Thursday, July 30, 2009
The group has returned
We've received word from the leaders that the group has landed in Newark, NJ and is en route to the Global Action campus at Yale.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
From Ladakh to Delhi
Juley!
Today (Saturday) is our last day in Ladakh. Sunday morning we'll fly back to Delhi. Since we last wrote, we have spent two days in the Nubra Valley. In Nubra we all stayed in a large house together with Dorje, a friend of our guide Kunzes. We arrived in time for a late lunch on Wednesday and spent the afternoon hatching a plan for the Yale presentation.
On Thursday we visited two gomaps in the valley, taking in a lot of gorgeous scenery on the drive. That afternoon we all rode camels over the sand dunes! Needless to say, everyone got a huge kick out of the camels, and we took lots of great pictures, which the students can't wait to share with you all at Yale. That evening the students spent a few hours putting the finishing touches on their independent projects.
Friday we headed back to SECMOL in the morning. Once we returned, the students presented their independent projects to each other and the Ladakhi students and staff at SECMOL. The projects were a great hit--the Putney students have undoubtedly learned a lot in their 3 weeks here! Today everyone is hard at work on the Yale presentation. We hope to have everything in good shape by dinner so that the Putney and Ladakhi students can spent their final night enjoying a farewell party--the Ladakhis have planned a special dinner and a dance party.
On Thursday we visited two gomaps in the valley, taking in a lot of gorgeous scenery on the drive. That afternoon we all rode camels over the sand dunes! Needless to say, everyone got a huge kick out of the camels, and we took lots of great pictures, which the students can't wait to share with you all at Yale. That evening the students spent a few hours putting the finishing touches on their independent projects.
Friday we headed back to SECMOL in the morning. Once we returned, the students presented their independent projects to each other and the Ladakhi students and staff at SECMOL. The projects were a great hit--the Putney students have undoubtedly learned a lot in their 3 weeks here! Today everyone is hard at work on the Yale presentation. We hope to have everything in good shape by dinner so that the Putney and Ladakhi students can spent their final night enjoying a farewell party--the Ladakhis have planned a special dinner and a dance party.
We'll have two busy days in Delhi before heading to Agra on Tuesday evening. First thing Wednesday morning we'll visit the Taj Mahal, which we are all very excited about! Soon after the Taj and breakfast, it will be time to head back to Delhi for our flight home that evening, with a stop at the Red Fort on the way if there's time. No one can believe that we only have four days left in India! We'll see you all in a week and by then we'll have even more stories. . .
Cheers,
Andrew and Joanna
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Trek!
Juley!
We are back at SECMOL after a wonderful week of exploring. Our five-day trek took us east to the villages of Relay, Durbik, Tangtse, Shackukul, and finally Pangong Lake, a huge and beautiful saltwater lake that's one-third in India and two-thirds in Tibet! On our first day we climbed to a pass that was near 17,000 feet high and got caught in a quick snowstorm on our way to Relay, a tiny village that isn't accesible by road.
The leaders, students, and our Ladakhi guides and friends split up between three houses in the village and had a riot getting to know the host families, who did not speak English, through all sorts of nonverbal communication.
The hike to Durbik the next day was beautifully sunny and breezy; that night we all stayed together in a large Ladakhi home. A few students who still had energy after the morning trek went on a second hike with Andrew that afternoon. Other students helped make tea momos for our dinner.
In Tangtse we stayed in a simple guesthouse and took our first "showers"--with buckets of cold water--in a few days. The following morning we drove a short distance to our guide Kunzes's family's home in Shachukul and then embarked on a five-hour hike during which we climbed over 2,000 feet and saw some incredible, 360-degree views of snow-capped Himalayan peaks. We spent the afternoon lounging around together, playing cards, eating biscuits and drinking tea; before dinner, three groups left for other nearby houses while six of us stayed put at Kunzes's house.
The following morning we set out at 9 for Pangong Lake. We spent a few hours at the lake, eating lunch and taking lots of pictures. On the way back we stopped at two Buddhist temples and a solar power plant that generates all the power for seven surrounding villages. We then spent a second night with our homestay families in Shackukul.
The leaders, students, and our Ladakhi guides and friends split up between three houses in the village and had a riot getting to know the host families, who did not speak English, through all sorts of nonverbal communication.
The hike to Durbik the next day was beautifully sunny and breezy; that night we all stayed together in a large Ladakhi home. A few students who still had energy after the morning trek went on a second hike with Andrew that afternoon. Other students helped make tea momos for our dinner.
In Tangtse we stayed in a simple guesthouse and took our first "showers"--with buckets of cold water--in a few days. The following morning we drove a short distance to our guide Kunzes's family's home in Shachukul and then embarked on a five-hour hike during which we climbed over 2,000 feet and saw some incredible, 360-degree views of snow-capped Himalayan peaks. We spent the afternoon lounging around together, playing cards, eating biscuits and drinking tea; before dinner, three groups left for other nearby houses while six of us stayed put at Kunzes's house.
The following morning we set out at 9 for Pangong Lake. We spent a few hours at the lake, eating lunch and taking lots of pictures. On the way back we stopped at two Buddhist temples and a solar power plant that generates all the power for seven surrounding villages. We then spent a second night with our homestay families in Shackukul.
On Sunday morning we slowly wound our way down to a mere 11,500 feet to spend a night at the Maha Bodi International Meditation Center just outside Leh. The center has a large, attractive campus with a monastery and nunnery as well as accommodations for guests. Some of us visited the young nuns (ages six to 16) who study and live at the center before dinner. The nuns, who spoke impressive English, had all sorts questions for us! We read and colored with them, and learned a bit about their lives.
After our first dinner together as a group in a few days, we had a group meeting and we leaders were delighted to hear that everyone had enjoyed the trek and the homestays as much as we'd hoped they would. We shared some stories about our homestay families and went over plans for the next few days before heading to bed early.
Monday morning we woke up at 5 to watch the young nuns and monks perform their morning pujas (rituals), hear the abbot of the monastery give a dharma talk, and give meditation a try! The abbot did a fantastic job at explaining the basics of Buddhist practice to our crew. After breakfast we left the center to visit Shey, Ladakh's old capital, and then headed back to SECMOL so that the students could spend the afternoon working on their independent projects, which they'll present to each other and the Ladakhi students on Friday night.
After our first dinner together as a group in a few days, we had a group meeting and we leaders were delighted to hear that everyone had enjoyed the trek and the homestays as much as we'd hoped they would. We shared some stories about our homestay families and went over plans for the next few days before heading to bed early.
Monday morning we woke up at 5 to watch the young nuns and monks perform their morning pujas (rituals), hear the abbot of the monastery give a dharma talk, and give meditation a try! The abbot did a fantastic job at explaining the basics of Buddhist practice to our crew. After breakfast we left the center to visit Shey, Ladakh's old capital, and then headed back to SECMOL so that the students could spend the afternoon working on their independent projects, which they'll present to each other and the Ladakhi students on Friday night.
Everyone is very excited about our upcoming trip to the Nubra Valley. We'll leave Wednesday morning and spend Wednesday and Thursday visiting monasteries and hot springs, checking out Nubra's dramatically different landscape, and with any luck, riding a camel or two! We'll return Friday and have two days back at SECMOL before we head to Delhi Sunday morning. Whew! The trip seems to be going faster every day, and Yale is just around the corner!
Cheers,
Andrew and Joanna
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Yale Information
Hello family and friends,
Yale is less than three weeks away! This will be the final communication from Putney before the end of the program, and we hope that it will provide you with plenty of information as you prepare for your time at Yale University.
Presentations and Picnic
The final presentations will be held on Saturday, August 1st at Sudler Recital Hall at William Harkness Hall, 100 Wall St, New Haven. Global Action students will attend all of the presentations. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early so that we can keep to our tight schedule; your child will meet you there. The presentations are each approximately one hour long and will take place the following times:
9:30 AM: Welcome
10 AM: India
11:30 AM: El Salvador
2:30 PM: China
4 PM: Cambodia
Presentations will be followed by a picnic for families and the entire Global Action community at Timothy Dwight College. We hope you will join us!
How to RSVP
If you plan to attend the presentations and picnic at Yale, please RSVP by email to putney.gaia2009@gmail.com by Friday, July 17. Please note your name, your son/daughter’s group name, and how many there will be in your party (do not include your son/daughter in that number).
Communication with Putney
All communication with Putney from July 30 to August 1 should be directed to our Yale office:
Office Line: (203) 436-1577
Cell Phone: (561) 504-6325
Email: putney.gaia2009@gmail.com
Travel to/from Yale
Each Global Action group has chartered private buses from the airport to Yale University on July 30. While at Yale, students and leaders will be housed at Timothy Dwight College, 345 Temple St. (at Grove St.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.
We hope that families can arrive to Yale in the morning of August 1 and stay in New Haven that night. There will be group presentations and a final picnic on August 1, though the programs do not end until the morning of August 2. Students should be picked up from Timothy Dwight College on August 2 between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. (Putney will provide transportation to the local airport and train station for students that are returning home on their own.)
In the information we have sent to your digital locker, you will find directions to Timothy Dwight College, a list of area hotels, and a customized map including parking information that you should bring to Yale with you. Yale has also provided us with a user-friendly online map at http://business.yale.edu/map.
We look forward to meeting you on August 1st!
Yale is less than three weeks away! This will be the final communication from Putney before the end of the program, and we hope that it will provide you with plenty of information as you prepare for your time at Yale University.
Presentations and Picnic
The final presentations will be held on Saturday, August 1st at Sudler Recital Hall at William Harkness Hall, 100 Wall St, New Haven. Global Action students will attend all of the presentations. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early so that we can keep to our tight schedule; your child will meet you there. The presentations are each approximately one hour long and will take place the following times:
9:30 AM: Welcome
10 AM: India
11:30 AM: El Salvador
2:30 PM: China
4 PM: Cambodia
Presentations will be followed by a picnic for families and the entire Global Action community at Timothy Dwight College. We hope you will join us!
How to RSVP
If you plan to attend the presentations and picnic at Yale, please RSVP by email to putney.gaia2009@gmail.com by Friday, July 17. Please note your name, your son/daughter’s group name, and how many there will be in your party (do not include your son/daughter in that number).
Communication with Putney
All communication with Putney from July 30 to August 1 should be directed to our Yale office:
Office Line: (203) 436-1577
Cell Phone: (561) 504-6325
Email: putney.gaia2009@gmail.com
Travel to/from Yale
Each Global Action group has chartered private buses from the airport to Yale University on July 30. While at Yale, students and leaders will be housed at Timothy Dwight College, 345 Temple St. (at Grove St.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.
We hope that families can arrive to Yale in the morning of August 1 and stay in New Haven that night. There will be group presentations and a final picnic on August 1, though the programs do not end until the morning of August 2. Students should be picked up from Timothy Dwight College on August 2 between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. (Putney will provide transportation to the local airport and train station for students that are returning home on their own.)
In the information we have sent to your digital locker, you will find directions to Timothy Dwight College, a list of area hotels, and a customized map including parking information that you should bring to Yale with you. Yale has also provided us with a user-friendly online map at http://business.yale.edu/map.
We look forward to meeting you on August 1st!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Momos and Yak Butter Tea
Greetings!
This is our last day at SECMOL before we leave for the trek. Since we've last written, everything has been going wonderfully! We have all adjusted to the altitude and are over jetlag. In the past few days we have visited two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Leh--the Snow Leopard Conservation Society and the Women's Alliance.
On Friday we climbed SECMOL mountain, a small mountain the school has adopted as its own, with our trekking guide Kunzes and some Ladakhi students. The hike took about three hours, including a nice rest and snacks as we enjoyed the view up top, and was great preparation for our trek. For dinner that night, everyone staying on campus pitched in to make momos, Tibetan-style vegetable dumplings.
On Saturday we drove to Phyang, a nearby village, with the 40 Ladakhi students who are currently studying at SECMOL. Kunzes paired our students up with the Ladakhi students for a village-wide scavenger hunt. Our students had a blast--several were invited to join in a small festival, where they were given some of the infamous yak-butter tea! We then had a picnic lunch and visited Phyang gompa, the local Buddhist temple and monastery.
At the Women's Alliance this morning, women from a nearby village showed us how to spin wool into thread and how to extract apricot oil from apricot seeds (little nuts that look and taste very much like almonds). Our hostess also briefed us on the Women's Alliance's work to promote traditional crafts in Ladakh. The students then took turns helping the Ladakhi women spin wool and grind seeds. Everyone is now enjoying a little time to walk around Leh and pick up any last minute trekking essentials. We'll meet up in a few minutes to visit Leh palace and then head back to SECMOL to have dinner and pack up for the trek.
The students all report that they are getting a lot out of this trip so far. They are an enthusiastic, lively, and thoughtful group, and we're enjoying them so much!
Cheers,
Andrew and Joanna
This is our last day at SECMOL before we leave for the trek. Since we've last written, everything has been going wonderfully! We have all adjusted to the altitude and are over jetlag. In the past few days we have visited two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Leh--the Snow Leopard Conservation Society and the Women's Alliance.
On Friday we climbed SECMOL mountain, a small mountain the school has adopted as its own, with our trekking guide Kunzes and some Ladakhi students. The hike took about three hours, including a nice rest and snacks as we enjoyed the view up top, and was great preparation for our trek. For dinner that night, everyone staying on campus pitched in to make momos, Tibetan-style vegetable dumplings.
On Saturday we drove to Phyang, a nearby village, with the 40 Ladakhi students who are currently studying at SECMOL. Kunzes paired our students up with the Ladakhi students for a village-wide scavenger hunt. Our students had a blast--several were invited to join in a small festival, where they were given some of the infamous yak-butter tea! We then had a picnic lunch and visited Phyang gompa, the local Buddhist temple and monastery.
At the Women's Alliance this morning, women from a nearby village showed us how to spin wool into thread and how to extract apricot oil from apricot seeds (little nuts that look and taste very much like almonds). Our hostess also briefed us on the Women's Alliance's work to promote traditional crafts in Ladakh. The students then took turns helping the Ladakhi women spin wool and grind seeds. Everyone is now enjoying a little time to walk around Leh and pick up any last minute trekking essentials. We'll meet up in a few minutes to visit Leh palace and then head back to SECMOL to have dinner and pack up for the trek.
The students all report that they are getting a lot out of this trip so far. They are an enthusiastic, lively, and thoughtful group, and we're enjoying them so much!
Cheers,
Andrew and Joanna
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
From Delhi to Leh
Hi all -- Greetings from 11,000 feet!
The past three days have been an absolute whirlwind! The group got in safe and sound (and even early!) on the night of the 5th. I picked them up at the airport with no problem at all and we made our way to our hotel in South Delhi. Although the weather was actually a few degrees cooler than it has been, it was still about 95 degrees! Nonetheless, the kids were in great spirits, excited as could be, and so we commenced with some introductions and information that night.
The next day -- our only full day in Delhi until the end of the trip -- was packed. After a successful orientation, we changed some money and headed to a reputable South Indian restaurant for some lunch. Though the menu items were slightly less than intelligible, we ordered an astounding amount of food, which included, to be sure, a Dosa (flatbread) that clocked in at a whopping 4 feet in length. The fierce determination of hungry students was no match for our lunch and we managed to put away a record-setting amount of food.
Next, we made our way the outskirts of Delhi to visit Qutab Minar, a Muslim complex consisting of (predominantly) an 850 year old Tower (the Minar) and other tombs, towers and pillars erected to honor the most successful Muslim rulers of Delhi over the past millenium. After a much-needed and deserved water break, we headed to Fabindia, a wonderful store that sells all vintage textiles and handcrafts made in rural villages.
Next, we made our way the outskirts of Delhi to visit Qutab Minar, a Muslim complex consisting of (predominantly) an 850 year old Tower (the Minar) and other tombs, towers and pillars erected to honor the most successful Muslim rulers of Delhi over the past millenium. After a much-needed and deserved water break, we headed to Fabindia, a wonderful store that sells all vintage textiles and handcrafts made in rural villages.
The students spent a modest amount of time (and money!) compiling some outfits for the next few weeks. They all looked most smashing -- so much so that they needed little encouragement to don their digs to dinner that evening. We once again ate like kings before the powerful forces of jetlag caught up with us. After a short walk back to the hotel and another water stop, we hit the hay.
The next morning was comprised of both an insanely early wake-up call (3:30!) and the most amazing flight. Flying into Leh is about as scenic as it can get: peering down at snow-capped Himalayan peaks for as far as the eye can see is not a bad way to start the day. The students were almost as excited as I was, which puts them somewhere in between elation and sheer ecstasy. A short and bumpy bus ride brought us to our home base, the SECMOL campus, where we got an introduction and tour. We then took the better part of the afternoon off, before a conversation class with the local Ladakhi students.
I have never seen students from such diverse cultures open up to each other so effortlessly on the first day. Both the students and the leaders found the experience entertaining, didactic and, indeed, powerful. Based on our students' interests, we have scheduled many more conversation classes and we can already sense that our day of departure will be a sad one.
The evening featured dinner (shared by all 60 residents and staff) and one of what is sure to be many dance parties. Our students did more than hold their own and several members of our team even led a dance or two! The kids had an absolute blast then headed to bed for some rest
Today's schedule began with work projects -- our members helping the local students with irrigation, cleaning, solar panel repair and even some out-house maintenance! They all worked hard and had a blast; even those that finished early joined the other groups to provide some additional help. We then headed into Leh for our first visit to a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Ledeg and learned about the various projects this organization does, mostly regarding issues of sustainable energy production in rural Ladakh. The students asked great questions and got a lot out of it.
Here we are at the internet and will soon be back to the SECMOL campus. It seems hard to believe that we have only been here (and together) for little more than 2 days. It's been busy but great!
Until soon,
-Andrew and Joanna
Until soon,
-Andrew and Joanna
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)