One Big Happy Fraaamily

Six weeks ago, we were picked up from the JFK airport in New York City and shuttled to Columbia University for orientation. There, we were introduced to fifteen other strangers and told that these are the people we would be going to India with. Everyone was completely unknown to one another. The only thing we knew were names, where he or she was from, and the familiarity of their face from a thumbnail photo on their Facebook profile. Posing for our first group photo before we drove to the airport, we all were hands to our sides, smiling, with no idea how great these people next to us were.

Starting with a fifteen hour plane ride to Mumbai, our group quickly started to gel together. Landing super late at night and boarding the bus to Pune, friendships rapidly strengthened as we all needed a shoulder to sleep on. I will forever remember sitting on that air-conditioned bus with the fancy mood lighting. 1:00 a.m. and time to pull out the big bag of Pirate’s Booty we bought in the states. Snacking and chatting in between short naps, we were often woken up by the loud sounds of honking buses, which sounded somewhat like "dubstep mario." ( -Sydney quote)

Over the past couple of weeks, our friendships have continued to grow as we are able to talk more and more among ourselves, and tell each other stories of our lives back home. We discuss current topics and share our opinions on almost everything. Lunchtime is quite the social event, and we are always looking forward to our weekend outings and other opportunities to hang out outside of school.

The greatest part of our new found friendship is that we are all so different. We all come from extremely different backgrounds yet we are able to get along so well. We come from different schools, different religions, a variety of geographical areas yet we find so many commonalities between ourselves. 
Upon coming to India, I was actually a bit nervous about the group dynamic, but it is far better than I could have ever hoped for. We are a huge fraaamily and we all complete each other. We have the dancers, the jokesters, the bollywood movie lovers, the language enthusiasts, the artists, the athletes, the feminists, the EMT’s, and the first grade teacher, momma Lauren leading the pack.

And then I realized; how stupid of me for being nervous about making friends. We all applied for this program with intentions of going to India for six weeks and learning Hindi. How could I not get along with these people?

Poverty On The Streets

Dealing with these sights of extreme poverty has been difficult, no question. The way I have come to deal with seeing this every day is as follows.

I remind myself of my luck. I tell myself that, although I would give anything to help each and every one of these children, I cannot. That’s a hard thing to digest. But then, I look back to all of the opportunities I do have. I tell myself that I am going to get a good education, and I’m going to do it for these children who will never step foot in a school. It’s a difficult idea to swallow, but one that is necessary - especially when you see the same families sleeping on the streets every morning while driving to school.

In a sense, I almost feel as though being constantly surrounded by so much poverty has caused me to be a bit more desensitized to it, but then again it’s somewhat necessary. If we all were to tear up a bit every time we saw impoverished children, we would be balling our eyes out constantly, all day every day.

I see the same thing. When we are waiting at the light, the children that come up to your car, their small fingers making prints on the glass, or even your shirt if you have left your window rolled down. Their hair is dirty and messy, their faces covered with dust. The clothes they wear are tattered and too small with stains all down the front. The very young and skinny girl, holding her butt naked baby brother swaddled in a scarf. And then their mothers, usually a ways back on the sidewalks. I always glance at them as they watch their children walk through the streets, peeking their head into each and every rickshaw and knocking on every car window. The universal signal for food; they put their hands to their mouth, as if they were eating, asking for food. Again, a wordless form of communication, yet one we as humans know and understand all too well. 

Shaniwar Wada

The other day, I visited Shaniwar Wada, an old military fort, with my host family. It was a huge area built in 1730 as a safe place from the British. The Delhi entrance door had huge spikes on it to prevent elephants from knocking the door down. After climbing up very steep and narrow stone stairs, you reach the top of the fort walls, and can walk the perimeter of the area. Along the walls, there are various areas where cannons used to be, and protected areas for gunmen to stand and shoot the approaching enemy. At the very top, there is an area to look out and view the city. Inside these gigantic walls, there used to be a palace and gardens and fountains and homes for the men who stayed there. The British burned these buildings down long ago, but we were able to walk among the foundations and allow our imaginations to draw beautiful pictures of what it must have been like. 

An Evening In Rajistan

Saturday evening, we drove to a Rajistani Carnival on the edge of the city. It was such a fun and busy night, filled with so many great activities and memories. To start off, we were greeted with so many snacks. Delicious fried things, this green grain thing, sticky and sweet liquid, some vegetable with red sauce. Moral of the story, we had no idea what we were eating but it was tasty. After our bellies could take no more, they informed us that this was not, in fact, our dinner. Great. And so the night began.

We wondered around this area and watched traditional Rajistani dancers, flame-blowers, rode camels, dressed in traditional clothing, listened to music, made pottery, watched magic shows, puppet shows and stunt men. Then of course, we had our first encounter with the Indian amusement park. Try to imagine that one ride at the fair that makes everyone sick, and is so scary because it is really poorly built and looks as if it will fall to the ground when you are in midair. Well, take this picture that you have and times it by ten, because it’s India. It was so scary, and that’s why it was so fun. We hesitantly handed this man our 15 rupees (about 25 cents) and took our seats on this rickety machine. After we survived the first, we made our way to the second. The ferris wheel. A manually spun, metal machine, run by two men pushing it at the bottom. And the way to stop it from spinning? That’s easy! The men just grab on to the bottom of the carriages and ride it up (hang on the bars) to weigh it down.

After all the fun, we were seated for a traditional Rajistani meal. At this point, I had absolutely no appetite. We had big plates with five smaller bowl. Roti (the tortilla-like grain) in the middle, with all the different masalas and daals on the side. The men kept coming around and refilling absolutely everything. We would say “no thank you, I don’t want another,” only to find two more being piled onto our plates, with the men saying “it’s ok, have some more.” So there we sat, on the ground, with our piles of food and bursting stomachs. So much delicious Indian food.

Indian Education System

Yesterday we went to another private school, City Pride School, about 45 minutes away to get an even better perspective on the Indian education system. Once again, we were given a beautiful traditional welcome, and the students of the school organized an incredible cultural program for us. They acted and sang and danced for us. They gave us handmade crafts and drew henna on all our hands. We were able to sit down with many of the students our age and talk to them about their school and their lives. It was so interesting to hear about what they are currently going through. In India, instead of high school, the students have kindergarten-10th grade in the same school. After 10th grade, they have to face the decision of what they want to become when they are older, and they have three options; sciences, commerce or arts. They then go to these specialized “junior colleges” for two years. The majority of these students pick sciences because it is believed to be the most successful, and from there, one will have the most opportunities. We discussed their parents influences on these decisions and whether they felt free to choose whichever trades they want.

Putting myself in their shoes, I would be in such a different situation right now. I am going to be in 12th grade this year, so if I were an Indian student, I would already be two years into my junior college of whatever trades I had decided. These are monumental decisions for such young children and have an incredible impact on the rest of their lives.

After 10th grade, all students are required to take specific exams. These exams decide which school you go to, and the better your results, the better the school you are able to attend. Due to such a large population of students, these are extremely competitive tests. Even if students are scoring in the 90th percentile, they are usually unable to get into the top schools. Many students often seek extracurricular help in order to aid their test scores. They begin preparing for these exams years prior, and often take supplementary classes after school or on their weekends.

This is such a different system than we have in the U.S. and there are certain flaws and strengths to the way they do this. It seems that this younger generation is quite progressive with the current systems. Though they used to be pressured into many decisions, they now seem to feel more free to decide what they want. Undeniably, their parents make a huge impact on the outcome of their choices, but so do ours in the U.S.

A Day To Remember

Today was the absolute utmost of happy and so terrifically sad. Over the past five weeks, every friday we went to a local school to “volunteer,” but the work we do feels like anything but volunteering. We are working with various students of 8-10th standard, teaching them English. In return for these language lessons, information about our country and some famous people from the U.S., we have gotten more than we could have ever bargained for.

The bonds we made with these children were impossible to describe. Though we do not speak much Hindi, and they do not speak much English, we communicated through so much more than words. There was this sort of unspoken language that we shared. A language consisting of smiles and thoughts; Ideas that cannot be fully expressed through any given speech. This language consisted of laughing at ourselves for horrible pronunciations and mistaken words. It was talking about what we like to do, our favorite foods, and what America is like. They taught us hand games and dances and songs. But above all of these lessons, they taught us much much more.

This is a school that does not have the luxuries of a private school. With students whose parents are mostly illiterate, or who face problems with joblessness and various addictions, many students come from a troubled background.  

They were truly some of the greatest kids I have ever met. They cherished their education like no child in the U.S. ever will. You could tell how grateful they were for the opportunities they had. From them I learned that education is a golden gift and to be appreciative of all the knowledge we are able to obtain. Their school is their “Temple Of Knowledge.”

To say our goodbyes to them today was heartbreaking to most of us. The idea that we will never see their faces again, nor hear of their successes in life, or see where they end up in this world is so sad. But to think that we had the pleasure of meeting these special children makes all worthwhile. This is a memory that I am confident we will all hold in our memories for the rest of our lives. I will always remember the faces of these little children. I will always remember their beautiful smiles and the things they taught me.

Cooler Than English Words

नमस्ते   Namaste

It’s the way everyone here greets each other. Palms together in the middle of the body, you say this word and bow your head upon saying hello to others. It’s how people show respect, and unlike in the U.S., this is usually done instead of a handshake or a hug.

It’s more than just a “hello” though, and for several reasons. First of all, by bowing your head when greeting others, you are symbolizing that you are lowering your ego, and completely accepting of that person, exactly how they are. By joining our palms, we are “honoring the god in the person we are meeting.” The word’s literal translation is “my gods are greeting your gods.”

ओम   Om
After our meditation period, and before we chant our mantra, we recite “om” three times. Many people (including me) have no idea that this actually has a meaning. Allow me to enlighten you. 

By saying “om,” we are exhaling all of our air. by humming the “mmmm” at the end, we create a certain vibration and atmosphere that helps bring ourselves more to the present moment. It’s almost as if this noise, for the time being, infests itself into your mind and consumes your thoughts. The roots of the word, which is actually more like “aum,” also have a significance. 

The आ (a) is from the word fire, the उ (u) comes from the wind, and the म (m) comes from the sun. So one word, so small and seemingly insignificant, is actually very important and meaningful. 

 

The Rain Has Finally Arrived

The much awaited monsoon has finally hit us here in Pune. The rains come every day, almost every hour. One moment it is clear and hot and within a period of three minutes, you find yourself completely soaked and stuck in the middle of a terrenchal downpour. I now have a new definition for "Pouring Rain."

The Luck of the Draw

A few months ago, I traveled to Nicaragua, where my dad attempted to teach my siblings and I exactly how fortunate we are to be born where we are born. Due to lack of a better name, I like to refer to this concept as the “luck of our birth place,” and I’ve been thinking about it often.

For example, when a child is born in the United States, their life is automatically prescribed to be a thousand times different than that of a child who was born in India, or any country for that matter. Although there is no way to determine who has the better life and who has more opportunities (there is no need to compare such things anyway) it it interesting to think that from our very first breaths, depending on where we happen to be, our opportunities are set. Undeniably, there are the incredible exceptions of the children who work their way out of their current situations and become extremely successful, but for the sake of making a point and furthering my argument, this is going to be a generalization of what “generally happens.” Something so simple as the “luck of the draw” can have such a colossal impact on the rest of our lives, yet it’s something we have absolutely no control over.

As I was discussing this subject with my friends a few days ago, we reached the conclusion that this is an extremely difficult thing to judge. It’s hard, if not impossible, to determine the success of someone else because success is a completely personal thing, based on personal beliefs and goals. While some people might perceive one as having a life of poverty, starvation and lacking proper sanitation and necessities, someone else might perceive the same life as the complete opposite. Who are we to judge whether these people are happy? And, given their current situations, what they have is most likely all they have ever known. They aren’t used to a life of eating luxurious dinners at fancy restaurants and talking on the latest iPhone as we drive our brand new hybrid cars through our wealthy cities. With the little possessions that these people have, chances are, they are more thankful for everything than we will ever be. It’s even possible that they have a much more simple happiness due to their lack of these unnecessary and materialistic possessions (distractions).

It really makes you wonder what your life would be like if you were born in another country. Would you be as educated as you are now? Would you have as many/more siblings? Would you have the same job? Would you have the same family? Same marriage even? Did you get to chose your spouse? Did you have your children when you were 17 years old? Do you live in a house? With a floor? And a toilet?

Would you even still be alive??

It makes me more grateful of everything I have, and more inspired to take, pursue, and gladly accept, every opportunity that comes my way. 

Different Perspectives

This blog has been mainly (and by mainly I mean completely) full of my experiences of my trip. Though unique and fun to write about, each one of us has our own experiences and different stories to tell.
Our NSLI-Y group of students has created a "Team Blog" that we each write articles for every week. To read more about the trip and to hear from all my peers, check out the link below! It may be interesting to hear the change in perspectives with a wide variety of students, from the dancers, to the Bollywood movie lovers to the language nerds and so on.. Enjoy!

http://dachailife.wordpress.com/page/2/

Here's The Deal With Hindi...

This is a quick piece my friend Sophia and I wrote to help others understand what it's like to learn Hindi for English-speakers.

Learning Hindi Grammar is like playing a game with a six year-old. At the start of the game, there are rules to play by, however as the game progresses, the child often strays from the original rules of the game. These modifications are generally made to help the child. They are not always rational and there is rarely a pattern to follow. The rules are non-negotiable. It can be difficult to explain and understand why the rules are the way they are, but like playing a game with a child, you have to go with the flow. This can be frustrating in the context of learning a new language, but is crucial to making progress. The immersion process is helpful with understanding these irregular rules, but, nonetheless, it is still challenging. Like a game, learning Hindi is fun and entertaining, and the thought of eventually winning the game keeps us hopeful and determined. The "Aha" moment that comes with each small victory is rewarding, like passing "Go!" and receiving $200. It makes the struggle worthwhile, and supportive peers and teachers are like cheerleaders and make the process more fun. Moral of the story, someone will always come and bail you out of jail, and no matter how far away from "Go!" you think you are, you are just around the corner.

A Rant on Richshaws, My New Favorite Thing

I have come to the conclusion that riding rickshaws is among one of my favorite things to do in India. It is the absolute best way to experience the city and all it has to offer.

You stand on the side of the road, trying to flag one down and often have to argue with the drivers to get them to take you to certain parts of town. Once you've taken your seat, crammed in with three other people, they step on the gas and try to maneuver their way into the ever-so chaotic traffic. Your legs are wet because of the drizzling rain and the slight, but infrequent dripping from the roof above. The rain, however, doesn't keep you from sticking your head out of the side and letting your hair blow wildly in the wind while the cool drops land on your cheeks.  As the driver reaches out of the cart to manually move the windshield wipers, more of the city in front of you is revealed. You drive over the bridge, over the river that yearns for water, and as you look down, you see the cattle scavenging the ground for food and small patches of grass. You pass by the slums and the children sitting on the streets, next to their mothers who are selling anything they could possibly make a living off of, and everything you could possibly imagine. Next, the tens upon hundreds of motorcycles parked on the streets blur into one as your impatient driver quickly squeezes past the slow car in front. You then see the corner where all the rickshaws and their drivers congregate; some asleep in the cabs and many of them chatting amongst themselves. Tightly clutching the metal bar, you duck your head out of the vehicle to get a full view of your surroundings. With luck, you catch a glimpse of a temple or ancient fort - many of which are randomly scattered throughout the tall apartment buildings and hundred-year-old houses. You are bombarded with a new aroma every block. The vast range of these smells circulates through your nostrils as you see the street foods from which they are coming on every sidewalk, in front of every store. The men chopping the fresh coconuts, the little girls who sell the beautiful necklaces of jasmine flowers, those boys who roast and sell the corn, the women who carry the racks of necklaces and earrings and the countless vendors with their carts of pani puri. The colors are incredible, so bright and vivid, all so different yet somehow they come together to paint a more harmonious picture. And then of course, you get out of the rickshaw, splashing onto the soaked road. You pay and thank your driver with a friendly "dhanyavaad."

At this point, the only thing that could possibly be better than a rickshaw ride, is where you are at the end of it.

When Our Words Begin To Lose Meaning

In Hindi, there isn’t really a word for “Sorry.”

I am beginning to notice that there are many words we say a lot as Americans. Perhaps it's a safe  claim that we over-use some of these words. Being in India has really given me a perspective of what these words are, and exactly how frequently I say them.

For instance, I say “Sorry” so many times every day. I don’t even realize the extent of how often I say this until it is pointed out to me. And why do we feel the need to apologize so often? Is it part of our culture to have to feel sorry or regretful for many of our actions?

I was talking to my host sister about how much homework she has and I said, “Oh, I’m sorry.” Then she asks me, “Why are you sorry? There’s nothing you can do about it.” Due to the frequent nature of which we apologize, and often times for things we aren’t actually sorry about, how much do we actually mean it?

Or, "sure" for example. Does it mean yes? no? Why are we (or at least I) always so indecisive and not always very straight-forward with others?

Maybe another word, “Thank You,” for example. If we are “thankful” for absolutely everything, how thankful are we really? Or “Love You.” In India, it’s a cultural thing to not really say this at all. In the families, parents don’t tell their children or their spouses this frequently, so it is implied love. Similarly, there is also implied gratitude and implied apologies. If we say these words so many times, they begin to lose some of their meaning and possibly their impact. Whereas if we were to only say them only when we actually meant them….?

Three Religions, Three Hours

Today was full of fun and lessons of different religions. To start the day off with a bit of Hinduism (and a lot of Hindi), we visited a palace where Gandhiji was imprisoned and toured the beautiful building and grounds, along with seeing where his and his wife's ashes have been spread. The palace itself was huge and had extremely beautiful architecture, landscaping and many paintings and sculptures of Gandhiji himself.
Next we went to a tribal museum and learned about all the tribes here in the state of Maharashtra. It was so interesting to see the different photographs and artifacts and to realize how similar they are to those of the Native Americans in the US.
After this, we visited a Sikh Gurdwara. Personally, I knew very little about Sikhism prior to going but it was a really neat and hands-on learning experience. Upon entering such places of worships, you always have to cover your head, whether male or female. Then you remove your shoes, clean your feet, and enter the temple. In Sikhism, they do not worship idols, rather their "5 K's" so at the worship area, there are the objects which represent the basis of their religion. It was a very beautiful and peaceful place.
Concluding our tour of the religions, we visited a Catholic church nearby. This was also very refreshing to see such a quiet and serene place of worship; complete with beautiful stained glass and very old wooden benches.

Just Another (Ordinary) Day

Today was good, or shall I say great. Another day of waking up to the sounds of honking horns, a cool and refreshing bucket bath, and drinking warm, fresh milk while reading the newspaper. Another day of waiting in the misting rain for the driver to come, another chance to talk with my friends about the happenings of the night before, and to experience the crazy traffic once more. Like all other days, we are going to school, eating breakfast and meditating. Another day to veer off-topic and hassle our teachers with an infinite amount of questions. It’s another day filled with grammar lessons, yoga, bollywood dancing, conversation, music class, more grammar lessons, art, and hilarious hindi-role-play that doesn’t make much sense.

Another day gone by and another one well spent. 

Through Silence Comes Magic

Meditation. Twice a day, a time to sit up right, close our eyes, and focus on ourselves. This is a really true and genuine kind of focusing too. It’s a time to think about your breathing, and, it’s really hard. It’s difficult to completely clear your mind of other thoughts - especially when your mind is like a beehive with thousands of extraneous thoughts constantly buzzing around.

At the school we are going to, all students are required to meditate twice a day for five minutes each time. Inevitably, since they are forced to do so, and because they have been doing it since kindergarten, many dislike it. As new students coming from the US, being introduced to a new practice, many of us have really come to enjoy meditating.

The goal of meditation is to focus on your breathing. Every morning as the intercom speakers come on with the principal ordering students to sit down and close their eyes, her calm voice and already- so-familiar accent reminds us to “sit up straight, backs straight,” she always says. “Now place your right hand on top of your left, thumbs touching. Feet flat on the ground. Slowly close your eyes and focus on your breathing.” She tells us to “Feel the freshness of the air as you inhale” and to “Notice the warmth of your breath on your lips as you breath out.”  

At the end of the five minutes, everyone in the school chants “om” three times. You can hear the ominous, yet beautiful tone ringing out through all the classrooms and hallways as the students sing out. Following this, we repeat a mantra, rub our palms together, cover our eyes, then slowly open them. “Suprabhat” our teachers say. Good morning.

Meditation has become a time for me to focus on myself and on my emotions. A time to really think about the present moment and to bring my mind to a calmer state. A time to accept my current conditions and myself, and to help prepare for what is to come that day, or maybe that week.

I am really attracted to the idea of meditation because within the time I’ve been here, I’m already noticing significant changes in my ability to process thoughts, my patience levels, a decrease in stress and an overall calmness in my attitude. I’ve also been able to stay more focused for longer periods of time. I am very excited to continue this practice when I return to the US because I believe it truly is therapeutic.

USA v. INDIA, Final Score 2-20

Our day suddenly morphed into a day that was much more than even the word “exciting” is able to describe. Like the coming of the rain, we were unprepared and unaware of what hit us. A basketball game, versus the Gurukul School 9th and 10th graders.

So here we are. Fourteen students from the US, all from different levels of skill and experience. We are thrown onto a court (dirt court, might I mention, with lines made out an unknown white and red goo) in a game. Oh, and one more detail. It had just started to rain. While we were trying to finagle lines for lay-ups and rebounds, after, of course, explaining what lay-ups and rebounds are, we started our team warmups. At this point, I had already lost my voice, but the game had only begun. Little did we know that our opponents had actually played basketball before, and we were also soon to discover that we should have reviewed certain rules. For instance, that you can’t stop and start dribbling whenever you want.

By the end of the game, we had tragically lost to these Gurukul students, much younger than ourselves, but our spirits were high. We were drenched from head to toe, with as much mud covering our faces as was on our feet. We were laughing and smiling, hoo-raa-ing and cheering. And to top it all off, coming in from the rain after our game, we indulged ourselves with a nice hot cup of chai.

This was, to say the least, an incredible experience and an extremely fun diversion from our regular Hindi lessons. The NSLI-Y American Basketball NBA Team became even closer as a unit and, once again, managed to get themselves out of conjugating verbs and trying to make sentences.

The Significance Behind The Dot

Many women in India often wear a bindi (dot) on their forehead. Upon pondering the reasoning for their actions, we were finally enlightened with the background of this.

Depending on the individual, and the intended meaning, a bindi can signify a married woman, the religion of the wearer, the societal cast from which the person belongs, and serve as a spiritual aid as well as help to conserve energy. We were bombarded with all of these reasons, but it is very interesting to learn of the different ways and purposes this decorative (and functional) piece is used. Though today, many women don’t know the significance of their bindi, and many also wear plastic ones (purely decorative), the following is why people used to wear them.

Married Women- wear a red bindi to symbolize love, prosperity and strength because the women are the central force in the Indian families and they are the “heart of the families”

Spiritually- The bindi serves as a reminder throughout the day about the purpose of life and to remember that all the things you are doing are dedicated towards the “supreme goal of self-realization”

In Society-

Brahmins (Priests or Academics) wore a tilak of white sandalwood to symbolize purity.

The Khatriyas (Kings, Warriors and Administrators) wore red tilak to signify valor.

The Vaishyas (Businessmen) wore a yellow tilak signifying prosperity.

The Sudra (Service Class) wore black tilak to signify service to the other classes.

For Personal Health- A bindi is worn between your eyebrows, which is believed to be an important nerve center. This helps keep the nerves cool and also is believed to help “keep in/conserve energy.” Most of the powders, like turmeric and saffron, that are applied to this spot were believed to have natural cooling properties. 

The Beauty of the Bucket Bath

This morning was my first experience with the bucket bath. Undeniably, I’ve taken countless showers similar to this when I go camping, but this was my first in India. Starting yesterday, the city implemented their first round of water cuts, so our water usage must be limited, and we need to be even more conservative and thoughtful with this precious resource.

The reason I liked the bucket bath so much is because it gives you so much control and is extremely efficient as far as water consumption goes. Admittedly, I do love my hot and long showers, but after learning about this subject, and experiencing water cuts and drought firsthand, I am going to always think twice before turning on the faucet.

According to the USGS, the average person uses 80-100 gallons of water per day. Each shower uses anywhere from 2-4 gallons per minute, so with the average 10 minute shower, this means about 30 gallons in total. Now, compared to the bucket bath, which can easily be accomplished with 2-4 gallons total, there is an immense difference. To think of all the other things you could be doing with that remaining 26 gallons of water…

Personally, I can think of many.

Now, I’m not saying that now you should never again take a long shower. Nor am I suggesting that by we are going to somehow "save the world from thirst and drought" by taking shorter showers. My intentions of sharing this are to further educate people on the subject, to make them more aware and more thankful, and to hopefully leave a small impact on your thought process the next time you do take a shower. 

Chucklesome Conversations

“It’s funny, I know a lot of people in the US, but you’re the first I’ve met from Montana. 
The only other person I know from Montana is the Unabomber.”

-Host Dad

“You drink your mother’s milk right? And you drink cow’s milk right?

But do you cut up your mother into bits a pieces, cook her, and eat her?

I didn’t think so. No beef for you this weekend.”

-Bus Driver

“Wow... Your entire state really only has one million people? 
...Our city has seven.”

-Student

"Hey Mamoo" (dude or enemy)
-Host Brother

Q: "Hey what are we doing now?"

A: "I dunno.. I just really want some chicken and ice cream."

-NSLI-Y Student

Waste Management

Today, we were given the opportunity to talk to 8th grade students at a local school about waste management. We were asked questions about our current systems in the US and how we deal and process waste and recycle plastic. It was a really interesting time to think about my country and the current systems that are being implemented, but also to be able to compare it to those of India. We were also forced to recognize the successes and failures with our current ways. I learned a lot through this question and answer format. For instance, here in India, they currently have no way to properly dispose of electronics, so their electronic (and very toxic) waste goes the same place everything else does. Also, when we asked the children about climate change, what they know about the subject, and if they are aware of it's causes and effects, their answer was as follows.
"We treat our earth very poorly and so climate change is the earth's way of revenge for how we've been treating it."
A very interesting perspective from such a young and educated child. Undeniably, this is exactly what we wanted to hear, but it is so interesting to see what these children think and believe. Especially being in India, the effects of climate change are much more prominent. In the US, common effects that we might see are less snowfall, or maybe 2 or 3 degree changes in the weather. Contrastingly, in India, their monsoon (which still has yet to fully hit) is later this year than it has been in more than 100 years. Many nearby towns and cities face horrible drought, and have to have daily or weekly water cuts. Climate change has a huge impact on India, especially because so many people are effected by it. 58% of the population still depends on agriculture for their livelihood.

Guru Purnima

The day of the full moon, the day to celebrate and give thanks to all of the gurus in your life. We observed and learned of this holiday yesterday and it was so interesting. On this day, many students often make cards or bring chocolates or flowers to their teachers as a "Thank You."
Many people have at least heard the word 'guru' before, but it is commonly unclear as to what a guru is, or even what the word means, so though I am no expert on the holiday, this is what I have learned.
The Sanskrit root 'gu' literally means "darkness or ignorance," and the 'ru' translates to "the remover of darkness." So, abiding to this definition, our gurus are our mentors who guide us out of the darkness. They are the ones who give us gifts of knowledge, love, support, experience and so on...
At first, I thought gurus were our teachers, and, though this is true, there are also many other people in our lives who are gurus.
I've been able to reflect recently on who my gurus are.
They are my teachers who taught me to be curious and to ask questions, but also to seek answers to those questions. They are the people who taught me that learning is fun, and how to be passionate about education and acquiring knowledge. My gurus are my parents who always care for me and support me. They are the gurus who show me the world, and introduce me to my passions and my interests. They teach me about being thankful for my possessions, but also to take all opportunities given and to cherish every moment of every day. My gurus are my grandparents and my family members who are always there to support me, and lend a hand whenever needed. They always push me to be the absolute best that I can, to set goals, and to constantly remind me that there are endless possibilities in this world. Even younger people can be gurus. My friends are my gurus because they are role models for me and inspire me to adventure and to explore, but are always there for when I fall or don't succeed. They give me guidance when I am confused and feel lost, but they are also the people I am able to learn all my lessons with. My coaches are my gurus because they train me in things I would not otherwise learn. They share their passions, their knowledge and talents with me, and they encourage me to try, try and try again whenever I encounter failure.
These are the people who are accountable for the person I am today. Collectively, they are the reason I think the way I do, the reason I see things how I do, the reason that my name is Sami and the reason that I am currently in India.
So, in light of Guru Purnima, if you are one of my gurus, I thank you for leading me out of darkness, and I urge you to notice and appreciate the gurus currently in your life today. Happy Guru Purnima!

The Life Of Chai

Masala Chai is quite possibly one of the most extraordinary things ever created. Prior to coming to India, I had tasted and drank chai, but I had no idea what I was in for upon embarking on this trip.

We drink chai three times a day. First, in the morning after we’ve had a delicious breakfast. Second, at around 11:00 when our brains are fuzzy and frustrated. And finally, we drink it around 4:00 when we have finished with our classes, right before we leave school.

For some of us, at the beginning of the trip, our first taste of chai was questionable. We couldn’t quite tell what to think of this strange, hot and very sweet beverage when it was nearly ninety degrees outside. But, sip by sip, it grew on us. It escalated to the point where it has become a part of our daily routines and without it we would not function the same. Some of us even drink four or five cups at a time! This delicious concoction of chai leaves, milk, sugar, and local herbs and spices has become such a hot commodity among the NSLI-Y students.

There comes a time everyday, somewhere around 10:30, when it’s the only thing you can think about. You begin to watch out the window for the woman with the tray of tea cups and a pitcher to walk by.

We often like to joke about how we need an IV of constant chai flowing through our blood, and how when we return to the states, we are going to experience withdrawal.

It has become a part of our lives, an infestation of our very souls, and we’ll proudly admit that

we are happily living The Chai Life. 

Fame! ...but not fortune

This morning we were given our first taste of Indian Fame! The daily newspaper featured an article and photo in it about us and the presentation we gave about our 4th of July.

Falling In Love

This is a tale written by my friend Sydney and I, sparked by the love we share for our new-found friend.
The Indian Mango.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Alfonzo, Alfonzo. Where for art thou Alfonzo.

Deny thy taste buds of thine juice, a rich color of chartreuse.

Cometh thy rains, come the end of your mango days.

The thought of life without you is hard to bare,

Comparable to cutting you open, and having to share.

Tis difficult to grok why you must leave,

Why you earn so much talk,

Your reputation is impossible to block.

Alfonzo, dear Alfonzo,

We know that when the monsoon does shed,

We will be left unfed.

Denied of your sweet nectar,

We'll have to settle for your cousin Hector.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To follow Sydney and her adventures on this trip, visit her blog at

http://sydneykamen.wordpress.com/

Bollywood

Today was many of our first experiences with a real Bollywood movie. We went to Bobby Jasoos at the theater after school. If you have never heard of or seen Bollywood movies, I urge you to click the link below and watch the preview to this movie, then imagine that I sat through that for almost three hours (with an included intermission). My goodness was it an experience to laugh at.
To start out with, the entire movie was in Hindi, with no subtitles. This means that the entire three hours was basically left up to self-interpretation. At the end, we all were left with a slightly different tale of what happened. The singing and dancing were, of course, a huge and hilarious part of the movie; but the over-dramatic acting and everything else were just frosting to the cake. That is, a very metaphorical cake that has moving parts, sings a song, and is decorated with so much glitter and sparkles that it appears inedible.
Due to the fact that we could not understand what the characters were saying, it was often difficult to know when things were funny, or even why they were funny. There were countless occasions where we found ourselves laughing so hard, but not because of a joke or something. We were laughing at how clueless we were, which was, perhaps, even more hilarious.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTTNn_XEtE

Making Progress with Learning Hindi

To be completely honest, Hindi is really really hard. I think I may have entered this program with some whimsical idea that I would catch on super fast and become completely fluent, but that is not the case and I have recently become very accepting of this truth. Starting the first day of lessons was intimidating. I knew a grand total of three words and absolutely nothing else. Glad to discover that I was not alone, we dove into learning a new language head first. Not even really starting with the alphabet, we reviewed vocab and tried to read (which was hard considering we did not know the alphabet). I was frustrated and confused for a solid three days and after taking a break after my first full week of lessons, I was able to reflect on my progress.
After a week, those of us who were starting at zero were able to read words, pronounce the alphabet, count to about 20, write, conjugate basic verbs, and talk about basic things about ourselves. It wasn't until I said this aloud that I realized how much progress this actually is.
Although the language is hard and although I'm frustrated and (really) confused 98% of the time (they teach our lessons trying speaking Hindi only), I'm slowly but surely catching on and I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. Now entering our third week of classes, it is exciting to come home with new phrases and words every day and even more exciting to look forward to the future. Language is one of my passions and I really love the thought of being able to communicate with possibly thousands of other people. When you learn a new language, it's like opening a completely new and shiny door. I'm looking forward to see what my ability is at the end of my six weeks here.

Experiencing Rural India

Today we woke up early and took a bus about three hours outside of the city to Baramati Farm. Watching a Bollywood movie on the bus while singing and dancing was super fun, but we were also able to see and experience different people and landscapes from the rural side of the country. At the farm, we walked around, learned about planting, harvesting and watering methods, farm animals, new fruits and vegetables and got to see silk worms and sugar cane. We ate more delicious traditional Maharashtran food, and drank even more chai. We rode in a tractor and also a wagon pulled by beautifully decorated cattle.
We were also able to visit a group of ten women who are working together in a nearby village in a sort of CO-OP program. They make and sell various spices and foods, and by doing so, they are able to be more independent and not reliant on their husbands and families as much. Many of them are now even able to send their children to school. It was so neat to meet these women and talk to them about their business and to be able to ask them questions.  Many of them are uneducated and so to have this opportunity of a steady income and the availability to take out
loans is extremely helpful for them and their families.
The rural side was very different from the city and it was nice to get out and see a change. It was much drier than I imagined - especially because the area is experiencing a really bad drought right now. We were exposed to more poverty than we have been seeing in the past weeks and it was another eye-opening experience, making us all more appreciative of the little things in life. Even the big things, like a house.

Celebrating Our Country 8,000 Miles Away

Today is the 4th of July. Happy Independence Day everyone! It was such an interesting and fun experience to celebrate the holiday outside of America. This is how my day went.
First thing at school this morning we had a school assembly and we presented to the school about the holiday. It was extremely hilarious and hard not to laugh because we were describing the 4th of July as if it were near and dear to our hearts. All of the children in the school would tell us "Happy Independence Day" every hallway passing, because in India, they have a big and beautiful celebration for their independence day. It is a holiday they are very passionate about whereas in the US it seems to be a good excuse to visit family, have large parties and spend ungodly amounts of money on fireworks. Holidays are different here, I learned that quickly.
To celebrate our "American Culture" we went to McDonalds and ate ice cream and french fries. I generally am extremely opposed to eating fast food but an ice cream cone and greasy fries (not to mention chicken and fried-paneer burgers) were just what we all needed after a long week of lessons. Just a group of 15 Americans, dressed in red uniforms, mobbing down the streets of India eating fast food and laughing and dancing. To say the least, we were attention magnets and we didn't really manage to break the American-Stereotype (more like confirmed it).
We filled the rest of our day with yoga, very minimal Hindi classes, volunteering at a local school and making delicious American meals for our host families and siblings.
It's so interesting to celebrate this holiday from afar. Though I like to often joke about the US and our so-called "culture," this trip has really made me appreciate many things our country has to offer. Things that I was taking advantage of without really knowing.

Tips N' Tricks I've Learned Along the Way

1. Don't eat with your left hand
2. Stop saying "Thank You" so much, there is this sort of unspoken gratitude
3. Pick out the little green peppers in the rice and in the daal unless you really feel like crying
4. Never translate Hindi sentences and phrases as their literal English meanings
5. There are three different ways to say and write a "D," but they are NOT interchangeable and NOT the same thing
6. It's no big deal when people stare at you and touch your hair - you're probably just the first blonde they have ever seen. Just smile back and say "Yes, It's real."
7.  When a sign says "No Honking," it doesn't pertain to you (or anyone for that matter) and you can completely disregard it
8. Don't wait for cars and motorcycles to slow down or even let you cross the road - just go for it and hope for the best
9. Forks are never a necessity
10. Bobbling your head side to side means "Yes," not "No" or "Maybe"
11. Two-lane road is English for four-lane road
12. No matter how many times you ask your host siblings to repeat a word or phrase, you won't remember it
13. If you think you have experienced mango, you haven't. From here on out all other attempts will be unsatisfactory
14. Accept your early-onset addiction to chai, it becomes a necessity - you will be needing it AT LEAST three times a day

Monsooner or Later, It'll Come (So They Say)

Right now, it is somewhere around 85 degrees and extremely humid. Everyday sitting in class, everyone is constantly sweating and the heat makes it even harder to concentrate. It is inescapable and seems to never cool down. It is now June and we are supposed to be in monsoon season, but it is the latest it has ever been and the rains have yet to start. I have learned a lot recently about how critical the rains are. Every morning there are at least two articles about them in the newspaper - people predicting when they will arrive and telling statistics about how late they are and how they compare to past seasons. This article in particular mentions how many farmers even commit suicide due to lack of rainfall. Without the rains, the farms dry up (many rivers here are now completely dry) and they often have to do water-cuts in the city. Though this is common for people living here, it really makes me aware of my water usage in the US and how we are so lucky to have such an important resource at the tip of our fingers.
We are waiting for the rains because we are told that the temperature will cool down and we are beyond excited for a break in this heat.