Compassion Trip: Journal

99%

2006-11-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

I think the only major pieces still missing are the screen infill panels between the concrete columns above each bedroom. Fingers crossed we receive photographs of the space in use someday soon... until then:

A red-letter day.

2006-06-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

After months of uncertainty, today we received excellent news: our building project is finished! Many thanks to Cameron at Architecture for Humanity for sending us the photos that follow.

I can't even express how proud we are of these pictures. It leaves me speechless to think that an actual building sits on the dusty plot of land we found when we arrived at Palmyra almost a year ago. The final product is beautiful, and I feel nothing but gratitude to everyone who made sure construction continued on the building after Lauren and I left India... not to mention everyone at home who supported us. We wouldn't have these pictures if it weren't for you!

Apparently, these photographs are a month or so old; hopefully soon we'll be able to post photographs of the space in use.

In other news:
1. Architecture for Humanity has recently published Design Like You Give a Damn – an almanac of sorts about humanitarian design projects around the world. I've not yet seen the book, but I'm sure it's a wonderful resource if you're interested to learn more about these projects (and apparently Lauren and I are mentioned in the introduction). Proceeds support AFH projects around the globe: http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/designlikeyougiveadamn/

2. Our good friend Mary from UC is currently working on a project of her own in a village not far from where we stayed. Check out her progress at: http://www.mary-in-india.blogspot.com/

Now, photos. Comments are very much appreciated.

Better late than never.

2006-03-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

First off: apologies for the lack of updates on here. The reasons are many. Lauren and I have both been busy (more on that soon), and I'll admit I've had a bit of India withdrawl lately. It's definitely an experience that's still sinking in, and on some level, I didn't want to think about – much less write about – India for awhile.

The other issue is that the progress photos we've received since December have been disappointing. The design was modified after we left, which came as a bit of a shock; we're not practicing architects/designers yet, but it's still hard to see our vision in an altered state. But from our computer screens here in Ohio, we have to trust that the modifications were made with the best intentions by people who know the situation better than we do. In fact, given the obstacles most construction projects in India face, we're extremely grateful work is progressing at all.

In the meantime, Lauren is hard at work finishing up her second-to-last quarter at UC; she'll graduate in June. I just wrapped up a brutal job search, which has landed me in Washington, DC. I'll be moving there next week.

Enough rambling, pictures follow... (ps - comments would be much appreciated; not sure how many people are still checking this):

Update

2006-01-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Exciting progress despite more rains. We now have a floor and rooms! Make sure to see Trav's photos from the end of the trip.

Trip Wrap-up

2006-01-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Almost three weeks home, and I've still barely begun to digest the emotional highs and lows of the last few weeks in India. Coming from a land where so many struggle for daily necessities to the height of American Christmas consumerism was quite a shock (not to mention the 70-degree drop in temperature).

We had a beautiful week of weather just before leaving Auroville, and made tremendous building progress the last few days. The concrete columns were poured, as well as ceiling-height ring beams. In addition, we were able to lay some partial brick walls. While we had known for weeks that the project would not be finished by the time we left, we felt extremely gratified to leave the site having a sense of the dimensions and height of the building. The small Hindu blessing ceremony we took part in the last day was a perfect farewell.

We feel very grateful to know the project is in good hands with Architecture for Humanity and everyone at Palmyra. We expect construction to be complete in a few weeks, and will post photographs of the final product as soon as we have them. In the meantime, here are some photos from the end of our trip. Once again, thank you to everyone for your support.

Home.

2005-12-23T10:32:00.000-08:00

Farewell India.

Lauren and I made it home safely (Lauren to Kansas and me to Ohio), after a string of FIVE flights. Our travel was broken up by a two-day adventure in Bombay, and one day in DC. Many thanks to the Shah family and Cassandra for providing warm beds (and warm showers!) in those two cities.

Check back after the New Year for a full trip report, including photographs from the last few days on site.

Merry Christmas.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2005-12-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Story of our lives: just as we get some momentum the rain starts and halts construction for three days. Thursday we were literally squealing with excitement over our first brick wall (which we never thought we'd see), but all weekend we sat inside and endured the wrath of monsoon. Apparently this is the worst rainy season in decades.

But if I've learned anything it's that the sun will shine again. We've had two days of hot tropical weather and lots of progress (unable to post photos from here, but perhaps tomorrow). We fly to Bombay on Friday for two touristy days before coming HOME.

Jürgen and Sabina have promised photos of the progress and finished building, so the blog doesn't stop here! We'll keep posting as we receive information. With any luck, the building will be complete in February.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. See you very soon!

Mason For Hire

2005-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

I was chatting with the workers yesterday and they asked me how many Rupees a load of bricks costs in America. I had to admit I couldn't even venture a guess. The next question was, 'How much for a mason's wages?'
'Hmm...maybe $10 --'
'$10?' they repeated with wide eyes.
' --an hour,' I finished. Their jaws dropped: they are paid $3.00 a day. When they finished laughing they quickly asked, 'You need a mason?'

Tasty.

2005-12-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Smiling children, smiling daytrippers, building progress.

2005-12-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

...the only thing that could make this better would be a puppy.

'Tis the Season

2005-11-30T01:07:00.000-08:00

It may not feel like Christmas here, but we just received some huge gifts. Architecture for Humanity, a non-profit group based in Montanta, has offered us $5,000.00 for the Women's Center. Add that to two more substantial donations and we've tripled our original goal!

We met with a representative from Architecture for Humanity today, as she will be overseeing the project's completion after we leave. The meeting went beautifully; she was able to meet Jürgen and Sabina, see the site and the rest of the grounds. It is such a relief to know everything is in good hands even though we can't see it through.

And to top it all off: our bricks arrived!

Above Ground!

2005-11-28T12:06:00.000-08:00

We thought we might never see the day, but our construction has progressed above ground level! We lost an entire week to 'Monsoon: Part II,' but the sun is out and we're back in action. Unfortunately, the wrath of the monsoon lasts longer than the rainclouds. Our bricks can't be delivered until the roads dry out enough for the lorry to get throughl; we've been waiting since before the first rainstorm several weeks ago and now we're back to square one. At least the carpenter can work on the windows rain or shine!

Thiruvanama-what?

2005-11-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we decided to take advantage of the one-day weekend to do some traveling. Jürgen and Sabina suggested we take a taxi to Thiruvannamalai - one of the five holy temple towns of Tamil Nadu.

We hired a cab for the entire day for the price of 1000 rupees (approximately $25), which showed up at 8:00 am sharp. We stopped for tea at a roadside stall halfway through the two hour journey, where we had a chance to get to know Shiva, our driver. Once we arrived in town, he earned every penny of his fee by taking us into the inner chambers of the temple for a Hindu puja blessing - something we've been too intimidated to do on our own.

Shiva also joined us on a trek to the top of the extinct volcano adjacent to the temple, for panoramic views over the city. Words can't express the beauty of it all, so check out the photos. Notice in third photo how immense the temple gateways are - that's us in the middle.

Your base are belong to us

2005-11-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

I was hoping finally to post those foundation photos from last week (our most recent progress as we're stuck in another spell of rain), but the website is being uncooperative today. In lieu of pictures, please enjoy this blurb of text printed on the back of our morning muesli. No doubt the most hilarious cereal I've ever eaten (text copied word for word)...

Avee's Western Style Crunchy Muesli

Most Delicious celebrated & World Popular Mingle clutered with Raisins, Almonds & Various Fruits and Foods

Western Style Crunchy Muesli

It's origin has been from Switzerland and other western countries, which proved magnificent results on mind, mood, physique, stamina, tummy, digestive system, tolerance, longevity, and general health. Hence the western Style Crunchy Muesli has much been appreciated and motivated the liking and love of maximum personalities of various spheres of life in the world.

Benefits

Western Style Crunchy Muesli avoids dowdy or slacking & keeps one alert, smart, attractive, young, impressive, and dominating. Being a most be-fitting low-fat-diet keeps a person ever-ready to take up any task successfully any time of a day or night & produce outstanding results.

Gives stamina to devote more hours on work without break & without feeling dowdy or dour.

Least time consuming and is a perfect low fat diet and a fastest food available any time without much of struggle.

Boosts vitamins, reduces cholesterol, maintains youth-fulness.

Taste & Consumption

Western Style Crunchy Muesli consumption goes up for its delicious taste, health-giving ingredients, life-long benefits and facilitates fast food.

Fibre Edible Grains

Regular use of western style crunchy muesli boosts appetite-an orderly healthy routine, maintains smart physique, stamina & sexual urge.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

Though I will miss spending the holiday with my family, India has given me a much deeper sense of gratitude. The people here are genuinely happy, kind and giving despite how little they have -or perhaps because of it.

Sagar, one of our masons worries almost as much as my parents about how we are eating; it must seem impossible to him that we are competent of cooking a decent meal (no comments, please). So Sunday he insisted on bringing us both breakfast and supper and then came in to survey our kitchen to confirm that it was suitable. He seemed appeased by all the vegetables we have on hand, but still said he would be back with food again next week. I was so touched I almost cried.

Pumpkin pie or not, this is sure to be a memorable Thanksgiving. I wish you all a very happy holiday and send you each my love!

A Construction Limerick

2005-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today we poured four large foundations,
The masons deserved an ovation,
Took lots of good shots,
But camera forgot,
So please wait for the documentation.

Empowerment

2005-11-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

Well, our mason decided (at 6.30 last night) to take a leave today, so our momentum was broken. It's okay, though: I have to admit we were a little worn out from the fast pace of the last two days.

The day wasn't lost; we met with the women's group coordinator today to discuss their objectives and accomplishments. 29 groups totaling 2000 women are being trained in water conservation and management, organic farming techniques, and animal husbandry to generate income. Since banks will not usually lend to women, the groups are able to use the income to lend to members. Traditionally, women are given the most physically demanding jobs in the rice paddies and spend from 6am to 10pm bent over and up to their knees in mud. The new system does not decrease their work load, but does give them the opportunity to make decisions about crops, marketing, and spending the profits. It is completely inspiring to see how these women, who are normally expected to sit on the ground while men sit in chairs, are gaining respect and confidence while improving their socio-economic status.

Palmyra requires the groups and villages to provide 30% of the funding required for projects and the women are trained to manage the groups and the finances on their own. Their next project is to establish a Women's Own Bank which will be operated by and cater to village women.

We are meant to visit a participating village and the rice paddy of one of the groups on the 23rd. Too excited for words!

Rolling.

2005-11-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

Life is gratifying these days. Last week at this time, we were wallowing in the disappointment of a freak rainstorm that left us hut-bound for days; fast-forward to this week, and work is being accomplished at breakneck speed. We now have a miniature army working with us to complete multiple tasks at once: the bar bender finishing the assembly of the steel reinforcing for the columns, the grounds crew moving mountains of sand and granite chips into the excavated holes, the masons mixing concrete to bind the foundations, and the whole team chipping in to unload delivery after delivery of roof tiles and bricks. Tomorrow we plan to finally do some work above ground level, when we turn the steel columns upright. Cheers to progress.

Now We're Cookin'!

2005-11-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

Literally and figuratively. We have not only mastered the art of Indian cuisine (read: we can now make edible rice) but we are also making steady construction progress. The bar bender came yesterday and made twelve beautiful rebar column reinforcements, the foundation holes are filled with sand and gravel, and the mason will be on site tomorrow at 8am! We can't wait to get our hands on some concrete.

Plus, one of our darling workers invited us to dinner on Sunday. I think he may not have much confidence in our cooking abilities...

That's MY Kind of Truck

2005-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Even with all the ground-leveling and foundation digging, it didn't feel 100% real until the dumptruck showed up today. Travis and I were beaming like two proud parents as the first lorry-load was delivered to our front yard this afternoon. It was no run-of-the-mill dumptruck, either, but a fancy, hand-painted, colored flashing lights, flower-garland bedazzled lorry. This truck plays a jingle when it backs up!

Here Comes the Sun...

2005-11-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

We're back on track. After four (five? six?... we lost count) straight days of rain, the sun is shining, the puddles are drying up, and India is itself again. We've spent the morning running errands and arranging deliveries. If all goes according to plan, pillars will start rising from the ground on Saturday.

Baby's first monsoon

2005-11-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

After a few false starts, monsoon has officially begun. It's been raining for 48 hours - the type of torrential rain that frustrates even the sturdiest raingear. While dry clothes are becoming more of a rarity, the project is delayed, and cabin fever is setting in, we're trying to keep upbeat with the knowledge that weather here is fickle and should change for the better soon. In the meantime, we have lots of time to perfect Indian recipes and to wade through a long reading list...

Sore muscles...

2005-11-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

...are a beautiful thing, when they mean work is being accomplished. The move to Jürgen's guest house means we're much closer to the site, and thus can more easily supervise. The past few days, we've also pitched in with the digging - and we have the blisters to prove it. After a steep learning curve, we've finally mastered the Indian tools and have a more efficient strategy for removing the dirt. The excavation is now finished, and we have several trucks (lorries) arriving tomorrow to deposit brick, concrete, steel, and sand on site. Next week should be productive.

An added bonus has been getting to know Elumalai and Dorai, the two workers who have been assisting us the past few days. They broke the ice when they asked us which village we were from ... "A little place called Cincinnati, have you heard of it?"

Be sure to check out new pictures posted today, including an elevation, plan, and section of our design. Lauren has also added Divali photos to her post last evening - don't forget to scroll down. All the best to everyone.

Movin' On Up

2005-11-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought we were down, India has dropped another miracle in our laps: Jürgen and Sabine, who are organizing the project with us, suggested that we move into their guesthouse at Palmyra. The relocation will save us a 20 minute drive to and from the site everyday and make communicating with the project team members much easier (things have been tricky without a phone).

As happy as we were in our Aspiration community, we couldn't pass up an offer for free housing, so yesterday we packed up the motorbike and moved "across town." It's a beautiful place with two bedrooms (with a lovely view of the building site), a kitchen, and a large bathroom (read: bathtub, cold water, squat toilet). There's even a hammock!

Now, the kitchen has neither a refrigerator nor stove, but not to worry: Jürgen's cook made us a lovely lunch yesterday and Michael had us over to dinner last night. Today we ate a large lunch at a nearby restaurant and the total bill was Rs30 ($0.68). We do have a gas bottle for making ramen noodles and rice...there's an Indian cookbook in our future!

Please note the new address and send us mail: packages take at least 3 weeks, so you'd better hurry! ;)

Happy Diwali!

2005-11-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

While all of you were trick-or-treating, we were playing with sparklers! November 1st is Diwali (DEE-vall-ee), a Hindu-oriented but very secularized holiday likened to Christmas (in scale, not in religious affiliation).

Travis and I felt like "two Jewish kids on Christmas," but from what we could gather everyone wears new clothes like on Easter, makes a big feast like Thanksgiving and plays with fireworks like the 4th of July. We attended an Auroville celebration on Monday with fireworks and a musical performance and then a separate celebration in our community on Tuesday. There was lots of food and sweets and all kinds of fireworks we'd never be allowed to play with at home (sorry, Dad).

We were unsure about it all at first (isn't it a bad idea to let 5 year-olds play with explosives?) but pretty soon we were wrapped up in the excitement, lighting large displays and running around with the children. There was something magical about the palm leaves and the people silhouetted in the colored lights and smoke.

We both missed candy corn and costumes, but this was a pretty good trade off.

Dear Diary

2005-10-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

[First things first: we're okay and the explosions in Delhi are far, far away from us.]

To a certain extent, we've adjusted and many things that were intimidating before have become (more or less) commonplace. But nearly everything is exactly opposite from what we're used to and India's overall effect on me is intense: intense heat, intense rain, intense noise, traffic, activity, poverty and beauty.

Each morning as we drive to the site I feel overwhelmed with gratitude; the simple lifestyle of the villagers really puts things into perspective and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to see this beautiful country. Many things that were once important now seem trivial and superficial; likewise I have come to realize all I take for granted. The conditions are often heartbreaking, but the attitude of many of these people is an inspiration.

When we are working alongside the Tamil men, I feel deeply humbled. Everyday I struggle with a lot of frustrations; I'm discouraged by my own limitations and it's hard to adjust to the way things happen around here (on India time). Learning to let go of my self-will has been an important lesson.

Every night I fall asleep thinking about home. There is so much left to see and do and learn in India, but I often find myself thinking about returning to my loving friends and family. It is a constant struggle between homesickness and appreciating this incredible experience.

More Interaction with the Natives

2005-10-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

We've been asking our friends where they're hiding all the elephants. All the postcards have pretty painted elephants walking through the towns, but word on the street is that they all live in the jungles of Kerala --a whole 13 hours away! Good thing they keep one at a temple in Pondy.

We were shopping at a street market when we looked up and saw her standing right there between the stalls --wearing the biggest bling I've ever seen. I droppped a 1 Rupee coin right into her trunk and she blessed my head. How's that for getting to know the locals?

Scro-l-l-l-l-l-l-l

2005-10-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Two new posts below, be sure to scroll down for both. Thanks to all for the comments; we squeal with glee every time we read them. Seriously.

Getting our hands dirty

2005-10-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Another productive day on site. Our frustration with the slow progress is tempered by days like this, when tasks that should take a week are completed in hours. This morning we began excavating the soil in anticipation of pouring concrete foundations later this week. The process went something like this: mark the hole with a sharp knife thingy (see Lauren above), loosen the dirt with a heavy metal thingy (see Travis above), remove the dirt with a horrifically backbreaking Indian shovel thingy.

It's not as easy as it sounds - Lauren and I were frequently exhausted and dripping with sweat. We were very grateful for the assistance of some of Jürgen's workers - Sagar and Ettiapan - who made our noble efforts look like an 8-year-old trying to dig his own sandbox. To witness the efficiency of these two is a thing of wonder; we're happy to have them on our team (plus they give Tamil language lessons during water breaks).

We're glowing today.

Cultural Breakthrough

2005-10-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday we decided it was time to step outside the Auroville bubble and interact with some locals. We loaded the bags with cameras, filled the motorbike with petrol, and set off on a random tour through unexplored villages in the area.

Lauren and I knew we wanted to snap photographs of people, hopefully after (nonverbally) obtaining their permission. We chose Tamil women of all ages as our subject matter, in the hopes that the photography might provide a glimpse into a world about which we knew very little. We also hoped the results might in some way enrich the building project; perhaps we might even end up photographing some of the women who might use our facility in the future.

It quicky became apparent, however, that pulling off the side of the road and pointing at the camera would not achieve the result we desired. We felt intrusive and rude. It was time to adjust our strategy: we abandoned the bike and took to the streets. Immediately, a barrier between us and the women came down, and the results improved dramatically. While not all of the women were enthusiastic about having their photograph taken, many were all too happy to pose for the camera. One woman even balanced a metal jug on her head for us! As the day passed, we developed new techniques to break the ice; our favorite was handing out stickers to children as a way to speak to their mothers (my mom the 5th grade teacher understands that love of stickers is universal). We had to be careful with this one though - at one point our gifts were greeted a little too enthusiastically and we had a parade of thirty children following us through the village: "stick-er-please?"

We're unable to post any of the photos yet, since all were taken on a film camera and will take several days to process. But we have no doubt the results will convey a spectrum of emotions as varied as the faces that reveal them. In all, the day was our most rewarding yet - our long-awaited initiation into Indian culture.

Cool... & Comfort!

2005-10-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

We've been shutterhappy lately, and thought it might be a nice opportunity to start posting some photographs of our whereabouts (plus, see our pet cat Harriet in the post below). The first photo here shows typical shops along the East Coast Road, which, appropriately, runs along the East Coast of India not 200m from the Indian Ocean. The second photo shows signs at a road junction to Pondicherry, Auroville, Kuilappalayam (our village), and Chennai (the large city three hours away). The final photo is our beloved Cozy Net - the internet café from which we post. Let us know what you think.

The Cat in the Hut

2005-10-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

(Don't tell the dogs in Englewood.)

A different kind of bug

2005-10-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

...of the amoebic variety (is that a word?).

Turns out that 24-hour stomach bug I had last week was more malevolent than I thought. Since that day, I hadn't been digesting food properly for a week or so (I'll spare the details). Other than that, however, I felt fine, which made me think I maybe was just taking a bit longer to adjust to the food here.

Yesterday I decided it seemed too extreme to be an adjustment period, and decided I should see a doctor. I learned I have a fairly common condition here: giarda amoebas - probably from one instance when I drank some not fully-boiled tap water. The situation is treatable with antibiotics and I started the prescription immediately.

The reason I feel compelled to share this story is financial. The grand total for my doctor's consultation fee, laboratory fee, exam fee, and week-long prescription came to: Rs. 127.30, or just under $3.00 (!). And despite this outrageously low price, standards and service are just as high as in the States. Visiting a doctor back home will never be the same again.

Bulldozer, Schmull-dozer

2005-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Travis and Ettimalay clearing the site.

2005-10-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's STARTING!

2005-10-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

High Five for our first day on site!!!

We marked our column grid today and started clearing the vegetation; by Friday the excavation should be finished. Tomorrow we hope to hear back from the structural engineer (official, I know. We don't mess around.) and then we can start buying materials. The masons have been lined up and are awaiting the green light to pour the foundation.

It's a happy day.

Deadline: India-style

2005-10-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

The animal kingdom strikes back

2005-10-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago in the hut we had our most gruesome discovery yet: a scorpion/spider/crab hybrid that was nearly one-third the size of my shoe. I was contentedly reading a book at the desk when the monster caught my attention out of the corner of my eye; the next several moments were a tag-team effort between Lauren and myself beating the bug down with brooms, the whole time practically out of breath with hysteria.

In better news, we've had a new (old?) toy to play with this weekend: a laptop computer. One of our new contacts let us borrow it so we could draw up construction documents in AutoCAD. We'll present him the drawings on Monday and he'll in turn use them to quote prices and arrange contracts with masons, steelworkers, and carpenters. Though things are moving more slowly than we'd like, it's extremely exciting to experience this process with a building that we designed ourselves.

Monsoon rains appeared to be a false start - the weather has been stunning here the past few days. Hope everyone is doing well back home.

The 12-Legged Monster

2005-10-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

It was so awful! I can't even describe how terrifying this creature was: body of a cockroach, hairy legs of a tarantula, and pinchers of a scorpion. That terrible spawn of the insect world has given me nightmares for three days!

Flying bugs the size of my arm and huge snakes moving a lawn gnome through our hut...yes, a lawn gnome. Don't ask.

Geography Lesson

2005-10-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Having no television, computer, phone, or schoolwork has afforded us the opportunity to catch up on a lot of reading! We've spent several afternoons at the architect's office researching building techniques, but I decided to do some sociological studies as well. I found a great biography about a Tamil woman in an agricultural caste (the Dalits, or 'the oppressed'). Viramma lived her whole life very near where we are living and it has provided me some invaluable insight about the women we will be building for.

Like so many women, she was married as a child (11 years old!) and has lived since puberty in the village where her husband was born. She has had 12 children and every day of 50+ years of marriage has been spent in the rice paddy fields, up to her knees in mud with the scorching sun on her back. In the evenings, women start the fire, go to the market, and return to make the evening meal and do the housework.

The Dalit caste is considered impure (and 'untouchable') by the Hindu religion (for reasons far too complicated to delve into here). Their presence is considered polluting to anyone of a higher status and therefore they were not historically allowed in temples, parts of the village, or homes with members of a higher caste. Objects they have used are also considered unclean, so they may not use glasses at the teashops.

Though officially Untouchability has been abolished (and the former term 'Pariah' or untouchable replaced with the politically correct term 'Dalit'), the discrimination remains. The government has done a lot to help them advance: installing clean taps at the village wells, providing childcare and education, as well as women's associations. Still, many (including Viramma's generation of "Untouchables" themselves) think it is disrespectful for them to walk, talk, and dress like those in higher castes.

It is astonishing to think of what it must be like as woman of such low standing. Not only the backbreaking work they endure their entire lives, but the self-image that results from having to answer to one's husband, mother-in-law, and land-owning master. The self-help groups which Palmyra has already established (some 40 of them) give these women the skills, confidence, and resources to create lending organizations; they stand to finally end the cycle debt and poverty and gain a dignified place in society.

Don't drink the water

2005-10-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

We've been antsy lately. Adjusting to India time (not in the literal sense of the word) has not been easy. Despite our best efforts to get the project started, things have been sputtering as of late. It seems our urgency to finish construction within our (now only) 2-month timeframe has fallen on deaf ears. Add to the situation an early start to the monsoon season, and a tainted-water stomach bug that knocked me out for 24-hours - and morale has been very, very low.

But today Lauren and I decided enough was enough. We scheduled another meeting with Jurgen, who put us in contact with one of his contacts - whom we contacted, and is now in the process of contacting contractors. In the meantime, we're so anxious to see action on the site that Lauren and I are considering purchasing two shovels and having a go at clearing it ourselves.

But instead, we'll content ourselves with preparing a final list of materials this evening, which will be used to quote prices and arrange contracts for masons and other laborers. After a frustrating week, we think we finally have the wheels turning.

Thanks for the patience.

Quill-a-polly-om

2005-10-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

It seems that in all of our adventures, we have failed to paint a picture of where we're living! The hut that is in the previously posted photo has a thatched roof (yes, we can stand up inside), a bedroom, living room, and bathroom. We have electricity that works 75% of the time (we're having a good week), a mosquito net, and (cold) running water. These days we are both very thankful to have a Western-style toilet and access to toilet paper at the grocery.

We live in a gated Auroville community called Aspiration; there about 50 people here and a handful of those are guests also. The rest are permanent residents and families from India, Israel, France, Siberia, Japan.... The residents take turns preparing meals for the community and we all eat together in a central building within the commune. Lunch and dinner typically consist of white rice with spicy vegetable sauce, side dishes with okra or yams and rice, and raw vegetable salads. There are pompadoms too, if we're lucky.

Aspiration is down the road from Auroville proper and more or less within the Tamil village of Kuillapallayam. Around the corner is the Auroville grocery store and the village well.

Kuillapallayam is more prosperous than many of the villages we saw from the train -those shantys are made of garbage and many people don't have homes at all. The houses here are mud and thatch (like ours) and are very close together. They are usually just one room with a tinnai (porch) and most do not have electricity; the village shares a common source of running water.

The post office reminds me of something from a movie about the Alamo: a mud plastered building covered in the remants of old flyers and posters; the single room has a concrete floor, one window and a desk. They weigh the letters with a manual scale and little counterweights. The postmaster hands us stamps from a tatty old book and gives us a gray, squishy bag of goo. We have to stick our fingers in it and spread the glue onto the stamps ourselves, which is very traumatic for Travis.

The paved road is not far, leading to Auroville in one direction and to the beach in the other. There's always lots of traffic, especially at rush our, when school girls on bicycles have to battle it out with the goats, dogs, geese, oxen, rickshaws and motorbikes. The street is lined with restaurants, handicraft boutiques, woodworking shops, and open stalls selling clothing, candy and drinks, fruit, and phone/internet services.

Yesterday was a festival for a Hindu god, so everything was decorated for the puja. The taxis had big palm leaves and flower garlands on their hoods and there were colorful paper streamers everywhere. It is also common practice to draw pretty patterns on the ground or concrete at the entrance to homes or businesses. They are outlined in white rice powder and sometimes colored with bright pinks, yellows, oranges and greens.

Coincidentally, yesterday also seems to have marked the beginning of the monsoon. It has been raining in varying degrees for nearly 24 hours. I think I'm going to get used to being very wet and muddy!

Not in Kansas Anymore

2005-10-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Joking, joking.

For a week now, I've been having these crazy, vivid dreams about everything and everyone at home. I wouldn't say I'm homesick (that is, I'm still so happy to be here), but I'm definitely missing everyone extra these days.

I miss taking hot showers too. :)

Earthquake

2005-10-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Had a few notes this morning checking to make sure we weren't caught in the earthquake that hit India and Pakistan yesterday. We're fine. North India is more prone to this sort of thing than South India, and we're almost as far south as possible. Our region has earthquakes about as often as Ohio, and even if we were caught in one here, the worst that could happen would be a featherweight thatched-roof falling on our heads.

Also, I know it's cheap to do this, but I want to include myself in Lauren's message of gratitude toward everyone supporting us. You're the best.

With Deepest Gratitude

2005-10-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

I hope that I have expressed my thanks to each of you over the course of this journey, but I am so truly moved by the wave of support that I have to say it again. Though I always had faith that we would find the funds for this worthy task, it has been a bumpy road and we are overwhelmed and deeply touched by the overflow of contributions.

During our first days in India, it occured to me that this is most certainly the hardest thing I have ever done --and the decision to come here was without question. I am equally certain that the reason I'm here is all of you! It is not only the financial support, but also the constant encouragement and enthusiasm that keeps us going.

I can't begin to tell you how much it means to us that so many people are cheering us on; and we love sharing this with you!

Project update

2005-10-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

While no shovels have hit the dirt yet, we think the project is on track and are happy with the progress so far. Lauren and I submitted a final design proposal to Jurgen this morning, which he will present to the appropriate review board to obtain permission to build on the land. He doesn't anticipate any problems with this; we should hear back sometime Monday and hopefully be on site by the middle of next week.

Originally, we had planned for one week design time before construction. It's become clear that we underestimated a bit. In the meantime, we're gradually (sometimes painfully) making the transition from UC-every-minute-must-be-productive time to this-is-India-please-relax time. Every day we have more and more confidence that we're working with the right people to deliver the project on time and on budget. In fact, the school we visited yesterday was almost entirely funded by Jurgen's organization - the principal we spoke with couldn't praise him enough.

We hope to scan and post the plans and sections of our design within the next few days.

Scroll Down for New Photos!

2005-10-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

One monkey, twenty-two schoolgirls, 14 real ghee sweets, and one triumphant mountaineer.

Travis vs. the Animal Kingdom

2005-10-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

I've never been good with bugs, and in this respect, India is testing me. Most housing here (our bungalow included) is porous, in the sense that any creature wanting inside sooner or later will find a way. I'm toughening up though, and so far I've been able to keep a stiff upper lip through the extermination of the steady stream of centipedes, cockroaches, scorpions, and (giant, hairy) spiders that seems intent on sharing our living space. That's to say nothing of the aggressive monkeys, and malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

But so far, everything pales in comparison to the kitten.

Several nights ago, Lauren and I heard a faint meow coming from outside our door, and looked outside to find a small gray kitten. We don't keep food in the room, and had nothing to offer her besides a few minutes of attention, before placing her back outside in anticipation of a good night's sleep. This is when the kitten turned on us.

Immediately running to the back of the hut, she painfully squeezed through the first gap she could find, landing on our bathroom floor. Time and time again I took her back outside, only to turn around and see her standing there once again. The game went on long enough, and it was late enough at night, that I began to feel a bit of paranoia, à la Edgar Allen Poe in "The Raven". Only when I covered the gaps with packing tape did the ferocious little kitten give up.

Heartless? Maybe. But if you saw the number of stray cats here, you'd understand why we can't have any houseguests.

Just another crazy day

2005-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

If we've learned anything, it's that every day holds a new, unimaginable adventure --or maybe I should say fiasco. We had a meeting scheduled with Palmyra this morning, but apparently a roof-raising had come up. I'll just say that Trav found himself heaving a poured concrete roof onto brick pillars with 30 Tamil office workers, a French architect, and a German ecologist. Two hours later we were learning about healing stones and astrology with Sabine; our design meeting only required about 20 minutes of the morning.

This afternoon we visited the local secondary school to deliver cards made by Mrs. Eby's 5th grade class. The children were so delighted to meet us and see photos of their American counterparts. We left them crayons and markers so they may write letters back to the kids in Ohio. I think the 5th graders will be equally interested to see how much different the Indian school is. Can you tell which one is me in the photo?

Bollywood.

2005-10-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

After a full morning of (re)designing, we drove to Pondy for our first Bollywood film. We pushed through a very enthusiastic crowd of primarily young Indian men and, with the assistance of a friendly English-speaking sahbib, purchased balcony tickets: 33Rs each. We then waited with the crowd in the scorching heat for the doors to open; they only became more animated once inside. To compensate for the cheering and whistling, the movie soundtrack blared at a deafening volume.

Everything was in Tamil, so I could only follow the plot from what our friend told us and by the over-acting. I can only describe it as 30% action, 60% love story, and 10% Backstreet Boys-esque music video. Yes, India's hot, but Bollywood's where it's at.

Blackout

2005-10-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks into this adventure, I'd say the most important lesson has been learning to adapt to India's pace of life and frequent, grinding inefficiency. It's been a test of patience, of which I have none. Case in point: Lauren and I have spent the past 24 hours without electricity. To make matters worse, both of our flashlights are out of commission, so we spent yesterday evening reading by candlelight before bedtime - at 8:30.

Lack of electricity means lack of internet means I don't know where to start on the updates.

Two days ago Lauren and I made the harrowing journey into Pondicherry - the large city 6km down the road from Auroville. While it resembles Indian cities in most respects, there is a quaint district of well-kept streets along the coast with a distinct French flair. Pondy, as the locals call it, was a French colony several centuries ago; the atmosphere is not altogether lost, and in many ways the city calls to mind New Orleans (in more ways than one, as many of the buildings along Pondy's coast were damaged by the tsunami). No doubt our favorite memory from town was our stop into a traditional Indian sweet shop. The glass counters were filled with candy in no way resembling American sweets; Lauren and I felt baffled as to where to start. We were approached by an older man who asked what we'd like to try. When we explained our lack of knowledge, he handed us sample after sample of gooey, sugary, buttery concoctions, until we'd tried at least ten or fifteen different items. Feeling happy and a bit ill, we asked him to fill a small tin with a random variety. Total cost: rs.100 (about $2.00) for the pleasure of trying dozens of exotic sweets. I think we deserved a bit of gluttony after all the vegetables we've been eating!

Yesterday I was walking down the road when I simultaneously encountered a very friendly dog and a very large, not-so-friendly bee. I kept my distance from the bee, and reached down to pet the dog. Long story short: dog's tail smacked bee, bee decided I was to blame, bee made a beeline for my leg. I started flailing my arms like an idiot in the middle of the village, right in front of a crowd of seated women, before hobbling home and spending the rest of the evening with a swollen, throbbing calf.

But now the leg feels better. The sun is shining again, and life is good.

Best Day EVER!

2005-10-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

We met with Palmyra again today; it couldn't have gone any better! They gave us productive feedback and we feel we are on track with the design. Jurgen is going to speak with the appropriate Auroville authorities to have the construction approved, as well as arrange to have the site cleared and the electrical/plumbing work done. We also met the other members of the project team, Sabina and Michael; everyone is lovely and as enthusiastic and dedicated to the project's success as we are. Everything is continuing to fall into place!

Sabina gave us a tour of her amazing home and then we received an impromptu yoga session in her living room. Actually, it was sometics, which deals more with breathing and controlling the diaphram, but it was unorthodox, to say the least.

On the way home I stopped at the village tailor. I chose fabrics and was measured, so on Saturday I'll have two new tailor-made Indian ensembles for the bargain price of $15! Top it off with a trip to the beach and the electricty finally coming back and I think we've had the best day yet. :)

Motorcycle Diaries

2005-10-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Travis has gotten pretty confident on the motorbike now and since my bruises are healing, I agreed to a two-hour road trip on Sunday. We went with a group of Indian architecture students our age to the town of Gingee, which boasts a 100 year old fort and temple.

The fort itself was amazing: the view from the top was well worth the 45 minute climb in the raging heat...and fighting the monkeys to get there. But I'd say the real story is in the journey. We left at 6am and enjoyed a peaceful, beautiful drive and the cool morning wind in our hair. Our celebrity status seems to have increased and I felt like Miss America on a parade route through the little villages. Children jumped up and down as we passed, delighted with a simple wave and a "hello!" Everywhere we went we were greeted with the same enthusiasm --it does a lot for one's self-confidence, I must say.

The drive home was less thrilling.

Two hours in the scorching Indian midday sun, wind-burned and dodging huge buses and honking trucks, my bum was sore and Trav was starving. Our traveling companions knew the way home and are also more used to the ridiculous Indian roads; they sped by on their motorcycles, leaving us to wonder if we were even heading in the right direction.

In the end, we navigated our way through the city, avoided being run off the road, and met up with the rest of the group. But all's well that ends well: the experience was well worth the trip.

Minority or Celebrity?

2005-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Though there is a lot of preparation work to be done (researching building techniques, designing, planning, meetings), we are taking advantage of the free time we do have before the construction starts and every minute of daylight is spent at the site. We went to the beach yesterday and took a short dip in the (very warm) Indian Ocean. Travis commented that we were the "whitest people on the beach," to which I responded, "I'm the whitest person everywhere I go."

But it's not just the beach where we stand out. Thursday we took the moped for a drive and though we only went 20 minutes beyond Auroville, we suddenly felt like celebrities. Everyone we passed met us with wide eyes and turned heads. Children called out to us and waved, beaming as we waved back. When we stopped at one village, we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by 30 people. A group of women spoke in Tamil to one another as they looked and pointed at me. Still, it was a friendly curiosity and my heart was warm as we waved goodbye.

The landscape is a beautiful as it is novel to our Western senses: brilliant emerald green rice patties sprawl out to the right, thick shady forest meets the road on the left. Cattle and goats are hearded down the roads by barefoot women in sarees; school girls with braided pigtails and blue uniforms ride home on their bicycles; a small dog chases a couple on a motorbike; a group of women sit with handwoven baskets on ths side of the road; traffic parts for a wagon drawn by two white oxen, a man wearing only a loin-cloth driving them. I wonder if we will ever get used to these everyday sights.

My thoughts

2005-10-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

I thought I should put in my two cents about the recent change in plans for the building project.

As Lauren mentioned, the Monday meeting with the our long-time architect email contact was disappointing. However, we were put into contact with Jurgen Putz, who heads the Palmyra organization within Auroville. We phoned him and arranged a meeting for the following day.

Our meeting with Jurgen was extremely promising. A German who has lived in Auroville for several decades, his group specializes in the reconstruction of aging irrigation infrastructure for the villages in the area dependent on agriculture to survive. His wife is active in starting and promoting womens groups in the area. These groups are a new concept to the female villagers and unique in southern India, but extremely vital as they provide a voice for a marginalized, exploited group of people.

Our first few days here, I was struck by how hard the women work; it's common to see them walking miles down the road balancing a heavy load of crops on their head, only to drop it off to turn around and fetch another. Add to this the burden of maintaining a household and raising several children (of which the men take little responsibility), and it becomes a never-ending cycle of labor in which these women feel trapped: they face too many challenges to take even a day of relaxation for themselves.

Jurgen and his wife have had the idea (but not the funds or designers) for several years now of establishing a structure for these women -- a retreat center where five or six of them can meet for several days to enjoy each others' company and take a break from daily demands. The modest building would comprise two or three bedrooms, a small kitchen and bathroom, and a small outdoor recreation area where they could practice yoga or work together on crafts. As Lauren mentioned, Jurgen knows these villages well and we trust his judgment that this building is needed in the area. Further, Jurgen's connections with contractors will greatly improve the chance of success for the project's construction, and he is committed to maintaining the project for years to come.

Lauren and I regret to have to make this change, but we hope you understand that it was brought about due to circumstances beyond our control, and that it would be almost impossible for us to attempt to forge ahead on the orphanage without the support of our previous contacts. The structure will still be a vital asset to local communities, easing tensions within families and providing much-needed relief for an overworked segment of the population.

Lauren and I would like to make sure that we're accountable for every penny donated, and that those who wish to contribute have an accurate, honest idea of where their money is going. Many, many thanks for your understanding.

Rad.

2005-09-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Our new home

2005-09-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ch-ch-changes

2005-09-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes.

Lauren and I have had accommodation booked at the Prayatna Guest House since June. Despite being the cheapest option in Auroville, it was pleasant enough. We had a small, shared room with two beds and a desk. The (squat) toilet and (cold) shower were downstairs - certainly not the luxuries we were used to from home, but by no means uncomfortable or unexpected. Several days ago, however, Lauren found several small red bites on her legs, and they multiplied each morning until it became unbearable: we had bed bugs. So despite having to make a dreaded phone call to the Prayatna caretaker explaining our change in plans, we decided to search for a new guest house in Auroville.

Yesterday morning, we loaded the moped with our luggage (and ourselves) and made the 15-minute trip to our new home: Aspiration. Our new cozy bungalow is comprised of a bedroom and a sitting room connected by a small bathroom - all under a thatched roof! The interior is actually quite comfortable and modern, and the traditional roof does a surprisingly good job at keeping rainwater outside. While the new guesthouse is quite a bit more expensive than the previous, the new price includes three meals a day; after factoring this in, we're only paying $14 more per month, and are still well within our expected budget for monthly living expenses.

It's been quite humorous trying to predict the weather here. Monsoon hasn't yet started in Tamil Nadu, but still it rains quite a bit - particularly in the evenings. Lauren and I have been caught in quite a few torrential downpours, and are quickly becoming used to the constant moisture. Thankfully, it's warm enough that wet clothes aren't always uncomfortable or unwelcome, as they provide a nice break from the heat.

No visit to India would be complete without some intense yoga, right? Lauren and I are taking advantage of our pre-construction schedule to attend some evening beginner yoga sessions offered through Auroville. The workout has been wonderfully intense and an excellent relaxation technique during some otherwise stressful days; it's certainly a step above the classes offered at UC. Wednesday night brought a special treat when a sudden lightning storm killed the lights in the yoga room; the instructor lit candles and we continued the session in the dark with the rain pouring down outside. Unforgettable!

Next on the agenda: L and I are taking a needed break from design to sit on the beach for a bit. I hope all is lovely back home.

Progress Report

2005-09-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

On Monday we met with the architect who has been advising us. Though we were under the impression he had a village in mind, he instead referred us to Jurgen Putz. The following meeting on Tuesday was very productive; we were surprised to learn that because of problems within the government, the tsunami donation money is no longer being distributed effectively and any more volunteer efforts toward rehabilitation would be a wash. Jurgen's group does a lot of work with rural development and ecological landuse; they have been very successful in establishing women's groups in the surrounding villages to help them gain confidence, skills, and an independent status in their communities.

He suggested our resources might be best put to use designing and building a women's center. His organization already has a plan in mind for the upstart and self-maintenance of the center and they would be willing to let us build on their property. He thinks that the scale of the project matches our timeframe and $4,000 budget, providing his group can contribute an additional $1,000-$1,500.

Though it is a bit astray from our initial vision, we trust that Jurgen is sensitive to the current needs of the area and that with the help of his contacts and resources, the project will be a success. I sincerely feel that this will be an equal contribution to the area; perhaps moreso since we know it will be maintained after we leave.

Travis and I understand that the many generous donations we have received were given to build an orphanage; we would never wish to use any of the gifts under false pretenses. Will will do our best to make donors aware of the circumstances, but if you wish to have your gift returned due to our change of plans, please contact us at lauren.farquhar@gmail.com.

Four unbelievable days

2005-09-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting barefoot in an internet café not 200 meters from the Bay of Bengal. The room is air-conditioned - the first I can remember since the airport in Milan. Outside, a storm of buses, trucks, bicycles, auto-rickshaws, and mopeds are fighting for their own piece of the road. The village is a makeshift assembly of masonry walls and thatched bamboo huts: internet stands crowd next to fruit stands - often one in the same. An hour ago, Lauren and I dipped our toes into the Indian Ocean, then sat down to our first restaurant meal in India. Despite the oppresive heat, life is very, very good.

But my eyes have seen things the past few days that I will never forget. Bombay is certainly not a quiet introduction to India. Every piece of land is fair game for squatters; every overhang is shelter from the pouring monsoon rains. The taxicab ride from the airport passed miles of shantytowns. Heartbreaking enough, until you realize there are people far worse off: underneath the highway overpasses the poorest of the poor don't even have enough money for a roof over their heads. In all, the city was a throbbing, surreal landscape - barely resembling the cities I've come to know.

The train ride across India was without doubt the most challenging 27-hours of my life. Little did I realize the spectacle of humanity that would pass before my eyes during the journey. Not five minutes into the trip did vendors pass by offering coffee and chai tea - and the offerings only became more diverse as the train proceeded south. Every delicacy of Indian cuisine was on offer - unfortunately Lauren and I had to refrain from any taste-testing in the interest of avoiding upset stomachs. Each stop of the train saw new vendors board until it seemed the aisle way was completely clogged with Indians hawking masala dhosa, jewelry, flowers, and anything else that could be exchanged for rupees. The novelty quickly wore thin as the noise of it became overwhelming, thankfully breaking at nightfall. Without doubt the most trying aspect of the journey, however, were the countless beggars who boarded the train at each stop or reached their hands through the windows. Being the only non-Indians on the entire train, Lauren and I were certainly a novelty and attracted attention wherever we went, especially from those seeking a small handout to pay for food. By the end of the journey, Lauren and I had exhaused our supply of small change and given away an entire loaf of bread. It was heart-wrenching not to be able to do more.

We arrived safe and sound in Auroville two days ago. It's a wonderful town that no quick journal entry could hope to do justice; I hope to be able to explain it better over the next few weeks. Lauren and I found simple accommodation - one room with two beds, as expected. There are bugs, but the room is clean, cool, and relatively comfortable. My favorite part so far has been our rented moped. Auroville is a series of buildings in the tropical brush, connected by red dirt roads. It actually covers quite a large area, and it's necessary to rent some form of motorized transportation to avoid long walks. Lauren and I arranged a motorized scooter yesterday (think Vespa, though more beat up) for 45rs/day (one dollar). Last night I took it for a spin to the Auroville Youth Centre; nothing can beat the thrill of riding alone through the darkness in the tropical forest!

Please nobody worry about us; everything is lovely. Even my diet is more healthy than ever: I'm finding the Indian diet provides more fruits and vegetables in a day than in week back home (the freshly-squeezed papaya juice is sublime). Lauren and I will meet with Satprem tomorrow morning to discuss the start of the building project. I'm anxious to see what the next few days will bring!

Getting there: half the battle

2005-09-25T01:39:00.000-07:00

From DC: 7 hours to Milan, 8 hours to Bombay, 2 hours to train station through Bombay traffic, 27 hours on the train to Chennai, and 3 hours in the taxi to Auroville!

We're finally HERE. I'm at a complete loss to describe everything I've seen and felt in the past week. All of the excitement and awe over this new, colorful, noisy, bustling world is mixed with profound sadness over the conditions here. The train ride was much more emotionally challenging than I was ever prepared for and I struggled with a lot of self doubt. Between the communication barrier, the heat, the endless beggars, the noise, and miles and miles of slums and shantytowns, I was nearly in tears more than once. Still, we also saw breathtaking scenery, met a very kind family, and saw our first monkey.

Now we're in Auroville and loving our new community. Everyone is friendly and helpful, we are 15 minutes from the Indian Ocean by moped, and there is a kitten living in our commune. Dogs, cows, and goats are as abundant as the people and everyone has free reign on the roads. Our new friends come from Iceland, Germany, and Bombay; it has been easy to communicate with everyone in English.

Tomorrow we will meet with Satprem, the architect who has been advising us. We'll begin finalizing the details and hope to start construction the following week. I'd better get my yoga in now!

202

2005-09-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

I LOVE DC!

Farewell Ohio

2005-09-18T03:42:00.000-07:00

I would have loved to have had time to write about the final days before departure, but my head is exploding with last-minute details (not to mention portfolio production, job search, and grad school applications - all at the same time). In brief, the highlights of the past few days:

1. Speaking to the students at my mother's elementary school. I'm astounded by their curiosity and intelligence - I can't wait to go back in January to share more stories and photos with them. Each 5th grader made a card for a child in India - how exciting it will be to pass those along!

2. Packing, packing, packing. Actually, I just started putting things in the bag an hour ago. But I've spent days acquiring the necessities for life in India (especially items which can't be found cheaply in India, such as sunscreen).

3. A fantastic night downtown with friends. I'll miss everyone!

My early morning flight lands in Baltimore, where I'll train into DC and meet Lauren tomorrow night. I haven't been back to DC since my coop at CORE two years ago - such a treat to have two days there before we leave. Many thanks to Cassandra for providing lodging!

It's now 3:34am, and I need to be at the airport in three hours (suppose I should get some sleep?). The next entry very well might be from India...

Feeling introspective

2005-09-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

I started my malaria prescription last night, which officially marks one week to India.

Lauren and I have been working at a frenetic pace the past few days to attend to last-minute details. It's amazing how monumental a simple task becomes when you attempt to accomplish it from the other side of the planet! As exhausting as it's been, there's something gratifying about the process lately - our hard work is paying off and things are falling into place nicely.

I too have to put in my words of thanks for everyone's help so far. Every day I'm humbled by how creative, resourceful, caring, and supportive my friends have been. Even if we never left for India, this experience has taught me more than I could have imagined about the power of collaboration. Given the past few months, I can only imagine what the next three will bring!

Time to switch gears: grad school applications need help.

Architecture for Humanity

2005-09-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

I have to put a plug in for this great organization --AFH gathers designers and volunteers to respond to needs all over the world and "design like they give a damn." Most recently, they are doing relief work in India and Sri Lanka and are now organizing recovery efforts for the Gulf Coast.

Travis and I are speaking to representatives now and are very excited about the prospect of collaboration with such a prestigious group. More on this as things progress, but the website is certainly worth a look:

www.architectureforhumanity.org

Butterflies

2005-09-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

As I sat on the tube this morning, I started to get that wonderful butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling one gets on Christmas morning. I couldn't stop smiling while I thought of all the wonderful things that are to come!

The support has been pouring in and I am once again touched by an overwhelming and heartfelt response. We move closer to our fundraising goal everyday --I don't know I can express my gratitude.

People have been so eager to help, offer advice, and direct us to resources. It gives me so much joy and hope to see what 'ordinary' people can accomplish --and with so much less than I ever imagined (less money, less experience, etc).

I've got a good feeling about this one...

Countdown

2005-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

10 days to India. I bet 7-year-old Travis (who used to stare at the photograph of the Taj Mahal in the encyclopedia on the shelf) would never have believed 22-year-old Travis if they had discussed this.

Faith

2005-09-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

I'd become increasingly concerned and frustrated about the trip this week --I'd also been behind on reading the weekly Bible lesson. As usual, when I finally picked it up last night it spoke to everything I'd been worrying about.

With one week before our departure and a very long way to the fundraising goal, my mother's advice was to go with faith, do our work as planned, and trust that the support will come.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name...shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: be not slothful...through faith and patience inherit the promises."
Hebrews

Problem solved

2005-09-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

This morning, I contacted a friend of my mother's - Mrs. Surekha Sanghvi - for help with the train ticket situation. Apparently the Indian Railways website won't ship tickets to an international address, and it's not an option to pick up reserved tickets at the rail station in Bombay. So Lauren and I were at a loss, as we really wanted to book our lengthy trip to Chennai in advance, but had no way to do so without an Indian address.

Mrs. Sanghvi was extremely helpful though, offering to let us ship the tickets to her family in Bombay - even offering to let us stay with them the first night in India! I'm sure a comfortable night with family of a friend will be a glorious break between a 24-hour flight and a 48-hour cross-country train trip. Many many thanks to the Sanghvis!

Unrelated, but humorous - my favorite bit of advice from Surekha:

"If they ask you how spicy you'd like your food on a scale of one to ten, order a zero."

:) Can't wait.

Winter Wonderland

2005-09-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Trav and I have received lots of wonderful advice and loads of help from a friend of a friend in India. Harini is a young architect who has been invaluable to us as we prepare for this project. Soon the two of us will be trading places when she begins attendence at a UK university. Congratulations, Harini!

When she enquired about the weather in England, I was happy to return a favour...but the answer may have been hard to bear: the winter temperatures are between 7 and 1 degree Celcius. I had to laugh when she replied, "Oh my! You know the temperatures here in south India are always fluctuating between 35 and 45 degree celcius. There is nothing called winter -in December the temperatures are around 28."

She must have been horrified when I told her most days this summer have not reached 25 degrees. The Brits call that a heat wave!

But the good news is it looks like we'll be able to meet in London just before I leave next week. I'll check the forecast for the 14th.

Tea philosophy

2005-09-06T01:28:00.000-07:00

The India Spice Tea I bought last week is winning me over; each tea bag has a bit of Indian wisdom printed on the tag. My new favorite:

"He who is the best student is the best teacher."

I think that perfectly sums up the spirit of this project. Every time I have anxiety or self-doubt, I remind myself that part of this experience is gaining new skills I could never learn otherwise. In fact, I'm sure the days when everything goes wrong are the days I'll learn the most.

On my plate for tomorrow: follow-up phone call to WDTN News (I faxed a press release last week), follow-up phone calls to area businesses, dentist appointment.

Me Talk Pretty

2005-09-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

My Tamil phrasebook came this afternoon! I don't believe I've ever seen a language with such a high syllable-per-word ratio. Here are some of my favorites:

haloo, naan Travis peesureen (hello, this is Travis)
mannikkanum, taamadamaa varradukku (I'm sorry I'm late)
enna sirikkire? (what are you laughing at?)

That last one should come in handy the first few weeks.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/tamil for a look at the beautiful Tamil alphabet.

Fr-fr-frustration...

2005-09-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been a roller-coaster, to say the least. It seems our fundraising ideas come and go daily; it really has been extremely frustrating so far. After rejection at the corporate level, I decided to contact local businesses directly (Meijer, Kroger, among others). As expected, I suppose, there's still an enormous amount of bureaucracy to be dealt with, including official donation request forms and formatted cover letters. I'm not overly optimistic any of these will pull through; it seems no one will even give you a look unless you're an official non-profit organization. Still, I'll keep trying.

Lauren and I both have been on edge lately, but I think we're doing a good job calming each other. It's good to keep the situation in perspective, given the calamities others in this country are facing at the moment. I have no right to complain about anything; I still have a roof over my head.

Must run a quick errand - more later.

$$$

2005-09-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm in a bit of a panic right now, after several more fundraising possibilities have fallen through. We're leaving in TWO WEEKS! Trav's doing a great job of writing letters to every possible donor; I guess rejection is part of the game.

I haven't been too worried about anything during this whole process. I suppose some apprehension is to be expected when going into a situation with so many unknowns. Still, that's what makes this so exciting and rewarding. This is only the first of many great obstacles to overcome.

Now I have to work on purchasing our train tickets: one and a half days across the country!

Our Pretty New URL

2005-08-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

Woo!

Watch out: we've got a fire in our bellies! After some great advice from my mother and her colleague Holly, we've spent the weekend re-vamping our website. New web address, new account, new blog. Thanks for everyone's help!

Visa -Finally!

2005-08-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

My third trip to the India House was much more pleasant today. There was still a lot of queing, but I left with a lovely new addition to my passport. What a relief!

On my way home I stumbled upon a travel bookstore in Covent Garden, which was almost too much temptation to bear. Unfortunately, Tamil phrasebooks are in short supply and I didn't find what I was looking for.

GMT/EST

2005-08-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

One nice thing about being 5 hours behind Lauren is that I wake up to a nice little package of India email updates every morning. This morning I found a message regarding possible train timetables, following our arrival in Bombay (Mumbai).

Lauren and I are planning to immediately catch a train from the airport to Ahmedabad - an 8-hour overnight trip north. The city, which is the capital of the state of Gujarat, is supposed to be beautiful in its own right. But Lauren and I are making the trip specifically to visit Doshi's office - an Indian architect who spoke at UC last quarter. Also, there are some beautiful Kahn buildings nearby.

We're running into a bit of a snag, though. Our plane arrives two hours before the night train departs Bombay. Neither of us have any idea how long the customs procedures might take (not to mention the trip to the train station). I need to speak with Mrs. Sanghvi - a friend who has family in the city.

Fundraising difficulties

2005-08-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

I spent a good amount of time today contacting local businesses, asking for donations. I also contacted some of the larger corporations headquartered in Dayton and Cincinnati. I suppose it's unlikely NCR or Proctor & Gamble would be willing to support us (much less reply to my letters), but my uncle said it might be worth a try.

Without a doubt, I'm finding fundraising to be the most difficult aspect of the planning process. It's just not in me to ask others for money. I considered hanging fliers on bulletin boards of local businesses, but the few I approached about doing so didn't seem terribly keen on the idea. People are skeptical of handing their money to strangers, and probably rightfully so.

I researched Tamil dictionaries and phrasebooks online today. There's a surprisingly meagre selection, given the number of people who speak the language. I asked Lauren if she might have a look for Indian bookshops in London. Something tells me she might have a better chance there than I would here in Cincinnati. ;) Logan said language skills aren't necessary (and I don't know how much is feasible to learn in a month, anyway), but it can't hurt to memorize a few phrases.

Healthy Eating?

2005-08-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Lately, details that seemed "on the horizon" for ages have been occupying more and more time. The amount of preparation for this trip is staggering, and we haven't even left home!

I called dad today to find out about insurance. Turns out an independent construction venture in rural India is not covered by a standard policy (heh). I need to research exactly what our policy does and does not cover. I hear travel insurance is extremely customizable, so I only should have to purchase supplments. Still, it's an expense I didn't budget when we planned the trip.

I sent Lauren the pages in my book regarding healthy eating in India. There certainly is quite a list of foods to avoid. I'm worried about the first few days, which will be exhausting from the travel. Lauren and I will have to be extremely vigilant not to let our guard down; an upset stomach no doubt will happen sooner or later, but it would be nice to avoid anything that might ruin the first week's travel to Ahmedabad.

It boggles my mind to think that one month from today, I'll be in India.

Visa Trauma

2005-08-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I received a delightful five-weeks-until-we're-in-India card from Trav this morning. This could have been seen as a good omen before I went to the India House to collect my visa. HA! After waiting until they opened (an hour after I thought they did), I found that due to a misunderstanding on the application, my visa EXPIRES IN NOVEMBER and I must APPLY AND PAY AGAIN. £60!!

This started me off crying from the frustration and financial concerns, not to mention the fear that I might not get it sorted in time, etc. Over-dramatic given the situation, I admit. But it must have tapped into some deeper fears that I didn't know were there because I ended up sobbing uncontrollably on the Strand. We're talking hyperventilating, stares from strangers, basket-case level breakdown.

I'm not sure how long that bit of tissue was stuck in my sunglasses, but that may have also contributed to the funny looks.

Creative Fundraising

2005-08-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day. I feel lucky to have the support of some very thoughtful friends, who have enthusiastically brainstormed some fundraising opportunities in the unlikeliest of places. In fact, the support has been overwhelming from both sides of the ocean; we just heard back from Harini in Chennai, who has booked our accommodation in Auroville. It's very encouraging to have help from a friend who knows the situation first-hand.

I have an appointment scheduled with the doctor on September 1 (thanks mom). Now that I've received my immunizations, I suppose it will be a fairly routine check-up to make sure I'm fit for the trip. I also need prescriptions for the pills that protect against malaria and typhoid.

Guidebook Comments

2005-08-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

I read today that cafes in Southern India serve set meals on banana leaves "flavoured with a variet of spices, lime juice, coconut milk, and sour mango."

I also read about common toilet facilities. I may have been a Girl Scout for 12 years, but this will take some getting used to...

Visa Application

2005-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Went to the India House this morning to apply for my visa. I must say, in dealing with the people at the embassy and with the architects in Auroville, I've seen nothing but an eagerness to help. The process was efficient and everyone is so friendly and cheerful! I think this is a good sign of things to come.

Visa!

2005-08-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

My visa came today! I thought there might be accompanying papers, but it's only a full-page sticker in the passport.