Some photos in Mysore x

Some of my fav pics with the group

Saying goodbye to the last of my workplacement friends - Dennis, Jessica, Louisa and Ann Elise (Sad day!)

My guides in Mysore - Moula & Rahman

Kannur to Mysore, End of the first project!

Well I am feeling a little bit sad at the moment as I have just reached Mysore after about 8 hours by bus. And its not the bus journey or the fact that I have said goodbye to 2 of our group - Leena and Saijal who are off to a health farm the lucky pair, and I am sad at that but feel I will see them again. No it is saying goodbye to the lovely friends we made in Kannur at the guest house - our cook Sadish and after he was stung by a bee in the eye his wife Sheila who took over, its our yoga master SHREE KUMAR - I loved saying that name and did so constantly. Its little Kannur where everyone looks at you as they don't see many white faces - any white faces! Everyone points and stares and giggles, you are such a phenomenon. You feel like royalty as people wave and want to talk to you but don't understand what you are saying so they just smile and jiggle their heads as only an indian can! Its the cheap prices as they don't get many tourists so you know the 'real' price. It was the spiritual and educational and emotional 2 weeks of learning with an international group who became real friends and I think the person who really made it so perfect would be Bubba himself (our host and guide) the smiling Ranjit who made you feel like you were the most important and special person in the world, and that anything is possible. And he also gave a good 'massage' it must be said, his oils are out of this world as he is an Ayurvedic master. When (not if) I come back to India that is one man I will want to see again.

And what a bus journey anyway. At one point I had 2 women practically sitting on me, luckily it got quieter after a couple of hours in to the journey! I must admit just looking out the window and watching the world go by - how beautiful is this country. I would recommend this country as a place for everyone to visit at least once in a lifetime. I felt so much peace as I watched the farmers plough their fields with animals and not machinery, children washing themselves in streams, trucks with such large piles of hay it looked like a great big affro! Hours of driving; and the driver seems to be in good spirits as he and his conductor talk to each other like master and student, a bond of connection that has come about through probable years of long drives and many conversations flying by little huts and bigger more sturdy houses but still very poor looking and most in need of a bit of refurbishment, lots of green, green, green and mountains and rivers and palm trees. Dogs lie in the shade panting from the sheer exhaustion of the heat and people congregate in little kiosks drinking chai (tea with spices) or wonder round other little kiosks selling materials, fruits, sweets, tobacco...

Going back to this weekend. Ranjit organised a trip for us to the jungle. It was a long drive, as usual! And on talking to locals it seems 'the doctor' - Dennis from Belgium who likes to ask questions and find out about everything and have an opinion on everything and likes to press peoples buttons - spoke to some locals and found out it was a place of pilgrimage for many indians who will go there once in a lifetime. It is a beautiful place and has lovely mountains and forest and a beautiful hindu temple at the top of the hill. When we got there on Friday everyone went swimming and I went back to our accomodation to get some appropriate clothes to wear. I then went out to find them and found myself on a beautiful trail along a stream and actually hoped I wouldn't find the rest as I felt so at peace, it was really like home as well. But I found them swimming and it was good to see them, Ann Elise was swimming away with Ranjit and the doctor having a great time as others looked on with their legs dangling in the water. I decided to go on my own little trail and ventured a little bit more, but it got quite thick and I worried as in India when the sun sets it suddenly gets really dark so I decided on a 'short' walk! And on the way back Ranjit thinks it would be funny to jump out on me! We then had to cross 2 little streams to catch up with the rest and when I looked at my feet - what was there, wriggling away sucked on to my toes ankles and feet - about 12 leeches!!!!! They were pretty small and skinny, but leeches none the less! Well that was my excitement for the day, don't particularly want to repeat it but it wasn't too bad an experience! Later that night we went on a drive to see if we could see any animals who venture near the road when there is no traffic funnily enough! Everyone was tired so we went out at ten instead of eleven and maybe because it was so early the best we could do was - a couple of rabbits, a few cows....but then...an elephant! Wowzers an elephant in the wild, even if it was mainly its butt I saw - it was an elephant and it was a pretty cool experience! The next day we went out on a walk to learn more about plants and what they can do for us humans. It was a really nice day and we had to negotiate our way across a few rivers, luckily this time...no leeches!

Overall, I feel like this journey is made up of many chapters for me and not just one big chapter. I remember with fondness celebrating 'onam' with some of the families we have met in Kannur including our yoga teacher and our cooks family. I have enjoyed the children chasing us and smiling at us and asking if we will take a photo of them and their screams of excitement when they see the photo! I am so glad I got to attend an Indian wedding, it was so beautiful and the sitting down to food was so organised and regimented, they fed hundreds I am sure! I also loved eating from a palm tree leaf, it was so cool. I enjoyed the yoga classes and the Aryuveda classes and the people and the people and the people.

And now I am in Mysore with the rest of the group - Jessica, Louisa, Doctor Dennis, Azosa, Audrey and Ann Elise. We have seen some beautiful buildings here just from getting here today and we ate in 'park avenue' which seems a nice place to eat. But the whole darn place seems to 'touristy' - too many white faces. I don't feel so special anymore! And from here, they will go north and me...well I have another project with young people in a couple of weeks and I will catch up with Audrey again there. I think tonight I will go back to the hotel room and have a look over my guide and have a think about things and will let you know what happens!

By the way thank you for your comments, its good to know I have people travelling with me! I hope you enjoy my photos and my dialogues (hope they aren't too boring!). And I hope all is well with you and yours. What has really impressed me here, is that so many people just come out here for a few weeks and cover so much of india by train and by bus in that time. And so if you have ever thought about it, I suggest you do it! I think my hotel tonight has cost me the equivalent of about one pound and fifty pence! And my bus journey - that cost about a 2 quid. Its cheap and its beautiful. Just to end, I think this is pretty strange - my room numbers have always been 107 or 207. I think that is a bit weird! Oh yeah and by the way last Sunday, Ranjit took us to a local festival near his home, there was a guy dressed up with bright colours and a large head piece and big lip things jumping around to the beat of drums. We were then given snacks and stuff. When the 'tody' came out I had to decline as it has alcohol - I believe it comes from the palm tree. Anyways after the guy read palms and told people about themselves and their future, again I had to decline! Some of the group said it sounded pretty accurate for them. I asked Ranjit what the festival was about, he said 'drinking and having a good time' - I said 'you are joking!'. Maybe he was I don't know! But thats a festival, thought it would go down well in Scotland! John from Germany was sitting laughing with me and I asked him what he was told, he said 'it was about you actually Sylvia...he said your bmi is...and your weight is...' - it seems he was reading my church stuff and it had a slip I got at Heathrow airport a couple of years back as I waited for a flight back to Scotland via Heathrow from Egypt I had weighed myself on one of those machines that tells you everything!!! So that little #@$$##$$ was winding me up! He now knows too much, at 19 years old - I can't get away from youth work!

Well catch up with you later and thanks again for your supportive comments. Sylv x

How many children can you fit on a rickshaw - 8 I think!

Backwater trip yesterday, it was beautiful - even the rain that broke my mobile!

Streets of Mumbai.

Me in the Taj Mahal Hotel livin it up!

Jain Temple in Mumbai

Gateway to India

Ghandi's Museum - where he slept.

Local children celebrate 'Ganesh' in Mumbai

My first place - Hotel Anukool (what a great room!)

Mother Rama and me in Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai

Mumbai - guys selling the jewellery, ?, Sahil & Asif - they were great!

Dr D, Alex - Germany, Jessica and Louisa

Leena and Saijal - England

Ranjit - teacher and host, Ann Elise, Azosa, Louisa - French, Jessica - Belgian and Dr Dennis

Leena - England, Azosa - Japan, me and Dr Dennis - Belgium at Indian wedding feast

My team leader - the Belgian 'Aooo drey' doing 'yoga'!

At bus stop in Kannur!

With Bart in the internet cafe - he will accept camera as a dowrie!!!

With local children in Kannur celebrating Onam.

German John reading my palm!

My friend and room mate - Ann Elise - our sleeping conditions!

Some of the volunteers!

The guesthouse - we do yoga on the roof!

Sunset at Palyamballam Beach where I stay

I am soooo flexible - not!

Yoga in Kannur

Yoga in Kannur

Hi all
Never mind finding patience with 'yoga' it has taken me hours to get any photos on here and I have lost them several times through computers crashing and battery running dead on my camera. And so there will be no rhyme nor reason to my photos I will just put them on when I can. I had a whole page full ready yesterday...but I lost them. Here goes. Oh well it seems its not going to happen again today after sitting here an hour!!!! I need to go with the other volunteers. I will try again next week. Sorry to disappoint. Love Sylv x

Bangalore - Kochin - Kannur (What a journey!)

Well here I am at my 'first' placement - this one is to learn to work with people and help them in a holistic way using 'yoga' and 'Ayuveda medicine'. It might sound impressive and it is - its just I am not! And the worst in the yoga class goes to - Sylv and also John from Germany is pretty crap so we keep each other company at the bottom of the class! (Nae offence John the baby - or did I take that 'too far'!)

I have put a lot of this in my journal, but not brought is with me and so I will try and keep you up to date with what I remember - every day is just too full!

On leaving Mumbai I reached Bangalore and went to get my 'prepay taxi voucher' and then you come out to all of these faces watching you looking for something - food, money, information. Just a sea of faces and one guy comes up to me and asks for my voucher to take me to the taxi. And I must admit - I really don't trust taxi drivers. Not here anyway, or maybe its just that they stare at you all the time. Anyway he takes me to this bit away from the airport and asks me to 'wait' - Scottish paranoia then sets in! He goes with half of the voucher and then I look at my half which says you should not part with it until you reach your destination - yup I am an on the ball traveller! So I wait a while thinking I might just go get another voucher when he comes back with his car and starts loading my stuff. I must admit that I find the most scary part of this travelling in India is the getting the taxi from outside the airport - there is no rhyme nor reason to it!

And so arrive in Bangalore and go for a wonder outside. I know I am just here and felt the same when I first got to Mumbai but I did feel quite sad in Bangalore - it was so westernised. All shops and no 'barras' like stalls on every inch of the pavement like 'I am accustomed' to in Mumbai! (Outside my hotel Anukool in Mumbai there was 2 guys in a little stall like booth cutting hair and shaving guys in a space 3 ft by 3 ft!!) Anyway you can buy anything in Bangalore. Oh yeah and you can buy chocolate here! But I have decided to try and give it a miss 'again' for a while. I then stayed over night for my flight to Kochin the next day. I am so sick of flying! On the plane I met a woman who works with disabled people and she is interested in partnership work and so I said I would get her in touch with 'GESH'. She said when I go back to Bangalore for the youth festival I should get in touch with her and she will show me what it is like in her NGO. On leaving the flight her husband was there to greet her and she convinced him to take me to my hotel which he did. They were so very nice. And so to the hotel 'Excellence' where a european dish including mashed potatoes is actually a potato syrup! Oh well they tried and I should really be eating the local food, its just sometimes I could just really go a roll and chips! I asked them about 'Kannur' where I was to go next and was told it was 8 hours away!!!!! I was to be there the next day at 11am and it was now 2pm. Eventually I decided I had to do it by taxi - can you imagine an 8 hour journey by taxi how fancy nancy am I! It cost me fifty quid, but I have tried to move on from that rash spending. And anyway it would have cost ten times that much in Scotland!! My taxi driver was also lovely - Sean. He took care of me and made sure I got to the right destination.

And here I am in Kannur and like everywhere else the cars blow their horns all the times, constantly. I have heard that it means you want to over take. But when you look at it logically there is no way they can overtake some situations. It is like peeping your horn in a traffic jam just for the heck of it. Its mad, I can hear them right now! And contrary to what I would have thought - the law of the mechanical jungle is the...'bus'. The bus is a scary monster to avoid when crossing the road. The bus stops for no-one, absolutely no-one, maybe a cow wandering on the road as they do here aimlessly all the time (and they are of sacred significance) but for nothing or no-one else. Even as people get on it is still moving (and talk about people getting on the bus its like being in a school bus queue - people just push each other out of the way!). And so the bus, it drives along avoiding pot holes and rickshaws (the little tri-motor bikes with seats to fit 3 in the back but we always manage to squeeze in 4). For a journey of about a mile it costs about 1p. the same journey on the rickshaw costs about 30p and so sometimes you decide to just go for the cheap option even waiting half an hour for it. And if the rickshaws try to rip you off for an extra 5p well you don't stand for that, pay them and walk away. They will fight you for it though! Back to the bus, its usually jam packed, mainly women sit at the front and men at the back. There are far too many people on the bus but the driver will always squash more in. The windows have no glass only a curtain of leather tied up when it is not raining. But even when its raining it is still warm! And off the monster goes zooming through the streets peeping at the slower rickshaws and cars and bycicles and people walking, taking corners at high speed shaking rattling and yes humming!

While here in Kannur I am learning. The first week about yoga, which I am rubbish at but God loves a tryer and thats me. There is 11 of us in the group altogether from France, Belgium, England, Germany, Japan and me (Scotland na na na na!) Everyone is pretty nice but as French is the most dominant language many go off in French chats and thats understandable but hard at times. We have a cook who makes us Indian food for every meal, his name is Sadish and he is great. Our yoga master is Shree Kamur. Everyone is great and helpful.

The host who owns the building we sleep in is Ranjit and he is fab, he gets us doing all sorts of cool stuff and he will be teaching us Aryuveda next week. He knows everything there is to know about plants and flowers and health. I was out on his moped the other night through the winding paths thick with bushes and random little stalls and over the road from where we are which lies just by a beautiful beach where the waves are massive. Since then I have convinced all the rest of the group to get a chance on his moped it is so much fun. Ranjit has also given me a massage which was out of this world.

Yesterday was the 'festival of Onam' which is a big big Hindu festival in Kannur it is like Christmas or New Year. So big. We were invited to the homes of some families near where our cook and his family live and also Ranjit. We brought gifts for the children who were overwhelmed. 3 of them made some pictures for me which I will treasure. I have lots of photos and will get them on here as soon as I can. They make a flower decoration on their floor which is to me like decorating a christmas tree. All of the shops outside are shut as it is such an important day. And so we have food with a great family and then visited others including our yoga teachers.

Today I have been to a wedding with the rest of the group. We were in a big hall. The couple were sitting under a flower arch display with family all around them. The hall was jam packed with people. It was beautiful. We then went in to get food, they must have fed about 200 people maybe more. On our sitting some men came round and put the food on to our palm leaf - spicy, sweet, tasty food on a bed of rice. It was so lovely the food and we were rushed to finish it as the next sitting were waiting to come in and get their seats and as I said before - it is a big rush with these people getting somewhere, like children in a rush to get somewhere before their friends.

Oh well thats about it for me, there is so much more but I couldn't get in to it all right now. Today we did yoga on the top of our building, it was beautiful and I couldn't even begin to say what the view was like as we are beside the beach with the great and powerful ocean and palm trees all around our guest house. In the guest house we sleep on mats and have our stuff semi neat beside us. It is a heaven. Last night we sat by the beach on the rocks watching the sun set. So beautiful.

I will let you know more next time my friends. Thanks for keeping up with me. Its nice to know you are all out there and reading this is like a support for me. Remember to send me a comment. They cheer me up. I just tried to send a couple of emails but this computer is a bit antiquated and it just wasn't working for me. Here hopes this updates and I have not lost all of this info!

Aw the best and happy 'Onam'.

Hugs
Sylv x

Mumbai is jumpin!

Well I bet you all didn't expect to hear from 'me' so soon! I came across this internet cafe just down the road from my 'temporary' accomodation in Mumbai. I have been here a couple of days and I must say, on the night I arrived here I wanted to go back home again! I am staying at the Hotel Anukool - for a start the 12 year old taxi driver and 'his pal' couldn't find their way to it and kept asking other taxi drivers every 5 minutes for advice. I eventually got there and what can I say, I have a room costing about five quid a night and what more can you expect - maybe a bit of cleanliness wouldn't go astray but I do have a room to myself so I can't complain! Well I could, the bed is so hard its like sleeping on the floor and I have had an itchy heid since the day and hour I slept in it - oh yes and my first day - I got a mosquito bite and so hey its not looking good for me, malaria here I come. Saying that I havn't had the runs...yet and my staple diet is pretty much fruit and huners of it!

So my actually 'Day 1' I was a bit worried as my guide book is for the south of India but on close inspection I noticed it did cover Mumbai. And so it recommended the tourist office near the train station and so thats where I decided I was heading. Dead proud of myself, I got the train - it was pretty cool in that there is a 'ladies' department - I would love that in the toon. So eventually found the tourist office after negotiating my way around the very very very noisey traffic - horns are blown every second in Mumbai and contrary to my usual self - no thats not exaggerating - its a fact - its a rat race out there. So anyway! I got to the tourist office and looked at what was recommended, there was quite a few things but I only had an afternoon and a day before my next stop and asked about a guide - meaning 'about what was on' - I was pointed in the direction of the person organizing 'guides' - turned out positive as I ended up with the wonderful 'Rama' - previous freedom fighter of India and woman in a million at 79 years old. Rama took me round Mumbai the next day - ie today. Yesterday I went to the Prince of Wales Museum, very good and a few people chatted with me and asked if I needed any help of information including a ten year old girl who kept giggling and pointing at things saying 'nice, yes'!

So Day 2 with Mother Rama, she is the coolest. She got to Anukool at 9am looking for me and demanding I go downstairs to get her. We got a taxi and headed for Muhatma Ghandi Museum, and can I just say 'I was blowen away'. That museum has made a life long impression on me. Hopefully I will work out how to put photos on here and you can share some of my experiences. What a feeling in that building that he spent a lot of his life in. A note - it was owned by Rama's grandfather who was a friend of the man himself.

From there we went to a 'Jen' Temple. The Jens are a break off of the Hindu religion although they are a very old religion themselves. They have a lot of Temples and seem to be the most affluent of Indians. They do not eat meat and more than that won't eat veg from the ground as in pulling it out you could hurt insects. Respect to the Jens.

It was raining a 'lot' today, in fact it is torrential outside right now but still very warm. We got a taxi and as there was no other we managed to share a taxi with a 'jeweller who is also a musician' - Udit Sarda. He recommends his shop - Bienvenue (specialises in silverware, gifts and novelties), 6 Nepeasnsea Rd, Opp Uti Bank, Mumbai - wwww.bienvenuesilver.com.

I met some really cool people in a beautiful shop in Mumbai - it specialises in handmade goods, including silk carpets, duvet covers, cushion covers and also jewellery they make to your specification. You are treated like royalty when you go in to the shop, they give you a 'refreshing drink' and then they all rally round showing you what wonderful hand crafted gems they have to offer. I was asked to talk a look around the jewellery section - but do they let you leave - of course not! Sit, sit, sit, sit! And not in an annoying way but actually very endearing with their sweet smiles and kindness. I had to be hard, I could have spent a thousand quid in that shop easily today, I kept telling myself what I was here for plus the fact I have no space in my luggage - yes I have brought far too much stuff! Anyway the 2 that had my full and undivided attention the most were Sahil with the cheeky smile and Asif who was more a cool and collected charmer! They showed me some beautiful gem stones and tried to convince me to be good to myself, Sahil (Zahoor - nickname!) even offered to buy me the gem as a gift as I sat so long talking with them and enjoying their company. And YES if or when I come back to Mumbai I will most definitely be coming back to visit you guys. The shops name - APSARA INTERNATIONAL, Electric House, Colaba Causeway, Mumbai 400 039. Tel 2284 1790, Fax 022 2204 0906.

Another highlight of the day has been celebrating 'Ganesh', one of the Gods of the Hindu religion and bringer of prosperity! This festival lasts 16 days and started yesterday. Don't tell the Bishop but I had some of the sweet and yogurt they offer and got a bit of red on my forehead, in fact it is still there right now. Ganesh is the elephant like God, he was created by his mother, and was told to protect the home and not let anyone enter, when his mothers husband tried to enter the house he tried to stop him as asked. The husband (his father I suppose!) cut off his head, the mothers tears were endless and the father went out and found an elephant sleeping and cut off its head and replaced it - and there you have Ganesh. There is more - look it up on tinternet. I have a photo of a couple of beautiful boys dancing around the alter of Ganesh for me as they wanted me to take a photo, so very endearing. I have found all the Indian people I have met here so very nice and helpful and sweet. And you know what it has been pretty good being the minority for a change, although a lot of people do stare!

When I first got here what struck me most was the poverty, so many people sleeping on the streets, especially children, and so many people begging. Also the majority of the buildings are very run down and in need of great repair. I was pretty apprehensive at this first sight. But now I must admit, I have fallen head over heels in love with this people. They are so humble and beautiful. Rama, my guide today also took me to the Taj Mahal hotel - it was too expensive in there and what a direct contrast to where I was staying, costs of about two hundred quid a night. Again, I have photos. Rama knows the manager and got me some free fruit, matches, peanuts, a pen and a look around, it was great.

Well I am shattered, its 9.30pm, I am 4 and a half hours in front of you guys, I have been up with Rama since 9am this morning and I am so tired but happy. Rama also took me to her home tonight. It is very simple with the necessities of life yet beautiful. She also has 2 men - brothers (she calls them boys) who are like servants to her and go and see there familys only about 6 times a year as they live out in the 'paddy fields' as it is too expensive in Mumbai. They showed me back to my 'accomodation' tonight, they are so sweet and protective. What beautiful people.

Well, all the best and keep in touch, your comments and emails make me smile!

Love and hugs
Sylv x

Time to go!

Hi all!
Well I can't believe its that time already, I leave at about 5am on the 7th of September to catch my 6.30am flight to London and from there to India. Hmmm, maybe loads of people have done it before me but it does not make me any less petrified!

Just wanted to say thanks for all of your support, keep in touch and I will try and keep everyone updated on whats going on with my 'adventures'!

Big shout out to the fam, I will miss you guys loads. Aw the best to all in Area 6 Youth Services, to GESH, to FARE, to Garthamlock Youth Group and to the Greenfield boys - keep out of trouble (that was for all of you!) And love to all in the 'boig and J Avenue - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A special big hug to the 'Young Women' class I leave behind - I enjoyed our last water fight!

Hugs to all from the Tipperary trip - especially my little Andrea, Anna, Renatta and Mario - the mad Belgian. Thanks to Gerd for the laughs and thanks to Sylvie for the comment on my blog!

I am also going to miss my wee flat - Dave take care of it! And my wee car Della (named after Nelson Mandella!) - take care of her Kate!

Got to give a 'shout' to my crazy Russian Serge - hope you get out of hospital soon!

And to all of my friends, you know who you are! A special mention for my wee Lainey, Sara, Dave, Vera, Debbie, Mary, Rich and Karina. Also to Miss Holley and to Keota.

Thanks to Gracey and Ali for their generous contributions and to Uncle John, Aunt Liz and Cousin Fee. To Shoba for the 'rupees' and to Aunty Edwina for looking after ALL of my stuff - too much to mention! Many thanks.

If I have temporarily forgot you - I do thank you, its just my head is mince right now!

Oh well, time to go, next time I put a mention on here it will be from India!

By the way guys - while I am away I am unable to give blood and so - GIVE BLOOD TODAY - you could save lives, don't be so selfish!

Aw the best.
Sylv x