So much has happened since I was last able to write -- we all agree that Mae Sot, and Thailand in general, seem eons away due to all we've experienced since coming out of the village of Noh Bo. I've got time, and I'll try to cover the highlights; I hope my tendency to ramble on doesn't dissuade you from reading through it all. Bottom line, we are all happy, healthy and soaking up an immense spectrum of experiences. The students are great travelers, handling the challenges of our journey - and those that come with being a member of our emerging "tribe" - extremely well, and I am very proud of all of them.
I think I left off last time in Noh Bo, where I was so amazed to be able to email at all, due to that remarkable extension of WiFi all over Thailand (not so thus far in India, which is partly why I had to wait until today to email again). Our time there, and the work we did for the orphans, was so fulfilling that the students asked to stay an extra day, so as to be able to accomplish more before leaving. I want to add a bit more detail about the people we worked with and for at Noh Bo, and will borrow a paragraph from a group email Charlie sent, since he covered it well. This elaborates on the situation for the Karen people we were with and provides a bit more context to what I have already shared about the orphans we were so happy to be able to help.:
"In the village, we had the pleasure of working and becoming friends with Karen refugees from the nearby refugee camp. The Karen are an ethnic group indigenous to both Thailand and Burma. Since WWII they have been heavily persecuted by the junta in Burma and many have fled to Thailand for safety. Thailand was not comfortable with the high influx of Karen coming and retained them in refugee camps along the border. For the refugees we had the opportunity to meet and work with, it was the first time the government of Thailand had allowed them outside of the camp. Their stories were both emotional and unjust, but their capacity for hope and optimism was an inspiration to our group . Many students were transformed from their time with them and hopefully developed friendships they will keep intact back in the US."
(Thank you, Charlie, for letting me "steal" your words..) Having spent the extra day in the village, our return to Mae Sot was a brief one -- just long enough to get an excellent meal, a hot shower (now much more appreciated than ever before), and some sleep. Next morning early we were on a bus back to Bangkok, for one last night at the Shanti before flying out to India. Thai buses can be pretty easy rides - I chose a first class, aircon option for our weary workers, which made the 8 hour ride pass smoothly - lunch, cold drinks included.
The bustle of Bangkok was certainly an adjustment, albeit by our second run through a familiar one. A bit of rest and renewal at the Shanti helped us prepare, at least logistically, for the major adjustment coming in to India requires. The flight to Kolkata was short and easy; the process through the airport, collecting bags and booking taxis into the city, as well. However, from the time we got into those taxis, right up to today, it hasn't been easy. As Ted has said before, "Thailand is easy. India is hard. But hard can be good." Not a bad lesson for all of us to heed. I'll start the sharing of what India has served up so far by stealing a bit of Charlie's posting again, since our ride in was (and always has been, past trips) quite similar:
"We arrived last night in Kolkata and immediately descended into its madness with the exhilarating taxi ride from the airport. Imagine a city the geographic size of Bellingham with 15 million people, no traffic lanes and seemingly no traffic rules. One student said it was one of the most intense and memorable experiences of his life."
I also have some descriptions of this first taste that my students have made in their "India: First Impressions" response papers I collected from them last night. I'll send those in a separate email (this one is already getting rather long!). From the taxi ride in, to the short walk across the street (check those quotes for an understanding of the challenge even that served up) to get some dinner, to the adjustment to an Indian hotel complete with "room boys," to our experiences on our (next-) day tour of Kolkata, the kids have been wide-eyed, amused, overwhemed, thrilled, confounded -- I could go on, but I imagine you get the point.
Our tour included stops at (1) Kalighat Temple, sacred to Shiva's consort Kali, crammed with devotees in search of blessings and good fortune in exchange for devotion in the form of prayers and offerings (which include flowers, incense, fire, and yes, goat sacrifices); (2) a major Jain Temple (astoundingly beautiful, intricate in its multiple constructions, from inlaid halls of mirrors and gems, to architecture and objects collected from or modeled after art from all over the world -- we saw items from France, Germany, Iran, China, and I'm sure many other countries! all arrayed in or around the temple in complex and wondrous forms); (3) Mother Teresa's "Mother House," which includes one of the most peaceful spots to be found in all of India - her tomb, this time adorned with flowers spelling out "Love Seeks to Serve" (last year it was, "Love Until It Hurts"), and a room filled with photos, news articles and other writings detailing her most amazing life and work in Calcutta; (4) the Victoria Monument, a huge memorial to Queen Victoria/remnant of the British Raj surrounded by lovely gardens, and providing quite the contrast to Kolkata's chaos; and finally, (5) Howrah Station, where we boarded the night train to Gaya -- reached via the Hooghly Bridge over the River Ganges as it empties into the Bay of Bengal after its long journey from the Himalayas (via Varanasi), an amazing architectural feat, constantly streaming with people and vehicles crossing from one side to the other.
Our ride on the train was fairly uneventful, save the first half hour or so, when the "local" riders expect to share your booth space with you (which Colin and I were having none of, knowing our students needed to keep claim to the space allotted each with their sleeper berth tickets). Had to wake them all up at 4:45 am, to disembark at Gaya. Sleepy children piled into "auto rickshaws" to make the 4 km ride in the pre-dawn darkness to Bodh Gaya, getting down at our pre-booked little guesthouse, where we dropped our bags before heading out for breakfast at the Om Cafe, a favorite spot from past trips, run by Tibetans.
And as it happens, Bodh Gaya is currently replete with Tibetans - lay people and Nyingma monks, here for the "monlam puja," an annual worship service where thousands of Nyingma monks gather to chant and pray together. The Mahabodhi Temple here (site of Buddha's awakening, and home to the Bodhi Tree he sat under while in search of same) has been full of these worshippers, and their chanting, maroon robes and general great good humor has been as inspiring as it has been overwhelming. The students spent yesterday exploring, visiting the temple, catching up on laundry/internet/sleep/meals..
And that's what they are up to right now, as I sit here typing this. I told them this morning as I gave them their assignment, that in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I hope they will pursue this knowledge in the spirit of what the Dalai Lama once said about our culture: that in the West, we are very good at "head" learning; but what we could all stand to work on incorporating in our lives is more "heart" learning. In India, this comes from the connections easily made person to person. As many of you know, even the Indian greeting of Namaste (or variously, Namaskar), means (as borrowed from the Wikipedia list of basically similar meanings): "That which is of God in me greets that which is of God in you," a reflection of the Indian belief that we are all connected, all ultimately the same, all just drops in the ocean that is the Ultimate Reality. Consequently, connecting with individuals here can be immediate, and heart-to-heart. There is nothing like making eye contact with an (initially reserved, even stone-faced) Indian, sending a smile, and seeing in return a smile in the receiver's face that lights it up like the sun. I love to make Indians smile. The students are beginning to share that emotion and experience, and it's wonderful to observe.
With that said, I think I'd better close and check back in with the students. I thought this might take me an hour or so -- it's been nearly two -- and I still want to send the quotes the students have given me permission to share. I'll try to get that done a little later today. Please accept once again my sincerest gratitude for trusting me to bring your children and loved ones to this place so dear to MY heart.
Blessings to you all,
Peg
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