Brahmin fire ritual!!

This morning I got up at 5:30 to find 6 Brahmin priests building a fire pit in the upstairs common room of our house. Today, while also being Election Day in Andhra Pradesh, is also the date of our family's puja (blessing/worship) of their newly finished home. In particular they wanted to purify the top floor (where Alok, Rohith, Sowmya, Tamar, Maya and I all live) to ceremonially ensure no demons or bad omens reside here with us.

The rituals began just before six, after all of the offerings (prasad), oil lamps, and fire pit (made of bricks and sand) were assembled. My friends Jamie and Brenda had spent the night, so in total there were five of us Americans joining in this auspicious event. At first we felt uncomfortable and shied away from the action, standing mutely in the corner, but the priests kept us involved (as is the sharing and guest-welcoming nature of Hindu rituals) and we were continually offerred prasad, the sacred fire lamp, and rose-water to sip and then dribble on our heads. This last procedure is by no means easy, since ideally none of the water is supposed to spill. I've had many tries this semester at temples and religious ceremonies and, just like eating with my hand, I believe I have somewhat mastered the art of quickly sipping the water from my palm (without slurping!) and then patting my head with the remainder. I still dripped the first time today, but the second time was scotch-free. I am proud.

The ceremony really got kicking after all of the offerrings were presented and the blessings chanted/sung, when it was time to start the sacred fire. First a kolam design was traced onto the bricks and sand with colored powder, then a pile of cowdung patties were assembled on top. The fire was lit and as the priests placed more and more offerrings of fruit, flowers, wood, ghee (clarified butter-- I am not a fan) the fire began to grow and produce torrents of thick black smoke. The smoke drifted around the central room and into all of the bedrooms, whose doors were consecrated and opened for the ceremony. I had forgotten the sensation of standing downwind of a campfire, and although the feeling of smoke in my eyes brought back a few good memories from past camping experiences, my nose quickly turned into a faucet and I started to cry. Along with the intense heat (it was already hot today at 6 am, now it is pretty furnace-like) my entire body seemed to dispell as much liquid as possible through whatever orifices were available. Apparently this is part of the purification process, but basically now I just feel sticky and in need of a shower.

The entire process lasted around two hours, with the final event consisting of hanging a decorated white pumpkin on the terrace to look out over the street. This face will ward off the evil of the house as it dies, and is supposed to be viewed from the road when anyone approaches. With the use of some ladders, twine, and decorated rope the nice pumpkin was put safely in his place, and we all retired downstairs for a breakfast of idlies, sambar, chutney and "gunpowder". There was also some great sweet prasad made by the priest's wife (who knew priests could marry?), which I have been munching on all morning. Although we invited the priests for breakfast, apparently they had another engagement and off they went on their motorcycles. Yes, these priests were pretty cool.

After having watched a video of this same ritual last semester in my Hinduism class, I feel extremely lucky to have been able to witness it in my own home. I rest assured knowing that no demons will attack me in my sleep, but mostly I am just thankful for the end of the construction. The house is finally complete!

...

On a side note, I have become a believer in horoscopes, specifically those found in the Hyderabad Times. It correctly predicted the cancellation of my Tirupati trip three days ago (due to this ritual which I would have missed!) and has been true most other days. Today I am supposed to let my friends plan my "pleasure activities", so I guess this means I'll just sit back and see what happens. It seems to be a good strategy these days....

When did this happen??

So, I just looked at my calendar and realized we're almost halfway through April. What?! Didn't I just get to India a few weeks ago? My house in Hyderabad is really feeling like a home, and I've started to grow quite attached to this environment. However, classes are ending and exams start next week, and then its off for another 5 weeks of travel before heading back to the States. Where did this semester go? Or wait, was it even a semester? I think its time I acknowledge what these past months have actually been: an extended travel experience throughout India, with a lovely home base in Hyderabad and occasional classes. Although I've learned an exponential amount here, the knowledge has rarely come from a classroom. Which is good, since I definitely needed a wake-up call away from my small Bates life and now I feel recharged and ready for a great year before graduating back into the world. There is a lot to do and to experience, and I need to keep that in mind when I feel like things are becoming too stressful or claustrophobic.

This past weekend reinvigorated my desire to travel and see more of India and South Asia before heading home. One of my friends from Hyderabad invited me, Brenda and Katie to join him and some other friends on a weekend trip to the beach: and without any plausible reason to refuse, we decided to go. No one knew anything about the places we were going (Chirala and Suryalanka), except that there were supposed to be beautiful coastlines and small, untouristy villages. And believe it or not, that's what we found!

I entered the weekend in a foul mood: as we boarded the bus in Hyderabad I was nauseous/had a headache and had just gotten my credit card stuck in an ATM. I was having serious reservations about even going to the beach, but ultimately just went for it (in a cloud of despair, I will admit). The credit card ended up being lost for good, but my worries soon evaporated as I woke up the next morning in a bizarre coastal paradise.

The only language on the signs and spoken around us was Telugu, and thank goodness it wasn't just Americans traveling with us because otherwise I don't think any communication besides "Namaskar" and "kunchon perugu" (Hello, a little yogurt) would be possible. We were definitely also the only white people to have visited this area for a while, (except for the two other SIP students we saw on the beach, eep!) and it was extremely refreshing to be greeted without irony or mistrust by the local Andhra residents. An old lady even took my seat at breakfast as I was washing my hands, and although I don't understand this particular ritual, it seems she was very interested in talking to us and spent the rest of the meal smiling and speaking Telugu despite my various "Telugu no" comments.

I have decided that the feeling of bodysurfing through warm, gentle waves on a beach with no hagglers or obnoxious teenage boys is one of the few simple pleasures in life. As I lay there floating for hours something just clicked, and my previous cloud of worries/sadness/stress from planning and the impending leave of Hyderabad vanished. I realized that what I came here for were experiences, and I can't cling to the good ones I've already had. Its time to move onwards and keep pushing forward, since things will still happen even if I myself am not engaged in them. Some of the best moments in my life have come from pushing myself to do things of which I am afraid or apprehensive, and I only really feel alive after I overcome my fear. This goes for anything from the mundane to larger experiences, and which is why I've decided to take my first solo trip this Wednesday to Tirupati, the world's largest pilgrimage site and richest temple compound. Its also a place where many people donate their hair, so I'm sure to see lots of baldies as I climb the hill to the temple. Its a nice easy overnight trip with one train ride and a return flight, so I'll only be away from Hyderabad for two and a half days. Then its finishing up exams and packing, since in less than 2 weeks I'm off for another 10 day trip of the West coast and then off to Nepal. Why Nepal? I guess my only response is: why not?

I am feeling more disconnected than usual from friends in the US, and so it would be nice to hear from any of you who are interested.

Lots of love!

-Julia

Life as of late

What to say about things these days? I feel like a lot is happening (as usual), but instead of being new or stimulating or overwhelming, its all gotten pretty normal around here. I finally feel like a University student, which is good timing since most of my classes end within the next 3 weeks. I feel like the semester has barely started, but now its nearing the end. However, this does not mean the end of India, since I plan to travel for about 5-6 weeks after leaving Hyderabad. I can't wait for that segment of the journey, but for now I really am enjoying just living at home and trying to get to know this city. Last weekend was a great cultural melange: saw Revolutionary Road and climbed a rock wall in the IMAX movie mall one night, went to a Monty Python-inspired Indian comedy show/musical with our host sister and a bunch of her friends in the old harem of the Golconda Fort the day after, and then saw a Hindi movie about a man questioning his sexuality in London the next. It was a great way to spend a lazy weekend in town, and I saw a bunch of different neighborhoods. But as much as I'm doing around Hyderabad, I fear I will leave this place with still so much more to find. I'm comforted in this notion by the fact that my host siblings also are still constantly discovering new parts of the city, and it really is changing and developing so quickly that its impossible to know everywhere and everything about the place. I guess I can compare it to Brooklyn or New York on the whole: I've lived there my whole life yet can't possibly say I know every street, nor is this possible. Hyderabad is similar, since as much as I can try to grasp the structure and life of the city in general, its beauty comes from the pockets and neighborhoods outside of the highways or tourist areas-- the places it takes effort to find. I'm really lucky to have such wonderful guides like our host family and friends to help me out, since every time I go somewhere with them it seems like I'm shown a new gem, and a completely different side of Hyderabad. I've also been exploring the University, and keep finding more and more beautiful little areas. There is a bamboo grove I'm going to check out this afternoon, as well as some streets with faculty housing and gardens. I've also gotten much better about using the food shacks around school-- some of the things I will miss the most when I go home in 2 months are all of the fresh snacks and roadside stalls. Maybe I should set one up myself on the streets of Brooklyn..... but first I'd have to learn to make pani poori and vada. This weekend I'm headed to Hampi with some friends, which will be a nice break from Hyderabad. But then I'll be around until April 24th, when its off on another adventure. The plan so far is to start in Coorg (a hill-station in the south where our host brother's family owns coffee plantations), and then travel up the west coast to Mangalore, maybe Goa, and ending in Mumbai. From there I need to get back to Hyderabad and then fly to Nepal, where I'm going to volunteer on a school construction site for two weeks. Then its back to Hyderabad for 24 hours (sadness, goodbyes and packing), and back to the states on May 29th. Thats so far away! But it still feels way too close. March flew by, and I worry the same will happen in April. But who knows-- maybe I'll be begging to get on a plane by then. Somehow I doubt this, but I'm sure it will all work out. It always does! Also, its been raining in the afternoons for the past week. They call these the "mango rains" (I am extremely excited for mango season, by the way), and apparently because they have been heavy this year its supposed to get really hot soon. I thought it was already, but I guess I'm in for a real treat in a week or so. The rains have been really nice-- yesterday a bunch of us stood outside as huge pellets came down. There was wind, and lightning, and thunder, and the earth smelled really fresh and for once not dusty. I had forgotten how much I love storms, and how they make me feel real.

e......hh.....h.hh (withering noises)

India is getting really hot.

The past three weeks at home (minus that CIEE trip to Mysore) have been lovely, even though I finally can relate to what muffins, or lasagna, or whatever else gets placed in a stove for a couple of hours experience during the baking process. At least the heat is dry, since I way prefer a furnace to a steam bath. I do seriously enjoy this weather, since it makes post-lunch naps practically manditory. Between the hours of 11 and 3 everywhere you look things slowly wilt: in any shady location you are sure to spy at least 2 dogs and generally one or two humans sprawled out, enjoying the impromtu siesta. Although I have to say the one person who has truly mastered this feat is my roommate, Maya. She has singlehandedly found all of the prime napping locations on campus and at any given moment is known to sprawl out and go into a coma for at least twenty minutes. I am quite jealous, although sometimes it is contagious and then I am happy as well.

I am excited for the trips I have planned in the future: Hampi next weekend, Coorg, Mumbai, and Nepal in the distant future (end of April/May). But in the meantime, Hyderabad is where I want to be. Its great to really settle down here and feel, for the first time since leaving the US, pretty normal. Sure there has been a lot going on in the house that has occupied my mental energies, (ask me about it later if you wish), but in general I've reached a certain level of calm that I hope continues with me wherever I go. Life doesn't have to be so stressful, and being happy has little to do with comparisons or competition. Things are always good; its just up to us to figure out how.

THE NORTH-- brief overview.

I just got back yesterday from a whirlwind 10-day tour of northern India through Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. It was incredible, epic, mind-altering, what have you. Basically, five friends and I decided to take 4 days off of school in order to make our own "spring break" where we could see the typical north Indian tourist attractions and have a greater sense of the north-south divide. We flew from Hyderabad to Delhi on Thursday Feb. 19th and spent two nights there with the brother of Maya and my host family and his wife. They have a great apartment on the outskirts of the city that was the perfect place to spend a few nights. After having been terrified to go to Delhi (where I was told I would be molested, hasseled, and completely overwhelmed by the filth and dirt and poverty), I ended up truly enjoying the two days there and felt even more comfortable than I do in Hyderabad. New Delhi is truly cosmopolitan, so much so that at times I felt like I was in Paris, while Old Delhi (at least Paharganj, where we spent some time) was exciting and stimulating without being overwhelming or obnoxious. The most bizarre part of the entire trip was seeing other tourists, since for the most part in Hyderabad us non-Indians are an anomaly. I actually felt like I could manage Delhi on my own if necessary, and it was a nice counterpoint to the chaotic and rogue nature of Hyderabad. Also, I ran into a Dalton classmate one night at dinner: Nell Hawley is currently living on her own in Delhi working with an NGO. It was great to see her and a totally surreal experience.

After Delhi we took an overnight bus to Jodhpur- the land of blue houses amid a dusty, reddish desert. It is a truly mesmerizing place, an urban oasis from the dry land of Rajasthan, and really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Even though the bus ride itself was pretty hellish (my friend Nick ended up peeing into a bottle and vomiting out the window over the some 14 or so hours), once we got to Jodhpur it was all worth it. Wandering around the fort, getting lost in the narrow open-sewered streets barely wide enough to squeeze by a cow, and taking a tour of nearby villages made this experience one of the most relaxing. Our hotel was great and sitting on the roof eating breakfast was another highlight. I also have quite a story about how an entire street of Jodhpur residents teamed together in order to lead my companions and I to the bhang lassi shop on Shiva's birthday-- these people were dead-set on making sure us Americans had a great time. We also ended up bathing Shiva's lingus with ritual water in an underground temple chamber while being photographed for the Rajasthani Times, but luckily those shots did not make the paper. Jodhpur, you have a little piece of my heart, and I'm definitely sad we didn't take up the Israelis' offer to join them in a camel race across the border to Pakistan. Another time.

Next was Jaipur-- more cosmopolitan than Jodhpur but still retaining that desert feel. My best description of this place is from the rotating restaurant/bar looking out over the city, and finding a striking resemblance to the place where Anakin Skywalker grows up in the first part of the new Star Wars trilogy. You know, where he does those desert races through the bluffs? Similar landscape. Jaipur had some great markets, and now I have some great scarves.

Then Agra, the seat of the Taj Mahal. I was not excited for this (I feared a cliche tourist trap), but Agra ended up proving me wrong and I had a great time. The Taj itself is lovely and a true architectural marvel. However, the true gems of Agra were the nighttime carnival/market (where we were the only 6 white people and also we rode an Indian ferris wheel-- terrifying), and then the Keoladeo bird sanctuary in nearby Bharatpur. In the six hours I spent walking through the sanctuary, I saw more birds/deer/antelops (antelope? antelop? your choice) and two pythons (one over 20 feet long!!) than I knew existed. It was really great to have some space and just be in a natural setting with few humans, and the sound of silence was the greatest blessing I could ask for. Our guide (who we intially only wanted for an hour but ended up keeping for all six, go figure) was hilarious and also had the sharpest eyes I can even imagine. At one point we were walking through a wooded area and out of nowhere he stops, sets up the telescope/viewfinder, and points it at some leaves 10 feet away. Well, I thought they were leaves. It turns out some bird called a night-something was sitting right there, only since each of its feathers is a different color (matching the fallen leaves) it blended in perfectly with the surrounding. How he spotted it, I do not know. When we asked him questions the answers were generally not what was intended, such as when Maya asked "What am I looking at?" when gazing into the telescope he replied, "You look at the telescope". Also, when asked if there were termite mounds under a bush, he simply said "No. That is a bush." I was dehydrated and sleep-deprived, so I had to try very hard to withhold my outbursts of laughter at the innane miscommunications. Also, a monkey almost stole my lunch. Go figure.

The last stop was Benares, or Varanasi (or Kashi... many names). It was where I was most excited to go, but also where we had the least amount of time. By this point physically most of us were feeling the fast pace of the travel, and I had come down with a cold or flu on the train. But even in a semi-delusional state Varanasi was one of the most mesmerizing and fantastical places to wander. I want to explain this all in depth later, but basically what I experienced was a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges, watching a ritual Shiva worship in the evening, getting covered in (human? most likely) ashes next to the pyres of ceremonial cremations along the river, and being nearly mauled by an angry pack of monkeys on the balcony of the hotel. There is also a story involving bhang cookies on an empty stomach, and the near miss of a very important flight.

All in all, this trip was an extreme success. Although I am now more appreciative and proud of Hyderabad than ever, its hard to return to classes and homework and schedules when I know how life could be if I just kept on traveling. The road is seductive, and I've only just had a taste.

Thanks to everyone who reads this! And leave some comments if you please.

sleep? guess not

So for those of you who know me pretty well, you are probably aware of the fact that I truly enjoy my sleep time. Or, more precisely, I enjoy following a sleep schedule that gives me 8 or 9 hours a night, consistently. This, along with the occasional 20 minute nap, has been my staple for feeling rested and alert throughout the day, giving me a sense of calm in both mind and body. Therefore, its not that uncommon for me to be at a party or in a friend's room and, when I hear the calls for sleep arise, just get up and go home to my wonderful bed (or sleeping bag, as was the case for most of the summer and first month of school this fall). I secretly enjoyed the ability to just get up and leave whenever I wanted, and coveted those moments of pre-bed reading or listening to music while the rest of my friends were still out and about, enjoying the night. I will definitely have a blast being an elderly person.
However, this privilege of mobility does not really exist in my current situation. The restrictions on my solo movements while in India have not been much of a problem at all, except when it comes to the late night roof gatherings and nightlife. Now, when I feel my bones aching for rest at their typical hour of midnight or one am, I cannot simply get up and go home to bed. Rickshaws alone at night are not an option, and most of the time I am too far away from home to walk. Therefore I have learned a lot about patience and respect for others' timetables, since now I will not leave a party until whoever I arrived with is ready. Although at first I found this frustrating, I've had some amazing times when forced to stay out much past my allotted bedtime. For instance, the other night my host brothers invited Maya, our friend Brenda, and myself to their friend's roof for a little get-together. It was a great time with some music, dancing, and making new friends-- but my willpower and ability to overcome sleepiness was definitely tested. While I otherwise would have left much earlier, instead we didn't leave until everyone else was gone and then proceeded to take a tour around the new construction of the Hi-Tech city going up only a couple of kilometers from the house. It was extremely surreal to see Microsoft buildings with golf courses and soccer fields undergoing construction at 3 in the morning with full work crews drilling and welding away under artificial lighting. The best part of the night was Brenda's realization that her ipod could connect to the car's speakers, and kanye provided an ideal backdrop to the ostentatious and capitalistic neighborhood. All in all, it was a great night and, dare I say it-- much more satisfying than even the most peaceful 8 hours of sleep.



...Nevertheless, I am starting to feel a little worse for the wear after a week of sleeping much less than usual. Tonight I'm off for a 10-day tour of the north-- Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi-- and so I'm hoping to get a chance to catch up on sleep at some point during the travels. Or maybe my reserve adrenaline will help me out, and I'll just keep moving until I crash. Sounds like a plan!

There and back again

February is turning into a whirlwind month of travel. Some friends and I took a couple of days off to go to the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu last weekend, which itself was an incredible trip that I will describe shortly, and a week from tomorrow I'm heading north (on my first Indian flight!) to tour Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi for 10 days. It seems like a necessary trip while in India and I can't wait to compare the north with the south. I have also been recently planning my post-semester trips to the Himalayas and consequently my head is very far away in the mountains, nowhere near my low-altitude home on the Deccan Plateau. Which brings me to the point of this post: I am currently feeling torn between settling into the life of a student (who had her first test yesterday, which was eye-opening to say the least) who is comfortable in my homestay and connected with Hyderabad, and the yearning to just go and explore everywhere in this country until I am thoroughly exhausted. I guess my situation is ideal since I have the opportunity to do so much independent travel, but I still feel guilty that I am not devoting myself to my classes and just half-living while I am home between trips. Perhaps it takes a couple of days to adjust, and I am definitely thankful for time to rest, but I sometimes feel stressed about not maximizing every moment here and not constantly saying yes. I know this is impossible to do, but when given such a unique opportunity I am in no way interested in wasting any part of it. That said, I have agreed to wake up tomorrow morning at the ungodly (or perhaps very godly, just unhumanly) hour of 5:30am to go running with my host brother and his "football" teammates. At least I can't accuse myself of not saying yes...

--

But here's a briefing on last weekend's trip:

Overnight train to Chennai, which went smoothly. Random bus driver who tells us to go to a beach town before Pondicherry (our original destination) called Mamallapuram, which when we get there instantly becomes my favorite place in India thus far. It was a coastal oasis of lost hippies and fishermen, with lazy walkable streets and a beautiful temple and lighthouse. There was much fun on the beach, including a beautiful sunrise.
Next, we got to sleep curled up in the aisle of a very crowded bus, which for 10 cents American took us on a two and a half hour ride to Pondicherry. Pretty good deal if you ask me. Pondicherry was a strange French enclave comprised of many confused individuals: was this Europe or India? Can it be both? I ultimately decided yes. Lots of good food, and a cheap hotel boasting views of the Eiffel Tower, just no windows. Crammed nine people into two beds.
Next a day tour of Auroville (ashram commune town, utopian idealism), which ended up being quite creepy but interesting. "The Mother" did not succeed in brainwashing us, and we escaped to the best Tibetan tooftop restaurant run by one man and his motorcycle. Momos and iced tea sealed the deal for everyone, and we returned to Pondicherry rejuvinated.
The trip home was a full 30 hours of travel: one bus ride, overnight train that got derailed 100 km south of Hyderabad, a Jeep ride containing 14 people that should've only fit 9, a commuter rail that chose to be 2 hours late, and finally a rickshaw to deliver its exhausted passengers home. Luckily the University students decided to hold a strike for the day, so the classes which we otherwise would've missed were not held at all. Sometimes it all works out, even in a place where patience is the only thing keeping a normally schedule-bound person sane. (I later found out that the reason classes were cancelled is because a graduate student committed suicide, which puts a damper on my whole philosophy. But still, it was a nice surprise that morning while stranded in a small farm town nowhere near home).

Its time for yoga, so I'll end my post here. Hope everyone else is having a great day. Also, my parents arrive tomorrow! Yay for surreal reunions.