Another exciting and eventful week. So last Friday was my first cooking class where I learned homestyle North Indian cooking. We learned about eight recipes of which I can't wait to cook for you! Today we will learn South Indian cooking which is also really yummy and I have never cooked before. Last Friday evening was Rachel's birthday, so we went to an American Diner to have drinks and dinner.
Saturday morning we woke up early to catch a train to Agra. We had a very nice sleeper car on the way there with open windows. While it was a nice car and we were on our way to see the emblem of beauty, we passed two hours of slums. When we arrived in Agra we checked into our very nice hotel, got some lunch and decided to make our way to Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna. We made our way to the bus station, but of course there were no signs letting us know which bus was going to Mathura. We asked at least five times which bus went to Mathura, but each time we went to the bus we were directed to, the bus driver informed us that they weren't going to Mathura. Right as we were about give up I decided to ask one more bus driver who said "yes, Mathura." We piled in the bus and anxiously asked if this in fact was the bus to Mathura. Six boys were telling us that the bus was going to Fatepur Sikri instead. After a bit of arguing, the boys got up to ask the driver and started to walk off the bus. They were on the wrong bus! We felt so proud of ourselves in figuring out how to get where we wanted despite the language barriers. This is struck me as really comforting actually. In India I have been continually reminded that the difficulties one confronts in India is not reserved for tourists alone, Indians have just as many difficulties negotiating as we do. The Indian staff at SIT constantly complain about Rickshaw drivers, and rickshaw stories seem to have replaced the drunken stories the group shares in the morning. After about an hour we passed a sign that said "Mathura" pointing away from where the bus was going. People in the group were convinced we were heading back to Delhi, but fortunately we arrived at a bus station. We were going to go to Vrindavan, but on the way we realized it was too far away and decided to stay in Mathura and go to Vishram Ghats. We made our way to a lovely temple where Krishna is said to have rested after slaying a demon. The temple is on the Yamuna river, and there are steps leading down to the river where people send candles in offerings down the river. We then took a lovely boat ride up and down the river. At the end of the boat ride we saw a ceremony from the river where some priest held a bowl of fire in the middle of a group of people chanting and clapping. The energy swelled as we all sat in awe and silence, and as soon as it was over it dropped and everyone dispersed. It was such a magical moment. On the way back, all seven of us piled into a rickshaw (which normally seats three uncomfortably), and five minutes later the rickshaw got a flat tire. We all promptly rushed out and fled the scene. Making it to the train station we bought tickets, asked many times which was our right train and car. Fifty minutes into our 60 minute train ride a conductor came to collect our tickets and informed us that we were in the wrong car. He asked us to pay 100 rupees extra each, I protested and told him we would just move to the other lower class car, and then three large men with large rifles came hovering over us. We all took out our wallets and paid the difference, made it home by 12:30 and fell asleep promptly in anticipation for our sunrise meeting with the Taj Mahal.
In the morning we woke up at 5:30 to see the Taj at sunrise, what we had heard was the best time. In short, there was a long frusterating process to get into the Taj that I will spare you, but it involved being shocked to find out that along with food, matches, tobacco alchol being prohibited, so were books and any sort of electronics (besides a camera). Since we had checked out of our hotel, this was a problem. I wrote an essay on the ordeal which I will post on my blog if interested. The Taj was indeed beautifully stunning, though it was really strange to face this icon I am so familiar with. I found myself feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and homesickness there, I am still not sure why. I have been explaining it to myself that I do not know the group well yet, and while I am enjoying them, at an icon such as the Taj I really wanted to SHARE it with you, the people I love. Anyways, after we had a yummy and really cheap lunch which we returned to for dinner, thanks to lonely planet, and squeezed NINE people in a tiny trike/rickshaw, we have gotten pretty good at doing the clown car thing to save money. We went to agra fort which was also beautiful, though the most crowded areas were the places where you could see the Taj in the distance. The train ride back was the last test. We were in a general seating car with reserved seats. However when we arrived, our (three of us who were sharing a bench/seat) seat was occupied by a woman with three children under the age of 3. The aisles were incredibly crowded, there was no room for us to stand with our bags, so we told her that these were our seats. She got up and wanderded a bit, and eventually the children were being crushed under the large masses of people. We each offered to hold a child in our lap until the whole thing got settled, so we sat in a crowded train with people hanging over us, with three babies on our laps for over an hour until who I assume was her husband found her another seat. During this time we also got "blessed" by a passing Eunch who was rather upset we didn't pay her. Exhausted once again, we got home and fell asleep, only to get up for yoga at 6 am the next day at school.
School has been surprisingly difficult, I am still working on not letting it get to me, and I am getting there. I started Bharatnatyam classes on Monday with a man named Shantanu. He is a really good teacher and I am glad I am keeping up with my practice. Yesterday we went shopping for Saris with our homestay mother, it was a lot of fun. Mama made sure that we weren't overcharged and bargined for us which took so much of the stress out of it. We were simply shown color after color to our liking and then stood back and paid. For a full new outfit including Sari, new shoes, matching tika, bangles (3 dozen!), earings, pettiecoat, hand-made tailors blouse, and bindi, I paid about $33. I chose a really nice sheer black Sari with a deep red border/ embrodered gold detail, Wes colors! I am excited to wear the full thing and I will take lots of pictures I promise. Katherine got a really nice green one. Tomorrow we start another long adventure, we go to Gwalior, Orrcha, Khajuraho, and the Tiger Sanctuary! Then we take an overnight train back to Delhi, and in the morning we need to get all hennaed up and get ready for the wedding in the evening.
I am sorry this is the bare bones of description. Internet is very spotty here and the time seems to disappear quickly with all the work. It will likely not be until I get back from next week's excursion until my next e-mail, but to hold you over till then is this long post, my essay and more pictures added to at
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/midnightdiamond/MySemesterInTheLandOfDjinns#
Much love to you all, homesickness is setting in. I love you and miss you all.
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