11. Local Transportation in India - moving people and goods

I could write this in two words, just say ‘its different’  and end it there - but where would the fun be in that?! But the fact is, It is different - and in so many ways!  

First about the roads - there are lines dividing lanes but these can only be considered “general guidelines” at best.  Emphasis on “general” and on “guidelines”.  In Jaipur, two lanes can be shared by any combination of 2-3 cars, , 3-4 motorcycles, a bicycle or two, a cart pulled by a man, a horse or a camel, various people crossing the road, the odd cow or two crossing the road or having a nap on the road, elephants and, a dog or two.  That’s just the traffic going in the same direction because no one seems to take offence at the cars or motorcycles travelling in your lane in the opposing direction.  It is, of course, much quicker to just scoot down the wrong side of the road rather than go past where you want to be, make a u-turn and go back on the right side of the road - everybody knows that!  Cannot tell you how many times I’ve been walking on the side of a road and come face to face with a car or motorcycle coming directly at me from the wrong side of the road.

I wrote before about the horn-honking - its constant because in the absence of stop signs, its a way of announcing “coming through” or “behind you, move over”.   And differently, blowing horn is requested - you will see painted on the back of a truck in one of the pictures “Blow Horn” and you see that all the time.

So you have a myriad of cars, tourist buses, city buses, carts, rickshaws - auto and pedal, motorcycles, scooters bicycles, people, cows, and and you have them in great quantity with the odd dog, elephant, camel and goat thrown into the mix.  The interesting thing is that for the most part, no matter how jammed the road is, things keep moving, albeit slowly at times, but except when you are stopped for the odd red light everything keeps moving forward (or cross-wise, just depending).  Having sat (at times impatiently at seemingly endless red lights in North America), it was a startling realization and it really hit home by one of those “interesting fact” emails (thank you Bruce) that said the average North American will spend 6 months of his/her life sitting at stop lights or signs!  Imagine!!  So, no matter the crowds and chaos on the streets here, you often feel more often like you are getting somewhere here because you are continuing to move.

The moving of goods I’ve also found very interesting.  On flatbed carts pulled by a bicycle I’ve seen stacks of boxes containing things ranging from mini-fridges, to shoes or  fabrics. You see men walking uphill beside their bikes pulling these carts all the time, not just once in awhile.  And, if you don’t have something to carry stuff on, its carried on the head.

About motorcycles. First, they are smaller of course - usually 250cc or 350cc, but its their use that never ceases to amaze me. Here are just some of the sights I’ve seen:  multiple family members of course - I’ve seen one adult with 4 children, or 3 adults with 2 children or 4 adults (even I’ve now been on a scooter in Amer with two of the teachers!), two guys with a trussed up pig on the lap of the passenger or adults and children with the pig slapped across the tank!  They transport goods as well - passengers holding 6 cu. ft. boxes and last night we saw two guys on a bike carrying a 10’ piece of iron rod - that was scary - it was dusk and there were no orange flags on either end of rod.…  Motorcycles here are not purchases for leisure, they’re use is more like the way we use a mini-van, except on 2 wheels.

And riding a bike?  Forget everything you ever learned about personal space and how to ride safely.  Not only do they not ride in orderly staggered formation but will squeeze through any space that they can fit through.  If the car is sitting at a light or at a train crossing, for example, and there is two feet between the car and the car beside it, before that train passes, several bikes and scooters will have zoomed up in between to get to the front.  And, often they will be riding with just flip-flops on!  They do wear helmets but 99% of the helmets I’ve seen have broken the “drop it once and replace it” rule at least a thousand times!

If the motorcycle is the 2-wheeled version of the mini-van, the auto-rickshaw is the 3-wheeled version.  I’ve shared one with 4 other adults but we didn’t even use the “trunk” for that trip…they fit in lots of variations -  men with their band instruments for example.  But, its the number of small children they pack in - inside as well as in the trunk area.

So, for the average bear, driving is not something one would readily tackle.  In fact, its discouraged for tourists to the extent that if you rent a car, that car comes with a driver.  As I write this, I’m on my way to Puskar which is only 135 kms from Jaipur and normally I wouldn’t think twice about driving but, here - I’m travelling by train!  Which by the way can be different as well in that in some cars, people are packed right in standing up (that’s not how I’m journeying….chicken!!)

Which reminds me to mention passing.  Every lane is a passing lane, including going up or coming down a hill around a corner where there is absolutely no way of knowing who or what is coming up the other side.  Today on the way from Pushkar to Ajmer train station on a hilly, curvy road, the driver pulled out to pass on a turn and when we got halfway round the bus, we were face to face with another bus.  Not for the faint of heart!

Hope some of my pictures give you a flavour - notice the one of the Ambassador car “the king of Indian roads” which sadly they stopped manufacturing in May 2014.  Also, there are thousands of auto- rickshaws - they are all made by Piaggio but it is not uncommon to see that name painted over and replaced with “Volvo” -  and they are often individualized with things painted on them, like “stay back”, “blow horn” or, my favourite kind “no girlfriend, no tension”!!  In Jaipur, they don’t use the meters so you always set the price before getting in and this can involve quite the process of negotiation!  

Amusing side note - auto rickshaws are always on the look-out for a fare so hailing one has never been a problem in Jaipur - in fact, even if you are talking to a driver, it has not been uncommon for one or two others to stop, just in case.  When we were in Delhi recently, I was with Indian friends and we walked up to 4 drivers before one even wanted the fare.  While we were riding, I allowed as how it was so much different than in Jaipur to which my friends “no its not, its that you are so obviously not from here and they can make more money off you”!  And, here was I thinking there were just so many of them trying to make a living and here they are thinking “got a live one here”!

10. Sports Day at Tushita Foundation

Saturday’s are activity days at the Foundation and last Saturday we had a Sports Day.  There were to be 3 types of races:  3-legged, straight race and hula-hoop as well as badminton and football (read soccer) and during the week, children signed up for their activity of choice. 

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, which is normal, but warmer also - sometime in the last week the temperatures have ramped up and spring flowers are blooming.  We arrived at the Foundation early afternoon to the first surprise of the day for me.

At first I thought the children had not arrived yet because I didn’t hear the usual sounds of them from the playground, but when I stepped through the gate, there they were - all sitting together along the side wall on stools they had carried out from the classrooms.  I wasn’t there when the stools were brought out of course, but I know they helped because I’ve seen it before.  Still, a Saturday afternoon in a playground and the children sitting, waiting patiently for the events to start?

Soon we got the races underway and what an absolute delight to see - the combination of the smiles of determination on the faces of those racing and the sounds of the other students cheering them on.  And not just the younger ones cheering younger -all the children were cheering in each race and nowhere was the cheering louder than during the hula hoop races and most of the kids doing that were the younger girls.  

Following the races, there was football.  Its pretty popular here so there were lots of kids wanting to play, older, younger, boys and girls.  It was a bit of an exercise getting teams sorted out and there was some minor grumbling  (very minor) from some of the boys about the number of girls on their teams but all in all, Federico and Alex were able to get the kids sorted into 4 teams in pretty short order.  It was getting later, so there was time for 2 short games amid lots of cheering from the sidelines.

It was an unusually windy afternoon so we weren’t planning on badminton but the kids really wanted to play and to do that, the holes for the posts had to be dug back out so the posts could be put back in, the high wire strung and the court marked out.  I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to watch as teachers and children alike help make all that happen.  

There were winners in each of the activities of course and while Alex, Federico and I had toyed with the idea of getting small trophies, we decided against it and I was glad we did because there was not one child who even brought up the idea of a reward for winning.

What we did do was opt for a sweet treat in place of the usual fruit, Jaipur being renowned for their love of sweets, after all.  When the treats are being handed out, there was no rush to be first in line - they wait their turn.  The only rush is children offering their sweets to teachers and volunteers.  Imagine.  That’s actually a daily occurrence when the fruit gets handed out - the children plead with you to take some of theirs -“please ma’am, please, take some, please ma’am” .  (I think I mentioned before that, in India, when you decline an offer of something, its only grounds to be offered many more times!)

But, by far and away, the thing I think the students loved the most?  Hands down, they had the most fun watching the teachers and volunteers do the 3-legged race - especially when, faced with a loss, Alex resorted to picking up his partner and carrying her to the finish line!   It wasn't enough to beat Federico and Ruksar anyway, but oh, such hooting and hollering from the fans!

When it was time to put everything away, their were children there to help with that as well.  When I was carrying two stools, one of the children ran over to say “no ma’am - please, let me”.

It was another wonderful day at Tushita Foundation and, well timed I would say because soon it will be too hot to have such a day and activity days will be held indoors.  I’ve not mentioned this before -  I knew the backlash would be swift and fearsome but, for the first few weeks here, I was cold all the time.  I know, I know!!!   But consider this - a high of +12c with lows of +4c, buildings constructed of concrete and marble to keep them cool in the hot months and - no heating of any kind.  Like those before me, I wasn’t prepared to be cold so had no real warm clothes - thankfully Federico had two hoodies, one of which he leant me at the Jaipur Literature Festival and never saw again for 3 weeks!!  Its just springtime here and the temps are already in the low 30s….

9. About a Wedding

It seemed from the moment I arrived in Jaipur, there was a buzz about “THE” wedding -  Priyanka, a teacher from Tushita Foundation, was getting married and we were all invited.   I looked forward to it of course - I hadn’t expected to experience a traditional Hindi wedding.

For for the first while, the most pressing issue was the “What will I wear” until one day I was in the playground, standing amongst the teachers, when one of them said they would be preparing a dance for ‘ladies sangeet’.   “How lovely”, says I (having no idea at the time what “ladies sangeet” was - its an evening of music and dance in honour of the bride).  “Yes and would you be a part of it with us.”   As I looked smiles of invitation upon their faces, the words “How nice of you to think of including me”“ came out whilst somewhere else, another part of my brain was screaming “OMG!!”.  

Shortly after, we were informed the music was ready (a medley of tunes) and so rehearsals began.  The teachers knew all the songs and they all know what various Indian hand gestures and moves in dance mean but, at the beginning, it was a little intimidating for the four of us volunteers.   It wasn’t helped by the fact that, in their excitement, they reverted to speaking Hindi - more than once, they’d finish hashing out some steps, then turn to the four of us with expectant gazes only to hear us say  “we have no idea what you just said”.  We were none of us sure we would ever get it right, but In India, “everything is possible”  and “don’t worry” is a way of life.

Soon enough the day was upon us, or should I say evening, and as we arrived, the garden grounds were being set up with tables, chairs and, good lord, a stage.  The thought briefly crossed my mind that it would be dark soon so probably no one of the several hundred people coming would see us anyway, but it was a very fleeting thought since we’d passed enough wedding grounds the last 2 weeks to know that they do lighting in a big way here and sure enough, just as dusk turned to darkness, lighting fit for a movie set switched on.

The music started and an emcee introduced the first dancer, a woman dressed in a gorgeous sari (understatement because the fabrics, colours and adornments pretty much defy description) performed a dance as other women went up onto the stage, circled the dancer and dropped rupees into a jar, followed by a lovely young couple and then a young boy who danced to “Superman” who was so entertaining and engaging, we all simultaneously looked at one another mouthing the words “there’s no way we’re following that act”!  Eventually it was our turn and the, before we knew it, we were done.   Everyone missed a step or two somewhere along the way but it was of no consequence in the end - Priyanka was clearly touched by our gesture as were numerous other of her family members.  Yes, there is a video but its 14 minutes long and requires someone with more techno-ability than I have to manage to get it uploaded, so you’ll have to wait till I see you to get to watch it!

A Hindu wedding is strikingly different from a North American wedding in several ways.  First, although the bride and groom have both agreed to the marriage, they don’t know each other and have spent no time together.  Secondly, once they are married, the bride leaves her family and friends, basically everything she has known to date, and leaves to live with the groom in his parent’s home where she adapts to their way of life.  As Alex put it, its not so much a new chapter in a bride’s life, rather it is the close of one book and the beginning of another.  

There are numerous wedding ceremonies taking place over a number of days (10 in this case)  either take where the bride and groom live -  Amer and Udaipur respectively, a travel distance of some six hours.   During this time, there were days when Priyanka and her family would board a train, travel the 6 hours to Udaipur for a ceremony, to return on an overnight train for the next ceremony early the next day.

The final day itself is an outstanding testament to endurance.   It starts early in the morning and lasts for a full 24 hours, followed immediately with the very emotional departure of the bride and groom to the groom’s home - another 6 hours before they sleep.  While there is opportunity for family members to slip away for some rest during the overnight hours, the bride and groom are there the entire time.  One wondered how they manage not to collapse with exhaustion but doubtless nervous anticipation has something to do with staying awake that long at such an emotional time.

The bride was stunning - her gown amazing - in fact, the array of fabrics, colours and jewels altogether took one’s breath away.  Even the groom’s attire was something to see. 

Here’s wishing Priyanka a wonderful married life together.

8. About Tushita Foundation - the reason I'm here in India at all

As you know, I’m here in Jaipur, India  helping teach English at Tushita Foundation to children in the nearby village of Amer.  The web-site, www.tushitafoudationindia.org, will give you information on history and purpose, however, now that I’ve been here for six weeks, I’d like to tell you a little about it from my personal experience here.

To me, Tushita Foundation is an example of altruism in its purest form.  It is the dream child of four very special people and everything that Tushita Foundation is, is because they had a dream to give children the chance at a better life by teaching them English, an opportunity these children would not otherwise have.  This is particularly compelling It is all the more when you consider that only recently could a person in India hope to achieve a position in a occupation outside of that prescribed by the caste he/she was born into. 

Attendance at the Foundation is free for the children and they are provided with their uniform, school supplies and a fruit everyday.  Just having a fruit a day is a big thing for these children, the benefits of which have already been observed in the health of the children.  

School days in India run Monday through Saturday and the children come to the Foundation between 2 and 6 pm after their regular school day, however, attendance can be sporadic for numerous reasons, for example, school hours change seasonally at their regular school, so they can't get to the Foundation.  Parenthetically, at first I thought it was a long school day and week compared to ours, but I’ve come to realize that there are many more days on which there is no school or, when a student will not be there.  For example, a traditional Hindi marriage ceremony spans 10 days (!), and a student be away for that time.

You will notice from pictures that there are not classrooms such as we know them, and in fact, one teacher’s space is the hallway entrance to the building.  To see the use of school supplies here is an eye opener.  While in Canada, our children typically have their own pack and pencil case with a multitude of pens, pencils and markers, here there is a pen or pencil for each student, kept in a small tin.  There is one tin of coloured pencils.  To see these children use these pencils is to know how wasteful we can be in North America.  These students use pencils down to the stub and the erasers right down until its so tiny that only small fingers can even pick it up.   They make do with the little plastic sharpeners and share erasers.

And share they do.  From time to time, you will see a little grabbing but most of the time, no.  Boys and girls alike look out for the younger children and its not at all unusual to see friends hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm - again boys and girls alike into young adulthood.

The bigger contrast, however, is the interaction between the teachers and students - its so much different here.  There is teaching of course, but there is also interactive conversation between teachers and students , both in the classroom and in the playground.  For example,  recently, one of the teachers had to take her child to the hospital and the children in her class asked her about what happened when she arrived.  A teacher's birthday is celebrated by colleagues and students alike and pictures of a teacher's recent wedding eagerly viewed by the students!  There is laughter between students and teachers in the classroom and the playground is a delight to see as teachers, volunteers and students alike participate in games - whether it be badminton, kite flying or, hide and seek with the little ones.  Its quite lovely. 

The children themselves - well, they’re children so they’re wonderful!  Everyday, there is a chorus of “Good Afternoon Ma’am”  from smiling faces as they troop happily file into the building.  When the fruit comes, they all want to share with the teachers and they can be pretty persistent (I’ve come to realize that the answer “no” to an offer of food is just a prelude to numerous other offers!)  They are smart, eager to learn and appreciative.

This Foundation is still in its infancy - this being only its sixth year and everything that has been done has been done by with one single guiding principle and that is:  will it benefit the children”.  They have big dreams for the children -  bigger classrooms, a library, a computer room, visits by doctors, to dentists and the like, but it takes time especially when its entirely self-funded.   

Currently only four volunteers at a time are invited and I feel so lucky to be a part of this endeavour and truly blessed to be here and be part of this incredible level of selfless caring.