My Super Magical Term in India

Mai mera makaan me hoon. (I am in my house)

2007-12-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this from my living room, watching my mom show my uncle pictures of india while Merlin chews on a toy Christmas tree. I just got back from Chicago, and before that Delhi. Needless to say, I am very, very tired. My term in India is over and it was the ultimate rollercoaster experience. In the end, I don't have any regrets except for maybe not getting enough Hindi...oh well, koi bat nahi (nevermind.)

Thank you all for reading this regularly, irregularly, or maybe never until this post. It has been great keeping in touch with all of you. This blog has helped me to express what I'm feeling in a more immediate way than I could possibly do otherwise. Therefore, I have felt very connected while still being able to decide when I can or can not have contact with home. I hope that you all enjoyed what was basically an outlet for me. I hope to see you all soon if I have not already.

Love,

Erica

Waiting to Take My Hindi Final

2007-12-12T02:08:00.000-08:00

Sent in my final "Maximizing Your Study Abroad" assignment yesterday, just printed out my final paper, have my field notes completed, and now I'm waiting to be called into a room to take my final Hindi oral exam.

I should be worried about this.

Okay, I can't really muster up worries. I've mentally checked out of the academic part of this program. I'm ready to spend time in India with my parents, go home, and then go to Carleton. I would probably care more if this grade were going to be factored into my GPA. That's probably a lie. I feel that I've already passed this test by surviving in rural Rajasthan. My Hindi is very, very far from perfect, but I can get what I want and I could always figure out how to get food and water. Problem nahi hai.

I'm in Jaipur right now, my parents are coming on the 15th. We then go to Agra, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, and maybe somewhere else. I'm not good at details, which will not surprise my mom as she reads this. I am however, really excited to go to some main Buddhist sites because I could never get to Dharmasala or Nepal. But I had a great NGO experience, which is more important to me. I got to go now. I'm on a school computer and my friend needs to print a paper.

Namaskar,

Erica

More Pictures

2007-12-05T04:36:00.000-08:00

So in case you've been wondering what anything looks like, I've put up more photos online. Haven't gotten to the wedding or Vali just yet, but that's going to come soon, don't your worry.

-Erica

http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017770&l=6ae0d&id=19101860

http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017771&l=35ac0&id=19101860

http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017772&l=0bf1d&id=19101860

I Can't Even Try to Summarize...

2007-12-02T00:08:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Congrats to the Carleton students who have finished the term! I can only say that you all probably worked 10 times harder everyday than I have in the past three months. India is exciting and challenging, but not very academic, which is perfect.

I'm currently back in Jaipur. My schedule went something like this: 1 day in Varanasi, 3 in Allahabad, 2 hours Delhi, 1 day Udaipur, 8 days Choti Vali. It was hectic traveling, so over a week in the village was great for decompressing. Right now I'm just impressed that Jen, Amy Kae and I haven't killed each other after living in such cramped quarters and traveling for so long. But then again, they're pretty easy to live with. I hope that I am too.

Allahabad and the wedding was great. I love Brinda's family, they were so welcoming and kind. Basically, I got sweets shoved in my face 24/7 while being told "Barfi, Beta." (sweet, child.) Seeing the preparations for the wedding was also exciting. It is a much bigger deal in India than back home. This wedding lasted about 3 days, but the length is completely up to the family. We went to the engagement ceremony, which is about as big as an American wedding. But the actually wedding procession two days later was astounding. There was really loud music, lights, a band, and about 1.300 people dancing/walking towards the building that the marriage was held in. What really surprised me is that people talk during the garland exchange, eat food, and then most leave before the actual wedding puja. I think that most brides in the USA would cry if someone talked during their vows.

The day in between the engagement ceremony and the wedding, we went to Sangam with Brinda's Aunt and Uncle. Sangam is where the Ganges and Yamuna meet. It is one of the holiest places in India, but not many Western tourists go there, so it was very relaxing. Auntie and Uncle ji were also the most placid of all of Brinda's relatives, and they were very comfortable sitting in silence and we were rowed through the Ganges to Sangam. The Ganges wasn't clean, but it was a lot nicer than Varanasi.

Getting back to Udaipur was ridiculous, and I don't think that I really need to describe the experience. Basically it was about 24 hours in a bus or a train. But we got back safely, and that's all that matters. Once we got back, we were told that we were going back to Vali to complete our research. That experience was really positive. But I don't feel like I can actually write about it. Time moved very strangely there and what I mostly remember is just spending time with people who speak a different language from me and still feeling connected to them. In a more concrete sense, I got my research done. Now I just need to actually write the damn report. I'm seven pages and two graphs in. That's better than most people on my program have. Most students aren't expected to do a report. I hope that my work is useful for the organization, but we're not Master's students, we're finishing our Bachelor's., so that's that.

Well, that's all I can even think about for now. I'm trying to get used to the idea that I'm going to see my parents in 2 weeks and I'll be home in less than a month. That's a lot to think about on top of two reports, one for an NGO and one for MSID.

Goodbye for now,

Erica

I Can See the Ganges As I'm Typing This

2007-11-18T00:44:00.000-08:00

So, there's nothing like a 20-hour train ride to clear your head. That and dosas, chinese food, slumber parties, a pedicure, and the cheapest thali I've ever had.

After I last wrote, we proceeded to find some shelter for the night. That didn't happen until we finally called our friend Nancy and she said that we could sleep over at her host family's home. That was perfect, because ever hotel in town was booked because this is the weekend of the Pushkar Camel Fair. This used to be just a camel trading and pilgrimmage event, until Lonely Planet or something similar realized how amazing it is. Now, it's a huge tourist attraction and as Pushkar is 2 hours away from Jaipur, a lot of people stay in Jaipur instead of there.

While looking for a hotel, we stumbled onto a grimy, but really good restaurant just off of MI road. I had a great dosa, which provided me with the sustainance needed to process all that's been going on and all that I am going to see. We met up with Nancy and Emily later that night and went to the only Chinese Restaurant that I've seen in Jaipur. It was delicious (food will come up a lot in this entry, as I've been lucky the past couple days with stumbling onto places.)

The next day we went to a salon down the street from my house and got prettied up for the wedding. I realized that I needed to get a pedicure after walking around India for the past few months. Then we found this really cheap thali place, which had great food and a cook who is the closest person to an ommpaloompa (sp?) who I've ever seen. Then we board a train for Varanasi.

The train ride was pretty uneventful, until we got into Uttar Pradesh. Then this obsese, crazed-looking woman got on the train and starting whining at us in Hindi. She took Amy Kae as a kindred soul, sat down across from her, and started asking her to buy food whenever a vendor walked by. Amy Kae agreed and was rewarded with an invitation to join this woman in her work. I suspect this work might be getting onto random trains. We went to sleep that night, and Amy Kae was still there in the morning, so I'm guessing the woman is somewhere being very dissapointed.

We got into Varanasi a few hours ago, our hotel is pretty unique. So far I don't think I've experience so much personality from a hotel. But that said, we have three beds, a shower, overpriced internet, and a view of the Ganges. Tomorrow we head off to Allahabad for the ring ceremony. I need to get some clothes washed, because I am very, very gross. Also, we're going on a boat ride tonight to watch the sunset over the Ganges. It should be a good time.

-Erica

Testing My Karma

2007-11-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm sorry if this is a negative post. But travelling in india has rattled my nerves. also the shift key is breaking on this computer, so please excuse the lack of upper case letters.

first the bad news, i won't be able to make it to kathmandu. this is incredibly depressing for me, but it just won't work with the timing of the wedding, a conference i had to attend, and indian trasport. we (amy kae, jen and i) are going to Varanasi tomorrow, then Sarnath, then Allahabad (where the wedding is.)

The problem, this will all take about a week because trains take awhile and leave at inconvient times. i feel really bad leaving my ngo for that long, but at the same time, i'm also tried of trying to please people other than myself. i already changed my focus of study from animal health to economic development for the ngo, i feel like i would be too saintly to not go to a wedding in Uttar Pradesh.

so, right now i'm in jaipur again. we had to come up here for a meeting with our program director. everyone from MSID came and it really made me understand what a good set up we have at Jagran jan vikas samiti. the people are great, we get fed, we have work, and we can get time off. a lot of people are treated like burdens at their ngos. after we talked about jjvs, all the one-year students are thinking about transferring from their ngos to ours. it's flattering that out stories were inspiring, but i don't think that jagran is for everyone. it's laid back and stuff does not always get done. that said, it is an amazing place and in a beautiful location.

i'm worried however, that i will not end up producing a good piece of literature for jagran. right now, my heart just isn't in it. i like medicine, not sociology and that is basically the research that i'm doing. i'm hoping i'll become more enthused when i actually start interviewing people in the village, because then i'll be able to connect my research to people.

okay, so that's the negative stuff. sorry if i brought your mood down a little. the good stuff is that i am going to a wedding still, i get to travel around india, and when i get back to jagran i'll be going back to the village. i'm beginning to get frustrated spending all my research time in the main center, i don't see the importance of my work. not that i expected to save the world, but at least in the village i understand what jagran does. i'm okay with just staying in vali (the village) for the rest of my internship, which is about two weeks. that's what i wanted out of my internship anyway. i think that i just got lazy and didn't push myself to go into the field as much as i should have in the beginning of the internship. but then again, my first time in the field i puked into a squatty potty. maybe my body just needed som rest and relaxation.

i think that today we're going to relax, get a hotel, try to just have fun and enjoy jaipur. now that it isn't diwali, i think that the city is much calmer. i've realized that i'm just not going to be positive right now, so i think i'll sign off. there's no point in whining that i didn't get a chance to go to nepal or to vali more than i wanted. i still have three more weeks of the internship phase and i know i'll perk up when we get a hotel in jaipur.

Best wishes,

Erica

Indian Fireworks: If They're Not Life Threatening, Then Why Even Bother?

2007-11-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Diwali from Jaipur!

I'm currently in in a guest house in Jaipur, reeling from what's been a very hectic and loud couple of days. I got into Jaipur yesterday morning after spending over nine hours on a bus. I didn't want to attract too much attention, so I sealed off my sleeper comparment (think a bunk bed) and just tried to sleep. But the bus moved around so much that I could barely sleep. I also really did not want to get off to use the bathroom, so I had to pee for about eight hours while going over the occasional bump. I'm very impressed that I did not need to change my jeans at any point. Then at around 7:30am I got into Jaipur. I went to the guest house and passed out for two hours. Then I visited my family.

Visiting my family was tough because I've been living in an NGO and working with people who have basically nothing, but have devoted their lives to others and all my Mummiji wanted to do was complain. I think that I've been one of the only people recently who she's felt comfortable enough with to complain, but it was hard for me to take her seriously when she told me that her husband got her a solid gold ring for her birthday and then proceeded to explain that she had never seen Udaipur because she cannot travel because her husband "has no good job." Then I think about the women who visit the NGO who don't speak any English and are working as midwives and agricultural laborers and were still laughing and joking even though they had been doing backbreaking work since they were walking. But I got over my initial response to my family and had a great Diwali with them today. I'm beginning to crash, so I can't go into a lot of details. But there was a whole bag full of crackers in our house that we went through in about an hour. All of these crackers were being lit in the street as huge fireworks were going off overhead. Prabble (who is nine) was running around with sparkelers at all times.

I also did some shopping for the wedding this weekend and I ended up buying a sari. The price was expensive, but I think that it might be my most favorite outfit ever. I don't want to describe it because I don't think that I could do it justice. Okay, well I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard and I don't want to do that until I have to when I'm writing papers at Carleton next term. Happy Diwali to all and I hope that one day everyone can experience the sensation of wondering if you're going to get through a festival with all of your limbs.

-Erica

Ram (God) just wants us to see the Himalayas

2007-11-06T00:21:00.000-08:00

Namaste,

Exciting events have just taken place. We talked to our boss about leaving for Diwali, our mid-internship seminar, and Brinda's sister's wedding and the consensus is that it is too much trouble to go between Jaipur and Udaipur three times in one week. So, we were told that we can stay in Jaipur until we have to be in Allahabad for the wedding on the 19th. This means that we will have the 15th to the 18th free to travel. So where to go? Nepal of course.

We're planning on going from Jaipur to Varanasi, then from Varanasi to Kathmandu. Then from Kathmandu back to Varanasi, which has frequent trains to Allahabad. We should be there in time to meet Brinda's family, get henna-ed, and explore Allahabad. This is amazing for all of us because we are going to see both the Himalayas and the Ganges in one fell swoop. Also when we get back to Udaipur we're going to have to crack down on our research and spend about 10 to 12 days in Vali (tiny village.)

At first I guilty for taking so much time off from work. Then I remembered that our boss recommended it. Then I also remembered that it's India and work is looked at completely differently here than it is in the US. And I know myself and I know I can do a darn good case study in 10 to 12 days, especially if there isn't any internet or phone service. I just hope I can eat the food.

Today I went to a regional animal disease diagnostic lab and did some research on diseases in livestock. The more I talk to people about animals here, the more I realize how differently animals are viewed in India versus the US. When I tried explaining cooperate farming, one doctor asked "So people do not respect their animals?" Then I remembered that it's illegal to kill cows in every Indian state expect for Kerala, which has a large Christian, nonveg population. So how can I even begin to explain meat industry to a man who has lived in a vegetarian culture for his entire life?

I'm going to go research Nepal now. Tomorrow night I head out for Jaipur. I'm going to stay with my friends Adam and Katrina in a hotel for three nights, and then I hope I can stay with my family for three more nights. I would like to go back to Udaipur, but that would mean leaving on the 11th and getting in that night. Then staying there fore the 12th and leaving on the 13th for Jaipur so I can attend my seminar. That doesn't make much sense. I just hope that my family doesn't mind me sleeping over. Then again, when I called my Mummiji the other day she said, "Erica, tell me something. I have missed you so much." Hearing that made me so excited to spend Diwali with a family.

"Tigers," Food Poisoning, and a Wedding Invite (oh my!)

2007-11-04T01:03:00.000-07:00

Hello,

The past week or so has been a crash course in what my boss Ganesh calls "the real India." The day before Halloween, Amy Kae, Jen and I hiked these steps up a bluff that lead to a temple. The views were amazing and I'll put them online as soon as I get the chance to. We ran into a woman herding her goats, some placid cows, and a group of adolescent boys. These boys were between the ages of eleven and fourteen and they thought that they were little studs. They showed us this Durga Temple on top of this hill and warned us about tigers. Of course, they couldn't keep straight faces as they warned us about these tigers.

They also offered us cigarettes and paan (red, gross, chewing-tobacco-like stuff.) I refused both, but I think that the one who asked had stolen his dad's paan because he seemed pretty smug. They then led further to a cave devoted to Shiva and then this abandoned fort. They said that the fort had been there since the Maharajahs, and I believe them, because that wasn't too long ago. On the fort, the one who offered me paan asked for our mobile number. Even though my phone was in my pocket, I told him that we don't have one. It's amazing how much we stick out here. Jen and I go running in an old cricket field sometimes in the morning and these boys pointed to us and said, "jogging. field." Sometimes I wish that I could look Indian for a day just to see how different my experience would be.

The next day we were told that we were going to Vali (a small village) in an hour. That changed to 6am the next day, which of course became 9am. That night was Halloween so we decided to make the most of our freedom before leaving and hit the town for candy. We met up with Lindsay and Brady (two of our friends at another Udaipur NGO) and went to a restaurant on the edge of the lake. I swear I love Udaipur just because I love both mountains and water. It doesn't matter that the lake is polluted and that the mountains are tiny. I still am much more at home here than in Jaipur.

When we left at 9am the next morning, we thought we'd be gone until Diwali (aound the 7th.) But then we were told that we'd actually be there until the 4th at the latest. Then we thought we were going in a jeep, which turned out to be a local bus. Communication gaps are funny if you let yourself enjoy the fact that you never know what's going on. So we end up on this rickety bus. And Jen's comment of "How is this thing working?" pretty much sums the experience up. But as Ganesh said, it's best that we see "the real India." I liked the bus expect for the fact that I was really tired. I didn't mind people staring at me because I'd stare at most of the people there if they showed up on the commuter train to NYC.

So we ended up in Vali and I was quickly told that I needed to go with some veterinary doctors because they were going to inspect some camels. At had not had breakfast or lunch at this point and I had just been on a bus for two hours. But I agreed and listened to a lot of camel-talk in Hindi, which at least got me some connections with people who can help me with my research. I also saw some baby camels. And there would have been hell to pay if I missed lunch and didn't see any baby camels.

The rest of the day we walked around the village and talked to a lot of women. Okay, we didn't really talk, so much as we spoke broken Hindi and they yelled Mewari at us. Mewari is a local dialect that I'm told is close to Hindi, but I don't know how true that is. That was the highlight of my Vali trip. The villagers were great, they invited us in for tea, asked us about our husbands, and asked why we didn't cover our heads. There were a ton of toothless old ladies working their butts off and you can tell that a lot of them run the show, or at least their households.

That was my highlight partly because I had food poisoning for the rest of the time. That was awful, but I'm okay now. We ended up going home a day early because I wanted to sleep in a bed and not on a floor if I was going to be sick. Amy Kae and Jen were also ready to leave, so we went back. When we got back, everyone told us that we looked very tired. I was tired, but more emotionally than physically. The perfect pick-me-up was when one of our bosses (Brinda) asked us to go to her little sister's wedding. The wedding is far away in Allahabad and the procession will have 1,300 people in it. That was exactly what I needed to hear. The Ganges and the Yamuna (both holy rivers) run through Allahabad and it is a 2.5 hour train ride away from Varanasi. I also know that we can get time off because our boss invited us. We're going to ask Brinda tomorrow if she'll take us sari and jewelry shopping. I got some salwaar kameez suits made here, but if I'm going to a wedding then I'm getting a sari. And it's going to be blingy.

So today is our day off and Gabe and my anniversary. Jen and her boyfriend had their anniversary a few days ago, so Amy Kae is taking "her women" out to town. It's internet cafe-ing, lunch, and then these swan boats on the lake. Oh yeah, and a stop to a sweet shop. Sorry for the long post. I hope that it was interesting to read, it was definitely an experience just writing it all out again.

Happy November,

Erica

Udai-freakin-pur

2007-10-26T04:13:00.000-07:00

I'm now safely in Udaipur. It was very difficult saying goodbye to my host family. But I know that this is the right place for me. I love Jagran (the NGO where I'm working.) The people are relaxed, friendly, and open to letting me research what I want. The center is outside of the city, but is only about a 15-20 minute autorickshaw-bus ride away. The autorickshaw-bus is amazing. It is a slightly larger version of the autorickshaw. But it will take you throughout Udaipur on a couple of routes and usually costs about 5 rupees. Last night we ended up in the same bus as 13 other people. "We" is me and the two other MSIDers here (Jen and Amy Kae.) To give you an idea how packed in we were, a bus should only seat about 7 people. On the way back we ended up in the same bus as this hilarious old lady who kept on joking with us in Hindi. She looked like she sold produce in town (for the last 90 years.)

People are so much friendlier and calmer in Udaipur. Maybe this is because the city is a lot smaller and greener than Jaipur. It is surrounded by rolling hills (the Aravalli,) which I definitely would like to trek through a bit. This morning I went for a run through the farmland around Jagran and did yoga on our roof for an hour before having rice and chai for breakfast. I then talked about my research project with Ganesh and Brinda (my bosses.) They basically think that I can do a huge case study of a dairy co-op that Jagran started in a little town 47 km (about 30 miles) outside of Udaipur. I'll be living there soon, but for now I'm doing background research on milk production and livestock issues in Rajasthan. I want my research to focus on traditional (and cheap) methods of keeping cattle healthy and productive. But I have very little idea of what will actually happen.

When I am in Vali (the village) I won't have Internet. But I'll be there for about a week before I take off for Diwali and go to Jaipur. After Jaipur I'm going to try to make it up north to Dharmsala where I can fully indulge my not-too-hidden-inner-hippie while also doing my Buddhist mother proud. (Dharmsala is the center of the Tibetan community in exile.)

Overall, I am extremely happy here. There is independence, good food, fun roommates, and an NGO of sweet, nonsketchy men who clearly are a little bashful about talking to the three American interns. Actually, the ones that know English are more bashful than the ones who don't.

So long for now,

Erica

Oh deary me...

2007-10-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick post. Tomorrow I leave for Udaipur. I am very excited to be in a new place, but I'm also very sad to be leaving my host family. Lately, I've been spending a lot of time with them and it is making me realize that I did not come to India to see old buildings--although they are beautiful and plentiful. I'm really a people and animals person, not a place person. I hope that Udaipur will have as many wonderful people as Jaipur.

I'm very excited about the group of people travelling with me. I've already made hiking plans with a few other students set up at a nearby NGO. Now, I just need to get better Hindi and I'm set. This past weekend was very confusing and wonderful at the same time. I went to the Old City again, a movie (which was everything you could want from a drama plus dancing and singing,) got a massage, and went to a festival where huge effigies of the demon Ravan are burned. Crackers (fireworks) and Catherine Wheels were also set off ridiculously close to the crowd (some of my friends encountered sparks.)

Problems started when the crowd got bigger. Emily and I were very excited that our Mummiji allowed us to bring our sister Chetna to the festival. But it quickly became apparent that the crowd was mostly younger men, who began to get way too close to Emily and I. Both of us had to do a lot of slapping, punching, scratching, yelling, and everything else that Chetna probably never saw before. She asked me later if a man had touched my hand when I elbowed him. I did not have it in me to tell her that he was reaching for my chest. What is actually uplifting about the experience is that a lot of my friends went to the festival, and all the girls experienced the same thing. BUT every girl also felt confident defending herself. I feel like that is one of the most important lessons that we've learned. Once you bring attention to someone's misconduct, people are mortified. Once, my friend got her butt grabbed. When she turned around about five men started pointing at each other. She just yelled, "Shut up" and slapped all of them.

All in all, it was a good experience. I feel prepared to take on Udaipur, which is supposed to be very relaxed anyway. I will miss my family, the stray dog who I feed crackers (biscuits, not fireworks) to, Gudo our rickshaw walla, my professors, my Mummiji's cooking, and of course the other students. But what I also want is to meet and spend time with more Indians. I have not felt confident to go out and meet people in Jaipur because of situations like the one above. But if I'm in a village working with people's cattle, I feel like I'll be more comfortable being friendly.

I've got to go. I've spent too much time online trying to organize my classes for next term. I'm not sure if I would have attempted Principles of Chemistry before India. But being here has really made me see that I should never complain about having the chance to do something. Even if it's hard, at least I have the choice to do it or not to. Also, I know that I want to go to Vet School. And they kinda have a policy about knowing Chem.

Goodbye for now!

Erica

Photos at last!

2007-10-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

I've finally been able to get a few albums up. I've put them on facebook, but I know that not everyone is on facebook. And I'd prefer that my parents don't have facebook accounts...so I'm putting up the public links.

http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016617&l=85b36&id=19101860

http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016362&l=9f253&id=19101860

Hope that you enjoy. Today I'm going back to the Old City (as seen in the first album) to do some haggling. If anyone wants something from India put in requests now.

-Erica

End of Classes!

2007-10-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

This was my last day of official classes. Now two papers to write and then I'm off to Udaipur. Just writing this because after Wednesday, it will probably be much harder to communicate with people from home. I'm hoping to see a movie, go to a Monkey Temple, and do some shopping this weekend. But other than that I don't have many plans, so if you want to talk to me before I might be out of reach, call within the next 6 days.

Love,

Erica

Could you direct me to the blackmarket sari alley?

2007-10-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of a very relaxing and exciting weekend in Jaipur. Today is a digestive system-mandated rest day, as I had some sneaky Gram Masala for lunch in the Old City yesterday. But don't worry, my host mother has a large pot of dahi (yogurt) and water that she says is the best thing for an upset stomach.

Yesterday was exactly the type of day that I've been hoping to have in Jaipur. I decided not to go to the Himalayas so that I could explore the city better. Yesterday woke up early to go play soccer with some people from the program on the fields at Rajasthan University. We were joined by my friend Lindsay's 11 year old friend, Rahul, who was a ringer, and two Raj U students. It was a lot of fun to run around a field again, and I definitely missed Frisbee a lot.

After soccer we went into the Old City, which is painted pink and surrounded by walls. Inside is a huge market divided into separate bazaars and the City Palace. We went to the City Palace, but did not go in because the charge was Rs. 200 for foreigners. We passed by the metalwork section, which had everything from pots to giant hookahs. Then we somehow ended up in this underground alleyway that has a huge selection of fabric and clothing. My friend Nancy was determined to buy a neon pink sari, so we wandered around that area for awhile. I have never seen so many beautiful colors all together before. Most of the fabrics on display were for weddings, so they were very ornate. After that we went to get some chai, and one Indian man followed us in to ask if Nancy (who is Mexican) was Indian. We said that she was, but that she was married. Being married is always safer than being single.

The day before yesterday I mostly hung out at the Jawahar Kala Kendra. The lowlight was when an Evangelic Christian named DJ tried to convert me. Apparently he and my friend Tim had been discussing me. I'm sure that Tim just innocently told DJ that I am the daughter of a Unitarian Universalist Minister and a Buddhist. In Tim's mind this means that I have interesting dinner table conversations. In DJ's mind it meant that it was high time for me to be saved. DJ told me to accept the word of Jesus into my heart. I told him that I had read the Gospels, had heard the word, but believed that it was only one aspect of the Divine. DJ told me that Jesus said that he was the only way, so it had to be true. This is when I realized that a theological discussion was not an option and asked DJ to respect my beliefs as I was respecting his. He left shortly thereafter.

I don't think that what I said scared DJ away so much as how I said it. I've noticed that in India, women do not often speak directly even if they are speaking with confidence. There is a lot of vocal undulations and hand movements, but little looking someone in the face and plainly stating, "I need this..." or "I don't need this..." Being direct is very effective here. As my Program Director told me, in India you can't do what anyone else wants you to do because you're going to have a lot of "I wishes."

Well I'm out for now. Today I hope to go shopping with my host mother. Most of all, I'd like for her to get out. She comes from a very conservation family and she can't go out without her husband very often. She also has to take a lot of critcism and orders from her mother-in-law. But I'm told, "It sometimes happens in India." The more I live here, the more I understand why someone like Rimaji, who is unmarried and Cambridge-educated, lives by not living by other people's expectations.

-Erica

Cooking Lessons and Durgapuja

2007-10-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

I think that I've finally found the balance between constantly exploring and boring routine. Really, I don't think Jaipur could ever have a boring routine, just crossing the street is a matter of life and death. But I decided not to travel to the Himalayas this weekend, which I think was a really good choice because I haven't just walked around Jaipur in awhile.

I am definitely going to work in Udaipur with an organization called the JJVS. You can find their website at http://www.jjvs.org/ They do a lot of work with traditional health and rural development, so I'm sure that I'll learn a lot. This weekend I'm going to walk around the Old City, study Hindi at the Jawahar kala kendra (a nice, cultural, cafey, gallery-type building,) and hopefully wander a lot. I'm getting more confident about walking around by myself.

Also, if anyone wants to taste this chai and aloo that I love so much, my Mamaji just taught me how to make them this morning. Apparently salt, coriander, chili, and tumeric are the center of Indian cooking. I can't write much right now because I have to get home to watch the Durgapuja that my family is going to do. These next nine days are reserved to celebrate the goddess Durga. A lot of people fast during this time, and while all the chai and aloo that I've been eating probably means that I need a good fast, I don't think that I'll be participating.

I'll write more when I can think of what to write about. It's getting harder and harder for me to think of experiences to write about because everything is becoming more natural to me. Maybe I'll write a list of things as they come to me. Oh! And Carleton Residential Life has decided to hire me back--I'll be working/living on 3rd Goodhue during the Winter and Spring. It's far away from most everything, except for the Arb, the Rec Center, and Farm House. I guess I'll be running, working out, and eating vegan food a lot. But I've heard that Goodhue floors are always fun, especially in the winter, so I'm really excited to be living there. It's nice to know where I'm living when I get back.

Love,

Erica

Internship

2007-10-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hey!

I just wanted to quickly post about an internship that I'm hoping to get. My Program Director said that I can probably work with an Animal Husbandry program located in Udaipur. I'd be in a rural area, helping local tribes get health care for their livestock. I'd be in the middle of nowhere, with pratically no Hindi, and working with smelly animals. But I'm really excited! The internship is part of a huge NGO that has a lot of branches, and at least two other people from my program would be in nearby areas. I don't know when I find out for sure, but it looks pretty likely that I'll be there.

-Erica

Meri hindi kaahaa hai? (Where is my Hindi?)

2007-10-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Where is all the Hindi that I've been trying to learn going? I'm trying to learn a little bit each day, but it's difficult when the sentence structure and sounds are so different from English. I've basically given up on the script, although we're supposed to be studying it, it just doesn't seem like a good use of my time.

This week has been very relaxed, which I love. After travelling through the desert, it's nice to just read at home and spend time with my host family. Last night, Emily and I made pasta for our family. Apparently my host bhai and bahan (brother and sister) don't like Indian food. They like pasta, pizza, french fries and cake. They have no idea what a fantastic cook their mother is. I want to send them to Carleton to eat in the dining hall for a week. They'd probably be ready for daal (lentils) and chapati.

Yesterday, I went to lunch and a craft fair with some people from the program. I ended up buying two shirts and a photo frame from two Assamese women. They were from an NGO that uses traditional handicrafts to bring income into the area where they live. They were Christian, which surprised me, but they were equally surprised when I told them that I wasn't. I tried speaking to them in broken Hindi and between that and their broken English, we had a great two-minute conversation. The highlight was when they said, "Welcome to Assam."

I've been trying to spend more time with Indians because I feel like most of my social life has revolved around the other American students here. My family is very supportive of my efforts to learn Hindi. So far, the grandmother has been the most helpful. My siblings talk too fast, but she is very understanding and uses simple sentences. I think that we are very entertaining to her. She always giggles when we come into the room.

I got into a really interesting talk about Hinduism with my Mamaji. My family is pretty religious, everyone prays for about an hour or more each day. Mamaji explained how she cannot function if she does not pray each day. For me it is the same with exercising, I wonder if that means that I am my own religion. I hope not. Mamaji suggested that I pray and told me that she would give me an English copy of the Gita. I don't think that I'm going to become Hindu while in India, but after growing up Unitarian Universalist, it is interesting to be in a family where there are set religious codes.

I think that just being in Jaipur is allowing me to absorb India. When I first came here, I could not even register all the street kids begging for money or the dead dogs swelling up on the side of the road. After awhile, I became frustrated with the world for allowing people like me to have the luxury to visit a country where children are employed by the mafia to beg for money. Now, I'm just trying not to put my understanding of the world onto another person's reality. I'm becoming more comfortable with not knowing how these kids feel or how it is to live in a slum, because they is no way that I can know. I want to believe that there is some common humanity in everyone, and I still think there is. But it isn't horrible to just not understand what everyone's life is like.

Philosophy aside, being here is making me more conscious of the world. I don't think that I've changed, but I think that the way that I view things has. I hope that my understanding of development in India will become greater when I enter my internship.

I've finally started to taking classes in my Environment Track. I love my Professor, he is very knowlegdable and encouraging. I think at this point I'm probably going to be with an NGO that works with livestock in Rajasthan. Pastoralism is still very important here, and I would like to observe doctors who work on disease prevention in livestock populations. This means that I'd be living in a small town in the desert. I haven't really decided how I feel about that. I would love to stay in Jaipur, but this city is only one small segment of India. I'll post when I find out where I'm going!

-Erica

Home Again, Home Again

2007-10-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I just got back from a six day excursion that was part academic and part touristy. We spent three days in Shekhawati, which is on the edge of the desert. We learned about Indian theater, art, organic farming, and the Rajputs (ruling/warrior caste.) Then myself and five other people went on into the desert to Bikaner, where we went into a Rat Temple. The temple is for Karni Mata and the rats are the reincarnations of people. I've heard that they're storytellers and I've heard that they're her family members. There were rats everywhere in the temple and a lot of them were drinking milk and eating treats. It is very auspicious for a rat to go over your feet, fortunately I did not have that good luck. We also went into a Fort at Bikaner, which was beautiful and really well preserved.

After Bikaner, we moved on to Jaisalmer (The Golden City.) It's Golden because it's made out of sandstone in some parts, which is usually ornately carved. We stayed in a small Guest House inside the fort. The view from our window was amazing, we could see the carvings of a Jain temple next to us. After we spent the night there, we went on a camel safari in the Thar Desert. Camels smell, but my camel named Kadu, was very sweet. We slept on a sand dune and the moon was almost full, so it was bright all night. It was so quiet and peaceful, I was really glad that I got to experience that aspect of Rajasthan.

When we got back from our safari we wandered around Jaisalmer and then moved onto Jodhpur (The Blue City.) We had trouble finding the blue though. We shopped in the market and tried to see a fort, but the road was closed. We then went home and Emily and I got home in time to enjoy our Mamaji's cooking. She made rice pudding, which was the only rice pudding that I think I've ever enjoyed. I had a coconut lassi in Jodhpur earlier that day, so I had a little bit of a sugar overdose.

I'm feeling much more positive about India right now. Getting out of Jaipur allowed me to really appreciate where I am. I like Jaipur a lot, but it's just hard to not take the stares, the crowds, and the pollution seriously. It's also hard to separate when I need a break from when I'm just being a baby. Hindi is still hard, but I'm hoping to get it together when I get into my internship. I'd love to work with animals, but animal welfare seems to be mostly a Western-organized affair. Most places were founded by Americans or Europeans. I want to use my Hindi as much as possible, but I think that ultimately it's best for me to do the right internship than to acquire the best language skills.

I realized that there are a lot of day-to-day things that I don't explain here. So I'll sum a couple things up:

Bucket Baths: Rajasthan is either arid or semiarid, it has huge water problems. So taking a shower is not okay or practical most of the time. Instead we fill a bucket with water and use a smaller bucket to pour water on ourselves. I really don't mind it. It's so hot here that I don't need a hot shower.

Dining: People usually eat with their hands. I've learned the art of using the tortilla-like chapati to eat just about everything.

Head wobble: I'm starting to move my head back and forth when I talk. People say a lot more with their head than with their mouth sometimes. The auto rickshaw driver who takes Emily and I to school (Gudo) has never said a word to us. But we understand to get in or out of the rickshaw because of his head wobble.

Traffic: I will never be afraid to drive in NJ again after India. The lines in the middle of the street are really just for decoration. People are always going in and out of lanes. Also, people don't signal. Instead they just honk to say "I'm coming, get out of the way." Crossing the street is fun.

I think that's all for now. I'll write again soon.

Love,

Erica

Chai and Aloo are My Lifeblood

2007-09-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Namaste,

I returned yesterday from Bharatpur, Rajasthan home to the Ghana Keoleodo Bird Sanctuary. I went with two other girls from my program and we spent a whole morning biking through the sanctuary meeting deer, monkeys, jackals, huge lizards, cows, egrets, storks, parrots, and one injured turtle.

The rest of the journey however, was not as relaxing as the Sanctuary. We ended up getting tickets for a bus that went through Bharatpur, but did not stop there, even though the person who sold us the tickets told us that the bus would make a stop there. We ended up in Agra and enlisted the help of a hotel-owner/French-Indian man to help us get a taxi back to Bharatpur. Because we didn't know anything about the man or the hotel, Nancy made up a story saying that Whitney and I were married to her older Indian brothers who would pick us up in Bharatpur.

Lying has become a really fun part of being an outsider. You never really want to give your information out, so you make things up. Right now I am Dizzy from Nova Scotia. But I think that I will research Tasmania to see if I could pull off being from there. Overall, it's best not to say you're American, because everyone wants an American contact. Nova Scotia not so popular.

The Hindi is coming slowly and I miss Spanish. Granted I was never good at Spanish, but I could make myself understood. Now, I have about 4 sentences that people understand. After that I just string vocab together. It is a little isolating to not have the language skills that you want. I feel very much like an American who is just spending a lot of time in Jaipur. I don't feel like I understand Jaipur or the culture here as well as I would like to. I am going to try to get a library pass to Rajasthan University's library. I figure that "Raj U" students will probably be safer to talk to than rickshaw wallas or the boys who sell puppets outside of the Raj Mandir Theatre on M.I. Road. Most of all I wish I did not look so physically different. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a zoo.

Although it seems from the post that things aren't going well, they really are. It is just difficult to go from being a mostly-independent college student in Minnesota to asking your Indian host family for permission each time you leave the house.

There are some things that I do love about India and I already know that I will miss. The first two are Chair and Aloo (potato.) My Mamaji's chai is the best that I've had here, especially the ginger chai. Potatoes are also amazing. I can't exactly explain what makes them so good, but I think that they're just very good comfort food.

India has challenged a lot of my rituals. For example, I'm used to working out about 5 days a week at home. Here, I'm lucky if I have time to go. If I do have time then I am followed around by a trainer. I'm used to just going where I want to go regardless of the time, but now my Mamaji gets worried if I'm out in the dark. It's just hard for me to be intimidated by a block-long walk in the dark after I've walked block after block in New York in the dark. The difference is that most Indians stay at home at night, so there aren't the crowds that NYC has.

Well for now I have to write a paper before the Internet cafe closes. I just found out that my grades will not be seen on my Carleton transcript and cannot go into my GPA. This will be an interesting paper.

Love,

Erica

So You Have a Camel Probelm?

2007-09-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

For those who are enticed by my title, I will get straight to the point. Rajasthan has a camel problem! Their camel population has decreased by 50%, which is 60% of the total camel population of India. If I knew how to say Ay Dios Mio! in Hindi I would, but my host mother just says "Oh My God." So, I think it in Spanish to make me feel less like a stupid American. Actually, the camel situation is pretty sad. People don't know how to take care of their camels and massive camel deaths ensue. Animal care is one of the fields that I might intern in, so I could be saving the camels. Fortunately, the camels don't seem too upset at the current situation.

Things are starting to be a little more normal here. I've gotten more Indian clothing, which cuts down on harassment's. My Hindi, although horrible is beginning to get responses in Hindi instead of just laughter and responses in English. I've joined a gym, which is really great because I'm starting to go crazy from eating so much of my Mamaji's cooking and then not moving. My Mamaji (host mom) is a great cook, and loves to feed Emily and I.

The gym was actually really funny because I'm definitely not their average customer. There seemed to be a lot of people there who did not start working out until their doctor said, "Please start moving." The gym has a heavy emphasis on trainers telling you what to do. I really confused one poor trainer when I told him that I was not going to do a warm up with him. I then walked over the the treadmill to start my run, he followed me and said "Quick warm up." So I did a warm up that consisted of head rolls, finger stretches and marching in place. I then returned to the treadmill and was the only person running, everyone else was power walking. After the treadmill, the insistent trainer came up to me and told me to do the elliptical. I said no and he said "You come back tomorrow?" Yes, trainer-man, I will do the elliptical tomorrow. So far, the gym and cell phone services here have been the only time when I've thought, "The US is better." God bless the USA, where people who work at gyms won't even give you the time of day.

The most exciting development in my home stay is that Emily, my Mamaji and I made a cake. It turned out a little strange from converting all the measurements into metric, but overall it was good. We made a cream cheese frosting that impressed my Mamaji, because apparently she's been whipping whipped cream by hand to make frosting. I'm glad to spread the American principals of easy-to-make, fatty foods.

My most recent empowering moment is when a guy touched my butt on the street. I slapped him and he walked away like nothing ever happened. He honestly looked more mortified than I could ever be by him touching me. Fortunately, although groping happens and has happened to a couple people on my trip, it's not culturally accepted at all. So just drawing attention to someone for doing it can terrify them. Also, Rimaji (the program director) assured me that the police wouldn't care if I hit a man for touching me and would probably just hit him more with their sticks.

This weekend I want to go to a Bird Sanctuary with two friends (Nancy and Whitney.) It is about 5 hours outside of Jaipur and it would be great to just get away from the city. The pollution and noise is irritating me less, but being around birds in a jungle would be amazing. I'll probably need to use a bit of Hindi on this trip, which is intimidating. Learning a new language is really making me miss Spanish. I didn't realize how much I could say in another language until I had to learn a new one from scratch.

Namaste for now,
Erica

What exactly have you heard about Americans?

2007-09-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

So I've been in Indian for about two weeks and I've already had amazing highs and lows. A low was getting into an auto rickshaw with a rickshawalla (driver) who did not know where he was going. A high was getting to participate in my host family's puja (prayer/ceremony) for Lord Ganesha. Also my host mom is an amazing cook, so just about every meal is a high. But just about every meal involves chapatis (thin, tortilla-like breads) and chai. Chai is made with just milk here and chapatis are wheat. I have sensitivities to dairy, wheat, and pollution, so I've had a head cold for the past couple of days. But I think that as long as I drink a lot of water and cover my face with a shawl while walking down buys roads I won't get too sick.

This Friday (I'm a day ahead of you Americans) my group went to two NGO sites in a more rural part of Rajasthan. One village has been planting trees, conserving water, and growing organic crops for the past twenty years. This system has increased their grain and milk production, and has kept their land greener than other villages who are still using pesticides, fertilizers, and cutting down trees. Rajasthan has a lot of water-shortage problems, so these people are really maximizing what they have.

The other NGO is called "Barefoot College." It provides practical training and resources to nearby villages. For example, they train solar engineers regardless of the student's previous training. These students can then bring solar power to where they live. They also train doctors and teachers and educate people about their rights to water, land ect. It is a very impressive model that has been copied all over India and the rest of the world. I think a lot of people in my group would like to work their for their internship, but I'm not too sure.

Right now I'm trying to upload some pictures, but I can't seem to e-mail them to myself. This is frustrating because I can't just upload pictures onto the computer that I'm using at the Internet cafe. They have to upload them at a master computer and then I have to e-mail them to myself. Gar!

And now to explain the title of this piece...I've found that stereotypes about Americans are pretty strong here. Baywatch has not done wonders for the the reputation of American women. When one female student asked our professor what we could do to avoid attention from Indian men, our professors told us that most men who are making the comments think that they are being charming and that American women are a lot easier to date (and I guess have sex with) than other women. Thank you Pamela Anderson. I want to learn how to say, "I'm married and have six babies" in Hindi. But I have also been told that I "have the figure of a sixteen-year-old," so I don't know if that will work.

But all-in-all I've found the majority of Indians to be very polite and eager to practice their English on foreign students. It's just a shame that a few stupid guys have to be thrown into the mix. I'm hoping that the more Hindi I learn, the more I'll be able to show that I'm not just a tourist. I actually want to learn about India and not just take pictures.

That's about all for now, I love you all!

Erica

Mera nam Erica hai.

2007-09-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Sorry if anyone was waiting for my next exciting post, but this will be a short update. I'm right now recovering from a change-in-diet problem paired with a headcold from the pollution, and I don't feel too good at all.

So far Jaipur is both exciting and incredible frustrating. I am finding it to be like living in the deep south--where name and gender determine a lot more than it should. While I've never lived in the Deep South, I've lived in Rajasthan, and stories seem to match up a lot. I love my group, my professors, and the colors of Jaipur. I hate the pollution, the noise, the gross, creepy men, and the way that women are treated. I feel very lucky to have a great roommate and some very good friends who I can travel around with.

The highlight of Jaipur so far has been the Raj Mandir, which is a huge movie theater. My friends and I saw "Chakde," which is about a fictional Indian Women's (Field) Hockey Team. The movie was really good and I understood a lot of the plot without knowing the language that it was in.

The worst part of Jaipur has been trying to get a SIM card for my cell phone. You need a ton of ID here to do that, and as an international student I don't have a lot of what they require. I just want to call home, but so far I've been thwarted. I'm going to try again tomorrow, and I hope that I'm sucessful.

I miss you all and I hope that you're having a great time in the Midwest and other wise!

Love!
Erica

Namaste from Jaipur!

2007-09-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

I am finally in Jaipur "The Pink City!" I have been doing about a week of orientation in various hotels. One in Delhi, the other just outside of Jaipur. I am moved in with my host family and my roommate. My roommate Emily and I get along really well. I see a lot of Jaipur adventures in our future. The host family is nice, but a little quiet. I think this will change as the kids get less shy. The oldest is their daughter Chetna (13) and then there's Prabble (10.) There is also a grandmother. They have a German Shepherd, but like most Indian pets, she stays outside all day.
My group is amazing. Everyone is very nice and interesting. There are a lot of different types of lifestyles and senses of humor, which is both a lot of fun and sometimes a little hard to absorb. I can't wait to get to know people better. I really want to travel, and I hope that I can get a group of people together to go to Dharmsala or Darjeeling (both up north.) I also want to see the nearby Monkey Temple (home to 5,000 monkeys) and a lot of other stuff that just seems incredible.
I'm beginning to wonder why I didn't go to a Spanish or English-speaking country though. Hindi is hard and I am not good a picking up new languages. I've learned accha (good,) nahi (no,) ruko (stop,) pani (water,) Sukriye (thank-you,) namaste (hello,) bargo (run,) and a few other kinda of useless-without-verbs words. But I'm hoping to strengthen my Hindi through forcing myself to just sound like an idiot for awhile. Oh I can also ask "Ap thik hai?" (Are you okay?)
Jaipur is a mini-metropolis according to my hostmom, and according to my homestay coordinator, my house in in the "poshest" area of Jaipur. This means that the streets are clean, big, and quiet. That is very unusual for India. My student center is close to a huge market, where I'm going to get a calling card and SIM card on Monday. Rajasthan is hot right now, but cools down in October. I feel like I'm in this akward period when I don't know my host family, where I am, and I'm always sweaty. People here do not sweat nearly as much as I do.
I am going to learn how to cook Indian food and I'm going to get some Indian outfits made, so maybe I'll eventually "blend," but probably not. I have taken pictures, but I'll post them later. I love you all and I hope that you are all have a great time whichever contient you're on.

Love!
Erica

Getting Ready

2007-08-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!
Thanks for checking my blog. I'll try to keep posting general info about India over the term. I'll also try to send out individual e-mails. This is just a place you can go if you start wondering if I'm starting some crazy shenanigans in Jaipur. This is also where I will post pictures. I'll hopefully be sending more personal stuff out in emails. I hope that you enjoy!
-Erica