A Weekend in Montréal!

Last weekend, some friends and I dared the border crossing and ventured into beautiful Montréal Canada.  It was a very easy 4 1/2 hour drive, and was an incredible weekend. I have been to Montréal before, but it is a totally different experience when you are a seemingly more independent twenty-year-old.  

We only stayed two nights -- but it was a wonderful time. We found the perfectly convenient (and cheap) Days Inn in downtown Montréal.  It was so close to restaurants, bars, the old historical side, and the financial district. 

 We're almost there! AND, the signs are in French!

At a Hookah Bar before dinner 

(L-R) Anne Marie, Adam, me, Jesse, and Chris

I know, we are so cute ...

Wasting time inside a transportation center 

Beautiful Old Montréal 

 Annie and I being cool dumb

  Another shot of Old Montréal

We were also able to see the Olympic Stadium, the Montréal Biodome and some of the fantastic Canadian night life.  Overall, escaping Syracuse for the weekend was well-worth the money exchange and the cold winter air. And, it is never bad to share some company with good friends.

A Syracuse Spirit

I have to say, going to a University with such a successful athletic program has its perks. As in, it is great-fun to be in such a spirited atmosphere.

Tonight, Syracuse University beat Georgetown University in a huge rival basketball game (in OT!).  Although student tickets are incredibly hard to come by (unless you have season tickets), and I was unable to be present in the recognizable Dome, I was still able to catch the tail end of the game.  This team is really pulling together some wonderful things this season. It is impressive, and fun, to watch.

Some of their success may be due to this guy:

Yeah, Boeheim is nuts.

It's Always Snowy in Syracuse, New York

Okay, you caught me. I tried to play off the television sitcom title, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I know, it failed. Miserably.

I don't even know why I am writing this entry. Or face-lifting my blog entirely, for that matter.  Maybe it is because I am bored. Maybe it is because I miss the writing-release blogging gives me.  Maybe it is because all my friends are way too into social-media, and this is my lame contribution to the virtual-world. OR.. maybe it is because I am in the library, once again for the semester, with too much to do and not enough time to do it.

Well, this is it. For now... or until I get bored again. I promised myself (and some family members, I do recall) that I would continue blogging from Syracuse. With family and friends all over, it is tough to stay in contact.  I hope, in the most impersonal way possible, this somehow suffices.  I can't promise frequent updates, but I can promise a nerdy attempt at humor and a cynical outlook on the Syracuse weather forecast. Man, it gets cold here...

In the Flash of an Eye

Just the other day it seems, I was flipping through my calendar-planner thinking about the weeks I had left in India.  Now, it is January 4th, 2012. The New Year has arrived, and I feel very far away from the Asian sub-continent I called home for so many months.  Time is unreal.
Although time (at least the time since leaving Sargur, Mysore, and eventually, India) has seemed to escape me, I have filled it pretty well.  I have returned to the United States, I have had my fair fill of American cusine, Christmas came and went, I saw some good friends and had an incredible New Year Eve in New York City, and I am gearing up for a semester of school again; this time in Syracuse.

Not too long ago I looked down at my left hand, where an intricate henna design once displayed.  Now, I look down and see my fair white skin -- nothing more.  Although the traces of India - at least physically - are disappearing, the internal memories are creeping up everywhere.  Sometimes I write my date "backwards," or grab at food with my fingers.  I am less panicked about traffic and horns and crowds.  I sat on a really nasty toilet in Penn. Station because it was, at least, a toilet with toilet paper.  The henna may no longer be on my hand, but a lot is still in my heart.  Maybe that sounds corny, but the nostalgia about India is seeping into my everyday -- that is something I wasn't expecting.

I have told a lot of people about my experience, and upon arriving back in Syracuse I expect to tell many more.  My sharing is truthful though: I had a wonderful experience and traveling anywhere for that long to live and study is an incredible opportunity. BUT, it was tough. It was dirty. It was different. At times, it was uncomfortable. I love being home; I missed home so much; AND I don't think I will leave it for 4 months in the near future.  That being said, the amount of clothes in my closet dumbfounds me; I have trouble getting dressed. The number of items in a grocery store shocks me. The PEACE & QUIET on a roadway confuses me.. there is a lot missing here. Or, at least, a lot that I am getting re-acquainted with.

My advice to anyone studying abroad OR thinking about studying abroad: DO IT. 100%. But, make it your own experience. Do not live up to other's expectations. Soak in the culture, everyday. Be careful. Live. Being in India for 4 months was an incredible opportunity that I am so grateful to have experienced. No doubt, it was tough.. but I think that is exactly what I was looking for.  Although the henna is no longer an exterior indicator of how I spent a large portion of 2011, the memories will always be with me. 

To my friends studying in Italy, Ghana, Spain, and elsewhere: good luck, and let these travels be some of the best in your life!!

It's Tough to Talk About Pads

I have been frantically trying to finish all of my internship work. As excited as I am to get home - to family, friends, snow, and Christmas cookies (not to mention, a belated Thanksgiving Day meal promised to me - mom's the best) - I still have a lot to do to complete my internship.  And so far, things are going really well!  At first, I wasn't so sure how this whole experience would pan out, but now that the end is in sight, I am pretty proud of what has been accomplished.

I have been working really hard on completing the Teacher's Manual and curriculum content, and for the exception of a few edits and a final binding of the book, I have finished it.  I am pretty happy with it, given it took me a lot of time - I think the whole thing looks nice.  My hope is that the teachers will be able to use it in their classrooms; after all, that's the whole purpose in creating something, right? So that it will be functional and user-friendly?

Yesterday was a really great day in the wonderful world of, Sarah's Internship.  It was the day I met with several mothers in the community to discuss menstruation and menstrual issues.  I thought it would be really important (given how close SVYM likes to keep the community and the health/education efforts connected) to get the mothers/female family members involved in the topic. I have had the chance to work with the teachers and students very closely in the school, but meeting with the mothers would bring in an important element to the coverage and scope of my project.

Through a conversation with them yesterday afternoon, I learned a lot about their own menstrual histories, and found out that they are much more willing to let teachers do the talking when it comes to anything regarding puberty than taking the conversation/engaging their daughters about it themselves.  The women in this community feel really uncomfortable dealing with it all, and their knowledge on the matter seems very limited.

Nevertheless, we sat around in a circle discussing the importance of teaching young girls menstrual health and hygiene.  Dr. Sridevi helped deliver the messages from my power-point in Kannada, and I was able to observe the faces, the conversations, and watch the whole concept of discussing puberty out in the open unravel before my eyes. ...and what a concept that is, in India.

After meeting with the mothers, alone, we brought in all the female teachers of the school and all of the 6th-10th standard girls.  They came piling in the one large classroom and sat with their eyes fixed or Dr. Sridevi standing at the front.  "How many of you remember meeting with Sarah before? What were we discussing?," she prompted the room staring back at her with nervous and shy-looking faces. "Menstruation," they recited back to her, as if it killed them to say the word.  Everyone talked, in a mix of Kannada and English, back and forth about questions they had regarding the topic, how much more (or less, I suppose) comfortable they feel discussing the issue, and how their mothers - the same women sitting right behind them - could get more involved/be more helpful in the transition from girl to woman.  Although there was a lot of nervous energy in the room, I was happy to be in a setting where women, of the same community, were talking (ACTUALLY TALKING) about an issue that is deemed so taboo.  Not just around this country, but around most of the modern world. Still...

All eyes fixed on the front of the room, as Dr. Sridevi answers some questions from the audience

Both girls and mothers, alike, asked questions regarding the physical changes that take place in their bodies

It was even wonderful to see one of the older girls offer an answer to a 6th graders question

After one school block of Q&A, the girls were dismissed from school but the mothers remained in the room. It was great to see a follow up discussion take place. Although I could sense many of them were still uncomfortable, they seemed happy that something was happening. After all, every single mother in that room had said: I had NO idea what was happening to me when I got my first period.  It was kind of like trial and error, until I learned what to do. I am happy, and proud, to at least say that I was able to stimulate some conversation for their daughters.  Hopefully no girl who goes through the Viveka School of Excellence in the future will ever feel as ill-prepared for this change as those mothers did.

After the mothers had left, I was able to present my manual (and the accompanying teaching aid: a flip chart) to all the female teachers at the school. We sat, yet again, in one large circle. I spoke to them about what I have learned, and showed them how I compiled a teaching manual, organized by grade level, to help them feel more comfortable and prepared when talking about these topics with the girls.  They seemed happy to have something. I know most of them could use a little push of encouragement in talking about it... after all, it is a tough thing to discuss. Even I got a little red in the face.  Nevertheless, it is important and the conversations need to take place.

And through it all, I hear the best news of my internship so far yesterday.  I had contacted a few companies that manufacture sanitary napkins in India and asked if they would be willing to make a donation (large or small) to the school I had been working at.  Some of the girls are fortunate enough to manage the (fairly expensive) purchase each month. Others however, are not as lucky.  In India, where 74% of the population lives in rural areas AND where 70% of the people live on less than $1.00 a day... it is often unreasonable to purchase sanitary napkins from the stores.  Not to mention, in rural areas, there are no shopping centers to speak of, so the girl has to work up some courage to ask for them behind a glass counter from an older man who likely owns the corner shop.  You can see why this is an issue...

Anyhow, two years ago there was a scheme through the government and community ASHA workers (accredited social health activists - basically like a traveling nurse and health teacher) in which one sanitary napkin company would provide ASHAs with low-cost pads to disperse to girls.  Given that several girls do not have access to these products, and instead use other, horrible, methods of absorbing their blood each month (literally... the worst you could think of: fertilizer, dry wall, wet blankets, old saris...) this would be one way to help girls afford the most sanitary and hygienic product available to them on the market. The plan sounded wonderful, but like many great plans involved with government help, the scheme did not take off. Long story short, I was contacted by Johnson & Johnson (yes... THE international company) via telephone. A woman intercepted my email and told me she wants to help.  She is making a donation to the school - it is awesome news! Now the girls will have an emergency stash they can count on at the school.  

Things are certainly moving along. It's nearly the weekend here... and I leave Sargur on Tuesday.  Then, it's back to Mysore for one last week of India. Although I am getting pumped for the holidays, and for the prospect of returning to Syracuse, I am so happy to know that my last 4 weeks shaped up into something I can be proud of.  Even if just small changes in one community, I truly believe that talking is the first step to doing... and who knows? Maybe this will become something of a trend, throughout India and, perhaps, the world.

"Are there puppies in the America too?!"

As promised: My Internship in India, Playing With Puppies Edition
Ok, not exactly. I swear, I do have a real internship, but come on....

ADORABLE!

Just a few yards away from the hospital, there is a little shed housing four of some of the cutest puppies I have ever seen! One afternoon, Brie, Joseph and I were walking back from a ice-cream-snack-break on the school's playground (yes, we sometimes go to eat Popsicles while playing on the teeter-totter... what of it?), and we heard some whimpering.  With a closer look, we saw them! Four cute, and very tiny, puppies.

The entirely black one is my favorite :)

Given that their home is so close to my home... I often go to check if they are awake and playing outside.  I am careful not to get too close when 'mama' is around, for fear of 1) rabies and 2) rabies... but if they are out, it is fun to see them trip clumsily over their paws, nervously come up to lick my fingers, and occasionally alow me to hold them and love them immensely. It is truly one of the highlights of my days here.  The best is when kids are hanging around the shed too (what?! kids and puppies hanging out with me = perfect life).  As seen in the title of this post, the kids get really inquisitive by my interactions with the puppies.

On a few other positive notes...

My internship is going really well! I have made a lot of progress on my manual, and I have generated some interesting data based on some of the surveys I created.  Next up on my internship check-list: to meet with the mothers/female family members of the girls and initiate a discussion AND host a "how to care for yourself during menstruation" demonstration session.

Brie, Joseph and I are going back to Mysore to join the others for an Indian Thanksgiving: Pizza Hut Rs. 99 Weekday Special! (though, I will be missing my mom's dressing and sweet potato pie INCREDIBLE amounts)

Given the previous note.. I have started going for runs again! That's right... I am running. Legitimately. And eating better. And doing ab workouts/crunches every morning.  I suppose something has to make up for my ice-cream-snack-breaks and pizza excursions...

Also, I will be home in 3 weeks from today!

Sunsets and Scenery from Sargur

 An Upstream View, just from the Hospital

 A view from the Hospital Parking Lot

Views from under the great Pepul Tree!

I know it should be hard to feel homesick when this is what I get to look at everyday (plus, it was 80 degrees this afternoon!) but nevertheless, I am ready for some New England again.

Although, hopefully I can get some pictures of the puppies that were just born outside the hospital... because I could stay here forever if I got to play with puppies all day.  Maybe I will just change my internship to: Dog Whispering? 

I'm Living in a Hospital...

It's been a while, but I am currently on phase three of my time here in India; the phases, of course, going something like this: 2 months of class, 1 month of travel, and 1 month of an independent research project/internship.  In a way, it is crazy how the time has passed.  At the same time, I am feeling so incredibly homesick at this point that I cannot wait to be back little 'ole Henniker, NH.

I am spending much of my final month in a rural village south of Mysore called Sargur.

Mock my high-tech image of the town... 

I took it myself

Way down on the bottom of the image is the Vivekananda Memorial Hospital, the place I currently call home.  I will admit, it is a little strange living in a hospital - and people aren't kidding when they compare bad food to hospital food (*ahem, I mean.. it is delicious).  Nevertheless, Brie, Joseph and I have settled into the little "guest room" nook at the top of a dark and semi-sketch ramp (only at night) and have been enjoying our time here.  

My internship is developing day-by-day, but hopefully at the end of 4 weeks I will have a project to show for all the work I have done.  In short, I am creating a teaching manual (i.e. some form of curriculum guidelines) for the Viveka School of Excellence, right next door to the hospital, regarding early female reproductive health.  After doing a bit of research on my own (especially after a few lectures during the course of my school semester) I learned that a large percentage of girls drop out of school once they being menstruating.  When I inquired about this issue further, a teacher told me it is because many schools do not have the proper facilities for the girls to feel comfortable during their period.  That is, there are inadequate bathroom facilities; sometimes there is only an open field that everyone uses.  Moreover, many girls come from families that cannot afford proper sanitary napkins/pads...if they even know those exist.  Many girls use reusable cloths, and given certain religious/spiritual restrictions for a girl during her period, many girls are unable wash/dry these cloths properly (with the family wash), which causes severe infection.  Education on reproductive health (that is, puberty) is scarce, if ever mentioned, in India.  The topics are taboo, and often, girls don't know anything about their changing body until it changes.  When I learned about all this, I was astounded and really wanted to dive into the issue (even though I am a child and still giggle when someone says 'period').

So far, I have met with some of the female teachers at the school and have started the foundation for my project by conducting some interviews and creating surveys.  My aim is to gather information based on what people do know and what people do not know so that I can create a manual that will approach the issue in both a scientific but culturally sensitive manner. Although I am running into incredibly challenging situations (aka, people do not like talking about this issue... that is obvious), I am working with a doctor and several teachers at the school who seem engaged and willing to help me.  One teacher in particular has really shown an interest because she feels like it is an issue for the girls at the school.  I still have a lot to accomplish, the most challenging coming up this Thursday: actually talking with the young girls.  I am hoping for some good feedback so that I can begin designing the manual.  It is a tough undertaking (1. the nature of the topic and 2. because I have a lot to do in the remaining 3 weeks), but I am eager to leave something of value behind for the community here.  Besides, no girl should have to feel like she needs to drop out of school.  Especially for something as manageable as a monthly period.

A Look Back: Chronicling My Journey Through Photographs

 Picking cherries from a tree with kids from the Shanti Bhavan School in Tamil Nadu

 A view from the backside of the Taj Mahal in Agra at sunset

 A man and woman enjoying the sacred waters of the Ganga in Rishikesh

Maharishi Mahesh Ashram (where the Beatles recorded The White Album) in Rishikesh

 Apparently, a career in Rishikesh

No thank you, Ear Cleaning Man...

 Meals cooked over a fire in the village of Maheshpura (just outside Jaipur) on the farm
 

 The Old Pink City of Jaipur

 A woman worshiping in the Se Cathedral of Old Goa

The view of a river in Old Goa 

(it was prettier than the view of the ferry crossing the same path)

Traveling Around India: Update Part Three

I am back in Mysore to write this third and final update regarding my independent travels around India. It was a long (16 hour) trip back to Mysore, but I was coming from the beach in Goa... so I will not complain. Looking back, I really did have such a wonderful experience. Even though there were a few issues, stresses, and road bumps along the way, there was also a lot of beauty and I made some incredible memories. To me, it is crazy enough to think I am through the first week of November, let alone 3 months into being abroad!  I will try to recap the third week of my travels... though I will warn you, it had a lot to do with me being lazy.

Welcome to Anjuna Beach, Goa
...I know

Very few college students (especially college students from freezing-cold Syracuse, NY) can say they enjoyed a few days hanging out on a beach in November.  Also, when that beach is alongside the Arabian Sea... magical. My travel path begins with a flight from Jaipur, Rajasthan to Vasco, Goa. Of course, my flight was delayed 2 1/2 hours.. but once it was up in the air, the flight was smooth sailing and quick.  When I landed I knew my time in daylight would be limited. I noticed 3 other ladies (all traveling by themselves) trying to figure out how to share a taxi. I learned all four of us were going to different places, but all four of us were heading to beaches in Northern Goa. Instead of trying to navigate the state myself, I asked to join them. The ride was a bit cramped, but it was significantly cheaper than trying to figure things out on my own AND I shared a ride with women from Germany, Israel, and Sweden (with ages ranging from 24-65!)

Joseph met me in an alley just short of the beach in Anjuna, Goa. He and 7 of the others were just about the eat at a place called Moon Star (also, 90% of the group ate together that night!) It was very nice to see everyone's familiar face, and to exchange travel stories.  Also, the food was delicious. (safe to assume I ate my weight in food at this restaurant too..)

My time in Goa was very relaxing. Goa is a western state (a very, very, small western state) with a lot of Portuguese influence. The Portuguese colonized the area and brought many different ways of thinking, landscape designs, and foods - they were also there until the late 1960's, well after the rest of India's independence in 1947.  Over looking the Arabian Sea, the entire geography of the state is beautiful. Not to mention warm, sunny, humid, touristy, and fun.  I spent a great deal of time hanging by the beach (with a cocktail in the evening time was also pretty cool), swimming in the warmest ocean I have ever been in, eating (give me a break... they had delicious pizzas, scrambled eggs and ice cream), and ...to be honest... sleeping. It felt so good to sleep in/take mid-day naps, and just lounge around. It was also wonderful to be sharing a room with people again - and always reuniting with everyone for meals. Also, I will admit, it is so much more relaxing/low pressure/fun to be able to order a drink with dinner.

Sometimes I forgot I was in India...

 ...and then I saw cows on the beach and remembered, "oh, right, I am"

 The group of us getting lunch at the Moon Star Restaurant

 There was such a noticeable fusion of Indian/Beach/Portuguese Culture in Goa

 Everywhere...

On Friday, a small group of us ventured a few kilometers away to the township of Old Goa.  Old Goa is known for its high concentration of Christian churches and cathedrals. The area was beautiful and definitely stood apart from the other parts of India that I saw.  We walked around the small town and popped into the various churches to look at the intricate and ornate designs, both inside and out.. Although it was an incredibly hot day, the trip was well worth it - and we got to figure out the local bus system a little better before making our way back the Panaji (the capital) to catch our final buses back to Mysore.

 The inside of this one, Church of Saint Cajetao (pictures inside below) was by far the most beautiful

Everything was so well kept... and to think services are no longer held there

As someone who is not very religious, but fascinated by religiosity, I found the trip incredibly inspiring. It was also interesting to me to be in such a Christian part of India - yet feel the more traditional Indian fusion integrated into the Cathedrals and landscape.

Goa, I think, was a wonderfully low-key and relaxing end to my individual journey around the country. Although I am incredibly tired, have a lot of laundry to do (and by laundry, I mean a lot of de-funking my clothes to do) and just a short time in Mysore before I head off to Saragur for my internship (eep.. tomorrow!) there are still many places I wish I had time to explore. There is simply too much to see in India. Despite all of the confusion and craziness in navigating my way around, I know I grew as a person. I grew as a traveler, as a woman, and someone who can now DEFINITELY do things on her own; I grew as someone who no longer cares about smelling good or looking good. I grew more comfortable in using squatting toilets and/or ANYTHING available. I grew more fearless and confident in my decision-making abilities. I also saw some beautiful places and met some incredibly friendly and interesting people.  There were many things along the way that made me frustrated, but there were many things along the way that had me stop and think about who I am as a person, what I want from life, and simply: to just enjoy being in one confined moment in time.  There is so much in life we can rush into, plan for, and dream of. For once in my life, I loved just being a student, a visitor, a traveler, a passenger, a volunteer, a farmer, a friend, an observer, a tourist, a beach bum, and above all: Sarah. Corney as that may seem, the past 3 1/2 weeks opened my eyes to more things about myself than I ever could have asked for.  In addition, I had a pretty sweet vacation in the middle of a college semester and got to traverse India.