(cycling) Jin riki sha

El cap de setmana passat vaig anar per segona vegada en rickshaw. En un ciclo-rickshaw, dels que son conduits per homes a cop de pedal. Vaig voler anar al centre a comprar-me roba. Basicament el que buscava era una camisa ample, un shawal que en diuen aqui. Les noies que veig pel campus acostumen a vestir aquest shawal, pantalons amples o estrets tipus pitillo (la ultima moda es veu) i un mocador al col, tot ben enconjuntat. Es el que porten la majoria de noies solteres, mentre que les casades porten el tradicional sari.

Samir i Keiko em van deixar en un dels carrers principals del Chowk (el barri vell) tot animant-me amb "ganbatte"! Despres de pujar i baixar el carrer unes tres o quatre vegades vaig aconseguir fer les meves compres (un shawal i un parell de mocadors). Mission cumplida. Vaig girar-me tota decidida cap al rickshaw que m'atossigava en aquell moment: "Do you know Allahabad Agricultural Institute?". Cara estupefacta, esmaperduda, en bavia, cap senyal de comprensio. Pot ser la meva pronunciacio no era prou india. Tres o quatre wallahs mes tard en vaig trobar un disposat a tornar-me a casa.

Era el meu primer viatge en rickshaw en soledat. Enfilada alla dalt et passa fregant tota la marea humana i animal del carrer. Sembla que pots acariciar els cabells del nen que et passa corrents pel costat si vols... El vehicle en si avanca lentament, seguint la cadencia de les cames del wallah i la fluidesa del transit. Es mes aviat nyigui-nyogui, amb peces que semblen a punt de caure i juntes que grinyolen aqui i alla. La majoria dels ricksaw estan pintats de coloraines, no en plan corporatiu com els taxis, si no al estil indi. A la part del darrere hi pinten senefes que enmarquen imatges de deus, animals, paisatges... M'han explicat que els motius varien segons la regio.

Us haig de confessar que vaig disfrutar. Em va encantar poder observar els carrers d'Allahabad a un ritme mes huma (mai millor dit) i a tant poca distancia. Malgrat tot, em va deixar un regust agredolc. No em va acabar d'agradar tenir aquell home pedalant i suant per portar els meus kilos al campus. Aquest home es guanya la vida amb aixo, es clar, pero personalment (em podeu dir bleda i amb rao) em feia patir. I es que no veuras un ricksaw wallah amb un kilo de mes... Potser es que ser portada d'aquesta manera em fa sentir encara mes madam.

Segurament tornare a necessitar els serveis d'un rickshaw wallah, pero intentare agafar-lo com menys vegades millor. Pero us recomano plenament l'experiencia! I sobretot, regategeu!!!


Last weekend I had my second rickshaw ride. It was a cyclo-rickshaw, those driven by a man cycling (pretty obvious, ne?). I went to the old center to do some shopping. I was looking for a shawal, similar to a wide shirt. The girls around the campus usually wear it, together with wide or tight trousers and a scarf, all matching. Single woman wear this, while married ones stick to the traditional sari.

Samir and Keiko droped me in one of the streets of the Chowk (old town) while encouraging me with "Ganbatte!". After going up and down the street three or four times I managed to buy some things (a shawal and a pair of handkerchiefs). Mission accomplished. Then I turned to the rickshaw which was harassing me in that moment: "Do you know Allahabad Agricultural Institute?". There was no sign of understanding in his face. Maybe my pronunciation was not enough indian. Three or four wallahs later I found one willing to take me back home.

It was my first rickshaw trip alone. When you are up there you can feel the animal and human environment of the street surrounding you. You feel like you can caress the child running by near you if you want to... The vehicle moves forward slowly, following the movements of the wallah's legs and the fluidity of traffic. It's not very stable, with parts that look like their are going to fall at any moment, everything creaking here and there. Most of them are colorfully painted, not in a corporative way like taxis, but in a more indian style. In the back part they draw ornaments framing images of gods, animals or sceneries... They told me that the paintings are different in each state.

I must confess I had fun. I enjoyed having the chance to observe Allahabad streets in a more human rythm and such a close distance. On the other hand, I was not completelly happy with it. I didn't like having a man cycling and sweating to take my kilos to the campus. The man earns his living doing that, of course, but personally (maybe I am too sensitive or) I couldn't help suffering for him. You won't see a fat rickshaw wallah... Maybe being carried this way makes me feel even more madam...

Us haig de confessar que vaig disfrutar. Em va encantar poder observar els carrers d'Allahabad a un ritme mes huma (mai millor dit) i a tant poca distancia. Malgrat tot, em va deixar un regust agredolc. No em va acabar d'agradar tenir aquell home pedalant i suant per portar els meus kilos al campus. Aquest home es guanya la vida amb aixo, es clar, pero personalment (em podeu dir bleda i amb rao) em feia patir. I es que no veuras un ricksaw wallah amb un kilo de mes... Potser es que ser portada d'aquesta manera em fa sentir encara mes madam.

Probably I am going to need another ride in a rickshaw, but I will try to use it as few times as possible. But I fully recommend the experience! And above all, bargain!!!

Dixit: "Sir you are finished?"

La llei de la selva / the law of the jungle

Si a la selva el lleo es el rei, als carrers de la India la vaca es la reina.

Les carreteres del subcontinent son un caos. No m'estranya, amb la diversitat de vehicles que hi circulen. Aixo es el que un es troba nomes posar un peu al carrer: vaques, cabres, gossos, cotxes de cavalls, ricksaws (o ciclo-ricksaws), tempos, bicicletes, motocicletes, cotxes, camions.... ah, i tambe vianants que a vegades s'atreveixen a creuar la carretera. Condueixen per l'esquerra, com al Regne Unit (com no) o Japo.

La regla numero 1 es respectar les divinitats. O sigui, les vaques. Les vaques sempre tenen prioritat. Es pot fer servir el claxon per foragitar-les pero no se'ls pot tocar un sol pel. Aqui matar una vaca es tant greu com matar una persona. El problema es la quantitat. N'hi ha moltissimes d'abandonades, campant per tot arreu menjant el que poden i dormint on els dona la real gana. Aixo passa sobretot a la ciutat, al camp acostumen a anar en ramats conduides per un pastor o ben lligadetes al costat de les chaboles.

En realitat hi ha vaques per tot arreu: a les voreres, al mig de les rotondes, als parcs (si es que es pot dir aixi), als camps, als carrers, carrerons i avingudes. Una de les primeres coses que vaig veure a Delhi al arribar va ser un grup d'elles dormint tranquilament en un carrer del centre en plena nit. Nomes imagineu-vos els fars iluminant de cop i volta els rumiants enmig de la foscor...

La regla numero 2: Per adelantar, tocar el claxon fins a trencar-se els dits

Les carreteres indies son un festival. Els camions semblen carrosses de reis, pintats de mil colors, amb lletres i brillants enganxats. A vegades porten un triangle reflectant a la part del davant! A mes a mes, constantment se sent algu pitant. No es que es passin el dia queixant-se o estiguin enfadats, es que no tothom te retrovisor. Aleshores el que fan es fer-se sentir per avisar al conductor del cotxe del davant quan volen adelantar.

A la practica aixo vol dir bocinassos constants i vehicles adelantant-se cada pocs metres. Camions adelantant bicis, bicis adelantant peatons, ricksaws pitant per esquivar vaques, cotxes adelantant ricksaws.... I a les carreteres rai, son prou amples. Als carrers de la ciutat es encara mes emocionant, millor que Port Aventura. Ara, si patiu del cor no us recomano conduir per la India. S'ha de tenir mes que sang freda.

La reina de la selva
The queen of the jungle
Allahabad, India, 08/07

Si us plau, toqueu el claxon si us plau
Horn please
Allahabad, India, 08/07

If lion is the king of the jungle, then cow is the queen in the streets of India. In the subcontinent the roads are chaotic. It's not surprising, there are many different vehicles running around. If you go out and start walking in the street you will find: cows, goats, dogs, carriages driven by horses, ricksaws (also known as ciclo-ricksaws), tempos, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks... and also pedestrians who dare to cross the road. They drive on the left, just like in the UK and Japan.
Rule number 1: Show respect to divinities.

In other words, cows. Cows always have priority. You can blow your horn to scare them away, but you can't touch them. Here killing a cow is nearly as bad as killing a person The problem is quantity. There are a lot of stray cows, wandering around everywhere eating what they can and sleeping wherever they want. But this happens mostly in the city, in rural areas cows are usually driven by a shepperd or either well tied near the shack.

In fact they are everywhere: in the pavements, roundabouts, parks, fields, roads, streets, lanes and avenues. One of the first things I saw when I got to Delhi was a group of cows quietly sleeping in the city center in the middle of the night. Just try to imagine the headlights lighting up the ruminants in the darkness...

Rule number 2: Blow your horn until you break your fingers if you want to overtake another car.

Indian roads are like a festival. Trucks look like floats, colorfully painted, with big letters and shiny things sticked to them. Sometimes they also have fluorescent red triangles in the front. Furthermore, there is always someone using the horn. They are not complaining or angry, it's just that not everybody has a rear-view mirror. What they do is make noise to be heard to warn the car below.

In practical terms this means non stopping honks and vehicles overtaking one another each few meters. Trucks overtaking bicycles, bicycles brush passing pedestrians, ricksaws blowing the horn to dodge cows, cars overtaking pedestrians... But in the road is not so bad, they are quite wide. In the city streets it's even more exciting, better than a funfair. But I won't recommend you to drive in India if your heart is weak.

Paniiii

"Pani" vol dir aigua. Un liquid precios es miri per on es miri. Aqui n'hi ha per tot arreu, i mes ara que estem en temporada de plujes. Als camps d'arros verds sobre un mar brillant i lluminos, als bassals que deixen les rodes dels camions als camins i a les voreres, als pous d'on pujen galledes als poblets del camp... Pero no tota es apte per beure. No nosaltres almenys, pobres madams i sirs d'estomac delicat.

L'aigua es un dels temes que preocupaven mes abans de venir. "Vigila amb l'aigua!" em deien. "Sobretot beu-la embotellada". Nosaltres aqui tenim un esterilitzador d'aigua. Un trasto que va conectat a la tuberia i ens proporciona aigua "segura". Sempre hi ha algu que s'encarrega d'omplir les ampolles (7 o 8) que tenim normalment en stock a la nevera.Pero... que fan els que no tenen esterilitzador? La majoria de turistes funcionen a base d'aigua embotellada. La venen a tot arreu a les zones turistiques. Tambe es pot bullir-la i deixar-la refredar. Hi ha altres metodes pero de moment encara no he hagut de recorrer a cap d'ells. La gran majoria dels indis beu aigua sense esterilitzar.

Pel que fa a altres aigues, els indis no consumeixen alchohol. Costa trobar una llauna de cervesa. Als chiringuitos i restaurants no en venen perque per servir alchohol s'ha de pagar un impost especial. A mes a mes, beure no esta massa ben vist.

La xarxa de ferrocaril ven la seva propia marca d'aigua
The railway company has it's own water brand
Allahabad, India, 08/07

"Pani" means water. It's really a precious liquid. Here you can find it everywhere, specially now that we are in the middle of the wet season. In the rice fields over a shiny and brilliant sea, in the puddles made by the trucks in roads and pavements, in the wells where people take water from in the villages... But not all is drinkable. Or at least for us, poor madams and sirs with sensible stomachs.

Before I came, water was one of the issues that mostly worried. "Be careful with water" they would tell me. "Be sure to drink it bottled". Here we have an sterilizer. A machine that's connected to the pipe and gives us "safe" water. There is always someone in charge of filling the bottles (7 or 8) that we keep in the refrigerator.But... what about those who don't have an sterilizer? Most tourists buy bottled water. They sell it everywhere in touristic places. You also can boil it and let it cool down. There are other methods but I haven't used any of them so far. The vast majority of Indians drink non-sterilized water, of course.

Talking about other waters, indian people don't drink. A can of beer it's hard to find. In restaurans and food stands you cannot buy it because you must pay an special tax in order to sell alcohol. Plus, drinking is frowned upon.

Monsoon

He arribat a la India en plena temporada de plujes. Jo m'imaginava una pluja gairebe torrencial, una cortina d'aigua caient a totes hores. Mes aviat va a dies. Durant dos o tres dies el cel esta encapotat i plou ara si ara tambe, sobretot a la nit. L'altre dia va estar caient aigua durant tot el dia, pero va anar molt be perque va refrescar una mica despres d'uns dies mes aviat asfixiants.

Per a la resta de la poblacio les coses no son tant agradables. Moltes de vosaltres heu vist o llegit a les noticies que hi han hagut grans inundacions a Asia a causa del Monzo. Jo me'n he enterat igual que vosaltres, el lloc on visc es forca tranquil i aqui no hi ha hagut majors desastres. Tenint en compte les precaries (per no dir minimes) condicions de vida de gran part de la poblacio d'aquest pais, no es d'estranyar que grans trombes d'aigua provoquin tant de mal.

Terrat
Flat roof
08/07 Allahabad, India

Planta acuatica
Aquatic plant
08/07 Allahabad, India

I arrived to India during the rainy season. I was imagining really heavy rain, buckets and buckets of water falling all day long. In fact, weather it's quite changeable. For two or three days the sky stays grey, raining now and then, speacially at night. Some days ago it kept raining all day long, but it was really convenient because it cooled down the temperature after some really warm days.

For the rest of the population things are not so pleasant. Lots of you have seen or read in the news about the floods around Asia caused by the Monsoon. I heard about it just as you, the place where I am staying it's quite and no major disasters happened. The living conditions of most of the people in this country are very fragile, so it's not surprising the harm heavy rain can do.

Rutina

Namaste minnasan!

Poc a poc em vaig acostumant a la meva nova llar. El dia a dia no varia gaire, pero cada dia aprenc alguna cosa nova. Avui toca explicar-vos a que dedico les hores del dia, com es la meva rutina, vaja.

El meu horari oficial comenca a les 8:00 del mati, hora d'esmorzar. pero normalment em llevo mes aviat, alla les 6 o aixi perque els participants son joves entusiastes i varen insistir a implantar un "morning exercise" per comencar el dia en forma. Normalment m'hi apunto, pero no us espanteu perque no es massa estricte, cada dia se'n encarrega algu diferent. Pot durar des de 30 segons a 10 minuts, a la practica. Despres ells se'n van cap al camp pel "farm practical". Aixo vol dir fer de pages i endurir-se les mans treballant la terra, traient males herbes, regant, plantant i tota la resta.

A les 8:00, esmorzem, i mitja hora mes tard tenim el "morning gathering", que es com una estona de reunio i pregaria. Aqui es quan intento desxifrar alguns dels himnes escrits en hindi, sense massa exit, haig de confessar. La resta del mati i la tarda treballo a l'oficina. Dinem a les 12.30 i despres ells tenen una estona fins a les 2:00 que es quan comencen un altre cop.

La meva feina varia una mica depenent de quan toca classe d'angles. Jo i en Takaya ens encarreguem de les classes (al menys mentre no vingui el professor oficial), intentem que parlin angles decentment sense esmicolar-lo gaire i que perdin la por a expressar-se. La veritat es que no tinc fusta de professora pero em pensava que seria pitjor... Deixo les anectodes per un altre dia.

A mes a mes tambe ajudo al professor Samir i faig fotos aqui i alla, mentre ells fan classe o a algun dels poblets on tenim algun projecte en marxa. Avui he hagut de fer els retrats dels participants i ahir vaig tirar-ne unes quantes mes mentre feiem el transplantament del arros com a "community work".

A grans trets aixo es el que faig sota el ventilador suant la gota gorda (i aixo que treballo en una oficina, planyo els que han de treballar sota aquest sol de justicia). Finalment, acabem el dia sopant a els 19:30. A aquesta hora ja s'ha fet completament fosc. Com que no em queda massa mes energia acostumo a retirar forca d'hora.

Chin pun!

Vista des de la meva finestra (amb sorpresa)
View from my window (with surprise)
Allahabad, 08/07

Namaste minnasan! Little by little I am getting used to my new home. I want to tell you about my routine here, how I spend my hours here.

My oficial workday starts at 8:00 am, breakfast time. Normally I get up earlier, at 6:00 or so because the particiants are young people full of energy who insisted on introducing "morning exercise", in order to be healthier and fit just from the beginning of the day. Usually I join, but don't worry, it's not that strict. Everyday someone different has to lead it. It can long from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. After this they go to the fiel for the "farm practical". This means they will strengthen their hands working with the soil, weeding, watering, planting and all the rest.

At 8:00, we have breakfast, and half an hour later we have "morning gathering". This consists on a moment to pray and meet with the other members of the community. That's when I try to decode the himns written in hindi, but I must say I am not really successful. I work in the office during the rest of the morning and afternoon. We have dinner at 12.30 and the students have some time for themselves before starting classes again at 2:00.

My duties change depending on the english class. Me and Takaya are in charge of these classes (at least, until the official teacher comes), and we try teach the art of speaking nice and decent english while encouraging them to talk. Honestly, I haven't the makings of a teacher but I thought it would be worse... I leave the funny stories for another day.

In addition to this I help prof. Samir and take pictures here and there, of them during their class or whenever we go to visit one of the villages where we have an ongoing project. Today I took the portraits of the participants and yesterday I took some more during rice transplanting we did as community work.

This is just and sketch of what I do under the always spinning fan. We finish eating at 19:30. By then it's completely dark already. I don't have much energy so I end up going to my room quite soon.

Chin pun!

Dixit: Am I an apple? Yes, you are an apple. (during rice transplanting)

Madam

Qui? Jo?

Aqui tothom em diu "madam". Als homes els diuen "sir". No puc evitar sentir-me una mica victoriana quan ho sento. Encara no he averiguat si ho fan amb tothom o nomes amb els estrangers. En tot cas em fa sentir estranya i no precisament jove... Crec que prefereixo el "piasuke"

No els puc demanar que em diguin pel meu nom, aqui "pia" es quelcom semblant a "marit" o "estimat"... Massa compromes em sembla. Tambe haig de confessar que "piaaz" vol dir ceba. M'he estalviat una bona colla de bromes no sent india.

Au revoir mes amis!

Who? Me?

Here everybody calls me "madam". Men are called "sir". I can't help feeling a little victorian when I hear it. I haven't found out yet if that's something they do with everybody or just with foreigners. Anyway it makes me feel strange and not specially young... I think I prefer "piasuke".

I can't ask them to call me by my name, 'cause here "pia" is something as "husband" or "dear". As one of the participants said "what girlfriend says to boyfriend"... Too complicated I guess.. Also I also must confess that "piaaz" means onion. I escaped from a lot of jokes not being indian.

Au revori mes amis!

Dixit: "Where do you belong?"

Namaste!

Des d'Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. No fa ni una setmana que soc aqui i encara estic en proces d'adaptacio.

Estic treballant com a voluntaria en el College of Continuing and Non-Formal Education, adjunt a la Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University. Visc en una comunitat d'unes 20 persones entre estudiants, professors, staff (personal) i demes. Cal dir que durant el dia hi ha forca mes gent treballant per aqui. La majoria de la gent amb qui convisc es india, tot i que hi ha alguns estudiants que son del Nepal o Myanmar (Birmania) i part del staff es japones.

La meva feina? Oficialment soc fotografa, assitent del professor Samir i professora d'angles. De feina no crec que me'n falti.

Allahabad location within India

From Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. It's been less than a week since I arrived and I'm still adapting myself.

I'm volunteering in the College of Continuing and Non-Formal Education, next to Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University. I live in a community of 20 people including participants, teachers, staff and others. During daytime there are more people working around here. Most of the people I live with are indian, although some participants come from Nepal or Myanmar and some people from staff are japanese.

My work? I am the assistant of the theacher Samir, english teacher and photographer. I don't think I'll have time to get bored.

Dixit: "This is India, you know?"