1-10-16
We finally got to go on that ecology walk. We joined with the students from Ahmedabad University and an ecology tour guide and walked up a hill near our hostel. The tour guide stopped at almost every plant, talking about its incredibly medicinal value. We learned about a plant that can cure cancer, heart disease and kidney problems. There was one that looked like a brain and a spinal cord that is supposed to cure all mental diseases and is good or mental health. He listed everything from learning disabilities to dementia. I also found aloe, which I immediately recognized from Israel and broke it open to put the gel on my face. The medicinal plants is a really large cultural emphasis here. The tour started by the guide saying that you should sit on this earth to absorb the nutrients coming from these plants. While some of the tour was a little crazy (as far as I can tell cancer hasn’t exactly been cured), I learned some very interesting things, was exposed to a large part of the culture in this region and had a lovely morning walk. At the top of the hill, there was a rock formation that had plants in it. The rocks were in a form of a human body and the plants that were put in each part is the plant that would help that part of the body. At the very top, we saw the temple that has been playing music every morning and had an incredibly view of the Kannada region. I enjoyed a little nap on the sunny hill for a few minutes in the peace and quiet. Although I have been pulling thorns and sticks out of my shoes and socks ever since. I was starved by the time the very short distance but very long amount of time walk ended, but was amazed when they brought our breakfast right to our hostel! How awesome. We were then given the morning off for some personal time. I enjoyed the sun and got in some reading and spent time with the Ahmedabad students. We even did a little photo shoot. This morning was super relaxing, unproductive but incredibly necessary. I feel so much more relaxed and ready to jump back into the work.
We finally got to go on that ecology walk. We joined with the students from Ahmedabad University and an ecology tour guide and walked up a hill near our hostel. The tour guide stopped at almost every plant, talking about its incredibly medicinal value. We learned about a plant that can cure cancer, heart disease and kidney problems. There was one that looked like a brain and a spinal cord that is supposed to cure all mental diseases and is good or mental health. He listed everything from learning disabilities to dementia. I also found aloe, which I immediately recognized from Israel and broke it open to put the gel on my face. The medicinal plants is a really large cultural emphasis here. The tour started by the guide saying that you should sit on this earth to absorb the nutrients coming from these plants. While some of the tour was a little crazy (as far as I can tell cancer hasn’t exactly been cured), I learned some very interesting things, was exposed to a large part of the culture in this region and had a lovely morning walk. At the top of the hill, there was a rock formation that had plants in it. The rocks were in a form of a human body and the plants that were put in each part is the plant that would help that part of the body. At the very top, we saw the temple that has been playing music every morning and had an incredibly view of the Kannada region. I enjoyed a little nap on the sunny hill for a few minutes in the peace and quiet. Although I have been pulling thorns and sticks out of my shoes and socks ever since. I was starved by the time the very short distance but very long amount of time walk ended, but was amazed when they brought our breakfast right to our hostel! How awesome. We were then given the morning off for some personal time. I enjoyed the sun and got in some reading and spent time with the Ahmedabad students. We even did a little photo shoot. This morning was super relaxing, unproductive but incredibly necessary. I feel so much more relaxed and ready to jump back into the work.
After lunch, we got things moving. Part of the team worked on editing and reformatting the curriculum while I did some electrical work and prepared the lenses, mirrors and prisms. Siddhartan decided to drive us around, which although we were going quite slow and staying on Agastya’s campus was just as terrifying, if not more, than the drivers here. By the end of the day we were mostly ready for the next day’s teacher training. I was planning on doing some work that evening, but that got replaced by some tense team meetings, so that will have to wait for the morning.