DINING FOR WOMEN - DELHI by Tina Romenesko
Our DFW adventure officially begins today, Wednesday, with everyone arriving throughout the day. We meet at Grace Home - situated in a trendy area of South Delhi - and a small group of us share dinner together and get to know each other that evening. After breakfast on Thursday, we officially meet in the third floor common room, and share our experience with DFW, an attribute we bring the group, and something we would like to work on personally while traveling in India. Taryn is our fearless leader. Newly transplanted in Portland, Maine, she has run several other DFW trips to Latin America, but this is the first time in India for all of us. Martha is from Abilene Texas, and Debbie is from the Washington D.C. area. The blogging team, whose voices you will get to know, are Donna from Vancouver, Washington, Betsy from Boise, Idaho, and myself, Tina from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The photographers are Susan, from Vancouver, B.C., Heather from Dubai via California, and Christine from Medford, OR. Christine has a gift for each of us. Stones, in a small elegant fabric bag, with a saying she wanted to share with each of us.
We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. Dorothy Day
All of us agree that this intention is a beautiful expression of this trip. Our participation is in someways simple - like a pebble thrown into a pond - and our hope is to make a difference. Not in big splashy ways, but subtly reaching out to raise our own consciousness, and also touch the hearts of the women we meet along the way that participate in DFW projects, and certainly beyond. Each pouch contains a touchstone with a personal message for its taker. Joy, Believe, Encouragement, Calm, Hope. Dream. Connect. Stretch. We are each pleased with our choice - such a thoughtful idea - and now her luggage is much lighter! Thanks Christine.
Our first outing was lunch - which lasted from 12:30 - 2:45 PM. A true feast of Indian food which included yogurt kebabs, chicken malai tikka (which is very tender and cooked in a clay oven), cucumber raita, black lentil dal, palak paneer, biryani (rice with spices) and, of course, naan. Not being very acquainted with Indian cuisine, I take copious notes, spelling each dish so I can order it back in Milwaukee. Already my palate is becoming more accustomed to the spiciness! The never ending lunch finally does end with either saffron ice cream with pistachios, or Susan’s favorite, gulab jamun, a deep fried ball of dough with a pistachio nut in the center, swimming in sticky syrup. We are all much too full AND well acquainted as we head toward Qutab Minar in the van.
Our entourage includes a driver who changes daily while we are in Delhi, Sujata, our fearless guide who leads us through the streets as record pace and is a fountain of knowledge about Indian culture and history, and Ravi - assistant guide and male presence in the group that holds us safe on our journey. The Qutab Minar is a 5 story minaret, which is part of a large Muslim complex in South Delhi. The mosque is surrounded by pillars pilfered from destroyed Hindu temples when the Muslims took control of Delhi in the 12th century. Each story is from a different era, with a slightly different style and carvings. It is 72 meters high and was used as a victory tower and also the site of the call to prayer, 5 times daily. We enjoy many photo opportunities and many of us experience our first invitation to pose for photos with Indian families traveling to Delhi that would love to have a picture of their family, smiling with a foreigner. At first this seems strange to me - but our guide in Rishikesh explained that this is a source of pride for the family - and a compliment to all. I always try to ask the young people about their education (a tip from Taryn), and always make good eye contact with lots of smiles.
Taryn has arranged Ayurvedic treatments for all of us at a Kairali Spa - which is an extension of a treatment center in Kerala in the South of India. Most of us opt for Abhianga - a full body anointment in oil, done on a hard wooden table that looks like it was part of a torture chamber (I mean treatment center) from the Mugul period. Needless to say, after full anointment on the front, it is challenging to slither, slide, and roll onto the belly for full anointment of the back! The next step is a body steam. They lead you to a wooden box that looks like what magicians use to cut women in half. You sit on a small (and thankfully adjustable) bench and your practitioner closes the doors and turns on the steam to help absorb the oil into the pores of the body. All agree that the combination of the copious amounts of warmed oil, the rigorous massage, and the unexpected strength of the lovely. smiling women from Kerala that have uprooted their families to work here in Delhi, it was a lovely experience.
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RAGGEDY ANN and BIG SISTER by Martha Walke
Having been forewarned not to give money to child beggars, I brought partial sets of hardly used crayons, colored pencils, etc. to give. My opportunity came on the first day when I was approached by two girls about 10 years old. One was carrying a young child, naked from the waist up. She stuck out her hand, and I gave her a bag of crayons. A conversation ensued between her and the second girl, whose clothes were torn and ragged. Our guide translated their conversation for me.
Raggedy Ann: “Do you go to school?”
Big sister: “No.”
Raggedy Ann: Well, I go to school. You should give those crayons to me.”
Raggedy Ann: My big brother goes to school. I’m going to give them to him!”
Fortunately, I had another package in my bag for Raggedy Ann. Thank you Lord for partially sets of hardly used crayons.
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