INDIA - Arrival+

Here's the deal - I'm in India. I have just had the first opportunity to get to a computer, so this will be the first major update of my adventures. Expand to read the whole story.

Here's the short version of my arrival: Air India is a micro-expression of India. We were herded into the terminal in LAX where they searched us a second time, and the flight was delayed 3 hours because someone died on the plane we were supposed to be taking. Rules are not rules, they're suggestions. People are chatty and nice. Flight attendants wear uniform saris. Bollywood reigns. I personally appreciated "Namaste London" but I've seen the leading man in other movies, and well, he's hot. The plane arrived in Frankfurt after 10 hours, and the German airport guy freaked at the lack of rule-following. So classic. Another nine hours and we were in Delhi. There, we went through customs, got our bags, and went out into the heat. There, a man named Vicky took two of us, via car, to Chandigarh. Most of the drive was heart-stopping (you've never seen driving until you've been to India), with an on-going dialogue as we passed through villages and cities on our way. Driving - again, everything except red-lights and policemen are suggestions. The road is shared by rickshaws, motorcycles, bicycles, buses, pedestrians, horses, cows, trucks and cars. When we got to Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab 5 hours later, Jessie and I were totally exhausted.

We were met by the wonderful Professor Mann, who greeted us with hugs and quickly brought us to our room. Then we went downstairs for a bite to eat before collapsing for 12 hours sleep.

The next day we were joined by Joy and David which gave us a little group to explore the near area. We went to the market and got some fabric to have salwar kameez (sp?) made and also have some ready made clothes (currently I'm wearing a magenta/green number which is both comfortable and flattering...YAY INDIA!).

The day was HOT, and I mean, HOT. For being a weather wimp, it totally wiped me out. The next day, of course, I fell ill. I stayed in bed the entire day and only drank water, emergen-C, and ate some crackers. Fortunately we had no program things yesterday.

Today was our first program day. We first spent some time learning Gurmukhi (the Punjabi script) which is fun. This was followed by fresh mangos and tea (chai). After snacks, we had a lecture by an eminent scholar on the historical geography of the region. This was followed by lunch with a little siesta time (as it is too hot to really do anything during this period of the day). Then we had a lecture (which was more of a experienced elder imparting his life knowledge as opposed to a traditional lecture) from Mr. Prakash who was one of the architects who planned Chandigarh in the early 1950s. We got a book of poems from him which he had drawn a picture instead of signing (a different one for each book).

And now...you know what I'm doing, so I won't bore you with that.

Much love and happy wishes from India. If you're dying to see pictures, you'll just have to wait. Although, I will say, bright colors abound, and so do interesting sights. The caste system is visible everywhere I go. It is strange, but religion is a part of everything here - from greeting, to dress, to eating, much more so than all my prepartory reading led me to believe.

In any case, namaste!

"Truly I tell you..."

It’s been a long time since I’ve written. There’s no real excuse except the grindstone of life, school, relationships, and other extracurricular obligations. Oh, and the failure of technology...

I am writing because of truth. I’ve noticed that a lot of people get hung up on that word, as well as other related issues. Philosophers argue, for example that there is no truth. There can be no absolute or objective truth – all truth is therefore subjective or relative. Some argue that there are definitely certain things in this life that are in fact true, and therefore are worth fighting for – dying for – possibly killing for.

Academia, the current juices in which I wallow, is full of varying understandings of truth. Most recently I’ve become interested in the liberal machine and how it moves, or doesn’t towards truth. I think Gandhi had it right when he said that both sides of an issue may have varying levels of truth and through conversation, debate, and dialogue we are able to come to a solution which incorporates the most truth we can.

The university, often a bastion of liberal thinking, in many departments has forgotten this very key thing. Different perspectives can hold different levels of truth. Despite being right or wrong, true or false, they are valid and important because opposing perspectives further fortify our convictions. They help us because they cause us to struggle and to question. It is essential that our positions be re-evaluated, if only to make them stronger. However it is okay if we throw them out. It is okay to be wrong, because, as said earlier, this can only help us along our way to something more helpful – more truthful.

A problem in many liberal minded departments is the total disregard for opposing perspectives. We say, oh yes, we are ‘open-minded’ but we really aren’t. We imply, through various turns of phrase, that we mean to be inclusive, but put up walls that alienate and infuriate. No. This is NOT the way to go about doing things. It is not effective. It is not helpful. Why? Because these walls are erected, we remove the possibility of dialogue. Because we close ourselves off, we cannot reconsider and re-evaluate.

It comes out in destructive and upsetting ways in classes. Partially because so many of our cold logically trained minds will react to things in emotionally charged ways which leave no room for opposition. Yes, be passionate. Yes, have an opinion. However, be strong enough to notice your emotional responses and why you have these responses to a particular comment or question. Is it the phrasing? Is it the person? Is it the fact you didn’t eat that day? Did you not sleep the night before? To let those kinds of things rule your day, your responses to intellectual conversation is dangerous. To let preconceptions prevent further consideration is dangerous. By allowing yourself to be angered by a potential ally’s careless phrase is not helpful. Rather, suggest alternative constructions or clarifications.

So, to sum up: Strong emotions and preconceived notions which blind are the enemies of dialoguing and truth-seeking. Truth may not be absolute, but there is something that feels right or feels true can be present in two opposing perspectives. Dialoguing between opposing perspectives is the most effective way towards truth. So, stick it to your professors or your friends – take up an opposing perspective, or even one that is wrong. Get into a debate. It’s fun. It’s invigorating. It helps send us on our way…

Alexis By Any Other Name

I am on the Facebook. It is one of these online communities which seeks to connect people to other people through already established real-world networks (i.e. colleges, jobs, clubs etc). Anyone on one of these networks can search for people through a variety of categories (names, schools, jobs - you get the idea). So recently I received a message with a guy who probably searched for people with names that started with "Don." He found my last name and sent me a friend request which stated how much he liked my last name. As I have gotten older, I have become decreasingly attached to this name. The following is the message I sent to him.

"I know you saw my name and thought something to the effect of "Wow! That's cool!" However, every name has a story and mine is no exception. "Donkin" is an anglicized version of the Scottish "Duncan." If you know anything about British imperialism and Scottish disdain for the English crown, you know this is an eye-sore for Scots. For even more fun, 'Donkin' is not really my family name. My grandfather died when my father was a baby, and my grandmother remarried. When she married a man with the name 'Donkin' this man adopted my father. My father's name then changed from 'Stewart' to 'Donkin.' The only reason I have kept my last name as it is, is because I like the way my full name sounds and Donkin is a rare last name in the US. It also reminds me how the choices in our lives affect the outcomes, and our heritage is as much choice as accident."

Now, I know the above conveys my dislike, and strange reasoning for keeping my last name, but it does not explain anything about my other names (for which I do have a great attachment). "Alexis," a derivative of "Alexander" means "defender of human-kind" (the baby name book has a more sexist version using the word 'man,' so I changed the wording to express the true sentiment of the name). "Tara" (my middle name) has several meanings as there are a number of ethnicities which have this name. My personal favorite connotation is it's the name of the Tibetan goddess of beginnings. My least favorite is the Irish, which means 'bitter.' However my first name is the name with which I most strongly identify. It is the reason for the name of my blog - 'protector's archetype.'

Some people don't care about their names. Their names mean nothing to them. They are merely a delineation - separating them from the other people surrounding them in the world. For me, my name is more than a category. It gives meaning. I own my name. Whenever a person is called a name, it shapes how they act and who they become. This is why our words are so important, why categories can be so damaging or empowering. My name, combined with my deep faith socialization has given be a profound sense of purpose - of destiny in this world. I may not receive standing ovations from large groups when I step out on stage (at this moment *grin*) from all the work I have done on the global stage, but every 'insignificant' act every day has an affect on the lives of millions of people, though I do not see these results. It is no coincidence, my name, my choices, my enrollment in the MAGIS program. All these things are interrelated.

Yes, Shakespeare is right that a rose will smell as sweet with another name. But a person's choices and actions, as Romeo and Juliet can attest, are shaped by names and categories. If I was named Jennifer or Caitlin, I would not be the same person. If I had my family name Stewart instead of Donkin, I would not be who I am. Names are important, and so are the words we use to describe situations in the world.

A new Magus

I've been hiding out relatively recently, and I've been anxiously anticipating a new beginning. Perhaps the hiding was due to a need to store energy up for my latest and most demanding new endeavor - the MAGIS program at UCSB.

Today was a TA orientation and a little departmental meeting - both of which shed more light than I expected. Of course, having no expectations helps the matter. Yet, still people surprise you. You're never quite sure where people will take you. Today was no exception.

The interests of my colleagues in the program seem bent on two general regions of the world (as far as I can tell) - the Middle East and Latin America.

As time continues I am less and less concerned about language requirements (as we're only required to translate 2 paragraphs in the language of our choice with the aid of a dictionary in order to demonstrate proficiency) and more concerned about the course load when combined with a TAship and my part time position. However, the graduate assistant completed her masters as a single mom with several teenagers while working a full time job. So, I shouldn't be too worried. I will be able to get through it. Yet the question remains, at what level, and to what cost?

The goal of the program, as the PR man Mark J. said, is to create some kind of global leadership in the way of non-profits in this changing world. I'm excited to be a part of such a high caliber group of people, while simultaneously nervous at the expectations (not only of the professors, but more problematically of myself). What will this leadership look like? How exactly are they seeing us? What dreams and aspirations do they have for us? My mind runs in multiple directions trying to close around the various possibilities.

My guess is the goal of foundation, with the combined effort of providing connections for our time after our 'short' program. I must admit, I feel I will miss my colleagues at the end of our time as they seem so interesting and interested. This breed of person is rare and difficult to discover in the world outside our academic bubble. I am sure the bonds formed in this program will hold fast, and prove invaluable in our work and lives after the program. I am sure it is divined as only such a creature can be.