First Indian Holiday!!!

Just returned from my very first Indian holiday!

Throughout September (amidst teaching and battling mosquitoes) I’d been planning this holiday. It’s my first Solo trip that I’ve organized alone, with some help from our country Reps. A lot of responsibility! I’m proud and relieved to be able to say it all went according to plan and Anna and I had a great time!

We had twelve days off due to the Dessera festival, all the pupils went home so we had the chance to explore India.

The destination Kerala, “God’s own country”. Located in the South West of India. Famed for it’s beaches, backwaters and wildlife. Perfect.

Indigo flight 6E 317 got us there in two hours. The train would have taken over 24, India is so huge!

Afterwards we spent over 8 hours on a bus to get to our first destination, the jungle town of Kumily. The ride was fascinating (with some close encounters of the creeper kind!) exhausting too, but we survived.

Finally we reached our accommodation, Coffee Inn.

Me, blending into the garden surroundings! Behind is the reserve.

Coffee Inn

This was by far the most interesting lodgings on the road lined with souvenir shops, guest houses and restaurants. Bright orange, wooden, carved with interesting statues and décor, I loved it.

There is a nice garden and it all back out onto the wildlife reserve which meant we could wildlife watch for free.  From here we saw many birds, black monkeys, wild boar, Buffalo, fruit bats (!) and deer. As well as the sightings there was plenty of strange noises at night.

View from the garden!

We spent our first night in a tree house!

Then the next day we were upgraded to the Luxury cottage for the same fee as the tree house! Only 300 rupees a night each!

 Why? Surprisingly, the owners were so impressed that we are teachers in a Blind school that they wanted to treat us! (Helped we were there on off season) but what a luxury!

Elephant Experience

Our first and favorite activity. We had the whole elephantine shebang for only 25 quid. Anna and I are in agreement that it was the best ₤25 we’ve ever spent.

So what made it all so good!? Well the elephants of course!

Lucky 

Our experience began with a ride through the jungle and Cardamom plantation on the vast back of a tusker named “Lucky”. Nothing like horse-riding! It was surprisingly slow and steady, although I struggled to find a rhythm. They are surprisingly silent with their big padded feet. We were pretty high off the ground too! Two men came with us, one to guide Lucky using Malayam (Kerala’s state language) commands and the other to take photos. An expert apparently, we kept catching sight of him trying artistic shots with leaves etc. I really enjoyed the ride.

Oooh, arty! 

Raised Trunk brings Lucky - worked for us, had a great holiday!!!

Afterwards we rewarded Lucky with some melon. Feeding an elephant is slightly bizarre! Their mouths are so strange. I think the feeding was Lucky’s favorite part.

Managed not to lose my hand!!

Next we met the lovely Ramba. She gave us a timber pulling demo. Elephants have been used for this for centuries in Asia. Nowadays they are only used when areas are inaccessible to other vehicles. Elephants impact the ecosystem much less than vehicles. Ramba was guided by her rider by the use of his feet. He sat right behind her head with his feet on the backs of her ears and depending on the way he tapped them, she would know what to do. Great to see it in action.

Dragging the 200kg log

Then Ramba was rewarded with a nice bath! In a specially built pool she was instructed to lie down.

Not dead I promise!

We were given scrubbing brushes and told to get to work. Elephant skin isn’t as I expected it to be. It’s rough and thick and dry not leathery at all. She was pretty hairy too with thick coarse hairs all over her head. She kept flapping her huge ears and slapping us! They flap their ears to cool down.

About to get slapped!

Then came the best bit!

She looks like she's having fun too! 

KABLAMMMMMM!

Climbed up onto her back and got sprayed. I was under the impression that it'd be a light sprinkling... nope! More like being blasted by a water cannon! So insane and exhilarating!!! 

Periyar Tiger Reserve

Chatting to our Ranger friend at over Chai, taught me a lot about the Reserve. Periyar Tiger Reserve  surrounds the village of Kumily and stretches on for miles and miles. Over 5000 sq Kms have been left exclusively to nature. The reserve places restrictions on the number of tourists who can take part in activites within the reserve to limit the impact on the ecosystem. For us, this meant only a group of four people could go on the Jungle Safari. In my opinion this improved it as we weren't trouping along a track in a big procession!

They have apparently eradicated 99% of poaching in the area! This has been achieved by educating locals (especially tribal people who traditionally hunted in the forest and more recently were poaching) about wildlife and their impact on it. The government has provided employment to tribal people as guides on hikes (like the one I went on) or on farms. This is a great idea, it makes the wildlife much more valuable alive than dead.

The reserve is famed for it's tigers, but they are notoriously difficult to spot! I  was told there's about 55 tigers on the reserve. I was surprised by how few that seems. They occupy territories of around 30kms each so sighting one is very rare. I was happy just to stare at the hills in the knowledge that in those woods live tigers!

As someone's who is going to be studying Sustainable Development next year, hearing about these works was really interesting!


That night we had an Indian head massage as a holiday treat. It was a traditonal Ayurvedic massage which involved special oils which have been used in India for centuries. Nice and relaxing.

 Jungle Safari

Up bright and early at 4.30am the next day. Taken to the reserve by our driver Bibbin in an open top jeep. He drove like a demon, tearing around corners and overtaking everything on the road. Racing through the dawn certainly woke me up!

Had Chai in a tea plantation as the Sun rose over the misty mountains. 

Finally reached the reserve. The drive was surprisingly chilly! I froze for most o f the morning! Cold up in the mountains compared to Hyderabad!

The Safari began with a disclaimer "Forget all you know about Safaris, this isn't Africa. You won't see tigers walking across the road. You need to look hard to spot things, if there's anything to spot." Looking around at the dense vegetation, I could see why this was necessary!

I spotted (after a lot of staring in the wrong places!):

• Monkeys
• Flying Squirrels
• Birds 
• And... A bear! Yes a bear!

Photographic Evidence!! (blurry as it was very far away!!) 

Had breakfast at the Gavi resort. Nice Buffet. Here we were given our Jungle guides and partnered up with zwei ganz freundliche Frauen aus Deutschland!

Jungle Trek

Before setting off for our 3 hour trek through the jungle we had to prepare by donning a lovely pair of leech socks. These seemed ridiculous at the time but came into their own going through the jungle! Would have bled to death with the amount of leeches!

Canvas - number one leech prevention hardware (just add salt)

Ready for Adventure!

After a short canoe trip over the lake we sett off on our trek. As soon as i stepped off the boat, I was enveloped in greenery. Our guide lead us away from the beaten track in the hope of spotting more wildlife. It was all very exciting. PLUS our guide's name was Baloo ala the Jungle book! 

Baloo leading the way

 The walking was through the dense undergrowth, most of the time was spent  examining the forest floor for hazards. Though actually seeing rainforest litter after studying it in Biology and Geography was pretty exciting (yes, I get excited by dead leaves...). Also lead to many frog sightings!

On the rare occasions I felt secure enough to look up, the views were rewarding... until the next time I slipped around and had to look down again.

One of the 20 spices of Orchid in this forest

Rainforest canopy.. I've stood under!

Baloo knew all about the forest he was constantly listening out for things we couldn't hear and taking us through narrow twisty trails. Every now and then he pointed out some animal trails. After a while I began to see them too.

Baloo showing us an Elephant mud bath, they rub in the dirt to keep cool and bug free. 

TIGER PRINT!!! Closest we got to a tiger, but when we were just hiking in the forest it was a kind of relief not to be eaten!

We heard a lot of animals but spotting them wasn't so easy. Saw some monkeys, heard even more and saw birds. But for me it was exciting enough to be in the Jungle!

Hopped over a few streams

Cheesy photoshoot at the Banyan tree - India's national tree with some bad habits... 

 The jungle was so interesting. Full of life.

Some of the more hair-raising parts were towards the end. We had to cross a very rickety bridge which swung with every step! Then scale a dam! But as intrepid explorers we conquered the challenges (even if a certain someone had to be helped up the wall...)

of course we had to have our photo taken while standing on the ricketiest bridge ever!

You can hardly tell I was terrified!

We did it!!!

The hike was so good. I honestly feel so privileged even to see an actual rain-forest nevermind be able to explore one!

Boating

After a de-leeching sesh which involved rubbing salt on shoes and detatching the ONE leech that'd managed to get me. Then a  refreshing buffet lunch, we were off on a relaxing boat trip over the lake. Our destination was a waterfall. It was very beautiful and as tourists, perfect for a photo! 

Lake Gavi

Happy hikers!

View Point 

To finish we took a hike up the mountains to admire the view. Despite tired legs, the view was worth it!
Missed mountains living in Hyderabad!

beautiful!

Returned via Jeep, cruising down the hills. What a great day!

Spice Plantation

Took a tour of a spice plantation. Was fascinating to learn all about the plants which have been flavoring my food (and attacking my tongue!) Learnt a lot, but luckily for you I'll only mention one. Pepper is one plant but from which four spices can be obtained, whit, red, black and green pepper. All depends on the treatment of the plant. Now you know!

Our Guide giving us the lowdown on Coffee Beans

That night we went to the Murda Cultural center for two performances.

Kathakali

Kathakali is a traditional Keralan dance form which tells od stories of the gods. The stylised dance involves bright make-up, elaborate costumes, facial expressions (like you've never seen before) and specific hand gestures. The dancers learn from the ages of ten for a decade. The dances are traditionally performed a temples and can last from duck till dawn. Luckily ours only lasted an hour. All this info was helpfully given to us before the performance. After a long time of having to guess, I was grateful for the explanation. It's good they make it so accessible to tourists and help people like me understand their culture.

First we got to watch the make-up being applied. It was fascinating if a little bizarre. Green = good guy.
Got to meet the "female performer" who surprised us by being male. He was very interesting to talk to.

Femme Fatal 

 The dance was very entertaining. With drums and cymbals accompanying.

And of course a photo opp. at the end!

Kalaripayattu

Indian martial arts. This was in a specially designed hall with a fighting pit surrounded by seats. Reminded me of a gladiator pit! There was a shrine at one end and special oil lamps which were lit. Prayers were said by the performers and then the show could begin. The art form is deeply rooted in religion and dance. 

It was incredibly fast and incredibly acrobatic. Quite a spectacle! I was blown away by what they could go! Leaping in the air, dodging swords and mock-fighting. One man kicked a ball from standing. The ball was hanging 7 foot off the ground. He kicked it into the ceiling! Another twirled fire batons and another leapt through not one but two rings of fire!  Amazing!

Of course afterwards there was a photo op!

in case you can't tell, i'm totally winning

After we took photos with the performers, something strange happened. They asked to take photos with us! Felt strange that we were somehow special... Especially after I'd seen the same guy leap through flames! We refused the many other strangers who'd asked for phtos randomly but we felt obliged to these people. Still not used (and never will be) used to people wanting a photo with me, just because i'm foreign!

Both shows were terrific!

Lake Periyar

Took a short walk through the wildlife reserve on the main road to get to the ferry terminal. The walk was nice. On a beautifully paved road (much better than Hyderabad's roads!). To get in the parks cost 300 rupees. Foreigners get charged extra! 

On the way we stopped at a rest-stop with benches and a cafe. there was so many monkeys. All playing. So cute!

 Got the ferry from the park office. It cost 150 plus 25 for my camera!
the ferry was crowded. This made for huge excitement at any wildlife spotting! Saw deer and cormorants. The view was great.

Periyar is artificial, Valley was flooded by the British to provide water to neighboring state Tamil Nadu. The dead trees were quite spooky!

  Last activity in Kumily was shopping. There was honestly 20 shops all selling similar items. We went around each and found the best of each product. Got some good deals on beautiful handcrafted items thanks to our haggling. We found being nice worked best!

Sad to leave Kumily, had a great time there. But the adventure must continue!

Spent a rest day in Kottayam. Before getting the government ferry to Alleppey.

Ferry

The ferry to Alleppey cost 10 rupees and was a great way to escape the buses ( by this point we'd spent over 12 hours in public buses) and see the backwaters for the first time. It was such a nice ride. We had a friendly local point out everything of interest and give us random facts! 

our ride 

saw so many cormorants and crows

Rice paddies

Alleppy -"Venice and Amsterdam but Indian"

Alleppey was lovely. Our hotel had a TV!!!!! Watched so many rubbishy films and Malayam (Kerala's language) Music videos. 

The "travel desk" helped us plan day trips and activities. Restaurants were very good too. Loved it. The Canals were really nice and tree lined. Around the peaceful canals was the usual hustle and bustle of Indian life. Bright advertisements, crisscrossing wires and a million people! 

Backwaters 

Took two trips on the backwaters. 

The first was an all day canoe trip with meals included. Early start, met our guide. Took a ferry to his house on the back waters. There watched "honey I shrunk the kids" terribly dubbed in Malayam with the guides family while he prepared the boat. 

Our awesome guide. He paddled us for hours in the baking sun while we sat reclining in the shade. He told us so many stories. Made animal noises, meowing when we passed a cat etc. Chatted to other boat men as we went by and even absentmindedly serenaded us! Won't forget him in a hurry! 

 Tame Brahminy Kite. Felt like a Pirate!

Cutting the coconuts.

Had a traditional Keralan breakfast at a canalside cafe. Drank fresh coconut water. "thunder coconuts"
Then on with the cruising. It was so peaceful and relaxing. I really felt immersed in the beautiful surroundings. So much to see, people going about their daily lives, washing clothes in the canal, boats going by of all shapes and sizes. Flowers floating on the water. Birds everywhere. I loved it.

Went for a walk to see a local "place of interest" The birthplace of a Local Keralan saint. Over 200 years ago he did a lot of good works in this area and is famous today. Christianity is much more present here than in  Hyderabad.

 Rice

"help me" Training boast for racing

Overall a great way to spend the day. 

Second back water trip was in a motor boat. It wasn't as long as before but the trip was very relaxing too. 

 monument to a communist Martyr. The party is very popular here.

So beautiful and relaxing I loved the backwaters!!! 

Beach! 

I'd missed the sea, was so happy to "be beside the seaside". The beaches were much nicer than I'd expected! Alleppey beach was closer with restaurants and stands on the sand. it was nice, a few people did want a photo but we denied them. just had to be wary. but, apart from one man offering to be Anna's husband it wasn't as bad as we thought it'd be. We were of course covered up - certainly no bikinis!!

Also went Sari shopping in a huge store! 5 floors, tallest shop in Alleppey I got two Salwar Kameezes (nicest ones I own now) and two cheap Saris for teaching. Anna got much cooler Saris, a CHRISTMAS Sari and a traditional white Keralan Sari. 

I really enjoyed my stay in Alleppey. It was... sublime! The backwaters are some of the most beautiful places I've ever been! 

Last night - Kochin 

Up early to get another bus, only 2 hours this time, to Kochin. Wanted to make the most of our last day and see what we could of the historic city. 

Taken to our accommodation in a super speedy auto. Dumped our bags then headed out.

Immediately an auto driver waved for us then danced over. He advertised a tour of Fort Kochin for 50 rupees. He even had a leaflet. I was sold. 

Then proceeded the craziest funniest tour of the area. in his "Porsche" (sticker on the back of his auto proved it!

He showed us many things and cracked jokes, told us facts and for the second time on a tour our guide made animal noises! Yelled "Teachers coming through" while driving across a busy road!

He stopped at a lot of government approved shops, if we went in he received food coupons from the government.  

Our sights:

 Chinese fishing nets, very famous in Kochin.

 Organic spice shop. I bought Lotus perfume!

 View from the Dutch tower built 120 years ago

 Old Dutch factory, new Indian mural. Ginger left to dry out in the sun.

 Mattancherry Palace. Had very intricate murals inside. Learnt a lot about the royals.

Synagogue

Kochin was really beautiful!

Back at the hotel I met some more Germans and got, for the second time to practice my German! At this rate, if I keep meeting them on holiday I hopefully won't forget it all! 

Had a good end to the trip!

Overall a great hoilday. So proud that it went accoriding to plan. Was so great to explore a totally different part of India. Felt very mature expolring without an adult to guide me. Crazy to think I've been on a holiday that I planned  in a forgein country and it all went well! Never thought I'd be doing this at 17! 

I'm so so lucky to have had this experience! Thanks to everyone who helped get me here in the first place! 

Had a nice welcome back to school too! 

I love India! 

TOMS!

So this week things have almost formed a routine. But there's no point ever getting comfortable, something will inevitably pop up (although of course, when, where and why will always remain a mystery until the last possible second). So when I found myself handing out free shoes on a Thursday morning, I wasn't too surprised.

TOMS shoes, you know those toms shoes, came to Devnar to give a donation of 1000 pairs of shoes to the kids. Each child got two pairs each (one pair per six months).They were distributed by a charity Hands for Hope working in collaboration with TOMS. The coordinator was a friendly American named Lee who's spent 20 years in India.

Free Shoes! 

Anna and I dived right into helping. The school was a bit chaotic, orders were shouted and generally no-one had a clue what what going on! Somehow the rabble of children were sorted into lines, shoes were taken off and the sizing process could begin.

Waiting for shoes

Somehow I found myself crouching on the tiled floor with an official sizing chart and someone's foot in my hand. No time to waste and 500 kids to be shod. The day passed in a blur of feet, numbers, grabbing shoes and even more feet. Must have seen over 200 feet in a single day, some even had extra toes. Not an average Thursday! It was hard work but I enjoyed being proactive.

Eventually every pupil had two brand spanking new pairs of shoes. It was a delight to give the shoes out. So many of the kids had been wandering around barefoot. The Principal Lily Madam often reprimands the shoeless at assembly as they "set a bad example". She has a particular talent for the disappointed teacher voice, something I'm attempting to emulate. The kids were excited to get them.

Harika from LKG "Madam Shoos!" 

Anna had been hard at work cataloging the recipients' sizes and names while I was sizing and handing out shoes. Lee was so impressed with our work he gifted us each a pair and asked us to donate the rest at Sai Junior College. I'd not managed to see it yet, what a perfect opportunity!

We set off after a lunch of rice, Sambar and Daal. The college is approx 5km away. We drove in the School's Jeep down narrow alleyways (with the occasional cow) and bustling streets boasting a wide array of car parts. Finally we reached the College.

Sai Junior College Courtyard

The college is part of Devnar and was founded also by Dr. Saibaba Goud. The Denvar pupils who wish to continue into years 11 to 13 come here. Again food, board and education is free. Here the students learn a range of practical skills and produce disposable food containers to sell. This helps them generate an income and be financially independent.

Paper Rolls for the plate making machine

"BANG" new plate "BANG" another plate

I was impressed with the college

There we donated shoes for 250 students, 500 shoes.

Bit of brand placement. Lee is to the left, sadly not looking at the Camera. 

Shoes! 

Things went more smoothly here and as the sun began to set we were finished.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time giving out the shoes. it was great to see what s difference they made to the kids. The idea of purchasing one shoe and another pair being sent to someone who needs them is brilliant. It sounds a bit far fetched actually but I've seen proof of the policy in action. It's a worthwhile and guilt -free purchase. They're going on my Christmas list when I get home!

Check out the collection (I'm a fan of the Nepalese boot myself)

Afterwards we thanked Hands for Hope for the opportunity and they thanked us for our help. It was a fun day.

Lee gave our driver directions to another western brand, this time Dominos! Earlier we'd told him the tragic tale of our wild-pizza chase all over Begumpet trying to find a Pizzeria last Sunday.

Before coming here I'd mentally prepared myself for a year devoid of delicious Pizza (this involved eating Pizza as much as possible before leaving). But when I learned it was an option here in Hyderabad I thought I might as well treat myself.

The Pizza cost a fiver in UK terms, at home it would have been at least 15 quid. This and the fact i'd done a good days work justified the purchase. Anna and I also got a Stuffed Garlic Bread to share (this of course managed to be nothing like conventional garlic bread with the added surprise of Jalapenos - you can't have it all!)

The car journey back was slightly tortuous, I could smell the yummy Pizza aroma but not devour the Pizza, typically we got tuck in the hugest traffic jam I'd ever been in! But after a decade we made it back to the school.

Finally I could sink my teeth into the glorious Pizza.

Pizza - what dreams are made of 

As the familiar tomatoey, doughy and cheesy flavor danced over my tongue,  I realized what a crazy and wonderful day it had been. If I hadn't jumped at the chance to give out shoes I would have experienced the joy of giving and the equal joy of Pizza-face-stuffing that day. It's not everyday you see over 300 feet and gift the owners of said feet with shoes that a thoughtful shoe consumer thousands of miles away made possible. Being in India means daily surprises and unexpected adventures, you never know where you'll end up!

Days like this make me feel so lucky to be here!

Sketch Map

As well as to shoveling rice into my mouth with my bare (right) hand and trying to teach blind children the FUN song (thanks spongebob!) all week, I've also been pacing through the school taking notes.

Why? To make a map!

Not just so i don't get lost, (which would be quite an achievement in a building with only four floors!) But as part of my OCN qualification. This is an extra bonus of a year out with Project Trust.

Earning the qualification began with fundraising. I had to fill out a fundraising booklet detailing my experiences. Another booklet was completed in the mayhem of training and now I'm filling out my overseas booklet.

The qualification is designed to encourage me to make the most of my year out. I have different assignments to complete. The first of which was a report on initial impressions of India. The next is a map of my project. This is intended to make you explore and find out where things are. It's a good idea, although I did that anyway in order to actually get anything done!

Being me, my map had to be more complicated than it really needed to be. it took a wee while in amongst teaching and other adventures but it was fun to do.

So here's my sketch map:

Local area map with the school behind

3D, different floors and all

2nd floor is the best floor! 

 Just hope after all my work it arrives safe on Coll!

The Fabulous Ganesh!

My first Indian festival and first real experience of Hinduism!

DISCLAIMER: This blog post explores my own personal experience of the festival with some facts gleaned after confusing conversations involving basic English and gesturing - therefore it cannot be taken as a fully accurate account of Hinduism.

The festival is called Ganesh Chaturthi began on the 9th of September and lasted 10 days.

The story of this elephant headed god is an interesting one. I've only heard sections so far but here's the whole tale courtesy of good old wikipedia:

"Lord Ganesha was created by goddess Parvati consort of Shiva. She created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn't know him, didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged by this and asked his follower Ganas to teach the child some manners. Ganesha who was very powerful, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of Shakti, defeated Shiva's followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing. The sage of heavens, Narada along with the Saptarishis sensed the growing turmoil and went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the king of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn't stand a chance. By then, this issue had become a matter of pride for Parvati and Shiva. Angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged. Seeing Parvati in anger Shiva promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North. But they found only the head of a dead elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child's body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha."

Quite an origin story. I now finally understand why he has an elephant's head. 

We had Monday off as the festival began. I was excited to witness the spectacle and was lucky enough to experience the setting up beforehand. a ramshackle set of metal poles were set up and some tables by the students and some adults then sheets were spread over the top to create a nice tent known as a Pandal. 

Our School's Pandal 

This was to be Ganesha's residence for the festival. Decorations were hung - fairy lights, pictures and Mango leaves. Then he arrived into the tent (after  waiting from yesterday with his face covered.) 

Ta Dah! Quite a countenance! 

He was placed over an area which had a Rangoli pattern and over which Padma (our link person) had blessed rice and placed leaves. Then he was sanctified with turmeric paste and a red spice, Kumkuma, which was dotted on various parts. Garlands of fresh flowers were laid over him and different fruits were given as offerings.  In his left hand  he held a sweet called Laddu covered in gold leaf and his right a fresh water Lily. 

Pramatala, a mother of a pupil who lives with him at the school and works in the Kitchen, was busy coating string in turmeric and tying leave onto the threads. These were later worn by bracelets by people to for protection and blessings. 

Ganesha! So colorful!

Then the first Puja (worship) began. The initial part is known as the Pranapratishhtha. A CD played the mantras to invoke the presence of Ganesha using the statue as a vessel. The mantras were chanted by everyone including the kids. 

Each worshiper had turmeric smeared on their chin and Kumkuma dotted on their foreheads. Me included.

Me Turmeric-ing Pramatala's chin. Note my ginger beard!

 

Pupil with the Kumkuma dot. She led me through a lot of the Puja! 

Then offerings were made. Dry rice was thrown at him and water was put on a leaf then sprinkled over him.Flowers were shoved in every nook and cranny. Coconuts were violently smashed off a brick (with varying degrees of success) the water drained with a little being splashed over him then the fruit was offered. Later a portion of the coconut water was poured into people's right hands to be drunk immediately. 

Giving flowers as offerings

Incense was lit and the smoke wafted over him then the worshipers. A small metal oil lamp was also lit and wafted over him then the worshipers wafted the smoke to their eyes before praying. 

Lighting the Oil lamps

Throughout Puja bowl of food were sitting in front of Ganesha. After the ritual was complete each person was given a handful of Prasanum (sanctified food). This commonly took the form of Chickpeas, Coconut and some yellow seeds with sugar. This also serves a function beyond nutrition, spiritual nourishment. I was told that eating it would give me some of Ganesha's strength and blessings. 

Pre-blessed food! Tasty!

Anna and I were encouraged to join in the Puja. This was great and gave us a real insight into the rituals. 

Yes that's a Balaclava

We also had many sweets during the festival, especially for puddings. Ganesha has a sweet tooth it seems! Anna and I were lucky enough to be involved in the making of Ganesha's favorite sweet.Dough was rolled into chunky "snakes". My playdough skills came into their own. Then the dough was boiled and served in a thick sweet gloopy sauce. Hard to eat with your hands. We also ate many other types of desserts but I won't make you hungry by describing them all now. Although Laddu proved to be a favorite.

There was also music courtesy of the CD player. The music was fun and exciting and very Indian. Sadly, the music was played very loudly from 6am. Then at midnight drum processions went through the local streets. Certainly not a quiet festival!  

Padma explained why Ganesha's statue came to the school. His presence brought protection and blessings. The twice daily Pujas gave him strength to continue. After 10 days he is returned to the earth by immersion in a river.

Padma and her Husband praying

Statues are dumped in the Hussain Sagar lake (which is famous for it's Buddah statue - multiculturalism!). Around 55,000 each year. Sadly we were unable to witness it first hand as it's far too crowded and dangerous.

Cranes were used to dump larger statues. Not my picture. Note the crowds! 

However, we did get to say  bye to Ganesha. He was carried out by some male staff members and a few older boys. Some kids came with and danced through the streets chanting "Ganesha". He was deposited in Mayuri Marg's biggest Pandal with a 10 foot Ganesha. All the people who live on the street had deposited their Ganeshas there too. They were all later put on a lorry and taken to the lake. We returned to the school where a party was happening. Anna and I danced with the kids. Saw some crazy dance moves that night! 

 The next day as Anna and I walked along the pavement next to the Dual carriageway, returning lorries devoid of Deities but covered in revelers drove past. They all called and waved to us which was funny.

During the festival the local Telegu newspapers features lots of pictures of various Ganeshas. It was interesting to see the various artistic styles and use of materials. Some shown were made of food, one was even made of pills for a local hospital. Very creative.

Another Ganesha who came to join the festivities. Different style and design. 

The newspaper also mentioned frequently the environmental impact of the festival. For me, especially as after this Gap Year I'm going to study Sustainable Development, this was very interesting. The annual dumping of over 55,000 statues in the lake is obviously not good for the environment and lake ecosystem. There was many reports in the newspaper of the environmental dangers of Plaster of Paris which does not biodegrade. They reported the benefits of Clay statues which broke down in the water. These messages were accompanied by local celebs endorsing the idea. I'm glad there is an environmental awareness around the festival and many people are trying to be responsible for the ecosystem. 

I found the idea of a physical embodiment of a God to be very interesting. There are apparent benefits to worshiping a visible, tangible god and be able to give offerings to him. I enjoyed having the opportunity to join in the celebrations and be part of the rituals. 

Overall the festival was fun and interesting. I'm very grateful to have been able to experience it all first hand. 

India - Week One (and a bit)

Yes! I'm finally here. After months of prepping for it, I'm at last on Indian soil.

The 22 Indian Volunteers flew out from Heathrow and spent 24 hours travelling to finally reach Hyderabad. The flight was better than I expected, even had tasty plane food (a miracle). I was lucky enough to have a window seat on the way to Hyderabad and got to see India from above. 

Mumbai Coast

 India is... Unbelievable. Every documentary i'd ever seen on the nation come to life, and then some!All the right things are there; the cows meandering across busy roads, bright yellow auto-ricksaw, beautiful saris, tons of people... the list could go on forever. It's so exciting and interesting. I love it. 

We had a two day orientation from our in-country Representatives - Bharavi and his son Abhilash. They told us everything we needed to know and more. It was a nice welcome to their country. They seem very capable and wise. 

Then finally we were off to Devnar! 

Our first view of the School    

It was not as I had imagined. For one it was huge,  four storeys with a central courtyard. It was Sunday and kids were free. They were running around yelling and having fun. I was surprised by the independence of the students. We met some staff and were brought to our room by a gaggle of excited kids. 

Our room! 

The room is basic but comfortable with two beds a desk and an en suite bog. The bog''s not very cheery but it does the job. We have since moved the beds and desk and put mozzie nets up. We have an extra luxury... a Fridge! This is for a valid reason, to store Diabetes meds for my partner Anna. But doubles as a water cooler (amongst other things). My only complaint would be the NOISE! It's constant, birds chirping, children shouting and singing from all over the building, the sharp screech of a table being dragged around at top speed by hyperactive children and numerous surprise bangs. For me it's a huge change from sleepy Crieff! 

We are frequently visited by nosy kids who bang on the door or appear suddenly at the screen with a cry of "2456 Anna/ Sidra!!" (my name is hard to pronounce). Worse is when they lock us in! But they're so cute it's hard to get too annoyed. 

My PT partner Anna and some girl students

We spent this week settling in, trying to figure out how everything works and meeting the staff. There are 40 staff including teachers, wardens, kitchen staff and admin. Each person has a reason for being there besides a salary. Many have a child who is a pupil. They all clearly care about the school and the children there. I'm inspired by their perseverance and positivity. Despite a  distinct language barrier they are very friendly and welcoming. They've taught us so much about Indian life already. I'm sure we'll become close. 

The language spoken most at the school is Telegu. Anna and I hadn't expected that, we were told it was majority English. The children all speak Telegu and most of the Kitchen Staff don't speak any English. This has lead to many communication problems, but We're slowly learning the language. "Namaskarum" is hello, "Bannunara?" "Bannunomo." How are you? I am fine. "Annam" Rice (very important word). We are also learning Braille as the children are very proficient. 

Adjusting to Indian life hasn't been smooth but it's definitely been interesting! Everyday we've eaten meals in the school canteen. Curry and rice mostly. We eat with our Right (never our left!!) hand, mixing the curry into the rice then attempting to shove it in our cake holes! Not pretty!  There's some kind of curry at every meal. It's normally on the spicy side! We've also had Upma (hard to describe other than stodgy and sweet), Waddu (deep fried rice flour doughnuts packed with green chlli),  various types of sweets and much more. Branded food is also readily available at the many local shops so I won't go hungry. 

We've also learned a lot about customs and culture. For example, I learned after buying a lovely gold and black necklace for 80p, that I couldn't wear it. Why? Because Indian women signify their marriage by wearing black beads on gold chains instead of gold rings. So much you can learn without expecting it! We've also been given a total Indian makeover! 

Ta Dah! Indian Girls.

We were taken Sari shopping and got the blouses made at the local tailors.Putting them on required expert advice so Padma (our "Indian Mum") dressed us. It's super complicated but looks very elegant (even on me). WE wore our hair in the traditional way with a hairclip and fresh flower garland, wor Bindia on our foreheads, our hands had been Mehindi's (henna) by our friend Kavitha and we borrowed Padma's Indian bling. The staff were all very complimentary. 

One culture shock was the attitude to waste. I'd been warned about this but never expected to participate. The surprise came when we had to empty our room bin over the wall. I knew there is a river behind there which is an important habitat. For me it was particularly troubling as I'm going to Study Sustainable Development and so on. I felt very guilty. But it's not too far removed from throwing waste away at landfill, just more direct and more involved. It's more honest in a way. I'm now looking for ways of reducing what I throw out and reusing stuff. It's good for me to experience this. 

Anna doing the deed- she says "Sorry nature" 

We've also been taught how to wash clothes the Indian way. It involves three buckets and a lot of heavy scrubbing! Washing machines are so useful!!

Looking normal washing our clothes in the loo

Leaving out to dry in the hallway - standard practice

We have had a few chances to take classes. Some were thrust upon us. Which to be honest was very stressful as we had no clue what to teach. We now have a timetable, I teach classes 1B, Lower Kindergarden, 4 and once a week 5A. each class is so different. They aren't as well behaved as I expected and the way they've been taught is so different to what I expected too. Many can't understand a direct question, just repeat. But I'l getting better at improvising and problem solving. Riot control... that's a different matter. 

Teacher's day was celebrated at the school on the 5th of September. It's a very special day for the  school. The children take great pride in honoring their teachers. Gift were given and speeches were made. It really showed me the importance of education to the children. Sadly, I fell ill with "Delhi Belly" and missed most of the proceedings. I'm assured it was a good day. 

Pupils and Teachers watching the gift giving 

Overall I'm glad to  be here. There's so much to see, do and learn. I'm so grateful to everyone who got me her and too those taking care of me now.