So I made it to India. The ride to t...

I made it to India!

After 20+ hours of flight, I finally got to stretch my legs on the subcontinent.  I stayed my first night on a farm in Bangalore.  It's about 11 acres, I'm told, and only 10 years ago it was on the very outskirts of town.  Now a suburb has grown up rapidly around it (not exactly what you'd think of as a suburb in the States).  It's amazing how fast the city is changing.  More thoughts on that later. The ride to the Rainforest Retreat was unreal.  In Bangalore on the way out, transvestite beggars called Hijdas came up to the car window, clapped and said, “Give me your money,” while staring directly into my eyes.  It was unnerving.  I later had someone explain to me the story behind these people and why they beg so directly.  Apparently they used to be valued members of society, because in the Hindu religion, many of the gods are androgynous so they would come to sing and entertain at births, weddings, etc.  Now that many of the old ways have been discarded, this tradition has been tossed aside and the Hijda population has been alienated.  Because they are not getting the respect they were once given, they ask for money very directly, in order to assert themselves to receive a bit of respect.  There are many things I've experienced which I don't understand.  At first they are frightening and I feel out of sorts, but once I get some background, I gain a whole new understanding and appreciation for them.

The drive was a cultural experience in itself.  Driving is more instinct than skill.  Horns are honked to alert other drivers to the car’s presence as it passes its neighbor with less than a foot of clearance.  I got used to it quickly, and trusted Anurag to get us all there in one piece.  We saw three or four accidents on our way.  All along the highway between Bangalore and Madikeri, people are walking, transporting giant bags of silkworm cocoons on bicycles, playing with children, or just sitting outside on their stoops.  Each city seems to be “known” for something.  We passed the “Silk City” and a town known for their wooden toys and another town known for its sugar cane.  The town of Bylacuppe is home to a large enclave of displaced Tibetans.  As we neared it we saw monks riding motorbikes and walking along the street.  As we climbed into the hills, the condition of the road worsened.  Anurag said there were plans to improve it but they had been held up.  He said the two biggest problems facing this country are overpopulation and corruption, both of which lead to other problems, including poor road quality.  Past Mysore we saw more and more plantations along the side of the road.

 

There’s so much to do and explore.  I’ve been touring and exploring all day and I’ve barely seen anything.  Every inch of the place is green.  This morning I followed Mootoo (spelling?) to take the cows out to pasture.  From my room all I can see is dense forest, but from the trail to the pasture I could see the rolling hills.  I feel so humbled by all the life here.  Some of it is so beautiful and bold, and some of it is almost invisible.  There is a cricket that sings in the evening and it sounds like a giant bird, it’s so loud and strange.  There are fireflies here.  I only saw a few last night, but apparently in April they are everywhere and they light up fields at night.  Sounds incredible.  Today we had lunch with a group of snake surveyors from the UK.  Matthew was in heaven talking to them.  He’s a self-taught naturalist.  It’s so interesting how everyone speaks a different kind of English.  Even Matt and Erin, who are from Philadelphia, speak a little differently.  Today I had a conversation about language with my roommate, Chitra.  She is a fascinating person.  She told me all about the Tamil language.  Apparently there are different dialects for each caste!  She said she had to learn two kinds of Tamil in school and if she spoke the wrong one at home she would be scolded.  She doesn’t believe in the caste system, however, so she prefers to speak only English and Hindi.  She also said in lots of areas in Southern India people protest their children learning English in school both because it was forced on their ancestors by the British and because it is so informal, it makes it harder to learn their mother tongue.  I am learning so much from her.

We are so isolated.  It’s a 20 minute drive into Madikeri, which is the nearest town.  And I feel so isolated, culturally.  People really do stare at you (in a good way).  I can barely communicate with anyone outside of this place.  Their English is rudimentary and they speak a mix of about 3 different languages at once.  It will be a real trip to go into town this Friday (market day) to buy some clothes.  I can’t wait to get my clothes!  Chitra has some beautiful kameezes (long tunics) that are very plain but still gorgeous.  The most beautiful thing about India is the women!  Their clothes are unspeakably beautiful.  I’ll take some pictures in town and put them up  ASAP.

I look forward to beginning my work at the farm.  Getting into a routine will be most welcome!  I'll update with pictures in the following week or so!

Lauren 9/14/09