Sarnath & the Alice Project
Trip Start
Aug 06, 2007
1
40
59
Trip End
Jun 03, 2008
Sarnath, India
Friday, December 7, 2007
We're staying at a small guesthouse called Namo Buddha, run by an elderly German woman called Chris who's married to the funniest Indian man (Nehru) who's command of english, french, german, italian etc. as well as his general knowledge is just astounding! Chris cooks+bakes for us the tastiest foods (3 meals a day!), and the place itself is so quiet and peaceful!
On the 7th, woke up at 8am for a tasty breakfast, then went with Gisele + Mayana to the Alice Project school. The Alice Project runs a school from kindergarden to 18year olds, for kids from the lowest hindu caste and adopts a universal style of education
Namo Buddha Guesthouse
. They have meditation sessions, as well as adopting teachings from all the major religions, treating them equally (although the buddhist philosophy dominates), alongside science etc. - everything a child needs to know for life. Many students have simply stayed at the school and become teachers. We got a tour of the school and it was amazing, like i wish my school was as nice. The children were all well behaved, we were surrounded by little boys and girls who'd greet us with Namaste or poke our shoes which apparently is a mark of respect for ur elders.
So the least we could do was offer to help them out for however little time we were staying. They needed help with their computers so Mayana (who's a graphics designer) and i volunteered. The three of us went back to the guesthouse for the lunch Chris cooks, then lounge about on the roof with her husband who'd tell us all kinds of incredibly funny stories and even correct us in our respective languages! (english for me, french for Gisele, german for Mayana). Afters Mayana and i went to the school and sat with Barbara (their italian volunteer who was basically entrusted with the entire website/school computers/everything IT) seeing how we could help. I sorted them out with all sorts of software they needed, things they wished they had but didn't know how to get in india
Mayana, Chris + Nehru
. Also did some video editing for some of their promotional vids. We met up with Gisele back at the guesthouse for dinner, after which we stayed up chatting for a while before heading for bed.December 8th:
Woke up early again, this time for an indian breakfast chris made. Walked down to the school and started working with Mayana+Barbara, installing programs, video editing etc. etc. Went for lunch at Jain guesthouse, picking up Gisele along the way, where we ate with some nuns - was nice food. Walked back to our guesthouse and chilled out on the roof in the sun with Nehru.
Went back to the school with Mayana, Barbara was just leaving so we were left in charge hehe, was pretty cool we were like the tech team. Around 5pm, Gerald (one of the ppl working there) came in to sit with us (bringing chai and biscuits with him!) to see how we were doing and what help we needed. After about an hour the net went down so we couldn't do anymore. Gerald brought in a few of the kids who were orphans living at the school, they were so nice and polite, and he even got one of the little girls to sing for us!
Chris
We left the school around half 6 and went for some internet, getting back to the guesthouse around 8pm. Gisele had a consultation from a Tibetan doctor, who then joined us for dinner telling us about all sorts of foods and how they affect the body etc.
December 9th:
Woke up a little later today, everyone already had their breakfast but Gisele sat with me while i had mine. After just chilled out on the roof in the sun till it was time for lunch, which was a big one where lots of ppl came to join us including Barbara and a friend of hers, the nuns we had lunch with etc.
After Gisele and i went for a daytrip to Varanasi. We walked around the waterfront, and even took a boat ride at sunset which was very cool - we just got some old guy who barely spoke a word, bliss. Afters we went to a local indian cinema to watch an indian film called Om Shanti Om, which was actually very good! And it was a great experience going to an indian cinema where the crowd gets really excited and shouts and cheers at certain scenes, the projector burnt the film a few times and we got these huge shouts from the audience till the movie was back on! The film itself was v cool too, i recommend watching it!
December 10th:
Woke up early, had coffee with Gisele and Nehru at a small chai shop on the main road. I then went to the school and worked all day. At the end of the day the founder of the school Valentino came in to thank me for my work and even gave me some gifts, which i was later told by Gerald was something he doesn't usually do! In the evening i started walking back to the guesthouse, but one of the student-teachers rode by on his bicycle and gave me a lift! :P
At the guesthouse we had our last supper, packed and left for the train station around 11pm for our early morning train, which ran 2hrs late. Gisele and i sat huddled for warmth in the train station with a group of americans and many many tibetan monks!
Comments
I miss home..Sarnath.
I have been staying in Delhi for so long now,learnt all the copmlexities of life.I never thought ,I'd ever feel like going back.But now is the time.I have learnt a lot still learning will keep learning all my life but now I feel like sharing what all I have learnt.
The experience shared in this article has acted very strongly.Home is calling people there need me ...I need them....for a better education of living.