As I said we got into India early this morning we had a layover in Mumbi.
We were told that it is offensive/not culturally acceptable to sit on the floor- so this a bunch of people from the group sharing one chair at the airport during our layover…
Then it was just another hour-ish flight to Banglore. We got to Visthar around 830 am and it is BEAUTIFUL here! I am REALLY EXCITED about being here! The Visthar campus is BEAUTIFUL!Let me tell you a little bit about Visthar:
this is what Mitu's website had to say about it:
A center committed to social justice and peace. Located 30 kilometers outside the bustling center of Bangalore, in the heart of southern India, Visthar is a support and training organization devoted to providing the raw materials necessary for the achievement and growth towards the full realization of one's rights as a human being. Upon its inception, it has dedicated itself to the process of attaining and sustaining equitable and dignified ways of living not only in India, but internationally as well.
Visthar has a rich history of local community-centered advocacy as well as a strong link to the international community. Through hands-on interaction with their unique environment, their workshops and seminars educate artists and activists from around the world on their shared mission to strengthen the global community. This unity of local and global focus makes Visthar an ideal host for the work of Theater Mitu and goals of this intensive.
So the main focus of Visthar is based off of the Bendabie girls.
There is an ancient Indian tradition where mothers would give their daughters to the temples. The girls were then taught how to dance and sing and would worship the gods. Then as time went on and man corrupt sacred things the young girls were used by the priest for less holy things and they were prostituted.
The people at Visthar find the young girls which this is happening to (and hopefully before things get too bad for them) and they pull them out of those situations and bring them to Visthar. At Visthar the girls get a great education are taught skills and are empowered so that when they turn 18 they can return to their villages and communities and make a difference.
It is really an incredible thing and these girls are SO GREAT! I love them!Visthar Facilities:
Classes and performances are held in the following locations:
The Aala: an open space with a thatched roof that can accommodate over 200 people and will host many of our outdoor classes.
The Mandala: is a unique space for meditation and reflection. Under the Jackfruit tree people descend to experience themselves in relation to the earth.
Kalam: This open-air theater sits amidst a chiku orchard on the Visthar campus. Mounds, pits, trees, plants, flowers and an impressive amphitheatre like seating gallery made entirely from mud and stones make up this distinctive space.
The Dry Wells: At Visthar, these magnificent dry wells have been refurbished and create a beautiful and exceptional space for installations and performances.
{PURPOSE OF VISTHAR}
We had a little bit of time to get settled into our rooms and shower and lay down…after such a long flight it was nice to just let my body be in the vertical position instead of sitting up.
Also this is what the money looks like:
In India the currency is Rupee’s. for every American dollar you get about 46 Rupee’s. So it seems like I have a lot more money in my hand now that I am carrying around thousand and 500 notes.My roommate is Mikayla. She is a cuttie!
and this is what my room looks like:
Yes mosquito nets and all!The group met up on the 3rd floor of Sampagah (which is what the building that we are staying in is called.) It is BEAUTIFUL up there!
Overlooks Visthar and the surrounding area. It reminds me a little bit of the view from the back deck at Grandma June and Pappy’s house in Berkeley.
This is Ruben he is the Artistic Director of Theater Mitu and the program director of the artist intensive which I am on now.
We went around the circle and introduced ourselves – there are 17 of us total in our group. Ruben, Justin, Nathan and Candida are members of the Mitu company, and then 11 girls and 2 boys.Ruben talked to us a bit…telling us about the selection process of choosing who was to come. May people apply for this program – and as they went through the applications they chose according to what they felt was best- it wasn’t about needing acertain number or making sure there was so many girls and so many boys, etc. Ruben said- that’s not how I work- so it is cool to know that!
This is the 8th year that Theater Mitu has traveled around the world (they switch off every year between India and Thailand) We had a bit of an “orientation” Ruben told us: “allow yourself to be disoriented as we get oriented… there will be growth and it will be challenging – but be constantly thrilled and excited”
We then went around the circle to introduce ourselves to one another – and we were to say our names and then share our first memories of India. People shared stories from when they were little and had a favorite book about the world and they loved the india page, or seeing the movie “Little Princess” and other sotries that were connected to wonderoues india that seemed beautiful and mystical in ways.
My first memory of India: “I couldn’t think of a specific experience where the idea and magic of India entered into my mind. Truthfully India was never a place that I wanted to come until I met Ruben. I think that probably my first memory of India was seeing a sticker on a small toy or a box that simply stated, “made in India” – so as a young person I most likely thought that India was a place far away where toys and things were made.
We were given a LOT of random tidbits of information about India with FIRST hearing this:
“Nothing can prepare you for India.”
>Language: it is not the most politically correct…but if you use an accent when talking to Indian people – they will understand you better.
>We learned a bit about the Cast system. The cast system by law (on paper) is illegal- yet is the something that is still very real and exists…it is based on beliefs, and you can’t fight beliefs with truths.
There are 5 different casts:
1-Brahmins
2-Warriors
3-Merchants
4-Workman
5-Daliaps aka: Untouchables
You are born into a cast and there is no changing which cast you are in. It is your “duty” to be the best you can be of that cast.
>Don’t point the bottom of your feet at anyone- it is very offensive…also don’t point at people or touch people or things with your feet…it is as if you are saying that they have the worth of dogs.
>Don’t touch people’s heads
>Don’t cross over people, and don’t walk through conversations
>Don’t use your left hand – use your right hand to eat and shake hands. Your left hand in India is used when going to the bathroom…yeah you get the point.
>Head Wobble: its a slight motion that EVERYONE does here in India...
means: yes, no, maybe, kind of, hello, fine, I don’t know, I heard you but I don’t have an answer, etc.
>In public there are NO displays of affection between men and women. Affection men to men is fine and normal. 2 men with arms around each other or holding hands does not mean that they are gay.
>Women – not allowed to touch monks and Priests! (it will set them back and they will have to be re-born 100 times)
>Tea is HUGE here…everyone must have afternoon tea around 4
India was ruled by the British for some time and this is a cultural tradition that was kept from that time.
Yes…so that is a little bit of the little bit that we learned about Indian culture just to start us out with.
We then went and met up with some of the Bendabie girls:
They played the drums for us and we walked over to the Aala They had a special welcome ceremony for us planned. They welcomed us into the Aala with singing, and a blessing and bindi’s (the dot on the forehead) In the Aala there was a beautiful sand artwork on the round surrounding by flower petals.
The Bendabie girls sang for us and David – who is the owner of Visthar talked to us- we contemplated upon the artwork and what it meant and said to us.
We then all had the chance to light a candle as a new part of this community.
Then we took a little tour/walk around the grounds of Visthar- it is beautiful!PICTURES:
We ended in the Mandala –
David spoke to us...I took a video of what he said and typed it up- I am really glad I recorded it cause what he said was SO beautiful! and truthful and I want to remember it!...
In this picture in the Mandala you see Matt kneeling and looking into an opening in the wall…there was a mirror in there so that when we kneel or sit positioned in front of the opening one will see a reflection of their image, they see themselves.David talked about this:
"This structure that has been created it’s a little bit like a womb- and the womb is the beginning of most relationships. This experience of the sense of the mystery of the divine is a little bit like this- in the darkness there is the light from below- and you look only at yourself, and you are faced with that reality. And at that moment, every mask drops. Your nationality mask, your class mask, your intellectual mask, you cast mask, and all you are faced with- is yourself. With this elimination in that darkness…and you have to deal with that reality of who you really are. Which can be very very disturbing…or…comforting.
Engagement: you have traveled many miles – you have left different engagements and made this journey…to a little bit of the unknown and you have come here…and now I invite you to an encounter- an encounter of looking at yourself. Looking at yourself in the context of all the elements…the earth…do you see how the earth embraces us. Perfecting us. Sending us messages. We are surrounded by water…the water outside us, the water within us…the connections that need to be made…the air…and then this encounter…the second “E”
But that encounter can leave you with an Expierence…
That’s my 3rd “E” – an expierence of being comfortable with yourself or being very very disturbed.
Then you find yourself saying: “Oh my Gosh! This is who I really am! And I had to travel all of these miles to discover it” People from all parts of the world have traveled to discover who they really are.
And it is this expierence that will lead you to go out and re-engage. Re-engage thorough the Theatre Intensive, Re-engaged through your meetings with people at Visthar, through your interactions with the girls, through the people that you are going to meet in Banglore.
So you are coming out of engagement – to go back and re-engage.
And that re-engagement should be inspired by this encounter. Welcome to Visthar, Welcome to India and Gods blessings on all of you."
What beautiful and moving advise!
We then had some lunch....
Yes...I am eating with my hand...its true...Indians don't use silverware to eat...so...When in Rome!...or...erm....India I guess!Then we went to catch the bus…
i took this picture from the bus...
it reminds me of the movie, "Children of Heaven"...good international film! from Afghanistan...if you haven't seen it you should!we went out for our first Indian style adventure….
The Slums- This was the first place that they took us in India… It is heart breaking to see the conditions in which so many people live! David said that 80% of people live off of 20 Rupees a day… 20 Rupees! That is only 50 cents!...not even 50 cents a day.
The children were so adorable! They all wanted their pictures taken…
and they loved to look at the picture after it was taken.PICTURES in the SLUMS:
This little boy and girl followed us around a while… they ran up and grabbed my hand and walked with us. Everyone started at us as we walked through their streets. Probably wondering who these rich white people are that are walking through their neighborhood. The children would yell out, “Auntie! Auntie!” which is what they respectfully call their elders. Many waved and smiled as we walked by.
It was quite the experience to see how many of the people in India live- their circumstances are meager. We saw many people working…lots of labor, re-covering couches, and grinding food, ironing clothes, and selling fruit, washing laundry by hand on the street...
We also came across some men playing a game and they let us watch a bit.
Here is our group walking thorough the slums….
(PICTURES) (feet in the slums)Look at this precious little boy! BAH! I love him!
This is what the local school looks like:
These are children coming home from school:
After the Slums we were then brought to another stop-David told us that India has the 2nd highest amount of millionaires (next to the US).
We went to a mall in Banglore. This mall was Absolutely REDICULIOUS!
I took a couple pictures- this mall was top brand names…we went there to look…not to shop…these are some VERY ELABORATE Sari’s that were sold in one of the shops….
please notice the price tag….
Everything was disgustingly priced.So interesting to see the stark and sickening difference of these 2 atmospheres which we were in today…and only minutes apart from one another. – this is part of what Ruben talked to us about earlier today…he challenged us to see the world “vertically” and not just horizontally. Here in India…you will see a big modern building, next to a fancy car, next to a cow in the middle of the street blocking traffic, next to someone pushing their fruit cart, next to a man urinating in public in the gutter.
After the mall we went out to dinner as a group.
It was a long day that really opened my eyes to India. This is going to be quite the experience!
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