A-going to GOA

A-going to Goa

Friday

The first night was quite an adventure, we arrived at the bus stop at around 11:00 for our 11:30 bus and waited until about 12:15 before the bus finally rolled up.  The bus that we took was an over night  AC sleeper bus. It had reclining seats and provided blankets. Although it was a rough ride, I managed to get a good amount of sleep with the help of an anti neasea pill from the pharmacy. An adventure made even more exciting due to the anticipation of what was in store for the weekend.

Saturday

We arrived in Pondichery at the main bus station around 7:30 am and had to get a local bus to Palolema, the picturesque beach side town where we were planning to spend the first part of the trip. After an hour and a half long bus ride we arrived in Palolema under dark clouds. We found a comfortable restaurant to have some lunch while we waited out the down pour. It was the first time I had humus since leaving the US and it was absolutely fabulous! 

The rest of the day we spent wandering around Palolema. We walked up and down the beach and stopped in at a few local restaurants for drinks. 

The streets were lined with small stores all of which were very similar; selling small souvenirs, trinkets, and clothing. I bought my first incense and a pair of pants. 

At 4:30 I went to a yoga class offered by a crazy little beachy man. The yoga class was just what I needed that day, a bit of an adventure and some alone time however, the yoga itself was not my forte. I am really into the static yoga that we are learning at maniple as it is more focused on meditation, breathing, and personal improvement. This other class was more of a "show and try" of all of the challenging positions in yoga. Although it was fun and I met a few interesting people, I was not able to do most of the poses and didn't feel quite as centered coming out of it. Luckily the man that ran it was a hoot and made up for what he lacked in teaching skills in personality!

For dinner we went to "the First Authentic Italian Restaurant". We ordered bruschetta, hand made spinach raviolis w/ pesto sauce, and a spinach pizza. We also got a lovely bottle of wine. The food was superb as was the company. Sitting cross-legged on stone benches about 3 inches off the ground added to the ambiance and we all had a blast!

After dinner we all walked to the beach with the intention of playing cards and hanging out. Unfortunately the beach at night is not the most charming place in India. Between the stray dogs, drunken men, animal feces, and garbage, it can be a bit of a challenge to truly enjoy. We sat for about a half an hour before the drunken men got to be a bit too much to handle (they all wanted to play cards with us) and we went to a restaurant near the water to sit and relax. The Arabian sea is a beautiful and powerful looking body of water. After a bit if rain the swells looked ominous and as the clouds parted the moon lit up the ocean.

Sunday

After sleeping in until 9:00 we all woke and packed up hoping to get an early-ish start. We sat down at the restaurant around 9:45 and planned on leaving by 10:30, however this breakfast was a typical Indian experience. When we arrived we ordered within the first 10 minutes. I got the Israli breakfast which included hummus, a salad/salsa made of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, and some other seasoning (maybe cilantro?), scrambled eggs, and a roti (It was absolutely delicious and hit the spot!). Our food then preceded to arrive within the next hour and a half with no particular order. Our juices arrived within a timely manner but my meal in particular took quite some time. We were informed that they had to make the hummus from scratch. They also never brought out our pancakes and we had to remind them about a half an hour after our meals had come out that we had ordered them. They then brought us 2 plates of pankaceks out of the 4 that we ordered and we had to calmly correct the mistake. This same situation happened again with the coffee and teas. After 2.5 hours we finally left the restaurant, an hour and a half behind schedule but at least we were on our way!

We took a taxi to our next destination where Chris (one of my friends) and I split off from the rest of the group. We decided to go to Old Goa, the old Portuguese center and one of the Old Heritage Sites in Goa . 

The Chapel of St. Catherine

The Basilica of Bom Jesus

Courtyard in the Basilicia

After seeing the cathedrals, museum, and ruins we went down to the ferry landing. As we were standing on the ferry landing trying to figure out our plans for the rest of the day (as we had not eaten, had no means of transportation, and didn't really know where we were) a group of three european men drove by on mopeds. Before we knew it, we had chatted and discovered they were also going to Anjuna and were touring about the countryside of Goa enjoying the sights for the rest of the afternoon. They invited us to join along so we hitched a ride on the back of their bikes.

I had a really nice time getting to know Christopher and Josh while riding along and we had numerous interesting conversations. We took two ferries across parallel rivers surrounding a small island, and went in search of a "neva falls". After a long time of riding aimlessly along unmarked roads we asked a few gentlemen if they could point us in the direction of the falls. 

With signs like this I don't know how we ever got lost!
#typicalIndia

As I assume we were in the wrong village we were pointed to the local water source and hiked in about 300 yards to a small stream and pipe. It was an adventure and we couldn't help but laugh at the end point to our search. 

The legendary "Falls" or a local watering hole?

Unfortunately, India is not all beautiful sights and adventure. Where there are people, there will be garbage.

The path through the rainforest that we walked trying to find the falls.

Lovely little Ganesh alter in the middle of the forest. A diamond in the rough. 

We also saw the biggest spider I have ever seen. Luckily this one was high up in the trees. AHHHH!

Once on the main road we started to head back to Anjuna and went through a crowded market place with bustling streets and side roads. The town was decorated and a buzz due to the Ganesh Festival later that weekend. 

By the time we finally arrived at Anjuna it was around 7:30. We went to the guys hostel where we bumped into some of our Polish friends from MIT (Manipal Institute of Technology); small world. We had a couple of drinks before meeting up with the rest of our group and going out to dinner at a fabulous Indian restaurant where I got Chicken Afghani Kebabs (soo good). After dinner we drove back to the guys hostel and played games and hung out. There was about 20 individuals at the gathering from different parts of the world. It was fabulous to talk with other young adults and learn their stories. There is something special about meeting people while traveling. You all  automatically have at least one thing in common, a passion for traveling and new experiences, which easily bridges cultural boundaries and facilitates companionship. I have learned that travelers are always friendly as they are looking to make connections and enjoy quality time with people! Meeting chill people and learning about their stories is what I believe traveling and tourism is all about! Later that evening my friend and I went out for a ride on the moped. We didn't have any set route and just bopped around looking at the rivers and ponds. We poked our head into a local temple and stopped on a bridge over a beautiful river and lake. It was fun to chat and learn about a new person with a very different history. 

The beautiful countryside in Goa, India.

Monday

The next day the group wanted to go to Chipora, a little hippie town. Unfortunately due to the holiday and it being off season, the town was shut down except for a few restaurants. After walking around for a couple of hours we decided to hitch a ride back to Anjuna. When we finally made it back I went to an Ayurveda center and got a massage. We met up at a local restaurant and had some beers while listening to music and enjoying the beautiful ocean and warmth of the sun! The view was incredible and I felt a sense of calm that I had not experienced in a long time. 

Our bus that night was at 8:45. Although we tried to make the best of it, the non-AC bus was miserable. It smelt like garbage, was hot, and did not have very nice accommodations. Luckily I was asleep for the first 4 hours then was in and out of consciousness for the second leg of the trip. We arrived back at campus around 4:30 and stumbled into the dorms dragging ourselves into bed. 

This experience was one for the books and was a wonderful adventure and learning experience~

~ ciyarsa (cheers)

The ASHA, the Jains and the Sheiks: Beginning a lifelong spiritual journey

The ASHA, the Jains and the Sheiks: Beginning a lifelong spiritual journey 

I can not believe I have already been in India one month! This past week I really started to feel like Manipal was a home away from home and felt at peace with my surroundings. I love the shops and restaurants in both Manipal; many of which are small specialty shops and very personable. There is nothing like getting your coconut juice, fresh fruit, or organic peanut butter from the same vendor each time. In addition, it is always exciting to explore and discover new shops and hidden treasures. For example, today I went to the watch shop and had my battery replaced by a lovely gentleman for 40 rupees. I am not sure how that works considering batteries in the US are ~$16 and 40 rupees is less than $1 but I didn't protest. It is not suprising that living in a location with shops such as this is more community based and friendly. I have found that you form relationships with people that you come in contact with on a regular basis and can easily find comfort in a familiar face.

On Friday 30/08/13 we traveled to a Community Health Center where we learned about the importance of national health programs at the community level. This experience was very beneficial in helping me to put the theories and policies I have learned about into context. Some of the policies that we talked about included maternal and child health policies, DOTS, and Vaccination policies.
This particular Community Health Center was well established and had a relatively high autonomy however, there were still a number of things that could be improved. At both centers that have we visited I have been shocked at the level of technology available in the lab for diagnostic testing. I am interested in learning more about how work is conducted in these labs that seem so vastly different from american diagnostic laboratories.  
We also learned about the role of accredited social health activists (ASHA) in the community. ASHA are community members that have been trained in basic medical practices and diagnosis. They act similarly to a community health worker in that they are mainly supposed to provide emotional support and guidance to members of the community. In addition, they act as a bridge between the community healthcare clinic and the citizens.

On Saturday 31/08/13 we traveled to the main Jainism Temple in the state of Karnataka. Jainism is a religion that is based on the philosophy of the individual being in coordination with the environment. The philosophy states there are two types of being; living and nonliving and that living beings can be classified into 5 groups based on the senses they poses. The first order in the taxonomy is of beings that only have the sense of touch such as earth, water, fire, and air bodies. This class includes microorganisms and plants. The second order includes organisms that have a sense of taste in addition to touch and includes worms, leeches, oysters, and snails. The third order introduces smell. Some examples of organisms in this class are insects and spiders. The fourth order introduces sight and includes butterflies, flies, and bees. The final class includes all beings that can hear including birds, reptiles, mammals, and humans. All the living beings contain jiva (consciousness, energy, and bliss). The nonliving properties are flow of time, space, and karma.

Location of idol and holy place in the Jain house. 

Entrance to the Jain House. 

This pillar, located outside of the temple, served as a symbol of caste in previous eras. Pillars such as this one were often built outside of temples so that people of lower castes, who were not allowed into the temple itself, could participate in spiritual rituals.

The Temple

Jains theorize that, "consumerism is based on the assumption that the universe is a collection of dead objects. It is for this reason that depression is a regular feature in every consumer society. When humans find themselves surrounded by nothing but objects, the response is always loneliness…" (Swimme). The solution to this flaw, is rediscovering awe in the material world. This is one of the Jain philosophies that I identify with and feel is useful in my life.
Although I do not fully comprehend or believe in many of the rituals associated with Jainism, I do like many of their philosophies and layman practices. One example of a theory that I identify with is that a loss of intimacy with oneself  leads to indifference to the natural world. People today are often too busy for self reflection or understanding, a flaw that harms more than just the individual.

On Satuday afternoon, we went to a pineapple farm where we had a picnic lunch, fresh pineapple juice, and went on a tour of the facility. The farm not only had pineapples but it also had a number of other fruits including: mangosteen, dragon fruit, and snake fruit; as well as spices such as: all spice, cinnamon, and pepper.

Learning from the Jains and watching where i'm stepping... 

Greenery at the Pineapple farm where herbs and new plants are kept.

The sea of coconuts (in forefront) and discarded coconut shells (in background). 

Bamboo Tree Forest

The infamous pineapple fields! Not a single pineapple tree in sight.

Finally, Saturday Evening we went to a presentation by Grad Students on Sheikism at the Guardara (place of worship). Sheikism is a religion that was established around the same time period as Buddhism and Jainism. Its main philosophies are based on the equality of all men and its traditions aim to maintain equality in every day life. There are 5 symbols that can be used to identify a Sheik; uncut hair or "kes", a wooden comb "manga", a pair of "kacchas" or boxer briefs, a turban "keshki", a bracelet "kada", and a "kirpan" a small to 3ft long dagger carried around the waist. The formal language of the Sheiks, which I have used in quotations, is Punjabi. Historically the 5 symbols were established during times of war as protection and weaponry; today, they are more of a ritual and tradition and hold different meaning.

"To define another being as an inert or passive object is to deny its ability to actively engage us and to provoke our senses…" 

(Thomas Berry)

~Engage with the world in search of thy true self.

Abode of the Beloved: The 5 Love Languages

The Five Love Languages

Some of the most insightful conversations I have had have occurred outside of the classroom including a conversation about the Five Love Languages. The 5 love languages include:

words of affirmation

acts of service

receiving gifts

quality time

physical touch

According to the philosophy of the 5 love languages people experience love in different ways. This includes the ways in which they show their love for others and the way that they perceive others expressions of love. There is an online test that one can take to formally determine which languages they identify with and implore the most. When I took it, I was told that my love languages are physical touch and quality time (although anyone that knows me could probably have guessed).

This theory was completely foreign to me however, I feel it is extremely insightful and have enjoyed thinking about the implications that it has. I believe that the relationships that we have with others are greatly determined by the coordination or dissonance of our actions and interpretation of those actions. Having a better understanding of the way you and those you interact with experience love and emotion is crucial to forming successful and meaningful relationships. In the end, even if conflicting traits create indestructible barriers in a relationship, keeping these languages in mind will help avoid conflict and animosity towards others.

Here is a link to the quiz online: http://www.5lovelanguages.com

Abode of the Beloved

Oh Companion That Abode Is Unmatched, 

Where My Complete Beloved Is. 

In that Place There Is No Happiness or Unhappiness, 

No Truth or Untruth 

Neither Sin Nor Virtue. 

There Is No Day or Night, No Moon or Sun, 

There Is Radiance Without Light. 

There Is No Knowledge or Meditation 

No Repetition of Mantra or Austerities, 

Neither Speech Coming From Vedas or Books. 

Doing, Not-Doing, Holding, Leaving 

All These Are All Lost Too In This Place. 

No Home, No Homeless, Neither Outside or Inside, 

Micro and Macrocosm Are Non-Existent. 

Five Elemental Constituents and the Trinity Are Both Not There 

Witnessing Un-struck Shabad Sound is Also Not There. 

No Root or Flower, Neither Branch or Seed, 

Without a Tree Fruits are Adorning, 

Primordial Om Sound, Breath-Synchronized Soham, 

This and That - All Are Absent, The Breath Too Unknown 

Where the Beloved Is There is Utterly Nothing 

Says Kabir I Have Come To Realize. 

Whoever Sees My Indicative Sign 

Will Accomplish the Goal of Liberation. 

~Kabir 

(Poet and essential philosopher for the Bhakti movement)

A Whole Different World

A Whole Different World

Getting adjusted to a new place is difficult, no matter what country you are in. There are so many unfamiliar and different aspects it can be challenging to find similarities and peace of mind. The first couple of weeks in India I felt very over stimulated, however I was able to pull through and learn to appreciate the differences in my surroundings. I found that taking time to be by myself throughout the day, whether at the gym, running, or in my room, and having time to reflect and be calm was essential. As time has gone by I have become more accustomed to my surroundings and need less time in isolation. Helping me get through this period of transition was the wonderful alliance staff, my friends from home and south Africa, my new friends in India, and my wonderful room mate. From the first day, my room mate Devyani has been a rock star. She is extremely considerate, perceptive, and to my surprise leads a very "westernized" life. Having her as a resource to ask questions and talk with has been a blessing and I look forward to developing our friendship more as the semester goes on. Some of my favorite times have been running through the monsoon rains or getting caught in a downpour later in the evening. The warm rains really are something else!

 2013 Fall Semester Alliance for Global Education 

Our schedule for the first week consisted of orientation activities, mostly sitting in a conference room with Katie Jo (our on sight program manager) and Jonathan (from the DC office). After a week of consent forms, paper work, and meeting professors I felt well advised and ready to start classes come  August 19th. The first week of classes also went very well and we have a great selection of classes and professors to choose from. My final class schedule includes; Basic Epidemiology, Public Health Systems and National Health Policy, Ayurveda, Contemporary Indian Culture, Surveillance of Infectious Disease, and Global Public Health. We are enrolled in the department of geopolitics and take courses out of the public health department. Some of our courses are with Indian students, a fabulous way to meet friends and learn from a different perspective, and some are just for the Study Abroad Program (SAP as we are known throughout the college) students. Thus far I have loved all of the courses that I am taking and am extremely interested in learning from the Professors as they have such non-western perspectives and are all eager to work with and educate us.

The two things that I have found the most noteworthy of my time thus far is how accomidating and friendly everyone is and how different time management is. From the moment we entered the campus the faculty and students at Manipal have treated us as guests, a much more respected person in indian culture than in american. The faculty has bent over backwards to provide us with as many opportunities as possible and to make sure our schedules are satisfying. That said it has been a bit of a challenge to navigate the institutional hoops in order to get registered and settled in. The meaning of time is very different... if you plan on meeting someone at 6:00 it is likely that they will not show up until 6:30 or 7:00, expecting that you will do the same. It is a constant battle of "hurry up and wait" in order to get through the day without missing an appointment or offending someone who is "on time". 

The population of Manipal is comprised of the 22,000 students from the university, the faculty and staff, the cities employees/ shop owners and their families, and "others". For a small university town, Manipal is quite a bustling economic area and has everything from fresh fruit stands to pharmacies, a nike store to car dealerships. It is always an adventure to leave the Manipal campus and go into town to enjoy a meal out at one of the fabulous restaurants or do some errands. We have already established local favorites and have discovered the best places to get fresh coconut juice (out of the coconut), banana buns, wonton soup, lassis, and bubble tea! The biggest danger that students face on a daily basis  is from traffic whizzing up to and around tiger circle (the center of town). There has been a number of close encounters ending in blaring horns and running pedestrians but I am starting to get the trick of things. 

The campus of the university is also a beautiful place to explore. There are multiple campuses that house the (over) 20 colleges. The buildings range in age and capacity each with unique architecture. The fountains and landscaping throughout the campus also add to the atmosphere. 

Thus far we have also done a number of enjoyable activities. The students from the geopolitics department took us to a lovely secret beach located at the intersection of a river in the Udupi district and the Arabian Sea. While there we stopped at a small shack and had dinner and a taste of the "local alcohol" made from Todi fruit. 

Playing in the surf

Yesterday we had our first field visit  with the public health department. We went to the Udupi Primary Care Center where we learned about the health care system in India and the how the primary care system functions. The professor defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being in addition to the absence of disease". We related health to healthcare- the range of services offered to an individual or community with the goal of promoting and maintaing health- and used these understandings to discuss health systems, levels of care, public health, and the different healthcare sectors. Finally, we applied these understandings to the primary care facility (PCF) in Udupi. The facility that we visited cares for a population of 32,000 people, sees about 80 people per day, serves 30-40 villages, has 1 doctor, a lab technician and basic lab, numerous nurses and sisters, a maternity ward and a pharmacy. As a PCF, there was no emergency ward or specialists but transportation was available for patients that needed such care. The facility was kept clean and appeared well managed. When we spoke with the head nurse about funding and resources she said that the government funding they received was enough and that they did not need more doctors. 

                                    

                                            Udupi Primary Health Care Center

This is my Surveillance of Infectious Disease professor talking to us about keeping track of vaccination schedules. The chart that he is holding contains a card for every child that visits the primary health clinic for their vaccines. When the child is born they are given a card with the vaccines that they received and a copy of the card is placed in a chart like the one above in the pocket that corresponds with the month of their next vaccination. When the month begins, the nurse looks at all of the cards and sends sisters to retrieve any children that need to be vaccinated. 

The freezer that holds all of the temperature sensative vaccines. The vaccines that need to be kept colder are at the bottom of the freezer and the ones that need to be warmer are towards the top. 

On August 24th we visited the Namma Bhoomi, a school and training facility for marginalized children of migrant families. Most of the children were brough to the school by the police because they had run away from home or were working as part of the child labor force. The faculty at Namma Bhoomi strives to teach the children key life skills and vocational training in addition to giving them a safe and healthy environment to live in and primary education through grade 10. Their goal is to provide the children with the opportunity for self enrichment and self education through hands on learning experiences, strict rules and regulations, and quality time in the classroom. There is a focus on empowering the children and a belief that children are the citizens of tomorrow not today and therefor they are worth investing in. There is hope that all of the children that leave Namam Bhoomi will be able to integrate back into society as successful individuals. The facilities of Namma Bhoomi were absolutely outstanding and the school itself was revolutionary. It was incredible to see the vision of one intelligent man in the form of a school and sanctuary. This model could be useful in many communities where there is poverty, child and migrant labor, and a lack of education. I look forward to having the opportunity to return over the next couple of weeks and work more with the children.

This map of the campus if outside of the entrance to the school. Unfortunately your guess is as good as mine as to what these buildings are. It is interesting to see the different types of maps people draw!

The school is almost completely self  sufficient. This is the rain collection mechanism that they utilize.

The cow farm used for fresh milk and cow dung.

Composte pile

This is one of the open air classrooms in the new school building at Namma Bhooni. This particular classroom is for students grades K-3. Namma Bhooni is one of the only schools of its kind in many ways including its coed teaching style.

This chalk board and alphabet were in the k-3rd grade classroom. All of the students are taught hindi and english.

We were served a delicious and healthy meal for lunch. The faculty of the school are very keen on teaching the children how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and believe that food is a key part of health. We had a lovely curry with rice and two side salads one made with cabbage and the other with green beans, a typical meal for the children. In addition to 3 "square" meals a day the children get two healthy snacks. There is an emphasis on preventative and wholesome health care and a belief that well nourished children are able to perform better because they can concentrate more on the task at hand.

The buildings were all beautiful. This particular part of the campus is the guest house where we ate lunch and met with the program coordinator.

These are some of the hostels that the children live in. There are separate hostels for girls and boys.

On Sunday we attended a house warming party for one of the professors in the geopolitics department. This event is much more ceremonial than in America and included a concert by local musicians and a formal South Indian lunch. We embraced the 2 hour long concert, our first introduction to Classical Indian Music. The two performers differed in their style and it was very entertaining. The lunch was served in traditional style at long tables with chairs on one side and an isle on the other for the serves to walk up and down. We started the meal by cleaning the coconut leaves which we were to eat off of and washing our hands, our only utensils. Then we were served a number of "condiments" which we were able to mix in with the rest of our meals at will. The courses then came out in rapid procession starting with white rice, ~5 sauces and curries, spicy rice, bean salad, vegetables (followed by seconds), three different desserts, and finally more rice with curd (yoghurt). I was astonished at the pace which all of the food was served and even more astonished that most of the guests were able to keep up so that by the time the next round came their coconut leaf was completely clean. Our table of americans were not able to keep up most of us had food piled up on our leaves by the end despite our best efforts. I feel bad for the table of Indians sitting opposite us and watching us try to eat everything in the right order and at the correct pace with our hands. Despite being slightly embarrassing it was delicious and quite fun and I would do it again any day!

Our first chance to wear our formal Indian Kurtas. This picture was taken in front of the alter at Katie Jo's house, the program coordinator from the US. 

Everyone looked so great in their India garb!

A local classical Indian music band. The young women who is the main singer is a Manipal Alumni.

A former Manipal Professor now leading the life of a singer. 

My coconut leaf plate and first course basics. The line of small piles of food are chutneys, sambar, salt, small salads, and vegetables with gravy to be mixed at will with the rest of the food. The two piles of rice were eaten with a number of curries and soups on top. The small blob on the lower right hand side is one of my favorites known as paysan in South India. This dish is made of millet, cashews, nutmeg, clover, and cinnamon. It all was delicious!

The party was held on the roof of the apartment building where the new home was located. It was a beautiful venue that overlooked the hills and valleys of the area. The weather was humid with the occasional down poor and an occasional relieving breeze, typical for the monsoon season.

Namaste~