KathL
Kathleen Singh Joined: October 1st 2008
Logged in: November 24th 2008
Logged in: November 24th 2008
Travel Blog Posts
Meerut
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 going to fit on this seat meant for one with both pieces of luggage. However, I realized quite a while ago that everything is possible in India, and where there is an Indian, there is ... read more
Roadside Chai
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 a student from Canada who moved here a few months ago. From talking to these students, it was clear that the standard of education is higher. Students seem to start studying advanced subjects such as ... read more
Photo 1
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 fort also made for some good photos. It was a really nice excursion. I managed to make it almost three weeks without getting sick. I think that is really something to say in India. However, ... read more
Lambs
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 you cannot even find a place to sleep. We felt pretty lucky to have the place to ourselves. Our guide told us that you can find a temple every kilometer you walk. Many seem to ... read more
Hindu Temple
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 headed up to McLeod Ganj. It is a 10-minute taxi ride up the hill. McLeod is more touristy than Dharamsala since the Dalai Lama temple attracts a lot of travelers. It was an incredible little ... read more
View from our back step
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 it definitely is not their first language and probably not even their second. I feel kind of silly when I cannot even converse more than a couple sentences in their language. However, they love when ... read more
I think that's him ...
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. Although we are all still pretty jet lagged and tired, he kept our attention with a very interesting presentation. Somehow he managed to summarize the complicated history of India into an hour and a half ... read more
Wedding Party
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 we seemed to stop at green lights and go on red. The only thing we stopped for was the cow that casually sauntered across the road. Seemed like a pretty typical drive through Delhi. When ... read more
Suitcase
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 into a mess of people and an overwhelming smell. I'm taking a 14 hour overnight flight which lands in Delhi Saturday at 8:15 pm local time (10:45 am Atlantic). Sunday we have orientation all day ... read more
