Taking one for the Team

Alright, so I'm not much of a blogger - in fact I',m out right against it - since it is one of the main factors in the demise of the major I spent $165,000 to claim my degree in.

But for this time, I'll take one for the team.

I am highly impressed with the VIS students. It is not easy to transplant yourself into another country - away from home and all that you thought you knew - let alone in a place that challenges the mind, body and all of the senses in such unprecedented ways. They are holding up their end of the bargain however, I would even go as far as saying they're "trucking right along".

Secmol has opened their door to us, after quite an adventure: rafting the Ganges, becoming novice Buddhists and getting stuck in Delhi for a couple days too long. We made it however, and have kicked off the semester in the right fashion, jumping right in (after a few days to acclimate) and "startin' the learnin'".

Teaching Buddhism to the students has opened my eyes into what is a great group of highly intelligent and introspective beings, that without even any introduction, one can tell these students have all been delving deep into what it means to be a part of this giant globe - perhaps even the much larger and more complex thing we call, the universe.

It's cold in Ladakh, but at least we can see the stars at night and breathe the fresh air that emanates from the bountiful mountains that encompass us.

Orion is just as visible as in my small wood-locked hometown in Maine...something that brings a little home to a land so far away.

De yak po duk.

Jullay,

Nicholas

We're finally here! After a very long five days in Delhi (which half of us spent sick in bed) we were all extremely excited to hear that the snow in Leh had let up and our plane could fly. We took off from Delhi, a city for which most of us have mixed emotions, and landed in absolute paradise! I'll never forget that feeling I got as our rickety little bus bumped around the corner of a mountain and we got our first glimps of SECMOL. Our home for the next three months stood quietly between trhe towering Himalayans, the only building in sight. I was so excited I thought fireworks were going to explode out of my ears. (Good thing that's just a metaphor; setting the hair of my fellow classmates on fire wouldn't have been the most ideal way to begin the semester).

We've only been here a week and already we've learned so much. We're taking English, Science, and Ladakhi studies every day with James and Amy, but our new Ladakhi friends are teaching us as well. The campus is run by the students; if we don't take care of our responsibilities, nobody is going to pick up the slack. We move the solar panels, or the power goes out. We water the plants, or they die. I find a few jobs more exciting than others. Milking the cows is great. We have four, one of which is due to have her calf within the month, I can't wait! I think we all really enjoy cooking, too. Although I can't name any of the food we're eating, it's really good and very fun to make.

My favorite part of the day is probably English Conversation class. All of the Americans and Ladakhis gather together and just talk. The idea is to help the Ladakhis with their English, but the friendships that come out of this time are equally, if not more important. Everyone is so open and excited to meet you. It's the first time I've ever felt so connected to a community in such a short amount of time. Nobody here is a stranger, just a friend that I haven't met yet. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that this is school. Not to say that I don't think I'm learning, it's quite the opposite. My amazement comes from the way people here reguard education. Learning isn't something that is forced upon you. Here is it easy to see more goals than just getting an "A" on that next test. We lose sight of this too often in the states. Education shouldn't be a painstaking obligation; it's an opportunity to shape your own future. The Ladakhis get that.

I'm writing this from Leh. It's a fantastic little city with roads winding up the mountain side. prayer flags hang between buildings and there is a shop for any warm article of clothing we may have forgotten to pack. Monday or Tuesday we have a day off from classes and plan to come back to Leh with some of our new Ladakhi friends. It will be great to know the city a little better, along with our new classmates. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this place is amazing! Although I'm sure we all miss home in one way or another, it's really exciting to be living like this.

-Emery Boudreau

Finally Here

We made it... We are finally in Ladakh. The trip was long and tough, with an extra unexpected week in Delhi, but we are here. This place is absolutely beautiful. Even more than I could have expected. Just walking out of a building and being hit with the sight of those beautiful mountains takes my breath away every time. The past few nights have had the extra perk of the night sky. The clear sky permits limitless stargazing, and I have seen 8 shooting stars in the last 2 nights. The people at SECMOL could not be better. They are welcoming, friendly, and infinitely curious about us and the lives that we lead. They are always willing to play a card game, or a game of chess, or just go for a walk and talk about whatever. I will admit that the food is already a old, but it is good and definitely a healthy alternative to the normal diet at home. The rooms are cozy, and though they are cold, they are directly connected to the greenhouses that warm them up on a sunny day. I was actually amazed when we were playing cards in the greenhouse and I ended up sweating in a tshirt, whereas outside I have to bundle up wherever I go. I am grateful that the walk to the bus station is a couple miles, so that I have the chance to get away from the internet and things. From here, I feel like things can only get better. Tomorrow Mikey and I are planning on taking out the unicycle, and next week we will begin treks. I am finally in a place where I feel comfortable.

~~Pheylan Blue Martin

Mahashrivaratri

Well, we're still in Delhi. But the snows in Leh have stopped (knock on wood) and we have 17 seats on the flight tomorrow, weather permitting. Here's hoping that we get out of Delhi tomorrow! In the meantime, James, Nick, and I have been learning our way around this crazy city, with our ever amazing guide Tashi Angchok, and his skill at speaking Hindi. We've taken the metro several times now and are used to the separate queues for guys and girls, then the aggressive security pat down behind the screens, then the bag x-ray, just to go a few stops. At least you don't have to take your shoes off. We've seen the National Indian History Museum, Dillihut, Pahar Ganj, and the Red Fort, eaten at more Indian restaurants than one can count and even made a trip to McDonalds at the request of the students--McDonalds here serves no beef, a concession they had to make for the Hindu majority here. We've travelled by rickshaw through streets crowded with motorcycles, oxen pulled carts, and children riding horses down major highways. We've watched a wedding procession and now a major holiday celebration from the rooftop of our hotel. We've learned to endure the labrynthine streets, filled with beggars missing limbs, sleeping homeless bodies, street hawkers gesticulating wildly, and the bizarre paparazzi effect that our group has. As we pass, many Indians whip out cell phones to subtely, or often, not so subtly snap a picture. Today at the Red Fort one Indian women came over to our group as we sat listening to a history lecture, sat down next to us, and her husband snapped her picture. As we later sat at a different spot, four small well dressed children ages 2-6 craftily snap our photos with a cellphone, then rush back to their parents picnicing on the grass, who review the pictures, shake their heads, and then send the children back for more! Today is the holiday of Mahashrivaratri, the wedding of Hindu god Shiva; a large stage has gone up overnight, blocking the entire road from traffic, decorated with enormous statues of Hindu gods, scaffolding, enormous vats of oil frying breads, and Hindi music blaring. Delhi never ceases to amaze! Hopefully...hopefully Ladakh will be amazing us very soon...here's hoping the good weather holds.
-Amy

Stuck in Delhi

Hello VIS friends,

We're waiting for clear weather in Leh to allow for a flight to Ladakh. In the meantime we'll be staying at Hotel USA in Paharganj (phone nos: 011-23551455, 23551448). Students remain positive despite the delay, though everyone is excited to settle down at SECMOL soon.

I've posted some photos from the first ten days (students giving presentations on Buddhist concepts at the Songtsen library, rafting near Rishekesh, and our first group breakfast on the roof of Hotel USA). All photos from this and some previous semesters can be seen here.

~James

Pre-Ladakh

Hello everyone,
Everything here has been amazing so far, we are all getting to know each other and already working very well as a group. We all loved being at the Songtsen Library. We spent a lot of time with the monks, we took two classes a day. At the end we did presentations on different parts of Buddhism, in front of our group and a few monks. We went on a hike two days ago to Mussorie. It was very far and difficult, also it was mostly uphill. We all managed to encourage each other and kept going. It was a great accomplishment I'm surprised but very happy that we all did it. I am already learning a lot about myself along this trip and its only been a week. I am learning that I can accomplish things solo, but also as a group. We have a great group and I am looking forward to getting to know these kids even more when we arrive at school. :)

Nicole

A VISpa Student Talks!

Well hello all in those good old United States of America. I am Max Hausslein, one of us students doing the India journey, reporting live from some random internet cafe in New Delhi. CURRENTLY we are stuck in the smoggy city due to foul weather up north towards Leh, but it's not that bad. It just rained, a nice cool down (kind of) from the humid heat, for the first time, although it was for only around 15 minutes. Delhi is and has been in no way the highlight of our pre-Ladakh adventures, however. Although I believe a bit of our adventures have been covered elsewhere in the blog, before we arrived here midday yesterday, we cleansed ourselves in the Ganges on some white water rafts, studied devoutly in a Buddhist library, played volleyball with some monks, and even hiked some very long distance up some very steep hills through some very remote territories, the reward being a very col place and view. All in all, good times.

So as I sit here in this alleyway (which really is quite something) I cross my fingers that we'll get a flight soon to Leh. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the unique sights of birds' nests of electricity wires, the stench of a local "public bathroom" and haggle with some nifty merchants for some nifty gifts. Even if this sounds pessimistic, it's not - it's just all very different from the little green mountain state we call home.

Over and out, Max Hausslein

Songtsen & Mussoorie

Yesterday was a long day, we hiked roughly 13 miles from outside of Dehradun to the mountain village of Mussoorie, at around 6,000 feet. It was a beautiful hike, first following a prayer flag festooned river up, then winding through villages appearing out of the greenery, little children chasing after us, peeking through fences, their giggling giving them away. Mussoorie always seemed just around the next bend, as we climbed on, heading towards the distant dots on the horizon. Finally, we could clearly see white buildings jutting out of the steep hillside, or as Tashi put it, "hanging like a beehive" off the edge of the mountain. Arriving in Mussoorie we had a hasty snack on a balcony overlooking the vast valley we had just climbed, then piled onto a bus for a long windy ride down. The past week was spent outside of Dehradun, at the Songtsen Library and Center for Tibetan studies, learning the Ladakhi/Tibetan alphabet, and doing a short weeklong introduction to Buddism, all taught by the Drikung Kagyu monks of Songtsen. Songtsen is an amazing place to study, beautiful library housing vast scrolls and more modern Buddism books. Students all presented a short presentation on one of three topics: The Wheel of Life, The 8 Fold Path, and the 4 Noble Truths. Keep an eye on the Songtsen Library website, they were eager to post photographs of our group and our presentations on their website.

After an early morning (3am!) start, we caught the train from Dehradun to Delhi, and arrived around 11am this morning in Delhi. Students are checking internet and calling home now, and tomorrow we fly to Ladakh, our home for the rest of the semester. After the crush and crowds of Delhi, we're all looking forward to a little space in Ladakh!
-Amy