End of Hiatus

Sorry for my prolonged absence from the blog! It's been about two weeks since I last wrote and a lot has happened. I've been so busy, it leaves me exhausted at the end of the day and it's been hard to get up the motivation to work on the blog. So today I'll make two posts to cover the time I've been gone.
The past two weeks have been very full and exciting, but also stressful. I can still feel my Hindi improving, but I sometimes feel discouraged by my inability to communicate clearly with rickshawwalas, etc. Talking with our teacher is much easier because they have the experience to know what we are trying to say and to know how to speak so that we can understand clearly. So I feel pretty confident talking at school (usually), but the real world is very different. I've definitely been able to hold conversations with Hindi-speakers out and about, but it's always a challenge and a bit discouraging. Then again, that's why I'm here: to muddle through in a real-world setting and improve my speaking ability and confidence. I just need practice, and I know I'm making progress and it'll improve with time.
Jaipur has begun to feel very familiar to me, and a lot of the things that at first seemed so shocking are beginning to seem normal: crazy traffic, constant horns honking, dogs and cows wandering the streets, the hand-painted signs and dilapidated store fronts. I'm getting used to the rhythm of life here in a lot of ways, which is pretty exciting. I'm sure that when I come back to India for a year this sense of familiarity will only increase. One thing I am still not able to feel comfortable with, though, is the wealth disparity that is so visible here. There are several levels: for one thing, here in India I am considered rich by local people because of my appearance and nationality. But the truly uncomfortable thing is that they are right. Back home, I am not rich by any means. Now here I have to suddenly confront the fact that I have more money, resources, education, and opportunities than most Indians. There are families like my host family, who are well off with large houses and gardens and a large television and modern kitchen and homes nicer than mine in Texas. When I am at my host home I don't feel so uncomfortable. But then I go outside and see the family who lives on the sidewalk just down the way, and the beggars who wind through stopped traffic tapping on car windows and making the universal hand signs for "hungry" and "please." I've gotten in the habit of carrying around granola bars to hand out to these people, but even that is uncomfortable for me for a number of reasons. First, sitting in the comfort of my rickshaw on my way to school with my nice clothes and things facing this person with nothing to their name is never fun. But also I am crushed by a sense of powerlessness. I want to be able to do more for these people than simply handing them a small snack and driving off. So many people in India live in incredible poverty on the sidewalks next to homes like my host family's. How this wealth disparity can exist I don't fully understand, but I have realized that I have a duty to help people. Though I wasn't born wealthy by American standards, I have education and resources and some money to my name. Most importantly, I have time and I have options. I don't have to work in a field for twelve hours a day. I don't have to beg on the street to feed myself and my children. I have the ability to choose any path for myself in life, and I want to use that ability to help people who really need it. I've been thinking a lot about this during my time in India.
On a different (and lighter) note, Jaipur is incredibly beautiful and I have been lucky to be able to see some of its most famous and beautiful landmarks. A couple weekends ago our school took us on a day trip to a few spots around the city:

1. Birla Mandir
This beautiful temple is just down the street from my house. It's not very old and was built by one of India's wealthiest industrial families (the Birlas). This was my first time to see inside of a Hindu temple and it was definitely unlike any other place of worship I have visited. My firends and I did find it odd though that underneath the temple is a museum dedicated to the Birla fmaily, showcasing their clothes and luxury items, their college diplomas and the gifts thay have received from important people (and photos of them with said important people). It was an uncomfortable contrast to the communal place of worship above. Still, the building is absolutely gorgeous.

The entire thing is white marble and it's just stunning.

                                               

Moti Doongri on the hill next door.

Shameless selfie (and Indian photobombers)

I've always thought the fluidity of Hinduism was very interesting,
 especially the way in which it can incorporate other religious traditions.

So much stained glass! We weren't supposed to take pictures inside,
 but I snapped this one from outside (Is that okay? I don't know). 

The Mandir in all its glory.

AIIS buddies (me, Mercedes, Karamjeet, Grace 

2. Jawahar Kala Kendra

This art center is home to some very interesting architecture. We stopped by the restaurant here for a chai break and got to explore the grounds.

Literal translation: Jawahar Art Center

The architecture here was very modern and geometric.
 It was pretty unlike the other places we've seen in and around Jaipur.

Ceiling art

Wall art

Me with wall art. It'd be nice if I knew what it meant.

Huge courtyard. A guard yelled at me and Grace for taking pictures here,
 but later on the whole group came here to take pictures
(including the teachers) and it was okay...

Chai kaa samay. Me, Rachel, Taylor, and Grace.

Garden courtyard next to the little restaurant area. 

Shameless selfie taking advantage of pretty garden lighting.

I don't know what "Planet Moon" means but I love it
and I think it would make a great band name.

3. Albert Hall

Unfortunately, this is where my camera crapped out. I managed to get a couple good pictures of the exterior. Albert Hall is basically a really gorgeous museum in Jaipur which houses all kinds of art, sculptures, textiles, and other artifacts.

All this happened on a Saturday. The next day, a few friends and I made the trip a few kilometers out of town and into the mountains to see Amer Fort, one of Jaipur's oldest and most famous landmarks.

Panorama of the mountains and the village below Amer. It was breathtaking!

Inside the fort.

Walls ran along the crests of the hills connecting Amer with other nearby forts.
It reminded me of a smaller version of the Great Wall.

Friends (Malini, Karamjeet, me, Taylor)

There were so many windows like this: all geometric and
very beautiful. They must have been so difficult to make.

Views through said windows.

Ceiling art pt. I

Ceiling art pt. II

See that structure in the middle of the courtyard? It's filled with
wood and rope cots and was once the area where the king's harem
spent their time (and where my friends and I took a break in the shade).

Traditional Rajasthani puppet show. Puppets are a well-known
cultural feature of Rajasthan. We got to talk with the artist who made the
 puppets and he was impressed that we were learning Hindi.

Other than that, the last two weeks have been mostly school. I will write another post soon about he trip my classmates and I took this past weekend. Hopefully I will be better about updating the blog!