Back in Vancouver

4 months of cyber-silence... Oops. Again, my lack of long distance communication skills outweighed my desire to share this extraordinary experience with you. I apologize to the few of you who were still looking at my blog periodically, hoping for a new entry – if I can call it a blog?! In my defense, Internet in India was very slow so it was taking me hours to update my blog and I am not very good at waiting patiently in front of a computer when I know that there is so much to experience and learn in the real world.

What happened since my last entry? A lot!!!!! I continued to work with One! in Nallasopara until December, then went to Goa (again!) to celebrate my birthday and enjoy the sun and “el calor” before heading up North, where I traveled for a month with Caro and Annie (two friends from Montreal). We went to Delhi, McLeod Ganj, Amritsar, Attari (India-Pakistan border), Rajasthan (Bikaner, Pushkar, Jaipur), Agra to see the Taj – had to see it! – and Varanasi.

I had a wonderful time traveling in India but the more I was seeing, the more I realized I would be unable to see. For me, traveling is all about the opportunity to wander areas, talk and interact with people trying to learn as much as I can about their culture and the way they live, which usually takes time. There is a limited number of monuments and sights I can take and I usually prefer having a great discussion than spending an afternoon in a museum or a temple – with a few exceptions, of course. I tried to enjoy every places I visited as much as I could but because I wasn’t traveling solo, I sometimes had to compromise. I guess I just realized that I can have a much richer experience by visiting fewer places but spending more time in each of them, rather than rushing between places, trying to fit everything in. But this is me and we all travel differently.

Many people have said that traveling in India can be challenging. Maybe… From the moment you arrive, the country launches an assault on your senses - particularly true in larger cities or during summer or monsoon season. The noises, heat, smells and the crush of people, many screaming for your attention, either out of curiosity or to sell you something, can sometimes be overwhelming. Nothing in India happens quietly! But adaptation is one of human’s best skills so after a few days, the body adjusts to the heat, the smells disappear (almost!) and the lack of personal space becomes less disturbing, almost comforting. In fact, being part of the everyday clamour is what I miss the most about my Indian life.

The warmth of Indian people is probably the main reason why I became enchanted with the country in the first place. In each place I visited, I found a great generosity of spirit and a general cheerfulness, making me feel very welcome. Another delight of traveling in India is that you are constantly approached by complete strangers who want to engage in conversations. Sometimes it was tiring to explain 26 times a day that my name is Sofie, I am 29 years old and come from Canada - and no, I am not married and don’t have children - but I found the ease and frankness with which people approached me very charming. At an individual level, people seem to have a tremendous ability to accept life’s trials and tribulations which I admire – this is probably due to Hindu ideas about faith but this is not the time and place to start discussing religion.

So, from my experience, India is an easy country to visit. You don’t have to do a lot of planning because schedules don’t mean anything anyway. The journey may not always run exactly as expected but everything always work out in the end. At first, it can be hard to find information about how to get around or how things work but all this information is easily accessible by asking people. Indians are so friendly –perhaps too?!- that they always are willing to help even when they have no idea of what you are talking about. This can be problematic as, sometimes, they give random directions just because they want to help you so badly and they know that it is what you expect from them. But once I realized that I had to ask not only one person, but many to verify and corroborate what others had told me, everything went on smoothly. I know it is dangerous to generalize and I don’t want to fall into the trap of over-eulogizing; like everywhere else, there is both good and bad in India. Overall, I think India can be an incredibly powerful, warm and inviting country to travel once you have learned to stay flexible and patient.

My work with One! – the main reason of my trip – has been beyond all my expectations. Before I left, I remember that a friend who has done a lot of volunteer work abroad told me that I would find it hard to adjust to the Indian life. He also said that I shouldn’t expect any changes from the work I was going to do. I didn’t agree with him at that time and I still don’t. He was worried; I was hopeful. Yes, I am a little naïve and idealistic but the world looks a lot better that way! With the little distance I now have, I think I overcome the culture shock smoothly. I have been lucky to adapt that easily. I had no expectations when I started my work with One!, I only wanted to live something new and contribute to a project I believe in, which I did. I also feel I made a difference during my 4-months stay with One! I don’t have the pretension to think that I changed the life of the children I was working with but I definitely think I played a positive role in their lives. Seeing Kushboo (10 years old) opening up to me after two months of hard work, the children slowly accepting and helping Vijay (either mentally challenged or suffering from severe foetal alcohol syndrome), the joy in Sarita, Ajay and Parvin’s eyes when I came back in January or Jayanti who asked me to stay because she couldn’t see herself dealing with the family issues on her own are small things that add up and make me think my work with One! was useful and appreciated. But the most important is what they all gave me - the children, the staff, Tania, Josh and Avi - and that, I will never forget. I am especially thankful to Tania, One!’s founder and president. She helped me so much throughout my stay in India, providing me support and friendship. She shared so much with me. She was always there to answer my questions about the school, the children and the Indian culture. My experience in India wouldn’t have been the same without her. I truly admire her work and commitment toward the children and their family. She made me believe in her project and in a better world. Yes, I’m becoming a little emotional and cheesy here!

In retrospect, what would I have done differently? While traveling, I would have stayed longer in places like Varanasi or McLoead Ganj to maybe skip Jaipur and/or Pushkar. No, I didn’t really enjoyed Rajasthan. I found it too touristy and it doesn’t live up to its reputation, according to me. I also would have loved to ski or hike in the North and volunteer in Kalkota – which were both part of my initial itinerary. Overall, I would just have stayed longer in India… but that wasn’t possible this time. After four months working with One!, I was just starting to understand how the organization works and to get the trust of the students and their families. It is hard to have a long lasting impact in such a short period of time. I feel I have still a lot to learn and explore in India but I have no regrets. I would just love to go back.

Best places: Bombay (of course!) because I stayed long enough to settle down and be part of the city’s everyday life. I also met extraordinary people there, including One!’s staff. During my first few weeks in India, I remember that a few expats told me that Bombay was an incredible city and that they could easily see themselves live there forever. At that time, I didn’t understand. Why? Bombay is super hot, polluted, and dusty, plus the omnipresent poverty makes me feel guilty. When I came back in January, it hit me. I felt home and I realized that I could easily see myself living in the vibrant city.

Best activity: traveling on public transportation, especially local and regional trains, because it allowed me to meet many interesting people. Taking the train in India is a unique experience. It helped me to learn about the culture and thus to better appreciate the country. And of course, working in Nallasopara!

Best singular moment: hard! I hate those questions that force me to pick only one aspect of a specific experience so here are a few stories:

1. The night procession of the Sikh Holy book, Golden Temple. The Temple is surrounded by a pool of water considered holy by Sikhs - it is said to have cured diseases of devout followers. Inside the relatively small temple, priests and musicians take their turns throughout the day chanting scripture from the book, which is broadcast on loudspeakers throughout the complex and on cable tv throughout India. Every night, the Granth Sahib (Holy book) is carried in procession along the bridge to its "bed" in the Akal Takht, the seat of the Sikh parliament. Within the Hari Mandir, the scene is fascinating. A crowd of fervent and solemn devotees (with only a few foreigners, luckily) follow the ceremony reciting mantras. The dim light reflecting on the Temple, the silence of the night and the melody of the chants create a serene ambiance filled with the fervour and candour of thousands of professed believers. Magical! For about 1.5 hours, I felt like I was in another world; a world of stupendous beauty and sublime peacefulness.

2. One afternoon in Santhosh Bawan I made kites with the children and then, we all went to fly the kites we had just made. I wasn’t very at it good but Anil, Ajay and Jitu taught me and I learned slowly. Seeing the light in their eyes as they were playing in the field made me realize that we don’t need much to be happy. They were happy and I was happy.

3. When I went back to Nallasopara in January, Ajay, Vijay and Manorama (all siblings) were not coming to school anymore. Vijay was just wandering in the street of Santosh Bavan and Manorama and Ajay were selling garlic on the street (which is almost like begging) with their mom. They were my favourite children, probably because life isn't easy for them: physical and verbal violence, parental negligence and hunger are omnipresent in their lives. One afternoon, I went home with Ajay –the oldest- and found Manorama locked inside her house. I spent an hour playing outside with them (jumping over the open sewage, racing, and other games we thought them at the school). Later that day, I met their parents and with the help of Mahendra – one of the school full time teacher – we convinced them in the children's best interest to come back to school. Unfortunately, this was only a half-victory as the mom wanted at least one of Manorama or Ajay to help her at work, the other could come to school and Vijay would be there everyday. The next day, both Vijay and Ajay showed up at 9 AM, clean and wearing their nicest clothes. They were so proud and happy to be back. I didn’t see Manorama again after that day but I talked to Tania and she told me that Vijay and Ajay are still coming to school everyday. Vinita (social worker) is working hard to help the family with its issues, hoping that Manorama will be back to school before the end of the year.

So after five incredible months in India, I’m back in lovely Vancouver. The “best place on earth” according to my good friend Gordon Campbell! I’m happy, healthy and no, I didn’t come back too skinny. In fact, I must be the only person who managed to gain weight in India. Thanks to my strong immune system, samosas and other delicious kinds of street food but most of all, Reshma’s overuse of oil and potatoes.

Life is keeping me busy here. Between my freelance work, my distance-ed class and my work in the Downtown eastside, I don’t have a lot of free time, unfortunately. As usual, I have many projects in mind but they all remain uncertain. Wait, wait, wait and see where the future will lead me. Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George (oui, Price George), Ottawa or maybe somewhere else in the vast world… I try to keep a positive attitude and will see ;)

Hope to see you all verrry, verrry soon.
Lots of love.

Sofie XX

Le trio!

McLeod Ganj/Dharamsala: the house of the Tibetan Government in exile and residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Unfortunatly, we didn't get a chance to see him during our short stay in McLoead Ganj. However, we were there for the International Himalayan Festival that commemorate the Dalai Lama's Nobel prize with cultural events. A festive ambiance while we were there. Indians and Tibetans live side by side in McLeod Ganj, with Tibetans probably making up the majority of the population.

One-day treck up Bagsu, a quieter and less busy part of McLeod Ganj. We were at first suppose to stay there but everything is closed during the low season.

Golden Temple: literally a temple made of gold, is considered the most important shrine in Sikhism. The site is a meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages. I expected it to be packed with foreign tourists, which wasn't the case at all.

Bikaner (Rajasthan) where we did a 2-days camel trek in the desert.

With Pepe Sanchez, my beloved camel.

Does this photo need explanation...

Varanasi: the city of life (and death). Many Hindous spend lifetime planning and saving for the visit they hope to someday pay to the holy city. A journey to Varanasi is of specific significance: dying there is said to liberate Hindus from the endless birth-death cycle attendant to the repeated reincarnation in which they believe. The city is equal parts chaos and vibrancy.

More pictures of One!'s children:

Little Vijay and his brother and sister, Ajay and Manorama: