Travel 2013: Island hopping in Thailand

Starting in Bangkok, we took an overnight train to Surat Thani, transferred to a boat and then spent a few nights in Koh Samui.  (Koh means island.)  Next, we got another boat and spent a week on Koh Tao, a few islands to the north.  Two days ago, we took an overnight boat back to Surat Thani, and a mini-van and ferry through Krabi to Koh Lanta, on the west coast.  Here's a map of the route:

Click here are some photos from our island hopping, stay tuned for an accompanying text update:

Travel 2013: Bangkok food

Thai food, as you may already know, is by and large wholly delicious.  One amazing example are the ubiquitous "pancake" or "roti" stands at nearly every tourist hub.  In my opinion they're more like crepes than pancakes, but hey, I'm not complaining.  I took a video of one being prepared -- it's not sped up at all, he's just super fast.  And it was delicious - all for 25 baht, which is less than $1.

Travel 2013: Bangkok

We’ve spent just under a week in Bangkok so far and are headed south on a sleeper train tonight to the island of Koh Samui.  Before we depart, I want to share a few observations and notes on what we’ve seen here so far.  (As always, more photos here.)

A few observations:
-> Thai people seem so happy! Passersby look at me almost expectantly and when I smile, they smile back!  And their smiles take up their whole face, genuinely.  Not like just the mouth-only smiles in the U.S. - clearly a nicety - these people seem to be smiling with emotion behind it.
-> There are cats everywhere and sometimes they enjoy a good petting.  I take advantage of these situations and get my cat-fix met.
-> Water taxis are a veritable mode of public transportation. For the equivalent of 50 cents, you can go to anywhere along the river in a long boat that very efficiently offloads passengers.
-> The streets of Thailand are basically a meat fest.  At nearly any point, you can stop and get BBQ'ed meat on a stick.  Hot dogs, various other sausage-looking things, chicken, squid, fish, etc, etc., oh and bacon wrapped hot dogs, as well as many meats unknown to me, but they pretty much all always smell delicious.  I haven’t succumb to the temptation yet, but I was close this morning.
-> 7-11s here are like Starbucks in the U.S.  I'm in an internet cafe (a cafe called Internet Cafe actually) where next door there is a 7-11 across the street from another 7-11.  We got directions to the boat taxi pier from our hotel as such: "at the first 7-11 cross the street until you reach the second 7-11, then turn right."
-> Thai iced tea on the street is amazing.  I will attempt to capture a video of someone making it.  There's something special about the crushed ice that makes it also amazing.  That and sweetened condensed milk is nearly always glorious.
-> "Bangkok," by the way, is a nickname.  It's full name (as we learned on the plane over) is the longest city name in the world. Here it is: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit.  In English, that is: City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Visvakarman at Indra's behest.  (According to Wikipedia, which has a specific segment on it's name.)

Attractions:

Buddhas at Wat Po

*Wat Po (6.13)
Wat (Temple) Po is a large complex built around a gigantic reclining Buddha.  At 46 meters long (that's over 120 feet), the gilded Buddha lays covered by an intricately decorated temple building.  His feet are black with inlaid mother of pearl scenes depicting his journey to enlightenment.  Each toe has concentric circles like toe prints.  The interior walls of the building were painted with various scenes.

This particular temple is also home to the greatest number of representations (at least 1,000) of Buddha in all of Thailand, so not only are there walls that tell the story of his life, there are multiple other buildings that house dozens of golden statues of the Buddha, surrounded by even more murals.

The entry gates are watched over by towering stone-carved guardian figures holding swords dressed in warrior garb.

Bugs!  For eating!  On Khao San

*Khao San (6.13)
Khao San is the main tourist thoroughfare of Bangkok - hosting bars that blare loud music, clubs offering live bands, and an eclectic mix of street vendors - everything from sarongs and dresses to grasshoppers and scorpions (for eating).  Crepe makers, meat BBQ'ers, and pad thai on demand, cooked to your liking, and with meats of your choosing.  At each end, there are a group of men hawking tuk tuk rides to "pussy markets" and the red light district.

Buddha at the Grand Palace

*Grand Palace (6.14)
The Grand Palace is a rambling complex of temples, throne rooms, stupas, gardens, and royal residences.  It's also home to the Emerald Buddha, a life size (?) green effigy that perches atop a pile of gold - a throne surrounded by other bodhisattvas (I assume).

Mangosteens, lychees and rambutans at the Chatuchak Market

*Chatuchak Weekend Market (6.15)
We took a boat taxi down the Chao Phraya River to the sky train stop, got on the sky train and arrived at the Chatuchak market for just under $2 each.  Chatuchak is the world's largest weekend market - at over 35 acres, it attracts over 200,000 shoppers each day.  The path from the market to the sky train station was lined with vendors selling toothbrush holders, skirts, BBQ'ed meat, iPhone covers, and everything in between.  Right outside the market are food stands with lots of tables outside cooking delicious smelling meals.  We grabbed a half-frozen chrysanthemum juice for 30 cents on the way in - a cold and sweet start.  Inside we saw so many clothes - Thai and Indian styles, American brands, and lots of smaller stands with custom-made pieces.  Tailors too with old-timey foot powered sewing machines.  The weekend market was a maze of necklaces, bracelets, wallets, purses, rings, and high-end home decorations and furniture.  After a quick snack, we happened upon the animal area: sugar gliders next to scorpions and iguanas.  Adorable (but hot) kittens and puppies, baby rabbits.  Throughout the day, we would spend a few minutes looking at wares, then went to the outskirts to grab some delicious grub, including: pad see ew (fat, fried rice noodles + veggies), a taro (sweet root veggie) waffle from the sky train station, freshly made coconut ice cream, pad thai, and coconut water.  While we ate our coconut ice cream, we stood behind a fresh fruit vendor who was eating bugs out of a bag instead of her fruit.  Still haven’t tried the bugs.

Towards the heavens at Wat Arun

*Wat Arun (6.16)
This morning we boarded a boat taxi down the river and then transferred to a different boat that took us across the river for 10 cents each.  We got off at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, or Wat Arun, a temple that is a relic from the former seat of power.   The tower and surrounding stupas are decorated with mosaic pieces that look almost like shaped broken dishes –some with a familiar blue and white floral Chinese look to them.  From afar, Arun looks gray, but up close and in the sun, you can see the glimmer and color of every piece of tile – a two-hundred-foot (86 m) tall tower mosaic stretching toward the heavens.  Near the bottom of each of the main tower and four surrounding, smaller towers, there’s a row of guardians – holding the towers up and protecting them from ...something bad.  Climbing the steep stairs was reminiscent of climbing Teotihuacan near Mexico City – the steep steps demand continuous attention and require a break at the top to catch your breath and balance.  The main tower affords great views of the city, traffic on the river, and a different perspective of the four towers below.  After we got back down and explored a little more, we followed the sound of chanting monks to a temple that, not surprisingly, was home to another large, golden Buddha.

Stay tuned for updates coming from the southern islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.

Travel 2013: One line thoughts from India

Itmad-Ud-Daulah, Agra - Click for more photos

- In Agra , water is stored on the top of the roof in a large, black plastic tank. So after a day in 115 degree heat, taking a shower is not refreshing at all.
- Bathrooms are never air conditioned and rarely have a fan, so if you're in there for any more than 30 seconds you're sweating.
- People ask us where we're from (actually the question is usually, "what country?").  A few times I asked back, "where do you think?"  Responses have included Canada, Germany and Iceland.  This is strange to me because I had assumed they knew we were Americans, but I guess that's not the case.
- Most checks at restaurants are served with a bowl of fennel seeds, which are sometimes coated in sugar, but more often raw and accompanied with large sugar crystals. It aids digestion and is called saf.
- Amid other smells, frequently I smell incense burning in vendor's stalls, restaurant checkout counters, and shrines in nearly every place.
- There are small shrines everywhere - in trees, in taxi/rickshaws, in the middle of strip malls, in many homes,...
- At lunch one day, we talked with Uma a little about gender. She said that having children is the pinnacle of womanhood, something that men will never be able to. Since this is the case, she suggested that women don't have reason to worry about “success” as men do – in terms of their career.
- The taxi drivers often approach us saying: “Yes ma’am, taxi” – assuming we’ve asked. Sometimes they say “taxi maybe tomorrow."
- It’s really great to see men holding hands and walking in the street with their arms over each other’s shoulders. I’m glad men can express visible camaraderie with other men.
- Being here makes the U.S. seem so organized.
- Most residential (non-slum) buildings I’ve seen are made of brick and cement – not wood, but I assume this is more typical of big cities.
- At some point, Uma told Licia she needs to gain 10 KGs – something that may be typical for all old world parents and grandparents.
- We saw stairs leading to tunnels labeled “Subway” in Mumbai but were confused because we had heard of no subway stations. Then, on the way to Haji Ali, we decided to use a subway to cross a busy intersection and were both surprised to see nothing remotely like a metro station – that’s because a subway is just that – and underground way to cross the intersection.
- In addition to normal express trains, the Indian Railroad runs “superfast express trains.”
- Any space can become a cricket field. Whether it is an empty field, a garbage dumping space, or ruins in the middle of a city, groups of young boys convene to play together.

Travel 2013: Travel log for the past few days

Candolim Beach, Goa - Click for more pictures

5.24, Panaji Goa
When we got to Panaji, we walked around to find a hotel.  We got to one and tried to bargain with the price, after which the woman at the reception desk suggested we go into a back office and talk to the man.  We then asked to see the room, which was quite large and air conditioned.  After, we were escorted back to his office.  He was clearly not occupied with anything prior to us coming to his office, which was littered with multiple half-drunk liquor bottles, including Jonnie Walker Black Label.  He wore multiple large rings and talked with his hands together on the top of his desk in a slow measured voice about how many amenities he offered and how he was offering us a good price.  We said we were going to think about it (i.e. check out other hotels) and he said “don’t think.”  It was difficult to maintain our composure and not talk back to him or laugh at the mafia style type of interaction we were having.  We ended up staying for one night paying our price and then leaving for a different hotel owned by a woman.

5.26, Candolim
We’re in a beach town called Panaji in Goa, but it’s difficult to swim.  Often there are nearly naked men on the beach along with fully clothed women – I mean in full saris.   As if a man might accidentally throw himself at a less-clothed woman.  It’s such a low expectation that has violently been lived up to too many times.

Today we spent the afternoon watching some TV in the hotel in the air conditioning because the sun was too intense to be outside.  The main thing I noticed was so many commercials about skin lightening creams.  There were also several ads to clean pollution off your face.

Walking along the sidewalk, you can see cow prints in the sand.

5.27 (candolim, fort aguada, panaji, sleeper bus)
People we’ve talked to or asked for help finding things are either completely unhelpful or way more helpful than necessary.  For example, some people will listen to the question and then just turn away and ignore you.  On the other hand, today we asked a woman for directions to a fort.  She told us it was up the road a few kilometers, then offered to take us “triple seated” on her motorcycle, and then offered to teach us how to drive her motorcycle.

5.28 (sleeper bus and Thane, temple at night)
Shruti’s dad told us about I.S.T., or Indian stretchable (not standard) time, where leaving at 5pm turns into solidly after 7, and a “15 minute walk” to the closest grocery store is often an undeterminable distance.

At “5,” we went with Uma, her husband and his mother to a temple, because it was the fourth night past the full moon.  This means that if you bring your problems to the deity (can’t remember which one) they will be solved.  It was also the shifting of Jupiter from one astrological sign to another.  I learned that temples are often modeled after the 9 planets, including a small shrine for each one.  I wondered how they’ve responded to the recent declassification of Pluto.

5.29 (train to Aurangabad)
Travelling allows you to see “normal” – not just your own, as reflected by expectations about how things “should be,” but also the things that pass as normal to those who inhabit the space.  I like being able to have the curiosity of a child, and ask people about everyday things. However, sometimes asking about what things are or do is risky in that it might be rude to ask…and I might not be able to convey that I’m sorry for the transgression …but can you be?

We took a train to Aurangabad, the closest city to the Ellora caves.  We sat next to a man who was taking what sounded like business calls, interrupted by smoke breaks.  At one point, he bought a few bags of fried Indian snacks and a coke.  After a while, after both Licia and I had eaten bananas, I opened a bag of chips, to which he said, “not good for health.”  It was the only thing he said to us the entire time.

Later that night, in Aurangabad, we took a rickshaw to a himroo loom center where they make silk fabrics by hand.  One loom we saw had a 6,000 thread count – woven by hand.  On the way we saw a rickshaw with the words “shit happens” printed on the back.

Licia with family who wanted to take her picture.

Often we are objects of interest.  People find us curious to look at and want to take our pictures.  Many people ask us where we’re from and want to shake our hands.  A few younger adults have wanted to friend us on Facebook.  Little kids stare at us curiously and sometimes their moms try and push them to say “hi” to us or shake our hands, generally the kids don't want to.  Twelve year old boys on the street yell “hello” and wave.  Most of the time I’ve found this amusing, but sometimes, like when I needed to sit down because I almost passed out from the heat, I find it a little off-putting, because people don’t really care what we’re doing and will interrupt anything to ask.

5.30 - Ellora
The Ellora caves were carved between the 5th and 7th century by three groups of monks – Jains, Buddhists, and Hindus.  They’re very intricate and very well preserved.  Like outdoor monasteries, they’re “one with nature” and have bats, monkeys, squirrels, birds, and other creatures in and around them.  On the taxi ride there, you can see layers of buildings stretching back some 2000 years – from tombs, forts, and more recent tourist-centric constructions.  It is easy to clearly feel history in the present.

5.31 night train back to Thane
One of the most striking things about India is the proximity of extreme poverty and luxury.  From the air conditioned room that has a flat-screen TV in an apartment building, I can see people living in shacks cooking over fire.  Potentially homeless and illiterate, often barefoot rickshaw drivers wait outside Western-inspired multi –level malls.  Early in the morning or at nighttime we often pass people sleeping on the street or in the taxi they drive; it’s not clear if this is a temporary or permanent bed.

I’ve seen slums in Latin America – those outside Mexico City are vast and densely populated.  However, what’s different about India is how close the rich and poor live.  Another way to say this is that even if you’re feeling bad about your situation, there’s usually someone else in view that is in a worse situation.

6.1
We talked with Shruti about judging another culture.   My main question is, is it possible to do it in a way that isn’t inherently anthropocentric and imperialistic? In other words, can I make any observations as a U.S.-er about a culture that doesn’t necessarily rely on my frame as coming from an imperialist country?  Won’t all my judgments definitely be shaded with my expectations as based in my U.S. upbringing?

I’m not worried as much about political correctness, but then again, I don’t really know what is and is not politically correct in India.  For some things, like using plastic, it’s easier to say that it’s messed up and we (all) need to find a solution.  For things like whether or not things are sexist/oppressive to women, it gets more difficult.  I’m wondering when this becomes a question of pedagogy of the oppressed.

6.2
Today we flew from BOM to DEL.  Security lines are always gender segregated (men, women).  Women are often patted down by another woman and usually within a cloth enclosed privacy box.  The line to get in deviated between women who had bags to run through the X-ray scanner and those who didn’t.  Those who didn’t proceeded directly to the pat down area, and the line was very long, so it didn’t make sense to put your bag through the scanner and then wait in a line we’d already waited in, but no one wanted to let us in.  So the space up to the scanner/gate thing became completely filled with women, no semblance of a queue (line), and women behind me were yelling about not having a double queue.  People were pushing from the back so multiple women were standing in the scanner machine, and then the guards started yelling.  Meanwhile people are prodding me forward and being irritated with me “cutting” in the line I’ve waited in, and I’m wondering what is happening to my bag at the end of the X-ray machine.  I started laughing a few minutes in at the absurdity.

6.3, exploring Delhi
We spent today exploring Delhi.  We rode the Metro and I was struck at how nice it is.  There are gender segregated cars – which is great because the men’s cars get packed, and the women’s cars have been often much more empty.  The gender segregation is such that I’ve seen a mother and son get on the women’s car and the son stands on the other side of the divider.  The cars are fully air conditioned, have LED indicators for the stops (where it’s been, where it’s going), and spaces for people who are “differently abled.”

Our first stop was the area around the India Gate (this time commemorating Indian soldiers, not the British colonization).  We took an autorickshaw to a Tibetan market, but were promptly hungry.  Unfortunately the only food options we could easily find were Pizza Hut and McDonalds.  So we checked out the McDonalds, which turns out to only serve chicken and vegetarian options.  Licia tried a McAloo Tikka burger.  Sucked into the bastion of Western familiarity (and the novelty), I got chicken nuggets.

We also went to Purana Qila, a super old fort with a mosque built in 1541.

In the heat of the day we stopped in at the Imperial Hotel (that’s seriously the name) for high tea.  For USD$15 you get tea, scones, jam and cream, desserts like eclairs, tea sandwiches, and an air conditioned atmosphere so vastly different from the street market we just arrived from.

Chandi Chowk

After we went to another area of town, called Chandi chowk/Chawri Bazaar.  It looked much different than the other parts of Delhi and India I’ve seen.  The streets are loaded with bicycles and bike-rickshaws and are packed to the brim with people (mostly men) walking around.  The power lines are hung low and dogs and cows roam freely.  The 3-4 story buildings looked commercial on the bottom and residential on the top and the road was narrow.

6.4, train to Agra
On the train to Agra, we played cards while 5 men stared at us.

Stay tuned for more thoughts on Agra and Delhi before we leave for Bangkok, Thailand on Monday!

Travel 2013: Indian Railway pt 2

5.24 – Night train to Goa
Anyone speaking in an elevated voice on the train is selling food or chai. Speaking of food, we’ve been completely vegetarian so far, and it’s very easy to be veg here.  However, it's rare to find raw vegetables, which I'm currently craving.  Most foods have veggies cooked into a sauce/gravy or chutney, or battered and fried -- the majority of which have been delicious.

A thought on the train: after thousands of years of burning our garbage, now it’s cancerous. Plastic, when burned, releases dioxin, a known and banned carcinogen. Whereas previously (and still, but more rarely), food has been served in leaves shaped into bowls and ceramic cups for chai, you could dispose of it on the side of the tracks and soon it would biodegrade. Now, evidence of plastic’s longevity is everywhere - on the roadside, in rural farm fields, in the stomachs of stray dogs, and burnt and sent up as toxic fumes.

Travel 2013: Mumbai

HORN OK PLEASE, written on many trucks as a plea to notify the driver of intent to pass -- click for more pictures

5.20 - Mumbai, first impressions
Slums packed right up to the boundary of the airport, intense eye contact from male passersby, brightly colored traditional women's clothing, tropical plants and air that feels like an oven.  A thick mix of smog and humidity blankets the city.  Big trucks and buses that say HORN OK PLEASE on the back.  Many tuk tuks / autorickshaws buzz past driven by persistent shoeless men.

The smells of development - burning plastic, construction materials, underregulated vehicular exhaust - hint at a country eager to catch up in the global rat race to success and happiness.

Licia at India Gate - click for more photos

5.20
Spicy mango chutney and white processed, individually wrapped cheese on toast, with a juicy alfonso mango, banana cut into museli with warm milk which is somehow, deliciously, more like the consistency of oatmeal, a small cup of coffee with sugar and Tropicana pomegranate juice.  This was my first meal in India, prepared by a friend's mom, Uma, in her house in a northern suburb of Mumbai.  After, she gave us a tour of her shrine, just off the kitchen in their third floor apartment, naming off deities and gurus, "in Hindu households you always find a place for God," she says.

Uma hired a driver who drove us around for an air conditioned view of many sights of southern Mumbai - starting with the India Gate.  Built to commemorate British colonialization, there is no visible or audible hint of any hard feelings. There were lots of people, apparently kids are on school holiday.  Someone with a plastic film camera shot our picture.

We are objects of interest here.  Men stare penetratingly and make me wonder what they're looking for.  Sometimes they break eye contact first if I am able to convey no emotion on my face - a tough exterior which fights my U.S. reflexive smile as a response to two gazes meeting.  Their eyes don't betray anything I can read as desire to connect - no clear compassion, niceness, or willingness to stop for a chat.  I want to see how his expression changes as if I start conversation.

We crossed the street to the Taj hotel, now famous as the survivor of 2008 terrorist attacks.  We took refuge from the intense heat to a restaurant that overlooks the Gate inside the hotel had some traditional chaat (street food/snacks) served gourmet. When Uma insisted on paying, she said the mandate of "treating guests as your God."

Pre-travel thoughts

I imagine Thailand like Costa Rica –coasts rich in biodiversity, both on shore and off.  Lush, dense greenery with active mammal life.  Slow-moving and laid back people sipping cool drinks and partaking of the local seafood, with a tropical fruit twist.  Rundown machinery, from boats to street lamps, corroded by time and salt spray.  Probably a few sprinkled-in politically radicalized white, American ex-pats slinking by with few resources.

I caught myself in this imagery realizing that I also have no idea what Thailand will be like.  I’ve never been to a place where I didn’t remotely know the language or one of its linguistic cousins.  I’m apprehensive about going somewhere with clearly undeveloped communication skills.  I met someone a few weeks ago who said, though that communicating without spoken language can present a deeper, more human connection.  I’m not sure what she meant, but I’m excited to figure it out.  Excited and a little anxious – but that’s how it goes.

Some things I want to do in India:

• Take a train ride.
• Beaches?
• See wildlife
• Meet some people – Startup stay? Couch surfing?
• Meet up with a friend in Mumbai/Pune
• English tea
• Taj Mahal
• Eat: a mango, mango lassi, chai masala, a fruit I've never heard of

I'll let you know how it goes!  T minus 38 hours!

Letter to the Editor

Land Grant Institution should use Renewable Energy

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology in 2008 and recently came back to the University for a Master’s program. When I was an undergrad, I worked with other students to urge the University to become more sustainable. We urged: build a wind turbine, create a strong Office of Sustainability, and include sustainability topics in classes. Unfortunately, since I’ve come back I’m not sure that the University has gained much ground on these fronts. U of I - as a land grant institution - should be striving to become a leader, to demonstrate to our state and local communities what sustainability means: using renewable energy, enacting policy changes, engaging students for educational advancement, among many other potential activities.

I am disappointed that our university has continually dragged its collective feet on building a wind turbine on campus. I started working on this project in 2005 and have spent countless hours with many other students. Students in the form of the Student Sustainability Committee as well as the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation have committed millions of dollars to the project and the University has shown little follow-through.

It is time now to move past coal-powered electricity plants and toward renewable energy. We know about climate change enough to commit to this. Given this knowledge and such inaction, what will we say to our children and grandchildren? Will we say we did all we could?

Ari Sahagun
Graduate student in Communication

rainstick

I'm sitting next to a window working, but I wanted to write that the sleet falling outside hitting the metal screen and the roof next door sounds like a giant rainstick.

Two month report: Americorps

I chose to do Americorps so I could stay in my own country. Perhaps it was also slightly motivated by some underlying "white guilt," my struggles with the current re-definition of colonialism, or neo-colonialism. I want to make sure I'm not part of it, or at least to understand it more and then become a part of it intentionally.

However, I'm not sure I'm able to do that. I have felt like an "outsider" here, still, even in my own country. Also, ironically, one of my strong points for getting this job was my ability to speak Spanish, which I mostly gained from travelling to other countries, and, arguably, spreading ideas of American colonialism.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though; I am working for the US Government. I am an agent of propaganda as much as I wear that identity, which, incidentally, is strongly encouraged. So far, I've received 5 items of clothing from VISTA with the Americorps logo. "You're our best advertisements," they told us during training. I don't doubt that. Here is where the articles of clothing are produced:

So much for not taking part in neocolonialism!

(Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Honduras, and Haiti)

I guess I could contextualize this journal entry a little better. I'm currently reading an article by Kim England called "Getting Personal: Reflexivity, Positionality, and Feminist Research." It's part of my work toward researching the feasibility of low-income car-sharing. There's a specific section of my research called 'research approach' so we can be more reflexive, and more intentional about our methods. England brings up several good, albiet challenging, points. In a nutshell: how can the researcher NOT bring a power struggle into the relationship of researcher-researched? She suggests "supplication", in which “the researcher explicitly acknowledges her/his reliance on the research subject to provide insight into the subtle nuances of meaning that structure and shape everyday lives.” (3) I'm really glad to be reading this kind of critical article.

Also, sort of on a side note (at this point, because I'm not sure how to integrate it), England quotes Stanley and Wise (1993): "treating people like objects – sex objects or research objects – is morally unjustifiable." I've honestly never thought of this, and it's quite an interesting wrench to throw in the gears of normal qualitative research methonds.

How does this boil down into the work I am and will be doing in Buffalo's lower-income neighborhoods? How will I continue to negotiate the boundaries between my status as a US citizen and an outsider to this city?

Stay tuned to learn the answers to these questions and many more!

Preview

Up next: How I find myself in the unlikely situation of being in Americorps...

AmeriCorps Motivational Statement

So I'm not bragging about this mediocre statement, but I haven't written anything in a while, so here goes. What follows is my personal statement for a position I'm applying for with AmeriCorps. Let me know what you think.

When I went to New Orleans, I felt self-actualized for the first time in my life. As a psychology student, I had read about self-actualization in textbooks and heard of it in lectures; I understood the concept well. But it wasn’t until I chose to spend my spring break in New Orleans helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts that I actually knew what self-actualization felt like.
I had put myself in an unfamiliar situation; I found myself in a van full of people I had just met (except for one friend) and strapped in for the 14-hour drive south. I had no idea what to expect, and I had just decided to go on this trip because other plans fell through. I’d have to say, though, that it was the best last-minute choice I’ve made in my life.
The first morning in New Orleans I met Jeremiah. He was the volunteer coordinator: the top of the hierarchy of people in charge of the place I was staying – a makeshift shelter in an abandoned warehouse serving as lodging for about 120 college kids on spring break. Jeremiah was one of the first people in my life who I felt believed in me, someone who recognized my skills and valued them.
I worked alongside Jeremiah coordinating volunteers, contacting residents about rebuilding or gutting, and staffing the volunteer center. To say it was uncharted ground for me would be an understatement. I had never been in such a position of leadership, nor entrusted with as much responsibility. I wrote press releases and helped coordinate a large press conference to occur after I left, things I had never done before. But I like to get my hands dirty. I like challenges. So I wouldn’t say I was afraid.
That spring break in New Orleans was also the first time I realized that I like working with people, a lot. I had done other service projects in the past, but until then I don’t think I would’ve recognized myself as passionate about working with others. It was a great feeling to know that I was working with so many others who had taken the time to come down and help out. We had felt a similar draw to devote our time to, and this became an instant bond.
Some of us are called to action when we learn about what goes on in the world, as we become aware of the amount of suffering that occurs to other humans, other living beings, and the planet itself. Individually, though, I think we are very limited. In other words, there is very little we can do in isolation, by ourselves. But once we start talking to people about our ideas and our passions, that changes. Following my passion of self-actualization and surrounding myself with people who radiate their own passion have been my guiding forces since New Orleans. Only by putting our heads together, learning about each other’s skills, and harnessing our passions can we begin to make an impact.

Letter to the Editor

I'm trying to clean out my closet of random things I've pack-ratted away during 4 years at college. I ran across this:


Campus sexual assault should not be tolerated
April 24th, 2008

What kind of society do we live in when women are not allowed to walk home without being in fear?

I was walking home from a library after a few intense hours of paper-writing. Around midnight, I decided to take a well-lit street home. As I walked past a dorm, a young man yelled at me, threatening to anally rape me. I didn't dare flinch nor look in his direction. A few seconds later, another man demanded me to answer. I spent the next few blocks walking fast, my heart racing, looking over my shoulder.

This story is not rare, nor an exception to the rule. It is ludicrous that it continues.

We must no longer tolerate this kind of behavior. It is a direct violation of the University's policy on sexual harassment; perpetrators must be held accountable to provide the safe environment promised to students on campus. What is the state of our campus community when students feel so confident to publicly commit such acts of sexual assault? It is essential that this not be tolerated on any level. Individually, it could be as simple as telling people you know about your experiences, rather than silencing them. Speak out against this.

We must come together and address the issue of sexual harassment, assault and violence as a community and commit to taking measures to end it. We should develop and promote education efforts that can be taken seriously by all students.

We must start respecting each other. Only from a profound lack of respect for fellow community members can one verbally threaten strangers on the street, and we must meet this disrespect with a steadfast will to overcome it.

This is not acceptable; our campus should not condone its continuance, and we should cultivate respect for one another.

Ari Sahagun
Senior in LAS

Hey Latina!

So, I ride a lot of buses in Costa Rica. Of course there are vendors who sell things to people on buses. From your seat, someone outside the bus will try and sell you anything from coke, to chips (potato, yucca, and banana), to sliced fresh fruit. People get on the bus and yell whatever products they're selling, and usually it's a good deal for we weary bus riders. One particularly alluring product on the hot days is something called 'gelatina,' basically frozen juice in a bag like a popsicle. I didn't think anything of it until Justin asked me, "Why are they yelling 'Hey Latina'?"...So now every time I see gelatina that's what I think of.

The little things

--We were walking down the street passing some speakers blaring salsa from the supermarket. I looked inside and saw two of the employees dancing.
--We're on a bus from the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere, and after about 2 hours, someone sitting next to me whips out an ASUS netbook.
--When waitresses, vendors, or cashiers call me 'amor'.
--That there can be a normal-looking town that macaws or capuchin monkeys visit.
--That there can be 90 people on a bus at one time. Some of the buses get real crowded. But you can get anywhere on them.
--Reliably good, really cheap coffee. I can't stress this enough.

Homesick?

What I miss:
--Claussen pickles. A big fat jar of them. The juicy crunchy tangyness of them.
--Oh, and friends and family, too. I miss being able to sit down and talk to someone without having to start from scratch. Relationships with history.
--Good dark chocolate. The smooth bitter kind.
--Not being afraid of tropical bugs/illnesses.
--Social deviance. I miss talking to people who are critical of normal social activities. Probably I'm spoiled after living in Urbana for 4 years.
--Shelves to put my shit on. I'm getting a little tired of living out of a backpack. We've been traveling since the lease ran out on June 15, and we will be until August. In the moist climate everything smells like Ben's dreadlocks and cramming it all into a backpack next to my laptop is less than desirable.
--Recycling. There's so much garbage here.
--Sidewalks.

What's better:
--Canned alcoholic drinks. Rock Ice is pretty good. Cuba libres in a can is pretty cool too.
--The pace of life. People are so nice here...and generally patient. I visited the states back in May (we talked) and I was struck at how impatient Americans are - especially with other people. I'm not looking forward to going back to that.
--Huge variety of tropical fruits. ...Every time I go to a market or store I find new fruits. There are these things called mamon chino (rambutan? in english, or is that a country somewhere...?) which are kind of like lychees. Today we found a wine made out of them and it's awesome.
--Public transportation! You can get anywhere on a bus, it'll take a while, but you can get there for cheap without owning a car.
--Hearing Latin music all the time. I like the animated beat and the corny romantic lyrics.
--Biodiversity in general. It's great to see so many plants and animals I've never heard of before. Crazy bugs birds plants mammals.

news from the costa rican campo (countryside)

here are some new pictures to accompany this update:
http://picasaweb.google.com/arisahagun/CostaRica2OutsideTheCentralValley

background / what we've been up to:
so our lease ran up in the "city" (metropolis of the central valley, specifically, heredia) and we've been traveling since then, the 15th. on the 14th, we came to san isidro for a permaculture workshop with a few other white people. the fact that so few non-white people practice permaculture is becoming more and more apparent to me, and i've been thinking about it a lot. i'm trying to figure out the backstory on that.

so after we moved out, we spent a few nights in Mastatal, a really rural town west of san jose. the bus had to stop at the top of a hill, and all the passengers got out and walked to the bottom of it because there was a small mudslide that wiped out the road. we eventually got to Marcos' little finca (farm). he made some really delicious food. here's one example: mashed potatoes, a little diced onion and cilantro, mixed with canned tuna, stuffed into cooked noodle tubes (i can't remember the italian name) about 4 inches long, then coated with "criollo" (creole, or, well, spicy ketchup) sauce, then deep fried. it was good. we slept basically out in the jungle. it was a 10 min hike into "la montaña" he called it, and we slept on a lofted structure under mosquito netting. when we woke up in the morning there were like tons of black/green-spotted frogs just chilling all over the ground (which he previously told us were poisonous if you touch them)...and at this point, we had only seen 1 frog in all of CR. ...so we were a little surprised by the amount there were.

we basically had to pack up and leave mastatal because the internet access was limited to 3 old computers in a hot cement-brick room with a slow connection. we couldn't start the beta test under those conditions. this was unfortunate because we both really enjoyed marcos' place.

so we hitched a ride with 2 irish hippies who worked at the chocolate place (la iguana chocolate) next door. they bought a $2,000 1950's land rover in san jose and drove it all the way out there. we rode with them to the coast and got off in quepos.

quepos is a hot destination because of manuel antonio, a huge national park nearby. the setting was beautiful, except for the rampant development going on. we found a hostel in the town of manuel antonio - well, i say 'town' loosely. it was basically a collection of hotels and over priced restaurants which had bottlenecked and corroded the entrance to the park. we've found that where ever there are tourists, there's wi-fi internet...and our hostel was no exception. mind blowing internet speed...best we've had. and in an otherwise rural area. so there are monkeys and parrots and bright blue butterflies and palm trees and epiphites and beach and tourists flying everywhere. and we finally launched the beta test. yay!

we stayed there for a week, and left on the day that the power had died for the entire town...we saw downed trees on the lines on the bus trip out of town.

now i'm sitting in noe's 'yoga dojo' (say it, it's kinda fun). back around the town of san isidro again. we've been here for a few days (since sunday) and i'm still trying to get used to the place. there are a LOT of contradictions and conflicts. crazyness and meditation, work and yoga, white and tico, native and foreign, really disruptive cattle farming in the jungle, permaculture, tourism, respect for the earth and destruction of it, paradise, paradise lost, objectification, sexism, racism, myopic over-focused anthropocentrism...so i'm a little confused here. i think i'll have more coherent thoughts of it after a few more days and some distance from it.

in the meantime, we're working to facilitate the beta test getting off the ground. michelle (our advisor at uiuc) recently made contact with a large costa rican organization which might be interested in funding/sustaining the network, so we're very excited about that prospect.

Permaculture

Yesterday I went to a permaculture workshop. Permaculture is something I've been interested in for a while now.

Last week, I told a friend that I was going to this workshop and he asked, "What is permaculture?" My answer was, "Well I don't really know; that's why I'm going!" All I know is that most everything I've heard about it makes me like it, and makes me want to learn more.

The teacher yesterday (Sam) defined it as "ecological design science." Basically, it's a collection of principles for how to do lower-impact agricultural activity. Drawing on local resources, taking a lot of time to observe and plan, considering the entire ecosystem, and working as (our interpretations of) nature would are some of the foundations.

Sam said that for the first few years he was learning about it, he was unable to come up with an intelligible definition. So now I don't feel too bad about not knowing, and I've taken another step to learn more.

More info, of course, at Wikipedia, here and here. The picture is from the cover of the permaculture bible.

One impression of rural Costa Rica

The past week we've been traveling to some pretty rural towns. I noticed that men stare "deeper" there, with more penetration, as compared to what I normally experience around here, in the urban areas. In most of Latin America, men stare pretty often, and sometimes do more (whistle/beep/etc), but this was different. Like 90% of the men on the street stared at me and it made me feel physically, viscerally objectified. Made me feel like I was wearing a bikini, when I was wearing way more clothes than the climate allowed for (hardly any skin showing)...wishing I had a cloak to add on top. I can't find the right word for it, 'disgusting' keeps popping up, but that's not quite it. Completely devalued? Naked? I'm not sure. They were definitely not looking at what I felt was me. All of this was walking next to Justin - and a couple of times he said buenas dias/noches or hola to them and they didn't even acknowledge him, just stared right past him to me, through me. God, it was creepy and I hated being there. So unwelcome.