India George Goes Global!

I have always had that secret yearning to be Indiana Jones but really I am no where close to being the adventurous Harrison Ford as I am to my other dream of marrying the crown Prince Of Wales (Preferably HRH Harry, he has always been the cuter one). But I believe India bring me closer to this realization (not marrying the Prince of Wales bit, sadly he is already engaged) But just the part of India in INDIAana Jones. And the other fact that I like to engage in many adventurous actions, that Disney would never approve of!

Going back to my Disney analogies, I am still convinced Disney often visits India to come up with new ways of running Disney World. This is my current theory which is sorta off topic but I am going to add it in “If the Romans Had invented Disney World then modern day Indian would be it, you even get nice looking togas!”

Going on, my true Indiana Jones moments the other day involved temples.

So I am going to call my Adventure:

India George and The Adventure of the Midnight Temple Party!

(I am thinking of Something along the lines of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom… But there really was no major doom about it, in fact I felt quite safe if you keep on reading)

So the other night my host family was just sitting down to dinner (early for ONCE) at around 2230 (for all of you who don’t follow my military time obsession (which in essence is just to confuse people when you ask them the time) that is 10:30 pm). So we were talking about this festival that is currently going on, Novartri (which I still do now know how to spell). And near my house there is this big temple that is very famous during this celebration (the temple is the half way point between my house and school so I virtually pass it every time I go to school).

So at this temple my host parents were telling me that during the fest there is like a carnival inside it? But every time I went by there were SO MANY PEOPLE, I would never get to see inside of it. Well my host dad was talking about how he had not been in around 15 years and then my host mom was going on about how nice it was back then, and then there is always my host brother, Pratik, who is like why in the world would anyone want to go to that (he likes to denounce anything religious).

Then we continued the dinner talk to my host dad visiting the police commissioner’s office to make sure I was not living in Pune illegally (which is illegal, but quite easy to do). So after that was cleared he was meeting with his friend who is like the vice police commissioner. So he was telling my host dad that after this he was going to be in charge of the security of the carnival at the temple tonight so he should go down to it.

So well all in all after that big long story of our dinner table conversations my host dad declares we are going to the temple. Which at this point in time it is around 2300 (11pm for you who do not want to do the math or don’t have it memorized). So my host mom is like well I have to get ready!

So we end up leaving around midnight to go to this temple. I know very little about the fest so they updated me on the quick ride there. I have only seen the temple from very afar, but it being midnight it was not supposed to be that crowded, but back to the Disney analogies it was as crowded at Disney on New Years Eve. And there were still a billion people there (well maybe not a billion maybe just a few lakh (Indian Counting, I have no idea still how they count but it like instead of million and thousand they say lakh and croe; don’t ask because I don’t know? But they done go straight to million and thousand they are like one hundred thousand and then like some weird numbers? They confuse me?).

So my host family (just my host parents really) meet up with my host father friend who gives us the “fast pass” to the temple, and he leads us in the out, more or less. But we go to by pass the lines that went out through the streets, literally the line even at midnight would be about a 6 hour wait.

The lines were set up for the common people and they lead through the streets and then they also lead through many other things such as the temple gates. In the lines you will see many interesting things they try to keep you occupied in line, such as in the general entrance there are like pictures and things on the walls that tell the stories of the gods, and then they have speakers that have noises and things along with rules and instructions on how to spend you time and how to perform a proper offering and things. The people who wait in lines for the hours many times will bring large offerings, along with the line splits half way up for male and female lines.

The temple is built way up on a hill and you have to go up a lot of stairs to get into the temple, which I mean a lot I mean about a km worth of stairs, (and in my case both stairs and stares, I would often get the weird alien looks from many who would be like why is this lone blonde girl running up the stairs.)

So we finally make it to the top of the “fast pass” line and it reminded me a lot of the Disney ride, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, line for the ride at Disneyland (alright I know you are now all sick of hearing me equate Disney and India, but really this is what runs through my head all the time, and my friends here are always really sick of hearing me say it too!)

So we have to take of our shoes and leave them at the front before entering. Many of the commoners don’t even wear shoes when going because of the fact they can easily get taken or there is no real place for them to put their shoes.

So we get in the real line now (just like the “fast pass” line always ends up meeting the real line) And we touch the feet of the lion who protects the goddess with our right hand and then we “pray” quickly to the goddess. Which was very wild, next to the goddess would be police officers that would usher everyone in and out, they were very nice to me, they even laughed at me when I had my moment of silence for the goddess but for the common people they would literally pull the hair or the ears or just push them and shove them around to the common people, which I found nuts!

Imagine going to like church or something and going to meet the priest/minister/spiritual guide and there was a police officers yelling at you going YOUR TIME UP! Or like MOVE NOW! I don’t know how I feel about that? But that is what they do, in part for the security concerns and things but still!

Another wild thing that I noticed after the accent of the stairs and stares was that this was all being recorded, the people praying and making offerings in turn would be taped and they were displaying this up on big screens digitally down the hill at the entrance! Until they believed it became a security concern and they would turn them off.

You hear me talking about security a lot and well this is something I am very interested in, you know me, always interested in weird things. But security is sort of a weird passion and what I am going to study in university so it is always something I take note of, especially if it could be a terrorist target. So this temple is more then a terrorist target, during the festival this temple is one of the number one security concerns in India, and the security is amazing! It is actually high tech in the Indian terms. In the common lane there are numerous security check points where they check everything from offerings (the coconuts) to sari’s. There are metal detectors and the presences of hundreds of police officers, as I said there where ones guarding the idols and there were ones guarding everything, there were food stalls and there were officers guarding where they made the food, really it was quite mad!

The rest of the fest I am sure you would love to know about! Well shopping was a big part of it! And as a precaution of going into a big cowed I left my wallet at home!!! No one told me there would be a bangle shop with over 1,000!!!! Different types of bangles to chose from! (Look at the picture and that was barely half of the shop!!!!) Other cool Indian things were present, little handicrafts and of course shoes galore! All at bargain prices! It reminded me a lot of when I was little and went to shrine sales in Japan with my family. Well my host dad decided he was going to get my name printed on rice! Which he was very amused by the process and got them to show us how they did it! It was kinda hard for me to watch because I did not know what I was looking at (I also had left my glasses at home…. But don’t worry I could see somewhat clearly to give you this detailed description of what was going on). But another problem with me being in India, is that my name does not translate very well… and well the guy sorta spelled my name wrong, which I did not notice till I had attached it to my house keys later the next day; Heathar (whoops!) (I also have not had the heart to tell my host dad either…. But it is ok! I am the only person in India who has that name anyway, and also the only person in India that can say my name for that fact…)

What else is at a fair other then good shopping and things like that… Well cotton candy and a ferris wheel of course!!!! And even in India this is included! I got to have Cotton Candy, which as translated in Hindi is called Old Lady Hair…? And ride “The Big Wheel.” Much different from the Disney experience (more of the Roman Disney experience). My host mom was going to come with me, and THEN she saw how fast it really went and she was like um no way… SO I got on it, with a very young Indian girl (she was like 5 or six, and we rode The Big Wheel for a little while, I really got my host dad’s 10 rupees out of it, because the ride was around 15 minutes long!) First of all a few differences should be stated, when they are loading The Big Wheel, two guys literally pull on it on the sides to get it to come around, and then there is a guy in the middle who goes around like a hamster in a hamster wheel to help the wheel spin in a circle, Then when they finally have the thing loaded the guy in the middle comes down and hooks The Big Wheel up to the mechanical system which is super powerful, and well I don’t know if it was the fact that I had not been on any rides in a bit, or the fact that I have not been on or in anything that goes faster then like 30 kmph, but I swear this things was like going 100 kmph!!!!! It would whip you around in a circle; enough to make the little Indian girl with me scream her head off!!! It was nuts! But then when it is all over they start the pulling by hand method again and the guy climbs into the middle to be able to turn it around in a circle!

Well back to my security fetish. On the way out leaving my host dad stopped to talk to his friend who was running the nightly security and he gave my host dad in super fast Hindi the low down on what all was happening at the fair/temple/festival. As my host mother and I tuned out the Hindi, I began to really observe the lines and the people, and find many things very interesting. Especially the hordes of boys and men coming in with strings of coconut offerings and piles of coconuts. They shot little incantations and cheers for the goddess of the festival, and it is all very interesting to watch. It is hard to describe their enthusiasm for the goddess! They have such a passion it is indescribable! My best way to describe it would be to say something along the line of they are like cheering for their favorite sports team that has finally made it to the World Series after all of their life of wait for it to happen.

I also got a good look at the goddess, which I had seen briefly when I was in the temple, but I was now watching other make offerings on the big screens and pray to her. She is like a normal goddess, but she seams to flaunt her women qualities, and most notably has very large bosoms, big lips, along with long flowing hair, and a thin waist line, she is in a sitting posse which I guess would bring out those features, but at the same time, she is like a Barbie. I look at it and it looks just so political incorrect, because she features no features of the traditional Indian women, even if she does fight off evil demons, she displays none of the characteristics of the modern women. I guess I am just too much of a feminist, to notice these things and think those ideas. But also I find it very intrusting how this festival is women centered but the goddess is obviously been male dominated by flaunting the sensual women’s features.

Another thing about the festival of Navratri in general. Many times floats and street carts that carry the goddess will be carried and worshiped in all different areas of town, similar to Ganesh festival, but even though the festival is for women, there is very little women’s participation. Many of the people coming to the temple are men and boys coming to make the offerings and when there is dancing for the goddess, for one of the festivals celebrating WOMEN, the dancing is almost always men ONLY. Which I find sad, the women are being celebrated; yet they are not allowed to celebrate? Sometimes you will see a women taking part in the festivities, but many Indians will tell you, “oh she is a whore.” Which I find wrong, and terrible all in one! I believe women should be able to celebrate any way they want! But I may be completely wrong, this is just my personal observations, about the supresment of women in India.

Upon leaving the festival I witnessed something that frequently happens, but because of the high security at the temple it did not go unnoticed. I saw a guy pitch a women’s butt, which often happens, and we are told as exchange students of that happens to you ignore it and walk quickly away from the scene. But the guy who did it, did it right next to a policewomen. Which may be the worst decision he has ever made. The policewoman walked straight up to him, and kicks him in an area that would make him fall right to the ground, and then she grabs him by the ear and begins to drag him to the police station that was around 3 meters away. The man regains some balance and tries to get up and when he does, he was inside an archway and the policewomen pulls him up by his ear and starts slapping him (not like girly slapping, no I am talking hard core slapping, as in looks like Bollywood movie BUT real! This guy was in pain…) Until she kicks him again to drag him by the ear the final meter, and once he gets him inside the police tent, she begins to beat him up… My host father had at this point, noticed that this was going on, and takes me inside the police tent to watch. He wanted me to know what would happen if I ever reported harassment to the police. The policewoman was joined by a fellow police officer and they continue to beat the living out of this guy. They start with slapping and then move on to punching and then pretty much a full on beating. I was just as appalled as you should be right now reading thease words, that were exactly what went on. My host dad and I walked out, and he was laughing, and well I was not sure what to do, laugh at the guy who was getting the pulp beat out of him or to be appalled to shocking status! I chose a mixture of both. As I left the tent, I could already notice the onset of two very nice black eyes on the guy who was getting beat up, they already looked even better then Geoffrey’s from last years wrestling season. When walking back to the car you could still hear the guy being batted around the tent, and the sounds of flesh on flesh beating. My host dad turned to me and then stated I should never be afraid in India, because if you are even in a situation, tell the police and well it will be worse then that, he told me, much worse then what is happening. Lest can I say, I have no fear in India, at least of the strange men….

After that shock….. What have I been up to!!!

Many things, one of my good friends from USA is visiting! All the way from USA, well not really she is living in Nagpur this year, a city about 24 hours away from Pune. She came originally for just a few days, and met with all my IYE friends and also with our IYE trip planner, PeeKay, and he invited her on our up coming trip! We are going to Bombay and Goa, leaving on Saturday, and for a week we are going to be exploring the areas. Goa is whole different state, and it will be the second state I get to visit in India! I am so excited for the trip, and I think it will be a really great adventure and a great experience to really see India!

With Chloe being in town, I have been taking her to the little Pune things, that we have to offer, like good shopping and American like treats (like KFC). I have been working on my Christmas shopping a bit early, because by the time I FINALLY! get my package I want to send home in the mail it will arrive by Christmas! So that is always a fun thing Christmas shopping before Halloween! I know I am now going to make some people feel really rushed, that someone has already started Christmas shopping before they have even had a chance to think about the fact Halloween is like in a week, and they don’t even know when their town is letting people go around door to door begging for root cannels!

I have also been pretty diligently taking Hindi lessons! I am very excited to say, I know CHOTA Hindi! Tum Hindi bolta ho? I really love my Hindi lessons, and I am beginning to understand people and throw Hindi into every day life, Bahot Acha! Chalo! Well maybe I am not that great at it, and I will be no where near fluent when I return, but the thrill of learning a new language and then being able to understand what the people who are trying to speak in another language around you are saying, is a good thrill!

As any good high school senior I am also trying to fill out college applications, which I guess is somewhat easier abroad, because my mother is not freaking out over my shoulder, and then I don’t have friends who are also doing the same to compare to. Well I take that back, I do have two friends who are applying next year to American colleges, but I am the one who is ahead of them! And I am the one who is saying I am almost done, and not the one who is freaking out because all of my friends would be done… My personal deadline for all of my applications in November 11, it has always seamed like a good day to me, and Veterans Day too.