And poof there it goes...is it really over?

…today was my last day at Operation Shanti…what an amazing send off…totally unexpected and full of love…the cards…the hugs…the handwritten message…the innocent “Jo ma’am, you no coming tomorrow?”…”no, Jo ma’am going home tomorrow but I come back next year, ok? (there is no way you are keeping me away!)”…lots of tears but they were mainly mine haha… really?!...Is it time to head home now?...part of me says ‘yes’ it’s time to go home…but a bigger part says ‘stay’…but not because I am sad to leave or because I will miss the kids and the colourful experience I have had…but because I am not done here yet…not even close!!…I feel I am just getting started…and that’s a dangerous feeling my oh my…my senses have been on overdrive and though I am emotionally exhausted today it is ironically a heartwarming feeling…to know that these kids are alive… truly and completely alive…that there is a safe place like Operation Shanti along with those who work there or are involved in some way…like a very few places if you know where to look…and a person like Tracy who has unconditional love and care for these kids…Tracy, if you are reading this, I know this is just a simple thank you but…it’s for letting me hang with the kids…for trusting me with the kids…for letting me make chapattis with Aunty and the kids every Saturday …and for opening my eyes a little wider into the real world…it has been a complete blast!...so…1,000 chapatis later…with 403 thalis in the tummy…with 1 million cows every where…with too many cups of coffee that’s for sure…and 1 amazing experience at Operation Shanti…it may be goodbye Gokulam…but only for now…cos this is really just the beginning…Namaste!...and Merry Xmas everyone!

The Power behind a Mural...

…sorry for the long silence but we have been pretty busy at Operation Shanti…our mural painting exercise started a week ago…there is an animal shed at the shelter which houses 2 dogs and 4 cats…it is / was pretty bare until we were asked to paint it…to get this off the ground took a few pains…3 painful trips to the paint shop till we finally got the paint…pains deciding what designs to put up and who would be the best to draw them…not me of course…my task was just making sure the small kids were kept away from the paint…to cut a long story short…we spent the last week putting up the designs daily before the kids get home from school…a mixture of animals and nature…and over the past weekend the kids have been taking turns to paint in the colours…it seems like a pretty easy task but we really need to look behind the scenes a little…the pains we went through are nothing compared to the excitement and joy the kids get from helping us complete the mural…how they miraculously finish their homework on time…to finishing all their chores…to waiting patiently in line for their turn at painting…the pictures below may not reflect that the kids are Picassos but they sure reflect the passion and energy of each one of them in wanting to help us…there was no fighting…no hair pulling…a bit of paint splashing…everyone working together quietly, patiently, diligently…for one singular moment they are transported away from their real surroundings into a world of colour and imagination…sounds a bit like my favourite show…”The Twilight Zone”...the colours of their animals are bright enough to light up anyone’s world!...YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!!

Visiting Day...

…every last Sunday of the month is visiting day for the mothers / parents of the children…a day they wait for anxiously each month in the hope that they will get a visitor…as I walked in yesterday I saw Swetha and her 2 siblings talking to their mother, Majula…Manjula has a good job in Gokulum working for Ganesh and Anu…a lovely couple who run an internet and small café…Manjula divorced her husband some years back…one of the lucky ones…as I got to the office I noticed Mamata sitting quietly with her head bowed trying to hold back the tears …it was 2 pm and she was still waiting eagerly for a visit from her mother…Arabia was sitting not too far away from Mamata anxiously waiting too…as I get to the main house the other kids are getting ready for lunch…some of them have already had their visit and so they show me the little trinkets that their mother’s have brought for them…little plastic jewelry, some chocolate biscuits, sweet drinks…after lunch we are playing and every so often you will hear a shout…”Shanti…Ama coming!”…Shanti runs to the gate to be greeted and chat for a while with her mother…I sat and watched this going on for the remainder of the time I was there…many thoughts went through my mind…imagine having to wait a whole month till you see your mother or any relative for that matter…mind you not all of them get a visitor…and this was the most heartbreaking for me…only because I began to imagine my time with my parents…and realized though you can’t push back time and spend more time with them now that they are gone…but I really really wished I had spent more time with them when they were here…there are a lot of things I can do now with the remainder of my family whilst I am still on this earth…and it’s not that difficult…we are the lucky ones here and we don’t even know it…we all take our families for granted till they are gone…why?...is it because they are conveniently there…they are family after all why shouldn’t they be there…think about it we are so busy with our schedules that we sometimes dun visit our family except for once a month…and we aren’t even living in a shelter…slip me into the dumbass category please…we have to change the way we run our lives and treat our families…as I take my leave only Arabia is still at the office waiting…a usually bright girl but today the smiles are gone…it’s getting dark and I think she knows that she will not get a visitor today…

Lunchtime...Swamiji style

...Swami is primarily a Hindu honorific title, for either males or females...it is derived from Sanskrit and means "He who knows and is the master of himself", "owner of oneself", or "free from the senses"...It is a title added to one's name to emphasize learning and mastery of yoga, devotion to god, and devotion to the swami's spiritual master (a guru or another swami)...today we had lunch up at Chamundi Hill...at the home of Jamanagiri Swamiji...s simple man who supports Operation Shanti and cares very much for the children...we were invited to have lunch with him when we met him at Operation Shanti yesterday...Swamiji lives in a cave...but it is a special cave...during the day devotees come to see him daily to pay their respects...at night he spends his time in his little room...there is a tv...handphone nearby...small cd player and numerous cds lying around..."I am a tech swami"...."otherwise I will be left behind"...we understand that next year he will be hooked up with wireless...swamiji.com...way to go...but he is a simple man...from the fresh hot idlys his helpers served us at lunch...to the sweet chai after...he has been living on Chamundi Hill for the past 16 years...and you can see why...it is so serene...quiet...peaceful...it felt very spiritual to be in his presence...prime real estate if you ask me...it's a pity we had to leave..but not before bowing and touching his feet...this is the first (and probably the only time) I will ever be blessed by a swamiji that lives in a cave...I will email you next year Swami my man and let you know when I will be back in Mysore for the idyls...Om!!!

Lord Vishnu...Operation Shanti style...

…The peace-loving deity of the Hindu Trinity, Vishnu is the Preserver or Sustainer of life with his steadfast principles of order, righteousness and truth. When these values are under threat, Vishnu emerges out of his transcendence to restore peace and order on earth…we have our own version here at Operation Shanti…who brings colour and life to this world…do you remember him…he tried to direct his herd of cows (actually the bigger boys one day walking home from school) but got chased instead…he stared down a cow not too long ago…and at some point realized that I may have been named after a deity…but I sure ain’t got the same powers nor height…well TODAY Vishnu met his match…wait for it…..ANTS hahaha….the kids were off school today and I was watching them play…in particular I was watching Vishnu…just cos he is fun to watch…he was quiet one minute…playing with a stick…and the next moment I look around and he is wriggling left right and centre…I thought to myself…man this boy is good at the Hokey Pokey…oooh but poor Vishnu was dancing to a different song…he with his ‘magic’ stick must have prodded and upset an ants nest and they wasted no time in attacking…poor boy was looking around for help…I ran up to him and tried to brush the ants off him…I think I succeeded but for the remainder of the hour I was there I would peek a look at Vishnu and he would every so often give a little jump and cringe his face…he has given me new meaning to the phrase ‘ants in my pants’!!! I am sure he will be fine in the days to come…and whether he finds something else to disrupt is yet to be seen…Lord Vishnu…not quite king of the anthill…yet!

Transience

...The weekend at Operation Shanti is always an enjoyable time…I get to spend more time with the kids than I do during the week…free of homework…free of chores…that’s because they have already been done by the time I get there…it is liberating to communicate with them even though I do not know a word of Kannada…ooh wait I do…Wodi Behda!…which means No Beating!...very important to learn this as they like to go around whacking one another…to see that we can make each other laugh…we do not need to do much…just sit and make funny faces at one another will suffice…or me trying to learn to dance from them…it is a brief time with them but one that I hope will go on forever…we forget how much we can achieve in such a short time…and how to just live in the moment…in the present…not thinking or worrying about the past…or the future for that matter…enjoy everything you have now…in the present…it could all be gone in a sec…poof just like that…Billie (meaning white in Kannada) was the little puppy that brought joy to the kids some time ago…she just walked in one day and Tracy adopted her…poor Billie died on Saturday…we are not sure how…but for that brief moment she was loved by all the kids at Operation Shanti…and well spent her last days in the good company…we may not all get that chance…so live for the now…it’s all we really have at the end of the day…and remember Wodi Behda!

Immersed...

Sunday, November 21 2010

…Been here for almost a month now…my senses have truly been awakened…nothing is asleep…never a quiet moment even if you knew where to find it…it hasn’t take me long to get it…India has everything…from their food to the honkers to the garbage to the poverty…everything…even their own version of Coke…called Thums Up! (not a spelling error on my part!)…and the PEOPLE!...everyone seems to converge here for some reason or another…of course we know the Indians live here…1.15 billion…this is their country…but they are so colourful (oops is that a bad pun?)…from Srikanth my trusty auto driver who takes me to Op Shanti very day…tomorrow 2pm ok, Srikanth?...Ok Madam 2pm no problem…2.30pm and he turns up!...to my friendly friend at the corner shop who tops up hand phone credit…I call him Mr. Server Down…cos every single time I try to top up my credit he says his server is down!… to the men casually peeing in the streets!!...our fav food joints…Tina’s café..a family run business where they serve almost the same dishes over and over again haha…The Sixth Main restaurant…mainly our dinner joint where we eat our Chaat Poori…India’s version of Kueh Paity…da best but also where they keep getting the bill wrong…Café Cofee Day…where they serve the best lattes in town…to Operation Shanti…the kids are the ones who are alive here…truly alive…this is going to be one of the biggest lessons of my life…I may have to live here now…ooops be careful what you ask for jobananas…and then there are the tourists we have met…they all seem to be here to try to find themselves…a little like me I guess but I do not think one trip will do it...but what a colourful lot they are too…whom have I met so far…oh yes there is Hannah…she’s from Montana and here in India for the first time…that’s a mighty long flight, Hannah (not her real name but well since she’s from Montana why not Hannah!)…then there is big Joe from the Café Coffee Day place...Latte! Latte!...Dude how about you get up go to the counter and ask the nice waiter nicely!!...then maybe you will get your latte…to the Professor lady who made sense for about 2 minutes and then proceeded to talk about how she changed laws somewhere and that everything was about her…Really??! You did that…OMG…how about changing some laws here to help the needy...I wonder if they are seeing India the same way I am too…I hope so cos if they are not then they may be missing out…yes this is a colourful trip indeed and for the first time in a long time I feel awakened…take the time to enjoy India guys…it has so much to offer!

Singing in the rain...

Tuesday, 16 November 2010


...the rain has returned to Mysore...this global warming is driving me bonkers...as it is the kids....we all walked back in the rain from school today...what an adventure...no umbrellas...no raincoats...lots of puddles...and wonderfully happy singing children...not a worry on their minds...here I am thinking...what if they catch a cold...what if the rain gets harder..."lain lain go avay come again another day"..."bapusi bapusi dancing dancing"...why am I worrying?...it's cos that's what we are accustomed to isn't it...take it easy...learn from the kids...they have so much to teach you and I still have so much to learn!... and there is another installment in the adventures of Vishnu...he was one of the first kids to get out of school and ran ahead of everybody as usual...not more than halfway home this boy came running back in the opposite direction with a terrified look on his face...lo and behold he must have gotten a little too close to a cow along the way who was now staring him down...not sure whether to pass or not he must have thought this moo-moo is bigger than me...uuh uh (and so are all the other kids in case you have not noticed hahah!) and I had better get away....run Vishnu run...faster faster with his scrawny legs!...but he did get home safely as did the rest...and it was playtime inside till the tutors came...rain rain go away please...but the kids are the sunshine so maybe the rain can stay a tad longer...just a tad though...cos the laundry needs to dry hahaha!!

Another day out in Mysore

Monday, 15 November 2010


...Today we went out into the city again...it was my off day from the kids..woohoo...actually I think they need a break from me more than anything...first stop was the grand Mysore Palace...home to the so-called royal family of India called the Wodeyar maharajas before democracy came and wiped everything away...it is truly magnificent to the point of being almost obscene with opulence...it actually looks like any ole palace you would find in Britain...but instead of Caucasian tourists there are throngs of Indian tourists...I keep forgetting how big this country is...in Singapore when there is a big event on you are almost certain that 3/4 of Singapore is at that event...and the malls and food courts will be empty...here it's just people everywhere...and I mean everywhere!!...we were struggling to keep ahead of the red caps...students obviously on a school outing wearing red caps for identification...man I have never been round a big palace so fast in my life...but we managed to get a real sense of royalty...and how the divide between rich and poor must have been even more severe then...no middle-class then that's for sure...only upper class and down class...actually I am wondering if there is a difference even now?...and sad to say I had to 'tip' the guard 10 rupees to keep my camera in my bag and not have to deposit it...ma'am you no taking camera out of bag, ok?...but you tipping me I go buy chai later...poodah!

...then it was time for lunch at Hotel RRR where I get my thali for S$1 and my extra poopadum for S$0.05 heehee...can't do without the padums!!

...And after lunch we had the most strange encounter with the same goondhusamy who followed us the last 2 times we were in the city...he just did not seem to recall us at all...madam where you from...HONGKONG! you poopadumdum!...but that did not work...but I have now figured the trick is to start a conversation with them and ask them all the same questions that they ask you...for some reason that silenced him and we were able to move on...maybe I am the poopadumdum for not trying this earlier...we headed home after that as the city can drain you...people, cows, autos, people...everywhere!!...aaah Incredible India!

Weekend at Operation Shanti

...Saturday is chores day...and everyone gets involved except the small kids (or older peeps like me)...they have lunch and then it's off for a nap haha...but the older girls and boys get busy washing their uniforms...an exercise that should really take half an hour but ended up taking an hour and a half...I am not sure if it was because I was supervising them or is it like this every Saturday...Ma'am no bucket...uuh go steal one from the boys hehe...Ma'am only one sock...uuuh ok maybe it will turn up soon...Ma'am Prema no washing...uuuh ok...Prema washing here NOW!!! Ma'am Ma'am...Ma'am tired...Ma'am go make chappati now you all finish fast fast ok!...we also make chappati on Saturdays as a change from the daily rice...but of course when I get to the kitchen the only thing left for me is rolling the chappati dough into balls...200 balls later I decided I had enough hahaha...but it is refreshing to see the kids behave as normal kids and helping one another...we need more of this in our own homes...

...Sunday was a treat for the kids...they were invited to spend the day at the workplace of an Indian electronics design company as part of their Children's Day...and off we went...I was their chaperone for the day as Tracy had errands to run...this was my first glimpse into community involvement in India...the company's employees had arranged games...the kids danced...we had a sumptuous lunch...and ice-cream as the big treat...there is so much poverty here in India and the divide between the rich and poor so wide...and I hope that in my time here i experience more of this before I leave...it felt the same...did not matter that I was in India...and that these kids and their circumstances are new to me...and that they behave themselves as do the kids I work with in Aceh and East Timor...some orphaned...some abused...some abandoned...some traumatized...BUT they all are children and vulnerable at the end of the day...and I need you to help me help them...so please do what you can for any vulnerable child out there...as an organization that you work for...as an individual...but most importantly as a decent human being on this planet...this is not me preaching...this is me telling you that it only takes one hand to help...Namaste!

The Art of Giving

12 November 2010


...Today was a special day...not because the kids were calm walking hand in hand home from school...or that Vishnu behaved himself...a complete opposite from yesterday...but because they share and they do it so generously...biscuits are given as treats to the kids...Tracy is given them all too often from donors and so she uses them as treats in the lunch boxes or as rewards for good chores done...on most occasions these are gobbled up in an instant...but today Tunmai had a few left in her pocket after school...no wrapper...no lunchbox...just 3 little biscuits in her pocket...as she pulled them out of her pocket she was surrounded by the other kids who wanted a little piece...she did not panic or put them all back in her pocket nor her mouth (which is what I think I would've done haha just kidding)...but instead broke them into little pieces and distributed them as best she could...how about that??...do they teach you that on the streets??...I am not sure...all I know is that this little girl shares and she shares from the heart...and to top things off she reaches in to her pocket one last time and pulls out a small piece of biscuit...she pulls my hand that is holding her...reaches out to me and says...ma'am you you...i reach down to take it but she refuses to give it to me...instead she wants to put it in my mouth herself...I let her...and all I can say is that that was the best biscuit I am ever going to taste EVER!


Please visit http://www.operation-shanti.org/pages/ourkids.html to learn more about these kids...they are truly lovely and lively!

The younger you are the more love you have to give...

11 November 2010


...today was a tough day...walking the kids home from school was the most challenging to date...but what fun it was...first we needed to walk faster faster cos the rain was approaching...of course no one cooperates with you when you need them too...then Vishnu, the smallest but MOST mischievous boy decides to pick up a stick and start hitting people (gently like the men do with the cows)...but of course the other little boys are not cows...and the next minute you know Vishnu is trying to outrun 6 boys who now have sticks of their own...so then I have to chase them with Vinutha and Tunmai hanging on my back...and get them to stop!!!...they did eventually...thank goodness!...and we finally got back...but no more than 5 minutes later pandemonium started again when a little puppy dog appeared and the kids went absolutely nuts with enjoyment...how refreshing to see how much love and attention they gave to it...it had wandered in the morning and Tracy decided that she would keep it...the kids went wild...some forgetting to change and some drinking their milk super fast cos then that meant they could play with the little puppy...tomorrow when I go I shall see how one night at Operation Shanti has fared on the dear little puppy...but I am sure that with all that love from the kids she will do just fine...another lesson I have learnt today...and please Vishnu..madam say no more stick tomorrow please!!

Smartass almost always = Dumbass!

10 November 2010


...So what shall I write about today...the thosai breakfast I had...yummy...the wonderful homecooked food I had for lunch...super!...or the dilly dhally I had for dinner...super!super!...nah...let's talk about people who think they know everything cos they think they have been there and done that...well big deal...if you want to be a smartass in life then you have to get the facts right...or forever hold your farts...oops I mean your facts!...sorry a stranger talking loudly pushed my nerve button today...you can't assume those around you are ignorant because we are not...so let me get to the point...when you want to help someone it must come from the heart...truly deep down inside...not for personal glory or because you can design fantastic posters...as your tone might suggest...and please please make sure that you are helping the right people...not ones that pocket money for their own good but pretend to help...you have to get your facts right...there are so many people out there to help and we can't help them all so thread carefully...and there has to be some continuity to your goodness...one time goodness only helps a child or disadvantaged person one time...think of ways you can help long term...and remember it's not all about the cash (though that does help) but how you can really make some kind of change through your actions or how you try to influence people into action...otherwise shut the f*@k up and finish your lunch...like this ole mama says..!

The Begging Industry in India

9 November 2010


...I watched with amazement at how these little street children beg in the streets...first they sit in a corner about 6 of them...i think they are discussing their modus operandi (is this correct haha) for the day...a big girl seems to be explaining to the little ones...and off they go...

...you feel so sorry for them that they have to resort to this but you feel more anger at the big adult person that must be behind this whole operation (a la Slumdog Millionaire)...I was observing all this from the cafe across the street...afraid to go out cos I know they will be waiting for me...you so want to help but know that this is not the kind of help they need...and the help they REALLY NEED is beyond my control...a lot of the kids at Operation Shanti were begging on the streets before they were brought to the shelter...and all have similiar stories...the adults behind them?...their parent (most only having one)...and these are good kids...really bright and loving...but hardened by their years on the streets...honestly, what does their future look like?...I pray that it will be a lot brighter than the kids I saw this morning...thank you Tracy for Operation Shanti!

Rest day...

8 November 2010


But that means a day to head out and sightsee...so off I went to Sivasamudram first to see the twin waterfalls of Barachukki and Gaganchukki...think chukki means waterfall haha...amazing...this is also the sight of India's first hydro-electric project dating back to 1902...the small little girl happened to be there with her family and her father insisted I take a picture with her...

Then it was off to Somnathpur to visit the ancient Keshave Temple dating back to the 13th century...beautiful architecture...and then there are the colourful characters of Mysore (who needs the sights!)...starting with Mohan who sold me 10 postcards for 100 rupees...madam my name is Mohan you please buy from me...ok Mohan I buy from you....only cos the bigger boy shoved you out of my way...yipeedee for Mohan!

To the same goodhusamy who followed us the last time in Mysore City and tried to do it again today...what country you from, madam...poodah madam say go away...to the young guy on the motorbike the other night..hi hi I have some pot and just looking for fun and company...hahah it must have been really dark...get lost brudder...go sit on the pot instead...aaah Mysore!

Evicted from Poverty

7 November 2010


Today I had an inside glance at what poverty looks like in India...and even then it was not the poor of the poorest (to even imagine what that looks like!)...a small space made to look like a home...where everything takes place...from the cooking...to the changing of clothes...to the sleeping of parents and 2 children...to the abuse that a wife endures from a drunkard husband...to the children who have to witness it...today I met a lady who is desperately wanting to put her children at Operation Shanti as she fears for their safety...as her wishes are being granted what about her own safety...there is nowhere for her to run from her husband...from his beatings...a fate far worse than death here in India...but her children will be safe...imagine safety where your parents are not around to nurture you because they are also being evicted (the irony of even being evicted from poverty!)...where you will be with other children of similar circumstances...that's not how I remember it...it was a tough day today I have to say...and I think my age really showed today when I could not remember the darn words to the Hokey Pokey...but what the hey the kids had a blast and had no frigging idea what I was saying...their laughter...always refreshing...

Hippie Diwali!!

5 and 6 November 2010

Fireworks Galore!...7am BANG! BANG! BANG! Gotta love India!...woke up the past two mornings to fireworks and was lullabied to sleep with the same noise…Cock Brand…the No.1 fireworks in India…how appropriate for such a patriarchal society hahaha…hope they dun blow themselves up…we took some sparklers to the kids and what a ‘blast’ they had…before the fireworks we did some coloring with them…how they all sit quietly sharing their color pencils and being patient…you dun find this in many places…we were also treated to a dance performance by all the kids…carefully choreographed to near perfection and with perfect smiles…then the sparkles began with fervour…it’s almost as though everyone single sparkle had a meaning for them…how organized they were in their own way and ever so careful not to get in the way of one another…for that 15 minutes or so it was as though the whole of Operation Shanti lit up with their smiles and excitement…amazing kids……and all around you in the distance you hear faint other fireworks going off…the whole country in celebration…and let’s not go into the pollution and mess that is left behind in an already dirty and poverty stricken country…cos for 3 days the whole of India is on holiday…someone may come and clean it up…or let’s hope the rain washes it away!

Hippie Diwali!!

63 and counting...

4 November 2010

Gosh is it the 4^th of November already?…how the time flies even in slow India…but is it really that slow…those Oto drivers are crazy and it’s a wonder we have not witnessed an accident yet…today on my way to Operation Shanti I counted the number of cows along the way…63…these sacred animals line the streets like no other…instead of ‘Beware of Dog’ signs there should be ‘Beware of Cow Poop / Dung / Crap / Shit signs…you name it…and trust me they come in all shapes and sizes…I can’t remember but do they use it as cooking fuel here in the slums?...the cow poop I mean…contrary to what I was told…they do not milk the cows in the middle of the streets hahaha…but they do go up and stroke her ever so gently possibly in the hope of some transfer of sacred holiness and blessing…I am too chicken to try and besides I need both my hands to function…I wonder what other wonders I will find in India in the weeks to come…oh and today still only 3 kids sitting still and drinking milk…but Vinutha today seemed a little distressed...not sure why but she was crying alot...sometimes I seem helpless and wonder what is going thru the children's minds...and today was also Vijayalakshmi's birthday...her mother brought her some sweets which she shared...they have so little yet they share so much...lesson for today I am sure...tomorrow is Diwali and we have bought sparklers for them…no firecrackers but these will do…unless I have no intention of coming back to Operation Shanti tomorrow haha…AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY VANNAKAM TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE READING THIS...it's just me sharing a little light for all of us...*smiles*!

2nd day at Operation Shanti

3 November 2010

I survived…I am getting the hang of the kids as they are hanging off me everyday I pick them up from school…trying very hard to keep a straight line or be thwacked across the head by the security guard who leads the way every afternoon…madam eat today?...yes madam eat chapatti and dhal today (like every other day haha)…he is a funny character with his man sari or whatever they call it…but the kids are terrified of him and I am not so sure that is a good thing but…and so we walk back everyday in a hopeful straight line…the kids get milk when they get home from school and today I managed to get 3 (out of 53) to sit still till they finished…I am going for 5 tomorrow…wish me luck!...Diwali is getting closer and I need to find some sparklers for the kids…it seems this is what the kids get to do during this festival of lights…and the adults don’t get to sleep cos of all the noise…hope I do not set a kid on fire…or myself for that matter haha…I am very hopeful…

No running...walking faster faster! NO RUNNING!

Do you know what it is like to chase after a dozen small Indian children who have one thing on their mind after school...and that is to NOT walk in a straight line home...I am very sure it's just like any bunch of children anywhere in the world! Yes they are normal...the only difference is that they welcome you...a complete stranger...with an open heart..and why shouldn't they...they have nothing to lose...have they lost it already or have they never had it in the first place...they are curious about you...and here I am trying to communicate with them not knowing Kannada...the language they speak...a few struggle in simple English and it is so refreshing...they did try to teach me a song...and before I leave I will master this song...and perhaps a dance to go with it!...they are full of 'thank you Jo'...for something so simple as helping them to chage out of their uniforms...to getting their cups off the shelves for them to have their milk...to just simply hanging with them till their tutors come...the older boys and girls are more disciplined and eager to do well in school...they are full of life and beautiful smiles...Jo Jyothi Jo Jyothi!...perhaps it is us that have lost something...you come tomorrow Jo?...yes I come tomorrow but NO RUNNING ok? just walking faster faster! 

Day 1 - Operation Shanti

1 November 2010

Today we spent 2 hours at Operation Shanti helping to clear out the back garden area…a small job but one that allowed me to interact with the older girls…it seems this was not a job for the little kids nor the older boys…hmmm a clear reflection of Indian culture where the girls seem to get all the work done…be it by force or by pure competence…nonetheless the girls were very helpful and a job well done…tomorrow I shall start there officially and help Tracy with the kids when they return from school everyday…and I am looking forward to learning more about the kids…their stories…their dreams…their hopes…I understand there is one child there who is 6 years old and diagnosed with ADHD…I wonder what hope there is for her in this country with her condition…at 6 years she is on the drugs to repress her behaviour…what does her future look like…Prasad the oto driver will get more of an opportunity to earn some income whilst I am here…by ferrying me to and from Operation Shanti everyday…where to madam? Operation Shanti? Ok Ok we go now…and the chickpeas today at lunch were amazing…!

Operation Shanti = Peace…in an Oto Shanti (the only oto in Golkulam that does not blare his horn!)

31 October 2010

Today was my first visit to Operation Shanti to meet with its founder…Tracy…who runs a small shelter for 53 street children in a place 20 minutes from where we are staying…a petite lady of Japanese and American origins…with a very big heart…the place is basic but all you need to do is look at the children to know that there is something extraordinary going on there…a far cry from the life that they have left behind…I had only a glimpse into their past…abandoned by their mothers…mothers who had passed away from alcohol abuse or AIDS…some of the children themselves HIV+ left to fend for themselves…mothers who could no longer protect them from their abusive fathers…or mothers just wanting to keep their children safe and off the streets…sadly this is a picture that you will find across the world if you know where to look…and we can only hope that there are more ‘Tracys’ out there!

(Sorry folks! NO pictures as there is a strict no photography policy at Operation Shanti so I hope to add more colour with my stories!) 

Being pursued...Mysore style

30 October 2010

3^rd day in Mysore and a mighty interesting day indeed…today we ventured into Mysore city itself …a good 20 minute ‘oto’ or motorized rickshaw ride from Gokulum…first it was breakfast at Indra’s Café…a typically indian fare with idly and a plain thosai and lots of Indians…sorry no coffee as the stomach is not ready for it…followed by a walk through Devaraja Market…wonderful colours of the kum kum (the powder used for bindi dots)…smell of the spices…the flower garlands hanging…a stark contrast to the handing chicken and other bloody carcasses just across the lane…no buy meat madam?...no way brudder!...then it was up to Chamundi Hill the highest point in Mysore…there stands the Sri Chamundeswari Temple…it was crowded today possibly with everyone paying their respects including the monkeys before Diwali or the festival of lights…being fair-skinned means you must be a tourist…so get ready to be pursued…by the little barefoot girls shoved in front of you by their mothers to beg for money…to the 3 men who tactfully followed us from the bus station till we ducked into Hotel RRR for our first traditional Thali lunch…it started with one offering simple directions to another casually asking where we were from to the final old man pushing us along in a direction we were headed in anyway…all carefully orchestrated till we felt we were being followed by all three men and not in a nice way…and all for what? Some rupees?...i rather be pursued by begging children and their mothers…their ‘pursuit’ of me stems from a pure need for survival…not intimidation and greed…those brudders better stay away from me from now on…you do not wish to see me lose my temper…and besides I can run pretty fast if I need too!!...the samosas were super duper tasty today!

The Elusive Sim Card

29 October 2010

Today’s journey has brought me all across Gokulam,Mysore…literally from point A to B to C and then back to point B and finally back to A (and I did not even have to go to C!!)…why?...all in search of a local SIM card that has now become elusive…and we have the terrorists to thank for this...gone are the days when your passport alone was proof enough of your existence and one’s licence to travel freely and explore the world…well now we need to produce documents that prove your address and further existence…dumbo me forgot to carry my identify card with me…the only form of identification that has my address on it and I never think to bring it…but hey what about my passport?!...nope sorry madam passport no working…so there you go…just one other example that the way we travel these days is changing every second…it is very frustrating cos all I want is a SIM card to call home..but I guess I should be thankful that the people of Gokulam at least are enforcing the rules…cos I know of other places during my travels that will offer to turn the other way for a few extra bucks…so there you go Gokulam…sorry madam no SIM card today but the chappati was real good!

Namaste

I have finally arrived in incredible India (think commercial)…incessant blaring horns…swiftly moving in and out of traffic…people everywhere…smiles…cows…coconuts…saris…dhal…chapatti…all in one day…unbelievable…exhilarating… welcome rain…India is so alive…I wonder if the people ever sleep…I like the house that we are staying in and the couple are so welcoming…but I can already sense the grand divide between the rich and the poor…mothers with child begging…children with outstretched arms asking for something so basic as water…yes this is India…and though it may be my first time here it is reminiscent of many other places I have visited…Incredible India!

Almost there...

Trying very hard to get used to this blogging business and I am sure it will be a breeze moving forward! The bags are packed and all that's left are the tummy pills which I hope i will not be needing! In case you are wondering where I am headed to in India...it's Mysore...home to the Wodeyar maharajas and their royal heritage yoga...ayurveda...Chamundi Hill...art galleries...and the list goes on(thank goodness for Lonely Planet!).

And I shall be helping out at a small NGO called Operation Shanti. They work with street children and destitute women...thrown out onto to the streets by their abusive husbands or widowed...left to fend for themselves...with barely any means to support themselves exceptr their two palms faced upwards begging..I will volunteer with the group...hoping to be help wherever and however I can.

Please visit their website at http://www.operation-shanti.org/ to learn more about their amazing work.

More updates to follow once I get to India!

Bon Voyage!

Today is packing day...

Today is packing day... and the reality checks have set in... it was almost 10 months ago when I decided to embark on this trip... I am 5 days away from starting this amazing journey to a country I have always dreamed of visiting... it is my journey of discovery... of learning... of giving... and of seeing where this path leads me in my life... aaah but first the packing!