Leave Delhi at 12:15 am on American Airlines #293 and arrive in Chicago at 5:15 am (remember the time changes – it is actually 15 hours in the air).
Leave Chicago at 7:10 am on American Airlines #1502 and arrive in Tampa at 10:40 am.
Denis surprised me by rearranging his flights to meet me at the airport. YEAH!!! It is good to be home.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, October 14
Breakfast at hotel. Rest of day free for shopping, especially at the Dilli Haat with handicrafts from all over India. Late departure from hotel and leave for airport in the evening.
It’s time to go home. Everyone is exhausted. Some people are sick. It has been a busy trip. I have been stretched to my limit and welcome the coming rest. Kimberly and I do some last minute shopping around Delhi and board the bus with everyone else for the airport. Diane and Sigrid are staying on for an extended trip to the north.
It’s time to go home. Everyone is exhausted. Some people are sick. It has been a busy trip. I have been stretched to my limit and welcome the coming rest. Kimberly and I do some last minute shopping around Delhi and board the bus with everyone else for the airport. Diane and Sigrid are staying on for an extended trip to the north.
Saturday, October 13
Breakfast at hotel then leave Vadodara on Indigo Airline, flight # 6E-402 at 9:45 am and arrive in Delhi at 11:15 am. Day free. 1-hour “Light & Sound” show in the evening at the Red Fort. The Connaught37, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg,Next to Shivaji Stadium, New Delhi-110001 (India)Tel.: 2336 4225, 2374 2842 (For Reservation Only): Fax: 2334 0757E-mail:- theconnaughtnewdelhi@yahoo.com <mailto:theconnaughtnewdelhi@yahoo.com
Friday, October 12
Breakfast at hotel then drive to Mota Fofalia to view Dr. Kiran Patel’s ancestral village and visit the school, hospital and clinic. Return to Vadodara for evening and to attend the Garba Festival.
I am sick. However, I didn’t come half way around the world to stay in bed in my hotel. So, I overdose on over the counter medicines and board the bus for Mota Fafolia. We are here to launch the micro-enterprise program today. See pictures of the women and children.
Women from Mota faFolia and surrounding villages have been invited to come today to hear about the Savita Society and a new micro enterprise program. The Patels have partnered with the local government and businesses to offer the women a...
I am sick. However, I didn’t come half way around the world to stay in bed in my hotel. So, I overdose on over the counter medicines and board the bus for Mota Fafolia. We are here to launch the micro-enterprise program today. See pictures of the women and children.
Women from Mota faFolia and surrounding villages have been invited to come today to hear about the Savita Society and a new micro enterprise program. The Patels have partnered with the local government and businesses to offer the women a...
Thursday, October 11
Breakfast at hotel then drive to Mota Fofalia to view Dr. Kiran Patel’s ancestral village and visit the school, hospital and clinic. Return to Vadodara for evening
Today we are going to see Dr. K’s ancestral home and main philanthropic project. On the way to the village a rock shatters our bus window. It breaks into thousands of pieces. Several Indians stop to see what happened and then leave. Cell phone reception is weak. Eventually we get in touch with the school and they send a school bus to pick us up. It is a beautiful day. At least the weather is cooperating.
Despite our late arrival we are greeted with much fan fare and are welcomed by the doctors, teachers and students. It is an impressive campus. The three story school has rebar sprouting out of the tops of the support columns. I’m told it is because they expect to continue expanding. We are treated to a long school program by the students and a tour of the campus. The students are charged a nominal fee for attendance in order to reinforce the value of education to the children’s families. The Patels come to life in the village telling stories about the school and Pallavi tells the story of how she first came to Mota fa Folia. Dr. K takes particular delight in watching everyone climb into ox carts for a tour through the village. Everyone has come out to see us. Dr. K tells us about the toilet project providing sanitary outhouses for many families in the village. We also tour the fisheries project, a large restored pond that fetches some of the best prices in the market for its outstanding fish. This provides substantial income for the village. The hospital tour is tomorrow.
Today we are going to see Dr. K’s ancestral home and main philanthropic project. On the way to the village a rock shatters our bus window. It breaks into thousands of pieces. Several Indians stop to see what happened and then leave. Cell phone reception is weak. Eventually we get in touch with the school and they send a school bus to pick us up. It is a beautiful day. At least the weather is cooperating.
Despite our late arrival we are greeted with much fan fare and are welcomed by the doctors, teachers and students. It is an impressive campus. The three story school has rebar sprouting out of the tops of the support columns. I’m told it is because they expect to continue expanding. We are treated to a long school program by the students and a tour of the campus. The students are charged a nominal fee for attendance in order to reinforce the value of education to the children’s families. The Patels come to life in the village telling stories about the school and Pallavi tells the story of how she first came to Mota fa Folia. Dr. K takes particular delight in watching everyone climb into ox carts for a tour through the village. Everyone has come out to see us. Dr. K tells us about the toilet project providing sanitary outhouses for many families in the village. We also tour the fisheries project, a large restored pond that fetches some of the best prices in the market for its outstanding fish. This provides substantial income for the village. The hospital tour is tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 10
Breakfast at hotel. Visit SEWA (Self Employed women’s Association) and the Design School. Visit the Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi’s Ashram) and spend the day with Manav Sadhna whose charities we support. Leave in late afternoon and drive to Vadodara where we join up with Rylene and Julie. Staying at:Express TowersHead Office: R.C.Dutt Road ,Vadodara-Gujarat- IndiaTel: +91 265 3055000, Fax: +91 265 3055200Website: www.expressworld.com <http://www.expressworld.com>
I got up early with Sam and Betty to join our guide for a walk through the slums surrounding Gandhi’s Ashram. There is a preschool program going on at the Ashram this morning and the children are all in their uniforms, just beautiful. We set off and are not allowed to take photos until we arrive at the community center in the center of the slum. We walk around open sewer and trash dumps. The inside of these makeshift homes is uncluttered and tidy. There is a robust recycling program in the slum. Many of the women and children are trash pickers. There is also a pottery business. A large fence encloses the pottery area in the middle of the slum where the clay, wheels and kilns are. There are thousands of pots and bowls stacked inside. They will be sold at market as income for the potter families. The Gandhi Ashram has helped to build a community center in the slum. It is built mostly from recyclable material. For example, the walls in the library are made of glass bottles and stucco. See the photos for a tour and pics of the kids.
We are running late to join the rest of the group at SEWA. I ride on the back of our guide’s motorcycle (a personal goal for this trip). Sam and Betty are close behind in an auto rickshaw.
The Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) is a trade union registered in 1972. It is an organization of poor, self-employed women workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labor or small businesses. They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare benefits like workers in the organized sector. They are the unprotected labor force of India. Of the female labor force in India, more than 94% are in the unorganized sector. However, their work is not counted and hence re-mains invisible. In fact, women workers themselves remain uncounted, undercounted and invisible. www.sewa.org We visit the farm vendor cooperative and textile Design Center. See photos of the Design Center.
This visit is a milestone for me. I love the grassroots power of SEWA. I first learned about them ten years ago doing research for my senior thesis. The women are clearly in charge here, in contrast to many international aid programs where the aid workers are in charge. These women direct the projects, campaigns and businesses of SEWA including the farm vendor cooperative. The Cooperative is a stall in a 300 vendor produce wholesale market. At the SEWA stall women farmers can sell their produce for a fair price for 5% commission, as compared to 10%+ at the other stalls. There are two women, sisters, who man the stall and negotiate prices for the SEWA members. These are the only women vendors in the entire market. They have been there for almost ten years.
We also visit the Design Center located in a beautiful old building down a winding street in busy Ahmedabad. The economic model for the Design Center is traditional, and in this way rather unique. They are not training the women to be micro credit entrepreneurs, but rather training them up from assembly textile work to master designers. There is a big emphasis on traditional handicrafts here. SEWA seems to understand that preserving traditional design is not only important, but profitable.
Ashram
We end the day at the Gandhi Ashram. They serve us a delicious home cooked meal. The children are beautiful. They run several programs for the slum children including Earn and Learn. The children come after school hours to make high end hand made greeting cards that are sold in the SEVA (not to be confused with SEWA) gift store and while they are at the Ashram the kids get nutritious snacks and tutoring. See pics for a look at the kids and their cards.
Everyone is tired and hot. I continue to feel under the weather.
I got up early with Sam and Betty to join our guide for a walk through the slums surrounding Gandhi’s Ashram. There is a preschool program going on at the Ashram this morning and the children are all in their uniforms, just beautiful. We set off and are not allowed to take photos until we arrive at the community center in the center of the slum. We walk around open sewer and trash dumps. The inside of these makeshift homes is uncluttered and tidy. There is a robust recycling program in the slum. Many of the women and children are trash pickers. There is also a pottery business. A large fence encloses the pottery area in the middle of the slum where the clay, wheels and kilns are. There are thousands of pots and bowls stacked inside. They will be sold at market as income for the potter families. The Gandhi Ashram has helped to build a community center in the slum. It is built mostly from recyclable material. For example, the walls in the library are made of glass bottles and stucco. See the photos for a tour and pics of the kids.
We are running late to join the rest of the group at SEWA. I ride on the back of our guide’s motorcycle (a personal goal for this trip). Sam and Betty are close behind in an auto rickshaw.
The Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) is a trade union registered in 1972. It is an organization of poor, self-employed women workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labor or small businesses. They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare benefits like workers in the organized sector. They are the unprotected labor force of India. Of the female labor force in India, more than 94% are in the unorganized sector. However, their work is not counted and hence re-mains invisible. In fact, women workers themselves remain uncounted, undercounted and invisible. www.sewa.org We visit the farm vendor cooperative and textile Design Center. See photos of the Design Center.
This visit is a milestone for me. I love the grassroots power of SEWA. I first learned about them ten years ago doing research for my senior thesis. The women are clearly in charge here, in contrast to many international aid programs where the aid workers are in charge. These women direct the projects, campaigns and businesses of SEWA including the farm vendor cooperative. The Cooperative is a stall in a 300 vendor produce wholesale market. At the SEWA stall women farmers can sell their produce for a fair price for 5% commission, as compared to 10%+ at the other stalls. There are two women, sisters, who man the stall and negotiate prices for the SEWA members. These are the only women vendors in the entire market. They have been there for almost ten years.
We also visit the Design Center located in a beautiful old building down a winding street in busy Ahmedabad. The economic model for the Design Center is traditional, and in this way rather unique. They are not training the women to be micro credit entrepreneurs, but rather training them up from assembly textile work to master designers. There is a big emphasis on traditional handicrafts here. SEWA seems to understand that preserving traditional design is not only important, but profitable.
Ashram
We end the day at the Gandhi Ashram. They serve us a delicious home cooked meal. The children are beautiful. They run several programs for the slum children including Earn and Learn. The children come after school hours to make high end hand made greeting cards that are sold in the SEVA (not to be confused with SEWA) gift store and while they are at the Ashram the kids get nutritious snacks and tutoring. See pics for a look at the kids and their cards.
Everyone is tired and hot. I continue to feel under the weather.
Tuesday, October 9
Breakfast at hotel.
Leave on Spicejet Airlines SG 282 at 9:35 am and fly to Ahmedabad, arriving at noon.
Dinner that evening at the SEVA Café.
Staying at:
Sarovar Portico, AhmedabadBhawans College RoadAhmedabad - 380 001Ph : 91 - 079 - 25601111E-mail : apo@sarovarhotels.com
Leave on Spicejet Airlines SG 282 at 9:35 am and fly to Ahmedabad, arriving at noon.
Dinner that evening at the SEVA Café.
Staying at:
Sarovar Portico, AhmedabadBhawans College RoadAhmedabad - 380 001Ph : 91 - 079 - 25601111E-mail : apo@sarovarhotels.com
Monday, October 8
Breakfast at hotel. Morning sightseeing tour in Pondicherry and then drive to Chennai. Staying at: The Ambassador Pallava, Chennai30, Montieth Road, Egmore, Chennai-600 008.Tel: 91- 44 28554476 / 28554068.Fax: 91- 44 28554492.e-mail:pallava@ambassadorindia.come-mail: pallava@vsnl.com <mailto:pallava@vsnl.com>
We leave early for the Tsunami rebuilding project today. The school and women’s home were built next to each other so the orphaned children and widowed women can care for and support each other. The grounds are clean and inspiring. There are short proverbs on the walls extolling the children to be virtuous and work hard, “Time and Tide Wait for None.” There are marble plaques around the school thanking the Patel Foundation and Tampa Bay community for the computer lab, clinic, and classrooms. The students put on a beautiful performance.
We drove to the seashore where the Tsunami came in. There is a playground on the beach and some simple fishing boats. We are told that the physical loss is compounded by physiological loss. The people felt betrayed by the water. It was their life source and it turned on them. There are many moving stories about how the people came back to the water.
We went on to have tea with the Governor of Tamil Nadu. He is an older statesman with a distinguished career in public service. The lady who ran the disaster relief joined us for tea, too. There are a few questions from the group. I asked a question, too. “I am from New Orleans and watched shocked and embarrassed as Katrina crippled the city. How did you communicate with the people on the ground to ensure everyone had the supplies they needed, including water and shelter?” They replied, “We have cell phones.” Everyone laughed. When rebuilding they mandated a 5 km buffer between the water and the rebuilding.
We leave early for the Tsunami rebuilding project today. The school and women’s home were built next to each other so the orphaned children and widowed women can care for and support each other. The grounds are clean and inspiring. There are short proverbs on the walls extolling the children to be virtuous and work hard, “Time and Tide Wait for None.” There are marble plaques around the school thanking the Patel Foundation and Tampa Bay community for the computer lab, clinic, and classrooms. The students put on a beautiful performance.
We drove to the seashore where the Tsunami came in. There is a playground on the beach and some simple fishing boats. We are told that the physical loss is compounded by physiological loss. The people felt betrayed by the water. It was their life source and it turned on them. There are many moving stories about how the people came back to the water.
We went on to have tea with the Governor of Tamil Nadu. He is an older statesman with a distinguished career in public service. The lady who ran the disaster relief joined us for tea, too. There are a few questions from the group. I asked a question, too. “I am from New Orleans and watched shocked and embarrassed as Katrina crippled the city. How did you communicate with the people on the ground to ensure everyone had the supplies they needed, including water and shelter?” They replied, “We have cell phones.” Everyone laughed. When rebuilding they mandated a 5 km buffer between the water and the rebuilding.
Sunday, October 7
Breakfast at hotel.Travel to Cuddalore for half day visit. Afternoon at leisure.
Change of plans early on today. The majority of the group would like to explore Pondicherry today and spend all day tomorrow in Cuddalore. Sam and Betty go with our guide on a special side trip. The rest of the group breaks off and goes to market. A fair amount of Indian liquor is purchased.
Pondicherry is a former French colony and retains many of its French roots including a French Quarter. We toured Catholic churches and the French Quarter later in the day. This area of town is immaculate. The tour guide tells us it is maintained through a trust. The Indians who worked for the French government before independence still draw their pension in Euros and have enough to donate to the upkeep of this area. It reminds me of New Orleans. We make plans to go out for French food later tonight.
Change of plans early on today. The majority of the group would like to explore Pondicherry today and spend all day tomorrow in Cuddalore. Sam and Betty go with our guide on a special side trip. The rest of the group breaks off and goes to market. A fair amount of Indian liquor is purchased.
Pondicherry is a former French colony and retains many of its French roots including a French Quarter. We toured Catholic churches and the French Quarter later in the day. This area of town is immaculate. The tour guide tells us it is maintained through a trust. The Indians who worked for the French government before independence still draw their pension in Euros and have enough to donate to the upkeep of this area. It reminds me of New Orleans. We make plans to go out for French food later tonight.
Saturday, October 6
Breakfast at hotel, fly from Jaipur at 9:35 am on Spice Jet. Arrive Chennai via Mumbai at 1:30 pm. then on to Pondicherry
Hotel Annamalai International479 Kamaraj Salai, Saram,Pondicherry - 605 013Telephone : +91 413 2247001-14, Fax : +91 413 2247015 email : info@hotelannamalai.com
We arrive in the South today. It is hot. It smells, looks and tastes different. Our new tour guide is a devout Hindu, very knowledgeable about India and eager to tell us all about its history, culture and religion. Our new bus is a bit cramped. I’m hungry. Everyone is tired.
We arrive in Pondicherry and after switching rooms several times to find one that doesn’t smell like smoke we order room service. I get the pizza. It’s disappointing. It’s too late to venture out.
Hotel Annamalai International479 Kamaraj Salai, Saram,Pondicherry - 605 013Telephone : +91 413 2247001-14, Fax : +91 413 2247015 email : info@hotelannamalai.com
We arrive in the South today. It is hot. It smells, looks and tastes different. Our new tour guide is a devout Hindu, very knowledgeable about India and eager to tell us all about its history, culture and religion. Our new bus is a bit cramped. I’m hungry. Everyone is tired.
We arrive in Pondicherry and after switching rooms several times to find one that doesn’t smell like smoke we order room service. I get the pizza. It’s disappointing. It’s too late to venture out.
Friday, October 5
Sightseeing this morning with an impromptu stop at Rajasthan University College of Law. We just walked into the college, met the dean and sat in on a couple of classes. I’m sure they had no idea what to make of us. I think the film cameras went a long way. We also stop at an exquisite temple where Kimberly almost gets escorted off the grounds for taking a photo.
The Hunger Project (THP) – Shabnam, THP Rajasthan State Director, meets us at the hotel at 11:45. We leave for the village at almost 12:45 p.m. We depart on the bus together and she and I begin to talk. She is naturally good at what she does. Shabnam comments that what she does is not work but is simply what she feels she must do. She is 33 years old, married for four years with two girl children. She is Muslim, the first in her family not to ware the veil and the first woman to complete a masters (extension education, she tells me this is similar to social work). After her second child she had her tubes tied. The nurse was concerned that if Shabnam had another girl, she would be without a son. She told the nurse that was silly and to do it any way.
The village – the village is home to 20,000 people. It has a school, clinic and some businesses. It is 45 minutes outside of Jaipur. While we invite Shabnam to talk to the group about being a woman in India, she deflects the request saying it is better we hear about if from the women in the village. We arrive at the village and file into the community room. As we enter there are ladies at the door who tie a string of red and yellow around our wrists, a sign of love and respect. They also mark our foreheads with the traditional red mark and rice. No one knows why they use rice. We proceed to the center of the room where there is a large circle of low tables and cushions. Everyone sits and Shabnam translates.
These are the first women leaders in their villages. They are elected to five year term. Our visit provides an example of how international NGOs, local activists and public policy are working together to change lives. India’s 73rd Constitutional Amendment requires that one-third of locally elected positions be reserved for women. Sadly, many of the women first elected to these positions were treated as nothing more than proxies for their husbands and fathers. In partnership with local NGOs and activists, THP provided leadership training, cell phones and bicycles. When we sat down together, the women, the first in their communities to be elected as village headmen, shared with us how with their new found authority they were working to ensure childhood vaccinations, universal primary education and basic water resources among other things – the very things international aid organizations spend enormous resources to accomplish. They were animated and excited. They asked us how they were doing in comparison to American women. This was one of the best visits of the trip!
Upon arrival back at Sharpura hotel we make plans for the night. We need to pick up Kimberly’s clothes from last night and it is past time for dinner. We don’t want to eat at the hotel again so we decide to try a place Shabnam suggested, Handi. Samuel joins us for the night. Handi is very good. Both Kimberly and I are pleased. Samuel is grateful to be out of the hotel. We pick up the clothes and a couple of other things. The driver loves us and we tip him too much. All I want is a hot bath and an afternoon alone to recharge my batteries. We go to bed at 11:00 p.m. and have a 6:00 a.m. wake up call.
The Hunger Project (THP) – Shabnam, THP Rajasthan State Director, meets us at the hotel at 11:45. We leave for the village at almost 12:45 p.m. We depart on the bus together and she and I begin to talk. She is naturally good at what she does. Shabnam comments that what she does is not work but is simply what she feels she must do. She is 33 years old, married for four years with two girl children. She is Muslim, the first in her family not to ware the veil and the first woman to complete a masters (extension education, she tells me this is similar to social work). After her second child she had her tubes tied. The nurse was concerned that if Shabnam had another girl, she would be without a son. She told the nurse that was silly and to do it any way.
The village – the village is home to 20,000 people. It has a school, clinic and some businesses. It is 45 minutes outside of Jaipur. While we invite Shabnam to talk to the group about being a woman in India, she deflects the request saying it is better we hear about if from the women in the village. We arrive at the village and file into the community room. As we enter there are ladies at the door who tie a string of red and yellow around our wrists, a sign of love and respect. They also mark our foreheads with the traditional red mark and rice. No one knows why they use rice. We proceed to the center of the room where there is a large circle of low tables and cushions. Everyone sits and Shabnam translates.
These are the first women leaders in their villages. They are elected to five year term. Our visit provides an example of how international NGOs, local activists and public policy are working together to change lives. India’s 73rd Constitutional Amendment requires that one-third of locally elected positions be reserved for women. Sadly, many of the women first elected to these positions were treated as nothing more than proxies for their husbands and fathers. In partnership with local NGOs and activists, THP provided leadership training, cell phones and bicycles. When we sat down together, the women, the first in their communities to be elected as village headmen, shared with us how with their new found authority they were working to ensure childhood vaccinations, universal primary education and basic water resources among other things – the very things international aid organizations spend enormous resources to accomplish. They were animated and excited. They asked us how they were doing in comparison to American women. This was one of the best visits of the trip!
Upon arrival back at Sharpura hotel we make plans for the night. We need to pick up Kimberly’s clothes from last night and it is past time for dinner. We don’t want to eat at the hotel again so we decide to try a place Shabnam suggested, Handi. Samuel joins us for the night. Handi is very good. Both Kimberly and I are pleased. Samuel is grateful to be out of the hotel. We pick up the clothes and a couple of other things. The driver loves us and we tip him too much. All I want is a hot bath and an afternoon alone to recharge my batteries. We go to bed at 11:00 p.m. and have a 6:00 a.m. wake up call.
Thursday, October 4
Early morning sightseeing tour (elephant ride to Red Fort) and back to hotel for breakfast. Shopping and leisure rest of day.
Interesting day today. We went to the Red Fort and Sam and Betty bought a rug. I took Kim out to the market to shop for punjabi’s and she took me to temple. I felt out of place at temple. I wasn’t sure how to act or how to be respectful of the ritual. We were the only non-Indians there. I’m reminded of how new everything was when I was here last time. It’s difficult to get my bearings at Temple. The thing is, I’ve been fascinated with India for a long time, but I’ve never wanted to be Indian. I’m not drawn to adopt its culture or convert to Hinduism. I am, however, excited by its possibilities and people, and I am for the most part comfortable here. I believe in India’s promise. It’s another long night. I’m still not sleeping well.
Interesting day today. We went to the Red Fort and Sam and Betty bought a rug. I took Kim out to the market to shop for punjabi’s and she took me to temple. I felt out of place at temple. I wasn’t sure how to act or how to be respectful of the ritual. We were the only non-Indians there. I’m reminded of how new everything was when I was here last time. It’s difficult to get my bearings at Temple. The thing is, I’ve been fascinated with India for a long time, but I’ve never wanted to be Indian. I’m not drawn to adopt its culture or convert to Hinduism. I am, however, excited by its possibilities and people, and I am for the most part comfortable here. I believe in India’s promise. It’s another long night. I’m still not sleeping well.
Wednesday, October 3
Breakfast at hotel and drive to Jaipur. Sightseeing along the way and shopping. Change hotelShahpura HouseDevi Marg, Bani Park , Jaipur - 302016 (India91-141-2203069, 2202293E-mail - shahpurahous@usa.net Website - www.shahpurahouse.com
I love this hotel. It is full of old world charm, has a rooftop restaurant, and an internet office. Our room is comfortable and clean and has a full bathroom. In this our fifth day, it is good to catch my breath.
Kimberly and I had a long conversation tonight about expectations and experiences thus far in India. We talk about the cultural differences and Indian perception of Americans, especially American women. I told her what the Indian women told me during my first trip about how Indian women act. Indian women are extremely reserved in public, they seldom make direct eye contact with men they don’t know and they dress quite modestly. If you want to “blend in” its best to wear conservative American clothing correctly over traditional Indian clothes incorrectly. Ultimately it is up to each of us how and how much we want to conform. I got to bed around 1:30 a.m. I didn’t sleep well. My nose is beginning to bleed.
I love this hotel. It is full of old world charm, has a rooftop restaurant, and an internet office. Our room is comfortable and clean and has a full bathroom. In this our fifth day, it is good to catch my breath.
Kimberly and I had a long conversation tonight about expectations and experiences thus far in India. We talk about the cultural differences and Indian perception of Americans, especially American women. I told her what the Indian women told me during my first trip about how Indian women act. Indian women are extremely reserved in public, they seldom make direct eye contact with men they don’t know and they dress quite modestly. If you want to “blend in” its best to wear conservative American clothing correctly over traditional Indian clothes incorrectly. Ultimately it is up to each of us how and how much we want to conform. I got to bed around 1:30 a.m. I didn’t sleep well. My nose is beginning to bleed.
Tuesday, October 2
Breakfast in hotel then leave early in the morning and drive to Agra. Check in at hotel and sightseeing tour including the Taj Mahal.
Howard Park PlazaFatehabad Road, Tajganj,Agra - 282001Ph : 91 - 0562 - 4001870E-mail : hpp@sarovarhotels.com
The Taj Mahal is wonderful. This is my third visit. The last time I was here it was with an Indian mother I had befriended in Delhi who accompanied me on a day trip to Agra. While we were here she told me it was the first time she had been away from home without a male member of her family. I like the Taj because there are so many Indian tourists here. To enter the Taj you have to go through a security check. There are three line, one for Indian men, one for tourist men and one for women. It was a long wait for the women. While I was standing in line a nice man who was supervising the line asked me if I had a pen I could give him for his children. I smiled having anticipated this request I pulled out an extra WEDU pen from my purse and gave it to him. He beamed with delight and I told him it was my favorite pen and I hoped his children liked it. The separate lines for men and women are beginning to annoy me.
Interesting note: in an effort to stave off the damaging effects of acid rain caused by pollution, tourists are carted to the Taj in electric busses. Ten years ago the LP guide had encouraged tourists to use cycle rickshaws over auto rickshaws for this same reason.
Back at the hotel I am ready for some American food. I pursued Kimberly to join me for a night out at Pizza Hut which we spot from our hotel window. Yum!!! We ask the waiter about the safety of the salad for foreigners. He explains they use only filtered water in the restaurant and proudly declares that if we trust Pizza Hut, we can trust him. We skipped the salad anyway. To bed and good night.
Howard Park PlazaFatehabad Road, Tajganj,Agra - 282001Ph : 91 - 0562 - 4001870E-mail : hpp@sarovarhotels.com
The Taj Mahal is wonderful. This is my third visit. The last time I was here it was with an Indian mother I had befriended in Delhi who accompanied me on a day trip to Agra. While we were here she told me it was the first time she had been away from home without a male member of her family. I like the Taj because there are so many Indian tourists here. To enter the Taj you have to go through a security check. There are three line, one for Indian men, one for tourist men and one for women. It was a long wait for the women. While I was standing in line a nice man who was supervising the line asked me if I had a pen I could give him for his children. I smiled having anticipated this request I pulled out an extra WEDU pen from my purse and gave it to him. He beamed with delight and I told him it was my favorite pen and I hoped his children liked it. The separate lines for men and women are beginning to annoy me.
Interesting note: in an effort to stave off the damaging effects of acid rain caused by pollution, tourists are carted to the Taj in electric busses. Ten years ago the LP guide had encouraged tourists to use cycle rickshaws over auto rickshaws for this same reason.
Back at the hotel I am ready for some American food. I pursued Kimberly to join me for a night out at Pizza Hut which we spot from our hotel window. Yum!!! We ask the waiter about the safety of the salad for foreigners. He explains they use only filtered water in the restaurant and proudly declares that if we trust Pizza Hut, we can trust him. We skipped the salad anyway. To bed and good night.
Monday, October 1
I had a sound night sleep. I got up and did yoga on the hotel roof top this morning. It was a lovely morning despite the brown Delhi smog that was obvious at sunrise. Kimberly joined me and after a long deep yogic breath started coughing. Welcome to Delhi.
It’s time to hit the streets and get the group acclimated to India. We started the day in a nice air conditioned tour bus, high above the street, the noise, the beggers and the hundreds of three wheeled auto rickshaws, a large source of all that pollution. We visit the Jama Mosque near the city center, the Delhi Gate and several other monuments. Our tour guide puts us on cycle rickshaws for a trip through the markets. It’s the first time most of the group is exposed to the grit of India. The hawkers easily spot our group and adorn several women with bindhis the traditional spot between the eyes. Several purchases are made.
It’s time to hit the streets and get the group acclimated to India. We started the day in a nice air conditioned tour bus, high above the street, the noise, the beggers and the hundreds of three wheeled auto rickshaws, a large source of all that pollution. We visit the Jama Mosque near the city center, the Delhi Gate and several other monuments. Our tour guide puts us on cycle rickshaws for a trip through the markets. It’s the first time most of the group is exposed to the grit of India. The hawkers easily spot our group and adorn several women with bindhis the traditional spot between the eyes. Several purchases are made.
Sunday, September 30
Arrive in Delhi at 8:30 pm (go through customs):
The Connaught37, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Next to Shivaji Stadium, New Delhi-110001 (India)Tel.: 2336 4225, 2374 2842 (For Reservation Only): Fax: 2334 0757E-mail:- theconnaughtnewdelhi@yahoo.com
The flight from Chicago to Delhi is 15.5 hours. I sat next to an oncologist on the plane. He is a native of Delhi and for the past seven years has been studying and practicing medicine in Kansas City with his wife and child. He is headed home for a month visit. We talked about the Patel Foundation and our role in India and then we got into healthcare. In the US his patience suffer form diabetes, hyper tension and non compliance with their prescribed treatment. In India his patience suffer from TB, malaria, and other communicable diseases. We wish each other a good trip and deplane.
We landed, and as soon as I came across the threshold of the plane the sweet smell of incense tickled my nose. It’s good to be back. Outside the porters and taxi drivers were swarming and my defenses went up quickly. I realized, though, that in all of our preparation, our delegates were ill prepared for Indian entrepreneurial ingenuity and were almost immediately overtaken by porters and street hawkers.
We arrived in Delhi and I was without my Lonely Plant guide. Luckily, Samuel, our fearless Venezuelan videographer loaned me his, which was in Spanish. Yes, I was sitting on a bus in India trying to read a tour book in Spanish with very little success. Luckily Kimberly had recently spent a month in Argentina and was willing to help.
The Connaught37, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Next to Shivaji Stadium, New Delhi-110001 (India)Tel.: 2336 4225, 2374 2842 (For Reservation Only): Fax: 2334 0757E-mail:- theconnaughtnewdelhi@yahoo.com
The flight from Chicago to Delhi is 15.5 hours. I sat next to an oncologist on the plane. He is a native of Delhi and for the past seven years has been studying and practicing medicine in Kansas City with his wife and child. He is headed home for a month visit. We talked about the Patel Foundation and our role in India and then we got into healthcare. In the US his patience suffer form diabetes, hyper tension and non compliance with their prescribed treatment. In India his patience suffer from TB, malaria, and other communicable diseases. We wish each other a good trip and deplane.
We landed, and as soon as I came across the threshold of the plane the sweet smell of incense tickled my nose. It’s good to be back. Outside the porters and taxi drivers were swarming and my defenses went up quickly. I realized, though, that in all of our preparation, our delegates were ill prepared for Indian entrepreneurial ingenuity and were almost immediately overtaken by porters and street hawkers.
We arrived in Delhi and I was without my Lonely Plant guide. Luckily, Samuel, our fearless Venezuelan videographer loaned me his, which was in Spanish. Yes, I was sitting on a bus in India trying to read a tour book in Spanish with very little success. Luckily Kimberly had recently spent a month in Argentina and was willing to help.
Saturday, September 29
Leave at 11:05am from Tampa (TPA) airport on American Airline, Arrive in Chicago (ORD) at 1:05 pm Leave at 7:05 pm on #292 for New Delhi
We are all here, all 16 of us. There is a lovely giddy energy in the group, those returning those who are ready to see the sub continent for the first time… we exchanged book titles, favorite Airbourn flavors and seating assignments. There are some people I am meeting for the first time.
We are all here, all 16 of us. There is a lovely giddy energy in the group, those returning those who are ready to see the sub continent for the first time… we exchanged book titles, favorite Airbourn flavors and seating assignments. There are some people I am meeting for the first time.
Friday, September 27
I talked to my mom and brother on the phone tonight for an hour and a half. This was the first time we had really had a chance to talk about the trip. She is a remarkable woman if for no other reason than the support of her children’s dreams. My bother was interested, but in other things like the exchange rate.
September 22, 2007
A friend gave me a copy of Rory Stewart’s, The Places In Between. The title refers to a particular recitation of names and places Rory was visiting in the most remote regions of Afghanistan as he walked across the country. Here is what struck me about the book, how much time he spent on survival. Rory talked about the history of the areas he visited and the people, though in short anecdotal ways. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was about the book that I found difficult to connect to until I realized that I recognized the way he felt, it was about getting from one place to the next. That is what I remember about India the first time. As a woman traveling alone, I spent a lot of time on safety, logistics and building relationships with trustworthy friends sometimes missing the people and nuance around me. It’s funny, but for this trip, I’m really looking forward to having the hotel reservations taken care of and agenda preplanned.
August 19, 2007
Context
I’ve been thinking a lot about context lately - looking for it in all that I do, especially returning to India. In my opinion, context requires the work of uncovering history, nuance, and detail. Because it is not easy, because it is not obvious, we often think we can proceed without it. However, context is the third dimension. Without it what we see and experience is only two dimensional. Context is what Mr. Square gained when he ventured out of Flatland - and he was never the same. Context helps us to understand what we are seeing and when taken to the most personal level can help us on our way to enlightenment, which is after all what this journey is all about.
For this trip, context means understanding history and culture. When you look at a woman in India, what do you see? Do you see the gold in her sari and understand why it is so valuable? It is the poor woman’s equivalent of a 401K and life insurance. When you see a young woman in jeans coming out of a big box office building, do you see that she has a highly coveted call center job and is precariously balance tradition and modernity? You can’t really help if you don’t understand the context.
I’ve been thinking a lot about context lately - looking for it in all that I do, especially returning to India. In my opinion, context requires the work of uncovering history, nuance, and detail. Because it is not easy, because it is not obvious, we often think we can proceed without it. However, context is the third dimension. Without it what we see and experience is only two dimensional. Context is what Mr. Square gained when he ventured out of Flatland - and he was never the same. Context helps us to understand what we are seeing and when taken to the most personal level can help us on our way to enlightenment, which is after all what this journey is all about.
For this trip, context means understanding history and culture. When you look at a woman in India, what do you see? Do you see the gold in her sari and understand why it is so valuable? It is the poor woman’s equivalent of a 401K and life insurance. When you see a young woman in jeans coming out of a big box office building, do you see that she has a highly coveted call center job and is precariously balance tradition and modernity? You can’t really help if you don’t understand the context.
August 13, 2007
A Return to India
My first trip to India in 1998 was part well-planned discovery and part throw-it-up-in-the-air and see what happens. To appreciate this story, it may help to have a bit of context. I have been drawn to India since I was a little girl, and despite my best efforts at identifying a source, I’ve not been able to. My earliest remembrance was at the age of nine saying that I wanted to help women in villages in India. There wasn’t a book, movie or picture, just a deep interest that seemed to bubble to the surface around this time in my life. This interest would resurface each time it was time to write a report or plan for the future. This return was especially poignant because of the mission of the Savita Society - empowering women and children.
I am aware of the differences in myself and these two trips … I am older by almost a decade. I’ve read more and talked to more people. I am more familiar with the issues of international development, though I am drawing on some of my old research in preparation for this trip. I am married. I have five years of professional fundraising experience behind me. I’ve been to the United Nations and spoken on the role of information and communication technologies in advancing the Millennium Declaration value of equality. I am not traveling alone. I will be accompanied this time by a delegation of diverse people with diverse goals. There will be a film crew with us documenting the trip.
I am aware of the similarities, too… I am still searching for the resolution of the connection that is so strong it is pulling me half way around the world again. It is in some ways a rights of passage to travel to India. When I returned from my first trip I felt a subtle and profound shift in my thinking. The kind of change many people feel after their first international experience, especially when that experience is in a developing country. For the past ten years I’ve lived with a subtle peace. I’ve always known I would return to India, and so it did not bother me as the years passed and took me on other paths. As long as my inner compass remained intact, I knew it would lead me back.
My first trip to India in 1998 was part well-planned discovery and part throw-it-up-in-the-air and see what happens. To appreciate this story, it may help to have a bit of context. I have been drawn to India since I was a little girl, and despite my best efforts at identifying a source, I’ve not been able to. My earliest remembrance was at the age of nine saying that I wanted to help women in villages in India. There wasn’t a book, movie or picture, just a deep interest that seemed to bubble to the surface around this time in my life. This interest would resurface each time it was time to write a report or plan for the future. This return was especially poignant because of the mission of the Savita Society - empowering women and children.
I am aware of the differences in myself and these two trips … I am older by almost a decade. I’ve read more and talked to more people. I am more familiar with the issues of international development, though I am drawing on some of my old research in preparation for this trip. I am married. I have five years of professional fundraising experience behind me. I’ve been to the United Nations and spoken on the role of information and communication technologies in advancing the Millennium Declaration value of equality. I am not traveling alone. I will be accompanied this time by a delegation of diverse people with diverse goals. There will be a film crew with us documenting the trip.
I am aware of the similarities, too… I am still searching for the resolution of the connection that is so strong it is pulling me half way around the world again. It is in some ways a rights of passage to travel to India. When I returned from my first trip I felt a subtle and profound shift in my thinking. The kind of change many people feel after their first international experience, especially when that experience is in a developing country. For the past ten years I’ve lived with a subtle peace. I’ve always known I would return to India, and so it did not bother me as the years passed and took me on other paths. As long as my inner compass remained intact, I knew it would lead me back.
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