Ahmedabad, India: In Spice World
This was the most number of airport transfers I experienced so far. In the morning of October 4, we flew from NAIA to Hong Kong. Once we reached Hong Kong airport, we literally ran to catch our connecting flight to Delhi because we only had a couple of hours layover. We flew to Delhi, and from there, we took another flight to Ahmedabad. We reached Ahmedabad at around 9pm India time.
I was in India for work, so the only time I got to go around was during our field visit. It was a very tiring week. I even got sick a couple of days before we flew. I just kept powering myself up with Berocca. When our event ended, and while in transit back to the Philippines, my body was on the verge of giving up. I was probably cured for a while by the naps I took during our flights, the energy from chatting with my colleagues while waiting for each flight, the KFC meal we had at Mumbai airport, or probably because I was really praying hard for the universe to not let me get sick because I still had an exam the next day after arriving in Manila.
I reached home feeling okay, and determined to not call in sick for the exam because we are strong. I did pass the exam, despite not being able to review. Sometimes, you just have to go for it and have faith in yourself and in your stick knowledge. 😃
Anyway, here are some quips from my week-long stay in India.
What to see in Gujarat
Ahmedabad cityscape. Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and is the 5th most populous city in India with over 5.5 million inhabitants. View more photos here
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When we were fetched from the airport, we passed by this 'expressway' which was surrounded by water and I instantly thought it was a marvelous infrastructure. It's probably really something else because the driver who was silent all the while suddenly spoke to tell us something about the highway or bridge being located atop a river. The PH delegates planned to go walking/jogging in the area but I couldn't go with them. Fortunately, there is an access to the riverbank from Ghandi Ashram. View more photos here
India is so huge it's always feels like a field trip whenever we move from one place to another.
Field Trip
We went for a field visit in the village of Anand, Gujarat, India. Farmers in the village grow rice and root crops, and now they are using a solar powered water system for their fields.
Amul, amul, amul! Going to Amul was one of my favorite moments during this trip We visited their factory that processes and produces butter and infant milk (and saw tons of butter being packed in different sizes of containers!! 😍) We were shown around the factory while being told the story of how Amul came to be.
Amul (Anand Milk Union) is a dairy cooperative based in Anand, Gujarat. It was formed as a response to the exploitation of marginal milk producers. In 1946, milk farmers went on a strike which led to the setting up of the cooperative to collect and process milk. Milk collection was decentralized as most producers were marginal farmers who could deliver, at most, 1-2 litres of milk per day (from wikipedia haha). Anyone can sell milk to Amul, regardless of their class, caste, or religion, or the amount of milk they have. 70% of Amul's profits go to the members, the milk farmers. View more photos here
Gandhi Ashram
We managed to squeeze in a quick visit to Gandhi Ashram. It was literally a quick visit because we got lost on our way. It was only less than 2 kilometers from where we're staying but for some reason, our uber got lost.
During our last day in Ahmedabad, we had few hours to spare before our flight which we spent (quickly) visiting Gandhi Ashram and shopping for some souvenirs. (We would've had more time going around Gandhi Ashram but our grab got lost. I just walked briskly through the museum, took photos at the riverbank below, took a peek at the house where Ghandi lived, and chased squirrels. View more photos here
The Culture
Because what is India without the dancing.
SEWA, our host, did prepare much for the solidarity/cultural night. In the past MTCP2 gatherings I've been to, solidarity night is where all participants dress up with their cultural attire and perform songs and dances from their respective countries. SEWA leveled up by getting professional dancers to showcase the different dances of India.
The dancers are so pro they could perform continously for more than 5 minutes! Take note, the routines aren't even simple.
Solemn welcome from women farmers of the village of Anand in Gujarat, India during our field visit.
I was in India for work, so the only time I got to go around was during our field visit. It was a very tiring week. I even got sick a couple of days before we flew. I just kept powering myself up with Berocca. When our event ended, and while in transit back to the Philippines, my body was on the verge of giving up. I was probably cured for a while by the naps I took during our flights, the energy from chatting with my colleagues while waiting for each flight, the KFC meal we had at Mumbai airport, or probably because I was really praying hard for the universe to not let me get sick because I still had an exam the next day after arriving in Manila.
I reached home feeling okay, and determined to not call in sick for the exam because we are strong. I did pass the exam, despite not being able to review. Sometimes, you just have to go for it and have faith in yourself and in your stick knowledge. 😃
Anyway, here are some quips from my week-long stay in India.
(This is for all the people who always mistake me for an Indian.)
What to see in Gujarat
Ahmedabad cityscape. Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and is the 5th most populous city in India with over 5.5 million inhabitants. View more photos here
.
India is so huge it's always feels like a field trip whenever we move from one place to another.
Field Trip
We went for a field visit in the village of Anand, Gujarat, India. Farmers in the village grow rice and root crops, and now they are using a solar powered water system for their fields.
 |
| SEWA members show how the solar powered water system works |
Amul (Anand Milk Union) is a dairy cooperative based in Anand, Gujarat. It was formed as a response to the exploitation of marginal milk producers. In 1946, milk farmers went on a strike which led to the setting up of the cooperative to collect and process milk. Milk collection was decentralized as most producers were marginal farmers who could deliver, at most, 1-2 litres of milk per day (from wikipedia haha). Anyone can sell milk to Amul, regardless of their class, caste, or religion, or the amount of milk they have. 70% of Amul's profits go to the members, the milk farmers. View more photos here
We managed to squeeze in a quick visit to Gandhi Ashram. It was literally a quick visit because we got lost on our way. It was only less than 2 kilometers from where we're staying but for some reason, our uber got lost.
During our last day in Ahmedabad, we had few hours to spare before our flight which we spent (quickly) visiting Gandhi Ashram and shopping for some souvenirs. (We would've had more time going around Gandhi Ashram but our grab got lost. I just walked briskly through the museum, took photos at the riverbank below, took a peek at the house where Ghandi lived, and chased squirrels. View more photos here
The Culture
Because what is India without the dancing.
SEWA, our host, did prepare much for the solidarity/cultural night. In the past MTCP2 gatherings I've been to, solidarity night is where all participants dress up with their cultural attire and perform songs and dances from their respective countries. SEWA leveled up by getting professional dancers to showcase the different dances of India.
The dancers are so pro they could perform continously for more than 5 minutes! Take note, the routines aren't even simple.
Solemn welcome from women farmers of the village of Anand in Gujarat, India during our field visit.
The Food
Indian cuisine is richly diverse and generally spicy; with Gujarati cuisine being a mix of sweet and spicy. A greater part of Indians are vegetarian. Our host provided food which is not very spicy; majorly vegetarian food with a non-vegetarian main course dish for the event. And in Gujarat, being a dry state, alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Because Gujarat is a vegetarian state, I was only dreaming of pork meat for a week. Occasional chicken and lamb meals during lunch made me extremely happy. I tried a lot of their food and I did like some of them, particularly their various selection of bread--naan, chapati, roti, dosa, etc. I still can't tell them apart, but since these are usually the only non-spicy food in served, you'd really appreciate them, haha. I discovered that I can survive long with spice-y food. I still prefer the simplicity and complexity of Filipino food.
Alright, so now that you've seen what's good in Ahmedabad, let me tell you about my unpleasant experiences in that place. Let's start with day 1. During my first morning in Ahmedad, I had to help with the ongoing forum, thus, after having breakfast, my colleagues and I had to go to the venue, which is across the hotel where we're staying. It had always been a challenge for me to cross the street particularly if it is a busy one and there was no pedestrian lane or stoplight. In Gujarat, the traffic flow is continuous (which is probably the reason why there was no traffic build up), and the vehicles won't stop for pedestrians. One has to find the right timing, or cross the street really fast, or else you''ll be stuck for several minutes in the middle of the road.
I may look happy in the photos but in truth is, there were many unpleasant things I experienced in India. One of those is this very road (photo) which I had to cross at least twice a day (to get to the venue of the event because we were booked at another hotel). I always had this fear that I'd die getting hit by a vehicle while crossing/walking in the street. This portion of Ashram Road really did me the very first time we crossed it. Every day was a mental and emotional torture. Vehicles don't stop to let pedestrians pass through (unless you're a cow). They just honk at people trying to cross. You have to find the right timing.
In Ahmedabad, instead of the sign "Keep Distance", vehicles carry the sign "Honk OK Please" because every single driver just keeps honking making the streeta really noisy. Traffic flow is just continuous. There were no traffic police at sight. Vehicles don't stop for humans. One Pinoy even joked that Indians were just fine with that situation because they believe in reincarnation anyway. They could just die getting hit in the streets and live again.
I said I coud never cross it alone but there will really come a time when you just have to do it. I was able to cross alone a couple of times, but during those times my mind and body were already beaten and probably just being run by adrenaline so I was just doing things just to get them over with.
If you are planning to go to India, you have to mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared. Being a Filipino/Southeast Asian, their ways and customs are very different from ours. Perhaps I was just used to Filipinos being extremely nice and hospitable particularly to visitors. In Ahmedabad, locals seem to always be in 'survivor' mode. Had I been alone, I won't survive that place knowing that I am meek. My colleague was probably traumatized by being immersed for a week she decided to cancel her planned stay in India after our event. As for me, I still want to go back, but probably next time, I'll book a tour or something to make sure that my stay would be enjoyable.
Indian cuisine is richly diverse and generally spicy; with Gujarati cuisine being a mix of sweet and spicy. A greater part of Indians are vegetarian. Our host provided food which is not very spicy; majorly vegetarian food with a non-vegetarian main course dish for the event. And in Gujarat, being a dry state, alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Because Gujarat is a vegetarian state, I was only dreaming of pork meat for a week. Occasional chicken and lamb meals during lunch made me extremely happy. I tried a lot of their food and I did like some of them, particularly their various selection of bread--naan, chapati, roti, dosa, etc. I still can't tell them apart, but since these are usually the only non-spicy food in served, you'd really appreciate them, haha. I discovered that I can survive long with spice-y food. I still prefer the simplicity and complexity of Filipino food.
Ito yung bumuhay sa'kin ng ilang umaga sa Ahmedabad. Isang linggong ganito hanggang sa wala nang lasa ang default na walang lasang chicken sausage. Minsan isang platong chicken sausage nauubos ko dahil naghahanap na ang dila ko ng karne. 😞😞
Alright, so now that you've seen what's good in Ahmedabad, let me tell you about my unpleasant experiences in that place. Let's start with day 1. During my first morning in Ahmedad, I had to help with the ongoing forum, thus, after having breakfast, my colleagues and I had to go to the venue, which is across the hotel where we're staying. It had always been a challenge for me to cross the street particularly if it is a busy one and there was no pedestrian lane or stoplight. In Gujarat, the traffic flow is continuous (which is probably the reason why there was no traffic build up), and the vehicles won't stop for pedestrians. One has to find the right timing, or cross the street really fast, or else you''ll be stuck for several minutes in the middle of the road.
I may look happy in the photos but in truth is, there were many unpleasant things I experienced in India. One of those is this very road (photo) which I had to cross at least twice a day (to get to the venue of the event because we were booked at another hotel). I always had this fear that I'd die getting hit by a vehicle while crossing/walking in the street. This portion of Ashram Road really did me the very first time we crossed it. Every day was a mental and emotional torture. Vehicles don't stop to let pedestrians pass through (unless you're a cow). They just honk at people trying to cross. You have to find the right timing.
In Ahmedabad, instead of the sign "Keep Distance", vehicles carry the sign "Honk OK Please" because every single driver just keeps honking making the streeta really noisy. Traffic flow is just continuous. There were no traffic police at sight. Vehicles don't stop for humans. One Pinoy even joked that Indians were just fine with that situation because they believe in reincarnation anyway. They could just die getting hit in the streets and live again.
I said I coud never cross it alone but there will really come a time when you just have to do it. I was able to cross alone a couple of times, but during those times my mind and body were already beaten and probably just being run by adrenaline so I was just doing things just to get them over with.
If you are planning to go to India, you have to mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared. Being a Filipino/Southeast Asian, their ways and customs are very different from ours. Perhaps I was just used to Filipinos being extremely nice and hospitable particularly to visitors. In Ahmedabad, locals seem to always be in 'survivor' mode. Had I been alone, I won't survive that place knowing that I am meek. My colleague was probably traumatized by being immersed for a week she decided to cancel her planned stay in India after our event. As for me, I still want to go back, but probably next time, I'll book a tour or something to make sure that my stay would be enjoyable.
