I've only just begun

A snippet of a story

jagis — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:46:00 GMT

Being on the go has been a rollercoaster ride and I both love it and hate it. It is so amazing to see how one adapts to things very quickly. Before leaving the U.S. I was used to a hot shower, clean clothes, clean bathrooms, fresh fruits and vegetables and Peets coffee. Now, it is rare when I get a warm shower, and if I do it usually comes in a bucket. Squatter toilets are the norm here and my western body is not made for this. Fruits and vegetables are rare here and when I do get my veggies they are dripping in heavy oily sauce. I don't mind though. Slowly I have adapted and learned to accept that I will not get the luxuries from back home. Especially in India where everything is turned completely upside down. India is beyond statement, for anything you say, the opposite is also true. It's rich and poor, spiritual and material, cruel and kind, angry but peaceful, ugly and beautiful and all of this comes to you at once. Currently, I am lucky enough to be staying with my friend and his family and I have seen another side of India. Not everything is chaotic, dirty and shocking. Family is family no matter what part of the world you are in. Indian families are united, hard working and very important in the culture. I would like to end this short story with a quote from the book, A Fine Balance by an Indian author, "You cannot draw lines and compartments, and refuse to budge beyond them. Sometimes you have to use your failures as stepping-stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair"(231). This is what India is all about.

Gallery: Kathmandu & the Valley

jagis — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:47:00 GMT

Missionaries of Charity- Kalighat

jagis — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 20:55:00 GMT

Kalighat- home for the destitute and dying. That is where I spent 7 days volunteering. Kalighat, Mother Theresa's first love is something that cannot be put into words but I will do my best. On my first day I went to the Motherhouse, paid my respects to Mother Theresa, ate breakfast, prayed with the group and went off to our sites. We took a local bus to get to Kalighat and the first thing that struck me upon entering the crumbling building was the smell. The smell of death permeated the walls, the furniture, the skin, the air. 80 dying men and women lay in beds helpless. The smell of death, because I have no other word to describe it, come out of every single pore in there body. With every cry of pain they communicated death. There bodies were the size of a small child. The arms of all the women were the size of my wrists. There flesh had given up. No longer was it holding on to the bone, it hung ready to be put to rest. The women were in pain and a lot of it was unavoidable because nothing could be done. At first, I didn't know what to do. A very small women grabbed my arm and motioned for me to scratch her head. I don't know if she had scabbies because the bed was covered with ashy skin, but I did it anyway. I left that day in a daze. What I saw was so incredibly raw, so real that it seemes like an illusion. Like it was so real that it wasn't.

Another day at Kalighat: The smell again. The smell of decay and stale sickness mixed with antibiotics and cough syrup stuck to my clothes and hair. It smells clinical. But I walk in smiling and humming. I put my bag down and get to work. I dried metal bowls and stomped on mounds of nightgowns, pants and blankets wringing the water out trying to get them clean. I was dripping sweat all day eventhough I did nothing out of the ordinary. After that, I made my way around the maze of battered women in the overcrowded hall that reeked of bodily fluids. Hunched women, crawling women and limp women filled this room they called home. Cots and cots followed each other and the women were very territorial of there space, beating others if they got too close. Two women urinated on themselves today and another women was brought in that was burned with hot oil by her husband that didn't want her anymore. We are all there to help and try and make them feel comfortable. We help by washing clothes, cleaning there cups and bowls and by cleaning up after them. We help by bathing them, bandaging there wounds and rubbing lotion on there legs. I don't let them see how sad and frightened I get when I hear them wail in pain or see a wound. I show them a smile and I pray under my breath. All I can do is show them love, give them love and expect nothing in return.

Well, this is India in its most horrific state. You ask yourself how can a government allow such defilment, such sickness and wretched filth to harvest? How can they sleep at night in clean scented sheets and feathered pillows while there fellow brothers and sisters lie in there own waste?

India so far- Kolkata

jagis — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 20:40:00 GMT

India does not hide anything. It is a visual country where everything is exposed to the passerby. A young boy prancing around naked on the sidewalk. A man limping with a piece of plywood serving as a cast. A pregnanat dog sprawled on the pavement scratching at the dried scabs. Men taking a piss out in the open air. Men and women spitting lugees that look pale green and phlemy. Parades of men huddled together, arms linked and hands touching, drinking chai and conversating. Women walking hurridly on the crowded streets with flourescent sarees leaving a trail. Rickshaws stopped with a snoring and drooling driver taking an afternoon nap. Beggars and touts touching you, both equally wanting your money. Gawking men that stare as if they have never seen a women before. The honks are defening and each day I am inches away from breathing my last breath as I am almost hit by a car. Everyone is in a hurry here, rushing by, bumping into you and pushing you out of the way. yet, amny seem so still with nothing to do. Many linger aimlessly or just wait for something that will never come. The noise level is unsettling, the smells are mixed together, and the streets are cluttered with garbage. Vendors crowd the sidewalks selling you chapati bread, chai tea, fresh squeezed oj and flshy statues of popular dieties. Shoe shiners wait patiently for the next customer that is in a rush to get somewhere. The mix of incense, spices and sweat along with diesel fumes fill the air. The smell is exotic, pungent, alluring and sweet. The smell of India is bizzarly delicious. Deals go down and negotiations are made while sipping chai. India and her people are proud of who they are. here is a sense of pride and ownership that is so astonishing. India is accepting and remarkably tolerant but she doesn't budge and holds on to her ways not letting the west have too much control. All are welcome, and all can find home here but India is a world of her own. She is like a sponge that absorbs all. All ideas, all religions, and even all cuisines flow together with an incessant current coming toegther into what we call India.

Goodbye SE Asia

jagis — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:17:00 GMT

I'm days away from leaving SE Asia and I find myself looking back at all that I have experienced. From the powdery sands of Kof Tao to the 2-day boadt ride down the Mekong. From the Lao sandwiches to the spectacular ancient city of Angkor Wat. From the relentless tuk-tuk driver to the landmine victim begging on the street. This is Southeast Asia with nothing to hide. Thailand, Laos and Cambodia are unique in there own special way but they all hol many things in common as well. Besides the endless kiosks selling you fried rice and noodles, people are genuienly curious. People here are eager to practice their english by asking you questions such as, "Where are you from?" and "Are you Indian?"

Theravada Buddhism is the belief of choice in this region but it too has its disparities. Monks are considered venerable and it is a family's pride and joy to have a memeber of the family join the monkhood. There are all kinds of monks however. Monks deep in Vippasana mediation. Monks glued to the screen surfing the net. Monks humbly receving there morning alms at 5am. Monks smoking cigarettes at every pit stop...

Thailand without a doubt is far more developed and the tourism industry is at its peak. Thai's are accustomed to seeing backpackers asing for directions and swarming in from all directions looking for the cheapest guesthouse. Lao, being the most heavily bombed country in the planet, is far less developed. Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vinetiane are recieving a steady flow of tourists but people here are still weary of it all. With a more traditional culture, Laotians are watching as there country evolves. Thai TV and tourism is bringing modern ideas and development into this suffering country. With its French infrastructure and delicious Lao soups, it won't be long until Lao becomes another backpacker dreamland. Cambodia and its beautiful people have been defeated, defiled and spit out by the previous Khmer Rouge. Landmines saturate the countryside advising people not to sway from the trodden path. Cambodians deserve a better future and they are moving fast to fit into the world economy. Upscale tourism is their ticket out of misery and the world heritage site Angkor Wat is there focal point. The humanitarian efforts taking place by non-profit organizations to help those less fortunate is astonishing. Street children are being trained in the service and hospitality industry. Blind people are given jobs in massage parlors and landmine victims are creating beautiful handmade handicrafts.

Likewise, the long bus rides to various destinations have been gruesome at times but the views have been incredible. The galloping limestone mountains of Laos have been so soothing and peaceful. The flat land of Cambodia allows you to see miles and miles of rice paddies in cultivation. The busy streets of Bangkok with flashing lights and glamorous lady boys reminds you that here anything is possible.

So, has this been a rewarding experience? With all its ups and downs and turnarounds I must say yes, SE Asia is a jewel in my eyes. It's a fast-growing rapidly changing region and it is welcoming visitors with open arms. It has accepted me, being an inexperienced amateur backpacker and it will watch me leave as it recieves hundreds more just like me.

Gallery: Khao Yai National Park

jagis — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:26:00 GMT

Trekking

Gallery: Meditation Retreat

jagis — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:33:00 GMT

Gallery: The Beaches

jagis — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:15:00 GMT

Southern Thailand

10-day Buddhist Meditation Retreat

jagis — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:07:00 GMT

Just a few days ago I completed a 10-day meditation retreat in the monastery of Suan Mokkh. It changed my life completely. There was about 70 participants from all over the world, Australia, Indonesia, Switzerland, England, Germany, ect. We all arrived to learn how to meditate and to learn more about ourselves and the world. For 10 days I was silent and I never understood until now how powerful and revealing silence can be. We woke up at 4am everyday, did Yoga, ate two meals a day and meditated for most of the day. We learned about learning how to breath with mindfullness. We learned about the Buddhist philosophy, about respecting Nature and about how to look inwards and deal with yourself. Now, it may sound like very deep stuff but nevertheless you learn to face yourself. Revered monks showed us how to listen to our breathing, how to be mindfull about every little thing we do and about understanding the root of our suffering.

I did gather a lot of tools to meditate effectively but I mostly learned how to look at my emotions in a different light. Not being able to speak makes you have to deal with everything on your own, happiness and discomfort. I loved the expereince but it was also very difficult. This by far has been the hardest thing I have ever done but also the most rewarding. I got so much good out of it and it was not all about how to meditate. I observed that all human beings can live in harmony together regardless of language, status and nationality. We each had a chore to do every day, we had to wash our own plates, wash our clothes and for the women bathe in a sarong. Everything was done with such mindfullness.

Now, I'm back in the real world and I am faced with so many distractions, cravings and challenges. I plan to continue meditating. Not to become a differnt person, but to be a better person to myself and to the ones I love.

The Land of Smiles

jagis — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:57:00 GMT

Thailand - The Land of Smiles. Indeed, it is. Thai people have the most genuine and heartfelt smile. There hospitality makes you feel so welcome. Smiling back is always a kind gesture but it is definetely not enough to get you around the country. To my suprise the most challenging aspect of this trip so far has been the language barrier. Interestingly enough, English seems to be the laguage of choice for Thai' and foreigners to communicate. Even so, it has been quite the challenge because neither knows each others language very well, especially coming from me. This makes it challenging at times but it is all part of the adventure.

Nevertheless, their curiosity and eagerness to help goes beyond all boundaries. The common phrase "Where you going?" and "You need taxi?" is an honest attempt to try and help.

We arrived in Bangkok, stayed for 3 days and had enough. It was very crowded, bust, polluted and confusing. I have spent most of my days on the islands of Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Tao and it has been glorious! Who ever thought that you can still live in paradise, with the crystal clear blue ocean and powdery white sand steps from your bungalow for a mere 5 dollars a day?! I have spent my days basking in the sun, reading endless books, snorkeling, hiking and playing card games. I am off to the oldest town in Thailand called Chaiya, where I will participate in a 10-day meditation retreat with buddhist monks.