Updates from the hot and humid south of India

Today is our last day here at Yuvak Shetra, the college we have been staying at while studying with the Sarang Centre. Tomorrow afternoon and evening we will spend on houseboats and then the next morning we will be headed to Kovalam for a few days of beach time before headed back to Delhi before the next leg of our adventure.

I have really enjoyed my time here at the Sarang Centre. It was so wonderful to have a rather consistent schedule and to know what would be happening for the next few days. It was also nice to not be living out of my backpack all the time. My cooking class was wonderful! We learned a great deal about simple healthy south Indian cooking. I also learned how to properly roll out chapatis so that they are round and will puff in the middle when cooked. It's the little achievements that make me happy.

Our time here has been both exciting and relaxing. I had several experiences that I don't think I will ever forget. One was learning to take public buses to get from the campus to the local town of Palakkad. I had heard all about these buses and was rather dreaded actually taking one, but it wasn't as loud, crowded, or smelly as I was expecting. That's not to say that it wasn't those things, just not as bad as it could have been. In the town of Palakkad we discovered this market known as Big Bazaar, which is basically an Indian department store. They have a little bit of everything. It's the only place where I have seen canned hotdogs, pasta, and peanut butter in the "International Food Section".  What an place. We also, purely by coincidence, found a place to get milkshakes. Once again, it's the little things.

Another fascinating experience was the tapioca day that we had with the students from Yuvak Shetra. There is a large garden here on campus and one day we learned how to pull up tapioca trees and many different ways to eat tapioca root: boiled, dried, fried, roasted, even raw. We had a bonfire with the students that evening and played Indian games and they showed us some Indian dancing. I have really enjoyed being in a place where we could get to know people and learn more about the culture.

I am ready for some beach time and also excited to get back to a cooler environment. I love the warmth, but this is just a little much :) A Vermonter like me can only handle so much.

I would love to get some updates about home. I hope everyone is enjoying the snow!

Much love,
Laura

Down South.

A fair bit has happened since I last blogged. Hopefully this quick update will help fill in the gaps about the past 2 or so weeks.

Currently we are in the state of Kerala in southern India. We left Delhi on the 3rd after spending 2 days learning about and visiting the slums in Delhi. We worked with an organization called Reach Out and Pass It On. The founders are all in their mid-20's and the organization is barely 2 years old. The basic idea is that if they can help the children from the slums to receive a quality education, those children will be able to breakout of the cycle that has kept their family in the slums. They not only provide assistance with homework and study from exams, but they also encourage and support the development of artistic talents in the kids. The organization had been working with one slum and about 120 kids from that slum, but in December the government bulldozed the slum and displaced all of those families, over a 1000 people. In an effort to not lose of the work they had already completed, the organization rented out a flat in Delhi and about 25 of the older children how are studying for end of the year exams live there with the president of the organization. He cooks and cleans and helps them to study so that they can pass this year's exams and stay in school. We spent one day just hanging out with the kids at a park and on the second day we visited the slum where they lived, it's now a pile of rubble, and we  walked through a neighboring slum. Trying to describe the feelings associated with visiting the slums are nearly impossible.

After we spent time in the slums, it was time to head south! We flew from Delhi to Mangalore and I actually got a good cup of coffee in the Bombay airport! It's the little things that bring me joy. We then had an eventful drive from Mangalore to Bekal. We went to the beach while we were in Bekal and it was wonderful. South India is HOT. After spending time in Bekal, we drove to Payannur.

The main goal of our time in Payannur was to attend Theyyam festivals. Theyyams are a Hindu religious festival/ cultural form of folk art/tribal ritual that only take place here in the state of Kerala. A trained dancer/performer will dress up to look like a particular god or goddess. The costume includes face and chest makeup and is incredibly intricate along with massive headpiece and a full body outfit. Once dressed, the dancer looks into a mirror and the deity that he is dressed as enters into him and he then tells the story of that deity through dance and story. The performances are like nothing I have ever seen. The most interesting Theyyam we saw took place at 5am. It was a story about a time when the god Vishnu needed to be purified, so he threw himself into a fire. In the performance, the dancer, who was wearing an outfit made of banana and coconut leaves, threw himself onto a mountain of coals 101 times. I was absolutely terrified that he was going to burst into flames, but he didn't. Another aspect of Theyyams are the blessings that the gods/performers give after the dancing. One of the dancers approached myself and 3 other girls while we were waiting and blessed us. Our guide translated his blessing to mean the following. "Study hard. I don't know where you are from and I don't understand how you got here, but know I will always be with you. Remember, study hard". Life in India is never boring.

Now we are studying at the Sarang Centre. The centre itself is too small for our group, so we are staying at a nearby Hospitality and Hotel Management College. We are living in their dorms. Yay for bunk beds, bucket baths, and big bugs! I am taking a Indian cooking class as well as Hindi and cross cultural psychology.

With love,
Laura