Varanasi and the First Week at SRCC

Since last time I wrote, we have traveled to Varanasi where we discovered many interesting aspects, as well as attended the first week of classes at SRCC. The reason it has taken me so long to post again is because internet access is limited and much slower than we are used to in the US. Sam wrote a really good summary of Varanasi and same for Heidi of the first week at SRCC. I will summarize what has happened so far including my most memorable moments and add anything interesting that Sam or Heidi may have left out.  

Varanasi:

On December 30, we woke up early to get picked up for our adventure to Varanasi. We arranged for breakfast at the hotel early. It consisted of cheese sandwiches and ketchup. They weren’t like grilled cheese but weren’t just cheese between two slices of bread either. An Indian cheese sandwich is white bread with the crust cut off with a piece of white cheese slightly melted between the two slices. Dipping them in ketchup gave them a unique flavor. We then got picked up by our driver and ventured off to the Delhi domestic flight airport. The domestic airport is much different than the international airport. Security guards are at the entrance of the building and they don’t let anyone pass without a ticket. Our airline was called SpiceJet. We were very confused at first because our ticket said SG 119 and we couldn’t figure out which airline that was. We thought it was very funny when we learned that, instead of SJ, SG stood for SpiceJet. Delhi has been very foggy lately and that caused our flight to be delayed. All flights were delayed until the fog lifted, which caused some people to be delayed over 7 hours. We found a corner of the airport and made the most of this experience. We played card games, connected to the free wi-fi, and chatted with locals who were also delayed. Once we got to Varanasi, a very friendly local tour agent met us at the airport and brought us to our hotel. He told us our tour guide would be ready to go the next morning at 6 a.m. for a morning boat ride on the Ganges to watch the sunrise. We were super excited.

Domestic Airport Crowd

The next morning, we got up early and ventured to the Ganges River.  As Sam said, poverty is very prevalent in Varanasi. We later learned that the government actually keeps the city from modernizing to preserve its culture. On our walk to the river, the most interesting thing I saw was the Indian form of a tooth brush. On the side of the street at early morning, a man was selling wood sticks that were about 8 inches long. Our tour guide explained that people actually chew on the tip of the stick until it becomes brush-like, and then they use it like a brush. This type of wood contains fluoride and other minerals helpful for tooth care. Once we reached the river, two little girls came up to us to sell us these flower candle things, which are supposed to be lit and then placed in the Ganges to make a wish come true. We each bought one of these flower candles for 10 rupee each and then piled into the wooden boat. As we paddled down the river, our tour guide explained the various gods of Hinduism to us and we saw each building that belonged to them. The Ganges is very sacred and Hindus believe that being cremated and then spread in the Ganges is the best resting place. My favorite part of the Ganges river experience was lighting my candle, making a wish, and watching my candle float away down the Holy Ganges. 

Flower candle

Ceremony Area on the Banks of the Ganges

After our boat ride, we set out to experience the narrow streets of Varanasi. Sam already described the unique sites of the universities, temples, and stores. The day was jam-packed and non-stopped. Another memorable experience was our first rickshaw ride. We were amazed that such a little man could drive us through the bumpy, windy streets of Varanasi. Traffic was crazy and it made us nervous that we might get hit by a passing car or bus; however, every driver seems to be very aware of his surroundings. We reached the streets that approach the Ganges and were amazed by how they came to life throughout the day. When we first visited the river in the morning the streets were bare with only a few people out preparing for the day. The night was quite the opposite. People were everywhere. Music playing, kids running, hawkers selling, and, of course, tourists were attempting to take it all in. As Sam mentioned, our first experience of using an eastern toilet was memorable. We weren’t sure what to expect, but knew we just needed to take what we could get. The facility was relatively clean and being from northern Wisconsin, it was comparable to utilizing the woods when camping, minus watching out for poison ivyJ. Using an eastern toilet is an experience any westerner should try to really capture the whole understanding of eastern culture and it’s really not that bad. As Sam mentioned also, once we reached the river there were Brahmans performing a nightly ceremony with lots of worship, song, and dance, as well as flames, flowers, and incents. It was a very spiritual ceremony. The day had been long, however, and we were eager to get back to the hotel to welcome in the New Year. Our hotel had a New Year’s party for all of its guests. A buffet was available all night, which consisted of Indian and Chinese dishes, as well as a wide array of desserts. We also watched two women perform some Indian dances and then we proceeded to welcome in the New Year on the dance floor where we were accompanied by some Indian and French families. The night was not our traditional New Year’s Eve; however, we had a lot of fun. We taught the Indian children some American dance moves (Abby and Felicity were the most popular by the children) and the Indian women taught us some new dance moves to Indian songs. Overall, it was a very fun and eventful night. We had another day of travelling ahead of us the next day so we decided to go to bed not too long after the party ended.

Group outside a temple

Helping make a silk scarf on a hand loom

On the River Ganges

The next morning we returned to Delhi to prepare for the SRCC program to begin.

Delhi:

January 1- New Year’s Day

For Indian culture, New Year’s Day dinner is a special event. People book reservations for high class restaurants weeks in advance and get whole families together to welcome the New Year. The seven of us that travelled early had the pleasure of accompanying Dr. Yelkur at the top hotel in Delhi, the ITC Maurya Sheraton, for dinner at the Bukhara. She introduced us to the HR Manager and some of his staff members. They treated us exceptionally well and made us feel like royalty. Thanks to Dr. Yelkur, we were able to experience something that many Delhi natives have never had the chance to receive. We are very grateful she gave us that opportunity. Something interesting that happened to us on the way to the hotel was getting pulled over by the police. Despite the chaotic traffic and lack of following traffic signals, police are still watching certain street corners for illegal u-turns. It seemed quite ridiculous to us that people can drive the wrong way down one-ways, go on red lights, and weave in and out of traffic like they’re playing Frogger in real life, but get pulled over for making a u-turn. Something different than in the US is that the driver must pay the ticket right away or the police will not let them leave. A common practice for taxi drivers is to make their passengers pay the ticket; therefore, we paid the driver’s ticket which was 100 rupees (~$2).

Ceiling of the Hotel Maurya Lobby

January 2- Move-in Day

Finally the moment had arrived, we moved from South Delhi to North Delhi into the University Guest House (UGH) at SRCC. We came with open minds as we had no idea what to expect. The group of us that arrived early was welcomed with open arms. SRCC is teaching us a whole new level of hospitality. Anything we need, they will help us get, and if they cannot, they will find someone that can. We received a preprogram orientation and hi-tea, which was a little welcome party for us complete with snacks, cake, and tea. We had the opportunity to meet all of our Indian buddies who were very eager to ask us many questions and learn about our lives. We exchanged a lot of information about our lives and felt very welcomed by the end of the day. We then practiced for our cultural presentations and went to sleep in anticipation of the first day of classes at SRCC.      

University Guest House

Outside UGH

SRCC Building

January 3-5- Our First Week at SRCC

Sam already gave a detailed description of the first week of the program, and Heidi commented on the first two days. I will give a brief description of my thoughts of each day, while referring to Sam’s detailed blog throughout. Our daily schedule is pretty laid back but very intense at the same time. We start each day at 10 a.m. with a session then have a half hour tea break. After that we have another session followed by lunch. If we do not have any industry visits, lunch is proceeded by another session followed by a tea break then another session. The days at SRCC normally end around 5 p.m. then we head out for some type of prearranged night time activity, such as a market or a light and sound show. We then have to return to UGH by 8 p.m. for dinner unless something is already arranged for dinner outside the campus. Dinner consists of a buffet of various Indian dishes including vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices.

January 3- Inaugural Presentation and Cultural Presentations

We woke up early in anticipation of our first day of classes at SRCC. Breakfast is served from 8 – 9 a.m. every morning and consists of fruit, corn flakes with sweet warm milk, omelets, and toast. We then ventured to SRCC by rickshaws that are provided to us by the SRCC student SIFE program. The day at SRCC started out with a very formal inaugural presentation. We then proceeded with our cultural presentations and the Indian students followed us with a presentation of the past, present, and future of Delhi. For lunch, as Sam and Heidi already said, we had McDonald’s. In India the cow is sacred and therefore no beef products are served in Indian McDonald’s. We had McChickens, which surprising tasted exactly like a McChicken from the US. It was also very refreshing to have a drink with ice in it. Certain things we are accustomed to in the US are not available for us in India. Like travelling to any foreign country, we must adapt to our surroundings, which makes us cherish certain things from home. After our sessions, some SRCC students were eager to take us to a local market and teach us the “proper” bargaining techniques. We learned that when the hawker says a price, ask for less than half and work the way up from there until we reach a reasonable price. This piece of advice has become very useful in our recent travels. The first day was very interesting and successful from learning about our buddies and purchasing good bargains.

January 4- Baby Corn on Pizza and Delhi Haat Bargaining

Our second day of class was very interesting because the sessions began. The first speaker was very motivational and interesting when he discussed creative problem solving. His teaching style was much like US professors where he used humor and we got to interact. The second session was similar to a lecture hall lecture in the US as he primarily lectured about a topic and we just took notes without interaction. After the two sessions, we had a break for lunch. We tried Indian style pizza from Pizza Hut for lunch. The pizza was interesting with vegetables, such as baby corn and jalapenos, on it. The third session was about the Hindi language. The professor was very enthusiastic about this topic and he wants to teach us how to write some words in Hindi. After the sessions, we went to Delhi Haat. This is a market place that changes themes every couple of weeks. It had handicrafts from all around India and a few neighboring countries. This is the place we really learned to bargain. Most of the SRCC buddies came with us and we devised great strategies for effective bargaining. We first would send our buddies to the shops and get them to bargain the prices and then we would come to purchase the items or negotiate more if the prices were not low enough. It worked really well because if the shop keepers saw us first they would start with a much higher price and would not be as willing to negotiate. This day was also our first experience with the metro. Riding in the metro reminded me of my visit to London. Because of the British influence, the metro voice is exactly the same as it is in the United Kingdom. Every time the metro stopped, “It would say, ‘Mind the gap.’” There were also signs everywhere that were worded differently than we would see them in the US.

Delhi Haat

Handicrafts

January 5- Lights, Sounds, and the ITC Maurya

Our third day of class began with a session from our UWEC professor, Nancy Rasmussen. She discussed a topic of her expertise, Diversity in the Workplace. She had us form groups and discuss certain topics. It was very interesting to see how excited and competitive the SRCC students got when we started to discuss. They said Professor Rasmussen’s session was very fun because in their normal college classes they do not have the opportunity to interact with each other. The second speaker was from the all-girls college at the Delhi University. She lectured about mythology and the different Hindu gods. Mythology is a very interesting topic and she was only able to outline the a few different stories on the topic. For lunch we had Subway. The “non-veg” sandwiches were turkey with mustard and a variety of vegetables. It was refreshing to have some raw vegetables that we knew would be safe for us to eat. The reason we have to be careful with raw vegetables is because normally they are washed in tap water, which could cause us to get “Delhi Belly.” So far we have all had happy and healthy stomachs and we hope that will continue to be the case. We do know that “Delhi Belly” is an option though and we have been educated on how to reduce the chance of getting it and what to do if we do get it. After lunch, we all piled on a bus and headed to the ITC Maurya Sheraton, the same hotel where we had the opportunity to eat New Year’s dinner. At the Maurya we learned about how they have achieved LEED certification and are working to help the environment. Sam already described in detail what we got to see, but I just wanted to add that the ways they conserve energy and help the environment are very interesting because of the condition of most of the city. Sam mentioned the guard monkey the Maurya hired to keep away the smaller monkeys. I found that particularly interesting because that is not a problem any HR manager would encounter in a corporation in the United States. It was also a unique way to solve the problem of the small monkey pests. We then went to Etopia for dinner, which is kind of like a mini food court in a mall. It had a variety of menu items and we got a tray of foods that consisted of rice, chicken, mutton, and sauces. We then went to a really cool light and sound show. It was outside and projected onto the ruins of the Old Fort. I have never seen anything like it and was amazed that Delhi had something so complex. It portrayed the story of the history of Delhi. We then hopped back on the bus and headed back to UGH. All of our buddies then said good bye and wished us luck on our trip to Agra and Jaipur over the weekend.

Unfiltered vs. Filtered Water

One of Many Solar Panels

Light Show

Showing the History of Delhi

My next post will be about our weekend trip on the Golden Triangle. Also, I have been keeping a list of tips to write about once the trip is over. This list will help prepare anyone coming to India in the future. A few topics it will include will be travelling, packing, and bargaining.

Namaste

-Ashley

Our First Week at SRCC

1/3/11

   Last Tuesday was our first day of class.  We were taken to SRCC by rickshaws and will be for the rest of our time here.  I think it makes for a great start to the day!  When we go to the campus we went to the seminar room where our lectures would be held.  They began our Indo-US program with an inaugural session.    We had a lot of free time to talk to the other students and get to know our buddies.  For lunch we also got to try Indian McDonalds.  I had a McChicken and it really tasted the same, however instead of beef options they offered vegetarian sandwiches.  After classes were done some of the students took us to the local market to do a bit of shopping.  I ended up getting a new phone cover and my backpack fixed. I was nervous about getting my backpack sewed up on the street but it was pretty awesome… there was a man sitting with a sewing machine on the side of the road and he cut it back open and stitched it well.. and only for 20 rupee. 

     We also were assigned our group project assignments the first day.  My group was assigned “Cultural codes and doing business in India.”  I feel like this is something that interests me and I already know something about it.  Our group consists of 2 American students and 4 Indian students.  On this day I also was introduced to my buddies, Mayur and Srishti.  This first week Srishti is with me and then next week Mayur will be.

1/4/11

     Wednesday – our second day of class. We had 3 speakers that day.  The first speaker was Amit Sachdeva.  His discussion was on creative problem solving.  He talked a lot about innovations and thinking outside the box.  He discussed how most people use their logic in new situations but we also need to think creatively in order to come up with new lasting innovations.  The second speaker was Professor I.M. Pandey.  He discussed management techniques and held more of an open forum.  We were able to ask questions and he seemed very knowledgeable in his field.  Overall it was a great start to the program. The last speaker was Professor Ravi Sharma, a Hindi professor at SRCC.  He told us he generally only spoke Hindi and this was one of his first times translating the Hindi writing into English so we could understand.  It was interesting to see how the language had evolved.  For lunch we had Pizza Hut. They put white sauce (were assuming alfredo) and normal pizza sauce.  Although different I still thought it was really good!  Speaking of food another interesting thing we learned was that in India they eat all their cereal with hot milk.  Our first morning in the guest house we were all a bit confused why the milk was hot but many of us are really starting to enjoy it.  It is generally corn flakes and then we will put sugar in the bowl to sweeten it up.

     After our school day was over we went to a market type place called Dilli Haat.  It was so awesome.  To get there we took the metro which was insane.  We had to go through metal detectors and have our bags go through a security check.. similar to the airport.  I understand why the do this because they want to make sure everyone riding the metro is safe.  Although different it was anything stressful.  At Delhi Haat there were a ton of different shops and venders selling anything and everything.  I bought bracelets, scarves, and a purse.  Others bought shoes, jewelry, wood workings, and other unique things they found.   Srishti, my buddy was with me and some other girls and helped us get fair and reasonable prices.  I’m really loving this whole bargaining thing.  It’s fun to be able to bicker back and forth to come to an agreement on a price we are willing to pay.

1/5/11

    Our first speaker on Thursday was Nancy Rasmussen, doing a segment on diversity in the work place.  It was very similar to the class most of us had already taken with her but the Indian students hadn’t had a class on diversity so I think they enjoyed it.  We broke up into small groups which was also nice so we could talk with others and discuss cultural differences.  It was interesting to hear what the other students had to say.  Each group said one difference in media they noticed.  One example I thought was very interesting was that in india they have make up for both men and women to make their skin appear lighter.  I remember in Nancy’s class talking about Cover Girl lighting an African American woman’s face to make her appear lighter than her skin color. I was not expecting to hear this similarity.  The students were telling us how in Indian society it is also preferred to have a lighter skin tone.  We all agreed that this isn’t true and that people should be happy with who they are. 

     Our second speaker of the day was Bharti Jagannathan, a professor at Miranda House College.  She discussed mythology and its impact on the Indian culture.  She was a very fast speaker but we were able to follow her stories.  She began by talking a lot about karma and the idea of rebirth.  Your actions of this life will effect for next life, and your previous life affects this one.  It was very interesting and not something I had necessarily thought a lot about.  She told us there are many different layers to mythology.  Hindu's believe in the idea of karma and rebirth, yet believe in heaven and hell.  She explained that if their is rebirth then there wouldn't be heaven and hell yet they are still both believed.  Its because of these layers.  She then went on the talk about the different gods and the idea of the Hindu religion.  Although confusing at times I thought it was very interesting and insightful into this culture.  Another topic discussed was the many different gods that are worshiped.  Professor Jagannathan explained that many families will generally have one god that their family chooses to pray too but they still pray to all others as well. 
    Thus far I’m really enjoying the people I’m meeting and the places I’m visiting.  Things in India are a lot different from home; it’s not weird or bad, just different.  I will say seeing cows roaming the streets in the city is still strange but it’s a cultural difference and I like that I am able to experience it and see these things first hand.

     We had subway for lunch and then everyone was on the bus headed to ITC Maurya, a large hotel in Delhi.  ITC Maurya is a part of ITC Limited, a publicly traded company.  Hotels alone form one of the major components of ITC Limited, and their hotels are known as one if India's premier hotel chains.  Two members of the hotel management held a presentation for us regarding conserving energy and how they as a major chain are attempting to use renewable energy.  We then toured the hotel.  It was interesting to hear about how the company is trying to cut back on water consumption but having sinks that automatically shut off, or by allowing guests the option to not have their sheets and towels washed daily.  They are also trying to reduce their energy consumption.  They took us on the roof and showed us solar panels.  We were shown how they rotated with the sun in order to capture more sun light.  We also were able to look at their water filtering systems.

     We also got to see this large monkey that guards the hotel and keeps out the smaller monkeys.  It seems like such an odd idea but apparently it works?  By “hiring” the larger monkey they are able to keep away to smaller monkeys that were roaming on the outside and sometimes inside of the hotel.  After the tour we went to Etopia for dinner.  We had a variety of Indian foods, most were good.  In India most options are either vegetarian or non-vegetarian.  Because many people are vegetarians, all restaurants have a wide variety of options.  The foods here are always so flavorful, using many spices.  After dinner we went to a light and sound show at the old fort.  The show was displayed on an old barrier wall and it was presented using all sorts of different lights.  I had never seen anything like it.  It’s a story of the history of Delhi.

     Since being in Delhi I’m really enjoying getting to know the people.  I love making new friends and learning about people.  Our study abroad group is really turning into a family and we all just laugh all the time.  I’m also starting to get to know many of the Indian students.  It’s nice having people to talk to and ask anything and everything.  I just appreciate how accepting and helpful everyone here is.  The other students are always looking out for us and wanting us to have fun and be safe.  If there is something we need someone will help us, no questions asked.  While being here I’m definitely noticing a lot of cultural differences but I’m also finding a lot of similarities.  College students are college students.  The Indian students are very intelligent yet have great personalities.  

-Sam

Touring the Countryside

We just returned to the University Guest House from a wonderful weekend of touring India.  We left Friday morning and "endured" a long bus ride.  It's amazing how a 250 km ride (approx. 110 miles) can take 6 hours!  We arrived in Jaipur early enough to visit the Jantar Mantar Observatory.  It was very interesting to see giant sundials made of marble that are accurate to 6 seconds. 

We also visited City Palace and Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds).  There are no words to describe these beautiful architectural buildings.  The amount of time and craftsmanship that had to have been utilized to create such beauty is unbelievable.  We also did some shopping in the local marketplace.  What an adventure that was!  Shop owners would follow us down the street trying to negotiate a price that we would agree to.  It was great fun, and we picked up some nice souvenirs (for very reasonable prices - we must be good bargainers).  Our hotel Friday night (Alsisar Haveli) was beautiful and reminded me of a palace.  After dinner we were treated to a puppet show in the courtyard that involved music, singing, and entertaining puppetry that included setting a puppet on fire.  One of the females in our group was given the opportunity to try her hand at puppetry and performed wonderfully.

Saturday we arrived at Amber Fort early enough to "beat the crowd".  This turned out to be a very good decision as our group arrived right before a tour bus of close to 100 people.  We mounted elephants at the base of the hill and rode up the hill to the fort in style.  When we reached the top we toured the fort.  Again, such beautiful architecture.  We learned that it took over 100 years to build this fort at the top of a hill just outside Jaipur.  There were so many rooms to see, that we decided it would be a great place to play hide-and-go-seek.  After spending some time taking pictures and learning of the building's history, we got a ride to the bottom of the hill in Jeeps and again boarded the bus.

Our next stop was at Fatehpur Sikri.  This was a palace built by Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.  Yet another large beautiful structure.  We were able to go into his bedroom and view the elevated stone platform that he used as his bed.  We got back to the gate to leave and they had locked up for the night.  We were able to summon a guard to let us out, thank goodness.

We then got back on board the bus and continued our travel to Agra, where we spent the night at another beautiful hotel, the Raj Mahal (we were spoiled over the weekend with the luxurious accomodations).

In the morning we headed straight to the Taj Mahal, as we were informed that an important dignitary was going to be visiting at 11:00 a.m. and they would be closing down for him/her.  When we got to the Taj Mahal it was kind of foggy, but we were still able to take some fantastic pictures.  It's unbelievable the amount of marble that can be used in one building.  The Taj Mahal was built for Emperor Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal.  Both of their tombs rest in the center of the building.  The intricate carving of the marble and inlaid stones are beautiful.  No wonder it is one of the seven wonders of the world.  We stayed as long as we could and took advantage of this photo opportunity with MANY different poses and just generally had a very good time here.

Our last official stop was at the Red Fort just a little way past the Taj Mahal (in fact you can see the Taj Mahal from the Red Fort).  The Red Fort was built by Emperor Akbar.  I found it especially interesting that there is a double security wall around the fort.  We learned that during it's time of use there were crocodiles in the moat outside the first wall, then elephants during the day and tigers during the night between the first and second walls.  Talk about good security!  This expansive structure seemed to go on and on.  By the end of our tour we were exhausted and ready to board the bus again. 

We stopped for lunch and also snuck in a little shopping time on the local streets.  Again, it was so much fun to negoatiate with the local people on the prices of their trinkets.  We were able to pick up some more souvenirs to bring home and share with our families.

Throughout the weekend I found that Dr. Yelkur was very correct in her statement that the locals really appreciate when we attempt to use the few Hindi words we learned.  Each time I have used Hindi words for "thank you", "bottled water", or "excuse me" it has been returned with a smile from the locals. It helps me remember that we are all similar in so many ways, yet different as well.  It also helps me feel like I'm doing my part to show the Indian people that Americans are good people who want to keep a positive relationship with them.

Until next time-

Heidi

Day 2

Yesterday was another fun and exciting day.  As mentioned earlier, I finally have internet connection.  I have found that you need to exude patience when connecting to the internet, though.  Although if you are an early riser (as I am), you are much more successful!

After a day of interesting lectures at Shri Ram College of Commerce, we visited the market where local crafts are sold.  Lots of beautiful woodworking, jewelry, scarves and other items were available for sale.  Our Indian buddies were ever so helpful in negotiating prices, and also helped explain to us the historical significance of many of the crafts that were offered for sale.  In the middle of the complex there were musicians playing and women dressed in authentic costumes dancing for passers-by. 

We rode the underground Metro to the market.  That in itself was quite the experience.  When we got on the train, there were not many people aboard.  By the time we exited the train it was packed body to body.  We are starting to get used to "the gaze" from the locals.  We look very different from the natives, and people definitely notice.  Ashley especially draws a lot of attention (she has very blonde hair).

As we were leaving the market, several of us got our hair "braided".  We picked out colors of embroidery floss, and the women wrapped a section of our hair in the colors.  It ended up looking similar to a braid with colors. 

After we departed the Metro, we took rickshaws back to the University Guest House where we are staying.  It's quite interesting riding in a bicycle-powered vehicle in amongst thousands of motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks.  There are many close calls, but we have not yet witnessed any accidents.  The drivers all blow their horns, but more in a respectful way such as to say "Here I am, I am going to pass you" rather than the American version of "Get out of my way or I will ram you".

We were told during a lecture yesterday that Indians believe that they should treat their guests as Gods.  They are definitely showing us that in their accomodations.  We are very pampered and protected here by our buddies.  I feel very safe going places with them as they are constantly looking out for our best interest.  As an example, if you comment on a pretty scarf someone is wearing they will offer to give it to you.  Also, every time we are in line somewhere, our Indian buddies be sure that one of them is in the front of the line to show us what to do, and the others are dispersed throughout the line and one at the back to be sure we are all safe and protected.  It's quite a wonderful relationship we have already built with these previous strangers that we now call friends.

I'm having a great time in India, but am looking forward to a few things at home:  My family, my soft bed, black coffee, and Diet Coke, amongst many other things ;-)

Until tomorrow-

Heidi

Inaugural Session

Our official program began Tuesday.  It started with presentations at the Shri Ram College of Commerce by the leaders of the program and sharing of gifts.  The UW-EC students gave presentations to give the Indian students a "taste" of what our lives in the United States are like.  The SRCC students followed with presentations to give the UW-EC students a feel of India - the past, present & future.  It was a great day of meeting our new buddies and learning about the topics of our final presentations.  We will be working with our teams on these topics and presenting our data on the last day.  Our first day was highlighted with a lunch from McDonald's!  In the evening we visited the Kamlanagar Market and had a very eye-opening cultural experience.  I just purchased a wireless network card so am finally able to use the internet.  Our next lecture is about to begin, so I will post more later. 

Heidi

Varanasi

   Because we were in Varanasi and then moving into the guest houses it has made it a bit hard to get to post so I'm going to write a bit of a "catch up" talking about our trip in Varanasi.

12/31/11

      We woke up at about 5am to get picked up at our hotel.  From there we went through the winding roads and got dropped off by the Ganges river.  We walked through a long market where all the shops were still closed. There were a lot of people sleeping outside, the poverty in Varanasi was very prevalent.  We went down by the river where we were immediately swarmed by kids trying to sell us things.  We bought these little flower candle from cute little girls.  We went and got onto a boat that to go up and down the river.  It was probably one of the coolest parts of the trip so far.  The sun was rising behind us and the city was so amazing to look at it.  The architecture was unlike anything I’d seen before.  Our tour guide explained many different things to us about the structures.  We saw people bathing in the river and washing their clothes in the river.  When we were admiring the scenery there were people on boats trying to sell us random trinkets but we were more focused on what we were seeing.  We also got to light our candles we bought, put them in the river and make a wish.  Varanasi is known as the holy city. It is where many people come to get cremated.  Along the river we saw two crematories.  Our guide explained the processes and how it is very sacred to these people.  Once off the boat we wondered through skinning passages seeing various temples and shops.  It is so hard to believe that people truly live this way still.  We got to see a temple that was part Hindu and partly a Mosque. We couldn’t go inside because this temple was only for those practicing these religions but through the door we could see them.  After buying beautiful scarves we walked back towards were our van was and the market was coming to life as people were beginning to open their shops.

     From there we went to a University in Varanasi.  The difference in scenery was dramatic.  The university area was very nice and clean, looking more modern.  After the University we went back to the hotel for breakfast and were picked up again at noon.  We visited a variety of temples in the early afternoon.  It was very interesting to see people practicing their religion and to learn more about Hinduism.  The temples were all so beautiful.  We then went and visited a silk factory.  It was nothing like a factory though.. the shops were all within buildings and the buildings were connected by skinny paths.  We learned about how silk tapestries had to be made by hand and we were shown an area where about 100 different families lived and make these silk tapestries.  We were then shown these individuals making very unique designs by hand and they let some of us try it.  It was very intricate and we were told they only added on about an inch each day.  We then were shown a lot of different types of things created and we each bought a small piece of art.

  We also went and visited Sarnath, an ancient city that was now just ruins. Sarnath was the place where Buddha preached his first sermon.  We then visited the museum by the ruins which held on the ancient artifacts.  After this we saw this HUGE Buddha that we decided we had to take pictures by. 

      From there we stopped and grabbed some Indian food and headed back to the Ganges river.  To get to the river again we rode rickshaws.. which are basically a bike with a chariot thing behind it that 2 people can sit in.  With all the INSANE traffic in Varanasi riding the rickshaw was pretty scary at first but after about 10 minutes you get used to having cars 2 inches from you and knowing they won’t hit you (hopefully).  It was a lot of fun and we all laughed a lot.  Once by the river again we walked through the market which was now so full of life.  There were people literally EVERYWHERE.  Here Ashley and I used our first public toilet which we had to pay 5 rupees for.  Down by the river was a ceremony going on in honor of someone who died.  Our guide told us they do the ceremony every night.  It consisted of 7 priests doing their actions in unison.  They used incents and fire and preformed their sacred ceremony.

     In celebration of the new year our hotel had a buffet dinner, life music for a while, and then a DJ.  We all ate a lot and enjoyed bringing in the new year in a new country.

India: "Organized Chaos"

Sam covered Day 1 and our travels to India in great detail. The most panic was in the Minneapolis airport at the check in counter when they said we needed to change flights because of the weather. This then made us worried that we would miss our other two connection flights; however, we made it! Lufthansa flights are much nicer than United Airlines. We were taken much better care of on those flights. They gave us hot towels for our faces and two meals plus a snack on our flights, which were around 6 hours. I definitely recommend Lufthansa over any US airline.

After the chaos Sam described at the Delhi airport, we went through the exit doors of the airport to enter a fog filled foreign country. Horns honking, men in turbans, people shouting in a different language, guys staring, and symbols on street signs that none of us can understand…at that point we asked each other, “What are we getting ourselves into?” We still are not quite sure the answer to that question, but we do know that it is an experience of a lifetime and already have memories we will never forget.

The time change is 11 ½ hours and difficult to get used to, but we managed a whole day in Delhi on less than 5 hours of sleep. As Sam said, Aditya met up with us earlier to show us the M-Block Market. He was very helpful also in showing us how to cross the street in Delhi and survive. “I refer to the traffic here as ‘organized chaos.’ You just have to look for the biggest gap between cars and hold out your hand so they stop,” he said. His tactics worked and “organized chaos” is the best way to describe such a scene. You really have to witness it to understand completely.

Tomorrow we travel to Varanasi. Many more adventures to come we are sure. We are looking forward to the next few weeks!  

Until next time,
-Ashley