Old Delhi — A Poem

Keep your arms and legs inside the cart at all times
Don’t make eye contact, don’t lose your passport
If someone bumps into you, check your pockets

Isolated inside the crowded shell of the Capital city
The dirty, exotic, rough,
And exhilarating streets of Old Delhi
Twist and snake tightly
Through shops and food stands
The alleys growing progressively smaller with every turn

The conflicting smells of different street goods
Waft eagerly through my nose
Already exhausted by the nasal overload
Of new experiences

I turn left, then right
Then come to stop at the Brass market
The looming figures of metal deities
Fill my optical frame
Forcing me to step back and take a breath
Trying to take in the magnitude of the spiritual giants

I see a miniature statue of Hanuman
400 rupees, barks the store owner
About 10 dollars
200, I report back, eyes fixed, stare steady
In this manor we haggle for a bit
I keep by eyes intense and focused
I get the Hanuman for 200

The sounds and smells of Old Delhi meet me
Like a wave as I step into the street
Playing dodge ball with the passing carts and cycles
Frantically avoiding the blurs of people
Packed into the alleyways

The crowded streets are alive
I feel the pulse beat heavily
Just below the pavement

As I emerge from the winding labyrinth
Passport still in possession
Wits still about me
I look back at the writhing mass of people
Growing smaller and smaller
I feel the pulse of Old Delhi
Fade from its crescendo
And with a long smooth exhale
I feel my our heart beat

Slow and return to normal
-John-Nuri Vissell

My Experience of India

I am Mercy Bisi Olatunji. Traveling to India has been a first time experience. This is the first time I am traveling out of Jos and out of Nigeria.

We have left our home in Jos, Nigeria on Tuesday 20th March 2007 and traveled by bus for almost 13 hours to Lagos. It was indeed a very hectic journey, but also one full of excitement. We spent the night at the ECWA Guest House in Lagos. The following morning we drove to the Murtala Mohamed International Airport in Ilceja, Lagos.

This was my first experience flying in a plane. I was so afraid of flying, having heard so much about plane crashes or air mishaps back home in Nigeria. As the plane increased acceleration and gathered further momentum my fear suddenly turned to joy and excitement as I watched through the window and beheld the great clouds. This actually brought me closer to myself and to my God. I also listened to the rich variety of Ethiopian music in the plane watched different videos.

We arrived Delhi International Airport in the morning of Thursday, from where we were taken straight to the YWCA Family Hostel at Ashoka road, New Delhi, India. We enjoyed a lot of Indian food and music as we awaited the arrival of the American students. The American students arrived on Friday afternoon. We had lunch together at the YWCA and then visited the American Embassy for an audience with Ambassador Mulford, the US Ambassador to India. He was such a frank, nice, sincere and attractive personality in the company of his very beautiful wife. He listened to and responded to a number of questions from us. I was also privileged to ask him a question on what makes him feel happy.

From the US Embassy we were all hosted by a very wonderful and nice Indian friend called Arif. He gave us a lot of food, drinks, and gifts. I met a lot of people of Arif’s house and I also took photographs with two of his beautiful daughters. I cherished this experience and will recall this for a very long time.

Today will be traveling by train to Dharamsala where we shall have an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

-Mercy Bisi Olatunji

Creative Capital

We’re leaving the U.S. embassy after a very interesting interview. Ambassador Mulford did his homework and was prepared for us. He was quick to make it clear if he disagreed with anything we said, which was good because it kept us on our feet.

Some of his ideas I found very interesting. One that rang true for me in particular was that creativity is a kind of energy that can be expended and recharged. Ambassador Mulford called it ‘capital’ and suggested that it is an essential quality for all public servants. As such, public servants should spend time out of office to recharge their creative capital; otherwise their ability to problem solve becomes limited and falls into a state of stagnation. I did have trouble with his ideas about the environment, as he spoke about challenges involving India’s reliance on coal, but I don’t believe the answers to our global energy crisis lie in non-renewable fuels. In the past, I might have let something like this cloud my overall impression of the ambassador, but I was successful in seeing past this and came out of the interview positive.

Later in the interview, I asked him what advice he had for those of us who were interested in public service. He recommended that we not specialize in political science and not go straight to Washington D.C. to get a permanent job there. This knocked me back a step, as I’d been thinking I might do just that. He advised that those of us who were interested in politics specialize in other areas and work in other fields, so that when the time came we’d have diverse experiences and possess the kind of perspective that is essential to any job in government.

The interview was an overwhelmingly positive experience. Ambassador Mulford was genuine and obviously cares about young people and what we plan to do with our lives after school. Given his vast amount of personal and professional experience, he was willing to talk about just about anything with some authority. I always feel good after meeting with a political leader who has these qualities, as it reaffirms my belief that positive change in the world is possible.

-Daniel Nanas

Arif’s Feast

After our interview with Mulford we were graciously invited to a dinner at Arif’s house. Arif, a friend of Babaji’s, is a very succesful merchant, and he invited us to spend the evening with him in his carpet showroom. It was a truly magical experience to spend a nice meal in the presence of Babaji once again, and to experience Arif’s wonderful hospitality. Arif’s English was excellent, and he made it a warm and celebratory atmosphere with his staff and family taking very good care of us. After the meal he gave all the students gifts, India key-chains, which cemented the good feelings that were in the room.

-Mark Hansen

Sorry about the uploads and the frequencies of the latest posts, but we have lost SN’s laptop in India and his internet connection with it. We will try to keep as current as possible, but it will be a little more difficult now. If anyone in the U.S. has seen the laptop, please let us know! Also, you’ll notice that there is now a link at the bottom of the most recent posts with more pictures. We hope that you’ll enjoy them.

-Tom

Gujra Village

Today we went to the Gujra Village. The village was extremely isolated from the rest of India, and therefore showed very little influence from the outside modern world. In fact, going to the village was perhaps the closest thing you could get to going back in time.

Once we arrived at the village, the people all showed us a warm welcome. I was impressed by their style of life. They lived a quiet, simple life free of most of the stress and chaos of our modern lives. They didn’t work long hours; they didn’t worry about a morning commute, or being late to an important business meeting. Everything seemed to move at exactly the speed it needed to; they had more free time, more time to relax, more time to be in the present moment.

They lived with virtually no electricity. The only power they needed came from several small solar panels that they used to charge their flashlights for the night-time. The houses were made out of a simple form of plaster made of mud and cow dung, and the roofs were made of tightly packed dried grass. We were invited into one of the houses by the villagers where it was much cooler than standing in the hot sun. Inside the atmosphere was warm and inviting. The whole house had a natural smell that soothed me and made me feel like a part of the Earth and ground.

Being in the village and seeing the beautiful simplicity of their day-to-day lives made me think about how ridiculous our lives can be. So much of our lives are spent trying to catch up with our technologically blooming society. I can see how it would be nice to escape the rush of my life and get back to the roots of what is really important: self-reflection. I have learned a lesson from the villagers: that it is important to simplify our lives so that we can really take a step back exist in a state of reflection, living for the present moment.

-John-Nuri Vissell

Too Little Time

I never thought that I could get this close to so may people in such a short amount of time. Three days. These three days were all the so-called orphans needed to solidify themselves in my heart. Three days of jumping on me, running between my legs, and just being with me. And now we are gone, evaporated into the five a.m. mist just as we had appeared three days before.

So many of them asked if I would come back. Would they see me again? The best I could say was that I would come back if I could. I pride myself in thinking I am the most stable in my class when it comes to goodbyes but, I found myself chanting Jai Jai Ma under my breath from the moment I woke, until I got to the train station, frantically fighting back the ocean of tears welling up behind my eyes. One of the kids said that she wished that Prabha had not brought her classmates because it would be sad to see us go, but I think that it is worse for us because it is we who are doing the leaving.

But enough sadness, for we now take one more step towards the reason that brought us to India, the interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. With each rock of the train we move closer, closer, and further away.

-Jeremy Thweatt

Goodbye, For Now

I have been told that when you stay at the Ashram, you are adopted by the children. Mom, Dad, I’m sorry, but you may just have to sign me over. Today is our last day at the Ashram, but I am not yet ready to leave this family.

As we prepare ourselves to leave, I notice how much the children are lamenting our departure as well.

“You leave tomorrow?” asks Parama, a small girl with large inquiring eyes. When I give a solemn nod, she pulls on my arm and exclaims, “No!”

As night approaches and with it comes the foreboding morning departure, we find ourselves soaking up the little time we have left with the kids. We play games, take pictures and bathe in the love that our relationships exude.

Parama, my Ashram companion, grabs my hand and skewers me with her eyes. “Jonji-bhai,” she starts, making sure she has my attention, “will you come back?” Pondering her question, I survey the scene around me. The girls are taking pictures with the youngest of children, Jeremy is being chased around the courtyard, Xander is teaching the kids to break-dance, and everyone else is engaged in a friendly but competitive game of basketball. My class is happy here. I am happy here. I look back down at Parama, whose unwavering stare is fixated upon me, awaiting my reply. “Of course,” I affirm. We smile together, content with this conclusion and join in on chasing Jeremy.

-Jonji Barber

Ultimate Frisbee Destruction

We were destroyed. I usually don’t play ultimate Frisbee, but I never considered that I was particularly bad at it. I was wrong. It was a six-on-six match that pitted Americans against Indians. It ended with a staggering loss for us. The final score: 12 to nothing. We never even got close to scoring. Although it was a friendly game, I can’t help but think that they really enjoyed destroying us. Yesterday we did the same thing to them in volleyball, so now the competition is tied one to one. Tomorrow, the sport is basketball and a winner will be decided, but I don’t really care who the winner is. I am simply glad that we get to compete with friends.

-Xander Crawford

Laughter

Laughter. That word was so strange to me two years ago. I hated that laughter even existed. Laughter was miles away from me and the fact that people loved to laugh made me angry. I stopped hanging around people just because they had laughed around me. But last year those dark days started to fade away. Laughter was slowly creeping into me. Now it seems that all I want to do is laugh. I’m glad I was open to it, because now that I’ve returned to the Ashram, I can see how loving and funny my home is. Since I have been here, all I have done is laughed with my brothers and sisters. No matter where I sit, I am surrounded by kids. Again and again I make fun of them and we laugh together. My sisters and I call each other VIPs because everybody makes room for us, and if we ask for something, the other kids run off to get it. I have cherished every single moment of my stay with the kids and every moment that we have shared laughing.

-Prabha Sharan

Dancing Fiend

Today, our second day at the Sri Ram Ashram happened to be Babaji’s birthday. The day started out normally but after breakfast everyone broke into a birthday frenzy getting ready for their performances. We Mount Madonna students practiced “Jai Jai Ma” and “Seasons of Love” and were all very nervous about performing in front of a large crowd of Babaji’s friends. Especially since were already in awe of the talent of the students from the Ashram who would also be performing. I went from room to room finding people, scurrying around to get their costumes just right, or trying to put on that last bit of lipstick before running out the door. I was busy trying to find someone to tie my sari for me which I had bought a couple days earlier in New Delhi and was dying to wear. A kind woman who was very skilled at tying saris helped me out and her tie made it past Babaji’s very experienced eye. We performed our songs and quickly took our seats to watch the rest of the performance. Just when we thought that our time on the stage was over, Ranu, a college student at the orphanage, invited us up on stage to dance with the Indian students. A brave few ran up quickly and within a matter of seconds the two schools were performing together in what I think was a better dance then we could have ever hoped to choreograph. I myself was cutting a rug and had a great time. Hopefully that won’t be the last time that we dance together.

-Nina Castañon

Spectacles

The most surprising part about this trip so far has been the way people have been treating me. The way the people in Delhi looked at the group, like we were special, shocked me. We are not a spectacle, they are. It is amazing how little they have and are able to survive. Again at the orphanage the children looked at us like we were strange, yet they are so happy and friendly. No one I have met before has acted like them. Doesn’t that make them the strange ones, the spectacles?

It is hard to describe the interaction between our two apparent spectacles. I had expected hesitation. There may have been a little, only visible in the slight stiffness of our actions. Soon even that was gone. It is hard not to relax when a little kid decides to sit on your lap and orders you in their little voice to teach them a game you play or to share with them whatever is in your hand. The difference between them and me is in the way we approach the unknown. I tend to watch and wait, proceed only once I have determined the way not to do harm. The children do not seem to wait or watch, but jump into the mess and try to sort it out with questions. Where I miss many beginnings, they are using the beginnings to skip right to the end where they already treat me like family. Their questions and actions make me feel like I have known them for as long as I have known the people in my class, although it has only been one day. I am grateful that they have been able to pull me out of myself and into the beginning of my stay with them.

-Kristen van’tRood

New Family

I have officially added another country to my list of homes. This update leaves my abode-like areas as follows: my various familial houses, Naveen’s house, and the Sri Ram Ashram.

When you first arrive, the children are reserved in a relievingly polite way. Equally relieving, but much more entertaining is when this resolve is ruptured by familiarity and the children break into playful comfort. Merely hours into my stay the children no longer parted way for my passage, but rather mobbed me with questions and hugs. They have terminated their elegant silence, replacing it with a cacophony of laughter and loving chides.

Seeing such radiant happiness is somewhat surprising considering the backgrounds that lay in their shadows. Sri Ram Ashram is, after all, an orphanage. How blissfully ironic, considering that this is among the strongest and most authentic families I have ever encountered. So utopian is this family that, should I live in India, I would want my child to grow up here. I want to be a child here. Fortunately for me, I have recently been indoctrinated into this family. They have made me part of their beautiful union, and I am forever grateful. Thank you brothers and sisters for the laughter, love, and happiness you have provided for me.

-Jonji Barber

Integration

The sun beat down on our face’s as we stepped out on a dirt volleyball court. This was it. The game SN has been waiting for: the Mount Madonna Hawks versus the Sri Ram Vidyha Mandir. This was the time for the Mount Madonnians to show our true skill – volleyball.

The game waxed on as our spirits soared. All the cheering in English and Hindi made us happy, and both teams played well. We made friends quickly as we mixed up teams. Everyone seemed so happy, even as we played in the intense heat of the sun. Somehow we were able to communicate in a haze of bad English and even more battered Hindi, as we tried to learn some of the native language. After leaving the volleyball court we went to play Frisbee and jump on the trampolines before we were asked to get ready for tea and then work. The kids were sad, asking us not to leave and to come back as fast as we could. I feel as if I have known these kids for much longer than one day, and surprisingly, here at the Ashram, I feel at home.

-Luke Sanders-Self

Aarti

We got on a Bus from the Sri Ram Ashram and rode to Hari Ki Pauri to watch the nightly Aarti of Ganga Ma. Aarti is a celebration that occurs every night on the shores of the sacred Ganga river (known in the West as the Ganges). The belief behind the Aarti is that Vishnu stepped down to Earth, making a foot print in the river. Therefore every night thousands of people gather at Hari Ki Pauri and take a bath in the river, believing they are washing away their sins as they do.

Before making our way to the celebration at the river’s edge, we bought leaf boats filled with flowers and a candle. The boats carry a special prayer that will be sent out into the Ganga river, carried away by the current.

As the celebration began, the air was filled with flames from hundreds of candles all lighting at once. As I was watching Aarti, a meaningful connection to the project came to mind. Watching all of the leaf boats float down the sacred river, a special prayer harbored in each one, I realized that our mission to India, our quest for Happiness, is very similar to that of the leaf boats’ journey down the river. We, like the boats, have been sent off with a special prayer by everyone who wants us to achieve great things. And, like the boats, our purpose and challenge is to stay afloat against the strong currents of challenge. As we get swept down the river of opportunity, we must ensure that we do everything we can to keep the flame of our journey alive. That burning flame represents all of the people that have helped us get this far, and by committing ourselves to the project with all our hearts, we honor them.

-John-Nuri Vissell

Thoughts on President Abdul Kalam

President Abdul Kalam entered the room and everything went silent. Although certainly not a big man, his presence commanded attention. I had researched him and I knew that he was an engineer turned president. In India, the president is less like a politician and more like a national icon. The thing that I didn’t know and would soon find out was that in addition to being an engineer, mathematician, and national figurehead, the president is also an amazing teacher. The bits of wisdom and various anecdotes he shared were all captivating and packed with meaning. Like any good teacher, at the end of each lesson he shared, he looked around the room to make sure his lesson was learned. He would say “Understand? Understand?”

Generally, his lessons weren’t difficult. He spoke simply and always to the point. One lesson in particular stood out to me. It was a simple equation from a poem he had written. Righteousness of the heart leads to peace in the home, which in turn leads to order in the nation, which ultimately leads to peace in the world. He skillfully built from the individual level to the global level. In his understated eloquence, he answered the very complex question: What are the guidelines we can live by that will bring about positive change?

Before the interview, I spent some time looking through the President’s autobiography, Wings of Fire. In the very beginning, he talked about the importance of prayer. Prayer is something that I’ve always been curious about, never finding it a key part of my own spiritual practice. I was curious to know about how prayer had served him in his life. After a couple of opening questions, I asked mine. The answer he gave was truly beautiful. He spoke about how the most meaningful prayer is one made for other people. Upon reflection, I find that this rings true for me as well. I don’t feel the need to pray for myself, but I can still give forth gratitude for what I have by praying for others.

He was not one to talk for the sake of talking and he loved to keep his students (who were us on the auspicious day) on their feet. Sometimes this was an endearing quality and on occasions it was truly terrifying. He was prone to turn a question back on the inquisitor and at points during the interview I was forced to ask myself who was truly being interviewed. Perhaps due to jet lag, the president’s quick wit occasionally caught us off guard, but overall the interview was a positive experience that I won’t quickly forget.

-Daniel Nanas

Railway Musings

It is about 12:00 am, and I am sitting on the train to Haridwar. Seated across from me is an Indian man, probably in his 70’s. He looks at me. Without a smile or a frown, but rather a look that showcases the fact that he knows me all too well. India had, after all, once been new to him, and he now appears to be comparatively analyzing the way in which I react to my surroundings.

Observing this man, I can’t help but notice the resemblance of his manner to that of President Abdul Kalam. During our interview, those same curious and knowledgeable eyes that now peer at me through curtains surveyed our class. These two men, venerable as India itself both know what I am experiencing better than I do.

This wisdom is some of what I’d like to take home with me from this trip. I believe that if I can harness even a fraction of India’s knowledge, I will be more acquainted and comfortable with myself.

Now the man on the train has noticed the inquisitive reply of yes, and at last breaks into a smile. I smile with him, and for a moment we are connected in delight. But my eyes are still naive and shallow, whereas the eyes of the man, resting placidly above his dancing smile, remain the omnipotent eyes of India.

-Jonji Barber

Homecoming

I keep yawning but I feel wide awake. We’re finally at the Sri Ram Ashram, a place that I have been dreaming about coming to for ten years. We stepped on the sleeper train out of the light rain at 11:30 last night, and I slept despite the lack of room and privacy. At 3:45 am the conductor came by saying Haridwar, Haridwar. I stuck my head over my bunk to see if Prabha was jumping off the walls yet, but that didn’t happen until we got off the train. I can’t imagine the excitement of returning home after being away for three years, especially with the anticipation of seeing so many brothers and sisters.

They surprised us with leis of marigolds at the train station, and our short trip to the Ashram was filled with Prabha’s excited voice finally talking in Hindi with her few brothers and sister that had come to meet us.

I was helped up the stairs this morning by an adorable four year-old. She led me to a room full of dancing girls. Prabha was in the middle swinging the small kids around. I am going to savor these three days, I can tell. I mean how often do you get as many hugs from children as you want?

-Emily Crubaugh

Arriving at the Ashram

We arrived at the train station after a wonderful meal at a Japanese/Chinese restaurant called Aka Saka. The train station was not too overwhelming, even though the train arrived late. Our travel agent Karan helped us to navigate our way through the station to A2, the “executive class sleeper car”. Much to our surprise, the executive class was not as posh as we had imagined it to be. We crammed into the very crowded compartments, some of us getting yelled at for sitting in other people’s seats. When we finally figured out all of our seating arrangements, the four hour ride went relatively fast.

“I didn’t find it to be as shocking or scary as the other students, as I had traveled the train to the orphanage before.” (Maddy). “It was definitely a surprise to me to be in a train cabin with people that I didn’t know and whom I couldn’t understand a single word from.” (Nina)

We arrived in Haridwar, the nearest large town to the city, with a wonderful greeting from some of the kids at the Ashram, and Dayanand, our World Religions teacher. They had flower malas for us, which are like leis made of marigolds and carnations. We all packed on the school bus that they had brought for us from the Ashram. We arrived at the Ashram at 5 am, and all found our rooms, which had welcome signs on them with our names that the kids at the Ashram had made.

We rested for a couple of hours until we were awakened by the children singing and the sun coming up. We took a quick bucket shower and went out to see all of the different kids singing and dancing and some practicing volleyball for our upcoming match.

“The hospitality and welcome that I felt was unlike anything that I have ever encountered before. Within about an hour I had at least three children following me around hugging me and calling, Ninadidi, (didi meaning older sister and offers a level of affection and respect) when they thought that I was leaving” (Nina). “When Prabha had one of the students come and get Emily and I and bring us over to the girl’s dorm to watch them practice, they stopped and performed a dance from the Bollywood movie for us. It was really wonderful to experience their enthusiasm and willingness to honor us as visitors. We just don’t get that kind of treatment everyday” (Maddy).

At ten we sat down for breakfast and had a scrumptious meal that was very filling since we hadn’t eaten for several hours. After that we passed the time sipping tea and getting ready for a volleyball game against worthy adversaries at one. All in all the Ashram has a great feel about it and we can’t wait to spend a few more very promising days here.

-Madeline Weston-Miles and Nina Castañon