Shillong India and BCC!

Thursday, October 3rd

Today is our 5^th day at Bellefonte Parish in Shillong but it feels like we’ve been here for weeks. When we arrived by jeep with Sister Helen on Saturday night after a 4 hour harrowing drive up the mountains, the sisters made us feel right at home with a big meal and words of welcome. Those who knew me from my visit 3 years previous immediately touched my hair and remarked that it was lovely compared to the near-bald head I sported last time. We were told to rest well and eat lots, wishes we receive day-in and day-out, and tucked in to our new home, the guest cottage beside the convent. Thanks to the grant from Rotary Club International, Rotary Club Spanaway, Rotary Club Shillong and Pam Deacon, the guest cottage for visiting volunteers, guest professors, and friends was completed in 2011. It’s a pretty sweet cottage with 3 guest rooms, a few bathrooms and lots of space. I’d tell you more but I haven’t even walked around the whole thing yet, we’ve been busy!

We slept well and got up with the sun and the roosters about 5am on Sunday. Circus immediately went to the kitchen and helped the house girls prepare breakfast, a daily routine that he loves. I had a long morning yoga and meditation practice and joined the sisters for breakfast at 8am. Sunday is a day of rest and we made ourselves at home, had some computer time, and chatted with Sister Helen, our gracious host, about the projects that we were being asked to help with. My first task was to organize a follow-up paper for a state and nationally sponsored grant that will fund the next stage of Bellefonte Community College. A few things need to be researched and re-worked, like new building plans and a land survey, before we can submit the final paperwork. We’re praying that it will be approved as it would be enough to cover stage 2, including at least 8 more classrooms, teachers’ offices, etc.

And how is BCC coming? I am so happy to report that the first block of the building, which will be 8 classrooms when complete, is under construction.  The 3^rd floor is being finished in the next few weeks, - we hope - and the 4^th floor will be ready to be bricked and poured soon.  A few road blocks have come up, though, which I will explain. First the good news: Circus has met most of the workers and the building contractor and has been named “Project Manager” by Sister Helen. It’s both a comical title, since he can’t speak to most of the workers and doesn’t really know the way things work here, and a fitting title as I’ve seen and heard how his presence does motivate the builders to move faster, work harder, and stay on task. Circus can lift twice what the workers can and works faster and more precisely. We took some photos and video of the building and a few are up with great descriptions on our facebook pages. Everything here is made of brick and concrete with bamboo and iron re-bar. The only tools are shovels, hammers and nails, and a mason trowel. Construction moves slowly as it is all by hand and weather dependent. Plus, it is India, after all, and things move slowly. In an average day there's probably 3-4 hours of actual work on the building.

Shillong is situated way up in the hills of the state of Meghalaya and it’s very rainy with downpours daily since our arrival. Apparently the seasons have been reversed this year. Usually the rains are in the summer months, July and August, and September and October are warm and dry. This year there was little rain in the summer and it is coming now instead. All the building materials, sand, concrete, brick, and long bamboo poles are sitting out in the courtyard, so work is difficult when it rains heavily.

The block that is being constructed now should be finished in 2014. Last time I was here there were 2 classrooms for 50-60 students in the parish basement and a few vocational training and computer classrooms in the old dispensary across the parking lot. Now the dispensary has been demolished, as it is the site of the new BCC and the space that was once 2 classrooms in the parish basement has been squeezed into 6! The computer training room has been moved into the basement, as well, and many more computers were purchased with the Rotary Club grant, although the room is still quite small.  The partitions between the existing 6 “classrooms” are simply standing ply-board partitions and do not block out sound or distraction, but the sister have made it work. There are currently 8 teachers from outside the convent teaching students from primary school to 12^th grade 6 days a week, and 2 sisters who reside at Bellefonte, Sr. Helen and Sr. Celina. The students are preparing for their final subject exams which will take place later this month.  English and Hospitality courses have been suspended until the new building is ready for students next year. Of course, after the walls are poured, classes need to be furnished which will take a bit more funding...

To view a youtube video about BCC that I made for our last fundraising event, click here. 

And now the aforementioned road block: Some local politicians and student unions have been fighting for a month to pass an “ILP” or Inner Line Permit, which some of the other Northeast States have. There is a growing fear among the local Khasi people that outsiders, both Indian nationals and foreign nationals, are encroaching on the land and jobs here. Local tribes in the neighboring state of Tripura have been all but wiped-out in recent years and the Khasi want to prohibit outsiders from taking their land and jobs in the same way. However, there is much criticism about the demand for those permits and the methods of protest, which are hurting the local economy. What they are asking for would be like someone from California having to register as an out-of-state employee to get a job in Oregon, and to not be allowed to stay in the local area but have to commute hundreds of miles a day to work. The protests have included a month of evening road blocks into and out of the city of Shillong, which has greatly deterred both tourists and construction workers who are trying to finish the 4-lane road from the nearest airport and major city in Guwahati, Assam.

Everyone we’ve spoken with here is against both the permits and the protests, saying that the Khasis are not in danger of being kicked off their land as no one sells land to non-Khasis anyway. Jobs are being taken by people from other areas of India because there is very little educated or skilled labor in Meghalaya – hence the need for BCC! – and the work ethic is very poor. The locals near Bellefonte went as far as threatening our laborers – who are from the neighboring state of Assam – that they will kill them if they stayed here. Sister Helen went to the village headman and asked him for local workers who would work as hard as the Assamese men and she received no reply. So the 17 builders who have been working on the construction of BCC for a year have dwindled to 6 who have local papers to work and safe places to stay. *Sigh* At least their spirits have been lifted by the Circus Clown who has come to stay for a few weeks!

And now to catch you up on our activities or “daily programme” as the sisters call it. On Sunday, we went to the nearby boarding school in Mawlai, another district of Shillong and met Sister Maristella who was Mother Superior at Bellefonte last time I was here. She graciously welcomed us to Shillong and said we could come back and play with the students sometime this month. She had no idea that it would be so soon, though…

After our visit with Sister Maristella, Sister Helen needed to stop at a nearby house to talk with some women. They invited us in, gave us tea and local goodies and we ended up staying more than an hour as relatives piled into the house to see the foreigners or “Parang”. There were about 10 kids from 5 years old to 20-something and we played and chatted with them at length. We both are immediately at home with children, Circus playing and me chatting in English and singing songs. We make a good team, and really feel at home with the Khasi people. Of course, they stare and ask questions about us (not to us, that would be too scary!) but once we break the ice it’s pretty comfortable. It’s strange being catered to, though, and our white skin will elicit that response in most countries.

Monday was our first day of work and I wrote the grant follow-up for Sister Helen and researched some new funding possibilities while Circus worked on the building, in the kitchen, fixing benches and anything else asked of him or that he saw needed doing. He is the popular one, here, entertaining everyone with jokes, dancing, singing, clowning, balloon sculptures, and his jovial spirit. I do seem solemn in comparison! From our first day, though, I’ve taken a lot of personal time for twice daily practice and time alone in the chapel to pray, reflect, and find peace.

Tuesday we continued work and Circus met a neighbor who speaks English fluently. She invited us for tea and we visited with her for an hour, trying to explain about BCC and win her over to the work here. A community college is a new concept in India and people don’t understand the huge potential benefits to their community. We’ve found that a big part of our job is networking and marketing the school. I guess you could say we've been deemed - or deemed ourselves - foreign ambassadors of BCC. 

That evening, Sister Helen invited me to come to a satellite evening campus of BCC where they teach both younger and older students who are catching up with schooling. I spontaneously got to chat and play with the younger students (age 12-18) who attend school in the evening because they work during the day. The village is about a 20 minute drive from BCC, too far for any of the students to be able to come to the campus at Bellefonte. The school is called St. Anne’s and they have offered it to Sister Helen to run as a full time school next year as a satellite under the name of BCC. It is an exciting prospect, but needs much consideration by the Salesian Sisters if it is feasible to take over so soon (the school calendar begins in February) or not. I’m hoping so! It needs a bit of upkeep, but is functional as a school for K-8 at least, plus NIOS, state-board exams, vocational training or high school classes.

Wednesday was a national holiday, Mahatma Ghandi’s Birthday, and it was Bellefonte’s Mother Superior’s birthday as well. There were no classes and the novices prepared a celebration for Sister Carmelina, the Mother Superior, with guests from other congregations and a special breakfast with cake and gifts. Circus surprised everyone with his painted clown face and expert balloon blowing. The sisters and locals who had come for morning mass were flabbergasted with his comical performance and very entertained. They laughed and laughed. Good thing they do love to laugh! One sister was visiting from the boarding school in Mawlai and invited us to come visit and perform in the “Fun Day” assembly Thursday morning. We of course obliged and had a great time playing with the 1300+ students. They didn’t really know what to make of Mr. Circus, but they laughed and laughed, too!

Wednesday afternoon Sister Helen had made arrangements for us to visit a nearby hotel called the Lakkhotaa Lodge which is owned by a Khasi woman and her American husband. We went for “tea” – British influenced culture, daily tea and cookies – and ended up staying 3 hours. The woman, Elmie, has lived in Italy, China, America, and India and her husband, Jim, is from Tennessee and spent most of his life in Florida. The hotel – an amazing oasis in Shillong – has been open 4 years and is so posh and immaculate. You forget you’re in India! We chatted awhile about BCC, how to train locals in hospitality and a better work ethic, the protests, the American government shut-down (don’t get me started on that!), and cultural barriers. They invited us to come and stay at the hotel as their guests and we made plans to come back on Sunday and to go together to the Don Bosco Museum which has exhibits about the Northeast states, local tribal culture, and the massive local influence of Christianity. Jim and Sister Helen talked a while about the architecture of the new block of BCC, the importance of earthquake proof structural engineering and steps to making sure the contractor knows the best way to carry out the plans. Jim has generously volunteered to consult on the project as it begins next year.

So 5 days here and we’re doing our best to win the hearts and minds of those we meet. The sisters have invited us to stay a long time, and we’ll see how long we can continue to be of service in the work that needs doing. Our plan was to stay at Bellefonte until Oct 20, then maybe to travel in the northeast states. We might also come back and spend more time here. Right now the “no-plan” is working. 

Photos of BCC 

Going with the Flow

Thursday, September 19

Today we find ourselves in Carpentersville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago staying with Circus’ dad for a few days. Our trip through California flowed so easily, you’d have thought we planned it….which we didn’t at all. Monday morning we re-packed our things on the boat in Eureka and walked about 6 blocks to the local bus stop with Duane and Sandy. A 20 minute bus ride later, we walked about ½ mile to the nearest Hwy on-ramp where we staked a good post for hitchhiking down Hwy 101. Not more than 15 minutes later, a nice guy named Scooby stopped to pick us up and drove us about 100miles south towards the town of Willits, just into Mendocino County. He took us to a little spring and showed us a few great forest and coastal vistas. I hadn’t been on that road since my college roommate and I took a road trip in 2002 and driving through the Redwoods brought back a lot of great memories of that trip. It is really a beautiful drive, if you haven’t done it I highly suggest driving from the Washington coast down through the California coast on the coastal highway.

We had nearly reached the end of our ride when we pulled into a gas station just before a white VW van. The driver got out and looked like a friendly 20-something kid so we asked him if he was headed south and if we could get a ride. He discussed it with his girlfriend, riding shotgun, and sure enough we hopped in the back of the van on a comfy bed and took off for their home in Oakland. Very convenient since we were headed to SFO a few days later and knew people in San Francisco. About 10 minutes down the road, though, I realized that my day pack was missing (the one that has my wallet, passport, computer, etc) and that I left it at the gas station. Will, the driver, graciously turned the van around to retrieve it and Circus called the Chevron to see if it was still there. Sure enough, it was sitting by pump #3 where we had changed vehicles, untouched. We gave heaps of thanks (since Circus’ wallet had already been lost a week before, meaning lots of trouble and very kind friends in Seattle to get a new debit card and ID before we leave the country next week) and soon were back on the road southbound. It’s a calm drive through wine country and into warmer, dryer climate before reaching the big city.

We got into San Francisco around 8pm, just as it got dark, and took the BART under the bridge and into San Francisco where my cousin, Andy kindly picked us up and put us up for 2 nights. After 3 weeks of being on the boat and in little harbor towns, it was fun to have a day in San Francisco, which is a fun city. We had a great day on Tuesday and did take the Adventure Cat, a catamaran, around the bay and under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was so windy (20+ knots consistently) that the America’s Cup race had been called off but we did get to see the boats preparing for the race before it was canceled. The catamaran ride was really fun and great that Circus got to go under the bridge. Andy and I had dinner at a delicious Greek restaurant near his apartment and chatted about travel, relationships, and city living.

Wednesday morning we had our hands full re-evaluating the WAY too heavy packs we had brought from Seattle with considerations for airplane packing and weight. Our travel bags consist of a 70 liter backpack for me, an 80 liter pack for Circus, a day-pack each and a small Camel-Pak. We have so much stuff! More than I’ve ever backpacked with before, by far. Unfortunately, we just don’t know in what situations we will find ourselves in the next year + and want to be prepared. We’d rather take what we have, since we have it, than have to buy something again in the near future. After about 3 hours, we had lessened our load enough to get our big packs under 50lbs (mine just squeaked by), with stuffed carry-on luggage as well. We will have to pare down again, and re-evaluate as we go, hopefully dropping more stuff than we pick up. We’ll try to live by the 1-for-1 philosophy, when you pick up something you have to leave something behind.

Now we are settled at Circus’ dad’s house and will spend time with his family for the next week. This morning the gods showed their might with monsoon rain and thunder crashes just overhead. I was doing my morning practice at the time and was reminded of my last week in Thailand and doing yoga under the massive week-long rain storm that flooded the country. We do have to pull up our last “to-do” lists today, including a trip to REI this morning, calling Air India, booking a hotel for our 19 hour layover in Delhi next Friday, and a few more small tasks. Time to crack open the very heavy Lonely Planet India I’ve been carrying around for the past 3 years again (we’re definitely switching to Kindle/e-book guide books next time!)

Now that we’re here I’m getting excited to get to India next week and be in Shillong for 4 weeks. I’m still being mindful of being present and being in Chicago for the first time is also something I’ve been looking forward to. And trying to let go of expectations and be open to it all. Again and again.

On a totally different note, I had an epiphany the other day. I was explaining my digestive reactions to gluten to Circus’s mom and I realized that the reactions started pretty quickly upon returning to America. I had lived and traveled in Asia for near three years and ate primarily Asian style foods with a healthy dose of daily metabolic enhancers (seaweed, green tea, kimchi). Then I came back to the states and started reacting to gluten within 6 months. I didn’t cut it out of my diet until February of 2012, nearly 10 months after returning, but it was immediately obvious that gluten was the source of my pains. So as I head back to the East I am hoping that my problems all go away! Either that the gluten in Asia is closer to the source, less/differently processed, or that the rest of my diet will create a better digestive environment for yummy things like Indian chapati, Thai roti, naan, parantha, Tibetan bread, su-jae-be, and Korean pa-jan and ho-ddeok.

Eureka! A Palm Tree and Thumbs Up

It's funny...I think to myself when I finally get to a land of internet-accessibility, of which I obviously currently find myself, that I "should" update my blog. Just because I can. From where does this sense of obligation come? From myself and my need to be "known" and "followed"? Perhaps. I believe we all have that need to be seen and known, and I admit that I am no exception. We all want to leave our mark. Another factor is certainly the people I know who are reading and, hopefully, enjoying my weekly updates about life and its inherent wisdom. I often start a visit to Blogger with a check of my viewing stats, which merely is to satisfy my ego and validate my simple existence through words. But it tells me people are reading, or else one person is logging on several times a day...I guess that is as likely as anything.

But to unpack the previous statement: "I 'should' update my blog." I let go of using the word 'should' many years ago. In fact, I believe I wrote an early blog post on that topic specifically. It's funny to feel obligation in the midst of freedom. Today was the first day I really felt the state of liberation that we find ourselves in. We met a very sweet couple yesterday while walking the docks and looking for a new sailboat to take us to San Francisco - story to come - who are rebuilding their sailboat after being caught in a gale a number of miles offshore and having to be towed in by the local Coast Guard. Specifically, I was reveling in the gratitude of being so unencumbered by a specific mode of transport that we own. As nice as it will be to own a sail boat and travel that way, I am grateful that we don't have that responsibility or financial investment now and can leave via plane, train, automobile, or seafaring vessel any time and any place.

So I guess I have finally arrived at feeling at home in my traveling shoes. And it feels comforting. Still being on US soil and waters, I'm not yet in that aforementioned state of getting used to another culture and language, but I'm beginning to get excited about that impending experience. Rebecca, the co-owner of said repair-sailing vessel, was asking me this morning about international travel and how to best approach new cultures. And I thought just a short moment and responded that humility and no expectations are the best approach. You will be humbled, not knowing the language or local customs, and you will be blown away by the kindness and generosity of locals wherever you land. We talked about surrendering to gratitude and accepting a hand from anyone who offers and how you need to lay down your fragile ego to move into that state. This couple has been helped by everyone who passes, including being given a new sail (!!!) by another boat in the marina. Rebecca also asked me to teach her boat yoga (a very specific art) and meditation before we head south tomorrow. And I am reminded that we are duty bound to cross paths with other unencumbered souls open to what the world holds in this particular moment.

So the story with our current travel situation: We arrived in Eureka, California yesterday morning with the early tide after an overnight journey from Brookings, OR. Our first Cali port! The Feral Soul is moving slower than our plane tickets will allow so we are parting ways with our kind hosts and looking for quicker transport to San Francisco. Circus has had a dream to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge for a very long time and so we will manifest that one way or another. Today we decided that we will either bus or hitchhike down the coastal highway tomorrow morning, either to Bodega Bay or San Francisco. If we get to Bodega Bay, we will find another boat to ride under the infamous Golden Gate, which is only 50 miles away. And if San Francisco is our land destination, we will bum around the docks and find a boat for a day sail before our plane to Chicago leaves Wednesday afternoon. We trust that all will be perfect, however it happens.