Okay, drop whatever it is you’re doing. If there are other windows open in your browser, if you brought this blog into the bathroom to read while taking a shit, or you’re just listening to music- you need to pause. Everything else about India has been small potatoes compared to what I’m about to tell you next:
I own a fucking sitar.
And I’m taking lessons. From an awesome man who barely speaks any English and has indentations on his hands to rival a construction worker’s. I’m serious. Guitar players get mad calices.; Mr. Singh has permanent lines on his fingers.
We started the lesson off by learning how to sit. You cross your right leg over your left and let the sitar rest on your left foot. You hold the weight strictly by balancing on your left foot and using the right thumb, because the left hand has to be available to move up and down the frets. When you strum down, it’s called “Da”, and when you strum up, it’s “Ra”. The scale is as follows:
Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa
I thought about making up lyrics to the tune of “Doe- A Deer” to help me remember. But it’s sort of hard.
Sa- A thing you use to cut
Ri- A word that means repeat
Ga- A noise that babies make
Ma- New Jersey’s word for “mom”
Pa- Another word for “Dad”
Da- Your Russian grandfather
Ni- It really hurts right now (from the way we have to sit)
And it brings us back to SA SA SA SA…
But so far it’s not very catchy, and few share my enthusiasm for this system, despite its obvious genius.
Because Mr. Singh doesn’t speak much English, he can’t really communicate what he wants us to fix. But we’ve got a system:
“So the strumming really hurts my wrist. Is there a way to make it relax more?”
“Wrong! Fix.”
“Oh…okay. I know. But how do I-“ But by this time he has forcibly removed your hand and fixed it for you, so it all works out.
I’m learning a lot about the different performance arts here. For one- they are all interconnected, and most revolve around Sanskrit. So while it is not a language widely spoken, practitioners of the arts, yoga, and Indian Literature buffs pretty much need to know it. Take for example my Kuchipudi Dance class. It is taught by a woman named Aruna, who has a beautifully dry sense of humor and has been dancing since she was 4 years old. Kuchipudi is heavily based off of Sanskrit, because there are different hand motions that go along with each word. By pressing your index and middle finger to your thumb and straightening the ring and pinky, you will make the sign for “The Face of An Insect”. By extending all fingers out (but keeping the pinky and others in a little bit) you’ve made the sign for “Lotus”. Combine these two into one dance movement, and the dancer communicates “The Face of an Insect that Sits on a Lotus”.
Kuchipudi is INCREDIBLY different from any style of movement I’ve ever done before, but sometimes you can rely on the similarities. Between all the stomping and hand positions (called Hastas), you have to keep your upper body very straight and rigid, like ballet. They even have first position (Sama Pada). Aruna is also very helpful:
“Amanda,” (Pronounced like A-mawn-duh, as I don’t believe the second sound exists in Hindi or Telugu) “Make your arms more like an ‘L’ shape. This is not Karate.”
“I know, I know. I can’t help it. When I have to keep my palms flat like this I just think ‘Ninja’”.
I decide not to explain why.
“All of you need to make your movement looser, easier…Are you ok? You all look so red when we do practicals. It makes me nervous. I know it is just your skin, but I feel like you will drop right in front of me.”
“No, Aruna, we’re ok. This is normal for white people.”
So between Kuchipudi, morning certificate yoga, and Yoga Theory and Practice, most of my homework ends up being physical. Which I’m perfectly fine with. There is a difference, however, between certificate yoga and TP Yoga. The certification class is all about physical discipline. We are expected to learn all the postures, the Sanskrit names for them, as well as how to get into and out of them correctly, and the benefits each one has for the body. Even though getting up at 5:15 Monday-Saturday and biking the 3.5 km to the Yoga Centre (British spelling, good ol’ colonization) is a bitch, it really does make you feel good when you’re done.
Then there is Yoga Theory and Practice, where our teacher, Yashoda, just makes you feel so darn good about yourself that you leave on a cloud. Yashoda the Yoda gives you inspirational words like, “If you meditate on your purpose in life, and ask the Universe to reveal it to you, it will be done.” Yashoda’s Yoga is more based on simultaneous breathing and movement, which I find ultimately more relaxing. We end each practice portion of the class with meditation, during which we try to “Detach ourselves from our body and our desires, which will eliminate Duhkham (Suffering)”. Then we move on to theory, where Yashoda will draw happy diagrams of people sitting in Lotus position, explaining the history and purpose behind the practice of Yoga. Needless to say, it’s my favorite class.
I only wish that my other classes could be as enlightening as that one; but unfortunately, I do not have many good things to say about the style of teaching in India. It is all lecture, memorization, and spitting back what you’ve learned. Almost no critical thinking, very little discussion. I have 3 in-class evaluations for each class that lead up to the final exams in November. For Anthropology of Religion (now my only direct-enroll class with actual students at UH) all I have to do is summarize an article and present it to the class. I’m not complaining- trust me, I’d rather do that than a test or an essay, but you get the general idea of what it’s like to go to school here.
The mosquitos are pretty terrible. We’ve all been investing in these large tubes of cream called “Odomos Naturals”. It’s citronella and aloe vera, one of the few products we’ve found that’s meant to be put on your skin rather than sprayed around a door or window. It works pretty well, but we still get bit. And when it gets bad we use…
Toothpaste.
White cream toothpaste.
That’s right folks, all the old wives’ tales you’ve heard are true. Just put some toothpaste on those suckers, curl up in bed, and the next day you will be itching considerably less and NOT having your limbs look like they’re covered in boils.
Fun fact: Did you know that mosquitos explode if your flex your muscles while they’re biting you? It’s true- try it some time. They can’t handle the sudden rush of blood and they literally explode. Just be wary, because it can be a little messy. I swear, the things I’m learning here…
But the most apparent part of India so far is the kindness of the people. I have two contacts right now- Suresh (man in Hyderabad) and a couple in the neighboring city of Secunderabad. The Indian people as a whole are so welcoming that they put southern hospitality to shame. Suresh offered to take my friends and I to a Hindu Temple two Saturdays ago, where he guided us through the idols, the offerings, the prayers, and everything else we would never have known had he not been with us.
And oh my God, this temple.
It was gorgeous, only a few years old. Mostly white with marble floors. I wished I could have taken some pictures, but it would have been rude, so I didn’t. Large temples housing multiple Gods and Goddesses are walked through and the idols are visited one at a time. Each temple always begins with Ganesha (the elephant), who is said to ward off all obstacles. From there on, you visit each idol as you please, watching as the priests do their ritualistic prayers. Many of them light incense and go around the idols in a circle while chanting. Then you are given herb water; you drink a little, and smooth the rest over your hair. The exception to this was the God of money (whose name escapes me), where we were given fresh sweet milk. Sometimes rice was sprinkled on our heads for purity, sometimes not. At all idols the priests had a flame going, where we wafted the smoke towards our third eye. Next, the priests perform the practice of Shataari, where they place a metal crown (called a kalasam) over our heads very quickly before moving on to the next person. This generally marks the end of your visit with that idol.
Outside of most temples there is a place to buy coconuts. If you buy a coconut and bring it in, it will be filled with flowers and given back to you (most places- some places also just keep the coconuts). These flower-filled coconuts are gifts from the Gods, and it is forbidden to put them on the ground or treat them with disrespect. But it is not all too formal:
“So Suresh, what do you usually do with these coconuts?”
“Oh, I’m not sure…most of the time I give them to my mother. She uses them for cooking.”
“Aha.”
Then there was lunch with the couple, Kashmira and Dadi. Kashmira plans weddings, and Dadi works with banking software development. They picked me up at noon on Sunday in their little red car, and took me out to an extremely nice buffet in Hyderabad. It was the best food I’ve eaten since I’ve been here.
The restaurant was soooo relaxing and Kashmira and Dadi were so kind that I immediately felt at ease. We talked about everything- they offered to let me stay with them for a weekend, and at the end of the day Kashmira handed me a bag full of snacks. They were probably the nicest people I’ve ever met before.
That’s at least one thing from India that America could really benefit from- they treat foreigners here as if we are all their personal responsibility. Everyone is a diplomat. They want to take you out for coffee, or let you borrow something you need, or give you food, help you through the train station and the airport, keep you from getting ripped off by a rickshaw driver. In America, we see foreigners and…eh, we might help…until we realize they can’t speak English. I have literally communicated using only hand signs and facial expressions with women on the bus to find out what the next stop is going to be. If you try hard enough, you can figure out what someone is saying to you. We just don’t make an effort.
I own a fucking sitar.
And I’m taking lessons. From an awesome man who barely speaks any English and has indentations on his hands to rival a construction worker’s. I’m serious. Guitar players get mad calices.; Mr. Singh has permanent lines on his fingers.
We started the lesson off by learning how to sit. You cross your right leg over your left and let the sitar rest on your left foot. You hold the weight strictly by balancing on your left foot and using the right thumb, because the left hand has to be available to move up and down the frets. When you strum down, it’s called “Da”, and when you strum up, it’s “Ra”. The scale is as follows:
Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa
I thought about making up lyrics to the tune of “Doe- A Deer” to help me remember. But it’s sort of hard.
Sa- A thing you use to cut
Ri- A word that means repeat
Ga- A noise that babies make
Ma- New Jersey’s word for “mom”
Pa- Another word for “Dad”
Da- Your Russian grandfather
Ni- It really hurts right now (from the way we have to sit)
And it brings us back to SA SA SA SA…
But so far it’s not very catchy, and few share my enthusiasm for this system, despite its obvious genius.
Because Mr. Singh doesn’t speak much English, he can’t really communicate what he wants us to fix. But we’ve got a system:
“So the strumming really hurts my wrist. Is there a way to make it relax more?”
“Wrong! Fix.”
“Oh…okay. I know. But how do I-“ But by this time he has forcibly removed your hand and fixed it for you, so it all works out.
I’m learning a lot about the different performance arts here. For one- they are all interconnected, and most revolve around Sanskrit. So while it is not a language widely spoken, practitioners of the arts, yoga, and Indian Literature buffs pretty much need to know it. Take for example my Kuchipudi Dance class. It is taught by a woman named Aruna, who has a beautifully dry sense of humor and has been dancing since she was 4 years old. Kuchipudi is heavily based off of Sanskrit, because there are different hand motions that go along with each word. By pressing your index and middle finger to your thumb and straightening the ring and pinky, you will make the sign for “The Face of An Insect”. By extending all fingers out (but keeping the pinky and others in a little bit) you’ve made the sign for “Lotus”. Combine these two into one dance movement, and the dancer communicates “The Face of an Insect that Sits on a Lotus”.
Kuchipudi is INCREDIBLY different from any style of movement I’ve ever done before, but sometimes you can rely on the similarities. Between all the stomping and hand positions (called Hastas), you have to keep your upper body very straight and rigid, like ballet. They even have first position (Sama Pada). Aruna is also very helpful:
“Amanda,” (Pronounced like A-mawn-duh, as I don’t believe the second sound exists in Hindi or Telugu) “Make your arms more like an ‘L’ shape. This is not Karate.”
“I know, I know. I can’t help it. When I have to keep my palms flat like this I just think ‘Ninja’”.
I decide not to explain why.
“All of you need to make your movement looser, easier…Are you ok? You all look so red when we do practicals. It makes me nervous. I know it is just your skin, but I feel like you will drop right in front of me.”
“No, Aruna, we’re ok. This is normal for white people.”
So between Kuchipudi, morning certificate yoga, and Yoga Theory and Practice, most of my homework ends up being physical. Which I’m perfectly fine with. There is a difference, however, between certificate yoga and TP Yoga. The certification class is all about physical discipline. We are expected to learn all the postures, the Sanskrit names for them, as well as how to get into and out of them correctly, and the benefits each one has for the body. Even though getting up at 5:15 Monday-Saturday and biking the 3.5 km to the Yoga Centre (British spelling, good ol’ colonization) is a bitch, it really does make you feel good when you’re done.
Then there is Yoga Theory and Practice, where our teacher, Yashoda, just makes you feel so darn good about yourself that you leave on a cloud. Yashoda the Yoda gives you inspirational words like, “If you meditate on your purpose in life, and ask the Universe to reveal it to you, it will be done.” Yashoda’s Yoga is more based on simultaneous breathing and movement, which I find ultimately more relaxing. We end each practice portion of the class with meditation, during which we try to “Detach ourselves from our body and our desires, which will eliminate Duhkham (Suffering)”. Then we move on to theory, where Yashoda will draw happy diagrams of people sitting in Lotus position, explaining the history and purpose behind the practice of Yoga. Needless to say, it’s my favorite class.
I only wish that my other classes could be as enlightening as that one; but unfortunately, I do not have many good things to say about the style of teaching in India. It is all lecture, memorization, and spitting back what you’ve learned. Almost no critical thinking, very little discussion. I have 3 in-class evaluations for each class that lead up to the final exams in November. For Anthropology of Religion (now my only direct-enroll class with actual students at UH) all I have to do is summarize an article and present it to the class. I’m not complaining- trust me, I’d rather do that than a test or an essay, but you get the general idea of what it’s like to go to school here.
The mosquitos are pretty terrible. We’ve all been investing in these large tubes of cream called “Odomos Naturals”. It’s citronella and aloe vera, one of the few products we’ve found that’s meant to be put on your skin rather than sprayed around a door or window. It works pretty well, but we still get bit. And when it gets bad we use…
Toothpaste.
White cream toothpaste.
That’s right folks, all the old wives’ tales you’ve heard are true. Just put some toothpaste on those suckers, curl up in bed, and the next day you will be itching considerably less and NOT having your limbs look like they’re covered in boils.
Fun fact: Did you know that mosquitos explode if your flex your muscles while they’re biting you? It’s true- try it some time. They can’t handle the sudden rush of blood and they literally explode. Just be wary, because it can be a little messy. I swear, the things I’m learning here…
But the most apparent part of India so far is the kindness of the people. I have two contacts right now- Suresh (man in Hyderabad) and a couple in the neighboring city of Secunderabad. The Indian people as a whole are so welcoming that they put southern hospitality to shame. Suresh offered to take my friends and I to a Hindu Temple two Saturdays ago, where he guided us through the idols, the offerings, the prayers, and everything else we would never have known had he not been with us.
And oh my God, this temple.
It was gorgeous, only a few years old. Mostly white with marble floors. I wished I could have taken some pictures, but it would have been rude, so I didn’t. Large temples housing multiple Gods and Goddesses are walked through and the idols are visited one at a time. Each temple always begins with Ganesha (the elephant), who is said to ward off all obstacles. From there on, you visit each idol as you please, watching as the priests do their ritualistic prayers. Many of them light incense and go around the idols in a circle while chanting. Then you are given herb water; you drink a little, and smooth the rest over your hair. The exception to this was the God of money (whose name escapes me), where we were given fresh sweet milk. Sometimes rice was sprinkled on our heads for purity, sometimes not. At all idols the priests had a flame going, where we wafted the smoke towards our third eye. Next, the priests perform the practice of Shataari, where they place a metal crown (called a kalasam) over our heads very quickly before moving on to the next person. This generally marks the end of your visit with that idol.
Outside of most temples there is a place to buy coconuts. If you buy a coconut and bring it in, it will be filled with flowers and given back to you (most places- some places also just keep the coconuts). These flower-filled coconuts are gifts from the Gods, and it is forbidden to put them on the ground or treat them with disrespect. But it is not all too formal:
“So Suresh, what do you usually do with these coconuts?”
“Oh, I’m not sure…most of the time I give them to my mother. She uses them for cooking.”
“Aha.”
Then there was lunch with the couple, Kashmira and Dadi. Kashmira plans weddings, and Dadi works with banking software development. They picked me up at noon on Sunday in their little red car, and took me out to an extremely nice buffet in Hyderabad. It was the best food I’ve eaten since I’ve been here.
The restaurant was soooo relaxing and Kashmira and Dadi were so kind that I immediately felt at ease. We talked about everything- they offered to let me stay with them for a weekend, and at the end of the day Kashmira handed me a bag full of snacks. They were probably the nicest people I’ve ever met before.
That’s at least one thing from India that America could really benefit from- they treat foreigners here as if we are all their personal responsibility. Everyone is a diplomat. They want to take you out for coffee, or let you borrow something you need, or give you food, help you through the train station and the airport, keep you from getting ripped off by a rickshaw driver. In America, we see foreigners and…eh, we might help…until we realize they can’t speak English. I have literally communicated using only hand signs and facial expressions with women on the bus to find out what the next stop is going to be. If you try hard enough, you can figure out what someone is saying to you. We just don’t make an effort.
Amanda! it brings me so much joy to hear that you are enjoying your stay and seizing all these fantastic opportunities in India! Kuchipudi is a BEAUTIFUL art and I almost took lessons here in Memphis last summer. You'll have to teach me your mad skillz. :D I'm SO jealous you're taking sitar lessons!! You'll have to teach me that too! hehe I own some tablas so maybe we can do some duets! :D
ReplyDeleteFor International Banquet in the spring, would you be interested in performing a raaga or something? I think people would REALLY love it and you'll be able to showcase something you've learned! :]
The goddess of wealth is Lakshmi :] Temples are beautiful and very peaceful! I hope you'll be able to visit eastern India some time and get the chance to see the Konark temple - one of the oldest temples- and Dhauli temple which is a Buddhist temple but absolutely beautiful! they are two of my favorite places in India apart from Yamuna river and the Taj Mahal in Agra. :]
The blank line part is basically crowning right? I think that's what you were you are blessed by the priest at the end of prayer.
Hospitality in India is very seriously taken. It means a lot to us to take care of people and very genuine. :] India is a beautiful country and I am so glad that you are able to see it and learn more about it. :]
I love your sa re ga ma pa da ni sa little mnemonic :]
Miss you! Can't wait to read your next blog entry! Take care! <3
Nice blog Amanda...easy, "flow" in your writing style !! keep them coming! Suresh
ReplyDeleteI feel like I just took the trip with you! Love the sitar lesson. Julie Andrews has nothing on you. I can't wait to come visit and see for myself.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, I'll keep reading.
ReplyDeleteI love that you're playing the sitar. A jam session is imminent.
This is my envy, and my love.
Cheers!
Your experiences sound beautiful. I don't really know how else to describe it.
ReplyDelete