Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Me? A Home Wrecker???

So...apparently I've been a little bit of a home wrecker here in India. Mind you, I am using that term VERY liberally haha. Actually, I'm just joking, but listen to this story. So one of my co-workers who is my neighbor was in charge of driving me to and from work everyday. The first day of work he drove me, and because it was my first time on the motorcycle, I put my arms on his shoulders as we got started. Well, let's just say he never drove me again, another co-worker replaced him as my driver. This whole time I thought nothing of it until today when I found out the true reason why. Apparently his wife was not ok with him driving another woman ( a younger, american woman for that matter). Haha. The whole thing is very funny, and my roommate, my host mother, my host sister and I were all dieing this morning with laughter about it. Apparently that is very typical of an Indian woman to be possessive. I love all this cultural stuff I'm learning!

-Your HW!
Lauren

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Facebook Photo Album

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=230432&id=513880860&l=6339e56dcd

Holiday!

So yesterday was holiday, or the day off from work. (They only get Sundays off, so its the equivalent to our weekend). It was fabulous to relax and I got so much work done on my Interdisciplinary Studies curriculum- the degree I am writing for myself in Design Strategy. It is funny because I spent three months working very hard on it back in Cincinnati and in the course of one day here in India I get it done! I feel so productive. It is because I have little social obligations and I am not really supposed to go out without someone, and since everyone visits with their families on Sunday there is no going out. In comparison to my friends who do study abroad where they meet a lot of friends who are their peers and go and do social things all the time, this is a very different experience. I am living the life of an Indian- where you have strong family bonds, you go to work all day and you come home to your family. That is the way of life here in Dahod and you don't see parents toting around to their kids soccer practice or taking them to the movies; people hang around the home and entertain each other with conversation. It is expected that you do well in school and get a good job. It is a very nice feeling, and I am glad to experience it.

On a funny note, I opened up to my roommate that I did not know exactly what was going on in the bathroom...meaning, I was confused how to use the toilet. I knew coming to India that you eat with your right hand because you....with your left, but I was hesitant to actually use it. This past week I've been coming up with many creative solutions so I wouldn't have to do the dreaded hand wipe, but after talking to Dharmishtah in a conversation filled with giggles and blushing, I feel confident to give it a try. To some of you this will be a definite t.m.i. moment, but using the rest room is a very basic part of everyday life, and often we take toilet paper for granted. Wish me luck.

Till next time!

-Your CV
Lauren

Friday, June 25, 2010

Henna



So the electricity has just gone out at the office. Nothing to worry about, it happens about twice a day. It makes for a more social office because everyone that has been forced to stop working socializes.

Yesterday I went to dinner at my co-worker who picks me up and takes me home everyday, Manoj's, house. He has recently gotten married and his wife was wearing the beautiful red sari that she wore on her wedding day. They barely spoke any English, and me little Gujarati, so we bonded over the little baby sister. To be honest, I was confused because he introduced two people as his wife, but I was equally bad, because I called their baby daughter a boy. Way to go Lauren. (in all fairness she was wearing a boy's outfit and they had cut her hair really short. plus, she was 18 months. how can you really tell at that age except the clothes?)

It was a lovely time, and the best part of all was that they did henna on both my arms. It looks so tight and I just laugh because the amount of henna they did would have cost a small fortune at an American amusement park.

As for today, I just finished my first English lesson to my co-workers. Overall it went well, but I feel it would be better to have a helper who speaks both languages to help translate. It is difficult because I am not sure what they already know, and I realize that there are multiple skill levels present, so I will try to teach to the middle.

Ah, the electricity is back on. Till next time!

-Your CV
Lauren

Thursday, June 24, 2010

My first Vlog... :-/

Here is my first video, as per request my brother Sean. The quality is pretty horrible, but hey, you got to start somewhere. Also, I don't think the sound and the visual match up, so I give you permission to laugh at how funny I look :-)
- Your CV
Lauren

It's a Small World Afterall!

So I have finally had an experience where India felt like my home, where there was no such thing as cultural differences, and where I was having a conversation with friends that I'd known forever. This is the power of humanity.

After work yesterday, I got back to my room and my roommate Darmishtah invited me to dinner with her boyfriend. They have a very interesting story because they are from different religions and plan to go to London to get their MBA, but what they really want to do is get married. They come to Dahod to go to an Engineering college, but they take classes in their home towns and come to Dahod only for exams. They were friends for five years and then realized they were soul mates and meant to be life partners. I eat this kind of stuff right up! They are extremly kind, and they make me realize I take for granted that I can pretty much date anyone I want, and more specifically, that I get to choose how I show affection.

For all the people that I went to India with in December, you will freak out. Guess what resteraunt we went to? "Feel Good"! The best one in Dahod, and the one with Chinese food and ice cream shakes! I got veg fried rice. Soooo good! It was really great because me and Darmishtah took a rikshaw there and it was so great to go out of my room and experience the town as someone who lives there and not a visitor. I don't know what I am going to do without her when she leaves next week, but hopefully I will begin hanging out with my co-workers outside of the office.

This morning we had my first formal introduction to the entire staff, and half of them raised their hands to invite me over to their home. I hope I have enough time to meet them all!

On a closing and funny note, I saw another white person! After a second glance however, I realized it was an albino Indian. My boss tells me my features look very Indian, so maybe when I don't wear jeans people will think that about me too??? Just a thought.

Oh, and in terms of my health, its been great! Plenty of safe water (over 3 liters a day) and good food. I am very relieved that stint is over.

-Your CV
Lauren

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Upwards and Onwards!

It’s 8:43 Thursday morning, and I did not think I would have time to write today. I was given many assignments yesterday, and I had to take them home to finish. I have since finished them, and am now dressed and ready to go for the day. Every assignment takes a lot longer than it would if I was in the U.S. because I have to double, triple, sometimes quadruple check things to make sure we understand each other. Communication issues abound, but the way I see it is if I can learn to communicate well with people from a different language, then I can communicate with anybody. Communication is key, and I really want to work on that skill.

Yesterday was a great day for health. I had no problems, and felt well throughout the day. I had a great breakfast of two bananas and two apples, and corn chapatti for lunch. It was also a great social day as well. At lunch I finally engaged in conversation with my co-workers and we had a great time. Most know English because that is what they study in, but they are not confident to speak aloud and hold conversation. I just have to show that I am approachable, interested to learn about them, and not judgmental of their mistakes. It also helps that another visiting student, who is in a program much like co-op, translates anything if need be. It is a very young office, and I hope to make friends. At this point I do not go anywhere besides the office and home because I do not have anyone to take me out. I feel that will change with a matter of time, and because I am so tired after work, I just go back and sleep anyway. Yesterday I was practically falling asleep on the back of the motorcycle. You wouldn’t think that was possible with the wind hitting your face and all the commotion of the town, but that is how tired I was!

In terms of social activities of things to do in Dahod, my friends from bigger cities say there is not much. Dahod is a town of 100,000 people, but depending on whom you talk to that is either perceived as very big or very small. For the people in villages, town is a big deal. For people from cities like Vadodara and Ahmadabad, it is a little, old-fashioned, not particularly hygienic place. Either way, Dahod is a great place to experience India, and I am excited to call it home for the next 10+ weeks.

Till next time my friends!

-Your CV
Lauren

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

In it to win it!

It is Wednesday morning at 6:11 am and I have just woken up from sleeping for 10 and a half hours. I pretty much hit the sack right after arriving home and did not even “take dinner” as it is called here. My shirt is cold and damp from sweat, and my back feels like it is being pulled in a million different directions. It seems that all I do in my day here is try to survive work and make it till 6pm without feeling sick, and then get back home to get as much sleep as I can. I’ll be honest when I say I’m at a point where I feel bad health will plague me the rest of my trip, but hopefully that will not be the case and all I will have to do is stay positive.

So yesterday started off well. When I woke I felt a lot better than the day before when I experienced heat exhaustion, and I was very excited to give work another try now that my bosses would be in. In the three long hours in the morning between when I wake up at 6:30 and when I go to work at 9:30, I did some yoga enthusiastically, apparently too enthusiastically because I pulled my lower and mid back and am now paying for it. After another sweet bike ride, the workday started again with a prayer and a presentation, and this time it was translated to me. The summarized version of the story goes as follows:
A man gets angry all the time, so his father says every time you get angry, drive a nail into a plank. He does this and finally after the plank is full, the son does not get angry any more. He feels he is cured so he tells his father that he now knows how to divert his anger and not become so upset anymore. After hearing that his father replies that from now on, whenever he would have gotten angry and does not, he needs to go to the plank and pull out one of the nails. The son obliges and after a while, all the nails are out of the plank and all that remains is a plank littered with holes. He goes to his father again to tell him the news and his father replies, “ Son, every time you get angry, the damage will not leave you. It will create a hole in you, so do not get angry.”

After the story, everyone is supposed to provide feedback. They asked me what I thought. I said that in my life at home it is easy to get stressed over the little things, but I have to remember what’s important. Looking back, I can say that without a doubt I have had trouble with this concept and that my health is a key indicator of this. It is very obvious that right now I am littered with holes that will never go away- once you live unhealthily you cannot get that time back. What I can do is promise myself that I am going to stop drilling nails into myself, stop creating holes, and stop being unhealthy. I don’t know what it will take for me to get that balance into my life, but it will definitely start with losing my perfectionist attitude. I need to be more understanding of myself, and that a little of everything is better than having all my eggs in one basket.

Anyway, back to my day. After the presentation I was then served breakfast and chai and able to connect with people on the Internet. Around 11am I had a great meeting with Ranvir to discuss what I was going to do during my stay. His office is air-conditioned and feels really good. What doesn’t feel good is leaving it. It is only at that point that I do realize how hot the room I’m working in is. It has fans moving around the air, but it does not really cool things down much. In the afternoon when it gets hotter, they usually turn on their air conditioner, but it is not very powerful. After I left that meeting I again felt sick. I drank two liters of water and had gone to the bathroom like five times that day- I was afraid of being seen as a weirdo, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
At lunch I could not eat a lot, and my co-workers kept offering me food and I kept trying to respectfully decline. At three I had another meeting with Ranvir and I started to feel better again once in his office. I had prepared my expectations for both my professional development as well as personal, and we had a great time coming up with what I am going to do. After the meeting I began working with a co-worker, whose name is slipping my memory, on writing for their new website. They were very shocked to see I use office 1997 and thy want me to upgrade myself into the 21st century. I will have that done this morning.

As the day wounded down, I gave my home a call on Skype. My seven-year-old sister Grace, very unemotionally answered, and after taking the message that they should read my blog cut me off and said, “Thanks for calling, I’ll pass on the message, goodbye!” Ok, Miss Independent, I’m sorry your sister half way around the world is interrupting your morning cartoons! As funny as she is, I am happy that it was not an emotional conversation and that she did encourage me to feel homesick emotions that are counterproductive. Regardless, I hope when I get to work today I have an email from home.

-Your CV,
Lauren

Monday, June 21, 2010

Heat Exhaustion :-(

As promised, I will give you an update on my first day at work. I am writing at 11:35pm, after taking a four-hour nap. As I write, there are several miniscule bugs annoying me on my computer screen as it is the only light in the room now, and being bugs, they are drawn to it. Anyway, back to my day. I feel very well and hydrated now, but that wasn’t always the case today. I starred adversity straight in the eye today, and I am not sure of the effects of it yet. To help you understand, I should start at the beginning.

I was picked up at 8:30 to get to work. I had many bags of stuff, and I soon realized that I would be riding on the back of a motorcycle! I had to hold all my stuff, pray they wouldn’t fall while we rode and, most importantly, pray that I wouldn’t fall off while we rode! It is very bumpy on the roads, and not to mention very crowded. Following the Rules of the Road in India means you follow a pecking order; the bigger you are, the more authority you have. It begins with trucks and buses, then to Sumos (or jeep-like vehicles), then cars (which are all compact), then rickshaws, then motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and lastly dogs. Oh, but there is one exception to the rule and that is the cow- the cows are not phased by the hectic roads and never move to get out of the way. They know that everyone will move to get out of theirs. Must be nice. Anyway, so I am on this bike and driving through town. I don’t know my way around and I do not go out on my own. I realize that I must be the only white person in Dahod. I do not see any others, and I get plenty of stares. Being a minority has an interesting affect on your psyche. I do not feel special- I feel out of place and intrusive. Luckily, this has only been a worry that I’ve created in my mind and has not been verified by my India hosts at all. I sincerely believe they are happy to have me, and without a doubt I am happy to have them!

When I arrived at Sahaj, there were pleasant greetings, and I was embraced as a guest. My bosses Jabeen and Ranvir were out for the day, and I wondered what affect it would have on everyone’s first impressions. I was asked to sit and wait, and after five minutes or so Umil, the head of marketing, came to introduce himself. He told me that they start the day with a prayer, and I asked if I was able to join. He welcomed me next to him as he led it. The prayer time was familiar in that it was the same seated pose that I had done many times in yoga class, and there were three “om” chants, all of which I participated in. Other than that, I quietly listened with my eyes closed. After prayer, a team member is assigned to give a presentation to the group. Today’s presentation was about the state of Gujarat, and was spoken in Hindi or Gujarati, I am not sure of the difference yet. Either way, I like the idea of it, and I like the overall culture at Sahaj. There are very inspiring quotes up on the walls, and fans everywhere making the rooms comfortable (or so I though). My day was going great. I was given a tour of the place by Umil, I was allowed to use internet to get in touch with the rest of the world, and I was shown the catalogue of product lines and told to look through to see which one I wanted to work on. Besides being told to do that for my meeting with Ranvir tomorrow, I had nothing to do. I decided I would best be suited for the international home fashions lines and began looking into the fair trade market share of the U.S. I wanted to have some figures prepared and to show that I utilized the day.

Unfortunately, at four pm with two hours to go in the day, I began experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion. I blame it on the fact that last night I did not have sanitary water, so I could not drink until I got to the office this morning. At that point I downed two liters, then sweated it all out. The once comfortable rooms became unbearable. I was worried that if I did not say something and ask to lay down, that I would experience a worse condition- faint, vomit, or low blood pressure. In hindsight, I do not regret my decision, as health needs to be my first priority. I am disappointed however because it was not an ideal way to start a relationship with my co-workers at Sahaj. I heard laughs and chatter, and no doubt was becoming the butt of a joke because I was sitting in the showroom, not particularly out of anyone’s way, and trying to breathe and relax. I would rate the experience a seven out of ten on the Lauren Humiliation Scale. Communication was difficult because Umil was the only one speaking English, and I could not apologize to the team for the disturbance I was causing. I can only hope that tomorrow, when Jabeen and Ranvir come back to the office, this will all be settled and it will be nothing more than water under the bridge.

When they finally came to tell me I would be going home, I was very excited. I was to take a van because my luggage had been delivered from the airport. I was very nauseous in the car ride. Once I arrived home, I quickly went to Dharmistah for consoling, and couldn’t help but cry out of frustration. She told me not to cry and that it is ok. She had a difficult time understanding me at first like everybody else, but with persistence we worked it out. The concept that my body needs to adjust to a place like India is a very weird one for a native Indian because this is what they are used to. For me it is difficult, but I think this experience has taught everyone I am more fragile and proved to them that I need mineral water. Ok, well these bugs are annoying me, so I think I am going to try to sleep again. I have yet to sleep more than four hours in a row, and I hope that will also change soon. Peace out. Love you all!

-Your CV
Lauren

In the Office





Hey everybody! I can not tell you how good it feels to have internet connection. It is now 4pm and I am definitely feeling the jet lag sink in. Two hours more to go for the work day. Tomorrow I will post more about Sahaj, but for now I will post pictures of the office. I hope you enjoy!

Oh, by the way, I get a ride to work on a back of a motorcycle! So fun!

-Your CV,
Lauren

First day!

Wow. I have just finished cleaning all the files on my computer! It was a gigantic task- because it is three years of my disorganization needing undoing. Luckily, I was able to do it today, because Sunday is a holiday in India, and I had very little other obligations.

Now, back to the fact that I am living in India! So today I was pretty much left alone to manage- I did not have anyone holding my hand throughout my day. I am living on the top floor of a family’s home and currently sharing the room with Dharmistah. We are getting along very well, and she has invited me to go to her home with her after her exams and meet her family. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I will be able to take off work, and I am sad she will not be my roommate all summer. As for where she lives, I could not tell you because it is very hard for me to understand people saying Hindi words because they say it so fast for my ear. Other observations that I have had is that when wearing my gold costume jewelry today, I felt very self-conscious because I realized that most likely their jewelry is real gold from special gifts. The fact that I am wearing large jewelry would appear that I would have lots of money to afford so much gold- obviously I know I got this cheap a** s*** at Claire’s but I need to be careful because I don’t want to give off a pretentious message. Another interesting thing about living here is something that I would never imagine myself doing in my wildest dreams- and that is that throwing out your trash simply means that literarily, you throw your trash out your window. Trash is everywhere in these urban settings, and in my mind it is unfortunate that they do not do something more organized with their disposal for both aesthetic as well as sanitation reasons. Since I have toured the Rumpke dump, I find it interesting that we complained that it was in our “back yard” when referencing the dump being within miles away. That definition has completely new meaning here because your trash really is in your back yard, as well s on your doorstep, on your way to work, in your meeting spaces- everywhere! The issues with dumping is very much more visible here, but it is interesting to note that Rumpke still has environmental issues, and just because it is more hidden does not make it better. I find India’s authenticity refreshing.

On another note, drinking water has become a minor issue. I am not sure whether or not the water that I am drinking out of bottles is in fact bottle water, or tap water bottled. In terms of recycling, it is great that Indians reuse things- something Americans have failed to learn- but in terms of my health, which is vital for the success of this trip is that I need water that my body is used to. Unfortunately that separated me from native Indians- creates a slight barrier, and makes for me to seem rude when I have to turn it down. I have explained to Dharma, and will to the family when the time is right. Hopefully that should clear up any miscommunications.

Another thing is that I am constantly served more food than I can eat. Since I am trying to cut back this summer, it is even more difficult because it probably seems confusing when I say I love India food, yet I do not finish half of what I am given. Regardless, I am enjoying the food very much and the spiciness has not been a problem. I hope to learn how to make some foods. When I went downstairs to get water, I saw my host mother and Monika making chapatti and it smelled like spicy pancakes. Reminded me of home- but not really the spicy part. My mom hates spice.
For most of the day I have been in my light, pale pink room that has textured water stained walls, lizard guests, open windows with horizontal bars and balcony with ornate design handrail. The ceiling fan sounds like there is constant rain on a tin roof, but there has not been any rain so far in my stay. While I have not left the house today, I feel it is nice because my room opens up nicely to the out of doors.

I was invited downstairs two times throughout the day to meet my host family. There is a grandmother and two children, two spouses, and two grandchildren living here. They are the Thavrani surname. Later in the day another son, his wife and two grandchildren along with a great niece and great uncle came by. They all live in Dahod in other homes. Everyone sits around and talks and enjoys their day off. It is very lovely to see such a close, friendly and welcoming family who is so proud of each other. Only the grandson who is probably 24 and studying medicine in University speaks variable English. They all learn English in school and do their studies in it, but they are not as strong conversationally. Plus my accent throws them off a little bit since I am not from the UK. Some funny things that occurred during the time I spent with them was that I was not from Germany. For some reason that is where they were told I was from. Next, was that they couldn’t believe I was 20. Everyone thought I was thirty or something. We laughed that Indians look young for their age too. Another coincidence is that Monika and I have the same birthday and she is 18. We are practicing English conversation for her and Gujarati for me. Dharmistah is also helping me. Tomorrow at 8pm I will meet with Dumah Thavrani to teach her English and practice conversation. Indians have a very strong ethic to learn and value education. Most Indians that I am meeting have advanced degrees such as masters, and likely more.

I am very excited to start work tomorrow, and I know it will bring many challenges. Things like using the bathroom in a crouched position, showering with a bucket, chucking my trash out the window, and eating with my hands have been a difficult to adapt to, and not knowing what is going on in conversations in Hindi or English, but as I know this is about unlearning old habits, and learning a new way of life. It is the ultimate test of survival. I can do it. Also, I am looking forward to emailing my family and friends tomorrow and will be very disappointed if I do not get the chance to do that. It is difficult not having any way to contact them over the past two days. Even though we are not together physically, I am reliant on technology to connect me to them. After all, my roommate is always texting or calling her friends that are far away. It would be a lot less painful if I was able to do that, but I know that this is not about having a pain free experience. In a sick way, that is what I am after, so I can grow the most.

-Your CV,
Lauren

Fresh fruit!

Omg. I've just had the most amazing banana. It was half the size as the ones at home but twice the flavor. It is melt in your mouth good.

-Your CV,
Lauren

Adventure of a lifetime!




If adventure is what I traveled to India for, then I have surely gotten what I want out of this experience. It has been a memorable past couple of days- I’m not sure I can classify them as days- just stringed together groupings of hours. When I arrived in Istanbul I had little time to catch my next plane, and I was frustrated that I could not get Internet. I hopped onto the Mumbai flight and was happy when I arrived six hours later. It is at this point in my journey that my strength was tested. There were three things I was nervous about coming into the travel component of the trip, and I had to overcome all three of them. I still have a great sense of happiness about this trip, and feel very accomplished to have managed these. The first is that my checked bag did not make it to Mumbai- this means that some of my clothes, toiletries, and my precious yoga mat will not make it to me until tomorrow. As long as my bag comes soon I do not foresee this to be a big deal since I packed all my necessities in my carry-on. One point for me. Next, when I tried to transfer from the Mumbai International airport to the domestic one, which are both zoos, I was told I could not go on the complimentary shuttle because I did not have my boarding pass. I had my e-ticket on my phone, but of course the pile of papers I left at home had that included. This meant that I had to take a taxi in Mumbai to get there! Would I make it in time? Would I make it alive? Mumbai is a big crazy place, and I was afraid it’d swallow me right up. Luckily, I saw a long cue in front of the prepaid taxi line, so I realized that would be the best option. I probably got ripped off; I paid 150 rupees, or around three American dollars to go ten minutes. Of course it takes a lot longer because he makes stops to see his friends, the petrol station, and the administration building where he gets his pay. Overall it went fine and I got there with plenty of time. I was confused about tipping protocol, but since I already paid him a hefty sum, I wasn’t worried about not tipping- still; I need to get the breakdown from Jabeen on that matter. Lastly on my list of fears was not having anyone meet me when I got out of the airport in Ahmedabad. You guessed it, no one was there. I paced up and down the pick up line a couple to times to double check, then I waited for a few minutes. My plane was delayed so I didn’t think it could be that they were running late, so I tried to go back inside the airport to use the pay phones. When I was trying to get past security back into the building, a woman who said she runs an NGO offered me her phone. SO NICE! We called the numbers I had a couple of times, and no luck. We found another woman to help me that had a land line in the administration building, and I ended up being like a lost kid at the museum- hanging out in the airport manager’s office, chatting with all the managers, getting served chai, and trying to figure out how I was going to get to Dahod. Luckily, Jabeen, my boss, was also coming into the airport from Mumbai, so I just had to wait 20 min for her arrival and then another 20 minutes for Ranvir and our car. Speaking of Jabeen, I love her! I am very comforted by the fact that she is my boss! She is a beautiful tall woman who wore jeans and a maroon corto and muted gold scarf- an outfit I could totally see myself wearing. I remembered her from the party back in December, and it was nice to connect a face to the messages I have been having over the past three months. On to Ranvir, he is also so nice! He is the one that gave us the tour of Sahaj back at my last visit, and he has been so friendly and inviting. After we all met up, we went on the road to go to Ahmedabad to have a meeting with sanitation NGO Environmental Sanitation Institute. It was very nice, and I should have brought my camera. It is very similar to Sadguru in that it is a campus training facility, and it is very beautiful too. Sahaj and an offshoot of ESI want to form a partnership for income generation crafts for women. They are planning an exhibition for October. I got to take a nice nap while they all had a meeting about details. There is a lot more Hindi/Gujarati spoken than I would have anticipated. I need to start learning now. On our way back we stopped at a McDonalds to meet someone- I got a coke and it woke me up just enough to have a great conversation with Jabeen about preconceptions of India and the U.S. and how they are developing and the difference in the way of life. It was really great making that connection with her, and realizing we are on the same page in terms of the pros and cons of development. I realize that while I have a love for India and its culture, I also have a very naïve perspective from my last trip because we were sheltered and stayed in Chosala. Now, I’m living in town and will lead the life of a typical Indian- or at least will try (I do not have a cell phone yet, and that is an Indian staple. They are ALWAYS on their phone; way more than Americans if you can believe it!) The car dropped off Ranvir then Jabeen, and I was taken last to my house. I live on the top floor of a family’s home, and there is one bedroom and a water closet. The family is so kind and have three or four generations living here. I currently share my room with Dharmi, who is an engineering student taking her finals this week and temporarily leasing the space. She will be gone in a week, and I wonder if I will get a new roommate or live alone all summer. I am told I get my meals provided for me, and I get a ride to and from work every day. I am excited to meet everyone from Sahaj; my hope is that I can live a balanced life here, have friends that I socialize with, and that I can do good work for Sahaj. It is important to note that coming here is like erasing all my experience with social norms and living with universal humanity to count on and instinctive survival skills. There is no doubt that I will learn a ton on this trip- I am living a completely different life than I would at home. This experience- to be able to see the world in new light- will be amazing. I can’t wait! Oh, and I can’t wait to get used to the toilets, or holes in the ground. I have not perfected my technique yet.


-Your CV,

Lauren

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Peace out Amurica!


The sun is quickly disappearing into the horizon here in Toronto. The sky has been the most notable aspects of the start of my journey- it has foreshadowed what is to come, as well as made me realize the sweetness of what I am leaving behind. The sky, which is usually something we view as having limitations, will be my constant in my trip- if you think about it, the sky is always the same no matter where you are in the world. The sky today also provided me with the most beautiful view of my hometown, Evanston, Illinois, that I have ever seen. When I was up in the little plane on the way to Toronto from O'hare, I could see the Chicago land area with the utmost clarity. It was like I had a complete understanding of my hometown- literally from all angles, that I am inspired to seek out a new land, a new people, and a new way of life.

With this gun-ho attitude I am currently in route to my three month co-op (aka internship for school credit) in Dahod, India. I am working for the NGO Sahaj, whose vision is "To empower tribal women through art and craft based activities, providing them opportunities and wider choices in life towards an equitable society." It will surely be a great learning experience. I am not totally sure of what I am doing, but I am excited by the opportunity to try something new. Hopefully, there will be a mutual exchange where I can help Sahaj, and Sahaj can help me.

I have completed my first leg of my journey with my arrival in Toronto, and will soon be boarding to go to Istanbul. After that is Mumbai, then Ahmadabad, and lastly Dahod. The solitude of the travels thus far have been nice, but I am interested to see how long I can be my own best friend. I'll be sure to keep you updated. Stay tuned.

-Your CV,
Lauren