From Brahma to Buddha, Spring 2010

Coming back home

2010-05-26T04:59:51Z

Namaste everyone,

I am hoping you have all made the transitions back home smoothly and are enjoying some Annie's Mac and Cheese, Subway, and weather that is cooler than 115 degrees. After a few long and hot days at the Foreigner's Registration Office in Delhi, I did in fact make it up to Nepal, where I am enjoying the cooler weather, the surrounding mountains, and cereal and tea in the morning. The monsoon rains are just starting, and there have been some great thunderstorms in the past couple days. You can see them rolling in over the mountains, and feel the temperature dropping and the winds starting to howl.

I hope you are all doing well in your respective places on the globe. Remember that this blog will stay up and can be utilized for communication and also remembrance. And if you are feeling a bit lost, check out these online resources for reentry. Perhaps they can help shed some light on a new world:
http://www.worldlearning.org/OurWorld_documents/SITStudyAbroadReentryToolkit.pdf
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0507/coming_home_from_study_abroad.shtml
http://international.missouri.edu/studyabroad/after/cominghome.shtml
http://www.travelabroad.com/alumni/reentry.html
http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap/reentry/cominghome.htm

Namaste and Phir Milenge!
Kai

Student Led

2010-05-11T11:26:53Z

The student led portion has just come to a close, and we are heading back on a train to Delhi tonight. For Peter and I, it has been a relaxing time as we took a back seat while the students took the wheel and successfully got us through a week of safaris in Bandavgarh National Park and boat rides, Hinduism, and Buddhism in Varanasi. We went on three different safaris while we were in Bandavgarh and were lucky enough to have four different tiger sightings. The final sighting was on our last morning, and we saw a mother and her three cubs, only about 25 meters away from our jeep. It was a great way to end our time in the park. In Varanasi, we took sunset and sunrise boat rides down the Ganges, had a day trip to Sarnath (where the Buddha gave his first teachings), watched an evening Arti (prayer) on one of the main ghats, visited one of the cremation ghats, and eat more than our share of great food. We've been battling the heat (from 100 to 105 F) this past week, and it will be nice to have some AC rooms in Delhi!

Once we arrive in Delhi we will be busy doing some last minute shopping, as well as visiting a few more sights: Akshardham Temple, Qwalli night at Nizammundin's shrine, and maybe even some bowling.\

Tiger!

Tigress with one cub

Photos! Part 6 - Bball and the trek

2010-05-07T08:32:49Z

Before heading out for the trek, we had a breathless game of basketball against the local TCV (Tibetan Children's Village) school where Peter's brother works as a dentist. These were the teams.

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Peter goes up for a shot

Jeremy rejects him

Eliot and Jeremy waiting for the rebound. We went on to win the game 44 to 22, although it should have been a lot closer.l

We also took a visit to SECMOL, an NGO that focuses on sustainable development and education in Ladakh. Here is their solar panel array that powers their campus. Sunlight is one of the thigns that Ladakh is blessed with, and a few solar power initiatives have been very successful in brining at least a small amount of electricity to some of the most remote places.

To start the trek we crossed over the Zanskar river to our ponies waitign on the other side. Eliot and Haley head over.

Starting out, heading to our first camp at Skiu

Taking a break by the Markha river

Every morning and night we gathered in the dining tent for food. Margie and Peter waiting for dinner.

Our ponies on the trail

Margie, looking down into Markha valley.

Eliot and Mgorup, our guide, heading up the valley

Eliot and Mgorup

A 'Mani' stone, carved with the ubiquitous mantra "Om mani padme hoon"

One of the numerous mani walls on the trek

Jeremy and Haley in the valley

Eliot and Marige near a mani wall

Taking a break in Hangkar village

Peter working in the field at Hangkar

Eliot taking a turn at the plow--it's actually quite difficult!

Eliot nearing our campsite, surrounded by stupas

Our camp in Hangkar

India in the sky

Eiot in a cave near Hangkar, during our rest day

Jeremy up in the mountains

Jeremy and Haley crossing over a frozen river

Haley taking a break on the top of the ridge, heading towards Nimaling

The rest of the group taking a break

Eliot heading down to camp at Nimaling

and then crossing the frozen river

Jeremy, Haley and Margie crossing the river

Dinner!

Camp at Nimaling the next morning, covered by about 2 inches

More snow

Starting the ascent up towards the pass

Jeremy in the snow

The attack team for the pass

Eliot and Mgorup in the distance

Mountains in the clouds

Eliot and Mgorup make snow angels near the top

Eliot starting the final ascent

The view near the top: mountains

Margie near the top, you can see the pass at the top right

At the top! And cold! We reached the top just as a snow storm hit, obscuring all our views and making things very cold

Eating lunch at the top, hiding behind rocks to avoid the wind

On top of the pass, just under 17,000 ft, with complete white out behind

Putting up prayer flags

Eliot ties them up

The view back down, after the storm

Starting the descent. What took about 2/3 hours on the way up only took about 30 mins on the way down.

The last night on the trek we had a dancing and singing party.

Complete with bonfire

GLAB floating

Dorje, a Tibetan, and one of our two pony men

Kumar, a Nepali, and the head cook

One of the numerous lizards we saw on our way out of the valley

Back on the road and on our way to leh

Overnight Trains and Tigers

2010-05-06T14:38:25Z

After taking an overnight train from Delhi, the group arrived safely in Bandhavgarh. They just went on their first safari in Bandhavgarh National Park and saw a tiger! They have another safari tomorrow morning. I am sure they are taking some amazing pictures and can wait to see them.

Oracle

2010-05-04T15:31:10Z

Before our trek, we went to see an oracle. Oracles are women who are possessed by certain deities for periods of time. During this time people will come to see the oracles for life advice and to cure sicknesses. When we reached the oracles house it was just an ordinary village house in Ladakh. When we walked into the house we entered this dark hallway and all these people were crowding around a door at the end. As we walked closer to the door we could hear music. We walked into this small smoke filled room full of people. We squeezed ourselves in and sat on the floor. The oracle was sitting on a mattress at the edge of the room. She was holding a bell in one hand and a small chod drum in the other. She waved the two objects wildly as she sang towards a shrine in the corner of the room. Sometimes she would pause and snort and make weird animal noises. After she was done singing she started helping people. They were all speaking in Ladakhi so we didn't understand. When people asked questions she would throw these seeds that were scattered around her onto her drum and inspect them and then answer the question. At one point she started helping this one girl by singing a song and holding the girl's face into smoke. After she was done singing the girl was whimpering and crying. The oracle started yelling at her and threatened to cut off her hair. She was hitting the girl and stabbing her back with a dull dagger. It was really disturbing and we didn't know what was happening. Peter later told us that the lady had gotten in a fight with another lady about their kids, the other lady then had bad thoughts for this one lady and the oracle was trying to get her to say the other lady's name. She wouldn't say her name so the oracle made her promise to never come back again. After that, the oracle started helping sick people. She started sucking this white pus stuff out of this mans leg through a golden straw. After that she started sucking it out with her mouth to his leg. Then she started sucking this dark chunky fluid out of people's heads. At one point, she put her face up to this lady's stomach and sucked and sucked until she came up with a chunk in her teeth the size of a walnut. Each time she would suck stuff out of people she would go around blessing us with bells and swords. It was to make sure the bad spirits she sucked out of people wouldn't enter us. If she found a bad spirit inside the people she blessed or any problems in their lives she would hit them really hard. When we left the oracle we were all completely shocked to what we had just witnessed. India is a crazy place.

-Haley

Trekking the Markha Valley

2010-05-04T07:10:21Z

We had a cramped three hour drive to Chilling where we crossed the Zanskar River in this super safe box to embark on our trek up the Markha Valley.

On the other side of the river we met up with some porters and mustachioed ponys.

]]> We got our gear together and started trekking up the Markha Valley.

There were tons of sheep, goats, horses, yaks, zos, and cows the entire way. Peter made friends with this little lamb:

The first night of the Trek we stayed in Skyu, this is our camp setup:

The group trekking among some beautiful mountains:

The second night we set up our tents

near the town of Markha:

We ran into a few other Ladakhis with ponys and donkeys:

This is the town of Hangkar where we had a rest day, our camp is on the left.

We did a day hike up a nearby peak to get a better view of the surrounding mountains, including the great snowy peak known as Kang Yatse:

and we saw a herd of Ibex who watched us carefully making sure we didn't try to eat them:

Kai mobbing back down:

There was a friendly and slightly gassy donkey we spent some time with in Hangkar:

This is our strong and fearless guide Morob:

It was amazing to see people farming and subsisting such a long walk away from any towns or hospitals or roads.

There were lots of areas with huge boulders balanced atop dirt spires in the sides of purple and gold mountains:

We experienced one of the brightest moons ever that actually cast some pretty distinct shadows and then we played with headlamps and long exposures:

After Hangkar we hiked up to Nyimaling, this is our camp and the snowy passes above:

We woke up to a fresh and increasingly thick blanket of snow which quickly melted during the day:

The last night we had a celebration with our porters and danced around a bonfire:

The hike was awesome with a new breathtakingly beautiful view around every bend and we were all really excited about it:

Back from Trek!

2010-05-03T15:14:08Z

Kai just called our office in New York to let us know that the group is back in Leh after a challenging and very rewarding trek. Everyone is in good health and enjoying hot showers and clean clothes.

They will rest up before flying down to Delhi on Wednesday and then taking a train out to Bandhavgarh National Park, where, if lucky, they will spot some of the protected population of Royal Bengal Tigers who live there.

Then it will be on to the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, where the final explorations of the semester will take place.

Photos! Part 5 - Domkhar

2010-04-29T10:44:49Z

Check out the group in Domkhar...

Peter tries to throw Eliot over the edge, near the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers

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A lone tower is all that remains of a ring wall of Basgo Palace, a stopover on the way to Domkhar

Looking down onto Basgo village

Domkhar valley

Balang! A balang (cow) sticks her head out of a shed

Dzo (a yak/cow hybrid) are most frequently used for plowing in the fields

Jeremy and Eliot play volleyball with students on the Domkhar Highschool grounds

Looking down onto Domkhar village

Peter painting in the classroom

Margie going to work

Jeremy and Haley

We arrived in Domkhar during the students examination week. Here the students sit for that day's exam

Domkhar students huddle around Margie, who teaches them how to use Microsoft Word

Eliot tutors his students

Long! Freshly sheared long (sheep)

Checking out a bit of the Himalayan geology during our short day trek

Jeremy helps tie up a string of prayer flags

Eliot on the trek

Namgial Le, our fearless local coordinator

Students on teeter totters at Domkhar school

A GLAB vs. Domkhar volleyball match. We both put up a good fight

Eliot sets up for a serve

A monster spider we found near the stupa

As part of our service in the village, we helped repair a stupa wall

We are intense!

Transporting dirt to the Stupa wall

Jeremy and Eliot work on the wall

Ladakhi kids next to a world Buddhist flag

Eliot gives a speech to the school about similarities and differences between Ladakhi and US school systems during our "cultural program" on the last day at school

Jeremy and Haley give speeches. Watch out for some dancing video uploads soon...

The generator used to power the computers

Students at the computers

Photos! Part 4 - Dharamsala, Amritsar, Leh

2010-04-29T02:59:21Z

And, here are some more pictures! Jealous, yet? :)

Jeremy and Ashok Ji at tabla

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Haley's jewelry creations from Dharamsala

Margie and her Ama La at the farewell dinner

Haley gives a speech in Tibetan to her homestay family

Margie gives her speech, to the enjoyment of everyone

Eliot gives his speech

Jeremy gives his Ama La and Pa La a katakh (white scarf) after his speech

Post dinner dance party!

The party continues

Haley and Margie making chapatis at the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar

Jeremy serving food in the Langar, the communal mess hall which serves delicious, free food and remains open 24 hours a day. The whole of the Golden Temple complex runs on a donation basis, and the Langar must feed approximately 10 to 20 thousand people per day

Eliot serving food in the Langar

At the Waga border ceremony, on the border between Pakistan and India. Like most things in India, it is full of people, colorful, loud, and features music and dancing

A variety of volunteers were able to run with the Indian flag

And on to Ladakh and cold weather! Looking down onto Leh and the mountains beyond

Blue Steel

Huzzah! Mountains!

Eliot climbing up the steps of Shanti Stupa, perched atop a hill on the outskirts of Leh

Looking down onto Leh valley from Tso Mori, Leh Palace. The entire valley is serviced by an extensive network of irrigation channels.

Margie climbing through prayer flags

Eliot looking out from atop Tso Mori

Eliot and Margie in lower Leh

The mountains surrounding Leh

Haley on the way up to a nearby peak, looking down onto Leh

Jeremy silhouetted against the sun

Margie and Eliot, on the way to the top

Windswept Margie, almost there

Jeremy and Eliot, on the ridge

Finally at the top!

Photos! Part 3 - Dharamsala

2010-04-24T11:24:43Z

While the group is off on the trek, we thought we would share some pictures of their Dharamsala experience with you. Enjoy...

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Domkhar

2010-04-23T11:11:57Z

For the past week we have been living in a small village a few hours away from Leh Ladakh. Although this homestay only lasts a week I have grown very close to my family and will miss them terribly when we leave. In my family there are three brothers a friendly neighbor and a cousin. We all hang out everyday during and after school. The youngest, a little four year old, is full of energy and loves to cuddle up on my lap, without a doubt the cutest kid I've seen on the trip. The other guys and I play cricket in the street after school using rocks as wickets. Its great fun. We also play a hakey sack type game with a bunch of rubber bands strung together. In this we kick the ball and the last foot it touches that guy has to whip the strung bands at the closest person. The other day I found out there's a thriving hockey community here and every winter they organize a team and play on the weekends. This past summer they placed second in the annual tournament in Leh. The cousin is captain of the team. When they found out I play they got together some roller blades and I went for a skate down the road with another member of the team. It’s a beautiful place to blade. Were surrounded by rocky mountains and on one side there's a magnificent snow peaked mountain. Also following the road is a creek that winds through the mountains. The first day I was here we hopped along the river over the rocks skipping stones across the flat areas. After I got back from blading I realized how out of shape I am seeing how every muscles in my body ached and I was gasping for air/ im not quite sure how ill fair on the trek next week. When its to dark to play outside we head down to the kitchen/living room. Here we play cards or the occasional chess game. One of the brothers is an avid chess player and although I've beaten him a few times he puts up quite a fight. As the night winds down we flip on the tv and watch some discovery or animal planet. The first day I saw a special on the wildlife in the area and there were clips of yaks on mountain sides and the elusive snow leopard making kills.
During the day we usually meet at the school where we have assisted in painting a few classrooms and then putting up posters. Afterwards we challenged the boys to a volley ball game and had some tough intense games. Every day from4 to six we would teach the students how to use the recently installed computers at the school as well as teach English.

- Eliot

Welcome to Leh!

2010-04-14T20:28:30Z

Jule!

Namgial, our Local Coordinator in Ladakh, has reported that the group arrived safely in Leh. After an early morning flight from Delhi, they were welcomed at the airport by Namgail and his team and are now enjoying the cool, clean air of the high Himalayas.

Since Leh is at an altitude of 3500m (11,500 ft), the group is now resting at the guesthouse in order to let their bodies gradually acclimate to the altitude. In a day or so they will be out exploring the sights of Leh and beyond.

Amritsar-Delhi-Ladakh

2010-04-13T13:02:30Z

The group just took the overnight train from Amritsar to Delhi. (I can't wait to hear about the ride! Please post your experience for all of us to share). They arrived safely in Delhi and spent the day getting ready for the next adventure on the program - Ladakh!

Safe Arrival in Amritsar

2010-04-10T14:54:42Z

I just received a text from Peter and Kai that they arrived safely in Amritsar. They will spend the next couple of days exploring the Golden Temple and Sikhism and doing service at Langar, the temple's free kitchen. They will also watch the Wagah border ceremony and will discuss non-violence while visiting the Jallianwala Bagh Gardens, the site of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 where over 1000 people were killed during a peaceful protest.

Farewell Dance Party

2010-04-10T04:28:25Z

We had a nice farewell dinner with our home-stay families last night.