Big Day for Buddha...

So today, Thursday, was very special in the Buddhist religion: Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment/nirvana, and died all on this date, not the same year, of course, as that would be pretty spectacular. I awoke this morning very early to chanting prayers, drums, and bells, and it has continued all day. I was curious and wanted in some way to participate/witness the goings-on of this momentous day in Buddhism, so after finding out a little more about it from my host family, I asked if I could go to the monastery just down the hill on the next street, which is the one I can hear from my window. (I have since talked with my host family and they provided more insight into all the questions I had, and even though it may sound like I knew exactly what was going on when it was happening, my enlightenment came later after I had talked with my host family and they answered the gazillion questions I had about everything I saw, so you reading this get the benefit of all the knowledge that I now have about Buddhism...all you ever wanted to know and more I'm sure...) They showed me the way to go and after a short walk I stepped inside to find a sort of fellowship area that had dozens of bowls of water with lighted candles in them, and people preparing a meal. I then ducked into the worship room, about 20 feet by 25 feet (small I'm told compared to some monasteries since it's located in the village), after slipping off my shoes and leaving them in the pile by the entrance, and quickly found a seat in the back corner of the room, assuming the cross-legged seated position (commonly referred to as "Indian-style" back home). I had a bench of older women seated to my left along the back wall, who were maintaining a continuous prayer and spinning their prayer wheels in a clockwise direction (as mentioned in a previous entry). There were about a dozen or so monks seated on low benches along the side walls, a group of 3 being the leaders of most of the praying and chanting, as well as operating the drums and the bell, again continuously. I sat next to one man who rolled out his piece of carpet for me to sit on! I was there for about half an hour, and just watched, initially completely out of my comfort zone, my heart beating a mile a minute, I guess because I felt I didn't belong there not believing in the same things as these people did, but I eventually relaxed and was able to take in most of what was happening. Most people were coming in to pay their respects and leaving, most likely on their way to work or other daily tasks, but I was struck at the age range of all those paying homage to their Lord Buddha. From 3 to 93 it seemed, there were whole families coming in together, teenagers coming in on their way to school. Everyone pretty much went through the same routine...entering, then bringing their hands together over their heads and then in front of their faces, which is a significant motion in and of itself I was told, and then performing several "salutations-to-the-sun"-like poses (even the older ones that came limping in with arthritic knees!) to the statue of Buddha located behind the altar, touching their foreheads to the ground, which symbolizes them touching the feet of Buddha, a sign of respect. Parents were helping the little ones do the proper motions, and the kids were following right along, the looks on their faces were matched to their parents' as they observed this serious and important ritual. They would then approach the altar, and some would fill the bowls of water or butter lamps that were burning with water and/or oil they had brought from home in plastic jugs or tea kettles. There are usually 7 bowls of water on every altar to symbolize the 7 steps Buddha took when he was born, a lotus flower growing out of each step he took, and since lotus flowers are usually found on the water, they use the bowls of water. There are also over 100 butter lamps on the altar, which are candles that burn oil...my host family was not sure of the significance of that number, but they said that the light burns away darkness. After this, they would receive a small amount of water in their right palm, poured by the head lama of the monastery, then take a sip and rub the rest over their heads, the women first touching each eyebrow before anointing their heads. Some people had brought white or cream-colored silk cloths to place on the altar, which are known as khada, and are an offering of respect. One older man went around the room handing out 10-Rupee bills to all those seated around the room praying, which was his offering, and I even got one! (which I left for the monastery as I didn't feel right in pocketing it). One woman brought her young son over to the one of the monks, who blessed him by tying a red string loosely around the boy's neck, which I was told had probably been blessed by the head lama of the monastery. I asked my host family if it means more if something is blessed by the Dalai Lama himself, which is supposed to be the reincarnation of Buddha himself, and my host family told me that a prayer is the same if it is said by the Dalai Lama or some common person, it doesn't matter who says it...whatever is prayed over becomes holy, whether it's a piece of string or water. The Dalai Lama is currently in exile in Dharamasala, and the Penchan Lama, "second in command," is under house arrest in Lhasa, Tibet, due to the fact that Tibet being occupied by China (a communist country), Buddhists are not allowed to practice their religion freely. My host family is native to Darjeeling, but is from Tibetan ancestry, so they were very helpful in explaining this bit of history...that Tibet was a prime target for China, chock full of natural resources and being inhabited by a defenseless, simple, religious-minded people. Most women I saw paying their respects were in traditional Tibetan dresses, called bhukus or chubas, only reiterating the presence in this region of so many Tibetan refugees, fleeing religious persecution. In Buddhism, the typical procedure is that when the Dalai Lama dies, Buddha is then reincarnated in a child being born, who then becomes the next Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama, who is number 14 I believe, has proclaimed that with his death, there will be no more reincarnation...whether this is to set up a concealment for the next dalai lama or if this will be a "dark time" for Buddhists around the world, one can only wonder. I had so many questions about this religion and its history as I left the monastery, but I was so glad I witnessed this, a day for Buddhists that has the same significance for Christians as Christmas, Jesus' baptism in the river, and Easter, all rolled into the same day.

Yak Riding in Sikkim...

So this past weekend, a few of the other volunteers and I decided to head to Sikkim, the state just north of West Bengal and Darjeeling. Sikkim is known for it's beautiful mountain landscapes, as well as the best views of the Himalayas, however, it's location has been somewhat controversial due to the fact that when India was controlled by Britain and they took over Sikkim, Tibet (China) never fully recognized that move. As a result, to make Sikkim happy being a part of India, the government has since made it a tax-free state, and poured scores of rupees into roads, schools, and other general development projects to keep the state within its border. Foreigners are strictly monitored though, and we had to get special permits in order to cross the border into Sikkim, which lasts only 15 days and once you leave, you cannot return for 3 months after that, as well as additional permits to travel to certain parts of Sikkim, meaning more stamps in my passport and the loss of more precious space on its pages! Just a lot of red tape, but despite that, had a wonderful time!

The drive there took about 4-5 hours, leaving early Saturday morning and arriving just before lunch into Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. The drive was incredible, more winding and narrow roads as previously described in an earlier blog entry, and pretty much following the Teesta River all the way up, which is known for its white water rafting. The way the roads are laid out, it's one mountain at a time, as tunnels are few and far between. So we could be driving along on the side of one mountain looking down on the valley and the river, descend into that same valley, drive through a town that we had been looking down on from above 10 minutes before, and then head right back upwards again, then an hour later, be looking down on the same spot of the valley and the river, just from the other side of it, and on another mountain! Bridges were also an adventure in and of themselves...one in particular that was most memorable...a suspended bridge that was swaying at least a foot to one side and then the other as cars drove over it, as we sat waiting our turn as only one car was allowed at a time. The river rushing by only 30 feet below us was pretty hard to hear over the squeaking and clanking of the bridge as we drove over it...but I'm alive to tell this story, so we made it!! The fact that we were driving through the foothills of the Himalayas kept hitting me over and over again, and I found myself just awestruck by the beauty and sheer height of everything around me!

Gangtok is a great town...one main street and lots of tourists!! We were among the few of our skin color, and throughout the weekend, found ourselves being the focus of much attention and pictures, some people even asking if they could get their picture WITH us...I don't think I've ever held so many children that I didn't even know in my life before! Pretty amusing to say the least! We hadn't made reservations ahead of time, so the first hour after we arrived was spent looking for vacancies, finally finding 2 rooms at Hotel Golden Pagoda, which had pretty decent views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below, and a western-style toilet to our pleasant surprise! We spent the rest of the day exploring the town, and just an interesting side note...was able to watch the Miss USA pageant on our television that night...was so afraid I would miss that being in India ;) What was pretty neat about Gangtok is that the hustle and bustle of all the traffic during the day is completely absent at night, so we could wander the whole street as we moseyed along the various stores, restaurants, and hotels...it was such a nice small town atmosphere in the evening!

The next day, on Sunday, we started out by going to the Institute of Tibetology, which is a sort of museum dedicated to explaining the main principles of Buddhism and even has a display depicting the birth and enlightenment of Buddha. Most of the depictions are painted tapestries, which were absolutely beautiful. The first stone of the building was actually placed by the Dalai Lama himself! Later that morning, having booked a trip to Lake Chunga (which I've found has several spellings and an even greater number of different pronunciations), we piled in a taxi (jeep) again. The lake sits at 12,400 feet, and is about a 2-2 1/2 hour drive northeast from Gangtok, again more winding and narrow roads. There are lots of waterfalls along the way, some even spilling over the road before plunging into the valley below, and we stopped at one in particular, called Kyongnosla Falls--I couldn't get over how clear blue the water was! But then again, it's coming from the mountains and glaciers higher up, so it's definitely as pure as you can get. We even drove through the clouds at one point, and the temperature difference was amazing the higher up we went! Now, the army has a strong presence here, as the border with Tibet is so close, so pictures were not really allowed and if you did chance it, you had to be really discreet about the whole thing. Foreigners are not even allowed beyond a certain point around the lake, and we could only hike one path, which was closer to the south end of the lake, because of the vicinity to the border. The lake was absolutely gorgeous, and we hiked up to about 12,600 feet to an amazing view of the whole lake and surrounding mountains, being able to see the border very clearly at the north end of the lake (the mountain ridge in the clouds behind me in the picture)! Now, the highlight of the day and basically the whole trip to Sikkim, hence the title of this entry, was getting to ride a yak!! We had the option of taking yaks part-way around the lake to where we started hiking, and needless to say we didn't hesitate!! I climbed aboard Jacko the Yak, the other 3 volunteers I was with doing the same to their respective yaks, and with the yak operators leading us, had a lovely 10-minute meandering ride around the lake!! Yaks are about the size of a bull, with a lot more hair, and I have to say that the smell of a yak is quite...unique, and just seemed to add to the whole experience. The whole yak-riding aspect is quite the operation, as they have saddles and stirrups and even horn warmers, brightly-colored knitted sock-like apparatuses that adorned each of our yaks' horns! Again, this was an experience that I will not soon forget! Did not spot any yetis though, as this is the region known for one of the first sightings of these creatures.

After the 2-hour drive back to Gangtok, we quickly found another jeep taxi and began the 4-5 hour drive to Pelling, a small town on the western side of Sikkim, and known as having the best views of the Himalayas in the entire state. It was late afternoon at this point, and had been pretty cloudy all day, so as it got darker and started raining, the drive became even more adrenaline-filled on the narrow, steep, winding roads! We arrived just fine, a little after 8pm, and our hotel was absolutely lovely...we had called ahead so the staff had been expecting us, and were keeping the kitchen open so we could get some dinner before turning in! Now we had specifically asked for certain rooms based on previous volunteers' recommendations, and when morning came, we were not disappointed. Throwing open the curtains, and then bolting out the door onto the balcony, we were greeted with the bluest skies, the sun beaming down, and the most spectacular view...there in the distance was Kachenchunga, the highest mountain in all of India and the third highest mountain in the world, with 2 other snow-capped peaks flanking it on either side. Now, since this past week has been so cloudy in Darjeeling and while we were in Gangtok, I had not seen any of the high peaks yet, so to say this was absolutely awesome is quite the understatement...I was like a kid on Christmas morning, quite speechless really, just gaping at the beautiful snow-covered Himalayas rising up over the hills in the valley that seemed so close I could have walked to them in no time. Even thinking back on it now as I write this, I have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that I just saw some of the highest mountains in the world over the weekend, and the fact that I'm in Asia, my 7th continent!!

So the rest of Monday, which we had all taken off from our placements for, we spent exploring Pelling. We traipsed up to Sangachoeling Monastery, the oldest in Sikkim, and the highest point in all of Pelling, to see the best view of the town laying far below us and the mountains surrounding us on all sides! The road leading up to the monastery is quite a trek in itself, and I found myself thinking I was on the Great Wall of China looking at the style of the retaining walls that had been built for the winding path up the side of the mountain, which took us about an hour to do. It was quite warm with the sun out, and we were glad to lounge in the shade of the pine trees on the grounds once we reached the monastery and the cool breeze felt so good! The few clouds that were in the sky just seemed to graze the top of the mountain, drifting right by us, given how high we were at that point. After taking off our shoes, we wandered inside the temple, where we saw the most beautiful painted murals, statues, and fabric prayer wheels suspended from the ceiling. I'm learning so much about Buddhism and the main religion of this culture. The monks that we saw there were quite young, and I made a mental note to learn why for future reference. Well, they were just as curious about us as we were about them, and loved having their pictures taken! The hike back down didn't take quite as long, and after checking out, we piled into the taxi again to head back to Darjeeling, stopping at another monastery, Pemayangste, on the way, which has the one of the largest and most well-known wooden sculptures depicting heaven and hell. The 4-5 hour drive back to Darj was again more winding, steep, and narrow roads, knowing we were getting close as the tea plantations became more plentiful. Even though it sounds like we spent most of the time in a jeep/land rover, we got some good hiking in and I felt like we really got to see and explore a lot of Sikkim.

So that was my weekend...close enough to Tibet I could taste it, my first glimpse of the snow-capped Himalayas, and of course, riding a yak!! I have discovered an internet cafe with broadband, so I am able to upload photos for the first time...wahoo!! Enjoy!

Running & Head Wobbling in the "Place of Thunderbolts"

I'm running again!! Went running for the first time here on Wednesday morning, after finally getting a decent night's sleep! I did about 3 km, and it was about 2/3's of the way around the loop I was doing, when I hit an uphill, that I got really winded and had to walk, but I'm blaming it on the hills and the altitude...have no fear, I'll get there!! My route is through a part of town called the Chowrasta, which is a big market, then a loop around Observatory Hill on Bhanu Bhakta Sarani, with probably the best views in Darjeeling (again when it's clear). Others out and about at 6 in the morning (which I've come to realize as being late, since most have been up since 4:30 when the sun rises) were lots of people doing yoga along the route, interestingly enough only men, and a few other runners and a lot more walking, in their track suits no less! Now, being white in India draws enough attention, but a whole new level of gawking is attained by being white and running at the same time! At least I'm not having "Mzungu" shouted at me like in Africa by every other person on the street! Now, the second morning I went running, which was today (Friday), I happened to notice that I was the only one going around the loop in a counterclockwise direction. After I returned to the hostel, I told this observation to the major who runs the hostel and he informed me that the reason I'm the only one going in that direction is because the typical method of prayer and all things traditionally religious in India (prayer wheels, ceremonies, parades, etc.) move in a CLOCKWISE direction! So I felt like a complete maroon and will modify my route accordingly to better align myself with the culture here...come to think of it, maybe that's why there was so much staring occurring, and it will also be easier as it will be more downhill too. So there you have it...I'm continuing to learn as I go.

There are lots of Indian tourists up from the plains now, as it's much cooler here, and the shopkeepers and number of stalls along the streets have increased exponentially as a result. I have to share the interesting difference I've noticed between the native tourists and those from Darjeeling: mainly with regards to the concept of personal space and the above mentioned staring. Those from Darjeeling give you plenty of space and really don't give a second look, whereas it's the exact opposite coming from the plains-dwellers. The rest of India should be fun...this culture absolutely fascinates and intrigues me--I love it!!

Another cultural tidbit unique to this country and a concept I'm trying to become well-versed at...the art of the head wobble. Indians are adept at this gem of non-verbal communication. I will try to explain it as best I can: when a 'yes', 'ok', or 'maybe' or even an 'I completely agree with you' response is appropo, the person will bend their head laterally bringing one ear down slightly towards the ipsilateral shoulder, then bend their head the opposite way, usually repeating this twice or three times in quick fashion. I have gotten so used to this in a week's time that I don't even need a verbal response combined with the head wobble to know what the person's answer is...the head wobble itself is sufficient. Additionally, I have noticed that when I use the head wobble, it immediately assimilates me into the culture a bit more and I reach a new level of belonging, especially coming in handy when bartering...that's how much a part of the conversation it is here.

Now on to my last lesson of the week that I have learned...I was told when I first arrived here that Darjeeling means "Place of Thunderbolts"...in Nepali, I believe. I was curious as to why until the other night when I was laying awake staring at the ceiling (still trying to get over this jet lag). My room suddenly lit up like someone began flickering the lights, so I ran to the window and out over the valley spread before me and just over the far hills was the most terrific electrical storm...lightning bolt after lightning bolt, jumping from cloud to cloud so rapidly it was like someone was setting off fireworks in the clouds!! It was incredible to watch and I sat mesmerized for a good 15 minutes, the whole storm probably lasting about an hour and a half (I know since I was still staring at the ceiling until about 1 AM). It's far enough away that there is absolutely no sound of thunder accompanied with the lightning, so it makes it even more spectacular of a light show! I did get to see about the clearest view yet of those far hills during daylight hours yesterday (Thursday)...about 3 mountain ranges over!! Sometimes it feels like it's so close to clearing, and I've almost gone off the road or run into people trying so hard to catch a glimpse of the Himalayas sitting right there on the horizon instead of watching where I'm going. It will be incredible I'm sure when it does clear enough to see them!

So there we go...my first week in India on my 7th continent...can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!!

# 7!!! I made it!!!

# 7 at last!!! Flights couldn't have been better...went so well and my luggage arrived intact, on time, and not soaked in detergent this time!! Quite a long haul though: 7 hours to London, then a 5-hour layover that I managed to find a "quiet seating area" and slept in Heathrow airport, then a 9 1/2-hour flight to Calcutta, where I had a whole row of 3 seats all to myself...more sleeping while stretched out!! (Don't worry...was moving every hour or so to keep the blood pumping!) After transferring to the domestic airport by foot despite the numerous taxi offers for the 300-meter distance between the two terminals, and then a 6-hour layover in Calcutta airport, it was only a 50-minute flight to Bagdogra, which is located near the town of Siliguri. Calcutta was pretty warm stepping off the plane and walking across the tarmac...about 90 degrees and very humid, and it was just as hot in Bagdogra. The airport was fairly cool as I got there about 5:30 in the morning thus there were not too many people around yet and the fans were going. Interesting side note...they have a separate security screening for women, a special curtained off stand with a female officer, so passengers automatically divide into two lines by sex just to go through the metal detectors. I was met at Bagdogra by my project coordinator, who is a lovely woman and whose husband has very big ties to the tea industry, which around here means about the equivalent of saying someone back home has close ties to the mob, minus the whole illegal aspect...you're that important! Two other volunteers had also just arrived, so we then piled into a Land Rover for a 3-hour drive from the airport to Darjeeling. Plenty of rickshaws, autorickshaws, taxis, and livestock congesting the roads in the city, and the same rules apply to driving here as they do in Africa...there are none. The roads are about the same condition as well. To say there's a temperature difference between "the plains" and "the hills" is the understatement of the century! At 2100 meters, Darjeeling was only about 60 degrees, rainy and misty, as it's perpetually in a cloud at that altitude most days. I'm told that when it clears you can see the Himalayas, but that's only on a good day, and by the sound of it, it doesn't happen very often. The road to Darjeeling is very windy, steep, and narrow...I marvelled at how 2 vehicles were able to pass each other without scraping sides each time there was an oncoming car, and there was minor slowing of both vehicles each time! You get pretty used to the sound of horns as well, both driving in a car and walking, which is another whole story indeed about taking your life in your own hands as you pretty much walk everywhere in town. Those who have heard about the "toy train" in Darjeeling, the tracks run right next to the road most of the time, and even cross it at certain points...it's not everywhere you can say you got stuck in rush hour on a train! The road is also precariously perched for most stretches, as it's literally cut out of the side of the mountains. Sometimes only a small concrete barrier separates the car you're going alarmingly fast around a turn in and the sudden drop off past the very thin or almost non-existent shoulder. Amazingly, I fell asleep during all this, and we stopped briefly halfway up at a restaurant in the town of Kurseong built right into the side of the mountain, which I've come to recognize as the main architectural style of Darjeeling, as most houses and buildings look like they've been cut right out of the hillsides! I had my first taste of Darjeeling tea, which was amazing, and some yummy vegetable dumplings called "mou-mous" with a spicy relish/"chutney", also very good. The old hill station town of Darjeeling is not as touristy as I expected, aka not as many beggars and touts, and it's definitely more contemporary. The signs are all in Sanskrit and/or English, and there is a very strong Nepali and Tibetan influence here as it's so close to the border. The main languages are actually Nepali and English, not Hindi. On another note but still relevant, I've never had jet lag this bad before, as I'm 9 1/2 hours ahead of EST (don't ask me why the extra half...there was a man on the plane to Calcutta that was very informative and tried to explain it to me, saying that there really should be two time zones in India, but they only have one and they average it by adding the 1/2 hour)...the sun rising at 4:30 am and setting at 6 pm doesn't help the jet lag either. This morning I was wide awake at 3:15 am and didn't go back to sleep until 6:30, my alarm going off at 7:20, which I was completely disgusted by!! However, they do say the days are getting longer here as summer and the monsoon season approaches.

I am staying at a ladies' hostel in town (those of you that wish to can say that with the lisp as I have come to ;) There are 3 floors, and I have a room all to myself on the ground floor, which should actually be the basement since it's the floor below street level, but the way the house sits on the mountainside, I have windows and supposedly a great view of the Himalayas (again when it's clear). There is one other volunteer currently staying there as well, but she is leaving next week after being here for almost 3 months. The hostel is run by a retired major and his wife, who are just lovely, and the other residents of the hostel attend one of the universities in Darjeeling. The food has been amazing so far, traditional Indian and 3 squares a day (bag lunch during the week for placement)! The bathroom I share with the other volunteer. Just like Tanzania, it's bucket showers again for me, with a temperamental hot water heater, and the adventure known as the "squat toilet"...which consists of a porcelain lined hole in the floor with two tiles on either side for you to place your feet on...kind of an 'x' marks the spot sort of thing. There is no flush, but a spicket on the wall next to it to run water down after you're done...for those that are planning a trip here...this is known as an "Indian-style toilet." Needless to say, between all the hills I climb every day walking around town and the squat toilet, I'm going to have killer quads and hamstrings by the time I'm finished here!

My placement is at the Hope School of Darjeeling, and I had my second day there today, after orientation yesterday. The "school" is located on the second-floor balcony of a temple in town, some of the balcony is open-air and exposed, so if it's raining or windy, then it's raining and windy in the "classroom." Since this is the only school of it's kind in the area, they simply rent the space. There is no running water, so the water they use has to be carried in and is therefore precious. There are tables and chairs and a mat for those that receive physical therapy, which they have a regular volunteer for. However, the positional aids they use for those with spasticity and scissoring for example, are simply padded seat cushions, and the games and educational materials they have (Legos, puzzles, etc.) have seen better days. They work with what they have though. All the teachers and aids are volunteers and there is about 1 teacher for every 6-7 kids, and although they are excellent with the students, they do not have any special education training or background. I am working with about 30 kids every day, although not the same ones every day, all with some sort of disability, most common being cerebral palsy and the general classification of "mental retardation," but also some with Down's Syndrome, developmental delays, and a few with autism. The youngest is about 3 and the oldest is in his late teens. I've been told that there are actually 300 students, but due to the expense of tuition and distance to get to the school, the majority only come once a week or once a month, and that is usually just for P.T., which the parents seem really into and have good follow-through with home programs. The students are dropped off by parents/family around 10 am, which is when I start, and then are picked up at 2 pm, which is when my day there ends. They also do prayers and a snack lunch at 12:30 every day. Routine is very important here if you couldn't tell. It's only my second day and I'm in love with all the kids, as they each have their own personality and are so warm and responsive to anything you do with them, even if it's just simply coloring. I am also so thankful for the special education system back home...even though it has it's flaws, at least it's a system. Kids are automatically put into it when they're born if they're deemed at risk or demonstrate early delays, and then are moved along as they grow up, receiving early intervention in their homes and then school-based services and everything that goes with that, including IEP's (Individual Education Plans) as they enter pre-school and elementary school. That is just totally unheard of here, and these kids are already counted out as being productive and contributing members of their community, as that is the general opinion of this culture--disabilities are not considered special by any means. If this school was not in existence, these kids' education would also be non-existent. So my occupational therapy background has kicked into high gear of course, and I'm going to focus on a lot of developmental components through craft activities with the younger ones, and then working with the groups they've already started with the older ones, such as augmentive communication and vocational skills groups. Four weeks may not be enough time!! Given that I have some downtime since my placement is finished so early in the day, I'm also planning on spending several hours at a local orphanage for girls run by monks, which I visited for the first time today. They were simply wonderful and just ate up the attention, and I had a blast playing cards with them...even learned a new game they taught me!

So that has been my first few days here...I'm absolutely loving it here and can't believe I'm in India!!

Ireland...

I decided that my entry detailing my week in Ireland with my college friend Beth (see link to her blog: Beth to NOLA) to visit another friend from college and her husband (see link to their blog: Rinehimers In Ireland), aka "When Blogs Collide," would be done in all limericks, in honor of the land that this type of poem came from. The limerick is a 5-line poem, with the rhyming scheme of A-A-B-B-A for those non-English majors out there. Please also refer to the Rinehimers' blog for a quick vocabulary run-down in case of any confusion with the Irish lingo we used below. All limericks were authored by Steph, Beth, Mike and/or Yulo. CAUTION: The following limericks are for (im)mature audiences only and may or may not be true representations of the actual trip content, but rather what rhymed with the previous line :)

There once were two friends from the States,
Who went to Ireland to visit their mates.
They got there just fine,
But their bags fell behind,
So wearing the same dirty clothes were their fates.

There once were two girls who were sent,
To the land of gree and Guinness they were bent.
Their luggage got lost
So they went and got sauced...
Luck of the Irish out the window it went!

Travelling so much and filling up her passport book,
Steph started to get nervous at the space all these stamps took.
So she made a request,
"Please try your best,
To find room on a page that is almost filled up at one look!"

Trying to find a room in Dublin we felt like slouchers,
Having no luck using our vouchers.
"No room at our inn!"
We weren't in like Flynn...
So our third stop we became crouchers.

So those girls from the coast,

Now clean with their luggage to boast:
Book of Kells, Trinity College, Powerscourt waterfall,
Village antiquing they saw it all!
But they soon learned that walking was what they loved most!

Driving on the left,
You must be quite deft,
Traffic up the wazoo,
Overtaking on the right you must do...
Pedestrians and cyclists: look out for our heft!

There's a couple we know,
To Ireland they will soon go.
Here's one piece of advice:
For a marriage to stay nice,
Please walk in Dublin and leave the driving to Joe!
{Dedicated to our friends Tara & Arthur}

If you want to find some mighty troubles,
You may end up seeing doubles,
Going on a self-made scavenger hunt,
Our livers took most of the brunt,
On a pub tour of Dublin, the town of suds and bubbles.

No leprechauns here nor there.
The girls from the States, they looked everywhere.
Til they went to the Cafe of Hard Rock,
On the door they did knock,
Where they found a leprechaun teddy bear!

The girls tried a new way to get lacquered,
Were trying their darndest to find an "O'" on a placard.
Six pubs they had went,
Til they walked over bent.
And came home from their pub tour completely knackered.

The girls now driving through Youghal (pronounced incorrectly as Yugle for this limerick to work),
It was so beautiful they wanted to shout on a bugle.
The sights that they saw
Put them in awe,
Which is mighty for at Waterford they weren't so frugal!

Those same girls are now left to ponder...
"What goes into the making of crystal and Guinness?" they no longer wonder.
How amazing it is,
Behind the scenes of the biz,
In that land known as Eire over yonder.






The girls are in a vacation state,
They don't even remember the date.
The weather's been so nice,
What a lucky roll of the dice.
For tomorrow they can hardly wait!!

Driving the whole southeastern coast,
Those girls now know why "Irish eyes are smiling" is a popular toast.
With fields so green
And the emerald ocean's sheen,
This countryside is more beautiful than most.

So now on the subject of money...
Changing to Euros was not funny.

The dollar's so poor,
It was like watching money fly out the door.

But hey, at least the weather was sunny!

Those girls headed to Blarney with their cameras in tow,
Only to find those around them having hair the color of snow.
Years younger in age,
But at heart on the same page...
A similar future they hoped to one day know.

Upon Blarney the girls now set their sight,
Climbing stairs up and down with all their might.
Dizzying heights up above,
Upside down kissing the stone they did love.
The gift of gab would be theirs from this fortnight!

After Blarney those girls went on their way,
With advice from the hostess at the front desk who did say,
Stay clear of Limerick,
Or else you'll find yourself with a tic,
So girls go around it to have a better day!

Stunned by the beauty all around,
The girls on a road trip covering lots of ground.
Castles here, castles there,
Castles all around and everywhere...
Sheep, cows, and donkeys abound.

The Cliffs of Moher...
A sight that was definitely not a "boher".
The view they did like,
But now it's on to see Yulo and Mike.
Where they will excitedly knock on the "doher".

Driving through the Burren and on winding road,
The beauty of the ocean's shore was a repeating code.
Into Galway they crossed,
And got horribly lost,
The lady's directions at Land Rover helped to lighten the load.

Those same girls from the States,
With anticipation filling their plates,
Now on the right track,
They pulled into the cul-de-sac,
Where they finally met up with their mates!!!!!!!

Male capris were a plenty at the beach.

Fabric to the ankles we needed to teach.

We played Guillotine,
And caused a big scene,

At the end, delicious ice cream we did reach!

The fish and chips at McDonagh's are best!
You won't find better ones at any of the rest!
The chips and cod
Are a true gift from God,
To have eaten it we are truly blessed! [Amen.]

Now seated by the river filled up to their gills,

Counting male capris and noting the lack of windmills,

Catching up on limericks all day
That were lost along the way,

Tanned and refreshed from the beach, forgetting all ills.

They awoke shouting "Top o' the morning!"
"We better get going or miss the ferry!" was the warning.

With clouds in the sky,

Beth and Steph were realizing why,

People from Ireland had layers adorning.

The group headed to the Islands of Aran,

The landscape was certainly not barren.

Many layers they wore,

So they weren't chilled to the core.

And so excited were they, off the ferry they ran!

Pedalling over hill and vale on our bikes,

Their seats kept wobbling and falling except for Mike's.

They changed gears through it all,

Off the spoke the chain did fall.

Look out for the horse and carriage...yikes!

Up the hill to the lighthouse they did trek,

The highest point on the island, it took more than a sec.

They rode to the cliff,
The sea they did whiff.
Viewing the ruins they managed not to wreck.

There were horses and cows all around,

And of course poo scattered all over the ground.

They rode through a pile,

That made them lose their smile.

Whoa! Look out for that mound!

The wind off the ocean was sure whipping!

They had to fight hard to keep from tipping.

It made them desire,

The sheeps' wool they admire,

And from the sweater market they went skipping!

Steph rode ahead about a mile,

Yelling back, "Hey, give me a smile!"

She raised up her hand, which became her camera stand.

Clicking just for fun, exclaiming, "Oh, that was a good one!"

Taking pictures while riding her bike all the while!

The water in Galway they did have to boil,

So over the toilet they wouldn't coil.

Clostro Sporidium was its name,

Diarrhea was its game,

All because the drinking water the sheep's poo did spoil.

Beth & Steph couldn't help feeling old,

Headed to their beds to escape the cold,

When an 8-year-old popped into the room,

With the energy of a sonic boom,

They felt as though they had been told.

On the seventh day, the rains finally came,

But with gorgeous weather before, who could we really blame?

We got wet in the shower,
But that only increased our power!
So driving by car was the name of the game.

Steph's nail polish was thick as asphalt.

Beth & Yulo with Q-tips her fingers they did assault.

At the speed of lightning they did buff,

Sometimes getting quite rough.

With tears in her eyes she screamed halt!

With the elections around the candidates need luck.

Who will become our next taoseich? (Irish for prime minister and pronounced tea shuck)

There's signs on all the posts.

Who will get the most votes?

Weighing all our options we're still mighty stuck.

Steph drove them to the castle

So taking a bus wouldn't be a hassle.

They arrived just in time,

To dine on some honey mead wine.

With their dinner they didn't have to "rassle"!

The wine was a flowin'
& by candlelight we were glowin'

And soon we would be lit

On padded benches we did sit.

With friends that we've been a knowin'!

We dined on salmon and chicken.

The potato leak soup Yulo was a lickin'!

Good to the last drop,

And the entertainment definitely not a flop,

And the fun night kept on a tickin'!

Sighing they cleaned their plates,

Those girls from the States and their mates.
With smiles all around,
The lords and ladies full bellies they had found.
They giggled as they exited through the castle iron gates.

We had such great craic while ya'll were here,

From beaches to castles to beer.

We had the best time,

Counting male capris and making things rhyme,

We won't ever forget this visit or you, don't you fear! {by Mike & Yulo}

With heavy hearts and teary eyes, the group farewell they did bade.

Steph and Beth drove away as Galway in the distance did fade.

Laughing, Nutsy, hanging out,

Guillotine, Aran, drinking stout...

Nothing compares to the memories we made! {by Steph & Beth}

Welcome Home To Me!!!

I know this is a lot late in getting posted, but...I'm home!! I arrived home on Sunday April 22nd, 10 minutes earlier than expected! The flights went beautifully...I guess in complement to the exact opposite of what I experienced flying into Africa! So my last hours in Tanzania went a little something like this:

Saying lots of goodbyes at the home base, packing up all my stuff, noticing that my bag was heavier than when I came, then realizing I'm trying to cram 13 weeks into one duffel bag! The drive to the airport it rained briefly, and I was unable to see Kili for one last time...oh well, I'll just have to come back :) Checking in, I was reminded once again how amazing the people are here...my bag was way over the weight limit, (32KG), and after about 2 minutes the supervisor said to me, "That's ok, sometimes we just get a feeling about some people" and waived the 50 USD charge! And they allowed me 2 pieces of carry-on instead of the limit of 1! Walking across the tarmac to the plane, I had felt so sure I was ready up until this point, but then realizing I wasn't...I hate to leave this place that has forever earned a special place in my heart. I am slowly realizing how confusing the next few days are going to be as I have to consciously think which language to speak in before saying even a simple "thank you" when the flight attendant handed me a glass of juice (that's not fresh-squeezed or mango mind you), or greeting the person I was seated next to on the plane...reverse culture shock is already setting in. There are things that I'm very sure of though and that are making it easier to come home. Picturing the reunions that will happen later in the day and thinking I've never looked forward to something this much before, and spending my 3-hour layover just reflecting on the past 3 months, trying to wrap my mind around the things I have been a part of for the last 13 weeks is pretty overwhelming, and I will have to keep reminding myself of the bigger picture when I get home--I hope I never let go of the beauty in simplicity and genuineness that is Africa...it has been a truly humbling experience.
One last reminding glow of Africa that gave me a warm fuzzy on the flight was a group of Maasai women (in Western clothes) seated across the aisle and ahead of me. I knew it as soon as I heard them speaking. I remained quiet until I noticed them looking at my jewelry and I started smiling and exchanged a brief greeting in Maa with them...we all started giggling after they got over their shock! It was so wonderful to hear that language again, the sound is so beautiful to me, and I hope I will always be able to identify it...I could even tell when they switched to Swahili! Seeing a beautiful sunrise over Europe, and then journaling once I landed in Amsterdam, and writing down the date, April 22nd, I didn't quite realize it until that moment, but I thought, I arrive home today!! Being picked up at the airport by the man who has become my compass, and then arriving to almost 80 people at my house to welcome me home...that day was probably one of the best of my life! It was just so amazing to feel the love and support so close that I knew was there and kept me going for the past 13 weeks!

The rest of the week that I was home flew by, and I definitely didn't get done near the number of things on my to-do list that I should have, but the quality time spent with loved ones was just right. Some other highlights: being treated to a manicure, pedicure and a haircut (that girl's probably going to need a vacation after working on me!), seeing the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute, and of course dinner at Panera's (although I was careful to avoid the rich stuff given the number that icee mocha did on my stomach the day I arrived home!). A trip to the doctor was also high on the to-do list, and everything looks pretty good as far as the blood clot is concerned. As I write this, I know I'm jumping ahead in the order of things but I just had a repeat doppler ultrasound done on my leg (May 10th) and there's no sign of a clot or residual scarring!! Big relief...God is good!! Looks like I'll be on blood thinners though until after India, given that it's such a long plane ride.

OK, so I was home for a week, then I headed to Ireland to spend some time with college friends!! Stay tuned for an entry on that trip, complete with pictures!! I am now home again for a week and a half and then I leave next Friday, May 18th for India!!!!! Can't remember if I'd put this in an earlier entry, but my volunteer placement is at the Darjeeling Hope School for mentally challenged kiddos, so I'm really looking forward to that.

And, drumroll please...I finally have pictures from Africa!!!! After some problems with the flash drive that I had stored all of my photos on, I was able to get about 1/3 of them recovered and you can see them on a separate site that I've posted links to on the side...enjoy!!