So some of you have noticed that merely posting pictures of a dinosaur doesn't count as blogging. I would say you are wrong but here I am. Writing words and such.
Right now I'm resentfully here, blogging, on the rooftop of our host family watching the sun come up over the mountains. Ugh. It's so beautiful. But yeah, not resentfully blogging I guess just at this point it's been so long that I have no clue where to start! But here I go!
Oh so I finally got sick for a while. Nothing too bad but I remember planning to mention Damien Rice. While losing my insides to the toilet I just couldn't get that cheesy line from "Delicate" out of my head. "When there's nothing to give, well how can we ask for more?" An appropriate thought both for any brokenhearted high schooler as well as anyone suffering from food poisoning. Ok. Enough about that. I'm all better now, no worries.
Hampi was AMAZING. First of all the rocks themselves at this UNESCO world heritage site where just mind blowing. And it takes a lot from a rock to hold my attention for so long. *These mountains where actually more epic than the one at Canada's Wonderland that the Vortex goes through. The temples were magnificent and we were able to walk through them, then took a boat ride in a boat that resembles what a saucer (you know those sledding round plastic things) looks like. I really can't figure out what else blew my mind about this place but maybe I'll show you pictures and you'll get it.
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Hampi
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We had yoga back in Mysore. I can't remember if I have already mentioned this or not. Our guy was hilarious or maybe just manic. Either way, kept me entertained. Whenever people couldn't make it into a pose he would help them out by forcing them. This may have been a dangerous technique but I loved it just to hear his maniacal laugh while the person struggled. Oh yes. Fun times with yoga. We also spent a bunch of nights just hanging out on the roof where I discovered something horrific. *Bats are actually huge, like in Magic Schoolbus. But seriously, I thought these things were birds for a good month and then someone dropped the mind bomb on me that no, those are massive bats. Makes our ones in Ontario look like little baby mice with wings.
So we took a 29 hour train up from Hydrabad (oh we went to the horse races their and ended up on the Jumbotron about 4 times= life goal fulfilled) to Varanasi. The train was a train, nothing new there but being woken up by someones alarm at 5 am, along with him singing along to it go me thinking. If someone woke me up at home that early on a train I would be upset, BUT because his alarm was Indian music it kinda made me feel like I was in Dargeeling Limited, so I let it pass.
Of course Varanasi was beautiful and amazing. It's difficult to talk about this time without sounding cheesy. Because I really felt a connection with this place. or whatever. The best moment came when we went out for a sunset boat ride on the Ganges. We went down to the cremation area (felt a little intrusive there) and then back to the main Ghat to watch this performance that is put on every night. It was full of music and dance and FIRE so *it reminded me of having the Olympic ceremonies, only every single night. The river was filled with people on boats from all over the world as well as hundreds on land. Once the sun had set we lit an arrangement of flowers and a candle and let it go in the Ganges. While you let it go you were supposed to think of everyone you love , those who have passed away and your hopes for the future. If you're still reading this blog then I'm sure that I thought of you :) It was just an amazing moment to share in while watching all the lights twinkle down the river- all of those hopes and prayers from around the world. Yeah. Then we got pizza and apple pie. (it was getting to soft, I had to throw in some more itinerary facts).
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| Varanasi at night |
I guess that brings me to one observation about India, well Varanasi at least. People seem to live closer to life and death, not in a bad way but in a way that addresses this reality more openly. Older people will come to Varanasi to die in order to have themselves cremated there. Amongst these fires you can also see someone watching a cricket match on tv while trying to sell you some chips. The contrast is alarming but in a way the death mixes in with all the life around it. Their is also the belief regarding karma and having a future life or eternal salvation so the thoughts surrounding death differ greatly from ours at home, well, mine at least.
mmk. more fun stuff. I already mentioned that cow in Varanasi. hmm.
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I've started to go by Katrina now because their is a famous Indian actress named Katrina Kaif. Google her.
So I'm in Jaipur now with one other girl (Lauren) in a host family. They are fantastic and have hosted for almost 20 years now. I really appreciate how comfortable and open they have been about discussing basically everything from corruption to making sure I respect my parents. Love you Mom and Dad! Yesterday Uncle (host father) told us that we can't always see or understand what God has done for us but our parents are like demigods that have openly loved and sacrificed for us. He also went on to say that westerners have brought the 'male gigolos' to India. But yeah. Great host family and we have been able to meet some of their daughters which has been fantastic. We are really happy here.
Two weeks ago some of us went to see a dance show here in Jaipur. It was put on by The American Dance Center in New Delhi called "Bad Boys of Dance" clearly it was fantastic. They were from the States and we got ushered down into the front row as soon as we got there (I figured out later it was purely because we were white, how lovely!). But yeah it was like watching a more theatrical version of So You Think You Can Dance- they were actually good but the song selection and props were hilarious. One particular dance involved the use of blowup dolls- a rather racy choice but the crowd loved it! Kept me entertained!
Last week we went to Jaisalmer, Jodpur and Udaipur. Now this train ride was special in the way that it was gross. Let me just say that I've worked maintenance as well as at a sewage plant but I have never seen anything as horrifically disgusting as the washrooms on this train. I won't go into it- but it was upsetting. Made me appreciate the relative cleanliness of all of the other trains. Ok so we went to desert areas that are absolutely beautiful. The first hotel we stayed in looked similar to an intricate sandcastle on the inside. We went on a camel ride into the desert and stayed in tents overnight. Camels are basically awesome and have massive feet. Just massive. It was so windy when we were on the camels that I can only imagine that is what a sandstorm is like. Nothing at all like the song, though we did sing it a couple times. Jodpur had a fantastic fort filled with crazy history. One thing we learnt was that in order to brake a curse that had been placed on the mountain where the fort was built a man sacrificed his life and was buried within the foundation. They didn't go on to say if the curse was broken, but seeing as it was a curse of water shortages I'm sure that mans life didn't help the fact that they were still in a desert. We also saw hand prints as we entered the main gates. They were left by the wives of rulers as they went along with their husbands funeral procession. This was the last time they would leave the gates because Sati was practised then when the wife would be burned along with her husbands body. Eerie.
Udaipur was absolutely breathtaking. We got their at night and saw thousands of lights reflecting along the water from the intricate buildings on land. This was the city where the James Bond movie Octopussy was filmed (the hotel on the water was pretty epic). I just loved this city, can't really say why. *Though the lake breeze and cool air reminded me of southwestern Ontario on a late August afternoon. We weren't able to go out to celebrate Holi (the festival with all of the colours) for our own safety but I did make it out in time to get some colour on me. Of course we have been warned that they are all made from dangerous chemicals and filled with glass- but hey, it looks pretty! *Everyone was so friendly that day, it felt similar to Christmas. Without the tree. And a lot more kids with water guns.
On Saturday (thanks for the birthday wishes :) ) We went to explore the forts in Jaipur; I spent most of that time chasing people around. Forts would be fantastic areas for paintball, so many rooms! They even had tunnels *like the ones in Casa Loma! I went out for dinner at some fancy place in Jaipur and at the end of dinner fireworks went off (totally for my birthday and not the wedding across the street). Also my host family even got me a cake for my birthday, so sweet! On Sunday I was visiting the barefoot college of Tilolnia. This village focuses on grassroots knowledge and learning. They have a bunch of programs, one of them teaches otherwise illiterate women how to make and maintain solar powered lamps. Not only have they helped Indians but they also have a program tied with African countries. So at one point we were saying our "Namaste"s to a woman from South Sudan. Such a crazy moment. But they seem to be doing amazing things. Google Tilonia mmk?
Now I'm just back at school. Learning the things. Hindi has started again so I've got some memorisation to get done. We are also taking Natural Chemicals, English Literature, Indian Philosophy and Government and Politics (all related to India). Great profs so I'm enjoying it.
ok. enough. that is all.
*Kat Komparisons- People in my group have noticed that I tend to make comparisons to things back home which often only expose just how small my world is. It's cute.
