Discovery of India

Periyar National Park

2009-01-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Periyar

Our second day took us from the sleepy coastal town of Cochin to well a more touristy spot- Periyar National Reserve in Allepy. Well, we weren’t sure what to expect from the accommodation. I had booked this tour package online and well that in itself was a risk. Well, if you ever go to Allepy, there is no lake by Hotel Lake Mass Queen. Your view is most likely to be a parking lot instead. I couldn’t complain much about the accommodation. As long as i have a comfy bed, I am good to go. But for raj who had just returned from Vegas, it was a bit of a shock. But, i was proud of my big brother for being a trooper. Except for the fact that he kept asking for a hair dryer to fix his hair! (sorry but you know thats just wierd when its 30 degrees outside)u

Two glorius days in Allepy. I only wish we could have stayed longer. Our first night in, we ended up experiencing our first taste of Kerala Culture. Well, this basically meant a Kathakali show. You cannot miss this. Its amazing. This classical Indian dance is only performed by men (which i conveniently forgot) and involves the actor putting on make up in front of the audience. Well, its the most elaborate make up i have seen and is make up mostly of vegetables and ayurvedic products. Kathkali is a tradititonal south Indian dance which basically focuses on great epics such as Ramayana and Mahabaratha. The sole focus of the dance is on the facial gestures to convey the meaning to the audience. I absolutely loved it. Having learned Indian classical dance, this new form was spectacular. The story of how a demon princess falls in love with a god and then ends up trying to kill him when he refuses to marry him was amazing to watch in action.

What was even funnier was when the audience had an opportunity to meet the actors in their costumes. Well, i wanted a photo and raj was nice enough to play photographer. The funny moment occurred when i took 4 steps back when i heard a masculine voice say “You’re welcome” when i said my thank you.

I wasn’t too fond with my second experience of Kerala culture- Ayurvedic massages. Okay, to most people who have never had a woman tell you to get naked (first for me) cover you from head to toe in oil and then proceed to rub it in...awkward! the bizarre fact was that i was asked to sit in a heating unit and sweat all the oils out to improve circulation (i think). Well never doing that again!

Luckily, i was able to forget the memory of the massage soon enough. Raj and I found our spot. Everywhere we go, we manage to find the best spot in all of Allepy which gives you a spectacular view of the Nature Reserve. We enjoyed our cups of cardamom flavoured coffee and were able to sit outside and just enjoy the moment. We talked for hours about silly things growing up and where our future lies. I wish I had more moments like that. Makes me a bit homesick now come to think of it.

2009-01-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Vasco Da Gama was buried here at one point

Well, I think I figured out what the best time of the year is. It’s Vacation! And this time around my big brother Raj was going to fly all the way from LA to spend New Year’s and the winter holidays with me. Well, I am one little spoilt lucky baby sister and did I ever miss hanging out with my big brother. We are making it a tradition. For two years in a row, we’ve managed to do something unique and different. Last year, it was Monster Madness as I like to call with DJ Tiesto and Roger Sanchez and this year, we opted to visit Kerala and enjoy the backwater lagoons and catch up after 6 long months!

Well most of you might know that my big brother is not only just a Big Brother who watches out for me but he’s my best friend and I can actually share almost everything with him. We have a mutual understanding that we lead our own lives but are always there to support each other when we need it the most. Well, me being in India, all alone with no one to spoil me. Yup, Raj needed to come and fast.
Well, all I had to do was get to the airport and fly to Kochi. Not too bad considering it was Raj who would be doing the major travelling...16 hours and counting. Well, as soon as I landing in Cochin, I ended up thinking...I’ve been here. Only here, was on the big island of Hawaii. The temperature was an awesome 32 degrees...warm and toasty. Good times

“The moustaches here are epic”- that was my big brothers first words after our big hug. “Seriously huni (my nickname), LEGENDARY”. Yes, the first thing you will notice when you land in south India is that every man regardless of how young or old they are...wears a moustache. It’s hideous! I wish I had a razor that I could have run around Kerala taking those down!

Day one: Raj was in complete cultural shock...wow it’s so dirty (I on the other hand after living in Delhi, well was happy to be in paradise!) Then, he proceeded to take touristy shots of everyone (including me) as we made our way to the hotel.
After a quick bit to eat, (actually it was an enormous thali- variety of different foods) we ended up heading out the door to visit fort Cochin. Well, I had completely forgotten that the Portuguese first discovered India and Cochin was the first area of contact by vasco da Gama. He was even buried there for a period time. As I walked through the wonderful little lanes, the place reminded me of paratay, Brazil in so many ways. The same Portuguese influence could be seen everywhere from the numerous churches to buildings.

Old Cochin

My big highlight was when we hit the seawall to and saw all the fresh fish and crabs. Yummy! Too bad we had a huge lunch. I would have loved to indulge in some fresh sea food and coconut water too. You could pretty much see all of Cochin within a day. The city is tiny and has its own quaintness to it.

IUD insertion Campaigns in West Delhi

2009-01-12T08:50:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe that the entire month of December has passed by so quickly. I don’t think I’ve actually had a chance to breathe since I got back from Thailand. For the first time, I actually feel overwhelmed. Projects keep to seem pouring in and I am loving the experience. I designed a very neat CSR presentation and I was very pleased by the response provided by the corporation. Actually, I could just see it on the execs face when we showed them the presentation and asked for feedback. I guess a little bit of extra attention always seems to go a long way and I was over the top by the response. I felt that a young foreigner like me could make a difference. Secretly, iv e been missing the corporate sector and my meetings with hotshots but the main difference here was that I enjoyed the interaction because for the first time I felt like I had something to say that directly affected the e welfare of an entire community. And they were listening!

Well the biggest highlight of this month was my role in implementing the IUD insertion campaigns in West Delhi. I had written the concept note in early November . This campaign was particularly important since it gave women the right over their bodies by providing them with safe alternatives for family planning. The multi-load IUD is similar to the Copper T however, the side effects are less. There is a lower copper content (main complaint for joint aches and irritation) and the plastic cap in fact sits perfectly within a woman’s uterus, causing very little pain.

After returning from Bangkok, well have become even more interested and strong willed on promoting the rights of women when it comes to sexual and reproductive health and I was very glad to see it being manifested in such a way. I would be able to actively interact with doctors, female candidates and also act a role of the counsellor during the health camps. The best part of it all, I was able to work with Annu and our coordination and timing was superb.

Little did I realize how hard this project would be to achieve.. Over two weeks we worked with hospital staff to motivate and ensure quality of providing women with IUD insertions.

Annu is probably one of the best community mobilizers I have seen to date in action. Within a matter of an hour she was able to set up a meeting with the ASHA’s (government based field workers on healthcare issues) and Aanganwadis (community social workers) and get them to meet with her. She enlisted government gynocologists who were most familiar with IUD services and got them to sign onto our campaign.

Even though most of these clinics and dispensaries were in the slums of Delhi and we had to travel through dirt infested streets on rickshaws dragging the kits everywhere we went, I felt alive. There is something about working in healthcare that I absolutely love. Each of these camps were set up on a daily basis where motivators could bring in their clients and after proper screening by Dr. Harini and Dr. Annu, they would be able to get the IUD’s inserted

The interactions I had were unexpected. Some had come alone without telling their husbands. In India, where women have so few rights over their bodies, secrecy became their biggest weapon. These women wanted to exercise their right on whether to have children or not and IUD’s for 5 years would guarantee that they wouldn’t get pregnant.

Dr. Harini Conducting her counselling sessions

I also saw the contrast in some of the cases. Because these insertions were being provided free of cost, some husbands also came with their wives, so they could too learn about the possible side effects and ensure that quality treatment was provided. This made me happy. Maybe not all Indian men are that backward when it comes women’s reproductive rights.

Good Times for Everyone: Sexuality Questions, Feminist Answers

2009-01-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

If you are ever bored and in need of a good laugh or just pure entertainment, I recommend this book! I came across Good times, when my friend Priya started reading excerpts from Radhika Chandramani (a clinical psychologist who works on reproductive and sexual rights in Delhi). At point, I actually fell on the floor laughing

“Testicles: I am 19 years old. I don’t know the name of the part of my penis that is troubling me, so I am drawing it in my letter. Is this part, one part is big and the other ball is smaller. What should I do to make them equal? My friends tell me that this is not healthy for my married life and also for my job opportunities”
I was actually quite amused and shocked when I started reading the book on the lack of awareness kids in India have over their own bodies and common misconceptions. Not having access to the right knowledge is one thing but seriously as Radhika points out in her book

“ As for job opportunities, I have yet to hear a job criterion for selection is being testicles equal in size. Fortunately, not too many employers are interested in what your testicles look like”.

All jokes aside(which were many), the book itself addresses common questions that youth in India have concerning their own bodies ranging from a wide topic including menstruation, sex, masturbation to gay and lesbian relationships, HIV and AIDS , STI’s and pregnancies. Radhika aims to demystify sexuality and bring it to the public realm where open discussions can happen in a conservative Indian society. The fact is, sex occurs within every range group and talking about these questions should be done in a common forum where knowledge is available to those who seek it. Questions about sex aren’t just confined to the married life and that realization (no matter how many parents disapprove) is slowly sinking into Indian society and people of all ages from 16-75 and above have a forum to ask questions and share their thoughts. Go Radhika!

One last anecdote from the book:

“I am a 25 year old man, and my wife recently complained she was losing her sexual power. She says that she is not having proper ejaculation....”
Radika’s response: not exactly sure how a woman ejaculates but people don’t have “sexual power” that they lose. It’s not as if there is some defined resvoir of sexuality that people have for a period of time”.

Good, Good times and a complete feminist perspective. Happy Readings.

December: A month of Healthcare Programs

2009-01-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

Having worked in the corporate sector and visiting more hospitals than I would care to visit in a lifetime, I was absolutely shocked as to how dirty the Indian public hospitals and clinics are. I didn’t really realize that I was going to enter a hospital. We went to meet one of our colleagues who had recently had a baby boy. So as a courtesy visit, we decided to stop by one of the hospitals close to where I live. To give you a brief background of the area, I live in the low income parts of Delhi where most of the workers are migrants from nearby states, in search of better lives and opportunities. However, the abysmal state of the hospitals, especially in the country’s capital is no excuse. Healthcare is free according to the Indian government. However, the universally free healthcare has its constraints and this means dirt covered floors, paan stains on wall and garbage littered across various hallways throughout the emergency and delivery area. I was shocked to see that outside the delivery rooms, tons of people were waiting to see their loved ones, but they were all sitting in the filth! This is not what I expected from a hospital facility. Later, I was told that there is a hierarchy within the healthcare provisions as well. If you want the five star quality experiences that most foreigners go for, you should try the Apollo Health system in South Delhi or AIIMS but of course this comes with a price of more than 2000 rupees per night, which for the average Indian is quite costly. Most Indians make between 10-15 thousand rupees per month. You got to wonder, with India’s expanding population, why health and hygiene given more importance isn’t. No matter where I have been in Delhi, I am always saddened to see the dirty roads, filled with litter and the smog infested air. Delhi is currently preparing to host the 2010 common wealth games and construction is at an all time high. I only wish the Delhi State government would pay more attention to health campaigns aimed at reducing the risks of pollution and ensuring proper healthcare to all and keeping Delhi green. It’s sad to see that the difference between the rich and poor is also shown in terms of quality healthcare for all.

"Mama Mia, Here I Go Again"

2008-12-14T08:26:00.001-08:00

With our luggage pieces

December 4th! We are leaving Bangkok! In a way, I had been frustrated. All my plans to write a gender research paper on the effects of landmines on women has fallen apart. I had hoped to meet with the Thai delegates and create a comparative framework. Instead, they were stuck in the border regions and I was stuck with an extended vacation. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. This internship means the world to me and having missed the World AIDS day celebrations and not knowing exactly when the airports would re-open put a damper on my mood.

Well our tickets were finally confirmed. Ishita and I had decided to first head to the Jet Airways office and figure our flight status via Calcutta to Delhi. Well, leaving Thailand also became quite the experience. First, our driver had no idea where he was taking us. We had asked one of the guards to instruct him in Thai. He had nodded that he knew where to go. After we go in, he took us on a “scenic drive” around bangkok. Luckily, I now know the city well enough to navigate around with some ease. So, after about 45 minutes, we got out of the car and decided to walk to the building.

Well, with a humidity factor of almost 100 percent, it was hot! We were drenched! Arriving at the jet airways office, we found out that we were NOT on the flight to Calcutta. Instead, they had accidently put us on the flight connecting in Mumbai to Delhi and they weren't sure when the connection would occur.

Secretly, I think the both of us were happy to be going via Mumbai. Yes, I do realize that there had been bombings and the airport was under a high level surveillance. But honestly, when I looked around and realized that the entire flight to Calcutta. was with sleazy men who had come to Thailand for the sex industry, I was overjoyed in relief. I would not be on the same flight..hurray!

As fate would have it, we couldn't catch a break that day. We had called up the rest of the girls to come to the office. We had to catch the 1:30 bus to U-Tapao Airport outside of Pattaya. Well, we had packed all of our stuff, me with my one backpack and the girls with their crazy bags filled with all kinds of clothing and handbags they had picked up.

We had waited patiently for bus number three. At 2 PM we found out that the airlines had “forgotten” to put us on the correct bus and now we would be catching the 3:30 Calcutta. bus and we were assured we would be the first ones on and off the bus.

Well, lets just say waiting in the humid weather surrounded by sleazy men was not fun. The bus ride itself was quite eventful. I thought I had returned to India The entire interior of the bus was covered in red wedding curtains and we also had shiny disco lights to keep us entertained! Well the real fun part was when we finally made it to U-Tapao Military Airport.

U-Tapao Military Airport

For a country that had been literally shut down for more than a week, the Thai military really had its act together. They had set up first aid tents, free food and beverages for stranded travellers and even went to the effort of creating a carnival like atmosphere. On the Thai people would ever go through so much effort.

We had exactly 45 minutes to check in and board our plane. We thought we would end up sleeping at the military airport at this point. No bus ride would be complete without one last attempt by a sleazy Indian to pass off his number and blow kisses at us. Laughing hysterically, we made our way to the check in lines. Well, since we were the last to check in, it meant that we didn't have to stand in the long line ups or deal withe all the frustration. Instead, in a matter of 10 minutes we were ready to board.

Arriving in Shivaji Airport, Mumbai ( the old Sahara airport), we were tired and exhausted. A flight that would typically take 4 hours had ended up becoming a 24 hour journey. Transferring out of the terminals, we were glad to find out that we would be catching the 7 am flight to Delhi. It meant spending the night at the Mumbai airport in the Jet Airways lounge.

The airport itself had an eerie feeling. You could see the stranded travellers from various flights back from Thailand all discussing the political environment in India. There was talk of war with Pakistan and there had been reports of a possible attacks on the airports. Even sitting in the lounge, enjoying cups of coffee and cookies, I wasn't a bit comforted. We tried to get as comfortable as possible. Sleeping on chairs, we passed in and out of sleep.

At 3 am, a couple approached me and told me there had been a shooting at the IGI Delhi arrivals terminal. It wasn't on the news yet but by 5 am the reports had come through. I kept thinking to myself, why hadn't I just stayed in Thailand and waited for the airport to re-open. At least then the political situation would have died down. Fortunately, the IGI airport remained open and we able to land in Delhi. Heading back to my comfortable little hole (my “furnished” apartment), I found myself repeating to myself how “surreal” the entire trip had been. I had found happiness, laughter, joy and sadness too. I wouldn't trade the experiences of the last two weeks for anything.

"Fight and Stand up for your Rights"

2008-12-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

It's December 1st and our fab five ladies have dwindled down to the crazy three: Priya, myself and Ishita. Honestly, its funny how you end up making friends so randomly and quickly. I went to Thailand really have no expectations...to look at it as a learning experience and I ended up learning a lot more about myself, my reaction to situations and people. Well, because the situation in Thailand so so safe for tourists, us fab five (priya, ishita, joanna, sulo and I ) ended up every night causing some trouble or another on Ko-san road. We made random friends, hung out with cute boys and ate one too many banana pancakes to remember.

We had finally found out that the airport would be re-opened at the earliest date of December 6th. So, that meant that we were confirmed to leave via the military airport. So, us three decided to make the best of it. We met up at Ko- San road and sat down on the sidewalk, enjoying our favorite meal (banana pancakes smothered in carnation milk and chocolate) people watching. What we didn't expect to encounter was the so called “over friendly” Nepalese and Burmese guys intent on causing trouble.

We knew these boys were up to no good. I mean for the past week, every time we walked by they had tried to unsuccessfully sell us something. When that didnt work, they started teasing us and calling us “sexy”...we want to spend the night with you etc. We had tried to avoid it and ignore the comments as much as possible but to no avail.

Today was not the day to mess with me. I was on a roll. I had spent the morning trying to confirm our seats back to India and was utterly embarrassed by the pushy behavior of Indians at the jet airways office. With the men screaming and the women budging the line ups, I found myself making fun of the situation and apologizing on behalf of “my kind” to a bunch of friendly tourists behind me. You have got to understand that these people were acting very foolish and really had no etiquette. You should have seen the number of dirty looks I got for stating that “even though the British conquered India for 200 years, they still couldn't manage to teach us Indians to form a line”. Yes, I know it's racist...but hey I can be racist against my own people!

Well what we had hoped to be a quiet evening enjoying good food took a turn for the worse. Noticing that we three were just alone by ourselves...these boys decided to have a go at it. They started passing lewd comments and finger gestures. At one point we even warned them that if they continued with this behavior we would have to report them.

Infuriated by their responses, we decided to walk to the Ko-san police station and report them. Well, speaking to the Thai officials itself was an interesting experience. They were really sweet but I don't think they quite understood why we were so angry. We tried to describe using hand gestures what exactly the men had indicated. The officer politely asked us to sit and wait until the street officer came to see us. Ishita was so tired from the entire day that she actually ended up falling asleep in the officer's room. I think that embarrassed them to no end and we were asked to politely wait outside until someone came to see us.

Well, an hour later ( yup the Thai officials sure took their own sweet time) the road officer ended up meeting with us. We tried our best in broken Thai, English and hand gestures to indicate what had happened. He asked us to go down the street and he would follow on his bike.

So, we went back towards the pack and they were all ready to taunt us again. But, what they didnt expect was for us to actually bring an officer with us. Ever seen three men disappear in less than a second? Well I did. They ran!
The one guy that we ended up cornering blatantly began to lie to the officer. Fed up, I decided it was time to create a scene. The men had assumed that since I was from Canada, I would not understand or speak Hindi. Surprise! I ended talking to all the shop keepers asking them if they would treat all their visitors and make sexual comments to them. I think it really hit home for them when I told them I could have been their sisters too.

Well, the poor officer, that's who I felt really bad for. He tried to follow along on our conversation. I switched to English when I realized that everyone had gathered around me. I know it may seem like I had blown this small incident out of proportion but honestly, it was pretty bad. When you have multiple men propositioning you for sex, the line has been crossed.

Well, the guy ended up apologizing and we thanked the officer for his assistance. From that day forward, everytime we walked passed their stalls, they would look away or just stand in silence.

We had reacted in this manner to make a point. There are so many women who bear all kinds of abuse in silence- mental, emotional, verbal, sexual and physical. I am never to back down. We were empowered from our week long training and we decided to stand up for our rights.

Now you can see why everyone kind of recognized us when we returned to Ko-San Road. Never a dull moment :)

What's wrong with the world mama?

2008-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

For some reason, through out my time in Thailand, BEP became my anthem. Every time I turned on the T.V there was some disturbing news or another. This time I felt that the air had been sucked out of my lungs as I saw the devastation in Mumbai. Reports were coming in of a hostage situation in Mumbai. 10 Terrorists had taken over the Taj and the Oberoi hotels in Mumbai, killing 50 people at that point. I stared in shock and astonishment that this could happening the exact same time there was talk of a military coup in Thailand. Our group huddled together in quiet sadness as well so the devastation occurring to the buildings and the terror I fear that would rip appear whatever fragile framework that kept India together. I prayed and hoped that these militants would not be linked to Pakistan. I feared for another war and in my own selfish way I kept thinking that I couldn't go to the border regions now and conduct my research work on women affected by land mines. In a way, the bombings of Mumbai was a reality check. Maybe I was having too much fun. I felt like I had forgotten the world in a matter of days. I was infuriated with the Indian media for reporting incorrectly on the casualties and sensationalizing the news. The home minister resigned in shame for not responding earlier and was quickly replaced. Between reports on Thailand and Mumbai, I can only imagine the fear and worry that everyone I knew back home must be facing. Honestly, I have never felt so much love and concern until I moved to India. I had emails from all over the world inquiring if I was okay. To everyone who emailed me, thank you so much! I love you and your words only made me stronger.

Looking at all this destruction around me, I was looking for a silver lining, some sign of hope. I don't want to see a region destabilized by war. Maybe war will not happen and instead people will remember that in the face of terrorism, the biggest response anyone can do is to fight for justice, remember, heal and move forward. Fear is what extremists thrive on. So, why give them an opportunity to live on our fears. Instead, as a stared out of my balcony at the moon and the stars, I prayed for compassion, I prayed for hope and I prayed for peace.

Kho- San Road

2008-12-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

Our First Group Dinner

I would be lying if I said I never knew this road existed. Actually, I found it on my first day in bangkok and practically every night after, it became our group's favorite hang out spot. It's called the backpackers road. It's also tourist central where you can find the best food, bars, nightlife, shopping and best of all “Thai massages”.

Every city has a distinct noise. In Delhi, its the never ending parade of honks from one end to another. In Khosan Road, its the women of the northern tribes of Thailand who attempt to sell you musical turtles. Basically you take a wooden piece and rub it in either directions and it makes a “trrrrrr” sound. Every night after 6pm, this noise takes over the street and blends into the reggaeton music, R and B and house coming from various areas of the street.

Kho san, is also where we quickly realized that we became the regulars. The tuk tuk drivers knew that we stayed at the royal princess. They even knew that we did not want to go to a “ping pong show” and we were NOT interested in women. ( I think we girls had confused them by holding hands one too many times)

This is also where I began to once again be called “Shilpa Shetty” from the Big Brother London fame. Maybe I should just nod my head and agree instead of cringing. The street has the best street food ever. From freshly cut fruit, to chicken skewers, sweet corn and most disgusting of all, any kind of insect you want to eat will be given to you. I say NASTY

The Fab Five

But, the lure of kho-san road was threefold. For us women, we wanted to hang out with all the cute foreign men. Quickly our favorites became the Aussies and the Brits. Hey, they were friendly and apparently, Indians are hot commodity. (I have no complaints, there is a GOD) Secondly, you could drink by the bucket for 200 baht and most importantly, drum roll please- BANANA pancakes and Mango Sticky rice...YUM YUM

Oh Jack Johnson you need to go to Kho-san road because every day is the weekend and you don't need to pretend! Banana pancakes covered in nutella or you can have them with carnation milk..so deadly good.

If you are ever stressed out or just feel like pampering yourself, for about a 100 baht, you can be stepped on, raised, have a deep tissue massage, have your body twisted and come out feeling like jelly. Hmm, life is good!

Random story: Trying to get back to the hotel, I was asked by a tuk tuk driver if I liked women. He then proceeded to show me pictures of naked women because I had been holding on to my friend Joanna's arm. Never one to be shy, I proceeded to find two cute boys and began pointing at them, telling the driver “ I no like women, I like MEN, see see, MEN”.

Most commonly asked questions on Kho- san road:

“ You like Ping Pong show”, Ping- Pong. If you don't know what that is please email me.
“You want Spicy club?”
“ Are you Indian, you buy sari, give you good price”
“ Oye, you look like Shilpa Shetty”

Stranded in Paradise: "Can you hear me calling out SOS"

2008-12-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

Day three. You could imagine our sheer shock when we realized that the protesters against the Thai government had taken over the airport and effectively shut it down. We weren't going home??? Could this be true. By 6pm, the news was confirmed. All flights had been cancelled and the next available date was in December. There were reports of firings where protesters had been injured and possible bombings. But, where we were, there was nothing but peace. We were actually shocked to see how much devastation the Thai economy was to suffer in the next coming days. BBC reported that the country faced a worse future than the Asian Economic Crisis of 1997. The protesters through peaceful measures want to topple the government and weaken it to its knees. It worked. For nearly a week, these protesters organized the shut down of one the largest airports in South East Asia. They were well prepared with access to first aid, food, clothing and sleeping arrangements. Peacefully, they called for a dissolution of government and never gave up.

For us, it meant the stress of dealing with our respective embassies, trying to figure out if our expenses would be covered and when we could leave back for our respective countries. Honestly, I was happy that I got to spend more time in Thailand but at the same time, I really wanted to return to India and continue with my internship. Moreover, it would mean that I would be missing World AIDS day in Delhi, something I have been involved in the planning phase for the last month.

After the last day of the conference, the Indian delegation was lucky enough to find out that the travel agent in Ottawa had actually automatically re-booked us on the first available flight (December 4th!!!!) . For the rest, they weren't so lucky. I felt so bad with all the uncertainty because we all had jobs, school and exams awaiting us on our return. Although, the city was very peaceful and we didn't have to worry about our personal safety, we were all under the same pressure to get back home.

Again, I have to say this even though it was a saving face measure by the Thai government, I still cant express how thankful I am and how happy I was when I found out that the Thai government would be kind enough to provide accommodation and all food expenses at selected hotels (including ours) until the protests ended and the airports were re-opened. Now, which government in the world would ever offer to do that for their stranded tourists. I cant think of any other.

For us, it meant a couple extra days to see the city, have fun and wait until we could fly home.

I See What? ICPD Training ( Conference on Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights)

2008-12-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

Meet Sri Lanka, Canada, Nepal, India (part of the big group)

Rise and Shine. The sunrises outside my room are absolutely spectacular. I was on a mission. After a 10 km bike ride the night before, my ass was completely sore! Now I know what it means to waddle like a penguin! Well, I was determined to keep at my fitness regime (trust me it didn't last past day two). I was off to the gym. Huffing and puffing at 7 am, I was barely able to run for 10 minutes. So disappointing. But, you know the best way to get over that feeling is to eat more!

My roommate is from Beijing. Her name is Dulily and she is from the family planning commission in China. One of the largest NGO's with nearly a million people in membership. I quickly found out that this is one of the few places the Chinese government allows NGO activity in. Sex education and population is surely a priority with the population rising on a daily basis. Du lily is funny without knowing it. I think its in the way she delivers her comments and blushes at the sight of cute foreigners. I love it!

During the training, I quickly realized how much I had in common with everyone around the table. It was great to finally discuss issues in depth with people my own age and after a long time, I was able to say sex, condom or even HIV positive loudly without getting stared at. I could feel myself opening up to the concepts and learning, arguing and expressing my feelings through out that day. The exercises enabled me to focus my points and the regional context allowed me to understand the challenges faced. I never knew Malaysia was so behind in sexual and reproductive rights to a point of being repressive. In a couple years, there is a great fear that HIV in the youth will have reached an uncontrollable rate.

I was overwhelmed by the amount of information we went over a span of four days. It gave me a greater understanding of the challenges and commonalities south Asia and south east Asia faces. I felt empowered as women knowing that even this is a privilege. To be able to travel abroad and discuss issues such as abortion, condom use, rape, abuse without any fear in itself was a real honor. The long sessions left us drained of energy and the abundant food kept us going every night.

Travelling Back in Time, Over the River Kwai

2008-12-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

Bangkok is one of my favorite cities in the world! It's really clean compared to Delhi. The food is to die for...give me more tum yum soup any day and most of all, Thai people really are the kindest people I have ever met. I mean these people will go out of your way to help you and make you feel comfortable in their land. I love it!

Well, the journey began late Saturday night (November 23rd). After waiting for a good hour on the road for the taxi to show up (apparently he was lost), I was off to Thailand! It has been almost exactly a year since my last visit to Thailand and hallejuah I was excited. Well, like all journey's, leaving India was not as easy as entering the country. Apparently, if you don't add the preceding letters of your flight to your flight number on the exit card, the crazy Indian immigration official will yell at you!

But, as luck would have it, the rest of the journey to Thailand was pleasant. With my new friend from India (priyanka), the both of us got upgraded to first class. OH YEAH BABY! Can you hear the champagne flutes and glasses of wine along with an assortment of desserts coming my way. Life is GOOD! I know at this point most of you must be cursing me on my good fortunes. But remember, I do live out of a room that has a bed and a outhouse type toilet that works when it feels like it. So, I think I deserve the good treatment.

Watching the sunrise in the plane and landing in bangkok was stunning. Have you ever been in love with a city? Well, for some reason no matter how many times I come back to this city, I seem to fall in love all over again. After Cambodia, Thailand is my favorite country and well Bangkok my second favorite city. After a quick exit from Suvarnabhumi airport (now infamous for being shut down for close to a week), we were off to the Royal Princess Hotel on Lang Luang road. The Thais can't pronounce “s” properly so, we were constantly asking for the Princep hotel.

Priyanka had decided to sleep off all the jet lag she was facing. I on the other hand had other plans. One of the things I had regretted on my last visit to Thailand was that I hadn't been to the Bridge over the River Kwai in Kanchanburi. After a quick google search, I found a mountain biking company that actually took you on a 10km ride around the river. Well, I signed up for it.

Can you hear the pain? Well after practically suffering through breathing issues, stomach flu and fainting spells in India, but my body was screaming bloody murder. I hadn't been on a bike since June in Uruguay and I am totally out of shape. The 10 km bike ride up and down hill nearly knocked the wind out of me.

It was completely worth it. I discovered underground caves built in the 13th Century by the different Siam Kings and of course Ganesha. No matter where you are in Thailand, you will find the Ganesha Idol and is also revered by the Thai people.

Standing on the Bridge

Cycling over the railway tracks made me feel numb. These were the very same tracks which the prisoners of war from Australia, Canada, India, Philippines were all interned and forced to create a network connecting Burma and Thailand. Japan's great vision in 1944 was to also conquer India and the route chose was through Burma. Seeing the tracks and the crude tools used, I was in tears. Nearly 5000 POW's died during this period to build the system. Cruelty was the norm, food supplies were covered in maggots and bodies were pushed beyond the limit of rational understanding. All in the name of a dream- conquer Asia pacific for resources.

The saddest point for me was visiting the POW museum and seeing the reality of it all. I cried reading the letters these soldier wrote back home, was inspired by their courage to communicate their whereabouts through tin radios, knowing that death would be certain if they were caught and felt utter sadness as I stared at the cemeteries across the road.

What was the point of such cruelty? All in the name of power and conquest? Time and Time again I kept thinking back on everything that has happened this year. Bombing across India, terrorist attacks and more insanity....where is the love?

We say “never forget, never again” but sadly, people forget forget and never again is made mockery off on a daily basis. All I kept asking myself on the ride back to Bangkok...where is the love?

Back to Reality

2008-12-07T02:03:00.000-08:00

I am finally back in Delhi after nearly an amazing and unexpected two week stay in Thailand. I still can't believe all the things I've done, seen, laughed at, discussed eagerly and opened my heart to. One word to describe the two weeks would be: Surreal. I am now sitting at my favorite spot in Delhi. The oxford bookstore on Barkambha road. I am surrounded by the smell of freshly brewed Nilgiri tea from the southern states of India. To my left, there is a display of fifteen varieties of tea pots covered in unique designs. I am fascinated by the tea pot in the shape of a Rhinoceros!!! I am more thrilled with the fact that the milk I am using for my tea is served from a pot in a shape of a COW! I kid you not! He hot steaming milk comes out of the mouth of the cow. I am almost tempted to steal it and take it home with me. Ahead of me, I can clearly see clear roads of a sleepy Sunday afternoon turn into the hustle and bustle of Sunday shopping. After all, Sunday markets are popular where you can find pretty much anything to meet your heart's desire. I really did not understand why the girls in my training in Bangkok went crazy over shopping. You can basically get the same goods, for a cheaper rate here in Delhi. It really is a shopper's paradise.

But, I am digressing. The following blog entries are a re-cap of all the best moments of my time in Bangkok- the fun, the craziness, my own personal sadness, unexpected journeys and more! Every time I think I know myself- my thoughts, my emotions, my morals; I am shocked to learn that there is more. This truly is a discovery of the soul. Even as I write this, I find it strange. I feel complete now. I have clarity. I know with certain level of confidence what I want from life. Again, this feeling changes almost on a daily basis but for now, I am happy. Its just a matter of timing and finding the right moment to proceed down that path. Maybe after you read the next couple entry's...things will start to achieve its own sense of clarity. Everything is in the eye of the beholder.

Dr. Sahib, the Stomach Flu wont go away

2008-11-16T03:30:00.000-08:00

It's back! I keep thinking “Die Hard: Vengeance” to describe my recent bout with the stomach flu. Actually the stomach flu that I had contracted in the wedding, turned into a full blown stomach infection. Every other day I either throw up or for the lack of a better description, have the runs. Not fun at all! I was passed out cold for about a day waiting for my fever to subside. This is when I decided I needed to see Dr. Sahib again.

So, off I went. Like my first experience with Dr. Sahib, I told him I had the flu and he nodded his head and said “Yes, you have the stomach flu”. He then proceeded to try and over medicate me with a variety of different drugs I had never heard off. I being cautious, decided to stick to one and see how it went.

It went bad. For the second time, when I tried to enjoy my day off with Vasu, I became Ms. Puke-sa lot! I am glad Vasu convinced me to stay over at her in-laws place. They were doctors and well they threatened to inject me with medication if I didn't take better care of myself.

It has been three days now and I am happy to report after taking the anti-biotics for my stomach infection (dropping 7 kilos in a week...yikes) I am back to normal for now.

During my briefing, I was warned of being homesick. But, having travelled so many times abroad and living by myself on the road, I didn't realize I would have any homesickness. It hit me during my stomach sickness. I was transformed back into a child.. Mommy!

Luckily, with the improvement in my health, my attitude as well has lifted. I am now looking forward to my trip to Thailand, a welcome break from India, even if it is for a couple days.

I am going to participate in a workshop on sexual and reproductive health and I will be interacting with youth from all over Asia. I am also taking this as an opportunity to collect case studies on women and landmines. I want to see how their lives have been affected and what the government has done to help them. Upon my return to India, I hope to do the same in India. I want to find the girl who became the cover of the landmines report and talk to her. Hopefully this research, through my words can give a gendered perspective to the issue.

I am revitalized just thinking about it. Crossing fingers and will keep everyone posted.

Road Trip to Agra!

2008-11-16T03:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Taj

A sudden burst of inspiration on Saturday night, caused me to ask everyone if they would be interested in taking a five hour ride to Agra to see the world famous Taj Mahal. Well, I am glad everyone said yes even if it meant waking up at a god awful hour of 3 am.

We all piled into our taxi and made our way to Agra, picking up our new friend Namit on the way there. Between Abhay snapping awful photos of us sleeping, the crazy monkey that humped the window and the overturned truck on the road, we were off to a great start.

I refused to pay the 750 rupees foreigner fee. Why should I? I live in Delhi as well temporarily at least. Instead, we got Vasu to buy us all tickets for the Indian rate of 150 rupees. Tiny victory, that was until the guard asked me who the chief minister of Delhi was. Vasu always to the rescue, Sheila Dixit! We all made our way in with our helpful guide.

The Taj Mahal is something else. Sadly, the pollution has caused this beautiful structure to become yellow. The Taj Mahal is probably the result of one of the most famous love stories of all time.

Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. His real name is actually Shahboudin but ask Roshan, his answer would be Mister Shah Jahan ofcourse. This majestic structure is made of marble and has some of the most precious stones embedded into it. Architects from all over Persia and the world were called upon to help build this structure.

Overall, in spite of all the goofy pictures that we were taking, I was still quite disappointed. I know! Here I am staring at this magnificent tomb and all I could think was how the yellow tint and pollution was eroding the original beauty of it. Its magnificent! Spectacular! But, still the pollution has taken away the beauty of it. I did not ooh or aah at the Taj. I was deep in thought as I looked around trying to imagine what the Taj looked like to the British when they first laid their eyes on the Taj.

A definite highlight was that I was able to see the descendants of the artisans who laid the stones into the marble continue their tradition. Their work is shrouded in mystery and they refused the share their secret with two pretty girls trying to woo them into it. Mind you, we probably would have forgotten it quite quickly. Just as well.

With all due sadness, I said good bye to my old and new friends that night. Back to reality and back to work.

"A Suitable Boy" for "A Suitable Girl"

2008-11-16T03:05:00.000-08:00

At this very moment, I am surrounded by my loved ones- friends who are my family. The reason- it's Amit's wedding. Abhay, one of closest guy friends from Vancouver is here as well and together we are all about the “MASTI”- fun!!!!

Amit is a through and through New Yorker. So you could imagine my surprise a couple months ago, in Vancouver, at another friend's wedding when he told me “Harini, let me show you a photo”

Now, before the words “shaadi.com” enter your mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find that in fact Amit, was showing me a picture of this new girl on Facebook. This was in July, now Amit is getting married in November. Talk about a whirlwind romance, all via facebook!

Minni is her name. I hadn't seen Amit so elated until this point. He told he had been introduced to her through his parents friends and if all went well, a wedding would occur in November in Delhi, around the same time I would be there.

Needless to say, you haven't seen a wedding, unless you've seen a wedding in India. I have never seen so much pomp and splendour in a matter of days.

My journey to the house where the entire grooms side of the family would be shacked up was an interesting story of its own. After waiting for a good hour trying to find an auto to take me to CC Colony, I hit gold. Apparently, no one wanted to go to Old Delhi at that point.

Ten minutes into the ride, the driver pulls over to the side.

“Madam, Tire Puncture”

You could only imagine my shock, when he asked me to remove all my bags to the side of the road, take a rock, use it as a lever to hoist the auto up and begin to change the wheel.

Bhai, kithna minute lagega? (Brother, how many minutes will it take?)

Madam ji, baas dus minute. (only 10 minutes)

I loaded my stuff back in again and we were off. The family began pouring in late November 4th.

Vasu also made it back alive from Guwhati. Vasu don't kill me as I explain to everyone how we are “cougars on the prowl”. Actually, I never imagined that I would meet a person who thinks exactly like me. We both have our mischievous looks going on, both interested in causing our sense of fun and trouble. I have found my partner in crime here in Delhi.

Amit also got a bigger surprise this week. His best friend (who I am quite fond of as well) Roshan, ended up flying in as a surprise. If Amit is a New Yorker, Roshan is a true Yankee. Over the week, I couldn't help but laugh with him on all the random things he would say, bringing tears to all our eyes.

The first night began with the women sitting in the dorm room, singing traditional songs or sangeet. Well, at this point, I was drained from my journey to Lucknow and I pretty much waited to find a place to sleep.

The bigger shock came when I found out I would be staying in the dorm with Abhay, alone. Now, before you get any ideas, Abhay is my brother and I had no problems doing this in Vancouver. Hey, we do it all the time back home. But in India, it is a different story.
The questions had already started.

Is Harini Abhay's girlfriend? That was quickly squashed by Amit's family. I was Abhay's childhood friend and his surrogate sister. Take that aunties!

The second night of celebration was the engagement. Amit wasn't too excited. He had been through the ceremony three times.

“Why can't I just get married already”...those were his exact words.

Well, with all the youngster's now sharing the dorm ( 5 boys and me), we planned our day of fun. I was pulled off with the women to get dressed up for the engagement, which meant parlour time. I usually get myself “made up” by myself. It was a different experience all together have a bunch of women get me ready, from the hair to the sari. I loved it

What I didn't love was half way through the fun of the engagement, where I was playing paparazzi, my tummy started to grumble.

Next thing I knew, I was running to the washroom trying not to throw up in front of friends and family. I achieved some success. I ran into Vasu, who ended up help me clean up. The poor girl has today been the only one to witness me throw up on multiple occasions. Our on going joke is that I am the south park character, that allows throws up at the site of a pretty girl.

A day of rest helped me somewhat recover from the episode. I was hoping it would be a 24 hour virus attack and refused to take any sort of medication.

I awoke to find a bottle of Evian water next to me. Evian in India is just as expensive as Evian aboard. It was courtesy of Abhay. Worry and concern knitted his face .

“Evian Abhay?”

Drink up Harini. Actually a funny story for you. The boy at the store asked me “Is bottle mein kya hai?” (What is in this bottle- expensive and all). My exact response was “Pani” (water)

It was the night of the mehendi and I wasn't about to miss out on the fun. All I really wanted to do was dance. The Mehendi night is part of every wedding. Women decorate their hands with Henna and dance in celebration of the upcoming nuptials. The men do what they do best- eat!

Getting my Mehendi put on

Well, I put my face on and got ready for the night. It turned out to be another night of fun. Between sips of limca and resting on a nearby cot, I was able to enjoy the festivities.

The last night..the nuptials! We all got up at early and I could see the excitement on Amit's face. He was finally getting married. The morning began with the pooja's to bless the groom and the daughter- in-laws dancing down the street to the nearest mandir (temple) to pick up holy water in which Amit would bathe.

Amit covered in Turmeric Powder

That is after the fun of the Haldi ceremony. All the women and men (I think) join to cleanse the groom with turmeric and well the boys took this as an opportunity to cover Amit with Haldi from head to toe.

We were off to a parlor again. This time Vasu and I ended up going to an upscale parlor where my hair primped into a “funky” updo by the hair stylist. Spending close to 1200 rupees may not be extravagant by Canadian standards but for a girl like me living on a stipend, its a little something. But it was fun.

Vasu and I with our "funky" updos

The wedding was to begin at 6:30 PM with the baraat (procession) on horse, bus and dancing making its way to the Mitas Farms. Amit looked every bit the groomsman, with his turban and err knife.

After an hour of dancing downstairs and Amit on horse, we made our way to the bus. I would like to point out that this bus ride, was the bus ride from hell. We zoomed off and bumped our heads in the bus. On the way back, mysteriously the glass at the back of the bus shattered throwing pieces at me but I digress. The dancing continued on the bus as well with the groom, his father and brother dancing in the aisles.

Upon arrival at the farm, we were greeted by fireworks. Amit and little Keshav (the cutest child ever) made their way to the chariot led by 4 horses ( I mentioned it was elaborate).The band played famous Hindi songs and we danced our way to the entrance where the bride's family waited for us in anticipation. That took a complete hour and a half, with me playing photographer. At this point it was 11pm in the night.

We were greeted by the family at the entrance with bhangra dancers in the background. I felt I had never in fact left Canada at all. I had stepped from one little India (surrey) to a bigger one! We made our way in and were left to our devises to enjoy on the many snacks from bhel puri, paav bhaji to chinese and trays and trays of desserts.

Ever seen a cowboy from India? Trust me you don't want to! They were serving everyone at the juice stands.

The time came for the entrance of the bride. Minni looked ever the Indian bride. Decked from head to toe and wide eyed with anticipation, Minni looked like Jodhaa from Jodhaa Akbhar (famous Indian movie). She came in on her own peacock feathered throne.

I couldn't but help thinking somewhere a confused peacock, without its feathers must be thinking itself as a plucked chicken, screaming pckaaaak.

Minnie proceeded to make her way to the stage where Amit and her would exchange garlands symbolizing the beginning of their union. I was shocked when I noticed that the stage actually began to revolve and rose petals exploded as the stage moved. I swear I felt like I was in a Bollywood movie! I love it!

Most of the guests began to leave at this point (1 am). Apparently close family and friends only stay for the real nuptials, something very different from how we do it back home. Instead, we were all invited to once again join the families in the feast.

I couldn't eat anything. I could already feel stomach churn with the smells of all the oils in the air. Instead, poor Roshan sat next to me eating everything in front of him.

Roshan didn't exactly have the best experience with his food as well. Sitting next me, having me tell every waiter..no. He wasn't being served either.

Waiter to Roshan: Sir, Dum Aloo

Roshan: Yo, I don't want any “dumb” aloo. If you have some smart Aloo, will have that.

Maybe it was 3 am, maybe it was the air, but everyone cracked up upon hearing this.

Unfortunately, the hysterics didn't end there. Roshan really wanted a cup of tea. Something that is abundant in India more than water. Unfortunately, the waiter on every request kept bringing him coffee which Roshan doesn't drink.

Waiter: Sir, we don't have tea, but you should have light coffee. Very good.

Needless to say, at 4 am when the nuptials did begin, tea was served everywhere. This was also the moment where I was glad to be covered in blankets to keep from the morning cold.

The cold didn't stop the bride's side from trying to steal the grooms shoes. This is the excitement of the wedding. The women try to steal the shoe and hold it ransom, a popular game in Indian weddings. The groom's side, us, have to prevent it from being stolen.

Well, we decided to play a trick and place the shoes in plain sight, in front of them. The poor girls ran around trying to find it and finally clued in and took the shoes. We had convinced them they were actually Abhay's shoes. Once they got it, we decided to steal it back near the end of the ceremony. Again, the girls lost the shoes, which were now carefully hidden in the many layers of my sari.

As a sign of good faith we gave the shoes to the girls after the ceremony from which they were able to get some money from Amit.

The happy newly weds- Amit and Minni, slightly sleepy but happy
Finally, the ceremony ended with the bus ride home or as I like to call it the bus ride from hell. The rocky ride kept us all awake long enough to enjoy the traditional morning games before we could all pass out to some much needed rest.

Chalti Ka Naam Hai Ghadi

2008-11-16T03:03:00.000-08:00

Words can't quite describe my return to the fanfare of journeying by on the infamous “ghadis” or Indian trains. The last, having been 15 years ago involved fond memories of a family visit, the wedding of an uncle...the smell of the chai vallas, screaming off the sides of the railway platforms.

“Garam Garam pakoodas” a child hollered on the side.

These were the memories I hoped to revive when I found out that I too would be doing a quick day trip to Lucknow, to conduct an orientation on HIV and AIDS mainstreaming for OXFAM GB. This was to be a fun trip, I got to travel with Annu, my surrogate mom, caring from me away from home.

As all adventures, this too had its element of misadventure. We were supposed to depart on the “Lucknow Shatabdi” at 2:00 in the afternoon. I was time and time reassured that the Shatabadi was a five hour express train and was NEVER late.

As luck would have it, the train that is NEVER late, ended up arriving in New Delhi at 11:30 PM. So, with our orientation material and our many pieces of luggage, we boarded.

Being coffee addicts, both Annu and I craved for the smell of Nescafe. Gone are the days of a freshly brewed cup of starbucks. Oh what I would give for a non-fat tall latte or better yet cafe intelligentsia...anything!

But Nescafe is the heart of Indian coffee in the north and I can live with the syrupy flavor.

“Hmm, kya swaaad hai”- Nescafe! ( Taste the flavor)

We got ourselves comfortable for our 5 hour ride to Lucknow, giving us just enough time to freshen up before our the beginning of our orientation session.

Boy were we ever wrong. We could have had a hundred cups of coffee and the train still wouldn't have left the platform. At this point, (around 2 am) I was tired, cold (the Delhi cold is finally setting in) and in need of a couple hours of sleep.

Finally! We were moving! The express train would put is in Lucknow at 8 am. Wrong! The express train since it was delayed by 12 hours at this point became a regular train stopping at every village platform picking up sleep deprived passengers along the way. Somewhere between the 30km/ hour “chuk chuk”, I was able to pass in and out of sleep leaning against a window for comfort.

Did I mention, somewhere between 4 and 5 am, the train mysteriously halted.

“Bai sahib, problem kya hai?” (What seems to be the problem)

“Madam ji, ingeeene failure”

We didn't reach Lucknow until 2 PM in the afternoon. Tired and slightly frazzled we were able to conduct the workshop with ease. I played photographer. I had planned some great ice breakers to get the group shaking. Alas, these will be used at a future date.

Random note: the return journey on the Lucknow Mail (duplicate as they call it), left Lucknow on time. Arrival, is another story. Let's just say I was supposed to arrive in the early morning. Didn't make it in until 2 in the afternoon.

The joke became- why take a duplicate when you can take the aasli (original) train.

Deepawali: Festival of Lights

2008-11-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

"When East, Meets West"

Walking through the streets of Delhi, I could smell the build up to the Deepwali. All the kids were out on the roads lighting their firecrackers and scaring the hell out of me. People of all ages were out on the streets doing some last minute shopping and the sweet stores were packed with variety of orders from Ladoos to Gulab Jamun, Khalkaan (my favorite) and of course Jalaybee. I dont know how I am going to survive in India with all these temptations. I was able to make my way to Amit's house without any issues. Actually I was shocked to see how busy the roads were but thanks to the wonderful Metro system ( its better than New York and Vancouver!), I was able to make it over in less than an hour.

Well everyone was napping when I went over. The entire family had just arrived from the States and jet lag had kicked in. Not to worry, Amit and I ended up heading out to the one of the local bazaars and chilling at a near by Barista. I am so happy that I haven't seen a single Starbucks since I arrived in India. India actually has it's own brand of coffee shops- “Cafe Coffee Day” which serves really good cappuccino's and lattes.

As the sun set over Delhi, we made our way back to the family house to begin the festivities. Surrounded by tons of food, fruits and yes sweets, we ate, heard stories and just talked for hours. I got to meet Amit's extended family and play with Keshav. He's growing up so quickly and is fascinated by doors and well all shiny objects. Of course, the main topic of discussion was the upcoming nuptials and the organization of the fun and 5 days of festivities.

The Chakra- The Crazy Wheel!

I got to light my first set of diyas (lamps) and place them on the terrace and we ran off to begin the real fun- Fireworks! I didn't realize there were so many varieties! Chakras (spinning wheels..soo much fun) to the flower pots and my favorite of all the Anar (Its basically and explosive pomegranate and so colorful)

The skies of Delhi lit up with various Fireworks. Every time we let out the big one (firecracker) the entire building shook with intensity. But , it was amazing to see it up close and personal.

Anar- The Explosive Pomegranate!

Note to anyone reading this blog: NEVER let me light any form of a firecracker. After lighting the big one, rather than moving away like a normal person, I stood there trying to see if it would actually shoot up in the air. Lucky for me, Amit was close enough to move me out of harms way. I know I am a silly goat. Oh well. With all the excitement, we finally managed to fall asleep at 4 am. The fireworks continued until dawn.

Meet the Jha's

2008-11-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

It's the night before Diwali and I am so very excited. I get to spend my first Diwali in India. For some reason, no one could focus on work today. I think its all the excitement and the build up to the festival of lights. All we did today was exchange gifts (our own x-mas) and eat tons of sweets. I have a feeling by the time I return, my nickname will be michellin baby :) But the best part of today was that my co-worker and very quickly becoming one of my closest friends, Annu invited me to spend chota Diwali ( small Diwali) with her family. She was kind of down because her daughter would not be able to join her for the festivities but, as luck would have it Khusbhoo (her daughter) was able to surprise mommy dearest at the last minute.

So, we were off to rohini sector to celebrate and have some fun. I fell in love with Annu's family instantly. Her husband Arun, is one of the nicest men I have met. He insisted up having us sit down and put our feet up and relax while he bough us cup after cup of hot tea and coffee. They are family full of laughter and all I remember was laughing hysterically for hours on end. Ayush, Annu's ten year old son is so cute and sweet. You know that when grows up there is going to be a line of women chasing after him.

With Annu's Family ( Mom and Niece)

It was about 10 PM and we decided to go check out the local markets (open till 2 am). We browsed till we dropped and everywhere we went Annu introduced me to her community of friends. Ever have freshly squeezed Anar (Pomegranate) Juice? Trust me with a little bit of chaat masala, it's a must have drink in India. We sat in the market admiring all the stalls and meeting Annu's friends. I felt like I was in a Cheer's episode (where everyone know's Annu). She introduced me to her family (sister, mom and her crazy younger brother who was intent on me cooking Biryani for him) and each house we visited, it was more coffee! Did I mention I love coffee? I love the area where Annu lives. It's one of the quieter areas of Delhi and its small and secluded. We didn't get back until midnight. Only then we did the middle eastern thing and ate loads of good home made food. Nothing like okra fry, home made aloo dhum and lots of fresh dahi (yogurt) to end off the night. It seemed like the night of fun and just good old fashioned laughter ended too quickly but, I am glad to have met Annu's family. I didn't feel so homesick after all. Spending the festival with loved ones helped me get through it. Next up, the real Diwali festivities with the Chawla Family. I am so excited! Can't wait to see the fireworks and meet little Keshav ( Amit's 8 month old nephew- adorable little doll of a man)

Random acts of kindness- Diwali celebration with school kids

2008-10-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Children of Sagarpur New

October in India, is by far the month of festivals. Children hardly go to school for a week because of one festival or another but I guess they aren’t complaining and neither am I . I am going to spend my first ever Diwali in India and I am stoked! Diwali or the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated festivals by Indians all over the world. According to Hindu tradition, it is the celebration of the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of living in exile. So, Indians all around the world consume more sugar on this day than they should- mind you I still think that one cup of tea is about 4 chocolate bars worth of sugar. Diwali is a beautiful festival where houses are decorated (similar to Christmas), gifts are exchanged, kilos of different sweets are consumed (it’s showing on me that’s for sure- Michelin Baby in the making)and best of all the fireworks! The Chinese may have invented the fireworks but by far, the Indians use them the most.

Yesterday, I got to experience a random act of kindness by an independent donor and his family. Knowing that there are tons of children who aren’t fortunate enough to celebrate Diwali, the way it should. He packed up his car with all kinds of goodies for children, stationery items and sweets and gave SARD a call indicating that he would like to distribute this to one of the schools.

So, Annu and I ended up taking him and his family to Sagarpur New, one of the schools that SARD works with in Delhi. I’ve never seen a more excited group of young third grade boys than they ones i met yesterday. They were all patiently waiting in the school hall for us to arrive and kept wishing every person who entered the hall- “Happy Diwali”.

I could see how happy they were to receive these gifts. They were so excited with the stationery, the food and the chocolates that they couldn’t keep it all in their hands and kept dropping it on the floor. It was an amazing feeling to see that even in this time of celebration, there are some people who are still willing to spend a little bit of their good fortune and foster some happiness within little children whose parent s may not be able to afford to give them the Diwali we celebrate.

The funny thing is that today when I went for my morning walk...one of the kids recongized me and chased after me calling me " Didi...you came to my school, thank you Didi"...Jello all over again!

I guess I’m just jello on the inside as well .

Walking through Darkness

2008-10-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

A Mine free field????

I never thought there would ever come a day where I would actually fear walking through cotton or wheat field, not knowing that there might be a mine that could alter my life forever. For most people in the border regions of Rajasthan, Punjab and Kashmir, this is a reality. In 2001, following the bombing of the parliament buildings in New Delhi, the Indian Army laid close to 1 million landmines between its shared border with Pakistan. Most of these areas bordered villages and were mainly in farming communities where the families living are, as it is severely marginalized by society. Following a decrease in tensions between the two neighbouring countries, the Indian army claims to have completely demined the border regions. However, every year there are still reports of victims affected in this region.

SARD is probably the only NGO in India currently working to provide rehabilitative efforts as well as micro financing schemes to the victims and their families. Most of these victims are spaced across the border areas in different villages and are already severely marginalised as is. This week, I made my first visit to the Line of control with Pakistan. I had the opportunity to visit Abohar, one of the border towns approximately 7 km away from the line of control with Pakistan. Abohar is situated in Punjab and has some of the most fertile land in India. The area is so serene and beautiful and I have to say this about Punjabis- they are very the most hospitable of Indians. Even if they have close to nothing, they will share whatever they have with you, because you are their guests.

I was struck by the fact that I couldn’t tell where India’s border with Pakistan actually began. I was told that we were about 5 km away from the line of control but all I could see was towers from the Pakistani side tall enough to watch over the Indian border security forces movement. It’s so hard to imagine that in 1947, in a matter of a fortnight, 1 million people were internally displaced between two borders; families separated over night. Some remained Indian and others became Pakistani. I am told that some of the SARD workers face the same situation. They haven’t seen their families who live probably 20 minutes away from them in 50 plus years- The tragedy of the subcontinent. Even the housing isn’t permanent. Most of the houses near the borders are made of mud because of the ever present fear of war.

My initial visit to Abohar was short but it’s still left a lasting impression on me. I was able to meet two families who had been affected by landmines. SARD was able to procure interest free loans for these families, providing them with an additional source of income. One of the men I met, lost his foot when he stepped on a mine while working in the cotton fields. The other, a sweet kind old woman, lost both her legs when she got up early in the morning and went outside into the field to use the facilities. The ironic part of it all was that her husband had spent his entire life serving the country in the Border Security Forces- knowing very well that there were mines in the area. He just never realized that it would affect his family so drastically.

I was left with an overwhelming sense of grief because not a lot of Indians abroad are aware that there are in fact landmines in India and continue to affect the livelihoods of Indians on a daily basis. In Kashmir, the situation is even worse- avalanches and landslides move the landmines and there is no clear demarcation. Victims living in border areas are far and wide and that’s probably one of the main challenges facing organisations who want to provide rehabilitative support. Most of the victims and their families live in remote regions that often are not accessible by road. I do realize that border tensions between India and Pakistan make it an impossible political task to get both countries to sign the ban on landmines. But, I do believe that there is scope for promoting rehabilitative efforts in India and I left Abohar with this feeling of hope that maybe something can be done after all.
I hope that with SARD’s good relations with the border forces and the Indian government, we might be able to visit Kashmir and understand the current plight of the survivors. I truly hope that the Indian government will grant us support in conducting rehabilitative and mine risk education in the region. I know that on my return to Vancouver, I might not be the wide eyed optimist that I am right now but, I still know that there is hope that one day India can be mine free, and that is the message I hope to share on my return to Vancouver.

I know that there will be light in this darkness too.

Polio Eradication Campaign in Meerut

2008-10-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

It’s back to the grind and I am not complaining at all. After a wonderful relaxing weekend, I found out that one of our donor agencies Project Concern International’s international Delegation from San Diego was arriving for a day long visit to one of the project areas in Meerut. We run a joint program with them on polio eradication. Sadly, to date, certain parts of India are still affected by polio due to a lack of proper hygienic conditions and poor awareness on the issue. SARD and PCI have been working since last year in Meerut, U.P to mobilize the local community to increase awareness on polio, provide vaccinations as well as pre-natal and antenatal support to women in rural villages. The campaign has received an amazing success over the past year. Last year there were approximately 55 cases of polio reported in Meerut. This year, that hasn’t even been one! It was amazing to see involvement of the self governing bodies within the community in mobilizing support. Religious leaders were also actively engaged in the promoting oral vaccinations for new born as well as in the education of proper health measures to avoid contracting polio.

At the ridiculously early time of 5 am, we set out to Meerut by car and well I basically passed out until we got to Meerut. The lodge that we were supposed to meet the delegation was shut down. So, we were invited to stay in a bed sheet emporium until the lodge opened. It was the strangest experience to stare at these piles of bed sheets neatly stacked up of various bright colors and prints. I kept thinking of the children’s story the princess and pea. For some reason, i wondered what would happen if there was a pea under all those sheets. (I know, it still doesn’t make sense to me either)

The international delegation was actually a group of women from San Diego who are so
full of life. They were excited about being in India and so full of passion for the cause they were working on. We managed to take them to three different villages all 20 km away from each other. Now, imagine a group of cars trying to by pass trucks, bullock carts and well poultry on a tiny one lane road in order to get to those villages. At one point, we waited for half hour for a cart carrying a load of sugar cane to get past us so that we could move on.

There is one thing I cant deny about the Indian culture- we know how to welcome guests. Even though these villages don’t have a lot of money and are in need of support, they still managed to provide our foreign guests with so much love and laughter that even they were blown away by it. Upon our arrival at the first village, the entire village came out with the dhol players (drums) and greeted our visitors with garlands and the traditional tilak ceremony where red vermillion is added to the forehead of the visitor to invite them into their homes. It was beautiful. The smell of fresh rose petals mixed with incense sticks filled the air as we made our way to the cluster office.

The turnout at the cluster office was amazing. Women from far and wide came to meet the international delegation. I was more than happy to act as a translator (I think my hindi is improving) and translate the questions from the audience. The coordinator explained the importance of pre and post care for babies and proper hygienic practices. The women were actually quite shy with their questions but by the end of the period, they opened up about their concerns. One being that the nutritional supplements they were given for their children often got lodged in their throats and was looking for an alternative. Hearing their concerns, it made me realize how small measures such as providing water soluble supplements can change a child’s life and make a true difference. It doesn’t take a world policy change to bring it about. It’s just a matter of listening to the concerns of the masses and actively participating to bring about change.

Realization of the day: it’s the simple acts of kindness that count. Confucius wrote- “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. All we need to do to bring about change in our lives is to take that simple step, that leap of faith...the rest will follow on its own.

2008-10-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

My two munchkins- Valeena and Venya

This is probably one of the weekends I will remember for a long time to come. This weekend, I reconnected with my long lost family after 14 years. I got to see my oldest sister (cousin but I really don’t see the difference) and meet my nieces for the first time in my life. Well, it was a rush of emotions. My sister looks exactly the way I remember her when I was a kid running after her and getting her to pamper me. Something things haven’t changed. She still managed to pamper me and my nieces are the smartest, craziest and funniest 8 year old twins I’ve ever met. They are my munchkins...one is sweet, rational and very observant (venya) and my other niece is a little diva in the making- sweet, beautiful and articulate (Valeena). Together they have become a part of my heart. I never thought I was kid person until I met my nieces. I always imagined myself to be this tomboy who really didn’t know how to handle herself around kids. In a matter of a millisecond, these girls melted my heart. They actually reminded me a lot of my brother and me growing up. Constantly trying to annoy each other- best friends and times and the well the worst when it came to the important things. We spent a glorious weekend eating home cooked meals, watching TV, dancing in the living room and I managed to even take them swimming. It was the oddest thing to swim in a pool fully clothed! I mean I was in pants and t shirt because I didn’t have anything else! The girls fought over who would sleep next to me and well let’s just say my back is in a recovery period right now because off all the kicks I got during the night. Call it a Thai massage at its worst.
My sister and I would stay up late into the morning talking about growing up, her married life, the kids and my mom. She kept saying how much I reminded her of my mother- the same looks, style and personality. I am proud to say that I am my mother’s daughter and I think that was the biggest compliment I have received to date. Commiserating over the past and planning the future really helped to shape my feelings of how much I’ve missed growing up with my family. It’s always been us 5 (can’t forget about the dog- coco) and after moving to Canada, it seemed so easy to lose touch and get occupied with your own life. Rediscovering my family has also become part of this journey to India.

Probably the most emotional period of my entire weekend with my new family was visiting my aunt’s house. I have the fondest memories of her when I was child and she unfortunately passed away from cancer in 1994. Even though I was just a child, I remember running through the rooms and into her open arms, being force fed idli and sugar (to this date I hate it) and eating all the custard apples I could possibly find. Walking through those hallways, I felt all those memories return to me and I felt her presence. She truly was very beautiful inside and out and now I see that spirit live on in my sister and my nieces. Even though I was 9 when she passed away, there are some memories you never forget and I paid my respects to a love that I have lost. In return, I have found love in my sister, my nieces and a new family I thought I would never know.

Random fact of the day: internet in Bangalore is dirt cheap....15 rupees for an hour and a half! Oh the coconut water you can drink! I truly am a tropical princess

Back on the Road Again

2008-10-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

My mum has this funny saying or call this a superstition. Apparently, a person who has a lot of circles (chakras) on their feet (feet print) will travel a lot and is a constant traveller. I guess I should agree with her on this one because that’s me
Well a sleepless Sunday night actually led into a sleepless Monday night as well. I hope this is not becoming a routine. The reason for my state- more travel! Well the funny thing is that I was heading back to the same place I was the day before- Jaipur: The Pink City. Well, I only had 15 minutes to pack before I made my way to an ICRC event on humanitarian issues in the media. It was quite enlightening to see the Indian perspective on humanitarian issues in print media. Like all around the world, print media too is becoming more of a money making business – call it the CNN effect in print.

Well this is where the real fun begins. Annu and I got picked up from the India Habitat Center to find out that Sudhir (my boss) also brought along his cute, sweet and cheeky kids with his wife on this trip. It was their vacation off and well we were going to work and they were going to have a bit of fun. After a long crazy journey with an insane driver trying to overtake three trucks at a time, we made to jaipur. Well apparently, it was kind of my day off as well and I got to shop like mad woman! I love the fact that there are so many emporiums that are super cheap. I also picked up a lengha for my friend’s wedding which has this beautiful Rajasthan look to it (only to find out that it exposes most of my back and also my entire mid riff- not too pleased) and tons of jewellery for my nieces. I love the colors and the variety in designs. The problem is when I get into the shopping spirit, I really go nuts and well this is exactly what happened.

After our shopping expedition, we made our way to our accommodation where are fields offices are: Jamwa Ramgarh, about an hour east of Jaipur in between the Arrawali mountains. Sudhir has a knack of picking to most inexpensive and beautiful spots to stay at which has the ethnic feel and experience to it. The area even in the dead night was breath taking. I could actually see the constellations all the way to the horizon and oh the fresh air! I finally had fresh air and it was a welcome change. We really didn’t sleep much that night. Sudhir, Annu and I ended up staying up and talking like I do with my own friends back home. I think this the main reason why I feel so comfortable. I am treated as family and it’s an amazing feeling.
I awoke to the sounds of peacocks and parrots singing. On opening my door, I could truly appreciate the beauty of Rajasthan. I always was under the impression that Rajasthan was a desert. Little did I know, in pockets, it’s just the opposite!

Sunrise over the Arrawali Range

Having our early morning 6 am cups of tea and staring off into the horizon, made me realize how much I enjoy just the simple things in life. It isn’t about the bling (for a lack of a better word); it’s about the people and experiencing the moment for what it is. I guess I am simple person at heart that has a crazy shoe collection back home

We spent most of the morning conducting our field office meetings in Jamwa Ramgarh before I was once again treated to an afternoon off. Sudhir dropped us off near the Pink city to go shopping and well let’s just say this girl loves outdoor markets- heaven! I found everything from wall paintings to shoes, to the most beautiful silver jewellery. But, my real excitement was Hawa Mahal- the Wind Palace. When you actually stand inside the palace you can feel this amazing wind that refreshes and cools you to the core

Hawa Mahal- Jaipur

The palace itself was built by one of the kings to allow his many wives to view the processions and public life through the windows of the palace while they remained in purdah. The palace itself is currently under restoration and the funny thing is that the exterior is ornate but the interiors are simple and consist of a labyrinth of rooms for his many wives. I would have hated to live in that environment. Could you imagine the constant fighting and squabbling...yikes!

Well, let’s just say a hot day in Jaipur can tire anyone. But no blog would come complete without a random story. Something silly that must happen to Harini while she travels. Well, this story is proudly presented by the local shop keepers of jaipur who insist on dragging you into their shops and forcing you to either buy something or try to marry you. Well this time, it had to do with a shoe shop. I was just browsing, minding my own business when I had the store keeper approach me with a variety of shoes. Even though I wasn’t interested, he insisted on making me sit down and try his patent leather designs. When that didn’t work, apparently flirtation is the next step. It went something like this:

“Miss, you have very beautiful eyes- like a deer”

I- Thank you but I should go

Shopkeeper: Miss, these shoes will bring out your eyes. You must buy. You remind me of Shilpa Shetty (Bollywood Star)

Me- At this point mad and frustrated “Thank you but I have many shoes”

Shopkeeper: But miss, I give you good price, don’t break my heart. If not shoes, would you like to go for coffee?

Me- No...Walking out of the shop...throwing my hands in the air asking why me

An Unexpected Journey

2008-10-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Last week, out of the blue, my aunt who currently lives in London, called me up indicating that she was coming to Delhi for a couple days. Well, I didn’t know exactly when she was to arrive. I haven’t seen my mum’s sister in about 15 years. Well that was just the starting of the surprise. This big surprise was yesterday when I found out that she arrived at the domestic airport in Delhi and we were to immediately board a bus to Ajmer, Rajasthan. Well, that wasn’t all. My mum’s youngest brother, my mama (uncle in Hindi and Telugu) also came with here and I was almost in tears when I greeted them at the airport. My aunt now looks so similar to my amamama (maternal grandma- Telugu) and it just brought back all the fond memories of visiting India and seeking her and my thatha (paternal grandpa)

Well off we went. I knew that Ajmer was about a 10 hour bus ride from New Delhi...so it meant that with all the stops and twists and turns on the road, it was going to be one interesting journey. Note to fellow travellers, air conditioning is advisable when travelling through hot and dry regions of Rajasthan where temperatures can reach to the mid 40’s during the day time. Or just travel in November or December when it’s much cooler.
The long bus ride with the frequent stops to get more chai, kachore (fried potato patties in flour...more potatoes!) and lassi (sweet buttermilk) actually got us to Ajmer closer to 5:30. We had made this journey with the intent to meet a baba ( a Muslim holy man). After the holy month of Ramadan, the streets of Ajmer are crowded with people from all different faiths asking for the blessings of this holy man to protect them from evil spirits or grant their dreams. Walking up to the mosque, I felt like I had entered an old forgotten town from the Mughal Empire. I could see the sun setting on the whitewashed buildings built into the mountain side as well as the entrance to the masjid, welcoming everyone for darshaan (prayer).

Most of you know that I am a believer of multi-faiths and for me this was a spiritual journey to restore happiness and health in both my family and friends. Walking up the stair case to my baba’s house, I felt at home at a peace. I kept thinking about the wonderful hospitality I was being offered by his children and the gifts I was showered with just because I was my aunts daughter and I was here to pray. After washing up and having a spectacular Muslim brunch (including sweet meats, tea, and samosass) and cleaning up, we ended up meeting Baba. Baba is of the Sufi faith and preaches tolerance and wards of any kind of evil that falls upon people. We sat there listening to his blessings before he asked us to enter the Mosque (something that women can’t do- unless with special permission) to perform our prayers and receive our blessings.

It was the most beautiful mosque I have ever been in. His son, our wonderful guide was able to enlighten us on the history of the mosque. Sections of the mosque were built by Akbar the Great, Shah Jahan as well as portions were donated by Queen Victoria funnily enough. Watching everyone get ready to make their offering, made me feel at peace and participating in the prayers with my aunt and uncle made it even more special. We made our donations in this huge well...literally where anything from money to rice and wheat can be placed. Following that, my uncle received baskets of rose petals which were to be taken into the mosque and we were to follow him to receive our blessings from baba. At this point, we were also told that it would be crowded, not to worry and also that Shah Jahan’s daughter was also buried in that particular.

Under the moon light and the rose petals showering down on me, I felt blessed. I asked the wishes of my friends and family to come true and I felt so lucky to be able to have embarked on the unexpected journey and the biggest gift of all was reuniting with my maternal family 

In spite of our short time together, after making the short journey back and arriving home at 5 am this morning, I feel blessed and happy. Words can’t explain the joy that I am feeling right now, knowing that this unexpected trip happed out of the blue and holds a special place in my heart. Ajmer is a city I must return. Photographs need to be taken to showcase the beauty of the city, the culture and the history

I want to stand up, I want to be heard, Dont put me on the backburner

2008-10-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

A new month has just begun and I am still trying to figure out how time has passed by so quickly. I feel as though the last time I checked, I had just arrived in New Delhi and was unsure of what to expect. Now, I feel as though I won’t have enough time to completely learn and enjoy myself here. Maybe a year internship would have been a better idea. But, I am here and what can I say other than that I am slowly starting to fall in love. The city of a million sights, smells and sounds. Being woken up by devotional songs at dawn, to the smell of garbage everywhere, to the smile on a young child’s face when you show them a bit of love and attention. It’s as if there is no pause in Delhi. Time and change are intertwined into a single sentence and I am just here along for the ride.

Purana Qila

October also marks the beginning of the festival season. First up, Navratri where the women keep 9 days of “fasting” until the festival of Dusshera, in honour of one of the goddesses Durga. What I didn’t realize is that I would also be indirectly partaking in the fasting rituals whether I liked it or not. It basically means that my diet now consists of potatoes, more potatoes and some more. Talk about starch overload in different forms- from curries to dry fries. I hope my landlords don’t find out that I actually hate potatoes with a passion and I have been secretly living on a diet of cookies and chocolates to deal with my hunger pangs.
Eid also falls in around the same time and lastly, the best festival of the year (in my opinion) is diwali, the festival of lights. It’s going to be my first ever diwali in India and the festival honours the return of Lord Ram after 14 years in exile. For everyday folks it means...eating tons of good food and all the sweets you can possibly consume and the best part of all- fireworks!!!!

Well today being October 2nd is actually Eid as well as Gandhi Jayanti (the birth of Gandhi) and it means a holiday! I feel spoilt! I’m actually getting a holiday in the middle of the week. I haven’t had one in a month so this feels great. I wasn’t too sure what to do with myself. I have been warned multiple times not to venture out towards Kashmiri Gate or Old Delhi since there could be more bomb blasts so I did what every Indian would do on a holiday- Shop!

It was actually my first experience venturing into an Indian Shopping Mall. I seriously felt as though I was walking to Pacific center in Vancouver. The only difference was that there were tons of Indian clothing and Indian people! I’m not a big fan of malls but hey if you want to avoid being bored and get some exercise in as well, what’s a girl to do.

The not so fun part of all the festivities is the constant power outages that result from over consumption. So on a daily basis at random times, the power goes out for anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half. So, it means tons of cold showers to deal with the heat (will it ever end) and lots of walks to deal with my boredom. I am really getting to know myself well here in Delhi.

Today also being Gandhi jayanti has made me think a lot about the world today. Where our inspirational leaders that made youth believe and look up to someone? Does it mean that only in times of great struggle and world war, greatness emerges. Don’t get me wrong, I am not the biggest fan of Gandhi myself but I can’t help but wonder, what does it take to have an inspirational person move us, shake us and make us scream for our rights and our beliefs. Will I ever hear, meet or see such an individual or will it become once again about reading books to find out the meaning of inspiration.

In today’s world where death is treated as the norm and there is so much degradation and violence on different levels, where are our leaders who will fight for change, in the name of humanity and goodness.
Maybe I am being too idealistic again but we need people with souls, who aren’t soldiers and are willing to implement change in the name of love.
Rambling again 

Meeting His Excellency

2008-09-28T05:25:00.001-07:00

The Brigade getting ready for greeting his excellency

Well, I should have expected today to be completely busy and insane. Laxmi (my co-worker who is becoming my good friend) and I ended up leaving early in preparation for the event at a medical college (Maulana Azad). We had created our outline and our agenda was good to go.
So having arrived at the event, we met our biggest annoyance. A woman who worked for the Ambulance society who really should have hosted the show in hindsight. She got in our way and at points was obnoxiously rude to both of us for no given reason. Well , it didn’t matter- the show must go on and it did.

It actually seemed like a quick blur with lots of media and children as well from the local schools. His Excellency is actually 6ft tall and his body guards were hilarious. They had this stern look on their faces but were internally laughing because the crazy woman wouldn’t shut up on stage as well.

In my usual dorky stance in front of the awards

Well, his Excellency is definitely a politician. He can speak very well and was able to highlight the work of the St. John’s Ambulance and also the need for continued vigilance with the recent terrorist attacks. Overall, I think the event was a complete success and I was happy at the end of it

Funny story of the day: This I am sure what you guys really read: No day would be complete without a weirdo chasing me across the roads. Well, this time it was a St- John’s Ambulance member who I was keen on getting my number. He kept telling me that I had pretty eyes and eyebrow shape. Laxmi only encouraged him some more by comparing me to shilpa shetty ( a somewhat famous Indian actress?) Well anyways, needless to say it was a funny experience trying to get rid of him. He insisted on accompanying us to the hail an auto and we tried to lose him! I mean we ran across the road and the guy didn’t get the point. He still managed to cut across and ensure we were safe. I felt bad telling the auto to leave ASAP. But, what was I to do! Creepy...is creepy! Only in India.

Dreaming of Thailand

2008-09-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

I just found out that Sudhir wants me to apply for a scholarship to Thailand! Bangkok!!!! Well, it is a workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Awareness with the Youth coalition and they are looking for candidates from South Asia and South East Asia to participate at the end of November. Now, I might be disqualified because I am Canadian but, I’ve applied anyways in hopes that I will get it. It would make it one year since my last trip to Thailand. I am praying that it comes true! It would just add to an already amazing internship.

I also found out today that I would be hosting an event with a co worker of mine for the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade and the chief guest of the event is the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Tejender Khanna. Oh my gosh! Well, I almost had an internal heart attack when I found out that I would be introducing him. What an honour and what an experience! It’s my first big media/ publicity assignment. It’s to celebrate brigade day, an annual even recognizing the effort of the St. John’s ambulance brigade especially in response to the recent bomb blasts. Nervous completely...excited completely and I get to wear a sari to look all professional yay!

Forces of Nature

2008-09-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Maybe it’s a combination of becoming increasingly lazy or increasingly tired ( I choose to believe the latter) I haven’t been blogging all that much. My friend was kind enough to point out that it had been more than a week and wanted to hear the different levels of drama I have encountered in Delhi...well let’s start with the biggest news so far...

Well I hope this doesn’t freak out my big brother too much but my apartment was broken into in broad day light. Luckily nothing was stolen and I was notified immediately. You see I guess in hindsight it was a smart thing that I was carrying all my things with me out of habit or if not I leave it locked up safely. My room was in complete disarray. My mattress had been lifted up. I guess the thief must have believed that my important things would have been hidden underneath the mattress. Old Indian habit I guess. But nothing was taken and since then, my landlord has provided me with a double bolted door for added security. My boss was kind enough to drop by later on and check in on my situation. Seriously, I think I am sort of force of nature...everywhere I go something happens! It’s been hardly 17 days and seriously bomb blasts, apartment break ins etc...I should really name this blog “ Hurricane Harini”.

But on a plus note, It has made me question- what is my tolerance level? This event didn’t faze me one bit actually. I carry on my life as I normally do. I wonder what will really push me over the edge. Mind you, I am not willing to find out anytime soon. Trust me.

A walk through history

2008-09-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect today. How does one really react in response to bomb blasts across the city. Obviously, I was not prepared to venture out towards Central Delhi. Instead, I decided a little bit of history and culture is what I needed the most.

At Qutab Minar

So, I went off to search history at Qutab Minar. Now for those of you who don’t know much about Indian history, here is a very small synopsis of why Qutab Minar is a world heritage site. Well Qutab Minar was actually build by Mohammud Ghauri in 1193 AD and marked the first Muslim Dynasty in India. What is really unique about this site is that you can actually see the previous panels and decorative pieces from both Hindu and Jain cultures fused into the area surrounding Qutab Minar. Venturing out actually turned out to be a very smart thing because I realized that my gut instinct about this city was on the ball- life moves on, people remember...they don’t forget but life does move on. Sitting in front of this absolutely breathtaking edifice, I couldn’t but feel the conquerors of past each trying to keep control of this city and each creating a name from themselves in hopes that history will remember them. From Ghauri to Akbar the great, for every emperor who has conquered Delhi, the city has grown around them and you can still feel their presence.
I actually also found the 7 ft tall iron pillar, that to this date does not have any sign of rust on it. It was actually raised in memory of Chandragupta II who ruled up to 413 AD. Legend has it, if you encircle the pillar with your arms, your wish will be granted. Too bad they gated the pillar now! There goes my wish! It’s just really neat to see the different civilizations that have made their mark on Delhi, each adding a different flavour to this city.

The Iron Pillar-Qutab Minar

Next up on the agenda was to visit the Baha’i Temple also known popularly as the “Lotus Temple”. I absolutely loved it there. The Baha’i believe the lotus to be a symbol of purity and the nine pools surrounding the temple actually act as natural cooling system for the prayer hall and trust me was it ever hot! What I really love about the Baha’i culture is that they believe in the unity of God and accept all faiths and religions. A big bonus is that in temple, you can talk at all. Trust me, after all the hustle and bustle in the city, it is great to just meditate and say a little prayer and spend some time in some absolute silence. It was also the perfect way to really end the weekend on a reflective note...it gave me the opportunity to just reflect.

The Lotus Temple

Randomness of the day: no day off would be complete without something silly happening. Well, this time it had to do with my auto driver who insisted on talking to me the entire way I went home. Of course, part of Indian culture is to make a stranger your friend by asking every single detail of your life- from what do your parents do to are you married yet! Well, he was a really sweet man who was really struggling to feed his five daughters (that’s right they kept trying to get that boy) in a small village in U.P. Of course, that meant he had to leave town to make the money and provide for his family. He does not get to see them very often and is constantly worried about making ends meet. Well, this is the sad reality here. The disparity between the rich and poor keeps increasing on a daily basis and honestly paying a little more for a ride back home didn’t really bother me at all.
What bothered me was the fact that this man...well this budda (old man) had the nerve to ask me for my phone number and kept flirting with my incessantly...what is wrong with people here! He had just finished telling me about his wife, giving me blessings and then asked for my phone number. Only in India.

There’s no easy way.....

2008-09-14T06:28:00.000-07:00

I am not quite sure how to recount these events. After spending some amazing time with my new found friends, I received a call from Sudhir ji (my boss) explaining to me that 5 bombs had gone off in public market areas all over Delhi. It was approximately 6:40 pm at this point. Apparently, across Delhi, a series of organized bomb blast went off in the most populated market areas (from CP- the tourist hub to Karol Bagh). An Indian militant extremist group took responsibility for the bombings and I am glad it’s not a cross border issue for once. At that point, we had just finished off a bit of shopping and we were making our way home. Of course, I was in shock. I had been in Thailand when the military coup took place (and it was peaceful) but, I did not know what to expect in Delhi. Since earlier this year, there have been bomb blasts across India from Bangalore to Jaipur, with the sole purpose of in sighting fear in the minds of the public.

Well, again I can’t help but feel so blessed to have made some amazing friends who dropped me off to my designated point when clearly it could have been a very much a situation of panic. There was very little news coming out of the media outlets at this point. The news was reporting at this point that 4 people had been killed and close to 80 people injured. It was a real sense of eeriness travelling through Delhi. You could see that security had clearly been heightened and the city was completely deserted. Now, there were additional reports that more bombs (unexploded) had been found around India Gate and close to the parliament building.

Again, this is my own personal opinion but my gut instinct kept telling me that regardless of which extremist group did this, there is something to be said about human spirit. In the face of adversity, people don’t walk away. They continue with life and try to live their lives to the fullest and make the best of any given situation. This is what I have learned in the last 2 weeks living in Delhi. No matter which strand of society you come from or which region of India or the world you might be, the fact is, this civilization is more than 3000 years old. A couple bomb blasts wont incite fear and I am so proud and glad it hasn’t because the only way to give a voice to any form of extremism is fear.

This city has taught me that it chooses not to live in fear. Yes, an immense tragedy has occurred here and everyone here is in a state of shock. My prayers are with the families of those who have been injured or lost their loved ones. Even with the toll of 90 people wounded with these blasts, life goes on. A wise friend just emailed me telling me that “You will meet people from all walks of life here in Delhi. They all face disaster in different forms on a daily basis; the chaos is part of the daily routine itself”.

I can’t help but agree with these sentiments. I think the people of this city have a lot of soul and that not a force to be reckoned with.

A wise traveller never despises his own country

2008-09-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

This week has been intensely busy. I think I have actually lost count of the number of projects that I am involved in and I love it. I had the opportunity to document a needs assessment report for a district in Uttar Pradesh living around a sugar mill, write my first abstract for a UNESCO conference, interact in Hindi with some amazing kids at a primary school level (in their remedial classes) and finally meet the team working on landmines in Punjab. They really have done an excellent job in documenting the activities they do surrounding the issue of landmines including role play, essay competitions and art work. I was really pumped to see what has been accomplished to date and I can’t wait to get started this coming week on some awareness projects.

Saturday! Yay! I didn’t mind having to work this Saturday either. It was actually nice to keep going at it because there really is so much to do and I can already see the fruits of everyone’s labour. Again, we all work hard and I absolutely love the fact that every day at lunch, we all sit together and share food and try each other’s curries out. Sadly, my contribution for lunch is bought from the restaurant downstairs but they do make the best shimla mirch I have tasted so far. Yummy food in my tummy.

I was able to sneak away at 2pm and make my way to CP to meet up with Vasu at Khan Market. She was going to introduce me to her best friends here in Delhi so that I would have some company while she is away in Assam. Again, i have no idea how I am blessed to meet such awesome people but i will call it divine intervention for now. So, let me describe khan market. I could sense it was a little bit more upscale and kind of reminded me of shopping at home really. I has this cool retro chick look to it with lots of wonderful little cafe’s and tons of upscale boutiques.

Big Chill's- Khan Market

So we went to Big Chill’s a really cool throwback of old Hollywood with posters all over the place of black and white movies to newer action films. It completely caters to the NRI and foreign crowd in India and it’s a little bit of comfort for those far away from home. Vasundra promised me that the desserts here were to die for and she was absolutely right. All I had been hearing was “Bonafee Pie” over face book and after tasting a bit of this heaven, i was in Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Okay maybe i can’t decide if i liked the pie better or my chocolate toblerone ice cream. Over some decadent dessert, I got to know Vasu’s friends from Delhi- Shefali ( an amazing lawyer who runs her own practice and hates when people say she looks like Maalika Sherwat – a very pretty actress who unfortunately gets slutty roles) and Suchi ( a person who is so full of life and love for FOOD! Suchi can switch between fluent Punjabi and Bengali in a matter of seconds and I am amazed!) So, needless to say, I am settling in quite well and maybe, just maybe, you can find a piece of home no matter where you go.

Vasundra enjoying her Capp :)

I have a visitor and it's name is Ratatouille

2008-09-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to find a visitor in my home. I think I will name it Ratatouille. Since, arriving about a fortnight ago, I couldn't’t get over the sinking suspicion that I was not alone in my room. Today, I found my furry visitor. Correct me if I am wrong, if most of you saw a mouse running around sniffing everything in sight in your room, you would think “RABIES, VERMIN, DISEASE” or just plain scream. I on the hand actually like my furry friend. It (I really don’t want to get close enough to figure out its sex...does anyone know how to tell the sex of a mouse?), really does not bother me. I have decided to take the Jain approach (I will not hurt it or kill it) in this one particular manner. I think of it as my companion and I am happy to report, it hasn’t figured out where my secret stash of almonds and walnuts are (safely tucked away in my suitcase). Hopefully, Ratatouille won’t be inviting any more friends into my room and I think I can live with just him/her for now. I just need to take a picture of it and you will be able to see how cute it is. Again, yes I know I have issues and this would be one of them.

“She’s Black; She’s White”

2008-09-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

For lack of a better way of introducing this new topic, I have decided to use Michael Jackson as to be my go to person for now. Well, all over Delhi, I have been noticing these advertisements for India today. They are trying to take a progressive view towards changing the mindset of Indians when it comes to traditional values practiced in India. One of the advertisements being a man can also be a cook and be a “Mr. Mom”. But, this one example for some reason made me think a lot about the concept of beauty. The ad states “I am not fair, but I am lovely”. Throughout Asia, having light skin has been the sign of beauty no matter where you go. This is the cultural norm in Korea, Japan, Thailand and even India. I can’t tell you the number of shops I have been in Bangkok trying to find some body lotion which didn’t contain whitening agents (hence the Jackson reference). This phenomenon has also been the part of Indian culture. Mothers have told their daughters to drink tons of milk (to keep fair), stay out of the sun and use products such as “ Fair and Lovely” to ensure that your skin will appear lighter because that is what is considered beautiful. Fair skin also maybe is linked to your economic status because lighter skinned people probably weren’t farmers and tend to lead more posh lives. I personally think is a whole bunch of crap but it is culturally relevant. It’s really ironic that in the western world, people spend thousands of dollars trying to tan, get that healthy golden glow in the sun while in Asia, people spend just about the same amount in a effort to look lighter (since that is considered to be the norm for beauty). Well my friends, this ad even though I can see the progressive elements in it, still maintains the same fact that fairness does matter. I am not sure what the India Today was getting at here with but, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it’s really sad that the underlying tone still remains that you need to be fair in order to be considered beautiful. If they really wanted to say that darker skinned women can be beautiful, the ad should have said “I am not fair and I love it”- that would have made the right statement.

Dr. Sahib (mister) I need your help

2008-09-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I shouldn't have said anything to anyone about being in good health since I arrived in India. I guess my pride finally got the best of me. I woke up a couple days ago with dry eyes and a slight sore throat. I kind of figured that it was nothing just adjustment to the new enviornment. Boy was I ever wrong.

Turns out, this morning I woke up with some really deep throaty cough. I know all the signs and my friends warned me before I left for india. I think I was having a minor asthma attack. So, being me, I decided hey what's the worse that could possibly happen. I am going to stick it out.

Not such a good idea especially when you step out the door and walk about 5 feet before a truck speeding along the main road, lifts up all the dust and sends it your way. Not to get you panicked big brother, but I was seriously wheezing by the time I got to work and I was trying to put on a brave front.

Well, this is why I adore Sudhir (my new boss). He actually knows a friend of his ( a really good doctor he assured me that he had recommended to past interns)and asked my driver friend to take me to the clinic which realistically was 5 minutes away. I am spoiled I swear.

So I met the doctor sahib. Well his clinic is a really really tiny version of a walk in clinic with chairs, a partioned section for examinations and him using his laptop. I basically told him my health history and without even examining me ( i love this part) agreed with my prognosis that my bronchittis was returning and if I didnt take care, it would lead to an asthma attack.

He then proceeded to use the old fashion therometers without the disposal units to check my temprature. Hey at least he washed it with water. So, I left the clinic, with my prescription in hand for steroids (to open up my lungs), antibiotics and some eye drops. Fun times

I wish I would have used my master card for payment. It really would have been the perfect ad...visiting doctor sahib:250 rupees, picking up meds from the chemist store next door: 40 rupees, finding out that a combination of the three medicines can cause heightened blood pressure and a feeling of euphoria: priceless

The old and the new

2008-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

It’s been a week now for me in Delhi. So, I am doing a vital check on myself. Let’s see, health- could be better because I might have a minor asthma attack coming on me (courtesy of Delhi’s incessant pollution), stomach...still going strong. Figure...well I think I might be rounding out a little too much with all the good Indian food I have been eating. But, meh you only live once right. So, the adventure once again begins. This time I get to see Delhi.
Well, navigating into the heart of Delhi also known as CP (Connaught Place) isn’t really all that bad. It would have been better if I didn’t have my laptop with me but what can I say. I’m a woman on a mission. I must go wifi...before I go bye bye (ha! Lame joke) so, getting to the metro stations was a fun experience. I got myself into a rickshaw and almost fell flying because he was low on air pressure. Well for thirty rupees to cover 20 km, I am not complaining. I did make it alive in one piece
The Delhi metro system actually is better than London’s tubes. Its clean (shocking I know), on time (even more shocking) and there are actually seats designated for women only. That means if you are a man in a seat, I have the right to kick you out. I love it (sorry my alpha male friends). I was glad to just be able to stand in one spot and see Delhi around me as the train took me to my destination. I didn’t realize the extent as to how large the city actually is.
Well now for the fun story. Well being the silly tourist that I am, I decided to carry my lonely planet. Well, if you want to be identified by all as being a tourist, go ahead whip out that amazing book that lists off the best places to visit in the golden triangle. It didn’t even take two seconds before I was approached. Well, let’s just say the comedy ensued.
Apparently, this guy was also working in the NGO field and he was nice enough to show me to the Delhi Tourist Center. Now, there are about I don’t know a hundred official Delhi tourist centers. So, travellers do not be fooled. Who did this guy think he was messing with? Hell, I needed a map of the city so I tagged along. He proceeded to compliment me on my Hindi and then ask me why I would need a lonely planet book. (Shaney if you are reading this- Maya, my alter ego was in full force). So, I gave him my fake name and told him I was here for work while my husband was in Goa. I love BS! This guy had no shame whatsoever. He proceeded to ask me out for coffee. Okay, it’s not the worst thing to happen to a single gal but seriously the amount of hair product or coconut oil in his hair would probably feed a family of 10 for a year. Enough said
Sunday’s are actually the best days to travel into the heart of the city. No one’s around and it was great just to be able to walk around and not pass out with the heat. What’s even more stunning is that it’s not that hard to navigate around if you know which direction you are headed in. My first stop was Jantar Mantar. It’s this cool 17th Century dial that was set up by the Rajput Kings to measure...well time and the lunar calendar. I only paid 5 rupees to get in (yay for being Indian) while the rest of the foreigners get stuck with a whopping amount of 100 rupees (which still works out to a buck fifty)

Me at Jantar Mantar

India Gate was next on the agenda and it was really neat to see this memorial dedicated to all those who died in the World War and the subsequent wars as well. The entire path from India Gate to the presidential palace is humungous. That would explain why on republic day, they are able to roll tanks into this area. I also spotted my first set of foreigners. Yay! People who aren’t Indian. Sorry guys, I don’t mean to sound...well racist against my own kind. It’s just hard being away from a multicultural society especially one like Vancouver.

At India Gate- Delhi

And then the highlight of my day: Amit called! My friends from North America have made the connection. Oh I should probably say a few words about Amit because he will be making constant reappearances through my adventures. Amit is my dear friend Abhay’s cousin. We all know each from Vancouver and well he’s getting married in November and I get to go to the wedding (yay!) So, well he’s a swell guy and we got to hang out for the afternoon.
I really felt at home after meeting up with Amit. I also got introduced to his wicked Sister (vasundra and her husband Abhneet). We met up with some more friends (two Mexicans) and proceeded to just chill over coffee and lunch north Indian style. Well it means lots of tandoori chicken and lots of heavy cream in your food. I also found that I had a lot in common with Vasundra. She’s doing her PH. D in Political Science. So common, how could we not get along? They even helped me purchase my wifi card (which incidentally, doesn’t work for 48 hours because of the Indian way of things..sigh)
Btw fellow travellers, if you ever need to buy a cell phone or say a wifi card, it’s nearly impossible without having the Indian version of a SIN number (PIN) and some proof of residence. The best thing to do is to get someone you know who lives in Delhi to do it for you. Seriously a hassle but I am so grateful that I have it. But, lets just hope it works in the next 24 hours or there will be a lot of complaining to happen in this blog....nevermind...it works! I'm free at last! Well, you know what I mean

Delhi to Bharatpur

2008-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

It hasn’t even been a week and I am already on the road courtesy of Sudhir. I found out late Friday that I would have the opportunity to head to see the Mewat region and meet the feild team and see their progress. The Mewat region has a interesting history. The people who live in this area of Rajasthan are some of the poorest in India. The Meo’s who live in the region are of mixed religious heritage- hindu rajputs who converted to islam. They still continue to practice a blend of Hindu and Muslim traditions and as a result, they have been discriminated against by Indian Society. Women actually have the lowest literacy rate in the region and are often the bread winners of the family. As a result, they are unable to attend school and often are the most marginalized section of society. So, basically SARD has been working in the region for the last 10 years to rectify the issue and it has had enormous support from both the village leaders and the Indian government. Currently, they are looking to expand the project into other areas of the region and address the issue of literacy by establishing community based schools that help women by providing for additional classes and tries to mainstream them into the main central school system. It’s all very neat and fascinating
So, we ended up leaving Delhi at around 2. It ended up being my boss Sudhir, Kalyaan- the accountant and Chandrapal, out sweet driver. I didn’t realize that in a span of 4 hours, I had crossed four states! I also got my first glimpses of Delhi and what exactly Northern India looks like outside of the city and it’s beautiful. I love the fact that I could feel the history of my surrounding seep into me. Especially when I hit Mathura- the hometown of Lord Krishna. I could feel the air of spirituality around me and to see the structures (the main temple) in the middle of the city really put me at awe. I also saw the stark poverty presented in front of me. Sudhir was the one who told me the real reason why the main highway is well maintained- it was done by the World Bank. The side roads are a different story of its own. The best way to describe it is that it is completely covered in pot holes. You can see the stark poverty presented in front of you as well. Most of the villages in the surroundings didn’t even have electricity. However, I couldn’t help see the beauty in the midst as well. I could see the stars clearly illuminated by the moon. Don’t get me wrong I understand the abysmal conditions the villagers live in but I was more distracted by my own thoughts and the calmness I was finally experiencing. It was great.

We finally arrived in Deeg, a remote area in Rajasthan at around 9pm. It was clearly dark by then but sudhir still made it a point to meet one of the village leaders. It was really great to see how welcoming the leader was of us. We could tell that even though he didn’t have much he really wanted us to feel at home. I felt bad not accepting the water and the cookies placed in front of me. Not to offend anyone, I ended up taking a sip of the water and then Sudhir explained to the elder that I had just arrived and I wasn’t sure if I could drink the water. So, the leader got me a cold drink. Now, Indian cold drinks are way different from the North American ones. They have a funny taste to it as well which I am not exactly sure why. Following the meeting, we made our way to the Deeg office. It was so neat to see the computer stations set up for the children to learn and their informal teaching rooms that would be used help facilitate learning for the children. I especially loved their learning materials. Fun tools to promote teaching. I also met the local staff there and they were so glad that we had all drove down from Delhi.
After some more visits (by this time it was about 9 pm) we made our way to Bharatpur. I found out that Bharatpur is actually famous for some amazing bird sanctuaries and is renowned from all over the world. We checked into the Border’s Inn (which I totally recommend). After being spoilt at the Marriott’s and well now living in my simple abode, the Inn was a great change. It was seriously a full furnished apartment, with TV and everything! AC!!!! Oh my gosh! I know it sounds silly but trust me in 40 degrees of heat AC is great
6 am really isn’t that bad of a start. I know most of you would go why would anyone wake up that early? Well, the crazy morning person that I am, got up just to see the bird sanctuary. Maybe it’s not safe for girls to go wandering off to a national park in the morning. I was accompanied by my co-worker (I find it sort of funny really) to the park. I decided for us that it would be a great morning walk and really 10 km to the central point isn’t that bad. And more over, the full cream milk with my sugar loaded tea really is getting to me. I think I’m gaining weight here and that is not supposed to happen! In India! What happened to my sensitive stomach! Damn Florastor (a really great med for protecting your stomach)

Well, we did see tons of birds. I don’t think I have ever seen cranes 5 ft tall with huge Jurassic park styled wings. It really is nuts and it just happened to be one of my favourite moments so far. There was such a variety of birds and animals. Part of me wished I could stay there the entire day and let it feel like a vacation but sadly, we left after 2 hours at the national sanctuary.

Bird Sanctuary- I see with my litte Eye

I really loved the people I met at the Bharatpur Field office. I have never met a more passionate group of people who really wanted to make a difference. I always felt that it really takes a special person to commit their lives to the NGO field. Let’s face it; people in this field don’t do it for the money. They do it for the sake of helping others and this sense of love and respect for these people overwhelmed me. I think this is mainly due to the fact that Indians are raised with the view that in order to be successful you must be a doctor, lawyer or an engineer. So, meeting people who actually really wanted to work to make their communities better hit home. It was a really cool 3.5 hour meeting and it was all done in a very community like set up. Everyone was seated on the floor and took turns to explain to me in Hindi or sometimes English, what exactly they did and the progress they had made so far in their projects. Basically because the region is so backward in terms of education, a lot of focus has been placed on increasing the literacy rates in the religious communities as well as focusing on sex education (this region is one of the few pockets in Rajasthan affected by HIV) I also learned the challenges that these people faced in the field and we also celebrated their successes.
I actually went around in my funny sounding Hindi (maybe it’s only funny to me) asking these people why exactly they are doing what they do and how do they communicate to the older community that their intentions are well meaning. I think it was when a very sweet lady told me that “look at the way we communicate, we speak in terms that both of us understand. We do the same with older women and men. We speak in terms that are relevant to their level of understanding”. Well, needless to say that even though this is common sense, it drove home the point of keeping this relative to the cultural context.

Meeting at the Bharatpur office, Rajasthan

Random fun fact of the day: If you have never tried this when you visited India in the past, the dhaba stop on the side of any major highway is a complete must. Sure, it’s dirty and you really don’t know if the servers or the cooks have washed their hands in years. But hey, its part of the cultural experience! The food is mouth wateringly good and well I would suggest a hundred Hail Mary’s just to make sure you don’t come down with a bad bout of diarrhoea.

Yeh hai “Delhi” meri jaan (This is Delhi, my love)

2008-09-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning realizing that it has almost been a month since I actually did any real form of exercise. A month! So, I got up this morning at the ungodly hour of 6 am and made my way outside to try and find a park or somewhere I could run. I didn’t have to look too far. It really is just outside my place.

Now, the Indian parks are different from the Canadian ones. For one thing, you won’t have random street dogs, cows, livestock you name it running around and you won’t have garbage from weeks sorted out to a side as well. Walking around the park, I came to a very sad realization. Even though I love my culture, history, the languages and even bollywood, I am still disappointed by the lack of care the locals have for their environment. I wish people here were more environmentally conscious. It drives me up the wall to see them just throw plastic bottles on the sides of the roads and not care and this is something I don’t want to have to get used to. I can somewhat understand the pollution and India is still going through the industrialization revolution but it still hurts. I think it was something that Mr. Kumar said tonight that hit me. Indians don’t have a sense of civic duty and I think I have to agree with him (at least when it comes to the big cities). I am surprised to find that the isn’t a sense of we that I thought would be prevalent here. It really can be individualistic at times (You guys are free to disagree with me)

Working hours at SARD doesn’t start till 9:30. It basically means everyone shows up around 10 IST. I must say that the group of individuals who I have been introduced today are probably the hardest working people I have met ever. They are very much dedicated to improving the living conditions of the under privileged and work extremely hard as well to make ends meet. There are approximately 5-6 people in the office at any given time. Most of them are accountants since the real work is done in the field. I think I am really going to enjoy working on grass roots projects and since 1996, SARD has really gained an impressive amount of support from the local governments, international NGO’s, UN as well as corporate sponsors such as Pepsi and Honda. They are really trying to focus on developing a mentality of corporate social responsibility.

SARD mainly focuses its work in education and it has several components. One area is to provide support for children who for various reasons tend to drop out from school at the age of 10 years. SARD provides community level training (informal education) in rural areas as well as additional tutoring for children who will later on be mainstreamed into the public education system. They also have achieved a lot of success in this approach. The organization also focuses on women’s rights, HIV/ AIDS Awareness campaigns (safe sex education) in various levels of society. Another component is landmines awareness and rehabilitation efforts across North India. This is the area where will be working in and I will actually be able to go to the Line of Control and see where all the devastation has occurred. I do believe that there are a lot of untold stories here that haven’t really received any media attention back home. I am really going to try to make it a part of my own self discovery to bring these issues back to Canada and really get some media attention going on. I really don’t think that good work gets recognized all that often in the media and it will be an important first step as well to honour those who live in these circumstances and those who dedicate their lives to making the lives of less fortunate better.

I am particularly excited to work with Annu who is the educational director here. She is an awesome woman with such great energy and passion about the work she does. She’s is going to try and see if she can take me to Simla to attend a conference on women’s rights at the end of this month. I hope it works out.

Now for the interesting anecdote of the day: I thought I drank a lot of tea...but holy moly people here drink so much more! I mean it’s not even the plain black tea or green tea. I mean full fat, lots of sugar, masala tea regardless of what the weather is like. I love it! HEAVEN! I practically have tea served to me every hour on the hour. It’s awesome!

I think I'm going Native

2008-09-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Everything seems brighter in the mornings. You feel happier, your surroundings also look brighter and you really do have a better perspective. I think mornings bring out the positive side for me. I didn’t even mind my new living conditions. Mind you, I will make it my own in the next coming weeks. Shopping here I come! This morning was particularly interesting. I was about to enter a whole new area of my life that I really haven’t ventured into before....the traditional Indian family.

I know it sounds strange but having grown up with just having my mum and brother around, I guess this experience I am about to explain is something very cool. I am not surprised by it in any means but it is something that popped out.
The family that are the landlords (The Kumar’s) actually live with their extended family meaning basically everyone lives together. To the foreign eye, this may seem strange but to the Indian perspective it makes complete sense. You have three floors of apartments and on each floor you can find a family. In this case, the top belonging to the grandparents, second to the Kumar’s and the first floor to the younger brother’s family. I am so used to having a nuclear family set up.
The Kumar’s are really very nice and friendly. They were shocked that as a person from the south that I could actually speak half decent Hindi. Again, this is a trend that I have noticed since I arrived in India and it has only been a couple hours! I think aunty (Mrs. Kumar) was very excited to be able to communicate to me since the last interns were all foreigners (mind you I am labelled into that same category here). The Kumar’s have two very sweet young girls. Pahlavi is in grade 9 and Mansi in Grade 6. They immediately started calling me didi (older sister). Being the youngest, I have never been called that so it made me happy. It’s a very simplistic sense of happiness really.

I am so glad to be eating home cooked Indian food! It really is a treat. Again, this sounds strange but when you travelled like I did for the last two years eating out all the time, homemade food is oh sooo good! It’s been ages since I had poori (lightly fried puffed up tortilla) and chole (chick peas...soo yummy)
I had found out the previous night that my boss Sudhir would be heading out for the next couple of days. So, after breakfast, I was escorted (really) to meet Sudhir. I think I will really enjoy working with him. Sudhir has a tremendous level of energy around him. He is very experienced having worked for 11 years with ICRC and then became the CEO of SARD in 1996. He is really one of the main voices that are encouraging India to sign the treaty to ban landmines. I think his approach to the issue is very realistic. He is focusing on uniting the different NGO’s here on rehabilitation efforts. Sadly, the plight of the survivors is quite tragic. The Indian government often does provide them with healthcare services and believes the issue of landmines is nonexistent because the Indian army has “cleared” all the landmines in India. So, most of the survivors here really are victims. They don’t even have artificial limbs or proper annual repairs for their prosthetics. After meeting Sudhir, I was really left with a sense of purpose. I felt like the child in me once again wanted to tear through all my practical ideas and say I too can save the world!

I have a funny feeling that over the next five months, I will not get used to being complimented on my Hindi or being mistaken as Punjabi. My accent is kicking in as well. Yes George, it can be funny at times. No, somebody is not going to get hurt yet and for all my Indian friends reading my blog right now, I have only one word to say to you- Surrey. I guess living in surrey for the last 12 odd years can do that to you.

Walking up the street in the sweltering heat, I really didn’t feel like wearing by yoga pants or western attire for that matter. No matter what you wear, Indians have an uncanny way of knowing that you don’t live around here. Again, girls in India don’t really walk around by themselves or live alone and I don’t think I want to make it overly easy for everyone to identify me. Apparently every Sunday, there are huge bazaars on the main street. Locals pretty much set up stalls and sell all kinds of stuff. Anything from underwear to yarn and all the sari material that you can possibly need. I have been told that the quality isn’t that great but who cares! It’s colourful and we all know how much I love color. So, after doing some quick shopping I headed back to my room to pass out.

Welcome to India

2008-09-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sunrise at Charles De Gaulle Airport

The journey back to New Delhi was actually surprisingly smooth with a few minor exceptions. I had forgotten how much I hated the Toronto airport. The reason being that if you ask a person for help, the send you in the wrong direction and then you have to re- trace your footsteps back to where you first began. I think I am still hurting from having to give away an amazing bottle of syrah from Argentina upon arrival in Toronto a couple months ago.
Basically I had no idea where to grab my connection to Paris from. The lovely folks at the airport sent me to the Air Canada international departures area even though I clearly told them I was flying with Air France...sheesh! It meant that I had to run across buildings to catch my connection and barely made it with 10 minutes to spare! But, I am not complaining...just stating some plain facts. I.e. (sorry my Torontonian friends- your airport sucks!)
If you guys decide to travel abroad, try Air France. They are almost similar in their service to Cathay and they basically liquor you up so much that you can pass out and avoid get lag completely! Did I mention the cute stewards....oui! I am going to Paris...oui! I will meet you anywhere! (Just Kidding- sorry raj!) There really isn’t anything memorable that I can say about Charles De Gaulle airport- except for the fact that the sunrises are spectacular and seriously, Europe is overpriced. I can feel it from the airport. Holy smokes! 8 Euros for a cup of coffee and a croissant! Well I am just glad to say that I only spent 2 hours there and managed to spend 30 Euros in that time (lure of chocolate really)
I think I started to feel a bit nervous as we entered afghan airspace (I hope the no fly zone area). I was in shock that I actually decided to leave everything behind and jump on a plane and head to India of all places. Okay I know my ethnic background is Indian but I guess I just couldn’t picture myself heading to India and living there by myself. It’s something that I would do in Cambodia or Africa...but India scares me. Actually, I think it is the fear of how I will be treated or what kind of cultural shock I will experience that scares me. I know this sounds strange but I am out of my comfort zone completely. Yes, I have issues but so do you: P
Funnily enough, all my trepidations (thanks to Rahul- no burka needed) about going through customs didn’t actually pan out. I didn’t have to slip any money under the table and I wasn’t even asked why I was visiting. It was awesome! The not so awesome part- finding out that one of my bags (my back pack with basically all my medication, sports shoes, dance shoes and Indian clothes) was somehow delayed in Paris. Normally, I wouldn’t have any issues in having my bags delivered late. The real issue is that I don’t know if I will ever see my bag again. It has sentimental value and don’t want to have to rest in peace. Sigh! Another random side note: wearing a gold wedding band does work! I wasn’t bothered by anyone at all ...small victory...thanks mom!
More confusion. I was supposed to be received by SARD on my arrival...who knew Delhi had two arrival areas! Anyways after an hour it sorted itself out thanks to some quick texting to Ottawa and calling the right people. I just felt bad that the person meeting me (a really nice guy by the name of chandrapal) ended up waiting for a little over an hour and a half because of the luggage delay claims and the confusion. Oh well, so is life. I think he was in more shock when I started speaking to him in Hindi. He has a very limited knowledge of English and from what I had been told was very nervous to use English with me and have to pick me up. He is really a sweet man.
The locality in which I am staying is actually quite safe: Janakpuri and the distance between my work and home is a matter of 5 minutes walking. Great stuff! Not so great is the shock I received regarding my furnished accommodation status. Well, apparently “fully furnished” in India actually means having a bed with a blanket and running water with electricity. That’s it. I don’t mean to come off as a princess but I guess this is part of the shock value as well. I kind of figured that I might have a kitchen or even a western styled washroom (soon to be replaced to one yay). But, I guess it is human nature to just feel afraid when we are put outside our comfort zones.

My new room

Mines Action Canada

2008-08-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

This week has reminded me why I decided to take a break from my current path as a consultant and returning to my roots- development work. Leaving Vancouver did not strike me as being a big deal mainly because I have been living out of a suitcase for the last two years. But, arriving in Ottawa has renewed my faith that I have made the right choice.

Well, if most of you don't know by now, I left Vancouver last week to take up an internship position with the Canadian government. I will be working as the Program Support Officer in India for Mines Action Canada, with their partner Society for All Round Development (SARD). That means, I am moving to Delhi for the next 5 months. And no, I don't intend to get married or run away to Mumbai to become a Bollywood star! This decision to join the Mines Action Campaign has been a goal that I have been working to attain for the last couple of years.

You all may be wondering why have I decided to do this? Well, it's because Canadians have played the role of a leader in spearheading the Campaign to ban landmines which resulted in the Ottawa Treaty. It is definitely something to be proud of! As youth we still have a role to play in raising awareness and pushing all countries of the world to a complete ban. The Ottawa Treaty was the fastest treaty to be signed (less than a year) and ratified by 156 nations to this date. What this means is that states who sign this treaty are obligated to destroy landmine stockpiles, provide victims assistance and education and most importantly clear landmines from their territory.

Why do i want to work around the issue of mines and cluster bombs? The reason mainly is because of the human impact caused by them. These so called military utilities do more damage than any real aid. They are indiscriminate and cannot tell the difference between the footsteps of a soldier or that of a child. So, when children step or pick up these bombs (often disguised as toys in the case of cluster bombs), they are immediately affected. Most survivors claim that the lucky ones don't survive. This is mainly due to the fact that they have to live their lives as a dependants and often have to go through multiple surgeries to remove fragments and endure immense pain from their amputations. The worst part is landmines have mainly been used in developing countries that do not have the infrastructure to support them. In addition, these countries are often recovering from periods of civil war and may not exactly know where the mines are located. So, civilians returning home get a nice little surprise on their return. It is usually the young and capable workers, often breadwinners of their families, who become victims and have to deal with the stigma of being handicapped and considered burdens to their families.

This is why I find it very important issue to tackle. India to this date has not signed the treaty to ban landmines. The main reason for the use of landmines of course is to protect it's borders with Pakistan around the Line of Control. There are also separatist movements in the East where Non State Actors are laying landmines to limit the movements of the Indian soldiers. Again who are the ones being affected? It's local farmers in Punjab trying to cultivate their land or in the east poor villagers try to survive on subsistence farming. There is no real use for this military utility and I hope that by supporting SARD, I will be able to bring a human face in India to the issue of landmines and try to promote awareness across India- particularly with the Youth.

I encourage all of you find out more information on landmines and cluster munitions at www.minesactioncanada.org. This is an amazing website which will give you more insight on the landmines campaign as well as the treaty to ban cluster bombs. I encourage you to sign the people's treaty. Every signature up there is one step closer to ending the use of cluster bombs which is ten times more horrific than landmines. Cluster bombs are dropped from the air and their intent is to destroy military vehicles. However, they are highly inaccurate and often do not have self destructing capabilities. Instead, some can be disguised as toys, which when touched or even moved by the wind, can explode releasing millions of tiny fragments with the force only meant to rip through armored vehicles. You can only imagine what it can do to a human being.

Thanks for reading!