tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47789845972017717062024-03-14T00:11:56.534-07:00Going anywhere, provided it's forward.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-13764077219075430492011-05-05T23:31:00.000-07:002011-05-05T23:31:16.456-07:00MacLeod Ganj April 7th-10th<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">From Jammu we took a day train to Pathankot and from there took a five hour bus ride into the lower mountain range of MacLeod Ganj. When people talk about the Dali Lama and the Tibetan exile government they often incorrectly say it is in Dharmasala-- in reality it is another 10kms further up the mountain in a town called MacLeod Ganj. Named after a Scottish member of the ruling Raj-- MacLeod, not Ganj.<br />
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MacLeod Ganj is a site of refuge for the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government, and any Tibetan refugees. In the 1950s the Chinese government "liberated" Tibet because it saw it as a historical part of China. In the years that have followed the Chinese have killed over 1 million Tibetans and destroyed over 95% of the Temples and religious spaces of the Buddhist Tibetans. In recent years China has completed a fast rail system directly into the heart of Tibet. This makes the forced relocation of Chinese into Tibet much easier. They are slowly breeding out the native Tibetans and killing their culture. Currently it is against the law even to own a picture of the Dali Lama, the incarnation of Buddha.<br />
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Despite this tragic story the Tibetans are still the most loving and compassionate people around. Monks frequently express their distress about "losing compassion for the Chinese" a lesson that many of us, including myself, can learn from.<br />
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MacLeod Ganj for us was a time of rest and relaxation amongst the wonderful people of Tibet. We spent the days lounging around, talking to monks and Tibetan exiles. We even taught an English class or two with an organization that has been established to teach Tibetans English as well as to teach foreigners about the struggle that Tibet has and continues to face.<br />
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To me, the Tibetans, although Buddhist, exemplify how we are called to live as Christians or more generally just as good people. The love they show not only for their fellow man, all God's creatures, and most importantly towards their enemies is something we can all try to emulate.<br />
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Perhaps the best thing about Tibetans though is their love of laughter and the joy with which they live their lives.<br />
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From MacLeod Ganj we headed west on the train towards Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple. <br />
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</div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-41214631182991272482011-05-02T00:50:00.000-07:002011-05-02T00:50:28.777-07:00April 3rd-6th Srinagar, Kashmir<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Kashmir is an occupied state. Controlled both by India and Pakistan, it lies between the tense border of the two countries to the west and the stunning Himalayas to the East. To the north it is bordered by China. The people of Kashmir want independence but neither India nor Pakistan are willing to surrender this fertile and resource wealthy region. <br />
The first thing you will notice upon entering into Kashmir either by car or, like us, by plane, is the large military presence everywhere. The military is there to control the militancy and the militancy is there to get rid of the military. It is a deadly game of the chicken versus the egg. Because of the military presence and the militancy activity it is not an area then many people visit while in India. This made it all the more appealing to us.<br />
We arrived on a flight from Delhi into the Srinagar airport which is a military airport that allows a handful of commercial flights in daily. The runway is lined with barbed wire, tanks, and lots of AK-47 holding soldiers. Quite the welcome.<br />
It was freezing cold and drizzling, a huge change from the humid sweltering climate of Kerala. We stayed at a small hotel just outside of the city center. And the first item on our agenda was getting clothes appropriate for the cold. Luckily the Sunday Used-Clothes Market was in full swing and so we headed down to escape the cold.<br />
The area is almost entirely Muslim with very small Christian and Hindu populations. They were no where to be seen. The market was filled with brand name clothes several years out of fashion and I asked a younger shop keeper where they got the clothes from and he said, "American aid packages sent to Pakistan are sold to merchants who bring them in bulk to Srinagar to be sold in this market". Wonderful. After getting jackets and boots we headed back to the hotel to plan our next excursion.<br />
Srinagar is known for its large numer of Mughal gardens that were built starting in the 1600s. We spent the day going around them. It was the first time I had felt cold in over seven months.<br />
Kashmir is known for its lamb but unfortunately the lamb union was on strike and there was no lamb to be had. We had chicken and lentils instead.<br />
The next day we woke up early to go and visit the Jammu Masjid, the biggest mosque in the city. Two days after our visit there was a deadly bombing targeting, succesfully, the Imam of the mosque because he opposed the violence of the militancy.<br />
We spent the rest of the day viewing more sites around the city and had dinner at a small Tibetan restaurant near the hotel.<br />
After dinner I was speaking to the hotel owner, Ruf, who expressed his grievances of the militancy because, "One grenade attack and tourist season over." To true Ruf.<br />
The next day we got up early and took a rented car up to Gulmarg, seventh best Ski resort (supposedly) in the world. It was a winter wonderland. Eight feet of snow on the ground. I spent a few hours skiing in the Himalayas and then met up with the girls. We then had a snowball fight. It was Madison's first time seeing snow and my first time in the Himalayas. Very exciting.<br />
The next day we took a taxi down to the southern city of Jammu. To get there you have to drive over the mountains and through a 3 miles tunnel which is cut through the mountain. Once through the tunnel you enter a vastly different environment.<br />
After another hour of driving you are in fertile valleys fed by water from the Himalayas. It is a beautiful region.<br />
We spent the night in Jammu which doesn't have much to see and woke up the next morning for our train ride to Dharmasala.<br />
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To be continued...<br />
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</div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-63197748727656249232011-04-02T09:08:00.000-07:002011-04-02T09:08:11.434-07:00Delhi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Apologies for the non-existent Mumbai blog. I promise that will be posted at some point.<br />
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I am writing from an internet cafe in the Tibetan camp in Delhi. We have filled the past two days with a very busy schedule. Our only time of rest was during the first half of the Cricket World Cup finals taking place in Mumbai between India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka finished their batting with a solid run total and India's best batsman was unable to produce any significant amount of runs before getting out. It doesn't look good.<br />
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We have seen the Jammu Masjid (largest mosque in the world outside of the Middle East), Humayun's Tomb, the India Gate, the parliament house, the Red Fort, Connaught Circle, Paharganj, and much much more. It has been a very busy and tiring two days but we have found rest and quite in the Tibetan Camp.<br />
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Unlike the rest of Delhi where you are constantly swarmed with people will to make a deal for "a friend", give you special prices for auto-rickshaw rides, or escort you to a "official government tourist office", the Tibetan area is a quite oasis filled with friendly, spiritual, and passive (literally and figuratively). Delhi is an amazing city with a lot to offer but I think the lasting impression of this city will be from those forced into residence here as refugees in exile from a land that was taken from them.<br />
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I will update soon.<br />
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PS Go outside the camp.<br />
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</div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-19521726352552836632011-02-28T04:00:00.000-08:002011-02-28T04:00:04.431-08:00Good news!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Medical Update:<br />
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Luckily for me the lack of emphasis placed on the importance of deadlines and schedules has worked in my favor. Although the doctor told me the biopsy results would take 8-10 days to get back I called them this morning in the off-chance that they might be finished. They were.<br />
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It's not cancer and it's not tuberculosis (which they suspected). It simply a bacetrial infection that, hopefully, should be completely treated within a month or two with antibiotics. This is a huge relief and I cannot thank you all enough for the incredible outpouring of love and support. It is time like these when we are reminded of the community of people surrounding us who love and care for us always. As my Aunt, an eternal optimist, put it: we are there through the good and the not so good.<br />
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For all those who sent emails and messages I thank you so much. Your kind words were a huge support to me. For all those who kept my family and I in their thoughts and prayers, thank you. I feel truly blessed.<br />
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In one of those very coincidental moments in life I awoke this morning to a text from a young man I met a few weeks ago (it's common for me to receive texts like these). It said, "Sometimes, god fills our eyes with tears... Perhaps he makes our eyes get washed once in a while so that we could see life with a good vision again". Well put Roshan.<br />
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Thank you again to everyone for all of their wonderful support!<br />
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Check back soon for the much belated blog covering my trip to Mumbai!</div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-43618335940334935132011-02-25T10:57:00.000-08:002011-02-25T10:57:24.381-08:00Challenges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I knew that there were going to be difficult periods during my YAV year. I thought that in preparing for this year I had considered all of the possible challenges that I might face. I was wrong.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">About a month ago I went to the doctor because my stomach was giving me problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started with a general exam, followed by a complete blood test, ultrasound and later an endoscopy. The ultrasound showed that my spleen was slightly enlarged but they told me to wait on it for a week or so to see if it got better. It didn't really. So then I went back and they conducted a CT scan which showed some irregularities, nothing too serious but enough to warrant and colonoscopy. The colonoscopy came back all normal apart from an ulcer in my upper colon which they have taken tissue from for a biopsy. The colonoscopy was done on Tuesday. Although they seem hopeful that it is nothing serious we will not know for sure until the end of next week. This has been a draining and nerve-racking process that has been made especially difficult by nature of the fact that I am so far away from my normal support group.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having said that… everyone here has been extremely helpful and supportive. Thomas John was able to use his wide spread connections to get me appointments in, what must be, record time. Madison and Maggie have been by my side (often quite literally) through the whole process. And here at my site I have had the support and encouragement of my supervisor, Gigi Sir, and the students. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I ask is that you keep me in your thoughts and, for those so inclined, prayers. Take this opportunity not just to think about me but all of the people suffering around the world. I will be sure to update you on the situation when I know further details. I should be getting back the biopsy results towards the end of next week.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And for those of you who see my parents on a regular basis give them a big hug for me please. They have been incredible through-out all of this. I am truly blessed.</span></div></div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-79004248292567078532011-01-12T08:07:00.001-08:002011-01-12T08:07:52.376-08:00Latest Malayalam word: Kallan-- thief.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-IN</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">It was the weekend. I slept in, did a small amount of laundry, made myself some chai, read a little, took a shower and then decided where I wanted to get some lunch from: Shalimar (one of the usual spots). I enjoyed my masala dosa and second or third cup of chai for the day. Began walking back to the college and decided to run by the small store and pick up some supplies. It was a truly spectacular day and, when in the shade it was an enjoyable temperature. As I entered the campus I remember thinking to myself how lovely the weather was outside. Campus was busy because of a two day job fair for students from many surrounding colleges and universities. I stopped briefly to chat with some of the CMS students I saw there and was introduced to several students from nearby colleges. After talking for a while I continued on the final short distance to my room. I walked in, placed my padlock down on the table and instantly noticed it was missing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My laptop. My laptop is gone. What the hell?!? I searched around the room just to make sure I didn’t leave it anywhere before heading out. No, I’m sure I had left it on my table. Yep… proof. All of the items on my desk are messed up and the wiring has all been pulled towards the window. It’s gone.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I called my supervisor and he told me to go and tell the campus security. Because of the job fair though there were uniformed Kerala Police Officers on campus. So I explain to them what has happened. Or, rather, I explain to one of the CMS students who then translated for me. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The police then came down to investigate and decided that I should write a letter of enquiry to the Circle Inspector of Police and he will conduct the further investigation. That investigation has come and gone and, seeing as it entailed two questions (what day did it happen? What time?), I am not hopeful for the return of my laptop. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Losing the laptop is one thing. But it wasn’t losing the replaceable plastic skeleton that bothered me. It’s losing everything that was in it-- including all of my documentation of India. At times like this only one thing comes to mind. And, it just so happens that these words came from a man who’s life experience was also shaped by this country and who lured many an adventurous Westerner out to the land of the Jungle Book. <span> </span>In his poem <i>If--</i>, Rudyard Kipling says of losing everything you have, “And lose, and start again at your beginnings </div><div class="MsoNormal">And never breath a word about your loss;”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, that’s it. I shall say no more on the subject.</div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-49235437288364246362010-12-04T11:04:00.000-08:002010-12-04T11:04:58.932-08:00November Retreat and the start of DecemberOnce again I find myself apologizing for my lack of posts. It has been a busy few weeks culminating with a wonderful retreat with my whole India family.<br />
<br />
This month our retreat was in Wayanad in the north-eastern portion of Kerala. To get there we had to take a 3 hour train ride followed by a 3 hour bus ride up into the mountains. Wayanad is know, amongst other things, for its tea production and in the cool climate it thrives. <br />
<br />
The mountains, which are part of a long range of moutains (the Western Ghats), are home to a large tribal population. If you remember one of my past blogs I discussed the lives of Dalits. Tribals do not technically fall in the caste system but they are none the less of the most marginalized and systematically oppressed people. <br />
<br />
In Kerala at the time of Indian Independence and the creation of the modern state of Kerala the elections were one by the Communist Party of India. One of the first pieces of legislation that the party passed was a land reform act returning land to Tribal groups who had, for various reasons, lost their land. <br />
<br />
Now, however, many of them still find themselves landless-- having sold their land for as little as a few bottles of alcohol and some cigarettes. <br />
<br />
These people education is poor and that was often taken advantage of by wealthier land prospectors. <br />
<br />
In Tribal communities today alcoholism and unemployment are high and, like the Dalits, structural system in place on help to keep these people down. <br />
<br />
During our four day stay amongst their community we were able to meet many Tribal people. We even attended an Alcoholics Annonymous meeting at a local home.<br />
<br />
The people of this region are trying to struggle with the challenges ahead.<br />
<br />
We will be returning to Wayanad in late Spring and we are all looking forward to the refreshing cool mountain air!<br />
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We are finally into December and I only have two more days as a 22 year old which is quite hard to believe. I can remember being 8 as if it were yesterday. But experiencing this time of year is integral to my time here in India. Spending this time away from friends and family only reminds me of how important they truly are.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-19918462056724339752010-11-04T02:02:00.000-07:002010-11-04T02:02:02.879-07:00Dalit RealityThis past weekend we had our second retreat of the year. We were staying in Kozhencherry about two hours by bus from Kottayam. As I have mentioned before retreats are a time for us to get together, share stories, laugh, relax and also be exposed to a different reality in India.<br />
<br />
This months retreat was focusing on the lives of Dalits in India. Dalits are what we know as the "untouchables" cast. Although, technically, they are so low that they aren't even considered to be part of the caste system.<br />
<br />
The caste system in India has been in place for thousands of years and is deeply ingrained into Indian society. Unlike the racial divide that persisted (and still does in some way) in the United States, the caste system in India is not based on ethnicity or race. It is essentially a division of labor. Different professions are assigned to different castes. The Dalits are the lowest of these caste and are stuck with menial jobs that no one else wants (or is allowed to do). Ghuri, an Indian anthropologist who studied the caste system in his book, <i>Race and Cast in India</i>, described the caste system as having six features that kept it ingrained in society.<br />
<br />
Six Features:<br />
1. Segmented Society<br />
2. Heirarchy<br />
3. Restrictions on feeding and interactions<br />
4. Civil and Religious privileges and limitations<br />
5. Restriction of occupation<br />
6. Restriction of marriage<br />
<br />
Because they have been oppressed and marginalized for centuries the disparity between the lives of the dalits and those of other castes is extremely wide. They don't receive good education and they aren't offered good positions which makes it very difficult for social mobility or improvement of life.<br />
<br />
One example that I experienced first hand was from a young woman in the Dalit community we visited. She had had the fortune to study all the way up to a Masters Degree in Molecular Biology (largely because of the practice of "reservations" for students from certain communities). She was offered a position at a hospital four hours away from her home. She had to decline the opportunity because her family did not have the money or the connections to find her a place to stay for the first few months before she received her first pay check. Now, instead of working at the hospital research facility she is teaching Biology to high schoolers. <br />
<br />
The Dalits usually live in close community with one another and rely on the community as a whole to provide for many of their daily needs. In older towns the Dalit community lives in the eastern part of the town because the upper-castes don't want the Dalits to pollute the breeze flowing from east to west. In more recent decades dalit families have financed their most promising young adults migration to other parts of India or the world (usually the Gulf states). They work jobs that no one else will do in these countries and send back most of the money they make to their families back home.<br />
<br />
As in all other parts of their lives, their religious communities are separate from non-Dalit congregations. Their churches don't receive full-time clergy and severely lack funding and basic infrastructures. <br />
Thomas John's grandfather was the minister of a Dalit congregation. Although not a Dalit himself, Thomas John grew up in this community and the people here were his neighbors and friends. To return to this community is always an emotional experience and we spent our time going around and visiting many of the families.<br />
<br />
One of the interesting recent trends amongst many Dalit communities is the mass conversion to American Pentecostal churches. These churches come into the communities with conversion quotas and give out monetary and material gifts to all those who come to their meetings and are "saved". For the average Dalit family these physical incentives can be enough to get them out to these worship services and the parents usually come away with some money in pocket and the children usually have new school supplies. In our short stay near to this community we met two men from the United States who were Pentecostal ministers. <br />
<br />
I know that people like pictures and I apologize that I cannot really provide them for this experience. Due to he sensitive nature of the situation we weren't walking around with our cameras around our necks.<br />
<br />
Thursday was Kochammas birthday and so we celebrated that with cake and a small gift from us volunteers<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TNJ1j0fQ39I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/eG70dD71aWY/s640/026.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our novelty card to Kochamma</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TNJ1j0fQ39I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/eG70dD71aWY/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-85990253834056713322010-10-20T07:52:00.000-07:002010-10-20T07:52:16.392-07:00There's no business like show business!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">The movie is called Anwar and it is the latest film from the new Super-Star Malayama Actor, Prithviraj. It was my first film in Malayalam and, as I went in with little to no expectation (admittedly leaning more to the little side), I came out pleasantly surprised.<span> Having said this I have tried to add some humor to the situation and I would like to point out that these are only my experiences from one movie at one theater in one city. </span>For those reading this in Kerala and my American friends who enjoy watching Malayalam movies: SPOILER ALERT!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The plot line is quite simple: A young Muslim man’s family is killed in a bombing committed by a Muslim terrorist organization in a jewelry store here in India. In the aftermath many Muslim men are rounded up for questioning—including the young man who lost his family. He tells the India authorities he will do ANYTHING to get back at the men who did this. He is quickly trained in the arts of explosives, hand arms, martial arts, as well as a much fitter body, a strong sense of courage, military tactical prowess of a seasoned veteran and deadly instincts. He is placed in the prison to befriend the supposed perpetrator of the bombings. In prison he becomes one of the most trust men of the mastermind. Upon their release (which is never actually explained) he is quickly recruited by the mastermind to join his… terrorist group… (I guess?!?!). He joins the group and he gets into the inner circle. He ends up committing a number of acts of violence in order to be accepted by the mastermind. In the end he learns that it was in fact the mastermind who killed his parents. In the end they face each other at gunpoint and the mastermind commits suicide.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">END OF SPOILER ALERT!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So needless to say it was good.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There were a number of reasons it was interesting.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First: The population of Kerala is split up into equal thirds when it comes to the major religions. There are 33% Christians, 33% Muslims, and 33% Hindus. Meaning that, give or take a few people, a third of the audience was probably deeply offended and angry. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Second: It is a movie about terrorism and they still managed to find reason for not one, but TWO song/dance numbers (Interestingly enough the hit Malayalam songs on the radio are usually the songs from the big movies of that season).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Third: There is ALWAYS an intermission. No matter what.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fourth: Popcorn and tea is actually quite a delicious combination.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fifth: You buy tickets according to where you want to sit. Usually, families and groups of girls sit up in the balcony (45 rupees) and the boys and young men sit in the floor seats (30 rupees).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sixth: There is no message before the movie to silence your cellphones. Come to think of it… there wasn’t a message for “don’t talk on your phones during the movie” or “don’t carry on loud conversation to discuss the goings on in the movie”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Seventh: Not even the cinema is immune to the frequent power-cuts in India. We stopped our movie twice. Once for 13 minutes (it was the second time and I happened to look at my clock… I wasn’t timing it or anything).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Eighth: Indian men are good whistlers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ninth: Seriously…. Popcorn and tea is actually good. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some other interesting things to know about the Malayalam film industry.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The highest costing film was just over 5 million dollars which is equal to the cost of golden leaf toilet paper used by James Cameron while filming Avatar (the 230 million dollars used to make Avatar is more money than then each of the ten smallest economies make in a year and the worldwide box-office grossings of 2.7 billion are greater than the forty-six smallest national-- RIDICULOUS). The major Malayalam film stars are in as many as ELEVEN films a year. They like to use only one take for fight sequences (there are a lot in every movie… probably even romantic comedies…) and are infamously fast about how quickly they can set up and take down film sets. They also usually film in live settings… i.e. the actual road, or the campus of the college I am at (it was used in the 2006 hit comedy, Classmates).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another nice thing about Malayalam films is they don’t use lead actors with chiseled abs, handsome features and uncanny debonair…. Oh no… they use THESE GUYS (and yes... these are two different men):</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zonkerala.com/movies/gallery/pazhassiraja/mammootty-in-pazhassi-raja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://www.zonkerala.com/movies/gallery/pazhassiraja/mammootty-in-pazhassi-raja.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mammootty</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://movies.deepthi.com/malayalam/actors/images/Mohan-Lal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohanlal</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://movies.deepthi.com/malayalam/actors/images/Mohan-Lal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It leaves the chance for all of us to be movie stars!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And finally, in a state that democratically elects and is, in fact, run by the Communist Party the Malayalam Film industry is one of the finest examples of cut-throat unabashed Capitalism you are ever likely to see. If public reception to a film is bad the film will run no longer than a week. If a film is loved it will last in theatres for months. Theatres here have one screen not multiple smaller theatres. The auditoriums, which usually have a balcony and a floor level, seat over a thousand in a single screening. The film on offer is showed four times a day, everyday. You wait outside and with fifteen minutes to the start of the film a bell goes off and you are able to pay fory our tickets and shuffle through the turnstiles. Inside the theatre is already dark, the floor is stone, and the techno music is bumping (LOUD). If a film is not doing well and not enough people come to see it the cinema will simply stop showing it and put on one of the MANY other films out there.There's no business like show-business!</div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-18141431615351984152010-10-10T04:53:00.000-07:002010-10-10T04:53:26.082-07:00Play Ball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TLGfUCsy-8I/AAAAAAAAAE8/rjLmveRkxg8/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TLGfUCsy-8I/AAAAAAAAAE8/rjLmveRkxg8/s400/006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Asides from my other responsibilities here at the college I have taken on the position of Coach of the Softball and Baseball teams as requested by the players. It started when I would join in on the Cricket teams practices and eventually the captain of the Softball and Baseball teams asked if I would be their coach. I was excited to accept this role. We began practices roughly three weeks ago and towards the end we began practicing twice a day (once in the morning and once in the afternoon). Some of the boys had played on previous teams but the majority of the players were enjoying their first swing at the American bat and ball sports.<br />
<br />
On Sunday night the captain called me and informed me that our first game of the league would be tomorrow. "We leave at 530", he said to me.<br />
"OK... and we play one game tomorrow?" I asked. <br />
"Yes" he says.<br />
"One game and then we come home?"<br />
"Yes"<br />
"Ok. Well I will see you in the morning then."<br />
"Yes. 530"<br />
"Ok."<br />
<br />
So I get up at 5 and take a bucket bath and prepare for the day. At 530 we leave and head to the bus station to take a bus an hour south to a town called Tiruvella. We arrive around 730, have breakfast and make it to the field by 815. As we are walking in I notice a lot of activity going on around the field. To my delight they are still measuring out the field and chalking it by hand. 10 AM rolls around and still no games have been played. Eventually, at around 130pm we play our first game-- winning 13-2. They play five inning games to keep play moving. I was very excited and the players had played extremely well and had even incorporated many of the things we had talked about leading up to the match. An all around sound showing. I was excited to head back home too because a long day out in the sun can be quite draining. To my surprise none of my players seemed to be getting ready to leave. "Shall we go?" I asked.<br />
"No. We still have at least one more game."<br />
"Um.... I thought we had one game today?"<br />
It turns out we did only have one game today... and then another one... and then another one. Three in total. And, whereas I had assumed "league" meant that we would be playing over the course of several weeks, we were in fact cramming the league into four long days. By the time I got home and had taken off my sandals I realized that I had the Chaco tan to end all Chaco tans. If anyone knows of a more ridiculous Chaco/sandal tan please do send pictures. Here is mine:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TLGhKOKaMsI/AAAAAAAAAFE/NoAXWpVwfQ8/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TLGhKOKaMsI/AAAAAAAAAFE/NoAXWpVwfQ8/s400/030.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By the end of the four days (which ended up concluding on Saturday because of heavy rain delays on Tuesday and Wednesday) our team finished second out of eight. Something we are very proud of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TLGgkW6ROiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/JOopKPWnvZo/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TLGgkW6ROiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/JOopKPWnvZo/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
If anyone is involved in a Baseball or Softball league and would like to help out this team at all it would be greatly appreciated. The team is using very old/broken equipment. My outfielders don't use gloves (Two of them are left handed and you can't get left handed gloves in India and we only have six gloves good enough to be used in games leaving the outfielders to catch the softball/baseball as they would a cricket ball). I am not sure if sending equipment would be the best idea because of shipping costs and unreliability of the postal service here. If you are interested in helping out or know someone else who might be, please contact me via email at: jimsim@gwmail.gwu.edujimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-4188017667455315512010-09-27T06:13:00.000-07:002010-09-27T06:13:22.361-07:00On a lighter note...I assure you that this post is of a far lighter nature than the previous post so if you thought about not reading it, don't worry!<br />
<br />
This week went by without much incident. I continue to adjust and become ever more familiar with my new surroundings, my new friends, and my new responsibilities. On Friday we met for our first monthly retreat of the year. Once a month (or near enough) we will be meeting up as a way of taking a break from our sites, seeing our fellow volunteers and to be exposed to different realities. This retreat, being our first, was mainly focused on all of us coming together and spending time discussing our success, failures, challenges, and even funny/weird things that had happened at our sites. It provided us with a safe space to talk about and work out our problems and to be open amongst friends. Achen led us in several bible studies which, as always, take old well known stories and turns them on their heads. I will reflect on one such story later this week. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKCD6uNijNI/AAAAAAAAAEw/vKN-wVwc25o/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKBwSdSe7BI/AAAAAAAAAEk/oI8WwQMlckk/s320/095.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backwater life is simple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Other than spending time together we ate a lot and laughed a lot and got to go on the world famous Kerala backwaters. If you haven't read or seen anything about them take time to google or wikipedia them. Essentially they are a series of natural and man made canals similar to Florida's inter-coastal waterways that links up the western coast of almost the entire state of Kerala. They were and are still used for transport goods and commodities-- especially spices. Life for the people who live along these backwaters is simple and many of the distractions of our daily lives are not things they deal with. Electricity is minimal and lives are often spent working in rice paddys or fishing in the backwaters.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKCR_nDMJ3I/AAAAAAAAAE0/pVazX4Wdyks/s320/098.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House Boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKCR_nDMJ3I/AAAAAAAAAE0/pVazX4Wdyks/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> In more recent years, as tourism has increased in the area, the traditional barges used for transporting goods were converted into luxury house boats which can be rented out for up to a week. They take tourists up and down the backwaters in considerable style. They have bedrooms, satellite televisions, A/C, kitchens (and a chef), and basically every amenity one could possibly need to enjoy a few days on serene and relaxing backwaters.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKCUARekeWI/AAAAAAAAAE4/zzAxiibqXEk/s320/092.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Palmetto State</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKCUARekeWI/AAAAAAAAAE4/zzAxiibqXEk/s1600/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>South Carolina claims to be the Palmetto State but as you can see in the pictures the title is much more fitting for the state of Kerala. It was a relaxing day out on the backwaters before returning home, chatting late into the evening and then waking up early for breakfast and church. I can already tell that the time spent during our retreats is going to be a welcome break from our time at our sites. Future retreats will focus on more serious issues in India such as the lives of tribal groups high in the Western Ghats and the lives and challenges of Dalits in India. <br />
Asides from our incredibly relaxing and peaceful time on the backwaters we also had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Rajan the Vice-Chancellor and professor of Economics at Mahatma Ghandi University about the Kerala Development Model (more to come on this later). And we also had a lecture from our newest friend Anne on teaching methods and suggestions which was very helpful!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TKCD6uNijNI/AAAAAAAAAEw/vKN-wVwc25o/s640/114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at the end of our backwater cruisin'</td></tr>
</tbody></table> jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-16469062854600588352010-09-22T01:59:00.000-07:002010-09-22T01:59:04.048-07:00WWJD- One Christian's Response to Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the United StatesEarly Christians were seen as outlaws, punishable by law and thus sought to worship in the safety of closed community and hidden worship. But, as is so often the case, the oppressed, upon receiving power, quickly become the oppressor. Throughout history Christians have, in the name of Jesus and of God, pillaged, killed, tortured, and oppressed many people from many places of many different faiths. <br />
Today, we stand at a juncture—a volatile time of huge social change with massive implications. In the United States anti-Muslim sentiments coupled with the tragic events of nine years ago are giving way to mass hysteria. It is creating a mob culture against an entire group of people . For those who say that Muslims are misunderstood I would debate that. To be misunderstood people must first have taken the time and effort to TRY to understand. This is not the case in the United States. People are creating fact out of fiction. Those trying to burn the Koran admit to having never read it. This is ignorance and ignorance breeds hatred of the worst kind. <br />
It is in instances of social and structural oppression and when the masses have managed to dehumanize their “enemy” that history has had some of its darkest hours. If something is not done, if people do not object to this ignorant hatred and stand beside our Muslim brothers and sisters the dark plumes that blocked out the sun on that horrifying day in September of 2001 will be stoked into a cloud that is so dark that no sunlight will ever break through.<br />
The acts committed by the men on that fateful day in September were horrific and inhumane. But if we allow ourselves to blindly label them as acts of faith then we have already succumbed. Just because a handful of leaders and a group of followers bastardize a religion and drive it to its most violent and destructive edge we must not let uninformed judgment lead to the communal hatred of a people. The men who hijacked the planes on September 11th were not living out the words of the Koran or the teachings of Muhammad. They were deeply troubled individuals who read and heard and spoke words that did not exist and did it in the name of a religion. <br />
Today, a community of peaceful followers wish to build a community center that will foster the sort of dialogue that is critical to calming the waters of this growing storm. Yes, there is a place for prayer, a space for Muslims to openly and freely worship the God they love. And why not? How is this a defamation or a dishonoring of holy ground? It was not Islam or followers of Islam that committed the acts of 9/11—it was headstrong, zealot, bigoted and ignorant people who took the lives of the innocent that day. WE have labeled them Muslims. The atrocities that were committed were not acts of faith, at least not to the God that Muhammad worshiped. <br />
Nowhere in the bible is there a list, a hierarchy of sins, a log of which sin is worse than another. There is, however, a very clear statement by Jesus of what is most important in our lives. “’Love the Lord your God with all your heath, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.’”<br />
This brings me to my title—the very common acronym for “What Would Jesus Do?”. I have two suggestions, surrounding this topic, of how we might change this acronym: “Where Would Jesus Dig?” and “Who Would Jesus Despise?”. To me, the answers are clear. He would dig the foundations of a building focused on peace, reconciliation and dialogue at the junction of war, hatred and suffering and he would despise only those without love.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-31836165733946344312010-09-20T23:57:00.000-07:002010-09-21T02:47:28.970-07:00Strikes, Holidays and difficult conversationsI apologize for the lack of blog posts. I could take the easy way out and say that I have been super busy but I don't think that would necessarily be true. I will be posting more regularly from here on out. First, I would like to say thank you to everyone who is following my blog. Both those who have registered and are "Followers" and those who are just reading it but have not signed up. For those who are interested and have not yet done so you can sign up to "follow" the blog which will give you access to leave comments and questions. I want to say a special thank you to all those who have left comments and I hope that on some of the more serious and intellectual blogs (not just the travel/daily life updates) the comment section can foster some good discussion and conversation.<br />
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Now for the daily life update:<br />
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I am continuing to adjust to life here at CMS College. It is being slowed by the continuation of strikes and holidays that are breaking up the normal routine here. There was a strike again yesterday, a holiday today, and there will be another strike tomorrow. This, coupled with the fact that on Thursday I will be leaving to meet up with Thomas John and my fellow volunteers for our first retreat/catch-up, has meant that I have not experienced a "normal" week here yet. For those unaware the strikes are being lead by the student government parties who are upset at the administrations decision to use parliamentary style elections as opposed to the desired presidential elections. A few months ago CMS was making headlines throughout India because of vandalism and riots surrounding the suspension of the SFI leader (the majority party) here on campus.<br />
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Although the strikes are happening students and faculty still seem to be in good spirits and I spend a lot of my day outside talking to various different groups of students and faculty. In talking to students I have realized that male students feel more comfortable and at ease in coming up and talking to me. Therefore, I have partnered with the Communicative English department to create a "formal-informal" time for groups of girls to come talk to me. These take place during the students free periods and lunch time. So far several groups of girls have come and chatted with me and have highlighted the importance of such interactions. They are happy to be using the English they have learned in a conversational setting because many of them have learned some English but have no means of using or practicing it. Additionally, they told me that if they were to come up to me individually when they saw me on campus the male students, especially those who cannot speak English, would ridicule them and make fun of them. So, for the time being it seems as if my solution is working.<br />
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Apart from this I will be giving a lecture in a weeks time on the current financial crisis focusing on its impacts in the United States. So, for all those who like to send Op-Ed pieces or Letters to the Editor... here is your chance! If you would like to weigh in on this subject leave a comment at the end of this blog! It just might make it into an Economics lecture at CMS College!<br />
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I am always learning new facts and trying to remember the dozens of names and faces that I come in contact with. It is exhausting having conversations all the time everyday with people who don't share a common first language as you. I started my formal Malayalam lessons yesterday and I am hoping that I can start putting to use what I am learning. Perhaps this will make communication a bit easier... but then again I'm sure their English will still be much better than my Malayalam.<br />
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Hope all is well state-side and around the world! Shout out to my fellow YAVs reading this... GOOD SELF CARE!!! You will all be hearing from me soon.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-87452549207966518182010-09-13T05:53:00.000-07:002010-09-13T09:47:35.927-07:00Kottayam, KeralaMy year will be spent in the city of Kottayam (Coat-tah-yam), Kerala. I arrived last Wednesday and was immediately welcomed into the campus life of CMS College. On Friday there was a holiday so there was no classes and the students have only just arrived back. Today, however, the students have decided to go on strike and so there are no classes today either.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TI4dKAct_AI/AAAAAAAAAEU/t9u32ik8bvk/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TI4dKAct_AI/AAAAAAAAAEU/t9u32ik8bvk/s200/036.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheriapally</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
This weekend I took the time to venture out into the city and surrounding area to familiarize myself with it all. I visited to Syrian Churches: Valliyapally and Cheriapally. Both churches were built in the 1500s by Syrian Christians here in India. These churches predate the United States and yet, by Indian standards they are relatively new. It makes for a very interesting place.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TI4cxhRLYrI/AAAAAAAAAEM/dDGf6olLV6k/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TI4cxhRLYrI/AAAAAAAAAEM/dDGf6olLV6k/s200/027.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valliyapally</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Apart from these churches I just strolled around the street to familiarize myself with the city and the staring people. The best is when I entered a restaurant by myself, ordered some food without looking at a menu and then proceeded to eat the meal with my hands-- this took everyone by surprise. The one good thing about eating with your hands is that you really have to concentrate on what your doing so I usually can keep myself busy and not pay too much attention to all the looks I get.<br />
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On Sunday I had my first rehearsal with one of the two choirs I will be singing with during my time here. It is a community choir made up of men and women from Kottayam and the surrounding area. Check out their website at www.kottayammixedvoices.in<br />
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<br />
Today, I was part of the Economics Departments Inauguration for the start of the years programs. Afterward, I went to meet up with the cricket/baseball team and played cricket with them for an hour and a half. Now I am just resting and reading. That is going to be one of the great things about this year. With few distractions I have time to do some serious research and reading. So I am looking forward to that.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"></div>Oh... and I got a new fan in my room so I don't sweat constantly while at home. I do, however, sweat constantly everywhere else.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-57668772550560316872010-09-10T06:57:00.000-07:002010-09-10T06:57:14.251-07:00The Development GospelDuring our time here Thomas John Achen will be providing us with a daily bible study. Not your average, run of the mill, read through of a certain verse but a in-depth look at the bible through the eyes of a man who has spent his whole life within the realm of what many of us know as the "Third World". It is easy to read the stories of the Old and New Testaments from the relative comfort and safety of many of our homes or places of worship and not see the application in our daily lives. Here, reading many of the stories found through out both books of the bible can be eerily similar to reading the newspaper.<br />
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In the Old Testament book of 1 Kings chapter 21 verses 1-15 the story of Naboth, his vineyard, and King Ahab is told <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+21&version=NIV">(for those unfamiliar with the story here it is) . </a>In the story Ahab goes to Naboth to try and get his vineyard in order to make a garden for himself. Ahab offers what he believes to be a fair trade. He will give him other lands in exchange for his vineyard. Naboth refuses. Then, in what may be perceived by us to be fair, Ahab offers him the value of the land in money.<br />
<br />
In both offers Ahab fails to realize how valuable the land is to Naboth. Ahab sees the land as a commodity something with a price that can be exchanged either for money or for something of equal value. He never once stops to think about how this land may have been in Naboth's family for generations. Or how Naboth's vineyard brings jobs and industry to the area. Or how Naboth may just be attached to this land because it is his own. Ahab sees none of this. In the end Jezebel sets up Naboth to be stoned to death leaving the land free for Ahab's use.<br />
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This is a story that has occurred over and over and over again through out history. In the past fifty years this story has become increasingly prevalent with the rise of Globalization and, as Thomas Friedman put it, the flattening of the world. More and more, foreign companies from the developed nations of the world come into developing nations to set up industrial plants, manufacturing centers and huge agricultural mega-farms. They see the land as a commodity and the people as expendable. It is how our nations have increased in power and fortune and how we have increased our comfort levels and material wealth.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIo5A_hSmbI/AAAAAAAAAEE/3WiiIJuZpkI/s1600/CocaColaIndia.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIo5A_hSmbI/AAAAAAAAAEE/3WiiIJuZpkI/s320/CocaColaIndia.gif" /></a>Here in India one of the most pertinent examples of this situation comes, sadly, from an Atlanta based company and favorite soft-drink of mine, Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has several factories throughout India that have been set up to access large amounts of water which are free. They set up huge pumping systems that take in up to 900,000 liters of groundwater per year. The most drastic example of the huge implications this process creates on the surrounding community is in Plachimada, a small town found in Tamil Nadu, the state directly to the east of Kerala. Here, Coca-Cola has used so much of the ground water that the surrounding farms and communities have no water with which to live. While the plant is still able to pump water the wells and systems of the local community are unable to reach the little water that remains. In addition to this, the small amount of water that is recycled from the plant is highly contaminated and unusable for the nearby populations.<br />
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It is hard to hear this and to apply it to the story of Naboth and his vineyard. In a land where everything is new to my senses all I want from time to time is something simple and familiar, a bottle of coke. I am not writing this to get on a soap box or to say I am different from anyone in the US or anywhere else. I play just as much a part in this whole situation as anyone else. However, in looking to the bible, the Development Gospel, we must at least take the time to question these practices and see how we can change them.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-14109105829305993632010-09-08T03:59:00.000-07:002010-09-08T03:59:08.151-07:00Arrived at site!Just a really quick post because they are about to shut the internet off here (funny concept I know...). I have arrived at my site so a new phase has begun. Everything seems good here. A lot of bugs! More to come soon. My internet is very limited here but I will update as best I can! Hope you are all well!jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-87480841177440631592010-09-05T07:41:00.000-07:002010-09-05T07:41:47.751-07:00AssimilationThe past couple of days has been very busy. We continue to receive lots of information from Thomas John Achen about everything under the sun-- different foods, Dos and Don'ts, how to travel, information about our sites and our jobs, culture and history lessons, and lots more. It is a lot to take in and by the time of late evening we are usually pretty tired (I think it has to do with the humidity and the final stages of jet lag and adjustment). In the past couple of days we have done a number of 'touristy' things during the afternoons.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIOpl48w7LI/AAAAAAAAADM/IEjHlQ_IVxE/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIOpl48w7LI/AAAAAAAAADM/IEjHlQ_IVxE/s320/027.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to Right: Achen, Me, Maggie, Madison, Binu </td></tr>
</tbody></table>On Friday we went to an elephant training center to see them raising and domesticating elephants for use either for heavy manual labor and in temples around India. We were the first groups of YAV volunteers who were not able to take an elephant ride upon visiting this training center. Selfishly I was disappointed although I think the change in policy is a good thing. It comes from recent legislation that has passed raising elephants to the status of heritage animals meaning that the government recognizes their status as a symbol of India and of many of the states, businesses, organization, etc. within the country (fun fact: Kerala's state emblem has two elephants facing one another with their trunks raised). So for good reason we were unable to take an elephant ride. We still spent a lot of time around them and were able to take pictures with them and play with them.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIOqxh9XsYI/AAAAAAAAADk/ib_-pzlASFI/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIOqxh9XsYI/AAAAAAAAADk/ib_-pzlASFI/s320/022.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in my jubba and mundu and the girls in their churidars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today (Sunday), we all got up at 6am to get ready and have breakfast before heading out to a church about 30 minutes away that Achen was preaching at. There we were introduced by the other minister and we were asked to say a few words about ourselves and our time here in India. After this we sang a song to the congregation that we had learned during our week long orientation in New York but that was further taught to us by Achen and Binu. The song is in malayalam although the verses were translated into english by a group of past volunteers. After the service a lot of people came up to us and thanked us for our visit to the church and said how wonderful it was to see foreigners know such a traditional and well known malayalam song.<br />
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After church we headed further north to Kochi. Kochi is a port city which was widely used by traders from all over the world including Jews, Portuguese, Spanish, Arab, and many others. The highlights on our tour around Cochin were:<br />
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Jew Town-- an area of the city that at one time held several hundred Jewish families (many of them left when the state of Israel was created although still 50-60 roughly remain).<br />
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The synagogue, located in Jew Town, is the oldest synagogue in the lands formerly contained in the British Empire. It was built in the 1500s and remains operational to this day.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIOqVivnJKI/AAAAAAAAADc/zoJTj6oROtw/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TIOqVivnJKI/AAAAAAAAADc/zoJTj6oROtw/s200/026.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Francis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>St. Francis Church which was a Catholic Church until the British came when it was operated as an Anglican church and finally, now, it is a church of CSI (Church of Southern India). Its claim to fame, which draws a lot of tourists, is that it was the original burial site of Vasco da Gama before his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal.<br />
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After a long day out and about we came back home exhausted. We have been lounging and napping and relaxing (all under the fans of course). Only 30 more minutes until tea time!jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-62190901351716009932010-09-03T01:48:00.001-07:002010-09-03T01:48:24.667-07:00Flesh into Bread<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">We have been in the Sub-Continent now for three days. This has been a time of acclimatization in every sense of the word. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes and thoughts that I have experienced have been unlike any in my life. Whether it be the saffron parade of some Hindus including an elephant carrying an representation of a Hindu God or the sounds of the local Mosques call to prayer (I can distinctly hear three when) or the taste of all of the new food or the distinct smells of India. It has all been new to me. And, no matter how much you prepare mentally for this immersion I think it is safe to say you can never be fully prepared. Part of this must also come from the stark realization that these will, over the course of the year, become somewhat common place to me in my daily life. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Thomas John Achen, Kochamma, and Binu have been so wonderful in how they are handling our entry into this new environment. Achen teaches us Malayalam and cultural lessons. Binu continues these lessons with history, politics, music, etc. And, most importantly, Kochamma has the difficult task of slowly familiarizing our bodies with the food. With the touch of a master chef and the care of a mother she is slowly bringing us into the world of Indian food. Starting with more bland and less spicy foods and slowly working our way up. Last night at dinner she smiled to us after our meal was finished and said, “Today I included one pepper in the curry”— small steps to a larger goal. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">As our minds and bodies become more accustomed to our surroundings we begin to take on bigger challenges. This morning we scoured through the Malayalam newspaper on the dinner table to try and find examples of vowel signs we had studied the afternoon before. It is a long process but with the support of those in our immediate surrounding and the encouragement from those close to us yet far away we will succeed. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">We have short bible studies whenever we are at Achen’s house. He uses these bible lessons to highlight situations in an Indian and global context. Areas of injustice and oppression that we are all called on, not only Christians, to stand up against. We were looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 17-34. Focusing on our call to provide food for those who need it as a way enacting how God has called us to live our lives. Today’s bible study ended with a moving quote from a Catholic colleague of Thomas John Achens. He said, “We are so concerned about turning the bread into flesh that we often forget to turn our flesh into bread.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Be it through a secular organization or company, or through an organization or program linked to a certain faith or denomination, or even through an ecumenical organization bringing together many beliefs and faiths we should all be set on helping out those who need. Many of us have been blessed with having more than we need. As it was so eloquently put (in describing the YAV program) "We are rich enough to be poor for a year". It is not bad to have excess but it is important that we use this wealth in ways to help out other who are in need. You can never go wrong when you end with a Winston Churchill quote so I will do that now: "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." </o:p></div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-50697650760404840422010-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:002010-08-31T22:02:21.010-07:00Arrival in India<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TH3d_wcAuDI/AAAAAAAAAC8/x22UBPn1VpU/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/TH3d_wcAuDI/AAAAAAAAAC8/x22UBPn1VpU/s320/IMG_0040.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Thomas John's House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have arrived safe and sound in India. It took over 30 hours of traveling-- seven of which were spent in the Mumbai airport where our plane was delayed seven hours for no apparent reason. It's ok though because we were provided snacks at 2 AM for free. We have begun the monumental process of figuring out this magnificently different country. I am tired and busy and so will keep this post short. Hope all is well state-side.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas John's Veranda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-77004166405891791912010-08-22T20:21:00.000-07:002010-08-22T22:05:56.347-07:00Ode to a Schnauzer<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">When I was younger my father was always the one to take Chipper out on walks at night. That was, of course, until I was old enough to do it for him. I remember before being able to go out with friends or if I was staying up later than my parents Chipper was used as leverage. “You’re going out to Starbucks at this time?” my dad would say. “Well, I guess that means you can take Chipper out then before you go.” I was an indentured servant earning my freedom. And, because I wanted to go out or stay up late I always took Chipper out. I remember on the frosty December nights and the heat of the summer I loathed taking him out, and Chipper knew it. He would first tease me with a very long stream of pee that would always get me optimistic. “Maybe this will be a quick walk” I would think to myself. It never was. Chipper had the ability of drawing out his walks for far longer than they need to be. He would continue to mark his territory with just enough pee to fill a thimble. Then he would spend a good five or ten minutes scouting out the best location for him to create his masterpiece, his magnum opus; only for it to be scooped up into a plastic bag only seconds after completion and still quiet hot. It used to annoy me to no ends. A complete waste of my time.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Some of you know Chipper and many of you know OF Chipper which makes sense—his reputation precedes him. Many would describe Chipper as Herr Hitler’s favorite hundchen from Berchtesgaden and, at times, he lived up to the reputation. You could cast every dwarf role in Snow White just with people he has attacked and some of us (me included) even have the distinct honor of being repeat victims. To everyone who sees Chipper in this light I can only say I am sorry you didn’t know him for the gentleman he was.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/THHo_VpMShI/AAAAAAAAACs/GYwbud-vRoQ/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Js0TyjnnliE/THHo_VpMShI/AAAAAAAAACs/GYwbud-vRoQ/s320/001.JPG" /></a>On the eve of my departure for India (with a brief layover in New York—seven days) I was lucky to take Chipper out one more time. He is quite old now and has had his share of problems in recent years and months and his long walks of old are a thing of the past. He usually takes three minutes and turns himself around before struggling up the steps a bit to return to his bed and his peaceful slumber. I don’t know whether this will be my last walk with Chipper but it certainly will be my last walk with him in quite some time. He must have known this because in true Chipper fashion he decided on one last hurrah… going out in a bang! I walked out the door and into the street with Chipper by my side. He peed as usual at the second tree past the mailbox. All was going fine. By the time we reached the road he had peed again—this time on the stop sign. We crossed the street and continued on. He began marking his territory with sprinkles and stopping to sniff for longer periods of time. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, if this had happened to me five years ago I would have been more than a bit annoyed at Chipper. Our walk was coming up on its fifteenth minute and Chipper was showing no intention of returning home. As we turned the corner, walked under a tree, and onto a street I had never walked down with him here in Rock Hill it suddenly dawned on me. Chipper, in his old age and wisdom was telling me something. He knew that this may be his last chance to teach me a valuable lesson. Chipper got it. Chipper had always gotten it. And, had I only paid attention to him all these years I might have gotten it to.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I lightly tugged on his collar and called his name out (much louder now then I would have had to years ago) and he looked at me. He stopped sniffing, turned around, paused and looked up at me. Our eyes met and without a doubt in my mind Chipper told me, “Stop focusing on all the shit to come and just enjoy the stroll.” It is a lesson that has been said by many people in many ways and yet it took a small, elderly, at times psychopathic, miniature Schnauzer to finally get the message through to me.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Amongst the vast number of people I am leaving to go to India, Chipper is amongst them-- a friend to me for over a decade now. I can’t imagine life at home without him and yet tonight he reassured me in a way that maybe only he could that to focus on all the shit to come would inevitably effect and impede upon my ability to enjoy the stroll. I hope to see him again and I hope to be able to tell him how right he was but that is shit that I shouldn’t be dealing with now. I know he loves me and would be proud of me. He understands that his place is here, to take care of my mom and dad. I know he will keep his pack protected and understands that I must go out into the world to make a life of my own. These are instincts he was born with. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And so to Chipper I say, “Through the barks and bites, and all the walks too, there has been no greater companion to me, than you.”<o:p></o:p></div>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-15279797136433227502010-08-03T18:11:00.000-07:002010-08-04T11:17:32.791-07:00LINKS<a href="http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/yav/">Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yavindia.net/">YAV India</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala">Kerala- Wikipedia</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kottayam">Kottayam- Wikipedia</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMS_College_Kottayam">CMS College- Wikipedia</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://220.225.196.165/cmc/homepage.aspx">CMS College Website</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=CMS%20College%20Kottayam%2C%20Kerala%2C%20India&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl">Kottayam Map</a>jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-39644773050145011372010-08-03T17:58:00.000-07:002010-08-03T17:58:26.827-07:00Looking for AnswersI have decided that a fun and interactive way of keeping in touch would be that if you have any questions that you want answered. I along with my colleagues and friends in India will go about answering your questions and create a video response for you to see. So if there is anything you want to know about the mysterious Indian sub-continent please ask away! From food to religion to economics I along with everyone else will try and answer your questions. On any post just ask your question in the comment section underneath the post itself. I am excited to teach and learn along with everyone else.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-48704189868710101872010-08-03T17:48:00.000-07:002010-08-03T17:48:24.067-07:00Pre-Departure "Things"Travel Update:<br />
On August 23rd I will be flying up to New York for a week long orientation event. On August 30th I will be flying from New York to Mumbai and then on to Cochin.<br />
<br />
Fundraising Update: <br />
I have raised $4,500 meaning I am half way there! Thank you so much to all those who have already donated. Without your charity this would not have been possible.<br />
<br />
Rock Hill Update:<br />
"...a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front."<br />
<br />
Medical Update:<br />
I have been examined from head to toe and blood to urine and have been OKed to go to India. <br />
<br />
Dental Update:<br />
TO COMEjimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-41283014485121730262010-07-22T11:39:00.000-07:002010-07-22T11:50:42.728-07:00With every end, a beginning.To say that a chapter of my life has ended would probably be a bit of an understatement. The past four years of my life and what happened during them... the good, the bad, the ugly... will leave a permanent mark on me for my whole life. The friends I made, the lessons I learned, not to mention the diploma I earned have all, and will all, continue to shape me. It is now starting to hit me how much I will deeply miss DC, the experiences and most of all the people. So for all of my GW friends and, of course, everyone else I have something that hopefully will resonate at some level with you. Unbeknownst to anyone I wrote and auditioned to speak at graduation. Both obviously and unfortunately I was not selected. I would have like nothing more than to have been able to share this message with all of you at our graduation, unfortunately, fate had another plan. I have decided to post it here so that anyone who chooses to, can read it. Again, my apologies if the grammar and what not is a bit off... it was meant to be read aloud and I think if you do this you will be able to follow the flow of it a bit better.<br /><br /><br /><br />First, remembering that have our whole lives ahead of us to be GW<br />graduates and remembering we have only one chance to be a son, a<br />daughter, a brother, a sister, a granddaughter or a grandson, let us<br />take this opportunity to stand and thank our families and friends.<br />Thank you to our mothers and fathers, our stempmoms and step dads, our<br />grandmas and grandpas, our brothers and sister, our aunts and uncles<br />and everyone else who has stood by us and supported us with love and<br />commitment in our pursuit of academic excellence. Thank you!<br /><br />To our parents: relax. Its over. We’ve completed all our requirements.<br />Used all of our Gworld money. Finished all of our papers. And even<br />woke up on time for all of our final exams. Now, we just need to pay<br />off our student loans.. Ok, so maybe don’t relax just quite yet.<br /><br />To our brothers and sisters: Oh ye of little faith!<br /><br />And to everyone else: Thanks for calming down our parents over the<br />past four years.<br /><br />I have spent the past four years as a student of International Affairs<br />learning about the effects of the colonial legacy. From the favellas<br />of Brazil, the townships of South Africa, the outcast of India, the<br />genocides of entire peoples, the imprisonment and slavery, the<br />pillaging of resources and the poverty, hunger, and suffering of all<br />those worldwide.<br /><br />To all of these people, in all of these places, and more, the word<br />COLONIAL is often partnered with a tear in their eyes, a scarring<br />memory, a culture lost, a language forgotten, a people displaced and a<br />country in ruin.<br /><br />To these people, the COLONIALS came in with little or no compassion<br />for their way of life. They used, converted, enslaved, raped, and<br />tortured them into a life of submission-- if they were lucky. For<br />others, the COLONIALS could only see them as savages worthy of nothing<br />short of death.<br /><br />WE are COLONIALS. Proud to wear this word across our chest, not<br />thinking once, of the weight that this word carries. We are not,<br />however, THOSE, COLONIALS. We are a group of people who are committed<br />to using our talents and changing the world.<br /><br />We have a very difficult task in carrying this name, out into our broken world.<br /><br />And today I charge each and everyone of us with the task of changing<br />this legacy. Taking the word COLONIAL and removing the shackles of its<br />troubled past and freeing it.<br /><br />We have already started this new legacy: with our hard work and<br />studying, our study abroad experiences, our alternative spring break<br />trips, our bake sales, our student organizations, and our commitment<br />to service locally, nationally, and internationally.<br /><br />Wherever you go from here: to a familiar place with familiar cooking,<br />to a new career in a new place, a new school for continued studies, a<br />time of travel or a time of service, go forward with a commitment to<br />changing the world-- for good.<br /><br />For good in two very important ways: first, for the betterment of<br />society and the world and second, in a way in which we could never<br />turn back to a past time.<br /><br />I stand here as proof that your GPA is not your most important asset<br />in life. With purpose and determination and with the skills and<br />talents that we have acquired and perfected during our time here at GW<br />we CAN change our world, for good.<br /><br />Congratulations to everyone! We’ve don’t it! The easy part is over,<br />it’s done. Now, now, we answer our calls, each of us individually, yet<br />each of us together, collectively, bound by our time here at GW and<br />forever in our mission to create a new COLONIAL legacy. Thank you.jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778984597201771706.post-26138986844801885992010-07-20T00:46:00.000-07:002010-07-20T00:49:25.518-07:00A Lesson in HumilityYoga-<br />1.The term yoga comes from a Sanskrit word which means yoke or union. Traditionally, <br />yoga is a method joining the individual self with the Divine, Universal Spirit, or<br /> Cosmic Consciousness. Physical and mental exercises are designed to help achieve <br />this goal, also called self-transcendence or enlightenment. On the physical level, <br />yoga postures, called asanas, are designed to tone, strengthen, and align the body. <br />These postures are performed to make the spine supple and healthy and to promote <br />blood flow to all the organs, glands, and tissues, keeping all the bodily systems <br />healthy. On the mental level, yoga uses breathing techniques (pranayama) and<br /> meditation (dyana) to quiet, clarify, and discipline the mind. However, experts<br /> are quick to point out that yoga is not a religion, but a way of living with <br />health and peace of mind as its aims.<br />2.An exercise movement that has gained in popularity in the United States over the<br />course of the new millennium. It involves group classes often situated in heated rooms<br /><br />Yoga, as stated above... is an ancient way of life (connected to the this blog because of its birthplace in India) best known in our society for its physical manifestation as a type of group exercise. With it has arose a tight-knit community of active and devoted yoga yogis. I have never been one of these yoga yogis and, in fact, I have been a skeptic of these yoga doers. Jess, a long time college friend<br />and subsequently one of my roommates of the past two months has been badgering me for<br />the past eight weeks to go to a yoga class with her.<br /><br />DISCLAIMER: WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SAY IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE ADMITTING<br /><br />For all of those eight weeks I have told Jess that I believed yoga would barely<br />challenge me and that I could easily make it trough one session without having to <br />a break or stop doing the movements at any point. To make a long story short... not<br />only was I wrong, after an hour and a half of sweaty suffering I was, dead wrong.<br />Having played competitive soccer for over seven years and being coached by a former<br />US men's national team player and a sly Russian who played in Europe a 127 lb. yoga<br />instructor had me on my knees holding my hands in prayer in front of my chest <br />(ironically enough one of the few times during the class I was doing the correct<br />pose).<br /><br />Two very important things to know before going to yoga... drink water... lots and<br />lots of water and DO NOT EAT within two hours of the classes start.<br /><br />To discuss the first of the two points: The average human body has 37 liters of water<br />within it. At the end of ninety minutes 34.72 of those liters formed a moat around my<br />mat area, darkened my clothes color by three shades and ineffectively cooled my skin from the stagnant, 93 degree, dry heated room. My fingers were wrinkled from contact with the drenched towel and mat beneath me making me feel like Benjamin Button at age 7. <br /><br />Second... using the restroom in a yoga studio gives off a very familiar sense: the smell of a filled port-a-potty sitting outside all summer at a construction site in Dubai. <br /><br />Needless to say I struggled through (actively engaging for roughly and hour and then<br />spending the last thirty minutes of the class in the child's pose-- for those unfamiliar its exactly as you would imagine) and I realized that I had been humbled.<br /><br />I am excited to move forward from this experience with a renewed commitment to never judge something without having attempted it first myself. In the next year there will be many situations that I am sure I will be quick to come to a conclusion and this episode, fittingly occurring on my final day in DC, will help to ground me again in the importance of experience and openness. <br /><br />For those of you who have not tried yoga... I strongly encourage you to try although I would also strongly recommend first trying a beginners class).jimsimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14429537238018076233noreply@blogger.com1