Diwali: A Do-It-Yourself Fourth of July

Okay, so I've decided I'm going to come back to India every year around this time, just to participate in Diwali again. It was amazing. I'm in love with this holiday and all its utterly dangerous entailments. Hey, we said it ourselves with our Independence Day, what better way is there to celebrate than lighting off fireworks. It's just that here in India, you don't just watch the fireworks, you light them yourselves. A kind of... Do-It-Yourself Fourth of July. Absolutely brilliant. If only fireworks weren't illegal in Massachusetts!
Diwali is a festival celebrated by Hindu's. They are celebrating the return of Rama from exile. You know Rama from the Ramayana? Well he was in exile for fourteen years and when he comes back, he is crowned king. So therefore, that is cause for celebration. Everyone buys sweets for all their friends and they travel to one another's houses giving out these gifts. I helped my host mom wrap her gifts. Also, each family decorates their house with flowers and paint and millions of candles.
It is known as the Festival of Lights, and for good reason. (Though it should really be known as the Festival of Frights...) The candles are one thing that portrays the lights, but the fireworks, or crackers as they call them here, are the bigger thing. At least in my opinion... and all of the children's opinions. Let
me tell you, it's pretty intense.
The night before Diwali, I went to the Waltair Club with my host family. The Waltair club is like a country club that many of the SYA host families belong to. Well anyway, they were having a fireworks show, like you would see on the Fourth of July, right? Wrong. It was the same, except that I was literally less than ten feet away from where they were lighting off the "crackers." Stuff was falling on my head. I seriously felt like I was going to die. I found myself praying to God, to Rama, to Ganesh, to anyone. I didn't think I'd survive the ordeal. But I did, I just had many random pieces of burnt paper in my hair and ash in my eyes. Otherwise, I was fine... physically. Haha.
The next day, on real Diwali, my host family cleaned up and decorated the house. Then that night we went down to the ground floor of the apartment. There everyone was lighting off an array of crackers. If I thought I had almost died the night before, I was probably actually going to die this night! Eventually, after dodging numerous children waving around sparklers and teenage boys preparing rockets, I decided to give it a go myself. My host father handed me a "cracker" and a large incense stick to light it with. The cracker was a coiled piece of something in which you light up and it spins around. I began to light it and my host father suddenly hit it out of my hand. I had been about to light it in my hand! Yeah... that's right. I'm that smart. So then, after my first mishap I began to light crackers while they were on the ground. Then after awhile I grabbed some smaller ones and I began to light them in my hand and throw them out into the parking lot. Hey, it's what the cool kids were doing.
So pretty much, I light off a bunch of fireworks that only professionals would use with a license in Massachusetts. And it was amazing. At night the week before and the week after people would light a few crackers here and there, so I got used to the sound. But on actual Diwali night, it was so loud that I couldn't concentrate on the book I was reading. I made a video. I may upload it if you're lucky. :)
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Half Way Through...

Okay, so I've been here for more than two months. Crazy I know. Now with only two months left... I've felt the need to talk about some things here. If any Indians are reading this, I mean no offense. I'm just commenting on what I observe here, with an American's point of view. I'm sure there are plenty of things that Americans do that you find just as different and / or crazy. So I'm not going to filter myself much... just to warn you. But yeah... it's not all that bad, do not worry.
First things first, and this is all me, not anything to do with Indian culture. My cookie attempt. Last week, I attempted to bake some cookies. In my personal opinion, I failed... miserably. Nevertheless, everyone thought that they tasted good, so I guess I didn't fail that badly. But let me tell you, it was a process. I had to take an auto to the only store that sells baking soda and other needed items. Then of course, I had to search the store for these items. Then I came home, converted my recipes, and began baking. The mixing process went pretty well, it was the baking that was the problem. My batter must have had too much butter or something because they were very watery. So when they began to cook they spread out and I ended up with a sheet of cookie, instead of nice little round cookies. To top that off, the baking time was double. Originally, they were not cooked enough, and when I put them back in, I burnt some. It was incredibly frustrating. But I guess they tasted all right. So all in all, it was a success... for the taste buds, not the eye.
Okay, I may have mentioned this before. But I feel I can mention it again, since I have begun to adopt this myself. The head bob. Indians (At least the ones in Vizag... and in Rajasthan...) bob their heads. Yes, I know most everyone bobs his or her heads in some manner or another. But the way the Indians do it is interesting. It's like dropping the head from one side to another, left, right. But it's a very fluid movement, very natural. If it doesn't look natural then you're not doing it right. It's like the answer to all questions. It can mean yes, no, I'm not sure. Anything. I usually use it as, maybe... But sometimes I use it just to emphasize my original answer. Supposedly, I do it quite well, while other Americans struggle to make their head bob correct, usually failing miserably. I fear that when I go back to the states I'll still be answering my questions with the bob, and people will look at me just as oddly as I did the first person who answered me in that way. And they won't know where I got it from.
Another thing I may have adopted. The phrasing here. The English they use is different from the English we use. Or at least the grammatical structure in which we use to speak. Instead of, "My head hurts," they say, "My head is paining." I don't know why but this always annoys me. There is no reason for it too, but being a writer and a grammar freak I always feel the need to correct them. It could totally be grammatically correct, but it sounds wrong to my ear, therefore it irks me. Another example would be instead of, "I'm going to rest for a bit," they say, "I'm going to rest for some time." Actually, the second one appears to be better grammar, or at least clearer. The phrase, "some time" is used so often that it is beginning to bother me as well. But I'm probably going to go back to the states spewing these phrases and I won't even know it.
One thing I know I definitely won't do, here or anywhere, and something I definitely will not miss... ever. Is the peeing on the side of the road. The men are always doing it. You can't drive down the street without seeing at least one guy standing on the side of the road peeing. It is highly bothersome. The women don't do it for obvious reasons. Yes, people pee on the side of the road in the states as well. But they at least go behind something or into the woods, and there aren't nearly as many people who do it. Here, everywhere you turn there is some guy doing his business. It disturbs me. Just thought everyone should know that.
Well, that's the end of today's post. I'll be posting soon about the festival that is happening right now. Diwali. It shall be interesting, trust me.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

To The Hills!

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. There just has been so much going on. I am a very busy person. So now, I have finally taken time out of my day to inform you on these happenings of my life. Not much homework tonight so I have been emailing all night, and now I'm going to blog. So be excited, this is now a rare occurrence. Haha.
Last weekend we went up to the hills to visit some tribal villages. It was an amazing experience. The whole SYA group split off into our three adviser groups. The three groups went to different locations to specialize in different things. Environment, Agriculture, and Education. I was in the education group. This is good, because that is the one that appealed the most to me anyway. The Environmental group went up to some caves and did something to do with the mining up there. The Agricultural group went up to a village and worked with them on farming techniques, like fertilizer. But that's really all I know about those groups, the Education group, I know a lot more about.
It was a group of six girls, and two teachers. SeoYeun, Victoria, Chloe, Eleanor, Molly, Mr. Stifler, Mr. Billing, and me. The point of the trip was to observe some schools so we could see what kind of help we could give them. Like if, we needed to come back, bring supplies, and help teach the teachers or anything else really. We were visiting schools that were established by the program, Balamitra. The Indian government does not care much for these tribal children so the Balamitra schools are established by a NGO called Sumitra, so the children can have a chance. The schools use the Waldorf teaching style and there are about 8-15 children in each school. But it varies greatly.
We headed up to Poolabunda, the resource center, a three-hour drive from Vizag. After teaching the woman there to make friendship bracelets, a completely unplanned experience, and eating lunch, we continued our journey. A three-hour trek up to the village we would be staying the night at. That trek, I must say, was not at all fun. But I'm not going to talk about it, since it wasn't a nice experience. Haha.
After trekking, we made it to the village where we were treated to a bonfire, dinner, and entertainment. All the villagers were incredibly nice. Even though I couldn't understand anything, they said, since they spoke in Telegu. But I did learn how to say Thank you and Hello in Telegu. Both of which I put to great use. We danced with the woman of the village around the bonfire while the men of the village played instruments. It was really a surreal experience. I was having so much fun. These people live in little huts and have very little but still they know how to have a good time and they are all so happy. To tell you the truth, I am now tempted to someday take a year off from life and go live in a tribal village. It would be the most amazing experience.
After our night sleeping in our sleeping bags on the concrete floor of the school building we began our trek downward. This one was not quite as bad. We stopped at two other Balamitra schools on our way down and visiting with the students and the teachers. All who came to school on Sunday just to see us. It was so nice of them. All the children were so shy though, it was so cute. I really enjoyed visiting them, it was interesting to see the different learning style and how they taught them.
All together, it was a great experience. I really liked going up to the hills, minus the trek up there. Haha. I think we will be going up again, at least to the resource center. Maybe we'll bring games or teach the teachers. I just hope what we do will be helpful and lasting. Otherwise, we will just come across as tourists who don't really care. Which is far from the truth...
Okay, now its bedtime. So I'll write again soon...
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Rajasthan Trip! Woot!

Okay, so I'm kind of lazy, and I have had a lot of work lately... So I'm going to post my English paper on Rajasthan instead of writing a completely different post. So it's a little bland compared to my usual writing. But it is detailed and long. So enjoy it. Or else. Hehehe. Now off to do my homework...
Much Love,
~ Jenna

I stepped out of the bus to see the majestic Amber Fort of Jaipur perched delicately on top of a hill. Just as soon as I had surfaced from the vehicle, merchants began pressing me with their wares, attempting to entice me with their so-called, low prices. A snake charmer begins to play before the group, hoping to get a few rupees from the foreign teenagers, as a few young children scamper around at our feet, causing me to clutch my bag protectively. Quickly, we weave through this chaos toward the jeeps that are to take us to the top. Jeeps that will bring us swiftly past the locals, the wild boars, and the elephants as they meander up to the looming building, carrying eager tourists on their backs. This was my first true Rajasthani experience, just a taste of what the rest of the trip would be like.
The trip was stock full of amazing architectural works, eager merchants and performers, fascinating animals, bustling cities, charming shops, intriguing smells, and much, much more. By simply wandering around one of the cities you could learn so much about the people who lived there. Haggling with vendors who think you're just a silly American, confronting groups of young men who are a little too "snap" happy, watching an energetic man give a magic show, tasting the concoctions that the hotels claimed was American food. All things that are truly unique, unexpected, and spur of the moment. The essence of how a trip like this should go about in order to be able to fully appreciate the color and vibrancy of Rajasthan.
Touring through Jaipur was an experience in itself. For one thing, we were all getting used to the lovely air-conditioned bus that was provided for us. And for another, we were accompanied by my favorite guide of the trip. Well, he talked the loudest at least. I remember, while waiting for the rest of the group after our first viewing of Rajasthani architecture, I was confronted, no attacked, by a vendor. This man would not take no for an answer. He was very persistent in attempting to sell me his instrument, moving his price all the way from 1000 rupees to 200 rupees. Again and again, he came back, asking me to buy it and lowering his price. Each time I told him I was not interested, and still he came. Finally, I escaped; he had found a new victim to prey on. I think that experience right there put me off shopping for most of the trip.
After two nights in Jaipur, it was onto the bus again to make our way to Jodhpur. The Sun City, not the Blue city as some misinformed people call it, was a very charming place. Many of the houses were painted a vibrant baby blue color, giving the city a storybook feel as we travelled through its streets. Once settled into our lovely hotel we were off to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, possibly one of my favorite sites on the tour, even though it was a bit dampened by my physical condition. Getting to the fort and going through it was wonderful, the problem was, getting down. Limping through the back streets of Jodhpur, nearly alone, with an injured knee, still attempting to keep up with the group and our rapid guide as we make our way to the market around the clock tower is quite an out of the ordinary experience, I don't recommend it. But, the light at the end of the tunnel, when we returned to the hotel we were granted access to the pool. The group had a poolside dinner and then an enthusiastic magician provided us with entertainment.
The next morning, it was back on the bus and off to Udaipur. On the way there, we stopped at the Jain Temple of Ranakpur. It was absolutely amazing. All the carvings were so intricate and beautiful, and the stark whiteness of the stone made these carvings all the more prominent. The large temple was perfect for exploring since it had numerous nooks and crannies that no one appeared to enter often. It was another architectural marvel of Rajasthan, one that I had never heard of and probably never would have thought of to see. We reluctantly left the fabulous building and headed to the bus for our scenic bus route to Udaipur. In my opinion, the route that the bus took to the restaurant where we were eating lunch was highly enjoyable. Not many people shared my enjoyment though, since it looked as though we were going to fall of the road and down the mountains to our death at any moment. Our bus driver was one for living on the edge, or maybe he just knew what he was doing and tried things to freak us out and amuse himself.
The first night in Udaipur, I stayed up rather late talking with some other students. This may have nothing to do with Rajasthan itself but it was definitely part of my Rajasthan experience. It was a lot of fun. We talked about everything from politics to philosophy, and we didn't go to sleep until we realized we were keeping our roommate awake as well. So the next morning, I was a bit tired for our tour of the City Palace. The City Palace was yet another good place to wander around in by yourself or with a small group. The area in which we went was set up like a museum, so there were many things to notice and learn about. Across the lake, there was a nice view of the Palace on the Lake, which I wish we could have seen at night, since I heard it is very beautiful. But it was daytime, so I decided to skip the boat ride and go off to explore Udaipur.
Udaipur is an intriguing city, but the ways I found it so are probably very typical of other cities in Rajasthan and other touristy places in India. There are populated areas that cater to the tourist, filled once again with eager vendors showing off their stock. Then on the other hand, if you simple wander around you will find back streets teeming with locals buying spices and other goods or participating in a puja. It was an interesting contrast, with the main street and its half tourist, half local shops acting as the bridge between the two. I got a sunburn from all my outdoor explorations that day. But I would have taken that over shopping any time. You can shop anywhere and buy everything you could ever want on the internet, but you can only explore Udaipur, in Udaipur.
Pushkar, home of the one and only Brahma Temple, was our next destination. Pushkar was one of my favorite places. It had an old charm to it, yet it was extremely touristy. The merchants there would sometimes call out to you to look in their shop, but not nearly as much as the merchants in other places would. Maybe they too knew how touristy their little town was, and they knew that there would be plenty of foreigners, and their money, to go around. Still, I really enjoyed the charismatic little town and the interesting people who I encountered there. Meandering through the streets of Pushkar was a lot more interesting than walking through the streets of Udaipur. Pushkar had more color and intrigue; there were more things to see as you walked through the crowded markets. I found it to be the diamond in the rough of Rajasthan.
Early morning we left for Agra, the longest bus ride of the trip. Everyone slept on the bus, tired from the past couple days of intense travelling. We were now off to see the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I was very excited. Thankfully, the Taj Mahal definitely lived up to expectations. I don't know what I would have done if it turned out to be only half the spectacle that is boasts, it was magnificent. The design of the building was phenomenal. In addition, the whole backdrop of the lake and the long stretch leading up to the palace made the place even more majestic. To tell the truth, the inside of the Taj was a flop. The long wait in line to go inside and see the replica of the tombs was highly anti-climatic. But, the marvel of the outside made up for it two fold, I almost didn't want to leave its looming, off white beauty. However, the enticing thoughts of once again exploring a city of India eventually dragged me away.
Exploring Agra was quite a different experience than exploring Udaipur and Pushkar. Agra was more of a city, and more touristy in a different way that Pushkar was. I even found a shopping mall and a McDonalds. It was as if I was in America again! It was highly amusing. The next morning we woke up early for the last stretch of the trip. Our bus ride to Delhi and our plane flight home. It was sad that we were leaving Rajasthan; it seemed a world apart from Vizag even though they were in the same country. My advice to anyone who is touring Rajasthan, or any other place for that matter, is to explore the places that you visit. Rather than search for the closest place to shop and bargain. All together, you will get a better overall experience and a fuller understanding of the culture of the place you are visiting.

I <3 Bollywood

Last night I went to go see my second Bollywood movie. Rock On! The first one I saw was Singh is King. Both were quite amusing to watch, even though I can't understand Hindi, or in the case of Singh is King, Punjabi. I actually find them almost inspirational and emulative. The way of filming and telling the story is so different from the way we have movies here in the US. Though Rock On! was much more "American" than Singh is King.
You see, in Rock On! the reason the characters were singing was relevant to the rest of the plot. They sung because they were in a band, or they were on stage. In Singh is King, people would randomly burst into song and the setting and costumes would change when that happened. Much like a musical. That is very much like more Bollywood movies. Rock On! is an exception to the usual rules.
The music is wonderful too. Even though I can't understand the lyrics, the tunes are catchy and full of emotion. Through the acting, I can usually tell what is going on too. It's not hard to get pulled into one of these movies, even with the language barrier. It is inspiring me to make a Bollywood style movie using the English language. I'm sure it would be a hit. You just need the main elements: bright beautiful costumes, lots of music and dance, some sort of love story, and a few other things I can't think of. Then you have it made.
All the actors and actresses are absolutely flawless too. They are all beautiful people with perfect hair and perfect teeth and fabulous voices. My host mother commented to me earlier that she doesn't like to watch the movies in Telegu (the native language of Andrah Pradesh) because she doesn't like to look at the people. The people should be beautiful, is what she was saying. And they sure do accomplish that.
The thing is, I haven't seen one Indian man on the street that looks like these movie stars. The woman, you see a few gorgeous faces around, but the men, not so much. So I guess if you are a man blessed with good looks in India you have it made, cause there aren't too many good looking men. At least where I am. No offense to any Indian who may be reading this. :)
Speaking of that... if you have something to comment on about something I have written then please do so in a way that I can respond. If it's just a random comment then that's okay if it's anonymous, but if it's something to do with my opinion then give me a way of defending myself. Someone commented on one of my posts about something. And the way I interpreted the comment was that they had misread something in my post, therefore thinking I thought something that I do not. Sorry about that, but if you have such strong opinions on what I have written give me a way to write back. Thank you!
On a different note, I love celery crackers. I thought everyone should know that. Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna
P.S. I am going to Rajasthan tomorrow so I'll talk about that trip when I get back! Be ready for a full account!
P.P.S. I'm thinking of doing some video blog entries when I get back as well. So look for those!!!