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2010-05-25T04:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Here are some photos from Korea - sorry, no captions.

Love,

Jeff

A Week of Wonders

2010-05-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Dears,

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has emailed me kind messages and birthday love over the past week. It all has been very heartening and a source of strength during the past week, which will be the topic of this post. Please forgive me if I haven't responded to your email yet. I wanted to post these photos ASAP and then take my time getting back to you, my loved ones.

So, where shall I begin? Oh yes, on the evening of May 7th I hopped a train and started an eight day journey that would take me first to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal), then to Varanasi (previously known as Benares and a spiritual hub located on the Ganges River), and finally to Bodhgaya, where Prince Siddhartha Goutama reached enlightenment.

I'm now sitting in my friends apartment in Busan, South Korea, far from India and all its beauties and horrors.

Agra

The Taj Mahal basking in the early morning sun

Self timer was a godsend on this trip. The so called 'guides' would ask for money after taking a photo or even showing you a 'nice view' of the Taj and it's surrounding splendors

A closer view of the Taj

One of the two red brick mosques flanking the main attraction. The amount of attention devoted to symmetry in the design and construction of these buildings was awe inspiring. It really created a sense of harmony and comfort. It relaxed the mind to be in a confined space that was so rational, neat, and geometrically predictable. I can only imagine living in a palace with similar design and construction. I'm sure I could find a bank to loan me enough for a down payment.

WHICH! brings me to a tangent that I must share with you all. In my last night in Bodhgaya, I sat around in a public square with some young guys my age who wanted to practice their English. One of them told me a story about a tourist who fell in love with the Taj Mahal upon his first visit to Agra. After learning as much as he could from all the 'guides' who haunt the Taj, he decided to try one last guide in case there was any last drop of information he hadn't harvested yet. By the end of their time together, not one new fact was present UNTIL the guide mentioned under his breath as he turned to leave that the local government was auctioning it off to the highest bidder - Indian or foreigner - to fund the grandest dam project India had ever seen. The tourist immediately accosted the 'guide' for further information, desperate to find out if it was true. After a thorough explanation of the procedure and constitutional basis for the selling off of historic property vis a vis the further establishment of a fully democratic state, the tourist asked how to get involved in the auction. He was told to meet the 'guide' at the West Gate at 5:45AM the next morning with any information necessary to make a large purchase. He was greeted, even before the guards had set up their inspection tables, by the 'guide' drinking his first cup of cha that day. Immediately, he pressed a thick manuscript to the excited and slightly confused tourist's chest. As the tourist positioned the document in front of himself for a thorough inspection, he immediately saw the assuring emblem of the Indian government, the date, official reference numbers, stars and dashes and hashes that made no sense to him but seemed very official. He saw that the last bid had been made by a man named Hasmen Salidar. The tourist thought that all Indian names sounded the same to him, but this one really sounded genuine. He looked further down the line to see the last bid by Mr. Salidar. I was never told the amount, but did hear that the tourist gave every piece of information necessary, including signing a check from his very own checkbook, to get royally swindled. The young Indians who told me this one absolutely loved it. One of them was almost crying he was laughing so hard. Some of the details I added, but they were pretty adamant that a tourist signed a check to buy the Taj one day, and had his bank account thoroughly liquidated in the aftermath. Anyway, I hope this drawn out tale was at least somewhat entertaining. Moving on...

Agra Fort - A completely separate attraction from the Taj, but in the same city

The Taj was beautiful and elegant with a wonderful and tragic love story that goes along with it, but Agra Fort made me a little giddy. It brought me back to my childhood (...and into adolescence, and into young adulthood, and...) obsession with medieval warfare - building lego castles, playing Warcraft (tisk tisk if you don't know this game), running around the Kilker's forest with bows and machetes imagining great battles and all the rest. But this pile of over sized sandstone and marble bricks, THIS was the real deal

It even has a drawbridge, moat, and slots in the battlements where archers could rain arrows on invaders with impunity. Even though my disgust with and aversion to outright destruction, brutality, and violence grows greater as time goes on, I still find myself strangely fascinated with ancient war and all the instruments man has made in the past to carry it out. Contemporary war and oppression are too real; the suffering too apparent. I feel called to act in some way, usually in some minuscule way, to ease the pain in the here and now. But time places a heavy vale over things - burying the politics and allowing the world to be seen in black and white (well, many colors when looking at old paintings of war scenes) - that makes ancient warfare oddly appealing

The Bengali Mahal - One of several palaces located inside the fort itself

Intricately carved sandstone pillars inside the Bengali Mahal

A view from one of the palaces inside Agra Fort

Emperor Shah Jahan; who had the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and other splendors of the Mughal Empire created during his reign, was eventually imprisoned by his own son in the rooms beyond these walls for the last eight years of this life. At least he had a view of the Taj

Varanasi (aka Benares)

My first walk along the Ganga (Ganges is anglicized version). The object in the foreground is a small ceramic statue of Lord Krishna that I spotted half buried in the sand during my wanders. After a thorough cleansing, it became part of my loot collection

This scale (black triangular structure on the left) is used to measure wood for cremation ceremonies. Like anything else, there's money in providing the resources required to make the ceremonies happen. In addition, there's even a science to the amount of wood that is necessary to fully burn a body, and a selection of various wood types are available; sandalwood being the most expensive and sought after. As you can guess, this practice is quite exclusive of those who are less financially secure. In the Hindu mind, however, they are in that position because of failings in the past life. In that line of thought, it's possible to conclude that they deserve to not be able to be cremated on the Ganga, right? Going a step further, they deserve ALL the problems they've faced during the life of poverty, right? Does this seem a bit fatalistic? Well, what does that say about India? And, as an American, what does your personal reaction to reading this say about the USA? I don't know, you tell me.

All these huge sets of stairs leading to the Ganga are called Ghats. Each section, about the size you see in the photo above, has a name attributed to it; likely the donor who payed for it to be built. Some are more well known than others, some have ornate evening pujas (literally 'respect', but also meaning religious ceremony), some are crowded every morning with bathers, some are empty, and some are haunted with men offering to sell hashish or demanding that you buy the post cards they are hawking.

Varanasi - A destination for the sick, dying, and dead of India. It lies on the Ganga River, which Hindus belief to be deeply holy and the most auspicious place to be cremated. Some elderly people travel long distances to die here, hoping they will be in a higher position in the next life, or that it will altogether release them from the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

Although polluted with deadly levels of fecal-coliform bacteria, people still take the plunge to wash and even sip the Ganga. I would equate it to being baptized in Christianity.

Bodhgaya

Dungeshwari Cave Temples - Where Buddha did penance for two years after becoming aware of the suffering outside his palace walls. Here he came to the conclusion that ultimate knowledge cannot be attained the mortification of the flesh.

The small door to the left was enclosed by a gate, but turned out to be unlocked and awaiting my arrival

The very cave where he took refuge from the rain during his mortification around 550BC

Mahabodhi Temple - Where Buddha reached enlightenment. Located in Bodhgaya, it dates to the 5th-6th ct. AD. Restorations have been undertaken over the years and it would be unrecognizable if you traveled back in time fifteen-hundred years (oh man, I've always wanted a time machine)

Behind the temple is the Bodhi Tree under which Siddartha Goutama was sitting in contemplation when he reached enlightenment. It turns out I lied in the previous sentence, because this is not the very same tree. Emperor Ashoke, who adopted Buddhism during the 3rd ct. BC and spread it throughout the great Mauryan Empire, had the temple built. His wife become so jealous with the amount of attention he paid to the tree, that she destroyed it. Thankfully, Askoke's daughter saved a sapling from the original tree, brought it to Sri Lanka and planted it. This tree in the photos is a direct descendant of the one in Sri Lanka; making it a direct descendant of the original.

At the foot of the tree - the very spot where Buddha reached enlightenment - Emperor Ashoke placed a heavy sandstone slab, calling it the Diamond Throne. Twenty-three hundred years later it is still there, underneath the colored fabric and awning

Kang, a Buddhist nun who offered me some of her lunch and a nice conversation. She is from Vietnam

A view of the backside of the temple and the Bodhi (known as Banyan Tree in India) Tree

Sarnath

Dhamekh Stupa - Where Buddha preached his first sermon. This landmark is located in Sarnath, which lies about 10km outside of Varanasi. The large blocks on the bottom half were built in the 17th century, but the red brick structure is almost 2000 years old. The little person is me. Would you believe me if I told you this was done with the 'self timer' mode on my camera?

Chaukhandi Stupa - Where Buddha met his first disciples. Also located in Sarnath. The top structure was made by conquering Mughals, but the base and midsection is very old and part of the original structure. The white thing near the base is my shirt

There's a lot more to say about the trip, but I hope you enjoyed the highlights!

Love,

Jeff

Let's Take a Walk

2010-04-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hello again, Friends and Family,

Please put on your sandals and take a walk with me to the photo print shop...

...I hope you put on a hat, because the sun is beaming and the road is hot even at 11am...

...even the smaller lanes stay busy, especially in the morning and early evening. Look to the right, but watch out of the rickshaw ahead!...

...no, it's not grass. That's a stagnant pond! The last month of hot hot heat has really taken a toll on the water table...

...brick, mortar, and concrete. That's the recipe for architecture around here. Quick, turn around!...

...look at those goats! Whenever I walk past them, their dreaming about ancestral mountain homes. I guess pile of bricks will do these days...

...nope, don't take that turn. Don't get lost, this place is like a maze...

...ah, here we are. Sriniketan Road, one of the main thoroughfares around here. What's that to the left?...

...oh, it's one of those tea stalls on wheels. A bench, a tea pot, an awning, sugar, milk, a few cigarettes to sell and you're in business around here. Oh, speaking of being in business, look over there, to the right...

...if you don't feel like walking, just hop on a rickshaw and zoom around for a while. Why not, you'll only end up spending a buck or two. Let's go say hi....

...we come in peace, right? I'd be taking more than a few breaks if I were hauling around people in the hot sun (112F) all day...

...but it's not a bad way to earn an honest living, huh mister? You're not the only dignified, hardworking looking man I've seen around here. Is that right? This job allows you to send your two girls to school and live modestly. I'm impressed. Ok, well, I'm going...asche...

(25 minutes later)...well, I'm glad everything worked out at the photo shop. Four days does seem like a long wait for ten photos to be printed, though. Oh well, look over there. What a mix of huts, one story ramblers, and three floor mucho square footage houses. You don't see that in Seattle...

...another beaming example of 'the meek' and 'the middle' living side by side. It's like living in the suburbs where I'm from as far as the proximity to other houses goes, but instead of living next to other huge houses you have someone's trailer thirty feet from your house. I guess that's not all that far fetched. Hey, look over there...

...Woah! Look out for that chicken! Close call. But look at that, now THAT's far fetched. You won't find that in Edmonds. Yes, it's poo. People used it as cooking fuel around here. With all the goats, chickens, cows, and wild dogs roaming around, there is no shortage of it. All you have to do is gather a big wad like this, take a handful, flatten it out, and let it dry in the sun for a few days. Briquettes, on the cheap!...

...ah, we made it back to my nice friendly, safe neighborhood. What's that? What about the nails and barbed wire? Oh, well, that's to keep squatters out. West Bengal is run by a communist government, which deals with poverty by granting privileges to the poor so they stop complaining. So, if a squatter finds a comfortable corner in your yard for several days and decides to set up a shack to live in or sell goods out of, guess what happens? Yes, it becomes the squatter's property. Let's go pitch a tent in the neighbor's yard...

Ok, thanks for going on a walk with me. I had fun, let's do it again sometime.

Love,

Jeff

Old News is Good News

2010-04-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends and Family,

Yet again, time has passed faster than expected and an update is in order.

First, to acknowledge the title of this post, please enjoy some photos of Holi - the celebration of the onset of spring, color, and friendship. I couldn't turn down posting some photos after a dear friend requested that I share some. Here goes!

This is Debu, one of my students who happened to see us at the celebration, which took place on the campus of Vivsa Bharati University.

Christine in her shades.

Loren seconds before a mob of Indians drowned us in colorful powder.

The aftermath...

Things are still steady here at CKS. This is the second week in a row that Shubhra has been doing trainings elsewhere. Her first week was spent in the northeast state of Assam, and now she is doing more trainings in Bihar.

Andrew and I are chipping away at our projects, as usual. Our printing is pumping out document after document of disaster preparedness related literature, and our friend the book binder (Mr. Pandit) is enjoying our business. Andrew is also making headway in his study of homeless children who live in train stations. He is gathering data by going in the field and also carried out an extensive literature review. Yesterday I finally completed the map which will work in conjunction with the manual I put together. It shows most of the city we are in, and I will be adding markers for places that are worth knowing the location of. I'm hoping this map will be helpful to future volunteers in getting their bearings, and am thinking of making one of my neighborhood when I get home.

Besides all this, Andrew and I are doing our best to keep the house together.

Sweety is growing everyday.

In less than two weeks, I'll begin my journey west to see the Taj Mahal, Varanasi (where you can see funeral open pyres, and Bodhgaya (where the Buddha reached enlightenment). After all that, I'm off to South Korea for ten days, then home to Seattle by May 27th (In time for Mom's B-day!).

Please keep me in your prayers. I love you all dearly.

In Christ's Peace,

Jeff

Steady as She Goes

2010-04-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family,

It has already been two weeks since my last post, which really amazes me. Things have been very steady around CKS. Shubhra returned a few days ago from a week or so of training villagers and other NGOs in disaster preparedness. One of the places she went was the Sundarbans, which if you remember is where Loren and I went to visit and evaluate another NGO. It is on the Bay of Bengal, and it very lush and tropical. It is where Cyclone Aila wreaked the most havoc during it's short tour of West Bengal.

Anyway, spoken English classes are still going well. There are officially nine registered students in the 7:30AM class, and five in the 7:00PM class. There's so much to learn from these young people; I really enjoy it. Being a student over the years, teaching always appeared to be quite the challenge. Only now am I becoming aware of just a few of the realities of teaching. It really pushes me to be on my toes, and to be attentive to each student - their level of comprehension, speaking ability, listening ability, etc.

This is the white board for April 8th, as you can see. Pretty simple stuff, but fun to work with when trying to put together grammatically correct sentences.

Besides that, I've completed the process of digitizing (photographing, editing with software, storing) an administrative atlas of West Bengal. It contains detailed maps about each district in the state, and code numbers (like zip codes) for each village in the districts. India's address system has some similarities to ours, but for the most part is quite different. The next task, which is completely separate from the atlas, is to create a map of Bolpur using googlemaps. All you have to do is have decent photo editing software and access to the internet. I am taking screen shots of google maps, pasting to my document, aligning the map tiles, and repeating the process. It's pretty fun, actually. The finished product will be printed as a big poster-map and put on a wall somewhere in CKS. It will be helpful for volunteers and interns who are trying to get their bearings. We will be able to put tacks in it and mark important areas of Bolpur. I hope to make one of Edmonds this summer. Also, I will start working on a calender for CKS soon.

So, things are steady spaghetti. Andrew is the other volunteer with me now, and is really a great person. He is very intelligent, focused, funny, prayerful, and easy to get along with.

Shubhra is hard at work preparing for her next round of trainings in a different state (Bihar, I think).

Andrew and I were invited to Mr. Pandit's again. He is the man who binds books for us. One of Andrews projects is to build upon CKS' current library by printing out published documents about disaster management, and have them bound into books. On April 11th, we went to his house for tea, noodles, and just plain old hanging out. It was really nice. His family and neighbors are so warm and welcoming.

Mr. and Mrs. Pandit

In the foreground is their little boy, and behind him is the neighbor girl.

The woman, older boy, and girl are neighbors. They all live in a building that is connected and forms their two living areas. I wouldn't really call them neighbors, come to think of it. They're more like housemates.

The whole bunch after sharing photos, drinking tea, and eating some noodles.

Reflections

I've been running a few miles every other day in the early early morning, and it has forced me to think about how blessed I am. So many of the people I see at 5:30AM have already began their daily efforts to earn a living - tractor drivers hauling sand and laborers heading for a day of construction, tea stall owners pouring their sugar, milk and tea into kettles above mud stoves, farmers laying their paddy (rice plant) onto the road to dry - all this going on as I expend so much energy for the sake of fitness and health. I'm blessed to have the economic and personal freedom not only go running in the morning, but to even be able to even think about fitness and health. By blessed, I by no means am saying I deserve any of it. To quote Clint Eastwood in one of my Dad's favorite movies, "deserve's got nothin' to do with it". It has much more to do with our country's position in global politics and international trade - and our government's willingness to exploit just about any and every situation to maintain that position (never shying away from subterfuge or outright brutality to keep that 'free market' rolling). But to the billion plus people out there dragging their bodies around in their daily labors for the sake of filling their stomachs or the stomachs of their children (one time a day), what a foreign concept running for exercise must be. At the very same time, the people I described above, who we in America would consider destitute, are able to laugh and find goodness and light in the midst of so many hardships. This is not to play down the significance of their struggles, fears, and suffers - horrendous circumstances beset the poor in India - I am only trying to make the point that life without so much is still very much worth living and that there's much to discover in it. If it came down to a choice, I'd rather be economically and materialistically destitute than spiritually destitute. We should not be defined by our possessions. Of course, to apply this maxim to my life would unveil plenty of moral failings. I have more than enough food for me on the table, I have more clothing than I need, my family helps me so much with money, I have a cell phone, and so on. I hope, at least, to further explore these thoughts and be guided by whatever truths I discover.

Anyway, I'm sure you have all heard similar rants, but the subject of poverty has been on my mind over the past few years and more so lately for obvious reasons.

I love you, and thanks for listening to my blabber.

Peace,

Jeff

Introducing the Newest Member of CKS

2010-03-31T04:00:00.001-07:00

Hello again Friends and Family,

There was an opening to cruise the internet this afternoon, and I decided to post a quick update to everyone.

CKS is proud to introduce our newest member...

...her name name is Sweety, and I think she is around ten weeks old. From what I understand, one of Puthumai's friends had a litter of puppies and offered one to CKS. How could he refuse...I mean come on...

...this is Shubhra's nephew, Snehundu, with Sweety. Anyway, she's been a nice addition to the house. Things are about to get pretty lonely for me, as Shubhra will be traveling to far off places to give trainings associated with disaster risk reduction. Andrew, the latest volunteer who I traveled with in Darjeeling, will also be leaving this weekend to Kolkata. So, it may be Sweety and I for a short while together in the big house this weekend. I'll be sure to keep everything locked down, don't worry.

Also, since returning from Darjeeling Andrew and I have had some time to wrap our heads around some projects. For me, it's pretty much the same ongoing assignments - teaching Spoken English, fine tuning the manual, tying up loose ends with the student group, and taking up one of Loren's projects. Andrew is developing a study on homeless youth, which will surely be an exciting and hands on task. Also, he is taking the lead on developing the CKS library.

This room has been ordained as our classroom. It's very small, but the largest session I've taught was six students, so it's more like I'm tutoring than teaching. Thank goodness a ceiling fan was recently added, because it is getting hot hot hot these days. We don't open the windows in the evening because mosquitoes will come rushing in, so it can get stiflingly hot without the fan.

This is our baby. These are all published scholarly articles and studies mostly about disaster risk reduction or a topic closely related. Since Loren departed (to Seattle), God Bless him, Andrew and I have done some work in organizing the documents that are to be printed. My estimate is that there are around 2,000 pages of published documents to be printed. The photo shows only the documents we have bound...the library is bigger than this...Please believe me! : )

Anyway, beloved Friends and Family - thanks for taking the time to hear the latest in my life. If any of you feel so inclined, it would be nice to receive an email update on your life. For you Christians out there - may Holy Week be a time of sincere renewal in your life.

Love,

Jeff

Amazing views, amazing tea, amazing people, and lots of memories: Darjeeling

2010-03-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's already been a while since the last post, which I promised to add captions to. Some day soon. So, as some of you may know, my gang of hooligans and I traveled to Darjeeling last week. We were there from March 16th-22nd, and had a blast. Cousin Mike and I had been planning to make this happen since Christmas, so it had a hint of epic in it. Another volunteer at CKS, Andrew, happened to be traveling that same week. We banded together and made a great traveling party. For Loren and I, this was our chance to travel - vacation style - during our internship. For Mike, it was many things, but one thing we agreed upon was that the trip helped us see things through a different lens. Jumping straight from Seattle to India has that affect. It's a big wide world out there, and we both are passionate about exploring it.

Andrew spent the previous two months in Kolkata, volunteering with the Sisters of Charity. He met some very fine people there, a few of whom he graciously introduced to us on the first day. Poppy, Marie, and Joe were all-stars, and were a big part in making the excursion such a beautiful experience.

The first day was spent getting situated. Andrew introduced us to Poppy and Marie as we coincidentally passed them on the road. After they suggested Hotel Aliment, we made our way up the hill and booked some nice rooms there. After that, we had a nice evening exploring the town and having a few drinks. The next day we went to Tiger Hill, one of the most stunning look-outs near Darjeeling. Also during the trip, we visited a Tibetan Refugee Center, spent time at a zoo, toured Happy Valley Tea Estate, ate and drank at a styling bar/bakery, and bought some gifts for our loves at home. Please enjoy the photos below.

On our way up. The jeep driver took a short tea break half way to Darjeeling, which gave us a chance to see the hillside and give our bottoms a break. This is Loren enjoying the view.

The Himalayas. This was the view from the terrace at Hotel Aliment, where we stayed for the week. Double bed rooms were Rs. 300 per night, which is about $6.70. They had comfortable beds, a nice restaurant, and access to hot water. Lastly, the owner was a very nice man. He was an older native of Darjeeling, and shared so many nice tidbits of wisdom and his appreciation for the plurality of perspectives he's come into contact with over time.

Look familiar? Here are the names of all the peaks in the photo above. I'm not sure if you can make them out, but if you're interested I'm sure you can look up their names. The tallest one in the middle is called Kangchendzonga, which is 25,794 ft. Everest is 29,029 ft.

On our first full day, our happy bunch booked a jeep to Tiger Mountain, which is a popular lookout where you can see Mt. Everest on occasion and other Himalayan peaks. The view was very nice, but spending time with these fine folks was the real joy. Joe left that same day, unfortunately. However, there's still a chance for me to connect with him, because he is spending the next two months in Kolkata, Thanks for making it such a great trip, everyone!

Wandering the widing lanes in hilly Darjeeling. The red flowering tree at the top is really beautiful, and Mikes face in the bottom right is the cherry on top.

This spot in the market was so jammed with shirts and cloth and other clothing items that it was a bit stifling, yet enjoyable. Mike is in the center, marching in our direction. The market in Darjeeling was similar to most open air markets that you find in India, but with plenty of tea.

More exploring in the market.

This photo doesn't do justice to the slope. Darjeeling is built on a mountainside, so we were contstantly walking up and down very steep hills. Many of the locals had monstrous calf muslces, and there were fewer pot bellies than in the plains where CKS is located. Coincidence? Any nutrition or health sciences people looking for a study topic?

One of the first tourist attractions we decided to scout out was the Tibetan Refugee Center. This...is certainly not it. This was along the road on our way there, and is a private school. Mike said it looked like the school in Harry Potter, which I can't remember the name of. Sorry, I'm more into Lord Of The Rings, not that it has to be a choice between the two : )

A nice view of tea estates and Darjeeling flora on our way to the Tibetan Refugee Center.

There was a whole museum detailing the history of the Tibetan struggle, and I can't match the breadth and depth of the information it contained. However, I will mention that this refugee center is one of many throughout India and neighboring countries. In 1950, the People's Liberation Army led an invaded Tibet. A year later, representatives from the PRC and Tibet signed onto The Seventeen Point Plan, which formalized China's sovereignty over Tibet. Many people fled Tibet, especially after the Dalai Lama became an exile in 1959. Tibetans have suffered greatly over the past sixty years.The refugee center was established in the 1950's, by a group of caring locals. It has grown a lot over the years, and provides education, homes, and job training for aound 500 refugees.

The courtyard, which was surrounded by different types of workshops where Tibetans produced hand made goods. A shop in this same courtyard sold the goods, which raised funds for the center and individuals living there.

Hand made carpets. This looked tremendously labourious, and I can only guess how long it would take to make one. On the other hand, it must be incredibly meditative once they get good at their craft.

These were very interesting. From what I gathered, each cylinder contains pages and pages of prayers. When they sping them, it is like praying thousands of times as the prayers spin around. I like their rationale. On the left: Andrew, Mike, Loren, and someone we didn't know - all exiting the premises.

The cousin-brothers on the top terrace of Hotel Aliment. Thanks for making the trip a memorable one, Mike. I love you so much.

This is one of my favorite photos of the group. This night we were in one of the only bars (that we were aware of) in Darjeeling. From left to right: Marie, Mike, Poppy, Andrew, Loren, Jeff

Mike and Loren. My cousin-brother (as they say in India) and fellow intern. Beautiful people with big hearts.

This was at the entrance of the zoo. Since being in India, I've noticed how much I must take the Christian influence for granted in the US. It must be there, but we're so accustomed to it that it's not big deal. It's been a great learning experience attempting to navigate Hindu society, and in some areas (like a portion of Darjeeling) Buddhist.

Red Panda! Woo! They really did move like Pandas, but looked more like big red racoons. Either way, they were really beautiful.

The Sun Bear was much bigger than any I've seen in the Woodland Park zoo at home. This one was napping on his back. He looked like he was acting out a slow, dramatic death by gunshot. Oh, how boring and demeaning life in a zoo would be.

One of the booths in the zoo offered to take a photo of you dressed up in local traditional garb. Mike and Poppy went all out and certainly reaped the benefits with this photo.

On one of our many wanderings. How can you not love that face?!

Happy Valley Tea Estate - one of the oldest in Darjeeling. It was established in 1854 by...you guessed it...British from the East India Company. It was a nice walk there from the hotel, although Mike was suffering from severly dry feet (to the point of bleeding). Thanks Mike, for toughing it out and making it a nice visit.

Rolling hills of tea. Loren likened it to Napa Valley.

We were given a nice tour of factory, but did not see it in action because we came on the off season. It was great learning about the different steps and machines that are used in the process. Loren or Mike would remember better than I, but all totaled it required five or six steps to make the tea we brew and drink.

After the tour we were invited in for some tea, and had the chance to buy some high quality stuff. The women entertaining us was very charismatic, and we had a good time. Other tourists piled into this small room, and eventually there was something like nine people sitting around a small coffee (or tea) table sipping top quality stuff and getting quizzed on information we were told during the tour. Multiple times, I forgot the most important lesson of all; the name of the highest quality tea - Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1, or SFTGFOP1. Each word describes a step in the harvesting process, all of which I have forgotten by now. Leave it to me to forget the most important lesson at a Darjeeling tea estate!

This was posted on a lamp post, and got me thinking. We REALLY must take things for granted in the US if people in other countries win Green Cards in lotteries, not millions of dollars.

Sunrise on the roof of Hotel Aliment.

This was one of our favorite places for breakfast. There, we met a really interesing fellow named Casper. He is from Holland, and quit his job as a business consultant about a year ago. Since, he has been traveling all over, and happened to be in Darjeeling when we were. He also joined us for a few meals and said his goodbyes to us after touring the zoo together.

The reason we first went to Sonam's was because it served good coffee, which is nearly impossible to find in the parts of India I've been to. Coffee here is a warm cup of milk with loads of sugar and a bit of instant coffee added. My first cup at Sonam's broke my dryspell of nearly two months. It was so refreshing and delicious.

Andrew and I managed to make it to Mass on the only Sunday we were there. To be honest, Andrew went several times besides that Sunday, and I only made it that once. I have to give credit to the Vatican, because their goal of making Mass similar no matter where you are seems to have been met at this church. Although a few things were different, it was pretty much the same. That was the first time I attended Mass in India. Here in Bolpur, there are no Catholic churches that I'm aware of. My heart aches for it.

On our last morning in Darjeeling. We decided to go for a nice walk as the sun rose, and stumbled upon a family of lively and super agile monkeys. I'm not sure what species they were, but they were impressive. When Loren got to close to this one, she leaned a bit closer to him and showed him her teeth. Sometimes, there's just no need for words.

On one of our morning walks in the main circle. This looks like something from a Cat in the Hat Book or pieces in 'Dog Tetris' that need to be moved around and fit together. Wild dogs out here bring out a range of emotions in me - they often amaze me, make me laugh, make me faun, and make me sad.

Our last day in Darjeeling together. It was an experience of a lifetime. Thank you, Andrew, Mike, Loren, Poppy, Marie, and Joe. Your presence was such a blessing.

Thanks for keeping up, everyone. I love you all and will continue to hold you close.

Peace,

Jeff

Center for Knowledge and Skills (CKS) New Blog

2010-03-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

CKS recently put together an institutional blog. If you are interested in learning more about the organization I'm interning with, please follow this link:

http://centerforknowledgeandskills.blogspot.com/

Love,

Jeff

For the Architect and Real Estate Agent in All of Us

2010-03-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Dears,

Thanks for keeping in touch, everyone. Like before, all blog comments, emails, skyping and love has meant so much to me. It's all been keeping me afloat.

This is a quick post. A few nights ago Donny, Kim, (brother and sister-in-law) and I had a skype date. It was a lot of fun catching up and exchanging deep reflections about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, among other things. As it turns out, my older brother is a real estate agent and we got into a conversation about houses here.

For your viewing pleasure, Donny, and all the real estate people in the Fam (Andy and Dad), or people out there interested in housing for whatever reason:

This is the headquarters of CKS, where Loren and I are currently interning. It is three stories with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two kitchens, and a really nice view of the neighborhood from the upper terrace

This building is actually a temple to Shiva, the destroyer. As you've probably already noticed, the colors used here are very vibrant. This goes for clothing, houses, celebrations, food, etc.

This, in fact, is not a temple or a house. It is a goat sitting comfortably on a public bench in the Nalhati train station.

Um...Station Manager? You might want to start by...

Thanks everyone. If this post seems a bit ridiculous, please forgive me. Late night, sleepy, and full after dinner are ingredients for delirious silliness.

Love,

Jeff

A Few More Updates and More Than a Few Photos

2010-03-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Wonderful People,

Thank you all for continually supporting me. Every drop of encouragement goes a long way here. I love you all and hold you in my thoughts and prayers.

As mentioned in the post before last, a lot has happened in the past few weeks and I'm hoping to keep you informed regarding those experiences.

Before all that, please allow me to share a bit about my internship and upcoming happenings. Things are really coming together here at CKS. Almost all of the masonry, plumbing, electrical, and carpentry works are complete. If I didn't mention before, this NGO is just getting off the ground. A week into Loren's and my time in India, the house now serving as headquarters was purchased. For almost a month, people were coming in and out of the house daily, often requiring our brief attention. Without these small distractions, Loren and I have a lot more space and time to focus on our assignments. It has been absolutely refreshing to be more attentive to my assignments.

We only have a little over one solid week left to work on projects before the end of our official internship with Seattle University. Next Monday, my cousin-brother (as they would say here, referring to a male cousin) Mike will arrive in Kolkata. He will be traveling with Loren, another volunteer named Andrew, and I in Darjeeling and possibly Sikkim. We've been planning this trip for a while now, and I'm so excited to see it all come to fruition. It seems that Mike and I are on our own spiritual journeys these days, and this will be a chance to bring it all together. Along with my older brother Tom and Mike's younger brother Kevin, we were the typical (well, maybe not so typical) roaming band of stinky young people for many years. The band broke up : ) after Mike and Tom got into high school and realized they were hanging out with a ten year old (me), not to say we weren't still great friends - things just happen. What a blessing to have all this come full circle!? So, we will travel until March 22nd, during which Loren and I will visit an NGO. When we return to Bolpur, the last few days will be dedicated to writing up a report about our experience and the role of the NGO in its community, then Loren will pack his things and fly far far away on March 27th. From there on out I will be on my own; not affiliated with Seattle University and all done with the BA in public affairs. Therefore, I will take advantage of this opportunity and stay until May 20th. From then until May 27th I will be visiting my dear friend Abbie in South Korea, where she is currently teaching English. By May 28th I will have reached Seattle safe and sound, and a day before my Ma's B-day.

So, those are the big plans. Of course, there is a lot between now and then. For now, I'm doing my very best to play catch up on organizing a group of international students. The manual for international students is teetering on the brink of completion, and I'm enjoying the final tinkering process.

And now, a bit about assignments -

I'm not clear on how it happened, but last week was a major wake up call. From the start, Puthumai suggested I take a very direct approach to meeting people in hopes of recruiting them for the student group. Now it seems I didn't take the time to fully understand the goal of the group, thus I was less inclined to articulate my intentions when in conversation with potential members. So, before I knew it we had a plethora of friends in Bolpur, and only a fraction of them were international students. I got a bit caught up with maintaining relationships with these folks, just like I would do at home. It wasn't until Puthumai expressed his concerns for the project that I realized how flawed and unfocused my approach was. At home, I don't have much of a filtering mechanism for choosing who to or not to spend time with. Only recently have I felt comfortable snuffing out relationships that are not in line with my goals here - how bad does that sound? Well, it's a reality here. This place is teeming with people and almost everyone wants to brush up on their English, so a significant portion of the population automatically wants to be friends.

After some serious soul searching and brainstorming, it seemed time to return to the basics, just like at Seattle U. With the helpful advice of the other volunteers, Christine and Loren, I threw together some flyers one evening and haunted the local university campus the following few days. So far, the approach has been a success. The most successful sessions of roaming campus were incursions into the men's international student hostel (dormatory). As a result, I was able to meet some good people from Bangldesh and gather a group for our first meeting, which took place last night. It's a step in the right direction, and better late than never. Although our conversations drifted somewhat from the important topics I hoped to address, it seems with a little more nourishment and care the sapling has potential to flourish. Our meeting time and place for next week has been booked, there's time to rally a few more people. I hope to add balance to the gender ratio - it was only males last night.

There's another project I've been working on, but won't talk much about it. I started teaching two spoken English classes this week. It is a really a nice opportunity for me becuase I'm still seriously considering the Peace Corps, and the last time I was in touch with a recuiter she suggested I gain experience in teaching ESL. Because a BA in public affairs is so broad, it offered minimal to no technical skills that could be put to use as a Peace Corps volunteer. Oh, the price we pay for a B.A. (rhyme not intended).

Below is a bit more about experiences Loren and I have had, if you care to keep reading.

From February 21-24th, we traveled to a town called Narayanpur to visit an NGO known as KNDS. The acronym stands for the villages it supports - Kharia Naba Dignanta Samity. It is a rural development organization which works especially to empower disabled women, men, and children in the area. In addition, it took on multiple projects during the aftermath of Cyclone Aila, which hit last May and ravaged most of West Bengal. Puthumai sent us to assess the organization, further establish a connection between it and KNDS, and to expand our understaning of the role of humanitarian organzations in India - especially in regards to disaster management. It is situated a few km away from the Sundarbans - a large wildlife refuge split between India and Bangladesh and one of the last homes of wild tigers. Don't worry we didn't even enter into the refuge, so no tigers.

KNDS - A Rural Development NGO

It's still not clear to me as to why I posted so many photos. It's overkill, but this just kind of happened and I hope you enjoy them. For now, they'll be left without captions. Those will be added later.

Where in the hoo-ha do I start?

2010-03-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Loves,

For those of you who have sent emails or facebooked, etc. - thanks dearly for being in touch. You're all in my prayers, and I ask for you to keep me in your thoughts and prayers as well. Although there are some wonderful people that I love working alongside me at CKS, not speaking Bengali can be very isolating. There have been a few gems along the way, no doubt. When verbal communication is drastically limited, it seems easier to sense the true heart of a person. Maybe it's the smile, the hand gestures, the courtesies and generosity, or lack thereof. Either way, there are occasions in which language acts as no barrier to disclosing who we are. If there's one thing I've learned here, it's that without love and kinship we'd all be dust in no time. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith to make those simple connections our hearts long for, common language or not. So, I ask you to be with me. Let us challenge each other to take leaps of faith in our daily lives; to open our hearts without flinching.

The last time a solid post was made to this blog was around three weeks ago. In Indian time, that's long enough to have a pile of interesting experiences and a wide range of emotions to go along with them. I'm sorry to have taken so long to post this. Not to make excuses, but for a little while we were sharing a little mobile modem zip-drive thingy between four of us here at CKS. Ah, the days of campus wide high speed wireless internet, where have you gone? Life's full of trade offs, it seems.

It is currently 12:30am here, and I'm taking advantage of a rare opportunity to use the internet port for an extended and uninterrupted period of time. Not to say the interruptions aren't welcomed - it's usually for a meal or to take care of some errands. During the day when there's a chance to hop on the net I spend most of my time researching for projects or writing emails. Here are a few photos to help me reminisce a bit, and to help you get a few visuals.

Please take a stroll with me through our favorite market.

Here you can find veggies of all shapes and sizes, fish of all shapes and smells, googly (snails), grains, fruit, general goods and more. We frequent this little alley for most of our basic commodities. It's amazing how crowded it can get in the hours before noon.

Pulses, spices, powders, goodness

Close quarters; this narrow alley is lined with sellers on both sides

All this impressive business is only a five minute walk from our home, CKS

Bringel, as they call they call it here

Mach. I like much mach. I like much Dutch mach...ok no more, sorry

My colleague (by now, brother) Loren and supervisor Fr. Puthumai A. Nazarene, discussing one of Loren's projects. He has been printing off entire training manuals, books, and other documents about disaster risk reduction and rural development. He is growing CKS's library so it can eventually be a resource for other NGO's hoping to build their knowledge and skills, hence "The Center for Knowledge and Skills (CKS)"

Mr. Pandit is the man who binds all the documents Loren prints into books. He is one of those gems I mentioned earlier. Without speaking much English at all, he has already had us over to his house for dinner once, and we are going for a grander meal tomorrow for lunch. For him, offering to serve food to two young men with proper appetites is no small investment. The last time we were there, we met almost his whole family and the neighbors! Simply amazing.

Krishna sitting at his shrine near CKS. This photo was taken during a routine walk through the neighborhood. They are just adding a bull statue now, which is situated to Krishna's left on the other side of the tree. You can find temples like this in all the neighborhoods. They get even more spectacular. Certainly, there is little hesitation to celebrate Hindu tradition here - it is so intertwined with the societal structure in most places that you simply can't rip it from everyday life.

Journey to the Quarry - Filming a Short Documentary for CKS

On Wednesday, February 17th a wonderful person named Christine joined us to volunteer her time, energy, and skills. Her cousin had previously worked with Fr. Puthumai when he was head of the Social Welfare Institute in Raiganj. So, after some travels in Kashmeer and Rishikesh, she made her way to Bolpur. She is from Germany, and received a BA in media production or something of the like. During her sixteen day stint with us, she worked on several projects; one in particular was the filming of a short documentary about CKS and its potential role in supporting the rights of laborers who work in stone quarries in a city north of Bolpur called Nalhati. We traveled there on February 17th for the first round of shooting.

Christine

Many of these people are from a scheduled tribe, which means they have certain rights designated to their tribe in the Indian Constitution which other groups do not. However, this particular group suffers greatly at the hands of the company owners who own the quarries. Lack a future tense in their language, they are almost incapable of committing to long term, goal oriented solutions, or unable to conceptualize multi-steps processes which happen over time. They put up with many different forms of abuse, which I will not go into right now for the sake of time, because they see the mines as their only option.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed on the morning on February 17th. The train to Nalhati was only five minutes away as we posed for this shot in the Bolpur railway station.

Landscapes in the plains of India

Tight quarters and happy smiles

Fields and fields of paddy. Rice has a name for every stage of its existence here, which hints at its cultural significance. Before it is taken from the plant, it is called paddi. After it is dried it has a name I can't remember. Finally, after it is hulled and looking like the finished product we all know and love, it is called bhat.

Toilet on the train. Another fun challenge.

As you may have heard, personal space on Indian trains is almost non-existent

Not far outside of Nalhati was the rock quarry. This was my first and only time, thus far, visiting this area.

The view of a Nalhati street from inside a jeep-like vehicle

Fr. Michael was our main contact in the area. As a Catholic priest he is essentially a colleague of Puthumai's, but from what I gathered they have a great friendship. Right from the get go it was clear he is generous in sharing his heart with others. Also, he is the headmaster at a Jesuit school located very near to the quarry we visited, and interacts with many of the Tribal and Muslim families who struggle with desperately difficult conditions every day. Fr. Michael was very kind and friendly with us, and made sure we were comfortable and well fed during our time there. His humor in the midst of very trying circumstances was so beautiful to me. People like him, Puthumai, and a host of other men I've met over the past few years are why the priesthood seem right to me.

A Blessed man, Father General of the Society of Jesus - the Jesuits; a religious order of Catholic priests

Je su what?! IHS is part of the seal of the Jesuits, and you will find it on campus at every Jesuit university around the world. It is the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek.

Fr. Michael has a few feline friends. He really loves those cats.

Mother Mary

An attempt at being artistic

The remainder of the photos are of the rock quarry. Please take your time in going through them. You'll see some smiles, and happy looking people, but try to see past their excitement to have us there. See the people in their daily lives. Look at the work they do, imagine being in the hot sun thirteen hours every day and barely being able to feed your children. Imagine being hired on because you are physically attractive and thus able to satisfy the sexual desires of the foreman, in addition to providing hard labor for next to nothing. Imagine being ten years old and knowing nothing else, or being so thirsty and hungry that every load of rocks is an epic battle between your mind and body. Imagine breathing in rock dust for years on end with no respite. Take it all in and understand why Puthumai feels called to fight for these people. Now imagine that the last time a government official stood up for them, his life was ended shortly thereafter. Don't worry Mom, Puthumai wouldn't put me in harms way. Captions for these photos to come. It's 3:30AM and I'm waking up in three hours to register people for a spoken english class I'll be teaching.

Just after leaving the school house, we were our way to the quarry. Puthumai joked that the photo made it look like we were off to a picnic

Without hesitation, Christine began capturing life at the quarry

Years of working in the mines can lead to silicosis, which is an occupational lung disease brought on by prolonged exposure to silica dust, which is common to people who work in mines or quarries.

This giant gravel making contraption scared me a little. It looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie, ready to lift itself off the ground to roam the Indian plains

This is what much of the land surrounding the quarry looks like. Without proper water and land management, stretches of arrable land can lay fallow. Without agriculture for livelihood support, the most vulnerable of the local Santhal Tribe and Muslim communities find work in the quarries

Hard hard work for young young people

If you look closely you can see Puthumai and Loren in the milieu of people. Most of the workers we passed by were interested to know who we were and what we were doing there. It seemed like we were really stirring things up

This group of boys was hard at work as the crowd formed around Puthumai and Loren as seen in a previous photo. Only a few seconds after I shot this photo, the foreman came to yell at the boys for not working

There's so much more to say about the trip to the stone quarry, not to mention all that has happened between now and then. I'll try to take it one step at a time, and keep you filled in as much as possible. More news about our travels to visit another NGO in the Sundarbans, swimming in the Bay of Bengal, the Holi festival, daily life, a tremendous house warming party, and our going away party for wonderful Christine (she's off to travel in India for a few more weeks, then back to Germany).

Love,

Jeff

Checking In

2010-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

Sorry this will be a short one. I just wanted to check in and let you all know I'm still alive. Things are good here. My internet access is quite limited, so I'll only be able to update things from time to time. It's already been two weeks since my last post - sorry about that. More interesting posts to come.

Love,

Jeff

The Challenge

2010-02-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends. Please know that a very important person in my life had a birthday yesterday, Feb. 12^th. His name is Don and he is my Dad. You’re always in my thoughts and prayers, Dad. I love you very much, and have a safe road trip home this week.

Last Sunday is still with me. It was the second full day with Dan and Rob, and Puthumai saw it as a great opportunity to expose us to rural West Bengal and the Santhal Tribe. They are one of many groups in India designated as a ‘scheduled tribe’. In the taxi on our way to one of the small hamlets, Shubhra and Puthumai explained that the Indian Constitution ends with something like an appendix, called a ‘schedule’. It identifies which groups receive preference or protection laid out in earlier sections of the constitution, thus ‘scheduled castes’ and ‘scheduled tribes’. I originally assumed it was somewhat derogatory, and am still unsure as to what connotations it carries with mainstream groups in India.

The previous post shows a few photos of our visit, so feel free to use them as a reference. The real photographer on our day trip was Rob, and I’ll post some of his photos as soon as they become available.

We visited two hamlets, which (I think) are just groupings of huts and houses too small to be called a village. Almost twenty-four hours earlier Puthumai showed up on the doorstep of CKS with some of my dearest friends from home, Rob and Dan. We all had a full day of exuberance, laughing, disbelief, joking, celebrating, sharing, excitement, exploring, and so on. Visiting the Santhals did something to all that. It was disconcerting to float between that spirit and one of a much sadder reality that surrounded us. The night before, we enjoyed a well portioned meal, plenty of laughs, and even a few beers to top it off. It wouldn’t be stretching it to guess that the cost of that meal was equivalent to what a Santhal family’s spends on food for six months or more. There were constant reminders of the disparity between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Dan alone is a great example. He is a 6’3’’, healthy, strong person with clean teeth and no tapeworms. Imagine the amount of resources of all kinds it has taken to get him from 7lb8oz baby Dan to his current adult state. This example applies to anyone in the US. Even struggling families can (although not easily) find ways to put nutritious meals on the table, to receive regular dental and medical care, and safe housing. We are so blessed in the US. So many people in the world have never seen such plenty. Dan kept mentioning that around 60% of Indians live in slums. I’m assuming this only includes metropolitan slums, not under-developed villages. That’s six-hundred million people living in very trying conditions every single day, in India. Not to mention the rest of the world.

Another thing that struck me was a traveling evangelical Indian preacher’s reactions to it all. We bumped into him when visiting one of the family homes, and at first he talked about how reading the Bible has changed his life and how important his studies have been. But when we started to walk away and say goodbye he began speaking openly about how the people there were living like animals. He said that exact phrase several times: like animals. I wasn’t sure if he was accusing them, angry at higher powers, or mad at us. Maybe it was the case that they did live like that, and that my hour long visit wasn’t enough to see how things truly were. Either way, it rocked me to hear. What I perceived throughout the visit was a group of dignified people living in difficult conditions. Was it pure ignorance and naiveté to be agitated by this man? If I saw the dignity, was I being insensitive to the squalor?

It would be easy to go on like this, and I’m sorry to do it. Of course, this isn’t news to anyone and I’m not trying to claim guilt. But there is value in articulating it, and I thank you for hearing me out. The last thing the IDIP program needs is for experiences like these to be lost on account of my shrinking short term memory.

Throughout the visits a wide range of thoughts and emotions came and went. It was easy to remain in a state of awe and wonder at how different these people lived. Sadly enough, the realities of their lives were kept at a safe and novel distance from my world. We did get to step inside some of the homes, see how the one water pump for the whole village worked, and watch men work in the fields. But I knew lunch would be on the table in a few hours and that my malaria pills were sitting on the shelf waiting for me. I knew I was safe, and that we didn’t have to make a twenty kilo bag of rice feed my family for six months. Our worlds remained apart.

Even in the midst of such bleak realities, there’s a beauty in it all. Of course, the physical beauty– their decorated homes, clothing, endless fields, little babies, energetic and curious kids, and happy cows. But there’s also beauty in what the future holds for the Santhals. We met a young man in one of the hamlets who spoke a bit of English and was full of smiles to have us there. Aside from that, he was learning biology, chemistry, and physics. What a world of difference he will be able to make in his community? If he is able to get a job someday and meet with moderate success, who is to say he won’t come back and teach or even start a school? Furthermore, these two hamlets are targets for one of Puthumai’s sponsorship programs, which supports the development of entire villages by helping individual families. It is still in the works, but will ensure that families have the capacity to feed, immunize, and educate their children. To me, this is beautiful. Making sure that kids can go to school near their own village so they don’t work in rice paddies their whole lives and remain indebted to the same landlord their parents were, and so they can feed their families more than two meals of rice and lentils a day, so they can enjoy sanitation systems, so they can flourish.

*I apologize for the inconsistent font sizes. I've been having troubles editing.

Puthumai showing us the village well.

The lines three lines running perpendicular to the rest were illegally placed there by villagers. It is very common. They risk being electrified, having their homes burn down, and retribution from the government.

A beautiful and dignified family outside a mud house. In front is a typical village stove, which is built into the mud flooring and fueled with wood.

Rice paddies leased and worked by villagers. We saw a few very young children working in the fields alongside adults.

The young man was telling Dan, Puthumai, and I that the pond in the background was were the village washed dishes and clothing, cleaned themselves, and defecated.

Puthumai was showing us around one of the houses. He was pointing out that these people had a few stainless steal vessels and utensils, making them one of the richest families in the hamlet.

This was the upstairs to the house. The floor was simply bamboo slats. Puthumai advised us not to walk on it because we would have fallen through. What does that say about our size/weight/diet compared to the residents of the house?

A nice photo. They are sitting on the side of a mud house, which need to be completely destroyed and remade every five years. Imagine having to do that where we live.

A larger mud home being built. The construction takes place in stages; adding a fresh layer as soon as the previous one dries. Only mud and a small amount of bamboo is used. No bricks.

This one makes me smile. Puthumai and his fans.

This is Dan standing next to a structure made of paddy, which is what the plant is called before the rice grains are stripped from it. These structures act as storage while it dries.

Thanks again for your patience, and for hearing me out. There’s a lot coming at us IDIP’ers. For me, sharing bits and pieces of the experience seems like one of best ways to process it all. Take care everyone, you’re always in my thoughts.

Love,

Jeff

My first run in with The Law (Natural Law, that is)

2010-02-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone. I apologize for the great delay since my last post. Just as I was starting to work on a detailed post two days ago, an ugly mistake rendered me useless.

This is how it all started: The night of February 8th was like any other (minus me being in India). Shubhra offered me a snack derived from milk. Many of the sweet shops sell a kind of treat that is made from milk fat that has undergone a separation process. They add lemon juice to catalyze some unknown reaction, and voila - skim milk and fat. So, that night some of our milk had separated and Shubhra asked if either Loren or I wanted to try it. People eat it all the time here as dessert. She suggested sugar, but I went for it without sweetener. No problem, I felt great.

It wasn't until the next morning that I made The big mistake. All along I had the impression that our milk had separated because Shubhra intentionally put lemon juice in it. This, in fact, was not the case. Our milk had separated because it had been sitting out for at least a day and a half. Loren tried to warn me, but for some reason I convinced myself that it was safe. I blame myself. So, merrily as ever, the morning of Feb. 9th I added a few spoonfuls of the 'skim' portion to my morning coffee. You could call it milk, or you could call it a staphylococcus convention, where billions of happy little bacteria were living their lives.

That night was no good. I'm sure you can imagine the details. It put me out of commission for a whole day, but I'm happy to announce that this morning I'm feeling like my old self again. No need to worry, I think it's important I was humbled a bit - with a month in India without getting sick, I was beginning to feel invincible.

That's it for now. There's plenty of catching up to do, so look out for a more upbeat post very soon. You're all in my prayers.

Love,

Jeff

Photographic evidence that I'm feeling better and that no one needs to worry

Who Would Have Thought?

2010-02-09T00:19:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends. Already, a significant stretch of time has grown between now and my last post. Sorry for the delay, or if I've worried anyone (cough cough...Mom I love you). Please be advised that this post won't come close to capturing all that's transpired recently. I apologize for neglecting to mention some of the basics like the food I eat, what my room is like, the house, etc. For those of you seeking to hear more about that, please forgive me for the time being.

This past weekend, my Dear Dear Friends Dan and Rob Landerholm stopped into Bolpur to spend the last few days of their month-long tour of India with us here at CKS. Thanks Brothers, for stretching your finances and health to share the weekend. I will never forget it, and will likely never be able to repay you.

International Men of Mystery: Dan and Rob Landerholm

For those of you who don't know these fine men, Dan and I have been friends since we were twelve or thirteen years old. We met at Holy Rosary, and went to high school together for three years. We played football together, have many friends in common, and have shared in a plethora of life experiences. Rob is Dan's Father, and has been a mentor of mine for many years. With that said, who would have thought we would meet someday in India, and go through some serious highs and lows in less than seventy-two hours?

To start, much credit is due to Shubhra - one of our two fearless leaders at CKS. She whipped Loren and I into shape all week last week in our efforts to prepare the building for visitors. There was still much hustle and buslte with the plumbing, masonry work, and moving. But, with the impetus and extra efforts of Shubhra, the workers finished up and we all worked as a team to clean the place. It was a relief to end a busy week of juggling internship projects, house work, and moving (shifting, as they say here). After Shubhra stayed up until 2:30am the night before, CKS was sparkling and ready for Rob and Dan by the time they arrived at 8:30am on Saturday Feb. 6th.

Their arrival via auto-rickshaw was surreal. They showed up the front gate of CKS with Puthumai, who picked them up in Kolkata that morning at 5:00am so they could travel together to Bolpur. Instantly, it was like we were in Edmonds. The hugs, the jokes, the laughs, the silly voices, the highly intellectual topics of conversation (i.g. quoting Indiana Jones, Austin Powers, Jurassic Park, etc.). But, it turned out we were in India. Who would have thought?

The whole weekend, Puthumai and Shubhra were awe inspiring with their care and generosity. I'll never forget how gracious they were in hosting Dan, Rob, Loren and I.

After a nice breakfast, it was clear we had a long and exciting day ahead. Before jumping in head-first, everyone cleaned up a bit and the visitors took some time to get settled into their new home for the next two nights. Around 11am, the hired taxi arrived outside our gate and The Team piled in - Dan, Rob, Shubhra, Puthumai, Loren, and I.

The itinerary was packed and we were off to a good start.

The Team walking down one of the long dirt paths that traverse the campus. It is said that Tagore once walked down this one in particular, so some of the faculty take off their sandles out of respect when walking this path. The building to the right is one of the student 'hostels', or dorms.

Puthumai sitting at one of Visva Bharati's outdoor class rooms. Among other things, the university is famous for holding sessions outside. This is where the teacher would sit.

Tourguide Shubhra and The Travelers - the red structure to the left of Dan was once used as the school bell for all of Vivsa Bharati. Shubhra mentioned that it might have been a gift from the Japanese after Loren pointed out its Shinto characteristics.

After visiting Shubhra's alma mater, we packed back into the taxi and drove a few kilometers outside of town to visit the Sonajhuri Forest. It is famous for its rare laterite geology, which occurs in areas rich in iron and aluminum; hence the red soil you see everywhere. Much of the soil is rocky and impermeable, so water runs through and creates amazing gullies and abrupt clifs. It's really beautiful. Uncle Walt (geologist) would have enjoyed this.

We really enjoyed our time at Sonajhuri. Rob made a joke about an episode of 'The Flinstones' when the family goes on a road trip to see the Grand Canyon, and all that is there is a trickle and a sign post. It's interesting to think that this may have been what the Grand Canyon looked like a few million years ago. Anyway, after an hour or so of sight seeing we found out that there was a small fair going on only a short walk away. So, we decided to explore.

Dan receiving a gift from Shubhra and Puthumai

Dan and Loren enjoy the music of the bauls (pronounced baools). They travel around singing about love, life, and god. Loren compares them to the troubadours during the middle ages, without the chivarly.

We made it home that night after visiting Shubhra's parents. They fed us plenty of Chop, which is some my favorite food here so far. They also brought out coffee for us. It was a nice time and I'm glad Rob and Dan were able to meet them. After that, we headed back to CKS for dinner and a few beers.

The next day was another busy one. By this time, Dan was starting to feel a little sick. However, he kept up with everyone else, and managed to have a good time. Dan - I'm sorry to put you through all of that. Thanks for toughing it out. In the morning, we visited one of Shubhra's sisters and her husband; Indira and Bijoy. They live outside of Bolpur, and own a few acres. From what I gathered, it sounds like Bijoy rents some of the land to local villagers, who grow crops and make their wages selling it all during harvest season. We visited that village, which is populated by people of the Santhal Tribe. In India, there are many tribes considered to be indigenous. The Santhals are one of the oldest and largest tribes, and are dispersed all throughout India.

Indira, Snehendu (Indira's little boy), and Shubhra as we left their home for the village.

Hello.

Double-O Daniel. He swears he wasn't posing.

A Santhal boy showing us a rat trap.

Puthumai saying hello and pointing out some common health problems villagers face.

Home-made rice beer.

Bijoy, Indira's husband, is in the tan collared shirt on the left.

Rob trying out the rice beer. The little boy behind him seemed to be saying 'no, no, don't do it. Save yourself'.

There are large expanses of agricultural land like this all over West Bengal, and probably India in general.

After the visit, we had a nice lunch at one of the local hotels, briefly visited another fair, and went back to CKS for the evening.

Prize winning veggies! There were a lot of parallels between this fair and the ones you see back home, but no deep fried Snickers bars.

On our way out, back to CKS.

There was some time to relax before dinner.

This just about wraps up the two days and two nights Rob and Dan shared with us in Bolpur at CKS. It was an unforgettable weekend. Who would have thought we would have ever had the chance to spend time in India together? Look out for another post very soon. I have plenty of reflecting to do, and plenty to say about the status of my projects. During our final day together we travelled to Kolkata and toured around a bit; capping things off with a bizarre experience at the Kalighat temple. Dan and Rob have already made it back home safe and sound. I hope this is enough for now. More to come soon.

Love,

Jeff

History and Comrades - West Bengal

2010-01-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Thanks for all the kind comments. It's so nice to hear from people - the love and support means the world to me. You're all in my heart and prayers.

This post might come off as a bit of a history lesson. I apologize ahead of time, but my goal is to build a bit of context to help explain a few of my most interesting experiences so far. Some of these facts have been dug up from wikipedia, just to let you know.

So, West Bengal is one of states 28 states in India (there are also 7 federally administered 'Union Territories'). Although it covers only 2.7% of India's landmass, it contains 7.8% of its population with around 80,000,000 residents. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, and is the third most populated metropolis in the country. West Bengal is less than half the size of Washington State and has a population twelve times larger. Imagine that.

The British East India Company had its capital in Kolkata throughout the Raj era in India. Several greats of Indian history have sprouted from these grounds. Rabindranath Tagore, who will most likely continue to be discussed throughout this blog, was a highly influential social activists during the tulmutuos years in India during the first half of the twentieth century. He critiqued the inflammatory nationalist movement through his novels and poetry, and in doing so played a large role in modernizing Indian literature; earning him a Nobel Prize in Literature - Asia's first Nobel Prize winner. He founded a university called Visva Bharati, which is only about two miles away from where I'm living now.

Another big name from West Bengal is Subhash Chandra, the greatest freedom fighter during the Indian independance movement against the British Raj in the mid 1900's. A few nights ago, while wandering the neighborhoods, Loren and I stumbled upon hallowed ground. We were told it was where Chandra gave one of his famous speaches . There was a statue of him and something like a shrine nearby - he is highly venerated. Below is a paiting we found on the wall of a school near our house.

Rabindranath on the left, Chandra on the right

Amartya Sen is another big name and more of a contemprorary than the other two. He won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998.

The point I'm trying to get across is that the history of West Bengal as a state is inseperable from the history of India as a nation. So much has gone on here, it's difficult to wrap my head around.

The final component of WB that I'd like to mention, and that stands out in Indian history is its ruling political party. For three decades it has been ruled by The Left Front, a group led by the Communist Part of India. This is the longest standing democratically elected communist government. One leader in particular from West Bengal, known as the architect of the Indian Communist Party, had a profound impact on India's politics over the past six decades. He died the first week Loren and I got here, on January 17th at the age of 85.

Fascinating. What does that mean? What are the realities of that? How does it impact politics here - as my Dad would say, "The process whereby it is decided who gets what". It's easy to read about this, but seeing and hearing it has opened my mind so much more to the subject. Imagine it - over twenty years ago the Wall fell. But here in West Bengal, like in China moreso than North Korea, there exists a modernized communist government. One that seemingly plays with the notion of private property and competition. Anyway, it's been so interesting to me to see bits and pieces of it.

A recent demonstration on a busy road near our house. The Communist Party in India is in decline recently, and they are desperate to show the people they are still present. They even hire people to come in from the countryside to take part in the marches.

Communist graffiti we saw walking down a random neighborhood lane

A memorial to Basu on the day after his death. The flags were all raised at half mast. The bridge in the background is the Howrah Bridge, which crosses the Hoogly river on the way to Kolkata

More communist graffiti

A megaphone attached to a rickshaw during the same demonstration

Anyway, this is all just my brain wandering. Interesting stuff. So much to learn. There is no danger to me as a US citizen, as long as I use common sense and courtesy. Loren and I blatently were taking photos and no one said a word to us.

And, last but not least, I think India has made me appreciate cute animals more than ever.

I don't care who you are, that's cute.

Business...and Puppies!

2010-01-24T03:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Loved Ones,

It seems that Loren and I have had lots of time to adjust and settle into things. All the care we've received from Shubhra, Puthumai, Shubhra's family, and many other kind souls has made it a soft landing for us. So, I'll take this opportunity to get serious for a bit and share more about the Center for Knowledge and Skills (CKS), where I am currently interning. This will probably bore you all, so I'm adding puppies at the end to make it worth your while.

But first, a few updates. Loren and I were able to get hold of a used bike. It is very sturdy, which was definitely a trait we were looking for because we are pretty hefty in comparison to many people here. It can hold both of us at once, and soon enough CKS will purchase another. It's a nice addition, and it only cost $19.50 for the bike plus repairs. Chitra and Ton Moy, Shubhra's sister and brother in law, made it all happen. They've been wonderful to us, and have offered nothing but love.

This is an answer to Michael's question - did I find sweets yet? Did I find sweets...I thought you knew me better, Mike. I sensed this shop's existence from eight blocks away. My sixth sense.
Ok, enough of that.

***Please know that the following is all heresay, and is only what I've gathered over the past few months. Some of the details may be off. Puthumai, if you read this, please correct me if needed.

As I said before, Puthumai has over a decade of experience playing somewhat of an interlocutory role between international and domestic NGO's, as well as between those and the government of West Bengal. Being a one-man communications hub of sorts, he has interfaced with and cultivated a vast network of movers and shakers in the disaster management and general humanitarian fields. He's familiar with the work of a huge list of these organizations. In his time working with grass roots non-governmental organizations (NGO's) he has identified that many are in need of support. So, in response, he has recently founded CKS to provide training and disseminate essential knowledge to the NGO's.

The following is a list of training modules CKS will provide potentially . This is the nitty gritty, so I would understand if you don't read it all. My goal is to provide share what CKS is all about. This doesn't necessarily answer the question, "So...what will you actually be doing there?", but it hopefully provides a bit of context for those interested. Puppies on the way. More adventure stories within the next week or so.

Social Analysis- Includes Social, Political, Economic and Cultural Systems in West Bengal, and practical tools to understand mechanisms and analyze causes of poverty in a community.

Rights Based Approach to Develpment- Explains approaches to development, constitutional, citizenry, consumer, political and informational rights, and how to attain them, and techniques to impart the same to communities

Project Writing- Concept Note Writing, Project Writing, Budget Making and a brief on LFA, Gap Analysis and Stakeholder Analysis

Constitution and Political Systems in India

Report Writing- Process Report Writing, Newspaper Report Writing, Case Study Writing, and Brief Report Writing, with a note on reports on emergency relief situation

Program Monitoring Skills & Methods- Personnal Monitoring, General Program Monitoring, Budget and Cash Monitoring, Quality and Quantity Monitoring, Outcome and Impact Monitoring - tools, methods and soft skills

Managerial Tools for Social Workers- Staffing, Directing, Monitoring, Budgeting, Planning, Coordinating organization or program; Documentary Needs; Organizaing Multiple Tasks - Procedures and Methods; law and social administration

Research Methodologies - Survey Methods, choosing a right method, staffing, documenting researchers - with soft skills on MS Access and Excel - for data entry, analysis, query and report generation.

E-Governance and Future Governance in India

Social Communication-Street Theater as a powerful tool to convey messages; and techniques for using visuals

Disaster Management- Thematic analysis of governmental and non-governmental system of preparedness, mitigation and response, including community based disaster management tools, with practical apps and visuals.

Disaster Response Management: Rescue and Relief Systems- inputs on "doing relief" camp management, data management, linkages, distribution of relief materials, stock management, emergency response report writing / systems etc.;conducting rescue operations and rescue methods

Rights of Tea Garden Workers and Rights of Indigenous People of Mountain Terrain

Government Schemes

Legal Rights and Police-Public Relationship- Legal rights of workers, laborers, women and children, conjugal rights and duties; rights relating to police, ways to write a FIR, make a diary; rights and constraints in police custody and judicial custody

Gender in Development Programs - gender and social policy

Life Skills Education- Youth and youth problems

People's Organizations- SHGs, Farmer's groups etc.; community organizations

These are all the ideas Puthumai is considering for the courses and trainings CKS will provide to agencies. Loren's jobs are to create four comprehensive training or lesson plans, as well as to build the library. I will be focusing more on personnel by connecting with international students in the area to build a network of educated young folks in the area, drum up any form of support, or draw from their wisdom and experience. For international students hoping to volunteer with CKS, I will create a manual containing tips about arrival, eating, sanitary habits, internet and telephone, transportation, electrical and appliances, local gestures and body language, clothing, and making acquaintances.

Ok, no more for a while. I'm sorry to saturate you all. You're all in my thoughts and prayers.

Now, as promised...

And of course...photos!

2010-01-22T09:53:00.001-08:00

Ok folks, these photos are not in chronological order, and are in fact in no order at all. I had to post at the lowest resolution because my connection is a bit slow. More photos with better explanations to come. Please enjoy. Love, Jeff.

Fun Tan Chocolate - Bitter, yet Fun. No lie.

On the campus of Visva Bharati University, Rabindranath Tagore's pride and joy. He also founded schools from kindergarten to high school. Classes are taught outdoors in the sun and under the shade of trees. Shubhra, one of our two 'local guardians', graduated with a Masters in Social Work for there.

One of our many furry neighbors. It's been interesting having goats, wild dogs, cows, and other lovable creatures roam free in my own proverbial backyard, and real backyard. This one has an interesting geometric-esque white patch. Oh, and it's true that goats eat absolutely everything.

This is a simple offering to one of the many Hindu Gods. To be honest, I'm not sure which one this is. It's been fun discovering this similarities and differences between the expression of faith and religion in the US and here in India. Since 86% of the country is Hindu, it seems there is a greater sense of openness about their practice. There was recently a festival dedicated to the godess of education, Saraswathi, and the community was out in full force. There were shrines built on nearly every street corner, young people got dressed up, and school was out for three days. There's a lot to this topic, obviously, but it seems more tightly intertwined with the societal structure and flow of life that in the US, but maybe this is just me coming from it with an outside perspective.

Loren and I were tasked with meeting Puthumai in Kolkata to act as couriers. So, we woke up early to hop the morning train to Kolkata from Bolpur. It was a nice three hour ride, and we had a good day getting a hang of the system. We actually met Puthumai in Howrah, which is a bit outside Kolkata, and had a chance to explire a Raj era bridge near the station. So many people in such little space.

Puppies! You might have to squint to see them, but there are a few in this photo. It's weird seeing so many wild dogs running around here. Dogs get so much attention in the US, but there just isn't enough for everyone here in India. Somehow, they survive. Their streets smarts are amazing - they deftly navigate the very busy streets much better than I. Some people adopt a pup or two, but for the most part they're on their own. Jack, our old boy at home, just wouldn't survive. Oh how good he has it. I love him; can't help it.

Here Lived John Cheap: This man was a local British administrator during the early nineteenth century. I assume he was directly involved with the British East India Company. Either way, it is known that he owned (or stole by force) a large plot of land that one of the two campuses of Visva Bharati University is on now. The area is called Sri Niketan, and is where the social work department where Shubhra studied is. Anyway, Mr. Cheap coerced (with the use of force) locals into providing their free labor for his indigo plantations. Ironic?

Friends from Bolpur. Loren and I, on one of our expeditions through the bazaar, met a few nice guys as we purchased a few shawls from their shop. Through that connection, we've had a chance to meet some other good fellows. This is us at the train station socializing. From left to right: Raj (red shawl), Salendra, Me, Sachin, Dibendu, Pankaz, and unknown. It was a good time that night. After hanging at Raj's garmet shop, we wandered over to the train station to meet some his friends. Pankaz is Raj's best friend, and is a great person. He is vehemot about considering himself a 'simple man'. He is good at speaking English.

Loren chatting with Salendra and Pankaz before the shop closed and we went roaming. The picture was taken by me from inside the shop and facing the street. The young locals we have talked to are very interested in the big wide world. They see the opportunities people find in the US, and are very attracted to them. At the same time, they seem to appreciate Bolpur for its relative safety and feeling of connectedness. We've only been here for nice days, and already we bump into people regularly. I couldn't imagine what it would be like living here my whole life. Pankaz loves to ask me, "At this time on a Saturday night at home, what would you be doing?"

Fantastic Four. Me, Puthumai, Shubhra, and Loren. We were eating at the Lodge Ashirbad, which is the hotel Loren and I stayed at for six days before moving into the headquarters of CKS (a house in a neighborhood). For the room, we payed only $6USD per night. On average, we ate two large meals a day - sometimes more - and ended up paying $33USD for all six nights and food. The staff was great too. Woo.

Shubhra and her fam in front of the house she grew up in. Her Father was an accountant for Visva Bharati for many years, and during her childhood they were housed on campus. It is regular practice for the University to house its faculty. The house was a bit run down, but Shubhra still loves coming back there and thinking of good times. These are her two sisters, their kids and husbands. From left to right - Snehendu, Bijoy, Indira, Shubhra, Chitra, Ton Moy, and Titli. A beautiful family.

This is an interesting temple looking building that Loren and I saw when we were exploring Howrah. I don't know much about it, but it was very photo worthy. It was taken from the Rabindra Setu bridge we walked on that took us across the Hoogly River.

This is Shubhra's beautiful yard. She gaves us a grand tour and showed us a mileau of fruit trees, herbs, and vegetable plants. She knows her way around the garden. To be correct, this is the garden at ther parents house. Very beautiful.

B, B, B, Burj, Burj, Burj, Burj is the word...sorry. We had a good time exploring Dubai during our seven hour layover there. There's a good story to tell about it, but that will come later. Here are us and the Burj Dubai. We didn't get to go inside, but got close enough to appreciate its size. It sounds like there are close to 175 floors. Wow.

Long Time Coming

2010-01-22T08:58:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! I'm so sorry for taking this long to post. We have limited access to the internet, and for some reason blogspot hasn't been working for me. So, I hope this post is successful.

It is 10:31pm on January 22nd. Loren, the other intern from Seattle U, and I have been here since the early morning of January 13th. We're definitely settling in well, and getting a hang of Bolpur, which is where we will be until late March.

So, backing up a bit. I'm a super senior at Seattle University. A few other students and I have been given the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the International Development Internship Program (IDIP), which is a program run by Seattle University that sends students to various countries to intern in the development field. In our case, development refers to the strengthening of key sectors such health care, agriculture, education, government administration, and in my case disaster management.

As it turns out, Loren and I have been sent to India for our internship. We are working with Puthumai A. Nazarene, who plays a unique and dynamic role in the administration of disaster management in the Indian State of West Bengal. He is the lead coordinator of the State Inter-Agency Group (SAIG), which links and organizes a multitude of non-profits and NGO's who work for the welfare of those struggling in India. This includes large multinationals like World Wildlife Fund, CARE, and UNICEF, as well as local grassroots agencies. Puthumai is a mover and a shaker to say the least. He has a shining heart, absolute committment to serving those in desperate need, deep faith, and wonderful humor and energy. It is a blessing to have the chance to interact with him. In addition, another beautiful soul has been by our side since we've been here. Puthumai's colleague, Shubhra, is our other 'Local Guardian'. She is leading the charge on Puthumai's latest endeavor. He is starting an NGO called the Center for Knowledge and Skills (CKS), which is in response to the great need to increase the capabilities of the non-profits he interacts with through SAIG.

The house CKS is now located in is the house Loren and I will be remaining in for the duration of the internship. Up until the last few days, we were in a hotel waiting for the purchase of the house to be finalized. So, it is freshly ours and we're excited to help CKS get off the ground.

So far, it's been all positive. Loren and I have meshed very well together. It seems like a lot of our habits are similar, as well as our senses of humor. We've been good partners in exploring Bolpur, the small city of 60,000 or so that we are living in. It's been a great adventure diving into the language, customs, food, neighborhoods, and people. We stick out like a few sore thumbs here. Although it is a college town, with Visva Bharati University and a few other technical colleges, we haven't seen very many westerners around. The smiles and laughs can be a bit discouraging from time to time, but it's simply a reality that we look and dress differently. Anyway, it is all made up for by the beautiful people we are getting to know. Shubhra's (Mom, Dad, two younger sisters and their husbands) have already made us one of their own. They are all so kind to us, and it is like always having a comfy wark blanket to know how much we are cared for here. Puthumai is also checking in on us very frequently. If he isn't able to come see us, he will call us and exchange a few updates and kind words. It's great. We're loved. Thanks God.

As far as our work goes, things are just now getting off the ground. Loren and I have moved into the house, which is great. We are dealing with a few minor details before getting going on the library for CKS. Our laser printer needs paper for us to print masses of published documents about disaster risk reduction or rural development. One of my projects is to rally international students from the schools around the area in the hopes of holding regular gatherings. It would provide a nice forum for exchaning ideas and impressions regarding studying in India, and would allow me to facilitate a dialogue about using education for bettering the world and being committed to service. Also, I hope to gain ideas from them to put together in a manual designed specifically for international interns like me who would be coming to CKS to volunteer for a few months.

Shifting gears - Bolpur is a famous city in India. It is home to Rabindranath Tagore's famous school called Visva Bharati University. He was an intellectual, a leader during India's push for independance, a social progressive, a nobel prize winner, and had a profound impact on India's education system. During that time period, there were many ideas floating around in Indian intellectual circles about how to break from the British institutionalized education system. Although many had ideas, including Ghandi, Tagore went the extra step by founding and nurturing his own school. It has growng and thrived in the light of his personal philosophy and myriad literature works. He is very revered around here, and it is amazing to be witness such a historied area that I previously would only have read about. India's past is so much more real after only being here for nine days.

Ok, this hasn't even touched the surface of what we've been doing. There are many good stories to share, none of which I will delve too deep into at this moment. Just to give you a taste - riding the trains, meeting locals, giving a speech to a bus load of students and being treated like a rock star afterward, eating lots of different and delicous foods with our (right) hand, mosquitos, a festival for the goddess of education, using an Asian toilet, puppies!, learning Bengali, cooking, catching a ride home at 11p.m. with Raj on his motorcycle after hanging out at his clothing retail shop.

Ok, much more to come! I really hope this post will be successful. Blessings to you all! For all you other IDIPers, keep posting and know that Loren and I are with you. I love you all.

Peace,

Jeff

Welcome to My Blog

2009-12-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hello loved one,

If you were sent a link to this blog it is because you are interested in my life. Thanks for caring.

I will be leaving on January 11th, and will land in Kolkata (Calcutta) on January 13th. Another student from SU, Loren Smith, will be interning with Fr. Puthumai as well. He's a great person, and we'll likely be roommates. We have a lay over in Dubai for almost 7 hours, so we hope to get at least the slightest window into the Arab world.

So far, nearly all of the logistical concerns are taken care of. I have received all my shots (Hep B, Common Flu, H1N1, can't remember the last one) and have obtained my prescriptions. The VISA came through and plane tickets have been purchased. My family has showered me with money and travel items like a money belt and collapsable laundry bin. The only things left to get my hands on are sun screen, bug spray, and Rupees (Rs) - all of which are on the way.

That's it for now! I love you all and appreciate your enthusiasm and support for me during all the preparations and planning.

Peace,

Jeff