Leaving on a Jet Plane (Round Two)

Once again, I can't believe this is happening. In 36 hours from now I'll be leaving for Mumbai where I'll fly back to America, ending this strange and wonderful journey.

I'm not really sure how to feel about this. One one hand, I've been absolutely dying to go back to the US to my family, friends, and Christmas. I've resorted to retail therapy to make up for missing my sisters (sure they don't mind this). And I miss my friends more than they know.

On the other, India is my home. Slowly but surely this has become my life and a place where I have adapted a place and an identity. It's the place where I've been the most happy. It's the place where I've been the most sad. To adapt here, I've struggled and found strength in the little victories  which have overall made me into a new person. This is my life. I am an American in India. Going back to America, I'm nervous about how this changed person will fit back state-side.

My study abroad friends have become my study abroad family and are some of the best people I have ever met. I could not imagine this trip without any of them and will miss seeing them everyday. Last night my roommate Arpita and I made (typical) sad noises at each other for ten minutes because it was our last night together. We all have been going through so many lasts. I don't like it. Last omelette at Good Luck, last night at the club, last center breakfast, last Laxmi shopping trip, omg. I'm already planning a road trip to Chicago where a bunch of them live.

Classy friends

Sassy friends 

But I am excited to go back since travel week (which I'll blog about when I get back home) I felt homesick for the first time in my life and was counting down the days until this moment. Now I just want time to STOPPPPPPP!

Despite all of my struggles with bureaucratic and life, I would not trade my experience for anything in the world.

Things I Am Thankful for in India: A Therapeutic Exercise

- the ability to actually be here and experience all of these amazing adventures
- having the luck having these experiences and adventures with the best people possible
- auto rickshaws: surprisingly the easiest and cheapest transportation system I've ever experienced
- Marathi Soap Operas and their terrible magnificence
- Skype
- "Obama country"
- wearing kurtas and leggings everyday
- trees sprouting right up through the sidewalks
- something interesting and strange is around every corner. literally.
- my fantabulous roommate and her obsession with Tumblr and puppies
- Indian restaurant music. An example playlist: old skool Avril Lavine, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili  Peppers, Earth Wind and Fire, Alicia Keys, Sweet Home Alabama, and so on
- my INCREDIBLE immune system that has been perfect minus an unavoidable food poisining incident
- the long wait for things like real salad and dark coffee makes it taste even better in the end
- my ability to go without red meat for 4 months
- 20 rupee soft serve ice cream
- the walk to school every morning
- my incredible travel agents
- the end of October Heat and the start of India's "winter"
- fruit vendors
- wi-fi at the program center
- TRAVEL WEEKKK and everything that went along with it
- my new-found spice tolerance
- finding Vaseline at the chemist
- becoming boss at Kathak (traditional Indian dance)
- Mumford and Sons and their new album that pretty much describes my life
- eating a homecooked meal almost every night even if it's not what I'm used to
- the fact that I have great friends back home that I get to go back to
- the fact that after this trip I will be able to withstand ANYTHING (except perhaps the cold)
- having a roof
- having food
- having a family

Mumbai: Of Slums, Starbucks, and White People

The other week the group went to Mumbai for a field visit! It was the first time I'd gone to the city since flying in back in August. And that time all I'd seen was the inside of a hotel room. So I was pretty pumped to be going back. Minus a few bumps in the road it was a great trip and I am excited to be going back!

Day 1:
- Arrive via train

Is this Mumbai or Manhattan?

Part of the skyline over Chowpatty Beach 

- Visit the Gandhi Museum. For some reason this visit was actually hilarious. It wasn't the museum itself, I just haven't seen so many white people in one place since the Newark airport! It was weird. And then the fact that a good majority of the people were older groups who were so touristy was too adorable. Some people were wearing spaghetti straps or short shorts and I would stare at them almost as bad as the Indians would. Our group might have judged them a little too hard. So scandalous. The actual museum wasn't bad at all. Indian museums are usually a little more simplistic and less organized compared to US museums. Highlights include Gandhi's letter to Hitler and silly-looking dolls that depicted scenes of his life.

Gandhi's letter to Hitler: "Your forgiveness if I have erred in writing to you"

The Salt March enacted by silly, long-armed dolls

- Visit the Bombay High Court. The building itself was incredible. It looked like Hogwarts if it was in a highly polluted city. The actual courts we sat in themselves just were not my thing. Cameras weren't allowed, but mental snapshots include absolutely massive stacks of papers all over the court room, a judge sassing a lawyer for not knowing his client's name, books from 2006 that were already crumbling, and a land case from the 1960's being argued.
- By 6:30 we finally had free time, but by that point it was already dark so we couldn't do much. I just went with some people to a famous restaurant, which was once again filled with so many white people.   I had my first soup since the US!! It was basically salad with hot water and salt, but at that point it tasted like nectar of the gods.
- I also ran into one of my coworkers for my internship! Small world.

Day 2- Visit to Dharavi (aka Asia's largest slum)
- After seeing so much poverty over the past few months, I had expected it to be much worse than it actually was. The buildings were in general vertically-growing tipsy brick shacks with very little room in between them. Every now and then, a new high-rise housing development would loom over these buildings. Obviously, we had already been aware of the negative aspects of slums from out studies and experiences, but the visit mainly focused on the positives and the specific needs of the area.

That plume of black smoke is just casual burning garbage 

What you can't see in this photo: a Hindu flag and a Muslim flag in the same area

- The three main businesses in Dharavi are pottery, leather, and recycling. This is mainly because the rest of the city doesn't want to do these jobs so they push them an area with a large population willing to work for cheap.
- Recycling Unit: I don't really know how to describe this. There were piles of organized trash everywhere. At one point I saw a huge pile of the same brand and color of razors. The workers had not protection and in some cases no shoes and they worked through the remains of Mumbai, India's metropolis. Thankfully no evidence of child labor was spotted.

Organized chaos

Outside of the plant

- Pottery Area: To get a feel of the workings of industry within Dharavi, we visited a potter whose family had been doing it for generations. He could make a crazy amount of pots in a minute. Meanwhile, I just managed to make one clay lump.

The master

- Then some experts on slum architecture and youth involvement talked to us. But the best part of these meetings was the fact that it was held in a school where the kids were a little too excited to see us.
- That night a miracle happened. We found a Starbucks! It's India's first one, opened just last summer. It tasted like happiness in the form of coffee. We found it while doing some nighttime sightseeing around the Taj Hotel (made famous for its architecture and the 2008 terrorist attack) and the Gateway of India.

Best part of Indian Starbucks: Name spellings

Grace - Kgrac- Karc 

Day 3:
- Another morning trip to the Starbucks and Gateway of India (where I met the guide who knew more about US current events than I did)

Taj Hotel

Gateway of India 

- More speakers
- Many people decided to stay in Mumbai for the weekend. I decided not to because I am going back in December for a wedding and I wanted to explore Pune for one last weekend. Those explorations never happened...
- Those who were going right back home went to a restaurant.
- Those who went to the restaurant got food poisoning. Weekend plans failed.

Despite the jam packed schedule and food poisoning it was still good to get to the city. Unlike Pune, it was a city in the US sense with tall skyscrapers surrounding a body of water. True, we were definitely restricted to the nicer parts of the city (excluding Dharavi), but I am so pumped to explore it some more next time! 

Hurricane Who?

Last week my program went on a three-day visit to Mumbai. I'll write a larger super-post about that when I'm able, but for now here's a sneak peak:

Vendor: Hello, madam. You want a tour? I give very good tours. Elephanta Island, Gandhi Museum, everywhere
Me: No, sorry, I'm leaving Mumbai today.
Vendor: My office is right over there. Very good tours.
Me: Ok I'll remember you, but no promises.
Vendor: From where do you come?
Me: U.S.
Vendor: Oh, U.S. Very bad things. (This was surprisingly the first of this sort of reaction I've had in India so I was kind of taken aback)
Me: Yeah, we have our problems definitely. (Thinking about neo-imperialism, bipartisanship, country music, etc)
Vendor: I read in the newspaper 94 people dead 1 billion dollars in damage.
Me: Wait, what??? (Enter panic mode. At this point I thought that something horrible had happened)
Vendor: Yes, Sandy
Me: Oh, yeah, that.
Moral of the story: I'm a horrible American University student. A hawker knows more about current events than I do. Even ones as big as Hurricane Sandy. Whoops.

Moments Part 2 (The Goddess and the Patriarchy)

A few days ago Pune was in the midst of the Navrati Festival! It's overall centered on the worship of the Goddess, but is practiced differently across the country depending on which goddess is more prevalent in a region. (Still kind of confused on this. Anyone want to help me out in the comments?)

Anyways, my internship is located in a poorer area in a rented office. The landlord and the family live downstairs and right next door. During the final day of Navrati I heard drums and cymbals  which made me automatically made me think of Ganpati and street processions. I looked out onto the streets, but did not see anything.

My co-worker then asked me to follow her. I hoped that it had something to do with the music, and I was right!

My landlord's family was in the middle of celebrating the Goddess in the coolest form of worship I've ever seen. There were tree or four people playing the drum and everyone else was singing, it was so infectious. Even the moody teenager in the corner couldn't help but clap to the beat.

All the while one woman was sitting in front of the alter alight with incense and flames that are present at most puja. No, actually she wasn't sitting. She was spinning. Arms moving in circles above her head, eyes closed, and whole body moving with the beat of the drums she seemed almost possessed!
I later learned that this was the whole point.

According to my co-worker, what I had witnessed was actually supposed to be the Goddess possessing her. So basically I'm super good at guessing.

As a gender rights activist, she then went on to describe how idea of Navrati and the Goddess possessing women is one of the pinnacles of empowerment. Dancing free of inhibition is a rare thing for a woman in most parts of India, so this practice is both personally and sexually liberating.
Basically, they're challenging the establishment by means of the establishment (in this case mainstream Hinduism). And it couldn't have been more beautiful. 

Putting it into Perspective

Picture this:

Your sitting outside of a cafe waiting for a friend. It's late. You have an abnormally early curfew looming over your head. It's your friend's birthday. Your phone unexpectantly died and have no way to contact your host mom to get it extended. You're getting lots of creepy looks, making you more aware of the fact that you're alone at night in India. You had just spent about an hour trying to find a freaking public toilet that day. And on top of that multiple due date are ever present in your mind.

You can't help but think "It can't get much worse."

But just then you look across the street and see a ragged, dirty man seeking shelter for the night under the awning of a closed shop. This is a pretty common sight in India. I suddenly felt extremely stupid and full of myself for getting upset over something as silly as a phone (which believe it or not has somehow caused me a lot of stress here) when there are SO many people in Pune who have to deal with extreme poverty and poor living conditions.

Being at the grimy bottom of such an awful infrastructure and dealing with social stigma makes dealing with plans almost falling apart seem like such wonderful problems to have.

Definitely one of the major things I've learned thus far is how to put your problems into perspective. So-called "first world problems" aren't going to be the end of the world. In fact, you have the power to change it. People find creative adjustments, or at least coping mechanisms, to problems you cannot even being to comprehend.

If people have the power to do that for actual problems, then I can do it for my "first world problems." And I did. I managed my small problems with the help of some patience and some friends, something I think we all can use in putting life and our problems into a larger perspective.

Talk is Free Darling

One of Goa's main features are its vendors.While this seems fantastic for any tourist, the jewelry was relatively expensive and of poor quality. One women even vocally advertised her "expensive rubbish."

One type of vendors are the stalls strategically set up outside of restaurants and guest houses to pull in customers looking for some India-y clothes and jewelry.

And then there are the women this post is dedicated to, the ones who roam the beach with big baskets of merchandise balanced on their heads. They know English among other languages really well in order because of the foreign tourists.

Their main strategy is to get close to a potential customer through a conversation. Because it is off season, these ladies are aggressive, both in their prices and their marketing strategy.

"Hello, darling. You look nice. Would be nicer with one of my necklaces."
"Don't walk away, my poor little heart could not take it."
"Remember me, darling. Remember me and my nice things."
"Why you don't talk? Talk is free darling."

The first large group of these ladies (a swarm) was nice, chatty and actually hilarious.
"You are so nice and white. Like a white chicken. Not me, I am brown chicken." (this is my favorite)
"Don't worry darling, I will protect you from the dirty men."
"You're gaurjus (gorgeous), darling. So lovely."

The second group I ran into, however, was much more intent on getting me to buy thing. They had surrounded my friend and I unsuspectingly went over to say hello to her and before you know it I was sat down and draped in merchandise.

Note the man standing on his head for sunset mediation in the background  (Jen's photo, obviously)

I knew that this would happen when I left for the walk this happened during and decided not to bring any money along. I didn't even have that much anyways since it was at the end of the trip. This did not seem to phase the vendors. They kept saying that they would follow me to my hotel and I could pay them back. Not sketch at all...

I eventually decided that I did not want to buy anything and was just too overwhelmed by the swarm of women surrounding me. So I tried to get up and leave.

They didn't really like this.

One thing led to another and I ended up running down the sunset covered beach to escape the "mosquitoes."

As I looked behind they were in stead pursuit and I suddenly though of a horror movie where the killer seemed to never tire.

They even followed me to the restaurant I went to! Exhausted of this dance, I finally bought something from each of the women and gave up.

 The loot

After all, I guess they have to make their livelihood some way. Even if it's chasing ginger girls down the beach. 

Going Goan

Yeah, I used that title. Deal with it. Just so punny.

Anyways last weekend 23 out of 32 students in the program went to the paradise that is Goa. It's a small state right to the south of Maharashtra known for it's tropical beaches and is a popular vacation point for both Indians and people from around the world.

And it did not disappoint.

To get there we had to take a 12 hour overnight bus trip. It was essentially a bus with beds lined along the walls. Think Harry Potter's Knight Bus meets summer camp bunk beds, but minus all the whimsy. Thankfully I was able to fall asleep despite the fact that it felt like we were going up and down a rocky mountain (which probably actually happened).

blurry view of the sleeper bus

When we arrived, it was hot and humid, but I could vaguely smell the Arabian Sea on the air and we were finally FINALLY able to wear tank tops and skirts.pants that could show knees.

I stayed with a group that went to Vagator Beach in North Goa. It was the perfect choice because the beaches were absolutely gorgeous, but there were still semi-built up places to go.
We stayed at Shalom Guest House, which was perfect, cheap, clean, and run by the cutest old couple. I don't even want to think about how cheap it was to stay there or else I'll be tempted to go every weekend!

The colored tiles are actually broken pieces of pottery

Saturday was a beach day. We pretty much spent all day on or around the beach. And, honestly, there was no better time spent.

Beach bum cows

Seriously, where am I?

The first of many many sunset pics

We were pretty much regulars at this hotel's roof

So many rocks to climb, so little time!

Merita wanted to run and so we did (Jen's photo)

That night we went to Baga Beach to hang out with the rest of the group along with some European tourist friends we made. It was nice to be in one place with everyone because that rarely happens unless we are going to class.

The Vagator group!

Sunday some of us went to Old Goa, which was the state's center back when it was Portuguese colony. Because of this Portuguese background there is a huge Catholic influence in the state today. In Old Goa there were huge Indian-style cathedrals everywhere. We even saw the grave/kind of corpse of St. Francis Xavier.

Look Dad, I went to church! 

Marigolds and Jesus: East meets West

If you look closely toward the top you can see St. Francis Xavier in the (sort of) flesh

Then after one last (very very interesting  walk on the beach and seaside dinner under the stars, we loaded back on the bus to head back to Pune.

Obsessed with Goan sunsets (sure you can tell)

Needless to say, some of us are already planning on going back in December.

Moments Part 1 (Of Tragedy and Oddity)

At the end of a bad day when nothing goes right, there is nothing you want more than to quickly catch a rickshaw and have a smooth ride home.

This, however, wasn't the case today.

First off, we had the roughest time catching a rickshaw from dance class. When we finally did, the rickshaw-walla said that he wasn't going towards our area, but he could take us to someone who could. Glad for the man’s seemingly giving spirit, we hopped right on in.  

The weirdness started when he started talking to my friend who understands Hindi. At this point all I can understand is “hospital,” “wife,” and “medicine.” Then he started crying. After he stopped to let us out by a rickshaw stand and my friend pretty much pulled a very confused me out of the rickshaw, she explained what went on.

Apparently the man’s wife was in the hospital after having an accident during pregnancy. She has a history of high blood-pressure and was not in good shape. He started asking about our blood types (which REALLY weirded out my friend) and then started asking us if we could buy medicine for him because he couldn't afford them. He kept saying that he had to go to the hospital to see her. This whole time I don't understand what is going on so I'm just fiddling with my bag, being awkward. My friend offered to have us dropped off at the hospital because it is close to our house and then we pay him for the ride anyways, but he refused and went according to the original plan. The only thing that he asked of us is that we pray for his wife.

There are two things that could’ve been going on here. 

1: It’s like he said, and he has an injured wife in the hospital. 

2: He could be trying to cheat us. 

I think the first option is actually more likely because rickshaw drivers usually have other, more lucrative ways to cheat people. Also, the man refused to let us even pay for the ride and his tears seemed genuine.

The experience was very strange and very sad. So, very India. 

The Ganpati Diaries

Preparations:

Ganpati is the most anticipated event in Pune during the time I will be here. It’s essentially a week-long festival celebrating the god Ganesha, who's a Hindu god of new beginnings and removing obstacles (perfect for this trip, right?). He also has an elephant head, which is pretty awesome. And in Maharashtra  (the state I live in) he’s a HUGE deal, which means that the festival is going to be especially HUGE!

The city has been preparing for over a week. Colorful banners line the streets and in almost every corner of the city, there are decorated platforms where the Ganpatis will be displayed during the festival. Not to mention the drumming groups practicing all over the place at all hours of the evening.

Banners on my street

The mandals

The night before the festival started, preparations in my host family went into full force. Their shrine was altered with fruits and new rangoli designs. Also we had the Ganpati welcoming ceremony! Every year a household gets a new Ganesh idol that they welcome to their home in a ceremonial way. Uncle (my host dad) shouted the traditional words when he brought it home and Aunty (my host mom) poured water, coconut milk, salt, some red stuff (the kind you put on your forehead), and dry rice in the door way before entering with the god. He then carried Ganesha into every room of the house before placing him under an orange, silk scarf until the festival tomorrow.

I basically have no idea what to expect in regards to these next few days. Aunty told me a few simple things, but she just keeps saying “You will see.”

Day 1:

Today we woke up early and had a mini puja and aarti with the host family. Together a guruji and Sanjay dressed in ceremonial garb did some chanting, made offerings to Ganesh. The only part I participated in involved lots of clapping, flames and calls of Morya! Our family also had a more low-key puja in the evening when there was lots of extended family over.

The fam's shrine

Post-puja

The reason Ganpati might become my new favorite holiday, though, is the processions that are happening all over Pune. We saw 2, but heard a lot more echoing through the streets. There are different band troupes, most consisting of drummers, but there are also horn bands and cymbalists.

At the rear of all the processions is a Ganesh paraded along on a float. Each one is different. 

Not exactly sure what this is...

People!

But these processions so far are one of my favorite experiences! Everyone is dressed in their best traditional outfits. Even the children. One groups of women saw my roommate Arpita and I watching them dance to the drums, and then had us dance with them. The pre-teen girls were the one’s who initiated it, but it was the older women who seemed to be the most excited. One older woman took my hands and started to spin in a circle in a traditional Maharashtrian dance. I was pretty boss at that. Then another middle-aged woman whom we will call Happy Dancing Woman was so into dancing with us, even though no one else really was. Most people were just kind of staring at us laughing at with us. One women tried to get me to dance with her baby, but the little guy was not into being handed to a crazy white girl.

Happy Dancing Woman in action and my awkwardness

Later that night we heard fireworks going off. So naturally we ran outside to take a look. We didn’t find the fireworks (though they were most likely being set off somewhere really safe like a street intersection or someone’s back yard). But we did find another procession, drum corp, and excited dancers shouting Morya!

Day 2:

Today we had class and most of the city went back to work, so the celebrations were a little less exuberant. But one class had a scheduled field trip so there was lots of free time! Arpita and I went to the Mandai vegetable market area, which is the hub of the festival. There are two large, permanent temples plus one temporary one that were all elaborately decorated to the nines to worship Ganesh.

There was celebratory music blaring from street-side shops, vendors all over the place, and decorations that made even native Indians had to take out their cameras.

Ganpati Bappa Morya!

This is a TEMPORARY temple for Ganpati

 Once again TEMPORARY! 

Temple all decked out 

Coconuts sold to be offerings 

Ganpati then invaded Hindi class. There was a procession passing under our street and the drums were too much and our professor let us out early. Not complaining since that’s my last class of the day.

Day 3-4

Kids drumming in all corners of the city, including our next-door neighbor. The Ganpati Mandals are lit up at night when community pujas are held and music is played.

The mandals are so unique! One in Datawadi is shaped like a pirate ship.

Day 5

I thought today was going to be relatively normal. Until I was walking home from the café and this was happening on my street…

This whole group of people (the dancers and the band) loved the camera more than anyone I've ever met

And then later on I went to look at the Mandals lit up in my neighborhood and found and all teenage girls drum band!

Lesson of Ganpati: Expect the unexpected.

Days 6 -9

Still seeing people continuously come out the that Mandals, play drums in the middle of the street, and dance. Same old, same old.

My family’s celebration lasted only a day and a half so we don’t do much with that in the house.

Day 10- Procession Day

The final day of the Ganpati Festival is Pune’s answer to New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Except instead of Ryan Seacrest and paper hats, we have drums, a night-long dance party, red powder paint, and giant elephant-headed gods paraded around the city before being submerged into the river. And instead of standing still watching a ball drop, we dance and move through the streets. Quite eventful. Quite insane. 

Me and Arpita were smart enough to go explore the main hub of the festivities before it got packed like a massive game of human sardines. There, of course, was the constant drumming and rangoli. Except this time everything was elaborated to the extreme since it was the final day. We only wandered around for 2 hours before we decided that taking a nap was preferable to getting heat stroke.

Kids dancing to drums in my street's procession

Lil drummer boy

Follow the Rangoli Road!

Oh, hey cow

My favorite rangoli of the day

After the little siesta we wandered around some more. By this time more of the city had come out to shout Ganpati Bappa Morya! After lots of aimless walking, following every noise we thought sounded promising, we ran into some people from our program. I can’t believe that you can just randomly run into people you know at a crowded, city-wide festival! Eventually, we ended up at some other students' homestay. They live in the heart of the festivities and on top of that have a rooftop that overlooks the procession. One of their other roommates is in a different American study abroad program so we met a lot of students from there.

Like the Rose Parade.... except not really

This is THE Ganpati. This picture doesn't really show how HUGE it was

Red paint and pit stains- a good portrait of the day

View from the roof. The main procession is a little over on the main road

Drummers in the side streets. A dance party thus ensued

Around 8 things started getting crazy. And my camera conveniently died, sorry. Everyone and then some more was drawn to the center of the city like a magnetic force of festivities pulled them there. I have never seen anything like it! American holidays can’t even hold a candle to this. Not even the 4^th of July in Catonsville! The huge Ganeshas were coming down the street accompanied by the usual procession and drums, but once again everything was so much more over the top. Crowds of people were dancing, jumping up and down, and shouting in huge masses. Unfortunately, a majority of the revelers were men so we had to find some women to dance by so that we could feel just a little less awkward. We found a group of women. Can you guess who was in that group? Happy Dancing Woman!! Just like day 1, she dances enthusiastically with us while others looked on. She’s like the Alpha and the Omega to my Ganpati experience.

I wasn't able to get many picture of the night time insanity, but here's a few I stole:

Just envision this with techno music (photo cred: Lauren Cichock)

Not many women actually participated in the dancing, so these girls are boss (photo cred: Lauren Cichock)

Cah-ray-zee!  (photo cred: Jen Attig)

Getting back home was interesting. To get through the crowd, you had to employ a mixture of dancing and shoving. Eventually, we made it back in one piece.

I can’t believe Ganpati is over. I refuse to accept it. The drumming will always be echoing through my head, even when I get back to the states. 

Taking it all down. Sad :(

To all my friends and family back home: if I suddenly shout “Ganpati Bappa” out loud, don’t be alarmed, just make me happy and reply “Morya!”