Off to Delhi

Today we (14 of the interns) are leaving for two days in Delhi and one day in Agra. My group leaves, thank goodness, having our project finalized. We will are doing a combination of tree-planting and rainwater harvesting, at a school that has an unused rainwater system, a large schoolyard with not much shade, and 26 enthusiastic kids. In a community that has a multitude of uses for and knowledge of various tree species, we are really excited to involve many of them in this initiative where kids will get to actually plant their own trees!

At this halfway point of our trip, I've come to think about many of the expectations that have been created and also destroyed throughout:

-It turns out, Indian food is not just curry. I've actually only had something called "curry" once since being here! While I do miss the many food choices offered in the US, Indian food really does have an enormous variety.

-"Tribal villages" although the first time I heard about the Adivassi's/Tribals, as they are called here, it was in the context of a violence, I have well moved beyond that as my understanding. Thank goodness! When I looked into this more, the Adivassis are the original inhabitors of India who have shaped its culture, and violence is not at all representative of their existence throughout India.

And many more I will have to share when we get back from our trip!

Isolated Tradition

This week we spent three days in the village area where we will be working. How do I even describe so rich an experience? We sat in the dark of night on tarps and blankets laid on the ground, 30 men and women from the small town called Rajpura and 4 Americans, talking about our customs and cultures. I felt no judgment either way, only learning and sharing. As surprised as they were about our ability to divorce, the long time a man and a woman spend together before getting married, our white skin and long journey to India, they accepted us without a question. Their hospitality was strong; when we arrived they invited us into any nook of the village, and promptly milked a cow and started a fire to make chai for the visitors.

A few favorite moments from the gathering:

-At the start, the four of us introduced ourselves in Hindi. Later one of the men said they appreciated that we were trying to learn their language. Thiswas hugely encouraging, because to us it feels like the learning is going so slowly! The next step is to also learn a little Marvarti, the village’s main language.

-One of the village members wished to explain the different colored turbans. We learned (through translators, of course) that the white clothes and any color turban both serve to keep men cool, and that castes have different rules for what color a man wears in various life stages. While he goes out for the day into the farm fields or to take the animals to graze, if he can’t come back for lunch he may store chapati (flat wheat bread) in his turban!

-When we began discussing religion, one man proudly explained to the other community members that he already knew something about our religion. He put his arms out horizontally, tilted his head and closed his eyes, and said “I know, your God looks like this.” Actually, our group is quite diverse- Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and atheist, but as the meeting was drawing to a close and we decided explaining our diversity was best saved for another time. So for now our country is represented by a singular crucifix pose.

But the most striking moment came after one man stated, more or less, that

“This village has existed for a long time, and our families have held the same traditions for years and years and years.” I asked our translator if she could explain

“We understand our traditions must seem a little weird, but we haven’t come to impose western ideology or technology, only to work with you on a project if there is something you’d like to do.” Our translator replied to me,

“No, that will confuse them more. It’s not necessary; they don’t know what ‘western’ means. They know the word ‘Amrica’ but don’t really understand where the America is. To them it means ‘foreigner’- even someone from Japan or Kenya is called ‘Amrican.’”

I was completely baffled that they didn’t know about the US. I was also ashamed at being so baffled, because it shows my own ignorance in thinking that every corner of the world is focused on the US.

Yes, this community has a few cell phones and a store with snacks in plastic wrappers. They are not completely isolated from the outside world but the influence limited. Only one young man has ventured as far as the small city of Udaipur, only to be so scared by a train that he has never been back. When an airplane flies over Rajpura, they have a name for it that has nothing to do with its purpose. They have seen someone with white skin only once before.

There is something so beautiful and pure about this isolation- in one sense I feel like our presence will ruin it. At the same time, it was beautiful to be sitting and sharing our cultures. In Rajpura, they don’t know the typical stereotype that white skin= money, which is helpful as we set out to do a development project that is not about gifting money but about using the assets already present in the community. As long we are always sharing and never imposing one culture over another, I think we all will be better for having known these people who are different than us.

An Environmentalist Adventure

For our introduction to FES, we tagged along to check on various forest projects outside of Udaipur. This included tromping through a dry, prickly “ thorn forest” for hours checking on bird nesting boxes, then sitting for two hours quietly watching to see if any birds had nested yet. While I love spending time in nature, I felt like the city girl I am compared to our FES colleagues. With two PhD’s in biodiversity conservation and two masters students in environmental studies, this was an Indian wildlife safari with the best of experts.

Our team leaders, Justus and Himani, helped us find a Monitor Lizard (3 feet long), hundreds of frogs simultaneously doing an ear-pounding mating call, monkeys, wild buffalo bathing, blue-colored antelopes called “blue bulls,” many peacocks, and more!

It turns out that male lizards do push-ups against tree branches to show their masculinity before fighting over territory. This looks a lot like human wrestling match where the winner must get the other lizard in a solid hold for some time before the loser must slink away in defeat. I have a video of this show-down, so feel free to ask when I get back.

One of our projects will involve tracking Sloth Bears and surveying villages about any encounters, to learn how to minimize conflicts between the bears and humans. As we discovered fresh sloth bear footprints, droppings, and scratches on trees, Justus informed us that sloth bears are known to maul human’s faces. How comforting! Also, after we had been sitting on some rocks for 10 minutes to watch for nesting birds, he informed us that before sitting down we should check the area for scorpions or sit in a clear and flat area. We Americans are still not comfortable with all the pests and pervasive bugs, but have realized how many of our reactions are conditioned- like screaming about a lizard or harmless beetle. But when the dangers are real, there is no one I’d rather be hiking through a forest with than the FES employees, because they also can explain how to avoid or mitigate encounters.

The experience of being surrounded by animals is not unique to the forest. The city streets, temple steps, and dried lakes (Udaipur is “The City of Lakes” but with years of summer droughts is currently a City of Feilds) abound with cows, bulls, dogs and sometimes goats, sheep, and buffalo. Every driver will pass a person or motorcycle with only 3 inches to spare without slowing, but will slam on brakes for a cow. In India, “holy cow” takes on a whole new meaning.

Happy Birthday with a Three-Day Prayer

On Sunday while my USA family celebrated the 4^th of July, we celebrated my host dad’s 50^th birthday. As in a very religious family, the next year of his life should be properly blessed: by 11 Hindu priests doing an in-home Pooja (prayer) for 3 days.

The preparation began a day in advance: pounds upon pounds of vegetables and herbs from the market, cleaning the house and clearing the furniture so that the family and the priests could sit on the floor around two low tables. The priests are actually called Pundits, and are men from the Brahmin caste who have studied the Sanskrit texts and mantras in an Ashram.

The ritual began each day with a precise set-up: rice in patterns on top of the tablecloths. One of the patterns was the Indian Swastik, which did influence the German Swastika but here is the sign of holistic prosperity. In the center of each table was an idol of a Hindu god. During the pooja, the eldest pundit directed the sound, action, and the timing for tasting food and burning incense. He led the family members and other pundits in various hand gestures while he repeated various blessings, often joined by the host of pundits. The pooja was rife with placing food, money, and flower offerings in front of the gods, tossing rice towards the family members (the cooks and residents, too- myself included), warming the household’s hands and faces over fire, and sprinkling rose water. All the while, the deep resonating hum of spiritual songs surged, withdrew, and repeated.

In the midst of witnessing an unfamiliar religious ceremony, some things were still familiar: music as a way to connect with God, tossing rice as a blessing like some Americans do after weddings, and learning from spiritual leaders who have studied the sacred texts in depth. What a blessing it was to be invited to observe this solemn birthday celebration- new to me but familiar to the ages- and to have the chance to prepare and serve lunch to such respected Hindu gurus.

Typically representative of 21^st century India, my 4^th of July juxtaposed tradition with modernity. In the late afternoon Stephanie, my American roommate, our host brother, cousin and I went for a drive around Udaipur. Driving fast through winding streets, or standing up in the back of the open car- not simultaneously, don’t worry mom J- is a common experience among most who went through teen hood in a modern world. As we drove into the hotel owned by our extended host family, and later to our cousin’s home, I was confronted with luxury rarely surpassed even in the US. Still I have trouble reconciling extreme poverty with excessive wealth, especially in such proximity. But both are equally the “real India,” and I enjoyed both going through the villages and also jumping into the hotel’s pool and swimming in the monsoon rain surrounded by grand architecture and even more magnificent mountains.

It has begun

After 7 days of training in Chicago, 2 days of travelling and 3 days of training in India, we have finally begun our internships! I had my first day at the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) today, and am really excited to work with them for the next 6 weeks.

This program is called Global Engagement Summer Institute through Northwestern University, that trains students from all over the US and world in Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) and matches us with organizations in four different countries to assist in development projects. I am working on a team with three other students (Adreinne, Kimberly, and Amanda) with FES, which is a non-profit that works in reforestation and other environmental areas.

Last night we (Stephanie and I) moved in with our host family, too! They are a more modern Indian family, and very kind. I'm really excited to get to know them more.

As the very first post I'll keep this short, but I have learned a TON so far about development and about India, and will share some of the highlights and an overview of the work we will be doing. Today the monsoon started! Many people were hoping it would come as soon as possible, as it's been a very dry couple of years. In fact, the City of Lakes (aka Udaipur) is actually a City of Feilds right now.

Thanks for your interest in my trip; talk to you later!