Hello all,
Tonight I finally realized just how amazing this all really is. Yeah, I know, now that I only have a week left in this country, I realize how amazing it is. Like, I just realized that 10 years from now I will look back on this month in India and just shit. Like, I will never have an experience like this ever again. It’s so weird how I just go back and forth here. I’m constantly racing back and forth between ‘OHMANICANTWAITTOGOHOME’ and ‘UGGHIWANTTOSTAYHEREFOREVER’ in my head. It’s really a combination of things, I guess. Like, I’m so lucky to have met the people that I’ve gotten to know. Because really, I could totally be friends with all of these people back home. It’s not like ‘Oh, we’re both white, so…I guess we’ll hang out. I mean, you’re kind of funny sometimes…?’ It’s like, the friends I have made are all really awesome people, whom I have a blast with, and whom I would absolutely be friends with in the states, without hesitation. Furthermore, they make me look like an amateur (traveler! Ha). Like, they have all been, well, everywhere. I’m not even kidding. They’re all so much more continental than I, it makes me sad to just think about it. Devi? My friend from France? She speaks FIVE languages. And not like, ‘oh I kind of speak some chinese, because I took a class in it 7 years ago.’ Like, she can converse and laugh and relate to people in FIVE languages. I hate America! I just want to live in Europe. I mean, fuckin right when it comes to India, but seriously. Europe is homeboy.
OH! This is hilarious. For like the last month, I’ve been really looking forward to going home and NOT obsessing about traveling. Because like, for the last two years really, travel has literally been all I ever thought about. I was preparing for Eurotrip I, then I wanted to go back to Europe, then I decided I also wanted to go to India and SE Asia, and then I had to actually plan it all, and seriously, I was just constantly buying travel books and skimming Amazon for backpacks and asking people for advice and joining sites like TravBuddy and Lonelyplanet.com and all this exhausting shit, and I realized that once I’m home, I’m not gonna be obsessed anymore! Ya know? Like, I should feel pretty fulfilled by October 23rd, and I should be able to wait at least like, a few months before I even think about planning something else….or so you’d think. The other night I got an email from the poli sci department and apparently the Department of State sends students overseas every summer to become fluent in a critical language….for free. Like, literally, they will pay for your airfare and room and board and everything, for 8 weeks in the summer. I skimmed thru the programs, and I was disappointed at first because for the Russian program, you need two years already (I only have 1), and for Chinese and Japanese you also need at least 2 (I have…zero lol). But then I went to Turkish…and you don’t need any. But I’ve already got a whole fuckin year. And I got an A in it! So, I’m totally looking into it.
I mean, right now, I don’t have any desire to plan a trip abroad in the near future, but I don’t want to miss out on anything because I’m tired lol. This isn’t until June, and like I said, COMPLETELY FREE. How is that even possible? I don’t know, but I honestly can’t think of a more exciting or strategically located place to live for 8 weeks than Istanbul…except maybe Paris. Or Azerbaijan. Should I go to Baku? You don’t need any experience in the language.
PS, why is it that all the international students at Iowa are from east Asia? You never meet Australians or South Asians or anything! And the only European international students I’ve met are grad students.
Anyway, I just got done playing Uno with a bunch of Indian kids, and let me tell you, even Uno is different here. Humanity is a messed up thing. It’s corny, and so obvious, but it’s just ridiculous how truly different things are in India. It’s just so messed up to even walk down the street. Like, on any given street, you will see a chic European café, beggars, homeless people asleep, stray dogs who probably have rabies, a Dominos pizza, a cell phone shop, an Indian restaurant I wouldn’t eat from for $1000, and then a cow. Then you’ll probably get hit by a car. Fucking crazy.
In other news, my placement has turned into such a joke. It’s like, this organization totally does a lot of great stuff. I realize this. There are so many success stories, it’s true. And I am totally satisfied with how much I have learned about, well, the real world problems of marginalized communities while here. Like in the human trafficking project, I learned about this girl who was lured into the world of prostitution by being offered an awesome job in Mumbai or something (the two ways that are the most common to lure someone into being trafficked are to either feign a love affair or promise a wonderful job opportunity), and then she was abducted and forced into a brothel. She lived there for two years before escaping. She met someone whom she thought could offer help, but was abducted AGAIN. Then like 5 years later, the cops raided the place and she was taken to MCCSS. From here, she was reunited with her family after like 6 months. Two months later her mother died.
I know. It’s so heartbreaking that shit like this even happens. And it happens everyday. And I’m so glad that I’m here to meet people who have had to deal with these actual problems, but I could have learned about these same things from watching a documentary. I really have done, like, nothing while here. On the one hand, I’ve realized that it’s stupid to try to volunteer in a program like this for only four weeks. You need to spend the entire first week just adjusting and there’s sightseeing and orientation and stuff. Then you need like a week just to become familiar with the ins and outs of the organization. Then, maybe you can make a difference. So, I definitely wouldn’t give MCCSS high marks in their utilizations of volunteers. But my friends, who are here to do other, completely different assignments, like working with disabled children in a craft center, or interning at a Law firm, have told me that they all are having very similar experiences. It’s like, in the Indian psyche to treat you as a guest, and not work you too hard.
Furthermore, there isn’t the infrastructure or codes of conduct that we’re used to in the west, with strict guidelines of what volunteers can and can’t do, confidentiality clauses, and widespread educational tools to weed out those who aren’t qualified to help out. Add to that the perpetual Indian attitudes of untimeliness, the language barrier and the exhausting heat, and it’s just like…the perfect recipe to not get anything done. It’s frustrating, because obviously everyone is here to help and get involved and be busy, but it seems like such an endemic problem that there’s nothing I can do about it.
Like, take for instance my Aussies. Joel and Viv are SO READY to work. They are constantly brain-storming, and are super experienced and qualified and they’re confident and motivated and they need to be here to graduate, so they need good experiences to reflect and report on. Like, as soon as they got here, they started planning this self-esteem workshop to teach the women in the short-stay home about self-esteem (I actually don’t know if the same concept exists in India). Three weeks later (today), they actually got to present it. It was REALLY awesome, and I got to help some children make a collage and it was a great experience, even for me. Imagine what the place could be like if my friends’ talents were actually put to use??
However, I will say that even though MCCSS is somewhat lacking, the NGO that brought me here, ELI, has been wonderful. I could not ask for more support or assistance, and this has been wonderful. So, if you’re interested in overseas volunteering, I’d definitely recommend ELI, but I would probably suggest other projects. They offer stuff all over the world. And PS, I will never, ever visit a place like India on my own ever again without the assistance of some kind of organization or tour company or local friend, because it is all too overwhelming to do on your own. At least for me, and I even have the guts to actually do all this. Like, if I didn't have an in-country contact upon arrival, I don't even know how I would have gotten to a hotel. Or if I would have ever left. But that's just me. I grew up in Iowa. I'm just glad I didn't have to learn this the hard way.
In news that’s not related at all, tonight I went to the fourth mall of my Indian excursion. I know, you can totally make fun of me. But it gets better...I had McDonalds (a big mac in India is the Big Maharaja). Don’t I suck? I also bought season 1 of Private Practice (Addison Montgomery = my life, even in Asia) and almost went to Baskin Robbins, but decided that the first time I get BR should probably be in the US. I just can’t help it….I crave consumerism!! Consumerism and capitalism and imperialism?? They’re my saviors. It’s terrible, but necessary.
OH! You’re gonna shit. I’ve decided to join choir next semester. I KNOW. It’s gonna be stupid and awesome at the same time. Much like most of this trip.
Love,
Josh A
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Random Thought: 28
So,
I’m sorry that I’ve been quite flaky lately. It’s been much harder lately to motivate myself to write a blog entry. Ok, motivate’s a bad word. I mean, it’s harder to talk about my experiences and just form a coherent stream of thoughts that would be interesting to read, now that I’m actually used to this place. My life has become somewhat routine, and this quite nice, but it’s less exciting. However, I have had some really great experiences I would love to share with you. Furthermore, I’m constantly thinking about so many things, that I am so mentally exhausted most of the time. Add to that the fact that I still haven’t gotten on a regular sleep schedule and it’s about 95 degrees, and I’m also very physically exhausted.
So, I guess I’d say my great experiences can be divided into two categories: Cultural and funtimes. Haha. I mean, to be fair, every single fucking second in India is a cultural experience, so I’ve really been coming to appreciate the funtimes. This is why I don't feel about clinging to Western comforts. You HAVE to sometimes. I guess I’ve kind of formed a kind of make-shift little family/support system here with my fellow westerners who are also trying their best to adjust to this crazy new world. There are Vivian and Joel, two Australians who volunteer at MCCSS also. They’re just a riot, and I think they may secretly be in love. Then there are Kush and Jen, two Brits interning at a law firm in Chennai, who are here through the same program I am. Jen actually has this dickhead of a landlord, who EVICTED her because she wasn’t happy with him, so she’s moving into MCCSS. Kush’s family are Indian migrants, so we kind of have an in when haggling and such. Then there’s Emily, another Brit, also here through the same program, but who lives 4 hours away at this adorable craft center for disabled children, and she works with these two wonderful French girls named Devi and Nathalie. Then there are my new Danish loves, Korina, Tea and Shoba, plus we just initiated two Germans who are moving into MCCSS tomorrow.
Currently, me and most of the people I have just listed are in this small seaside town called Pondicherry for the weekend. It’s amazing, because it used to be a French colony, and all the streets are Rue de la blah blah blah, and crap. And you can get the MOST amazing food here. French baguettes, croissants, pastries, wonderful chocolates, and the café culture is the best you’ll find this side of the Ural mountains. It’s actually so nice that we decided to stay until Monday and just start work on Tuesday. Last night we went and bought a ton of booze and were totally obnoxious and played Ring of Fire all night long.
I also taught everyone how to play this game called Shit. I used to play it all the time in high school with my friends, and I thought my new makeshift family would enjoy it. It’s like uno, but with about 40 different stupid and confusing rules. You’re constantly messing up, and that’s part of the fun. Anyway, if you win, you get to make up a new rule. The French girls often spoke French, and Joel was like ‘If I win, I’m gonna rule that you can only speak English.’ Well, Devi won, so she made the rule that you could only speak French. This worked out better than expected, because everyone speaks French in some capacity, except for Joel. Then Vivian passed out and everyone drew all over her face. I know, we were like 14…but it was probably one of the funnest nights of my life. It might even be more memorable than the night that Jason and I got trashed in the Venetian hotel (‘Hotel Vienna’) owned by Chinese immigrants.
Or, you might be interested to know that Kush knows the actor who is playing Grindelwald in the upcoming HPmovies. He’s also in Sweeney Todd, and the Twilight movies. I know, somewhere, the Allens are crying.
Random other funny events have happened, but I guess I could share with you some cultural experiences too. For instance my Danish friend Korina has many Tamil friends, because she has already lived in Chennai for 3 months (and is now back for 6 weeks, and may come back to live for a year or something), so one night she invited me along to a friend’s house for dinner. This was a local, middle class house, and it was just wonderful to see an average, lived in household. I mean, I’ve seen some very poor households, and I tend to surround myself in pretty comfortable, western surrondings, so this was necessary. Anyway, in this house, everyone sleeps together in the living room, and there are only 3 rooms in the house. It’s India, of course, so everyone eats with their hands and on the floor.
Now, I suck at eating with my hands. I’ve tried like 3 times and it’s just pathetic. Everyone was laughing at me and I was like ‘What?! I’m trying here!’ and apparently you’re supposed to utilize your thumb as a kind of shovel, to move the food from your fingers to your mouth. So, that was an easy fix. Another thing you may not know about India is that people don’t use toilet paper. They actually think it’s disgusting. They use their left hand and water to clean down there. Now, I’m left-handed, which is a problem in India, because that’s the hand that should never be used for anything but dirty business.
Of course I never remember this. So, twice now, I’ve been caught eating with my left hand. The first time was last weekend, and this little girl who was probably 8 years old came up to me and just said ‘Right hand.’ And looked at me like I was a fucking dumbass. But this time, it was much nicer. With a coy smile, my hostess just asked ‘Are you left-handed?’ and I of course was instantly embarrassed and apoligzed, but they were the most gracious hosts imaginable. They were like ‘Do whatever’s comfortable! It’s ok! Use your left hand!’ They also offered me a spoon and fork, but I wasn’t gonna give up. So anyway we ate our food on the floor while listening to Evanescence and Michael Jackson videos on TV.
BTdubs, can I just say it’s RIDICULOUS how much more Michael Jackson is loved around the world than in the US?! Seriously, he was always on the radio in Europe, and anytime he came up, people only have wonderful things to say about him. It’s the same here in India! And all my European friends are just like ‘But he was acquitted! I love him!’ So weird. It makes me wonder what that says about American mindsets, since we’re so unforgiving.
Then, at the end of the night, I thanked them and they didn’t want us to leave at all, they actually wanted us to stay the night (or forever), but the most touching thing EVER happened. The matriarch of the family came to say goodbye, and first looked at her son. She said the tamil word for Son and pointed to him, then looked at me and upon touching my chin, said the same word again. She said I was her son!
Oh my gosh I almost cried. It’s amazing how wonderful people are in this country.
So right, a few days later, my Aussies were like ‘We’re going to this really awesome American place, you have to come.’ So I’m like ‘fuck yeah, I love my country’ So we go to this place called Sparky’s. Now, this is the most American place I’ve ever been to. It’s literally America themed. Everywhere you look, there are American license plates and kitsch and nostalgia. It was like TGI Fridays, but if the name was TGI America. Every table was dedicated to a state, and naturally, I was seated at the Texas table. There were all these postcards of Austin and such.
But THEN I was introduced to all the staff, because my Aussies go to this place like 4 times a week, and the staff is American, so naturally I’m like ‘ok let’s become best friends.’ So, yeah, just wait. This was our convo:
Them: So where are you from?
J: Chicago. You?
Them: Oh! We’re from Minneapolis.
J: Oh, duh. Sorry. I just lied. I’m so used to meeting foreigners, who have never heard of where I’m from so I just say Chicago. But I’m from Iowa.
Them: What?! We were born and raised in Iowa!
J: Realy?! Where?! (imagine me FREAKING OUT , almost screaming and laughing hysterically)
Them: Webster City and Sioux City. We met at school, we went to Iowa State.
J: HA I go to Iowa!
Them: Oh we were just there! Where’d you grow up?
J: Right around Iowa City, in this town called Tipton??
Them: We drove through that town on the way to Davnport!
I know. It was awesome and stupid and amazing. This couple literally just decided to move to India for a couple years. How wonderful. I keep meeting all these people who have made similar plans. So anyway the food was AWESOME , they had everything from hot wings to mashed potatoes to lasagna to tacos to hot fudge sundaes, and the funny thing was that my Danish friends also came and they brought the Indians whose house I went to!
The Indians had never had western food before, and had never even used a fork, and It was sooo adorbable because they were terrified of our food. Like, they were so scared and barely touchd their food, and I had to teach them how to cut their lasagna, and it was just so funny. They kept saying ‘This is gonna make me so sick! I’m gonna get sick!’ and it was just as ironic as could be. Anyway, at the end of dinner, they informed me that if I ever return to Chennai, I do not have to worry about accommodation, because I am more than welcome to stay at their house :) It’d be pretty uncomfortable to sleep on the floor with five other people, but I’d do it for at least one night!
OH! OH my god. Yesterday we all went to this town called Auroville outside Pondicherry. It’s this town where people migrate to from around the world (there are like 94 countries represented) to be hippies and live together and denounce religion and instead serve ‘The mother’, who founded their community in the 60s….in other words, IT WAS A HUGE CULT. It was literally the Dharma Initiative meets Scientology! I’m not even kidding. We had to watch this movie and it was JUST LIKE you’d imagine it. There were all these scrolling words over a backdrop of the universe and it was FUCKED UP but awesome and hilarious. There’s this big copper golf ball in the middle of the compound (and when I say big, I mean BIG. It’s like 10 stories) that they call their soul. They kept stressing that they only welcome people who are ‘serious and sincere’ so I’m surprised they didn’t kick me out. I wish I could say more about this place, but I literally just laughed nonstop for like 6 hours because the entire area was so ridiculous. And Don’t EVEN give me that shit about openmindedness or tolerance, because it was a fucking cult.
In other news, my placement sucks. It’s like…I don’t know, I mean, India is very different from the west in how actual work is done. Like, there is really hardly any sense of timeliness. If you plan to meet someone at 2:00, be ready to wait until 3:30, and that’s not considered rude or out of the ordinary. It’s like hanging out with John all the time. But it’s so strange how that’s the case at work, too! Not just in social situations. But anyway, it’s very hard to find work at my placement, because it’s all about independence. They’re all like ‘Well what do you want to do? You can do whatever you want!’ and I’m like I don’t fuckin know! I’m not a social worker! Just give me a task and I’ll do it. So, I’ve just latched myself onto my Aussie friends. They’re the biggest self-starters you’ll ever meet, so they’re constantly having seminars and giving presentations and organizing events and shit, so I literally was like ‘Umm can I be your personal assistant?’ and they’re like ‘oh my god no! It won’t be like that!’ and I’m like ‘PLEASE. Let it be like that. Please, I need direction.’ So, my current and probably only assignment is to create an hour long powerpoint about Global Warming for a seminar this week.
But yeah, I’m already on day 17. That means that tomorrow, my time in India will be 2/3 done. I cannot BELIEVE how quickly time has gone. I will honestly be very sad to leave this insane country and my wonderful new friends behind (they’re all making plans to travel together after I’m gone! Sad, and I introduced them all! This always happens to me lol), but I’m still very excited for Bangkok. Oh yeah, I’m going to fucking BANGKOK. I cant believe this is my life.
Oh and Twilight is on TV, even in India. Fuck.
- Josh
I’m sorry that I’ve been quite flaky lately. It’s been much harder lately to motivate myself to write a blog entry. Ok, motivate’s a bad word. I mean, it’s harder to talk about my experiences and just form a coherent stream of thoughts that would be interesting to read, now that I’m actually used to this place. My life has become somewhat routine, and this quite nice, but it’s less exciting. However, I have had some really great experiences I would love to share with you. Furthermore, I’m constantly thinking about so many things, that I am so mentally exhausted most of the time. Add to that the fact that I still haven’t gotten on a regular sleep schedule and it’s about 95 degrees, and I’m also very physically exhausted.
So, I guess I’d say my great experiences can be divided into two categories: Cultural and funtimes. Haha. I mean, to be fair, every single fucking second in India is a cultural experience, so I’ve really been coming to appreciate the funtimes. This is why I don't feel about clinging to Western comforts. You HAVE to sometimes. I guess I’ve kind of formed a kind of make-shift little family/support system here with my fellow westerners who are also trying their best to adjust to this crazy new world. There are Vivian and Joel, two Australians who volunteer at MCCSS also. They’re just a riot, and I think they may secretly be in love. Then there are Kush and Jen, two Brits interning at a law firm in Chennai, who are here through the same program I am. Jen actually has this dickhead of a landlord, who EVICTED her because she wasn’t happy with him, so she’s moving into MCCSS. Kush’s family are Indian migrants, so we kind of have an in when haggling and such. Then there’s Emily, another Brit, also here through the same program, but who lives 4 hours away at this adorable craft center for disabled children, and she works with these two wonderful French girls named Devi and Nathalie. Then there are my new Danish loves, Korina, Tea and Shoba, plus we just initiated two Germans who are moving into MCCSS tomorrow.
Currently, me and most of the people I have just listed are in this small seaside town called Pondicherry for the weekend. It’s amazing, because it used to be a French colony, and all the streets are Rue de la blah blah blah, and crap. And you can get the MOST amazing food here. French baguettes, croissants, pastries, wonderful chocolates, and the café culture is the best you’ll find this side of the Ural mountains. It’s actually so nice that we decided to stay until Monday and just start work on Tuesday. Last night we went and bought a ton of booze and were totally obnoxious and played Ring of Fire all night long.
I also taught everyone how to play this game called Shit. I used to play it all the time in high school with my friends, and I thought my new makeshift family would enjoy it. It’s like uno, but with about 40 different stupid and confusing rules. You’re constantly messing up, and that’s part of the fun. Anyway, if you win, you get to make up a new rule. The French girls often spoke French, and Joel was like ‘If I win, I’m gonna rule that you can only speak English.’ Well, Devi won, so she made the rule that you could only speak French. This worked out better than expected, because everyone speaks French in some capacity, except for Joel. Then Vivian passed out and everyone drew all over her face. I know, we were like 14…but it was probably one of the funnest nights of my life. It might even be more memorable than the night that Jason and I got trashed in the Venetian hotel (‘Hotel Vienna’) owned by Chinese immigrants.
Or, you might be interested to know that Kush knows the actor who is playing Grindelwald in the upcoming HPmovies. He’s also in Sweeney Todd, and the Twilight movies. I know, somewhere, the Allens are crying.
Random other funny events have happened, but I guess I could share with you some cultural experiences too. For instance my Danish friend Korina has many Tamil friends, because she has already lived in Chennai for 3 months (and is now back for 6 weeks, and may come back to live for a year or something), so one night she invited me along to a friend’s house for dinner. This was a local, middle class house, and it was just wonderful to see an average, lived in household. I mean, I’ve seen some very poor households, and I tend to surround myself in pretty comfortable, western surrondings, so this was necessary. Anyway, in this house, everyone sleeps together in the living room, and there are only 3 rooms in the house. It’s India, of course, so everyone eats with their hands and on the floor.
Now, I suck at eating with my hands. I’ve tried like 3 times and it’s just pathetic. Everyone was laughing at me and I was like ‘What?! I’m trying here!’ and apparently you’re supposed to utilize your thumb as a kind of shovel, to move the food from your fingers to your mouth. So, that was an easy fix. Another thing you may not know about India is that people don’t use toilet paper. They actually think it’s disgusting. They use their left hand and water to clean down there. Now, I’m left-handed, which is a problem in India, because that’s the hand that should never be used for anything but dirty business.
Of course I never remember this. So, twice now, I’ve been caught eating with my left hand. The first time was last weekend, and this little girl who was probably 8 years old came up to me and just said ‘Right hand.’ And looked at me like I was a fucking dumbass. But this time, it was much nicer. With a coy smile, my hostess just asked ‘Are you left-handed?’ and I of course was instantly embarrassed and apoligzed, but they were the most gracious hosts imaginable. They were like ‘Do whatever’s comfortable! It’s ok! Use your left hand!’ They also offered me a spoon and fork, but I wasn’t gonna give up. So anyway we ate our food on the floor while listening to Evanescence and Michael Jackson videos on TV.
BTdubs, can I just say it’s RIDICULOUS how much more Michael Jackson is loved around the world than in the US?! Seriously, he was always on the radio in Europe, and anytime he came up, people only have wonderful things to say about him. It’s the same here in India! And all my European friends are just like ‘But he was acquitted! I love him!’ So weird. It makes me wonder what that says about American mindsets, since we’re so unforgiving.
Then, at the end of the night, I thanked them and they didn’t want us to leave at all, they actually wanted us to stay the night (or forever), but the most touching thing EVER happened. The matriarch of the family came to say goodbye, and first looked at her son. She said the tamil word for Son and pointed to him, then looked at me and upon touching my chin, said the same word again. She said I was her son!
Oh my gosh I almost cried. It’s amazing how wonderful people are in this country.
So right, a few days later, my Aussies were like ‘We’re going to this really awesome American place, you have to come.’ So I’m like ‘fuck yeah, I love my country’ So we go to this place called Sparky’s. Now, this is the most American place I’ve ever been to. It’s literally America themed. Everywhere you look, there are American license plates and kitsch and nostalgia. It was like TGI Fridays, but if the name was TGI America. Every table was dedicated to a state, and naturally, I was seated at the Texas table. There were all these postcards of Austin and such.
But THEN I was introduced to all the staff, because my Aussies go to this place like 4 times a week, and the staff is American, so naturally I’m like ‘ok let’s become best friends.’ So, yeah, just wait. This was our convo:
Them: So where are you from?
J: Chicago. You?
Them: Oh! We’re from Minneapolis.
J: Oh, duh. Sorry. I just lied. I’m so used to meeting foreigners, who have never heard of where I’m from so I just say Chicago. But I’m from Iowa.
Them: What?! We were born and raised in Iowa!
J: Realy?! Where?! (imagine me FREAKING OUT , almost screaming and laughing hysterically)
Them: Webster City and Sioux City. We met at school, we went to Iowa State.
J: HA I go to Iowa!
Them: Oh we were just there! Where’d you grow up?
J: Right around Iowa City, in this town called Tipton??
Them: We drove through that town on the way to Davnport!
I know. It was awesome and stupid and amazing. This couple literally just decided to move to India for a couple years. How wonderful. I keep meeting all these people who have made similar plans. So anyway the food was AWESOME , they had everything from hot wings to mashed potatoes to lasagna to tacos to hot fudge sundaes, and the funny thing was that my Danish friends also came and they brought the Indians whose house I went to!
The Indians had never had western food before, and had never even used a fork, and It was sooo adorbable because they were terrified of our food. Like, they were so scared and barely touchd their food, and I had to teach them how to cut their lasagna, and it was just so funny. They kept saying ‘This is gonna make me so sick! I’m gonna get sick!’ and it was just as ironic as could be. Anyway, at the end of dinner, they informed me that if I ever return to Chennai, I do not have to worry about accommodation, because I am more than welcome to stay at their house :) It’d be pretty uncomfortable to sleep on the floor with five other people, but I’d do it for at least one night!
OH! OH my god. Yesterday we all went to this town called Auroville outside Pondicherry. It’s this town where people migrate to from around the world (there are like 94 countries represented) to be hippies and live together and denounce religion and instead serve ‘The mother’, who founded their community in the 60s….in other words, IT WAS A HUGE CULT. It was literally the Dharma Initiative meets Scientology! I’m not even kidding. We had to watch this movie and it was JUST LIKE you’d imagine it. There were all these scrolling words over a backdrop of the universe and it was FUCKED UP but awesome and hilarious. There’s this big copper golf ball in the middle of the compound (and when I say big, I mean BIG. It’s like 10 stories) that they call their soul. They kept stressing that they only welcome people who are ‘serious and sincere’ so I’m surprised they didn’t kick me out. I wish I could say more about this place, but I literally just laughed nonstop for like 6 hours because the entire area was so ridiculous. And Don’t EVEN give me that shit about openmindedness or tolerance, because it was a fucking cult.
In other news, my placement sucks. It’s like…I don’t know, I mean, India is very different from the west in how actual work is done. Like, there is really hardly any sense of timeliness. If you plan to meet someone at 2:00, be ready to wait until 3:30, and that’s not considered rude or out of the ordinary. It’s like hanging out with John all the time. But it’s so strange how that’s the case at work, too! Not just in social situations. But anyway, it’s very hard to find work at my placement, because it’s all about independence. They’re all like ‘Well what do you want to do? You can do whatever you want!’ and I’m like I don’t fuckin know! I’m not a social worker! Just give me a task and I’ll do it. So, I’ve just latched myself onto my Aussie friends. They’re the biggest self-starters you’ll ever meet, so they’re constantly having seminars and giving presentations and organizing events and shit, so I literally was like ‘Umm can I be your personal assistant?’ and they’re like ‘oh my god no! It won’t be like that!’ and I’m like ‘PLEASE. Let it be like that. Please, I need direction.’ So, my current and probably only assignment is to create an hour long powerpoint about Global Warming for a seminar this week.
But yeah, I’m already on day 17. That means that tomorrow, my time in India will be 2/3 done. I cannot BELIEVE how quickly time has gone. I will honestly be very sad to leave this insane country and my wonderful new friends behind (they’re all making plans to travel together after I’m gone! Sad, and I introduced them all! This always happens to me lol), but I’m still very excited for Bangkok. Oh yeah, I’m going to fucking BANGKOK. I cant believe this is my life.
Oh and Twilight is on TV, even in India. Fuck.
- Josh
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Cracka
So, I’m gonna talk about being white. This is because since my arrival in India, I have learned a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘white privilege.’ You see, even though I am half white, and half latino, I still recognize and have always recognized that I am socioeconomically white. I look white, I identify with white culture, I don’t speak Spanish, I have an American accent, and I grew up in a household with an income very close to that of my peers’ parents. However, I do still consider myself ethnically of mixed heritage. I mean, it doesn’t matter if I consider myself to be Canadian, phenotypically speaking, you are what you are. I just mean that I will not shy away from my heritage. I am not exactly a leader in cultural exchange among my peers, but I do embrace and am proud of my Mexican American background (though I realize that my experience as a Mexican American is completely different from the experience of most other Mexican Americans, but maybe I’ll talk about this more later), as much as I am proud to be gay. I understand that I would not be the same person I am today or have the same outlook on the world if I were not of mixed heritage, specifically white and Mexican American, and gay. Sometimes, I wish I were a woman, or jewish (a Mexican jew!) just so I could have the complete package. I am left-handed though.
Right. So anyway, my ultimate point is that, even though I would usually be classified as an outsider looking in, I really feel as though I have spent most of my life as a part of the privileged masses. Growing up, neither my ethnicity nor sexual orientation were ever that big of a deal that I felt as though I was part of an oppressed minority. Growing up in Iowa has its perks, and I feel that I was extremely lucky to grow up there, for many reasons. I mean, Iowa is a progressive state. It may not be a liberal state, but I think most would agree that Iowa (and especially southeastern Iowa) is a progressive place, although there is definitely a small-town attitude in many ways.
This is something that definitely came through in the attitudes of the people I went to high school with. I feel, in general, that while most people in small-town southeastern Iowa may not exactly be world travellers or intellectually open-minded, they tend to view the different with a tinge of curiosity, rather than judgment. I mean, gossip still abounds and attention can be very annoying, but I will always defend the small town area that I grew up in as not being your typical rural environment. I mean, remember how Solon’s choir director came out as gay to his entire choir and it was totally cool and they all still loved him? And remember how we had teachers like Mr. Wilkins and Mrs. Cary and Mrs. B who would just take off time from school or spend their summers going on trips to Africa and China and Europe? Or how there were minorities like Susan or myself or Patrick at Tipton, but I never once witnessed that being a problem?
Being gay had its downside sometimes, but I will still admit that I never lost a friend over the fact that I was attracted to boys. If anything, I changed the attitudes of many friends. I actually changed Winston’s attitudes so much that when he was supposed to write a paper about one person who has changed his life for the better, he chose me (I have it! Winston so could not write formally in tenth grade, it’s hilarious. But the actual assignment is so sweet)! And there were lots of people who weren’t even my friends, but stuck up for my right to be gay to people they didn’t have to. I had teachers who would call out their students for saying things like ‘that’s gay’ and I know that more than once, in a class discussion here or there, people would randomly just wax poetic about their support for gay rights. I don’t know if this was just to let me know they were on my side or because they wanted everyone to know how they felt, but I couldn’t help but be really grateful to be surrounded by these people.
To be fair, there was always gossip, but I don’t give a fuck about that. I never have. I was never held back from scholarships or esteemed positions at my school. I was still in NHS and somehow elected to Homecoming Court (still SO funny, I don’t even know how this happened) and was VP of Concert Choir and won scholarships, and when I go back to visit Tipton, it’s never even an issue. And I mean, everyone knows it too. It’s not like oh they just don’t know. I remember Mrs. Johnson even knowing senior year, and people telling me that their parents would be like ‘So…why doesn’t Josh have a girlfriend?’ in really obvious tones and shit. But it’s like, when I go back, people are so friendly to me and I’m always so amazed at how welcome I still feel in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere. And all these weird little like, 16 year olds still add me to facebook, and I have no idea why, but at least the fact that I’m probably just ‘that gay guy who graduated awhile ago’ doesn’t deter them from adding me.
And honestly, I will always be thankful for this. I could have grown up in Texas, surrounded by anti-gay policies and attitudes, or in Utah or something with the crazy Mormons and been the next Matthew Shepard, or even in southwest Iowa, where I’ve heard being a democrat is on par with supporting child molestation. Currently, I could even marry a man in Iowa! WTF right?!
SO ANYWAY again, my point: I have been extremely lucky to always feel as though I was a culturally, economically and in all-but-name-only part of the privileged majority, rather than the oppressed minority. My vantage point has always been from an American viewpoint though. Now, I’m in India.
Yeah. So, right. It’s like, ok. So I really feel that in the US, if someone from Africa or India or South America (or really anywhere that’s not western Europe) were to come to the US, they would probably be viewed with a lot of negative attitudes by quite a few people. Like, if a Kenyan tourist were to walk into Chanel, people would probably keep an eye on him. I don’t think that this is that ridiculous of an assumption, for many places in the US. Or like, if an American were walking down the street and they met someone wearing a traditional, Indian outfit, they would be likely to wonder why this person is in their country, but probably wouldn’t feel the need to engage them in conversation or invite them into their home. If they did, it’d probably like ‘Umm….this is weird.’ Right? And the same would be true for someone from Europe or Australia, but I feel like if someone was of a darker complexion or of an eastern descent, one would even less likely to embrace their presence. Overall, I feel Americans would probably be thinking that this person was extremely lucky to be able to visit our rich, free, democratic country, and that wherever they live probably isn’t as nice or privileged or even wonder if they’re a refugee, without really any reason to assume that they’re from a war-torn country. And this goes beyond race, but to every minority group. Like, if the average American saw a transgendered person walking down the street, the first reaction would probably be ‘hmm this is so fucking weird’ not compassion or interest. I feel like I could make similar arguments with Mormans (hello, me), homeless people, maybe even amputees or anyone really who doesn’t fit this model that we construct of what normal is.
This is because we as Americans grow up in this kind of bubble. Like, we are the most powerful country in the world, and we define the world order, culturally, economically, politically, etc etc. Our pop music is the world’s pop music, our politicians are world politicians. We control the oil market and churn out the leading scientists and academics, and the list goes on and on, but in every way, as I said in an earlier post, we are in the ‘American age.’ So, we don’t have to know what’s going on in the middle east or what the Basque separatist group is fighting for or what the capital of Hungary is because we are so privileged that none of it really matters to our well-being. We as a state will always be safe and secure, and have access to oil and water and electricity, and our economy most likely will never collapse, and we will always continue to pursue a foreign policy of US Interest, first and foremost. Though things like 9/11 happen, they really still serve to increase our global power and domination.
Coming to a country like India has very much proven to me how this is so true. It’s so jarring to walk down the street here, because there is garbage EVERYWHERE, but I also realize that is only because of western imperialism. We spread capitalism, and other countries need or want to catch up, but states like India lack the infrastructure to do so as gracefully as Western Europe. So, they still consume and they still want to make more money, but there’s no system to deal with all the waste this creates. There’s no welfare system to take care of the elderly, who don’t quite understand the effects of globalization or why their culture is slowly but surely eroding as Dominos and Pizza Huts pop up along the most wealthy avenues.
As a white person in India, I am now witness to many far-flung effects of the current world order (which, for a lack of a better phrase, puts the white, rich countries, starting first and foremost with the US, at the top). Due to the colonial history of India, I actually expected to perhaps be met with some hostility. However, I soon learned that nothing could be further from the truth. I may have mentioned this before, but Indians treat white people as though we are foreign diplomats. Elderly women (yes, elderly women) will get up on the bus so that a white person may have their seat. As my Danish friends ran to catch a train, it literally stopped in its tracks so they could get on, and people did not hesitate to tell them that this would not have happened if their skin was dark.
I think that occurrences like these may be somewhat expected or unsurprising for someone who is educated or well traveled, but today I found out something very interesting about my placement. You see, I haven’t really done much yet as a volunteer. In essence, I’ve just been introduced to a lot of people and shown around. A lot. Though I knew that only being here for four weeks wouldn’t exactly give me the opportunity to change the world, this has still been frustrating. However, after speaking with someone who has volunteered here for many months, I learned something very illuminating.
You see, my friend’s theory is this. Since I am white, I am able to influence others in ways that I can’t even imagine. Like, the simple fact that I am here is enough to make MCCSS (where I am staying) want to parade me around. Showing off the fact that a white person has given up their time and money to visit India and volunteer with them gives them clout. Though I may not actually do very much in my time here, perhaps I’ll inadvertently persuade someone to donate money to this organization.
Or another thing. I have been told many times that hopefully, I will get the chance to speak with the people who this organization works for. Like, they would love it very much if I could talk with the sex workers or homeless children or whoever and just interact with them. At first, this seemed strange. Like, why the fuck would someone who has real problems and issues, like hmmm do I have HIV? Hmmm should try to find somewhere to live or a job even though I’m only 12, want to speak with me? To me, it seems like it’d be very insensitive to just go up to these sex workers, who might have AIDS, and start asking them all these questions about their sex life and whether their pimp abuses them and if they know what condoms are. Ya know? Like, I don’t want to come off as someone who looks at these poor people as freaks or a spectacle. I am perfectly happy with communicating with them and getting to know these people, but I don’t feel the need to interview them or give them advice, because I don’t know one fucking thing about their life or situation and I respect them enough to let them be. I didn’t come here to talk with people. I came here to give my time to an organization. Whether that meant painting a wall, cleaning a desk, filing paperwork, running errands, or helping them spread the word about a self-help group, it didn’t matter. But I didn’t come to be…I dunno, an insensitive westerner.
But, that’s not how the professionals I work for see it. My friend explained it to me pretty simply. Because I’m white, I have clout. People are likely to listen to me, because I’m white. People want to talk with me, because I’m white. People have a sense of respect for me, because I’m white. At first, this didn’t make sense, but when I thought about it, it made total sense. Remember the elderly women on the bus? That’s nothing. What about the random people walking down the street who stop me and ask if we can take a picture together? What about the school children I visited the other night, who could not stop coming up to me and asking ‘Hello how are you?’ and wanting to know my name and hold my hand and just smile at me?
We, as westerners, are powerful. I, as a white westerner, am very powerful. It’s just ridiculously fascinating, because now that I’m in India, I have a whole different outlook on race and the world. I mean, I’ve known for quite some time now how lucky I am to be named Josh Anderson, not Jose Sandoval, and I’ve often wondered why it was that my mother didn’t choose a more ethnic name. Perhaps she did this on purpose, perhaps she didn’t. I’ve also known how lucky I am to look very white, and grow up in a white community. Though I definitely missed out on the obvious cultural experiences that a less homogenous area would provide, all of these things have come together to create a recipe in which my life has been a piece of cake, virtually free of prejudice or discrimination, and accepted by the privileged majority. But this is all within America. This all has to do with my experiences within the the boundaries of the 50 state. Here I am in India, where I’m very much in the minority ethnically, and I’m perhaps even more privileged than I’ve ever known. I hope this is as interesting to you guys as it is to me, and I would honestly love to hear about anyone's experiences travelling abroad when it comes to this topic.
I shall think about this more, and perhaps post an afterthought or two.
Right. So anyway, my ultimate point is that, even though I would usually be classified as an outsider looking in, I really feel as though I have spent most of my life as a part of the privileged masses. Growing up, neither my ethnicity nor sexual orientation were ever that big of a deal that I felt as though I was part of an oppressed minority. Growing up in Iowa has its perks, and I feel that I was extremely lucky to grow up there, for many reasons. I mean, Iowa is a progressive state. It may not be a liberal state, but I think most would agree that Iowa (and especially southeastern Iowa) is a progressive place, although there is definitely a small-town attitude in many ways.
This is something that definitely came through in the attitudes of the people I went to high school with. I feel, in general, that while most people in small-town southeastern Iowa may not exactly be world travellers or intellectually open-minded, they tend to view the different with a tinge of curiosity, rather than judgment. I mean, gossip still abounds and attention can be very annoying, but I will always defend the small town area that I grew up in as not being your typical rural environment. I mean, remember how Solon’s choir director came out as gay to his entire choir and it was totally cool and they all still loved him? And remember how we had teachers like Mr. Wilkins and Mrs. Cary and Mrs. B who would just take off time from school or spend their summers going on trips to Africa and China and Europe? Or how there were minorities like Susan or myself or Patrick at Tipton, but I never once witnessed that being a problem?
Being gay had its downside sometimes, but I will still admit that I never lost a friend over the fact that I was attracted to boys. If anything, I changed the attitudes of many friends. I actually changed Winston’s attitudes so much that when he was supposed to write a paper about one person who has changed his life for the better, he chose me (I have it! Winston so could not write formally in tenth grade, it’s hilarious. But the actual assignment is so sweet)! And there were lots of people who weren’t even my friends, but stuck up for my right to be gay to people they didn’t have to. I had teachers who would call out their students for saying things like ‘that’s gay’ and I know that more than once, in a class discussion here or there, people would randomly just wax poetic about their support for gay rights. I don’t know if this was just to let me know they were on my side or because they wanted everyone to know how they felt, but I couldn’t help but be really grateful to be surrounded by these people.
To be fair, there was always gossip, but I don’t give a fuck about that. I never have. I was never held back from scholarships or esteemed positions at my school. I was still in NHS and somehow elected to Homecoming Court (still SO funny, I don’t even know how this happened) and was VP of Concert Choir and won scholarships, and when I go back to visit Tipton, it’s never even an issue. And I mean, everyone knows it too. It’s not like oh they just don’t know. I remember Mrs. Johnson even knowing senior year, and people telling me that their parents would be like ‘So…why doesn’t Josh have a girlfriend?’ in really obvious tones and shit. But it’s like, when I go back, people are so friendly to me and I’m always so amazed at how welcome I still feel in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere. And all these weird little like, 16 year olds still add me to facebook, and I have no idea why, but at least the fact that I’m probably just ‘that gay guy who graduated awhile ago’ doesn’t deter them from adding me.
And honestly, I will always be thankful for this. I could have grown up in Texas, surrounded by anti-gay policies and attitudes, or in Utah or something with the crazy Mormons and been the next Matthew Shepard, or even in southwest Iowa, where I’ve heard being a democrat is on par with supporting child molestation. Currently, I could even marry a man in Iowa! WTF right?!
SO ANYWAY again, my point: I have been extremely lucky to always feel as though I was a culturally, economically and in all-but-name-only part of the privileged majority, rather than the oppressed minority. My vantage point has always been from an American viewpoint though. Now, I’m in India.
Yeah. So, right. It’s like, ok. So I really feel that in the US, if someone from Africa or India or South America (or really anywhere that’s not western Europe) were to come to the US, they would probably be viewed with a lot of negative attitudes by quite a few people. Like, if a Kenyan tourist were to walk into Chanel, people would probably keep an eye on him. I don’t think that this is that ridiculous of an assumption, for many places in the US. Or like, if an American were walking down the street and they met someone wearing a traditional, Indian outfit, they would be likely to wonder why this person is in their country, but probably wouldn’t feel the need to engage them in conversation or invite them into their home. If they did, it’d probably like ‘Umm….this is weird.’ Right? And the same would be true for someone from Europe or Australia, but I feel like if someone was of a darker complexion or of an eastern descent, one would even less likely to embrace their presence. Overall, I feel Americans would probably be thinking that this person was extremely lucky to be able to visit our rich, free, democratic country, and that wherever they live probably isn’t as nice or privileged or even wonder if they’re a refugee, without really any reason to assume that they’re from a war-torn country. And this goes beyond race, but to every minority group. Like, if the average American saw a transgendered person walking down the street, the first reaction would probably be ‘hmm this is so fucking weird’ not compassion or interest. I feel like I could make similar arguments with Mormans (hello, me), homeless people, maybe even amputees or anyone really who doesn’t fit this model that we construct of what normal is.
This is because we as Americans grow up in this kind of bubble. Like, we are the most powerful country in the world, and we define the world order, culturally, economically, politically, etc etc. Our pop music is the world’s pop music, our politicians are world politicians. We control the oil market and churn out the leading scientists and academics, and the list goes on and on, but in every way, as I said in an earlier post, we are in the ‘American age.’ So, we don’t have to know what’s going on in the middle east or what the Basque separatist group is fighting for or what the capital of Hungary is because we are so privileged that none of it really matters to our well-being. We as a state will always be safe and secure, and have access to oil and water and electricity, and our economy most likely will never collapse, and we will always continue to pursue a foreign policy of US Interest, first and foremost. Though things like 9/11 happen, they really still serve to increase our global power and domination.
Coming to a country like India has very much proven to me how this is so true. It’s so jarring to walk down the street here, because there is garbage EVERYWHERE, but I also realize that is only because of western imperialism. We spread capitalism, and other countries need or want to catch up, but states like India lack the infrastructure to do so as gracefully as Western Europe. So, they still consume and they still want to make more money, but there’s no system to deal with all the waste this creates. There’s no welfare system to take care of the elderly, who don’t quite understand the effects of globalization or why their culture is slowly but surely eroding as Dominos and Pizza Huts pop up along the most wealthy avenues.
As a white person in India, I am now witness to many far-flung effects of the current world order (which, for a lack of a better phrase, puts the white, rich countries, starting first and foremost with the US, at the top). Due to the colonial history of India, I actually expected to perhaps be met with some hostility. However, I soon learned that nothing could be further from the truth. I may have mentioned this before, but Indians treat white people as though we are foreign diplomats. Elderly women (yes, elderly women) will get up on the bus so that a white person may have their seat. As my Danish friends ran to catch a train, it literally stopped in its tracks so they could get on, and people did not hesitate to tell them that this would not have happened if their skin was dark.
I think that occurrences like these may be somewhat expected or unsurprising for someone who is educated or well traveled, but today I found out something very interesting about my placement. You see, I haven’t really done much yet as a volunteer. In essence, I’ve just been introduced to a lot of people and shown around. A lot. Though I knew that only being here for four weeks wouldn’t exactly give me the opportunity to change the world, this has still been frustrating. However, after speaking with someone who has volunteered here for many months, I learned something very illuminating.
You see, my friend’s theory is this. Since I am white, I am able to influence others in ways that I can’t even imagine. Like, the simple fact that I am here is enough to make MCCSS (where I am staying) want to parade me around. Showing off the fact that a white person has given up their time and money to visit India and volunteer with them gives them clout. Though I may not actually do very much in my time here, perhaps I’ll inadvertently persuade someone to donate money to this organization.
Or another thing. I have been told many times that hopefully, I will get the chance to speak with the people who this organization works for. Like, they would love it very much if I could talk with the sex workers or homeless children or whoever and just interact with them. At first, this seemed strange. Like, why the fuck would someone who has real problems and issues, like hmmm do I have HIV? Hmmm should try to find somewhere to live or a job even though I’m only 12, want to speak with me? To me, it seems like it’d be very insensitive to just go up to these sex workers, who might have AIDS, and start asking them all these questions about their sex life and whether their pimp abuses them and if they know what condoms are. Ya know? Like, I don’t want to come off as someone who looks at these poor people as freaks or a spectacle. I am perfectly happy with communicating with them and getting to know these people, but I don’t feel the need to interview them or give them advice, because I don’t know one fucking thing about their life or situation and I respect them enough to let them be. I didn’t come here to talk with people. I came here to give my time to an organization. Whether that meant painting a wall, cleaning a desk, filing paperwork, running errands, or helping them spread the word about a self-help group, it didn’t matter. But I didn’t come to be…I dunno, an insensitive westerner.
But, that’s not how the professionals I work for see it. My friend explained it to me pretty simply. Because I’m white, I have clout. People are likely to listen to me, because I’m white. People want to talk with me, because I’m white. People have a sense of respect for me, because I’m white. At first, this didn’t make sense, but when I thought about it, it made total sense. Remember the elderly women on the bus? That’s nothing. What about the random people walking down the street who stop me and ask if we can take a picture together? What about the school children I visited the other night, who could not stop coming up to me and asking ‘Hello how are you?’ and wanting to know my name and hold my hand and just smile at me?
We, as westerners, are powerful. I, as a white westerner, am very powerful. It’s just ridiculously fascinating, because now that I’m in India, I have a whole different outlook on race and the world. I mean, I’ve known for quite some time now how lucky I am to be named Josh Anderson, not Jose Sandoval, and I’ve often wondered why it was that my mother didn’t choose a more ethnic name. Perhaps she did this on purpose, perhaps she didn’t. I’ve also known how lucky I am to look very white, and grow up in a white community. Though I definitely missed out on the obvious cultural experiences that a less homogenous area would provide, all of these things have come together to create a recipe in which my life has been a piece of cake, virtually free of prejudice or discrimination, and accepted by the privileged majority. But this is all within America. This all has to do with my experiences within the the boundaries of the 50 state. Here I am in India, where I’m very much in the minority ethnically, and I’m perhaps even more privileged than I’ve ever known. I hope this is as interesting to you guys as it is to me, and I would honestly love to hear about anyone's experiences travelling abroad when it comes to this topic.
I shall think about this more, and perhaps post an afterthought or two.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Random Thought: 27
Hi!
So, tonight I realized just how emotional I’ve been lately. I’m not gonna spend anymore time whining about my culture shock, but I do wanna tell you about my great night. This has definitely been the first great night of my time in India. Not to say that my time has been anything but very easy, assisted, and wonderful, but if someone asked me ‘How was your evening?’ I would definitely respond ‘It was SO great!’
Remember how I mentioned that there were some Danish girls coming to volunteer also? Well, it turns out that they’re gifts from God. One of them actually has already volunteered here for three months, so she is perfectly familiar with not only the area we live in, but the entire city of Chennai. She speaks some of the language, and is so comfortable here, it’s amazing. She has brought a friend, who is in India for her first time, so I have many things in common with her. Anyway, they showed up yesterday and immediately, the experienced one (Corina) goes “Don’t worry. I will take you under my wing. I know this city, I can show you how to get everywhere, do anything, whatever.”
So we started talking, and immediately, this was so comforting because Corina told me that it took her well over a month to feel comfortable here, and that it’s perfectly understandable to be nervous or scared or anything, and that if I don’t feel comfortable with a certain assignment or task while at my placement, if I’m perfectly honest, no one will force me to do anything or go anywhere alone. So after like five minutes, Corina goes ‘We’re thinking of going to a movie tomorrow. Would you like to come?’ I’m thinking she means a Bollywood movie, but I’m not one to turn down any kind of social bonding experience, so I’m like ‘Totally. Are we thinking Hollywood? Bollywood? Calliwod?’ And she replies ‘Oh, American. Definitely.’
So, I’m thinking, cool, this should be fun. In fact, as soon as I arrived in the city, Jessie, the girl I met at my hotel, said ‘If you ever miss home, go to the movies. It’s great.’ And boy, could she not have been more right. We went to this brand new mall built only in August, that was SO nice. Totally powerful air conditioning, United Colors of Benneton, KFC, computer stores everywhere, I was in my western element. It’s so sad that I need these kind of comforts to feel better, but I am so over that. Anyway, going to an Indian mall is like going to a really bright club. American music is blaring everywhere. This time I heard Right Round and Californication. We went into a bookstore, and I found out that Stephanie Meyer even has shrines in south Asia. There was poster about Glee and how ‘You love the show. Now you can own the music.’ It was amazing and I don’t even watch Glee or read Twilight.
So then we go to the theatre, which is on the fourth floor, and get our tickets. We only had two options for the time we were there: Alice in Wonderland and Step Up 3D. Step Up sounds and looks stupid, so I vote for Alice, even though it’s equally as stupid, and I’ve seen it. But, I figured it’d be something familiar, if anything. Well, there are only three seats left. There are three of us, so it seems perfect, but then we find out that in India, seats are assigned, like on a plane. And the only 3 seats left aren’t next to each other. So, Step Up 3D it is. We walk into the next area, and we are officially now in a night club. It’s SHWANK. Like, the coolest, nicest theatre I’ve ever been to. With really comfortable seats.
Ok so I’m expecting this movie to suck. And in many ways, it did. But in many more ways, it was the most amazing movie I have ever seen. It was SO AMERICAN. I needed to be American tonight. I needed to hear American music and English and laugh at American jokes, it was so great. So great in fact, that I literally almost started crying. That sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I have been so emotional lately, and this was so great, that I almost started crying. My eyes welled up and everything. I’m so glad that the only time I’ve almost cried has been out of happiness, you have no idea. So I’m totally gonna buy this movie and it will always mean a lot to me. Oh and did you know the little girl from the Missy Elliot videos is in these movies? She’s all grown up now. I’ve never seen the first two, but that was enough to catch my interest from the start. She’s so white, it’s hilarious.
But let’s be honest. It was, in many ways, terrible. The writing and story were just nonsensical, and it was completely shot the way it was solely because it was in 3D. Entire scenes were based on the 3D effect. But whatever, it was fun. And it was loud and exciting and so enthralling to watch, so I’m not gonna complain. I loved every second of it. However, even though I was Americanizing it up, it was still a cultural experience. For instance, as soon as the movie starts, all the Indians go crazy. Like, you’d think you were at a basketball (cricket?) game. Everyone’s hooting and hollering and whistling b/c it’s so exciting. Then everytime something awesome happens (ie: a kiss, good dance move, etc), it all happens again. More whistles and cheering. And there’s an intermission. Isn’t that funny?
At my intermission, I had to pee, because I had ordered an Extra Large popcorn and an Extra Large Coke (this is more than I’ve ever ordered in the US), and when I went to the bathroom, every single urinal had its own personal LCD panel to watch movie previews. The only urinal that was free was the one with the broken LCD panel. I chose that one. So anyway, I went back to the movie, finished it, and Corina goes ‘I’d be willing to go to a movie every week if you want.’
HELL YES.
I feel so blessed. Honestly, this trip has been so great thus far because of the wonderful people I have met along the way. I will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart for Danish people now, because they have made me feel so welcome in countries that aren’t even their own. I absolutely HAVE to visit the country now, it’s even a priority. Luckily, these Danish girls are here as long as I am, so I’m definitely just in such gratitude of God right now. Like, I can’t even imagine what it’d be like if they weren’t here. I would just spend everyday uneasy at my work and every night bored in my room and with no one to relate to or connect with…and that just seems like it’d be so sad. And really there was no guarantee there’d be anyone here to hang out with. It wasn’t like I asked when I signed up, and I don’t know if ELI would have told me if that was the case.
OH! So I should tell you about my job. I don’t have one yet lol. I know, I’ve been here almost 6 days and I haven’t done anything yet. You see, I arrived on a weekend, and it was a holiday, so the center I’m volunteering at was closed. Then Monday, the guy that I’m supposed to assist was out sick. Then today, all I did was orientation. I met everyone, and learned all about the center. It’s actually a great place that does a lot of good work. It has six ongoing projects: HIV/STI awareness among sex workers, prevention of human trafficking in women and children, women in development, a short-stay home for victims of domestic violence, working with transgenders, and family counseling. It doesn’t have much money, but its staff is very educated and everyone here has a masters degree in social work. There’s also a clinical psychologist on staff. I’m planning on spending my time bouncing around from project to project. I learned a TON about micromanagement and finances and all this stuff that I never thought would happen here. I really want to learn more about fundraising and stuff.
OH! And I met an Australian girl who is working here but not living here, and she is actually here for like 3 months (the Danish girls are here for 6 weeks) and then travelling all over India, then volunteering some more in Kerala, then travelling all over Nepal, and is gonna be gone for like eight months total. Anyway, she’s working on the Human Trafficking project and I think I might assist her with some great projects. Like tomorrow, she’s taking some people who are staying in this shelter to a park to do some activities about self-esteem. Like putting on skits and playing games and giving advice. It all sounds awesome.
Oh! And this is so interesting: This is a Christian organization, so everyone who works here has an English name. Like, they’re totally Indian, but with English names. My boss or whatever in the HIV project is even named Joshua lol. The director of the entire center’s name is Isobel. There is also an Andrew (who LOVES country music. He loves Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, John Denver, the whole shebang), Alex and Christine.
Oh right. So anyway, I was planning on actually getting started with my job tomorrow. I was supposed to go with Joshua to a slum and see their center where they have self-help groups (yes, this is somewhat scary, but I won’t be alone, and everyone assures me that it’s safe, especially as a man), then visit a medical center, and meet the staff and everything, and maybe even meet some sex-workers. But then Krish, my coordinator through ELI calls me and tells me he wants to take me out to lunch tomorrow, and set up the internet in my room (THANK GOD). So I’m like, ok I’ll start the next day. Then, he tells me that he’s taking a bunch of English and American students to this town about 3 hours out of town the next day (Thursday) to see this museum which is all about traditional art in the 4 southern states of India. I was kind of hesitant, because this would be like 2 whole days off, but then he told me it’s set up by the Ford Foundation and is apparently one of the coolest places I can go while I’m here. And I’d get to spend the day with familiar faces. So, I was like ok whatever. So now I won’t start til Friday…then it’s the weekend lol. And then I have 2 weeks lol, which I’ll explain later.
All in all, it seems like a good place to volunteer. They told me that if I have some skills, I could teach the children at the short-stay home anything I want. So, I could like, teach them about math. Or give them English lessons. Or I could teach them how to use Photoshop. Lol, really anything at all I’d like to do, I can. Or I can just ask to do paperwork for a couple of days or whatever. So yeah, it’s very flexible. I think I’m really gonna spend most of my time learning, rather than actually volunteering though. This isn’t a problem, as I love learning, and non-profit management and social work are two careers I have considered, but at first I was like ‘Ugh. I paid $1000 to do nothing.’ But then I realized, no I didn’t. I paid $1000 (and then raised that much) to have someone pick me up at the airport, have a place to stay and kitchen to use, have a very helpful professional assist with anything I need, a tour of the city, and now a 3 hour trip to some museum. I’m totally ok with this. Because I could have just come right to this center and not paid nearly as much, but having the support is SO NICE. If I ever meet someone who wants to volunteer abroad, I will definitely recommend this NGO.
Oh, and I should get this out of the way now…I decided to make one tiiiiiiny little last tweak to my travel plans…..lol…..don’t judge me. I guess I’m always this indecisive though, so no one should be surprised. I realized last night that I’m going to be in Bangkok, but won’t see any of it, because I’m just flying in and out, and that this is stupid. And I was kind of freaking out about being here for like 27 days still, because I was being a pussy, and then I remembered how it only cost $10 to change my flight before….so I was like, hmm.
Sooooo then I decided to leave India 5 days early to go to Thailand!! Haha. I mean, really, it makes sense. I know that 2 months from now, I’ll look back on it all, and if I really didn’t take advantage of every opportunity I could, I’d regret it. I’ll definitely have a taste of India after 3 and a half weeks, and I won’t regret taking a month off of my trip, but I will regret not at least spending a couple days in Thailand, somewhere I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go. That, and it gives me some peace of mind. I’m gonna keep my flights to Bali the same, just change the date I fly out of India.
OH PS. MY FLIGHT RESERVATION WAS LOST. Yeah, I called them and they had NO record of my reservation. I don’t think I was ever booked on it, or they somehow cancelled it thru a glitch in the system. Or my travel agent fucked up. Regardless, I’m never using a travel agent again. I’m booking through websites, because this has never failed me. Can you imagine if I just showed up at the airport on October 12th and they were like ‘Sorry….you’re not on this flight.’ I would have had a nervous breakdown. I probably would have had to spend the night in the airport, and spend like $1000 on a last minute flight, or worse, had to find out there aren’t flights for like 3 days and what if I didn’t have a phone anymore? I don’t even know but THANK GOD I decided to spend a few days in Bangkok or I never would have found this out. Seriously right? I have a freaking guardian angel!
Luckily, a new flight only costs like $200. So I’m gonna book that tomorrow morning. I’m gonna aim for October 6th or 7th. And, like in Vietnam, I’m going all out. I have to at this point. If I’m not in very comfortable surroundings, where I can sleep easily, use my netbook, watch Grey’s, talk to Jason, and just relax for 4 or 5 days, I’m gonna go insane. Especially since I will have had 2 flights, and already spent a night in an airport (that too! This way I can get to Bali and NOT need to sleep for 24 straight hours). So I’m combing through resorts. I have found some SWEET places…and they only cost like $50 or $60 a night. I know! And that’s totally worth it. In the US, you’d pay well above $300 for a room in place like this. All these places have gorgeous pools, spas, massages, etc.
So yeah, I’m DEFINITELY looking forward to my time in Southeast Asia! I also realized today that right now really is the hardest part of my trip, and that it’s ok to be stressed right now. I’m just about to cross the halfway mark, and once I only have a couple weeks left in India, or less than a month til I’m home, so much of the pressure will be lifted off my shoulders. Ya know? Like the beginning of my trip was all exciting and new, and though I had a couple of lonely nights, I was fine. But right now, the middle, it makes sense that it’s stressful. And my total number of days in India will be like 27. I think I have 22 left now.
OKAY I’M DONE. But I love you guys and miss you all!
WAIT! I’m not done. I just want to tell one small story and make a necessary point. So, only 5 days in, I’ve really learned a LOT about the divide between the rich and the poor here, in more ways than one. Yesterday, I had nothing to do, so I just went along with some staff members to take some videos of some of their success stories. Andrew (country music guy) is a documentarian, so he’s making a video as kind of a commercial about the center, and they were interviewing a guy that got a small loan and started a flower business, and a woman who was in a self-help group and, well, helped herself. So we went to the woman’s house (room), and talked with her, and she told me that she makes 20 rupees a day. That’s 50 cents. She makes 50 cents a day. Ok remember that number. 20 rupees. So, that’s like, what? 140 rupees a week, 560 rupees a month. I went to the movies tonight, and it cost me 300 rupees. Can you imagine going to the movies and having to pay 300 dollars?? It’s like that in India. The rich have no trouble doing so, but the poor could probably never dream of it. It was also interesting to go to the movies, because it was so western. Everyone is wearing crocs and Abercrombie-type shirts and blue jeans,etc. It felt nice, of course, but was strange. Oh and I saw more white people. Whenever I see a white person now, I think to myself White Person!
Another thing I noticed was how much I really have in common with Europeans and Australians. I mean, I always knew that ‘the west’ was an entity that consisted of both Europe and the States, and I guess I always just associated it with money. Like, the west is rich, and the east is poor. Though, this is stupid, because I’ve taken enough anthro classes to know it’s much more than that. I even wrote a 5 page paper on it, but I guess in real life, I didn’t think of myself as identifying that strongly with anyone from the Anglophone world. But now, I realize that I have SO much in common emotionally and philosophically with other Westerners, without even making these points explicit. It’s like, regardless of ethnicity or accent or nationality, we are just drawn to each other for comfort, on one end or the other.This is probably one of the biggest revelations I’ve had thus far. Ya know? Like, instantly, I meet these Europeans and it’s like…we’re from the same town or something. It was the same in Bosnia with the other westerners I met. We instantly bonded because we were in a new, less developed, less Christian, less white place…without even trying, really.
- Josh A
So, tonight I realized just how emotional I’ve been lately. I’m not gonna spend anymore time whining about my culture shock, but I do wanna tell you about my great night. This has definitely been the first great night of my time in India. Not to say that my time has been anything but very easy, assisted, and wonderful, but if someone asked me ‘How was your evening?’ I would definitely respond ‘It was SO great!’
Remember how I mentioned that there were some Danish girls coming to volunteer also? Well, it turns out that they’re gifts from God. One of them actually has already volunteered here for three months, so she is perfectly familiar with not only the area we live in, but the entire city of Chennai. She speaks some of the language, and is so comfortable here, it’s amazing. She has brought a friend, who is in India for her first time, so I have many things in common with her. Anyway, they showed up yesterday and immediately, the experienced one (Corina) goes “Don’t worry. I will take you under my wing. I know this city, I can show you how to get everywhere, do anything, whatever.”
So we started talking, and immediately, this was so comforting because Corina told me that it took her well over a month to feel comfortable here, and that it’s perfectly understandable to be nervous or scared or anything, and that if I don’t feel comfortable with a certain assignment or task while at my placement, if I’m perfectly honest, no one will force me to do anything or go anywhere alone. So after like five minutes, Corina goes ‘We’re thinking of going to a movie tomorrow. Would you like to come?’ I’m thinking she means a Bollywood movie, but I’m not one to turn down any kind of social bonding experience, so I’m like ‘Totally. Are we thinking Hollywood? Bollywood? Calliwod?’ And she replies ‘Oh, American. Definitely.’
So, I’m thinking, cool, this should be fun. In fact, as soon as I arrived in the city, Jessie, the girl I met at my hotel, said ‘If you ever miss home, go to the movies. It’s great.’ And boy, could she not have been more right. We went to this brand new mall built only in August, that was SO nice. Totally powerful air conditioning, United Colors of Benneton, KFC, computer stores everywhere, I was in my western element. It’s so sad that I need these kind of comforts to feel better, but I am so over that. Anyway, going to an Indian mall is like going to a really bright club. American music is blaring everywhere. This time I heard Right Round and Californication. We went into a bookstore, and I found out that Stephanie Meyer even has shrines in south Asia. There was poster about Glee and how ‘You love the show. Now you can own the music.’ It was amazing and I don’t even watch Glee or read Twilight.
So then we go to the theatre, which is on the fourth floor, and get our tickets. We only had two options for the time we were there: Alice in Wonderland and Step Up 3D. Step Up sounds and looks stupid, so I vote for Alice, even though it’s equally as stupid, and I’ve seen it. But, I figured it’d be something familiar, if anything. Well, there are only three seats left. There are three of us, so it seems perfect, but then we find out that in India, seats are assigned, like on a plane. And the only 3 seats left aren’t next to each other. So, Step Up 3D it is. We walk into the next area, and we are officially now in a night club. It’s SHWANK. Like, the coolest, nicest theatre I’ve ever been to. With really comfortable seats.
Ok so I’m expecting this movie to suck. And in many ways, it did. But in many more ways, it was the most amazing movie I have ever seen. It was SO AMERICAN. I needed to be American tonight. I needed to hear American music and English and laugh at American jokes, it was so great. So great in fact, that I literally almost started crying. That sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I have been so emotional lately, and this was so great, that I almost started crying. My eyes welled up and everything. I’m so glad that the only time I’ve almost cried has been out of happiness, you have no idea. So I’m totally gonna buy this movie and it will always mean a lot to me. Oh and did you know the little girl from the Missy Elliot videos is in these movies? She’s all grown up now. I’ve never seen the first two, but that was enough to catch my interest from the start. She’s so white, it’s hilarious.
But let’s be honest. It was, in many ways, terrible. The writing and story were just nonsensical, and it was completely shot the way it was solely because it was in 3D. Entire scenes were based on the 3D effect. But whatever, it was fun. And it was loud and exciting and so enthralling to watch, so I’m not gonna complain. I loved every second of it. However, even though I was Americanizing it up, it was still a cultural experience. For instance, as soon as the movie starts, all the Indians go crazy. Like, you’d think you were at a basketball (cricket?) game. Everyone’s hooting and hollering and whistling b/c it’s so exciting. Then everytime something awesome happens (ie: a kiss, good dance move, etc), it all happens again. More whistles and cheering. And there’s an intermission. Isn’t that funny?
At my intermission, I had to pee, because I had ordered an Extra Large popcorn and an Extra Large Coke (this is more than I’ve ever ordered in the US), and when I went to the bathroom, every single urinal had its own personal LCD panel to watch movie previews. The only urinal that was free was the one with the broken LCD panel. I chose that one. So anyway, I went back to the movie, finished it, and Corina goes ‘I’d be willing to go to a movie every week if you want.’
HELL YES.
I feel so blessed. Honestly, this trip has been so great thus far because of the wonderful people I have met along the way. I will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart for Danish people now, because they have made me feel so welcome in countries that aren’t even their own. I absolutely HAVE to visit the country now, it’s even a priority. Luckily, these Danish girls are here as long as I am, so I’m definitely just in such gratitude of God right now. Like, I can’t even imagine what it’d be like if they weren’t here. I would just spend everyday uneasy at my work and every night bored in my room and with no one to relate to or connect with…and that just seems like it’d be so sad. And really there was no guarantee there’d be anyone here to hang out with. It wasn’t like I asked when I signed up, and I don’t know if ELI would have told me if that was the case.
OH! So I should tell you about my job. I don’t have one yet lol. I know, I’ve been here almost 6 days and I haven’t done anything yet. You see, I arrived on a weekend, and it was a holiday, so the center I’m volunteering at was closed. Then Monday, the guy that I’m supposed to assist was out sick. Then today, all I did was orientation. I met everyone, and learned all about the center. It’s actually a great place that does a lot of good work. It has six ongoing projects: HIV/STI awareness among sex workers, prevention of human trafficking in women and children, women in development, a short-stay home for victims of domestic violence, working with transgenders, and family counseling. It doesn’t have much money, but its staff is very educated and everyone here has a masters degree in social work. There’s also a clinical psychologist on staff. I’m planning on spending my time bouncing around from project to project. I learned a TON about micromanagement and finances and all this stuff that I never thought would happen here. I really want to learn more about fundraising and stuff.
OH! And I met an Australian girl who is working here but not living here, and she is actually here for like 3 months (the Danish girls are here for 6 weeks) and then travelling all over India, then volunteering some more in Kerala, then travelling all over Nepal, and is gonna be gone for like eight months total. Anyway, she’s working on the Human Trafficking project and I think I might assist her with some great projects. Like tomorrow, she’s taking some people who are staying in this shelter to a park to do some activities about self-esteem. Like putting on skits and playing games and giving advice. It all sounds awesome.
Oh! And this is so interesting: This is a Christian organization, so everyone who works here has an English name. Like, they’re totally Indian, but with English names. My boss or whatever in the HIV project is even named Joshua lol. The director of the entire center’s name is Isobel. There is also an Andrew (who LOVES country music. He loves Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, John Denver, the whole shebang), Alex and Christine.
Oh right. So anyway, I was planning on actually getting started with my job tomorrow. I was supposed to go with Joshua to a slum and see their center where they have self-help groups (yes, this is somewhat scary, but I won’t be alone, and everyone assures me that it’s safe, especially as a man), then visit a medical center, and meet the staff and everything, and maybe even meet some sex-workers. But then Krish, my coordinator through ELI calls me and tells me he wants to take me out to lunch tomorrow, and set up the internet in my room (THANK GOD). So I’m like, ok I’ll start the next day. Then, he tells me that he’s taking a bunch of English and American students to this town about 3 hours out of town the next day (Thursday) to see this museum which is all about traditional art in the 4 southern states of India. I was kind of hesitant, because this would be like 2 whole days off, but then he told me it’s set up by the Ford Foundation and is apparently one of the coolest places I can go while I’m here. And I’d get to spend the day with familiar faces. So, I was like ok whatever. So now I won’t start til Friday…then it’s the weekend lol. And then I have 2 weeks lol, which I’ll explain later.
All in all, it seems like a good place to volunteer. They told me that if I have some skills, I could teach the children at the short-stay home anything I want. So, I could like, teach them about math. Or give them English lessons. Or I could teach them how to use Photoshop. Lol, really anything at all I’d like to do, I can. Or I can just ask to do paperwork for a couple of days or whatever. So yeah, it’s very flexible. I think I’m really gonna spend most of my time learning, rather than actually volunteering though. This isn’t a problem, as I love learning, and non-profit management and social work are two careers I have considered, but at first I was like ‘Ugh. I paid $1000 to do nothing.’ But then I realized, no I didn’t. I paid $1000 (and then raised that much) to have someone pick me up at the airport, have a place to stay and kitchen to use, have a very helpful professional assist with anything I need, a tour of the city, and now a 3 hour trip to some museum. I’m totally ok with this. Because I could have just come right to this center and not paid nearly as much, but having the support is SO NICE. If I ever meet someone who wants to volunteer abroad, I will definitely recommend this NGO.
Oh, and I should get this out of the way now…I decided to make one tiiiiiiny little last tweak to my travel plans…..lol…..don’t judge me. I guess I’m always this indecisive though, so no one should be surprised. I realized last night that I’m going to be in Bangkok, but won’t see any of it, because I’m just flying in and out, and that this is stupid. And I was kind of freaking out about being here for like 27 days still, because I was being a pussy, and then I remembered how it only cost $10 to change my flight before….so I was like, hmm.
Sooooo then I decided to leave India 5 days early to go to Thailand!! Haha. I mean, really, it makes sense. I know that 2 months from now, I’ll look back on it all, and if I really didn’t take advantage of every opportunity I could, I’d regret it. I’ll definitely have a taste of India after 3 and a half weeks, and I won’t regret taking a month off of my trip, but I will regret not at least spending a couple days in Thailand, somewhere I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go. That, and it gives me some peace of mind. I’m gonna keep my flights to Bali the same, just change the date I fly out of India.
OH PS. MY FLIGHT RESERVATION WAS LOST. Yeah, I called them and they had NO record of my reservation. I don’t think I was ever booked on it, or they somehow cancelled it thru a glitch in the system. Or my travel agent fucked up. Regardless, I’m never using a travel agent again. I’m booking through websites, because this has never failed me. Can you imagine if I just showed up at the airport on October 12th and they were like ‘Sorry….you’re not on this flight.’ I would have had a nervous breakdown. I probably would have had to spend the night in the airport, and spend like $1000 on a last minute flight, or worse, had to find out there aren’t flights for like 3 days and what if I didn’t have a phone anymore? I don’t even know but THANK GOD I decided to spend a few days in Bangkok or I never would have found this out. Seriously right? I have a freaking guardian angel!
Luckily, a new flight only costs like $200. So I’m gonna book that tomorrow morning. I’m gonna aim for October 6th or 7th. And, like in Vietnam, I’m going all out. I have to at this point. If I’m not in very comfortable surroundings, where I can sleep easily, use my netbook, watch Grey’s, talk to Jason, and just relax for 4 or 5 days, I’m gonna go insane. Especially since I will have had 2 flights, and already spent a night in an airport (that too! This way I can get to Bali and NOT need to sleep for 24 straight hours). So I’m combing through resorts. I have found some SWEET places…and they only cost like $50 or $60 a night. I know! And that’s totally worth it. In the US, you’d pay well above $300 for a room in place like this. All these places have gorgeous pools, spas, massages, etc.
So yeah, I’m DEFINITELY looking forward to my time in Southeast Asia! I also realized today that right now really is the hardest part of my trip, and that it’s ok to be stressed right now. I’m just about to cross the halfway mark, and once I only have a couple weeks left in India, or less than a month til I’m home, so much of the pressure will be lifted off my shoulders. Ya know? Like the beginning of my trip was all exciting and new, and though I had a couple of lonely nights, I was fine. But right now, the middle, it makes sense that it’s stressful. And my total number of days in India will be like 27. I think I have 22 left now.
OKAY I’M DONE. But I love you guys and miss you all!
WAIT! I’m not done. I just want to tell one small story and make a necessary point. So, only 5 days in, I’ve really learned a LOT about the divide between the rich and the poor here, in more ways than one. Yesterday, I had nothing to do, so I just went along with some staff members to take some videos of some of their success stories. Andrew (country music guy) is a documentarian, so he’s making a video as kind of a commercial about the center, and they were interviewing a guy that got a small loan and started a flower business, and a woman who was in a self-help group and, well, helped herself. So we went to the woman’s house (room), and talked with her, and she told me that she makes 20 rupees a day. That’s 50 cents. She makes 50 cents a day. Ok remember that number. 20 rupees. So, that’s like, what? 140 rupees a week, 560 rupees a month. I went to the movies tonight, and it cost me 300 rupees. Can you imagine going to the movies and having to pay 300 dollars?? It’s like that in India. The rich have no trouble doing so, but the poor could probably never dream of it. It was also interesting to go to the movies, because it was so western. Everyone is wearing crocs and Abercrombie-type shirts and blue jeans,etc. It felt nice, of course, but was strange. Oh and I saw more white people. Whenever I see a white person now, I think to myself White Person!
Another thing I noticed was how much I really have in common with Europeans and Australians. I mean, I always knew that ‘the west’ was an entity that consisted of both Europe and the States, and I guess I always just associated it with money. Like, the west is rich, and the east is poor. Though, this is stupid, because I’ve taken enough anthro classes to know it’s much more than that. I even wrote a 5 page paper on it, but I guess in real life, I didn’t think of myself as identifying that strongly with anyone from the Anglophone world. But now, I realize that I have SO much in common emotionally and philosophically with other Westerners, without even making these points explicit. It’s like, regardless of ethnicity or accent or nationality, we are just drawn to each other for comfort, on one end or the other.This is probably one of the biggest revelations I’ve had thus far. Ya know? Like, instantly, I meet these Europeans and it’s like…we’re from the same town or something. It was the same in Bosnia with the other westerners I met. We instantly bonded because we were in a new, less developed, less Christian, less white place…without even trying, really.
- Josh A
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Random Thoughts: 24 - 26
Update:
So, I'm in India, and I'm working through the shock, each day getting better than the next. But, I've had limited access to internet, and the internet I've had hasn't been wifi. So, I've been writing blog entries but not uploading them. The following are the 3 which I wrote on my first 3 days on the Indian Subcontinent.
Random Thought: 24,
written on September 10th, in the middle of the night
Wow,
I’m in India. It’s weird how you envision things. Ya know? Like, I’ve thought about going to India for so long now, but I really don’t think any thoughts or readings or research or plans really could have actually come close as to what it’d be like. It’s 3:36 in the morning and I’m at Indira Gandhi Airport, and this story is about as ironic as you can imagine.
So, when you’re in coming to a new place, especially a developing country, and you’re alone, the natural course of action is to ease yourself into it, right? Right. Unless you’re me. I, of course, intentionally made my arrival so that I would arrive at the Delhi International Airport at midnight…and then I would wait in the airport all night long to catch my next fight to Chennai, at 7:05 AM. This, of course, is all instead of booking a direct flight to Chennai, which could probably arrive at a pretty auspicious time. I don’t know why either.
So, awhile ago, I found out that the international terminal and the domestic terminal are actually four miles apart. I then find out that I actually have to get from one to the other…in the middle of the night. So, of course I’m expecting to just show up and have a fucking heart attack. Ya know? Like I don’t even know, I just am preparing for the worst. I’m so nervous on the flight over, and I just can’t accept the fact that I’m about to land in fucking India, and then when I finally land, it’s just….as easy as pie!
In fact, the most stressful thing about my evening so far has been this really bitchy lady behind me in Customs from the UK who was SO MAD that our line was taking so long, she even verbally accosted the Customs worker. She wanted me to join in, but I was like hell no sista, I am NOT gonna be thrown out of no India at midnight. Anyway, I hop on out of the plane and it’s literally just like arriving in Chicago or Detroit or whatever. I mean, this airport is shwank.
And even the international one itself is HUGE so I walk about a half a mile to get through customs and get my baggage, and of course every single sign is in English, I think there may have been like 2 in Hindi, and everyone is just SO NICE and I’m directed to this bus that transports people between terminals. I get on, and soon the bus fills up with all these locals, who are very helpful and conversational. Within 20 minutes, I’m where I need to be. The drive was semi-interesting, as I got to see something other than an airport, but it was dark. I then checked in for my next flight (4 hours early) and now, here I sit, in this cute little café area, surrounded by a KFC, Pizza Hut, Wifi “Laptop” Station (though you have to have a cell phone to actually use the wifi, dammit), and many sleepy travellers.
It’s just crazy how…not India this is. I mean, I know, I’ve only been inside airports (though I also drove 4 miles on the freeway), but like, I expected to walk outside to get to the bus and just be bum-rushed by beggars and overwhelmed with new smells and sounds and, yeah, just pass out or something. But this night has been…nice lol.
I don’t really know why though…maybe it’s because EVERY SINGLE THING is in English, or maybe it’s because everyone is SO nice. I mean really, everyone here treats you with such respect and you are always met by the biggest, most genuine smiles. This started with the very first flight attendant on my plane and continued until just now, in the security check. Customer Service here is DEFINITELY kicking Europe’s ass. I remember one night, the Danes and I just sat around talking all about customer service, and how for quite awhile, it seemed as though every single person we encountered hated their job and us for coming to their country. Here, even though it’s the middle of the night, I’ve been met by very helpful employees who were more than happy to assist me. And there’s just something so…well, genuine about it all, it’s quite refreshing.
I truly expected this evening to be the most stressful night of my entire trip, but as I sit here with my boarding pass, ready to board my flight 3 hours in advance, I’m definitely thinking that’s a no. Furthermore, I’m just…so happy right now. I can’t even put it into words.
Oh, and even though I’ve heard about it from countless people, it’s still so weird to see two men walking around holding hands. Oh! And I could have brought a bomb on my plane from Frankfurt. I have my messenger bag with me at all times, and it’s my carry-on on flights, and it’s full of…well, everything. I knew that when I put it into the scanner it would just go off like a bomb itself b/c it’s full of paper clips and pens and coins and god knows what else, and so of course, in line at Frankfurt, the machine freaked out. The security guard got it out, opened up, saw my Rough Guide to India, and asked
SG: Have you been to India?
J: Nope, I’m on my way.
SG: Really? How long?
J: About a month.
He flipped through my book and we made small talk about money, and that was it. He just waved me on. Wtf?!
- Josh A
Random Thought: 25
Written on September 11th
So, `
I have had two full days in India. Talk about fucking insane. I don’t even…whatever. If you thought my last post was ironic, it gets even more ironic that of course I actually do almost have a heart attack once I’m here. I don’t really know what happened, but once in my bed and just done with my first day, I was freaking the fuck out. I had just got done booking all my of flights home, so I knew that I was totally going to be home early, on October 23rd, and I was gonna get to Bali and to Vietnam and Chicago in pretty much the most perfect way possible, and I was officially on the second leg of my trip, and I was feeling great just movin’ along, feelin alive and all that bullshit I always spout…and then I just lost it.
I was up all night just thinking and missing Jason and missing my mom and being really whiny and pathetic. It was RIDICULOUS. I mean, it didn’t matter how logically I could force myself to look at things, nothing helped. Like, I knew that being here is important. It is! Being in India is pretty much the best thing I could possibly do with my life right now, if not the best thing I’ve ever done, because not only am I volunteering and actually doing something good for human kind for once in my life, I’m also bearing witness to things that everyone from white, middle class, Midwestern America needs to see: poverty, a developing country, disease, hunger, REALITY. I am expanding my horizons, padding my resume for grad school/previous jobs, and seeing the world. But last night, I would have honestly taken a direct flight home today if I had a little less willpower. Even the thought of seeing a familiar face, Jackie, as soon as
I’m done here didn’t help.
Today was much better. I still was annoying, but I went back and forth. I think the fact that I’m actually here and ticking off days is helpful. Like, the first day is always the hardest. This was true the first day I left Jason, and it’s true now. And tomorrow, I’ll actually move into my dorm, where I’ll be for 4 weeks and I’ll have my own space, air conditioner, and hopefully wifi. Then I can start my daily routine and…I really need one. Seriously. I am so tired of being a tourist.
I think that also compounded my mentality on day 1. I was already stressed, but what I was truly looking forward to about India was that I would be done just being a fucking tourist. Ya know? I am so tired of just walking around and finding a restaurant to eat at and then walking around more and then coming back to an unfamiliar hotel and then packing up the next day and lugging around my 40 pound backpack and then repeating the entire process.
That’s essentially all I’ve done my first two days in Hindustan. It’s pretty amusing how most people would love nothing more than to be taken on a free, private tour of the city upon arrival by a helpful, English-speaking local, but I was just like ‘Ugh. Fine.’ So, thank god for tomorrow. SO EXCITED!
To be fair though, essentially nothing actually stressful has happened to me. I got really lucky, in that there are two Americans staying at my hotel who are also here through my NGO and they were just super-nice, and showed me around, and took me to add minutes to my phone (yup, I have a cell now, call me), and just included me in their entire day. One’s from Wisconsin, so we talked about Chicago and how the Dells are ridiculous and the Midwest in general. I honestly think that without them I may have had a nervous breakdown and started crying. Because without them, I would have had 2 options: go out and explore a third-world country with no street signs on my own, or stay in all by myself all day in a hot, cramped hotel. Neither would have made my day A-OK.
Actually, there were some parts of my day with my fellow students that were exactly what I needed to feel better. Chris, the one from Wisconsin, told me that when he first arrived here, he literally was ready to just book a flight for the next day and go right home. He hated it and didn’t know how to deal. But the program director (whom I’ll meet tomorrow) talked him down. 7 weeks later, he loves it and is so glad he stayed. He and my other friend, Jessie, both told me to just take my time to adjust.
It took them both about 2-3 weeks before they really started getting into the groove. On top of this, Jessie also offered to be there for me if I need anything. Like, she said that when she got here, she wanted little things, like snacks for her room or a new pair of sandals, but didn’t know how to get anywhere or how to go about getting anything. And she was so nice and just totally offered to help me with anything I might need and gave me her phone number. She was like a gift from God, really. And we spent the day on this beautiful sea-side town with these ancient temples and carvings and a beautiful beach.
Another thing that gave me hope was that I was reminded again how short my trip really is. Jessie is staying in India for a total of 8 months…shit lol. She’s been here since July and is leaving in March. Chris got here August 1st, and isn’t leaving until November 28th. I’m out of here in 30 days, then I’ll be with Jackie O, someone I’ve known almost my entire life, for 5 days, so I realize that I should just calm down.
Oh! And neither Jessie nor Chris had been out of the US before. I know. INDIA was their very first experience outside home. Like, I’ve always wanted to go to India, but I wanted to go to Europe first to ease myself into it. I believed in this strategy so much that I went twice, and went east the second time around. It didn’t help. I’m still stressed, and my friends are doing just fine.
I guess it all comes down to the fact that I’m just not comfortable here. Yet, that is. Europe is one thing, ya know? Everywhere is attractive and easy and convenient, while here, everything is…well, not attractive, and complicated, and confusing. In Europe, I was in air conditioned youth hostels, surrounded by people who looked like me and sounded like me and watched the same TV shows as me. Here, I’m in a hot, cramped room, and though I met some awesome people today, I’m still essentially on my own.
I can only use the internet on the 1 computer here, so I can’t really update my blog, or skype with Jason, or watch Grey’s, or partake in any of the other ridiculous rituals I utilize to feel familiar and comfortable.
But, I will also admit that I’m lucky, in that everyone here is SO nice. Like, you walk down the street and strangers will yell hi to you from 15 feet away, because they want you to feel welcome or something. You walk into a shop, and you’re treated like royalty. If you have a question, people are more than willing to assist you, and they want to know where you’re from, what your parents do for a living and all about your personal history. And, obviously, everyone speaks English. More variables that could have made these past two days absolute hell.
Ok I’m done. But! Oh yeah! I’m also excited for tomorrow because apparently there are 3 Danish people who are also moving into my dorm tomorrow…so maybe I’ll make some more friends from Copenhangen :)
- Josh A
Ps I love Jason
Random Thought: 26
Written on September 12th
Hi again,
I’m all moved into my dorm. It’s…I dunno, not that nice, but this is India, and I’m probably living in a better situation than 85% of the population of this country. And I have air conditioning (IT’S SO FUCKING OPPRESSIVELY HOT HERE), a reliable (so far) outlet to charge my electronics, and my own shower. So, I’m thankful to be here. I am already on day 3 of my Indian excursion, and I’m feeling good. Day 4 will be 1/8 of my time here.
Ugh, I hate that I do that. I did it all through Europe, and I’m doing it again now. I constantly am keeping track of how much time I have left. I did it the entire first 3 weeks of Europe, the last week and a half, I forgot about it because I felt like all the pressure was off. I’m always aware of where I am in my trip. For example, tomorrow I will be 1/8 done with my time in India, 5 weeks total into my total trip, with 5 weeks and 5 days left, which means I am 7/15 done with my entire trip, just about halfway.
Hopefully, I’ll forget about this soon too. And when you think about it, there are a few big landmarks coming up. In a few days, my trip will be officially halfway over, and September will also be halfway over. Then very soon after that, I’ll have only 1 month until I’m home. That should take some of the pressure off. Ugh, I just have nothing to do still, so I keep thinking and thinking and thinking…it’s so annoying.
Essentially, I’m just sitting in my room alone all day. Though I was able to move in, all I did was talk with the program director about my meals during my stay, we talked about my goals, and then he gave me tons of tips and stuff. Now the rest of the evening I just get to sit around. It is nice though, because I’ve been watching Friends like crazy (yay for bringing 3 seasons of Friends, 2 seasons of Alias, 3 seasons of Roswell, and 10 of my favorite movies with me!). I even tried to go out exploring, but it’s a holiday today so all the shops are closed. I would have loved to get online or get some food.
Oh! PS. I have had no appetite at all since I arrived. I think it’s a mixture of the heat, plus the jet lag, plus the stress, but I am never hungry. Jess, Chris and I went out to eat, and I ordered this teeny, tiny pizza, and I only could eat half of it. I also have had indian food twice now, and though in the US, I always treat Indian food like a smorgasbord and just eat my heart out, I could barely finish my plate either time. Today I probably won’t eat anything. Oh well, at least I’ll look good in Bali! Ooh, that’s such a good idea.
On a very bright note, I have learned that the program coordinator, whose name is Krish, is just amazing. He is so helpful, and is so worried about my well-being. He has called me 6 times today, and texted me another 6 times with just random advice, and so many questions as to how I’m feeling, and has made every attempt to make me as comfortable as possible. He promised to go out tomorrow and look for a wireless router for my room, and even though the Danish girls aren’t here yet, he made the doorman promise that when they arrived, he would introduce us. Upon saying goodbye to me, he said something I’ll never forget: “Keep smiling.”
So, I’m gonna try to remember that. And I’m glad to know that I didn’t seem dour.
Oh! One last thing. Since I’m interested in public health, he told me that if I’d like, halfway through my stay, I could move to a hospital in Chennai and volunteer there in another program,. He said the accommodation is probably nicer and there are more volunteers there. I don’t know right now, but if it gets lonely around here, or I just need a change, I’m totally gonna take him up on that.
Ok wait, I lied, another thing. If you don’t know by now, I have shortened my trip. I am now coming home October 23rd. That’s why I’m almost halfway done now. Essentially, I realized that there’s no fucking way I can possibly travel around India all on my own for over a month without going fucking insane and just hating India, travelling, myself and life. It really was a hard decision, because I had to screw over Maggie and I’ll always feel very terrible about it, but it wasn’t that I just didn’t want to travel, it was that I couldn’t. Like, no part of me at all wants to go about doing that...and it's sad, but I know I'll return to India someday. There is so much to see, and I do like it, I just can't wander around aimlessly anymore. If I could volunteer for another month, I probably would, but I can't deal with just more endless travelling for so long. Who knew this would be my mindset now?
Anyway, volunteering, I can do. I recognize that I’m giving up my time and comfort (albeit in an air conditioned room with a private security guard) for others, and I am secure in my placement until I leave the country. Thankfully, Krish also agreed to let me stay 3 days later than I planned to volunteer, which is great because I only paid for 28 days, and I have 3 days between the last day and my flight. Anyway, this is really the most important part of my trip. And I paid $1000 to do it. And I raised $900 to pay for it. So, I can’t give it up.
It did take some tweaking though, like now I’m doing my research project in Chennai, instead of going about the country. You see, my research project is about the Reservations system in India. India has a system called ‘Reservations’, which is like Affirmative Action, but much more so. It’s aimed at women, scheduled tribes and Dalits. In other words, those who used to barely have a shot at getting into college are now reserved a certain percentage of all college admissions. It’s a flawed system, but it is doing good. I plan to speak with university representatives to see how this is actually implemented, and then compare it to the US. I got $3000 to do so, ps.
Originally, I was going to tour about the entire country and interview people from 4 colleges in Delhi, 4 colleges in Mumbai and 4 colleges in Bangalore. Shortly ago, I realized that sounds like a nightmare. So, now I’m just going to visit the 10 or so universities located in Chennai and do the same. As soon as I get my internet connection, I’m gonna get started on that.
ANYWAY, now, after I’m done with my time in india (which will be a total of 32 days, 3 of which are complete), I am flying to see Jackie in Bali for 4 days and 5 nights (and get this: I have THREE flights to ge there. Chennai – Delhi, Delhi-Bangkok, Bangkok – Bali). I was originally going to just stay in Thailand for that time, but then Jackie was like ‘Let’s go to Bali’ and I was like ‘Fuck yeah let’s go to Bali.’
From there, I’m flying to Hanoi for 3 nights and 2 days. And guess what. I’ve decided to live it up. Seriously. I am gonna book 3 nights at the nicest spa and resort in Ha Long Bay (google image it now), and there better be a pool, massages, tours, an awesome restaurant, a driver to pick me up at the airport, and every other amenity possible, because those are the requirements for me to book a room. Anyway, from there, I’m flying back to the US. I’ll be back October 23rd.
And it’ll all be awesome. As long as I keep on smiling.
- Josh A
So, I'm in India, and I'm working through the shock, each day getting better than the next. But, I've had limited access to internet, and the internet I've had hasn't been wifi. So, I've been writing blog entries but not uploading them. The following are the 3 which I wrote on my first 3 days on the Indian Subcontinent.
Random Thought: 24,
written on September 10th, in the middle of the night
Wow,
I’m in India. It’s weird how you envision things. Ya know? Like, I’ve thought about going to India for so long now, but I really don’t think any thoughts or readings or research or plans really could have actually come close as to what it’d be like. It’s 3:36 in the morning and I’m at Indira Gandhi Airport, and this story is about as ironic as you can imagine.
So, when you’re in coming to a new place, especially a developing country, and you’re alone, the natural course of action is to ease yourself into it, right? Right. Unless you’re me. I, of course, intentionally made my arrival so that I would arrive at the Delhi International Airport at midnight…and then I would wait in the airport all night long to catch my next fight to Chennai, at 7:05 AM. This, of course, is all instead of booking a direct flight to Chennai, which could probably arrive at a pretty auspicious time. I don’t know why either.
So, awhile ago, I found out that the international terminal and the domestic terminal are actually four miles apart. I then find out that I actually have to get from one to the other…in the middle of the night. So, of course I’m expecting to just show up and have a fucking heart attack. Ya know? Like I don’t even know, I just am preparing for the worst. I’m so nervous on the flight over, and I just can’t accept the fact that I’m about to land in fucking India, and then when I finally land, it’s just….as easy as pie!
In fact, the most stressful thing about my evening so far has been this really bitchy lady behind me in Customs from the UK who was SO MAD that our line was taking so long, she even verbally accosted the Customs worker. She wanted me to join in, but I was like hell no sista, I am NOT gonna be thrown out of no India at midnight. Anyway, I hop on out of the plane and it’s literally just like arriving in Chicago or Detroit or whatever. I mean, this airport is shwank.
And even the international one itself is HUGE so I walk about a half a mile to get through customs and get my baggage, and of course every single sign is in English, I think there may have been like 2 in Hindi, and everyone is just SO NICE and I’m directed to this bus that transports people between terminals. I get on, and soon the bus fills up with all these locals, who are very helpful and conversational. Within 20 minutes, I’m where I need to be. The drive was semi-interesting, as I got to see something other than an airport, but it was dark. I then checked in for my next flight (4 hours early) and now, here I sit, in this cute little café area, surrounded by a KFC, Pizza Hut, Wifi “Laptop” Station (though you have to have a cell phone to actually use the wifi, dammit), and many sleepy travellers.
It’s just crazy how…not India this is. I mean, I know, I’ve only been inside airports (though I also drove 4 miles on the freeway), but like, I expected to walk outside to get to the bus and just be bum-rushed by beggars and overwhelmed with new smells and sounds and, yeah, just pass out or something. But this night has been…nice lol.
I don’t really know why though…maybe it’s because EVERY SINGLE THING is in English, or maybe it’s because everyone is SO nice. I mean really, everyone here treats you with such respect and you are always met by the biggest, most genuine smiles. This started with the very first flight attendant on my plane and continued until just now, in the security check. Customer Service here is DEFINITELY kicking Europe’s ass. I remember one night, the Danes and I just sat around talking all about customer service, and how for quite awhile, it seemed as though every single person we encountered hated their job and us for coming to their country. Here, even though it’s the middle of the night, I’ve been met by very helpful employees who were more than happy to assist me. And there’s just something so…well, genuine about it all, it’s quite refreshing.
I truly expected this evening to be the most stressful night of my entire trip, but as I sit here with my boarding pass, ready to board my flight 3 hours in advance, I’m definitely thinking that’s a no. Furthermore, I’m just…so happy right now. I can’t even put it into words.
Oh, and even though I’ve heard about it from countless people, it’s still so weird to see two men walking around holding hands. Oh! And I could have brought a bomb on my plane from Frankfurt. I have my messenger bag with me at all times, and it’s my carry-on on flights, and it’s full of…well, everything. I knew that when I put it into the scanner it would just go off like a bomb itself b/c it’s full of paper clips and pens and coins and god knows what else, and so of course, in line at Frankfurt, the machine freaked out. The security guard got it out, opened up, saw my Rough Guide to India, and asked
SG: Have you been to India?
J: Nope, I’m on my way.
SG: Really? How long?
J: About a month.
He flipped through my book and we made small talk about money, and that was it. He just waved me on. Wtf?!
- Josh A
Random Thought: 25
Written on September 11th
So, `
I have had two full days in India. Talk about fucking insane. I don’t even…whatever. If you thought my last post was ironic, it gets even more ironic that of course I actually do almost have a heart attack once I’m here. I don’t really know what happened, but once in my bed and just done with my first day, I was freaking the fuck out. I had just got done booking all my of flights home, so I knew that I was totally going to be home early, on October 23rd, and I was gonna get to Bali and to Vietnam and Chicago in pretty much the most perfect way possible, and I was officially on the second leg of my trip, and I was feeling great just movin’ along, feelin alive and all that bullshit I always spout…and then I just lost it.
I was up all night just thinking and missing Jason and missing my mom and being really whiny and pathetic. It was RIDICULOUS. I mean, it didn’t matter how logically I could force myself to look at things, nothing helped. Like, I knew that being here is important. It is! Being in India is pretty much the best thing I could possibly do with my life right now, if not the best thing I’ve ever done, because not only am I volunteering and actually doing something good for human kind for once in my life, I’m also bearing witness to things that everyone from white, middle class, Midwestern America needs to see: poverty, a developing country, disease, hunger, REALITY. I am expanding my horizons, padding my resume for grad school/previous jobs, and seeing the world. But last night, I would have honestly taken a direct flight home today if I had a little less willpower. Even the thought of seeing a familiar face, Jackie, as soon as
I’m done here didn’t help.
Today was much better. I still was annoying, but I went back and forth. I think the fact that I’m actually here and ticking off days is helpful. Like, the first day is always the hardest. This was true the first day I left Jason, and it’s true now. And tomorrow, I’ll actually move into my dorm, where I’ll be for 4 weeks and I’ll have my own space, air conditioner, and hopefully wifi. Then I can start my daily routine and…I really need one. Seriously. I am so tired of being a tourist.
I think that also compounded my mentality on day 1. I was already stressed, but what I was truly looking forward to about India was that I would be done just being a fucking tourist. Ya know? I am so tired of just walking around and finding a restaurant to eat at and then walking around more and then coming back to an unfamiliar hotel and then packing up the next day and lugging around my 40 pound backpack and then repeating the entire process.
That’s essentially all I’ve done my first two days in Hindustan. It’s pretty amusing how most people would love nothing more than to be taken on a free, private tour of the city upon arrival by a helpful, English-speaking local, but I was just like ‘Ugh. Fine.’ So, thank god for tomorrow. SO EXCITED!
To be fair though, essentially nothing actually stressful has happened to me. I got really lucky, in that there are two Americans staying at my hotel who are also here through my NGO and they were just super-nice, and showed me around, and took me to add minutes to my phone (yup, I have a cell now, call me), and just included me in their entire day. One’s from Wisconsin, so we talked about Chicago and how the Dells are ridiculous and the Midwest in general. I honestly think that without them I may have had a nervous breakdown and started crying. Because without them, I would have had 2 options: go out and explore a third-world country with no street signs on my own, or stay in all by myself all day in a hot, cramped hotel. Neither would have made my day A-OK.
Actually, there were some parts of my day with my fellow students that were exactly what I needed to feel better. Chris, the one from Wisconsin, told me that when he first arrived here, he literally was ready to just book a flight for the next day and go right home. He hated it and didn’t know how to deal. But the program director (whom I’ll meet tomorrow) talked him down. 7 weeks later, he loves it and is so glad he stayed. He and my other friend, Jessie, both told me to just take my time to adjust.
It took them both about 2-3 weeks before they really started getting into the groove. On top of this, Jessie also offered to be there for me if I need anything. Like, she said that when she got here, she wanted little things, like snacks for her room or a new pair of sandals, but didn’t know how to get anywhere or how to go about getting anything. And she was so nice and just totally offered to help me with anything I might need and gave me her phone number. She was like a gift from God, really. And we spent the day on this beautiful sea-side town with these ancient temples and carvings and a beautiful beach.
Another thing that gave me hope was that I was reminded again how short my trip really is. Jessie is staying in India for a total of 8 months…shit lol. She’s been here since July and is leaving in March. Chris got here August 1st, and isn’t leaving until November 28th. I’m out of here in 30 days, then I’ll be with Jackie O, someone I’ve known almost my entire life, for 5 days, so I realize that I should just calm down.
Oh! And neither Jessie nor Chris had been out of the US before. I know. INDIA was their very first experience outside home. Like, I’ve always wanted to go to India, but I wanted to go to Europe first to ease myself into it. I believed in this strategy so much that I went twice, and went east the second time around. It didn’t help. I’m still stressed, and my friends are doing just fine.
I guess it all comes down to the fact that I’m just not comfortable here. Yet, that is. Europe is one thing, ya know? Everywhere is attractive and easy and convenient, while here, everything is…well, not attractive, and complicated, and confusing. In Europe, I was in air conditioned youth hostels, surrounded by people who looked like me and sounded like me and watched the same TV shows as me. Here, I’m in a hot, cramped room, and though I met some awesome people today, I’m still essentially on my own.
I can only use the internet on the 1 computer here, so I can’t really update my blog, or skype with Jason, or watch Grey’s, or partake in any of the other ridiculous rituals I utilize to feel familiar and comfortable.
But, I will also admit that I’m lucky, in that everyone here is SO nice. Like, you walk down the street and strangers will yell hi to you from 15 feet away, because they want you to feel welcome or something. You walk into a shop, and you’re treated like royalty. If you have a question, people are more than willing to assist you, and they want to know where you’re from, what your parents do for a living and all about your personal history. And, obviously, everyone speaks English. More variables that could have made these past two days absolute hell.
Ok I’m done. But! Oh yeah! I’m also excited for tomorrow because apparently there are 3 Danish people who are also moving into my dorm tomorrow…so maybe I’ll make some more friends from Copenhangen :)
- Josh A
Ps I love Jason
Random Thought: 26
Written on September 12th
Hi again,
I’m all moved into my dorm. It’s…I dunno, not that nice, but this is India, and I’m probably living in a better situation than 85% of the population of this country. And I have air conditioning (IT’S SO FUCKING OPPRESSIVELY HOT HERE), a reliable (so far) outlet to charge my electronics, and my own shower. So, I’m thankful to be here. I am already on day 3 of my Indian excursion, and I’m feeling good. Day 4 will be 1/8 of my time here.
Ugh, I hate that I do that. I did it all through Europe, and I’m doing it again now. I constantly am keeping track of how much time I have left. I did it the entire first 3 weeks of Europe, the last week and a half, I forgot about it because I felt like all the pressure was off. I’m always aware of where I am in my trip. For example, tomorrow I will be 1/8 done with my time in India, 5 weeks total into my total trip, with 5 weeks and 5 days left, which means I am 7/15 done with my entire trip, just about halfway.
Hopefully, I’ll forget about this soon too. And when you think about it, there are a few big landmarks coming up. In a few days, my trip will be officially halfway over, and September will also be halfway over. Then very soon after that, I’ll have only 1 month until I’m home. That should take some of the pressure off. Ugh, I just have nothing to do still, so I keep thinking and thinking and thinking…it’s so annoying.
Essentially, I’m just sitting in my room alone all day. Though I was able to move in, all I did was talk with the program director about my meals during my stay, we talked about my goals, and then he gave me tons of tips and stuff. Now the rest of the evening I just get to sit around. It is nice though, because I’ve been watching Friends like crazy (yay for bringing 3 seasons of Friends, 2 seasons of Alias, 3 seasons of Roswell, and 10 of my favorite movies with me!). I even tried to go out exploring, but it’s a holiday today so all the shops are closed. I would have loved to get online or get some food.
Oh! PS. I have had no appetite at all since I arrived. I think it’s a mixture of the heat, plus the jet lag, plus the stress, but I am never hungry. Jess, Chris and I went out to eat, and I ordered this teeny, tiny pizza, and I only could eat half of it. I also have had indian food twice now, and though in the US, I always treat Indian food like a smorgasbord and just eat my heart out, I could barely finish my plate either time. Today I probably won’t eat anything. Oh well, at least I’ll look good in Bali! Ooh, that’s such a good idea.
On a very bright note, I have learned that the program coordinator, whose name is Krish, is just amazing. He is so helpful, and is so worried about my well-being. He has called me 6 times today, and texted me another 6 times with just random advice, and so many questions as to how I’m feeling, and has made every attempt to make me as comfortable as possible. He promised to go out tomorrow and look for a wireless router for my room, and even though the Danish girls aren’t here yet, he made the doorman promise that when they arrived, he would introduce us. Upon saying goodbye to me, he said something I’ll never forget: “Keep smiling.”
So, I’m gonna try to remember that. And I’m glad to know that I didn’t seem dour.
Oh! One last thing. Since I’m interested in public health, he told me that if I’d like, halfway through my stay, I could move to a hospital in Chennai and volunteer there in another program,. He said the accommodation is probably nicer and there are more volunteers there. I don’t know right now, but if it gets lonely around here, or I just need a change, I’m totally gonna take him up on that.
Ok wait, I lied, another thing. If you don’t know by now, I have shortened my trip. I am now coming home October 23rd. That’s why I’m almost halfway done now. Essentially, I realized that there’s no fucking way I can possibly travel around India all on my own for over a month without going fucking insane and just hating India, travelling, myself and life. It really was a hard decision, because I had to screw over Maggie and I’ll always feel very terrible about it, but it wasn’t that I just didn’t want to travel, it was that I couldn’t. Like, no part of me at all wants to go about doing that...and it's sad, but I know I'll return to India someday. There is so much to see, and I do like it, I just can't wander around aimlessly anymore. If I could volunteer for another month, I probably would, but I can't deal with just more endless travelling for so long. Who knew this would be my mindset now?
Anyway, volunteering, I can do. I recognize that I’m giving up my time and comfort (albeit in an air conditioned room with a private security guard) for others, and I am secure in my placement until I leave the country. Thankfully, Krish also agreed to let me stay 3 days later than I planned to volunteer, which is great because I only paid for 28 days, and I have 3 days between the last day and my flight. Anyway, this is really the most important part of my trip. And I paid $1000 to do it. And I raised $900 to pay for it. So, I can’t give it up.
It did take some tweaking though, like now I’m doing my research project in Chennai, instead of going about the country. You see, my research project is about the Reservations system in India. India has a system called ‘Reservations’, which is like Affirmative Action, but much more so. It’s aimed at women, scheduled tribes and Dalits. In other words, those who used to barely have a shot at getting into college are now reserved a certain percentage of all college admissions. It’s a flawed system, but it is doing good. I plan to speak with university representatives to see how this is actually implemented, and then compare it to the US. I got $3000 to do so, ps.
Originally, I was going to tour about the entire country and interview people from 4 colleges in Delhi, 4 colleges in Mumbai and 4 colleges in Bangalore. Shortly ago, I realized that sounds like a nightmare. So, now I’m just going to visit the 10 or so universities located in Chennai and do the same. As soon as I get my internet connection, I’m gonna get started on that.
ANYWAY, now, after I’m done with my time in india (which will be a total of 32 days, 3 of which are complete), I am flying to see Jackie in Bali for 4 days and 5 nights (and get this: I have THREE flights to ge there. Chennai – Delhi, Delhi-Bangkok, Bangkok – Bali). I was originally going to just stay in Thailand for that time, but then Jackie was like ‘Let’s go to Bali’ and I was like ‘Fuck yeah let’s go to Bali.’
From there, I’m flying to Hanoi for 3 nights and 2 days. And guess what. I’ve decided to live it up. Seriously. I am gonna book 3 nights at the nicest spa and resort in Ha Long Bay (google image it now), and there better be a pool, massages, tours, an awesome restaurant, a driver to pick me up at the airport, and every other amenity possible, because those are the requirements for me to book a room. Anyway, from there, I’m flying back to the US. I’ll be back October 23rd.
And it’ll all be awesome. As long as I keep on smiling.
- Josh A
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Random Thought: 23
Well,
Europe is essentially over. I spent 2 days in Prague, and it wasn’t nearly enough to do it all, which is fine, because I would love to return, and now I’m on my way to Frankfurt. Tomorrow is all about flying. That’s right. I’m finally going to freakin’ India. It’s so weird, but I’m so happy to be done with this backpacking shit for now.
Anyway, my time in Prague was awesome. I was really annoying though, like I ate Subway three times. THREE TIMES. I couldn’t help myself, they had fountain pop WITH ICE. And they even had the same cookies and everything. It was so good. It was also so sad. The same girl was working the counter during two my visits and I know what she was thinking. I also got Starbucks twice…I don’t even get Starbucks in the US. Oh, and both Budapest and Prague are overrun with TGIFridays. Seriously.
On a brighter note though, I somewhat went all out in Prague. I don’t know if you’ve ever backpacked around a continent, but if you have (and if you did it on a budget), then you know what it’s like to usually skimp on stuff. Like, I hardly ever take the guided tour or make the advance reservation for a few extra euros, etc. But, when you make these decisions repeatedly, you tend to not splurge on anything, which is worse than spending too much in the first place! This kind of happened last year with Jason. Anyway, my first morning in Prague, I went to visit the castle, and I was like ‘Ya know what? I’m gonna go all out.’ So I booked the LONG tour of the Castle (which is 3 hours long), with the full audio guide. It cost me $30….and let me tell ya, it was so fucking boring.
Never again. I will never again splurge for splurging’s sake. If it’s nothing something that’s just supposed to be the sweetest freakin thing on the continent, I’m not buying. I was so bored, I literally just skipped like a third of it. Like, oh, there’s stop 31….I’ll just go right to stop 33.
The next day though, I had a much better experience. There’s this organization called New Europe and they offer free (yes, free!) walking tours all over major cities of Europe. And Jerusalem. Prague is actually the only city on my itinerary that they offered tours in, but others include London, Brussels, Berlin, and probably a dozen others. So anyway, the deal is that you just meet at Starbucks, then these people in red tour guide t-shirts pick you up, you go on a THREE HOUR tour of the city, and at the end, you can tip them if you want.
This was pretty much the best tour ever. The tour guide was like, 22 or something and he just moved to Prague for like 4 months to be a tour guide. He does this everyday and lives off tips. Then he’s gonna move to Berlin or something and do it there for 4 months. What a sweet freakin’ life. That’s like flight attendants. I have always maintained that I would love NOTHING more than to be flight attendant! How do airline employees work though? Like ya know how you’ll go to an airport, and say you get in the Air France line, even if you’re in the US, the employees are French. So like, are they flight attendants and then when they’re abroad they work the counter? I dunno but it’s all interesting.
So yeah, back to the tour. Although let me just say this! When waiting for the tour to start at Starbucks, I met this guy from Texas and he was SUCH a DUMBASS. He had the thickest Texas accent you can imagine, and when our tour guide actually complimented him on it, he replied ‘Yeah, well, I’m actually not as smart as those northerners, that’s why I’ve got this accent here.’ What? And then when the guide was trying to round everyone up to go, he was like ‘Move ‘em along little lady!’ or some shit like that. Oh man. He was from Irving, which is where Winston moved from.
So really back to the tour now! It was awesome because I learned so much about the revolution and about what exactly happened the people of the Czech Republic over the last 100 years. It’s so interesting because people always think that like, after Europe was liberated from Hitler, everyone was saved. But really, things were just as bad under Stalin, and the people of the CR were really under a terrifying occupation for like 50 years. We heard all these really, really moving stories too.
Like there was this story about this concentration camp outside Prague. It was FULL of children, and this one woman (also a prisoner) couldn’t stand to see these children just lose their childhood, so ever-so-slowly, she stole art supplies from the concentration camp facilities. In secret, she would give these supplies to the children and tell them to draw or paint what they dreamed about. They drew pictures of their families, they painted pictures of the roads that they’d see when they finally left the camp, etc, and then the woman collected them and all and buried them. There were hundreds of these pictures, and they kept well underground. Sometime in the 50s, they were discovered, and they’re all hanging all over Europe…the majority are in this Synagogue in Prague now. I swear I almost cried when that story was over.
Did you know that Hitler was going to use Prague as a kind of city-museum, after he exterminated the jews? He handpicked it to be somewhere that people could visit to gawk at this extinct race, and learn about their strange ways. All these really significant Jewish memorabilia and artifacts were brought to Prague for this reason. Well, the Jewish community ironically turned this huge collection into an amazing museum. I didn’t get to go there, but if I ever get to go back, it will be first on my list.
Or, oh my god, we also learned about all the brave attempts of the Czech people to earn their freedom. Like when the US was coming to liberate central Europe, the Czechs received word, and just had a massive uprising against the Nazis. They barricaded themselves in buildings and people fought with their everyday housewares, like pots and pans and forks. They didn’t know when the US would be there, but they knew they were on their way…so if they just kept fighting, they would eventually have help and freedom. Only that the US never came. The US/Soviet line of demarcation feel just THREE HOURS from Prague, so the Czechs didn’t have their freedom until 50 years later.
We also heard really amusing stories, like in the 60s, the Czech leader had given a lot of freedoms to the country, that other Soviet satellite states never had. Like he would allow people visas to leave the country, or the right to criticize the government. Well, when the Soviets heard this, they sent in all these tanks to just completely take over the city and implement all these totalitarian policies. But the Czechs had other plans. I don’t remember how, but word got out that the Soviets were on their way. But the Czechs knew that the Soviets wouldn’t know how to find Prague without directions. So, people everywhere went out into the streets and took down every single street sign and direction sign on the highways. They also renamed every town Dubcek, which is the name of their leader at the time. They changed all the railway routes so that they went in complete circles. It took the Soviets like 2 weeks to finally find their way to Prague…although, sadly, this culminated in the CR becoming the second-most hardline country after the USSR itself.
God I could just go on and on with this, but essentially, this tour was just phenomenal, and I tipped the guide 10 euros. I also met these two really cool backpackers named Justin and Edna (lol, yeah, when she told me her name, she was slightly embarrassed), and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together. We went to this Museum of Communism, which was SO cool. It was full of all this Anti-American propaganda, and it was organized into three sections: Communism the Dream, Communism the Reality, and Communism the Nightmare. We also watched this 15 minute video that actually showed what it was like during the revolution of 1989. It shows all these police beating protesters and journalists being assaulted for having cameras, it was just amazing. So amazing, I watched it twice.
It’s just so hard to believe that the Berlin Wall was still together before I was born. Like, only twenty years ago, all these countries in Central and Eastern Europe were undergoing some of the saddest and cruelest regimes, and also some of the most important revolutions of our time. I just can’t even imagine what that would be like. I mean, that could been my parents…or my friends’ parents, in all actuality. Perhaps one of the best things about the museum was its location: it was above a casino and behind a McDonalds…lol. I also got some great postcards.
I guess, at the end of it all, I’m just happy and proud that I made it this far. I’m safe, I’m happy, I haven’t lost any kind important document, and though I still have about 24 hours in which something could go wrong, I’m still feeling pretty good about all of it. The next couple of days will probably be pretty stressful, but the mere fact that Europe is now over is such a good feeling.
But I also am sad to leave it all behind. I mean, I feel like I just really mastered the art of making friends, and also being on my own and okay with it. But I guess that’s also a really good note to start India on. Though I’m somewhat nervous to get on a plane for a new destination, I’m mostly looking at it as just a really exciting adventure lol. It’s weird, but there’s something that seems so appealing to just being on a plane after all this.
I mean, with a train or bus, you’re constantly afraid you might miss your stop. Or there’s always the chance that your train is gonna split somewhere along the ride and the first half will go one way while the second half will go the other, and you don’t know if you’re where you need to be. And you can’t sleep, lest some creep steal your shit, etc. None of that is really an issue on a plane. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about hundreds of crazy drivers the entire journey over.
And, because I have nothing else to write about, here are my European Awards 2010!
Most eye-opening: Sarajevo, Bosnia
Most beautiful location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Most relaxing: Split, Croatia
Most serene: Lake Bled, Slovenia
Most fun: Budapest, Hungary
Most boring: Banja Luka, Bosnia
Most liveable: Ljubljana, Slovenia
The location I wish I had the most extra time for: Budapest, Hungary
The location I must return to: Prague, Czech Republic
The location I hope all my friends go to: Mostar, Bosnia
K bye,
Josh A
PS the other day, this Czech guy said ‘Goodbyebye’ to me.
OH! And these are some questions I’ll leave you to ponder:
1) Why is everything in Europe paprika-flavored? Doritos would change their lives.
2) Why is it that everytime you ask someone to take a picture of you, they NEVER attempt to use zoom? It doesn’t make sense. Like, yes, my friends and I would LOVE a picture of a huge concrete wall that just happens to include us in a fraction of the frame.
PPS I love you all very much. Especially Jason :)
Europe is essentially over. I spent 2 days in Prague, and it wasn’t nearly enough to do it all, which is fine, because I would love to return, and now I’m on my way to Frankfurt. Tomorrow is all about flying. That’s right. I’m finally going to freakin’ India. It’s so weird, but I’m so happy to be done with this backpacking shit for now.
Anyway, my time in Prague was awesome. I was really annoying though, like I ate Subway three times. THREE TIMES. I couldn’t help myself, they had fountain pop WITH ICE. And they even had the same cookies and everything. It was so good. It was also so sad. The same girl was working the counter during two my visits and I know what she was thinking. I also got Starbucks twice…I don’t even get Starbucks in the US. Oh, and both Budapest and Prague are overrun with TGIFridays. Seriously.
On a brighter note though, I somewhat went all out in Prague. I don’t know if you’ve ever backpacked around a continent, but if you have (and if you did it on a budget), then you know what it’s like to usually skimp on stuff. Like, I hardly ever take the guided tour or make the advance reservation for a few extra euros, etc. But, when you make these decisions repeatedly, you tend to not splurge on anything, which is worse than spending too much in the first place! This kind of happened last year with Jason. Anyway, my first morning in Prague, I went to visit the castle, and I was like ‘Ya know what? I’m gonna go all out.’ So I booked the LONG tour of the Castle (which is 3 hours long), with the full audio guide. It cost me $30….and let me tell ya, it was so fucking boring.
Never again. I will never again splurge for splurging’s sake. If it’s nothing something that’s just supposed to be the sweetest freakin thing on the continent, I’m not buying. I was so bored, I literally just skipped like a third of it. Like, oh, there’s stop 31….I’ll just go right to stop 33.
The next day though, I had a much better experience. There’s this organization called New Europe and they offer free (yes, free!) walking tours all over major cities of Europe. And Jerusalem. Prague is actually the only city on my itinerary that they offered tours in, but others include London, Brussels, Berlin, and probably a dozen others. So anyway, the deal is that you just meet at Starbucks, then these people in red tour guide t-shirts pick you up, you go on a THREE HOUR tour of the city, and at the end, you can tip them if you want.
This was pretty much the best tour ever. The tour guide was like, 22 or something and he just moved to Prague for like 4 months to be a tour guide. He does this everyday and lives off tips. Then he’s gonna move to Berlin or something and do it there for 4 months. What a sweet freakin’ life. That’s like flight attendants. I have always maintained that I would love NOTHING more than to be flight attendant! How do airline employees work though? Like ya know how you’ll go to an airport, and say you get in the Air France line, even if you’re in the US, the employees are French. So like, are they flight attendants and then when they’re abroad they work the counter? I dunno but it’s all interesting.
So yeah, back to the tour. Although let me just say this! When waiting for the tour to start at Starbucks, I met this guy from Texas and he was SUCH a DUMBASS. He had the thickest Texas accent you can imagine, and when our tour guide actually complimented him on it, he replied ‘Yeah, well, I’m actually not as smart as those northerners, that’s why I’ve got this accent here.’ What? And then when the guide was trying to round everyone up to go, he was like ‘Move ‘em along little lady!’ or some shit like that. Oh man. He was from Irving, which is where Winston moved from.
So really back to the tour now! It was awesome because I learned so much about the revolution and about what exactly happened the people of the Czech Republic over the last 100 years. It’s so interesting because people always think that like, after Europe was liberated from Hitler, everyone was saved. But really, things were just as bad under Stalin, and the people of the CR were really under a terrifying occupation for like 50 years. We heard all these really, really moving stories too.
Like there was this story about this concentration camp outside Prague. It was FULL of children, and this one woman (also a prisoner) couldn’t stand to see these children just lose their childhood, so ever-so-slowly, she stole art supplies from the concentration camp facilities. In secret, she would give these supplies to the children and tell them to draw or paint what they dreamed about. They drew pictures of their families, they painted pictures of the roads that they’d see when they finally left the camp, etc, and then the woman collected them and all and buried them. There were hundreds of these pictures, and they kept well underground. Sometime in the 50s, they were discovered, and they’re all hanging all over Europe…the majority are in this Synagogue in Prague now. I swear I almost cried when that story was over.
Did you know that Hitler was going to use Prague as a kind of city-museum, after he exterminated the jews? He handpicked it to be somewhere that people could visit to gawk at this extinct race, and learn about their strange ways. All these really significant Jewish memorabilia and artifacts were brought to Prague for this reason. Well, the Jewish community ironically turned this huge collection into an amazing museum. I didn’t get to go there, but if I ever get to go back, it will be first on my list.
Or, oh my god, we also learned about all the brave attempts of the Czech people to earn their freedom. Like when the US was coming to liberate central Europe, the Czechs received word, and just had a massive uprising against the Nazis. They barricaded themselves in buildings and people fought with their everyday housewares, like pots and pans and forks. They didn’t know when the US would be there, but they knew they were on their way…so if they just kept fighting, they would eventually have help and freedom. Only that the US never came. The US/Soviet line of demarcation feel just THREE HOURS from Prague, so the Czechs didn’t have their freedom until 50 years later.
We also heard really amusing stories, like in the 60s, the Czech leader had given a lot of freedoms to the country, that other Soviet satellite states never had. Like he would allow people visas to leave the country, or the right to criticize the government. Well, when the Soviets heard this, they sent in all these tanks to just completely take over the city and implement all these totalitarian policies. But the Czechs had other plans. I don’t remember how, but word got out that the Soviets were on their way. But the Czechs knew that the Soviets wouldn’t know how to find Prague without directions. So, people everywhere went out into the streets and took down every single street sign and direction sign on the highways. They also renamed every town Dubcek, which is the name of their leader at the time. They changed all the railway routes so that they went in complete circles. It took the Soviets like 2 weeks to finally find their way to Prague…although, sadly, this culminated in the CR becoming the second-most hardline country after the USSR itself.
God I could just go on and on with this, but essentially, this tour was just phenomenal, and I tipped the guide 10 euros. I also met these two really cool backpackers named Justin and Edna (lol, yeah, when she told me her name, she was slightly embarrassed), and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together. We went to this Museum of Communism, which was SO cool. It was full of all this Anti-American propaganda, and it was organized into three sections: Communism the Dream, Communism the Reality, and Communism the Nightmare. We also watched this 15 minute video that actually showed what it was like during the revolution of 1989. It shows all these police beating protesters and journalists being assaulted for having cameras, it was just amazing. So amazing, I watched it twice.
It’s just so hard to believe that the Berlin Wall was still together before I was born. Like, only twenty years ago, all these countries in Central and Eastern Europe were undergoing some of the saddest and cruelest regimes, and also some of the most important revolutions of our time. I just can’t even imagine what that would be like. I mean, that could been my parents…or my friends’ parents, in all actuality. Perhaps one of the best things about the museum was its location: it was above a casino and behind a McDonalds…lol. I also got some great postcards.
I guess, at the end of it all, I’m just happy and proud that I made it this far. I’m safe, I’m happy, I haven’t lost any kind important document, and though I still have about 24 hours in which something could go wrong, I’m still feeling pretty good about all of it. The next couple of days will probably be pretty stressful, but the mere fact that Europe is now over is such a good feeling.
But I also am sad to leave it all behind. I mean, I feel like I just really mastered the art of making friends, and also being on my own and okay with it. But I guess that’s also a really good note to start India on. Though I’m somewhat nervous to get on a plane for a new destination, I’m mostly looking at it as just a really exciting adventure lol. It’s weird, but there’s something that seems so appealing to just being on a plane after all this.
I mean, with a train or bus, you’re constantly afraid you might miss your stop. Or there’s always the chance that your train is gonna split somewhere along the ride and the first half will go one way while the second half will go the other, and you don’t know if you’re where you need to be. And you can’t sleep, lest some creep steal your shit, etc. None of that is really an issue on a plane. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about hundreds of crazy drivers the entire journey over.
And, because I have nothing else to write about, here are my European Awards 2010!
Most eye-opening: Sarajevo, Bosnia
Most beautiful location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Most relaxing: Split, Croatia
Most serene: Lake Bled, Slovenia
Most fun: Budapest, Hungary
Most boring: Banja Luka, Bosnia
Most liveable: Ljubljana, Slovenia
The location I wish I had the most extra time for: Budapest, Hungary
The location I must return to: Prague, Czech Republic
The location I hope all my friends go to: Mostar, Bosnia
K bye,
Josh A
PS the other day, this Czech guy said ‘Goodbyebye’ to me.
OH! And these are some questions I’ll leave you to ponder:
1) Why is everything in Europe paprika-flavored? Doritos would change their lives.
2) Why is it that everytime you ask someone to take a picture of you, they NEVER attempt to use zoom? It doesn’t make sense. Like, yes, my friends and I would LOVE a picture of a huge concrete wall that just happens to include us in a fraction of the frame.
PPS I love you all very much. Especially Jason :)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Random Thought: 22
So,
The following is a summary of my time in Budapest.
I arrived in Budapest 2 evenings ago. I came on a SIX HOUR train from Zagreb, and I shared a carriage with these 5 Brits. They were pretty cool and taught me how to play Hearts (which I’m kind of good at), and we talked about the War in Iraq and they taught me about health care and education in the UK. PS did you know that in the UK, you just study ‘medicine’ as an undergrad? I don’t get it. They tried explaining it to me but it didn’t make any sense. You’re just admitted out of high school, I guess. It was just hard taking them seriously because even in the US, 90% of the time I meet someone who’s pre-med, I’m like ok right. Next time I see you, you’ll be English. Anyway, so I get to Budapest and I eat McDonalds and find my hostel. The hostel is literally a huge apartment. Like, someone bought this awesome loft, put a bunch of bunk beds in it, and bam. Hostel. But it’s awesome so shut up.
Upon arrival, the first thing I saw was a man in the kitchen to my left, cooking and wearing nothing but pink boxers, and his ass-crack in plain view. He looked just like Sayid Jarrah. I checked in and soon came into contact with Tyler Baird. Or really, a Tyler Baird facsimile. This was so strange because I had just thought of Tyler and decided to send him a postcard. I met new Tyler and literally, he started talking to me and it was as though the Lord was like ‘You miss Tyler? Well here ya go!’ Further proof that someone’s looking out for me on this trip. Have I told you about this feeling yet?
Essentially, everything that could have gone right so far has. I haven’t missed a single train, or got lost, or gotten mugged or bought the wrong tram ticket or anything like that. It just really feels as though someone is watching out for me. As corny as it sounds, it’s comforting. Knock on wood.
Anyway, Tyler and I start talking and he’s from Canada and he’s cool and whatever, and then someone comes in and they’re like ‘There’s a big supper out here if you guys want some.’ So, in accordance with my new attitude about always being social, I have to oblige him. So I go into the kitchen and the half-naked middle eastern man was apparently cooking a FIVE COURSE MEAL for all the guests at this hostel. And he’s Egyptian.
So the meal consisted of lentil soup, roast chicken, French fries, an Egyptian salad, and then desert. It was all laid out in high-class restaurant style with tea lights and everything. I had actually already eaten at McDonalds b/c I’m pathetic, but like I said, I had to be social. So I ate anyway. The food was sweet but the social experience was lacking. Everyone there was British and they all were British together with their weird British humor and this one girl tried to convince me that the British office is better than the American Office and I was just done. Then the Egyptian guy started getting really weird. He started trying to make everyone eat more and more and more even though everyone was full, because we’re normal. Then he started eating chicken legs whole, including the bone. And when someone was eating their chicken with a fork, he’d demand to know why they didn’t use their fingers. Then it got kind of hairy. I’m always interested in dining etiquette around the world, so the following transpired:
J: Is it common to use your hands to eat in Egypt?
SJ: Man, we use the same things you do. We have forks, knives, all the same.
J: No, I mean like in the US, we all use hands for lots of stuff. Pizza, sandwiches, etc. In Europe, people use a fork and knife for everything.
SJ: What?! Fork and knife for pizza! Well in Egypt, we do have restuarants man. It’s just like you. If you go out to eat, you use fork and knife. If you stay in, you use hands. But we have all the same. Everything. Spoons, silverware, everything.
What a bunch of stupid shit. He’s like offended and didn’t get what I was saying, so I just dropped it. Everyone was weirded out by him and it was obvious that everyone kind of wanted to go, but we had to stay because there was so much food left, not only on the table but on our plates. Then it was time for desert. Let’s just say…it was constantly surprising.
Imagine a huge ice cream sundae that you can split with 4 people…including whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and raspberries. Sounds appetizing right? That’s what we see the Egyptian man preparing. He brings it over, and says ‘Who’s first?’ and we all just look at each other like holy shit. He’s making a HUGE sundae for each one of us individually. Once we look closer, we realize that it is a Sundae…but there’s no ice cream. Instead of ice cream, it’s cous cous. Yeah. Apparently, this is common in Egypt. And all cous cous are sweet. So, we’re all so full we’re about to vomit, but we each get this huge cous cous sundae.
All of a sudden, Egyptian guy is gone. No one knows where he went, or why, or if he’s coming back. So we all take this opportunity to scrape the 75% of the sundaes we didn’t eat into the garbage and do all the dishes. There’s only one sink so we all end up taking dishes into the bathrooms and it’s all stupid and funny. I stuck around in case Sayid came back, because I really wanted to say thank you, but he never did.
The next morning, Tyler and I get up and decide to go to the Terror House. This is a house that used to be the headquarters of the Nazi Party in Hungary, and then the Soviet KGB. It was then known as the ‘House of Loyalty.’ Hundreds or even thousands of political prisoners were brought here to be questioned or executed. To put it simply, a lot of really fucked up, terrifying things happened here. We learned all about the Stalinist regime and the Nazis and saw a bunch of uniforms and propaganda and it was so sad, because we even toured these cells where people were tortured, murdered, etc.
It was very much what I imagine visiting Auschwitz or another concentration camp is like. Some of the exhibits were just unreal, like there was a video of all these women prisoners (survivors) who got to come face to face with prison guard, another woman, and confront her with all that she had done to them. It was like The Reader kind of, but for real. These women were just like ‘You were so sadistic. How could you do this to us?’ and she just kept replying that she was under orders. There was this beautiful room called the Hall of Tears, which not only included a list of all the known victims, but also a list of all the known victimizers…and it had their date of birth and date of death. Some of them are still alive. Who knows what they’re doing now? It didn’t say whether they were in jail or just living in Russia.
Anyway, halfway through, I run into the people from the train.
This is like the third time something like this has happened on my trip, and it’s just ridiculous how small of a place Europe is. So Tyler Baird and I join the Brits and one of them has just turned into such an asshole. He’s flirting with all these slutty girls and he even scares one of them through this hole in a cell where dozens of people probably cried their eyes out or yelled for help in their last hours, and then all of a sudden he’s like ‘Well what’s your last name mate? I’ll add you on facebook.’ He hasn’t yet. Probably because he’s an asshole.
This apparently isn’t even uncommon. I have talked with two different people now who have been to Auschwitz and it seems there are always people there just talking and joking and being loud like they’re at fucking Sonic or something. I hate people. Anyway, I was glad to leave the Terror House so I could get away from British George who’s apparently going to be a doctor, but I’m so glad I went. It was probably the best museum I’ve ever been to, and it was so wonderful to actually bear witness to something that has happened here. I didn’t make it to Poland or Germany really, so this was really the only monument to the Soviet or Nazi occupation I’ve seen throughout this trip. And I of course learned a lot and it was all very moving. And I got 2 postcards for Jason.
So then Tyler and I decide to go to a thermal bath. Budapest is full of hot springs and there are like 20 baths around town. We go to the Gellert baths, which are supposed to be the best one, and it’s AWESOME. It’s like, swimming in a huge cathedral. There are 4 pools of varying temperature, and they even had a wave pool that put Lost Island to shame. These waves were like water on fucking steroids. They kicked our ass with every splash. So, that was a great day.
Of course, while walking around these various sites, I bought some postcards. However, they’re still all sitting in my bag and probably will be for a few more days because everywhere I go, I am told something different about postage. Did I tell you about Croatia?? Well, these stupid Croats who sold me stamps didn’t tell me that I needed two stamps on every card to send it to the US, so now all my Croatian postcards are just sitting in postcard limbo and I’m still mad about it. So, I’m not sending anything else until I’m sure where they’re going.
It started at this shop we went to where I got some gifts for loved ones. I bought 2 post cards, and they were like ‘You want stamps?’ and I’m like ‘Yes, please! Can I have 10 to the USA please?’ and they’re like ‘We can only sell you 2.’ Because I bought 2 postcards. Who know the Hungarians were so greedy? Stupid capitalism. So they sell me one for each card I bought and each is worth like 200 Forint or something.
Though this was annoying, at least I know this isn’t like Bosnia where stamps are only sold at post offices. So next, Tyler and I go into this huge church, and the first thing I do is head to the gift shop. ‘Do you have stamps to the USA?’ I ask. They say yes, and they’re not greedy bitches, so they’ll give me as many as I’d like. However, they give me ones that are worth 400 Forint. So I’m like ‘Do I only need one stamp for each card?’ and they say ‘Yes. One stamp. One card. To the US.’
Ok. So I look at Tyler, and he shows me HIS postcards and stamps that he bought, and his cost 500 a piece. We’re totally confused now. It’s like, what the hell? How much do stamps cost and how many do I need dammit? So I spent the evening going about asking every possible person I can find if they know how much a stamp to the US costs, and no one knows or gives me a straight answer. And the post offices aren’t open until Monday, though I’m leaving Sunday. Whatever, my Budapest cards will just have Czech stamps. Multiculturalism!
Anyway today, a bunch of kids who totally look like they could be 14 or 15 check in. Then I come to find that they also act this age. They were all from the UK too, ‘on holiday’ of course. Tyler and I just can’t get over it, because there are only like 10 beds in our hostel and 4 of them are probably underage. So at about noon Tyler and I head out for another day.
We spent a great deal of time in these underground Labrynths. It was so cool at first, because I have never even really been to a cave before, and we were just wandering around aimlessly, and all of the books we had read said that it’s really easy to get lost.
We entered the labrynth, and we see all of these old cave paintings. Like, the stuff you see on National Geographic and the History Channel, so it’s really cool. Then we see all these old stone carvings and statues and it’s like this is awesome! Then we see something called: Labrynth of Another World. So we’re like, uh sign us the fuck up! We go in and apparently like 40 years ago, they were excavating these caves and found a foot print. It was carbon dated to the Eocene era…but the print didn’t match up with any Homo Sapien forebearer known to anthropologists. So everyone thinks it might like an alien or something. I’m like, ok this is just sweet. But then we think we see said foot print…and it’s literally a nike shoe print.
Is this a joke? We can’t figure it out. It’s literally this NIKE FOOTPRINT FOSSILZED in stone, with chains all around it so no one can touch it. Is this the alien print or another? We don’t know, but we keep going. We then find fossils of computer screens…and ….coca cola bottles. I know. We don’t get it. Soon, we learn that this whole place is a like, a stupid shrine to post-materialism or something. And these caves used to be a bunker during WWII, so they just fosslied a bunch of stuff that’s been here ever since, like microphones and chairs and shit. And so when really think about it, we can’t even tell if the cave paintings are real. Are the statues just imports? We don’t know and are kind of getting fed up because these caves went from being way cool to semi-stupid. Furthermore, we keep ending up at the entrance, so it’s really not huge at all. It’s actually quite small. Oh, and all around the place are all these people dressed up in period outfits. Like, there are these guys dressed up as monks walking around with bibles and these renaissance women sewing and carrying grains and shit, I don’t really know why.
All of a sudden, I walk past this guy in a GRIM REAPER COSTUME. Seriously. These caves are barely navigable in some parts because it’s so dark and this guy is just creeping around in a black Halloween cape thing and a white mask. I actually think he was just standing there to scare people. Or kill them. Regardless, I was really happy to be with Tyler b/c he’s like 6 foot 4 and I know that no one’s gonna fuck around with us.
So then I see another of those monk guys, and by now they’re just cracking me up, b/c they’re all like 16 years old and they’re totally not monks, and they look totally bored, and they remind me of like, the people who have to dress up as Donald Duck at Disneyworld or something ya know? So I unexpectedly make eye contact with this one monk….and he sees me kind of laughing….and he TOTALLY cracks up. Like, he knows what I’m thinking and he’s just like ‘yeah…my job sucks.’
So that was the highlight of my trip thus far. Tyler and I are totally ready to get out of here by now though, and even though we had found the entrance like 4 times, we now couldn’t find our way around. We ask one of the lovely maidens for help, and bam, the same monk is there. He comes up to us because he’s obviously bored and we’re having a semi-conversation, and so I have to take this opportunity to talk to him. It was so great. He didn’t speak much English, but this was the best part:
J: So…do you like this job?
M: Yeah…it’s…really funny.
So good. I love that people here also have really shitty jobs that they just have to deal with. Like Burger King employees here. Oh man. I don’t ever go to Burger King in the US, so I don’t know what it’s like there, but people here have to wear these TERRIBLE shirts and even MATCHING PANTS and I’ve been to a Burger King twice now (shut up), but both times, all I can think about is how I feel so bad for these poor employees. But at the same time, it’s so funny, because I have totally been there with Subway, and my stupid fucking summer camp shirt that I’ll never wear again, and the River Room, and it’s just so good.
Then we go back to the hostel, and the Egyptian guy has now apparently kidnapped 3 of the 4 fourteen year olds and he’s making them all watch these youtube videos of Hungarian Breakdancers on this flat screen monitor in his room. One of the kids is in our room and says to ‘Can you think of an excuse for me to get my friends back from the Egyptian guy? They have at least twenty minutes of breakdancing left and I need to rescue them.’ I didn’t have any ideas. About 15 minutes later, they all came in to the room again (followed by Sayid), obviously feigning sleepiness. It was actually really great. They were all like
‘I am sooo tired.’
‘I know!!! I can barely keep my eyes open…’
‘Yeah…I need to lay down.’
So anyway, I’m leaving for India in 5 days and I’m excited. I think I really did a good thing by doing Europe first. I wasn’t nervous about going to Europe at all, since I had already been here and it’s so easy to get around. I was just sad to leave Jason and my home behind. Now, I’m somewhat nervous about going to India, but I’m not sad about leaving anything behind. I’m actually happy to just be moving right along with this trip!
Seriously. Travelling for so long has really taken a toll on me. I am so ready to just settle down somewhere and stay there. I wanna unpack my shit, relax, and just have a daily routine. In other words, I’m very much looking forward to going to India. It’s also nice because someone’s picking me up at the airport and I don’t have to just wander around almost aimlessly anymore. I can’t even put into words how surreal it was to arrive in Frankfurt a month ago…and just feel like I had the entire world in front of me and I was totally clueless as to how to navigate it. Thankfully, I won’t feel that much pressure again anytime on my trip.
Knock on wood.
On another note, I don’t really know how my blog will be affected by my transition to India. I mean, I won’t be going around from place to place almost daily anymore. Instead, I’ll be stationary and busy. But, I won’t leave you guys hanging, so don’t worry :) And Tyler’s name is really Tristan.
- Josh A
PS has anyone seen all the Sassy Gay Friend vids?? So funny. If not, follow please!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvgq8STMGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQhkzYVlLl8&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKttq6EUqbE&feature=channel
Oh, and this :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6n1rnMKlcc&feature=related
PPS – I talked with this girl who had just gotten back from Berlin, and apparently, the site where Hitler killed himself is now a parking lot. Germany doesn’t want to glorify his memory or anything though, so it’s not marked or toured or anything, but if you ask around, you can easily find it. Apparently, the locals use it as a place for their dogs to take a shit.
The following is a summary of my time in Budapest.
I arrived in Budapest 2 evenings ago. I came on a SIX HOUR train from Zagreb, and I shared a carriage with these 5 Brits. They were pretty cool and taught me how to play Hearts (which I’m kind of good at), and we talked about the War in Iraq and they taught me about health care and education in the UK. PS did you know that in the UK, you just study ‘medicine’ as an undergrad? I don’t get it. They tried explaining it to me but it didn’t make any sense. You’re just admitted out of high school, I guess. It was just hard taking them seriously because even in the US, 90% of the time I meet someone who’s pre-med, I’m like ok right. Next time I see you, you’ll be English. Anyway, so I get to Budapest and I eat McDonalds and find my hostel. The hostel is literally a huge apartment. Like, someone bought this awesome loft, put a bunch of bunk beds in it, and bam. Hostel. But it’s awesome so shut up.
Upon arrival, the first thing I saw was a man in the kitchen to my left, cooking and wearing nothing but pink boxers, and his ass-crack in plain view. He looked just like Sayid Jarrah. I checked in and soon came into contact with Tyler Baird. Or really, a Tyler Baird facsimile. This was so strange because I had just thought of Tyler and decided to send him a postcard. I met new Tyler and literally, he started talking to me and it was as though the Lord was like ‘You miss Tyler? Well here ya go!’ Further proof that someone’s looking out for me on this trip. Have I told you about this feeling yet?
Essentially, everything that could have gone right so far has. I haven’t missed a single train, or got lost, or gotten mugged or bought the wrong tram ticket or anything like that. It just really feels as though someone is watching out for me. As corny as it sounds, it’s comforting. Knock on wood.
Anyway, Tyler and I start talking and he’s from Canada and he’s cool and whatever, and then someone comes in and they’re like ‘There’s a big supper out here if you guys want some.’ So, in accordance with my new attitude about always being social, I have to oblige him. So I go into the kitchen and the half-naked middle eastern man was apparently cooking a FIVE COURSE MEAL for all the guests at this hostel. And he’s Egyptian.
So the meal consisted of lentil soup, roast chicken, French fries, an Egyptian salad, and then desert. It was all laid out in high-class restaurant style with tea lights and everything. I had actually already eaten at McDonalds b/c I’m pathetic, but like I said, I had to be social. So I ate anyway. The food was sweet but the social experience was lacking. Everyone there was British and they all were British together with their weird British humor and this one girl tried to convince me that the British office is better than the American Office and I was just done. Then the Egyptian guy started getting really weird. He started trying to make everyone eat more and more and more even though everyone was full, because we’re normal. Then he started eating chicken legs whole, including the bone. And when someone was eating their chicken with a fork, he’d demand to know why they didn’t use their fingers. Then it got kind of hairy. I’m always interested in dining etiquette around the world, so the following transpired:
J: Is it common to use your hands to eat in Egypt?
SJ: Man, we use the same things you do. We have forks, knives, all the same.
J: No, I mean like in the US, we all use hands for lots of stuff. Pizza, sandwiches, etc. In Europe, people use a fork and knife for everything.
SJ: What?! Fork and knife for pizza! Well in Egypt, we do have restuarants man. It’s just like you. If you go out to eat, you use fork and knife. If you stay in, you use hands. But we have all the same. Everything. Spoons, silverware, everything.
What a bunch of stupid shit. He’s like offended and didn’t get what I was saying, so I just dropped it. Everyone was weirded out by him and it was obvious that everyone kind of wanted to go, but we had to stay because there was so much food left, not only on the table but on our plates. Then it was time for desert. Let’s just say…it was constantly surprising.
Imagine a huge ice cream sundae that you can split with 4 people…including whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and raspberries. Sounds appetizing right? That’s what we see the Egyptian man preparing. He brings it over, and says ‘Who’s first?’ and we all just look at each other like holy shit. He’s making a HUGE sundae for each one of us individually. Once we look closer, we realize that it is a Sundae…but there’s no ice cream. Instead of ice cream, it’s cous cous. Yeah. Apparently, this is common in Egypt. And all cous cous are sweet. So, we’re all so full we’re about to vomit, but we each get this huge cous cous sundae.
All of a sudden, Egyptian guy is gone. No one knows where he went, or why, or if he’s coming back. So we all take this opportunity to scrape the 75% of the sundaes we didn’t eat into the garbage and do all the dishes. There’s only one sink so we all end up taking dishes into the bathrooms and it’s all stupid and funny. I stuck around in case Sayid came back, because I really wanted to say thank you, but he never did.
The next morning, Tyler and I get up and decide to go to the Terror House. This is a house that used to be the headquarters of the Nazi Party in Hungary, and then the Soviet KGB. It was then known as the ‘House of Loyalty.’ Hundreds or even thousands of political prisoners were brought here to be questioned or executed. To put it simply, a lot of really fucked up, terrifying things happened here. We learned all about the Stalinist regime and the Nazis and saw a bunch of uniforms and propaganda and it was so sad, because we even toured these cells where people were tortured, murdered, etc.
It was very much what I imagine visiting Auschwitz or another concentration camp is like. Some of the exhibits were just unreal, like there was a video of all these women prisoners (survivors) who got to come face to face with prison guard, another woman, and confront her with all that she had done to them. It was like The Reader kind of, but for real. These women were just like ‘You were so sadistic. How could you do this to us?’ and she just kept replying that she was under orders. There was this beautiful room called the Hall of Tears, which not only included a list of all the known victims, but also a list of all the known victimizers…and it had their date of birth and date of death. Some of them are still alive. Who knows what they’re doing now? It didn’t say whether they were in jail or just living in Russia.
Anyway, halfway through, I run into the people from the train.
This is like the third time something like this has happened on my trip, and it’s just ridiculous how small of a place Europe is. So Tyler Baird and I join the Brits and one of them has just turned into such an asshole. He’s flirting with all these slutty girls and he even scares one of them through this hole in a cell where dozens of people probably cried their eyes out or yelled for help in their last hours, and then all of a sudden he’s like ‘Well what’s your last name mate? I’ll add you on facebook.’ He hasn’t yet. Probably because he’s an asshole.
This apparently isn’t even uncommon. I have talked with two different people now who have been to Auschwitz and it seems there are always people there just talking and joking and being loud like they’re at fucking Sonic or something. I hate people. Anyway, I was glad to leave the Terror House so I could get away from British George who’s apparently going to be a doctor, but I’m so glad I went. It was probably the best museum I’ve ever been to, and it was so wonderful to actually bear witness to something that has happened here. I didn’t make it to Poland or Germany really, so this was really the only monument to the Soviet or Nazi occupation I’ve seen throughout this trip. And I of course learned a lot and it was all very moving. And I got 2 postcards for Jason.
So then Tyler and I decide to go to a thermal bath. Budapest is full of hot springs and there are like 20 baths around town. We go to the Gellert baths, which are supposed to be the best one, and it’s AWESOME. It’s like, swimming in a huge cathedral. There are 4 pools of varying temperature, and they even had a wave pool that put Lost Island to shame. These waves were like water on fucking steroids. They kicked our ass with every splash. So, that was a great day.
Of course, while walking around these various sites, I bought some postcards. However, they’re still all sitting in my bag and probably will be for a few more days because everywhere I go, I am told something different about postage. Did I tell you about Croatia?? Well, these stupid Croats who sold me stamps didn’t tell me that I needed two stamps on every card to send it to the US, so now all my Croatian postcards are just sitting in postcard limbo and I’m still mad about it. So, I’m not sending anything else until I’m sure where they’re going.
It started at this shop we went to where I got some gifts for loved ones. I bought 2 post cards, and they were like ‘You want stamps?’ and I’m like ‘Yes, please! Can I have 10 to the USA please?’ and they’re like ‘We can only sell you 2.’ Because I bought 2 postcards. Who know the Hungarians were so greedy? Stupid capitalism. So they sell me one for each card I bought and each is worth like 200 Forint or something.
Though this was annoying, at least I know this isn’t like Bosnia where stamps are only sold at post offices. So next, Tyler and I go into this huge church, and the first thing I do is head to the gift shop. ‘Do you have stamps to the USA?’ I ask. They say yes, and they’re not greedy bitches, so they’ll give me as many as I’d like. However, they give me ones that are worth 400 Forint. So I’m like ‘Do I only need one stamp for each card?’ and they say ‘Yes. One stamp. One card. To the US.’
Ok. So I look at Tyler, and he shows me HIS postcards and stamps that he bought, and his cost 500 a piece. We’re totally confused now. It’s like, what the hell? How much do stamps cost and how many do I need dammit? So I spent the evening going about asking every possible person I can find if they know how much a stamp to the US costs, and no one knows or gives me a straight answer. And the post offices aren’t open until Monday, though I’m leaving Sunday. Whatever, my Budapest cards will just have Czech stamps. Multiculturalism!
Anyway today, a bunch of kids who totally look like they could be 14 or 15 check in. Then I come to find that they also act this age. They were all from the UK too, ‘on holiday’ of course. Tyler and I just can’t get over it, because there are only like 10 beds in our hostel and 4 of them are probably underage. So at about noon Tyler and I head out for another day.
We spent a great deal of time in these underground Labrynths. It was so cool at first, because I have never even really been to a cave before, and we were just wandering around aimlessly, and all of the books we had read said that it’s really easy to get lost.
We entered the labrynth, and we see all of these old cave paintings. Like, the stuff you see on National Geographic and the History Channel, so it’s really cool. Then we see all these old stone carvings and statues and it’s like this is awesome! Then we see something called: Labrynth of Another World. So we’re like, uh sign us the fuck up! We go in and apparently like 40 years ago, they were excavating these caves and found a foot print. It was carbon dated to the Eocene era…but the print didn’t match up with any Homo Sapien forebearer known to anthropologists. So everyone thinks it might like an alien or something. I’m like, ok this is just sweet. But then we think we see said foot print…and it’s literally a nike shoe print.
Is this a joke? We can’t figure it out. It’s literally this NIKE FOOTPRINT FOSSILZED in stone, with chains all around it so no one can touch it. Is this the alien print or another? We don’t know, but we keep going. We then find fossils of computer screens…and ….coca cola bottles. I know. We don’t get it. Soon, we learn that this whole place is a like, a stupid shrine to post-materialism or something. And these caves used to be a bunker during WWII, so they just fosslied a bunch of stuff that’s been here ever since, like microphones and chairs and shit. And so when really think about it, we can’t even tell if the cave paintings are real. Are the statues just imports? We don’t know and are kind of getting fed up because these caves went from being way cool to semi-stupid. Furthermore, we keep ending up at the entrance, so it’s really not huge at all. It’s actually quite small. Oh, and all around the place are all these people dressed up in period outfits. Like, there are these guys dressed up as monks walking around with bibles and these renaissance women sewing and carrying grains and shit, I don’t really know why.
All of a sudden, I walk past this guy in a GRIM REAPER COSTUME. Seriously. These caves are barely navigable in some parts because it’s so dark and this guy is just creeping around in a black Halloween cape thing and a white mask. I actually think he was just standing there to scare people. Or kill them. Regardless, I was really happy to be with Tyler b/c he’s like 6 foot 4 and I know that no one’s gonna fuck around with us.
So then I see another of those monk guys, and by now they’re just cracking me up, b/c they’re all like 16 years old and they’re totally not monks, and they look totally bored, and they remind me of like, the people who have to dress up as Donald Duck at Disneyworld or something ya know? So I unexpectedly make eye contact with this one monk….and he sees me kind of laughing….and he TOTALLY cracks up. Like, he knows what I’m thinking and he’s just like ‘yeah…my job sucks.’
So that was the highlight of my trip thus far. Tyler and I are totally ready to get out of here by now though, and even though we had found the entrance like 4 times, we now couldn’t find our way around. We ask one of the lovely maidens for help, and bam, the same monk is there. He comes up to us because he’s obviously bored and we’re having a semi-conversation, and so I have to take this opportunity to talk to him. It was so great. He didn’t speak much English, but this was the best part:
J: So…do you like this job?
M: Yeah…it’s…really funny.
So good. I love that people here also have really shitty jobs that they just have to deal with. Like Burger King employees here. Oh man. I don’t ever go to Burger King in the US, so I don’t know what it’s like there, but people here have to wear these TERRIBLE shirts and even MATCHING PANTS and I’ve been to a Burger King twice now (shut up), but both times, all I can think about is how I feel so bad for these poor employees. But at the same time, it’s so funny, because I have totally been there with Subway, and my stupid fucking summer camp shirt that I’ll never wear again, and the River Room, and it’s just so good.
Then we go back to the hostel, and the Egyptian guy has now apparently kidnapped 3 of the 4 fourteen year olds and he’s making them all watch these youtube videos of Hungarian Breakdancers on this flat screen monitor in his room. One of the kids is in our room and says to ‘Can you think of an excuse for me to get my friends back from the Egyptian guy? They have at least twenty minutes of breakdancing left and I need to rescue them.’ I didn’t have any ideas. About 15 minutes later, they all came in to the room again (followed by Sayid), obviously feigning sleepiness. It was actually really great. They were all like
‘I am sooo tired.’
‘I know!!! I can barely keep my eyes open…’
‘Yeah…I need to lay down.’
So anyway, I’m leaving for India in 5 days and I’m excited. I think I really did a good thing by doing Europe first. I wasn’t nervous about going to Europe at all, since I had already been here and it’s so easy to get around. I was just sad to leave Jason and my home behind. Now, I’m somewhat nervous about going to India, but I’m not sad about leaving anything behind. I’m actually happy to just be moving right along with this trip!
Seriously. Travelling for so long has really taken a toll on me. I am so ready to just settle down somewhere and stay there. I wanna unpack my shit, relax, and just have a daily routine. In other words, I’m very much looking forward to going to India. It’s also nice because someone’s picking me up at the airport and I don’t have to just wander around almost aimlessly anymore. I can’t even put into words how surreal it was to arrive in Frankfurt a month ago…and just feel like I had the entire world in front of me and I was totally clueless as to how to navigate it. Thankfully, I won’t feel that much pressure again anytime on my trip.
Knock on wood.
On another note, I don’t really know how my blog will be affected by my transition to India. I mean, I won’t be going around from place to place almost daily anymore. Instead, I’ll be stationary and busy. But, I won’t leave you guys hanging, so don’t worry :) And Tyler’s name is really Tristan.
- Josh A
PS has anyone seen all the Sassy Gay Friend vids?? So funny. If not, follow please!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvgq8STMGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQhkzYVlLl8&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKttq6EUqbE&feature=channel
Oh, and this :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6n1rnMKlcc&feature=related
PPS – I talked with this girl who had just gotten back from Berlin, and apparently, the site where Hitler killed himself is now a parking lot. Germany doesn’t want to glorify his memory or anything though, so it’s not marked or toured or anything, but if you ask around, you can easily find it. Apparently, the locals use it as a place for their dogs to take a shit.
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