Saturday, 26 January - 6:30 AM

Yesterday was definitely my least favorite day so far.

I had a nice send-off from my host family. We were supposed to leave around 9:00 but we were delayed by over an hour because the zipper on Elizabeth's suitcase broke. While we were waiting, one of the hosts took Bernie, Rajiv and me to the post office so we could buy stamps and mail postcards. The host was laughing because he didn't understand why we would want to send postcards when we could just send email. We tried to explain that it's kind of sentimental.

When we met back up, we all piled into this huge 12-passenger van and set sail for Bijapur. En route, we stopped at a town called Nipani. It's a small town and we did a mini-presentation for their mini-Rotary club. Nipani is famous for its tobacco crops and so our gift from the Nipani Rotary Club was a carton of beedies.

"None of us smoke," we told the Rotarian with the gray beard. "It's bad for you."
"Bad? I have been smoking for forty years and I am very healthy!" he replied, coughing black phlegm into his handkerchief. He henceforth became known to us as Smokey.

Smokey and a few other Rotarians took us to a school that they sponsor and then back to their club, where all the men proceeded to drink beer and smoke beedies. The women were inside preparing lunch, and us three girls were pretty much left to wonder what we were supposed to do. After lunch we toured their Rotary blood bank, and then left again to visit another fort. I guess we finally left Nipani around 5:00 PM.


Kids from the Nipani Rotary school.


Smokey says, "Come on Bernie, all the cool kids are doing it!"


Bag o' blood, anyone?

We drove for a couple more hours, playing with fruit and getting punchier by the minute. Then Misty came down with a fever.


Playing with "Agent Orange"...


... while Misty gets sicker and sicker.

We stopped off in this really crappy town so that Bernie and one of the hosts could take her to a hospital. The rest of us ended up sitting in this little dive of a restaurant being stared at by patrons. It must have been the equivalent of a greasy spoon diner. We sat around being miserable until it was time to leave.


No Happy Waitresses at the Indian diner.


"Quit it Smokey, cows do not smoke beedies!"

So we drove for an hour and then stopped again at some strange little village where these poor people were making sandals to export to Germany. It was pretty late at night, we were all tired, confused and cranky. We finally arrived in Bijapur after 11:00 PM and we were taken to our new hosts. I was totally exhausted.

My new family seems cool. It's a young guy, his pregnant wife and his parents. They were a little bummed that I didn't want to eat dinner at 11:00 at night. We sat around in their living room staring at one another until my host's brother and nephew came over. Then we all stared at one another some more until I finally excused myself to go to bed.

The room is tiny and it's gonna be another bucket bath for me this morning. Fortunately we're only here for two nights. The house is really small and my room is right next to the living room so I can hear all the commotion, both inside and out. Right now, for instance, I hear outside some loud trucks, a Muslim mosque calling people to prayer, a dog, a goat, and some guy coughing and hocking loogies really loudly. Lovely.

I think we're all reaching out tipping points. Elizabeth had a meltdown yesterday and it feels like it's all getting to be a bit too much. I try to remain positive - it's just a couple more weeks - but sometimes it really tests the strength. We chug along...

Friday, 25 January - 7:00 AM

Okay - yesterday was one of the coolest days ever. We met up around 9:30 at Shoba's house (Elizabeth's host, the one who founded the women's Rotary club.) She's pretty much the Indian version of Oprah Winfrey.

First of all, she started a pre-school out of her home many years ago. The first class consisted of her own two kids and two others. The school has since evolved into a pre-K through grade 12 school on an 8-acre campus, complete with an olympic-size swimming pool.

We spent the first half of the day at the school. We watched the kids assemble on the playground, and each class did a brief presentation of what they will be performing during tomorrow's Republic Day celebration. We all introduced ourselves in front of the 600+ kids and I even got to blow a few "notes" (I use the term very loosely) on a bugle.


Assembly of many kids!

After touring the classrooms and seeing some of the activities, we sat with Shoba in her office. Over her desk hung a large photograph of a man, and attached to the frame was a floral garland. The man in the photograph was Shoba's father-in-law and she explained that it was because of him that the school came to be.



When a woman marries in India, she moves in with the husband and his parents. And most women do not work outside the home - especially not women whose husbands have money. But Shoba's father-in-law said that as long as she did something good for people, he would support her decision to be a working woman. She named the school after him.

In addition to the school, Shoba also started a computer class program out of a part of her house. She offers a 3-month course in Microsoft Office and other programs to "economically backward" people [poor] so that they can learn skills that make them valuable to employers. There are twelve hour-long classes each day, and as soon as one session ends, a new one begins.



Oh, and the most amazing part? THE CLASSES ARE ABSOLUTELY FREE!! Shoba and her husband fronted the money for the computers and the software, and the salaries of the teachers are paid by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Unbelievable. This woman is a dynamo.



Later in the afternoon, we drove back up to the Panhala hill station. This time it was still light out so we could see more of the fort. I got to sit in a cave that a monk lived in 3,000 years ago!


"Hello..? Anybody home..?"


Oooohhhhhmmmmm.........

Around 7:30 PM, we met up with some friends of Shoba's who were attending a course in The Art of Living. They were in the midst of a Level 3 course and had taken a vow of silence. Somehow Shoba arranged for us to have a semi-private audience with the Guru who is like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's second-in-command.

This guy embodied peace and happiness. You could actually feel the energy of the room change when he walked in, and standing next to him was like standing next to a power plant! We each got to ask him a few questions. I asked, "How do I fill the void? How do I make the longing, seeking feeling go away?"

And the gist of his response was that the most important things in life are love and responsibility.



When the Guru left, a guy came up to me and said, "You had a great honor tonight. You must have done something very good in this life or in a past life, because it is very rare for the Guru to speak one-on-one with people like this. Remember this night."

That really got me thinking. It's all so strange how my trip to India came about. I truly believe I was meant to come here and to have these experiences. The sabbatical - it happened to bring me here. I feel like I have a new light down my path. A better understanding of my dharma... of what is meant for me.

We joined the hundreds of devotees in this huge tent where we all danced around like crazy freaks. Complete strangers were warm and welcoming, and I felt safe and open. It was a high no drug could induce. Then the Guru came in to speak to the crowd. Two young Indian women translated his message to English for me. He spoke of the three elements essential to a good life:

1) Meditation
2) Service
3) Truth

We finally got back to our hosts in Kolhapur around 10:30 PM. My host had saved dinner for me and we sat around chatting. I kind of slept in fits and bits - too excited from all I had experienced that day. It's okay though, we have a long travel day today so I can catch up on some rest. We're meeting at 9:30 today and leaving for Bijapur. I think there are some stops along the way.



Kolhapur was amazing.

Thursday, 24 January - 7:00 AM

I've been waking up on my own at 7:00 pretty much every day. I'd been using my cell phone as an alarm clock, but I had to turn it off because every few minutes, it was alerting me that I have new voicemail. Which I can't retrieve because I don't have international service. So I hope it's not an emergency.

We're scheduled to visit a school this morning and a jaggery factory later in the day. We're also supposed to hear a little bit about Sri Ravishankar's "Art of Living." No, not Ravi Shankar the sitar playing-father of Norah Jones. Apparently there is more than one Ravi Shankar in the world.

I miss yoga. I think my body is enjoying the break from running, but I do wish I could get a little more exercise on this trip. I really only went for one walk and that was back in Belgaum. It will feel good to get back to the Y and back to my Bikram classes.

Alright. I need to shower.

Wednesday, 23 January - 7:00 AM

I'm inside a mosquito net!



When I got home last night, I found my hosts had put one up over my bed. It totally helped and also put my mind at ease so I could get a full night's sleep. It's these little things that bring me such joy!

Yesterday was another fine day. We left around 10:00 AM for a town called Ichalkaranji (itch-al-ka-ron-jee) where they welcomed us with beautiful floral garlands.

The first Rotary project we visited was a mobile medical clinic that provides free medical care to nineteen rural villages each week. We went to one of the villages and got to see it in action. What an amazing, beautiful project. Every day I am more amazed to see what the Rotary clubs do in this country.





From there we visited yet another textile factory. I've finally figured out that our days consist of one or more of the following three activities:

1) Visiting Rotary projects
2) Visiting vocational workplaces of Rotarians
3) Visiting temples

Sometimes we do all of these things in one day. And it seems that wherever we go, people give us tea and biscuits. I gotta say, I loves me some Indian tea. They make it with a spicy tea powder and boiled water and/or milk. I definitely wanna bring some home with me.

Our next stop after the textile factory was to a Rotary Colony. It's a small colony of 25 2-room housing units provided to poor families for a very, VERY minimal cost. Like... pennies. We got to go inside one of the houses. The woman and her kids who lived there looked so happy. And she offered us tea.





And after the trip to the housing colony - visiting the poorest of the poor - our hosts took us to a fancy restaurant for an amazing lunch. It was quite an odd contrast. It's actually pretty weird how the rich and poor live so closely amongst one another here.

After lunch we visited a really cool Jain ashram and got to witness a ceremony where a band played and people kept dumping pots of different colored liquids all over the giant statue of the deity. Even though our guide tried to translate what one of the monks was saying, I still really didn't get what was going on.


Jain temple ceremony.

Next we visited ANOTHER textile factory (Okay I get it!! Enough with the cotton already!!) Here's when I began to get a little cranky. It was hot and humid inside, and little bits of cotton were clinging to our clothes and going up our noses.


No more textile factories!!

Finally we ended up at a Rotary school for the deaf. This was pretty amazing. They build and maintain a school for a population of poor, deaf children. How else would these kids ever get a chance in life? The school is free and teaches them sign language, speech, art and all kinds of other classes. And the kids get a full meal each day which is something they may not be getting at home. We got to meet the kids and they were so excited to see us, and all wanted to shake our hands!

Afterwards, we took a small rest at one of the Rotarian's huge mansion before heading back to the Rotary hall to give our presentation. They had a dinner for us at a restaurant around 10:00 PM and then we headed home (to my mosquito net!!)

Today should be an easier day. We're meeting around 9:00 AM to go sight-seeing, but then have time off in the afternoon. Hopefully I can do some shopping with my host's wife. Kolhapur is supposedly famous for its chappals, and I also need to pick up a new suitcase for all the stuff I've acquired.

I've been here for ten days. Sometimes it feels like I just got here - sometimes it feels as if I've been here all along. India keeps teaching me lesson after lesson: patience, humility, tolerance... but most of all gratitude. I am not who I was when I left New Jersey. And for that, I am glad.

Tuesday, 22 January - 7:30 AM

OMFG. Yesterday was absolutely insane. We spent the day in a town called Sangli. Our schedule was jam-packed from 9 AM until midnight. In truth, I can barely remember all we did, but I'll give it a try...

1) Sangli Rotary Club - We saw their "health club" and the Jaipur Foot project wherein they provide free prosthetic feet and legs to people who need them.








Rotary gives four new people the ability to walk.

2) After that we took another hospital tour.


Great statue outside of the hospital.

3) Lunch at a vineyard owned by a Rotarian. Wine was provided, and now I know why Indians are not famous for their wine.


Bad, bad Indian wine.

4) Tour of afore-mentioned vineyard and winery.


Tasty Sangli grapes!


Bernie has a way with women and wine.

5) Tour of a Rotarian's textile factory, followed by tea.

6) Tour of another Rotarian's raisin factory (Sangli is known for its grapes) followed by another tea.


Lots and lots of raisins in cold storage.

7) Presentation outside the Sangli Rotary Club, followed by a cultural dance performance and a light dinner at 10:00 PM.

We finally got back to Kolhapur around 11:30 PM, but the guy who was driving me back to my host's house got lost. Then he seemed to get mad at me because I couldn't remember which house it was. Um... okay.

Today's schedule looks like a repeat of yesterday's. It seems that every Rotary club we land in wants to show us EVERYTHING! about their town and projects. It's a little exhausting. I think I would feel a lot better if it weren't for these damn mosquito bites.

But I'm trying to view it all as a lesson in tolerance and gratitude. I'm lucky because in a few short weeks, I will be on a plane back to my über-comfy life in my developed country. With both feet in tact. So for me, this discomfort is temporary. For others, not so much.

Monday, 21 January - 6:00 AM

Just woke up. Had a very good night's sleep. Last night my host showed me this plug-in thing that keeps away mosquitos and I apparently had not turned it on the previous night. Live and learn.

I attended a music program last night at 6:00. Rajiv's host had organized a sitar, violin and tabla player and they performed some classical music - a raga - in his living room for just a handful of us. It was really cool! And this guy's apartment was like a museum - all kinds of art all over the walls. Very, very cool.




Sitar player.


Tabla player.


Rajiv's host is the guy on the left with the gray hair.
This is his museum-esque living room.

From there I met up with Rajiv and Elizabeth and we were taken to a Rotary family get-together about 30 miles away at Panhala hill station. There were tons of people there, musicians and a whole lot of food. I tried my first paan and am still not sure what the fuss is all about. People in India sure do seem to like their paan.

I met one of the Rotary past-presidents last night and - as God as my witness - this guy was the spitting image of my late cousin, Julius. He looked, sounded, and acted exactly like him. In fact, I have found that so many people here remind me of people I know back home. I guess Carl Jung was right about archetypes.

I must say that my digestive system has probably been the best it has been in years. I am thinking it's because I am only eating whole, vegetarian food, fruits and a lot of water. I've also had no artificial sweeteners (which means no gum either, and I am a self-proclaimed "chain chewer!")

I just had a shower and then bathed myself in Deet. I am being eaten alive here -- I even have a mosquito bite on my eyelid. Today we're traveling to a town called Sangli and I think we'll be gone until evening. I feel like I haven't even seen my host family here. I feel kind of bad because they have been so nice to me - letting me stay in a big, clean room; feeding me; taking care of my laundry...

I find that every now and then I get these pangs of missing home. Most of the time we are so busy that I don't get a chance to be sad. But last night at the get-together, I felt kind of lonely - even though there were well over 200 people there. I suppose I should get up now and start the day.

Namaste.

Sunday, 20 January - 4:00 PM

Just got in from a fairly busy day. I had breakfast with my host family (corn flakes & banana, but they pour warm milk over it -- and it rocks!!) We met up at Bernie's hosts' around 9:00 AM. From there we went to see a martial arts demonstration which was pretty cool.


Little kids with weapons... never a good idea.



Afterwards, we went to a museum to see an outdoor arts festival. One of the artists drew everything upside-down. He did a drawing of Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle, founder of the Maharashtran empire and gave it to me. Pretty cool souvenir! We also walked around in the museum itself.






The dude draws upside-down.

I'm back at my host's again, but only for a little bit. I'm scheduled to go hear a musical program at the home of Rajiv's host. Rajiv and Elizabeth are going to see some cultural dance program, and Bernie is going off on some jungle safari. Misty has come down with some bad bronchitis and is staying in to get some rest.

The host family I'm staying with is very quiet. They have two small kids and they don't seem to talk at all. I think maybe they're shy because at breakfast Vikram said, "Maybe we should have guests more often -- I'm enjoying these quiet meals!" Vikram's brother and his wife live in the house next door with their two daughters, and they are in the process of building a third house on the property for Vikram's mom and dad.

Sunday, 20 January - 7:00 AM

Morning here in Kolhapur. I slept pretty good for a couple hours but there was this horribly annoying mosquito that kept buzzing around my head. I had no idea that mosquitos made noise. But this morning I look like I have the chicken pox -- bites all over my head and face.

I've started reading a book that I picked up at the ashram called, "The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna."

Last night's presentation was at an outdoor restaurant. It went pretty well except that the power kept going out. That's actually a big problem here in India - there is a limited amount of power and electricity so in some towns, the power goes out for a few hours every day. Chalk it up to another one of those little things that we in the U.S. take for granted.

I met Elizabeth's host, Shoba, who founded her own womens-only Rotary club. Women are allowed to be in Rotary here, and there are some who choose to do so. But the majority of the wives belong to the "Inner Wheel" which is kind of like a ladies' auxiliary club. I'm not sure if there are Inner Wheels in the U.S.


Women's Rotary Club of Kolhapur.

Shoba started the womens-only club to meet the needs of professional Indian women who have to balance their careers and household responsibilities. It's actually a great idea and the club members are all really great. I had the chance to sit and chat with a bunch of them last night and I think we are planning to spend the afternoon with them today.

I have a confession to make. I did a pretty crappy thing yesterday in the car on the way from Belgaum to Kolhapur. Rajiv called Wolf and, in his best Indian accent, told him I was leaving him for an Indian man. Even as it was going on, I knew it was mean. And now my heart hurts because I know that I hurt him. And I'm halfway across the world and cannot apologize properly. I hope he can feel my remorse. I hope he knows how much I love him and how it hurts me to know that I've hurt him.

Saturday, 19 January - 1:00 PM

We just arrived in our next town, Kolhapur. I am staying with a Rotarian named Vikram, his wife and their two kids. He owns a movie theatre that shows mostly Marathi films (Marathi is the language of the state of Maharashtra, where Kolhapur is located).

This is the best room I've had so far. It's Vikram's mother's room, but she is away in another part of India having an operation. I'm up on the top floor of a big house, with a private bathroom and an actual SHOWER! Since we're staying here for six days, I was actually able to unpack my clothes for the first time.

I'm sitting here in a nice, wooden rocking chair. After all the commotion of the huge family in Belgaum, it seems unnaturally quiet here! This morning in Belgaum, Veerdhaval, his sister, and two of the kids took me upstairs and taught me seven of the pranayama. Then he demonstrated some yoga poses - one where he moved his stomach muscles as if they were alive! Pretty cool... and maybe a little disturbing.


Veerdhaval and his son demonstrating the Lion pose.

The car ride to Kolhapur was a lot of fun. Me, Elizabeth, Rajiv and Misty talked about all kinds of things and I got a chance to phone home for the first time.


Elizabeth and Rajiv -- goofing around as usual.

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself at the moment. This host family isn't all over me... I guess it's kind of nice, but also kind of weird. And I can't figure out how to flush the toilet.

While I have some time, I think I'll write a little bit about my thoughts on India at this point. Being in India is like being on another planet. The climate and the geography, but also the people and the way of life. You can't really compare it to the U.S. I guess some people would get stuck on the hygiene aspect and dismiss India as being third world.

But in so many ways, they are way ahead of us. And it's in ways that really count. They are peaceful, contented, family-loving people. They're not stuck on status. They're not all cynical. They are one with the earth. They get it.

I just wish they had toilets that flush.

Friday, 18 January - 11:00 PM

What an amazing birthday it's been! When I went downstairs after my bucket, my Belgaum family was all waiting down there with a birthday cake! They gave me the ceremonial forehead dot, oils and sang "Happy Birthday." Then they all took turns feeding me pieces of cake!



Before meeting up with the team, Veerdhaval took me and Elizabeth to visit his iron casting factory. I have been to more factories in the past week than I probably ever would see in several lifetimes. And I am learning how things are made that I don't even usually think about. I mean, who thinks how iron car parts are made? I'm sure they have factories like these all over the US - probably even in my own town. But I guess I'd never given much thought to stuff like this. Maybe I should. Maybe my overall awareness is waking up.

We met up with the rest of the team and our first stop was to a Jain temple from several thousand years ago. It was pretty cool and relevant because the family I am staying with now are actually Jains.


Jain temple deity.

And after the Jain temple, we visited an ashram.This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. One of the monks sat with us and explained the real Indian culture: the belief that God (Divine) is within each and every being. That when one suffers, all suffer.


Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Belgaum.

He talked about death as merely shedding a shell. He talked of the balance of good and bad, happy and sad. That if one is suffering, he should take comfort in knowing that someone else is thriving. If we are experiencing bad times, knowing that someone else is enjoying good times and find peace in that. And remember that bad times will pass so not to dwell on them.

We were allowed to ask anything on our minds and his answers were so simple and so beautiful and made so much sense. I was filled with a sort of a-ha! feeling - very emotional. I guess what one might call a true religious experience.

After that amazing stop we went on a tour of the Tata power plant. It was interesting, but my mind was still buzzing from the ashram. In the evening we made our presentation at the Belgaum Rotary club. Rajiv had stuck an extra slide into the PowerPoint presentation and it turned out to be a birthday surprise! The club brought out another birthday cake (my second for the day!) and we all shared it.


Having my cake...


... and eating it, too!

After all that, our hosts took Elizabeth, Misty and I out for dinner and then we went to a movie theatre (owned by a Rotarian, of course) and I saw my first Hindi movie called Welcome!

I am so tired right now. These days are wonderful but man are they LONG! Tomorrow we leave for Kolhapur. I'm so sad to be leaving such an amazing family. And it truly was a birthday I will never forget.



Namaste.

Friday, 18 January - 7:00 AM

Sorry I missed writing yesterday, I was so busy I didn't even get a chance. And the worst part was that I didn't sleep a wink last night. I was up tossing and turning, a bit freaked-out by the two cockroaches I encountered in the bathroom during the night. I got up around 6:30 and went for a walk with my hosts. They live near an army base and it was so cool! They have a zoo on the base and a temple (of course). Had great conversations with Veerdhaval, his sister and her son.


Reindeers at the zoo.


Walking with my hosts.

After my bucket bath and breakfast, I met up with the team and we began our very long day. We started at the KLES hospital which is this massive teaching hospital - the biggest in the state. We toured all around and met the people in charge (Rotarians) Everyone kept snapping photos as if we were celebrities, then we had tea with the head of the hospital.



From there we visited Hindalco where we learned how beauxite is mined to produce alumina, a chemical used in many household products. It was cool because we got to wear hardhats.



We has a terrific lunch buffet there at Hindalco and then we were off to VTU, the largest technical engineering university in Belgaum. A very impressive campus. During our tour, one of the host Rotarians shared his own views with us of why India is experiencing "brain drain" - which is when students leave India after finishing their degrees to live and work in other countries. He said Indians don't have the same sense of loyalty and patriotism that Americans do. I found that to be interesting.

By around 5:00 PM, exhaustion hit me. After not sleeping the entire night, walking around hospitals and dirt factories for seven hours and just missing home a little, I had a mini-meltdown. Just started to cry during another tea that we were having at the college. I think I scared the Rotarian hosts a little so they mercifully took us back to our hosts to relax.

But not for long. Soon it was time to get up and get ready for the dinner. The Belgaum Rotary club held a huge dinner party at an outdoor restaurant for the GSE team, hosts and their families. It was a lovely time. I wore a salwar kameez that I had gotten as a gift from my Dharwad host family, and we all hung out and had a great time.


Paying homage to Rajiv.

I came back home, took a Benadryl and slept like a log for the next 7 hours. No cockroaches - no worries. Today I feel like a new Jen! This morning we're going to visit a fort, the Tata Company power plant, and then are making a presentation to the Rotary club at 6:30... which will probably end up taking place around 8:30, IST (Indian Standard Time) hehe.

Oh yeah and I almost forgot - today is my birthday! I have a feeling it's one I'll never forget :)

Namaste,