Making It Down South...

Namaste,
Just a quick update, since I won't be posting anything until after July 2.
Today, I'm taking a train to Delhi to spend about 5 days with my friend Anshul's family.
I've known Anshul since I was 5 or 6, and he's one of the most awesome people you will ever meet. Ever. Out of anywhere. We were neighbors once back in Boulder, then elementary school friends, then OM team members...and then we both went to Cornell! We've grown up together, and we're still growing up together, you could say. Plus, no one else but him can actually quote things I said in second grade...
He's crazy impressive like that.
Anyways, Anshul's family is fantastic and I'm psyched to spend a good chunk of time with his mom, brother, and assorted relatives (Anshul is in Texas for the summer). His grandfather, uncle, and dad have all contacted me, and I feel so lucky to know them all--and be able to experience Delhi with them.
On Thursday morning, I'll fly to Chennai from Delhi and explore it with some other interns. We'll spend Friday through Sunday in Pondicherry, for a national AIESEC conference for all international interns in the country, and also check out the sites. We're taking a train across the country back to Chandigarh from Monday to Wednesday.
Last night, I saw Piyush, a great friend of mine who is from Chandigarh but spent the last year in NYC as an intern. That was so awesome--and hopefully I'll see him again after I return from these travels.
Be well, and talk to you all soon!
love angie
P.S. We have mad plans to hang out at the beach. So excited. :)

Mehndi, Beauty, and Irony

Why, hello again. I know, two entries in one day! IMPOSSIBLE! But today's experience with mehndi (henna tattoos, more commonly known) made me think a lot about my recent conceptions of what is beautiful and appealing and arresting, and those thoughts have been swimming around all day in my head. The wife of the shoestore owner, Sushna, created such incredible patterns on my forearms and hands today, they just evolved incredibly smoothly as they spread across my skin. It was really breathtaking to watch it happen, on me no less, and it was almost hypnotic. But it was definitely art in every sense of the word, and I'm planning on bringing some henna powder back home to mess around with...This is one of the perks of working with women here--I get to take part in all of these cultural, typical female matters of mehndi and threading and chai-making.

But it's also so funny (ironic even...) that I'm currently reading The Feminine Mystique, the book that literally revived the feminist movement in the 1960's by asking women (and men) why Suburbia had turned young females into submissive, domestic, housewife types. And here I am, interviewing women (funny, smart, beautiful ones...) who all are stay-at-home wives and mothers, respected by their families and friends for their ability to cook, clean, and rear children. Of course, this isn't for every single woman--but I've heard women here directly say things about each other that imply that their ability to do certain tasks well reflects their upbringing and character. And while this is true for the US as well, the role of being a homemaker is even more so defined and outlined here in this country.

When I'm in the community at Hallomajra, I can see why it's so valuable for the women to know how to do these things, to maintain their appearance and household to fit a certain standard of beauty and talent. It is what defines them. But on my way to and from Hallomajra, I'm reading about the need for women (especially in the US) to find their individuality apart from domesticity. They're extremely different, but at the same time both cultures in the US and India face this divide--one that has existed for decades and decades, and one that persists even today. It just persists stronger in some places over others--but the role of women in society is so debated in every culture, it seems. Mehndi got me thinking this because I was so enthralled by it--and I was so impressed by it. But at the same time, I think it represents the certain set of skills women are expected or encouraged to have in some societies--a set that doesn't necessarily include assertiveness, political fervor, or stereotypical male traits of power and strength. But characteristics that every person, man or woman, has a right to have if they have it, or if they want to possess it.

But aside from all that, I loved the experience. Sushna has such a warm smile that she's passed onto her daughter, and they both laugh so freely. It was another show of such generosity and hospitality--they were eager to share with me a really special aspect of their lifestyle and history and culture, and I think they enjoyed my reactions as well.

And so it begins...

Such detail!

Backside, a string of flowers.

Sushna, and her adorable daughter Ashna, after finishing.

And taken just moments ago. It took a few hours to dry, and then my arms were covered in mustard seed oil to darken the henna. It'll stay for 5-10 days.

On the topic of beauty and irony--I see incredible shots everywhere in Hallomajra, ironic since its people are so poor in comparison to other parts of the city. Poverty persists, but more often I am in awe at the energy and light and color. For every photo I take, there are probably 20 others that catch my eye, mango sellers or kids or women washing clothes, and I itch to capture it. But it's so critical to remember that this is someone's routine, someone's life...and there must be respect for that privacy. I hope I've been accomplishing that...

"Hey, Dog! Are you veg?"

Hey hey,

So, another bit of time has passed and I'm again overwhelmed by how much I want to share.
Lots of photos, because I am a fiend like that, but I do think they can describe much more than I ever could in words.
We spent last weekend in Dharamsala, better known as the hometown of the Dalai Lama. Actually, a neighboring village called McLeod Ganj is actually his home, but it's only a walk away from the center of Dharamsala. So I have photos of that, plus more of Chandigarh, my lovely friends here, and of Hallomajra and Ramdarbar, the below-poverty slum/village areas where I've been working.
And the title? First note that India is fabulous for vegetarians--I've had little meat since being here, and it's great--there are always "veg" options. My beloved buddy Ganda, who is a remarkable human being, tried feeding a stray dog a BBQ flavored Pringles potato chip in Dharamsala. The dog sniffed it and walked away. Ganda, frustrated that his generous offering had been rejected so, yelled out vehemently, "Hey, dog! Are you veg? Huh?! ARE YOU VEG?!"

Oh, India. And Indonesians. I love both.
xo angie

DHARAMSALA and MCLEOD GANJ
(ahem. dedicated to a certain em who will be studying abroad there...whooo!)

Dharamsala's streets--I like the animals. :) And there were fantastic mountain views, it made me miss Boulder, since Chandigarh is about as flat as it gets.

The Dalai Lama's monestary. What struck a chord with me the most is the fact that they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner to everyone there, no matter who you are. We didn't have lunch, but saw dal (lentils) and rice being scooped out of these huge buckets. It's such a show of human generosity--we did get to take part the next morning at 6:30 am with Tibetan bread and butter tea (um, not recommended...the tea, that is). Fun fact: LOTS of monks wear crocs. Red ones, at that (see, Billington, you're such a trendsetter!).

If I'm ever back in Dharamsala for more than a week, I'm going to take their paper mache workshop. It is AMAZING and so beautiful what they can make from just paper--bracelets, vases, cups, boxes, ornaments, thimbles...and my favorite...ELEPHANTS. Dharamsala also has its own recycled paper workshop that sells absolutely stunning traditionally bound books and journals made by Tibetan refugees...too bad we weren't there during the week, it wasn't open for tours on the weekend. :(

My friend Nith at a temple we came across. The entire place was covered in Tibetan prayer flags--and its incredibly peaceful and beautiful. The best part of the weekend was that my friend Sander and I had dinner with a Tibetan refugee named Samten and his 3 friends. They made us traditional Tibetan noodles as he shared his story of crossing into Nepal and finally into India. The next day, when we went to the historical Tibet Museum, we both remembered Samten's descriptions as we read about all the violence and pain...and it made it all much more real and tangible to us.

RAMDARBAR and HALLOMAJRA

The girl next to me in pink is Sonia, a 17 year old who has been helping us gather women and interview them. She's been so sweet--constantly making me tea, feeding me chicken curry, dressing me up (as you can see!), and teaching me useful Hindi phrases. In blue is her sister Monika and then her mother in the orange. Every time I go to Ramdarbar, they shower me with hospitality.

Just one view from the SURYA office in Hallomajra, a slum.

I love this photo of Sonia, her blue dupatta, her long black hair, and the brick wall.

Hallomajra's streets, and exceptionally beautiful saris.

Laundry hung out to dry. But check out those colors...!!

Great afternoon light, deep shadows especially on the fabric. It reminds me of a Caravaggio painting (dedicated to Kathy, because we are not creepy).

Just a fruit stand in Hallomajra. But the little boy was just sitting there, without anyone around. It's still shocking to me how many kids there are, running around, holding their infant siblings, selling things or working. It's summer now, so none are in school--but still so many of the kids in Hallomajra can't afford school, and end up working from a young age.

Twinkle and Sonia, women I work with, waiting for our gate to be unlocked. That funky red and yellow pattern on the upper right hand corner is the SURYA office in Hallomajra.

This is what happens when it rains. And what we had to get across!! My feet had a nice mud bath.

Repetition never hurts, aesthetically speaking.

At Hallomajra, waiting for government rations of rice and other staples.

A stack of SURYA's case studies, which I read (most of them are written in English) and took notes on. They're giving me fantastic material for future papers or research. Since most of the slum-dwellers are illiterate, SURYA staff write up their testimonials and then the victims authenticate it with a thumb print.

CHANDIGARH

The view from the little balcony outside our room (third floor). There are always kids running around, usually playing cricket. They really love saying "Hello!" to us, but conversation usually lulls after that...

Look at these beautiful people. :) From left to right, Keigo from Japan (who is literally traveling AROUND the world after this summer for one year), Nithin from Chapel Hill (we like the Celtics, right?), Sander from Holland, Ganda from Indonesia, Pauline again from Belgium, Piero from Brazil, and JC, our devoted Indian @er who makes sure we never get ripped off.

The Domestic Violence Survey

The survey was written by a previous intern, comprised of 63 questions, some with at least 5 sub-questions--so it was about 100 questions long. Long and repetitive.
So, it's been revised-and here it is!
I'm really excited to go out and pilot the new version, I see a lot of potential for it, and it recently occurred to me that it is SO cool that in a few months I will have my own data...and that I can use my OWN data in my OWN papers!! Oh, Academia. How you surprise me.

SURYA Foundation

Survey on Domestic Violence

Demographic Data

1. Name and age
2. Residence
3. Profession
4. Marital status
1. If married, love marriage or arranged?
2. How long have you been married?
3. Joint or nuclear family?
5. Children
1. Age and gender

General Mental Well-Being

6. How much are the following statements applicable to you on a scale of 1 to 5? (1=totally not applicable; 2=not applicable; 3=neutral; 4=applicable; 5=totally applicable)
1. I feel at home in my house
2. I feel appreciated by my husband
3. I feel appreciated by my in-laws
4. I feel appreciated by my children
5. I am in control over my own health
6. I can make financial decisions
7. I have a good relationship with my husband
8. I have a good relationship with my in-laws
9. I have a good relationship with my children
10. I feel free to do what I really want

Husband

If a woman is not married, skip questions 7 to 26.

7. Do you have any problems with your husband?
8. Is your husband angry often?
9. What are the most common reasons over which he is angry?
10. Does he ever shout at you or call you names?
11. How do you respond when he shouts or calls you names?
12. Do you tell anyone about the shouting/name-calling?
13. Does he threaten you when he is angry?
1. What are the threats about? (i.e. dowry, baby boy, etc.)
2. How do you respond to these threats?

14. Does he hurt you? If so…
1. How does he hurt you?
2. How often does the hurting occur?
3. Is he always hurting you in particular moments, like after coming home from work, or late at night?
4. What is the reason for the hurting?
5. Do you think the hurting is justified?
6. How do you respond to him hurting you?
7. Do you tell anyone about the hurting?
8. Did you ever need medical attention after being hurt by your husband? If so…

i. Did you get the medical attention?

ii. Where did you go for the medical attention?

15. Does your husband ever complain to you about not doing a good job in housekeeping?
16. Does he ever complain about how you raise the children?
17. Does he ever complain that you ask for too much money?
18. Does he ever complain about your family?
19. Does he ever complain about the dowry?
20. Are there any other topics that he complains about to you?
21. How do you respond to these complaints?
22. Do you think these complaints are justified?

23. What is your husband’s profession?
24. Does he earn enough money?
25. Does your husband drink? If so…
1. Does he drink at home?
2. Does he come home drunk?
3. Do you know why he drinks?
4. Is he shouting, complaining, or hurting you more after drinking?
5. Is his drinking problematic? If so…

i. Have you or your husband ever asked for help for his drinking problem?

26. Does your husband like another woman? If so…
1. Does he know that you are aware of this?
2. Have you ever discussed this with him?
3. Do you ever fight about this (verbal and/or physical)?

In-laws/Parents

If the woman is not married, and still living at her parents’ home, ask questions 27 to 32 about her parents instead of her in-laws. If the woman is living in a nuclear family, skip questions 27 to 32.

27. Do you have any problems with your in-laws/parents? If so…
1. With whom do you have problems?
2. What are the problems about? (i.e. children, housekeeping, asking for too much money, personal character, dowry, etc.)
28. Do you think the basis for these problems are justified?
29. Does any one of your in-laws/parents shout at you or call you names? If so…
1. What are they shouting about or what names do they call you?
2. Do you tell anyone about the shouting/name-calling?
30. Does any one of your in-laws threaten you? (i.e. about the dowry or having a baby boy) If so…
1. How do you respond to these threats?
2. Do you think these threats are justified?

31. Does any one of your in-laws/parents physically hurt you? If so…
1. Who hurts you?
2. How do they hurt you?
3. How often does the hurting occur?
4. Are they always hurting you in particular moments, like after coming home from work, or late at night?
5. What is the reason for the hurting?
6. Do you think the hurting is justified?
7. How do you respond to them hurting you?
8. Do you tell anyone about the hurting?
9. Did you ever need medical attention after being hurt?

i. If so, did you get the medical attention?

ii. Where did you go for the medical attention?

32. Does any one of your in-laws/parents drink? If so…
1. Do they drink at home?
2. Do they come home drunk?
3. Do you know why they drink?
4. Is he/she shouting, complaining, or hurting you more after drinking?
5. Is his drinking problematic? If so…
6. Have you or your husband ever asked for help for his drinking problem?

Own Children

If the woman does not have her own children, skip question 33.

33. Do you have any problems with your children? If so…
1. What kinds of problems do you have?
2. How do you respond to these problems?
3. Do you think the basis for these problems are justified?

Help-seeking Behavior

34. Have you ever sought help for any of your family problems? If so…
1. What kind of help did you get? (i.e. medical, financial, counseling, psychological)
2. Where did you seek help?
3. How did you know about this person/organization?
4. Was the help useful?
35. Do you need any help right now for any current family problems?
36. Have you ever heard of the SURYA Foundation?
37. Would you accept help from SURYA in the future if you needed it?

Women's Advocacy Out of a Shoestore

Today was Day 3 on the job, and it's been an experience already.
For background, I'm working for the SURYA Foundation, which stands for Survival of Youth and Adolescent. My boss is a gynecologist who began the Foundation with a slew of others to better serve women and children in India, focusing on women's advocacy along with health education, family counseling, career counseling for girls, awareness campaigns, HIV/AIDS education, etc.
The two women I work directly with are both family counselors, both highly educated and progressive and strong, independent individuals. They've given me great insight into gender hierarchy in India and expectations for women, but it's still mindblowing to me to hear about some of the norms and standards that still exist.
One controversial topic right now is about a murder that happened a month ago. A father and his servant conspired and killed his 15 year old daughter, and the mother now is still siding with the father. One of the SURYA staff members explained it like this to me. She said, "In India, everyone still believes the husband is god..." People are appalled that the father did it...and also that the mother is still standing by him. But others support the mother, since she's acting out her traditional wifely duty.
Dr. Sharma, the founder, told me something that also reiterated this concept of a wife's societal expectations. The concept of "marital rape" does not exist in India. A wife, forced by her husband to perform physical, sexual acts, has no protection at all legally or socially, as the rights of the husband in marriage include his wife's sexual submissiveness. India is growing rapidly, economically and otherwise, but it still has a long way to go in terms of basic women's rights to her body and her right to protect it.
My work now surrounds a survey that was developed by a past intern about domestic violence. We've revised it and piloted it with some women, and will continue to do so. My stats and research methods professors would be so proud--we were talking some nice "sample size" and "comparative studies" lingo. That's my PAM education at work, huh?
For the past three days, we've been in Hallomajra, a slum outside of Chandigarh. Everyone is surprised to hear a slum even exists here...but it does indeed.
It brings out a lot of emotions to spend time in a place like Hallomajra, and I am constantly sad and disturbed and then impressed and overwhelmed by the community and camaraderie that exists there. Of course, the children are full of that summer bliss that you can only possess between the ages of 6 and 16, when summer equates freedom and ice cream and all good things (internationally).
They rarely, if ever, see foreigners, so adults and kids alike are curious about what I'm doing and why I'm there...But everyone has been so friendly, offering tea and a seat, their hospitality and the few English phrases they know. Sonia, a 17 year old girl, has become a new friend quickly, even though our conversations are rather limited...she does know, though, that I really enjoyed the chai and samosas she brought for me today.
Right after we got there on my first day, we went to meet the shoestore owner, and sat in the store chatting with him. SURYA partners with various people across the community, and this is how they secure their referrals and spread the name of the organization. Using public places that are run by local community members allows SURYA to be more accepted within the slum as an ally, not an outsider.
So it was in that shoestore that I had my palm read, my head patted by some old Indian ladies, and then where I helped conduct our first interviews of 5 women, between the ages of 17 and 28. Questions including topics of dowry, housework, husband's anger, psychological abuse, in-laws, feelings of self-worth, and more. It is ridiculous to me that I'm here doing this, after spending so much time reading and researching it all last semester.
Oh, I wrote a term paper in May on an education program called SSA for girls in India to combat illiteracy. Today on TV, just on the regular public channel, it flashed the logo of the program SSA, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, followed by a load of Hindi. That was a nice little moment of realizing that I am here, doing this, and learning so much more than I ever would have back home.

It was also from that shoestore that I saw this shot, which to me captures India in a single photograph: the poverty, the dust and the heat, children always in corners hiding or peeking out. But also, again, the colors are so present, the vibrant culture and history, the beauty of it all mixed together. This is probably my favorite picture to date, because it's so imprinted in my head. The girls playing on that broken bike as the orange-red sari floated with the wind. Maybe 20 minutes later, the sari flew to the ground and a toddler picked it up, yards of fabric in her small arms. And today, when I was back in that store looking at this exact view, there wasn't anything against the wall. That made me feel like I'd caught a fleeting moment, there one second and then gone again.

Maybe tomorrow the sari will be back up on the wall.

Rishikesh, where I had my first Maaza.

namaste,
be excited, this entry mainly consist of photos, since this past weekend definitely accumulated a LOT of them. plus, even i know pictures are more fun to look at then massive amounts of writing (sorry to those of you who suffered through the last entry).
this past weekend, 5 other interns and i took a 12:30 am bus friday night (sat morning) first to Haridwar, then to Rishikesh, a holy city for Hindus and a famous centre of pilgrimage. also, it's known as the yoga capital of the world (how sweet is that?!). we arrived in rishikesh early in the morning around 7:30...and so our weekend adventure began.
This was just a door we saw in Haridwar, but I was amazed by it.

This is my friend Cynthia checking out Haridwar. At first, I thought the blur would ruin the photo, but I like how it turned out...

We stumbled upon some gates and went in, and found this miraculous little setting of people cooking, talking, sleeping, reading, washing...and just bursts of color spread out everywhere. It literally felt like it was out of a dream...Indians are not afraid of color in the least, and I love it. As someone who indeed did a presentation on "Colortherapy" in high school (and proudly wears a hot pink wool coat), I can't stop gaping at all the colors, the cerulean blues and turquoises and magentas and yellows of women's saris and Sikh turbans. My favorite turban color to date is a pomegranate red, but it's rivaled by a royal blue...But even in the poorest areas, where there is trash and waste and dirt everywhere...there is color. The country drips with it.

After that weekend trip, I realized how naive I was about poverty in general. Being in Chandigarh already shocked me to some degree to come across beggars and especially children who had so little, but seeing more of India showed how progressive and developed Chandigarh is compared to the rest of the country. In Rishikesh, we came across a slum area, and rather quickly a small crowd of children formed around us, curious and eager and excited. And they loved seeing photos of themselves taken on our digital cameras, laughed and fought to take more photos. But their living conditions were unlike anything I've ever seen, and it was right then that it hit hard that this is exactly why you need to travel. Without being to India, I thought I could (to some degree) recognize and acknowledge poverty in general. In Chandigarh even, I thought I had attained a better understanding. But there is always another layer you overlook, another lifestyle you cannot fully comprehend. And even though we saw how these kids lived, there is no way for any of us to ever truly know what it's like to be them...But we took a path usually avoided by tourists...and, personally, it allowed me to learn more about this country and to face some of my own preconceived notions.

They were adorable, tons of giggles, such smiles.

1 in 6 people in the world live in India. It's incredible how you manage to fit so many people in one place. For example, last night we fit 9 people in one auto-rickshaw meant to hold 3. That takes skill (we're learning!).

Right before we entered the slums, we caught our first view of the Ganges. And cows. A lot of them. This one happened to be rather chill.

Later in the day, we moved farther up the Ganges and WENT RAFTING. Which is easily one of the coolest experiences ever; the view was unbelievable. This was taken from the bridge later in the day...but you can see a raft in it, just like the one we were in. A few of us jumped in the water, which was refreshing until we realized we were freezing...

This is Lakshman Jhula Temple, one of the most revered spots in Rishikesh. We climbed to the top, ringing bells the entire time. Nithin, another intern, accurately described it as a playground for all. Kids are running about, old people trekking it up with impressive strength...it's an impressive show of joy and faith in religion.

Lovely ladies who I get to spend the summer with! Starting left, Pauline from Belgium, Natasha from Slovakia, yours truly from the good ole USA, Cynthia from Chicago, Trithica from India, and Thavina from Malaysia.

Another shot of the bridge. Please just take note of the colors on the bridge, as well as those of the bathers by the riverside. I'm literally obsessed. I often get distracted trying to count how many shades of one color I see from one angle.

Ahhh...one of the best meals ever. The photo above was the view we had from Devraj Restaurant and Cafe, a German bakery and eatery that attracts mainly foreigners. Clockwise: Masala chai, Maaza mango juice (which I've had literally every day since--supposedly it's sold at Wal-Mart...will someone let me know? PLEASE?!), and homemade spinach pasta. And we topped it off the next morning with banana and Nutella crepes, along with a fruit salad of papaya, mango, pineapple, and more.

So that was Rishikesh, weekend trip number one. All in all, a success, even with the crazy, burning hot bus ride for over 7 hours. We made it though, and plan on many more...

Chalo! Chalo...Challlloooo!

["Let's go" in Hindi. Yup, definitely the favorite word at the moment. Give it a shot.]

So, for those of you who followed my (shortlived!) blog last summer, you might be familiar with this concept of a straw in a mango. If not, feel free to take a look into the archives (first entry ever) and even try it yourself. The title for this blog has stuck around because I like it, I love mangoes, and India definitely has delicious ones.

AND I’M IN INDIA. I know. I still can’t really believe it myself…let’s try again. I’M IN INDIA….AHHH!!

The above is a photo of Pauline, another intern here, with Mansi, middle, and Suhil, right (both AIESEC members who live here). This is at Mansi's house, overlooking the backyard, where two huge mango trees reside. I asked Mansi if I could take one home with me...sadly, that's rather unlikely.

I have so much to say, it’s ridiculous and I’m bursting at the seams. I had stories to share from the moment I got on the airplane in DIA, so this is going to be a LONG entry. Sit back, relax, have a glass of water. Take breaks. Stretch out. And maybe if you’re not so interested in my accounts of who I met on my flights (but really, they’re cool people), just scroll down until it gets to my actual account of being here.

My flights were all fantastic. Denver to LA, I sat next to a woman who has lived in Kyrgyzstan for the last 5 years of her life with her husband, after retiring in the states. They work in community development, especially with a racial minority that migrated from China (they speak a language that combines Russian and Mandarin, which I am curious to hear…). I told her about the reading I did last semester on bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan, and it was so insightful (and terrifying) to hear her personal experiences of knowing 15, 16 year old girls who literally are taken out of school, and married off with or without their consent. It was a great way to begin the journey, to feel inspired that someone else felt a passion to go somewhere and do something…and did it. PBS put out this fantastic documentary about it that you can watch online, if you’re interested: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kyrgyzstan/.

The flight from LA to Delhi was also awesome, thanks to my new friend Jordan (hi Jordan!!), who is traveling India with his girlfriend for the next 3 months. Crazy awesome. We met before our flight, and had some time to chat about Canada (he’s from Victoria), the upcoming US election, India, Malaria medication, dim sum, and various other topics. By chance, we were both seated in row 57—thus providing an in-flight best friend for the next 20 hours or so. We were really excited about being in Frankfurt for a layover, but had less than 2 hours there to enjoy it—so we scouted the best place to take a photo. Ahem. I think we did pretty well. Yay Europe! (I promised as I flew over London and Paris to go back someday…I made a pact with myself…Mihai and Kels, beware.)

My perceptions of Indian hospitality were so great before I even landed. All the Indians I sat near wanted to know my plans for the summer, taught me Hindi, and some offered their homes to me like family. And for sure it has been exactly like that ever since I arrived in Chandigarh, too...I arrived in Delhi Wednesday morning around 4 am, then had a flight to Chandigarh at 9 am. I was in Chandigarh by 10 am, where I will be spending the next 10 weeks.

Homestay: Shivika, her mother, Ishan (an @er), Pauline and me

My internship is through AIESEC (@), which is the international non-profit that I’ve been working with at Cornell for the last two years (www.rso.cornell.edu/aiesec). AIESEC Chandigarh has been so amazing with my reception. Every moment, there’s some person here in Chandigarh to help me out—exchanging money, buying a cell, getting me places, helping me learn Hindi words. It’s a dream to be so well-taken care of! I spent the first day with Shivika, an @ member. Her family, especially her mother, brother, and sister, made us feel very at home, constantly making sure we were comfortable, fed, and happy. Their family is quite well-off –so it was already a culture shock to be in a gigantic house with 3 or 4 people who carried our bags, brought us water and food, scrubbed the floor…while we sat around lounging about. It was completely expected of us not to recognize them or thank them for their work.

Shivika's House in Panchkula, a somewhat suburb outside Chandigarh

It definitely is one thing to read about a societal hierarchical structure—and another to experience it first hand. Chandigarh is a relatively wealthy and clean city; it’s known for it. But even with that, small children as young as 4 or 5 always run up to us when we’re standing outside, begging for money. Some knock on your windows as you're stopped at a red light. It kills me to not look at them or not smile and talk to them as I usually would with any child, and I know that I’m not even seeing the worst of it. Many of the other Indian @ers, also university students, have talked to me about the extremities between the rich and the poor here, and it’s promising to know that my generation might have a hand in closing that gap. But it’s instilled in the culture, and you can see it everywhere…it puts so much in perspective, to say the least.

But I love it here already. The heat for one makes me so ridiculously happy. It reminds me of Taiwan heat, so as soon as I got off the plane, I felt like I was somewhere familiar. I literally can’t get enough of it, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. Chandigarh is very pretty, with lots of trees…and cows, and even camels just chilling by the side of the road. There are so many markets and fruit stalls (lychee!!!), and masses of bikes and scooters (I was thrilled about riding one—again Taiwan reminiscence) and cars and people. And auto-rickshaws (the favored form of transit—like a crazy cheap taxi) cost about 25 cents for a 15 minute ride. The colors of the women’s saris and the flowers are incredibly vibrant, mixed together with how green the trees are. Most of the auto-rickshaws are bright blue, like this one.

The food, of course, has been great. It’s definitely different than the Americanized version (as expected)—and the food in the north (where I am) happens to be spicier. I’ve been able to handle most of it, but I still have many more meals to go…on the plane, we got Takka Tak, the Indian version of Cheetos/Bamba—puffed rice, except with a load of spices. That was my first inclination that there would be future-mouth-burning-sensations to come. We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant last night. There are actually TONS around, and most of the menus (at least three I’ve seen) include Chinese sections. It makes perfect sense, but I did not expect it at all. After dinner with Shivika’s friend, we went to a Bedouin Lounge. I’m no expert, but I believe I’m more educated on hummus than the average American. So, for the record, India does indeed know how to serve a proper hummus…

I’m living in a house right now with four other interns, all of who I like very much already (after literally JUST meeting them!). Pauline from Belgium is a sociology major who’s doing work in female foeticide, and just a lovely person overall (and my new roommate!). Piero is a Brazilian with an Arab, Greek, Italian lineage who speaks fluent Chinese (we watched Chinese music videos together, and yell at each other in Chinese a lot). He’s been here for 3 months and speaks fluent Hindi ALREADY. Ganda is from Indonesia, and overflowing with energy and warmth. Nithin, from Chapel Hill, and I are going running in the morning together—so already I’ve made a new running buddy (we’ll see how we handle the heat…). So far, there are three girls from London here, a guy from Mexico, one from China, a few more from the US, a girl from Canada, another from Slovakia, another from Malaysia. It’s unbearably cool to be in this community. This photo is of Cynthia, my buddy from the states also here for the summer, and Ganda. And our matching cell phones. How adorable.

That’s PLENTY for now, I think. There will be more, for sure! Keep tuned.
Oh, and a fun fact: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were supposed to show in Chandigarh yesterday, and Ganda was going to meet them at the place where he works (Chandigarh Department of Tourism). But they flaked…which is fine by me. Chandigarh’s plenty exciting enough without them…

lots of love, angie

A Special Note to AIESEC Cornell:

I love the LC here. I’m in awe. I am already loading up on tips and plans and strategies for us to use next year. They’re bringing in over 25-30 trainees this summer. They are able to rent two houses JUST to put the trainees, and they’re about to sign on for their third. They have OCP’s within the LC, and VP’s for each of the 5 kinds of TNs. @ Chandigarh made the papers with a huge color photo of my friend Cynthia from Illinois at her traineeship. They’ve partnered with Chandigarh Tourism, so each of us received free goodies and coupons for discounts as soon as we arrived. They have to select (SELECT!) the 26 individuals from the LC who can go to the national conference held later this month, because so many WANT to go. It’s mayhem in the office, because there’s always multiple meetings happening, or about to happen. I’m seeing them at their best, welcoming in @ers from around the world. It’s any @er’s dream come true. AND WE ARE GOING TO GET THERE. The team for next year is so freakin’ talented, ambitious, and motivated—and there IS the foundation for us to start seeing the kind of results we’ve talked about for so long. Keep it up, guys! I’m totally feeling the @ pride to the nth degree, and it feels good.