[09-16] Happy Birthday Seju!

So it's my little sister's birthday! Happy Birthday Sej! (she's not so little). As has been the case for the last 4 years, for the 5th year in a row I am not around physically to share the day with her, but that doesn't mean I can't celebrate right.

What better way to celebrate than to spread some joy and compassion. So that's what I did. It's Saturday, which means that there is Saturday Special today at MS and I'm at home because of chikungunia (which I've essentially recovered from, but I'm recuperating from yesterday's day trip to Patan - which was AWESOME) so I have some time to go out and share the love.

I had a wonderful conversation with a grandfather and grandson who were out in the heat selling chunna chor? (I don't know what its called- the cornflakes with tomatoes, marchu and lemon juice?). They are now going to feed some poor kids/elderly chunna chor to mark Sej's birthday.

I "baked". Found a no-bake cookie recipe online so we made coconut-chocolate cookies (taste like macaroons) which turned great! and then distributed chocolates to the kids at Saturday Special and the Ashramshala. The kids sang happy birthday with soooo much enthusiasm and love, I know Sej got the message (or dilmail =).

So in the MS parivar, when there is a birthday, we celebrate by sharing the good qualities of the birthday person. In keeping with that tradition.

My sister- she's the gaam ni maasi, the one who knows the world. Sej has this exceptional talent (which she inherits from my mom) of remembering everyone and every experience she has with others. Introduce her to a desi and 99.99% that within a few minutes she'll find a way that she's somehow connected to them. But just remembering names is not the end of it. If you're a friend of this girl, you've had a bonding session with her at some point and she remembers every detail of your life. She's goes way out of her way for her friends and even strangers. I really have learned a lot from her, especially when it comes to maintaining relationships. Lots of the things I do for others are inspired by her actions and of course the mass emails to friends- I literally copied her on that. Always smiling, full of compassion and exudes a magnetic force that draws people to her- that's Sejal.

[09-15] Patan

Day trip to Patan with MS and Gramshree highlights:

Sun temple at Modhera is absolutely gorgeous. The Surya Kund or Ram Kund is a tank that literally reminded me of Paheli and the song Laaga re Jaal Laaga. The Surya Kund like all kunds has steps to go to the tank in the middle from all four sides. Along the steps to the bottom are 108 mini temples (108 = number of beads in a mala also). After people bathed in the water, they would go around and pray at each of the 108 temples in the Kund before going through the sabha hall to the temple itself. The temple represents the pinnancle of Solanki architecture. All the structures are made from beautifully carved sandstone. Literally an amazing place to take some gorgeous pictures. The bright colours of people's outfits looked stunning against the sandstone. (This was the day I didn't have my camera on me..., but others took pictures, I just done have them yet).

Lage Raho Munnabhai is an AWESOME movie. Very well done. It's funny and imparts great lessons. Even though we all work with organizations that rest on Gandhian principles, its easy to forget the power of Gandhian principles. This movie was a perfect shot in the arm of energy. The dialogues are great and you're continually laughing. When we came out, we began to pick up the trash in the plaza. The looks on the shopkeepers' faces were priceless. So many people have seen the film and then walked through the plaza, but I doubt they started picking up the trash afterwards... =)

Rani-ni-Vav or the Queen's Stepwell. Commissioned by the queen as a memorial to the late Bhimdev Maharaj (who had the sun temple constructed), the stepwell is a masterpiece. Again gorgeous carvings. Unlike a tank, a step well has stairs on up to 3 sides leading to the well. Rani-ni-vav has steps on one side. The step-well is 7 stories deep and due to passive cooling is incredibly cool as you move down into the step-well - a welcome relief from the hot day.

Patan's Patola. Incredible artform that exists only in Patan. There used to be approximate 800 weavers, now there is 7-8. Its takes 4 people 3-4 months to make one sari. Each piece is only made by order, each thread in the design is hand dyed. The method for dyeing for each design was done atleast 150 years ago (some designs are older). A small handkerchief costs Rs. 15,000. The pieces are created by crossing weaving two threads- the horizontal and vertical one. Each thread has been pre-dyed to create the pattern. (I'm not explaining myself very well so check out the website). Very cool.

Playing antakshari on the bus was also a lot of fun. Boys vs Girls. THe guys are a lot of fun to play against. They all sing as a group, are very loud and have a ton of fun, which makes the whole experience a lot of fun too.

Overall, the day was my first day doing any touristy thing in Gujarat and it was a lot of fun. The history of this state is incredible and its been a very long time since I've seen any ancient Indian architecture. The experience of seeing places that are not in use is very different from visiting those in use (ie. temples such as that in Dwarka). I'm excited for India Guide: Gujarat to come out and have an even greater appreciation for all the knowledge Anjali has about Gujarat.

I'll put up pictures one day. sorry.

[09-10] Chikungunia

Yessiree, came down with my first boute of illness in India - chikungunia.

Thankfully, I had a mild case. My joints were not completely stiff, I was mobile, it just felt like I had arthritis for a few days. Fever and headaches went away after two days and lots of pills. I essentially slept for 3 days straight. But I am better now =)

Was out of commission for the week, but ready to start the week =)

[09-08] Dancing in the Rain

Playing in the rain is a LOT of fun. We just had a flash storm and it was awesome. I didn’t get a chance to play much, since we were trying to keep Sansui inside and Raghu was cold, but rain really has magical properties. A few weeks ago, when I was going to my Kaka’s via bus from Gandhi Ashram, there was a large downpour. The gulley to his house was a lake. It was sooooo much fun to walk through it to get to his house.

Rain truly is awesome.

Think about it. It’s nature’s love. Plants grow so much better with rain water than they ever do with water that we take from other sources. After the first rainfall beautiful plants and grasses grow.

Rain- Nature’s love

Dance in it.

[09-07] Bubbles Bursting

I came to India with the mentality that I’m not here to change India, but India will change me. Keep an open mind, but more importantly keep an open heart. The recognition that I will not change the world is an important one, but remembering that in your day to day life is much easier said than done. Keep an open mind, keep an open heart- again something that is easier said than done.

I’ve been in Ahmedabad for six weeks now and slowing the bubbles are starting to burst around my head. In retrospect, I can say though I may have had a slightly better understanding of what it means to do service work in a developing world, I’m no more enlightened than the person next to me. I’d heard the stories and was on hand aware of what to expect, but the story is completely different when you’re the main character.

I’m so surprised, yet not surprised that I got caught up in the traps. Well maybe they aren’t traps, but necessary steps that every NRI has to go through. It takes more than just knowledge of what is likely to happen to come out of a mentality and way of thinking that we have been trained in.

Bubble number 1: India is not the US or Canada

Well duh.. no brainer right. In the N. America, we work on an external clock- deadlines, due dates, etc. In fact, as Indians we often complain about IST and get frustrated with it, though we all follow it… tyranny of the majority is our justification. Everything in India works on a much slower pace. It simply takes longer to get things done. For someone who is used to deadlines, likes to get things done and over it-this is a slightly difficult concept to become okay with.

Organization is not everything. A lot of work that I have been involved with isn’t formally structured. People kind of flow and things get done. But from an outsider perspective there is a lack of efficiency, etc. It takes some clarity of mind and untraining of the mind to recognize that there is some rhythm and organization to the seemingly unstructured flow.

It’s a very difficult process to untrain the mind. There are ties when I wonder if I am seeing things in certain ways because of my North American background or because there actually is something wrong. Slowly I’ll learn. As a person who likes to do, its been a challenging process to simply look, listen and learn, but as with any change in behaviour, etc, this is my sadhna. It is a practice that will take time.

There is a really awesome practice at MS that on someone’s birthday, we talk about that person’s gunas or positive attributes. I could see how it would be a challenging process on the part of the birthday person to make sure that the conversation does not inflate one’s ego. The process is not for that person. The process is a space to reflect and think about what one has learned from that person and to share that with others. With the people we see every day, work with all the time, it can be easy to forget to recognize what we are learning from them so this provides that space. In addition each person learns different things from the same person. We each share a personal and unique interaction and this is a space to share those experiences. I have found this process really powerful. Sahil was here for 6 weeks or so, I got a chance to interact with him for about 3 weeks. It wasn’t as if we had hours long conversations, but I still learned from him and I didn’t recognize that really until we spoke about him when he was leaving. As others shared what they learned, I thought about it and realized what I had learned. Sahil is really good at adjusting. I didn’t know this, but while he was MS, he never complained to other people, he just went with the flow and did stuff. He shared some of his frustrations with me, but not with MS staff. He adjusted to the culture at MS. Until other MS shared their experiences, I didn’t realize how much he adjusted, thus I learned from Sahil how to manage expectations and adjust. Anjali- I had only known her for a few days when it was her birthday, but already I had learned a lot from her. Bhaskar’s birthday was a few days ago and again the sharing was so powerful. You really get insight into people and are reminded again of how cool each person is, which sadly can be something that we can forget.

Bubble 2: Subconcious desire to skip the difficult steps that come between where I am know and who I want to become

Sounds weird and is sort of difficult to explain. I am surrounded by people who exude pure love. They are well on the path to knowing themselves and being present at all times. I want to shed agyan and negativity and be in state of constant harmony, but you can’t just get there in an instance. It’s a process that involves a lot of suffering after all suffering is for the purification of the soul. It takes effort and practice. No matter what I know or say, until I go thru the trials and tribulations which are inevitable, I won’t really understand and knowledge will remain knowledge and not become wisdom.

Plenty of other bubbles are bursting. The process is well underway.

It’s amusing on one hand to see how quickly I can fall back into old habits and thought patterns. Literally at one point, I was thinking, I could change this place around. That’s when someone had to come and ask me: did you come to change an organization, did you come to change people or did you come to change yourself? I had entered this spiral that veered off the path of truth which I have set out upon and forgot one of the things that the preamble to my blog says. Luckily I am surrounded by people who will guide me on my path. For their guidance, watchful eye, I am utterly thankful. Truly blessed to have so many around who care and will/are shining beacons for me when I get lost in the darkness.

Anarben's story- part 2

I have learned that if I want to do something for the community, I need to change my habits.

I have learned and grown not necessarily from seva work itself, but from the people. And its not just the communities and people that I am working to serve, but volunteers also. One big thing to learn from NRI volunteers is openness. For example, a few years back, two Indicorps fellows were working at Manav Sadhna. Anjali and Bindi had prepared a survey form for the tekra and were discussing it with each other. They didn’t notice me behind, when one of them said, “If we show this to Anarben, she’s only going to find faults in it.”

For a second, I was hurt, but then I began to think. Instead of taking it as an insult, this was an opportunity to look at myself. If this was the perception they have of me, I need to change. So in that instance, I resolved not to say anything negative about that form and ultimately, I even helped them do some of the surveying using the exact form they created. From them, I became aware of the fact that I did not show my appreciation or gratitude and have made more of an effort to do so.

The community has also taught me many lessons. I’ll give you an example from a walk that Jayesh and I participated in along the Narmada. One evening, we were told to find our own food. If we couldn’t find food, we’d have to go hungry. Jayesh and I decided that we were going to eat with the poorest family we could find. So we set out on our search. Along the way, we found a family sitting under a tree. They were cutting wood. The family was from out of town, had no home and was very poor. We began to play with the kids, made them a swing off the tree and became friends with them. Through the kids, we were able to connect to the family. We told the family that we would eat with them that evening and they were absolutely thrilled. We set a time to come back and went on exploring.

In the evening, we set out to meet the family. We bought some vegetables, etc thinking that we would all cook and then eat together. Since the family was poor, we expected that they would be a shak made of potatoes and onions, so we bought greens. When we came back to the tree, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The family had beautifully cleaned an area, lined the edge with branches and logs and prepared it for our dinner. The food was already cooked and the shak was made of green vegetables! Jayesh and I could barely eat because we had tears in our eyes.

As we ate with them, I couldn’t help but think about how middle class society and myself included feed people. The entire evening was so full of love and the family had put their heart into the food. When people come over to eat, do we feed them with love? If someone well-to-do is coming over, we prepare a lavish meal with a variety of dishes, but what if the person coming to eat is poor? Had I ever fed anyone with so much love??

From that day, I resolved to feed every person who came into my house with love. Rich or poor, I was not going to see a difference. Since then, we have fed countless people. They are always people coming and going in our home now, even when we are not there, people come and eat in our home.

[Scribe's note: This is absolutely true. Living with Jayeshmama and Anarmami over the last few weeks, I have seen a countless number of people come in and out of the home. Each person is treated with the same amount of love and respect and fed with pure love.]

"Every moment God is teaching us a lesson, but we have to keep our eyes and heart open to see them"

Anarben's story- Part 1

"Mami, it's time for my nap," I said jokingly as we headed to the talk she was going to give on her life story.

I had no idea what to expect. I've been living with Jayeshbhai and Anarben for 5 weeks now. I have a sense of who they are in the present moment, but next to no idea what they have passed through to become who they are. I've heard hints that its been a turmultuous ride, but no details. I didn't know what to expect.

We all sat on the ground in a circle and began the session with two minutes of silence. Then she began. As soon as she started talking, even though she spoke in Hindi and many did not understand her, a calm magic prevaded the atmosphere. Her clear voice was full of a strength that one could only have after going through challenges.

I've been asked to share my life story. I'll tell you about how I got involved in seva work and some powerful experiences on this journey. Growing up, every vacation, we would go to my mama's house in the village. Where we would pass the days laughing and playing, we would have so much fun. Then 8th standard came to a close and instead of going to our mama's house, my mother had other plans for us. My mother used to be a teacher. A strict teacher and a strict mother. That summer, we were each to tutor 2 kids. We had to pick who the kids would be. If we didn't do this, she wouldn't pay our school fees for the following year.

What kind of mother was she? I couldn't believe my mother was like this, but I had to oblige. Where would I find students? There was a slum near my home and my ayai lived there. So I decided to teach my ayai's kids. But the slum was filthy. How could I teach in such an environment? People also doubted the effectiveness of my teaching since I was only in the 8th standard, so the environment was not conducive to my objectives. So I went to a temple nearby and created a space to work in using cow dung and I began my tuition classes.

Every summer after that, even in college, I continued to tutor during vacations.

My mother was well-known in our area because she was a teacher and my father was in politics, so everyone knew who he was. Everywhere I went, I was known as their daughter and not Anar Patel. But in the slums that wasn't the case. In the slums, everyone knew me as Didi. I was no one's daughter, but rather an entity of my own and I enjoyed that recognition. So be it out of selfish desires and ego, my interest in seva grew.

I was the youngest child in my family and fit the stereotype of the youngest child. I was spoiled and somewhat of a brat. I had a short-temper- my anger came and went in a matter of seconds- and always got what I wanted. I didn't have the discpline or dedication to follow through on anything. I was always starting things, but nothing was ever completed. I took a lot of things for granted- it was my parents' duty to give me things- I didn't appreciate all that they gave me. If my parents gave me a watch, it was because they were my parents and are supposed to give me a watch. I was spoiled and no one said a whole lot to me. One example is the way I ate. No matter what I was eating, I ALWAYS left the last bite. I could never bring myself to eat the last bite of food in my plate, so every meal, some food was wasted.

I was blessed to be married into a family is doing social work. God brought me and Jayesh together. The first seva activity I did after marriage was to help paint the ashramshala in the Gandhi Ashram. Here we would work all day with the kids and eat with them in the evening. To all the kids, I was Didi. When we sat down to eat, of course out of love, they gave me more food than needed and keeping with my habit, I ate until one bite remained. As that one bite sat on my plate, I looked around to the kids eating with us. The ashramshala has a rule that your plate must be completely cleaned, no morsel of food should be left and indeed all their plates were cleared of food. I was a role model to these children and here I was unable to eat the last bite. I drew inspiration from the children and put the last morsel into my mouth. For the first time in my life, no food was wasted from my plate. After that meal, everytime I sit to each and feel the urge to leave the last bite, I remember their plates and my plate too is cleared.

[08-23] Seven Days Later

7 days ago, it was Janmastami.
7 days ago, we left Safai Vidyalaya after our first Wednesday meditation sit and decided to take a look at the Sabarmati since we could see the water from where we stood. I wasn't completely registering what I was seeing, after I haven't seen the Sabarmati very much, so I couldn't comprehend the implications of the image in front of me, but the look on Mami and Mama's face told me that something was very wrong. The water level was higher than Saturday and the speed of the water much greater. What this meant for flooding I did not know, but it meant it was time to make more phone calls, this time more relief supplies were going to be needed.

Even though it was a holiday, very quickly people starting coming into Manav Sadhna. Water hasn't reach Kiran's house, but the row of homes adjacent to him was flooded. People were living on the street.

Seven days later, the flood waters have gone now. The sun is shining. A greater flood came in on Saturday. Two days after people had gone home, did backbreaking work to clean their homes and were exhausted. The third time the water lasted for 2 days. Homes that didn't fall the first time, fell the second time. Homes that survived the first two didn't make it through the third. Each time the water rose. At it's peak, Barot's home had a foot of water in it. In its aftermath, chicken gunia among other diseases are spreading. People are injured, homes broken and vessels and clothing washed away. People are now hesistant to go back home, what if it floods again. That is unknown. If it rains, water will be released from the dam.

The picture is gloomy, yes, but bright at the same time. For amidst the grey, like aun peeking behind grey clouds, yellow rays light the sky. The resilence of these people is incredible. Their ability to live in the present undeniable. Adaptability admirable. Jayeshmama likes to say, "In India, the illiterate teach the literate." His words couldn't be more true.

In the hugs and calling of "didi" from a child, I learned about hope and happiness. In the smiles on people's faces as they spoke of their broken homes, I learned of acceptance of one's circumstances. In the efforts of the volunteers and people, I learned dedication and committment.

I'm working at ESI, but seeing the need for manpower, I joined relief efforts 10 days ago. It's hard to believe how much has changed in those few days. The bubble around my head burst, a more grounded perspective in place.

I came to India independently. While things had begun to shift before I left, change is process and it takes time. I don't regret who I was, but I want to change my weaknesses so that I can become a better person. Part of coming to India alone requires confidence, in oneself and one's abilities to handle whatever comes your way. I used to and still do (but have a greater awareness and less frequency) want to do everything myself. I had to be in control- it was my defense mechanism. If i control everything around me, nothing can harm me right. There is a positive side to being self-reliant, but when it like anything else is in excess, it's a bad thing. For a month, I shared, but kept things within also, but my meditation hasnt been consistent and I havent given myself the space to digest. Digestion is very important. When I faced frustrating situations, I didn't turn to anyone, thinking I could handle it. It came to a point where I realized I couldn't. I was taught again, like I will be taught in the future, to reach out. Everything doesn't have to be done alone. There are countless people before me who have gone through similar experiences, all I need to do is reach out to them.

I've also learned more about what it means to adapt. To mold oneself to an existing system, work with it and accomplish stuff that you and the system identify as important. I too came in with a NRI perspective and haven't kept as open of a mind as I should to my surroundings, but that is changing slowly.

Indicorps and PeaceCorps and ESW don't have orientations for their overseas volunteers for no reason. The drawback of coming independently is that there is no formal structure through which I can gain awareness of the big no-nos or know to approach a community, etc, but the resources all exist, I just have to reach out and use them.

In seven days, a lot has changed. Step by step, I'm on the journey to knowing myself.

[08-20] Head and shoulders, knees and toes

Day 7 of relief work, day 2 of flood 3. Watching over food vessels, while teams set out to distribute food, a bunch of kids who we had bathed the day before gathered around to give me a hug or simply say, Hi didi.

As one of the girls wrapped her hand around my finger, I remembered a song from long ago.

Want to play a game? Not surprisingly, I got a resounding yes from the kids.
I’m going to teach you a song. Mathu, khubho, ghutan, pug, ghutan pug. (Head, shoulders, knees, feet, knees, feet). Soon all of them were singing and acting out the song and a crowd of adults was growing around us. Heena khe (Simon says) was a hit too.

Then some parents starting encouraging their kids to show off their talents and after a few got over their shyness we had a mini talent show happening in front of the Sunil’s paan no gullo. They sang and danced, while the audience of adults and kids looked on. When I left, I promised two girls we would dance to Kajra re and the kids would be ready with more talents to display. =)

[08-19] Walking amidst experiences

The darkness rustles in a new picture and fills the heart with a new life. As I walk amidst the families, spending a few moments here and there, talking to the children, simply placing my hand on their head, my heart is really filled with love. I do no feel pity, I am filled with sympathy and love. I feel that people are also more responsive to me. In that moment, I was filled with love and wanted to ease their pain with a stroke of my hand. I came up to some children lying on bed. After sitting down with them, we exchanged a few words and then felt silent. One little girl stood with me and as I wrapped my arms around her and there was no need for words. We simply sat.

I don’t know what magic the darkness brought. Maybe it was the fact that there was overall calm in the center, which contrasted sharply with the chaos and noise on the street and flooded areas, or maybe it was the fact that people were able to and were eating until they were full. Whatever the magic was, in those moments, I felt like I was truly there, and able to connect to the individuals around me.

I’m not quite sure how to describe the relief work or rather my reaction to it. I’ve seen other people in action and am amazed at the ease with which they operate and are able to interact and connect with the population. Nirali, Anchal and Anjali are beautiful examples. Here I am, not really knowing how to talk to the families/households, which has been one reason why I haven’t really tagged anyone from the clothing fund and I see Nirali doing it effortlessly. I thought I was good or at least decent at starting conversation with people, but the words have been escaping me. When I went house to house two days ago, I wanted to be “effective” on one hand, but more importantly wanted to connect to the families, I wasn’t able to. Connectivity doesn’t happen because you want it, but rather is a feeling or esaas, which would occur if I looked from my heart. But the words would not come. Maybe it’s because of the experiential overload that I’ve had over the last weeks, who knows, but I’ve feel like I’ve been desensitized to all that around me. Finally, the gates were released and I could feel again. Lesson learned: its absolutely necessary to take time to digest/internalize what I am learning and experiencing.

Stories from relief work

Collected from all the service workers are posted on e-seva's blog.

From the frontlines of relief work: Day 1

Sadly, it seems like such a regular occurrence nowadays. You open the newspaper or turn on the tv and you learn of a natural disaster somewhere- earthquakes, floods, tsunamis. Thankfully, the sense of humanity is alive and well in so many that funds and supplies begin flowing into affected areas. I've heard stories about relief work, particularly after the Pakistan earthquake. The fighting, crowding and overall lack of order that leds to disproportionate distribution. The strongest get the most, while the weak end up with nothing.

Doing relief work in the flooded slums of Ahmedabad is my first experience doing field work and the I learned firsthand the first day why the choas occurs. The first time we went out to distribute, it was an ABSOLUTE madhouse. People surrounding us from all directions- oh behn, oh bhai, muje bhi do na. Yelling and shouting doesn't do a whole lot of good when you are on a crowded street and have 30-40 people pushing and shoving. Having more manpower wouldn't help the situation that much. In the midst of it, Jagatbhai made a snap decision to close shop and head back. Distribution would only happen if things were more organized.

The second time we went back, we went to the Khadi Board. An enclosed area. People had gotten the families to line up. One by one, they came to the van to get their food packet. It went well for a while, we had help from some locals, without whom the order would have been unachievable. But at soon as the people inside were taken care of and the gates opened to let people in from the outside, it was chaos again.

The third time, Jayeshbhai came with us. The families in the Khadi Board were sitting with their families passing time. He got up onto a cart and began to speak.

"We understand your pain and the hardships you are going through. We see the effects of the flood waters. Each of you is our brother, our sister, mother or father and we are here to share the hardships you are going through. People outside these walls want to help and they are sending food for you so that you don't go hungry. When they give us food, they are giving us their trust that it will be distributed properly and equitably. But when we come to give food, you surround from all sides. You are not beggars, you are our brothers and sisters. This food is for you. But when you act like beggars and crowd around us, we are unable to distribute it, which makes all of us look bad and leads to people not wanting to give supplies. We are here to help and need your support so please stay in your place and we'll come around to give you food."

The words struck the people and no one moved as we moved amidst them giving them food. They started cheering and clapping when Jayeshbhai then took a bite from one of their plates. There are many times that we too get our meal or snack by eating with those affected.

After Jayeshbhai spoke, I went over to a corner where his voice wasn't here and repeated what he said. The people understood everything and readily gave their support.

From that first evening's distribution, I saw the power of love and patience. By talking to them, treating them as humans and communicating our ideas and sentiments things can change.

Flood Relief Pictures

Of the flood and relief work.

Flood posts

Still in the works.

For some reason I couldn't get pictures to load, but Nirali has them up on her blog here (these are from Wednesday)

Here is the situation:

In the last week the state of Gujarat in India has seen one of its worst floods ever. On Saturday (Aug 12th), more than 11,00,000 cusecs of water was released into the Sabarmati River.

The cities of Surat and more than 300 villages around Anand and Vadodara have been majorly flooded.

The Sabarmati River had flooded due to heavy rains and pushed water into the lower lying areas of Ahmedabad. As a result, hundreds of homes in the Tekra (slums) were left completely submerged in the floodwater. Many have lost their homes, all their belongings and means of livelihood. They have been left vulnerable to illnesses and without access to proper food, medicines and shelter.

On Saturday morning, we were ready to move from relief work to rehabilitation, when once again a high alert was sounded in low-lying areas of Ahmedabad and Panchmahal districts following torrential rainfall in certain high-level regions from where the water is flowing into the Sabarmati River.

More than 40,000 people were evacuated from areas along the river since late Friday night. Last night (Saturday), flood levels reached the highest yet. After receding during the day, more water was released from the dam due to heavy rainfall upstream and currently the water levels are rising yet again.

For those familiar with MS, water reached Barot and Mukesh's house and the steps to Kiran's home on Saturday night. Approx 400 people at currently living in the community center and MS is working to assist 700 people in Hanumanpura, Parikshit Nagar and the area surrounding the community center.

This third round of flooding (Sunday, Wednesday, yesterday/today) has been very damaging on physical property and health. Thurs-Friday, families work endlessly cleaning their homes and working to get their lives back in order. They were physically very very tired by the time the floods came on Friday night/Saturday. The waters came rapidly, so the few possessions that were moved back, were not all taken out in the third round of floods. This third round of floodwaters also have been around the longest and have yet to go down more than 36 hours later.

More on the flood work later. Right now, its long hours and work/sleep when I get home so posting is on hold.

Nirali has a great post on her experiences that includes stories of different people living in the tekra.

Gujarat Floods

Currently, my work at ESI has been put on hold. Heavy monsoon rains have fallen all over India. This has lead to flooding in various regions and dams reaching full capacity. To prevent dam failure, governments have had to release unprecedented amounts of water which has led to massive flooding downstream, Surat was amongst some of the places worst hit by the floods. Surat was flooded not because of heavy rains in Surat, but due to the release of water from the dam and high tide, the city was hit with a large influx of water and no place for it to go.

Over the last few days, due to heavy rains in Rajasthan, water was released from the dam upstream of Ahmedabad. Given the flooding downstream, the amount released was reduced, but heavy rainfall between the dam and Ahmedabad led to dramatic rises in the water level. Lower lying areas of Ramapir no Tekra were flooded again yesterday and the damage was worse than that on Sunday. Currently relief work in underway and I'm in the midst of writing up on my experiences.

Who I was and am

Mami is currently working on her MBA part time and with midterms around the corner, I’m helping her out as much as possible. By helping her, I’m learning some econ along the way and partially continuing to be a student in the academic sense of the word (though being a student is not limited to taking a class or learning from a textbook, we are in reality, students of life learning from the environment, including people, around us). One of the classes she’s taking is Organization Behaviour, very similar to my OB class at Cal. One of the articles that I read was particularly striking (wrong word, but I can’t think of the right one) as it was about abrasive personalities.

People with abrasive personalities are high/overachievers, perfectionists, have a need to be in control, tendency to be impatient with people who are “slow” to understand their ideas, competitive, need for power and recognition and not so good at developing people. Sounds pretty familiar. As I read the article, different incidences came to mind where I embodied the characteristics described. It was another realization of internal changes that have occurred over the last year in particular. I had an abrasive personality. I say had because I now feel that the negative tendencies associated with this characterization have diminished.

There are positive sides to an abrasive personality and I am trying to maintain these aspects, while ridding myself of the negative. It’s partially a concerted effort, ie. reducing my need to be in control and partially effects of other changes I am making in my life, such as an increase in patience due to meditation, etc. Whatever the reason may be, I’m happy to be moving away from being an abrasive person and hope that the detrimental effects of being such a person are overcome, particularly in the organizations that I was apart of.

Ahmedabad, four weeks later

So I’ve been in Ahmedabad “working” for four weeks, so much has happened, yet I have posted or given many details… my apologies.

Where do I begin?

I put working in quotation marks because I haven’t quite began yet. The last three weeks have been time for exploration and observation. I’ve been looking, listening and experiencing and my heart has overflowed from all of this.

Currently, I am working at the Environmental Sanitation Institute, one of the leading institutions in India in the field of sanitation. The director, Ishwarbhai (or dada) Patel has dedicated his entire life to the promotion of toilets and is known as Mr. Toilet. The recipient of the Padmashree Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Government of India, Ishwardada is a Gandhian, who has made it his personal life objective to work for the lowest in the social structure- the Bhangis/Valmikis or scavenger caste.

Amidst many other things, I have been sitting in on training sessions that are being held for principals/teachers of schools that are about to have school sanitation units installed under the Central Govt’s Total Sanitation Campaign. Through the training sessions, I have learned more about sanitation and hygiene (and what is important to communicate) and have begun to polish my Gujarati and expand my vocabulary to include works related to sanitation (mudh means feces for those that are curious). In addition to observing and learning, I’m looking at ways to make training more effective and again have become more aware of the vast differences in the way knowledge is communicated here and in North America.

There are a few field projects coming through the pipeline that I might be tagged onto and get field experience through also.

Where I am and how it all interconnects?

ESI was started by Ishwardada and works to bring sanitation to villages and slums. Safai Vidhalaya was started by Gandhi in 1932, along with the Harijan Sevak Sangh. Safai Vidhalaya was started with the purpose of improving working conditions for the scavenger class and ultimately eliminating the caste altogether. ESI and Safai Vidhalaya until 2 years ago shared the same space in the Gandhi Ashram and the ESI headquarters continues to be at the Ashram. Two years ago, ESI opened their new campus in Sughad, a village about 10km from Ahmedabad. The facility is a beautiful learning campus set amidst fields. The building and its characteristics are a treat for civil and environmental engineers. There are rainwater harvesting systems, a toilet garden, compost pits, open spaces, passive cooling, natural shading and ventilation. The building really is a green building. Pictures will be available at some point.

Manav Sadhna is a NGO also based out of the Gandhi Ashram, started by Jayeshmama, Anarmami and Virenbhai in 1995. This organization primarily works with in one of the largest slums in Ahmedabad called Ramapir no Tekra. They have a wide range of programs targeting primarily towards children, women and youth. The aim of their programs isn’t simply to bring people out of poverty, but rather to cultivate values, love and community bonds. All of their activities tie back to holistic development. There are several other organizations that tie by to Manav Sadhna including Gramshree (an organization where women learn artistic skills like embroidery and sewing to create wonderful pieces of clothing, etc.), Uttan (a school for mentally challenged children), a blind school.

The environment that permeates all the organizations is that of love, compassion and community. From the first day that one comes to MS, you are introduced to all those present and welcomed into the MS parivar (family). Each person is deeply connected to other another. I got a chance to experience the power and love of this huge family over the last week as many birthdays and celebrations came one after another.

First, it was Sanskruti’s birthday. She’s the daughter of Jayeshmama and Anarmami and of course a ladli (beloved one) of the MS parivar. The night before 7-8 of us got together and decorated the house with streamers, balloons and a beautiful rangoli. The next morning, 40 ragpicking women were invited over for bhajan, garba and lunch. In addition to the women, there were about 25 MS parivar people there helping out. We danced and sang, ate and prayed together.

One of the major characteristics of Manav Sadhna is spirituality. A very prominent and common picture that you will see around all places somehow connected to MS is the sarvadharma picture (a picture that includes symbols from major religions). Prayer is an important part of the daily activities of the institutions. At least at Manav Sadhna and ESI, daily prayer is held with all members. Prathna (prayer) includes saying the Sarva Dharma prayer and sharing of news and experiences, etc. On all important occasions, the beginning of any good acts, everyone prays together. The power and vibrations of these group prayers cannot even be described.

After the celebration with the ragpickers, a group headed to Seva Café to decorate the place for the evening celebration with family. There was no one person in charge of anything. People worked together to decorate, prepare food and serve with guests began to arrive. One really beautiful tradition they have here when it’s a birthday is the lighting of a diya or candles. Candles/ light should not be extinguished but rather lit to dispel darkness. Following this line of thought, instead of blowing out candles on a cake, a diya is lit. Throughout the day, I couldn’t help but stop and simply watch all that was going around me. People interacting, serving, doing tasks with utmost love. It was moving to see and experience all the love that was being shared and felt by all those that were part of the moment.

Similar experiences occurred for Anarmami and Anjaliben’s birthday. People came up with ideas and then so many hands came together to make the idea into a reality. The outpouring of love was not a special occurrence, but simply a mass manifestation of the emotions and feelings of all those that call the MS parivar family. One characteristic thing that happens on birthdays and when volunteers, etc leave is the sharing of values and good characteristics of that person. It is not to enlargen the ego of that person, but rather to share our experiences with the person and to become even more aware of the role that person has played in our life. Another principle found within the parivar is that we are always learning from each other, regardless of our age or the age of the person we are interacting with. By verbalizing the good qualities of the person, we become more cognizant of the role that interactions with one another play in our life and cultivate positive energy as the emphasis is on the positive rather than negative. Even as you listen to others speak, you find inspiration to become a better person and work even more diligently and with more love towards universal good. Anjali, for example, took 11 or so resolutions on her birthday, which including giving up all sweets and chai, meditating, journaling and personal reading daily, changing the way she views the world, amongst other things. None of her resolutions are easy and she made so many. I wasn’t the only one who took inspiration from her and has made (and following) my own resolutions.

As I try to explain this family and environment, I find it very difficult to find the right words to do it justice and at the same time, I can imagine people reading this and thinking that some or all of this may sound hippyish. Words really can’t do justice to what this world is all about. Once you enter it though, its practically a guarantee that you’ll walk away a different person. Everyday, as people come and go and personally, I can see changes in the people who come into this environment. I write in an attempt to share what I’m experiencing, but ultimately it is a personal encounter which will bring vibrancy to the colours and paint on the canvas and make it real.

Just another day

I’ve been talking to family and friends about how I’m surrounded by these incredible people and incredible work, but these words are meaningless without stories to illustrate my point.

Two days ago, I spent the day in Ahmedabad. The day began with an hour meditation sit with Nirali, Rahul and Jayeshmama. It was my first long group sit since Vipassana After breakfast, the four of us headed out to Jagatbhai’s pood (not exactly sure what the English translation would be). It’s residential area in the old city that is unlike newer developments of societies, etc. In a pood, the house are more interconnected and the layout of the area is more conducive to a community environment. Visiting the pood reminded me of pij and nar and the time that me and Sejal spent living in Nar as a little girl. It was very cool to see aspects of village life/older developments within the city.

After the pood visit, we headed over to Manav Sadhna for prathna and to pick up Kunal to take him to the hospital. Kunal was found many months ago lying on the footpath outside of MS. When walking by, Parulben saw him and began talking to him. Over the course of the conversation, she learned that lower portion of his spinal cord was in pieces, which meant that he couldn’t walk. Together with others from MS, Kunal was taken to Civil Hospital and MS volunteers/staff set up a schedule to visit and look after Kunal while he got medical attention. For the next couple of months, many helped out and Kunal learned how to walk with the assistance of a crutch and stick. The volunteers located Kunal’s family and when he was well made arrangements for him to go home. A month (a few days ago), Kunal showed up at MS again. Circumstances at home were less than ideal and he was ill. Rahul came to hear of Kunal’s story and thought it would be best to admit him to Mother Theresa’s hospital in Ahmedabad (which has an incredible story of its own). So after meeting with Kunal, we took him to the hospital. Once all the formalities were complete and reassuring Kunal that we would help him develop skills to earn an income, etc after he was better, we turned to leave, Kunal hands us a large bag. When we looked inside we found that it was full of tobacco packets. Kunal used to sell them on the streets to earn money, but he was giving up that lifestyle. We all just looked at each other not knowing what to say.

Later in the day, Jayeshmama was at Manav Sadhna, when the mother of one of the volunteers came to meet him. Her son, a NRI, had volunteered at MS/Seva Café for a week, 25 hours to be exact. He had been forced to come to MS. One week later, his mom was so touched that she was shedding tears of joy. In 25 hours, her son had been transformed. As a token of her gratitude and appreciation, she gave MS Rs. 10,000. It can take a lifetime to change people, while this volunteer changed in 25 hours of service. Incredible, yet not surprising when you meet and see the people and work of the MS family.

Within a short period of time of this incident, a school teacher comes to meet with Jayeshmama. He and his students had heard of the work that MS did during natural disasters, etc and decided to help out. So the students collected grains and money. By gathering 5 rupees, 10 rupees here and there, they made a collection of 10,000 rupees! And handful by handful, they gathered 6-7 large bags of grain. The teacher had come to meet Jayeshmama to give him the money and grain to pass on to the appropriate people =)

This all in a day’s work. Pretty awesome, huh.

[08-08] Inspiration

“Why do people come to India? It’s to get inspired.”

Wow. It makes so much sense, yet I had failed to recognize this reasoning. Everywhere you look in India, inspiration is right in front of you. The world that many of us live in in North America is so incredibly artificial. Turn on the tap and water comes out. Push down the handle and our feces and urine disappear from sight. Even without a formal survey, I could say with a large degree of confidence that a majority people do not have any idea how clean water gets to their taps and what happens to sewage after they flush. And these are the basic facilities. Let’s not forget how we get our food, where our clothing comes from or how plastic containers are manufactured. At least for those living in urban North America, the world that we inhabit is a mirage, hiding complexities and our interconnectedness to the rest of the world and humanity.

Come to India and a lot changes. Even if you don’t live in a village, where the connection between farm and products is very apparent, you are more aware of the realities of the world around you. For example, my upper class family friends in Ahmedabad, like everyone else, have water worries. Before the Narmada dam project, every week, a tanker would come by to fill their water tanks. It’s a country where even if you live in an AC house and drive a Mercedes Benz, the realities of the living conditions of those at the bottom of the pyramid cannot be swept under a rug.

In India, inspiration is staring you in the face. Everywhere you look there is an opportunity to serve and/or learn. Every moment that I’ve been here has been a growing experience. Left, right and all around, I’m meeting people doing incredible work and with hearts of gold. Some are NRI’s and many are not. Each is giving of their self, body and soul included. In one way, it’s easy to live in India, to be inspired and motivated. I could see how it would be a very different challenge to go back and maintain that state in the industrialized world. It’ll most definitely be interesting to see how Sameer and others adapt. Ultimately though, if one learns to see from the heart vs the head, I believe that inspiration will be found everywhere.

[08-07] 1st Clothing Tag

What do you do when someone hands you 22,500 rupees and tells you to do something good with it that relates to clothing?

Yesterday that was the responsibility I was given. People participating in a walkathon in New Jersey raised this money and after passing through many hands, the money is now my responsibility. With support, guidance and help from Jayeshmama, my job is to spread love and kindness with this money and use clothing as a theme for these acts of kindness.

When I first received the money, I was thinking what sort of event/project I could do. It was a large scale mentality, after all 22,500 is a lot of money. As I got caught up in thinking about what would be a good event type way to use the money giving away clothing, Jayeshmama had a much simpler suggestion. Walk around and talk to people. Interact with them, cut their nails, clean their house and make note of where they live and sizes of family members. Then buy clothing and give it to the people you interact with. So that is the plan.

It hasn’t even been a day since I told mama about the money and he’s already found an appropriate beneficiary. (Note the description of the family is from MS’s annual report 04-05 as it’s very well-written).

Arvind, 16 years old, beams with confidence that few children his age have. His brother, Jayanti, 11 years old, never passes a day without his infectious smile. I had the pleasure of spending two evenings with him thus far and he never stops smiling!

Arvind starts his day at nine in the morning by cleaning his house. He then walks to the main commercial street of Ahmedabad- CG Road, a road he loving refers to as his “office.” Along his walk to the office, he shines shoes, which he keeps up until six in the evening. From his eight hours of labor, he earns 40 to 50 rupees. Afterwards, he returns home to help fetch water and do laundry for his entire household. After eating dinner and resting briefly, he leaves home at nine in the evening, spending the next four hours picking through and collecting garbage to sell. In between all these tasks, Arvind finds time to attend Manav Sadhna’s Street Child School program, where he eagerly learns to read and write.

Arvind and Jayanti live with their mother, who is mentally challenged and elder brother, who works when he is sober. Their father died from alcoholism a few years ago.

Two years ago, Arvind was picking rags late one nigh when he found a box outside of a jewelry store. After arriving home, he sorted through the box and found several pure silver coins. Arvind could not sleep at night knowing that these coins did not belong to him The next morning he notice that the box held a letter with an address attached to it. Since his reading skills were limited, he asked an adult to read the address and took him to the jewelry store to return the items to the owner. The owner, taken aback from Arvind’s honesty, felt compelled to give him a 500 rupee award.

A child that earns less than 50 rupees a day, a child with such dismal family situation, returned a box filled with treasures worth 100 times his daily earnings.

Two weeks ago, Arvind was injured by a motor vehicle. Even though the driver was at fault, he did not get angry. His injuries have limited the amount of work he could do, greatly reducing the family’s daily income. Jayeshmama chose this family to be the first beneficiary of the “clothing” fund.

Death- measure of spiritual advancement

Old post that I forgot to post.

In one of the evening discourse, Goenkaji spoke of different religions. Amongst many other things, two ideas from this discourse have stuck with me:
1) what it means to call oneself a Christian or Ram Bhakt, etc
2) death being the measure of a person’s spiritual advancement (I forget the exact word)

If one calls oneself a follower of a certain religion, God, or diety, then one should strive to embody the characteristics embodies within the religion or person. If one only prays or has belief when one needs something, but does not strive to embody the values and traits of the God or religion, one cannot consider oneself a true follower of that faith. Simple idea that makes a lot of sense, but is not practiced by many.

The example he gave was of two brothers, who said they were great followers of Ram. Ram, amongst many other things, is known for his selflessness. Even as the eldest son and crown prince, due to circumstances, he was sent to the forest for 14 years and had his kingdom given to his younger brother. When the younger brother returned and found out what happened in his presence, he went to his elder brother in the forest and the two proceeded to argue over who should have the kingdom and who should stay in the forest. Each argued that the other live in and rule the kingdom!

The second idea was particularly interesting. Goenkaji asserts that the measure of a person’s spiritual advancement is how a person dies. You can tell a phony from enlightened persons by their state of mind when they die. Jesus, for example, was being tortured on the cross, but instead of hatred and ill wishes, he only had love and forgiveness to offer those who were injuring him. This idea resurfaced this evening. I’m truly blessed. I have not one, but three (my maternal grandfather passed away before I was born) grandparents who are very spiritual advanced in bhakti yoga. Today, I learned more about the spiritual aspects of my dad’s parents, who I don’t see often as they live in India. I also learned how full story of how my grandfather died.

The day before he passed away, my grandfather knew he was going to die. Even at the age of 75, he practiced law. The day before his death, he finished all of his pending work and left behind for someone else to finish. Later, my cousin was sitting with him and my kaki. As usual, my cousin asked how he was doing (he has diabetes, etc), to which he replied “My time to die has come.”

The next day, he had a heart attack. He then walked himself to the hospital, climbed up the stairs and did not breathe his last until he lied down on the bed. To this day, my grandfather’s close friend says that he wants to die the way my grandfather did.

It is said that my grandmother also will have a peaceful death, so powerful is her faith, which I have had the pleasure of experience firsthand.

Blessed I am indeed to have these individuals as my grandparents.

Some pictures

Pictures <

Quick Update

Blogspot for the last two weeks has been banned in India post Mumbai train blasts. (the govt wanted a few sites taken down, blogspot couldnt take down a few, so they took down all of them). So the posts have been put up by my sis (yay sej).

Pictures coming soon.

What I'm up to now
Currently I am in Ahmedabad, one of the two largest cities in Gujarat. Presently, I'm sitting in on Indicorps Final Retreat for departing 05-06 Fellows, which has been an interesting experience given that these people have just wrapped up their year of service. Today, we learned how to make thread from cotton in an activity they set up at Vidyapeeth! I've also gotten the chance to meet and hang out with Sameer and Raj, which has been awesome. It's def interesting to meet them after "meeting them" through their blogs.

I am working at the Environmental Sanitation Institute (ESI) learning more about the state of sanitation in India, what is being done, how its being done and what needs to be done. ESI is an organization, based on Gandhian principles, that has been working to improve sanitation in India for over 30 years. The director, Shri Ishwarbhai Patel has been working in this field for over 4 decades and used to be called Mr. Toilet.

The campus of the institute and people are incredible. There is so much knowledge and expertise and every minute is a learning experience. Being at the institute has solidified my decision to focus on sanitation versus drinking water during my time in India. Countless are working on drinking water, which is incredibly important, but very few are doing sanitation work. There are countless social and cultural barriers that one faces in the field of sanitation that do not exist when talking about drinking water, after all we are talking about defecation.

There are already a variety of projects/tasks that I am working on and soon I'll begin to get some field experience in villages and visit different organization doing watsan (water/sanitation work). In addition to working at ESI, I'll be doing some work at Manav Sadhna (an NGO based out of the Gandhi Ashram- sister institution to ESI) that works in the slums of Ahmedabad, so I'll be getting exposure to village and slum conditions.

Every day, I'm meeting incredible people doing incredible work. I'm truly blessed to be able to work with such people. The stuff I learned in school is definetely coming in handy (especially microbio). Currently, I'm living with family friends, but at the end of this week, I'll be moving into residential quarters they have available for international volunteers.

I'm learning and living. There is much to be done, but that done in haste can lead to waste. I'm fortunate to come here without the constraint of time and I'm working to make the most of each moment to learn and experience as much as possible.

Pigrimage Overview

Note: this is the last post on the pilgrimage (aside from a pictures post). It provides a chronological context for the other posts and refers to the where appropriate. Posts on the current happenings in my life coming soon.

Day 1/2 – en route to Dehradun
The trip begins with a lost ticket and "lost" sim card (see rude or courteous city post). Upon arrival in Ahmedabad, our first (an only destination): Gandhi's Ashram (Manav Sadhna). After questioning several people, we make it to the corner where MS is located. Apparently Jayeshbhai was at the tekra, and Krishna would be arriving shortly. So we wait and wait. The waiting was a growing experience. I wasn't bored nor did I get impatient. Instead I sat silently, taking the opportunity to mediate and take a look around. An hour and half later, my cousin had had enough and just as we were about to leave, we find out that Krishna should be arriving from wherever he was for prayers and sure enough we did. Soon, I got a tour of the place and a chance to play with all the kids. The boys sure are inquisitive and friendly. Immediately, I was surrounded by several of them asking me what my name was, etc. Such a delight. When we made it over to where the girls were, the situation was no different. However, instead of playing cricket and disc, they were chitchatting and playing carem. The kids reminded me yet again how much I enjoy working with children. It seems to be a debate that is continually coming up: to work in sanitation or to work with kids. I'm sure I'll be interacting with kids doing sanitation work, but it might not be to the same degree as if I were doing education-based work. Both are important and I do have the capabilities to do both. We'll see how it all plays out. Though I didn't get a chance to meet Jayeshbhai, I got to see MS and could feel the family atmosphere right away. I'm looking forward to spending more time there.

After lunch at MS, we headed to the train station to catch our train. Soon, I was engaged in a conversation with an uncle who was telling me about yoga and what it means to practice yoga. The lessons he was imparting were those that I had heard when I took yoga at Cal, but it was good to hear them again and it was def different (and more difficult) to hear it in hindi/gujarati.

Our conversation was cut short by the arrival of the train and then chaos began. It took an hour to figure out what our seats were, etc and for better or worse, we didn't have full sleeping seats for the 28 hour journey. After some rearranging we settled in- my first train ride for this trip.

The trip was not a disappointment. Typical India style, we played Antakshari with 8 others atop the loft beds and shared food with our new found friends heading to Dehradun to get married. The trip would not have been complete without the adorable babies and conversation with Vivek, an officer in the Indian army.

Day 3 (getting shorter because its now days later)
We had a great time laughing, singing and dancing with the hotel manager's son in Barkot. It was very interesting walking to Yamontri with my cousin, who has never has been to the mountains before. Through her awe and amazement, it was like seeing certain things for the first time again. Post on science and religion has more about being in Yamnotri itself.

Day 4/5 Gangotri
Traveling were spent in appreciation of the beauty that I was surrounded by and the enginerd in me observing the valleys, rock structures, terraces and set-up of villages, etc. (for reflections on these observations see water v earth and the valleys)

Day 5 - gaumukh
Day trip to Gaumukh on foot and on a pony. Pony riding was a not so pleasant experience in terms of the aches and pains. I crossed the raging Ganga on a pony, something that cannot be done on foot without a bridge). Meet a couple from Ahmedabad on the way (one of the three families we crossed paths with several times). I did a lot of the walking in solitude, which was very refreshing and overall enjoyable experience. My walking alone, I could walk in silence and really observe the nature around me and my reactions to what I was surrounded by. Fearlessness was one of the topics of contemplation. The rapid and continuous mental activity is slowly diminishing and the gaps of silence are growing. Even when I was walking alone, I was never alone in the sense that countless others were also making the trek. Salutation of Jai Bhole were consistently exchanged and one felt apart of a larger picture. Each person came for their own reasons, but we each are connected, despite not knowing names or faces, by our walk to Gaumukh.

There were beautiful purple Himalayan flowers as we moved higher up en route and right next to the Ganga. The photos don't do it justice. Wild flowers of all colours marked the trails.

I would love to come back with friends to go trekking/backpacking in the region. As I walked, I could imagine a bunch of tau bates go on a trekking trip here.

Day 7/8 - kedarnath
We arrived in Gaurikund at noon, which mean it was too late to walk to Kedarnath if we wanted to arrive before dark. So we made the 14km trek on horses (not ponies) through the heavy drizzle and mist that sets in daily. At times, it felt like we were in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, since there was zero visibility and we were making our way through mountains. By the time we made it to the top, we were cold and wet and ready for some garam chai. My rain jacket served me very well and my upper bottom was completely dry, while my legs took a while to warm up. On the way up, we also crossed paths with the family from Indore, who mom had met on her way to Yamnotri.

In the morning, we did darshan in the warmth of the sun at a South Indian style temple set against a gorgeous backdrop of snowcapped peaks. The walk down, I could actually see the Mandakini following alongside the trail and fell in love with the terrain.

Day 10 - valley of the gods
In Badrinath, I got a chance to sit for an extended period of time in a temple. I cannot verbally describe the power of the vibrations that I experienced.

By this point, we had traveled enough on foot/horse that I knew I would not be able to convince my family to visit the Gurudwara and valley of flowers that were atleast 18km off road. If it is to be, then perhaps another trip to Badrinath will be arranged for these purposes. But if anyone goes to Badrinath, include an extra day or two to visit these places.

Day 11 rishikesh/hardiwar
Hardiwar- there is a temple on every corner and every street of the city. The art work is absolutely incredible There are statues and 3D depictions of so many stories and people found in Hinduism. The Bharatiya Mandir is incredible. It a temple dedicate to Bharat Mata or Mother India. Each floor has a room filled with statues. On the top floor are prominent gods (and their consorts), the second floor (from top down) is dedicated goddesses, the third floor is that of saints (Vivekananda, etc), the fourth floor to prominent men in Indian history (Gandhi, Bhagat Singh), the fifth floor is prominent women (Mirabai, Jhansi ki rani, a catholic nun, whose name I can't remember, etc), the sixth floor has a painting for each state depicting the prominent structures, people and cultural attributes of the state (for ex. for Punjab- the Golden temple, bhangra, bhagat singh, etc), finally the last floor or bottom floor has a large statue of bharat mata with a beautiful passage on how all the rivers of different cultures and religions flow through one land and we are unified by a common heritage. I would have loved to take pictures, but that's not allowed.

Hardiwar is also the starting point for a Ganga Yatra (see land of pilgrims) so we saw countless people, mainly men, carrying containers of the Ganga jal ( Ganga water), walking home.

Day 12 mathura/govardhan/gokul
I visited Vraj, the most significant pilgrimage area for Vaishnav (devotees of Krishna). It is the land where Krishna was born and raised. I got a chance to see the night aarti of the Yamuna river, in addition to playing in the sand that Krishna played in centuries ago. It is said that the sand has a lot of power because Krishna played in it and if one attempts to remove any from the site then you will not be able to leave (your mode of transport will face difficulties, etc). My cousin tried to take some years ago and their bullocks would not move until they threw the sand away. There used to be soooo much Ramanreti (literally meaning "playing sand"- aka the sand in which Krishna played), but now they have build huts for saints and expanded the temple grounds, leaving a small area of sand. I wonder how much will remain in a few years or decade.

We also went to Govardhan, the famous mountain which Krishna held upon his pinky to provide the entire village with shelter when Indra, the lord of rain, showered down an endless storm. To circumvent the mountain, one must walk over 15km. Imagine how tall the mountain was. I say was because it is said that the mountain becomes lower as the burden of sin upon the earth grows. Today the mountain can be considered to a be a wide hill. It has dropped significantly in height in the 10 years that have passed from when my cousin last visited (I don't remember its height from my last visit). We circumvented the mountain barefoot and in the rain. The day before we arrived, over 2 lakh (200,000) people were circumventing the mountain . Circumventing the mountain that one should perform when visiting Govardhan. It is considered to be even better if one can do with milk. So I held a clay pot, with a hole at the bottom, filled with milk in one hand and a pot filled with dhoop (smoke from ??) in another. As the pot began to run out, a man cycling alongside us would fill the pot. I partially did the parikrama (circumventing) in honour of my paternal grandparents, who are great devotees of Krishna. While I did the parikrama with milk, my mom did it with candy. As she sat on a wooden cart attached to a bicycle, she handed out candy to all the beggar children along the route. I personally think that that parikrama is worth more in terms of good karma. The thought that came up when I saw the amount of milk I would need was give it to the children instead of spilling it on the earth. Personally, I am becoming more critical of the need of certain rituals and rites. There is power in Govardhan parvata (mountain) to which I bow down, but in my mind, instead of offering gallons of milk to the mountain, offer a little to the mountain (to use in the ritualistic bathing of the stone that is used to represent the mountain) and then give the rest of the milk which you want to offer to the hungry. God is within each individual so are we not offering God milk by giving it to the needy?

Day 13 delhi
Spent 7 hours in Delhi , mainly in one shopping in one shopping area and the train station. I got to see Abhinav and how modern/Americanized Delhi is. Also got to see Guru Dev Mandir.

The Yamuna and Ganga

Two of the holiest rivers in India. Upon the banks of one, Krishna played and the other washes away the sins of anyone that bathes in it (even the dead). The Yamuna and Ganga, respectively, hold great significance to the Hindu masses. My mother took bottles of Ganga jal back to Toronto so that she can give a few mL to families when one dies. Such is the power of the Ganga. Thousands upon thousand of dead bodies are placed in the Ganga each year because of the belief that She opens the doors to heaven. (In fact, the government recognizing that it cannot stop the practice, has placed flesh eating tortoise in the river to eat the dead bodies and reduce pollution – side enginerd fact =)

There are striking differences between the rivers and its valleys. The Yamuna is fairly clear and blue, while the Ganga even at its source is turbid and brown to large large volumes of dirt. It seems very surprising that the Ganga is so "dirty" until you notice the differences in the landscapes through which each river passes.

The Yamuna Valley (or valleys I should say)
Beautiful mountains all around, reaching up and touching the skies, the peaks only obscured by cotton candy clouds hung from the heaven against the backdrop of blue skies, while the sun shines brightly upon the scene. The valley reminds Yosemite, but there is one big difference- the habitation of the valleys. All along the sides of the mountains, terraces have been cut away (I can only imagine the effort it took). Each terrace slightly different in appearance due to the level of water and growth of different produce. From the valley floor to 4/5 of the way up, terraces line the mountains, like stairs for giants, interspersed with homes. Innovation in irrigation practices that have been developed long ago are what I was fortunate enough to see first hand. The river curves her way through the mountains and one can only marvel at how the river has shaped the valleys through which she passes. The river meanders and braids its way amidst the terraces and rocks. Sometimes gently, sometimes with great noise and vigour alluding to its power.

The Ganga Valley
The Ganga valley was striking and beautiful, but in a different form. While the mountainside was terraced, it was to a much lesser degree. Rockslides were much more prevalent. It was as if someone grabbed a piece of the mountain and tore it away from the rest, leaving a huge gap amidst the trees and greenery. Thus much more dirt and particulate matter makes its way into the river. At its source, the first 2-3 km of terrain are barren. The only life that can be found are beautiful purple flowers that grow amongst the dirt and rocks. Even the glacial from which the Ganga emerges is full of dirt and could be misinterpreted to be a mountain of dirt instead of ice. In the picture of the river, you cannot even distinguish between the river and land as the waves are still.

Both rivers and valley did not cease to amaze me. Nature has a way of humbling individuals through its grandeur and power. When one looks at nature and attempts to fathom on the landscape came into being, the events in our lifetime do not hold any significance to time the earth has existed. Yet, as a species, we have changed so much about the earth we live in (but that's a topic for another day).

The mountains with its serenity and power are incredible. After being in the mountains (we stayed in motels in cities, but we didn't explore the cities), coming back to hardiwar/rishikesh and the cities and crowd in general was overwhelming and left a desire for the serenity and power of nature. Maybe I won't work in the slums and work in the villages only to be aware of the noise of the urban world. We'll see.

A land of pilgrims

The story of the Fat Man Walking took America by surprise. Why would some want to walk from California to New York? The story of Terry Fox is still an inspiration to countless of people. Running a marathon is considered a large achievement for many and something inconceivable for countless more.

North America provides a great background with which to contrast what I call the land of pilgrims. Visiting the chota char dham (small four holy sites, the main four holy sites involve traveling the entire country); I resolved to walk as much as possible. Yamontri is a 12 km route roundtrip from the closest car accessible village. To visit Gaumukh from Gangotri is an 18 km one-way and Kedarnath lies 14 km away from the closest place you can drive to (Gaurikund).

For me the walking meant carrying sufficient supply of water and food, wearing hiking boots and breathable clothing, all things typical of a North American going on a hike. Walking would take longer than horseback or a doli (four people carrying you on a palanquin), but it would be doable nonetheless. As I walked, all the preparations and comforts I needed to walk seemed laughable. Amidst the walkers, I def was one of the odd ones out. There were grandfathers and grandmothers walking barefoot or in sandals with simply the aid of a walking stick. Women walked with bags on their heads as they climbed to God's shrine. The food/water I brought along – not really needed considering there were canteens every km or so, but then again, we didn't need to stop at these places for refreshments. While I was on horseback on my way to Kedarnath, covered with a raincoat and every so often complaining of the cold setting into my legs due to the excessive dampness of my clothing, people walked through the mist without much protection from the wet or cold. While I would reach the destination before it became dark, many of these people would arrive well after darkness sets. Some walked because of sheer devotion, others because a horse or doli was simply financially not viable. Whatever their reason may be, their dedication is highly admirable and inspirational.

By far, the place where I became most aware of this land of pilgrims is Gangotri. While I made my way on horseback/foot to Gaumukh, I crossed paths with well over 200 pilgrims dressed in orange shorts and orange t-shirts with Lord Shiva picture across the chest. From all across the country, despite it not being "high pilgrim season", hundreds upon hundreds are arriving in trucks to Gangotri. They walk to Gaumukh, Ganga emerges from glacial rock, collect two containers of the holy water, which their strap to their stomach and walk back to their homes on foot, where they will offer the water to their temple deity. They will walk miles upon miles on foot, typically covering 30-40 km in day. A vehicle will follow the pilgrims carrying their clothing, etc, while the pilgrims simply carry water and walking stick. Given the sheer number of people doing this type of pilgrimage every 30-40 km, there is a rest area, where they can all sleep/rest. Canteens along the roads have special areas outside where pilgrims can hang their water. From Gaumukh, pilgrims would carry the containers in dupatta type shawl that has a pocket on either end to hold each jug of water. For the pilgrims who make this pilgrimage from Haridwar, they carry the way on either end of a pole, which is decorated with pictures, flowers, etc (see the pictures). The contraption is heavier, but the road is also straight. Most of the pilgrims participating in either one of these walks were male and in their twenties or older. In Gaumukh though, I did see one boy who was approx 6 years old! No matter how tired you were when you saw him, your fatigue melted away when you saw his smile and heard him say Jai Bhole!, which is the typical greeting you would say to others as you crossed their path.

One of the best parts about visiting all these places was the sheer devotion that one got to experience and see. As we neared Yamontri and came across the steepest part of the climb, made up of countless switch back, all one could hear was people yelling and chanting Jai Mata Ki. Pilgrims and those leading the horses alike filled with air with their chants and devotion, praising the Mother as their approached her abode. Every place, it was the same. If you ever felt that someone needed some encouragement or simply needed some energy, all one needed to do was say Jai Bhole to another pilgrim and the walk became that much easier.

The chote char dham and Hardiwar by no means the only pilgrimage sites in India. At every site you'll find countless people walking to reach God's abode. Indeed, there is a land of walking pilgrims, it would be India.

Remembering the Tau Bates

"Happy belated birthday"
"Where were you all weekend?"
"Camping, that's what I couldn't call earlier."
"You and camping, ya right."

A couple of years ago, this comment would have been correct. Aside from living in cabins for religious retreats and one real winter camping trip, my experience with the outdoors was fairly limited. I definitely was not the one who would plan a camping trip. Then three years ago, I became a Tau Bate and everything changed. Hiking, snowboarding, backpacking, we did it all. If I ever wanted to do something random or outdoorsy, I always knew I could mention it to some Tau Bates and get a group together.

As I climbed up to Yamnotri, walked/horsebacked my way to Gaumukh, I couldn't help but remember my Tau Bates. There was no morning food preparation or Karen with her endless supply of nourishment; no Zach with his map or Pokai with his camera; no discussions with Trent or bugging Ms. Diana; no Sanjay leading us through brush, claiming there is a clearing or shirtless guys at the top of the mountain. A different experience to say the least with my uncle walking portions alongside me in sandals, while I wear hiking boots; my mom on horseback (more like ponyback) and cousin in awe of the majestic mountainous landscape, which she has never seen before.

Over these walks, I recognized how much I had grown through all of our outdoor experiences. With a pack on my back with food and water, I walked with a good amount of ease, despite being "out of shape." Angela and all the other adventurous ones came to mind and I climbing rocks, just to see the view from the top.

"What do you eat?," my driver asked as the two of us venture past the others to get as close as possible to where the Ganga emerges from the glacial rock.
"Why?"
"You have so much energy and are going everywhere."
"I do this fairly often and I have a lot of friends, whose examples are my inspiration."

In Conversation with Vivek, Officer in the Indian Army

On our 28 hour train ride to Dehradun, we shared one of our seats with Vivek (last name???), an officer in the Indian army, who was heading home for a few days. Currently in Jamnagar for training, Vivek has been serving in the army for 5 years and spent 3 years in Jammu and Kashmir leading a company of soldiers.

People serve in different ways, here was the perfect opportunity to get a perspective on service and life from someone whose job literally is the serve and protect the country.

Why serve?
To help others.

Why the army?
My father was in the army and for as long as I could remember I too wanted to join. After completing my Bachelors and Masters in Commerce, I enlisted. I chose the army because as an officer I can influence/impact the lives of many people. For example, in J&K, one company of 30-40 people protects 10-20 km of mountainous terrain. Each person has their own criteria for what kind of job they want and what they want from their job, ie. money, certain types of responsibilities, etc. Being in the army satisfies my criteria.

What's your criteria?
Respect and the ability to help others.

Motto you live by?
Live in the present moment.

And how do you do that?
If I want to sleep, I sleep. If I want to read, I read. I minimize the things I leave pending for tomorrow.

You spoke about living, what about death?
It will be more comfortable than the life I live as an officer. (me -- ???) For example, in J&K, when on a mission, we might have to sit in camouflage behind a bush with our legs knee deep in snow for hours and there is nothing that we can do about it. We simply need to sit. The life of an army man is a difficult one. When death comes, it will come. All I can do in live in the present moment. There is no need to fear death.

What about killing?
On the front line, either you die or the person you are facing dies, in that moment, there really is no hesitation on what to do. And for harming innocent lives, the harshest punishment must be given.

What role does spirituality play in your life?
Have you read the Da Vinci Code? The thing about the Da Vinci Code is that it shows that is Jesus is human. He was a guide for people and provided many with direction, which was lacking in their lives. People made him into God But where does God reside? You're an engineer, you know about science. Where does God live? On Venus or Mars? We have yet to find the place in the stars where He resides. God is human. Each of us can achieve that state of "being" God/ Jesus had reached a very high spiritual place. Look at Hindu gods, each one was born and dies. To have godlike characteristics is a human capability. All these religions are all paths to attain that state or to know the Truth.

What is the Truth?
Its different for each person. What each person perceived is their own truth. For example, in flood relief, two people are in water and there is an open electric wire. I must decide if I am going to send in my men to save the victims. I won't because the truth is that if I do, they will die. I cannot kill two men like that. In that situation, that is my truth.

A few questions about India . What is India's greatest problem/challenge?
Overpopulation. It's the cause of all our problems. Poverty, lack of resources.

To address it?
Do what China did, but that can't happen here because India is a democracy.

India's greatest strength?
It's people.

Views on J&K?
It's all political. People in the villages don't have anything to do/are poor so they go to Pakistan, get arms and training and terrorize the innocent. It's partially created out of need and partially due to ego/financial incentives. Ie. A terrorist's mother is the most powerful woman in the villages. In J&K, the situation will improve when the people take action. When they stop seeing themselves as victims and do something. That's how the situation in Punjab changed also. When will the people do something? Who knows.

Last question comes back to service.
What are important things to consider when one wants to serve?
Two things are important:
1) That there is an actual need
2) What you are doing is appropriate
Before you decide to something, look around and get an idea of what the problems are, what potential solutions are, etc, then pick what you want to do. You can't just jump into something blindly.

Last question: what gets you through each day?
Knowing that I have helped another/been of service. If I have not, then tomorrow, I will do something to change that.

Fearlessness

As I walk downwards, I look ahead at ground, choosing my path carefully. Unlike Arjuna, my gaze is not seeking a prey, and the periphery visual registers. The Ganga rages forward, a couple hundred feet below, less than one foot to my left and there isn't much between me and the cliff.

First thought: Watch where you step.

Second thought: One wrong step, and you fall and die.

Then an "encouraging" thought crosses my mind.

Yes, one misstep means death. If this is the day, then this is the day. There is no need to have fear. What is going to happen will happen.

The release of fears- one of the subtle changes post-Vipassana.
More calm and accepting attitude towards death- a recent development post Tuesdays with Morrie.

PS. riddle time. ID the story reference to Arjuna

Hygiene and Religion

The recognition of a large promoter of good hygiene practices, within at least the middle class, came as a somewhat of a surprise to me. But as I reflect even minutely on its role in my own life, it isn't surprising at all. Religion, at least what I know of Hindu sects, have promoted good hygiene practices for centuries.

One cannot enter a temple without bathing; every morning one should do puja (which means one has to bathe); one must wash one's hands after going to the restroom; after defecating, one cannot touch any puja/temple supplies (hence one has to bathe); one cannot eat before washing one's hands and all fruit/vegetables must be washed before consumption (the latter two at least being tenants of the Vaishnav dharma).

Frequent bathing, washing hands after going to the restroom and before eating and washing fruits and vegetables: sounds a lot like the hygiene practices that countless organizations around the globe are promoting, particularly to communities where waterborne diseases are widespread.

A subtle, yet not so subtle force teaching good hygiene practices- works for me.

Science and Religion

May 2006 – I was awarded a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

For the last four years, I have honed my skills in scientific methodology and understanding. The effect of this training has become very evident during this journey. Science v religion is a debate that persisted for eons. Is there common ground? Angels and Demons explores the convergence of these two, which is why I found the book interesting. If people say there are polar opposites, I say then there must be similarities because if they are opposites, without one you cannot describe the other. For me, science and religion are different ways of understanding the world around us. The untrained human mind cannot fathom, let alone grasp the realities of the universe. Science and religion provide people with means to do so. The differences in the realities the two present and the role of each in my life is what I've become more aware of.

Example number 1: Yamontri

Yamontri is located where the Yamuna River begins (close to at least). The Yamuna is one of the holiest rivers in India. The river is a manifestation of Yamuna Devi, a goddess in Hinduism, who is the daughter of Surya, the Sun God. Now the Yamuna begins high in the mountains, where is it cold. It is said that Surya recognized the challenges that would have to be surmounted and cold that would have to be endured by devotees in order to visit Yamonotri and consequently, created a hot Yamuna at Yamontri for devotees to bathe in, in addition to the cold Yamuna river. Hence in Yamontri, there is a cold and hot Yamuna.

We met a Brahmin family at Yamontri, who informed us that of the prasad that one takes from there. (When one visits a temple, one takes away prasad or something that has been offered to God as a blessing – typically its fruits or nuts, at Vaishnavdevi- another highly frequented mountain top site – money is the prasad one takes away). The prasad of Yamontri – cooked rice. Sachets of rice are placed into the hot Yamuna for 2 minutes. The power of the Yamuna is such, that it will be cooked in this time and is taken as prasad. As the uncle removes his sachets from the Yamuna, he remarks, "See, this is the power of Yamuna, a few feet away from us, she is ice-cold and here, she is capable of cooking this rice." In my mind, the scientist within me responds – it's a sulfur hot spring, something that can be found all over the world.

Countless times, I have observed the interplay between religion and science within me and around me. Ideas and beliefs are explained and/or observed and I find the scientist within me seeking an explanation. Other times, science attempts to explain a phenomenon and I am the one saying that there are some things that science should not even try to explain and that one should simply believe.

Ultimately, it is all about what one wants to believe. A photograph can be simply a picture to one, while it is the presence of God to another. Each person has their own beliefs, which by no means are stagnant. No belief or practice should be accepted or executed simply because another says so, but at the same time none should be outright rejected either. Without active dialogue and an open mind, an understanding of others' perspectives and opinions cannot be obtained.

Water vs Earth

The Ganga, Yamuna, Alakananda and Mandakini. Over the last 10 days, I ventured the valleys. From 1000m – 3500m above sea level, we drove up and down the mountains, traveling over 1500km in the Garhwal Himalayas.

The journey, like many others, made me appreciate my geology class. Sophomore year, spring semester, I used to describe my engineering course work as a rock class and water class. At that point, I literally was taking the class because I had to. I mean, I already knew about metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rock formation and who would want to go on a full-day field trip around the bay to look at rock structures? It was well after the countless hours of reading about earth processes that I began to appreciate the knowledge that I had taken for granted. Many times, not only on this trip, I have tried to identify the rocks that make up the landscape and feel some remorse that I cannot recall/name all the possibilities. If only I had my cheat sheet from our rock id test.

[Heather- which one is the zebra rock and which one only has specks? (I saw the non-zebra one on the way to Gaumukh)]

Call me an enginerd, but its cool to be able to understand how the mountains and valleys have formed. The recognition of the antiquity of the planet and the length of time it has taken for each feature to develop is quite humbling, while the understanding of the amount of change created by man within such a short time period is equally disturbing.

As I looked down at the river raging in the valley below me, I can't help but reflect upon the ancient battle between water and earth. The "small" river which lies hundreds of feet from the peaks of the mountains is the force that has created the valleys in the first place. Gently, yet persistently wearing away at the seemingly hard, immovable blocks of rock, forging its own path. The rocks and boulder, strong and sturdy, attempt to block its path, but ultimately, its resistance will diminish to that of gravel and sand which will flow along the river's path. It will take masses of water and years of resilience, but in the end, it will succeed. As wave upon wave crashes upon the rocks and mountain side, the water continues on its course. As drop after drop falls down to the earth, the rain takes with it, rocks and boulders down to the river bed. In this moment, it seems like the earth is the victor in the battle between water and earth, but ultimately, water will win the war.

[Footnote: Perhaps, viewing it as a battle is cynical, but the imagery is quite powerful. The ideas and thoughts continually change, I simply am taking note of those that cross the mind through the moments of my trip.]

Back in Gujarat

Lots of posts coming as soon as all of them are completed in terms of typing them up and I get net access on my laptop.

What I did in a nutshell:

June 30- 28 train ride from Ahmedabad to Dehradun
July 2- left Dehradun for Yamnotri, stayed in Barkot for the night
July 3- Walked to and from Jankichatti? to Yamnotri (12 km roundtrip), close to where the Yamuna begins
July 4- Travelled from Barkot to Gangotri
July 5- Roundtrip from Gangotri to Gaumukh (where the Ganga actually emerges from glacial rock)- 36km round trip on pony and foot
July 6- Travelled from Gangotri to Gaurikund, stopped 4hr from Gaurikund
July 7- Got to Gaurikund at noon and took a horse to Kedarnath (on horse) through drizzle/rain- 14km
July 8- Walked back from Kedarnath to Gaurikund and made our way towards Badrinath, stopped in Joshimath for the night
July 9- Day trip to Badrinath, spent the night in Joshimath
July 10- Travelled to Rishikesh, spent the night in Haridwar
July 11- Travelled to Mathura
July 12- Did a milk parikrama around Govardhan Mountain (which is a hill now) - 15km, visited Ramanreeth (where Krishna played), saw Yamunaji's aarti
July 13- Spent a few hours in Delhi and board a 14 hr train back to Nadiad

I travelled the valleys and mountains, visited the city and valley of the Gods, went to the places frequented by saints, gods and goddesses. imagine the vibrations at these locations.

pages to come

Rude or Courteous City

LAst week in Trishna, Sejal and I were discussing rude cities in the world. One of them mentioned a recent study of major cities around the world and found that NYC was the rudest. A couple of days, I was surprised to read on Quote of the Day that a Reader's Digest did a survey of 20 cities to measure their politness (can someone add the link as a comment since I don't have it on me right now). Interestingly, they found that NYC was the most courteous.

As we left for our trip to the Himalayas, unplanned and with a slight modification, my cousin and I tried the Reader's Digest test in Nadiad. As my cousin stepped out of the car at the medic store, she dropped our cousin's cell phone. The battery, sim card and cover went in different directions. Immediately, the two of us and the driver were peering into the dirt, trash and puddles for the sim card. Right away, people passing by and nearby asked what we were looking for. Over the course of the 10 minutes, 10 different people were helping us looking for the card! We didn't find the sim and finally we gave up and headed home after thanking out helpers. Luckily, we later found out that the phone didn't have a card to begin with! But nonetheless, our test was a success. Rude or courteous city? Nadiad no doubt is the latter.

I'll try to post during our 14 days trip to the Himalayas, but it's going to sparse. LOTS will be put up once I'm back.

Ps. met great people on the 24 hr train ride to dehradun and spent the morning at Manav Sadhna before leaving =)