Oh, What a Life...

 So, this is where I live!

Room 128; first door on the left

I thought (especially since I have not posted anything recently) it might be nice to take people on a journey through a typical day for me here in India! I don't have pictures of everything, but most days here are structured the same way so you can get the jist of things. (Fun fact: Sarah in Sanskrit means total or jist)

It all begins with an obnoxious buzz of my wind-up alarm clock. At 5:40 am! All of my group needs to be up (and active) by 6:00 am for our yoga class. We are instructed by a man named Ramesh Kumar; we all know him as the Sassy Yogi though. He sure has attitude, and often uses expressions like "this is easy pose" or "control your mind, control your body, and control your breathing." Okay-okay already, Yogi. I have confirmed some things in all of my very challenging yoga classes: I have absolutely NO balance, I have TERRIBLE posture, I am the LEAST coordinated person on this planet, and I cannot follow long Indian Prayer-Chants very well. Whatever I am saying is not accurate, in the least; I basically murmur comparable sounding English syllables and hope that he doesn't notice. 

After Yoga may actually come the most mentally challenging part of my day: preparing for the ice-cold bucket (yes, I said bucket) shower. You may think I am kidding... but I am definitely not.

 

Isn't she beautiful?

  

Yes, here at our hostel we bathe with aid of a bucket and small pitcher. Nearly every morning the water is legitimately freezing. I awkwardly stand up against the wall and wince as I pour ice-cold water over my body to rinse away soap and shampoo. It took me a while to figure out the best way to wash my hair, though I have decided the best way is just to stick my head underneath the water spigot until my hair rinses clean. Classy, I know. Unlike in the United States, there is no such thing as jumping in for a "quick" shower. No, here it is a process. And since there is no curtain, the floor becomes a wet mess quickly; cleaning up the tile at the end takes just as much time as fighting through the cold (take-your-breath-away) water. One morning there was actually hot water! That may have been the most exciting thing I have experienced since I have been here (half true). I will never take warm water for granted, ever again. Oh, and thank goodness for Western-style toilets... Ps. We do our laundry in the same bucket - an equally difficult experience.

Then I get dressed. I have already posted a corny picture of me in my silly clothes...but it is basically a similar kind of outfit everyday. Big pants (sometimes I wear pants that resemble leggings) underneath a Kameez. Also, all women here wear a long scarf draped over their neck. I additionally wear sandals everyday; they are easier to take off as you enter a room (custom here).

 These are photos of my room! It is actually very spacious.

Notice some silly Sarah things: orange sheets and my green blanket (obviously), my prayer flags, a Mason Jar full of Q-tips, and a Syracuse banner

Also, take note of the orange Yoga mat up against my desk...

Then it is off to class. This semester I am taking a wide variety of classes: Culture and Civilization of India, Health & Environment, Science, Technology and Sustainable Development (this class is by FAR by favorite), Introductory Hindi (नमस्ते, Namaste!) and Karnatic Singing - in addition to the Yoga class each morning.

 

This is the building where all VILD Classes are held

It is a beautiful, beautiful facility

 

This is the room we have all of our classes in

Can you imagine all of your college classes in ONE room?

Most classes are in a formal lecture style. The professor will deliver a lecture for about an hour and then will open the floor for questions at the end. Some classes are more interactive than others. Additionally, sometimes a guest speaker will come in to give a presentation; this especially happens when the lecture topic is more specific - they will usually bring in a specialist on that day's lesson. Understanding the Indian accent provided a challenge for the first week, but I think my ear is tuned to it now because I rarely have difficulty understanding what the professor is saying. All classes emphasize 'field-learning,' so we have several field trips lined up during the course of the semester.

Perhaps, the best part of the school day is our daily Chai/Coffee and Cookie break. I'm serious when I suggest this is a tradition American schools take up...

Today we had a really interesting guest lecture from a woman on Indian Festivals and their Accompanying Foods.  At the end of the class we took part in a traditional festival ritual. This typically involves lighting oil candles, saying a prayer, honoring a specific god/goddess with gifts (Jasmine flowers, bangles, food, etc), and then applying the red Tikaka powder to the forehead. I find these ceremonies beautiful.

 This is Brie (one of the girls in my group), Sindhu and Dr. Jayachree lighting the candles

I have Karnatic Singing (a southern Indian classical style of music) three times a week in the performing space (it kind of looks like a hut) behind the school. Our Guru, Vidishi Radhika is a young, current performer. She is easy to understand and fun to learn from. I really think I am going to enjoy this class in particular; though, it is NOT easy. 

Today we had an additional class. Our caretaker, Sindhu, gave us a cooking lesson in the kitchen of the Hostel. She showed us how to make a traditional South Indian dish: Umpa. It actually seems relatively easy to make, and I would love to make it at home. I love all of the food here. Everything is very organic and fresh - and being Vegetarian is not half bad. I feel healthier - and I don't mind the spice.

I did not take this picture, but this is kind of what our dish looked like at the end

Of course we got to taste!

Sindhu garnishes her's with dried coconut, coriander and lime juice

Delicious.

Most days, after class, it is homework, dinner, responding to emails/hanging out with others in my program, more homework and journaling before an early bedtime. 5:40 am comes around quickly, and with so much packed into one day, I get really tired here. Occasionally, we will take a quick walk into the town of Hebbal. OR if we are feeling ambitious, we will take a trip into the city of Mysore. 

There is a lot I love about the values of this school. VILD's vision is "to serve India by building the potential of individuals and Institutions for the development sector." They "influence and promote developmental initiatives in the country..." which "...lead to 'Sustainable Processes of comprehensive positive development.'" The school works with Government, NGO's, Youth groups, and Corporate organizations to research and create sustainable societal developments. As a policy kid, I love that. Additionally, the school is founded on 4 simple (I say simple, but they have their challenges in the world) ideas:

If you cannot see the small print, the English translations to these values are: Truthfulness, Non-Violence, Service and Sacrifice. Everything at the Institute is done with a purpose, and I enjoy going to class everyday. I am being opened to new perspectives and new opportunities every class.