Adventures in India

40 hours on an Indian train...

2009-06-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

I drove me to religion. For the first time in...years anyways, I found myself praying to God that that trip would finally be over, without any serious problems. Whoever it is that hears these desperate cried for help, I am very grateful to them that things weren't any worse.
I do not by any means recommend that trip to anyone. Perhaps as some sort of cruel punishment...
But I think I am getting carried away. I guess it wasn't THAT bad. In fact, mostly I just slept or read my book so that was ok. The night before the train I took the overnight bus down the mountains and back to Delhi. Then in Delhi, pretty much I just got a hotel room for the day and slept the whole time. Then that night, I caught the train to Kolkata...I got an upper bunk again, which was good. Basically, I fell asleep up there and stayed up there for nearly two days. As you can imagine, it wasn't excactly a thrilling experience.
There was a really nice couple from Delhi also in my compartment, and they helped me out some along the way- gave me a water bottle when I was near dying of thirst. During the day, it was probably...oh I don't know, 35 degrees in there? There are fans of course, but there is a backpacker saying here that once it gets to a certain temperature (that being it), fans are really good for moving hot air...similar to lying under a blow dryer. So it's safe to say I was severely dehydrated after that one. Basically, I lay there sweating for 40 hours, and after that, I was so dirty that when I rubbed my skin, layers of black stuff came off until there was a patch of noticibly lighter skin where the dirt had been somewhat removed. Even after showering it isn't all gone so before I leave here I'll try again.
The main reason I stayed hiding up on my shelf was to escape some of the staring. Trains are the worst because the men are so bored that they are content to just sit and stare for hours no matter how many dirty looks and rude gestures (these ones generally don't speak English) are directed at them. Nope, they see nothing wrong with gawping for the duration of their journey.
And now, time for the most horrible story I have told on my blog so far. This is not a joke, and it isn't excactly G rated either, in case that matters to anyone. I have discovered the most discusting specimen of India's male population. Horray for me.
So, I had been on the hell train for over 24 hours at the time in question, and so who knows maybe another time things would have gone differently, but this is what happened.
A very disgusting man (overweight, useless looking...there are these in every culture in the world, I'm sure) climbed up onto the bunk opposite me, which is like...about a meter away I guess. Of course, he was staring at me, but I didn't think anything of it and continued reading my book. Then I noticed he was doing something very strange...at first I thought he was itching his balls, but no...he was jerking off. Totally disgusted and unable to believe the horror of the situation, I slid down the seat so that he couldn't see my face anymore because it was behind the fan. He actually lied down after this, not even pretending he wasn't doing what he was doing, so he could see me better. I really didn't know what to do now. Kicking him in the balls was an appealing option, but really I just didn't want trouble. I know sometimes it is the right thing to make trouble, but I was really, really tired and dehydrated, blah blah blah and just did not want to deal with it. I didn't want to go down off the bunk, because then I would have to squish in beside the 10 men down below and forfeit my spot. Plus, my sitting muscles were really sore from sleeping on the bouncing bus the night before so I decided to basically try to deal with it some other way. I gave him a few of my worst looks...I know you will remember these, and actually I know I have even worsed them here in India. The other day I did my best, leaned in real close and told a rickshaw driver to stop following me...and he actually looked scared! Yeye!
So anyways, he was a total scum of the earth piece of shit and didn't think of me as a human being...more of a breathing Playboy magazine, actually, and couldn't understand English, so there you go. I think he understood the jist of what I was trying to communicate to him anyways. So I completely turned my back on him, hid my face behind my hand, turned up my Ipod, and continued reading my book. Then he finally stopped and I was hoping and praying he would leave, but he didn't and I just felt so horrible and sick to my stomach and really I had no idea what to do. There seemed like no good option but I knew one thing for sure- I was absolutely not going to sleep anywhere near that man at night. No way in hell.
And yet there he was, still looking at me in the most disgusting and degrading way and I was thinking oh my (ahem, I will edit out something here) God, I want to get to Canada right NOW and not have to deal with this "hmm...look at that, have you ever seen one of those before?" "I haven't actually, only in movies...so what do you think it is? Is it a walking wallet that we have before it, or a sex object ready to be jeered at or otherwise disrespected in some way?" "Well I don't know, why don't we assume it's both and see what we can get out of it"
I don't understand Hindi, but I think that the conversations go something like that in Delhi. Assholes. Not all of them, but the nice ones don't approach you do they?
So then, the nice couple asked how I was doing, and I think that they could tell that the answer would have to be not very well, and I asked, and I felt bad because I didn't ask all that nicely, the man to tell the man across from me that he was making me feel very uncomfortable and not to do that anymore. Uncomfortable is the word to use here in India. Same with possible, problem, etc. If you use the wrong words, people will just ignore you and nothing will happen. If you say "I am uncomfortable" then they will jump to attention and get the problem solved. There is a real art to these things.
So then he talked to the guy, and I don't know who said what or whatever really, and I wasn't watching either as I was somewhat tied up with having a small mental breakdown of the crying quietly in a corner for 10 minutes variety, and then when I thought I looked normal again I glanced over and a non-starer (where did they find him? Couldn't he have come before?) had taken his place. Then I went back to sleeping and reading my book for the rest of the trip and everything was fine.
Things like that always turn out fine, and the train was only 3 hours late, miraculously on such a long trip, I got a decent price on my taxi here and yah, I go to the airport in about 5 hours, and then it's a whirlwind tour of 5 countries home. Omg, I'm so excited to be home and be normal and watch everbody grad and go swimming and put my clothes in the washing machine (have I mentioned how horrible I smell? Dear God, even I don't want to be near me!) Haha, actually its not that bad, but still, I could definitely smell better. So, I realize this hasn't been the most positive post, but actually I think this is the metaphorical hangover after a really long, wild party, so hey, I'm not really supposed to be having the time of my life. I just have to wait it out. Actually I'm also really excited to watch movies on the plane. I'm sitting there anyways, and other than a couple Bollywood films, I haven't seen a movie, besides the odd bit here and there at places, in 3 months!
Anyways, I'm gonna go. See most of you very, very soon!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Long time no post...

2009-06-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

So, tonight I leave Dharamsala. It has been an awesome time here, and actually I am quite sad to leave, but it has to happen. I can't even imagine normal life anymore. Like, what is that? Here, I travel around all the time and meet new people every day, know them only for a short period of time, see so many incredible things, have no responsibilities, etc. etc. etc. I can really do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it and since everything is so cheap here, the possibilities become endless. The people are amazing and so interesting and from so many different places and I hear so many different languages and see so many different things every day...and this is what I am now used to! How can I return?
At the same time, it will be so nice to be somewhere where people really know me and love me and I can talk to them so casually and using slang and big words and walking down the street and just being normal and the converations that you can only really have with people who know you well. These things I am so looking forward to having in my life again. So really, I am just as excited to be home as I am sad to leave...so there is really a lot of both :P . I just can't belive that other than travelling home, which is also an adventure, my trip is over! Three months...it isn't enough after all. I meet so many people who are travelling for a year or more. Depending opn where life takes me, I think I might be one of them some day. What better way to understand the world is there but to see it?
I have been taking a massage course while I have been here, and it is really amazing. I love it. The teacher has the most amazing energy, unlike my last teacher, and he teaches you to listen to the body of the person you are massaging. Of course, this is something that only really comes with experience, but he does a really good job of teaching what a massage is, not just the movements, if that makes any sense. I want to practice when I get home so ask me about that at whatever time. My partner is from Israel and he's pretty cool also. He is travelling around India by motorcycle, so he is brave I tell you! The traffic here...well, I don't even like to cross the street, never mind maneuver it! He really gets to see a much more real version of India than other travellers though, because he gets to see the places in between.
I also got a bunch of audiobooks from a British guy I have been hanging out with here. He is travelling with another Canadian and they are really cool...very funny but also interested in spirituality and discussing different things, which is a most excellent combination really.
Yup, I have met a lot of cool people travelling. Jeez Louise, I just can't believe that today I have to start going home! Like, my mind just can't comprehend it or something! It's really weird, because I am starting to think so much more Canadian again and if the difference is so huge here, I wonder what it will be like once I actually arrive in Canada. Everyone says the culture shock is much stronger returning home than coming to India, and I am starting to get a taste of that, and it hasn't happen yet obviously, but I think that they might be right. We'll see what happens.
Anyways, I have to go pack up and leave my hotel for the last time...it's crazy, I don't get home until the 20th, but other than the night in Vancouver, this is the last time I sleep in a real bed until then. What a horrible thougt! :S
So, I just won't think about it. Jeez Louise, how did I get so far from Kolkata? Why? Why?
Ahh well, it will be over when it's over, and hopefully parts of it will be fun. If not, then who cares, I'll get home in the end and then things will be fine.
Anyways, I realize this post actually wasn't that informative, but this is what I am thinking about so this is also what comes out when I write. This morning, I have my last massage class and actually, tomorrow I am hanging out with a guy I met in India for the day, because I am taking a night but there and then a night-day-night train to Kolkata, so there will be one good day for sure in the mix. So, see you all soon, and I will probably update you along the way...I seem to remember Singapore having free internet at the airport, so there almost for sure.
Namaste! Soon I won't even be saying that anymore! Ahh, everything will be so strange!
Love Erica :)

Dharamsala

2009-06-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Now I am in Dharamsala, well actually a little town that is all for tourists near Dharamsala, really, and I like it here already. I think it will be nice to spend the last week I have here, before starting the long trip home. I still need to book my train ticket, but I have plenty of time for that. You know, for all this time I haven't thought about Canada, or the way things are in Canada...well of course I have, but very rarely because if you are in India and try to compare to Canada all the time, it will really ruin your trip. Not because India is better or worse than Canada, but because they are so completely different and maybe even opposite in what is good and bad about them. It is neccessary to just immerse yourself in India in India, and then you can enjoy it. But I think my mind is starting to prepare itself for going back, because it's turning back to the way I think in Canada and I'm like nooo! I want to keep it like this, actually! But I think it won't go back all the way, but still.
Yesterday was a very long day. Finally, we went inside the Golden Temple, and the line was more than an hour to get in, and it was just thousands of people all squished together waiting to squeeze their way in- it was like a really boring rock concert :P So hot, omg you can't even imagine! Thank God there were fans, or I actually would have passed out for sure.
Inside was really nice though...very elaborate, with people praying all over the place and it really does feel holy in there.
Then, there was a 7 hour bus ride to here, and it was a long one I tell you. That's my third one of those in a week, so I'm somewhat tired of sitting. It is a relief to be staying here for a week. It's really beautiful here too. It looks something like the Rockies, because the high mountains have snow on them here, and other than that it looks similar to other parts of India that are really touristy. The people are mostly Tibetan, I think, and there are tons of Tibetan handicraft places and actually everything is Tibetan. I think I will get myself a Free Tibet tshirt, because they are really the in thing here...
Anyways tho, I'm gonna go. Time for some shopping! :P
Plus, maybe some sleeping also, why not?
Namaste!
Love Erica

Very quick update...

2009-06-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

So, I have 5 minutes! I am in Amritsar now still, just went inside the Golden Temple, which was something really special...today my friend Alok and I are going to Dharamsala, which is where the Dalai Lama lives in exile, which is pretty cool. Here it is the hottest place on the face of the planet, I am sure of it, so it will be nice to be somewhere cooler again. Plus, this is also the place where I have been stared at the most and it is really exhausting to have an entire crowd staring all the time. I am getting really tired of that, actually...eyes have this energy, you know? They start to feel like they are boring a hole right into my brain!

Anyways, yesterday we also went to the site of the Amritsar masacre, which is a really horrible event and also one that we learned about at school. It's so weird to come to these places because it feels like they are just a fantasy...and then to see them, and walk over that same ground it's like...this is real. It's really crazy. I am also buying lots of things now. I haven't really bought much from my trip until now, so it's really fun. Also, if there is anything in particular that anyone is wanting to buy, get me to buy it here, it's so much cheaper! Especially if there is any jewelery or whatever, because that is super small and so much cheaper...or else I will just buy whatever and I think people will like it. It doesn't have to be jewelery either, that's just an example. Feel free to ask!

Anyways, I gtg! See you soon, omg I'm so excited to come home!

Namaste!

Love Erica

Amritsar

2009-06-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff

2009-05-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I wrote a big long entry yesterday, but then the power went out so...you will never know the strange and wonderful things that I wrote.
Ahh well, that's life. More specifically, that's India.
I had a bit of a stalker situation recently, which was more annoying than anything else but still and uncomfortable situation, but he has finally cleared off, but not before giving me an ugly but probably expsensive necklace and a strange decoration of some sort that I don't know what to do with. Also he wrote me an overly emotional and quite bazzar letter. Thank God I wasn't there when he dropped them off at my hotel. I am really getting tired of that stuff actually. Like, I'm usually immune to it by now, but when it's like that, having to tell the same person to piss of at least 10 times every day, it gets old fast. But I guess it takes all types in this world, and sometimes you just happen upon the weird ones.
Oh my God, so I mentioned the guy who works at the hotel before, and how cool he is right? Ok, well I think I can't say it enough...so allow me to sound like a spiritual type for a while because there isn't any other way to describe this.
Ok, so first, he is so incredibly relaxed. By that I mean, I swear you could say anything, do anything, and he would be totally comfortable. Not only that, but he has this really amazing energy so that you feel comfortable too. I have never seen him look worried or anything. Even the way he moves is totally comfortable. Plus, talking to him he has the coolest mentality. He really just is in the moment. So many people say they live like that, but usually they don't at all. He has plans for what he wants to do and everything, but they aren't concrete and he doesn't live for that. He says it like, free as a bird. Anyways, I think I have never met somebody like that. He has this energy that is so powerful I can't even explain it, just to say that if I can ever learn to live like that, and I think it is possible, it will be the biggest accomplishment of my life. For anybody to do that it would be. He is always happy too, I can't get over it it's just amazing!
If only he lived in Canada, then I would marry him and then be happy and relaxed all the time :) :P
But, the amount of spiritual people will soon be taking a significant nosedive I think, because tomorrow I leave for Delhi, where I meet my friend, and then we travel together to Amritsar and Dharamsala. I am actually super excited for that, I thinks it's going to be a lot of fun. Today I think I will buy a whole bunch of jewelery here that I will then have to lug around with me, but I really love it and also it is so much cheaper and cooler here. Today I stepped on those sunglasses I mentioned before and they broke, so I think they really weren't meant to be. That's ok, if they attract swarms then I think I am better off without them haha.
Also, I have been taking the massage classes and they are interesting for sure...so I will practice my skills on you guys when I get home.
Haha, and here is a funny thing for Morgan...I was making sentences in my Hindi class, and the teacher told me to make a sentence about my sister, the youngest one. This was a while ago, and so then I said something like, my sister is strange, because I had just talked to Morgan and she told me about how she was now an ancient Greek (do you remember this Morgan?) So he thought that was really funny and then after that, he would always ask me about my sister, and he said that is how he will remember me is because I have this funny sister. So today was my last lesson, and actually in Hindi Morgan means peacock angel he said, which is quite nice also random. (not a Hindi name obviously, just happens to mean those to things by the sounds) and then he said that when I come back to India, I will have to come with my sister and we can visit him and take some lessons and stuff. That would be really fun actually and I think that those two would get along very well and be quite a hilarious combination. So, want to come to India in a few years? You can think about it :)
Anyways, I'm gonna go, next update I will be in Delhi, so very different from here...
Namaste!
Love Erica

regeneration or something...

2009-05-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today, I met my Hindi teacher again...actually I think I am a highly unreliable type of student everywhere I go, because I slept through a couple classes (he knew I was sick though so wasn't mad...I mean, I slept at the ashram, not while I was at the class) and then like, yesterday I was late and he left, and today he was late and I left, but then I came back a while later and he was there.
But there was only like...15 minutes left so we just went across the street and got chai.
Did I mention how much I love India?
Also, he said that I looked more alive etc now than before I got sick, and also that getting sick brings about positive change. Actually I said that I think it is just because I am so happy not to be sick. So then we had an interesting conversation on the many benefits of getting sick...
Yup, so anyways I would be lying if I said my Hindi was coming along nicely, but ah well, what to do.
Hmm...so yesterday I switched to stay at a guesthouse, because, as I mentioned, that was the day I got kicked out of the ashram, and it is so nice! It must be the nicest place I have stayed at so far in India. It is so clean, and there is a real shower with hot water and I get my own bathroom and there is a kitchen and a fridge and the people who work at it, who are a boy (well like, in his 20s) and his mom, are so good natured, it's amazing! It's away from the main streets a bit too, so it's quiet. How wonderful.
So basically, I get to chill here for a while until my friend shows up, in a few days I guess I have to call him today to find out, and then we will go somewhere else.
To completely change the subject, yesterday I discovered what it would feel like to be Britney Spears. Actually I saw a boy wearing a Britney Spears t-shirt too which I thought was really hilarious. So yah, I was just sitting on a little bench at the side of the road talking to some people, who were Indian. Then, all of a sudden...I was completely and totally swarmed by a crowd of very overly excited Indian people. Like, I don't know what they were saying or what excactl was so exciting about this, but actually, I couldn't even see the people I was talking to before, or hear them! People were putting their arms around me, and taking pictures and from every direction it was like, what is your name? your country? like, this happens a lot to some extent, but this was really out there. Then, another crowd came right behind them and got just as excited, and then before they left, they each wanted to shake my hand! Lordy lordy. Actually, it was really funny even at the time and I was just thinking, this would never, ever happen in Canada! Plus I had just bought some sunglasses about 15 minutes before that and I was like, maybe I shouldn't wear these anymore...haha. Oh Jeez.
So, I think it would be really weird to be Britney Spears. Also, I think the photo booth idea is for sure in my future travel plans for India. I have talked about it with a few people, and whether they are foreign or Indian, all have thought it is very funny and also an easy way to make money for travel. It has even become more elaborate, such as different prices for a photo, or a handshake etc. Can you imagine?
Also, I think that for my last few days here I might take a massage course. I think that would be a cool thing to know, because I mean, everybody likes someone who knows how to do massage, am I right? And it's super cheap etc. I know someone who did it and really liked it, and I'm like, I'm here, I have lots of time to spare, why not? So maybe I will go ask about that today.
Anyways, I've had some good conversations too but I think I will just say those if they come up anoother time, it is too long to write here.
So, namaste for now!
Love Erica

Jeez Louise guys, I'm fine!

2009-05-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, well I slept all day again today, which actually is somehow very satisfying and enjoyable, to be able to just sleep for two days no problem. I mean, yah sure I was sick, but that is still a cool thing to be able to do...
Actually, even the spiritual people here are sometimes in awe of my positive additude. But it's true! Plus, I was more tired than anything, and I think my body just really didn't want me walking around on my foot, because once I started sleeping it got much better, and is now basically a normal foot once again...no "chopping" nesseccary haha.
Anyways, I don't really have anything else interesting to say because, as I mentioned before, I have been asleep for two days, so that's all for now.
Love Erica

Ok, so I guess I couldn't actually escape without getting sick...

2009-05-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

So there it is- I'm not actually immune to India, as it seemed before. Here is the long and unfortunate story of how I finally succumbed...
So first, I got like a cough, and then it turned into a minor cold, so mostly just a cough.
And I was like yah whatever, that's cool I mean it's not as if I've never had a cough before and it doesn't really hold you back from anything (except being quite during yoga and meditation...oops :P )
Plus, I have these horrible bedbugs so I actually look like I have a rash, but they don't really do anything. Then there are the mosquitos, but I have so many bites that I don't notice them, because they can't all be itchy at the same time, so usually they don't itch! I am very grateful for that little subconcious filtering or whatever.
So really, I was doing fine, mostly healthy, you know. Until I got a mosquito bite under the strap of my flip flop. Of course, it got ripped off and packed with dirt, and this is India and therefore there are plenty of disease ridden things to pack open wounds with. Then it got like, really infected, it was awful! Like, it was so small, but the whole middle section of my foot felt like a bruise all the way through and was swollen up, and then my ankle and toes got really stiff so I couldn't excactly walk properly either. But I really tried to go about things normally even then, which was maybe a mistake, because I got really, really tired from all this and the heat and getting not enough sleep etc. So I woke up this morning with a cough, a cold, a swollen up infected foot, a lot of bites, and a mild but still unwelcome bout of travellers diareah. Actually, it is after 6pm now and with the exception of saying goodbye to my friend who left today and going to buy some plain things to eat, I have done nothing but sleep all day! Now I am feeling way better though, and that is how I managed to get myself to the internet cafe, clearly. Actually it isn't even that bad because I know I just feel bad because of such a combination of minor things that will probably all be basically gone by tomorrow and I will only have spent one day actually sick. Compared to what most people get here, that's nothing!
Anyways, besides that lot's has still been going on over here. There are lots of cool people here and so I have had lots of good discussions. Plus, here is super touristy so I have also done some shopping and got some really cool things like clothes and jewellery. Not tons, but it is really awesome. I will for sure be buying more- it is so cheap here to buy such nive things! And learning lots about spirituality etc.
The friend that I said left today, I really think I am going to miss him. For the past...almost a week, or maybe a week actually who knows, anyways for quite a while we have been hanging out everyday and like, we had such good conversations! He is from Brazil, but has been living in Paris for 2 years and he got this scholarship that gave himso much money, so he travels all the time and has been to 32 countries! It's unbelievable! But he doesn't even tell people, like he told me because I would react well, but like I think he doesn't want people to be jealous or whatever. He has so many things going for him, but is so modest and I really like that. It makes conversations more interesting too, because there is always something new to learn and all. We just had a lot of fun though...not in a romantic way for all you are thinking it, jeez louise, but we became really good friends. There are very few people I will actually keep in touch with after this, and he is definitely one of them.
There are so many stories! This is such a small piece of what happens here so it's hard to know what to write. So when I get back, you will probably be surprised by how many stories never made it onto here. But you get the general idea, I think.
Today, I saw a monkey run into someones room and steal a mango! Haha, it was so funny, and then we sat there and watched as the girl ran out of the room and then the monkey just sat down in front of her and ate it. The animals were totally crazy today, don't ask me why...there must have been something in the air.
See, little everyday stories like that. We all have them.
The ashram that I am staying at is unfortunately kicking all the foreigners out in 2 days for a big Indian festival thing, so probably I will be leaving Rishikesh after all. I think I will meet up with someone I travelled with for a few days in Sikkim because I think it would be nice to have a travel buddy for a while, and we got on really well so it would be cool to see him again. Actually him and the friend that left today are definitely the two I want to keep in touch with most, and I think that if the one who left today had stayed longer and we all could have travelled together, they would get along really well and it would be the perfect group. Obviously it is impossible, but it's a nice thought.
So that is my update. Don't worry about the sick thing, it's part of coming to India- it isn't a complete trip without it. Only three more weeks here now, but so much can happen in that amount of time!
Who knows, maybe I will be somewhere new next time I update...
Namaste!
Love Erica

My mind is boggled...

2009-05-21T01:36:00.001-07:00

Ok, so Rishikesh is awesome for this reason: (among others)
There are so many people around who are capable of totally boggling your mind. It's such a high concentration of people whose lives are truly focussed on discovering the truth, or enlightenment, or whatever you want to call it, and when you meet these people it's like oh my God, what are you even saying!? In a really good way though, because it stretches your thoughts into trying to understand, but wow sometimes it's like...I know I'm not really understanding what someone is trying to describe to me.
At the same time, it's so cool to see what can happen, you know? Like, they got this way not from going to the best schools or reading a million things or travelling or anything material- of course it helps, but that's not what did it. They got that way from looking within themselves and they just know so much! At the ashram it's cool too, because there are people at every step of the way and you can kinda get an idea of the process of these things. I know in a month that I will be absolutely nowhere near where the goal is, but it's a really great place to learn how to get there, once we all return home to our (so called) normal lives. Actually, you wouldn't believe how many people quit their jobs to come there! Like, you meet all these people with these really great jobs who quit to go on these spiritual type journeys because they just felt so unsatisfied. I mean, me, sure I guess I quit two jobs to come here, but I was glad to quit them! Actually I think that I am really quite young to be here, so I think I am looking at it differently than many others here...although people come for all different reasons, some for a few days just to "try it out", others live here, and absolutely everything in between, but so many people are so into it already and everything....and of course I am wanting to do these things, but I think even more than that I like watching to see what other people are doing and how it seems to affect them. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I think that most people here are nearly entirely focused on themselves, and in a way that makes it even more interesting to observe them.
My Hindi teacher, hmm I think I haven't written about him before...but anyways, he is so cool, like maybe the classes can be super off topic, but he tells me all these things about yoga and meditation and stuff, which he is really into and actually when he talks to me, it is like the most one sidd conversations I have ever had because he says these things and my brain just lags so far behind trying to figure out what it means, and then he stops talking and I am still thinking so I don't say anything because my mind is just so overwhelmed, and then he starts saying more and I'm so interested to hear it but at the same time, I could think about those things forever and maybe never understand them. Maybe that's the point, who knows.
Hindi is a really cool language too, I mean obviously I know little about it, but it's got all these things about it, like what makes a word masculine or feminine: for example, words to do with fighting are feminine (who knows why that would be, not me! :P ) and words that are "cool" for example, vegetables because they make you feel cool (as a cucumber). Then there are words that are considered most powerful, which have the ending of the opposite gender of word. And, the word for man ends in a feminine way, but is masculine, and vice versa for lady, and these words only refer to true men and true ladies, because they will have both feminine and masculine characteristics. Same with words that are very powerful: such as desire, tradition, and lots of words that are considered to be words that can make something very strong, or can destroy everything- those will be either masculine or feminine, but end like the other, so they have the characteristics of both. Isn't that fascinating? It is so much more interesting that English! Like, it's almost like the language is teaching things in a way, like these are very strong words- watch out for these things!
Everything in India just has so much personality!
Anyways, I think I am making it sound like I am having all these deep life changing experiences, and I guess in a way I am, but actually I don't act any different here than I do at home. Which I guess is probably a good thing because that means I haven't realized I was pretending or anything at any time, here or there, to try to fit in, as they are very different places, clearly. Does this make sense? And actually, people react to me the same here as they do on the island as well just always assume I am older until I tell them my age, if I do and actually it doesn't seem to matter so much. Except for yesterday...actually am I writing too much? Are you all bored and like, thinking of all these other things you want to do right now? Haha, ok well this can be a lesson for you about living in the moment.
Ok, so yesterday, the Swami (kinda like a Guru I think, but a step lower maybe? who knows, but anyways, he leads the lectures) was talking about different phases of life (there are 4) and he just kept saying over and over again- People who are 18, they might think they know something, but they know nothing! Nothing! Over and over, he said things like this and I was like...jeez, according to him am I even supposed to be here? But then he was saying that it was at this stage that people should learn about spirituality, and at the next stage, where all the other people were, that people should settle down and have a family, so although I was the only one at that first stage, it also made me the only one doing things in the right order, strangely. Although it wasn't set rules or anything. Still though I was like, say it one more time why don't you!
Anyways, that is my very long update of the day...
Namaste!
Love Erica

I need to think of more interesting titles...not including the word Rishikesh...

2009-05-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all!
Guess what I did today? I went to the Beatles Ashram!!! That's where they wrote like...the White Album (which doesn't actually mean anything to me, but still cool) and it was such an awesome place! There are these stone domes that are similar to igloos only like, a billion degrees and made of stones, where people would have stayed before. Now, the ashram is closed, kind of like a ghost town (and actually it is said to be haunted by someone who cries at night), so walking around it has this really incredible vibe, like it's so peaceful and spiritual, almost like it's in the air. Looking around, it's so run down, basically like the skeleton of an ashram, but yah it's really, really cool. The atmosphere...it's very special. And it's such a crazy thought to think like, the Beatles walked here! So much stuff happened for them, right here. There are these big igloo things that you can climb up a ladder on them, and then climb inside and when you are in there, the whole world is just gone. They are like amphitheatres and if you say om, or anything, they echo it around and it is so beautiful and wow, it is a spectacular place; I will definitely be going back. From on top of them you can see for miles around too, all the city of Rishikesh and the Ganges, and all the mountains that surround it.
Tonight, there was this crazy lightning storm too. I have never seen anything like it, the lightning was in all directions, and when it happened, the whole sky was illuminated- sometimes for like 5 seconds at a time and it seemed like someone had switched a light on or something, it was really weird. Sometimes it was just like sparkles jumping across the sky. All different kinds of lightning that I never thought were possible, really. It was such a cool day!
Yah and yoga and Hindi and meditation are going well...it's a great place to stay, honestly, and I'm making friends and stuff and life is good.
Anyways, I have to go, namaste!
Love Erica

More Rishikesh

2009-05-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Haha, of course you can write about music, especially John Mayer, as he is awesome! :D I brought my ipod and I think without it I would go insane because sometimes, it's really nice to listen to something familiar. Although I don't listen to it super often or anything, but it's nice to know it's there... Actually that Piscale Piscard girl (or whatever her name is I can never remember) is very helpful at times lol. Plus good luck with your end of year! I think I will visit while travellling across Canada and eat one of everything at the bakery...there is a severe lack of decent baked goods here I have to say. Actually I think there could be a whole new blog called Marianne and Erica talking about lots of random things and it would be the best blog ever, much better than this one.
Haha, is anyone interested?
Hmm so yes I am in Rishikesh...and I think I will stay here for a month aka until I come back to Canada. I took my first Hindi lesson yesterday! It was really good and although I am still scarred for life learning languages because of *cringe* French class, I think I will fare much better here. The teacher is really cool and actually we spent about a quarter of my lesson talking about conservation of polar bears. In billion degree heat, how ironic!
I have also made some friends, horray! One is an American girl who actually is 24 I think and she is quite similar to me in a lot of ways so we get along well. Plus, we are both travelling alone and I think we were both quite releived to meet each other. Another is a German man who I actually have only talked to once. He is 40 and just quit his job as a dentist to embark on a year long spiritual quest but is not a hippy, and he was interesting to talk to also and wants me to pass along my Hindi knowledge, which is good because I think if I teach somebody else I will remember much better and also it will force me to practice, which is the most important thing.
Hopefully I will continue to make friends here, as people are always coming and going so it's a good place for it. After one month here, I will know some Hindi and yoga and will be much more prepared for life I think. Not that I'm not prepared now or whatever, but you know, more well rounded and stuff.
Hmm what else...the food here is the best ever, and there is so much fruit too that is so fresh and that is excellent. Maybe I will learn how to cook too and I can make some for you when I get home :) I'm not making any promises, but it could happen.
Anyways, I'm gonna go, I hope it is getting warmer etc over there!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Arrival etc in Rishikesh :)

2009-05-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well I apologize for all the whining and complaining last time...
Here is awesome!!!
I got to Rishikesh 3 days ago, and it is definitely the right place for me now. I am staying at an ashram, where there is free yoga every morning and meditation. I have only been once, as it took me a while to settle in and to find it, but I think I will probably stay here for the next month. Tomorrow morning, I start Hindi lessons! I think that in a month, I will be able to learn quite a lot actually, because it is quite easy to pick out words in Hindi when people are talking, and since I hear it all the time...
Well, I am thinking positively anyways :P
There are a lot of foreigners here...and but that I mean hundreds. There are even more Indian pilgrims, because it is a very holy sight. So most people here are not locals, but it has a different vibe. It isn't tourists. People stay longer and are very calm and comfortable somehow. There is some hassling, but it isn't so in your face and it's ok. A bazzillion people a day want to take pictures with me though...haha I should charge them and I could have a good business going! Make a little booth...have your picture taken with a foreign girl, 5 rupees! :P
Oh jeez.
I did yoga this morning, as I mentioned, and that was really nice. There are lots of people from all levels in there, so when you look around it's like, nice to see that I'm not the only beginner, but then you can look at the people who really know what they are doing and know what is really supposed to be happening. It's a nice mix. Staying at an ashram in very peaceful too, because actually you aren't allowed to make noise, so although there are 200 rooms, it doesn't feel like a big place somehow. Still, I might switch if I find somewhere small that is also cheap. With the yoga and all, it is only 100 rupees ($2.50) a night to stay there! It is just a room with a bed (not clean, but also slightly softer that bare wood) and some shelves, which is about the same as everywhere just usually you don't get free yoga at hotels! Anyways I think I am not writing very well today because my thoughts are all out of order so if I am repeating myself and jumping around a lot, please be patient with me!
This morning there was a beggar woman, her name is Bula, who we smiled at each other when I was going one way, and then when I came back, she said chai. So I bought some for her and for me and it was nice actually. Like, a beggar man came and gave her a buscuit and gave each of us some more chai, and she shared some buscuits with me and like, from that perspective you can see that they are such a community here and take care of each other and stuff. Also, for them to give something to me I found very special, because it was such a reverse of how things usually work. I had a good morning this morning.
Well it is still morning, but early morning. Here I am always up before 6, because I go to bed so early...between 9-1030 usually. Which is quite healthy I think. Anyways I think I am boring you all to death at the moment because yah, my brain really is not wanting to form good sentences and all that right now. I will let you know how the Hindi lessons go! So far, I know how to say what is your name, hello, milk, cow, actually I won't list them all but not a whole lot more than that, so I have a long, long way to go!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Agra: The most horrible place in the world!

2009-05-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I said I would do an update for the Taj Mahal, but I think it is quite different than what would be expected. This, for me, is about the worst location possible. The building is absolutely beuatiful, for sure, I'm not going to say anything else because it is. Just being in Agra is awful for a young, white, single Canadian girl, I'm not gonna lie.
People yell even more here than they did in Varanasi, so really it is constant, the people trying to sell things or just saying hello, what country? Literally being asked the same things a hundred times in a day is so infuriating! This is the one time I have really disliked a place and wanted to leave without even caring about seeing the tourist things. The rickshaw drivers are the worst I think, because they follow you. I don't even look at the people who yell and say hello or answer, and yet they still do it! Yeserday one guy followed me for about 10 minutes just talking and carrying on-it's totally rediculous.
On the other hand, I have definitely developed some bargaining skills. This is absolutely neccessary here, as they charge double for foreigners. For my room they asked 250, and I got it to 150. I bought a ring, and he asked 500 and I got it to 315 (this was my best one yet, for sure, I was actually quite tricky and I love the ring)....even for lunch yesterday, the menu price was 80 and I paid 40! So it's a good thing I didn't come here first, I'd be broke in a day! :P People are so rude here, so I can be rude back and it really cuts prices, I must say! But don't worry, once I leave I will go back to being a likable person :) When in Rome....
So the Taj.
It is beautiful. Far more beautiful in real life than in any photo, obviously, but look it up anyways because it is really nice to look at. Inside, there are carvings everywhere of flowers, I think lotus flowers but actually I don't know and the dome inside echos so that all the voices come together like music. The Indian tourists are very rich and the women have on the most beautiful saris, so there is a lot of colour in the crowds. I don't know why, but there are a lot of old Indian women visiting. Outside there is a garden with grass and trees and it is pretty, actually there are a lot of chipmunks there, and that is the first place in India I have seen them. I saw this strange ferret-like thing too, which was somewhat alarming actually!
Tomorrow, thank God, I leave Agra to to go Rishikesh. I think until then I will hide in my room and sleep or something, because although there are other places to see here, the Taj Mahal is enough for me, with all the yelling and carrying on. Anyways, next time I write I will hopefully be in a better mood because I am not in this horrible place! Jeez Louise. I know I am travelling and shouldn't complain etc, but this is just rediculous. I really can't say I recommend coming to Agra. Maybe like, come on the night train, arrive on the morning, see the Taj, then get on an afternoon bus or train out of town. I think that would be plenty.
Anyways, this is the day for all of you to read this and think to yourselves, thank God I am in Canada, what a wonderful, wonderful country!
Actually I think it is important to think that every day, and I do, but today I seem to be thinking of almost nothing else!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Some Funny Things...

2009-05-08T00:30:00.000-07:00

Cape Scott! Yeye, I want to go there! But, here will do, I suppose :P
Stephanie, I want a detailed update when you get back!
Yesterday was quite an interesting day...
I was talking to a local guy from here who is quite normal and it was really interesting to talk to him because we both wanted to know so many things about each others cultures. I think both of us really learned a lot! He is taking a degree in business that will place him in a western country when it's finished, so he watches all these Hollywood movies and things and wanted to know what was true. Then of course I have so many questions about the things I see here, and it was really great, actually. Once again one of those rare but valuable conversations that add so much to traveling, because now I understand much more. Anyways, for some reason he really wanted me to come see this fortune teller guy, and this was so rediculous I couldn't even keep a straight face.
Ok, so you know me...super gullible etc., but this guy was just too much. It was this old man with almost no teeth wearing something quite similar to a loincloth, which is very common here. Quite an unimpressive looking fellow overall. He didn't speak English, so my friend translated. He like, took a quick glance at my hand, then told me that money was coming and going for me. I was like well, yes, more going at the moment, as I am travelling...
Then he said, you are middle class.
I was like yes I am...(thinking something along the lines of could any of this be more obvious???)
Then he told me that I would start my studies, but there would be some problem, like I would lose concentration or something and I wouldn't finish. Which I guess is possible...
But THEN, he went into telling me that I would travel many times to America, where I would have a ver successful business, as well as travelling to Hong Kong, possibly to live there, and in two years I will become a pilot.
Oh Jeez.
I could hardly control myself, like it was just so funny, the whole situation was absolutely rediculous. Then he asked to see my foot for some reason, pushed two of my toes together, and told me that I will have 2 husbands, 3 kids, and die at the ripe old age of 55!
This was quite horrible news, as you can imagine, but he said don't worry, if you wear a red ring then you will live until you are 70 and your leg pains and headaches will go away!
Leg pains? Headaches?
Becoming a pilot???
Well, it was an experience, that's for sure. Actually, today I bought a red ring (fake, 25 cents) just for good measure and while I was buying it, this old Indian lady said I was very beautiful and bought me a yellow necklace for good luck, which was nice of her so maybe there is something to it afterall.
Yesterday I also took quite a hilarious yoga class with two Dutch doctors who are in their 30s and have never done yoga. It seemed that the instruction was quite uninformed in the yoga department also, so we spent about 2 hours waving our arms around in circles, running on the spot, etc while he explained to us that doing these things would improve our digestion, give us a beautiful face, and make our hair healthier! The doctors really got a kick out of that! Oh Jeez.
Nice guy though, very eccentric I tell you!
Anyways, these are the wonderful tourist traps that await you if you ever come to Varanasi. Perhaps one day I will return with a video camera and make a comedy fest out of it. There is a neverending supply of material!
Namaste!
Love Erica

These titles all start to sound the same...

2009-05-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

I am still in Varanasi, this strange and wonderful place. It is about a billion degrees here, yes, and like, it just makes everybody so lazy! All the travellers, that is. We spend a large portion of our time, well for some people nearly all their time, in the hotel, mainly either sleeping or eating/smoking at the restaurant. It is a great place actually. At the same time though, this is India. It's hot. If you want to see a place, the weather shouldn't stop you! So here we are.
Yesterday, I ended up walking around for about 11 hours, with stops obviously or else I would have died, but even so I think I was close. I got back and climbed the 7 flights of stairs up to the dorm, which is actually a cage on top of the building that monkeys like to fight on top of at night, which makes for somewhat of a disturbing nights sleep with all their screaming and crashing around. I'm always so tired that it doesn't matter though. So yes, I finally made it up those stairs and was so completely exhausted that I didn't even make it to the shower, I just lied down on the bed and there I stayed for quite a while. Then I went downstairs, ate two dinners, drank 2 litres of water, had a shower and went to sleep, and that made me feel much better but jeez louise, that was way too much!
There is tons of tourist hassling here. When I say tons, I mean that as you walk, every shop keeper (so every 10 ft normally) calls out, "yes ma'am? cigarette? cold drink? what you want?" and then when you go down to the ghats (the edge of the river) it's "yes ma'am, boat?" Today, I even got a "Hello sir, boat?" and a "How you like Indian men?" It's rediculous! Gahh!! Once you get away from the main tourist places it's much better and people mostly ignore you like they're supposed to, but it's enough to make you want to tear your hair out, or punch the guy in the face and run away. It's weird though because you walk around thinking omg these people are just so infuriating, and then you stop and talk to one of them and usually the shopkeepers and stuff are actually quite nice and pleasant. It's just regular people who yell at tourists all the time. Usually though, every person that talks to you is trying to sell you something. A common job here is for people to find tourists, engage them in conversation, you know, telling them about Hindu culture or explaining the burning, this kind of thing, and then saying about how they have a government silk shop, much cheaper than the other silk shops and real sil too, just come look no need to buy, just see the silks here that are so important to Varanasi. Then they talk you to their uncles silk shop and about I don't know, 60% of the time you get suckered into buying something. I bought some, and I even told the guy wow, you are really good at this because I really didn't think I would buy anything! I am quite happy with them though so that's alright :P
Yesterday though, I was drinking a chai in a calm non-tourist part of town and was very content with not being hassled, and this guy came and sat down beside me and I was like nooooo!!! But then, he mostly wanted to like, hear about Western culture and stuff and like, how the wedding ceremony works and the story of Christmas and things like this, and he told me the corrresponding things of Hindu culture, and I kept waiting for the silk shop, but he didn't end up having one! He was like, a student home from Delhi for holidays instead so I guess he was just bored. That was my first real conversation with an Indian person in Varanasi where they didn't try to sell me something. Of course, there is still the whole trying to seduce Western girls for being "easy" to watch out for, but I am thinking positive thoughts. Another traveller who I was talking to yesterday described it as "shaking his faith in humanity", all the false conversations and all this. It really does, so I'm trying to think positive thoughts whenever posible!
The Taj Mahal I think is where I will head next, actually, probably in the next couple days if I can get a train there. I can't really see myself lingering all that much in Varanasi. It sounds like you are interested in that one too, so I'll make sure it's a detailed description when I get there!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Varanasi

2009-05-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Imagine everything I said about Yuksam...
Now imagine the total opposite.
Welcome to Varanasi!
This is where the bodies are burned and then thrown into the Ganges river (which by the way is just as polluted as they say it is....the water is like, grey!), which happens all day and all night, so that hundreds of bodies are burned every day. It is quite beautiful to see actually, and these people truly worship the river. It is so holy to them. It is a huge river too, much bigger than I imagined and the water is smooth. At night, people light little leaf bowls with flowers circling a candle inside and send them floating across the water, and there are hour long ceremonies every night with mantras and a sort of fire dance done by the Brahmans, the members of the highest caste. There are temples lining the river, some of which are thousands of years old, and everywhere you look are little statues and religious figures, and people dressed in some ceremonial clothes and the entire city is so centred around its religious importance.
I would definitely recommend reading a bit about Varanasi, or even just googling some pictures because it is a very special place. There is no where anything like it anywhere else in the world to be sure.
Getting here, now that is a story!
So I was in Sikkim, aka the best place ever, why did I ever leave?...and yes, I was sadly packing etc. The jeep left at 6am and I travelled with an English man I knew there who is making his way to Delhi. It took until about 2:30 to get to the train station, back on the plains and out of the wonderful Himalayas. The plains are also beautiful though, so many farms, only with palm trees growing between them and cows roaming wherever they please. The women all wear saris and they blow in the breeze in all their bright colours...
Anyways, there were no sleeper class tickets left, and no chance to upgrade, so guess how I travelled...mom, close your eyes you will be horrified...
General Ticket! :S
That is where no matter how many people buy a ticket, all are crowded into the cars at the end of the train. This is how your typical low caste Indian gets around, as well as those who, like us, didn't get a seat in the sleeper cars on the train.
There were literally 40 people crammed into a space of 2m by 4.5m. Forty sweaty, tired people all fighting for a space. It was a challenge just to get into the car at all, you have to shove your way in like you mean it. If you were standing and lifted your foot, that was it. The rest of the feet came together and in a second the space was gone. After a few hours, some men stood up and gave me a seat, which was a bit better but there was this awful Bengali woman sitting beside me who really, really hated me. She pushed against me with all her might for about 6 hours, so that my legs were so squished and so without blood that it was very, very painful. Two days later I am still sore. To make matters worse, every time I fell asleep she would shake me! Then once every so often, she would totally lose it and start yelling and waving her arms around. She wanted me off that train. Finally she fell asleep, on me of course, and the trip was much better after that.
There were quite a few fights and squabbles on board, but the people, besides that lady, were really good people. They smiled and laughed and slept, a couple knew English and talked to us, and like, people always warn you of all the criminals on the trains, but honestly I wasn't stupid about it, but I felt totally safe there. Uncomfortable, but safe. They weren't interested in hurting anybody or stealing, they were just people riding a train. I hope I don't have to do it again, because I know that alone it might be a whole different story (the British guy was still with me, although he complained like, the entire way it was so annoying! It was the worst part of it, actually, him complaining!), but that was something I will never forget for sure, and it is good to know how so many people travel. Some are one their for 30 hours like that! 14 was plenty if you ask me!
What a country.
Now without my Lonely Planet, it is much harder to know where to go etc, but I think I will be going somewhere else soon. Maybe to see the Taj Mahal, and then back up north to where it isn't 45 degrees....they aren't lying when they tell you it is very, very hot. But it's alright, just wow, I am much happier in the presense of a fan. Precense, presence...how is that spelled I have no idea? Haha, but doesn't matter.
So yah, I have to go....look up Varanasi, everyone, that is your homework for today!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Back In Yuksam...

2009-04-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

Jeez Louise, I think I will never leave Yuksam! This is by far my favourite place so far in India, and I was only going to come here for one night, but I will stay 2 and then I really must go! Varanasi yes is very very hot...45 degrees I here so I think I will not have this same problem of never wanting to leave that place!
Today I am learning how to make momos, which are these little cabbage dumplings that are the main food here and they are basically the best things ever so now I can make some for you once I get back :D
I walked two days to get here with a guy I met in the dorm in Pelling who is from the Netherlands, so it has been nice to have a travel partner for a while. Actually the first day there was a French guy too who came with us, but his backpack was so heavy that he had to stay another night at Katchupalri Lake, which was the first stop, to recover! That was quite funny, to see him trying to get that huge bag up all the hills.
Here is the best though omg, it's so hard to even desribe but I know so many travellers and so many locals here that everywhere I go I have someone to talk to and yah, it is really fantastic and so beautiful and I really have to leave but wow, I am so glad that I found this place, honestly!
So yes, I will be travelling for a few days I think, and I will update you once I get to Varanasi, which is said to be the best city in India to see, and very interesting, so I'm sure I will have a lot to say about it once I get there.
Namaste!
Love Erica

sorry for the gap!!

2009-04-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally blogging again after a few days...

I am back in Gangtok Briefly, but leaving today to go back to Pelling and get my stuff, then I think I will re-enter the "real" India. It takes a lot of courage after being in this peaceful place, but it has to happen. Plus, I am meeting someone I met who is from Victoria in Varanasi (if he is still there when I get there...he is the same kind of traveller that I am aka just leaves on a whim) so I am happy about that. It will be nice to hang out with someone who has the same culture as me. I know that is what travelling is all about, but I am feeling tired right now. I think perhaps I ate something somewhat disagreeable for the first time, but I'm not really sick, just tired.

Let me tell you about trying to book a jeep today! Ok, so I was absolutely determined to get to Pelling today. One more day in Gangtok...not happening.

But, almost every single jeep is on election duty, and I'm not entirely sure what that means, but all that matters to me about it is that there are literally no cars available as tourist jeeps. So getting places is nearly impossible. This morning, I found the only one going in the morning, and they had one more seat but I still had to pay for my hotel so I had no choice but to tell them to wait five minutes and they left without me!

After that, every single person I asked said no, you won't find a jeep today. They even were saying no tomorrow either! But, as I said, I was determined and I figured if every person there was aware that I was trying to get to Pelling, then I would get there. I did that for two hours and I tell you it was frustrating. Then, when I was waiting at the (closed)ticket booth with some other desperate travellers, a guy called me over and was like, you travelling alone? I was like yes...and there was ONE seat left in the only jeep to Pelling.

See, determination pays off. This story has a moral and everything haha! It was very lucky too, obviously and I am so relieved. Anyways, I'll do a better update later.

Love Erica

Still In Yuksom

2009-04-22T01:56:00.000-07:00

Hmm...so today has been very, very peaceful. I walked up to one of the monasteries, which was built in 1701 so it's super old and the monks there were so chill. They were eating breakfast and I arrived at the same time as another tourist couple and we just wandered in and they didn't seem to mind at all, just continued on like it was all just normal...which it is, I suppose, because it's always got tourists coming and going. It's nice how this is such a lovely little village, where the villagers all greet each other and just go about their daily lives even though there are so many tourists. It's like, we are here but only on the surface; the village is all it's own place. I hope so much that it stays like that and the culture is affected as little as possible, because this is such an amazing place.
Yesterday, I met my third Canadian since coming to India, and guess where he was from? Victoria! We were both like, so surprised and happy to meet each other, it was really funny. Plus like, you can bet that on the island we never would have met, it took coming halfway across the world to a village neither of had never even heard of before arriving. He was travelling with an Israeli guy (there are so many Israelis here!) and they were a lot of fun. Unfortunately they left this morning, but maybe I will see them again along the way, who knows.
I think I will go to Kateopari Lake (spelled wrong, don't bother trying to look that one up, I'll get proper spelling later if anyone would like it), maybe tomorrow, because I am getting a little restless here. Although I think I need to learn to relax here, I think that is what it is here to teach me. The people here, they just pass time. They sit and watch the hills, so relaxed. Sometimes they are chatting to each other or smoking or watching over some animals, but there is no purpose neccessary. People will be sitting beside each other just on the side of a path with a good view (most places) and be watching the day go by, thinking quietly to themselves and that's good. Nobody is ever in a hurry, or even worried it seems. I mean, I'm sure they are at times as individuals, but as a culture it doesn't seem to be a concept. In Canada, it seems sometimes like it is a race to do so many things and if someone asks you what you did the day before, if you said that you just sat and did some thinking or whatever, you would be almost ashamed to say it. Here, it is a way of life. And the people are so much happier and look so healthy and everything...I think there is something really important that is missing in our culture that is present here. There are people who know how to relax of course in Canada, but it is considered somewhat of an accomplishment as opposed to a common and normal state of mind. That is just my viewpoint of course, but it is something I have been thinking about a lot here.
Anyways, I may post another short thing after this but I am starting to worry about the power going out so I will post this now.
Namaste, and relax that is my thing to pass on to you today! There is no need to be accomplishing something specific all the time!
Love Erica

Yuksom

2009-04-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

I have reached the best place on earth.
Yesterday, I walked from Pelling to Yuksom (which took like... 8.5 hours and I was still 5km away) and it was possibly the most brutal hike I have ever done in my entire life, but definitely one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was through little footpaths, which meant I spent a lot of time lost and wandering to peoples houses and gardens, but they were all so friendly and pointed me back in the right direction. It was amazing, it is like tresspassing is no concept here. Then the mayor of the town picked me up, and I got to spend the night at his house and met his family and everything and they fed me dinner, and I even got to meet the woman who is minister of animal husbandry and agricalture! Isn't that fantastic!?
Then today, I met a man who I met in Darjeeling who is from Britain but has lived in Africa and now lives in Southern India and went for a walk with him and a local guy to another village and it was so peaceful and this is the best place ever. I think I will live here forever...
So that you will all have a reason to visit, everybody should come here!
Anyways, my internet time is done..too short!
Namaste!
Love Erica

Quite Nearly leaving for Pelling :P

2009-04-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

You guys are awesome I love the comments they made my day!!! :D

And yes, there may be gaps as I have mentioned, so please don't be worried! Sikkim is still quite traditional in the countryside, so computers will probaby be hard to find, but you never know.

So I didn't actually go to Pelling yesterday, but today I have a ticket bought so that's it, I'm going! I was going to leave yesterday, but I went to the zoo with a guy I met here, who is actually local for once, and we were trying to get from the zoo to one of the temples through a "shortcut" but got totally lost in the forest following this water pipe that I swear went no where. Which is quite funny, because his job is leading treks...jeez louise. There are about a billion leeches all over the place here too that are really small and don't really do anything, but I got so many, like even inside my shoes! They liked me a lot, unfortuately.

I actually met another Israeli girl who I was going to travel with to Yuksom, but she is now sick so I'm going on my own, but still meeting my friend tomorrow there, so it's all good.

Anyways, I must be going...I'll keep my eye out for an owl.

Love Erica

Did you miss me?

2009-04-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Awh thanks for the comments guys, I love to read them! I think I don't say that enough.
Also, Dad you used the computer! Congratulations! :P
So the past few days, I went on a jeep tour through northern Sikkim, very near Tibet, and there were military everywhere, but doing nothing I swear it must be the most boring job in the entire world! But I guess China is a pretty scary neighbour.
The tour was absolutely amazing. The mountains here are so dramatic and so beautiful, and there are prayer flags blowing in the wind all over adding such a spiritual level to it all. The people are so friendly and peaceful, and the villages are sp simple, with small huts built on stilts out over the steep mountain sides, and always so much laundry blowing in the breeze.
It was a jeep tour, so it was a lot of driving, although we got to go on many walks along the way. It was a fantastic group of people too, we laughed so much! Everything was so funny though, because the guide was totally useless...like, he didn't really speak English and he was really young...he looked like a teenager but apparently he was 21 and had four girlfriends! Haha! He was like, completely terrified of us and didn't actually guide us at all, we would go where we wanted and he would kind of wander here and there, usually holding a stick in one hand and just looking completely lost. I think perhaps he had never been there before. The driver didn't speak any English but was really funny and happy and stuff and also drove very fast which was kind of nice but also very scary.
Jeez Louise.
It was absolutely hilarious. Plus, like other things all kept going wrong, such as getting locked out of our hotel, losing our driver, getting dinner at like 900 at night because the workers decided to invite their friends over instead of making dinner...with any other group of people, it would have been such a bad trip, but as it was, we were just in stitches laughing. It is such a hilarious country, really.
The other people were a couple from Israel who were awesome, like so laid back and funny and also very knowledgable about so many things so they were really interesting to talk to. I think they were about 30, but seemed so young somehow. They weren't young or old really, they were just who they were...like I'm sure they could have related to anyone and they would have enjoyed their company. The others were a girl (woman...she is 28) from Austria who is great because she laughs so much, and I think that each of us are quite similar in the laughing and lack of planning departments, so we get along well. We are meeting in Yuksom in a few days to do a trek together.
The other was a British guy who is 21, and he was really funny too. Our guides name was Oneil, and Josh, the Bristish guy, always called him Oakley and it was seriously like the funniest thing in the world I could never keep a straight face.
And they listen to SO much Canadian music here! Like, more than in Canada almost! Every time you go out you are guaranteed to here Summer of 69...so many people even have it as their ringtone! And Avril Lavinge is like, everywhere for some reason...in all these restaurants they have a picture of a god, and then a picture of Avril Lavigne beside it I'm not quite sure why...
The jeep had a Canada flag sticker on it, and like, even Simple Plan came on, it was like that I'm Just a Kid song I couldn't believe it! So many outdated songs here...but yah, Canada has a very strong presence in Sikkim for some reason, from the shirts to the songs to the stickers-it's awesome!
Weird though.
Anyways, that is my update. Next time, I think I will be in Pelling or some other place...aka I am most likely getting on a but today, and that is most likely where it is going...haha, but who knows! I am becoming even more incapable of making decisions the longer I spend here, but I always get places so it's ok. It's quite nice actually. Now that I am meeting someone in Yuksom in a few days, it will keep me moving. I am getting tired of carrying my backpack around so maybe I will abandon it someplace...do I really need so much stuff? Plus it is starting to smell I must say. I think it is time I did some laundry!
Anyways, that's all for now. I think internet gets harder to find where I am going, but I'll try to keep you up to date!
Love Erica

Do de do...cant think of anything

2009-04-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the most excellent conversation, and how it started was so random! I was just walking down the street, doing you know, idle shopping, and I wandered into this little tourist shop. I was looking at a bracelet similar to one I had seen in another shop, where they told me it was made of yak bone. So, I asked what it was made out of and he said yak bone. I kept looking and then a few minutes later he's like "You know, it's not really yak bone. There are not enough yaks! This is made out of yak bone, in that other store it's made out of yak bone, it isn't possible!" I laughed and was like yes, so what is it really made out of? And he told me it was really plastic, he knew because he had tried melting it once. Then he told me some other tourist trap type things in his store, and it was very nice to have somebody being honest instead of trying to make everything so sound wonderful and expensive etc. Then we talked for such a long time! Well actually, it was mostly him talking but it was so interesting! He told me that in arranged marrianges, the people are much happier than in love marriages, and how people live with their whole family their whole life here and like, different things about Sikkim and India and just so many things. We talked a lot about the differences between our different cultures, and I think both of us were surprised by so many things! Anyways tho, I have to go I wish I had more time...but I was so happy to have that conversation, because it was one of the first really good conversations I have had here that wasn't with another foreigner!
PS....Happy Easter!

Sikkim!

2009-04-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Today, guess what I saw? A Canada Tshirt, for sale! I was like, omg do people actually buy those here? What if I see someone wearing one? It was very exciting, I have to say...made me feel very at home. I am in Sikkim now, and it is so similar to Canada I can hardly believe it! I have seen...actually I don't think I have seen any beggars, and there are less poor people than you see walking around in Courtenay! The people dress basically excactly how I dress...in fact, some of the clothes are identical to things I have at home! For example, my red plaid jacket and basically anything wollen, and jeans. It is like stepping into a Western country, and it's India! How strange.
To get into Sikkim you need a permit, which takes 5 minutes at the border (Sikkim is a state, I am in the capital right now which is Gangtok), although there was a guy from Japan in the same share jeep as me, and he said that his took 2 hours of walking between two different offices in Darjeeling. Thank goodness I am a procrastinator, that's all I can say!
It is so beautiful here, with the mountains being so steep and green and holy smokes I saw like, the hugest snake I have ever seen in real life today (from the jeep) and it must have been 6 or seven feet long! As exciting as it was, I will be happy if that is the only one I see of those terrifying creatures.
The ride was on a-get this- pothole free paved road all the way here, so we could go more than 20km/h for once. This proved to be not such a good thing, because although the trip took only a few hours instead of an entire day, (yesterday it took almost 2 hours to go 38km. I haven't done the math, but you get an idea of the pace of things around here...for example, we waited an hour and a half for our lunch, and it wasn't even unusual! Jeez Louise!) But, since the roads are switchbacks the entire way, swinging around like that is like being on a long and not very thrilling roller coaster, that is unless you catch a glimpse of how close you are to the cliffside :S So yes, highly sickening but very beautiful. Once again, a land of contradictions.
The people here are the nicest I have encountered so far...anywhere actually, so far. They are just very friendly and there isn't anything threatening about them. I mean, I know that there are bad people everywhere that isn't what I'm saying, just, here it is normal to be friendly and it really has a similar feel to the island. Maybe it is just places where people are closer to nature. Those city people in Kolkata never stood a chance to develope this way.
Sikkim is mainly Buddhist, I think, so while I am here I will probably be visiting many monasteries. There is also a lot of hiking around, and as I haven't really done that yet I think this is the place for it. I just need to find a fellow lone traveller to hike with, because people aren't allowed to go alone. That is just fine with me, after the whole snake spotting episode.
So I'm having a nice break here in this wonderful place, who knows what will happen?
Love Erica

Long, long day

2009-04-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

Today was...intereting. A lot packed into one, like it was when I first arrived in India. I woke up this morning at 4am to go see the sunrise over this mountain that I really should know the name of...anyways it's the highest in India, and the third highest in the world. It is extremely foggy here though, which isn't supposed to happen at this time of year, but I decided to give it a shot.
I told my (again, excessively creepy) hotel owner guy that I was going. He seems to think he is my father or something and was trying to tell me not to go, but I was like no, I'm going. Last night he got mad at me because I came in "late" (aka 7!) because he was waiting because he wanted to go to dinner with me! Give me a break! Other than him though, there are very few creeps in Darjeeling. I just seem to have a real knack for finding them, unfortunately.
So anyways, he locked me in! The hotel has stairs going down, and then a door that locks at the bottom, and he locked even though he knew I was going! I absolutely could not believe it. But I was not going to let some creepy wierdo stand in my way so I climbed down from outside my room, second story, in the dark! Haha, I felt like such an adventurer.
Then I ended up getting in the very last cab to leave town...not because I was late, but because this guy was determined to pack every last person possible into the jeep...14 in all, can you believe it? Then, he drove like an abdsolute madman all the way there and it was pretty awful to tell you the truth. It's all switchbacks and cliffsides, as I said before, and the potholes have potholes so there is a lot of swerving on top of that. The kid in front of me puked out the window a few times to give you an idea of just how sickening it was.
But, we made it!
When we got there, it was absolutely hilarious! I mean, it was totally foggy and nearly a huge disappointment, but I swear it was worth it to see all those Indians in the "cold"! They were wrapping scarves around their mouths and shivering away in all their layers of cold looking like they were at deaths door or something...and I was just like, standing there in jeans and a sweater, totally fine. It was so funny! I was like, trying so hard not to laugh but honestly, it was priceless. One guy came up to me and was like, why aren't you cold? Inside my head I was just thinking oh jeez, if you think this is cold...never go to Canada! Even the warmest part is colder than this!
Then on the way back we went to some other touristy spots and it was really nice. Definitely worth it. The whole things only costed like...2.50! Gotta love India.
Then later on I walked around and saw some temples. One was a Buddhist temple where we got to beat drums and stuff, which was a new experience for me.
In the afternoon I went on the "toy train" which goes to a nearby town and back, and it had cleared up a bit so the sights were amazing.
Then when we got back, there were people in uniforms of all kinds lining the main street, because apparently the Prime Minister is coming to visit today! I got a few pictures of that that are really nice, and unusual because how often does that happen? I didn't see the Prime Minister though, but even if I did I wouldn't know it, to be honest.
Another comment about Darjeeling and like, surrounding areas: I think that these must be the most beautiful people in the entire world. Every single person is either beautiful, handsome, whatever. They dress so nicely and seem so cheerful and there is so much laughter around, it's amazing. Like, people actually smile at each other here when they pass by and I still can't believe that this is the same country I was in a few days ago. I think most places could learn a lot from here. And people look so healthy! It really must be the air.
Hmm...oh yah and today I talked to an American Buddhist Monk, from New York! How random is that? You know, he didn't seem any different than another American, strangely enough. Never mentioned like, monk type things unless I asked about it. He was cool to talk to though. He wants to go work in a restaurant in Vancouver! Yup, India never ceases to amaze me.
Anyways, that is a snapshot of today. I am thinking tomorrow I will go to Kalimpong, and I think that you can do more trekking from there. It is available here too, but creepo is lurking and I have done all the other touristy things I feel I need to do here. So, perhaps next time I will be there!
Love Erica
PS. Ok, for once I didn't lose the clock, it broke! Jeez Louise, what a poor quality device that was!

First day in Darjeeling

2009-04-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

Darjeeling really is a wonderful place. Today I got up and washed my hair...which was cold, as there is no running water at my hotel, and so it comes in buckets, and therefor is cold. You can buy a bucket of hot water for 10 Rupees, which is like 25 cents, but that would involve getting dressed to go buy it and carrying it back etc and I am far too lazy for that, so cold water it is! Needless to say, I was most certainly awake after that!
Then it was about 8 in the morning, approximately. Unfortunately my clock broke (lasted 2 1/2 weeks and I didn't even buy it in India, I bought it in Singapore!) so actually now I never know what time it is. Back to normal I suppose.
So I walked to the zoo which was actually pretty nice...the enclosured were of course too small, but the animals were all Himilayan animals and living outside, so that is something. There is also a museum there at the Himilayan Mountaineering Institute which was the best I have seen so far here (aka actually explained the exhibits) so that was nice. There I met a guy from Germany and we had some interesting conversations which was nice. It is so good to talk to somebody from a Western country! We went to this restaurant for lunch where I had a veggie burger and a brownie! It is so touristy here, they even have "American" sections on the menus! Well, at some places that is, and this one was mostly western food, walking in was like such a relief, I actually knew what everything was! Once again, the Lonely Planet is my best friend.
Then we went to the Happy Valley tea estate, which is the really famous one that supplies tea to Harrods, and there was this lady who stopped us and had a little room where she made us some tea and told us about what makes it good quality, and we also talked about religion and other interesting things and she was a very kind and peaceful old lady. It was really nice, and better yet I met my second Canadian traveller there! He was 60 years old and very reminded me very much of Tim. He had a great sense of humour, also we had the chance to talk about things such as Tim Hortons and other Canadian themes, which was nice. Also had a laugh at the incredible 2 inches of snow the tea lady was so impressed by (sometimes, not right now)...though he was from Ontario, where that would seem much funnier than for someone from Vancouver Island, I must say.
There were women picking tea outside too, on the steep slopes, and we got to tour the tea factory. It was by far the cleanest place I have seen so far in India, which was comforting, and for some reason it smelled like a ferry...don't ask me why.
I am so glad I came to Darjeeling. It is just so peaceful! The people look and are so friendly and it's quiet and nobody is rushing around. It is has been mosty foggy since I got here, but today it cleared somewhat for a while and the views are amazing! Hopefully tomorrow morning will be clear, so then I can see mount Everest...sorry though Stephanie, it's in Nepal so far as I know, so I think I can't climb it. There are other hikes...aka Treks, they call them here, around so I will probably do some of those. Anyways, I'm going to go eat dinner now at one of the bazzillions of restaurants here. It's awesome I love being a tourist in a touristy place! I mean, when I was in the Rockies I thought that high concentrations of them was so annoying, but from this perspective it's awesome!
Love Erica

Travelling to Darjeeling

2009-04-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

I had quite a good trip to Darjeeling, I have to say. Surprisingly good!
My last day in Kolkata was very, very long because I had to check out of my hotel at 8 in the morning, and then kill time all day! It was extremely hot out so I was in somewhat of a bad mood to tell the truth. Once it got dark I really couldn't think of anything to do, so I went and visited with the other Smile volunteers back at the hotel for a while. There were some nice things that happened during the day too, of course, but I was glad when the time finally came to leave for the train.
I didn't know this before, but the hotel has its own car that I got a ride in (though, of course, not for free because I think that is literally a foreign concept here) but it was such a fun ride! Two of my favourite hotel workers came...one who only knows like, 5 English words but yells them a lot and is very funny, and one who is young and does speak English. He is the one who was driving and you can tell that he loves to drive, only he should be like a stunt driver or something because I can't believe he swerved around so much and we survived! It was sad too, to leave to hotel because I liked it there a lot and had my routines and everything. It was actually really nice, they said they were going to miss me. Haha, miss making fun of me for doing such strange things as eating with a spoon and getting really confused whenever somebody says something to me in Bengali, more like! The guy who was driving told me some interesting things too, and I had never really had a conversation with him before. He is from Bengladesh and he really does not like Kolkata, but this is where he has a job so he will save up and then move on. He kept saying how it is so loud and polluted...I think maybe he didn't grow up in the city. I can definitely relate to that! He also said that he has no sisters, so I can be his sister from now on. Thought that was a bit weird and hopefully has no other meaning, but hey I have no brothers so really it worked out quite well. So now I have a brother in India, which is quite nice. Jeez Louise.
Yup, I definitely am glad I stayed at that hotel and not a super touristy one. It had a lot of personality and the people were truly hilarious, and genuinely nice which, as I have mentioned before, is hard to find here. Well, besides the manager of course. But I think I will overlook him for the benefit of everybody else.
So yes, then I was at the train station. There, ok I have absolutely no idea who this guy was or what, but like, there was this guy who was in his early twenties I guess, and he decided to help me get to my train etc. I got there super early because the train wasn't until midnight and the hotel closes its doors at 10...and it was about a half hour drive so yah, long wait! He waited with me the ENTIRE time! It was so strange, I just kept wondering, who is this guy? Like, does he do this every night, just find some tourist who is waiting for a train and talk to them? He kept saying we were good friends and everything too. Actually, people do that a lot here, they are like, saying "I want to be good friends with you" over and over, and it's like uhh...well I am thinking that that doesn't mean quite the same thing here in India...leading to an all round uncomfortable situation, and then they say it again! So weird.
So yah, apparently he is a fashion designer?
Who also owns a lot of property for development and some flour mills.
Huh.
Well, fortunately I was getting on a train so already had way of escaping.
Example of how hard it is to escape:
Today, I met this guy (I know, they are everywhere, they like latch onto you wherever you go!) and he was actually really nice and funny and stuff...I mean, good to talk to for a while, not a best friend scenario as he seemed to think it was. This is in Darjeeling now I will jump back again later to the trip. So yes, walked around with him for a bit because he wasn't scary or creepy etc. But then, like I was wanting to go so I was like ok, I'm going to go use the internet, you know tell people I got here ok etc. I thought that was a pretty good escape line, myself, but no! He followed me in and pulled up a chair beside me, intending to sit there for the whole hour while I was on the internet, and didn't think that was weird at all! I was like, well I'm going to be here for a while, I'm sure you don't want to sit here that long...
Still, he didn't get it and I ended up being slightly (only slightly, as little as I possibly could!) rude in the end. Which is unfortunate, because he wasn't even a total creeper, just like...well people are just like that here. It seems like they are very bored and also have no problem sitting around doing nothing, which is a bad combination when you are trying to ditch somebody. Now I feel kinda bad because I think I broke some cultural code and hurt his feelings. Haha, now where is that heartbreaker tshirt?
So anyways, train. Yes, so I got on the train and I had a top bunk so that was good. Luckily, that guy followed me all the way onto the train and helped me lift my rediculously heavy bag up there. I got rid of a bunch of stuff, but it is clear that I need to get rid of more. Especially if I want to buy anything bigger than a bracelet.
The train had lights on the whole time and wasn't scary at all. Mostly I just slept, very uncomfortably, but for one night who cares? Because you basically have to sleep on your bag because then nobody can steal it.
Then once I got off the train, I was thinking to myself hmm...how to get to Darjeeling (because the train goes to some other town where it is still flat) but then once I stepped outside the station, I was absolutely swarmed with people telling me all these different ways to get there at every price imaginable! I took the cheapest one, which was a shared jeep (very quishy, but I was sitting beside a woman so it didn't matter) and it was about 3.5 hours from there until Darjeeling. It is so incredibly steep here! It is literally like a cliff the whole way up! It was quite terrifying at some points because there was like...maybe 6 inches from the tire to the edge of the road (aka the cliff, no space in between) so when I looked out the window, all I could see was a long way down! Driver was only slightly a maniac though, so felt safe.
I love Darjeeling already. It is quiet, with few cars and tons of tourists...mostly Indian tourists, but there are people from other places too. It is peaceful, and there are far less homeless people, I can count them on one hand so far! I love the way people dress here too, it is very Himilayan. It is nice and cool too, the kind of weather where you go out in jeans and a sweater and are totally comfortable. Haha, although I don't think the Indians would agree with me! You should see some of the things they are wearing! Oh boy.
Something my mom will be glad to hear...there are so many prayer flags here! There are Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, and hmm what is the other one? Well there is another one too, and they are all here in significant numbers. Oh I think it is Muslim that would make sense. Yah, so there are many religiongs, and the people here look different. Most of them look Asian instead of Indian, and they speak Nepali. It is a completely different place...hard to believe that here and Kolkata are even the same country!
Plus, there is tons to do here, as apparently it is the most touristy place in the entire world.
Although, I am sure that Banff could give them a run for their money!
So yes, that is today's update, and finally, some actually exciting news! Tomorrow, if it is sunny, I will be able to see Mount Everest! Is that unvelievable or is that unbelievable?
Yes, I agree.
Love Erica

Last Day of Smile

2009-04-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided it would be my last day of Smile so today I am going to buy a train ticket to Darjeeling. It is a pretty long trip, I think 18 hours or something like that, but for some reason I really want to go there. I have been reading the Lonely Planet and it is northern India that seems to appeal to me much more than other places...probably because of the mountains, typical me. Also, it is much cooler there, and it sounds like it is much more peaceful.
I was going to stay here for one more week, because of the kids, but when it came down to it, I just can't give more money to that organization not knowing where it goes. It just seems like it isn't the right thing to do. Quite honestly, I am very disappointed by Smile. I was going to stay there for 3 months, and in the end I don't even see the point in staying three weeks! But, this is India and that is just the chance you take. I am quite excited to see other places, and definitely I have a lot left to learn, even if it isn't here, or doing what I intended. There are places to volunteer all over India, and maybe I will find one on my travels that I feel is really making a difference. If not, I will return with more knowledge etc. after university. Unfortunatly, I don't think there will be any less work by then.
The Lonely Planet has become my best friend over the past few days...which is quite pathetic so hopefully I will meet some other travellers along the way. Although, I quite like being able to just do whatever I want and come and go as I please...there are not many places and times a person can do that, so be able to wake up this morning and think, you know, I don't want to stay here anymore- I think I'll go to Darjeeling! Well, I like that.
So I'm not stuck, so this could be much more frustrating than it is already, for sure. Jeez Louise.
I also have to pack all my stuff back up today! Maybe I will bring some geckos along with me...they seem to feel quite at home in my bag! Hmm maybe I was wrong about the Lonely Planet, maybe the geckos are my greatest allies in this land.
Probably I will be leaving a significant amount of clothes behind because I really don't need them, and I am just far too lazy to grad them around with me everywhere I go- besides, I have to make room for the other stuff I will buy, at these jaw-droppingly low prices!
Anyways, I'm off to buy a ticket etc and then to my last day at Mother Theresa's. I see how that place is a good place to see now that the whole experience of it has settled in. It changes your perspective of life somehow, going there and spending time with the women. I think it is a good place after all. There is respect in that room, for sure.
Next time I post, I will hopefully have made my way to Darjeeling!
Love Erica

2009-04-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

I just got my pictures burned onto a CD, so in the next few days I will probably put some on here...I haven't actually taken all that many, but I think there are some good ones at least. I can't take any pictures of the kids until my last day because it isn't allowed, but what can they do then?
So, what should I tell you about today?
Well, today I tried one of these rolls that Kolkata is famous for, so far as I know they are just called rolls, and I tell you, they are delicious! Everything here is deep fried, salty, and sweet so really, you can't go wrong! They are spicy too, and even though I'm sure there is absolutely nothing wholesome about them, I recommend them to anyone who ever comes across them! I think that walking around so much in 40 degree heat pretty much takes care of them, especially the salt!
India is strange, because so many of the people are about as tiny as can be, which is obviously because of malnutrition. The men are pretty much all really skinny, or at least not fat...and then the women are so big! Not the poor ones, but any woman who is wealthy, well lets just say that once they are married, which is young, they really let themselves go. I never knew that about India. I found it very surprising at first, but then I discovered the food and I know why. I think diabetes is a big problem here. There is lots of fruit around, but other than that the food is about as unhealthy as it comes so far as I can see. Or at least the street food is. I don't know what people cook in their own homes. Where they get their protein is beyond me! The good part is that it is all delicious and so far I haven't tried a single thing that I didn't like. Go grease!
I am thinking that next I will go either south, before it gets even hotter, or to Darjeeling because you can do hiking there and it is much cooler. There are tons of other places to go too, so I think I will just stay in one place until I am tired of it and then move on, because as usual I am incapable of planning or deciding anything in advance. Bodygaya (perhaps spelled wrong, I don't know) is where the Buddha found enlightenment, so I want to go there, and it is relatively close to Kolkata. It is also in a really, really poor part of India and I think that it is touristy enough right there that it is safe, but the other places near it not so much. But there are also many places to volunteer there, I hear, so when I am there I will see if an opportunity presents itself.
Next time, hopefully my post will be accompanied by pictures!
Love Erica

A few days combined...

2009-03-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

On Monday I started at Kalighat, which is Mother Theresa's home for the dying and destitute. You know, I don't really know what to think about that place. Is it really doing good? Aside from a few of the nuns and one person who I think is an employee, who stays there all the time, everyone who volunteers there is foreign. The women, obviously, are not. They are Bengali and speak Bengali and do things in their own Bengali way that foreigners, even when we try to help and, as is the goal there, give them dignity, how can we know what it is that these women want? It is difficult to see as well, because there are just rows and rows of tiny women, often crippled and covered in sores all just lying there, and you know that most of them will never get better.
Although it is hard to tell who is who, I am told that about half of the people in there are crazy. Most of them have been raped and some will hit you (not hard, they don't have much strength) if you touch them, or even walk by them the wrong way. This doesn't happen often, but it shows the divide of a lack of communication that there is.
There is also a lot of things going on that probably do help the women. They are safe there, they are fed and have clean clothes and are given medicine. This has probably never been provided to these women before. It is strange though, because usually they don't even look at you when you pass them their food. Eating it might just be a chore, who knows.
There is one lady I find special though, who is still confusing but at least seems only gently crazy. She has that thing where you are always moving your hands back and forth...Parkinsons maybe? She is really nice somehow though, so sometimes I go sit beside her. Yesterday, she gave me the elastic that she wears around her arm and I think it was valuable to her, and she put it around my wrist. It was a very touching moment. I only wish that I could understand Bengali! I think it would be a much better experience for the volunteers and the patients if we spoke the same language.
There are things that are nice about Kalighat, or at least if not nice, then seemingly beneficial, but there are also many things that make you wonder if this is the best way to use the resources there are for the organization. I guess that there is no way I could ever really know. But, if this is what is best for the women, who have obviously had such unimaginably horrible lives that they are so close to the end of, then I am glad that some care is provided to them. Maybe that is what is most important...not the culture the people are from, but just the fact that we are caring for people who are never usually taken care of.
I think though, that soon I will move on from Kolkata. I am starting to see that with my level of training (aka none) there is little I can do that is good, especially since I don't know if the things I am doing as a volunteer really are good, overall. India is so different, and without understanding it I think it is possible to do damage without even knowing, while trying to help people, and I think it is important to be sure not to do that. I am the foreigner, so it is my responibility to be respectful and learn before trying to change things. I think that I will learn more by seeing different parts of India, if I really want to see different stages of development etc., and then learning more and coming back again once I understand more of what I have seen. Maybe I will find a place somewhere else that needs a volunteer and has more of a plan than Smile does. It is more heartbreaking than anything else to try to teach the children, because they are so smart and such bright kids, but I am not a real teacher, I don't speak their language, and I know that even though it is valuable to learn things just to grow from that, they will never have the opportunity to have any job that requires them to know more than how to yell loudly selling things, or sweep the cement, or carry things from one place to another. It is really hard to look at a kid and know that.
It really makes me wish that I could help them. Is there anything I can actually do? What good is it to teach them the alphabet when what they really need is an education that can get them a good job so they can sleep with a roof over their heads and have the chance to send their own kids to school. Smile is not giving them that!
Really, I am getting impatient to go back to school because I know that the solution is not available to me yet. I don't understand these things at all so how can I teach anybody? Right now, I am the only volunteer so it is especially hard, because there is nobody else who speaks English who is there, except for a little bit, few words here and there. I wish I knew Bengali, even just a little bit would help so much!
Today more volunteers come, even though they said that yesterday too and nothing happened....but it sounds like they are actually coming today so I am glad. Hopefully they will be more insightful...and if they aren't, at least they will speak English!
Even though compared to people here, I am probably about as niave as it is possible to be, I am getting tougher here. In a good way. Like, people bother me much less and I'm not afraid to go on the bus or anything anymore. It's all small victories but they are very important. So I think I am almost ready to go continue my travels. If I follow the Lonely Planet, I will meet far more tourist than I see in a week here!
Anyways, those are some of my thoughts in the past few days...not so much stories this time as just writing I guess. Also, I think it was very long so I hope there are still a few people who made it all the way through this one!
Plus, thanks for the comments I love reading them!
Some people say they can't comment though, so maybe if somebody could write a comment saying how to comment? That would be really good...and if it still doesn't work after that I will see if there are some weird settings on or something.
Namaste!

Episode 2: I wish there was no episode 2

2009-03-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

So, creepy we'll call him, aka the hotel guy, continued his search for a tiger trip the next day. I tried to say that you know, if it was causing so much fuss it is no big deal there are plenty of other things to do, but I was ignored.
After waiting inthe restaurant hotel for a long time (not what you're picturing, think plastic chairs, 3 walls, cement....now you're closer.
It was fun tho, in a way. I think they make fun of metho, especially since I don't understand what they are saying. But they are funny, that is true. Except for the creepy guy. When he came back, he started saying all these different options that got weirder and weirder and started having nothing to do with even going to the Tiger Camp, instead it was some beach! I was like uhm...
Then, he asked if he could drive me! :S He flat out asked, do you trust me?
In my head I was going, NO WAY! But how do you tell that to a person? So I said, well should I trust you. And he didn't say yes. He kept saying it was it was up to me. I think it was very clear at this point that no, I did not trust him. Then, just to see what would happen because the other guys had been kind of hinting that it was a bad idea earlier (even tho they don't really speak English) I asked the one that does speak English, and he laughed!
Well, that was the end of that!
So now I have to see that guy like, every day. And I never got to see the tigers. But then, I also wasn't uhm...taken advantage of. Overall I feel it is about the best turnout given the situation.
Jeez Louise.
Also, I made the discovery of two new friends in my hotel room yesterday...geckos! I was like oh my god, bugs are one thing....but LIZARDS!!!??? I am immune to them now though, and not scared of them, but at first I thought I was going to have to spend the rest of my trip hiding in the bathroom, because I didn't want to come out for fear they would jump on my head or something!
Hmm, what else?
Yesterday I just went for a random walk, and I went down this street that was all jewelery stores. Even there though, there were still the usually stalls and everything, and poor people on the streets. Even in the richer parts of town, there are just so many people!
Anyways, that is all for now. Hopefully next time the story will be about how I got to go somewhere, not the reasons why I didn't!
Love Erica

Can I just say that every day is weird?

2009-03-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was most certainly a weird one. What do I make of this?
Ok, so I wanted to do a tour of the Sunderban Tiger Camp, which is near here and in the Lonely Planet book there was one that sounded good, so I looked them up and they had a tour for today. I went to the front desk of the hotel to call and make a reservation, and the front desk guy was like, no that's way too much! I can get it for 1600 Rupees. ( about what? 40 dollars? the other was asking 64....which is an absolute FORTUNE here!) (for example, going out to dinner costs less than one dollar...not at a nice place, but still, nice for here) So he called them and told me there was no tour. I didn't know whether to believe him or not, because he spoke to them in Bengali and it had said on the website that there was a tour on that day.
But I didn't feel like I could really say, oh let me call them instead...especially since he had moved on to flipping through this book of business cards and calling other people. It was really weird.
Then he told me he would find one in the next few days and tell me. I had wanted to go the next day (today) but there is reall no telling these people because it's really hard to understand them, and when they decide something they just repeat themselves a million times until you walk away.
Later on,he said he had found one and he would walk me over there at 7. This seemed like a fishy plan too, because why would the manager of the hotel do that? But this is a different place, so I was like sure, I'll go.
The other thing about India: when someone, and I don't care who it is,tells you it is a 5 minute walk somewhere, you will be walking for atleast 15 minutes and maybe depending on the person it will be in the wrong direction.
Fortunately, this was in the right direction and eventually we got there. I turned out it was the hotel the other Smile volunteers are staying at, and I saw themthere, but no other guests which was weird. This guy met us who was good looking and dressed like he was a member of the Mafia, and I still have not figured out who that guy was. He kept trying to talk to me and I was like no way, I'm not discussing anything with this guy. Then they sat us down on a couch and gave us tea in some tradition that made me feel even more skeptical. The guy from my hotel kept saying he wanted to talk to "Johnny". Now, this is India. There is not one single person here by that name, I am sure of it.
Then all these other Indian men arrived and they were all yelling at eachother in Bengali and waving their arms around a making phone calls, and I was just sitting there like what in the world is going on? This went on for about an hour...and HOUR! All to try to organize a tour? What a strange place. In the end, they couldn't even do it, so I didn't even get to go at all and it was all very disappointing and unsettling. I was also kind of relieved because I'm not so sure I want to be sent out into the woods overnight with some person these people have arranged for me. I would ONLY go in a group, I don't care how much yelling went into it.
The walk home was possibly even weirder, and at this point I was like please, i would love to talk to a sane person who calls a boring reception office to make a tour, not all this nonsense!
But, the hotel guy decided we should eat dinner and I was like uhm...ok....why excactly are you taking me to dinner?
But I mean, whatever. Maybe it was because he felt bad about it...or maybe he is a creep, who knows. Either way, I don't thinkhe could possibly do anything in the crowds of people and I just don't know what on earththe traditions and stuff are here, and I was just so confused already so I was like well, I might as well go along with it.
So then, we had a really weird conversation about like, arranged marriages, how his parents died when he was young, his daughter etc. Why he was telling me this is beyond me. But I mean, it was better than no conversation I guess.
Then we walked home.
And I am still confused. Like, what was that?
Is there something I am missing here? Maybe he is just a crazy person I don't know. Anyways, I don't think I will be going anywhere with that guy again, thank you very much! Jeez Louise. Anyways, perhaps Iwill write more later...plus if anybody has any insight on Indian culture to share with me, I think I am in desperate need of it! :P

Another random day...

2009-03-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Ok so today my spacebar sucks (and other keys) so I might stop leaving spaces at some point because i keep having to erase everything...so expect that and other typos.

So. Yesterday was like, the most random day ever. Actually, everyday here is so incredibly different fromthe one before it, it's just amazing!

After volunteering yesterday,i went to Sudder St., which is the tourist part of town. Well, the poor hippy backpacker part of town I shouldsay. To begin this story I must say this: Indian men arevery, very aggravating. They stare and stare and make rude gestures and are constantly asking what is your name,where are you from? are you married? Yesterday, one of them gave me a ring! Good grief!

Anyways, so I wasbeign followed by one after another of these idiots, always trying to sell me stuff I have no reason to by, and in my hurry to escape this particularly strange and persistent one, I found myself on a totally different street! Well, that was not my favourite street, because there was this group of teenage boys who started following me. I completely ignored them, but then one shoved me, hard, and laughed. That made me angry, and understandably scared. I yelled and swore at them, which is unversal language but then I couldn't even just go back the way I came because I didn't want to see them again.

Then, I saw a white guy.

I was like, oh thank god! Because here, all white guys are headed for Sudder St. They are also very rare,so it was incredibly lucky. He was from Germany and we walked back to Sudder and got chai, which is SO good here!

Then we walked and saw the different parts of town. Some were much poorer, where I wouldn't have gone by myself. He was interesting to talk to andhas been travelling here for 5 weeksalready, so he also had a lot of stories and advice and that. Then, we randomly saw a Russian girl andguy who aren't together but are travelling together. They had great personalities and were a lot of fun, andwe went to see the gardensand the Victoria Memorial building...google that if you want, it's impressive.

I also had my first experience with a pickpocket yesterday...it really was not my day for tourist abuse. The guy must have been the worst pickpocket ever though, because I notice him put his hand in my bag and jerked it away, so he got nothing. Good thing.

Then we went to dinner at a Muslimrestaurant with the four of usplus four guys fromFrance, two of whom I met at Mother Theresa House, an American from the Gulf Islands, and another Russian girl.What a multicultural meal! It was really funny, because when our food came none of us knew what was ours, or what anything was!

It is hard to say all that happenedyesterday,and I feel like details are needed to actually make this interesting, so I will skip a whole bunch to a really wonderful experience I had today.

All the other volunteers and I (7 people) went to the head office of Smile today. Wetook the train, which is an experience in itself!

When we got off, we were in a suburb outside of the city. It was s pleasant, with mostly small poor homes and the odd stall...there were no taxis, only bikes and bikes with platforms on the backs. All of the children were so excited to see us! Three of us are white and 4 Korean, so they have probably never seen a group of people like us before. They all called out Hello! and waved, and their moms would smile and it was just so adorable and they looked so happy and it was such a nice break from the city. That was one of my favourite experiences, for sure. Even though it is really weird to have people get all excited about the colour of your skin, you can't helpbut smiling at those kids. Plus, it makes up for having to put up with the men. How they go from one to the other is beyond me!

Anyways, those are some more weird tales from India! Hopefully you aren't sick of them yet!

Erica

Craziest Day EVER!

2009-03-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, I will never be able to tell you all that I did yesterday....so you will always be wondering:P I think I will start off with a point form list of sorts to give you a vague idea, and then elaborate certain details. Or whatever ends up happening lol, depends if I get sidetracked or not.
(Note: for anybody over like....30, lol=laugh out loud, even though that wasn't really funny, but whatever, it's not important)
So,
1. Met the kids at Smile, they like, sit in your lap and climb all over you and some are interested in learning and some are not, but they all really want your attention and are really sweet, just it is really chaos...but it seems that is the way things are around here
2. Went to the airport to exchange travellers cheques, which was quite the ordeal I tell you!
3. Had a crazy cabbie and his friend driving me back on the way home, and they were very funny but though swerving all over the roads for no reason was a grand ol time, so understandably it was somewhat nerve wracking
4. met the other Smile volunteers, who are really interesting people who you will certainly be hearing morea about
5. Got caught in the heaviest rain I have EVER seen...and considering the weather on the island, this was really something. Like, to step out in it was litterally to have the equivallent of a never ending bucket of water poured over your head. Plus, for a while it was hail too, though I can't imagine how the air had any ice in it because it's so hot all the time, but it did! The whole city just stopped and crammed into whatever covered area they could find and it was such a community experience in a way. I love weather. It was worth coming to India for that alone.
6. Bought some Indian clothes...aka, never get caught in the rain here wearing jeans! Bad, bad, bad idea! I mean in! But the clothes are really pretty and very comfortable. Though...I forgot to haggle so probably some Indian guy is telling all his friends about this total sucker he just ripped off...oops.
7. Met the other volunteers randomly on the street (I was already with 2 of them and we joined the other two...it was such a coincidence!) Then, even bigger coincidence, we ran into another traveller who the other girls had met in Darjeeling! Small world, even in a city of 15 million people!
8. We went to this super touristy Indian pub and got Indian beer....it's actually not bad. Nothing like that gross Bowen Island stuff haha.
9. Got lost in the dark on the way home, with 2 other volunteers. They are from Korea, so basically everybody stared at us like we were from outer space aka not India, which was actually kind of funny. We were totally safe tho, no worries.
10. Got on an Indian bus. Now that is an experience! There are ladies only seats, which is excellent. There aren't really stops or anything and some guy just told us to get on, I don't even know how he knew where it was going, but we got there!
11. The hotel was locked, but they let us in anyways because people are just always up here it seems, and they were all just hanging out in the front of the hotel anyways, so no big deal.
And there you have it! A super condensed and detail-free version of my second day in India!
Oh yah, I also went to the Mother Theresa House and probably I am going to volunteer there too, and maybe only stay with Smile for 2 weeks or a month and then move on...there is so much more to do!
Anyways, even just the list was so long! I just can't write all the details, it's impossible to describe it all, you'll just have to come here!
Would you like to hear more about where I am staying? It's a hotel, where they give you meals 3 times a day at 9:30 after volunteering, 1:30, and 9:00, randomly. The food is good though.
There is a bed, a chair and a tv. All very plain etc.
In the bathroom, there is a very strange toilet with footstep things where the seat should be. The shower spray onto the floor and then drains out the wall, and there is a sink
And that's all, folks! Plus, a fan that is going ALL the time!
Anyways, I'll write more soon,
Erica

Arrival in India!

2009-03-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

India is just crazy! Just walking from where I am staying, which turns out is a hotel, there are cars always honking, and rickshaws and buses and this random train thing and these autorickshaw things...then on the sides of the streets there are a bazillion and ten people all over the place, and dogs and cats, the odd chicken...I only saw cows on the drive here, but they are around. And there are people getting haircuts and people shining shoes and people burning stuff. Basically, everything you can imagine and more is happening at ALL times! It's incredible! Everybody justs goes...is there somebody in your way? Honk your horn or ring a bell, for heavens sake, don't slow down! Haha, well I guess it is efficient, and nobody even cares! A car can be speeding towards them and they don't even look at it, then at the last second the driver will kinda jerk the steering wheel a little and narrowly avoid running the person over, almost hitting the car next to them! Never a dull moment, that's for certain.
I really like it though. I mean, even just going for a walk is an adventure. I met the lady who I was emailing before and she is very nice, and very young! It is hard to tell, but she is definitely in her 20s. She told me lots of stuff I needed to know and everything, and showed me where to buy stuff like water and the internet (where I am right now) and she said it is very safe here. Tomorrow I will meet the other volunteers. Two are also having their first day tomorrow and are staying at the same place as me, and they are from France and the US. They are sure to be good people, for coming here, so I look forward to meeting them. She said they are in their 20s, but that's all I know about them.
It's only 2:30 and so much has happened today!
Tomorrow I meet the kids and see what I will be doing for the next few months. I am really excited about that, because this really does change their lives. It is amazing that I will hopefully be able to improve their lives now and in the future, or at least have the opportunity to try. They are kids who sleep at the train station that we are cleaning, teaching, and feeding. Different volunteers do each every day, so I will be doing all of those things in time. That is from 6:30-9:30 in the morning, and then there is free time for the rest of the day after that to do whatever. What to do with so much time? Anyways, that's a bit of an update...there is so much more I could say, but I feel like this is getting to be a novel of some sort by now.
Anyways, I'll be updating again soon...now that I have exciting and new things to say!
Love Erica

2009-03-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!
So I'm writing already...that's a good sign!
Right now I'm at the airport in Singapore and I tell you, I have been here for a REALLY long time. I got to go on a city tour though, which was awesome. I have never seen palm trees before and it is hot! Mostly we were just on a bus, but we got to walk around a a Chinese temple, and I have never seen anything like it. The details were incredible. Singapore is really interesting because it is both really modern with tall buildings, and then also has old fashioned shops and stalls and stuff. Everything is brightly coloured and, no garbage! Other than that though, I haven't been up to a whole bunch here in the airport. So I don't have a whole lot to tell you, I'm afraid. At 9 tonight I get on a plane to Kolkata (I've been here since 5am, that gives you an idea of how long I have spent in this airport...) and the posts should get much more interesting from then on! Anyways, I miss you guys already...actually I keep falling asleep and dreaming that I'm talking to people, like I remember I was at Erin's for some reason and some kid started crying and I woke up and was like wth? Jeez louise. Anyways, hope you are having lots of fun without me!
Love Erica

2009-03-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Before I go...

2009-03-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Erica? Writing a blog? Let's just say that before tonight I wouldn't have believed it either.
My wonderful aunt suggested that I write a blog while I'm in India, that way anybody who would like to hear how it's going over there can read it and I don't have to spend a billion years writing emails...not that I don't love writing emails, but I'll have nothing to say if I'm writing the entire time!
So this blog is for all those people who wanted a postcard (and whoever else wants to read it...I won't restrict it to those demanding people!) because let's face it...if you know me at all, you know that you won't be getting a postcard. The intention is there, but there are just too many steps in that whole process, so by the time I choose a postcard, buy it, write it, stamp it, and send it on its way I'm guaranteed to be back in Canada when it finally arrives. And for those of you who don't know me at all...well, you won't be getting a postcard either.
Now if I end up writing any, it will be extra shocking!
So I'll do my best to keep this updated because I want to stay in touch will all of you, and I mean come on, it's India! How could it not be entertaining?
Actually, I think the answer to that question is pointless rambling...which I am most likely doing right now...so I'll try to restrain myself and hopefully you won't be snoring through too much of that.
I would also like to say that nobody should feel any pressure at all to read this blog, I'm not trying to force anything upon anyone by writing it. Everyone is welcome, but I know that we're all busy people and will in no way be offended if anyone chooses to do other things with their time. Besides, you'll probably hear ten million more stories once I get back anyways!
I'd also love it if people reading this blog would email me...or actually I haven't checked if people can write comments and stuff on here, but if you can even just write a little note or something like that. By this I mean everybody, because if you are interesting in reading what I write, of course I would love to read what you write too! It doesn't have to relate to India at all either, just whatever's going on with you at the time, or like a random funny story or whatever. It's good to keep in touch.
Anyways, I think that's all I have to say for tonight, aka my first blog ever! How exciting!
Wait, do I end this like a letter? Meh, I'm gonna.
Goodnight!
Erica