Thank you Benjamin A Gilman!!!

In the planning process of going to India, I had to figure out how I would pay for my experience there. I was informed of a scholarship opportunity for Undergraduate students in the United States. I was eligable, so I applied. I applied under the pretense of: If I don't get this scholarship, I can't go to India. Well, after writing essays, and sending numerous drafts to my dedicated faculty for revision, my application was finalized, and I continued in blind faith, getting everything done just in the nick of time. My visa arrived 3 weeks before I left the country. My scholarship was approved 2 weeks before I left, and I bought my plane ticket 1 week before leaving for India. Everything was so tight in timing. I had no idea until the very end if this was going to work at all. It did, and my life was changed forever.

If Gilman had not stepped in with $4000, I would have never been able to see and experience the incredible things I was blessed with.

Thank you Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship foundation!! This scholarship changed my life!!

Back in the US of A

Well, I thought there would be huge culture shock for me when I got to India, and in general, there was a little bit of that. I went through a bout of anger and frustration, ecstasy and excitement, and then I adjusted... But all of that happened within a couple of weeks for me. I adjusted to living with 40 people in a dorm with community bathrooms. I learned the beauty of hand-washing my clothes. I found my way around the city via bus, taxi, rickshaw, and train. I learned what kind of foods I liked, and the ones I did not. I was happy in the life I was living in Hyderabad.
Being back in the states has taught me a few things. First, the life I live here, is comfortable and solitary. I live alone, and cook, and sleep alone. Life is different than I remember before I left. I did not remember being so lonely. I am having a hard time adjusting back to the pace of life here. India has a hustle and bustle to it, but is generally pretty laid back. The US is a rat race which puts mindfulness on the backburner for a few extra bucks. After all, if you aren't making money, you're worthless, right? (I can't stand this mentality). I know that because of who I am in this huge world, that I have an obligation to work for the benefit of all beings everywhere. Although, it is not a duty; it is what I want to do with my life. I am living a life of privilege, and I feel the need to extend that privilege to as many people as possible.
My only problem is... I don't know where to start.

Oh goodness...

I never knew how heartbreaking it could be to leave a place. I have never had to do it. It's more than just a place though. It's the people. It's the language. I have become accustomed to the pace of life here; of the cultural communication patterns. I have grown familiar with the language, because even though I don't speak Hindi, I can understand about 50% of what is said to me. I have picked up speech patterns and non-verbal communication cues. I have learned about the history and the geography, and I now understand more about the political and social issues that are in discussion currently. I have made friends here, and I feel at home. I feel comfortable and welcomed. I don't want to leave.
Being here has made me appreciate the infrastructure we have in the US. Electricity, pluming, sewage, garbage, mail, roadways, legislative processes, and implementation of laws.... good job America... However... traffic... Americans need to learn how to drive more attentively. And work-ethic... Americans could work harder and complain less about work conditions and poor wages (in comparisson).... Pharmaceutics and surgical practices.... slow down on pharmaceuticals and surgery, and take care of your body instead of listening to a doctor who will tell you that you need to go through a bunch of stuff that will make you even more sick... Immigration... seriously... we have enough room and infrastructure to take on a few more people... we should relax on a few things... I am the product of immigrants, and wouldn't exist if my immigrant ancestors were denied entry.
So yeah... I'll probably have more to say when I get back state-side... for now... I couldn't have asked for a better adventure/learning experience. I am SO blessed!!

Is this really the end?

About four months ago, I had just arrived and everything was so different and shocking. The smells were intense, the sounds were overwhelming, and I felt lost. I didn't realize I had adjusted so much to life here in Hyderabad. Now I feel like I just got used to this place. I have developed a taste for the cuisine, I have made friends, and I actually know where I am, and where I want to go. I have so much more to do and see here. I don't feel like I am ready to leave yet. I want to find a way to come back to India. I also want to find a way to stay in contact with the people I have met here.
It is almost scary to think of coming back home so soon. I will miss the cows in the road as I walk to class. i will miss being able to get a ride home for $2. I will miss having amazing food at any time of the day for less than $5. I will miss the sense of time here, and the pace of life here. I will miss the mass amounts of people moving around me all the time. I wish that I had seen more of this place. I wish I had more time here. i have learned so much about myself, and the way I relate to others. I have learned so much about US-India relations, and the ways the US has changed living circumstances for Indians. I have gained insight into Indian sexuality and socio-cultural norms... and I have learned that we aren't as different as i once though we were.
I have had the opportunity to build solid relationships with Hyderabadi locals, and Indian women who have embraced Indian feminism. I have learned so much from these girls, and I hope to stay in contact with them for a very long time. It has been a pleasure spending time with them, getting to know them, and learning from them on so many different levels.
I love India, and I hope to come back and continue my learning process with her throughout my life!

The End of March

Have I really been here almost three months? It doesn't feel like it. It feels like I just got here, and in reality, I did. This week and next week are the last weeks of classes. After this, we have our finals, and then we leave. I only have one month left in Hyderabad, and I don't want to leave. I like it here. I like the pace of life, and the people. I like the food, and the cars, and the noises. I like life here, and I don't want to go back to the fast-paced, worrisome, anxiety and panic-ridden life that people are accustomed to in America. There is so much greed and consumerism. There is a lack of respect for people, animals, plants, and ourselves. On the other end of things, those elements exist in every facet of life anywhere you go... if you allow it to.

Adventure: Karala

A friend of mine suggested that we go to Karala and rent a houseboat for a night with a few other people. Within 1 week of being in Hyderabad, me and 3 other people decided to group up, and go to a place we had never heard of. We did some research about Kochi and Karala, but definitely could have done more (story of my life).

We bought tickets on a sleeper class train that left Hyderabad on Friday at 11am, and arrived in Ernakulam, Karala at 2pm the next day. We got 3 top bunks on a sleeper class train. There was a lot of sleeping, and talking. One time, randomly, a monkey came over and jumped on Kevin's lap.

 There were ridiculous conversations recorded on Kevin's phone as a result of the police telling us that we could not play cards on the train. So instead of playing cards for hours on end, we shared stories.

Once we got off the 26 hour train ride on Saturday morning, I sat down next to an older Brittish woman, and asked her how to get to the Chinese fishing nets. She told me to catch a tuk-tuk to the ferry, and from there, we could walk until we found them. We found a tuk-tuk (local name for auto rickshaw), and had him bring us to the ferry. The ferry took us to a little island off the coast of Cochin, called Fort Kochi.
Once we got there, we stopped for some food (I ordered Fish Curry which was excellent).

After refueling, we started walking down the street and found this hippy couple from Ireland. Again, I asked for directions, and they directed us to an area where we found our first night's sleep for Rs. 1100 for 2 rooms. For dinner, we went to the beach, bought tiger prawns, crab, and a yellow snapper and had it cooked at the beach-side restaurant near-by. After dinner, we went wondering a bit, and found an epic tree, who's trunk was the size of a small house. We hung out there for a bit before going back to our hotel. [side note: Karala has an 11pm curfew for all tourists].

Sunday morning, we stopped by the Chinese fishing nets to see the men hoist the masts with huge rocks tied to old ropes. It was so cool! They saw us standing and watching, and they came and brought us out to the edge of the structure. I've never seen anything like it. [Then again... I haven't spent much time near ports or water at all for that matter.]

We went back on the ferry, back to Ernakulam, where we caught a bus going to Allappey. In Allepey, we found our house boats. After 2 hours of haggling, we finally found a 2 bedroom houseboat without A/C for Rs. 6000 (about $120) for 1 night/4 people. Before leaving the dock, Kevin and I went to get cash, cigarettes, pepsi, beer, and rum. [Details to note: there are no open ATMs or liquor stores in Karala on Sundays.] Luckily, our rickshaw driver knew just where to go to get us what we needed. We paid way to much for the alcohol, but I've also never bought alcohol out of a back-ally storage unit, guarded by a crippled old man. It's India. We made our way back, and set off into the backwaters of Allapey, Karala.


On the boat, we had a cook, Mohan, who made us lunch, dinner, and breakfast in the morning, and a driver, Vishnu, who brought us out to a river-side hut where we bought our fish and prawns for lunch and dinner.

We listened to music, and danced, and talked, and drank, and smoked far too many cigarettes. Just before sunset, we docked the boat right next to a rice field. Mohan cooked the red snapper we bought, and Vishnu watched us play up and down the shoreline. We played cards until all of us were way too exhausted to continue. We fell asleep around 4am, and the boat started moving before 8am.

I couldn't sleep anymore once we started moving because I started feeling sea-sick/hungover. Mohan was already working on breakfast for us, and Vishnu was focused on getting us back to Allapey. Once back in Allapey on Monday, we rode the bus back to Kochi, and stayed another night in Fort Kochi. That night we saw a Kathakali performance, ate at an outdoor restaurant, and fell asleep early at the single hotel room we found for Rs. 600 ($12).

Tuesday morning we made our way to the Ernakulam bus station, to catch a ride up to Munnar. Munnar is up in the heights of the Western Ghats. It took us about 5.5-6 hours on the bus to get there, but once there, our minds were blown. The hills are covered in tea plants, eucalyptus trees. It was so beautiful! We found a 3 bedroom house to stay in for Rs. 600 ($12), and left our bags at the house.

The same afternoon, we went on a 4-point tour of Munnar. We went on a tuk-tuk up the mountain to a KDHP tea plantation, where we saw a movie, and the fermentation equipment and processing. 
The Kanon Devon Hills Plantation is 97% owned and operated by the residents of Munnar. We then went on to a scenic spot where we could see 5 different plantations from one place. We then went on to see a waterfall, where we encountered some monkeys who like crackers. After the waterfall, we made our way to a flower garden, which was closed, and then to some wild bee hives in the mountains.

We caught an amazing sunset at the edge of Munnar, before we went back to town, had dinner, and then went to our home-stay.

Wednesday morning, we woke up, grabbed a tuk-tuk up to an elephant reserve, where we watched them bathe  Indian elephants before we rode them for a short bit. After the elephant exploitation, we had breakfast at the same place we ate dinner, and caught our bus back to Kochi. in Kochi, we caught a bus to Atani, where the airport was for our flight back to Hyderabad. Before the airport, we went to a restaurant on the side of the road because it said it had a bar. Once inside, we were ushered out of the bar because we were women, and were sent upstairs to a separate room where we were served our lunch and King Fischers. After lunch, we made it to the airport, checked in, and then realized we couldn't leave the airport for 7 hours. The rules in Karala are such that you CANNOT leave the airport once you check your bags... So I slept in the airport for 7 hours before landing in Hyderabad around 2am, and finally reaching Tagore around 3am on Thursday morning.
I was so glad to be back in the safety and comfort of Tagore, but the trip to Karala will be in my memories until the day I die.

Things I wish I had access to:

There are no BIC lighters here... so a package of lighters would be very cool.

Also if anybody wouldn't mind, I could really use some things I left in Las Cruces like: my five-finger shoes, my bathing suit, a baseball hat, capris and tank-tops.

Something else that would be cool would be: green chile in a jar, almond butter, and maybe some rolling tobacco (American Spirit - Blue). :-)

Emily Estes
c/o Tagore International House
University of Hyderabad
Gachibowli
Hyderabad, AP - 500046
INDIA