Friday morning we took a bus to Meerut, where my Dad grew up. One of my uncles came to meet us on his bicycle from the bus stop. Slightly confused about how we were supposed to get to the house, I followed my dad and his brother over to his bike. Looking around for some sort of transportation, I heard my Dad say: “Okay, let’s go Kathleen.” I turned around and saw him standing next to the smallest bicycle rickshaw I have ever seen. At first I thought he was joking, because I did not see any way we were both [View Full Entry]

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Although leaving Dharamsala was a bit sad, and definitely more emotional than I thought it would be, I left excited for the travels ahead of me. My journey to Delhi was safe and uneventful, and I was greeted warmly with open arms into my aunt and uncle’s gorgeous house. It’s nice to have a peaceful, clean place to call home in the middle of the chaos outside. On Friday, my aunt took me to the school where she teaches. A couple high school students gave me a tour during the morning periods and I actually had a chance to talk with [View Full Entry]

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Last week started off with a lecture from a Tibetan Lama on Monday. He explained the main philosophy of Buddhism and the ideas that the Dalai Lama teaches. He was extremely well spoken and had us captivated the entire time. I felt very lucky to be part of the audience and learned a lot in the short time that we had with him. On Tuesday afternoon we visited the Kangra Fort, which was about a 20-minute drive away. The late afternoon sun accentuated all the detailed stonewall carvings and made for some beautiful sights. The ruins of certain areas of the [View Full Entry]

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On Thursday we signed up for a three day trek. We had heard from other volunteers that it was completely worth it so we thought it was an excellent way to spend our weekend. Friday afternoon, we met up with our guides and hiked about 2 hours to a nearby temple. We got there just in time to see a beautiful sunset. The guides then made us chai and cooked us supper (which was delicious), while we sat and talked around the fire. The temple was very neat. Apparently during the warmer seasons, it is so packed with people that sometimes [View Full Entry]

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It’s hard to believe it’s been over a week since I last wrote. The time is certainly flying by. Sunday was our first day off from work. We had a group outing to a nearby Hindu temple. Anil, the program director, gave us a short explanation on what we were seeing. Unfortunately I was a little distracted taking pictures and watching the interesting characters walking around to remember what he said. It was still very neat. After the temple, we had a picnic outside which turned into a massive water fight. We finally had some free time on Monday, so I [View Full Entry]

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Dharamsala is gorgeous. Although I did like Delhi, I am very happy that I chose to volunteer here. It is very relaxing and tranquil here. The people are so nice and very friendly. I noticed today in the bazaar that CCS volunteers have made quite an impact on the community already. Many shopkeepers asked us if we were CCS volunteers and were happy when we said yes. If we say one Hindi phrase, the local people are so impressed and say: “Wow, you are fluent in Hindi!” It amazes me that there are many people here who speak excellent English when [View Full Entry]

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Monday, October 20, 2008 I have been here for two full days now and have seen so much and done so much. I’m taking as much as India in as possible and loving every bit of it. I have not experienced the angry mass of people, the pungent odor, or the dirtiness that people talk about. The program and staff have also been amazing so far. They are going above and beyond with every aspect. I continue to be impressed over and over again with the entire experience. This morning we had a local professor give a talk on Indian history. [View Full Entry]

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Saturday, October 18, 2008/Sunday, October 19, 2008 I’m here! The first thing I noticed walking out of the airport was the constant melody of honks. Indians seem to use some sort of sonar system with their horns instead of just looking in their mirrors when driving. I also noticed that the lines separating lanes are non-existent to drivers. If the lines separate the road into 2 lanes, Indians make 3; if there are 3 lanes, Indians make 4 or 5, depending on the size of the shoulder. Motorcycles seem to drive directly on the lines. There were a couple times when [View Full Entry]

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While I sit as patiently as possible at the airport, I realize that I have done pretty much all that I can do to prepare for this trip. I've read books on India, studied Hindi, researched provinces I will be visiting, and brainstormed ideas to help with my placement. However, from what I have heard and read, nothing can really prepare you for India. I have a feeling that all of my current expectations will be thrown out as soon as I land. After reading and talking with people who have travelled to India, I am embarking with thoughts of landing [View Full Entry]

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