Hi All,
I just wanted to officially assure everyone that no one is really sick here. Infact we all have spent all days except one out enjoying ourselves. We did have a day after a very long day of dance performance etc where up to seven people including me had a bout of gastroenteritis (some people with nausea and vomiting and some with diarrehea and some with both) which i suspect was because of a dinner we had too late) from which we all recovered the following day after starting Cipro) Nick had nausea and no diarrhea for 3 days after eating very hot fish curry which I had warned him about) We started antibitics for him yesterday and he is feeling fine. The other issues were minor secondry to poor hydration and motion sickness from long bus rides etc. No one had to ever go to the hospital etc. So far all is fine here except the minor health issues associated with travelling in a very hot, humid part of India. Just wanted to clarify some of the roumors I have been hearing.
Daisy
11.30.2011
Wednesday!
Today, the boys started off their morning bright and early with a drum lesson from the Tabla player who performed last night. He taught them a complicated drum beat that the boys have been working on mastering all day. Their drum skills have improved but are nowhere near as good as the professionals.
After breakfast, we all boarded the rickshaws for a very bumpy yet exciting ride to the colonies that previous Bridges to India trips have worked with. We got to see the outside of a beautiful little house worked on by the 2009 India trip. We weren't able to tour the inside of the house because the owners were out at the time, but we did get to walk around the colony for a bit and smile and wave at a few people who were out and about.
After seeing that colony, we boarded the rickshaws again and traveled to another nearby colony to see the well that was built by the 2007 India trip. Right next to the well is a daycare center which we got to peep our heads in for a second and when we did, a few kids started crying. That was a little awkward, so we left. We then walked down a long, somewhat slippery dirt road to the river where the well water comes from. In the river were two adorable cows getting a bath from their owner and four women washing clothes. A few minutes after we arrived at the river, we were greeted by about 10 excited children who seem to have heard of our presence. They all came running down the other side of the river to come take pictures with us. It was a fun time to interact with the kids of the colony.
We then returned to Daisy's house for a delicious lunch of fried fish and fried rice. Yum. After lunch we boarded the rickshaws yet again and went into Changanacherry for some shopping! We first stopped at a very crowded grocery store to buy tea and all sorts of Indian goodies! The boys ventured to a sports shop to buy some nice cricket bats and balls. The girls went to another clothing store, what a surprise, and bought many scarves! It was a lovely, yet brief shopping trip. Daisy then took us to get ice cream which was oh so tasty, for the most part. (Some words of wisdom for you all: if you ever travel to India, never buy a vanilla shake. They are green and frothy and disgusting.)
We then visited an ancient nearby Hindu temple that stuck very closely to its customs. First of all we had to remove our shoes to enter the gates. We also could only walk clockwise as we were touring the temple, which was a bit of an inconvenience, but we survived. While touring the temple, we saw many interesting creatures including a furry, thrashing, biting, stinging, prehistoric caterpillar, and a beautiful black elephant. The elephant was 46 years old, in the midst of her mid-life crisis, as elephants live up to around 85 years old! Wowza. We all got a chance to pet the elephant and get up close and personal with it which was pretty cool. Elephants have some weird lookin' skin. After visiting with the elephant for a bit, we entered the main section of the temple which brought yet another rule that the guys must remove their shirts in order to enter. We walked, clockwise, around the circular building, quietly passing the praying Hindus. The building was about 2000 years old and was preserved wonderfully.
After touring the temple we did some more shopping at a nearby outdoor mall. We then returned to Daisy's house for some delicious grilled cheese sandwiches made with WonderBread and American cheese! After dinner, the girls were painting their nails, and Torsten and Colin joyfully joined to get their beautiful little toenails painted. It was a very magical experience for both of them. And that concludes yet another eventful day in Kerala!
We love you all very much,
-Evy and Joey on behalf of the Bridges to India 2011 crew. peace.
After breakfast, we all boarded the rickshaws for a very bumpy yet exciting ride to the colonies that previous Bridges to India trips have worked with. We got to see the outside of a beautiful little house worked on by the 2009 India trip. We weren't able to tour the inside of the house because the owners were out at the time, but we did get to walk around the colony for a bit and smile and wave at a few people who were out and about.
After seeing that colony, we boarded the rickshaws again and traveled to another nearby colony to see the well that was built by the 2007 India trip. Right next to the well is a daycare center which we got to peep our heads in for a second and when we did, a few kids started crying. That was a little awkward, so we left. We then walked down a long, somewhat slippery dirt road to the river where the well water comes from. In the river were two adorable cows getting a bath from their owner and four women washing clothes. A few minutes after we arrived at the river, we were greeted by about 10 excited children who seem to have heard of our presence. They all came running down the other side of the river to come take pictures with us. It was a fun time to interact with the kids of the colony.
We then returned to Daisy's house for a delicious lunch of fried fish and fried rice. Yum. After lunch we boarded the rickshaws yet again and went into Changanacherry for some shopping! We first stopped at a very crowded grocery store to buy tea and all sorts of Indian goodies! The boys ventured to a sports shop to buy some nice cricket bats and balls. The girls went to another clothing store, what a surprise, and bought many scarves! It was a lovely, yet brief shopping trip. Daisy then took us to get ice cream which was oh so tasty, for the most part. (Some words of wisdom for you all: if you ever travel to India, never buy a vanilla shake. They are green and frothy and disgusting.)
We then visited an ancient nearby Hindu temple that stuck very closely to its customs. First of all we had to remove our shoes to enter the gates. We also could only walk clockwise as we were touring the temple, which was a bit of an inconvenience, but we survived. While touring the temple, we saw many interesting creatures including a furry, thrashing, biting, stinging, prehistoric caterpillar, and a beautiful black elephant. The elephant was 46 years old, in the midst of her mid-life crisis, as elephants live up to around 85 years old! Wowza. We all got a chance to pet the elephant and get up close and personal with it which was pretty cool. Elephants have some weird lookin' skin. After visiting with the elephant for a bit, we entered the main section of the temple which brought yet another rule that the guys must remove their shirts in order to enter. We walked, clockwise, around the circular building, quietly passing the praying Hindus. The building was about 2000 years old and was preserved wonderfully.
After touring the temple we did some more shopping at a nearby outdoor mall. We then returned to Daisy's house for some delicious grilled cheese sandwiches made with WonderBread and American cheese! After dinner, the girls were painting their nails, and Torsten and Colin joyfully joined to get their beautiful little toenails painted. It was a very magical experience for both of them. And that concludes yet another eventful day in Kerala!
We love you all very much,
-Evy and Joey on behalf of the Bridges to India 2011 crew. peace.
Wednesday
It has been an incredible trip, one that I feel so lucky to have been selected to accompany your children on an adventure that will last for them (and me) for a lifetime. What we are experiencing and seeing every day is amazing and in very stark contrast to our regular lives. The kids are just terrific, and they are excellent travellers.
I just wanted to briefly address some health issues, as there are false rumors of what is happening here at Hope Clinic. For anyone that has travelled in places such as India, you know of intestinal issues that accompany such adventures. To say that we have had more than our share would unfortunately be an understatement (including me) but please know that everyone is on the mend and no one has gone to the hospital (there apparently is a rumor running around Riverdale that Nick has been hospitalized, this is not true). The majority of us have had issues, and some have missed some activities due to intestinal distress. We are so fortunate to have two Doctors at our disposal (Daisy and Dr. Seshi) so they are keeping a close eye on us and making sure that we are on the road to recovery. It is very hot and humid here, so drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes is very important. One thing that I thought would help is to take a picture from tonight's dinner, and it is below. As you can see, the kids still have a sense of humor. Nick is much better, by the way.
I just wanted to briefly address some health issues, as there are false rumors of what is happening here at Hope Clinic. For anyone that has travelled in places such as India, you know of intestinal issues that accompany such adventures. To say that we have had more than our share would unfortunately be an understatement (including me) but please know that everyone is on the mend and no one has gone to the hospital (there apparently is a rumor running around Riverdale that Nick has been hospitalized, this is not true). The majority of us have had issues, and some have missed some activities due to intestinal distress. We are so fortunate to have two Doctors at our disposal (Daisy and Dr. Seshi) so they are keeping a close eye on us and making sure that we are on the road to recovery. It is very hot and humid here, so drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes is very important. One thing that I thought would help is to take a picture from tonight's dinner, and it is below. As you can see, the kids still have a sense of humor. Nick is much better, by the way.
On arrival in Kochi
Upon arrival in Cochin, we were met by representatives of Jet Airways, as well as the Airport Manager (who is in this picture). Jet Airways worked out really well for us, particularly since Kingfisher (another airline) cut back a significant number of flights due to financial difficulties. A big thanks to Jet Airways for their hospitality!
ron
ron
Wednesday
It has been an incredible trip, one that I feel so lucky to have been selected to accompany your children on an adventure that will last for them (and me) for a lifetime. What we are experiencing and seeing every day is amazing and in very stark contrast to our regular lives. The kids are just terrific, and they are excellent travellers.
I just wanted to briefly address some health issues, as there are false rumors of what is happening here at Hope Clinic. For anyone that has travelled in places such as India, you know of intestinal issues that accompany such adventures. To say that we have had more than our share would unfortunately be an understatement (including me) but please know that everyone is on the mend and no one has gone to the hospital (there apparently is a rumor running around Riverdale that Nick has been hospitalized, this is not true). The majority of us have had issues, and some have missed some activities due to intestinal distress. We are so fortunate to have two Doctors at our disposal (Daisy and Dr. Seshi) so they are keeping a close eye on us and making sure that we are on the road to recovery. It is very hot and humid here, so drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes is very important. One thing that I thought would help is to take a picture from tonight's dinner, and it is below. As you can see, the kids still have a sense of humor. Nick is much better, by the way.
I just wanted to briefly address some health issues, as there are false rumors of what is happening here at Hope Clinic. For anyone that has travelled in places such as India, you know of intestinal issues that accompany such adventures. To say that we have had more than our share would unfortunately be an understatement (including me) but please know that everyone is on the mend and no one has gone to the hospital (there apparently is a rumor running around Riverdale that Nick has been hospitalized, this is not true). The majority of us have had issues, and some have missed some activities due to intestinal distress. We are so fortunate to have two Doctors at our disposal (Daisy and Dr. Seshi) so they are keeping a close eye on us and making sure that we are on the road to recovery. It is very hot and humid here, so drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes is very important. One thing that I thought would help is to take a picture from tonight's dinner, and it is below. As you can see, the kids still have a sense of humor. Nick is much better, by the way.
Leaving Delhi
dancer
here is a photo of one of the three dancers that performed the other night. she is 21 years old and has been dancing since she was 13 (I believe). It was a really fun evening, and the kids blogged about it a few posts ago.
ron
work detail
here is a photo of the kids before they started doing some work here at the clinic, specifically painting the new room that will be used for a daycare center, and organizing the books in the library. I'll try to post some other photos too.ron
Tuesday
Today was a bit a bit of a slow day. Most of Kerala went on strike to protest that the government has failed to maintain the main dam. This dam, called Mullaperiyar, is holding back tons of water, and if it fails it has the potential to completely submerge most the state. The other day there was a tiny earthquake which scared people into protesting today. Because of the strike, there were no motor rickshaw workers (or any workers for that matter), so we stayed around the house.
Some people started the day by meeting up with local kids and playing cricket and badminton. It was a fun way to hang out with some of the kids that we have seen and play some games. The only downside was the heat and humidity, but that's something we're all in the midst of getting used to. After they came home, we went and unloaded all of the donated medical supplies. We unpacked everything first, completely covering two large tables, and then brought some up to the actual medical office, and organized the rest into another room in the clinic compound (now used as a tutoring room). It was fun to show everything that we brought to Dr. Sashi, especially since it seemed like the clinic was running low on a lot of supplies.
After unpacking the supplies, we walked up to the house and enjoyed a lunch of PB&J sandwiches, veggies, boiled veggies, papadams, and fruit. As we finished, Ms. Laly told us that a handicraft worker was going to come and give us a craft lesson. This lady came by the house that was 67 and weaved her baskets completely bent over with her legs straight (kind of like a yoga pose). She made fairly large baskets, but told us that she only gets 50 rupees (approx. $1) per basket. While the lady was showing us her technique, some of us played with two local kids who were quite cute.
After the mini craft lesson, lots of local kids came by the clinic for a storytelling session. The Hope compound currently consists of multiple rooms, and we learned yesterday that the room we had been painting will be used as a preschool and kindergarten for kids nearby. Some of the kids came over, so a few of us read them books in English. It was adorable to sit with 7 three-year-olds hardly knew English yet would still repeat everything you said. Another highlight was teaching them how to high-five, something they did for the rest of the hour. Nick and Jessica also read books to about 8 five to twelve-year-olds, though by the end the kids were reading out loud to them instead. After the reading session, we played games with the older kids, and then taught them down by the banks. We ended the neighborhood meet up with chai tea, cookies (biscuits), and a dance party.
After our time with the kids, we came home, cooled off, and then some of us went on a walk to a local church. It was fun to explore, even though we got "attacked" by red ants in the cemetery. We returned home to a beautiful sunset, and then awhile later an exciting thunderstorm. Dinner was light and pretty tasty, though some of us had a bit of a Thai food craving.
Hope everybody is doing well!
Maya
Some people started the day by meeting up with local kids and playing cricket and badminton. It was a fun way to hang out with some of the kids that we have seen and play some games. The only downside was the heat and humidity, but that's something we're all in the midst of getting used to. After they came home, we went and unloaded all of the donated medical supplies. We unpacked everything first, completely covering two large tables, and then brought some up to the actual medical office, and organized the rest into another room in the clinic compound (now used as a tutoring room). It was fun to show everything that we brought to Dr. Sashi, especially since it seemed like the clinic was running low on a lot of supplies.
After unpacking the supplies, we walked up to the house and enjoyed a lunch of PB&J sandwiches, veggies, boiled veggies, papadams, and fruit. As we finished, Ms. Laly told us that a handicraft worker was going to come and give us a craft lesson. This lady came by the house that was 67 and weaved her baskets completely bent over with her legs straight (kind of like a yoga pose). She made fairly large baskets, but told us that she only gets 50 rupees (approx. $1) per basket. While the lady was showing us her technique, some of us played with two local kids who were quite cute.
After the mini craft lesson, lots of local kids came by the clinic for a storytelling session. The Hope compound currently consists of multiple rooms, and we learned yesterday that the room we had been painting will be used as a preschool and kindergarten for kids nearby. Some of the kids came over, so a few of us read them books in English. It was adorable to sit with 7 three-year-olds hardly knew English yet would still repeat everything you said. Another highlight was teaching them how to high-five, something they did for the rest of the hour. Nick and Jessica also read books to about 8 five to twelve-year-olds, though by the end the kids were reading out loud to them instead. After the reading session, we played games with the older kids, and then taught them down by the banks. We ended the neighborhood meet up with chai tea, cookies (biscuits), and a dance party.
After our time with the kids, we came home, cooled off, and then some of us went on a walk to a local church. It was fun to explore, even though we got "attacked" by red ants in the cemetery. We returned home to a beautiful sunset, and then awhile later an exciting thunderstorm. Dinner was light and pretty tasty, though some of us had a bit of a Thai food craving.
Hope everybody is doing well!
Maya
11.29.2011
Today we woke up at 7:30 and did yoga. Some boys went on a walk. After breakfast, we all went down to Hope Clinic. The girls had their sarees fitted while the boys finished painting the inside of the new addition to the clinic, which will serve as a daycare once finished. Some of the girls saw the women in the sewing center work. They were embroidering pillow covers with intricate designs.
We had a lunch of Indian-style hamburgers and fries. Then we had some downtime as we waited for the evening performance. At 5, the entertainment arrived which consisted of traditional female dancers and musicians. We all crowded into the terrace of the house where lights and speakers were setup. The local families joined us to watch the performances. It was a fantastic way to connect with the local community. The musicians played traditional songs on the tablas and violin. The dancers were dressed up in headpieces and intense, expression-extentuating makeup, white powder and thick eyeliner. The dances were punctuated by hand gestures and lots of facial expression. We socialized with the locals during breaks and it was highly entertaining. It was an enjoyable night for all.
We had a lunch of Indian-style hamburgers and fries. Then we had some downtime as we waited for the evening performance. At 5, the entertainment arrived which consisted of traditional female dancers and musicians. We all crowded into the terrace of the house where lights and speakers were setup. The local families joined us to watch the performances. It was a fantastic way to connect with the local community. The musicians played traditional songs on the tablas and violin. The dancers were dressed up in headpieces and intense, expression-extentuating makeup, white powder and thick eyeliner. The dances were punctuated by hand gestures and lots of facial expression. We socialized with the locals during breaks and it was highly entertaining. It was an enjoyable night for all.
11.28.2011
Quiet Sunday at Hope Clinic
Today the group kept things pretty low-key. About half of us kids started off the morning around 7:30am with some yoga on the upstairs terrace. After that we all ate breakfast and lazed around awhile before throwing on our work clothes and walking over to the clinic. The group split in half and some of us worked on painting one of the two buildings, the other group went upstairs in the other building to work on organizing all of the books we brought.
The library organization ended up being a bit more of a task than we had originally expected as we realized there was no real point in organizing the books we brought, if we just threw them into the jumble that currently exists. So we plan on continuing our expedition for organization over the next several mornings in hopes of leaving the clinic's readers a library where they can easily find something for their reading level and interest.
As kids found solid stopping points in their work down at the clinic, we returned to the house and began showering and cleaning up for lunch before our afternoon excursion into the nearby neighborhood. It was great finally meeting all the locals! Everyone is very friendly and excited to meet us. We felt like movie stars as we walked down the village streets. People came right out of their homes to get a better look at us, and many people wanted to get their pictures taken. Communication was difficult due to the language barrier, but not impossible. Lolli translated their Malayalam into English for us and vise versa, so we were able to have conversations with them. By the end of our excursion we had learned a lot about their lives and families. It was truly eye opening to see such a different kind of lifestyle from our own, such as four generations living in one household at a time, and directly living off the land.
After our walk through the neighborhood, we went back to the house. We spent a lot of time relaxing, doing our homework, and bouncing around ideas of what we should do for our next performances for the other high schools. Tomorrow we plan on heading out to the Indian Ocean for a day at the beach. Read up later!
The library organization ended up being a bit more of a task than we had originally expected as we realized there was no real point in organizing the books we brought, if we just threw them into the jumble that currently exists. So we plan on continuing our expedition for organization over the next several mornings in hopes of leaving the clinic's readers a library where they can easily find something for their reading level and interest.
As kids found solid stopping points in their work down at the clinic, we returned to the house and began showering and cleaning up for lunch before our afternoon excursion into the nearby neighborhood. It was great finally meeting all the locals! Everyone is very friendly and excited to meet us. We felt like movie stars as we walked down the village streets. People came right out of their homes to get a better look at us, and many people wanted to get their pictures taken. Communication was difficult due to the language barrier, but not impossible. Lolli translated their Malayalam into English for us and vise versa, so we were able to have conversations with them. By the end of our excursion we had learned a lot about their lives and families. It was truly eye opening to see such a different kind of lifestyle from our own, such as four generations living in one household at a time, and directly living off the land.
After our walk through the neighborhood, we went back to the house. We spent a lot of time relaxing, doing our homework, and bouncing around ideas of what we should do for our next performances for the other high schools. Tomorrow we plan on heading out to the Indian Ocean for a day at the beach. Read up later!
11.27.2011
6 Meters Long
Our morning started off with a lovely yoga session with Ms.Laly on the rooftop terrace. She took us through a series of stretches and movements to prepare us for the day. From there we had a breakfast of dosa with potato filling and fresh fruits. Dr.Seshi and his daughter Neetha dropped in for a visit and joined us for our morning at the clinic.
With our work gloves and bug spray on we were ready for gardening. We collected seeds and leaves for multiple purposes including selling and replanting, breaking up styrofoam to mix with the soil for replanting, opening and filling bags with soil and replanting leaves in them. We worked non-stop until lunch time. We all took a well deserved cold shower then chowed down on some curry, butter chicken, and vegetables. We got cleaned up, loaded into rickshaws and headed into town for an evening of shopping.
On our rickshaw rides to Changanacherry we saw many of the students walking along the road that we had seen at the school the previous day. Once in town, the shopping began for sarees and formal lungis because we are going to a wedding next week! The layout of the store was chaotic. First we selected the fabric for our sarees, then we went upstairs to check out blouses and other traditional Indian clothing. Once people started to finish their browsing and try-ons, clerks around the store asked us if we were ready to be billed. The billing process seemed ridiculous. The clerks took the items you wished to purchase, disappeared, and came back with a "bill" that you took to a counter where they were checked and stamped. Then you were sent to another counter where you payed with either cash or card. From here you finally took your checked recipt to yet another counter where you picked up everything that was on the bill. After that process we were finally allowed to leave the store. We then went for brief ice cream and tea at an outdoor snack shack then loaded up in rickshaws again and headed home. For the rest of the evening we relaxed, ate a dinner of fish, rice and vegetables. Saraswati helped us girls try on our sarees. It is quite the ordeal and we cannot imagine wearing one everyday. We also had our first meeting where we discussed what we enjoyed and didn't enjoy during the day.
We've been learning a lot about the culture and about how people live. We have also been asking a lot of good questions to Daisy and the house help. Tomorrow we have a busy day of painting, meeting the neighbors and we will keep you updated on our daily endevours.
Nighty Night,
Jessica and Amy
With our work gloves and bug spray on we were ready for gardening. We collected seeds and leaves for multiple purposes including selling and replanting, breaking up styrofoam to mix with the soil for replanting, opening and filling bags with soil and replanting leaves in them. We worked non-stop until lunch time. We all took a well deserved cold shower then chowed down on some curry, butter chicken, and vegetables. We got cleaned up, loaded into rickshaws and headed into town for an evening of shopping.
On our rickshaw rides to Changanacherry we saw many of the students walking along the road that we had seen at the school the previous day. Once in town, the shopping began for sarees and formal lungis because we are going to a wedding next week! The layout of the store was chaotic. First we selected the fabric for our sarees, then we went upstairs to check out blouses and other traditional Indian clothing. Once people started to finish their browsing and try-ons, clerks around the store asked us if we were ready to be billed. The billing process seemed ridiculous. The clerks took the items you wished to purchase, disappeared, and came back with a "bill" that you took to a counter where they were checked and stamped. Then you were sent to another counter where you payed with either cash or card. From here you finally took your checked recipt to yet another counter where you picked up everything that was on the bill. After that process we were finally allowed to leave the store. We then went for brief ice cream and tea at an outdoor snack shack then loaded up in rickshaws again and headed home. For the rest of the evening we relaxed, ate a dinner of fish, rice and vegetables. Saraswati helped us girls try on our sarees. It is quite the ordeal and we cannot imagine wearing one everyday. We also had our first meeting where we discussed what we enjoyed and didn't enjoy during the day.
We've been learning a lot about the culture and about how people live. We have also been asking a lot of good questions to Daisy and the house help. Tomorrow we have a busy day of painting, meeting the neighbors and we will keep you updated on our daily endevours.
Nighty Night,
Jessica and Amy
11.26.2011
First Full Day in Kerala
After finally arriving at Hope Clinic last night at around 7:15 pm (through windy, bumpy and narrow roads), we were welcomed into Daisy's house. We were "hello-ed" (a word created by Evy) by Ms. Laly who greeted us with a sincere smile and a red bindi for everyone. Once we unpacked our bags from the bus, we had a delicious dinner and relaxed in the house for an evening in.
Today we woke up at 7 for a nice walk around the property with Daisy, which included a tour of both the medical clinic and the women's center. We returned to the house for a yummy breakfast of bird nest noodles and egg curry. Finally we got to the highlight of the day: visiting the school!
Upon arriving, we immediately saw the excitement of the students. once we met with the principal we made our way over to the conference hall (much like our own Maverick room) to meet with students. A few members of the staff introduced us before Daisy told the story of founding the clinic. Next, students performed various traditional Indian dances. The glimpse we got of their lives was incredible. It was so unlike anything we had ever seen in the US or even in Bollywood movies. Following their performances it was our turn to show what our own lives are like Joey and Colin sang "I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends" with Colin on guitar and both singing, Colin sang another song and played guitar, Amy, Anna, Carly and Evy sang "I'm Yours" and Amy concluded with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The kids seemed to enjoy everything, laughing and clapping enthusiastically. To end our visit we had a Q&A session. All RHS students went to the front of the room and took and asked questions from other students. Although the session was brief we all were able to take something from it.
After leaving the room, we were surprised by an additional performance. Six students that had swords and shields danced with the props, creating a martial-arts-type performance. After waving goodbye to all the students we walked home to the clinic.
When we got home we had lunch and hung around playing cards, reading and talking. Later in the afternoon we walked to the clinic and unpacked the books and sewing supplies. We've spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out, eating and planning our performances for the rest of the schools.
Love,
Anna and Nick
Today we woke up at 7 for a nice walk around the property with Daisy, which included a tour of both the medical clinic and the women's center. We returned to the house for a yummy breakfast of bird nest noodles and egg curry. Finally we got to the highlight of the day: visiting the school!
Upon arriving, we immediately saw the excitement of the students. once we met with the principal we made our way over to the conference hall (much like our own Maverick room) to meet with students. A few members of the staff introduced us before Daisy told the story of founding the clinic. Next, students performed various traditional Indian dances. The glimpse we got of their lives was incredible. It was so unlike anything we had ever seen in the US or even in Bollywood movies. Following their performances it was our turn to show what our own lives are like Joey and Colin sang "I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends" with Colin on guitar and both singing, Colin sang another song and played guitar, Amy, Anna, Carly and Evy sang "I'm Yours" and Amy concluded with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The kids seemed to enjoy everything, laughing and clapping enthusiastically. To end our visit we had a Q&A session. All RHS students went to the front of the room and took and asked questions from other students. Although the session was brief we all were able to take something from it.
After leaving the room, we were surprised by an additional performance. Six students that had swords and shields danced with the props, creating a martial-arts-type performance. After waving goodbye to all the students we walked home to the clinic.
When we got home we had lunch and hung around playing cards, reading and talking. Later in the afternoon we walked to the clinic and unpacked the books and sewing supplies. We've spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out, eating and planning our performances for the rest of the schools.
Love,
Anna and Nick
11.25.2011
Day 4 & Day 5
Jaipur to Kerala
We started out the day (11/23) in Jaipur, heading to the Amber Fort in the early morning to line up for the Elephant ride. There were one-hundred and six elephants in the Amber Fort fleet that would carry two passengers up to the fort, which was located on a hill, high above the town below. One of the greatest experiences so far, the gentle land giants were a highlight of Jaipur. The fort was massive, located on the top of a tall mountain, with a great view of the surrounding area. Truly a beautiful experience, and an overall highlight of our Northern Tour. Before returning to the tour bus, we saw snake charmers in the alleyways of the fort. We rode in jeeps back to the bus that were, to say the least, hectic.It felt just like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, the jeeps were very safari-esque and crowded the streets heading downward to the fort. During the jeep ride down, Joey had been poked by a begger with "stumps" for arms, a strange experience indeed. After the Amber Fort, we bought world-famous Jaipur Blue Pottery, a special type of pottery only available in Jaipur, a practice that has continued for eight generations. The owner of the pottery store was telling us about how there used to be a significant amount of pottery shops, yet only 2-3 remain due to the new generation's lack of interest in the art. The pottery was extroardinary and was all created by hand, no two pieces were close to the same. After purchasing quite a bit of pottery we headed off to lunch proceeded by the Jantar Mantar Observatory. Jantar Mantar is a place full of ancient, highly-accurate astrological tools used to show the location of the sun, measure time, and even determine the alignments of planets and stars. Afterwards we headed to the markets of Jaipur which were filled with goodies. We haggled with the stubborn shopkeepers for camel-leather shoes, silk scarves, trinkets, and jewelry. The shopkeepers were both kind but also very persistent, pushing products into our faces that we weren't even interested in. To guilt-trip us when we offered too little money for their product, the shopkeepers would say things like "That is impossible, you kill me with no knife" while making the "slit-throat" motion. If we ran into particularly stubborn vendors we would act as though we were leaving, which would force them to choose between selling at our "not possible" price and losing a customer. Most chose to sell at our price as soon as they saw us turn to leave. After the market we headed back to Delhi, a six-hour bus journey that seemed to go by very quickly.
The next morning we woke up early (about 5 hours of sleep total), headed to the airport to board on the flight to Cochi, 4 hours of no leg room! Once we arrived in Cochi we met up with workers of the Clinic, who showed us to the bus and loaded up our luggage. The drive from Cochi to the Hope Clinic was extremely eventful, and we felt as if we were playing a driving video game, avoiding traffic by inches at nearly 50 miles per hour. After a crazy 3 hour drive in one of the most lush and green places in the world we got to Daisy's house. The house is absolutely amazing to say the least, extravagant granite floors and a terrace that faces a wonderful sunrise every morning. The people in Kerala are incredible, responding very kindly to everything we say, waving back to us, and striking up conversations in English.
So far Kerala has been extremely hospitable and open.
Thanks for reading,
Torsten, Colin, and Joey
We started out the day (11/23) in Jaipur, heading to the Amber Fort in the early morning to line up for the Elephant ride. There were one-hundred and six elephants in the Amber Fort fleet that would carry two passengers up to the fort, which was located on a hill, high above the town below. One of the greatest experiences so far, the gentle land giants were a highlight of Jaipur. The fort was massive, located on the top of a tall mountain, with a great view of the surrounding area. Truly a beautiful experience, and an overall highlight of our Northern Tour. Before returning to the tour bus, we saw snake charmers in the alleyways of the fort. We rode in jeeps back to the bus that were, to say the least, hectic.It felt just like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, the jeeps were very safari-esque and crowded the streets heading downward to the fort. During the jeep ride down, Joey had been poked by a begger with "stumps" for arms, a strange experience indeed. After the Amber Fort, we bought world-famous Jaipur Blue Pottery, a special type of pottery only available in Jaipur, a practice that has continued for eight generations. The owner of the pottery store was telling us about how there used to be a significant amount of pottery shops, yet only 2-3 remain due to the new generation's lack of interest in the art. The pottery was extroardinary and was all created by hand, no two pieces were close to the same. After purchasing quite a bit of pottery we headed off to lunch proceeded by the Jantar Mantar Observatory. Jantar Mantar is a place full of ancient, highly-accurate astrological tools used to show the location of the sun, measure time, and even determine the alignments of planets and stars. Afterwards we headed to the markets of Jaipur which were filled with goodies. We haggled with the stubborn shopkeepers for camel-leather shoes, silk scarves, trinkets, and jewelry. The shopkeepers were both kind but also very persistent, pushing products into our faces that we weren't even interested in. To guilt-trip us when we offered too little money for their product, the shopkeepers would say things like "That is impossible, you kill me with no knife" while making the "slit-throat" motion. If we ran into particularly stubborn vendors we would act as though we were leaving, which would force them to choose between selling at our "not possible" price and losing a customer. Most chose to sell at our price as soon as they saw us turn to leave. After the market we headed back to Delhi, a six-hour bus journey that seemed to go by very quickly.
The next morning we woke up early (about 5 hours of sleep total), headed to the airport to board on the flight to Cochi, 4 hours of no leg room! Once we arrived in Cochi we met up with workers of the Clinic, who showed us to the bus and loaded up our luggage. The drive from Cochi to the Hope Clinic was extremely eventful, and we felt as if we were playing a driving video game, avoiding traffic by inches at nearly 50 miles per hour. After a crazy 3 hour drive in one of the most lush and green places in the world we got to Daisy's house. The house is absolutely amazing to say the least, extravagant granite floors and a terrace that faces a wonderful sunrise every morning. The people in Kerala are incredible, responding very kindly to everything we say, waving back to us, and striking up conversations in English.
So far Kerala has been extremely hospitable and open.
Thanks for reading,
Torsten, Colin, and Joey
11.23.2011
Day 3
Greetings world from Jaipur, India! Evy and Amy here saying namaste! Today we finished up touring the papa Taj Mahal, saw the baby Taj, and the Agra Fort. We started out with the baby Taj and it was super foggy. We couldn't even see 20 feet ahead of us! Once we got up to it though, we could see its beauty resembling the papa Taj. From here we ventured to the Agra Fort. Its substatial size was impressionable as was its beautiful architecture and design. Bomb-diggity. Here, along with many other places, we were filmed and photographed by many spectators as we took some fantastic jumping pictures. After we saw the Agra Fort we toured the inside of the Papa Taj. We were unable to take pictures but its beauty will be captivated in our minds forever! WEEEEEEEEE!
FUN FACT: The bodies burried in the tomb remain 7 meters under the surface of the Taj! White marble caskets, like tombstones, are located above where the actual bodies are. The woman, Taj Mahal, was buried in the direct center of the octagonal structure with her husband on her left side. These were the only two bodies that were ever placed so delicately inside the remarkable Taj Mahal.
After seeing the rest of the Taj, we ventured to the bus to drive to lunch which we had at a resort in the outskirts of Agra. There we had some lovely pool side photo-ops. The food There was delicious. They served spaghetti and french fries along with the typical na'an and curry combo breaker. Yeah! We then got back on the bus for a long bus ride to Jaipur where we are writing this post right NOW! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE! We just got done with dinner which was a yummy in my tummy buffet. They also served spaghetti. Yum. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Tomorrow we are planning to spend the day in Jaipur riding elephants and stuff.
We love you all.
xoxo
Gramps and Flower Child.
P.S thanks for all the lovely comments! Keep checking our blog. There is more to come. WEEEEEEEEEE!
FUN FACT: The bodies burried in the tomb remain 7 meters under the surface of the Taj! White marble caskets, like tombstones, are located above where the actual bodies are. The woman, Taj Mahal, was buried in the direct center of the octagonal structure with her husband on her left side. These were the only two bodies that were ever placed so delicately inside the remarkable Taj Mahal.
After seeing the rest of the Taj, we ventured to the bus to drive to lunch which we had at a resort in the outskirts of Agra. There we had some lovely pool side photo-ops. The food There was delicious. They served spaghetti and french fries along with the typical na'an and curry combo breaker. Yeah! We then got back on the bus for a long bus ride to Jaipur where we are writing this post right NOW! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE! We just got done with dinner which was a yummy in my tummy buffet. They also served spaghetti. Yum. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Tomorrow we are planning to spend the day in Jaipur riding elephants and stuff.
We love you all.
xoxo
Gramps and Flower Child.
P.S thanks for all the lovely comments! Keep checking our blog. There is more to come. WEEEEEEEEEE!
Day 2
Hi all! Anna and Carly here. Today was a crazy day. We started at 7:30 am with a busride to Agra. After 6.5 hours on bumpy roads and a stop at a small tourist shop, we made it! Along the way, we saw dancing monkies wearing lipstick, camels, cows and goats in addition to the insane amounts of traffic. Drivers disregarded the lane lines, fitting three cars to two lanes and honking all the while (which seemed to be a warning of another car's presence rather than of irritation).
Our first stop was a buffet lunch at the hotel, which finally introduced a new variety of food, as we'd had the same meal since arriving. The next stop was the Taj Mahal, possibly the most magnificant and majestic monument we'd ever seen. Although it appeared the same as in pictures, there was no way we could have imagined what it would be like actualy being there. Standing in front of the Taj, the realization that we were actually in India finally dawned on us. We were in awe. Symmetrically alligned, a mosque was set on either side of the tomb which itself stood as the focal point, drawing the eye in. The beauty of the area and the monument as a whole was breathtaking. The day's layer of smog added an eerie effect, giving the illusion that the Taj was actually a poster pinned to a bedroom wall, surreal, untouchable and perfect.
An hour of taking photos around the area allowed us to explore. Interestingly enough, the natives took a particular interest to us. Although this attention has became almost the norm, it was still fun to hear the common question, "May I click a picture with you?"
To us, it is amazing that this structure has the ability to attract people of various languages, culture and ethnicities. We've had so much fun experiencing the sites of India and it's culture.
Our first stop was a buffet lunch at the hotel, which finally introduced a new variety of food, as we'd had the same meal since arriving. The next stop was the Taj Mahal, possibly the most magnificant and majestic monument we'd ever seen. Although it appeared the same as in pictures, there was no way we could have imagined what it would be like actualy being there. Standing in front of the Taj, the realization that we were actually in India finally dawned on us. We were in awe. Symmetrically alligned, a mosque was set on either side of the tomb which itself stood as the focal point, drawing the eye in. The beauty of the area and the monument as a whole was breathtaking. The day's layer of smog added an eerie effect, giving the illusion that the Taj was actually a poster pinned to a bedroom wall, surreal, untouchable and perfect.
An hour of taking photos around the area allowed us to explore. Interestingly enough, the natives took a particular interest to us. Although this attention has became almost the norm, it was still fun to hear the common question, "May I click a picture with you?"
To us, it is amazing that this structure has the ability to attract people of various languages, culture and ethnicities. We've had so much fun experiencing the sites of India and it's culture.
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