India: the first month

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India: the first month

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not going to be able to keep this blog chronological, or find time to include much detail (and if I did I’d have no stories to tell), so here’s a review of my first month or so…

In Country Orientation

After flying in to Delhi we had about a week of in country orientation - talks and workshops on the country, culture and development in India as well as seeing some sights. Seeing the Taj Mahal was an amazing experience as it is just so unbelievably beautiful, all the white marble gleaming in the sunlight and the surrounding gardens. Its so big that you can see it from the plane (as I found out on the way to Kuala Lumpur whilst obsessively checking the in flight map to see where in India we were over). After Agra we headed to Jaipur for several days where we were put up in home stays. Here we went to the cinema and underwent the ordeal of clothes shopping for local dress as well as spending a lot of time at the IDEX office for talks and lunch on the rooftop. Something I really love about India is the openness of living, and they way the climate allows for roof-space to become an integral part of the building. At my homestay I spent a lot of time up on their roof terrace, looking out over the city. Think the others who stayed with me thought I was bit strange for it, but it was so beautiful, looking out over the lights and the last fireworks of Divali, hearing the music and drumming from the nearby temple.
I learnt a lot from all of our workshops, and something that stood out in particular was the description used in one talk about being open to the Indian culture. We were told that as much as the experience is about learning, it is also about forgetting what we already know. If you have a glass full of water, you cannot add any more, but if you empty some out then you are able to pour new water in.
I think this attitude cannot be emphasized enough, especially when people hold expectations of living exactly as they do in the UK. It feels really accurate for the way I've adapted, too. Alot of people talk about what they miss from home, mainly food and comforts/luxuries, but I can't really say that I expecially miss anything. I feel like I could stay here forever, I never want to leave. I'd just like the Uk to be abit closer, a couple of hours away, so that everyone could come and visit me. I really wish I spoke Hindi so could connect a bit more with the local people, make friends from here as well as the invaluable people I've met through colunteering.

The House

From Jaipur we took a night train up to Himachal Pradesh, finishing out journey to the camp at Bandla by jeep. The night train was a bit of an experience, as our seats weren’t booked in blocks, so I ended up sleeping with one other volunteer surrounded by strange Indian men who weren’t the most pleasant people to spend the night with. Although there was a complete legend all in white with an orange turban and wispy grey beard directly opposite me, who was very composed and made me think of a character in Alice in Wonderland. The caterpillar, I think. Or was it a millipede?
The Idex house is really big and spacious, to the extent that we are almost embarrassed to be in such a fancy looking building. It is still being built, however, so instead of showers we have buckets. There are water heaters downstairs, or for when those aren’t working a burner outside, but I’ve had a fair few cold showers as well. I think I’m going to become really attached to my buckets, actually. One for washing and one for showers. It does make you realize how much is wasted by showers, baths, washing machines… I think after all my travels it will be strange not to need buckets anymore. I am actually contemplating investing in a pair when I move to London. Although to be honest that’s probably all I’ll be able to afford anwyay!

Electricity

This deserves a category of its own, albeit a short one. There is a bit of an obsession with installing huge panels of light switches in every room. Apparently this is so that there will never be a need to re-wire the room if in the future new fittings are installed. However my host family’s bathroom had a dozen switches in the tiny bathroom, most of which did nothing, with no obvious way of introducing new attachments in to the already fully-equipped room. The switches in my room here change in function quite often, the light changing between the first and third switch of six, and sometimes being operable from a different panel beside the bed. There are also frequent powercuts, especially on Mondays when there isn’t any power during the day. And I almost forgot the computer - if you touch the metal on the back or try and plug anything in which involves metal casing you get an electric shock. All in all, I am not the biggest fan of Indian electricity.

Clothes

During our orientation in Jaipur we were taken to a fixed-price shop and instructed to buy three outfits. This was quite an ordeal, and we all ended up buying things that we don’t really like and haven’t worn much. Because the garments were ready made, they were all slightly strangely sized, although they did then adjust them at the in-shop tailors. The trousers, however, often can’t be improved. The salwar tops can be really pretty and look good with jeans, but the pants are simply enormous. We were told how comfortable and practical they were, however the only real practical point I can see is that there is no need for maternity wear…I did stock up on a few pairs of MCHammer pants whilst I was at it, though, which have ghelped get me through...Then, when we arrived in Bandla we found out the previous group of volunteers had only purchased a few items in Jaipur, and then had outfits tailored in Palampur, meaning they had really nice cuts and designs. In general, after the first week or so I settled for a bit of a hybrid - Indian pants with a t-shirt or a salwar top with jeans. The outfits can be really pretty but we just haven’t really settled in to them. There is now the verb ‘to de-salwar’, a liberating moment at the end of the day, quite fitting seeing as one of the aims of our work here is women’s empowerment… I’m hoping to have a new suit made-up soon, and have already started scouring the local shops for fabric. You can also commission knitted cardigans, which are amazing.

Food and Hospitality

Bar the first week where I consumed principally bananas, because they kept giving us sandwiches, the food has been really good. At first we weren’t being given enough protein or fruit and vegetables,and I did have an ememrgency supply of green and blacks posted out, but things have really improved since then and all the food at the house is vegetarian. My family will be pleased to know that I am eating as much as I do at home, going back for second and third helpings of the delicious beans, lentils and spicy vegetables (until I might 'pop' like Mwezi). Most people have toast in the mornings, the original group having requested a western breakfast, however I’ve been having Indian rice in the mornings instead, a warming and good tasting alternative. Eating out is, of course, really cheap, or even free at some places. Last weekend I ate a lot of the free food from the temple kitchen as well as the fruit and sweets you are given at Hindu temples and some bean stew from a leaf dish that was being handed out on the street. I’m not quite sure what that was all about but the people dishing it out were very keen for me to join the crowd of eaters and eagerly pressed the leaf plates upon me. Kind of thing Platform2 expressly told us not to eat but I've been ok so far and nothing has come of ignoring some of the more minor and petty little rules which are more advice, really. That said, an astounding number of people have been ill, probably partly because of drinking tap-water when out (or holy water, river water...) or dody meat extending to the adventurous dog-brain pakora (thankfully abandoned!) I am aware it's getting a bit incoherent here with me going off on too many tangents again
Even when I went to the tailor the other day to ask about material size a woman handed me some peanuts as I walked in. Another aspect of Indian hospitality that we have experienced is invites to weddings. Round here people are always really interested to hear where we’ve come from and about the work we are doing, and often invite us to come to wedding parties. Today, as we were waiting for a jeep down to the town a man came and invited us to watch his son’s wedding - a tempting offer which I would really like to experience sometime before I leave, The weddings always look so colourful and exciting with bright awnings, men wearing head wraps or turbans and garlands of money, decorated cars, drumming, dancing and music…apparently mainly enjoyed by the men, though, with women taking a more observational role.

Scenery and Places

Just driving through India on my various travels has been amazing. The scenery never loses its appeal and it feels like everything is so open and so alive. You can really see people living. And the sunsets here are amazing, the open space and the mountain forest landscapes unpolluted with structures and development. Everything is so alive here, it feels like nothing back home is real or true, but here, this is real life, real living, this is it. The bare bones of life exposed. There's poverty but people seem so much more grounded and so happy just to be alive.

I really want to write about this properly. I want to take it all in and weave something new, something magical. Everything is so inspiring creatively, the kind of thing I used alot in art but from a more distanced or second-hand perspective. Really experiencing it is so mystic, so raising. I dont know what I'm saying now....

We have Sundays off every week, and two full weekends over the duration of our stay. We fully take advantage of the time off to visit some wonderful places - really spiritually and culturally stimulating. I will try and move on to the weekend travels soon, but this entry is already so long I am beginning to question whether anyone will read it through to the end…

Love, peace and happiness to everyone, I am sending you the magic of the mountains….x

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