Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
From "The Wind in My Wheels: Travel Tales from the Saddle" by Josie Dew
In India, conversations often seemed to go round in circles. In Chittaurgarh (City of Valour, said my map) the man at the guest house knocked on my door and said, "Sir. Good evening but your country of origin is what please?"
"You've already written it down five times on five different bits of paper," I said.
"What is the fine name of your father?"
"You've written that five times as well."
"In the morning," he said, "you are wishing for a breakfast mealing?"
"Yes, that would be very nice. You have porridge?" I inquired hopefully.
"Porridge-yes."
"How much your porridge?" I asked, surprised.
"Porridge three rupee only."
"Okay. One bowl porridge in the morning please."
"Porridge? No, no porridge."
"But you just said porridge-yes."
"No. Omelette, chapati."
"Do you have yoghurt-dahi?"
"Dahi. Yes."
"Okay, I'll have dahi then."
"You want omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"No problem omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"Just dahi?"
"Yes, just dahi."
In the morning I was presented with a bowl of porridge.
"You've already written it down five times on five different bits of paper," I said.
"What is the fine name of your father?"
"You've written that five times as well."
"In the morning," he said, "you are wishing for a breakfast mealing?"
"Yes, that would be very nice. You have porridge?" I inquired hopefully.
"Porridge-yes."
"How much your porridge?" I asked, surprised.
"Porridge three rupee only."
"Okay. One bowl porridge in the morning please."
"Porridge? No, no porridge."
"But you just said porridge-yes."
"No. Omelette, chapati."
"Do you have yoghurt-dahi?"
"Dahi. Yes."
"Okay, I'll have dahi then."
"You want omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"No problem omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"Just dahi?"
"Yes, just dahi."
In the morning I was presented with a bowl of porridge.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Before coming here, I filled out a pre-evaluation stating my preferences for volunteer work. My first choice was to work with kids with special needs. However, there is another volunteer organization here and most of them volunteer at the school for special needs in Palampur. The organization also donates money to the school. When CCS asked them if I could volunteer at the school, they asked if there would be donations too. Since it was just going to be me, the volunteer, donating my time and not money, they said no to me working there. I am so glad that I got to work at the aanganwadi; I loved the placement and I don't wish that I was placed elsewhere. However, I was still curious about education for kids with special needs. One great thing about Cross Cultural Solutions is the focus they put on the interests of their volunteers. The program director had been working for weeks on getting a meeting with the school, so that I could go there and talk to the people in charge. I did this yesterday. The woman in charge had a lot of education in the area of special needs and was very devoted to the school. Her brother, who has down syndrome, is one of the students, and her motivation for doing what she does. Four years ago, when the school opened, she went door-to-door in Palampur, trying to convince parents to send their kids to the school. Most of them, she said, are ashamed of their children, and just leave them in the house all day. Now, after four years, parents have seen the abilities of their children improve and are surprised that their children are capable of doing much more than they originally thought. Still, there are many parents that refuse to send their kids to school. And there are many other places in India that lack a school like the one here. It's not a government-initiated project, and most of the funding is private. The government seems to indirectly fund this school but someone locally must choose to begin a school. The government does not allow kids with special needs an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) like they do in America. They aren't allowed into most public schools and if there does not exist a special needs school like there is here, the kids don't ever attend school.
Today should have been my second-to-last day of work but the school was closed. All the aanganwadi teachers and teacher's aids throughout India are demanding higher salaries and today they held a rally in Palampur.
Tomorrow, I'll bring sweets for the kids and say my good-byes. :( Then I'm off to Delhi, Agra (to see the Taj Mahal) and Thailand for four days.
I still have more travels ahead of me and I'm incredibly excited for them. It's bittersweet, though. I am saying good-bye to an amazing four weeks in this small and beloved town. I'll miss Palampur and the children very, very much. On the other hand, I look forward to seeing friends, family and my boyfriend. I will appreciate taking a warm shower and knowing the water won't stop while my hair is full of shampoo. I'll enjoy some dark chocolate, since they only have milk chocolate here! Although I know I'll never give up the convenience of having a cell phone, I don't really look forward to that, or TV, or computer access at all times. I will really miss the delicious food here and the chai. I'll miss wearing a salwaar kameez, which I've grown accustomed to wearing. I won't miss running in pants in the blazing heat. (We can't wear shorts here...people will be offended and we've actually been told by the company that we can't wear them outside.) I am very excited for public garbage cans! I just ate an iced cream cone and wrapped up the remains to take home to throw away. But a man in a shop made me throw it in the gutter. It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase "litter bugs me." It really does! I hate the feeling of adding to the pollution. I'm going to pick up something from the road later and throw it away at the home-base, where there is a garbage can, but I'm not certain that the trash doesn't end up in the gutter anyway. Yes, I will appreciate garbage cans and waste management forevermore.
Even though my volunteer work is nearly over, I hope that it stays with me for a long time. I love teaching. Seeing progress in learning and the feeling of accomplishment on the faces of students is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. I'm not sure how much these children will remember, if anything, from the four weeks I spent with them. Their aanganwadi will continue to be a small box, not even 100 square feet with one window, no electricity, and no bathroom. Their teacher, the aid, and all the women from the village will continue to hit them when they're naughty. The children that are slower to learn will probably continue to be ignored and fall farther and farther behind. But I hope that the teacher may use some of my ideas in the future. I hope they'll remember that we were effective teachers even though we didn't hit the children to get their attention. And I hope the parents who I've met realize that someone from another country far away cares about the education of their child. I hope that thinking about education, allowing oneself to be influenced by another culture, and reflecting on one's own culture, happened on both sides. As cheesy as it sounds, I strongly believe that this type of cultural exchange is one of the best kinds. I saved $5 a day for almost three years, which allowed me to resign from my three-year job at Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks and take the summer off to do this. However, many volunteers take advantage of Cross Cultural Solutions' fundraising website. You can post your photo and send personalized emails through the site, asking people to make a tax-deductible donation in support of your volunteer work abroad. The website is http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/. The opportunity and privilege of working abroad can't be matched by any other type of travel, in my opinion. Okay, my infomercial is over. And so is my posting. :)
Today should have been my second-to-last day of work but the school was closed. All the aanganwadi teachers and teacher's aids throughout India are demanding higher salaries and today they held a rally in Palampur.
Tomorrow, I'll bring sweets for the kids and say my good-byes. :( Then I'm off to Delhi, Agra (to see the Taj Mahal) and Thailand for four days.
I still have more travels ahead of me and I'm incredibly excited for them. It's bittersweet, though. I am saying good-bye to an amazing four weeks in this small and beloved town. I'll miss Palampur and the children very, very much. On the other hand, I look forward to seeing friends, family and my boyfriend. I will appreciate taking a warm shower and knowing the water won't stop while my hair is full of shampoo. I'll enjoy some dark chocolate, since they only have milk chocolate here! Although I know I'll never give up the convenience of having a cell phone, I don't really look forward to that, or TV, or computer access at all times. I will really miss the delicious food here and the chai. I'll miss wearing a salwaar kameez, which I've grown accustomed to wearing. I won't miss running in pants in the blazing heat. (We can't wear shorts here...people will be offended and we've actually been told by the company that we can't wear them outside.) I am very excited for public garbage cans! I just ate an iced cream cone and wrapped up the remains to take home to throw away. But a man in a shop made me throw it in the gutter. It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase "litter bugs me." It really does! I hate the feeling of adding to the pollution. I'm going to pick up something from the road later and throw it away at the home-base, where there is a garbage can, but I'm not certain that the trash doesn't end up in the gutter anyway. Yes, I will appreciate garbage cans and waste management forevermore.
Even though my volunteer work is nearly over, I hope that it stays with me for a long time. I love teaching. Seeing progress in learning and the feeling of accomplishment on the faces of students is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. I'm not sure how much these children will remember, if anything, from the four weeks I spent with them. Their aanganwadi will continue to be a small box, not even 100 square feet with one window, no electricity, and no bathroom. Their teacher, the aid, and all the women from the village will continue to hit them when they're naughty. The children that are slower to learn will probably continue to be ignored and fall farther and farther behind. But I hope that the teacher may use some of my ideas in the future. I hope they'll remember that we were effective teachers even though we didn't hit the children to get their attention. And I hope the parents who I've met realize that someone from another country far away cares about the education of their child. I hope that thinking about education, allowing oneself to be influenced by another culture, and reflecting on one's own culture, happened on both sides. As cheesy as it sounds, I strongly believe that this type of cultural exchange is one of the best kinds. I saved $5 a day for almost three years, which allowed me to resign from my three-year job at Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks and take the summer off to do this. However, many volunteers take advantage of Cross Cultural Solutions' fundraising website. You can post your photo and send personalized emails through the site, asking people to make a tax-deductible donation in support of your volunteer work abroad. The website is http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/. The opportunity and privilege of working abroad can't be matched by any other type of travel, in my opinion. Okay, my infomercial is over. And so is my posting. :)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Our group spent the weekend in Mcleod Ganj in Upper Dharamsala. Just 40 km from Palampur, it is vastly different. The Dalai Lama came here in 1959, thinking it would be a temporary residence. But the Chinese still occupy Tibet, and thus the Tibetan monasteries, temples, restaurants, shops and people are as plentiful in this region as the rain is during this season.
We got here on Friday evening and decided to eat at The Taste of India, which I'd heard had cooking classes. The meal was incredible. Every bite of everything we ordered (stuffed tomato, malai kofta, butter chicken, Kashmiri rice) was heavenly. After the meal, we talked to the chef and arranged a cooking class with her. It would be for Saturday and Sunday from 4-6:30. She would make a number of dishes and we would get to indulge at the end. It cost us 800 rupees per person, or $20. With two feasts included in the price, this is by far the best deal I've had in India, and perhaps in my whole life!
On Saturday morning, a few of us woke up early to go to a 2 1/2 hour yoga class. Unlike most of the classes here, which are generally Hatha yoga, this one combined the Ashtanga and Vinyasa styles. I enjoyed every second of it! The teacher, Sivadas, taught a perfect mixture of poses and flow. It was very challenging and I am paying for it with a sore body today! I was more relaxed during shivasana (spelling?) than I can ever remember being. I wish I could go everyday!
The rest of the day involved walking, shopping, registering for the Dalai Lama's Sunday teaching, and later, the cooking class. Nisha made palak paneer, aloo gobhi, stuffed parantha, chapatti, and malai kofta. I have recipes, if anyone who reads this wants them!
We awoke to pouring rain at 6 am and trekked with umbrellas to the Tibetan temple. Anything for the Dalai Lama! From 8-11, we huddled around FM radios to hear the translation in English. Since I shared my headphones with Christine, my left ear heard English and my right ear heard Tibetan for three hours. Despite this imbalance, I still learned a few new things about Buddhism. He spoke about tolerance of different religions. That you can't say one religion is best. It's like saying that one medicine is best. You can't. You have to take into consideration the sickness. A medicine that works for one sickness may not work for another. Likewise, you can't say that any one religion is right for all human beings.
Then the translator started to talk about the five aggregates and a really long word that started with a P and he lost me.
We were told to bring a cup with us because people walk around pouring Tibetan butter tea. I'd heard prior to leaving for India, that it's terrible-tasting, but I wanted to see for myself. It tastes like melted salted butter. And the Tibetans love it!
The teaching is in a two-story building and we were on the large porch. We had a shelter above us but mist came in from the sides. It was such a neat thing to be seated cross-legged among hundreds of other people while it poured a heavy rain outside. Lucky for me, a Tibetan showed me how to tie my towel around my back, so as not to get cold, and how to cross my legs over my shoes, so my feet wouldn't fall asleep!
Now I'm off to Part Two of the cooking class! Samosas and dal are on the agenda/menu tonight. Speaking of samosas, you can get them on the street for about 7 cents! Or 13 for $1! When I told our driver they would cost about 100 rupees ($2) at home, he was shocked. I'm a samosa camel here, eating enough to last me until my next time in India! :)
We got here on Friday evening and decided to eat at The Taste of India, which I'd heard had cooking classes. The meal was incredible. Every bite of everything we ordered (stuffed tomato, malai kofta, butter chicken, Kashmiri rice) was heavenly. After the meal, we talked to the chef and arranged a cooking class with her. It would be for Saturday and Sunday from 4-6:30. She would make a number of dishes and we would get to indulge at the end. It cost us 800 rupees per person, or $20. With two feasts included in the price, this is by far the best deal I've had in India, and perhaps in my whole life!
On Saturday morning, a few of us woke up early to go to a 2 1/2 hour yoga class. Unlike most of the classes here, which are generally Hatha yoga, this one combined the Ashtanga and Vinyasa styles. I enjoyed every second of it! The teacher, Sivadas, taught a perfect mixture of poses and flow. It was very challenging and I am paying for it with a sore body today! I was more relaxed during shivasana (spelling?) than I can ever remember being. I wish I could go everyday!
The rest of the day involved walking, shopping, registering for the Dalai Lama's Sunday teaching, and later, the cooking class. Nisha made palak paneer, aloo gobhi, stuffed parantha, chapatti, and malai kofta. I have recipes, if anyone who reads this wants them!
We awoke to pouring rain at 6 am and trekked with umbrellas to the Tibetan temple. Anything for the Dalai Lama! From 8-11, we huddled around FM radios to hear the translation in English. Since I shared my headphones with Christine, my left ear heard English and my right ear heard Tibetan for three hours. Despite this imbalance, I still learned a few new things about Buddhism. He spoke about tolerance of different religions. That you can't say one religion is best. It's like saying that one medicine is best. You can't. You have to take into consideration the sickness. A medicine that works for one sickness may not work for another. Likewise, you can't say that any one religion is right for all human beings.
Then the translator started to talk about the five aggregates and a really long word that started with a P and he lost me.
We were told to bring a cup with us because people walk around pouring Tibetan butter tea. I'd heard prior to leaving for India, that it's terrible-tasting, but I wanted to see for myself. It tastes like melted salted butter. And the Tibetans love it!
The teaching is in a two-story building and we were on the large porch. We had a shelter above us but mist came in from the sides. It was such a neat thing to be seated cross-legged among hundreds of other people while it poured a heavy rain outside. Lucky for me, a Tibetan showed me how to tie my towel around my back, so as not to get cold, and how to cross my legs over my shoes, so my feet wouldn't fall asleep!
Now I'm off to Part Two of the cooking class! Samosas and dal are on the agenda/menu tonight. Speaking of samosas, you can get them on the street for about 7 cents! Or 13 for $1! When I told our driver they would cost about 100 rupees ($2) at home, he was shocked. I'm a samosa camel here, eating enough to last me until my next time in India! :)
Thursday, July 5, 2007
My Fourth of July
7/4/2007
Happy Birthday, America!
Although today is not a holiday here, we will still celebrate, sans alcohol. (No alcohol is allowed during our work week. Plus, the drinking age is 25. This means I can legally drink with only one of the other volunteers, since I am the second-oldest!)
During our orientation two weeks ago we were told that perhaps we will decide to cook for the 4th of July and invite the staff to celebrate. When we got to Palampur it was on the schedule: "volunteers cook for staff." And so it shall be! Of course, we're happy to do so, since they work very hard. I just think it's funny how we told we would be cooking. :) My contribution is the top of the famous chocolate crunchies. No oven means no cake bottom, but we can all agree that the top is the best part anyway!
Yesterday and the day before, Professor Aswini Ray, from the Center for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, spoke to us about India's history, the political climate, the Kashmir conflict, and the caste system. What he explained to us was incredibly interesting and encouraged me to learn more. Being a volunteer has and will allow me to experience India in a way most tourists never do. However, it wouldn't be as valuable of a learning experience without the information we received from Professor Ray, and from the CCS staff being able to answer our questions. We notice things that are culturally different while volunteering, but don't understand why. Learning about the political climate, India's history, and modern culture, really helps me to understand the culture, or at least begin to. I'm sure it would take many decades to really know a country with as rich of a history as India's, and even then there would still be much to learn.
I feel like a student again! Everyday I go to school. I listen to lectures and take notes. And in the evenings, I do homework! Usually the homework is creating the lesson plan and preparing materials for the next day's class. But today a 15 year old girl named Surbhi, who lives next to the school and who I had met once before, gave me homework. It was the cutest thing! She opened her notebook to two surveys she had created for both Jaime and me to fill out. The questions were even tailored to each of us based on the discussion we had at our last encounter. It asked for the names of all of our family members, our dreams in life, our favorite hero and heroine, and "why do you like your boyfriend?" At the end it says: "please write a few words for me." This is my homework, due Friday, when she will return to the aanganwadi (day care/preschool)!
I gave her my notebook and asked her to do the same sort of survey about herself. Her words to us were: "You both are so cute and good girls. God bless both you. I love you both girls. And a very very good luck for your future."
Happy Birthday, America!
Although today is not a holiday here, we will still celebrate, sans alcohol. (No alcohol is allowed during our work week. Plus, the drinking age is 25. This means I can legally drink with only one of the other volunteers, since I am the second-oldest!)
During our orientation two weeks ago we were told that perhaps we will decide to cook for the 4th of July and invite the staff to celebrate. When we got to Palampur it was on the schedule: "volunteers cook for staff." And so it shall be! Of course, we're happy to do so, since they work very hard. I just think it's funny how we told we would be cooking. :) My contribution is the top of the famous chocolate crunchies. No oven means no cake bottom, but we can all agree that the top is the best part anyway!
Yesterday and the day before, Professor Aswini Ray, from the Center for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, spoke to us about India's history, the political climate, the Kashmir conflict, and the caste system. What he explained to us was incredibly interesting and encouraged me to learn more. Being a volunteer has and will allow me to experience India in a way most tourists never do. However, it wouldn't be as valuable of a learning experience without the information we received from Professor Ray, and from the CCS staff being able to answer our questions. We notice things that are culturally different while volunteering, but don't understand why. Learning about the political climate, India's history, and modern culture, really helps me to understand the culture, or at least begin to. I'm sure it would take many decades to really know a country with as rich of a history as India's, and even then there would still be much to learn.
I feel like a student again! Everyday I go to school. I listen to lectures and take notes. And in the evenings, I do homework! Usually the homework is creating the lesson plan and preparing materials for the next day's class. But today a 15 year old girl named Surbhi, who lives next to the school and who I had met once before, gave me homework. It was the cutest thing! She opened her notebook to two surveys she had created for both Jaime and me to fill out. The questions were even tailored to each of us based on the discussion we had at our last encounter. It asked for the names of all of our family members, our dreams in life, our favorite hero and heroine, and "why do you like your boyfriend?" At the end it says: "please write a few words for me." This is my homework, due Friday, when she will return to the aanganwadi (day care/preschool)!
I gave her my notebook and asked her to do the same sort of survey about herself. Her words to us were: "You both are so cute and good girls. God bless both you. I love you both girls. And a very very good luck for your future."
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
"Whatever you say about India, the opposite is also true."
View from the patio at our home-base & getting a flat tire during the six-hour drive to Manali!
7/2/2007
It's been a week since my last entry. I'll try to summarize the stories of the last week.
Palampur is known for it's tea. Last Tuesday we had the opportunity to tour one of the tea estates here in town. It covers 100 acres and is still only the third largest tea estate in Palampur. The owner, who inherited the estate from his great-grandfather was a jolly old man who picked figs and lychee off the tree for us to eat. After walking us around the grounds, he showed us the factory where they dry, press, and roast the tea.
We had another treat on Wednesday afternoon. Two Odissi dancers performed for us as their teacher, Kiran Segal, explained the meaning of the dances. Odissi is a classical form of Indian dance, originating from the city of Odissa. And Segal is known as "one of the most innovative and outstanding dancers/choreographers" of this type of dance. The three of them stayed at our home-base for two nights, giving us the opportunity to interact with them out of costume. When they did come out in costume, they looked incredible. The ornamentation on their bodies nearly took my breat away: jewelry covering their entire ears, headpieces, bracelets, and anklets. The first and second dances were interpretations of a prayer to the Hindu God Shiva and a story of a girl who outwits the god Krishna. The third dance, which the girls did together, was not an interpretation, but rather combined a number of seemingly VERY difficult moves.
Thursday the song god (with 330 million Hindu gods, surely there must be one) blessed us with the song "open, shut them". The song teaches kids to open and close their hands and "put them in their lap, lap, lap." This has since been a useful tool to stop them from slapping each other across the face. Instead, we remind them that, like the song, they should put their songs in their "lap, lap, lap."
Thursday was the last day for my volunteer partner, Megan. Since another girl, Jaime, only has two kids come to her placement and these days I normally have about 17, she has started to come with me.
Last week there was a court order for all the taxis in our state (Himachel Pradesh) to put meters in their cars. The drivers don't want to pay the cost of the meter, nor do they want their fees standardized. Since we take a taxi most days to work (a 30 min. drive one-way) we had to be shuttled back and forth. One of the days an undercover cab started to take us but the driver got a call from Lalit telling him to stop. Lalit had heard that one of the strikers was right near the school we teach at. We had to switch cars!
On Friday afternoon, all of us planned to leave for weekend trips. Six volunteers went to Armritsar, two went to Chamba, and I went with three other girls to Manali. However, because of the strike we postponed our trip about 12 hours and left at 4:00 in the morning. (The strike ended at midnight.) I slept most of the six-hour drive and the only unfortunate thing about that was I missed some incredible scenery. I would wake up every once in awhile when he hit a pothole or a horn beeped. I'd try to stay awake but the Dramamine was working too well. Luckily I had a second chance to see the views on Sunday evening during the drive back. We also got a flat tire going there! Fortunately, the driver, Rakesh, had a spare. Another group went to Manali a few weeks ago and weren't so lucky. The spare was also flat!
My summaries have turned into in-depth, detailed accounts, so I'll move onto our time in Manali!
We arrived around 11 and checked into our hotel, the Tiger Eye Guest House. Thank goodness we stopped at the office, which is down the road from the hotel, first. The guest house is perhaps the most difficult building to find. One must walk down a random path with no landmarks to distinguish it from all the other random paths. Then it's about a 5 minute walk through backyards and between farmhouses.
After breakfast and lunch, which we ate within a 1/2 hour of each other, we walked, shopped, and visited a Hindu temple dedicated to Hadimba. Hadimba is considered to be the incarnation of Kali (like our dog!) and is worshipped in times of adversity. The Hadimba temple, built in 1553, is Manali's oldest shrine. The building is a wooden pagoda with animal carvings on its facade and ibex horns along the sides. We decided to go to the Kullu Cultural Museum, which we learned had detailed models of the Kullu Valley's temples. What we didn't know was that the walk from the temple to the museum would lead us through a park with yak rides, snake charmers, and women carrying enormous raggedy rabbits advertising a picture with one of these hideous-looking creatures! I passed on the rabbit photo, but I did get on the yak!!! I don't have that photo but will post it when I get it! After passing the snake charmers, I turned quickly around to look right into the face of a man with what I thought was a snake. It turned out he was an old beggar with a cane. Unfortunately, I realized the truth after I screamed in his face. I tried to explain, but it was no use. He appeared unphased but everyone around was amused. In the end, the largest tourist attraction was one of us! Jaime was constantly being asked to pose for photos with little Sikh children.
Eventually we escaped the mayhem of the park and entered the museum's serenity. In addition to the model's, the galleries hosted a spinning wheel, old grinding tools, jewelry, clothes, and spice boxes. Some items were from 250 years ago, while others were 500 years old.
We then walked a terrifying walk down a busy street with ruthless drivers. Once again, we were offered an escape from the sounds and scenes that awaited us outside. Johnson's Cafe. A yummy restaurant, which we would return to the next day for a second meal.
Like any city we've visited, Manali had some reckless driving and overwhelming surprises. But at the same time, it was one of the most peaceful places I've been. This proves the theory, once again, that "whatever you say about India, the opposite is also true." Tall pines cover Manali's hills and parks. Mountains contribute a dramatic backdrop. And a river that runs through the city is calm when it's sunny and full of rapids after the rains.
We ended the night with a walk through the new city. In the evening, cars are kept out and the main street fills with pedestrians.
It poured the next morning and we were lucky to find an open bakery before visiting a temple dedicated to Manu. Manali is named after Manu, Hinduism's Noah, who went there by boat to recreate human life after floods destroyed the world. He laid the foundations of Hindu law that continues today, as well as the basis of the caste system.
From 9-10, we went to the yoga class we'd arranged the day before. The teacher, Nishant, does Hatha yoga. He taught us some very difficult moves, a few of which I had done before and a few I had never seen. At $3 a person (compared to $12 in L.A.) the class was definitely worth going to! The class ended and so did the rain. Shops opened and we couldn't help but go in! Later, we sat outside at Johnson's Cafe, sipping watermelon smoothies and I had an Indian masala omelet. We left Manali around 4 on Sunday afternoon. The fun weekend was almost over but I looked forward to returning "home" to Palampur.
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