India Update
Hello All! well i'm back from india a few days early. here is a list of some of things that transcribed:
1) Arrived in Paris only to find out that the rest of my group were not students, but mostly adult (i.e. 30-50 year olds) women
2) Arrive in India to meet 4 people (my age) who were there for the month long trip and immediately inform me that the trip is nothing like it's supposed to be...cult-like in fact
3) Figure out that all of the otehr people on the trip (besides the other students) are followers of a guru in India named Amma
4) FInd out that the group leaders are demanding $500 more for things that were already supposed to be paid for
5) Have a very strong conversation with the leaders of the trip about the cult-like quality of Amma (including the fact that for the majority of the trip we were supposed to stay at her Ashram where 13,000 of her members all live, get up at 5am to chant until 10 am and do work for the ashram for 2-3 each day)
6) Decide to leave the trip after the other students say to me, "if you have a way to get out, get out" (they too left the group a few days after i did)
7) Stay in Kochi for 4 days with the help of my contacts in India
8) Go to the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary in Thekkady and see lots of cool animals
9) Go to Delhi
10) Get asked by the Indian senator (i.e. my contact) whether or not i have "sexual relations" with my boyfriend because that's what "american women do"
11) Get sick and come home early
Now, here is a list of the things i learned about India:
1) It is rich in tradition and culture...women still wear saree's and chadari's (long tunic, pants and scarf)
2)There is complete and total disorganization
3)People drive where ever there's room...things included on the road: cars, trucks, LOTS of buses, motorcycles, mo-peds, autorickshaws (the Indian taxi which is a mo-ped w/ a cage around it to seat passangers), bicycles, cows and horses
4)Indian men don't respect women AT ALL!
5)Indians think that all western women, but in particular, american women are whores that will sleep with anyone
6)The way people live there is no way to live
7) Yet, with that, people are also incredibly happy
8) I don't like having people wait on me (in India, if you have any money at all, you have servants, drivers, etc which they emply because people need the jobs)
9)I don't want to joing a cult
10)It's an amazing place that is beautiful, full of history and extremely complex
So there it is, a brief story about my trip to India. I'll post pictures as soon as i can for everyone to see. in addition, i met some amazing people, who all wanted to know my story, along the way. so thank you to everyone from germany, austrailia, the u.s., and england. plus, if anything, it's a good story to tell...
[kate]
1) Arrived in Paris only to find out that the rest of my group were not students, but mostly adult (i.e. 30-50 year olds) women
2) Arrive in India to meet 4 people (my age) who were there for the month long trip and immediately inform me that the trip is nothing like it's supposed to be...cult-like in fact
3) Figure out that all of the otehr people on the trip (besides the other students) are followers of a guru in India named Amma
4) FInd out that the group leaders are demanding $500 more for things that were already supposed to be paid for
5) Have a very strong conversation with the leaders of the trip about the cult-like quality of Amma (including the fact that for the majority of the trip we were supposed to stay at her Ashram where 13,000 of her members all live, get up at 5am to chant until 10 am and do work for the ashram for 2-3 each day)
6) Decide to leave the trip after the other students say to me, "if you have a way to get out, get out" (they too left the group a few days after i did)
7) Stay in Kochi for 4 days with the help of my contacts in India
8) Go to the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary in Thekkady and see lots of cool animals
9) Go to Delhi
10) Get asked by the Indian senator (i.e. my contact) whether or not i have "sexual relations" with my boyfriend because that's what "american women do"
11) Get sick and come home early
Now, here is a list of the things i learned about India:
1) It is rich in tradition and culture...women still wear saree's and chadari's (long tunic, pants and scarf)
2)There is complete and total disorganization
3)People drive where ever there's room...things included on the road: cars, trucks, LOTS of buses, motorcycles, mo-peds, autorickshaws (the Indian taxi which is a mo-ped w/ a cage around it to seat passangers), bicycles, cows and horses
4)Indian men don't respect women AT ALL!
5)Indians think that all western women, but in particular, american women are whores that will sleep with anyone
6)The way people live there is no way to live
7) Yet, with that, people are also incredibly happy
8) I don't like having people wait on me (in India, if you have any money at all, you have servants, drivers, etc which they emply because people need the jobs)
9)I don't want to joing a cult
10)It's an amazing place that is beautiful, full of history and extremely complex
So there it is, a brief story about my trip to India. I'll post pictures as soon as i can for everyone to see. in addition, i met some amazing people, who all wanted to know my story, along the way. so thank you to everyone from germany, austrailia, the u.s., and england. plus, if anything, it's a good story to tell...
[kate]