Kenya

In early February, Nayab and I chaperoned a school trip to Kenya. We, along with Tiffany and Teddy, brought 10 freshman delegates to a Round Square conference and safari adventure. The Brookhouse International School, just outside of Nairobi, hosted the conference. Schools from all over Africa, Canada and the UK that are apart of the Round Square association attended. King’s Academy was the only school representing an Arab nation, which proved to be a difficult, educational and highly enlightening experience for all of us.

Round Square is an organization dedicated to experiential learning. Member schools share very similar philosophies and pride themselves on adhering to and promoting the Round Square IDEALS: internationalism, democracy, education, adventure, leadership and service, as a part of their curriculum.

King’s Academy gained acceptance into the Round Square community earlier this fall- a process that Nayab and I became heavily involved and invested in. After working tirelessly on the application, and then more recently in preparing for the trip- choosing students, booking flights, registering, getting everyone squared away with vaccinations and such- Kenya became the light at the end of what seemed like a very, very long tunnel. This trip was truly a perfect culmination to our efforts.

We left early in the morning and flew to Cairo, where we had a 12-hour layover. We were lucky enough to spend this time exploring the ancient, mysterious marks of a distant and foreign civilization. We visited the pyramids and sphinx- absolutely massive and wondrous edifices I never expected to lay eyes on. This ancient splendor mixed with the grimy, overcrowded and industrious urbanity that is Cairo posed an interesting juxtaposition. A history book lesson set against a cityscape background. Perhaps the most bizarre part was eating in a Pizza Hut restaurant while looking out at the antediluvian Sphinx statue.

Between the marvels of Egyptian culture and infamous Cairo traffic, we had no trouble filling up our long layover.

We arrived in Nairobi at about 5 am and headed straight to Brookhouse. From plane to bus to breakfast, our students were troopers. The settled in, mingled with the other students and dove head first into a full day of conference.

Each day was dedicated to an IDEAL. The first day was about Service and Environmentalism. We visited a slum in Nairobi where students interacted with the locals and helped with various community projects- cooking, painting, cleaning, picking-up litter, and playing with children. We were working in conjunction with a missionary group, which cast a positive but odd light on the impoverished community and its future.

We spent the afternoon in Nairobi National Park where we saw the aftermath of a lion hunt, planted trees and interacted with giraffes.

The next day was about Adventure and Democracy. The whole day was spent at Brackenhurst, an outdoor conference center, where our students were presented with various team challenges. Activities included conquering a ropes course and rock climbing.

The evening brought tension and confusion with a very controversial debate topic.
All of the students were split up and asked to represent different countries. They discussed the issue and then presented their country’s stance based on how their country would respond to such a scenario. It focused on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict with an obvious bias towards Israel in its phrasing, which accused Syria of taking Ban Ki-Moon, Secrtary-General of the UN, hostage and threatening an attack of biological warfare. Our student delegates were mostly Palestinian, and it was a shocking scenario to hear. As can be imagined and expected, tension ran high and emotions flared. We asked our students to wait outside as we spoke to the administration. They were extremely regretful and embarrassed. They admitted not having realized the presence of a group for which the topic was so close to reality. We gave our students the choice to participate or to sit out. At the end of the debate, our students made an impromptu speech about the conflict and how it has affected them and their families. They spoke about the history and the current conditions of the region and really educated their peers who knew very little about the issue. Everyone was extremely open to learning and it turned out to be a very positive and enlightening experience for all. The King’s Academy group became quite popular and distinguished as especially promising leaders of the world. I was filled with pride for Jordan, my new home, King’s Academy, my new family and our students for inspiring both kids and adults at the conference.

The third day of the conference was dedicated to Internationalism. We visited a traditional market abounded with wooden masks, rich textiles and local crafts. At Brookhouse, Students cooked meals of all different ethnicities, which were featured in a sprawling buffet dinner. We delighted our taste buds with cuisine from around the work- Kenyan, Chinese, American, French, etc. Each school wore their national dress to dinner, making the clothing as colorful and diverse as the meal on our plates.

The closing ceremony took place after dinner. Each school group made some kind of cultural presentation- skits, dances, readings, songs and more. Ours took the form of the traditional dubkah dance and a PowerPoint presentation, which served as another opportunity for our students to educate their international peers about Jordan and the Middle East.

The next leg of our visit to Kenya was not amongst students and teachers, but among wild animals. En route to our lodge, we stopped to take in the view of the Great Valley Rift. The rift was the most vast and infinite landscape I have ever seen. It was like watching the opening scene of The Lion King come to life.

Next, we took a boat ride around a lake infested with hippopotami. The soft late afternoon sunlight, green-rolling mountains, exotic plant life and cool, blue water spelled out perfection. We were only feet away from multiple families of hippopotami in our skimpy little motor boats!

We first spent time at Lake Nukuru where we saw rinos, enormous flocks of flamingos and pelicans, a hollowed out buffalo carcass and lioness licking her lips, and a baby baboon kidnapping.
The next two days were at the Masi Mara game reserve. We drove around for hours spotting cheetahs and other rare animals. At one point we were completely caught in the middle of a stampede of about 80 elephants. On another occasion we observed a pride of 15 lions. We were also given the chance to walk beside a river filled with crocodiles.

I never imagined I would be on a safari in Africa! My experience in Kenya was a wonderful introduction to Africa and I hope that my future is filled with visits to many more of its incredible countries.

December Break in India

Over the winter break Georgia and I traveled to majestic and glittering India. It was truly a trip of the senses- every part of our journey left a lasting impression on us, reforming our consciousnesses and understanding of a part of the world unlike any other.

Realizing what an amazing opportunity being in India is, we took advantage of every prospect for adventure. From dawn till nightfall we heard ancient forts, gaudy temples, luscious gardens and exotic animals whisper our names enticingly, and spicy foods, crowded markets and time-honored instruments summon our more exploratory side.

We experienced life in style and comfort amidst gardens and parliamentary buildings, the life of a Hare Krishna devotee and the realities of spiritual awakening, the hustle and bustle of industry and urban chaos, and the pure bliss of children expressing themselves with music and dance in even the most difficult of circumstances. Two weeks provided us with an education that will last a lifetime.

Delhi

We arrived before dawn and took a cab to the gorgeous Lodi Gardens. What a wonderful welcome- to be inducted into a culture and place by watching it wake up.

The gardens were landscaped in 1936 around historic 15th century toms of Delhi's last sultans. As we witnessed day break, men jogged passed us in turbans and tack-suits and it was clear that while preserving the tombs and gardens as they were years and years ago, the parks function has progressed with the times. This was the first of many moments that I was struck by the junction of history and reality, deep-rooted tradition and globalized novelty.

After settling in with our host, a family friend of mine, we headed off to see our first Indian landmark: The India Gate. Sitting in the middle of an enormous circular lawn in Rajpath and surrounded by cricket players, the Gate stands at 42 meters. It is also known as the “All India War Memorial”, as it commemorates the deaths of the 90,000 soldiers who died in WWI, North-West frontier operations and the 1919 Afghan Fiasco.

We also visited the Crafts Museum of Delhi, which houses examples of every region’s art forms. The museum and organization were founded in 1956 to promote indigenous artists and is still used as a venue for demonstrations and lively cultural activities. I really enjoyed the galleries of textiles and tribal folk works, and the life-size examples of traditional housing found throughout rural India.

Inspired by the colorful textiles of the Museum, we indulged in some shopping at Dilli Haat, a very well known and extensive crafts bizarre. We then made our way to Khan market to buy some traditional outfits before heading back to our house for dinner.

The next day was actually my birthday! We ventured by metro to Old Delhi where we saw the infamous Red Fort and observed daily life. The contrast between Old and New Delhi is stark and shocking. Old Delhi was overwhelming in every way- not only did it take an incredible amount of energy to soak in the gorgeous fort, beautiful colors of the markets and the foreign sounds, but constantly saying “no” to beggars, street salesmen, and rickshaw drivers and absorbing the incomparable poverty and cramped living and understanding their magnitude, was exhausting. The piles of trash, the smell of unwashed and unkempt animals, and the heartbreaking helplessness of families on the street haunted us for the rest of our trip.

We sought refuge and revival in Connought Place where we had a long, delicious meal and a pleasant walk. It was here that we stumbled across a travel agency and somewhat impulsively decided to hire a driver for the next few legs of our journey.

The afternoon faded into dusk as we walked through the regal parliamentary buildings. The exact opposite of our morning squeezing through the crowds in Old Delhi, walking up and down this street was quiet and peaceful. The road was wide open and empty, and the buildings stood against a bright and clear backdrop of sky. We stood there, taking in the feelings and the beauty and poise of these buildings, and breathed.

Our evening culminated with a lovely dinner party at our hostess’s house. We ate, talked, and laughed with our new friends. Our company may have been three times our age, but we had an incredible time. They were charming and very interesting and scholarly people. They were even sweet enough to turn the evening into a kind of birthday celebration for me. I wouldn’t have wanted to celebrate in any other way or in any other place.

Vrindaban

Vrindaban was really something else. We spent our days consumed by curiosity and straddling the line of spiritual enlightenment. Our host was a monk from Brooklyn whom Georgia’s father had met in the states. He set us up in a beautiful guest house set in the tranquility of the most divine garden.

From the moment we stepped foot on the holy ground that marks the Mecca of India- the birthplace of the Hare Krishna phenomenon- we were swooped up by the monk’s religious fervor and going, going, going. We met a whole slew of Hare Krishna devotees, extensively toured the land of five thousand temples, and got in touch with nature and the lost concept of living in simplicity.

Our first activity in Vrindaban really epitomizes our visit: en route to visit a very respected teacher, we stopped and entered a very small, dark building. We walked across the first room and into a sort of cave sectioned off by metal bars. In this dark belly of the building men were sitting on the floor playing music and singing in a bizarre, hypnotic trance. After spending a considerable amount of time crossed-legged and humming, we stepped outside back into reality- which consisted of slow moving cows and wandering monks, but comparatively was pulsing with activity.

We went on a walking tour of gorgeous gardens where the local community grew all of their provisions- it was refreshing to see nature in its purest state, a provider for all living things. In the midst of this paradise we met a cow named Majuna, after the holy river. Majuna is considered more sacred than most cows because she is one of the “original white cows”. We also met Majuna’s neighbors, a lovely couple that has completely rebuilt their life in Vrindaban in the spirit of simplicity and independence from others and society at large. The man is from New York and his wife hails from Mexico city- two city dwellers that found fulfillment at last, away from urban chaos and the superficialities of western modernity. Their home was absolutely gorgeous- they had designed built-in shelves in their walls to hold particular items, created a masterpiece of an altar, and hand painted the walls with all natural and wildly colorful mineral paints.

Our host then took us on a tour of his favorite temples. We sat and sang at a hilltop temple, accumulated flowery garlands at another, walked ceremoniously with the pious worshipers around a series of tombs, and meditated into evening.

After dinner we accompanied the monk to a friends house for a chanting session. A group of eastern-European Hare Krishna devotees seemingly struggling to find spiritual purpose were gathered together and chanting a song- it was the closest I have been to participating in a cult. Because they all had their eyes closes I had the opportunity to take a good look around and absorb this strange happening. I couldn’t believe where I was and what I was doing. The people around me were rocking back and forth, swaying side to side, possessed by the slow beat of the drum. Some were ringing bells, some were crying, some were clenching their fists- suppressing some kind of overwhelming energy I could not quite grasp.

Georgia and I debriefed once we were finally alone and free to reflect in our hotel room. Appreciative of all that we had learned, but also eager to move beyond the Hare Krishna experience, we decided to set a different course the next day.

We rose early the following day and traveled to a newly renovated/revamped elementary school called Sandipani Muni. After extensive travel in Thailand and Mesoamerica I can say that this was by far the most developed school I have ever seen in such a rural area. We began our visit by attending the daily morning ceremony where a sea of students in bright red sweaters sat fidgeting through the meeting, waiting eagerly for the climactic song and dance. The kids gave us the traditional face-paint and encouraged us to dance with them.

Two young women, who are volunteering at the school and living within the community for several months, gave us an extensive tour of the school and explained all of the inner workings. Everything was so organized and ran so unbelievably smoothly! All of the students were provided with meals, the pre-school/kindergarteners were given baths daily, they have a tremendous recycling and compost program and provide jobs for woman who make and mend the school uniforms in addition to producing their own goods. The school also sponsors workshops for young mothers to learn about childcare and healthy living, and is creating a partnership with a hospital in the midst of being built.
The school truly thrives on its resourcefulness. Institutions across the globe would benefit from putting similar sustainable practices in place. It was clear that even in a highly religious region with five thousand temples, the schools are the center of the community- as they should be.

We then checked out the site of the developing hospital. On the property is a studio where people use the paper recycled from the school and other parts of the community reuse it to make paper pulp and produce new, handmade paper. From this they create paper goods such as folders, picture frames, envelopes etc. and sell them. It was an incredible process, yet so uncomplicated. They also weave gorgeous rugs from scraps of cloth- and I was lucky enough to be given one.

We went from a hospital under construction to a long established hospital. Only this hospital is for animals and run by an organization called “Care for Cows”. It is a shelter open to all animals that have been injured or found sick. They are nursed back to health and given a home for life. Because the region has been recently flooded with an influx of cars and motorbikes, more cows are being injured than ever. “Care for Cows” aims to protect India’s more sacred animal and preserve the respect, advocacy and love for all animals.

Before leaving Vrindaban we had a most interesting lunch with our host. Seven times a day feasts are prepared and offered to the religious icons of the main temple. Our host arranged for us to eat this sacred food after it had been presented to the Gods. Even with thanksgiving and traditional family dinners in abundance, this was my first experience ritualizing a meal to such an extreme. We ate very slowly “tasting each particle and finding an experience or revelation in each dish” as our host instructed.

Agra

On our way to Agra, we stopped to admire the magnificent and gaudy Akbar’s Temple. Set in a sprawling, luscious garden and inhabited by exotic birds and elegant dear, it was truly a paradise. It was at this site that we were transported back to days of colonialism and British extravagance.

The next morning we awoke before the sun, only to meet it as it rose above the majestic Taj Mahal. We were lucky enough to be among the first and only tourists and to see the Taj uncontaminated by any traces of modernity or people. The early morning fog wrapped the monument in an eerie but beautiful embrace. I could not have ever imagined the architectural triumph of the Taj- it is grand in pictures, but in person it is, quite literally, breathtaking. It is so massive, yet delicate, and so blunt and solid, yet unimposing and light.

After breakfast at our hotel, we spent hours exploring the famous Agra Fort. Being reined and utilized by many, we could see the changes in time and rule as it affected the architecture. It was especially exciting to see the influences of the Taj Mahal on many of the buildings.
En route to Jaipur, we visited the site of Fathpur Sikri- a gorgeous abandoned Mogul town. It was much simpler in design than later sites, but was extremely well preserved.

Jaipur

After a five hour drive, we finally arrived in Jaipur. The traffic was unbelievable- not only were we stuck, but our company on the road consisted of quite the array of transportation- including cars, tractors, humans, cows, motorbikes, bicycles and wheelbarrows.

We found a lovely heritage hotel, “Madhu Ban”, exquisite and affordable. To end our long day of site seeing, we had a wonderfully spicy meal at a fun restaurant called “Indiana” with traditional dancing.

Thursday morning we began our day at the Amber Fort. Even after seeing so many amazing places, the Amer Fort was completely shocking. It incorporated a piece of each site we had been to- this was the mother of all palaces. We took an elephant ride up the steep slope to the main entrance, absorbing the dramatic and unique mountain setting. The walls of the fort stretched on forever. We roamed about the fort for hours- exploring each and every room, staircase and balcony. We even managed to work our way into the forbidden areas undergoing restoration. The architectural grandeur was complemented by the amazingly colorful frescoes.

After pouring over each crevice of the fort, we worked our way back to the city to visit the City Palace Museum. On our way, we stopped to photograph a bizarre lake palace. With no trace of an anchored foundation, it really seemed to be floating.

We had lunch at a local dive. The food was delicious and dirt cheap, it was no wonder it is so popular with the locals.

Well fed and refreshed we drove back out to the outskirts of the city to get henna. The woman was so decisive and sure of her drawing- it was amazing to watch. An audience of young children accumulated around us as our arms were transformed into canvases. As we waited for our henna to dry, we visited a quaint and absolutely charming temple called “Gatore”. This was certainly an unexpected highlight. It was like entering another world. The temple was made completely of intricately carved white marble, inhabited by hundreds of birds and gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

We then drove, winding and twisting, up a mountain to a European colonial style mansion. We were able to go all the way to the roof where we watched the sun set over the city. The view was phenomenal. But perhaps the sense that was most awakened was our hearing- way above the city we could hear each sound individually and together. It was like an orchestral performance of voices, laughter, cars, music and a cacophony of industrial noises.

The next day we caught up on some much needed rest- especially Georgia, who was quite sick!

By the evening Georgia was feeling a bit better and we continued on our journey. We took an overnight train to Jaisalamer. The train station was quite a cultural shock. There were just rows and rows of people sleeping on the floor- a human grid. The train was just as crowded. We took some sleeping aids and just conked out, and were only mildly aware of the symphonic range of snoring, rats and the putrid smell of who-knows-what.

Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer played a key role in our deciding to travel to India. While I have never visited physically, it holds a very dear place in my heart. My Godmother, Karen Lukas, runs Folk Arts Rajasthan, a nonprofit organization that works in concert with Lok Kala Sagar Sansthan, a Non-Governmental Organization to perpetuate their mutual missions of empowerment for the marginalized Merasi (musician) community of Jaisalmer. FAR also works to preserve the traditional Rajasthani music, arts, and culture. The Merasi community is socially disenfranchised and continues to be denied educational and employment opportunities. I have seen hundreds of pictures, heard the rhythmic tracks on CDs, run my fingers along the gorgeous textiles and listened to stories, travails and triumphs of her work and life in this foreign place. I never expected that my vicarious experience would be in preparation for an actual visit.

We arrived in Jaisalmer at 1:00 pm and were warmly received by our hosts Catie and Sarwar. Jaislamer was a calm relief from the hustle and bustle of Jaipur. We drove to the Folk Arts Rajasthan site (the Santhan) where we were welcomed by a herd of adorable Merasi children. We toured the facilities and drank tea and marveled at the beautiful colors, the striking instruments and the hospitality. The kids led us on a tour of the Merasi School- proudly showing off their classrooms and pictures.

Sarwar then showed Georgia and I his sacred museum of fossils. The room was an oasis of art and a tribute to nature. It was spiritual and energized. We were amazed at the collection of shells, fossils and rocks- they filled the entire room. Sarwar showed us his photo albums, which included pictures of my family and me during his trip to the states many years earlier. It was so surreal to finally be reunited with Sarwar and in India. In his haven of a room, he talked to us at length about the caste system and the challenges the Merasi face daily. We learned so much and gained deep, personal insights into the tragically outdated and prejudice social practices that plague modern Jasialmer.

The afternoon culminated in the music studio where the children preformed for Georgia and me. We were in awe of the children’s intensity. They shook with excitement and passion as their little fingers and palms produced music. They were so exuberant and so enthusiastic- it was very clear that the opportunity to create music and be a part of something so expressional was empowering. We were uplifted in a way- just completely captivated by their talent and love of music.

Catie, Sarwar, Georgia and I then drove outside of Jaislamer to the Asha Artsists Residence- a creative space and haven in progress completely dedicated to the folk art tradition and aesthetic. Even in the dark we could sense how beautiful it was. It was out of a movie- the stars overhead, quaint huts painted in all sorts of glorious colors, candle lit rooms, and dinner around a fire.

The next morning we returned to the Santhan where we met the tour guide Sarwar had arranged for us. He was extremely attentive and provided us with an abundance of insiders’ information. We visited beautiful havelis, ate lunch at a traditional rooftop restaurant and of course, saw the fort. We learned about the many issues surrounding the fate of the fort- because of the commercialism and tourist industry, it is deteriorating more and more each year. The locals fear for its future and we couldn’t help but to adopt the same concerns- it is such a shame that this historical and cultural landmark is on the brink of destruction.

Before returning to the Santhan, we visited the home of a silversmith and looked through baskets and baskets of refurbished jewelry. At the Santhan we watched the music and dance classes and then the computer tutoring at the Merasi School.

That evening there was an enormous rainstorm. We found shelter in the kitchen at Asha and challenged the cold with hot, lentil soup, and the crackling thunder with loud laughter and good company.

The next day Sarwar took Georgia and me on a walking tour of the different neighborhoods of Jaisalmer. We then hopped on his motorbike to see the lake and the majestic view of the fort in the distance. But this was only the precursor to a much grander adventure.

After lunch we motor-biked into the dessert. The wind, the blue sky, and the red sand- it was overwhelmingly beautiful. We stopped and found conch shell fossils, coral and mango seeds transformed into fossils from thousands of years ago. We rode deeper into the dessert and stopped at a small oasis- a tree springing up from a pond. There we collected shells hidden amongst sand and dessert rubble. We continued on our journey, riding on the SILK ROAD! I was overcome with realization of how old, big, and interconnected the world is- it was such an odd sensation, riding along the ancient trade route I read about it my middle school text books. We stopped a few more times to look at free-roaming peacocks and collect more fossils from Sarwar’s favorite places. We eventually headed back to the city center in the sunset. We stopped for tea and reflected about the amazing afternoon- we were so appreciative and grateful for being included in one of Sarwar’s most sacred pastimes. It was a day I will never, ever forget, and one I hope to rekindle often.

The next day we helped Jebu, Sarwar’s sister, make lentil chapattis, and read on the rooftop. Sarwar then took Georgia and me to the same silversmith we had visited earlier to have my nose pierced. Armed with rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer, I prepared myself for the piercing! We sipped tea as they assured me there would be no pain or infection. The jeweler took the stud and just stuck it through my nose- after disinfecting it, of course! I don’t know which hurt more- my nose, or Georgia’s hand that I was squeezing.

At the Santhan we listened to some of the musicians playing- a private concert! We then hopped on the motorbike for round two of epic adventuring. We rode through another part of the dessert on a highway completely vacant of civilization. The view was incredible. The sand stretched on and on and on- and we could see the varying colors and textures of the terrain. Where volcanoes had erupted when India was once under water, the ground was a deep purple, and where the land was more fertile, there were traces of agriculture. Eventually we drove through a deserted village of ruins. Up a hill we stopped to take it in from a distance and listened to Sarwar relay the story of the whole-village flee to save a young woman from an unholy union. Further we stopped again and collected these tiny star shaped rocks. Right across the way was the Asha residence- and Sarwar explained how the little stars were miracles and marked the site.

At Asha, we met our camels! Georgia and I rode out to the soft, rippling sand dunes. Georgia’s camel was 2 years old and named Hamalia- a clumsy fellow. Mine was named Rocket, and lived up to its name. At one point, it ran straight into a barbed-wire fence! I don’t think I will be riding another camel for quite some time…

Back at the Santhan and then at Asha we said our goodbyes and tried to express our deep thanks.

The next day we took a 19-hour train ride back to Delhi, where we parted ways. The trip was thrilling, educational, spiritual, life changing. I can only hope that my future holds encounters and experiences as meaningful as those that we had in those two short weeks- and if not, all that we did, saw and learned was enough to last a lifetime.