and to put some faces with the stories, or to put the story together, or something like that:
http://picasaweb.google.com/coffeewithkatie/IndiaRamanaSGardenChildrenSHome#
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
That's A Wrap: India
today is a big day for me. i left Ramana's Garden this morning after 2 months. and while it could be a roller coaster ride, it was a wonderful experience for me. it was difficult to walk through the gates for the last time, tears streaming down my face, as my friends kindly saw me through them. i am leaving filled with laughter and warmth, kindness and thoughtfulness, and the best hugs in the world from people who have left such a positive lasting impression on me, and especially my experience in india.
this journey also marks the end of my time in india after 5 months. and i feel like it is a good time to go. i have fond memories (with the people of Ramana's making the top of the list), although i have to admit, it was challenging and chaotic at times which probably proved to be the things that brought me here in the first place. in hindsight, i would not change a thing. from the chaos of the cities; dodging traffic; constant honking horns; the sheer number of people...everywhere; processing the volume of poverty, stray animals, trash; witnessing bodily excretions any ol' place; strong smells that either repulse or enchant; constant bartering; monkeys stealing food; rats, roaches, bed bugs, and lice; endless fields of fresh spices, coffee, and rice paddies in the south; fresh fruit and coconut juice; crazy bus and train adventures; delicious food with flavors that explode in your mouth and the varying cuisine from north to south; trekking and homestays; curious indians and random photographs; fresh sweet lime sodas with salt; inevitable bouts of diarrhea; vibrant colored clothing; chai wallas and becoming a chai connaseur; camel rides into the desert; ayurvedic massages; yoga experiences; rickshaw drivers; bus accidents; spiritual tourists wearing all white; swimming in the Ganga. this is just a quick abbreviated brainstormed list that could continue and continue.
the point is, all of these experiences are beautiful and challenging, frustrating and amazing, and they collectively are my indian experience. india is fantastic because it is what it is. the chaos is unforgiving. love it or hate it or both at the same time, it is open and honest and leaves you wondering, "what the hell?" and often justifying experiences with "because it is india," or "only in india." in a sense, india is one big oxymoron. it is extreme...to both ends. it is extremely complex in its caste system, traditions, and religions, but daily living is fairly basic. slow food (cooking and eating well with so many flavors), close family connections, living with essentials - oftentimes cold water, bucket showers, hand washing clothes and linens, simple homes that are essentially shelters, and wood fire cooking.
i cannot fully pinpoint what brought me here in the first place, but i know the challenge and chaos is part of it as well as the desire to live more simply and basically. seeing so blatantly how much water i use to shower or do laundry makes me reconsider how much i really need and how frequently i really need to do it. more than that, observing people wearing tattered clothes who barely have food is a stronger poke to simplify. perhaps the art of traveling itself encourages differentiating your needs and desires. the act of packing followed by the weight i feel when i toss on the pack really makes me reconsider..."what the hell is in here that is making it so heavy? do i seriously need all of the extra amenities?" process of elimination.
anyway, i am now ready to experience a different, more relaxed culture. so meg, tim, and i (the 2 friends i traveled with in the south), rendezvoused in rishikesh 2 months after splitting for our own adventures. we are now making our way into nepal for some trekking. first stop: Pokhara, our jumping off point for a 3 week trek around the annapurnas. then, tentatively, we will head into kathmandu to check out the scene, and depending on how we are feeling at that time, we will try to beat the weather and aim for everest base camp. whew!
this journey also marks the end of my time in india after 5 months. and i feel like it is a good time to go. i have fond memories (with the people of Ramana's making the top of the list), although i have to admit, it was challenging and chaotic at times which probably proved to be the things that brought me here in the first place. in hindsight, i would not change a thing. from the chaos of the cities; dodging traffic; constant honking horns; the sheer number of people...everywhere; processing the volume of poverty, stray animals, trash; witnessing bodily excretions any ol' place; strong smells that either repulse or enchant; constant bartering; monkeys stealing food; rats, roaches, bed bugs, and lice; endless fields of fresh spices, coffee, and rice paddies in the south; fresh fruit and coconut juice; crazy bus and train adventures; delicious food with flavors that explode in your mouth and the varying cuisine from north to south; trekking and homestays; curious indians and random photographs; fresh sweet lime sodas with salt; inevitable bouts of diarrhea; vibrant colored clothing; chai wallas and becoming a chai connaseur; camel rides into the desert; ayurvedic massages; yoga experiences; rickshaw drivers; bus accidents; spiritual tourists wearing all white; swimming in the Ganga. this is just a quick abbreviated brainstormed list that could continue and continue.
the point is, all of these experiences are beautiful and challenging, frustrating and amazing, and they collectively are my indian experience. india is fantastic because it is what it is. the chaos is unforgiving. love it or hate it or both at the same time, it is open and honest and leaves you wondering, "what the hell?" and often justifying experiences with "because it is india," or "only in india." in a sense, india is one big oxymoron. it is extreme...to both ends. it is extremely complex in its caste system, traditions, and religions, but daily living is fairly basic. slow food (cooking and eating well with so many flavors), close family connections, living with essentials - oftentimes cold water, bucket showers, hand washing clothes and linens, simple homes that are essentially shelters, and wood fire cooking.
i cannot fully pinpoint what brought me here in the first place, but i know the challenge and chaos is part of it as well as the desire to live more simply and basically. seeing so blatantly how much water i use to shower or do laundry makes me reconsider how much i really need and how frequently i really need to do it. more than that, observing people wearing tattered clothes who barely have food is a stronger poke to simplify. perhaps the art of traveling itself encourages differentiating your needs and desires. the act of packing followed by the weight i feel when i toss on the pack really makes me reconsider..."what the hell is in here that is making it so heavy? do i seriously need all of the extra amenities?" process of elimination.
anyway, i am now ready to experience a different, more relaxed culture. so meg, tim, and i (the 2 friends i traveled with in the south), rendezvoused in rishikesh 2 months after splitting for our own adventures. we are now making our way into nepal for some trekking. first stop: Pokhara, our jumping off point for a 3 week trek around the annapurnas. then, tentatively, we will head into kathmandu to check out the scene, and depending on how we are feeling at that time, we will try to beat the weather and aim for everest base camp. whew!
Ramana's Top 11
11. The best salads i have ever ingested from the cafe, freshly grown in the gardens (esp since salads are a delicacy in india), and Dil's (the nepali chef)desserts and pizzas.
10. Sunday laundry days and swimming in the Ganges River
9. Hilarious quotes and rudimentary English that have worked their way into my normal speech: "you want?", "it is paining", "i am rounding"-dizzy, "so much noising/smelling", "what it is?", "no problem", "my god", "not possible".
8. Curiosity and brutal honesty of the kiddos: "you have big arms."; "why aren't you married?"; "have you kissed your boyfriend? where?"; "do you live with your parents?"; "do you like white skin or brown skin?"; "katie, i found sooo much blood in my mom's underwear, my god. why?" and after a long discussion of why, "do boys get it too?"; "you have chicken pox too," 9-yr-old Mukhul pointed out during the Ramana's epidemic. i explained through my laughter, "no, it's just acne."; 15 y.o. Gagan confessed, "i thought you were going to be tough when you first came here." perhaps it was my 'big arms'?!
7. Holi, the festival of colors, celebration at the Gangaji River, and perhaps my most memorable day in india. powdered vibrant colors of the rainbow were flying around the entire day, while laughter ensued. the Ganga graciously (and guiltily as we polluted its waters with the paint) provided a refreshing bath for us all before getting hit again. the only interference was a delicious picnic of indian fried goodness - samosas, puri (fried chapati/flat bread), sabji (mixed veg), and fresh fruit.
6. Two words: 1. LICE 2. FARMING
5. Eldon and Hilda, the massive friendly mountain spiders who were an unenthusiastic but reliable audience each day in our bathroom.
4. The furry little friends that live in the cafe and around Ramana's
3. Our morning alarm clocks: the meowing peacocks and the continual searching for Shiva (one of Ramana's mascots), the untrainable but cute yellow lab.
2. Late nights with my fellow staffers (Nepali ladies) spent dancing, doing "the worm", yogaing, laughing, talking.
1. Everything to do with the kids: sleepovers in the girls' rooms, hair braiding, their beautiful voices and the vibrations they create while singing at satsung, their smiles and laughter, and the best hugs in the world!
10. Sunday laundry days and swimming in the Ganges River
9. Hilarious quotes and rudimentary English that have worked their way into my normal speech: "you want?", "it is paining", "i am rounding"-dizzy, "so much noising/smelling", "what it is?", "no problem", "my god", "not possible".
8. Curiosity and brutal honesty of the kiddos: "you have big arms."; "why aren't you married?"; "have you kissed your boyfriend? where?"; "do you live with your parents?"; "do you like white skin or brown skin?"; "katie, i found sooo much blood in my mom's underwear, my god. why?" and after a long discussion of why, "do boys get it too?"; "you have chicken pox too," 9-yr-old Mukhul pointed out during the Ramana's epidemic. i explained through my laughter, "no, it's just acne."; 15 y.o. Gagan confessed, "i thought you were going to be tough when you first came here." perhaps it was my 'big arms'?!
7. Holi, the festival of colors, celebration at the Gangaji River, and perhaps my most memorable day in india. powdered vibrant colors of the rainbow were flying around the entire day, while laughter ensued. the Ganga graciously (and guiltily as we polluted its waters with the paint) provided a refreshing bath for us all before getting hit again. the only interference was a delicious picnic of indian fried goodness - samosas, puri (fried chapati/flat bread), sabji (mixed veg), and fresh fruit.
6. Two words: 1. LICE 2. FARMING
5. Eldon and Hilda, the massive friendly mountain spiders who were an unenthusiastic but reliable audience each day in our bathroom.
4. The furry little friends that live in the cafe and around Ramana's
3. Our morning alarm clocks: the meowing peacocks and the continual searching for Shiva (one of Ramana's mascots), the untrainable but cute yellow lab.
2. Late nights with my fellow staffers (Nepali ladies) spent dancing, doing "the worm", yogaing, laughing, talking.
1. Everything to do with the kids: sleepovers in the girls' rooms, hair braiding, their beautiful voices and the vibrations they create while singing at satsung, their smiles and laughter, and the best hugs in the world!
A "Typical" Day at Ramana's
it does not exist. but to share a rough idea:
8:00a Breaky
9-4:00 Cafe shift or
9-2:30 free time or organizing something...anything!
1:00 Lunch
2:30-4:00 Tuition (tutoring) time! kiddos are finished with school, so time for homework.
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Satsung -- a family gathering time spent singing Sanskrit chants, happy birthdays, welcoming guests, etc, etc.
Otherwise, time can be filled checking on sick kiddos (mostly coughs, sore throats, runny noses, and now the chicken pox epidemic), visiting with kids, helping with homework.
and most evenings i spent laughing, yogaing, talking and dancing with the nepali ladies i work with.
Then off to bed.
just a little insight on the medicine technique at ramana's. it is mostly homeopathic, which is a whole new world to me and has brought new meaning to the #'s 5 (head cold),6 (cough/chest involvement),and 8 (diarrhea). our most used meds were simply referred to by these #s. as for the chicken pox, an ayurvedic dr. suggested that we burn cow shit (why not...it is used for everything), mix the ash with fresh neem leaves (antiseptic), and rub it over their bodies. and so we did. it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of it, but it was a fun activity for all! hahaha!
8:00a Breaky
9-4:00 Cafe shift or
9-2:30 free time or organizing something...anything!
1:00 Lunch
2:30-4:00 Tuition (tutoring) time! kiddos are finished with school, so time for homework.
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Satsung -- a family gathering time spent singing Sanskrit chants, happy birthdays, welcoming guests, etc, etc.
Otherwise, time can be filled checking on sick kiddos (mostly coughs, sore throats, runny noses, and now the chicken pox epidemic), visiting with kids, helping with homework.
and most evenings i spent laughing, yogaing, talking and dancing with the nepali ladies i work with.
Then off to bed.
just a little insight on the medicine technique at ramana's. it is mostly homeopathic, which is a whole new world to me and has brought new meaning to the #'s 5 (head cold),6 (cough/chest involvement),and 8 (diarrhea). our most used meds were simply referred to by these #s. as for the chicken pox, an ayurvedic dr. suggested that we burn cow shit (why not...it is used for everything), mix the ash with fresh neem leaves (antiseptic), and rub it over their bodies. and so we did. it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of it, but it was a fun activity for all! hahaha!
What is Ramana's Garden Children's Home?
okay, it is officially time for a much overdue blog post. for the past 2 months, after robb and jay left, i remained in rishikesh to work as a volunteer at Ramana's Garden Children's Home. Prabha, an american woman from colorado, started the project about 14 years ago, and it has since grown into the unique operation it is now. It is in the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganges River where the kids (and staff) do their laundry and swim every sunday.
About 50-60 children ages 5-19 currently live at Ramana's, maybe about half from Nepal and half India. Most of them are not actually orphans, but their families are either unable to appropriately support them, or their home situation is too dangerous to stay in.
There is lots of good stuff happening here. The primary school through 8th grade provides free education for the kids living at ramana's and about another 60 kids from rishikesh. An organic garden supports the health food-centered cafe (that also helps support the project), and contributes to the kids' meals. There is a well-established traditional Indian dance troupe that gives the kids a chance to be involved and perform around the community and travel (they went to England last year to perform.). Their gym class is yoga.
During the summer months, to beat the heat and rains of the monsoon, most of the kids and staff head up into the primitive mountain location to relax and literally chill out in the beautiful setting while the rest spend time with their families.
if you are interested in learning more about the project or in making a donation, please go to **http://www.sayyesnow.org**.
About 50-60 children ages 5-19 currently live at Ramana's, maybe about half from Nepal and half India. Most of them are not actually orphans, but their families are either unable to appropriately support them, or their home situation is too dangerous to stay in.
There is lots of good stuff happening here. The primary school through 8th grade provides free education for the kids living at ramana's and about another 60 kids from rishikesh. An organic garden supports the health food-centered cafe (that also helps support the project), and contributes to the kids' meals. There is a well-established traditional Indian dance troupe that gives the kids a chance to be involved and perform around the community and travel (they went to England last year to perform.). Their gym class is yoga.
During the summer months, to beat the heat and rains of the monsoon, most of the kids and staff head up into the primitive mountain location to relax and literally chill out in the beautiful setting while the rest spend time with their families.
if you are interested in learning more about the project or in making a donation, please go to **http://www.sayyesnow.org**.
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