I love taking pictures

Mahabaleshwar Hill Station
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023296&id=1089270037&l=81a1f26a3b

India National Congress Political Rally - Seeing Rahul Ghandi Speak (among other recent tidbits):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023156&id=1089270037&l=7cafc4d071

Kolwan Valley Visit, Nanegoan Village Weekend:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023152&id=1089270037&l=4e82cbb6fd

Ajanta and Ellora Cave weekend:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022574&id=1089270037&l=7e88b06c0f

caves with a side of monkeys

-So lately I haven’t been good about updating my blog, I have so many wonderful experiences and stories to write about, but to start, here is a post I forgot to put up about our weekend trip (3 weekends ago I think). I’m going to try and get my blog up to speed asap (I hope), so keep checking!

Due to the fact that Monday was the Hindi celebration of Deserra we didn’t have classes and thus enjoyed a nice long weekend. Some people flew to Delhi, others enjoyed a 12hr bus ride to party on the beaches of Goa, three girls stayed in Pune, and the rest of us went to see the famous Ellora and Ajanta caves north of Pune in Aurangabad. 8 of us plus Sonal, an Indian radio DJ and newscaster currently living at the same hostel as some of the girls on the trip, and our patient driver endured the 5.5-hour trip to the caves.

Our weekend was full of interesting curveballs from start to finish, but we, of course, had an amazing time. Lets just say it started out a little rough and well, bumpy. On Friday afternoon after class we all rickshawed from the program center to the girl’s hostel. One of the girls realized five minutes too late that she left her packed bag in the rickshaw, panic ensued. She sprinted back up the hill towards the corner where we were dropped off and continued to run the streets frantically and emotionally searching for a familiar rickshaw. Mind you they all look the same, as a passenger you usually only see the driver’s back, and despite Utarra’s and Prashant’s words of wisdom we failed to record the rickshaw number. We were all quite panicked until we realized that she didn’t have any crucial items in the bag, except for tampons, her retainers, some clothes, and of course, the teddy bear her boyfriend gave her.

After calming down our driver arrived in a van supposedly meant to fit all 9 girls and our bags? 4 of us piled in the back seat and crunched our hips against the door handles while the other 4 girls loaded into the trunk. Yes there are always sideways bench seats in the back of vans here, but of course legroom, headroom, and comfort are all very limited. Before we could start our long journey we had to drive around to three of our host families to pick up our passports seeing as we hadn’t been informed that we might need them at the hotel. Luckily we all lived in opposite areas of Pune so this took us at least two hours to maneuver through traffic. Finally, we ate dinner on FC road before heading out to the expressway.

To the soundtrack of Indian radio we sped, I guess that’s relative they don’t drive that fast here due to the nature of the roads and traffic, but yes, sped to the best of our ability up to Aurangabad. With about two hours to go and a tired driver my watch read 12:13am. We pulled off to the side so the driver could rest his eyes for a few (minutes) get some Cha (tea) to try and energize a wake-up, and to put in a Bollywood movie! Woohoo, singing, dancing, romantic clichés, and head bobbles would of course soothe the nagging of our cricked necks, cramped legs, weary bladders, and sleepy eyes. About two hours later we finally began to descend towards our final destination, Ajanta. We jostled back and forth and up and down in the car as the driver took each hairpin turn with increasing speed. All the while massive ‘Good Carrier’ trucks would slowly appear around the corners, one after another beaming lights and blaring horns at our relatively small vehicle. Lets just say if our hotel hadn’t been at the bottom of the hill the sound of puking might’ve been added to the bumpin Bollywood tune of “it’s time for disco”. Our 2:30am arrival time at the MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism D…C….?) government hotel was met with as much enthusiasm as one could expect from 18 immovable legs and 9 sets of droopy eyes.

The next morning was met with stuffy heat. Although we paid extra for air-conditioning, the electricity at the hotel is turned off from 6:00am to 12:00pm. So, after four hours of deep sleep the heat began to creep into our rooms and torture us for the next few hours. Once awake, bucket-showered, and ready to go, we piled into the car for a 15-minute ride to the Ajanta Caves.

After maneuvering our way through the maze of tourist traps we piled onto an electric bus that took us up to the caves. The buses were electric so that the caves wouldn’t be harmed by the pollution. How cool! While eating breakfast/lunch at the MTDC base restaurant we saw lots of monkeys! At first we thought it was only one hanging out in a nearby tree, then another popped up on the roof of the adjacent building, and before we knew it a whole clan came jumping onto the nearby roof – up from the ground, across from the tree, and behind from who knows where. They all continued to follow each other over the buildings, ultimately leaping 15ft to another tree. While mesmerized by the sudden onslaught of monkeys we witnessed something absolutely terrible! The giant leap they all were making seemed to be dangerously close to some power lines. Dangerously close enough so that we saw one monkey jump right into an open wire, light on fire, sizzle and plummet from the top of the three-story building to the grass below. My heart stopped. Sonal went down by the monkey’s aid along with others who were in the vicinity. She tried to move its injured arm and shift it out of the beating sun. We ate in awestruck silence. Luckily, on our way out of the restaurant we were informed the monkey survived and was able to move by itself!

Finally we climbed up the stone steps, ran into some more crazy monkeys (almost got attacked, lesson learned not to attempt posing with monkeys for pictures). We spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring the 27 caves. They are all rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BC and contain Buddhist paintings and sculptures. Every single cave proved to be increasingly more impressive. I had to keep reminding myself that they were carved out of cliffs and painted with nature-based paints derived mostly from the rock itself. The heat was intense, the views were breathtaking, and the caves were inspiring! It was a fantastically exhausting day.

The next morning we ate an early breakfast and set out for the Ellora caves by 9:00am. It took about an hour and a half to get into Aurangabad and reach the caves. We were greeted by the all too familiar faces of eager salesmen knocking on the van’s windows with postcards, jewelry, and stone carved elephants. We were also greeted by the familiar testy creatures from the day before, more MONKEYS! As we waited in line to buy our tickets someone inquired as to whether the monkeys hanging out in the trees above us ever peed on the tourists below. A bunch of us answered with unsure sarcastic remarks like, "maybe, probably not, that would be funny though". Ironically enough, about 30 seconds later I felt some wet drops from above on my shoulder. Yes, monkeys do pee on the tourists, and yes, I was the tourist to receive that a wonderful gift. I expected the caves to be similar to those of the previous day, but they were very different and just as mind blowing. At the Ellora caves there are Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain caves, all of them differing in style, size, and spiritual purpose. The most impressive cave, cave #16, was a massive Hindu cave for the god Shiva. The sheer size of the carvings continued to blow my mind. We ate a quick and not so satisfying lunch at the MTDC restaurant continued our cave wandering for another hour or so then headed into Aurangabad to see the mini Taj Mahal! As my pictures prove, it looks exactly like the real Taj (as far as I could tell), but much smaller, I don’t remember what the scaling is, but it is much smaller. After taking some stellar pictures and posing for some even more entertaining pictures, we regrouped outside the Taj, bought some cheep ice cream checked out some tricked-out Rickshaws (bumpin’ sound systems, leather seats, colored tops, you know, all the works), and headed into the center of Aurangabad for dinner and some exploring.

On the drive through Aurangabad we passed a crazy, crowded, carnival complete with multiple Ferris wheels and snack shacks, and I really wanted to go to, but a bunch of the girls weren’t into it so we kept driving. We had some time before dinner so we walked along the main road for a bit and checked out some small treat shops and soaked in all of the dusty city air. For dinner we went to an amazing restaurant recommended in the guidebook called Tandoor. If you ever find yourself in Aurangabad you must go, make sure to chat with the owner, Hussein, he is a blast! We ordered a plethora of dishes and shared them around the table. It was by far the best meal I’ve had in India thus far! We ordered Chicken Tika, Paneer Masala, DamAloo Kashmiri, Lemon rice, Jirra rice, lotso Roti and Naan, and a few more I can’t remember the names but the spice definitely remains on my lips…yummmm. On our drive home we happened to drive by the carnival again, and my yearning to check it out took over. I made a pretty bold motion to jump out of the car and go, and to my surprise most of the car conceited. It must’ve been the tasty food that put everyone in the mood.

We jumped out of the car into a sea of people, flashing lights, and pungent smells. We all made sure to hold hands as we began to navigate our way through the fair. The premise of a wild carnival most definitely crosses cultural borders. There were circus acts, freak shows, ice cream stalls, quick fried food stations, neon toys for sale, and plenty of familiar carnival rides. There were at least four different Ferris wheels flashing strobe lights and emitting endless screams of fear and excitement. We decided riding one was a must. We pushed our way through line to buy tickets and up the stairs to board the ride. Once we were at the front we realized that this Ferris wheel ride was not going to be at all like those back home. When getting on the ride slows down and stops very briefly, they give you about 30 seconds to jump up and pile into the seats, all the while yelling “go, go, go!” There are no safety apparatuses whatsoever and the ride seemed to be run from below by one man moving a lever. The lever presumably powered the ride while it shot out fiery sparks that increased in intensity in conjunction with the increased speed of the ride. It was a definite adrenaline rush to come over the top of the Ferris wheel, holding the entire carnival in my eyes, and then just as quickly speed down the other side as my stomach bounced up. Unloading, similar to loading, was quick, crazy, and quite the experience. We were of course unfamiliar with the procedure and got off the wrong side, were quickly shooed and corralled into the right direction as the Ferris wheel sped away again. It was amazing!

On Monday morning we went to the Daulatabad Fort, a powerful 14th century fort city that evolved in the hands of numerous dynasties. Two of us decided to make the 210ft climb to the top. We had to cross the once foreboding and crocodile filled moat, climb the twisty, steep staircases and navigate through the pitch-black bat infested corridors of the well-fortified fort. With the help of a young boy selling fresh pineapple slices and his cell-phone flash light we were able to find the way up the blindingly dark and dangerously steep (bat piss smelling) staircases. He was such a sweetheart, too bad we couldn’t buy any of his wonderful smelling pineapple for fear of getting sick. After climbing an endless amount of stairs we reached the top and were welcomed by a breath-taking view of the surrounding fortress, city of Aurangabad, and expansive Western Ghats. We were also gifted with a cool and refreshing breeze as we posed for pictures with the massive cannon.

Finally, sufficiently exhausted and completely caved out, we headed back to Pune. On the way home our driver stopped on the side of the expressway to buy flower garlands to decorate our car. Monday was Deserra and the streets everywhere were lined with carts selling beautiful, bright orange marigold garlands with which people decorated their vehichles, homes, and store fronts with. Barefoot on the side of the expressway I watched our driver and Sonal perform a Puja (blessing with the flowers) on the car.

Awesome weekend!

photos galore

I know its fun to see my pictures embedded in my posts, but the internet here takes way too long to upload them.

so here is a link to my photos thus far -

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2021807&id=1089270037&l=51da7fea44

(hope it works!)

caves, camels, and cliffs

This past Saturday 12 of us went on a day trip to the Karla and Bhaja caves. We had to be up early and ready at the program center by 7:30am. However, as we’ve learned to expect, time is irrelevant and waiting idly should be expected. By 8:30, with the help of good old Prashant, we had all piled into the bus accompanied by an Indian student escort, snazzy sunglass clad tour guide, the bus driver and his ‘apprentice’ son. I ended up sitting next to the Indian student (I regret to say I am currently at a loss for her name, probably because I never exactly got it and just bobbled my head and smiled at her in my tired morning daze when she told me….I’m pretty sure it started with a P) We chatted for a bit about what we are studying at school, the few Bollywood films I’ve seen and some she recommended, and some famous Indian singers. She is an environmental studies major in her third and last year at Fergusson College. Last spring she participated in the Alliance for Global Education program by enrolling in the courses. She therefore knows a lot about our program and told me about the girls with whom she is still in contact with from the U.S. After a while I, along with most everyone else, succumbed to the tortures of our early morning rise (I know it wasn’t that early, but I was tired) and pulled out our iPods and tried to relax for the remainder of the two-hour ride.

We first arrived at the Karla caves via an upward winding cliff side road. We climbed up some steps that were very reminiscent of my calf-burning walks up mountains in China. This is when I began to regret wearing flip-flops…but the walk up wasn’t too long and we reached the caves within 10-15 minutes. However, we did lose the Indian student on the way up, apparently it was too hot and she wasn’t feeling well so she went and sat in the hot, stuffy bus? Anyway, the caves were amazing! They are not just holes in the cliff walls, as one would expect caves to be. They were carved out the existing stone during the 3rd and 2nd century B.C. and are adorned with intricate carvings of elephants and religious figures. There was also a temple at the top that was emitting spiritual Indian music and crowds of chapattle-less (shoeless) people waiting to pray (Saturday was the start of a 9-day long Hindi festival called Dasara). Many pictures later, including one of me with an over enthused Indian hottie, we descended down the steps, past the colorful trinket filled stalls, bare-foot beggars, and flower/incense stands to the bus.

We then drove only about 20 minutes to the Bhaja caves. At the bottom of the steep stairway was a large cliffside waterfall where many women were scattered washing and hanging out brightly colored saris and printed cloth. On our way up about 15 goats with blue painted horns lazily flooded onto the stone path. Color is everywhere in India! The caves at the top were significantly different from the Karla caves. There were stairs up to carved out rooms and ‘balconies’. The view from inside the caves was absolutely breath taking. Despite the burning sun and our subsequent ceaseless sweat, I couldn’t help but to quietly sit in a secret nook of the caves and just soak it all in. But of course, fervent shouting from the other side of the caves soon distracted me. A relatively large group of Indian guys had come over the crest of the climb and were posing and hooting for the camera of their buddy from below. I have to admit, it was a really good photo, and yes, I did take one on my camera. After a while of exploring all the little rooms a few of us headed further down the path and came upon another smaller cave with large carved dome-like structures. We then came upon some more caves and a beautiful waterfall to which I reluctantly refrained from climbing down to due to the fact that I was wearing my flimsy American Eagle flip-flops.

Once we had our fill we trekked back down the stone steps and piled into sauna of a bus. A few minutes into the ride we had to stop at train tracks, the heat was miserable in that small cramped bus, but we made the most of it and tried to review for our upcoming Marathi quiz by singing the short nursery song we had learned the previous week about bringing rain. (Ye re ye re pausa, Tula deto paisa, Paisa zala kota, Pausa ala motha). However I think that only made the bus and the heat more miserable. And to our great surprise, India made us wait again and there wasn’t any train and the delay was unnecessary. After lunch in an air-conditioned restaurant we were driven up a precariously steep traverse to see a cliff.

Upon arriving we were greeted by young girls with flowers, shanty shacks selling sodas and snacks, a camel on a leash, and most importantly, a remarkable view! We walked to the edge of the cliff and were all amazed by the expansive scenery of luscious greenness. The outskirts of a housing development could be seen in the distance, small slum dwellings were scattered throughout the fields, but it was mostly overwhelmed with rice fields surrounded by lush green hills/mountains. Although we were standing among yellow, white, and purple wild flowers, both the dust and the trash were definitely still present. Three small girls came up to us trying to sell sodas, but I think they actually just wanted to see and speak to us. They picked a small bouquet of flowers for us, spoke the English they knew, told us their names (Lalita, Parvati, and Sonyali) and willingly posed for a few pictures.

After that we headed back to the lovely pollution and traffic of Pune. We were all sweaty and tired, but sat in Café Coffee Day for an hour or so and made plans to go out to Thai food for dinner. On our walk to the Thai restaurant there was a group of young boys banging on drums and clapping, presumably for the start of the festival, I was excited and took their picture and smiled/said Namaste to them while I attempted a few dance moves. After giving me strange looks, they smiled and I took their picture.

Sunday was Ajay’s mother’s birthday celebration. In the morning I drove around with Ajay and his father (driven by their driver) to do a few errands. On or way they showed me an old Fort built by Shivaji (a historically idolized Hindu war hero and leader) but repossessed by the British. Upon Ajay’s request we stopped at St. Mary’s church. Seeing as it was Sunday we were able to go inside during the service ands listen for a bit. Although I don’t go to church at home, it was an interesting experience. Also, St Mary’s school (affiliated with the church) is where my host mother and most of her sisters went to school from kindergarten through 10^th standard. We then picked up a yummy chocolate cake at a local bakery, did some shopping at Dorabje, the large grocery store in the Camp area of Pune (at which Ajay of course slipped a bunch of sugar candies and gooey treats into his dad’s cart), and finally stopped at a favorite local Indian restaurants to pick up some specials for lunch before returning home.

The lunch celebration was a nice get together. A few other family members came over and we ate a lot of food, a lot of good food, a lot of spicy food, and a lot of chocolate cake with ice cream. I got to speak with some of the other family members about what they do and what I am studying while here in India. It was all very interesting and fun to socialize with the family. However, the dynamic of the party was very relaxed in that Spiderman was playing in the background on the TV, we sat around the living room eating with our plates in our laps, people were in and out of conversation, and of course, Crona, the dog, was barking with jealousy through the slatted window.

I spent the rest of the day finishing up some homework for Monday and reviewing for my first Marathi quiz, Ajay was somewhat enthusiastic about helping me memorize the song.

artsy film majors; easily breaking cultural divides

This past week there was a film festival at the Film and Television Institute of India, located about 5 minutes from my house. We were given the opportunity to attend some of the screenings as we liked. Seeing as I didn't have afternoon class on either Wednesday or Thursday I figured I'd take advantage of it! We easily walked from Fergusson College and made it to the main theatre on campus. I went after lunch with two other girls, and we ended up being a little late for the start of one film. When going into the theatre it was definitely hand disappearing in front of your face dark as we attempted to walk up the disorienting ramp into the theatre. Once we got our bearings we plopped down in the closest empty seats we could find. The first documentary was about the first female Bollywood film star. It was really interesting in that the famous star, now an old woman, was very witty and sharp. She was snapping at the camera and quite entertaining to watch, wrinkles and chapatti making and all. When the lights came on a young man, presumably a Film student, introduced the next film. We immediately commented on his long, somewhat unruly hair, coupled with his similarly long beard and his 'cool' way of talking. We then noticed the some of the students in the auditorium and their somewhat noticeable alternative style. I noticed one guy with hair like yours mom (well, probably more unruly, but close enough). Obviously the connotations of being a Film student translate across cultural borders. Yes, they were artsy, yes they were a real cool kind of cool, and yes, they filled the theatre. The second film started up, but, less than two minutes in the power went out. I've learned that in India, nothing is ever completely dependable. However, they got it started back up within a few minutes time, without subtitles. So, we left.

The three of us sat in Cafe Coffee Day (slowest service ever) for a few hours talking.

We went back to see some more films on Thursday, all of which I found really interesting. The first was about a small village hidden within the forests of India that built a 10,000 ft (i think) suspension bridge out of bamboo and sticks. The second happened to be very pertinent to my potential research/internship while here in India and gave me some specific ideas to pursue. It was a documentary that highlighted many cases throughout India in which mining companies, both Indian and International, essentially stole or are attempting to diminish and ultimately destroy the livelihood of ancient village people. These villages are completely dependent on their land for their daily sustenance which is being challenged by the encroaching mining projects. The last film was about an orphanage turned school in Nepal created years ago by the Scottish. It was filmed by students returning 20 years later for a reunion and revealed the importance of this establishment to the lives and success of the children. Although the topics of all three documentaries definitely sparked my interest, the composition and actual execution of the films wasn't all too impressive; at times each film seemed to drag on without directional purpose. However each film left me with distinct impressions regarding diverse aspects of Indian culture and society today.


Here is the website for the Film and Television Institute of India, The festival was called 'Persistence Resistance Film Festival'

http://www.ftiindia.com/newftii/index.html

Yesterday (monday) we had our second 'research methods' class in which we were expected to narrow down our proposed topics for our desired reasearch/internship. Seeing as we hadn't yet seen any NGO presentations (they were canceled this past weekend due to scheduling issues) and haven't had much guidance as to what is available or feasable, trying to narrow down my ideas proved to be very difficult. We were asked to come into class with a What, How and Why short proposal regarding the specifics of our internship/research intentions. I ended up deciding on two possible ideas. My first idea would be a combination of research and field experience. I would like to research involuntary resettlement that results from development projects such as dams, power plants, highways, and large-scale industrial construction. I want to look into the role of the governement vs. NGOs in regulating and succesfulling implementing resettlement plans that inclue compensation, relocation, and restoration of income and social infrastructure to the displaced peoples. Hopefully I will be able to work with an NGO that designs such plans, and through them visit a site where people are to be displaced, or a location where people have been resettled to and conduct interviews with them regarding their experiences. The reason this idea came to mind is because I know it occurrs in China as well as in India, and thought it would be interesting to look at case studies here in India and then possible pursue the topic as a comparitve study between the two countries (don't really know yet??) My second idea was focused around microfinance schemes that target women in urban slums. I wanted to look into what types of economic activity the microfinance initiatives most commonly trigger in the female recipients and how successful they have been in India as an effort to curb poverty from the bottom up. Both topics greatly interest me, but I ended up presenting the first one in class on monday and I'll see where it takes me.

Yesterday afternoon, after classes, two NGOs came and presented for us. The purpose was to provide some information for prospective internship placements. The first one, Akansha, works towards providing education for underprivledged children (in slums). Although this isn't something I want to pursue for my internship, they offer volunteer opportunities which I am really looking forward to taking advantage of. The minimum requirement is 2.5hrs per week, which I will definitely be ready to commit to. I would be volunteering in the classroom as an educators assistant and mentor to the children. I love children!! I can't wait!! On the weekends they have arts and sports programs for the children during which we are also invited to volunteer and help out. The secod presentation was from the NGO 'Children's Future India'. Their program functions on a sponsorship basis with the satellite org. 'Children's Future Norway'. The presentation was tailored towards students who might want to intern with the NGO, gaining research and field work experience with them.

After the NGO presentations I walked home with my friend Julie, who I walk to school with every day, and we walked on the road for the first time! (not the path) we finally decided we were confidant enough in which turns to take, so we hit the now muddy streets. It monsooned in the afternoon, so of course I came home with muddy toes. It was actually a fun walk home, not only do we walk down a busy street but the side street from which our lanes branch off is packed with little shacks that each hold their own little specialty snack or street food (or cigarettes). But its fun walking by the vendors and peering to see whats cookin'. Well I guess we could just look at what the little crowds students, stopped two-wheelers, and old men outside are snacking on. It ranges from Vada Pav (sortof a fried sandwhich) and masal dosas to smoked corn and fresh vegetable stands.

I have a funny, well sortof awkward, story from yesterday's dinner with my family. For the past two days Satyajeet, Ajay's 16/17 year old brother, has been here, and after dinner I was sitting at the table with him, my host mother and grandmother and he said something to the grandmother in Marathi. He then asked me if I wanted Liquor...at first didn't understand what he was saying, then when I did I of course shook my head and said no, its ok, i'm fine. He then said something in Marathi to his grandmother again, and both her and my host mom responded with no, Satyajeet, you have to study tonight, but apparantly he was done studying. So he got out 4 shot glasses and some liquor that the grandmother had brought back from Norway (it was made from Cloudberries ??) and my host mom poured 4 shots. She passed them around and we were all awkwardly holding them, then the grandmother quietly said cheers and I proceeded to drink mine as any western college student would - like a shot, pretty much in one gulp. Then I looked around the table and noticed they were sipping at their shot glasses, I looked at my shot glass and noticed a few drops left, so I decided to sip at my few drops as they finished theirs. It was a little awkward...But the liquor was really tasty and sweet, and fruity, I guess it must've been the cloudberries. They offered me more, but I of course turned it down. And then we went and sat in the living room and Satyajeet watched some sports and I read the newspaper (India Times) as did my host mom. It was nice. very nice.

Well, that was yesterday, there are definitely more updates to come, but I'm tired and should get to bed soon. Tomorrow there is a film festival going on at the Film Institute nearby and I think a bunch of us are going to go. It sounds exciting, and apparantly some of the directors will be there holding seminars and available to answer questions!

goodnight.

Yesterday, Today; my weekend.

Yesterday and today, saturday and sunday, was our first free weekend in Pune. Yesterday morning we all met at the program center for an informative session about yoga. I went into it a bit dissapointed that we wouldn't actually be doing yoga, and woudl instead have to listen to some guy talk to us for who knows how long. It turned out to be a great experience. The man who talked to us, Dr. Anand Joshi, was 72 years old and still as nimble as a young child. He was on and off the table top demonstrating basic yoga postures and the benefits to your body. I loved listening to him speak. His voice was very calming and almost lyrical, he tended to draw out every fourth or fifth word, then, as if someone hit fast-forward, he would speed up to make his point. He had been studying, and still is studying, yoga for 66 years and runs his own yoga and health care center.

After almost two hours we were set free to explore and wander the city of Pune. A few of us went to lunch at a nearby hotel (that's what they call restaurants) and then split up for a shopping expedition. Me and another girl on the program, Anna, decided to go to Laxmi Rd. to get some Indian clothes. I finally road in a motor rickshaw!! all of the other students have been doing it for a week or so, but because I can walk to and from school everyday I hadn't yet had the pleasure of riding in one. We were successful and I definitely enjoyed weaving in and out of traffic in the back of a tiny motor car, all the while smells of saphron and curry street food, bus pollution, trash, among others breezing by the open sides of the rickshaw. it was great. Once on Laxmi Rd. we wandered for a bit, and Anna showed me the store her host mom had taken them to buy clothes. We both got a few things and left them to be tailored (for free). I spent about 700Ruppees on two long kurtas, a short mirrored one, and leggings - that equals out to be about $14. After clothes shopping we just wandered the crowded streets, avoiding barefoot begging children with tin bowls, and gnarly old men squatting along the sidewalk. After shopping we headed back to Fergusson college via rickshaw and walked around the campus for a bit, then started for home. I had dinner with just my host grandmother (my Aaji) and we again had time for wonderful conversation.
This morning I woke up relatively early, 8ish, and went for a run on the path behind the house. There were many people on the path and I ran it a few times. However, I'm not sure if it was the heat (it hasn't been too hot though) or the pollution, but I could definitly feel it in my lungs. I had breakfast with my Aaji and then read downstairs near her. I met up with a few girls at the college around noon and we headed to the Saras Bagh gardens. We walked around the park for a bit, met an eager Indian student who seemed to want to chat with us forever, and found a Temple to Ganesh at the top at which people were ritually circling (11 times I think) and ringing a large bell upon entering. We then walked aimlessly on the streets, which was actually really nice. Wandering down the streets, snapping pictures, watching people, pearing in at the endless rows of street vendors, and just trying to soak it all up without a time limit or objective was a great feeling. We found a small corner restaurant to eat lunch and I had a tomato Uthappa (sortof like a flat bread with onions and tomatoes on it, served with spicy green chutney and some unknown red spicy sauce). We continued to walk down the streets in the direction of Laxmi Rd. in pursuit of bangles, and the store from yesterday so I could pick up my newly tailored clothes. As we were walking I was constantly aware of the contrasting architecture surrounding us. There were buildings that lookes ancient, brightly painted but obviously worn and torn through many monson seasons, next to taller, more modern cement business buildings. We stopped to explore a presumably air-conditioned sweet shop. All of the Indian desserts are usually really sweet (spicy food, sweet desserts), it was fun walking through the shop and looking at, and smelling, all of the unidentifiable little treats. We finally reached Laxmi road and found, deep in the crowds of the carless marketplace, a stand with endless sparkly bangles. We all spent some time admiring and trying some on before buying a bunch. Don't I'm bringing lots back home! I was able to orient myself and find the store to pick up my new clothes. On the the side of the street we saw two men doing beautiful Mendhi on young girls hands and arms and we wanted to stop to get it done (only 50 ruppees), but just as we were about to get it done it started to rain, big fat raindrops. I guess I have four months to get Mendhi done. We took a rickshaw back, and what do you know, only scattered rain, the sun came out within 5 minutes. Should've gotten Mendhi on the street in the rain!
I'm back home now, awaiting Ajay (my host nephew, I was saying his name wrong before) and my hostmom's return from Falton. I guess I should do some of my schoolwork now, or laundry?

Also, recently the two servant girls in the house have started calling me Bebi. My Aaji told me that is what they call young girls when they come into the house (the used to call my host mom's niece Bebi when she was in the house, and they call Ajay and his brother baba). The two girls are really sweet and I smile and head bobble at them whenever they help me out or when I leave for school. Today I didn't eat lunch at home, and when I came home my Aaji told me that one of the girls was worried I hadn't eaten before I left. Hopefully as time goes on, and as I try to learn some more Marathi I'll be able to communicate better with them.