The Beauty Within

At church yesterday, my branch in Chennai was able to watch the rebroadcasting of General Conference. While listening, I was introduced to a beautiful thought given by Russell M. Nelson. He said:

''A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames"

After working with some of the most destitute, frail, and physically damaged people in India for the last four months, I couldn't help but to whole heartedly agree with his words. They actually reminded me of a really special experience that I had in the colonies just last month! On one of my typical Monday medical days, we decided to make a stop in Bharatapuram, the largest leprosy colony that Rising Star gives medical assistance to. One of the small businesses that Rising Star has helped their patients develop in Bharatapuram is an "art studio" of sorts for the elderly community members. The colony members were given supplies and instruction from a European painter and now very successfully display and sell their works in exhibits throughout India, Europe, and the U.S. 

When we entered the run down little building where all of the elderly patients were hard at work, I was absolutely stunned at the beauty that they were creating. It was awe inspiring to see their patience, precision, and skill despite the challenge of working with crippled and mangled hands. After searching through literally PILES of gorgeous art work, I found the piece that called my name! A very simple number, but it was so bright and beautiful. I was thrilled to hear that my artist was in the studio that day, working on a new piece, so I went into the back room to meet her. I rounded the corner, and there she was, a very old little woman hunched down on the floor, squinting through her cute little glasses and clutching a paint brush with her tiny hand. When she saw that I had purchased one of her pieces, she looked so excited. I sat down with her and looked into her eyes and told her that I loved her work and thought it was so beautiful! I know she couldn't understand a word of what I was saying, but she just looked back at me, and in that moment, I just felt an overwhelming love for this woman. I probably don't even know half of what she has had to overcome in her life, aside from the challenge of living in complete poverty with a disabled body, but despite all that, I felt the beauty of her sweet spirit as I sat with her, and I saw it in her artwork. I was choking back tears as I left, so humbled and inspired by the experience. I hope like this woman, that I can strive to pull out the beauty in life, and in myself no matter what comes my way!  

The outside of the Bharatapuram art studio.

The tools of the artists.

Hands.

This man was so cute! He told us that painting helped to take away his pain on the inside.

Steaddddyyyyy...

Love the circular theme here! It is supposed to represent God and the creation of the world! Pretty cool!

Open ulcer on the thumb.. Still goin strong!

My piece and the beautiful hands of its creator!

My artist!

Ode to Street Food

You know, they say that as a general rule, that you should avoid street food in India.

Brooke and I like to take every possible opportunity, when venturing to a new destination with a tasty sensation, to break this rule.

Whether it be Nelvoy Junction or Varanasi, Changalpattu or Delhi, there is always a new deep fried wonder just waiting to be discovered.

I figure, hey, if I get sick, it will likely pass within a day. Besides, as we like to say in the Green House: 'I mean, I don't think every single serving would have a tape worm......'

We've been pretty lucky so far (knock on wood!) and it has been TOTALLY WORTH IT!

After a wonderful stop this evening at our favorite parotta stand on the way home from the beach, I couldn't help but to come home and express my appreciation for this Indian wonder.

So please enjoy my Ode to Street Food (dedicated to the parotta stand over the bridge):

Carefully measure, mix, and prepare.

Roll into balls with tender care.

Stack and place, one by one.

Cook by fire, and then you're DONE!

A definite beauty for the eye to behold, 

Flakey, yet dense, crisp, warm and gold,

Banana leaf on bottom, spicy sauce to the right, 

My favorite way to spend the night. 

Cheers :)

Answered Prayers: Life Dance in Coimbatore!

My apologies for the late and lengthy documentation and of this event! Even though the Coimbatore trip happened a while before I started my blog, I couldn’t leave it unshared because it has really been one of my most precious memories in my time in India. So, rewinding back in time. January. I was teaching primarily in the school (English, Math, and Biology) and was the Assistant Promethean Spark dance master/trainee to Shaun Parry. Rising Star got a call on Saturday the 28^th from the head honchos of Mona Vie, a multi-level marketing company that recently started sponsoring Rising Star. They asked if Life Dance would be able to represent Rising Star and perform in Coimbatore for an audience of 3,000 at their first convention in India on the 4^th of February. Of course we immediately agreed, if transportation and housing could be sponsored and arranged for all of the kids, and chaperones (about 30 of us total). The next few days, communication with Mona Vie was really sparse. We never really got word back from them as to whether or not they would be able to arrange the accommodations for us, but we spent the following days preparing to make the trip just in case. Shaun and I told the kids on Monday and they were absolutely ecstatic! They were excited not only at the aspect of performing for THREE THOUSAND people at a huge event in a big city, but for being able to do exactly what we talk about in class every day through the Promethean Spark methodology. Healing others. Sharing our love and light. Being leaders. Showing the world that people who come from leprosy colonies are just like everybody else. We warned them though, that the trip was not yet confirmed, so they couldn’t get their hopes up. Needless to say, with only one week’s notice, it was pure madness trying to rehearse and perfect all of our pieces and figure out costumes for all the kids with a mere HOPE that we would be able to travel and perform.

It was Wednesday and we still hadn’t heard back from Mona Vie. I took a day trip to T-Nagar in Chennai to buy costumes for the kids so Shaun could stay to hold rehearsal. We always begin rehearsal sitting in a circle to give announcements and discuss objectives. That evening in the circle, Shaun was giving the kids a run down of what the weekend would be like IF we were able to perform in Coimbatore. The whole time he was talking, Soniya was raising her hand and bouncing up and down, just SO eager to share whatever it was that she had to say. Shaun held her off with the ‘Shhh! Wait till I’m done’ finger for a good five minutes, and after finishing asked, “Yes, Soniya? What is it you have to say?” “Manodhaya has one idea!” She replied, pointing to our darling, quiet little 9^th standard dancer who had just been moved up into Life Dance from Life Dance II. “I think…… We should pray,” She said simply. Boom. All of the kids got right down on their knees and Manodhaya lead the group in a beautiful, heartfelt prayer to God. You could pick out little English words thrown in once in a while, like “work hard, Life Dance, confirm, and perform”. When she finished, the kids each took a moment for silent, self-prayer and continued to on to rehearse. By the following morning, all of campus was on edge. Wondering. Waiting. All I heard from every child in the school over and over again was, “Is it confirmed?! Will Life Dance go??” To which I repeatedly answered, “No, we still don’t know!” The kids would all say, “You will go. I pray for Life Dance. You will go.”

That day, 200 little beams of prayer light were shooting straight to heaven from Rising Star. I truly believe that God heard every single pray and felt our faith, because at 8:00 pm Dr. Susan, the Indian staff director, came rushing to tell Shaun and I that Mona Vie had finally called, and that our bus would be there to pick us up at 6:00 am the next morning. We were so unbelievably excited that most of us hardly slept. We finally boarded the bus around 8:30 (Naturally, the bus driver was running on Indian time) and prepared for a journey of ‘about 8 hours’. Nay Nay. This ‘8 hour’ drive turned out to be a little closer to 12 hours. By the end of the trip I had the throw-up drill down. At any sign of nausea… Left side of purse. Ziplock. Run. Open under child’s mouth. Hold and comfort until vomit has passed. Wipe for face and hands. Gum. Lead child to the front of the bus and lovingly banish them from iPods and movies. Throw bag out of the bus. Our little Joseph very accurately described the bus as “vomit land”. SO glad that I had decided to take the bags, wipes and gum.

After a long day of travel, we finally got to Coimbatore and crashed! The kids were taken to stay in a really nice apartment, and all of us long-term volunteers got to stay in a beautiful 5 star hotel, Le Meridian, provided by Mona Vie. The next morning, we got up early to go check out the venue and rehearse on stage. It was really cute to see how in awe all of the kids were. Most of them have only been exposed to their teeny little villages and colonies and had never even dreamed of performing in a place like this for so many people. We headed back to the apartment after a great rehearsal and got the kids all ready for their big show. They looked SO darling in their brand new costumes with the boys' hair all gelled up and the girls with their performance make up.

We showed up at the convention with a couple hours before we would be on stage, so we played around, took pictures, and did a little warm-up to prep the kids for the show. The time finally came, and we said one final prayer backstage. Shaun introduced Rising Star and our mission to the massive audience and turned the time over to the kids. They performed three numbers:

1. The Bharatanatyam, a traditional Indian welcome dance.

2. Stayin’ Alive, a cute new jazzy number we learned the week of…. Yeah, crazy!

3. Somebody Out There, the classic, trademark number for Life Dance.

**A little background on this piece-- Somebody Out There is a truly inspired number depicting the pain and sorrow that everyone experiences in life, specifically the challenge that our kids face: Seeing loved ones suffer from leprosy, and suffering themselves. It tells about how we have the power to lift and love others who are struggling and how once we have been helped, we can help others as well.

At the end of the final number, we had a standing ovation and half of the audience in tears. I was, of course, a mess. Seeing my kids perform so beautifully and literally start to change the world’s perspective was to this day, one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I was so proud. They were each presented with a dozen roses and the audience was invited to donate to Mona Vie’s More Project, which provides the sponsorship for Rising Star. So many extremely generous donations were provided, and the amounts were announced over the loudspeakers. When the kids saw the reaction they sparked and that they really did succeed in sharing their message, they got emotional too. We were all hugging and crying and it really was such a perfect ending to an amazing show. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that God heard and answered our prayers and I am so grateful that he did.

Getting ready to board the bus!

Instructing the dancers before our afternoon rehearsal on the stage. 

Goofing off as usual! :) 

 Pumped to perform!!! My gorgeous girlies.

 OH man.... These handsome little lady killers are so irresistible!

Business time! Warming up before going backstage.

Shaun Parry himself! TOO good!

 One last prayer. :)

 I could watch this dance 5 million times. I love the ornate costumes and the intricate choreography of traditional Indian dances. They did such a great job!

Huge confetti bomb? No big deal.... Didn't even flinch!

After the show with all of our Mona Vie peeps!

It just happened to be Randy Jackson's (President of Mona Vie) birthday, and they just happened to have a GIANT cake left over. We each ate chocolate cake to the content of our hearts and had a looooottt left over. Too much in fact....

Too much chocolate cake = EPIC CAKE FIGHT!

Ready for the long journey back home after an unforgettable weekend. 

The bus. The bus. The B-U-S!

Heal the World, Leaders for Life!

As previously mentioned, I have the very best job at Rising Star.... the Promethean Spark dance master! (Don't you love the prestigious title?) Aside from teaching my daily classes, one of my primary responsibilities is to direct the Life Dance Troupe, our school company, which consists of some of the most incredible students at Rising Star. I think I would go so far as to say that being a member of Life Dance is basically the most coveted position in the school among students. In rehearsals, we focus on developing life and leadership skills through the performing arts. Our motto that we close practice with every day is: Heal the World, Leaders for Life! Our mission as a company is to eliminate the social stigma against leprosy and the "untouchable" caste, and to share a message of love and light with the world.

Every single one of these darling kids truly is an inspiration to me, and I have no doubt that they will be the future leaders of India. When I took over as dance master in the beginning of February, I asked each of the Life Dance members to write down a dance goal and a life goal for me, so I could do everything in my power to help them work toward and accomplish these goals. Realizing that they have come from leprosy colonies, some of them begging on the streets for food or money, being totally rejected by society, and seeing a glimpse of the transformation of their lives has been such a miracle. Seeing their ambition and watching them catch a vision for their own potential has brought me to tears countless times.

So, allow me to introduce you to my 19 AMAZING kiddos!!!!

Ashok-- Life Dance President
Dance Goal: I want be strong.
Life Goal: I want be dancer.

This boy has just about as much sass and attitude as you can get from a 7th standard boy, and he straight up kills it every time he steps on to the dance floor. At first, we really butted heads, but after getting to know each other a lot better, we've actually become really close. I've learned how to deal with his sass (and gotten to know his totally hilarious/goofy side when he lets up on the cool kid act) and he's learned how to deal with my high expectations. He is one of my most naturally gifted dancers and I wouldn't be surprised to see him starring as a lead dancer in some Tamil music video in the future....

Vinodhini-- Life Dance Vice-President
Dance Goal: I like to do my splits better and turns.
Life Goal: I want to become a dancer.

This girl, aside from being absolutely BEAUTIFUL on the outside, has a lot of spunk and is such a good worker. She is super smart and picks up on choreography and new technique so fast! Watching her dance the classical Indian welcome dance (Bharatanatyam) has definitely become a favorite of mine over the semester. I love hearing her laugh and say my name in that adorable accent... Kyyyyeeeelllllllli!

Malavika-- Life Dance Librarian
Dance Goal: I want to do good splits, face expression, and pirouettes.
Life Goal: In my life I want to be on time in all things, dance and study well.

Malavika is seriously a little angel. She is one of those beautiful, shy, quiet students that is always listening, observing, and applying every correction to herself in class. I can count on Malavika to do every job I give her very thoroughly and precisely, and I know she won't ever let me down. She is the very top of her class in every subject and has nothing less than A+ expectations. It wasn't hard to pick her out as a member of the Presidency from day 1.

Theresa-- Life Dance Librarian
Dance Goal: I like to do splits all three sides.
Life Goal: I will become a doctor.

Theresa is as sweet as sugar! She is also very dedicated, and focused in class. In her own sweet, yet effective way that nobody else could duplicate, she helps me to keep the other kids in line when they get a little chatty or crazy. She is such a great example to all of the other dancers. She is my little flexi girl and has almost all of her splits! She was the very first one to join the Life Dance splits club that we started two weeks ago!

Megala-- Life Dance Secretary
Dance Goal: Always having a good attitude and dancing all the steps very well.
Life Goal: To become I.A.S. (Indian Association Serivce) agent so I can always be helping others to have good life.

Megala's description of herself: "You know, sometimes people say that I am very quiet and I don't say much like that.... But you know, once I start talking to you I just talk, talk, talk! I'm crazy and I just don't stop!" My first month or so, this quiet, meticulously detailed secretary was all that I saw. After getting to know Megala, giggling with her and making jokes is one of my favorite past times. She speaks beautiful English and has picked up on some pretty hilarious American humor. She is a wonderful student and leader at the school and along with her dance skills, has a knack for art and poetry.

Deepenraj-- Life Dance Technical Supervisor
Dance Goal: I like to learn be strong.
Life Goal: I whant to be a draft.

This boy has a heart of gold and is one of the most creative minds on Life Dance. He always has an opinion, or idea to share and loves to help come up with solutions to problems. He is very helpful, and does a wonderful job with his new promotion to the position of technical supervisor. I'd say He and Ashok are probably Michael Jackson's number one fans, and they LOVE to choreograph to his music. Watching his choreography to MJ's Smooth Criminal was one of the highlights of this last weekend. He also has an impressive appetite for peanut butter.

Vimalkanth-- Life Dance Troupe
Dance Goal: Carwheeles.
Life Goal: Music director and mechanical engineer.

One of my very first impressions of Vimal was his astonishing ability to move his hips. One of the Rising Star boys' favorite dance moves is the classic hip thrust, and I've gotta say... This kid's got it down. He is also one that I deem gifted. He is a fantastic dancer! Sometimes he's a little bit of a punk, and likes to wander into rehearsal five or ten minutes late, or "forget" to come (aka he was having to much fun at playtime) but it's almost impossible to say mad at him. He's such a charmer! He frequently refers to me as his wife, lover, love bird.... you name it. And he loves to blow me kisses every time we see each other on campus. On February 14th, he picked a bouquet of wild flowers for me and wrote me a poem in his cute, developing english asking me to be his Valentine. Probably my favorite Valentine's Day thus far.

Soniya-- Life Dance II (our junior company prepping the kids for Life Dance)

Dance Goal: I like to do spotting better. I like to do my splits good.

Life Goal: I want to became a doctor.

Soniya is in 9th standard and is something of a mother figure in Life Dance. She is so grown up and so sweet and sensitive to everyone. She loves to make jokes and is best friends with everybody. She is one of those kids that is just "the glue", as my mom would put it, that keeps all of us together. She has only been in Life Dance for a short time, but has worked so hard. She is one of those students that you can see growing and improving every day. 

M. Vignesh-- Life Dance Troupe
Dance Goal: back handspring. pirouettes and leaps.
Life Goal: I want to become a police and get the bad guy.

Vignesh is an amazing dancer, and loves to tumble. I teach his biology class in the school, and he is a really practical thinker. Earlier in the semester, he had some behavioral and scholastic issues. He got behind in classes and got one too many absences in Life Dance and one too many X's (The school has a card sign of system where you can earn points and rewards for good behavior and can get X's and punishment for bad behavior) and was temporarily dismissed from the company. After whipping his butt back into gear and being AWESOME for a little over a month, we just took him back. I've been really happy to see a change in his attitude and school work and I'm stoked to have his talent back on the company.

C. Vignesh-- Life Dance II
Dance Goal: I want to be split to do good.
Life Goal: I want to be a (crossed out police) dancer.

C is such a sweetheart. He is very reliable and consistent. He is also a techie and loves to be on my iPod at every possible moment. He is also really smart and just gets how things work, a lot like my brother Nick. If I need somebody to help he is always there in a heartbeat. Carrying the speakers for me, holding my bag, getting the Promethean Spark warm-up playlist ready, running to call the other boys to come to Life Dance. Just a little gem!

Manodhaya-- Life Dance Troupe

Dance Goal: I want to do pirouettes perfectly and to be a good dancer.

Life Goal: I don't want to give up in my life. I want to achieve my aim as an astronaut. 

Manodhaya is such a graceful girl with a truly captivating and unique beauty. She conducts herself with such poise and is always kind, helpful, and compassionate. In my opinion, easily one of the most gorgeous girls on campus, but still so humble! She is alway working her hardest and you can see the results. She has improved SO much in the short time I've been able to work with her, and I can see her becoming really talented not only in dance, but in any aspect of her life that she chooses to work at. 

Joseph Stalin (yes, this is his REAL name)-- Life Dance Troupe
Dance Goal: Splits, pirouettes, on time to life dance.
Life Goal: In all my classes I will try to get 1st rank in all the annual exams. I want to learn more about the computer to be a software engineer.

Joseph LOVES to dance. And I love to watch him. He is incredibly talented and has a dedication and work ethic that surpass possibly everyone else on the company. He loves a challenge in any aspect of life and is constantly thirsty for more. More technique, more strength, more choreography, more tricks. My first couple months, he would ask me to help him stretch every day after rehearsal so that he could get his middle splits. In three months, I've seen him go down maybe seven inches and he is just about there! He is also an amazing student at the school and so many kids look up to him. He speaks fantastic English and is something of an entrepreneur among the hostel boys.

Sarenraj-- Life Dance II
Dance Goal: I want to do split full.
Life Goal: Study very well.

Saren is a very new addition to Life Dance. He had been at Rising Star since he was about 5, and was selected last year to be a part of the Life Dance II right before his mother got offended by a staff member and took him out of school and wouldn't let him return. After fighting for about a year, we finally got him back about 6 weeks ago. The kids were all so stoked to have him back and welcomed him right in like a brother. He is still adjusting and learning all about how we work in Life Dance, but he has an enthusiasm for life and an absolutely contagious energy and smile.

Arun-- Life Dance II
Dance Goal: I want to be strong and focus.
Life Goal: I want to became an I.P.S. officer.

Arun's laugh is SO addicting. I would stay that is one of his most defining qualities. He's a little bit like Vimal when it comes to responsibility and work ethic, but he also is really tough to stay serious with. He just cracks me up. He's a really strong boy! In fact, he almost beat me in an arm wrestle.... Pretty embarassing! The other boys in 6th really look up to him and he is going to grow up to be a really great kid.

Ambiga-- Life Dance II

Dance Goal: Splits, face concentration.

Life Goal: Dancer, doctor.

When I first arrived at Rising Star and was assisting Shaun Parry (founder and president of Promethean Spark) with the dance classes and teaching a lot more English in the school, I had the privilege of tutoring Amibga every morning after assembly. She always greeted me with a gorgeous smile and fresh enthusiasm every day. Even though she is in 8th standard reading English at a 1st standard level, she gave it her all every day and improved SO much in the time we had together. Because of this early connection, she has had a really special place in my heart from the beginning. Her attitudes in the school reflect exactly how she performs at dance. Tough, ambitious, and ready to roll. She shocked me on Tamil speech day when she just dominated the debate portion. Even though her English is lacking, she is easily one of the very best Tamil writers, and speakers in the school.

Krishnamoorthy-- Life Dance Troupe

Dance Goal: To get better in split. To get stronger and be focused.
Life Goal: Visit America and other country. To became a great doctor.

Krishnamoorthy is basically a genius. He has been moved up two grades and is still dominating in 9th standard. He is an incredible example not only in Life Dance, but in the school, and in the hostel. He is very sensitive and always makes sure that all the boys are taken care of. He has great manners and great work ethic, but he can also have a blast and party when the time is right! One of my favorite things about Krishna is his dynamic, expressive little face. He is totally an open book and some of his looks just kill me.

Savitha- Life Dance II
Dance Goal: I want to do leg open splits and became a good dancer.
Life Goal: I want to became a doctor and help to poor people.

Savitha is my cute little munchkin. Her high little voice and cute nose will be in my memory forever! She is the youngest girl on life dance but is easily up to parr with the others. She is a natural mover and I can't wait to start working with her every day once she makes her way up to Life Dance I. She loves to work on her cartwheels and splits with me and is excited to learn more technique.

Vijayalakshmi-- Life Dance Troupe
Dance Goal: I like to do splits and lots of dances. To be on time in all. To be a dancer and ballet.
Life Goal: I want to become a I.A.S. Indian Association Service and help the people.

Called Buji by most, I like to call her my Buji Baby. This girl reminds me SO much of my little sister, Amber. She has a heart full of love and is so ready to share it. I am constantly getting my face kissed all over by Buji, even after rehearsal when we are both really sweaty and gross. She loves hugs and kisses and always whispers in my ear, "You're my faaaaaavorite one!" or "You are my BEST friend!" Not only is she incredibly loving, but she is another star student. Amazing dancer. Always on the front row, bubbly, bouncy and smiling. She is such a blast to have around! Her favorite song is Super Bass my Nicki Minaj.

Shalini-- Life Dance Troupe
Dance Goal: Leaps.
Life Goal: IAS officer, doctor.

Shalini is tiny. I swear she weighs like 40 pounds.... When she leaps she just FLIES! It is the craziest thing. She is super dedicated and SO responsible. When we needed a last minute fill in for the welcome dance about 2 weeks ago, I asked the girls if anybody thought they could learn it in one day. She raised her hand to tell me that she had the whole dance memorized. The next day she performed for a volunteer session... Flawless! Such a cute, cute girl. She really loves dance and works so hard. She is so ambitious and also has a heart of gold. 

Touring Northern India - The Trip of a Lifetime!

Visiting Varanasi, Agra, and Delhi this last weekend was truly an incredible experience. It was very eye opening and absolutely fascinating to really delve into a totally foreign culture and figure out what makes India India.


Part One: Varanasi - The Holy City of the Hindus

Varanasi is one of the most ancient cities in the history of the world. Hindu pilgrims come from all over the world to bathe in the River Ganga (Ganges River), which borders the city. The Ganges is believed to have the power to cleanse the bather of all previously committed sins and/or bad karma. Many elderly Hindus come to Varanasi to die so their bodies can be cremated on the burning ghat, and their ashes can be collected and dumped into the Ganga. This is said by the Hindus to be one of the only ways to gain salvation.

It was possibly the most fascinating place I have ever been. Very colorful, crowded, messy, and chaotic. Eerie at times (aka when seeing the burning bodies and ashes on the ghat), and breathtakingly beautiful at times. All in all, rich in culture and very exciting!

The beautiful view from the rooftop restaurant at the Blue Dolphin Guest Home.

 The ghat from our hotel to the river. Beauty!

Gotta love the dirty, bustling roads of Varanasi. Not uncommon to see 3-4 people crammed on a motorcycle.

The boat ride at sunrise was a definite favorite of mine. 

We arrived in Varanasi on March 8th, this year's celebration of Holi, the Hindu chalk throwing festival. Sadly, we were flying for the actual color throw, but we got to see all of the aftermath. Almost everyone and everything was drenched in color. We saw everything from Holi Monkeys, to Holi Dogs, to Holi Cows! This little guy was too irresistible..... 

HAPPY HOLI!! Chalk was for sale around every corner.

There were about 5 million little temples like this all over Varanasi. Quite a few really large, ornate, ancient ones too!

We loved venturing through the shady alleys near the hotel. Never a dull moment!

The nightly Hindu ceremony to honor the Mother Ganga, performed by the local priests.

Twice that day, we were greeted and welcomed to Varanasi with a nice smudge of color to the forehead, first in the restroom at the airport, and second on the streets from these lovely gentlemen!

On the bright side, at least the trash was somewhat organized into piles.....?...... I guess that's a step toward better sanitation, right?

Absolutely mind blowing. Just seeing all of the people casually taking their morning bath or washing their clothes in the ash-filled holy river.

Breathtaking! The view from our boat ride.

And of course, how could we go to the Ganges and NOT get in?! It's filled with dead bodies and ashes and trash and who knows what else, but HEY!...... Why not?!

Getting STOKED for our "holy dip" as our lovely guide called it.

One.... Two... WAIT!!!!! I'm not ready yet................... Okay, now I'm ready.... One, Two..........

 THREE!

It was a tad bit chilly...... Ha. :) We took a nice solid five dips for good measure.

Washing off all the bad karma! Yeeeeeah baby!

Checkety check check! FINISH!

Shopping.... Always a favorite part of the trip. :)

Varanasi is known for it's silk production, and we were able to go to a silk factory and see some of the old fashioned machines. One centimeter of sari fabric on this bad boy takes a good 8 hours. Impressive!

Saranath, the location of Buddha's first sermon. Interesting fact that I didn't know before: Buddha was actually Hindu and Buddhism is a branch off of Hinduism.

The open palm, a common sign of welcome. 

We LOVE Indian food..... Yummmmmm. :)

My very first overnight train! An adventure to say the least..

Getting all snuggled up (in my very sketchy train blanket) and ready for bed with my top bunk buddy from England! Funny that the only other white person on the train happened to be in our compartment. A very charming fellow!

Part Two: Arga - The Home of the Taj Mahal

The short time we spent in Agra was well worth it. I was SO captivated and impressed by everything we saw. The artistry, detail, and perfect symmetry of the structures was astonishing. I think seeing the Taj and the Agra Fort sparked a new found love of architecture within me! Seeing these palaces, castles and monuments made stories you hear as a kid totally come alive.

Here we are after a refreshing evening on the night train, standing outside the front gate to the Taj Mahal, ready as ever to see the seventh wonder of the world!

Interesting facts provided by Nitton, our fabulous tour guide:

-This muslim monument was built in the 3rd generation of the Mughal Dynasty of India by Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of love for his dead wife.

 -There are 22 small spires atop the entrance, each symbolizing a year spent on the construction of this magnificent architectural creation. 

-Everything about the Taj Mahal, including the outlying decorative buildings, is completely symmetrical

-The estimated cost of building the Taj Mahal was about 14 million Rupees (This doesn't include the marble, which is the vast majority of the structure, because the emperor was supplied with free marble from his own land)

-All of the colors within the Taj Mahal are produced by semi-precious stones that were carved and placed into the marble by expert craftsmen. No paint was used.

It was completed in 1653 and still looks brand new. Imagine that!

Brooke and I, taking a moment to meditate and become one with our surroundings. 

Sam and Nitton, expressing their friendship Indian style. You see grow men holding hands as a gesture of friendship ALL the time here! It's funny how socially unacceptable that would be if it were a guy and a girl. Oh India.....

The beautiful, detailed work inside the Taj. All of those tiny little flowers.... Hand carved, semi-precious stones.

Oh, just one of the decorative buildings on the side of the Taj, just to "fill space" and create symmetry. Immaculate. 

More ammmaaazingness! I love the sandstone/marble contrast!

Later on that afternoon: Agra fort - Military base/palace of the Mughal Emperors. Complete with a classic castle moat and drawbridge!

The Emperor's living quarters. Once filled with a small grape vineyard, two pools, and roughly 400 concubines.

The Emperor's sleeping chamber! 

I thought this was so crazy! As a form of air conditioning, the early Indians would pour cold water through the hollow walls in the palace and it would trickle down into pools like this little guy and then pool into the moat through a waterfall, which would eventually recirculate, with the aid of servants, and come back through the walls to cool off the rooms again.

A small portion of the Emperor's library.

The Three Amigos standing outside of the courtroom.

Agra is well known for its marble, and we had the chance to go to visit some of the ancestors of those who built the Taj Mahal and see the work that they are still continuing. INCREDIBLE to see how much detail and precision goes into the seemingly simplest things.

This good sir here carefully carving out small slivers of turquoise to create a flower for a coffee table they are working on.

Part Three: Delhi - The Capital of India

Delhi was just a blast! More beautiful muslim monuments, lots of fun cultural experiences, and some pretty great food. (Which may or may not have made me deathly ill (?) for 24 hours after arriving back home at Rising Star, which may or may not have been TOTALLY worth it!)

For a while now, I have been wondering WHY the cows are so sacred to the Hindus. From what I have experienced in my three months so far, cows ALWAYS have the right of way. They basically just chill wherever they want and roam the streets of rural villages like ours at Rising Star, or even streets of big cities like Chennai. So.... after asking our guide, Nitton, about the significance of these animals, he explained that among other things like milk etc., the cow pies were a primary source of fire-starting material for the people. After he pointed out these small brown circles of goodness, we realized that they were stacked EVERYWHERE. Some stacks were as tall and large as some of the rural homes near Delhi. Lower women in the caste system have the lifetime responsibility/honor of collecting, shaping, and stacking (almost artistically, I might add) these holy cow pies. 

One thing I absolutely love about India: Car rides NEVER get boring.

Ever.

Okay.... So we caved for ONE meal and went to Pizza Hut for American food.... It was surprisingly the cleanest restaurant I have been into thus far in India! They even had a hand blow dryer in the bathroom. High rollin!!

Qutab Minar - The tallest stone structure in India! A gorgeous monument to a battle victory in the 1300's.

Up close. Amazing detail. Love the Sanskrit. 

Even the ceilings.... Wowowowwwwah.

SO grateful to have my beautiful, hilarious cousin Brooke to share this experience with me. 

Baha'i House of Worship. Another enlightening, wonderful trip experience for me. This religion's fundamental value and primary purpose is unity, oneness, and world peace between different cultures, races, and religions. This building is a prayer/meditation hall for any person who feels inclined to join. We came in and said our own prayers for about 20 minutes and then listened to readings from the Bible and the Koran, and heard some beautiful Hindu and Muslim chants.

On the final evening of our excursion, Praveen, our trip coordinator, and his family treated us to an amazing traditional North Indian dinner. Couldn't have asked for a better trip! :)