I forgot to mention who the people were in one of the photos below. The girl is Alexia (my current housemate), the guy is Peter (my Mysore roommate), and the other guy with the beard is me.
Ok. Bye!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
My Indian (Grand)parents
I live in Jaipur now. In Rajasthan. In the wonderful Indian home of Prabha and Naveen Lal Ji. I have their son's old room, and Alexia (my housemate) has the upstairs room,which once belonged to their daughter. Their children are 40+ years old now, so I don't have to worry about competition for my bed. Hugging is generally frowned upon in India between members of different genders, and generally when you meet an older person there are certain social norms in Canada that say you probably shouldn't hug them...but such was NOT the case for Prabha. She greeted me with the ever-present twinkle in her eye and turned my handshake into a warm hug! They are such fantastic people. They are remarkably progressive for the older Indian generation: they tutor children from the nearby slum, have Muslim and Christian friends (they are Hindu), know how to use a computer (sort of), have traveled to other countries (they've been to Canada!), and they've had students from all over the world stay with them for the past 15-20 years. In short, Alexia and I hit the jackpot with our Indian family.
I am a huge nerd. I spend my days writing papers and going to the University of Rajasthan, where our group has our classes. Luckily the University is only a 15 minute walk from our house. A highlight was an ultimate game we had with some American students we met (and 1 or 2 Indian guys that tried to learn the game as well). It was great to play a real 7 on 7 game. I miss it a lot these days, although a few of us toss the disc during our lunch break in the hot sun.
Another highlight is watching Cricket matches after dinner with Naveen. Well, Cricket interspersed with hilarious corny Indian soap opera's. Oh man. You don't even know bad acting/filming until you've seen these. But Cricket is sweet! We played a game with some Indian students we met back in Mysore, and now I feel I could get into watching this. A few of us plan on attending a Rajasthan Royals game in the upcoming weeks.
Well...that's all for me. I had mutton kebab's. They are typical Rajasthani food. deee-lish! Tonight we're heading out for a week long adventure to some other places. I'll tell you about it later. Peace.
I am a huge nerd. I spend my days writing papers and going to the University of Rajasthan, where our group has our classes. Luckily the University is only a 15 minute walk from our house. A highlight was an ultimate game we had with some American students we met (and 1 or 2 Indian guys that tried to learn the game as well). It was great to play a real 7 on 7 game. I miss it a lot these days, although a few of us toss the disc during our lunch break in the hot sun.
Another highlight is watching Cricket matches after dinner with Naveen. Well, Cricket interspersed with hilarious corny Indian soap opera's. Oh man. You don't even know bad acting/filming until you've seen these. But Cricket is sweet! We played a game with some Indian students we met back in Mysore, and now I feel I could get into watching this. A few of us plan on attending a Rajasthan Royals game in the upcoming weeks.
Well...that's all for me. I had mutton kebab's. They are typical Rajasthani food. deee-lish! Tonight we're heading out for a week long adventure to some other places. I'll tell you about it later. Peace.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Photos...FINALLY!
At the bottom of Jog Falls. Sweet moment. (Eli and I)
Western Ghats. The boys.
In the Jungle - Western Ghats.
Hampi sunrise. Me.
Hampi. Matt Stock.
Mysore.
Mysore downtown.
Manakshi Temple. A big un.
Sunrise over the Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry.
Train sunrise.
Varanasi. River Ganges. Hilarious.
Yep.
Yes, that is the legendary "scorpion." We had fun in front of the Taj. I actually can't believe we did this.
Turtle Bay. On the Arabian Sea.
Solar Eclipse through a telescope in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Sunrises and Vomit
Pondicherry was a beautiful coastal French-influenced South Indian town. Although the best Dosas I ever had were in a dingy basement paint-peeling restaurant in Madurai, Pondicherry featured some wonderful food with the influence of the French. And as much as I LOVE Indian food, some French influence never bugs me too much either. Pondicherry reminded me of Pi Patel. I feel like I understand him better now. Maybe. I saw the sunrise over the Bay of Bengal on a beautiful humid morning with my friend Alexia. I slept a lot in Pondicherry. My body seemed to be sick without the actual "being sick" aspect...but that came later.
After a 36 hour train voyage to North India, our group arrived in Varanasi! If you are trying to picture India (especially because I have yet to figure out my stubborn camera and these Indian computers), you probably are picturing something like Varanasi. It is the mental picture I think we all have of India. The Ganges River, the ghats (steps) down to the water filled with people bathing and doing laundry, the banks covered in temples, cremations, and hundreds of people. But before I get into that: how cool is the idea of being sick out of a bus on a bridge over the ganges river? eh? What a view. My body couldn't have timed it better. After 24 hours of intense illness, I went into recovery mode (and antibiotic consumption mode). The first REAL "sick in India" experience. BOOM. Luckily I felt well enough to actually meander around Varanasi on our last morning to see the sights I described earlier. Eli, Dan, and I went out on a rowboat in the wee hours of the morning to see the sunrise over the river and to see Varanasi really come to life. It was a beautiful morning and (hopefully) soon you'll be able to see the pictures.
A day of vomiting. A couple of beautiful sunrises. Then off on a train to Jhansi, where we arrived this morning. We saw the famed Jhansi fort today, and got a brief taste for this city, and we head to Agra tomorrow morning. Jhansi was home to the Indian version of Jean of Arc. Apparently she died on a horse, weilding a broad sword, steering her horse with the reins in her mouth. Yikes.
I think a bunch of us are planning on seeing a bollywood film tonight (in Hindi) entitled "My Name is Khan." (first name: Sheshar?) Khan is THE bollywood male star. He's the Brad Pitt. The George Clooney. The Emilio Estivez. etc.
I don't know what else I was going to tell you. More to come I suppose. I've gotta go grab dinner. peace.
After a 36 hour train voyage to North India, our group arrived in Varanasi! If you are trying to picture India (especially because I have yet to figure out my stubborn camera and these Indian computers), you probably are picturing something like Varanasi. It is the mental picture I think we all have of India. The Ganges River, the ghats (steps) down to the water filled with people bathing and doing laundry, the banks covered in temples, cremations, and hundreds of people. But before I get into that: how cool is the idea of being sick out of a bus on a bridge over the ganges river? eh? What a view. My body couldn't have timed it better. After 24 hours of intense illness, I went into recovery mode (and antibiotic consumption mode). The first REAL "sick in India" experience. BOOM. Luckily I felt well enough to actually meander around Varanasi on our last morning to see the sights I described earlier. Eli, Dan, and I went out on a rowboat in the wee hours of the morning to see the sunrise over the river and to see Varanasi really come to life. It was a beautiful morning and (hopefully) soon you'll be able to see the pictures.
A day of vomiting. A couple of beautiful sunrises. Then off on a train to Jhansi, where we arrived this morning. We saw the famed Jhansi fort today, and got a brief taste for this city, and we head to Agra tomorrow morning. Jhansi was home to the Indian version of Jean of Arc. Apparently she died on a horse, weilding a broad sword, steering her horse with the reins in her mouth. Yikes.
I think a bunch of us are planning on seeing a bollywood film tonight (in Hindi) entitled "My Name is Khan." (first name: Sheshar?) Khan is THE bollywood male star. He's the Brad Pitt. The George Clooney. The Emilio Estivez. etc.
I don't know what else I was going to tell you. More to come I suppose. I've gotta go grab dinner. peace.
Monday, February 22, 2010
A General Overview.
Well hello again.
I've decided that I haven't given you enough background information on my life here in India. There are numerous practical questions about where I'm living, what I'm studying, and who I'm with that I have failed to answer thus far.
There are 28 of us here from the University of Guelph. 26 students and 2 lovely professors, Chris and Mithila. Mithila is from Bangalore, India and she speaks 4 Indian dialects (Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu), so she is very helpful to have around. The majority of the group is studying International Development back at Guelph, and many of our courses are in this line of study here. For those of us majoring in other areas (such as English), it is still really interesting. I am taking 2 independent study units. The first is an international development paper I am writing on education initiatives and the education system in India, and I've already been able to learn so much from the NGO's we've visited, guest speakers we have had, and my own solo visits to public schools. The second independent study is a study of Indian English Literature under an Indian professor of English who I met in Mysore. He is guiding a paper I am writing on the portrayal of children and the Indian family in post-colonial Indian English Lit. Professor Srinath is the director of Dhvanyaloka publications, as well as the Dhvanyaloka Centre for Indian Studies (DCIS), where our group just spent the last month. My roommate at DCIS campus was Peter Demakos, a fantastic greek man who I had met in first year but hadn't fully realized how funny he was. We laughed a lot together, and I can only hope my roommate in Jaipur is as great. In Jaipur we will be living with host families, which I am excited about.
At DCIS, I studied the three remaining courses in my schedule for our first of two four-week "modules."I was somehow enrolled in an Environmental Science course under Chris Hall (our fearless leader, who happens to be a science prof back at Guelph), Indian Science and Technology (a kind of I.Dev. course), and Indian Culture and Ancient Civilizations. The courses were all enjoyable and our exams just finished this past Saturday. It was hectic, but module #1 is now over. Module #2 will begin when we reach Jaipur (in Northern India) in March. Now we are on our second portion of crazy train rides, visiting historical sites, exploring on our own, eating amazing food, and visiting local NGO's and learning about development work that's going on in India.
So, we just left Mysore (Karnataka State, for those of you following along on a map) on Sunday, and we are currently in Madurai. A bustling city in Tamil Nadu State. Tonight we head to Pondicherry, on the East coast, then up to Chennai, where we embark on a li'l 36 hour train ride to Varanasi, where we begin our adventures in Northern India.
And there you have it folks: a general overview. Life is good, Eating meals off of banana leaves is sustainable, and infrequent showering is A-OK.
peace.
I've decided that I haven't given you enough background information on my life here in India. There are numerous practical questions about where I'm living, what I'm studying, and who I'm with that I have failed to answer thus far.
There are 28 of us here from the University of Guelph. 26 students and 2 lovely professors, Chris and Mithila. Mithila is from Bangalore, India and she speaks 4 Indian dialects (Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu), so she is very helpful to have around. The majority of the group is studying International Development back at Guelph, and many of our courses are in this line of study here. For those of us majoring in other areas (such as English), it is still really interesting. I am taking 2 independent study units. The first is an international development paper I am writing on education initiatives and the education system in India, and I've already been able to learn so much from the NGO's we've visited, guest speakers we have had, and my own solo visits to public schools. The second independent study is a study of Indian English Literature under an Indian professor of English who I met in Mysore. He is guiding a paper I am writing on the portrayal of children and the Indian family in post-colonial Indian English Lit. Professor Srinath is the director of Dhvanyaloka publications, as well as the Dhvanyaloka Centre for Indian Studies (DCIS), where our group just spent the last month. My roommate at DCIS campus was Peter Demakos, a fantastic greek man who I had met in first year but hadn't fully realized how funny he was. We laughed a lot together, and I can only hope my roommate in Jaipur is as great. In Jaipur we will be living with host families, which I am excited about.
At DCIS, I studied the three remaining courses in my schedule for our first of two four-week "modules."I was somehow enrolled in an Environmental Science course under Chris Hall (our fearless leader, who happens to be a science prof back at Guelph), Indian Science and Technology (a kind of I.Dev. course), and Indian Culture and Ancient Civilizations. The courses were all enjoyable and our exams just finished this past Saturday. It was hectic, but module #1 is now over. Module #2 will begin when we reach Jaipur (in Northern India) in March. Now we are on our second portion of crazy train rides, visiting historical sites, exploring on our own, eating amazing food, and visiting local NGO's and learning about development work that's going on in India.
So, we just left Mysore (Karnataka State, for those of you following along on a map) on Sunday, and we are currently in Madurai. A bustling city in Tamil Nadu State. Tonight we head to Pondicherry, on the East coast, then up to Chennai, where we embark on a li'l 36 hour train ride to Varanasi, where we begin our adventures in Northern India.
And there you have it folks: a general overview. Life is good, Eating meals off of banana leaves is sustainable, and infrequent showering is A-OK.
peace.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Dosa's, Dhoti's, and Do Not's
Hey everyone!
Here's some key information for your next trip to South India:
Dosa: super good fried bready thing served with yummy potato/veg mush. yum.
Dhoti: The man skirt. Sported by Eli, Remy, and yours truly.
...and now, the DO NOT's:
DO NOT miss the sunrise if you can help it. It's gonna blow your mind and you're going to remember that this mind-blowing occurence happens daily. One of our jokes on the trip occurs every time we watch a sunrise/sunset: "Don't worry guys, we're pretty sure this is on the itinerary for tomorrow."
DO NOT shave. The majority of guys in the group are decked out with some great hairs on our chinny chin's. Some have abandonned the cause, but those of us that have refused the razor are reaping what we have sown. (Or what puberty has sown?)
DO NOT ignore your gut feelings. On a biking adventure in Hampi this past weekend, 4 of us (Peter, Ronit, Michelle, and I) were trying to find some potential nearby waterfalls. We came to a fork in the road, and although some other people told us to hang a larry, Peter's gut told him to pull a randy. So we did. After a couple Km's of some sweet riding on our 1 speed rental bikes (the day rental cost us 75 cents...darn eh?), we met a British guy on the road who recommended we climb up to a nearby temple. It was the highest point around Hampi. It was breathtaking and the wind whipped at us in refreshing gusts after climbing a few hundred steps. I just stood on a slab of a massive boulder with a 360 degree view, assuming I would receive some sort of great epiphany or secret to the meaning of life. When no great revelation came to me, I just stood and enjoyed the moment. Later, when I mentioned this to Peter, he exclaimed that that in itself was a fantastic revelation about life: Enjoy it.
"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..." I seem to remember someone writing that in a book somewhere...
I should probably post some photos soon. I'll try to get better with the whole writing thing as well. Hope all is well wherever you may be. Peace
Here's some key information for your next trip to South India:
Dosa: super good fried bready thing served with yummy potato/veg mush. yum.
Dhoti: The man skirt. Sported by Eli, Remy, and yours truly.
...and now, the DO NOT's:
DO NOT miss the sunrise if you can help it. It's gonna blow your mind and you're going to remember that this mind-blowing occurence happens daily. One of our jokes on the trip occurs every time we watch a sunrise/sunset: "Don't worry guys, we're pretty sure this is on the itinerary for tomorrow."
DO NOT shave. The majority of guys in the group are decked out with some great hairs on our chinny chin's. Some have abandonned the cause, but those of us that have refused the razor are reaping what we have sown. (Or what puberty has sown?)
DO NOT ignore your gut feelings. On a biking adventure in Hampi this past weekend, 4 of us (Peter, Ronit, Michelle, and I) were trying to find some potential nearby waterfalls. We came to a fork in the road, and although some other people told us to hang a larry, Peter's gut told him to pull a randy. So we did. After a couple Km's of some sweet riding on our 1 speed rental bikes (the day rental cost us 75 cents...darn eh?), we met a British guy on the road who recommended we climb up to a nearby temple. It was the highest point around Hampi. It was breathtaking and the wind whipped at us in refreshing gusts after climbing a few hundred steps. I just stood on a slab of a massive boulder with a 360 degree view, assuming I would receive some sort of great epiphany or secret to the meaning of life. When no great revelation came to me, I just stood and enjoyed the moment. Later, when I mentioned this to Peter, he exclaimed that that in itself was a fantastic revelation about life: Enjoy it.
"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..." I seem to remember someone writing that in a book somewhere...
I should probably post some photos soon. I'll try to get better with the whole writing thing as well. Hope all is well wherever you may be. Peace
Monday, January 25, 2010
India: chapter one
It would take a great storyteller to explain to you all that is happened so far in a short, fun, readable blog-length kind of story. And I don't feel like such a storyteller at the moment. It's late by my standards (10:30 pm here...so 12 noon back in Guelph), and I should be resting before my big (second) day of official classes tomorrow. Whew boy!
I feel quite nomadic. Like I'm part of some modern tribe of 26 Guelph students and 2 prof's that wanders through cities, small towns, and rainforests, equipped with the latest and greatest from MEC. We started in a nice hotel in Kochin, Near the very Southern tip of India. Kochin is somewhat touristy, very hot, and right on the Arabian Sea. It was an interesting city to simply walk around an explore, and we were given our first 5 days to do pretty much just that. It was a great bonding time with our group, considering the fact that aside from Remy and Eli I didn't REALLY know anyone. Long story short: cool history, great people, Jewish influence (who knew?), and some great nuns Eli and I met.
Our wanderings then took us up the coast to a small town named Turtle Bay, just south of Goa. It was beautiful, and we stayed at a nice beach hotel beside some cool fishing villages. We got to see a bit of life in the villages as we examined the sanitation initiatives taking place. There were some good projects to help solve the problems of diseases caused by improper toilet facilities etc (issues that exist pretty much everywhere you look here). Some of us went snorkling, and Amanda saw a shark! (A small one...I didn't see it...darn?)
Then it was off to the rainforest in the Western Ghats, where we stayed at an organic farm and learned about sustainable approaches to agriculture with a mix of brilliant PHD type people and hippies. Hippies are great. I want dreadlocks (sort of). Also, I'm excited to have my beard making a comeback. Hooray for Abe Lincoln.
And now we've settled into Mysore. A great city, I think. But I haven't really seen much of it yet. We had our first full day of classes today and things are already CRAZY busy. It's going to be a wild 4 weeks here. I'll keep you posted.
peace
I feel quite nomadic. Like I'm part of some modern tribe of 26 Guelph students and 2 prof's that wanders through cities, small towns, and rainforests, equipped with the latest and greatest from MEC. We started in a nice hotel in Kochin, Near the very Southern tip of India. Kochin is somewhat touristy, very hot, and right on the Arabian Sea. It was an interesting city to simply walk around an explore, and we were given our first 5 days to do pretty much just that. It was a great bonding time with our group, considering the fact that aside from Remy and Eli I didn't REALLY know anyone. Long story short: cool history, great people, Jewish influence (who knew?), and some great nuns Eli and I met.
Our wanderings then took us up the coast to a small town named Turtle Bay, just south of Goa. It was beautiful, and we stayed at a nice beach hotel beside some cool fishing villages. We got to see a bit of life in the villages as we examined the sanitation initiatives taking place. There were some good projects to help solve the problems of diseases caused by improper toilet facilities etc (issues that exist pretty much everywhere you look here). Some of us went snorkling, and Amanda saw a shark! (A small one...I didn't see it...darn?)
Then it was off to the rainforest in the Western Ghats, where we stayed at an organic farm and learned about sustainable approaches to agriculture with a mix of brilliant PHD type people and hippies. Hippies are great. I want dreadlocks (sort of). Also, I'm excited to have my beard making a comeback. Hooray for Abe Lincoln.
And now we've settled into Mysore. A great city, I think. But I haven't really seen much of it yet. We had our first full day of classes today and things are already CRAZY busy. It's going to be a wild 4 weeks here. I'll keep you posted.
peace
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