Hey everyone! Thanks to all who read my blog! As some of you might know, I was not able to go to Mumbai. I had booked my ticket a month and half in advance to go to Mumbai because I wanted to visit my orphange which is nearby in Pune. However, the night before I went the terrorist attacks occured in front of the train station. I feel so blessed to be protected by God!! I was disappointed I wasn't able to see my orphange, but my gratefulness outweighed my disappoinment. I didn't need to go to my orphanage to see how blessed I was. I realized it by living in Kerala and traveling around how blessed I am to have parents who love and support me no matter what. I am now back in the US and had a wonderful break spending time with my family and friends. I was able to learn so much while I was in India and am grateful to everyone who became apart of my wide range of friends and assisted me. India has definately been a learning experience for me in terms of learning about the country I was born in and also for learning how to intergrate myself in another culture. Now that I am back in the US, I took parts of India back with me and integrated in my life. For example, I now realize how important family and friends are and I cherish these relationships more. I have realized how entirely different India is from the US and now I am grateful to be able to see both cultures through my eyes. Again, I appreciate all your comments and taking time to read my blog. Don't worry, it's not the last time I'll be in India! I'll visit again and again to the country in which I was born. Now that I have gone, I feel that I have much more to explore in parts of North India and want continue the wonderful relationships that I began in the beautiful state of Kerala. These are memories which can never be forgotten.

Thrissur
I went to a small village near Thrissur with Pramella Aunty, Ammu and Bobby to her brother’s house. It was very peaceful and calm, and was like a small village/town. It wasn’t as big as Cochin, but it was more conservative than Cochin. We went to a famous temple known Guruvayur Temple that was in Thrissur. It is one of the many places that the people from the pilgrimage go to during their trip. We weren’t able to go inside the temple because there were so many people there, but there were many sights to see outside of the temple such as three famous elephants that are shown on a famous Malayalam series, many people who were praying and offering gifts, and festive music. We also went to a temple in the village we were staying at. Since there was a festival going on, there were so many lights and festivities. One of the highlights of the festival was seeing 25 decorated elephants! I had never seen so many elephants in my life! I also had the chance to touch one, which was interesting. I expected the skin to be smooth, but actually it was rough and each hair felt hard like plastic! We also ate sugarcane, which is from a tall stalk about 8 to 10 feet tall. As I ate the sweet sugarcane, I was reminded that I had tasted it once before when I had first lived in India before the age of five.

A Rare Sighting
One evening as I went out for my usual run, I was struck by a beautiful sight. It was of a bright moon bordered by two beautiful stars. I read in the newspaper the next day that it was actually two planets, Venus and Jupiter, and that it is a rare occurrence!

Mumbai
Many of you might have known that one of the things that I was going to do while I was in India was visit my orphanage in Pune. About a month ago I booked a train ticket to Mumbai, which is only an hour from Pune. Pramella Aunty’s friend was going to assist me around Mumbai and Pune. The night before I was going to go, I was all done packing and was about to go to sleep, when Pramella Aunty called me downstairs. She showed me the TV which reported the terrorist attacks that were happening as we were watching. I was so shocked and astonished because it happened at the CST train station which was the exact place where I was supposed to get off the train and stay with Pramella Aunty’s friend. Although I wasn’t able to go to my orphanage, I felt very blessed that I was safe from the attacks. My slight disappointment was overshadowed by my gratitude for my wonderful experience in India and my extreme thankfulness for my safety and well-being. I send out prayers to all the families of those who died, and also those who were injured during the attacks.

Kanyakumari
I went with Pramella Aunty to Kanyakumari, which is located on the southern tip of India in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is known as the meeting point of three bodies of water: the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. It is a very beautiful place and one of the main reasons that people visit there is to see the sunset and sunrise over the ocean. We were able to see the sunset, but the most glorious part was the sunrise. We were awakened by knocking on our door in our hotel at 5 AM! This knock was the call to get up for the sunrise. I was tired from traveling the day before, so I really wanted to sleep, but I got up reluctantly. I was thinking, why should I get up to see a sunrise this early? I can see a beautiful sunrise anywhere. My complaints were soon drowned out by the thousands of people heading toward the beach at 5 AM. I couldn’t believe it! It seemed like the whole place was up. There were Indian tourists, people on their pilgrimage, families with their children, shop keepers, and street vendors who were all waiting for the sunrise. This month, many men and boys were on their pilgrimage. Men, boys, and some women dress in black and make a trek to Subrimala Temple, a famous temple in Kerala and also make stops at other temples like Kanyakumari. There are only a few women because only girls younger than 10 and older than 55 are the only ones allowed to go on the pilgrimage. For 45 days during the pilgrimage, they only eat vegetarian food, the men are not allowed to touch the women and live in a separate facility, they wake up at 4:30 each morning, and are only allowed to eat after bathing. For part of the pilgrimage they have to walk 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) barefoot on rocks as part of the ritual on the way to the temple. After 45 days they put away the black cloth and prayer beads around their neck and go back to their daily lives. I saw thousands of boys and men bathing in the ocean for their ritual at 5 AM! It was an incredible sight and feeling to be united with so many people to witness the beauty of God’s creation. It seemed like it took so long for the sun to come up because so many people were waiting for it! Once it came up, my complaints soon faded away. It was a glorious sight! An interesting side note is that Pramella Aunty told me that the tsunami came to this place. The water covered the temple and statue, but it didn’t wash away at all. Only the people died who were on land and in the temple. I thought it was incredible that the architecture was that sound even though it was built so long ago! We also went to Kanyakumari Temple. It was a Hindu Temple, and I was lucky that I looked like a Hindu so I could see inside! It was so interesting. There were stone carvings on each wall in all the rooms and it was so big that I felt as if I would get lost. There were different statues and paintings or each of the gods along with candles in front of each god. There was also the smell of incense in each room. I’ve never been in such beautifully carved stone rooms. It reminded me of old movies I used to watch with my family like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom because of the mystery and allure of it.



Trivandrum
Next week went the capital of Kerala which is Trivandrum. We went to another temple known as Padmanapha Temple, it was bigger than the one in Kanyakumari! There was also a palace next to it in which kings used to live. Because of the pilgrimage, many people were waiting for 2-3 ours just to get into the temple. After waiting for awhile, we went in but couldn’t see very much because of the huge rush. Finally we got to the main room where the statue was. It was a statue of a famous god, Sree Ayyppian. About 2/3 of the room was entirely made of gold because the statue was so big it took up most of the room. I couldn’t believe it, I had never seen so much gold! Bobby later told me that she visited it 9 years ago, and no one had known that there was gold because it was covered with black so people thought it was stone. She went on to say that it was only four years ago when they were doing the yearly cleaning that people realized that there was gold underneath. When the British came the Indian people had to hide all the gold and jewels so they covered up this statue with a mixture of ashes and other materials that lasted more than 200 years. As for the rest of the things, many people known it is buried somewhere beneath the ground but no one knows exactly where. I thought that was so fascinating! Next we went to Veli Tourist Village. It had a nice beach and some interesting statues. It is used a lot for film shootings and music videos.


“Paka India”
Many people have referred to me as a “paka” Malyalee, which means true or genuine. While I was traveling to Kanyakumari and Trivandrum, I saw “paka” India because we passed through small villages and towns. In Cochin, I feel as if I don’t really see the real India because Kerala is such an educated state and there are few beggars. Tamil Nadu is quite the opposite. I felt as if I was truly experiencing India because it was so different. Men rode bicycles with coffee and tea on the back in metal containers chanting coffe-chaya, coffee-chaya in an Indian accent. People were sitting on the side of the road selling small things such as seashells, hairbands, and cheap jewelry. It was sad because that is their job. It made me even more sad to see young children as young as five years old working. They were carrying large bags of rocks on their backs which weighed more than them. With their unclean hair and disheveled appearance I couldn’t believe that they were only 5-7 years old. I thought about how at that age I went to school and played with toys. These kids don’t know the concept of fun because from the time they can walk they have to toil and labor for their survival. I also saw litter carelessly thrown along the road, small shops filled with snacks and colorful vegetables, shacks selling coffee and tea, dirt floating around as autos as autos and cars whiz by, and heard the loud and annoying honking of buses and cars. There were also Hindi, Tamil, and Malayali film ads plastered all over featuring women wearing barely any clothes. This contrasted with the ordinary women who wore churidars and saris. This “paka” India, I loved and hated it in the same breath. Yet all of these things unite to create the very tapestry of India.

Hindu Wedding
Last weekend I was able to go to a Hindu wedding, which was an interesting experience for me. It was in a small town near Thrissur, which is near Pramella Aunty’s childhood home. It wasn’t anything like what I expected, because each culture does it differently. The weddings differ not only based on religion, but also on the culture and location. This was a Malayalam Hindu wedding. The bride wore a colorful red and gold sari, complete with many gold bangles and chains. She also wore a crown of white flowers in her hair. The groom wore a mundu (piece of cloth worn like a skirt) and a garland of flowers around his neck. The bride and groom sat behind an altar which consisted of many candles and offerings. Out of all the things that I experienced on this day, the thing that surprised me the most was the informality of the wedding. Many people were on the stage with the bride and groom, there were about 30 of them. These were relatives of the bride and groom. There were many people who attended the wedding, but it was very informal with people coming and going as they wished. I was expecting a serious atmosphere, but it was quite the opposite with noise all around me. Pramella Aunty told me that she was related to all the people in the audience. That was surprising to me, because I don’t even know who my 2nd cousins are! Once again it shows the solidarity of the family unit, because not only close but also extended relatives are considered “part of the family”. Not only do they attend each others functions, they also visit each other on a regular basis. The most intriguing part of the wedding was when the bride and groom gave each other milk to drink which symbolizes bonding of the marriage. I compared it to the U.S. when the pastor tells the groom to kiss the bride! Afterwards we had a sadya feast, which is similar to the ornum feast. The food is served on a banana leaf with at least 10 different things to ഏറ്റ്.

Fort Kochi
I went with Pramella Aunty to Fort Kochi, which is a vibrant city located only a ferry ride away from Ernakulum. It is a rich part of Cochin, bursting with multicultural influences. Over time, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have influenced this city. Despite the different cultures ruling it for so long, it has only added to the charm of this city. First we went to Mattanchery, which is a part of Fort Kochi. We went to a Dutch Palace, which is one of the oldest oriental style Portuguese Palaces left. Though the palace looked un-extravagant on the outside, it was fascinating on the inside. There were old murals depicting the stories from the Ramayana, coins and artifacts from the 1600s, paintings of previous rulers, and more. Next we went to a Jewish synagogue. There used to be many Jewish families living here with booming businesses back in the 1900’s, but now there are only a few left. The Jewish synagogue was quite beautiful with colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling which were from Belgium, painted tiles on the floor from China, and etched brass pillars. This synagogue is 400 years old! Then we walked through the street known as Jew Town Street. It was streaming with tourists from European countries. I had somewhat of a slight culture shock seeing white skin again! The street was filled with shops which contained beautiful rustic antiques and artifacts. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it felt like I was stepping back into time and experiencing many cultures at once! Lastly we went to the beach which is surrounded by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Since I love water, I was mesmerized by the beautiful sights as we strolled along the beach. The Chinese fishing nets are an appealing sight, which are left over from the majestic rule of Kublai Khan. The funniest and most bewildering part was when Pramella Aunty and I walked aboard a plank to look at the sunset without any comments from the fishermen. We walked off the plank and I overheard the same fishermen telling a European tourist that he had to pay 70 rupees ($1.50) to walk on the plank to see the sunset. It’s in these situations that I am glad to fit in! Lastly, our day ended with the sight of a beautiful sunset setting over the city known as “Queen of the Arabian Sea”.

Obama’s Win
Sorry for all those who supported McCain, but I couldn’t post this blog without mentioning Obama’s victorious win! I have reading up on politics more than ever since I’ve been in India. Honestly, I have never been interested in politics. I would rather spend my time reading Psychology articles and interesting facts that no one seems to know about (which I love to do!). I always felt as if politics were a world away from me, like it was something I couldn’t relate to or something that wasn’t relevant to me. It took for me to be in India to realize how important it is to be informed. Not only about politics, but also about other countries and global issues that affect people around the world; people that include you and me. It’s surprising how much the Indian culture is informed about the U.S. and other countries on a political level. It’s actually quite embarrassing that many Americans including me know less about our country than Indians do. That is one of the reasons why I took the initiative to be proactive and start being informed! Being in India has made me realize many things about the U.S. It has made me realize how much the U.S. is depended on by so many countries and how the U.S. is ignorant about many of those countries. It’s a sad reality that only worsens the stereotype of Americans. At the same time, it has made me realize that America has fundamentals and values that I respect and am proud of.

Barack Obama has captured not only my heart, but many hearts across the world with his charisma and calm demeanor. His multicultural background is something that many people like me can relate to. His win is monumental in the history of the U.S. because America has shown that it can overcome racial barriers by electing someone who is black; more so by overlooking his race and focusing on his tremendous potential and outstanding qualities. I write this not to flaunt my obvious inclination over Obama as president. I write this because Obama’s win presents a larger picture globally. Indian newspapers and televisions were buzzing with the victory of his win. Despite Obama’s negative stance on outsourcing, India and other countries have chosen to look past that fact and have now have full fledged respect for our country for the first time in history. It is a big change from when I came to India in August. Many people had negative connotations towards the U.S. because of our ignorance towards other countries, our consumer waste and spending habits, and the obvious racism that exists. Obama’s presidential run has gradually softened their hearts and now with his win has turned the negative stereotype of U.S. into a positive one. His win has not only changed U.S. history, but also the views towards the U.S. by other countries that now have high hopes for him. This monumental point in history has made me proud to call myself an American citizen. Finally we have a black leader who has the ability to unite racial and global divisions. Now that is a democracy that I am proud of.

Bangalore
This week I traveled to Bangalore to visit my friend Manu, who I met through Sarada Aunty. The bus ride was long, but the sights were amazing. Bus and train rides never seem long here because of the beautiful views. Bangalore is outside the state of Kerala in the state of Karnataka. The language that most people speak there is known as Kannada which I think is cool because it sounds like Canada J Bangalore is a growing metropolitan city which has a lot of high tech industries that draw people from all over the world to live. There was a holiday going on while I visited which is known as Diwali or Deepavali. The term Diwali is used in mostly in northern India while Deepavali is used in southern and eastern India. Diwali or Deepavali is popularly known as the “festival of lights” but also as “the new year of luck and wealth”. It is generally celebrated with festive fireworks, sharing of sweets, candles and lights, flowers, and worship. There were plenty of fireworks going on late into the night to celebrate and many candles lit outside of houses. During the Diwali celebrations, Manu and I went to Sri Sri Ravishankar’s ashrum which was outside the city. Sri Sri Ravishankar is another guru, who is widely known for his Art of Living programs all over the world. There was a pooja (prayer and worship) at the brightly lit temple, sharing of sweets, and fireworks after the pooja to celebrate Diwali.

Indian Pizza
In the U.S., I used to fantasize about eating Indian pizza… I didn’t know that it actually existed! Manu and I went to a place called Pizza Corner, which is similar to a Pizza Hut or Dominos. We were actually trying to find Dominos but couldn’t so we settled on this restaurant instead. The restaurant looked like a typical pizza hangout place in the U.S. I ordered punjabi chicken tikka pizza and Manu had jugabandi pizza (it had paneer in it, which is a type of cheese). Something that was different to me was the sizes. The sizes consisted of small, medium, and large. Manu convinced me that I should order the small sized pizza, which I thought would be too much for me. She also ordered the small, and I realized that the small sized pizza is actually Pizza Hut’s personal pan sized pizza in the U.S.! I used to order that in the U.S. and usually people would tease me because it was so small, saying that only kids eat that size. It wasn’t enough so we also ordered the paneer footizza (the name explains it). I liked the pizza, although I don’t think the quality was up to par. I’m sure if I had higher quality Indian Pizza, I would’ve liked it more. However, the pizza in the U.S. still tasted better to me (taco pizza yum!).

Atmosphere
There were many differences between Bangalore and Cochin. Bangalore’s climate was much different. It was surprisingly cool during the day with no humidity and downright cold at night! The way people dressed was also different. In Cochin, most people wear churidars and saris, while in Bangalore, people wore everything! I enjoyed the more casual and relaxed environment in Bangalore, no one seemed to care what you wore or what you were doing. I thought it was interesting that in Cochin, even though women dress more conservatively, there seems to be more sexual harassment. In Bangalore, even though women dress less conservatively, there didn’t seem to be any sexual harassment. Manu told me that in Rajasthan (a northern state in India) women wear short tops with no backs, and there are actually fewer rape cases there. I thought that was particularly interesting, especially the psychological factors.

While there were big malls and expensive designer stores there, I enjoyed going to shops along the street the most. I relished the bright multitudes of color displayed through flowers, vegetables, powders, and spices. I was suddenly struck with a feeling that I hadn’t felt before. For the first time I felt that this was my country, my home, my culture, and my people. This life, and this simplicity….I loved it all at once and thought is it more than this? Or is this all it is? I felt sadness because I wasn’t fully immersed in this culture, but happiness because I had this realization. It’s kind of like finding the last pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It’s the first time since stepping off the airplane that I felt like I was in my home, a place where my roots began. Honestly, day to day living is a grind. But it’s those little moments of realization that make me love life for what it is.

Mehendi
This week Bobby (Pramella Aunty’s daughter) applied mehendi to my hand. For such a long time I have admired this spectacular part of Indian culture, and I have always wanted to learn how to apply it myself. Bobby showed me how to apply it, and I also bought a book with different designs. Although it will take time to learn how to perfect this art, I’m so excited to learn how to do it! Ammu volunteered to be my test subject J Mehendi is the Indian word for henna (we usually call it henna in the U.S.), and it also refers to the art of applying henna. It is used to create temporary tattoos in different shades of brown usually on the feet or hands of a woman. Traditionally, it was used for medicinal purposes, but today it is used to create designs, dye hair, and to color nails. The henna is actually an herb, and it is similar to the tea plant. The leaves are dried, ground into a fine powder, and then mixed with other things to create a paste or the body. Usually mehendi is used for woman’s hands and feet for decoration, however for special occasions men also apply mehendi.

Bindi
Another marvelous part of Indian culture is the use of the bindi. The bindi is a colorful marking worn by a woman on her forehead, right above the meeting point of the eyebrows. Most Indian women wear the bindi, whether they are young or old, modern or traditional. However in Northern India, only married women will wear it. The traditional bindi is red, but there are also colored ones to match different outfits. The color red is powerful, as it represents shakti, power, and energy. There is evidence that bindis have existed since the 4th century! According to the Hindu religion, the bindi marks the 6th chakra, which symbolizes power and balance. It also assists with the flow of energy. It is representative of the third eye, or the mind’s eye, which sees into the spiritual world. The bindi is a reminder to use and cultivate the spiritual vision and to see beyond physical appearances. It can be made with clay, sandalwood, or ashes, but there are a wide variety of colors and designs of stick-on bindis.

A Haunting Vision
Leeza and I went on the bus to Ernakulum and I saw a sight that sent shivers up my spine. Just the thought of it even now makes me filled with despair, desperation, and sadness. What I saw was a woman, probably in her mid-thirties, wearing a sari with the typical nose ring, necklace, and earrings. She looked as if she was a typical lower class woman who had enough money for necessities and food. She was bit chubby, as was the baby boy she was holding. The baby boy certainly looked as if he had enough to eat, and was also dressed appropriately. Then I saw the young girl with her. I wasn’t sure of her age, probably between the ages of 4 and 6. Her clothes were tattered and torn, just hanging off of her body. Her body was nothing but a skeleton, she was so thin and malnourished that it pained me and made me physically sick to look at her. The hunger I had in my stomach for lunch was replaced by a sickening pain. But this child I was looking at didn’t even look like a child; I thought I was looking at an animal. The look in her eyes spoke of a life beyond pain and despair, because there was no light in them. They were dead, to match her body which was also dying. It made me beyond distressed to think that I had seen homeless dogs and cats that were fed better than her in India. Leeza then leaned over and said to me, “I think that family is from North India because she’s wearing a different type of dress. They are probably beggars or laborers.” Leeza used to live in New Delhi which is part of North India, so she has seen many types of people living in extreme poverty. I am fortunate to stay in Kerala, where there is a high literacy rate and hardly any beggars. In fact, the only people who beg are usually the ones that are being forced to beg by groups like the beggars mafia (they force adults and children to beg and the head people get their money). [As a side note, there was a beggar who died here and they found over 1 lakh (2,000 dollars) in his bank account]. Therefore, people don’t really give money to beggars here because then they would be reinforcing groups like the beggars mafia. I then looked around the bus and saw that everyone was staring at this family. Leeza went on to say, “Here in Kerala everyone will look at them, not only because they are from North India, but also because no one in Kerala is malnourished like that.” What she said next chilled me to the bone. She said, “See the mother and baby boy? They are plump.” I nodded; they looked plump and healthy to me. Then she said, “In North India, they usually don’t want girls. So they will give all the food to the boy child and starve the girl child.” I asked in disbelief, “They want her to die? Will she die?” She said that she may not die, but just be malnourished. I could not bear myself to look at this child again, it made me sick. It made me even more sick to know that a mother could do this to her own child. I prayed for this small girl as I got off the bus, but nothing could take away the pain in my stomach. This is just one of the many injustices that women and children face in India. Each day, I am not only learning but also experiencing first hand what women have to face. Unearthing the causes for these types of injustices and finding solutions is a difficult task as women also perpetuate their subordinate status in society.

Art Exhibition
Last night I went to my first art exhibition in Kerala. It is called Gallery OED, and it is actually the same place where I attend my dance class each morning. This art gallery has new paintings on the walls every 2-3 weeks, and buyers can purchase the paintings from the artist. Each time there is an exhibition, the walls are painted to match the theme of the artist’s paintings. This exhibition was called “Through the Bioscope” by Madhusud Hanan. I had the pleasure of also meeting this artist! I didn’t really understand all of the paintings because a lot of them were abstract. I could see that each painting told a story, even if I wasn’t able to grasp the story. Each person has a different perception of what a painting means to them. From my perception, the paintings had a lot of machines in them. I mentioned this to the artist and he called them “silent” machines. Later, I went downstairs and viewed the artist’s short film which as titled “History is a Silent Film.” It was an older black and white film and there was no sound, but every once in awhile there were subtitles. It was a story about a man who fixed film projectors. While he was working he would fix the projectors, and then watch the films. Doing this reminded of his father who also fixed film projectors but disappeared from his life without any traces. He saw moments captured on this film, birds flying, a dancer dancing, a man walking. Through these moments he saw history, the war in India, dancers, the footsteps of a man he once knew. He realized that his father was alive on this film, and it pained him to remember this. I believe that everyone has a creative streak to them whether it be through writing, dancing, painting, and more. I admire people who perform in the arts, especially painting, because the genius lies in the abstract concepts that come deep within the depths of their mind. Only they can reach this depth, yet in a way I can oddly connect with this painting once I understand the meaning of it. I asked an artist who had an exhibition a few weeks ago where he got his creativity. He explained to me life itself was his inspiration and those events that occur. I was able to meet many interesting people at the exhibition because my dance teacher, Geetha was there and introduced me to journalists, artists,

and photographers. All in all it was a great night because I met some interesting people, ate great food, and explored a realm that was not familiar to me.

Other creative minds....