This is It

Wow, where has the time gone?!  When I prepared to leave for India, it seemed that study abroad would last for a very long time.  Now, just a few months later, I wonder how it all went so quickly!  That's right: I leave tomorrow for Minnesota.  I visited a few last sites.  I ate some last-minute favorite foods.  My bags are filled with souvenirs and waiting to go to the airport in the morning.  It all seems so surreal that I do not even know how to approach going home.

During the past few months, I have fallen in love with Kolkata.  It may be dirty and noisy, but it is unquestionably the most vibrant place I have ever experienced.  And I don't just say this because Indian people have a knack for wearing colors and patterns that most Americans and Europeans would avoid at all costs (and look great wearing these items).  There is a real, unique life in the city.  It's so...well...I cannot even describe it.  All I know is that Kolkata has become another home.  Minnesota will always be my favorite place in the world, but I feel like I could easily experience the "coming home" feeling if (when) I visit Kolkata again in the future.  People are incredibly friendly, from curious gawkers staring at foreigners to taxi drivers who speak almost no English but can name our president to the wonderful friends I have made.  My friends and host parents have insisted that I find some reason to return to their city sooner rather than later.  It may be later than they wish, but I hope to see them and their unbelievable city again someday.

As with any experience, not everything has been perfect.  Some experiences brought frustrations, and I was unable to visit all of the many places I dream of traveling (next trip?).  Moreover, I experienced a variety of unforeseen challenges as we worked out the kinks of this first ever CSB/SJU semester-long study abroad program in India.  However, I return home without regrets.  I have seen and experienced things that I would have never imagined.  I have also learned and grown such that I am not the same person who left Minnesota in December.  And I cannot wait to use what I learned in India to be the best teacher and the best person that I can possibly be.  India has been absolutely phenomenal.  I refuse to say more than just a temporary goodbye.

In other news, I may be leaving India, but I do not wish to leave this blog...for now at least.  I have more pictures and videos to share.  More importantly, I hope to share more reflections once I return home relating to readjusting to Minnesota and the new perspectives I gain on India after my return.  Don't worry, I'm not going away yet!

Picture Perfect

Another batch of photos up for all to see!  I have uploaded just a few (or more) of my photos from the Kerala trip that I discussed in the last post.  Check them out HERE.  It was an unbelievably beautiful and photogenic trip.

God's Own Country

 

Ashley and me before an early morning boat ride

Hello, again!  I am excited to tell you all about my most recent adventure: a seven day excursion to Kerala, a state on the southern tip of India.  The state promotes itself as "God's Own Country," with reason.  The views were outstanding, and churches abounded.  This was the final opportunity for the twelve students from CSB/SJU and our professors to travel as a whole group, and we had a fantastic time.  Nothing like a vacation to provide some relaxation before final exams!  Then again, it also means less time to prepare for the semester's end, but we'll survive.  Now for some highlights from the trip:

The Beds: Indian people prefer to sleep on much harder mattresses than the pillowtops Americans love.  The hotels we stayed in while in Kerala, however, had the soft beds we had not experienced since leaving home.  This, and other very Western elements of the tourist locations, provided a feeling of luxury as one of the first things we noticed upon arrival.  It actually took me a few minutes to adjust to the fact that we were still in India.  I don't think it was the beds or the showers or anything of that sort that truly made this a highlight so much as the way they forced me to change my image of India.  These tourist resorts, too, are part of the country's culture today.

The Houseboat: We had the fun of spending one night of our trip on houseboats.  The service and food was fantastic as we relaxed and watched the beautiful landscapes pass by.  There were plenty of opportunities to take photos of palm trees, the sunset, and more.  After dark, we introduced my friend Kia to the wonderful movie that is The Sound of Music.  I heard snippets of the movie's songs on everyone's lips for the rest of the trip.  Like many of the places we stayed for the night, we would have loved to stay on the boat for much longer.

Easter: As I said, churches are everywhere in Kerala.  I believe we entered five or so (and a synagogue), but we saw many more.  However, that does not mean that finding a Catholic mass in English is easy.  The four of us who chose to attend Easter mass ended up deciding that our best option was a 7am mass at a church near the resort...in the language Malayalam.  We arrived to find women and men sitting in different sides of the church, women covering their heads, and the Eucharistic prayer led by a priest facing away from the congregation.  I think I now know what masses were like prior to the Second Vatican Council, although I may have understood Latin a bit better than Malayalam.  Thank goodness for the fact that masses all contain the same mass parts, because I only recognized "Amen", "Hosanna", and "Happy Easter!"  It was nonetheless a fantastic and spiritual experience...followed by reading the Gospel from a Lenten prayer book my godmother had sent.

Demonstrations: Of course, what is a trip without some cultural and other demonstrations?  We visited a spice garden to learn about the many spices that Kerala is famous for as well as a tea museum to learn about how plantations make tea.  We also watched a demonstration of a local martial art and two kinds of traditional dances.  It was great to learn a bit about Kerala's culture, which is different in many ways from what we saw in northern parts of India.  To add to this, we learned a bit about the local history and walked around the hill city of Munnar.  I loved experiencing yet another culture in India.

Boat Ride: We woke up early one morning for a boat ride to see wildlife.  At least, that's what we thought.  When our bus hit a spot of traffic, our local guide told seven of us to go to a jeep up front.  We were confused but did as told.  It turned out, people had been waiting for hours, lined up at the gate to the tiger reserve in a way that seemed like what Oklahoma's border probably looked like with people waiting to claim their land many years ago.  When the gate opened, it was practically a NASCAR race of jeeps and autos racing into the park.  We thought it was the strangest, unexpected experience so far!  Then, when the jeep stopped at another gate, the men with us threw open the doors and told us to run!  We ran with no idea what we were running for and finally learned that the footrace was for boat tickets.  Apparently, the early morning ride is so popular that people must race the day of to get tickets for the best seats.  This amused us, as the ride itself ended up anticlimactic - relaxing but not particularly exciting.  What will I remember of it?  The strangest way to queue for a ticket that I have ever heard of.

Beach: Our last night of the trip brought some much-anticipated time on a beach.  We stayed in a beach resort next to the Arabian Sea and, yes, swam in said body of water.  The waves came quickly to make for a fun, albeit salty, experience.  Better yet, all twelve of us shared this experience together as we counted down the time left as a complete group.  Move over, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans!  I swam in the Arabian Sea!

I could probably write for another few hours and still not exhaust everything I want to say about this fun trip.  However, I assume that you are already thinking that this post has gone on far too long.  As a result, I will wrap this post up by saying that I had an unbelievable experience in this week-long vacation with my study abroad family.  It was an excellent final excursion to a wonderful semester abroad!

Off to Kerala

Kia and me at the Bengali New Year party

I head out tomorrow morning for a CSB/SJU group trip to Kerala, a state on the Southern tip of India.  From what I hear, it promises to be a fantastic experience.  In the meanwhile, I posted some photos from a short walking-tour in Kolkata (where, unfortunately, my camera's battery failed early) and last night's celebration of the Bengali New Year.  Both were fun and visually interesting experiences.  You can see the pictures on my PhotoBucket album Random and a New Year.  Enjoy!  Happy Easter, and I hope to post about a wonderful experience when I return from the trip next week.

Make a Difference

Remember my post and photos from the Sundarbans?  My friend Bekkah is working on a project to provide solar lamps for children in the villages of the Sundarbans so that they can study more easily after dark.  This project is sponsored by a non-profit organization called ASED but relies on donations from to achieve its goal.  For more information, see Bekkah's blog post "This Little Light of Mine: Solar Lamps for Children in the Sundarbans" or the donation sight's page "Solar Lamps for 700 Students in Sundarbans, India."  This project is very important to Bekkah, and donations of any size are greatly appreciated.

Catholic India

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.  To honor the most important week of the Church's year, I would like to share a few reflections on what India has taught me about my faith.  This country is practically a world religions course in itself, but here is what the Christian-minority country and culture has taught me about Catholicism so far:

Most people in India are Hindu or Muslim, but the Christian presence is still strong.  Catholic religious orders run countless English-medium schools, and Sunday masses can become quite full.  On the other hand, even students at the Catholic college where I attend classes asked why there was a smudge on my forehead on Ash Wednesday.  I also have had a few interesting conversations while attempting to explain Lenten observances.  This differs drastically from my experiences at Catholic schools in Minnesota.  Christianity exists, but it is not an everyday part of Kolkata's culture.

Readings and Holy Eucharist are the same, but there is something that makes masses different here.  Music is very unlike ours at home.  They say things a bit differently.  But, in the end, it's a Catholic mass.

The Sign of Peace after the Lord's Prayer does not necessarily need to be a handshake.  In a culture where respectful greetings include bowing with hands together at one's chest, this is the Sign of Peace.  But it still means the same thing.

Giving up meat on Fridays during lent is nothing.  Many people are "veg" year-round for their religion.  And this includes no eggs or fish.  Some even refuse onions and potatoes because eating these vegetables kills the plant (whereas I can pick an apple without killing the tree).

I used to think that "Salt of the Earth" referenced salt as something that can add flavor to foods to make them a bit better.  A homily a few months ago changed this image.  Here, nobody will even touch a meal that lacks a heavy dose of salt.  The simple substance that I overlook in America is absolutely necessary for everything.  People even put it on fresh fruit.  In this light, striving to be the "Salt of the Earth" is not an option to make the world a bit better.  It fulfills a necessity such that we fail in our duty to the Earth if we do not act as salt.

Every Holy Thursday, we read about Jesus washing his disciples' feet.  In Minnesota, our feet washing means taking off shoes and socks (or boots, as may be the case this year) to reveal relatively clean feet that we pour water over symbolically.  Religion teachers have tried to explain that washing feet was work for the lowest servants, but I never really understood.  That is, until I began walking the filthy streets of Kolkata wearing sandals.  Within minutes, my feet were absolutely disgusting!  I try to wash my feet every day simply because they become so dirty so quickly.  And I certainly would not wish to make anyone else wash my feet for me - it would be far too demeaning.  Now I understand: when Jesus washed his disciples' feet, he did a thankless and disgusting task that nobody would ever ask him to do for them.  The example tells us to do for others even those undesirable tasks that they would never want to ask anyone to do for them.

Finally, Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata is an inspiration.  Every Catholic church and school that I have seen has some reference to this woman who will be a Saint sooner rather than later.  And a visit to her Missionaries of Charity Mother House explains why this is so: her organization has grown to serve countless needs in Kolkata and beyond.  The original charity, which provided a home for the dying, has been joined by charities aimed at helping children with special needs, feeding and housing the poor, and more.  Mother Teresa prayed for the Sainthood of Blessed Father Damien, who helped lepers in the Hawaiian island of Molokai.  This seems fitting for someone who also left a European home to dedicate her existence to helping strangers in need.  Could I even imagine having the dedication to God required for this kind of life?  I don't know.  For now, I feel honored to have visited Mother Teresa's tomb and volunteered in a school in the city where she lived and worked.

I hope these reflections can be of interest to someone this Holy Week.  Maybe it's taking things out of the context I have been familiar with for so long, but this land that is not primarily Christian has encouraged me to reflect quite a bit about what I believe and why.  And, in case I don't have the chance to send this message again before next Sunday, Happy Easter to everyone!

Apologies

I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while!  As the semester nears an end (Do I seriously have less than a month left before my return to Minnesota?!), crunch time arrives on homework and other assignments.  We will spend a week in South India starting next Thursday, so I hope to finish assignments by Wednesday.  Yikes!  I am currently writing a short dissertation for my international relations class called "Multinational Corporations and their Cultural Influence on the Third World" (unless I give it a better name).  I will also write a research paper for Indian History and Society.  Cross my fingers I can handle those and the smaller papers due next week.

On the other hand, I have some blog posts in my head that I hope to write soon.  I'm eager to share what India has taught me about gender, race, religion, and a couple of other big, important topics.  That and I'll have the exciting trip to South India.  There will be good stuff...once I get my head above water again.  Or maybe just once I have a few minutes to write during a study break.  I'm still having a great time, and I want to share it with the world!