North Tour: Jabalpur and shopping in Rajasthan

At 8am we left got Jabalpur in two small vans. We drove a few hours and stopped for breakfast. We were only 20km from where they found Mogli, the boy from 'The Jungle Book'. The book is based on a true story! My dad and I used to read it together and it was one of my favorites. I never thought I would be so close to where it happened.
We drove another 6 hours until we reached Jabalpur at 4pm. We visited a  huge waterfall which is part of the Holy Rive Narmada. The waterfall is like the Indian version of Niagra Falls. There were many people bathing themselves in the river. We went down the river and went boating. There were huge, beautiful marble rocks surrounding us. The water gets to 1,000 feet deep!
We drove to dinner and boarded the train for Jaipur. 
Jaipur was a great place for marketing. Every shop for 1 km was full of scarves, skirts, wall hangings, embroidered pieces of cloth, shoes made of camel leather, and dolls made from wood and cloth. We bartered for our items and usually convinced the shop owners to cut the price in half after telling them we live in India. When we walked down the street the shop keepers beckoned us into their shops. "Come, look", "One moment, look beautiful scarves", "Yes, yes, I have very good selection". It was what I remember thinking what India would be like. The many vehicles on the road, the beautiful saris, the voices of the shopkeepers. Rajasthan is the foreigners stereotype of India.

Coming home from the North Tour made me realize many things. When I walked into my room, my nose flooded with the familiar smells of India. I was immediately reminded of the first time I stepped into my room. It seems like so long ago. I remember being so uncertain of what to do and say. But most of all, I realized that I have a home in India. The second I walked into the house after 26 days, I felt relieved to be back.
    I know I am going to miss India. She has done so much for me. I have learned life lessons this year that only India could have taught me. And for that I am forever grateful.
    I only have a little longer than 2 months left. On June 10th I will be getting on a plane and saying goodbye to my loving host family and this amazing country. Until then I have every intention to make the most of my stay here.
    If there is one thing I know for sure, I will be leaving not only a part of my old self in India, but also half of my heart. That is the only thing I can give her for how much she has done for me.

नमस्ते (Namaste),

There are many things that I don't think of as "different" anymore. As I have often been reminded, there are many aspects of India that Americans would find out of the ordinary. I have put together a list of things that occurs in my daily life here.

1. I take my shoes off before entering any sort of building. This includes temples/ houses/ shops/ rooms in schools, ect. This is done to show respect and of course to keep the floors clean!

2. I take auto rickshaws at least once a day. These are three wheeled taxis with no doors, painted yellow and black (the colors vary according to where you are in the country) and often look like they are going to fall apart. They are my  major form of transportation and I get a lot of practice communicating in Hindi with the drivers, as many of them don't speak English. I barter for each trip and it usually costs around 30 rupees ($.60) for a 5 minute trip and up  to 80 rupees ($1.60) for 15 minutes. It is a very convenient form of transportation.

3. There are always so many people on the street. At any given time I would say there are at least 10 people nearby. This means there is always someone or something making noise. Whether it is honking, hammering, yelling, crying, TVs, or the sounds of engines, there is always sound. At first it was overwhelming, but I now find it relaxing and soothing. Noise and people are definitely two things that I will miss about India.

4. Given that I am white, tall and blonde I tend to get lots of stares from the Indians. It is something that I don't notice as much anymore. The women generally just stare and then look away if I look back. Young girls will sometimes come up to me and ask where I am from. The men and teenage boys often ride by on their motorcycles and yell things like "Aare Yaar", "Foreigner!", "Hey babe!", "Hey, Hello, Hi", "Where from?". I usually just ignore them and keep walking. Indians also like to take pictures of me and the other exchange students and we usually ask them not to.

5. Another thing that I will miss is that most buildings in the city have roof terraces. It is so nice to stand on top of my house and watch the city.

I know this is not a very long list, but it is surprisingly difficult to think of everything that used to seem so different. I guess it means I am fully immersed in the culture :) 

हना (Hannah)

Indian Wedding

Namaste,
As some of you may know, I had never been to a wedding before. How appropriate that my first one be in India :)
There was no walking down the aisle, music playing, everyone seated in organized rows, silence. Nope. Instead it was held in a huge temple, chairs were randomly placed here and there, everyone was talking and in the middle of it all was a beautiful square tent where the bride, the groom, their parents and siblings all sat. As the ceremony proceeded everyone ate their lunch and talked amongst each other while the bride and groom were married.
The bride wore a beautiful red and white sari with a veil.  Red dots were lined from one side of her forehead to the other and she wore bangles eight inches up her arm. Her right hand was tied with the grooms right hand and placed under a scarf. He wore a red turban with a gold patterned jacket and baggy brown patterned pants. The fathers and brothers of the bride and groom wore white handkerchiefs on their heads, the ends tucked behind their ears. 
On one side sat the bride and groom with the brides parents to the right and the grooms parents to the left. Across from them sat the pandit (leader of the procession). He chanted for around five minutes while the parents took turns scooping oil into a spoon and pouring it on a fire in a bowl. 
The bride and groom stood and walked around the table in the center seven times before sitting down again.
The older brother of the groom unsheathed a knife and stood behind the couple holding it in his right hand to his chest. The pandit held a platter of rose petals and continued to chant as he tossed the rose petals, falling delicately over the bride and groom. The platter was passed along to the older brother who then held it over the couple as their heads were pressed together.  
The groom was given the knife and a plate of kaju katli (an indian sweet). I personally didn't see this one coming... He hit the plate with the knife and it broke into pieces. Everyone cheered! 
The cloth holding their hands together was untied and the groom took out a gold necklace that was put around the brides neck. Blessings were given by the parents and rings were exchanged. Not only did the couple exchange rings but also the parents. The pandit said a few words and the new married couple were off to their house! 

South Tour

 I have been to the point of India and back :) For the past 23 days I have been traveling with 10 other Rotary exchange students and one tour guide all throughout South India, recording everyday in my journal. I have decided to share with you the shortened version. If anyone is interested in the detailed, full version, just email me and I will be more than willing to share everything with you!

After only twenty three days I have seen so much more of India. I have learned, experienced, and SMELLED so many new things. I have ridden on top of a moving tour bus on a remote street in a small village. I have climbed up 1,700 steps carved into a huge rock, arriving at the top to a 100ft. statue carved from one boulder. I have ridden an elephant, been where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet, ridden in an Indian train, received a famous Kerala massage. I am used to cockroaches and rats, I no longer think much of unexplainable red dots on my skin. I have been to the gate of India, become a master at bargaining, slept on a houseboat and had freshly caught fish. I have woken up at 2am in the morning to avoid pro-communism protests, gone on jungle safaris, been to the highest point in South India and gone to the bathroom in a train (you will have to experience that one for yourself!). I am thankful to be able to experience some of the most magical moments of my life. Leaning out an open train door as India goes by in flashes, knowing there is so much India hides. No matter how much I learn about her, I know there is always another religion, belief, dish, song, person, or language that is yet to be discovered. And that is why this year, I am determined to become her best friend, no matter how many times she hugs me and then slaps me in the face. Because that is India and you can't do much more than try to learn her secrets and stand back in awe. 

Diwali

Namaste!
I am sure some of you have heard of Diwali, the festival of lights. You have probably also heard that it is one of the most beautiful festivals in India. Well, it is! Maybe it is the excitement of the entire family coming over for dinner (Indian families are big!), firing illegal fireworks (illegal in America of course), or maybe it is all the lights that are hung on every single house. I think the most beautiful moment of Diwali was when I watched a single paper lantern float into the sky. I know it sounds cliche, but it was truly picturesque.
For 10 days before Diwali, everyone frantically cleans their houses. It is like the Indian version of Spring cleaning, except they actually do it :). For the 3 days of the festival, there are poojas at homes and shops, where the owners pray for prosperity of their business' and families. 

Many people underestimate the amount of fireworks that are blown up, as well as the unsafe conditions. You walk down the street and there are children lighting matches and jumping over fireworks! Of course, someone is bound to get hurt. The first night of Diwali, my host brother was lighting a firework and somehow decided it would be safe to hold onto it as it went off! He burnt 3 of his fingers! But I suppose I shouldn't talk, as I burnt my finger on the last day while lighting a firework. Ice is everyone's best friend during Diwali :)  

I leave for the tour of South India in 8 days! I can't wait to see more of India. Can't wait to share my experience with you all!

Namaste,

Hannah

A Day in the Life of an American in India

Today I woke up at 8am, ate breakfast (prepared by my wonderful host mother) and was out the door and in an auto by 9:15am. The auto took me to BVM school, which is where me and the other exchange students take our kathak and tabla classes. From there, the other students and I went in search of another auto. Like most times, we had around 4 autos surrounding us, 3 out of the 4 already filled with people. I am not sure if the drivers planned on dumping out there passengers and taking us or if they just stopped to marvel at the Americans!  Either way, we found an empty one and made our way to the Madame Principal's house (the principle of BVM school). She had invited us to a pooja(celebration) for her Goddess. After performing the pooja, which consisted of throwing a handful of pedals on a beautifully decorated temple, we were served lunch. It was delicious! I even had something that tasted like key lime pie :)
 At 2pm we met our kathak teacher at the school where I taught her ballet, Felix taught German dance, Zevi taught Waltz and Salsa and Britney taught Tap. It was a lot of fun!! At 5pm, after dancing all afternoon Britney and I went to Jaripatka (my neighborhood) and shopped for kurti fabric. I am becoming quite the expert at bargaining, but my host mom is still in 1st place out of anyone I know! After my mom took me to the tailors to have some kurtis and suits made, I helped her cut tomatoes, onions, and paneer to make khatti rolls, which are one of my favorite meals here. The dinner was delicious!
I miss everyone and hope you are all doing well :)
Namaste,
Hannah