Life at Sonapani

April 11, 2008

Hello, friends outside of India!

Life in the Himalayas is going quite well. Things have settled into a regular routine: breakfast at 8:00am, classes at 10:00pm, lunch at 1:30pm... For once, I am getting more than six hours of sleep each night, adequate exercise each day, and eating three square meals each day. Although it sounds like we are living the good life, which we are, there is quite a reading load for the classes. Sustainable development is an interesting subject, and the information will serve to be very useful when I decide to form an NGO. In fact, we are so fortunate to be living in a region where sustainable development and NGOs are relevant. It isn't just something that you read from textbooks, development is actually happening, and I am participating in this amazing process!

We are living in what geologists call the "lesser Himalayas". The elevation range is roughly 2000 to 2500 meters (6500 to 8200 ft). In the past week, the climate has ranged from extremely cold to extremely hot. Although accommodations in our cottages are very comfortable, they are not heated or air conditioned—which makes taking a bucket bath very interesting. If there is one thing that I miss more than my family and friends—namely, you people—it is taking a shower (the kind that comes down in a regular spray) without having to pray for a functioning hot-water heater. I've taken a bucket bath in cold water, which I have sworn I would never do again. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and you would do the same thing if you haven't taken a bath in five days, with the grime of Delhi still clinging to your skin.

I'd like to make a short comment on the food here. The food is prepared by a 22-year-old chef named Vinod from a nearby village called Bhimtal. He was trained in Delhi and has worked in several five-star hotels. This guy is so talented and if he opened a restaurant in the states, he would become a sensation. Just to give you an idea of how amazing this guy is: Keith only had to show him how to make apple pie once, and he could independently produce the best apple pie I've ever tasted. Now you know—the best-tasting apple pie is found in India. The humility of this guy is admirable. It is not uncommon that a person with talent like his would be extremely arrogant. But Vinod started crying when he saw how much we were enjoying his apple pie. Crying. The spontaneous eruption of tears was so cute that I almost exploded.

In terms of academics, my research project will on women's health. Specifically, I will be researching how health-seeking behaviors of women differ by specific factors such as age and literacy levels. The women of the Himalayas are amazing. In fact, the women of India are amazing. In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, women do most of the household chores and agricultural work. Life in the Himalayas is strongly tied with the land and the forest. So quite understandably, life is agrarian. Fodder, fertilizer, and fuel all come from the forest. There isn't a logging industry here, so these timber products must be collected individually for each household. Fodder comes from fallen oak leaves and pine needles—the two main tree species in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Oftentimes, you see women on roads carrying huge loads of leaves on their heads, after gathering them from the forest. You also see women climbing trees to lop the branches. This is really quite amazing, considering how un-climbable the trees are. Even more amazing is that these women climb these trees in sarees. How this is accomplished, I will never understand.

Unfortunately, men don't do much here. That's why all the roads and chai stands are occupied with meandering men—smoking, drinking, and gossiping. Even though the women do all the herding, lopping, child caring, cooking, leaf collecting, work management, the Kumaon is still very much a patriarchal society. One of the main initiatives of CHIRAG (Central Himalayan Rural Action Group)—the NGO I'm working with—is women's empowerment. Among many other things, they hold monthly meetings for the local women to get together and talk about their problems. Hopefully, I will be able to attend one of these meetings next week.

It is also said that the women compose songs about the hardships in their lives while doing their work. I find this so endearing. The women of the Himalayas have so little free time in their daily lives, yet they still find the opportunity to insert small artistic opportunities into their busy days. Art is so universal, and it extends from a Manhattan gallery to the Kumaoni woman.

Common health problems in the Kumaon include diabetes, TB, hypertension. Rabies is also a common problem. Physical injuries are also frequent, especially with women—since they do most of the tree climbing etc. What initially surprised me was the low incidence of HIV/AIDS, given how it is a major problem in India. Then after thinking about it a little, it makes sense. Consider the main methods through which HIV is transmitted: unprotected sex, drug use, and blood transfusions. Many of the people here live below the poverty line…so people are too poor to buy drugs. Anyways, most of the existing intoxicants are inhaled. Blood transfusions are rare. Unprotected sex is less of a problem in rural regions than in the cities. We see more pro-condom ads in these parts than in Delhi! Besides, sleeping around is just not something that I see people here doing.

Nainital was quite fun. I had an opportunity to practice my very broken Hindi. At the moment, the only phrases I can utter are mera nam Vania hai (My name is Vania), ap kaise hai (How are you), kitne rupiye (how many rupees for this), me thik hu (I am good). With this very basic knowledge of Hindi, I entered a shop in Nainital with the intention of bartering only in Hindi, with the hope of getting a fair price on the merchandise. After asking kitne rupiye for a shirt, the shopkeeper got really excited and started speaking rapidly in Hindi. At this time, I stupidly reminded myself that I can't understand any numbers above 10. This lost me my bartering edge, and I left the shop feeling a bit foolish—without the shirt, of course.

In any case, I see that this update is getting a tad long. Next week, I will be heading out towards Jim Corbett National Park/Wildlife Reserve to study forest ecology and to do some tiger hunting on elephants. When I say "tiger hunting", I mean that in a figurative sense, of course. And to everyone who has requested postcards, I have them with me. I just haven't had the opportunity to mail them yet.

I miss you all,

--Vania

From the Himalayas

March 30, 2008

Greetings from Sonapani (Uttaranchal State, India),

The pictures I've promised will need more time to upload. So stay tuned for those. Also, I'm going to start dating my entries, since they will not be sent the day that they are written.

We arrived at our final destination in the Himalayas earlier this morning. We left the Old Delhi train station last night around 11:00pm. The train ride was seven hours long. The beds were comfortable and I slept relatively okay. Our study abroad program director (Keith) reminded us to be very careful about of belongings, because of the high incidence of theft on Indian trains. He told us a story about a friend of his who was traveling by train to Dehradun (capital of Uttaranchal state). The friend fell asleep holding onto the handle of his backpack. He woke up holding the handle of the seat railing, backpack completely gone. Luckily, that did not happen to me, and I emerged from the train—seven hours later—with all my belongings.

Following the train ride, we had a three-hour car journey to our final destination in the little townlet called Sonapani ("Gold Water"). The journey was terrifying, to say the least. The ride was 80 km/hr sprint up a steeply switchbacked mountain road. In fact, I think the driver was absolutely crazy to be driving so quickly on the perilous roads. He was driving completely nonchalantly, one hand on the wheel and weaving perilously around trucks that seem to pummel down the slopes. After an hour of gripping the front seats with white-knuckled hands—we didn't have any seat belts, by the way—I miraculously fell asleep. I decided that if I had to die in the mountains of India, I might as well do it in a non-conscious state.

We arrived at Sonapani around 8:30 am. A delicious breakfast was waiting for us. After a week of eating nothing but dosas and samosas, I nearly cried with joy when I saw fresh fruits and vegetables. I can totally get used to living here. All the vegetables are grown in a local garden; and all the food is freshly prepared and absolutely delicious. So here we are, drinking the best chai ever and watching distant clouds travel along the sharp outline of the majestic Himilayas.

I am quite happy to have left Delhi. After spending a week in the capital of India, I have decided that it is the most polluted and physically uncomfortable city I have ever visited. After a week in Delhi, the interior of my nose was clogged with a disgusting layer of black gook. That is why you should always breathe through your nose in Delhi. I'm sure that anyone who stays in Delhi for more than a month would develop respiratory disorders. However, if the climate of Delhi wasn't so uncomfortable, I'd think it would be a cool place to live. The city is widely diverse. It offers incredible culture and history, as well as impressive array modern amenities. I've also acclimated well to the Indian metro lifestyle. I didn't experience the culture shock that many of my friends have mentioned. Riding an auto-rickshaw is definitely not as terrifying as I've expected. Yes, the driving is crazy but I've experienced worse in Taiwan. Even being approached by sleazy men didn't really concern me. You simply ignore the guy or tell him to leave you alone. You accept it as a reality of the situation and environment and move on. What can you do?

I've experienced as much as Delhi has to offer. I've seen all the major landmarks, some more than once. I've taken every form of transportation Delhi has: taxis, personalized chauffeurs, autos (auto rickshaws), bicycle rickshaws, and buses. I've successfully bartered with tricky storeowners and rickshaw drivers. I'm still a horrible haggler, but I've managed to cut some costs from ridiculous prices from merchants who want to fool foreigners. I've eaten potentially hazardous street food that comes from shabby looking restaurants—and remarkably, I still haven't gotten sick. I've wandered Delhi alone at night, against all my good intentions and plans (it's a long story). I've seen a Bollywood film at a Delhi cinema. And finally, I've experienced most or all of the socioeconomic gradients of Delhi: from living with wealthy Indians in Defense Colony to meandering in the smelly streets of Old Delhi.

My journey in India has just started. Next weekend, a group of us will be traveling to Nainital, a beautiful hill station in Uttaranchal state. Hopefully, I can also get started on my research project with rural medicine. And thanks to everyone who sent emails. Your blessings and kind words are very well appreciated. Until then, namaste.

--Vania

Delhi - Old and New Part 2

Hello from Delhi,

I've been staying with some of my mother's friends in the Defence Colony neighborhood of New Delhi. Defence Colony is an upscale community of Delhi, housing many doctors, retired military personel, etc. Make no mistake that Defence Colony is still in India, so it's outward apperances will not seem particularly upscale to the American eye. Poverty is still evident, but less so than other regions of Delhi.

My hosts, Rajesh and Poonam, have been extremely kind to me. In fact, I've been very impressed by the hospitality of the Indians I have met. I came to India very paranoid. For the first day of or so, I expected every person I met to have a secret agenda to steal my money, or to trick me into a scam. After speaking to many Indians, I found that the majority are extremely helpful. I still walk around with my hands stuck in my pockets as a preventive measure against pickpockets, but I'm much more willing to engage with Indians. After all, I came to India to experience India. And the only way to do this is the engage with the people, who represent the spirit and core of the country.

Many people ask if I have come from China, and I have formed the habit of not correcting them. I found that it is advantageous to appear non-American or European. We all know that America and Europe are racially and ethnically diverse. But the common Indian conception of 'American' and 'European' is white-skinned with a hair color that isn't black. 'American' and 'European' is also associated with the dollar sign, which makes sense--because if you can afford the plane ticket to fly to India, you are richer than a large percentage of her people. That is why they charge Indian nationals 10 rupees to see Humayun's Tomb, and 250 rupees for foreigners. Although I still paid 250 rupees to see Humayun's Tomb, I find that I've avoided many scams and overcharged services just by looking Eastern Asian. So temporarily, while I'm still in India, I am born and raised in China with a remarkably good American accent. I haven't even bothered to explain that I'm actually Taiwanese, since many of the people believe that it is a region in Japan. Shhh. Don't spill my secret.

So here are some general advice for those who are thinking about traveling to Delhi or India in general:
1) Dress comfortably. Cottons are good in Delhi ANY time of the year. Currently, the peak temperature in Delhi is around 37 degrees centigrade, and it is only going to get hotter.
2) Dress conservatively--especially if you are female. I cringe everytime a see a foreign traveler wearing short shorts and tank tops. Just look at the Indian women around you. They're all dressed in a saree or a salwar kameez--all of which cover their legs and most of their arms. Keep in mind that the dudes on the streets of Delhi stare. Sometimes, but not always, it's the kind of lecherous stare that really creeps you out. It gets worse if you expose more of your skin.
3) Try to develop a bladder of steel. Delhi toilets are disgusting. If you can't develop a bladder of steel, carry with you coins worth two rupees. You can gain access to nicer loos if you pay two rupees. It sounds stupid to pay for a dump, but it prevents your gag reflex from getting overused.
4) Manage your money wisely. This is the strategy that I have used so far: I always carry a money belt that holds the majority of my cash and travelers cheques--along with my passport. This repository is always concealed underneath my clothes. From that main repository, I would put 1000-1500 rupees in a money pouch. If I only have a 1000 rupee note, I would ask for change. I would then use rubber bands to tie together notes of similar value. For example, I would tie 50 rupee and 10 rupee notes together. This bundle of notes would be used mainly for auto-rickshaw rides (yes, I did ride several auto-rickshaws...just as a means of convenience and to satisfy the curiosity of certain individuals who read this travel blog), because the drivers ask for exact payment. Any notes of higher value--100 rupees, 500 rupees, 1000 rupees, etc--would be tied together, although I would avoid flashing a 1000 rupee note. The point of this is to reveal money suitable for its occasion. You wouldn't want to show an auto-rickshaw driver that you have 500 rupees when you only want to pay 70 rupees for your trip. They will almost always ask for more payment if you do this.
5) Negotiate on a suitable payment with an autorickshaw (aka auto) before you step into the vehicle. If you don't do this, they may take you to your destination on the most indirect route to increase the count on the meter--therefore, more money for them. Unless you know the streets of Delhi very well, always negotiate on a price before your ride with the auto.

After reading the above, you may think that I'm being too tight-assed and precautious to fully enjoy India. I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Delhi so far because I have taken the time to think of ways to, for example, manage my money. In fact, within these two days I have seen and visited the entire city, from the cow-ridden streets of Old Delhi to the trendy shops of New Delhi. Hopefully, many of my tips will benefit those who wish to visit India in the future.

Finally, I apologize for this long entry. When I get up into the mountains, you won't hear from me as often as you do now. My last Delhi entry will focus on all the places that I've visited. Hopefully, I will be able to get some photos uploaded, so I can make the next update a photo entry, with minimal text. I'll let you guys Wikipedia the tourist sites yourself.

--Vania