A note about the title (and future) of the blog

Once upon a time, not very long ago and not very far away, a bright-eyed, big-hearted girl with a sense of humor and a bigger sense of adventure decided to pursue a career in Massage Therapy. (hint: that's me!)

It was one of those magical, crystallizing moments. You know, the kind where after you have them, you're like "well DUH! Why didn't I think of that before! YES!" and you can see a clear path forward in your life. Not a month later, I began classes at New York College of Health Professions, conveniently located a few towns over from my new home with my new wonderful best friend in Huntington, NY. The program was 20 months long and I'd learn Swedish and Asian massage along with Anatomy and Physiology, Myology, Neurology, Ethics and Tai Chi/Qi Gong/Yoga. 

I wouldn't say I loved every minute of classes, but I loved learning more about the body and using my magic hands to make people feel awesome. It's so satisfying to help people, and to see a clear path for myself in the future. 

About a month ago, I finished the program with flying colors, and about two weeks ago, I took the New York State Licensing Board Exam. Nailed it, of course. By the time I get back from India I should have my license and be a full-fledged LMT! 

Which brings me to the blog. I'd like to continue my travels and go to different countries and learn the local/traditional styles of massage. My first stop is, of course, India! Ayurvedic massage originated in Kerala, but I decided to kill two birds with one stone and found a well-respected and reputable Ayurvedic Center in Goa, where I wanted to spend at least a few days on my trip. It may be monsoon season, and it may not be the hippie/psytrance haven that it once was, but it's still a heavenly oasis with eccentric ex-pats, yoga enthusiasts, backpackers, plenty of hippie holdovers and a healthy dose of dancing. I'll be in Goa for about 2 weeks, including 10 days of Ayurvedic Massage courses. There will also be much yoga and exploring to be had. Possibly elephants. 

I'm excited to be able to offer Ayurvedic Massage to my patients. It's a uniquely relaxing and healthy type of massage which uses specialized oils and herbs. 

Next stop on Massagin' Round the World is still up in the air...maybe Bali! Or Thailand! Stay tuned!

Adventures in India Day 4- The Road to Rishikesh

We left for Rishikesh on August 31st. The night before, we inadvertently crashed a birthday party for one of the trustees my mom worked with. We thought we were just going over for dinner, but it turned out his whole extended family was coming over for a birthday dinner, complete with two tasty fruity cakes and a myriad of homemade Indian foods. Also, had my first beers on the trip so far (and last, so far). They weren't Indian, but mmm. So, we got home late, and I still had to pack for our 620am train to Rishikesh. 

Rishikesh is at the foothills of the Himalayas, on the banks of the holy river Ganges (Lovingly referred to as Ma Ganga, or Mother Ganges, by devotees). The town is split in half by the river, with only a small footbridge called the Ram Jhula connecting the two. There are coolies (yes, they call them coolies, which always reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) on the north side of the river waiting to take you and your bags across in carts. I, being the strong, independent westerner I am, always try to insist that I don't need a porter, but my mom decides to take advantage of the carts. 

Something I like to think I've figured out about India: With a population of over 1 Billion people (3 times that of the US in a space 1/3 the size), jobs are even harder to find. So the Indians, resourceful as I've come to find they are, find jobs in every niche possible. Almost everyone making more than the cost of  living has a maid come in daily to clean. Many people have cooks and drivers as well. There are people that come by my mom's apartment every morning to sell fruits, vegetables, milk, and eggs. There are porters at every train station who carry your bags and put you on the correct spot on the platform for a nominal fee. Many small shops that would normally have only one or two workers in the US have 5 or more, waiting to assist you at every turn.  India is just full of people! 

The train system in India is very well maintained and organized, especially compared to a lot of the other infrastructure in the country. For about $10 for both of us, we took a train similar to Amtrak the ~200km from Delhi to Haridwar, where we'd get an auto rickshaw to Rishikesh. The train even served tea and breakfast for free! Of course, there were also cheaper, non-AC cars where it seemed like people were packed in like cattle. 

Morning tea on the train: 

Strange juxtaposition-an "eco park" next to a stream filled with garbage: 

A small tent city along the tracks:

These conical towers were all over the countryside. They were kilns in which red clay was cooked into bricks for use in buildings all around India. I saw these bricks for sale on the side of the road, like just about anything you can find in India! If you look just to the right of the tower, you can see a giant McDonald's sign in the distance:

We arrived in Haridwar after about 5 hours. Rishikesh is about 25km north, so we set out to find a bus or auto to take us. This proved to be a more difficult task than we thought, as we were swarmed by Indian women and children who wanted to take pictures with us and our smiling white faces. (This turned out to be a common occurrence.) Eventually we found an auto to take us the 45 minutes or so to the north side of the bridge in Rishikesh. 

The train station in Haridwar, where people were sleeping and hanging up laundry:

A pretty tree with travellers sleeping below it: 

Shades of Orange-a holy man sleeping on the platform:

Colorful chaos- from the auto in Haridwar:

Indian police talking to a holy man outside of a temple:

Bathing in Ma Ganga in Haridwar:

Shiva guarding the gates to Hardiwar:

Wonderfully colorful temple on the road to Rishikesh:

We passed a protest on the way. As far as I could tell, they were protesting for amnesty for some fellow students. A quick search also pointed me to a series of protests (including hunger strikes) to open a new university in the area. 

Loved the expression of the guy on the motorcycle when he saw me taking pictures:

Another 20 minutes auto ride, a bridge crossing, and a mile walk later we made it to Parmarth Niketen Ashram where we'd spend the next 3 days. Unfortunately, as soon as we got to the office and checked in, my mom started feeling sick and ended up being in bed for the entire time. I spent the next couple days trying to occupy my brain while the homesickness came back with a vengeance, feeling even more lonely than before. Luckily, beautiful scenery, evening ceremonies on the banks of the Ganges, and a conveniently located internet cafe got me through. 

Adventures in India-Delhi Day Three

Day three in Delhi-August 30th. I'm starting to get in the swing of things. I'm lucky in that I rarely, if ever, get jet lag when I travel, so I'm back on my normal sleep schedule. Don't have much to say about today, so enjoy the pictures! 

One of the dogs in my mom's neighborhood that she feeds milk to every day. 

Angel:

We took a bike rickshaw to the local copy shop (here they call them "photostat shops". The bikes in India are mostly all single gear and old-fashioned. I think these guys would benefit from some updated bike technology, but they seem to do fine. 

My mom was the most colorful and calm thing in the photostat place: 

In New Friends Colony, which has apartment complexes as well as a shopping area, a bunch of street kids were running, playing and begging. Some of the street kids run around naked:

Not sure if they're waving or posing or what! 

After we ran some errands, including new glasses for both of us (ridiculously cheap at a total of  $54 for my exam, and a pair of glasses each), we went to get lunch at Nahtu's Sweets. They have dozens and dozens of different types of Indian-style candies and sweets. I had a bite of one and just about went into diabetic shock. For lunch today I opted for a traditional Thali, which is a sort of mixed plate of different foods including a mini dosa, an idli, some soups, coconut chutney, and about 4 other things I couldn't identify, all for about $3. Many shops in india are "veg" (no meat, but has dairy/egg in it) or "pure veg" (vegan). Awesome for me, sucks for most of you! 

My mom at Nathu's: 

We ended up going back a few times. Their butter masala dosa is AMAZING, especially with coconut chutney. mmmmmmmmmmmmm. 

Tomorrow, Rishikesh! 

Adventures in India-Delhi day 2

I awoke on my first full day in India after a long, wild, dream-filled sleep. I am no stranger to waking up in unknown places, having traveled the country thrice over by van and visiting a couple dozen other countries, but it is still always a disappointment to not wake up next to your beloved. At least I had my faithful sidekick, Snowy, to keep me company. (here he is in Ireland: http://www.flickr.com/photos/satemkemet/3620500472/)

As much as I've traveled, I tend to get very homesick in the first couple of days in a new place. So I was admittedly on the verge of tears as I rolled out of bed and went to alert my mom to my awakedness. Luckily, the homesickness only sticks around if I'm not doing much, so after breakfast we headed out of the apartment to go into Delhi, and my angst cleared up. 

As these were my mom's last days in India, she had some business to take care of. We went to Connaught Place, a giant roundabout with shops in the center and on the outside, to go to an Orphanage where my mom had done some Music Therapy programs.

It had rained like crazy the night before and in the morning, so the roads were flooded and traffic was awful. We started in an auto rickshaw like one of these:

It's a cheap and easy way to get around Delhi. You have to haggle with the drivers, especially being white and foreign, as they try to jack up the prices.They do have meters but no one ever uses them. 

The view from my first auto ride, being passed by a bike rickshaw pulling two colorfully dressed women through the puddles:

After an excruciating 20 minutes or so in the same place, we asked the driver to take us to the nearest metro station instead of all the way to Connaught Place. 

The metros in Delhi as well as the trains throughout India are really well organized and maintained. They have  metal detectors and xray machines that you have to go through, and separate lines for men and women to get patted down. Don't let the NYPD get wind of this. 

The metro also has separate cars just for women. The co-ed car was so full that men were spilling out into the women's car, which was relatively empty. 

After 30 minutes or so, we arrived at our stop and took another auto to the orphanage. 

Bal Sahyog houses something like 100 boys. Some of them come from families who can't afford to take care of them, and others don't have any family.  They have classes in the morning and the older boys have vocational training in the afternoon. They have a computer lab as well. My mom did some programs here that involved song writing and musical interludes. They all loved it and welcomed the opportunity. 

Some of the boys from the orphanage that ran up to my mom when they saw her come in:

They also just started a 6 month vocational beauty program for girls. They don't live on site like the boys do, but it offers a wonderful opportunity for hundreds of girls a year throughout Delhi to get an education and training they normally wouldn't have access to:

Some of the younger students who don't have vocational training in the afternoons yet were watching a movie. 

After my mom took care of business and we toured the facility, we went on another short auto ride to Janpath market. It was a large, semi-outdoor market. The shop owners had individual booths to keep their wares in and displayed them inside and out. Haggling was definitely welcomed (and necessary) here. Again, our clearly foreign faces made them increase the prices. Luckily my mom is a pretty skilled haggler, having been born in Egypt and living here for over a year. I got a myriad of amazing tapestries, clothes, statues, and other goodies for everyone back home (and myself of course)

Some hookahs for sale in a shop. I loved the huge one and the one with the glass flowers, but I don't think they would travel well.

A shoe repair man that spotted my mom's broken shoe as she walked past:

The view down the sidewalk of Janpath: 

There were other sections of the market, down side streets and in larger courtyards, where (mostly) women set up on the ground with wares that they brought in daily. 

Poori for sale on the street-I've been instructed not to eat this from these street vendors as my mom got really sick from it one day, but they always organize and display their food so beautifully:

Vendors of all sorts: 

After loading ourselves up with gifts and goodies, we took an auto back home. We went through the government district which also houses museums, the zoo, and India Gate park:

First full day down, one month to go! 

Adventures in India-Delhi Day One

I arrived in Delhi around 230pm after almost 24 hours of travelling. Feeling gross, tired, and a little delirious, the highways of Delhi are not the best sight for sore eyes. I saw (and smelled) piles of garbage, makeshift shanty towns on the divider of the highways, thousands and thousands of people, and traffic that would make even the most hardened New Yorkers cry. If you don't hear constant honking, you're probably not in India. But I was struck by a few things immediately-the colors, especially of the clothes of the women, even in the most impoverished areas, and the abundance of temples. That, and the fact that it's a common occurrence for a herd of cows to walk the wrong way down the highway. As alien as Delhi seemed upon first glance, India would be my home for the next month, and I was excited for it to grow on me.

After a 45 minute taxi ride not unlike Mr Toad's Wild Ride, weaving between auto rickshaws, bike rickshaws, government cars with swords on the front, and giant colorful trucks filled with palm leaves and sleeping workers, we reached my mom's apartment in the neighborhood of Sukhdev Vihar, where we were greeted by my mom's student, Liesbeth, her Nepali friend Rawmess, and a sweet street dog that adopted my mom named Sage. 

Sage watching my mom watch the rain:

Sage sitting in front of the Ganesh shrine: 

My first meal in India, cooked by Lies and Rawmess. Dal, Chapatti, rice, eggplant, peppers, green beans, and potato-delicious and extremely filling. 

Rawmess and my mom's wonderful neighbor, Rainu, performing an Aarti (part of a puja, where you offer light and prayers to your god of choice):

Ganesh, made out of a Coconut, and the candles:

Thus ended my first day in Delhi. I had been awake with only a restless hour or so of sleep on the train since Monday, the day before, when I left my beloved Keajra. I slept a well-deserved and much needed 12 hours and dreamt of the bizarre world we live in.