Goa!

I sit and type to you as the sun sets, highlighting the tropical humidity and smog floating in the sky. Birds, mainly India's common crow fights for acknowledgement amongst the beeping of cars, and 6:30 prayers from the mosques that are being broadcast from loud speakers. A powerful, ancient sound, reminisent of singing is music to my ears although I do not follow the Islam, nor do I understand what they are saying. It is just one of the many aspects that intregrally defines India.

I am running short of time as ususal so a short summary of where I am now and what I have been doing.

I have had approximately 9 homestays to date and with that 9 drastially different towns. I am literally seeing india in a way that is unexpected and a way that I don't live.., like a queen. I am happily struggling with this as this struggle continusously highlights my independence and dually the graciousness I have for all that is being provided to me.

The rotary members not only take us into thier home but pay for all our of food, water, snacks and the like and refuse to accept any moneies. They or their drivers also drive us around, carry all of our bags, and open my door for me (I definately struggle with this one! I can carry my own bags... stubborn girl or am I just practicing for my pack test.. ) The wives or maid servants, cook the food and wash my clothes and serve me all the food and won't let me assist at all in any way and then clean up. This is something that I am not accustomed to, to say the least.

And I have recieved more gifts and flowers at every encounter! I came here with one bag (everyone else had 2,) and I have since needed to buy a second bag for all the gifts that were given to me! The flower count is well over 125 flowers or bouguets. So much for a minimalist traveling lifestyle.

All the families are very giving and friendly and I have enjoyed staying with them..Our days are filled with visiting rotary aid projects which include safe drinking water projects, schools for all, the blind, deaf, mentally challenged. We have visited numerous universities, hospitals, farms, and major industries (the environmental nightmare for me! don't get me started!). I have been white water rafting, shopping, to an ashram, joined in laughter yoga (where I flew around the yard laughing and flapping my "wings" like a bird), meditated, met with a Swami, met a princess, toured historic mosques and moseliums, a Palace, traveled to numerous businesses, vacinated children against polio, played cricket, badmitten, went birding (amazing birds!), taken 10 gigs of photos and videos, and swam in the Arabian sea.

I am now in Goa, a travel distination for Europeans, where I have been basking in the sun and enjoying salty hair and sand stuck in my toes. I was in the water for two hours today loving life. I have another week here and then I am off to paris for a couple of days.. more stories to come.. Natasha is right.. I could go for some chocolate right now.

I am not so much homesick as I am sick of the food here. Indian food is great in moderation and I have been eating it for three meals a day for 3 weeks. If I even smell it it makes me sick.. I am on white rice right now! LOL and I haven't seen a chocalate bar or the like in 3 weeks or Salad. but life is still good! Miss you all. More to come

Traveling thoughts

I find myself losing time or difficulty tracking it.. A wonderful feeling to be traveling with a purpose and none at all dually. Today we said goodbye to Sunir and Sagun and headed down the "improved" roads and across expanses of millet/sorgum , dry grazed grasses, sugar cane, banana plantations, small worn down towns,. Bullock carts piled hight with harvested sugar cane edge the road and rickshaws, bicyclers, and cars weave in a out of one another, around dogs, pigs and cattle in the road, and numerous pot hoes.

The corn has been harvested, a gold yellow drying between the tilled rows adding a blaze of color to the red and brown clay fields thirsty for the summer rains. It hasn't rained here at all and it won't till April. The land is gently undulating, rolling with the fine grass cover. I expect that these lands like ours were once vast forests, and later conversations support my suspicions. A line of black goats and herders wrapped in dirty turbans and shreds of clothing string their way across this landscape. Some goats are blessed with a brilliant pink dye and the top ram's horns are painted blue. These colors honor their gods and blue especially indicates power and strength. Woman are seen collectively adorned in bright colored sauris of brilliant green, yellow, blue and red. They are striking against the worn lands and they themselves are worn by poverty and hand labor inflicted upon them by the cast system which remains strong. Like the flowers blooming brightly into the blue sky, the woman bring striking and strong beauty to the beaten lands. They shine in pride in they style and dress but their smile shines the most radiant. A namaste, a word of welcome and honor, brings the worn hands to the equally worn face in a nodding prayer that ends with hands to heart, a gracious thank you of acknowledgement.

People are seen bathing and urinating along the road. Brilliant advertisements are painted on building walls and the banyan trees painted in 3 thick stripes of alternating red and white protect the trees from being felled. Hindu temples are found everywhere and are of every shape and size. Each specifically for each caste layer. This peaceful religion is responsible for the happiness, smiles, and brilliant colors of India. They are content no matter what their hardship. They don't just follow their religion, they apply it whole heartedly to their lives. Yoga and meditation are just one part of their religious practices. Every morning, you can find men and woman alike practicing yoga in the park singly or as part of a class.. which mind you is free of cost.

We stopped at a shoe factory, where the sandals are hand made by elders sitting comfortably on the ground. Many of us would have difficult sitting and or standing up let alone sitting in lotus position for hours. These shoes will be sent off to Britain more 60 euros, they make less than 3 dollars a day... I am seeing what I already knew.. The cost of our embellishments, is someone else’s poverty and environment..

Doning the Sauri..

When I was younger, I loved going to my grandmother's house and pulling out the exotic piece of fabric (5 yards long) that was stored in the dresser, I now own. She was given it many years bfore by a woman who traveled to India. I would admire the print and colors agast by the length and that it some how was transformed into a beautiful dress. All these years later, I am enveloped in my first. A black sauri, a new type, of gold sequins is slowly wrapped around me. The top is a black "blouse" reminisent in cropping and tightness of a dallas cowboy cheerleader. The slip that follows is tied corest tight around my waist and double knotted.. This the foundation of the whole sauri.. if it fails, all is exposed. The fabric is tucked and wound around me one complete time in a counterclockwise direction and tucked into the top of skirt to my height. After the first wrap, the the end of the sauri is measured so that it goes up and over my left shoulder. The excess is folded back and forth on itself creating pleating and tighted on each side of my waist. This pleat is tucked i n the front undernieght the portion that travels up and over my shoulder covering my waist line in the front but exposing my back on the back. Safety pins secure the fabric to my left shoulder. I feel like royality and a bit more feminine than perhaps I have ever been as I stand for pictures, my arms and hands adorned with henna and glass bangle bracelts and a bindie on my forhead. The only thing that would make me more "indian" would be a better tan!

Curry, Chapati, Dosa, Chutney-

Smooshed between Kevin and Justin on the last leg of our flight to India, Justin turns to me with a coy smile and a glance at my left over meal "You don't have to worry about leftovers with Kevin and me around". He promptly claims my food.

Today, is the 10th day that we have been in India. I am on my fourth homestay, and now am in Belagium with bobby, my new host. I smile as it is a name I don't have to study to remember. The others, Sangram, Devendra, Sunil, Suhnir were a challenge..

We arrive at this home where we promptly sit down and start eating the array of small delectable servings of Curry, chapati, peppers (with my right hand only). Don't let those small piles fool you.. The hosts are giving and gracious and leave the Italian's in the dust as far as manga, manga is concerned. The meal starts small and finishes with you firmly stating you are full on the third offering. The first and second offering, no is not taken and a "little" bit, which mind you is not little, is placed on your plate.. The second is slyly placed again. We are becoming all a bit rounder because of this pattern not only at dinner (which tends to be at 10 pm), but lunch and breakfast a like! (The food is so tastey and yummy, I wish I could pass it right through the screen for you.. )

"Tea Time" which follows with cookies, crackers, fruit, and sweets galore.. My sweet tooth is not longer.. Yesterday we were invited for Tea and were served a full fledge snack at 5 and then served a full dinner at 10.. I never expected to go to India and gain weight..And Justin has called uncle.. and shall we say "eaten his word" The only glance at my plate is when the third serving finds its way to my plate..:)

But alas, each and every meal is fabulous and it is nice to come home to a fresh prepared meal of fresh ingredients.. I am fully served and never allowed to prepare the food, or help clean up. it will probably be a bit before I hit an indian restaurant in the US but will take quite the adjustment to make myself meals once again as I return home.

What is today?

I have no idea what the date is or even what day it is.. and I never watch time pass me by on my wrist...and to top it off, my cell phone is off. I am doing so much here that the day's seem like they are two.. I have barely enough time to zip off a few highlights in my journal before crashing briefing before I am back at it. Today, I head off to a new host family. I have had three so far and I have been kept "in the family" as the three collectively are two brothers and a friends.. Each morming I am up by 6 am (its 5 pm in NY). yesterday, I was off to observe morning Yoga in a ancient white marble temple of the King (Maharji), is a common practice. Whisps of sandlewood incense and cool marble spark my scences, and the fine accoustics of the marble walls and chanting, bring goosebumps to my arms.

We spend our mornings with our host familys, and alternate vocational visits with site seeing. So far, I have met the princess of Kolapur- (Yup, that was on day 1), toured her palace (gianormous is too small of a description), visitings a sitar, spinning, and weaving factory (OSHA would not be pleased), toured blood banks, hospitals, a deaf school and a couple universities, a sugar refinery, nursery, and Flower producers (that's were all these flowers I keep getting have come from. the count is up to 75!). Alrighty.. I have to run.. more soon.. Love Polly

What do you mean its only been four days?

today is the first day that I have had access or a moment to spare to sit and write a quick soundbite of my amazing experiences here. I know that I cannot even begin to touch upon all that I am seeing here.. But, I will try.. first, I am healthy and well fed and cared for! All the hosts are treating us like royality. The food is absolutely amazing.. Ihave only eaten one thing that has made me gag, a "chocolate" wrapped ina leaf! Paan... Aparently it is a mouth freshiner.. and indeed it is.. I felt like I just cosumed a bottle of perfume... which as I chewed and dually said goodby, I fought the gag instinct and forced it down.. Other than that the food is top of this world.. All you Indian food lovers.. read it and weep.. I think that every meal is the best but then the next equalls it again and agiain..

funny experiences abound and much laughter and stories are being generated which i will write in my journal but expect I won't have much time to post here. But highlights include:

Recieving a total of 61 roses since my arrival 4 days ago.. I'm keeping count. I feel somewhere between a fabulous valentines day and a... funeral>> :) Yesterday, I recieved 30 alone.. It is tradition to present flowers as a welcome .. perhaps I will by pass 200 next week LOL?

an epiphany has been had... Long islanders are not longer considered bad drivers.. Indian's zoom throgh the crowded streets swerving with in 2 inches (seriously) of the rickshaw three wheeled carriages, bikes, dogs, people, buses, sugar can carts, you name it.. I am slowly becoming accustomed to it and my white knuckles are slowly gaining color once again..
I am slowing being transformed, with the Bindi, henna, glass bangle bracelets, and a tan.. i am in my glory here so comfortable and content, I cannot imagine not coming on this trip. for the first time, I am at a lost for words on how to share all of the experiences.. Yesterday, was a 20 hour day.. I am working on 4 hours sleep, perfectly content and bewildered by the kindness of the people, sancity of family, honor for there elders, striking colors amongst the dirt, and taste of the curry!

I am off and running again.. who knows, when i will pop in again.. I am happier than I have been in so long... all is well..

Off to the land of brilliant color and spice.. India awaits...

Well, I am back at it again. I feel pretty lucky to head out on another truely grand adventure less than a year since my last one! Hopefully, I can add a bit to this blog as I venture through India so that you can follow along with me.

I leave Thursday January 8 travel through South West India for a month, giving presentations to 10 different Rotary Clubs, shadowing professionals in Natural Resource management and staying in the home of Rotarians. Fully immersed I will be.. I fly back out of Mumbai (Bombay) on Feb 10 and on to Paris early a.m. where I will spend four days mountain biking and touring the Museums of Paris, while dining on extravagant bread, cheese and wine..

Yeah ok.. just smack me if you hear me complaining about my life when I get back from this trip.. So with that said.. I am off and running trying to finalize my work and pack those items I can't bear to part with for 5 weeks (toilet paper and Chocolate.. although it was recommended that Hershey bar remain the shelf and I instead should pick that necessity up in Paris.. now that is a friend that has my back!).

With anticipation and glee, I leave New York to feed my craving for adventure.. May it never be tamed!