tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63737345060370820772024-03-21T20:10:09.718-07:00ECU in India 2012Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-5571451415190902002012-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:002012-06-16T07:30:40.013-07:00"It's never a right time to say goodbye"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How can I even explain my departure from India in such a way to completely cover every emotion and thought that I felt? I admit, throughout our entire departure back to America, it had not really clicked inside of my head and it still has not. Although, when it does, I'm sure I will be calling a few of my peers to share some memories with them. Also, a factor that played into this I'm sure was the fact that my stomach was torturing me with pains. Nonetheless, the moment that I really realized that it was completely over was when D-Money's Tibetan friends gave us the white (scarf?) for blessings - the same as they did when we first made it. It was almost symbolic for "Welcome" and "Goodbye." Then when D-Money gave us a hug, for me it felt like the most genuine hug ever - I felt love, compassion, and an actual care that he had for us. Being in America has some really good perks that I am learning to become for thankful of, but I won't ever forget that it was India that opened my eyes to this.<br />
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p.s. Dear India, I shall return!</div>Tyree Barneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09091053887544310606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-29309289172846475252012-06-16T07:21:00.004-07:002012-06-16T07:21:54.965-07:00The Cliff Jump - Dun Dun Dunnnn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"3!.... 2!.... 1!... JUMP!!!"<br />
That's all we heard while looking down at the water beneath us. I find the power of our minds to be amazing - how it can trick us to believe an entirely different reality than what meets the eye of others. Looking at the cliff from water level, it did not seem that far, but once up there (especially when it is your turn to jump) it seems like you are having an helicopter view of the ocean. Though this may be exaggerated, it felt all too real when I was up there. See, free heights are one of my fears. So for me to go against every possible thought pulsating through my mind and body telling me "Don't do it! Reconsider!" and to still jump acted as an adrenaline rush and personal reward for me that I hadn't had in a long time. While in the air, I'm sure everyone can vouch for me when I say that it feels like time falls asleep for an extra 2-3 seconds. After the successful jump, the water never sparkled so well and the ground never gave me more comfort.</div>Tyree Barneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09091053887544310606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-72557729620961468822012-06-16T07:08:00.002-07:002012-06-16T07:08:19.969-07:00The Slum Diamonds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For one of my blogs, I decided that I will give a portion of a new poem that I am working on for the amazing children that I met. They are our futures:<br />
<br />
I've seen them<br />
Over 700 phoenixes with clipped wings<br />
Nesting in the open so much that you could swear they were invisible<br />
They still have the cremation ashes from their past life<br />
covering their bodies that can easily be mistaken for sand & dirt,<br />
Nonetheless, these ultrasounds still remember that they are light.<br />
However, it's hard to shine for even these walking Nebulas<br />
when their forced to live in a police owned land that was once a river bank, (the irony)<br />
so every monsoon season -<br />
the rain would melt their skin as their area was not only prone to floods,<br />
but they - prone to drown...<br />
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I'll finish the remainder soon. Be sure to check it out at of our poetry shows on campus!<br />
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p.s. One day Maddy, Jami, and Boki will believe me about the crystals haha!</div>Tyree Barneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09091053887544310606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-87454934060295643802012-06-11T06:06:00.001-07:002012-06-11T06:06:06.647-07:00Finally HomeAfter riding on a plane for what seemed like months, we have finally arrived in America. It feels great to be home. The 25 day trip to India was an experience I will never forget. I am so glad I chose to go to India because I most definately learned so much about how other parts of the world live and how well of The United States really is. <br />
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-TaylorJessica K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17604780000962895854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-69696717925037031862012-06-11T06:05:00.001-07:002012-06-11T06:05:33.235-07:00Last Day June 8thToday is our last day in India. It is such a bittersweet feeling to be going home. We woke up and went to the Akshardham Temple. Aside from the notorious Taj Mahal, I think this is the most beautiful temple we've seen. It is hard to imagine the time, effort, and money that went in to building this masterpiece. The precious jewels and gems were the most amazing part I thought. <br />
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-TaylorJessica K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17604780000962895854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-54970082352363710152012-06-11T06:04:00.001-07:002012-06-11T06:04:22.610-07:00Guy From NorwayToday I met a guy from Norway named O'Love. He is Dr. Mahar and Aaron's neighbor and he is always wearing Jockey underwear, and only Jocky underwear. Every morning he sun bathes on the roof top. Today was the first day I actually saw him wearing clothes and I've seen him the past five days. He randomly came up to me and gave me some news articles to read. He was a very interesting guy to say the least but I enjoyed hearing his crazy stories. <br />
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-TaylorJessica K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17604780000962895854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-76276998316538042592012-06-11T03:05:00.001-07:002012-06-11T03:05:15.032-07:00Missing India...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52jG-h6PLi_Bc4-3w8-gQyKsdLtg9-uBsJbOj576ESvrWNaa2_Z5zrVH7NFIr8aOoDGOMDRQpcZwVY4-xfGafT3YS4abYXLhzuhM9rN_avcf8Yuy7S1jrJbTUoglXv342YSewbUm37qY/s1600/DSC_0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52jG-h6PLi_Bc4-3w8-gQyKsdLtg9-uBsJbOj576ESvrWNaa2_Z5zrVH7NFIr8aOoDGOMDRQpcZwVY4-xfGafT3YS4abYXLhzuhM9rN_avcf8Yuy7S1jrJbTUoglXv342YSewbUm37qY/s200/DSC_0498.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzAl7Pd_gn1tCWPkvJ_0kKKpKaFEauUrhjPYKuBIx14dsZsJfQ-Ds8zgVAuy0svFs6cInvr2Yo6Tp3jyDArYBF8mHN8zn9Dyqa8km-eQQNYE7MQNKllC0UqfLH_ZEhsQ9dfoCrise7KM/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzAl7Pd_gn1tCWPkvJ_0kKKpKaFEauUrhjPYKuBIx14dsZsJfQ-Ds8zgVAuy0svFs6cInvr2Yo6Tp3jyDArYBF8mHN8zn9Dyqa8km-eQQNYE7MQNKllC0UqfLH_ZEhsQ9dfoCrise7KM/s320/DSC_0015.JPG" width="320" /></a>So it's only been about a day and a half since I left India, and I am already missing it, a lot. I am not just missing India in general, but I am missing the people that I have spent the last month with, 24 hours a day, non stop. It's hard to be thrown into that situation with people you don't really know at the start of a long trip, but the ending result is usually always good. I can say that even though I was set into a situation like this, the friendships I have forged with some of the people, I am truly grateful to have. I hope that they become life long friends, and life long friendships. It seems hard to explain to other people how I felt and what I experienced in India, really only the group I went with understands 100% what we went through. I miss those kids at Tong-Len more than anything else. It was the hardest thing to tell them that I might not ever be back. It is definitely a goal of mine to go back to India to see them again. One 11 year old girl holds a special place in my heart. Her name is Arti, and she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. I want to sponsor her, and help her in whatever way I can to help her graduate Tong-Len and move onto a school and become the doctor she wants to be. I can definitely say that I have grown and changed from this trip, for the better of course. The experiences and the people will always stay with me and be apart of me. All of us have a connection that no one else can even understand or experiences. I am MORE than happy to have been able to have this chance to go to India. I am happy to say that I had a BLAST, and wish I could have stayed longer even if I was ready to come home. I will miss India, and all it has/had to offer for me. One day I will go back, and relive some experiences I had there. Miss you India, and miss you guys in the group... Have a good rest of the summer and I hope to stay in contact with some of you! (: Thanks Dr. Maher and Aaron!</div>Jessica K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17604780000962895854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-27235724902862349842012-06-10T02:12:00.001-07:002012-06-10T22:08:49.311-07:00Bye India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We left India yesterday and it was so bittersweet! I'm so happy that I came on this trip and got to know and do awesome things with some great people. It's weird to be back home because there are no rickshaws or cows in the road. The NC weather is definitely a relief from the heat we experienced in India and if I ever go back I will definitely avoid the hot season. I'm sad to leave such a great place and there are so many things I saw and experienced that will stay with me forever. Thanks Dr. Maher and Aaron and everybody else!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-85021565856577796042012-06-08T23:33:00.002-07:002012-06-08T23:33:14.309-07:00Back Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey everyone.. so John and i are back home and its good to be back! Thought i'd comment on the trip in general.. I can easily say that this has been one of the best trips in my life.. It could not have been so without all the people who i travelled with.. Each and everyone of you guys has made a lasting effect on my life. Yes Andrew you too :p I hope all you guys are doing good and get back safe to your respective homes. Also sorry about not saying bye to some of you! Anyways as i said before each and everyone of you holds a special spot in my heart, and Thank you D Money for making this trip happen. I dont think i will ever be grateful enough! Lots of Love<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14046825530519502833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-27254313662647002892012-06-08T23:10:00.000-07:002012-06-08T23:10:02.221-07:00Goodbye India. Whats Good Sri Lanka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I am upset to leave India but at the same time excited to stay at Sri Lanka for the next two weeks. The last day at India was spent at Delhi to view the Ashradam and for people to spend their last rupees shopping. Sorry people but even though the Ahradam was an awesome sight to see, your crazy for picking that over listening to the Dali Lama, the most positive influential persona of our generation. The thing about the trip I will miss most is the people. Met some really great people on this trip and I hope we stay life long friends. </div>John Yarbroughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15006285630561723454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-38560733505345480522012-06-07T20:13:00.000-07:002012-06-07T20:13:13.166-07:00Buddhist Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If there is one thing my fellow travelers will remember me for, it will be my obsession with books. One of my primary purposes of this trip was to pick up as many books as possible on the subject of Buddhism. Some are canonical, and some are smaller books of a sort of 'self-help" nature, but all of which will contribute to my spiritual development. I also picked up a Koran and a book from the Baha'i faith, as about these two I don't know as much as I would like.<br />
There was one book which I consistently looked for, entitled "Circle of the Sun", by Tsele Rangdrol. It is one my grandfather has been trying for some time to attain, but even after contacting the publishers he could not. Almost every store I visit had the book "Mirror of Mindfulness" by the same author, but never the former book. I am a bit let down, but hopefully I will find it for him in the future.<br />
Overall, I am really happy with the reading I get to do when I get back home. I also picked up books on learning Pali and Tibetan, two of the primary languages within Buddhism, so I am excited to crack them open and begin learning.<br />
However, upon carrying my pack, I am beginning to see the benefit of a kindle. Can't help it though, I guess I am just too old fashioned to switch. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-49248739560448315992012-06-07T19:49:00.004-07:002012-06-07T19:49:56.374-07:00Dharma Talk in Dharamsala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I listen to a lot of Buddhist Dharma talks on mp3 that I aquire from the internet, but this was the first time I had a chance to hear one in person. We all sat down onto these meditation cushions and meditated until it began. It started off with some chanting in Tibetan, followed by a monk giving his talk in Tibetan, with a translator giving the english portions when he came to a pause. The funny thing is that most westerners in there probably understood Tibetan.<br />
His talk dealt with some verses of Shantideva, from the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, which were focusing on maintaining mindfulness and introspection even when around difficult people. Difficult people being those who would disrupt those qualities.<br />
He even included this story of a monk who was seeking shelter from the rain at this woman's house. The woman said that if the monk wished to stay, he must either drink alcohol, kill a goat, or sleep with her. All would violate the monastic code, but after weighing his options, he saw that alcohol would be the least offense. However, after getting drunk, he was no longer in control of his mind, and went on to both kill the goat and sleep with the woman.<br />
The point of the story was to maintain mindfulness at all times. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-53027990642462345352012-06-06T09:45:00.001-07:002012-06-06T09:45:53.882-07:00You've been hit by, you've been hit by... A Smoooth Criminal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Man, I never really knew how powerful the affect was that Michael Jackson had on every part of our world (Rest in Peace). Nonetheless, the children at Tong Len school today were extremely excited to learn a few moves. "Put one hand on your head like this. Put the other on your stomach like this. Bend down. Now up" - this was the way that I taught them to do the world famous Michael Jackson thrust. Words just do not begin to describe the excitement and love that these children, my brothers and sisters, generated. I believe that you can learn a lot from nature and especially children. The case the message was obvious - your situation does not choose your happiness. Their smiles reminded me of summer time fireflies - relaxing to the soul, yet enlightening to the world. I really Pray to come back one day. That is surely the goal.<br />
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p.s. I'll never forget you all - keep MJ alive. </div>Tyree Barneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09091053887544310606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-16846437834600481872012-06-06T09:37:00.001-07:002012-06-06T09:37:33.269-07:00Meeeow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We started out the day by going to the Institute of Tibetan Medicine. It was interesting to see the tools used for different ailments and how they make pills by using all different types of plants. We also went to Tibetan library and listened to a lecture about mindfulness and how we need to be mindful of every action because with every action comes a reaction. Then we went to listen about human rights and how Tibet is battling China through non-violence, yet China continues to attack and humiliate Tibet. After that we went back to Tong Len to see the kids. I played cricket for the first time and made a couple plays so it was good. We also did a lot of dancing and I taught them more boxing which I regret because they might end up beating each other up.<br />
JYarb</div>John Yarbroughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15006285630561723454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-83956692811316214782012-06-06T09:29:00.001-07:002012-06-06T09:29:44.637-07:00Last day in the mountains<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
today i feel like we did quite a bit.. went to the tibetan institute for medicine. Learned about the different aspects of the tibetan medical system which was really interesting. D Money was telling us about the diffeerent things that it has been known to cure. He also told us about the bout that he had with hepatitis and how tibetan medicine medicine managed to get rid of it when western medicine had already failed at it. We then went to the tibetan library where we got two lectures, one on buddhist philosophy which i was really emersed in and another on the Human rights situation in Tibet. The lady that spoke to us about the human rights seemed to be really passionate about the subject. I could feel her pain and frustration when she was alking to us about it. Finally another visit to Tong len. Managed to say a sad goodbye to my friends Mukesh, Vijay, Birju and Deepak, who will always hold a place in my heart. All in all a pretty productive day. Pretty sad to be leaving this place tomorrow, but at the same time im ready to head home!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14046825530519502833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-519494666245292472012-06-06T09:13:00.000-07:002012-06-06T09:13:12.379-07:00Don't want to say goodbye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today we visited Men-Tsee-Khang, which is the Tibetan medical and astrological institute. The purpose of the organization is to preserve the traditional systems of medicine and astrology practiced in Tibet for thousands of years. The first floor of the institute featured hundreds of different medicines and plants that were used to cure a variety of ailments and diseases. There were natural remedies for arthritis, insomnia, neuritis, and even dumbness! Any ailment you can think of, there was most likely a medicine for it. The basement level of the building had the history of Tibetan medicine. Large paintings, called thangkas, displayed intricate drawings of the human body, including nerves and blood vessels. There was even a thangka with the entire process of human embryology. Many thangkas also featured various systems that doctors used to diagnose and treat a disease or ailment. It's mind-boggling to think how advanced Tibetan medicine was in the 16th century. </div>
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It's my last day in Dharmsala and I do not want to leave. Goodbye to the perfect weather. Goodbye to the Himalayas. Goodbye to the noisy cars honking their horns way too much. Goodbye to the Buddhist monks who never sport a frown. Goodbye to Cafe Coffee Day, Restaurant Curry Leaf, and the delicious 20 rupee espresso. Goodbye to the adorable Tong Len kids. Goodbye to my favorite shop owner, Mustafa. Goodbye to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people. Dharamsala is my favorite city in India; it will definitely be missed. </div>
</div>Shayna Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691957584947282461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-57093189928237505202012-06-06T08:04:00.001-07:002012-06-06T08:04:18.275-07:00Last day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today was our last day in Dharamsala. I am really going to miss it here. Everywhere we go we see the Himalaya mountains. I have seen some of the most breathtakingly beautiful views. Today we returned to the youth hostel to see the children. One little girl painted my fingernails bright orange! We spent the day laughing and playing games. We played duck-duck-goose, hokey pokey, and clapping games. One little girl taught me a new game and I taught her one that I had played in elementary school. I gave her my email address and wrote down a rhyme for the game I had taught her. She tried to teach me to say, "I like mangos," in Hindi, but I had a difficult time remembering the words. It finally was time for us to leave and I hugged her goodbye. She turned to walk into the building, but kept turning back to wave goodbye. She finally made it into the window, but went to a window to wave out. It was so hard to walk away.<br />
I will be glad to be back home, but I will really miss the time I have spent in Dharamsala. I hope to come back again soon. </div>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18160527931477743963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-81428379931372008742012-06-06T07:51:00.002-07:002012-06-06T07:51:17.992-07:00His Holiness the Dalai Lama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The other day we had the priviledge of seeing His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In the morning we got up early to see him pass by in his motorcade on the way to speak at a school. Many people crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of him. He smiled and waved as he passed by and he seemed to radiate positive energy.<br />
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Later we went to the campus, where His Holiness was speaking to school children. To get there we had to do a bit of treking up the side of a mountain. Some people had radios to listen to the speech from the outside, but unfortunately I was not near one. After waiting for a short while, we heard a thunderous applause and he descended the stairs to his vehicle. Once again, he seemed joyful to see the people who had come to see him. He seemed to be filled with a great inner peace. I felt honored to be in his presence. I was so glad to have had this opportunity. </div>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18160527931477743963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-60082024628378408512012-06-06T06:36:00.002-07:002012-06-06T06:36:26.647-07:00Don't Make Me Leave!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It crazy to think that just 3 weeks ago i landed in Delhi and entered a whole new crazy world. Now the world that foreign and loud had become normal and a place to call home. I have fallen in love with India, the people, the culture it is all so different from home that i could not have asked for a better study abroad. The children of Tong Len have melted my heart and i'm so thankful we got to return to the hostel today as well as having visited the slum yesterday! They are the most genuine and lovable children. No dream is too big and they are determined to get what they want, even if its a piece of candy! Knowing that this trip is ending fast is killing me. I look back on all the crazy adventures and can hardly believe the time is gone. I can't wait for the day i can return to india hopefully Tong Len!<br />
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BY: ERIN LUEDERS</div>Becca Luedershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984844798418639256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-40293561847471391452012-06-05T07:51:00.001-07:002012-06-05T07:51:01.823-07:00Having fun in the Slum...I thought Rishikesh was my favorite place but i was definitely wrong Dharmsala takes the cake. Today we went to help the kids in the slums and it reminded me of the days when i lived in the refugee camps back in Bosnia. The kids were all happy to see us there, we tried to distribute candy out but that didn't go as well as we thought. I love kids and my mom is a elementary school teacher so i always help her out. The slums were no different i couldn't wait to play with the kids but they wore me out between climbing on my like i was a tree and picking them up i got to say it was a great day. It really opens up my eyes to how different people live on the other side of the world. We take so many things for granted like we should have them when these kids don't even have clean water to wash themselves with. I am really glad i went on this trip not only for myself but also for my family so maybe i could shed some light on them and change a few things on how we have been living. Before i forget Tibet is not part of China so Free Tibet.John Yarbroughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15006285630561723454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-1180446455577733902012-06-05T07:43:00.000-07:002012-06-05T07:43:21.582-07:00Tong Leng<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Although it was yesterday that we visited tong leng i decided to name my post that because what i witnessed today. We were at the slum known as Charan Khat today and it was a sight that id probably never forget. After what i saw today i cannot even explain the amount of respect that i have for the tibetan monk Jam Lan (i think that how you spell it). He is the man who started the tong len organisation pretty much from scratch just because he felt the need to help the community in the slum. These people were ignored by the government in both their original place of living and now also the people in charge of this area. Jam Lan has not only helped them out with better living conditions (free access to 17000 litres of water a day) he has improved the general health and hygiene of the community and also provided the children of the slum with a way of getting out this lifestyle. I couldnt help but marvel at the way he has changed the lives of 70 individuals who presently reside in the hostel he has built. The hostel is equipped with all sorts of things that the slum children could not even comprehend before being involved with tong leng, this includes a brand new computer lab which could even put the computer labs at ECU to shame. I hope the kids at tong leng grow up and surpass what Jam lan has done for their community. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14046825530519502833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-42673576486970812022012-06-05T07:36:00.004-07:002012-06-05T07:36:34.703-07:00Free Tibet!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today we went to an art institute. The place and the art was beautiful. Plants, trees, sculptures, a fishpond, a temple and hotel, and a bunch of workshops gave the place a beautiful yet rustic view. The workshops had painters, wood carvers, metal artisans, and doll makers. The painting was my favorite because of the hard work put into it and the natural colors used. The paintings took anywhere from a few hours to a few months. First the paintings had to be traced by photograph precisely to every angle, then the it was painted very slow and steadily using natural colors, like flowers from the mountains in Tibet. After the art institute we went to a Tibetan temple that was used primarily as a place to pray and study for nuns. After the temple and an awesome Chinese lunch we made our way to the slums to play with the children and better understand their situation. The kids were grateful to leave the begging life and stay at a place where they could sleep, eat and study, providing them with a promising future. One of the babies, Sanju had a huge impact on the group. He could not speak, hold his head up or smile and his heart and breath rate was irregular and he had a fever . As I held him he struggled to drink water and as I took a piece of candy out of his mouth blood came out too. He fell asleep for a good hour and me and Tyree prayed for him. Through this experience I don't understand hour the goverment puts so much money into a cricket stadium but refuses to put any of their money into a slum right across that could benefit many lives.<br />
JYarb<br />
<br /></div>John Yarbroughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15006285630561723454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-54392956801721929342012-06-05T07:08:00.001-07:002012-06-05T07:08:31.411-07:00Charan KhatToday we went to Charan Khat which is a slum where about 750 people live. As soon as we got out of the vehicles children started running to greet us and ask our names. Several people brought gifts and were giving them out to the kids. The kids were going crazy and continued to ask for more continuously. As we walked down into the slum we could see where families lived. Some had a concrete slab where others only had the rocky dirt ground. As we passed one family, there was a newborn twenty days old. It was so tiny. As the day went on we were able to watch the kids learn math. They were learning how to do exponents. The way they were taught was different but seemed much easier than the way I learned. I met a girl named Jada who was twelve years old with a huge smile! As we talked I found out that she knew Pinky, the girl I spent time with at the hostel. She loved my earrings and wanted them along with my sunglasses. She would ask over and over again "Please ma'am." in the end she gave me her bangles and all I had to give to her in return was a hair tie. Overall, it was a great day and I'm glad we were able to put smiles on the kid's faces. I can't believe time has gone by so fast and we will be flying out in under 3 days! Davey Ann Burbagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055440301388673030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-65946559874313315162012-06-05T07:01:00.001-07:002012-06-05T07:01:11.511-07:00SlumsToday we went to the Tong-Len slums. It's truly amazing to see how little some people have but yet still have the most positive outlook on life. The most simple things such as a pen or finger nail polish create the biggest smiles on their faces. It's really heart breaking to see the sick and dying children that don't have enough money to seek medical help. <br />
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- TaylorJessica K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17604780000962895854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373734506037082077.post-15463275723195720682012-06-05T06:44:00.004-07:002012-06-05T06:44:53.005-07:00Jyoti SquaredWe went to the slum today. Some of the kids there have brothers or sisters at the hostel we went to on Sunday.. I can't imagine being separated like that and one of them knowing that the other is in a worse place than the other. I met 2 girls named Jayda and... Jyoti! Ironic that out of all the kids in the hostel and in the slum, I ended up spending my time with two different Jyotis! They were all so sweet and loved nail polish and stickers At first it was soo hectic with all the kids running up and wanting you to give them something. But once things settled down, I had just as much fun there as in the hostel. It's crazy how these children live, and so many people have absolutely no idea. We watched some of the kids being taught their math lesson with exponents in the tent that ECU students made years ago. It was pretty cool to see what an amazing job they did and that it's still standing. It's even cooler that it's used as their school. The last few days here in Dharamsala have been great, other than the huge storm tonight. I thought our windows were about to bust through! The table on the balcony was blowing all over the place but it's cool, we're safe :) Only 3 days in India!Lauren Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02354877516558807949noreply@blogger.com0