Pondi… take 1

It turns out that this happened to be a 2-day weekend for me and because they are so rare I was compelled to take advantage of it.  The only other 2-day weekend we’ve had was the first weekend I was here.  That weekend I tried to make it to Pondicherry, but alas was thwarted.  I had made lodging arrangements, so all I needed was transportation.  Since our base is on the outskirts of Chennai, that can be hard to come by.  It also happened to be a big festival weekend because Friday was Eid (the end of Ramazan) and Saturday was a Hindu holiday celebrating Ganesh.  That made it nearly impossible to arrange a taxi.  No taxi, no problem… at least that’s what I was told by some seemingly reliable sources on base.  They arranged an auto (rickshaw) ride to the bus station and convinced me that taking a bus would be no problem.  It would be significantly cheaper than a taxi and pretty comfortable.  I’m not sure what buses they were thinking of because nearly all the buses I’ve seen look anything but comfortable.  At any rate, they told me the buses run every 20-30 minutes to Pondicherry.  That seemed like a great way to go, so I hopped in the auto and was whisked away to the bus station.  After stopped a couple times to ask directions, my driver told me the next bus wouldn’t leave for another 3 hours.  At least that was what I understood him to be saying.  Frustrated, I got out of the rickshaw with hopes that someone might be able to help me out.  I spoke to a few police officers, but they were not able to give any good advice.  After some time, I thought maybe I’d try to catch a train because the bus station is conveniently located right near the train station.  There was a train going to Pondicherry, but you had to buy your ticket in advance and there was a long cue (line) and the train would be departing in 5 minutes or so.  With that plan foiled, I decided to call a classmate of mine who was my babysitter that night.  He offered to pick me up, but I politely declined, still hoping that there might be a chance I could get to Pondi.  I spent another hour or so wandering around the chaos that defines public transportation centers here and happened to stumble upon a taxi.  It also happened to be a reliable company that I had used before, so I approached the driver and offered him 2,000 rupees to take me to Pondicherry.  He had just dropped off a couple and after some bartering agreed to my price.  I got into the car and we drove off.  The problem was that he pulled a u-turn and started heading the wrong way!  I called him on it and he said he needed gas.  I asked him why we turned around for gas when there were gas stations aplenty on the way out of town.  He communicated that he needed to go to the airport to fill-up with premium gas.  This displeased me greatly as driving to the airport was a detour of at least 40 minutes.  With a 2+ hour drive to Pondi, I was not okay with that.  After continuing to express my frustration and finding that it was falling on deaf ears, I decided I was going to get out of the cab as soon as possible.  I considered hopping out while we were stopped at a light, but with all the traffic thought that would not be wise.  Instead, I waited until we got to the gas station.  After we pulled up to the pump, he turned around and asked for 200 rupees (which apparently is typical if a taxi or auto driver is getting gas).  At that point, I said “I’m not paying you and I’m leaving” and got out of the taxi.  Somewhere between his shock and the fact that he was in the wrong, he did not chase me down.  Fortunately, I found a very nice nearby hotel and was able to arrange a taxi back to the base.  It wasn’t a cheap taxi ride, but I was just glad to get back to the base safely.  So that brings me to this weekend, which you can read about under the title, “Pondi… take 2”.

So this is a bit different...

I have now officially started my ground training with the IAF.  It has been 3 weeks since we started and we’re now about halfway done.  In the past, the ground training was combined with the flight training and lasted a total of 6 months.  Now that the ground training and flight training are separate, the time-line has been compressed for both.  It’s amazing how much information we’re expected to learn in such a short period of time.  Each week we have 2 tests and every day from 7am – 3pm (no lunch break) we have lectures on subjects like jet engines, piston engines, instruments, navigation, aerodynamics, airframe, meteorology, and aviation medicine.  Most of my classmates only get 2 or 3 hours of sleep per night because of all the studying they have to do.  The testing is also quite different as they have subjective and objective portions of their tests (they’re actually called papers here).  The objective portion of the papers has T/F questions as well as multiple choice and fill in the blank.  You might think that sounds reasonable, but get this, you can actually get negative marks for a wrong answer on the T/F and the multiple choice.  What I mean by negative marks is if you don’t answer a question, you lose 1 point, but if you attempt it and get it wrong, you lose 1.5 points!  The T/F questions have one, two, or three words or phrases underlined, so if the correct answer is false, you are also required to correct the underlined “wrong” portion.  In some cases, it may be that all three phrases in a statement are wrong and must be corrected or it may be that only one word is wrong.  Basically, what this means is T/F is no longer a 50/50 guessing game, but an actually test of whether you know the specific answer.  This might not seem too bad, but when you add in the types of questions and the specificity required to answer them right, it’s amazingly difficult.  It doesn’t help that oftentimes the questions use words or terms that are very obscure.  Fill in the blanks aren’t any easier, although there are no “negative markings”.  The fill in the blanks often require rote memorization of key phrases or otherwise unknown words.  As for the multiple choice, it’s your standard multiple guess type test except for the “negative markings” part.  The problem I’ve had is that it’s very hard to pass on answering a question, so I take the risk.  More often than not, it ends up being very costly for me.  Maybe eventually I’ll learn from my repeated mistakes and start exercising better judgment and discernment!

That’s enough about the tests.  I won’t go into any more detail about the specific subjects we’re studying except to say that it feels like we are trying to cram a semester’s worth of aerodynamics, thermodynamics, astronautics, physics, meteorology and a number of other subjects into one week.  I haven’t seen this many laws of such and such or equations and derivations in a long time!  For a Legal Studies major, this is a bit over my head!

Here’s a bit about my class.  There are actually 2 courses taking these ground subjects together.  One has just finished their flying training and my class is yet to begin.  This means that the class is double what it normally is—64 students!  I am also the only “foreigner,” so I get called on more than my fair share.  It wouldn’t be so bad if I actually knew the answers!  It’s also challenging because in addition to my difficulty understanding the accents, the instructors are not the only one’s teaching.  Probably more than 50% of the lectures are given by students and many students’ struggle effectively instructing when the subjects are things like the forces affecting gyroscopes or Kepler’s laws of planetary motion.  Nearly every lecture requires a difficult conceptual explanation and/or the solving of a complicated derivative.  The instructors often intervene to try to clear up any doubts (as they are called here), but it seems they even struggle to provide clarity on certain topics.  I feel sorry for the guys in my class who are studying day and night to try to get by.  It is such a stressful time for them because we have something like 12 papers and only 3 failures are allowed.  That may seem like a lot, but trust me; studying the subjects we are in such great detail makes any passing grade a good one (even if passing is only 60%).

I’ve been very blessed to have met some wonderful people during my time here.  It is such a diverse and interesting group.  They are from all over India – north to south and east to west.  They’re also from all services – Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force.  Of course the AF has sends the majority, but this course is recognized by the other services as India’s premier pilot instructor training.  It seems the AF guys have a bit of an edge because they’ve been studying this material for longer, which makes it all the more difficult for the guys from the other services.  Also, there’s a mix of transport, fighter, and helicopter pilots.  Thus, the flight training is conducted in a number of different locations.  My class is comprised mostly of Hindus, but there are also Muslims, Sikhs, and Catholics (and I may be the lone Protestant!).  So there you have it.  Apart from the fact there are no women and I’m the only foreigner, it’s a pretty diverse crowd.

What I’ve really enjoyed about these guys is how they’ve been so welcoming of me.  I really am honored by the way so many of them have made an effort to reach out and get to know me.  They often ask for my opinion on the course or what we’re studying and are interested to hear what I think.  They also ask me questions about my training, what life is like in the U.S., or how the USAF does business.  I’m also learning much about the customs they follow—both military and civilian.  I can’t imagine a more unique assignment because it really is a complete immersion.  Did I mention that I’m the only USAF officer doing an exchange with the IAF?

A Legacy of Love, Sacrifice, and Honor

This blog entry is dedicated to my two surviving grandparents who have been such wonderful and consistent role models throughout my life. They have taught me so much about how to properly and practically express love. It hasn’t simply been through their words, nor has it only been by their actions, but in everything they do and say I see in them a sincere love for their family that extends to friends and even strangers. As I grow older and with each day am more tested by with the trials of life, I am amazed by their ability to see through it and then rise above it all without questioning, complaining or showing any bitterness. I observe them with amazement when I see their wisdom. There is no question in their minds when it comes to trust. They know what loyalty means because they live it. They know what commitment is because they have experienced it. They know what compassion looks like because they’ve seen it in action. They know what it means to love because they have forged through the many challenges and temptations of life while continuing to be faithful to their spouses and more importantly, to God. They’ve seen generations come and they’ve said goodbye to many, many loved ones. They’ve lived through a World War and have known what it means to really make sacrifices. My grandfather served in the South Pacific during WWII and my grandmother’s husband, my granddad was serving in India when my mother was born. Their lives are filled with purpose, determination, hope and resilience. They’ve seen the worst of humankind in Hitler, Stalin, and the 9-11 terrorists. They’ve also celebrated the pinnacles of man’s achievements, like walking on the moon and the triumph of freedom over oppression with the Berlin wall tumbling down. Of course, my grandparents have experienced some of the greatest joys in life, having been blessed with children and grandchildren. Yet, they have also faced the deepest sorrows that come with living in a world tainted by sin. They have lost parents, siblings, friends and worst of all, spouses. Both of my grandparents were blessed with 60+ years of marriage and then had to go through the worst of all tragedies, the loss of a spouse. It is so hard to even fathom what that must be like. How does one go on after God calls their best-friend and companion of 60 years home? I know that it is only by the grace of God that anyone can live through such a difficult experience and continue faithfully serving the Lord. I wonder why my generation seems so detached and so far removed from the “Greatest Generation” of my grandparents. How is it that the “Baby Boomer” generation of my parents became so disillusioned and narcissistic? I simply cannot comprehend how in one generation, words like sacrifice, honor, respect, and love seem to have been forgotten. It is almost shocking to think of the incredible legacy left by our grandparents when compared to that of our generation and our parents. We have traded a rich heritage of loyalty and honor for self-centered materialism. It seems the “Baby Boomers” will be remembered for their rebellious 60’s-era revolution that has spawned a culture of sexual idolatry and a fascination with drugs. Oh and whatever happened to the American work ethic that was driven by personal responsibility and a desire to better our communities? It seems that as out checkbooks were replaced with credit cards, we’ve also found ways to live beyond our means. Defaulting on loans and paying sky-high interest rates on credit cards are the norm today. I wonder if that will be another legacy of the “Baby Boomers”? They are after all, the ones who’ve helped push our national debt into double digits. When will this unsustainable cycle end? It’s a sad irony to think that all the sacrifices our grandparents made for their children and grandchildren have been replaced with the impossible financial burdens of our parents. After all, it’s our kids and grand-kids that will be paying off the huge government loans and endless government programs created by our parents. How wonderful it would be if our generation had the courage and moral fortitude to see our nation return to the principles that once made it great. I may be overly optimistic to think that true change is a real possibility, but I’m frankly sick and tired of all the political rhetoric and the scandals and the self-serving that runs rampant throughout our country, from corporations to the government. The lack of personal accountability cannot continue. I long to see us return the honor our grandparents brought to this great nation, but the question is which path we will take. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” and we must take the road less traveled…

The reason I wrote this blog is because I see our nations at a very important crossroads. We will either continue a trend towards socialism and the continual erosion of the value of human life, or we will see this as an opportunity to change the course of history and undo the bad decisions that will no doubt destroy this great country. As I sat between my grandmother and my grandfather, I could not help, but think that we must honor the sacrifices their generation has made for us. While my grandfather was in Colorado for my sister’s wedding, we orchestrated his visit with my grandmother, at his prompting. In his words, he wanted to “pay his respects” to my grandmother. Though they have only seen each other on a couple occasions, I could see that they were kindred spirits because of all that they have been through in life. The virtues of love, compassion, gratitude, and humility poured forth abundantly during that brief rendezvous. It was as if God had brought these two people together to show those of us present what we are called to be and to do in life. I do not know the specifics about God’s plan for my life, but I see more clearly now how I am called to actively live out my faith. The example of my grandparents reflects Christ’s example, by which we are compelled to live courageously and purposefully for the glory of God. If that is where we place our hope, we will not be disappointed or disillusioned even as we live trying times and face difficult circumstances that require hard choices. May we follow in the footsteps of our grandparents and learn to live life more fully, in community with one another and in covenant with God, just as He has intended.

I survived… and made it to the wedding!

I was able to catch my flight out of Chennai and made it back to Hyderabad safely, although my counterpart at this point was on his way to Rajasthan for a much-deserved and much-needed vacation. I was again on my own, but at least his driver again proved his reliability. I arrived in Hyderabad around 5pm and within 12 hours would be flying back to the U.S. With an upset stomach, the thought of packing my bags and leaving for the airport at 1am was less than thrilling. I did manage to get some sleep after I got home and then rallied to make it to the airport in the middle of a torrential downpour. Have I mentioned that it rains here like nowhere I’ve ever been? It’s absolutely amazing to see how much rain can fall from the sky. I wonder if God is taking a shower over India or something because it’s like He’s turned on the shower full blast and we’re on the receiving end! By the grace of God, we did make it back to the airport and I did make my flight out. I did manage to make it through the rest of my journey, albeit a bit uncomfortable. I was very exhausted upon my arrival in Denver and my patience was running thin when I found that none of my family was answering their phones! I expected the worst, as they had no way to communicate with me and I apparently had no way to get through to them. Again, by the grace of God, my sister found me much to my relief.

The ensuing days went by faster than I could have imagined as it was a whirlwind of preparation for the wedding. It was wonderful to spend so much quality time with family. I was able to show my grandfather, a couple aunts and an uncle around my old stomping grounds (the Air Force Academy). While I was disappointed that the cadets didn’t march to lunch, I did enjoy the A-10 flyover. It was a beautiful day with a lovely blue, Colorado sky and puffy white clouds to boot. My bald head didn’t particularly appreciate the sun, but that’s nothing new… After the AFA tour, we took a little drive through the Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs. Oh, how I miss that fresh Colorado air and that beautiful part of God’s creation! It was also such a blessing to be with family. My grandfather made the long trek out from Illinois with the help of my aunt and uncle and that made everything even more special. In addition to all the family time and wedding prep, we managed to do a lot of work at my parent’s house. They needed to get rid of some furniture and we were pretty successful in that endeavor! Moving on to the highlight of the trip, my sister’s wedding…

First, I must say that it is with much joy that I welcome a brother to the Urish family. My sister has married someone whom I greatly respect and admire. He is a man of God who is bright, yet humble. He is thoughtful and tender-hearted, but also confident and courageous. I am thankful that God has brought him into my sister’s life and into our lives as well! He comes from a large family, so it was fun to meet all of the clan.

The setting for the wedding was quite impressive as it was held at Glen Eyrie, which is a castle built at the base of the mountains, nestled in a little valley near the Garden of the Gods. The rehearsal went smoothly with my dad officiating, though I had my doubts about how he would hold up for the real thing! The rehearsal dinner was great too as I got to meet a number of the new in-laws. While the time with my sister was pretty limited, she was constantly glowing especially on the day of the wedding. She looked absolutely stunning, gorgeous, and beautiful. I have not seen the pictures, but I’m confident that they turned out lovely as the weather was cooperative and the location was perfect. The ceremony went quite well and surprisingly enough my dad kept it together. At one point, he even made a gesture to wipe away a tear of joy from my sister’s face. It was a moment I will not forget, just as I will not forget seeing the two of them together for the father-daughter dance. I will interject for a moment to say that the food at the reception was really great and it was fun to catch up with some old friends. God is sooo good. As for the rest of my time in Colorado, I did get to see my grandmother who is such a wonderfully encouraging and loving woman. She has expressed her love, care and compassion in so many ways over the years. I am so fortunate to have been influenced by someone who is so special. I’m thankful that God has blessed me with such a wonderful family and now I look forward to the adventure ahead as we have added one more to the team!

Doubting Thomas… doubting Luke?

I arrived in Chennai and was quickly whisked away by a hotel shuttle and then promptly shown to my posh room. With the events that had transpired in Hyderabad on the way to the airport still firmly fixed in my memory, I was quite content to relax in my hotel room and retire early. The next morning my counterpart arrived, having survived the previous day’s hassles. We had breakfast and then made our way to the San Thome Cathedral that commemorates the work of St. Thomas the Apostle who purportedly came to India to spread the “Good News”. After mass at the cathedral I visited the adjacent building where St. Thomas is supposedly buried. Through all of this I could not help but notice how similar Catholic rituals appeared to resemble Hindu rituals. There were even Hindus who attended the mass, but that should be no surprise to anyone who knows much about Hinduism. It is a religion of syncretism, by which I mean to say that it absorbs other religious practices and even other gods. There seems to be no dichotomy between worshiping Ganesh and worshiping Jesus. I personally do not see how praying to relics or other similar Catholic practices helps differentiate between Hindu gods and the one true God of grace, justice, and love. I’m simply offering my opinion even as I recognize that I do not have the experience to make an unqualified assessment of Catholic practices in India. I will say that it seems possible that maybe Hinduism has had some influence on the Catholic church here. Okay, my purpose in with this entry is not to bash Catholics, so please forgive me if that appears to have been the case. To end on a positive note, I will say that it is tremendously encouraging to see what an impact St Thomas had in this part of the world. God truly used this man to bring His Gospel to the people of India. There are a good number of Christians in southern India, due largely to the work of that man we know as “Doubting Thomas”.

That Sunday was quite rainy, so we decided to check out the movie listings at a nearby mall. Since nothing of interest was showing, we made our way to Sparky’s which is a restaurant that was opened by an American who has been living in Indian for something like 15 years. It was a welcome taste of home, even as the cheeseburger did have a bit of an Indian flavor to it. I can’t quite explain it, but suffice it to say, the beef tastes kinda different. My buddy has been in India so long that he didn’t even notice! That could be me in another year or two! After Sparky’s, we went back to the hotel and then rallied later in the evening to go to a Korean restaurant that had been recommended by a friend. It ended up being a really fantastic experience although it was difficult to find because it was hidden on the second floor of an office building and lacked a noticeable sign. While, the main course was amazing, I was also impressed with the 7 different complimentary appetizers that were served. I thought it was like those scams in Europe where you get served bread, but then charged extra if you eat it! Fortunately, that was not the case!

Moving on to Monday, we spent most of the day at the consulate meeting people and making necessary arrangements. I was thankful to find that nearly everyone we met was very welcoming and happy to help me in any way they could. We found a quiet, peaceful lunch spot that was also recommended by a friend. It was hidden from the street, but when we found it, it was like we had uncovered a lost world! The building was very colonial, but seemed out of place in India. I felt like I was somewhere in a South American jungle or a more tropical former British colony, but alas, we had not left India. The meal was delightful, the price was right, and the atmosphere was fantastic. If you ever make it to Chennai, be sure to look up Amethyst.

After lunch we made our way back to the hotel, which happened to be conveniently located near St. Thomas’ Mount. This is the place where St. Thomas is rumored to have been martyred. It ended up being a lengthy walk from the hotel, but it was worthwhile. A small chapel crowns the mount which provides a scenic view of the city and the 10 rupee camera charge was fairly insignificant. I was a bit disappointed that we were unable to find a marker showing the spot where St. Thomas was murdered, but maybe no one knows exactly where it took place. At any rate, as dusk set in, we decided to head back to the hotel. We got back and rather than venturing out again settled for dinner at the seafood restaurant. This turned out to be a decision I would greatly regret.

The meal was not bad, but quite overpriced by any standards and what it gave me the next morning surely was not worth the expense! I woke up the next morning with a bad case of the “runs” and an upset stomach. It was so bad that I was not able to make it to the base to see my future house as we had planned to do. Instead, the on-call doctor had to pay me a visit and prescribe some medication for an upset stomach and disagreeable intestines. This was done only after I had been convinced that a shot was necessary to stop the “running” of my bowels. It worked like a charm, but shortly after the shot I found that stopping up one hole, might only lead to the consternation of the other hole and it did. I threw up and as is nearly always the case when I do, I thought I would rather have just died… As I have found in the past, usually things get better after the first round of blowing chunks. Sadly, I continued to have an upset stomach that simply would not go away and caused me to doubt whether I would make my afternoon flight back to Hyderabad or my subsequent flights back to the U.S. for my sister’s wedding! Maybe that doubting Thomas character rubbed off on me a bit?