Just got back...

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, I have just returned from a week-long tour around North Karnataka. It was quite an experience, both good and bad. Look for updates in the next couple of days, PICTURES INCLUDED! YAY!

I have some catching up to do...

I apologize for the lack of posts recently; I've had some computer issues. My screen stays black when I switch on my computer, so I've been relying on the library computers. I am very lucky, though, to have the help of the program coordinators here, who are helping me find an authorized Apple repair store nearby. Hopefully I won't be without my computer for too much longer. In the meantime, I've finally found a few minutes to post some pictures.

This is my Bharatnatyam teacher performing for us. She is amazing! I will be performing a dance (simple, but very beautiful, she says) at the very end of my stay here.


(photos by Amelia Jensen)
To the right is a spectacle cobra at the feet of Raj Kumar, a snake relocater. He goes into people's homes and removes snakes, like this one, and releases them back into the wild. We accompanied him on a snake release on the way to Nagarahole National Park. (I have to admit, I bolted when he let loose this particular snake.)

This is Raj Kumar showing us some tiger scat at Nagarahole. (photo by Amelia Jensen)

An elephant we came across on the way into the park.

A tiger paw print! Soon after we saw this, we were walking up a hill and heard (what I thought was) two distant gunshots. Our gun-toting guard signaled to Raj Kumar, who told us to group together and be very quiet. It was a very nerve-racking few minutes, but we soon found out what we heard was a TIGER GROWLING ABOUT 50 METERS AWAY FROM US!!! Apparently, we had only missed it by minutes, and it disappeared into the bushes and growled in warning!

After Raj Kumar was sure the tiger had left the area, he was walking around a located some fresh tiger urine, which he insisted everyone smell. This is me smelling it...very pungent, and a smell I will never forget.
After our hike through the forest, we went on a safari via bus and saw lots of deer, a couple of peacocks, parakeets, vultures, monkeys, and a couple of guys riding an elephant, but I have to admit nothing could compare to the tiger experience.

We climbed up Chumundi Hill (1,400 steps, I think, quite a workout) on the first day of the Ganesha festival, hence the colors and design on the ground. This was outside someone's house (everyone puts these outside their house; I think it is a sign of welcome). (photo by Amelia Jensen: I love this picture, Amelia). Hopefully once my computer is up and running, I'll be able to put up some more pictures from this day.

This is the temple at the top of Chumundi Hill. It was very busy when we went because of the start of the festival. It was pretty chaotic when we went inside, everyone pushing and rushing each other through so everyone could give their offerings to Chumundi, the goddess of Mysore, also known as Kali, I think. There was chanting and incense, some distant drumming, lots of praying, and LOTS of colors: gold, pink, red, yellow, orange, all swirling together as I was pushed through the temple. (photo by Amelia, again)

We visited two tribal schools and two tribal hospitals last weekend. One hospital and school were towards the outskirts of the jungle, and the other school and ayurvedic hospital were in the jungle. This is at the second school, waiting to eat lunch. (photo by Amelia; once again, once my computer is up and running I'll add my own pictures)

Eating lunch at the tribal school...very delicious. (photo by Jason Melrose)

This woman was from one of the nearby tribes; she heard we were coming and wanted to meet us. She didn't speak English, of course, so she was shy to even speak to us through a translator, but she was sweet. Her name was Putki, I think.(photo by Amelia)

Some camera-loving kids at the tribal school...they posed for us. (photo by Jason)

Our group outside the tribal school. The man in the middle (notice the dreads!!) was also from a nearby tribe and took us on a short walk in the forest. He could pick up a plant, talk for five minutes about what medicinal purpose they have for it, then pick up the next plant and describe it for ten minutes. We barely got into the jungle because he kept picking up a plant with every step he took. He also told us we were to delicate to escape stampeding elephants, which he was sure we would come across. It was absolutely amazing. We couldn't understand him, of course, but had someone telling us what he was saying. They had plants for burns, plants that would resist exposure to disease, plants for washing hair, plants for washing teeth. He possesses an incredibly expansive knowledge that is, unfortunately, being lost with each generation.(photo by Jason)

Some hibiscus outside the ayurvedic hospital. We ate them. (photo by Jason)

The day after the trip into the jungle, we visited a farm belonging to this man, Mr. Chandrashekhar. One of the first things he told us, which will stick with me forever, is that there is no such thing as a weed: it is only a plant we don't have a purpose for yet. 

As we were driving to his farm, the pavement stopped and became a dirt road, and the forest closed in around us. As we drove through the gate onto his property, I searched for an open area, or a sign of vegetables. We all piled off the bus and were greeted by Mr. Chandrashekhar, who asked us to remove our shoes as we walked through his farm. As he said this, he gestured towards the forest: the forest is his farm. He practices zero-farming, a method that basically requires him to spread seeds on the ground and he sees what happens next. His philosophy is that the plants support each other, not just through the enrichment of the soil, but by providing a limb for a vine, or some shade from the sun, or shelter from the monsoon rains so the smaller plants don't get flooded. The walk was incredible, and he, like the tribesman, could name all his plants, as well as tell us their uses, most of them being medicinal. (Needless to say, his farm is organic, as well.) After a couple of hours in his forest, we went to his store, where he sells goods he creates from the abudant plant-life on his farm: dried fruits, jams, coconut oil, teas, lots of medicinal herbs; I bought a few of these things, including tooth powder and soap.

The above picture is a trail through the farm.

This is me holding some (mating??) snails. The snails are actually very invasive, but Mr. Chandrashekhar doesn't bother trying to kill them. He will plant some things he knows they like in hopes that they go for those plants before his other plants. They actually ended up eating a species of insect that was ruining some of his crops, so they weren't so bad, after all. 

This was pretty incredible. These are red ants building a nest in a tree. They stack their bodies on top of each other in order to bunch the leaves together, then seal it with their eggs. They also eat all the aphids off the tree. It was amazing to watch them at work, but I'm not necessarily hoping to see one in my backyard. (all farm photos by Amelia)

So, that is about it for now. Tomorrow we are getting a tour of Mysore, something we have all been asking to do since we arrived. The main thing I am excited about is seeing the Mysore Palace, the landmark Mysore is known for. I, of course, have a lot more to say, but maybe (hopefully!) I will be able to post more pictures in the near future, therefore motivating me to type up a post as well. 

Namaskaar!

Dam

Driving back from a visit to a tribal school and ayurvedic hospital, the group stopped at a dam. We stopped because the dam displaced thousands of tribal people and farmers, events we are studying in school (India is so much like America...) but we managed to enjoy the view and the breeze.
(Photos stolen from Jason Melrose)

BEST DAY EVER

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2976499&l=96ec6d1348&id=512136680

Hopefully everyone can view the pictures at the link so you can see the incredible things that happened to me today at Nagarahole National Park, one of the most biodiverse places in the world and home to over 64 tigers thanks to India's Project Tiger. It is one of the few successful Project Tiger areas...anyway, take a look!!!

Comments...

I have heard that some people were not able to post comments, and I am pretty sure I have fixed it so that anyone can now comment (on a particular post, or at the very bottom of my page). So post away! I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks!

some practical stuff

I keep posting about exciting things that have happened, (which will continue because I am visiting a wildlife sanctuary tomorrow, and have a city tour of Mysore on Sunday) but I guess I should fill people in about the general day-to-day stuff.

Four days a week, I have classes, starting with yoga at 6am. We practice Ashtanga yoga, which was founded here in Mysore. It is a pretty intense session, but I really like starting my day this way. I usually take my bucket bath before breakfast at 7:30...yes, I take a bath with a bucket. But it is awesome for two reasons: 1. It feels great to just dump a bucket of warm water over my head. (Or cold water, if there is no hot water.) And 2. it has made me realize how much water I waste on a regular basis by just sitting in the shower, everyday, sometimes even twice a day. Here, I can fill up less than half a bucket (it may be a 8-10 gallon bucket...) and it is more than adequate to wash my hair, entire body, and even have a little left over to dump over my head for kicks and giggles. I think this may be one habit I take with me to the states...

Anyway, breakfast at 7:30, and my first class is at 10:10am. I have classes until 1:30 (although we have been pushing it to 2pm):Culture and Civilization of India, Science, Technology, and Sustainable Development, and Environment and Health, all of which are FASCINATING and thought-provoking. I feel like all of our professors are totally over-qualified to be teaching a few American undergrads, but I am still thankful to have them.
Lunch, theoretically, at 1:30, and I have a break until 5pm, when I have either cooking or Bharatnatyum, South Indian Classical dance, during which we learn a few steps, then sit down and talk about Indian culture, music, and life in general. Our teacher is completely mesmerizing; she has this quality about her that is so soothing, I could listen to her for hours. She is short and fat (her own description), but her voice has this soft, raspy tone to it, and her eyes are very expressive (naturally, since she is an Indian dancer). I just came from this class, so I am still a little hypnotized.
6 to 7pm, I have Kannada class, which is pretty simple so far. The first thing she told us is that if you put -u(pronounced ooooo) at the end of any noun, you will be generally understood...bottle-u, English-u, fan-u, book-u, pen-u, etc. They just stole a bunch of words from the English. Oh, and my name, Elli, means "where." So Somu, who takes care of us, walks down the hall looking all around yelling "elli Elli? elli Elli?" Somu, by the way, is pretty awesome. The first thing Dr. Rao told us when we got here is that if we needed anything, just ask Somu. He pops up whenever we need him, is everywhere we are before we even get there, and even cooks for us sometimes.

Dinner, theoretically, at 7pm. Last night and tonight are actually the first nights that we are having dinner on time, because we have had so many events to attend. I have to admit, I've enjoyed having nothing to do.

I've been falling asleep at 9 or 9:30, so, basically, I'm turning into my dad (haha).
The weekends are dedicated to field trips and other events. Today, we took a field trip to an engineering college that specializes in sustainable development. We saw some very cool student projects, including a kitchen waste biogas device, meaning kitchen waste is put into a large vessel, which becomes hot and reduces, like compost, but because it is so concentrated it produces biogas, which can be used in place of methane gas. We also visited a house that utilizes this technology, as well as others the college has produced. Everything, including the water heater, is solar powered. I took a lot of pictures, but if anyone is REALLY interested, visit www.niecrest.org. It is fascinating stuff. They work closely with the Swami Vivekananda Institute to introduce these sustainable technologies to tribal villages, making things a little easier as well as environmentally friendly. Their one stipulation is that they will not produce these things on a large scale. They alter designs to make sure the materials can be bought locally (meaning, they don't have to buy all materials from China, etc.) and they train individuals how to make them, with the hope that the knowledge will be passed on, as many other Indian traditions have been passed on. I'm not sure how successful this has been, but they have good ideas.
They had one particular device I am especially interested in, which is a stationary bike (in essence) that grinds grain when pedaled....MOM.
All in all, they keep us busy, and AHH! I'm late for dinner! I have to go...more later!

So much to say...so little time

So much happens to me everyday here, it is getting difficult to decide what I want to write about, because there is no way I could sit here and describe everything. Here are a few highlights:

Devaraj Market
A few of us ventured to this open market on Sunday, located in the heart of Mysore, and what an adventure it was. As soon as we stepped beyond the wall the separates the market from the street, every sense was bombarded. A man was sitting at the entrance selling piles of fresh herbs (I can still smell the coriander); there are piles upon piles upon PILES of fruits (pomegranates watermelon mangoes bananas) and vegetables, dried chilies, banana leaves, jasmine flowers, marigolds, and vendors selling anything and everything you could imagine, from incense to stainless steel plates, flashing in the sunlight, to neon colored scrub brushes, all the while the shouting of vendors making the task of taking everything that much harder.
We were eventually lured into a tiny booth with the promise of seeing how incense was made. I have to admit, these two young men were excellent salesmen. There were also selling essential oils, and if we told them a problem, whether it be migraines or insomnia or a stuffed up noise, they had a remedy. Their prices were excellent, and everyone ended up buying a few oils, and they even gave everyone a bundle of free incense. The only problem was that as we stood there talking to these guys, the street vendors (guys selling things from their pockets) picked us out and decided to follow us throughout the market. There was one point where the seven of us were all huddled together trying to decide how to shake these guys off, and there were about 7 or more surrounding us, shouting over each other, "Six bracelets, 200 rupees!" "Coral necklace, for your sister, your mother!" "EIGHT BRACELETS, 200 RUPEES!" We ended up leaving the market as quickly as possible, shaking all except one off, so we ducked into a store and waited for him to leave. Once he was gone, we had the chance to regroup and realized we were in KR Circle, a major shopping mecca of Mysore (lucky us!) The crowds seemed less crowded since we were no longer being assaulted by salesmen, and we happily dodged motorbikes and rickshaws as we made our way to Indra Cafe to enjoy a wonderfully delicious and cheap meal of South Indian thalis.
After lunch, the four girls headed off to Badsha's to splurge on some new salwar kameezes. I hadn't planned on purchasing anything, but of course I fell in love with a gorgeous pink and brown and gold, silk, salwar kameez. After having the store torn apart for our benefit (that is how you shop here: go into a store, and they pull everything off the shelves a pile it in front of you until you are so hypnotized by the beauty you can no longer resist), we all decided to head back to the hostel before we went broke.

I'll add one more thing before I head off to class: Bharatanatyam, South Indian dance.
Wow. We went to a performance last night, put on by our future teacher, and it was mesmerizing. I would suggest that you look it up on YouTube, but I doubt it would do it justice. The woman performed the story of the Ramayanam, playing all the parts (Rama, Sita, a tons of other characters, my favorite being Hanuman, the god who looks like a monkey). Her use of her eyebrows alone was enough to send me into a trance.

Anyway, if I don't stop now, I'm going to be late for class.
If you click on the slide show to the right, it should take you to my flickr account, where the photos can be viewed larger.