पहाड़ (Translation: Mountain)

         Erik, Jeanie, Erin, Allegra and I all ventured up north to Darjeeling during our week off. What a magnificent trip! Tea galore! Tea tea tea tea tea. TEA. We stayed at a lovely hotel with a prime rooftop seating to watch the sunrise over Mount Kanchenjunga (Try saying that three times fast. Heck, just try to remember how to spell it). Mount Kanchenjunga is the third largest mountain in the world and is just a few peaks over from Everest. Needless to say, the mountains made for some beautiful morning views.

Sunrise over the Himalayan mountain range

           While in Darjeeling, we scoped out a 500-year-old monastery. A kindly old monk generously  showed us around the inside. Murals covered every wall with accents in gold paint, and among other neat things sat two large drums. When Erik asked the monk the purpose of these huge drums, the man replied, "Oh those? I hits those and all the peoples of the city come." I suddenly had to squelch the desire to test that little fact out.
          The monk proceeded to give us a private concert with a large wooden wind instrument. He introduced his first serenade as,  "Like bison, ferocious grunts after glorious fight." Have you ever heard a bison grunt before? Given the circumstances, I think we all managed to stay very well composed.

Prayer flags of Tibet, hanging on a wall on the outskirts of Darjeeling

From the monastery adventures, we went on to a two-day hike where we tromped around the edges of Nepal. My "tough-it-out" side was a little embarrassed to be staying in a lodge on the hike. However, when I realized how cold the foothills of the Himalaya get, I swallowed my pride between gulps of the delicious hot tea they gave us. We were quite the happy [indoor] campers.

Kachenjunga (spelled right? You were supposed to remember!)

Hope all is well where you are! Take care!

देखना (Translation: to see)

After we were done with Darjeeling, Erik and I separated from the group to explore more western states. After a three-and-a-half-hour bumpy jeep ride down the mountain side to the train station, I got out of the vehicle with a sigh of relief. I walked around, enjoying my newly rediscovered freedom of leg movement. I began thinking about the long train ride ahead of us, my newly purchased tea, and did I forget to pack my-

WHAM. All of a sudden I was airborne. I was like a cartoon with my gangly legs somehow now above my head, surrounded by a ball of kicked-up dust. The world went quiet as everything turned into slow motion. And, during my new found serenity in flight, all I could think was, "Are those my shoes in the sky?"

A cow had rammed me. Sucker punched, really (I guess you could say it put the "cow" in coward). My old friends, favorite photo-subjects, had betrayed me! And I thought all I had to keep an eye out for was unruly traffic and pick-pocketers. Et tu, Brute? 

Reminiscing from Udaipur: in the initial, shy stages of our short friendship

Luckily, the fantastic city of Varanasi helped me forget the incident in a matter of moments. The phenomenal Ganges river flows like the aorta of the living, breathing India that has enamored me so much. I could bore you with every experience in that crazy city. However,  it would do Varanasi no justice and probably put you to sleep early.

Instead---
Imagine the smoke of incense rising around your cheeks, filling up your head with intoxicating scents of forgotten flowers.
Imagine the sound that jangling anklets make on the slim feet of shoeless women.
Feel the calloused hands of people, reaching out for work, not for handouts.
See the translucent red cloth waving softly in a cool breeze.

Then you can feel what it's like to be in Varanasi--and that's all that really matters, isn't it?

 

Boat trip on the Ganges for sunrise

Hope all is well where you are! I miss you, and am eager to hear of the current happenings in your lives. Take care!

तैरना (Translation: To Swim!)

Hello! Happy (almost) Halloween!

Since we're entering the summer season here, four of us students rounded up to take a trip to cool off a bit: a trip to a little beach oasis called Paloelem.

Late bus connections, expensive rickshaws, and a pinch of rain made us a little dazed and frazzled upon our arrival. Minor details! After a refreshing cup of chai, we tromped along the shore towards our hotel. We approached a small river along the way, and as our good fortune continued we realized that rains had recently washed away the connecting bridge. So, wading we went! (We went to the beach expecting to get wet anyways, right?)

Casual stroll to the hotel

 Generally I try to travel in lesser-known places, but I had a good time relaxing in this tourist hot spot. The Paloloem tourist scene pleasantly surprised me. European and Australian backpackers with dreds studded the beach, talking about "the importance of savin' nature, bro". Restaurants brought out raw fish on plates to allow patrons to select their next meal. Not to mention swimming in the warm ocean water is a perfect way to spend any weekend.

Cows, it turns out, appreciate quality beach time too.

All in all, great success! Granted I look slightly like a toasted lobster by the end. However, a light sunburn was small price to pay for such a great weekend with Erik, Lauren, and Stephanie.

Hope all is well where you are!

मुंबई (Translation: Mumbai)

Earlier this month, we managed to squeeze in a weekend trip to Mumbai. Movie-goers might know the city as the main setting for"Slumdog Millionaire". The city houses 13,830,884 people. That's 22,000 people per square kilometer. PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.

It's a very happening, westernized city. A couple of us students went out one night and tried to get into a fancy restaurant. Apparently this cool restaurant wanted people other than the haggered travelers in poofy pants and Ganesh t-shirts. I thought that once they noticed my pleather shoes with velcro straps they would change their minds but no such luck. Their loss. Their. Loss.

We scoped out the sea shore along the coast that reflected the problems of a highly-densely populated city: a stagnant layer of pollution floated on the top of the water like a blanket of moss. It was still a fun entertainment area. Cotton candy, plastic swords for sale...needless to say, I thrived in that environment! We even met a boy flying a kite with his pet monkey. Erik tripped on the monkey's leash, causing the once-cute monkey to bare his teeth with a snarl. The kids jumped away and whispered in a small voice, "he bites." Back awaaaaay, slowly.

Such a grumpy monkey

 I also got into a an tense ring-toss competition with a beefy, well- trained man, which justifies why he beat me so badly. (Or a pudgy 8 year old boy. I forget the exact details...)

The competition. Followers call him "The Intimidator".

Fantastic city though. People are always hustling and bustling during the day. However, in the early morning around 5:00 am, the city awakens slowly with quiet streets and shop keepers still sleeping outside of their stores. One morning, Erik and I sleepily woke up with the city as we stumbled over to see the ships bring in their fish loads for the day. Women with big bushels on their head full of fish bumping into me: I found a couple of little fish surprises in my hair afterward. No appetite for sushi for a little while....

A boy watching the fish boats out at sea, with Mumbai in the background

 Hope all is well where you are! Take care!

ऊँट (Translation: Camel)

Well Erik and I didn't get to the movie theater far enough in advance to get tickets for the bollywood movie. So, that left us with a snorefest ride home in the rickshaw orrrrr.....

 

A CAMEL RIDE!

Yes. I am eating on the camel. As if I wasn't being conspicuous enough already! It's corn on the cob--a cheap roadside snack sold everywhere on the streets. (Meals on wheels...hooves?)

Hope all is well where you are!

खाना (Translation: To Eat)

Happy October!
After a nice calm week at home, Bina (my host mom) suggested we make some American food for dinner on Saturday night. She mentioned that Kansas City was known for its barbeque. On behalf of Kansas City: Thank you, world. So, she would like me to cook a sample of Kansas City's world-renowned, sophisticated palate!


“Oh, wow! Yes! Yes, that would be great! You have a grill here?” I said, eagerly swiveling my head around, looking around for the grill I must have overlooked these past two months. I kept looking, and finding nothing, I looked back at Bina. She sat staring at me with such excitement, like she had the best secret in the whole world swelling inside almost bursting to get out.
“We will MAKE one!” she exclaimed triumphantly.


Right then. In case you’re wondering, this is a sample of homemade grill tips you can access online.

Pictures like this:

And idiots like this:  

Winner

 How to make a Homemade Grill
 1. Gather your materials
2. Cut foil into desired shape 
3. Place in mouth and press down all over your teeth
4.Make alterations if applicable. 
5. Suck down so it has the extended teeth feeling
(Granted, I never should have clicked a link that spelled
grills as "GrILLZ")






USELESS. Slightly disheartened, I realized we were on our own. In the late afternoon the day before the grill, I slipped into panic mode. But, Erik and I somehow managed to create a [barbeque] grill out of an old dish rack and aluminum foil. The aroma of smoky chicken, vinegar mushrooms, and garlic bread soon filled the air, making the house smell like a summer day at home.

The delicious products

Bina and Ira made a lovely marinade, Erik did a fantastic job manning the grill, no one went to bed hungry, and the house was still standing when we went to bed. All in all, I think it was a great success! Now for round two: shrimp!

I hope that you are doing well, and all is well where you are! Take care!

दैव योग (Translation: Luck)

We reluctantly left the beautiful city of Udaipur (see below post) to continue our exploration of northern India.


Recipe for a Long Day:

1. Have a train cancelled on the first leg of your tediously planned trip, then hastily book bus ticket
2. Select the back seats of the bus for the 10 hour bus ride (Note: not a problem if you like rollercoasters or earthquakes--or both simultaneously)
3. Miss your bus stop
4. Visit Surat (period).

So, at the mercy of bad luck we stumbled into Surat: voted the Filthiest City in the 90's due to, among other reasons, a break out of the plague (...THE PLAGUE). We decided to skiddadle out of the rough city ASAP, but not before buying a hot-pink, sleeveless shirt that bares a flexing wrestler and reads "Dr. of Thuganomics". I really couldn't turn it down: it's just too versatile! (Got a new church outfit, mom!)


The train ride was great. Tons of people. Who knew luggage racks could serve as a whole new row of seats? Everyone in India, that's who! We were entertained by musical drums, singing, and snacks by local people throughout the ride. Also, cross-dressers on the train threatened to curse men unless they forked over some rupees. Indian revere people of the cross-dressing culture as auspicious and with magical powers. Thus, it is common for people to give gifts to cross-dressers to avoid being cursed.


 It is, in case you've ever wondered, a little amusing to watch women with five o'clock shadows bullying people while wearing sequined, belly-baring saris. Luckily, they left me alone....but, not before nicknaming me "गुलाघ" (Rose). Apparently my pink skin is amusing here, too. Reaaaaal mature, India. Real mature.


 Erik and I enjoyed a brief stay in Nashik, and then headed back to Pune so as not to miss Monday classes (Yes, yes. I do attend classes).

Enjoying Nashik early in the morning!

Returning home just in time for a hot dinner at the Joshi house put the icing on the cake for this fantastic week. Overall, the journey was a great success! It opened my eyes to realize all that I still have to see in this mystical, beautiful country.


I hope you're doing well! Take care.

रिज्य (Translation: Kingdom)

Erik and I had a fabulous time in Udaipur-“India’s Venice”- this past week. Beautiful palaces studded the entire city: including the second largest palace in India, and two palaces floating in the middle of the lake. Our hotel (Rooms for 5 dollars a night? Yes please!) was lovely and even had a rooftop restaurant!

Tromping around the City Palace!

We took a boat tour to scope out the lake palaces, where I had a brief stint playing with an Indian rock band. And by rock band, I obviously mean two old men playing traditional Hindi instruments (one of the instruments being bowls filled with water that you hit with sticks. Rock on, grandpa.).

Me playing the water bowls! Jammin' out with my boyz!

Erik and I also scoped out the most eclectic museum I have ever been to: from hookahs to puppets to styrofoam models of architecture from across the world. The real gem there, though, was the world's largest turban! A little impractical, sure, but very cool.

After boosting the local economy by purchasing our fair share of poofy pants and scarves, we were off on our next adventure! Stay posted for part 2: The Ride Home

Hope all is well, and I'm excited to hear of your adventures where ever you are! Take care!

बचाना (Translation: To Escape)

This past weekend, Erik organized a trip to the Elora and Ajunta caves a mere five hour drive away. Six of us scampered over and explored over 64 caves! These "caves" were carefully carved out of the cliff sides and used for Buddhist and Hindu temples. Phenomenal! These huge, intricate structures must have been created with hands more patient than my own.

A glimpse inside the massive caves

We were also able to squeeze in a glance at the Taj Ma-small: a smaller version of the Taj on Saturday. Little pranksters only made the bottom four feet out of marble...the rest is painted plaster. I'm on to you, India.


The Mini-Taj at sunset.

On the way back on Sunday, we were able to take a quick tromp around a MONKEY INFESTED FORT.  Three dream words for everyone's inner Indiana Jones and impossible to turn down! Monkeys were, as promised, infesting the entirety of the massive fort. One monkey even managed to bully a nearby tourist out of his bag chips (1. Stupid for bringing chips. 2. Where did he get those delicious looking chips?). Needless to say, I wrestled the ferocious monkey, then launched him into the atmosphere by his tail. [Read: A security guard threw rocks at the monkeys while I hid behind a small child.]

Right before the scoundrel stole chips from the tourist behind me.

It turns out that although the fort was pretty cool looking, it was rather inefficient considering it got conquered on five separate occasions (not counting the sixth take-over, and continuous reign, by the monkeys). 

Hope you're doing well! Take care! I'll put up more pictures on the Picasa link next week.

ज़िन्दगी (Translation: Life)

"Koran burning talk kills 14 in Kashmir: Valley's prestigious Tyndale School, over a dozen buildings torched; police blame separatists for inciting violence..."

This, along with other similar news stories, is what plagued my morning tea and daily reading today. It's amazing the what Mr. Terry Jones was able to spark with a few words bred from ignorance.

India, however, continues to impress me. The food has won me over completely. One dollar can buy a limitless amount of food for lunch: chipates, dahl, paneer, dolsa masala... and I can even order from menus written in Hindi sanscrit now!

Steps to ordering food:
1. Waiter will bring one, and only one, menu to table.
2. Read desired food item from menu.
3. Wait patiently as the waiter corrects your pronunciation, and makes you repeat the item until you say it to his liking.
4. Recieve food.
5. Eat only with right hand, and eat EVERYTHING.
6. Waiter will bring bowl of water. This is for RINSING HANDS. Not drinking, as the lemon floating in the water implies. (As I learned the hard embarrassing way. Also, it is important to note that the water is scalding hot.)

I've put up a couple of photos at this website: http://picasaweb.google.com/109670637928687185774/India#5516648181695679586
I plan to add captions and add more photos soon.

I hope all is well where you are! Take care!

Look closer: it's not Indians in this picture! It's me and Erik. Along with the delicious food, we're also embracing the clothes. I know what you're thinking: we look like locals now!

आलिंगन (Translation: Hug)

If you want a taste of typical India marketing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMcuX3s1q8M

Please watch. It'll make your day.


Also, some of you have asked me for my mailing address here. Sorry for the delay, but you can send me letters (very appreciated!) to:

Hannah Whitehurst
The Alliance for Global Education
Bungalow No. 3, Fergusson College
Ladies Hostel Gate, FC Road
Pune, India
411 004

आनंद (Translation: Enjoy)

Ganesh: The main attraction of the week

Due to my good fortune, I happened to select the study-abroad-term during festival season here in India. And oh man.

India.
Loves.
Festivals.

So far I have been here for three festivals. Doing some quick math, that's almost one for every week I've been here. The best part is: this is just the preseason. India's just getting started.

The first one was Rachsha Bandhan Rakhi, which is an excellent deal for girls. All girls buy a fifty-cent bracelet for their brothers, or any brother-like-figure in their life, and in exchange the brother provides life-long protection and a fancy gift. (Jackpot! Zach: I think we should start recognizing this holiday. I’ll get the bracelet! Have my gift ready!) Plus it’s a way of putting any unwanted pursuers in the “friend-zone”--just slap a bracelet on them and call 'em bro!

The second festival was a little bit more dangerous. India celebrates the birth of Vishnu, a Hindu deity. What better way to celebrate the birth of a deity than a human pyramid? Trick question: in India, there is no better way. Pots are hung up in the air 30-40 feet, and people make ridiculously tall pyramids to break the pots for cash prizes. I don’t know how important the US media considers this whole deal, but everyone here knows that the tallest human pyramid record was broken last week in Mumbai with a whopping TEN HUMAN-LEVELS.  Yikes.

Getting the Gold: medium-sized human pyramid about to break the pot

The third event, my favorite so far, started today. It’s one fantastic, ten-day celebration for Ganesh. Drums lead processions everywhere in the city, leaving the roads in a grid-lock. Truly a phenomenal sight. Temporary shrines 40-feet high have been made everywhere in the streets and given absolute priority over traffic. All the statues of Ganesh are adorned in flowers, with coconuts by the hundreds piled at his feet. Not to mention, all of these idols in and of themselves are stunning.  The fascinating part is that the first day doesn’t even compare to the last day- this is all just a warm up for the finale...






Hope all is well where you are! I'll have more pictures up soon.

भक्ति (Translation: Love, Devotion)

Figure 1: The extent of romance in India. Polite staring.

Erik and I were lucky enough to be able to go to a wedding the weekend before last- my first traditional Indian wedding! If you've ever thought any American wedding ceremony was long, India takes it to a whole new level: there were ceremonies and celebrations lasting for days. Fortunately, there were plenty of pleasant intermissions for meals with unlimited food. 

The bride and groom looked wonderful as they were adorned in flowers and in traditional Indian garments. It was a little difficult to understand exactly what was going on due to my continuing incompetence in the Marathi language. Lots of rice was thrown, songs were sung...but no wedding kiss to seal the deal. What else would I expect, though, from a country that threatened to throw anyone in jail who kissed or held hands in public on Valentine's Day? Granted, to my knowledge, it wasn't actually enforced. But, it's easy to pick up on the general sentiment of public display of affection here in India. 

Anyways, if you ever get the chance to attend an Indian wedding: please don't hesitate. I am continually floored by the kindness and hospitality that everyone here has shown me. Perhaps affection is more abundant here than I recognize: just displayed through acts kindness rather than interlocked hands.

Figure 2: The happy couple

Hope you all are doing well. I'll try to be more diligent with putting up new posts. It's a struggle to find reliable (cheap) internet, but I think I've almost got it figured out. Take care!

हौशी (Translation: Amateur)

The first week of school flew by! Hindi for Beginner's class is already proving to be pretty entertaining, as all of us Americans stumble through the almost indiscernible difference between sounds like "tuh" and "teh" or "pu" and "puh": I'm not exactly a shining star in that course, but with some studying and lots of practice I might be able to efficiently order off an Indian restaurant menu some day. One can only dream. 
Our second day of school was probably the most exciting, when three local students entered our classroom during lecture, stating simply but firmly, "Hello, friends. Today students are on strike. You leave now." Apparently, the students were protesting against the rising costs and unfairness related to the 'commercialization' of education. But don't worry, our program was diligent enough to find us another building to use that was off-campus. (Snore.)

I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to stay with a family. Feels like home away from home! The company is wonderful, and they are ever-patient with my endeavors to learn. Ira, the 10 year-old girl, is getting me acquainted to everything India: from the language to the fashion. In fact, one morning Ira came into the kitchen, jumped back- startled and with a repulsed face- saying, "EW. NO HANNAH! You mustn't wear your hair like that!" It turns out my bad fashion translates across cultures. At least I'm consistent...

Hope all is well where you are!

Namaste! (Goodbye/Hello)

Hello! India is fabulous! We arrived on Monday, and went through orientation in Durchet: perhaps the only secluded area that exists in India. They were kind enough to ease us into the spicy-ness of Indian food. By the end of the week I was feeling pretty good about myself since no meal throughout the week had been to hot for me, but was quickly grounded when one of the advisors said the food was, at best, "mild'. But everything is still delicious. (On a related note: I'm also becoming a huge fan of tea time.)

All the students in the program our great. There are 30 of us, most of whom live with host families. My host family is wonderful. Everyone speaks english, but they are very willing to help me learn Marathi, the local version of Hindi. I've also discovered that the words "table" and "cup" and "petroleum" are all the same in Marathi as English. So, as long as we keep our conversations limited to kitchenware and the prices of gas...I guess you could say I'm fluent!

My host family has both the parents, a grandfather, a ten-year-old daughter, and a 16 year-old-son. The son is starting at Ferguenson College (the same college I am attending) this week, so we will be new students together! I'm within walking distance of school, which is nice because I don't have to haggle with richshaw drivers everyday. Rickshaws are what appears to be scooter with a shell around it, as well as two wheels in the back instead of one. The drivers constantly try to trick passengers to pay more through fast-paced fare monitors, going off route to make the drive longer, and altered fare cards...rascals!

I'll have to get used to the stares: my fair skin and red hair make it impossible to try and blend in. Despite this little fact, I will still be purchasing the beautiful indian clothing in bulk under the justification of "just trying to fit in with the locals!".

Hope all is well where you are! I miss you and take care.