Kate's In India

I am dropping a quick note to let y'all know that I am back home safe and sound. I arrived on Thanksgiving eve and had a lovely day with my family in New Hampshire. I've moved back up to Vermont and am fortunate to have a wonderful community here to help me readjust to America!

I will write once more soon to fill in some details, and I am certain I will title the post "Reverse Culture Shock." I just wanted to put out the good word to any of those blogspot fanatics who might still be checking this blog. The good word is actually 3- I am home!

Talk soon!

Love,
Kate

Wow. Technology will never cease to amaze me. I know that most of you are looking for photos of India and curious about what I am seeing, but instead I have posted my smiling face for my Mom! In the photo I am sitting in the train on the top bunk, there are 3 beds on top of each other, sweaty and basically enjoying the journey. I love public transportation. In India the train never has an empty seat, nor extra standing room for people or goods. Each car is full to the max and usually then some...

I am once again at our home base in Kolkata. The more time I am here the more homey it does indeed become. My initial disgust and confusion with these streets has transformed into a new appreciation for this city and its residents. It is unique. There is a wealth of love, human compassion, and endless possibilities to learn each time I step outside the doors of our hostel. It definately takes time though and I will not lie, I was repulsed by this city on day one. The constant stench in the air, the crows flocking in the heaps of trash which appeared everywhere I turned, the mangy dogs, and the children that are born into a life of begging. Babies before they learn their first word know how to extend their arm and gesture with their hand to their mouth in a request for some rupees or food. These are some reasons why it is a hard place. BUT it is also an inspiring place. People take care of each other.

I do not know why I have been so fortunate and blessed. I do not know why I have experienced such a plethora of beautiful moments and positive exchanges with people in different corners of the world. There is no point in trying to understand why. I have had a hard time on this trip, asking myself why I am here. I think it is only begining to unfold. It is selfish and is teaching me a lot about myself and that I am very thankful for. Now all I want to do is be home and share my happiness with the ones I love!


Tomorrow we will fly to Delhi and from there take a train to the northwestern state of Rajasthan. This is the last little leg of the journey and I apologize that this post is not so descriptive and more Me, Me, Me, reflecting.

This morning Robynne and I visited a Jain temple on the outskirts of the city. My knowledge of Jainism is slim, but I never turn down an opportunity to visit a temple. Nearly every religion in the world is practiced in India so there is no shortage of oppportunities! We took the metro (which is remarkable clean and cheap... 4 rupees for a one-way pass)and got off towards the end of the line. Interestingly, we were not once confronted by any beggars. They know where all of us foreigners sleep downtown! En route to the temple we happened upon a parade. Although we did not figure out the reason for the celebration, it was great to watch! There were lots of bands, kind of like high school marching band style, playing very old horns and striking drums. In between the music, which was played by groups of children and adults, there were carts wheeling religious paraphenelia. There were colorful flags and banners, but unfortunately I could not understand any of the Hindi. There is constantly something to celebrate around here! I forgot to mention that I did come during the most festive time of the year, Puja season! I believe it lasts about 2 months. In Varanasi we were lucky enough to be there for Dipdiwali (not sure at all how to spell that one). There were 300,000 people crowded along the ghats, in boats on the holy Ganges river and on every rooftop balcony for the celebration at sunset. It was another sort of festival of lights that coincided with the full moon. Along the ghats they lit thousands of candles in tiny clay jars. I am not exaggerating with the numbers here!! Also people send out prayer blessing candles on the river- little bits of wax with a wick surrounded by flower petals all placed in an innovative bowl made from a leaf that floats. It was incredible to be among such a throng of people and see the lights, absolutely beautiful.

Alright, I think it's about time to get up from behind this computer screen. I will atttempt to post a couple more photos... but no promises there.

I send all of my love and am anxiously looking forward to seeing many of you soon.
Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone- We've been on the road and I've enjoyed spending time away from a computer screen, while at the same time craving contact with home. I want to share a little story that I hope paints a picture for you of how traveling in India can be.

The train station is a daunting place to say the least. The station is PACKED! People are everyone, travelers, beggars, thieves, families... you have to be on the watch all the time. We were headed to Bodhgaya, (where the Buddha became enlightened sitting under the Bodhi tree and hence, a holy Buddhist pilgrimage site)and we found the platform for our train, although we must wait for the train to arrive because we can not figure out where our car will be. We sit on our packs and wait. And Wait. A couple of trains pass through and everyone around us jumps to their feet and piles closely in a line in front of the rails... nope, it's just another local train. I have no clue why people are lining up. Two hours after our train was due to depart, there is a crazy exodus of people. Our train has arrived and it's at another platform. People start running, hundreds of people with their packages through the station. There was no announcement, just word of mouth that it'd changed. We have no clue what is going on and grab our packs and run with the crowd! I'm laughing and having fun at this point because it is such a hectic situation. People start jumping down to crossover the tracks and climbing through a parked train so that they can cut across to our train. Absolute madness! Later we realize these are general admission car passengers which are first come first serve, and therefore they ran to get in line. We were fine because we had a reserved seat, although it took 6 different people to get us in the right car! So basically people get to the station super early, camp out and wait... then lose their spot in line if the train shows up at another platform. Then these people stand up on the train overnight, packed like sardines because their cars are for standing room only. The police actually use their sticks and beat people in an attempt to quell some of the chaos... but people get angry if they miss the train, and I can not say I blame them.

India is crazy, I do not know how else to describe it sometimes.

We stayed in Bodhgaya for a few days and it has been my favorite place so far. People of all religions and walks of life come to this town to learn and walk around in the many temples, Tibetan, Japanese, Burmese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese and Taiwanese to name a few. I loved it because it has a small town feel to it and is very peaceful.

Now we are in Varanasi which is one of the oldest cities in the world and a holy pilgrimage site for Hindus right along the Ganges River. We took a sunrise boat ride this morning to view the ghats (sort of stairways built into the hill just off the river). Thousands of people bath here, pray, do yoga, send flower and candle offerings into the water, and there are even burning ghats. The burning ghats are where they perform cremating ceremonies, and it is a 24 hour occurance. It is considered an honor to be cremated here and have your ashes spread in the Ganges. I am amazed at how death rituals vary across cultures.

I am learning so much and am amazed daily by the resilence and kindness of Indian people. I look forward to coming home soon and sharing some of these experiences along with a few photos. Somethings are better explained over a cup of tea and a good conversation, face to face!

Be well and lots of love.

Hello Everyone-

This past week India finally went right through me... literally. I say finally because I have not met a foreigner here who hasn't gotten the stomache bug and spent a few days in bed and with the toilet. Needless to say my enthusiasm was low and I was craving everything that is comfortable at home. Thankfully I have recooped and am feeling pretty healthy again. (Don't worry Mom!!)

At the half way point in my trip I now feel like I have overcome a big hurdle and really want to make the most of the remaining time and mostly stay outside of Kolkata. There are 2 places that I really want to visit- Varanasi and Rajastan. We are hopefully getting train tickets today for Varanasi. This is a holy Hindu city, famous for its ghats situated right along the Ganges River, in central-northern India. Pending how much time is spent there and the price of a domestic flight we will then decide about a trip to Rajastan. This state is in western India, closer to the Pakistan border, and sounds incredibly unique- dessert, camel festival, and a largely Muslim population! It is the one place that Indians and foreigners alike continuously recommend to visit.

So when I said that Diwali culminates on Saturday I was not yet sure what that would entail. It is a huge celebration, this festival of lights, that actually finishes tonight. All over the city small communities work to build Kali Pujas and the city lights up with candles- on sitting taxis, along store fronts, on the sidewalks and a modern influence emerges in the Christmas lights strung across the streets. These pujas are basically temples with the Kali deity as their focus. Kali is one tough character and it is said that she kills the evil on earth. A typical puja has Kali with a black face, fire-red toungue hanging out, bloody hands, and a necklace of heads strung around her. Sounds gruesome, but I like her. People bring flowers and drape them on the pujas and pray and dance a little. Last night Robynne and I were invited to bust some dance moves in front of a puja, which provoked a lot of laughs! But it felt great to dance... it'd been way too long!


Alright, I'm off to a ticket office to get some information. I hope to hear from you soon and while I am enjoying this trip I know I'll be ready to go home come Nov 22. I miss my family and friends a lot!

Be well! Lot's of love.

We are back in the city and really settling in here; it's a gradual process but I am starting to actually feel comfortable. Back on my first day here, I could never have imagined feeling content in this place. I enjoy walking in the street where the rickshaw drivers, cab drivers and many beggars recognize my face and instead of hounding for money or some business they greet me with a smile and namaste. They know that my ride to the airport is a good month or so away! Now over the initial India shock my eyes see a lot more than the poverty. The other night I sat outside at one of the many chai stands and had a great conversation with a middle class Indian man. His english was excellent and it was wonderful to hear his perspective on life here. He had great questions for me- like why is the divorce rate so high in America if people marry out of love and not arranged marriages. He also offered some insight into Diwali, which is the current festival of lights going on this week and culminates this coming Saturday.

I have also started volunteering at Prem Dan. This home is for adults that need long term care, many are very ill and dying, and some are mentally ill as well. The first part of the morning is laundry time which I enjoy because it is an easy, physical task that has a start and a finish. This home is popular with volunteers from Spain (at least this week) and I have loved getting to use a bit of spanish as we pass the laundry along a small chain of scrubbing, rinsing, scrubbing, squeezing it dry. Other than that we spend time with the women, massaging them, helping them use the toilet, and helping with lunch. The first day at lunch time I was standing with a spoon in my hand, looking lost and awkward, and a sister grabbed my arm and pulled me over to a woman lying flat on her back. I fed her little bits of rice and mushy dal and worried each spoonful that she might choke. The hardest thing about this home is not knowing what the women need. They speak to me, but besides water, food or toilet, I have no idea what they could be saying. Part of it is language difficulties and the other part is that they are sick and out of their mind so I have no clue what they are saying. It is amazing how the Mother Teresa homes work. There is a constant flow of volunteers that teach the new ones what goes on each day. Right now is when there are the most volunteers because the weather is getting a bit cooler, as opposed to the oppresive and unbearable heat of the summer. It is a great thing that there are so many volunteers, but it can be counter-intuitive as well. It is not a good feeling to be around an over-zealous group of volunteers and not enough work to go around, especially in Kolkata because there is always a need. But this morning we left the home early simply because there were too many people there trying to help.

So I know this is a great experience, but more than anything this trip is making me question going into the peace corps in January. My time here makes me crave the stability of having my own apartment and routine at home. I am happy where I am in India, but am uncertain about a 2 year abroad commitment. There's a lot to think about and talk about with my friends and family when I get back! India is helping me realize that I really want do work with immigrants and refugees in the U.S. I am reading a lot and am craving some sort of work that stimulates my mind as well.

aaah, day by day... we'll see. You know how I tend to change my mind about things...

Adena and I are going to look into yoga classes =) Robynne has started an awesome project looking into the controversies surrounding the women beggars on Sudder Street. Most of them have homes in villages outside the city and come here to beg.

Also, word on the street is breathing kolkata's air is equivalent to smoking three packs of cigs a day! Besides a constant nasty cough I have fortunately been staying healthy.

I have enjoyed and really appreciated the emails and posts thus far. This is a hard city and each little reminder from home and message of love makes me smile.

I'll be in touch. Lots of love from India =)

As you may already know, Amelie is one of my favorite movies. There is a part where Amelie discreetly returns a box a precious childhood momentos to a French man, which brings him to tears of joy and he decides to contact his child after many years of silence. At this point Amelie decides to become a regular do-gooder for the world she finds immediately around her. She steps out onto the streets of Paris, the music, all string instruments, picks up and Amelie takes the arm of an old blind man. They cross the bustling street and she describes the details of the what is happening; ice-cream for such and such a price, a smiling baby watching a dog that is watching the meat turn in the window of a shop etc etc. Each time I watch this scene I feel excited about the simple things in life and, in fact, happy for Amelie because there is so much potential for good in her day. It's a happy to be here and now moment. SO, I want to share with you an Amelie moment that we were lucky enough to encounter a couple of days ago. In Darjeeling we visited this beautiful, pretty touristy, look-out called Tiger Hill. It was sunset, there were Tibetan prayer flags wrapped in the trees along the road and the horizon was absolutely stunning. On our way down the darkness creeped in quickly (sunset is just after 5 pm right now) and I was bouncing down the road,literally, shivering, trying to warm my body and wishing I had on more than my t-shirt. As we got close to town a woman stepped out of her home and commented on the cold. She then proceeded, "Have a cup of tea". Her intonation left us a bit confused- Was she inviting us in for tea or just commenting that a cup of tea would do us good? Turns out it was an invite. (woohooo!) The three of us sat down in the living room as she made us some tea and brought us cookies. She was from Nepal, her husband was Indian and they had 2 young children. They barely spoke English, but there was no need for it. Hospitality is a universal language and it came at a perfect moment that day. We did not stay long and they pointed us in the direction to where we could catch a jeep back to town. Along we went and I was warmly filled with this Amelie moment. =)

Currently we are in Gangtok, East Sikkim, India- deeper into the Himalayas. In Darjeeling we realized that traveling here takes a lot of patience and flexibility. I literally waited in line for a train ticket for almost an hour, did not move, and remained at the end of the line. I still do not know how that was possible. Luckily Adena stepped up to another window and got us some info. The next train for Kolkata with 3 seats does not leave until Saturday, so we decided to come to Sikkim. I look at where I am on the map and can barely believe it, yet I feel it. We had to get a permit (free of charge, just a formality) to come here and sign a paper saying we would not enter Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet! The jeep ride here was more exciting than the actual city we are in. Basically it is a base point for people headed out on treks, which we do not really have equipment or enough money to partake in.

I am very anxious to get back to Kolkata. It seems like a very long time ago that we were there and I am in a renewed mindset to handle the heat and streets. I have seen a piece of India that seems like an entirely different country. I feel like they should use another currency here! There is a lot of Tibetan-Buddhist influence where we are and I have been able to enter a few gompas (temples). I know that I barely understand a fraction of what the murals and figures mean, but I love looking around in them. Sometimes there is someone around who speaks English and is willing to answer questions, other times all we can do is observe. Sometimes I feel awkward because I want to show respect, yet I do not even know how to do this in some places. (Don't worry, I have the basics down of taking off my shoes!)

Tomorrow we are going to Tsomgo Lake which is only 12 kms from the border of China/Tibet! It looks like it is set between a couple of canyons (similar to lake Willoughby nat!) Then we will have one more day before our trip back to Kolkata. As of right now, we plan on spending a good chunk of time in the city, each getting into our own routines there. I will be in touch. Lots of love and hugs!

So our first excursion has brought us to utopia, ie Darjeeling. This town is in the north, on the border of Nepal. We took a 12 hour over-night train (we came along some broken tracks and had to sit it out for a bit), an autorickshaw, and a land rover type jeep. The jeep ride, and final leg of the journey, had 12 people and one child packed in and we road up a windy, narrow road for a couple of hours to Darjeeling. The terrain was exactly what I think of when I imagine what SUV's and jeeps should be used for; rough-riding. Needless to say, this type of travel is right up my alley... I love it. So I am at the foothills of the himalayas where some of the world's finest tea is cultivated. I have to tell you that as I type this I am smiling. Each day I think about how fortunate I am. After expressing a lot of hesiation to my traveling companions about traveling right away, I am fully embracing this time away from Kolkata. I hope to get in some trekking and we plan on staying for about a week. The knot that had me laced up tightly and uncomfortably in the city has dissintegrated literally overnight.
A couple of anecdotes just for fun:
I experienced my first flash flood this past week in Kolkata. It is the end of the monsoon season and usually rains hard each afternoon for maybe a half hour, but the other day it would not let up. We sat in a restaurant and watched the water rise on Sudder Street. We walked back to the hostel, sloshing through almost a foot of water! Crazy and dirty fun. I immediately washed my legs =)
I am working on my Hindi. Much of the time here I am wishing that I had read just a little bit more before I hopped on the plane. I feel pretentious traveling around and everywhere I am asking for english. Why am I so fortunate to be born into this nearly universal language?
We went to an information session at the Motherhouse in Kolkata, where Mother Teresa's body lays. I am looking forward to begining some sort of routine of volunteering. After just a few days in the city I felt restless and frustrated. I need to get involved if I am going to stay there. I will not be chaning anything, I question if I will be helping, but I know it is something I want to do. I have something to give and that's good enough for me.
As I type there is a buddhist monk (or monk in training, I'm not sure) hooked up to the internet on a computer behind me. Not something I see everyday.

Okay, I hope you are well. Happy October and I will be in touch!