Namaste- Hello/Goodbye (if speaking to someone older join hands)
Mera naam _____ hai- my name is ___
Naam?- name?
Aapka naam kya hai?- What is your name?
1-10
ek
do
teen
chaar
paanchh
chey
saat
aath
nao
dus
Shukriya- Thank you
Kripya- Please (rarely)
Commands
Baitho- sit
Khade ho jao- stand
Chup karo- quiet
Shabash- well done
Bolo- speak
Monday, July 30, 2012
The First "Real" Day July 10
I considered today my first real day in India when I woke up in Dharmshala, an incredibly beautiful town tucked away in the Himalayas; home to the Dalai Llama's temple, Tibetan government offices, a huge exile population, and the Indian King of Kangra's summer home AKA our home base. The little village we are staying in is a great glimpse at the real India with local flavors, colors, architecture, families, etc. It's really hard to put down on paper.. or the internet the really positive vibe the town sends out. It's a very happy and close village that has welcomed in twelve American teens with open arms.
This morning we got to chose where we would like to do our community services or our "placements". I ended up choosing to work at a summer camp with girls and boys ranging from 5 to 11 over daycare or sports camp. After the decision the old group walked us through our individual placements, what they want us to accomplish, and introduced us to the kids. The minute we got there at least ten kids ran up chirping "namaste" "good morning" or "hello" and proceeded to grab our hands or jump into our laps. It really amazed me how the kids were so open, trusting, and willing to welcome us into their lives and accept our help. I've never seen a group of kids more excited to play duck duck goose, sing the alphabet, or throw around a flat soccer ball. With the little the have, these kids make the most out of it and it's truly inspiring and life-changing to see. Today I knew these children were going to effect me more than I could ever effect them.
Today I fell even more in love with this country and the people who live here. I remember Raja, our program director, telling us "there's a difference between charity work and community service". We aren't doing charity work here because these children although in harsh conditions, aren't miserable, they're really happy and GLA is here trying to build on that.
This morning we got to chose where we would like to do our community services or our "placements". I ended up choosing to work at a summer camp with girls and boys ranging from 5 to 11 over daycare or sports camp. After the decision the old group walked us through our individual placements, what they want us to accomplish, and introduced us to the kids. The minute we got there at least ten kids ran up chirping "namaste" "good morning" or "hello" and proceeded to grab our hands or jump into our laps. It really amazed me how the kids were so open, trusting, and willing to welcome us into their lives and accept our help. I've never seen a group of kids more excited to play duck duck goose, sing the alphabet, or throw around a flat soccer ball. With the little the have, these kids make the most out of it and it's truly inspiring and life-changing to see. Today I knew these children were going to effect me more than I could ever effect them.
Today I fell even more in love with this country and the people who live here. I remember Raja, our program director, telling us "there's a difference between charity work and community service". We aren't doing charity work here because these children although in harsh conditions, aren't miserable, they're really happy and GLA is here trying to build on that.
pictures from the summer camp and walk down there
Drive to Dharmshala
After almost not making it through immigration (did not know the name of the hotel I was staying at OR a staff member's phone number) forgetting what my luggage looked like and picking up 3 stranger's bags, and believing the GLA group left the airport without me- I made it safe, sound, and successfully to New Delhi, India.
Even at night the heat was incredibly oppressive and the humidity gave the air a certain heaviness, like weights where sitting on your shoulders. I still had an awesome first impression of India and the wild hustle and bustle of Delhi traffic. After an incredible first night of meeting all the kids I'd be spending 3 weeks with came the dreaded 12 hour ride up north to Dharmshala. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected and was actually a great way to spend the first full day because we got to know one another really well and get a glimpse at rural and urban Indian life from our windows. It was difficult driving through the slums and seeing children sleeping in dirt or even trash piles as well as laborers slaving away in the sun. It wasn't just a town or a couple streets of this, it was miles upon miles that amounted into hours and hours.
Indian driving cannot even be considered a skill, but an art form or even a sport of extreme difficulty. Our driver was weaving between gutsy cows, aggressive pedestrians, motorcycles with three passengers, bicycles, little tuk-tuk taxis, compact cars, tractors, buses, and raw material transport trucks. By weaving I mean going into the next lane headed towards on-coming traffic and just at the very last second swerving back into the proper side of the road just to get ahead of a little taxi. It added a big thrill factor to the ride, especially when we were inches away from other vehicles (the roads there are SO narrow). It took cutting off to a WHOLE 'nother level.
The drive highlighted a really interesting aspect of India, the countries still very traditional but is modernizing. There were Coca-Cola signs right next to a small food hut selling local produce, or women in saris wearing Nike sneakers, and even fields of men plowing (with oxes) next to power plants and factories. That was an aspect I found fascinating throughout my entire trip, Indian's without running water had satellite dishes or cell phones.
Seeing 12 hours of Indian people, land, and life made me realize how fortunate I was to have a home with so many pleasures simply because I was born into it, I could of grown up so differently but instead I got lucky. Realizing this shaped my attitude for the rest of the trip and made me determined to make a change.
here are some pictures from the drive!
Even at night the heat was incredibly oppressive and the humidity gave the air a certain heaviness, like weights where sitting on your shoulders. I still had an awesome first impression of India and the wild hustle and bustle of Delhi traffic. After an incredible first night of meeting all the kids I'd be spending 3 weeks with came the dreaded 12 hour ride up north to Dharmshala. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected and was actually a great way to spend the first full day because we got to know one another really well and get a glimpse at rural and urban Indian life from our windows. It was difficult driving through the slums and seeing children sleeping in dirt or even trash piles as well as laborers slaving away in the sun. It wasn't just a town or a couple streets of this, it was miles upon miles that amounted into hours and hours.
Indian driving cannot even be considered a skill, but an art form or even a sport of extreme difficulty. Our driver was weaving between gutsy cows, aggressive pedestrians, motorcycles with three passengers, bicycles, little tuk-tuk taxis, compact cars, tractors, buses, and raw material transport trucks. By weaving I mean going into the next lane headed towards on-coming traffic and just at the very last second swerving back into the proper side of the road just to get ahead of a little taxi. It added a big thrill factor to the ride, especially when we were inches away from other vehicles (the roads there are SO narrow). It took cutting off to a WHOLE 'nother level.
The drive highlighted a really interesting aspect of India, the countries still very traditional but is modernizing. There were Coca-Cola signs right next to a small food hut selling local produce, or women in saris wearing Nike sneakers, and even fields of men plowing (with oxes) next to power plants and factories. That was an aspect I found fascinating throughout my entire trip, Indian's without running water had satellite dishes or cell phones.
Seeing 12 hours of Indian people, land, and life made me realize how fortunate I was to have a home with so many pleasures simply because I was born into it, I could of grown up so differently but instead I got lucky. Realizing this shaped my attitude for the rest of the trip and made me determined to make a change.
Getting There
5:30 AM- Wake Up
7:07 AM- LAX to EWR (LA to Newark)
3:30 PM- 5 hour layover
8:30 PM- 14 hour flight to Delhi
8:01 PM- Arrival
*2 time zone changes
Seems simple enough right? That schedule is over 24 hours of being in the sky or trapped in an airport, California has got to be the farthest state in the continental US away from India. Regardless, it was better than I expected. My family travels internationally pretty often (like to Thailand this past spring) so I'm used to the long flights, but always with my two sisters to keep me entertained, this I was tackling alone. Even though I'm 16, you could say I'm a little (...or a lot) more book smart than street smart so I was pretty nervous navigating two new airports alone.
1st disaster of the day was getting cut by three guidos headed to the Milan flight that was taking off in 20 minutes while I was waiting to check my 48 lb bag (50 lbs is the limit so I was pretty nervous), it took so long I had to get in the security line and hope my Dad got it worked out. Then when I got to Newark I had to recheck my bag to Delhi but I wasn't complaining, it took up a good hour of my excruciatingly long layover. Yet with 4 hours left, I had no idea what to do with myself so I headed over to a random cafe and posted up- until I was kicked out after three hours. Waiting wasn't too bad though because all I could think about was how close I was to my dream trip that I'd been waiting for months to be on!
As I wrote this in my GLA journal I was being lulled out of my nyquil daze with a little caffine and making my final descent into New Delhi. I made it and couldn't wait to discover India
7:07 AM- LAX to EWR (LA to Newark)
3:30 PM- 5 hour layover
8:30 PM- 14 hour flight to Delhi
8:01 PM- Arrival
*2 time zone changes
Seems simple enough right? That schedule is over 24 hours of being in the sky or trapped in an airport, California has got to be the farthest state in the continental US away from India. Regardless, it was better than I expected. My family travels internationally pretty often (like to Thailand this past spring) so I'm used to the long flights, but always with my two sisters to keep me entertained, this I was tackling alone. Even though I'm 16, you could say I'm a little (...or a lot) more book smart than street smart so I was pretty nervous navigating two new airports alone.
1st disaster of the day was getting cut by three guidos headed to the Milan flight that was taking off in 20 minutes while I was waiting to check my 48 lb bag (50 lbs is the limit so I was pretty nervous), it took so long I had to get in the security line and hope my Dad got it worked out. Then when I got to Newark I had to recheck my bag to Delhi but I wasn't complaining, it took up a good hour of my excruciatingly long layover. Yet with 4 hours left, I had no idea what to do with myself so I headed over to a random cafe and posted up- until I was kicked out after three hours. Waiting wasn't too bad though because all I could think about was how close I was to my dream trip that I'd been waiting for months to be on!
As I wrote this in my GLA journal I was being lulled out of my nyquil daze with a little caffine and making my final descent into New Delhi. I made it and couldn't wait to discover India
The Countdown
It all started six months ago when 2012 began and all I could think about was summer. I've always travelled abroad during July or August but going into my junior year of high-school, I wanted to step outside the box and go to an exotic country without my family. After countless hours of research and deliberation, I fell in love with GLA's (Global Leadership Adventures) summer community service programs abroad. The India program ended up being the best fit and I signed my self up for it as soon as possible (at least after I convinced my parents).
Since then, I've been preparing for the three week journey half-way around the world, and that's been an adventure in itself! Living in California I own nothing besides shorts and tanks which don't work in India let alone during monsoon season, needless to say, I went on quite a few shopping sprees. Prep for this trip has consisted of countless target and REI runs hunting for sturdy hiking boots, thick fleeces, a durable rain jacket and smaller objects (but still important) such as biodegradable soap. There's really no way to explain how I felt crossing the last item- a whistle - off my packing list. I was finally (supplies wise) ready to take on India. It is quite difficult to know if you're truly prepared with Indian weather flipping on a dime from blistering 95 degree heat to monsoon downpour. Let's just say my suitcase had a wide variety of clothing.
Laying in bed on July 7th my head was filled with emotions: excited, nervous, and a bit scared for in a little over 24 hours I would be in one of the most exotic and exciting countries in the world. I didn't have a clue of what to expect. But, I fell asleep at ease knowing that I would be surprised no matter what when I step off my plane and into a new country, culture, and adventure.
Since then, I've been preparing for the three week journey half-way around the world, and that's been an adventure in itself! Living in California I own nothing besides shorts and tanks which don't work in India let alone during monsoon season, needless to say, I went on quite a few shopping sprees. Prep for this trip has consisted of countless target and REI runs hunting for sturdy hiking boots, thick fleeces, a durable rain jacket and smaller objects (but still important) such as biodegradable soap. There's really no way to explain how I felt crossing the last item- a whistle - off my packing list. I was finally (supplies wise) ready to take on India. It is quite difficult to know if you're truly prepared with Indian weather flipping on a dime from blistering 95 degree heat to monsoon downpour. Let's just say my suitcase had a wide variety of clothing.
Laying in bed on July 7th my head was filled with emotions: excited, nervous, and a bit scared for in a little over 24 hours I would be in one of the most exotic and exciting countries in the world. I didn't have a clue of what to expect. But, I fell asleep at ease knowing that I would be surprised no matter what when I step off my plane and into a new country, culture, and adventure.
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