Diary of a traveler - Day 1 at Ibtada, Alwar

Diary of a Traveller – My visit to Ibtada – Alwar

We live in a free country today. Our ancestors fought for a long time before we could breathe the free air that we breathe today. We fought for freedom against slavery and oppression. We wanted our rights to be able to think and choose. We wanted independence. Yes, India did get its freedom on the 15^th of August, 1947. But even today, there are millions in this country who have not got theirs. They are still slaves to poverty, illiteracy, oppression and slavery, in ways that you and I would never imagine. Coming from the commercial capital of India, I hardly ever felt bad about being a woman. My parents have 2 daughters and they never let us feel that we could not do something because we were girls. I have seen equality and at times I have even felt sorry for the one off man who stands up for the woman in the bus when he happens to be sitting on the ‘Ladies Seat’. The working women of Mumbai, who travel by the Air conditioned buses, yes, I am aware of the amount of work that you must have done in the whole day. You must be so tired! Having spent the whole day chatting over the phone, answering calls or even for that matter taking life changing business decisions, but well, I do know for a fact that all of this can be done by just sitting on the same chair that you sat on from 10 am.

I am not trying to belittle women and their roles in society today. Don’t get me wrong.  I am proud of all the women out there making decisions side by side with their male counterparts.  It is just the blazing difference in the word tired used by these women I’ve met recently and the ones I am normally used to meeting that is making me say all this. Men, well, men all over the world, this visit has only made me feel that you are officially the worst thing alive! I am not generalising here and I have met some really good men too, there and here, but there are just too many bad ones running amuck who ruin your name all over the world! When are you going to grow up and stop behaving like life is a 2^nd standard class room. Women are not your slaves, never were. Stop treating those who can’t raise their voice or stop you from hitting them as slaves. It has to be understood by you at least now that being a little physically stronger than the other sex is not going to prove that you are superior in any way.

This is where organizations like IBTADA come in. They ensure that women living even in those rural parts of India, which you and I have never been to, sleep a little less scared at night.

 The rising of the sun sees these women running to their cattle to milk them. They then proceed to fill water for their families and cook for them. The day just keeps getting harder on them with the rearing of their cattle, cleaning and the farm duties. The farm work involves these ladies getting themselves in muck and doing every little activity from sowing, nurturing, reaping, husking and even selling their produce. And god help them, if they have a small child to look after, in spite of all these other chores they have to do. The men come back in the night from wherever they have been the whole day to demand, abuse and torment them.

This is the life of the women in rural India.

For the women of Alwar, an organisation like Ibtada brings a lot of hope and gives these hard working souls a sense of belonging. Ibtada gives these women a reason to smile and a reason to sleep well at night. Knowing that their daughter is being given a basic education and might not lead the life that she is leading now provides these women a sense of hope. Knowing that their hard work and all the money that she earns need not go to the man who beats her every night, gives her a sense of security. Above all, a hope, that she can learn, whatever age she is and maybe tomorrow change the way the world looks at her. This sums up the essence of Ibtada.

            I am in Alwar as I write this, visiting various places all over, with some amazing people who are working to help these women and give them a better life. The places I visited were all in the Mewat region of Rajasthan (Rajasthan is divided into 5 blocks and one of them is Mewat).

On the first day, I was a part of two Self Help Group meetings in Pratapgarh(75 kms from Alwar City), one in Ramdas ka Guada and the other one in Govndpura.

Shiv Shakti - The first group was called Shivshakti group. This SHG has been functioning since three years.

Well, let me try and explain to you what I have understood from the term SHG. It is a group of women who come together on the basis of some common ground(geographical location being the reason here). They go on to save a little money together and try and help each other out as a community, a very localised bank of sorts which caters to their immediate needs. These women together over the years save a lot of money and this becomes a security deposit for them. These SHGs can be used by these women in any other way they wish. As a group, which is quite a power in itself in a small village owing to the number of people involved, they can bring about any change if they want to or stand for some decision which they want to support. As far as my understanding goes, the concept of an SHG plays a lot on the psychology that human beings are social animals and enjoy a sense of security when they are together. The 11 women of Shiv Shakti welcomed us with a song and with the traditional ‘Tikka’ on the forehead. This was followed by a round of introductions where the women stated the name of the group they belonged to as also the cluster and the federation. The women then proceeded to talk about the problems they were facing and gave explanations about what they had done with the amount of money they had taken from the group. There was an accountant present who tallied all the amounts which had come in and gone out and he maintained the savings of the group as well. He also acted as a convener of the meeting. This made me think a little bit. The women seemed to respect this man a lot, almost as if he was their employer. The fact of the matter was that, he was actually their employee. They paid for his service meeting wise. I decided to dismiss this as my reading into things a little too much. The meeting ended with all the women giving their respective savings to the accountant who safely put all the money aside.

Durga – The next meeting was in Govindpura with a group who called themselves Durga. This group was 2 years old.  Once again we were welcomed with a folk song and the ‘Tikka’. This group was an SHG and also a ‘Goat Rearing’ group.

What is a ‘Goat Rearing’ group?

Ibtada, along with another organisation called Heifer works with these women by giving them 2 goats per family. They give the women good advice on how to take care of their goats and keep them in a hygienic manner as also help them with the medical facilities if possible. The only thing the women have to promise to do in return is to “Pass on the Gift”. When their goats grow up and produce a young one, the kid is to be passed on to another family. Thus, passing on the good by helping another family in turn.

The Durga group was a second generation Goat rearing community, i.e. they had received the gift from somebody, and the women present had a lot to talk about.

The problems they faced included some of their animals dying as also inadequate milk production. Good advice was given to them about how they should maintain good living conditions for the animal. Also, they were told how they could maximise the milk production by feeding the animal a special kind of mineral feed, one feeding a day. Advice on first aid was also given and appropriate treatment for surface and maggot wounds were discussed. Instructions to vaccinate the animals on time were also given. Women were encouraged to go for the Pashu Sakhi program. Pashu Sakhis are women who receive some extra training in care of animals. They are taught to take care, vaccinate and do minor procedures on the animals. The woman can then help other people in the community besides themselves thus doing good for the community at large. Also, the cost of the vet along with waiting time can be reduced.

The Heifer organisation has 12 cornerstones on the basis of which they practice the “Passing the Gift” program.

The 12 corner stones are listed below from the Heifer site –

Passing on the Gift allows families who received Heifer gifts to become donors as they pass on these gifts to other families in need. Genuine Need & Justice ensures that those most in need are given priority in receiving animals and training. Accountability means that we are mutually accountable to the communities we serve for how we achieve common goals. Improving the Environmentthrough sustainable farming techniques, reforestation, and tree-saving biogas is at the core of our projects. Sharing & Caring embodies the belief that global problems can be solved if everyone commits to sharing resources and caring for others. Full Participation is expected by all participants. Leaders at the grassroots level should involve all members in decision making. Sustainability & Self-reliance is the goal for families we work with so that they will continue to thrive after our support ends. Training & Education are key to ensuring that animals are well cared for and that self-reliance is achieved by project participants. Improved Animal Management means that project participants learn how to keep their animals safe, healthy and productive. Spirituality is expressed in common beliefs about the value and meaning of all life, a sense of connectedness to the earth and a shared vision of the future. Nutrition & Income are the rewards Heifer expects recipients to reap from their gift animal through the consumption and/or sale of products such as milk, eggs, cheese, honey and wool. Gender & Family Focus encourages women and men to share in decision making as well as in the benefits the animals and training bring.

The women were asked if any of them had started practicing any of these in their lives. They were told about these in the initial training program when they were given the animals. Some of the women said that they had adopted Sharing and Caring as a part of their life. All of them agreed that they would pass on their gifts to other families.

Both the groups were extremely loving towards me and requested me to stay with them for a while. One of them even asked me if I would like to go and cut grass with them and they even agreed to keep me there forever with them. Now I know that I have a home somewhere J and all they wanted me to do in exchange for their care and affection was smile and reciprocate. One of the best offers I have ever received in my life.

The day ended with us once again travelling on the muddy roads of Rajasthan through the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The air was so pure, it would have been possible to get high on it I think, a rush of oxygen to the brain. I did not see any tigers in the reserve, but saw a lot of monkeys all around. A good day it was!

For Roxy, the little fighter

The more days I spend with these animals, the more amazing things I see. I have almost begun to believe in a power which is beyond my reach now. Let me tell you a story.

It all began on a Wednesday morning when Penny and me went to feed the puppies who live by the road. As we were driving by, I noticed two kittens being eaten by crows. I felt very bad on seeing the sight. But I knew that the kittens were already dead as their organs were almost completely eaten up. We drove on to meet the puppies and the family. The puppies, the mother and the father figure came running as usual, full of happiness and expectations. They were hoping for a good breakfast. Bread, eggs and milk seemed to do the trick for them. Just then, I realized that there was a tiny kitten lying right in front of Daisey(the Land rover).  I thought it was dead too. But when I picked it up, it was still breathing. It looked like it was going to die any moment. On finding this one, I figured that I should go and look near the dead ones as well. There might be a few more there. And that is when I found Roxy.

She was sitting there mewing. She was the next in line to get killed. I picked her up and we brought her home. Roxy was a fighter. I enjoyed every moment I spent with her. She knew when there were people around her. She knew when we were around to feed her. Coco was really nice to her and kept her warm to a great extent. Roxy lived with a sense of adventure in her. She was amazingly strong for a little kitten of her age.

She had me and Sarah worried sick for a whole day; the day she went missing. We looked everywhere, turned both the houses upside down and still couldn’t find her. It rained that night and by morning we were pretty sure that she was definitely dead. Just as we were discussing how sad the whole situation was, Sarah began to hear a faint mewing. I realized that I could hear it too. Initially, we both thought we were hallucinating. But then, if both of us could hear it, the sound had to be for real! We followed to sound to the garden wall. It was quite a huge wall. There was no way Roxy could have climbed that one! Nevertheless, I still thought that I should go to the other side of the house, the neighbour’s house and check which cat was mewing. It took me a while to convince the suspecting neighbor that my intentions were good and that all I wanted to do was look at the mewing cat and check if it was Roxy. The sound was coming from an area where there were a lot of roosters and hens in the neighbour’s backyard. The mewing originated from the roof of a bathroom. It was almost like she knew I was there, she stepped out timidly, mewing loudly. I got Roxy back!

I still do not know how she got there. My assumption is that a bird or a cat carried her over the wall. The only other explanation is that she somehow managed to get out of the gate and the neighbours found her and decided to keep her. But on realizing that she would just mew the whole time, they decided to let her out. I wish Roxy could speak. She would have a lot of stories to tell us. From how she was abandoned by her mother and thrown into the garbage on the road, watching her brothers die one by one in front of her by crows, being rescued by a hand which I am pretty sure she was not confident about at all, but she was just too weak to fight, then her new mother Coco and the abduction! She would also have a lot to speak about Teto, her big brother, I am sure because he kept a watchful eye on her most of the time as well.

She was a little fighter in the true sense. The lyrics of the song ‘Little Fighter’ by White Lion explain exactly the way she lived her little life. Having escaped death twice in her life of less than a month, one which included an abduction as well…she was indeed a fighter. I am proud of her for making it this far. She had a moma in Coco even though they were not of the same kind and an elder brother in Teto. We all love you and miss you Roxy. May your soul rest in peace!

"Little Fighter" - White Lion

Are you crying tonight?

Are you feeling all right?

I told the world that you were down on your luck.

You were one of a kind.

One who’d never give it up.

Even when they put a price on your head.

Has anyone heard the tales you tell?

Or seen the scars you wear?

Did anyone speak up when you fell?

Does anybody care?

Rise again little fighter,

And let the world know the reason why.

Shine again little fighter,

And dont let it impair the things you do.

And you were one with a cause,

And a reason to be

You were a fighter for peace on this earth.

And you were never afraid

You put your life on the line

And you were always so long out on the sea

Without a weapon in your hand

You came to fight a war

They took your life, but didn’t know

That you will never die

Rise again little fighter

And let the world know the reason why

Shout again little fighter

And don’t let it impair the things you do

Are you feelin all right?

‘Cos I care, care

Run along little fighter

Oh coz I was there beside you

Never stop believing, so rise

Rise Rise!

Rise again little fighter

And let the world know the reason why

Shout again little fighter

And don’t let it impair the things you do

Rise again little fighter (Don’t stop believin)

And let the world know the reason why

Shout again little fighter (And keep on movin)

And don’t let it impair the things you do

Yea, don’t let it ever end the things you do.

You can also find the post on the Mad Dogs Trust Wordpress Blog for whom it was originally written for - http://maddogstrust.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/for-roxy-the-little-fighter/ 

A link to the video by White Lion on you tube -  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaT8is6b3QA&feature=related

Mrs. Winterbourne

This is a movie you watch when you are not sleepy and just want to while away time. Don't write off the movie because of my statement though! It is well made and has a decent bollywood movie kind of story line and if you have been able to sit through even a single bollywood flick, I do not think it would be too much for you to watch this one.

The movie has drama and comedy in it. So let me try and tell you something more about it. There is a pregnant girl who gets kicked out by the guy who knocked her up. She somehow manages to meet some nice people on the train. There is an accident, the people die. She ends up pretending to be a dead woman in their house and the story goes on.

The girl in distress, the 18 year old girl is played by Ricki Lake, a Jewish actress. Her performance is not bad in the movie at all. She plays the scatter brained, in your face girl with very little control over what she says and does but has a conscience. The house she ends up going to belongs to Shirley MacLaine.

As always, this woman exudes a very powerful charm. She is strikingly beautiful and so very classy. She plays the weak hearted mother in law who helps Ricki (Connie in the movie) blend in with everything and everybody. Then there is Brendan Fraser. He plays a "Double Role" in the movie!! Yes, he plays Hugh Winterbourne who dies and then he plays, Bill Winterbourne as well, his identical twin brother. The movie is not that old, made in 1996. Though it gives the impression that it is made a long time back! Then there is Paco, the chauffeur cum butler cum everything.He reminded me very much of Cadbury from  Richie Rich! A nice character who likes to tango and is gay.
All in all, it is a light veined, happy ending kind of movie which you could probably watch when you just want a no brianer and go with the flow. Sometimes, we really do not want to trouble our mind too much now...do we?

Image Source - All images are from Google.

My Girl

'An afternoon full of nothingness', is what I thought this entire thing would turn out to be. Quite the contrary, it turned out to be a nice afternoon with a good movie which makes you 'feel' a lot more than you normally would. The movie I chose to keep me company this afternoon was "My Girl". I wouldn't say that I picked the movie after seeing the credentials of the movie or anything like that. It was pretty much a random pick from the umpteen number of movies that my dad has, if you are wondering..yes, they are all downloaded from the great lan.

Picture source - Google - Official Poster of the movie

The movie revolved around a girl, Vada Sultenfuss (Yes, I know, hard for a little girl with that kind of a name. But she keeps repeating in the movie that she likes her name!) The character is played by Anna Chlumsky, a very cute little girl with huge expressive grey - green eyes. Anyone would melt in front of those eyes, I'm sure.
Vada has an unusual childhood. She is brought up in a funeral home, her dad being an undertaker. Initially, she seems like a very lonely child with just one friend, Thomas J. The character is played by Macaulay Culkin. Both children are adorable and the movie being set in somewhere around 1972, brings out the typical thoughts and lifestyle of the people at that time. From the clothing to the crazy carnivals, everything defined the era which has gone by.
The happiness in bike riding, tree climbing and swinging from one branch to the other, I think must be something amazing which today we really don't experience any more
The movie shows the 11 year old girl's unusual life. A life in a funeral home with the one friend she has. It is kind of sad in many ways, but at the same time it took me back to my childhood.
What I have realised about those years in one's life (age 11 to 14) is that they define a lot of what you become as a person. What kind of environment you are brought up in during that stage in your life I think molds your character. At that age, I remember, I had trees and animals a lot for company as compared to people. Exploring new places and going to the occasional carnival was definitely the high point in my week.
The movie definitely took me back to those days when I enjoyed putting up an exhibition for my family with all the coconut shells that I had collected and reading the Archie comic books secretly(Not that I was not supposed to read Archie, but just that I was supposed to be in bed by 11,there was school to go to the next morning!). I remember reading my favourite book to date called "Tha Amphibian" by an author called Alexander Belayeav. I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of the book and a Google Search does not reveal much. But yes, what I do remember is that the book brought me to tears. If ever there was an age I would like to be again, I think it would have to be 11 to 14, not because the memories are great, but because it was the most productive age I had, read and watched a lot in those years!
Back to the movie, I was wondering if they would play the song and yes, they did! They ended the movie with the beautiful song by the Temptations.
I think it would only be fair to end this blog with the lyrics of the song too...So here goes!

I've got sunshine

On a cloudy day.

When it's cold outside,

I've got the month of May.

Well, I guess you'll say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

I've got so much honey

The bees envy me.

I've got a sweeter songThan the birds in the trees.

Well, I guess you'll say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

Ooooh, Hoooo.

Hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey, hey.

I don't need no money,

Fortune or fame.

I've got all the riches, baby,

One man can claim.

Well, I guess you'll say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

Talkin' bout my girl.

I've got sushine on cloudy day

With my girl.

I've even got the month of MayWith my girl.

For those of you, who would like to listen to the song, here is a you tube link - 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8

GLEE

Google ad sense was nice enough to approve my blog without thinking much. I think I should do justice to their confidence and write more often on the blog.
As always, I will write something about what I saw.
Today, I saw GLEE.
GLEE is this new show which has taken everybody by storm.
The sheer power of the show is the music in it. None of it is original, they are all covers. But they are improvised versions of the existing songs. I would not be surprised if people like the Glee version more than the original version of the song.
I have been pretty much following the show from the beginning. Well, there is nothing much in the story line. You will get all of it even if you watch the adverts. But the performances are what we need to watch out for.
I wonder why and how they came with the name GLEE. It is such a weird name for anything…let alone a sing and dance club. Yes, I do understand that it means extreme happiness and all that..and that is probably what these people are experiencing when they sing and dance…but still…it is a kind of weird thing to name a club Glee.
Well, then again, they have obviously thought about it well because the word, “Glee” is a four letter word and well I know for a fact that four letter words have the maximum recall when it comes to words. So yes, it is a smart move.
The characters in the show now –
Mr. Shue – I really wish I knew his full name. But they refer to him as Shuester and what not..I kind of lost his name somewhere. He is pretty much the reason the Glee Club exists.
His wife – Stupid Lady. She pretended to be prego when she was not, just to keep the guy with her. Anyway, they ve split. She is the same lady from Heroes who plays Claire’s biological mother.
Weird female teacher – She has a problem with a lot of things. She has problems with things like touching what other people have touched, the shine on shoes, etc. Well, a character similar to Monk’s character. She is a pretty lady though and yes u are thinking right…Shuester has a thing for her.
There was this one episode where they tried to sleep together and the Madonna song, “Like a Virgin” played and everybody sang and at the end of it…they dint sleep with each other…oh whatever!
The song was played with three couples running around..one was Raechel and Jamie ( I will explain in a bit), Finn and cheerleader girl(not the one he got pregnant) and Shuester and weird teacher lady…
It was a good song…cos when I heard the original the other day, I realised that they had put a lot of work into it..to make it look the way it did.
Anyway the Glee club members now!
Raechel – the girl who can sing but is really annoying…I mean you can actually get annoyed with her even though u can only see her on tv…
And she was named that, cos her dads love FRIENDS.
Finn – the high school jock who has a soft side and loves to sing…very high school musical kinda thing…
Kurt – Gay boy who is nice. I kind of think he is cute…but very Zach Effron kinda cute…but cute nevertheless…would love to see him playing a straight role.
Tina – Goth girl who is very shy and kind of stammers too.
Artie - Boy on wheelchair. Tina seems to be dating this guy. He is a nice guy I think. Do not know too much about him.
Getting tired of writing descriptions. So only names follow and whatever I feel is absolutely necessary u guys know about the show!
Cheer leader who fooled Finn by telling him that she was pregnant with his kid.
The guy who actually kpnocked her u
Some other cheerios..cheer leaders…that’s what is means
SUE – oh well..she definitely needs a few words from me. The lady who is an absolute bitch in the whole series. She hates the GLEE club and tries to destroy it in every way possible.
Mercedes – Not a car.. An african american girl..who has an amazing voice..
Possibly, there are people I am missing. But well, do watch the show. It is good.
Especially, if you like musicals and well maybe even just singing and dancing!!

Rita is back!

So finally Rita, the laptop is running and I found some version of MSO to install… I am almost happy atm….
Feels good to see the same familiar settings and colours…
And feels good to know that I can type again.
The laptop has definitely been cleaned up…the keypad looks new…or its just that I have missed it…I do not know…either way…the whole feeling of being able to lie down on my bed…and keeping the laptop on my leg at the risk of obviously burning my thigh once again..
And yes..the cheap AI is back again…
Feels like I have an old friend back.. :)
After all, she is one of the few who traveled all the way with me all over...I love her :)

What comes and what goes...

In life u come across so many things..I think I do have problems saying goodbye to people and things..thinking about them for days..I miss things more than I miss people many a times..but goodbyes are a part of life..
How else will you move on? How else will you grow? If you stay in one place long enough...u grow roots..that is what happens in nature normally...it is only normal for me to assume that it happens with people too..
I think movement is good and the ability to stand still within yourself during movement is what makes u evolve...
U always have to have the time to stand and stare...as the old poem goes...even in motion...cos unless u stare...u will never get lost in thought..and correlate and have new ideas..
That is how you grow..as a person...and that is how evolution happens...