Dream Dinner and Closing Time

Dream Dinner

During my freshman year of college, a group of my closest friends began an end-of-year tradition during which we enjoyed a meal together and reflected on the year. We called it the Dream Dinner (shout out to the First North ladies :) and concluded every year of college this way. We always closed the evening by sharing how we had been blessed by each other’s friendship throughout the year, laughing until our stomachs ached, and usually shedding a few tears (even though we’d see each other when we returned to school in the fall). Since I graduated college four years ago, I had not experienced such a deep connection with the group of people, and its no secret that the most challenging aspect of being in grad school for me has been a lack of close friendships and coping with a social life in vain. My greatest fear for the future has been that I would never experience the sense of companionship that I had with my friends in college…

Dream Dinner. 

Circa 2006. 

Don't hate me, friends!

But that was before I went to India...

Before leaving for my trip, I tried to rid myself of any expectations, as impossible as that is. I knew that India was going to be so different than Indiana, and although I definitely had an agenda of the things I wanted to accomplish at Ashish, my heart was most hungry for relationships. I decided from day one to give of myself and to show love and compassion in as many ways that my imperfect self is capable. What I ended up receiving, however, was so much greater than I could ever give. I was showered with the most beautiful, generous, and genuine love I have ever been given.

If I could have wished for anything before leaving for India, it would be to have an Indian Dream Dinner—a meal with friends, laughter, and time reflecting on the blessing of each other’s presence. This is exactly what I got, because before my flight on Friday evening, Kim and Kyle invited us to their home for dinner where I enjoyed my last few hours in Delhi with the dearest of friends that I made in India. We spent time enjoying my last Indian meal, celebrating Kyle’s birthday and eating an ugly and beautiful birthday cake, and sharing our favorite memories of our time together. Even though it was only four short weeks that was spent with these people, they have become the most meaningful friends.

Magdalena

Now that I’ve been home for a few days, I feel completely lost without the constant companionship of Magdalena. She was the hardest person for me to say goodbye to because our friendship is so special and we were with each other every single day. Nearly every story I tell those who ask me about my trip starts with, “This one time, Magdalena and I…” She has the most kind and beautiful spirit which was evident in her willingness to love me in the best and worst of times—by letting me sleep in her bed the night I was puking my guts out, by playing music while I cried over cockroaches, and when teaching me German cuss words during a 2-hour power cut in 115 degree heat. Magdalena is such an incredible and talented person and she is one of the few people who is able to match her beauty to her kind heart. She has the ability to make others feel so warm and loved and I am so thankful to have her as my forever friend.

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow. 

William Shakespeare.

Kim and Kyle

During the daily chaos at Ashish, there were so many moments that I simply had to stand back and be amazed at how good this couple is. Kim and Kyle’s ability to so faithfully devote their lives to Ashish is so admirable. They are such wonderful individuals and parents, and simply being their presence provided with role models for living selflessly in partnerships, parenthood, and in professional settings. Their hospitality allowed me the comfort of occasionally acting like an American, laughing or complaining about the chaos that is India, and allowing their beautiful children to serve as a constant source of comic relief :)

Preeta

Preeta is the kindest and most generous hostess I have ever had the privilege of staying with. She provided me with a home-away-from-home and spoiled me rotten with her delicious food and caring gestures. My belly was never empty while in Preeta’s home, even though she was always telling me, “You never eat!” (I’m having to run a few extra miles a day at home to make up for all that delicious food!). She found one of the few stores in Delhi that sells soy milk and made sure I always had everything I needed (and then some!) while staying with her. Her maternal sense of protectiveness over Magdalena and I made me feel so loved.

Pallavi and Silvina

The smiles, laughter, and knowing ways of these sweet ladies provided me with so much comfort. They welcomed me with such kindness and showed a genuine interest in getting to know me and became such great girl friends to have around while at Ashish.

At the centre, Silvina was always practicing her English with me. Her commitment to trying to communicate with me and get to know me, no matter how difficult, was so appreciated. At times, the two of us would have no idea what each other was saying, and eventually we’d just end up laughing. From Silvina I learned that all work is easier and more pleasant if you smile while doing it.

Pallavi is one of the sweetest individuals I’ve ever met. She is gentle and kind, and has the ability to make others feel so special and loved. She loves others so well. I am amazed at her resilience, brilliance, and dedication and love for her family. Our friendship grew on the day we visited the Taj, when she was kind enough to put up with the antics of us American tourists. She is extremely generous, and gave me the most beautiful jewelry box as a going-away gift. It meant the world to have these two incredible women around while making my last few memories in India.

Closing Time

Its hard to believe my month in India has come to an end. After saying my last goodbyes, I boarded the airplane and headed back to Chicago. It was so nice to have my dad meet me at the airport, a warm embrace from my mom when I walked in the door, and lots of snuggles and kisses from my fur-baby.

My first few days have been so relaxing and comfortable, although my heart and mind feels full of India. Even though it feels so good to be in the comfort of my parents’ home, I can already feel the India-shaped void in my heart…something that can’t be filled by long, hot showers (not from a bucket!), iced coffee from Starbucks, or eating fruits and veggies to my heart’s content. I am having the most difficult time answering the question, “How was India?” because I feel like there are both too many, and not enough, words to describe it—amazing, exhausting, exciting, depressing, ridiculous, chaotic, ugly, beautiful… and I am certain that India is not done with me.

Thank You!

This will be my last post on Kingdom Eyes: India and I wanted to tell you how deeply blessed I feel to have had so many followers and supporters. This blog provided me with a venue to process my experience in India, while also allowing me the opportunity to brag about how lucky I am to have this experience :) But in all seriousness, the large number of page views, emails, comments, and statements that “Hey! I read your blog!” provided me with so much encouragement on this journey. Thank you so much for being part of my Indian adventure!

Bless and be blessed,

Sarah

Delhi: Week 4

Week 4 of my time in Delhi was bittersweet and brought mixed emotions. I was beginning to feel anxious to return to the comfort of home, while also trying to savor every last second in India and trying to ensure that I missed out on nothing. It was exhausting in the best way.

Monday and Tuesday were the last two days of school at Ashish before the students left for summer holiday. To celebrate the end of the term, the staff hosted a "summer camp" which was packed with fun activities for the students (and I think the staff enjoyed themselves too!). It was such a wonderful time and the school was filled with so much joy. Even though Ashish has been going through a rough time and staff are faced with many challenging decisions regarding the future of Ashish, the smiles and laughter of the staff and students nourished my spirit during these last two days.

Monday night was quite the adventure, and Magdalena and I visited an area of Delhi that we were unfamiliar with. Magdalena needed to purchase a train ticket and I was happy to tag along. On our way to the train station we found ourselves in a situation that exposed me to the reality of how unsafe Delhi can be. We had been told in advance that the area was a popular tourist area, but was also filled with lots of cheaters and liars, and also a known area for drug trafficking (and likely sex trafficking, as well). We had been warned to avoid speaking to anyone who was offering "help." The entirety of the story can really only be fully explained in person, but fortunately Magdalena and I were able to use our best judgment and remain safe. It still gives me chills to think of the "what ifs?" and saddens me to think how untrustworthy others can be. 

Anyway, when we found our way to the office for international travelers, we met a guy and girl from Germany named Jonas and Isabel. They were very kind and friendly, and Magdalena was so excited to have someone to talk to in German (and she did a good job translating for me too so I'd still be part of the conversation :). Our conversation was cut short however, due to some more crazy circumstances (imagine that. chaos in India!), and we were so disappointed that we weren't able to get their contact information. After our crazy adventures of getting the train ticket, we treated ourselves to a fresh coconut (my very first one!), and documented my experience.

 First Sip!

Contemplating...

Liking!

After school on Tuesday, Magdalena and I headed off to a great market, located in New Delhi near we had been the night before for the train ticket. There was tons of great shops for shopping (I started to get the hang of bargaining...which usually just stressed me out) and I really wanted to get henna done.

While Magdalena and I were sitting in the shop getting my henna done, Magdalena was watching the people in the market walk by and all of a sudden she said, "I think Jonas (the German guy from the train station) just walked by!" The moment went too quickly though, and we weren't able to catch his attention. We were, again, bummed that we didn't get a chance to trade contact information. However, when we left the shop a little while later and were walking down the street, Isabel ran up to us, seeming to have come out of nowhere and gave us a hug! Because India is a very huge and populated country, it was so serendipitous to run into them, and I think it was truly meant to be. We ended finding a little cafe and enjoyed spending time chatting and sharing travel stories over coffee.

Wednesday was my last day at Ashish. Although it was sad to be saying goodbye, it was a natural sense of closure since it was also the end of the school year. The day was concluded with a staff party, where they celebrated the end of the term, Kyle's birthday, and also going-away of myself and a few others. Indians have an interesting way of throwing birthday parties and celebrations, during which the guest of honor is expected to sing or dance in front of the group. Because I usually will do almost anything to avoid bringing attention to myself, I was seriously hoping that this tradition would not apply to me! The staff was so kind in sharing their memories of my time at Ashish and giving me a few gifts made by the students at the center. This time made me feel so loved and it reminded me that the relationships formed at Ashish were most meaningful part of this experience.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend the evening babysitting my two favorite girlies. The evening was spent playing play-doh and princesses, dancing, and taking silly-face photo-shoots. It has been the biggest blessing to have the Amos family here to host me.

Weekend Update: Taj Mahal and Agra Fort

Sunday was a very exciting day because I finally got to go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. This was the number one item on my India bucket list, so I was so thrilled that it was able to work out. Agra, the city that the Taj is located in, is about four hours from Delhi, and trains must often be booked months in advance and it seemed like my plans for getting their weren't working out. However, Erin, one of the girls from the Baylor team, was as eager to see the Taj as I was, so we decided to make it happen. Kim and Kyle booked a car for us, and two of my new Indian friends, Shallini and Pallavi were kind enough to come with us. Shallini works at the centre as a teacher in the vocational program and her sweet daughter, Pallavi, babysits Charly and Presley. We were so lucky to have them as our tour guides!

We woke up at the crack of dawn to start the journey to Agra. Although I was quite sleepy during our drive, I was way too excited to sleep. I enjoyed the drive and loved seeing the Indian countryside.

We we arrived in Agra, we were greeted by our tour escort, named Sudhir. Erin and were very confused at first because when we arrived, Sudhir jumped in our car and started talking with us--asking where we were from and where we wanted to go first. Just imagine being in a third world country, having no understanding of the language, and all of a sudden a strange man opens the door of the car, jumps in, and starts chatting with us. We had to ask Shallini and Pallavi to explain what was going on, but we quickly learned that Sudhir had been hired to be our tour guide when Kim and Kyle booked our car.

We were quite hungry, so we first had a fabulous lunch and then headed off to the Taj. Although I've said it in almost every post regarding the amazing sites I've seen, words can truly not explain how incredible the Taj was. I felt like princess Jasmine in Aladdin! Although I've seen pictures over and over again of the Taj, it was such an overwhelming experience to be there in person. It was truly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

It was great to have Sadhir along with us, because he was able to tell us all of the history. He also served as our own personal photographer and had a great sense of humor.

If you're not familiar with the story of the Taj, its construction was initiated in the early 1600s by the emperor Shah Jahan. It was a time of prosperity in the empire and Jahan was grief-stricked when his wife, Guahara Begum, died during childbirth. The initial structure took 16 years to build. Later, Jahan was put under house arrest at the Red Fort (see below) by his son, and eventually buried in a tomb next to his wife in the center of the Taj. In the 19th century, the Taj was defaced by British soldeirs, but was later restored in the early 1900s. It was truly an amazing site, made almost completely of marble, and with the most artistic and perfect detail. It was no question that this is truly one of the wonders of the world.

After leaving the Taj,visiting a few local shops, and cooling off in the car, we headed right over to the Red Fort (Agra Fort). Although it is uncertain when the Agra Fort was first built, it was mentioned for the first time in writings dated 1080 AD (that's freakin old!). The original Red Fort was built in Delhi (still have to see that too!) and later moved to Agra. As mentioned, it is believed that Shah Jahan was deposed by his son here and later died here. It was also the site of battles throughout history during the Indian's rebellion from British rule.

After a very long and hot day in Agra, I was looking a bit like a lobster and feeling super tired, but it was a truly amazing experience.

As for future updates... I have so much more to share and write about. However, since its my last few days in Delhi, I do not want to be spending my time tied to the computer, but rather soaking up every last experience in India. I have so many more pictures and stories to share, so I plan to update during the weekend when I'm home in Chicago!

Weekend Update: Hauz Khaz

Because the days I have left in India are numbered, I've been trying to maximize my time and visit as many places as possible. I'm fortunate enough to have Magdalena to help me navigate and introduce me to all of the must-see sites in Delhi. Also, because Janice, Megan, and Erin had the weekend free, I had some new friends who were just as excited to sight-see as me.

We had a lazy morning on Saturday, which was much needed since I had an awful stomach virus all night long. India has not been agreeing with my tummy! I normally boast about the strength of my immune system, but the combination of new, rich foods, extreme heat, and poor air quality has definitely tested the waters.

On Saturday, we headed off to a really unique area of Delhi, called Hauz Khaz. We first walked through a beautiful park that was full of green, animals, and ancient mosques. If it wasn't 110+ degrees, this would have been the perfect running spot. Its really too bad that my running shoes have not once left my suitcase :(

Hauz Khaz had the most posh and interesting atmosphere. It was obvious that we were in a more affluent area of Delhi, studded with cafes, art galleries, and boutiques. I felt as if I had briefly left India and entered a little European village.

We found a quaint little Italian restaurant that was the perfect spot for lunch. We spent time sharing about our days at Ashish and also talking about our passions and visions for working with children with disabilities. Although we are on the other side of the world, many of the same challenges that exist in the practice of special education in the US have also been present here. We discussed how challenging it may when trying to identify the needs of the professionals we've collaborated with here and how to support their development as an NGO and ministry in a sustainable about way. Although I cannot describe how much I value the relationships with the Indians I've met here, it has also been such a blessing to have a few other westerners here to process our experiences together. Hearing others express their thoughts on being in India has enriched my own ability to process my time here.

When our bellies were full, we headed out to see some of the ancient structures. Hauz Khaz was a village built sometime between the 14th and 16th century and has several Islamic tombs, in addition to a mosque and seminary. This site was not overrun with tourists either (perhaps the heat scared them away!), which was wonderful and the sites were beautiful.

Hauz Khaz was definitely a hidden gem of Delhi!