It's day three in India and I acutally had a small case of culture shock (it actually produces physical side effects) and had to have a lie down. Seriously! I arrived here and just jumped right in. My first day was spent navigating around on a bicycle - and if anyone who has been to India could testify - that is quite impressive. It is seriously a death wish on the roads and i'm sure that someone has the rule book somewhere, maybe the English took it with them when they left. I was thinking it would be a laugh to try and get my Indian drivers license just to see what the rules are.
I'm better now after my chill out. A volunteer here said that i have to wait for my soul to arrive to India, apparently your body arrives by plane but your soul comes by horseback and so it takes a while for it to arrive.
In three days I actually have managed to do quite a lot - I've done an Indian yoga class which is unbelievably different to the way the west teach yoga. The guy was an absolute task master - you are in a posture at about 90 degrees and he comes over and yanks you to about 180 degrees. The guy even tried to stand on my legs while they were crossed and push my back down. F^&*^ hell! He was walking around the whole time saying in his Indian accent.. "Yoga is Union - Yoga is Equal - Yoga is Pain" Yep... damn straight.
The children here are on some serious steroids of cuteness.. I don't know what it is but they make your heart melt when you see them.. and their parents are always shoving their kid in your face so you can take a photo of him or her.. and then they grab the littlest one and hand him to you like he is the prize. It's like they know you are a sucker for those goregeous cute faces.
The NGO I am working with is Indian run so it can be extremely disorganised. I have started already in my first few days to implement some structure to their organisation and we have set up some handbooks and orientation materials for future volunteers. It's fun to bring Indian culture into all these things as well.. On all the Handbooks we have drawn traditional Kolam designs that Kavitha (the office manager) is teaching me to draw.
I head to Auroville on Sunday which will be another adventure. Stay tuned.
check out some of my other pictures here
Posts
2 comments:
That sounds like my kinda yoga! sounds like you're having an eye opening, amazing time as expected. Can you send me that little flea-covered puppy? i want to adopt him. we miss you!
i wish i could... he was so cute. soph- you would go crazy here with all the stuff they have. saris, scarfs,jewellery.and cheap.
i'm wearing my pendant every day - i just love it! miss you guys too. but obviously don't miss work. Ha ha.
Post a Comment