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.

Garbage out, garbage where?

A dog sits atop a pile of trash near Sidhbari, India

Garbage!
Nowhere is the problem of garbage more evident than in India. It's everywhere. The problem is always right in front of your eyes.
While at my home in Minnesota, all I have to do is dump the trash into one garbage can and the recycling into another, and each week it's picked up and well, goes somewhere. It's no longer my problem!
It has only been through my experience in India that I have become aware how my purchasing habits contribute to this worldwide trash crisis. There is no weekly trash pickup. If I have trash, I have to figure out how to get rid of it - and to do it responsibly, which is not an easy task. What to do with the paper (toilet paper included, you can't flush it). Do I burn it? What about the packaging that I do generate? What about the veggie peelings? Yeah, I know I could start a compost pile, but that will attract critters, I fear?
Whether here or there, for me, it starts at the store. I'm becoming increasingly aware of unnecessary packaging including bottles and boxes. This packaging, here in India, too much of the time ends up along the roadside.
And just cause I can't see where all this refuse goes at my Minnesota home, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. It's just, well, out of sight, out of mind.

DISCLAIMER: My ramblings are in no way a representation of this magnificent country and its people. India is a widely diverse country. Cities are vibrant and very modern, but we choose to live in a smaller, more remote area where many of the old customs and traditions are very much practiced. Dharamshala is home to the Dali Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, thus a large Buddhist population. This area attracts artists, musicians, yoga and meditation practitioners from all the world. It is also home to many important Hindu temples.

Retirement reflections from a mountain view

A Tibetan couple takes time to enjoy the sunset reflect on the mountains. It's been two years since I've retired, but I am still trying to get past the work ethic that was instilled in me and learn how to just "be."

When I tell people of our retirement lifestyle – six months in the comforts of my Minnesota home and six months in a rural India village in the foothills of the Himalayas -the question is “Why?”

The answer is complicated, but to the core it stems from my husband's and my desire to, as we age, remain relevant, challenged by new experiences, engaged in the world around us, and healthy.

From time-to-time, I hope to write about how, at the age of 72, my life continues to unfold with new experiences and challenges – whether in India or Minnesota, all I have to do is open the door to whatever life holds.
DISCLAIMER: My ramblings are in no way a representation of this magnificent country and its people. India is a widely diverse country. Cities are vibrant and very modern, but we choose to live in a smaller, more remote area where many of the old customs and traditions are very much practiced. Dharamshala is home to the Dali Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, thus a large Buddhist population. This area attracts artists, musicians, yoga and meditation practitioners from all the world. It is also home to many important Hindu temples.

Challenge: What can you create from leftovers?

The Stitching Ladies of Nayi Asha create and sell handbags to help support their families. My hope is that by taking time to "play" with fabric, they will feel free to tap into their creativity and begin to think of themselves as artists as well as seamstresses

Today was all about fun.

I distributed different 4-inch fabric squares to the stitching ladies and asked them to come up with a pleasing design. Sounds simple enough for those of us who are quilters, but for the women of Nayi Asha, the sewing cooperative that has been part of my life during my stay in India, it’s not easy for them to think creatively.

The challenge left them giggling, especially when I said they each should exchange (just grab) one square with another person to create a more pleasing design. Oh, the banter exploded as they offered advice to each other, and some tried to protect their own design from pouching.  To finish the project, I asked them to find sashing material, sew the squares and sashing together and return in a week with a perfect 14-inch square.

Thanks to the generosity of my U.S. stitching friends, I was able to purchase
and give he Nayi Asha members new irons.

Today’s exercise, besides the fun part, was meant to build teamwork, improve stitching and pressing skills, but most importantly, tap into their creativity. My plan is to take the squares and make a table runner. I’m so looking forward to seeing their creations.

The Stitching Ladies previously used irons that were heavy, clunky

and not suited to the fine detailing there handbags require when pressing.

These women have never viewed themselves as artists. Women of the villages work hard. The handbags they create are simply seen as a means to add funds to the family’s coffers. Rarely do they get positive feedback.

My role is to help them tap into that available resource of ideas and translate that to creations and help them build their business. Through this process, I am hoping to boost their confidence.

Oh, just to let you know, I finally gave the stitching ladies the new irons that I was able to purchase thanks to the generosity of my stitching friends and their friends.

Follow The Stitching Ladies of Nayi Asha on Facebook @stitchingbringsnewhope; or on Instagram at nayi.asha

Does everyone in India have 20/20 vision?

It turns out that three of my stitching lady friends needs "cheater" glasses. 

Few people in India wear glasses. I suspect that it’s not because they don’t need them, it’s because the cost of having your eyes checked and then purchasing lenses is pretty steep for many people.

I don’t see a lot of people squinting here, so I wonder if they just don’t know how poor their eyesight is and how much more it would be improved if only they had glasses.

I read somewhere that, until the invention of the printing press, people didn’t know they couldn’t see. But when trying to read the new documents made available by the invention – well, they couldn’t make out the letters.

Well, that’s sort of my experience here.

Last year. I watched some of of my stitching lady friends struggle with some tasks, such as sewing a straight line. I wondered if maybe the problem was their eyesight. So, with the money I raised in the U.S. for their tools, I purchased four pairs of “cheater” glasses – something we take for granted in the states, but here they are at a premium. Out of the seven Stitching Ladies, three saw their vision improve to the point that threading a needle, even the old-fashioned way, was a simple task.

Oh, by the way, I also brought along self-threading needles. No more licking the end of a thread and trying to carefully poke it through the eye of a needle. Yup. You just lay the thread horizontally over the top of the needle and gently pull down – voila – you’ve thread the needle. Just like the seam ripper, they were amazed at what’s available out there.

Chan spent some time with the women talking about the importance
 of keeping good inventory records. They may not use Excel, but their method
 serves them very well, he said.

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

What's for dinner? Dal, rice and SURPRISE!

Indian version of eggplant parmesan

When I seat down to a meal here in India, most of the time I have
no idea what I’m eating. Rice? Yes. Paratha (a sort of Indian flatbread). Yes.
Beyond that, well the dishes put before me appear to creatively highlight whatever vegetables are in season – during the winter it’s radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and some produce that remains a mystery to me. Dal (lentil dishes) are also frequently on our dinner plate. (By the way, my homestay host does all the cooking).

How does the food taste? Certainly not like what you have most likely eaten at an Indian restaurant in Minnesota.

Vegetables for sale in Dharamshala

It’s home cooking here; it is not spicy hot, but oh so flavorful. We eat meat maybe twice a week, and because it is part of a sabzi, the portions are small compared to what I serve in the USA.

We look forward to our frequent trips to the vegetable market as the produce is much more flavorful here, and I seem to be satisfied with smaller portions.
Chan’s salsa, which many of you have tasted and loved, is even better here with absolutely no spice.

We both have lost weight – more than 10 pounds each – and my digestive system, from top to bottom, is much healthier.

Our neighbor, prepares the soil for 

planting winter vegetables

Gardens are prevalent here - our neighbor who is a banker, is constantly working in his before work and on weekends, and as he told me ... "The ground doesn't sleep here." Crops are rotated and planted according to the season... the greatest challenge seems to be keeping a wandering cow from forging the goodies.

It’s now over two months since our arrival in Sidhbari, India, and with New Year’s just around the corner and our USA arrival date in late March, I’m focused on how to maintain some of the healthy changes I’m making here; however, it’s not easy to change over a half a century of culinary habits, but I realize for my own well-being I have to put forth the effort.

What I don’t eat or drink here in India

 Dairy- cheese, milk – taste is hard for me to get used to
Almond milk – limited availability, too expensive
Nuts (walnuts, almonds) too expensive

      Beef- not available

      Ground coffee (Nescafe available, but ground is harder to find)

e     Lettuce or any fresh leaf salad (I’m still to leery of uncooked greens – don’t know what parasites may be laying in wait)

      Beer- (I think for me it was more about opportunity than taste)

Poha is a traditional Indian breakfast

      Good artisan bread (just not readily available – access to oven baking is limited)

      Doughnuts and sweet rolls (Nothing compares to Donut Star in Eagan)

      Candy

         

What’s new that I eat or drink

   Lemon, ginger, honey tea.

   Chai

   Whatever sabzi that is put before me

     Lots of pulse-based dishes (beans and lentils)

COMFORT FOOD – my pretend taste of home

·         Peanut butter sandwich

·         Banana

·         Oatmeal ·         Chan’s salsa

·         French fries