Yes! Im back home right now. It was sad to leave but then on the other hand I was very happy to leave and go back home. 1.5 month in India was quite a long time for me for first time - getting used to different culture, getting over those hard things and all those quite overwhelming experiences.
But let me go back to the point where I finished my last stories.
Thus we are still in this congregation in Kotagiri. I spent there 10 day all together, I had really great time. They took care of me as an VIP guest, I was eating great indian food, some Tamil Nadu and Kerala and Karnataka specialties as well. It was very very nice food.
It was fun to see how those postulant sisters were getting used to me. They started calling me "auntie" which is the title used for every elder person expressing the respect for that person. It should be noted that some of those girls where my age, some even older. Later on they called me "aka" which is older sister in Tamil (language of that region). And after few days they called me with my name, started joking, talking, started to be less shy and when I worked in the kitchen or garden with them - we started to become friends after all :)
From sister Katarzyna I've got to know few stories. But what was striking for me, she said that basically 75% at least of men beat their wifes or kids. And it is common that kids can't go to school for a week b/c have to much bruises. And what is terrifying for me that it is that deep in their mentality that even catholics do it - which is very bad even from religious point of view. Kids are getting beaten b/c of bad marks at school). She told me that in Kotagiri (I think so it was there, not 100% sure though) was a story that boy was beaten b/c of the marks, his skin cracked b/c of that so the father took honey,put it on the wounds and tied the boy to the tree... SO you can imagine what was going on with the bees all around... And what's going on now? The boy grew up and repeats the scheme in his own family... It was pathological family though.
Another story: they have a worker in this congregation who does all small, needed work like small constructions, cutting trees, fixings and so on. He is from the village. But one day he didn't show up at work for few days in a row without any notice what's going on. Thus sister superiors went to his house to figure out what's going on. So he was lying sick on a kind of garbage bag, his wife wasn't giving him any food, not taking care of him at all. basically she wanted him to die b/c she already had another man. So sister took him to the hospital, they cured him, and now he lives in a small room by the congregation house. When you talk to him he barely answer, is always frightened and basically he is totally intimidated man. She is saying that he has no family, that all those nans and blind girls are his sisters but he has no family (he has 2 kids). When his daughter was getting married while she was 15 yo, his son came to him and asked for his blessing and permission be he said he does not agree, she is too young etc. And didn't go to the wedding. Why it was all happening - basically, he was good man and he was not beating his wife so she had no respect to him....
Well... that is one of those cultural differences.
By the way last time I forgot to write, when I went to to Internet cafe and opened the browser... there were 2 porn websites set as a default... That's India where white women are thought to be easy, you should not dress improperly, they never wear any short/ 3/4 long pants/skirts, have always shoulder covered, cover their heads from time to time. Men dreaming about having sex with white woman (I was told so by an educated man), they undress you with their look. But western culture is bad and we are easy... Such a hypocrisy....
Ok, later on - after Kotagiri - I had crazy idea to go to Kanyakumari which is all the was, south of India - the most south point of the country. Only 12h by train. SO I've got the ticket booked, I went to Coimbatore, waited at the station. I ended up understanding the announcement wrong and thought that the train is late. So when I left waiting room and went down to the platform - it was gone 20 min ago..... !!!! :((( I was sooooooooo angry as you can imagine. From Kanyakumari I was supposed to go to Cochi thus I decided to go there directly. I took the general class train.... At the station there was 60yo man who started talking to me, he was very nice and helpfull. Took me to the train, sat next to him (thanks God we've god sitting places) and basically took care of me. I was the only woman and only white person in the train. On the train bench supposedly for 4 person each was sitting around 6 on average, people where sleeping on the floor under those seats, sleeping on the luggage shelves, and in the walking alley between the compartments as well. On one station some people loaded some luggage - one pack size 1-2 m3.
This elder man, he was asking me for names of some everything-in-shops in Poland..... Because he is working in the sector of door mats... I don't know... don't ask me what was his plan or whatever - did he really want to know about it to try to expand his business? Well, who knows. He said he has been to Europe, in one week he will go to Budapest. Dunno, didn't really want to go into details of that conversation ;)
When I took out my guidebook, one random guy from the train asked if he can have a look. I gave him that but he took it and went away 3-4 compartments further.... He has been reading that for entire journey (around 405h) and when leaving - came, gave me back, said thank you and left the train....
Basically I tried to sleep on this train, I stretched my legs on the opposite bench. The guy who sat there, after 2h, he put his arm over my legs, later on started stroking my feet, later on legs and calf and shins... At that point I gave up and put my legs down. The same guy, b/c I was having my scarf over face and eyes, asked me why I pus my scarf on the face, am I afraid of the swine flu (there is a panic in India about it) , or I don't trust them?! He was saying, "c'mon, trustt us, you are safe".... after stroking me... Thanks man! ;)
Ok, so finally I ended up in Cochi (precisely Ernakulum), 6am, found a hostel, went to sleep for few hours and later on walked around Fort Cochi which is very very nice old Portuguese-Dutch place.
That is the place where Vasco Da Gama landed when he arrived to India. In Fort Cochi are nice old buildings, Chinese fishing nets, old churches, old synagogue, a lot fo French and English tourists again (as in Rajasthan). I found there a nice hostel so for next 3 nights I was staying there. I made a reservation, payed 200Rs in advance but when I went to the ATM for money I realized I don't remember my PIN code. It was my credit card since my bank, debit card I lost in Coimbatore... And I had all together 200 Rs on me by that moment... SO I went to that hostel, took my money back. I slept overnight in that hotel in Ernaculum and in the morning went for the backwater trip. It was 7h all together - first 3h on the house boat + lunch. We went among some islands, saw how people work there, visited one island, saw the manufacture of calcium made of muscle shells, drunk juice of coconut flower (which after 6h become a 4% beer, later on stronger alcohol, like vodka and at the end becomes a vinegar.
After lunch we changed for a kind-of-canoe boat, driven by 2 guys with the sticks which they used to push the boat by, and we went to the inside of the island canals, what is the normal form of transportation for locals who lives there and have quite a fancy houses. I saw some birds (ex. kingfishers), saw the cord "factory" - a woman making the cords of coconut fibers (from the coconut shels) and went back home. It was very very cool and relaxing to do it; it was a bit too long for me though.
Next day went to the beach, where was few white tourist having sun bath so I even did so as well, even though there were whole bunch of Indians walking back and forth and just watching white woman in bikini. Well... Of course I've got sunburn... as always I do in such cases. The most ridiculous are my legs which are dark brown (for my standards) in front but pretty white at the back... well...
One evening I went for the show of traditional Kerala dance which is based on mimics, specific gestures (which has precise meaning), traditional music and fancy costumes. It was only 1,5h for tourists but the whole thing, traditionally take entire night.
Last day I spent walking around, I changed my last £20 and .... and of course had to save up as much as possible. When I tried to bargain down my hostel price, the owner gave me 10% discount for 2 nights but invited me for a dinner... It was very nice of him. He came to the hotel especially for than in the evening, of course cook was the guy who worked in that hotel, but he did not eat with us. :( And the owner said - too bad that we didn't meet earlier, I would take you to my home, we would have more meals together. He is quite a men of the world, one daughter is a lawyer - studied in London, son is in Germany, one daughter in Canada and only one in India. He has 2 hotels, he has a fish factory and do export for Japan and some Middle East countries, he visited Europe few times (traveled with a car), he's seen whole Middle East... Nice guy :)
Saturday - 6am I started to go to the airport (if u think that there is connection to the airport you are wrong - it's India. I had to take a bus to one village, there I had and option to another bus which would drop me off at the junction and from there - who knows how to get there). Since I was short on time, I took an autorikshaw from that small village to the airport.
3h flight from Cochi to Mumbai, 12h in a waiting room (one room, 1 take away cafe, 1 bar - that's it), 8.5h flight to Zurich, change for London, from Heathrow my cousin picked me up, visited him and his 85 yo mother (my grand-aunt), he dropped me off to London Stansted (already Sunday evening), flight to Cracow, friend picked me up and hosted over night (thanks Jerzy!!!!!!!!), in the morning train to Warsaw - reached home 4pm after around 55h of traveling.....
Yeah!!!! I made it!! I'm quite proud of myself....
And now some few more random informations and reflections:
India has the biggest English-speaking population in the world, over 700 different languages (if you count all dialects), Hindu - 80%, Muslims - 13%, 2.3% Christians (definitely most in the South - in almost every city/town/village you can find Christian church), they are 2nd biggest population in the world, in 2035 it is said to become 1st.
During 1.5 month I've seen 1 pregnant woman out in the public... I was told it's because they are kept at home to be safe and that nobody from their family want them to be injured or that sth bad happen to them. I must admit - I don't believe that explanation and have a feeling it is considered as an inappropriate to be pregnant in a public.
I saw 2 woman with hair cut short - literally 2...
I saw one prostitute somewhere in the station who started making strange inviting faces and movements ... it was quite disgusting.
They claim to be very diverse but united country and nation - but when I listen to the stories in different states about religious discriminations... This unity seems like an utopia rather than the truth.
I hate big cities in India, with lots of traffic but especially those where are no woman in the public - man are much more rude with staring and lustful.
If you get to know real Indians - not all those business and selling people - they are very very nice and helpful and awesome hosts. For our standards it is even a bit embarrassing. They host you, they feed you, they pay for everything needed, show you around, and at the end you get gifts from them as a guest of the house. Small, sometimes quite pricey gifts or simply money with a blessing. And you can't not accept it b/c it will be a very bad behavior. Same as not eating what they give you for food. The best is to ask for retake... But usually I was not able to do so b/c the portions are huge thus I'm not able to eat all of that. They are pretty good eaters I must admit.
The society you could divide to 2 parts - those who are skinny as much as it hard to look at them - their hand, leg is half or 1/3 of mine... And I'm not that fat anyways ;) I hope ;) Those are poor people as well as young basically. The other part is quite ... let's say... solid.... But I would even say fat. Especially those who are better situated, and what's more after marriage they gain quite a lot. And woman's "hips" become.... yes... quite big (being delicate).
There is really small amount of people who are let's say - normal size for our standards.
The more north you go - people are taller and the skin is more fair, men are a bit better looking, but I must admit - basically Indians are not my type! Woman - on average - are 10 times more beautiful than man. Of course you will always find someone handsome on the street since there is over billion of people. Simple statistics.
North East - people look different - more Mongolian/Nepalian/ that kind of beauty.
As for now that is end of India blogging. Maybe after some time I will hove some more reflections and remarks - I will let you know.
Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed!!!
But let me go back to the point where I finished my last stories.
Thus we are still in this congregation in Kotagiri. I spent there 10 day all together, I had really great time. They took care of me as an VIP guest, I was eating great indian food, some Tamil Nadu and Kerala and Karnataka specialties as well. It was very very nice food.
It was fun to see how those postulant sisters were getting used to me. They started calling me "auntie" which is the title used for every elder person expressing the respect for that person. It should be noted that some of those girls where my age, some even older. Later on they called me "aka" which is older sister in Tamil (language of that region). And after few days they called me with my name, started joking, talking, started to be less shy and when I worked in the kitchen or garden with them - we started to become friends after all :)
From sister Katarzyna I've got to know few stories. But what was striking for me, she said that basically 75% at least of men beat their wifes or kids. And it is common that kids can't go to school for a week b/c have to much bruises. And what is terrifying for me that it is that deep in their mentality that even catholics do it - which is very bad even from religious point of view. Kids are getting beaten b/c of bad marks at school). She told me that in Kotagiri (I think so it was there, not 100% sure though) was a story that boy was beaten b/c of the marks, his skin cracked b/c of that so the father took honey,put it on the wounds and tied the boy to the tree... SO you can imagine what was going on with the bees all around... And what's going on now? The boy grew up and repeats the scheme in his own family... It was pathological family though.
Another story: they have a worker in this congregation who does all small, needed work like small constructions, cutting trees, fixings and so on. He is from the village. But one day he didn't show up at work for few days in a row without any notice what's going on. Thus sister superiors went to his house to figure out what's going on. So he was lying sick on a kind of garbage bag, his wife wasn't giving him any food, not taking care of him at all. basically she wanted him to die b/c she already had another man. So sister took him to the hospital, they cured him, and now he lives in a small room by the congregation house. When you talk to him he barely answer, is always frightened and basically he is totally intimidated man. She is saying that he has no family, that all those nans and blind girls are his sisters but he has no family (he has 2 kids). When his daughter was getting married while she was 15 yo, his son came to him and asked for his blessing and permission be he said he does not agree, she is too young etc. And didn't go to the wedding. Why it was all happening - basically, he was good man and he was not beating his wife so she had no respect to him....
Well... that is one of those cultural differences.
By the way last time I forgot to write, when I went to to Internet cafe and opened the browser... there were 2 porn websites set as a default... That's India where white women are thought to be easy, you should not dress improperly, they never wear any short/ 3/4 long pants/skirts, have always shoulder covered, cover their heads from time to time. Men dreaming about having sex with white woman (I was told so by an educated man), they undress you with their look. But western culture is bad and we are easy... Such a hypocrisy....
Ok, later on - after Kotagiri - I had crazy idea to go to Kanyakumari which is all the was, south of India - the most south point of the country. Only 12h by train. SO I've got the ticket booked, I went to Coimbatore, waited at the station. I ended up understanding the announcement wrong and thought that the train is late. So when I left waiting room and went down to the platform - it was gone 20 min ago..... !!!! :((( I was sooooooooo angry as you can imagine. From Kanyakumari I was supposed to go to Cochi thus I decided to go there directly. I took the general class train.... At the station there was 60yo man who started talking to me, he was very nice and helpfull. Took me to the train, sat next to him (thanks God we've god sitting places) and basically took care of me. I was the only woman and only white person in the train. On the train bench supposedly for 4 person each was sitting around 6 on average, people where sleeping on the floor under those seats, sleeping on the luggage shelves, and in the walking alley between the compartments as well. On one station some people loaded some luggage - one pack size 1-2 m3.
This elder man, he was asking me for names of some everything-in-shops in Poland..... Because he is working in the sector of door mats... I don't know... don't ask me what was his plan or whatever - did he really want to know about it to try to expand his business? Well, who knows. He said he has been to Europe, in one week he will go to Budapest. Dunno, didn't really want to go into details of that conversation ;)
When I took out my guidebook, one random guy from the train asked if he can have a look. I gave him that but he took it and went away 3-4 compartments further.... He has been reading that for entire journey (around 405h) and when leaving - came, gave me back, said thank you and left the train....
Basically I tried to sleep on this train, I stretched my legs on the opposite bench. The guy who sat there, after 2h, he put his arm over my legs, later on started stroking my feet, later on legs and calf and shins... At that point I gave up and put my legs down. The same guy, b/c I was having my scarf over face and eyes, asked me why I pus my scarf on the face, am I afraid of the swine flu (there is a panic in India about it) , or I don't trust them?! He was saying, "c'mon, trustt us, you are safe".... after stroking me... Thanks man! ;)
Ok, so finally I ended up in Cochi (precisely Ernakulum), 6am, found a hostel, went to sleep for few hours and later on walked around Fort Cochi which is very very nice old Portuguese-Dutch place.
That is the place where Vasco Da Gama landed when he arrived to India. In Fort Cochi are nice old buildings, Chinese fishing nets, old churches, old synagogue, a lot fo French and English tourists again (as in Rajasthan). I found there a nice hostel so for next 3 nights I was staying there. I made a reservation, payed 200Rs in advance but when I went to the ATM for money I realized I don't remember my PIN code. It was my credit card since my bank, debit card I lost in Coimbatore... And I had all together 200 Rs on me by that moment... SO I went to that hostel, took my money back. I slept overnight in that hotel in Ernaculum and in the morning went for the backwater trip. It was 7h all together - first 3h on the house boat + lunch. We went among some islands, saw how people work there, visited one island, saw the manufacture of calcium made of muscle shells, drunk juice of coconut flower (which after 6h become a 4% beer, later on stronger alcohol, like vodka and at the end becomes a vinegar.
After lunch we changed for a kind-of-canoe boat, driven by 2 guys with the sticks which they used to push the boat by, and we went to the inside of the island canals, what is the normal form of transportation for locals who lives there and have quite a fancy houses. I saw some birds (ex. kingfishers), saw the cord "factory" - a woman making the cords of coconut fibers (from the coconut shels) and went back home. It was very very cool and relaxing to do it; it was a bit too long for me though.
One evening I went for the show of traditional Kerala dance which is based on mimics, specific gestures (which has precise meaning), traditional music and fancy costumes. It was only 1,5h for tourists but the whole thing, traditionally take entire night.
Last day I spent walking around, I changed my last £20 and .... and of course had to save up as much as possible. When I tried to bargain down my hostel price, the owner gave me 10% discount for 2 nights but invited me for a dinner... It was very nice of him. He came to the hotel especially for than in the evening, of course cook was the guy who worked in that hotel, but he did not eat with us. :( And the owner said - too bad that we didn't meet earlier, I would take you to my home, we would have more meals together. He is quite a men of the world, one daughter is a lawyer - studied in London, son is in Germany, one daughter in Canada and only one in India. He has 2 hotels, he has a fish factory and do export for Japan and some Middle East countries, he visited Europe few times (traveled with a car), he's seen whole Middle East... Nice guy :)
Saturday - 6am I started to go to the airport (if u think that there is connection to the airport you are wrong - it's India. I had to take a bus to one village, there I had and option to another bus which would drop me off at the junction and from there - who knows how to get there). Since I was short on time, I took an autorikshaw from that small village to the airport.
3h flight from Cochi to Mumbai, 12h in a waiting room (one room, 1 take away cafe, 1 bar - that's it), 8.5h flight to Zurich, change for London, from Heathrow my cousin picked me up, visited him and his 85 yo mother (my grand-aunt), he dropped me off to London Stansted (already Sunday evening), flight to Cracow, friend picked me up and hosted over night (thanks Jerzy!!!!!!!!), in the morning train to Warsaw - reached home 4pm after around 55h of traveling.....
Yeah!!!! I made it!! I'm quite proud of myself....
And now some few more random informations and reflections:
India has the biggest English-speaking population in the world, over 700 different languages (if you count all dialects), Hindu - 80%, Muslims - 13%, 2.3% Christians (definitely most in the South - in almost every city/town/village you can find Christian church), they are 2nd biggest population in the world, in 2035 it is said to become 1st.
During 1.5 month I've seen 1 pregnant woman out in the public... I was told it's because they are kept at home to be safe and that nobody from their family want them to be injured or that sth bad happen to them. I must admit - I don't believe that explanation and have a feeling it is considered as an inappropriate to be pregnant in a public.
I saw 2 woman with hair cut short - literally 2...
I saw one prostitute somewhere in the station who started making strange inviting faces and movements ... it was quite disgusting.
They claim to be very diverse but united country and nation - but when I listen to the stories in different states about religious discriminations... This unity seems like an utopia rather than the truth.
I hate big cities in India, with lots of traffic but especially those where are no woman in the public - man are much more rude with staring and lustful.
If you get to know real Indians - not all those business and selling people - they are very very nice and helpful and awesome hosts. For our standards it is even a bit embarrassing. They host you, they feed you, they pay for everything needed, show you around, and at the end you get gifts from them as a guest of the house. Small, sometimes quite pricey gifts or simply money with a blessing. And you can't not accept it b/c it will be a very bad behavior. Same as not eating what they give you for food. The best is to ask for retake... But usually I was not able to do so b/c the portions are huge thus I'm not able to eat all of that. They are pretty good eaters I must admit.
The society you could divide to 2 parts - those who are skinny as much as it hard to look at them - their hand, leg is half or 1/3 of mine... And I'm not that fat anyways ;) I hope ;) Those are poor people as well as young basically. The other part is quite ... let's say... solid.... But I would even say fat. Especially those who are better situated, and what's more after marriage they gain quite a lot. And woman's "hips" become.... yes... quite big (being delicate).
There is really small amount of people who are let's say - normal size for our standards.
The more north you go - people are taller and the skin is more fair, men are a bit better looking, but I must admit - basically Indians are not my type! Woman - on average - are 10 times more beautiful than man. Of course you will always find someone handsome on the street since there is over billion of people. Simple statistics.
North East - people look different - more Mongolian/Nepalian/ that kind of beauty.
As for now that is end of India blogging. Maybe after some time I will hove some more reflections and remarks - I will let you know.
Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed!!!
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