Reunited!

Yesterday my mum came. I had been so excited and had been looking so much forward to it. As I sat in the bus on my way to Mysore to meet her I went through so many different emotional experiences. Homesickness, joy, excitement, nostalgy, sorrow (because of leaving) and so on. At bus stand I first felt like a nerv-wrecked and wondered how I will react when I finally meet her. I had to wait for a while though, because I'd come too early, so I could calm down a little bit. We had some trouble finding each other, but when we finally met it was so natural and normal. Like she would have always been here with me. Nothing crazy or weird. Just totally natural that she was here now. It had been almost six months since I saw her the last time and so much had happened to me since then. So many experiences and thoughts and ways of seeing things. But when we met it was like we'd never been apart.

After having lunch at the bus stand restaurant (cold masala dosa and parotha) we headed for Hunsur. I had earlier booked a nice hotel for us in Mysore, but cancelled it when the Amma insisted on that my mother stays the night in the host family. Meeting of my to “ammas” was great! Two totally different women from different worlds with almost 20 years of age difference. Amma was so happy to meet my mum. They hugged many times and exchanged some words even though they don't even share a mutual language. Amma was so happy to have her here and it made her even happier when mum gave many compliments about the house and the food. But I also noticed that she was a bit sad when we were packing the suitcases. Soon I would leave the people and the house that had been my home for half a year.

Today our journey will begin. We'll take the bus to Trivandrum in South Kerala. Tomorrow we'll be sun bathing on Kovalam Beach! I've planned so much program for us, of which we won't have the time to do even a half...Backwater trips, beaches, hill stations, tea plantations, waterfalls, nature reserves and of course, the Lakshadweep islands (paradise islands). But we won't stress about all these things, we will only do the things that feels good in the moment. We don't have to see everything and nothing is a must (except the paradise islands to where we've already booked the flights etc.) So two and a half weeks we will be travelling around, after which mum flies home and I go to Sadhana Forest. We have to come by the host family once more to pick up mum's big suitcase with all my Indian souvenirs...(19 kilos of my souvenirs + mums own stuff...)

If we have time and come by some internet I might update some pictures or short texts of our journey. If not, I will update after 3 weeks when I've arrived in Sadhana Forest. Looking so much to the next three weeks!

Amma and Mamma

Mamii

What a day!

We are just about to exit the house when I receive the phone call. Ten thirty instead of nine thirty. We go back inside and wait for one more hour, explaining amma that the principal called and changed the time. Only ten minutes ago we were in such a hurry trying to get our sarees right and finishing the breakfast. And now we have to wait.

We wait outside the bus stand were all the bikes are parked, as the principal told us. A drunk man is lying on the middle of the road. Only a few people even acknowledge him. I tell Pia that we wait for half an hour, then we go back home. I receive some messy calls from the principal and finally a guy on a scooter shows up, talking something about the old bus stand and a bus. He disappears as fast as he appeared. Annoyed and pissed of we finally find our way to the old bus stand. We wait there for a while next to a stinking waste container. Soon our friend on the scooter shows up again and we are all squeezed inside a jeep. All in all there are 18 people in the car.

Hunsur view

We drive through small villages and country sides. My saree is almost flying away as I'm sitting half inside half outside the car. I look at Pia and she is laughing. Half annoyed, half amused we are wondering where this day will take us.

They don't really know how to deal with us in the school. I'm repeating myself to the English teacher at least 10 times. It doesn't matter, he doesn't understand anyway because he's not really listening. We sit and wait and sit and wait. Finally the English teacher admits that they are a bit surprised that we showed up today, and that is why the arrangements take so long time. Frustrated and strained I explain that the date was fixed already weeks ago and that I've spoken to the principal several times this morning. Then they call for the principal who hadn't even cared about showing up. They still don't get our program but it's allright. As experienced social workers we have already chosen the only soothing program for this school. It will be Home-documentary in Kannada, due to lack of equipment and English skills.

In the end we showed Home-documentary and not King Cobra

Pia trying to be excited

We don't know for how long the students have been waiting in that classroom. The small TV in the corner looks a bit sad. As the English teacher is making his long speech about us and the importance of our program I feel so embarrassed and stupid. So now they can spill empty words and compliments on us and our program that they don't even understand. I also know that the teacher is mixing up and confusing everything about our club and our programs, but he is speaking in Kannada so I can't correct him. We insist on making a small speech of our own to save the awkward situation. Pia asks “ootha aitha?” and we get enormous applauses and laughter as a reward.

The TV

Interested students

Had your lunch?

The documentary is working quite well from the small TV. After one hour, however, the students get restless. It doesn't matter. We get tea and cake and biscuits.

In the end the English teachers makes another too long embarrassing speech. We save it again in the end by wishing them all a nice day and by thanking the principal and the other teacher for their support and cooperation. Exhausted by our own frustration we are looking forward to go home and stop pretending and smiling politely. But they won't let us go away that easily.

They want to show us their own holy man, Swamijii. He is old as the hills and never eats anything else than fruits and drinks water. We take off our slippers as we enter the room of the Swamiji. He is wearing only a dirty white loongi and I wonder what he is thinking about us. We are sitting there a long time with all the male teachers, only sometimes exchanging a word about our countries. Your country miss? Finland. Tinland tinland. Pinland. It is in north Europe, border to Russia. Aa, Russia. No, Europe. Aa Greenland, Denmark, Tinland? Greenland? Greenland is quite far away...whatever...Swamiji poses some questions to us about how we will save the earth. Embarrassed and annoyed I try to explain why we are here and that it is just the name of our club. I'm projecting my own doubts about volunteerism on the Swamiji, feeling stupid and useless. We get tender coconut milk and Pia has a hard time trying to finish the big glass.

Finally we are leaving. We get a ride in the principals fancy car. On the way we stop for ice-cream and bananas. It is so unbelievable everything. So crazy and weird and funny. When we finally return home we laugh and let it all out. What a day, what a crazy country. Only India can be so frustrating and lovely at the same time.

mmm ice cream in a car! Such luxury!

Thoughts about Hinduism

Finally I'm going to write this text about Hinduism, which I've attempted to write so many times before but never had enough patience and belief in myself to start. It's an enormous topic to cover only in one blog text and I won't even try to make it 100% covering and scientifically perfect. My facts and thoughts will mostly be based on my own knowledge and experiences, including one very interesting book I read here called “Hinduism, The Dawn of Civilization” by Dinesh Chandra. This book is written in a very pro-Hinduism manner and therefore isn't very objective in it's main topic. However, it contains very many good points about religions in general and points out how and why Hinduism distinguishes itself among the other world religions. In this little foreword of mine I just wanted to tell you not to read my text as the one and only truth about this religion, but as one perspective on it.

Already between 6000 BCE and 15000 BCE the Harappan culture flourished in the valleys of the rivers Sindhu (Indus) and Saraswati. It is not yet known what caused this complex and advanced culture to suddenly vanish, one of the speculated reasons have been the arrival of the Aryans. These fair and strongly built people were mixed with the indigenous inhabitants and also brought their holy scriptures, the Vedas. While the Indo-Aryans spread deeper in the subcontinent they also spread their religion and way of life. The teachings of the Vedas got mixed and modified when influenced by the indigenous religions and the early Harappan beliefs. It was not until other religions started to invade India when Hinduism got its status as a religion to be distinguished from the other religions.

Many people think that Hindus are polytheistic in their worship of so many different deities. This is a misconception since Hinduism is actually a pantheistic religion. All the numerous Hindu gods are avatars, incarnations of the Supreme Being, which can be found in everything. God is everywhere and in everyone. Mental images are required to keep the praying mind fixed and concentrated during worship. Idols, pictures, temples and other material objects are there only to help the people to learn about the Almighty. The different gods represent different sides and values of the Almighty.

Hinduism distinguishes itself from other world religions in being a personal religion. The Hindus have never tried to impose or force their own religion on others. Even among Hindus the religion is a very personal matter. Everyone should find their own way to reach the divine. There is a freedom to practise the religion in your own way and there are no fixed times for prayer or group gatherings. This leads to there being as many different variations of Hinduism as there are Hindus.

The Hindus are also quite open minded towards other religions since their philosophy tells that everyone has to find their own way to God. Also the turbulent history of India in which the Hindus have had to live and cope with so many different faiths and religions have contributed to the openmindness of the people.

Hinduism is probably mostly known for its terrifying caste system and the fatalistic belief in karma. Remembering my religion classes from five years ago when we discussed world religions I had exactly the above mentioned picture of Hinduism. Religious customs are very hard to understand when you just scratch the surface and learn things without knowing about the context they are applied in. Of course, dividing people into different castes and oppressing the lower ones is not nice, but it is not happening everywhere here and there was a reason for this too. Varna is a unique system of classifying a persons social status, caste is “hereditarily specialized and hierarchically arranged position” in the Varna. People were divided due to the work they did, priests, warriors, traders and workers, like we still have different society classes. But of course, many things went terribly wrong in this caste system and even though it's banned it still plays an important roll in the society (that's what they say). The strange thing is that you can't really SEE it. It's not like you immediately know when you meet people from which caste they are (and there are thousands of castes and sub-castes and so on). But to make it simple; poor people, people who do hard and dirty works are from lower castes (shudras or even castless dalits). The richer and the middle class have their roots in the warrior, brahmin or trader castes. Generalizing roughly now. It is very hard for me to actually understand how much these people care about the castes. It varies quite much from place to place. Things are totally different in urban areas compared to some poor villages. I've tried to ask the people here, my family and others, about the caste system but it's sometimes very hard to get any clear answers from the Indians...so I gave up. It is as it is.

Karma karma karma. Your destiny is already decided and there is nothing you can do about it, so why even try to make any improvements in life? No, the Hindus are not fatalistic, tells the author of my beloved hindu-book. Lord Brahma tells that “One's Karma are like seeds that have to be sown in the soil of destiny for them to take fruit”, meaning that nothing will be gained in the destiny unless you make some efforts for the desired results. Ones destiny lies in ones own hands. Punarjamma is the rebirth of the soul, dependent on past karmas. During your life you collect good and bad karma and when you die and your soul relieves itself from your body the karma will decide in what shape your soul will be reborn in. This explains why there are poverty and misery, why people are born in different social and economic strata of society. The religious beliefs help the poor people to accept and understand the suffering and not blaming others for it. Peace is restored in a society with so vast clashes between the poor and the rich. Sounds like a nice explanation..

So now I've represented some points on Hinduism that I myself thought interesting and important. There would be a lot more to tell and to learn too. It is not so easy to learn about Hinduism from the Hindus here. As I mentioned earlier, Hinduism is a personal religion. The Hindus don't discuss their religion with others since they think that everyone has to find their own spiritual path, it's a personal matter for them. Actually I think that this is the greatest teaching of Hinduism. If everyone would just have the liberty to think freely and to choose their own way of living without harming others, many things would be so much easier in this world.

Gokarna

Our accommodation

our room...

it's a dog

Mango shakes

Shree Kumar!

in the bus

Pahamaineinen Intia

Kirjoitan nyt tämän tekstin suomeksi monesta syystä. Ensinnäkin, vaikeimmista asioista ja syvimmistä tunteista on aina helpointa kirjoittaa omalla äidinkielellään. Toiseksi, tätä tekstiä ei muiden kuin suomea osaavien tarvitse lukea tietyistä syistä. Kolmanneksi, minun on hyvä välillä muistuttaa itseäni oman äidinkieleni olemassaolosta...

Noniin, kukaan ei varmaankaan ole voinut välttyä kaikilta raiskausuutisilta Intiasta. Viime talvena (2012) Intian maine koki kovan kolauksen poikkeuksellisen raaan raiskaustapauksen tultua julkisuuteen. Viime vuoden aikana naisiin kohdistuvien seksuaalirikosten määrä oli tilastojen mukaan kasvanut huimasti. Selvemmin sanottuna, yhä useammat naiset kertovat heihin kohdistuneesta väkivallasta, jonka takia tilastoihin saadaan isompia numeroita. Intian maine raiskauskeskuksena on valitettava, ja sen seuraukset ovat tulleet huomattua, esimerkiksi hiljaisella Goalla jouluna ja uutena vuotena. Itse lähdin viime elokuussa tänne välittämättä liiaksi maan huonosta maineesta naisia kohtaan ja siedin kaikki kauhistuneet kommentit ihmisten kuullessa matkastani. Yksittäisten tapausten yleistäminen tähän valtavaan maahan, missä asuu 16% koko maapallon väestöstä on typerää, mutta silti ihmisten huoleen on syytä. Välillä on niin vaikea tietää miten näihin asioihin pitäisi suhtautua. Krooninen pelko ja ennakkoluuloisuus ei auta ketään eikä tee ajastani täällä yhtään hauskempaa. Naiivi hyväuskoisuus ja uhkarohkeus on sekin tyhmää. Joten miten löytää kultainen keskitie? Vai onko sellaista edes löydettävissä...

Viime päivien aikana julkisuuteen pupahti taas pari uutta tapausta. On jotenkin ironista, että asuessani itse täällä Intiassa en kuule näitä uutisia, mutta ystäväni ja sukulaiseni Suomessa raportoivat minulle aina pikimmiten kaikista Intiaa koskevista kauheuksista. Yksi tapauksista koski 18 vuotiasta saksalaistyttöä, joka raiskattiin Mangaloresta Chennaihin menevässä junassa. Kyseinen tyttö on vapaaehtoistyöläinen ja oli kanssani samalla tutustumisviikolla Kundapurissa, olemme jopa ystäviä facebookissa. En oikeastaan tunne häntä, mutta selaillessani hänen iloisia facebook kuviaan Intiasta minut valtasi nopeasti hirveä ahdistus. Yhtäkkiä se tulikin liian lähelle, se mitä tälle tytölle oli tapahtunut oli niin totta ja niin todellista. Se olisi voinut olla kuka vaan meistä. Olen itse matkustanut Chennai Mysore väliä yksinkin yöjunassa, ja tulen vielä matkustamaan itärannikolle mennessäni Sadhana Forest-projektiin. Useimmiten en ole kovin peloissani, mutta tunnen alati että minun pitäisi olla kaikkien muiden takia. Se on vain niin ärsyttävää ja niin väärin, että naisena sitä ei voi olla täysin itsenäinen kun täällä matkustaa. En halua olla kenestäkään riippuvainen reissuillani, mutta silti järjen ääni sanoo että yksin matkustaminen on tyhmää ja uhkarohkeaa.

On myöskin todella vaikeaa välillä elää kahdessa todellisuudessa samaan aikaan. Suurin osa ihmisistä siellä, jotka eivät koskaan ole käyneet Intiassa, ovat jo mielissään rakentaneet kauhean kuvan tästä maasta ja sen raaoista ihmisistä ja katastrofeista. Sille ei voi mitään, media on muovaa kuviamme todellisuudesta enemmän kuin tajuamme. Mutta silti, onko niin vaikea uskoa että elämä täällä on ihan normaalia? Ihan tavallista, jokapäiväistä ja turvallistakin. Että hirveitä asioita sattuu, ja hulluja tähän maahan kyllä mahtuu, 16 % maailman väestöstä ahdettu vain 2% sen pinta-alasta, mutta enimmäkseen elämä on ihan normaalia. Sitä on vaikea selittää ja varmasti vielä vaikeampaa uskoa, kun vain kuulee kaikista kauheuksista. Minkäs sille mahtaa. Kaikesta huolimatta haluaisin vain ihmisten tietävän ettei Intia ole niin extremeä koko ajan. Ehkä se oli alussa kaikkine kummallisuuksineen, mutta tällä hetkellä en edes keksi blogiaiheita kaiken tuntuessa niin normaalilta ja melkein tylsältä.

Mutta vielä lyhyesti takaisin raiskaus-maineeseen. On totta että Intiassa on suuri ongelmia naisten aseman ja seksuaalirikosten saralla. Intiassa on vaikka kuinka paljon muitakin ongelmia, aina ympäristöasioista ja köyhyyteen jne. Hirveitä asioita tapahtuu, mutta niiden ei saisi antaa lannistaa. Saksalaistyttö on kuulemani mukaan melkein kunnossa, ottamatta huomioon psyykkisiä traumja ja vammoja, joista en voi tietää. Hän aikoo kai jatkaa vapaaehtoistyötään, jos ymmärsin oikein. En nyt tiedä miten lopettaisin tämän blogitextin fiksusti ilman yltiö naiiveja tai idealistisia iskulauseita, mutta haluan uskoa ja toivon, että Intia on kaikesta huolimatta menossa oikeaan suuntaan. Pikkuhiljaa asiat paranevat ja maailma muuttuu. (sieltä se tulikin). 

One Day in India

One working day in Hunsur/Periyapatna in pictures. The first day when Pia and I both wore the sarees and we took some pictures in front of our house.

Pia is wearing my saree and I'm wearing hers.

Then our beloved sister Kavia came from Madikeri and we forced her to join the photoshooting.

Hunsur Road. Staring people. And also compliments for our "nice Indian culture dress".

Hunsur Bus Stand. So many journeys started and ended here.

Pia buying water (no biscuits, no chocolate!) from the same shop as usual, where the young guys always laugh at us for some reason...

We got some biscuits after all, some nice fellow traveller was nice enough to share. But I had to stand the whole journey...

Pia looking embarassed when I'm taking pictures of her

Streets in Periyapatna Village

Me and my high fashion Halti bag

Looking excited for the forthcoming environmental programs we are going to conduct in Pushpa High School

Pia has a much nicer bag than me

There were so many interested and enthousiastic students!

After my

  superinterestingspeechcontainingmanyemptywordsaboutsaveourearthclubandabouthowpleasedwearetobehere

Pia made her magnificent presentation about Plastic Pollution

Plastic is not so fantastic (Pia's favourite phrase)

In the picture you can se a cow from our home street eating our waste. 

Isn't it ironic?...

After the plastic it was time for Global Warming and Biodiversity. Have you ever heard about carbon dioxide?

Sitting in the back with Sister and Father. Such nice and openhearted people in this school! So welcoming!

And we got nice mementos as well, so that we'll never forget our stay in India

Once again, the colourful streets of Periyapatna

Pia admiring our colourful rangoli. Yesterday it was a hindu festival.

Kannur

Kannur Beach

wasted

Camels on the beach

So much sand

Family pic

Pria and Hamunda

Party Rikshaw

Palmgrove Heritage

(we promised the desperate manager to come again next weekend)