Sometimes we all need to get away. It is part of life. We all need short breaks from the real world. I feel like each pause I take here in India help me gain some perspective.
Much has happened since my last blog post. My camera is temporarily out of order, so you will have to visualize all of this as I attempt to write it like a master storyteller. (haha)
This past weekend we had a holiday called Siva Ratri. It is a Hindu holiday during which devotees of Siva have an all night meditative vigil and reflect upon death and life. It fell on a Monday, so school was cancelled and the hostel was closed. For the first two nights of my holiday I stayed with my Malayalam tutor, Sanila Teacher.
Her cooking was so good, I think I am ruined for life. I also had to loosen my churidar bottoms after the big meals she and her family shared with me. We also had some really meaningful conversations. She claims that she has very little English, but we talked so much about her life experiences, my life ambitions, and so much more. It was so comforting to be able to share so openly with such an amazing woman.
She has a degree in Theology and uses it to be an advocate for women interested in ministry. She does various projects with mission, female empowerment, and people suffering from addictions. The program on addictions is for a local school that I teach at on Thursdays, CMS School. She is also still a Malayalam teacher, though she is called to do Mission work after her retirement. Sanila Teacher is one of the most inspiring people I know, and the visit was such a blessing.
I stayed with her for two nights and went to church with her on Sunday, which was only 2 hours long. Have I mentioned how long church services are at CSI Pallom? A typical Sunday is 3 hours. So sitting for only 2 was a thing to throw a party about.
On Sunday night I traveled to Jaimol Kochamma's because on Monday she had invited me to a tour with a Women's Fellowship group at her church.
The morning began at 5:30 a.m. as I moseyed out of my room wearing a pair of pants that looked dirty. Jaimol Kochamma commented and I changed in to another outfit. The next outfit also had a stain on it. She pretended like it was okay for a minute and I was confused as to why it was a big deal. The next minute, she handed me one of her churidars and told me to try it on. It fit fairly nicely, so I went with it.
Once we were ready the bus came by and picked up bags and bags of food and supplies that we were going to donate during our trip. We were going to visit an Adivasi village. I will explain what that means later. Our bus ride was 3 hours long and was pretty entertaining.
We watched a popular movie and some of the adults toward the front of the bus found the microphone. They immediately started singing familiar Malayalam children's songs. I joined in and sang "The Wheels on The Bus" which they loved, and "The Song That Never Ends".....they didn't really understand why that was funny. Read the crowd Rachel, geez.
Anyways, so we pull up to our destination and there is a rocky climb up to the villagers' homes. We climb together and I gave a special hand to one particular Ammachi (grandmother) who was having some problems. A woman also got stuck in a thorn bush, which caused some drama. Once we got to the top we met one newly married couple and their two dogs.
Let me explain. You thought I was visiting a colony full of people. Why just one couple? Well the Adivasi people are essentially nomadic....but only within a 10km radius. They live off of the land and gather all of the harvest that their current location has to offer, then they move around to collect enough to sell. Once it is time to sell, people move closer to the markets. Turns out February and March are big selling seasons, so all but this couple had abandoned the camp.
They had just harvested a plant that produces yellow dye for clothing. They showed me how it makes color and the man laughed at the fact that I had no idea what it was. I also made friends with the wife who is currently studying at the local government college.
Many would think that an Adivasi woman would not complete her studies. Why? Because money is very tight. They definitely live below the poverty line. Their home was a structure made out of bamboo sticks and a tarp. But they were not at all unhappy people. This couple had clothing. They had food. They were meeting their needs with the money they made.
As an indigenous group Adivasis are active in many inspiring social movements in favor of human rights. I respect their lifestyle of living off of the land, living in community, and how well they have preserved this ancient traditional culture.
There are also many things that are not so great about Adivasi life. The people are subjected to nature and its many unknown illnesses and diseases. They deal with the stigma of being tribal or "uncivilized". They are considered a minority because they make up only 1% of Kerala's population. They have undergone serious struggles with the government over forest rights, displacement, and status.
It was a really thought provoking experience. I am determined to learn more about the Adivasi people and the issues that they face. Check this link out if you are interested in learning more.
We then traveled to a very important church called the Nilakal Ecumenical Center. It is said to be one of the first places St. Thomas visited in Kerala. The Center is now a shining example of inter-denominational harmony in Kerala. In Kerala Christians are divided like so: C.S.I (Church of South India), Mar Thoma, Jacobite, Orthodox, Catholic, and Pentacostal.
That list is in no particular order and is maybe a little incomplete, but nonetheless, this center welcomes one Reverend to be in charge of the center and he is always from any one of these denominations. The center also welcomes many "pilgrims" of differing backgrounds throughout the year. Pilgrimages are big here.
So....when we drove to the center....our bus could not make it up the hill. The center was willing to send taxis to take us the 1.5 km, but a few of us were game to walk. I had an amazing walk with 4 women who all made me laugh and asked me about all the foods I like, what I think about teaching, and exercise. We also walked the 1.5 km back together, and added Yancy Miss' husband. Johnson Sir and Yancy Miss are the parents of Jemima, Claudia's private voice student. Did I mention that Jaimol Kochamma's church is the same as Claudia's church? Okay well....it is. This is India. Everything is connected.
We then took a short stop at a woman's house for dinner. It was pretty funny seeing 35 people attempt to eat a full Kerala style lunch on their laps and remain clean. I had a tough time myself. I also played 20 questions with a kid named Kevin which was fun. Many of my favorite quotes from the day come from lunch.
Quote 1
Kevin:"What kind of music do you like?"
Me: "Oh I like a lot of stuff. Classic Rock. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson."
Kevin: " Oh you mean like......Abba?"
Quote 2
Church Lady: "Rachel, did you buy one of these woven wicker baskets?"
Me: "No. Why?"
Church Lady: "Because they are fancy, and I thought you might like fancy things."
Our next stop involved more walking. We saw the beautiful home church of our guide. He is a missionary stationed in that church. The surrounding area is a really unique environment. He told us that the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian communities are really intertwined there. When festivals are about to start, Hindus come and help Christians set up and visa versa. When weddings are occurring, Muslims and Hindus never schedule them for Sunday morning so all of their Christian friends can attend. It was a really visible example of building an inter-faith community.
Our last stop was the Mariyar Dam where we visited a rubber factory, climbed on a wooden swing bridge built in 1926, and saw like 10 of the biggest bee hives I have ever seen. It looked like the whole hive was swaying!
On the way home the music blared and the dance lights came on in the bus. Even middle aged women can have dance parties to awesome music. I sang along to tunes that I knew and laughed so hard at the women who chose to put their recently purchased wicker baskets on their heads as they danced. I sang out the window so loud when "Chamak Challo" came on and felt so happy it brought tears to my eyes.
I needed the renewal. I needed this Sabbath time. I needed to truly reflect on the things that make me happy. Good laughs, good music, good people.
I am over halfway finished with my year in India.....that is bizarre to think. I find myself feeling so attached and loved here, but honestly there is no time for me to be sad and dwell on leaving yet. I still have so much living to do in these next 5 months. I am excited for everything my time left here has in store.
As we were walking from lunch, Jaimol Kochamma's husband Joseph Achen and I talked about Lent. I told him I am giving up added sugars and fried foods so I can start really committing to changing my health. He told me something very true and very wise.
"Rachel, Lent isn't about the things you give up. It isn't about the negative. It is about the positive ways you can use this time to make a change. To change your actions for the better." I needed that reminder.
Much has happened since my last blog post. My camera is temporarily out of order, so you will have to visualize all of this as I attempt to write it like a master storyteller. (haha)
This past weekend we had a holiday called Siva Ratri. It is a Hindu holiday during which devotees of Siva have an all night meditative vigil and reflect upon death and life. It fell on a Monday, so school was cancelled and the hostel was closed. For the first two nights of my holiday I stayed with my Malayalam tutor, Sanila Teacher.
Her cooking was so good, I think I am ruined for life. I also had to loosen my churidar bottoms after the big meals she and her family shared with me. We also had some really meaningful conversations. She claims that she has very little English, but we talked so much about her life experiences, my life ambitions, and so much more. It was so comforting to be able to share so openly with such an amazing woman.
She has a degree in Theology and uses it to be an advocate for women interested in ministry. She does various projects with mission, female empowerment, and people suffering from addictions. The program on addictions is for a local school that I teach at on Thursdays, CMS School. She is also still a Malayalam teacher, though she is called to do Mission work after her retirement. Sanila Teacher is one of the most inspiring people I know, and the visit was such a blessing.
I stayed with her for two nights and went to church with her on Sunday, which was only 2 hours long. Have I mentioned how long church services are at CSI Pallom? A typical Sunday is 3 hours. So sitting for only 2 was a thing to throw a party about.
On Sunday night I traveled to Jaimol Kochamma's because on Monday she had invited me to a tour with a Women's Fellowship group at her church.
The morning began at 5:30 a.m. as I moseyed out of my room wearing a pair of pants that looked dirty. Jaimol Kochamma commented and I changed in to another outfit. The next outfit also had a stain on it. She pretended like it was okay for a minute and I was confused as to why it was a big deal. The next minute, she handed me one of her churidars and told me to try it on. It fit fairly nicely, so I went with it.
Once we were ready the bus came by and picked up bags and bags of food and supplies that we were going to donate during our trip. We were going to visit an Adivasi village. I will explain what that means later. Our bus ride was 3 hours long and was pretty entertaining.
We watched a popular movie and some of the adults toward the front of the bus found the microphone. They immediately started singing familiar Malayalam children's songs. I joined in and sang "The Wheels on The Bus" which they loved, and "The Song That Never Ends".....they didn't really understand why that was funny. Read the crowd Rachel, geez.
Anyways, so we pull up to our destination and there is a rocky climb up to the villagers' homes. We climb together and I gave a special hand to one particular Ammachi (grandmother) who was having some problems. A woman also got stuck in a thorn bush, which caused some drama. Once we got to the top we met one newly married couple and their two dogs.
Let me explain. You thought I was visiting a colony full of people. Why just one couple? Well the Adivasi people are essentially nomadic....but only within a 10km radius. They live off of the land and gather all of the harvest that their current location has to offer, then they move around to collect enough to sell. Once it is time to sell, people move closer to the markets. Turns out February and March are big selling seasons, so all but this couple had abandoned the camp.
They had just harvested a plant that produces yellow dye for clothing. They showed me how it makes color and the man laughed at the fact that I had no idea what it was. I also made friends with the wife who is currently studying at the local government college.
Many would think that an Adivasi woman would not complete her studies. Why? Because money is very tight. They definitely live below the poverty line. Their home was a structure made out of bamboo sticks and a tarp. But they were not at all unhappy people. This couple had clothing. They had food. They were meeting their needs with the money they made.
As an indigenous group Adivasis are active in many inspiring social movements in favor of human rights. I respect their lifestyle of living off of the land, living in community, and how well they have preserved this ancient traditional culture.
There are also many things that are not so great about Adivasi life. The people are subjected to nature and its many unknown illnesses and diseases. They deal with the stigma of being tribal or "uncivilized". They are considered a minority because they make up only 1% of Kerala's population. They have undergone serious struggles with the government over forest rights, displacement, and status.
It was a really thought provoking experience. I am determined to learn more about the Adivasi people and the issues that they face. Check this link out if you are interested in learning more.
We then traveled to a very important church called the Nilakal Ecumenical Center. It is said to be one of the first places St. Thomas visited in Kerala. The Center is now a shining example of inter-denominational harmony in Kerala. In Kerala Christians are divided like so: C.S.I (Church of South India), Mar Thoma, Jacobite, Orthodox, Catholic, and Pentacostal.
That list is in no particular order and is maybe a little incomplete, but nonetheless, this center welcomes one Reverend to be in charge of the center and he is always from any one of these denominations. The center also welcomes many "pilgrims" of differing backgrounds throughout the year. Pilgrimages are big here.
So....when we drove to the center....our bus could not make it up the hill. The center was willing to send taxis to take us the 1.5 km, but a few of us were game to walk. I had an amazing walk with 4 women who all made me laugh and asked me about all the foods I like, what I think about teaching, and exercise. We also walked the 1.5 km back together, and added Yancy Miss' husband. Johnson Sir and Yancy Miss are the parents of Jemima, Claudia's private voice student. Did I mention that Jaimol Kochamma's church is the same as Claudia's church? Okay well....it is. This is India. Everything is connected.
We then took a short stop at a woman's house for dinner. It was pretty funny seeing 35 people attempt to eat a full Kerala style lunch on their laps and remain clean. I had a tough time myself. I also played 20 questions with a kid named Kevin which was fun. Many of my favorite quotes from the day come from lunch.
Quote 1
Kevin:"What kind of music do you like?"
Me: "Oh I like a lot of stuff. Classic Rock. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson."
Kevin: " Oh you mean like......Abba?"
Quote 2
Church Lady: "Rachel, did you buy one of these woven wicker baskets?"
Me: "No. Why?"
Church Lady: "Because they are fancy, and I thought you might like fancy things."
Our next stop involved more walking. We saw the beautiful home church of our guide. He is a missionary stationed in that church. The surrounding area is a really unique environment. He told us that the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian communities are really intertwined there. When festivals are about to start, Hindus come and help Christians set up and visa versa. When weddings are occurring, Muslims and Hindus never schedule them for Sunday morning so all of their Christian friends can attend. It was a really visible example of building an inter-faith community.
Our last stop was the Mariyar Dam where we visited a rubber factory, climbed on a wooden swing bridge built in 1926, and saw like 10 of the biggest bee hives I have ever seen. It looked like the whole hive was swaying!
On the way home the music blared and the dance lights came on in the bus. Even middle aged women can have dance parties to awesome music. I sang along to tunes that I knew and laughed so hard at the women who chose to put their recently purchased wicker baskets on their heads as they danced. I sang out the window so loud when "Chamak Challo" came on and felt so happy it brought tears to my eyes.
I needed the renewal. I needed this Sabbath time. I needed to truly reflect on the things that make me happy. Good laughs, good music, good people.
I am over halfway finished with my year in India.....that is bizarre to think. I find myself feeling so attached and loved here, but honestly there is no time for me to be sad and dwell on leaving yet. I still have so much living to do in these next 5 months. I am excited for everything my time left here has in store.
As we were walking from lunch, Jaimol Kochamma's husband Joseph Achen and I talked about Lent. I told him I am giving up added sugars and fried foods so I can start really committing to changing my health. He told me something very true and very wise.
"Rachel, Lent isn't about the things you give up. It isn't about the negative. It is about the positive ways you can use this time to make a change. To change your actions for the better." I needed that reminder.
Isn't Sanila Teacher wonderful? <3
ReplyDeleteYou DO like fancy things, don't you? :)
ReplyDelete