Rock on Garth, Party on Wayne

India keeps getting better. I feel more at home and well adjusted to my new environment more and more each day. I feel so lucky to be around people that are so lovely and full of life. The staffs here at CIRHEP have been nothing less than great. Any little thing we need or suggest they make happen right away. We can really tell that they want us to have a wonderful experience while here and I feel like that is the case. Even though the internship is nothing like I expected, I feel like I am learning more this way by living next to the culture and overseeing how things work and don’t work here in a totally different way. Setting our own schedule turned out to be quite nice as well :)

I have begun my case study though. I am interviewing women in the Johnsivani self-help group. They make sambar powder and sell it in the local organic shop as well as transport it to a nearby market city. The women are in the lowest caste in India (Dalit) and of the questions I ask them about their caste, you can tell their hardships right away. They are not allowed into village temples, drink the tea or coffee in town (which by the way, is a big deal), and other castes in the village don’t acknowledge them when they speak. It is a bit unreal to me that this system is still intact and that the societies work on such a social status basis. I have learned a lot with the interviews, but only to an extent. So much is getting lost is translation that I am receiving such simple answers back with not many details. The women will talk for minutes and I will get one sentence in return. I try to inquire and ask follow up questions but it doesn’t get me much farther. It doesn’t help that my translator is in charge of the self-help groups, so I think I may be getting some biased answers as well. My next group is a garland making self-help group. They are in the most backwards caste. I picked two groups that are in two different castes to be able to do some comparisons.

Some other projects that Erin and I have been working on are the recycling program and vermi-compost. We have set up the recycling bins and made signs (which by the way took many hours of labor power to bicycle to and from town to print and laminate). We also have a power point to show to the staff of why recycling is so important. The vermi-compost is as well completed! Mason-man came a couple weeks ago to build the structure. It looks good and hopefully in the next couple days we will start it up and put worms in it. I have also set up a paypal account for them. This will allow them to put a donation button on their website for money to be donated directly to their bank account. We have also been forced to dance against our will. Ha. Some Japanese students were here last week and at the end of their stay, it was "culture day". So Malar dragged us back to the chicken farm to learn a traditional Indian dance in 1 hour. Later that night, I felt like I was eight years old again playing dress-up and throwing on any jewelry or hair clips you could find. It was a bittersweet experience (the dance being terrible but also being so much fun and not being able to stop laughing). We got it on video, so the evidence is there.

We have been super busy in between our various projects also trying to get our vacation planned out. We are excited beyond belief and we have all of our train tickets already booked! Here is a little synopsis: We leave Nilakottai on 31st where we will take a train to Chennai. Erin and I are attending a one-week spiritual retreat at Oneness University where we will learn about deeksha or the “oneness blessing”. On April 8^th we will head down to Pondicherry and Auroville where we will lounge by the beach and then on April 11^th we head back to Chennai where we will leave some of our stuff with a friend and on April 12^th we hop on our 40 hour train all the way up to Darjeeling! It is up in the northeast. We will be nestled in the mountains and away from the heat. Tea gardens and trekking are top priority while there. We will stay there until April 22^nd when we will catch another train and bus over to Rishikesh in the northwest that lies along the Ganges River and said to be one of the yoga capitals. We are planning for a whitewater-rafting trip while there as well. On April 27^th we take a long bus ride up to Manali (where Erin’s friend is volunteering) to be in the Himalayans. We plan to stay there until May 7^th where we will take another bus down to Delhi (the capital) and stay there for a few nights. I am most excited about attending the Laughter Club of Delhi, which involves simple yogic breathing techniques combined with uproarious laughter. Small groups hold these meetings in various parks early in the morning. Our final destination is in Agra. We decided we wanted to go out with a bang having our last stop at the Taj Mahal. Our train from Agra to Chennai leaves May 14^th and we will be heading home and arriving on May 18^th.

Besides Erin crashing and almost killing me on a moped ride along with the bed bugs that visit us each night, everything is wonderful here : ) (you know I couldn’t leave it out) We have started baking a good bit too. We have perfected bread (after our first fail of trying to bake it in the solar cooker) and our newest loves are our whole-wheat oatmeal raisin banana peanut butter cashew flaxseed cookies. On the food note, food here is beyond amazing. Coconut chutney and Idli are my weakness. They have recently been making a pumpkin and lentil sauté that is delicious! Mutu (our adorable little cook) has been giving us cooking lessons so hopefully I will continue to enjoy these things when I get back. Tomorrow we head to Chennai with a busload of farmers to visit an NGO and receive training on organic farming while enjoying all organic food :) Love to you all back home.

I don't know how to tell you this, but there's an Indian family standing outside our door

Greetings from the mountains! ahhh...a breath of fresh air. Erin and I are up in the quaint and touristy town of Kodaikanal. We arrived yesterday and I already feel completely rejuvenated. We took a long and windey 3 hour taxi ride up here and are currently staying in the Greenlands hostel for $3 per night. It is quite simple yet so comfortable. We don't have to worry about mosquitoes or drenching our clothes in sweat at least. I did feel a rat/mouse crawl over me last night, though. We feel like we are back in Boone with a bit of a twist to it. We are enjoying some good Tibetan food as well at the Royal Tibet Restaurant. There are great shops that I have found lots of nice stuff to acquire unfortunately and even a health food store :) I got some spirulina tablets (to keep my immune system up) as well as some mint chocolates and fresh peanut butter. I have been sitting for hours sitting outside of our room overlooking the magnificent mountains in front of me. It is so lovely.

Getting back to reality and to the reason why we have come to India in the first place is our internship. We arrived at CIRHEP on the 25th of January and we are loving it and feeling frustrated by it all at the same time. We were given such an amazing opportunity to come to India and help the people and environment, and we are having a horrible time trying to get things moving along. We have forced them to have meetings and make schedules for us and they have but that seems to not have mattered. A schedule means nothing to them and they assume we will just get our work done on our own, I suppose. We are trying to stay focused and positive all at the same time but things keep happening that bring us back down and feel a bit lost in how to get on track here. We love our accommodations atleast! We stay in a humble little hut that provides with all we need: a bed, fan, and a roof over our head. Our showers consist of a nice cold bucket bath which happened to be quite easy to get used to actually.

What I am hoping to do as far as tasks are concerned while here is work with both the nature school and women's empowerment groups. I am going to conduct a case study on both of them and research the impacts that these groups have had in two different villages. I am excited to learn more about the women's groups and see how receiving micro-credit has worked for them. On top of doing the studies and research, I will be starting up a recyling center at both CIRHEP and the village that we are right next to. It sounds like a simple task but considering they don't even think anything about where they throw their trash, it is going to be a frustrating task that I will have to approach in a totally different manner. Their current method is to burn it all (including plastic bottles). CIRHEP also helps run an organic shop in the town of Nilakottai and it seems as though it needs some desperate help. Since I've worked in a health food store since I was 17, I hope I can bring some insight or ideas to the place.

We have done some amazing things since being here. We have taken many hikes up the mountains that surround us and swam in beautiful mountain waterfalls. We have attended women's self-help groups, taken organic farm tours, watched nature school games, gone to numerous temples, and have met amazing people. I have already learned so much about myself and the patience I must have being immersed in a culture so different. My experience thus far has been a roller-coaster but I never think of that in a bad way. I have had really hard days and absolutely amazing days where I think nothing could make me happier. I am taking everyday for what it is and Erin is definitely helping me stay positive. I will write more about the things and people I have experienced next time and I promise to write more often than I have. I think I have not written in so long because I did not know how to direct my thoughts and emotions at the time. I have felt a bit lost at times but everything will come together. For now, I will go enjoy the sunset from 7,000 feet above it all. Love to you all.

Peace of Mind

I feel as though I have so many amazing details to share but little time. Since I last wrote, Erin and I have seen and done some wonderful things. We finally received our outfits we had made for us. Baaisy was our tailor and I assured him we would be coming back for more. He has been wonderful. I also bought a beautiful backpack from him for 70 rupees (just over $1). On Friday after having a wonderful morning browsing the temple markets we headed back to our hotel. Originally, we only made a reservation for 3 nights at our hotel and when we asked to stay longer it was an automatic 'no'. Without questioning, we set out in the blazing hot city to find another. After going in over 10 different hotels, we got a consist ant answer of "no rooms available" when we knew that was not true. Were we really being discriminated upon? It was definitely so. We were so mentally and physically exhausted after walking around for so long we decided to give our hotel one more shot. By the time we were back, there was a different man at the desk. We asked him if we could stay longer and that we would even be able to switch rooms. His first answer was no. We pleaded. Then all of a sudden, it was "yes, you can stay as long as you need". Sad. We tried to brush it off by enjoying another rooftop dinner at the veg. restaurant.

Yesterday I woke up with the light and watched the sun come up off our balcony. I am loving the early morning rise and early night in. I love getting up early every morning and observing and taking in all that the India city streets have to offer the eyes. Across the street is a "dump" yet it does not have dumpsters-- it is merely a place to dump what trash is actually picked up. I watched as a man dug through what seems to be freshly dropped off trash. The sights, sounds, and smells are all distinctly different in India. Erin and I have used the phrase many times "this just tastes like India" or "this smells like India". It is something I can't describe, it just is.

It was a full day though. Gandhi Museum was our first task. We took a rickshaw and upon arriving our driver asked to take pictures with each of us (with our cameras) and then he asked us to write his address down so we could mail him a copy. We have found that the people here are fascinated by cameras! The museum was amazing though. Very touching and I learned a lot I had not known before about his life and activism. They have a yoga center there where classes are held daily at 6:30 am. I am definitely going to try to come back into town a couple weekends to try the class. We are going to try to find a center or home in which we can attend regularly in our village. On the way back our driver stopped to let us out to look over the bridge that hovered over the Vaigai River. We saw women washing brightly colored clothes and sheets that were layed out all over the fields on the side. So beautiful India is. After resting back at the hotel we trekked to the Thirumalai Maicker Mahal (Palace) for the sound and light show! It was pretty cool but I couldn't enjoy it thoroughly because I was worried about mosquitoes the whole time. The place was infested but Erin and I had luckily hosed ourselves down with bug spray before.

As of today, India food has officially kicked in to both mine and Erin's systems. My morning was spent in the bathroom. It is not so fun but I read that it is pretty inevitable in the first 2 weeks you are in India. Being careful today to not spread too far away from a bathroom, we are taking it easy today. We woke up early (once again) and went down to have a pot of hot tea before venturing out. Black tea is all that I have found in restaurants so I asked where to get some tea to buy. He pointed us to a store (Shoppers Shop) where we found treasure! Not really-- ha but we found some familiar things from back home. I broke down and bought deodorant-- I was so tried of ruining shirts after only a couple hours. I also found my favorite: green tea! I plan to carry those around to restaurants. I also bought some chips to help soothe my stomach for the day. Today is our last day in the city and at 9am tomorrow (Monday) we are meeting Chandra from CIRHEP in the lobby to ride to our internship site! We are ready to leave the city, noice and traffic behind. I have loved seeing all of Madurai that we did, but off to the next spot! I am hoping we have Internet there but I am still not entirely sure yet. Hope everyone is enjoying the cold weather, because we are surely enjoying our sunny and 80 degree weather here :)

We have arrived...

We arrived in India 3 nights ago. We got picked up at the airport by a shuttle from our hotel. Thank god or else I think we would have been eaten alive by the mass chaos outside if we had not had a plan. I can't say or think it enough but I am so thankful I have Erin with me or else I would be quite freaked out at this point. On the plane ride from Frankfurt to Chennai, I immediately felt the friendliness of India. Vera, the nice India doctor man sitting next to me on the plane, offered me his business card and a free place to stay whenever needed. How un-American like to be towards a stranger. I love it. Our first night experience in India was one we probably won't have again. A delux 5-star hotel made us feel as though we had never left home. Buffet breakfast was so delicious but our bill at the end of our stay was not. Erin stayed calm while I bitched about it being too much money. The stay has been pleasant so far besides a few stressful bumps.

Another thing we have had to get used to is the driving. It is madness. Nothing I have ever witnessed. I think they like the sound of their own horn and to see how close they can squeeze in between cars. It's scary, but also quite entertaining. We laughed almost the entire way to and from the airport. I was feeling stressed and a bit lonely my first night in-- not knowing if I was ready for this different of an adventure but I feel more in tune now. After we landed in Madurai we took a taxi ride to our hotel we had booked. The ride was exhausting. My anxiety was sky high and my chest was pulsating. I think we were both on the verge of tears the entire way. The combination of everything was too much. To see India at night is no site I have ever seen. The hotel we have been staying at for $15 per night is pretty cozy (besides the cold showers and ticks we found this morning) with AC and comfy beds with a balcony I have been going out every morning to watch the city from above. It hasn't gotten old yet. Our first night in, we found our rooftop pure vegetarian restaurant that made us feel 100% better. We enjoyed great, dirt cheap food, a Kingfischer Beer, and a familiar surrounding of Westerners. It's what we needed to calm our nerves. Up top there are also great views of the Meenaksi Temples from afar.

Yesterday was an exhausting day. We woke up at 7am and by 2pm we were done and enjoying our AC room. We then decided to walk to the Meenakshi Temple. So beautiful! and I got an up close experience of how holy and spiritual India is. The temple was breath-taking (what we saw atleast)-- some rooms are only open to Hindus. There were also two wedding celebrations going on. The women were covered in gold, flowers, jewelry and henna. In one section of the temple there is an elephant. He takes small offerings in exchange for a blessing. After the temple (and luckily getting our shoes back) we headed to go shop for some Indian clothes. I bargained down the price for a Sari which I was proud of. We then had to go back to the temple to see a tailor. He is sewing our blouse and as well a whole other outfit for us. We are about to pick them up :) I will have two complete outfits for cheap in the next hour. We ended our day by taking a rickshaw ride up to a beautiful restaurant on the hill (Taj Garden Retreat) surrounded by gardens and peacocks. Even pasta is SO spicy here!! We sat outside and had a full view of Madurai. We were entertained during dinner by a magaician who gave us a private show. Our rickshaw ride back is one we will never forget. We weaved in and out of traffic blasting Indian rap music. I took a long video of the ride so I will try to post it soon. I am staring to love the city, but I am almost ready to be at our internship in what I hope and expect to be a much more peaceful atmosphere. The culture here is beautiful but so poverty stricken. It is everywhere. I am having to de-sensitize myself fast or I know it will have a drain on my energy and heart.

It is early here and we have a full day ahead. We are going to visit more temples, the palace nearby and hopefully get to the Ghandi Museum. This is all for now, hopefully I will post pictures next time.

beginning thoughts...

I feel it is a good day to start my blog considering I feel a sense of overwhelming emotions about going to India today. It has become a daily obsession of mine to spend hours a day reading books and reading online as well as looking at pictures to get a sense of India and it's diverse population and culture. I spent some time today after work today (we closed early because of our current downpour of snow- won't have to worry about that much longer, will I? :)-- 90 degree weather...here I come) looking at many travel videos and pictures and I broke down in tears I think because I know already how much this trip is going to affect me and the eagerness I have built up to get there already. It will affect me spiritually, mentally and yes, I assume physically as well (that's why I've got a full supply of probiotics and other vitamins and meds to help out with that one).

I guess I should start out by telling all what I am exacting going to India for. Back in September I received a scholarship I had interviewed for to go to India. I had either the option to study at a choice of 3 universities or a list of about 15 NGOs. After some research I decided to go intern at the NGO: Centre for Improved Rural Health and Environmental Protection ( www.cirhep.org ). It is located in South India right outside of Madurai in a rural village called Nilakottai. I will be doing environmental education and hopefully some organic farming alongside and will receive 6 credits for the internship. I will be living on-site until my last day, April 2nd. At that point, I have nothing planned and I want to keep it that way. I only know that my plane does not come back until May 18th (if not later if I decide to travel longer). I feel lucky though to have a friend along for the adventure. She will be at the same NGO as me and we are excited to travel and experience the wonders of India together where ever that shall be. We already have so many places we want to see; it is going to be hard to fit it all in!

I want to experience everything India has to offer. I can't wait to meet children, beggars, mothers, holy men, monks, workers, craftsmen/women, spiritually enlightened people, and/or anyone else that could bring joy or knowledge to the presence. Buddhism and Hinduism have always been two religions that both speak to me and faciniate me; I can't wait to be surrounded by the religious atmosphere of both. Another aspect I am looking forward to is being able to eat Indian food every single day :) Being a vegetarian in India will be easier than here, or at least avoiding beef won't be a problem considering for Hindu's, cows are sacred. I even read that McDonald's serves up a potatoe-and-pea burger for the huge population of non-beef eaters. Can't wait! As I embark on my journey in less than 2 weeks now, I hope that you all keep me in your thoughts. This trip will be nothing less than inspiring and enlightening, but I know that I will miss you all. For now, this is all I have to say, but expect lots of information and photos once I arrive. I will post a few photos on here but the majority of them will be on facebook so become my friend if you are not already :) Wish me luck...here I go.

Namaste.