From Brahma to Buddha, Spring 2010 http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/ en Copyright 2010 Wed, 26 May 2010 05:59:51 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.34-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Coming back home 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

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/coming_back_home.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/coming_back_home.html Wed, 26 May 2010 05:59:51 +0000 Student Led 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.\

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Tiger!

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Tigress with one cub

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/student_led.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/student_led.html Tue, 11 May 2010 12:26:53 +0000 Photos! Part 6 - Bball and the trek bball team.jpg
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.

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/photos_part_6_bball_and_the_tr.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/photos_part_6_bball_and_the_tr.html Fri, 07 May 2010 09:32:49 +0000 Overnight Trains and Tigers 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.

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/overnight_trains_and_tigers.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/overnight_trains_and_tigers.html Thu, 06 May 2010 15:38:25 +0000 Oracle 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

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/oracle.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/oracle.html Tue, 04 May 2010 16:31:10 +0000 Trekking the Markha Valley 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.

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

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]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/trekking_the_markha_valley.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/trekking_the_markha_valley.html Tue, 04 May 2010 08:10:21 +0000 Back from Trek! 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.

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/back_from_trek.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/05/back_from_trek.html Mon, 03 May 2010 16:14:08 +0000 Photos! Part 5 - Domkhar Check out the group in Domkhar...

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

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/photos_part_5_domkhar.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/photos_part_5_domkhar.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:44:49 +0000 Photos! Part 4 - Dharamsala, Amritsar, Leh And, here are some more pictures! Jealous, yet? :)

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Jeremy and Ashok Ji at tabla

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/photos_part_4_dharamsala_amris.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/photos_part_4_dharamsala_amris.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:59:21 +0000 Photos! Part 3 - Dharamsala 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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]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/photos_part_3_dharamsala.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/photos_part_3_dharamsala.html Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:24:43 +0000 Domkhar 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

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/domkhar.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/domkhar.html Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:11:57 +0000 Welcome to Leh! Leh.jpg

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.

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/welcome_to_leh.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/welcome_to_leh.html Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:28:30 +0000 Amritsar-Delhi-Ladakh 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!

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/amritsardelhiladakh.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/amritsardelhiladakh.html Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:02:30 +0000 Safe Arrival in Amritsar 224518 Golden Temple, Amritsar, India.jpg

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.

]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/safe_arrival_in_amritsar.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/safe_arrival_in_amritsar.html Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:54:42 +0000 Farewell Dance Party We had a nice farewell dinner with our home-stay families last night.

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]]> http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/farewell_dance_party.html http://www.g-lab.org/mt/BBSpring10/2010/04/farewell_dance_party.html Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:28:25 +0000