6/13/2015
All students have arrived safely! Blog posts and photos to follow!
6/14/2015
Golden Temple:
Our second morning our students were able to see the Golden Temple. There they saw that people from all over the country come to worship. They learned that 100,000 free meals a day are prepared and are given to those who come and are in need- that is 5,000 every twenty minutes!
After the golden temple, ice cream was needed before our 5 hour car ride to the cool hills of Dharamshala. Upon arrival, our students settled in and had orientation and prepared for the first observation day of our volunteer placement.
6/18/2015
Today was education day here at GLA India! Out students were able to tour a local slum as well as an NGO which provides complimentary education and housing to children from the slum. It was a truly humbling experience. After ice cream and cake, they had an activity discovering the meaning of wealth privilege and how we can empower ourselves more and the community around us by knowing our own privileges.
*In the local Dharamshala market picking out fabric and discovering our surroundings!
6/18/2015
Today was an eventful day, waking up at 8:00 am was hard for some of us but the majority of the us woke up on time. We went to our placement and taught our classes for the day and then went back to home base to prepare for our activity for the day.
We went to two fair trade & labor enterprises. One was for children’s clothing and one was for women’s clothing.
We learned how fair trade works and how a business operates while being a fair trade company. The next place we went to was a company that made dolls for children. Tibetan dolls are made here and many of us got to buy some of these products after learning about the company.
After that our routine was simple. We had dinner and then enjoyed each others company with food and music. Now we all prepare for our 3 day trek to a camp site so our next blog will be online at the beginning of next week.
– Adam Butler
6/19/2015
Today the students started out on their incredible trek into the Himalayas. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the students will have stories of all kinds to share about their journey. They will be back on Monday, but there will be no internet access where they are over the next several days. Please expect a blog from us upon the students’ return!
6/19/2015
It was around 10:00 a.m when we departed for our long journey. Everyone was happy and excited to go on the big jeeps. We were all fighting for the best seat which was the back. We enjoyed the long drive through the village. It was there where the hiking began. After four long hours of hiking the Himalayas we finally arrived at our camp site. I still remember how happy we all were to see our tents. We were most excited to go swimming. Later that day we played some fun games, rested and went to bed.
6/20/2015
Today we woke up after a super long and scary storm, and got ready to go to the nearby village in the mountains. When the entire group was up and ready to leave in the morning we hiked to our destination. The hike was difficult but we were able to see some amazing views up high and it was also pretty hot as well so that made it worse but we managed when we arrived at the village we stopped at a house in which they showed us how the people in the mountains live. They showed us how they farmed and what their normal wardrobe was, the people also explained to us that in the winter it snowed so much that they have to save a lot of food.
After we left the village we headed back to the campground to eat lunch and when we arrived there everyone was drenched with sweat so all of us decided to take a dip in the river even though the water was freezing. Some people went for a swim and others just hung out near the rocks because it was a beautiful view. When it started to get dark we all came together to play a quick game until it was fully dark, and when it was we made a campfire by which we lay together and watched the stars shine up in the black sky.
– Alex Recendez
6/21/2015
Today we woke up around 9:00 and had breakfast. We packed up all of our things and attempted to dry out all of our clothes which were soaked from the immense amount of rain that drenched us the night before. With everything ready to go we left the camp to plant pine trees in the surrounding areas. Planting the trees was a regarding experience. We began our trek back towards our home base. The trek consisted of mud, leeches and many slippery rocks. We finally made it to the jeeps that took us back to our home base. The ride home was incredibly bumpy and fun. Once we arrived we all rushed to the showers which felt like heaven. We were also very happy to have had pizza waiting for us at our doorstep. It was Annika’s birthday and we celebrated with a bollywood movie and cake.
– Sabrina
6/23/2015
Today the GLA India squad was on their A-game throughout the whole day. Today was food day, and boy did we eat food! Like always we
started the day with our super swag placements and then it got a little more exciting! We went on a spiritual journey to an organic store/market, where we got in touch with our conscious selves and the environment around us. The GLA crew learned how to genuinely make an impact on the community around us and within us by constantly channeling our conscience within the actions we preform. We were enlightened by Himalayan gurus on exciting topics such as the new way to utilize reusable menstrual pads to the inevitable mass extinction of the human race. That was fun,fun,fun! Now let’s get to the food part of food day! At home base we learned how to make Sachin’s oh so famous Masala Chai and continued our food lesson with Roti making! On this blessed food day the official GLA Roti Squad was formed. After our very competitive Roti making we had an informative dinner in which we learned the importance of preserving food for the sake of the less fortunate. Now unfortunately our day comes to an end …except we still have dessert! 12 overly excited teenagers walked down to an Indian sweet shop where the dessert wasn’t too popular but the experience was overall super swaggy. The day was filled with exciting and valuable lessons, let’s hope the next GLA group is as poppin as we are! 😉
-Andi McCloud
6/24//2015
Tibet Day
Today was an extremely interesting day, as I learned a lot about many topics which I knew almost nothing about. In 1959, China invaded Tibet, implementing their oppressive communist rule, disrupting the peaceful government, culture, and people of Tibet. As a result of the oppression against the Tibetan people, the Dalai Lama and the rest of the Tibetan government searched for political asylum, eventually settling in Dharamsala. Where we are today!
It started off just like a regular day. I went to my placement at a local pre school, which was super fun as I love playing with all my kids. We worked on basic counting in English, as well as the alphabet. After the service, we abruptly started a tour of the Tibetan Government Building. We also spoke to Nordgela, an expert on Chinese Tibetan relations. In this discussion we covered topics ranging from the problems the Tibetans face in the world to the demographics of the Tibetan people around the globe. Next, we walked across the street to the Tibetan Parliament, which was good to see and I felt extremely lucky to be in the room where such important decisions are made. Concluding our visit the Tibetan Government, we went to a museum where there was a lot of beautiful religious art.
We continued our immersion into Tibetan culture back at the hotel, where we watched a short film about a local Tibetan painter and social activist. We then had the opportunity to interview him, and ask him questions about his many art pieces. My favorite piece of his was a painting of a man committing self immolation for the Tibetan cause. Karma, the artist, described how he saw this act as compassionate and brave, rather than an act of desperation that many Western people view it as.
Concluding the day, we enjoyed live Tibetan music, and prepared Momos (Tibetan dumplings) with local Tibetan refugees who used to be Vela’s students. By the end of the night we were good friends, and I’ll keep my eye out for them for the remainder of my time here in Dharamsala.
– Owen
6/25/2015
Today we started the day out with our usual routine of going to placement from 10:00 to 12:00. After placement we had lunch and then drove to the Dharamsala Animal Rescue. While the facility may not have been exactly like the animal shelters in America, it successfully operates on 65 dogs a month. Dharamsala Animal Rescue works to make people aware of the diseases that strays carry, such as rabies, as well as educating locals on how to treat an animal properly. The owner of the animal shelter told us how while people still may be abusing animals, things have changed in that individuals will bring abused animals they see to their shelter. While the shelter does take in many dogs, they can only take dogs they feel can not live without 24/7 attention.
When we arrived back at home base our mentor, Will, told us a story of how he had a camel carry bags around for him in Jordan and how it helped him understand animals better. Following this we were given three writing prompts reflecting on our experience in India. After a South Indian dinner we participated in an activity that involved looking at different perspectives of India.
– Nola Dollard
6/26/2015
Today was India Fun Day, so we got a chance to participate in some of the fun, colorful aspects of Indian culture. For example, the girls got Mehendhi (Henna) tattoos done on our hands and we looked like locals all dressed up in Saris and Turbans! We started the day off as usual with our volunteer placements, at either the Vidya Mandir school or the two Aanganwadis (day care centers). Instead of an excursion today, we had our activities at home base. We returned from the schools by about 12:30 and, after lunch, had a little bit of down time before girls and guys separating to try on our traditional Indian outfits. The girls were given a selection of silk saris and chose which saris we wanted to try on, while the guys went outside for a lesson on how to tie turbans. Once everyone was ready we took our squad pics and then all of the girls got the chance to have mehendhi done on our hands. It was a bit of a long process, with the application of dark paste taking about 20 minutes and then the two hours of drying. It was totally worth it though, because the designs the ladies drew were detailed and beautiful, and the end results were awesome {Pics below}. The next couple hours were spent chilling in the common room together with music and snacks. Today, we had the luck to be treated to a special dinner by our gracious hosts at Clouds End, and I at least enjoyed it very much. The day was closed by another classic Bollywood movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which spoke on the restraints of arranged marriage and familial customs. I think today was one of the most enjoyable and relaxed days in which we also got a taste of Indian fashion and culture, and I am looking forward to learning about traditional Tibetan art tomorrow!
-Today’s Leader of the Day: Annika Dhawan
6/27/2015
Art and Architecture Day
Today we were able to sleep in for the first time during our stay in India. The day began with breakfast at 9:00 and from there we climbed into taxis and started the long drive to Kangra Fort. While there we walked up to the top of the Fort and experienced amazing views, scorching heat, and monkeys. We then took a short drive to a museum containing information and history about the Royal Family. After another bumpy car ride we arrived at Joyful, one of Elise’s favorite pizza parlors. We then collectively ate 6 pizzas in about 30 minutes. Once we had finished our meal we took a short walk to the Norbulingka Institute, a traditional Tibetan arts and culture center. A tour guide led us through the complex where we saw everything from wood carving to Thangka paintings. The tour ended in a Buddhist temple where we meditated for a few minutes in silence. Then we formed teams and began a scavenger hunt that required us to talk with artists, take pictures, and wander the area. Returning to home base, we attempted Kangra Miniature Paintings with 1 of the 6 remaining artists of the style. Some of the students were able to create almost perfect recreations while most others were told, “good try” by our local mentors. Tired from the event filled day we ate dinner and went to bed.
– Elsie Hattendorf
6/28/2015
Religion Day
Today we were also able to sleep in until 9:00 and did not depart the Cloud End Villa until 10:00. We climbed into taxis and made our way to The Aghanjar Mahadev Temple in Dharamsala. Our Guide, Shankar took us around the temple and explained to us the differences and similarities of Hinduism and western religions. He also explained the differences within different sects of Hinduism. Shankar told us that this temple in its basic existence has been running for five to six-hundred years and that there has been a fire burning 24 hours a day since the temples creation.
After the temple we stopped on a bridge that overlooked a cremation site and Shankar explained to us the traditional rituals after death. He dropped the quote “We are temporary by nature we are temporary by birth, and we remain temporary in passing.”
After the bridge we returned to home base and started a walk up to the midway point to Mcleod Ganj where we met taxis that took us the rest of the way. In Mcleod Ganj we stopped at a café for lunch before taking a tour of the Dalai Lama’s temple in exile. We followed the clockwise path around the temple that is common for Buddhist pilgrims and spun the prayer wheels. The entire path was lined with Buddhist prayer flags. Inside the temple we took a tour of the main square and the actual temple itself with the statue of the sukyamuni Buddha. Shankar gave us a crash course in Buddhism and the Dalai Lamas life.
After the temple we spent an hour being typical tourists in the Mcleod Ganj market and honed our bargaining skills as we bought souvenirs and gifts for family. We walked all the back to home base and rested until dinner. After dinner we watched the movie Kundun about the Dalai Lama.
-Markus Sherman