Photography

I've been uploading, editing and publishing my photos like mad

here

here

and

here. <--- my new portfolio!

I got published in VALEUR (a German magazine), and am not getting paid, but get a 1/3 profile with my photo in the back and a paragraph about my photographs. Gotta take it anyway.

Here's a sample, but PLEASE take a look at my sites. Contact me (erinleeisalive@gmail.com) if you know of any cafe's who might be interested in putting up a show.

and my henna is almost 100% faded.

Namaste Bye, India.

E

Prayer

Henna

Just wanted to show you the amazing Henna I received before leaving India. 1.5 weeks later, it's still going strong.

Only 100 Rs. ($2.25) and took 20 minutes!

Erin Lee (is alive)

Photography

I will be my manual uploading photos that I feel are show-worthy here

I only have about 1/4 of my film developed, so keep checking back.

For all my photos, show-worthy, digital, or not, I will eventually be putting on Picassa or Facebook. I'll keep you updated.

Erin

Reflections

I didn't want to mention this before I left India because I was afraid I would jynx it, but:

I survived India! Here's how:

• I never had digestive problems (unlike 95% of the other volunteers).
• I was never molested.
• I never got hit by a vehicle (at least one other volunteer got hit by a motorbike).
• I never got anything stolen (lets see: Kristen got her purse slashed, Alex got her camera stolen out of her hand, Annelie got her entire purse swiped on a train, Helen got Rs 2000 stolen out of her bag at her NGO).

But I took some major risks, including:

• Skipping my Malaria pills for weeks at a time.
• Going in the Ganges river.
• Going on an Indian Ferris Wheel
• Being in Old Delhi at night.
• Eating street food once or twice.
• Sipping local water once.
• Trekking without a guide.
• Sleeping in the dead cold of the Himalayas with snow leopards nearby.

but I admit:

• I did get bit by a dog on a railway platform (it didn't break the skin).
• I almost got head-butted by a cow (in the behind) in Pushkar.
• My purse got pulled away from me once or twice (but was around my body, so actually never got taken).
• I got two colds.
• I got ripped off more than three or four times.
• I had to jump out of the way of a cycle rickshaw more than 4 or 5 times.

Erindia

Laxmi and Karan

I am back in America, but I'm going to continue with some stories as I remember them. This one is especially significant to me- the story of the young couple (and baby!) who works on staff:

Laxmi and Karan

Karan was abandoned at the Nizamuddin railway station (the station we are dropped off at everyday for work) when he was 3 or 4 years old. From that age on, he lived at the station doing whatever he could to survive. I;m not sure about the events that occured in this time exactly, but when he reached his early twenties, he met Dalia and Yogen who were the main coordinators for Nav Jagriti at its earliest stage, which was doing street children outreach on the actual railway platform. Soon after this time, he noticed a young girl who he identified immediately as a runaway. It was Laxmi, who was 17 and had fled to Delhi because of the torture she had been recieving from her brother. Although I was not provided with information about the torture, she has some scars on her face that are most likely related. They fell in love (no parents to formally arrange them!) and got married. Because they obviously couldn't afford a traditonal ceremony, they went to a local temple and put garlands on each other to make it official (although it is still not official in India, which may be very problematic for them in the future). Within 3 or 4 months, Laxmi was pregnant with Nayan, who was born in October. They don't enjoy Delhi and plan on moving away when Nayan is a little older. Karan seems to want to move to Allahabad, where he somehow discovered he was born, but Laxmi seemed to be opposed to that idea.

Jess and I went to their house last week. It consists of a 6x6ft concrete room with one twin sized bed. They rigged a small baby carriage to hang with rope above their bed for the baby. We met their six month old kitten Lalu (it means 'of red') who was warm, clean, proporly fed and incredibly loving. We went to the roof and it became immediately apparent how deep in the slums we actually were. Directly outside their single window, 30 or so families, overloaded with children, are set up in a tiny space just outside the local bus station. Worst of all, we spotted Arjun, one of our brightest students, stomping trash in these gigantic bags with his father.

May Laxmi and Karan's small family's life be forever filled with peace, love and happiness.
And when I obtain my own family, may I be reminded of their simplicity and innovativeness.

Erin