Robert Swan: Message for Indian Youth IAE 2016

So THIS happened!

10 Most Spectacular Experiences

Life is not measured the number of breaths you take but by the number of moments that take your breath away.
- Unknown 

#10: The largest Salt pans in the world- Bolivia!

#9: Skateboarding on the London Bridge, London

              

#8: Traffic Jam on the world's highest motorable road in the world due to snow fall, ladakh

#7: Snorkeling in Thailand
 

#6: The swing at the edge of the world, Ecuador

     
              

#5: International Antarctica Expedition, Antarctica

# 4: Climbing the second-highest active Volcano in the Andes, Ecuador



#3: The roller coaster in the Gunnies book of world records for the maximum number of twists, China

#2: Taking a dip in a volcanic crater, Ecuador

#1: Ladakh Marathon, India

                 

Top #5 unforgettable fellowship memories

“The Memories Remain”

-Metallica

Here is a list of top 5 experiences made possible because of the Third pole Education Base Fellowship.

#1: The Ladakh Marathon: I’d count this in the top 10 experiences of my life list. Imagine running a marathon at 12000ft altitude at 6:00 am in the morning with freezing toes and fingers, Oxygen devoid thin cold air piercing your nostrils with every breath, leaky noses, winding narrow paths with idyllic sites, fluttering prayer flags, Gompas, Stupas, fresh water trickling because of melting glaciers, a motivating 11 year old not letting you stop even for a second, finishing Top 20, the unbearably painful stiffness after and the dichotomy of it all.     

#2: The International Buddhist festival of ladakh: Not only did I get to attend the internationally famous Buddhist Festival of Ladakh which is attended by followers from all over the world, I also got to be a part of the Organizing Team since Mahabhodhi International Meditation Center (my fellowship school campus) is the host for this magnificent festival each year. It was both grand in scale and impact and had reputed global and spiritual leaders from all over the world, like Baba Ramdev, the princess of Bhutan, the president of the Rotary Club Japan and my personal favorite Dr. Kiren Bedi, the first women IPS officer of India who gave the most motivating speech on women empowerment ever!! As a part of the organizing committee I was in the welcome committee with all other teachers and students in traditional Ladakhi wear to chaperon all the guests with a “Julley!” Hemis Monestary’s Mask dance was the cheery on the cake all the week long events, seminars, Buddhist film screenings and cultural nights.

#3: Field trip: This is what our field trips are about! Learning how to build Artificial Glaciers, Green Houses and Compost Pits in a beautiful village followed by a lunch picnic. Learning =100% Fun=100% Read more here. 

#4: The Best surprise birthday ever: The best surprise birthday party ever (after my 17^th birthday) planned and organized by the coolest principal ever, with a cake finger food and people’s unconditional love to make me feel at home! Not to forget the wonderful gifts, cards, birthday songs in every period of the day and the long distance wishes pouring in on Facebook.

#5: My first Teacher’s day: Yes I have been teaching for over three years yet surprisingly I have never attended even one teachers day.  Except a Colombian teachers day which is very different from what we are used to here in India. It started with the students presenting each teacher with a Khatak followed by a series of games for all teachers till lunch time. We played every single birthday party game we used to play as kids from picking out floating vegetables in a bucket of water with only our mouths, to an obstacle course; musical chairs to modelling for a fashion show to catching a water balloons in teams. It was a lot of fun and a lot of bonding with all the other teachers. Dolma ma’am our principal was such a sport when it came to participating in all the games and she and I made a power team and won quite a few ‘Barone’ chocolates together and I also got the title of Miss. Mahabhodi, a crown and a sash for the best cat walk! Imagine that!    

A Birthday to Remeber

10^th September 2016

Thursday

Being the younger one, my birthdays have always been a big deal at my place. Every year since I can remember, we use to start planning party games, make custom made invitations, have return gifts wrapped and decide on the menu from a month in advance. As I grew older there was always a surprise cake cutting at 12 from one group or another, followed by a series of pre and post parties from a week in advance. There used to be at least 30 invitees, and my 21^st birthday had about 40! The past few years it’s been a little mellow, though; maybe, because I am getting older. 

I woke up this morning to a continuous chain of students knocking on my door to wish me happy birthday. And as I entered the dining hall for breakfast, the entire room sang happy birthday! We had an E-base origami session at 8 AM which was a freestyle-make-anything-you-want-spree. The idea was to see how many they can make on their own with instructions. Only a few of them managed to finish it with no help. Most of them got stuck at difficult folds. But most of them finished 3 in time for the assembly.

I had 3 substitution classes with class 6^th so we all finished the mini Biogas Plant! It was a lot of fun. One group “M-sealed” the joints, the other painted it black and the last mixed the cow dung and water. It was great to see how the girls didn’t cringe even once while mixing it; even though the boys did and kept teasing them about it. But all in all we are very excited to see whether the experiment is successful after a week or not. Fingers crossed. Class 7^th did a crash course in what they had been learning the past few days and I had a very serious chat with them how they are the only class who is not doing a project!

Class 5^th was not at all in the mood to study today and they pleaded quite strongly that they wanted to watch videos today with a happy birthday song, which was hard to say no to. Class 2^nd made an origami turtle, learnt about its self-defense mechanism with the moral Slow and steady wins the race! Just about very class sang happy birthday and I received a lot of handmade birthday cards. 

Now for the best part of my day: Dolma Ma’am met me three times during the day; once during the assembly, once she called me to her office to assign a task and once in the evening in the main office, and she didn’t wish me even once. I found it a little odd because we had had a conversation about this a few weeks ago, and all the kids in the school seemed to remember, but I just assumed she forgot. But right when I got back to the hostel for dinner around 7:30, I got a call from Gurmet asking me to be at the hostel gate in 5 mins and refused to answer any more questions even though he left me with some clues to think about. I thought something was fishy but still obliged. Within a few mins I got picked up by a car and was taken to Sambhodhi.

You guessed it! There was a big surprise birthday planed for me by Dolma Ma’am with 12 people, a cake with candles, a table full of snacks, finger food, salami and sausages, a wreath of flowers that I was made to wear on my head, gifts, song singing, cake smearing, party games, a formal dinner with a spread of delicacies and abundant love. It was the sweetest gesture from the MIMC team and they really made me feel a part of the family.

Dolma ma’am is the coolest principal in the world. She later told me; not wishing me all day was the hardest thing she had to do while planning all this on the side. It’s amazing how she manages to effectively lead an organization, fulfil her professional duties, beautifully bring up an 8 month old baby, spearhead teacher meetings, entertain international delegates and plan a surprise birthday party for a volunteer intern all in a day’s work! Most of all her humility about the responsibility that has been bestowed upon her, along with her kindness and tact towards people and everyday situations, makes her the most awesome principal ever!

All in all a wonderful birthday, even though it was spent away from family, it was like being with a larger family who made you feel as loved. 

Top Ten Fellowship Experiences:

#10. The people: My father was posted in Leh for two and a half years, away from family and his new born (me) and the one thing (and the only thing) he fondly recalls about Leh is how wonderfully courteous the people of Leh are. I now see why he says so. People here are so obliging that they go out of their way to help you, if you ask. I’ve hitch hiked my way to Leh city several times in the past month only because even strangers are so trust worthy. They always involve you in every celebration, every new gossip (coz not much happens around here), and keep filling you in with facts and trivia about their lovely city.

#9. Learn a new culture: Like with all my travels (and all travels for everyone) you learn of a whole new world you never knew existed. That’s why I like to mix my travel and work, because I believe one cannot possibly learn or absorb a culture in 2 or 7 days. “When in roam be roman” is my personal travel mantra.  From Ladakhi food, clothing, dances, songs, customs, traditions to movies- you learn it straight from the locals and get some real perspective.

#8.  Teaching the most diverse group of students: The kids I teach are the most diverse bunch I've taught yet. My class is has mix of hostel kids, day scholars, visually impaired kids, monks and nuns! Never did I ever think I'd teach a bunch of monks! who are both naughty and serene. And there is a boy in my class, who might not be able to see but plays the guitar like such a pro that it makes me want to quit my guitar. Every day during assembly I see a boy showing the way to our guitar friend till his line and I think to myself: if Empathy is the skill you want to instill in your child, this is where you should send them! While the People with Disability (PWD) Act 1995 and the Right to Education Act (RTE) reinforce the inclusion of differently able-ed children into mainstream education, how many schools actually implement this law? Mahabhodhi is diverse in that sense as it not only provides free education and boarding for rural kids who cannot afford it, but also creates an environment for development beyond classroom required skills by teaching monks, nuns and the visually impaired all under the same roof. This is what I call holistic education in the true sense.

#7. You learn to braid hair like a pro! Growing up as a tom boy I missed out on a few things. Staying with 150 girls has been a great time to catch up on those things. Ladkahi girls are amazingly skillful at tying hair in a 100 different knots and styles. If only we knew all these different ways of braiding hair, we wouldn’t have hated wearing two plates to school as kids. 

#6. The Milky Way galaxy every single night: That’s the sky I see every night.I kid you not!! 

#5. Stealing apples: There are some experiences which are priceless. Blowing bubbles at your dog, ice cream cones at midnight, dipping your fingers in paint, jumping off a swing when it’s at its peak- let you feel like a child again. The thrill of climbing the apple orchard fence and stealing apples while the warden is asleep is one of them.

#4. The view to work every day: It’s that one hill right in front of the school, the hostel and the playground that makes me pause and appreciate Nature every single day, every time I look up. That’s one thing that you can never get bored of. The mighty Himalayas have that power. #nature #profound

 

#3. Sweet tea 5 times a day: and not just any tea, but tea made with condensed milk instead of plain milk. I was never a tea or a coffee person and took pride in having stayed away from those addictions. After coming to Leh, I found myself addicted to tea right after my very first week. I am on detox, as I have switched back to green tea; but I do indulge in a cup of chai with the other teachers in the staff room every now and then. Tea time is a great way to socialize and get to know people you otherwise would not get a chance to spend time with here in Leh. kids drink tea here from the time they are 3 and it's weird for me since I didn't get used to it till 2 months ago, but as I understand your body needs that kind of calories for the weather here. 

#2. Momos and Thupkas: You can learn how to make Momos from the wardens in a biweekly special dinner session and enjoy other local delicacies like SKU, Timok, Thupka 3 times a week. Every week! Although, it can stop being a good thing after a while. :/ Get ready to eat some Momos the next time you meet me!

#1. The KIDS! The KIDS! The KIDS! I was saving the best for the last. In all of the above points, the kids are the pioneers. The smiles of the little ones, twirling them, holding hands and walking them to school each day, the endless hospitality of the older ones, early morning hair braiding sessions, late night ghost stories, wake up calls, breakfast, lunch, dinner table conversations- they are all worth it, and more. They drive you nuts, but make up for it ten times more in magnitude.  

Do the Doodle!

I met a girl on this train journey I took across India, who was just amazing at drawing! She would just set ground any where on the platform or under a tree and doodle away.

Inspired by her I decided to do the same. So from then on, for my every travel trip my back pack always has three things. My tiny pink book, a black waterproof pen and my chotu water color set. I am no artist but I love how holding a brush makes me feel like a kid again. I love doodling every special moment into my sketch pad. 

Cotopaxi - Ecuador

15000 mts above sea level while on the 2nd highest active volcano in the world!  

Its like a picture but instead of clicking it, I scribble it in less than 5 mins with my 20 rupee water color set and hold it very close to my heart. :) Its like my version of the memory and every time I look at it again, it makes me feel the exact same way I felt when I was there.

Here are some of my favorite memories: 

Tiger Temple - Thailand

The thrill of hugging these majestic creatures.

Phuket - Thailand

The turquoise oceans that made me almost run outta blue.

Red Fort - Delhi

The impossible task of capturing the architectural details of 

the Shah Jahaan era, in less than 5 mins. So I took 10. 

London - U.K.

The piping hot Telephone booths of London.

La Casa del Arbol - Ecuador

My very own wall paper moment. 

What's your travel idiosyncrasy? :)  

Travel Tips Top 10

A backpack and a few dollars in the pocket is all you've got? In shoestring budget travel, every penny counts! So here are some budget travel tips for you folks and mind you, some of these can be very frugal.

1. Always keep a digital or photo copy of all your Credit/Debit Cards and ID cards.

I believe one should do this even when home and not just while on travel. I had to go through this unfortunate experience of losing my bag with my wallet, my credit cards, my debit cards, my IDs, drivers licence, my phone and a lot of other precious things in that bag which had higher sentimental attachments than their monetary value. Step one is to block your credit cards obviously. But how can you do that from all the way across the world? Always keep your bank's help desk number/email id handy or Mummy, Pappa are always to the rescue! You can only block your cards on providing details like your mother's maiden name and ID numbers. That's how I managed to get outta this situation. Also luckily western union money transfer only charges 1.80$ for any transfer above 80$. But you cannot send money from India to other countries but can only receive it. So my grandparents from the states ended up salvaging my __. Bless them.

2. Never exchange your currency at the airport.
The airport exchange rates are the worse. They have a 21% commission on top of the transaction charges and you are bound to lose out on close to half of the original amount you could have got otherwise. Either carry the currency of the country you are travelling to before hand or exchange just enough to pay for a taxi ride till the Hotel/Hostel and then exchange the rest of your dollars out in the city at a trusted place.  

3. You will ALWAYS need LESSER clothes than you pack.
This tip is especially for all you girls out there. Step one: Pack your bag. Step two: Now take half the clothes you have in there and put them back in your cupboard, nice and gentle, neatly folded, so that you can wear them when you come back from your trip. 

4. Universal Adapter! Always travel with one.
I did the mistake of sending mine in under carriage after check in and turns out that this particular Airport did not have Universal Plug points, before the security check in area so I couldn't use my laptop for almost 2 hours before boarding. Whats the use of free Airport Wifi huh? 

5. EGGS? Hmmmm... YUM!(makes a face)
Now we all know eggs and bananas are the cheapest and the easiest to make travel foods if you have access to a hostel kitchen, but eventually you are bound to get bored of it. There was a running joke with one of my travel buddies where he went like "Whats for breakfast?" And I'd go like "Eggs!" and he is like"EGGS? Hmmmm... YUM!(makes a face)" with the most sarcastic tone ever. This was us after eating eggs for breakfast continuously for about two weeks. Now I am sure there needs to be a little more nutritive diversity in your food than just high cholesterol food. So Cereal with Yogurt is a great substitute for a eggs(for a little while) and a cereal bar instead of a chocolate bar for healthy snacking. What we usually forget is our Vitamin C while travelling since fruits can get expensive. This one time, the hostel travel group of girls took a trip to the local market and got super ripe fruits for a steal! We much enjoyed the fruit punch that afternoon. Something you can try. 

6. Even if you are travelling alone, buy things for two or find yourself a travel buddy!
Travelling alone can get real expensive. It is almost twice as expensive as travelling in pairs. Common sense will tell you to buy a 250 ml pet bottle for 40 cents than a 1$/1 liter bottle, since you are buying it just for yourself. But think again and look beyond the cents Vs dollar and let you brain make the less impulsive and more logical choice.

7. If you have a smart phone, make use of all its smartness!
Most smart phones have a tracking system in case it is lost. Active it right now if your haven't done it already before you continue reading!!!!

8. Never keep all your money at the same place.
Always split it between all your bags so in case you lose one bag, you always have some reserve in the other. Also keep a note of how much is kept where. It always helps to be organised.

9. Choose Supermarkets over Mini-Marcados.
There are always these mini markets right around the street corner which sell just about everything you get at a regular super market at a slight price difference of 10-15 cents more. Though it might not seem like much, the cumulative sum when you buy a lot of things makes a huge difference compared to when you buy the same things at the super market a few blocks away. Walk it out!

10. Tours and guides.
Though tours are the easiest way to see sights there is always a cheaper way of doing the same thing (except for Macha Picchu which can't be one without one). If you think the "free" lunch included is a compensation then that's one really expensive lunch you are paying for! There are no free lunches. Most tours make a 15% profit off of whatever you are paying, after paying off all the stake holders; so always work down how much you could have done the same trip for on your own. It sure is convenient to be picked up at the pick up point and driven to where ever, but for a more authentic experience ask the locals! They know best.

Some people learn from other people's mistakes and some insist on making their own mistakes. I hope you could learn from mine! 

The Travel Productivity Log

You are bound to change as a person when you travel, for good or for bad. You constantly learn, meet new people, learn about the kind of lives they lead, so different from yours, exchange perspectives, cultures, philosophy, experience things you never had.... and even if you are not making an effort to learn you are still constantly learning! You return feeling different, rich with all these experiences which shape you as a person. Reminds me of this quote from the movie Motorcycle Diaries which is about two friends biking through South America.

"Yo ya no soy yo. Por lo menos, no soy el mismo yo interior."

 "I am no longer who I was. At least, I’m no longer who I was inside." 

So apt huh? For me the 4 months in Colombia and a month in Ecuador were the most productive in a while.

Things I learnt in my four months in Colombia:

1. Spanish!
Yes! I learnt more than just basic Spanish in four month and no it was not as easy as I make it sound. When I first arrived to Colombia I did not know a word beyond Hola! I had only heard before about how living a language is the best way of learning a language; now I couldn't agree more. My first one month went by signing frantically to my host mother in the kitchen while towards the end I managed to write her a good bye note in Spanish which made her weep. I spent a big chunk of my time reading all three PDF volumes of Spanish for dummies on my phone initially, which did not help me at all! The key to learning a language is practicing it not studying it. And unknowingly my Frisbee team was the biggest help, since I spent 3 hours a day every day training with them for a month and none of them speak any English! I think I did not too bad compared to BENNY THE IRISH POLYGLOT  , doing just a month more. :)

Mi primera cancion en espanol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7EE74axAdM

2. Cooking Indian Food:
Yes I learnt how to cook Indian food outside India. I never really bothered to learn how to cook, while I was at home because cooking was never really my thing. So you can imagine the shock associated with an Indian girl at a marriageable age- not knowing how to cook! :O But when it came to representing my culture out side of India I had to step up. I was eating all this amazing food that my host family made for me all the time, so it came naturally to me to want them to have a taste of my cuisine. The biggest problem being the spices, was solved by my grandmother and aunt who sent all the basic Indian spices (and some goodies) all the way from Estados Unidos (the US) to Colombia! And thus began the saga of endless Skype calls to my mom in India at odd hours, with her directing me to cook, step by step, at times for 3 hours straight; coz Indian food can be quite a drag just like Hindi movies and Hindu weddings. My first time was fine, with my Parathas a little fatter and little harder than they were suppose to be, but soon I got really good and eventually I could just read a recipe of the net and make it perfectly. I don't know how I got so good at cooking Indian food but I was like a natural at it. And then I figured it was because my mom is an excellent cook! It came from the memory of watching her cook a zillion times and the way the house smelt of all the spices every time she cooked.
Anyway, by the end of the trip I learnt how to make Bngan ka Bharta, Chole Batura, Gajar ka halwa, Chicken Tikka Masala, Palo, Chaat, Kher, Rajma Chaaval, Saahi tukada, Gulaab Jaamun and my first attempt of Chicken Biryani and Butter chicken was as good at Pradise(This very famous iconic food chain in my city). If you have had enough of my boasting and don't believe me, maybe the pictures will help! :)

3. Salsa:
Man do Latinos know how to fiesta! I was never awesome at dancing. Especially pair dancing. After attending a couple of initial family gatherings and friends parties I understood what a big deal SALSA was down here. First of all, men don't dance in India. If you are out dancing in India, it is probably a girls night out and it usually involves men lecherously staring at you from the bar while you dance. Here in Colombia it is the men who lead in pair dance and its like everyone is born with the dancing gene! My initial embarrassment of having two left feet was soon overcome by personal dance lessons by a friend of my mine who is a pro dancer. By the end of a month's session's I gotta say I move like a natural when ever I hear the music!

4. Skateboarding: 
I always always always wanted a skateboard growing up but its not really a popular Indian kid sport. The first time I ever tried a skate board was in my first trip to the western world. I am a fast learner and have a knack of picking up things fast especially things involving physical activity. I believe if you are good at one sport you can pick up any other other sport much faster than an average person since you already have better developed hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and have a better understanding of the physics that goes into it. In my time in Colombia, I realized how big Skateboarding was since so many of my students were all over the place with the skate board and I thought it was the perfect time for me to pick it up again. After like a week's practice with a 15 year old sweetest kid teaching me how to do an Ollie; I FINALLY learn it!! (after don't ask how many falls!) So at 23 I finally satisfied my inner child. :) Your never too old to learn anything!

Skating boarding on a London sidewalk. 

5. Xbox - FIFA 2014: 
You can't be in south america an not follow football. Even if you are least interested in it, you can't help but be updated on who is playing against whom and whose match is it next, since there is no conversation in a day that goes without a mention of football. Living with a a host family with two boys has its own pluses. Not only do you get to accompany them to the foot ball field for a game occasionally when they are short of players; you also get to up your  Xbox skills because that's they do all day!! You know you are getting better when from 11-0 you finally manage to score a point against your host brother one fine day! That's when you should retire!

My host brother and I with the must-have Colombian football Jersey's 

6. Ultimate:
Colombia is world number #4 in ultimate ranking and I was lucky enough to get to play one tournament while I was there.  Right from training for it till actually playing at the tournament you get to see an exceptional level of the game! You are surrounded by such amazing players and for me it was all the more exciting to see all women teams! (Its hard to find female players playing ultimate in India) You see a phenomenal improvement in your own game level when you play with people better than you. Handling in an all girls team gave me the confidence that I much needed.

My first all girls Frisbee team

Things I learnt in Ecuador: 

7. Metal Smithing and Hand bands:
I've always been good with my hands an a fast learner. And being an eager learner makes me wanna learn everything! (Like literally everything I see!! which is not always a good thing) So I picked up metal smithing from a french man who was an excellent teacher. It basically involved turning thin wire into accessories using a cutting pliers. I believe its a wonderful way to express creativity, make personalized gifts for people and make use  of your time while travelling.

Hand bands are the next best way to make use of your time travelling and better still you get to sell them an make easy money. I think Ecuador has got to be my first connect with the hippie way of life with all the kind of people I met and the kind of things they did. My mom is a skeptic to see me embracing the hippie way of life but I feel its nice how in this digitized and mechanized world people still have the patience, time and energy to make hand made things and there are people who appreciate hand made things enough to buy it.  

8.Surfing: 
Remember how I told you I am a fast learner? Theory proved. I learnt how to stand on a surf board on my very first session, on day one, the very first time I tried how to surf! :) So that's something right?

9. Guitar: 
Its impossible how amazing these guys are with the guitar in south america. Almost all of them know how to play one instrument or another. We would just break into live music sessions in the dining room while others cooked or group singing after dinner session. You do pick up an instrument faster with  friends than at any music classes. I definitely bettered my Guitar skills in just a month's time more than the whole time I've been playing the guitar in my life.

10. Working in Spanish: 
From reading an entire case study in Spanish about sustainable travel to doing door to door marketing of Eco tourism, my voluntary experience in Ecuador made me exercise my newly learnt Spanish skills. Not just that, I believe I learnt a great deal about marketing and understanding the Latin market.

So, I believe every kind of travel is productive whether you are an active learner or not. You always learn something, sometimes its measurable and others immeasurable. It has a profound effect on your life; mostly in a good way.