Workshop Team Photo. It will just be Kit and I in Dehli :(
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ram Pal's plans and running the guantlet
I am at a computer that can upload pictures. So I am choosing a few from Kolkata's Women's conference. And I will also try and get one of Nallasivan and Kit. I will be visiting Sivan and his family in Tamil Nadu. Kit has explained that when the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu she had called and called to make sure him and his family were alright. His family was on higher ground, but many of the chilldren and teachers that he knew were not as fortunate. He i here for a few more days and then he will spend three days on a train returning to his home. Because of my limited time, I am going to fly part of the way. There have been a few bombs on the Indian trains and it is not being advised as a form of transportation at the moment. And, asmost of you know there will be some bomb, or disaster or government coup and my family will hear about it before I will! Which means I will be travelling and my family will be fretting which is never a good thing.The other factor in my travel plans is that the AIPTF President got word that I am staying on for a few weeks in India. He has taken it upon himself to plan my itinerary. He is a very tall and traditional man and he has treated me very well. We have been having some difficulty with the PD coordinator...it is very difficult to determine if it is cultural (women in leadership roles versus male ego) or if it is language or something else. Either way the communication barrier had to be forged and Rampul Singh has been with us for a few days. The participants revere him. He does not come very often (once every 2-3 years) and the respect for him was overwhelming from both the men and women.
He is getting my tickets and hotel arrangements together for me, and I won't have to negotiate flight plans and places to stay along the way. It will truly be a treat to just travel without having to do the leg work.
The only area I left to my devices is Goa. I am doing a Yoga retreat there and will want the extra time to look into a dive site out of Miramar or stay at Ashiyana for a few days longer. I am told it is quite touristy and will be easy to manouver in. India is not an easy place to travel in. I have learned that it pays to have Indian guidance in areas of travel, eating, shopping (there is always two prices..Indian prices and foreigner pricing) Ihave also learned that you have to be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. There is a sayin in India that translates into "Guests are like God". If you mention that it is nice that there is AC in certain places, soon they will only take you to places that have AC. If you say you love the butter masala chicken..you will have masala chicken every day for lunch ( okay..so there are some really nice benefits in being a guest in this country..the butter chicken masala is to die for, however I just do not want to know the fat content!) Kamula and his people have been very hospitable and sweet. They tease and tease, and I laugh..even when I am not really sure what they are teasing me about.
He is getting my tickets and hotel arrangements together for me, and I won't have to negotiate flight plans and places to stay along the way. It will truly be a treat to just travel without having to do the leg work.
The only area I left to my devices is Goa. I am doing a Yoga retreat there and will want the extra time to look into a dive site out of Miramar or stay at Ashiyana for a few days longer. I am told it is quite touristy and will be easy to manouver in. India is not an easy place to travel in. I have learned that it pays to have Indian guidance in areas of travel, eating, shopping (there is always two prices..Indian prices and foreigner pricing) Ihave also learned that you have to be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. There is a sayin in India that translates into "Guests are like God". If you mention that it is nice that there is AC in certain places, soon they will only take you to places that have AC. If you say you love the butter masala chicken..you will have masala chicken every day for lunch ( okay..so there are some really nice benefits in being a guest in this country..the butter chicken masala is to die for, however I just do not want to know the fat content!) Kamula and his people have been very hospitable and sweet. They tease and tease, and I laugh..even when I am not really sure what they are teasing me about.
The ratio of men to women on the streets is extremely skewed. For every 20-30 men there is one or two women. The other night when Kit and I walked home, we were approached by so many that we got a little testy. Most only want to speak English, half of them blatantly stare out our chests and the other half are probably just shocked to see two white women walking amongst them. Kit calls the walk home: the gauntlet. First we have to pass by a food market, then we have to cross two streets that are at the end of a round about, and then we must cruise by poop and pee alley... which is really an overpass over some train tracks. We are not sure which is worse, daylight when the urination is done right in front of you and you can see the mounds of poo and garbage in the street, or night time when you cannot see what you may or may not be walking through. The last part of the guauntlet is the sand pit party area. This is a large sandy spot that has clothed and naked children playing at all hours, it is entrenched at the end of poop and pee alley and guarded by groups of men playing cards on blankets. The children will start following you and yelling the English words they know while the youngest of them will start crying and pointing... I think a little scared of our skin and Kit's white hair. They are not dangerous but they can get a little annoying.
And last but not least are the dogs, and cows and goats that wander up and down the streets, sometimes lying in the middle of the road, not really belonging to anyone, and not really caring when you have to step over them to avoid getting hit by a motorbike or a motorize rickshaw that is honking incessantly and asking you if you need a ride. Oh the oh so sweet times had on the streets of India! They are the things that make you appreciate the luxuries of home.
I will try and put a few more pictures up on this site,
t
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Bhubaneswar and other Tales
Okay..third time is the charm… I have been trying to write a little blurb about the trip from Kolkata to Bhubenswar and it has been difficult to get onto the site…in fact when I did get through and had almost finished a power outage erased the whole thing.
Some may be angry. However in my new state of enlightenment, this is not as big a deal to me anymore. Now, getting caught in an elevator when there is a power outage is a much bigger deal. In fact being caught between floors, plus 32 degrees, by yourself in the dark, and having a little Indian man yelling to me in Hindi..which I believe he was asking are you in there miss? And me yelling back..YES! Can you get me out!! This is a much bigger deal than losing an e-mail I suppose. Needless to say, I am now trying to save all writing and I am currently taking the stairs versus the elevator.
I did make it out of Kolkata though, and while checking out I had an entourage of men waiting for a bakeesh. I was still a little cranky after sleeping with all of the lights on to ward off lizards, and after I had two more knocks to deliver sheets that I didn’t need in exchange for bakeesh, and the general garbage and urine odour of the city. So needles to say, Kit and I were not in a very giving mood. We ended up waiting for the two lovely little women that arrived to take us to the West Bengal State Teacher’s Office (Sari wearing, cell phone bearing women leader representatives. The cell phones had ear attachments that clipped into the folds of their sari: technology meets traditional dress) and ignoring the line up “helpers”
The custom is to be greeted by 20-30 people and one will wrap you in hand-made wreathes, necklaces, bouquets of fresh marigolds, roses, jasmine etc. (to which you are ever watchful for stray biting bugs) and then you are welcomed in to sit and rest and have tea and a snack for a about 10 minutes. Once you have rested they will continue on to the next part of your commitment. In our case it was to speak to the women of Kolkata at their women’s conference.
We had traveled through dirty garbage strewn streets with the ever beeping and merging dust and taxis, rickshaws, bicycles and lorrys. We had walked down cow manured and urine stained streets and we climbed those stairs that were slightly warped and were greeted by 80 women in brilliantly adorned saris seated crossed legged on the floor. It took your breathe away. Different colors, all ages and stunning in every way, it was very, very powerful. That is India in the only way that can be described: love and hate, power and poverty, and pure beauty amongst dirt and despair…unbelievable India.
We flew out of Kolkata and were greeted in Bhubeneswar by 20 people and were adorned with flower necklaces that were a welcomed sweet smell. We were interviewed by a gorgeous Indian woman and Camera man ( They were stunning whereas we were a little disheveled and smelly at this point) But we once again dust covered and all were celebs in the paper and on TV.
We are now in a nice Hotel (Hotel Sishmo) with a real shower and AC… as mentioned above the power goes out quite frequently and there is a little bit of a hike up the stairs after the elevator incident but it is comfortable. The workshop is busy and the participants are very appreciative. It is humbling when they call me Tanis G (a term of respect).
When they are honouring someone they will kiss their hand and then touch their hand to your feet. There are many that will raise their pressed palms to their forehead in welcoming and thank-you. The Engligh is better than it was in Mizoram but it is still challenging because they all speak different dialects.
NallaSivan is from Tamil Nadu and he has been explaining the two language groups of Aryan and Sanskrit and why Tamil language is so different than Hindi. He will be leaving us at the end of this week. I will be very sad to see him go.
He has invited me to his home to meet his wife and daughter Vidia. I think I will make my way there after Delhi. I have started practicing already…no meat just veg dishes, which are very tasty. Most of the people in India are vegetarians and you will always be asked if you want Veg or Non Veg. Sivan is quite humorous about it. A tea was given to Kit ,and a fly dove down into it…he shook his head and said “Non-veg tea”. I personally prefer non-veg tea!
Kit and I have risked a few limbs to find this internet spot. The caste system is alive and well on India streets and unfortunately pedestrians are on the lowest rung, in fact even the cows and goats have higher status. Every type of transportation exists on the busy streets of this city and it is nightmare to cross. Merge and move in between motorbikes, rickshaw bikes , regular bikes, cars and trucks and hordes other people. It is an adventure every single day.
I am finishing here to go out and brave the streets, it is sometimes more tiring than the actual teaching. There are open markets and loud beeping and a variety of smells..both good and bad. However there are blues skies, clearer air, and it plus 30-34. Life is good, if not a little warm at times. Especially mid-day workshop time! But there is always tea to cool me down :)
hope all is well at home,
t
Some may be angry. However in my new state of enlightenment, this is not as big a deal to me anymore. Now, getting caught in an elevator when there is a power outage is a much bigger deal. In fact being caught between floors, plus 32 degrees, by yourself in the dark, and having a little Indian man yelling to me in Hindi..which I believe he was asking are you in there miss? And me yelling back..YES! Can you get me out!! This is a much bigger deal than losing an e-mail I suppose. Needless to say, I am now trying to save all writing and I am currently taking the stairs versus the elevator.
I did make it out of Kolkata though, and while checking out I had an entourage of men waiting for a bakeesh. I was still a little cranky after sleeping with all of the lights on to ward off lizards, and after I had two more knocks to deliver sheets that I didn’t need in exchange for bakeesh, and the general garbage and urine odour of the city. So needles to say, Kit and I were not in a very giving mood. We ended up waiting for the two lovely little women that arrived to take us to the West Bengal State Teacher’s Office (Sari wearing, cell phone bearing women leader representatives. The cell phones had ear attachments that clipped into the folds of their sari: technology meets traditional dress) and ignoring the line up “helpers”
The custom is to be greeted by 20-30 people and one will wrap you in hand-made wreathes, necklaces, bouquets of fresh marigolds, roses, jasmine etc. (to which you are ever watchful for stray biting bugs) and then you are welcomed in to sit and rest and have tea and a snack for a about 10 minutes. Once you have rested they will continue on to the next part of your commitment. In our case it was to speak to the women of Kolkata at their women’s conference.
We had traveled through dirty garbage strewn streets with the ever beeping and merging dust and taxis, rickshaws, bicycles and lorrys. We had walked down cow manured and urine stained streets and we climbed those stairs that were slightly warped and were greeted by 80 women in brilliantly adorned saris seated crossed legged on the floor. It took your breathe away. Different colors, all ages and stunning in every way, it was very, very powerful. That is India in the only way that can be described: love and hate, power and poverty, and pure beauty amongst dirt and despair…unbelievable India.
We flew out of Kolkata and were greeted in Bhubeneswar by 20 people and were adorned with flower necklaces that were a welcomed sweet smell. We were interviewed by a gorgeous Indian woman and Camera man ( They were stunning whereas we were a little disheveled and smelly at this point) But we once again dust covered and all were celebs in the paper and on TV.
We are now in a nice Hotel (Hotel Sishmo) with a real shower and AC… as mentioned above the power goes out quite frequently and there is a little bit of a hike up the stairs after the elevator incident but it is comfortable. The workshop is busy and the participants are very appreciative. It is humbling when they call me Tanis G (a term of respect).
When they are honouring someone they will kiss their hand and then touch their hand to your feet. There are many that will raise their pressed palms to their forehead in welcoming and thank-you. The Engligh is better than it was in Mizoram but it is still challenging because they all speak different dialects.
NallaSivan is from Tamil Nadu and he has been explaining the two language groups of Aryan and Sanskrit and why Tamil language is so different than Hindi. He will be leaving us at the end of this week. I will be very sad to see him go.
He has invited me to his home to meet his wife and daughter Vidia. I think I will make my way there after Delhi. I have started practicing already…no meat just veg dishes, which are very tasty. Most of the people in India are vegetarians and you will always be asked if you want Veg or Non Veg. Sivan is quite humorous about it. A tea was given to Kit ,and a fly dove down into it…he shook his head and said “Non-veg tea”. I personally prefer non-veg tea!
Kit and I have risked a few limbs to find this internet spot. The caste system is alive and well on India streets and unfortunately pedestrians are on the lowest rung, in fact even the cows and goats have higher status. Every type of transportation exists on the busy streets of this city and it is nightmare to cross. Merge and move in between motorbikes, rickshaw bikes , regular bikes, cars and trucks and hordes other people. It is an adventure every single day.
I am finishing here to go out and brave the streets, it is sometimes more tiring than the actual teaching. There are open markets and loud beeping and a variety of smells..both good and bad. However there are blues skies, clearer air, and it plus 30-34. Life is good, if not a little warm at times. Especially mid-day workshop time! But there is always tea to cool me down :)
hope all is well at home,
t
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Bhubaneswar
Kolkata ended on a beautiful note. In a room full of colorful saris. I will write more when I can find a better computer.
But I am safe and sound in Orissa state.
But I am safe and sound in Orissa state.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Kolkata
We made it out of Mizoram on a prop plane ( less visibility needed for take-off). We have landed in Kolkata ( Calcutta) and we are here overnight. A One Day Woman's Confernece is here tomorrow and we have been asked to come speak a few a words. Kolkata is everything I expected. and a lot less. Within 5 minutes, we had beggars asking for money and we were hassled about luggage and money. It is called "Bakeesh"...literally bribing them to go away... and even then it doesn't always work.
The hotel we are at has zero lighting and lizards ( in Kit's room) It is her turn because while packing last night I had to excavate a few cockroaches that had found a home in my backpack..gotta love warm weathered countries. So for those of you braving the cold of home can be tranquilled with the thought that Canada has less creepy crawlies than most hot weathered countries..including India.
The downside to the hotel we are in, is the incessant nature of the help. They bring the neccesities of the room up one at time... toilet paper... sheets... drinking water... And with each new item there is a tip expected. The nasty part of it is they don't wait for one to answer the door. I almost got caught with my pants down. I was trying to change from my cold weather Mizoram clothes to the muggy clothes of Kolkata... In this country it would be more of a shock for him to see my legs than anything else I suppose.
We found this cafe in order to send word that we made it out flying from Aizwal. Kit had called the STF to find out about ground travel and we were give a big Fat No... not safe for two white women period. It is shocking to hear becasue I have felt more invaded in the last few hours than I ever did in Aizwal (the unsafe place) haha. After the confernence we fly out to Orissa and begin the leadership program on Monday. One night and then onward to a smaller and hopefully less smelly city. The mosquito infested waters also smell considerably like foul sewer. I hopefully after teh women's conference will have something better to say about the forlorn place.
The hotel we are at has zero lighting and lizards ( in Kit's room) It is her turn because while packing last night I had to excavate a few cockroaches that had found a home in my backpack..gotta love warm weathered countries. So for those of you braving the cold of home can be tranquilled with the thought that Canada has less creepy crawlies than most hot weathered countries..including India.
The downside to the hotel we are in, is the incessant nature of the help. They bring the neccesities of the room up one at time... toilet paper... sheets... drinking water... And with each new item there is a tip expected. The nasty part of it is they don't wait for one to answer the door. I almost got caught with my pants down. I was trying to change from my cold weather Mizoram clothes to the muggy clothes of Kolkata... In this country it would be more of a shock for him to see my legs than anything else I suppose.
We found this cafe in order to send word that we made it out flying from Aizwal. Kit had called the STF to find out about ground travel and we were give a big Fat No... not safe for two white women period. It is shocking to hear becasue I have felt more invaded in the last few hours than I ever did in Aizwal (the unsafe place) haha. After the confernence we fly out to Orissa and begin the leadership program on Monday. One night and then onward to a smaller and hopefully less smelly city. The mosquito infested waters also smell considerably like foul sewer. I hopefully after teh women's conference will have something better to say about the forlorn place.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Eswarin and me/ Houses in Aizwal
Eswarin and me! An amazing man and leader. I am blessed to have met him. (R)
Houses built out the sides of cliffs with little supports to keep them in place. (Hundreds of houses are built like this) (L)
Aizwal Life
A few bits of information about Aizwal: It is bigger than Saskatoon but spread through hills and valleys. The roads wind around the buildings and you can actually drive on four different roads to enter four different floors of the building. It really messes with your mind. You can go down four stories and still end up on the street with a car or taxi waiting for you.
There is only one lane on the street and only room for one small vehicle. The system is honking and slowing down and inching in front of the other car. It is a British system with the driver on the right side…but in reality it is whatever side you can keep moving on. In between the cars little motorbikes and people are walking and weaving. It is a wonder how it all works.
There is only one lane on the street and only room for one small vehicle. The system is honking and slowing down and inching in front of the other car. It is a British system with the driver on the right side…but in reality it is whatever side you can keep moving on. In between the cars little motorbikes and people are walking and weaving. It is a wonder how it all works.
This little state is alcohol free but not substance free. Women, children and men of all status will have signature signs of betle nut habits. Red and brown stains their mouth and they chew on this plant and spit the juice out, in the very same manner as chewing tobacco. It is unusual to see a green plant with a little nut rolled upin it, that is pulled out by one and all. It is similiar to the habits in Taiwan and some parts of China.
Water is scarce and conserved. In the shower there is a mini water heater, an electrical device that hangs relatively toooooo close to the water source and reminds me of Peruvian water heaters… very treacherous. So every day you start with the question: electrocution versus clean hair rinsed with hot water...I have to say I usually went with the hot water.
Lastly, after leaving this lovely internet café that is laden with chain smokers and little cubicles that are slightly dingy, I plan to take a photo of the precipice and the overhanging houses on the side of clffs and sidewalks that have cracks in them that open to 1000 foot drops...This city is not for those that hate heights and tight places, but it is for those that love kind and generous people and absolutley amazing Dahl dishes and Masala Chicken, as well as Roti and Manchurian Chicken delites(usually ordered from David's Kitchen: he holds birthday parties and "kitty" parties too). The main drink is very sweet and milk laden tea that taste like dessert and sugar cookies to soothe the spicy pallate. Last night we were at the Director's house and overlooked all of Aizwal and were served sweets and tea. It was nice end to to an intense week.
On a serious note, I shall be leaving Aizwal today, ( fog and flights permitting) and it has been a long difficult week. I am sad to leave. This may be the only PD these teachers get in their careers and it is with the most sincere gratitude that they shower you with. It has been a very humbling experience.
I hope all is well at home. I hear it is very cold, I will be leaving for Orissa where it will be the exact opposite of -30. I will write again from there.
xot
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