Dear Oles, Professors, and Global Enthusiasts,
We last left you in Mumbai, where our Indian adventures began. We have since moved on to Whitefield, a small town on the outskirts of Bangalore. Here we have all settled comfortably into our lives at the Ecumenical Christian Center (the ECC). What a contrast from our fast paced life in Cairo! The ECC is a sanctuary of peacefulness. We are enjoying the clean air and the beautiful grounds. Each of us is finding different pieces of Indian culture to be delightful, whether it is tea time--served twice daily--or early morning yoga. (Not as many of us delight in the yoga, but there are the few, flexible, early-morning risers...) There are times when we miss the bustle of the city, but we are all appreciating small-town living, and the extremely friendly and hospitable Indian people. We haven't had any crash courses in Hindi or other Indian dialects as we did in Egypt with Arabic, but this is due to the fact that many people here speak English. Nearly all Indians, especially those in the upper/middle class, are raised bilingual--one of the reasons India has developed into the globalized country it is today. Though this makes it impossible to know what dialect an Indian is speaking at a given moment, it is convenient because we are able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. As a result, several of us have loved getting the chance to make friends with Indian men, women, and children alike.
After a few days at the ECC, we took a short excursion to the city of Pondicherry, which is located about eight hours north on the Bay of Bengal. On the way, we stopped in a town called Tiruvannamalai to make a few visits. First we went to an inter-faith dialogue center called Quo Vadis. Stemming from a Lutheran church, Quo Vadis fosters dialogue between all of the different faiths which thrive in India. The director, Pastor Joshua Peter, is a Lutheran, and he works alongside Hindus, fellow Christians, and people who don't proscribe to any one religion. In this way, Quo Vadis is a beautiful example of India's syncretism and pluralism. Upon our arrival we were received with a very warm welcome. Men in traditional dress played drums and cymbals as women in sarees placed scarves around our necks. We have definitely experienced this Indian hospitality on multiple occasions. After a tour of the grounds we were able to participate in a meditation. Through this, we could all see that religious pluralism really can enhance our own faiths, whatever they may be.
Later that day we visited Lebanon House, a shelter for abandoned and destitute women. Each of us was given the opportunity to meet with the women individually. Many of the women were widows or divorcees. All of them were examples of the fact that most lower class women, especially those in smaller, undeveloped towns, do not have much opportunity on their own. At Lebanon House, the women are given security and shelter--a small, one-room, concrete home. In return, they work either on the farm, located right on the property, or in the weavery. Much like Market Place in Mumbai, Lebanon House provides not only shelter, but it gives women trade skills and money that they ordinarily would never have access to.
We were greeted at Lebanon House with a special surprise. Two of the volunteers working there were an older couple who were not only Ole alums, but Global alums--alums from Global Semester 1! Being Global 40, it was inspiring to see how the Global program influenced them in such a way that they have now returned to one of the countries they visited to dedicate part of their lives to making a difference there. It made a few of us wonder where we will be in 40 years.
Finally, thanks to a connection of Pastor Joshua Peter, we were able to visit the Hindu temple of Tiruvannamalai. What a wonderful exposure to the Hindu religion. We witnessed a Brahman (priest), give an offering. He then blessed each of us, placing long strands of flower around our necks.
Once in Pondicherry we got to take a ferry boat ride on an inlet of the Bay of Bengal. Being that it is monsoon season, we should not have been surprised when we got poured on within the first ten minutes of the ride. While we were trying desperately to huddle underneath our raincoats and umbrellas, we came upon a group of fishermen, still waist deep in the water, catching their fish. We were able to see that, rain or not, their work is their livelihood. They would continue to stand there, fishing in the pouring rain, until nightfall.
What a contrast this was to visiting Secon, a large, Indian company on the outskirts of Bangalore. Started in the 1980's with only three people, the company now boasts an 850 person staff, work coming in from around the globe (though it is not a multi-national), and an annual profit increase of 26.3%. Not bad for a company started in a country where you cannot get a loan without collateral. Secon provides a multidisciplinary range of services from design consulting to investigation services. They plan and design anything from irrigation systems, to highways. Using GIS software (geographic investigation system), the engineers at Secon are able to draw up a set of plans in merely four hours as opposed to four days--which is how long it would ordinarily take. Obviously this software has enabled Secon to develop into a strong, reputable company. Secon is dedicated to quality, and 60% of their work is continuous, meaning their clients return time and again.
Our experience at Secon was informative and friendly. The power-point presentation they prepared for us welcomed us as "Ideals to Actions Folks," and having gone to stolaf.edu , they had found the "Um Ya Ya" lyrics and kindly asked us to sing for them. Once again, Indian hospitality at it's best.
Though Secon is not a multi-national company, nor is it located in Silicon Valley, it was very interesting to see an example of such a strong company thriving in Bangalore. It is here, after all, that Thomas Friedman claimed the world to be flat. While most of us would conclude that India is not quite flat, it is companies like Secon that are certainly leveling the playing field.
India has proved to be a beautiful, interesting, and sometimes confusing country. We all look forward to diving even deeper into this rich and diverse culture which we love so much. Until next time, know that we are safe, healthy and happy.
Love,
Global '08
