Namaste, India!

“Namaste” (nah-mah-stay) is said during an Indian greeting in which one’s hands touch palm to palm and held near the heart while the head bows with respect. I found South India to constantly be greeting me with a warm and respectful welcome. I had such a great time in India and already am wanting to go back to see and do more!

1/6 of the world’s population is in India. 2.1 billion people live there with diverse cultures and many different languages. 4 main religions are practiced: Hinduism (most predominant- 150 million people), Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Christianity arrived in 52 AD with St. Thomas and is now practiced by 2.5% of the population. India is a place where some of the earliest philosophical texts, dialogues, and discourses were developed. Muslims repeatedly invaded and then ruled from 11th-18th centuries. When the Islam Empire declined, the British rose into power. They instituted educational systems, built industries, developed infrastructures, and made English the connecting language. However, their colonial rule was oppressive and India was demanding self-rule. Ghandi fought for civil liberty with nonviolence and believed in greater courage than retaliation. India became independent from Britain in the 1940s but then had an uneasy relationship with Pakistan. Today there are 300 million people in deep poverty that live on less than a dollar a day. India is a land of great diversity… where cows roam the streets freely, rick-shaws haul around travelers, 4-member families hold on tightly to their motorcycle, beautiful women walk around in saris with a jewel on their foreheads, deities and temples are found throughout cities, and barefeet and dirt line the streets…

Friday morning, soon after we docked, I attended a yoga demonstration since this is the land where it all started. A lady spoke while 2 of her students showed us their moves. Man, are they flexible and disciplined! It has such a calming and relaxing effect to those who have mastered it.

That afternoon I went to Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Chennai. Mother Teresa started and worked with Missionaries of Charity starting in her 20s and for the rest of her life. She developed children’s homes, elderly homes, homes for the dying, and soup kitchens all throughout India. I felt so privileged to see an orphanage that she had started! The gated building houses about 5 sisters 25 children. We first went up to the prayer and worship room. On the wall there was a wooden carving of Jesus on the cross with the words, “I THIRST.” Below it was an alter that said, “DO NOT FEAR I AM WITH YOU.” There was also a Bible written in Hindi with colored pictures. The rest of the time was spent hanging out with the children and sisters. The children were all abandoned, either at the doorsteps or on the streets. Many of them have mental and physical disabilities. We brought things to play with them, such as coloring books and bubbles. They go to school everyday but had this day off because we special visitors were coming. They were all so joyous! And smart too! I worked with 2 girls on word-finds that were in English and they found nearly every word (keep in mind that they were mentally challenged…)! It was such a wonderful atmosphere to be in… you could just feel God’s presence. The sisters had a complete calming and sweet persona and the kids were just filled with joy. I think Mother Teresa would be happy with her Chennai orphanage!

That evening my friends and I were blessed by the generosity of a local Indian family. A sweet couple from my home church contacted their cousins in India about my arrival. So that evening we met up with their cousins for a most enjoyable time. Well, first of all I should tell you about our rick-shaw ride before meeting them. They first pedaled 2 of us to the gate but then we needed to pick up 2 more of our friends. So we piled 4 of us onto this rick-shaw that’s surely not made to hold all of us! 1 of the 2 seats broke so lap-seats it was! Well, we were a bit heavy for the peddler so 2 of his friends stood on both sides helping push! We were ready to jump out and walk to take him out of his agony, but then we arrived! So anyway, we found our new friends and were off in a vehicle made to actually hold all of us lol. We first stopped at a local market and shopped some. It was a bit different than the U.S.: when you find something you want, a form was given to you but they delivered the item; then after all your shopping was done you took these forms and paid for it all; then you took that receipt to another desk and picked up all your items. It was neat to be in a local’s market rather than tourist market. Then we went to the beach—WOW! It is the 2nd largest beach in the WORLD! It goes on for what seems forever and is also very wide! We walked to the water and it was just beautiful at night! We then went to dinner for our first taste of real Indian cuisine… and mm mm mmm, it was GOOD! I really enjoyed being shown around and engaging in conversation with them. It was a great contribution to my time in India.

Saturday morning I attended a celebration for SAS—you see, the voyage I happen to be on is SAS’s 100th voyage! So this was celebrated in India at a college. We arrived to people dressed in costumes who put (REAL!) flower leis around our necks. They also gave us tea and biscuits (cracker/cookies), which I found to be quite common in India. They then put on quite an impressive performance for us. Young and older children and college students had prepared numerous traditional to contemporary dances. This includes a finale of outstanding female hip-hoppers and also 3 girls singing Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” a cappella! They were all impressive performances to celebrate SAS’s 100th voyage.

I then went on a 2-day trip with the RIDE (Rural India Developmental Education) Program. It strives to fight child labor in the rural areas by educating children and providing parents with jobs. We drove into southern India and first went to one of the RIDE schools. There were a few large classrooms with no desks or chairs inside and a large garden. The kids put on a performance for us with singing, dancing, and acting. We then got to play with them for awhile… duck duck goose was a hit—when I joined, a boy decided to “goose” me and then have me chase him around the circle at least 5 times rather than sitting in his new spot. Haha. We also tossed balls AND played with snow… yes, I said snow! Our trip leader is a science teacher and brought this powdery stuff that grows into snow when it gets wet! These kids were having so much fun with it because they’ve never seen snow before! That night we ate dinner while talking to the founder of RIDE. I learned that these kids we had just interacted with are victims of child labor. Their parents send them to work in the quarries, which makes $1.50 a day for the family. Their parents don’t quite understand why education is so important but rather see their children laboring as more important and financially successful. Many times the parents try to get jobs but employers would rather higher children, so the kids are literally the source of the family’s income. The RIDE program goes to homes each day to try to convince the kids to come to school that day rather than work. The turnout at school differs greatly each day. Many times the only incentive to go to school is that they will actually be fed a meal that day. So we learned that the RIDE program is trying to convince a culture of their values that they are having trouble understanding.

The next day, Sunday, we got to see the other end of the spectrum of the RIDE program—it’s emphasis on adult labor which in turn allows for child education. We first stopped at an old temple and deity statues. We then went to a village that I really enjoyed. RIDE has helped provide loans to allow parents to get businesses started. They warmly welcomed us with prayers and blessings and of course… tea and biscuits. We got to tour the village president’s house and speak with his family. I’ve learned that I really enjoy any village visits I’ve gone on! We then went to another village where we saw a father’s pottery-making business and parents’ food-making business that RIDE started to fight child labor. We then went to a silk-weaving factory with the same cause. This was really impressive, especially seeing a sari being made because it was with real gold! In each place we had the chance to support their businesses by buying pottery or silk clothing. This trip was fabulous because it focused on a huge problem in India and how they’re working to fix it.

That evening I met up with some of my friends and we headed into Chennai. Our taxi drivers really wanted to help us and also really wanted pictures with us lol. We went to City Center mall, bought movie tickets, and shopped in a bookstore. The taxi drivers insisted on taking us back because it’d be hard to find a taxi later at night. So they picked us up and enjoyed teasing us on the way back to the ship. We were asking them cultural questions, including what the driving age is in India. So after answering he asked us if we wanted to drive the car! Uh, definitely not! Especially since they drive on the left side! But he kept jokingly insisting that we drive the taxi and it gave us some good laughs.

On Monday morning, I went on an SAS Service trip to Samarpana Orphanage for the Handicapped… this was a REALLY great experience! They house, take care of, and teach abandoned people with mental retardation, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, and spinal bifida. They gave an extremely warm welcome with handshakes and golden smiles. First we worked, then we played. My job was cutting nails! Yes, finger nails AND toe nails! For those of you who don’t know, I do not like feet at all, so the toe nails was a big step for me! These feet walk barefoot constantly on dirty Indian grounds and toenails haven’t been cut in awhile… but isn’t that what service is all about? Breaking through our uncomfortability to benefit another? And it really did benefit them… not just physically but mentally too. Since they’re living in a group home they don’t get a lot of one-on-one attention. So simply by focusing on them, touching their hands and feet, they were feeling loved. I truly enjoyed this service work. We then had time to interact with them for a while. Oh, what joys they are! I tend to be drawn towards those that are overlooked… so my friend and I played with 2 little boys that had spina bifida, moderate-extreme mental retardation, and couldn’t talk. Oh, they were such joys! They just had the best smiles that you can only return with a bigger smile. They then had classes and were divided into mental capabilities. I was in the room with the lower-functioning and my favorite little boy. I was so impressed by him! He had learned a puzzle of shapes and colors and would point to where each piece belonged! WOW! There were some boys that came in the room to bicycle. I later learned that one had been the first member of the orphanage and couldn’t even walk when he first came. They each impressed me with how driven and joyful they were. They not only were happy to have Samarpana as a home, but they had built a strong family connection with the others that were there too. It was a most enjoyable time at Samarpana Handicapped Orphanage.

Once we arrived back on the ship, I met the Vietnamese interport student, Anne, and we invited her to join us for the rest of the day. We went back to City Center mall for our afternoon movie. It was spoken in Hindi but didn’t even have subtitles, so it was quite interesting. Bollywood films in general are quite interesting. After 1 hour and 45 min, “Interval” came on the screen… we couldn’t believe it was only intermission! But nonetheless, it was a neat cultural experience to watch an Indian film where we could only guess what was going on. Lol. We also shopped because we wanted some styling Indian clothes… so I found some for my first clothes I’ve bought!

Tuesday morning I went on a trip that focused on the socioeconomic problems in India through a program called MCDS (Montfort Community Development Society). I really like their diligent goals: provide a community for children with disabilities, fight against child labor, provide support and supplies for poor schools, empower women through self-help groups, train youth for self-employment and social awareness, provide a school for drop-outs and failures, improve water/hygiene/dental/physical health of the area, provide care for the elderly, and grow awareness with other networks. We went to the slums on the outskirts and where the tsunami hit the worst 5 years ago. We saw a 1-room school for the children and also talked with the women’s self-help group. We saw another school, walked through the local market within the slums, and viewed the care facility for the disabled. They took one of their students to the Special Olympics a few years ago in Ireland and she won a gold medal! Oh, she was so proud lol. Just as I’d seen in the orphanage the day before, they were all so happy to be there. MCDS focuses on not just providing a building for the disabled, but a community as well where they are integrated with others without disabilities. This is a fabulous program that has developed strongly and already changed many lives.

The rest of my last day I spent with my friends around Chennai shopping and site-seeing.

I was very sad to say goodbye to India. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about my time there… but it turned out to be one of my favorite countries. Its wide diversity has created such a rich culture. And they’re so welcoming with an unspoken respect. I had a wonderful taste of South India… and hopefully someday I will see the rest of India. What a tremendous country!

I am now on the ship for 6 days… Next stop: Vietnam.

I hope you are all doing well—may you find many blessings this week!