Family, friends we would like to take this time to personally notify all of you in the United States who care about us that we find ourselves safely in the middle of the great city of New Delhi. To provide a description of the city is difficult, but I will try my best. Sensory overload is probably the best way. The streets are loaded with people, cars, rickshaw, livestock, and yes garbage. It is hard to pinpoint the exact aroma that emanates here, but it is neither unpleasant nor welcomed. Today marks the first day that our India family is together, and everyone is excited to get to know each other on a deeper, more personal level. Today we are also on a pseudo scavenger hunt around the densely populated city. The group has been divided up into three groups of three; Elaynna, Sarah, and Kathryn comprise the first. Team Blonde Phenomenon consisting of Bob, Laura, and Saoirse are the second team. Alex, Devon, and Rozzi make up the third. We will spend hours exploring all that is New Delhi, take some rickshaws, exchange some money, and learn some Hindi. We all are extremely excited to begin our journey on the right foot and look forward to experience all that India has to offer. Tomorrow we will board an overnight train to Varanassi where we will begin our Hindi instruction and participate in various internships. At this time we find ourselves feeling very thankful for having been given this tremendous opportunity and blessed that we are supported in our decisions.
Much love,
Robert Fleming
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Seattle company are united!
I just wanted to let you know that I've heard from Nick and Stacey that the final students coming through Seattle and Amsterdam have arrived! They're safe, albeit sleepy!
- Ethan
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Safe in Delhi!
Nannette here on behalf of India group who wishes to let you know that the Cathay Pacific crew has arrived into Delhi safe-n-sound, are at their hostel, and are working toward a few hours of shut-eye before Mother India awakens outside their doors....
More from them themselves later, and the final 3 members of the group will be met by Nick or Stacey in about 19 hours!
More from them themselves later, and the final 3 members of the group will be met by Nick or Stacey in about 19 hours!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Together in San Francisco
Parents, followers, friends, and relatives,
I just heard from our fearless co-leaders, Nick and Stacey, that the San Francisco contingent of students is all together and successfully checked in and through security! They all depart in less than a few hours and what a beginning!
We'll connect with the Seattle folks in Delhi and post a blog accordingly, but for this first leg, everything went smoothly and ... dare I say, auspiciously!
Stay tuned for more from the leaders!
Ethan
Executive Director
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Namaste
Hey Ya'll,
We want to welcome everyone to the Carpe Diem India Semester! We are here in Portland, making the final preparations for our journey, and wanted to reach out to everyone that will be with us during the next few months. This blog will be one of our main sources of communication for everyone back home, and a way for all our friends and family to share our many experiences and adventures through the mystical land of India!
As we begin to arrive at SFO on the morning of the 10th, lets plan to meet at the Cathay Pacific Airline check-in counter (In the International Terminal A) @ 8:00 AM, or as soon as your domestic flight arrives. It will be important to give ourselves plenty of time to get everyone together and to go through the check-in process as a group. Also if you run into any problems that morning, and need to get in touch with us, you can call the office from any pay-phone (toll free @ 1.877.285.1808). If you have any other questions or concerns before we take off, you can reach us through email at: indiacarpediem@yahoo.com
Namaste,
Nick and Stacey
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"_Mahatma Gandhi
Friday, November 20, 2009
Let the Camel Count Begin!
After the eye-opening events and education we had in McLeod Ganj, we left the Tibetan community in the afternoon, waving goodbye to Neema-la--our contact--Max, Santos, our Tibetan families, and the J.J.I. Brothers in Exile--just a few of the vastly interesting and genuine people we met in McLeod. It was raining, freezing, and our feet were promptly given baths when we stepped outside to greet the taxis that would take us to Bir, Kangra. Having heated and spacious taxis made for quite an inviting and comfortable trip! We arrived at the Deer Park Institute just in time for dinner, and after a nights rest, we woke up for our orientation at the institute.
Deer Park is a collaboration of a well-structured monastery and a free school-- it's a place where anyone is welcome to learn, free of charge. One of the DP's main focuses is sustainable living and educating the local population of the current environmental state. The facility has set up composting, recycling, free environmental classes, and solar panel heating for the water and, with the help of some generous Italian men, lighting for a small amount of the houses near Deer Park.
Our week turned into one of relaxation, considering this was one of the first places where we didn't have a concrete schedule. Many of us took time to sleep, read, or..."wasket weave!" About a 45 min. hike up from Deer Park, through the Shivalik valley's and the numerous trees which spotted the village, was a small house where an elderly woman and her husband graciously gave basket weaving lessons. Suz, Chelsea, Isabel, Molly and I took an afternoon adventure up the footpaths to her house to take one lesson in "wasket weaving." We, however, got lost along the way, and stumbled across an Indian wedding--which was no misfortune, in the end. We sat with the grooms family and conversed with his cousins, who were so convinced that we wouldn't eat lunch with them because it was unsanitary, not because we were actually full. We were very full. From lunch. They did not believe us. Thus, we promised to return the next day for the post-wedding celebration for lunch, dancing and festivities.
That, however, was not possible the next day. We learned about lunch time, by Anna and Kelley's genius discovery, that our train tickets were booked a day early for the 18th, not the 19th which we all believed to be true. The group adjusted magnificently and I arranged taxis from Bir to Chandigarh (where our train was departing) which was to be a 7 hour ride and we had 8 hours to make it to the train. Kelley expertly contacted our hotel in Bikaner to enlighten them of our early arrival, while Jake ran into town to grab Molly from her brunch. And, excluding the lurching, jerky taxi ride--where several felt sick--we made it right on time for our 10:25pm train to Bikaner.
Now, our hectic transit and settling into our itinerary for free travel, we are in Bikaner, Rajasthan. Yesterday when our train arrived, we'd been in town for 10 minutes and we had spotted 16 camels-yikes!
Today we went on our first official guided tour through Bikaner's old city--in Molly's words was, "sooo cool!" But really folks, the old-city is what, when you are an outsider and picture India in your mind, it looks and feels like. With our guide, Gouri, we visited the oldest Hindu temple--600 years old--to partake in their daily puja. Compared to the puja's in the past, this one was most vibrant and genuine. The men and women, but mainly men, sang loudly and raised their hands high to Lakshmi; Drew said the man standing next to him had tears running down his face, in deep respect for their goddess of wealth. The experience seemed to be vital to our tour as it showed the passionate spirituality of the Hindus of Bikaner. Through the humbly small, stone streets we found, are you ready for this?, the spice market. That's right. Never had we smelled anything so strongly and so deliciously--because the two often don't correlate in India--on the streets. Half of us bought small containers of saffron, while others bought masala and black tea with which to make Chai Masala back in the United States. Don't worry, friends, I've bought some for all. :)
Alas, we're all very happy to be here, and tomorrow we're in gear for an authentic camel safari through the Rajasthani desert. We'll be spending the night in the magical dunes, like Aladdin. Arabian niiiiiiiight!
Punjabi pants required.
Molly and Olivia
Deer Park is a collaboration of a well-structured monastery and a free school-- it's a place where anyone is welcome to learn, free of charge. One of the DP's main focuses is sustainable living and educating the local population of the current environmental state. The facility has set up composting, recycling, free environmental classes, and solar panel heating for the water and, with the help of some generous Italian men, lighting for a small amount of the houses near Deer Park.
Our week turned into one of relaxation, considering this was one of the first places where we didn't have a concrete schedule. Many of us took time to sleep, read, or..."wasket weave!" About a 45 min. hike up from Deer Park, through the Shivalik valley's and the numerous trees which spotted the village, was a small house where an elderly woman and her husband graciously gave basket weaving lessons. Suz, Chelsea, Isabel, Molly and I took an afternoon adventure up the footpaths to her house to take one lesson in "wasket weaving." We, however, got lost along the way, and stumbled across an Indian wedding--which was no misfortune, in the end. We sat with the grooms family and conversed with his cousins, who were so convinced that we wouldn't eat lunch with them because it was unsanitary, not because we were actually full. We were very full. From lunch. They did not believe us. Thus, we promised to return the next day for the post-wedding celebration for lunch, dancing and festivities.
That, however, was not possible the next day. We learned about lunch time, by Anna and Kelley's genius discovery, that our train tickets were booked a day early for the 18th, not the 19th which we all believed to be true. The group adjusted magnificently and I arranged taxis from Bir to Chandigarh (where our train was departing) which was to be a 7 hour ride and we had 8 hours to make it to the train. Kelley expertly contacted our hotel in Bikaner to enlighten them of our early arrival, while Jake ran into town to grab Molly from her brunch. And, excluding the lurching, jerky taxi ride--where several felt sick--we made it right on time for our 10:25pm train to Bikaner.
Now, our hectic transit and settling into our itinerary for free travel, we are in Bikaner, Rajasthan. Yesterday when our train arrived, we'd been in town for 10 minutes and we had spotted 16 camels-yikes!
Today we went on our first official guided tour through Bikaner's old city--in Molly's words was, "sooo cool!" But really folks, the old-city is what, when you are an outsider and picture India in your mind, it looks and feels like. With our guide, Gouri, we visited the oldest Hindu temple--600 years old--to partake in their daily puja. Compared to the puja's in the past, this one was most vibrant and genuine. The men and women, but mainly men, sang loudly and raised their hands high to Lakshmi; Drew said the man standing next to him had tears running down his face, in deep respect for their goddess of wealth. The experience seemed to be vital to our tour as it showed the passionate spirituality of the Hindus of Bikaner. Through the humbly small, stone streets we found, are you ready for this?, the spice market. That's right. Never had we smelled anything so strongly and so deliciously--because the two often don't correlate in India--on the streets. Half of us bought small containers of saffron, while others bought masala and black tea with which to make Chai Masala back in the United States. Don't worry, friends, I've bought some for all. :)
Alas, we're all very happy to be here, and tomorrow we're in gear for an authentic camel safari through the Rajasthani desert. We'll be spending the night in the magical dunes, like Aladdin. Arabian niiiiiiiight!
Punjabi pants required.
Molly and Olivia
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Different Demographics
Walking through the streets of McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, home of the Tibetan Government and community in exile, it's a far cry from the India we've grown accustomed to. Each of us is living with a Tibetan family where we sleep and eat breakfast and dinner but that is where the similarity of our schedules ends. During the day we peruse the various shops (holiday gifts!), pursue different internships, go on stunningly beautiful walks, and seek avenues to learn about the exiled Tibetans' situation.
Morning is my favorite time here. I wake up to my Momo-la (grandmother), whom I share a room with, praying and then sip some boiled water with ginger. Then I set out on a walk with my Pa-la(father). We follow a path through the woods which leads to a monastary and old people's home where many Tibetans go each morning to pray and catch up. We then continue on to the Dalai Lama's temple, a modest yet large structure nestled in the hills, before returning home to breakfast. My least favorite part of the morning is trying to gulp down Tibetan tea, composed of butter and salt, and I'm not sure that my Western tastes will succeed in enjoying it. Luckily, we are in the place where momos can be found on every street corner so we never go hungry!
As for internships, flyers are plastered to every free wall advertising everything from Tibetan massage to wood carving to Tai Chi. We have all dabbled in one or two of these opportunities and found the possibilities a little overwhelming. There is so much going on here with lectures, movies, concerts, and just meeting the other western travellers and Tibetan refugees that it is impossible to attend everything that piques our interest. I learned some Tibetan massage [with my mom in mind =) -Kelley] but the most valuable thing that I will take away from my lessons is the story of our teacher who crossed the Himalayas, risking his life, to make it to Dharamsala. The refugees have established schools, institutions, and communities here; but it is not home. It is not Tibet.
The Chinese occupation of Tibet began in 1959 when the Chinese marched into Tibet, claiming to be freeing the Tibetans of "Anglo-American rule", which they had coincidently never heard of (the Chinese were lying). They havent left since. Tibetans are not allowed to practice their religion (Buddhism) freely; whether that means that they are watched, monitered, and controlled in their religious expressions (prayer, prostration, etc) or forbidden from places of worship and thrown in jail on absurd charges, the Tibetans no longer experience their basic freedoms in the land that now, no longer belongs to them. Tibetans, led mainly by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, are putting up a strong resistance to the Chinese occupation. Backed by the international community (for the most part) Tibetans campaign for the freedom of their people and the independence of their country; however, they are committed to carrying out this resistance through non-violent means. The Chinese do not share this opinion. Tibetan monks who have dedicated their lives to the dharma (holy teachings) and strongly abide it's non-violent teachings protest peacefully for their freedom, and are met with the fantastically violent means that the Chinese police use to halt their demonstrations. Monks are openly shot at, cars lit on fire, and people beaten ruthlessly left and right. One such occasion occured last March (2008), and last night a few of us heard the story of an extraordinary man who was shot twice trying to save the life of a monk. This man, Tsewang Dhondup, was shot once in the elbow and once in the ribs, near his left kidney. Both bullets went straight through his body. Without receiving care, he was instead forced to hideout in the mountains of Tibet for 14 months while the Chinese government searched for him. The Chinese government controls all hospitals and medical distributions in Tibet, and because Tsewang's name had been placed on the country's most wanted list, he was unable to have his wounds cared for. The bullet wounds became infected, and his flesh decayed and was infested with maggots. For 14 months he survived solely on personal strength, perseverence, and with the assistance of four villagers who found him and took care of him. Convinced to not have endured all this for naught, Tsewang and those who helped care for him escaped from Tibet into Nepal under the nose of the Chinese government and from there, made their way to Dharamshala. Tsewang shares his story with travelers like us in order to raise awareness about the situation in Tibet, which I am ashamed to say I knew very little about before coming here. Most of us are living with Tibetan families for our homestays and I know that after learning about the situation in Tibet, it put everything in a whole new light. I myself am staying with an old(ish) couple, both of whom are Tibetan. They are not young enough to have been born in exile, so it became clear to me that the very people who provide blankets, food, and smiles for me every day had to escape from Tibet at some point in their lives and come here. To even begin to fathom the hardships they endured in coming here makes my heart hurt, and I am no less than astounded at the goodness and generosity they have in welcoming us into their homes. We are in India, but that becomes easy to forget when surrounded by the largely Tibetan culture that McLeod Ganj consists of. It is heartbreaking to realize that these people are here because they are foreigners in their own land, not allowed within its borders and without much hope in ever returning to the land they once called their own. And despite all this, I walk the streets greeted brightly with smiles from all directions and good mornings called out by those who cross my path. The Tibetan spirit is far from destroyed. It lives strong here in Dharamshala, and one day, hopefully, will be given the opportunity to return to its land. Until then, it makes for an incredible atmosphere to be a part of.
Tashi delek (thats the extent of the Tibetan we've picked up, it means hello but will have to suffice here)
Kelley and Anna
Morning is my favorite time here. I wake up to my Momo-la (grandmother), whom I share a room with, praying and then sip some boiled water with ginger. Then I set out on a walk with my Pa-la(father). We follow a path through the woods which leads to a monastary and old people's home where many Tibetans go each morning to pray and catch up. We then continue on to the Dalai Lama's temple, a modest yet large structure nestled in the hills, before returning home to breakfast. My least favorite part of the morning is trying to gulp down Tibetan tea, composed of butter and salt, and I'm not sure that my Western tastes will succeed in enjoying it. Luckily, we are in the place where momos can be found on every street corner so we never go hungry!
As for internships, flyers are plastered to every free wall advertising everything from Tibetan massage to wood carving to Tai Chi. We have all dabbled in one or two of these opportunities and found the possibilities a little overwhelming. There is so much going on here with lectures, movies, concerts, and just meeting the other western travellers and Tibetan refugees that it is impossible to attend everything that piques our interest. I learned some Tibetan massage [with my mom in mind =) -Kelley] but the most valuable thing that I will take away from my lessons is the story of our teacher who crossed the Himalayas, risking his life, to make it to Dharamsala. The refugees have established schools, institutions, and communities here; but it is not home. It is not Tibet.
The Chinese occupation of Tibet began in 1959 when the Chinese marched into Tibet, claiming to be freeing the Tibetans of "Anglo-American rule", which they had coincidently never heard of (the Chinese were lying). They havent left since. Tibetans are not allowed to practice their religion (Buddhism) freely; whether that means that they are watched, monitered, and controlled in their religious expressions (prayer, prostration, etc) or forbidden from places of worship and thrown in jail on absurd charges, the Tibetans no longer experience their basic freedoms in the land that now, no longer belongs to them. Tibetans, led mainly by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, are putting up a strong resistance to the Chinese occupation. Backed by the international community (for the most part) Tibetans campaign for the freedom of their people and the independence of their country; however, they are committed to carrying out this resistance through non-violent means. The Chinese do not share this opinion. Tibetan monks who have dedicated their lives to the dharma (holy teachings) and strongly abide it's non-violent teachings protest peacefully for their freedom, and are met with the fantastically violent means that the Chinese police use to halt their demonstrations. Monks are openly shot at, cars lit on fire, and people beaten ruthlessly left and right. One such occasion occured last March (2008), and last night a few of us heard the story of an extraordinary man who was shot twice trying to save the life of a monk. This man, Tsewang Dhondup, was shot once in the elbow and once in the ribs, near his left kidney. Both bullets went straight through his body. Without receiving care, he was instead forced to hideout in the mountains of Tibet for 14 months while the Chinese government searched for him. The Chinese government controls all hospitals and medical distributions in Tibet, and because Tsewang's name had been placed on the country's most wanted list, he was unable to have his wounds cared for. The bullet wounds became infected, and his flesh decayed and was infested with maggots. For 14 months he survived solely on personal strength, perseverence, and with the assistance of four villagers who found him and took care of him. Convinced to not have endured all this for naught, Tsewang and those who helped care for him escaped from Tibet into Nepal under the nose of the Chinese government and from there, made their way to Dharamshala. Tsewang shares his story with travelers like us in order to raise awareness about the situation in Tibet, which I am ashamed to say I knew very little about before coming here. Most of us are living with Tibetan families for our homestays and I know that after learning about the situation in Tibet, it put everything in a whole new light. I myself am staying with an old(ish) couple, both of whom are Tibetan. They are not young enough to have been born in exile, so it became clear to me that the very people who provide blankets, food, and smiles for me every day had to escape from Tibet at some point in their lives and come here. To even begin to fathom the hardships they endured in coming here makes my heart hurt, and I am no less than astounded at the goodness and generosity they have in welcoming us into their homes. We are in India, but that becomes easy to forget when surrounded by the largely Tibetan culture that McLeod Ganj consists of. It is heartbreaking to realize that these people are here because they are foreigners in their own land, not allowed within its borders and without much hope in ever returning to the land they once called their own. And despite all this, I walk the streets greeted brightly with smiles from all directions and good mornings called out by those who cross my path. The Tibetan spirit is far from destroyed. It lives strong here in Dharamshala, and one day, hopefully, will be given the opportunity to return to its land. Until then, it makes for an incredible atmosphere to be a part of.
Tashi delek (thats the extent of the Tibetan we've picked up, it means hello but will have to suffice here)
Kelley and Anna
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