Your VOI Pre-course Activity
by Instructor Team 
January 25, 2012

Namaste dost (friends),

How will this semester change you?  How will your views of yourself and your surroundings change?  How will it expand your vision of the possible and the impossible?

This is a very individual matter and it depends on where you are now!

Many students on gap semesters come back with a vague sense that “something’s changed.” They just don’t know what it is right away. Some changes will even manifest themselves years after the trip…in fact…this trip will never stop influencing you.

We’d like to help you articulate and process these changes so you can take better stock of what is happening inside you at the beginning, middle and end of the program.  WTBD is unique because it has a “core curriculum” - three areas in which it hopes each student will be impacted over the course of the semester.

They are: (G) Global Citizenship, (A) Awareness of Self, (L) Leadership and Skill Building

Elizabeth, Bantu and I (Liam) will check in with each of you at the beginning, middle and end of the program to better understand what changes are happening as you live and experience this new and radical environment.

Here is your pre-semester activity. Please complete it before landing in India:

1. Global citizenship

India is a huge country and houses many a paradox. Edward Luce’s book, In Spite of the Gods, is a fantastic read.  It will make an enormous difference in your subtle understanding of the context in which we experience India - the government, the trains, the rural areas and the sprawling cities, the bribery, the development, the infrastructure, and the culture.  So please make sure that you read it before arriving and take some notes that you would like to discuss with the group.

In addition to reading In Spite of the Gods, we could like you reflect on these questions: What do I define as some of the key traits that characterize a global citizen? In what ways have I had an opportunity to engage as a global citizen? How do I hope to expand my awareness as a global citizen on the Visions of India semester course?  We will be discussing these questions and your notes from In Spite of the Gods during Orientation.

2. Awareness of Self

In a few paragraphs describe yourself:

Who am I? What is important to me? What are my biggest strengths? What are my current challenges? How do I want to grow during this Visions of India program? What am I looking to get out of my Buddhist retreat? How can my peers support my growth? How can my leaders support my growth?

3. Leadership and Skill Building

In a few paragraphs answer the following questions:

Who am I in a group? What do I bring to a group? What sets me off (i.e. in what ways can I bring a group down)? What is my leadership style? How do I wish to impact others? How can my leaders support me in being a responsible group member and a leader?

When you meet individually with one of us in the beginning of the semester, we’ll ask you to share some of the responses to these prompts, to get to know you better and so we can know how best to support you on this trip.

Enjoy these activities!

- India Leaders

Trekking in the Vilcabamba of Peru

Trekking beneath the majestic Salkantay

Boat travel in the Bolivian Amazon

Hola a todos!

    Below you will find our planned itinerary for the upcoming semester.  We feel it's a real mix of adventure, trekking, homestays and learning.

Before we get into the specifics of the places we will be traveling, we wanted to explain a few important elements of our course planning and learning goals. All Dragons courses progess through three phases, leading towards increased responsibility and ownership of the experience by students: Skill-aqcuisition, Practicing and Expedition.  So, you will see that the beginning of the course (weeks 1-4) is packed with different activities that build foundational skills and offer students the tools to succesfully participate in the rest of the course. By practicing (weeks 5-8) the challenges presented will increase at pace with your newly acquired skills, and we will ideally move to a more supportive and less directive role. Then, by expedition this will increase even more, with greater opportunities for students to direct their own experience. Much of this depends on the group's ability to support each other, gain the necessary skills and learn how to move safely and smartly individually and collectively.

In addition to our "Course Progression", our courses are built around a Core Curriculum of learning objectives that are Global Citizenship, Awareness of Self and Leadership and Skill Building. It is towards these ends that all of our experiences are aimed. We look at the interconnected web of relationships that affect our planet and each of our role's in that. We also ask that students are ready for introspection, and to seek opportunities for personal growth. And finally, we will work to develop both leadership and other pertinent skills, both in the group as well as in a variety of settings.

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this schedule.  We hope that this is exciting for you to read as it was for us create!  Hasta Pronto.

SKILL ACQUISITION

Feb 10-14:  Arrive in El Alto and travel to Cochabamba. Begin orientation: workshops on group dynamics, culture and norms of the Andes and Amazon, short day-hikes..

Feb 15- 27 Feb: Begin Cochabamba homestays and language study, development work and ISP work just outside the bustling city.. Here we will have opportunities to begin building foundational skills and also beginning to learn about potential ISP themes -weaving, Andean music, dance, politics, cooking, among others. Our time here will be defined by the 16-20 hours of Spanish study per week, as well as the time with our homestay families.  In our first two weeks here we will really become a part of this community and immerse ourselves in this magical and challenging mountain lifestyle. We will also have the opportunity to experience carnaval on our first weekend here.

Feb 28: Travel from Cochabamba overnight to Sucre across the vast Torotoro National Park, through the arid folds of the high Andes, arriving the historic colonial capital of what was Alto Peru and one of Bolivia’s most important cities.

Feb 29-6 March: Participate in our first extended trek in the Cordillera de los Frailes outside of Sucre, backpacking through the arid tectonic wonderland that is this range, filled with dinosaur footprints, hot springs and oddly shaped craters and inhabited by a unique Quechua group, known for the brilliantly imaginative weavings. We may stop in the historic mining town of Potosi on the way back to La Paz.


PRACTICING

Mar 7-10: We’ll spend a few days in El Alto and La Paz exploring markets, visiting the embassy, working with a local theater group (Teatro Trono).

Mar 11-17: Travel to Sorata. Homestays, language study, development work and ISP work in the stunning mountain village of Sorata. Here we will have additional opportunities to study weaving, Andean music, dance, politics, cooking, and other potential independent study topics. We will continue with 20 hours of Spanish study, while continuing to immerse in Bolivian culture with our homestay families.  There may also be the chance for student led hikes. Here we will our carry out our mid-course reflection.  

Mar 18-26: Trek the Illampu circuit around the giant massif of the Illampu mountain and descend the Camino de Oro into the Amazon.  

March 27 -29th: Descend the Beni River to Pilon Lajas indigenous preserve, with stops to visit waterfalls, look for wildlife, jungle hike, learn about rubber tapping and other nuances of the forest.

March 29-April 3:  Homestay in the community of Asuncion. Visit communities in Pilon Lajas Biological Preserve, learning from traditional indigenous communities, studying rainforest ecology and participating in an extended service project.

Apr 4-6th: Travel by boat to Rurrenabaque and spend one day in Rurre then fly from Rurre to Cochabamba.

Apr 7-20: Return to Cochabamba for a final 2 weeks, coming back to where we began and moving back into homestays while also culminating our ISP’s.  Much of this time will be determined by students and scheduling Spanish classes, guest speakers and ISP time and preparing for expedition phase.  


EXPEDITION

April 21st to May 5: Course Expedition: Possibilities include: Ausungate or Q’eros Trekking, homestays in Q’eros or Parque de la Papa, trekking in the vilcabamba, etc.  The expedition phase will be a time for the students to utilize all their newly honed skills as they organize and plan meaningful activities for the group.  

May 6-12: Return to a retreat center for course-end and transference. Closing student-led activities.    

Camping in the Amazon

Lake Titicaca with the Cordillera Real in the background

Hiking through Q'eros in Peru

Dear friends,

Welcome to our course.  Over the past few weeks we have been evaluating past courses, our own experience and expertise, and, most importantly, your passions and interests to design an itinerary for our upcoming semester together.  We encourage you to take some time to sit with this, pull out your CPM and guidebook and begin to familiarize yourselves with the spectacular places you will be getting to know in such a short time. 

We would also like to give you a bit of background on the way we design our courses.  While the places we visit are beautiful and deeply moving in themselves, the flow of our course is designed carefully and intentionally to create a progression of experiences.  In the first phase, known as Skill Acquisition, you will be learning important tools concerning how to be responsible travelers and taking ownership over your experience. During the Practicing phase, you will make use of these tools and engage on a deeper level with your surroundings.  During the final Expedition phase, students take on a more active role in the planning and implementation of course elements.  As we move through the course, the challenges will increase and your ownership of the experience and responsibility will increase in kind. Throughout the process, you will be guided by us, your instructors, and by the local people and landscapes. 

Furthermore, our Core Values of Awareness of Self, Global Citizenship, and Leadership and Skill Building will act as an undercurrent throughout the course, guiding us through the experience.  At each phase of the course you will find yourselves delving deeper into these themes.  And finally, as always with Dragons, the course will be flexible and spontaneous, allowing us to make changes depending on local conditions, group interests, and other things that may present themselves along the way.

Our excitement has been growing as we’ve put this together, and we can’t wait to share these wonderful places with each of you!  Presenting our Spring 2012 Andes & Amazon tentative itinerary….

Bolivian Highlands focusing on Quechua culture, colonial history, and Peruvian Amazon

Skill Acquisition Phase:

February 10^th – 14^th: Orientation - Arrive to La Paz and begin orientation at a retreat outside of the city. We’ll have workshops on group dynamics, our goals and expectations for the semester, and tips for navigating the culture and places we visit.

February 14^th – 17^th:  Lago Titicaca and Isla del Sol – After orientation we will head to sparkling Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and the mythical birthplace of the sun.  On Isla del Sol we will participate in a traditional Aymara ceremony, visit Incan ruins, and hike across the island.

February 18^th:  Carnival in Oruro!!! – the third largest carnival festival in the world, Carnival in Oruro is Bolivia’s biggest event of the year.  Oruro is the folkloric capital of Bolivia, and the Carnival festival is renowned throughout the world for its spectacular costumes and traditional music and dance. 

February 19^th – 27^th:  Visit to Sucre and first trek – known as the white city for its white-washed, colonial style buildings, Sucre is the judicial capital of Bolivia and a stunning city in the Chuquisaca region.  We will head out on our first trek in the Cordillera de los Frailes, backpacking through dinosaur footprints, giant craters, and Quechua communities that are known for their brilliantly imaginative weavings.

Skill building - Practicing

February 28^th – March 29^th:  Cochabamba – here we will settle down outside the city for several weeks staying with homestay families, delving into ISP projects, and studying Spanish for approximately 16 hours a week.  Known for it’s social and political activism and year-round warm climate, Cochabamba is an ideal place for us to immerse ourselves in the culture and build community.  On the weekends there will be opportunities for service projects and student-led excursions, such as summiting Mt. Tunari, the peak that overlooks the city, or visiting Incan ruins.  We will arrive just in time for the Cochababa’s Carnival festivities, and will also have the opportunity to take a trip to Tarabuco for their famous carnival celebration, Pulljay, taking in the unique weavings and dance of the Yampara culture.  

March 30^th – April 24^th: Peru – trekking and the Peruvian Amazon.  After stopping off in La Paz for a couple of days we will head to Cusco, the dazzling city of the Inca and our jumping off point for the Peru section of our course.  We will first explore the magical Ausangate/ Q’eros region, trekking from high glaciated peaks down into tropical cloud forest.  We will possibly do homestays in the remote village of Quico Chico, a settlement of stone huts accessible only by trails where the Q’eros people trace their lineage directly back to the Inca.  From Q’eros we descend into the Amazonian community of Huacaria, known for their ritual healers and knowledge of medicinal plants.  Finally, we will take a boat trip down the Madre de Díos River to Puerto Maldonado, where we will engage in a service project with a local community.

During our time in Peru we will be gearing up for Expedition, the portion of the course in which students will take on increased ownership over the experience, guiding our itinerary and learning in the final phase of the semester. 

Expedition and Transference:

April 25^th – May 6^th:  Expedition – students can choose between continuing on in Peru or heading back to Bolivia for expedition.  Opportunities include travel to remote mountains in Bolivia for treks and homestays, such as the Apolombamba or Yunga Cruz; or working with a theater and activist group in El Alto, a fascinating city on the outskirts of La Paz.  Other options include visiting the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt lake in the world; hiking to Machu Picchu in Peru; or further exploring the Amazon. 

May 7^th – May 12^th:  Transference – For our final days together, we will head to a peaceful retreat in La Paz or Cochabamba to close out the semester.

We hope this finds you each well and please feel free to share your thoughts, questions and inspirations in response to this!

Hasta pronto amigos,

Cat, Alan and Juliana 

Namaste and heartfelt greetings from the wintry shores of England.

My name is Claire, I am originally from the UK although I currently call Kathmandu home, and I have the great privilege of being one of your instructors for the coming Semester in the Himalayas. I am so excited that we will be embarking on this journey together.

Having the opportunity to be part of this program has special meaning for me for a number of reasons. The most overwhelming one is that I will get to experience the transformative power of this country again through new eyes.

I have had a very special relationship with Nepal, and for me it started at the age of 19, which is probably around the age that many of you are now. That was in 2001, a challenging and eventful time for Nepal, the year when the royal family were massacred amid speculation and intrigue. Those first few months I spent in Nepal were not easy. I was challenged, I reassessed my values, and ultimately I became disillusioned with many things from my previous life. However through that disillusionment I somehow became empowered too. Many of my assumptions about my values, worldview and identity had been smashed, and it was down to Nepal.

I learned so much from the country and many people in it. I experienced the extremes of sorrow and joy, of despair and hope, of death and rebirth. Many of the guidebooks will tell you that Nepal is a beautiful country, of majestic peaks and subtropical jungle, the people humble and smiling. I would say that these qualities are meaningless unless you open yourself up and reflect on your deepest values of your authentic self. This is what I hope we can all learn and rediscover through this trip.

After falling in love with Nepal, in the most literal sense, the first time I came here, I have spent my life finding ways to meaningfully return. My deep bonds with the Nepali people I know found me returning year after year (although I also spent several years working in rural development in remote Cambodia, another place close to my heart). In 2004 I helped to found the NGO ‘PHASE Nepal’, www.phasenepal.org an organisation working towards the empowerment of some of Nepal’s (and the world’s) most remote and isolated communities.

I spent the last year working as the Country Representative for PHASE in Kathmandu, which was both enriching and fulfilling, but true to myself I desired to once again walk my own path and I left my job at the end of last year. My unswerving belief in the transformative power of education coupled with the inspiration I draw from working with young people lured me back towards Dragons (although admittedly I didn’t need much luring) and I hope that the months we spend together will take me a few further steps down this new life-path.

I want to thank you for making the choice to come on this program; you have already won my deepest admiration for that. This trip will challenge you to step outside your comfort zone in a way that nothing ever has, and if you embrace it, you are likely to have the most profound learning encounters of your life.

I can’t wait to meet you in a few short weeks, to discuss our hopes and goals and views of the world over a hot cup of ‘chiya’ (something that the British and the Nepalese have in common – the cultural significance of TEA!)

With blessings,

Claire

Family. It's one of those loaded terms, it's a word no one can really escape. Everybody has one, a family, dysfunctional or not, normal or not, none of us would be here if not for our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents and so on until we reach back to the beginning of time. It's funny how we all think we're so independent, but anywhere we go that word, family, follows us like our own shadows. But it's not just the genetic part of family that is always there, there's the mutual living and loving kind of family that I've learned to love abroad.

My genetic family in a word is scattered... I think it's been almost a year since we've been together, the four of us. We're all independent and it seems challenging to find time to meet altogether in the same place with our lives full of our own journeys we want to pursue. For a while, in my head I was fending for myself, so homestays throughout the last three months have been a strange revelation of the term that I've pretty much shunned from my necessities.

Every time I've entered a new home I've wondered, what if my family were like this? Really, what if? At this point it doesn't make sense how different two families can be, don't mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers all serve the same general purpose when it comes to the function of families? It was almost uncomfortable to have to readapt to the lifestyle of an entire family living under one roof. But after a while spending time with my host families became something extremely important to me. I've been asked lately, why do you like being in host families so much? For the same reason I like to go to dinner at a friend's house, for the same reason I would rather spend the night over with someone else's family than stay home and wait up late for my dad to drive home from Holland. The reason is, I don't have this in my regular life, but sometimes I need it.

I need to watch a woman lovingly cook prawn crackers 10 meals in a row just because I giggled the first time I saw it flourish in oil. I need to have a father shove fruits in my bag because he knows very well that I might get hungry during the day, and yes I need the company of a family that seems to function with ease, even when it may not be the case.

The four families I have shared parts of my life with in China have been part of a much greater inner healing than they could ever possibly imagine. It remains incredible to me how quick they were to take care of me, to offer me medicine when I was sick, hold my hand across the street, to lay blankets on me in the middle of the night, to share a smile and simultaneously share every part of their life. It seems so easy, so simple, I was part of that family.

Every time I've left a family there was a tension in my stomach, the monster of leaving clawing away at my insides... "No, you don't really have to go, why not stay a little bit longer?" The pit in my stomach remained as I waved my hand, the universal sign of hello and goodbye, bringing my experience full circle back to the simple waves we exchanged when I was welcomed into the family. Both times there was a smile across my face, but this time instead of the smile of excitement it was a smile tainted with sadness. The sadness of leaving another family that just made more sense than my own.

There was another family that I found during my journey in China, the family of 10 other students and 3 adults who had all somehow decided to take the same step as I did this September. 14 people from different paths of life all somehow ended up in the same place. We willingly shared our fears, doubts, joys and hopes without a second thought. We knew we were in it together for 3 months and automatically a family was created. It's the last day now and I can't imagine what my life will be like no longer surrounded by these people who have witnessed some of the greatest transformations I've ever made, who understand what I have seen, who shared my journey along the way. Who are we in our regular lives back home? I don't know, and I don't want to know, what I do know is that I love these people as a family, and hope that we all continue to be the beautiful people that we were in China when we all return back to our lives without each other. I'm knocked breathless when I think tomorrow I will be saying goodbye to yet another family, the family that I've shared the most with, the family who has helped me transform into the person I am now, the person I am proud to call myself.

So here we are at the end. Packing our things, all anxious about what will happen when we return home. I don't want to leave, it's a terrifying thought, going back to where I was before all this, before this place, this experience, these families. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the goodbye forever feeling is not my favorite. The feeling of permanance behind the ending of a portion of my life is unsettling. Forever, it's a big word, especially when what you're leaving behind is something that has made such an impact in your life. Will I become lost without them?

But is it really forever? This is where things seem to look up. In this modern time goodbye is really only a "see you later", if you're willing to put in the slightest bit of effort no one can be lost to you forever simply because of distance. So that leads me back to this idea of family, but not the genetic kind; the kind of family that I have shared my life with for a few days, weeks or months... they are all still there; just a little scattered. And as it's known, scattering is something pretty normal for me. The families I stayed with in Costa Rica and Peru, they are still there, the Tibetan families I stayed with a month ago, they are still there, my Naxi family, my Kunming family, my genetic family; they all reside somewhere, sowhere I can one day, sooner or later, make my next destination.

So the scattering, it just makes my family more widespread, if anything more accesible. I can go to more places and still be welcomed with open arms. Nowhere on the globe has to be an unchartered territory of strangers, only a territory of new found familial ties. My family... it's going global and I've never felt more surrounded by people who care.

"I had forgotten how much light there was in the world, until you gave it back to me."