Well hello there, remember me? I'm that guy who's blog you occassionally read and I occassionally update? Haha, it feels like it's been forever since the last time I've posted a blog. I'll see what I can do in this post.
As of last week, it's been 3 months since I first landed in India. The mile-mark not only demonstrates the length of time I've been in India, but also how long India has been influencing me. I am, admittedly (and slightly proudly), no longer a tourist in India. I have certain mannerisms and phrases which have clearly been picked up in my travels. I've become slightly familiar with the various cultures that make up the tapestry called India. And yet, I'm still very much a stranger here. Not a tourist and not a resident, I live in this in between place where I talk Indian politics with Indians and yet will never fully understand what it truly means to be Indian.
Yet the thought of the day is: What does it mean to "be Indian?" This is an answer which is difficult, if not impossible, to answer. Punjabis and Bengalis have different dialects, customs, and outlooks. What was fashionable for men in Uttar Pradesh was thought as feminine in Punjab. The language of the Tamils is not shared by those in Delhi. Even my Mizo friends are considered "fake Chinese" rather than true Indians. So if language, customs, religion, appearance, etc are not shared amongst Indians, what does it really mean to be Indian? For that matter, what does it mean to be anything? Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, European Americans, etc are all incredible different. So what does it mean to be American? But these differences are dwarfed when compared to the diversity of India. A diversity which is both the strength and weakness of the nation. Only time will tell if these differences can be unified in a diversity which allows the nation to prosper.
Insofar as my life is concerned, I spent a relaxing week in Delhi with my Mizo brothers. Contrary to my original expectations, Dr. Thanzauva was still in Aizawl meaning on John and Mapuia were there. Staying with John (28) and Mapuia (21) was like being back in college. We stayed up until 2 am watching movies, debating, and talking about our celebrity "girlfriends." After two weeks of traveling, there was something nourishing to the soul to be amongst people who could joke about silly things with or debate some issue in music. I really enjoyed being with them and it was hard to leave them behind in Delhi.
Now I'm here in Kolkata for the last 3 days of my time in India. Kolkata is a very different city than Delhi. Kolkata has 14 million people all crammed together in a city 4 times too small for its population. And its incredibly hot here which complicates the matter. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying myself and being reminded of both why I will miss India and why I'll be happy to return. My hotel is part of a Mizo community here in Kolkata and my room literally overlooks Mother Teresa's charity. My plan is to see the Victorian Memorial (a remnant of the British rule in India) and a couple of traditional Kolkata sites. Then on Thursday I hop on a plane and head back to the States.
I'm looking forward to being back in the States and interested to see how my time in India has reshaped my understanding of the US. So many things are different here. I've grown accustomed to living without so many things which are considered essentials in the US (AC, hot water, showers, reliable electricity, washer & dryer, etc). At any rate, it'll be great to see family and friends again. Of course, I don't know how the seminary expects me to be adjusted and ready for classes to begin just two weeks later. But such is the life of a traveler I guess. I leave India only to begin the next adventure of Maximum Security Prison chaplaincy and Middler Year seminary studies. But such is life, each day we begin another adventure anew. What adventure are you off on today?
pax et bonum
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Ancient Wonders & Tourists
Ew, life here in India seems to be moving at lightening speed although the weeks seem to passby slowly. At any rate, I'm sitting in an internet cafe here in Amritsar passing the time away so I thought I might update my blog while I'm at it. I'll try to be concise but I have so much to share it might be a bit tough. At any rate, here's what's new in my life:
I left Varanasi and headed by train to Agra. Agra is a city built around a monument: the Taj Mahal. The Taj, as you probably know, is one of the wonders of the ancient world. The locals like to say it's the ultimate monument to love as the massive structure was built by the king as a mossoleum to his wife who died in childbirth. My time in Agra was short but filled with lots of good stories. I saw the Taj from various angles and multiple times in the day. The first is when I snuck down the beach by a park to get a nice picture of the Taj at sunset. It was a funny place to take a photo as a herd of donkeys were grassing behind me long the shore and trash from former sight-seers filled the ground.
At a popular restaraunt in Agra, I met some German tourists who were planning on seeing the Taj the next morning. After a long talk, they invited me to join them on their travels. So, the next day I toured Agra with some nice German girls seeing the Taj, the Agra Fort (where the King was imprisoned for a number of years), and we even went to one of the upscale pools to swim. But those are stories for another time. Back to what you really want to read about, the Taj is every bit as good as people and pictures tell you it is. Although I would argue from a far it's not incredibly awe-ing, once you're upclose it's incredible. The intricate designs and marble work is truly amazing. It's funny because within the Taj area everyone is constantly turning around as they walk just to look again at the Taj. It's like you can't take your eyes off of it and you marvel at how the light hits the building in different ways as you walk around. I think Bill Clinton was right when he said, "There are two types of people in this world: Those who have seen the Taj and those who haven't."
The next day I met some nice French girls on my way to the ancient city of Fatephur Sikri. The three of us walked around the abandoned capital of a once great empire. The city is actually a world heritage site and it was cool to walk around an ancient palace trying to imagine what life would have been like hundreds of years ago there.
After that, I hopped on a train and headed to Amritsar. Amritsar is a small city located near the India-Pakistan border in the northwest part of India. The city is like Mecca to Sikhs who come on pilgrimage to the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is quite beautiful and the inner court of the complex allows a great reprieve from the congested streets of Amritsar. Although I'm here for 3 days, it seems I over-estimated how much there is to do here.
Yesterday, while eating a meal at the temple I made friends with some Israeli tourist and we all went to the Pakistan border. Here, every night at sundown, the Indian and Pakistani border troops participate in a ceremony of pure bravado. Filled with loud chanting, shouts, fancy high kicks, and more the two sides display their skill. The scene has become so popular that there are bleachers set up for visitors and they were completely packed with people cheering for India. Think of it like a pep rally for India. It was crazy, I'll have to show you video for it to really make sense but it was quite fun.
So that's the main updates from my life. As you can see, I've begun to participate in the joys of traveler culture. In India, you're pretty easy to pick out as a tourist so among ourselves there's always the courtesy of saying hello. But often with us younger travelers we enjoy spending the day traveling to the sites together just to have other people or different people to talk to. So that's been fun especially since I'm on my own until I get to Delhi. Why are all the tourists I meet up with girls? I don't know. That's a good question. Hmmm.... hahah
Anyways, although I've done most of what there is to do in Amritsar (Golden Temple, Border Ceremony) I think I there are some temples I can visit and of course there's always just relaxing. Which is probably how I'll spend the rest of today. Sunday morning I leave for Delhi to catch up with Dr. Thanzauva and family which I'm looking forward to. It'll be nice to spend a week with some familiar faces after a week on the road. Also, today marks exactly 2 wks before I arrive back in the Lone Star State. Get excited America, I'm still coming back. Well, that's all I have for you now. Update to come mid-next week from Delhi.
pax et bonum
I left Varanasi and headed by train to Agra. Agra is a city built around a monument: the Taj Mahal. The Taj, as you probably know, is one of the wonders of the ancient world. The locals like to say it's the ultimate monument to love as the massive structure was built by the king as a mossoleum to his wife who died in childbirth. My time in Agra was short but filled with lots of good stories. I saw the Taj from various angles and multiple times in the day. The first is when I snuck down the beach by a park to get a nice picture of the Taj at sunset. It was a funny place to take a photo as a herd of donkeys were grassing behind me long the shore and trash from former sight-seers filled the ground.
At a popular restaraunt in Agra, I met some German tourists who were planning on seeing the Taj the next morning. After a long talk, they invited me to join them on their travels. So, the next day I toured Agra with some nice German girls seeing the Taj, the Agra Fort (where the King was imprisoned for a number of years), and we even went to one of the upscale pools to swim. But those are stories for another time. Back to what you really want to read about, the Taj is every bit as good as people and pictures tell you it is. Although I would argue from a far it's not incredibly awe-ing, once you're upclose it's incredible. The intricate designs and marble work is truly amazing. It's funny because within the Taj area everyone is constantly turning around as they walk just to look again at the Taj. It's like you can't take your eyes off of it and you marvel at how the light hits the building in different ways as you walk around. I think Bill Clinton was right when he said, "There are two types of people in this world: Those who have seen the Taj and those who haven't."
The next day I met some nice French girls on my way to the ancient city of Fatephur Sikri. The three of us walked around the abandoned capital of a once great empire. The city is actually a world heritage site and it was cool to walk around an ancient palace trying to imagine what life would have been like hundreds of years ago there.
After that, I hopped on a train and headed to Amritsar. Amritsar is a small city located near the India-Pakistan border in the northwest part of India. The city is like Mecca to Sikhs who come on pilgrimage to the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is quite beautiful and the inner court of the complex allows a great reprieve from the congested streets of Amritsar. Although I'm here for 3 days, it seems I over-estimated how much there is to do here.
Yesterday, while eating a meal at the temple I made friends with some Israeli tourist and we all went to the Pakistan border. Here, every night at sundown, the Indian and Pakistani border troops participate in a ceremony of pure bravado. Filled with loud chanting, shouts, fancy high kicks, and more the two sides display their skill. The scene has become so popular that there are bleachers set up for visitors and they were completely packed with people cheering for India. Think of it like a pep rally for India. It was crazy, I'll have to show you video for it to really make sense but it was quite fun.
So that's the main updates from my life. As you can see, I've begun to participate in the joys of traveler culture. In India, you're pretty easy to pick out as a tourist so among ourselves there's always the courtesy of saying hello. But often with us younger travelers we enjoy spending the day traveling to the sites together just to have other people or different people to talk to. So that's been fun especially since I'm on my own until I get to Delhi. Why are all the tourists I meet up with girls? I don't know. That's a good question. Hmmm.... hahah
Anyways, although I've done most of what there is to do in Amritsar (Golden Temple, Border Ceremony) I think I there are some temples I can visit and of course there's always just relaxing. Which is probably how I'll spend the rest of today. Sunday morning I leave for Delhi to catch up with Dr. Thanzauva and family which I'm looking forward to. It'll be nice to spend a week with some familiar faces after a week on the road. Also, today marks exactly 2 wks before I arrive back in the Lone Star State. Get excited America, I'm still coming back. Well, that's all I have for you now. Update to come mid-next week from Delhi.
pax et bonum
Friday, August 13, 2010
Incredible India
After leaving Mizoram I spent the night and the morning of the next day in Kolkatta. The difference was night and day, in fact I'm slowly overcoming a second culture shock. Mizoram is a peaceful place with lush, green rolling hills and friendly people. Entering Kolkatta is like a sensory bomb going off in your mind. There are so many people, vehicles, buildings, sights, and sounds that your mind literally cannot process all the information being sent to it at once. Rev. Zolawma set me up at a Mizoram guest house next to Mother Teresa's Mission (called "Motherhouse"). This section of town is less crowded and the streets have far less beggars so it was a nice place to slowly get adjusted.
The next day I was on a train headed out to Gaya. The train's I've booked are all AC units because I refuse to be on a train for 6-24 hrs during an Indian summer without AC (one 2.5 hr car ride from Waco to Houston without AC taught me that). The AC cars have small sections with bunk beds essentially. Thus far, I've had the top bunk which has been fun since only the bottom bunk can be converted into a bed. So my 6'2" body plus backpack must squeeze into a bunk made for someone who is 5'5".
My stay in Gaya was a quick one but filled with various happenings. I stopped in Gaya because it is the train station about 12 km away from Bodhgaya, the place where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. After a quick dinner and rest, I made the trip from Gaya to Bodhgaya via auto-rickshaw. Bodhgaya is an interesting place because the town is filled with Buddhist monasteries belonging to the major centers of Buddhism (i.e. China, Japan, Thailand, Tibet, etc.). I made my way to the temple built around the sacred spot where the Buddha meditated. I wish I could say I was able to spend some time under the Bodhi Tree contemplating the nature of the universe like the Buddha did over two millenia ago. However, my reflection was cut short as hustlers always wanted to talk to me. Here are some common Indian hustles:
"Hello sir, I am an English student and I would like to practice my English with you!"
"Hello sir, you are a foreigner so let me show you around the town." [After which the person will try to charge a large, bogus "tour guide fee"]
"Sir, instead of auto-rickshaw I will take you around on my motorcycle if you just pay for gas."
Basically, in India if anyone approaches you acting friendly or trying to help you, they just want your money. If you have to approach someone to help you, they will kindly do it for free. Needless to say, in the past few days I've begun to practice my anti-hustler techniques. Much to my mother's joy, I haven't really felt any danger at any point. I suppose being a foot taller than everyone helps but also because most people just want to cheat you, not hurt you (there's more money in a good con haha). But other than the hustlers, everyone is very nice. I walked into a Thai monastery and listened to a young monk talk for a while about Buddhist practices and his life as a monk. I snuck into a Tibetan monastery and ate momo during the heat of the day before having a big adventure traveling way out into the country to see the Dungeswari Cave Temple where the Buddha meditated.
Since my adventures in Gaya, I've been here in Varanasi staying with a former PTS student who has been kind enough to take me in. His name is Kerry, a PhD student at UC-Santa Barbra doing research on a unique expression of Christianity. He has been not only a great new friend, but an incredible resource into the life of people here in Varanasi. For instance, because of his contacts here in the city we were able to attend a Pentecostal home worship service amongst the dolet (formerly called "untouchable") community. I've been able to walk along the ghats, where Hindus come each day on pilgrimage to bathe in the holy river Ganges. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Hindu culture, Varanasi is Hinduism Jerusalem or Mecca. In addition, it's one of the oldest cities in the world with a culture that's remained nearly intact. The city would be akin to Athens if you could still go up to the Acropolis and listen to philosophers and intellectuals teaching.
I've eaten at incredible local restaurants and met a lot of friendly locals as well. Although I can't speak any Hindi, Kerry is able to translate everything for me. Today was quite hilarious as we found ourselves in a seminar marketing computer training software in a pyramid scheme. I wish I had time to write about it but needless to say I had a very enthusiastic young man sitting next to me yelling into my ear when to clap, shout, stand up, and telling me how many rupees I could make. Fun stuff. Oh, and I took a walk/boat ride at sunrise along the ghats to see the brahmins (holy men) praying, chanting, and performing ritual bathing alongside other devotees. As you can see, my brain is a little scattered. I've got so many experiences in my head to process it's tough to commit them all to page. Indeed, I think tonight Kerry wants us to go out after dinner to see a Shiva temple.
It'll be sad to leave Kerry and Varanasi tomorrow night as I'm just beginning to scratch the surface here. There is so much to this city to explore and to learn it's a pity I have such little time here. From here I'll spend a few days in Agra to see the Taj Mahal and other famous sites in the city. Then it's off to Amristar to spend three days admiring the Golden Temple and holy city of the Sikhs. On the 22nd I'll make my way to Delhi to say with Dr. Thanzauva and his sons who I befriended at AICS. By that time I'm sure I'll be desperate for some time with friends so I look forward to spending the week with them. Delhi will probably be my next chance for internet so I hope this blog can hold you over until then. Of course, time on the road might force me to spend some internet time connecting with the outside world so I might seek some time in at Amristar.
I hope all is well with everyone back home and although I am really enjoying my travels I look forward to some time stateside. Thanks for all the comments everyone, until next time...
pax et bonum
The next day I was on a train headed out to Gaya. The train's I've booked are all AC units because I refuse to be on a train for 6-24 hrs during an Indian summer without AC (one 2.5 hr car ride from Waco to Houston without AC taught me that). The AC cars have small sections with bunk beds essentially. Thus far, I've had the top bunk which has been fun since only the bottom bunk can be converted into a bed. So my 6'2" body plus backpack must squeeze into a bunk made for someone who is 5'5".
My stay in Gaya was a quick one but filled with various happenings. I stopped in Gaya because it is the train station about 12 km away from Bodhgaya, the place where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. After a quick dinner and rest, I made the trip from Gaya to Bodhgaya via auto-rickshaw. Bodhgaya is an interesting place because the town is filled with Buddhist monasteries belonging to the major centers of Buddhism (i.e. China, Japan, Thailand, Tibet, etc.). I made my way to the temple built around the sacred spot where the Buddha meditated. I wish I could say I was able to spend some time under the Bodhi Tree contemplating the nature of the universe like the Buddha did over two millenia ago. However, my reflection was cut short as hustlers always wanted to talk to me. Here are some common Indian hustles:
"Hello sir, I am an English student and I would like to practice my English with you!"
"Hello sir, you are a foreigner so let me show you around the town." [After which the person will try to charge a large, bogus "tour guide fee"]
"Sir, instead of auto-rickshaw I will take you around on my motorcycle if you just pay for gas."
Basically, in India if anyone approaches you acting friendly or trying to help you, they just want your money. If you have to approach someone to help you, they will kindly do it for free. Needless to say, in the past few days I've begun to practice my anti-hustler techniques. Much to my mother's joy, I haven't really felt any danger at any point. I suppose being a foot taller than everyone helps but also because most people just want to cheat you, not hurt you (there's more money in a good con haha). But other than the hustlers, everyone is very nice. I walked into a Thai monastery and listened to a young monk talk for a while about Buddhist practices and his life as a monk. I snuck into a Tibetan monastery and ate momo during the heat of the day before having a big adventure traveling way out into the country to see the Dungeswari Cave Temple where the Buddha meditated.
Since my adventures in Gaya, I've been here in Varanasi staying with a former PTS student who has been kind enough to take me in. His name is Kerry, a PhD student at UC-Santa Barbra doing research on a unique expression of Christianity. He has been not only a great new friend, but an incredible resource into the life of people here in Varanasi. For instance, because of his contacts here in the city we were able to attend a Pentecostal home worship service amongst the dolet (formerly called "untouchable") community. I've been able to walk along the ghats, where Hindus come each day on pilgrimage to bathe in the holy river Ganges. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Hindu culture, Varanasi is Hinduism Jerusalem or Mecca. In addition, it's one of the oldest cities in the world with a culture that's remained nearly intact. The city would be akin to Athens if you could still go up to the Acropolis and listen to philosophers and intellectuals teaching.
I've eaten at incredible local restaurants and met a lot of friendly locals as well. Although I can't speak any Hindi, Kerry is able to translate everything for me. Today was quite hilarious as we found ourselves in a seminar marketing computer training software in a pyramid scheme. I wish I had time to write about it but needless to say I had a very enthusiastic young man sitting next to me yelling into my ear when to clap, shout, stand up, and telling me how many rupees I could make. Fun stuff. Oh, and I took a walk/boat ride at sunrise along the ghats to see the brahmins (holy men) praying, chanting, and performing ritual bathing alongside other devotees. As you can see, my brain is a little scattered. I've got so many experiences in my head to process it's tough to commit them all to page. Indeed, I think tonight Kerry wants us to go out after dinner to see a Shiva temple.
It'll be sad to leave Kerry and Varanasi tomorrow night as I'm just beginning to scratch the surface here. There is so much to this city to explore and to learn it's a pity I have such little time here. From here I'll spend a few days in Agra to see the Taj Mahal and other famous sites in the city. Then it's off to Amristar to spend three days admiring the Golden Temple and holy city of the Sikhs. On the 22nd I'll make my way to Delhi to say with Dr. Thanzauva and his sons who I befriended at AICS. By that time I'm sure I'll be desperate for some time with friends so I look forward to spending the week with them. Delhi will probably be my next chance for internet so I hope this blog can hold you over until then. Of course, time on the road might force me to spend some internet time connecting with the outside world so I might seek some time in at Amristar.
I hope all is well with everyone back home and although I am really enjoying my travels I look forward to some time stateside. Thanks for all the comments everyone, until next time...
pax et bonum
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Closing Time
Well dear readers, my time in Mizoram has come to a close. I am now within 24 hours of leaving the place I have called home for the summer. While I felt like a stranger when I first arrived, I now consider many people here dear friends and family.
This past week has been incredibly busy as I've tried to finish up all my paperwork for Princeton and tie up any loose ends. In fact, PTS requires a 25 page report about my summer placement so I spent much of last week in the computer lab typing that up. A large part of my report focused on the negative effects of westernization on Mizos and the unconscious import of ethnocentric messages by the first missionaries. Perhaps one day I'll convert that into a paper and let you read it.
I also had fun this week because Friday night a set up a dance for the seminary. Mizos are a singing people but outside of traditional dances they don't have much. So we got together in the chapel, plugged in my iPod, and I started teaching them some different stuff. Since Mizos have a fascination with Texas and cowboys, I taught them a simple line dance and how to Texas two step. We had such a great time and I loved how energetic everyone was to learn. After about an hour or so most of the students left to get ready for church in the morning, but a couple guys stuck around and I taught them some hip hop moves.
When I got on the bus to go to church this morning, all the students said they had so much fun last night that we had to do it again. They told me when to be at the chapel tonight so that we could have another dance. One student said, "Austin! We should've been doing this all summer!" I loved it. Since I enjoy getting people together to dance everywhere I go, it's only right that India be no exception. We even had a faculty member join last night which was hilarious.
My time in Mizoram has been filled with joy and lots of time spent in quiet reflection. I've really treasured my time here and I consider it a great blessing. I can't believe that two months have gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday I arrived here. Now I'm 25 days away from being back in the US but a great adventure is in store before then.
Here's the basic itinerary of my trip for the next 3 weeks:
8/10-8/11 Bodhgaya
8/12-8/14 Varanasi
8/15-8/18 Agra
8/19-8/21 Amristar
8/22-27 New Delhi
8/29-9/2 Kolkata
If I get access to the internet during my travels I will be sure to keep you posted. I imagine my updates will come about once a week, as they have here in Mizoram. Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading about my time in Mizoram as I have writing about it. One journey ends and another one begins. Until next time,
Pax et bonum
This past week has been incredibly busy as I've tried to finish up all my paperwork for Princeton and tie up any loose ends. In fact, PTS requires a 25 page report about my summer placement so I spent much of last week in the computer lab typing that up. A large part of my report focused on the negative effects of westernization on Mizos and the unconscious import of ethnocentric messages by the first missionaries. Perhaps one day I'll convert that into a paper and let you read it.
I also had fun this week because Friday night a set up a dance for the seminary. Mizos are a singing people but outside of traditional dances they don't have much. So we got together in the chapel, plugged in my iPod, and I started teaching them some different stuff. Since Mizos have a fascination with Texas and cowboys, I taught them a simple line dance and how to Texas two step. We had such a great time and I loved how energetic everyone was to learn. After about an hour or so most of the students left to get ready for church in the morning, but a couple guys stuck around and I taught them some hip hop moves.
When I got on the bus to go to church this morning, all the students said they had so much fun last night that we had to do it again. They told me when to be at the chapel tonight so that we could have another dance. One student said, "Austin! We should've been doing this all summer!" I loved it. Since I enjoy getting people together to dance everywhere I go, it's only right that India be no exception. We even had a faculty member join last night which was hilarious.
My time in Mizoram has been filled with joy and lots of time spent in quiet reflection. I've really treasured my time here and I consider it a great blessing. I can't believe that two months have gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday I arrived here. Now I'm 25 days away from being back in the US but a great adventure is in store before then.
Here's the basic itinerary of my trip for the next 3 weeks:
8/10-8/11 Bodhgaya
8/12-8/14 Varanasi
8/15-8/18 Agra
8/19-8/21 Amristar
8/22-27 New Delhi
8/29-9/2 Kolkata
If I get access to the internet during my travels I will be sure to keep you posted. I imagine my updates will come about once a week, as they have here in Mizoram. Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading about my time in Mizoram as I have writing about it. One journey ends and another one begins. Until next time,
Pax et bonum
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