A lot has happened in the last week or so. I guess I'll begin with what happened on Sunday...I got food poisoning! Two more weeks left and I get food poisoning NOW. I went to the hospital yesterday and got some pills but the scary thing was that another girl who had different symptoms and different complaints got the same pills I did. The hospital was relatively clean but the waiting room could make healthy people feel sickly. The benches were covered with towels that looked pretty dirty. We were uncomfortable to say the least. On the plus side, I got to ride in the Ambassador.
Before getting sick...
I spent Friday and Saturday at a hotel called the Chancery in the city of Bangalore. Its about 30 minutes away from our hostel[we're right outside of Bangalore]. Must sound silly to stay only a half an hour away but it was nice to be closer to the city, MG road, Brigade Road-With traffic it takes us a long time to get into the city. I should also mention that my life in India has become pretty exciting in the past week. Last Friday we went to Fridays for dinner (I'm embarrassed to say that) where we met a man who invited us to a party at the Taj Hotel. We decided to go with this man and ended up meeting some of the most entertaining and interesting people I have ever met. One of my favorite people in Bangalore is a guy named Veren who is known for throwing all the best parties in Bangalore-most of the people we've met at these parties are foreigners who have been working in India for a few months or a few years. I also met a French man who has become a great friend of mine and I got to put my French skills to use last night when we sang "Une Belle Histoire" and "Champs Elysees" together. I have to say I am a bit disappointed that I just met these people, the French man in particular. I only have a week left so I might as well make the best of it but we both know that when I leave we'll probably never speak again.
In other news...
I rode an elephant last week and it was UNBELIEVABLE. We were hoping we would get to bare back the elephant but it didn't happen. They mounted a saddle on the elephant and six of us got on. It was a great experience.
I'm leaving for Kerala tomorrow evening. Kerala is on the western coast of India. I've been told that the monsoon is worse there right now than it is here in Bangalore but I hope that doesn't stop us from sight seeing and going to the beach. I hear Kerala is beautiful but a little touristy and the seafood is delicious. And we're going by train so the trip there should be interesting.
When I get back we will have two days in Bangalore and then we'll leave for Delhi and that Friday I will be in New York. I cant say I'm ready to go home. It took me a few weeks to get fully adjusted and now that I feel comfortable here I have to leave. I'm really going to miss India. Life here has been really good for me. I was speaking to my mom the other night and she said she can hear a difference in my voice and the way I speak. She said I sound more relaxed. I think its true, I mean at home I'm always running around, sometimes I feel like I don't have time to breathe, but in India life is lived at a slower pace, I had to learn patience and I've come to appreciate the simple things.
And I finally got to see an Indian sunrise...while driving down outer ring road on the back of a motorcycle...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Aliens in India?
so here's a story. I'm sitting in my room writing my paper and the power goes out-happens all the time. There was a loud noise in the background but It didn't bother me until I started smelling smoke. I walk out of my room and all I see is a bright light coming from the entrance to my hall and a lot of smoke. I couldn't see so I grabbed my laptop to use as a flashlight. I'm walking around calling out for people and no one is coming out. This is when I start freaking out. You know the scenes in movies where aliens are landing and there's smoke and a bright light? well for a second I pictured them in my courtyard, seriously. I start thinking there is a fire, now I'm shaking because I know my windows are locked and there is no way to get out-meanwhile I should have known there was no fire because I didn't feel any heat and I didn't actually see a fire. I start calling out peoples names hoping someone is sleeping and the girl in the room next to me comes out, she looks at me and says, "they're fumigating"...I thought I was going to die in India. I'm actually laughing while I write this. Why would they fumigate the building while we're still in there? So that's my funny story.
Back to my paper!
Back to my paper!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
One of the reasons I came to India was to study Indian art history. So when my professor turned out to be a jerk I was disappointed and angry. This man dismissed all of our comments and questions and to be honest I didn't learn much from him. Last Friday was his last day teaching and this week one of his colleagues came in to teach the second half of the course on modern Indian art. The class is great because he has an understanding of Indian and Western art-so I don't feel completely lost. A lot of the contemporary works we've talked about have reminded me of western art from the 60s. One of the images was of a performance artist sitting naked on the ground. Every member of the audience was given yellow powder (used on the groom at a marriage ceremony) and asked to paint the artist. The performance reminded me of Yoko Ono's 1964 "Cut Piece". The performance forced each member of the audience to walk up to the artist and cut a piece of her clothing. While the themes are different they share the idea of audience participation. Yoko's piece is pretty cool here is the link if you're interested <www.dailymotion.com/video/x3dsvy_yoko-ono-cut-piece_shortfilms>
Unfortunately the university blocks certain websites so I cant post the actual video but here is a still from a work by South Indian artist Sonia Khurana titled "bird"(2000). Check this website out to watch the video-let me know what you think!
Oh and forget Amitabh Bachchan...I've fallen in love with my art history professor. But he's married...to an artist :/
Unfortunately the university blocks certain websites so I cant post the actual video but here is a still from a work by South Indian artist Sonia Khurana titled "bird"(2000). Check this website out to watch the video-let me know what you think!
Oh and forget Amitabh Bachchan...I've fallen in love with my art history professor. But he's married...to an artist :/
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Pictures
It is almost impossible to post pictures. I'm finally getting internet access but the pictures wont upload so I'm going to try to make a facebook album.
Some exciting news: we are going to an elephant farm on Friday to RIDE ELEPHANTS! And we were told that next weekend we have off so a few of us are trying to plan a trip to GOA. The weekend after that we're taking a train to the state of KERALA and finally after that we're going to Delhi and Agra where we will see the TAJ MAHAL!
Some exciting news: we are going to an elephant farm on Friday to RIDE ELEPHANTS! And we were told that next weekend we have off so a few of us are trying to plan a trip to GOA. The weekend after that we're taking a train to the state of KERALA and finally after that we're going to Delhi and Agra where we will see the TAJ MAHAL!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Our weekend trip to Hassan, Halebidu and Belur was incredible. Unfortunately I cannot upload pictures because my laptop doesn't get wireless here-but I'll keep trying. On this trip [my favorite one so far] we saw breathtaking sights of temple ruins in Halebidu and Belur. The temple that I found the most moving was on the summit of Vindhyagiri, where the largest monolithic statue stands. The statue is of Banubai [also known as Gomateshwara] and it was commissioned in 982AD by General Chamundaraya who served King Gangaraya of the Ganga Dynasty. The temple serves as a pilgrimage site for Jains all over the country. I'm almost as fascinated by the Jains as I am by the Hare Krishnas. The Jains are incredibly devoted to their religion and non-violence, some to the point of starvation.
Before even arriving at the site we were told it was going to be a bit of a hike and we were going to do it bare foot [that's fine, no problem]. So we dropped off our footwear and walked toward the site. I looked up and didn't see the temple. What I did see were steps, six hundred and twenty of them! How was I ever going to make this "hike"!? this was going to be a long long journey. So I started walking, water bottle in hand-thank goodness, and was able to make it without a problem (!!!). A few people couldn't make it to the top because of the height and someone got very sick during the walk up and had to turn around. My professors were carried up because the last time one of them tried to do it he almost had a heart attack.
I stopped to take a lot of great pictures but but the best views were from the top. After a few hundred steps I reached what I thought was the top but I was mistaken, so I finished walking up the rest of the steps and finally made it to the temple where I saw this monumental figure towering over me and the rest of the city, it was unbelievable.
I entered the temple and made the walk around. The man giving blessings had the kindest smile I've seen in my time here. Out of respect I usually donate ten rupees and get a blessing, and most of the time the gentleman giving the blessing gives me a strange look [I wonder why...] but this man asked my name, where I was from and incorporated my name into the blessing. I was later told by my professor that the man wished me a long life and good health. The blessings are one of my favorite parts of a temple visit. I don't consider myself a religious person but there is something I really like about putting your hands to the fire and then to your face. You feel physically warm of course, but you also leave in good spirit.
After being blessed I stood in front of the figure for a good fifteen minutes or so. I think it might have been the first time I looked at a work of art and didn't question anything, I didn't think about who made it, how it was made, how long it took to make it, what it was made with etc. Instead I just sat there and thought about how it made me feel. This was completely involuntary. Before I had a chance to analyze the figure in an art historical context, my surroundings hit me with an overpowering blow so all I could think about was how I felt.
It made me feel small, standing 58 ft it obviously towers over me. More importantly, and something I've realized at many of the temple sites we've visited, it made me feel good. That's not saying much but I don't know how to describe the feeling. After climbing 620 steps to this magnificent sculpture I felt like I was worthy of seeing something that incredible. It was a pretty amazing experience.
A little less moving but still pretty exciting, today we're going to see a costume designer [who works with Bollywood stars] and possibly have some saris and salwar kameez fitted. My new Bollywood obsession is Amitabh Bachchan-I'm really looking forward to seeing him in Sarkar Raj, even though the movie is a sequel and I didn't see the first one [google him, he is dreamy-he's kind of like the Al Pacino of India] Check out the link to his blog, I'm looking at it now and I'm pretty sure the girl next to me thinks I'm strange!!
I haven't waisted all my time obsessing over Amitabh. Not having daily access to the Internet has given me time to read. I finally got through One Hundred Years of Solitude [ Marquez is officially my favorite author and I wish I had Love in the Time of Cholera with me], Interpreter of Maladies and I'm currently reading Rousseau's Dog. I'm open to suggestions :)
Oh and no worries, I'm not coming home a Hare Krishna, but here is an interesting article npr.org published today http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90639998
Before even arriving at the site we were told it was going to be a bit of a hike and we were going to do it bare foot [that's fine, no problem]. So we dropped off our footwear and walked toward the site. I looked up and didn't see the temple. What I did see were steps, six hundred and twenty of them! How was I ever going to make this "hike"!? this was going to be a long long journey. So I started walking, water bottle in hand-thank goodness, and was able to make it without a problem (!!!). A few people couldn't make it to the top because of the height and someone got very sick during the walk up and had to turn around. My professors were carried up because the last time one of them tried to do it he almost had a heart attack.
I stopped to take a lot of great pictures but but the best views were from the top. After a few hundred steps I reached what I thought was the top but I was mistaken, so I finished walking up the rest of the steps and finally made it to the temple where I saw this monumental figure towering over me and the rest of the city, it was unbelievable.
I entered the temple and made the walk around. The man giving blessings had the kindest smile I've seen in my time here. Out of respect I usually donate ten rupees and get a blessing, and most of the time the gentleman giving the blessing gives me a strange look [I wonder why...] but this man asked my name, where I was from and incorporated my name into the blessing. I was later told by my professor that the man wished me a long life and good health. The blessings are one of my favorite parts of a temple visit. I don't consider myself a religious person but there is something I really like about putting your hands to the fire and then to your face. You feel physically warm of course, but you also leave in good spirit.
After being blessed I stood in front of the figure for a good fifteen minutes or so. I think it might have been the first time I looked at a work of art and didn't question anything, I didn't think about who made it, how it was made, how long it took to make it, what it was made with etc. Instead I just sat there and thought about how it made me feel. This was completely involuntary. Before I had a chance to analyze the figure in an art historical context, my surroundings hit me with an overpowering blow so all I could think about was how I felt.
It made me feel small, standing 58 ft it obviously towers over me. More importantly, and something I've realized at many of the temple sites we've visited, it made me feel good. That's not saying much but I don't know how to describe the feeling. After climbing 620 steps to this magnificent sculpture I felt like I was worthy of seeing something that incredible. It was a pretty amazing experience.
A little less moving but still pretty exciting, today we're going to see a costume designer [who works with Bollywood stars] and possibly have some saris and salwar kameez fitted. My new Bollywood obsession is Amitabh Bachchan-I'm really looking forward to seeing him in Sarkar Raj, even though the movie is a sequel and I didn't see the first one [google him, he is dreamy-he's kind of like the Al Pacino of India] Check out the link to his blog, I'm looking at it now and I'm pretty sure the girl next to me thinks I'm strange!!
I haven't waisted all my time obsessing over Amitabh. Not having daily access to the Internet has given me time to read. I finally got through One Hundred Years of Solitude [ Marquez is officially my favorite author and I wish I had Love in the Time of Cholera with me], Interpreter of Maladies and I'm currently reading Rousseau's Dog. I'm open to suggestions :)
Oh and no worries, I'm not coming home a Hare Krishna, but here is an interesting article npr.org published today http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90639998
Friday, June 6, 2008
Blogging frequently is going to be a lot harder than I thought. We still don't have Internet access in the hostel and most of the time the Internet in the library doesn't work so I never know when I'll get a chance to go online.
Second week went well. I'm happy to report that I have NOT gotten sick yet, even though I've been eating lots and lots of yummy curry dishes and roti and small donut looking things. I thought the differences would be overwhelming but I have not had any problems yet. The one thing I'm still having a hard time getting used to is the staring. I cant even step outside of the hostel without being looked at. I know I'm white but didn't your mother teach you not to stare?
Last night we had dinner at Professor Sandeep Shatris's home. If you watch CNN frequently or happen to read Indian newspapers (?) then you'll recognize the name. He is teaching the Contemporary India course. Dinner was unbelievable and a home cooked Indian meal will never compare to Indian food in NY. After dinner we had a chance to speak to his wife who was, in my opinion, more interesting than her husband. She told us about her PhD work and how she and some others organized a kind of menstruation education program for young women in India and how the program was officially adopted by Karnataka. This was about fifteen years ago when, she said, the majority of girls she spoke to had no sex education and had no idea what was going on in their bodies. Overall the evening of indian food, ice cream and talk of menstruatio was very pleasant :)
Going back a few days...
On Tuesday we went to a Krishna Consciousness Temple where we were treated like circus animals...seriously. As we checked our sandals in (cant wear shoes in the temples) families came over and pointed at us, some laughed, others just starred. Putting that aside, I found the temple to be the most modern temple I've seen yet and I found the hare krishna movement to be one of the most interesting topics I've come across in India.
When our professor introduced Krishna Consciousness she mentioned that many outsiders look at the group as a cult. So I was immediately turned off. When we walked further into the temple site, we were handed index cards with the hare krishna mantra and told to chant the whole thing before taking every step. There were only 40 or so steps but it took us about 15 minutes to get to the top. Most of the group was laughing at the very awkward situation and I didn't know why I was chanting. But once I got to the top, saw the unbelievable view (India has the best sunsets ever) and sat down to meditate I realized that I had not felt that relaxed in a long long time.
On Wednesday I tried to read everything I could find online about the Hare Krishna's and found out that they have an amazing food relief program, serving more than 200,000 meals a day in India. They have also had an influence on pop culture. Apparently Stevie Wonder has a song where the mantra is chanted in the background (how in the world did Stevie Wonder come into contact with the Hare Krishnas)? The Beatles mention Hare Krishna in I Am The Walrus. Ringo Starr and George Harrison mention Hare Krishna in several of their songs. So cults aren't all that bad I guess!
Check out http://www.iskcon.com/
This weekend I am going to Belore to see some temple ruins! I'd post some of the pictures I have taken but my laptop isn't working so I'll post them when I can. I hope someone is reading this. Please please let me know what you're up to, how your summer is going.
Second week went well. I'm happy to report that I have NOT gotten sick yet, even though I've been eating lots and lots of yummy curry dishes and roti and small donut looking things. I thought the differences would be overwhelming but I have not had any problems yet. The one thing I'm still having a hard time getting used to is the staring. I cant even step outside of the hostel without being looked at. I know I'm white but didn't your mother teach you not to stare?
Last night we had dinner at Professor Sandeep Shatris's home. If you watch CNN frequently or happen to read Indian newspapers (?) then you'll recognize the name. He is teaching the Contemporary India course. Dinner was unbelievable and a home cooked Indian meal will never compare to Indian food in NY. After dinner we had a chance to speak to his wife who was, in my opinion, more interesting than her husband. She told us about her PhD work and how she and some others organized a kind of menstruation education program for young women in India and how the program was officially adopted by Karnataka. This was about fifteen years ago when, she said, the majority of girls she spoke to had no sex education and had no idea what was going on in their bodies. Overall the evening of indian food, ice cream and talk of menstruatio was very pleasant :)
Going back a few days...
On Tuesday we went to a Krishna Consciousness Temple where we were treated like circus animals...seriously. As we checked our sandals in (cant wear shoes in the temples) families came over and pointed at us, some laughed, others just starred. Putting that aside, I found the temple to be the most modern temple I've seen yet and I found the hare krishna movement to be one of the most interesting topics I've come across in India.
When our professor introduced Krishna Consciousness she mentioned that many outsiders look at the group as a cult. So I was immediately turned off. When we walked further into the temple site, we were handed index cards with the hare krishna mantra and told to chant the whole thing before taking every step. There were only 40 or so steps but it took us about 15 minutes to get to the top. Most of the group was laughing at the very awkward situation and I didn't know why I was chanting. But once I got to the top, saw the unbelievable view (India has the best sunsets ever) and sat down to meditate I realized that I had not felt that relaxed in a long long time.
On Wednesday I tried to read everything I could find online about the Hare Krishna's and found out that they have an amazing food relief program, serving more than 200,000 meals a day in India. They have also had an influence on pop culture. Apparently Stevie Wonder has a song where the mantra is chanted in the background (how in the world did Stevie Wonder come into contact with the Hare Krishnas)? The Beatles mention Hare Krishna in I Am The Walrus. Ringo Starr and George Harrison mention Hare Krishna in several of their songs. So cults aren't all that bad I guess!
Check out http://www.iskcon.com/
This weekend I am going to Belore to see some temple ruins! I'd post some of the pictures I have taken but my laptop isn't working so I'll post them when I can. I hope someone is reading this. Please please let me know what you're up to, how your summer is going.
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