Dr. Di Michelle Reams Rockstar

Got a haircut. Check me out. I am either an 80's rockstar or a Michelle Reams wanna be. You decide.

Holi and the education of our men

The festival of colors. We were excited. People throw powdered colors on each other and make merry. Sounds like fun. We armed ourselves with water balloons (thank you mike and lark) and walked around getting covered in colors and covering others in water. We found a neighborhood of yelling and screaming children and played with them. It was so fun. They gave us food and beer. It was a bunch of families making merry. Too see more of holi we went to a big beach. We were surrounded by around 100 young men and I was grabbed a few times in inappropriate places. We left with the help of police and their big bamboo sticks. Sitting with Mark afterwards I asked. "What do we need to do to empower women so this does not happen again?" But together we realized it is not women empowerment that is the question here. It is education of our young men. No one has ever crossed this line with me ever. Sex is extremely taboo in India. White women on Hollywood movies are confusingly liberated to India men. If nothing regarding sex is talked about then how do hormone happy teenagers know how to appropriately vent their sexual frustration? We have to start talking about this. We need to educate the young and be open to talk about what is embarrassing. If you ever get hit on inappropriately use this opportunity to talk about ok vs not ok behavior. I need to start doing this. I need you to help with this too. Our silence only hurts women. I know.

Volunteer Work in India

Folks, we are actually doing volunteer work on our trip. Here are a few pictures from our volunteer placements in Mumbai, India.

Pictures of: Di doing Art Therapy with the people at the center

The boys from the "drop-in" center on an Educational Visit to the Nehru Science Center- It is basically the Indian version of the Franklin Institute.

Mark at the on the beach during the overnight Group Home Camp

Mark with the boys from the "drop-in" center on a picnic to Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Urban Cowboy

Well folks you would think with all this world travelling and social work my views on life and outlook on the world would have changed the most! Alas, it has not been the case. The real change has come in my appearance. If you know me I am a huge fan of the shorts and a t-shirt look. In fact the less clothes the better! But Mumbai has many different issues that have influenced my current clothing style.

1. YOU HAVE TO WEAR PANTS! I would personally like to change this norm, but I don’t know if this goofy, curly haired American is the one for this job! I have tried my best to flaunt my chicken legs as much as I can though.
2. The air quality is 7^th worst in the world! Breathing Mumbai air has been compared to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day.

I have become what people might call an, “Urban Cowboy.” I have provided two pictures, one of my normal appearance and one of my “new image” that has come about because of my time in Mumbai.

Please look at them carefully b/c I have changed a few things from one picture to the next. Try to see if you can spot all the differences. Answers next post!

P.S. I didn’t buy the jeans they were a gift from a friend!

Cows Own Mumbai!

Dear friends, I am happy to inform you that there is a new king I town! Tata Cooperation’s, Bollywood and Indicom have been over thrown by what I’ve recently been informed is “Man’s REAL best friend” the cow! Instead of stray dogs, which they have plenty of, they also have stray cows that come and go as they please in the city. From what people have told me about the Hindu religion was Lord Kristhna’s views his mother in the image of a Cow. Luckily, there have not been any cow and run cases during my pedestrian travel!

Cheese Puffs...The Breakfast of Champions!?!?!?

Cheese puffs!

The power food that was chosen for 16 young men as they prepared to explore personal growth and tackle the subject of sexual education as none other than Chai, Upama (a traditional India Breakfast food), and CHEESE PUFFS! How cool is that! America was great enough to invent such an unhealthy snack, but India has taken it to the next level! Cheese Puffs for breakfast! Mothers all across the globe are scared!

Matching Bruises!

Within two days of each other we got matching bruises! how romantic! India is a dog eat dog world!

pics and links

here you can see a typical goods carrying truck, pani puri which we made with our friends val and amol, an old muslim womans hands, and one of the clients where i work. check out more pictures athttp://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=581221203751864030/l=353766354/g=11441637/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Oneness blessin-working for the NGO

hello there my loves. it has been months since i have written. the big news is that you should be able to call us on an asheville number. i have emailed sue as our test pilot today. the number is.....828-333-4656. please call because i miss you. we are around 10 hours after you. so your morning time is best. हे लुक हिन्दी there is a type in hindi option how cool. so i have spent 21 days silently meditation and to date i would rank the wedding and this meditation course, http://www.onenessmovement.org/ the highlights of my life. i am looking forward to seeing how my life will change with this in it. so far i just do the 2x/day short practices. i am looking forward to giving deeksha to more folks. i have been livin in a lil flat and working for an NGO for two weeks. we work with HIV heroine addicts. pretty intense and a great program. they strive for helping others to help themselves. One of the addicts who i got to know a bit, relapsed and died in a train accident. This is what happens with this population a lot, pretty crazy, pretty sad. but i am glad i got to know his beautiful smile! I am conducting an art therapy workshop this weekend, should be great. i miss you all

Bollywood and Delaware!

The pictures are of me and some locates hawkers at the Mumbai Arts Festival and other arts festival happenings!

I think I forgot to talk about the Kanheri Caves in Sanjay National Park. They were straight up amazing! They were built around 900 AD by Buddhist Monks! Here were over 109 caves. Most were simple dwellings, but about 20 are truly amazing. One is like a prayer hall with pillars carved in the walls and a shrine. Another was like a lecture hall complete with two long sitting areas. Most caves had canal for drainage! It was great. We are planning a field trip to the Park with the youth who come into our drop in center! I’m stoked.

Di and I walked to the Caves and it was a good 2 mile walk. We saw many communities of monkey along the way. When we past one set of monkeys there was a car, about the size of a station wagon carrying about 18 people feeding the monkeys. As Di and I walked by they stopped feeding the monkeys and just stared at us. (This is not uncommon, we get stared at all the time. I suspect any white person gets stared at all the time. It can get quite annoying sometimes) ANYWAY I want to do a study to see what people stare at longer…Monkeys or Foreigners! I will publish my findings in Science Today! Look for it upon my return to the states in the September 2008 issue!

Di and I went to Filmistan the other day. Filmistan and Film City are the sets that many Bollywood films and most India TV shows are shot. It was amazing! I have a new dream! To have my own cooking tv show. I would eat all day! How great is that! So let me report back to everyone what it is like to be on the set of a cooking show. They shoot for about 12-14 hours straight for 6 days. That basically gives them a season of shows. It takes around 20-30 minutes to shoot an episode and they everyone gets to try the tasties! Not too bad. On top of this world class food there is a stream of chai/coffee/soda/water. Of course lunch and dinner are served but they act as a side course the multiple gourmet tastings throughout the day!

If you have read this long you deserve the secret to getting stuff done or going places in India. The person who greets you will refuse you entrance pretty much no matter what. Even if you have a huge invitation that says you belong there or even if the building has a large picture of you face on it. You will not be let in. They will claim you need 5 other forms of identification or need letters from public officials of some sort. Do not be discouraged! Keep insisting that you belong or were invited or whatever the case maybe and after about 3 minutes they will welcome you in! Good Luck~

So Delaware is a real cool place on the other side of the world as opposed to in the US!!! I have gotten the following reactions to me being from Delaware the past 2 weeks!
Our one friend Red is Indian but lived in Chicago for 14 years and has about 340 tattoo’s and is a boat load of fun. (Yes we did sing her the “I used to Work in Chicago” song. This song did not nearly go over as well as I would have hoped with the international audience.) Any way were talking about where we were from in the states and I proudly told her Delaware! She basically fell over in excitement and started touching me screaming “I have never meet anyone from Delaware, that is an imaginary place!” This went on for a solid 5 minutes!
Another volunteer with AJWS was equally as excited to meet a true Delawarian. Over diner we were introducing ourselves and again I got the chance to throw the Delaware title out there and her reaction was equally as exuberant! Your from Delaware?!?!?!? That is amazing. I have never meet anyone from Delaware! What is it like? Can I have your autograph. And then we posed for pictures! It was great!

Update from India

So how goes it everyone? Things are great here. In the past few weeks Diane and I have partaken in the AJWS staff training for our India Placement. I would like to give a shot out to Sam, William, Sunita, Anna!! They were the staff for AJWS and the training was extremely beneficial and informative for both of us. We also got to meet the other incredible volunteers~ Ron, Debby, Debby, Sylvia, Murrey, and Jason. They are wonderful people and we wish them much luck in their up coming volunteer placements!

Diane and I went to Sanjay Gandhi National Park this past Sunday. There is a cat problem so they say. Between 2004-2005 33 people have been eaten by leopards! LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN IN TWO YEARS 33 PEOLE HAVE BEEN EATEN BY LEOPEARDS! That is wild! How does this happen you might as? Well Mumbai has about 14 million people in it and this National Park is pretty much the only green space around. There are huge high-rises and apartments all around the park. Poor people have started to live in the park because of land issues. This is illegal. The local government is supposed to regular this, but the local politicians want the vote of the people living in there so don’t enforce the law thus 33 PEOPLE GET EATEN BY LEOPARDS! Truly Wild and sad. There was a wedding in the park by some of the local inhabitants. We were able to see the presentation of the bride as well as the party that ensued after the ceremony! It was very lively with music and all. Here are some pictures from our trip there.

We also went to our first house party in India! It was a heck of a good time with lots of food. Diane and I feel that Indian’s are much like Jewish Mothers and Italian Grandmothers! They just feed and feed you. You have to say no about 123 times before their request subside. It’s great food though. Mom don’t worry I’m not starving by any means! I’ve actually put on some wait!

We moved from our temporary home in Thane- (thanks Val and Amul!) to our place in Bandra! This place apparently has Bollywood stars all over the place but I haven’t been able to recognize one yet! The local Crepes places is run by a Bollywood actor but I don’t know who!

We have meet someone who produces an Indian TV cooking show. We are going to his studio tonight to taste some of the foods. I think the show is on ZEE TV on Sunday at 12:30 pm if you get that channel! Look for the two white people stuffing their faces! That will be us!

Me and the Thali have had a falling out or sorts! Well I guess it is really Mumbai’s fault but Mumbai does not believe in the bottomless Thali much like the rest of the country. It is sad so my hunt for a bottomless Thali is underway and I will report back once I have found it! If you know of any near Bandra please do let me know!
Thanks~

Saathi- the beginning!

Intro to Saathi:

I have been at Saathi for 2 weeks thus far. The first two weeks are for me to familiarize myself with the multiple facets of the Saathi juggernaut. Saathi’s main focus is to work towards a Just and Equitable world with a specific focus on youth living on the streets.

I have visited ad interacted with the youth at the two main “day centers.” One is KPC where the boys go and other is the APC where the girls go. Both provide physical, social, occupational, and emotional support for the youth during the day. I observed and participated in various activities in each center ranging from story telling, physical activities, theater therapy and counseling.
I have been taken on three outreach trips through the various locations Saathi networks in. The red light district and the Mumbai Central bus terminal were the locations I observed and met some of the youth living on the street and Saathi’s Stake Holders. Stake Holders are individuals who have been on the streets for a while and will refer newer youths to Saathi. I spent an afternoon at Saathi’s Muland Home Placement Center. The Home Placement center houses runaways who are relatively new to the Mumbai area. The Home Placement serves as a location away from the city where the youth can reflect on their decision to run away where meals, counseling, and shelter is provided. I visited vocational center where youth boys were making paper bags out of recycled newspapers. They happily welcomed me to learn the trade. It was fun!I look forward to start planning my projects with the staff and implementing them!

Here are pictures from the Mumbai Marathon and the Kathakali Dance in Kerala. Kathakali dance is native to the Southern part of India. It tells a story of various gods only using music and movement. there is a large emphasis on the facial movements of the dancers. it was great to watch!~