The group is at the Delhi airport now, getting ready to board their flight for the long journey home to the US.
They are scheduled to arrive in Newark at 4:25am (April 7) aboard Continental flight #83. They will change planes in Newark to CO flight #91, which is scheduled to arrive at LAX at 9:34am.
Hi, everyone! It's Sophie and Gabby here to tell you all about our last day in India. This morning we enjoyed our last breakfast at the Buddhist Center. As always, it an absolutely delectable breakfast of toast, an omelete, fresh fruit and a steaming cup of Chai. Afterwards, we all sat down and debriefed our entire trip and what we were to expect when coming home. All of us agreed that our experience here was incredible and desire to take action on the issues we encountered.
After our discussion, we headed to the amazing Janpath Disctrict. Why is it amazing you ask? Well, because shopping is all we did. Some of us emptied our wallets in the first hour we were there. While others shopped till they dropped. But we (the Sophomores) happened to have fallen in the first category and had another two hours to spare. So, what did we do? We spent our time in an air-conditioned McDonalds and shared a nice chocolate dipped ice cream cone. Unfortunately, after a little over an hour, we were kicked out for playing cards and probably loitering.
After our unfortunate event, we had lunch at Saravana Bhavan, which happens to have a branch in Sunnyvale, California! Our lunch was filled with delicious Southern Indian delicacies. We then proceeded to return to the World Buddhist Center.
Now, we struggle to fit all of our new purchases in our suitcases and are sad to depart. Our experience has allowed us to open our eyes and mind to an entire new culture. We all long for a nice hot shower and this time we won't take it for granted. We're all so excited to return home to our families and share our wonderful and adventurous stories!!
IT'S ALEKXA AND RACHEL! Howdy, y'all! We're in the car driving back to Delhi; we've come full circle! Last night, we stayed at the Amar Hotel in Agra and it was super comfy - it even had a swimming pool! After we got back from the Taj, we just had some down time and took showers! Peterla arranged for all of us to get henna, and all our arms look amazing! Then, we got comfort food. Hint: Leaning Tower of Pizza! We all really needed it since we were so tired. This morning, we had a really good breakfast at the hotel and then jumped into our air-conditioned cars! We stopped at the marble factory to see how the Taj Mahal was built with Indian Marble, which is apparently better than Italian marble because it doesn't stain. Then we started our trip to Delhi. The car ride isn't too bad but these mosquito bites itch so much! All of us have gotten bitten at least once, and some have even gotten bitten on the face :( Then we visited the Fathehpur Sikri an old fort, where a Mughal emperor used to play Parcheesi with concubines. We also saw a room full of bats!Then we stopped for P&T before we headed off again. All in all, we're having a great day and can't wait to get back to the Buddhist Center to eat...once again!! Oh, before we forget, everyone has been saying that Alekxa looks like some Bollywood actress named Katrina Kaif. We'll get a poster to show everyone once we get home!
Greetings from Agra, India! Today after a rather strenuous night on the sleeper train, we arrived at our hotel and were all thrilled to discover it was truly luxurious and clean. We were rushed off to a late breakfast/brunch and soon after, we began our journey to the long awaited visit to the Taj. From afar, some of us initially thought the Taj was only as much as our postcards and pictures. However, as we began walking towards it we realized how momentous and beautiful it is in person. The entire building is made of stunning white marble and is embellished with semi-precious stones. In person, these beauties are beyond explanation. Apparently, some king decided to build it in memory of his beloved wife. It made me think, "hmm I want someone to build me a palace out of marble and gems to prove their love to me!". After a guided tour we were given free time to get all our cheesy pictures taken. It was quite the sight and we can't wait to take your breath away with all the pictures we took!
- Julie
HI IT'S MARI AND BRENNA!!! After the Golden Temple, we got on the train heading towards Agra. NO WORDS. This was an experience to say the least. We were all assigned to a "bed", and by "bed" we mean a two inch piece of rock that was probably 5 feet long and infested with mosquitoes. No one came to check tickets or seat numbers, so we were sitting next to some people that did not have tickets. For example, we ran into a few eunuchs. Eunuchs are a special class of people that are usually transgender or effeminate homosexuals. Outcast, they make money by walking up and down the train in their cross-dressing attire, asking for money or else they will clap their hands and curse you. The eunuchs also really enjoyed Mr. Harrison's company. Anyway, we boarded the train at 4:30 in the afternoon and slept over night with Indians from all over the country. It was beyond freezing in the train and every two seconds there would be a person walking up and down yelling "CHAI! CHAI! CHAI!". Needless to say, we didn't get the best sleeps, but it was definitely worth the experience. Good bonding time. And then we arrived in Agra at 9:00 am the next morning, exhausted but ready to go!
p.s. Laura and Diana, we miss you!!!!
Packed into five white vans that scream tourism, we drive to the India-Pakistan Border. Across the barbed wire lies Pakistan. Every morning there is a flag raising ceremony and every night there is a flag lowering ceremony between the two nations. We enter a stadium like setting and take a seat on concrete steps. The crowd sparkles of saris and is spotted with turbans. Through giant brass gates we see the equally colorful Pakistan crowd.
The soldiers marched towards the brass gates while what seemed to be an Indian MC( dressed in a white jumpsuit)` chanted into a mike. The crowds on both the Pakistan and Indian side of the gates chant as the gates are temporarily opened. Not only is the ceremony a display of the extreme nationalism of both the Pakistan and Indian people; it is also celebration of the peaceful relations between the two bordering nations.
After gorging ourselves with delicious pancake-like potato bread, we meet our tour guide of the day. He is a tall lanky man dressed in light blue, topped with a navy turban, and completed with a long beard. His eyes are lazy, his voice soft, and his English is truly eloquent. He leads us into some random hotel and after hiking to the roof we enjoy a roof-top view of the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is literally what its name describes. It is pure gold temple surrounded by a square pool of bright blue water. We learn that the water represents the movement and inconsistency of the outer-self while the gold temple represents the peace of one's inner-self. We walk to the temple and after removing our shoes and covering our heads in headscarves we enter the temple. We walk around the pool of water where men bathe and we end our visit by wading into the water ourselves.
- Charlotte
After spending a great day exploring the stunning Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, the group is now aboard an overnight train bound for Agra. They are scheduled to arrive at 8:30am and plan to visit the famed Agra Fort before enjoying sunset at the incomparable Taj Mahal.
The Harmandir Sahi (The Golden Temple) in Amritsar is one of the most important worship sites in the Sikh religion. (Image from SacredSites.com)
This morning we said thank you and good-bye to our homestay families. It was sad and touching. We got in the cars and made our way to Amritsar. We stopped for lunch - it was paradise on the side of the road in India! Then we drove and arrived at Waga Border between Pakistan and India where we watched the daily flag-lowering ceremony. People were chanting "Hindustan Zindabad"! Now we are eating dinner and watching the cricket World Cup. We hope India wins!
More soon on thoughts from the Golden Temple.
--Collective group post
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The students and their families at the Homestay Welcome Tea.
Hello families this is Julie and Mirannda and we are here to tell you a little bit about our experiences in our homestay! We have an Amala (Mother), a Pala (Father), and an Ajala (Sister). They are very kind and loving to their host students. Our family has been hosting students for many years and our Amala speaks impeccable English. She is patient when we try to learn new things and she has even taught us some Tibetan words. Now we try to speak Tibetan around the house, words like simbodo (delicious), tojeche (thank you), and nyaljay (blanket). We say simbodo the most because our Amala is an amazing cook. We eat breakfast and dinner with our family every day. Last night she prepared Vegetable Momos for dinner which are like dumplings. Amala taught Julie how to stuff and fold the Momos. Julie made one or two but our Amala and Pala made at least 30 and they each had a different style of folding them. After they were cooked we sat around the table and ate them with some egg soup. The food was simbodo! Before bed we can take showers using a bucket system that consists of a large bucket filled with water and a smaller bucket to pour the water on your body. These homes are nothing like the ours at home but we feel very comfortable in them. Our family is loving and we will miss them very much. (Don't worry they will never replace you!)
Love,
Julie and Mirannda
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We are honored that Ama Adhe shared her story with us!
Today was such a busy and fascinating day! Everyone started out eating breakfast with their homestay families and then met up at the hotel together. The teachers were very relieved to hear that everyone has had an amazing time with their amalas and palas as girls were arguing who had the cuter brother or sister.
After everyone arrived, we piled into cars (a common activity here) and we headed to Tibetan Parliament. Peter-la described how the Tibetan government works and how they have departments very similar to ones at home- housing, health and safety, etc.- that help with the Tibetans in D-sala. We were allowed to go inside and saw where Parliament meets.
We got back into the cars and continued to drive down the mountain to Norblungka which is like an artisan workshop where they make absolutely beautiful works of art. My pala works there, which I did not know at the time, so I was very surprised to see him drive up on his motorcycle. We went inside and it is absolutely beautiful with prayer flags everywhere. We took tours of the different work areas where they create clothing and beautifully detailed woodwork, metalwork, paintings, and puppets. We then went into the temple there and went to the place His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, stays a couple of days a year. We were allowed to go inside and we also took some photos in front of the foothills of the Himalayas which some of us believe are not aptly name as they put the mountains at home to shame.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama waves to Westridge students as he leaves his monastery
After eating a delicious Tibetan breakfast, our group headed over to hear a speaker from the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tenzin Chokeyla. She talked to us about the situation in Tibet and the organization that she represents. TYC is the oldest and largest political movement associated with the struggle for Tibetan independence. Despite the Dalai Lama's advocation of the Middle Way, TYC has not changed its principle and still strives for independence for Tibet.
Okay. Give us a minute to compose ourselves before relaying this next bit of information. We realize that this is going to be going up on April Fools, but we are not kidding when we say that we saw His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his car and HE WAVED AT US! Not even caps lock can encompass the level of excitement that we felt at that moment. The Dalai Lama was going to Delhi from his residence in D'sala and so we lined the streets with hundreds of other people to catch a glimpse of him. It was unbelievable!!!
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Having a dance party at the village!
Waking up before sunrise we struggled to quickly pack our things and make our way to D'sala. At about 4:50am we were downstairs loading four cars full of students and luggage to make our ten hour journey to the home of the Dalai Lama.
On our way, we briefly stopped for breakfast and had a chance to stretch our legs. Afterwards we loaded back in to the cars and made another stop at a Punjab Village and interacted with the women and children. We were welcomed with open arms and danced with one another. The children were ecstatic to see us and took advantage of the opportunity of being in front of the camera and taking tons of photos with us. We introduced ourselves to one another and quickly bonded with one another over dance and an attempt to converse with each other. Just as we were in the middle of taking our photos it was time to continue our trip to D'sala.
When we arrived at our home we quickly refreshed ourselves and went out to dinner. Before dinner was served the power went out, and we took advantage of the intimate candle light dinner and made the best of returning back to a blacked out hotel room.
Veronica
The full day drive from Delhi to Dharamsala gave the students plenty of opportunities to observe and interact with the more rural parts of India, where an estimated 70-80% of the country's population still lives.
The group reached the cooler temperatures of the Himalayan foothills and the dense pine forests surrounding the Dalai Lama's home-in-exile in the early evening, just in time for dinner and a good night's rest. Today they are diving in to learn firsthand about Tibetan culture.
John
The group at Jama Masjid
The group in front of India Gate
Hi everyone!
We've just finished our first full day in New & Old Delhi and we're absolutely exhausted. We started our morning by eating breakfast together and enjoying REAL chai tea - not the Starbucks fake. Afterwards we gathered together and had Deborah and Peter introduce us to the culture and what we should expect. Piling in 5 separate cars, we made our way to the Jama Masjid Temple, saw the prophet Mohammed's slippers, footprint, and a hair from his beard, then climbed a 150 step minaret. After having taken a billion photos with friends, we made our way back to meet with Deborah and Peter where we were surprised to find out that we were going to ride a rickshaw to the Red Fort. At the Red Fort we were given a brief history followed by time to take more photos and gather ourselves before lunch. For our first Indian meal we ate in New Delhi where each and every one of us devoured our food until we were stuffed. With a full stomach we drove to the India Gate and were confronted by starving children and beggars. During our ride from location to location we were faced by children extending a sad hand pleading for money. Our hearts were pulled at and we were filled with several different emotions that did not correspond. After visiting the India Gate we made our way to FabIndia for some SHOPPING! The hand woven clothing we found was stunning. From the designs to delicacy of each salwar or any attire sold, it was an experience to remember.
Veronica & Brittany
Hello families and friends!
When you last saw your dearly beloved children, wide-eyed and anxious, at LAX, we can guarantee we were a lot better rested and clean but are no less happy now. We have arrived in Delhi, safe and sound, after a two long flights and an exhilarating driving experience. Driving in Delhi is very much an interpretive dance, you're just praying everyone knows the right moves. We are staying the night in the World Buddhist Center and our neighbors are Buddhist monks. We are very lucky to be staying here and everyone is incredibly warm (in all meanings of the word) and welcoming.
One of our favorite things about India so far is the smell that instantly hit us as we walked out the airport. The most accurate description that people have agreed upon is a mixture of red clay, incense, asphalt after rain, and burning wood.
The drive, while thrilling, was eye-opening and some girls were shocked to see a Mercedes Benz dealership juxtaposed with an abandoned, worn-down building. Another surprise was that the majority of the ads around Delhi were in English, which is slightly comforting but took time to realize how strange it is.
Our guides, Peter and Deborah, met us at the airport and are really friendly and helpful.We had a light meal when we arrived at the Center and everyone has retreated to their rooms. Tomorrow we have been invited to join meditation before breakfast which many people are excited about. We are so excited to explore Delhi tomorrow in the daylight and would love to tell y'all more, but we are falling over with exhaustion at the keyboard.
Namaste!
-Mirannda H. and Charis R.
The Westridge India 2011 Group Arrives in Delhi
Deb just confirmed that she has met the group (and all their bags) at the New Delhi airport and they are en route to the hotel for the evening.
More soon....
Willa just called from her seat on the plane on the Newark tarmac to say, quickly, all are aboard and about to take off for New Delhi.
As Lao Tzu famously wrote, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."
In the case of our intrepid Westridge travelers bound today for India, the first step--clearing TSA security at LAX--has been successfully accomplished and only 7,900 or so miles remain! Willa just called to say the group is ready to board their flight to Newark and that she'd call again once they are about to board their onward flight to Delhi.
Stay tuned as the long-awaited adventure begins at last. And feel free to use the blog's comments feature if you'd like to add your voice here in the days ahead.
John Eastman
We hope you are actively thinking about your upcoming adventure and want to offer you some different perspectives on travel, cultural awareness, and documenting your journey.
Check out these links for starters. And feel free to comment, share your own links, ideas, questions...
5 Reasons Why Slow Travel Beats Going on Vacation
"He who would travel happily must travel light." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Lugging a heavy pack around for the entire time we are in India can be extremely tiresome for you, and for the rest of the group. There will be plenty of times when we'll be traveling around and we don't want to end up like this. Since you will be responsible for carrying your own luggage, seriously challenge yourself to pack light. An old traveler's trick is to lie out everything you think you need, then pack half of it and return the rest to your closet. Then, carry your bag around your house for 15 minutes to make sure you are able to easily carry it by yourself. If not, take some more items out! Remember, you will be able to purchase anything you forget in India.
Global LAB often receives inquiries regarding the use of cell/smart phones on our programs. Here are our thoughts on cell/smart phones...
Can I bring a cell/smart phone on the program?
As Global LAB's programs emphasize cultural immersion, possession of personal cell phones or smart phones (e.g. iPhones) is strongly discouraged. Personal cell/smart phones are conducive to distraction, detraction, and divisiveness: they distract from the cultural immersion experience by a perpetual connectivity to friends/family back home; they detract from appreciating the immediacy of the moment and hinder understanding/interaction with cultures lacking these technologies; and they can create divisiveness between students who possess them and those who do not, negatively affecting group dynamics. In addition, near-constant contact with family/friends often has the unintended consequence of stirring significant home-sickness which can compound into a desire to leave the program early - detrimental to fulfilling your experience and maintaining the group's cohesion.
All of Global LAB's Program Leaders and Local Coordinators carry cell phones with them 24/7, so your group can, if necessary, be in touch with the USA at any time in the event of an emergency.
In order to go to India, you will need to obtain a Tourist Visa. Travisa Outsourcing is the company that handles India's visa applications. Please look at the website for application information: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com. While getting a visa for the first time can sometimes be confusing, Travisa has very clear instructions that guide you along every step of the way.
In addition, Global LAB has put together a document that outlines the visa application process, highlights requirements, and gives you important information that is necessary for completing the application. Please read this document carefully. Download Document
The Core Travel Insurance Program: Global LAB provides international emergency/medical insurance for all of our program participants. Linked below is a document that will provide you with information on the insurance program. If you would like to upgrade from the Core level to another level of coverage, please email the administrator directly.
Download Global LAB's Core Travel Insurance Program FAQs here.
You are of course welcome to purchase additional insurance of any kind with any other providers should you so choose.
Hello. My name is Sonam, but you can also call me Peter. I was born on the 10th of March, in 1979, in small village called Changthang Nyoma in Leh, Ladakh to a family of nomads. At a young age, I was sent to the Tibetan Childrens' Village School located in the town of Choglamsar, in Ladakh. After the 10th class, I completed two additional years at a school in South India and then completed my college-level courses at Delhi University in the field of Business. In March of 2000, I started to work in the travel business IATO (India Association of Tours Operation) company at New Delhi as a travel coordinator. I stayed with the company for six years.
In 2005, I started my own travel business company at New Delhi in the name of SP Travels 24/7 and soon after began collaborating with Global LAB on all of their India cultural immersion programs. I now work with a dedicated team, which combines the dynamism of youth with the experiences of age, to ensure a memorable tour experience to all participants. This work has allowed me to develop a good relationship with the native people that you will be meeting in Delhi and Dharamsala. I look forward to sharing with you the actual lifestyle and culture of the people you will meet.
With regards,
Sonam (Peter)
Hello Everyone!
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself since I will be the primary point of contact between the leaders in the field and Global LAB. Having led the India Spring 2009 program and managed those since, I know that the students will have an incredible experience. This is truly a program of a lifetime! Over the course of the semester, I will be supporting the group from here in the USA. Be sure to keep checking the blog as I will be updating it when internet is inaccessible for the group. Please feel free to contact me at deborah@global-lab.org.
Here is a little bit more about me...
Continue reading "Greetings from Deborah Friedman, Director of Asia Programs" »
Prayer Flags in Dharamsala, India
Please Note: This itinerary is subject to change based on group interest, opportunities to engage in local cultural events, health and safety concerns, and/or other factors beyond the control of Global LAB.
Saturday, March 26: USA
AM: Leave California, transfer in Newark for a non-stop flight to Delhi
PM: Night flight from Newark to Delhi (arrive in the evening of the following day)
Sunday, March 27: New Delhi
PM: Arrival in New Delhi. Transfer to the hotel. We'll have a light dinner, settle in at our guesthouse, and encourage everyone to get a good night's sleep in order to be well-rested and ready for our first day out on the town.
Overnight: Guesthouse in Delhi
India |