So here it is... the last day. It´s been kind of crazy to think of how far we all have come and what we´ve done. These last few days have definitely been emotional. The final presentation went well and we each made a page about one experience that we had and made a take-away point from that to be applied to other urban development projects/thoughts. It was a really great way for us to show the faculty what we think is important and what we´ve really been thinking about.
It´s been hard to say good-bye. It´s been hard to even realize that we all are saying good-bye. I really feel like every person has been a great part of this trip and even though there are the frustrations and annoyances, when it comes down to it, it was a wonderful group. I don´t know, I´m sad and confused and excited all at the same time so I guess I don´t have much to say. Last night was great though, and we all hung out together, even the faculty, had a hilarious time! A great ending.
Today I went back to the Recoleta fair to get a few more things and we are just killing time until we all meet at 6 back at the hotel. I´m pretty sure we´re all gonna pass out on the plane and then it´ll be Houston before we know it! Amazing. I´m definitely not ready for the Christmas craziness when I get back and I´m sure it´s going to hit me in the face!
Ok well I should go spend my last few hours in BA. See you very soon
xo
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Da Retreat and Da Workshop
Hi everyone, I just have a few minutes to write before I have to jet off to class. Yes, class. We all thought we were done with that but this final workshop is turning out to be, hm, well I guess none of us really understand it. We are in La Plata right now and we are using it as a "platform" to build the perfect city. Hm, yeah, not too clear and definitely not the way I think most of us would like to spend our last week together. The faculty keeps saying that it´s up to us to decide what we want to so we´ll see how it ends up.
The retreat was nice. It was pretty overcast and chilly so even though we were at the beach we didn´t get to soak up any sun. We did lounge around a lot and just hang out which was a nice break. Ken and Barbara, the Cities program directors, had us all talk to them one on one to discuss what we didn´t like or what could be improved. It was pretty ironic because one of my main complaints was that they didn´t respect our time and there we were on our day and a half retreat and we were taking time out to talk to them! It was fine. I think the most frustrating part is being able to express what you think and feel like possibly that could have some influence and then be back in the same atmosphere in this workshop. Maybe I´m judging it too much, today is only the second day.
There are other people here too like Joan Tiffany who is the president of IHP and another country coordinator from the spring program.
We are split into two different hostels. I really like mine, it´s very cute and we´ve decided to cook together every night. We had such a good time last night, and ate very well! We even played a game of intense telephone.
Okay, off to class. I´m person of the day today so I definitely can´t be late! I will see you all very very soon! xoxo
The retreat was nice. It was pretty overcast and chilly so even though we were at the beach we didn´t get to soak up any sun. We did lounge around a lot and just hang out which was a nice break. Ken and Barbara, the Cities program directors, had us all talk to them one on one to discuss what we didn´t like or what could be improved. It was pretty ironic because one of my main complaints was that they didn´t respect our time and there we were on our day and a half retreat and we were taking time out to talk to them! It was fine. I think the most frustrating part is being able to express what you think and feel like possibly that could have some influence and then be back in the same atmosphere in this workshop. Maybe I´m judging it too much, today is only the second day.
There are other people here too like Joan Tiffany who is the president of IHP and another country coordinator from the spring program.
We are split into two different hostels. I really like mine, it´s very cute and we´ve decided to cook together every night. We had such a good time last night, and ate very well! We even played a game of intense telephone.
Okay, off to class. I´m person of the day today so I definitely can´t be late! I will see you all very very soon! xoxo
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Giving Thanks in the B.A.
Hello! So officially two weeks from today I will be in Chicago. Isn´t that crazy? I know I must say this a lot in these posts but time really messes with my head. I´m constantly amazed about where I am and what I´ve seen and yet somehow it´s almost December. I can´t even comprehend it. Also I´ve been thinking a lot about how to explain to all of you at home my experiences and I just dont know how I´m going to do it. I see myself in certain situations and I just won´t be able to explain everything, or even remember everything! So be warned, be patient with me...
So it was interesting spending Thanksgiving over here. This week was our case study week, and I was in the Waste group. Interestingly no one wanted to be in the waste group so we were the volunteers that left the other case studies and joined this one. It was a completely different experience though because we had to rely on our guide for everything and we had specific meetings with organizations and people instead of the freedom we are used to with case studies. They had to do it this way because of the language barrier, but it made for a completely different experience than the one I had with HIV. Despite the rigidness of the two and a half days and the daunting sound of Waste, we actually had a very interesting case study. There are so many factors that really go into it and it was more than just the environmental concerns but also so many social, economic and political ones as well. One of the most interesting was the perspective of the cartoneros, people who after the 2001 economic crash started to collect cardboard for a living and sold it back to private companies. Now t heir are cooperatives and collaborations with the government for some of these people but it just completely changes your perspective. I think that´s what really tied in a lot of the factors that we experienced, it made it more real to an everyday perspective. On Thanksgiving we had the day to prepare our presentation for the next day. Hm, yeah, we spend 12 hours creating our presentation which was frustrating, especially on a day when everyone was missing home a bit and we didn´t get done until 10-10:30. But afterward Rashidah, Phoebe and I went out for a delicious steak and wine dinner, you know, Thanksgiving Argentina style! It was wonderful. Great conversation and a good way to release the frustrations of the day. The presentation went well, we did a talk show style to incorporate a dialogue between all the different factors to show that there is more to trash than just trash but at the same time trash is just trash (confusing but it became our slogan).
Now I´m at the internet cafe where I came to write my paper but intead I´m catching up with you all. Ha, it´s hard because this next week is our last week of classes per se. We have a lot due but it´s hard to stay motivated at the end. At the end of this week we leave for La Plata where we have a retreat for a few days and then next week we do a final workshop before we leave to come home. Crazy.
I´m definitely sad about my camera, many tears have been shed. But I´m trying to see a better side of it. In a way it´s kind of good for me because that is the worst thing I could lose, at least in my perspective, and this trip is all about growing. I use pictures a lot, to show other people my experiences as well as to reflect alone but I will have pictures from other people and this way I´m not using them as a crutch. Maybe this is all just a way to make me feel better but I´m definitely going to work on flipping this situation. It will take some time but I´ll get it eventually, just don´t ask to see any pictures when I get home...
I´ve been having fun there though! I mean, it´s definitely a different vibe. I think we are all pretty tired and also have a lot of work so we haven´t been doing as much exploring as we have in other cities, which is frustrating but at the same time I want to enjoy myself! I went to a great show on Friday, it was this dance-theatre performance which was a lot of fun. Very interesting. Also I went back to the Jazz club, even better this time. It´s a strange time of knowing that we are going home soon but not actually realizing it.
I am excited to go home though, not anxious but excited. I want to see you guys, catch up, I think I´ve missed out on a lot. Ok probably time to do this paper. Miss you but will see you very soon...
xoxo
So it was interesting spending Thanksgiving over here. This week was our case study week, and I was in the Waste group. Interestingly no one wanted to be in the waste group so we were the volunteers that left the other case studies and joined this one. It was a completely different experience though because we had to rely on our guide for everything and we had specific meetings with organizations and people instead of the freedom we are used to with case studies. They had to do it this way because of the language barrier, but it made for a completely different experience than the one I had with HIV. Despite the rigidness of the two and a half days and the daunting sound of Waste, we actually had a very interesting case study. There are so many factors that really go into it and it was more than just the environmental concerns but also so many social, economic and political ones as well. One of the most interesting was the perspective of the cartoneros, people who after the 2001 economic crash started to collect cardboard for a living and sold it back to private companies. Now t heir are cooperatives and collaborations with the government for some of these people but it just completely changes your perspective. I think that´s what really tied in a lot of the factors that we experienced, it made it more real to an everyday perspective. On Thanksgiving we had the day to prepare our presentation for the next day. Hm, yeah, we spend 12 hours creating our presentation which was frustrating, especially on a day when everyone was missing home a bit and we didn´t get done until 10-10:30. But afterward Rashidah, Phoebe and I went out for a delicious steak and wine dinner, you know, Thanksgiving Argentina style! It was wonderful. Great conversation and a good way to release the frustrations of the day. The presentation went well, we did a talk show style to incorporate a dialogue between all the different factors to show that there is more to trash than just trash but at the same time trash is just trash (confusing but it became our slogan).
Now I´m at the internet cafe where I came to write my paper but intead I´m catching up with you all. Ha, it´s hard because this next week is our last week of classes per se. We have a lot due but it´s hard to stay motivated at the end. At the end of this week we leave for La Plata where we have a retreat for a few days and then next week we do a final workshop before we leave to come home. Crazy.
I´m definitely sad about my camera, many tears have been shed. But I´m trying to see a better side of it. In a way it´s kind of good for me because that is the worst thing I could lose, at least in my perspective, and this trip is all about growing. I use pictures a lot, to show other people my experiences as well as to reflect alone but I will have pictures from other people and this way I´m not using them as a crutch. Maybe this is all just a way to make me feel better but I´m definitely going to work on flipping this situation. It will take some time but I´ll get it eventually, just don´t ask to see any pictures when I get home...
I´ve been having fun there though! I mean, it´s definitely a different vibe. I think we are all pretty tired and also have a lot of work so we haven´t been doing as much exploring as we have in other cities, which is frustrating but at the same time I want to enjoy myself! I went to a great show on Friday, it was this dance-theatre performance which was a lot of fun. Very interesting. Also I went back to the Jazz club, even better this time. It´s a strange time of knowing that we are going home soon but not actually realizing it.
I am excited to go home though, not anxious but excited. I want to see you guys, catch up, I think I´ve missed out on a lot. Ok probably time to do this paper. Miss you but will see you very soon...
xoxo
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Very Sad...
So I got my camera stolen last night with all of my pictures on that memory card. I really do not want to talk about it. I´m very upset but I thought you all should know now.
I´m still having a great time though and I really want to get over this and just have a great last three weeks.
xo
I´m still having a great time though and I really want to get over this and just have a great last three weeks.
xo
Saturday, November 21, 2009
¿What´s new Buenos Aires?
Wow! Two weeks here already. Argentina is incredible. Sorry I haven´t been able to write lately, I get internet at the building where we have classes on my ipod but I can´t write on the blog from there so I´ve been less motivated to go find an internet cafe. But I did today! Yeah, so things have been good. It´s weird to start a new program but at the same time realize that the entire trip is winding down. Argentina just feels good. I think we all think that it feels more like what we are used to. Those from NYC think it´s like New York and it remnds me of Europe, but still with a Latin aspect. I feel like where I am, and that hasn´t always been the case (Cape Town).
I´m also really excited because now I perpetually have Evita stuck in my head! Ha, I went to the Casa Rosada and wanted to belt out ´¨Don´t cry for me Argentina!¨ but I held back. I am struggling a bit with the language, others in the group can communicate really well but not so much for me. Some conversations I can understand but have a hard time responding. At the same time it feels good. We´ve been able to get by in other countries with English and sometimes it feels a bit like cheating. So in some aspects Buenos Aires feels more familiar and in others it feels further away.
The culture is fabulous. I love my homestay family and I´m living with Natalie, the other girl from BU on the trip and we get along great! I can´t wait to go back to BU and hang with her. The group is really good right now. I feel like we´ve definitely ebbed and flowed on the group dynamics but I think the freedom that we get while we are here, the safety of the streets and the walkability of the city really lends itself to good attitudes. At the same time, it´s hard to be academic with so much going on. People stay up so late, eating dinner at restaurants at 1 am and coming home at 5 or 6am is an early night. Hard to keep up, but we can all sleep when we get home. I went to some great jazz last week and am definitely planning on going again. The builidings are gorgeous too! I just really like it here. I would definitely come back, I would live here even if I could learn the language. Last night some of us went to a private restaurant for dinner and although it was more expensive than I should be spending it was absolutely worth it! The food was incredible and the atmosphere was just, perfect.
In class we´ve been talking about transportation and the political atmosphere. Assignments are already starting to be due and we do our case studies next week. It all goes by so fast! But at the same time that I am thoroughly enjoying myself here, I am also excited to go home. I´m definitely sick of my clothes, but it will be nice to be back and decompose for a bit. I have been thinking about home and also school a lot (especially figuring out where to live!) and I´m not homesick but I´ll be ready in three weeks for sure.
We aren´t really sure what we are going to be doing in La Plata in the last week here, some sort of workshop. Our host mother said something about creating the perfect city but we haven´t been officially told. I think we are all annoyed that it´s for a grade but eh, whatever. This experience is about so much more. It´s funny because I was definitely feel a lot of frustration in the middle of the trip but now, I don´t know it´s hard for me to complain, I just want to soak it all in. I mean, dont get me wrong I am definitely annoyed with things and people and all of that but in a different way. Ah! So much to think about...but there will be time for that soon enough.
I am thinking about you all a lot. I wish I could get some pictures up here for you...I´ll work on it.
xo
I´m also really excited because now I perpetually have Evita stuck in my head! Ha, I went to the Casa Rosada and wanted to belt out ´¨Don´t cry for me Argentina!¨ but I held back. I am struggling a bit with the language, others in the group can communicate really well but not so much for me. Some conversations I can understand but have a hard time responding. At the same time it feels good. We´ve been able to get by in other countries with English and sometimes it feels a bit like cheating. So in some aspects Buenos Aires feels more familiar and in others it feels further away.
The culture is fabulous. I love my homestay family and I´m living with Natalie, the other girl from BU on the trip and we get along great! I can´t wait to go back to BU and hang with her. The group is really good right now. I feel like we´ve definitely ebbed and flowed on the group dynamics but I think the freedom that we get while we are here, the safety of the streets and the walkability of the city really lends itself to good attitudes. At the same time, it´s hard to be academic with so much going on. People stay up so late, eating dinner at restaurants at 1 am and coming home at 5 or 6am is an early night. Hard to keep up, but we can all sleep when we get home. I went to some great jazz last week and am definitely planning on going again. The builidings are gorgeous too! I just really like it here. I would definitely come back, I would live here even if I could learn the language. Last night some of us went to a private restaurant for dinner and although it was more expensive than I should be spending it was absolutely worth it! The food was incredible and the atmosphere was just, perfect.
In class we´ve been talking about transportation and the political atmosphere. Assignments are already starting to be due and we do our case studies next week. It all goes by so fast! But at the same time that I am thoroughly enjoying myself here, I am also excited to go home. I´m definitely sick of my clothes, but it will be nice to be back and decompose for a bit. I have been thinking about home and also school a lot (especially figuring out where to live!) and I´m not homesick but I´ll be ready in three weeks for sure.
We aren´t really sure what we are going to be doing in La Plata in the last week here, some sort of workshop. Our host mother said something about creating the perfect city but we haven´t been officially told. I think we are all annoyed that it´s for a grade but eh, whatever. This experience is about so much more. It´s funny because I was definitely feel a lot of frustration in the middle of the trip but now, I don´t know it´s hard for me to complain, I just want to soak it all in. I mean, dont get me wrong I am definitely annoyed with things and people and all of that but in a different way. Ah! So much to think about...but there will be time for that soon enough.
I am thinking about you all a lot. I wish I could get some pictures up here for you...I´ll work on it.
xo
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Leaving so soon?
Wow, so I am back from my vacation and we are leaving early tomorrow morning for Argentina. Crazy. Vacation was good. Our house was pretty nice and we had a great beach day, where I swam with a seal. It was definitely a highlight of the week. We saw something in the (freezing) water and got scared but then a local told us that it was actually a seal and that they come up to sunbath in the late afternoon. Well I got all excited and dove into the water and swam up to it. I was so close, it popped its head up and I was going to touch it but it has small teeth and I was scared I was going to lose one of my fingers. We played together though, it dove under me and we swam around for a bit (I may be squealed a couple of times).
We also went to Simon's Town on the other end of Cape Town and there are actually penguins there! Needless to say I had a great time playing with the penguins but they didn't want to be as close as the seal. Fun filled animal vaca! Simon's town was really pretty, very different from the other places we had been and we really lucked out with the beautiful weather.
Yesterday I went to Constantia, wine country, with my friend Phoebe. It was gorgeous! We had to take 3 minibus taxis and a 20 min walk (we like adventures) to get there, but the vineyard was so pretty. We walked through the vineyard and did some wine tasting. It was a great afternoon of pretty scenery, good conversation and tasty wine.
I really wanted the vacation to be a time to think through a lot that I've seen/experienced here but didn't really get around to it. I won't really until I get home, which is in 5 weeks, isn't that crazy? Time flies.
South Africa has been wonderful. Challenging and different but I really have enjoyed being here. I've seen so much and I'm really thankful for a lot of the people I've met and have been willing to show me their homes and families. I wish I could write on here everything that I've seen and all of the stories of the people we've met, or at least put up some damn pictures, but alas, you will all have to wait until I get back. Soon, very soon.
I don't really know what to expect for Argentina, I haven't really thought that far in advance yet, I guess it's not too far in advance anymore. I am excited not to have to pack/unpack every few weeks so that will be nice for home but I just can't wrap my head around the time...
Ok, I love you all and miss you! Hopefully the internet will upload faster in Argentina and you can see some pictures! xo
We also went to Simon's Town on the other end of Cape Town and there are actually penguins there! Needless to say I had a great time playing with the penguins but they didn't want to be as close as the seal. Fun filled animal vaca! Simon's town was really pretty, very different from the other places we had been and we really lucked out with the beautiful weather.
Yesterday I went to Constantia, wine country, with my friend Phoebe. It was gorgeous! We had to take 3 minibus taxis and a 20 min walk (we like adventures) to get there, but the vineyard was so pretty. We walked through the vineyard and did some wine tasting. It was a great afternoon of pretty scenery, good conversation and tasty wine.
I really wanted the vacation to be a time to think through a lot that I've seen/experienced here but didn't really get around to it. I won't really until I get home, which is in 5 weeks, isn't that crazy? Time flies.
South Africa has been wonderful. Challenging and different but I really have enjoyed being here. I've seen so much and I'm really thankful for a lot of the people I've met and have been willing to show me their homes and families. I wish I could write on here everything that I've seen and all of the stories of the people we've met, or at least put up some damn pictures, but alas, you will all have to wait until I get back. Soon, very soon.
I don't really know what to expect for Argentina, I haven't really thought that far in advance yet, I guess it's not too far in advance anymore. I am excited not to have to pack/unpack every few weeks so that will be nice for home but I just can't wrap my head around the time...
Ok, I love you all and miss you! Hopefully the internet will upload faster in Argentina and you can see some pictures! xo
Saturday, October 31, 2009
V-v-v-vacation!!
Ok, sorry I've been MIA and actually I don't have much time to write this post but, yes it is my vacation here in South Africa! Finally! It's been a great time here. I went through an emotional period, definitely overwhelmed with the group dynamic, not necessarily the people in the group but just being in a group, if that makes sense. Also we had this incredible time in Langa and when we moved to the Bo Kaap, a colored Muslim neighborhood in town, we all of a sudden has so much work to do that we never really got a chance to explore where we are or spend much time with our new host families. So that was frustrating but over now, thank goodness.
We did our case study on HIV and it was one of the most incredible experiences I've had on this trip. We just learned so much, got to see so much and met so many inspiring people. It's an issue that I'm so happy that I got to spend time learning about and taking information away. Also for our presentation we did a knock off Vagina Monologues and did an HIV monologues which was really emotional and went off really well.
Some of us went to Parliament and got a tour and a meeting with the DA (the official opposition party) with the leader of the DA and some shadow ministers (housing and labor?). Also we sat in on a debate in the national assembly and president Zuma was there. Pretty cool...
Ok just to quickly sum up, also we had our farewell dinner on Wednesday night and it was great. It was difficult to balance our Langa and Bo Kaap homestay families but it worked out ok. Also we had traditional African music and dancers and I got dragged up on stage and danced with them. There are pictures and videos to document it, it was pretty funny. I will definitely share, I'm sure they will be put up on facebook when we get back.
Ok my vacation starts TODAY! I actually need to go because our taxi is coming soon and I need to get back. I'm staying in Table View with 6 other girls. Should be fun and beautiful. Complete with a pool and a 20 min walk to the beach. Can't wait for some r and r! MIss you all so much!
xoxo
Lizzie
We did our case study on HIV and it was one of the most incredible experiences I've had on this trip. We just learned so much, got to see so much and met so many inspiring people. It's an issue that I'm so happy that I got to spend time learning about and taking information away. Also for our presentation we did a knock off Vagina Monologues and did an HIV monologues which was really emotional and went off really well.
Some of us went to Parliament and got a tour and a meeting with the DA (the official opposition party) with the leader of the DA and some shadow ministers (housing and labor?). Also we sat in on a debate in the national assembly and president Zuma was there. Pretty cool...
Ok just to quickly sum up, also we had our farewell dinner on Wednesday night and it was great. It was difficult to balance our Langa and Bo Kaap homestay families but it worked out ok. Also we had traditional African music and dancers and I got dragged up on stage and danced with them. There are pictures and videos to document it, it was pretty funny. I will definitely share, I'm sure they will be put up on facebook when we get back.
Ok my vacation starts TODAY! I actually need to go because our taxi is coming soon and I need to get back. I'm staying in Table View with 6 other girls. Should be fun and beautiful. Complete with a pool and a 20 min walk to the beach. Can't wait for some r and r! MIss you all so much!
xoxo
Lizzie
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
My Legs Are Sore
We climbed Table Mountain on Saturday, which is beautiful and incredible (and cold!) but my thighs are still recovering! This is a very quick post because I have about 5 min left on the internet and I need to finish writing in my learning journal so recap:
We got an amazing tour of Langa, the township we are staying in. We saw so much more of the people and businesses and just life in general. It was difficult though because we would be going into these small rooms where 16 different people lived and it would feel like we were being so incredibly invasive. We talked about that a lot as a group as well, the idea of poverty tourism and it giving poor people an income but at what cost? It's something that I've accepted that I won't have incredible pictures of what I've seen and experienced here and I apologize to all of you who I would love to share it with but it's about respect and respecting the lives of the people that we are so lucky to interact with and it's hard not to take a picture to remember and share but taking out a camera and taking a snapshot of the way a person lives can be taken in many different ways. I believe that it is the responsibility of a traveler to take back what they have learned/experienced and share that with as many people as he/she can so it's about a cultural exchange and a different way of spreading knowledge and information. Images are very powerful and are a great tool to use and it makes me a bit sad to think I won't have that to use or just to have to remember the people and places but again, I want to respect the place and community that I am in first and foremost. But the tour itself was enlightening. Langa is an important township and a very close knit community. There is a huge range of people living here, from tiny, informal shanty houses to larger established homes. It was nice too, because there are township tours that go through townships on buses and stare at people as if they are in fishbowls and we were lucky enough to be on the ground, walking and interacting with different people. (Also people were very interested that we are staying here in Langa.) Also, our group discussed being a student rather than a tourist and what we can expect to get out of this and maybe a different attitude coming into it because of that. There is also a place, that is illegal, where they make a traditional beer in shanty housing and we got to sit in there and talk to some people. Even though it's illegal it's been there for a long time, something the government just turns its head.
We've had amazing lectures and discussions about apartheid and its effects socially, politically and structurely. Identity is really interesting here. During apartheid it was split into basically three categories: whites, coloreds and blacks. There's so much to say about race within the context and what we are learning that it doesn't make sense to even begin to write about it here but it's definitely something to keep in mind and it affects everything we do. I, obviously, can't stop thinking about Bosnia while I'm here and how there are so many connections.
Also we have case studies (like we did in Delhi and will have in Buenos Aires) and we have already split into our groups, even though the days assigned to it are a week or so away. I'm in the HIV group and it is going to be very interesting. We have already been making so many contacts that I can't wait to hit the ground running. Actually on Sunday Rashidah and I went with our host brother to this huge block party-esque thing in Guguletu (another township) where there is great chicken and music and drinks everywhere! People come from all different townships and it is definitely and place to be for young people. We met an incredible woman (a friend of our host brother) who works for an organization for the prevention of HIV and we are talking with her too. That's my favorite thing, to be social and also learn so so much at the same time. Great conversation and a great environment is always better than a classroom!
This Sunday we'll move to Bo Kaap, our other homestay. It's in the city so that will be different and I think it will be fun for us to be able to explore a little more too. I feel so comfortable here in Cape Town and also in Langa but we've been warned about the violence so I am also on my guard. It's almost like I can't trust my instincts to be comfortable...I don't know, it's tricky.
Vacation is coming up and I need to make plans for that...it snuck up on me! I'll let you guys know what I'm planning. Miss you all!
xoxo
We got an amazing tour of Langa, the township we are staying in. We saw so much more of the people and businesses and just life in general. It was difficult though because we would be going into these small rooms where 16 different people lived and it would feel like we were being so incredibly invasive. We talked about that a lot as a group as well, the idea of poverty tourism and it giving poor people an income but at what cost? It's something that I've accepted that I won't have incredible pictures of what I've seen and experienced here and I apologize to all of you who I would love to share it with but it's about respect and respecting the lives of the people that we are so lucky to interact with and it's hard not to take a picture to remember and share but taking out a camera and taking a snapshot of the way a person lives can be taken in many different ways. I believe that it is the responsibility of a traveler to take back what they have learned/experienced and share that with as many people as he/she can so it's about a cultural exchange and a different way of spreading knowledge and information. Images are very powerful and are a great tool to use and it makes me a bit sad to think I won't have that to use or just to have to remember the people and places but again, I want to respect the place and community that I am in first and foremost. But the tour itself was enlightening. Langa is an important township and a very close knit community. There is a huge range of people living here, from tiny, informal shanty houses to larger established homes. It was nice too, because there are township tours that go through townships on buses and stare at people as if they are in fishbowls and we were lucky enough to be on the ground, walking and interacting with different people. (Also people were very interested that we are staying here in Langa.) Also, our group discussed being a student rather than a tourist and what we can expect to get out of this and maybe a different attitude coming into it because of that. There is also a place, that is illegal, where they make a traditional beer in shanty housing and we got to sit in there and talk to some people. Even though it's illegal it's been there for a long time, something the government just turns its head.
We've had amazing lectures and discussions about apartheid and its effects socially, politically and structurely. Identity is really interesting here. During apartheid it was split into basically three categories: whites, coloreds and blacks. There's so much to say about race within the context and what we are learning that it doesn't make sense to even begin to write about it here but it's definitely something to keep in mind and it affects everything we do. I, obviously, can't stop thinking about Bosnia while I'm here and how there are so many connections.
Also we have case studies (like we did in Delhi and will have in Buenos Aires) and we have already split into our groups, even though the days assigned to it are a week or so away. I'm in the HIV group and it is going to be very interesting. We have already been making so many contacts that I can't wait to hit the ground running. Actually on Sunday Rashidah and I went with our host brother to this huge block party-esque thing in Guguletu (another township) where there is great chicken and music and drinks everywhere! People come from all different townships and it is definitely and place to be for young people. We met an incredible woman (a friend of our host brother) who works for an organization for the prevention of HIV and we are talking with her too. That's my favorite thing, to be social and also learn so so much at the same time. Great conversation and a great environment is always better than a classroom!
This Sunday we'll move to Bo Kaap, our other homestay. It's in the city so that will be different and I think it will be fun for us to be able to explore a little more too. I feel so comfortable here in Cape Town and also in Langa but we've been warned about the violence so I am also on my guard. It's almost like I can't trust my instincts to be comfortable...I don't know, it's tricky.
Vacation is coming up and I need to make plans for that...it snuck up on me! I'll let you guys know what I'm planning. Miss you all!
xoxo
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
In Africa and it's chilly...
So I've landed in South Africa and it's quite chilly. But there are zero complaints from me (or the group) after the heat and humidity of India. Honestly not much as happened so far, we had orientation yesterday and then dinner at our coordinator's house which was really nice. I'm so excited to be here. I was so sad to leave India that's all I thought about but I don't think it ever crossed my mind that I'd be in Africa!!
I haven't really seen much here (yesterday my stomach was acting up so I didn't really leave the hostel) but today we have our first class and then we transfer to our homestays!! We are staying in two different places while here in Cape Town, the first is Langa a township. I'm actually staying with my good friend Rashida again. We were together in Detroit and I don't think we are supposed to be put into the same room again but neither of us are complaining! It's actually funny because we were talking about how much we wanted to live together again and how we were sad that we couldn't, well guess we can!
I'm excited to move into my new homestay but I'm a little nervous. Last family I stayed with was so wonderful it's hard not to have high expectations but I'll try not to expect too much (and then hopefully be pleasantly surprised!)
The flights here were interesting. We flew to Doha and then had to catch a short connect for our flight to South Africa. We made it ok but the flight first stopped in Johannesburg and we had to wait for like 6 hours because something was wrong with the plane. So it definitely made an already long flight longer but we were fine and it really wasn't too big of a deal.
I guess that's all for now. I don't know if it's just the internet cafe I'm using right now or if it's the internet in general (dad, I remember your story with the carrier pigeons) but it's being a little funky so I'm sorry if I don't get to respond to emails or messages.
xoxo
Lizzie
I haven't really seen much here (yesterday my stomach was acting up so I didn't really leave the hostel) but today we have our first class and then we transfer to our homestays!! We are staying in two different places while here in Cape Town, the first is Langa a township. I'm actually staying with my good friend Rashida again. We were together in Detroit and I don't think we are supposed to be put into the same room again but neither of us are complaining! It's actually funny because we were talking about how much we wanted to live together again and how we were sad that we couldn't, well guess we can!
I'm excited to move into my new homestay but I'm a little nervous. Last family I stayed with was so wonderful it's hard not to have high expectations but I'll try not to expect too much (and then hopefully be pleasantly surprised!)
The flights here were interesting. We flew to Doha and then had to catch a short connect for our flight to South Africa. We made it ok but the flight first stopped in Johannesburg and we had to wait for like 6 hours because something was wrong with the plane. So it definitely made an already long flight longer but we were fine and it really wasn't too big of a deal.
I guess that's all for now. I don't know if it's just the internet cafe I'm using right now or if it's the internet in general (dad, I remember your story with the carrier pigeons) but it's being a little funky so I'm sorry if I don't get to respond to emails or messages.
xoxo
Lizzie
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Last Day in India
Well today is my last day here in Delhi, or in India for that matter. I want to make this a short entry not because I don't have much to say (I have SOOO much) but I'm borrowing my friend's computer and I don't want to monopolize the time on the internet.
Ok, so Chandigarh was really nice. Very chill and interesting. We did have this huge case study that we had to do for our Contemporary Urban Issues class that dominated our last few days and was a bit stressful on the group project/presentation front, but we got a lot out of it. My group worked on the sector system as a whole. It was interesting to see if it was really self-sufficient like the designer intended or not. In some cases it was and in others we found people wanted to move outside of their sector. The more we interact with people the more I just find everyone so curious and friendly. We would never be able to collect the information that we needed if it weren't for the help of everyone who is so willing to talk to us. On that note, not everyone is able to communicate with us either because of language problems or whatever.
Returning to Delhi has been incredible. I feel completely different about being here, just calm now and happy. I really enjoy the city and the struggles and the adventures. It's been kind of a rollercoaster of emotions (and physical wellbeing) while I've been here but ultimately it has reached a point where I can really appreciate and be involved with my surroundings. It's just horrible timing that it has to come with our last few days here! It feels like this trip has been such a tease, to go through all of that and to come out feeling this great and then to leave. But I know I will come back. I want to explore more of India, the South and the rural villages and other big cities. There is so so so much to see and to know it's been a nice taste tester but I want more.
We had our farewell dinner on friday night and it was really nice. My host mother and grandfather came and we are meeting them for chai in a couple hours to say our last good bye. We went around the dinner thanking our families in front of the group and I started to tearing up. It's just that they really treated us like daughters and it's been a wonderful experience. I also have been spending the past day or so with my friend Deivid's host family who also has been incredible. It's a perfect way to end India, even though I wish it wouldn't end so soon.
Ok to wrap up. I have some great videos that I will try to load soon on here. South Africa here I come, ready or not! Ha.
Love you all
Lizzie
Ok, so Chandigarh was really nice. Very chill and interesting. We did have this huge case study that we had to do for our Contemporary Urban Issues class that dominated our last few days and was a bit stressful on the group project/presentation front, but we got a lot out of it. My group worked on the sector system as a whole. It was interesting to see if it was really self-sufficient like the designer intended or not. In some cases it was and in others we found people wanted to move outside of their sector. The more we interact with people the more I just find everyone so curious and friendly. We would never be able to collect the information that we needed if it weren't for the help of everyone who is so willing to talk to us. On that note, not everyone is able to communicate with us either because of language problems or whatever.
Returning to Delhi has been incredible. I feel completely different about being here, just calm now and happy. I really enjoy the city and the struggles and the adventures. It's been kind of a rollercoaster of emotions (and physical wellbeing) while I've been here but ultimately it has reached a point where I can really appreciate and be involved with my surroundings. It's just horrible timing that it has to come with our last few days here! It feels like this trip has been such a tease, to go through all of that and to come out feeling this great and then to leave. But I know I will come back. I want to explore more of India, the South and the rural villages and other big cities. There is so so so much to see and to know it's been a nice taste tester but I want more.
We had our farewell dinner on friday night and it was really nice. My host mother and grandfather came and we are meeting them for chai in a couple hours to say our last good bye. We went around the dinner thanking our families in front of the group and I started to tearing up. It's just that they really treated us like daughters and it's been a wonderful experience. I also have been spending the past day or so with my friend Deivid's host family who also has been incredible. It's a perfect way to end India, even though I wish it wouldn't end so soon.
Ok to wrap up. I have some great videos that I will try to load soon on here. South Africa here I come, ready or not! Ha.
Love you all
Lizzie
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Chandi-chandi-chandigarh
Well I am now in Chandigarh, in northern India, in the Punjab region. Chandigarh is interesting because it is a planned city. After the Partition, the capital of Punjab was a part of Pakistan so they had to come together and make a new capital. To do this they employed Le Corbusier to design the city. It's so different from Delhi. Delhi is crowded and, well, crazy. Chandigarh is segregated into different sectors and the thought behind it was to make each sector self-sufficient. It's been interesting because we only had one day of class (we arrived by train from Delhi on Thursday night) and then we've had the weekend so we haven't had too much background info on this city before we have been able to go out and explore. Autos are different here and it's a bit harder to catch one (and figure out where to go). I'll do a mini recap of what I've done so far:
Well our hotel is pretty nice. Air conditioning is key because it is so freaking humid here. On Friday we took a bus tour of different areas, including the parliament and other official designed buildings by Corbusier. The symbol of Chandigarh is the open hand, to represent that it is here to give and receive and that was also Corbusier's idea. Sadly he had constructed an open plaza right near government buildings as a place of open forum and debates but because so many assassinations have taken place (car bombs etc) there is such heightened security everywhere that most people can't get in. We had crazy amounts of documents with all of our information to get cleared to go in and we still couldn't get into to some places. By this time we were all dripping from sweat. We are all trying to get used to it but it's just not natural to sweat this much (even for me!). So the hotel is a nice sanctuary.
After the tour we had lunch outside the architecture college and then went inside for a series of 6 lectures on Chandigarh. It was pretty interesting with a lot of information thrown at us in a short amount of time but we had some good speakers. I'm intrigued to see how our other classes which start tomorrow show us Chandigarh. I think we have some sort of site visit planned soon so I wonder what we will end up seeing.
The past two days have been free. It's been nice to sleep in and have everyone in the same hotel. Our homestays in Delhi were really nice (I love my family and will see them again at the farewell dinner) but it's nice to just lounge around in each other's rooms and find everyone easily. Some people planned a trip to Shimla, a city near the foothills of the Himalayas. I would have loved to see the mountains but it seemed like too short of a visit to go too far away. I think my body needs the rest to get over being sick, so I opted out of it. I haven't had much of a conversation with anyone who has went yet but I hope I don't regret not going. I've convinced myself that I will be back here so I'll come when I can spend more time up near the mountains. There is so much more I want to see that I would regret not being able to spend the small amount of time I have in the place that I am.
Yesterday we went to the rock garden in Chandigarh. It was so cool! I'll have to get some pictures up here soon so I can show you guys the depth of the rock garden. Also our booklet doesn't tell us much about what it is or how it was made so maybe I can get some more information too. Then we went to the lake where we rented a paddle boat and boated around. Everyone was paddling up to us to ask us where we were from and we were definite celebrities, getting our picture taken everywhere. It was nice to just be in a small group (there were 4 of us). I do enjoy the entire group but moving around in a smaller group is much easier and more enjoyable (especially bc they are also the people I feel closest to so far on the trip).
Today's been chill. Very relaxing and classes start tomorrow, which is crazy. This whole trip is moving so quickly, I dunno if you all feel that back at home. I can't believe that we leave here on Thursday and then leave for South Africa in a week. Earlier I was feeling very overwhelmed that India has flown by. I haven't taken as many pictures or bought many things at all!! In the beginning I just wanted to take everything in and now I realize that I didn't have enough time to really do that so I feel this pressure to go and absorb everything quickly. Also my sickness has been a deterrent from feeling my best (after my fever had an infection in my mouth that wasn't good at all). Pictures have been very upsetting because they warned us not to take too many and to be respectful of the people/places we are taking pictures of but I feel like because of that I don't have any pictures of everyday life in Delhi. I'm determined for the few days when we get back to take as many pictures (respectfully of course) as I can. Same goes for buying things, the time to look has passed and now it's grab and go time! Ha.
Ok, I guess that's it for me for now. I'll try to put up pictures soon.
xoxo
Lizzie
Well our hotel is pretty nice. Air conditioning is key because it is so freaking humid here. On Friday we took a bus tour of different areas, including the parliament and other official designed buildings by Corbusier. The symbol of Chandigarh is the open hand, to represent that it is here to give and receive and that was also Corbusier's idea. Sadly he had constructed an open plaza right near government buildings as a place of open forum and debates but because so many assassinations have taken place (car bombs etc) there is such heightened security everywhere that most people can't get in. We had crazy amounts of documents with all of our information to get cleared to go in and we still couldn't get into to some places. By this time we were all dripping from sweat. We are all trying to get used to it but it's just not natural to sweat this much (even for me!). So the hotel is a nice sanctuary.
After the tour we had lunch outside the architecture college and then went inside for a series of 6 lectures on Chandigarh. It was pretty interesting with a lot of information thrown at us in a short amount of time but we had some good speakers. I'm intrigued to see how our other classes which start tomorrow show us Chandigarh. I think we have some sort of site visit planned soon so I wonder what we will end up seeing.
The past two days have been free. It's been nice to sleep in and have everyone in the same hotel. Our homestays in Delhi were really nice (I love my family and will see them again at the farewell dinner) but it's nice to just lounge around in each other's rooms and find everyone easily. Some people planned a trip to Shimla, a city near the foothills of the Himalayas. I would have loved to see the mountains but it seemed like too short of a visit to go too far away. I think my body needs the rest to get over being sick, so I opted out of it. I haven't had much of a conversation with anyone who has went yet but I hope I don't regret not going. I've convinced myself that I will be back here so I'll come when I can spend more time up near the mountains. There is so much more I want to see that I would regret not being able to spend the small amount of time I have in the place that I am.
Yesterday we went to the rock garden in Chandigarh. It was so cool! I'll have to get some pictures up here soon so I can show you guys the depth of the rock garden. Also our booklet doesn't tell us much about what it is or how it was made so maybe I can get some more information too. Then we went to the lake where we rented a paddle boat and boated around. Everyone was paddling up to us to ask us where we were from and we were definite celebrities, getting our picture taken everywhere. It was nice to just be in a small group (there were 4 of us). I do enjoy the entire group but moving around in a smaller group is much easier and more enjoyable (especially bc they are also the people I feel closest to so far on the trip).
Today's been chill. Very relaxing and classes start tomorrow, which is crazy. This whole trip is moving so quickly, I dunno if you all feel that back at home. I can't believe that we leave here on Thursday and then leave for South Africa in a week. Earlier I was feeling very overwhelmed that India has flown by. I haven't taken as many pictures or bought many things at all!! In the beginning I just wanted to take everything in and now I realize that I didn't have enough time to really do that so I feel this pressure to go and absorb everything quickly. Also my sickness has been a deterrent from feeling my best (after my fever had an infection in my mouth that wasn't good at all). Pictures have been very upsetting because they warned us not to take too many and to be respectful of the people/places we are taking pictures of but I feel like because of that I don't have any pictures of everyday life in Delhi. I'm determined for the few days when we get back to take as many pictures (respectfully of course) as I can. Same goes for buying things, the time to look has passed and now it's grab and go time! Ha.
Ok, I guess that's it for me for now. I'll try to put up pictures soon.
xoxo
Lizzie
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Feelin Hot Hot Hot
Ahh, I do believe I may be the worst blogger ever. Well, I never said I would be good at this but you would think that after two summers under my belt I would have been a bit more on top of things. Anyway, I'll do the best I can for now...
The title refers to both the weather here in India and also the fever that I had until yesterday(ish). I've totally accepted my sweatiness and yet you would be amazed at what fans can really do. Fatima and I were discussing if fans were more efficient here or if we just dont take them for granted. I'm feelin much better now, and although I'm trying to be careful with the food and my stomach, the fever is gone and my body feels much stronger now. Let's hope it stays this way.
India is difficult. I don't like that difficult as a negative connotation but I feel that's the word that sums up what I'm feeling right now. There is so much beauty here and richness, through the people, colors, smells, foods, but it's a really emotionally trying place to be. There is a lot of poverty right in front of my eyes that I have to deal with everyday. So many beggars, women, children, people missing limbs, etc that come up to you and ask for money. The difficult part is that you want to give them money, especially when you do the conversion and think of how little that is to you at home, but unfortunately the money won't be going to them. If you have seen Slumdog Millionaire then you know what I'm talking about. There are these slumlords that hire the poor to beg and then they bring the money back. So if you give them money then really you are supporting this vicious system, although it alleviates some of you guilt. I feel like breaking down about 5 times a day just from the intensity and the sadness that comes from not only witnessing but being a part of this. Especially when you are sitting in an auto rickshaw and some little girl places a flower on your lap so you will buy it and you have to look away...it's heartbreaking.
On a happier note, I love my homestay!! My family is incredible and Fatima and I get along so well (she was a great nurse when I had my fever). My mother (Gita-ma) and father (Anil-pa) treat us like daughters and joke around with us and we feel so included into the family, it's a nice place to come home to. We have two host brothers and two grandparents. Interestingly they came over from Pakistan after the Partition. There have been many great conversations (luckily everyone speaks English). Gita-ma cooks so well and we try to help out when we can. I was going to cook french toast for breakfast but then I got my fever so I didn't make it down for breakfast. I need to explore my neighborhood a bit more but there's so much to learn just from our family.
The group as a whole has been really good. I am still getting to know people but the more people I talk to the more I like them. My good friends from Detroit have transferred over to Delhi and I've been able to talk to others too. Everyone was so sweet when I was sick and asked how I was feeling and checked up on me. We're a good group!
Tonight we just got back from Agra where the Taj Mahal is. Needless to say, it's gorgeous! Of course I wasn't feel too great but I'm happy I went anyway.
I have many more reflections to write about India but I want to see if I can put some pictures up first so for now good bye! I am thinking of you guys all the time...
xoxo
The title refers to both the weather here in India and also the fever that I had until yesterday(ish). I've totally accepted my sweatiness and yet you would be amazed at what fans can really do. Fatima and I were discussing if fans were more efficient here or if we just dont take them for granted. I'm feelin much better now, and although I'm trying to be careful with the food and my stomach, the fever is gone and my body feels much stronger now. Let's hope it stays this way.
India is difficult. I don't like that difficult as a negative connotation but I feel that's the word that sums up what I'm feeling right now. There is so much beauty here and richness, through the people, colors, smells, foods, but it's a really emotionally trying place to be. There is a lot of poverty right in front of my eyes that I have to deal with everyday. So many beggars, women, children, people missing limbs, etc that come up to you and ask for money. The difficult part is that you want to give them money, especially when you do the conversion and think of how little that is to you at home, but unfortunately the money won't be going to them. If you have seen Slumdog Millionaire then you know what I'm talking about. There are these slumlords that hire the poor to beg and then they bring the money back. So if you give them money then really you are supporting this vicious system, although it alleviates some of you guilt. I feel like breaking down about 5 times a day just from the intensity and the sadness that comes from not only witnessing but being a part of this. Especially when you are sitting in an auto rickshaw and some little girl places a flower on your lap so you will buy it and you have to look away...it's heartbreaking.
On a happier note, I love my homestay!! My family is incredible and Fatima and I get along so well (she was a great nurse when I had my fever). My mother (Gita-ma) and father (Anil-pa) treat us like daughters and joke around with us and we feel so included into the family, it's a nice place to come home to. We have two host brothers and two grandparents. Interestingly they came over from Pakistan after the Partition. There have been many great conversations (luckily everyone speaks English). Gita-ma cooks so well and we try to help out when we can. I was going to cook french toast for breakfast but then I got my fever so I didn't make it down for breakfast. I need to explore my neighborhood a bit more but there's so much to learn just from our family.
The group as a whole has been really good. I am still getting to know people but the more people I talk to the more I like them. My good friends from Detroit have transferred over to Delhi and I've been able to talk to others too. Everyone was so sweet when I was sick and asked how I was feeling and checked up on me. We're a good group!
Tonight we just got back from Agra where the Taj Mahal is. Needless to say, it's gorgeous! Of course I wasn't feel too great but I'm happy I went anyway.
I have many more reflections to write about India but I want to see if I can put some pictures up first so for now good bye! I am thinking of you guys all the time...
xoxo
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Beginning of the Good Stuff
So I'm in India. That's right, me. I know a lot of you are probably thinking "about time!" and me too, believe me. Let's do the recap:
Good long flight. Flew to Chicago from Detroit, then got on the plane that was 16 hrs direct to Delhi. The flight really wasn't too bad. Not that I got anything done. I was planning on doing major reading/journaling (both personal and academic) but nothing was accomplished. Got some sleep though, so I'm happy.
Then we landed!! We spent last night and are going to spend tonight in a hostel and tomorrow we are going to our homestays. I'm pretty jetlagged because of waking up at 4:30am (it's 9.5 hrs ahead here) but I'm trying to stay up tonight so I can get back on schedule. Believe me, I'm pooped but today's been good. It was a free day, which we all appreciated. Had breakfast at 7:30 then had the morning to wander. We went to Khan market and got some coffee and looked in the shops. Then went back to meet everyone (including our new country coordinators). We did this beautiful ceremony where we lit candles among flowers to commence our time in India. There our new coordinators explained a bit about the next day or so and also our neighborhood. We'll have our first class tomorrow and also go to our homestays after lunch!
After our meeting and lunch at the hostel we went out again. We got sim cards for our phone which was quite the process (need pictures, copies of our passports, activation papers...) and explored a bit more of our neighborhood. Then I ventured with some people to another market and looked around. I was too tired to even think about buying anything (surprising I know) and we headed back. It was nice to have a free day and also to move around in smaller groups (we already stand out so much that not being in a group of 33 or more is a lot easier). Just had dinner and I swear if I see my bed I'll never get back up so a few of us ran out to find computers.
I'm excited for my homestay. I will be staying with Fatima. I really like her and we've had some great talks (she's Muslim and we've had some good religion discussions as well as the usual conversations). I'm nervous to figure out who we are staying with and the neighborhood we are in. I'm hoping that more of my friends will be in my neighborhood ( we are all in 4 clusters) but of course, I wanna get to know other people in my group.
I know I'm going to spend soo much money here, luckily the exchange rate is pretty good. It's about 47 rupees to the dollar ( I round to 50 in my head). I want to get everything...you all know this is my dream come true, but I'm trying to check things out first before I buy stuff, I mean, it's only the first day.
As for India itself, while I haven't seen much, I know it's amazing. Ha. But really, you can't help but smell the country. Sometimes it's not too pleasant but other times its incredible and spicy even. The food has been delicious but I know the homestay will be even better! It's not so much of a culture shock because it's similar, in a way, to Thailand. Granted, they aren't the same but I feel as if I can recognize a lot between the two. The rickshaws (autos) are, um, thrilling. Ha, definitely gets your blood running. Of course it's hard with the children in the street but it's part of the experience. We are looking into doing a community service project (or several) while we are here and one opportunity might be to work with street kids. Sometimes I have to remind myself we are in India. It's incredible to be here and I'm so excited for the next four weeks. I can't tell you much about Delhi yet, but hopefully more to come. I can tell you that I was very surprise to see so much in English. Maybe I'll find out why soon.
Ok well I really have to go. Thank you to everyone who has been emailing me. I apologize for my lack of communication. Keep it coming! It looks like the internet might be better here (who knew?!) so I'll be able to respond.
XOXOXO Thinking of you all...
Lizzie
Good long flight. Flew to Chicago from Detroit, then got on the plane that was 16 hrs direct to Delhi. The flight really wasn't too bad. Not that I got anything done. I was planning on doing major reading/journaling (both personal and academic) but nothing was accomplished. Got some sleep though, so I'm happy.
Then we landed!! We spent last night and are going to spend tonight in a hostel and tomorrow we are going to our homestays. I'm pretty jetlagged because of waking up at 4:30am (it's 9.5 hrs ahead here) but I'm trying to stay up tonight so I can get back on schedule. Believe me, I'm pooped but today's been good. It was a free day, which we all appreciated. Had breakfast at 7:30 then had the morning to wander. We went to Khan market and got some coffee and looked in the shops. Then went back to meet everyone (including our new country coordinators). We did this beautiful ceremony where we lit candles among flowers to commence our time in India. There our new coordinators explained a bit about the next day or so and also our neighborhood. We'll have our first class tomorrow and also go to our homestays after lunch!
After our meeting and lunch at the hostel we went out again. We got sim cards for our phone which was quite the process (need pictures, copies of our passports, activation papers...) and explored a bit more of our neighborhood. Then I ventured with some people to another market and looked around. I was too tired to even think about buying anything (surprising I know) and we headed back. It was nice to have a free day and also to move around in smaller groups (we already stand out so much that not being in a group of 33 or more is a lot easier). Just had dinner and I swear if I see my bed I'll never get back up so a few of us ran out to find computers.
I'm excited for my homestay. I will be staying with Fatima. I really like her and we've had some great talks (she's Muslim and we've had some good religion discussions as well as the usual conversations). I'm nervous to figure out who we are staying with and the neighborhood we are in. I'm hoping that more of my friends will be in my neighborhood ( we are all in 4 clusters) but of course, I wanna get to know other people in my group.
I know I'm going to spend soo much money here, luckily the exchange rate is pretty good. It's about 47 rupees to the dollar ( I round to 50 in my head). I want to get everything...you all know this is my dream come true, but I'm trying to check things out first before I buy stuff, I mean, it's only the first day.
As for India itself, while I haven't seen much, I know it's amazing. Ha. But really, you can't help but smell the country. Sometimes it's not too pleasant but other times its incredible and spicy even. The food has been delicious but I know the homestay will be even better! It's not so much of a culture shock because it's similar, in a way, to Thailand. Granted, they aren't the same but I feel as if I can recognize a lot between the two. The rickshaws (autos) are, um, thrilling. Ha, definitely gets your blood running. Of course it's hard with the children in the street but it's part of the experience. We are looking into doing a community service project (or several) while we are here and one opportunity might be to work with street kids. Sometimes I have to remind myself we are in India. It's incredible to be here and I'm so excited for the next four weeks. I can't tell you much about Delhi yet, but hopefully more to come. I can tell you that I was very surprise to see so much in English. Maybe I'll find out why soon.
Ok well I really have to go. Thank you to everyone who has been emailing me. I apologize for my lack of communication. Keep it coming! It looks like the internet might be better here (who knew?!) so I'll be able to respond.
XOXOXO Thinking of you all...
Lizzie
Motor City without the Motor
Ok, so actually I'm in India now, but let's just pretend I'm not so I can catch you all up on what Detroit was like first.
Detroit was interesting. Of course I was weary in the beginning, new people, the normal "get to know you games," and the daunting feeling of spending 4 months traveling. But it turned out to be great! I learned a lot about Detroit and met a lot of people who were very optimistic for Detroit's future. It was really good to hear that side of the story, but sometimes I didn't feel like we were getting an acurate view of the situation in D-town (does anyone call it that?). Some quick high/lowlights from my two weeks there so I can move on to my India entry.
-Well obviously, not a lot of internet action. Detroit was barren really. We stayed right down town and it was pretty creepy how no one was there. So many people have moved out into the suburbs but even beyond that, because Detroit is so large that even the neighborhoods that are still vibrant are so far from downtown that the city seems empty.
-We had a many speakers come and talk to us about different issues and sometimes even great panels. Topics include: auto industry (kinda, not as much as I would have liked...), food systems (there aren't any major grocery stores in the city of Detroit, mostly just convience stores and "party" stores), race and class (huge white flight effect and the city is 85% African American) and much much more
-Went to two tigers games!!! One I organized for the group, the other we got in for free!
-Went to Eastern Market, a wonderful farmers/flea market downtown. The second time got fabulous bbq
-The last weekend we were there it was the international jazz fest and I saw great musicians, including Dave Brubeck and Chit Corea. Good times and it was interesting to see people coming into the city
-We didn't get to cover the auto industry, really at all. The one panel was more on transportation systems but I did find out that the coordinator for the Detroit progam owns a...Toyota (gasp!) Don't worry, daughter of Bob, explained to him how he was hurting this city that "he loves so much" by buying a foreign car. After that talk, he was cool...
-The people have been really amazing. Of course in the beginning was I was worried, but the more I get to know people the more I really like them. I get along great with my (former) roommate, Rashida, and there are others too. But it's still the beginning and while I know everyone's name and have definitely had conversations with them, I still have time to bond with more people.
-Hmm, any more highlights? Things definitely happened in Detroit (such as our little late night excursion to Windsor) but I think for the most part it was low-key. We met with some techno guys (cause apparently techno was created in Detroit) and that was cool. Also a night bike tour of the city which was really awesome. Great way to see the city and get around quickly. Everyone we met with was so surprised we didn't have cars and most of the city doesn't think it has a public transportation system, and while it's not great, we did ride the people mover (their elevated very limited rail) and the buses.
Ok, well I would write more on this but I wanna wrap it up so I can do another entry about India.
xoxo
Detroit was interesting. Of course I was weary in the beginning, new people, the normal "get to know you games," and the daunting feeling of spending 4 months traveling. But it turned out to be great! I learned a lot about Detroit and met a lot of people who were very optimistic for Detroit's future. It was really good to hear that side of the story, but sometimes I didn't feel like we were getting an acurate view of the situation in D-town (does anyone call it that?). Some quick high/lowlights from my two weeks there so I can move on to my India entry.
-Well obviously, not a lot of internet action. Detroit was barren really. We stayed right down town and it was pretty creepy how no one was there. So many people have moved out into the suburbs but even beyond that, because Detroit is so large that even the neighborhoods that are still vibrant are so far from downtown that the city seems empty.
-We had a many speakers come and talk to us about different issues and sometimes even great panels. Topics include: auto industry (kinda, not as much as I would have liked...), food systems (there aren't any major grocery stores in the city of Detroit, mostly just convience stores and "party" stores), race and class (huge white flight effect and the city is 85% African American) and much much more
-Went to two tigers games!!! One I organized for the group, the other we got in for free!
-Went to Eastern Market, a wonderful farmers/flea market downtown. The second time got fabulous bbq
-The last weekend we were there it was the international jazz fest and I saw great musicians, including Dave Brubeck and Chit Corea. Good times and it was interesting to see people coming into the city
-We didn't get to cover the auto industry, really at all. The one panel was more on transportation systems but I did find out that the coordinator for the Detroit progam owns a...Toyota (gasp!) Don't worry, daughter of Bob, explained to him how he was hurting this city that "he loves so much" by buying a foreign car. After that talk, he was cool...
-The people have been really amazing. Of course in the beginning was I was worried, but the more I get to know people the more I really like them. I get along great with my (former) roommate, Rashida, and there are others too. But it's still the beginning and while I know everyone's name and have definitely had conversations with them, I still have time to bond with more people.
-Hmm, any more highlights? Things definitely happened in Detroit (such as our little late night excursion to Windsor) but I think for the most part it was low-key. We met with some techno guys (cause apparently techno was created in Detroit) and that was cool. Also a night bike tour of the city which was really awesome. Great way to see the city and get around quickly. Everyone we met with was so surprised we didn't have cars and most of the city doesn't think it has a public transportation system, and while it's not great, we did ride the people mover (their elevated very limited rail) and the buses.
Ok, well I would write more on this but I wanna wrap it up so I can do another entry about India.
xoxo
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Well the time has come...
Hello! Tomorrow is the beginning of my adventure. I am going to meet the group at 1pm in Detroit (only an hour away from home). Eeek! It is all very exciting but, of course, nerve-wracking. Although I feel prepared (I am packed and have my assignments completed) I will probably unpack and go through my stuff one more time just to double check and also get rid of anything I don't need. I'm worried that I have too much stuff although I tried hard to keep it to the essentials since they stressed to pack lightly. Luckily my parents reminded me that I do live only an hour away and if I do need to shed some extra weight, they can come pick it up or something.
So yeah, I'll be in Detroit for two weeks. It's the orientation time, so we'll see what that entails. Meeting new people is part of the reason I really wanted to do this program but I definitely get anxious thinking about it! Besides that I don't really know what we are doing in Detroit to get it started but here's hoping it's good!! I'll keep you posted when I can. As for now, it's time for my last dinner at home with the parents!
xoxo
Lizzie
So yeah, I'll be in Detroit for two weeks. It's the orientation time, so we'll see what that entails. Meeting new people is part of the reason I really wanted to do this program but I definitely get anxious thinking about it! Besides that I don't really know what we are doing in Detroit to get it started but here's hoping it's good!! I'll keep you posted when I can. As for now, it's time for my last dinner at home with the parents!
xoxo
Lizzie
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