"Same Same But Different"

THAT, is a key phrase in Thailand (and Cambodia)...whenever walking around literally any street, you're bound to find a market of sorts. And there, you will be able to purchase almost any knockoff good or material you can imagine. When asking the seller if the item is real or not, they always reply "same same but different" bahahha l LOVE IT! Its sooooo hard not to buy everything I see...most things are ridiculously cheap.

Although I am currently in Cambodia (which is the bomb btw), Thailand was also fantastic. You the reader, must promise me that at some point in your life, you'll go to Thailand/Cambodia/all of southeast Asia, its unlike any other place in the world. The people are so unbelievably friendly and are willing to do whatever it is you need. When they ask how you are doing, they mean it; they're not asking just to get you to buy something. And as beautiful as the people are, the landscape is even more beautiful!

Bangkok itself is quite busy, a very metropolitan area, but in a Thai style. Its not really too comparable to say Chicago or NYC, but it is technically a city. Interwoven with skyscrapers you'll find ancient relics and temples of a time long long ago. Buddah is everywhere. While wandering around the city by myself for hours on the first day I accidentally walked into a monestary, whoops. But the monks were totally cool. Most of them in the Bangkok area have given up speaking, but they were still able to help me out. And the food.....IS AMAZING. No Thai! aint got nothing on this! Fresh fresh fresh ingredients that are super cheap! One of the days I got pad thai (0f course) for about 50 cents....50 cents! No Thai! just seems too expensive now haha.

One more thing about Thailand....everyone I've met seems to instantly give respect. Its as if the air here is of a calming and respectful wave, seducing everyone in its' path. I am coming back. There's no doubting it, I want to and I will...and so should you.

• Reflecting back to my earlier posts, it was only until yesterday that I realized my post about the symphonic melody of India's traffic patterns, was in itself, withholding. How could I write two sequential posts that contradict each other so much? Walking through Chandri Chowk I thought (out of nowhere), "wait, if drivers rely on honking for driving, then how would the Deaf drive?" The shame and humiliation I felt at the moment was strong. I talk so much about fighting for the Deaf, my Deaf pride, and how we all need equal rights; yet the Deaf community did not instantly affect my thoughts concerning driving in India. I wonder why that is...perhaps its being removed from the community? I don't know, but I don't like it. For crying out loud, the drivers take off their side mirrors here because of all the sly shifting and weaving in and out of traffic that they do. How on earth would a Deaf or hard of hearing person be able to transport themselves? I mean, of course its possible, and I'm sure some do, but its probably one of the least safe things they could do. So as I rave about the sounds and magical behavior of India's traffic, I ask myself, would it be worth it to give that up so that everyone had the equal opportunity to drive? Hell yes. But, its a part of their culture, their way of life...something I'm very keen on preserving for any and all cultures. And to input actual traffic regulations here would be damn near impossible, do-able, but pretty damn difficult.

Buddah Buddah Buddah

At a younger age (basically anytime in my life before these last two weeks), I always thought of Buddhism as some silly joke, a thing only Asians did (ahh childhood ignorance), that it wasn't really a religion but rather this strange way of life. Buddhists were always novelties in movies, usually portrayed as dutiful monks who sometimes turned into karate crime fighting machines. But could you really blame me? Who was I to know that what was portrayed on the TV and in Hollywood wasn't actually true? That, was not one of one of the many rules our elementary school teachers taught us. Or if they did, its pretty much guaranteed that I was NOT paying attention.

As I've said before many times, ignorance is not bliss, it is unnecessary and unfortunate. How quickly I've learned that Buddhism is not what I once thought it was. Rather, it is a vast collection of knowledge, spirituality and humility, a land left uncharted for this writer. While in Delhi I had the privilege of visiting Akshardham, a Hindu temple located in a desert-type location on the outskirts of the city. Although it was a Hindu temple, a fraction of the writings surrounding the temple were of Buddah and some of his mantras. Whilst reading an inscription on the wall, "the world has plenty for every man's needs, but nothing for his greed," I got goosebumps. As I continued to read the other inscriptions, the goosebumps intensified, and I just got this feeling that I can't really describe. I hate to sound so cliche, but its true. It was at that moment that I knew that Buddhism or at least some humble form of spirituality, might be the path for me. Not to mention I am SO doing yoga at school when I get back, I don't care how trendy it makes me look.

Throughout my trip I've been having smaller moments of profound thought, spiritual in a sense. We'll see where this journey takes me, but I have a feeling I'm headed in a positive direction.

So far I've been struggling internally with the rampant poverty and my inability to help. Not to mention the confusion of where to begin. India is such a beautiful country, rich with variant culture, colors, lifestyles, religions, and of course, food. The people here are something else, it as if western life has affected them, but only in the slightest. Materialistic trends run profusely in the middle to upper classes, while the entire caste system still has a genuine familial groove.

CODA, its whats for breakfast

As many people may know, I am extremely proud to be a CODA (child of deaf adults). It has made who I am today and the person I will continue to grow into. Living partially in the Deaf world has afforded me many life opportunities and experiences not many people are fortunate enough to have. Today, being a CODA and fluent in sign language saved my life...well, not exactly that dramatic, that was just fun to say.

Originally the owner of my hostel was supposed to arrange a ride for me from the airport to the hostel, which didnt exactly work out. After being instructed to take a police taxi, which does not mean a police car, but rather a toy car that's on its last life. And considering I only know 5 words in Hindi and most of them are swear words, communicating with a driver that didn't speak English was going to be a bit tricky. Once I was at the metro station the owner promised to come pick me up...so I waited....and waited...oh, and waited some more....no show. Just as this creepy old man was giving me the eye while moving towards me blowing a balloon, I saw two men speaking sign language!

BINGO BANGO! They were speaking Indian sign language, but by the grace of Buddha, we were able to communicate. I got access to a phone and a ride to the hostel. See kids, moral of the story, either get Deaf parents or learn sign language...or both! It might just save your life.

Music to My Ears

Prior to leaving, many had told me that the traffic and roadways in India, is for lack of a better word, nuts. "Dont look at the road!" "Its crazy mad!" "The drivers are nuts!"-people said. And upon my first arrival to the city of Calcutta, I might've believed them. However, after a few short days I have come to realize that what others call madness is really quite beautiful. The roads here are like a symphony, a well constructed melancholy of sounds that provide an atmosphere full of suspense. Here, instead of following the "rules" of the road, the people drive or bike or pull others with their own rules and rythym. In fact, the street signs and speed limits mean almost nothing. There are no lanes, no incessant traffic cops or anyone or thing trying to control the traffic. Although seemingly dangerous, such tools of control are not necessary. I would be slightly saddened if the traffic were to change. People (mostly men) use their horns as a way to communicate. The drivers have dialogue with horns, hey sir move over, you there I'm on the left, turn!, get out of the way pedestrians, and so forth. It really is quite amazing how it works here. Once a person learns these things, they can become a skilled driver in Calcutta. Mirrors become unnecessary, thats what honks and beeps are for; even people on bicycles and rickshaws follow the communication between the cars and motorbikes. And not once did I see or hear of any road accidents. Thank you Calcutta for showing me a new art form, something beautiful and unique to the rest of the world.

Today we saw one of Calcutta's greatest monuments, the Queen Victoria Memorial. It was built in Brittish times to welcome the queen and to offer her a place to stay while visiting. The thing is HUGE. If someone built that for me upon visiting, I would never leave. That or I would visit every country to have such a monument in my name all over the world...jokes! It truly is a sight to see. Yet, what might have been more entertaining was the attention I myself was getting. I'm not use to any attention, and while I was expecting it, it was a bit shocking to deal with at first. Without even entering the grounds I was already a spectacle. The starring I expected, but the videotaping and photography I did not. I couldnt walk more than 10 feet without being photographed. Now, I really I have no problems with it, its actually quite funny. I have complex feelings about the adoration of white skin. I know that its something I will face everywhere I go here, but it still makes me uneasy. We are all human beings, regardless of what color we are, what religion we practice or who we love, let us not forget that. Human beings whom deserve a set of basic rights, despite any so-called difference one may point out.

Peace

Who Knew There Was A Such Thing As Nor'Westerners?

I continue to be almost shocked by what I see in the streets. Today as we were driving to the Mother Teresa center, my eyes were opened even more. I saw men and little boys bathing in the streets either via a broken water pipe or a water access center that had been opened for such a purpose. The poor of India literally live in the streets. Everyone I saw in the streets of Calcutta was literally skin and bones, just starving. When we were walking through New Market there were beggars everywhere of all ages and gender, no matter what. The little kids hurt my heart the most. I just wanted to help them all, but I couldn't. How are we to solve this problem? Where does someone begin with this? I just have no idea...perhaps it comes with cleaning up the trash first. Then at least the people living in the streets would have a cleaner environment to live in.

I love this heat. My friend can't quite understand why haha, but I do. It just feels good, even with the humidity and everything. Perhaps its due to living in Michigan with its not-so-hot weather that makes me appreciate any chance of sunshine and warmth. We attempted to go to the Mother Teresa Center (it has a name I cannot remember) but it was closed :( but we still got to talk to some little girls on the street and give them candy. Saw more rickshaws today...still blows me away that I'm sitting in an air conditioned car while someone else is pulling two other people in the sweltering heat. But its not as if my friend and I were the only ones in cars, many, many others were, they're just used to the contrast.

Went to an outdoor/indoor market called New Market. They were selling almost everything; fruits, flowers, clothes, shoes, food, tobacco, silver and gold, fabrics, handicrafts galore and anything one could think of buying. I just love walking around markets like that. It kind of reminded me of Europe in places like Florence. In these places a person can gain a full taste or experience of what an area has to offer. All walks of life go to the markets, high caste, low caste, men and women, children, everyone. Once we got to the indoor section of the market the first thing I noticed was the smell, kinda like old urine, but it wasn't really that bad, you get used to it after like five minutes. Not a big deal. Once we were inside, there was just a bombardment of shops...fabrics, jewelry, clothes, sweet shops, all in one space. There was this guy that kept following us around telling us where to go, even after tipping him he wouldn't leave.

It was at New Market where I finally got a taste of the infamous roll. We both had chicken rolls...a roll is a sandwich type deal that is a typical street food of Calcutta. It is composed of a fried naan called p-something, which is wrapped around chicken, fried onions, raw onions and smothered in spices aka delicious. Although what I have noticed already is that all of the food is piping HOT. Everyone says you're not supposed to eat street food, but I don't think I'm really going to listen to that mantra. In fact, I'm going to follow Anthony Bourdain's style and eat EVERYTHING I can get my hands on. The most important aspect of learning about a new area and its people is through the food served locally. A area's food can give a person a real sneak peak into the area's lifestyle and culture.

Calcutta (at least) is a melting pot of religion. I have seen just as many Hindi temples as Muslim mosques as catholic churches everywhere. As I sit in a Hindi household worshiping the God Ganesh, I can hear prayers being shout out via the mosque close-by. I feel as if my ignorance has made this discovery such a surprise. I think the strong presence of Christianity here is what caught me off guard the most, I guess I just wasn't expecting such a thing. I really like the diversity of religions in this area. It may seem small and you the reader may doubt such diversity, but I can assure you there is more religious diversity and acceptance here than in my own town. Where are the Jewish temples and synagogues or the Muslim mosques in Crystal Lake? Granted there is tolerance for practicing other religions besides Hindi here, but, there is still a small although growing tolerance for mixed marriage. That, I believe, will come with time, as well as the acceptance for other deviant behaviors.

Per normal Calcutta weather, we experienced a Nor’Westerner today…definitely more epic than the usual storm. The wind was crazy strong, at least 30mph, sporadic rain, and intense lightning. After the storm cooled down we went and got more typical street food which they call “chats”. We ate something that was mushed up aloo (potato), chickpeas, masala, and other spices, all put into this tiny fried shell that resembles a cream puff, very tasty. Although I did limit myself because it was made with water and I didn’t want to risk getting sick before I left for Delhi. Oh! And for dinner we had this Burmese dish that was out of this world! Basically it was noodles covered in this liquid coconut chile gravy thing with chicken, and then you put as much onion, chili sauce, coriander, fried noodles, or lemon as you like. I feel as if that isn't doing the dish justice, but trust me, its fricken good. But alas, my love for spicy food has bitten me in the arse. Right now my stomach is ON FIRE. I’m sweating bullets and am quite uncomfortable. However, would I take back eating all of that delicious food? I think not.

My new fascination? Buddha. How have I not discovered this before? I find myself completely enraptured by Buddhism…its like the faith for those who believe in equal human rights and that suffering is not necessary when we don’t want it to be. Of course that’s a really brash definition, but I cant wait to explore it some more on my trip.

Peace

Mumbai/Calcutta day 1

After a fail of epic proportions (misreading my confirmation email and missing my flight out of London-not fun) Ive finally reached India...what a sight. We tend to have thoughts or misconceptions about an area or a group of people in the world but we can never know about a place without visiting it and experiencing it. THAT is most certainly the case with India. I myself tried to keep an open-mind and limit my expectations, but what others have said prior to my arrival did taint my views somewhat. India is and is not what I expected...the posh and the impoverished literally live next to each other and co-exist in the same space.

Just as I was driving on the road with my friend her driver, the people next to us were being pulled in a rickshaw pulled by another man...we ate chinese in a more expensive restaurant while just outside men who were just skin and bones were living in a slum with their cow...things are different here. At the same time I am drawn to such a culture but it also saddens me a bit. I am not sure how to react to it all, other than to absorb it and build something from what I have learned and seen.

I am lucky to be staying with a friend that doesnt live such a difficult life I guess...I'm not sure if I would instantly be able to live in the slums, but I could definitely work up to it. Ayesha's penthouse is modest but wonderful. Her mother is Bengali and will be making us Bengali food. She has already made us two fabulous indian food, extra spicy. Tomorrow we will going exploring in the city and we will also be visiting one of Mother Teresa's schools.

Peace

LONDON

Made it to London!!!! Its beautiful here! Exhaustion has reached an all time high, alert the media. And no, I haven't seen the newly married couple. I keep asking myself, am I ready for India? And I just don't know...maybe? yes? no? I guess we'll see.

Pre-Trip Post!

I can't believe the time is already here...I'm actually leaving. I feel as if I have been planning for this trip forever (which if you think about it, it has been about 9 months..)! Although, I don't think it will really hit me until I leave London for Mumbai....don't get me wrong, London will be great. I can't to spend time with Ilana, but its just different.