In search of Saraswati…

The photos above are from last weekend’s trip to Hampi, which I’ve also uploaded to www.flickr.com/libbyswan.

PLUS, if someone in the US would be willing to buy some Lipton “Iced Tea to Go” packets, and send them to me, I’d love it! These are what I’m looking for: http://www.liptont.com/our_products/iced_tea_to_go/ttg_iced_pink_lemonade.asp. Email me at libby at libbyswan dot com if you’re up for the challenge ;-).

People who have been to India often say that the experience is an “attack on the senses”. I now understand why, and it’s for that reason that I’m really starting to love my time here. Funnily enough, I didn’t consciously realize this until yesterday. It hit me as I was walking to collect Nerrel for work, and I heard the “soap-boy” guy calling out what sounds like “soap-boy” (but really is “sapoo”, which means green leafy vegetables) from somewhere close by. I usually hear him as he cycles past the guest home in which I’m staying, early in the morning, along with the call of the “I know” bird. I call it the “I know” bird because it sounds like it’s calling out “I know”. I was told by the husband of my host, that it’s actually a minor bird. Either way, both sounds are pleasant alternatives to the rude-awakening of a traditional alarm.

On my way to collect Nerrel every morning (except Saturday or Sunday), I will often walk by: various species of cows, some of which feed directly off low-hanging tree leaves; several stray dogs, often sifting through small piles of rubbish on the roadside; a few workmen and workwomen, prepared to haul and heave for the day on local construction sites (very impressive to watch); and a few other people, who look set for various other daily activities, especially IT-related, given the www.website-name-here.com t-shirts many adorn.

I also frequently get a whiff of a manure-slash-urine concoction (albeit, not as frequently as I did in Hampi), some rotting fruits, and the sweet smell of a jasmine hair train.

The taste of Shirley’s sweet, milk, tea, usually lingers in my mouth and I start to think about the evening meal Shirley will be preparing for us that day. Shirley is the owner/manager of the guest house that I’m staying in with some of the other volunteers. She is an absolutely fabulous cook, so much so, that I’ve only eaten out approx. 3 times during the week since I’ve been here. I really have no idea of what I’m eating half the time, but it’s always so, so, SO, good.

Every walk I take here I’m entertained by something that appeals to, or shocks, my senses: the fabulous, ornate, chalk + something-else-that-produces-red-marks, designs that many home-owners draw on the roadside in front of their front door/gate; or, as I saw yesterday, an open-air funeral down a side road that seemingly lasted most of the day (it was there when I went to school in the morning, and when I returned in the afternoon).

Yesterday, I also had the pleasure of purchasing and eating a freshly steamed corn cob from a push-cart going by. It was sprayed with lime juice, rubbed in chili-salt, then handed to me in a corn-husk.

I could go on and on about all the “little things” that call my senses into action here on a daily basis. They all continue to enthrall and draw me into the local way of life; just as I had hoped ;-).

Had a great first week.

Tuesday to Friday, Nerrel (another Aussie volunteer) and I played with and entertained the kids at Concerns Universe Foundation’s (CUF’s) community pre-school in the Coxtown-Jevanahalli district of Bangalore. The pre-school was set-up to look after the young children (aged two to five) of women in the community who are working as house maids or in other similar vocations.

We weren’t doing it alone; there were/are two other young Indian women who work in the pre-school. Usha (sp?) and Lolitha (sp?). They’ve both taught me a lot in terms of strategies and actions to use to quieten/calm-down crying kids who won’t stop asking for Mummy.

Nerrel and I utilized some strategies of our own also: coloring-in books and colored pencils, Pez dispensers and candy, stickers (stars), bubble-blowers, and books. We tried to introduce the kids to something new everyday. On Friday we purchased some noise making instruments, including two drums, to introduce to them this week. One of the little boys, Daniel, “air-drums” to every song that gets played, so we figured we’d get him something to bang ;-).

Had a great weekend also. The other five volunteers (who arrived into Bangalore at the same time I did) and I, took an approx. 8 hours bus trip to Hampi, a World Heritage site renowned for it’s Hindu temples and ruins. I think Hampi can only best be described in pictures, so I’ll try and post some soon.

Just one of the many highlights from the weekend included getting caught in monsoon-like rain, while driving scooters. We looked like drowned-rats by the time we got back into the main part of town, which was absolutely deserted as everyone had retreated indoors.

Today, I taught my first class. It was very fun/satisfying. (This is teaching the young women at CUF’s community college. I went there after spending a short amount of time with the kids at the community pre-school this morning.)

At the end of my class, I gave the girls some homework – poor things. They’re to think about a female/woman that inspires them/they admire. They’ll have to report out tomorrow in groups.

My goal while I’m here is to get them comfortable with speaking basic English and to ensure they stay motivated to continue with their community college classes (10 months in duration) and the desire to keep educating themselves.

P.S. I forgot to mention another highlight from Hampi – enjoying a live poetry-slam performance by fellow volunteer, Bobby Williams (aka Double B), on the top of a rocky-outcrop at sunrise. Check him out: http://www.myspace.com/doubleb. We filmed his performance and hope to get it onto YouTube soon. These Internet Cafes however, make the upload process painful…

(Written Tuesday, June 17th)

My fourth day in Bangaluru – aka Bangalore. First impressions? Tough to summarize. Having visited Vietnam last year, I think I was better prepared for the chaos that develops when you have small-town roads/urban-planning supporting not-so-small-town populations. Approximately 8 million people now live in Bangalore.

Most locals acknowledge that Bangalore’s reputation as a garden city has been tarnished thanks to the on-going commercial and residential development largely in relation to the establishment of Bangalore as the “Silicon Valley” of India. I have, however, been impressed by the flora that I have seen. It’s very similar to what you’d see in my parent’s home-state, Queensland, Australia.

A lot has happened between when I arrived and today, so I’ll share with you one story for now…

On the flight from London I met Asha, who invited me to her cousin’s wedding celebrations. I could only make Sunday’s celebrations, which focused on the groom.

OK, I met a girl on a flight who invited me to the wedding of her cousin. How did that happen?!? Long story short, when I boarded the BA flight from London to Bangalore, I went to sit in my assigned seat (29H). The lady I was about to sit down next to (Pushba) asked if I would mind swapping seats with her cousin (Asha) whom she just met in the airport for the first time. I agreed, and went and told Asha that she had a new seat next to her cousin, Pushba.

I then settled into my new seat (Asha’s old seat) and met my new neighbors. Soon after a BA steward came down and told me that the two ladies I did the swap with (Asha and Pushba), had a spare seat next to them, and wanted to know if I wanted it. I jumped, for I knew the seat had far more extra legroom than the one I was in.

So that’s how I came to know, Asha, and her cousin, Pushba. We chatted and discovered we had similar interests, especially when Asha pulled out the Ray Kurzweil book, “The Singularity is Near”.

The wedding celebrations that I went to on Sunday were great. The entire experience was greatly enhanced thanks to the amazingly generous, warm, large and close knit family that Asha belonged to. One of Asha’s cousins asked me how I’d summarize the day. My immediate answer was “warm”. There was warmth being shared and on display everywhere.

The day was full of amazing new experiences. Too numerous to go into detail. Some of the highlights included: the various meals, drinks, and sweets that I did my best to consume throughout the day; learning more about the story of Rama and Sita, as well as the wedding celebrations/traditions that were taking place in front of me; learning about Asha’s family and interacting with them all, including her well-traveled, well-educated, philanthropic-orientated, wise Aunt, Lilly, aged somewhere in her 80s; napping at Asha’s home; being dressed in Asha’s sari for the evening’s celebrations.

In two days (Thursday), I leave for Bangalore (officially, Bengalaru), India. I’ll be using this blog to update family and friends (and whomever else) on my travels through India over the next 2.5 months.

In case you were wondering, who, or what is, Saraswati?

To quote from http://www.koausa.org/Gods/God10.html:

“Saraswati is the Goddess of leaming, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means “essence” and swa means “self.” Thus Saraswati means “the essence of the self.” Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists.

Two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as Her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.”

As a female Swan, who loves learning, and is visiting India in the hope to learn more about life and share my love for education and learning with others, I was quite captured by the Goddess, Saraswati. (Oh, and for those of you that know me well, you know how much I love milk. Esp. a non-fat, tall, “steamer” (yes, that’s what it’s called), with extra foam.)