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Sojourn Himalayan Studies Program is a three-month
cross-cultural apprenticeship program in experiential
learning designed primarily for students wanting
to take a break from the classroom and learn directly
from life experience. Much of our emphasis is
on independent exploration and apprenticeship.
Kalimpong, a hill station in the West Bengal Hills,
is the ideal location for those who wish to not
only take a break of the western lifestyle, as
well. The people and activities in Kalimpong move
at a slower pace than many of our students will
be used to, but it is through this slowing down
that many students are able to focus on their
interests and make personal connections with fellow
students and local residents. |
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| Kalimpong
is a bazaar town situated on a ridge, with wonderful
views of surrounding valleys and Kanchenjunga
Himal. Just a 15-minute walk away from town in
any direction will take you to the many surrounding
village settlements, also called 'bustis'. Kalimpong
is known for its floriculture, which can be seen
in the numerous commercial nurseries in town,
as well as the local commitment to flowers. Every
house will have some kind of flower planted, whether
in clay flowerpots or old coffee tins! Kalimpong
was once ruled by the rajas of Sikkim until it
was taken over by the Bhutanese, and eventually
the British. The Kalimpong population is made
up of Nepalis, Tibetans, Lepchas, Bengalis, and
Indians of other backgrounds. This multitude of
influences can be seen in and around Kalimpong
bazaar in the faces of the people, the architecture,
and the way of life. |
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| Cultural
Sensitivity |
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Our
program is designed for students taking a break
from busy lives in their home countries who have
a sincere desire to experience and learn from
a foreign culture. It is vital that students come
to India sensitive to others' beliefs and with
a willingness to temporarily live by Asian ways.
Our guiding credo is "comprehension of the
self through detour of the other". When studying
in a foreign culture, our students often find
they learn more about themselves and their own
culture while living abroad than at home. The
most important luggage you can bring is an open
heart, one that is open to learning from new experiences.
We believe there is an enormous amount that one
can learn by immersing oneself in an unfamiliar
culture. |
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| Group
Involvement & Independent Emphasis |
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| Many
of the activities that take place during the program
will call for the entire group, usually 10-15
students, to be together. During these times a
strong emphasis is placed on group process. As
a balance to this, students are given a great
deal of unstructured time in which to experience
Kalimpong and surrounding areas on their own.
We urge students to consider the SojournAsia house
a home base, resource center and community from
which to explore. We believe that the best way
for us to help students to come to know Kalimpong
and its rich culture is to provide opportunities
for direct contact and close interaction with
Kalimpong residents, while allowing participants
the freedom to pursue their personal interests. |
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| Orientation |
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| Our
Himalayan Studies students will be met in Calcutta
by SojournAsia Kalimpong coordinators Sushil Panta
and Liz Lance. The group will spend a few days
exploring Calcutta before traveling to Kalimpong
by train and jeep. After arriving in Kalimpong,
students will stay at the Mountain Hut Guest House,
a serene location just on the outskirts of Kalimpong.
Orientation will include an introduction to Nepali
and Tibetan language and culture specific to the
hills of Darjeeling District. Meeting with other
Sojourners and discussing apprenticeship opportunities
establishes the foundation for your Kalimpong
Sojourn. The group will visit important religious,
cultural and historical sights in and around Kalimpong,
as well as hear from some local experts about
the political and cultural history of the area.
Students will also begin to learn the differences
between American and Nepali ways. |
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| Kalimpong
Homestay |
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Students
will live with Nepali or Tibetan
families for approximately five
weeks. The character and structure
of these families vary considerably.
In a very traditional household,
as many as twenty relatives may
live together in the same house.
Yet more modern families may surprise
you with their relative adoption
of Western values. During homestay,
in addition to sleeping in your
family's home, you will eat breakfast
and dinner with them. The standard
meal is called "daal bhaat",
rice with lentil soup and vegetables.
Living and eating with other people
always entails giving up some independence
and privacy as well as certain habits,
but the benefits of temporarily
adjusting your lifestyle can be
enormous. By adapting to the lifestyle
of a family, you will be able to
see and to experience the essential
nature of Nepali or Tibetan life.
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| Language
Study |
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| During
the homestay period, the language classes that
began during orientation will continue. You will
be given two hours of organized language instruction
every day, five days per week, for four weeks.
Furthermore, during the Village Excursion, language
instruction will continue. Your own additional
review outside of class will greatly facilitate
mastery of the language. Do not let past experiences
with language training discourage you; Nepali
is very easy to learn. Unlike most other languages,
in a short time you will be able to communicate
with Nepalis in their own language if you choose
to apply yourself. |
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| Lectures
& Field Trips |
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During
the homestay period, Sojourn offers lectures,
discussions and field trips concerning
environmental and development issues,
geography and geology, arts and architecture,
healing, government and politics, religion
and the history of Darjeeling District.
Sojourn attempts to expose students to
prominent local scholars, artisans, women's
advocates, environmentalists, healers,
and religious figures. Field trips may
include Indian classical music performances,
yoga classes, meditation classes, and
trips to temples and villages around Kalimpong.
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| Apprenticeship
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As
a way to enhance one's experience in India,
a vast variety of internships are available
for this period. This offers students the chance
to explore and focus on their individual pursuits.
The coordinators will help arrange apprenticeships.
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- Working
with an artisan- thangka (ritual art) painting,
carpet weaving, or incense making.
- Learning
a musical instrument, vocals, or dance, both
traditional and folk.
- Learning
native healing techniques and the philosophy
of Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine, or practicing
meditation or yoga.
- Exploring
the local nurseries and the exotic plant species
found within. Learn about tissue culture or
sericulture, or work with forest rangers to
discover secrets kept within Kalimpong's vast
forest tracts.
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are also many challenging volunteer opportunities
for meaningful service-environmental-related
projects, women's issues, working with local
school children, or helping the indigent,
old and mentally handicapped.
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choices are limitless. This can be an unbridled
learning experience if you disregard the fences
into which academic learning is often penned.
It is one thing to know facts about a place. It
is another to experience it, to interact with
it. In the process of learning about Kalimpong,
you will learn about yourself. |
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| Village
Excursion |
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| Taking
a break from the bustling bazaar town of Kalimpong,
we will explore the rural countryside, living
with farm families and experiencing village life.
This experience provides students with exposure
to the ecological and ethnic diversity of the
Darjeeling area, as well as insight into the complex
issues of rural development, deforestation, village
politics, social structure, religious practice,
musical and healing traditions, and the rich folk
beliefs, myths and stories which compose their
worldview. |
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| Darjeeling
Excursion and Ropes Course |
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| Following
the homestay and apprenticeship period, students
will travel the short distance to Darjeeling to
participate in ropes and repelling course taught
by experienced Everest Summiteer Dorjee Lhatoo
Sherpa. While learning the skills that have sent
hundreds of men and women up the Himalaya, students
will also hear lectures on the history of the
death-defying sport. While in Darjeeling, students
will also visit a snow leopard breeding center,
see the famous tea plantations, and watch the
sunrise over the Himalaya from Tiger Hill. |
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| Sikkimese
Trek |
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The
last major portion of the Himalayan
Sojourn is a two-week trek into Sikkim,
exploring the hills and mountains of
this remote mountain kingdom. This time
away from roads, electricity, and modern
convenience is a rare and unforgettable
experience, offering students time for
reflection and decision-making.
Camping
in tents or local village lodges, we will
trek through areas frequented by foreign
trekkers as well as areas relatively unexposed
to Western influence. Trekking requires
some adjustments in lifestyle, but in
exchange for giving up a few luxuries
you can have the experience of a lifetime.
You will share
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with porters, water buffaloes, and yaks
in the shadows of the world's highest peaks.
You will encounter rural Nepali and Tibetan
life far from the bazaar of Kalimpong or
the capital city of Gangtok. Trekking in
the Himalayas, unlike hiking in other parts
of the world, is more a cultural experience
than a wilderness experience. For maximum
enjoyment of the trek, we recommend that
students come to India physically fit for
strenuous walking. |
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| Closing |
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| After
climbing, repelling, and trekking, we will settle
back into Kalimpong for a final week together.
This time is spent reviewing the events of the
previous three months and tying it all together,
as well as preparing to return to the 'real world.'
The Sojourn Coordinators will then accompany the
students back to Calcutta and see them off as
they fly back to their respective homes. |
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