Bouncing on the Ripples

Tonight is the second of our two evenings in somewhat of an oasis. Varanasi has been very kind to us, allowing us time to rest, revitalise, and recover. It is pleasing to note we have 25 relatively healthy tourists (only a couple of small tummy rumblings), with some boys now ready to move on, while others have made it known that they are more than happy to stay here for the next 18 days before eventually heading home.

Today started early with time spent on the Ganges, before once again a combination of cards, sleep and singing (yes singing!) took over. Overall another great day in a bizarre country! Now let's get down to the detail:

Tuesday 17 December

5am- The students are woken to ensure we can get down to Ganga (the Ganges) in time to see a new day commencing

5:15am- Most are on time although Helsby and Ross take their time as the hair straightener requires a fair while to heat up. Importantly, Mr Tripathi (the one and only, my man!) paces the corridor reminding me that we are now late. Once 25 are accounted for he then instructs a waiter in the reception area to start to make tea and then to distribute it to all the members of the group. Like all things in India it would have made common sense to start pouring tea as people arrived from 5:10am onwards in the lobby to speed up the process (instead of wasting 5 mins waiting for the two final members to arrive before beginning the pouring process). However this inefficiency is unsurprising considering nothing is common in this country

5:30am- We depart in four 4WDs. As we make our way through the sleepy roads where people are rising for a new day ahead, there is an almost surreal sense that we are in an military convoy making our way through the hostile streets of a misunderstood city somewhere in the Middle East. It's always interesting how different sights, smells and language make you feel like a stranger in a strange land regardless of how many smiles you see

5:55am- Our arrival at the ghats is met by an immediate passage through to an awaiting boat and off we set into the fog and mystery of the Ganga

6:30am- As the sun slowly starts to rise, bringing with it the hope of a new beginning for the hundreds that are already meditating, washing and saying goodbye to cremated loved ones on the ghats, we light candles and are requested by our guide Mr Tripathi to pray 'to our own God', or to think of our families, or ask the earth itself for blessings of health and happiness. The candles are then placed into the Ganga to drift off with the current that runs from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal

6:45am- Mr Tripathi breaks out into a detailed summary of the teachings and framework that Hinduism rests on. He explains it was in Varanasi, on the very ghats we are observing, that the great Lord Shiva blessed the people. As such this space rests in the heart of all Hindus as a location of great spirituality and longing

7:30am- Upon jumping off the boat we enjoy Chai on the banks of the Ganges. All wait in suspense to see if the Editor actually samples one of this quality brews as many believe this is a set-up to return them to sickness. All are reassured that this is indeed the cleanest water on the planet

7:45am- We leave the Ganga to allow it to continue flowing as it has done for millennia

8:15am- It is time to 'take breakfast' and this morning the addition of chocolate pancakes on the buffet counter is met by great appreciation

9am- Many catch up on extra sleep or lie around still unsure if what they drank this morning on the river bank was the same cocktail the Editor had (they of little faith). Meanwhile Mr Jordan opens a bottle of port and consumes the whole bottle simply to forget another morning of 'quality time' with the very special Mr Tripathi

11am- Let's head to the Silk Emporium! What a great idea! We can watch some traditional weaving and then get ripped off; meanwhile Tripathi is clipping the ticket with some healthy commission coming his way for each AGS purchase that is made. Miss Candy acts as a fashion guru walking the catwalk in a variety of silk accessories so that the boys can picture what their own mothers would look like

12pm- With another round of shopping and awful purchases having concluded, free time is afforded to all. Some return to the Ganga and experience the late afternoon delights and sunset ceremonies. Other partake in a 6 hour marathon of the card game 'President/Scum'. A final subset hit up a round of massages, which in itself is an authentic experience (just ask your sons to describe it upon return)

6:30pm- Everyone returns to the Canton Restaurant (on site) to share tales from their afternoon adventures/activities

7pm- Reilly Hodson is outstanding in presenting on the religion of Hinduism. Importantly he recognises that it is a religion that allows for the flexibility to worship and celebrate in honour of the Gods that inspire you (as which there are many)

8:15pm- Dinner concludes, with many having opted for pasta tonight. Patrick 'Pavarotti' Jung sings an Italian love song to close the meal. It is then time to debrief. Tonight each student is provided with a poem titled I Want to Know (or It Doesn't Interest Me). The boys are given time to read the poem and reflect on the sentences and/or stanzas that connect with them. Popular lines include 'I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty everyday' and 'It doesn't interest me where, or what, or with whom, you have studied, I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away'. The explanations the boys provide are once again very powerful

9pm- The night owls return to the on site Mango Tree Bar for a round of cokes and laughs prior to
bed. It is during this time that the establishment's sound system is taken over by our India Playlist of songs and the boys belt out the classic number 'Let It Be' (sadly Will Allen is slightly off key- sorry I'm just saying)

10pm- The boys head into the world of sleep and dreams

So, that was the journey we walked today. It was pleasurable and light-hearted. Tomorrow afternoon the programme shifts again as we head upwards (north) and onwards to Agra and then Delhi. Both locations will see us all encounter new landscapes and importantly new stories from the people who inhabit them.

Finally, can I take a moment to again applaud the boys. They continue to be wonderful companions to each other and the staff. In this bubble we have created far from home a deep sense of learning and questioning is occurring. The process is hugely moving and inspiring.

Ben

NB- feel free to check out an update Paul Walsh wrote about us on the Khelo Rugby blog site http://khelokhelo.com/2013/12/16/aucklandgrammar/

MVP- Reuben McGregor-Sumpter. Today this young man paid a crazy amount of money for a product that upon reflection he agrees was a major rip off. Don't get me wrong, the item is top quality but after some questionable currency changes between US dollars and Indian Rupees poor Reuben was left to query why other members of the group were leaving with more items than he had, at a fraction of the price. Put simply, he was played, but had the good humour to accept that Mr Tripathi knows, and is collecting serious commission, from so many people that it was never going to be a fair negotiating environment.

Thought- Whilst floating in a boat on the Ganges I wondered about the concept of places 'standing the test of time'. We are lucky, and somewhat unfortunate, in New Zealand that the story of our nation is relatively young. As an outcome we should be excited by our ability to forge a story of a unified people working to create a just society. Clearly lying alongside this ideology should be infrastructural decisions that illustrate the wisdom of long-term thinking. But is that really the case? Are we living in a progressive society at home? A society where people are valued and choices are framed with the intention of promoting sustainability, heritage, longevity and real net worth?