This is my Mecca

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) owns and operates four world centers:
Pax Lodge in London, England
Our Chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland
Our Cabaña in Cuernavaca, Mexico
Sangam in Pune, India
My dream has been to visit all four. I have visited Pax Lodge and Our Chalet multiple times. I took one step closer to reaching that dream, I had the opportunity to visit Sangam.



Sangam was opened in 1966. The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1962 by Dame Leslie Whatley and the opening ceremony was attended by Lady Olave Baden-Powell. The initial plans estimated that it would take only 8 months to build the center. The land that Sangam is on, was donated by the Indian government. Originally it lay far outside the city of Pune (pronounced Poona) but as the city has grown, it is now in the north - northwest part of the city. The name Sangam is an old Sanskrit word that means "coming together". It is very appropriately named.
The building is open and airy. The front of the building is made up of three distinct sections of arches. The first section has four arches, representing the four World Centers. The middle section, and main entry way, has three arches which represent the three parts of the Promise, our trefoil. The last section has ten arches to represent the 10 parts of the Guide law.



When one enters Sangam, they are greeted with cool, refreshing breezes blowing through the breezeway that opens to a lovely lush courtyard with pool. Several buildings surround the courtyard, the walls of these buildings are adorned with the logos of Guide and Scout Organizations from around the world. (Disclaimer: Some of these are now outdated). Sangam is huge, with gardens, a playground, a water tower, camp ground and space to relax. The water tower is a treasure, allowing Sangam to have access to fresh water 24-7. In India, it is common that city water access is limited to only a few hours a day and some days it is fully restricted. Sangam also has a backup generator for electricity. Electrical outages are a daily (normal) occurrence throughout India. Sangam also provides mosquito netting for the beds, as malaria can be a problem in India. This was my first experience setting up and sleeping under mosquito nets.









The front and back gardens of Sangam have Buddha statues to watch over the guests. The statue in the back has a rich history. The statue itself is so heavy, that it takes 15 men to be able to move it. When the statue was purchased, it was sent via train to Pune. Out of respect for Buddha, they purchased a first class ticket for it, and sat it in first class with its ticket in its hand! Originally this Buddha was in the front garden, but as the city was widening the road in front of the centre, there were worries that he would be damaged, so they moved him to the back. After the road works were complete they purchased another Buddha for the front.



I stayed at Sangam for two nights as an independent guest, but the staff was so wonderful and accommodating that I felt like I was there for a program. The food was delicious - typical Indian foods and I also enjoyed a bit of shopping at their shop, Yahdei (a Hindi word meaning memories). I attempted to complete the Sangam Challenge and earn a special badge, but my time was limited and I just didn't quite finish it.



My stay at Sangam was amazing. I will write about Pune and the program in which I participated with separate entries, but I want to close with two very special happenings.
There was a group of Irish Girl Guides visiting Sangam and taking part in the Centre's Program. The leader of this group was my friend, Lorna. Lorna and I met when we worked together at Camp Lachenwald in Germany in 1998. We had only seen each other once since then, in 2010 when I visited Ireland. It was great to see her again!



Tammy and I had an early train from Pune to Mumbai, and had to leave Sangam at 6:30. Given the early hour and the fact that we had only been there for two days, I was so touched by our send-off. The entire staff was awake and downstairs (yes still in pajamas, but they were there!). They pinned us with a special Sangam pin that is only given to center visitors, and as our rickshaw pulled away, they sang us the Sangam song. It was a very touching goodbye.



I have now visited three of the four World Centers. I think that Sangam has by far been my most enriching experience at a World Center. I hope to be able to visit Our Cabaña in Mexico and fulfill my dream of visiting all four. I am also determined to return to Sangam - next time for a full program with a group.



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Location:Pune, India

The Indian Food Here is Really Authentic!

Just like the post from Nepal (see Nepalicious!), I am going to write a post showcasing the foods eaten here in India. The food in India is so delicious - so many flavors and spices! It's a treat to be a vegetarian in a country where people know and understand vegetarian cooking.

For lunch in Varanasi we went to a restaurant called Lemongrass. It was recommended by our Homestay host, Hamish. This restaurant served a menu of Indian-Chinese fusion. We were there with the Patel family (a family of Indian origin from England), so we ordered a lot of different dishes and shared. We tried: Methi Malai Matar, Haka Noodles, Dal Makani, Vegetable Kufta, Jeera Rice, Naan (Garlic and Butter varieties), Chili Paneer, Vegetable Manchurian (dry) and a salted lassi. Methi Malai Matar was a creamy curry made with mustard greens and peas. Haka Noodles were basically stir fry noodles. Dal Makani is made with a dark lentil and some pinto beans. It is my favorite Dal! A Kufta is basically a dumpling made of semolina and vegetables. Jeera Rice is rice with cumin. Naan is an Indian bread - very delicious! Chili Paneer is paneer (a pressed cheese) cooked with chili powder and other spices - really good! Manchurians were another form of Kufta. Everything was delicious and it was fun to share with everyone and have the opportunity to try lots of dishes. (Sadly we forgot to take a photo until the end --so you can see we really dug in and enjoyed the food!)



After the meal, they brought out fennel seeds (toasted) and sugar cubes. These are used to freshen breaths.



They also brought us each a bowl of warm water with a lemon in it. This was for washing our hands and cleaning off. In mine they dropped what looked to be a little tablet. It unfolded into a cloth. Very convenient!

At dinnertime we went out again with the Patel Family. This time to a restaurant called I:ba. This restaurant was known for it's Thai food, so we thought it would be fun to eat Thai food in India. However, upon ordering we learned that there was no Thai food available that evening - so we ate Indian. We ordered Vegetarian MoMos and an "Indian Meal". The MoMos were very Asian (rather than Indian) and filled with a tofu mixture rather than vegetables. The Indian meal came with a mixed vegetable curry, yellow Dal, Zeera Rice, Roti, and a vegetable Raika. We also ordered a lemon soda half-half (half sweet, half salted). We tried to order a coconut shake, but they were out of those too. The food was good and it was a nice evening meal - even better than the food, the Patel family was a great family to spend time with.






For breakfast again we had a type of Paratha. It was nice, with a yoghurt and homemade mango pickle. This Paratha was not as filled as the one the day before, but still really nice.



For lunch we went to a restaurant called Saffron. At Saffron we ordered Dosa. Dosa is a rice pancake filled with various fillings. Our Dosa was a paneer dosa, so it was filled with paneer. We also ordered a side of Chili Paneer to share with the Patels. To drink, we had another lemon soda (salty this time) and for desert Kulfi Pista -- a pistachio ice cream. The Dosa was delicious and half of one was more than filling! The Chili Paneer was good, but not as good as the day before. The Kulfi was creamy and the bits of pistachio were delicious.






Breakfast day three was southern Indian, a meal called Itlly. It consisted of three varieties of steamed rice patties, Samorath sauce and a coconut chutney. We placed the rice patty in a bowl then spooned on the sauce and chutney and ate it all together. One variety was plain white rice, one was with pepper and one with vegetables. The one with pepper was my favorite. I found these to be a really filling and flavorful start to my day.



Lunch was at the food court of the PDR Mall, Bikanos Food Court. I was not very hungry, so I ordered a lime soda (salty) and a Rasgulla. Tammy ordered a Masalla Dosa. The Masalla Dosa was similar to the Dosa from yesterday and it was fairly tasty. Rasgulla is a pastry ball. It was solid white and very spongy. It was soaked in some sort of a rose water. Basically it was like eating a sponge soaked in perfume. I did not care for it and after two bites I stopped eating it.



Dinner was a special treat. We at dinner with our Homestay, but more importantly, she taught us how to cook the Indian foods. (See blog post "Now you're cooking!") It was an amazing meal: Pani Puri, Shahi Paneer, Bhindi Masala, Punjabi Curry and Mal Puha for dessert. The Pani Puri was filled with a water that tasted like an incredible salad dressing - so many spices. The challenge was to eat it without having it explode from your mouth. The Paneer was homemade and the style of sauce: Shahi was bursting with flavors. The Bhindi Masala was an okra - onion masala and the Punjabi Curry included some Gram Flour dumplings. The desert, Mal Puha was a fried bread with sweetened milk and pistachios. This meal was incredible!








Breakfast Day 4 was a western Indian dish called Poha. It was a flattened rice with light herbs and spices. We had fresh mango to accompany it and fresh made pomegranate juice. The Poha was very light and while tasty, it lacked the flavor of some of the other dishes we have had.



Mid-morning we were shopping for spices when the owner's son of the spice shop discovered we had not tried Pan. He could not believe that we had been in Varanasi for a week and not tried it. He immediately decided to treat us to some. He got us a local variety called Banarsi Pan. Pan is a mixture of: betel nut, cashew, limestone paste, cardemon, rose petals and saffron incense that is wrapped in a leaf called a pan patar. This is chewed, NOT SWALLOWED and then spit out. We see many (men especially) with teeth stained red from chewing pan. We tried it - it was really interesting. Very flavorful, yet immediately afterwards I wanted to rinse out my mouth. The owner of the spice shop told us that we should chew it and keep it in our mouths for about 10 - 15 minutes before spitting. We tried, we swallowed a bit, which you are not intended to do, and then we spit. Our Tuk-Tuk driver told us that he typically chews pan 15 times a day. Here you can see our reaction to the pan!








Needless to say, it's probably not something we are going to try again - but it was an experience and experiences are a good thing to have!
For lunch we ended up back at Lemon Grass, where we had eaten a few days earlier. Having loved the Paneer Chili (dry), we ordered it again. We also ordered a Mushroom Masala, Garlic Naan and a fresh lime soda. It was a good meal - too much food, but all very good. We really liked the Paneer and want to find recipes to make it when we get home!



For our evening meal, we went to Deena Chat Bhandari. Chat is actually a snack food, but we had several of them and it made for a meal. The entire menu was posted on the wall in Hindi, so we looked at what they were cooking and just made decisions based on appearance.



As it was brought to us, our waiter said the name of each dish, I transcribed it as best I could. We had Anuk Ku Chi Chat, Tomato Chat, Palak Pakache and Kacholi Chat. For dessert we ordered a Kulfi. It came with noodles seasoned with saffron and rose water on top. We didn't really care for it. We had fun eating our Chat, but the locals really had fun staring at us. We were the main attraction - westerners eating at this all Hindi Chat.









The breakfast on our last morning in Varanasi was Chila, a dish typical of Rajasthan. It is a made of gram flour and had onion, coriander leaves and spices in it. Again, it was accompanied by fresh mango and fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. This was our final meal cooked by Malika. I will miss her cooking - she's an amazing cook!



We have eaten so well in Varanasi, so many delicious, authentic India dishes.
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Location:Varanasi,India

Shop til you drop

Today was a shopping day! Tammy and I started out at Fab India. Fab India is a chain, started by a man from Hartford, CO, that one can find throughout the country. Fab India is operated like a cooperative, the clothing manufacturers own part of the company and everything is locally produced in each area. The clothes are high quality and we had fun shopping. I bought a complete outfit (dress and leggings) and Tammy bought two really cute shirts. I also bought a nice necklace.

Then we went to a spice market. This spice shop is the 'best in Varanasi'. It was fun - the owner took time to make sure we got exactly what we needed and the best quality of it. Having just cooked with Malika yesterday, we knew some of the spices we wanted that could not be as easily or inexpensively found at home. As we discussed our wishes with the owner, a man came around to give us a cup of sweet, milky chai tea. It was some of the best chai I've had. We bought saffron, dried mango powder, gram masala and asafoetida. Plus we sampled a nut that resembled popcorn AND we tried pan. The owner's son was very friendly and helped translate our questions and comments. It was so much fun and we were able to get a lot of great spices for cooking all this delectable food we've been eating.









Afterwards we went to a perfume shop. Tammy wanted to get some Sandalwood and I hoped they would have some tea tree oil. As it was, the owner had a lot of difficulty with English and everything was written in Hindi. We did manage to communicate our wishes. Tammy got 5g of Sandalwood and also ended up purchasing 5g of Jasmine. They didn't have any tea tree oil, so I didn't get anything.



Our shopping experiences were an adventure and the stores were unique. Each one was in an ally, a small box out of many. We had to wonder how it was that people find them so easily and know that these are the ones to go to. Our homestay had recommended both of them to us and our Tuk-Tuk driver had guided us there. Without them, we would not have had such a successful shopping trip.

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Location:Varanasi, India

The Seven Dwarves of India

It's hard to stay clean in India. Trash is everywhere, so many vehicles on the road make for exhaust filling the air, it's dry and dusty. Thus today, we came up with a list: The seven dwarves of India-

* Sweaty
* Gritty
* Grimy
* Sticky
* Smelly
* Stinky
* Sweltery

Most days I am one or more, if not all, of these!


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Location:India

A Wild Ride

Driving in India there seems to be one rule - anything goes. If it has wheels, it can be driven. Steering wheels are on the left side of cars, but people drive on any side of the road they wish. Horns are used frequently as a way of saying "I am here!" The big rule I've observed is that the smaller vehicle is responsible for avoiding the larger vehicle when they are coming at each other head-on. It's an adventure everytime we venture out on the streets.
So that you might experience the traffic here, I shot these two videos from my seat in a bicycle rickshaw.

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Location:Varanasi,India

Now You're Cooking!

Our Homestay in Varanasi offers homemade food for guests if they choose. Our first night in Varanasi we decided to eat dinner with them, and the food was amazing. We asked the owner, Hamish, if he knew of any cooking classes where we could learn to cook authentic Indian food. He told us that we did not need to take an official class, that his wife, Malika, who cooks all the food for Homestay, would be happy to teach us. Tonight, we joined her in the kitchen and she taught us to make some traditional Indian foods:
Paneer
Shahi Paneer
Bhindi Masala
Punjabi Curry




Malika is an excellent cook and I wrote down notes as she prepared the food and explained things to us. I am going to share the recipes (and photos!) here:


Paneer -
1L Cows Milk (Raw is best)
2 TBSP White Vinegar
Strain the cream from the milk if possible. Boil the milk at a low heat. Once it's boiling, add the vinegar. The milk will curdle. Strain the curdle from the milk. Wrap the curdle in a muslin cloth and set it on a plate. Place another plate and a heavy weight on top of that for 10 - 15 minutes. It will set.
1L of milk produces approximately 200g Paneer









Shahi Paneer -
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
1 finger-length piece of ginger
3 small tomatoes
Blend the above items into a liquid . Add 2 TBSP vegetable oil to a pan and heat. Once heated, pour in liquid blend from above. Cook at a low boil for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the following spices to the mixture:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder
2 - 3 tsp gram masala
(If you wish to make the dish yellow, then also add tumeric)
After adding the spices, add 1 TBSP of fresh cream.
---
Boil approximately 1 cup of poppy seeds (white) and cashews in water for 2 - 3 minutes. Blend it at a low temperature to make a paste.
---
Mix the poppy seed / cashew blend into your mixture from above. Add crushed fennel greek leaves and water to desired thickness. Allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes.










Bhindi Masala -
Okra (Bhindi)
2 small purple onions
1 TBSP (heaping) Gram Flour / Chickpea Flour
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and add the okra to it. Cook for approximately 20 minutes then add in the following spices:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric
3 tsp coriander
1 tsp dry mango powder
Remove from heat.
----
Cook 2 small purple onions in olive oil. Add in the heaping tablespoon of the flour and the okra. Cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until crispy.




Punjabi Curry -
Make a paste of gram flour, salt, red chili powder, thyme, soda bicarbonate and water. Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil in a pot. Make small dumplings out of this paste and cook them in the hot oil. Remove from oil.
----
1 cup gram flour / chickpea flour
1 cup plain yoghurt
1tsp salt
1 tsp red chili
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black poppy seeds
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a pot. Mix the yoghurt and flour using a whisk. Add a pinch of Asafoetida Powder and the seasonings into the oil. Toast the seeds. Add curry leaves and the gram / yoghurt mixture and water to the pot. Cook for 20 - 25 minutes at a low temperature. Add salt and chili powder to season to taste. Put the dumplings into the curry.



Everything that Malika made for us had incredible flavor and we learned so much. It was interesting to see how the food was prepared, the way her kitchen was set up (fact: She has no oven!) and even the tools used. We learned so much from her and are hoping to be able to re-create these recipes in our own homes.



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Location:Varanasi, India

Bollywood!

India is a hard place to travel. The sun and humidity are brutal and it's been taking it's toll on us. That being said, we decided today would be a good day to experience a lighter side of life - the mall and the movies.

We went to a nearby mall that had a movie theater. PDR Mall, like many other malls in India has a security check before you enter. We walked through a metal detector, which I do not believe was actually on, and then they searched our bags. The mall was dead. Those of you from San Antonio may recall how Central Park Mall was in the mid-90s. This was even more so empty and bare. The mall was three stories. There were exactly two shops in the mall.
One was a K-Mart like store that sold a bit of everything. It was chaotic and dusty like a K-Mart and the sales clerks were pushy. The other store was a womens "designer" clothes shop. There was also a food court. The movie theater took up the entire top level. Everything else was empty.
To kill time, we went to the food court and ate a snack. The food court was comfortable and air conditioned and mostly clean. Then it was time for the movie. We went through another security check to enter the theater.
Our movie was a film called: Lootera. It was a typical Bollywood film set in the 1950s. The entire film was in Hindi without subtitles. Thus my imagination ran wild about what could be being said.
Actual script: Who knows?

Laura script:
him - Write this grocery list for me! Oranges, Milk and 2 boxes of Cheerios.
her - Cheerios! I don't eat Cheerios, I only eat Rice Crispies.
him - Okay fine, then get Rice Crispies. Just don't forget the chocolate bars.
her - I heard they made a new chocolate and everyone died from it.
him - Oh no! Don't get that brand!
her - But you stole from my Dad and deserve to die!
(And so it went in my mind)

But culturally it was just an experience being in the theater. When you buy your tickets, the price varies depending on where you want to sit. The front third is the cheapest, the middle is next and back of the theater "Diamond class" was the most expensive. These tickets cost 200 Rupees. A little over three dollars. Printed on your ticket is your assigned seat. You show your ticket to the usher who points you in the direction of your seat. Like the movies at the US, snacks are available for purchase. They included MoMos, Kulfi and Sweet Corn. We bought some water.
The film began with a PSA about smoking. This showed black tar being wrung from lungs, cancer patients and facts about smoking. There was also a disclaimer that the film does not support smoking as a habit. Then during the film, anytime a character smoked, a message came onscreen: "Smoking is injurious to your health." There were no previews, the film simply began.
During the film, the theater was never quiet. Cell phones rang, people answered and held conversations on them all while at the cinema. Plus food was being ordered and delivered all around us. The film was 3 hours long.
Half way through the film we had a 10 minute intermission. After the intermission we saw a few commercials - one for a luxury real estate development, and the same PSA about smoking. Then the film started up again.
Although I haven't a clue exactly what was being said in the film - one could follow the story line: A rich girl accidentally runs a motorcyclist off the road. He comes back and takes advantage of her family, stealing a golden statue from them. They also fall in love. The laws of the land change and the father is stripped of his wealth by the government. The man from the motorcycle escapes and the girl falls into a deep depression. [Intermission] The father has passed away and the girl has moved to a smaller house in the woods on a mountain. It's winter and she is sick, she has Tuberculosis. The motorcyclist come back and is chased by the police. She sees him and alerts the police. Then he comes back to her and nurses her to health. She hides him from the police. Then he goes to turn himself in and is shot to death. It ends with her looking hopeful as she realizes what he has done for her.
An interesting film to say the least - I just wish I could have understood it! It was a fun Bollywood experience.


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Location:Varanasi, India

Looking for Enlightenment

We are staying at a homestay hostel/hotel in Varanasi, and one other family, the Patel family, is also here. The Patel's are Indian heritage, but live in London, England. They are here for a family vacation. They welcomed us to join them (and share the costs of a car with them) for the day.

Sunrise over the Ganges should not be missed. All of the tourist guides recommend it for visitors. We woke up at 4:45 to leave at 5:00am for the sunrise. We were surprised when at 5am, the sky was light. We were sure that somehow we missed it. But we drove to the Ghat from where we would observe the sunrise. It's amazing how many people were up and about at 5am. A number of Indians were at the Ganges, bathing and starting their day. It was fascinating to just watch them. The men were extremely adept at changing clothes in public without showing anything they shouldn't. It's still hard to reconcile the knowledge that the Ganges is full of fecal matter and is at the same time a local bathtub and wash center. The sun began to rise above the Ganges. A red ball in the sky. It was beautiful and calm. Slowly the riverbank became more and more alive with people. We took a boat ride on the Ganges to the various Ghats. It was a calm start to the day and a great way to see the city come to life. Afterwards we went back for a short nap and breakfast. Then we headed out again.






We went to the the Krishnamurti Center. Krishnamurti was an Indian who believed that religion divides us and that we should all love each other. His teachings and philosophy were written and studied and now around India are schools based upon his system. The school in Varanasi is for students aged 7 - 18. The students pay approximately $5,000USD a year to attend, which is mid-range for a boarding school in India. Most of the students are boarders, but there are also some day students. The day students are all girls who live nearby. The school follows a normal curriculum and then offers enrichment programs such as yoga classes in the morning or afternoons.
It was a lovely campus to visit, right along the Ganges. It was definitely an oasis of calm outside of the hustle and bustle of Varanasi. We were given a tour of the school. The classrooms were situated around a courtyard and all the doors and windows were open to let in whatever breeze was possible. It looked like a good place to learn.



After the Krishnamurti Center we went to Sarnath, the birthplace of Buddhism. At the Maha Bodhi Temple in Sarnath we saw the story of the life of Buddha on the wall. It is said he was born from his Mom's armpit and lived life in his father's palace, apart from the world. When he was older, he went into the woods and meditated for 70 years. Upon reaching Nirvana, he went out to teach others. At the Maha Bodhi Temple, he sat under a Bodhi Tree with his first 5 deciples and taught them all he had learned.






Then we visited the Stupa near the temple. It was blistering hot and we enjoyed the shade under the Stupa. Sarnath was a beautiful area with a calm that was missing from Varanasi.



In the evening we went to the Assi Ghat. The Ghats really come alive in the evenings and make for a great place to sit and people watch. While there, a man blessed us and put a dab of red on our foreheads. We could see a nearby ceremony and watched the stillness of the Ganges River. We wrapped up our day with some souvenir shopping and dinner. A full day, a great day.






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Location:Varanasi and Sarnath, India