A Day in the Life with the Sarkar's of Surul, West Bengal, India

After a random post on Facebook, my dear friend/ex-colleague/ex-work wife, invited me to join her family at their home in India, in the town of Surul, about 100km north of Kolkata.  And, yeah, it's a big house. I arrived on the 26th of December in the midst of what turned out to be a family reunion.

A day in the life started with morning tea served as each of us awoke and then around 9AM breakfast was served.  That's Shahana's Dad with his two grandkids, D and A.

Most of the morning and early afternoon was spent up here on the roof, in the sun.

Reading, napping and getting a tan were pretty much the only activities.  Not a bad way to spend five days.

There was always some afternoon activity.  This day involved us tooling around Surul and D driving for the first time!!

Alas, it's India and sometimes the driveway is blocked by an cow-pulled cart.

Early evening.....cocktail/tea hour.  From 6PM until 9PM was general conversation, reading but ALWAYS with pre-meal snacks.  My favorite?  Muri, a spicy puffed rice with peas and nuts!

When the family reunion was happening, we would eat dinner in shifts.

I came for the Indian food, and great Indian food is what I got.  No disappointment here at all.

Then in the evening.....epic games of Settlers of Catan and Cities and Knights of Catan.  I think we played at least five complete games.  Carl won most games but paid me the ultimate compliment that he always played to stop me.

Our cook on the left and one of the servants on the right.  It's interesting that even still there are things that the servants do.  If I picked up a chair, one of the guys would come over and take it from me.  If I tried to hand them food, they wouldn't take it from me.

My favorite.....Asha!!!

So, from the roof of the house, one looks over a new basketball court, and a dirt volleyball court (left).  It turns out that S's father has started "The Surul Foundation" here in his hometown to help improve general welfare.  There is a tutoring, a doctor who comes weekly and he has built these public access facilities.

Things are so new, that when I got there, they were still tightening the rims and painting the lines.  A local team challenged us Americans to a game of basketball.  Alas, being the gimp that I am (I sucked at basketball before my injuries, anyway) I didn't participate.

S's Dad (seated in purple) holding court over his domain!

The game IN ACTION.

The locals watching the game.

We all saw this giant and were thinking, it's an Indian Yao Ming.  Turns out, his height was a non-factor as he was slow and didn't have many of the fundamentals.

Even Asha (orange saree) was out on the court hooping it up!

Final Score!  Turns out that once the locals found out that there were American's in town, we got challenged to two more games.

The Surul Foundation is thinking about installing a remote medical service (meaning a local doctor can take readings and then send data electronically to hospitals in a bigger city and get diagnoses that way).  Somehow, I was in on the discussion.

One of the things that S's Dad is interested in is teaching the local kids the fundamentals of basketball, so after the games, we would get out there and teach them how to dribble, pass and make bank shots.  I contributed by rebounding!!  That's about the extent of my basketball skills!

Christmas Day 2012 in Kunming

I have this pattern of flying ON Christmas Day itself.  Christmas 2012 was like many others, it had me at the airport early in the morning, ready to take off for another journey.  This winter break?  A journey to India.  My flight to Kolkata was scheduled to have a two hour layover in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. Two hours, that's to be expected......except a few weeks before the trip, the airline emailed me to say they canceled my afternoon flight and had rebooked me on the midnight flight to Kolkata. This left me with a 10 hour layover in Kunming. I easily could have just stayed in the airport, but I ventured out into the SUNSHINE (have I mentioned that Beijing has had temperatures BELOW 0 Celsius for all of December and most of November, not counting wind chill?) of Southwestern China.

I spent the afternoon at the Yuantong Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the area and built in the 8th/9th centuries.  A day of blue sky, sun on my skin and having a quintessential China afternoon.

Why I Travel

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Traveling is a brutality. Obliged to trust strangers and to lose sight of the familiar comfort of home and friends. You feel constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it. -C.Pavese

The experiences of this trip to India have really given examples of why I have a love (90%)/hate (10%) relationship with travel. I had been reflecting on some themes and then I saw this quote posted on Facebook by my friend Brian B. and it summed up my feelings about why I travel.

First and foremost, I travel to experience intensity of feelings and emotions. Turning the corner in Mehtab Bagh at sunset and having seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time, bathed in orange and purples, was every bit as breathtaking as advertised, and then some. The beauty of that moment nearly brought me to tears is something I could ONLY have felt by sitting on the banks of the Yamana River at dusk. The effort to get to that one hour of incredible peace and contentment, that moment where everything in my world is good is only experienced when I travel.

The intensity of emotions runs the gamut of great serenity and happiness to sheer panic and fear. What else could I have felt when I got awoken by the train ticket collector at 2315 and finding out that I had missed getting off the train at my stop in Agra? Having started the day early in Kolkata, taken a flight to Delhi and then the last leg of the journey being a three-hour train ride and all I wanted was to get to my homestay bed. All I could do for the next 40 minutes was run though all the worst-case scenarios in my mind. I had to muster all my will to keep my emotions in control (control, we’ll be coming back to THAT one in a bit). But in the course of my travels, I have had things ALWAYS work out and I needed to trust that in this case, things again would work out if I stayed patient. After reaching the next train station in the town of Dholpur, I got off and was met by the dark and quiet of an empty train station. But the train ticket counter was still open and I found out that a train going back to Agra was available in a half hour. The sudden feeling of joy and relief in that split second is only felt so sharply when I travel. Having something go your way when things have gone oh so wrong, and the happiness of that moment is why I travel. 

The additional bonus of that midnight hour stay at the station in Dholpur is that I got into a conversation with the station agent, a young Indian man with limited English ability, about life in the United States and our president Barack HUSSEIN Obama.  He always made a point of saying President Obama’s middle name, with the emphasis on Hussein. It seems to me that I have more of these memorable serendipitous meetings with people like the incredibly charming and humorous Indian train station agent, Fahid was his name, when I travel. Perhaps I have them also in the course of my day-to-day life, but they aren’t as vivid or memorable.

Talking to Fahid was fun because he was so eager to converse with me. However, when I travel alone, which I do most of the time (I miss you my travel companion DD!!) I inevitably crave human interaction just to have a conversation and process an experience or simply out of necessity because I need help. Traveling forces me to make conversation with other travelers and even though our paths cross for mere moments in time, I am forced out of my comfort zone of introversion. About half the time, the people I talk to I find boring and uninteresting, but other times, they are fascinating people and I learn (both about other places to travel and about their lives) so much from talking with them. Or as in the case of the moment I exited Howrah train station in Kolkata and had NO idea how to get through the swarm of people and get a taxi to my hotel, I force myself to talk to the only Caucasian looking guy who invites me to share a cab with him (Panic, relief and joy all in a five minute stretch, that’s travel!). In our taxi ride, I learn about his yoga ashram (interesting….) and then find out he doesn’t have a room to stay that night and I invite him to share my room (got to pay back the karma, right?) He eventually declined. I am particularly proud of my efforts to talk with people on this trip to India. (DD you would have been quite proud of me! And I have a great teacher in Brian B.) My successes on this trip will carry over to help me be more comfortable striking up conversations with people in my everyday life.

Let’s get back to the issue of control. Some may quibble that the issue of planning ahead isn’t the classic definition of “control freak,” but I will use the term control to talk about planning. I am a planner, or at least prefer to live when there is a plan or a semblance of one. However, travel is always teaching me that there is a fine line between having a plan, and thereby getting to see all things you want and then not having a plan and thereby being able live in the moment and experience more of the unexpected. I was “punched in the emotional gut” when, at the beginning of my two weeks in India, I found out that ALL the trains running north to near Darjeeling were booked. I had so wanted to see the mountains and drink the tea and just wander around in the fresh air. I got nailed by lack of planning because I was too “busy” to figure out how to make reservations on the Indian Railways website.

On the flip side, my lack of planning allows me to hand over control of my experience to my driver in Agra, Kumar. I am a person who has to watch my “directive” tendencies. I feel as though I am always the one who needs to be in charge. I know what’s best. But when I travel, I am faced with the reality that I am NOT the one in charge. During my day in Agra, Kumar was in charge. Of course I want to see the Taj Mahal and I want to go there first. But I realized Kumar is the expert and the course he set out for the day was optimal and I had a great time.

Control is also coupled with trust in others.  And this comes back to the issue of trusting strangers. That two word combination juxtaposes safety and danger. But when we have to travel, we have to do so. When in a new place, I am highly alert until I feel that I am comfortable enough with local customs to trust the locals (strangers). But trusting strangers is intertwined so closely with issues of control that in many ways they become one and the same. And in travel, we are so far out of our comfort zones that we as the quote above says, we have to trust strangers. And so, I end with post by relaying that I had to put my trust in a 14-year old boy from Agra, India.  Aman, who you will meet in future posts, was tasked with finding myself and Masaru, again you’ll meet him in a future post, a taxi to the Delhi airport because our trains had been delayed by fog by at least 4 hours with no idea of whether to train would get us back to Delhi in time and then to the airport itself. Masaru and I were helpless. We had to ask for help and we turned to Aman, a 14-year old, who is wise and resourceful beyond his years and scrounged up a friend of his father, managed to locate a vehicle that could be used and then translated our wishes and need to the non-English speaking driver. I had to trust Aman and in the end he came through.

We can talk about how travel makes us learn about the world, different cultures and restore our faith in humanity.  All those reasons are valid for ME but it is the personal (experience, feelings and personal growth) that makes travel such a valuable and indispensible part of my life.

Beijing Playhouse -- Snow White

Where have I been the past 10 weeks?  Rehearsing and performing in Beijing's English Language Theater Production of Snow White.

Opening Number, performed to a rendition of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

And a cast song as well.

Two fairy sisters, our narrators.

On the right, Clarissa the Cook, in the employ of the Evil Queen and on the left, her son Muddles.

Queen Evilynn

Her Minions.

Myself in the background.  I am the Queen's Herald, always annoucing her presence.  Here she is asking the Magic Mirror, "who is the fairest in the land"

The Queen and her Minions in a rendition of "I Will Survive" in which she attempts to seduce Prince Valiant.

Any scene with the Queen was a show highlight.  I was lucky to always be on stage with the Queen and be apart of her amazing act.

The Queen molests the Prince and I get molested by a Minion.

The Comic Relief Scene in the Kitchen with Clarissa and Muddles.

Whipped Cream in the face, broken eggs everywhere.  The scene was a big winner with the audience.

Next scene has the Queen finding out from the Magic Mirror that the Prince has met and fallen in love with Snow White.  I didn't have many lines, but I got to make lots of faces!

The Queen ordering Muddles to kill Snow White.

Muddles and Snow White in the forest where he plans to kill her, but devises a plan to trick the Queen into THINKING he killed Snow White.

The Three Kings informing Snow White of the presences of a dwarves cottage deep in the forest.

Meanwhile back at the castle, Clarissa is locked up and watched by two guards.  (That's not me on the right, but my friend Dong Tien)

Alas, this picture doesn't do justice to the scene.  The Queen is given what is supposedly Snow White's heart and releases Clarissa.

The showstopping number, the entrance of the dwarves.  And yes, the dwarf on the left is 6 feet 2 inches tall!!

The dwarves and Snow White.

In my favorite scene, the Queen hatches a plan to drink a magic potion to disguise herself and "deal with Snow White" herself.  I get to waltz with the Queen in this scene!!  And I get to sing as well.

The Queen now as the Old Hag with the Minions climbing overthemselves to get the poison apple the Old Hag has tossed aside.

A Modern Dance deep in the forest.

A recently freed Mirriam the Magic Mirror, Clarissa, Muddles and the Prince hanging out in the forest.

Don't eat the poisoned apple Snow White!!!

The dwarves mourning Snow White's death.

After a kiss from the Prince, Snow White returns to life....

And we sing Jingle Bells as a final number!

So, where have I been these past 10 weeks upon return from the school trip to Gansu??  I've spent three or four nights a week rehearsing with Beijing Playhouse's Christmas Musical Snow White.  Having never really done any live theater, and having nothing else to do but sit at home and watch television, and upon the encouragement of DD, I overcame my inhibitions and went to the auditions back in late September.  I got a call back (which I took to be a good sign) and before the October trip, I got a call from the director saying I was cast!!!  My role was a minor character with few lines "Chop, Chop, The Queen" was one I said on more than one occasion, but I was on stage six times a performance, mostly in a reactionary comic relief character.

Upon reflection, now that I've finished all 16 performances (year, over 2,000 people saw the show over the course of two and a half weeks) I have to say that I could not have asked for a better thing to participate in as an introduction to my life here in Beijing. What was special about it (as are all those things in life that are memorable) is that it was 30 cast members and an equal number of crew ALL WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL.  There were no egos.  No one was making money off of this experience.  We were all there to have fun and entertain.  And when it came together, it was magic.  It's one of those special feelings when everyone is on the same page, working towards the same goal.

And who were these people I was on stage with.  Chris V., many years ago had a vision to bring English Language Theater to China and he established Beijing Playhouse. It has grown to running kids theater camps and producing two to three shows a year. He has attracted an amazing international cast.  Our cast of 30 had a Snow White from Finland, the Prince from Argentina, and others from Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, China, France, India, England, Indonesian, South Africa, the Philippines and Uganda.  Hell, I got to meet the famed Tim Tebow's cousin as she was our musical director.

As I write this, I'm on the post show high. Just back from the cast party where we all stood around the piano and sang all the songs from the show. We had all heard each others songs that it was so fun to finally belt out another characters song.  The we sang Christmas Carols.  It's just like all those great times in life, I just had to savor the moment as I knew that ALL of us would never be in one place again. We will only have those memories, but great ones they are.  We can be proud of the show we put on and have the smiles on our faces from the grand times we had in rehearsal and on stage.  Thanks to all my fellow Snow White cast members. 

Thanksgiving -- Beijing Style

Thanksgiving 2012.  Thursday afternoon, the school treated us (students and faculty) to a Chinese banquet at a local restaurant.

No turkey, but since a bird is a bird, Beijing Duck!!

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To add a Thanksgiving touch, the school ordered Apple and Pumpkin Pies.  You should have heard the cheers when the annoucement was made!!

Eating Pumpkin Pie with chopsticks.....life in China!!

P.S.  File this story under the "Ernie is a total bachelor" file.  A couple of the other American teachers here are cooking Thanksgiving turkey for their advisees.  I felt bad that my students got the raw end of the deal being assigned to me as their adviser, who can't really cook.  Therefore, I devised a scheme where they would cook for themselves.  I invited them over to a "make your own calzones" dinner on the Friday after Thanksgiving Thursday.  I simply would make the dough, they would choose their own filling from broccoli, mushrooms, onions, spinach, shredded mozzarella, tomato sauce and sausage.  Easy right?  I should be able to pull this off without a hitch.  UNTIL, the girls decided that they wanted to bake before hand.  So off we go to Jenny Lou's (where you can get all your western products) to purchase baking materials.  Friday afternoon, right after school, I go home to make the dough to give it time to rise.  The girls come over, the kitchen is a tornado of activity.  Everyone wants to do something in the kitchen.  I turn on the oven to heat it up and then........nothing.  Kids start arriving.  I fiddle with the stove/oven and....nothing. I call my colleague (thanks P-C) and we figure out I tripped the fuse.  I go and flip the switch, it stays on for 5 seconds then trips again.  I start unplugging EVERY household item.  The switch keeps tripping. The kitchen is out of commission with 20 students in my living room.  Then, LIGHTBULB moment.  My stove is gas!!!  So what do I do?  I pan fry the dough into mini-pizzas while wearing a headlamp.  The kids didn't really care.  They were happy with food and a place to hang out.  I guess I should have done a test run of using my kitchen, since I hadn't turned anything on since I moved in back in August.  Lesson learned.

The Yellow River at Lanzhou

Lanzhou is the ONLY Chinese provincial capital on the Yellow River (the big Muddy)

On our last day, before getting on the train back to Beijing, the students had a scavenger hunt around town to find local landmarks.  This was one of them, the statue of the "Mother of the Pearl River"

A second one was the Zhongshan Bridge.

It was designed by Germans....

...built by Americans...

...and was the first bridge built across the Yellow River (1907).