I’ve been invited to visit 5 or 6 different homes or living quarters while in Bangalore and it is always an interesting comparison to America. It is the same, basically: it doesn't matter the living conditions; It matters how people make you feel while you are there. And just like in America, Germany, Austria, etc, I have always felt so welcome while invited into people’s homes, during my time here in India.
Sooo….during the volunteering weekend near Mysore (which I have decided is my favorite Indian city/destination that I have visited….), we stayed in 2 different HOSTELS (yes, hostels!) over the span of the volunteering weekend. The first one houses students, etc that attend “finishing schools”, and also professionals who come to take, for example, a 2 week class in that location. I met a guy from Bangalore who works for Technicolor, and was here to take a specific class to advance his education and improve his on-the-job opportunities imminently. (Just for staying in that hostel for 2 full weeks, he deserved an immediate promotion upon return to his office in my opinion!)
I took a picture of my room….. and you will see that I stayed in LUCKY #13!! Compared to the 2nd night’s hostel, it was indeed lucky, as we had hot water and power here. You will see a lot of different pictures of the experience.....of the hostel, the outside surroundings, the village at night without electricity, etc. above and below.
While the room was basic, the surroundings were so green and lush, with of course the resident cows and farm animals. There was a nice outside large hut where you could have hot tea or coffee, and there were a lot of benches, etc to sit while outside. There are always, I have found, 2 different situations here in India, when I (sit down alone and) join a group of strangers. #1...They are curious and start talking to me, and we have a neat or basic conversation (this happens about 80% of the time), and then there is #2...I clear the area pretty quickly. I find myself alone with my coffee and thoughts. ha I can understand this. Each of these happened during my tea and coffee visits to “the hut” that first night, and I never fail to get a kick out of the 2nd scenario…..when I clear an area of people (note: these were hostel dwellers, not our volunteers!). Many people from here are from such rural areas and don’t speak English, or rarely see foreigners, or …..who knows, maybe they think I am going to ask them why they are sitting around drinking coffee when they could be studying?? Ha (If they only knew me…)
On Saturday night, we headed towards BR Hills, where we would be staying at a 2nd hostel, and found……there was no electricity in the entire village. The group wanted to go to a temple: Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple, in the BR Hills wildlife sanctuary area. As we approached, I noticed the temple seemed, kind of….ahhh….elevated. The driver asked some passers-by, “How many steps to the top?” and they said “600”. Someone else said “No way! Only 40”. I thought to myself, “OK, somewhere between 40 and 600”. (I googled tonight and it is documented as 150 steps.) Now, note that some of these steps are like “2 steps in one” and also very uneven, so it was not like just climbing up regular flights of indoor stairs, mind you! As it was dark, and I mean DARK, and the steps were uneven, having the driver there to cut on his phone and use the flashlight to help me at least see where I was going was just a God-send. He had even offered to take a different route and drive me apart from the group to the top, but I decided to try it. There is a picture below, and do note that it was taken at the very top...where there were only a few steps left to go!
After coming back down, one guy started talking about omelettes. I immediately thought of an IHOP. However, this is a rural village, and so picture an omelette being cooked in a “shack”, and on this particular night, with no electricity. So the cook was even more disadvantaged than usual. It was really cool to see this omelette being prepared by CANDLELIGHT (still over propane, or whatever source they had managed to utilize) and came out looking just like one from IHOP! (And this doctor was so excited to get his omelette; I can say he deserved it for sure!)
There were several shacks, which had chips, drinks, etc, and so I bought some chips and water. There was a HUGE black bull hanging out, and I decided these chips were not meat, so gave some to the bull and he did eat them. He looked just like a “running with the bulls” kind of beast (big, black, horns, you name it!), and yet we were all so close to him, and no one seemed nervous or scared.
After the 1st day’s health camp, we “checked in” at the 2nd hostel, and ate dinner in a large room (think, dining hall yet with no table and chairs?), sitting against the wall on the floor, where servers come around with buckets and ladles, and pour your food into your silver dish. (Like, bread, rice, gravy, etc.)
During this night, there was no power, or hot water, no way to flush a toilet, etc. There were 7-8 guys, and me, in 3 different rooms. I think I ended up with the most TAPERED CANDLES of anyone (people kept bringing them), which equaled the most possibility of me burning this joint down. I asked Mohan, “What happens if I light this place on fire?” And he says, like of course every Indian on this SUB-CONTINENT….”Oh that will not happen!”. Indians are so optimistic, and obviously do not know know what I am capable of.
The tapered candles had no holders and the cement was a bit uneven, so I had to let some wax melt down and try to let it “take hold” so it would not fall over. I moved all flammable materials (my 4 bags, ME, etc) as far away from the candle as possible and hoped for the best.
I can say that every time I eat an omelette, or light a tall tapered candle from today forward, I will think about that night!
No comments:
Post a Comment