sooo i just found out that the sas postcards aren't really working which is really bad because i just sent one to basically everyone. so just so everyone knows, if you've emailed me...i've written back you just may not have gotten it and i don't have time or internet minutes to resend them through my email account.

artificial civilization

India, how have we forgotten you? Once upon a time there was an industrial revolution and we were consumed by bits and pieces. We were blinded by pollution. Our mothers and fathers, they lost their way among the skyscrapers. They couldn’t see past the glistening gleam of the lights but they never meant to lose their direction. No, that route was a governmental creation. Each mile marked by a commercial enterprise, each turn carved by a little green paper known for its endless elation. They never understood the path they were taking or the lives they were breaking. You have our coca cola and our blue jeans too. Yet when it comes to your children and your women and other recluses, we drown our guilt in labels and excuses. Oh India, I hope we can remember you while we still have the chance. Years of oppression continue and I can feel all of that hate.

India, what about equality? There are only so many lives that can be pulled from a violent ocean. Your women must be free from their gold shackles and released from their jeweled prisons. Even the richest of the rich are as poor as the poorest because they are not permitted inside or out to explore. Bound by a 2,000 year old tradition, their minds and their bodies are limited to exclusion. Morphing and molding and melding and welding- change is the only way to end this undue intrusion. All of these possibilities for societal advancement are forced to float lifeless in limbo- a place that exists somewhere between the earth and sky and was created by an unknown mind and an unseen eye. Oh India, please help us save your women and perpetuate the futures of your children. You can still revise your present to secure your fate.

India, do you know how much you have taught me? If I could hold your pain in the palm of my hand, I would fall into the ground and forever remain under the land. I know now that what I believe is real and what is real is the truth. There was a time when I existed in a world of deception, where I was taught to think that happiness is a right and for everyone life is about perfection. Then I went on a journey with you as my destination. I arrived and soon understood that poverty doesn’t promote delight and starvation ends in a certain and brutal fight. Oh India, you opened my mind and slipped a simple reminder inside. You told me never to forget what I saw and to spread the truth before it’s too late.

the first picture is of one of the first beggars that i saw when i got to india. the look in his eyes was so painful and sad. when i have him a dollar, he looked like he was about to cry. the next is a typical street in the marketplace...capturing the roads with cars is basically impossible because they're really crowded and dangerous. the last is of me leaving the village carrying all of my stuff. it was then that i realized how much i really have in the literal and figurative sense.

an idyllic india

The five days I spent in India encapsulated perhaps the most profound moments of my life. For three days, I lived in a rural village called Dakshina Chitra. The village is a non-profit community service project aimed at promoting and preserving the cultures of the diverse people of India. It was there that I took part in a three day art of living course. The art of living is a world-wide organization that can’t really be described in words. For three days, 25 of us meditated and talked and learned more about each other and ourselves than any of us ever imagined possible. On the first day, we traveled by bus to the village. We stopped at three different ancient temples along the way where we were swarmed by beggars and people trying to sell us small statues and paintings of gods. Some of us gave our food away to the starving children and others bought things we didn’t want so that a family could eat that night. Mostly I just tried to avoid the rabid dogs and random stray goats and cows that roam freely all over India. When we arrived at the village, we had a two hour introduction to mediation and the art of living. Then the women made us a big feast which we ate with our hands off of banana leaves. After dinner, an actress came and told us a story about what life was once like for women there and how some of the ills they suffered are still applicable today. At this point, we were all extremely exhausted so we headed to our rooms. After three hours of staring at the ceiling fan and praying that it would cool the room down even a little bit, I fell asleep. Even though we were some of the lucky few who had netting on the windows, sleep was short lived because at 5am the electricity went off (which means that the fan stopped spinning) and so I sat and listened to a rooster and various other farm animals until 7am when it was time to head back to the yoga pavilion. After two hours of yoga and meditation, we ate breakfast and took a break. Then it was time for sudarshan kriya- a breathing and meditation exercise that is supposed to be a purifying action to get the right view of the self. This one yogi who came to visit with us said [your life is there, you just have to clear the dust off of it] and that’s exactly what I did. It was a really crazy experience that again I can’t explain but basically all of us agreed that we felt like new people by the end. It not only gives you time to just be with yourself, it clears your mind and drastically reduces stress and anxiety. Later that night, we broke up into groups and told one another our life stories. It was so insane to hear such personal and intimate details about the lives of people you see every single day on the ship but have never talked to before. It made me realize how important compassion is because every person has their own story. It was also really shocking to learn how wrong my first impressions and judgments about people were. It’s so important to give everyone a chance, like I’ve said before: we are all just people trying to survive together on this planet. The whole thing really made our group bond a lot and we all hung out that night like we had known each other for years. It was really amazing. The next morning, we got up at 6:30am for some more yoga and meditation and sudarshan kriya later in the day. After lunch, an Indian family came and played us music and we all danced around and sang along. We did another bonding activity that night that I don’t want to try and recount because it wouldn’t do it justice and then we had dinner. By the time dinner was over, we couldn’t believe that it was time to go. We all hugged Ron (who ran the whole thing) and packed up our stuff. We thanked all of the people who worked so hard to make our stay as comfortable as possible, especially the women. I was so sad to leave my little room behind- ants, spiders, lizards and all. We all piled onto the bus and took a moment to appreciate how bad we smelled (three days with no shower in India is like 10 days anywhere else) and how close we all felt. For more about the art of living go to www.artofliving.org. There is a center in NYC on 52^nd and I really think anyone who can should go and check it out.

In sum, these are the philosophies that I walked away with and have already been trying to apply to my life:

*accept people and situations for who and what they are

*don’t look for intentions behind other peoples’ mistakes

*the more you resist something, the more it will persist

*unrealistic expectations reduce joy in our lives

*we all put people above and below us based on assumptions about who they are (don’t do this)

*you are not taking responsibility for yourself when you are complaining

*we want attention from others but we rarely give it to ourselves

*laugh often (this is something I also learned from Desmond Tutu)

*BE HERE NOW

be here now
no other place to be
this whole world keeps changing
come change with me
everything that’s happened
all that’s yet to come
is here inside this moment
it’s the only one

(these song lyrics really describe the way I felt when I was in India and I’m posting them because I’m not yet ready to write creatively about the experience myself)

What be here now means for me is that I can’t live in the past or the future, I have to live in the moment. I need to learn how to not perpetuate my present by telling myself that once this/that happens then I will be happy. There’s no guarantee that I’ll wake up tomorrow so I HAVE to find happiness in each day and every moment of living. I have to help myself because if I don’t, no one else can or will. I need to do what I need to do to find fulfillment in my daily life because that’s the only way I can be happy today and tomorrow and every single day after that.

Most importantly, I learned something about responsibility in the sense that responsibility=power. When we blame others for our circumstances, we become weaker. We also tend to take responsibility for the people who belong to us (family and friends). We need to widen this sense of belonging in a global sense so that we can all start taking responsibility for the whole world. If each person felt responsible for the planet and the existence of each person on it, we would be living in a very different world. So in the spirit of responsibility, I ended up spending the rest of my cash in India for several reasons. I felt so compelled to give money to every single poor person I saw but I knew that this was not a very good idea. Instead, I bought things from small family owned stores and huts in the markets because I figured that gifts I give to everyone at home should be more like an exchange of wealth. Yes, now I have beautiful things to give to all of my friends and family but at the same time, a lot of people are going to be able to eat because of it. I’m all set with trips in Malaysia, our next port of call, and I don’t think I will need to spend any money there so I guess I won’t worry too much about my lack of assets until Vietnam. If I have to go without so that a few people can eat, then I’m okay with that.

On the fourth day, Katie and I explored Chennai. We found a taxi driver to take us around to the different markets and show us the sights. When we got back to the ship, I decided to go out to dinner with some of the kids from the art of living because I already missed them. After dinner, we went to a bar/restaurant called Zara. There were tons of other SAS kids there which would usually bother me but I actually had a really great time talking to everyone. We all decided to head over to this club in a hotel (there are basically no bars in Chennai and everything closes at 11pm except for the hotels) where there was a DJ spinning. We had a really fun night and then 8 of us jumped into one taxi to go home because a lot of people were staying out and it was already 2am. That night my friend Anthony and I ended up talking for a while about our experience at the village (he was there) and about this boy he likes (who had been out with us and he was wearing a skirt which we thought was awesome because he was really embracing the culture- yes, some of the men in India wear skirts and they’re really cool). Anthony is a really amazing person and friend and I’m so glad that we got to spend time together in port because usually everyone is doing different things and it’s hard to coordinate stuff. He’s also from Staten Island believe it or not. The next day we woke up and went to the Indian version of a mall. We bought the rest of our gifts (including some chili powder for those of you who expressed an interest) and then went to go see an Indian movie. Let me just say that going to a movie theater in a foreign country is a very absurd experience. Apparently you’re not allowed to take pictures in or around theaters in India and I had to apologize and beg this woman not to take my camera away. Then, we sat through a three hour movie- none of which we could understand. There’s also intermission during movies in India so we found someone who spoke English to explain what was going on to us. After that, we really enjoyed the rest of it.

On top of everything else, I learned so much about what life is like for women in India. It was mind blowing to drive through the streets after the sun went down and see virtually no women…anywhere. Packs of men spilled out onto the sidewalks from stores and restaurants, but no women. It’s a country run by men in a cultural sense. Even though women have made strides and have gained more freedoms and rights, there is a deep sense of tradition instilled in the way of life in India. This 2,000 old culture has so many unspoken fundamentals that I don’t think will ever change. Poverty also perpetuates this problem in addition to environmental degradation (the pollution is out of control, black filth comes off of your skin when you wash your face). Most people drive motorcycles that look more like mopeds and a few drive small cars. I would say that maybe 20% of these are operated by women, even though the number could be less. When a woman and man are on a bike together, the woman sits on the back sideways, never with one leg on each side. These little things really stood out to me. Especially the fact that the beggars were never just women- they were women with their children. I didn’t see one man begging with a child. The gender roles in India are so clearly defined. This is not to say that there aren’t exceptions, of course there are exceptions. But I think that what got me was the fact that this was the least westernized country that we have visited so far. I felt very aware of the fact that I stood out both in terms of what I was wearing and what I looked like. There’s so much more that I want to write but I can’t because most of it can’t be recalled. Instead, certain moments will remain buried in my mind- there only for me to remember. I can say though that I can’t wait to go back to India.

Oh and I got to drive a rickshaw. Look it up.

the picture on the top left is on the way to the waterfalls. i had to add another parasailing picture for dramatic affect and the last is of me being just being happy.

images

the first picture illustrates my excitement when we found a beautiful place in mauritius. the second picture is of a typical road there and the last if of emily and i parasailing.

mauritius

HIII!! Sorry I’ve been so out of touch. The internet satellite has been malfunctioning and I JUST was able to check my email for the first time since before Port Louis. Here’s a Mauritius update. Dad- I miss you. I’ll try and write you more. I hope you weren’t worried or anything. Mom- thanks for always writing, I look forward to checking my mail because I know I’ll have something from you. ALSO, a note to everyone- please please please do not send me postcards. While it’s free for me to send them to you it takes longer for me to open them if I receive them which takes up internet minutes. Send regular emails. Also, Jo- I can’t believe you haven’t been updating me, do I really have to hear everything from mom?? Pearl- how’s my little Zeb? I have a picture of you guys up on my wall and I miss you every single day. I can’t wait to hold him when I get home. Nicole- what kind of painting do you want? I can’t believe while I’m backpacking Vietnam I have to carry around a giant canvas. Lucky for you I love you a lot so I’ll do my best. Nance and Papa- I miss you both a lot. In fact I talk about you to my friends a lot, they all want some of those cookies. I also got you some really cool stuff in South Africa. Another thing, if anyone has any specific requests for spices and/or other cooking materials from India let me know soon. FRIENDS- I love you all. I will try and write some emails. Here’s what I have until after India:

The first day in Mauritius was really overwhelming. The ship ended up docking a few hours late so my service visit got cancelled. Katie and I decided to just explore Port Louis and it wasn’t a very enriching experience. The streets reminded me of a tangled web of Canal Streets all mashed together. Only these streets were narrower and dirtier than NYC and there was absolutely nothing of interest to buy or see. I went back to the waterfront a little confused and really wondering where the beautiful Mauritius everyone was talking about could be found. The next day Emily and I were determined to make the most out of our last two days. We found a taxi driver who offered to take us an hour away to a beach and show us the sights along the way. Beth, Tristan, Emily, Sashia and I all piled into the taxi. All we had to do was pay him at the end of the day and he would be our guide and driver. He drove us through some of the most breathtaking landscapes that I have ever seen. One minute we were staring up at an enormous mountain and the next we were parked at the top of a hill overlooking thousands of square miles of sugar cane fields. After a little over an hour, we stopped at a beach where we negotiated a speed boat ride over to an island which was supposed to be one of the most beautiful in all of Mauritius. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a pristine white beach and crystal clear water that was the most striking shade of turquoise.
We immediately ran onto the beach and stood looking out at the water in awe of where we were. It was really shallow so you could walk out really far and still be standing. Since the island was also home to a private resort, there were so many different things you could do. I decided it was time to get over my fear of heights so Emily and I went parasailing. They took us out on this boat to what seemed like the middle of the ocean where there was a floating wood dock. They put the harnesses on us and Emily and I decided to go tandem. I was a tiny bit scared when we took off but the second we were in the air and floating through the sky over the ocean the only feeling I could feel was happiness. It was so peaceful as we flew through the sky- we could see the whole island and the ocean looked so amazing. They dipped us down in the water before taking us back up. Once it was over and we landed I immediately jumped off the dock into the warm tropical water and everyone else followed. I felt like a little kid. People from Mauritius, France and the US were all swimming together, playing games and having fun. We eventually went back to the beach and went right back out on a boat to go tubing. Three of us were on this big tube and the driver really gave us a run for our money. We were laughing so hard we could barely breathe as the boat whipped our tube around crazy turns and pulled us through strong wakes. After that, we went on a tour of the waterfalls. By the time we were all done with our water adventures we were exhausted. We ate lunch in a cabana on the beach. It was suddenly 5pm so we had to head back to shore to meet our taxi driver. It randomly started down pouring so we jumped into one of the boats and made it back in time. The drive home felt like a scene from a movie. We were all crammed into this taxi, sitting all over each other. We were dirty and sandy and the windows were all down, letting the clean warm air pour in. I looked out the window and marveled over how different life is everywhere you go and how amazing living is no matter where you are.
I find myself starting to appreciate what I have more and more. But by what I have I mean everything about my life. I love my family and my house and my college and my friends and my car- I really miss my car. As painful as it will be to see this voyage end, it will be exciting to get back to everything that I love. The thing about semester at sea is that you’re given the chance to appreciate diversity. You see it all firsthand and realize that just because people live differently in different places- it doesn’t mean that one way is better than the other. The United States certainly does have it flaws but it also offers us protection and financial security. It’s the same with your friends. Sure, my friends here are really worldly and smart and understand a lot about life. But so do my friends at home. I find myself thinking about them all the time. Not because I wish I wasn’t here but because I can’t believe how lucky I am to have them. The same goes for my family. The girl next door to me lost her dad when he committed suicide five years ago. It’s funny how you think that your family is strange but then you realize there’s always someone in a worse position than you. Basically what I am saying is that I love life and that I’m LUCKY to have the life that I do. And at not point in Mauritius was this clearer to me than on the last day.

Our last day involved a catamaran, lots of phoenix and a little bit of snorkeling. We had to get up at 8am to make it to the bus on time. Then we drove 45 minutes to get to the catamarans. They split us up onto a bunch of different boats. Most of the boats were really packed but we got lucky and had only about 15 people on ours. We sailed around the ocean for a while and enjoyed the sun and salt. We all hung around the boat, listening to Bob Marley and drinking phoenix (the Mauritian beer) until we got to the snorkeling spot. Mauritius is known for its pristine coral reefs and I was so excited to see them. I was really outraged when I discovered that our boat was anchored to a reef. The first thing they taught us in global studies was that you should never touch the reefs but more importantly, they should NEVER be used at anchors. I know it seems unimportant but reefs are what protect shorelines from waves (let’s recall the tsunamis for a moment). The reefs are diminished and as a result, the beaches and the other forms of life that depend on them are as well. Anyway, I got over it and swam around and saw some really cool fish. The bottom was only about 10 feet down so we all dove down to get really close. The ocean bottom really is astounding. We had a bbq on the boat and then after a few more hours went back to the beach. By the time we got back to the waterfront it was almost time for the ship to leave. When we left, I was sad to see the beach go but thrilled to know that India was right ahead of us. Now it’s only 3 more days until we arrive in Chennai. I absolutely cannot wait.