China

China November 2010


By now, you may have noticed that our voyage takes us to many places, but for too short a time. Our choices while in port are usually way too many for the hours there. And we never want to be late returning to the ship or we get docked hours in the next port. Arriving in Hong Kong was beautiful early in the morning. They have mall after mall after mall right at the port all selling designer labeled goods. And not just one Gucci store, but 3 or 4 of them! Who buys all this stuff? There appears to be loads of money in this city! No shopping and bargaining here!! I’ll wait for China!!



Hong Kong Skyline

 Hong Kong is lovely. It’s lovely from the port all the way up the mountain to Victoria Point. After a wonderful dim sum lunch in a place where we were the only non-Chinese, we ventured up the mountain for sunset. Many SASer’s were also there taking photos. I noted that every open space had plants and trees. It is a pretty city.



Hong Kong from Victoria Peak at night

 Paul stayed on the ship and went shopping for whiskey, and I left for Beijing early the next day.  China, especially Beijing, dressed up and put on new makeup for the Olympics. We sightseers benefited from all their effort. Rent a copy of The Last Emperor to see the Forbidden City in Beijing. And there must be a movie filmed on the Great Wall.

Paul was not interested in seeing those two landmarks, so he sent me with a SAS group of students to Beijing. They were a good group and entertained me royally during those 4 days, especially with their slang and teasing. I helped out sewing on buttons and handing out safety pins and tissues in the bathrooms that had no tissue paper.  After an especially funny conversation about current slang, I mentioned that when I was their age, we didn’t have all those crazy slang words and meanings like, “That’s bad!” meaning “That’s really good!” You know what I mean. Then we all said spontaneously, “How boring!”



Homemade Chinese feast in private home in the Hutong - no heat!

Our trip included a private dinner in the old Hutong neighborhood - almost communal living except everyone has their own bedroom and tiny dining/living room area.  The  toilets are shared and very crude by our standards - squat toilets and little privacy.  Mostly older people live in the Hutong neighborhoods now since the younger generations seek more modern living styles and bathrooms. The people in these neighborhoods, however, enjoy a strong community life. There is no heat provided in China until after November 15, so it was cold.  Notice we are all wearing our jackets, but we were comfortable and the food was great! 


We visited an orphanage of 107 children - no heat and not much food where we played games and painted a mural.  The orphanage is run by a man and his wife without any state help. Everything is donated by corporations and people. It looks like a hard life there for everyone. We played games with the kids who were excited to have visitors. We helped paint a mural which we left unfinished when we ran out of paint. It was cold outside and inside their rooms. No heat yet!  I went home to my warm hotel room and was haunted by those kids and their circumstance.

I have no idea how we could help them more. They are not 501c3 and they are in a communist country. Can one get money to them? Communism these days does not take care of the people. But they finally recognized that their philosophy was holding back progress and they changed to a capitalistic economic model. And BOOM!

We also visited the tourist spots of the Forbidden City, Tennamen Square, the Temple of Heaven garden, a Chinese acrobat show and the Great Wall. 
 



Forbidden City on a cold day in November

  The events at Tiananmen Square held many of us spellbound back in 1989 with excitement for the people and then horrified us as the tanks rolled in. Our guide said that event was completely censored from Chinese TV. The people knew nothing about it. They just talked about the Square as the place where Mao proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Right on this giant public square, the largest square in the world they proudly proclaim which can hold a million people, the government erected a giant screen depicting various sites in China just before the Olympics. Out of place in my humble opinion!




Huge screen at Tinneman Square erected prior to the Olympics - China propaganda

 Walking on the Great Wall was a fabulous experience although we did it the royal way – we took a cable car up and a toboggan down! Some of our SAS voyagers hiked for 3 days. Some students slept on it for 3 nights! And it was cold!! I wore layers, gloves and a wind breaker and was toasty warm. The sun was shining - the sky was blue. And the section of the wall our guide chose, Mutianyu, was not busy – in fact, most of those on that section of the Wall were from SAS! I kept Natalie in mind who regretted that she had not gone to the Wall when she was with SAS in 1994. Millions of people died building this Wall. We were told one fifth of the population were forced to help. They would die while overworking and be buried in the Wall.



Excited SAS students jumping for joy!

Beijing and Shanghai city centers sparkled, especially Shanghai which lit up at night with stunning light shows along the harbor. Many of the buildings changed colors continuously. We could watch this show right out the window of our stateroom.

Shanghai Harbor at night

The skyline and the scenes along the route to Suzhou's gardens and temples were all I saw of Shanghai because of the Beijing trip. The freeways in the city were lined with planters of small green bushes – a first for me!



Green lined highway overpasses in Shanghai

Buildings are going up fast in downtown Shanghai, including a really fancy and inventive shopping mall on the waterfront, but many of the buildings are empty. The government is spending its huge surplus from the huge economic boom they are experiencing.  The economic boom is very evident in the cities.  Wish we ahd ahd time to visit rural China.

Paul arrived in Shanghai on the ship and accompanied my sustainability class and professor, Rocky, to an architectural firm which has designed an exciting “green” high-rise.  This building will generate it own electricity via wind power, collect rain water, be fire safe, be taller than most buildings and be sustainable. That means fossil fuels will not be used to generate electricity. Everything possible will be recycled.  And water usuage will be highly supplemented with rainwater.  Paul did this for me since I was very interested but on my way back from Beijing and for Debbie who is LEED certified and interested. In fact, Rocky helped design a green building on the campus of his Sonoma University which reduced energy costs by 80% and produced extra energy. But that’s a whole other blog!

The areas outside of the downtown of those two cities were concrete forests housing the millions who live there. Those towers of apartments closer to downtown were in the $1.5 million range and all the same. So the masses live farther out and traffic is clogged almost all the time. In Beijing, those with even-numbered license plates can drive on Mondays and Wednesdays. Those with odd, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are unrestricted so traffic is bumper to bumper constantly. Bicycles are everywhere. Cameras are everywhere. Beijing city has 30 million people, 10 million cars and 5 million bikes! But they do include a huge area in that count – almost 17,000 square miles. I also noticed how the colors of clothing were usually on the darker side – blacks, browns and grays – on the rich, the middle class, and in the stores. This is quite a contrast to the colorful clothes in India and Vietnam!


To some extent, I was disappointed to not see the China I had read about for years. I wish I had the guts to do what Jules, a daughter in our extended family on the ship, did. She took a train into the country, rented a bike and traveled through the countryside letting the world happen! You can visit her website, http://www.julesduffin.com/ to learn more about her travels and her passion, child labor.  In fact, she and her colleagues on the ship have started a non-profit to raise awareness and stop child labor in Africa.  More information at http://www.thesenaseproject.org/. 
Suzhou, China was more like the old China in my mind with its canals and bridges. The Grand Canal was constructed over 1400 years ago and is 1000 miles long making it the oldest and longest manmade river in the world. Paul and I visited the gardens which our friend, Arlene Shaw, had visited last summer and highly recommended. She was right – I loved this!

The day was cloudy, but the gardens were lovely in their fall dress. Each garden was unique. From hills, to waterfalls, to wandering paths, to special water springs, arched bridges, pagodas, temples, and limestone “mountains” from the 1500’s still tell their story. Peace. Sit. Listen. Observe.  FengShui principles were used in these gardens to produce the greatest energy and peacefulness.

Think about those who lived in these royal places and padded around serving the Emperors. Think of the Emperors and their concubines. And tea ceremonies! I do find it difficult to imagine lots of children running around in these gardens, but they must have.

Lots of history to this country. Lots of Dynasties and Emperors and a couple of Empresses. Lots of royal court practices. The old ways. And the Chinese pride of having the “oldest, the longest, the largest in the world ” of whatever they are showing! Other than the sustainability class, the rest of my classes are really coming together in China and Japan: Women of the Royal Courts, World Religions, Asian Art, and World Music are all melding together and complimenting one another! How great!



Alyssa

Alyssa’s Moving Moment


Alyssa and her friends, two girls and two boys, left the ship in Casablanca to travel by train to Marrakesh to experience Moroccan culture. And they had one of those happenings often heard on the ship when leaving a country. Alyssa is a junior International studies major at Simmons University.
The group purchased first class tickets which meant “air conditioning”! A young Moroccan woman and her three-year old child shared their cabin. Although they had no common language, she invited Alyssa to her home for dinner. Alyssa explained in sign language that she was traveling with the group, so the woman asked them all to dinner! Can you imagine meeting five young people on the train, or bus, or just walking and spontaneously inviting them home for dinner?

As an aside, spontaneous invitations like this were often extended to our shipmates, particularly the students, in many countries during our voyage. Strangers seemed so pleased to have Americans in their country and in their homes!

I should also mention the day was the beginning of the Eid, a celebration of the end of Ramadan and fasting, where much food and lots of sweets are prepared ahead of time. So the group took a taxi to their host’s home. She lives with her father in Ameritech during the week while he husband lives in Casablanca and takes their other children to school. Her father welcomed the group as if he was expecting them, asked their names and ages and repeated it all back to them during the evening. He and Alyssa could communicate in French.

The dinner was fabulous – Moroccan food is delicious! And the students learn about this very modern Moroccan family. All nine children are all married. One of the daughters is a dentist married to a doctor. (Usually, Moroccan women are expected to stay home, raise the children, and become accomplished homemakers so they make good bridal choices.) Alyssa pointed out to me that this father and his wife raised their family well. How else would his daughter pick up five strangers and invite them home to celebrate the Eid? They all exuded hospitality. But, as a matter of fact, Moroccans pride themselves in their hospitality. The guest holds a special place of honor in a Moroccan home.

They learned about each of the children and their families and talked about the last daughter’s marriage. Photos of the wedding were brought out. Ooos and ahhhs were exclaimed over the ceremonial caftans. Before they knew it, Alyssa and her girl friends were invited into a bedroom where the bridal finery was brought from a closet. Then, they were invited to try on the gorgeous caftans which they did – with photos! Such a special moment! Such a cultural highlight!

Alyssa and I shared many moments on the ship between classes and during choral class and practice. In fact, she was my “guiding light” alto. She is an accomplished musician, and I am a novice choral group member. She plays trumpet, piano and sings. While in South Africa, a group of SASers went to an African jazz and jam session. Alyssa brought her trumpet to join the jamming. The students and musicians jammed away the evening with great delight. Alyssa noted that the trumpeter’s instrument was in poor condition and before the evening ended, she gave him her trumpet. She had planned to give the instrument to a needy student at some point in the trip, and she saw this musician’s need. He was greatly moved by her generosity. Yes, Alyssa is an impressive young woman.

Two of my favorite students: Alyssa (in red) Ellie (in blue) and me

Archbishop Tutu

The shipboard community has been greatly blessed with the presence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his devoted wife, Leah. I mentioned in a previous essay how Paul made himself known to them early in the voyage. Our leader, Betty, was telling us that many Life Long Learners (LLLs) were discovering unexpected family members aboard when the Tutu’s walked into the room. Paul hopped up and exclaimed, “Daddy!” to which Arch ( as he likes to be called) came running across the room and hugged Paul! Paul continued the charade, crossed the room and gave Leah a hug! And me with no camera! A great photo opportunity missed!

This little incident has continued to be a theme between Paul and the Tutu’s during the voyage. When we were visiting his offices in Cape Town, he introduced Paul as his son by a previous marriage. The other night, when welcoming their guests to the cocktail party in Glazer Lounge, he thanked many different people in the room and then mentioned “Paul, my son by a previous marriage.” Not everyone got that, but we did and it means so much to us. Arch says he has never met anyone like Paul!

The Tutu’s are gracious and such fun. Arch has a wonderful sense of humor, obviously, and an infectious laugh. He makes jokes about himself and welcomes relaxed banter. He has retired again and we all respect that and do not make requests of his s time. In fact, I asked his assistant if they could join us for dinner a couple of weeks ago. She said they would have time one of two days, but to keep the talk light – he does not wish to talk issues. It actually never occurred to me until just this moment that perhaps he thought we might, or anyone might have a personal request of him. After all, he has endorsed many human rights projects and organizations over the years. He agreed to appear in the video about child slavery in Ghana which a group of students were making. They have formed a non-profit whose vision is an end to child slavery and they intend to take the message to their college campuses. You too can become involved in this important mission.  Visit http://www.findingrefuge.com/ in January to see how you too can help end child slavery in Ghana!

That dinner with the Tutu’s was another special time like the lunch at their home in Cape Town, breakfasts in the dining hall, and our joint birthday party on the ship with our extended family. We invited them to come and conveniently had the party in a stateroom right across from theirs. Several birthdays were celebrated that evening including Arch’s, Leah’s, our daughter, Kate’s, our friend, Jack’s, their daughter’s, our hostess, Salle’s, and mine.

Our extended family birthday party in October

Arch has given several speeches or talks while on board including the welcoming, the blessings, and prayers at the memorial service for the student who died, the invocation for another student who almost died from Malaria and finally, the graduation convocation. He had the final word on the panel on world religions recently when he summed it all up by referring to one of his best friends, the Dali Lama. “This man is one of the holiest men I have ever met. He holds no anger despite being forced into exile for more than 50 years. I could not go up to him and say, ‘Man, you should become a Christian!’ It is important to be accepting of all the great religions of the world. They all follow the Golden Rule and believe in a Supreme Being.”

After giving a lovely speech about hope for the future at the convocation , Arch said, “I bet you’re wondering when God is coming into this. Well, here comes GOD!” Arch asked those at the convocation, “Why does God let things happen like the Holocaust, the Burmese occupation, the Tutsi massacre?” Because God waits for human intervention. He (God) says, “You are unique. Help me do what you can do. I know you are fantastic and you will be my partner to change the world so that it is more compassionate.” “Please help me,” says God. “Please, please, please,” said Arch as walked of the stage.

The Tutu's and Michele and Barack Obama

I have read just two of his books and want to read more of them. Archbishop Tutu is one of God’s special gifts to this world. And his wife, Leah, always at his side, and activist in her own right, is another. Their children and grandchildren continue in their paths. What a fantastic family! What a fantastic gift to the shipboard community!

Vietnam

Vietnam November 2010


The MV Explorer left the South China Sea and traveled up the Saigon River for almost an hour. The scenery looked much like an uninhabited canal in Florida. Then Ho Chi Minh City came into view about 7:00 am. Already, the city was bustling with buses and millions of motorcycles, but few cars. A modern suspension bridge (like Alton’s) and many contemporary building appeared on the skyline. Soot covered many of the older smaller buildings.



Architecturally strange building in  Saigon


Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City in 1976 when the North finally won that battle of the "American War." The people here, however, still prefer to call their city Saigonand  hold no animosity towards Americans. Our guide pointed out that in Vietnam, the poor people live along the river in the city, whereas in America, the rich live along the rivers. After the city tour of Saigon with our husbands and friends, Louise and I dashed out to the famous Ben Thanh market to explore! Most of the market had already closed for the evening but we managed a couple of purchases and headed for the famous Rex Hotel 6th floor lounge where UPI agents gathered nightly during the war. We were both amazed to be sitting in this lounge in this city – a city whose war-torn history was happening when we were all in college and raising families. It was unreal!

Rex Hotel Lounge in Saigon

The next day, Paul and I journeyed about hundred kilometers into the Mekong Delta with about 31 students. The rice paddies were brilliant green. Gravesites and small alters adorned those fields belonging to Buddhist families.

This Delta is threatened by global warming. A one meter rise in the ocean level will mean major flooding of most of the land and a total loss of rice (income) for much of the population. We traveled by boat down one of the rivers observing the floating markets, the fisherman, their families and their way of life on the river. In the space beneath the deck of their boats, a space about the size of a large table, they live, sleep, and even watch TV.  Their way of life perpetuates itself.  They marry one another and live on the river fishing or selling their ware on at the floating market.



A vendor gving us a tray of fresh fruit



She was so excited to see us!



Each boat advertises what it sells by hanging one item from a bamboo pole. The river market is informally sectioned, oranges here, watermelon there, fabulous pineapple here, liche fruit there. Potatoes, fish, meat, hardware, bamboo poles. Many also live along the river’s edge in ramshackle, tin shacks with relatively new construction lining the streets behind the shacks. You haven’t lived until you have had freshly picked and freshly-cut absolutely delicious pineapple handed across the water to you with a cute two-year old squealing with glee at our presence!





Typical home of the boat people

Morning chores along the river

Soda and bananas anyone?

This pineapple was so wonderful!

Thiel Lin, the SAS student who went in search of Buddha’s first sermon site in India in the India blog, had a wonderful reunion with her family in Vietnam .  She had had not seen them in 14 years. Her mother joined her from the US too. A guide on another SAS trip told how he had been separated from his family at six years old when the Khmer Rouge forced everyone from his village into relocation camps. They changed his name. Six years later, while working in a rice field, his older sister spotted him and asked his name. She did not know his new name. He did not remember being given a new name. She asked about his parents name which he remembered. They had found one another by accident! They returned to their village and located their former home. Their father had left a note on the door of their former home about his whereabouts. Eventually, they found both their mother and father, but never found the other brother.

One of the psychologisst on the staff of the ship had fled North Vietnam with his family when he was 12, forty years ago. He had a wonderful reunion in Saigon with most of his aunts, uncles and cousins which was the highlight of his trip! He shared with us how he and his little friends found amunition discarded by fleeing troops and enjyed playing with it.  They opened shells and scttered the powder and set it off after running a safe distance from it.  One boy lost a finger, but the rest, luckily, were unharmed. 

On our last day in Vietnam, Paul and I visited the American War History Museum. Many of the photos were familiar, taken by American photojournalist, Pulitzer Prize winning photos you would remember. The War here was told through the words of the conquering North Viet Cong. As you might guess, very anti-American. But the people in this country who we encountered held no grudge.

Many of the SAS students visited that museum and were astounded by what they saw there. They seem to know practically nothing about that war. It is not taught in schools! One of our students had never heard of Agent Orange! I did not know we actually broke the Geneva Accord going there. I don’t think I knew Monsanto manufactured and sold Agent Orange to our government.

During the city tour, we visited a Handicapped Handicraft place where beautiful inlayed and lacquered objects were produced by artists damaged by Agent Orange. We saw men and women on the streets with tiny arms and legs, children of victims of Agent Orange. I recall how our Vietnam veterans had to fight to have our government own up to their responsibility to our victims of this terrible weapon.

On a lighter note, learning to cross several lanes of moving motorcycles where a red light means, “Suggestion to Stop!” Look for a small break and just start walking. Do not stop or hesitate. Trust me. They know how to go around you! Like the parting of water as it passes rocks! Shopping again with Louisa and Gail, like in India, was just such fun! I never enjoy shopping at home like this, and most likely, never will. But it’s fun in India and Vietnam and, hopefully, China.



They will flow around you kike water as you cross the street



Brianna, my roommate at the Art of Living shopping in a market











Paul and I had lunch with Rebekah Maley and her 9-month old daughter, Adara at a lovely Vietnamese restaurant. Rebekah traveled with Natalie in the SAS 1994 Fall voyage. She has worked internationally for years. She met her Canadian husband in Vietnam. Except for her family back in Pennsylvania, she could think of no reason to return to the US and the dysfunctional political and economic atmosphere. We did not get to talk about health care, but that leaves lots to be desired if one is Vietnamese. Only 1 doctor for 4500-5000 patients! Other than that, life in Vietnam is pleasant, affordable and comfortable. She has found a good Montessori School for Adara. Things are cheap. And the food is great! The food does not make people fat. I never saw even one!!!

Adara and Rebekah Maley

Singapore



The new Sands Hotel with boat!




A Buddhist Temple




Famous Raffles Hotel



Singapore sparkles!

Singapore sparkles! Yes. Singapore really sparkles! The contrast between Chennai and Singapore is like black and white. Singapore is a small country of 723 square kilometers and is truly one of the loveliest cities I have ever seen. They are ruled by a benevolent dictator and his friends. About 85% of the people live in high rise public housing, purchased on a sliding scale. They have balconies with green plants, swimming pools, playgrounds, and soccer fields. Health care and education are provided. Compulsory savings of 20% of salary exists for every employee with an employer match of 13%. These savings can be used for housing, medical or old age and can be inherited. The people are secure. Teacher’s salaries are high. The Income tax rate is 9% up to $250,000 after which it is 20%. There is no estate tax or capital gains tax. Sounds nice, eh?


We saw absolutely no poverty or dirt in the streets! Selling chewing gum is illegal. Littering is illegal. Jaywalking is illegal. Smoking I public places is illegal. Food is reasonable, but alcohol and cigarettes are heavily taxed! Yellow Tail wine was about $25 a bottle, too much for my budget!

The population is 5 million, but 1.7 million are expatriates. Because a large percentage of the population is aging rapidly, the government has been offering a “baby bonus” to Singaporeans for up to four children. Unemployment appears to be negligible; in fact, they import workers from the Philippines and China. All taxi and bus drivers must be native citizens.

The government also discourages traffic by taxing cars heavily and making public transportation readily available and cheap. A Camry is $100,000. The few houses that we did see are $5 to $10 million small homes – more than San Francisco!

The people we spoke to were contented. Protesting is not allowed except in one designated place. There is a lack of creative freedom and a lack of space which is causing young people to leave. Two of them are on our ship. One a student who wants to work in microfinance in Africa and the other, a self-made millionaire retired at age 34! He made his money in finance in the US. They say they may return to live there in later years.

Singapore is also one of the safest cities in the world. Getting caught with drugs can mean 45 years in prison. Selling drugs- death! And don’t trash a hotel room or hit on a woman! You can be caned! Remember Michael Fey? The crime rate is extremely low.

The architecture is fabulous; however, most of the high rise buildings downtown were not there 10 to 15 years ago. The Sands Hotel even connected three towers with a thing that looks like a sleek boat. There is a casino there where foreigners can gamble for free, but Singaporeans must pay $100 to enter. The government wants the income, but don’t wish to encourage their citizens to gamble. Amazing!

We visited museums, churches, and Buddhist and Hindu Temples.  My favorites were the Asian Art Museum where we did not have enough time to explore even half of it and the gorgeous orchid garden in the Botanical Gardens.
Pretty darn nice. Plus it is soooo green and the weather is constantly the same – warm with rain and sun! The Botanical Garden benefits from the weather! The orchids abound there – it is stunning!





Looks like they had an earthquake!




Louise, Betty, me and Linda at the Garden



Suzanne's visit to Chennai, India

Oct 25, 2010

I’m writing at this late hour, 11:30 pm, because of what I saw this evening. I was on a yoga retreat for the past three days where I was well fed with South Indian food. When we returned to Chennia this afternoon,  Louisa and Gail, my good friends, and I decided to go out for another South Indian meal. Paul preferred to eat on the air-conditioned ship but said we would eat out tomorrow evening.

We left the safety of the ship to wage war with the auto-rickshaw drivers who stand around like vultures waiting for customers. After negotiating a fee for a ride to the restaurant, we got into the rickshaw and headed out. We ate at a vegetarian place where no one spoke English. In fact, we were the only non-Indians in there. After a while, a young Indian student from our ship and his girlfriend came in, thank goodness! They helped us communicate with the waiter and get some pretty darn good food for very little money. We all decided to walk around the street together after dinner and then head back to the ship. It was 9:30 pm.

I wish you could see the streets and the people. Try to picture this. The streets are chaotic - packed with cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and people. The sidewalks are almost completely covered with wooden palettes of various fruits and vegetables. Palette after palette. Block after block.



A rather poor photo of the streets



Woman at her flower stand



On many corners an enterprising woman sits on stool stringing and selling jasmine flowers which are used as hair decorations or as offering at the temples and altars.

Food vendors on portable wagons sell all sorts of delicious looking items like samosas, naan and many other Indian fast foods. These vendors pay no taxes and no license is required to set up a stand. No McDonald’s or Burgher King here! Litter is piled in corners and along the sides of streets. Sometimes cows and ravens pick at the litter. The streets are dirty, but “untouchable” women lean over with short brooms of thin sticks sweeping the streets in their not so pretty saris.



Our party with the girls on the street in Chennai



One barefoot girl about 12 came up to us with her brother and just wanted to shake our hands. She smiled and was happy to just shake our hands. Her little brother, however, held back. We walked on and pretty soon she showed up with another girl. Before we knew it there were four girls and a bunch of boys surrounding us. They wanted us to take pictures of them with us. We did. They laughed. They spoke no English. They did not beg but asked for a kiss. They were very pretty, but somewhat dirty. They also, most likely, lived on the street. That is the hard truth. Untouchables for life!




As we walked home, we came across entire families with their mats laid out, the children all in a row, some with light covers. One woman was asleep on a mat on the concrete sidewalk on a busy corner at the bus station. She held two tiny naked babies close to her. People were all around them, but they slept. We walked on and came across more families bedded down for the night on the sidewalks. Those who were still awake said hello to us. In fact, all the people everywhere have been so warm and friendly. They smile. They seem genuinely happy to see us! They have soooo little. No place to keep their things except on them. No closet or chest of drawers or bed or roof over their heads. Over 70% of the population live in poverty. And the population of India is going to double by the year 2025!!!

When I awoke in the morning, the streets were all wet. It had rained during the night. What do you suppose all those sleeping people and children did?

Chaos on the streets! Buses, cars, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, motorcycles with families and women in saris, bicycles! Oh, my gosh!! We road through the streets with a fun driver who headed straight for the black cow in the busy road main road but swerved deftly around it while we screamed with glee and he yelled, “He Haw!” The next day I shook hands with a student in another rickshaw. We were that close! All the vehicles are so close! Honking is constant! It means, “I’m coming!” But surprisingly, it was all very civil. The drivers, polite. No anger here! It was just like dodge’m cars only one tries not to hit the next car.

On the other side of life, gold jewelry is very important – it is the woman’s security. The government offers micro-loans to set up a business especially to women. The churches and temples offer free meals on certain days. The government helps. The attitude exists that people can work if they want to. They are just lazy and can exist on just $9 a day in India. But I hate to think of the future of the street dwellers’ children, especially, the girls.

I visited a 14th century temple in Chennai twice, once on a tour with Paul and another after we learned there were weddings going on there and we were next door in a silk shop. We dashed over, removed our shoes, and went in. What a splash of color!! A feast for the eyes. The temples are not just places of worship, but community gathering places. They also have a stall for donated cows and a rooster or two.  On this day, eleven weddings would take place. We got to see three of the brides and their guests. Some of our students who had also happened upon the scene were actually invited to one of the receptions after they helped the bride change into her next outfit!



They requested our presence in the photo

 

Guest family








Note the .stunning saris on the wedding guests


Over and over, the Semester at Sea voyagers were invited into the homes of those they met. In India, Atithi Devo Bhavah or The Guest is a god, is practiced and many experienced this warm hospitality.




Muriel’s Story


One of the SAS student’s, Muriel, decided to visit the heart of India, Vernasi, the City of Light. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. People have been there since 2000 BC. It is a most important pilgrimage for Hindus. Here the Ganges River flows on its way from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, 3000 kilometers. Here, the Hindus come to bath, live, die, be cremated, and have their ashes put in the river. They believe if you have your ashes distributed in the river, you will not return for another life. Your life cycle will be complete.


Muriel’s twin brother had been there last year while on an SAS voyage. While standing at the edge of the Ganges, a young 12 year old girl engaged him in conversation. They spoke in Spanish. When he arrived at the river at 5:00 am the next morning, she was there. She stayed with him again. He asked her what she wanted. She wanted to be his friend, she said. She gave him her photo when he left Vernasi which he brought home and shared the story of the unusual girl with his twin sister.


Muriel walked to the river after arriving in Vernasi and stood there entranced by the sight. You would either have to be there or have seen a movie of the ceremony and activity to picture what she might have been seeing. Crowds of people are always present at the river side washing clothes, themselves, standing in the water, drinking it. Hindus who are able, go there to die, be cremated and have their ashes spread in the River. Muriel turned around and recognized that same young girl from the photo! Excited, she spoke with the child asking her questions that she would be able to answer if she was indeed, ‘the girl.’ The girl did not believe that Muriel was the twin of her friend – they are not identical twins and Muriel was not Spanish. But when Muriel began speaking to her in Spanish, they both began crying. Who would have believed that Muriel would meet this same child who had befriended her brother among the thousands of people at the river a year later!! When she left to return to the ship, the girl gave Muriel her ring which now Muriel proudly wears. The human connection had been made again!


Thai-Len’s story


Thai-Len left Viet Nam 14 years ago. She will complete her last semester at SAS and will graduate from UC Berkeley.  She joined the SAS trip this fall anxious about returning to her homeland when we dock in Vietnam. She and her mother are devout Buddhists. When Thai-Len learned that the Bodhi tree that Buddha preached under was far in the north of India near the Himalayas, she made plans to travel there with her friend. The two of them had a somewhat harrowing trip up north far from the ship and safety, but she did not explain that comment during her story. They finally arrived at their destination, hungry and tired but happy to have reached their destination. One of the first photos she took was of a monk sitting peacefully in prayer. They prayed together. They walked around the grounds of the holy site entranced.


After a couple of hours, a Vietnamese woman approached them. After discussing their backgrounds, she invited them to her home for lunch and they accepted. They shared their harrowing adventure to get there with her. She asked if they had a place to stay. No, they had not yet been to a hotel. She invited them to stay there and sleep on the patio with the rest of them at no cost if they would like to. She invited them to stay with her. She told them that she usually does not speak to strangers, but ‘gravity’ had pulled her to Thai-Len. Gravity holds us to the earth and attracts certain people to each other. That "Gravity" would protect them because they were good people. Nothing bad would happen to them.


At 4:00 am, they all arose and went to the temple to perform the morning rituals. After breakfast, they returned to the site, performed more rituals and went to sit by the famous Bodhi tree. Thai-Len had hoped for a leaf from the tree to take to her mother, but none were on the ground. The leaves are precious to the monks and gathered the minute they fall. Thai-Len’s companion noted a squirrel and stated he was getting her a leaf. About 10 seconds later, the leaf fell and a thrilled Thai-Len retrieved it for her Mother.


When Thai-Len returned to the ship and downloaded her photos of their pilgrimage, she realized that the monk in the photo she had taken upon arriving at the temple was actually the Vietnamese woman who "Gravity" had pulled her to!

India is truly a fascinating country. There is so much to see a absorb. The Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians live peacefully together, somewhat like the people of Mauritius. Religion and philosophy are a large part of everyday life and the signs of that are everywhere. Delhi reportedly looks lilke Washington D.C. Accra is more like Chennai. There are tea and rubber plantations, rice fields and lots of fruit and vegetable farms. Some construction methods are way out of date, but we saw a group of houses that looked like those in San Diego not far from the Art of Living area. I saw six men pulling a concrete railroad tie into place with a thick bamboo pole and ropes at the port where we docked. Scaffolding in Chennai was wooden poles tied together with rope.



Indian scaffolding



See me hold this up!



My three days of breathing, meditation and yoga were wonderful and so relaxing. I slept like a log for two nights after that. The shopping with my three friends, delightful. The prices of things in India are about one-third of what you could expect in the US. I did go to Mamallapuram too and enjoyed seeing the centuries old temples that were carved out of huge boulders the size of those at Elephant Rock State Park in Missouri. The temples were never completed.  The carving tookover a century and were never totally finished, so they are considered monuments, not temples.



Frank on far right with SAS students Catherine and Drew



Relaxing


I’m ready to come back to India and see more including, by many experts, the most beautiful building ever built, the Taj Mahal! Anyone want to go with me?

On to Singapore in two days!!






Betty, Suzanne, Gail and Louisa - happy shoppers!

 



Mammalapuran carving