Unwind With Nature

Earlier this week I took time away from work to meet a friend and enjoy an afternoon at Lalbagh (Red Garden), a botanical garden in southern Bangalore. The garden was originally commissioned in 1760 by the ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali, as a private garden and was completed by his son Tipu Sultan. It continued to be expanded over the years and in 1856, during the British Empire, Lalbagh was officially declared a botanical garden. Today, it spans across 240 acres and is home to over 1,000 species of plants including trees that are over 100 years old. With an entrance fee of $1.10 for an adult with a camera, this place is worth a visit.

We wandered from the main gate in the north to the band stand and the glass house. For two weekends each month, the band stand is the location of Janapada Jaatre, a folk fair, which features cultural folklore of Karnataka. There are also two annual flower shows at the Lalbagh Glass House which occur during the weeks of Republic Day and Independence Day (26 January and 15 August, respectively).

From there, we made our way past a rose garden and stopped to sketch at a lotus pond.

On our way out of the gardens, we walked along the lake and enjoyed watching the birds and the people walking past.

Purple swamphen wading in the shallows.

I plan to go back at least once more, but possible twice, over the next few months to see the rest of the gardens – perhaps during one of the flower shows. I’ll remember to put on insect repellent next time though.

Home Sweet Home

Prior to coming to India, the most frequent questions I was asked were related to this concept of 'home'. How can you leave your boyfriend (now fiancé) behind at home, alone, while you’re away? Won’t you get homesick? Will you come home at all during that time? All valid questions, but difficult for me to answer when most were from people who are not themselves travelers. The short answers: Because we’re both adults who have adult responsibilities, can function on our own, and this opportunity will benefit my future career, thus having a positive impact on our future life together; probably not too much; and no. Yet, it was difficult to articulate my thoughts in a way that people could understand, especially the ‘why’ behind them.

My passport isn’t full by any means, but I’ve done a fair amount of traveling for only being around for 24 years. In the last five years, I’ve been to five different countries – Ghana, Panama, France, Italy, and now India. In that time, I’ve realized that for me, “home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling” (Cecilia Ahern, Love, Rosie). It’s the feeling I get when I spend time with my loved ones. It’s the feeling I get when I Skype with my fiancé and I hear his voice. It’s when strangers become family. It’s when I find a place that makes me feel like I belong, regardless of where it is. It’s the feeling of relief when you’re able just exhale and think that yes, this is my place. Home.

In less than a year, Minnesota became my home because of the experiences I had and the people I shared my time with. When I say I miss home, it’s really the lack of those feelings I would get when I’m with those people that I miss and exploring the city. Due to the advancements in technology, however, this is easier to overcome because I can see and talk to them with the push of a button. I can send or receive reminders from home in under fourteen days (see Exhibit A). I know that if anything happens, I can get on a plane and be there in a day or vice-versa. It’s not easy, but it also doesn’t have to be as difficult as you may think.

Exhibit A: Delivery from MN

And while Minnesota (and Wisconsin) is my home, so is this little part of India. This is the place I come back to after a long day of work and begin to unwind. Where I experience that never-ending feeling of wonder and awe as I wander around my neighborhood. These are the people I spend my free time with; The people I’ve gotten to know over dinner, drinks, board games, and intense conversations – who have become family in the process. There is a sense of belonging when you get to know people and places and the culture. An acceptance when a fellow long-term guest pats you on the back and makes sure you’re alright when you’re having a bad day or when your coworker invites you into their home for chai, dinner, and a chat. When these strangers accept you into their lives and their homes they cease to be strangers but become friends and a surrogate family in this home-away-from-home.

India is a living paradox. There is incredible beauty everywhere yet there are mounds of trash and the smell of sewage in places other than a landfill or wastewater treatment plant. There are so many people who are activists – for the environment, human rights, sustainable energy, you name it and it’s probably here – yet there are those who don’t care or want things to stay as they are. There are slum communities sitting right next to a fancy high-rise – immense wealth beside crushing poverty. Yet it works and these people and organizations that are fighting for a better India are slowly, but surely, making a difference. This is a place I feel fortunate to have been able to visit and can’t wait to see more in the coming months.

To quote Miriam Adeney, “[I] will never be completely home again, because part of [my] heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price [I] pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” While I know I will be thrilled when I return to Minnesota in January, I also know that I will be sad to leave India, just as I was sad to leave every other country I visited in the past. Each one has taken a piece of my heart and I yearn for the moment I can go back.

So what or where is home for you?

Life's a Beach

All work and no play makes for a pretty dull existence. So, I took a trip to the eastern coast of India! There were four of us in total; me, another young woman from England, and two young men from India – all of us had been staying at the same hostel in Bangalore and got on pretty well. One of the men is originally from Tamil Nadu, the neighboring state to the southeast of Karnataka, and invited us to travel with him for the weekend. None of us had any plans, so we jumped at the opportunity to get out of the city.

On Friday evening, we canceled our previously booked train tickets and instead rented a brand-new Volvo to use for the entire trip. Sometime around midnight, we packed the car and hit the road. After hitting a few tolls and getting out of the city, we stopped for some light snacks and a bathroom break. At this point, we had another 5ish hours to travel so it only makes sense that we’d try to catch some sleep so we’d be ready to go come morning. Now, I am one of those people that cannot sleep when it is warm… however, one of the others in the group doesn’t like the cold. Add together the facts that: 1) it was really warm in the car, 2) I had no room to get comfortable, and 3) the roads are shit, and it’s not hard to guess that I did not get any sleep.

Around 4:30 am, we arrived at Arulmiga Arunachaleswarar Temple. The temple opened at 5, so we took a few minutes to rest. While our driver slept, I found a nearby shop that had bathrooms to freshen up. I am forever grateful for the long days of hunting in the woods or being outdoors all day which necessitate popping a squat behind some bushes… Those experiences prepared me for the squat toilets here which are quite common. Because of my preparedness, I’ve avoided some unfortunate mishaps that have otherwise befallen a few of my acquaintances. Once the clock struck 5, we found a place to remove our shoes (as is custom), and made our way to the eastern entrance. What we didn’t know was that it was the weekend of the full moon, so the temple was only open for worship… meaning the rest of the temple was closed to tourists. Such a bummer, yet understandable. We snuck a few pictures and then piled back into the car for another two hours of driving.

And finally, around 8 am… We made it to Pondicherry! Technically we weren’t in Pondy while staying at Vedanta Wake Up! hostel, but Auroville is right between parts of Pondy, so they’re basically the same place. Our exhaustion got the best of us and we slept for a few hours until it was time for lunch. We hit up Auroville Bakery for a light meal and then set off for the city. For those who don’t know, Pondicherry was a French East India Company colonial settlement which is still apparent today. There are three other French colonies scattered across the South Indian coastline which make up the Puducherry Union Territory. There are currently seven union territories in India which are ruled directly by the Central (‘Union’) Government rather than the states in which they are physically located – sort of similar to Native American reservations back in the United States. The territories of Puducherry and Delhi are unique in that they have partial statehood with their own elected legislative assemblies and councils of ministers. In fact, Delhi is now the National Capital Territory of India. It was fun to see road signs in both French and Tamil and so many places/restaurants with French influences.

Once in the city, we walked around Bharathi Park, saw a few different statues – one of Gandhi, and an old lighthouse. We looked around Promenade Beach, but it was busy so we drove for a few minutes to one that is frequented by fewer people. 

We ended up somewhere between Auro Beach and Pondicherry University Beach which was so empty we had a small stretch of it to ourselves. I did a bit of wading and collected a large handful of shells while the boys enjoyed the waves for an hour or so.

Back at Vedanta, we had a mix of pesto and classic tomato pasta before letting sleep overtake us again – this time we had A/C though!

Sunday morning, we got breakfast at Bread & Chocolate – I know, it definitely sounds like a place I wouldn’t enjoy, just kidding. But seriously, it was so good! I had poached eggs over homemade sourdough toast and a chocolate herbal tea. I would love to find a place like that here in Bangalore. The three of use that hadn’t been to Pondy before went to Auroville to see Matrimandir (a big golden dome that reminds me of Spaceship Earth at Epcot). They’ve got a lot of really cool stuff going on in Auroville but I’m not sure walking two kilometers (1.25 miles) in the hot sun to stare at a golden ball from a quarter of a mile away.

Luckily, we didn’t have to pay to see it. We had just enough time to stop at a few shops on the way back for lunch. I found a nice skirt and found a small place that made shoes.

It was so cool to see the men working the leather, cutting rubber, and attaching the soles right there in front of me. It makes you appreciate the hard work and skill it takes for those jobs when you see the effort that is put into the end product. Dinner was a simple affair at a pizza place before we headed back to Bangalore.

One nice thing about the return trip was that it was earlier, so it was still light out for most of the drive. We went back past the temple and also caught a glimpse of Gingee Fort from the road. For my first time navigating the Indian roads on a longer trip, I think I did pretty well – only two missed turns (which weren’t even turns but were more like ‘get into another lane’ based on Google Maps) that ended up not causing any delays or U-turns. I’d call it a success 😊

But then it was right back to that daily grind. In this place, however, there is never a truly dull day if you keep your mind open to the sights, smells, and sounds around you.

Cheers to all and don't forget to say hi in the comments!