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	Journal from my first week in Pune
Home Identity Construction Political Economy Orientalism Language Borders Religion Annotated Bibliography	back to orientalism July 21 journal entry, five days after arriving in Pune, India Experiencing ‘Traditional India’ In celebration of guru poornima (full moon), I wrote in devnagri “happy guru poornima” for Neeti, my Marathi teacher, on the board, attracting attention from ACM staff as to our progress in the alphabet. After class a violinist gave us a tutorial on Indian classical violin. The violin could not be distinguished from a Western violin, the difference was the way she held it (with the scroll resting on her ankle sitting in a cross-legged position), and the sounds and linkages she made. She didn’t follow a piece of music, it was all based around the movement of the tabla and the secondary violinist. They had all played together for long enough that they knew where to go in the movement of the chords and the climax of the piece. Its exciting to think that no two performances can really be exactly the same. It makes me wonder what its exactly about, since Western music is all in how an orchestra technically executes and emotionally expresses a composed piece. Yet in Indian classical music, it’s about feeling the waves of motion in the music. It almost seems reactionary to me. After a huge lunch, a trip to the cyber café, and a session on mutual expectations, 7 of us walked up Fergusson Hill. The view reminded me how big and crowded Pune is. Its so green but so big and busy. There is so much trash and pollution, yet it looks like a tornado plopped Pune in the middle of a jungle. Ben and I booked it back from the hill to the Iyangar Yoga institute to celebrate guru poornima. Celebrate is a very loose term, since all we did was sit on our haunches for 3 hours in a crowded room, listening to the guru’s son first speak for 2 hours, and then Iyengar himself spoke for 45 minutes. I was struck by some of the analogies—like that of the mother becoming a mother through the birth of her child, thus they make one another. I enjoyed the strong message that we must rely on ourselves to become good students before we can expect anything from others. In my preparation for coming here, I decided that I did not want the ‘traditional Indian experience’ as it is so predictable. I did not want that experience that Westerners generally attach to India, as a mystical oasis. I neglected the history and centered on the present, but I forgot that history informs the present. Tradition is still important in Indian culture. Just as Classical music holds an important place in Western culture, Degas and Edgar Allen Poe are still admired…Tukaram and yoga are important in forming Indian identity. July 25 journal entry A trip to the cultural theme park Sanskruti We entered and sat under tents at Sanskruti as we munched on snacks, then went around the booths that offered face drawings, puppets, pottery, palm reading, henna (which I finally succumbed to since everyone else was doing it) and other odd attractions that supposedly come from Rajasthan. I definitely felt like I was on a bizarre kitchy exploit. But I decided not to act too cool, and I just went with it. When I looked around to see who else was in this cultural theme park, I realized that Indians composed the remainder of the crowd apart from the ACM program. It seems like going to kitchy spectacles like that are just a part of the culture. Its just something I have to act appreciative of. Post India reflection: I think when I went to India I did not want to see the touristy ‘mystical’ or ‘exotic’ side. Yet my host family did not consider those things constructed for tourists, rather as modes of learning about their historical culture. Most of my Maharashtrian friends envied my trip to Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal, trips that they had never made because ‘its just right there, I can go anytime, so I never go.’ Just before I returned to the States, a father whose family I became close with reminded me that I must return so I could see the entire nation, I had missed the Southern states whose “culture is so different.” Generally people were excited to hear that I took tabla (traditional Indian drum) lessons, and yoga lessons. The more activities I did that struck an ‘Orientalist’ chord with me raised my Maharashtrian friends’ respect of me since I demonstrated a will to learn about their culture. back to top
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Journal from my first week in Pune

July 21 journal entry, five days after arriving in Pune, India

Experiencing ‘Traditional India’

In celebration of guru poornima (full moon), I wrote in devnagri “happy guru poornima” for Neeti, my Marathi teacher, on the board, attracting attention from ACM staff as to our progress in the alphabet. After class a violinist gave us a tutorial on Indian classical violin. The violin could not be distinguished from a Western violin, the difference was the way she held it (with the scroll resting on her ankle sitting in a cross-legged position), and the sounds and linkages she made. She didn’t follow a piece of music, it was all based around the movement of the tabla and the secondary violinist. They had all played together for long enough that they knew where to go in the movement of the chords and the climax of the piece. Its exciting to think that no two performances can really be exactly the same. It makes me wonder what its exactly about, since Western music is all in how an orchestra technically executes and emotionally expresses a composed piece. Yet in Indian classical music, it’s about feeling the waves of motion in the music. It almost seems reactionary to me.

After a huge lunch, a trip to the cyber café, and a session on mutual expectations, 7 of us walked up Fergusson Hill. The view reminded me how big and crowded Pune is. Its so green but so big and busy. There is so much trash and pollution, yet it looks like a tornado plopped Pune in the middle of a jungle.
Ben and I booked it back from the hill to the Iyangar Yoga institute to celebrate guru poornima. Celebrate is a very loose term, since all we did was sit on our haunches for 3 hours in a crowded room, listening to the guru’s son first speak for 2 hours, and then Iyengar himself spoke for 45 minutes. I was struck by some of the analogies—like that of the mother becoming a mother through the birth of her child, thus they make one another. I enjoyed the strong message that we must rely on ourselves to become good students before we can expect anything from others.

In my preparation for coming here, I decided that I did not want the ‘traditional Indian experience’ as it is so predictable. I did not want that experience that Westerners generally attach to India, as a mystical oasis. I neglected the history and centered on the present, but I forgot that history informs the present. Tradition is still important in Indian culture. Just as Classical music holds an important place in Western culture, Degas and Edgar Allen Poe are still admired…Tukaram and yoga are important in forming Indian identity.

July 25 journal entry

A trip to the cultural theme park Sanskruti

We entered and sat under tents at Sanskruti as we munched on snacks, then went around the booths that offered face drawings, puppets, pottery, palm reading, henna (which I finally succumbed to since everyone else was doing it) and other odd attractions that supposedly come from Rajasthan. I definitely felt like I was on a bizarre kitchy exploit. But I decided not to act too cool, and I just went with it.

When I looked around to see who else was in this cultural theme park, I realized that Indians composed the remainder of the crowd apart from the ACM program. It seems like going to kitchy spectacles like that are just a part of the culture. Its just something I have to act appreciative of.

Post India reflection:
I think when I went to India I did not want to see the touristy ‘mystical’ or ‘exotic’ side. Yet my host family did not consider those things constructed for tourists, rather as modes of learning about their historical culture. Most of my Maharashtrian friends envied my trip to Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal, trips that they had never made because ‘its just right there, I can go anytime, so I never go.’ Just before I returned to the States, a father whose family I became close with reminded me that I must return so I could see the entire nation, I had missed the Southern states whose “culture is so different.” Generally people were excited to hear that I took tabla (traditional Indian drum) lessons, and yoga lessons. The more activities I did that struck an ‘Orientalist’ chord with me raised my Maharashtrian friends’ respect of me since I demonstrated a will to learn about their culture.

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