Yoga with Petri in India - Coconuts and Asanas...

So I have time to make a quick blog entry while internet is available. So far, the Purple Valley Yoga retreat with Petri Raisanen has been fantastic! The retreat center is wonderful and I've met an amazing group of people - a lot of people from Europe (heavily representation from Finland), UK, Slovenia, South Africa to name a few. Made some great new connections with them - we often spend hours talking, chatting about life and experiences between breakfast and lunch. Today we spent nearly 3 hours and lost track of time - but it's cool because there's nothing we have to do, nowhere we have to be! Such a nice break from my normally hectic life back in the States. BTW, I'm one of at least 2 Americans on this trip - the other that I know of is from Washington, D.C. (so she knows my friend Steve!)...

My days thus far have been simple - wake up, do yoga, get some amazing adjustments by Petri and Wambui, have breakfast, lounge around, have lunch, lounge around, go to an afternoon workshop, eat dinner, meditation or movie night, go to sleep, repeat. Seriously, can't get much better than that - and this will be the next 2 weeks of my life!! :-D

Ventured off the property yesterday to see an Ayurvedic doctor close by - about a 10 minute walk. She gave me my dominant Dosha, foods I should avoid, and things I should keep in mind while going throughout my day to support a sustainable and balanced energy. Very interesting - I can share more with you personally about it if you want...

One minor downside to the last day or so - I think I am under the weather! I don't feel that great, have a bit of heat exhaustion, I think it came from the walk to the Ayurvedic clinic yesterday. I didn't drink enough water! It's very hot in Goa, probably 85 - 90 degrees with high humidity. The mornings are chilly though, when you walk to the yoga shala at 6:00am or so...

Sorry if my blog entry is kind of fragmented and doesn't flow as nicely as the previous posts. Honestly I don't feel like making a giant entry right now - I need to unplug as much as possible! Plus my energy is low and I need to take a nap...

But in the meantime, here are some pictures of the retreat (which I also posted on FB). Enjoy! Namaste :-)

Checked into Yoga Retreat, Checking out from online for a while...

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I doubt I will post as much as I did in Mumbai, now that I am in the yoga retreat center (orientation in 15 minutes!! :-) ). Part of the whole experience is to "unplug" from life for a while, you know? So we'll see what happens...

Namaste and Love for now :-)

Mumbai Day 4 - Final Day - Shopping and Exploring

Saw this while walking along Colaba Causeway today. Love it!



Good evening to you all from a warm and muggy Mumbai (thankful for Air Conditioning in the hotel)! Today I spent my last day doing some shopping and taking long sojourns around the city by myself. I woke up later than I expected at 9am - and went to bed around 10pm last night, so I got a good amount of sleep - I needed it, too. My girls Verena and Ulla left for Goa today - they are going to be partying in a sweet place right on the beach - we'll hopefully meet up for lunch or dinner at some point within the next 2 weeks while we're all in Goa. Funny thing, 95% of the tourists I meet, they all go to Goa (or are going there, or have just come from there). Mumbai - Goa is like the most popular tourist route ever. After we had breakfast together, here's our goodbye-for-now picture:



Since I was on my own today, I was thinking that I'd be bored. Wasn't totally looking forward to shopping and bargaining, either (don't know why, I guess shopping makes me tired, too many choices). But in reality, my day was quite good and I'm very happy with it...

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Clothes Shopping
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So immediately after Ulla and Verena got into their taxi, I headed off on foot to do some shopping. Actually, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to shop for - clothes I guess, gifts for family and friends back home? Not sure what people want - if you want something specific let me know in a private message or email!!! Also, I needed to make my first stop at an ATM today - hoping that I would be able to withdraw cash and have no problems, as my prior trips to Asia have had problems doing this...

I walked up Colaba Causeway to the first roundabout located near India Gate, and made my way to Mahatma Gandhi Road, which leads you into the area of Mumbai called "Fort". We walked through Fort a few days ago on our way to the CST Train Station, so I remember that it's not NEARLY as touristy as Colaba, therefore you have far, far fewer touts that harass and follow you. Many more Indians, many who are in business suits, and there are major international banks located along that road. There are, however, a large number of sidewalk stalls and shops along the way that sell literally everything - books (English and Hindi), jewelry, sandals, clothing, souvenirs, etc. And the pathway is still treacherous - you have to dodge a LOT of traffic (Cars and Pedestrians alike), so you need to move quickly and nimbly, always having your wits about you...

I walked for a good 10 - 15 minutes (maybe more?) and came across a Citibank branch. Score! An American-based bank will likely give me no problems withdrawing cash, perhaps more reliable than an obscure Indian bank. And, it's heavily guarded - guards with big freggin guns, metal detectors, etc. So I felt safe there withdrawing cash. Sure enough, it worked like a charm. Now to see what my bank at home will charge me for the transaction :-) hehe...

One place I've been wanting to shop is called Fab India, and I passed a branch of that store along the way:

Fab India



My friend Matt has also told me to check out this place, as they are a little more expensive than what you might get on the street but sell a MUCH higher quality of clothing. Boy was he right - again! I love that store! At first I thought I spent too much. I bought 3 kurtas (Indian shirts, mainly), 2 Indian Pants, and 1 button down shirt that is a modern style with a fitted look - almost like I got it at Express back home! It was really nice (and almost 1,000 rupees, but very cool). Oh and some traditional Indian sandals, which I have been wanting to get for a while but just haven't found the right ones. I'm still not 100% I like the traditional Indian Sandals - they weren't super comfortable, but I wanted them anyway. All in all I spent about 3,800 Rupees, about $83 USD - for all that???? Not bad at all! Here are some pics of what I bought - tell me what you think!:




I ended up trying them on to show you what they look like. I know, how vain of me - but I like them!! :-D






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Sandals from a Street Vendor
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With bags in hand I decided to head back to my hotel so I don't have to carry them around with me. The walk was a little farther than I wanted it to be, but that's ok - more opportunity to soak in the culture and smog from the cars, right?? :-) Along the way I came across a street vendor who was selling sandals, so I decided to stop and look. I asked him what kinds of Sandals - men or women or both?

Shopkeeper (SK): "Yes Women! Yes!"
Me: "And Men?"
SK: "Yes, ok Men are here!"
Me: "So all men to the left, all women to the right?"
SK: "Yes sir"

So I perused a little bit and saw some sport sandals that I liked - these would be easy to take to the beach in Goa, and they looked comfortable. I like the sandals that have backing to them, as the loose ones I tend to either get caught in something or trip over. I am prone to trip over my own feet - it's a quality of mine, not a drawback! :-D So I read in Lonely Planet that when bargaining, try to show a passive interest, but don't get too attached. Especially with Sandals as they are everywhere!

Me: "Ok these how much?"

--Edit: Recall I'm close to Colaba, so it's a touristy area, and I'm obviously a tourist, so the price is going to be sky high.--

SK: "Oh for you sir..... 350 rupees please"
Me: "Oh sorry cannot. Umm... 50 rupees."
SK: *Smiles* "No sir, too low only women and children price!"
Me: "What???? Men don't get that price?"
SK: "No sorry sir only women and children price."

He went on like this, I pressed a little more, but he didn't counter offer, so I said screw it and left. So alas, no beach sandals for now...

By the way about Lonely Planet - many, many tourists that I've talked to or seen on the street have the very Lonely Planet guidebook that I do. Well, some also have the shortened version for just Mumbai and Goa, but Lonely Planet is the guide that is the most HEAVILY used. I'm glad I brought it...

So I proceeded to walk back towards Colaba and on the way, the schoolchildren had been getting out of school and on their way home. I found myself in the middle of all of them, running about on the street in their uniforms, playing with each other, etc. And as they ran past me they smiled. Those experiences are the really nice part about India - the ones that just spontaneously happen, you can picture it right?

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Dinner & Cricket Field
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So I got back to my hotel, dropped off my Fab India purchases, and then headed out to get some grub, as I was pretty hungry. I found a place called New Laxmi Vila, located right near Leopold's cafe and also featured in Lonely Planet guidebook. It's a TINY, TINY place - I got a table upstairs, and the ceiling is so low I have to bend down just to enter. When I sat down, the table next to me had 2 other girls who were asking the waiter about the purity of the water (i.e. she wanted fruit juice and she asked if it was mixed with purified water - good call). But at first I didn't realize what they were asking, so I leaned over to their table and re-asked them about it. Turns out they are Americans! My first Americans in over a week! I can tell now from their accent - just like mine, I guess I really DO have an accent. Anyway, Jaime and Jill are both from New York and are returning home within the next day or so. Was good to chat with someone from the US again. I ended up having a Masala Dosa, which was really good but exactly like the Dosa I can get in Woodland's, the Indian restaurant I like back in Orlando. Seriously, it was exactly the same. So I guess that means, since I'm in India, the Dosa at Woodlands is authentic! :-D

Then I decided to walk towards CST again - perhaps this time I can see the rest of the terminal that I did not get to see a few days ago (i.e. didn't see the big, multi-story atrium, just the other parts). I walked up MG Road and didn't remember where I was supposed to turn, so I just went with it and wandered around. Ended up in front the of the High Court building, housing the Mumbai court system of course. The building itself is really cool - old, Victorian, huge, grandiose. In addition to the building, I took some photos of the streets, traffic, other buildings, etc. - just general Mumbai look and feel:














Across the street from the High Court is a HUGE, HUGE Park where many kids play and practice Cricket. You probably know that Cricket is deep in the blood of most Indians - it is to them what American Football is to some Americans, and what Soccer (or Football) is to many Europeans. I have no idea how the game works - I think it's a cousin of American Baseball, but not totally sure. I stopped to watch through the gates of the park with fascination, and took a few photos here:










Then I headed back to the hotel again, but along the way I got stopped by a tout that walked with me for nearly 10 minutes trying to get me to give him money and hire him as my tour guide. More on that below. But other than that, nothing special going on tonight. I had laundry done at the hotel (440 Rupees for 21 pieces of laundry, hand delivered, not bad I guess???) Since I ate a little late, I might have a small dinner, but nothing big - may just get room service in the hotel again, since I need to pack and stuff to leave for Goa tomorrow...

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Fictional Characters
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And now for something completely different. As alluded to earlier, I was approached by a few touts today, and one guy who walked almost 10 minutes with me trying to be my tour guide, asking if I want to pay him to show me around Mumbai. So I decided to role play with them - and I have thus created "Steve", my fictional alter ego. Apologies to my friends who are named 'Steve'. I mean no disrespect and love you guys very much, you know that. It's just the first name that popped in my head in this circumstance. I don't know why. Normally I've been ignoring touts, but somehow these guys managed to slip onto my radar and break through my defenses...

Mumbai Tout: Sir hello please yes? Where you sir going?
Me: That way.
Tout: Oh ok sir you from where please?
Me: Germany.
Tout: Oh that is nice I love Germans. I have friends, they are German.
Me: So do I, being German and all.
Tout: Yes your name please sir?
Me: Steve.
Tout: Oh very nice Steve to meet with yourself. Do you speak German?
Me: No.
Tout: Oh my friends they taught me German I know it.
Me: Ok.
Tout: ---Says something that doesn't sound German to me---
Me: ....... (Silently in my brain: Shit I hope that isn't really German)
Tout: ---Repeats something that doesn't sound German to me---
Me: I don't know, I'm learning German.
Tout: Oh I see learning German is nice too. ---Repeats the same phrase that doesn't sound German to me---
Me: Still don't know it yet.
Tout: Sir you would be liking to buy a postcard?
Me: Nein.

Later today, while taking pictures of the Cricket game, another man approached me:

Tout: Hi sir you from where?
Me: USA
Tout: Oh very nice you like jokes?
Me: Sometimes.
Tout: I have joke for you my friend. What are the 3 parts of life that suck?
Me: Getting harassed by a tout is one of them, I'm sure (LOL No I didn't say that I thought it). I said "I don't know"
Tout: 1) Job sucks. 2) Traffic sucks 3) Wife does NOT suck!
Me: HA! Ok then.
Tout: Ok you have heard of the Microsoft, yes?
Me: Of course.
Tout: Bill Gates and his wife get married, what is the first thing she says to him that night?
Me: I think I know what's coming?
Tout: No, she says "Now I know why it's called Micro-soft!! Get it??? Get it????
Me: Yup, got it!

He then starts to babble about how standard of living is worse in India than in America, wages are higher, etc. Don't necessarily disagree with him, but I just nod. He tells me even more dirty jokes (well not dirty by American standards, but dirty innuendos for sure).

Me: How long can you go on like this? How many jokes do you have?
Tout: Sir you spend time with me I tell you them for 3 days straight.
Me: Wow, I see.
Tout: Sir you are wanting to see Mumbai yes?
Me: No I have already seen it.
Tout: All of it sir?
Me: Yes, all of it. I am the Mumbai Master.
Tout: Ok sir how long you stay for? For 100 rupees I show you parts of Mumbai you have not seen.
Me: Not interested, I'm leaving tomorrow.
Tout: Ok well perhaps we run into each other at a future time and I show you yes?
Me: You never know.
Tout: Ok sir. ---Shakes my hand---

Actually I shortened it a lot, I can't remember all parts of the conversation, but I do remember those 2 jokes. Thought you would enjoy them as well :-) By the way, I have a feeling that fictional character Steve will, in the future, be from yet another European country, but I haven't decided which one yet...

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That's all for now. Tomorrow morning transit to the airport for my flight to Goa, then check in to Purple Valley Yoga for my Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga retreat! Will be good to do some regular yoga again and connect with other yogis on that level. I will be in Goa for 2 weeks, so I'm sure I will travel around the area a lot, take photos again and write more on the blog...

All in all, very fulfilling trip to India in just 4 days. Mumbai impression is generally positive thus far - it certainly has its problems and annoyances but I had a good time - I can STILL hear the car horns right now, it is constant, and I no longer take it personally when they honk at me trying to cross the street. I will probably return again to this city someday in the future, not sure when, but I still need to see a lot more of this country...

Namaste and Love from India :-)

Mumbai Day 3 - Dhobi Ghat and the Dharavi Slum

Hello everyone! Well I'm writing this blog entry a little earlier than normal, as I had to wake up around 6:15 am to get dressed, showered, eat breakfast and head out to start my tour of the Dobi Ghat and Dharavi Slum. But now it's approximately 1:45pm, and the tour is over, and I wanted to get as much of the experience down on the blog while it's still fresh in my head. As I've alluded to in earlier posts, pictures were not allowed to be taken in the Slum itself. Not only is it disrespectful to take pictures of people's homes, but I think it has to do with protecting their livelihood and their businesses that are done there. Though the slum itself was officially recognized in 1995 by the Indian government and is a legal residence, not all of the industries are - thus, no photographs. However, the tour company from which I took the tour offered a collection of postcards that show some amazing pictures of the slums - the things you see on the tour - so I bought a set of those and will show you when I return. Of course they negotiated with the residents to make sure everyone was cool with what was taken. Also, pictures were allowed to be taken for the Dobi Ghat Laundry center, so I will post those for your enjoyment...

Overall, the Slum tour was absolutely fantastic and totally worth every single penny (which, by the way, is reinvested back into the residents for their childrens' education. More on that later). If any of you ever come to Mumbai, you simply MUST - simply MUST - take this tour and expand your perspective to realize that life in the Western World is so, so, so very different from other places. We have so much - we take so much for granted. Yes, I will say the tour will have an impact on me for the rest of my life - it was that moving...

I should also give a link to the tour company itself:

Reality Tours and Travel

They are a tour and travel organization who also has a sister NGO that is education focused and does much for the Dharavi community:

Reality Gives

Read up on their "About us" section for more. At the end of my tour I got to meet one of the founders - Chris Way who hails from the UK - and told him personally how wonderful I think his organization is...

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Meeting point
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So today I was solo and headed out to the tour meeting place. The website gives directions on where to go, but it's not exactly obvious to find the location so you have to search a little bit on the street. Eventually I saw a young man with the Reality Tours Gray Polo shirt standing on the corner. The meeting time was supposed to be 8:30am and I was early at 8:00am. His name is Santosh and indeed, he was the tour guide, but told me I should come back in like 15 minutes or so. So I walked around Colaba for a little bit and saw what things are like in the early morning - quite different than the afternoon when all the touts and hawkers are trying to sell you their stuff. No, everything is closed, few touts on the streets (mostly just Indian residents), almost NO tourists, and people sleeping on the street. You can expect to see women and children sleeping under a blanket curled up on the sidewalk outside of a store, but I also saw people actually sleeping in the carts that normally hold their wears. Additionally, there was this truck that went up and down the streets spraying this GOD AWFUL stinky smoke cloud - I still cannot figure out what they were doing, but the cloud was so thick that literally you could not see in front of your face. I kept coughing while walking through it too, so I knew that whatever it was, it couldn't be good for me...

Eventually I made it back to Santosh, and he indicated we were still waiting for a few more people to show up. He had my name in his cell phone and was expecting me. A few more people then came and all in all we ended up with 5 people - all others were female and I was the only male tourist, no big deal, that's how it's been since the beginning. I guess women travel to India more than men???? LOL I dunno just being silly...

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Drive to Dhobi Ghat
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So we get into a large SUV that will be the taxi which drives us around and up to the Dharavi Slum itself. Once we're off, Santosh introduces himself, and everyone else introduces themselves. 2 girls were from Turkey, 1 from Hong Kong, and 1 expat of New Zealand who is living in Hong Kong as well. I didn't catch our driver's name but he was freggin awesome - somehow he manages to navigate this giant SUV through the insanity of Mumbai traffic (and pedestrians!) with an ease and elegance I could only dream of...

So Santosh takes us through various parts of Mumbai that are on the way to the Slums. Remember, Colaba is the very southern tip of the city, and we are going further north - the drive in total took 1 1/2 hours to reach there because of the heavy volume of traffic (and it couldn't have been more than 15 miles, maybe less). There is a lot of information in my head right now, so I don't remember everything that Santosh told us, but I'll try...

The first area we went through is the Red light district. As you might expect, child prostitution is rampant in this part of town, even though the police station is located right in the area. With corruption as high as it is, the police themselves are actually the biggest patrons of the business. You see hoards and hoards of people on these side streets, including many children who look very impoverished and malnourished. Many are bought and sold through human trafficking - scouts go out to the rural areas of the country, entice the families and children themselves with promises of wealth, and then the children are tricked into working in this trade. I'm sure you've all heard about things like this happening in this part of the world, but it's another thing to actually witness the area where it happens and put faces to the deeds. I wouldn't know what to make of the place if I didn't have a guide, but it's highly unlikely that I would be there in the first place!...

We also saw some vegetable markets (where a lot of businesses buy their vegetables at bulk rates), and an area of town where all the "stolen" merchandise is resold. You can LITERALLY get anything and everything - even buy airplane engines! I laughed when Santosh said that - can you just imagine? "Yes I would like that Flat Screen, that diamond bracelet, and oh I dunno, a Pratt and Whitley Airplane Engine - how much you want??" LOL :-) If something is stolen from you personally, maybe you can buy it back there - it's pretty much the hub of activity for that kind of thing...

Going along further, we come across the Dhobi Ghats. Here's a link that provides more information on it:

Dhobi Ghat

Basically it's an open air laundry facility that is the largest and oldest in all of Asia - nearly 700 stalls to do the cleaning, beating of the clothes, hanging them to dry, etc. It's situated between high rises, train tracks, and a busy highway (which we had to cross in order to get to the stairs which provide the best view). The link I provided gives more detailed information than I could but here are the pictures that I took:













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Dharavi Slum Tour
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After a short time observing the Ghats, we get back into the car and head out to the slums. I didn't realize that the slums had busy roads that run through them - I thought all of it was walking, but our first stop the driver let us out right near the busy commercial area. And for the next 2 - 3 hours, we were on foot. There are many commercial areas that do many different industries - cumulatively, on the order of $1 BILLION USD a year! Do recall that over 1 million people live in this area, so it makes sense...

We saw recycling facilities where plastic is chopped, melted down, recompiled and then resold as various other materials for different uses. We got to go inside these shops, meet the people, walk up to the roof of their workshop to see the entire view of the slum area (one of my postcards has that picture). You see piles and piles of plastic from all different sources - including keyboards, frames of CRT Computer monitors, linings of cars, etc. We also got to see an area where paint cans are refurbished and resold (and the paint is burned - highly toxic!). Even the machines themselves which melt and process the plastic are assembled and made right in the slums!

So you can see some of the work they do can be very dangerous, very toxic to one's health - no protection is worn to cover the eyes when welding, for example. Yet, that is all they know. Though the slums have their own hospitals, doctors, clinics, pharmacies, etc. - you still have to be careful...

I noticed that the first area we were in, there were no women or children - only men and young teenage boys. I think it's not only because the work is so harsh and difficult, but also a difference in pay - women can make more money doing textiles, food preparation, etc. than they could doing the hard labor, so it's a matter of economics...

Ok lemme see.... I think the next place we went was the residences, the places where people actually live. Here is the real meat of your journey - the commercial areas are somewhat open with a little more space, but the living areas (of the new side of the slum) are TINY. And the passage ways are dark, damp, lined with trash and smelly. You have to be careful and watch your head and be VERY careful about where you step, as there are loose dogs, goats, chickens, cows, and all sorts of animals and debris. Yet they have 24 hours of electricity and are allotted a 3 hour timeframe to gather water. And each "flat" as an official address so they do get service from the post office. They also pay rent to the government - I think 300 rupees a month, was it? But the worker income generally ranges from 100 to 150 rupees a day, so it's easily covered and perhaps even profitable...

So as you walk through you hear blasting Hindi music and bollywood music, of course. Yet the most endearing thing - when you walk through the alleyways and experience this, all the children literally come running with you. They are shouting "HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI!!!!" - it's exciting for them to see you and everyone is smiling. They want to high five you - how cool is that? High Fiving with a five year old in the Dharavi Slum? I did it at least 10 - 15 times. You feel really special :-D That is something I will take away with me - imagine a Westerner living under these conditions and bitching that it's hot, it's cramped and disgusting. The people have such a pride and community with one another - not ONE person was in a foul mood out of the literally thousand or more people we saw. All were either engrossed in their work and busy or happy and smiling and waiving at us...

We also saw the area where bathroom / elimination business is taken care of. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. I think some of the flats have their own attached bathroom, but that is extremely rare. Instead, there is a common building with 2 - 3 stalls for each sex, but no running water in it (I did not go in, I was just told about it). But some people don't use them and just use an open area to go. I walked around the outer perimeter of that area - lots of trash, lots of really nasty and dirty water, and it did smell pretty bad. But I didn't see anyone going!

Also, Dharavi has its own business district with a collection of shops for everyday life. You can buy groceries, vegetables, medicine, and even mobile phones and sim cards (yes, they actually DO assemble their own mobile phones and re-sell them locally). About half way through the tour Santosh asked if we wanted to stop and have Chai. Foe those that don't know, Chai is basically Indian tea that is mixed with milk and is generally VERY sweet (I think sugar is mixed in with milk powder). It is different from the Chai you buy in the States (normally). when Santosh asked me, I stopped and thought about my situation before I answered. I would really like to partake in some Chai (cuz I like Chai normally) and have that experience of doing it in a place where few Westerners will EVER see. But what is the holdup? Fear is the holdup - I am afraid that the cups will not be washed properly, the tea not boiled enough, I'll get dysentery or something, and I'll be sick. But no, I asked the Universe to keep me well and healthy, and I believe it will. And though I of course take precautions as best as I can, I will not stop living my life and freaking out about every little thing that prevents me from having an amazing experience. That is the part of Jeff Welch that I want to break free from - obsessive, compulsive fear that holds me back and taking leaps of faith. It is one of the core components of this trip to India. This was truly a leap of faith moment for me internally inside my head. So I did it - and it was great! The tea was boiled anyway, but I felt a sense of communion with the others...

Funny thing also - while I was talking to one of the other girls on the tour, I notice that a number of Indian boys had gathered around me and started staring at me up close. "Hi guys!" I said. None spoke English but smiled. Then one of them started to put his hand on the back of my head and rub up and down. Mind you, I had just shaved my head again a day or so ago, so it's pretty bald right now. My friends and family know that I have a small growth at the back of my head - basically it's like a tumor, but the doctor has told me that as long as it's not changing or hurting, I didn't have to worry about it (just monitor it). So far, it's been there for most of my life. Anyway, they found it fascinating and started rubbing it and communicating amongst themselves about it, then laughing about it. I looked at Santosh in bewilderment. He said "Typically most Indian men consider it bad luck if you don't have hair on your head. It is a sign that you are not fit to be married." HA!!! Little do they know about me :-D I think my response was something like "Well then I guess I'm screwed from the start!" and everyone laughed...

We then proceeded to the "old" part of the slums (I think Dharavi has been in existence since the 19th century), and this is where pottery is typically made. It's an amazing industry where every single piece of the process is done in an assembly line. Trucks bring in the soil / dirt from another part of the city (or just outside the city somewhere in Maharashtra) and workers unload it into giant metal bowls. The first worker carries the bowl on his head and travels out of the receiving facility to meet another worker with an empty bowl. They exchange bowls - the newly arrived worker gives the empty bowl to the other worker, and then the soil continues down the path while the empty bowl goes back for a refill. Then, later down the line, another exchange is made. This happens all the way to delivery at the actual pottery artists' work station. And these guys have been doing this craft for a LONG time - passed down from generations. Some were using electric spinning tables, others had manual that were spun with a stick. It was fascinating to watch the skill and precision they had in making these pots - it's a LOT harder than it looks!...

And of course, more children running to the alleyways so they can shout "HI!!!" with all the excitement a 5 year old can muster. Most of the VERY young children (maybe 1 - 2 years old) do not have clothing on their lower extremities, so the ones that are walking are just hobbling around like that - a different experience to see...

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Educational advancements
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Another important thing to note is what Reality Tours (and the NGO Reality Gives) is doing to promote and advance education in the community. All in all there are 12 schools in Dharavi, 2 of them are run and funded by the company. Primary education is free and compulsory for the youngsters ages 3 - 5 (I think). We got to go into their school classrooms and see it in action - so amazing! Some of them are shy (well they are really young) but you can see it's just like a classroom in the West - pictures of animals and the English Alphabet on the wall. There are also older children in later studies who learn to read and write English. Their exam is tomorrow and they have done practice exams. You can see sentences being constructed on the chalkboards - "The national tree of the country is ______" So cool - these children are being given a chance in life. They don't HAVE to do the trades of the slums and can rise out of poverty if they chose it. It's inspiring to see this first hand and even more so to personally interact with the kids and see them smile at you...

Not just children benefit but there are also classes for adults that focus on soft skills and computer classes. We went into those classrooms as well - the room we went into had a bunch of old computers, and a woman was lecturing to the class about the importance of personal hygiene when conducting business with someone (i.e. even shaking someone's hand, need to have clean hands, etc.) Things we take as obvious and for granted - not necessarily so in other parts of the world...

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Overall
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All in all I was moved and touched today, just as I expected to be (perhaps BECAUSE I expected to be). I had an amazing experience that few people get to do and see - no one can take that away. The slums that are portrayed in movies and media (i.e. Slumdog Millionaire) are biased and not a true representation of what goes on there. They only showed you poverty - yet there is community, connection, industry, advancement, and life! We are mis-informed as a Western Society, you must understand that...

What's more, I returned to my hotel room and went into the bathroom and realized that I can have running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - even in a hotel room in India. I have the means to buy nice clothes and eat good food. I can afford to travel and take a trip like this. I have so, so much that is taken for granted, and experiences like this reinvigorate my mind to these facts of life...

And I'm glad I got to experience all of this with Santosh as our guide. Do you know how hard he works?? We were chatting about it on the ride back. He has to be at the tour office at 8am for the morning long tour, then comes back and does the same tour AGAIN in the afternoon (the entire tour lasts around 6 hours, with transport). So he's not done until 5 or 6pm, and THEN he goes to night school studying commerce (perhaps to be an accountant?). That ends at 10pm, and he studies until 2am, then goes to sleep. This goes on 5 days a week, but he works a full 7 days a week. Every day - the same thing. At the end of the tour we were given an opportunity to leave feedback and provide a small gratuity. I again realized again that I am in a very fortunate place in life to have all that I have - intense emotions arose inside of me coupled with gratitude. I wanted to make it known how much I appreciated his hard work. I left him a pretty large gratuity and mounds of praise on the feedback form - I sincerely hope for his success...

So I'll leave you with that for now. It's a lot to process - for me as well. Waiting to see how it infuses into me during this trip...

Namaste :-)