The Journey Begins

India! I still wake up some mornings in disbelief that I am actually living and working in Varanasi for five months. The trip thus far has been fairly characteristic of someone readjusting to a completely altered universe. These characteristics being somewhat wavy. The first sentence about Varanasi in the lonely planet is "brace yourself" and the last sentence is "persevere". That being said, the lonely planet also goes on to write that Varanasi could be the most impressionable, memorable place you visit in India.

This was my experience with Varanasi when I came to India two years ago. I was here on a semester aboard with the University of Guelph where I spend 4 weeks studying in Kerela, 4 weeks studying in Jaipur and 8 weeks traveling around the country. Never would I have imagined though that I would be back in Varanasi of all places to live.

Coming to India to work as an intern is a vastly different experience then traveling India as a tourist or student. Instead of peering in and catching occasional glimpses of Indian culture and life, I feel as though I have an 'outsiders insiders perspective' working and living alongside people from India.

My favorite days so far here have been spend in the mobile library and with its driver/librarian, Uttam. He is the best. He looks like the archetypal ice cream truck driver: jovial, large, always smiling. We are officially buddies. He drives around to eleven rural communities over the six day work week. When he arrives at a village he spreads out wicker mats for the kids to read on and then hops back into his open concept van, picture a fish and chip stand on wheels ( if they are not already) and checks out books for kids to read. In addition to the books that are checked out he also has fun games such as bowling pics, balls, lego and puzzles for the kids to play with. He is excited and open to adding new programs. This has sparked thoughts of starting a story telling session, creative writing days, art activities, drama etc! The mobile library could really be its own internship. The best part about shadowing Uttam is that the excitement generated from books and reading is comparable to that of ice cream and treats. Many of these children seemed starved for any kind of academic stimulation.

Work aside I am happy that I am starting to feel "at home" here. I had a moment walking down the stairs today to work where my surroundings were starting to feel "normal". I am also getting more excited and less overwhelmed about the freedom of starting new programs at both the Tulsi and on the Mobile libraries. In terms of living arrangements I have my own room on the balcony of a guest house that is literally right across from the office, right on the Ganges. The guest house is like a little hippie haven. There are always old expat, yogi gurus and enlightenment seekers coming and going. No doubt we will be meeting some interesting characters in the coming months.

Namaste!

Namaste! I’m writing to you on the banks of the Ganges on a slightly soporific Monday morning. Since arriving in India, I have refused to check the temperature because I fear attaching a number to the heat will only increase its intensity. The heat was one of my biggest concerns about living in India (particularly because we will be here during the summer), but so far it has been quite manageable. We’ve all adapted our own techniques for dealing with the high mercury, but my personal favourite has to be the Bollywood celebrity look. I wear large sunglasses and a scarf wrapped around my head as if I was some famous actor attempting to look discreet. In reality, the headgear draws far more attention than I intended, but it keeps me cool, so I’m sticking with it.

Living at Ashish’s Guest House and Café with the other interns has been wonderful so far. Our rooms are on the top floor, which also houses two clotheslines, a myriad of potted plants, and a flat rooftop perfect for stargazing and surfing the Internet with the super-convenient wireless connection. And after my jumpy first encounter with the house lizards, we have become friends—distant friends. As long as they stay where they are, eating bugs on the wall, I happily remain cordial. When their poop ends up in my bed, I begin to question the boundaries of said friendship.

My work activities have already taken me through the beautiful BHU (Benaras Hindu University) campus and to a farm in Dagmapur, Mirzapur. The farm visit was an exposure trip for the students at Tulsi Kunj, and we all learned about the crops and plants that grow there as well as the farm animals. The previously mountainous land wasn’t being used very well, so the farmers dug 15 metres deep to cultivate viable farmland. It was pretty neat to see the diverse tropical vegetation thriving—banana, papaya, mango, and cherry trees, as well as every type of vegetable you could imagine. The farmer had no problem boasting about the achievements of the farm, which included an 8 kg cauliflower and a cow named Sita who produces 20 L milk/day. We had sabzi and chippati for lunch and were back on the 4x4 traveling home, the kids belting out what I can only assume were Indian equivalents to “On Top of Spaghetti” and “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”.

- Kelly Anne