Karen & Patrick's Web Site: Blog

Karen's thoughts on India.....

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:43:04 -0500

I just thought I would add some things that amaze me about India. Even though I am currently in Nepal these things have been on my mind and I thought i would share. I am amazed that in the capital, New Delhi, one shares the streets with elephants, ( yes, i saw one this trip ),cows, dogs, monkeys, pigs, goats, cycle and auto rickshaws, cars, trucks, scooters, motor cycles. bicycles, pedestrians, street performers, beggars, shop carts, etc.... I am sure I am leaving some things out. What's more amazing is that the people are all able to navigate these streets and various modes of transport. All one needs is nerve and a good horn. Sometimes I close my eyes, but most times I watch and try to breathe. I am also amazed that large vehicles are able to get through the narrow streets. I could never drive in India. Maybe out in the remote countryside, but certainly not the urban areas. My shift key isn't working and the cursor won't behave, so no paragraphing folks. I am also amazed with what can be balanced on trucks, buses, bicycles, scooters, rickshaws and humans. I saw a man on a scooter who must have had at least twenty large milk tanks strapped on the back and hanging off the side. I saw a large truck with so much cargo on it that its cargo was wrapped in burlap and hung over the sides and almost touched the ground. The cycle rickshaws are phenomenal. The guys seem to know no bounds with regards to what they can and will carry. I cannot begin to describe it. You name it and it has been successfully carried by a cycle rickshaw driver. I am also amazed that just about anything in India can be fixed by banging it. This includes electrical work as well. Who knew? I am also amazed that no one respects a line. You can be in line to purchase tickets for the train, and the next thing you know someone is in front of you. Usually they wait to cut until you are right at the counter. Patrick and I have learned to form a human barrier by linking arms and closing in around the target area. Although people are amused by it it does work. Maybe it's because there are a billion people in India that they fear they won't get to the front of the line ever if they don't cut. I am amazed by other things, but that's all for now.

Kathmandu!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:27:48 -0500

We are back in Kathmandu and Patrick has officially moved into his new apartment. We finished painting yesterday and the colors look great. He also had new carpeting put in and we did some general cleaning. It is definitely looking like a home. The views from every window and balcony are amazing ! There are green mountains , Buddhist temples, prayer flags and beautiful blue skies. The monkeys and their antics are fun to watch. Some have already pooped on his balcony. I love watching the mother monkeys leaping from tree, to building, to rooftop, carrying two babies, one on her back and one in front. I would never tire of watching them. I will definitely have to video tape them before I go. They are like our squirrels.

We are trying to organize another picnic with the kids that the Dudes Makin' a Difference, from OPRFHS, sponsor. Among the kids is the one that our class sponsored, and will continue to do so, Prakash. If all goes well we will be doing this on Saturday. We did this last year and had a wonderful time together. It will be nice to catch up and see how they have grown, and what changes they have made. We will be meeting with their contact person tonight to put it all together. Fingers crossed!

Updates and Apologies!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:26:34 -0500

Hi Everyone, Kelley here, Karen's sister. I've been a bit overwhelmed lately so I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Here's he latest from Karen and Patrick:

Hello All! We ended our workshop at Salaam BalaakTrust, and it was incredibly difficult to say good bye to the boys.We did a five day workshop that incorporated what we know about drama and theater, as well as creative movement and dance. Our two years working with the Hubbard Street dance Company helped us prepare for much of what we did, for language was a barrier and movement and dance transcend language.We always began with a warm-up or two and did some activities. We would end by teaching them a dance and then sit in a circle and share what they learned, liked, or both. We had a wonderful street boy who had been at Salaam Balaak for 10 years help translate for us, and participate as well. Pankaj was amazing. He has great communication skills and a love of theater. He aspires to a future in entertainment. He currently does street theater that deals with social issues. He also does puppetry. He was very willing to assist us, ask questions and most definitely wanted to learn more about the activities, the purpose of them and the best way to teach them. He is actually a born teacher, and we were trying to steer him a bit in that direction. The boys we worked with ranged in age from 12- 19. Mostly they were new to the shelter. We had 13 regulars and about 4 who came and went. We couldn't believe how willing the boys were to participate actively and take risks. We were able to speed up the process a bit as a result. they were also so very open about what they liked about the workshop, us and the whole process. Many had never done any theater, or dance and found they really enjoyed it. I cannot begin to convey to you all how much we learned from them and how much we gained as a result. We felt like it went too fast and before we knew it we were saying a tearful good-bye. One of the boys had painted a picture and had all the boys sign it and thank us, and wish us well. It was incredibly sweet and we will cherish it forever. We wrote a nice thank you to Pankaj and gave him some money as he is about to leave the shelter and get a room with two other older boys. Salamm balaak Trust helps the boys transition as they mature. if they show interest in academics and an aptitude, they will send them to school. They will help them with training and money as they head out into the world.I will visit the boys and bring them photos and some supplies before I leave for home in August. We will most definitely be back to Salaam Balaak Trust, and we encourage anyone who goes to Delhi to book a City Walk tour with one of the street kids. You get a back side view of the city, hear the kid's story and help them make a living. 200 rupees per person. It's worth it. Check out their website for more info.

We are currently in Jodhpur visiting someone we met last year. We visited his village, about an hour and a half a way and met his family. The women there do not go to school and keep their heads and faces covered. Word spread fast that there were white people in their midst and before you know it all the kids, and women came to look and giggle.We leave tomorrow evening by train. It's an overnight sleeper. We then head to the airport and back to Kathmandu, Nepal. More later all.

In Delhi

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:48:49 -0500

We are currently in Delhi and have connected with the Salaam Ballaak Trust as volunteers. They were formed in 1988 after the movie Salaam Bombay. The director , Mira Nair and her mother, formed the trust to help street children in Delhi. We are currently volunteering at the boys shelter and are doing a five day theater and creative movement workshop. We are loving it!!!! We are video taping it as well as photographing it, so we can share with everyone what we are doing. The kids are great. We have the boys who are about 12 to 19 and most are new to the shelter. We will keep you all posted. Sorry this is so short, but this computer is wacky and frustrating.

We have left Manali...(7/5/09)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:50:57 -0500

We have left Manali and after visiting some of the historic sights there. The Hadimba Temple was built in 1553 in honour of Hadimba, wife of Bhima from the Mahabarhata. Animal sacrifices are brought there in May. On the walk up there are tons of people holding angora rabitts, men with yaks, people with traditional outfits to don , so you can pay to take a photo. We also went to the Manali Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art. Afterwards we went to the Himalayan Nyinmap Buddhist Temple. A nice way to end our stay there. We then hired a car to take us back to chandigarh, and then we will take a car to Delhi tomorrow (Monday). We are looking for some volunteer opportunities for the week we will be there. We'll keep you posted!

We have arrived in Manali! (7/2/09)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:49:33 -0500

We left Chandighar yesterday after meeting an old Sikh who is known as the Guardian Angel of Tourists. He greets them, welcomes them warmly to the city, gives a brief Hindi lesson, hands you a brochure and then asks you to take a picture with him, using your camera. Then he gives you his email address, as well as his home address and asks you to send him a copy. Then he gives you his travel blessing, asks you to sign his notebook and off he goes on his bike. What a pleasant way to end our stay there.

We hired a car to drive us to Manali. It took about 9 hours up some of the most winding and narrow mountain roads we have ever experienced. Our driver was confident, aggressive and extremely fast.Manali is in the state of Ladakh. It is mountainous, beautiful and COOL! I am loving it. The city is a huge tourist spot for Indian families, honeymooners and other tourists as well. There is skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rafting, rappelling, horse back riding, ballooning, hang gliding, etc...Today we went to Solang to para-glide and zorb. Patrick and Sandip did it, while I photographed them. Para-gliding is done in tandem with an experienced glider. Patrick said it felt like he was flying. The zorbing was another story. They are large inflated spheres that look like bubble wrap. Two people get inside and are stripped at the ankles and wrists and then are rolled down a hill by a guy. These are not like the ones we had seen on the amazing race. Patrick and Sandip were hot, nauseous, and their hotel key had escaped from their pocket and was rolling around the sphere while they were trying to protect themselves from it. We also did some archery, played some bad carnival games and then realized we had no way to get back to Manali, for everyone else there had arranged a car, taxi, etc... We waited an hour and a half for a local bus. Cheaper, smellier, and more colorful.

ALthough our original plan was to head even further north to Leh, Patrick isn't willing to spend 14 hours in a bus, car or jeep. It looks like we may head back to Delhi, by plane in a few days and then explore a new place from there before we go to Jodphur and then back to Kathmandu. We will keep you posted.

Greetings From Chandigarh

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:30:55 -0500

We arrived in Delhi a couple of days ago with a little drama, Patrick's bag did not arrive when we did. After we decided to be a little aggressive and not leave the airport until we were reunited with our bag, we were rewarded with the bag's arrival on Indian Airlines an hour and a half later. Whew!

We hired a car then to take us to our next destination, Chandigarh. We had read about this city in the Lonely Planet guide last year and one of its sights attracted us , the Nek Chand fantasy rock garden. Nek Chand, a Pakistani by birth, had been living in India after partition and was amazed by all the waste created by the building of the city. So he decided to collect the rubble and take it to his jungle home where he proceeded to create an amazingly whimsical garden of sculptures, mosaics, winding labyrinth-like pathways and beautiful waterfalls. 15 years later in 1973 his creation was discovered by the government as they were planning a building project. It seems his garden was illegally occupying government lands. They had every right to destroy the garden and yet, they had the good sense to not do that, but to grant him the right to continue the project ,give him 50 laborers to assist with the work and to pay him a salary as well. As a result we along with 5000 visitors a day are all able to enjoy this incredible garden. Nek is in his 80s and continues to oversee the garden's growth.Check out the Nek Chand Foundation's website, which raises money for the upkeep and continuation of the garden at www.nekchand.com. We loved this place and can't wait to share the photos we took.

Chandigarh is the current capital of Punjab after Lahore was lost after partition with Pakistan. The city was the first city in India to be fully planned in a modern way. Nehru hired two American architects to design the city, but after one died suddenly in a plane crash and the other resigned, the the project was taken over by a Swiss architect, LeCorbusier. He designed low density, low rise housing.The city was designed in a grid pattern and divided into sectors. Each sector was designed to have its own stores, schools, and places of worship. There are greenbelts and gardens everywhere, as well as the occasional sculpture. It's an interesting city, and very unusual for India. We have enjoyed the gardens and museums , but we are on to a new city tomorrow.

We have hired a car to take us to Manali, Ladakh tomorrow. It's a seven hour ride, and we can't wait to see what this new place will bring.Ladakh is known for its mountains, cool weather and extreme sports. We are hoping to get some whitewater rafting in and maybe some hiking.

Until next time, we hope this entry finds you all well. Keep up with us!

News from Nepal....

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:06:37 -0500

We returned to Kathmandu yesterday after a one night stint in Manakamana, which is between Pokhara and Kathmandu. You get there by a 10 minute cable car ride, which has open cable cars for livestock, rice, etc... ALthough I could have gotten better pictures from the open car, we were forced by safety laws to ride the closed cable car. The views are lovely, although it was foggy misty, rainy, cloudy, etc... The main attraction at Manakamana, which I understand means "wishes come true", is a Hindu temple. Many people bring offerings of flowers, foods and trinkets, which are beautifully displayed as you walk to the temple. The basket offerings are burned at the temple. You can also bring animals to be sacrificed. You can bring your own goats, chickens, or roosters, or you can purchase them in the town. There is a sacrificial beheading and then they take the animal to be cut for cooking. I did not watch this , however it is hard to miss the animals heading for slaughter, and then you see the people walking with bleeding animals afterwards. My wish would be for no animal sacrifices. We stayed in the Holiday Home Hotel, where we were told we were like family and should consider it like home. I guess it is like home if home charged you a daily rate, and the electricity went out regularly and your rooms were filled with bed bugs, mosquitoes, flies and moths. My favorite thing about the hotel was the sign listing all of the amenities. Evidently their restaurant served Nepali and Indian food "$ Chines Cussion". Since we now understand Nepalinglish, we know this to mean " & Chinese Cuisine". Actually Manakamana is quite lovely. It is cool and hilly and green. We explored the town, which one can only do by foot. We came upon a small farm home and got to hold baby goats. We met some locals and watched a high school volleyball game. It was relaxing and pleasant.( Will add pictures later)

The next day it was back to Kathmandu.Because Patrick and Sandip went by motorbike, I had to flag down a bus to ride back. The tourist buses stop if they have room. It would be like flagging down a Greyhound bus at the side of any road. What should have taken about 3 and a half hours took about 6 due to accidents, car breakdowns, road construction, etc... You just have to enjoy the scenery, the people on your bus and know there is nothing you can do to make it go faster. Upon my return I showered, changed and made reservations at the Dwarika Hotel's Nepali restaurant Krishnarapan. The Dwarika Hotel is a beautiful Napali hotel which is owned by the family of my sister-in -law's friend from college. We were hosted by her friend our first trip here and thought we should return. They plan a beautiful 6 course Nepali meal , served by women in traditional Newari dress, in a restaurant filled with Nepali crafts. It was a wonderful experience. We also celebrated Sandip's birthday there.They presented him with a basket of fruit, a scarf, a tikka, and well wishes. We sang him the traditional American birthday song and the entire restaurant applauded. A nice way to end the day. ( will add pics later)

Tomorrow ( Saturday) we are flying to Delhi,India on Jet Airlines. We will be staying in the Cottage Crown Plaza hotel in Pahar Ganj, Delhi. It's our hotel find from last year. It's clean, well appointed, has a helpful staff and a good price that is firm and fair. We will be then heading to Jodphur as soon as possible. Wish us luck. The monsoons have come late and India is experiencing a terrible heat wave. Nepal has as well, but it hasn't reached the heat heights of India.

Thanks to everyone who is reading our blog, and responding. We appreciate your comments and the contact from home.

More later...It's happy trails for us.

Pokhara

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:05:08 -0500

The bus ride to Pokhara is about 6 hours with two rest stops. I got to chatting with my seat mate at the first rest stop and before we knew it the bus was on the go. There we were running down the street flagging it down. It fortunately stopped for us. Since I was traveling alone it is understandable that no one would notice my absence, but the teacher from Canada next to me was with other teachers. Hmmm...... She was interesting though, for she just finished teaching at an International school in southern China and was vacationing in Nepal before her new post, at a a school in Hawaii. Her dad was going to meet her here and they are planning an 18 day trek to Mt. Everest base camp. Exciting!

We are staying at our usual hotel, Hotel Fewa, right on Lake Fewa. I slept from 4:00 in the afternoon until 6:00AM the next day. I was exhausted!I also fell asleep in my clothes with my hotel door wide open. Yikes! All was well though The Hindu Gods must have been watching over me. We met up with Kesahb yesterday. He is the deaf young man we met years ago. We decided to visit the school for the deaf that he had gotten kicked out of, and see if we could do anything to reinstate him. They were closed, but one of the board members was there , as were some of the students who were waiting for their parents to pick them up for the rice harvest holiday. We got the scoop on Kesahb, for the board member knew some info. and then he called the director and we got the full scoop. It seems he skipped school a lot and was not focused in class. He also fought with the junior classmates. It didn't help that he is 17, or 18 and in class 2. The other kids who were there, mostly younger than he, were clearly more fluent in sign. They even knew some American Sign Language, plus they were able to read and write in English and Nepal. Kesahb knows how to write the alphabet, his name and just a few word. His sign is so limited. The board member told us of an association for the deaf that has its headquarters in Pokhara, and has activities of all kinds for all ages , as well as free signing classes daily. We took Kesahb there and had him stay for the class. When we came to pick him up the class was still in session, and I was invited to join them. I learned some miscellaneous signs and they wrote the words in English as well for my benefit.

What was most clear to us is that Kesahb needs to improve hos sign, he needs to learn to read, plus he needs to learn a trade so that he can have a future that is productive and independent. To see these articulate and energetic young deaf people was amazing. We want Kesahb to have the same opportunities. We ate dinner at his family's house and shared this with his sister, and all. I believe they feel overwhelmed. I know Patrick will continue to take this on and see it through.

I don't know if I mentioned how hot it is here and that the lack of rain has not helped. We have had one day of a fabulous rain storm and then nothing. Oh well.... Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will head to Manakamana for an overnight stay and then back to Kathmandu.

Hope everyone is well stateside!

And they're off...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:40:56 -0500

This is the first installment for Summer '09! From Karen:

Leaving Chicago was a tad eventful. Evidently I was "randomly' chosen for the fabulous security check, where everything is unpacked, weeded through and questioned. I thought I was getting led into the speedier lane. Oh well, our security check points are doing a thorough job and my flight was made that much safer. I was also carded when ordering a glass of wine. Really?????

The flights to India are always full in the summer months , as many Indian families are heading there over the summer break. The flight attendants kept making announcements encouraging people to board the plane according to the "group letter" they were calling and assuring everyone that if they followed the directions that we would all be on board by 7:15 and take off promptly at 7:30. Once on board the plane it was clear that storage was going to be an issue. Everyone was scrambling for overhead bins and they filled up fast. Well , they continued to announce that until people had found storage and their seats, that we would not be taking off and we were 10 minutes behind schedule. It mattered not, for the weight of the plane required the longest runway they had and it had not been assigned for our flight. We sat on the tarmac for two hours!!!! 16 hours later I arrived in Delhi's international airport and could not find my bags. Finally I found Patrick's bag, but not mine. It seems that some of the bags had been taken off the luggage carousel and were laced in an area off to the side. I was just about to fill out a claim for lost luggage when I heard someone say that they had found their bags in this location. Initially I did not spy my bag and was grateful that I had a change of underwear and clothes in my carry on bag, but realized that I was overlooking my new bag because I didn't recognize it, even with the hot pink name tag.

I found my luggage and was on my way to find a hotel. I had made reservations for one hotel wear Patrick and I stayed at last summer. He realized , after his stay in Delhi the previous week, that it was the wrong hotel and a dive. He had since remembered the name of the hotel we actually wanted and I canceled the first hotel and made new reservations. I made many attempts to contact them, however I had only received a response from the hotel I did not want. Of course I had canceled that hotel and decided to take my chances at getting a room at the guest house I wanted, without a reservation. Of course as I am making my way out to the taxis I spy my name on a placard from the seedy hotel. I went over to the taxi driver to inform him that I would not be needing his services and that I was sorry he had been waiting for me. Of course he doesn't understand any English and the man next to him attempts to translate and it was getting very confusing. I finally gave up and walked away. Let's hope he did too.

I was able to stay at the hotel I wanted, enjoyed a cup of chai, took a shower and relaxed. I was to leave the next day for Kathmandu , Nepal!

You can get a visa for Nepal at the Nepali airport upon your arrival. One needs, however, a passport photo. I usually bring my school photos, for they are the perfect size. I forgot to pack them. Fortunately there was a photo place within walking distance from my hotel, and they opened in time for me to take care of my photo needs before my flight. I loved the photo shop. It was off a dusty road and had pictures of many happy customers in various poses. Some formal and many surprised passport photos. My guess is he decorated with the rejects. Inside the shop were two painted backgrounds. One a "country" scene and one a rather Greek looking background with columns and such. I saw that he had a man's suit coat, which many of the male "models" chose to wear, as well as a motorcycle prop to sit on. I was going to ask if I could have my head shot taken while I was sitting on the cycle, but decided against that choice. I loved that he had to borrow a camera from the photo shop across the street. He also had to print it over there as well. It all worked out fine and I will keep one of the photos as a memento.

Jet Airlines is a wonderful airline, with first class service, even for those of us in economy class.A nice way to fly into Nepal. Patrick and Sandip met me at the airport and we went back to our favorite Thamel haunt, the Hotel Garuda. The hotel has made some major transformations, due to the economy here in Nepal. They have eliminated many of their rooms and now there is a shop, a restaurant, and a bank where there used to be a lobby and many rooms. Oh well... Change happens .

Today I got to see Lincoln School, where Patrick will be teaching. It is a well appointed school and has a great feel to it. Patrick's room will be cut in half over the summer, and he will be sharing the space with another teacher. He's used to that though. We also got to see his apartment. Although it's not yet in move in condition, it is a nice apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One western style toilet and one Nepali style toilet. It's so nice to have choices. He also has a kitchen, a living room and two balconies. Outside his windows he can see Monkey Temple, and he even has his own balcony monkies! Patrick is working on making the place home.