Jamaica or India?

[freespiritz]

Soo...every year in April/May my college has a 6-week, one course short term, and there are always off-campus options. Last year I applied to go to Chile to hike around in the Andes and save the mountain deer, but got turned down because I had no winter camping experience. Oh well. So this year I shall try again...and I'm considering one in India (about US 3700) and one in Jamaica (about US 3000). As far as recommended background goes, I have no knowledge of the Carribean/African American studies, but probably can do okay at handling very high temps. :P

I am leaning towards India, but wanted all your good input on the matter! The cost isn't really an issue, I'm expecting to pay about half the actual amount thanks to financial aid.

Course descriptions:

Cultural Production and Social Context, Jamaica. Although Jamaica's artistic and popular culture enjoys international acclaim, it is at the same time often misunderstood. This unit affords students an opportunity to investigate a range of Jamaican cultural practices within the context of the specific social, historical, and political matrices in which they are generated and received. This unit begins with a preliminary introduction/orientation in Lewiston. In Jamaica, regular seminar meetings are supplemented by guest speakers and visits with writers and artists. In addition, each student carries out an individual research project using both textual and ethnographic methods of inquiry. Recommended background: previous course on the Caribbean or in African American studies.

Religion, Pluralism, and Politics in South Asia. This unit offers an introduction to the study of Islam in South Asia, focusing on Chishti Sufi saints, their shrines, and the work of the Tablighi Jama’at – a distantly related movement devoted to the cause of religious revival and reform (tajdid) around the world. During four weeks in India, we will sit for lectures with local faculty members and travel to a variety of mosques, shrines, and other sites of religious and historical significance in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. A tolerance for very high temperatures is essential.