A graduation + my 2 Month Countdown!

Tumi kamon aacho (How are you in Bengali)?

It has been a few days since I last posted about my life in general (and surprisingly you actually read it! Kudos to you), so here is a bit of an update!

The weekend just passed marked two significant events. The first being the graduation of my baby brother Joseph from his Landcorp Farming Cadetship along with the award of a scholarship and a job with Landcorp; and the second being the 2-month mark in the countdown to my departure from New Zealand! It is crazy how fast time is flying by, and it seems I have so much to do! I am still waiting on my new passport, and I am also needing to begin writing a will/fill out an 'In The Event Of Death' form (just in case!).

AND I am currently working full time for my dad still, so that takes up a decent chunk of my day haha.

But anyway, here are a few photographs from my brother's graduation and the following celebrations (he looks so smart! So proud of this guy):

This was the amazing view from our house last week one morning at 6.30am. So pretty.

Had a chance to lie in the sun with Christmas Cards, Kettle chips, and Sodoku.

The view from my brothers accommodation this year + my relaxation point... with a coffee, sun/sunnies, a disposable camera, and 'The Rough Guide To India'.

I have finally sorted out my insurance, and I am beginning to learn Bengali (you can learn a few phrases yourself if you like here).

Oh yeah! Also, next week on the morning 24th, my family and I will be catching the Interislander Ferry at 2.30am... what the heck?! Oh well... at least we will be in Blenheim with family for Christmas! I know that I am going to stay up for a while on the 3-hour trip to watch the water at night, and hopefully see some dolphins! Depending on the weather, I may be escaping people in general if everyone gets sea sick - I am lucky that I don't get motion-sickness, but I know that if I am around the smell of it there won't be much stopping it.

Also. I get to design my friend Shannon's tattoo. How awesome is that?!

But yay. CHRISTMAS IS NEXT WEEK! Can you tell that I am excited? I love the festive season.

x

P.S. Leave me a comment? I want to know what you think of my blog, what I can change, or what you want to hear/see more of etc.

Destination #3: Pune, Maharastra

I received some very exciting news today. Although apparently Mark Smith (my go-to person at Interserve - such an amazing help!) thinks that it was going to be taken as an inconvenience on my part... he emailed me today to say that I have to go to a compulsory orientation in March, in Puna, Maharastra. But I couldn't be any more excited! To have to visit this amazing city of 3.4 million people (almost NZ in one location!) is not going to produce one inch of a complaint!

So thank you Mark!! :)

Wooo! Now check out its amazingness:

And there it is (A)! On the Western side of India from where I will be (West Bengal on the map).

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Oh my gosh... look how beautiful that walk would be - this is about 35km South of Puna, and the 19km walk takes you to Rajgarh Fort.

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It could almost pass off as a LOTRs type scene in New Zealand!

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I have a small thing for the trains of India - there is so much history to them!

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Yum yum yum! Kebabs! Whenever I eat these in India, I will always think of Larissa and Lyd!

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Mmmm this looks amazing, whatever it is. All I know is that I can buy it in Puna. And that I am going to hunt it down. And then consume its apparent yumminess.

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As always, I am in love with the colours. And I especially love the look of the worn-out paint. Adds so much character.

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What can I say? I am excited for all the new foods in India! It will be like I am weaned from milk for the second time in my life and trying a whole new range of tastes and textures.

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Apparently this is a library. Why can't libraries be like this in New Zealand?!

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Right. I am so sorted. One of my favourite forms of dance in one of my favourite countries. Someone pinch me. But at the same time don't.

Everyone get excited with me!

x

Destination #2: Copenhagen, Denmark

So, Copenhagen is now nearing the top of my list of places to visit, whether or not it is during or after my trip doesn't matter - all I know is that I MUST visit it before I die. Luckily, the flight path for Denmark is with Emirates via Melbourne -> Dubai -> Copenhagen!! I am flying with Emirates, and following that same flight plan, but detouring to Kolkata, obviously.

Mum has suggested that on my way home I fly back to Dubai, and prolong my trip for a week or so longer so I can visit this glorious city.

I mean, look at it!:

 Above images sourced here.

 Above image sourced here.

Above images sourced here.

And the best part would be that I would be arriving in Feb, so that means there is a much better chance of there being snow!! Eeee!

Plus, everyone there pretty much rides bikes, it is known to be one of the most sustainable and eco-conscious cities in the world, and everyone speaks english (they don't believe others should be expected to learn Danish before they come, seeing as so few people speak it).

Sigh... I love it. And now I just need to get there. One day I will.

What are your top destinations? You never know, your favourite might end up being featured here! And then you will get excited and be all, "oh my gosh! I want to go thereeee too!!"

Then we will be best friends. The end.

So yeah. Sorry... I'm super tired haha.

x

2007: Austria.

Thought I would share with you all some photographs of my first trip out of the country in 2007, when I went with a team of about 60 New Zealanders to Dornbirn, Austria, to attend the 13th World Gymnaestrada. This is like a non-competitive celebration of gymnastics and dancing that is held every 4 years! It was so much fun - I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. About 20,000-28,000 people from around the world went to it!

Here you go:

Flying over either Austria or Switzerland (from the air they look pretty similar!)

Austria on the Left, Switzerland on the Right - entering Austria over the Rhine river.

Our living quarters over the 12 days in Austria! We stayed at a primary school in a few of their classrooms (it was their summer break), and participated aerobics and played fencing in their gymnasium during the down times. We only had air mattresses to sleep on, with a crappy pillow and a thin blanket (was very hot though...).  All of our luggage arrived the next day of our arrival as LAX 'forgot' to put it on the plane - my bag had a massive slash through it! Fun times!

On our second night we had a big bbq dinner with the Australian team (they were staying at the same school as us), and we were treated to a traditional (I think) marching band performance. 

View from the top of the gondala lookout 'Karen'. Dornbirn is below, and in the distance you can see Lake Constance, and across that, Germany. Further to the left out-of-shot, you can see the Rhine river, and Switzerland on the other side - crazy! We walked our way back down, through the most amazing gorge!

Jaynie outside this cute cottage that an adorable old man lived and always talked to my dad. I am pretty sure he gave us some food one time, but I don't remember so clearly. A bit further down from this (to the right), is the train/bus station, and across from that, an apartment block where someone had been stabbed that week, so we always had to walk on the opposite side of the road

Jaynie's awesome henna!!

With UK's (then) top gymnastics team! The bald one does heaps of  parkour (street running/jumping etc.).

Hohenschwangau Castle - Black Forest, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle - Black Forest, Germany
Disneyland's castle is modeled off of this!
Click here to see how beautiful it is!

From inside the castle, looking out!

Alice, Jaynie and myself with Neuschwanstein in the background (we are currently on a bridge hundreds of meters in the air over a small waterfall).

Myself and Jaynie, and our sexy raincoats hah.

Jaynie and myself bathing in the sun (I am so white it is blinding) in Bregenz, Austria.

Alice, myself, Melanie (we met her in Austria), and Jaynie. Mine and Mel's dad's are in the background chatting (Wally  - Mel's dad - was originally from NZ).

Overlooking the beginning of the Swiss Alps!

Jaynie and Alice in Bregenz

Waiting for the closing ceremony to start in the 38 degree heat! Ugh. We had to wear track pants and these t-shirts. Too hot.

Final night in Austria! A lovely dinner with everyone and Jurgen's son's (Jurgen was the one in charge of looking after the NZer's while in Austria - he was super lovely!!)

Proof I am actually doing work to earn money over summer to get to India, instead of expecting fundraising and donations to support me completely! Note the blackened fingers - I have been branding 4.2m (ish) lengths of timber for  the company my dad manages, which involves a whole lot of heavy lifting and leverage, moving 84 pieces per packet (and I managed to do just over 8 in one day - tomorrow I aim for 10!)

Hope everyone is well and are enjoying the start of summer (or winter depending on location), and hopefully everyone is as excited as I am for the fact that tomorrow is December which = Christmas soon!! And in 12 days, marks the start of the 2 month count-down of my departure from India!! Eep!

x

Destination #1: Darjeeling

I have decided that every now and then I am going to do a post about some destinations and sites I wish to visit whilst in Asia next year.

First up, Darjeeling.

Look how amazing the mountains look.... source.

Beautiful children in celebrating the Holi festival - read the short story behind this photo here.

And of course, the thing that Darjeeling is famous for - tea!! source

Darjeeling Hill railway. source

Sunset or rise (not sure) over the city. source

Tea pickers! source

It is just so beautiful and breathtaking. source

To me, Darjeeling just seems so far removed from the India I will be living in, in Kolkata. Because of India's size, there is such diversity between different areas - and this is just one example!

Some quick facts about Darjeeling:

• The town and hill station of Darjeeling lies in northern West Bengal, India.
• Darjeeling stands at a height of 2134m (7053 ft) on a mountain ridge.
• Almost every year Darjeeling's temperature drops below freezing during the Winter season, from November to February. In Summer, Darjeeling is delightfully cool with the maximum temperature reaching about 20°C.
• The name is derived from its old name "Dorje Ling" which means "place of thunderbolt" and it was given the name after the creation of a shrine on its hilltop. Not only is it famous for its never ending beauty and fresh air, it is also renowned for the export of high quality tea in the world.
• After cold and summer season, there comes the spring season which is a blessing from the gods. During this period, this town enjoys its first season. The whole town becomes colourful with calm and cool clouds, and everybody loves to watch those magical moments.

x

I cannot wait to wear traditional Indian clothing.

Today I thought I would test out my head-scarf wrapping ability. Btw, check out my awesome new nail polish!

x

A revelation:

Tonight with Britt and Larissa, we attended a small gathering of friends to hear this awesome guy Sean speak about the biblical book of Ephesians. Something that really made me stop in my tracks and choke back tears was the revelation that the women I am going to be helping in Kolkata are barely considered 'human' to many Indians - they are outcasts, and pretty much they are modern day slaves. It was when he mentioned the slaves in the historical Roman days BCE (before common era), and the lack of human rights they possessed that I realised he was describing the prostitutes of Sonagachi in parallel.

These women have no rights, they cannot get alternative jobs because of the 'profession' of prostitution, and their pimps pretty much have complete control over them. They can do what they like to these girls and women: rape, steal, beat, force etc.

So often we hear of slavery and associate it with history we learn at high school - in such a Western world, it is very difficult to grasp the concept of a slave today.

But what really struck me was when Sean mentioned how slaves are still children of God, and that they are made in his image - they have value. For me, it really opened my eyes to the bigger purpose of my trip to India - to help these women realise their worth, their value in Christ, and that they are entitled to rights. Sure, I am going to be helping out a business run that tiny bit smoother, but it is operating for the very same purpose - freedom and worth.

He mentioned a conversation he had with someone, about how he asked them, "Is it wrong to rape a young girl?" To which the man replied an obvious, "Yes!"

It wasn't until he was asked why it was wrong and immoral that he was unable to give a clear answer with a real reason as to why this was; "It just is."

I think so many people just acknowledge the fact that some things are moral and some are not, and whether some things conflict with 'human rights' or not. 

What defines immorality? - why do you consider something to be immoral or going against what is considered 'human rights'?

Sean highlighted that it wasn't until Jesus spoke of the need to forgive that it became common practice, and it is the same with human rights.

Why raping a young girl, or turning a human being into a slave might be considered immoral, is because they are creations of God, and so they possess value - harming someone is in turn defacing a creation of God, his daughter or son, whom he loves. An analogy he used was painting over an artists completed picture - you are defacing their creation.

These women have worth. They need to be shown that there is such thing as having a right to speak. They have value.

I also hope that you can see their value too.

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So that was very lengthy and intense, so congratulations for making it through my little thought process. I am sure there are probably a few conflicting opinions, and you are welcome to voice them!

I just needed a way of sorting through some emotions, and piecing together the puzzle - every revelation or discovery I focus on equals a new connection, until I am able to step back and look down at the picture created.

x