From Brahma to Buddha, Fall 2010

Jaipur Speakers

2010-11-23T22:26:53Z

Jainism - Prof. Kusum Jain

Here is a little lesson on Jainism...

In Jainism, there is no one God as the creator of the universe. The universe is beginningless and endless. There are natural laws that run the whole universe. Natural law not only runs the material world but also the moral conscious world.

The law of cause and effect (karma) - One have to face the consequences of the actions made good or bad. The good action will be rewarded and the bad actions will be punished. No one can interfere in this process. If you have done something good then nobody can stop you from the reward and if you have done something bad then nobody can save you from the punishment.

According to Jain philosophy, a person himself is responsible for his or her own destiny. The law of Karma is accepted by almost all the Indian traditions, but Jainism follows it to the logical extent. Any soul is capable of reaching salvation; sense of equality is very strong. Temples are supposed to be the source of inspiration.

Ms Reema Hooja

She warmly welcomed the group and delivered her talk on the history of Rajasthan. Some of the highlights included the background of the pre-historical era, similarities of the Latin, Greek and Sanskrit languages, the Rajasthan kingdoms, and the significance of forts and palaces.

Prof. Salim Engineer

He talked about the fundamentals and philosophy of Islamic culture, their religion and festivals. It ended with good question and answer session from the students.

CAMELS CAMELS CAMELS

2010-11-25T06:14:26Z

Pushkar camel fair.

Corey and Naresh excited for their first camel ride.

Hindi pilgrims flocking to the Brahma temple.

Pilgrims bathing in the holy Pushkar Lake.

Jaipur is, in my opinion, not bad as far as cities go. Any place that can have motorcycles, cars, a man on horseback, a camel cart and an elephant on the same street can't be all bad. Even though I've been here for a little time now, I still get overly enthusiastic over unusual traffic, especially camels.

I can't deny it. I'm in love with camels. In fact, I'm so obsessed that I'm going to write an entire blog about them. I would say it's for the educational benefit of all you lovely people back in the states...but I'd be lying. I just want to rant about CAMELS.

The first thing I noticed about camels is their size. They're enormously tall, gawky creatures. I'm amazed by how they manage to maneuver their bulk. Camels may look ungainly, but they are actually quite graceful movers as they walk about on their stilt-like legs.

If camels could talk they would have an ultra-snooty, methodical way of speaking. Perhaps some British vernacular as well. I imagine that as a camels looks down at me from it's great height, it's thinking something along the lines of, "Oh. Helloooooo. Can I...help you with....somethingggggg?" as it blinks it's large brown eyes and swivels it's little ears in my direction.

They have the most adorable ears. They're surprisingly small and delicate looking. The ears are positioned on the sides of the camels broad head. I've learned that the fastest way to get and indignant look from a camel is to tickle it's ears. It's below their dignity.

I've come to the conclusion that someday when I return to India I will have to buy a camel. I will give it an exotic, distinguished name and we will be BFFs. Together we will have many fabulous adventures frolicking through the deserts of Rajasthan.

Jaipur: Welcome To Real India

2010-11-25T06:26:18Z

For our last month in India were staying with Indian family's for the first time. It's a joke in our group that though our program is supposed to be in India but most of our time is spent in Tibet since Ledakh and Dharmasala is more culturally Tibetan then Indian. But now were getting into the thick of the culture that has been hinted at for the previous two months. The indecipherable social interactions, the in your face honesty and straight forwardness, and a culture that is permeated by spirituality the way a gulab jamin is permeated by sugar. My Bapa(father) does yoga every morning and it looks very different from yoga we think of in the USA. He sits, has me join in if I wake up early enough, and sings, prays, does light stretching, and reads me the bhavida gita. If I don't wake up early enough he just reads it to me during my breakfast. He says that one should always think of God before starting the day. Bapa's always adding spiritual commentary on life which can sometimes be the something I feel is mundane repeated to me multiple times and other times be something very beautiful. At night Mataji(mother) does a puja(fire ritual) in front of the family alter were lord Sree Krishanam and other gods sit. Though my family is Hindu and has many different pictures and representations of gods around the house my father often tells me that god is one. Just as I am a part of god and he is a part of God the gods are all aspects of the same thing. All religions, "He says" worship the same God but call it by different names.

Pimp Your American

2010-11-30T11:03:06Z

Ah Jaipur. Camels, elephants, monkeys, the works. These past three (ish) weeks have gone by so quickly that it all seems like a blur. I feel like a have been on a train and have just watched them go by. We learned so much in such a little amount of time that I think we will all use the following week to digest the information.
Today and yesterday were spent at a public school in rural Jaipur. We spent the night with a homestay family and got a glimpse into how the majority of India lives. Elizabeth and I were lucky enough to spend the night with a family that was going to a pre-wedding ceremony. We both were dressed up in sarees and had hena put on us. We felt like it was literally "Pimp your American."

]]> The school that we visited was so different from anything I have experienced in the US. Even though it is a private school, all of the kids wear uniforms and most of the teachers wear the same sarees. They say prayers at the beginning of every school day and do what they are told. We were given so many gifts by the students, hand made crafts and teddy bears! It was such a welcoming place. I am really enjoying learning about the different ways of education here in India. After lunch, on the first day that we were there, we played a volleyball game again the teachers. We lost, but we played pretty well! (I think we should have been given a 5 point handicap because they had a gym teacher on their side.)
Before we left, we were entertained by the teachers in training, a group of about 30 women. They played music for us and performed Bollywood dances. Eventually everyone joined in. I am slowly learning that dancing is one of the best ways to interact with people when language is not an option.

More about Jaipur. Man, what can I say, this place is awesome. Having grown up next the New York City, I am more comfortable falling asleep to cars and horns than monkeys and cows. I feel at home here. This place is so busy and exciting, there is always something going on. I can walk down the street and pet a camel or ride an elephant and nothing would seem out of the ordinary. I am continuously shocked at the lack of things that surprise people here. This place is going to be the hardest for me to leave. The richshaw drivers might get on my nerves sometimes, and I might flip out on a few passerby-ers, but Jaipur has really given me the slightest glimpse into India.

What Can I Say About Jaipur that Hasn't Already Been Said?

2010-12-01T05:47:12Z

Despite being sick the past couple days, my time in Jaipur has been incredible. I feel like I finally got to experience the "real" India. Sitting with snake charmers, riding on the backs camels & elephants and (finally) staying with Indian families. On a typical drive though the streets one sees not only cars, rickshaws and scooters but cows, monkeys, camels, elephants, and stray dogs as well. I have greatly enjoyed our daily schedule of Hindi classes followed by Chai, a speaker on topics as vast as religion to handicrafts and a vegetarian lunch before going to our Interdisciplinary Study Projects. I've been learning sitar which is surprisingly similar to guitar and yet has many aspects about it which are totally different. The frets and neck board feel very familiar but the fact that you only play on one string is quite unusual for me. At the end of my time there my teacher said that I learned in 10 days what takes most people 6 months. I felt pretty accomplished.

]]> Home-stays have been really great too. I've enjoyed learning all about the Jain religion and talking with my brothers about the differences between the USA and India. In addition to washing my clothes and helping me with my Hindi, the family also brought me to 2 weddings while I was here. It was crazy to learn how millions of dollars are often spent on weddings in India but I suppose it is worth it; they are incredibly beautiful and the food is delicious! I'm convinced that I am ever to get married it would have to be an Indian-style wedding.

Speaking of food I just wanted to touch on how much fun our Thanksgiving was. The whole group helped with the preparation of various foods in order to make it a success. In the end our feast consisted of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet corn-squash soup, mixed veggies, rice, fruit salad, and of course some delectable apple pie. Some friends from Tushita (the meditation center we went to in Dharamsala) came too and together it almost felt like the warm Thanksgivings I've experienced back in the States. It's too bad we're not spending Christmas here too... HAH!

Jaipur Farewell Party

2010-12-03T01:31:56Z

I received this note from Shivani-ji...

The farewell party went well and the small gestures from our students was very much appreciated by their families. They expressed the love, affection and care by the home stay families through a short speech in simple Hindi language. Here are some of the pictures from the Farewell dinner.

Liz giving her farewell speech to her family in Hindi

The whole gang - the students and the homestay families

Everyone enjoying some delicious homemade food at the party

Naresh's Dance Moves

2010-12-03T01:45:50Z

Here Naresh presents his dance for the home stay families during the Farewell Dinner.

A Note From Shivani-ji

2010-12-03T02:16:01Z

The group with Shivani-ji before leaving Jaipur

Friends,

Wow! time just flew...
It was hard to bid farewell today.
I was touched by all your thank you notes.
Few things which I want to share with you -
You all were great with the Jaipur activities planned for you.
Without your curiosity and deep involvement the Jaipur program would not
have been so smooth and success.
I have been specially impressed with all the ISP presentations.
I wish you all deep from my heart for a wonderful time ahead during the student led program and best wishes for all the endeavors you undertake in future.

Take Care
Love. Peace. Joy of Living
Shivani Bothra

Student Led Portion: Rishikesh

2010-12-03T14:37:06Z

The tables have turned and the students are now in charge! They have decided to go to Rishikesh and have organized all of the logistics on their own. What a nice break for the Leaders! :)

I heard from the group who said that, after a really long travel schedule from Jaipur-Delhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh, they have arrived safely and are loving being in Rishikesh! The temperature is perfect, not many crowds and so much to do! Everyone is excited about all the options...yoga, hiking, massage, palm reading, Hindi classes, sunset aarti ceremonies. This will be a wonderful way to close the semester.

-Deb

Jaipur Speakers and Workshops cont.

2010-12-05T09:33:13Z

Students choosing the colors for their Lac bangles.

The Lac Jewelry workshop was a fun experience for everyone. The whole group huddled in the main room of the family's house consisting of six brothers, their wives and ALL their children. It made for a large family living under one roof and our group of seven didn't even phase them. We spent the morning learning the art of lac jewelry making with each of the students picking what design of bangle they wanted made and then witnessing it come to life. We finished off the workshop with a big lunch with the family and, of course, a 20-minute photo session. First the group with the men, then with the women, then the couples, then the children, then EVERYONE! Ah, good fun.

Lac Jeweler is much more focused on checking Kai's Hindi homework!

The WHOLE crew.

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The Anochi Block printing workshop was a good opportunity for the students to try out their skills on the traditional art of block printing on cloth. The intricate wooden block designs take weeks to carve and it takes just as much skill to bring the print to life. The block printer gave us a demo and let's just say, it looks much easier than it really is!

Random shots of the streets of Jaipur.

The animals want us to leave

2010-12-08T04:57:21Z

Happy 19th Birthday Liz!!

Man o man, student led is quickly coming to an end and we are headed back to Delhi tonight. We are all slightly amazed at how fast these past few days went. Between Tai Chi, Acro Yoga, and meditation, we are all trying to pack in as much as we can with our last few days in India.

Yesterday (12/7) we celebrated my birthday and went for a wonderful hike up to a beautiful waterfall. Afterwards Ellie and I hiked back to town and had quite the experience. As we were walking we heard trotting and I figured it was a donkey, mule, horse, something that usually trots. Well, let me tell you, turning around to see a huge black water buffalo coming at you at full speed is not like having a donkey come at you. We both ran to the side of the road and let it pass. We then had to pass it again because it was walking so slow and there were 5 of them ahead of us! Every time we would pass one, it seemed to walk towards us. And then there were the monkeys. In Dharmsala I had a monkey jump on me and so did Ellie, so we are both slightly scared of the monkeys. I realized that there were about 15 of the around us after we passed the buffalo and screamed and freaked out. Ellie has a plastic bag and one of the monkeys stole it from her. While I'm running up ahead covering my face, trying not the look at the monkeys coming towards me muttering "This is NOT OK, this is not ok this is not ok," I can hear Ellie trying to convince the monkeys that she has nothing in her bag that they want and to please give it back to her.

]]> Eventually we got a local man to scare away the monkeys and we managed to get into town with no problem! It was on the most intense animal experiences I've had: water buffalo here, monkeys there. Crap. Now what?

To celebrate our last night in Rishikesh we made a fire on the beach of the Ganga and made s'mores. That's right. We found marshmallows in India! It was pretty amazing to be able to gather around a fire together. Our last night in the US at orientation we all made s'more together, and it felt like a good way to go back to the US.

See you all soon!

What's going down in Rishikesh

2010-12-08T09:55:48Z

A daily trip across the Lakshman Jhula with Corey, our sadhu, leading the way.

Kai and Peter enjoying a chai with a view of the Ganga.

Rishikesh is the most beautiful place I've seen on this trip. Everywhere you look is beauty and images. The green ganga rolling by the blue and yellow houses crouching along the forested hills. It reminds me of the west coast and cities like Sana Cruz going from beautiful green and brown coastal like hills to sandy beachs with clear pristine air. Walking along the ghats you see the image of a dark and dirty sadhu's face peaking out from bright orange clothes as he squats on the beach It would be enough to just stay in Rishikesh for a week enjoying the nature and hanging out on the empty beaches but in addition there is so much to do in Rishikesh. Not just shopping but Yoga, palmistry, astrology, tai chi, reiki, meditation, music, and you not only can just learn these or do them but learn how to teach them. It took me a while to realize how wonderful this place is because I was so stressed when I first arrived. It took us until the second day to find the part of Rishikesh where everything is going on. Then even longer to finally get a optional schedule set up for everybody since different people wanted to do different things. Like Corey said to me one night that if you drive on a highway in the middle of the night you can go miles just seeing 200 feet in front of you at any one time. For our time here we would meet in the morning at 9am to go down and eat breakfast and have tai chi on the beach from10-12. Then we would meet up and have lunch and afterwards have free time until 2:30 Ganga beach meditation or 3 o clock acro yoga. Then we have had night activities like concerts, or aartis and then dinner. We would then head back to the hotel and talk or exchange massages and sleep. It's been so much fun here and everyone says that they want to come back to this place at some point. The group feels more like a team then ever and everyone talking about the trip back at this point. I know what I want to do when I get back by who knows how I'll react. I'm just going to jump and take it as it comes and try my best to think of home as another adventure in a brand new place. I'll do my best to put my all into it and hope the universe gives back.

-Naresh

Home...Now What?

2010-12-18T05:01:04Z

As many of you know, the group has returned to their homes safe and sound. What a wonderful semester! This blog was truly amazing - the students did a great job of posting entries and the parents and friend were wonderful at posting comments. Thank you all for your effort in supporting each other on this journey!

Remember, this blog will stay up and can be utilized for communication and also remembrance. Feel free to post comments on the blog about how you are doing and feeling at home. This site is for you to connect.

Also, if you are feeling a bit lost at home, please check out these online resources for reentry. Reverse culture shock is very real and it there are tools you can use to help with this process. Perhaps these documents can help shed some light on a new world:

SIT Study Abroad Reentry Toolkit

Transitions Abroad: Coming Home from Study Abroad

University of Missouri International Center: Coping, adjusting and getting involved

Middlebury: Re-entry Resources

Cancun for Russians

2010-12-23T07:57:26Z

So I've been in Goa for almost a week now and it's been quite the experience. Goa, as one of my friends just recently put, is like Cancun for Russians. It is beaches and beach shacks and resorts and a very strange combination of everything you might expect to see in India and everything you would never imagine (and it's also packed with Russian tourists!). For example, let me describe a scene from an excursion to the beach yesterday. The cliffs and soil around here all looks very volcanic - it is red in the earth but once it gets into the ocean it turns black and is corroded very easily. We walked through a flea market, with the usual vendors and "Yes, you like sir?" (although here it seems much more difficult to break through the tourist image and actually have a conversation with people). The first thing we saw when we got to the beach were two groups of cows hanging out right near the ocean. Cows on the beach - India na? Right next to the cows were a flock of foreigners, cameras at the ready, snapping photos of themsevles with the cows on the beach. To the left, there were several kids playing soccer in the sand, and right on the border of their area was a man in a thong speedo, tanning himself in the sun. A woman came up to us, had a short conversation in English, in which we learned that she was pregnant, and then tried to get us to come to her shop ("very nice, very small shop, you come yes?). I needed some time to sit on the rocks and digest everything that was going on. Unfortunately, all of the interactions I've had on the street here have revovled around me as a target, without much ability to go beyond the idea of tourism. And I think the thing that has struck me the most is how difficult it is to get beyond this idea with the people on the street. However, I've also had some amazing experiences with the families who are here for the wedding - the bride's father is one of four brothers, and one sister. Managing this family is an incredibly difficult task! It takes about a half a day to go from one place to another, mostly with sitting around and waiting for one uncle or aunti to get ready. Of course, once that uncle is ready, then several other people have wandered off because they had been waiting for an hour, and so you have to find them and bring them back, which might take another half an hour, after which someone else has invariably wandered off. Put this cycle on repeat and you can imagine how difficult it would be to pull of a wedding here! However, once they finally get to their destination, they steal the show. The brothers are continually cracking jokes at one another, and their laughter catches at your heart and pulls you along. Their last name is Hasija, which I just learned means "keep laughing." It could not be more appropriate.

I'm still trying to figure out "what to do with my life" after this new years - I don't know if I will be staying in India longer or heading back, and it seems like I am putting this decision off until the very last moment (which is what I usually tend to do). How are you guys doing back in the US? Any suggestions? Should I stay or should I go?

Hope all is well and you are enjoying the holidays in the best way.

Phir Milenge!
Kushoks

Home sweet...home?

2010-12-23T20:50:07Z

Before I begin writing, I should point out many things that are odd at this moment.
1) I have not be harassed by rikshaw drivers on my way to the internet cafe.
2) I am not at an internet cafe.
3) I am not paying (directly) for this internet usage.
4) I do not feel the need to save this entry every few seconds in fear of a power outage.

Being home is weird, and difficult and eye opening and getting harder and harder as the days go on. I went to the grocery store a few times already and the first time, I was fasinated by all the fruits and vegetables that were "in season" that came from other countries. The following times I was overwhelmed by the fact that when I went to go get honey, I was faced with 50 different varieties. What the hell!? Why do we need so many different types of the SAME thing?
Commercials bother me as well. Instead of promoting healthy, whole foods that don't clog your body with chemicals and proccessed things, the infamous "they" promote Slim fast, and "just add water" cookies. NO! I just want to scream at them! THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE! This should not be so "well thought out" and put together.

]]> I find it very difficult to think right now. I'm trying to write this entry about how I am dealing with being home, but because I don't have to pay for my internet, I feel like I can take my time and babble away about nothing. I have not thought about what it is that I desire to write about before hand. We take so much for granted here. For example, Corey, Naresh and I went into the city to meet Deb and John and we had to take the subway and bus. Well, instead of telling you how awful it was, and how the bus smelled and the subway was late, and there were no seats, I can tell you "it was fine." The bus was on time. Plenty of seating, as was the subway. There were signs everywhere and we did not have to communicate with one human being the entire time. Machines and signs, in NYC that's all you need.

My mind is thinking a lot, but I am suffocating it by trying to pretend like everything is normal. Granted, everything is NORMAL...for everyone else. I see things so differently now, even simple silly little movies about babies (literally, it's called "Babies"). I notice little things now that I never would have taken the time to look at before.

Overall, being back in the US is challenging mentally. Physically, it's great. I no longer feel like I eat question marks. Although I do miss that...a lot. I have learned to make chipoti as well as masala chai, sweet lemon soda and ginger lemon honey tea. O! I also make my own butter now and am going to make bread after the holiday. In my house, I am OK, well the kitchen at least. When I leave that and sit and be lazy, that's when I really miss India. It's always a challenge, even just to take a nap. Ah well, what to do, what to do?

I hope all are doing well. I miss everyone, but I know, all good things must come to an end.

Talk to you all soon.

-Liz