Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Reflections on the Journey to India
Namaste, everyone or hello, as they say in the States since we have now finally landed on American soil, after a 24 hour delay due to a malfunctioning hydraulic line on our Continental flight. I must say that Mercury, the planet of transportation, has not been ruling in our favor during this entire trip. Five hour train rides became 12 hours, 14 hour plane rides included an extra 24 hours, limo rides to the airport were five hours instead of 2.5, and so on...just the universe testing our flexibility and patience. I must say that everyone held up remarkably well. No major meltdowns; a real go with the flow, unless there was a crash and burn behind closed doors that I didn't hear about, but I don't think so and I hope not---although it certainly would have been justified.
A quick review...
The trip was really a very special one. The connections that were made with the children at Avadh school were heartfelt and special; it was truly a soulful exchange that left everyone feeling exhilarated and close---"You are my best friend" was expressed to all of us by many of the kids. It culminated in a celebration of Holi, where everyone was doused in powdered colors-on our faces, in our hair, on our kurtas, hands and feet-from stem to stern. Even my mother-in-law, nearly 85 years of age, and some of her fellow women friends, had their faces covered in greens and magentas. What fun! We would like to bring this to Hotchkiss if possible...but be forewarned--it makes a water fight look mild!
By the way, take a look at the poem that is at the bottom of this page. It really expresses the feelings that were a part of this experience.
Agra-that incredible Taj Mahal-was mesmerizing. What an amazing expression of design, architecture and beauty. It is breathtaking! As many times as we have seen it in print, there is just no way to tell you how overwhelming it is! When you consider what is being built now, one cannot help but wonder if any of it will endure or if it should endure when you see a monument like the Taj and many of the other forts, tombs, imambaras and other historic sights...visual feasts, meant to last centuries...
Jaipur," the pink city", is a great place, but the heat of Rajasthan rendered us a bit lifeless, so we limited most of our activities to the early morning to avoid the heat. At City Palace, the Maharajah received us so graciously and Manju Singh, his relative and friend of Anjula Bedi's, treated us to some snacks at the cafe, where we observed some traditional Rajasthani folk dancers and musicians.
Our return to Delhi included a trip to the American Embassy, where we met Mr. and Mrs. David Mulford, the U.S.Ambassador to India, and his wife. We had a tour, followed by a long, leisurely and delicious lunch where he gave us some insight into the responsibilities of his job and the many things that happen behind the scenes to promote the relationship between the US and India. His wife talked about her life and her role in educating Indian women about breast cancer, as she is a breast cancer survivor. They were both very inspirational and provided the students with some solid examples of how to embrace the many challenges in your life... by being willing to move yourself outside your comfort zone to encounter new ideas, by choosing to learn about new walks in life, by jumping off into new careers and generally stressing how important it is to continue to grow and experience the many things that life has to offer. They both have been pioneers in their lives and were concrete examples of how one can make this happen.
(P.S .We all wore our saris on this occasion and we learned how to navigate with the many yards of fabric wound around us! Our hats go off to the Indian women who wear this garment every day and perform their many duties so effortlessly in this garb!)
Last but not least, I want to applaud all of you who made this trip what it was. Communal living is not easy ,...even under the best of conditions, but traveling in a place like India really revs everything up to the next challenging notch. Trips like this are always cause for reflection on many levels. There are always things that we might have done differently, reactions that we wished had not reared their ugly head, unnecessary judgements, comments, inappropriate laughs, stares...never mind the stares...staring in India is an acceptable practice and we had more than our share of that, with the bevy of beauties that were on this trip!...just little insensitivites that on reflection could have been avoided. All in all, I think we all did incredibly well on all counts especially given this new environment. Things will continue to come up that remind you of India, of one of the kids, of your fellow travelers, something you learned, something you saw, something you smelled, God forbid...those smells in India-help!--- whatever. I hope it was a learning experience for all of you on many levels, that it brings a smile to your face, that it has given you a new appreciation and that you take it with you on your next journey, wherever that may be.
Many thanks to all of you for a great trip. We will continue to do fundraising and hope you will all help us with that and will get your family and friends on board. We will be setting goals to sponsor kids, hire teachers for accreditation and to expand the physical facilities. Thanks, again. It was a pleasure to get to know all of you and to share the many spices of life that India has to offer.
All the best on your life's journey,
Pamela and Navin
P.S. If you want to be reminded of India, just open your suitcase...whew! The many smells of India are still locked up in there and it is not the pleasant odor of curry or incense!
A quick review...
The trip was really a very special one. The connections that were made with the children at Avadh school were heartfelt and special; it was truly a soulful exchange that left everyone feeling exhilarated and close---"You are my best friend" was expressed to all of us by many of the kids. It culminated in a celebration of Holi, where everyone was doused in powdered colors-on our faces, in our hair, on our kurtas, hands and feet-from stem to stern. Even my mother-in-law, nearly 85 years of age, and some of her fellow women friends, had their faces covered in greens and magentas. What fun! We would like to bring this to Hotchkiss if possible...but be forewarned--it makes a water fight look mild!
By the way, take a look at the poem that is at the bottom of this page. It really expresses the feelings that were a part of this experience.
Agra-that incredible Taj Mahal-was mesmerizing. What an amazing expression of design, architecture and beauty. It is breathtaking! As many times as we have seen it in print, there is just no way to tell you how overwhelming it is! When you consider what is being built now, one cannot help but wonder if any of it will endure or if it should endure when you see a monument like the Taj and many of the other forts, tombs, imambaras and other historic sights...visual feasts, meant to last centuries...
Jaipur," the pink city", is a great place, but the heat of Rajasthan rendered us a bit lifeless, so we limited most of our activities to the early morning to avoid the heat. At City Palace, the Maharajah received us so graciously and Manju Singh, his relative and friend of Anjula Bedi's, treated us to some snacks at the cafe, where we observed some traditional Rajasthani folk dancers and musicians.
Our return to Delhi included a trip to the American Embassy, where we met Mr. and Mrs. David Mulford, the U.S.Ambassador to India, and his wife. We had a tour, followed by a long, leisurely and delicious lunch where he gave us some insight into the responsibilities of his job and the many things that happen behind the scenes to promote the relationship between the US and India. His wife talked about her life and her role in educating Indian women about breast cancer, as she is a breast cancer survivor. They were both very inspirational and provided the students with some solid examples of how to embrace the many challenges in your life... by being willing to move yourself outside your comfort zone to encounter new ideas, by choosing to learn about new walks in life, by jumping off into new careers and generally stressing how important it is to continue to grow and experience the many things that life has to offer. They both have been pioneers in their lives and were concrete examples of how one can make this happen.
(P.S .We all wore our saris on this occasion and we learned how to navigate with the many yards of fabric wound around us! Our hats go off to the Indian women who wear this garment every day and perform their many duties so effortlessly in this garb!)
Last but not least, I want to applaud all of you who made this trip what it was. Communal living is not easy ,...even under the best of conditions, but traveling in a place like India really revs everything up to the next challenging notch. Trips like this are always cause for reflection on many levels. There are always things that we might have done differently, reactions that we wished had not reared their ugly head, unnecessary judgements, comments, inappropriate laughs, stares...never mind the stares...staring in India is an acceptable practice and we had more than our share of that, with the bevy of beauties that were on this trip!...just little insensitivites that on reflection could have been avoided. All in all, I think we all did incredibly well on all counts especially given this new environment. Things will continue to come up that remind you of India, of one of the kids, of your fellow travelers, something you learned, something you saw, something you smelled, God forbid...those smells in India-help!--- whatever. I hope it was a learning experience for all of you on many levels, that it brings a smile to your face, that it has given you a new appreciation and that you take it with you on your next journey, wherever that may be.
Many thanks to all of you for a great trip. We will continue to do fundraising and hope you will all help us with that and will get your family and friends on board. We will be setting goals to sponsor kids, hire teachers for accreditation and to expand the physical facilities. Thanks, again. It was a pleasure to get to know all of you and to share the many spices of life that India has to offer.
All the best on your life's journey,
Pamela and Navin
P.S. If you want to be reminded of India, just open your suitcase...whew! The many smells of India are still locked up in there and it is not the pleasant odor of curry or incense!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Prince of Jaipur
Yesterday we got off to a somewhat early start in order to catch the buffet before it closed. After breakfast, we took a bus ride to Ancient Observotary that has Zodiac signs. We can tell time from the instruments. We took pictures in front of our Zodiac signs. After the observotary, we went to the City Palace, where we met the "Prince of Jaipur". After shaking his hands and introducing ourselves, we were invited to have tea with Prince's cousin. Six of us bought her well renowned Royal Cooking books while the other watched a traditional Indian music instrument and dance performance. Then , we went to the museum and saw the costumes of the Ancient rulers as well as paintings and furniture. Then we all went to a small indoor bizzar. We observed the works of sanctioned artists. Many of us purchased bangles and other jewels.
Then some of us chose to the market while others stayed in the hotel. I didn't go, but many of friends went and purchased scarfs, shoes and jewel at very low price. After that, we hung out at the pool for a while and relaxed at the hotel.
After swimming, we went to a recreation of a traditional Indian village for dinner. The food was not very good but we were able to befriend a local waiter who sang along with our Britney Spear's songs. We didn't really eat at the restaurant because the food didn't look very appealing accompanied by a glass of buttermilk. However, we enjoyed ourselves as we walked around the village looking at camels and elephants. Once back at the hotel taylor, grant, zubin, ella, and I ordered a feast of french fries, milkshakes, and club sandwiches, and dennis delights (even though those never came) and we werent hungry anymore.
Today we are leaving the Trident Hotel in Jaipur and are just about to load ourselves onto the bus for a six hour bus ride to Delhi.
xoxo
Jane
Then some of us chose to the market while others stayed in the hotel. I didn't go, but many of friends went and purchased scarfs, shoes and jewel at very low price. After that, we hung out at the pool for a while and relaxed at the hotel.
After swimming, we went to a recreation of a traditional Indian village for dinner. The food was not very good but we were able to befriend a local waiter who sang along with our Britney Spear's songs. We didn't really eat at the restaurant because the food didn't look very appealing accompanied by a glass of buttermilk. However, we enjoyed ourselves as we walked around the village looking at camels and elephants. Once back at the hotel taylor, grant, zubin, ella, and I ordered a feast of french fries, milkshakes, and club sandwiches, and dennis delights (even though those never came) and we werent hungry anymore.
Today we are leaving the Trident Hotel in Jaipur and are just about to load ourselves onto the bus for a six hour bus ride to Delhi.
xoxo
Jane
Meeting the Maharaja
The Maharaja was very gracious and welcomed us in his home at the City Palace in the center of the museum. Manju Singh (cookbook author and friend of Anjula, Navin's sister) kindly hosted us at the palace and signed her books for us. We felt pretty special to meet the Majaraja amongst pictures of Jackie O. and Princess Diana with him and his father.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A very late update!
hello everyone!
Sorry it's been awhile since we've updated! The past few days have been a little hectic- lots of good-byes, lots of traveling, etc. We departed Lucknow on Saturday night on an overnight train. We were a bit apprehensive about the cleanliness of the beds, but it was much better than we expected. We got to Delhi at around 9:00 AM and Zan headed off to spend a night at the embassy and continue on to spend some more time at another orphanage at which she spent alot of time last summer. The rest of us headed back to the Hotel Ajanta to freshen up and have breakfast at their rooftop restaurant. We then boarded the bus to Agra; it was a bit of a long ride, but we all knew it would be worth it as we anticipated seeing the Taj Mahal the next morning. We made a quick stop at the emporer Akbar's tomb; the architecture was amazing, and there were monkeys running around everywhere. When we got into the city of Agra we checked in to our hotel, and had dinner. It was Anna's 18th birthday so we had a cake (Indian style, of course) and a little celebration. After a night of bonding, everyone went to bed so excited for the next morning. We got up around 6 to avoid the crowds, and started the drive over. I had seen so many pictures of the Taj Mahal, and I'm not sure what my expectations were exactly, but whatever they were, they were definitely exceeded. We all got our standard "this is me at the Taj Mahal!!!" pictures, and then toured around the grounds. We were reluctant to leave, but our hunger got the better of us. We headed back to the hotel for a buffet breakfast. After that, we got on another bus bound for Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Again, the bus ride was long, but we had heard nothing but good things about the city, so we were all excited to finally see it. However, after pulling into the gates of the Hilton we found a nice little surprise. It turns out hotels.com messed up our reservation so we only had 3 rooms for 16 people- not exactly comfortable. Navin and Pamela negotiated a deal, so Navin, Zubin, Grant and Kevin spent the night down the street at the Holiday Inn. This morning we all once again loaded on to the bus to go check out the Amber Fort. When we drove up, we saw what seemed to be an endless line for elephant rides up to the fort. After the trek up atop the elephants, we all realized it was definitely worth the 45 minute wait in the blazing Indian sun. When we got to the top, our tour guide, Mr. Singh, showed us around, and there was plenty of time for pictures, relaxing and checking out the amazing view. After the fort, we came back to the hotel and hung out by the pool for a few hours- a much needed time for relaxation. We all headed back to our own rooms (the manager finally finagled us the promised 6 rooms), and now we're about to head out to the market to buy you all gifts!
xoxo
Kelley M and Anna H
Sorry it's been awhile since we've updated! The past few days have been a little hectic- lots of good-byes, lots of traveling, etc. We departed Lucknow on Saturday night on an overnight train. We were a bit apprehensive about the cleanliness of the beds, but it was much better than we expected. We got to Delhi at around 9:00 AM and Zan headed off to spend a night at the embassy and continue on to spend some more time at another orphanage at which she spent alot of time last summer. The rest of us headed back to the Hotel Ajanta to freshen up and have breakfast at their rooftop restaurant. We then boarded the bus to Agra; it was a bit of a long ride, but we all knew it would be worth it as we anticipated seeing the Taj Mahal the next morning. We made a quick stop at the emporer Akbar's tomb; the architecture was amazing, and there were monkeys running around everywhere. When we got into the city of Agra we checked in to our hotel, and had dinner. It was Anna's 18th birthday so we had a cake (Indian style, of course) and a little celebration. After a night of bonding, everyone went to bed so excited for the next morning. We got up around 6 to avoid the crowds, and started the drive over. I had seen so many pictures of the Taj Mahal, and I'm not sure what my expectations were exactly, but whatever they were, they were definitely exceeded. We all got our standard "this is me at the Taj Mahal!!!" pictures, and then toured around the grounds. We were reluctant to leave, but our hunger got the better of us. We headed back to the hotel for a buffet breakfast. After that, we got on another bus bound for Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Again, the bus ride was long, but we had heard nothing but good things about the city, so we were all excited to finally see it. However, after pulling into the gates of the Hilton we found a nice little surprise. It turns out hotels.com messed up our reservation so we only had 3 rooms for 16 people- not exactly comfortable. Navin and Pamela negotiated a deal, so Navin, Zubin, Grant and Kevin spent the night down the street at the Holiday Inn. This morning we all once again loaded on to the bus to go check out the Amber Fort. When we drove up, we saw what seemed to be an endless line for elephant rides up to the fort. After the trek up atop the elephants, we all realized it was definitely worth the 45 minute wait in the blazing Indian sun. When we got to the top, our tour guide, Mr. Singh, showed us around, and there was plenty of time for pictures, relaxing and checking out the amazing view. After the fort, we came back to the hotel and hung out by the pool for a few hours- a much needed time for relaxation. We all headed back to our own rooms (the manager finally finagled us the promised 6 rooms), and now we're about to head out to the market to buy you all gifts!
xoxo
Kelley M and Anna H
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Saturday March 14th, 2007
Last night we all watched Max Payne play the sitar for us; it was an hour long riveting performance where Payne “rocked the house with some frighteningly good sitar strumming,” (Grant Tomashoff).Today Jane, Imani, Grant, Zubin, Ella, and I woke up early to watch the sunrise. We later joined the rest of the group and had breakfast. At ten o’clock, we all got henna tattoos from Bubaloo, a very talented fourteen year old boy. He worked very quickly; I got floral designs on my feet and my initials on my wrist. Grant got "G13" on his wrist. We are having a great time in India!
-Taylor Evensen & Grant Tomashoff
-Taylor Evensen & Grant Tomashoff
Last day at school
It was our last day working with kids. In the morning, we brought out all the gifts and separated them into 40 bags. Thanks for the kindness of people who brought the toys and special thanks to Grant who carried 20 nice shorts for the boys~~ We loved and played around with the toys, which reminded us of our sweet childhood. Then we headed to the school in high spirit, as always, and continued to work with our lovely friends. It was also a special day that we celebrated Happy Holi, when we wore a unique kind of white clothes and put colorful powder on each other’s face and body. We looked awesome and enjoyed singing and dancing around. Everybody should take a look at our talented dancer, Zubin and Grand, who caught the attention of all the cameras. It was a lot of fun~~ By the way, the newspaper and TV came today and shot numerous pictures of us. Some of us also did a great job when interviewed Later today, we watched ourselves going crazy on TV… wow… WE ARE ON TV!! Now it was inevitable that we became famous in India. After the powder party, we went back to finish our paintings and worked until three in the afternoon. After they were done, we were amazed at the excellent job we and the kids did together. The paints were really beautiful and creative. The time to say goodbye eventually came, and we didn’t want to leave the kids and we were, indeed, “best friends”. The kids followed us until we got on the rickshaw… that’s really sad. At night, we enjoyed some traditional Indian music performed by Max Payne and a local musician. It was just w0nderful and we all loved it. Today was really a rich and meaningful day.
To be continued…
Best,
Kevin Xu
To be continued…
Best,
Kevin Xu
Poem on the last day...
Namaste Everyone!
We wanted to share the following poem with you. It was written by Mansi, Sumati's daughter-Sumati is the head teacher at the Avadh School and it was presented to us on the last day of school. It was very touching and summed up the essence of the week for all of us.
You all have shown us a beacon's light,,
Your ways turned the school into a welcome sight.
Gone were the dreary and dull schooldays,
Showed us learning can be fun through playful ways.
Playing ball and those lovely beads,
Exposed us over our mundane needs
The time has come fast and we go our ways,
Do come again with your playful ways.
Thank you, Mansi! We will be back!
We wanted to share the following poem with you. It was written by Mansi, Sumati's daughter-Sumati is the head teacher at the Avadh School and it was presented to us on the last day of school. It was very touching and summed up the essence of the week for all of us.
You all have shown us a beacon's light,,
Your ways turned the school into a welcome sight.
Gone were the dreary and dull schooldays,
Showed us learning can be fun through playful ways.
Playing ball and those lovely beads,
Exposed us over our mundane needs
The time has come fast and we go our ways,
Do come again with your playful ways.
Thank you, Mansi! We will be back!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Rounding the Curve
Namaste Folks ---from the Know-the-Ledge Program Extraordinaire between the Avadh School and the Hotchkiss School-where East meets West and cultures fuse, confuse, shake, wake, rock, roll and interface. It has been great---truly great.
Today we realized that the end was coming and our stomachs started to feel those slight tremors, no, not Delhi belly, but emotional twinges of both happiness and sadness that comes when you have made a soulful connection. It has been that way.
The sheer joy of being with these children, playing sports, painting, drawing, beading, creating, working on computers and simply being with them has touched all of us. They are hungry---hungry to see, hungry to learn, hungry to live, hungry to give. It has been a rich experience for all of us; full of rewards for the heart and soul.
Our program has also attracted a lot of attention in the community. Today we were interviewed by the reporters from the
i Next newspaper and the article should appear tomorrow. The Times of India also did an interview and will be photographing tomorrow, and the TV station is coming to do a spot, as well. Our PR agent, Anjula Bedi, has been hard at work! Thank you, Anju Behan. Actually, people are extremely interested in what we are doing and are hoping that we will continue to develop this program to include other areas of India. We have promised to dedicate our efforts to fundraising, so we can make this pilot successful in order to launch more educational programs in the future.These children have big hopes and dreams for their future. We want to be a building block for the pursuit and attainment of that dream.
Today we continued with the mural painting, drew portraits of their families, played sports and prepared for the final interviews that we will be doing tomorrow. We are also planning a big farewell party and a celebration of Holi, which involves throwing bright colors on each other in celebration of the end of the winter harvest and the coming of spring.
In the meantime, most of us have remained healthy, with occasional bouts of the "usual", when adjusting to a new diet, environment, and the assorted "cootie factor " that that entails. We are enjoying the food, the variety of spices, colors and textures, and have only caved in to Pizza Hut once!
Thank you to all of you who have made this trip possible--- for supporting this vision, providing this opportunity, and for understanding how important it is to make these connections to one another.
More news coming tomorrow and hopefully photos, too. The electric power and internet connections have been very sporadic, so if there is a lag in this process, know that we are simply experiencing technical difficulties-a minor bump in the grand scheme of things.
Warm regards,
Pamela (Morin-Sharma)
P.S. I am totally impressed with this group of kids-their flexibility, their willingness to stretch, their ability to accomodate and respond. They are expanding and genuinely enjoying themselves and this experience. It has been a real pleasure. Kaja, has done a splendid job with the kids.. Her beauty and that of the kids has drawn more attention than we care to have....Nina Otterson is the best on all levels-solid,intelligent, caring.And finally, the Sharmas-my husband, Navin, my mother-in-law, Nirmala Sharma, my sister in law, Anjula, my sister in law, Manjula...thank you for making this all possible and for all the great work you have done for us and for humanity. We love you!
Today we realized that the end was coming and our stomachs started to feel those slight tremors, no, not Delhi belly, but emotional twinges of both happiness and sadness that comes when you have made a soulful connection. It has been that way.
The sheer joy of being with these children, playing sports, painting, drawing, beading, creating, working on computers and simply being with them has touched all of us. They are hungry---hungry to see, hungry to learn, hungry to live, hungry to give. It has been a rich experience for all of us; full of rewards for the heart and soul.
Our program has also attracted a lot of attention in the community. Today we were interviewed by the reporters from the
i Next newspaper and the article should appear tomorrow. The Times of India also did an interview and will be photographing tomorrow, and the TV station is coming to do a spot, as well. Our PR agent, Anjula Bedi, has been hard at work! Thank you, Anju Behan. Actually, people are extremely interested in what we are doing and are hoping that we will continue to develop this program to include other areas of India. We have promised to dedicate our efforts to fundraising, so we can make this pilot successful in order to launch more educational programs in the future.These children have big hopes and dreams for their future. We want to be a building block for the pursuit and attainment of that dream.
Today we continued with the mural painting, drew portraits of their families, played sports and prepared for the final interviews that we will be doing tomorrow. We are also planning a big farewell party and a celebration of Holi, which involves throwing bright colors on each other in celebration of the end of the winter harvest and the coming of spring.
In the meantime, most of us have remained healthy, with occasional bouts of the "usual", when adjusting to a new diet, environment, and the assorted "cootie factor " that that entails. We are enjoying the food, the variety of spices, colors and textures, and have only caved in to Pizza Hut once!
Thank you to all of you who have made this trip possible--- for supporting this vision, providing this opportunity, and for understanding how important it is to make these connections to one another.
More news coming tomorrow and hopefully photos, too. The electric power and internet connections have been very sporadic, so if there is a lag in this process, know that we are simply experiencing technical difficulties-a minor bump in the grand scheme of things.
Warm regards,
Pamela (Morin-Sharma)
P.S. I am totally impressed with this group of kids-their flexibility, their willingness to stretch, their ability to accomodate and respond. They are expanding and genuinely enjoying themselves and this experience. It has been a real pleasure. Kaja, has done a splendid job with the kids.. Her beauty and that of the kids has drawn more attention than we care to have....Nina Otterson is the best on all levels-solid,intelligent, caring.And finally, the Sharmas-my husband, Navin, my mother-in-law, Nirmala Sharma, my sister in law, Anjula, my sister in law, Manjula...thank you for making this all possible and for all the great work you have done for us and for humanity. We love you!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
march 12, 08
namaste.
we awoke at 9 am and ate a tasty breakfast. we rickshawed over to the school and the ride was a thrill, as always. we split into groups and began activities with the children. Ella, Zan, and Kelley worked on making braided bracelets with the children. they were beautiful. the painting group resumed their painting. Chenyu worked on the "Know-the-Ledge" mural and the children began their illustrations around the emblem. Anna and Grant painted an illustrated alphabet on the wall. The string of the kite and xylophone both looked good and colorful. Outside, Chenyu, Kelley and Taylor painted a flowering tree mural. This painting was done while listening to mac dreezy. We blew bubbles with the children and they were enthralled. Imani and Googie interviewed the children. They did a mix of guys and girls. It was interesting to hear the answers from many of them. There was a common theme-many of them wanted to be doctors and travel to America. One boy was attached to Grant and clung to him, hanging on with his arms around his neck. We returned to home and bronzed in the company of one of the boys from the school, Saddam. After, we ventured to a labyrinth. There were over a thousand different passage ways and the we had to navigate our way through, led by AP Kevin. During the adventure, we visited each of the four floors, with the top floor standing at 215 feet, towering over Lucknow. We visited another nearby mosque. The outside had impressive architecture, and the inside had many interesting artifacts, such as old tombs. We ended the day by eating at Pizza Hut, a classy dinner in India. Inside, there was a birthday party in action, great Indian pop and tasty pizza! We stuffed ourselves, some of us until we broke a sweat and needed to stand in front of the AC (KEVIN!)and exited, ringing the cow bell, which read "ring if you enjoyed yourself." The majority of the group went to bed shortly after we arrived home after a long day. So long,
Zubin
we awoke at 9 am and ate a tasty breakfast. we rickshawed over to the school and the ride was a thrill, as always. we split into groups and began activities with the children. Ella, Zan, and Kelley worked on making braided bracelets with the children. they were beautiful. the painting group resumed their painting. Chenyu worked on the "Know-the-Ledge" mural and the children began their illustrations around the emblem. Anna and Grant painted an illustrated alphabet on the wall. The string of the kite and xylophone both looked good and colorful. Outside, Chenyu, Kelley and Taylor painted a flowering tree mural. This painting was done while listening to mac dreezy. We blew bubbles with the children and they were enthralled. Imani and Googie interviewed the children. They did a mix of guys and girls. It was interesting to hear the answers from many of them. There was a common theme-many of them wanted to be doctors and travel to America. One boy was attached to Grant and clung to him, hanging on with his arms around his neck. We returned to home and bronzed in the company of one of the boys from the school, Saddam. After, we ventured to a labyrinth. There were over a thousand different passage ways and the we had to navigate our way through, led by AP Kevin. During the adventure, we visited each of the four floors, with the top floor standing at 215 feet, towering over Lucknow. We visited another nearby mosque. The outside had impressive architecture, and the inside had many interesting artifacts, such as old tombs. We ended the day by eating at Pizza Hut, a classy dinner in India. Inside, there was a birthday party in action, great Indian pop and tasty pizza! We stuffed ourselves, some of us until we broke a sweat and needed to stand in front of the AC (KEVIN!)and exited, ringing the cow bell, which read "ring if you enjoyed yourself." The majority of the group went to bed shortly after we arrived home after a long day. So long,
Zubin
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Exploring the school, and Lucknow
Our morning started a little slow today due to our inability to go to bed at a decent hour. We got to the school at about 10 and the kids were all so excited to see that we had arrived. Anna, Ella, Kaya and I worked with the older girls through the morning, beading bracelets and necklaces. The beading was a little complicated to explain, but with a bit of translation it all worked out. At one point, I took my hat off and put it on one of the girls and all of the others broke out in laughter, passing it around from one person to another. Their enthusiasm and innocence is so refreshing. They were all girls of about 14, but not one thought that beading bracelets was childish. As the afternoon rolled around, we decided to get out of the classroom and get some sort of game going. The girls, grabbing our hands as we walked outside, decided on Koko. It took us all a while to pick up on the rules of the game, but eventually all of the kids were joining in, laughing and cheering each other on. Even with my upper-hand with the language, I was the last one to actually succeed at the game. A tip to the fact that language barriers are really not barriers at all. The kids, following Zubin and Grant's lead, appropriated the nickname penguin for me because they seemed to have noticed during the game that I run like a penguin. The true symbol of an athlete. After exhausting ourselves with Koko, we decided to split off. Zubin and Grant picked up a game of soccer, while Kaya and I started tossing the frisbee. Others played duck duck goose and freeze tag. With an hour left in the class day, we decided to start on the mural. The kids were automatically attracted to the paint and all wanted to help and take part. The younger ones painted portraits on paper, while the older kids helped paint the walls. After a bit, I went back to beading with the older girls. We decided to try beading some earrings, and even the teachers joined in. The girls would choose colors and ask us if we approved of them and their designs. They were always looking for a nod or a smile. Kaya gave a demonstration of how to make the earrings and one the girls snagged the example earring after she put it down, deciding that was the prettiest design possible and she would make the matching one. They were so grateful to have us all there and kept asking whether we would come back in the future. Two of the girls, Kiran and Ruchi ,were devastated when we said we would try to come back next year, because they are in their last year at the school and wouldn't be there. We left at 1:30 when the school day ended, promising that we would return the next day at 10 and not a second later.
We got back to the house taking the usual bike riksha. We all sat down for lunch and then took a few hours to relax and nap. After everyone woke up, we went outside to play a little baseball with the neighborhood kids and finished off the afternoon with a popsicle run.
Later into the night, a few of us went to the bazaar to take a look around and do a little shopping. The cows roaming in between traffic lanes and cars drew less attention then we did. As we went from stand to stand we found ourselves being followed by a mini fan clan. We walked through the crowded streets eventually ending up at our car. As we got in children gathered around, their faces pressed against the glass, begging for a few rupees. Dinner was a little more quite then usual because everyone was exhausted. I guess we will try and get a little more sleep tonight so we can be energized for tomorrow!
Stay classy India.
xoxo GG (Googie
We got back to the house taking the usual bike riksha. We all sat down for lunch and then took a few hours to relax and nap. After everyone woke up, we went outside to play a little baseball with the neighborhood kids and finished off the afternoon with a popsicle run.
Later into the night, a few of us went to the bazaar to take a look around and do a little shopping. The cows roaming in between traffic lanes and cars drew less attention then we did. As we went from stand to stand we found ourselves being followed by a mini fan clan. We walked through the crowded streets eventually ending up at our car. As we got in children gathered around, their faces pressed against the glass, begging for a few rupees. Dinner was a little more quite then usual because everyone was exhausted. I guess we will try and get a little more sleep tonight so we can be energized for tomorrow!
Stay classy India.
xoxo GG (Googie
Monday, March 10, 2008
First Day at School
Namaste,
Today was the first real day of our trip. After the fourteen hour plane ride and the twelve hour train ride to Lucknow, we were finally able to catch up on sleep and actually finction in the morning. In the morning, Jane, Ella, Taylor, and I had tea and learned about the prayer rituals in India. We learned about the 80,000 gods that are worshipped in India. They are all different reincarnations of the Trinity of gods (almost like in Christianity) they are Vishnu(The Sustainer), Shiv(the Destroyer), Brahma(The Father). Many different people may worship these different gods or their reincarnations. Some of the reincarnations are Krishna, who deals with music and art, their is also the Monkey God, who was a protector of a reincarnation of Vishnu. There is a section in the house where shoes are not allowed and it is used for prayer to the gods. The gods are bathed in milk in the morning and dressed in different clothing everyday and they have their own individual beds and sleeping areas. You must shower before you enter the prayer room and pray with the gods. When you are finished, you lay them back in their respective areas to go back to sleep. We also learned about another reincarnation of a god in the form of a plant. It is asacred basil plant that is used for medicinal purposes and also for prayer. Each god also has a female counterpart. They believe that sex, fanily, and women's roles are very important. Their are goddesses that are reincarnations of the Trinity of gods. There is the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, who is the wife of Vishnu. After leaning about the different gods, we had brekfast and discussed our plans for the school. We decided to paint a mural on the outside of the school. Ewach student will get their own square to paint their own masterpiece. In the center will be a circle with know-the-ledge and handprints bordering that symbol.We discussed bead making and other atcivities at the school. We traveled to the school using rikshas which were small carts connected to bicycles. Driving in India is very different from America and slightly scary. There are not many traffic lights and they are no traffic signs or rules of the roads. There is no speeding limit and courtesy space between cars. Most of the soudns you hear in INdia are populated with the horns of the cars. When we arrived at the school we were welcomed with many songs and dances from the students at the school. Some of the songs said they were proud to welcome us to the schools and the skies and heavens were joyous because we were vistors. They girls were dressed in vibrant beautiful sarees of all different colors. They also had on beautiful jewelry and vibrant personalities to match. Some of the girls were even the same age as Taylor,14, and were shocked to find out they were the same age. They boys played soccer with Zubin and Grant and Kevin and they loved kicking around the ball. It was one of the highlights of the day to see how excited they were to play with the soccer ball. At the end of the day, one of the kids hids the ball to hold for himself for later. We spoke to the in English and surprisngly the language barrier was not very difficult to overcome some of the older students spoke some English and it became easier to communitcate with them. They were all very sophisticated. Today we learned to say hello-namaste, my name is-mira nam hey, what is your name-apake nam kya hey, and the numbers from 1-12. The girls along with their sarees had gorgeous names to match their faces, Kiran, Lakshmi, Priyanka, and Rubina just to name a few. After working in the school, we went shopping for sarees and other traditional India clothing. The prices for the clothing was very inexpeniseve in American dollars. Most of the girls bought sarees and scarfs to bring back and wear at school. After shopping, we went back to the house and everyone was so exhausted that ms=ost of us just went to sleep. Some stayed up to play UNO and hearts. We are all really excited to really get to know the kids in the few days we have left.
Sincerely,
Imani
Today was the first real day of our trip. After the fourteen hour plane ride and the twelve hour train ride to Lucknow, we were finally able to catch up on sleep and actually finction in the morning. In the morning, Jane, Ella, Taylor, and I had tea and learned about the prayer rituals in India. We learned about the 80,000 gods that are worshipped in India. They are all different reincarnations of the Trinity of gods (almost like in Christianity) they are Vishnu(The Sustainer), Shiv(the Destroyer), Brahma(The Father). Many different people may worship these different gods or their reincarnations. Some of the reincarnations are Krishna, who deals with music and art, their is also the Monkey God, who was a protector of a reincarnation of Vishnu. There is a section in the house where shoes are not allowed and it is used for prayer to the gods. The gods are bathed in milk in the morning and dressed in different clothing everyday and they have their own individual beds and sleeping areas. You must shower before you enter the prayer room and pray with the gods. When you are finished, you lay them back in their respective areas to go back to sleep. We also learned about another reincarnation of a god in the form of a plant. It is asacred basil plant that is used for medicinal purposes and also for prayer. Each god also has a female counterpart. They believe that sex, fanily, and women's roles are very important. Their are goddesses that are reincarnations of the Trinity of gods. There is the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, who is the wife of Vishnu. After leaning about the different gods, we had brekfast and discussed our plans for the school. We decided to paint a mural on the outside of the school. Ewach student will get their own square to paint their own masterpiece. In the center will be a circle with know-the-ledge and handprints bordering that symbol.We discussed bead making and other atcivities at the school. We traveled to the school using rikshas which were small carts connected to bicycles. Driving in India is very different from America and slightly scary. There are not many traffic lights and they are no traffic signs or rules of the roads. There is no speeding limit and courtesy space between cars. Most of the soudns you hear in INdia are populated with the horns of the cars. When we arrived at the school we were welcomed with many songs and dances from the students at the school. Some of the songs said they were proud to welcome us to the schools and the skies and heavens were joyous because we were vistors. They girls were dressed in vibrant beautiful sarees of all different colors. They also had on beautiful jewelry and vibrant personalities to match. Some of the girls were even the same age as Taylor,14, and were shocked to find out they were the same age. They boys played soccer with Zubin and Grant and Kevin and they loved kicking around the ball. It was one of the highlights of the day to see how excited they were to play with the soccer ball. At the end of the day, one of the kids hids the ball to hold for himself for later. We spoke to the in English and surprisngly the language barrier was not very difficult to overcome some of the older students spoke some English and it became easier to communitcate with them. They were all very sophisticated. Today we learned to say hello-namaste, my name is-mira nam hey, what is your name-apake nam kya hey, and the numbers from 1-12. The girls along with their sarees had gorgeous names to match their faces, Kiran, Lakshmi, Priyanka, and Rubina just to name a few. After working in the school, we went shopping for sarees and other traditional India clothing. The prices for the clothing was very inexpeniseve in American dollars. Most of the girls bought sarees and scarfs to bring back and wear at school. After shopping, we went back to the house and everyone was so exhausted that ms=ost of us just went to sleep. Some stayed up to play UNO and hearts. We are all really excited to really get to know the kids in the few days we have left.
Sincerely,
Imani
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Finally in Lucknow !
Well, the travel gods and goddesses have not been very kind to us so far.
First, a five-hour limo ride from Hotchkiss to Newark, in drenching rain through Friday evening traffic: they were closing the counter as we arrived !
Then, a the twelve and a half hour plane ride - which actually was not as bad as we feared..
We were received at the airport by Rashid and Zubin's aunt. Everybody was garlanded, and hopped into a bus to the hotel. We had a pleasant dinner in the hotel rooftop, but it was past midnight before anyone retired.
We woke up at 5 a.m. to walk to the train station. The train ride is normally under six hours, but there were electrical failures due a power grid problem a couple of days ago, and we got to Lucknow in 11 hours instead !
Needless to say, we are all very happy to be able to unpack our bags, settle into one place for the next week, ad catch up on sleep !
We have lots of pictures, here they are:
Good night !
(from Chenyu March 9th, 2008, after eating a delicious Indian home-made dinner and playing BS :) )
FINALLY,We got to Dehli at local time 9:30pm! And most importantly, we are all SAFE! It took us FIVE hours to get from Hotchkiss to Newark aiport because of the traffic and bad weather. We actually only had one hour to check in~(such a rush but we MADE IT ^_^)
When we flew through Dehli, I was excited to see the night scene of Dehli. But it wasn't as exciting as NYC. The whole city was dim and I could see cars moving on the street. When I saw NYC on the flight one night, it was so bright and promising. Anyway, that's just an interesting difference I noticed. (Oh by the way, I really liked the vegetarian Indian meal they offered on the plane. I thought "being an Indian is so lucky, because they get to eat Indian food everyday! (even though, I am Chinese and eat Chinese food everyday at home. :D))
We passed the custom very easily and Mr. Sharma's sister was welcoming us with handmade garland necklaces---it's orange and so pretty. Then we had phtoshots at airport.
We carried 19 pieces of luggage to the big bus and then the workers helped us to load them to the back of the bus. We got on the bus and it took us to the Ajanta Hotel(Anjata is the name of the most famous rock cave in India with some of the most beautiful paintings . ) The girls were paired up and two boys were together, one boy had his own room. After settling down, we went to the penthouse and had a nice buffet. (spicy though) The wind brushing us was like a natural AC, feeling cool and fresh!
This morning we got up at 5:00am and left the hotel at 5:20am to catch up the 6:00am train. We walked for 500 meters from the hotel to the railway station. On our way, we saw people peeing on the street which wasn't very pleasant to see! It was very very dark outside.
When we were stuck at Maripat Station for three hours, we got off the train and took pictures with local kids. The cute kids were looking into the train for a long time and from their eyes, I saw a feeling of excitement and anticipation. They offered food on the train--breakfast, snack, mango juice box and spicy potato chips. Anyway, we were all very cautious about what we eat. And we were like " Ms. Morin, can we eat this?" We saw monkeys, peacocks and wild boars from the window. Outside the window,it was yellow and green. The green is the farmland and the yellow is the color of the earth. We also saw some in-process red-brick buildings.
Wherever we go, we draw a huge crowd. When we got out of the Lucknow train station, we were almost circled by local Indians.
When we got to Zubin's grandma's garden, we had a very delicious Indian vegetarian dinner with beans, rice, bread and potatos. It's not that spicy!
Okay, now I am going to upload some pictures and take a shower! We will get up at 8:00pm and eat breakfast at 8:30pm. Tomorrow, we will head to the school to work with the kids~ so excited!!!!!!
x.o. Chenyu
Saturday, March 8, 2008
We have arrived !
Weary but excited, having had an Indian feast on the rooftop of the Ajanta hotel, everyone is doing well and ready for our 5 a.m. wake up call so we can board the train for Lucknow !!
More later as its not 3:15 a.m., and we need to catch a few zzzs.
Our phone has been activated - number is 91 (981) -173-3470. We will arrive at the house in Lucknow at around 2 PM India Time, which is 12:30 noon EST
More later as its not 3:15 a.m., and we need to catch a few zzzs.
Our phone has been activated - number is 91 (981) -173-3470. We will arrive at the house in Lucknow at around 2 PM India Time, which is 12:30 noon EST
Thursday, March 6, 2008
the night before we leave
It is the night before we leave for our big trip. I'm sure everyone's busy packing right now. Remember to bring your cameras and light clothes, as it will be warm in Dehli. Right now, at 6 am, it is 68 degrees in Dehli, so say goodbye to the snow and hello to warm weather! The number for the cell phone we will be carrying is:
91-(981)-173-3470
However, we will not know for sure until we arrive. We will post a blog when we arrive in Dehli to reassure everyone that we are well. Stay classy,
Zubin
91-(981)-173-3470
However, we will not know for sure until we arrive. We will post a blog when we arrive in Dehli to reassure everyone that we are well. Stay classy,
Zubin
Saturday, February 16, 2008
"See - Learn - Live - Give"
This is the Blog Site for Know - the - ledge ! Twelve students from the Hotchkiss school are making the trip to Lucknow, India in March, 2008. They will be working in the Avadh School, established by the Avadh Ladies Club, a women’s organization in Lucknow, India, primarily dedicated to providing education for needy children.
The Hotchkiss students will donate materials and volunteer their time to set up basketball, soccer and street hockey camps, create new art projects, such as beading, jewelry making, mask-making, painting and use the projects to help the students with reading, math and computer skills. This” hands on”, direct, individual attention given to these young people can make a difference in their lives, can inspire, can give hope. The richness of such a global exchange is a valuable learning experience for everyone involved.
Just the exposure to India and its ancient culture is life altering, and the local historic shrines, sites, forts, markets, etc. will be explored, with knowledgeable Indian tour guides, when the community work has been done for the day.
After completing the community service, we will return to Delhi, where we can explore some of the ancient history, cultural wonders, religious sites, followed by a trip to the ‘Golden Triangle’ from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, then on to Jaipur, a colorful city of palaces and forts, and back to Delhi for the trip home.
The inspiration for this trip came to me after I attended a talk at Hotchkiss given by Patrick Cook-Deegan, a student at Brown University, who started a program to raise money for needy schools all over the world - see the site at http://www.cycleforschools.com/ . It began with a bike trip through Laos, which raised money for a school for 150 children. I have been to India several times (my father was born and raised in India), and have been struck by need for literacy as an engine of mobility for the poor in that country. When Patrick talked about how a whole school could be built in developing countries for the cost of a single year's tuition in a private school in the U.S., I decided to try and take on such a project. With a lot of help and encouragement from my parents, advisor, and the school, we have put this trip together, and look forward to an exciting, enlightening, and fulfilling adventure.
Zubin Sharma
The Hotchkiss School Class of '09
The Hotchkiss students will donate materials and volunteer their time to set up basketball, soccer and street hockey camps, create new art projects, such as beading, jewelry making, mask-making, painting and use the projects to help the students with reading, math and computer skills. This” hands on”, direct, individual attention given to these young people can make a difference in their lives, can inspire, can give hope. The richness of such a global exchange is a valuable learning experience for everyone involved.
Just the exposure to India and its ancient culture is life altering, and the local historic shrines, sites, forts, markets, etc. will be explored, with knowledgeable Indian tour guides, when the community work has been done for the day.
After completing the community service, we will return to Delhi, where we can explore some of the ancient history, cultural wonders, religious sites, followed by a trip to the ‘Golden Triangle’ from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, then on to Jaipur, a colorful city of palaces and forts, and back to Delhi for the trip home.
The inspiration for this trip came to me after I attended a talk at Hotchkiss given by Patrick Cook-Deegan, a student at Brown University, who started a program to raise money for needy schools all over the world - see the site at http://www.cycleforschools.com/ . It began with a bike trip through Laos, which raised money for a school for 150 children. I have been to India several times (my father was born and raised in India), and have been struck by need for literacy as an engine of mobility for the poor in that country. When Patrick talked about how a whole school could be built in developing countries for the cost of a single year's tuition in a private school in the U.S., I decided to try and take on such a project. With a lot of help and encouragement from my parents, advisor, and the school, we have put this trip together, and look forward to an exciting, enlightening, and fulfilling adventure.
Zubin Sharma
The Hotchkiss School Class of '09
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