Happiness

Posted: April 9, 2017 | No Comments |
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By Mount Madonna School alumni Emma Petersen and Courtney Bess

Emma Petersen
Emma in 2011

Flashback to April 2011, I had never been out of the United States and I was preparing for a trip I knew could change my life but still was not sure how I was going to absorb the experience. I didn’t dive right in. I stayed to myself and my friends for the first few days of the trip. I stuck to what I knew. But then, when we started going to schools, hearing about how students in this country learned, and were given the chance to speak with them about it, I started making friends and connections I never thought I could. I was making friendships with people that grew up completely differently than I had, in school and home life, yet we still had a lot in common.

It took me until my second year of college to fully understand the opportunity I was given by Sadanand and Mount Madonna School. I started taking classes that I was able to relate my trip to, things I had heard and the things that had changed me. I remember specifically talking to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, I asked him, “What to you is happiness?” I remember, I was a sophomore in college at the time, I was dealing with some personal anguish about what major I wanted, and if I wanted to change from a psychology to a teaching major. I was struggling because I was afraid to disappoint my parents. When I called them to tell them what I was thinking they were overjoyed, and my mother told me she knew that was the path I was always meant to go down, and that she just wanted me to do what made me happy. I thought back to the Dalai Lama interview and what he said, “You know when you pet a dog and he wags his tail, that is happiness.” How can someone so wise give us such a simple, modest answer, I had thought at the time when he answered it, but hearing my mom say those words to me, it was that simple. Why trouble myself doing something I did not like? I should be wagging my tail because I am being fed with the knowledge of how to grow young minds.

Fast forward to April 2017, I am now preparing for the journey home. I traveled back to India with the Senior Class of 2017 and a fellow alumni, Courtney Bess. I had always dreamed of coming back, older and able to understand the experience more. I told myself the day I got on that bus leaving the Sri Ram Ashram in 2011, while Kiran held my hand all the way to the gate, I would be coming back again. I never could have imagined it would be like this, a chaperone to a class I greatly respected.

This trip has deepened my senses for my emotion, everything from the interviews to the connections I have made with the children we have met along the way. I found myself in the interviews truly absorbing what the people were saying, not just thinking I need to take notes in case I am asked to write a blog post, but truly understanding and getting goosebumps because I was able to relate to them. Rinchen Khando spoke about compassion and how it overflows with students that are excited to learn. I feel that every day with my students. They are so eager to learn new things and are appreciative when I teach them something new. It is refreshing. Dr. Metre spoke about allowing differences in the villages and how their goal is not to make all the villages the same, but to keep their traditions and help support the women be able to stand on their own financially. I was able to relate to that because I teach a class that is predominantly Hispanic, and even though I am teaching them English, I strongly encourage their families to continue speaking Spanish to them. It is important for the children to keep their traditions at home and be able to speak freely about them at school and know they are supported. Both Rinchen Khando and Dr. Metre spoke to me and made me feel more proud than I normally do about the work I am doing.

Lastly, driving into the gates of the ashram once again, I immediately began crying, it felt as though I was home. It had been six years since I had last been there. I didn’t imagine that the children I had bonded with before would remember me, specifically Kiran, 9 at the time and now 15, and Jhanvi, 6 months at the time and now 5. As we unloaded the buses, Kiran greeted me, she shook my hand and introduced herself to me, I told her we had met before 6 years ago. She scurried off to her room and when she reappeared she had the picture Devin captured of us saying goodbye on that day in 2011. She remembered me! Jhanvi on the other hand, I knew wouldn’t remember me, but it was like she was drawn to me. We continued our relationship and it was as if I never left. As we said our goodbyes and I loaded back into the bus, I reflected back on how this trip is not only a continuation from my last trip, but has increased my appreciation for this bright, colorful, energetic, inviting country. India has given me a second home, I knew I was meant to come back and visit, and I know now that it is forever a place I will return. It has given me memories that I will never forget and ones I wish to expand upon in the near future. Namaste.

Courtney Bess

Khushi…the Hindi word for happiness. While I expected this learning journey to be influential and expose me to unique opportunities, I did not anticipate that it would result in a personal redefinition of the word happiness.

Sri Ram Dance Party

The night I watched the series of performances put on by the kids at the Sri Ram Ashram, I felt tears welling in my eyes. It wasn’t the typical reaction one might expect from someone watching an upbeat dance carried out by adorable, smiling faces. My emotions were stirred by what was physically happening on stage, but they were intensified even more by the ease with which the kids seemed to exude authentic happiness. In this pivotal moment, I felt a mixture of envy, admiration, and wonderment.

This expression of genuine happiness proved to be a common thread amongst the many individuals and groups of people with whom I interacted during my time in India. Since finding myself consistently surrounded by such sincere contentment, I have been making a conscious effort to examine the similarities across these groups in an attempt to discern a formula for happiness that I can carry with me for the rest of my life.

At Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, the students demonstrated a passion and appreciation for education that was absolutely inspiring. These students all come from homes with an income that places them below the poverty line. They have reasonable hope that a quality education will lead to a better life for them and their families. I could see that this opportunity to receive an education brought them all such joy, as they eagerly told us about their studies and showed us around their school with energetic grins and radiant pride.

The Sri Ram Ashram is a place where children who are not fortunate enough to have come from loving homes are given the chance to be a part of a safe and loving family. At the ashram, children may not have a profusion of material items, but they are allowed an opportunity for a better life. They are showered with more love and support than can be put into words. In spite of the adverse circumstances in which these children were born, they are now thriving as part of one big devoted family.

Dr. Kshama Metre

When we spoke to Dr. Metre at CORD (Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development) another source of happiness was brought to my attention. At CORD, women are given the tools and education necessary to allow them to minimize their over-dependency on their husbands. This functions to build the self-esteem and confidence in women in hundreds of surrounding villages. Those who have been helped in this way by CORD programs are now living freer and happier lives than they had been previously.
Genuine happiness is something that has always been tough for me to find, despite my relatively privileged upbringing. It was something that was palpable amongst the inspiring people I have engaged with over the past two weeks here in India—people who are not nearly as fortunate in regards to their life circumstances. In what I witnessed at Pardada Pardadi, Sri Ram Ashram, and CORD, I recognized that material wealth is not the sole measurement of one’s happiness. I realized that some of the key ingredients to a life of happiness are education, love, support, and opportunity.

Before I make it sound like my life lacks education, love, support, and opportunity, I want to clearly state that I have all of those things. The difference is that I have yet to understand how to use these tools to build myself a life of happiness. Dr. Metre shared with us a story that referenced a “mind bath.” Essentially, a mind bath is the creation of mental silence to ignite mindfulness and obtain clarity in one’s thinking. Using this idea, I have decided that I am in need of a mind bath. I need to combine the resources with which I’ve been blessed with my redefinition of happiness. If I do this, I can construct a life filled with the kind of joy I saw in the eyes, smiles, and souls of the kids at Sri Ram Ashram as they performed for us that night.

Arrival at Sri Ram Ashram

Posted: March 31, 2017 | 1 Comment |
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Savannah Willoughby

After a long, smelly train ride from Delhi to Haridwar, I was relieved to finally get off and breathe some fresh air. While boarding the bus, I wondered what this place that we have been told so much about would actually be like. I have only heard amazing things about Sri Ram Ashram, and I have anticipated coming here since 6th grade. As we drove from the train station to Sri Ram, we were told more about Haridwar and the Ashram. Shmuel pointed out a statue of Durga where one of the children of Sri Ram Ashram was found. As they opened the gate we saw several of the children waiting for us, smiling and waving. After we had our orientation and settled in a bit, we played with the children. I pushed a couple of them on the swings and as we sat down together I met Puja.

Puja

Puja is new to the ashram so she knows very little English. I asked Puja her name and after she told me I tried asking what she likes to do for fun. She told me that she doesn’t speak English. This left me pondering the best way to engage with her. I put my hand out hoping that she might understand that I wanted to play a hand game and she did. Puja placed one hand on top of mine and the other underneath my other hand. She used the hand that was on top to slap my hand as she exclaimed, “January.” I was excited because this was a game that the Pardada Pardadi girls had taught us. We went through the months and I lost every time because it would land on me when we got to December. Other kids joined in and we played until we went on a tour of the ashram.

Puja grabbed my hand and she led me ahead of the others. She would point at the trees and say, “Peach! Mango!” or other fruits that I can’t remember. We didn’t talk much, as we could hardly understand each other. We counted to 100 together; I don’t know how it started or why we did it but Puja had fun. I had to figure out ways to make her laugh without talking. She really liked it when I pretended that my finger was a bee chasing her. Puja tried to teach me a strange version of hopscotch that she was very good at; I was not. This morning we were counting again as I pushed her on the swing. Despite the fact that there were other kids that spoke more English, Puja was the one that I felt the deepest connection with. This experience has taught me that language isn’t the only way to connect with people and build relationships.

Izzy Thomas

“Come, Didi!” Sita’s small hand was suddenly in mine. She ran up from behind, pulling me toward the rest of the group. Her dusty feet were much faster than mine but I welcomed the challenge of trying to catch up. As we walked with the group, still hand in hand, she pointed to a row of flowers that lined the path. She looked up at me and I could see her thoughts swirling as she tried to remember the English word for flower.

“The flowers?”

“Yes, Didi! Red, orange, pink, roses!” She called out the color of every flower we passed, showing obvious excitement, and being sure to never miss a single flower.
Sita turned to me and pranced over to another patch of flowers. “You now!” she exclaimed as she pointed to a bush full of red roses. After I called out the color, she simply nodded and moved on to the next bush. “Orange?”, another nod.

We played for the rest of the day, until bedtime, when we were forced to go our separate ways. The morning after, I sat on the concrete stage drinking warm masala chai and watching the kids play a version of hopscotch that I wasn’t familiar with. I spotted Sita for the first time that day and she was scampering straight toward me. Upon reaching me, she took out a pink rose from her pocket. “Pink, Didi.” She placed the pink flower in my ponytail and nodded, just as she had the day before.

“Thank you!” Sita smiled and turned to a nearby bush. “Red!” she pointed to the flowers, then quickly returned to playing hopscotch with her brothers and sisters.

Arrival at Sri Ram Ashram

Gallery: Pardada Pardadi

Posted: March 29, 2017 | No Comments |
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Welcoming the Stranger

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Isaac Harris

India thus far has been an experience. Just three days into the trip, we’ve shopped in the markets of Old Delhi, rode through rural India, and visited with the bright-faced girls at Pardada Pardadi. Each and every event becomes my favorite in terms of the pure joy I experience, and adds to my excitement as we move along. As I sit and type, we are heading back to the YWCA, where I will enjoy a brief respite after yet another hot day. It is incredible how Indians can function in this scorching heat, and be so kind to us as we experience their culture. Each and every thing that I see in this country both amazes and baffles me. How is it that they can drive without any set of rules and get from point A to point B unscathed? Or support a family on 30 rupees (less than 50 cents) a day?

To us westerners, their lifestyles are difficult to fathom. Nevertheless, my class can find common ground with the people we have met in more ways than one. The girls at the Pardada Pardadi school were eager to get the most out of their education because they knew what an amazing opportunity they were given to attend such a school. Also, just like us, they enjoy singing and dancing, which we saw when participating in an impromptu dance party. All of us made new friends, and I personally would return to help in the school if given the chance. The love and acceptance that we all felt, regardless of cultural differences, draws me further and further toward India. It truly is a beautiful place, and I am very happy to know that my visa is valid for another 10 years.

Bella Bettencourt

As soon as we pulled through the gates of the Pardada Pardadi school we were welcomed by a crowd of smiling girls, in bright green uniforms. As I walked toward them I was greeted by a beautiful young girl names Jassi. She smiled saying, “Hello ma’am! May I please ask your name?” At first I was taken aback by how polite her greeting was but this would come to be the welcoming salutation I received from countless other girls throughout our visit. As we sat for an introduction from the founder of school, Jassi and I continued to exchange smiles across the room. As we exited the room she took me by the hand and said she liked my smile. I blushed, returning the compliment.

We were led around the school by a group of girls who showed us numerous classrooms filled with students. At one point, we walked into an open courtyard that contained swing sets and slides. The yard was teaming with young girls in Pre-K and Kindergarten. I hopped on the swings as the elder girls giggled at my childishness, that directly contrasted with their disciplined politeness. Soon the he girls began playing a game with a ball that I wasn’t familiar with. I watched as I pushed two little ones on the swings.

As we continued our walk, I returned to Jassi. I was amazed by her spunkiness. Every word she spoke was accentuated by some little movement or facial expression to play up the drama of her sentences. Although all of the girls spoke basic English Jassi spoke quite eloquently, with a noticeably larger vocabulary. Later on I told her I was interested in chemistry. She quickly pulled me away to show me their incredibly impressive Chemistry Lab. I felt her light up as I peered into the cabinets to read the labels on the bottles of chemicals. After a bit, we joined my classmates and the other girls in the main room of the school. There we chatted and sang to each other. We bonded over our mutual love of music. Although neither party knew what the other was singing we listened to the melodies and smiled in appreciation of the songs.

After our ice breaker games, we were ushered to a classroom where we turned on music and began an impromptu dance party. The girls danced beautifully with a grace and elegance that greatly contrasted with the jumping and fist pumping that we usually call dancing in the U.S. It was nearing time for the girls to go home, so I said goodbye to Jassi and she made me promise that we would see each other the following day. I promised and we hugged goodbye.

When we arrived the following morning the girls were eagerly waiting for us in front of the school. I got off the bus, immediately hearing Jassi’s voice calling my name. She ran over to me with another girl named Anu. They both rushed to tell me that we would be going to their village that day and would get to go to their houses to meet their families. Jassi told me that she had told her mother all about me and that she couldn’t wait for me to see her home. We got back on the bus and in a few minutes we had reached the village. Anu and Jassi grabbed my hands and began leading the group through the village. We stopped at one of their teacher’s house who is currently on maternity leave with her three-month old daughter. The family quickly began moving furniture around to make a place for everyone to sit. They served us tea and biscuits. I sat holding the baby, marveling at the difference in hospitality between the U.S. and India.

After tea, we continued to Anu’s house where we met her family. Her beautiful mother greeted us warmly and introduced us to their buffalo who was laying in the courtyard. Anu showed us the way to the roof where we could see the tops of the other houses in the village. We continued on toward Jassi’s house and she urged Anu to run ahead to make sure our welcome was ready. Jassi looked at me and put one hand on her face. She explained that she was worried and embarrassed because, unlike Anu’s, her house wasn’t cemented. I assured her that it would be beautiful regardless. She pulled me ahead of the group and ran to the front of her house. Her sister greeted me and Jassi introduced me to her mother. She gave me a hug while Jassi’s sister asked me about American culture. Her little brother sat next to me and Jassi said that he was going to walk with us because his school was on the way back to the bus. I held hands with both of them as we walked off toward the road. We passed a grain field and Jassi turned to me with a gigantic smile. “This is my field and this, this is my water pump,” she stated with pride. She skipped over to the pump and moved the hand up and down twice, producing a steady stream of water. She asked me if I liked it and I told her it was amazing.

After we returned to the school we had a short activity and then it was time to go. We loaded our bags onto the bus and huddled up for a group photo with the girls. Everyone embraced their new friends. Jassi and Anu grabbed my hands. Jassi asked me to stay longer, though she knew I couldn’t. Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged the two girls. We stood for a few moments putting off my inevitable departure. Jassi promised to never forget me and I promised the same as I climbed onto the bus, with tears now streaming down my face. I looked out the window where Jassi and Anu stood with similarly tear stained cheeks. As the bus pulled away we waved goodbye to each other and I watched as the whole crowd of girls marched back toward the main entrance of the school. I have only known these girls for a little over 24 hours yet I made connections as strong as those that I have with friends I’ve known for years. I had no idea when we first pulled through the gates at Pardada Pardadi that I would leave with a new kind of love in my heart, and an appreciation for the openness of a young stranger.

Mount Madonna students with girls from Pardada Pardadi

Rickshaws, Dogs, and Chai

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Aki’o Nanamura

Saying that I experienced a bit of culture shock on our first day in India would be a rash understatement. The bus ride from the airport to our hotel was relatively short, and I spent it flipping out about the fact that we finally made it to our destination (It’s been a whole day and I still haven’t fully processed it). One of the first things I noticed was a stray dog wandering around the streets of Delhi, trudging through the dense air. Later in the morning, after several hours of sleep, we took a bus to Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. There we climbed one of the towers and looked down at Old Delhi. Afterwards, we all took a ride through the bustling city streets, in bicycle-driven two-seated carts called rickshaws. If I had been walking through the endlessly busy avenues I probably would have been scared out of my mind trying to navigate around the seemingly infinite stream of cars and motorbikes, but the rickshaw driver maneuvered the vehicle with an expertise that put mine and Izzy’s minds at rest. One would expect such a hectic traffic pattern, if you could even call it that, to produce a massive amount of hourly accidents but our commute went without a hitch.

After our rickshaw rides we went to a delicious lunch. Once our stomachs were comfortably stuffed with spicy, delicious Indian food, we set off to shop. In the marketplace we joined the cultural practice of haggling prices down until you think you’re getting a good deal. However, as most chaperones warned us, you never really get one. I’d say that going into this first day with an open mind was definitely a wise choice because it allowed me to begin to settle into an entirely different way of living.

Tara Ching

It has only been one day and it has been incredible. Jama Masjid was beautiful and very hot. When we entered the mosque the women were asked to wear large cloth robes over our traditional Indian clothes. The architecture was so beautiful that I did not even mind the heat.

I doubt I will ever forget our first rickshaw ride. It was like a rollercoaster but without seatbelts. And yet, it felt safe. During the ride Param and I talked about how it felt to finally be in India. I am here after four-years of anticipation, but nothing compares to Param, who has been waiting all his life. Both of us agreed that we felt at home here. I think what has surprised my most about India is the fact that I am not feeling any culture shock. The methodical chaos created by the high population, air quality, and intense atmosphere feel perfectly natural. I feel so at home that sometimes I forget that I’m in a foreign country. The only thing that is a struggle is seeing the animals. Sweet looking stray dogs are everywhere and it is hard not to reach out and give them love. Other than that, being here has been a really positive experience. And, nothing beats the quality of the chai.

Savannah in a bicycle rickshaw in old Delhi

On our way!

Posted: March 25, 2017 | No Comments |
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We are on our way! Departing San Francisco International airport this morning. We will arrive in New Delhi India in about 25 hours!

Can you ever really be prepared?

Posted: March 23, 2017 | No Comments |
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Caroline Smith

As a new student at Mount Madonna, one of the first things your classmates enthusiastically tell you about are the international trips. I was told all about Sri Ram Ashram, how nervous people were about the long flight, and my favorite,  numerous terrifying stories from past trips.

Entering your senior year of highschool is a surreal experience to say the least. It’s easy to get stuck in the mindset of noticing all of your lasts. Your last first day of school, your last song share, your last winter play; I could go on and on. But what also comes with being a senior at Mount Madonna School, is so many firsts and new, exciting experiences, such as the India trip.

When we started preparing for the trip, we bombarded Shannon with questions about what to wear, what we’re going to eat, what to bring, what we’re going to do, etc. To be fair, we still bombard her with these questions everyday. After one class of answering our nervous questions, she told us that we aren’t really ever going to feel prepared for this trip until we are sitting on the plane, and even then we might not. I’ve been trying to embrace this idea as someone who always has to be prepared. Rather than stress about what to bring, I try to remember all of the work my class and so many others have put into this trip and channel my stress and nerves into excitement.

After weeks of fundraising, months of planning, and years of excitement, I can confidently say that I will never be prepared for this trip because how can you ever really be prepared for such an extraordinary, once in a lifetime experience?

Bella Bettencourt

In preparation for our journey to India, the seniors have been hard at work. We have been committed to our research of Indian culture and practices. We read a book by his Holiness the Dalai Lama concerning compassion and the breakdown of basic human interactions and relationships. In our reading we found the inspiration for the intention of our trip: compassion. “Karuna,” the sanskrit word for compassion embodies the presence that we aim to bring with us. We hope to show compassion to everyone we meet and feel compassion toward our surroundings and our new experiences.

With our intention set, the seniors have been heavily involved in fundraising for the trip. We plan on bringing money with us to gift to the different organizations we visit. To fund-raise we have been selling t-shirts, we held a rummage sale, we did yard work for various families, we babysat, and we have a GoFundMe page online.

Although I feel that I can never be fully “ready” to go to India, I’m as ready as I could ever be. I can’t wait to see what happens on our adventure, and I look forward to sharing everything I’ve learned upon our return.

Waiting for Mount Madonna

Posted: March 21, 2017 | No Comments |
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Ward Mailliard

I am looking forward with delight to meeting the Mount Madonna group in a few days when they arrive at Indira Gandhi international airport at the not so delightful hour of 2:00am. Eleven seniors, two graduates of MMS who are now teachers, and our intrepid staff including, Shannon Kelly our High School Director, Devin Kumar our videographer, Shmuel Thaler our photo journalist par excellence, and Kayla Thaler who will help us with our social media.

I have been in India since early February at Sri Ram Ashram, our home for abandoned children, and school for about 600 local village students. I have also been facilitating a number of workshops in different schools near New Delhi which we call “Samvaad,” which means “dialogues.” There is an exciting movement here to re-imagine education for the rapidly changing culture of India.

India has a fascinating juxtaposition of ancient, merely old, and modern, which you see virtually everywhere. India is not a monolithic society. In its own way India is as multicultural as America. Even after a thirty-year relationship with India, so much remains a mystery to me, and that is what I hope the student will experience on their journey.

I know the students will feel the warmth of hospitality of India. Likewise they will see how the ancient and modern interweave in a kaleidoscopic manner that will defy simple analysis. They will see a culture of respect and modesty, and an inherent spirituality that is part of a cultural DNA, however it is expressed. They will see colors and beauty, side by side with the both noble and abject deprivation.

In this experience, my hope is our group will learn something about themselves and their identity as Americans. I believe they will understand something more of both the privilege and obligations which privilege often inspires. I also hope they will learn what we share in common humanity as they meet people their own age from very different circumstances.

In the end one of the charms of this experience is that the outcome of a journey like this is quite unpredictable. The students will learn what they are ready to learn, and our fun will be following the journey on the blog and seeing by the end just what that was.

-Ward Mailliard, Values in World Thought Program Teacher

Holi Celebration at Sri Ram Ashram

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