Exploring Dharamsala

So what is there to see/do in a quiet mountain village? There are a few local Hindi and Buddhist temples, which are quite stunning in the natural surrounding. The presence of the Dali Lama brings a vibrancy to McLeod Ganj, where there are many interesting shops and people. We met with the former personal translator of “His Holiness” a few days ago, and talked with him about Tibetan philosophy and his experiences with the Dali Lama.

The Tibetan fellows in the detox center told me about a concert that I simply could not miss (“The Mega Concert of the Year!”), so I gathered some volunteers and we found our way to this fairly large outdoor stage packed with monks. The show was supposed to start at 6:30, and by 7:30 they were still working on the sound check…this is what we call “Indian time!” Finally a few guys came on and started doing this horrible Karaoke to some Tibetan tunes. I learned that these were just the opening act to the The Yaks. But it started raining just as The Yaks were coming on and the show was canceled…what a bummer!

I’ve been on a mission to find a tabla and sitar teacher, which led me last week to a small music studio where a bunch of guys have put together a local band--some pretty talented musicians that play everything from English to Hindi to Tibetan music. They handed me an electric guitar and soon we were rocking out to Pink Floyd and Guns N Roses! It really was a blast.

The locals here are happy to sit and talk for hours about most anything here, and in addition to making some friends, this has allowed me to gain a better understanding of some of the many intricacies of Indian culture. Mr. Rena, the former city planner here, invited me and two other volunteers to his house for dinner the other day. His wife and daughter prepared a meal that literally could have fed us for a week: some 8 entrees, 2 chutneys, 2 desserts, 2 breads, and plenty of chai. The food was absolutely delicious! What surprised me the most was that while Mr. Rena and us three volunteers ate, Mrs. Rena, their daughter, and the uncle, stood over us and served us! There are always new surprises when it comes to Indian culture.

Trekking the Himalayas

Yesterday a group of us decided to show the local mountain range (the Doladar) what we’re made of. We started our trek at 8 am and marched uphill through rocks and snow approximately 9 km (and one vertical kilometer) up the mountain. It was the most serious mountain I’ve climbed—it took my full concentration at many points to find solid footing... hiking shoes would have been helpful!

Our guide of course mocked us by wearing only a tiny backpack and hardly breaking a sweat! We also had with us six other guides in the form of a pack of wild dogs that met us in town and, amazingly, followed us up and down the entire mountain. They took breaks with us and happily guarded us from any animals along the way. I was surprised that at no point did they beg for food…they were in it solely for the companionship and the joy of the trek.


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Hello Dharamsala

I arrived on Monday in Dharamsala, where I’ll be spending the next 7 weeks. D’sala is a small town at the base of the Himalayan mountains in Northern India. The atmosphere is totally different from Delhi: the air is fresh and clean, and everyone is very relaxed and friendly. The snow capped mountains are absolutely stunning. In clear weather, they rise from the ground so rapidly it looks as though there is a solid wall straight from the ground to the sky.

Dharamsala is really divided into two distinct towns: the primarily Indian town (where I am staying), and McLeod Ganj, a primarily Tibetan town which is home to the (exiled) Dali Lama. There is a fascinating mix of people and religions here!

I am volunteering at a detox center, working with 5 or so young men who are recovering drug and alcohol addicts. The work will certainly pose a different challenge than working with children!

Poverty

Many people told me before I came here that India is a wonderful place if you can get past the devastating poverty. After having seen some of this poverty firsthand, and after hearing several lectures from professors here, I’ll share my thoughts on this matter.

First of all, there is a saying here that India is a land of contradiction: for anything you say about India, the opposite is also true. So I will make the disclaimer here (perhaps I should have started this blog with this) that it is difficult to generalize.

Well let me start with some statistics. India has a population of roughly 1.3 billion. That’s 4 times the population of the US living in a land 1/3 the size. To get an idea of the density of people here, for every person you see (in the US), pretend there are twelve! Now the real mind-blowing statistic is that ¼ of this population lives on less than $1 a day, and ¾ of the population lives on less than $2 a day.

There are really two Indias, living right on top of each other. There is rich India, which in almost all respects is as advanced as any developed nation in the world. This ~7% of the population is well-educated and enjoys all the latest technology.

Globalization has of course had a large impact on India. The very high growth (>9%) that India has experienced is largely attributed to globalization—including the outsourcing of jobs from the developed world. But if one looks at the Indian population as a whole, this growth has been focused narrowly on the top 20% or so of the population.

The poor (and often uneducated) are largely left behind. For example, individuals working in the agricultural sector of India, where somewhere around 60% of the population works, have arguably suffered from globalization. The news here has focused recently on farmer suicides, of which over 1000 have occurred last year. Globalization causes the farmers to be at the mercy of volatile swings in prices that are out of their control. For example, an exceptional cotton crop in South America may cause an Indian cotton farmer to earn a fraction of his income the previous year.

In my opinion, what is lacking here is an adequate safety net provided by the government. This is very little trickle down across the vast chasm of rich and poor. Furthermore, grade school is not mandatory here, and government school teachers are terribly paid (and they often shirk their responsibilities). Add to this a strongly present (though not legally enforceable) caste system, and there is little-to-no opportunity for socio-economic movement.

Farewell Love!

I have seen off my darling girlfriend and companion for this past month. I will surely miss her company…and ability to dispose of large spiders! I no longer will have excuses to spend exorbitant amounts of time in jewelry and fabric stores, no longer wake up to a huge plate of Aunt Jamima pancakes in bed. But worst of all, I won’t have anyone to keep me warm during the cold winter nights in the mountains!

Kids

Well I promised more on my adorable little ragamuffins, so here it is. I have been having great fun trying to teach a group of 4-7 year olds (give or take). I found that a great challenge was asserting my authority: especially during the first few days, the kids would test me to see what they could get away with, and I had trouble controlling them with my limited Hindi. I solved this problem after observing the resident teacher with the kids on day. The solution: laying the smack down! While at first I was a bit wary of hitting the youngsters, I am now a full supporter. To put this in context, it is a very physical atmosphere in which I am working: when a child gets an answer right it’s a high-five. Since the children are used to being hit when they misbehave, by not doing so I lose my control over the class, and their learning suffers.

The kids are at various levels, with many working toward counting objects and writing numbers, and some are on the verge of learning addition. We also work on basic English words and letters. I also have worked a bit with the older kids 7-12, who are very sharp and enthusiastic to learn.

I couldn’t help working some science into the curriculum. We’ve made play-dough (and then played with it of course!), discovered what happens when you mix an acid and a base (and tested the pH of our tongues), and have discovered magnetism!

It’s amazing how little motivation the kids require. It is difficult to keep them sitting down when I take out a worksheet because of their excitement, and as soon as they finish they run over and ask for another!

Agra

Agra is home to the famous Taj Mahal, as well as some lesser known historical sites. We arrived in Agra Friday night and decided to stay in a budget hotel recommended by a guidebook. Now I’m not kidding when I say budget, it cost us each about $2.50 to stay the night. The room was spacious (although filthy).

Shortly after arriving I go to the bathroom to wash up. Out of the corner of my eye I think I see a little movement at the bottom of the sink…probably just my imagination…and I splash some water on my face. Wait, something is definitely crawling up the drain of the sink despite the deluge of water I am now pouring down upon it. Aaaaaaaaah! I run out of the bathroom. After regaining my courage (and roommates) we return to find a monstrous centipede chilling out in the sink. Now the picture here does not do this thing justice…this thing was easily half a foot long.

Anyway, back to the traveling. We got up at 6 am and got to the Taj to see the sunrise—absolutely beautiful in the morning light! We got some amazing pictures. The Taj Mahal is one of those historical wonders, like Versailles for example, that takes place amidst great poverty of common people. For all its magnificence, the Taj is simply a tomb for an inordinately wealthy prince and his bride.

As is the case in many countries, traveling solely to tourist destinations here will give you a very negative view of the people. Beggars and peddlers crowd around tourists in these destinations. I’ve found the people have very few morals with regard to this: they will lie to your face or make elaborate scams to get your money. This is really quite a shame because you must be wary of anyone near these places, and of course does not represent the majority of the Indian people.

Jaipur

For our first free weekend in India, five of us took a trip to Jaipur, a city 6 hours away from Delhi. We rented a driver for the weekend, who was a helpful and amusing guide, and took us out for “the best lassies in Jaipur” (a salty or sweet yogurt-based drink). We quickly found a favorite restaurant—a very authentic “down to earth” kind of place where you can get a delicious meal for well under $2. It was nice to breathe some fresh air after the Delhi smog, and the abrupt mountains and free space were a welcome change of scenery.

There are several palaces and forts in Jaipur, most of which are situated on the top of hills overlooking the area. The architecture of the buildings is quite unlike any I have seen before. Here I’ve shown a picture of the Wind Palace, a beautiful but bizarre structure in the middle of town that is only one room deep, though is several stories high. One of the most interesting places we visited was essentially a playground for astronomical study. There were all kinds of huge devices for measuring and tracking the position of celestial objects, and built over 100 years ago.

Shopping was another highlight of the trip. We bought scarves, wall hangings, and bed covers, but the best part was the haggling. Many ignorant tourists have taught shopkeepers to greatly overcharge. I found they would start with a price up to 10 times what an item is actually worth! The result is that it takes a long time to buy anything…but at least they give you free chi!