Poori, parties, and Sunday shopping...

My first Sunday in Jodhpur was really unique. Most people do take Sunday off (they generally work six days a week), but shops and restaurants are widely open.

The day began with a fun shopping trip to get a SIM card for my phone and Indian clothing that would be appropriate for work. Another local volunteer, Chloe, and I went to two fabric shops for the clothes. Each was completely filled with gorgeous silks and cottons in every color imaginable. Rajasthani women love bright colors, but my friend and I seeked as many of the rich, but relatively neutral, colors we could (as we hope to wear this clothing at home as well). After searching through the piles, we each found fabrics we liked and were then measured by the tailor for our kirtas (long, usually cotton, shirts, often worn with pyjamas and a duparta, scarf). Amazingly, despite having them tailored to us, the clothing was extremely cheap. Many of the fabrics cost less than $3 for the amount needed and the stitching of each shirt costs less than a dollar. I'm so excited to pick them up and will try to have pictures up when I receive them.

On our shopping excursion, Chloe and I also searched desperately for, and found, Scrabble! Well, not Scrabble, but "Crossword"--a generic Scrabble with seemingly has the same distribution of letters, but a slightly different point system. Given that there is little to do here in the evenings, we all thought Scrabble, a $3 piece of entertainment, would be a nice way to relax at the end of the day. In our search, we also encountered other board games, including an Indian Trivial Pursuit for Kids, that featured pictures of Gandhi and the Taj Mahal on the cover. It probably would have been a good way to learn more facts about Indian history, but really, I can not imagine that any of us would be any good at it.

After shopping, we celebrated Govind, the guesthouse owner's, 25th birthday for the rest of the day.

In the afternoon, the girls in his NGO's programs planned a party for him in the guesthouse. Complete with streamers, balloons, and confetti, they transformed their classroom into a party room and the girls, Govind's wife, and family performed a number of beautiful dances for him. Most of the dances were to Indian traditional songs, but to my great amusement, they soon began playing none other than Madonna's "Holiday"--over and over and over again (there's a video, but it wouldn't upload). And the girls, knowing all the words (despite not knowing any conversational English), had a lot of fun dancing to it and pulling us up to dance as well. The family also prepared a fantastic lunch of chana masala and poori, which we shared with the girls on the roof.

Govind's wife, Mukhta, doing a beautiful dance

The girls from the NGO, doing a dance

Govind's adorable son, Ayoosh, wearing undies and a birthday hat (He's a big fan of nudity. When it rained heavily today, he stripped down and stood in the rain, giggling and bathing.)

Govind's sister in law, dancing

In the evening, Govind, and his thirty closest friends and family, went to a nearby restaurant for dinner and a party. The restaurant and bar, though generally catering to Western tourists, seems to be a hotspot for Indian special occasions as well. The women and men sat separately and it was quite a treat to see all the women in their fanciest saris. And the food was, as always, absolutely amazing! After dinner, we all went to an area of the restaurant that had a small dance floor and danced with Govind and his friends. It was a really enjoyable night.

A picture of the current guesthouse girls

Govind's family and friends (again, too beautiful and dark to capture on film)

One of the parts of the story that should not be left out is that Govind, the generous person that he is, had recently spent a great deal of money to care for a mentally ill girl that he encountered a few weeks ago. The girl, Doku, was literally tied to a pole by her family. This led to her essentially starving and exacerbated her mental condition. She needed to be hospitalized and Govind has since been paying for two weeks of medical care (including shock therapy) for her at the hospital. She is doing much better and will likely stay in the hospital for one more week, receiving regular checkups and medication once she departs.

So, Govind, spending thousands of rupees to care for Doku, spent all of the money that he would have put towards his 4th wedding anniversary. For his birthday then, all of the guesthouse's guests got together and put in whatever money we could to give to Govind. This money will mean that Doku can stay in the hospital another week, without causing Govind any more financial strain. He hugely appreciated the gift, but it was truly the least we could do, considering the gift that Govind has been giving to Doku and her family.

Where should I go?

My boss would like me to give him some sense of my schedule (i.e. what days I want off) as soon as possible, so I'm attempting to plan my various travels in advance. Here is the current list of places I am trying to visit. If you have been to India, please let me know if you think my predicted length of stay is too long or too short, or if there is any place that I should get rid of (or a fantastic place I've omitted). My travel time is unfortunately very limited, but with night-trains (and maybe a cheap flight or two), I should be able to see a wide range of places.

Mumbai--2 full days (enough time to see the few sites and possibly be an extra in a Bollywood movie--apparently, they hunt guesthouses for foreigners!)

Jaisalmer--2 full days (for a 2-day camel safari and one night camping in the desert); maybe a third day for sightseeing?

Udaipur--2 days, including horseback riding and maybe a cooking lesson

Nawalgarh--for a Bissau festival (maybe)

Jaipur--3 days (for a day in a resource library for my B.A. thesis and two days of sightseeing, hopefully during the Teej festival)

Agra--2 days (enough for the Taj Mahal and a tiny bit more)

Ramdevra--1 day (for a fair)

Bikaner--1 day (maybe)

Delhi--3 days, solely for a conference

And maybe, just maybe, a weekend in a safe part of Nepal or at an ashram (I would love to do a week in an ashram, but they are far away, and I don't have a week to spare)...

First day of fieldwork

I participated in my first "health camp" (i.e. clinic) today and it was extremely interesting. My understanding is that my experience was not typical. Firstly, it is still school vacation here, so most families who live in the complex were gone to visit the wife's family. Secondly, this clinic was not for the general populace, but for the maharaja's servants.

Let me explain:
Apparently, the High Highness the Maharaja does not pay for health care for his many, many servants. Instead, he asks Veerni to come and provide care for free each month. So, there we are providing care at the servants' quarters (a set of apartments provided for his staff), serving mostly women and children whose fathers work for the Maharaja.



We arrived at about 11 a.m. and set up our two large boxes of medications and some equipment (a scale, a blood pressure monitor, and not much more...) And then, for the next four hours, we treated anyone who came by. The problems ranged from vertigo to a leg that is now incredibly disgusting due to a snake bite that happened six years back (the man has been a gardener for His Highness for forty years--and still works, despite having one good leg). And anemia seems rampant (which I found a tiny bit curious considering that I have not yet had a meal without iron-rich lentils). Each time we diagnosed something, we dug into our boxes and gave the necessary meds (sometimes for 1/2 price, sometimes for free). We treated people who come each month (so we can track one chronic condition) and others who only come by when absolutely necessary.

The most harrowing case was a women who broke her tibia and is now unable to do her job (I believe she works as a chef). Instead, her 14 year old daughter has now been taken out of school to earn a wage and then to care for the family in the evening. Chances are, she won't be going back to school now that she's been pulled out. But one can hope that when her mother's condition improves, she'll be given the opportunity again to complete her education.

How to eat a mango...the Indian way

1. Hold the mango stem side up
2. With both of your hands, slowly knead it until the insides are all liquidy.
3. If the stem doesn't pop out on its own, bite it off, leaving a tiny, tiny hole.
4. Suck the mango juice through the hole--it will get much larger as you go
5. Take out the pit and suck the extra mango meat off of it

This is far less messy (until the pit part), far more fun and, I think, more delicious because you get all the juicy parts. After only one, I'm officially a convert.

The remains: An intact, and deflated, mango peel






And a photo of the beautiful exterior of my guesthouse

Stay tuned: Another post about my first clinic to come...As well as a call for travel suggestions (my boss requested a generally list of days off asap, so I need to start planning!)

First day of work

Today was my first full day of work and I would definitely call it a success. My internship placement process was a bit stressful (for those of you who don't know, I was all set and ready to go when, in eighth week, I was forced to urgently choose a new organization). So, I am happy to report that all of the stresses were truly a blessing in disguise. I am working for an organization known as Veerni, which aims to empower rural Rajasthani women and reduce the risks associated with child marriage by developing grassroots educational and health care programs for girls and women throughout the region.

My first major task is to revise an extensive annual report that will be provided to those who have previously given funding and to those who Veerni will be soon approaching for funding. Essentially, I am supposed to make the writing more clear, but also check that its content is appropriate and effective when reaching out to the international non-profit community. Though I was initially unsure about this being my first task (after all, the document is discussing projects that I have not yet worked on), this work may in fact be valuable in contextualizing the projects I will be working on this summer. Also, the organization is recognizing this by sending me out to do fieldwork each morning this next week (Tomorrow, I will be helping Veerni as we host a health care camp outside of a gorgeous local palace. At this camp, anyone can come by and get a checkup and free treatment upon diagnosis)

So, so far, the internship has been great. The staff is extremely friendly and kind, and I think that I will learn a lot from them. I also do think that I will be a valuable member of their team (something I worried would not be true given my lack of Hindi).

Some random thoughts:

The boarding school that Veerni runs is in my office building and will resume in July, which is extremely exciting. While it will not be one of my main tasks, I am excited to be teaching HIV education and English at some point to these girls.

My office has an "office boy"--someone who regularly brings me chai, water, etc. and who needs to unlock the bathroom everytime someone wants to use it. Though this seems to be common in India (multiple maids and servants seem to be in every home and workplace), it makes me extremely uncomfortable to be waited upon, especially because, with my horrid Hindi and his lack of English, we cannot communicate at all.

Got followed home today by a young boy who was in a hysterical fit of laughter. It was kind of cute but awkward, especially after ten minutes straight.

30 cent mango ice cream is delicious.

No photos today, though I did buy my first salwar kameez, so I will have to show that off soon.

My new home for two and a half months

As I mentioned before, the guesthouse I am staying at, Durag Niwas, is simply incredible.

Firstly, the decor is beautiful. Built around a central courtyard with a small fountain and with gorgeous, vibrant Indian curtains hanging about, it is really striking when you first enter. In addition to the courtyard, there are various shaded open-air rooms throughout the guesthouse's roof where there are floor cushions and pillows or small daybeds so one can relax, read, eat meals, etc. away from the sun.
My room, though pretty bare, is painted a very pretty blue, has its own set of pretty green silk curtains and has paintings of bird flying on the walls. Very, very cute.

I think it's truly impossible to capture how pretty the decor is, but I will keep trying. For now...

My room, with birds flying overhead

The family who runs the guesthouse is also incredible. It is made up of: Govind, a young and progressive man who runs an NGO for the empowerment of untouchable women on-site and seems to know every NGO in town; his beautiful wife; an adorable 3 1/2 year old boy; the son's mother; a shaggy and cute dog; and at the moment, the wife's sister's family as well.

Govind is extremely impressive and extremely kind. With many guests staying for over a month to do volunteer work, he emphasizes that he is friends with all of his guests--and it is true. He is always very generous and helpful and I hope to be helpful to him in return (I have offered to help out at the organization, and will be proofreading documents for him once his volunteers go). It is also really interesting to be a part of such an active family in Jodhpur...Govind never seems to stop and currently is going to great lengths to help one particular girl he met get treatment for mental illness. He is simply an extremely caring guy to both his guests and to his community; through him, I will likely meet some fascinating people and hear fascinating stories throughout my stay.

In addition to the beautiful decor and fantastic family, the food here is amazing (which is good, because it is all included in the measly rent I pay). Cooked by the various women in the family, all of the food has been vegetarian (though veganism is simply impossible, due to ghee) and my meals so far have included okra, lentils or daal, flatbread or chapati, cheese/curd or paneer, roti, etc. It has been extremely delicious and there is always chai available, which is lovely (I am slowly coping with the idea of drinking hot, sweet tea in the heat).

Lastly, the other guests are definitely going to be a great addition to my experience. Two other college students (one from the UK and one from Duke) are working as volunteers in Jodhpur until the end of July, so I will likely get to know them quite well. Last night there was also a really fun South African woman and a set of three French backpackers. It was nice to all have dinner together and stay up late chatting. And as the other volunteers have been here for a bit already, they have all been really helpful as I settle in. We are also already planning some small weekend trips together to other cities in Rajasthan, and it will be nice to have new friends with whom to travel.

Not only that, but the guesthouse is only a fifteen minute walk to work and takes me down quiet streets. So far, Jodhpur is nothing like Delhi. Though polluted (I can feel my skin breaking out as I write), the litter is not atrocious, the streets are not very crowded and the traffic is manageable. This may not be true for all of Jodhpur, but it is true for the section I will be in most of the time. It is always over 90 degrees here it seems (with it hitting 98 yesterday, though people said yesterday was particularly hot). But it's not quite as oppressive as it was in Delhi, because the humidity isn't quite as atrocious. Or maybe I am just getting used to it...

Other news:
I found, through Govind and another guest, a Hindi teacher and, with another guest, I may start doing daily hour-long classes.

I will be going on Sunday to a fabric store and a tailor, so that I can have a salwar kameez made just for me. Very exciting.


More on my job tomorrow (I was launched full-force into working the minute I walked in the door)...

The first train ride...oy

I took my first-ever Indian train last night, traveling from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. from Delhi to Jodhpur.

Two weeks ago I had booked a first class ticket online for a berth in an air-conditioned compartment and was told that the train system is efficient (they put your name on the door to the compartment you are in--so it should theoretically be easy to identify). Though I didn't expect the whole thing to be easy, everyone I've spoken to said they loved Indian train travel, so I was not worried, though I was cautious and got to the station two hours ahead of my departure.

The station itself was hectic, but I found my way to the platform and confirmed that I was in the right spot.

Well, the train arrives and I go to the First AC compartment to find my name....nothing.
I reread my ticket (check the date, time, station, etc.)...nothing bizarre.

I begin asking all of the train staff on the platform and they all read my ticket and run around looking for my name on the various compartments...nothing.

Eventually, they get the conductor (a large and very serious looking man), who tells me I do not have a ticket (despite the e-ticket I was holding in my hand, he says I must still be on the waiting list). He tells me this, tells me the train is full and dismisses me. Of course, I'm furious (it was late at night and I didn't want to have to go with my pack to get a rickshaw to a hotel, especially if my hotel from the previous night was booked. I also really needed to be in Jodhpur the next day so I could start work). So I simply begin speaking to anyone on the platform who seems willing to help...and the situation baffles them as much as me. I am telling the conductor that I will sleep in any class and even offer a bribe...nothing.

Finally, they offer to let me sit in the entrance to one of the cars (literally--squat next to the door for the night train) for about 300 rupees. I am more than willing to do this at this point--though it would have been atrociously uncomfortable--and luckily, as I am settling into my corner with my bags, someone comes to get me and offers me a seat in the 2nd class, non AC sleeper car. A bit nervous of what this car may be like, I happily accept.

Well, it was actually a great time, much to my surprise. Though I will probably pay the extra dollar or so for AC next time, the car was safe (full of families) and between the fan and the open windows, not too hot. Additionally, I was seated next to a really fascinating 24-year-old Indian man (someone who had also been kicked out of an AC car) and we spent the night discussing everything from partition to US politics.

So, all in all it was a success. And my guesthouse is absolutely delightful. Though there will be more on that tomorrow, for now: it is family run (with three adorable kids running around), has colorful Indian cloths covering the courtyard, has fantastic meals, is absurdly cheap (less than 100 a month including all meals and wireless), and is filled with fellow travelers and volunteers like myself who are staying long-term. It is also the site of a progressive NGO that helps to empower untouchable women, so I may be teaching English, crafts, and dancing with these girls in my spare time.

The arrival and a day in Delhi

I only left the States a few days ago, but already so much has happened that I have no idea where to begin. So a long post follows...
I have tried to include a bunch of pics, but they are sometimes difficult to upload, so just trust that there will be large albums when I arrive home...

Arriving in India is completely overwhelming. I got into to Delhi at about 4 in the afternoon on Tuesday, and was instantly bombarding by overwhelming heat and smells the minute I stepped through the plane's doors. And the ride from the airport to my hotel was definitely an abrupt transition. Within minutes I was in a rickshaw that was constantly competing with cars, buses, cows, and goats as it attempted to navigate the roads. (Honestly, I think crossing the street in India is far more dangerous than skydiving in SA ever was...) My hotel, Hotel Namaskar, was in the Main Bazaar--a hectic and extremely crowded and dirty section of New Delhi--but a perfect place (at roughly $7 a night) for someone with only one day to get adjusted, sightsee, and head to the train station. Besides, with multiple mango stands right outside of my door, I can't complain.

Minutes later I headed to the cafe next door to call my parents and tell them I was safe and sound and strangely enough, I ran into Ms. Deborah Sacks (a friend from Fieldston, who I knew was backpacking India as well, but with whom I had not yet exchanged itineraries). It was great to see her and I went out to dinner and drinks with her friends from UMich--a pleasant way to spend my first evening.

On my first full day (yesterday), I did a bit of touring around Delhi. Delhi is really like no city I've ever been to. It is absurdly crowded, chaotic and...well...much more polluted than Accra, Bangkok, Joburg, and the various other places that I would have been tempted to compare it to. The sky is extremely gray and with all the animals, mopeds, bike and motor rickshaws, and people navigating the street at once it is simply overwhelming and a wonder that I have yet to see someone get run over.

The heat is also extremely impressive (and oppressive). An example: A floor length skirt I bought in Thailand that is meant to be very wrinkle-y (and was indeed tied in a knot in my backpack) was completely ironed out after walking five minutes. Honestly--the city had the same effect on my skirt as hanging it up in the bathroom as I showered would have. It was odd, to say the least.

The view from my bicycle rickshaw--on one of the "highways"

In terms of sightseeing, I went to three places: Jama Masjid, Red Fort, and a spice market.

Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in all of India and was really beautiful. Though they have separate hours for Muslims and non-Muslims, there were some people praying. It is vast and almost entirely open, with the exception of a tower which was off-limits to unaccompanied women like myself.

Jama Masjid

Red Fort was also really fascinating and a nice introduction to Indian history. Built originally by a Mughal emperor, the fort was then taken over by the British, and in 1947, seized by the Indian army as they fought for independence. It interestingly reflects each of these pieces of history very clearly--with ugly buildings that were added by the British, a beautiful mosque, an archeological museum featuring Mughal art, and an Indian history museum that is very proud of its displays of the weapons used to gain independence (the displays additionally point out the ironic way in which India eventually used weapons brought in by the British against them).

The emperor's throne (made of gold, silver, ivory, and stone)..difficult to see in the photo

A beautiful enclosed mosque

And the spice market (though too hectic to take photos of) was, as you can imagine, a feast for all of the senses. I will have to stop there on my way back to the States and pick up something from the hundreds of, often unidentifiable but extremely fragrant, baskets.

Some more interesting things:

The beloved Mahatma Gandhi's face is on the Indian rupee (something I would imagine he would not have approved of).

I am almost always the main attraction wherever I go. Though I don't feel unsafe or threatened in the least bit, it may get annoying (men have taken photos of me and do simply stare). But given that I am often the only white person in the area (it is not tourist season) and given that I am a women by myself, it is not surprising. Just something I will have to get used to and when I purchase my own salwar kameez some of this may die down.

The main greeting, namaste, literally means "I recognize the self in you," which I adore.

Finally, me with some Indian masala flavored Lays. Incredibly spicy, but extremely delicious.

I will write more tomorrow about my crazy train ride to Jodhpur as well as settling into work and my guesthouse...