Where am I?

Yesterday I was in 70 degree weather in Old Delhi,  exploring the Red Fort, shopping at Main Bazar and mastering the metro.

Today I drove for 6 hours through a blizzard and am back in Petoskey.

My body has no idea what time it is or what it is supposed to do.

I can drink the tap water.
No one is staring at me!!
I am typing this on my own computer
snow snow snow cold cold cold
I am going to go sit down at a table with my parents and eat food with a fork

I am tired and happy but so confused by the weather and familiarity of everything

Irony

13 weeks in India and I have not been called out on doing culturally insensitive things more than in these last 7 days.

-I lay down on a bed and didn't realize that I was pointing my feet toward the Laxmi shine, so I had to apologize to her.

-Suresh opened my journal and started reading it and I snatched it away from him (because his name is written in it a few hundred times) and I sat on it. but books are considered gods, so I had to bless the book.

-I turned down chai...I know!!! stupidstupidstupid, but I was in an emotional mood and I just couldn't handle being put through the wringer of no brother/not married again.

-I was called out on talking while I ate, but I think it was because everyone is annoyed with not being able to understand me (newsflash. I cannot understand you either.)

-I went to the rat temple in Bikaner (rats. everywhere. no shoes.) and freaked out, but had to be reminded that they worship these creatures.

and

-I don't think anyone noticed, but I did laundry and put my underwear outside to to dry.

Jaipur tomorrow! Face-to-face with native English speakers! gosh, I haven't experienced that in over a month...

I'm Back!

Thoughts from a village:

Bhojasar was AMAZING. The family I lived with for 16 days was delightful and we had so much fun! not speaking the same language, playing my ukulele, eating with our fingers, sleeping outside, chasing the baby goats, taking pictures, going for walks and drinking chai chai chai (my maximum was 8 cups in one day)

I visited schools in neighboring villages of Moriya, Denok, Khichan (school kitchen library!) I climbed a sand dune (mountain) in Aau, another one in Lahovat, and climbed 357 stairs to a temple and watched the sunset.

I observed the work that Urmul does in the schools--funding Room to Read libraries and facilitation, providing education in braille for blind children and I met all the local weavers in the village.

I fetched water from the well every morning to take a bucket shower, washed my clothes on the floor and was careful not to hang them on the clothesline close to the cow (or else she would eat them).

I had lots of time to think and reflect and be an angsty teenager: "Nobody Understands Me!" literally. I have not spoken face-to-face with a native English speaker for a month. and that leaves all the processing to inside my own head. meaning my dreams have been crazy! Every single one is a whimsical combination of Kenyon/Petoskey/MCFYP/India. The medians in Petoskey turned into Middle Path but the roads were filled with rickshaws. Gina Angileri (petoskey), Bryan Lewis (mcfyp) and Rob Fine (kenyon) came to visit me in India. Summer Conference was at Mooti Doongri. I flew back home on a combination plane/train/rollercoaster with Kylie Musolf (mcfyp) and Sam Karns (india). I go back to Jaipur on Saturday the 4th to be reunited with my MSID friends and for my final week in India!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Best,
Ellen

(or as everyone called me in the village: Ellena)

Lost in Translation

I don't think Indians understand why I am here. I haven't figured out how to say "semester abroad" or "experiential learning" or "wanderlust"

I am here to observe and live in their country immersed in their culture. I came prepared for everything to be different and overwhelming--and I think I have handled it rather well. I am adapting to their customs and habits and I respect their way of life. But they cannot understand mine.

I am 20 and not married *GASP* I might not even get married til I'm 28! and it will be for love, not an arrangement! My sister is 23 and she's not married! and...wait for it...I don't have a brother *GASP*GASP*

I try to explain that it is ok in America to not have brothers (would anybody really want to deal with a Blanchard son?) and that I want to get married, but in America 20 is considered young to get married (the other day someone was appalled that I am not married and said to my face that I was old) and usually people wait until after college to get married.

so besides that mini rant--all is well!!

I have been in Phalodi for the week, and I will go to a village on Tuesday the 9th. There hasn't been a lot of internship-related work, but I think this has been one of the best weeks of my life.

I am the novelty white girl at the foundation (every person and their cousin-literally.) knows the story of my life, rather, the story that they chose to tell based on the facts I try to tell about myself in broken Hindi (but obviously the most important things are that I am not married and don't have a brother)

The main people who work at the foundation live at the foundation, so it's like having 7 host families! So I have chai at least 5 times a day, and get to hang out with...I can't even count them all...19 siblings.

and Diwali!! in a nutshell: Let all those under the age of 6 run around with sparklers and matches. Let them set off as many firecrakers as they want and stand only 4 feet away. repeat all night long.

love
Ellen

I just attended the meeting of the Rotary Club of Phalodi, India.

well, actually it was the staff meeting of the Urmul foundation...but it was exactly the same vibe as a Rotary meeting in Petoskey, barring a few minor details. The 40 staff members gathered in the big multipurpose room (after leaving all 80 shoes outside) and sat on the floor in a circle. Like any Rotary meeting, I brought the total number of women in the room to a whopping three. The meeting was called to order and "Harry Begley" led a few rousing tunes, rather, Hindu prayers. Then I was introduced (I only know this because everyone started starting at me and attempted to say my name "aylin" "eleen" "ellit" and then I was asked to introduce myself--IN HINDI. Now, this is what I have been preparing for my whole life (those rotary types don't scare me) I was spontaneously asked to introduce Petra Dlouha in front of the whole club and did so without batting an eye. I know that a room full of professionals who are working for the good of their community and world really aren't that scary. It was empowering to be a young, white women speaking a language I only started learning 6 weeks ago in front of 40 Indians and do so with confidence. 

The meeting proceeded with individuals presenting their specific area of the organization [Urmul has a women's weaving cooperative, sponsors girls' schools, trains teachers and librarians, advocates against child labor and child marriage and supports local agriculture in many villages in western Rajasthan]

After each presentation there would be questions and discussion and it would get heated! "Jack Woldvogel" would say something that would make everybody speak up at the same time, "Ken Mainland" would try to calm people down, "Charlie Gano" would say something that would make everybody stop and recalculate, the "Brummelers" would be having their own conversation by just looking at each other from across the circle and of course, there was a jokester right up front-and all that he was missing to make it an authentic meeting of the Petoskey rotary was a pair of pants with little camels embroidered on them. 

Then we went to lunch, a far cry away from the reycraft room, but instead the local eatery where everyone sits outside, eats dal, subzi (vegetables), rice and chapati chapati chapati (only using the right hand of course) They talk and joke and laugh and I know they are the types to try and include me, but I am a videshi (foreigner) and cannot speak their language well enough to schmooze. 

It was an amazing morning for culture comparison, and so appropriate because today is Wednesday! So while the Petoskey Rotary meeting has yet to happen, the Phalodi "Rotary" is already taking afternoon chai!

best,

ellen

update!

In the last blog I failed to mention that during the awesomeness of the RIFF festival I went through India Identity Crisis #847.

The festival was great but the experience was kind of like this [for my philanthropic youths]: imagine being told that you are a member of the MCFYP committee an hour before registration begins, the only people that give you direction are Kari Pardoe and Rob Collier who speak intimidating philanthropy jargon and throw out a million names of people you don't know. you do not speak the same language as the maybe (literally) and there is no Mike Goorhouse in sight.

Needless to say, it was very overwhelming. I adapted quickly because I can handle that sort of run around/stress/logistic environment. but then I realized that I have done work like that before in the US and will continue to do work like that in the US--and I am in INDIA. so I needed to reevaluate the situation.

Also, on the way to Jodhpur we dropped off my good friend from the program, Anna, at a village where she would be working with a school. After leaving her in a tiny room in an incredibly rural setting my stomach began to ache with regret. I thought I wasn't brave enough to go to a village and a city is what I wanted to experience in India. I was lying to myself. After a few freak outs, minor explosions and 17 pages of journaling and talking to my program director and making a few phone calls...I am getting on a train tomorrow night a going to Phalodi.

I will be working for the Urmul foundation, a women's weaving cooperative that also invests in girls' empowerment through education. I will be seeing the work in villages as well as the school in the town. I actually don't know what to expect--but I am surprisingly calm about all of it.

I will be in a village in India for the next 5 weeks, so blogging probably won't be happening as frequently.

This has been a whirlwind week and I have learned A LOT about myself and really had time to seriously reflect on my India experience.

lovelovelove
ellen

ps The uke is coming with me to the village :)

extra points.

To all the honorary Blanchards:

I just read the chapter about Peter on a train in India. While on a train in India. I think I get some extra points for that. I also understand the transcribed hindi. and I can do the ambiguous Indian head nod with ease.

To the commoners:

I am reading The Brother's K while in India and it is especially significant because part of the story is set in India. Once you read it, you will know all things, and become an honorary Blanchard because it is Paul's favorite book.

It is hard to read abook that constantly reminds me of my family while I am so far away from them and cannot shout a passage across the hall to get my dad's reaction, but it is an amazing book and relevant to my experiences in India...in an abstract sort of way.

ANYWAY.

I just got back from the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur--google it, youtube it, facebook it. IT WAS AWESOME.

Dede and I spent the day roaming the fort, listening to music, dancing, eating, taking pictures, dancing, eating and dancing.

My favorites were Susheela Raman and the Bengali Baul philosophers/musicians.

At the Sunset Devotional event at the festival, the speaker made a poignant statement: That all things that rise must set.  I am over halfway through my stay in India, so the sun is setting...but my favorite time of day is dusk. So I am pumped for the second half of this adventure but have been reflecting on the whole experience as well.  

Now I am back in Jaipur and have meetings to attend.


love
Ellen

No Chronology.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while.

Let me tell you about my weekend.

On Thursday evening I got on a sleeper bus and didn't get off for 12 hours. I was in a bunk above the seats sleeping, talking and watching the Rajasthan desert whoosh past out the window.

10 of us arrived in Jaiselmer (real close to Pakistan) and had a rooftop breakfast (typical India, rooftop adventure #784) We explored the Jaiselmer fort in the morning and then went to catch the bus to the village of Khuri where our camel safari would commence.

Our group had split up to explore, so some got on the bus at the bus station, while my small group was at another stop farther down the road. we kept in contact to make sure we would get on the bus together. Every phone call from those already on the bus was a warning about how the bus was filling fast and we might not be able to get a seat. Well, when there is no room in the bus, you only have 1 choice. Get on the roof of the bus. So yes, I traveled for 2 hours sitting on top of a bus with 30 indians going to the tiny village of Khuri. Absolutely Amazing. and the camel safari had not even begun.

From the top of the bus to the top of a camel and into the desert. The view from the top of the camel was spectacular yet incredibly bumpy. especially when we galloped as fast as we could to see the sunset. We ate around a campfire with our 8 Warmari guides and played hide and seek in the dunes before falling asleep under the stars.

Sunrise, tea and back on the camels to return to the village.

We had a hotel back in Jaiselmer and this time we rode inside the bus.

and the diversity of modes of transportation did not end there!

on Sunday afternoon we rented scooters and zoomed-zoomed our way to a lake, another village and The Secret Garden--India style.

So, I am physically exhausted but mentally satisfied and emotionally overwhelmed because tonight I pack up my room to move into a new host family to start my internship on wednesday.

so much love

~Ellen

Temple Grandin Moments in India

1) Being overwhelmed by sensory inputs

2) Cows Everywhere

sorry if you don't know who Temple Grandin is--google her, watch the Claire Danes movie about her, read her book, go out to coffee with my dad and this post will make sense.

3) Swing sets

This morning I woke up in the shekhawati region of India in an awesome hotel in the middle of the indian countryside. MSID took a field trip and we spent two days visiting farms, hevalis (Historical Indian Mansions), forts and eating delicious food. We also middle-schooled it up and had an MSID pool party. The hotel also had a playground. The first thing I thought of to do in the morning was run to the playground and get on a swing. The instant I did I was flooded with memories of all the swing sets I have ever been on. (this is where Temple Grandin comes in--she thinks in pictures and she is flooded with memories of images for everything) I was reminded of swings in the backyard next to the little blue house, underdogs (much to my mother's chagrin) swings at Bay View, swings at the state park, and of course the innumerable amounts of memories from the swings at Lincoln Elementary School. I realized that my swinging experiences have come full circle because in Elementary school, Angelo and I would sing songs from The Jungle Book at the top of our lungs while on the swings and I have now been swinging in the setting for those very songs.

Tonight I am going to see the Indian adaptation of 'The Three Penny Opera' -in hindi.

This weekend I am going to see some big marble building in Agra.

LOVE
Ellen

thoughts and feelings

I try to cram in all the tangible things I do and see, but a big part of this experience is how I am feeling and how I am processing everything.

A third of my journal is already full, and I could probably be writing more. ("If I get it all down on paper it's no longer inside of me threatening the life it belongs to" -Anna Nalick "Breathe" really cheesy, but so incredibly relevant to my life right now)

I am overwhelmed-but in a good way. I was ready to be confused and frustrated, and I am! Unfortunately, I tend to be over analytical of myself in situations and that cannot happen in India. I can adapt to people and situations, but India is always unpredictable and there is nothing I can do to adapt to that except stop thinking about anything and that just won't happen. Every time I try to anticipate the way an experience will play out-it never NEVER goes the way I thought it would. (the rickshaw driver will never take the same route, nothing will ever be on time, you never know how much change you will get after you pay for something,  what you thought would be around the corner isn't) I guess this makes sense in my head, but it might not translate well on the interwebs. but don't worry-"ALL IS WELL" (youtube that plus "aamir khan")

Moving on.

My biggest passions are all intersecting here in India. I have little siblings to dance with and take jumping pictures with, my internship is with an arts foundation, are last country analysis class was about Gender and Development and it started so many amazing conversations. Being in India goes along with moments in my life when I have breathed a deep sigh of relief saying "This is where I need to be" (other moments include my first conference as a MCFYP committee member and my first semester at Kenyon) It's the realization that this is where I can be totally and completely myself and that is what will make this experience amazing.

 love!
~Ellen

JODHPUR

pronounced (jOHdper)

Anna, Megan, Sam and I spent last weekend in Johdpur, the Blue City.
We took the train-sleeper class there and Second AC on the way back. Ven Diagram time!

Second AC:
Airconditioning
Closed and curtained windows
Sheets, blankets, pillows
sneezing, snoring, farting old people
Both:
Benches that can be seats or beds
Sleeper Class:
Open windows to let fresh air in
cute old couples to sit across from
Lots of college-aged Indians watching Justin Beiber music videos on their iPhones and sharing them with us
Small Indian boy walking up and down the aisle wearing his mother's heels
Men walking down the cars screeching "chaiiiiiii" "garam chaiiiiiiii"

conclusion. sleeper class=way more fun.

JODHPUR:
So beautiful. We saw the
Umaid Bhavan Palace: beautiful, built in the 20th century, small museum. The rest of the palace is royal residence and a hotel. You can see the hotel if you eat at the restaurant and spend 2000 rupees a plate. (...Grand Hotel of India?)
Mandore Garden: King Louie's court from the Jungle Book. Monkeys and all. built in the 15th century. Tombs of royals and temples. We could freely roam through all of them (no charge) and climb up the twisting stone stairs to the balconies/roof with no railings and no surveillance. The phrase most often uttered on adventures like that is "We could never do this in the US"  Plus an Indian guy that wanted Sam to sign a 10 rupee note and "be in friendship with him"
Mehrangarh Fort...I am speechless. It is at the top of a mountain overlooking Jodhpur. We all did the audio tour so we were the nerdy white kids with headphones on in a sea (literally, if we didn't hold on to each other we were swept away) of Indians. Gates and courtyards and battlements and the intricately patterned windows that don't allow anyone to see in, but allow the women living in those quarters to see out.

on Sunday we met Megan's host family's aunt and nephew (Daksh. so. cute. Indian version of the boy I babysat this summer) We had lunch at her house and it was DELICIOUS. Living with a family in India means you eat real Indian food every day. When you travel and go to restaurants the "indian" food is BLAND. its all about eating in a real indian home. When we were at a restaurant on Saturday, some tourists sitting at the table next to us asked us to recommend something, then asked if it was spicy and we said: NO!

More Jodhpur adventures include my first true Indian shopping experience when you stay in the store for 2 hours while they present all their finest tapestries to you, serve you chai and then bargain. We became regulars at a Lassi place, we sampled tons of sweets, we sat on the roof of the roof of our hotel, Megan became an honorary marwari woman and we had a 14-year-old rickshaw driver that had no idea where he was going.

great success for my first weekend travel in India!!


ps: My internship is with the Jaipur Virasat Foundation (google it) and I will be back in Jodhpur with the foundation to work at a music festival! hooray!

Only in India

This next series of blog entries comes to you in unchronilogical order--its been a rather crazy 2 weeks and I anticipate that it will only get crazier, but I know that you all want to hear that I am alive and well. which I, thankfully, am.
Firstly, I am disclaiming my grammar and spelling for all of my blog entries past, present and future--because I get on the internet so rarely I am always rushing to check a million things plus trying to put together a coherent blog entry--the internet cafe has a slow connection and doesn't always automatically spell check for me. and sometimes I don't want to spend extra time (meaning rupees) on re-reading and for that I am sorry. Pleeze furgiv mme.


Just now, after telling Kamlish "Mai Raja Park me ja rahi hu" and him responding with "Jao" I made my way to ye olde internet cafe: down the little lane, jog to the smelly street and onwards to Raja Park. I am not as startled by the stares and comments every 2 feet anymore: I ignore it, make my angry face and walk with purpose. Rickshaw drivers always slow down to see if you need a ride and you just wave them past and say "nahi" Well. 5 minutes ago on the smelly street I noticed a driver slowing down behind me and prepared to wave him past, when I turned it was a man in a car slowing down and stopped next to me and asked if I needed a ride anywhere. I said no and waved him away. [my mama raised me right] He kept speed with my walking and said I looked very beautiful today. Then he drove away. I should be freaked out by this--but I couldn't stop laughing all the way to the internet cafe. I wasn't scared or creeped out. I want to be flattered, but I can't be because he probably does that to any white woman he sees--its noon on a beautiful Saturday, I have short blonde hair and am wearing my favorite blue kurta, I was a tad conspicuous. If that happened in the US I would run away, but this is India and it happens.

oh india.

oh India, you never cease to overwhelm me.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12

Roller coaster of culture.

We went to the Albert Hall museum and had a pretty terrible time. Six of us paid admission to a museum where we were the exhibit. A man asked for a picture with me at the very beginning, and he was harmless, but that was nothing. Herds of middle school boys followed us around, surrounding each of us individually as we looked at the books and pottery and the mummy. They would just stand staring at me while I stared at the art. Remember, Indians have no personal space either, so they are fine with getting as close too you and close to each other so you are trapped. We told them to stop, but that really didn't help. And in the end I felt bad, because it was like I was a disturbance to the other patrons of the museum because the boys were making a scene. When really, every else probably loved it and they will be telling their friends all week that they saw white people at the museum (while showing the pictures they took of us on their cell phones)


So, that experience didn't go so well, and I'm really glad that it's over.

The afternoon made up for it though because it was the parade in honor on Ganesh's Birthday--the hindu god, remover of obstacles, with the elephant head. Six girls on the program live in a big apartment near the temple, so we watch the procession from their balcony. We watched for four hours--the crowds (crowds doesn't do it justice--we probably saw a million people in that amount of time--I'm not even kidding) of people, the decorated trucks, the ladoo (the sweet that every eats on ganesh's birthday) bands, fire breathers, ladoo, elephants, dancers, giant pink replicas of ganesh and ladoo ladoo ladoo!!

and then we went on the Ferris wheel that could never exist in the US because their was nothing holding you in, and it went about 45 mph. it was awesome.

what a weekend.

Rooftop adventure #5
Last night, Sam and I visited our friends' apartment building and they were having dinner so we went on the roof. It was an awesome view of Jaipur at night, and its a huge roof. I went over to one corner and found that it was already occupied...by monkies. Indian monkies are not the cute cuddly creatures you imagine them to be--they are the animal that you AVOID. cows are no big deal, dogs-fine. camels, cool. elephants chill.  MONKIES = NO WAY. 6 feet away from me. I have no idea what kept me from running screaming but I got Sam's attention and we got the hell off the roof. I am only now realizing how terrifying that experience was....

ek, do, tin...

This post is coming to you in parts...ek, do, tin...one two three of them:

Part One: didi
My little siblings call me Didi Ellen [older sister, Ellen] and I have already introduced silly bands to their lives. and the ukulele. I am a trendsetter.

Part Two: puja puja puja
My very first night at my homestay was the anniversary of the grandmother's passing so we had puja (worship). Sam, my fellow program participant and housemate, were invited to join the ceremony. The living room was rearranged and a small shrine set up while musicians and other family members arrived. The musicians set up a speaker to project the chanting and song out to the street. Our foreheads were marked with red dye and rice and then the chanting began. What started as 14 people sitting on the floor gradually became 35+. People just kept on showing up. By about the 3rd woman visitor I realized I was sitting on the left side on the floor when, as a woman, I should be on the right. I thought I would just stay with Sam as the pair of white kids, but then he left to go to the bathroom, leaving me as the white woman on the wrong side. I quickly shuffled over to the right and joined the other women. I also realized that the book that everyone was chanting from had 35 pages and we were on page 12...
It was a beautiful experience to observe and be included in, although my back and rear end got very sore. No wonder they do yoga.
By page 32, Sam and I were ushered into the kitchen to eat. When they say EAT, you eat.
At the end of the ceremony, it was like any schmoozy family event in America-children running around, parents chatting, greeting and such.
What a commencement into my homestay family!!

Part three: "Look at me, I'm the King of Jaipur!"
On Sunday Sam and I went to the JKK (Jaipur's hip art center/cafe hangout for university students.) We took a rickshaw (first time!!) There was a Ganesh art show that we checked out and then we went to the cafe. We were approached to see the art show again so they could take our picture for the newspaper. and yes, we were in the paper the next day.

School is good, Hindi class is ridiculous. The chai is great (at least 4 times a day) I know there was a reason I had chai every wednesday at breakfast club)

This weekend is Ganesh's birthday!!

love~ellen

New to New Delhi

The first great Indian adventure was driving into the city from the airport. After 15 hours in a plane (flying north directly over tip of the mitten state), sleeping 10 hours and talking to my lovely seat companion Marla, we made it to Delhi, through customs (no lost bags) and were met by a enthusiastic man and shuffled onto a bus. And the driving is just like you would expect: steering wheel on the right, driving in the left lane, obeying no traffic signals and following the indian rule of the right-of-way; whoever has the least to lose goes.


Delhi was a whirl but somewhere in there we were introduced to the social benefits of chai, saw the president's house, parliament and were pulled over. We did walk around the corner to explore the Sikh temple and were escorted through by a wonderful old woman. The temple was welcoming and full of people of all ages; babies, toddlers, grandparents and teenage boys. We also had roof sit #1

The drive to Jaipur was most interesting. We could feel the shift into Rajasthan: brighter colored saris, camels, goats and cows cows cows. Entering Jaipur we went through the Pink City and saw our first elephant.

Jaipur is great--the few parts of it I have seen. Our school [MSID office] is in a great neighborhood a few blocks away from a busy market. There are malls and parks and shops and people people people and cows. Our hotel in Jaipur was the sight of roof sit #2

That covers a lot of logistical things, so let me mention the social.

There is a lot of staring, but it doesn't feel probing, just curious. Children exclaim HIHOW AREYOU! while they run by and grab your hand and men zoom past on their motos honking their horns. The food is delicious (and agrees with my system *knock on wood*) and our professors are fantastic. The women are articulate and full of wisdom (especially the woman who will be in charge of the Arts and Culture track internship) and our program coordinator aka the "Herder of American College Kids" is wonderful.

I am learning a ton already from this program filled with global studies international relations development majors...but I have come to the conclusion that they are all feminists and have yet to come to this realization. I will help them reach enlightenment.

I move into my homestay tomorrow morning. I am going to have a 6 year old sister and 5 year old brother!

I am happy and overwhelmed but satisfied and ready to be here for a while.

love~ellen

quote of the moment: "India smells like a sauna" ~Josselyn

Send me on my way....

There is nothing yet to say about India. I leave in 6 days and the things I am most concerned about are whether I should bring my ukulele tuner and how many silly bands I should take...and the fact that my suitcase is no where near ready to be packed. I have a huge list of things to do: host gifts to buy, letters to send and people to hug.

This is where I plan to recite my adventures when I am in India. Depending on time and internet availability. You can subscribe to my blog and it will connect with your e-mail [google, yahoo] or you can just bookmark it and check in every so often. I will try to post it on facebook as well, and I am also trusting my mother to inform the masses when I post. 

Let the adventure commence!

~Ellen