Fantasy vs. Reality
By Kalea Moore Through the events of this trip, I have found that my reality is shaped by a fantasy society has built. This fantasy world we live in has made my perception of life skewed. In Agora, nothing feels hidden or manipulated. The community exists out in the open. Nobody tries to make an…
A Meal in Agora
By Mr. Evan Pausic At sunrise, some will head to the prayer room to start the day. At sundown, some will pray again. Early in the morning, the women leave for the field. At this time of year they are primarily weeding and making sure the soil is healthy. The weeds can also affect the…
Following Footsteps
By Olivia Metsala I watched Alter’s feet in front of me carefully as we treaded down the valley. Mountains bigger than anything I’ve ever seen loomed above us and a trail of shifting rocks stood below us. Each rock he stepped on felt like a warning to me. It was easy to get caught up…
Reimagining Home(sickness)
By Ozzy Brown Deep in the Himalayan mountains in the remote village of Agora I find myself beset with a unfamiliar feeling; all throughout my life I have been separated from one or more of my parents, either bouncing from house to house as a child, attending Christchurch as a boarding student for all of…
A Reflection on Global Education at CCS
By Lillian Williams This is my 6th Global Education Trip, so naturally I found myself reflecting on these past three years and what they have meant to me. Using this time to reflect, I kept circling back to this one question: “Why do I travel?” Is it because I get to fill my shelves with…
A Poetic Reflection
By Isaiah Davenport They said India would be dirty, but that wasn’t what I found, Just peaceful mountain views and beauty all around Each Morning in the village, they gather sticks and grass at dawn, Then carry them up the mountains and keep pushing on They live from the land with grateful hearts each day,…
Back in the Bustle
We drove out of the heart of the Himalayas yesterday, leaving behind Agora and our incredible friends there. It was a sad goodbye in some senses. For the seniors on this trip, this was perhaps the last chance to get to know and spend time with Suman, Kabu, Rihan, Vedic, Shivam, Mama, Avtar, Sheetal, Krishna,…
A Good Hike
Here are some pictures from our hike up the the meadows used by the nomadic Gujjars and their herds:
Light on Learning
By Ryan Hassett People in Agora do not learn how we learn at home. Many of the things they do relate to the community and the surrounding environment. They do not base all of their ideas on a rigid structure of right and wrong in a binary sense. Instead, things flow: children must learn to…
Share Your Valley
By Will Flagg Go to Dehradun and look towards the north. Head up and past emaciated thin roads that snake and weave through high jagged cliffs where griffins roost on mottled rock faces. Drive past dying dam choked rivers and drying lakes thirsty for summer rains. Go to where pines line ridges like the hair…
A Different Side of Things
By Brady Zoll Today we took a short, “Mostly flat” hike (Alter description). This was a 30 minute hike to Bevra, a small, off the grid village deeper in the valley. As we hiked I was expecting a short easy hike. Throughout this hike we got to see beautiful views and we got to experience…
Perspectives on Gratitude
By Scottie Hampton Before coming to India, I never knew that the whole experience would change my perspective on life. On Thursday, I volunteered to be a leader and teach my group about relationships with the culture, and communication with my group. At first, I was very hesitant on being a leader. I didn’t think…
Living in the Clouds
The weather in northern India has been surprisingly predictable for millennia. Farmers have used the timing of the rains and shifts in temperature to plan their planting and harvesting calendar. It has usually worked like clockwork. And that is what has made this one of the most densely populated parts of planet earth. These days,…
Back in our Mountain Home
We are comfortably back in Agoda, the home of the CCS Global Education Program in India. Our familiar hosts have welcomed us into their homes and kitchens. The kids of the village have greeted us with calls of “Namaste! Hello! Tata!” The dogs, cows, sheep, mules, horses and water buffalos have greeted us from their…
A Poetic Plea for the Andaman Islands
By Ozzy Brown Beautiful colors as far as the eye can see The natural beauty of the sea But, those colors fade give way to gray Replaced by the colors that bring the oceans decay Glittery things and plastic bowls And all sorts of drinks sweet and cold These plastics pile, the people scatter them…
Processing the Andaman Islands
We are sitting on the ferry from Havelock Island to Port Blair – a gently rocking journey from one of the last tourist outposts in this part of the world to a bustling city full of naval officers, anthropologists, government officials, businessmen, and tourists. In many ways, this feels like a sad transition. As Ryan…
Fishing Stories & Being Human
By Harrison Leben Right now I am sitting on the Andaman Islands, in India, and we just got done fishing. The Andamans are these islands that belong to India, but are way out in the bay of Bengal, actually closer to Myanmar than to India itself, and we have been fishing and staying on Havelock…
We Cannot Control the Rain…
By Brady Zoll Today gave me two things to think about: perspective and finding the good in the bad. When I was leader of the day, we broke up into two groups and headed out to explore the area by boat. My group was focused on snorkeling and seeing the local islands (with a little…
Ending a Reel Day
A good day is winding down. For those of us here in the Bay of Bengal, life is good. We spent most of our hours out on two boats – exploring, fishing, snorkeling, and learning about what makes this place so unique and at the same time representative of India as a broader whole and…
Starting a Real Day!
We are up and ready for our first real hours in India after an intense 40 hours of travel to get here. We will share observations and thoughts this evening. But, for now, know we’re happy and excited. So much to do! And finally some energy.
Another Adventure Begins!
We are at the airport about to take the first of four flights (and a ferry!) that will transport us to the Andaman Islands. The group is excited to explore and learn about some of the most unique islands on the planet and to begin our engagement with the subcontinent. Please stay tuned for more!