So the rooms in Jaipur were awesome...Laura and I shard one as you can see..
These kids kept asking me to take their picture and when I finally did they asked me for money and chocolate...at least they know what the good stuff is!

Today I left a bit later than usual because I didn't have my usual Wednesday morning class. I walked to the same bus stop I usually do and as I neared the intersection I saw the juice/food wallas that I always see pushing their cart where I get off the bus! I had no idea they came so far, I thought they just crossed the street...ok, I thought it was amazing.
Anyway,
This whole I have to say good bye to people soon thing is not going over well with me. My fellow American friends are mostly leaving next week while I'm in Nepal so I have to say bye to most of them on Friday...at least I know people all over the US now =)

processing...
So I've been trying to think lately, that is, when I haven't been trying to finish up my stuff for finals...I've been trying to figure out what coming to India has meant to me. It has certainly meant a whole new group of amazing friends, people I will never forget and pray I will see again. It has meant a growing up of sorts...not so much in the sense that I've seen things in the world that I never knew existed, but more that I'm in that phase in life where I begin to establish how I will live. The kids on the street that always ask "ek rupee de do" (give one rupee) or try to sell me magazines, flowers, mosquito swatters, flashy light thingys, etc when I'm in an auto rickshaw sitting at a stop light can not have their life changed by me. I can't give them in bath in a proper tub instead of the muddy rain puddle on the corner (that they nevertheless have fun swimming in), I can't comb their hair, I can't teach them to read, I can't tell them everything is going to be ok. But I can live in the little things. I've been reminded of the importance of living each moment intentionally. With the kids, I can offer an orange if I have it, I can try out my Hindi and ask them their name and age and treat them like the interesting, goofy kids they are. It's selfish in a way because I love to see them smile, but that's what I can do. It's not anything to be happy about, helplessness in the face of injustice, but it's a grounding, a reason to make sure that I live my life in a responsible way, a way I hope living in community when I go home will nurture, a way that at least resembles Jesus' ways. The day I was denied my visa and I thought I'd have to leave India December 4th and thus was practically in tears an autowalla kindly took me for free (which is unheard of) to a auto stand that had autos that would take me where I was going since it wasn't on his route. I needed that kindness in that moment. The small things.
That being said, India has been more to me than a confirmation that trying to live justice is what I can try to do for the world and for my small part, it has been life. The energy of the mornings and the hustle-bustle of the evening markets, the daily struggle with auto-walla prices (or anything else you want to buy), the crowded buses, animals in the streets, the never-ending honking, the smells, the spices, the overly friendly looks of strange men, the funny looks I get from our cook and our maid, Anita, the bright clothing, the tastes, the sights, the unexpected. The way I realize everything will work out even if it's late or out of order or not exactly logical...this has certainly been a good "India" lesson for me. The home I left behind. I people I LOVE LOVE LOVE and now know I could never life so far from in a permanent manner. The truth that if I can come live in India, I can do many things and I'm really excited for whatever it is I may be doing next.

A Thomas Merton prayer Father G gave at Loyola last year before we took the bus to the SOA protest in Georgia...I turn to it a lot (and if I type it here then if I loose the sheet I'll still have it!):
I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does, in fact, please You. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always thought I may be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

hellos, goodbyes, and shaking some earth

This weekend we took our last trip as an IES group to Jaipur, which is about a 6 hour bus ride south of Delhi (a drive that would take maybe 3 or 4 in the US). It was nice to be with everyone and the forts, etc. were cool, but I'm getting a bit monument-ed out. However, we got to ride an elephant, so it was totally worth the drive! We also stayed in a cute inn that had homey rooms and we caught the last five minutes of Dumb and Dumber dubbed in Hindi. And, as always, the food was ya ya yummy. On the bus ride home we stopped at the ultimate tourist oasis to use restrooms and we were all appalled by the prices. The chai was 40 rupees and the candy bars were 50 rupees (about Rs. 37-40=$1). I got lunch today for Rs.13, took the bus for Rs.5, and bought a dress for Rs.20, and I'm very upset if I have to pay 70 or 80 for a 10-11 kilometer auto ride home. Suffice to say, I'll have trouble buying anything when I return to the US (which is ok since I'll be broke from being here...)
This is my last week of classes so I have finals and tests and it's oh so much fun. Today I was woken up at 4:43 by some shaking. I thought it was our upstairs neighbors at first because sometimes I hear them moving stuff around...but then I realized they never actually make my room vibrate. By the time I realized it was probably an earthquake it was over, so I got up, went to the bathroom and slept the last 15 minutes of my night. Later I did wonder if it was a bomb blast too because there were some in Lucknow, Varanasi, and Farizabad last week, but the news confirmed that it was just a 4.3 level earthquake. Even in my last few weeks here, Delhi never ceases to surprise me.
The last week or so I've been cherishing my morning bus rides to the hospital my friend Bacchus picks me up from to go to college. I always go to the same stop and wait and tells all the autos that stop no (I still have pride for taking Delhi buses!) and notice the looks of people surprised I'm waiting for the bus. I'm starting to recognize some of the bus money collectors and no longer really care too much if the bus is overloaded, this time of year the coziness is welcome as the mornings are chilly. If I do get a seat I can watch the sun in its last few minutes as a red disk before it hazes higher into the sky. I can see the sari-clad, shawl wrapped women ride their bikes, which always amazes me as I sometimes even get my pants caught in a bike. Then there are the tall bushes with bright pink flowers and their purple remains scattered underneath. The "Vasant Sqaure Mall" that's being constructed is next. Now it even has smartly landscaped gardens in the front, but the real mall is the row of fairly large stands of fruit and clay pots and buckets that follow. I feel like I'm changing countries when the mall complex ends and the shake-like shops begin. When we were in Jaipur we went to a tourist shopping center that was inside...and I realized I felt very uncomfortable buying anything because the shops weren't outside. Funny, na? Finally, the bus reaches the hospital and I get down, sometimes as the bus rolls a bit and stand on the corner waiting for Bacchus whose always at least 5 or 10 minutes late. I'm not sure why I continue to be punctual in my waiting for him because I know I will have to if I leave on time, but now that I have waited so much I've come to enjoy watching the normal procession of people from my corner. The same school buses come by at the same time and the same big hummer-like vehicles with the same foreign passengers that must live in Delhi, the dogs waking up and beginning their day of roaming, and, my personal favorite, the juice and food stand guys that push their cart into the traffic lanes, wait at the lights like the cars and then running full force when the light changes to make the turn right (like us making a left) and skidding their feet on the pavement to slow the cart down on after a successful venture into traffic. By then usually Bacchus shows up. This week I have to say good bye to those mornings.

Luckily I'm only focusing on saying Hello to my Ramjas friends as I tell them I'll be visiting after I return from Nepal, God willing. Right now though, I need to get acquainted with my studies for my history final tomorrow, so more of my ramblings on joys of India and sorrows of leaving soon!

chicken and airplanes

So, when my friends from Dubai were in town we visited the ISCKON Temple, which is...well...I'm not exactly sure what, but it is something amazing and I will be going back. I took them there because I heard (from the grapevine) that there was a robot show, and I thought what could be more Delhi than a temple robot show! I called the place (and quickly surrendered the phone to Nisha who's better at Hindi than I am) and asked when the show was. The man said "shaam ko nau baje...pakka," meaning "9pm for sure," so our small band of foreigners showed up a bit after 9 and wondered around the huge complex asking "Aap maalum hai ki robot show kahaan hai?" meaning "do you know where the robot show is?"...and how can I ask such a thing without feeling just a bit ridiculous? We found the place, but the monks coming out told us the show stops running at 9! Fortunately, they took pity on us as my friends were leaving the country and could not return and reopened the show for us. Now, let me tell you, this was unforgettable. We were ushered into a dark room and then a booming voice started telling us the story of Krishna as lights in a variety of colors and patterns revealed statues in front of us that basically were the first page of a life size story book. It was a bit overwhelming. In the next room, when the lights were slowly raised the voice said "Look at yourself! What do you see? Hands, a face, clothes..." etc etc and we were staring into a mirror. I'm all for a variety of religious experiences, but I could not stop laughing (mostly because I looked goofy in a pirate shirt, skirt, and gym shoes...). The tour progressed from room to room as such, and I'm pretty sure it's one of the best things I've done in Delhi. I think Brie's favorite part was the room that explained the 3 kinds of people: the second type was "passionate," these people, among other things, "eat chicken and cause senseless violence," she really liked that jump. Anyway, after the tour we were planning on eating in the cafeteria there (vegetarian, mind you), but it was closed since everything was already supposed to be closed. The army guard, however, decided we should eat and asked the guard of the restaurant to go ask if we could still eat and we were momentarily ushered in. The kindness of the people in this complex was awesome. What can I say, I'm definitely going back for the apparently bigger show upstairs (it's 10 minutes longer...).
**disclaimer: I thought the presentation was wacky, not the beliefs!**
An update on my plans:
I am going to Nepal to (hopefully) get a visa to stay in India! But at the moment all I can think about is the music I can hear from the wedding in our neighborhood and how much it makes me want to dance!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
(please don't eat turkey then cause senseless violence...like playing football...)

it's not the end...

Things have started to move a bit faster than I'd like...they say all good things must come to an end, but I'm currently trying to put off this ending until at least December 19. I've been traveling all over the net to figure what I have to do to get to Nepal and get a tourist visa to stay in India and if this happens I will be a very happy camper...
Anyway,
Diwali was tons of fun. My friend Jessica (who I've known since 7th grade) was in Delhi for a day with her study abroad program, so she came over, which I'm still not sure was actually real. After hastily getting clad in saris with the help of Anita, the maid that lives with us, we did a pooja with my host family that consisted of my host mother saying some prayers and making offerings to the Ganesh and Rama (I think...) in the form of sweets. My host mom also gave us each some money because she said it was part of the tradition and was auspicious...I said I liked this tradition =). Then all the candles were lit. The house was glowing, but all the lights were to be kept on for the duration of the festival too so the only the candles outside on the terrace really got to shine. Food was next, and, as always, delicious. Finally came the (fire)crackers. My host mom had bought 4 or 5 boxes of them, which we took down to the park across the street and added to the supplies of all the neighbors. We spent a good 1 1/2 hours watching kids and aunties dash back and forth lighting things that shot up or just sparkled or spun around, it was absolutely crazy and entertaining. Around 11:30 pm I accompanied Jessica back to her hotel, which was across Delhi and we could hardly even see on the streets (and it was no easy task to get a ride since everyone was busy celebrating!)
Other fun events of late:
I went to a Indian cooking class last weekend which was lots of fun and very tasty...I'm hoping I can replicate some of the stuff without too much of a disaster when I get home. I'm kind of worried I won't eat back in the US because I loooove Indian food so much. I also have a lower of opinion of American food now because the only American food in India really doesn't taste right: milk shakes with no icecream, hamburgers with no beef, questionable lasagna, grilled cheese that consists of two slices of toasted bread with cold cheese in the middle...
Last Sunday we took a trip to what is kind of like a suburb to Delhi called Gurgaon. Gurgaon is interesting because, as my professor put it, it looks like a movie set. There are all these huge malls with more being constructed and slick high-rise office buildings plunked on top of Indian village life. The streets are still mostly brown dirt and host the traffic of a variety cattle drawn carts (we even saw an elephant...), people, old cars...tourist buses and sleek new cars for the people that can actually afford these malls. Gurgaon is also home to many manufacturing plants for companies like the clothing stores H&M and Gap (often made in the same plant) and other brand names we are quite familiar with in the US. Oh, and let's not forget, the call centers. Many of the calls we place in the US for technical assistance or to file complaints come in here to people who are overworked, underpaid, and stuck in between worlds. Many of them are given false names that they use with their best American accent while they listen to problems from across the world with limited bathroom breaks and food breaks. Such jobs create a lot of stress for the workers and place them in an odd dichotomy of cultures and personalities. I think there's a good documentary on this...I'll get the name of it and update this sentence =). Some of the flashy buildings there are not plastered with the company's name in an effort to be inconspicuous, but I think they already missed that boat. Just by looking at the streets one must wonder how these businesses are sustained. The ones that cater to overseas customers I can understand, but the malls that rely on local consumers I can't imagine will last long as they house stores of high line brand names that even I, someone who can afford auto rides over buses if I please, will not venture into. In fact, today my host sister Juhi asked if I understood Indian currency, meaning, did I get that something that costs 100 rupees (about $2.50) is expensive and I said yes because when I hear 100 now I do think it's a lot. But these stores have jeans easily upwards of Rs. 2,000...I'll be interested to see how it all plays out. My professor said they always look crowded in the summer, but most people go there to enjoy the free air conditioning.

I spent most of Monday at the Office of Home Affairs trying to get my student visa extended and almost crying upon the denial. Like most things here, this office is not terribly organized and was crowded and basically fend-for-yourself. After 3 hours of that I got to talk to a guy who told me "you have until December 5th, that's a long time!" and I could not explain to him I'm just not ready to leave this place...not to mention I already changed my plane tickets to December 19th. In conclusion, I'm making a trip to Nepal (I hope) December 1 because if I leave the country I can apply for an Indian tourist visa. I'm excited to visit a new country, which I hear is beautiful, but figuring out all the paper work and travel plans at the moment makes me want to marry a sketchy Indian man so I can get a visa and he can get a green card, then we'd all be happy.

Tuesday I went with my friend Kritika to her family friend's wedding. Basically there was a lot of food, colors, sparkles, and people. We were there for the bride's side so we hung out in the reception area for about an hour while the groom's side processed from somewhere else dancing and singing. The bride wasn't there however: she doesn't come until 1/2 hour after the groom arrives. Then they are picked up and put garlands on each other and take pictures, etc. until they go up to a fire for a pooja that officially marries them. I felt a bit sorry for the bride because she had such a heavy saree on and so much jewelry I wasn't sure how she could sit upright let alone walk, but she was certainly beautiful!

Wednesday my friend Bree FROM LOYOLA!! flew in with a few of her friends from Dubai where she is studying for the semester. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see her (and bummed to say goodbye today!) As I tried to plan things for them to see around Delhi I realized there is a lot I haven't done yet (which makes this visa thing even more imperative!) It was a lot of fun taking them to Old Delhi and shopping, and let's not forget to Agra to see the Taj. While in Agra we also saw the Agra Fort, which was very cool: complete with an apartment that views the Taj for Shah Jahan when he was kept in house arrest there by his son so he could look up on the grave of his beloved wife, a beautiful garden in the middle of the harem, a mote, and things that definitely resembled secret passage ways. Monuments and activities aside though, being their tour guide of sorts made me realize how comfortable I really have gotten in Delhi and with navigating from here. I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of things and my Hindi is a bit more functional and now I have to go!

Today I sent Bree and company back to the airport =( and have the wonderful tasks of final papers and tests ahead of me, some things I can't even escape in India!

there was a bunch of large pine cones...
an amazing tree spotted on our hike, trees make me happy =)
hanging out...we did 'river crossing,' but the river was pretty much dry, so it was more 'open space crossing,' which was almost as exciting
sunrise over the himalayans...or whatever extension of them stretches south....from the train we took to our camping trip at a hillstation. What a peaceful sight to wake up to after a night on the train.
Radhika enjoying the balloons at the Durga Pooja celebration in our neighborhood. (I actually liked them a lot too because they had elastic strings on the ends so you could bop them around...)

November, na?

Ooook! I can't believe the day after tomorrow is Diwali! Here Diwali is kind of like Christmas in that colorful lights are put up everywhere, lots of people go shopping, parents are a bit stressed out, and it's pretty much the biggest holiday in the country. Diwali is a Hindu holiday that celebrates Lord Rama's return from his victory over Ravana. Upon his return, oil lamps were lit, so light is a big part of this festival; the candles and strings of lights that illuminate the darkness of Diwali, which always falls on a new moon (or whatever it is when there is no moon in the sky...), symbolize the victory of good over evil and truth over all. On the ground this means I have 4 large boxes of firecrackers in the corner of my room ready to burst in excitement like the rest of us in 2 days time. The festivities started long ago, but now the rush is in full swing. This morning my host mom woke me up at 5:30 am to go to the flower market. She said we went so early to miss the rush, which was true as far as roads are concerned, but in the darkness of dawn we could hardly find space to put our feet as we bought flowers (she said it was just the florists...I don't want to see it when it's actually crowded...) The flower market in the moonlight was pretty...pretty (aside from the man peeing on the side of road next to where we parked the car). I tried to navigate the market, which was probably about the length of a downtown block in Chicago and was packed with stalls and stalls of whole sale flower sellers, under the guise of my hoody so my host mom wouldn't have to worry about them raising prices at the sight of a foreigner =). My host mom bought a TON of flowers, so our house is smelling quite good at the moment. But I guess I should talk about Diwali after it happens...so
This weekend we went to a village called Abhepur, in the state of Haryana about 1 1/2 hours south of Delhi. This was our exposure to "village life," which was a refreshing break from the city. Our trip was organized by a NGO called Vision of India, so they showed us the weaving centers they started and introduced us to the women that run them and profit from them (we even got to try some weaving.) My favorite part was the night and early morning. Julia and I stayed with a family that lives in a mud hut and it was wonderful. We tried out our Hindi skills with the family and they let us help make rotis over a fire fueled by cow dung patties (or cakes...whichever word you prefer...and they don't smell for the record). At night we could see all the stars and the thumbnail moon from our cots. I loved it! Of course, good things never last too long and we got up at around 5 am to walk to the outskirts of the village and attempt to do yoga...let's just say our "OOM"s were accompanied by a fair big of laughter. As clean and tidy and welcoming as the mud hut and our host family were, toilets were lacking, so I added my pile of poo to the cow, goat, and who knows what else in the bushes because one can't do yoga under such conditions...
More on this later I think...I have to string lights for Diwali!!