either spoken with or g-chatted with about 6 people who have said that they love reading my blog! This is wonderful to hear. I really miss everybody I left behind when I came to India, so knowing that people read this blog helps me feel connected to the folks on the other side of the world.
Anyway, I am completely exhausted (and probably incoherent) from the trip to Agra, and will probably go to bed early tonight, but let me tell you that the excursion was amazing and I will definitely write a more detailed post tomorrow.
The Taj Mahal was absolutely gorgeous and awe-inspiring. There is no way anybody could take a picture or put into words what it is actually like to be there and experience it with your own eyes. We saw it at night, and then again just after sunrise, and though I have already been there (on Semester at Sea, in October 2000) it was still just as amazing, or perhaps more so, the second time around.
But the most interesting part of the trip was the 6 hour drive between Delhi and Agra. Sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioned and quite roomy bus, I watched the countryside go by, passing through small towns and rural villages. It's not like in the States where everywhere you go is on an expressway and it all looks the same... there were interesting things to look at the ENTIRE way.
India is such a land of interesting contrasts. There are the wealthy, and there are the extremely poor. No violence towards cows is allowed, but literally every day I open the Times of India to read stories about honor killings. And this is how things are here. The list goes on and on. It is absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking.
But right now I am way too tired to think- and it's back to school tomorrow! Pictures coming soon! I miss you all!
Anyway, I am completely exhausted (and probably incoherent) from the trip to Agra, and will probably go to bed early tonight, but let me tell you that the excursion was amazing and I will definitely write a more detailed post tomorrow.
The Taj Mahal was absolutely gorgeous and awe-inspiring. There is no way anybody could take a picture or put into words what it is actually like to be there and experience it with your own eyes. We saw it at night, and then again just after sunrise, and though I have already been there (on Semester at Sea, in October 2000) it was still just as amazing, or perhaps more so, the second time around.
But the most interesting part of the trip was the 6 hour drive between Delhi and Agra. Sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioned and quite roomy bus, I watched the countryside go by, passing through small towns and rural villages. It's not like in the States where everywhere you go is on an expressway and it all looks the same... there were interesting things to look at the ENTIRE way.
India is such a land of interesting contrasts. There are the wealthy, and there are the extremely poor. No violence towards cows is allowed, but literally every day I open the Times of India to read stories about honor killings. And this is how things are here. The list goes on and on. It is absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking.
But right now I am way too tired to think- and it's back to school tomorrow! Pictures coming soon! I miss you all!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Long post about the second half of my weekend
7/25/10 9pm
As I sit here Sunday evening while enjoying my room service dinner (swanky, I know, but I'm exhausted and busy packing for my trip) I can't believe we've come to the end of the third weekend of this wonderful journey. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that every moment of the day I'm learning something new about all sorts of things- but it's the truth. I thought I was going to write a long entry tonight and post it, but I figured I would treat myself to another hour of internet access because, why not.
The second half of my weekend was quite interesting. Beth and I met up with Akshat, a friend of a friend of a friend (something like that) and HIS friend for what turned out to be an evening full of adventure! Akshat is a doctor, and he is busy working for the anti-doping branch of the upcoming Commonwealth Games. So basically his job is to inform athletes that they are going to be drug-tested and then usher them through the process. Sounds like quite an exciting job, right? His friend, whose name I never caught, is the assistant to some top brass guy in the Indian Army. He has spent time in a bunch of different locations: Iraq, Israel, and more, and is currently stationed in Delhi. These two guys have known each other since they were little kids in school, and throughout the evening it was wonderful to see the affection and high regard they have for each other. They were also very friendly and hospitable- but then, aren't all the Indian people I've met?
We started off the evening with coffee, spent some time trying to figure out where to eat, and then abandoned the idea of dinner altogether to go for drinks at this nightclub called RPM, located in the "hip" Vasant Vihar neighborhood of New Delhi. Guys, you know me- you know that going to loud clubs with DJ music is not my cup of tea- so I embraced the opportunity to do something I don't ordinarily do. The DJ was great and played a good variety of songs that are apparently popular in India plus songs that are apparently popular in the US. There were people dancing like crazy. It was almost like being in the middle of a Bollywood video, I guess that's the only way to describe it to someone who has never set foot in an Indian nightclub. When I got home after 1am, after quite an exciting drive through the quiet night-time streets of the city, I was totally beat. Beth and the guys got a bite to eat at our hotel's 24 hour restaurant but I didn't think I would be able to stay awake through that!
Which brings us to today. I woke up wondering what I would do and thinking that it would be fun to try some solo sightseeing because I hadn't done that yet. I took a look at my map of Delhi and decided I'd be able to see a couple temples in one shot: the Lotus Temple and the ISKCON Temple. Outside the hotel gates, I was lucky to encounter Mr. Kumar, who ended up being my tour guide for a couple hours- and this was great!
He did the thing that a lot of auto drivers and taxi drivers like to do, which is to take you to places where you can shop in addition to the stops you have already specified. So the first place we went was a higher-end textiles and crafts market, where I purchased some gifts for folks at home. The prices were higher than what I have grown used to paying, but nonetheless I still feel like I got some good deals! Salespeople in India are so funny- always unabashedly trying to talk you into buying multiple items or things you have not expressed interest in. They will literally show you every single item in their store unless you draw the line! Americans, I think, are used to being very polite and saying "I'm not interested" in indirect ways, and I have found this does not work in India. You have to know what you want, and get in and out and be firm without being rude. Otherwise, you'll end up over budget, or buying multiple items because you feel indecisive, which is what happened to me at this particular store. So, be firm, that is my shopping tip for India.
After my first shopping stop, Mr. Kumar took me to the Lotus Temple. The Lotus Temple is a beautiful landmark of New Delhi, on a nicely maintained landscaped campus- the building is actually shaped like a giant lotus and it's one of the world centers of the Baha'I faith. Inside the temple are simple benches you can sit on, and there is no talking allowed inside, just sitting and thinking. It was peaceful and serene. On the way out I got a brochure about Baha'I but I haven't read it yet, so I guess if you want to know more about Baha'I you'll have to find out yourself.
Then, another shopping trip. This time I actually limited myself to things that have been on my gift list, plus one thing I have been planning to get for the house (not telling!!!!). I was in and out of there in about ten minutes and then finally got to visit the ISKCON Temple! Unfortunately Mr. Kumar said we could only stay 30 minutes because of some kind of parking situation, and at that point I didn't want to argue because it was getting to be the heat of the day. I regret not being more insistent on staying because I could have spent hours there! It's in a beautiful complex that contains the Vedic Expo (which to my knowledge is a multimedia show, complete with a talking robot, about the Hare Krishna philosophy) plus there's a restaurant and a book and gift shop. I went into the temple room to see the deities, which were supposed to be out according to the information I had looked up, but unfortunately they were not. However, there were some devotees chanting and it was a pleasant atmosphere so I enjoyed it for as long as possible before hopping back into the auto rickshaw and coming back to the hotel.
I thought I was in for the day, but after the heat of the day passed, Beth and I ended up going over to Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. Jama Masjid is a mosque built a few hundred years ago and it sort of looks like the Taj Mahal but made out of sandstone and on a much smaller scale.
But I should back up and describe our ride there. So, the auto drivers… sometimes they are not as nice as Mr. Kumar. Sometimes they do not speak a lick of English. And sometimes they decide that they suddenly need to refill their CNG canister (CNG is compressed natural gas- it's how a lot of vehicles in India are running these days and let me tell you, way less pollution!) in the middle of taking you somewhere. So we got into this long line of about 30-40 autos… and had no idea what was going on. Anyway, that was interesting. I knew it would happen at some point, I just wasn’t sure when, and I was hoping that it wouldn’t be at a time where I actually had some place to be.
So Jama Masjid. We wore our Indian gear so as not to be hassled by the people who run the mosque, and I'm glad we did because all the other non-Indian people there ended up having to put on these incredibly strange looking hospital gown type getups because they were believed to be inappropriately dressed. Just after we arrived we heard the muezzin and watched the people do their prayers and afterwards we were able to go into the mosque itself. We walked around a bit, took a bunch of pictures, people-watched, and sat on the outside steps before leaving to watch the sky full of kites being flown by kids standing on rooftops. I couldn't tell whether the pictures I took captured the kites in the sky, but it was an image I won't soon forget.
Anyway, it was exciting to see Old Delhi. And by exciting, I mean, it was a completely insane place. Old Delhi is kind of what you think of India as being like. Narrow crowded streets with people, bicycle rickshaws, motorbikes, auto rickshaws, and carts, all trying to push past each other. Total chaos and a strange mixture of the most pleasant, and the most unpleasant, smells. Stalls lining the alleys selling things like kebabs and books. Lots and lots of live animals (we saw chickens, other birds, roosters, and a giant goat) and lots and lots of dead animals (um, the head of a goat, just to give one example) covered in flies either before or after cooking. I'm pretty sure that sight would turn anybody vegetarian. We weren't even there for that long but I was completely fascinated by everything I saw. I'm not sure if I have the guts to spend more time exploring Old Delhi, but if I do I can be sure that it will be quite an adventure.
So that was my weekend- action packed and full of memorable experiences, all of which are documented photographically. When I get back from the Taj I'll do another picture post (hopefully Picasa won't confuse me so much this time around) so all the wonderful people who are following my blog can share the wonder.
Well, it's about time for me to finish packing and get to bed early, as I have some more action-packed days ahead. Also, Titanic is on. Until next time!
As I sit here Sunday evening while enjoying my room service dinner (swanky, I know, but I'm exhausted and busy packing for my trip) I can't believe we've come to the end of the third weekend of this wonderful journey. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that every moment of the day I'm learning something new about all sorts of things- but it's the truth. I thought I was going to write a long entry tonight and post it, but I figured I would treat myself to another hour of internet access because, why not.
The second half of my weekend was quite interesting. Beth and I met up with Akshat, a friend of a friend of a friend (something like that) and HIS friend for what turned out to be an evening full of adventure! Akshat is a doctor, and he is busy working for the anti-doping branch of the upcoming Commonwealth Games. So basically his job is to inform athletes that they are going to be drug-tested and then usher them through the process. Sounds like quite an exciting job, right? His friend, whose name I never caught, is the assistant to some top brass guy in the Indian Army. He has spent time in a bunch of different locations: Iraq, Israel, and more, and is currently stationed in Delhi. These two guys have known each other since they were little kids in school, and throughout the evening it was wonderful to see the affection and high regard they have for each other. They were also very friendly and hospitable- but then, aren't all the Indian people I've met?
We started off the evening with coffee, spent some time trying to figure out where to eat, and then abandoned the idea of dinner altogether to go for drinks at this nightclub called RPM, located in the "hip" Vasant Vihar neighborhood of New Delhi. Guys, you know me- you know that going to loud clubs with DJ music is not my cup of tea- so I embraced the opportunity to do something I don't ordinarily do. The DJ was great and played a good variety of songs that are apparently popular in India plus songs that are apparently popular in the US. There were people dancing like crazy. It was almost like being in the middle of a Bollywood video, I guess that's the only way to describe it to someone who has never set foot in an Indian nightclub. When I got home after 1am, after quite an exciting drive through the quiet night-time streets of the city, I was totally beat. Beth and the guys got a bite to eat at our hotel's 24 hour restaurant but I didn't think I would be able to stay awake through that!
Which brings us to today. I woke up wondering what I would do and thinking that it would be fun to try some solo sightseeing because I hadn't done that yet. I took a look at my map of Delhi and decided I'd be able to see a couple temples in one shot: the Lotus Temple and the ISKCON Temple. Outside the hotel gates, I was lucky to encounter Mr. Kumar, who ended up being my tour guide for a couple hours- and this was great!
He did the thing that a lot of auto drivers and taxi drivers like to do, which is to take you to places where you can shop in addition to the stops you have already specified. So the first place we went was a higher-end textiles and crafts market, where I purchased some gifts for folks at home. The prices were higher than what I have grown used to paying, but nonetheless I still feel like I got some good deals! Salespeople in India are so funny- always unabashedly trying to talk you into buying multiple items or things you have not expressed interest in. They will literally show you every single item in their store unless you draw the line! Americans, I think, are used to being very polite and saying "I'm not interested" in indirect ways, and I have found this does not work in India. You have to know what you want, and get in and out and be firm without being rude. Otherwise, you'll end up over budget, or buying multiple items because you feel indecisive, which is what happened to me at this particular store. So, be firm, that is my shopping tip for India.
After my first shopping stop, Mr. Kumar took me to the Lotus Temple. The Lotus Temple is a beautiful landmark of New Delhi, on a nicely maintained landscaped campus- the building is actually shaped like a giant lotus and it's one of the world centers of the Baha'I faith. Inside the temple are simple benches you can sit on, and there is no talking allowed inside, just sitting and thinking. It was peaceful and serene. On the way out I got a brochure about Baha'I but I haven't read it yet, so I guess if you want to know more about Baha'I you'll have to find out yourself.
Then, another shopping trip. This time I actually limited myself to things that have been on my gift list, plus one thing I have been planning to get for the house (not telling!!!!). I was in and out of there in about ten minutes and then finally got to visit the ISKCON Temple! Unfortunately Mr. Kumar said we could only stay 30 minutes because of some kind of parking situation, and at that point I didn't want to argue because it was getting to be the heat of the day. I regret not being more insistent on staying because I could have spent hours there! It's in a beautiful complex that contains the Vedic Expo (which to my knowledge is a multimedia show, complete with a talking robot, about the Hare Krishna philosophy) plus there's a restaurant and a book and gift shop. I went into the temple room to see the deities, which were supposed to be out according to the information I had looked up, but unfortunately they were not. However, there were some devotees chanting and it was a pleasant atmosphere so I enjoyed it for as long as possible before hopping back into the auto rickshaw and coming back to the hotel.
I thought I was in for the day, but after the heat of the day passed, Beth and I ended up going over to Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. Jama Masjid is a mosque built a few hundred years ago and it sort of looks like the Taj Mahal but made out of sandstone and on a much smaller scale.
But I should back up and describe our ride there. So, the auto drivers… sometimes they are not as nice as Mr. Kumar. Sometimes they do not speak a lick of English. And sometimes they decide that they suddenly need to refill their CNG canister (CNG is compressed natural gas- it's how a lot of vehicles in India are running these days and let me tell you, way less pollution!) in the middle of taking you somewhere. So we got into this long line of about 30-40 autos… and had no idea what was going on. Anyway, that was interesting. I knew it would happen at some point, I just wasn’t sure when, and I was hoping that it wouldn’t be at a time where I actually had some place to be.
So Jama Masjid. We wore our Indian gear so as not to be hassled by the people who run the mosque, and I'm glad we did because all the other non-Indian people there ended up having to put on these incredibly strange looking hospital gown type getups because they were believed to be inappropriately dressed. Just after we arrived we heard the muezzin and watched the people do their prayers and afterwards we were able to go into the mosque itself. We walked around a bit, took a bunch of pictures, people-watched, and sat on the outside steps before leaving to watch the sky full of kites being flown by kids standing on rooftops. I couldn't tell whether the pictures I took captured the kites in the sky, but it was an image I won't soon forget.
Anyway, it was exciting to see Old Delhi. And by exciting, I mean, it was a completely insane place. Old Delhi is kind of what you think of India as being like. Narrow crowded streets with people, bicycle rickshaws, motorbikes, auto rickshaws, and carts, all trying to push past each other. Total chaos and a strange mixture of the most pleasant, and the most unpleasant, smells. Stalls lining the alleys selling things like kebabs and books. Lots and lots of live animals (we saw chickens, other birds, roosters, and a giant goat) and lots and lots of dead animals (um, the head of a goat, just to give one example) covered in flies either before or after cooking. I'm pretty sure that sight would turn anybody vegetarian. We weren't even there for that long but I was completely fascinated by everything I saw. I'm not sure if I have the guts to spend more time exploring Old Delhi, but if I do I can be sure that it will be quite an adventure.
So that was my weekend- action packed and full of memorable experiences, all of which are documented photographically. When I get back from the Taj I'll do another picture post (hopefully Picasa won't confuse me so much this time around) so all the wonderful people who are following my blog can share the wonder.
Well, it's about time for me to finish packing and get to bed early, as I have some more action-packed days ahead. Also, Titanic is on. Until next time!
What a whirlwind!
7/25/10- 3:30pm
I'll write more later and post it on Tuesday when I get back from the Taj Mahal- but- last night Beth and I went to an Indian night club. In the email I just wrote to Jason I described it as "a hoot" but I don't think that does it justice. I had a really great time!
Today, some solo sightseeing in an auto rickshaw: a couple higher-end craft emporiums (finally found something my dad and brother will like) plus the Lotus Temple (Baha'i) and the ISKCON Temple (Hare Krishnas). I would really like to go back to the Hare Krishna temple because I've heard they have a delicious restaurant there, and considering I used to visit the Philly temple on a weekly basis it's something I would love to do.
In a little while I'm gonna go check out Jama Masjid (a mosque... I guess I am hitting every faith today) and head in early for the night to wash some clothes, pack, and rest up for our excursion. We leave at 6:30am tomorrow!!!
I'll write more later and post it on Tuesday when I get back from the Taj Mahal- but- last night Beth and I went to an Indian night club. In the email I just wrote to Jason I described it as "a hoot" but I don't think that does it justice. I had a really great time!
Today, some solo sightseeing in an auto rickshaw: a couple higher-end craft emporiums (finally found something my dad and brother will like) plus the Lotus Temple (Baha'i) and the ISKCON Temple (Hare Krishnas). I would really like to go back to the Hare Krishna temple because I've heard they have a delicious restaurant there, and considering I used to visit the Philly temple on a weekly basis it's something I would love to do.
In a little while I'm gonna go check out Jama Masjid (a mosque... I guess I am hitting every faith today) and head in early for the night to wash some clothes, pack, and rest up for our excursion. We leave at 6:30am tomorrow!!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thanks Ex-pats!
7/24/10- 5:30pm
Another Saturday in India, another day of shopping and beauty treatments! My new favorite thing is called a head massage. You get oil (this time it was olive, I'm not sure what they used last time) rubbed all over your hair and scalp and then get a scalp, face, shoulder, arm, neck, and upper back massage. It is completely heavenly! Afterwards, you get a nice shampoo and a second scalp massage to go along with it. During my massage I was wondering if this sort of thing is available in the states, and then I realized that even if it was, I probably wouldn't be able to afford it. Better "stock up" on head massages while I'm here!
But, perhaps more interesting, last night, our group was invited to the Fulbright director's house for some nice ex-pat hospitality. Adam Grotsky lives in an absolutely gorgeous apartment on the top floor of the Fulbright House, which (from what I recall from what Adam told us) was built in the 1920s or 1930s by the British to house the contractors who were building what we know as New Delhi: the wide tree-lined avenues, roundabouts, bungalows, etc. Anyway, it turns out Adam is originally from Harrisburg and went to Penn for undergrad- it was really nice to chat with somebody who's familiar with where I'm from! Well, we were over at Adam's for a few hours, and by the time we got back to the hotel I was pretty exhausted. Was it ever nice to go to sleep.
We sat around and had delicious food and Kingfisher beer, and there were a couple other Fulbrighters who happened to be in town too, so we had a great time talking to them and hearing about their work and their impressions of India. It was also a welcome change to spend time with other Americans- other than the people in our group, we have been dealing exclusively with Indian citizens, and sometimes the language difficulty (it's not quite a barrier) can get a little tedious. They have a hard time understanding our accents, and we have a hard time understanding theirs, and my Hindi is pretty much nonexistent. In my normal daily life I take for granted that I can readily understand people and they can readily understand me, so it has been a change to have to put in extra effort towards making sure the person I am speaking to can understand me. I would hate for them to have an idea about Americans that we speak quickly and unintelligibly! It really gives me a lot of empathy to people who are learning new languages or living in completely foreign lands- I don't think I could handle the frustration that would come along with being in a place where I don't speak the language at all- but Indian English, I can handle reasonably well.
Which brings us to today. After all the running around of the past 2+ weeks, I just wanted to sit around for a while and do nothing- so that's what I did for the first half of the day. Then Beth and I went over to Khan Market for a couple hours. In addition to the aforementioned beauty treatments and shopping, we also had some really delicious kebabs there from a little Afghan stand that usually has a long line of customers- I had some kind of spinach and onion thingy wrapped in some extremely thin bread. It sure was tasty! In a little while we're going out with one of her friend's friends (something like that) for cocktails and snacks.
What's on my mind the most lately (when I'm not thinking about how I can make the most of my experience here) is how excited I am to be getting back home on August 14. The fact that I am having a blast here, enjoying new experiences, learning a lot, having adventures, and all that, doesn't take away from the fact that at heart I love being home. It's kind of a complicated set of conflicting feelings to sort out. For me, missing home doesn't mean that I'm regretting my decision to come on this trip or that I would hop on the next plane home if I could. I am happy to have three more weeks here to experience and learn all I can, because I know my work here has barely begun. But I know with 100% certainty that by the time August 14 rolls around, I'm going to be beside myself with excitement because I'll get to go home!
Another Saturday in India, another day of shopping and beauty treatments! My new favorite thing is called a head massage. You get oil (this time it was olive, I'm not sure what they used last time) rubbed all over your hair and scalp and then get a scalp, face, shoulder, arm, neck, and upper back massage. It is completely heavenly! Afterwards, you get a nice shampoo and a second scalp massage to go along with it. During my massage I was wondering if this sort of thing is available in the states, and then I realized that even if it was, I probably wouldn't be able to afford it. Better "stock up" on head massages while I'm here!
But, perhaps more interesting, last night, our group was invited to the Fulbright director's house for some nice ex-pat hospitality. Adam Grotsky lives in an absolutely gorgeous apartment on the top floor of the Fulbright House, which (from what I recall from what Adam told us) was built in the 1920s or 1930s by the British to house the contractors who were building what we know as New Delhi: the wide tree-lined avenues, roundabouts, bungalows, etc. Anyway, it turns out Adam is originally from Harrisburg and went to Penn for undergrad- it was really nice to chat with somebody who's familiar with where I'm from! Well, we were over at Adam's for a few hours, and by the time we got back to the hotel I was pretty exhausted. Was it ever nice to go to sleep.
We sat around and had delicious food and Kingfisher beer, and there were a couple other Fulbrighters who happened to be in town too, so we had a great time talking to them and hearing about their work and their impressions of India. It was also a welcome change to spend time with other Americans- other than the people in our group, we have been dealing exclusively with Indian citizens, and sometimes the language difficulty (it's not quite a barrier) can get a little tedious. They have a hard time understanding our accents, and we have a hard time understanding theirs, and my Hindi is pretty much nonexistent. In my normal daily life I take for granted that I can readily understand people and they can readily understand me, so it has been a change to have to put in extra effort towards making sure the person I am speaking to can understand me. I would hate for them to have an idea about Americans that we speak quickly and unintelligibly! It really gives me a lot of empathy to people who are learning new languages or living in completely foreign lands- I don't think I could handle the frustration that would come along with being in a place where I don't speak the language at all- but Indian English, I can handle reasonably well.
Which brings us to today. After all the running around of the past 2+ weeks, I just wanted to sit around for a while and do nothing- so that's what I did for the first half of the day. Then Beth and I went over to Khan Market for a couple hours. In addition to the aforementioned beauty treatments and shopping, we also had some really delicious kebabs there from a little Afghan stand that usually has a long line of customers- I had some kind of spinach and onion thingy wrapped in some extremely thin bread. It sure was tasty! In a little while we're going out with one of her friend's friends (something like that) for cocktails and snacks.
What's on my mind the most lately (when I'm not thinking about how I can make the most of my experience here) is how excited I am to be getting back home on August 14. The fact that I am having a blast here, enjoying new experiences, learning a lot, having adventures, and all that, doesn't take away from the fact that at heart I love being home. It's kind of a complicated set of conflicting feelings to sort out. For me, missing home doesn't mean that I'm regretting my decision to come on this trip or that I would hop on the next plane home if I could. I am happy to have three more weeks here to experience and learn all I can, because I know my work here has barely begun. But I know with 100% certainty that by the time August 14 rolls around, I'm going to be beside myself with excitement because I'll get to go home!
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