With beauty comes challenges

This region of India is beautiful. Not always the typical definition of beautiful- given the heaps of garbage piled in alleyways due to lack of garbage disposal and the smelly water that runs down the roadways- but beautiful its own way. And I am so thankful for the opportunity to come back. I love the colors, the hustle and bustle of the city, the chaos of the market. I love the breathtaking mountains and the little smiling faces we pass. I love its complexity and its culture, a culture I have yet to figure out completely- another thing I love about it.

This trip was not without its challenges, I had a difficult group that challenged me to facilitate in a different way and to modify my “routine”.  I facilitated alone which came with a new set of challenges, and  I facilitated during the Christmas season-  my FAVOURITE time of the year (this was a selfish challenge of course!).

But nevertheless the trip was a success. I want to share a little bit of my trip through some of my favorite pictures.

The blessing ceremony with the local priest.

The “water walk” with the local woman

The Bagad community

The group after completing their goal on the build site

The Kumbhalgarh Fort (the worlds second largest wall  after the Great Wall of China)

Monsoon Palace

Mt. Abu

I don’t think I could ever say I “did” India and I hope I get the opportunity to keep coming back.

Now as I prepare to begin the trek home  I am really looking forward to everything Christmas…. family time, Christmas movies, hot chocolate, snuggles with the pups, relaxation and ME time…. OH and giving everyone the little treasures I collected here in Udaipur!

Namaste Udaipur

After the 20+ hours in flight to get to Hong Kong the last thing I wanted to do was get on another plane a week later to make the trek to India. But someone was looking out for me… on both flights I snagged myself a free seat beside me- which mean I could SLEEP! Such a blessing!

My only mishap was the food! Flying with Jet Airways- an India airline means the food is almost always Curry infused ( I can handle curry but really… airplane curry? not the best!). I opted for the Vegetarian option (I am seriously contemplating vegetarianism after my stay in Hong Kong)- the first bite brought me to tears… yes TEARS. I have experienced spicy curry- but this was like no other. It hurt… it burnt… I cried like a baby! I don't know what it was and I was too embarrassed to ask as I watched all the people beside me gulping it up. Needless to say I went hungry that flight and even opted for McDonalds French Fries when I landed.

But I have been relatively mishap free since I landed in Udaipur! My group does not arrive until the 10th (tomorrow) which means I have had the opportunity to work alongside the Free the Children/ Me to We team here in Udaipur!

I have wandered out here and there… once to the grocery store but I couldn't escape the glaring eyes. I also couldn’t figure out how to weigh the fruits and vegetables so I walked out empty handed- such a goof!

Yesterday Honey (my co- facilitator here in India) brought me to visit the community we will be working in over the next two weeks- Bagad. It is a very different landscape than the last community we stayed in- our group will be helping to finish up some last minute work on the school building which is set to open in January.

And to then today I ventured out to the market  in the “Old City” that I came to love during my last trip. Cows milling about, motorcycles and rickshaws galore, friendly people demanding your attention and new found friendship. Although I was alone this time I didn't have one moment of discomfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While in the Old City I  had the opportunity to visit a good friend of mine, Ricky. He was our in country facilitator during my last trip in August and he no longer works for Free the Children. So I was so thankful for the opportunity to visit with him!

We chatted, caught up and then walked further to the lake where we could watch the sunset…

 

To get home I took my first Rickshaw or “Auto” as they call it here… another first on this trip (mind you Ricky helped me negotiate the price and gave directions!) I still felt very adventurous!

Now back at the office I am anxious for my group to arrive tomorrow, looking forward to getting to the community and getting to work.

There is no phone reception or internet access there so I am officially offline now until Dec 23rd!

Please keep our group in your thoughts and prayers- no sicknesses and safe travels!

All the best and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Lamma Island

It came recommended as we sought our a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Our partner at HKIS knew us as veggie lovers- as we sought out any veggies possible in the carb infused food of HK. He and a couple of his colleagues recommended a veggie/organic cafe on Lamma Island called The Bookworm-SOLD!

We woke up this morning to our cloudiest day yet- not ideal for an island escape but given it is our last “full” day in the city we decided to go for it.

Ferries are not my ideal form of transportation, relinquishing control over an open body of water- NO thank- you. But life would be dull if I didn’t step into the challenge zone every now and then ( a reference my fellow facilitators should know all too well!). Although it was a bumpy ride I endured just fine and it was totally worth the risk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lamma Island is about a 30 minute ferry ride away from Central Piers in HK, but that 30 minutes leads you to this small island with NO CARS!

As we disembarked the ferry we were greeted by all the bicycles that commuters had left behind.

and this very welcoming graffiti…

This is an island that specializes in seafood-go figure we were headed for an veggie/organic cafe! I am ALL for seafood- in fact I would say it is one of my favorites… but not the biggest fan of its display here in HK. Clams, prawns, crabs, lobsters…. have your choice…. literally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we found it… The Bookworm Cafe.

And  it was all it was cracked up to be…. and more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best meal I have had in HK so far.

We spent some time admiring the pier and the coast…. but the rain pissed on our parade and we escaped back to the Bookworm for a peppermint tea and organic Carrot Cake  before running (literally running) to catch the ferry home!

Thank you Lamma Island for welcoming us!

Until next time…

Today was the day…

The day we had been waiting for…

The reason we were flown all the way out here…

Today was the International Service Summit at the Hong Kong International School.

Check out the view at this school…

(Middle School students who came out this morning for a leadership workshop- such a fun group of kids)

Over the past couple days we have been conducting informal workshops within the school’s Upper Primary, Middle and High School but the real purpose of our trip was for me to conduct the keynote address at the 2011 International Service Summit and for my work partner Jill and I to conduct a number of short sessions on what Me to We and Free the Children have to offer youth people who are passionate about making a change in their local and global communities. There were 21 student groups and organizations (Me to We being one of them) representing themselves and the 150+ students in attendance had the opportunity to pick 5 or 6 and find an organization whom they wished to partner with for their Personal Action Projects.

And I’ll be honest with you- I was super nervous when I woke up this morning. To amp myself up a bit I grabbed the paper copy of my speech and headed to the Star Bucks a couple blocks away for a taste of home and comfort where I re-read what I had written weeks before We Day season.

And as I mounted the stage this afternoon- the nerves didn’t dissipate. Which is odd, over the last year and a half I have delivered over 80 speeches- but for some reason this was different. The first 30 seconds of my speech was a flop but as soon as I settled in- everything ran smoothly. I got a great response which later translated into 6 sessions jammed packed with students who are eager to get involved!

(The group after the Service Summit- inspired and motivated!)

( A couple of superstar youth who brought the Vow of Silence to HKIS)

It was such a successful day and such  an amazing opportunity. I try not to take for granted the incredible opportunities presented to me through this current position and I think this particular trip will remain a memory and point of personal success for some time.

(Jill and I with Marty Schmidt- the man responsible for the Service Summit and our incredible host)

Jill and I are both thankful for the warm reception we received from HKIS, particularly the educators who we got to work with. A number of them treated us to a traditional Chinese meal tonight. (This was another source of anxiety for me as this spoiled Canadian girl ignorantly feared the potential of “ mystery meat” but the meal turned out to be INCREDIBLE.There was a number of questionable meat options which I steered away from, but I had very tasty veggie options and walked away full and satisfied.)

(Note the chicken head on the plate to the right-ugh!)

Although our job here is done we have a couple days left in Hong Kong before I head to India and Jill heads off on another adventure. We received some more recommendations on “must do’s” and I will continue to report back.

Stay tuned!

Tacky Tourist

I am usually hyper aware of cultural sensitivities and the necessity of cultural immersion. But I succumbed to the tacky tourist title the last couple days as I took advantage of some free time in Hong Kong.

Attempting to beat jetlagged I crashed hard on my first night, sleeping a whopping 12 hours- after We Day deprivation and 48 hours of travelling I think my body needed it. But it meant I woke up recharged and ready to explore on Day 2.

We headed out for breakfast, finding the city is rather slow to “wake up” at 10 am as we strolled the streets businesses and restaurants were just creaking open their door. We search for a restaurant with English translation on their menu, we came across a small restaurant on a side street, I ordered what looked somewhat familiar- Egg, Sausage and Noodle. What it turned out to be was Mr. Noodles with a floating fried egg and hot dog disguised as breakfast sausage. Not my first choice but I am trying to adventurous.

We then hopped on the subway and headed for the “Big Buddha” – we expected it to be touristy, busy and a bit tacky what we didn't expect was for it to be so powerful.

After about an hour on a subway and another 40 minute bus ride up the mountain side we stepped off the bus and looked up to find the enormous Buddha atop a mountain ridge.

Although I don’t practice the religion or really have a true understanding of the significance, you could feel the energy shift as you climbed the 200 steps to the platform.

On our decent we found these little tags hanging from the tree and was told they were wishes that people had made and left behind in Buddha's presence. I loved this!

We toured a beautiful temple and found many people lighting incense- it is meant to purify the surroundings and remember ancestors or a deity.

We then participated in the Wisdom Path, a breathtaking depiction of a shared prayer of the Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto… the symbol of infinity.

These wooden planks have a Chinese prayer engraved and are laid out in the infinity pattern (figure 8). Pictures do not do it justice, it was breathtaking.

The prayer talks about the idea that everything is interconnected and in constant flux. A deep appreciation of this idea of emptiness thus saves us from suffering caused by our egos, our attachments, and our resistance to change or loss.

 

 

 

It was a beautiful day and I appreciated the opportunity to explore and understand a little bit more.

Hong Kong has proven to be BEAUTIFUL, such a stark contrast sometimes between the city where we are staying and the outlying mountains and ocean coast.

Today we started our facilitation at the Hong Kong International School, a beautiful campus- check it out… this is outside the window in the cafeteria….

 

That’s all for now! Stay tuned!