Closing Time...

It's Saturday evening and tomorrow marks the last day of my amazing trip to India. I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas, attending a church service nearby in a packed sanctuary singing all of my favorite carols, followed by a lovely Christmas lunch party at Sandeep's house and an evening dinner in Noida, a suburb of Delhi.

Yesterday I met up with 2 others in the Maxwell Mafia, Ritu and Nidhi, and we spent the day at Delhi Haat, an artisan's market, then visiting the President's house and then more shopping. Ritu and I returned home for a dinner of leftovers from yesterday's party and then watched a classic Bollywood film. Today was more shopping and fun times with Ritu. I took the Delhi Metro for the first time (I've been shuttled everywhere thus far by private car) and I must say I was verty impressed. The Metro is new, having opened in 2002, and is clean and orderly (at least as orderly as you can be when your country's population is 1.2 billion). That said, it was a relief to have Ritu at my side as she knew how to navigate the crowds and make light of the stares I was getting (being the only gringo on the train).

We explored CP (Cannaught Place), a circle full of shops, and Ritu helped me to pick out a saree, which I'm so excited about. I had to get an extra duffle bag as I'm carrying home quite a few Christmas gifts, so it was a pretty successful day. I enjoyed some Indian Chinese food, and I"m currently sitting by a fire in the fireplace and enjoying a quiet evening, something I haven't yet experienced here.

Tomorrow we will visit another church in the area, and then I'll get ready to head back to my native soil. It has been an absolutely awesome trip in so many ways, and I cannot wait to plan my next trip to India. Que Dios les Bendiga, y hasta pronto!

Christmas Eve in India

I was reading over my blog and noticed that I've used the word "incredible" way too many times, so I will try to refrain. It's Christmas Eve and I'm not surrounded by snow-covered mountains, Christmas Carols, or Christmas commercialism, save the emails from stores crowding my inbox. It's rather strange, but I'm sure at church tonight I will be reminded of the Christmas spirit.

Upon return to Delhi I met with another Supreme Court lawyer (and former Amnesty International employee) to gain more insight for my research. Yesterday I got to visit a mall in India, which stands in stark contrast to the independently owned, crowded shops lining the streets of Delhi.

To get to the mall we left the city limits and entered a city called Noida which has recently sprung up as a center for commercialism. Once we left the rickshaw-crowded streets and after being frisked to enter the mall, I almost forgot I was in India... well, that's not quite true. The mall resembled a US mall quite closely, except the music playing was Bollywood, there were no signs of Christmas except for a lone tree decorated in one corner of the mall, and many shops stocked sarees, salwars, and other traditional Indian garb.

I was also treated to my first Bollywood movie in the theatre, and it was quite the theatre! Lazyboy recliners for seats, and an attendant in the ladies room, it was an extravagant affair. We saw the latest Shah Rukh Khan movie, and I didn't need to know Hindi to understand the plot. Definitely a fun experience.

This afternoon I will do a bit of Christmas shopping, visit a Bahai temple, and go to a midnight service at a local Protestant church.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Holy Cow!

Wishing everyone a premature Merry Christmas, although without snow on the ground and in t-shirt weather, it hardly feels like Christmas to me!

Friday we left for Jaipur in Rajastan (forgive my misspellings), the India that most people think of when they think of India. Remember how I was talking about bullock carts and horses in the road? I failed to include camels! I shrieked when I saw my first camel in its natural habitat ;-) pulling a cart full of some crop or another. They are so tall! They look so regal as well, as though as everyone else is below them, which, literally, they are. The ride to Jaipur was beautiful, as I not only saw camels but also fields and fields of mustard, which are yellow and beautiful (if you have faith as small as a mustard seed...) It was a rough ride, as the roads are under heavy development and construction. Delhi slowly gave way to suburban cities where the fruits of outsourcing are being reaped and IT buildings are cropping up everywhere. These I giants gave way to rural farming communities, women dressed in neon colors carrying jars of water or bags filled with their crops on their heads and men with heads wrapped in turbans pacing in front of their small shops.

Arriving in Jaipur we were greeted by an elephant decorated elaborately with colored chalk, sauntering along the road, his rider sitting atop his back. We entered town and were greeted by a government official who escorted us to Amer Fort, an incredible fort on top of a hill that was once exquisite but now just grand. Upon entrance you would never know what was beyond the gates, but beyond each door was an entirely new world. The evening was highlighted by a visit to a restaurant called Chokhi Dhani, which was more of an experience than a restaurant. We were greeted royally and let to an outdoor dining facility where we removed our shoes, sat cross-legged on carpets and were served an incredible dinner on plates and bowls made of leaves. Servers wore brightly colored turbans and were incredibly dynamic, and each dish was flavorful and distinct. After an incredibly satisfying dinner, we wandered the grounds, acres of women dancing traditional dances, snake charmers, puppet shows, and yes, elephant and camel rides. Riding an elephant was steady and slow, but the camel was a different story! It was so tall and I thought I would fall off getting off of this huge animal. It was so much fun.

We stayed with friends of Sandeep, members of the Jain religion who are very peace-loving and don't even eat garlic as they feel it inflames the temper. They were gracious and wonderful and they took us to a market selling tribal art from around the country. We visited an art gallery and had dinner at a golf course.

The next day was a trip to Agra, my host Sandeep's hometown and home to the Taj Mahal. We were greeted by a distinguished looking man who took us through incredible traffic and narrow roads to a marble shop where traditional inlay work was being done. This was his shop and the shop of two other dynamic gentlemen who joined us for lunch. This inlay work is present in many monuments around India, including the Taj, and is a Muslim art that has been passed down but is a dying art because it requires much skill and not many people are continuing it. It was here that I learned that the gentleman who would lead us through the Taj is responsible for the restoration of the Taj. Because of that we bypassed a huge line and had people make way for us wherever we went. It was crawling with people, and its precision and symmetry is incredible. Its artists inscribed verses from the Quran around the doorway, and they shaped the outline to defy perspective and look the same thickness no matter the height. It is incredible to think that this incredible edifice was a monument to someone's deceased wife, but apparently this opulence was appropriate for the times.

Fatehpur Sikri was the last stop on the tour, and I am missing a few monuments, but everything was impressive, incredible, and ornate. At this monument we were served a kind of bread that only 2 people know how to make, from the Mogul dynasty. India's history lives in these monuments that have been altered by its conquerors, Hindu deities being defaced by Muslim conquerors, buildings demolished by British to make way for military barracks, and scavengers removing precious stones and gold from these buildings to increase their own wealth.

Returning to Delhi, traffic stalled our entrance to the city by two hours, reminding me that I am in 21st century India. Christmas preparations are underway, and I'll be spending a few days with my friend Ritu soon before returning to snowy and beautiful USA :-)

Friends in High Places

I've been in India over two weeks, and the culture shock has faded. I spent the last leg of my tour of India in a city called Mangalore (not Bangalore, but close), spending one night with a Catholic family and one night with a Hindu family, and visiting temples and churches and various other monuments. The Catholic family took me to this Hindu temple-the largest in Mangalore, and I felt like I was at Disney World on steroids. All of the buildings were painted in gold, and huge statues of different gods and goddesses stood in different temples. There was a lagoon area with fake animals all around, and did I mention lots and lots of gold? Apparently a wedding was ready to take place, and there must have been 2000 plastic chairs set up facing a huge stage decorated in lights and with flowers. Everything was bright colors and gold, and I was quite overwhelmed. Loud music was playing as families strolled through the temple buildings, bowing to gods that looked part animal and part human. That was a bit of culture shock for me, as I've never seen anything like it before :-)

Back in Delhi I feel like an absolute VIP, and this week I have met with Ministers including an aid to the Prime Minister, I've meet with Members of Parliament, the Archbishop of Delhi, the Director of the National Art Museum, and yesterday Sandeep and I got a tour of the history museum from the Director of the museum, and got to see a Faberge egg collection on tour from Russia! I've been exhausted but it's incredible the insight I've gotten for my case study. The media really has gotten much of this topic completely wrong or just surface level, and it makes me really question a lot of what the media says in general.

India is such a complex place, and it is amazing that such diverse and passionate people can live together more or less harmoniously. Everyone I meet is quick to point out that wonderful piece of Indian culture.

Tomorrow I go to Jaipur and Agra to visit some famous sites there, including the Taj Mahal. This week has been very busy and my brain is starting to hurt, but fortunately I think next week will be a bit more relaxed. I am so thankful to my gracious friends here who have gone completely out of their way to set up some incredible opportunities for me. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone back home!

Is This India? Goa (12/11/08)

Goa, on the west coast of India, does not feel like the rest of the country. Under Portuguese rule until 1961, Hindi is rarely spoken here, and instead of Hindu temples, the lanscape is dotted with huge Catholic churches. Homes are sprawling Portuguese estates, and the atmosphere is laid-back beach casual and decidedly European. I felt incredibly comfortable in Goa, certainly in part due to my wonderful hosts.

I stayed at the hotel of a friend of a friend, and I slept better in Goa than anywhere else- maybe the fresh ocean air is what did it. My first day here I met Father Ronniw at his Portuguese Catholic Retreat center, and he gave me the history of Christianity in India in a nutshell. I visited my hosts' home--an incredible house--and was welcomed by Christmas music playing and a large artificial Christmas tree complete with all the trimmings. From there we attended a family party, with family having flown in from London and Portugal for the holidays and wedding season. We enjoyed a delicious Goan meal and I slept very well that night.

I spent a day with 2 people my age (SO NICE) and we had a ton of fun traveling around Goa, visiting churches and museums, getting a bit lost, eating ice cream, and we visited a seminary where another priest shared his perspective on Christianity in India. This seminary was at a church that had several school and an orphanage, and the priest mentioned that the seminary had missionaries in Orissa. After another day of family, food, and fun in Goa, including an incredible dinner beachside, I was off to Mangalore, another coastal town.

Orissa (12/9)

Orissa is a state in eastern India that has recently been the subject of religious violence. I arrived on December 6th and was greeted by a lovely government official who spoke little English. I was whisked to the government guest house to freshen up and I promptly fell asleep. My sleep patterns were weird at the beginning of my trip. I didn't think that jet lag was a major problem but I've been having trouble getting more than 6 hours per night and therefore have been tired during the day. I woke up just in time to be greeted by the madam and a friend of hers, this official speaking a bit more English. India has over 3,000 languages I believe (+/-) and most people speak 3 or 4 at least, with English falling somewhere in that mix. These officials were my escorts in Orissa, and we headed out.

Our driver looked really young; if not for his moustache I would have guessed his age to be 12, and he navigated the crumbling roads as a teenager playing a racecar game. The Lord watched over our car, though, and my prayers that we would crash into a tree were answered. Talking to my hosts-- who fed me every moment they got-- I learned that they are involved in NGO work to help rural people who make their meager earnings from the resources gathered from a particular type of tree. Apparently farmers in some parts of rural India make next to nothing-- well below poverty levels-- so many NGOs are trying to change that. It was a long drive and eventually my hosts tired of speaking English, and I fell asleep again, awaking five hours after leaving in a small village government guest house. We met many local government officials and a sharp young man who is a jounralist and runs his own NGO; he was to be our guide for the next day. After more food we went to bed.

The next day we visited the conflict sights, and talked to people involved. In a place where Hindus and Christians had peacefully coexisted, it was so sad to see burned homes and looted churches with the saffrom colored Hindu flag flying above them. It was a sobering and long day, but I gained a really good perspective on the conflict. I'm not going into too much detail here, so I'll talk more about it individually to people when I get home.

The next day was spent touring Hindu temples. Orissa is famous for its temples, and these stone edifices are certainly impressive, gigantic, and intricately carved. These sights were places of worship for Hinduism's thousands upon thousands of gods.

My time in Orissa was incredibly informative, but also mentally draining. Next stop: Goa.

2000 BC meets 2000 AD (12/5/08)

Hello all... sorry I haven't written in awhile. I've been out of email access so I'm putting in a few notes in quick succession from this past week's travels.

India is intense. Everyone warned me that it would be. The food, the people, the atmosphere- everything. Driving through Delhi, or rather, riding in the passenger seat, it is clearly evident that over 1 billion people live here. The road is a testament to living history, and I applaud and slightly fear anyone with the courage (or insanity) to climb behind the wheel on India's roads. If you're not a God-fearing person, driving in downtown Delhi rush-hour traffic will cure you quickly. The roads are narrower than they should be, and pedestrians do not have the right of way. Here power is delegated according to your size. Pedestrians walk with traffic, making room for men pushing heavy carts burdened down by the days goods to sell, and they make way for wheeled carts pulled by bulls, or 'bullock carts'. These carts are in a poorly coordinated dance with bicycles, which often carry at least two passengers, and bicycle rickshaws. Motors push all of these primitive modes of transportation out of their ways, beginning with scooters, bicycles, and auto-rickshaws, and moving up the food chain to cars and finally trucks in order of size.

All of these vehicles battle for their small patch of road, but all traffic stops for one traveler: the cow. As cows are sacred according to Hindu tradition, they rule the road, the fields, basically India, and can be found basically everywhere.

I spent my first few days in Delhi, and in one of my conversations--this with a musician--she remarked that India is a picture of 2000BC meeting 2000AD. On the same street you will see slow moving bullock carts burdened down by a huge load of straw next to men in suits in the backs of their cars on their cell phones on the way to work at their IT firm. It is overwhelming and crazy, but also somehow beautiful.

Incredible India

I MADE IT!!!!!!! I cannot believe that I am in India.

I serve an amazing God, and a lot of things happened before my trip, but you know what? It all worked out. It always does.

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:31-34

I have been spoiled rotten since the moment I got here, thanks to my dear friends Sandeep and Ritu. Sandeep is hosting me, and yesterday he sent me off on a tour of UNESCO world heritage sites. There is so much history here, and I am blown away by the intensity of the culture here. The Red Fort, Qutub, a tomb that I can't remember the name of- I saw ruins dating back to the 4th century! I saw Mogul ruins, Hindu ruins, Muslim ruins, Hindu ruins defaced by Muslims, and on and on.

My tongue is also on fire... everything is spicey, although not as spicy as I feared. Everything has flavor, and you can smell spices in the air on the street. I don't really know how to describe everything or to sum it up, except to say that it is chaotic and messy and old and new and passionate and very beautiful.

Tonight I am meeting with a musician friend of Sandeep's, and then Ritu and I are going shopping for salwar kamises so that I don't stick out like a sore thumb when I go to Orissa tomorrow.