I am sick. I'm a collage right now, a med student's dream... I've had a fever, nausea, sunburn, a cough, congestion, a perpetual tummyache, and a few other things I won't mention. owww...... :( Funny thing is that I don't understand Indian medicine so I just take what the staff member's give me... for instance, my fever was medicated with two blue pills the size of sprees, and a white pill. Don't ask me what they were b/c I couldn't tell you.
But it's all good. Spent the weekend in a tribal village (i.e. no running water, no electricity, waking up to a rooster... milling our own flour, farming, bathing in a waterfall... the whole deal. What I saw amazed me though. These people were super resilient and super happy. Simple and close. The feeling of communal living was tangible. One household's kids were the whole village's kids. Crops were shared, men cooked when the women didn't feel well, kids as young as five took care of the babies while the parents and older kids were out in the fields.... it was a great surprise to realize that I had come see how to build a community... and they were the ones teaching me what it even means to be a community. I was luckily in a house where I could speak Gujarati... so I had a few really great conversations with the mom of the house while I helped her farm and mill flour. They literally have no contact with the outside world (outside of their surrounding four villages) and it was interesting to see how perceptions differ, needs are relative.... I don't know. Unbelievable.
Got incredibly frustrated yesterday.. my email account is apparently NOT SUPPORTED IN INDIA. After the 49846216548 times that I changed the account to make it suitable for india... that is enfuriating. I'm so mad I can't even spell. Plus I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to my mom or brothers.... my last call home was spent trying to figure out some discrepencies in my finances left behind.... grrr...... I miss you guys. I'm so sad. I am sending rakdhi's first chance I get. I miss my family and not being there for key moments. I miss my mom. I miss my apt and my roommates. I want to go home for the weekend.
I met the girl who did our project last year. Crazy energetic and happy. I'm excited to talk to her. And small world, I actually know her from camp.
So far, this is already nothing like I imagined from my expectations of what India trips have been... or Sanjay's crash course of grassroots 'development' work in India. (the term development still sounds condescending to me.) I'm totally rambling. Peace.
1 comment:
damn girl, sounds like you're going through some shit. these are the trenches that great ones rise from. take care of yourself out there, cause seriously, one year will be over before you know it. appreciate where god has put you, and don't let a moment go by without being thankful for the opportunity you've been given. i know dude, seriously, shit's easy to say sittin in my cube in chicago... but at least try! stay safe and (try to) stay healthy, and remember, guilty feet have got no rhythm. (c) Wham!
btw, did you try opening up a rediffmail.com email account? i know a few people in india who use those accounts, so that might work out better for ya. worthless.
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