Varanasi -a powerful city

So, long time spent in Varanasi, Holy holy city by the Holiest River Ganga.

It is amazing how things happen shanti shanti (peace, with time, slowly), but life is full and hectic. Something that is possible only in India.
So much to write, but then, what should i tell you? about the nightly Puja by the river? the dirtiness of the holy water, what all flows on it, addition to tens of boats and hundreds of candles? the strangeness and fascination of burning ghats, the burning of dead bodies to ensure their final escape of the circle of life...? or would you rather hear about the many romantic evenings spent in the various rooftop restaurants looking over to the other side of the river, enjoying fantastic meals and candle light...? Or maybe you want to read about the numerous fireworks during diwali? About the wonderful people i met there during my weeks, most of them after Tiina had gone to Nepal.. or, maybe about the tens of marriage proposals i got? :)

The city of Varanasi is Powerful. when i arrived i did not like it at all, but made myself to give it a chance. day after day i started to like it more, understand it more and love it more. that city has so much energy, so much inexplainable power. It is strong, peaceful, hectic... it has some mystery, long history. a huge amount of souls, and something holy in the middle of all the bursting material and shanti-hectic life.

Varanasi -volunteering

I was volunteering in a school for street children (see more on http://en.learn-for-life.org/ ) . i was teaching the kids some english and math there, and helping the teachers in their work. i was entitled to teach the teachers a little and also joined in the planning of the curriculum etc. I really really enjoyed it!
I enjoyed filling my mornings and early afternoons with little tasks that felt important. Teaching, planning next day's lessons, discussing with teachers, making weekly plans and going through the new teaching material and making notes for the teachers how to use them in their teaching... i also liked helping the big boss with his paperwork by playing his secretary (mainly because the big boss was such great company).

While working i once again realized how little I can do, and how unimportant i am in the big world. i don't know if anyone was able to actually learn from me, but i learnt so much myself. working changes bits of me, i grow a tiny little bit. mostly through frustration and disappointments and when things seem to be too difficult and too hard. i need to learn to be more humble. and that things take time. and that one cannot know all. and one makes mistakes all the time. it all takes a lot of energy, and many times i felt like giving up. But the people, they are amazing, they always have something new to give, something that brings light in the frustration, that teach me the importance of shanti. The children are wonderful and surprising, many of them are so talented, and have a talent to live. they have an eagerness to learn, and to hold on to things they find important. even if i suck as a teacher and especially in the disciplinary area, the children were a joy to teach (most of the times). they are all socially very gifted.

well, i feel that i gave up a little at the end anyway: I did not finish my work there because Tiina got sick (typhoid and Giardia) in Nepal, and i rushed there (here, i'm in Kathmandu now..). She is better now and out of the hospital, but whether i go back to varanasi any time soon is something time will show. i wish to go. but life will show.

Varanasi - People

What makes a city so special? Varanasi has a the longest history as a city in the whole world. it has been constantly inhabited for hundreds and hundreds of years. It still is in a constant move. You can see centuries old buildings and temples, very old sewage system, open drains.... in the old part of the city close to the ghats the streets are extremely narrow, which keeps them cool under the boiling sun. Only bicycles and motorbikes can go in with the pedestrians. Cyclerikshas and autorikshas drop you close to small entrances along the bigger roads. The city is growing and developing. The city council is planning to make Varanasi the world capital! (well, we're all entitled to our dreams...) there are fancy cinemas, shopping malls with escalators and glass doors, posh cars and huge houses for single families.

But that's not what make a city, or any place, special. It's all those people there. And what makes the place close to my heart are those people i met and shared some time with. So many fascinating souls and individuals!
We had great conversations daily with an old norweigian man, who had an adorable smile and a long gray ponytail. he'd lived in india some 30 years back, and had been traveling everywhere, so you can imagine that he had so many fantastic stories to tell. not only that, he also had a lot of up-to-date opinions on different political situations in the world.
My new friend, a funny pretty lady from venezuela (who was so in love) had the most beautiful laugh, and she made me giggle when i was feeling down..
Anand, a shopkeeper, took me for rides on his motorbike, and for lunches in different places. he was always helping out (with mobile phone problems, train tickets...) and he gave me lovely presents and nice discount on my clothes EVEN if i turned his marriage proposal down.
The german bakery, that was supporting the learn-for-life society, had a bunch of young Nepali men working as waiters etc. the boys were great, fun and lovely, and in the beginning of my stay they made me fell very welcomed and at home.
a gorgeus spanish guy was (unknowingly) teaching me how to be good, by his own behavior and deeds. he was a very interesting and fascinating person, a very lovable human being.
Ok, i should make a looong list of people there, the hazelnut-eyed israeli dude, yoga-souled flatmate, other sweet shopkeepers...but i save you for now. i'm sure you understand that they all made a difference and brought meaning to the specialty of that city.

But but but, bare one more minute: the biggest and greatest difference make the people who themselves have long history in the city, right? I -for gods know what reason- met one of the strangest families ever. the family's constant drama and happenings make my family seem dull. I lived on the top floor of their home in a guest house... it took days for me to figure out the relationships in that household, and even then i hadn't learnt it all. it was a big building where three brothers and their (extended) families were living pretty closely. Oh the drama and colourful history! the stories kept me entertained for hours when i was waiting for my belated train with one of the members of the family. the stories include love, forced marriages, poisoning attempts, losing a a great great fortune, amazingly strong family ties and loyalty, betraying, forgiving, death, lost souls, acceptance...but what i found the most intriguing was the strong feeling of love, various kinds, but so very strong. oh, what a family, what special wonderful people.

that makes a city more special.
and i miss it already.

Bollywood Movies

I love going to movies in India, it’s such an experience! The movies a re almost 3h long, and have an interval in the middle. And many of the theatres are amazing, have A/C and the most comfortable chairs ever. The movies are often very entertaining, have music, dancing, singing, fighting, lots of drama…

Here are my favorites:

• Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
  
• http://www.yashrajfilms.com/microsites/lcmd/lcmd.html
• Om Shanti Om
• Chakde India
• Jab we met

Not so good:

• Bhool Bhulaiya
• Saawariya
• Dhol (really bad)

I recommend you to watch one or two bollywood films, they are so much fun!

Varanasi animals...

From my diary in Varanasi:
This morning, like so many previous mornings, i woke up to the sound of monkeys tapping my window. Sometimes the monkeys fight and make such horrible noise in the middle of the night when the city is theirs while people sleep. A few days back we had to postpone english lessons i was suppose to give because the monkeys had invaded our classroom. But from far away or behind a window the monkeys are sweet and a joy to look at.
We also have a regular evening guest at the German Bakery: a holy cow. She has realized that the delicious left-overs are thrown away in the late evening, so she stands guard by the door with her beautiful horns.
Around almost each corner one can see new born puppies, that are quite unlikely to survive more than a month in the city. But varanasi is a good place to die, if the body is put in the holy river then one is free from the circle of life and gets into heaven. lucky puppies!
One can often see buffaloes enjoying their baths in river Ganga, or marching slowly in the streets towards the water. Mice are living in almost every restaurant and kitchen. They are sweet and tiny and fast. Did you know that the god Ganesh also had a mouse?