First off, happy 4th of July from Delhi everyone. We've got another two hours left until the fifth, and we haven't heard any fireworks all day, so light some extra ones for us.
The last few days have been the best of the trip by far.
Saturday Bachan, the Executive Administrator at SDS (basically he is the guy with all the connections-anything or anyone we need he knows where and how to get it) took us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
It was a pretty long drive (with stops for tea, of course-any drive more than an hour or two usually involves a tea stop about halfway there). The Taj was very crowded, but very beautiful, plus it was nice seeing something so famous and one-of-a-kind in person.
Yesterday we took the same van and drove to Alwar. It was a very long drive on this terribly bumpy road (bumpier than the Lloyd even) through very dry lands with some massive hills (or small mountains).
We went to one of the small villages called Andhwari after checking into the hotel. That has been the best part of the whole trip.
We arrived in this literally middle of nowhere village about 20 or 30 minutes driving from Alwar city. We got out of the van and went up a hill to a small courtyard attached to this man's house.
We we approached we were all given a necklace of flowers and a dot of some sort of red paint on our foreheads that is supposed to be a welcome for guests.
Several plastic lawn chairs were set out for us near a table which we sat at while everyone else sat on the ground in front of us. Dr. Lall and another man, Om Prakash Galav (one of the pottery specialists who trained the villagers to make specialized items), translated for us. Eventually after getting some basic information Amy went off with the women while D.J. and I talked to the men.
It is amazing the progress these people have made since the implementation of Dr. Lall's program. They are charging four to five times as much for their products. 80 percent have TV's (a few even have plasma screens, which we couldn't believe), all have been able to add to their homes, they have improved pottery tools, they have an electric well pump and they get a newspaper everyday.
Once they warmed up to us there was a wonderful cross-cultural relationship. Each of us tried our hand at the pottery wheel (I could use some practice) and the women sang and danced with Amy.
It was and indescribable feeling to be there and have these people open up to us and share so much of their lives with us when they had only met us that day.
I have found this is pretty much how India is. If you give a nod of your head and a smile most people are very friendly and open. I don't think I have really seen anyone back home approach a foreigner with such happiness and willingness to share in their life. This is not to sugarcoat things. There are of course the seedier types that make you wary, but every country has those.
After chai (tea) we left the village to go see the old Alwar city palace. There were a bunch of children there yelling at me "one photo please!" and they were all very excited to see the picture I took. One man came up to me and had me take a picture of his son and said, "Save this one."
We ended the night with some local food on the roof of the hotel.
This morning we walked with Hari, the SDS driver, to a local Hindu temple before we drove to a nearby lake which was huge. Then we went to Om Prakash's shop and spent some rupees on his handmade clay items. We also went to his home and met his family. It was all an amazing experience.
The last few days have been the best of the trip by far.
Saturday Bachan, the Executive Administrator at SDS (basically he is the guy with all the connections-anything or anyone we need he knows where and how to get it) took us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
(Bachan, D.J., myself)
It was a pretty long drive (with stops for tea, of course-any drive more than an hour or two usually involves a tea stop about halfway there). The Taj was very crowded, but very beautiful, plus it was nice seeing something so famous and one-of-a-kind in person.
Yesterday we took the same van and drove to Alwar. It was a very long drive on this terribly bumpy road (bumpier than the Lloyd even) through very dry lands with some massive hills (or small mountains).
We went to one of the small villages called Andhwari after checking into the hotel. That has been the best part of the whole trip.
We arrived in this literally middle of nowhere village about 20 or 30 minutes driving from Alwar city. We got out of the van and went up a hill to a small courtyard attached to this man's house.
We we approached we were all given a necklace of flowers and a dot of some sort of red paint on our foreheads that is supposed to be a welcome for guests.
Several plastic lawn chairs were set out for us near a table which we sat at while everyone else sat on the ground in front of us. Dr. Lall and another man, Om Prakash Galav (one of the pottery specialists who trained the villagers to make specialized items), translated for us. Eventually after getting some basic information Amy went off with the women while D.J. and I talked to the men.
It is amazing the progress these people have made since the implementation of Dr. Lall's program. They are charging four to five times as much for their products. 80 percent have TV's (a few even have plasma screens, which we couldn't believe), all have been able to add to their homes, they have improved pottery tools, they have an electric well pump and they get a newspaper everyday.
Once they warmed up to us there was a wonderful cross-cultural relationship. Each of us tried our hand at the pottery wheel (I could use some practice) and the women sang and danced with Amy.
It was and indescribable feeling to be there and have these people open up to us and share so much of their lives with us when they had only met us that day.
I have found this is pretty much how India is. If you give a nod of your head and a smile most people are very friendly and open. I don't think I have really seen anyone back home approach a foreigner with such happiness and willingness to share in their life. This is not to sugarcoat things. There are of course the seedier types that make you wary, but every country has those.
After chai (tea) we left the village to go see the old Alwar city palace. There were a bunch of children there yelling at me "one photo please!" and they were all very excited to see the picture I took. One man came up to me and had me take a picture of his son and said, "Save this one."
"One photo please!"
I'm saving this one and passing it along
We ended the night with some local food on the roof of the hotel.
This morning we walked with Hari, the SDS driver, to a local Hindu temple before we drove to a nearby lake which was huge. Then we went to Om Prakash's shop and spent some rupees on his handmade clay items. We also went to his home and met his family. It was all an amazing experience.
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