Lake by Nagarajunakonda-Sagar

Lake-by-Nagarajunakonda-Sagar
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

View from Taj-Mahal

View-from-Taj-Mahal
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Qutb-Minar in Delhi

Qutb-Minar-in-Delhi
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Wet-willys ARE universal

Wet-willys ARE universal
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Me and the kids...and the camera of course

Me and the kids...and the camera of course
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Kids at the Bridge Center for Street Children

Kids at the Bridge center1
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

boat

boat
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Nagarajunakonda Sagar Waterfall

Nagarajunakonda-Sagar-Waterfall
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Ghost-kids

Ghost-kids
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

New Journal

Wednesday, August 31, 2006

This is an entry from my Journal for my "Women in Media class." In it I talk about my experiences in India, so I thought it would be interesting for some to read also, so for those who care...here ya go :)

Dear Journal,

One of my favorite quotes goes: “Feminism is the radical idea that women are people.”
I think this quote is interesting, because not only is it sarcastically hinting at the fact that yes, OBVIOUSLY women are people, but it is also undermining the radical characteristic, which is often associated with feminism. Many people however, do not realize that there have been many different theories, movements and moral philosophies associated with the term “feminism.”

I guess I have never really considered myself a “feminist” even though I am concerned with the issues that most feminists are often concerned with. I think that because I was raised in a very liberal environment (in Europe) and I was always taught to have an open-mind and be accepting of differences, I have always assumed that addressing these issues cannot be that difficult. After all, in my mind there was no doubt that I as a woman could do anything I want and that my political, social and economic rights and opportunities were equal to those of men. And maybe they were, but for a long time I did not fully understand that this is not the case for so many other women in the world.
I first fully comprehended the gravity of this issue when I went to India this summer and saw the inequalities first hand. I met many women that have no means and not enough strength to fight the oppression but I also met the few strong women who can call themselves “feminists” and I have to say, I was truly inspired by them and their strength.

If I had to identify myself with a certain “branch” of feminism, I would probably describe myself as a “liberal feminist.” I do believe that it is important to achieve equality through legal means (which I understand can be very problematic) and by changing the current political system. However, I would focus more on the people themselves. Simply enforcing laws cannot change people, because if the traditions and values of the specific culture do not correspond with the laws, they will not be successful. If one wants to truly change a society one has to start at the bottom and not with the laws. This is one more thing I learnt from my trip to India.

India has a huge population control problem, in fact, it was the second country after China to reach the one billion mark, and for India this is an alarming number, considering that the country is only a third of the size of the United States. According to Wikipedia.com India “is the seventh-largest country by geographical area [and] the second most populous country.” So which factors have caused India’s previous efforts in trying to find a solution to the problem of overpopulation to fail? Like I said, I believe that this has to do with the social and cultural factor. Implementing laws that will lower the birth rate cannot be successful, when social factors, like the importance for a woman to get pregnant within the first year of marriage to prove her fertility, do not change. The problem is that many of the goals and assumptions of their national population control programs do not correspond exactly with local attitudes toward birth control. In my opinion, policies will only prove effective if they are just and aimed at improving the well being of all people. Laws and policies implemented by the government can only prove successful if they are understood and accepted by the people. In other words, when trying to change the habits of a people, it is important to start at the lowest level possible, with the people, not the laws. I believe that changes in attitudes and traditional ways of thinking can only be achieved if they come from within. By saying this I mean that it is important to give people the information and education they need to understand the issue and then let them form their own opinions and give them the chance to come up with possible resolutions.


Change also requires strong and independent people, and if these people happen to be women, most likely they would be labeled negatively, or in other words, they would be labeled “feminists.” There is another quote by Rebecca West that goes: “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat, or a prostitute.” In my opinion this negative connotation should differentiate between the different branches of feminism. For example, I find that the “radical feminist” just like the religious extremist would be more likely to go too far and use the wrong means to achieve their goal, while the “liberal feminist” would try to work within the system and the laws. Just like with anything else, religion, politics, sexual orientation, family values, I think it is SO IMPORTANT to keep an open mind. I think it is good and important to support and fight for what you believe in, but too many people cannot accept differences, especially when it comes to personal issues like the ones mentioned above, and that’s when things become problematic. I think suicide bombers probably have some good causes, they believe in their god and want only the best for themselves and their families, however, they cannot accept that some people are different, and do not believe in their god. Too many wars and conflicts arise, because people do not understand that being different should not be something negative but should simply be accepted for being different, not better or worse. People are often afraid of change and things that are “different” and as a result they often cling to outdated traditions and value systems, even though the world around them, which is changing so quickly, does not match those value systems anymore.

As far as the Media effects Theory goes, I definitely believe in the Smart Public Theory. I believe that if one stays informed and uses his or her own judgment, one cannot be manipulated (or at least not as easily) and make logical decisions. I don’t think that people in general are stupid and can be manipulated (dumb public theory) but I believe one has to make an effort and stay informed in order to recognize that people are trying to manipulate us (advertising for example). I definitely believe that humans are critical and radical and absolutely capable of critiquing and criticizing. I guess this is what is defined as “media literacy;” the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and use media. Again, one has to understand that media teaches us, but we have to be smart and be aware of how it works and that there can be biases and misunderstandings. After all, media constructs reality and that is exactly how we have to understand it – a constructed reality.

Final Journal entry from India

Friday, July 21st, 2006
Saturday, July 22nd, 2006
Sunday, July 23rd, 2006
Monday, July 24th, 2006

Dear Journal,

Well even though I didn’t have to write any more Journals for my class, I decided to enter my entry for my last days in India to document the experience.
Well Thursday was our last day of classes and our last day together as a group. I would be the first one to leave on Friday morning at 5:30 am to go to Delhi with Satya, Kirthi would leave Friday to go South to Chennai and see his family while the rest of the Pitt group would leave Saturday for their 10 day excursion through Northern India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur…). Thursday was a sad day…I hate saying good-bye!!! So on Thursday night our group went out to eat at “Fusion 9” a very classy restaurant in Hyderabad (they actually have meat J) to spend our last night together as a group. It was great just hanging out and talking, but all of us were soo tired and exhausted from staying up late to finish our school projects on time. I had been running around all day trying to find some last souvenirs and all that on about 4 hours of sleep for the past 5 or 6 nights. After we finished our meal we headed back to the guesthouse to hang out there, have a few drinks and just enjoy the time we have with each other. On the way back I decided it would be fun to try and give the passing by rickshaw drivers “high 5’s”…That is easier said then done, because even if they were close enough to the car (which happens fairly often…in India!) most of them had no idea what the heck this white girl wanted, stretching out her hand at them, yelling: “High five, high five…” One of the rickshaw drivers thought it ment something like “Hello” because he just started yelling “High five” right back at me and started following us…. first it was funny, but then her kept following us for about 15 to 20 minutes until Thunder-shaker told him to go away and that we were just joking…. Some of the people on Motorbikes would yell at us, even if we did not direct our “High fives” at them “Hey are you American? Do you want to be my friend?” It was very odd, but funny!

When we got back to the hostel some of the group went to sit on the roof and have some beers, while I went to my room to try and finish up some packing and ended up falling asleep around 12:30am…I luckily had set my alarm earlier that day because we had to leave at 4 am to go to the airport. So I woke up at 3 am and went outside to see who was still up and sat on the roof with Kirthi, Evan and Ole for a while until I had to go and get my stuff. Thunder showed up on time, as always (he is like the only Indian I know that is punctual J) and Satya and I headed to the airport. We were both very exhausted and tired but still excited to get to Delhi.
It wasn’t until we were boarding the plane that I found out that this was the first time flying for Satya and that he was a little nervous. I had no idea, but was excited and told him that it is really fun and offered him my window seat so he could see while we are flying…Right away, he was a little worried, but after I told him that the chances of getting struck by lightening are much higher than dying in an airplane, Satya decided he liked flying (of course…how can you not).
We arrived in Delhi and tried to find a pre-paid taxi to take us to the University in Delhi at which we would be staying. Satya has a good friend at the University, who said we could stay in the men and ladies hostel on campus rather than having to get a hotel room. I though that was very nice, but was also aware that this would not be as comfortable as the guest house in Hyderabad, no air-conditioning, no hot water (well actually no running water after 9pm at all), pretty dirty, cheap food, etc. But I figured, hey, I am in India and that even though everyone obviously would like to have the comforts and luxuries they are used to from home, they are not necessary. If millions and millions of people on this earth have to live in conditions soooo much worse than that than why shouldn’t I be able to?
Finding a Pre-paid taxi was a little more complicated than I was hoping but not more than I had expected (after all, I was still in India J).I also realized how much hotter and how much more humid it was in Delhi compared to Hyderabad and I realized how spoiled we had been with the comparatively mild climate there.
When we arrived at the hostel, Satya kind of dropped me of in front of the Ladies hostel (Men are not allowed past the front gate) and told me to find Alamelu in room 14 and set my 3 huge and heavy suitcases down next to me….I was tired, hot, dirty, exhausted and confused and was now wandering through the dirty halls of the hostel trying to find room number 14. After I found it and briefly introduced myself to Alamelu’s roommate, I had to make 3 more trips down the stairs and back up to get all my luggage into the tiny room, which I was now sharing with two blind girls. Both of the girls were super sweet and soo unbelievably friendly and welcoming. After me being there for about 10 minutes I knot only knew Alamelu and her roommate, but the whole floor and all their girlfriends. That’s what I love about Indian girlfriends, once you know one, you know all of her friends and their friends and they are all the coolest, sweetest, nicest girls in the world.
I laid down on my bed for a little power nap and after about 45 minutes I went to freshen up and meet with Satya to try and find something to eat. Even though as soon as I stepped into the restroom I missed the western toilets and the clean floor and the fan in the restroom in the guesthouse, I was not shocked or anything because I think I had just been in India long enough that I was used to the little hole in the floor functioning as a toilet, the shower with buckets and cold water and the floor with big black bugs everywhere.
Satya and I called a Rickshaw to the nearby shopping complex where we would try and meet up with Satya’s friend Kari, who had studied in Hyderabad a year before and was now back to India to visit. We walked around for a while trying to find them without luck, but after a few phone calls we found them and got into a car with Kari and her other two Indian friends. One of them was from Delhi, but lived and studied in the States. It was nice to have him drive though because he knew his way around and it was much easier and faster than taking buses and rickshaws. We went to Qutb Minar, which is a beautiful historic site right in Delhi and spend probably about an hour or two walking around there. After admiring the beautiful monuments and constantly sweating we were exhausted and very hungry, so he took us to a very good traditional Indian restaurant. The food was great and the conversation good. We then headed to “Mocha” a hip chain Coffee shop and met up with some more of his friends to have coffee and tea. It was actually nice to just sit down on the couch, drink tea and relax after the hectic week we had had. That night Satya and I decided to head back to the University, because we had to leave at 6am to go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. I was so excited to go and see it.
When we got up I was hoping we could find a tourist bus that would take us there and back without having to worry about public buses and rickshaws, but that did not happen, because Satya is cheap and unorganized J.
So after trying to find any tourist buses, unsuccessfully, we got into a rickshaw and headed to the main bus stop where we got onto a public bus. Man, people were staring at me like crazy, which I know I should be used to by then, but I guess I was just surprised, because I wasn’t expecting it to be that extreme once I wasn’t with a big group of “white” people anymore. It almost seemed as if me being with Satya, an Indian guy almost attracted more attention than me being with the group or alone. The bus was hot, dirty, uncomfortable and full of staring men…. but I didn’t even care, I just wanted to see the Taj Mahal. Like always the ride took much longer than I had been told (3 hours quickly turned into 5 long hours on the bus). What I still think is so funny, is the fact that public buses (well even the tourist bus when we went to Hampi did that) they will pull over at some little street restaurant to stop and get lunch or dinner depending on what time it is. This in itself is a great idea, except for the fact that I can’t eat at those places, because I would probably get terribly sick. Anyway, when we finally arrived in Agra we had to find a rickshaw to take us to the Taj Mahal, because the public bus didn’t go right to the Taj Mahal. I think the Rickshaw drivers in Delhi and Agra are even worse than in Hyderabad and since I had Satya with me there was always a lot of bargaining going on (it is funny, cause sometimes they would argue over 10 or 20 rupees, which is like a quarter, for over 10 minutes, and I think it was just because both Satya and the driver wanted to win….OOOH INDIA!!) Well, we eventually made it and I think I almost died at the Taj Mahal...Satya and I were walking in front of the Taj Mahal after a long ride on the bus and rickshaws and of course we were chased down by people trying to sell us stuff or asking to be our guide right away, which is fine...BUT there was this one dude, and we were kind of on a smaller side street with not many people around, and first he tried to offer us to be our tour guide (of course "for free" ;) yeah right...) and then all of the sudden he starts yelling : "Who are you, who is she and why is she with you Who is she working for...?" Apparently he thought I was a prostitute or something, I don’t know, but he starts grabbing Satya by the arm and yelling at him...So Satya is trying to pull his Student ID out of his pocket to show it to the guy and he just like takes it out of his hand and keeps yelling, so I was like "Shit, I am going to die at the Taj Mahal" So instinctively I walked over, grabbed Satya by the arm and told the guy "I don’t work for anyone!" and started walking away...it was frickin scary!!! I guess its just another way to die in India, getting kidnapped by an Indian Pimp (?) in front of the Taj Mahal ;)
After making it past all the begging children and street vendors we had to stand in line forever and then we went through the Security check, and I was basically grabbed and pushed around by a short, skinny Indian lady. The Taj Mahal is breath taking and without a doubt an amazing monument of love (I don’t say world wonder, because I heard that it isn’t really officially one of the seven world wonders, but I am not sure which is true, so I will have to research that further first.)
BUT, as beautiful as it is, I HATE tourist attractions, there are just too many people, things are soo hectic, people are staring at me, and trying to sell me stuff and I just want to enjoy whatever I came to see.
When we went inside, someone stole Satya’s shoes (I had luckily put mine in my purse before we went inside) so it was kind of funny to watch him jumping around on the super hot marble outside and realize that his shoes had just been stolen J.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the Agra Fort, which was also very pretty and a little less touristy, so I really liked it, especially the view at the Taj Mahal, which you had from it. I bought some more Souvenirs and then fought our way back through the crowds trying to find a bus stop. The bus ride back was just as grueling as the one there, if not worse. By now I was covered in dust, dirt and sweat and I was also starving, because I hadn’t eaten anything except one pack of 50/50 crackers. Apparently Satya doesn’t ever eat and kind of forgot that I cant eat the food from the vendors like he can, so when we finally got back to Delhi at about 10:30 pm I made him stop at Pizza Hut so I could get some dinner. After realizing there was no running water I took a cat bath and fell into my bed. That night I was so exhausted that I fell asleep even thought there again was no power and therefore NO FAN…I fell asleep after about 5 minutes with about a 1 inch layer of sweat on my body.
On Sunday Satya and I decided to get up and try to meet the Pitt group, who were also in Delhi for a few days. We caught them at the hotel when they were eating breakfast and it was great that we got to see them again and say good-bye. The group had to leave after about an hour to go sightseeing and Satya and I went to eat at a nearby southern Indian restaurant, which was really good. That day Satya had to be at an Orientation for students coming from California at 3pm, but since it was still early we decided to go to the Red Fort and do some more sightseeing. The Red Fort was also very pretty, but again, too many people everywhere and it was too hot outside to stay too long, so around 2:30pm we decided to try and find our way to the place where Satya had the Orientation. I decided to come with him and hang out until he was finished. Everyone involved in the California Program was really nice and I sat through the orientation, got some free, really good food and met some awesome people. It was also kind of interesting to hear what they had to say at the Orientation, since I never really had an orientation of that sort. Satya and I stayed for dinner and chatted with the students, which was really nice. When we got home we stayed up for awhile and talked about life in general and then I headed to my room where I talked to Alamelu and her friends for a while and then fell asleep.
The next day Satya and I went to eat breakfast at a really nice place and just to kill some time before we had to leave for the airport and the train station we decided to watch a movie at the Movie theater right net to the restaurant where we were. This worked out great, because “Pirates of the Caribbean 2” had just started and finished at 1:30pm. After the movie we went back to the hostel and decided to meet outside at about 3 or 3:30 pm to leave for the airport. Satya’s train left at 4:30pm and even though my plane didn’t leave that night until about midnight, I decided to go with him and get to the airport safely and hang out there, instead of having to hang out at the hostel and then going by myself at night.
I gave Alamelu and her friend a goodbye present and thanked them for their hospitality and left to fly back home to the States. I was kind of excited to see my family and friends, but I was also getting very sad to leave and end this great adventure. I again realized that 2 months just isn’t enough time, at least not for me, and that I would have loved to stay longer if I could have.
When I got to the airport I had to sit in the waiters lounge until 4hours before the flight and then I could go into the airport and wait there. In the lounge I met a girl from Rhode Island, who had also visited India for the first time and talked to her for a long time. She was very nice and it was great to hear her stories and see how her experience was.
When I made it to my gate in the airport I realized that this was it and that I was actually going to leave India…I really was sad to leave especially cause I didn’t know how long it would be before I would be able to come back.
I definitely think that this trip changed my life, it changed my outlook on life, it changed how I see the world and of course it taught me soo much about one culture, which previously was completely foreign to me. India to me is still full of mysteries and unknown places, but it has definitely opened my eyes to a world so different than mine.
When I embarked on this adventure, part of me thought that I would like the experience but that I wouldn’t like it enough to have to come back and I think the other part of me knew that this experience would make India a land of many future visits for me.
This trip not only made me fall in love with India, but it has also awaken my desire to travel to other places in Asia, the Middle East and the Far East…Even though I was very careful on this trip because it felt so much more insecure than traveling in the States or in Europe, I can honestly say that my desire to see places like Kashmir, which is definitely not a safe place right now could rise above my fear of danger. I am not stupid and know what I can do and what I cant, but I also know that I need to travel and see places as foreign and interesting as India in order to be completely happy. So many people have told me that Kashmir is “Paradise on Earth” yet it is a place of fear and war.
Even though my visit to Kashmir might not be until many years from now, there are many other places on this earth just waiting to be explored…
I cannot wait for my next adventure but until then I need to try to figure out how my dream of traveling the world and adventures will fit into my “normal” life here…

Journal 24

Thursday, July 13, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Monday, July 17, 2006

Dear Journal,

So finally Thursday came around and we left for our well-deserved weekend trip to Goa…

We left the guesthouse at about 11 a.m. and headed to the airport. I love airports, I love being in them and watching people and just thinking about where everyone might be going, where they are coming from and why they are going where they are going…
As much as I love being in airports though, nothing can compare to being on an airplane. I love watching the world from above and I love being in the skies, it makes me feel so free and careless.

When we arrived at the airport in Goa we were picked up by a shuttle bus from the hotel. Right away when we landed I noticed how much more humid it was and how much more “tropical” it felt and looked. It was much greener and there were palm trees and rice fields everywhere…it took about an hour or an hour and a half to get to the hotel, but like I said before…I LOVE bus rides, in fact, I think it might have been my favorite part of the whole trip, well maybe second favorite…right after seeing the Arabian sea.
Anyway, the hotel was great, not necessarily the best location, but not bad. The hotel itself was beautiful and it was great because we basically had our own little apartments, with two bedrooms (2 beds each), two bathrooms, a living room, a really nice balcony and even a little kitchen with a fridge. That night, after getting settled in, eating some Goan food and trying out the pool, we all decided to walk down to the beach, which was only a 10-minute walk away. The beach was definitely not what we had expected, however, I was NOT disappointed at all….

The beach was dirty, not touristy at all, with little huts along the shore, and some locals hanging out. The seas were very rough and there was not very many people around at all (I know it was mainly because it was not the tourist season, but I doubt that there are too many tourists at that beach anyway…
Some of the people in our group were a little disappointed, because all they wanted, was a clean, nice tourist beach, with blue water in which they could go swimming. I on the other hand, was not disappointed, but ecstatic, because this was exactly what I was hoping for. Being at the beach reminded me how much I really do miss the ocean…I miss the smell, the sound, the feel of the sand and the water…I miss everything about it!!!

The next day we decided to go into a part of the nearest town, where we could do some souvenir shopping and maybe some sightseeing. We walked around for quite some time and we found a lot of really nice shops with many great souvenirs. After a lot of shopping and fighting of street vendors, we found a restaurant to try some typical Goan food. The food was really good and after our meal all of us girls even got a rose.
When we got back to the hotel, some of us decided to jump in the pool, play some ping-pong and just relax, since that was what we came for. So that is what we did all night. We relaxed, went out to dinner, came back to the hotel and hung out. The next day we got up to go to a different beach, with hopes that it would be a little more touristy. Well, it wasn’t really more touristy, but like I said before, I did not complain. The beaches there were just so beautiful, with the palm trees, the big waves and even all the annoying locals trying to sell us things. I am still amazed at how persistent they are and how aggressively they will try to sell you things. As soon as we put down our towels, there were about 6 to 8 women gathered around our group, sitting down right next to us while still trying to sell us necklaces and beach towels. That was about enough for me, so I grabbed my camera and walked down the beach. I don’t mean to be redundant, but I LOVE the beach!!!

When it was time for lunch, we decided to find something close by, so when a guy gave me a flier for a little pizzeria, we decided to give that a try. It was only about 2 minutes from where we were and right by the beach, which was my favorite part. The place was really relaxed; we sat outside, with the ocean and the sound of waves in the background, eating some really good pizza and playing some pool.

When we got back to the hotel, we went swimming in the pool and hung out with each other. As always, time went by way too fast and before we knew it, it was Sunday morning and time to head to the airport. We took a taxi back into town, got something for lunch quick and then got back on the bus to the airport. The second bus ride was even better than the first one. I am so content just sitting by the window, watching things pass by and feeling the fresh breeze on my face. The plane ride went smoothly and when we finally arrived at the guesthouse on Sunday night, we were all so exhausted, that after dinner all of us just fell into our beds and went to sleep. It was a great trip and a great way for our group to hang out and relax before our final week here in Hyderabad and before having to finish all of our final school assignments.

Today we didn’t do much. After class Lashanna and I went to the Bridge center to spend some more time with the children and it was great. I played cricket for the first time, and apparently I am a pretty decent batter, and then we played some Karam, which was a lot of fun. Of course I took a million pictures, but mostly I just enjoyed hanging out with the kids. I wish I could stay longer and continue going there. On Wednesday we will have a good-bye party with them and buy a bunch of pizzas and play games with them. Lashanna had also mentioned buying some notebooks for the kids, since they really need some for school. I wish I could do more to help, for example they said they really need computers, but even if I had an old one at home, I don’t know if it would be worth it to send it. I guess money would probably be the best way to help, however I don’t have much of that either, so I think for now some notebooks and copies of all the pictures I took will have to do :).

On a completely different note, I have been observing things here since the terrorist attacks in Bombay and I find it very interesting to see how people react to it here, or better, how they NOT react. What I mean when I say this is that the reaction that I have observed here is so different from what I observed in the states after 9/11. I understand that 9/11 was on a larger scale, but I remember coming back to the States a few months after the attack had happened, and even right after it happened I talked to friends in the States and it seemed like there was so much fear and complete chaos. I always felt that the US is somewhat a nation controlled by fear, in many ways, but it just amazed me to see how much people were actually controlled by this fear.

Here, however, I watched the News (on CNN ironically…) and everyone was definitely scared and shocked, but it was just kind of like: “alright, that is not good, but it happened, so lets see how we can handle this.” Also, the newspaper articles were very different from what I have seen in the US. I really like the newspaper here; it is called “The Hindu” and it actually has really good articles about various topics. Anyway, I just feel like the whole situation was handled so differently here than it was in the States.

So, I have come to the conclusion that I really like India and that I am NOT ready to go home AT ALL. I mean, yes I miss my family and friends, but if I had a choice, I would definitely stay for another semester, or even another year.
I came to India, to be honest, partially to prove to myself that traveling is fun, but that I can be happy leading a “normal” life and settling down somewhere, but coming here has made me realize exactly the opposite. This is what I love to do and need to do and I cannot be happy unless I can travel, meet new people, see new things and taking lots of Photos. I want to volunteer more or even work for an NGO, I want to travel to every place on this earth and take photos for a living…. I would be lying to myself if I said I want to settle down in one place and work in some cubicle. I just can’t do it….
So, I guess what I am saying is that I will miss India, and even though there are definitely things I don’t like, for example, the constant staring, “India time” (I am a very punctual person…it is the German in me :) and not being able to understand what people around me are saying, I think the things that I will miss will outnumber the above mentioned things I won't miss.
I miss “home” but I know I will DEFINITELY miss India and I know I will come back soon.

Journal 23

Tuesday, July 11 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Dear Journal,

To make up for missing visits to my field site last week, I decided to go as much as I could this week before leaving for Goa for the weekend. So after I had a successful day at my site yesterday, Abbie and I decided to have an early breakfast and then head to our site again before we had to be back for class at noon.

At about 9 a.m., right after breakfast, we took our bikes and drove to the small gate to catch a bus. The thing with the busses here is that there is no “real” schedule and my guess is that that might have to do with everything running on what we call “India time.” J
This was actually the first time we had taken the bus by ourselves and as I usually do, right before we left I was a little worried, but I now regret not having taken the bus earlier…I actually really like riding the bus…I love just sitting there and watching the people and my surroundings. My dad once told me that I have always been a very curious person, even as a child. He told me that when we used to go on trips through Europe I would ALWAYS be sitting by the window looking out throughout the whole trip. Even when I am in airplanes I always get a window seat, because I just like to watch the world around me. I also love being in airports and just observing all the people walking by; I always wonder where they are going, and where they come from and why they are going where they are going. I would definitely say that I am a curious person, but to get back to the subject and to get to my point: I loved riding the bus.

We got to St. Ann’s College and while Abbie went to sit in in a class, I decided to find some students to interview. We stayed for a few hours and after I had gathered lots of helpful information for my project, we headed back to campus for our class. After lunch we had another class and then headed back to the guesthouse to work on our final papers. I stayed up until 1 a.m. working on my paper and when I closed the document (AFTER saving it!!!) I realized that the computer did not save any of the work I had done. Right away, all I could do was start laughing but after I still couldn’t recover it or find it anywhere on the computer after about 15 minutes, I started to become very frustrated…I realized I had just been working on the paper for about 2 or 3 hours for NOTHING…. Needless to say I went to bed very frustrated.

Today was a very busy day. After only about 5 hours of sleep (Like the past 3 or 4 nights) I got up for breakfast and after a very quick breakfast I had to leave for class at 9 a.m. We had two classes from 9 a.m. until about 12 noon. Right after class I had to hurry back to the guesthouse, quickly eat my lunch and then leave to catch a bus in order to make it to St. Ann’s on time. Luckily, we caught a bus just a few minutes after arriving at the bus station and made it to campus on time. Right away we hurried to Dr. Smita Asthana’s office to get some more information about the school. But since we are in India, things don’t go as planned, so as soon as we arrive at her office, she tells us that she doesn’t have time today (even though she was the one that suggested the day and time J). SO she says something o the lady standing in her office and tells us to follow her, and that she will take us to somebody else who will help us.

So the lady, who I don’t think speaks any English, leads us all the way up to the third floor of the building to a big auditorium room. We see that there are open windows and there are students gathered around the windows, trying to see what is going on inside…I hear loud yells and laughs and feel very confused. The lady points inside and as I look through the window I see one of the teachers who had shown us around the previous week. There are probably a hundred students in the auditorium and as I look to the left I see a big stage and some girls dancing to some modern-techno-Indian music. I think to myself: “Hm…this is a strange way to get information and statistics about the school and its history, but owell…” The lady keeps pointing inside and mumbling something I don’t understand until she walks over to the door and tries to open it. One of the students that was standing at the window must have sensed our confusion and explains: “Just go inside.” The door is locked and after a couple seconds we hear someone from the inside unlock the door. The lady opens the door and motions to us to go inside. I feel very uncomfortable; as I don’t know what is going on and I feel rude interrupting whatever is going on. But by the time I am done thinking my thought we have already been “pushed” inside and as soon as we enter, some of the girls in the back scream: “Lena…HEY!!!” and I recognize them from the day before. Some of the girls in the front instantly jump out of their chairs and move to the back, offering us their seats. We sit down and as I look ahead I see that at the back wall behind the stage it says in big, glittery letters “WELCOME FRESHERS” and I remember the girls yesterday telling me about the welcoming event this weekend for the new freshmen. They had invited me to come, and I was really disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go since we will be out of town all weekend. I realize that this must be something like their rehearsal or practice for the performance on Saturday.

I am having a great time sitting there, watching the girls dance and perform while the audience screams and claps and laughs hysterically. At that moment I realize how much I want to stay here, I don’t want to go back home, at least not yet…I love it here, I am fascinated by the things I see and the people I meet. I remember thinking many times before that 6 weeks just isn’t enough time, but now I am simply sad that I can’t stay. I remember thinking, while sitting in the bus, that it is so ironic that we are about to leave, when we have just now started to get used to the weather, the food, the smells…when we have just started to know where things are and when we have just started to become more comfortable and also more willing to do things we were too afraid of at the beginning…when we have grown so close with the people we have met, whether it is people in our group, people on campus or new friends we have made here in India.
While I watch 7 girls on stage dance to the modern Indian music, laughing and having a great time, I get very sad and realize that we will all be leaving Hyderabad in a little bit over a week.

After the performance Abbie and I make sure to get at least some information about the school from the professor and then head back to the schoolyard where I conduct some more interviews. By that time it is 3 p.m. and the campus has emptied, since classes end at 2:30 p.m. After saying good-bye to everybody, we leave campus in hopes of catching a bus soon. When we walk onto the main road we see our bus driving up, but realize that we are still a few feet away from the actual stop (well, if there really is such a thing J). I look back and see a bunch of people including small children running up to the moving bus and jumping on while it is still in full motion…. so I think to myself “What the heck if these 8 year-olds can get on a moving bus, then I can do it too.” So with no time for hesitation Abbie and I start a slow sprint and jump on the bus.

Now, I know that to most Indians that is probably a daily occurrence, but for us it was quiet an achievement. So after another fun bus ride, with NO “personal space” or what I would call “normal Indian personal space” we made it back to campus.
Since we are leaving for Goa tomorrow, I will try to work on my final paper…again…. and hopefully it will save this time.

Journal 22

Monday, July 10, 2006

Dear Journal,

Today Abbie and I went to St. Ann’s College at noon. The first thing we did was walk over to meet with Mrs. Lata Subramanya, who is a Professor of Psychology at the College. We want to talk to her to see if we could sit in one of her classes this week, since we missed our appointment with them last week, due to me being sick. She tells us that there is a Psychology class at 1:10 p.m. – an hour later. We decide to go down and talk to Mrs. Radika to confirm our appointment with her for next Wednesday to make sure that we can get some more information about the school’s history and some more information on the student and teacher body itself. We talk with her for about 10 minutes and set up a time, and then we walk out into the yard to conduct some interviews. I walk past the basketball field and observe the students around me. I choose a couple of girls sitting near the basketball court for my first interview, mainly because I wanted to try to find one or two girls at a time to interview, instead of having big groups.
I find two girls and introduce myself. After talking to them I find out that Ayesha is 18 years old and seems so confident and secure. Tarannum, 18, who is sitting next to her, appears a little shier right away, but as soon as I introduce myself she starts talking away about everything and anything. After I tell them about me and why I am there, I find out their names and age. When I ask about their religion, both of them answer very energetically: “Islam!” as if I shouldn’t have even asked. Ayesha describes her family’s status as “upper-middle class” while Tarannum says she comes from a middle-class family. Unlike in any of my previous interviews, when asked about their relationship status, they don’t giggle or shyly turn their heads, Ayesha simply looks me straight in the eyes and says: “Yes, I am in a relationship. I will get married, but it is a love-marriage” and Tarannum’s eye’s light up as she says: “Yeah, me too!” I congratulate them and ask if their parents know about this and if yes, what they think about it. As if planned, in a perfect chorus they say: “Yes, my mom knows, but not my dad.” And then they both start giggling, realizing that they did not even know that that they were both in the same situation. They both tell me that their families support arranged marriages, but that their moms are understanding and willing to accept love marriages, whereas both say they don’t know what their father would say. I ask what they will do once they actually want to get married and they say that they will do a “private wedding” (at the courthouse). They also say that both their boyfriend’s parents know and that they support the love-marriages and that for them it is not an issue at all. I am getting curious as to how they met their boyfriends and they tell me that in both cases he was the neighbor and that was how they met. Ayesha tells me that her and her boyfriend have been secretly dating for 7 years (since she was 11 years old?!) and that she wants to get married this year. Tarannum and her boyfriend have been dating for 5 years; however, she says that they plan to wait before getting married because they want to get settled first. I find this very interesting, because to me it shows that many people really do get married because of pressures from family or others. For Tarannum and her boyfriend for example, it does not matter when they get married, because nobody knows. I have observed that in the States, where many people who come from very religious families and who are told that they should not live with their boyfriends until they get married, do exactly that, whereas I believe that many of them would rather wait a few years to make sure that they actually get along. In Europe it is much more common for couples to be together and live together for 5 or even 10 years before getting married, to make sure that they actually want to be together, which I think makes much more sense. I also understand that this would be impossible to do here, simply because it is socially totally unacceptable, and this, I believe, is a major issue for failing marriages, whether they result in divorces or unhappy couples. Obviously, both of them prefer love-marriages and would not want an arranged marriage. When I ask them what they think about dating they both agree that it is “cool,” but only if it you are serious about it. I ask them what being independent means to them, and almost in chorus they answer: “freedom” and Tarannum adds that independence for her means “having your own identity,” which I think is a great way to put it.
I thank the girls for the information and ask if they have any questions for me and right away I get bombarded with about 5 different questions. I take a few notes of things I found to be important. The girls all agreed that their society needs to change so that the husband will have more responsibilities and that wives do not have to live their lives according to their husbands but as THEY wish. They say that there are a lot of compromises in Indian marriages, as there are everywhere in the world) but that here they mainly go in favor of the husband. However, the Indian traditions are changing and they say that more than 25% are now love marriages.

First I was worried about finding enough time to visit my field sites enough and getting enough interviews for my paper, but now I am enjoying talking to all these girls so much and I find hearing their opinion on things so fascinating, that I am enjoying the project too much as to worry anymore.

Journal 21

Saturday, July 8, 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006

Dear Journal,

Ahh, Sunday…and another fairly productive weekend is coming to an end. Half of our group went to Hampi for the weekend, while Evan, Kirthi, Christine and I stayed at the guesthouse to finish up some more school work and get some rest after being sick last week.

I skipped breakfast on Saturday to catch up on some sleep and got up before lunch to start working on some school projects. After lunch Christine and I went to the library.
The library here in India is so different from any library I have been in before…now most people would say: “How can libraries be that different since all there usually really needs to be are books and computers?” Well, this library does have books and computers, but something about it is still different. When you walk into the library, there are a bunch of little cubbies (I just learnt this wordJ) in which you put your purse – normal. Then you have to walk past this guard who today asked us if we are students, so we have to explain to him “Yes, we are students, but we don’t have library cards, because we are only here for 6 weeks.” After some suspicious looks and speaking gibberish to the guy standing next to him (well, I am assuming he is speaking Telegu, but to me it sounds like gibberish) he lets us pass through. But the strange thing is that this does not happen every time. At different times he will sometimes not ask for an ID at all and sometimes he says he can’t let you go through unless you have an ID. Just like the traffic here, there just seem to be no rules, or even if there are rules, nobody is too concerned about following them very strictly.
The walls in the library are painted the same color as everything else in India…a light, faded bluish color, with spots where the paint is starting to peal of because of water damage – still pretty normal. When you walk through the library, you can see that all the books are organized by topic and by language – normal and logical. Since we don’t have library cards, we can’t take out books – yes, also normal. BUT, since we can’t take out books, there is a place in the library where you can go and have them photocopy the parts of the book you need, or even the whole book. Well, the problem is that when we went to the library that person was apparently out indefinitely and so since we weren’t able to check out books, we had no choice but to copy down the quotes we needed…I don’t know, I don’t think this is normal…since the point of going to the library is to take advantage of the sources it provides….I guess this is not an issue to most other students since they would have library cards, but I just thought that was very odd. It’s just that everything here is so unorganized and sketchy, there are no real rules, nothing really seems to have any “regular hours” for anything and there is no real administration – not normal to me. I guess coming from a place where everything is so bureaucratic and everything is so organized (this goes for both Germany and the US) I find it strange to see how things function on a completely different level. I am not saying that one is better than the other, but again, what works for Germany and the US might not work for the Indian society in their cultural context.

After all of us worked hard all day and got a lot accomplished, we thought we deserved to go out and eat out. We decided to go to “Fusion 9” because Christine was craving Steak, which is rather hard to find here, and we saw online that they had a multi-national cuisine. When we arrived we all agreed that it looked very fancy and I was getting kind of worried that this place might actually be kind of pricy, even in India…but I was wrong. The place was very, very nice and the food was fantastic. A steak with potato and vegetables, which in the States in a restaurant like this, would cost 20$ at least, was still only about 5$. The food was delicious, the service was good and the whole atmosphere was very relaxed. After dinner, we decided to stop by the “touch” to see if the Nordic group would be there and sure enough before even entering the club, we ran into Ole, one of the Norwegian Students. As soon as we entered the club we saw the whole group sitting at a table to our right, so we joined them and had a great evening with them. When we got home I checked to see if Germany was going to beat Portugal and get the 3rd place in the World Cup. I am not a huge soccer fan, but I guess being here in India with a bunch of Americans, I just had to support the “motherland.” After the game was over and Germany won 3-1, I finally headed to bed.

I again missed breakfast today and after having lunch we all went straight back to work on our papers….I definitely believe in the motto: Work hard, play hard.
Today, after we get some more work on our papers done, we might go into town and either go to the mall or go swimming. I think tonight we are going to take it slow and probably watch the World cup.
I decided that I am voting for France to win simply because everyone else is voting for Italy ;) GO FRANCE!!!!

Journal 20

Thursday, July 6, 2006
Friday, July 07, 2006

Dear Journal,

Today we did what I have been looking forward to the whole trip – we went to the ZOO!!! I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to go because I was sick, but I finally felt better today, or maybe I just made myself feel better…either way, it worked and I was able to go. After I only ate a slice of toast and a small portion of rice yesterday, I was very weak and not sure if I could go.

Yesterday we went into town to do some pearl shopping and most of the group bought many souvenirs for friends and family at home. I don’t like shopping here in India because everywhere we go people just swarm us and try to sell us everything in the store. I am not sure if this is only because we are foreigners or if this is simply how they run their stores here, but I don’t like it. I am the kind of person who likes to look around by myself at my own pace. I don’t even like it in the States when I am shopping and one of the sales people comes to the dressing room to see if you need anything else, I would much rather just go and get it myself. So after I spend about 10 minutes trying to get away from people at the store trying to sell me stuff (of course in a polite way) I sat down and waited for the other people to finish their shopping. After about an hour and a half of pearl shopping we continued on to “Music World” where some of us wanted to buy some CDs and movies. Since the shopping took longer than anticipated we decided to eat out. Even though most of voted for something not too experimental, since three of us were still recovering from a nasty stomach virus, we somehow ended up at a South Indian restaurant. We all ordered and even though we all agreed that the atmosphere was a little odd, because we were the only people in the restaurant and the whole waiting staff of about 6 people stood a few feet from our table staring at us, we all had some well-deserved food. The food was good, and even though I only had some rice, we all had a good time just hanging out with the group and catching up with everyone. When we got home I thought I was going to have a backlash and get sick again so I called it an early night.

Then this morning, knowing I would be going to the ZOO, I felt much better. I got up at 7 a.m. to have some breakfast to prepare me for the day. I knew I was going to need some energy. We left the guesthouse at 9:30 a.m. so that we would be able to be back by 3:30 p.m., since part of the group was leaving for Hampi. I love going to Zoos and I am not even sure why, but I always have a good time. When we arrived at the Zoo, we got a map to decide which part of the Zoo we wanted to go to first. We all agreed that we wanted to see the white tigers, the lions, the monkeys and of course the elephants. We walked through the zoo, which was actually very pretty. There weren’t too many people there and it wasn’t too hot yet since it was still pretty early in the day. The first thing we saw were monkeys…I love monkeys. If I could have a pet monkey, I would J and after Satya told me that for 200 Rupees I could by a monkey if I wanted to, I was seriously considering it until my conscience kicked in and I decided that that wasn’t going to work…realistically. We saw the lions and Jaguars, the hyenas and the white tigers, but the best was yet to come…the ELEPHANTS!!! Ever since I have come to India I have wanted to see some Elephants, not because I had never seen one, but because I thought that since I was going to be in India I should see some elephants. But what I really want to do is ride on an elephant.
I did not get to ride an elephant, however, an elephant did kiss me and that was awesome. When we arrived at the elephant area we were disappointed because the elephants were very far away and we could hardly see them, but as soon as we arrived at the front of the fence, one of the guards started talking to Satya, who then informed us that for 20 Rupees (less than 50 cents) we would be able to ride an elephant. Needless to say I was ecstatic. One of the men standing by the elephants then brought one of the elephants up to the fence where we could pet it. All of the sudden the elephant reached for Abbie’s ponytail with its trunk and right away I though it was going to eat it, but then I realized that it was giving her a kiss. One after the other, the elephant gave all of us a kiss, or what they called it “a blessing.” This was so cool and very exciting, and even though we never got to ride the elephant, at least we got kissed by an elephant. Not too many people (at least people that I know) can say that they have been kissed by an elephant.
So, my verdict is that even though Hyderabad wasn’t the best Zoo I have been to, getting kissed by an elephant definitely made the experience worthwhile. And I definitely would still get a pet monkey if I could…

Journal 19

Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Dear Journal,

I am sick and because of that, I had a very uneventful day. That’s why I am going to combine yesterday and today’s Journal entry.

Yesterday was the 4th of July and we spent most of the morning trying to organize some “American” food to celebrate. We decided on Hot Dogs, corn, chips, iced tea and ice cream. After class, Susheela, Lashanna, Abbie and I went to Q-mart to get some of the items for that night. Mr. Das had already bought the Hot Dogs, the Iced tea and the ice cream. Susheela had bought corn the day before, so all we needed was some Chips. Meanwhile Kirthi and Nikki went to talk to a High school class about Independence Day and what it meant to them. Christine and Evan had been sick all night, so they were sleeping and resting at the guesthouse. I felt bad all day for them because being sick, especially when you are not at home in your own bed, is no fun. Little did I know that I was going to be sick too and that I was going to be needing the crackers I bought for Christine that day, more than her.

We planned on meeting in the kitchen at 6 p.m. in order to start preparing our food that night, but to our surprise, Mr. Das and his team had already prepared everything. We went upstairs, where a table and some chairs had been set up for us and started setting up some of the food. Kirthi brought up his Laptop and turned on some music and we all started eating. We had everything there, except for the Hot Dogs were still being made. We were all waiting for them with anticipation. However, this anticipation was soon replaced by a slight feeling of disappointment. Even though, we knew that they were going to be “Veggie Hot Dogs,” what we were getting was NOT AT ALL what we had expected…but hey, we should be used to that by now J. The “hotdogs” were little triangle shaped potato and vegetable things, and not Hot Dogs at all. I don’t think any of us were really that disappointed, just confused and surprised. We all just kind of started laughing, because nothing is what you expect here.
After our meal we had some Chocolate cake and ice cream. By this time I was starting to feel funny, so I stayed for a little longer to chat and then headed to bed. I did not get much rest that night and felt very sick, so I did not get up for anything today. I slept until about 10 a.m. and felt a little better than I did that night, but still not good. I stayed in bed all day, trying to take naps and struggling to eat some crackers, so that I could take my Malaria Pill. I hate being sick, because it just makes me feel like I just wasted an entire day… I did have some rice and am now catching up on some schoolwork. But I think I need to head back to bed and lay down, so that hopefully tomorrow will be better…

dance

dance
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This picture of a group of ladies dancing was taken at Nagarajuna konda falls.

Buddha

Buddha
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Kirthi and I at the Buddha statue

Me and the girls from St. Ann's College

Me and the girls from St. Ann's College
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This was taken when I was interviewing some of the students at St. Ann's College for my final class project

Working hard

Working hard
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

These were two people working really hard on the side of the road

Little indian girl

Little indian girl
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This was soo cute, I took a picture of this little girl and she didnt seem so happy right away, but then when I got in the car she was pointing at me, telling her mom something about this "weird, white girl" taking pictures of her....

Bridge Course center for Street Children 200

Bridge Course center for Street Children 200
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is a photo of me and the kids at the Bridge course center for Street children...aren't they adorable?!?!?

Abbie and I in our Saris

Abbie and I in our Saris
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

Journal 18

Dear Journal,

I am having the best day ever today and I am not sure why…I am just in a really good mood! I woke up early today to go to Yoga and am very glad I did, because it was a beautiful morning and the wind was blowing just right. After class Kithi and I went to the post office, which was different than expected…just like everything else in IndiaJ.

At three Lashanna, Nikki and I went to the Bridge Center for Street Children to see the children. Lashanna and Christine are doing their projects there and they have also been volunteering there for a few weeks now, so since I didn’t have to be at my field site today, I wanted to go with them and volunteer also…IT WAS AMAZING!!!!

I was so excited to go and my expectations were not only met but exceeded…The children were wonderful and so well behaved. There are about 30 children at the center of ages ranging from 5 to 16 years old….We started the afternoon with some drawing and art projects. I of course had my camera and as soon as I started taking pictures, I was surrounded by children. They just absolutely love having their picture taken and then seeing themselves on the screen. At the beginning the children would patiently each hold up their drawing and let me take a picture of them, but after a while they all just kind of pilled up to be in the picture. It was so great to hang out with the kids and see how happy they were to have us there. About 200 pictures and a lot of drawings later we decided to end the night with some “Duck, duck, goose” and that was great!

I always love watching and observing children…like I said before in my Participant observations, children are so carefree and just happy. These children had literally nothing, not even a family, and they were still just kids. They loved to have company and play games and simply enjoy being kids. I think what touched me the most was when we left and said a thousand good-byes, one of the little kids took my hand and tried to pull me back in…it was like he was saying: “Don’t leave, stay here”…I absolutely fell in love with the children and I know it sounds so corny, but it just feels so good to see them smile and have a good time and know that I can do something to make their day better…So from now on, I will be joining Christine and Lashanna twice a week to go to the Bride Center to see the kids…