Let the Adventure Begin

It is the end of March, which means our all India tour departure date has arrived. Included in the YAV India year, is a month long tour around the country. Our supervisor gives the volunteers a stipend, the responsibility of arranging and executing all of plans each year. This month long tour is seen as an educational experience rather than a vacation, as we learn about the various cultures, experience life in different regions and see the amazing sites in this vast country! But of course, we will make learning fun!!

While I am very excited, I must admit I am a little nervous as well. Madison and Jim joke that I’m a hygiene-freak and that my Type A personality often clashes with Indian life (admittedly, both are true (but HAVE gotten much better after 7 months)) I don’t have enough clothes to last the month, let alone underwear. Additionally, my plan ahead personality is being tested as the adventures that could ensue are unfathomable. However, this morning I went to the doctor and stocked up on all medicines (homeopathic- simply to defy the notion that Americans take so much medicine!) that I may need. I even picked up a strand of rope and will take along some Breathe Right strips just in case! This month will surely put my personality quirks to the test, as long hot days and little sleep often cause Maggie the beast to become active. Despite all of this, a grand adventure is on our horizon and I am looking forward to it!

I have included an outline of our itinerary so you are able to follow along. I would recommend pulling up a map of India if you are interested so you can trace our exact travel places, as the place names probably won’t mean much. Prayers for good health and travel mercies would be appreciated for the 3 of us!! I will return to Kerala on April 24^th…until then, peace and love!

March 31^st Fly to Delhi

April 1^st Day in Delhi

Sleep in Delhi

April 2^nd Day in Delhi

Sleep in Delhi

April 3^rd Day Fly to Srinagar

Sleep in Srinagar

April 4^th Day in Srinagar

Sleep in Srinagar

April 5^th Day in Srinagar

Sleep in Srinagar

April 6^th Day travel to Jammu

Sleep in Jammu

April 7^th Day travel to Dharmasala

Sleep in Dharmasala

April 8^th Day in Dharmasala

Sleep in Dharmasala

April 9^th Day in Dharmasala

Sleep in Dharmasala

April 10^th Day travel to Amritsar

Sleep in Amritsar

April 11^th Day travel to Delhi

Sleep in Delhi

April 12^th Day travel to Agra

Sleep in Agra

April 13^th Day travel to Agra

Sleep in Agra

April 14^th Day travel to Jaipur

Sleep in Jaipur

April 15^th Day travel to Jaipur

Sleep to Jaipur

April 16^th Day to Jaisalmeer

Sleep in Jaisalmeer

April 17^th Day ride a camel

Sleep in Desert

April 18^th Day in Jaisalmeer

Sleep in Jaisalmeer

April 19^th Day in Train to Mumbai

Sleep in Train on way to Mumbai

April 20^th Day Fly to Goa

Sleep in Goa

April 21 Day in Goa

Sleep in Goa

April 22 Day in Goa

Sleep in Goa

April 23 Day in Goa

Sleep on Train to Kerala

A Visit to Hyderabad

Back in October I was supposed to run a marathon with an Indian friend from Xavier. After having to cancel plans due to my crazy eye, I was able to visit with him and his family this past week! And what a ball we all had together!

It was quite the experience and shed light on a whole different side of life in India. India is a vast country both in size and diversity. Getting out of Kerala and being surrounded by a very affluent community gave me the opportunity to experience a whole different perspective allowing me to further reflect on my time in India.

My friend Ashwin graduated from Xavier with his MBA in May of 2010. During his 2 years on campus he easily became the most well-known, life of the party, willing to do anything for anyone, charismatic, involved in every extra-curricular, not able to go anywhere without knowing someone Indian charmer. The minute I met Ashwin at the Hyderabad airport, I could tell that the Xavier Ashwin I knew was no different from the Indian Ashwin. Everywhere we went, Ashwin knew at least 5 people. While I lost count of the number of people I was introduced to after 250, I think I easily met more than 700 people during the course of the week. 2 lavish weddings, an engagement ceremony and a birthday party helped contribute to the insane amount of people I met. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. All week I was surrounded by people who worked for their very successful individual family businesses. Ashwin’s family makes the liners for pistons (during the course of the week I learned so much about car engines I can now maintain a conversation with anyone about car parts!!) I was given a tour of a liner factory and met lots of people in the industry. It was interesting to watch and take part in the conversations that mainly revolved around work and subsequently profit making. This was a very different experience from my past 7 months at my site. Furthermore, two days before I left to see Ashwin, I was told the annual income of a teacher at Nicholson- spending this same amount of money for 1 dinner for 4 was hard to swallow.

Another interesting experience was interacting with men. For the past 7 months the only male gender I have interacted with consistently have been 2 men by the name of Tim- and that has only been over the phone. This week was the complete opposite; I was in the company of another woman once. At first I was hesitant to talk and assumed an Indian woman’s position amongst the group of men- but then I pinched myself and joined in; a person creating change doesn’t conform.

I really enjoyed my time with Ashwin and his family. I am grateful that I was able to see a different side of Indian life as it reaffirmed the work I am doing in Kerala. As I sat talking to Ashwin’s friends, all I could think was, ”Someday, I hope the girls at Nicholson have the ability to feel comfortable and confident to go out alone with a group of guys.”

X for Xavier Nation!!!

The End of the School Year

Right now in Kerala, it is HOT! I know I said it was hot when I came back in September, but that seems like sweatshirt weather compared to the temperature now! It is just plain HOT, hence, the commencing of summer vacation here in India.

The education system is very different from ours in the United States, with its own strengthens and weaknesses, I have gained a new perspective on our education system in the United States. In India the whole month of March is dedicated to exams. At the beginning of the month, I was so confused on the logistics of the exam schedule- thinking every standard was on the same schedule, however, as the end of the month approaches I have finally figured out the schedule and now understand a little better the exam schedule here in Kerala.

Just like in the US, with the end of exams comes the beginning of a break. For the students here in Kerala, that break is their summer vacation, fitting because it is so HOT! The school will re-open again in May with the majority of classes beginning in June. For the month of April I will travel and May my time will be spent in various parts of the state visiting and being present among the people here in India.

Exposure to Death Practices

For most people death is not a comfortable subject. However, it is an inevitable part of life…well, lack thereof I guess. In the recent weeks, I have attended many funerals for various people to whom I am somewhat connected. Most of these funerals took place before my own Grandma’s death- but I needed personal time to process that before I could distribute this blog. (On a side note, thanks for all the cards and prayers. I feel very lucky to have been able to have had my Grandma in my life. The night my Dad called, I was able to snuggle extra tight with the blanket she made me 22 years ago and say a little prayer of gratitude for being able to call such a wonderful woman my Grandma. The next few months, I will live out her passion and love for people as I finish this year out strong.)

During my fieldwork senior year of college, I became very interested in different faiths and cultural practices related to death, as I worked at a Jewish nursing home. I was fascinated by their customs related to death and have since taken interest in different religious and cultural beliefs surrounding death.

Since my work is primarily with children, I didn’t come into this year expecting to be exposed to many death practices in India. While I feel it’s a little morbid to say I enjoyed attending the funerals, I am grateful that I was able to experience this and learn about the different religious and cultural rituals here in India.

The most recent funeral I attended was for a family of the Hindu faith. While I had watched a Hindu funeral on TV, experiencing it first-hand made my understanding more clear. Like other faiths, Hindus have viewing hours at the house the day after the person has died. The body was laid out on a wooden bed-frame covered in a plain white sheet. Friends come to the house and bring flower arrangements which they place directly on the body. The mourning people gather around the body, singing songs and paying respects to the body for the last time. Particular to the Hindu faith, men will remain outside of the house while women sit inside, around the body. After several hours of singing and having friends come to the house, the body is carried outside and placed on a cut up mango tree. The oldest son of the family is expected to cut down a mango tree from the backyard and prepare the spot where the body will be cremated. Ghee (or melted butter) is sprinkled on the white sheet covering the body and the body is then lit on fire. The body will burn for a few hours as people standby. A couple days later, family members will take a few bones from the ashes and go to the temple to pray before throwing the bones into a sacred river.

The Christian tradition is similar and shares many of the same traditions. However, instead of the body being laid on a bed, it is placed in a simple wooden casket (I think Americans should adopt this simplicity as the wooden box is all the body needs.) All dead bodies in India are displayed so the face can be seen one last time, no matter the condition. Indian-Christians also place flower arrangements directly on the body. Little to no receiving line exists like in American culture.

After a period of singing in the person’s house, the body is transported (usually in ambulance vehicles) to the person’s church. I have found the funeral services to be very similar to our culture’s except for the photographing element. Right before the body is carried out, family members pose with the body as someone takes pictures. During this time, family and friends view the body one last time often caressing their face or kissing their forehead. At one funeral, I even witnessed a person lift the body up out of the casket to give the man a kiss. These pictures are very special to families and I have had many students show me pictures of their deceases loved ones (You may imagine that at first I was a bit caught off guard and even a bit creeped out. What is an appropriate comment in that situation?)

The burial of the body takes place the same day as the viewing (most cases this is the day after the death) and most people will attend the burial after the funeral service. Once the burial has taken place, tea and snacks are provided. It has been interesting to watch the grieving period unfold. Emotions can be high during the viewing and funeral service, but after the burial, life returns to its normal pace.

Two of the 5 funerals I have attended have been for a parent of girls at the school. These were particular difficult and sad situations. I found the school’s support as well as the support the girls provided for their classmates to be very touching. At times I have felt very bad about attending these funerals, as I felt I was using the deceased loved one as an educational experience. However, with my own Grandma’s death, these experiences allowed me to process her death as being far from home often makes is hard to deal with the realities.

The meaning of Spoken English

“Spoken English, what does that mean you teach?” A very understandable question when I tell people what I am doing here in India. I have found the education system in India to be very different from our methods of teaching in the United States. To begin with there is a lot more respect for teachers in India. Students are taught never to question a teacher; the information she teaches is correct, period. Additionally, very little of what the students are taught utilizes their right-brain, or creativity side. Even in the craft classes they are told what to draw and how to draw it leaving little room for imagination.

Having said this, I try to prepare creative activities that will allow the students’ to think on their own and use their imagination. At first, there was much hesitancy and I really had to encourage and help the girls tap into their creative side. However, as the days have gone by, I have slowly witnessed them crawling out of their shells. Some days my lessons work better than others but I try to create games that will force the students to talk and use English. Group works well as they have more confidence to speak in a group however, I often wonder if this is the most beneficial for them individually. I have found listening activities and speaking activities to be the most challenging but also the most rewarding for me…if they work. Overall, I try to vary the activities we do- using my creativity to help them utilize their creativity while building their confidence and English skills.

Here are sample Haiku’s my Standard 8 (8th grade) wrote:

Exercise
We do all the days
For health peoples runs the way
Without this health will loose

Teamwork
Work hard together
Unity is strength
There will be success

Indian eyes (not quite the pattern but the creativity was great!!)
On a small white road
A pitch black sparkle shines
Running all around

The Joy of Young Girls

The last weekend of the month is usually the only 2 days of the month that the girls are allowed to leave Nicholson and spend at home. This has come to be my favorite time of the month, as the number of girls that stays is usually no more than 20 (compared to the 400 girls that attend the school) allowing me to spend individual time with each. The atmosphere of the school changes as the strict rules are bent a little, the rigid schedule becomes floppy and the food quality improves (sometimes the girls are even allowed to help in the kitchen…they love this!!)

I’ve come to realize that I enjoy this time mostly because I feel like their big sister rather than a respected elder. Barriers are broken that need to be their during the rest of the month solely because of the numbers. For example, letting all the girls into my room during the normal part of the month would be a DIASTER. However, during these 2 days, letting the girls hangout in my room is much more manageable and a treat for everyone.

This past weekend, among our time hanging out the favorite joy was watching “love stories films”, as they call them. I’ve come to learn that no matter the culture, little girls are infatuated with love! I remember the times growing up when my friends and I were obsessed with chick-flicks, played imaginary love stories and even proposed to each other with Ring-pops (Jess- will you be my wafflely wedded wife?) Surrounding myself with these girls warms my heart as it brings back memories of my childhood.

We watched the films on my lap-top and spread out their beds so everyone could be comfy. While I did have to explain the story-line of the movie, the joy came from watching the girls watch the film. Their comments on outfits or giggles when 2 characters kissed warmed my heart and brought joy and laughter to me! To them, watching a film is a treat- to me however, having someone to watch a film with and remind me of childhood is the real treat.

Culture

For the past several Tuesdays, I have spent my days teaching Mar Thoma priests English and American Culture. When I was first approached to teach these men, I was more nervous than a bride on her wedding day! Achen’s or priests are highly respected in Indian culture (when an Achen enters a room, everyone stands to acknowledge his presence) and I didn’t feel worthy to be teaching these men. Worried I would make a mistake, I timidly stood in front of these men and began teaching what I had prepared.

Explaining one’s culture is more difficult than it seems, especially when the question why is involved. Why DO we do it that way? …we just do. Talking about our culture brought about many emotions for me. At first I was anxious that I might upset someone so I had to choose my words wisely. Then a feeling of “Wow, I miss that” lead to, “I wonder how that came to be,” ultimately leaving me with “Culture can shape a person’s behavior just as much as their personality does.” The experience of explaining one’s culture was a good exercise for me as it allowed me to reflect on how differences and mis-understandings can easily occur between God’s children.

However, the best story from my Tuesdays with the Achen’s is the day I was corrected on how I was pronouncing a word. Before each week’s class I am given a book with material on pronouncing different words (similar sounds) with an American accent. Since English is my native language, never, before this year, have I sat down and read pronunciation material, let alone explained it to someone. While it is fair to say, English was never a strong subject, it is also no means an understatement to say I am AWFUL with pronunciation- always have been. I took Latin and Sign Language solely because I didn’t have to worry about pronouncing words to pass the class. So there I am, in front of a group of older men pronouncing words and then having them repeat the words back to me when one of the men politely raises his hand and asks why I pronounced cat with a long a sound when the book denotes it having a short a. As you might imagine I turned bright read and the next words out of my mouth were pure word vomit. It was a moment where I just had to laugh at myself.

I know my strengths and weaknesses well and in one’s own culture it is easy to hide your weaknesses. However, when you are thrown into another culture and have expectations placed on you, hiding those weaknesses is more difficult. While I have learned many things about myself in the past several months, the most difficult thing has been working through my weaknesses and learning to be confident in who I am even when I may not be the best at some particular thing.