Long time, no me

Hello, everyone, sorry that it has been so long since the last update. I had a little sickness, but not to worry, I am rapidly improving (due mostly to the attentive and patient care of my host family and the assortment of vitamins and delicious foods they regularly bring and, actually, I think I am becoming spoiled from all the attention). I’m now back to classes and looking forward to trying to make vegan muffins in a toaster oven this weekend – there are no ovens in India (or clothes dryers) – so wish me luck!
I haven’t done much of anything since I was ill, but the Saturday before last, I was able to visit a tomb of a Sufi saint just outside of the city limits of Lucknow. The saint’s name was Syed Haji Waris Ali Shah, and the shrine is called the Deva Sharif. The experience was fantastic. When we arrived, we had to walk down a crowded bazaar street to reach the shrine. Once inside the gate to the shrine, the space opened up and the crowds lessened. The contrast between the very crowded and noisy street and the calm of the shrine was very dramatic. The gate surrounds courtyard and in the center is a building in which the Sufi prophet was buried. Sufism is a branch of Islam that focuses on mystical methods of approaching God. Before the door of the shrine qawwali singers were sitting in front of the entrance. [As a side note, I have really come to appreciate qawwali music, the devotional music of Sufis, since I’ve come to Lucknow. At school, we’ve had two different qawwali groups visit and at the shrine in the graveyard near my house has qawwali every Thursday evening, an event I really enjoy attending, despite its slightly different setting. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is perhaps the most famous qawwali singer ever. This is a link if you’d like to hear/see what his music sounds like http://nusrat.info/category/videos/.] At the shrine, we were able to listen to qawwali both inside and outside of the tomb area and were given flower petals to toss on the gravesite. Outside of the shrine, a gentleman associated with the shrine told us the story of the saint, who traveled during the 19th century throughout India and Europe preaching about peace and teaching about the love of God. After this lecture, we were able to meet the head of the shrine. He gave us sweets and told us that the saint had ordered these sweets (i.e. that a devotee had brought them to the shrine) and they were unsure what event these sweets were for, but once we had arrived, they knew immediately that they were for us. This story made us feel like honored guests. The sweets were good, in the very sugary way that Indian treats are. When we were preparing to leave, the head of the shrine also gave us prayer clothes scented strongly with incense. The one I received is brown with gold-colored fringe. He said they would help bring us clarity if we prayed with the cloth over our heads and that if we asked God a question, the first thought that came to our minds would be the answer. Overall, the experience was enchanting and worth the 25 kilometer trip down the bumpy roads to get there (interestingly, the trip took over an hour - I guess cars don't go that fast here, although they seem to be fast when I am in them) . I’ve put a picture of my roommate and I in front of the shrine. As you can see, the shrine is quite beautiful and beautifully painted and maintained.
Next week, the summer part of the program ends (I can’t believe how time passes! it seems like its been forever and just a day). All of the students that I’ve met over the summer are leaving Lucknow, so I’ll miss the friends I’ve made. I am looking forward to the short break between the summer and year-long session, I hope to catch up on some sleep and reading as well as maybe see the mountains again. I’ll keep you updated (hopefully more frequently) on the adventure...