Journal 16

Dear Journal,

Today was a much more relaxing day than the past few. This week has been going by so fast because we have been so busy and I cannot believe that I have already been here for almost a month. It is also strange how much I enjoy being here. I knew I would like it, but right away when I got here I think I was so much more overwhelmed by the culture shock than I had expected that I didn’t know if I was ever going to be totally comfortable. It is still very different and every day there are still so many new things to discover and see, but now that we are used to some of the basic things, it is much more enjoyable.

I am very excited that we do not have anything really planned for this weekend. The last weekend was interesting, but it was so busy and hectic that it will be nice to catch up on some homework, some sleep and maybe do some smaller activities spontaneously. Tomorrow, I am planning on working on my research paper for the “Contemporary India” class and try to get to bed a little earlier. I don’t think we have any specific plans for Saturday or Sunday which I am actually very excited about. I have a lot of work I want to get done and since all of our other weekends will be very busy, I think that this will be a great time to get ahead.

Tonight, Satya is coming over to watch a movie with us and just hang out. I am looking forward to sitting on the couch, maybe drinking some tea J and getting some sleep.

Journal 15

Dear Journal,

Today we went and visited our field sites to gather some more information and do some interviewing. Again, we had some trouble planning everything. Originally we had planned to take the bus, but we had many other things, like batteries, we need to get while we were in the city, so we decided to take a cap this time. Evan came with us because he needed some things from the city also, so we didn’t feel so bad about taking the taxi. We were planning on eating lunch in the city, but Mr. Das offered to make lunch half an hour early so that we could eat before we had to leave, which was really nice of him. After a quick lunch (and of course a quick cup of teaJ) we headed into the city.

When we arrived at the college, we met with Mr. Radika at her office. She told us that she has a very busy day and asked if it was ok if we she would have another teacher show us around that day, we didn’t mind. We walked around for awhile meeting with some teachers and made some appointments for next week. I still think it is funny to see how different things are handled in different places. Just the way the administration and organization at the College works is so different from anything I am used to. After we have our appointments set up, we decide to walk back to the school yard and do some more observing. It didn’t take long for the students to notice our presence, and within seconds we were surrounded by groups of girls. We ended up talking to a group of four girls, who were sitting next us for about 20 minutes and I was fascinated to learn about their lives and their opinions. All three of them were Muslims, and very religious. It was funny, when I told them that I did not belong to any religion, because my parents wanted me to choose a religion rather than forcing one on me, they just stared at me and looked so confused. I think they had never heard of that before. We also talked about relationships and how they felt about love-marriages versus arranged marriages, which is the norm for them. I really enjoyed listening to them and hearing their opinions, but I also liked seeing their reactions to what we had to say. I realized that just as I get confused when they tell me that an arranged marriage is the most normal thing in the world to them, they must get just as confused when I tell them that it is ok to date as many people as you want before getting married. I think I was always aware of that but talking to these girls made it more real for me…

After our visit at the College we picked up some other things and returned to the guesthouse fro a quite night.

Journal 14

Dear Journal,

I am still so exhausted from the weekend and have not caught up with my sleep yet. I did make it to Yoga today and I am glad I did, because it actually made for a good start. After class and after lunch, Satya took us to pick up some things so that we could wear our Saris out tonight. When we got home we asked one of the ladies who works at the guest house, if she could show us how to wear them and I was AMAZED at how much work it actually is to correctly wear a Sari. It was kind of fun to have her show us though. It was Christine, her and I in the room and she was trying to explain it to us even though she speaks no English at all. She was trying to ask us for a safety pin to secure the fabric, but of course we didn’t know what the Telegu word for “safety pin” was, so we just kind of guessed for a few minutes until she was able to explain what she meant through sign language and gestures. I am often surprised how well we are actually able to communicate, even without speaking the right language. When she was trying to explain to us that part of the fabric would have to be tucked in in the front, she started giggling and pointing and it was very cute. Even though I tried to pay extra attention to what she did, I have NO IDEA how she actually folded the fabric…it was very confusing. BUT the Saris are beautiful and I really liked wearing it.

So after we figured everything out and had our Saris on, we left for a traditional dance performance in Hyderabad. It was a very interesting experience…the theater itself was very different, the crowd was different, the smell was different…everything was new to me and it was kind of exciting. The performance was pretty impressive. It was one woman in a bright yellow, very traditional outfit, with heavy make-up and lots of gold jewelry. It was so interesting, because the performance itself was so different from anything I had seen before…it wasn’t really “exciting,” it wasn’t fast or spectacular…it were her facial expressions and hand gestures that made the performance so fascinating.
I was also very impressed by the fact that she danced for one and a half ours straight with such body control and rhythm. I also really enjoyed the fact that the music was also part of the performance, as the singers, violin players, and percussionist were all sitting on the left sight of the stage also performing without a break for one and a half hours.
At the end of the show we were so hungry and exhausted that we decided to leave and eat at a nearby Indian restaurant. This was the first time our group had actually eaten out and it was delicious!! We enjoyed the meal and headed home to try to finally catch up with some sleep.

Journal 13

Dear Journal,

Today was another one of those uneventful days, mostly because all of us are still so exhausted from the weekend. I think the only exciting thing we did today was go to class and despite being very tired it was actually a very interesting class. Our topic for the day was women, gender and health.

I am often amazed at how stuck people are in their ways. People often tend to cling to traditions; they are afraid of change and the unknown. I am not talking about certain people; I am talking about humans or certain societies as a whole. Why is it that we put so much emphasis on how things used to be done? Why is so hard for people to change even if the world around them is changing at such a fast pace? India, the so-called “land of contrast” is a developing country with about 80 % of the population living in rural areas and an illiteracy rate of about 60 %. On the other hand, India also has a very high-quality educational system, a very rich upper-class and a working democracy.

So how can a nation of such contrasts merge traditions with modernity? How does a nation like India, which is expected to surpass China in terms of population growth by 2025, control population growth, when it is socially seen as a sign of infertility if a woman does not get pregnant after the first year of marriage? How can a nation like India try to legally enforce families to only have two children, but at the same time, socially support patriarchy?

It is these “hidden social rules” that clash with new, innovative ideas developing due to modernization. Modernization is a good thing, but when the socially accepted norms don’t change along with politics, economy and outside influences, things fall apart…

Journal 12

Dear Journal,

Today must have been the longest day of my life. We got up at 5:30 a.m., after only 3 hours of sleep, to leave for Nagarjuna konda.

Nagarajuna konda is an island, which emerges out of the artificial lake of the Nagarjuna Sagar dam. There is a Buddhist museum situated at Nagarjunakonda, which has a collection of Buddhist ruins and structures discovered in excavations, when the dam was being constructed in 1926. It’s history dates back to the 2nd century B.C. to 3rd century A.D. It was one of the important Buddhist centers of South India but today only the ruins of the lost city lie in the shadow of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.

One thing that made this trip so exhausting was the fact that it wasn’t anything like what we expected. We were told that the trip there would only be a 2-hour drive on an air-conditioned bus. We quickly found out that the bus was not air-conditioned and instead of 2-hours, the drive took about five. I really don’t mind giving up some of the luxuries I am used to, but I don’t like it when I am told one thing and find that none of it was true. I realize that usually things don’t turn out to be what you had expected and that things don’t always go as planned, but this was NOTHING like planned.

Anyway, after the long drive we arrived at a little hotel near the site and had lunch, which was prepared for our travel group. We then drove to the place where the boat would take us to the island. For me, waiting for the boat on the little dock was a very strange experience. Like usually there were people staring at us and taking pictures. The strangest thing to me however, was that there was this guy in normal street clothes, carrying a machine gun. I couldn’t believe that he would be allowed to just walk around with a machine gun strapped over his shoulder. It was not like he was trying to hide it either. He was not a security guard or a cop, simply a man, walking around with a machine gun. I got even more uncomfortable when I realized that he was getting on the boat also. The boat itself was very suspicious looking and when they started pilling twice as many people as there was room for (like they do with any other mode of transportation here) I felt very uncomfortable. The boat ride took about 30 minutes and I felt much better being back on the ground and further away from the man with the gun. First we went into the museum to see some of the actual objects that were found. The museum was hot because there was no electricity (no electricity = no fans) and again, people were staring at us, taking pictures of us and asking us where we were from. I have discovered that saying you are from Europe (which is actually true for me J) or Australia helps to get rid of them faster than if you said you were from the United States. After we saw everything in the museum we continued up to the actual site, which I have to say, I was kind of disappointed by. There were some ruins and a couple statues, but nothing big.

After some walking around, sightseeing and another scary boat ride (with the “gunman” sitting just a few seats away from me…) we arrived back at shore, where we continued on to the Nagarjuna Sagar waterfalls, which was beautiful. After a long and very exhausting day we finally got back on the bus to start our 5-hour long drive back.

I am amazed that we did not get into an accident. We were basically “flying” down the road, in the pouring rain, with no street lights, while trying to avoid cows, dogs, rickshaws and people walking on the road. After an 18-hour long trip (all for only 2 or 3 hours of sightseeing) we finally arrived safely at the guesthouse. After we all had some well-deserved Domino’s Pizza we found out that the “gunman” was a bodyguard for someone. This made me feel a little better, but still didn’t make sense, since he was mainly walking around by himself, not looking to concerned with “guarding” anybody. Either way, nobody should be allowed to carry around a gun like the one he was carrying.

Journal 11

Dear Journal,

History is a very important aspect of learning about a different culture, and museums are usually a fairly good way of “seeing” history or at least items that represent the past eras. To learn a little bit more about India’s history, we went on a trip to Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad.

The Salar Jung Museum exhibits 40,000 objects originally acquired by Mir Yusuf Ali Khan, popularly known as Salar Jung III (1889-1949). Right away when we drove onto the property, through the gates and past the security, we realized that this was probably a pretty important collection. We walked through the museum for what seemed forever, simply because the museum was very big. The only thing I didn’t like and that I will never be completely comfortable with is people (well, mainly men) constantly staring at me. It just makes it so much harder to relax and really enjoy what you are doing.
The museum was interesting, but also exhausting, so after we had seen most of it we decided to go and have a cup of tea somewhere.

We decided to try “Barista,” which is a big chain coffeehouse (kind of like Starbucks in the States). Barista definitely has a western feel to it and right away we were greeted by a friendly server, who then directed us to our table. After one look at the menu, most of our group was pretty excited to get a “little taste of home.” I think it is funny, how simple things like a smoothie or a sandwich can make us feel closer to home. After we finished our snacks, we headed back to the guesthouse, where we celebrated Christine’s birthday with chocolate cake and tea (of course, more tea J). It was really fun to just hang out with the group and talk. I don’t really have any philosophical thoughts for the day, so I will just leave this as a pretty “standard” Journal entry.

Journal 10

Dear Journal,

So today we experienced our first Rickshaw ride and I have to say, it was quite an experience!

Abbie and I went to St. Anne’s women’s College today to do some more research and interviewing for our Ethnography class. We arrived at the College at about 10:30am and met with the principal to find our which classes we could sit in at. She referred us to one of the Science faculty who invited us in for some tea. After tea we went and observed a class she taught in Biotechnology. I was fascinated by the quality of education the students were receiving. I thought the teacher did a phenomenal job of interacting with the students, presenting important information and at the same time asking questions and assuring student participation. After class we sat down and talked to the students, which was great and very informative. I interviewed three girls and asked questions about my research topic: Identity in Indian women. I received some answers that were expected but also receive quite a few unexpected answers.
Afterwards we were offered a snack for lunch and some more tea (I found out that the average Indian drinks about 8-10 cups of tea a day…that’s about 1 cup of tea every hour!!!). We then sat in at a political science and an English class, which were both very interesting. After our observations and interviews, we headed home.

When we got back to the guest house we made an appointment with Satya to go to a Telugu movie that night. We met at the front gate on campus to get a rickshaw. I have to say it is amazing how many people they can fit in those tiny little things. I think we had eight or nine people in a vehicle which is meant for three or four people. It was kind of scary, but I guess just like anything else, you get used to it.
The movie was odd, to say the least. Indian movies are definitely completely different from the typical Hollywood movie we get to see in the States. There is lots of dancing and singing and there were many scenes that everyone except us thought was hilarious but we just didn’t seem to get the joke…I blame this on:
1. The fact that the movie was in Telegu and did NOT have any subtitles, and
2. The cultural context.
It was an interesting experience. Not just the movie itself was different, but the whole experience of people laughing and whistling and clapping in the movie theater and mostly HUNDREDS of people staring at us…constantly!

The scariest part however, was the Rickshaw ride home. We walked through dark alleys in order to get to the spot where we would find a Rickshaw, and after finally getting there, we again tried to fit twice the amount of people in one Rickshaw than should be legal. The scary part was that this guy, who had been following us since we left the movie theater, just kind of jumped in the Rickshaw with us. Luckily we had Kirthy and Satya’s friend with us. During the ride, Satya’s friend and the creepy guy almost got into a fight and it was pretty scary. We were all relieved when Satya’s friend got him to get out of the Rickshaw. We finally made it home at about 10:30 p.m.

Journal 9

Dear Journal,

Today was a very uneventful day. All of us were really tired and exhausted from this week. Again, only two of us made it to yoga and I am starting to feel really bad that the instructor is giving the class for so few people. So today, after class basically all of us went to our rooms, did some readings and homework and took a nap. Dinner was good as always and now we are all catching up on some work on the computers before Satya comes over to watch a Telegu movie with us.

This Saturday we will be going to a museum in Hyderabad and on Sunday we will be going to a Buddhist site. Tomorrow, Abbie and I will go to St. Anne’s college again to visit with some students and do some more research for our final project. It has been kind of hard to figure out a good time to go and do research, because we usually have class in the mornings and by the time we would get to the College most students would be done with classes for the day. Our weekends are mostly all booked for additional travel and sight seeing, so we thought it would be a good idea to go tomorrow, when we have time.

Today in class we also handed in our proposal for the project and each student gave a short presentation of the project. I think that everyone in the group has chosen an interesting topic and I think it will be very interesting to see what kind of results we will all come up with.

Journal 8

Dear Journal,

Democracy…
What is democracy and more importantly, what makes a democracy a good, working democracy? This is one of the questions, which we discussed with the faculty, and the dean of the University of Osmania. The University of Osmania was the fist University in India to teach in an Indian language. First, we met with the Vice Chancellor and learned about the University and its history. After some tea and cookies we looked at the campus and some of the buildings, which were beautiful. We then went and met with the Principal of the University, who was also a Journalism Professor. Many other faculties and Head of different Departments joined the meeting and the Principal started the conversation by asking us what we liked about India and what our first impressions were. After some small talk he asked us how we felt about the Indian Democracy compared with the American Democracy. Well, I felt this question very hard to discuss, since neither I nor anyone else in the group knew much about the Democracy in India yet. After all, that is part of what we are hoping to learn during our stay.

After we arrived at the guesthouse we realized that the power was still out so some of us sat down in the sitting area and had some tea. After some time we got into a heated discussion about politics, democracy and patriotism. I always find these topics very interesting, but after moving to the States from Germany I have also learned that when talking about these topics, one has to be careful to not hurt or offend anyone. Obviously, I believe one should speak their mind and always be in search for the truth, but I also learned that if you do not know the person you are getting into a debate with, it is sometimes hard to communicate your opinion correctly without being misunderstood. So, needless to say, some opinions clashed and the discussion got kind of out of hand.

Why is it that people have such a hard time accepting different opinions simply as being different, rather than judging them as “bad opinions” or “bad attitudes?” I think that one needs to consider the other persons opinion as a possible option, without backing down from their own opinion. One needs to be understanding of other opinions even if he or she does not agree with them. I realize that this is very difficult, but I do believe that this is one of the most important aspects of being a “good global citizen” and one of the keys to truly understanding another culture.

After all, how can one understand a different culture if they are not willing to see their traditions, their opinions, their ideas for simply what they are, without trying to determine which tradition is better, which opinion and which idea is better. It is impossible to judge two such different cultures, so that’s what they should be seen as. Different traditions, different opinions and different ideas work differently for different societies and cultures.

So, I have come to the conclusion that one cannot say that the Indian democracy is better than the American or vice versa, but they are simply different forms of democracy that work differently for two entirely different societies.

Journal 7

Dear Journal,

I am very tired today and didn’t even really feel like getting up. I did make it to Yoga at 7 a.m. and did some homework after breakfast. We all went to the city after lunch to get some money exchanged and get some clothes. We went in separate cars so that everyone in the group can get what they need.

I have noticed that in India things are never really planned and even if they are, most likely things will NOT go as planned. Things are much slower and more relaxed here. This is also a major difference between here and the States. In the States my life is very fast-pace. I am always hurrying from class to class and from class to work and from work home to get other things done. Here it seems like everything is much slower, relaxed and spontaneous. I kind of like it. I like having a plan and I like having some structure in my day, but it is also nice to not have to worry about being at certain places at a certain time for once. I am also kind of enjoying not having a cell phone…it is good to be unreachable sometimes.

Us girls have decided to conclude the night by relaxing on the couch and watching some American TV…I think most of us have pretty much overcome the culture shock and are now starting to miss certain things from home. I always thought it is so interesting to see what people miss first after leaving “home”, because usually it is so different for everybody. When I first moved to the States from Germany, I really missed the Ocean and the Sea breeze, because I grew up in a harbor city and spent a lot of time at the water and the beaches. I also really missed rain (it rained a lot in my hometown) and bike trails. In the US bike trails are hard to find, whereas in Germany they are almost easier to find an in better condition than roads. I know a lot of us here have started to miss little things like Pizza (we went to Pizza Hut today…hmmm!), or simply being able to get around quicker and easier.

Everybody perceives the world around them differently than the next person and everybody reacts to certain situations differently than others. This is also one of the main characteristics that make all of us “human”…INDIVIDUALITY!!!

snapshots from CAR

snapshots from CAR
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

A building in Hyderabad at sunset...

A Palace in Hyderabad

A Palace in Hyderabad
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is Chowmahalla palace in Hyderabad. Very beautifull!!!

Passing-by Indian taking pictures of us...

Passing-by Indian taking pictures of us...
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is what we see everyday...it is a great picture, because I caught this guy redhanded taking a picture of me...funny:)

Qutbschi tombs

Qutbschi tombs
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is one of the Qutbschi tombs, built around 500 years ago.

Indian girls at Charminar

Indian girls at Charminar
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

These were two Indian girls that followed us around for about an hour.

snapshots from CAR

snapshots from CAR
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This guy drove next to our cab and we waved at his son, so he sped up and smiled for a photo.

Green Apple Martini!

Green Apple Martini!
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is me having a green apple martini at the "touch." The server looks pretty excited :)

Group Pic

Group Pic
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is our group partying at the touch
(from left to right: Susheela, Lashanna, Nikki, Christine, Abbie, Evan, Lena, Satya and Kirthi in the front)

Birthday Kiss

Birthday Kiss
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This was saturday -- Evan's birthday -- so Christine, Abbie and I gave him a "birthday kiss"...I think he enjoyed it :)

Journal 6

Dear Journal,

Today is Sunday and it really was not that eventful. Actually it was what most women would call the perfect day J. We slept, had breakfast, slept, had lunch, went shopping, had dinner and we will conclude by sleeping some more.

We all were so tired and exhausted from the weekend and the whole group took a nap after breakfast. After lunch Satya picked us up and took us Sari shopping. It was a very different experience for us. We went into a very nice looking shop and were seated around a small table. Instantly, the men behind the table/counter showed us Sari after Sari, they showed us pink and blue, Silk and cotton, with gold lining or without…they showed us any style possible. We then had to pick the ones we liked and they would put them aside and show us even more Saris. So then we went to the next table and looked at some more Saris. After all of us had one or two Saris picked out Sari started bargaining, we were all soo glad that Satya was there, because we would not have been able to figure all of that out. Most of us ended up buying one Sari. Tomorrow we will each have the tops made here on campus and then we will be able to wear our own Saris, which will be exciting. We stopped at another mall at get some small things and then headed home.

To me it is kind of odd how quickly all of us have gotten used to things that at the beginning of our stay seemed so crazy and different and scary. For example, the driving scared me when we got here, but now it seems like the most normal thing in the world to me. I seem to notice the looks and stares less and less and even the constant honking seems “normal.” It is weird to see the change in myself and how my own perceptions have changed. It took less time than I thought it would….

Journal 5

Dear Journal,

Wow, I am glad we went on the excursion to the country, but I can honestly say that I am glad to be back in the “city.” I now realize how spoiled we have been at the guesthouse with air-conditioning, no bugs, and great food three times a day and pretty much all the luxuries we are used to from home. I remember when I first stepped into the guest house I was still in “shock” and confused by the “culture shock” that I didn’t realize how luxurious even the guest house was…

After a horrible night in a very hot room full of bugs we ate breakfast and decided to leave the farmhouse a day earlier than planned…that was enough “country life” for us! We had to take the bus home, which was definitely an experience in itself. We sat side-by-side with the locals and they were VERY confused by our presence. Some looked at each other very confused, some simply stared at us and very few simply minded their own business. Even though the bus was very uncomfortable, very hot and cramped it was a very interesting ride…we drove through many small villages and saw another “India.” We saw under what conditions a big part of the population lives. It was definitely an eye-opening experience and I will never forget it.

After we arrived at the guesthouse and enjoyed the air-conditioned rooms, a very cold shower and some hot food, we decided to go out and experience the nightlife of Hyderabad. WOW…what a culture shock that was after a night in the country. After a very scary ride through our first real monsoon rain (and almost being washed of the road J) we arrived at the nightclub.

To me this was the strangest experience…we had just gotten back from the village and we had just experienced life in India for the poor. Now we were driving into this underground garage full of Mercedes and big guards greeted us and directed us to go upstairs. We walked through a very luxurious and beautiful hallway and found the entrance to the “touch.” We paid an entrance fee of 500 rupees, which was put towards drinks and were seated at a table near the entrance. We found a very chick small white table with rose leaves in the middle, many luxurious white leather couches and quite, electronical lounge music playing in the background. We sat down, ordered some drinks that were definitely much closer to American prices than anything else we had found in India before and took a look around the club.

The kind of “Indian” we found here was a very different “Indian” and had a very different IDENTITY than the Indian we had seen earlier that day out in Pilly Polly. The Indian here was educated, rich and the women wore much more revealing clothes…. We as a group had a great time eating, drinking, dancing and talking.

When we got home around 1 a.m. however, I sat down and took a few minutes reflecting on the day! It was a very odd day. It was a day full of CONTRAST, just like India itself…a place full of contrast….

Journal 4

Dear Journal,

Life in the country is definitely a whole different life than life in the city in India. This is what we have observed from our trip to the village of Pilly Polly.

We left the Guesthouse at 3 p.m. to leave for the “farmhouse” in the village and arrived after about two and a half hours in the car. We arrived at the farmhouse and started exploring the area. The house itself was very interesting and very nice, but VERY different. It was very simple and “open.” We ate supper outside and got to know our hosts, which was very nice. During the conversation we started talking about having servants and many of us realized that we did not agree with their view on this topic at all. Some of us even felt offended and upset. After fighting our fears and dislike for bugs we eventually went to bed. However, I lay awake for quite some time just thinking about what was said at dinner.

Why is it that people of different cultures feel so completely different about certain topics? I realize that most of it has to do with how we are raised and mostly what we observe as children. What we observe when we are young is what builds our character. Children watch how people treat each other and will treat other people accordingly, children will watch how people deal with anger and sadness and accept those actions and form their own character. But how much of our characteristics, our personality, OUR IDENTITY, is genetic. I mean, is all behavior learnt through the culture or do our personal characteristics play a part in who we become in the cultural context? Why is it that this very nice, well-educated couple feels so superior to others simply because they are poorer or less educated or simply of a lower caste? Why is it that they treat their “servants” the way they do? And why is it that the people in our group, all with very different cultural backgrounds, found this behavior so upsetting and frustrating? Is it because we were raised differently? Is it simply because it is so different from what we are used to that we are not comfortable with it? Does it have to do with what we feel is right and wrong?

I cannot answer this question, but I feel that the cultural differences are a main factor in this disagreement.

SIP group

SIP group2
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is a picture of our group in front of the Palace in Hyderabad. From left to right: Susheela, Evan, Abbie, Nikki, Lena, Lashanna and Christine. (Kirthy is not in this picture).

Indian girls 3

Indian girls 3
Originally uploaded by thompson83.

This is a picture taken at the tombs. These Indian girls followed us around for hours, pulling on our sleves, wanting to have their picture taken. After I took the picture they always wanted to see it on the screen, giggeling the whole time, cause they thought it was the coolest thing that they could see themselves on that tiny screen :)

Journal 3

Dear Journal,

I think our group is slowly getting used to our daily routine – getting up for Yoga at 7 a.m., Have breakfast at 8 a.m., check e-mails, read or do other things until class, which are all before lunch, have lunch at 1p.m., and after lunch we usually go on little excursions.

Today we went to the Charminar…the “symbol” of Hyderabad. I think the most interesting part of this was the part around the Charminar, which is like a huge bazaar where you can buy fabric and jewelry and lots of other things. We were of course observed by many and it sometimes feels like when we are looking at “tourist attractions” WE are the real attraction to the locals…kind of like we look at tourist attractions and we are their “local attraction,” I don’t know, but to me this attention is very odd. Again, this is something “Indian” (What is Indian…?) It is part of their culture to look when they see a foreign person…it is something “western” not to stare…”Don’t stare at people!” is what our parents teach us. But is it our culture…or more so is it “me?” I am not sure. The view from the Charminar was amazing…to me looking down from tall buildings or being in airplanes always makes me realize how small we are….but then looking at the huge Mosque right next to the Charminar also makes me realize what humans are capable of and how unbelievable some of the things that make us human are.

These are all kind of random thoughts but they are all results of my observations and impressions from today…you could say it is still all part of my reaction to the “culture shock.” To me, this is exciting. I am enjoying every bit about this, observing people, even being observed (well, in a way), the different smells, the different tastes, and the different customs…I like people and I enjoy observing people.

I had talked about the differences and similarities in people from different cultures in one of my earlier entries and I always find this very obvious in children. When we were walking to the mosque we were followed by a group of very poor children probably wanting some money or water. They spoke a different language, they live in a completely different environment, have different customs and different ideas of what the world looks like….yet they are kids….kids like very other one in the world. They laugh and play they run around and play catch. Kids are kids no matter where you are. This is who they are, they are all human, all kids…

There are certain things that make us human. Considering India’s struggle to find an identity, I have come to the conclusion that this should be the first -- the main—characteristic that describes any person in the world. A person can be an Indian or an American, a Hindu or a Christian, a woman or a man, but mostly we are all human.
I am a Human-European-American…the person next to me might be a Human-Indian-Muslim-middle-aged-man…etc We are all human, that I am certain of!

Journal 2

Dear Journal,

Contemporary India…What IS contemporary India? How can we define it? This is what we discussed in our first class today. Many people would describe India as a sovereign, secular, socialist Republic. India is the largest Democracy in the world (population wise) and is known for its diversity and unity. However there is also the inequality between wealthy and literate people to very poor and illiterate people. In short, India is a land of contrast!!!

So how do we define a nation of contrast, how do we identify or characterize what is “Indian?” India is defined as ONE nation, which means it is geographically bound (ironically by someone else, the British…). So one could go so far as to say that the Indian nation is a legacy of the British. Because of this, the issue of English as an “Indian language” is often a subject of debate. What is an Indian language? There are many languages spoken and even though Hindi is considered the “national language” it is not spoken by all Indians. The same goes for Religions. India is a secular nation; it does not have a national religion. There are Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians living side by side struggling to find their Identity as “Indians.” So there is constantly this dialogue of “WHAT IS INDIA?”

There are certain “tourist images” sold to the world like India as a place which offers, hill stations and beautiful nature, beaches and deserts, history and religious temples, Wildlife and Safaris….This India however, is located in the past. This India that is being “advertised” does not talk about High-tech-city or the slums of Bombay. This advertised India is a glorified, unspoiled India of the past…

Then terms like “westernization” and “modernization” come to mind, which make it even harder to define “Indian Culture.” What is the Indian Culture? All states and parts of India have different lifestyles, different cultures, different languages, different food, different religions, so how do we choose any ONE of those many, very different characteristics and identify it as “Indian.”

We talked about the example of Muslims living in India are not ONE group, but yet they are…Take the way they dress for example…A Muslim woman in the South would wear a Burqa, which would cover them entirely in clothing. In the north eastern parts of India however women don’t even cover up their heads…so what or who is an Indian-Muslim woman? Or would she be a Muslim-Indian woman? What do we define ourselves as? Who am I? And among all the characteristics that make me me or that make a nation a nation, what am I first?

This is an intriguing subject and I am very interested in researching this topic further…..

Journal 1

For my Ethnography class we have to write a Journal which will be evaluated every week. I will post the entries on here also, eventhough some of it might repeat what I already wrote. This is my first entry from yesterday:

Dear Journal,

I am often fascinated by how different but yet so similar people’s interests, basic needs, wants and fears in very different cultures can be. This is what I hope to observe during my stay and further explore through my Journal entries.


YOGA:

What can a simple yoga class tell us about a culture so different than “ours” (then again, what is “our “culture…)? Can it tell us something about the mentality of its people? Can it teach us something about their religion and values? Can it help us understand their way of life? Obviously, a simple yoga class will not answer questions about how this culture functions and why things are the way they are. However, it can give us an idea of the complexity of the Indian culture and the subtle aspects that make it so interesting and fascinating.

According to Wikipedia.com, “Yoga is a family of ancient Hindu spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. In other parts of the world where yoga is popular, notably the West, Yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, which are popular as fitness exercises and also form the basis of an expanding business.”

Many people in the “western” world associate certain things with Yoga. They take Yoga classes because it is supposed to give you flat abs and make you more flexible. Some take it simply because the superstars in Hollywood are doing it and they think it is “hip” or “cool.” In the USA, the usual yoga class will take place in an upper-class, membership-only gym. I used to go to a yoga class at our gym. You walk through the gym, passing big, sweaty men working their muscles to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. You then reach the class room upstairs. Its back wall is entirely covered in mirrors and pictures of yoga and Pilates exercises hang on the walls. Everywhere lean, skinny women in bright pink sports wear are stretching on plastic mats in the air-conditioned room. Most likely you will then be greeted by a hyper-active lady explaining she is the instructor, as she turns on the fake “Yoga music” with soft water noises and bird chirping. You then spend about 45 minutes doing very difficult posses trying to get “fabulous” Abs. After class you do not feel revived, but exhausted and tired. (This paragraph may include some stereotyping to support my pointJ).

Our image of a Yoga class was changed forever today as our group started the day bright and early at 7 a.m. to take a Yoga class in Hyderabad, India. We left the guest house a little before 7 and started our short walk over to the building in which the class were to take place. It was a nice morning with a light breeze. The building in which the Yoga class takes place is a simple but large, open building. You can hear the birds from outside and you can feel the breeze as you enter the building. A few simple mats are laid out on the floor for every person. The teacher sits in front of the room facing the rest of us. We are greeted friendly and told to sit down, finding a comfortable position while the breeze continues to flow through the building. We start by sitting down with our legs stretched out in front of us, closing our eyes and tilting our heads back. The man in the front of the room sings a peace prayer. Yoga is something spiritual and seen as a set of practices intended to bring people closer to God - to help them achieve union with God. We hear the peacefull sound of the man’s voice and I feel as if I can understand the meaning of the prayer even though I can not understand the meaning of the words he is singing. I feel very relaxed and enjoy listening to his voice. The instructor speaks very calmly during the class and explains to us simple breathing exercises and helps us to relax our bodys, while concentrating on our breathing. After about an hour of very relaxing and calming exercises we feel awake and rejuvenated and finish the class with three long “Ohms.” What a great way to start the day!
Honestly, I can not say I am enlightend because I took a yoga class in India, but I have definitely come a little, tiny bit closer to understanding its meaning to their culture. More importantly, I have found a new admiration and pleasure in practicing Yoga.

India continued

Today is Tuesday and I have been here for almost one week now. I am over my jetlag and much more used to the weather and the food....this makes things a lot better!!!! Yesterday we had our Orientation where we met the Director and Coordinator of the Program along with some other people of the University. We also talked about the University, Hyderabad and some safety rules...then we chose our classes. I decided to take Contemporary India (which I think is going to be incredibly interesting...we will discuss family values, the caste system, political system, religions, traditional India versus new "globalized" India....it sounds great!!!) and Ethnographic Approaches to Indian Society, which I am also looking forward to. These two classes will meet twice a week for an hour or an hour and a half each. I am also taking Hindi, which will meet 4 times a week. Additionaly, I will be doing my two credit Independent study through SDSU...so all together, I will have 11 credits in 6 weeks....pretty good I thought :) We just met for Hindi for the first time and it will definately be a challenge, there is only three of us taking it and the teacher I think will be good, but fairly strict. Hindi is also a Skript language so right now we are starting by learning some simple sentences like "Hi, my name is...." and I think tomorrow we will look at how the script isactually written. I know that in 6 weeks it will be very hard to really learn much, but even if we will be able to say some simple senteces and understand a little it will be worth it...plus I have never tried to learn a skript langauge so it will be interesting to see how much harder and how different it will be from learning Spanish or French...
This morning at 7 am we also went to Yoga class as a group...it was GREAT!!!!! It is about a 5 minute walk from the guest house in a huge, open warehouse-like-looking building with no real windows (well, open windows) and huge open doors, behind it is a field with people playing cricket (well not at 7am, but at other times of the day) We all sat on little mats (or "mini-carpets" :) and started with a Prayer, this was really cool. we are sitting there is total silence, with the birds in the background and the subtle breeze blowing in from outside, listening to a prayer sung by this Indian man. We did a few simple breathing exercises and some poses, but nothing to difficult...we will learn more as we go. The only thing kind of annoying were all the flies....it is hard to relax your body and concentrate on "your inner self" when you have flies dancing on your nose :) It was a great experience, especially cause the whole group went and I think we will all continue to go every morning before breakfast.
Yesterday, we also went into the city to exchange some money, since most of us only had dollars. It is still very hard to see all the poverty on the street...You can drive down a road and see all these little huts and self-made tents out of platicbags, mudd and sticks and children running around, women carrying buckets with water and old people slepiong on the side of the street among (HUGE!!!) cows and stray dogs...all in the middlew of the city..then, however, a few fet further is a huge cement wall surrounding this HUUUGE mansion with BMW's in the garage and the most extravagant things you can imagine...it is a very different world that is for sure...We went to Thomas Cook to exchange our money and for 400$ I got 17,700 rupees or something like that...makes you feel kind of rich to hold that much money.... 1 US dollar is about 44.75 rupees...We sat down and had a Sprite and it was 8 rupees...that is about 20 cents....I think so far I have maybe spent 5 dollars since I have gotten here....Eating at the Guest house is delicious, we get thre full meals with dessert, tea, fresh fruit and vegetables every day and it costs us 5 $ a day....its crazy!!! Today after class and after lunch, Satya will take us to go Sari shopping so I am very excited....I need to find some postcards and some souvenirs for friends and family....
I can already tell this is going to be a great experience and I cannot wait to se what is next....

India Day3/4

Yesterday was my 3rd day in Hyderabad, but it wasn't very eventfull. I did get up for breakfast at 8am however. I had some toast with butter and jelly, some honey, a piece of French Toast (well not really what we call French Toast, a piece of bread with eggs..lots of eggs :), some cocoa puffs (very dry and old) and some orange juice, except for it wasnt orange juice, I think it was mango juice or something like that...I am not complaining, cause it was a good breakfast, just very different from what I expected. I also appreciated the gesture for them to make something non-indian for me to feel more "at home"... After breakfast I sat and talked with Mr. Das, the manager, wrote some emails and walked around some more...then before lunch, two girls, who had studied here in the spring semester, stopped by. They are both from the US (Minnesota and Wyoming actually..) and are now just hanging out here...One of them actually has a little apartment in Hyderabad and the other girl travels all over India...both of them are here until August and it sounded like they are both having an awesome time...So after lunch I went up to my room to read a little (The DaVinci Code) and I fell asleep until about 6:30 pm...apparently I wasnt over my jet-lag and a little tired yet :) I had supper and went to bed kind of early again.
Today, is Saturday morning and I just had another delicious breakfast. Today the other students from Pittsburgh will arrive and I cannot wait to have some company...On monday we have our orientation and classes will start...I cant wait!!!

Day 2

Today is my second day in India and I feel a little better, because I finally got some rest (more than "some"...I slept for 14 hours !!!) I am still having some troubles with the food, NOT because it is not good, but because my stomach has been a little upset, probably from the Malaria pills I have to take every day...So I am kind of struggling with the spicy food, as it wont sit very well in my stomach. I am sure that with time it will get better as I will get more used to everything. I did finally get out today and Mr. Satya showed me around Campus, which was nice. It wasnt too hot today, still humid, but not too bad so that was nice. The campus is very big and very nice...Lots of beautiful buildings and lots of pretty trees...Tomorrow I will hopefully be able to see some more. Then, friday night/saturday morning more students will arrive. It will be nice to have some company as I am the only student right now. There is another lady from Japan who is doing her Ph.D. here in Sociology, but she eats at the Ladies hostel and is out at classes most of the day....so I am excited to meet some other students soon....Other than that I am still getting used to everything but I am definately a little more excited now that I am better rested.
I hope all is well for everyone reading...

INDIA...

Well...i finally made it..I am in Hyderabad, India. After a very long trip I arrived in Hyderabad on June 6th at about 3am (after a 2 hour delay), where I was pciked up by Mr. Satya, the Student Advisor. And just to let everyone know....what people say about driving in India...yeah it is all true!!! Anyway, I have not accomplished much today except for getting some sleep, eating some lunch and unpacking some of my things. My room is small and simple BUT it has air-conditioning, which is very nice, cosidering that it was still 32 degrees CELCIUS at 4 in the morning. Other than that I have not seen too much yet, but hopefully tomorrow, after I get a normal nights worth of sleep I will be able to at least check out the campus. I will try to keep blogging on a somewhat regular basis and maybe give some more detailed reports of my stay...
I hope everyone is doing well!