ain to see a waterfall, in the rain. I have played with a monkey had endless amounts of tea. Took a tour of the Mysore Palace and have taken the sleeper trains to and from excursions to Wayanad and Koppel. Have gone shopping for Indian clothes and attended a benefit concert for people that could not afford medical care. Had a bonfire and barbeque at one of our administrators houses, went out for a nice dinner on the 13th floor balcony of a building, talked to a lot of really interesting people around India for our classes (I have learned so much.) I have kept a journal and written papers, been to an Indian temple and saw a man with a knife literally through his cheek, attended a Cricket match, given a presentation and just spent the weekend on a home stay with the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) community members not understanding a word of what they were saying because they were speaking in Tamil. I had a blast and it has been my favorite weekend thus far! Now it’s time to write this modules paper and prepare for our mid semester break to the Mountains!! Hopefully from now on I can keep up with my blog! Sorry for being terrible at keeping a blog.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Catching Up :)
So I am terrible at keeping a blog! But to catch you up from day 3 to now almost 2 months in, here are some things I have been up to. I have been to the slums in Bangalore as well as the slums in Koppel, cooked a few meals at Visthar and ran around in the kitchen with coconuts like we were in Monty Python. I celebrated the Onam festival as well as the Naga, and Durga festivals. Watched Bollywood films (one in a theater in Koppel!) I have encountered killer spiders the size of my hand in Wayanad, and climbed down and back up a mount
ain to see a waterfall, in the rain. I have played with a monkey had endless amounts of tea. Took a tour of the Mysore Palace and have taken the sleeper trains to and from excursions to Wayanad and Koppel. Have gone shopping for Indian clothes and attended a benefit concert for people that could not afford medical care. Had a bonfire and barbeque at one of our administrators houses, went out for a nice dinner on the 13th floor balcony of a building, talked to a lot of really interesting people around India for our classes (I have learned so much.) I have kept a journal and written papers, been to an Indian temple and saw a man with a knife literally through his cheek, attended a Cricket match, given a presentation and just spent the weekend on a home stay with the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) community members not understanding a word of what they were saying because they were speaking in Tamil. I had a blast and it has been my favorite weekend thus far! Now it’s time to write this modules paper and prepare for our mid semester break to the Mountains!! Hopefully from now on I can keep up with my blog! Sorry for being terrible at keeping a blog.
ain to see a waterfall, in the rain. I have played with a monkey had endless amounts of tea. Took a tour of the Mysore Palace and have taken the sleeper trains to and from excursions to Wayanad and Koppel. Have gone shopping for Indian clothes and attended a benefit concert for people that could not afford medical care. Had a bonfire and barbeque at one of our administrators houses, went out for a nice dinner on the 13th floor balcony of a building, talked to a lot of really interesting people around India for our classes (I have learned so much.) I have kept a journal and written papers, been to an Indian temple and saw a man with a knife literally through his cheek, attended a Cricket match, given a presentation and just spent the weekend on a home stay with the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) community members not understanding a word of what they were saying because they were speaking in Tamil. I had a blast and it has been my favorite weekend thus far! Now it’s time to write this modules paper and prepare for our mid semester break to the Mountains!! Hopefully from now on I can keep up with my blog! Sorry for being terrible at keeping a blog.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Kannada, Kannada, KANNADA!!
So today is the 3rd day I have been in India and I already feel so at home! The staff at Visthar (where I am living) is incredible and my "team" mates are so fun.
Yesterday it down poured and we had our inauguration ceremony. At the start of inauguration we all got brought into an open room through a sort of ritual. We walked up and they had a plate of flowers and candles that they held up to our face and moved in a circular motion a few times. Then we each got a Bindi (forehead dot) and a necklace of REAL FLOWERS! The necklace was so intricate and smelt sooo good! In it was roses and a white flower and two yellow flowers with silver tinsel (yes like the kind you throw on Christmas trees.)
Once everyone was brought into the space (SJPD students and the entire Visthar staff) we all sat in a circle in white plastic chairs. In the center of the circle was a floor decoration composed of colored sand,flowers, and candles. We read a poem about a circle of unity and then each are given the opportunity to light one of the many candles that surrounded the floor piece.
After the poem Johnathan gave a speech we all (the SJPD students) recited a poem (The Low Road) to the staff, which followed the theme of the inauguration which was Breaking Down Barriers and Building Communities.
Later we played a introduction "get to know you" game, where we were each given a card with a specific animal on it. From there we had to all walk around the circle acting like that animal and try to find your pair. Of all the animals, I got the donkey. But, I did find my partner eventually. His name is Steven and he works here at Visthar as the paper making teacher. (At the beginning of the inauguration all the SJPD students got shoulder bags with packets of info inside and one of the treats was a handmade journal that Steven made.. mine is blue!)So Steven and I talked for about 10 minutes and "got to know each other."
After inauguration we all went back to our rooms to change clothes because we were wet and freezing (Mom and Dad here is where my zip up I was dying to take would have been very useful!) Then we went back and Roshin talked to us about Purchasing Power in India.
-- Interesting Fact: 80% of Indians earn 300 Dollars in one month and spend less then 20 rupees a day. However,they are not all considered to be poor. Only the bottom 40% are considered to be "poor." (20 rupees would be about 20 cents in America)
Then today we woke up and went to breakfast where I had two things I cant think of the names of (one was spicy and looked like a doughnut and the other looked like those uncrustable sandwiches except it was just dough.) I also had toast and boiled eggs and pineapple juice and coffee.
Panel followed breakfast. This is where 5 or so staff members come to talk to us students and answer any questions we might have about the Indian culture. On the Panel today was Reshma, Indrani, Anuradha, Vinoj, and Francis. We discusses inter-religious marriages, inter-caste marriages, divorce rates, domestic violence, caste systems, education, employment, and much much more.
After Panel we had tea and then we watched two documentaries one that especially struck me and I think everyone should watch is called The Story of Stuff, its about 20 minutes and is so eye opening to how selfish and blind the USA is in regards to how much we consume.
Afterwards, we took a tour of the surrounding area and I saw MONKEYS and goats an cows and chickens and dogs just walking the streets like the people do. (One dog was so scary and almost bit us!)
Then we went back and got Kannada lessons from the Bandhavi girls! The two we got to meet where Nimbamma (Nimbu-14) and Eramma (Era-13). We learned SO MUCH KANNADA! I love the language. To give some background, Kannada is the language of the Indian State of Karnataka which where we are located. In lessons we learned how to count to ten, how to say colors and other basic everyday phrases as well as a really cool song! The girls were amazing singers too. When they sang the songs for us their voices are purely angelic. This has probably been one of my favorite experiences thus far and I am so excited to go back and learn more!
So it is getting late but before I finish this fairly long blog I will simply say..
"Nanu Kannada Motanada Beku" = (I speak Kannada!!)
:D
Yesterday it down poured and we had our inauguration ceremony. At the start of inauguration we all got brought into an open room through a sort of ritual. We walked up and they had a plate of flowers and candles that they held up to our face and moved in a circular motion a few times. Then we each got a Bindi (forehead dot) and a necklace of REAL FLOWERS! The necklace was so intricate and smelt sooo good! In it was roses and a white flower and two yellow flowers with silver tinsel (yes like the kind you throw on Christmas trees.)
Once everyone was brought into the space (SJPD students and the entire Visthar staff) we all sat in a circle in white plastic chairs. In the center of the circle was a floor decoration composed of colored sand,flowers, and candles. We read a poem about a circle of unity and then each are given the opportunity to light one of the many candles that surrounded the floor piece.
After the poem Johnathan gave a speech we all (the SJPD students) recited a poem (The Low Road) to the staff, which followed the theme of the inauguration which was Breaking Down Barriers and Building Communities.
Later we played a introduction "get to know you" game, where we were each given a card with a specific animal on it. From there we had to all walk around the circle acting like that animal and try to find your pair. Of all the animals, I got the donkey. But, I did find my partner eventually. His name is Steven and he works here at Visthar as the paper making teacher. (At the beginning of the inauguration all the SJPD students got shoulder bags with packets of info inside and one of the treats was a handmade journal that Steven made.. mine is blue!)So Steven and I talked for about 10 minutes and "got to know each other."
After inauguration we all went back to our rooms to change clothes because we were wet and freezing (Mom and Dad here is where my zip up I was dying to take would have been very useful!) Then we went back and Roshin talked to us about Purchasing Power in India.
-- Interesting Fact: 80% of Indians earn 300 Dollars in one month and spend less then 20 rupees a day. However,they are not all considered to be poor. Only the bottom 40% are considered to be "poor." (20 rupees would be about 20 cents in America)
Then today we woke up and went to breakfast where I had two things I cant think of the names of (one was spicy and looked like a doughnut and the other looked like those uncrustable sandwiches except it was just dough.) I also had toast and boiled eggs and pineapple juice and coffee.
Panel followed breakfast. This is where 5 or so staff members come to talk to us students and answer any questions we might have about the Indian culture. On the Panel today was Reshma, Indrani, Anuradha, Vinoj, and Francis. We discusses inter-religious marriages, inter-caste marriages, divorce rates, domestic violence, caste systems, education, employment, and much much more.
After Panel we had tea and then we watched two documentaries one that especially struck me and I think everyone should watch is called The Story of Stuff, its about 20 minutes and is so eye opening to how selfish and blind the USA is in regards to how much we consume.
Afterwards, we took a tour of the surrounding area and I saw MONKEYS and goats an cows and chickens and dogs just walking the streets like the people do. (One dog was so scary and almost bit us!)
Then we went back and got Kannada lessons from the Bandhavi girls! The two we got to meet where Nimbamma (Nimbu-14) and Eramma (Era-13). We learned SO MUCH KANNADA! I love the language. To give some background, Kannada is the language of the Indian State of Karnataka which where we are located. In lessons we learned how to count to ten, how to say colors and other basic everyday phrases as well as a really cool song! The girls were amazing singers too. When they sang the songs for us their voices are purely angelic. This has probably been one of my favorite experiences thus far and I am so excited to go back and learn more!
So it is getting late but before I finish this fairly long blog I will simply say..
"Nanu Kannada Motanada Beku" = (I speak Kannada!!)
:D
Sunday, August 29, 2010
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
So, today is my 20th birthday and my very first day in India. It was such an amazing day! This morning when I woke up everyone went to brunch in the Cafeteria. I was told happy birthday by almost the entire staff and Roshin (one of our team leaders) read me a poem. It was soo thoughtful and soo sweet! Then to top it off they brought me out a cake that said Happy Birthday Kate on the top! It was chocolate, and they had two extras so everybody could have a slice! Then, after they brought out the cake eveybody sang to me! :D It was so nice! What a fantastic morning!
It's late so I am only going to write this for now! But we also went on a tour of Bangalore today! So all in all it was the Best Birthday Ever!!
Untill Later... :D (I'M 20!!)
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