2014

Friday, August 1, 2014

Day 1 in Delhi

Hello from India! After what seemed like the longest day of traveling, we made it! We arrived to our hotel at about 4:15 am, and we were given until 9:15 to sleep, shower, and relax. Some of the lucky ones are running on 4 hours of sleep, but the unlucky ones are only running on 1 or 2 hours. Despite our exhaustion, we all woke up and met in the lobby on time. After breakfast we were given an introduction to this program, and our tour guide gave each of us a gorgeous Indian bag. Afterwards, a facilitator named Swati taught us all about India's economy, religious issues, and politics. Most of us had some background information about India, but it was definitely beneficial to hear about India's strengths and weaknesses from someone who experiences them on a daily basis. 

After Swati's presentation we had a delicious lunch at the hotel, got on the bus, and headed over to the Molarbund school. Along the way we saw luxury car dealerships right next to the poorest slums. Despite knowing about India's huge wealth gap, it was still shocking to see all of this in person.  Once we arrived at Molarbund, one of the founders gave us an overview of everything the school has to offer, and all of the progress that it has made. We walked through the slum from one set of classrooms to another, and children gathered to wave at us. Some children even came out of their homes to walk with us. The streets were filled with trash, flies, stray dogs, pigs, goats, and so much more, but we did our best to not let it bother us.

During our tour of the school we were able to see all of the different age groups, and they loved showing off their skills to us. They were so happy to have us there, even if we were only visiting for a few minutes. The kids are all adorable, and we can't wait to go back to the school on Monday and be able to spend some quality time with them. 

We might be tired, hot, sweaty, and jet lagged, but we are all so happy to be in India and be able to make the most out of this opportunity!

-Catherine 



Saturday, August 2, 2014

Preview of Day 2

It's been a jam packed day that is still going. The girls are Bollywood dancing now and will eat dinner at 8:30, so a blog post may not make it up today. 

More to come later!


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Day 2 in Delhi

Our second day in India was jam-packed. We began with a discussion led by multiple panelists. The panelists were classmates of Swati, the woman who talked to us yesterday about multiple aspects of India. They are also Research Scholars from the University of Delhi. The session focused on Muslims in India, the Dalits (lower castes), transgender communities (hijras), and regional discrimination focused on people from the Northeast of India.  These four young women both inspired and impressed us with their knowledge and their passion. Devika Mittal explained the stereotypes that Muslims in India face and how they are incorrect. For instance, Muslims are not allowed to buy homes in certain areas, ghettoizing and ostracizing them from society even more. Leki Thungon presented about racism in India. She looks physically different from the other panelists because of her Northeastern background. We hadn't really learned or even heard anything about the Northeast part of India, and it was interesting to hear her perspective on India. She explained that the Northeastern part of India has different languages, cultures, and religions. They have a tribal setting that separates them more from India. They are immediately assumed as helpless and not as intelligent. She also shared her own story of discrimination. Her presentation also reminded us of just how massive India really is and all of the different types of people here.  Amrita Middeyhas shared the struggles that the LGBT community,  Hijra, faces within India. They face extreme police violence and harassment. They also lack sound education and usually live in extreme poverty. Homosexuality was always criminalized until 2009, when it became decriminalized. This freedom did not last long, however, for the government criminalized it again in 2013. We compared how homosexuality is viewed in the United States and how it is viewed in India. Jyotsna Siddharth exposed the atrocious acts committed against the Dalit caste. Members of the Dalit caste are labeled as "dirty" and are called the "untouchables". They are even associated with pollution. The Dalits are supposed to have no honor or respect, so it is okay if the women are raped by men of upper castes. This seems paradoxical, but the men believe that they are doing the women a favor and are even giving them some "purity" when they rape them. All of the issues discussed were linked to the mistreatment of women and how tradition governs in India. 

After the panel, we traveled to the National Gandhi museum. Since the museum is for such a prominent figure in India we figured that it would be a massive, beautiful museum. To our surprise, however, the museum wasn't like the ones we have in America. It was very run-down, and the pictures were laminated and tacked against the wall. The information about Gandhi was interesting though, and the museum had many unique relics, including the cloths that Gandhi wore when he was shot. It also included the walking stick that Gandhi used during his Salt March that lasted 24 days. 

We went back to the hotel to have lunch, and then we traveled to the Bahai Temple which looks like a lotus flower. We were blown away by the sheer size of the temple and how magnificent it truly was - pictures don't do it justice! We made quite a few friends at the temple; multiple people were taking pictures of us. It kind of felt like being a celebrity, honestly.  A man wanted Emily, Kenya, and Olivia to take a picture with their baby. The girls politely declined. The temple was built on private donations from members of the Bahai religion in the 70s, an extremely impressive feat. The builders recruited workers from all of India. A school was built on site so that the parents would not be worried about the children. To go into the temple, we had to take off our shoes and stay silent. The experience overall was eye-opening and very different from what we've ever seen. 

When we returned back to the hotel, we had our first Bollywood dance class. The music was loud and our bodies were moving! Our instructors were both young and both very talented at dancing. We (kind of) mastered the beginning of our dance routine! We have a lot to learn before our performance though. By the end, we were sweaty, hungry, and ready for dinner. It was a long, exciting day - there will be many of those on this trip!

- Natalie 

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Visiting Agra


Today we kicked off with an early start.  At 6am we began our 4 hour road trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. At a pit stop our guide, Prachur, introduced us to delicious chocolate filled cookies called Dark Fantasy. When we arrived in Agra we had our first monkey sightings! Most of us agree that Agra is a lot more what we expected India to be like with its larger crowds and many, many street vendors and hockers. In Agra we picked up our tour guide for the day and headed to the Taj Mahal. In order to get to the main entrance we had to take a small electric bus and then walk for about 5 minutes. The walk was our first real exposure to the hockers who are all very insistent in selling us whatever they have to offer. I thought the nagging would make me really uncomfortable and flustered but it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. When entering the complex there is a massive archway that serves as a grand entrance to the main courtyard. We took advantage of the smaller crowds there to take a group picture of our fabulous patterned pants. Just as when we visited the Bahai Temple yesterday, several people found us just as, if not more, interesting than the actual attraction. It is somewhat understandable why people stare. We are a very diverse group of girls and we are wearing very colorful pants and chances are they have never seen people who look like us before. However, it is harder to comprehend why taking photos of us seems appropriate to them. It really baffles me and I shared this with Olivia. She reminded me that them taking pictures of us is similar to us taking pictures of the kids in the slums. I thought that was a very interesting way to think of it. 

After going through the inside of the Taj Mahal we were all drenched in sweat and very happy to get back to our air conditioned bus. For lunch we had a "throwback to America" with a stop at Pizza Hut. Don't get me wrong, we've had some amazing Indian food while we have been here, still nothing beats a little taste of home. 

After lunch we visited Akbar International, a family business whose ancestors were responsible for the intricate, decorative stonework of the Taj Mahal itself. They showed us how they carve out the marble slabs and shape each tiny piece of the precious stones. We even got a chance to try our hand at the craft! Then we got to do some shopping and several of us bought small marble elephants or boxes that are inlayed with semi-precious stones using the same methods used on the Taj Mahal hundreds of years ago (1632-1654). Something very unique about this process is that the glue used remains a secret recipe to this day! The glue is so strong it is nearly impossible to remove the jewels once they are set. 

After a tiring day we headed back to Delhi where we practiced some songs to sing at the Modern School. Even after a very exciting day we are already looking forward to what's in store for tomorrow!

-Gabriela 


Monday, August 4, 2014

From Modern to Molar Bund

Today we started our morning off early with our trip to the Modern School, one of the most elite private schools in India. We were greeted with flower wreaths and red bindi paint and a small candle which we then placed in a bowl filled with water and flowers. We were then escorted to the auditorium where we watched and participated in their morning assembly by singing the alma mater. Following the morning assembly we met with a group of students including our host sisters and had a discussion on democracy. These students all seemed very smart and enthusiastic to have us with them. After the meeting we were ushered to a cooking classroom for a lesson on how to make samosas where a woman taught us rolling and stuffing techniques to make the perfect samosa. They were delicious! Visiting the Modern School was really special because we got to bond with kids who shared similar interests and likes with us.  (more below)

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After the Modern School we visited the Molar Bund slum again. We started off our time there by talking with the 11th and 12th grade girls, the oldest girls at the school. We exchanged questions about daily life and favorite activities along with favorite songs including bollywood music. The girls taught us a few Hindi phrases including "mera naam Julia hai" meaning my name is Julia. At the end of our talk we received "friendship bracelets" from the girls we talked to. They were all the sweetest, nicest girls and spoke to us with such kindness and enthusiasm. Once they left we had the opportunity to get henna tattoos from the women taking beauty classes at the school. They had pre-drawn sketches of henna tattoos which they went over with the henna and allowed us to try using it. Then they went on to give us henna wherever we wanted. Even though most didn't speak a lot of English, we were still able to convey our enthusiasm and happiness to be interacting with each other and to get the beautiful henna work done by them. It was a great trip to the Molar Bund School! 

Going from a privileged school like the Modern School to the Molar Bund School in the impoverished slum was a huge change. We recognized how amazingly privileged the Modern School students were by their discussions of personal drivers and house maids. Even though the students at Molar Bund were far less privileged, they expressed the same amount of happiness as those at the Modern School. It was interesting to interact with students from both schools, and to see how kids our age in India can have such differing lives. The people we talked to at the Modern School spoke perfect English and had all traveled to the US multiple times, while those at the Molar Bund school spoke significantly less English and it was harder to communicate with them. Having these two experiences one after each other helped us internalize the disparity of wealth in India, and how education is so fundamental. 

-Julia 



Monday, August 4, 2014

Homestays

Last night at our home stay gave me a new perspective of India. Staying with the girls at the Modern School was a great thing for us to experience. After we left the hotel Anna and I got picked up by Alisha, our host sister, and her driver. Immediately I was surprised at the life these girls lived with so much wealth. Alisha explained to us that she felt sad that only a small percent of India lived the way that she did but it's just how it always will be. On the way home we stopped for ice cream which reminded me exactly of stopping for froyo after school at home. This part of India was not so different from what I am used to back in America. Later that evening after a few hours of watching tv and introductions to the immediate and extended family who lived in the house we went for dinner. At first I felt a little bummed that we didn't have dinner with the rest of the group but a small family dinner also gave me the chance  to experience an India family dinner experience. I was also surprised by the fact that although there were 9 people living in the house Alisha told us that they rarely ate meals or even saw each other in the house. Our small family dinner consisted of Anna, Alisha, Alisha's mother, and me. The cooks prepared two kinds of India pasta dishes, one spicy red sauce dish, and one that tasted somewhat like an alfredo sauce. Honestly I have never been constantly offered so much food. Shortly after dinner we decided to take a driving tour of the city. We visited the Red Fort, India gate, the presidents house, and old Delhi. Delhi is the real city that never sleeps. At 10:00 at night the streets were bustling with people ready to have a good time. At this point Anna and I were exhausted to the point where we could barely stay awake on the car ride home. After a good night sleep we sat down for Nutella waffles which were delicious. After breakfast we said our goodbyes to the family where Alisha's grandfather kindly presented us with a set of beautiful Hindi prayer cards. Experiencing a night with the modern school girls helped me future analyze the Indian culture and how drastically money affects their daily lives.

- Kenya 

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

A quick good night

It's been a long day in Delhi, so we all need some rest. The next blog will come tomorrow! Night

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

A busy day in Delhi

This morning we said goodbye to our awesome hosts sisters and returned to the hotel for a long day of sightseeing and activities. We all finished packing our overnight bags for Amritsar and jumped on the tourist bus to go to Humayan's tomb. On the way there, we saw the India gate which has the names of 70,000 Indian soldiers who fought in the British army during World War 1 engraved on the surface. We also passed by the president's ginormous house which supposedly has more than 300 rooms. Despite the humidity, we all had a blast walking around the park. We admired the architecture of the mosuleums, the colorful designs on the buildings, and took tons of pictures. The mosuleums were almost as big as the Taj Mahal, but had more spacious interiors and colorful facades. The tombs are located in a nicer part of New Delhi, so there is almost no trash and the buildings look maintained. 
(More below)



After the sightseeing outing, we went to a clothing designer named Anuradha Ramam's boutique. The designer herself showed us the intricate cloths used for saris and scarfs which are woven and embroidered by hand. She explained to us the process of how her pieces are made from start to finish, and also gave us some great life tips. She encouraged us to be confident in ourselves and to pursue our dreams no matter how different they may be. She was a really cool woman who had fulfilled her dream of becoming a designer despite not going to design school and being encouraged to pursue a more traditional career. To our delight, we got to try on beautiful saris of our choice. The women working at the boutique helped tie the saris on us and we took a group picture in front of the store. The textiles were of all different colors and designs, we all looked fabulous!  (More below)

 



Lunch at the hotel was delicious as usual. We then went to the Molarbund school where we bonded with some adorable fourth graders while doing arts and crafts. The kids could only say a couple of English phrases so it was challenging to explain to them the directions of the activity, but they were so sweet and funny. They would call us ma'am and say things like "ma'am you're so awesome!" Our activity was to cut a tree and leaves from construction paper and hang them up in their classrooms. 

The Molarbund school had asked us to plan a dance to perform because their high school girls were going to dance for us. Not surprisingly the 3 dances the girls performed were better than ours. In fact, our dances to 'the cotton eye joe' and 'cha cha slide' were pretty embarrassing, but fortunately the Molarbund girls came in and joined us and we had so much fun. They also taught us a dance that they had performed which was so exhilarating and funny. 

After staying the night with wealthy families from New Delhi, and then spending the day with students from a school in a slum, we got to witness the difference in lifestyles of the two India's. Despite the extreme differences in the lives of us holton girls, the modern school students, and the Molarbund school students, we share so many similarities in interests, hopes, and dreams. Our time at the molarbund school was special because the relationships we formed with the girls there were genuine. Unlike with our host sisters from the modern school who took me to the mall and a fancy restaurant, us holton and Molarbund school girls bonded by simply dancing and laughing together.  

- Adriana 



Tuesday, August 5, 2014

We've arrived in Amritsar

We took an early flight this morning and are safely checked into our hotel in Amritsar. Check back tomorrow to hear all about it!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Our Day in Amritsar

Today began with an early yet exciting start. At 5:30 am, we left our hotel for our flight to Amritsar to visit the Golden Temple, the religious site of the Sikh religion, and an orphanage. When we arrived in Amritsar after an hour flight, we were all fascinated by the contrast between Delhi and Amritsar. Everything was much cleaner, less polluted, and the grass was in fact green. Before the trip, we thought India would be more like Amritsar and less like Delhi. Fun fact: there are more Pepsi advertisements in Delhi than coke advertisements in Amritsar. 

We checked into our new hotel where we were greeted with smiles and open arms. Shortly after, we traveled to an orphanage in downtown Amritsar where we were given cookies and soda and a tour around the school. The school was all boys, so when you walked in, the boys stood up awkwardly and stared as we stared back at them. In the middle of the tour, we went to a music class where they sang songs in Punjabi, their native language. The school also takes care of 27 blind boys and we were fortunate enough to hear them sing and play instruments. We were all astonished by the blind boys and their ability to play the instruments. 

After the orphanage, we had lunch back at the hotel and rested for a few hours before leaving for the Golden Temple. Buses aren't allowed to go near the Golden Temple so our driver dropped us off on the street as close as he could. From there, we walked on the congested streets to get to the Golden Temple. Because of the distance, we travelled on two rickshaws as close as possible since they prohibit vehicles to a certain point. In order to get in, we had to take off our shoes and put on our head scarfs. We also had to wash our feet in water before entering. Once we were finally in, we marveled at the gold and made our way through the temple. We toured the kitchen that feeds thousands and thousands of people daily for no cost. Afterwards, we walked to Jallianwala Bagh, the site of a massacre where the British army trapped, shot, and killed innocent people who were gathered for a nonviolent protest. The gardens at Jallianwala Bagh were significantly cooler temperature wise than the Golden Temple.  (Photos to come...)

In order to return to our bus, we travelled by rickshaw again. This time, however, we nearly got stuck in a mixture of mud and droppings. Don't worry though; we didn't fall in. We returned safely to the bus and are looking forward to driving to Dharamshala tomorrow morning!

- Anna 

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Heading up North

This morning we returned to the Golden Temple for a 5:30 am visit. It began pouring so it wasn't quite the experience we had imagined, but the rain added a different kind of magic to the place. 

We are setting off on our day-long drive to Dharamshala. Internet can be spotty up there, but we will update you when we can!


Thursday, August 7, 2014

We've arrived in Dharamsala

We are at the beautiful Norbulingka! 


Friday, August 8, 2014

Our journey to Dharamshala

Today began with an even earlier start than yesterday. We woke up around 4:50 to leave the hotel at 5:15 to revisit the Golden Temple. Once again we rode the rickshaws to get to the temple. When we got there it was pouring and it was surprisingly busy considering it was so early. As we entered the temple the Sikhs began chanting and did s for about 10 minutes. It was amazing to see this performed at the Sikh's holiest site of worship. 

After that we were behind schedule so we hurried back to the hotel to pack up and have a delicious breakfast. We left the hotel again at 8:15 for the drive up to Dharamshala. It was interesting to see the changes in environment as we travelled through each state. As we reached the mountains, the polluted cities turned into lush green trees. The roads were windy and the views spectacular and even though the journey was nearly 7 hours it didn't feel that long.

When we got to Norbulingka we were immediately amazed by the peaceful atmosphere of the gardens. We were split into two groups and were shown round the whole complex. Norbulingka is much more than a hotel - it is a center dedicated to preserving Tibetan arts and culture. We looked round various different workshops such as wood carving, metal sculpting, painting all done using the same techniques that would be found in Tibet. Our guide also pointed out that they have a Tibetan school here where they learn about the history and traditions of Tibet and also Chinese and English. We were also able to look round the amazing temple that they have on site. The temple was full of color and there are over 1,000 visual representations of Buddha, the main one being a 17 ft tall statue. 

After dinner there was a very special guest who had come to talk to us, Tenzin, a Tibetan freedom fighter and writer. He started by telling us his life story, how his parents had fled to India from Tibet and that subsequently he was born here. He attended a refugee boarding school which is when he was first inspired to try to make a change. His teachers there taught him that it's not through violence or money that Tibet will become free, it's by empowering people through education that they will be able to take back their country. Even though he was taught this when he was only 8 years old he still lives by it today. He explained the situation in Tibet today and how the struggle for freedom will not come through worldwide support of countries, because no country will ever go against China due to their power in global trade, but through individuals wanting to make a change. Tenzin was probably one of the most inspirational people I have ever met, by dedicating his life to this cause. 
-Emily 

Saturday, August 9, 2014

The Dalai Lama!

This morning, we all woke up nervous, but extremely excited to meet the Dalai Lama. We ate breakfast around 8, then got ready to leave the hotel for the day. As we got out of our hotel rooms, our trip leaders told us there was a small problem with security and that there was a slight chance we wouldn't be able to meet the Dalai Lama. We all headed to the temple anyway and learned that it was only a matter of more forms to be filled out. 

When we arrived at the temple, we were led to a room and had to wait there for around 15 minutes, which only added to the excitement. After the wait, we were taken to the entrance of another building where we would meet the Dalai Lama with a separate group of Tibetans. His Holiness walked out after a couple of minutes. Upon first seeing us and learning where we were from, he exclaimed, "American imperialists!" then let out a loud laugh to let us know he was kidding.

After spending a surprisingly short time with the Tibetan group, the Dalai Lama came over to us. We took a group picture and he tried to get us all to hold his hands. Then he asked us why we had come to India, and our trip leaders said that they were trying to change our outlook on the world. He thought it was good to get a worldly perspective, and he told us that America was the biggest free superpower and that we should be proud of that. He compared the US to India as well, saying that India is a very honest and truthful country. He also said that secularism is not about ignoring religion, but working in harmony with all religions. He left us with the thought that you don't have to be religious or spiritual to believe in kindness and compassion. We were all struck by his sense of humor and stance on religion and other values. We also felt so lucky that he spent so much time with us. Mrs. Willingham later mentioned that he has said a few times that he believes the Western woman will change the world, and that might be why he spoke to us for so long. 

We would just like to say thank you to Dorjee Tso and her friend Tenzin for giving us the once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting the Dalai Lama. We were all moved by the meeting and what he said to us. 

After that, we got lunch at a little cafe that had excellent noodles and grilled cheese. Then we met with a woman from the Students For A Free Tibet organization. She showed us a video of interviews with Tibetans leading up to the Olympics in 2008. In the video, one Tibetan expressed that he would sacrifice his life for the Dalai Lama to hear his message. The video made us think once again of how fortunate we were to meet His Holiness when so many Tibetans never will. Learning about Students For A Free Tibet also made us want to start a chapter at Holton. 

After the meeting, we were allowed to do a little shopping. We wandered around McLeod Ganj buying souvenirs and taking in the dramatic views of the fog-covered mountains and valleys below. 

After a very bumpy taxi ride, we met with a woman from Voice of Tibet, a radio station that relays news to the people of Tibet. Their work was another inspiring example of the huge devotion to the Tibetan cause. 

Finally, we went to an arts fusion performance that included traditional and contemporary Tibetan music, improvised painting, and poetry written and read by Tenzin, the man who spoke to us last night about his work for Tibet. I quite liked the traditional Tibetan music, and I think everyone found all of the performances interesting as well. There were also a few puppies wandering around during the performance, and everyone was a little distracted by them, especially when one of them pooped on the floor in the middle of the concert. 

After the performance, we ate a quick dinner at the ashram where Tenzin lives. Then we came back to Norbulingka, and now we are all excited for a more relaxing day tomorrow. 
-Eliza 

(Showing off our string bracelets blessed by the Dalai Lama)

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

On the train back to Delhi

We arrive late at night, but we get to sleep in!


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Back in Delhi

     Today was our first day back at what felt like our home base, in Delhi. After  a long day of traveling yesterday,  we were definitely grateful to be back. In the morning, we had a quick breakfast and started off our day by visiting "Sweccha", an organization founded by Vimlendu Jha, who also served as a facilitator for  the group discussions we had the modern school. Upon our arrival to the Sweccha offices, we noticed that most all of the furniture there was made from recycled materials, such as chandeliers from diet coke cans, lamps made from car mufflers, and seat cushions made from old tires. We were later told that one of the organization's main functions was "upcycling"old and used materials into new and more valuable products. We learned more about Sweccha's  goals including slowing  the rapid spread of pollution(especially in the toxic Yamuna river), educating and providing alternatives for children who have to work and live  toxic waters and polluted landfills  to support themselves and their families, and spreading the word about global pollution. We then tried our hand at upcycling,  and somewhat successfully created  bags and coasters from old tires and juice containers!

     After a fun morning, we finally got the chance to go to Dilli Haat,  an outdoor market we had been anticipating visiting  for over a week! When we arrived, we were excited and a little overwhelmed with the vast marketplace  filled with bright colors and vendors of all different sorts. While walking  through, vendors would call  out to us pedaling their products and all claiming the "best price" or a "very happy price". From  saris to sandals, they had it all!  Two hours flew by as  we put our bargaining skills to use  and purchased gifts for our friends and family members, after which we returned to the hotel , buzzing about the beautiful things we'd bought.

     After a little down time at hotel thirty three we had our final Bollywood dance lesson and performed for Ms.willingham, Ms. Poppi, and our beloved to guides Prachur and Anita.
And after the first of many farewells to be said, we had  a lovely dinner and closed the night with a conversation with Swati where we took a deeper look at all the things we had seen since our last stay in Delhi.
 
-Olivia

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Last day in India

Today we explored both old and new Dehli, by car and bike rickshaw. We began the day by piling into 3 separate cars to head to Old Dehli. Our first destination was a mosque where we all had to put on colorful flowery robes that probably have never been washed. We walked around the mosque with bare feet on some very hot ground. We posed for many pictures and each tried to take action shots of each other with our robes flowing in the wind. We then headed back outside where we thought we were getting into cars again, but instead our guide Prachur lead us through the busy street to bike rickshaws. We each got into the rickshaws in our pairs of two. Gabriela and I posed for a picture thanks to our driver taking my camera from me. We moved through the alleyways of Old Dehli, gaping at the hanging electric wires and transformers. Holding on for dear life we made our way through, snapping pictures and laughing whenever we hit a pothole. We then got back into the cars and
headed off for New Dehli. 

We drove to New Dehli, surrounded by less trash and more manicured land. We stopped at a  bungalow in a neighborhood full of government homes. The bungalow, though quite worn down with time was worth $50 million US dollars. The woman who lives there came and spoke to us about the house and she told us how no one realized 75 years ago how rich in real estate the neighborhood would be. We then got back into the cars where we headed off to Lohdi garden, home to many playgrounds and a tomb built in the 16th century. We walked around, took more group pictures and of course we played in the playground.

We drove back to hotel thirty three, where we enjoyed our second to last Indian meal of chicken curry, rice, pasta and of course naan. We then had 45 minutes to shower and finish packing. At 1:30 we headed to the ground floor of the hotel to pick out colorful bangles and of course get our henna or mehendi. We each got 24 colorful and sparkly bangles and intricate henna designs, the most popular being one on the front of your hand and the other on the palm of the other hand. We also watched Bend it like Beckham and English Vinglish. 

I can't believe it's our last day in India, this trip has flown by and it was such an incredible eye opening experience and it'll be an experience none of us will ever forget. 

- Sophie



Friday, August 15, 2014

Hanging in Doha

Everyone is being flexible and patient during our unexpected and extended stay in Doha. Couldn't have asked for a better group!


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