Never, ever EVER have I had a more frustrating day. Today was the day I broke down and cried. Seriously, it was just that bad.
Jessica, Ditte and I needed to go to Delhi before going back to Faridabad to book our train tickets and hotel for Ranthambore Tiger Park. So we had spent the night at Rajan's apartment in Gurgaon because that was the only place our driver would drop us off. And that was fine, when we woke up, we asked Rajan to get us a driver for the day, to take us to the U.S. embassy (to pick up my passport) then to Connaught Place to book the tickets, and then back to Faridabad.
So the guy shows up, and we all get in the car. At this point Stina is still with us, because her parents came to India to visit her, and were already staying in Delhi. So, first stop, U.S. embassy. Like the last time, really difficult for the driver to find, and he got lost many a time, but it wasn't quite as bad as the last time, so I wasn't too upset. I jumped out, went into the embassy, but of course, they weren't going to have it until after 2:00 pm, because it was still in the mail room. Grrr, but that was ok.
So I go back to the car and we all go to Connaught place. It was strange, because it took the guy forever to get there, even though he never stopped to ask for directions and acted like he knew where he was going (foreshadowing: bad sign). By this point we had realized not only does this guy not understand a single word of english, including stop, yes, and no, but he seemed to be pretty slow and not understand Hindi either. When people gave him directions, he seemed to not understand and they got very upset with him because they would repeat things a lot. Welcome to my life. Anyway, we got to the outer ring of Connaught place and realized we wanted the inner ring and Ring 1. He kept trying to stop and let us off where we didn't want to be, and with lots of hand gestures we made him go our way. Well, he didn't handle this well, because he went maybe 2 mph for quite a while, even thought we told him to just keep going straight. This led to, you guessed it, getting a ticket from a cop. It was ridiculous.
So finally we get to the tourist office, and we're told we'll have to wait until 5:00 to pick up the tickets. This was frustrating, but doable, as we had wanted to leave a little earlier. So, we go to eat, do a little shopping, and at this point we've almost forgotten about our nightmare of a driver. Then 2:00 rolls around and I have to pick up my passport and Stina wants to go to her parents hotel. She has the address written down, shows it to people, and I swear to God they just didn't read it. Literally just glanced at it and kept discussing where this place could be. If they had looked at the paper and actually read it instead of relying on Stina's bad Hindi pronunciation it would have taken 5 min. So we get someone to tell our driver directions to the hotel. Again, takes forever and they get very annoyed with his inability to understand. So, we leave.
This guy drives around for 1 hour, literally in circles, on the same streets, nowhere near Stina's hotel, and going farther and farther away from Connaught place. Finally we beg him to pull over, which since he didn't understand stop took lots of effort, and she took a rickshaw. I got to the embassy, got my passport and went back to Connaught place. During that time, Stina had told Ditte that when she saw her parents she burst out crying, saying how much she hated India. sigh, taxi drivers that know nothing about a city frustrate me deeply. On our way back to connaught place I realized he went all the way up and around it, which takes twice as long from the Embassy. Ridiculous.
So, at 5 we go to the travel office, and our tickets still aren't ready. We have to wait until 7. We're kind of freaking out, because the girls have to be back at the orphanage by 9, or else they get locked out. But, we figured we'd be ok, since it only takes an hour to get back, even when taxi drivers have to ask for directions to sector 15. So, we go to an internet cafe, and chill for a while. At 7, they're still missing 1 ticket. they say 7:30. At 7:30, we literally run to the car, tickets in hand. So, we are ready to go, only to be informed by Rajan the guy wants extra money cause it's late. That kind of stuff is usually something you inform someone of early on, so we get a little upset and Rajan says, ok, just 200 extra, which we agreed to, though if the guy hadn't gotten so lost all the time we would have been to Connaught place earlier and gotten the tickets earlier as well.
So, we're driving around for an hour, and suddenly hear our taxi driver ask for the way to Faridabad. WE WERE STILL IN DELHI. 1 hour the guy drives around aimlessly. We realize we'll never make it home by 9, and so I immediately call Rajan, saying I can't get a hold of Bhandu and he has to tell him the girls have to stay at his house. I tell him the driver doesn't know how to get out of Delhi, to which he says, no he didn't know, but he does now. I HATE it when people lie and make excuses. So I said, no, he does not know, we've been driving for an hour and now the girls are late. He blows up and starts yelling at me saying it's my fault. seriously, it's his driver that got lost for an hour and got a freaking ticket for pete's sake.
Anyway, eventually we get into Faridabad, at which point we actually know how to get home. The guy doesn't listen to us, goes his own way, and gets lost. We roll down the window, and literally start yelling for help from someone who speaks english. A nice woman in a cycle rickshaw stopped and translated for us. The guys FOLLOWS THE CYCLE RICKSHAW. He was following a bicycle in a car because he couldn't understand their directions. Eventually we got home, finally. It took a total of 3 hours.
When we got home, he wanted more money. Lots. I was inclined not to pay him at all, and if I was in a place where I spoke the language I wouldn't have. We eventually got him to leave, and we traipsed upstairs, exhausted and upset, to cry ourselves to sleep.
Nightmare.
Thursday, October 30
Wednesday, October 22
Camel Safari
So, our camel safari started with half an hour in a jeep. We road out to meet our camels already pretty far into the desert. We each had our own camel. Mine was named Michael Jackson. I know, but MJ wasn't so bad. And he was always the lead camel. We each had a driver with is, though they sat behind us. They led us out for a while. Getting on and off the camel was it's own adventure, because they really move a large distance in a very awkward movement! Once the riders got on, mine let me have the reigns. I was the only one! I'd like to think my years of horseback riding had something to do with it, but who knows. We road through an alternation of scrub and vast dunes, which were absolutely beautiful. The camel motion is pretty pronounced, and my saddle was on crooked, which led to lots of bruises the next day. We road for a few hours, and then towards the end, raced! They go FAST. And I almost fell off, like really, the guy picked me up and put me back on because of the saddle! My camel won, of course, and I loved him for it. Great fun.
After that, we walked up a particularly large dune and drank chai while watching the sun set. The sun doesn't set there the way it does at home, because it disappears completely from view, but leaves tons of light, due to the high dunes, and the light eventually just fades away. Dinner was too gross for us to eat any unfortunately, but we still had a great time talking, and getting attacked by giant black beetles. Seriously, the suckers were humongous, and gross, and we kept finding them all over us. But, we did have great talks, met some other travellers, and Jessica and I, after running far away from the camp, went streaking. You can see 1 ft. in front of your face, despite the stars, so we were safe, and now I can say I've gone streaking in the desert :).
Speaking of the stars, I've never seen so many. They look so much closer than at home, yet Orion looked smaller. You could literally see the milky way because you could see the haze. It was beautiful. We slept literally under the stars, just 4 beds next to each other, and the open sky. Absolutley unmissable experience. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
After that, we walked up a particularly large dune and drank chai while watching the sun set. The sun doesn't set there the way it does at home, because it disappears completely from view, but leaves tons of light, due to the high dunes, and the light eventually just fades away. Dinner was too gross for us to eat any unfortunately, but we still had a great time talking, and getting attacked by giant black beetles. Seriously, the suckers were humongous, and gross, and we kept finding them all over us. But, we did have great talks, met some other travellers, and Jessica and I, after running far away from the camp, went streaking. You can see 1 ft. in front of your face, despite the stars, so we were safe, and now I can say I've gone streaking in the desert :).
Speaking of the stars, I've never seen so many. They look so much closer than at home, yet Orion looked smaller. You could literally see the milky way because you could see the haze. It was beautiful. We slept literally under the stars, just 4 beds next to each other, and the open sky. Absolutley unmissable experience. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
Jaisalmer: The Golden City
Despite my anger at the previous day's trip, and the knowledge it would happen all over again in 24 hours, I loved our day in Jaisalmer. Turns out we had quite possibly the best cab driver ever, who managed to take us around, get us great prices on scarves and shoes, and showed us the lake, a beautiful and ancient site in J. We had a mediocre breakfast that was made up for by the views. The whole city is made of sandstone, and it's really quite lovely.
After we went shopping. We found a little shop where through a few hours of haggling and threatening to leave we all left with either a turban or scarf, and some pants, and not much poorer for it. We also saw a Haveli, which is basically an old mansion reknowned for their frescoes, which often have a lot of inlayed stone work. Very pretty, very fun, cheap entry, so we were happy. All in all a wonderful day, with a delicious lunch before the camel trek!!
After we went shopping. We found a little shop where through a few hours of haggling and threatening to leave we all left with either a turban or scarf, and some pants, and not much poorer for it. We also saw a Haveli, which is basically an old mansion reknowned for their frescoes, which often have a lot of inlayed stone work. Very pretty, very fun, cheap entry, so we were happy. All in all a wonderful day, with a delicious lunch before the camel trek!!
Travel to and fro Jaisalmer
Ok, so this was by far the most agonizing trip ever. Imagine 4 people, in a very, very small car (seriously, Americans have no conception of TATA cars. There's a reason Indian people are short)for 19 hours. That's right 19. No, it's not a typo. It's just awful. Our driver didn't even know where he was going. We told him Jaisalmer, and he was like, oh god. Luckily he had been there before, but he even had us keep him awake at the end. So we left at 6 am, and got there at 2 am. It was AWFUL. That's what you get from lying travel agents. We were told 9. And no, we didn't miss the teen. Oh India, you keep disappointing me. I'll take the time now to say the ride back had even worse food, and was even worse due to the soreness of being on a camel the day before.
Peeing children
Ok, so something hilarious happened at the hospital. On a happy note, I get to do more things, like take temperatures, and weights, and heights, and nebulize, and when the child has a swollen lymph node, the doctor says feel this, this child has tuberculosis. Sadly, this is fulfilling a dream, not quite a fairy tale, but I love it!
So at the end of the day, this family comes in with a baby, and it's appropriate to say they don't put diapers on their babies. They but a reverse thong on them, or nothing at all. Why? Not sure, I'm surprised they don't put underwear on them, if their going to put cloth on in the first place. Anyway, this family put the baby down, and surprise, it ended up peeing all over everything. This infuriated the doctor, because now he has to actually clean the bed, which he would have never done otherwise. So he starts telling them they need to put a diaper on their baby, it's better for them.
The family goes ballistic! The two women start going, no, we don't, it's not as good. and the doctor tells them how much more hygenic it is, and the women yell. It's a huge standoff, and the woman holding the baby is seriously lunging at the doctor. The husband tries to calm everyone down, tries to just get them to leave, but they calm down enough to tell the doctor why they came there in the first place. They turn the baby over, move the reverse thong and-IT HAS A RASH ON ITS BOTTOM. For real, I can't make this up.
So at the end of the day, this family comes in with a baby, and it's appropriate to say they don't put diapers on their babies. They but a reverse thong on them, or nothing at all. Why? Not sure, I'm surprised they don't put underwear on them, if their going to put cloth on in the first place. Anyway, this family put the baby down, and surprise, it ended up peeing all over everything. This infuriated the doctor, because now he has to actually clean the bed, which he would have never done otherwise. So he starts telling them they need to put a diaper on their baby, it's better for them.
The family goes ballistic! The two women start going, no, we don't, it's not as good. and the doctor tells them how much more hygenic it is, and the women yell. It's a huge standoff, and the woman holding the baby is seriously lunging at the doctor. The husband tries to calm everyone down, tries to just get them to leave, but they calm down enough to tell the doctor why they came there in the first place. They turn the baby over, move the reverse thong and-IT HAS A RASH ON ITS BOTTOM. For real, I can't make this up.
Slumtown
So, as I mentioned before, there is a slum in my backyard. I realize some people might not really understand what that means. Basically , they are people who makes little tents out of fabric and old clothes, whatever they can, and live in them, whole families, usually 10 people at a time. They have little communities, some of them keep animals if they can, and these people are usually shabbily dressed and dirty. Often there are shacks on top of shacks on top of shacks, little levels of them, and they are filthy, full of trash and just scum. There are very sad, and hard to look at, and I have a hard time even describing them because knowing people actually live like that upsets me.
Another thing that upsets me is denial. The other day Eric was talking to B. (the host/program director we live with) and said, it's so strange, seeing so many poor people. B: there are poor people all over the world. E: yes, but in France (his home country) we do not have them so close together, like here you have this nice house and behind you... B: those people are not poor, they have adopted this lifestyle. They want to live this way.
If people do no admit to problems in their own backyard, real problems will never be addressed.
Another thing that upsets me is denial. The other day Eric was talking to B. (the host/program director we live with) and said, it's so strange, seeing so many poor people. B: there are poor people all over the world. E: yes, but in France (his home country) we do not have them so close together, like here you have this nice house and behind you... B: those people are not poor, they have adopted this lifestyle. They want to live this way.
If people do no admit to problems in their own backyard, real problems will never be addressed.
Hospital-Day 1!!
So, I finally go in to the hospital. And it was actually pretty great. Granted, I again get to do almost nothing, and I feel very useless, but I get a lot out of it personally, and the system is fascinating, so I'm not complaining.
I arrived, and once the doctor got there at 11 am, we went around making rounds. There is an upstairs and downstairs, both of which have large rooms with maybe 10-15 beds in with people who had been admitted. It's a pediatric hospital, though they sometimes admit older patients if they're friends or very wealthy. They also have a few air conditioned rooms at a very high price. The doctor spends about 30 sec on each patient, seeing if anything has changed, and dictating. Then, we go to his office where he receives patients until 3 pm. Basically, he has a large office with 2 examining tables (never washed) and they let in 10-15 families at a time. There is no line, but rather they sort of fight and shove to be seen first. If someone is wealthy and known by the doctor, they are automatically seen first. The doctor spends about 60 sec with each patient, using equipment that is never cleaned and there are no shields over. They pay the doctor directly in cash, and then are sent out for shots or medicine. It's a crazy hectic process, and not at all like a U.S. doctor's office. Hopefully I get to do more soon!
I arrived, and once the doctor got there at 11 am, we went around making rounds. There is an upstairs and downstairs, both of which have large rooms with maybe 10-15 beds in with people who had been admitted. It's a pediatric hospital, though they sometimes admit older patients if they're friends or very wealthy. They also have a few air conditioned rooms at a very high price. The doctor spends about 30 sec on each patient, seeing if anything has changed, and dictating. Then, we go to his office where he receives patients until 3 pm. Basically, he has a large office with 2 examining tables (never washed) and they let in 10-15 families at a time. There is no line, but rather they sort of fight and shove to be seen first. If someone is wealthy and known by the doctor, they are automatically seen first. The doctor spends about 60 sec with each patient, using equipment that is never cleaned and there are no shields over. They pay the doctor directly in cash, and then are sent out for shots or medicine. It's a crazy hectic process, and not at all like a U.S. doctor's office. Hopefully I get to do more soon!
Ackshar Daam
This is a Hindu temple on the outskirts of Delhi. There are no cameras allowed inside, but this place is GORGEOUS. It's huge, and there is so much detail in the stone work. There are so many carvings, mostly of elephants just on the outside, and it's a massive building. Inside it has even more intricate carvings on the cieling and walls, and there are statues of famous Hindu gods with donation boxes. There are also frescos, many of them, explaining the journey of the famous swami the temple was built for. I thought the story was lovely, he supposedly tried very hard to fight for the rights of women and untouchables, to abolish the caste system. However, I talked to my boy after, and he said a lot of that is exaggerated. Sad.
Regardless, the temple is breathtaking, and clean and the eggs at the end (huge pieces of stone in egg shapes, split in half with an irredescent deep purple hue inside that sayings are inscribed in) are well worth the visit. I would not only recommend, but insist on this feat of architechture to any visitor of Delhi.
Regardless, the temple is breathtaking, and clean and the eggs at the end (huge pieces of stone in egg shapes, split in half with an irredescent deep purple hue inside that sayings are inscribed in) are well worth the visit. I would not only recommend, but insist on this feat of architechture to any visitor of Delhi.
Trip planning and Zoo...scratch that
So, today we went into Delhi to get our trip to Jaisalmer planned. Let's just say it didn't go smoothly.
We took the bus, which was a hassle, just getting us all to the same place, and finding a rickshaw driver who understood "bus station". But we did manage to flag one down and hopped aboard. When we got to the stop, we got off, and negotiated a rickshaw. It drove 500 ft, and then stopped. We waited 5 min for an explanation, or for him to move, and asking him what he was doing. So we got out and got another one. Who tried to cheat us, but we didn't let him. REALLY annoying, made our trip a lot harder.
So, we went to the train station to book tickets. After wandering around trying to find the tourist ticket office, we found a guy who told us they were doing construction, and that we had to go to the government ticket office in Connaught Place to book our tickets. I'll never know if that was true.
So we go there, and talk to a very nice guy about our plans. This takes half an hour. And he tells us the internet is down, so we'll have to come back in an hour. We have a delicious lunch at Pizza Hut, which calmed us down considerably from all our difficulties. But, come to find out, the internet was still down so they took us around the corner to a travel agent.
Turns out there are no train tickets for 2 weeks. So now we have to contemplate. We were thinking of going to Nepal in 1 week, and would be there. and Ditte leaves soon. The guy gives us an offer, hire a car to take us to Jaisalmer, include the camel ride, and back for 130 dollars. We have to think. All of this planning already has taken hours. We're delirious with bad fortune, so we talk about schedules, and Nepal, and all these things, and eventually agree, no more Nepal, car to Jaisalmer, and we'll do a tiger safari after.
So we go to book, and by this time, it's almost evening. We wasted the whole day, no zoo for us. However, we did just hire a car to take us back to Faridabad (which of course got lost) and on the way we went to Ackshar Daam. That will get it's own post. Needless to say, we've now realized everything in India is a hassle and takes three times as long as it should. Oh to be able to book everything online again. Sigh.
We took the bus, which was a hassle, just getting us all to the same place, and finding a rickshaw driver who understood "bus station". But we did manage to flag one down and hopped aboard. When we got to the stop, we got off, and negotiated a rickshaw. It drove 500 ft, and then stopped. We waited 5 min for an explanation, or for him to move, and asking him what he was doing. So we got out and got another one. Who tried to cheat us, but we didn't let him. REALLY annoying, made our trip a lot harder.
So, we went to the train station to book tickets. After wandering around trying to find the tourist ticket office, we found a guy who told us they were doing construction, and that we had to go to the government ticket office in Connaught Place to book our tickets. I'll never know if that was true.
So we go there, and talk to a very nice guy about our plans. This takes half an hour. And he tells us the internet is down, so we'll have to come back in an hour. We have a delicious lunch at Pizza Hut, which calmed us down considerably from all our difficulties. But, come to find out, the internet was still down so they took us around the corner to a travel agent.
Turns out there are no train tickets for 2 weeks. So now we have to contemplate. We were thinking of going to Nepal in 1 week, and would be there. and Ditte leaves soon. The guy gives us an offer, hire a car to take us to Jaisalmer, include the camel ride, and back for 130 dollars. We have to think. All of this planning already has taken hours. We're delirious with bad fortune, so we talk about schedules, and Nepal, and all these things, and eventually agree, no more Nepal, car to Jaisalmer, and we'll do a tiger safari after.
So we go to book, and by this time, it's almost evening. We wasted the whole day, no zoo for us. However, we did just hire a car to take us back to Faridabad (which of course got lost) and on the way we went to Ackshar Daam. That will get it's own post. Needless to say, we've now realized everything in India is a hassle and takes three times as long as it should. Oh to be able to book everything online again. Sigh.
Passport time
So, I went to get a new passport. Getting the new passport was by far the easiest part of my day. Ditte and Eric had to go in to change their flights and other travel things, so we all shared a car. The car got lost. It got lost on the way to every place, and they would just pull over and ask a rickshaw for directions. This meant it took an hour to get anywhere, when it should have taken 10 minutes. And they didn't speak english so we couldn't help them. We should them our maps, and they ignored them. SO FRUSTRATING.
However, the U.S. embassy is absolutely lovely here, I don't have to pay a fee and they'll have my new passport ready in 10 days. So, yay for me! I had to walk 1 1/2 hours to meet up with Ditte because the drivers dropped me off so far away from them. And Eric couldn't get a flight to Nepal (his next destination), because our project coordinator refused to help him and lied about the flight cost. I'm pissed. These people are supposed to be helpful, moreso they say they'll help you to your face, and then NEVER follow through. Ditte called our coordinator's last night to try to stay in B.'s house (where I'm staying) so they would have a little more privacy and separation from the orphanage. They said it wasn't possible because the orphanage would be very offended. Even though other people have done it before and there are enough beds. Basically, the organization and leaders of the program, suck!
However, the U.S. embassy is absolutely lovely here, I don't have to pay a fee and they'll have my new passport ready in 10 days. So, yay for me! I had to walk 1 1/2 hours to meet up with Ditte because the drivers dropped me off so far away from them. And Eric couldn't get a flight to Nepal (his next destination), because our project coordinator refused to help him and lied about the flight cost. I'm pissed. These people are supposed to be helpful, moreso they say they'll help you to your face, and then NEVER follow through. Ditte called our coordinator's last night to try to stay in B.'s house (where I'm staying) so they would have a little more privacy and separation from the orphanage. They said it wasn't possible because the orphanage would be very offended. Even though other people have done it before and there are enough beds. Basically, the organization and leaders of the program, suck!
Day 2: School and Unrest
So, today I went to a school which was for mentally and physically handicapped children. You can tell by now I'm sure that the coordinator didn't know I was to be in a hospital, and so has not placed me there. He has also spent all of his time with me complaining out the other two girls, who dislike the orphanage they are staying at and would like to stay at his house. The school was boring. I could do nothing with the children, and all they had me do was sit in a room with them and give me their books. I'm not good with children, I don't like them, and obviously there was a very big communication barrier. I didn't feel I did anything worthwhile, and I felt there was no effort made by the administration to utilize the volunteers either. At least it was only 2 hours.
I met the other girls at the mall, to see how they were, and they were not ok. They are both staying at the orphanage, and they too have no structure. They help teach english for half an hour, and other than that they are simply expected to hang out with the girls. They have no privacy, and basically they are upset because it is so disimilar from both what they were told it would be, and from what we know volunteering to be in the U.S. In the states when you volunteer you are busy the whole time, and they make sure to use you productively, because they don't like to waste bodies. You usually have to go through some sort of training to make sure you can actually be productive. Let's just say it's not like that here, and for the most part it's just frustrating. Hopefully this gets better.
I met the other girls at the mall, to see how they were, and they were not ok. They are both staying at the orphanage, and they too have no structure. They help teach english for half an hour, and other than that they are simply expected to hang out with the girls. They have no privacy, and basically they are upset because it is so disimilar from both what they were told it would be, and from what we know volunteering to be in the U.S. In the states when you volunteer you are busy the whole time, and they make sure to use you productively, because they don't like to waste bodies. You usually have to go through some sort of training to make sure you can actually be productive. Let's just say it's not like that here, and for the most part it's just frustrating. Hopefully this gets better.
Ambulance
So, my first day was working in the ambulance. And by ambulance I mean an ambulance used to hand out medication to old people, basically a medicare bus. I did, nothing. We got to cut up pills, and slightly talk to the doctor. That was it. The other guy who was with me, poor soul,isn't even interested in medicine. And our seats got switched numerous times, because the medical student was supposed to sit next to the doctor, and the other guys couldn't believe it was me and not the guy. The guy got talked to more. It was my first actual brush with sexism, and it silently infuriated me. To be honest, it wasn't deliberate, or obvious, it was more just a dismissal of me and my opinions because I'm a girl. If you think I'm making it up, the guy with me noticed too. It was nothing easily pointed out, there was no way to comment on it, because they did it without realizing it was wrong and hurtful. A VERY frustrating day, and I can tell you, this problem has been constant.
Faridabad: First Impression
So, the place where I'll be staying is Faridabad. This is basically a very, very large suburb of Delhi. When we first arrived, I noticed an abundance of slums, and a lot of animals, mostly pigs roaming around. It looked how I imagined The poorer sects of India to look. However, Faridabad is a huge place, and there are also very busy streets, and an abundance of malls, all small, but there are many nonetheless. Everything is crowded, and dirty, and pretty downright congested, but again, all how I expected. I guess I didn't expect quite so much trash or general filth, but I'm not sure why.
When we arrived I thought our house was very nice. It has three floors, but it's still very small, the entire space to live in is about the size of my living room at home. Yes, I have a large living room, but still. Where I live upstairs is even smaller, maybe the size of our smaller living room. Still, more than enough space for volunteers. I don't know what the family is going to do once their kids grow up though. Our room is just 5 beds all together, and that's pretty much it. I pushed all my stuff under my bed, and I was ready to go! There is a slum in the backyard of the house, quite a large one, though not by India standards. All in all, I feel ok, but I'm wary, and not sure why. Hopefully it's unwarranted. I'm really ready to get started on actually helping!
When we arrived I thought our house was very nice. It has three floors, but it's still very small, the entire space to live in is about the size of my living room at home. Yes, I have a large living room, but still. Where I live upstairs is even smaller, maybe the size of our smaller living room. Still, more than enough space for volunteers. I don't know what the family is going to do once their kids grow up though. Our room is just 5 beds all together, and that's pretty much it. I pushed all my stuff under my bed, and I was ready to go! There is a slum in the backyard of the house, quite a large one, though not by India standards. All in all, I feel ok, but I'm wary, and not sure why. Hopefully it's unwarranted. I'm really ready to get started on actually helping!
Jaipur Orphanage
On our way back to Delhi, we dropped Stina, one of the girls from Denmark, off at her orphanage. It was in the middle of nowhere, but I think that was an advantage. There were beautiful plants and animals all around, and the kids had a lot of room to play and run around. There were little cabins where everyone slept, and the kids seemed to be well behaved. There was another volunteer already there, who is 70 year old! She decided she needed to slow down, and will have been volunteering in India for about 9 months once she returns home to the U.S. I hope I'm like that when I'm older :)
Amber Fort/ Raj the Elephant
We got up quite early to go to Amber Fort. This is the big fort in Jaipur, and luckily, we got to ride up on an elephant! I loved my elephant, and the scene up to the fort was absolutely breathtaking. The hawkers selling things the entire way up was very annoying, but I still loved it. It was a long ride, and I got to know Raj (the elephant) very well. I'm always shocked by how rubbery they feel! Unfortunately Raj had a cold and kept sneezing on me. Really gross. But he was still very lovable.
The fort itself is extensive, and I managed to get a bit of a guided tour without paying by listening to a spanish guide (there are TONS of spanish tourists in India, go figure). We wandered around, went into a Hindu temple and got a blessing, which meant we also got bindi, or the red dot on our forehead. It was fun, and relaxing, and I would definitely recommend Amber Fort to anyone!
The fort itself is extensive, and I managed to get a bit of a guided tour without paying by listening to a spanish guide (there are TONS of spanish tourists in India, go figure). We wandered around, went into a Hindu temple and got a blessing, which meant we also got bindi, or the red dot on our forehead. It was fun, and relaxing, and I would definitely recommend Amber Fort to anyone!
Jaipur
Ok, so I was a little less impressed with Jaipur than other places. One of the great parts about it are all the monkeys present everywhere! There are tons, and tons of baby monkeys as well. I was laughing like a schoolgirl the whole car ride, watching them prace between buildings.
Jaipur is called the Pink City, because once upon a time, before polution and general decay, every building was made of a pink stone. Most of it now looks burnt orange, but some buildings are being built, and some have been restored, and it really is a beautiful deep pink! We visited the normal sites, but I couldn't understand a word our guide said, and so was mainly a little bored.
However, we did get to go shopping! I bought a bunch of Ali Baba pants, and a beautiful blue saree, of which I will take pictures when I wear it for Diwali and put on here. It was in relative terms very cheap, but let me say this: If you ever go shopping with a guide, it will be to the more expensive places. If you want cheap, go shopping on your own later. Take a day, ask your hotel manager where the nearest market is, say you want to buy vegetables. They will just send you to the nearest market, which will inevitably have all the clothes, and all the other souveniers you've been wanting, at half the price, and that's before you haggle. Trust me, this is a good plan.
Jaipur is called the Pink City, because once upon a time, before polution and general decay, every building was made of a pink stone. Most of it now looks burnt orange, but some buildings are being built, and some have been restored, and it really is a beautiful deep pink! We visited the normal sites, but I couldn't understand a word our guide said, and so was mainly a little bored.
However, we did get to go shopping! I bought a bunch of Ali Baba pants, and a beautiful blue saree, of which I will take pictures when I wear it for Diwali and put on here. It was in relative terms very cheap, but let me say this: If you ever go shopping with a guide, it will be to the more expensive places. If you want cheap, go shopping on your own later. Take a day, ask your hotel manager where the nearest market is, say you want to buy vegetables. They will just send you to the nearest market, which will inevitably have all the clothes, and all the other souveniers you've been wanting, at half the price, and that's before you haggle. Trust me, this is a good plan.
Taj Mahal
Have to admit, I was worried before seeing the Taj Mahal. I thought it would disappoint me. I mean, after SO much hype, how could anything ever live up to the expectation?
Miraculously, the Taj manages to live up to it all and more.
First, logistics. To get to the Taj you have to first get to the walking point. After that, there's only rickshaws and government buses allowed. You can take one to a certain point, and then you have to continue on foot, no vehicles allowed, so really, the drivers aren't trying to cheat you. It's 750 Rs. currently for foreigners to get into the Taj Mahal. You enter, and there are two lines, one for men, one for women, because you have to be patted down and go through a security screen. They look through your bag, and and then you finally get a glimpse of the entrance gate.
*Note, this is the story told us by our guide, not sure of its validity
There are three gates, one built for each wife of Shah Jahan, the ruler who had the Taj built. You see, one wife he had, Mumtaz Mahal, his third wife, was stricken ill, on her deathbed, and supposedly her husband asked her what he could do to prove his love for her to the world. She gave him three answers: 1) Take care of my children (she was the only wife to have children, and she gave him plenty) 2) Build a monument to me as such the world has never seen and 3) Never marry again. According to Muslim tradition a man must take four wives to please God, but he kept him promise, and enver married again. And of course, built the Taj Majal as a burial site for her. He is now buried there as well.
It's a beautiful, romantic story, and the Taj is enchanting. The gardens leading up to it are stunning, and the Taj itself is exactly what I always pictured my palace looking like when I wanted to be a princess as a little girl. It's strange how something you've seen a thousand times in photographs and look so different and strike you in a powerful way when you see it in person. Van Gogh has the same affect on me.
Anyway, inlaid to the Taj Mahal is stonework, all the the many figures of flowers and plants, many of them alternating blooming and wilting, are made by inlaying semiprecious stones into the work. The same family that once made these pieces in the Taj are still using the same processes to repair the Taj, as well as to make their own pieces to sell to wealthy families. The Taj is closed every Sunday for cleaning.
While inside the Taj, walking around the grave, one of my earrings slipped off. I of course started looking for it, rather urgently, because it was one of my late grandmother's and so it has a lot of sentimental value. However, my leaning down led to a gaggle, maybe even a googleplex of Indian people gathering around me, smushing me, and basically ending all hope of finding the piece trying to see if I was ok. I freaked, and ran away, sans earring. I was pretty upset about it for a few minutes, but then decided I would eventually lose some of her pieces anyway, it wasn't expensive, and if I was going to lose it anywhere, she'd want it to be in the Taj Mahal. The river in the back of the Taj is a beautiful site, and luckily I enjoyed the whole rest of my stay there.
Miraculously, the Taj manages to live up to it all and more.
First, logistics. To get to the Taj you have to first get to the walking point. After that, there's only rickshaws and government buses allowed. You can take one to a certain point, and then you have to continue on foot, no vehicles allowed, so really, the drivers aren't trying to cheat you. It's 750 Rs. currently for foreigners to get into the Taj Mahal. You enter, and there are two lines, one for men, one for women, because you have to be patted down and go through a security screen. They look through your bag, and and then you finally get a glimpse of the entrance gate.
*Note, this is the story told us by our guide, not sure of its validity
There are three gates, one built for each wife of Shah Jahan, the ruler who had the Taj built. You see, one wife he had, Mumtaz Mahal, his third wife, was stricken ill, on her deathbed, and supposedly her husband asked her what he could do to prove his love for her to the world. She gave him three answers: 1) Take care of my children (she was the only wife to have children, and she gave him plenty) 2) Build a monument to me as such the world has never seen and 3) Never marry again. According to Muslim tradition a man must take four wives to please God, but he kept him promise, and enver married again. And of course, built the Taj Majal as a burial site for her. He is now buried there as well.
It's a beautiful, romantic story, and the Taj is enchanting. The gardens leading up to it are stunning, and the Taj itself is exactly what I always pictured my palace looking like when I wanted to be a princess as a little girl. It's strange how something you've seen a thousand times in photographs and look so different and strike you in a powerful way when you see it in person. Van Gogh has the same affect on me.
Anyway, inlaid to the Taj Mahal is stonework, all the the many figures of flowers and plants, many of them alternating blooming and wilting, are made by inlaying semiprecious stones into the work. The same family that once made these pieces in the Taj are still using the same processes to repair the Taj, as well as to make their own pieces to sell to wealthy families. The Taj is closed every Sunday for cleaning.
While inside the Taj, walking around the grave, one of my earrings slipped off. I of course started looking for it, rather urgently, because it was one of my late grandmother's and so it has a lot of sentimental value. However, my leaning down led to a gaggle, maybe even a googleplex of Indian people gathering around me, smushing me, and basically ending all hope of finding the piece trying to see if I was ok. I freaked, and ran away, sans earring. I was pretty upset about it for a few minutes, but then decided I would eventually lose some of her pieces anyway, it wasn't expensive, and if I was going to lose it anywhere, she'd want it to be in the Taj Mahal. The river in the back of the Taj is a beautiful site, and luckily I enjoyed the whole rest of my stay there.
The Road to Agra
The trip to Agra (the site of the Taj Mahal) was my first experience with Indian highways. And by highway, I mean a 2 lane road, which people and animals constantly causing the driver to come to an abrupt stop from 60 mph, and swerve practically into the trees on the side of road. About 1-2 times an hour, we would think were about to die, and I'd like to say the driver was used to it and wasn't worried, but the sound of him sucking in his breath and the grip of the steering wheel let us know we had legitimate concern. I wish I could describe the roads better. There are rarely cities to be driven through, though when we do it's literally on the main road, so highway status even by India standards disappears. And of course, animals, and strangely people, always think they have the right of way, and the constant honking (which they do because no one has sideview mirrors) doesn't seem to help. Apparently traffic deaths are incredibly common here, usually bystanders. Big surprise. Luckily, we lived.
The hotel we stayed at was all right, but really, I wish people in India believed in blankets. I have yet to discover anywhere that believes in blankets, including the place I'm staying in Gurgaon, and since it's so hot you have to sleep with the fan on, that means I'm freezing from the constant air flow. There's just no winning.
The hotel we stayed at was all right, but really, I wish people in India believed in blankets. I have yet to discover anywhere that believes in blankets, including the place I'm staying in Gurgaon, and since it's so hot you have to sleep with the fan on, that means I'm freezing from the constant air flow. There's just no winning.
Tuesday, October 21
Food, Glorious Food!
If you recognize that line, you may have been in nearly as many musicals as me. And are probably a nerd, like me.
Of course everyone wants to know what food is like in India. However, I used to eat Indian food at least twice a week at home, so I didn't meet with any surprises. It's not very spicy, since they always assume I can't handle it, but it is delicious. I of course have lots of Channa Masala, and palak paneer, mutter paneer, and a new favorite, shahi paneer. And of course, the naan is fabulous, as always. However, the best restaurant we've found is...Pizza hut. I know, I know, but here it's super nice, like a fancy restaurant, and they actually make spicy Indian pizza with delicious salads and some great pasta. Sad, but true. And of course, one of the most delicious things I've had...the McVeggie sandwich. Which is simply a falafel sandwich, but damn if McDonalds doesn't make it scrumptous.
Of course everyone wants to know what food is like in India. However, I used to eat Indian food at least twice a week at home, so I didn't meet with any surprises. It's not very spicy, since they always assume I can't handle it, but it is delicious. I of course have lots of Channa Masala, and palak paneer, mutter paneer, and a new favorite, shahi paneer. And of course, the naan is fabulous, as always. However, the best restaurant we've found is...Pizza hut. I know, I know, but here it's super nice, like a fancy restaurant, and they actually make spicy Indian pizza with delicious salads and some great pasta. Sad, but true. And of course, one of the most delicious things I've had...the McVeggie sandwich. Which is simply a falafel sandwich, but damn if McDonalds doesn't make it scrumptous.
Monday, October 20
New Delhi: Rajghat
This might be my favorite place we went to. This is a memorial to Ghandi, and I have to admit it was a very peaceful place. It reminded me of the eternal flame at Arlington. The grounds were beautiful, they had his inscriptions everywhere, and it was away from all the noise and traffic you can usually hear everywhere in Delhi. A definite must see for everyone in my opinion. This was the end of our Delhi site seeing, but there is much more to talk about! I promise :)
New Delhi: La Quila/ Red Fort
So, there are a number of forts in each city, all of which are famous, and Delhi's is Red Fort. I have to confess by this time I was tired of big stone building with no meaning to me, so I didn't pay the 500 rs. to get in. It was enough to see the outside and what used to be the large moat, now covered in grass. While there however, we had lots of people ask to take my picture, I guess because my hair is long and light? I kept saying no, and they got really angry and insistent, which made me really uncomfortable. To be honest the highlight was the guy selling the ugliest fake beard/mustaches I've ever seen. As you can tell, by this time my interest in touristic places had waned.
New Delhi:India Gate
India Gate is a huge arch in the middle of Rajpath, a street in Delhi that leads to the house of the President, as well the ever touristic Connaught Place, one of my now favorite haunts. It is actually quite similar to the Arc de Triomph, and is a war memorial. We were pretty lucky that while we were there we got to see a changing of the flowers, which is on the memorial, and so we saw the marching and rituals of the army. Very cool, even though there are so many beggars around, and I got punched by a little girl for not giving her money. Seriously, children hate me here. I think they can smell fear.
New Delhi: Qutab Minar
This was our first stop our second day of siteseeing. The oldest architectural site in Delhi. It's a huge minaret, carved all over with sayings from the Koran. A beautiful piece, but honestly, I've started to get really tired of old things made of stone. I'm a bad tourist, what can I say. The most exciting thing that happened to us there were the insane amounts of people following us taking our pictures. It started with one guy, literally following us, asking every two seconds or so for our picture. We indulged him, twice, and then started to get a little annoyed. So then a huge group of young Indian guys wanted our pics...then more groups...then the same creepy guy...and they loved taking secret pics with their cell phones, a very common occurence for us. I realized early on this creeps me out and that I'm not comfortable with dozens of pics of me with people I don't even know...again, foreshadowing.
Old Delhi: Humayun's Tomb
This was our last visit in Old Delhi. It was really a quite beautiful place. It's a huge series of buildings, all tombs or mosques built for the emperor Humayun. Some of it is for his servants or most important advisors, and the largest building it the emperor's own tomb. We first went to the right, to a beautiful little tomb with 3 graves. You could walk upstairs (stairs of death, worse than the Colosseum I swear!) and see breathtaking Moghul architecture, including intricate stonework. Beware: Old women and men pose for pictures then demand money, or start telling you facts and demand a tip, with no prompting or asking if you'd like a guide. Very tricksy!
The actual tomb is what the original Taj Mahal was modeled after, and you can absolutely see the resemblance. Interestingly enough, the tomb was built on the orders of Humayun's wife, who wanted her husband honored in the best of fashions. Very rarely do you hear such stories about women in India's past, so I thought it was interesting. We spend ten minutes at the end trying to get pictures of these bright green parrots that live everywhere, but they kept hiding, lol. Still, a beautiful visit nonetheless!
The actual tomb is what the original Taj Mahal was modeled after, and you can absolutely see the resemblance. Interestingly enough, the tomb was built on the orders of Humayun's wife, who wanted her husband honored in the best of fashions. Very rarely do you hear such stories about women in India's past, so I thought it was interesting. We spend ten minutes at the end trying to get pictures of these bright green parrots that live everywhere, but they kept hiding, lol. Still, a beautiful visit nonetheless!
Old Delhi: Jama Masjid
This was our next stop. The Jama Mosque, the oldest mosque in Delhi. If you want to take a camera you have to pay a fee, and since I feel awkward taking pictures inside holy places, I opted to just not take it. We also had to pay for a cover up robe, because we were wearing half sleeved shirts. I wasn't incredibly impressed by the mosque. It was large, and ancient, and it did have a great view of the city, but other than that it was just a large stone place with lots of people sitting around it.
However, the markets around the mosque are something else all together. Walking from the car was a scary experience, because I still haven't seen a busier street. It was completely filled with people, hundreds of rickshaws and cars, and so many animals! There were inumerable stands selling food, and thus hundreds and thousands of flies and hornets. And let me tell you, bugs in India are at least 3 times the size of those at home. Those of you who know me well can imagine how I handled the hornets. A funny site were the few food stands without any bugs, which of course means they sprayed bug spray all over their food, not a more appetizing choice. There were also lots of stands with huge cages full of chickens packed together, which they would take out, one by one, and chop off their heads. Then they would throw them into a new cage where they would sit for hours on the hot sun. Everyone has elected to be vegetarian. On a happy note, I got my first marraige proposal, which went something like this.
Me, dodging past killer bugs and whimpering quietly at their size, making a mad dash through hundreds of people for the car
Man: Excuse me
Me ignoring him, mostly to avoid looking at the bugs
Man: Will you marry me please?
Me look back and burst out laughing, feeling quite absurd.
However, the markets around the mosque are something else all together. Walking from the car was a scary experience, because I still haven't seen a busier street. It was completely filled with people, hundreds of rickshaws and cars, and so many animals! There were inumerable stands selling food, and thus hundreds and thousands of flies and hornets. And let me tell you, bugs in India are at least 3 times the size of those at home. Those of you who know me well can imagine how I handled the hornets. A funny site were the few food stands without any bugs, which of course means they sprayed bug spray all over their food, not a more appetizing choice. There were also lots of stands with huge cages full of chickens packed together, which they would take out, one by one, and chop off their heads. Then they would throw them into a new cage where they would sit for hours on the hot sun. Everyone has elected to be vegetarian. On a happy note, I got my first marraige proposal, which went something like this.
Me, dodging past killer bugs and whimpering quietly at their size, making a mad dash through hundreds of people for the car
Man: Excuse me
Me ignoring him, mostly to avoid looking at the bugs
Man: Will you marry me please?
Me look back and burst out laughing, feeling quite absurd.
Old Delhi:Baha'i Temple
*Note, I obviously didn't take this picture, as I don't own a helicopter, and while I did take lots of pictures I loved how this one highlighted the lotus flower shape. I just got it from google.
So, this was the first place we visited in Delhi. It an absolutely gorgeous temple. The grounds are beautiful. We had quite a few people taking pictures of us, which was strange, but really just foreshadowing. You have to take off your shoes before you enter the temple, and they require quiet inside. Members of all religions are encouraged to worship there to whichever god they may believe in. Around the center circle are tons of chairs, and each 'lotus blossom' holds a small podium with an inscription of an important saying according to the Baha'i tradition.
To be honest I've always had a hard time understanding Eastern religions, perhaps because I believe spiritual belief must encompass a life fully if it is to be followed, rather than half-heartedly choosing to believing a higher force and let that be that. I've had a hard time finding much on the Baha'i tradition, but I know it does not believe in idols, which is something new for a lot of Indians, being Hindu, who have idols everywhere. It is interesting that it was hard for the Indian community to accept the temple, which you can read about on the webpage for the temple. The Lotus flower is of course significant, and is am important symbol in Indian culture as well.
I suppose I got an appreciation of beauty and for the amazing works man can create, but for me I had no spiritual experience there, which I've found is true of all temples in India. Many people find other places of worship separate from their own religion to still be able to inspire a spiritual experience, but I don't think I'm one of them. Kind of just made me miss the Iglesia Merced.
Saas Bahu Aur Sansex
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This would be the first Bollywood movie I saw while in India. I'm pretty sure it means Daughter's in law, mother's in law, and sensex, which for anyone not paying attention to our global financial crisis is like nasdaq for India.
All in all, I give this movie a solid B. Although, I give it that in terms of it's Bollywood status I have to admit. The plot follows a mother and daughter, the mother newly divorced (gasp!) who move into an apartment complex to create a new life. The sullen daughter meets a kind young man who helps her get a job, and of course whom she falls for. However, he is 'dating' a slut of a woman who uses him for money. This plot line is quite easy to follow, and in my opinion the least interesting part of the movie.
The mother however, is a surprisingly strong and independent woman. In the wake of a divorce, quite a shameful, nearly unheard of thing in India, she manages to create a new life for herself, making friends with other women in the building, who choose to overlook her marital status. She decides eventually to invest in the stock market, which sparks a relationship with the quirky, socially inept stock broker she sees, and puts in his place! She gets all the other women involved, and they all find a new strength and solidarity they didn't realize women in India could have. Of course everything comes up roses, but I loved that the main character was so strong and fought so hard to become her own woman so late in life. They even made fun of how gossipy and judgmental women in India can often be, which I thought was refreshing.
All in all, not great, but still pretty good, with an overall good message. Not gonna be a blockbuster hit, though, lol. And just in case you were wondering, the movies are in Hindi, but they say 30% of the lines, and always the important ones (i love you, will you marry me, and the like) in english.
Let's like, go to the Mall
Yes, they have malls in India. But much like the market, they leave a lot to be desired. They are very, very small, with a few clothing stores (very very expensive) and household decoration stores, and the occasional music store. But for the most part they are full of stores which are closed or not yet built. The only happy part of the malls is the movies! They all have a movie theatre, which of course I'll write about later. I just thought I'd share the sadness and disappointment brought on by the shopping experience. Sigh, I just want a wal-mart, something I never thought I'd say. Oh, and a barnes and noble. Barnes and noble would be clutch.
Sunday, October 19
Markets in India
How do I describe markets? Markets are where people go for pretty much everything. There are always clothing stores, a pharmacy or two, a mobile phone store, a bank, and sometimes a grocery. At nice ones you get bookstores, and even not nice ones have sweet shops (though they only sell pastries that-like every other westerner-are way to sweet for my taste). They aren't set up like, say a shopping center in the U.S. however. They are very crowded, and the stores are indescribibly small. Imagine a CVS, or a Duane Reade, and take about a fourth of it, and that is the size of a reasonably large store. Most are half of that again. Things aren't bought the same way, much like Chile you don't "shop" yourself you tell someone what you want and they get it for you. The only time this isn't true is in a grocery store, and there is so little choice at those anyway...I really miss bread and more than one brand of anything except cookies, and produce, and diet soda-GOD I miss diet soda-and candy and snacks in general. I thought Chile didn't believe in snack food! I resort to buying biscuits (crackers to americans) to help add on to my now nonfat diet and added exercise (I walk a lot, even more than in New York) which is causing the pounds to come off, ever so slowly. Hopefully this gives you a slight idea of how a market is in India, though if you ever come here yourself, only go at night. They are always dead until at least 8 p.m. when suddenly there are henna artists, neon lights and balloon vendors and shoppers galore. More chance of being run over, but way more chance for culture absorption too!
Cows and Dogs and Pigs, Oh my!
The abundance of animals on the street here astound me. I mean, you may have thought the number of street dogs in Santiago was crazy, but there's 3 times the amount of street cows in the middle of Delhi. The entire street will be teeming with fast moving cars, but there is often an ox, chomping away and who knows what in the middle of the street, chilling. And as for the monkeys and pigs and dogs that roam the street as well, there's no lack of them either. Granted, the cows are treated very well (they're a holy animal) and the dogs more often than not get rocks thrown at them. It's a doggy dog world in India, but I have to admit I've gotten used to the cows who almost run me over every day a lot faster than the cars. It's just a sight, and experience you have to witness for yourself!
Friday, October 17
Am I supposed to Apologize?
I have a lot of things I want/need to blog about. But currently there is something I want to say. I realize that pretty much every blog I've posted about India so far has been negative. I would say this is a pretty accurate portrayal of my time here so far. I haven't even begun to describe the last five weeks here, most of which has been pretty awful. I have had good days, and travelling here is wonderful, India is a beautiful country outside of big cities.
But the truth is most of my days are hard and frustrating. Most of the people around me aren't supportive, my Indian contacts lie to me repeatedly and get angry when I ask for anything different. I am treated like filth by many of the people I work with because I'm a girl, and I won't repeat the comments I get every day walking down the street. And this is from people who've seen white people regularly on these streets for the last 7 years.
Today, hit another all time low. I was walking to the hospital, when two little boys came up to me saying Namaste Didi, didi didi, which is sort of like hello sister, hey sister, cousin, older woman I don't actually know. I shook their hands as they always want me to do, and then they began asking for money. Most children in India do this, regardless of their economic status because they think it's fun. Or so I've been told, and these children happen to live in a large house down the street from me. I said no, nahi not gonna happen. So they pulled at me and I just kept walking. Then they threw rocks at me. I've had this happen to me before, but usually they are halfhearted throws, and have never actually hit me. These little boys pummelled me. I mean they got my back, my head. It was painful. I immediately broke down crying and walked back home, using conversation with they boy as solace.
This describes the frustration and fear I go through at least once a day here. This is the first truly violent occassion, but that doesn't mean I haven't experienced just as much disrespect in other ways. Am I doing something wrong? Am I not giving India a chance, am I an ignorant white girl who is just too negative? Should I apologize for my portrayal of this country?
I've decided, NO absolutely not. I've come here for an experience, and recieved misery. None of this is a result of my actions, except in the actual decision to come here. There are things I like about India, but they are grand concepts, ideas of the culture, and very few things have happened in my daily life which are in the least bit positive or happy. Every morning I wake up thinking this day will be better, I'll be a little less shocked by poor treatment and I'll be able to focus on trying to help a little more. Every day something even worse seems to happen, something more harrowing, and now I get physically hurt? I could say it's just the neighborhood I'm in, not India as a culture. But while there are grand concepts of culture I like, there are also many I don't like, and it is these aspects which are the root cause of the events which lead to my daily hell. Today's is of course, the fact that people do not discipline children in India. I have yet to see a mother punish a child in any way for bad behavior, even a simple bad boy. And I work in a pediatric hospital, I feel I have seen lots of mothers and children. This is a cultural root, one which has gotten me a nice lump on my head, and I will not apologize for loathing it, hating it, and generally being pissed off and fed up with it. In a few days to come you will see me post happy things about travelling and interesting conversations with surprisingly nice people. But for the most part you will read about an unhappy, fearful existence because that is my reality, chosen, but absolutley not imagined.
But the truth is most of my days are hard and frustrating. Most of the people around me aren't supportive, my Indian contacts lie to me repeatedly and get angry when I ask for anything different. I am treated like filth by many of the people I work with because I'm a girl, and I won't repeat the comments I get every day walking down the street. And this is from people who've seen white people regularly on these streets for the last 7 years.
Today, hit another all time low. I was walking to the hospital, when two little boys came up to me saying Namaste Didi, didi didi, which is sort of like hello sister, hey sister, cousin, older woman I don't actually know. I shook their hands as they always want me to do, and then they began asking for money. Most children in India do this, regardless of their economic status because they think it's fun. Or so I've been told, and these children happen to live in a large house down the street from me. I said no, nahi not gonna happen. So they pulled at me and I just kept walking. Then they threw rocks at me. I've had this happen to me before, but usually they are halfhearted throws, and have never actually hit me. These little boys pummelled me. I mean they got my back, my head. It was painful. I immediately broke down crying and walked back home, using conversation with they boy as solace.
This describes the frustration and fear I go through at least once a day here. This is the first truly violent occassion, but that doesn't mean I haven't experienced just as much disrespect in other ways. Am I doing something wrong? Am I not giving India a chance, am I an ignorant white girl who is just too negative? Should I apologize for my portrayal of this country?
I've decided, NO absolutely not. I've come here for an experience, and recieved misery. None of this is a result of my actions, except in the actual decision to come here. There are things I like about India, but they are grand concepts, ideas of the culture, and very few things have happened in my daily life which are in the least bit positive or happy. Every morning I wake up thinking this day will be better, I'll be a little less shocked by poor treatment and I'll be able to focus on trying to help a little more. Every day something even worse seems to happen, something more harrowing, and now I get physically hurt? I could say it's just the neighborhood I'm in, not India as a culture. But while there are grand concepts of culture I like, there are also many I don't like, and it is these aspects which are the root cause of the events which lead to my daily hell. Today's is of course, the fact that people do not discipline children in India. I have yet to see a mother punish a child in any way for bad behavior, even a simple bad boy. And I work in a pediatric hospital, I feel I have seen lots of mothers and children. This is a cultural root, one which has gotten me a nice lump on my head, and I will not apologize for loathing it, hating it, and generally being pissed off and fed up with it. In a few days to come you will see me post happy things about travelling and interesting conversations with surprisingly nice people. But for the most part you will read about an unhappy, fearful existence because that is my reality, chosen, but absolutley not imagined.
Thursday, October 16
Vodafone
So, I now have an India phone. Getting it was, of course, an adventure. The four of us went to get our phones together. Luckily, 5 minutes away at the market is a mobilestore. So, I chose the cheapest phone they had, nokia of course, which was about 35 dollars. Then we had to choose a sim card for our phone number and pay-as-you-go plan. The denmark girls just switched out the sim cards on their current phones.
We walked into the store, and there were at least 6 employees sitting at the desks, in a very, very small store. But for some reason, only one person could help us. This meant the process took about 2 hours. Before this though, we were told they needed our passports. On top of this, they needed passport photos for their files. Which meant we had to get the pictures taken. And wait half an hour until they were processed. By this time we'd been home twice to get passports and money, and wandered around the small market for an hour while waiting for the pictures to be processed. Why they needed pics I'll never know. Getting a mobile phone is as bad as going to the airport.
We then had to wait the 2 hours while they filled out forms and called numbers. Again, 6 people sitting doing nothing, only 1 man would help. We asked if another person could take care of another girl, since they all spoke the same amount of english. The answer was no. If Indian clients came in, they helped them. But they would only help one of them at a time as well. It was frustrating and crazy. And scattered, Steena went first and her phone ended up being activated last because EVERYTHING in India is chaotic and unorganized. So 5 hours after leaving to get phones, we returned home, not exactly triumphant, but with phones. Oh the disorganization.
We walked into the store, and there were at least 6 employees sitting at the desks, in a very, very small store. But for some reason, only one person could help us. This meant the process took about 2 hours. Before this though, we were told they needed our passports. On top of this, they needed passport photos for their files. Which meant we had to get the pictures taken. And wait half an hour until they were processed. By this time we'd been home twice to get passports and money, and wandered around the small market for an hour while waiting for the pictures to be processed. Why they needed pics I'll never know. Getting a mobile phone is as bad as going to the airport.
We then had to wait the 2 hours while they filled out forms and called numbers. Again, 6 people sitting doing nothing, only 1 man would help. We asked if another person could take care of another girl, since they all spoke the same amount of english. The answer was no. If Indian clients came in, they helped them. But they would only help one of them at a time as well. It was frustrating and crazy. And scattered, Steena went first and her phone ended up being activated last because EVERYTHING in India is chaotic and unorganized. So 5 hours after leaving to get phones, we returned home, not exactly triumphant, but with phones. Oh the disorganization.
Hindi Lessons
So, for about 4 days this week we had basic hindi lessons. I have to say I was disappointed by how little we learned. We learned a number of words, but we really only worked for maybe 2-3 hours a day, which consisted of Rajan writing words on the board and us repeating them after him. We learned only very basic sentence construction, and I felt I learned much more in my first week of spanish class than of Hindi. And Hindi grammatical structure is very easy to learn. It is simply subject object verb, rather than subject verb object like in english. But there are no articles like in spanish, which of course makes the romance languages so hard for someone based in a germanic language to learn. The pronunciation is very difficult, since the sounds are so different from english. The r is slightly rolled as in spanish, but the d's and t's are very different. I wish I could attach a video of me trying to say hindi words, but alas that will have to wait until I again have a computer with video. Anyhow, sukriya for reading my blog, and namaste!
My First Week's Digs
So, for the first week I'm staying at an apartment in Gurgaon, an expensive suburb outside of Delhi. This first week is meant to be a cultural immersion week, with some sightseeing and language courses to help us adjust to life in India a little more smoothly.
The apartment is small, with two bedrooms with 3 beds each. Most surprising are there are western style toilets, though there are strange open type showers (hard to describe) and sadly enough no hot water anywhere.
There are three other girls here, Steen and Ditte, both from Denmark, and another Jessica from Montanna. They are all very nice, and sarcastic which of course means we get along splendidly. I have to admit when I first got here I broke down crying from the stress of travelling and the lack of sleep. While you can always prepare yourself for culture shock, it becomes much more real in a truly third world country, of which I will talk much, much more about later. For now let's say I feel fine about where I'm staying, even if the markets here are difficult to traverse and everything is overcrowded and oversmushed. I know it'll be all right.
The apartment is small, with two bedrooms with 3 beds each. Most surprising are there are western style toilets, though there are strange open type showers (hard to describe) and sadly enough no hot water anywhere.
There are three other girls here, Steen and Ditte, both from Denmark, and another Jessica from Montanna. They are all very nice, and sarcastic which of course means we get along splendidly. I have to admit when I first got here I broke down crying from the stress of travelling and the lack of sleep. While you can always prepare yourself for culture shock, it becomes much more real in a truly third world country, of which I will talk much, much more about later. For now let's say I feel fine about where I'm staying, even if the markets here are difficult to traverse and everything is overcrowded and oversmushed. I know it'll be all right.
Thursday, October 2
First Impressions
Ok, ok, so I said earlier I simply couldn't be prepared for India. This is about my first impressions simply at the airport and on my ride from the airport.
First of all, the airport sucks, it's small, doesn't have an ATM, and doesn't sell cute little souveneirs. I checked. Secondly, India is HOT. GARAM. I mean it is beyond belief. I've been to Jamaica and the Bahamas in the height of heat, and it simply does not begin to compare. I have a theory about this. Obviously the humidity has something to do with it. It is so humid the air forms a little bubble of extra heat around you. But even worse, the dirt, of which there is a lot, gets stirred up,and held in the humid air, only helping the bubble of said heat bake you like a thanksgiving turkey (which I'm going to miss by the way).
The next thing I noticed was how dirty it is. I mean, dirty, Like dirt and earth and filth everywhere. most of the roads are dirt, if they aren't dirt they're gravel, and if they're paved they have dirt all over them from the side of road. All of India seems to be a big dumpster, so you see trash everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. On top of that there are people everywhere, walking, sleeping, usually on trash, making more trash, begging, shopping, with women carrying huge bags of reeds on their heads in the middle of Delhi.
Delhi is a huge city, like any other capital, but it simply is not metropolitan. People have been complaining about how it's so modern now. It's not. These complainers are crazy. It's dirty and most of it is half built and abandoned. The driving is completely indescribable. It is so crowded on the roads, and there are no lanes, or turn signals. People honk because nobody has side view mirrors. Which makes it unbearably loud, and people are always almost sideswiping because the definition of India is selfish, and people move and expect the waters to part. It is absolutely ridiculous. And imagine the worst most potholed road you've ever driven on. Lacy, I'm thinking of New Orleans right now. Multiply that my 20. That's the roads here. It's insane. I'd like to go on, but there are other blogs to post so, namaste.
First of all, the airport sucks, it's small, doesn't have an ATM, and doesn't sell cute little souveneirs. I checked. Secondly, India is HOT. GARAM. I mean it is beyond belief. I've been to Jamaica and the Bahamas in the height of heat, and it simply does not begin to compare. I have a theory about this. Obviously the humidity has something to do with it. It is so humid the air forms a little bubble of extra heat around you. But even worse, the dirt, of which there is a lot, gets stirred up,and held in the humid air, only helping the bubble of said heat bake you like a thanksgiving turkey (which I'm going to miss by the way).
The next thing I noticed was how dirty it is. I mean, dirty, Like dirt and earth and filth everywhere. most of the roads are dirt, if they aren't dirt they're gravel, and if they're paved they have dirt all over them from the side of road. All of India seems to be a big dumpster, so you see trash everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. On top of that there are people everywhere, walking, sleeping, usually on trash, making more trash, begging, shopping, with women carrying huge bags of reeds on their heads in the middle of Delhi.
Delhi is a huge city, like any other capital, but it simply is not metropolitan. People have been complaining about how it's so modern now. It's not. These complainers are crazy. It's dirty and most of it is half built and abandoned. The driving is completely indescribable. It is so crowded on the roads, and there are no lanes, or turn signals. People honk because nobody has side view mirrors. Which makes it unbearably loud, and people are always almost sideswiping because the definition of India is selfish, and people move and expect the waters to part. It is absolutely ridiculous. And imagine the worst most potholed road you've ever driven on. Lacy, I'm thinking of New Orleans right now. Multiply that my 20. That's the roads here. It's insane. I'd like to go on, but there are other blogs to post so, namaste.
India Customs
There is something I don't understand. When people go through customs, I would expect at least one person there to be able to understand completely fluently the language from which each flight originates, and always to understand enlgish. This is not because I'm a stupid American, this is because when all else fails, most people speak a little english, especially coming to a place like India where english words are known by all, and is the chosen language of the elite and of business.
This is not the case. Everyone barely speaks english, and it makes for problems. As everyone knows, my passport was stolen in Chile. I had to get a replacement, but due to the amount of time it would take for a normal one, I had to get an emergency passport, which works exactly like a regular passport, but is of a little less quality so they can make it faster, and it's only valid for one year. BUT I WAS TOLD I COULD USE IT LIKE A NORMAL PASSPORT FOR ONE YEAR. I asked, I made sure, because I didn't want problems in India.
Long story short I spent 1 hour in a room in customs with people saying, what happened to your passport? and me telling them, but them not actually listening to a single word I said. Of course they confirmed me with the embassy, and then decided that they would let me in the country, but to get out I have to get a new, regular passport. Which is awesome. I love it that India doesn't know how to handle an emergency passport. Again, this is all just foreshadowing. We'll get to the good stuff later.
This is not the case. Everyone barely speaks english, and it makes for problems. As everyone knows, my passport was stolen in Chile. I had to get a replacement, but due to the amount of time it would take for a normal one, I had to get an emergency passport, which works exactly like a regular passport, but is of a little less quality so they can make it faster, and it's only valid for one year. BUT I WAS TOLD I COULD USE IT LIKE A NORMAL PASSPORT FOR ONE YEAR. I asked, I made sure, because I didn't want problems in India.
Long story short I spent 1 hour in a room in customs with people saying, what happened to your passport? and me telling them, but them not actually listening to a single word I said. Of course they confirmed me with the embassy, and then decided that they would let me in the country, but to get out I have to get a new, regular passport. Which is awesome. I love it that India doesn't know how to handle an emergency passport. Again, this is all just foreshadowing. We'll get to the good stuff later.
The Flight across the Ocean
Ok, so how do I talk about my flight from hell? Well, let's start with the fact that it was delayed a day because they overbooked my flight. It happens. Then I had my long overnight flight to London Heathrow. I didn't sleep a wink. I tend to not sleep on planes, and mine was pretty full, so this was no exception. It was sort of annoying, but not too long.
However, I have yet to mention that I was sick. Like, terribly ill with a really bad sinus infection. I was on my 5th week of sickness from chile, told by my doctor it was the remnants of bronchitis turned to infection, and I was on a z-pack, after antibiotics. So, you can imagine how badly my head and ears hurt the whole time. But the landing made it even more fun. On the way down, my head was so packed it was impossible to equalize my ears to the pressure. I am one of those fortunate souls who can easily hold my nose and blow to get the pressure right, a trick my dad taught me, but when your head is full of bright, lime green snot the pressure is impossible to build up and you can't get your ears to get to normal. So I arrived at London, unable to hear through one ear, having it be painfully and very palpably packed with pressure. I had a 12 hour layover.
The annoying thing about international flight is that the gate never opens until 3 hours before, so when I got to london, I wanted to go site see, but I didn't feel comfortable leaving when I had no idea how to get back to my terminal, or how the connecting check in process worked once I left. Heathrow is an incredibly uncomfortable airport, with wood benches only, and three coveted couches. One of which I eventually commandeered and managed to sleep on for 3 hours. I couldn't buy anything to eat because I had no pounds, and my credit card was only approved for India. Sadness.
When I finally reached the time I could get on the plane, I was of course not surprised to find myself on a plane full of India people in traditional clothes with lots of babies. I got to my seat and...SCORE I had three seats to myself. I was set. After dinner I was setting myself up to lay out and go to sleep, when some guy sits down in the outer seat. And i was like, what? it wasn't his seat, he was just wanting to use it. He then proceeded to befriend me, but he didn't speak english. He kept putting blankets on me, and it was sweltering in the plane, so I kept taking them off. He even tried following me through customs. So I once again did not get any sleep. I did however, manage to get my ear to a more comfortable level of pressure by the time we landed. My next post will be about customs, a whole other story, but this of course, should foreshadow my life in India pretty well.
However, I have yet to mention that I was sick. Like, terribly ill with a really bad sinus infection. I was on my 5th week of sickness from chile, told by my doctor it was the remnants of bronchitis turned to infection, and I was on a z-pack, after antibiotics. So, you can imagine how badly my head and ears hurt the whole time. But the landing made it even more fun. On the way down, my head was so packed it was impossible to equalize my ears to the pressure. I am one of those fortunate souls who can easily hold my nose and blow to get the pressure right, a trick my dad taught me, but when your head is full of bright, lime green snot the pressure is impossible to build up and you can't get your ears to get to normal. So I arrived at London, unable to hear through one ear, having it be painfully and very palpably packed with pressure. I had a 12 hour layover.
The annoying thing about international flight is that the gate never opens until 3 hours before, so when I got to london, I wanted to go site see, but I didn't feel comfortable leaving when I had no idea how to get back to my terminal, or how the connecting check in process worked once I left. Heathrow is an incredibly uncomfortable airport, with wood benches only, and three coveted couches. One of which I eventually commandeered and managed to sleep on for 3 hours. I couldn't buy anything to eat because I had no pounds, and my credit card was only approved for India. Sadness.
When I finally reached the time I could get on the plane, I was of course not surprised to find myself on a plane full of India people in traditional clothes with lots of babies. I got to my seat and...SCORE I had three seats to myself. I was set. After dinner I was setting myself up to lay out and go to sleep, when some guy sits down in the outer seat. And i was like, what? it wasn't his seat, he was just wanting to use it. He then proceeded to befriend me, but he didn't speak english. He kept putting blankets on me, and it was sweltering in the plane, so I kept taking them off. He even tried following me through customs. So I once again did not get any sleep. I did however, manage to get my ear to a more comfortable level of pressure by the time we landed. My next post will be about customs, a whole other story, but this of course, should foreshadow my life in India pretty well.
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