SHOPPING

Back in Delhi and the shopping is fine. Not to mention Kalimpong (rug), Darjeeling (tea, silk embroidered Kashmiri coat, Pashmina shawl, wool embroidered jacket). Gifts back in Agra at Kohinoor, a world famous store where I got a lapis lazuli ring on our first trip to India. They have expanded to a new location, and the same masterworks of embroidery grace their walls. But I digress.

Margaret buys sets of faux jewelry, and bangles and individual pieces at every turn. Her habit when traveling to India is to bring very few cooties and have salwar cameez sets made up. She bought five or six three piece sets. Dupatta always included. A dupatta is the scarf Indian women always wear that is difficult for us Western women to keep in place. Or at least for this western woman to keep in place. Today, at Dilli Haat, I got a two piece set in Afghani style with tight legging like pants, very much in style, I am told. It is cotton and casual and may be fun to wear at home. I can certainly bring it next time I come. And I got a set of four wooden bangles to go with, following Margaret's excellent example. Dilli Haat is a very nice market with goods from all around the country. it is laid out well with brick stalls for the vendors and places to eat regional foods. At last Lois and I got to have moms, Tibetan type dumplings which are either steamed or fried. We had order of each in chicken. Very yummy served with hot sauce.

Yesterday we went to the Red Fort. Wouldn't you know, the original plan of 1639 included a covered bazaar which still operates today. another chance to stock upon bangles for Margaret and I got a pair of fake gold earrings for Rs100.

Delhi has many famous shopping areas, and we did not get to many. It is a Mission trip, after all. We did go to Connaught Road twice. The first time was pretty disappointing to me and the second time last night to find a jewelry store that had been recommended. A friend had given me some money to get her a pair of earrings. We didn't find the one we were looking for,but did find a lovely pair of earrings in her price range. I hope she likes them. We also happened upon a cheap luggage store to get duffel bags to haul the loot home in. Besides the rug, we all have mountains of literature that shouldn't be thrown out before we can read it. Or not.

I like to do my Christmas shopping on vacation and there is no better place than India.

Compassion Sunday

Compassion Sunday was the day before we left Darjeeling. We were picked up for services at the CNI church, a very modest building, nothing at all like the beautiful and imposing St. Andrews up on the hill. We were met by the Elder whose history with the church goes back to before CNI was formed. There was a split in Darjeeling as many members objected to the adoption of a church hierarchy which included Bishops. Most members left, taking church property with them. He and about 8 members remained to build up a tiny congregation.

The church is bursting at the seams and plans for expansion are in the works. The service was focused on youth and they led by singing, reading the gospel, and singing some more. It was a treat to see women and men, boys and girls up on the dais and using the pulpit. As Pastor Roshan was away our Elder friend preached. He told stories that contained a lesson related to youth and sprinkled his sermon with humor. Since the service was in Nepali, we were pretty much on our own. We did enjoy singing "How Great Thou Art" with the congregation. It is a favorite everywhere. I was moved by lines in one of the children's songs "we are the children, we are the present."

At the end of the service we greeted everyone and were introduced to sons and daughters, in laws and grandchildren, brothers and sisters. It seemed he had single handedly filled the church himself. or, as he said, he shot many straight arrows.

Later that day we visited a Buddhistt Monastery, very new and dedicated by the Dalai Lama. The outside looked a bit Disneyesque, but inside was the same peaceful feeling and incredible art. We came upon a group of people in a room with giant prayer wheels. they were sitting in boxes on the floor and rotating the prayer wheels by means of a sash like cloth which they pulled on rhythmically. Try it? Of course we did. Not easy work until you let your body become one with the exercise.

Hoping that shorter posts will alleviate the WiFi blues.

Goodbye to the Hills

How to leave such a beautiful place? Only by vowing to return SOON. Jimmy got up early to catch a view of Kangchendzonga, the third highest peak in the Himalayas. He showed us the snow covered peaks of the sleeping Buddha off in the distance and we thought he had nailed it. After bill paying and breakfast and hugs with the Director we ready. Except for the box lunches they prepared for us tied with green ribbon. and one more thing. the mountain is in the opposite direction from where we were looking. Our taxi driver took us to the right spot and we really saw it in all it's glory.

The ride to the airport through miles of tea gardens was fairly smooth until we hit the inevitable mega traffic jam. This one even had a police officer involved. Our driver was the most nonagressive we had come across in all of our travels, adding to the sense of urgency to get to the airport in time. And we were just in time, going through all the ticketing and security steps and immediately on line for boarding.

It was a plane trip never to be forgotten; the pilot banked slightly, and there it was below in all it's glory: Kangchendzonga. I was sorry Gerard missed it.

Drinks at Seven,Dinner at Eight

Again too many days have passed, so I will start with what is most recent and work my way back. As of yesterday we have been ensconsed at the Windamere, a hotel straight out of the Raj in Darjeeling. Our rooms are lovely in a very British way, the service is unbelievable, the meals really good. This morning I got up and out early, around 5:00 AM to watch the sun rise over the mountains. I went out in PJs, bathrobe and jacket, knowing it would really not matter. Especially since my PJs are the same sort of fabric that is used extensively here. Anyway, a waiter came a long to ask if we would like tea or coffee and we accepted. In the meantime we climbed up into an observation deck for a better view. Instantly someone appeared to take the tarps off the table and chairs, set them up comfortably for us, and brought us our tea. The turn down of the beds at night includes a fleece covered water bottle. And all of this in the midst of the beauty and serenity of the hills.

Deliberations were held this morning out on the veranda about how to proceed with all we have seen and learned. We developed a set of questions for each of the organizations we visited and each of us has an assignment for contact purposes. My job is the Etah schools.

Before lunch I walked to the zoo with Jimmy, a totally downhill 2.5 kilometers. We saw snow leopards, tigers and black bear, among others. the zoo was much better than I had anticipated. The animals are magnificent and obviously well cared for. There was no way we could have made the uphill trek back to the Windamere and were relieved to find a taxi to take us back. Lunch was followed by a trip to a Buddhist temple, very new and dedicated by the Dalai Lama. this afternoon was a round of shopping with Margaret. The supply of fabulous tea I bought should last for a decade of drinking and gifting.

At dinner Elizabeth Clark, the Manager, brought me a lump of Himalayan salt which I had asked about at lunch. It looks like a chunk of dirt, but at only 40Rs, I am glad to have it. I know it can be attractively packaged for gifting.  Now I am hoping she comes up with my other request, curry leaves. we had a grand old time with her at the bar this evening. She is an actress and chanteuse at heart and endlessly entertaining. She runs this place with vigor, maintaining high standards for all staff.

Yesterday was our travel day from Kalimpong. It rained like crazy all night and well into the morning, but the trip to Darjeeling was uneventful except for the scenery. The hillsides were glistening from the rain and the rice paddies and tea gardens provided contrasting greens against the forest. We arrived at the Windamere in time for lunch and then tea. No meals were missed, although we did skip tea today. And probably won't be here for lunch tomorrow.

We were met at Badogra Airport after our flight from Delhi by young men from Kalimpong sent by Enos. Two vehicles were used for us and them and all our luggage.The trip was not an easy one as there was a landslide on the road which held up traffic for a long time. On their way down there was an accident with 11people dying in a vehicle that went off the road and down a hillside. We were taken to the Komfort Inn where Enos and a couple of men from the church met us. It was good to see him again and we were garlanded with white scarves, in Bengali fashion. The hotel proprieters were very helpful and welcoming. They do all the work themselves with the help of just one girl. Marketing, meal preparation, serving, cleaning of the establishment, repairs, etc. They are planning to add on a few rooms as the hotel is frequented routinely by various church people that come to Kalimpong.

The next day we were taken to downtown Kalimpong for a little shopping and then on to Enos' new house for lunch with church/school leaders. The house is very large for two people, with generously sized rooms and plenty of balconies. We went from there to the site of a vocational training center they are building. Students will be people who have dropped out of school and have no skills. One of the issues in the area is that young women and girls who leave home seeking employment are often caught up in the sex trade. By providing a path to employment the hope is that they will not be easy prey for traffickers. I loved the site visit and looking at the plans for the center. We also looked at other property the church has and talked about plans for expansion of the school programs. We had some free time after that meeting and were able to make a short run into town to look for a couple of things we didn't get to in the morning. I found a beautiful rug that I hope will fit in my kitchen with great colors and a Tibetan style dragon design. Kalimpong and Darjeeling are Gorkha land, where there has been a move for independence from India two years ago. People are ethnically and culturally different from the Indian population at large and the general feeling is that the government ignores their needs. We got back in time to meet with a group of church elders and leaders (all men) to talk about their hopes and dreams for improving outreach to youth and populations in need in their area. our discussion ranged to issues we all face such as how to encourage the participation of the youth. Dinner was then served and once again we got to bed late.

Dalit Theology

After breakfast we were invited to meet with Alwen Masih, General Secretary. We discussed some things like communication and working together, etc. he arranged for a car for us for the day and for our laundry to be picked up and delivered this evening. a car will be waiting door us tomorrow morning to take us to the airport. Later we met with Dr. James Massey, a noted scholar of religions and the main developer of the theory of Dalit Theology. This is very different from Liberation Theology which posits Christ as a champion of the poor and oppressed. Dalit Theology posits Christ as a Dalit, a person outside his community in every way. The discussion ranged over several hours and lunch, giving us new perspectives on some of what we have already seen and felt. It will provide a backdrop to our talks while we are in Darjeeling, debriefing.

Afterward we walked around Connaught Place, one of the reknown shopping areas in Delhi. Construction all around which should have been completed before the Commonwealth Games and dust everywhere, including the goods in every shop we entered. The only thing I bought was a bottle of organic triphala; a combination of herbs good for cleansing the system, to put it euphemistically. My search for the Apple Store was in vain, so no 3G network for me. Which is why I am staying up so late again to bring this up to date. The Bhavan has WiFi and I managed to get on tonight before dinner after initial frustrations. Dinner was provided by the Bhavan, as was the car today and tomorrow. Every day brings new surprises.

School Visits, Etah

At the school we were treated to a lovely, interminable program where the girls sang and danced sweetly with many costume changes and everybody spoke at least two times. We all received garlands of marigolds from the girls during the program and one artificial one on the way in. We learned that many of the girls in the program are the ones we support. The program lasted at least two more hours so counting the time in between the service and the program, it was at least five hours and we had no breakfast that day, just a cup of tea before church.

Lunch was served in the auditorium, which was very nice. (The lunch, not the auditorium which was pretty dirty.) After lunch we met with Sheela Prasad, Mr. Lall, and Dr. Lyall, the superintendent of the Christian Schools and the Hospital at Kasganj, in addition to many other boards and duties. We met at Sheela's home, which gave us the chance to talk frankly about the communication difficulties we have experienced. the trip itself was a perfect example, with no confirmation that we were expected or welcome until a week or so before we left. Even that was a source of confusion as Dr. Lyall thought we were staying several days and Dr. Sheela referred only to 10/17. We also discussed ideas we had talked about with Bishop Cutting the previous day in Agra of providing transportation to Dalit girls in outlying villages who cannot afford transportation to school. Dr. Lyall and Sheela advocated for the expansion of our current program by extending scholarship opportunities to girls upon graduation so that they could receive vocational training such as nursing programs which would lead to employment. The Girls' hostel has been closed for five years. The children we have been supporting are not Dalits from outlying villages, but Christian girls who are day students. They advocated for a continuance of this as there is no government support or funding for the Christian girls, while the Dalits do receive support. The Christian girls come from very poor families and would not be able to attend without our help.

After discussion, we agreed to alter our schedule to include a return to Etah the following day to visit Asha's school, the Agricultural Inter College and the hospital in Kasgang, and to visit the newly opened eye clinic in Etah. The plan was to go to Delhi directly from Kasganj the following afternoon. We got back to the hotel that evening around 10:00, got something to eat and fell into bed, although not necessarily to sleep.

We left the next morning at 9:00, feeling very thankful that we had the same car and driver for our whole stay in Agra and that Jagedesh was
such a good driver.

Around 11:00 we arrived at the intersection of the "main" road and the very muddy dirt road to the Ashram. We have no idea how the driver recognized the place or how he managed to get the van through without getting stuck in the mud.

We were joyfully greeted; Asha did not think we would come as no one ever did. The children were engaged in studies of reading and math. they were sitting quietly and attentively. They were three and a half to four and five. And they had a lock on cute. I loved going around the classes saying good morning to them and shaking hands. They sang songs for us, of course. Our favorite was "Send a message to Jesus" with each verse ending with a gesture of talking on the phone and "Hello". Her father was murdered about two years ago, stabbed 22 times and she is carrying on his work and making constant improvements to the school. She lives alone on the property with only four dogs for protection. Asha, which means hope, is a visionary who will not be deterred by fear or misfortune.

Of course we were late in leaving and late in arriving at the Agricultural College where we received garlands again and had a tour. Mr. Lall made sure to tell us all the many ways we could be of help to the College. Of all the institutions we visited his was remarkably well cared for and clean. He gave me some pictures to share with folks at home, hoping for support.


Lateness built up so that we arrived at the Christian Hospital at Kasganj quite late. We ate lunch immediately and then went to see the program the staff had prepared for us. We were all moved by their efforts and by the five garlands we each received; these with roses and jasmine in addition to the marigolds and one beaded one to keep with us. Nursing students danced, Dr. Lyall's son sang and played the guitar and accompanied the dentist who also sang. Dr. Lyall had prepared that morning a history of the hospital which he shared with us
and we each had opportunity to speak...two times. Thenwe toured the hospital, which is quite large on a 6 acre campus. There are separate wards for OB/GYN, men, women, Dalits. A special eye hospital, and many other services. Dr. Lyall is justifiably proud of the work they are doing and the growth of the hospital in terms of services, patients served, training programs for nurses and doctors, etc. the need for updated equipment is obvious; the autoclave is older than he is. India is a dusty place, but again we wished things were cleaner.

Twilight was fast decending by the time we left Etah for Delhi. The constant stimulation these car rides provide cannot be adequately described. Suffice it to say there seemed to be a close call almost every minute, and passing through villages

Can't Keep Up

I am back in the wi fi world here at the Church of North India (CNI) Bhavan where we are staying. Connectivity has been problematic. The blog posts but e mail does not get sent. checking in on the blog is the best way to follow the trip. I wish more people would sign on as followers; Margaret has three to my two.

Etah...On Sunday,10/17, we drove to Etah from Agra, leaving at 6:00 AM to be sure of a timely arrival for the 9:00 AM service. Pastor UR Jacob has retired and lives with his son, Pastor Anish Jacob. The little room we met in before the service last time is now occupied by a bearer and his family and there was no effort to plan our participation in the service. Girls sang enthusuastically and performed a sacred dance with lit candles. each holding twio lit candles, turning about in limited space, placing candles on the floor and dancing and then kneeling next to the xandles wearing pretty white polyester dresses. I was in the fron row, figuring the most efficient way to perform a drop, roll and smother. Jimmy was asked to preach, of course, which he did well as always. The two hour service concluded and clergy left the sanctuary. A pause and the three returned and I was asked to get the congregation. So I shared my little remarks and presented framed photographs of Bert and Ella. No one seemed interested or happy about it. Margaret spoke, always warm and compelling.

There were a few people from six years ago, a woman named Grace and Mr. Lall, Principle of the Boys' Agricultural Inter College. Dr. Mrs. Sheela Prasad was there, having come from Agra where her husband is recuperating from heart surgery. She provided translation for us as the service is in Hindi. Afterwards, Asha introduced herself. She had been planning to ask for a picture of Rev. McGaw to hang in her Ashram. She runs a little elementary school for children in the Awagarh area, following in the footsteps of her father who incorporated all the teaching of Mr. McGaw into his life and work. She invited us to visit the school, but it did not appear possible, as we planned to leave from Agra for Delhi the next day.  (12/13/10 I have since sent her the pictures.)

At last I got to see the house where my mother grew up, just the outside.  It was certainly familiar from the pictures I have seen over the years.  There were many apologies for the condition of the house, but still, it is lovely.

To Be Continued