Saree Part Two

The first Saree I ever bought, Completed!
The Girls all Fancy

Scott's Idea to make a Triangle Formation _ The Guys
*Scott is a cheerleader for VA Tech

Summer SIP 2011 Group = Family

Finally got the saree pieces back in one piece and I was anxious to try on this decorative tablecloth. So my next door neighbor, Meg, and I decided we would give it a shot. Upon first try I could barely move. I stumbled upstairs to my resident area director and she stifled a giggle while ushering me to the corner to help me put it on properly.

The time came where I had to seriously wear the Saree and this was during our cultural night/goodbye dinner to the Nordic students. All of us crowded in one of the international girls' rooms while my resident director with pins in mouth and hand, waded through the vast amounts of cloth on each girls' dress.

In the end I think it turned out pretty nicely, and we enjoyed a nice night of jokes, storytelling, great food, dressing up, and going out afterwards in the city.

And the Mummy Returns

Warangal Ruins

TAJ Mahal Tomb

King Akbar's Tomb in Delhi

Each picture denotes a 1000 words I will never know the full story behind. Tombs. I don't even know how to linguistically describe the astounding beauty of all the tombs I have seen on this trip. They are so elaborate. Every time I see a shocking piece of architecture and lean out the window to take a picture, I find out it is someone's gravestone.

It is a way for the memory and grandeur of these noble beings, kings, great leaders, hypothesized gods/goddesses to live on. It is a way for their actions and legacy to live on. It is a way for them to continually return to be a part of Indian and Hindu culture/society. So while the mummies' remains may be long decomposed, it is believed the spirits of these people stand guard and can hear your prayers or wishes when you enter into their tomb rooms; a place considered sacred.

While I am no king or noblewoman, I aspire to have such love after my death.

Fairy Tales

Do you believe in Fairy Tales? Well I like pina coladas, and going out in the rain.
India has its own version of Mythology, Aesop's fables, Cinderella's, etc.

There was a storytelling book for younger children that had tales of all kinds, meant to teach moral lessons. There was the tale of the Magic Tabla or drum, the tale of the Unlucky coconut, the smart princess, the two theives, the lady who had the lucky bag, silence is golden, and many more. I read all these stories in my free time on the roof of our international hostel and realized that while they were adapted to fit the cultural norms of India, many of the stories were very similar to American and British tales.

The below three books are Sacred Texts which build the foundation for Hinduism faith and spirituality.

Mahabharata.

It is a historical account of how Hinduism faith came to exist. It denotes tales of Gods and Demons fighting, birth of other great kings or celestial beings and the battle of the cosmic forces. I actually got a copy of this in a condensed form to take home.
My favorite story was about the woman goddess who was from the river. She would appear every now and then to either born a celestial being that would grow up to be great, or to inflict her wrath upon the evil ways of men.
The other two books also tell of heroic tales and the principles to living. I did not get a chance to read these, but was introduced to their ideas briefly in my Contemporary India course.

Ramayana.

This text tells about India during the time period 1000 BCE and offers models in Dharma. There is a main hero to the story, Rama, who lived his whole life by the rules of Dharma and is also the reason why he is revered so much. His exemplary life as the perfect son and ideal husband has impacted the way many Indian men reflect upon their own characters.

Bhagavatam.

This is one of the most important classics in Indian history as it recounts the story of Lord Krishna. As an important source of ancient Vedic Wisdom it is easily referred to as the Hindu-Bible.

Tall Tales
The tour guides would also tell us stories of how certain temples or architectural masterpieces came to exist or what Gods they were dedicated to.

Out with the Old in with the New

Oh Delhi Belly....

The fall students are here and taking things by storm. They have already fallen ill, pined at going out and about, and started their own semester flings. Regardless, they have 5 months here so they better get used to it. Although we are fighting each day to see who gets the last seat in the cafe or the last chair in our one common lounge upstairs, we are all making an effort to get to know each other, even if it is only for a few more days. Last night was a great example of bonding with students we probably won't hear from for half a year or more. The summer ISA and Fall ISA group got together to have a light snack before the movie Delhi Belly.

We went to a nice eatery on a balcony in Jubilee Hills Andra Pradesh, India. It had bungalows and sweeping curtains with low couches.


The movie itself was hilarious. It was all in Hindi, with a few words in English. It was like India's version of the Hangover but with a different plotline. There were three friends and they got themselves involved in the craziest drug war scandal with a side of the insanely tall strong ex-husband/bathroom problems/affairs and blackmail/ and an unwanted marriage.

We all were rolling on the floor with tears even with the language barrier. From taking hindi I could understand some of the commands and basic introductions, but beyond that I had to employ the help of our program director or his girlfriend for the rest of the jokes. Most of the movie was action and funny occurences so that we could understand it easily enough.

Even now I wonder how my fall counterparts in the ISA program are doing. Have they gotten to watch any more Bollywood (India's name for their cinema entertainment) films? Have they traveled? Are their classes as easy as ours were? Are they playing with my angel and keeping her company everyday? Are they making weekend trips to the boulders on campus overlooking the lake and having bonfires with a Kingfisher in hand and some smores? Are they doing all the things we did as Summer SIP students or more? One thing I do know for sure- they are having a blast! Studying abroad is easily one of the best decisions one can make.

The Golden Triangle - A Treasure indeed

Golden Triangle Excursion- Delhi, Agra, Jaipur - June 8-13

Standing tall at Jaipur Palace on the Mountains

The TAJ MAHAL _one of the 8 wonders of the world Agra, India

Balcony in Delhi eating Kababs

Lodhi Gardens with our new friend - Delhi, India

Great Archway or Wall of India - no not the one I mention seeing in Jaipur- this one is a national Landmark in Delhi

So now that I am officially back in Miami, I mustered up the willpower and creativity to write about my experience during my Golden Triangle Excursion. It is still a wonder that I can remember the exact emotions and awe I felt as we were traveling through these first few days. When I think about it, it is almost as if this happened last week, not three months ago.

I remember thinking how lucky I was. I remember all four of us in the ISA group just marveling over the fact that we were in India and experiencing it all. Our driver was great and very patient. He took us over miles of plains, but these plains included elephants, monkeys, dogs, lots of cows, the occasional farmer or family on motorcycle, and of course huts strewn about the landscape like trees. There were very few trees in fact, and when we passed by Rajasthan, we saw many mountains, which was a sight to see because at least where I am from its flat ground or BELOW sea level.

Of course, first was Delhi, where we arrived. My first impression of Delhi was that it was very city like, very bustling, but that there was also a significant amount of men out, not women.

Delhi was also the first place I saw immense poverty in India; this included people living in garbage bins, lying in the ditches by the roadside next to the sewage waste and dead animals, and so many undernourished people, children, babies. I knew right then it was completely different from anything I had imagined, saw on tv, or witnessed in the US. There is nothing more blatantly overwhelming than witnessing an injustice firsthand, and poverty among millions was that injustice.

A paradox to the heartfelt, civic minded individual is that you can't just give money to any one person on the street as much as you may want to, because then you become the target for the rest of the homeless to overtake you and this can be dangerous. As much as it pains you, we were advised to just keep walking or only give out food items. Many times, children who beg for money never get to keep their earnings and have to give it to some kind of overpowering master or "pimp".

Besides the poverty, there were also positive aspects to Delhi, such as the beautiful Lodhi Gardens where one could get lost in the maze of adventure. We all climbed upon ruined ancient buildings watching the sunset prey over the old tales of grandeur. It was a sight to see. We got to mingle with locals, three young friends who regularly came to the roof of one such artful construction to work out and jump rope, while listening to Backstreet Boys!

Afterwards we made the trek to some really good Kababs eatery where we enjoyed the spicy taste of this new food with mango juice on a balcony overlooking the starlit city.

The next day we were off to Agra (a five hour drive). Our plan was to hit the hotel at night and then wake up early the next day to see the Taj Mahal _ the main attraction of India and what I thought would be the highlight of my trip then, but now I know there are too many attractions in India to even count or rate which one would be the best. All of the places I visited were unique and astounding in their own ways.

The Taj was surreal. The sun was rising over a quiet sky with blue birds chirping and water gurgling in the fountain extending from the Taj's entrance to the outer wall. The children were playing and running. The tourists (us) were looking around wild-eyed and snapping a dozen pictures. It was amazing. Our tour guide told us so much about the tomb and its motivation behind the construction. Basically this Moorish King had been married to three wives, but out of all of them only his third gave him such a promising heirloom of a total 17 children. She died giving childbirth, so it is out of remorse, guilt, and maybe a little obsessive awe that this King felt obligated to give her the best memorial in all of India. He spent away numerous funds of the kingdom so that his own son had to imprison him in the Agra Fort so as to control his unresponsible actions. The King had all the workers' hands cut off, or killed after the Taj Mahal was completed so that the design would not be replicated; however a few months later he wanted to construct a Black Taj in honor of his own death and he realized he needed new workers. AT this point his son said "enough is enough" and threw him in one of the rooms_not an unpleasant space, but nonetheless he was in prison.

After Agra it was another 5 or 6 hours to what will be known as one of my favorite cities, Jaipur_The Pink City. It is such a beautifully antiquated little place. There is an old part of the city and a newer part and both have their charms. I remember the window palace with hundreds of glass windows where women used to look out at the proceedings of the day. The entire building was impressive. I remember the fort palace on the mountaintop where one of the most beautiful women used to live. There was the water palace, still being guarded by soldiers, just lying half in and half out of the water; and yes there are rooms underneath the water. It was really a unique city. We were greeted by mountains and elephants as we went further and then I saw it; The GREAT WALL of INDIA. It looks exactly how I named it. We got elephant rides up to the top of the palace and got to explore this thousand year old regime on the mountains, it was amazing.

It is pretty obvious why they call this the Golden Triangle. It is like you hit some of the most magnificent treasures in India all in this little triangular region in the north. After playing tourist, we were ready to go to Hyderabad and become civilians, students, integrate ourselves into Indian life and culture.

A Time to Reflect..in the City that Never Sleeps

Welcome to NEW YORK! (Where everything is larger than life-literally)

I and Elmo in Times Square--good ol' buddies

The Busy streets of NY on a bustling morning

Im typing this from behind an orderly desk in an orderly fourth floor in an eloquent building in the middle of Manhattan in New York City. Yes I am in the New York Public Library but my mind is still in India. I just arrived this morning and while I had a 11 hour layover in Newark I decided to hop the airtrain to New York City just to use their library so I could write this blog...not really. I wanted to see New York while I was here well because its new york. It is the city that gives you inspiration, great ideas, and its a great place for me to grab a coffee from one of the numerous starbucks that have hour long lines and just look up at the empire state building while I reflect about my time in India. I am touring all of this grandeur city's sites in a salvar kamis (which is an indian traditional dress suit girls wear) with henna on my hands. I look fresh off the boat from India. I guess you could say, I don't really look that American anymore.

I still miss her (India) very much. It hit me a little while we were taking off in Delhi and I was listening to some bluesy jazz song that seemed to fit the mood. I just kept thinking about all those people and especially the lil angel/rascal (my resident director's three year old) and if I will ever see them again, and if so, when?

At this point many people had already made it back to the states so I had a whole flight alone to reflect but I didn't wish to sit 13 or 14 hours sulking at how much I would miss the amazing life I had in India so I read books and watched movies instead. I actually slept a good 8 or so hours on the plane, very surpised at this feat. When I got to Newark, with coffee in hand and chocolate danish crammed in my purse, I just knew I had to go for it and see New York. So you can imagine me bustling about to get a train ticket and riding in a fit of excitement to the center of broadway, singing out loud "I'm in New Yoooorrrk" as if I am a glee cast member.

Then I trek through the many street having no idea where I am going or what I will find, just spontaneously moving forward and looking at street signs and occasionally asking someone where such and such is (i.e the library so I can write my blog, Times Square of course, where they film the Good Morning America Show, which I passed by and got to be on tv for a good second, and Central Park). Yes I visited all these places and some. I was about to go shopping until I remembered I am in America again and it isn't as cheap as India was, where I was almost living like the well off doctor I aspire to one day be. The cheap cost of everything in India is going to dissuade me from shopping here for awhile or worse I will try to bargain a price on everything.

Thus I headed back to Newark Intl Airport to check into security with a smile on my face and a tiredness seeping in since after all it is now night time in India. But I have much to do when I get home, besides finish all my other blog posts that I started but never quite had the time to finish while in India. I must also distribute gifts like Santa on Christmas, probably eat tons of American food- which I don't mind because I missed it sooo much, talk about everything to everybody countless times, and I know my brother wants to watch Harry Potter so I best make good use of that three hour plane trip home because the next few days will be full of family/friends that I have neglected in the US while making newer friends overseas.

I must also get to writing the people I became close with in India, keeping in touch with them in case I do one day return, along with planning my trip to CALI- yes the other side of the continent! I have never been on the west coast, the farthest being Tennessee. But now I have a reason; five of my study abroad friends live in Cali, and one of them lives in Puerto Rico. She will be traveling with me hopefully when we visit.

So was studying abroad worth it? I don't even have to reflect on that. It is more than an experience. Sometimes we get caught up in our daily "busybody" lives back home, but when we get the opportunity to go somewhere completely different and experience and learn new things, you realize how much bigger LIFE is.

Pearl of the Orient

Goa when it's not monsoon season

Romance, Espanol, Portuguese Indians, great Mexican food, monsoon, swaying palms, motorbikes, cliffs, beaches, Baskin Robbins, shark, and wet everything. Yes this just about sums up my time in Goa - West Coast of India. Alot of these words seem to have nothing in common, more like a discombobulated mixture of everything good and bizarre.

It didn't feel like India. This much was for sure. No women in sarees, the men looked different (more spanish, more exotic), the seafood was superb, there were signs I understood (in Spanish), there were lots of churches, and there was the beachside which reminded one of Hawaii.

So besides the 12 hour bus ride and random hindi movies, our trip there wasn't so bad. We left at night on a sleeper charter bus which allowed us to fall asleep and almost wake up when we arrived. Upon arriving, clouds and rain greeted us, but we didn't let that dampen our spirits like it dampened our clothes.

That first day we actually made it in time for the continental breakfast! Afterwards I did heena on myself and two other girls. We napped and while everyone else decided to bounce and explore, we decided us girls would have our own adventures.

We walked around the little neighborhood area not far from our hotel, the Castle House (amazing, I rate it 5 stars). We stopped at a little cafe and bar called Infantaria. I had amazing prawns (shrimp) and some peach iced tea. We went window shopping along the market trying to see if we could gain bargains for some of the cute sandals and rompers hanging in the doorways. One girl convinced me to buy this corn that they grill and douse in lime and masala. It was hands down the best corn on the cob I have ever tasted. (It stopped raining enough for us to do all this. )

That night, as a group we decided to have dinner on the famous Calagunte Beach at Souza Lobo and hookah aftwerwards in candelit benches in the sand facing the sweet ocean's spray.

It rained a little and then I got on the motorbike with a friend and we had a lovely desert of Baskin Robbins on the quieter mystique Baga Beach. The next day my roomate was sick, yet she still toughened up to go out with us. I had gotten a motorbike for the day with gas (guess what, just about 9 US dollars). I had my first accident in the first two seconds without even getting on the bike. Basically my hand was on the accelerator and I ran the bike into the wall and scraped it along with my arm. No serious injuries, but everyone laughed at my clumsiness. Afterwards we would end up pushing our motorbikes miles upon miles (approx. 300 km) around Goa in torrenting violent rains, which I survived unscathed.

Riding around on motorbikes was definitely a highlight to my weekend, regardless of the rain and wetness everywhere. We explored some of the beaches, temples, and beautiful scenery apparent everywhere in Goa. We went back and got ready in the little remaining dry clothes we had left for dinner at Infantaria and desert at Souza Lobo (consisting of Flan).

At Infantaria, we had the best pasta I have ever tasted. That night I went exploring in the vast Jungles on motorbike to discover an old fort with a lighthouse guarding its trenches. If you went around the backside there was a lovely view of Goa, the city lights, the beaches hugging the oceans slapping waves and rocky sides, and this hillside of moss trees. Everything was serene and romantic. I believe Goa is a place for the honeymooners. We went down to another beach that started with an S near the Villanova Taj, which is apparently the king of all hotels. It extended several acres and looked like a 5 star resort only celebrities would stay in. There was a brick walkway border that had a path extending into the ocean and the private beaches with palm tree walls gave it an added touch.

The next day was our last day so we ate at an awesome Mexican Restaurant where I had tostadas and excellent Chai. We then all split up so some of us could see the lighthouse and others could see the cliffside and Anjuna Beach/Fort. The cliffside was lovely, you could see each green hillside jutting out into the ocean like fingers. We went down and took a few pictures and by the time we climbed back up the hillside it started to rain. There was a little market facing the ocean on that hillside where I purchased elephant tusk necklaces with different animals carved intricately in the material.

We traveled back, fully satisfied, maybe a little sick, and ready for dry weather after an unforgettable amazing 3 days in Goa. I loved it all because I got to explore, get closer to my friends in the summer program, and eat richly delicious food.

Love at first sight

Can you say Love at first sight. This is exactly what I felt staring at these big brown mischevious and charming eyes of our resident director's 3 year old angel.

Being around Americans and living in an international hostel that boasts international students every semester seems like the life, especially when you are 3. This angel certainly thinks so as she runs through hallways and into our rooms and lives like a bright firework. She loves to dance and sing, she will only eat the middle of oreo cookies, and she likes to play "I'm teacher, you are student". This 3 year old holds a special place inside my heart as the little sister I never had. I truly care about this young mischief maker. She is definitely spoiled by all of us Americans' and international students, but we don't mind because she is just too cute to resist.

She is also very intelligent. She knows how to be charming alongside her trilinguality (Hindi, Telegu, and English- all fluently for the most part). Her laugh is like a thousand sun beams licking up the dew after rainfall. She gets her cute laugh and beautiful features from her mother, whom I also cherish.

They have made my future departing that much harder because I know I will miss them the most. When I come back to India, I will definitely repay them a visit. Our resident director is an amazing and strong woman who lets nothing get her down. Her contagious happiness is a silver lining to everyone's cloud and she is willing to do what she can for us (crazy rickshaw rides to the middle of town, staying up late to do heena, and stopping on the side of the road so we can take photos of monkeys). She is also very smart, with knowledge of several languages; her newest goal is to learn Urdu, Arabic and Japanese. Her passion is teaching and children and it is because of her that I am more than willing to volunteer a few hours out of my week to teach the poor migrant workers' children down the road.

I wish them both the best of luck and a happy life because they have both made my stay here that much more enjoyable. <3 <3

Modeling my glasses

Going Bananas!

On our way to a church service in a nearby village town two hours away, we saw a bunch of monkeys monkeying around on the trees, running along the dirt pathways by the road, and of course eating fruits. Although I have seen monkeys in Agra-in the main cities and towns- and in Jaipur when we visited the old king's fort, they never cease to capture my interest. They are little human animals and very intelligent. The monkeys we saw in Agra were sitting on walls or lamp-posts and drinking from bottles which they later smashed against the wall. The monkey in Jaipur was a wild hooligan jumping over and under cars while screetching out in fear. It finally reached the side of the palace, climbed up the side, sat there looking distrustfully at the crowd, and left a lovely gift of excretion on the ground.

I was talking to my German friend the other day about his interaction with these creatures and he told me when he was at the Taj Mahal, he saw a cute smaller monkey and tried to take a picture of it. All of a sudden it started crying out and some of the larger monkeys/apes came over in response to the baby monkey's fear. Needless to say, my german friend gave up his pursuit of photographing a monkey. One of my other friends actually got attacked by a monkey who ran off with her shoe!

Our program director further elaborated on his experiences with monkeys. He said that many of them are conniving and manipulative. Monkeys will steal babies or valuable items and then ask for a bribe to convince them to return the items they stole from you. One must learn to carry a batch of bananas or fruits to lure them away from either your child or your camera. My director also said that one time in his hostel, a monkey came in, found his fruit (hidden very well, mind you) peeled and ate his fruit leaving peels sprinkled all over the room, made a mess of his room, and then left his waste in the middle of the floor.

Although I have heard all these wild stories of monkeys, I don't mind interacting with them, so today on our way home from the church, I was determined to take some good photos of them. I couldn't get any decent shots until we ran into a tribe of monkeys running amok the middle of the road with bananas and jackfruits in their hands. We pulled over to the side of the road and I stuck my camera out to take shots of them. Some of them posed with their babies holding tightly onto their bellies, others showed us their prized possessions of food, and others kept running around in circles. They all put on a great show until several more cars and trucks came and then they had to scatter to various parts of the dense green forest around them.

Monkeys usually don't thrive in very populated city areas and so it is very hard to see them where I am staying now; I did site two galavantly strolling in the park the other day on campus. Because the church we were going to was in the countryside, we were able to see many monkeys and wildlife here.

The church is actually the second tallest and third oldest in India. It was built with the help of a British missionary and has been carrying on since, mainly in the Telegu language for people from all over South India (Church of South India). The paster did notice some of us internationals in the crowd and did his best to throw in three or four sentences in English. It was still a beautiful church service with many telegu worship songs about God and his goodness. They also try to pack in as many people as possible. People come in during all times of the service, even at the end, in order to get blessed from the pastor or hear announcements.

The service mirrors a catholic mass in style and architecture with great stain glassed windows depicting the story of christ. At one point I was almost sitting on top of the lady behind me because they kept moving closer and packing more people. The oldest, largest church stands proudly in Goa, originally a Portuguese colony bringing the catholicism and christianity of the spanish. I will be visiting Goa this upcoming weekend with a group of my fellow friends in this study abroad program. While there, I will have the opportunity to experience the birthplace of Christianity in this country.

Warangal Pilgrimage

A Sacred Journey Paying Omage to the Cow for entrance into the Thousand Pillar Temple

Sharpening my thousand year old knives at Warangal Fort-Ruins Warangal Thousand Pillar Temple (Only 600 pillars stand here)

Practicing Yoga at the Kali Temple, Warangal India

Go several thousand years back in time and these ruins would have boasted of the grand splendor of Hindu Architecture. While the Taj Mahal is persian in design and built by a Muslim King, the temples in Warangwal are selectively only Hindu architecture.
Another Day long excursion started off at 6:30 a.m. when we all got up to hop the train a few hours to this place. When we got there, we were greeted with the smell of the morning and other less desirable smells of pollution and sewage. The smells here were a bit more potent than in the city of Hyderabad, because Warangal is a much smaller city and more rural in many places.
But along with the rural communities, one can uncover the beauty of ages past. First is the thousand pillar temple set in front of a breathtaking landscape of mountains. Next was the Kali (Female God of destruction, war, protection) Temple where one could also see Gods Vishnu, Shiva, and Rama. Upon entering this temple sitting on the edge of a large lotus lake, the guardians Rama and Sati gazed at you with the knowing look of the divine. The story behind Rama and Sati is a very interesting one. I will not go into detail, but basically Rama was the perfect king, man, and husband. His marriage with Sati is the ideal of a loving Hindu marriage and one all Indians aspire to attain. Going a bit further, and you are immediately greeted by the smells of incense and spice being offered around the different altars that are supposed to represent worship places for the different deities.
The location, with the lake and mountains in the background provided such a serene peaceful environment; most likely not coincidental.
My favorite part was the DJ. On the main platform of the temple were shops and a music stand that played Hindi Worship music, but the bass was turned all the way up and it had an epic rhythym to it that made you just want to dance all your worries away.

"Our future is the children whom we teach"

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
We all learned this rhyme as pre-schoolers or even younger, but this bit of English is invaluable to the many poor migrant workers' children whom we taught today. A school has been founded only last semester right down the road from where I study, where these children can go daily to learn.

It gives me great joy to be going twice a week to teach migrant workers' children English, colors, numbers and playing games with them. We have a class size around 25-30 students ranging in age from 18 months - 10 years old. Today they all remembered my name which was precious. They enjoy us coming each time and greet us as teacher. “Hello teacher, teacher look”. They all speak Telegu which is the colloquial language and understand and speak some Hindi, but the English barrier can be tough which is why we are starting off really basic. I go with a group of two or three other study abroad students.

Beneath the surface of their smiling faces, you know they are living in impoverished conditions and many of them suffer from malnutrition or other diseases. The flies are rampantly making homes on the babies’ faces and I constantly shoo them away to no avail. Bhavani and a young man named Evan organized the creation of this school just this year before we came. It was their vision to provide some knowledge to the children of migrant workers so that they can enter into government public schools and continue on with their education. Currently they are in need of a doctor who is willing to volunteer his/her time to giving the children checkups and diagnosing them for illnesses all at little cost so that the school teachers can still be paid and overall, so the school can still function. I have a dream to help out even if it is through reaching out to other health professionals or teachers in the area to do something for the future of these children.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

When I say tattoo, I really mean Heena or Mehndi. India's version of a temporary inking. The dark clay paste feels like a mixture of hot and cold at the same time, while the lady sribbles away elaborate designs all inspired by Indian architecture and textile prints. From flowers, to peacocks to the elaborate tassels elephants wear, anything can be drawn and called a heena. Hands and palms are the most common, while feet and back or arms can also be done. The easiest to do are hands because of their flat surface and ability to absorb moisture. Once the drawing is done, one must let it dry for at least an hour, wetting it every now and then to make sure the color is absorbed into your skin. If done properly, the color should be a dark orange red. These tattoos last about 1-2 weeks. My dad told me a common superstition Indians believe is that the lighter your heena the less attractive your potential husband will be. Of course, the color all depends on the material of the paste you are getting. Some pastes naturally produce lighter colors than others.


Heena are usually reserved for very special occasions such as birthdays and weddings or anniversaries. All the women get heena's done for these occasions on their arms and legs. They each get the most extensive designs possible as if it is a competition to see who can fill their arm up the most with random designs. The men usually do not get heena.I have already gotten heena done twice while here. Once was at the craft village in Jaipur and the second was courtesy of Bhavani, our resident director, who is extremely talented in this art. Mehndi is art; the human body your canvas and this pastel clay your paint.


To learn more about Mehndi and Heena check out the below webpage: http://www/mehndidesigns.in/

Food for Thought

Spicy, Sweet, and everything Good A complete meal! Including the several pieces of mango on the side.

All the variety of food we get on a daily basis at the Tagore International Hostel

Lassi Faluda is a party in your mouth of pistachio ice cream, sugar, bubbles, rose water, vanilla milk, and gummies

Thali at Jaipur Cultural Heritage Village (Thali is like a curry buffet)

TEA Time! Chai or Masala Tea is a daily must and can be enjoyed at any time.

Chai. It is easily the best mixture of spicy, sweet, and strong tea in a little china cup that never seems to fill you up, even after maybe 3 servings. It is also my newest addiction. I am certain I will have to obtain some and learn how to make it the “masala” way before returning to the states.

But you can’t have tea time without having your main courses first. The food here is one of the richest and most enjoyable things I have come to love about India. Each day there are three servings, unless we go out on an excursion, in which case there are meals at local hip restaurants boasting of the best kababs in the region. Kababs and chicken tikka are some of my favorites, but I have also sampled chicken biryani, cauliflower curry, dahl (yellow lentil curry), mango pickle, spicy salad, naan, roti, rice, yellow rice, and a plethora more dishes. The variety seems endless.

Sweet tooth that I am, the best part is yet to come after the meal. The desert! Sometimes this includes authentic indian deserts such as rasmalai, hulva, or other custard and porridge sweets. Other times it is the softest, light as a cloud, sweetest ice cream I have ever tasted, in the flavors of mango, butterscotch, and vanilla. I could eat butterscotch icecream at all times, anytime. In the mornings, we usually get power shakes to boost our energy which include a mixture of either watermelon or pomegranate and raspberry. My breakfasts are no longer granola bars, they are full fledged meals boasting of toast with jam or butter, eggs, oatmeal, cereal, idleys (sponge cakes), pancakes, omelet, dosa (crispy pancakes), and chai.

Jungle Book

I live in the Jungle. No literally. Im next to balu's and sher khan's*; well maybe not quite, but I have definitely seen my share of wild animals.
Top most interesting animals
1. Elephant (hands down the coolest animal and most revered in India. They are considered divine beings. Riding one is definitely an out of this world experience).
2. Camel (you don't see people riding camels everyday down the road like its a normal form of transportation. These long legged humped creatures lolligag along the roads looking serene as their owners stare on with discomfort. Riding a camel wasn't the most comfortable form of transportation, but it was interesting).
3. Chameleon (My first time spotting this mysterious color changing creature was on my hiking trail when I saw its bright orange coating start to transform like transformers into a dark grey, matching the landscape it was sunbathing on).
4. Water Buffalo (These lumbering animals take daily swims in the less than sanitary lakes surrounding the city and our university. I've never seen so many buffalo in one place. It's like they are having a pool party, which I am surely not invited to).
5. Pinstriped Squirrels (Although we have squirrels in America, there is something truly astounding about these black striped critters that seem to test their boundaries. We actually have a mini farm in our bathroom at the hostel. In the windowsill is a family of squirrels who have built their nest out of odd tidbits and go back and forth to scourage the grounds for food. There is- I am assuming- a mother, father, and three baby squirrels).

There are of course a plethora of other wildlife surrounding me like the seven legged spider I saw crawling in the laundry room the other day, the huge beetle that fell from my lamp, the squirmy squiggly lizards that plague the bathrooms, and the one animal I would love to see at least once, Peacock; official bird of India.
I hear that peacocks come out early in the morning and late evenings, so maybe one of these days I will go for an early morning jog so that I can site these beautifully adorned birds.

*Balu in hindi means bear
*Sher - means lion

Learning Hindi...sounds and symbols?

लीर्निंग हिंदी -Learning Hindi

Learning Hindi is really just like learning a bunch of random vowel ending sounds with beautiful doodles and drawings. These actually make up the language. There are 18 languages in India. The two main ones are Hindi and English, but then each state has their own very differently constructed language. For example:

अस्फ्द्लालालाल (This is Hindi)
అస్డ్లఫ్జాద్;జ - This is in telegu (the native language of Hyderabad and the state of Andra Pradesh).

So look at the above symbols? Confused? I have been attempting to learn this foreign sanskrit based language for the past week and it is a challenge, but a fun one. I love making the symbols and saying the alphabet (only thing we have learned so far). By the end of the course the teacher says we should all be able to hold a decent conversation. Whether this will happen is determined by my motivation and ability to retain this. So far I'm pulling a Harry Potter and writing the letters over and over again on lined paper (minus the magic feathered pen). The alphabet consists of many vowel sounding letters. Some letters sound like humming as in the case of the letter (l), lalala (लाललाल), or laughing, (h), hahaha (ह्ह्ह्हह्ह).

I am anxious to begin learning the meaning behind this lovely music of words, but the letter symbols and vowel strokes are very logical. Once you get the hang of them, you are able to distinguish the letters anywhere and even pronounce the sound. Next step will be attaching a definition to what I have been learning.
We go over a few simple words each day, more so to practice the sounds and symbols then to memorize vocab. It is an entirely new concept of learning a language but I thoroughly enjoy it.
It will be interesting to track my progression in the next few weeks and I will be sure to keep you blogster readers updated!

If you feel Adventurous...

Today I was a rocketeer! Or rock climber. Along with Save the Rock Foundation and my fellow ISA group, we, (about 30 of us), went exploring in the vast underbrush of our University of Hyderabad. Who knew this campus was 24,000 acres large? Our adventures included lots of thorns, huge boulders and rocks, and buffalo lake. If you think climbing up a mountain or huge earthshaped boulders is hard, sliding down them is an even more dangerous feat. After climbing to the top and catching a glimpse of the water buffalo gawking at us humans trying to conquer the rocks, we make our way safely to the ground, feeling as if we have accomplished some great feat.
And all this is available in my backyard. You can bet that I will be going again and climbing maybe even higher mountains this time. The rock formations are extremely beautiful and give you a great view of the dense forest surrounding you everywhere. There were even a few cave like structures where the remains of late night bonfires and parties marked the walls. My favorite was the rock temple, literally shaped like a small room with an altar and elaborately piled roof of rocks.
The Save the Rock Foundation rock climbs and hikes to promote awareness of the natural landscape, beauty, and the mother earth around us. They like to find different rocks and mountains to climb around the city and usually organize a group of students, young adults, parents and children to accompany them on these awareness hikes. It is the equivalent to a marathon for breast cancer or diabetes except the terrain is much rockier.

Historical Hyderabad

We are going on a city tour of Hyderabad today. I am very excited to see my dad's old nook and also experience more of India.

Study in India Program, University of Hyderabad

Schedule for the City Tour – 18^th June, 2011

a) Chowhmalla Palace

b) Charminar

c) Mecca Masjid

d) Laad Bazar : known for its pearls, bangles and clothes

e) Lunch at Shadab: Excellent place for Biryani and Kebabs

f) Golconda Fort

Background Information

Charminar (Telugu: చార్ మినార్, Hindi: चार मीनार, Urdu: چار مینار,) meaning "Mosque of the Four Minarets" and "Four Towers" is the most famous mosque and monument in the city of Hyderabad, capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah , the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad.^[1]. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water." Today one can see the city as evidence of the prayer being answered.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture.^[6] This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Makkah Masjid (Telugu: మక్కా మసీదు, Urdu: مکہ مسجد) is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad, India and one of the largest mosques in India. Makkah Masjid is a listed heritage building located in the Old City of Hyderabad close to the historic landmarks of Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar. Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty commissioned bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the holiest site of Islam and inducted them into the construction of the central arch of the mosque, thus rendering the mosque its name.

More than 8,000 workers were employed to build the mosque. Muhammed Qutub Shah personally laid the foundation stone of the 'mosque'

Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat (4 Palaces), was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam. In Urdu, Chow means four and Mahalat (plural of Mahel) means palaces, hence the name Chowmahallat/four palaces. All ceremonial functions including the accession of the Nizams and receptions for the Governor-General were held at this palace. This is the oldest part of the palace, and has four palaces Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal. It was built in the neo-classical style.

Golkonda, a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda (c. 1364–1512), is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.

The 13th century Golconda Fort was built by the Kakatiya kings. The city and fortress are built on a granite hill that is 120 meters (400 ft) high and is surrounded by massive crenelated ramparts. The beginnings of the fort date to 1143, when the Hindu Kakatiya dynasty ruled the area. The Kakatiya dynasty were followed by the state of Warangal, which was later conquered by the Islamic Bahmani Sultanat. The fort became the capital of a major province in the Sultanate and after its collapse the capital of the Qutb Shahi kings. The fort finally fell into ruins after a siege and its fall to Mughal emperor Aurangazeb.

Hospital Excursion - Health City, India

Get Well in Health City

Welcome to Jubilee Hills. Here you see houses that match America's elite and health clinics, pharmacies and billboards showing mothers with their young all culminating up to the grand treasure of the "health city"; Apollo Hospital. This is considered one of the best hospitals in India.
By no means can it compare with American hospitals, but by India's standards it is a 5 star. All the departments are listed along the far right wall when you walk in like the vietnam memorial depicting the names of its fighters, except here you see the surgeons and doctors names immortalized as the healers of the people.
It was definitely a journey getting to the HR department to inquire about internship or volunteer opportunities. It was like these people didn't know what we wanted to do. After getting sent to the blood bank and food department, we finally had someone write down the name and floor of where we were supposed to end up. We eventually found ourselves staring at the vast landscape, mountains and hills of Hyderabad on top of a 5 (technically 7) story building. Yes, I do mean the roof. The HR department was in prime location, look at the view! We went inside this glass department office on the roof and asked for Mr.Reddy.
But the story gets better...after explaining to the HR manager what we were trying to do, he said there would be an application to fill out and this would have to be approved by the vice president or someone important along those lines.
He gave us a white blank sheet of paper and told us to write what we want on it. Then he showed us to a very elaborate conference room fitted with leather chairs and a white board with a mahogany table and told us we could "deliberate" here. It was all very ironic and interesting, but we managed to complete the extensive application for his and his boss' review.
I do hope we (I and the other premed, health students) get an opportunity to work here. It would definitely be a valuable experience to see how the universal healthcare and quality of medicine is like in India.

Saree Style

Saree

Is it time for a new wardrobe?? I definitely thought so looking around me and seeing all the locals wear beautiful garments like the one above called a saree. They also wear elaborately designed long shirts or almost dresses with tights and scarfs (these can be called salvar kamis or kurtas). Never really having any of my own saree, I knew I had to get one and what better place than, well, India?

There is a process to getting the saree. Essentially this garment is a piece of cloth as long as a tablecloth, and its a one size literally fits all type deal because you are supposed to just wrap it around your body until it snuggly fits you. There are many different styles and some are more conservative than others, but in all, the effect is that of a prom dress.

Unique. That is one word to describe the plethora of sarees I see every day; the one my professor wears to class boasting of an elegance and intelligent demeanor, the one the local woman wears while carrying a jug on top of her head, the elaborate, flashy ones with all the gems and designs that the young girls wear to look fashionable, the simple ones the elders wear that emit a conservative attitude, and the one I too will be wearing within the next few days.

Shilparamam is the birthplace of my saree adventure. This is the craft village marketplace where I bartered for the fabric, obtaining it for a meer 500 rupees, or $10. The fabric was a beauty with bright orange flowers, peach stems and curly q's, and in its entirety a deep teal that looks like perfection against my skin tone. Little did I know I would need about ten more pieces to complete the entire garment and that these pieces would have to be specially tailor made to my measurements.

Getting a saree is an entire process and consumed my entire afternoon today. But it was definitely an experience learning what elements make up this traditional indian dress. From the thick cotton fold at the bottom, to the petticoat underneath the skirt portion, to my favorite, the half blouse that is styled as elaborately as you wish, the saree is truly designed as an exhibition of beauty. No saree is the same. I look at each girls and gasp with awe and delight; "That is soo pretty, oh wow this one is soo unique...ahh I love the color of that one". I have begun a habit now of photographing my favorite ones.

Although mine is more of a daily wear or casual wear saree, it is still extremely pretty. It has just the right amount of contrasted color and it is also bedazzled with silver gems/beads. The tailor will be cutting the neck in an almost heart shaped v neck line with a contrasting teal sleeve. The back is going to be a broad low v with teal lace in an elaborate border pattern. It all sounds exquisite so I am anxious to see the outcome of this traditional indian dress. All this will be done in two days at the cost of no more than 200 rupees or $4 = DEAL.

Moral of story: Shopping must be done in India and Sarees are the "it" item to purchase.

Priyanka