quite possibly been the most surreal experience of our lives. cOur roles as 'Environmental Advisors' were to lead a campaign against a rich and rogue paper mill that is polluting the hell out of the local area. In hindsight, I think we've failed. BUT... the work was painfully slow and we made the rookie mistake of expecting to be able to change the world in 2 months. Rule Number 1: It's the little victories that count in the world of NGOs and charity! For example: Writing to the District Magistrate (a big dog here apparently) and actually getting a response, even if it is not entirely promising. Or finding a test lab to test our polluted river water samples (most labs are too afraid of getting embroiled in long ass court cases, so wouldnt go anywhere near us!), even if the results aren't exactly accurate. Or if you get your picture into a national newspaper showing your science-fair demonstration of the paper mill and pollution, but with absolutely no reference to the pollution itself. All of these things have happened by the way. And it proved VERY frustrating. But hey, TII (this is India)!
It's been 10days since I left APK (when I wrote this anyway), and our report, despite being 35 pages long is still not ready. But we learnt a hell of a lot. In particular, the obstacles presented by dorruption in India (and probably the rest of the developing world); the science behind pollution; how much bull India politics is; but also had my first experience of rural India. It was a bit like living the Swades experience (some of you freshies might have seen it!). And we very nearly ended up bringing village girls back with us! But village life really is quite cut off from the rest of the world. Its practically subsistence living within the village. I also learnt Hindi. Well, the crappy village dialect Hindi they use out there. But hey, if I can speak that now, I'm pretty damn sure I'd get by in the land of Bollywood where more normal people live and speak!
The peeps in the village were brilliant. A real laugh, in their own villagey lame way! I often thought what would happen if you picked up all these people and plonked them in Trafalgar Square. They'd be like lemmings walking into each other, and pretty soon they'd litter the place with slums and cornershops! Ok so thats probably an inside joke. But if you saw these people you'd know exactly what we mean! Anyway, for the most part, what happened in APK stays in APK... H and Keno will agree with me on this one. 2 months without alcohol, meat, bog role (yes I have become accustomed to wiping my arse with my left hand, and eating with my right!!), footy, electricity, the internet and the usual friday night out in watford was hard. Especially towards the end, when all the other volunteers had fled! Theres only so much of UP one can take. Stories of contract killers, bandits, rapist rickshaw drivers and teachers would scare most people away, but we soldiered on. Ok, so it wasn't too hard, but the odd trip to Agra (to see the Taj Mahal), Rishikesh (for the Ganga and Himalayas) and Delhi were welcome breaks from village routine. More on these to follow!
PS I expect most will be keeping an eye out for the result tomorrow night in Old Trafford... just dont take us for granted. You WILL be sorry! WE ARE LEEDS (and finally i can say that with pride!)
Peace
Sammy G
x
Saturday 2 January 2010
Monday 21 December 2009
Sammy G has made it to Day 100!!
So, I've somehow made it to Day 100 alive and well. I've had to evade rogue rickshaw drivers after our money, rabied dogs, rabied monkeys, countless near death experiences on India's notorious transport system, and the odd marriage proposal thrown in for good measure. I've flooded my room (Indian taps!!), met some of India's rich and famous, witnessed the truly breathtaking Taj Mahal and bathed in the Ganga. I've lived somewhat of a Slumdog Millionnaire experience for the last 100 days - hell, I've even met Anil Kapoor!
Firstly, this long-awaited blog entry (sorry guys, didn't realise anyone was actually reading this!) is finally possible because I've left rural India and finally have decent access to the internet. So here's a brief account of my experiences so far...
Chapter I - Bangalore/Bengaluru, Karnataka
Bangalore was the first destination on my quest to save India (from what I don't know). Before I arrived I had barely looked into what I would be doing here. Turns out I had to write a proposal for eco-sanitation toilets for rural communities around Bangalore, to help put an end to open defecation. Yep, they've been crapping and pissing on their own farms, and you can imagine what disease this has been spreading. In fact, I learnt in detail the riveting and inspiring science behind crapping and pissing in fields... but thats a story for another day).
Being in a modern city such as Bangalore (the new IT-capital of the world) made the transition to India much easier. Its the pub city of India, everyone spoke English (I'm presuming they still do) and footy is pretty huge there. The only time I got ill was after a drunken night out at the Xtreme Sports Bar (Arsenal won 6-2 I believe) and I foolishly ordered the 'Devils Lamb'... go figure! Every morning I'd have my helping of 3 pooris and the type of chai that leaves you with Diabetes... its no wonder that everyone in India has Diabetes by 40. Sugarcane is grown absolutely everywhere by the way. Anyway, a massive shout out goes to the guys we were working with (Big up the VK Crew!)... they treated us like their own and were great banter (Nags, Sush, Viji, Jalaja Shekar and of course SAAAIIITRAMAAAA!).
We celebrated the end of our month in Bangalore with a fancy dinner at the 5-star luxury Leela Palace Hotel; a dinner at an authentic North Karnatakan restaurant (where we ate off banana leaves); a visit to the famous Bangalore Club (wining and dining where Winston Churchill once did); and took a final opportunity to see a Hollywood movie (Inglorious Basterds - 8/10!) before our next stint in Rural India. There wasnt gona be any shops where I was going, let alone cinemas! The last I heard, my proposal for eco-san had already managed to rake in some sponsorship, so I left a happy (and still unmarried) man.
Chapter II - Let me give you a taste of travelling in India...
We left for the notorious Uttar Pradesh (anyone who knows about UP knows its not a place one should visit!) at the beginning of October, via Delhi where me and H were able to link up with another uni mate, the one and only Keno. Our one night here would prove to be legendary, it happened to be the one night that Hed Kandi were playing in Delhi! The all-nighter that ensued didn't disappoint, and the journey to UP the next morning was inevitably a bit of a bosh-up.
So, onto the travelling experience. We took a 5am taxi to Old Delhi Station. Only to end up at New Delhi Station. The argument that followed with our rogue taxi driver (allegedly Keno's best friend... aside from Alpesh (but thats another story!)) was the most pointless ever and somehow we were forced to part with our money having been taken to the wrong station! We eventually arrived at the right station with 10mins til the train left... 10mins to navigate our way through crowds of early morning commuters, touts, beggars, chai-walas - the typical Indian railway station scene. And we had all our luggage with us. The right platform turned out to be the wrong one, and finding our carriage, then our seats was one of the most stressful experiences we've ever endured... only to find our seats taken. We were forced to sit on our bags next to the toilets, the only space left. And what a surprise, the train left 45mins late! To top it all off, some woman had clearly fallen foul to poorly cooked food, and was to violently vomit out the open train doors every 20mins or so.
I did manage to have a Slumdog moment, hanging off the side of the train as it sailed through te scenery at a good 70mph. It was great to once again feel the fresh air after a smoggy, polluted Delhi. The all-nighter was proving too much and I soon fell asleep, only to be shaken awake by train wardens 4hrs later at what was apparently our stop! H had gotten off in the nick of time, but by the time I got my bags to the door we were once again hurtling away towards the next station. With no phone signal, no loose change (I spent it on one last beer last night!) and not an ATM in sight, I had to blag my way by rickshaw and bus to the little village of Amarpurkashi, with the generous help of local cops (clearly delighted to meet a foreigner in these distant parts!). By now I was absolutely knackered, and upon arrival slept the rest of the day. My troubles provided great entertainment for the villagers and other volunteers when I got there... my adventure in Uttar Pradesh was well and truly underway!
I'll leave it at that for now, Chapter III to follow when I can be bothered... peace!
Sammy G
Firstly, this long-awaited blog entry (sorry guys, didn't realise anyone was actually reading this!) is finally possible because I've left rural India and finally have decent access to the internet. So here's a brief account of my experiences so far...
Chapter I - Bangalore/Bengaluru, Karnataka
Bangalore was the first destination on my quest to save India (from what I don't know). Before I arrived I had barely looked into what I would be doing here. Turns out I had to write a proposal for eco-sanitation toilets for rural communities around Bangalore, to help put an end to open defecation. Yep, they've been crapping and pissing on their own farms, and you can imagine what disease this has been spreading. In fact, I learnt in detail the riveting and inspiring science behind crapping and pissing in fields... but thats a story for another day).
Being in a modern city such as Bangalore (the new IT-capital of the world) made the transition to India much easier. Its the pub city of India, everyone spoke English (I'm presuming they still do) and footy is pretty huge there. The only time I got ill was after a drunken night out at the Xtreme Sports Bar (Arsenal won 6-2 I believe) and I foolishly ordered the 'Devils Lamb'... go figure! Every morning I'd have my helping of 3 pooris and the type of chai that leaves you with Diabetes... its no wonder that everyone in India has Diabetes by 40. Sugarcane is grown absolutely everywhere by the way. Anyway, a massive shout out goes to the guys we were working with (Big up the VK Crew!)... they treated us like their own and were great banter (Nags, Sush, Viji, Jalaja Shekar and of course SAAAIIITRAMAAAA!).
We celebrated the end of our month in Bangalore with a fancy dinner at the 5-star luxury Leela Palace Hotel; a dinner at an authentic North Karnatakan restaurant (where we ate off banana leaves); a visit to the famous Bangalore Club (wining and dining where Winston Churchill once did); and took a final opportunity to see a Hollywood movie (Inglorious Basterds - 8/10!) before our next stint in Rural India. There wasnt gona be any shops where I was going, let alone cinemas! The last I heard, my proposal for eco-san had already managed to rake in some sponsorship, so I left a happy (and still unmarried) man.
Chapter II - Let me give you a taste of travelling in India...
We left for the notorious Uttar Pradesh (anyone who knows about UP knows its not a place one should visit!) at the beginning of October, via Delhi where me and H were able to link up with another uni mate, the one and only Keno. Our one night here would prove to be legendary, it happened to be the one night that Hed Kandi were playing in Delhi! The all-nighter that ensued didn't disappoint, and the journey to UP the next morning was inevitably a bit of a bosh-up.
So, onto the travelling experience. We took a 5am taxi to Old Delhi Station. Only to end up at New Delhi Station. The argument that followed with our rogue taxi driver (allegedly Keno's best friend... aside from Alpesh (but thats another story!)) was the most pointless ever and somehow we were forced to part with our money having been taken to the wrong station! We eventually arrived at the right station with 10mins til the train left... 10mins to navigate our way through crowds of early morning commuters, touts, beggars, chai-walas - the typical Indian railway station scene. And we had all our luggage with us. The right platform turned out to be the wrong one, and finding our carriage, then our seats was one of the most stressful experiences we've ever endured... only to find our seats taken. We were forced to sit on our bags next to the toilets, the only space left. And what a surprise, the train left 45mins late! To top it all off, some woman had clearly fallen foul to poorly cooked food, and was to violently vomit out the open train doors every 20mins or so.
I did manage to have a Slumdog moment, hanging off the side of the train as it sailed through te scenery at a good 70mph. It was great to once again feel the fresh air after a smoggy, polluted Delhi. The all-nighter was proving too much and I soon fell asleep, only to be shaken awake by train wardens 4hrs later at what was apparently our stop! H had gotten off in the nick of time, but by the time I got my bags to the door we were once again hurtling away towards the next station. With no phone signal, no loose change (I spent it on one last beer last night!) and not an ATM in sight, I had to blag my way by rickshaw and bus to the little village of Amarpurkashi, with the generous help of local cops (clearly delighted to meet a foreigner in these distant parts!). By now I was absolutely knackered, and upon arrival slept the rest of the day. My troubles provided great entertainment for the villagers and other volunteers when I got there... my adventure in Uttar Pradesh was well and truly underway!
I'll leave it at that for now, Chapter III to follow when I can be bothered... peace!
Sammy G
Monday 9 November 2009
Day 60... Hed Kandi, a wedding and some applied chemistry amidst all the chaos here!
So it turns out our time at APK has so far been as much a holiday as it has been intense volunteering! But things are picking up, and Operation Shakumbhri (named after the rogue papermill here - see the Wiki page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amarpurkashi_Project) is looking good for an early December finish - when we head to Mumbai and Goa... life is tough!!!
APK produce yet another family to add to their family tree...
Us donning the finest Indian fashion...
The cutest kids we've ever witnessed. Raman and Kanishka
These are the thugs we're trying to take down. Our tactics so far have been to learn Hindi, play footy with the local kids, watch the India-Australia series (damn Aussies!) and sunbathing. And of course...
... Applied Chemistry at its best! Unfortunately, our applied chemistry isn't exactly great. Can anyone shed any light on BOD/COD/TDS/TSS?? Any chemists out there? We're kinda at gridlock right now...
Meeting Mahesh Uncle at the awesome Bangalore Club... as V would say the galdems were Basavanagudi!!
Hed Kandi happened to be performing the one night we were in Delhi 
APK produce yet another family to add to their family tree...
Us donning the finest Indian fashion...
The girls absolutely love us. No change there then
The cutest kids we've ever witnessed. Raman and Kanishka
These are the thugs we're trying to take down. Our tactics so far have been to learn Hindi, play footy with the local kids, watch the India-Australia series (damn Aussies!) and sunbathing. And of course...
... Applied Chemistry at its best! Unfortunately, our applied chemistry isn't exactly great. Can anyone shed any light on BOD/COD/TDS/TSS?? Any chemists out there? We're kinda at gridlock right now...
Meeting Mahesh Uncle at the awesome Bangalore Club... as V would say the galdems were Basavanagudi!!
Hed Kandi happened to be performing the one night we were in Delhi
It was good to see a white face again, especially these ones...
Keep me updated on the news back home!!
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Our Claim to Fame...
We've been in UP for 2 weeks, and already made it into the paper twice! Here's my favourite, and for those of you who can read Hindi you'll see that we are very clearly mentioned... apparently
I'm the one in the blue hoody giving a live demonstration of our crappy model at the College Science Fair. We didn't win any of the 10 prizes up for grabs, but I'll take the moral victory for making it into the paper...
(Click on photo to enlarge!)
I'm the one in the blue hoody giving a live demonstration of our crappy model at the College Science Fair. We didn't win any of the 10 prizes up for grabs, but I'll take the moral victory for making it into the paper...
(Click on photo to enlarge!)
Wednesday 21 October 2009
My First Wonder of the World...
We've been in rural UP for 10 days now. and its gotten too much, so we've come to see the real India. And its situated in an absolute hole!!
You may know it...
Peace x
You may know it...
Peace x
Monday 5 October 2009
Day 30... The end is near for Bengaluru and I
Too much to say. Wayyy too much. So i'll cop out and do some shout outs for some October peeps. Aimz, Minkoo and Shepp - Happy 18th Birthdays (average taken!!). Aimz don't get too drunk (I know what you're like!), Minkoo make the most of your 21st cos you'll never turn 21 again!! (and Watford...what a place to celebrate!) and Shepp I'll be there in spirit for another mashup night out Hong Kong for your 21st.
Other than that, I've consumed at least 200 pooris and 500 cups of chai so far. (and even managed my 10th KFC yesterday!). Yet i've still been laughed at by malnourished local slum kids for having wrists smaller than theirs!! Ahh things dont change wherever I am in the world...
Leeds are top. Love this city. Life is good. Peace
x
Other than that, I've consumed at least 200 pooris and 500 cups of chai so far. (and even managed my 10th KFC yesterday!). Yet i've still been laughed at by malnourished local slum kids for having wrists smaller than theirs!! Ahh things dont change wherever I am in the world...
Leeds are top. Love this city. Life is good. Peace
x
Friday 25 September 2009
Day 20... lets put some pics up!
Firstly. This is the big bad boss, Nagrajji. He's actually a big softy, and we reckon he's the Indian Peter Griffin! We call him Naggie. And he luvvvvvvs it!
We've added some style to the Vidyanikethan cause, they show some seeerious respect now
The kidlems...
The VK school bus... they fit around 30kids into a small minivan (apparently here its half-full! So someone please sponsor VK for a new school bus!!)
Recognise this anybody? Yes yes, my favourite... bhinda (you may know it as ladies fingers)
Now if there has been a Kodak moment, this has certainly been it...
The lads in action
Presenting the kids at Marga Susi (a hostel for kids of CSWs) with a gift... these kids certainly left an impression on us, VKs got it spot on with this one!
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