Bianca's Blog

Living Vicariously Through Linda Mondol

2011-12-30T12:27:00.001-05:00

In the last year and a half since I've traveled to India, I have kept in touch with a couple of the educators I met on that incredible journey. One of them, Linda Mondol, whom I've written about on a previous entry, decided to take a job teaching abroad. She and her husband Denny, are teaching at an American school in Beirut, Lebanon. Their two children are also with them. I wanted to include a link to their blog about their experiences here, so that others who may be interested could also live vicariously through Linda.

http://lebanonfirsthand.edublogs.org/

Five Things That I Loved About India

2010-08-22T11:31:00.260-04:00

I was just reading a similar list on one of the blogs I follow http://www.whiteindianhousewife.com/2009/10/5-things-about-india-that-attract-me/ and it prompted me to share mine.

Well, I've been back home now for two weeks after having been in India for a little over a month. Although I'm obviously happy to be reunited with my family and friends, I feel like a lover that has been separated from her loved one. For even though my hometown is also a totally unique place in its own right. Often, life here seems sterile, at least after India. So, since I'm reminiscing, let me tell you the Five Things I Loved About India.

1) Life Is Not Sterile - As much as I complained inwardly about being harassed by hawkers, and seeing some unsightly things, like guys peeing on the side of the road, and vendors killing chickens in order to sell them for lunch or dinner, and random people on the street simply taking quick Sunday baths by street pumps, I realize now that I was witnessing life happening. There were interesting and different things going on all about me. I actually looked at people and people looked back at me. O.K. I wasn't staring at them while they peed or bathed! I captured all of that with my peripheral vision. However, in general throughout the days as you made your way around town, it wasn't unusual to see people staring at you, as they nudged their friends to have a look at the foreigners. This wasn't done in a lascivious manner! Well, maybe a couple of times!!! LOL!!! More often than not however, people were simply curious. They would stop you and ask for your photo or ask you to take a picture of them. I have random pictures of people who wanted me to take their pictures, and people in India have random pictures of me, as well.

2) Traffic - I will never feel the same way about "crazy drivers" and traffic jams as I did before India. Every time I would get into traffic in India, I would hear the theme from "The Benny Hill Show" playing in my head. It felt as if I was part of a mad-cap caper in a silent movie where all hell and chaos are breaking loose. Instead of being scared, I would start laughing. It was exhilirating knowing that anything could happen at anytime, especially when riding in tuk-tuks/auto-rickshaws. Tuk-tuks are a common form of inexpensive transportation in India. They're used by locals getting around town and to and from work, foreigners needing cheap transportation, and they can even double as private school buses. And that's just the tuk-tuks...

Indian streets are a smörgåsbord of transportation methods and interesting things to see. (Click on the colored words "Indian Street Photostream" to see). Indian Street Photostream - Check it out. You'll see the usual, like cars, trucks, buses, scooters and motorcycles. Then you'll get a smattering of things that are uniquely Indian, like the dying breed of rickshaws pulled by humans, bicycle rickshaws, cows (which are not homeless, but do belong to people), meandering and sleeping street dogs (with ever so slight physical differences depending on the city you're visiting), hogs, goats and kids (baby goats), monkeys, elephants, and camels. Now in and of itself that menagerie seems incredible. However, one of my colleagues, Bill Franklin and I observed after witnessing an accident in Jaipur, a city with well-delineated streets and traffic signals, that the real beauty is in the interaction of all these elements which combine to form a unique "dance" or "symphony", with the "beeping/honking" of horns keeping the pace. I believe that the "breaking of traffic rules" as we see it is actually a testament to how much Indian people respect one another and nature. They are always aware of where the "other guy/cow/dog/goat" is, they just don't make eye contact or make any false, courteous gestures in traffic. If you do, you inadvertently set off the rhythm.

3) The History and Architecture - As a history lover, I was overjoyed to have something ancient to feast my eyes upon almost everyday. Being able to see things as old as the Buddhist Caves (Karla Caves), near Pune, to the incredible Moghul forts and palaces near Agra, where The Taj Mahal is located nourished my creativity and soul.

4) And speaking of soul...Indian Spirituality - As a westerner, I had my perceptions of what spirituality in India would look like. As ridiculous as this sounds, I guess I expected to see people meditating and doing yoga on every corner. Those things were there. I took a yoga class with second-graders at a school that we visited. We went and saw countless temples, mosques, and churches, and oh yes, even a mighty holy river, Gangaji, where people were meditating and praying. However, Indian spirituality is more subtle, deeper and quieter. I am not so naive to believe that some animosity doesn't exist between certain religions, but more often, this animosity is overshadowed by the countless acts of worship and good deeds that go on among and between all the religions present in India on a day to day basis.

5) Last, but not least, my favorite thing about India are Indians! - Again, I'm not so naive as to believe there are only "good" Indians. I'm sure there's all kinds of people, just as there are in Euskalherria, the Philippines, Cuba and the United States. However, I'm so lucky to have been blessed with many encounters with people that I felt an incredible kinship with. People I may have shared a past life with, who knows? Here are some of them: Click on the word "Connections" to see. Connections

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

2010-08-09T08:56:00.002-04:00

I'm posting this blog after the fact, because things really got crazy and busy towards the end of our journey in India. However, I didn't want to leave out an entry for Jaipur because its truly a beautiful city with a lot of wonderful things to see. We visited the city from August 3 - 5 (a.m.).

Firstly, we stayed at a beautiful hotel, The Jai Mahal Palace. Now although we've stayed at incredible places, I especially loved the modern decor of this real live palace which dates back to 1785. Everything has been updated so the rooms were interestingly decorated. There were fabulous modern paintings and prints throughout the hallway, and the piece de resistance was an incredible, human-sized chessboard in the gardens.

On the 4th, we were able to visit the Amber Fort. What a jewel! I thought we were just going to ride elephants up to an old fortress, but the scenery around the fort was truly enchanting and I think the bad weather added a certain air of mystery to the whole place, at least for me.

If you want to know more about the Amber Fort, check out this link:

http://www.jaipur.org.uk/forts-monuments/amber.html

In the meantime, here are some of the pics I took. You begin the visit by mounting elephants that take you to the fort.

Arriving at the top of the fort. This is not the highest point. From here you need to climb on foot.

Our elephant and driver with Flat Stanley.

Beautiful views from and around the fort.

If you want to see more pictures of this beautiful place, check out my flicker photostream.

The people in the group that had been to China said the fort wall reminded them of The Great Wall of China.

That evening we were treated to a traditional Rajasthani thayli dinner.

Oh yeah and I even saw the Floating Palace I had seen online when this whole adventure was still a dream.

Farewell Dinner in New Delhi

2010-08-05T14:41:00.000-04:00

Well, tonight the United States-India Education Foundation gave us a farewell dinner at The Claridges. We had a fabulous time! Those of us that bought our sarees had the opportunity to wear them, as well as those that bought the salwar kameez outfits.

We all felt like we were getting ready for Prom. We also got the chance to meet other teachers that were recruited by Fulbright. It was a fun evening! I have stuff to post from Jaipur. I will try to do that as soon as possible.

The Taj Mahal

2010-08-03T12:11:00.002-04:00

What can I say? It's as beautiful as I'd imagined.

The "Fulbright Scholars"

Well, I guess I should really say more. We arrived at the Taj early in the morning and although the day was overcast, it certainly didn't take away from the beauty all around us. The grounds were spectacular and peaceful. We even saw a celebrity from the Food Channel.

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India - Fatehpur Sikri

2010-08-03T11:28:00.003-04:00

Well, I haven't been able to post anything for a couple of days because the internet connection in Agra wasn't great. So the information below is for my impressions and experiences from August 1, 2010.

We arrived by train early Sunday morning in Agra. That same afternoon, our new guide took us to a nearby town to see Fatehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri is a complex of monuments and temples. It was actually the capital of the Mughal Empire for 10 years in the second half of the 16th century. The Emperor Akbar built the monument in honor of a Sufi saint named Salim Chisti. Salim Chisti was a recluse that lived in Sikri. Akbar consulted him because he was concerned about having an heir to his empire after having lost some possible heirs. Chisti correctly predicted that Akbar would have an heir to the throne. His son was born in Sikri in 1569. There were a lot of cool buildings. I could definitely imagine what life was like there while we were sightseeing. In fact, our conversation that evening was about which part of the site we like best. It was like playing. Below are some of many incredible images we saw.

The next day we went to the Taj Mahal!

Dawn on the Ganges

2010-07-30T06:14:00.000-04:00

This morning the group began the day at 4:45 a.m. We went to the main ghat on the Ganges for a boat ride. Everyone says that the Ganges must be seen at two different times of the day. During the evening, what we witnessed was more as an audience rather than participant, although we were still recipients of the blessings from the Aarti ceremony. In the morning, however, the Ganges is more intimate and personal. Pilgrims have come from all over India and the world to immerse themselves or bathe in her waters. She is said to wash away the sins of lifetimes.

The people under the umbrellas are selling natural degradable offerings, like flowers, leaves and garlands made out of flowers that you can leave on the Ganges.

Getting ready to enter a temple with Gangaji in the background.

Darjeeling Limited? Not Quite

2010-07-29T12:46:00.001-04:00

This post is for July 27, 2010.

The United States-India Educational Fund is all about giving us the opportunity to experience new things within the culture we're visiting. So, they wanted us to travel by train at least once while in India. It was an interesting experience. Actually, it was better than I imagined.
Although, we were given sleeping cabins on the train, it was pretty hard to do. The train jiggles around a lot, but the bathrooms were clean and that was a plus. I think the most entertaining part of the entire train ride was watching our guide, Gagan, negotiate a price to have a group of men carry 21 pieces of luggage for 15 Americans once we had arrived in Varanasi. Take a look at the picture below.

I have more pictures of the train ride, but they're taking too long to upload, so I'll post them later.

Gangaji, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

2010-07-28T14:28:00.003-04:00

Now, I can go home! Just kidding, I still have 10 days left, but I’ve seen the Mighty Ganges River, Gangaji. What an honor! I’m in Varanasi, the holiest city in India for the Hindus, Buddhists and Jainism. Hindus believe that if you come here and die, you can break free of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The USIEF staff hired a boat for us to go on the river.

We went to the ghat on which Hindus are cremated. So, I guess I should explain. There are several “ghats” (stairs) along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benares). Each one has a different function. For example, the Manikramika Ghat is one of the primary cremation ghats. We had the opportunity to go there this evening. Our guide, an extremely knowledgeable professor, explained the entire process to us. Apparently, when a person dies, male or female, the family brings the body down to the ghat. Once there, the body is wrapped in a red, orange or white gown, depending on their marital status. Widows and holy men, like priests get orange. Then the family buys wood for the funeral pyre. The son then goes and shaves his hair and his beard off. He comes back, they bathe the body in the Ganges, and then place them on the funeral pyre. I always thought that the pyre was on the actual Ganges, but the ones we saw tonight were not. Although we couldn't take pictures when we got close up, I did take some pictures as we were approaching.

It looks totally ominous as you are approaching because it's dark from the fires and ashes, and not as colorful as the other ghats. However once there, I wasn't afraid of seeing something scary. The guide was explaining that Indians had a strong sense of the continuity of the soul, and that feeling was palpable. I simply tried to partake in this solemn occasion with the families. Oh, by the way, no ladies were there. According to our guide, they could come if they wanted to. For example, if there's not a son, the daughter goes, but we didn't see any there.

After that, our boat returned to the ghat where we got on to strategically position itself for a great view of the Aarti. According to Wikipedia:The purpose of performing Aarti is the waving of lighted wicks before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein faithful followers become immersed in God's divine form. It symbolises the five elements: 1) space (akash), 2) wind (vayu), 3) light (tej), 4) water (jal), and 5) earth (pruthvi).

With that said, I send all of my family and friends all my love!

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

2010-07-28T01:20:00.001-04:00

Yeah!!!! I'm finally able to post something. I hadn't been able to for days now because the connection at the last hotel in Kolkata was interfering with my ability to do that. I'm writing for July 26, 2010.

Today was another amazing day! This morning we went to the Loreto Day School Sealdah. Oh my goodness, I felt so inspired by Sr. Cyril Mooney, the principal of the school. What a powerhouse of a woman! In 1979, she was appointed to be the principal at the school. When she got there, the school was basically a privileged private school. Out of the 790 students, only 90 were tuition free. Sr. Cyril saw so much need and felt compelled to do better. She did the math and figured out that she could probably run the school and pay the teacher even if only half of the 790 were paying students. So that’s what she did. She set up a lottery and started accepting more street children and children from shantytowns. Let me explain the difference, when you first get to India, you might think that the people living in the shantytowns with the corrugated tin roof huts are the poorest of the poor, but no, there’s a group that doesn’t even have a roof over their heads. They sleep on mats or sheets on the sidewalk up against buildings. So, those are the type she takes in. Then one day it struck her that these “rainbow” girls, as they are referred to, could actually have a roof above them, if the school opened up for them from 3:00 p.m. dismissal time to the time when the school day begins. So again, not having to worry about potential “lawsuits” and such, she began housing the poorest of the poorest. If the mothers were also found to be in vulnerable positions, they were allowed to stay in as well. Sr. Cyril is simply awesome! She didn’t just rest on those laurels though. She tackled the next obvious problem that was staring her in the face, then the next, then the next, then the next, then the next, etc. I’m not exaggerating. She told us that she doesn’t wait for the money. She starts doing what she has to do for whatever community she’s helping at the moment and has faith that God will provide her what she needs. I had the sense that I was with a modern day saint. Make no mistakes, this is not the passive, quiet saintly type. She is a force of nature! I instantly loved her and felt at home. She reminded me of all the wonderful Irish nuns and priests that I’d had growing up that inspired me to name my sons, Kevin and Kyle, instead of Fernando and Francisco. What a privilege to meet this woman and the other teachers. She leads by example. She expects the more privileged students to go out into the villages one Saturday of every month

to teach those students that can’t get to a school. Christian values are not just read about in books, but practiced on a daily basis. Oh yeah, and another way in which she “thinks outside of the box” is this, those students who do have to work, begging on the streets or whatever menial labor is available are encouraged to come in whenever they can get three hours straight. She has a cadre of senior girls ready to teach those students as needed. She’s does so much from teacher training to starting village schools, to work experience programs to prepare her “Rainbow Kid” graduates to enter the real world. INSPIRING!!!

Then in the afternoon, we made our way to the American Center. We caught an exhibition by the Patuas. The Patuas is the “caste” name for a community of itinerant painters and singers. In the old days, they would travel from village to village with a sack of painted, narrative scrolls on their backs. Upon arrival into the village, they would look for patrons to pay them to sing the contents of the painted narrative scrolls. The songs were mostly about Hindu gods and their accompanying stories/myths. Other themes would also be the “sahib pat” or foreigner scroll which would have to do with tales about oppressive things the “Britishers” were doing to the locals during the colonization. So in a sense, they were old-fashioned journalists to a certain degree. They have had to adapt their narrative, painted scrolls to the different political and social circumstances of the day, but their work is still colorful, powerful and strong, and they still sing the contents of their scrolls.

After that, we were treated to a traditional and folk dance show, featuring one of the Unites States-India Educational Foundation's employees, Shohini(?). She was also a "Fulbright Scholar" assigned to Flagstaff, AZ. She's the soloist in the picture below. Then we ate dinner while mingling with Indians from all walks of life. Kolkata you didn’t disappoint me, and we still have one day left.

Pune, Maharashtra, India

2010-07-22T13:31:00.024-04:00

This entry is actually for our stay in Pune, July 15th -18th. That was when I was having trouble with the internet connection at the hotel, so I wasn't able to post anything.

On the 16th of July, we visited a school named Aman Setu School, "Bridge of Peace". The school was begun by a handful of idealistic teachers who had a dream that world peace is actually attainable. The students attending the school come from varying economic classes, religious and caste groups. At Aman Setu, the kids work, play and live together in harmony. The students are surrounded by plants and animals. They learn in an experiential way through a specially designed curriculum. Each project/topic/subject is linked to real life. The school has a commitment to an eco-sensitive lifestyle visible through their choice of building materials and the way the curriculum is organized.

Linda Mondol speaking to some students from the school.

This is a student from the school that was sweet as can be. He didn't talk much, but he was always close by.

The kids at the school seemed very happy, open and well-adapted. My "escort/guide" (the little girl with the pink shirt in the first picture) was very bright.

So, one of the joys of being in Pune was walking into a music classroom at Abhinava Vidyalaya School and hearing Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" being sung by kids. Of course, it took me no time to join in! Aaahhhh, the small pleasures of life!

Mahabalipuram, Bay of Bengal and henna tattoos

2010-07-21T12:04:00.002-04:00

Our day was filled with sightseeing and cultural activities. The first thing we did this morning was to leave the city of Chennai to see Mahabalipuram. Mahabalipuram is situated close to the Bay of Bengal on the east coast of India. Our tour guide explained that all the "temples" and figures there are believed to have been carved out of a single rock. Also, because of the fact that you can't actually enter the temple, it is believed that it may have actually been carved out as an "architectural" model for the King to approve. Whatever the case, it is still pretty impressive to imagine men carving those models out of sandstone in the 7th century. They've been so well-preserved because they hadn't been unearthed until the late 18th century.

Of course the child in me wanted to play, since in reality they look like giant sand castles.

We also visited sites nearby which were also sculpted out of sandstone. Arjuna's Penance was one of them. It was actually rather overwhelming to see all those figures presented in a bas relief way on the sandstone. Our guide and fellow Fulbrighter, Dr. Suresh did an awesome job of explaining the different scenes that appear on the rock. It sort of reminded me of Dante's inferno.

We then took a short drive to see the Shore Temple.

After that we drove over to a lovely Taj hotel called Fisherman's Cove to have lunch. "Taj" is the name of a chain of hotels like the Hilton. Anyway, after lunch we had a chance to splash in the Bay of Bengal. It was cool, similar to the temperature in Miami beaches. Everyone from the other states kept saying how "hot" the water was. I just kept quiet. :)

Then, Dr. Suresh took us to a cultural village called Dakshina Chitra. This is a center for the living traditions of art, folk performing arts, crafts and architecture of India with an emphasis on South India. The best thing about it other than the architecture and hand-crafted bangles was that I got a henna tattoo. I got it just in time because it will have faded by the time I get home. I don't want to freak out my Dad or Mrs. Sanchez, my principal.

Hey Kevin and Kyle if you're reading this, don't get any ideas! This is temporary.

Miscellaneous

2010-07-20T13:27:00.000-04:00

Due to the fact that I haven't been able to post something everyday, I have some left over pictures that are going to be out of order. However, I did want to include them.

The first one is below. We had just arrived at the Sun Temple in Modhera, outside of Ahmedebad, our tour guide was giving us information about what we were looking at, I was getting ready to take a picture of the group when I suddenly notice that this random guy is right in the middle of the whole thing. When he sees that I notice him, he gestures to me to go ahead and take the picture. Can you guess which one he is? LOL!

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

2010-07-20T11:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, July 18, we arrived in Chennai (Madras), India. Compared to other cities in India, Chennai is actually pretty young. It’s about 300 years old and was established by the East India Trading Company (British). Currently, it’s the fourth largest city in India. We were taken on a bus tour to get to know the city and then to the Fort Museum, located at the site where the first settlement was.

We have an excellent guide, Dr. S. Suresh and he’s in charge of familiarizing us with the city. This is the old market of Chennai. Our guide told us that shopping there isn't for the faint of heart. After seeing it first-hand from the bus, you better believe I wasn't going in there alone.

In the evening, we were treated to a dinner at the home of our Indian counterpart, Shoba Raman. She is an Indian teacher that was sent to teach in a Vermont High School. She had invited several teachers to her house, including another Fulbright scholar that had been sent to Wisconsin. Below are some of the pictures. Their saris were STUNNING!

Today, we went to visit the Padma Seshadri Senior Secondary School. Although that name may be confusing, this school is actually a private elementary through high school. We spent the entire school day there. At first I was apprehensive about that, but we ended up having so much fun! That’s the thing about this Fulbright-Hays program, they find these gems of organizations and schools and expose us to them. I began my day by taking a yoga class with second graders. The teacher kept saying, “Enjoy the silence.” However, they couldn’t stop giggling and looking at me. I sang, Edelweiss from the movie, The Sound of Music with some students during their music class. I had to forbid myself to cry. I used to sing that song to Kevin and Kyle to put them to sleep, and when I heard it, I wanted to lose it, but the Finlay teachers would be proud of me, I kept my act together. I helped one of the art teachers with a lesson on making hats. Below you will find a picture. We had lunch there. Then we were treated to a show. The kids are incredibly talented and amazing.

Another great day in India!

Pune, Maharashtra, India

2010-07-19T13:18:00.005-04:00

Well, we have actually left Pune already and are currently in Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India. I wasn't able to post anything while in Pune because the internet connection at the hotel was so bad. However, I did want to make sure and include some details about our time there because it really was excellent.

Although there were a lot of great things about this city, I guess the highlight of the trip was our visit to the Karla caves on Sunday, the 18th. The Karla caves are located about 1 hour and 1/2 away from Pune in nearby hills. They are Buddhist caves that were built
c.1000 A.D.

We had to climb all the way up this hill in order to get to the caves. If you start climbing from the bottom it's a "stiff 620 ft. climb". At least that's how the guide book said it. The awesome part of the whole adventure was that unbeknownst to us, the 18th of July is the feast day of an Indian goddess, Ekveera. Thousands of Indian people make their way up the hill to a temple where her idol is kept in order to receive her blessing. If you look at the picture below it's the building with the orange roof. The atmosphere was exuberant and festive. There were marching bands, not like the ones in the states, but guys dressed with similar shirts and playing drums. There were men dancing with joy.

I'm including a link for anyone interested in finding out more about these caves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karla_Caves

The other fun thing was that everyone wanted to have their picture taken with us.

In this picture is Dave Prugh, a 5th grade teacher from Gainesville, Florida.

Here you see they are taking pictures of us, we are taking pictures of them and I am taking a picture of the whole thing.

If you want to check out more pictures of the caves, I will be placing them on the Flicker photostream.

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

2010-07-15T01:13:00.023-04:00

So, we arrived here on Sunday without any delays and I have to say that so far, this city has given me some pleasant surprises. Since Sunday is our day off, most of the group was anxious to make immediate plans once we got settled in at the hotel. We went to the Calico Museum and were lucky that they had a tour for 3:00 p.m. What a gem of a place. The museum is located in an old home with an incredible yard filled with macaws, peacocks and a pond with giant lotus flowers. It was my romantic vision of India. Inside the old house were these incredible textile and bronze treasures that were being preserved by the people at the museum. STUNNING! We were quietly tiptoeing around this house in the sultry Indian weather while the guide told us the story of some of the unique textiles she chose to show us. The irony is that as beautiful as the things were that we saw, we weren’t allowed to take pictures. Here's a link to information on the museum:

Calico, Museum

The lady with the green polka dots is a farmer who received a loan from SEWA and she's explaining everything she went through in order to have a place in the marketplace.

After we left the market, we were walking through the streets and saw some elephants, so we followed them. They elephants were being prepared for the big, religious celebration taking place in Ahmedabad. Their trunks were being painted.

Then, after we left the elephants, we stop to see these elaborately painted carts that will carry the idols from the Hindu temple through the town. Well, there was a local new team there and a couple of us got interviewed for the evening news show. Below is a picture of Terri Dye, a principal from Salinas, California getting interviewed. Then they interviewed me!!! Of course…LOL! But we went to dinner at a special Gujarati restaurant and couldn't watch the newscast.

After this we went to a havali, that's the name of old homes in Gujarat that were made from wood. There we met more ladies that were helped by SEWA. They were working with textiles making blouses, purses, and jewelry.

This is Linda Mondol, my roommate in Delhi.

In the evening, we had a traditional Gujarati dinner, called thayli. It was at this restaurant with an incredible concept. There was this enormous tent that you enter first. There you have some refreshments. Gujarat is a "dry" state. Then there are some shows. After that you are seated in a smaller tent and you eat on the floor using a concrete slab as your table. It was very beautiful and different. Here are a couple of pictures so you can see some of what we saw.

Puppet Show

The aim is not to drop the red pots while you do a variety of activities!

What a day!!!

Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Buses

2010-07-07T22:07:00.019-04:00

Well, yesterday was a nutty day. We were up at the crack of dawn so we could catch a flight up to Shimla in northern India. Shimla is located in the lower 1/3 of the Himalayan Mountain Range. Although it’s practically at 7,000 feet, these mountains are considered the foothills of the Himalayas. Anyway, our flight got cancelled. We had to fly into Chandigarh, which is 100 km. away and then take a bus up to Shimla. The bus ride was an additional 4 hours, but it was worth it because we got to see the climb up toward the mountains. The bottomline is that we didn’t get into Shimla until 8:30 p.m. I was EXHAUSTED. Our reward was seeing this beautiful sunset over the mountains.

Shimla has an interesting history. It was founded by the British during the 1800’s as a getaway retreat from the heat of Delhi. If you want to know more I’ve attached a link. Shimla Link: Click here It is one of the four most densely populated areas in the world, as you can see from the picture below. It can also boast of having a beautiful, giant cedar population. You can probably spot some in the picture. They sort of looked like pines to me.

On the 8^th of July, we visited two boarding schools. The first was an all boys boarding school named Bishop Cotton School. It was founded in 1859. It is expensive as you can well imagine, comparable to those in the states. The headmaster was quite an interesting fellow. He had a very grand voice and a commanding presence. You may spot him on some of the pictures I’ve uploaded to my flicker photostream. Their mess hall was like seeing a Harry Potter mess hall, but on a smaller scale.

The other boarding school was a public all girls school, Government Senior Secondary School-Portmore. Although not all of their students sleep there, the ones that do come from remote villages higher up in the Himalayas that don’t have easy access to a local school. Their staff reminded me of the staff at our school. They were we welcoming, full of questions and eager to show off their students. The picture below was taken on their gym court. Their girls also performed a traditional Himachal Pradesh dance and song. I will also upload pictures on the flicker photostream.

Today, the 9^th, we also visited another government (public) school. I almost don’t want to say anything because I think the pictures say it all. I will say that the spirit of teachers is the same. They give all they have under all kinds of conditions. The first two pictures below are of a preschool we visited. This concept of "preschool" is new to the Indian educational system.

These were the older kids from the same school checking themselves out on Andi's camera. Some things are universal.

Delhi

2010-07-04T20:34:00.003-04:00

So, there’s a lot to write and not so much time. We’ve had two jam-packed days since we arrived in Delhi. We got off with a bang on Friday night, July 2, 2010 when the United States-India Educational Foundation threw us a Dinner Reception at the Fulbright House. Dignitaries, Indian educators and fellow Fulbright-Hays scholars were invited to attend. The Cultural Attaché of the United States to India introduced us, and each of us had to say hello. Although I felt a little intimidated at first, I must say that I truly felt an energy of sincere welcome.

So much has already happened, but I’ll try to do “My top 3 to 5 favorites” based on how busy we are on any given day(s).

Top 3 – 5 Highlights

The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) has done an exceptional job of providing us with incredible speakers every day that we’ve been here. They have all been so outstanding, but I especially enjoyed a lecture given by Professor Choudhury on the Ancient Indian System of Education. His presentation reminded me why I became a teacher to begin with. With the current trend in Florida of testing and test results, we sometimes forget that one of our central responsibilities as educators is to empower students to become the best that they can be, academically, emotionally and psychologically. We need to cultivate in them the ability to construct meaning and knowledge, for themselves, not just focus on rote memorization or basic skills attainment.

Next, walking (running) through Old Delhi. I felt as if we were in a madcap caper, with Benny Hill music in the background. My colleague, Elizabeth Chapman caught it all on video. Click on the link below to see. It will appear on her posting for July 4. Just look for a little video screen. That will show you what I'm talking about. Imagine thousands of people on narrow, cobblestone streets. Some are walking, some are on bicycles, some are on scooters, some are pushing carts loaded with merchandise and other are simply shopping. It’s nuts! Now imagine 17 people, 15 of us and our 2 guides making our way through that in single file!!! Crazy, exhilarating, hilarious, scary fun!

http://mschapmanstriptoindia.blogspot.com/2010/07/old-delhi-in-which-ms-chapman-faces.html

Another awesome part of these days has been our visits to Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar. Humayun’s tomb is a precursor to the Taj Mahal. It is a mausoleum that was built in 1565 AD in honor of Emperor Humayun by his widow, Bega Begam. The other incredible sight we saw was Qutab Minar, built in 1193. I won’t go into the history of either one, but I’ve included pictures on the Flicker Photostream so that you can see how stunning and ancient these monuments are. Click below for information about these two incredible sights.

Qutab Minar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutb_Minar

Humayun's Tomb: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humayun%27s_Tomb

Well, it’s getting late and tomorrow, we visit our first schools.

Pre-Departure Orientation at Madison, WI

2010-06-30T16:24:00.000-04:00

Well, we've just finished three jam-packed days of introductions and instruction in Madison, WI. The University of Wisconsin at Madison has the second largest Asian Studies Programs in the United States, and they were kind enough to host us for this pre-departure orientation. For two full days we were treated to presentations by very learned scholars in the fields of anthropology, art, literature, Indian history, and Hindi 101.

On the first day, two of last year's Fulbright-Hays scholars, Connie and Carrie, gave us an overview of what to expect. Their enthusiasm assuaged my fears and anxieties. If you want to see a picture of them, you can go to this link:

http://www.southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/fulbright2010/index.htm

That's a collective blog for this year's participants.

Below is a picture of Dr. Lalita du Perron. She taught us some basic phrases in Hindi. I think it's one of at least four languages she speaks.

Meraa naam Bianca hai. (My name is Bianca.) That's thanks to Dr. Lalita du Perron in the picture.

We had a very lovely speaker yesterday morning, Dr. Kirin Narayan. As a child, her family was friends with a sadhu (a holy man) and she would go to the house where he was staying (no it wasn't a cave in the Himalayas) and listen to him counsel others. She turned the stories he told into her dissertation, Storytellers, Saints and Scoundrels. Her writing and studies have to do with the oral tradition of story telling in India. She has a beautiful spirit and emanated that as she spoke to us.

We were also treated to a talk and dinner with an Dr. Kasmira Sheth, a children's book author. Our media specialist at school, Stella Tariche will be happy to know that I got a book signed by her for our students and the library.

Well, that's it for now. I will try to create a photostream of today on the "Flicker Photostream" for anyone interested in seeing more pictures.

By the way, Madison, Wisconsin is a beautiful, small city!

Eastern Soul

2010-06-17T00:24:00.001-04:00

MUSIC......Ahhhh, one of the universal languages!

Today, while on Facebook, I connected with an Indian friend. Since I love music, I had the idea to find out what young Indians were listening to by clicking on her friends' Facebook pages and their friends' Facebook pages and checking out what they posted for "Favorite Music". I checked out a whole bunch of links. Even one showing Filipino inmates doing, Jai Ho, from Slumdog Millionaire. Something I think only Filipinos can pull off! Many of the people I checked out listed American and English artists, but I also found numerous Indian artists I'd never been exposed to. I found comfort in the familiarity of a band called Swarathma, especially when they played songs with a reggae sounding beat. Then, I came across a blog called Eastern Soul. The photography captured me from the get go, but the creator's vision/mission statement hooked me. Although the music is not strictly Indian, there are many Indian artists. What I did was download the podcast for June. Each month has a theme. June's is "resistance", then the creator of the blog put a few songs together that he felt carried that theme. If you're into music check out the link. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Eastern Soul

Namaste

Finally, My VISA!!!

2010-06-12T10:14:00.001-04:00

So, I haven't posted any new updates because my Indian Visa was placed "on hold". I felt compelled to put my happy, Indian thoughts on hold too, just in case this whole thing wasn't happening. At first, I thought it might have something to do with the "mugshot" I had sent them to accompany my VISA! Apparently, it seems that the Indian Government had to outsource the Visa application process because they were inundated with work. Imagine, India has the second largest population in the world, with 1,156,897,766 people.

So here is a somewhat lengthy anecdotal of what went down on June 7, 2010, when I called the outsourcing office in Houston:

I called the Houston office over 40 times, only to get a busy signal, was placed on hold, disconnected, transferred, disconnected...well, I think you get the picture. During those 2 hours, yes 120 minutes, from 3:30 to 5:30, calling from my CELL phone because I obviously can't call from the school phone, I contemplated how I would finally act when I spoke to a person. Yes, believe it or not, I was still hopeful that I would end up speaking with someone helpful. Anyway, when someone, Jessica, actually spoke to me, I prefaced the entire conversation, by explaining that I had been (all the states mentioned above for 90 minutes). She explained that there had been changes in the Visa requirements and that people were calling incessantly and that she was doing the best she could. That's when some crazy words came out of my mouth. I say "crazy" because it didn't make sense to remain that calm. I must really want to go to India! I said, "Yes, Jessica, I understand that we're both victims of this situation, but I really need you not to accidentally hang up on me and please help me."

O.K. so here's the bottom line. I explained that I was one of 16 educators from all over the U.S. chosen to go to India. I explained that all the educators applying for visas through the New York and Washington, D.C. area had already received their visas, and that I needed to speak with a supervisor about what was holding ours up. I told her that I was one of three educators from Florida and there was another one from Texas who were waiting for their visas to be approved. She placed me on hold and told me that yes there had been some changes and I needed to apply for a business visa. I explained that I had already done that and gave her my business visa application #. She then asked me a few more questions, like where was my letter of invitation from the U.S. side (Fulbright-Hays), which she eventually found. Thirty minutes later, she said she was going to get all my paperwork together and send it on down to the embassy. She said she wasn't sure if they'd approve it, but she was charging my credit card ($215.00) and sending it on through. I am supposed to know by 5:30 p.m., Tuesday. I got home a little bit ago and sure enough a charge of $215.00 has been made. So we'll see, but I'm an optimist, and I believe that if they've charged me and pushed it through, the Indian consulate will most likely approve it. I'll let you know for sure around this time tomorrow.

2009 Fulbright-Hays Participants

2010-05-27T23:11:00.010-04:00

After receiving the list of last year's Fulbright-Hays participants, I reached out to all of them with my "silly questions". So far, three of them have been kind enough to respond.

1) How often do you get to wash your clothes?

Response 1 - I washed some clothes at every hotel. Some hotels were very reasonable to send your clothing to be laundered. Others were very expensive. I sent mine out whenever I felt it was cheap enough or I was too tired to be bothered with it. Most of the time, many of us would wash our clothes in the shower and then lay them out on chairs, shower rods, hangers, etc., to dry. We were in hotels long enough that drying wasn't a real problem if we washed them the first day we were there.

Response 2 - I did mine frequently in the room and hung them out to dry. Some people sent theirs out.

Response 3 - You can get your clothing laundered at the hotels. The fee depends on the hotel. I washed undergarments in the hotel bathroom. I am not sure what your itinerary is, but we stayed in very nice hotels so I had no problem getting clothing washed. Just plan you budget accordingly.

2) Are short-sleeve t-shirts o.k. for women? Loose-fitting jeans?

Response 1 - Short sleeve t-shirts were fine. Most of us wore capri length pants. I would have found jeans to be extremely hot. Skirts were also nice and cool. Also, many of us purchased clothing there so that we would blend in with the crowds a bit better. Tunics were cool and reasonably priced.

Response 2 - all ok I liked a loose dress

Response 3 - Lightweight pants are best, no jeans, you will roast. Short sleeve t-shirts are fine as long as they look good. Heavy cotton is not advisable. I also had two part of travel pants from Chicos that were comfortable and did not wrinkle. Skirts are great too.

3) Should I bring clothes for "dressy" events? If so, how many of these events should I anticipate?

Response 1 - There are two "dressy" events to be prepared for. One is at the beginning in Delhi. The other is the banquet at the end. Many of the participants wore sari's for the final dinner, though I wore skirts and t-shirts for both.

Response 2 - yes several dress up events, professional skirt and top or dress

Response 3 - I brought several skirts for dressy occasions but I also bought a sari for our final dinner. I was not going to get one but I am glad that I did. I have attached a picture here of the four of us who did get saris. We asked some of the lovely female staff at the Taj in Delhi to help us get dressed in the saris which was a lot of fun! (from left to right in the picture: Connie Greenleaf, Carrie Block, me, and Katie Clarey) I bought clothing and I also had some made. Try the Fab India store in New Delhi for pre-made Indian style clothing. I also attached a picture of myself and Connie at a Islamic girls' school in New Delhi with our Fab India clothes on. We had to cover up there a lot more than at other places.

4) What about shoes? What did you all use when walking around?

Response 1 - I brought tennis shoes, sandals and a pair of trek shoes that I bought through Lands End. For the most part I wore sandals and treks. Whatever you take, make sure they are comfortable. I left all of my shows in India because I had worn them out by the time the trip was over.

Response 2 - comfortable walking shoe, perhaps a sandal and jogging/ hiking

Response 3 - I had sandals, good walking ones, as well as flip flops and tevas. Our hotels all had health clubs so if you may want to bring sneakers for working out. I brought goggles for the hotel pools and swam for exercise.

5) Are you given the opportunity to go and see nearby places that might be known for their natural beauty (in

other words, like hikes, etc.)?

Response 1- Absolutely. We were given every Sunday, with the exception of one, off. We could use that day to explore. We were also given several afternoons and most evenings. The organizers and chaperons really want you to explore the areas and will be able to give you ideas of what to see and do. I also took along a travel guide to give me a little more information about where we were going. I found that very useful.

Response 2 - some open time, not a lot. They fill your days, much to see....it is FANTASTIC!!!!

Response 3 - ur study tour was mostly in urban areas so exploring the natural beauty was not really part of my experience. We did a lot of walking through historic areas/sites. Again, I am not sure what your schedule is.

I loved the study tour and I am still very close to several of the women that I met last summer. India is an intense experience but it is well worth the uncomfortable moments and struggles with culture shock.

I am so grateful for these insights. This is a big unknown, and as many teachers will tell you, it's hard not having "control".

A couple of people that responded also sent addresses for the "blogs" they kept while there. I am adding a link, so that in the future if any other potential Fulbright-Hays participant wants information on India, they can get some insight here.

Jane Hundley's Blog

Carla Lewis' Blog

India

2010-05-25T23:25:00.004-04:00

Today was an Indian day. Dr. Girish Kaul reached out to the 2010 participants, providing us with our itineraries, plus the names of the hotels we would be staying at. In addition, we have been given the names and personal information of the 2009 Fulbright-Hays Seminar Participants. I have already reached out to them with pressing questions like:

1) How often do we get to wash clothes?
2) Are we allowed to wear short sleeve t-shirts? loose-fitting jeans?
3) How many dressy outfits do we need?
4) Are we going to get to go on any hikes into nature?

Can you imagine? It's a little embarrassing. Look I can be as academic as the next guy/gal, but I'm from MIAMI, FL., we have to look good, too! Anyway, in an effort to redeem myself, I've included a link to a really cool site on India. It's got a cool vibe to it. Once you're there, click on gallery to view beautiful pictures and some short, artsy videos.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india

In addition, we received an Orientation Handbook, jam-packed with important information that we will need.

I also got my wish. We will be staying in Shimla for three days. Does that mean I have to "roll" myself to the next city in gratitude? Check out the link to see what I mean.
One of the cities we will be visiting is Jaipur. I came across a picture of a magnificent, floating palace.

Vaccinations and Visa Application

2010-05-12T21:35:00.003-04:00

O.K. so yesterday I went to get my vaccinations. My primary physician doesn't "house" these vaccinations in her office, so she sent me to an agency that specializes in vaccinating international travelers. This agency prepared a spiral-bound booklet for me on India. It contains information such as recommended vaccinations, procedures on contacting the U.S. embassy to let them know you'll be in the country, important phone numbers (Indian police, etc.) The scary part is that for each of these recommendations, my brain was able to conjure up a short story on when and how I might need to use it. I once had a professor in college tell me that I had watched too many movies. At the time I was insulted, but the fact that I could come up with so many scenarios in milliseconds may confirm his observation.The nurse recommended four vaccinations, Hepatitis A (ouch!), Tetanus, Polio and Typhoid. It's a little intimidating when they show you a world map identifying the diseases and frequency of diseases found in the world, and the country you're about to visit appears in a lot of them. However, before I allowed my brain to participate in a "fear free for all", I reminded myself that as a teen-ager I received these, or at least some of these when visiting the Philippines, and nothing happened, other than sore arms. The other interesting part is what they recommend for you to take to prevent malaria. This particular agency offered three options. The first pill had side effects like hallucinations, depression and the like. Obviously, this was the least expensive option. The second option is relatively new and is supposed to be the best one. The down-side is that it cost $9.60 per pill. Multiply that by 36 days in India and a few days before and after. Maybe I'll risk it!?! The third option wasn't explained too much, except to say it was like an antibiotic. So before I left the office spending thousands of dollars based on fear, I told the nurse that I needed to do some research. Basically, I think I'm opting for plain old "Deet".

On the bright side, a few days ago we received a letter from Dr. Girish Kaul outlining the cities we would be visiting. Among them is Shimla. I'm psyched about this. Shimla is part of the Himalayas and has beautiful vistas.

I hope we get to spend a couple of days there.

Great Advice

2010-05-07T18:28:00.007-04:00

When my twins, Kevin and Kyle went off to college a couple of years ago, I was devastated. I hadn't realized how much my happiness was tied into theirs. In a way, I had to "find" myself again. Not Bianca the mother, wife, sister, or daughter, but that fearless firecracker I had always been. During the past two years, there have been people and things that have been pivotal in my growing process. One of them was the book, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. That book is the reason why I write under my blog title..."on a journey to fulfill my personal legend". We all have one, but sometimes we get distracted or think those dreams we have are unattainable or childish whims. This book helped remind me that they aren't. Another beautiful piece of advice came from the movie, "Benjamin Button". I'm attaching the link because it's so moving. If you want to view it, just click on the blog title, "Great Advice".

Cloud Label

2010-05-05T22:27:00.003-04:00

So, I've been playing around with the HTML to try to get a decent looking "cloud label". I tried phydeaux's Cloud but for some reason it wouldn't work for me. Now tonight I found this other website. I'm embedding the link in the title because I think after I create this post, I will start seeing something of a cloud. So, if anyone wants to do the same, check the link out.

Books I'm Reading in Preparation for India

2010-05-01T21:28:00.007-04:00

So, I picked up some of the book recommendations from Linda Allen's blog:

Non-Fiction:

In Spite of the Gods by Edward Luce

I'm just at the beginning of this book, but I'm already seeing that I may have a romanticized concept of India. The truth for me is yet to be seen. But for right now let me paint you a picture of how Indian culture or aspects of the culture appear in my life. First of all, I was raised a Catholic. To me Mother Theresa is BIG. She's a self-less saint to be emulated. So if we get to go to Kolkata and visit the Sisters of Charity, it's another dream realized. I practice kundalini yoga twice a month with a Sikh teacher. I love the notion of the "Buddha", and although he never wanted his image reproduced and revered. I have a HEAVY, rock sculpture of Buddha that I purchased on EBAY, that's supposed to be ancient, in the foyer of my house. I love the movie, The Darjeeling Limited, as do my twins. One of them is secretly hoping that I will disappear into the mountains of Northern India and that he'll be "forced" to come and find me. He has the same wanderlust as his mom. During Benjamin Button, I cried unabashedly while Brad Pitt's character gives some advise I'm trying to live by. I believe there are some scenes of the Ganges River and India. Genealogically, I know that my mom's ancestors left Africa over 55,000 years ago and got to the Philippines via the southernmost shores of beaches along the Middle East, India and Thailand. Will I feel an ancient tug?

Fiction:

The God of Small Things by Arundita Roy

Children's Literature :

Preparing for India

2010-05-01T18:27:00.000-04:00

Well, ever since I found out I was chosen to participate in the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad-India, I've been immersing myself with as much information as I can find out regarding all aspects of what this trip might entail. There are hundreds of things running through my mind. Sometimes I'm scared and apprehensive, but most of the time, joyous, excited and simply can't believe I will be fulfilling a dream of a life time. Now, one of the first things I did was get on the Internet to try to find any information that previous participants had posted. That's when I came across Linda Allen's blog. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all parts of her blog, especially her recommendations regarding what to read. Ms. Allen's blog was witty, insightful and full of information. So, after buying a couple of books (I'll list those later), I've been CONSUMED with creating my own blog. I write consumed in capital letters because other than Facebook, I know nothing about creating a blog. It's like learning a new language, just what I need before embarking on a trip when I should be learning a new language. But it should be Hindi, not blog!!! But that's my personality. Even as I'm writing this, I don't know how it will look on the blog. I'm going to stop right now and check. One thing I've learned is...I can edit.

O.K. not bad. Now how do I get rid of the "scissor" image next to everything I can change in the blog? Aaaargghh!