What Just Happened?

We’ve finally made it home after almost a month of our travels through India and Nepal, living the life out of a suitcase. Our trip didn’t end without a bang though. After a 15 hour flight, we landed in Chicago O’Hare Airport to learn that all flights to La Crosse were cancelled because of a snow storm. Thankfully, Scott was on the ball and got rental vans and we road tripped back instead. Nonetheless, it’s been a trip full of brand new experiences bringing many ups and downs along the way. But in the end, we’ve walked away changing or helping to improve the lives of others and have also impacted our view of the world and how we live our lives.

I once heard someone say that “a change of place + a change of pace = a change of perspective.” We’ve changed our place by flying half way around the world. We’ve changed our pace, recognizing the meaning of “Nepalese time.” And as result, our perspectives have changed. Traveling for a purpose can bring you to experiences that you would have never imagined you would have and teaches you lessons that couldn’t be learned anywhere else. It’s about recognizing that everything is give and take, and that sometimes looking out for others is more important that seeing everything that there is to see.

Traveling for a purpose encompasses so much. It’s about crawling out of a warm bed to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas. It’s about learning new ways to prevent food poisoning. It’s about adapting to new bathroom arrangements. Purposeful travel is sharing personal stories with strangers who later become great friends. It’s about handling 45 hours of straight travel. It’s having your world rocked by smell alone. We’ve had to process seeing the living conditions of those who literally have nothing but the clothes on their back. Traveling teaches you creative ways to break the language barrier. It teaches how to hail five consecutive taxis to get 20 people to one place safely. It makes you think about how dependent you are on hot water and electricity, and how thankful you are to have those conveniences at your fingertips. It stops you before a sea of lights in the mountains and makes you realize the lights are nothing but sticks and fire flickering. Traveling to make a difference is taking care of one another in sickness, stress, and laughter. Most importantly though, it’s about learning that you just have to give because the reality is that we have way more than we need to live comfortably.

There’s no doubt that this trip to India and Nepal has influenced how we think, act, and feel.  We’ve gained more than we could have ever imagined from this trip–possibly a new  sense of self, a different outlook on where we stand in this world, and have walked away with a whole host of brand new friends.

We all would like to thank all of those who have contributed to this service learning trip. For those who have donated money and supplies to make this possible, know that it has made all the difference in the world. For those who have read our blog, your support has been more than appreciated. For our parents and families who have prepared us and supported us going abroad, we honestly wouldn’t be here without you. To UW-L for allowing this trip to happen. And finally, to those who we were so blessed to work with–Dagmar, Gesa, Kirsten, all of the monks and nuns–you have completed the trip of a lifetime. These two words don’t express how grateful we are, but it’s the best we can do….THANK YOU!

We’re Leaving On A Jet Plane

Our last day in Delhi is almost complete! Most of us are taking last minute showers and attempting to squeeze all those purchases into our suitcases. We will be heading to the airport in about two hours for our flight home. It seems at after today especially, we are all looking forward to getting home to something morefamiliar and definitely looking forward to seeing the ones we love.

Today, we were let loose in the city to have a free day. Dagmar gave us a few good places to hang out or to shop. Some groups were lucky and got exactly where they wanted to go. They got in their last minute shopping, saw some sights, and had a nice relaxing day. Other of us, though, weren’t so lucky. A few groups that went out were completely women, and when you’re a woman and have white skin in this country, respect is alittle hard to come by. It was these groups who didn’t really get anywhere they wanted to go, and spent most of their time and money on Rick shaws. Instead of going to Dilli Haat, we ended up at Delhi Hot. And instead of paying reasonable prices for the rides, we were carted around the city and charge outrageous prices. Although it was frustrating, it was definitely a learning experience!

We all had to meet at K.I.B.I. which is a Buddhist institute in the middle of the city to meet Karmapa. Unfortunately, we were told when we arrived that he would be unable to make it to see us. Darn. We passed the time by telling stories of our day, then Gesa gave us a tour of the place. We got to see the gompa, watch a puja, tour the library, and see Gesa’s room.

Right now, we’re sharing our last Indian meal together at the guest house. Hopefully everything goes smoothly in the airport…and do anything you can to keep the snow away back home!

Words from Holly:

I was reflecting about the  trip while on our 5 hour bus ride today.  I love the experiences I have had here, especially our time at the monasteries and nunneries.  I am so happy that we got to help the monks and nuns that we met.  I hope they realize the significance of what they learned and the medical records they received.  I hope they can spread our good intentions to other monks and ripple to the general public.  We dropped a pebble in an ocean and I hope our ripple can join with others to create a wave of help, health, and happiness.

I would be telling lie though if I said I loved it all.  It’s not possible to enjoy seeing the homeless,the poverty, the hungry, and kids begging for food and money.  In fact it hurts to see these things.  I gave some fruit to begging kids and I was so proud of myself but, how can I be so proud when all I could do was just provide a snack. There is so much that could be done to help people but I feel that we have made a great start and I hope that we can continue making an impact.

Holly

Expert Travelers

Goodevening all! All the excitement from last night’s bazaar hit us early again this morning as we hit the final leg of our tourist activities– the Amber Fort. We jumped on “The Tourist” (which is largely written across the front of our bus…as if the white skin doesn’t give it away) to head to this large fort. We well looking forward to taking elephants to the top of the fort, but weflounder out that it was almost a two hour wait and far too expensive for us. So we jumped into a jeep to the top. Some of us decided that we wanted to have guided tour while others took the opportunity to explore on our own. I was in the half of the group that decided to make up my own stories for the rooms and courtyards, so I can’t give too much insight into the history, but the building was beautiful! There was a whole temple area that was made of gems and mirrors and some eye appealing architecture. We finished the tour at a coffee shop, and once all of us were dwith having a cup of joe, it was time to jump back on the bus for the seven hour excursion back to Delhi.

The bus was another long ride, of course. But like before, we all found our little activity to keep us busy. Since the past few days have been early mornings and busy days, sleep was a popular choice. Too bad the abrupt starting and stopping of the bus had some pefloor falling on the floor. We stopped at a tourist trap type place for lunch and it proved to be quite an experience. A handful of people decided that they were going to get fried rice, bit some presents were quickly found. Scott dug out a bead from his and John excavated a dead fly from his. So much for lunch! Bathrooms on this tour have also been a trick to manage. Many times, there is a bathroom attendant that hands out paper towel which is then supposed to be followed by a tip. Some of us are sure building up a bill there!

We finally made it to the guest house around 6:00. Some of us did some exploring around the area, while others decided to relax here. We just got done eating dinner and have a free night open for our lastbin India! Tomorrow, we have basically a free day to do whatever we want to in Delhi. Also, we are getting the rare opportunity to meet the Karmapa, who is the leader of the Karma Kagyu lineage later on the day. After that, we pack up and head to the airport for our trip back to the state! Many of us are getting more excited about hot showers, comfy beds, and fresh fruits and veggies. We will be leaving the Delhi airport at 1:00 am on January 20 and will get back into La Crosse (hopefully) around 10:00 am. Let’s hope for no fog here and no snow back home!

Well That Was Bazaar

To begin, our hotels that we are staying in on this Golden Triangle Tour are really nice…and really nice hotels means that you have to pay for Internet access. So the point is that this post is gping to be fairly short. Here we go!

After leaving Delhi bright and early, we embarked on a 4 hour adventure to Agra. We arrived early afternoon and put on our tourist mode early making our way to the Agra Fort.  This fort was built over 400 years ago and 75 percent of it is actually still being used by the Indian army.  We got a tour guide to help us make our way through the maze of the fort named Asif. Thankfully, he had a tour guide friend at the Taj Mahal named Ravi. After the Agra Fort, that’s exactly where we headed! The Taj Mahal is a difficult thing to write about. It’s one of those things that is too awesome for works and something that a picture can’t do it justice.  For those who don’t know, the Taj is actually a tomb for a Muslim king’s wife. She told him before she died that she wanted a heaven on earth for her, and alas, the Taj!

Today we pumped back on our tourist bus for a 5 hour trek to Jaipur for another point  of the triangle. We went to the Pink City, which is basically an old village made of salmon colored buildings. We toured a big palace and had some time forshopping. Later this evening, we headed across town for an Indian bazaathe which is basically the equivalent of a countyhair back home. We had dinner there as well complete with floor mats, servers in costume, and live music. After, some of us enjoyed a man powered ferris wheel, palm readings, and camel rides. Some of us even got a taste of what celebrities feel like as we were approached by quite a few people who were amazed by our skin color and height.

Tomorrow we head to another fort and then back to Delhi later at night. Only two more nights in hotels and one on the plane before we’re back in good old La Crosse. See you soon!

Out of Retreat

For those who know something about Buddhism, I’m not talking about THAT retreat…I’m talking about how we have come our of our no Internet retreat! That only means that we have survived our stay in the mountains of Rumtek and also our 25 hours on the train to Delhi.  Right now, we are all checked into our rooms at the Tibetan Guest House in Delhi.  With the big rooms and warm showers, we are feeling like we fell into some kind of paradise!

But to back track a little bit…Our past few days have been spent in Rumtek, doing medical education with the monks and nuns there.  The views in Rumtek were AMAZING! We are all excited to get back home so that we can share them with you.  Dagmar even told us that the snow capped mountains were the border of Tibet.  Everything at the monastery and nunnery went so smoothly, we couldn’t have asked for it go go better.  It was by far our coldest spot that we have been at, but the temperature let up a little during the day when the sun came out.  Andrea proved to be the world’s greatest layer-wearer.  Four layers of pants and eight on the top? Yup, she wins.

After a few days in Rumtek, we woke up super early to leave by 5:45 A.m.  We took a four hour taxi down the curvy mountain to get to the train station for our 25 hour train adventure.  Many of us experienced a little bit of some shock coming back into the reality of it here since our past few days were so calm and peaceful.  As soon as we stepped out of the taxis, we were surrounded with noise, dust, and beggars.  Besides that, we all safely boarded the train and survived the travels.  People watching, playing games, talking, reading, and listening to music were some of the popular options to pass the time on the train.  And trying to decide if we should or shouldn’t eat the train food was another adventure.

Tonight, we are going out to eat with Dagmar, Gesa, and Kiersten at a nice restaurant since this will be our last night together.  Right now, everyone is just taking some time to relax and take a quick shower since that definitely didn’t happen the past two days.  Tomorrow, we start our Golden Triangle Tour–and let me tell you that we have quite the coach bus for this ride!  For this tour, we will be staying at a different hotel every night and are not necessarily guaranteed internet access, so if you don’t hear from us right away, don’t worry about us! We’re still having a blast and making memories

Last Minute Details

Why, hello! Just thought we would send you one last update before we cut ourselves off from modern day technology for a while. Today, after planning for our time at the monasteries in Rumtek, we made our way into town to eat lunch and pick up some supplies for the next monasteries we will be heading to. Kalimpong is a cute little mountain town in the northeast part of India. Compared to Kathmandu, this place is quiet yet has the amenities (like shopping) that any of us could ask for. Some of us went to a little diner/cafe and others went to a Thai restaurant.  After, it was time to hit the streets to pick up some supplies for medical records and medical education. It’s really interesting because to get any medicine here, you can walk into the corner pharmacy to pick it up…even prescription medication. So getting medication was easy, but plastic ziplock bags are hard to come by. After our shopping spree for the monasteries, we headed to a shedra, essentially a  Buddhist university. They generously offered us some evening coffee and sweet treats to satisfy some cravings.  It was the time for the tour, as one of the monks took us around to see the place that they study, sleep, eat, and hangout.  We got to see their gompa, classrooms, and even their very own library! This monastery was unfortunately on holiday as well, some didn’t get to meet all of them. We did, however, make another connection for Karmapa Healthcare Project. Success! We all came back tonight and had a delicious dinner here at Sood’s Garden Retreat–some creamy tomato soup, vegetable curry, and fried dal. Most of us are hanging out, writing in journals, and playing cribbage before we call it another memorable and action packed day in India. Like I mentioned before, this will be our last post for a while since we will be spending four days in Rumtek and one full day on the train, all without Internet connection. Remember the no news is good news for the next few days and we will completely update you when we can connect again! Have a wonderful week

Finally!

We’re alive! Sorry for the delay in the updates, but to be honest, we have been living in luxury for the past ten or so days. Internet, computers, hot water…dream living! I’ll give you a quick run down of what we have been doing for the past three days, and then I’ll let you know what some potential things are coming up for our futures.  On Friday, we hit the road to tour a few different monasteries and nunneries, which helps us to start to build relationships between the western and eastern worlds.  The day was definitely a success! We first took a winding road up a mountain face to a gorgeous nunnery. Unfortunately most of the nuns were on holiday, so there were only about ten left.  We got to tour their gompa, which is a prayer room and then we shared tea and cookies for a questions and answer time.  We learned so much about nun life and also Buddhism in general.  We found out that some women become nuns after being divorced! With the views from that place, it wouldn’t be a bad consideration to become a nun Next stop was to a Buddhist retreat center. Those who practice Buddhism can house to go into retreat, which requires about three years devoted to meditation.  After, these people can become lamas, or teachers.  During this tour, we got to see where the second Budda became enlightened. For those who are curious, it was in a cave (and was also a nice place to warm up). The last place we headed to was Kirtipur nunnery. The nuns here were also on holiday, but we were able to meet the spunky nun named Karma.  She was so eager to how us the nunnery’s incense making factory and left us with a striking quote before we left. Someone commented how they loved her captivating smile to which she responded, “Well, why not be happy?” Saturday was a little but of a free day, where we were able to go out into Kathmandu in small groups to check out the city. In the morning, a group of us headed down the road to an orphanage that Dagmar supports. Kids there are not actually without parents. Most of the time, the family does not have enough money to support their child so the send them to this orphanage. We struck up a game of soccer with the boys and the girls had fun showing their rooms to us.  The orphanage watch dogs also just had puppies, so most of us were feeling some puppy love during that time. Next stop for most of us was the city village of Thamel. This is pretty tourist packed place, with colorful flags all over and great shopping. Many of us made a pit stop for live at a pizzeria for some non-Indian food…to change it up a little. Delicious! We heard that our next stop, Kalimpong, was going to be a cold one, so many of us went out and stocked up on our winter gear–hats, mittens, scarves, and vests. The last part of our day was a trip highlight for sure! Since we didn’t want to say goodbye to our friends at Manang Gompa, we went back for a soccer match at an indoor soccer field in Kathmandu. We walked into what looked like a barn to see a sports oasis. Needless to say, our team got demolished 16-4, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way. They had fun and so did we. After, we all headed back to the monastery to have cake and tea and to say our final goodbyes. But what happened before was what was totally unexpected. One of the little monks broke out into song, singing Justin Bieber. This one small voice created a full blown sing off between us and the monks. They sang a Tibetan song, and we sang an American one. It was incredible to find out how well they know songs and how many words we don’t know. We even had some monks bust out in some break dancing! After, we shared that cake and some tea with them. All of us were also blessed by Kempo Lekshay, who is one of the head people of the monastery. It was such an unforgettable experience!   We all sang one more song, and we’re headed out for the night. I know that we won’t ever forget those amazing people we met there.Yesterday was another travel day as we packed up to leave the BDC for Kalimpong. In case you’re wondering, the total travel time was about 14 hours. We flew from Kathmandu to a little, and I mean LITTLE airport, with a baggage claim that was literally outside under a little thatched roof. Of course, our taxis weren’t there right away to take us on our four hour adventure up the mountain, so we had an outdoor layover. This was around lunchtime and there were no restaurants within walking distance, so we made a lunch out of a bunch of snacks at what was essentially a cabana bar. Yaks were strolling by us as we sat under palm trees. Where the heck are we? About four hours later, our taxis showed up. Once we figured out some glitches, we were on our way. Getting across the Indian border was a piece of cake, and we we’re able to stop on the way to grab a real dinner.  The winding, hairpin turn roads (again) took advantage of some of us, but we are all doing well now! We pulled into Sood’s Garden Retreat around 9:30 pm last night, picked our roommates, and went to bed. This morning, we woke up to what we missed because of the dark last night–breathtaking mountain views! Today we are planning for Rumtek for medical education and medical records. After lunch, we are going to have another exchange with a monastery here for Karmapa Heathcare Project, and then we’re going to explore this little mountain town. For those of you who are following our itinerary, we decided to skip the day in Darjeeling      to have another day in Rumtek for medical actions. This means that we will have four days (after tomorrow) without Internet access. After Rumtek is the dreaded 24 hour train ride across the country, also without Internet. Now that some are freaking out over the lack of communication, just remember that no news is good news! If something is wrong, we will contact you; otherwise, just know that we’re making a difference in people’s lives here and were having priceless experiences here in India! Like I said before, everyone is doing pretty well. We have a few head colds going around, a couple with uneasy stomachs, and everyone with cold toes and finger; but we’re still having the adventure of a lifetime!

Stretched.

Warning: Tonight’s post is going to be a little short, because it’s getting late and tomorrow is going to be another super busy day!  But for today…We really got to experience Nepalese style this morning.  The original plan was to travel around the countryside to different nunneries and monasteries to have a cultural exchange, but when we woke up, we learned that it wasn’t going to happen today.  Why, you ask?  All of the bus drivers in the city went on strike this morning, making getting a bus to transport us an impossible task.  Crazy, right? Time for large group decision making!  Here was the result…

After breakfast, the medical record team and a few others decided to head back to Manang Gompa to finish the last 12 medical records.  Gesa, our doctor, was unable to join today as she came down with the 12- hour demon we’re now calling it. It didn’t take us too long to get started and finish the records, as we enjoyed more time getting to know the monks and drinking the world’s most delicious tea.  Next stop was to the historical oldest village in Kathmandu, Putan.

Like usual, we hailed five consecutive taxis to haul our large group across town (we’re getting good at this).  When we finally arrived after another pothole-filled adventure, we were greeted by a man that Dagmar knew who makes Budda statues.  He offered to take us to his shop to show us his creations and also give us a tour to learn how the statues are built.  Definitely an interesting process! He explained to us that the statues are hallow on the inside and that in order for them to be meditated on, they must be blessed.  Others who decided not to take the tour on statue making headed out into Putan to pick up some lunch.  Walking through the village felt as though we were in Epcot at Disney World, except we were in the real deal!  Historic building, wooden carvings, and big statues surrounded us.  After a whole bunch of exploring and a little more shopping, we were off to hear from a Tibetan doctor.

Ana Bach was the Tibetan doctor who graciously welcomed us into her home which is also her practice to share her views on medicine and healing.  She explained different Buddhist teachings and also gave us a great insight into the lives of the people who we are serving here at the monasteries.  One of the most profound and useful statements that she left with us (as shared by the group) was that we need to treat our patients and the people we see not just as a number, but as a human being—with our hearts.  This lecture proved itself to be useful, but also pulled many of us way outside of our comfort zones with some of the ideas she was sharing about healing.  It’s the experiences like these, though, that are allowing us to grow and to see the world from a different lens.

The day didn’t end there though.  Last stop before the BDC was to receive a blessing from a lama who is one of the most respected in the Buddhist culture.  Are you wondering what the emotion was here?  Well, to state it generally, most of us were confused.  And out of the confusion came nervousness.  Who was this man? What is a Buddhist blessing? What do we have to do?  We were all gathered outside of a tiny room and were given a white scarf.  As we entered the room, the lama was sitting at the front and we were to approach him and bow, handing over the scarf.  He took the scarf and put it around us, tied a ribbon around our necks, and put a black spice in our hands.  The spice is what threw most of us off, given that it was bitter tasting.  We found out later that the spice was meant for healing and to keep us healthy.  We definitely need that here!

We finally headed back to the DBC after a long day. Our stomachs are full and some of us have gone to bed.  But not everyone!  Before you close this in for the night, hear about Joe’s experience with the iPad teaching…!

Hello western world! I felt I needed to hop on here and share with everyone my experiences in the monastery the last couple days. So, of course I’m sure everyone who’s following us already is well aware that we’re here to help with medical records and medical education. I was given the rare opportunity to give a series of “lectures” on anatomy to three of the classes, or levels of schooling. Before leaving the states I equipped my iPad2 with a three dimensional, interactive anatomy app that allows you to explore the inside of the body in a way that, in my opinion, would otherwise be impossible unless dissecting a cadaver. As I entered the classroom, all the students were standing, waiting for me to come in. They greeted me with a traditional salutation to their teachers, and as I took my seat, they waited for me to give them the go-ahead to take their seats as well, an unfamiliar sign of respect we miss in the States. I showed them the muscular system, and the skeletal system, followed by the lungs, heart and brain. I made the lecture very informal, staying open for them to blurt out questions at any time. It was amazing to see the students so excited to learn, and to be genuinely interested and thankful in what I had to show them. At the end, I opened it up to them, and asked them if there was anything else they’d like to take a look at. We explored the knee, and the hands and feet. The iPad2 was passed around amongst the small group and everyone had a chance to spin and rotate all the views. A phenomenal experience and connection I’ll never forget.

Thanks, Joe! So much for a short post, huh?  Have a great Thursday

You must be wondering what other people on this trip are experiencing? Well, you’re in luck! Check out some stories from some other’s on the trip!

From Scott:

Hello family, friends and everyone else that is following our trip.  I just wanted to let everyone know how impressed I am with the students.  I cant imagine a better group of students. They have been working incredibly hard at the monestary and have been doing a great job.  The medical records and education groups have been running super smoothly and we were able to buy eight chairs, a desk, a bed, two side tables and two locking cabinets for the medical supplies with the donations that we recieved for the trip.  It already feels like we have done so much and we are only a third finished with the trip.  

Outside of the medical goals of our trip everyone seems to be having a great time and getting along great as a group.  I will let a few other students add some of the other impressions we have been having so far.  All the best and we will be home in no time.

 

From John: 

Just wanted to say hello to friends and family. This experience has been absolutely amazing.  The first bus ride was a tad overwhelming at first, but the hustle and bustle of the town has turned to beauty. There are monkies everywhere. We have done some great things over the past couple of days. Can’t wait to share stories with you when I get back. 

 

From: Lucas

Taxi rides at night are amazing!!!! The trip thus far has been more than fantastic.  The people here are very welcoming.  Several of us have been playing soccer with the monks the past couple days. Today I went over different ways to warm up and stretch before and after soccer games. The love it. Soccer is such a great way to interact and communicate.  I can’t wait to see more of Nepal. Until next time, namaste!