The Great Indian wedding !

Weddings in Egypt start at night at 8 or 9 in the evening and we spend all night celebrating dancing… here in India the wedding started at 7am …What kind of a wedding where you got to wake up at 6 or 7 am to get there and I am just a guest… Imagine what  the bride and groom go through ??

Anyway after waking up super early and heading to the other side of Mumbai and of course looking like like a zombie in the taxi because of the sleep loss we finally reached our destination, and we found our lovely short friend and a nice tall guy waiting for us to guide us through the wedding. Of course Me and roujeih were late and missed the part that sachi had called us for..

The bride’s outfit was beautiful and fascinating there were so many details, I really liked it … The ceremonies of the wedding took really a lot of time.. there were so many prayers and blessings as if they were  praying for the last time in their life. One of the most interesting part of the wedding was to see Sachi Maniar in a saree.. And discovered there is a feminine side of Sachi with her huge sporty watch on her wrist !

Many people asked me whether I was from the bride’s side or the groom’s side and when I tried to explain that we are friends of one of the groom’s friend they didn’t get it and they start asking you the same question all over again again guessing that you didn’t get what they are talking about.

It all went great we were taking pictures, knowing new lovely people and all was really nice until we went down stairs to eat our lunch in the wedding. It was a hell of shock, I didn’t understand how am I supposed to eat cause my plate was a leaf of a banana tree!!!! T And you put a little bit of water on the banana leaf  and clean it for blessing and prosperity. And then about six or seven men pass by you and keep on dropping stuff on your leaf! the hospitality of the Indians is crazy ! And there is a spoon but you don’t use it because it is Indian tradition ! you have to eat with your hands … mix the rice with other food……I did not understand a single thing of what I was eating!  Well, it was nice and fun after all …

We met some really interesting people in Mumbai who were friends of Sachi ! One of which was Vinod Sreedhar! This 30 something man is really interesting. He decided to quit all commercial activities and give his all to what he is passionate about and live every moment! He takes trips to Kashmir, works on issues of Non Violence, facilitates workshops, works on organic farms and finally is a music composer! He lives his life the gift economy style..away from organizations and associations. I felt really connected to him as I feel I am at a similar stage in my life !

To know about Vinod go to his website : http://www.signposts.co.in/  his tagline says : For those who dare to follow their hearts !!!

Mumbai with a walking-talking lonely planet

Today was the first day Sachi joined us after her arrival from the States. And I have to admit that it was different to see Mumbai with a mumbai- ite.  It was much much better than going by yourself. By Sachi arriving back in India I now have a walking-talking lonely planet?

I didn’t know that much about the people. I didn’t understand their body language if they are mad or happy and trust me no matter how much you have read about India and its traditions, when you are actually here it is totally different and there are so many minute details that one can feel lost in the beginning. But soon you will find yourself melting in smoothly and enjoying all the traditions and habits you encounter.

FAB INDIA - Buying an Indian attire!

Sachi took us Kurta shopping and I bought two bright kurtas. Kurta is very similar to a short Galabeiah but shorter and fitted. I tried to be open and buy brighter colours then the one I usually wear. It was very hard to go shopping to buy an outfit that I had no clue about. So many different styles and cuts and I had no clue of what it is suppose to look. There were these pants called ‘Chudidaar’ with really narrow bottoms.. First when I tried, I thought I need a bigger size but with Sachi’s help I figured out how it is supposed to be worn. I felt like a tourist in this big ‘Fab India’ store.

HAJI ALI !

Haji Ali is a very famous Shia Indian Mosque. The Mosque was very different from any mosque I have seen in Egypt.. I really like the pieces of cloth that were hanging. The mosque is in the middle of the sea and there is a narrow pathway leading to it. The pathways is full of poor people of all ages begging on both sides. People with cut arms and wounded legs, healthy and weak, old and kids.. I did not like the sight of it, I did not like seeing how they were fighting for a begging spot..

While walking on the pathway, Hindus were immersing the Ganesh on the sides.. Knowing the history of episodes between the Hindus and the Muslims in India, It felt like it was a new message been given out for peace and religious brotherhood.

The great Indian Food

For the first time since we got here we ate the Indian food with Sachi. The food was not spicy but it was so colourful.. They have colours on their plates like they have colours on their clothes. . I wonder if they really appreciate and respect the colourful life so much?  by the way the coke in India is SPICY too !

Acquiring and Indian Sim Card

Phew!  This was one hell of a task… Sachi got me a Sim card but to get it activated was another big saga ! Indians adore their Indian English accent which is super hard to understand ! I tried talking to the customer service to activate my Indian telephone service.. but I found myself on the phone speaking in english with all the different signs and gestures I could use, as if I was talking with the customer care executive  face to face. And of course, I had to just give up and put down the phone ! I will let Sachi deal with this !!

That’s it for the day.

- 29th Aug 2009

Dina

Back in India : still disoriented

Feels great to be back! Surprisingly my Air India flight which is usually late, reached 45 mins earlier than the scheduled time. Humid mumbai breeze along with rains welcomed me after a 33 hour long flight..I was soo excited to get wet in the rains and I did !!  At the airport, I noticed there are more men then machines (unlike in America) , I am beaming smiles when I hear the first few words of marathi – a local language that’s spoken in Maharashtra.  I had less of a reverse culture shock than what I expected, or may be I was just prepared !

First few days were all about getting used to the Mumbai that I have known for ages. I felt stupid when my brother held my hand to help me cross the road. I am usually famous for my reckless street crossing and here I was – behaving like an AmeriKan return, being super cautious. Everything of course feels soo different… No internet connection, Mom’s home cooked food,  the spicy chaai(tea), the change of languages, noisy streets and honking cars, traffic jams and annoying television.. I found myself slow in the fast paced Mumbai life..

I am having a tough time juggling between spending time at home, preparing for my best friend’s wedding, showing Dina and Roujeih around and of course getting over the Great jet lag. Apart from that, mom is getting emotional about me leaving again, and grand ma  on the other hand is is terribly ill.  And to top it all, I have so much in my head and no time to digest my Berkeley experience.

I am meeting relatives and feeling almost choked up trying to explain what I learnt in the past 3 months. In India, young people jumping in to social work is not usually accepted. Going to the US not to earn more but just to learn about non violence or social work is a concept that doesn’t exist in their minds. Every now and then, visitors, friends and family members attack me with questions about who I am? what I want to do ? how much money will I be able to make? why social work ? why not something else ? when am I thinking of finally settling and getting married ? what’s my career like ? phew! I am not ready to answer all of this. I am just taking everything by the day and waiting for the 4th of September when we finally leave for Delhi.

First meeting with Dina and Roujeih

At  10 a.m.  I go to Dina and Roujeih’s hotel which is not very far from my house. I knock on their door for like ten minutes .. Of course they were still dozing off. It was great to see both of them after OIYP. It was kind of unbelievable that something we vaguely spoke about in Australia has been realized. It was a big surprise to see Dina in a MOHOCK.. In OIYP Kaleidoscope she had long curly hair. I was already thinking of what would people think when I take her to the villages. If she shaved off her mohock, things could be okay. Last year, I visited the villages in Mussoorie when I was bald. So just shaving off the mohock will prevent people from thinking that she is a hippie or a druggie or just a weirdo. Well, of course her shaved head will not save her from the stares and the people’s attention ! but guess that will still be manageable.

Dina and Roujeih are shifting to another hotel in downtown. I am little worried about this. I actually din’t realize accommodation in Mumbai could be so freaking expensive. Because of my grandma’s constant illness, I have requested them to stay in a hotel although I feel awful about it.

Mumbai – First Impressions

Mumbai is a big crazy city but not as crazy as the place I came from (Cairo). So, I was not terrified or taken by the crowded streets or the aliveness of this city but I found the smell and the weather  very strange and weird for me  and of course the Hindi and the English spoken in a Hindi style with a heavy Indian accent was not an easy thing to get used to.

The biggest problem we faced before Sachi arriving to India was what to eat??? Nothing is familiar to me! I didn’t understand anything neither the names of the meal nor the ingredients.

So our survival instinct and the joy of experimenting were really funny and interesting.

Because in India everything is different, even the stuff you think is the same everywhere, In India is different so don’t count on going to Mac and ordering a nice big Mac meal cause there they only serve chicken NO meat. So good luck my friends!

Traveling around Mumbai, the first couple of days were really interesting.  First of all, I have never experienced in all my travels so far, that the way I look was gonna categorize me as a tourist or outsider. But in Mumbai, it did and it was clear as a sun that I was a visitor. So anyways, I was enjoying everything that was happening to me and around me and I was super positive and looking forward for the adventure to start.

26th Aug 2009

Dina

Day 1 in Mumbai :)

Landing at Mumbai airport marked the commencement of our trip. A taxi driver was waiting for us with our name cards, we packed our stuff in the taxi and kicked off our journey in India. My eyes started to catch every little thing around me but not my camera yet .

I see new places, new people, crowded streets, animals on the streets and people taking blessing from the animals. I was in a shock ! As we are wandering around our hotel it seemed to me more like a village than a city.

But okkk wait till we go and see the downtown. We went to downtown by an Indian taxi I could see the city life coming out in every little thing. The downtown of Mumbai is like any other downtown in the world – just with a little bit of a splash of Indian culture.

Since, Sachi was not back yet we were still on our own, we knew nothing,what to do, what to visit, what to eat?

Our Savior – God in the first place and then the “LONELY PLANET.” One can find everything there maps, places to visit, culture details, restaurants, hotels, everything ..

In a new part of this world , you need nothing but a Lonely planet !

-26th Aug 2009

Roujeih Anis

Gearing up for India !

Here we go, my dream is about to come true. We are about to travel to India in a few days. Excited, thinking, imagining, searching and googling pics of India ……OOOOh my god ,am I going to see all these amazing portraits, landscapes, colors, cultures, religions… Everything! Unbelievable! BUT I am worried. Have been getting some warnings regarding the thieves, diseases and the food and lots of ‘be careful’ advices. Sachi is still in the States and arranging everything from there. We yet don’t know anything about our accommodation! ???  It’s all very crazy !

-Roujeih

A fresh start

It has been a hectic and crazy month before traveling to India starting from quitting my job and moving back to Cairo after living in Alexandria for 5 years. Packing a 5 years life in boxes and at the same time searching for an apartment in Cairo to move my stuff in. Since Sachi, Roger and I were starting this new project and preparing for this trip, I had this urge inside of making this trip in India a new and a fresh start for myself. That’s the reason why I took the decision to try and drop all the attachments I have created for myself for the past 4 or 5 years.

Happy with all the decision I have taken and made before traveling – I have to admit that I’ve succeeded in a range of 85% which is very satisfying for me.

Excited for a new beginning

Dina

One week to go! Planning from the States!

It is my last week in Berkeley, California. I spent three months here as a part of the Metta Mentors Program for Non Violence Education. Apart from the wrapping up, meeting friends, finishing pending work, dealing with all the emotional stuff of parting from friends and family in the States, I also had to help  Dina and Roujeih figure out their trip until I get back to India. They had already booked their tickets to India and for me, I was not getting a connecting flight and had to book my self for a flight on the 26th August which is 7 days later than the original plan.

It was kind of  a messy situation, I only wished that they arrived  in India after I reached Mumbai, so that, I could be well settled and could take better care of  them. Anyways, the mess was already created so, on one hand, I was looking for cheap hotels on the internet, on the other giving Roujeih instructions of what to carry and what not… and of course calming him down regarding the swine flew and all the other nonsensical rumors that were in the air about India. I just prayed that they would be okay and would be able to manage things on their own till I get there.

Partner Organizations

Oxfam International Youth Partnership Program, Oxfam Australia: OIYP  is a global network of young people who share a vision of a just world and are committed to working for peaceful, equitable and sustainable social change with their communities.

Ananda care: Ananda care is an informal group of volunteers that came together in 2007 when my friend Adit’s Dad, Pankaj Parekh decided to adopt a village which he regularly visited in his college days. The aim was to get the kids out of their confined environment and make them have fun, play sports and bring smiles on their faces.

SIDH- Society for Integrated Development of the Himalayas: is based in Kempty, Mussoorie in the Central Himalayas. SIDH is committed to providing meaningful, relevant, and holistic education to local children and youth. SIDH’s primary mission is to use education as a tool for social change and to encourage a more meaningful exploration and dialogue, not only in the social and political spheres but also within individual mindsets. Currently, SIDH operates 11 schools from the pre-primary level through high school and serves nearly 500 children in 40 villages of the Aglar Valley in Jaunpur.

Manzil: is a non-profit organization providing a community and resources for local youth from low-income backgrounds to learn, teach, be creative, and see the world in new ways. Located in Khan Market, Manzil serves those living in the servant quarters and one-room tenements that cohabitate this affluent area of New Delhi.

Jamghat: is an Non profit organization that works with street children of  Delhi. Jamghat aims to provide an environment where street children can evolve as physically and emotionally healthy, self-dependent individuals, living a life of their choice. They use street and stage theatre to nurture self confidence in the children and build awareness in society on key social issues related to street children.

Manavsadhna: is an NGO based at Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. Inspired by the Gandhian principles of truth, non-violence, uplifting the poor and oppressed, promoting health and sanitation, and to educate the poor masses, Manav Sadhna has begun a movement to adapt these ideals to the current and complex issues facing not only India, but the world. Manav Sadhna wishes to plant the seeds of hope and inspiration among all people, especially those children who have been neglected by society.

Gramshree: is a cooperative  that encourages the holistic development of underprivileged women through projects such as income generation, skill training, creative development, savings, health awareness and education, all of which foster integrity and self-reliance. Their mission is to empower women to be catalysts of sustainable economic and social change inorder to strengthen their families and positively impact their communities.

Seva Cafe: is an experiment in the shared joy that comes from humble giving and selfless service. It is a gift economy restaurant where, when you dine, you are not viewed as a customer, but instead as a treasured guest, as part of the family. At Seva cafe, your meal is offered to you as a genuine gift, already paid for in full by previous guests. You become part of a Circle of Giving, which is modeled more closely to that of a family. There are no bills and it is left it to you to pay it forward with your heart.

The Team

Dina Shoukry: Dina.. D…. Shak-shak, is a 25-year-old super fun, lively, crazy Egyptian artist and photographer. In Egypt, she volunteered with several NGOs and associations. She has been the artistic co-ordinator for an artistic space open to the street where she organized and coördinated international events in the street. Courageous, care free and full of life, Dina, apart from being an artist on the project she was also a peace maker and an English/Arabic translator Dina believes that art and artistic crafts are the easiest and smartest methods for development!

Roujeih Anis: Roujeih or as the people in India fondly called him ‘ROSEE’  23 year old, is an enthusiastic animator, emotional photographer and a shadow puppeteer. Roujeih is a freelance trainer in Egypt where he works with kids from different cultures.  Although again and again he swears not to do anymore volunteer work, his heart opts for projects that call to him and he after a little bit of debate, decides to follow his heart. He is also a photographer (a profession he is madly in love with) with  Oyoon Art Group.

Sachi Maniar: Sachi (Sach or as Dina calls her – shorty) 22 year, a traveler by heart, a mountaineer, a pseudo filmmaker, a photographer and a compassion-ist is the organizer, facilitator, translator and filmmaker of the team. She is always dashing around the universe sometimes working as an assistant director or a line producer, sometimes facilitating workshops, sometimes racking her brains to bring world peace and some other times simply, randomly, humbly serving … She strongly believes in the power of the arts to change people’s mindsets, attitudes and break their prejudices.