Traveling the rails in India is worth the trip.

Travel through India is not complete without at least one trip on the train.
My first train experience in India was 15 years ago, and the railway station, at that time, was so chaotic and confusing that I had a panic attack when Chan left me to find the bathroom - and he didn't tell me. I was so scared  to turn around and find him gone. So, I yelled at the top of my lungs "CHAN." If that didn't get people's attention, my tears of anxiety sure did. And Indians then do what they do best  - Help out. Despite the language barrier, so many people tried to assure me I was going to be OK. Anyway, I remembered the lesson I taught my kids when they were young... "if we get parted, just stay put." So that's what I did, and Chan eventually came back totally unaware of the crisis he had caused.
But now, traveling by train in India is a wonderful experience; the stations are clean and orderly, and even if you don't speak the language, you'll be just fine because the signage is easy to understand.
HOWEVER.... when booking your ticket, make sure that you are choosing the right class. Now is not the time to try to save money, or you could find yourself standing, crammed into a car with way too many people.

We booked A1 sleeper for the nine hour night journey to our destination, Ajmer.  We thought we would have the cabin to ourselves. OK, so there were four of us, that was doable. You get clean sheets and pillows, and actually the ride isn't bad.

Tips: 

• Book your rail tickets as far a head as possible- seats sell out fast.
• Use the porter service available at the stations. Those guys carry your luggage, bring you to the right lounge (yes, there are comfortable places to wait) and they make sure you and your luggage get on the right train.
• Bring snacks and water. These days, food is not available on the trains.
• Bring hand santizer and lots of it.
• Handwipes are a must- you may get lucky and have a western-style toilet in your car, but you won't have paper of any sort. In fact a good idea is get used to using the bidet method which is most common in India.

Reconnecting the seams of friendship

The Stitching Ladies of Nayi Asha are so happy to learn about
 and now own seam rippers.

I’m back in India until the end of March and reconnecting with my beloved stitching sisters of Nayi Asha. They were happy to see me, and I was happy to see them.

Thanks to those who attended fundraisers that my U.S. stitching friends held, I was able to bring these women much needed supplies. I am introducing the tools slowly, so that I can teach them how to use them properly. As with me, you get so used to doing things a certain way and when someone shows you a new way, it takes time to make the change even though you know it’s for the best.

First up was the seam ripper. These women were so excited about his handy tool. As one of my quilting buddies so aptly once said, “The seam ripper is my friend.” I sure learned that when trying to do my first and only paper-pieced project. The stitching ladies say this tool is so much better than using a razor blade.

Anyway, I sewed some swatches of fabric together, and had them practice (correctly) how to rip a seam. I then showed them a Youtube video that, again, emphasized the proper way to use a seam ripper.

Sixteen doctors from England are biking through parts of India, including
the Himalays. They stopped at Nishtha to learn more about the NGO, and purchase
bags from the stitching ladies.

Since I’ve been here, there have been two groups of Europeans visiting Nishtha, the NGO which sponsors the ladies. These visits provide an opportunity for the women to sell their bags. I was so happy to see them display their bags in a pleasing way (something we worked on last year). I have been also teaching them some English phrases and they are quick learners – sure better than me with Hindi!

Thank you again, to all of you who contributed to these efforts. I’ll keep you posted.

Lee Ann