Goodbye India

The Mapping Team! Akee, Janek, Me, Tad, Joy, Tushar, and Patrick

Has it really been two weeks since my last update? And how is it March already? And how is this my last day in Ahmedabad? We leave for the airport in thirty minutes and it is probably one of the strangest feelings leaving a place that I’ve spent so much time in, knowing that I may never be back. Part of me is ready to leave India and never look back, but this place has been home for the past month and a half, things happen much easier here than they did a month ago, and now we have friends here that we have to let go. I suppose I’ve got a few more days in India, in Delhi, which is where we’re headed to now. And then I think it’s Friday that we leave for Kathmandu…and I have no idea what it’s going to be like. There was so much hype about India before we left that Nepal was kind of a side note. So I really have no idea what to expect, other than the colorful mountain town of Kathmandu that my imagination has whimsically constructed. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

It was hard to leave the Chharas. We had spent so much time there with them that our schoolwork had turned into friendships. They had a bit of a farewell party for us two days ago, Tad and I took over the final maps and document yesterday, and I believe a few of them are meeting us at the airport for a final goodbye today.

And then there were monkeys.

Tad feeding the monkey a Parle G biscuit

Monkeys vs. Puppies

Just chilling at CEPT

Mother with baby in Chharanagar

Brief Update

So it’s been awhile since I updated…partially due to lack of time and partially due to my grim internet situation. For some reason, my internet card expired, so I don’t have wifi access, which makes it pretty difficult to update my blog. I’m currently on one of the university computers with a very low speed internet connection.

A few small updates:

1.  We presented a semi-finished project to Chharanagar on Saturday, which went pretty well. We still have a week to finish up work on it based on the response we got at the presentation. We followed the long morning up with a nice siesta and dinner at a fantastic traditional restaurant called Rajwadu. The entire restaurant is outside, beautifully landscaped, with short tables and rugs to sit on the floor. There were also several entertainment stations around the place with magicians, dancers, and musicians. Many of the Chharas joined us for dinner, so it was fun to hang out with them and not have to worry about school related stuff.
2. We spent the majority of last week mapping out Chharanagar. We started with a google earth image that Tad traced in Rhino, which turned out to be fairly inaccurate due to the pixilated image and rapid building changes that have occurred since the image was taken. We then went through the entire community and manually checked all buildings, pathways, trees and temples.  After mapping each neighborhood within Chharanagar, we compiled the results, made all of the edits in Illustrator and produced a final map. The Chharas were ecstatic and definitely appreciated our work. As soon as I have internet again on my laptop I can upload the image.
3. There are mice in our hotel. Tad saw one run into my room when we were talking outside. We told the hotel guys, and they pretended to care for a few minutes like it was something unusual. The next day I found mouse poop on my bed. Three days later I realized I was in India for the thousandth time and decided that things would be much easier if I chose to just not care about it. So far that’s working out for me…
4.  I’m doing much better with the food. I might even dare to say that it’s growing on me…or even…gasp…that I might miss some of it once we leave India.
5. Yesterday we went back to wonderful Khadia and visited the Mehtas. It was great to see them, and great to be back on the other side of the river. We did a good deal of last minute India shopping and visited some of the Sunday markets for probably the last time.
6.  We’re in Ahmedabad for about another week. We then go to Delhi for a few days, then it’s off to Kathmandu. I’m debating whether I should make the trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I suppose it depends on what the alternative for the day is. Nihal talked about the possibility of going to New Delhi that day instead, which at this point in time sounds more appealing than Taj Mahal. I guess we’ll see.
7. Today we’re going to see a Cricket World Cup match! It’s Australia vs. Zimbabwe, which is supposedly going to be a blow out. The match is also supposed to last eight hours. I think it’s pretty safe to say that I will definitely not be staying for the entire game.

Laundry drying in Chharanagar

My experience in India could best be defined as the exhausting, though fascinating tension between acceptance and rejection, referring to both my acceptance and rejection of this place and it’s culture, as well as its acceptance and rejection of me. Inspiring and discouraging experiences are so intertwined that I am pulled in so many directions, seeking a balance that has yet to be achieved. I may never get to experience this balance in my time here, as it is running short, and I imagine that I will leave with a feeling of near satisfaction.

I got a goat!

I feel like every time you start to get high on India, it figures you out and smacks you in the face again. From the food and living accommodations to the social interactions and transportation methods, as soon as I get used to it, it all screws me over again. This may be also partially…I mean 100%...related to our studio project and the instruction we’re receiving. Maybe at the end, it will all work out fine; there have just been more than a few frustrations along the way. I think my snapping point, which occurred about a week ago, happened on the day of my last entry, after returning from Mumbai. Rickshaw drivers ripped me off three times in one day, I was hit by a studio project that I mentally checked out of during Mumbai, some classic Indian food wreaked havoc on my stomach, and just as I arrive back at the hotel and sit down to use the bathroom, I see a cockroach scurry across the washroom door. I think the last bit of patience I had for this place was squashed along with the cockroach on the door.

Atish, Patrick, Tad, and Joy mapping in Chharanagar

I know this sounds pretty dismal, but I was definitely at my India low at this point. Luckily after a few nights of sleep though, which facilitated the recovery from my cold (which is finally gone!), I got back up, and began to appreciate this place again. Most of our energy, since the return from Mumbai, has been concentrated on our work in Chharanagar. In the past week, we’ve been working on creating an accurate map of the community. Tad originally traced the outline of the buildings from the very pixilated Google Earth image, but due to pixilation, as well as rapid community change, it turned out to be relatively inaccurate, and we realized it was necessary to manually edit the map by walking through the entire community, editing building shapes, hidden alleys and pathways, and open spaces. The project required four full afternoons of three to four people mapping the community’s complexities and attempting to understand the haphazard development that comprises its center. Rinkcu and Joy from the Budhan Theatre helped us everyday, along with Atish and Hitesh.

MONKEYS!!

Yesterday I had a seriously good animal day. As I’m sure you’ve noticed already, I’m pretty obsessed with all the dogs and any other animals that wander around the streets here. Chharanagar also has an overabundance of goats, which supposedly are kept as pets. While Tad was figuring out where we were on the map, I spent a good chunk of time trying to chase down the goats and pet them. Finally one of the kids caught a baby for me so I got to hold it! I also got to hold a tiny puppy…from one of the few pet dogs that exist in India. In addition to the dogs, goats, cows, camels, and elephants, there are also monkeys that roam the streets and swing on the tops of buildings. I usually see them only in passing on a rickshaw or something, so I haven’t had an opportunity to photograph them, but yesterday a whole group of them ran out in front of us in Chharanagar, and I finally got to take some pictures of the fierce looking creatures.

Young girl in Chharanagar

Today we finished the mapping, which was definitely a relief, though tomorrow we still have to edit all of the line work on the computer. On Saturday, we present to Chharanagar all that we have done so far. I think it will consist of a combination of what we’ve learned/our experiences, the map we’ve produced, and the plan/proposal for community development/empowerment, particularly regarding the town planning scheme that the government may potentially push to implement, which would destroy many homes and carelessly rework and layout a new community, with no input from the actual community. We’re also hoping to get some feedback from the community so that we can improve our recommendations in the following week we’ll have before we leave.

Two days in Mumbai

To begin, today I definitely do not possess the amount of patience and tolerance it takes to function in Indian society, so this entry might be somewhat negative, but for the most part, I’ll try to keep it fairly neutral.

I’m not totally fed up with this place, it’s more that I’ve been sick with a bad cold for a week and a half and am starting to wonder if the horrible air quality here is what is keeping me from getting better. I also had to wake up at 3:20 this morning to catch a 6:25 flight back to Ahmedabad from Mumbai, and despite the nap I took at the new hotel we’re staying at now, I’m still exhausted. Also, I’m starting to stress out about our studio project here; we’ve got about nine days to finish, and (1) I think we need more research and (2) I have no idea what my role in this project should be. Also, I think my tolerance for Indian food disintegrated overnight. I’m tired of having an upset stomach every other day! Last night we went to a questionable restaurant in Mumbai, and Tad’s pretty sure he ate an eyeball in his mutton. Following dinner, we also saw large cockroaches and rats the size of guinea pigs in the street outside the restaurant. This combo definitely did not help my already churning stomach. Ok I’m done complaining now.

On a much more positive note, I’ve gotten to see some awesome things in the past few days. Unfortunately on Saturday night, we had to say goodbye to the wonderful Mehta family, who we have been staying with since our arrival in India. We had a bit of a party that night with some singing and dancing. It was definitely sad to say goodbye to the old city, even though it’s still only a rickshaw ride away. Basically, compared to the old city, the new city sucks…though that’s just my opinion. Everything is much more spread out, somewhat more expensive, and much less interesting.

Fancy Indian dinner

On Sunday, we packed up from the Heritage House, and headed to Baroda. Along the way, we stopped at Amul, a large dairy corporation that collects milk from individual farmers, then processes and sells the products. It was pretty interesting, unfortunately though, we weren’t allowed to take photos. I did have some tasty ice cream though. Ice cream is definitely something that India did get right. After a few more stops and a few more hours of traveling, we met Dr. Ganesh Devy, the man who inspired the library and Budhan Theatre at Chharanagar, for dinner. It was just one of those times that I really, really didn’t want to do Indian food, but we had a pretty awesome Indian feast in the style of a sort of buffet that comes to you. Dr. Ganesh was very interesting, though it was difficult to hear him, as he was sitting at the other table.

12,000-year-old cave paintings

The next day, we headed to a tribal school, though I’m not really sure what the location was. We toured the school, spoke with some of the directors, and hiked up a nearby mountain. On the side of the mountain, we were able to see 12,000-year-old cave paintings, which was really neat. Nihal kind of made it sound like we’d be climbing to the top of the mountain, though the cave was only about 25% of the way up. After this we headed back to the hotel, packed up, showered, and hit the Baroda train station to catch our midnight train to Mumbai. As I said earlier, it really wasn’t too bad of an experience, despite my difficulty sleeping on the train. I think this may have partially been to do my reading of an article in the newspaper that morning that involved a Mumbai-bound train derailing…

Tad and I on the side of the mountain

Probably the strangest experience we had with the whole train situation happened before we were even on board. While Tad and I were waiting, three dogs ran up and down the platform, playing and occasionally barking. All of a sudden a man who was either crazy or drunk (though I’m not sure how this would be the case, as Gujarat is dry) started harassing the dogs and one of them went after him, attacking his arm. Luckily though the man had a coat on and was probably unharmed by the dog. About 15 minutes later, the man went after the dogs again. He approached them, yelling and shaking his hand at them. All three were growling, and as the man got close, the same dog sprang forward and bit the man’s hand, which started gushing blood. I’m not sure what the guy’s deal was, but he definitely had it coming to him by the way he approached the dogs. The dogs showed no aggression to anyone else on the platform and were even affectionate to some of the station personnel. Only in India.

Next to the Gateway to India, Mumbai

We arrived in Mumbai around 7 in the morning, checked in at the hotel, did some laundry, had a rest, then finally went out to explore the city. We began with lunch and a beer, then did a ton of walking, saw the Gateway to India, and the Taj Mahal Hotel. While we were at the gateway monument, Tad and I had Grace take a picture of us. While we were posing, we were surrounded by Indian people that tried to pose in the picture with us. What?! It was a very bizarre experience. Finally though, we were able to get a decent photo. That night we went to a few bars, found a place that actually serves beef, and then went back to the hotel around midnight after a full day and hectic night before.

I'd say we were both pretty happy campers

The following day, which was yesterday, Tad and I broke off from the rest of the group and went to see Chowpatti Beach and the hanging garden, known as Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens. We got to see the city from the oasis-like large hill that sits inside of the city. We had lunch at a diner-type place (though it was veg). We both ordered “Cheese Burgers.” Ha. They tasted like a veggie egg roll in burger form, which really wasn’t that horrible, just not quite what we were hoping for. The menus looked like they had been constructed by google searching ‘burger’ and ‘sandwich;’ there were, very clearly, an image of thick, beef hamburger and a wonderful looking turkey sandwich. I would be surprised, but oh wait, I’m in India. However though, they did have beer, and they did have diet coke, so Tad and I were still pretty satisfied.

At the hanging garden in Mumbai

Hanging gardens

To conclude the trip, we ended the night with that awful restaurant I mention previously, which still makes me a little nauseous to think about. After that, we packed up, slept for a couple hours, then took a taxi to the airport for the 6:25 flight that lasted less than an hour. Now we’re back here in wonderful Ahmedabad in a new hotel that I would describe as relatively okay by Indian standards. Now it’s only two people to a room, plus there are western toilets, toilet paper, and hot showers, so I guess I can’t really complain too much. But there’s no internet and it’s located right next to a large road in the new city that makes the place endlessly loud. Did I mention that I’m in India?

Ornate building close to our hotel

One more note on Mumbai. The colonialism here was overly evident. The city felt so European, I almost questioned whether I was still in India or not. It was such an odd and unique combination, though I still think it worked quite well, at least in the area that we were in. The truth is that we only were able to see a fraction of the city. It’s such a massive place with so many people (approximately 15 million) that it’s nearly impossible to develop a comprehensive understanding of the entire place, especially since we were only there for two days.

Mini Update

Just a mini update as I think my internet at the hotel is about to expire. We arrived in Mumbai this morning around 7 after taking the midnight train from Baroda. It was a bit of an interesting experience, though not too bad. Later I'll be able to put up a picture I took in the cabin. Unfortunately I didn't get to sleep much, but it was nice to have bunks. Not sure what today holds...everyone is currently recuperating from the train ride and freshening up. I will leave you with this though...the cutest puppies ever from the heritage walk in Ahmedabad. 

The past few days have been a bit weird, but then again I'm speaking as if I have some idea of "normal" here in India. 

The Land Use Plan for Auroville

On Monday I attended a lecture by about the utopian society know as Auroville. The talk was given by  Lalit Kishor Bhati, a planner-architect that lives within the community. Located near the Southern tip of India, this sustainable, idealistic community focuses on integrated planning and holistic development. A particular emphasis is placed on the unity of humanity, importance of sustainability, and education as the center of development. I found the idea of this society fascinating, though I'm not sure I'd want to live there for more than a year...I definitely would like to visit though. Unfortunately it's extremely far away from our itinerary locations, so I don't think I'll get to visit. If you're interested, here's more information: http://www.auroville.org/.

Non-violence through dance

After the Auroville lecture, I spent the day in Chharanagar with the "Social Infrastructure" group, doing several interviews, which were fairly informative and rather successful. That night, we attended a play at Darpan Theatre by Mallika Sarabhai (http://darpanaacademy.blogspot.com/). The focus of the performance was "Non-violence through art/dance." Although I had no idea what to expect, I was impressed by the concise, yet powerful message that was sent through a series of unique, yet connected stories of how different individuals have protested injustice and violence. We also saw some of the Budhan Theatre guys at the performance, which was exciting, since we don't usually see them outside of Chharanagar. 

Puppy outside of Vidyapith

On Wednesday, we went to Gujarat Vidyapith University (I believe a school that Gandhi started) to talk to some people who study different tribes in India. It was somewhat successful, but fairly time intensive for the amount of information I actually got out of it. This might be lame, but I think the picture of this puppy might be the best thing I got out of the visit. After the discussion and museum tour, the eight of us who are going to Mumbai next week went to purchase tickets at the train station, which was an interesting experience; I probably should have taken a photo of the experience. All I'll say for now though is, the 7 hour train ride from Baroda to Mumbai is going to be interesting. 

Vendor that Tad and I ate at last night in Manek Chok

I talked previously about Khadia and the pols after going on the Heritage Walk. Unfortunately today is our last day in Khadia and the Old City, which I'm pretty bummed about. After we return from Mumbai, we'll be staying at a hotel in the New City. The plus is that we'll be much closer to CEPT, but I'm really going to miss the density of the Old City and the availability of shops and street vendors around every corner. I'm also going to miss the Mehta family; they've been so welcoming, hospitable, and helpful to us as we're discovering this part of India. This morning was the last yoga session on the roof, which is a little more sad now than it was at 7:30 this morning.

I think that most Westerners would probably find a
"McVeggie" sign that says 'I bet you can't resist me'
at least mildly humorous.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned the Indian-ized McDonald's that they have here, but it's definitely something I have to touch on. Because no one eats beef here, there are obviously no hamburgers here, which entirely redefines most McDonald's experiences. So far from what I've had, the fries and the McChicken are about the same; I can't really speak for the rest of the menu. I suppose the ice cream is about the same as well. Last night Tad and I had a wonderful new ice cream experience at a street vendor. It's called Kulfi, which is essentially a dense, round, slightly salted ice cream. It was, of course, wonderful!

Kulfi, my new favorite!

So as we head out tomorrow, I feel like I'm tossing out most of the adjustments that I've just accomplished, which is kind of a bummer, but I'm excited to see more new things. Plus, we'll be coming back to Ahmedabad for a few weeks again after this minor field trip, before we head to Nepal.