Farm Life

The title to this blog post is kind of ironic given that yesterday was day 10 out of 16 of being on the farm, and was the first day that I did any kind of actual farm work.  But here I am!  I arrived on November 12 to Melkote, Karnataka, India, and I'm here for about a month to work for Janapada Seva Trust (janapada.net). Their website describes the NGO and what they do and is actually a great website if you feel like checking it out! 

I am sorry it has been so many weeks since my last blog post.  I went on my 3-week vacation which was wonderful!  I traveled with my friend Justin and though our plans changed a LOT, it ended up being great.  We went to three beaches in Goa, then to Mumbai, Amritsar, Shimla, and Manali.  We were also in Delhi for about a day.  I will write more about that at another time, and post pics eventually!

So, my intention in coming to Melkote was to learn about organic farming.  My organic guru is named Santhosh Kaulagi, and he runs Janapada, which his parents started some 50 years ago.  Most of his family lives together in Melkote, and I am staying in an empty family member's house just a five minute walk from their house.  Santhosh and his wife and three children live a few kms away on their own farm.  As I said, the first ten days I did no farm work.  Santhosh seemed more intent on teaching me more about holistic, sustainable living.  At least that's what he said.  This translated into over a week of me doing rather menial chores: sweeping out rooms, learning to spin thread on a hand loom, and chopping vegetables.  This wasn't really a problem for me, but I am paying HIM $200 plus other expenses to do work on his farm.  I don't know whether it's because I am a woman, or what, but he didn't seem to want to give me physical labor to do.  Finally I started to yesterday.  To be fair, it seems there isn't all that much physical labor to do.  Plus, he has field hands who do it, he doesn't do it at all.  Yesterday, me and two other guys named Naga and Gopalla weeded onion fields, and today we cleared land.  Overall, I am much slower than them, but they are so patient with me, and as long as I'm not getting in their way I'm happy.  It feels so good to be out in the sun doing work!  I have been stuck in a classroom for too long.

I would say the biggest challenge here is communication.  Santhosh speaks good English, and some of his family knows enough to make simple sentences with me, and then most people know a few words.  My Kannada has gotten a lot better just in 10 days!  I know a lot of important phrases now and can usually come up with a word or two to get what I want.  For example, I got a sari today!  I am really excited because a lot of women here asked me why I don't wear one.  I didn't have a good reason besides the fact that I've been with Americans up until now.  Coming to Melkote has sort of been like been thrown into shark-infested waters.  I'm definitely the only non-Indian in the whole village.  And it's been reiterated several times that Melkote is very traditional.  It's a beautiful little temple town though, with the temple overlooking the village from a huge rocky hill.  There are several sacred ponds scattered around, and it's not very busy.  Most people are always barefoot and there are always baby goats in the streets, which are also my new favorite animal cause they are so adorable!

I try to challenge myself by asking people questions and things like that, but honestly, I am silent probably 80% of my day.  In a way, it makes the days drag on, but in another way, it's really peaceful.  It's good that I don't mind being quiet... but sometimes I feel a little bit like a bump on a log.  I hate when I feel like a burden to Santhosh and his family, which is sometimes a lot.  But I have tried to make myself clear that I want to be put to work, and that's becoming more frequent.  

Another challenge is the food.  Indian food is and always will be fantastic.  But traditional South Indian food is  an entirely different being.. a being which I have called: white rice.  Generally, I am served rice three meals a day.  And the amount that I eat is about half of what other Indians eat.  It's served with a soup/sauce called sambar which usually has some vegetables in it.  It has been so hard on my system though.  The second night I was here I got really sick, and I have no idea what from, maybe the water.  I was up all night throwing up for 8 hours straight.  That was a blow to my positive attitude for sure.  I recovered pretty quickly though, and I think the family has learned that I can't eat quite as much as them.  I go out and buy my own cucumbers, tomatos, apples, and bananas too.  Eating raw fruits and veggies, even just one thing a day has helped me so much!

I could probably write for another hour, there is so much to describe.  I wish you all could be here with me.  It's amazing the prolific cow poop, blaring horns, pushing to get on the bus, trash on the street, chattering Kannada, and tiny cups of tea have all become like characteristics of home to me.  I'm sure that I'm going to think America is remarkably clean, quiet, and empty.  You'd be surprised at the assumptions made about America here: that everyone is extremely rich, fat, and happy; and in some cases, that it is the same place as England!  I cleared up that last one though.  

Anyway, I miss you all so much.  I can't wait to be home... only three weeks!  Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!  Save me some turkey.

Love,

Julia  

Happy Journey!

It's about that time... I'm strappin on my boot straps and getting ready to leave for a three week long vacation in India!  I am traveling with Alex, my room mate, and the five boys in my group to Goa for 6 days, then my friend Justin and I are heading north to visit Jaipur, then we're skipping over to Delhi where we'll meet our other friend, Jackson, and then the three of us are heading to Kathmandu in Nepal to see a few mountains and hit the club scene...... crickets.....

Anyway!  I am so excited for all of it.  Beaches in Goa, pink sand in Jaipur, a billion people in Delhi, and the Himalayas in Nepal, what more could I ask for?  Before I return I want to ride a camel AND an elephant.  Other than that I don't have many trip goals.  I suppose avoiding kidnappers and wherever those people in the movie Hostel went are on my list.  Mainly I'm excited to get out of Mysore, away from annoying chaperones and get to see some more of India!

I won't be taking my laptop with me on my vacation, so this might be my last blog post for a few weeks.  I'm sure I'll be stopping at an internet cafe sometime, so that might be a good opportunity to let you, dear fans, know that I'm still alive. 

Love,
Julia

Highlights from our tour of North Karnataka

My group and I got back Friday morning from an 8 day excursion through the state of Karnataka.  We visited Badami which has Buddhist and Jain cave temples (and lots of monkeys), Bijapur which is known for its Muslim architecture, and Hampi which is an ancient city.  Here are some photo highlights!

Here I am showing off my mad skillz at the Badami caves.  I forget who the statue is of sowwy!

In Bijapur at Gol Gumbaz which means "round dome".........heh.

On top of Gol Gumbaz at around 7 am.

Makin' friends in Hampi!

After a sunrise hike to the top of a rock hill to visit a shrine or pretend to contemplate life if you're Sara.

Makin' MORE friends in Hampi!

Sunrise hike deux to an ancient natural land bridge in Badami.

Justin and Matt (I'll let you attempt to pick them out) swimming in the sacred pool at Aihole, pronounced a-hole.  Fine, it's actually ai-ho-lay.  The pool is naturally fed through springs which flow through up through the sandy bottom!

Sara being a superstar on top of a temple in Aihole. 

Great Day with my Dad!

Man... today has been a great day for so many reasons!  Partially because it started off kind of crappy...but let's skip that part!  It's boring anyway.  So today was my dad's first full day in Mysore. We had breakfast with my group mates at the hostel, and then we got ready and went shopping.  We went to my favorite clothing store- Parampare- where we stocked up on gifts and clothes and fun stuff for ourselves.  After a tea break we headed back to the hostel so I could attend a meeting about my upcoming trip to Northern Karnataka.  While I was there I got a wonderful piece of news-- the due date for the term papers that I have been stressing about has been pushed back to Dec 2nd from Oct 20th.  THANK GOD.  So I get to actually relax and enjoy my trip to Northern Karnataka and just BREATHE for a second.  I feel like I haven't taken a real breath in like three weeks... and that's hard to do in yoga.

So anyway, then we went downtown and got some street food-- samosas, pani puri, and juice.  Well... I forgot that they don't use filtered water in the juice, and in my valiant attempt to keep my dad from getting sick before his Himalayan trek, I chugged (literally) both glasses myself.  I am such a good daughter, plus the juice is really good, whatever.  But anyways, then we headed to Karanji Lake and walked around for awhile, saw some sweet birds and let our food coma settle in.  It turns out Karanji Lake seemed like kind of a hot spot for young couples to go and make out.  OK, hold hands.  But still, clearly not the best father-daughter excursion in the city.... moving on.

So then, like the old men that we are, Dad and I were totally beat so we bussed it back to the hostel in Hebbal and took naps before dinner.  We ended up being too tired to even go out for dinner so we just ate dinner with Sara, Justin, and Alex at the hostel.  It turned out to be a lot of fun and laughing.  I'm so glad that some of my friends here got to know my appa (not a typo) a little bit better.  He even got to meet a few of the Indian girls I am friends with.  Tomorrow I think we'll probably take it easy, and I'll show him my school and maybe have him sit in on some of my classes.  

But overall, even though his visit is so short, it's wonderful to see my dad!  I was worried that since I've been feeling homesick that seeing him would just bust the cap off that simmering pot and I'd break down into tears like the adult that I am.  But I'm ok.  I'm great actually.  And I can't wait to get out of Mysore!

Oh, another good thing from today.  My friends and I finalized our travel plans for our three-week long independent vacation.  The plan is to go Mysore to Goa to Jaipur to Delhi to Kathmandu and back to Mysore.  Preeeeeeeeeeetty exciting eh?

Love,
Julia

Cue the Camera Crew

In a few short hours my noble father, Doug Gouge, will arrive in Mysore!  We will be gallavanting around the city for three whole days!  Expect situations similar to those of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in The Simple Life.  (Since we'll be conducting a car wash in our bikinis and driving a pink truck across the country).  Fun fotos and blog updates to come :)

Ayodhya Verdict Follow-Up Post

So... to make a long story short.  Nothing happened with the Ayodhya verdict.  I am definitely happy that everyone in the area was safe and that there wasn't any violence in a potentially sensitive case ruling, but at the same time... THAT was anti-climactic!

So the way the court ruled is that they split the land into three parts.  To give a little bit of background, the three judges who ruled the case were two Hindu and one Muslim, and all were very old dudes.  They gave one part of the land to the followers of Ram Lalla (Hindu), one part to the Nirmohi Akhara (Hindu), and one part to the Sunni Waqf Board (Muslim).  How ironic that the judges who are two-thirds Hindu and one-third Muslim divided the land into two-thirds Hindu and one-third Muslim.  The judges gave a ruling that was over 8,000 pages long.  I think that's really just excessive!  I mean... Sometimes I feel like courts and the government makes complicated issues overly-complicated so that the public can't sit down and read the decisions themselves and interpret them on their own!  Who has time to read an 8,000 page case ruling?  Besides me, I mean!  I'm sure it's a real page-turner.  So the judges also decided that the Babri Mosque that is still on the land is in fact a mosque... that must have been hard to decide... but that the Hindus have a right to build a temple there. 

It seems that most Indians have taken the side of peace in the issue.  It may have been a good thing that the case was being judged for so many years.  The fire seems to have mostly burned out, and it seems that this case ruling may have extinguished the tension once and for all.  For any of you that were worried... I am definitely safe!  Except from the wrath of these term papers I have to write.......

Love,
Julia

History Shall Be Witnessed by the Ignorant---> ME!

It’s Wednesday evening here in India, and tomorrow is an exciting day.  For a few weeks now, we’ve been hearing rumors about “curfews”.  Now… hear me out.  One thing you must take into account is that when we hear things here, they are usually in broken English, we don’t watch the news, and it seems like none of the staff really feels like informing us about things…ever.  So anyway, the idea of a curfew sounded like it meant several possibilities: it could mean simply that classes are cancelled and we have the day off :), or it could mean that if we go outside we’ll be shot by the police :(.  That was a literal rumor, but not true.  Anyway, there was a possibility of one of these curfews last Friday, and when Friday finally rolled around…nothing happened. 

Today, we heard more news of a curfew tomorrow, but finally…FINALLY…we found out why.  And it’s a good reason too!  So I found out only today, that for the past 60 years, Hindus and Muslims in India have been fighting over a small area of land, called Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.  This land was where Rama, a Hindu god and hero of the Ramayana, was allegedly born.  Later, Muslims built the Babri Mosque on this land and then in 1992 it was attacked and destroyed by a group of Hindus.  The debate has lasted for decades over who the rightful owner of the land is.  It seems that Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jains all have religious connections to the land. 

Tomorrow, September 30, the Allahabad High Court will decide who owns the land.  It’s an exciting time to be in India!  People have predicted violence no matter what the outcome.  My afternoon classes have been cancelled, and we’ve been advised not to leave the building after the verdict is announced, which is at 3 o’clock I believe.  I am excited to hear the verdict, and see what the effect is.  There may not be much commotion in Mysore, given we’re so far south, but you never know!  I’ll do a follow-up post soon.

Love,

Julia

A Sad Day for my Beauty Routine

Today, in my Science and Technology class, we watched The Corporation.  Scratch that... we are currently watching The Corporation while I am writing this blog post.  It's a three hour long movie about the evils of corporations.  While I am appalled my most of the information I am getting, this blog post is not about that, per se.  

An hour or so into the film, my friend Sara whispered to me, "Did you know Naked juice is owned by Pepsi?"  WAAAHHH???  There go my do-gooder feelings when I pop open one of those 4 dollar, pre-bottled concoctions.  So that spurred us to whip out our computers and look up other "organic" companies that are in fact owned by corporations. We found some great info here:

http://simplifymyfoodchoices.com/organic-natural-brands.html.

Here are the highlights of what I found:

Naked juice and Quaker Oats are owned by Pepsi

Odwalla juice and Glaceau bottled water are owned by Coca Cola

Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox (whhhyyyyyy)

Tom’s of Maine is owned by Colgate

Stonyfield Farms is owned by Dannon

Horizon is owned by Dean’s Milk (kill me now)

Kashi and Morningstar Farms are owned by Kellogg’s

Back to Nature and Boca are owned by Kraft

Cascadian Farms and Larabar are owned by General Mills

Green and Black’s is owned by Schweppes

Dagoba is owned by Hershey

The Body Shop is owned by L’Oreal/Nestle (seriously, what am I going to buy now?)

This information makes me feel several things, including: deceived, dumb, misinformed, and naive.  My parents instilled in me an appreciation for wholesome foods and products, and they specifically (and graciously) give me extra money so that I can have enough money to buy organic foods and shop at co-ops and other stores that supposedly support healthful food and have the same ideals that I do.  This extra money was seen as a preventative investment in my health, as I will always look at healthy food choices.  Along with trying to make conscious decisions regarding nutrition, I also try to support businesses that are fair-trade, local, and make products with quality ingredients and without chemicals.  

As much as I can say I wanted to do these things, the truth of the matter is that I have been paying higher prices to buy products that support Clorox, Colgate, Kraft, and L'Oreal.  That makes me feel sick.  I make myself feel special for trying to make conscious decisions, but I feel like the corporate market manipulates people into supporting what they don't believe in.  I admit, when I need pizza rolls at 3 am, I make the trek to Wal-mart.  I am a college student, not God.  I feel small twinges of guilt for these purchases, but I also have certain beliefs that I stick to, and I am passionate about.  I will not buy Clorox products because of the chemicals they use.  In fact, two years ago I got in a fight with my friend about her use of Clorox wipes (shout out to Katie D. xoxo).  And yet when I go shopping, I feel good about myself and my choices when I buy Burt's Bees products.  I encourage people to use them.  I am pleased when I look at the ingredients in their lip balm.  Not only do I feel deceived, I feel like a fool for any positive feelings I might have had for buying what I thought were wholesome products.   I believe Clorox does not want people to know that they own Burt's Bees because so many people love to use their products!

Today has been a personal lesson that people need to continuously educated themselves about what they are putting on and in their body.  There is no end to this education.  You can't eventually know all the good products and all the bad, because corporations are constantly changing, evolving, and educating themselves on what I want, and how to get me to buy it.  The market is always changing.  Corporations are born, consolidated, and dispersed all the time.  I want to make educated purchases, and I want to directly and indirectly support companies that make quality products and do positive things in our communities.  I think I need to officially re-commit to that.  

Unfortunately, it genuinely seems like any product that is popular, or mass-produced, is most likely owned by a big corporation.  I don't think all corporations are bad.  For example, it seems like Newman's Own, which is relatively main stream, still does positive things for charities.  Please tell me if you've heard otherwise!  And just because, for example, Burt's Bees is owned by Clorox, it doesn't mean that all of a sudden there is bleach in our chapstick.  But for me, it means that spending the $1.99 on my chapstick is donating that money to a corporation that produces other products with dangerous chemicals that put people and the environment in danger.  Thus, that's what I'm supporting.  Even if Horizon dairy farms don't use hormones in their cows, buying their milk invests in Dean's Dairy Company, which does use hormones in their cows.  If I buy Horizon, I support Dean.  And that's wrong.  People should know who they are supporting.  

I need to remind myself that every purchase is like a small donation to a cause.  And there are many causes that I do not, and will not support. 

To end, I want to use this blog post to reach out to my friends and family and ask you all to please tell me and anyone else who might be interested if there are any other "natural" companies owned by corporations!  Also, given that I now have nowhere to shop and can officially buy none of the products that I loved, please tell me about brands that sell quality beauty products and wholesome snacks.  Help me out!!!

Love,
Julia

PS Does anyone have any information about Hain Celestial?  It's a corporation that owns a lot of beauty product companies that I like: Alba, Jason, Avalon, etc...

Lissen to How Smart I Am (Peeple With Big Branes are Smart)

Lately I have been feeling sick of my classes.  Every day from 9-1:30, I sit in the same classroom with some combination of the same ten people, and I am reiterated that the social, political, and economic climates of the United States, India, and the world is, in general, dismal.  Besides feeling antsy and like I need to stretch, I start feeling like I want to scream.  My classmates and I have exhausted our minds and our voices complaining that we are tired of hearing about problems and ready to hear about solutions. 

Today we had an unexpectedly refreshing answer to our complaints.  During our normal class time for Science and Technology, our professor, Dr. Vombatkere and another man, Mr. U.N. Ravikumar held a panel discussion about the social effects of global climate change.  Our discussion began with the idea of small countries paying for the environmental neglect of countries like the US and the idea of taking responsibility for climate change.  From the beginning, the discussion was one of the most exciting I have ever had regarding the environment.  We briefly listed some effects: rising sea levels, lower food production, population migration, changing health patterns and diseases, fresh water availability, and loss of biodiversity.  But quickly we moved onto larger social ideas and the mindsets of, particularly US, citizens.  My friend Sara made a strong point about the interconnectivity between all life forms, and how humans are unaware of being just another species on the planet.  I always love Sara’s comments because she is never afraid to show the heart and emotions she has invested in environmental issues.  You can hear the emotional impact that environmental discussions have on her, and I have no doubt in my mind that she practices what she preaches, and recognizes how connected she is to her environment.  This type of connection is missing from so many people.  I brought up a point in the discussion that one main difference I notice between India and the United States (I think I brought this up in a previous blog post) is that in India there isn’t such a thing as an “environmentalist” really.  In the US, we designate the responsibility of saving Earth to a certain sub-sect of people, that many people also make fun of and love to stereotype.  But in India, a computer software programmer is as much an environmentalist as a farmer.  Each person here feels the effects of human environmental impact with the constant reminders of saving water and food.  The innate scarcity of survival tools like food and water in India makes its citizens much more aware of human impact.  This is missing in the US.

I believe there has been so little global progress on environmental change because the US has refused to take responsibility for its own pollution.  As a country, we have established weak policies that put off changing our consumption habits for as long as possible.  The resources that we are scraping up are going to run out, absolutely 100% inevitably.  Probably in my lifetime.  I don’t need to worry about my children having to deal with these problems, because these problems are such that my generation won’t be alive to have children.  My professors asked us, “Are we on a sinking ship?”  My answer to that was yes, it is a sinking ship for now.  The U.N. and other organizations are tripping over their own policies and trying to avoid changes.  Huge nations are afraid of economic and social impacts of environmental change. 

To go back to Sara’s point for a minute, she was even more correct than she intended.  As much as she or I, or Lady Gaga, is connected to each ant, bee, and flower; the same holds true on a larger, theoretical scale.  The US economy, lifestyle, foreign and domestic policy, and reputation MUST change if we want to make any changes to our environmental degradation.  And we are terrified of this change!  The US needs to point the finger at itself finally, and take some responsibility for the damage it has done, and ideally it could once again be a nation that other nations would want to emulate.  Right now, we are an embarrassment.  To quote George W. Bush:

"Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter!" --punching the air as he left his final G-8 Summit. Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008

…A true American hero.

My friend Justin also brought up a great point.  He thought that the basis of the environmental crisis might lie in the American mindset of constant dissatisfaction.  Perhaps consumerism on such a massive scale is the result of Americans placing high value on material objects and having no sense of value for nature.  This idea goes in hand with Sara’s previous connectivity theory, but proves that Americans feel little or no connection to nature.  We do not know where our food comes from, what seeds look like, or sometimes, even what the animal looks like whose meat is sustaining us. 

I agree wholeheartedly with Justin that Americans are dissatisfied with themselves, thus striving to find peace by consuming massive amounts of goods, and in the process using frightening amounts of resources.  The constant strive for something better sounds remarkably like, dare I say it: The American Dream.  We have chosen for 200 years to look at the good ole AD as something positive: it teaches us not to settle, that no matter who are you or where you are born, you can be anything and do anything that you want.  Empowering...in theory.  In reality, the American Dream is an ideal that can never be achieved, thus leaving America’s citizens dissatisfied and working themselves to the point of exhaustion…for what?  Probably because they feel guilty or lazy if they aren’t, since everyone else is.  The American Dream has caused citizens to neglect issues like personal health and the health of our environment in order to achieve “success”.  This brings me back to the fisherman story that I told in my New Perspectives post.  I would be ashamed of myself if I defined success as monetary wealth.  I’d be ashamed of myself if I defined it as anything but personal happiness and internal satisfaction.  I’d rather not live in the shadow of the American Dream, but thanks.

I know Americans can change.  I know eventually, they will be forced to.  If I recall correctly, a few years ago gas prices were about $5 per gallon.  Never before in my lifetime had I seen such a national shift to use less gas.  People walked, biked, and use public transportation as if cars were suddenly not cool anymore.  Everyone, not just my mom (<3), gave Hummers condescending glances.  Anyway, what this proves to me, is that Americans can quickly adapt when their money is threatened.  Without money they’d have nothing with which to buy the goods that help them achieve “satisfaction”.  I think this same reverence that Americans have for money needs to be shifted onto natural resources.  If Americans put monetary value on nature, no one would dare threaten it. 

Here’s my proposal.  Let’s do a little Michael Jackson-ing, take a look at ourselves and start the changes there.  Taking a cue from Sara, I am going to attempt to reconnect to the Earth in a way that I never have before.  There may be no better place in the world to do that than India.  Here, they say bhoomi instead of soil, which can be translated to earth, but it also implies a respect for the rich life that grows from it; and sometimes they say bhoomi deva, Mother Earth.  Already, I see changes in myself.  Being here, I am not as concerned with my art history degree or how I will translate that into a viable job because that's only a small part of who I am.  I'm becoming much more aware of the choices people make and how those define them as human beings in relation to the Earth and to one another.  I'm becoming aware that I want the choices I make to represent my love and respect for the environment and that I have no interest in being defined by the social constructs people have created for themselves.  A job, marriage, children, or money all may or may not be a part of my life, but these will never define me.  

I can’t change that I am American but if I can change my goals and work on my own internal happiness, then I can say for a fact that not every American is living in the cycle of dissatisfaction known as the American Dream.  I’d rather quit dreaming, wake up, and live in reality. 

“We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
-Barack Obama

India: In Numbers and Lists

Me and my roommate, Alex.  At a sweet shop for a wild Thursday night.

Here are some "statistics"...if you will... of my experiences in India since I arrived, which was exactly one month and one day ago! By the way, to celebrate the one month anniversary, I shaved my legs for the first time.  Here we go:

Most people seen riding one motorcycle: 6

Hard-boiled eggs I’ve eaten since I’ve been here: 24

Number of times I have slept past 8 am: 1

Number of times I’ve worn make-up: 2

Number of times I’ve tried meat: 2 

Hours of TV I’ve watched: 0

Books read for pleasure: 1 (it was long!)

Number of children I’ve seriously considered taking home: 2

A few Indian traditions that I’ve grown to love:

-Not wearing shoes in the classroom…Not sure how well my Iowa professors will accept this practice should I adapt it

-TEA TIME (which I have in 10 minutes, best part of the school day)

-Eating with my hands…I do it in America anyway, but here, no one gives me the side eye

-Wearing clothes as comfortable as pajamas 24/7.  Wearing the same clothes literally as pajamas, but they are pretty.  Katie D understands.

-Waving, hugging, giggling, and saying hello to all the other female students EVERY time you see one another

-Going to bed at 9 pm.  Ok, Indians don’t really do this, just me cause I’m so damn sleepy!

Time for Breakfast

I think it's about time I do a post specifically designated to food!  Don't you think?  For once in my life, breakfast is my favorite meal.  Sure, I can go for bacon and omelettes at 3 am, who can't?  And let's be real, Village Inn breakfast is always the best option.  But here in India, against all of my willpower, I am forced to eat breakfast every day at 7:30.  Honestly, I really like it.  Given yoga from 6-7 am Mon-Thurs, by 7:30 I am ready to EAT!

Breakfast is my favorite meal for many reasons.  First, it is the only breakfast that serves us coffee and tea.  Second, there are always lots of options.  Third, lunch and dinner are typically really similar.  So, I like breakfast. 

Here is my breakfast from Thursday morning (Sept. 2).  So, starting at the bottom we have toast, and going left, we have coconut chutney, a rice dosa with local honey (harvested last week!), a hard-boiled egg, and fresh papaya.  Oh and you can see my teeny cup o' coffee in the upper right hand corner.

We get hard-boiled eggs, toast, papaya, and cereal every morning.  And then the main course changes.  Sometimes it is upme, which is kind of a like cous-cous; rice noodles; masala dosa (one of my favorites); potatos; or any other number of things.  A man named Manu brings us breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.  All of the food comes from his farm, he is the one who harvested the honey for us.  And he told us that in November and December there will be even more honey, but the bees pollinate different flowers, so the flavor will change.  Manu's wife, Lalita, cooks all of the food, and sometimes she comes in to help serve it.  He works so hard for us, and sometimes I think my group members forget it, like when they sleep through meals. 

I love cooking for myself, and sometimes I miss it.  But I figure that I'm here in Mysore for 8 weeks, and I have access to three healthy, vegetarian, local, Indian meals everyday, why not take advantage?  I mean... how lucky am I???

Love,
Julia

P.S. I fully intend to learn to make most of these dishes at home!

Learning Kannada

Some of my homework... not fun.

Learning Kannada

My name in Kannada I think!

New Perspectives

Possibly the most interesting aspect of my classes, thus far, is learning about issues that I’ve previously learned about in America, like environmentalism, women’s issues, social structures, religion, etc., but from the Indian perspective. In terms of environmentalism, a big difference that I’ve noticed is that everyone here, no matter what job they have, is an environmentalist. They all talk about it, and everyone makes it an issue that affects them, which I think is pretty amazing. I think in America, being environmentally conscious creates divides in society. In America being environmentally conscious is not a habit one adopts, but instead it seems like it’s a lifestyle one adopts, bringing along other stereotypes.

Anyway, another huge difference that has become apparent is that in America, it seems social structures are largely based on race, class, and gender. These three things come up constantly in my art history and women’s studies classes. I’m sure Kate Krohn has no idea what I’m talking about. But what is fascinating here, is that in academia, they base their social structures on caste, class, and gender. I’m still working out the differences between caste and class. I know there are some but I do not know enough to articulate them. Like race in America, social discrimination based on caste is illegal here, but it still largely exists. One of my professors, Dr. S.G. Vombatkere wrote an article about Hinduism and included a passage that I found interesting:

I am brahmin because I use my knowledge and intelligence to earn a living. I am also kshatriya because I served long years in the army to earn a living. I have saved some money and invest it so that it will multiply, and that makes me vaisya too. I personally clean my house toilets used by visitors who may be from any “caste”. I, not a servant, carry household garbage to the dustbin; I dig and plant in the garden; do “menial” work around the house; perform odd jobs for friends, and that makes me sudra also. I am content if my fellow citizens recognize me as a Hindu without ascribing caste, since I am a mix of all castes. Hence, I do not believe in “caste”, and yet I am a Hindu.

Hinduism and caste relate because the system was created by Hindus. This system of Hinduism relating to caste reminds me so much of the issues in America and how people have come to relate the upper to middle-class with conservatism and sometimes Christianity. And it’s still surprising to me internally when my professors mention minority groups in India and mention Christians. It’s definitely not something I’m used to hearing.

Today, in my Science and Technology class, Dr. Vombatkere told us a hypothetical story about a man who fished for leisure and brought the few fish he caught home for his family. Eventually, another man came along and told him how he could catch more, sell them, hire people, and create a business from it. The fisherman asked why he should create a business and make money, and the other man replied that he should so that he could have leisure time. Anyway, the point my professor was making was that the differences between the ultra rich and the ultra poor are in fact very small. Physically, the ultra rich have more material goods, but mentally, more dissatisfaction.

What I found so amazing about this story, was that a man who is intending to teach us about Indian science, technology, and development told it to us. His views on social structures, economics, how to truly measure a person or a nation’s wealth, and what true development is, are absolutely fascinating. I’m beginning to see the Western values that have been ingrained in me that I didn’t even know about. With each new idea he brings up and plants into my head, it’s like he’s drawing out a small impurity that plagued my mind. He’s slowly unscrewing each tiny bolt that might actually open a door.

And this is only week 2!

I hope you’re all enjoying my blog!!!!

Love,
Julia

Two Weeks

Ahhhh the sweet sweet taste of two weeks.  I wasn’t planning on updating just weekly, but it seems like it’s the way it may work out!  This past week has marked a lot of decisions and even some breakthroughs for me.  Well I guess I also realized some good things.

First, I have had absolutely zero stomach issues since I’ve been here.  I’m a little obsessive about my probiotics, but overall I think the food is so good for me.  I feel so much better just cutting out meat, as of now I have decided to try to keep it up when I get home too.  I find it really remarkable how many people advocate vegetarianism here.  It’s so common because of Hinduism, but so many people are vegetarians regardless.  Frankly the meat kind of grosses me out, so it’s easy!  But honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this healthy.  I sleep well, I eat well, I’m drinking tons of water, and I do yoga 4 days a week.  How lucky am I???  The only bad thing is that my skin has taken awhile to get used to the change in humidity and everything and has been irritated and stuff, but hopefully that’ll just work itself out. 

Second, I am enjoying my classes so much.  I am starting to feel what I’d like to dub the Triple I:  Intense Indian Immersion.  I just feel the desire to soak up all things Indian.  I just checked out Ghandi’s autobiography from the library, and I’m going to read the Gita while I’m here for sure.  I watched my first Bollywood movie called Lagaan.  They are so freaking entertaining in the most annoying way possible, but the music’s really great.  And I could not hate more how much they perpetuate tradition family and marriage values.  It’s depressing… but they make you so damn happy. 

Third, I have decided on a possible internship project.  There is an artist’s colony called Cholamandal outside of Chennai where I would like to volunteer for a month, doing anything and everything.  It’s right on the coast of the Bay of Bengal I think and supposedly it’s beautiful, although Chennai is supposed to be pretty nasty.  Anyway, the director of my program is going to put in a call for me and see if they could use me.  There’s a big chance there might not be anything for me to do there, in which case I’d have to choose something else, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed! 

So, that’s mostly what I’ve been up to!  Last weekend we went to Bandipur, a wildlife reservation, and it was possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.  We saw four or five elephants, but from very far away.  VERY far away.  Pics to come on Facebook soon.  

Love,

Julia

The Group at Bandipur

From L to R: Alex, Sara, Matthew, Me, Justin, Kesia, Ryan, Nira, Jackson, Ohmar

A Picture From the Terrace

One Full Week

I've officially been in India for one full week!  But I feel like I've been here for a year.  I think it's because every sight, sound, and smell is so new, I'm bombarded with experiences every second of the day.  I have a feeling that once those experiences become more routine, time is going to pass very quickly. 

Today is my last day of class for the week.   My schedule for the past few days has looked like this:  wake up at 5:30, yoga from 6-7, then breakfast at 7:30.  My first class starts at 9, and we have classes until 1:30, each lasting an hour, with a short break in between.  I have been sitting in on all of the classes, and 4 and half straight hours of class is a lot!  The classes are Gender in India; Indian Culture and Civilization; Science, Technology, and Sustainable Development in India; and Heath and the Environment [in India].  I like all of the classes a lot, but since we don't have to take all of them I think I'm going to drop the Science class.  Then after lunch, we have our language and elective classes.  So I am taking my Kannada class (we starting learning the alphabet and some of the characters, and OH.MY.GOD.  it is so complicated!)  But the students and teachers here seem to be so excited that we're taking Kannada at all.  My elective is yoga, so I don't have anything after that.  Except I did sign up for a cooking class that will be once a week, but I'm not sure which day. 

I made a bunch of videos but haven't been able to upload them onto the blog yet!  For photos and stuff, check my facebook! 

I am really excited for today because in H&E class we have a snake expert bringing in a bunch of snakes that we'll learn about and get to hold and stuff!  I mean, I hate snakes, but in a controlled environment, I'm pretty excited.  And tonight we are going to attend a concert that is put on by some students from the University of Michigan that have been studying music and dance here for the past month. So I'm really excited to see what they have learned and to see some people I know perform. 

Also, I got some really beautiful Indian clothes at this great store called Parampare.  It's all fair trade and everything is one of a kind.  I'll post pictures of me wearing the clothes and stuff eventually.  The only problem is that I notice a lot of the clothes leak dye pretty badly. 


Last week I was dealing with a lot of issues with going out into public because it made me feel very uncomfortable.  The Michigan students were telling us stories about the women getting groped and men were pulled into rooms by other men, and there were even some weird people hanging around the hostel.  So that sort of translated into me being SO hyperaware when I went into public and feeling terrified to walk through a crowd because I felt like I could be molested at any point.  That has definitely shifted.  I feel so much safer now, and I realize that it's OK for me to act like a tourist.  I am a tourist and I look like one and I'm never not going to look like one, given that I'm white.  The best I can do is wear Indian clothing, and be sensitive to the culture, but just have fun and relax.  It's not really about letting my guard down or not, it's just that people won't bother you if you are going about your business with confidence and assurance.  I've watched other white women here, and it's true that they really do stand out, so I just make sure that I stay in a group, and I also have to realize that I'm probably not the first tourist most Indians have seen.  And also, 99% of the people are so friendly and they love to say hello and some even take pictures of us.  So we just smile and take pictures of them too.

Oh, and a lot of people have asked me about the food.  In general, it is amazing!  All of the food comes from a local farm owned by a man named Manu, who serves us,  and everything is cooked by Manu's wife.  Everything is vegetarian.  There is always a flatbread called chapati, and rice.  And they serve curds at almost every meal.  At breakfast they give us hard boiled eggs which are always super fresh!  They also LOVE sweets.  The desserts are always so sweet you can hardly stand it.  Most of the time they're good, but I prefer the savory stuff.  My favorite dish so far has been these sauteed rice noodles that we had for breakfast once.  Also, one thing that surprised me is that we each a lot of okra!  It's often really good and cooked in oil with peppers, onions, and other delicious things.  We don't eat the same food as the Indian people at the hostel, which I think causes some disconnect in general.  But they make sure to give us more protein and I think it might be less spicy than what they're eating.  We've asked for the same food, but they won't let us.  I was right though, I definitely miss Mexican food! 

Ok so this has been a really long post!  I hope you're all enjoying my blog and if you have any questions or want to see pictures of anything in particular, let me know!  I love you all and I'll talk to you soon.

Love,
Julia

My Favorite Place in India: THE BUS

This is going to have to be a quick post because it's 7:15 and I have to be at breakfast at 7:30.  By the way, my sleeping schedule has completely reversed here!  I wake up on my own around 6 in the morning, and by 9 o' clock every night I can barely keep my eyes open.  I kind of like it.  It feels more natural that way since it gets dark here around 7.  And I also feel very conscious of how many resources I'm using, like electricity.  So going to bed early suits me fine.  (Impressed? ahem.... Dad.)

Anyway, my group and I took the bus into Mysore yesterday, about a 20 min ride, and I felt like it was the first time I could sit down, relax, and watch people, instead of having them watch me.  And believe me, there are plenty to watch.  The buses are really nice too!  They play this really great Indian pop music too.  I did notice that they overcharged us, almost double what they were charging Indians.  But still, the bus cost less than 50 cents to take.  Going into downtown Mysore was great, but absolutely exhausting and overwhelming.  I think it's going to take practice to get used to so many people and so many stares.  I feel like I have to be so hyperaware of myself and my surroundings.  It's tiring....

Today, I'm going to meet the last two members of my group, and we'll all have an orientation about our classes and met our professors.  I'm excited!  It should be a good, full day.  I really like my (tiny) campus so far, but I feel really comfortable here.  And Dad- I told the director you are coming to visit and he's really excited!  He wants you to come to my classes with me! 

I know this is a quick update on my life, I will continue to post more, and hopefully will have pictures or video to share soon. 

Love,
Julia

My Last Day in America

Here I am, laying on my bed designing this blog when I should be packing.  I should be freaking out, checking and double-checking my passport and visa, poring over my information packet and packing list.  But instead I'm laying around and waiting for my mom to come over.  Personally, I'm shocked at my lack of stress.  For weeks, people have been asking me if I'm nervous, and I have yet to feel nervous.  I feel ready.  Being a relatively (make that HIGHLY) emotional person who is easily stressed out, the only thing I feel the slightest tinge of nerves about is that I don't feel nervous.  Pointless, I know.  Normally before I embark on huge adventures I am an emotional (and typically physical) mess.  If you saw me before I left for Alaska, you understand. 

On my last day in America I feel it is appropriate to let all of you- dear fans- know what I am most excited for and what I am going to miss the most while I am in India for the next 4 months.

What I (assume I will) miss the most:
1. Mexican food, mainly burritos
2. Skimpy clothing
3. 508 E. Davenport St. Iowa City, IA 52245

What I am MOST excited for:
1. Unlimited access to delicious, vegetarian Indian food
2. The slim to none, but still slightly possible possibility that I will get to ride an elephant
3. Traveling!

And one last list.... This one is comprised of elements of my trip that I am looking forward to overcoming, or obstacles that I anticipate:
1. Dealing with being a minority
2. Overcoming language barriers, though let's be real, I am practically fluent in Kannada
3. Seeing poverty     (<-----but maybe they'll have those parking meters for the homeless, a la IC???)

Well, time to pack!  This is J Bear (shout out to Katie D!), signing OUT (shout out to Chatty Kathy)!

Love,
Julia