Namaste from India!
The air is filled with dust particles, and sun streams in from a half open window. A little old woman with an Indian accent is smiling and informing us on what the next stretch is good for: “Goood (with long o sounds) for lower back, estomach, gooood for ladies. ” It’s only 7 am and already Jaipur is filled from sounds we can hear from the program center balcony: cars honking and birds chirping. Our yoga instructor, who walks with measured steps, but whose body is insanely flexible, gives us polite corrections to our poses and tries to help us get to wherever each of us trying to go. She helps us push our own limits to try to release tension and achieve some peace.
The past week and a half has basically been filled with similar people. Everyone is trying to help you get to wherever your’re trying to go physically, mentally, and spiritually, even if its just getting to a pharmacy or internet cafe. Anyone you ask will smile, bob their head left to right and give you directions (even if they actually have no idea where you’re going.)
Our OEs, Robbie and Lauren, have been helpful and refreshingly silly: equally awesome at nursing us when were sick (almost all of us have succumbed to some form of Delhi Belly) and being game for about anything (safe, of course).
They were especially good sources during our first few days in Delhi where we all stumbled around a bit jet lagged and overcome by the awesomeness, the odors(both delicious and terrifyingly disgusting), and the sometimes jarring noise.
The past week we’ve spent in Jaipur visiting ruins and different forts including the Amber Palace. We’ve visited a Block printing studio, a paper making factory and gone to Kalakar Basti ( a folk artist colony). We’ve also had amazing lectures on Indian History and Politics, and Hindi.
The program directors, the all-knowing Raika Ji and Rishi Ji, arranged a private home concert by a family of musicians including Salil Bhatt whose hair and general aura is that of a true rock star. You can check out his playing in the link below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSzLwveEsBE
Being in India, even for this short of a time, has completely blown my mind by how much it influences us to give to the place we are in and adopt a more Indian way of going about our lives. From being game to climbing on the back of an auto rickshaw and watching Jaipur stream by as you casually chat, to being more open with strangers and striking up random conversations.
At our music demonstration/concert, one of the amazing directors of our program in Jaipur, Rishi Ji explained the humble nature of musicians. The more they know and the more experienced they get, he said, the more they come to understand how much there is to know and learn about. How through experience they learn only that they know only a fraction of the infinite.
This entire trip is filled with experiences, most completely surreal. And so far, what Rishi Ji said about musicians applies perfectly. The more I learn about India and it’s people the more I see before me the great well of knowledge that I have barely dipped my toes into. Everything has excited me and prompted me to want to learn more: about Indian music, Hinduism, yoga etc.
By the end of it, I hope to gain the confidence of a cow walking across a road in India. Slowly and purposefully it strides confidently out into full on traffic in the knowledge that, as a sacred animal, cars that had moments before almost run over hoards of people will come to a full stop.
All 10 of us, the Shiva India Spring semester group, are in for three crazy months filled with colors, life, delicious food, and probably some more unfortunate stomach stuff.
-Rebecca Asoulin
Photos by Lauren and Rebecca.