education, most exalted

SURYA runs a series of creches in Chandigarh, or daycare centers that are free for the families that use them. the NGO funds them, along with government aid, which gives them some money to provide one small tupperware of free food (porridge, rice, chickpeas, dal, etc.) to each family when they come to pick up their children. some creches actually serve the food to the kids before they go home, because there has been an issue with families taking food home and not giving any to the kids (as awful and unimaginable as that is...it happens).
a few weeks ago we conducted interviews of the mothers as they came to pick up their kids.
as we waited for the moms arrived, i plopped down on the ground with them and instigated some bilingual peek-a-boo and so on...and it was probably the highlight of my week. scratch that--it was for sure the highlight of my week. i miss being around kids so much--that summer working at the childrens' library was a dream when i think back on it. they're just so funny, so sweet, so representative of how simple life should be. simple, easy, happy. when one grape or cookie magically solves everything that is seemingly wrong and unjust in life....

indeed some of them started crying when my supervisors and i entered the creche (the living room of a woman in ramdarbar)...but you win them over eventually. Such big eyes, and they're incredibly curious about everything. we went back 3 days in a row, and by the end of it, i did make some new friends. you know it when they start sharing their slobbery food with you--it's a beautiful moment.

It's hard if you pay attention to the surroundings--the fact that it's literally 15-20 kids sitting on a blanket together, with only 1 pink ball, 1 stuffed animal, and 1 toy car between them. one child actually started playing with a plastic bag and sticking it over his head and i nearly had a heart attack--the woman who runs it told me that initially there were funds for more books, toys, etc. and since time has passed, the funds have fallen away. i think about how much money parents in the us spend to make sure their children have every necessary tool possible to learn and grow from the moment they're born--or even before (baby einstein, anyone?)...books, crayons, blocks, music. but i like this picture because it shows such patience in her little face--not necessarily boredom (though that might be it)--but they just play together in a way that you would never expect of ones so young. without tv, and electronic toys and lights and noises, they turn to each other for amusement and entertainment.

sikh baby--they learn the ways of the turban from a young, young age...

i just love her face in this shot, so honest and open. the mothers we interviewed were all quite young, and already fulfilling lives of motherhood and wifely devotion, so far removed from what woman of the same age are doing in the US and other countries. i am equally in awe of them, the fact that someone 2 years older than me is already raising 2 children, and sad for them, the fact that she most likely never had any other realistic choice in life but this one.

in another creche, there was an 8 year old girl there with 3 other children, her siblings and cousins, all under the age of 3. she was obviously taking care of all of them, making sure they ate their chapati and shared and wiped away their baby tears. gita, who runs the creche, told us that her parents are keeping her from going to school and she's never been at all, because they want to continue using her as a caretaker for the other children. gita confronted the parents about letting this girl go to school and have a chance at an education, but they refuse. an hour after hearing this, i watched as this little girl played mother to three, carrying one in her arms (nearly half her size) and leading the other two out the door by hand. everywhere you see this, children missing the chance to be children, playing out roles that they are too young for, working when they should be learning. without an education, she'll just become another mother and wife herself at a young age, excluding any other chances at a career or a life of her own. and there's so, so little to be done when the parents themselves don't recognize the value of an education, but only of accomplishing chores and housework, preparing their daughter for the life she'll smoothly fall into.

we interviewed a few teachers the other day, and when i asked one what was the single most beneficial tool for these girls to secure a better future, she said "parent involvement and interest." the problem isn't the availability of education, the government has made huge leaps in providing opportunities--but the fact of the matter is that parents in these regions don't follow their child's progress and track their attendance. which means the children, as one teacher put it, see school as a place for a free meal and recess, and that's it.

both the government and individual families have much room to improve--i wrote a paper last may on a nationwide literacy program in india called sarva shiksha abhiyan (ssa), and last week i noticed a poster for it outside the school (someday ill post the photo up) where we were conducting interviews. i asked one teacher about it, and got great reviews, huge compliments for the aid its providing for girl children especially. the next teacher, though, completely bashed it, said it was doing nothing but wasting government money. then i thought about my own opinion of ssa, turned in to my professor on 8.5 by 11 white printer paper, typed in my dorm room at cornell, in a building that most likely spends more money in 1 day than one family does in an entire year in ramdarbar.

how vastly different are my two educations, the one back in ithaca and the one here, this summer, in chandigarh. and even more so, how polar the education is for a creche child compared to a child with the resources of a wealthy country and a stable and educated family. they do nothing to select which group they will belong to, and somehow some of us got the luck of the draw.

a confession.

i just received a fantastic e-mail from a friend, and he made one comment that sums up how i've been approaching my blog: "i'm reasonably sure that this isn't the case, but your blog makes it sound like all you do now is travel around india."
funny enough, i was just thinking today how i wanted to get online, and just write...openly, honestly, without a list of pictures to post, or travel adventures to share--or really any organization whatsoever (novel, really, for me at least). yes, im excited to share where ive been and what ive seen--but ive been also been feeling this push to write about my work lately, even though there are definite reasons why ive been avoiding it.
im not one to be incredibly public about my frustrations and so on, as in, i dont particularly like sharing when im disappointed, or angry, or upset (matan recently commented on how i rarely cry in front of other people). but i have been all of those things lately, to the point where ive questioned why im here, why im studying what i am, and what the hell i am going to do with my life. kind of heavy. kind of.
i dont like to whine or complain, and ive done a decent bit of that lately with some great people here who can bravely tough it out and listen to me...so i didn't think i needed to do it here, too. plus, there's always an issue of pride--not wanting to admit when something isnt as perfect and incredible and educational as you expected it to be.
[for the record, this summer is all that and more--but it didnt feel like it a couple weeks ago]
why i have avoided writing about my work...(i'm still a lister, can't help it)
1. it's a lot. this work. as in, so much happens, so much i see, hear, and experience on a daily basis--its intimidating to put it into words. whereas summing up my travels, weekend trips that last 48 hours, is easy, approachable, enjoyable to blog about (and hopefully, to read about). i spend the day at places like hallo majra and ramdarbar, and some days the last thing i want to do is come home and write about it and think about it and relive whatever happened that day. emotionally taxing is a good phrase to use.
2. for a while, i was getting incredibly frustrated with my work and it wasnt fulfilling at all. not just that, but i was experiencing a lot of guilt. i was tired, i was angry, i wanted to crawl in bed and sleep. and i hated myself for that...in the slums, and anywhere in india generally, there is so much injustice--too much poverty, discrimination, sexism, abuse, corruption, waste...too much to be fixed, too impossible to fix. and what was i doing? research. which is all nice in theory, but in practice...it felt passive. i felt like i was sitting here, looking at all the problems that this country is facing, and doing absolutely nothing to help alleviate them. there was one day where i was just approached by so many begging children--and i hated, hated that i couldn't look them in the face. for the first few weeks here, maybe even the first month, i made an effort to smile at them, to just say namaste or something little like that, so they would feel like they were seen at the very least. but i was having a harder and harder time doing that, since it raises their expectations that you'll give them money--and while i try to give food to them when i have it, i know the problems of giving money to beggars, the ongoing cycle it creates. i love kids, it is completely instinct to talk to them and smile at them--but i couldnt look them in the face anymore, and that hurt so much worse than i ever expected. last summer i was teaching, which was so rewarding, so tangible in its impact--so visible in its effect. research is definitely not like that, though it has power in very different ways. but at the time that made me, in short, feel like a selfish, ignorant, academic type. i know how important it is, but its different when you see the problems, and feel like your time is being spent on observing them, not working to solve them.
3. my mom asked me when i decided i wanted to go to india if language would be a problem. i brushed that off, to some extent, i think--acknowledging it but not fully recognizing it. sometimes it can get extremely tiring to work in an area where people barely speak any english at all, where everything has to be repeated to you, translated over and over again, and you know that you're missing huge amounts, no matter what. i work with some people who have great english and definitely help me out tons, but some days it can be so agonizing to spend 1/2 of your day, sitting around, while everyone around you is talking 100 words a minute. i've learned a degree of patience that i've never had to experience before--and the value of facial expressions, body language, even a second's worth of eye contact. but some days, you dont notice any of those things, and you think about how you are wasting your time, their time, money and energy and efficiency. again, selfishly, under the cover of the so-called, "learning experience." which leads us to...
4. i am personally learning loads--about the luxuries in my life that i take for granted, the privileges that i have, how lucky i am to be surrounded by people who love, respect, and believe in me. to be a woman in a country where i can study whatever i want, marry whoever i want, be whatever i want. but then you think about how it's just a matter of luck, how random it is to placed where you are--and then it returns to point 2, the guilt factor. how did i end up being the foreign student learning about such inequalities, instead of the 20 year old woman experiencing them? (this is the kind of thing that can really keep you up at night)
5. people ask me what im studying. i say: public policy, public administration, NGO management...something like that. i truly believe in the power of NGOs. but after taking that course on non-profit management last spring, i also was well-aware of the weaknesses. and they are blatantly obvious here. there is limited staff, funds, resources, evaluation within the NGO i work for--there is idleness and procrastination and missed deadlines and inefficiency. all of the interns i live with have talked about the pure frustration of working in a country where being late is acceptable, taking massive chai breaks is expected, and the higher-ups get all kinds of breaks, pay-offs, and incentives. it is not all about grass-roots revolutions, sticking it to the man (or woman...), and social change. i am learning that working, having a job, means putting up with obnoxious, aggravating people, and it has bad days and good days, and it is by no means perfect. i am learning what it's like to come home at 8 pm, exhausted, with too much in your head and too much to do and not enough time to just stop and think and appreciate what is around you. when you forget to enjoy very basic things...it's not healthy.
6. our work is conducting a survey. and some of these women lie to us. which is completely understandable given that we are asking questions like, "does your husband physically abuse you?" and her mother-in-law is standing in the room, refusing to budge, even after we have (politely) asked her several times to return in 5 minutes. the survey conditions are not ideal in every case (with some it is), and the perfectionist in me was having the hardest time accepting that this could not and would not result in a perfect set of data. yes, we all took research methods (thanks, evans...), but its surprisingly harder to face in real life when you have poured so much time and energy into being able to eventually have something somewhat reflective of reality.

so, i havent captured it all but maybe you can all get the gist.
but the past week has been incredible.
as in, i am feeling more and more confident by the day that this is, indeed, what i want to do with my life. the details are fuzzy--but the conversations i've had have made it clear to me why there is such a dire need to provide services and support and confidence and encouragement for women and girls around the world, who are lacking the resources and freedoms i had from the moment i was born, into a country that (even with its faults) values the role of the modern woman, into a family that provided me with every opportunity to be educated, into a society that would encourage me to have goals and plans that extended beyond being a housewife and a mother.
i wanted to write an entire blog entry about the fact that one day we interviewed 21 women, and 20 of them married under the age of 21. some as young as 11. here i am, talking to a girl, a peer, of 19 who has been married for 5 years with 2 children. it goes on and on, every day. some wish for a different life and some don't, but they all share the same history of being married off, when they are barely adolescents, and then suddenly the rest of their lives are set in stone.
i think about my best girl friends: smart, talented, beautiful women who are studying, traveling, exploring their interests, their abilities, their capacities to learn and grow. there is nothing at all different between the girls we meet here and the ones that i know from home--it is purely, purely a difference in our environments, our cultures and societies, that have left us in such different places.
it is a rollercoaster ride running these interviews and documenting their lives on one single piece of paper each. one woman will tell us she is incredibly happy and free, her husband is understanding and loving and kind. the next will break into tears after the second question, sharing how she has lived with her parents for the last four years, after years of beatings by her alcoholic husband, and how she has no communication with her 8 year old daughter who her in-laws have kept from her. the next girl will bounce in, all smiles, confident that she will continue her studies, go to college, work until her mid-twenties, and then have her marriage arranged. but the next will sit timidly, a shy 18 year old, who has dropped out of school since she will be married within the year, expected to bear children soon after to fill her time and her parents and in-law's expectations.
some confide, some hide, some gush, some resist. it is inspiring and deflating all at once.
there is such hope in some faces, such resignation in others.
we interviewed teachers for the first time, after over 100 interviews with just housewives and basic laborers. it was exhilarating to conduct an interview in english, not having to pause for one second to get the translation or explanation. the differences between the responses of these educated women and the slum women and girls were so obvious, so glaringly different.
one teacher summarized it: educated women know their rights. they know that they have them.

im not done yet, but this seems to be a good start. i feel so much better, you have no idea. its like massive mental expulsion to the 10th degree.
the status of the work now: we have over 200 interviews that need to be put into the computer, on which i will run very basic stats and produce some visual representations, etc. (alsh, who needs stata when you have excel?? wish you were here. we would have loads more fun than those ps's--and we all know those were fun...) i want to write up some of the anthropological/societal/psychological/cultural observations i've made, hopefully for future use in some paper for a class/credit/personal pleasure in the fall. i know, i just said paper for personal pleasure. my supervisors and i will meet with our boss on tuesday to present the survey results, before developing some intervention programs.
as of last week, i thought that i would no way, no chance, have enough insight to recommend potential programs to help these women...but lo and behold, i actually think i have some valid insight to contribute. this is still shocking to me.

it is exciting and thrilling to feel like i've finally accomplished something, that i finally have something useful to say and provide. but im well aware that maybe in two days ill go back to feeling like i have absolutely no power to affect any change, or anything for the matter, in this great world of ours.
i think that just goes along with being young and naive and maybe even a bit too idealistic. or maybe getting older and more aware and realistic. all of you who are older and wiser can let me know if that just made any sense whatsoever (doubtful...).
i feel extremely grateful right now, extremely empowered, and extremely responsible for utilizing my education and good luck to do something worthwhile in my lifetime.
and that is a lot to wrap my head around.

so you can see why writing about chapati and petting baby elephants is a little less taxing.
but, to that friend who wrote that e-mail...thanks. thanks for calling me out on exactly what i needed to do...

a little bit of personal reflection goes a long way indeed.

p.s. there are a lot of people i miss a lot. i wish i could simultaneously be in several countries at once, giving the kind of attention and time and appreciation to so many people who have stood by me, no questions asked, supported me, and loved me even for all my weaknesses. that is rather vague, but its been on my mind. im sure all of you know who you are, and if you're reading this, and have had enough patience to get through this beast, you are by default one of them.

all my love,
angie

Khana Network + Good Eats Part I

This entry has been in the works for so long, and I know for a fact it will have at least another part to it by the time I leave for home. But I'm psyched to be posting this entry...tonight.
Right here, right now, we are going to talk....Food. Indian Food. Real Serious Indian Food.
Luke Bonney, you asked how the food was here. I don't think you ever expected to get an entry dedicated to you because of it.
I love food. And yeah, a lot of us like food--but I really, really, really like food. I've not refused one item of food once so far here, and I am proud of it. It has indeed led to some life-changing experiences.
I absolutely love how food and eating and meals are such a huge part of Indian culture, how standard it is to invite someone to have lunch at your place, to constantly offer tea and samosas at any given moment. It is so warm and familial and delicious all at once. And it reminds me loads of Taiwan and China and it makes me miss all of the amazing food I get there, which is kind of masochistic to think about.
So, be prepared to salivate. Chalo on this foodie adventure together.

Let's start with the basics. Chapati, or Roti, is standard Indian food fare, a pancake-crepe type bread used for soaking up curry goodness and much more. Here I am making roti for the first time, managed by Monika, the younger sister of my friend Sonia. You roll out the dough of unrefined flour and water, you cook it on a flat cast-iron (I think) pan, and THEN YOU SET IT DIRECTLY ON THE FLAME OF THE GAS STOVE. This is pure magic. It puffs up, kind of pita-esque, if you do it right. Which I did...eventually.

Fruits and veggies galore--I can't even imagine buying produce from a supermarket, it makes me nervous. This is one of my favorite stands in Ramdarbar, for the prices, the fantastic quality, and because the seller guy here has dreadlocks down to his waist. My favorite deal: 1 kg cucumbers for 10 Rs (25 cents).

Ok, we're getting a little fancy here. First take the naan, the bread made exclusively with the help of a Tandoor oven. This was garlic naan, which is even more delectable. Match that with (from left to right) paneer something (unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice), mixed vegetables, aloo (potatoes), paneer masala, and chana (chickpeas). It was easily the best meal I had in Jaipur, one of the best in India, and probably in my life generally. And the cost? Around 120 Rs each--$3.

Mangoes deserve their own photo. India KNOWS how to grow a mango. I've never had so many kinds before, in so many ways--chutney, curried, on ice cream, in popsicles, in creamsicles, with a knife, without a knife, squeezed, crushed, juiced, pickled...you think of it, they've done it.

We ate out quite a bit before we got gas finally for our kitchen, and then Ganda and I kind of went all out buying the staples. Words are not necessary, just appetites.

A friend, Sharung, showing off Ras Malai at Sindhi's Sweets, a Chandigarh favorite. Indian sweets are ridiculously sweet--sometimes sickingly so (say that 5 times fast). But I love this stuff, because it has the right balance of sweetness and texture and everything. It consists of balls of paneer soaked in sweetened, thickened, creamy milk. Yum.

Dedicated to Mitch, Tej, and Amy--samosas! Today at our ceremony for work, we bought samosas for like 60 people. 2 samosas for 7 Rs. What a deal...It's usually a mix of potato, onion, spices, and green chili, wrapped in a pastry-like skin and deep-fried, served with a sweet tamarind sauce. Creamy, sweet chai is not necessary, but why would you ever separate such a well-matched pair...

Dedicated to (is this weird I'm dedicating pictures of food to people?) the Kumar family. Dosas, introduced to me by Anurag Kumar, have easily become one of my favorites. It's pretty much a pancake made of lentils, but with the perfect crunch to it. And I also love it for the coconut chutney--gotta learn how to make that before I go...Kristina loves dosas, too. And is rather excited about this one...

Golgapas and Chaat! My introduction to these was in Chandigarh with my friend Shivika at Gopal's restaurant, but the ones I had (shown here) in Delhi with Nilima were the best by far. A North Indian specialty, chaat mainly just means a set of savory snacks, most likely surrounding some fried dough. Golgapas are the round fried ping-pong-looking balls in the background. You tap it with a spoon to create a small hole, fill it with a potato mixture (on its left) and then fill it to the top with a mint water. Getting it into your mouth without leaking mint water everywhere is probably 99.9% of the fun (and tastiness).

Another memorable meal--our first in Chennai. It was 35 Rs. (less than $1) each for all you can eat, though most of us only managed this amount. Papad on the left, a chip-type made out of lentils, then a sweet rice cake, curried veggies, pickles, and rice all served on a nice banana leaf. How economically and environmentally friendly, too!

A break from India, and a trip to France. In Pondicherry, Sander and Ganda and I searched for nearly 1.5 hours for the perfect French restaurant for breakfast, and came across Le Dupleix, after a recommendation by some (surprise) French tourists. The hotel was incredibly posh, and the food was amazing in the open courtyard under a mango tree. Fresh fruit (look at how aesthetic it is!), flaky croissants (plain and chocolate filled), homemade apricot jam, and cafe lattes. This is also known as bliss.

I've been trying to learn as much cooking as I can (can we say @ Iron Chef Revival?), and after I shared that wish with Bibha, one of my co-workers (next to me), she promptly invited me to spend a Sunday with her parents and two sisters, learning how to cook. Pooja taught me how to make matter paneer, paneer with peas in a tomato sauce, while Anu demonstrated the miracle of pooris, or fried rotis. Bibha made the raita, yogurt (curd) with cucumbers and spices, and their mom had made chana (chickpeas) and some other veg dishes earlier in the day. I love yogurt to begin with, and here its served with almost everything to tone down the spice and help with digestion (clever). It was an awesome day, I was constantly in the kitchen, with various people circulating in and out to teach me something new. The meal with well-enjoyed, and the company was so much fun...and again I was welcomed into a family, no questions asked. I swore after that meal that I wouldn't need to eat for another 24 hours--until we went shopping and got chaat at the market...and then some samosas a little after that. Oh, the fun never stops...

Part I: Fin.
Note to self: buy roti pan this week...

Pink City, Amber Fort

I never really expected to have a favorite city in India--we've been to so many different ones, and they're honestly incomparable in size, scope, atmosphere, history. And in general I like to think that I'm flexible enough to enjoy loads of places without being too picky. :)

But I loved, loved the weekend we spent in Jaipur (July 12-13). Mainly for its art. And its history. And its palaces and forts. And then some more for the art.
Plus, it's KNOWN as the Pink City, and its animal symbol of choice is the elephant. Um, complete package or what?
It was a rather long bus ride there, about 15 hours. We arrived Saturday morning and spent the day wandering around, with our new friends that we met earlier in the day: a Canadian library science student, an American doctorate student studying the flight of hummingbirds, and a French pre-med. These guys were really fantastic company, and funny enough, we met them the next day at another tourist hotspot.
Random highlights included admiring Jaipur gems (well, at a store. Sorry if that was misleading and you imagined us staring at a huge expanse of rock with some diamond stuck in it), having dinner at an old fort and hiking down at midnight with a view of Jaipur's city lights, coming across a temple decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna's childhood, and seeing a lot of piglets.
Jaipur is known for its handicrafts, so the streets are filled with stores that sell crazy colorful stuffed camels and birds and elephants, handcrafted shoes, and beautiful puppets. The temples have incredible architecture, as do the old palace and old city buildings. There was TOO much to see...it was overwhelming, and I don't think I've felt that about any place yet to this extent. I'm way excited about sharing this photos--so knock yourself out. :)

Entrance into the old city. It was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. It's known as the "Pink City" because it's built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, and once it was required that all buildings be made of that stucco (a bit like Jerusalem, no?). Jaipur has a lot of pigeons. I like when they fly all over you and take over the sky; it reminds me of bats. Speaking of, everyone should go and watch the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It was inspirational. And Batman is definitely cooler than any other superhero ever.

Incredibly touristy, but sue me for all I care. :) It was exciting and I got to pet him! (The cobra, not the snake charmer)

Hawa Mahal, part of the old city palace. Formed in the shape of the Hindu god Krishna's crown, the original purpose was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. Oh, the things we modern women take for granted...

I don't remember what it's called, but this was pretty much a series of tombs for various kings and princes and so on. I have loads of gorgeous photos from this one spot, but I think this one really shows how expansive it was, and all the unbelievable, intricate carving and work that went into it.

And my favorite...Amber Fort. I don't even know where to begin. Basically, it was the palace complex of a very, very, very rich and important man. But quite honestly, I know barely anything about the history, and mainly I was completely taken by how gigantic and beautiful it was. Forget any museum or historic landmark you've ever been to--since usually they block off 75% of it or lock doors or simply show only a tiny piece of the entire thing. This was totally different, full access, backstage passes, the whole deal...
(The All-Star Jaipur Crew: Kristina, me, Pauline, Sander, Ganda, Nithin, Amber Fort)

Amber Fort was like a huge playground/maze/labyrinth for kids and adults alike, where just about everything is open and you can go anywhere. Living in that palace in its prime would be the most awesome hide and seek game ever. There are a gazillion secret stairways, so dark you cant even see where you're going--tunnels and hidden rooms and gorgeous archways every way you turn. Nith and I went wild and just explored endlessly, picking whatever seemed like it would lead to the best adventure.

I liked these ladies who happened to be walking up the steps. They were helping me imagine what it must've been like when it was inhabited by royalty.

A view of the path leading up-elephant rides are available for those who can't handle the trek. Hey, looks like Boulder, right? And see those ruins right in the middle of the photo? Nith and I decided to check that out, too...

That was definitely a highlight as well--the history of a place just blows me away, the same mixture of awe and disbelief, like moments in China and Israel when I can't even comprehend the centuries of memories and moments that I am indirectly experiencing. That's a bit dramatic...BUT SO IS TIME.

I could go for a garden like that.

We didn't take an elephant ride, but we did end up meeting a great kid named Ali, whose family runs an elephant riding business. He took us to see their 20 some elephants, including this "baby" of 5 years. It was exciting, of course, cause elephants make me feel like I'm about 5 years old, too--but the conditions are obviously not great, and it was a very bizarre mix of amazement and guilt. I've gotten into more than one interesting conversation about animal rights in India--how many starving or physically wounded cows and dogs you see--and how do you approach that, in a country where there isn't even enough food to feed the people. Is it comparable? Is it ethical to place that kind of value on one living thing versus another? I'd be interested in your take--please share if anything comes into mind...

Ok, I feel like I didn't do a good enough job capturing the absolutely stunning beauty of the Amber Fort. Here are some more, for kicks.

Beautiful arches, every photo you take can be perfectly framed. It's so interesting how the Muslim and Hindu influences mix together, which we learned more about the NEXT weekend when we went to Agra. I have plans for someday, when I have my own house, to knock down a bunch of my doorways and rebuild them to look like this.

Can you imagine LIVING HERE?

Oh, when I said Nith and I explored endlessly--I meant we did that until some renovation worker or guard would politely ask us to turn around or something. Granted, we never went anywhere that explicitly said, "Do not enter." We just took the path(s) less traveled. Anyways, in this instance, Nith decided it would be a good chance to catch a shot with our new friend, Mr. Guard. And he was rather excited to oblige. We like new friends.

Residency

Hey there,

So, this makes for Entry 6 in one night. My shoulders are aching, my throat is dry--but I told you it was going to be a marathon! For once, I am writing an entry about some things that occurred TODAY, not things that happened a month ago. (Rebel I am…)
There’s this concept of “residency” that I find quite interesting, and especially today it’s been on my mind. For example, I can’t call Ithaca home, but I remember when it became my residency, when I realized I had favorite restaurants, coffee shops, places to study…when I would run into people on the streets, on the way to Collegetown, or back from the library. And in those moments it hits you: I live here. How I define myself is kind of wrapped up in this place…huh.
So today, more than a month after coming here, I have fully acknowledged that I am currently a resident in Chandigarh. In India...
Here’s a short description of the day:
8:00 AM Wake up, take the beloved bucket shower, change, pack my bag, eat something, or grab something to eat (mmm…mangoes, papayas, bananas, lychee, pears…you get the idea)
8:30 AM Reply some e-mails and try uploading photos onto the computer, only to be entirely frustrated by how long it takes
9:16 AM Start walking to the bus stop, which takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on how fast I want to walk, etc.
9:28 AM Bus arrives—and the drivers know me! Usually you get on, and tell the ticket guy where you’re going, and he issues you the ticket. Now, every morning, ticket man and I say hi, and he knows exactly which ticket to issue without me even saying a word (Residency Evidence 1). I usually sit directly behind the driver, as its one of the official “For Ladies” seats—it’s only been around for about a year, that buses have the first few rows just for women, to make them feel safer in a place where women in the past have been known to feel threatened and harassed. Today, I read Catcher in the Rye—almost done. Somehow I almost went through my entire academic career without reading it...

9:55 AM (ish) Bibha, one of the women I work with, usually gets on the bus at this stop, and we sit together and talk about various topics (and she recently taught me how to fold little boats out of the bus tickets)
10:20 AM Arrive in Ramdarbar, either stay there or walk to Hallo Majra (10 minute walk)—today we visited two of SURYA’s creches, or day care centers…so today we interviewed some women, but mostly I played with 1-2 year olds all day…(!!!)
2:00 PM Offered orange soda, bread pakora, and samosas at one of the SURYA staff members’ place—discuss arranged marriage, which has become a daily topic of conversation during and after we run interviews for the survey
2:45 PM Finish early due to some mix-ups in finding women for the survey—I take the bus to the bus station to purchase tickets to go to Delhi tomorrow
2:52 PM (ish) As I’m riding on the bus, completely oblivious of where I am, I spot my friend Nithin, another intern, on the street! I scream out his name, and he waves. (Residency Evidence 2)
3:00 PM I get off the bus at the station, and run into one of my co-workers, Ramesh, on the street! We have some small time and chat out my most recent trip to Jaipur (Residency Evidence 3)
3:20 PM Tickets for Delhi are purchased. This in and of itself is somewhat miraculous. I accomplish this feat with minimal complication (Residency Evidence 4)
3:30 PM I call for an auto, and bargain it down to a somewhat reasonable price. A few minutes later, an old woman gets on, and begins to talk to me in rapid Hindi as we drive along, until I make it clear I have very little Hindi speaking ability—but we still manage to share where we live, what I’m doing in India, complain about traffic, and she even offers me a drink from her water bottle, but I show her that I have my own bottle of panee. When she gets off, before me, we wave goodbye like old friends (Residency Evidence 5)
4:00 PM Catch up with other interns who are sitting around, bask in the cool breeze of the momentary rain and enjoy the cut in electricity
5:00 PM Fall asleep after reading—nice one hour nap with the fan on full-blast
6:00 PM Make plans for this weekend’s trip to Agra
6:45 PM Begin making dinner, make dinner, do the dishes, contemplate why some ants are bigger than others...
8:00 PM Begin blogging marathon, followed by chatting with Matan (who is ONLY 2.5 hours behind me--time is incredible)
1:36 AM Feel my bed calling my name…and that’s from 2 floors away…

I reside here…
Wow.

Camels. Rocks. Chandi.

So Chandigarh, though miraculously beautiful and clean and green for Indian standards, is not much of a tourist hotspot--but it is noted for one major claim to fame: the Rock Garden. I liked it a lot, but not everyone did (since it actually gets quite a bit of hype--and some find it to be a letdown). It's a sculpture garden spread over 40 acres, completely built of industrial & home waste and thrown-away items.
I have just written 4 blog entries, so I am opting for an easy out and using Wikipedia:
"The most powerful aspect of the gardens is that - thousands of animal or humanoid figures made out of discarded materials, which stand in rigid rows like silent static armies. It’s a series of interconnected rocky grottoes, walkways and landscaped waterfalls. All this demonstrates how urban and industrial waste can be fruitfully recycled and used in creative pursuit."
Rock on. (heh, I'm so clever...)

Very photo-op kind of spot.

Nithin and Jatinder perplexed.

Nithin and Jatinder even more perplexed.

Our day in Chandigarh included a visit to the High Court. And then we got chased down and spent a night in the slammer...:)

This is taken from my room!! A camel is going down my street!! Jatinder and I actually rode one at the Rock Garden, but I like this one more, so it's representing camels. In India. And in general.

Snaps.

Just some favorites from a recent day of work, walking around parts of Hallo Majra, looking for women to talk to. Again, its the colors that strike me, but also how many children are also always in sight, playing or in the corners. See if you can spot them all :)

One of the women that works for SURYA, Sony, is 22 and runs "tuitions" for kids--pretty much like tutoring. We went to her house, and these kids started giggling as soon as they saw me, asking "How are you?" and all the phrases they knew. And they kept saying, "Didi! *hindi hindi* snaps! *hindi hindi*" They love getting to see their own photos, like all the children we've come across, so they were asking me, the "older sister" to take more pictures of them.