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 :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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
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
Monday, October 18, 2010
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
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
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