Leaving Dehli...

I apologize for the strange layout of the pictures. No matter what I do, I can't seem to figure out how to arrange them in a pretty way. These three pictures are from Vindravin.

So...hmmm, I was pretty sick towards the end of my stay in Dehli. For a solid week I could not leave the bathroom, (though I will spare you all the gruesome details). Finally me along with another girl had to go to the hospital to get medicine. It was quite an experience...The doctor prescribed me some drugs but he said that I was very dehydrated and I needed to get an IV to rush some fluids in. I thought, sure no big deal I will just sit for a couple of hours and get some liquids. Unfortunetly, none of the nurses spoke any english which made me feel uncomfortable, as my Hindi skills are nothing to write home about. I kept trying to tell them which vein worked best becauase I know I have difficult veins, but they didn't understand me. They kept poking into different parts of my hand, which was less then pleasant. Finally they tried my wrist and they thought they got it in the vein. They began the flow of liquid and my wrist began to swell up because it was draining into my hand, not my vein, it hurt so bad! I started to cry because I was overwhelmed, in pain, and felt like crap. The nurses were alarmed and kept yelling at me to stop, which of course only made it worse. To make a long story short they finally got it in, and I got some liquids and medicine. I am feeling much better now although now I have a cold...

We left Dehli and headed into Dehra Dun which was a pleasant town compared to Dehli. We stayed on a farm that specializes in organic farming techniques. It was so peaceful and were able to do some farming work for them in the mornings. I also took my first bucket shower, which I very much enjoyed. I found it to be much more efficent than a regular shower and I only used one small bucket of water. Not to mention that after a really hot day a bucket of ice cold water feels amazing.

We have left Dehra Dun and have arrived in Rishikesh, which is my favorite place so far. It is right on the ganges and the town is so beautiful. I feel comfortable walking alone through the town and shopping or eating at the cafe. The people here are so freindly and are much less boisterious and "in your face" than the Dehlities I am used to. I am very sad that we are only spending three days here as I feel as though I could live a couple months here. I am trying to decide whether I should come back and spend some time here when the program ends. Yesturday we went white water rafting on the ganges and it was AMAZING! The rapids were up to class three, and I was lucky to get a guide who loved playing games. In the calm waters he would tip the boat over and let us swim. He also stopped and let us rock jump into the ganges, (I really wsh I had a picture, but I didn't want my camera to get wet).

Last night we went to an Ashram and obsersed aarti, which is a fire festival meant to help people realize and get in touch with their inner light. It was a beautiful thing to behold and it was led entirely by little boys who study at the ashram. They chanted and lit a fire while we clapped and sang along. Then we turned to the ganges, which was directly at our feet, and lifted candles to the air then passed them around, to share the light with eachother. Afterwards we went to sit in the Swami's hut and a woman from the ashram spoke to us about our inner light, the power of the Rishikesh, and the beauty of gangji, (or the ganges). She told us we are welcome to come and stay at the ashram anytime. It is these experiences that make me so thankful to be here.

Today we have a free day and I am planning to wonder through the city, do a little shopping, and sit on the ganges for a while. Tomorrow we leave for Hardiware for three days, then we move on to Varanassi for a month. I am excited, but at the same time it will be difficult to leave Rishikesh.

That is all I have for right now. India has been a crazy experience in these twenty-eight days, and I imagine it will only become more overwhelming, but that I will see some incredible things.

Things I have seen so far:

-giant pigs

-tons of cows, (that are very friendly)

-people pooping/peeing in the streets

-children playing soccer

-people praying in the ganges

-people washing clothes/bathing in the ganges

-my professor from Dehli kicking the shit out of some guy for groping a girl in our group

-more ahrams, temples, mosques, and ruins than I have seen in a lifetime and probably will ever see

-colors everywhere, it makes the U.S. seem devoid of color

-two types of monkeys, and both are rather mean, (we woke up to one tapping on our window this morning)
I can't think of anymore because when I try to list it I become so overwhelmed, it is endlessly difficult to communicate what my experience has been like.

From Riskikesh,

Alex

2nd Post: Still in Dehli

I hope people appreciate these pictures because it took about 40 minutes to upload them, the internet is so freaking slow, otherwise I would have uploaded much more. The first is the busy market street in Laghpath Naghar. The second is a little girl with her brother that was very taken with my camera. She really enjoyed me taking pictures and then showing them to her. 

I really miss my independence. I am not used to being in a place where I can't go out by myself. If I want to go anywhere I have to find at least one other person to go with me, which usually isn't hard to do, but I am a person who likes my alone time.  I have never been so aware of my gender before. 

I do have to say that I am also growing tired of the stares. The first couple of days it was almost fun. Now I have grown weary of always having people's eyes on me: some staring like I am a one woman freak show, and others give me a look that would make a prostitute blush, but still worse are those that follow. It has ceased to become strange when five or six men follow a group of us down the street.

The irritations aside, I have been in Dehli for about nine full days now and I am surprised at how much of the city I 
have been able to see, much of this is thanks to a brilliant history professor named Sunil Kumar. Many of the ruins, mosques, and monuments we have seen have been unmarked. They are usually also taken over by people, monkeys, birds, bats, and cities. Having Sunil take us around the city is like having your own personal history text book on Dehli. He not only explains the history of each site we see, but he then explains the historical process that has changed the monument over time, (for example why and at what time it became an extension of a city, and in what ways the population now interact with it). I have also enjoyed his approach to teaching us. Along with the field trips, he has given us two assignments where we had to basically get lost in the city of Dehli and rely on maps and the kindness of the people to get home. And I have just finished with my first paper in which he asked us to find a place and and write about the way the people interact with it and the activities that go on there. I chose an art gallery that doubles as an environmental center. Their mission is to link art to the environmental work that they do. They also believe in expanding upon the notion of an exhibition by scheduling discussions, debates, as well as having the artist present, so the viewer can have a more well rounded impression. I very much liked the gallery, but it was really only for the elite of Dehli. It was gated and the guards made sure that only a certain type of person was granted access. 

Well I don't know if any of what I have said will be interesting to any of you, but like I said I don't really like to explicate myself on a regular basis. I am still not sure how to process most of the stuff that I am seeing, so it is hard for me to explain any of it on a blog. I wish everybody well and I will wait another week and a half or so to write again.

Love from Dehli,

Alex

1st Entry: From Dehli

I am embarrassed to even say how long it took me to remember how to sign into my blog and then to figure out how to post something...jeez!
I should really preface my first entry with this: I do not like journalling, blogging, or long winded explanations, it stresses me out and I have enough to do for classes. With that said I will try to post a new entry at least once a week and it will most likely be a combination of bullet points with some longer explanations and stories.
*Most memorable experiences so far:
-walking through Lodi gardens, (a beautiful and large park with ruins that you can climb all over)
-visiting with Dehli University students and listening to them talk about the city
-the first time I tried to order food, (a difficult experience that had a happy ending)
*Things have seen:
-bats everywhere
-a camel
-an elephant
-hundreds of dogs, and their little presents they leave on the streets
-men holding hands
-hundreds of people EVERYWHERE, (and they all stare at me because I tend to stick out, most times it is like being on display at the zoo)
*Some things I have learned:
-a really stupid idea to walk around smiling at people and saying hello, (this is a very "American" thing to do and mostly it is met with confusion or indifference or if you are a woman like me unnecessary attention)
-don't say "thank you" because again people will stare at you
-crossing the street: just hold your breath close your eyes and WALK
-the phrases: "kuchh nahee chiyahe" I don't want any, and "Jao" go away, are very affective when said with a stern voice which I have begun to master
-sweating is inevitable, you will be soaked in under 20 minutes no matter what
So that is all I am going to write for know because I am hungry and I would like to go explore today. I will try to make the next entry longer and with pictures. I hope everyone is well.
From Dehli,
Alex