Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche said in one of his talks that the people of India have no common sense; they only have wisdom. As the last days of our time in India slip by, I can't help but think about that, and try to drink in all the last little bits of wisdom, utter lack of common sense, and everything else that makes India, India. We spent a few days in… Read More
After the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal this Saturday, here at Carpe Diem we are holding all of the people affected in our hearts and thoughts. Our three Latitudes students are safe, uninjured, and we are in communication with each of them. We also have a semester group in Northern India who are unaffected by the earthquake. Two of our students were volunteering in Kathmandu at the time of the earthquake.… Read More
Namaste, and a warm hello from all of us here in India!!! Wow, our most recent adventures have been truly one of kind. Sorry, to eveyone out there that has been looking forward to our latest post, we haven't had the chance to catch up on group orientated activities lately; such as blogging because we where staying at the beautiful Phool Chatti Ashram in Rishikesh. Last week was such a… Read More
Hey there! Today Shanti left the Dev Bala family farm in outer Dharamsala, where we stayed for five rejuventating days. Dev Bala sits right on the foothills of the Himalayas, which means you can stand in the garden, gazing out over luscious semi-tropical fields and farms in the valley, and turn your head to look at the snowcapped peaks right above you. The family at the farm grows what seemed… Read More
This world we live can be such a beautiful place if you let it be. If you open yourself up to what it has to offer you can find yourself again.
This week Shanti India found themselves in the Asian fairy tale of Sikkim. Famous for its wide variety of plant life, that attracts botanists from all over the world and opportunities for mountaineering tourism. We arrived at our destination… Read More
Overnight trains are almost becoming comfortable — compared to train station floors. We left the busy city of Calcutta and looked onwards towards the mountains of Gangtok, Sikkim. After our first jeep ride we were eager to make our way into the nearest cafe to grab pizza, hot dogs, and a cake to celebrate the 19th birthday of our wonderful group mate, Hava. We made our way into our… Read More
Hinduism, and so India, had begun to make sense to our group thanks to plentiful immersion and instruction. We had started to understand this colorful country and its colorful religion as we left Varanasi for Bodhgaya. But since the nature of seeing the world is surprise after surprise, we were thrown for a loop as we arrived in this new city of Buddhism, where the Buddha is said to have… Read More
Dear families out there, In case you haven't heard, we're in Kolkata this week! Each day, we've been getting up at 6 am and splitting up to go spend the mornings doing service at our chosen Mother Theresa home– some of us are working with physically or developmentally disabled kids, some of us are working with older mentally disabled women, and some of us (including me!) are working in the… Read More
After having witnessed the world famous beauty of the Taj Mahal, or the "monument of love" according to Samuel Kessler, the group set off to Varanasi, the city of lights. Straight upon arrival with the overnight train on fell in love with Varanasi, being the oldest city in the world. Straight away one felt at ease with the relaxing and spiritual vibe of the city. You want to know what… Read More
Today feels bittersweet, or as Winston (our German representative) says, "with one bright eye and one crying eye." By the time of this posting, we will have said farewell to our host families and be well on our way for an equally novel experience in Agra. But right now, I sit writing, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze coming from the patio of my host family's living room. Papa Gee… Read More
Dear people in the outside world, This is Eve and Cameron. Hmmm…. How do we even explain this? The craziness of Delhi is something you need to see to believe. We can't quite explain the staring, the smell of hot masala tea, and all the kids saying hello while possibly trying to lift our pockets. Those cute little scoundrels! We're still getting our footing, but we took a really cool… Read More
Namaste from Delhi! Power duo Miranda and Lily write to you after a long day of scavenger hunting around the city…with bellies very full. Turns out that asking for just a chai translates to bringing us two full plates of food (which is just fine by us). Our adventures today have given us a small taste of the journey we have ahead; friendly people, bright colors, and all sorts of… Read More
Salutations from somewhere between Singapore and Delhi! It's been exactly 51 hours since we disembarked from San Francisco International Airport, new friends in the making. Since then, we've encountered several unexpected adventures. Little did we know as we boarded our first flight at 12:05 am on Wednesday, that Singapore airlines would become our best friend and our worst enemy. After arriving in Hong Kong, we got off our plane and… Read More
We have received word that the mighty Shanti group has successfully gathered together at SFO (minus Winston from Germany who will meet the group in New Delhi). What's more, they've checked in for their flight and gone through security in fine style. We send our best wishes as they travel across the world. Stay tuned for the next posting from India! … Read More
Good day and Namaste to all of our Shanti lovelies, We're here in Portland excitedly preparing for our India semester together. As each day passes, we're filled with more giddiness at the thought of meeting all 8 of you in just 6 short days! Amongst other activities, we've been brainstorming Carpe Diem lessons (and pranks we can play on you all throughout the course of the semester…just kidding, or are… Read More
We’ve received word that the Shanti group has said their tearful goodbyes to Kelsi at the airport and they have set off from New Delhi. We wish them all traveling mercies on their respective journeys home. You are a fantastic group, team Shanti, filled with heart. Namaste.… Read More
I could see the apprehension in Benji’s eyes at the first whispers of a Thanksgiving feast, hours after finishing a four day trek. But once Katrina and I secured a kitchen, the wheels of holiday cheer were in motion and there was no stopping us. Over the next few days, all eight of us brainstormed different dishes to serve and thought up strategies on how to execute an eight-dish meal… Read More
Ever since applying for Carpe India, I’ve been psyched for the four day trek. There’s something extremely satisfying about going from point A to point B using nothing but my two feet (plus 16 mules’ hooves…zero ways I’m dragging a propane tank and a few tents up the mountain). The trek was challenging on some days but we got plenty of breaks and were treated like kings and queens at… Read More
We have been very busy here in India the past several weeks, but a very different kind of busy from the first half of the trip. Instead of running about crowded towns filled with honking horns and cows, we have been enjoying the mountain scenery around the towns of Rishikesh and Dharamshala.
After a short stop in Delhi after an incredible week in Kolkata, we took a train to Rishikesh… Read More
I’ve received a handful of emails from my friends in the states recently, all asking the same broad question: “what’s India like, Joe?” It’s a simple question, yet it was hard for me to answer until our group arrived in Varanasi. As I sat crosslegged on the banks of the Ganges, with the red sun’s first rays peeking over the distant hilltops, a half forgotten word sprang into my mind,… Read More
