Yep. "The summer season. It's here.... and ees-a hot out here.
There were a few things I was supremely fearful of before coming out here including:
1. Summer in the desert and
2. Scorpion season
Apparently, they are one and the same; the summer heat drives the mofos out of the ground... Like a video game, the goal is to pass the level w/o getting stung by a scorpion. I need to make me a scorpion-proof suit. hmmmmm.... cellophane? aluminum foil? tweed perhaps? Nothing gets through tweed right? Shoot over any bright ideas.
So, a man in my village (Desar) had been living in another village for a month or 2. He was doing labor work abt 1/2 an hr away. Desar had just bought a new motorcycle and had about 9000 rupees left to go. We had gone to the village he was in about a week ago to organize a music performance for the projectAhimsa (www.projectahimsa.org/) fellow to get some music clips for a CD. We spent the night w/ Desar. Had a great time. He hadn't been home or seen his family in weeks; he told us to tell his family he missed them and he'd be home in a couple of days.
2 days later- he's on the way home. Gets into a horrible car accident w/ a tractor w/ only one headlight working. A hit and run. Desar dies instantly. His oldest son's wedding was planned for next month. The bike he'd almost paid off--> gone. The craziest part is that I saw him more recently then his 4 kids and his wife because of that music performance 2 days prior. He was really good guy, always joking around. Quite upsetting. It's frightening how emotionally attached I am getting to this place.
....
It makes me question how far immersion into a community should go... a certain distance needs to be kept to remain effective and not get pulled into politics... but it is a crazy fine line to walk. I still can't believe it happened so suddenly.
Within a week of this accident, one of the women in the village *finally* had her baby. The circle of life continues. She went to the hospital, had the baby, and was back home in 2 hours. Do these women really need me to empower them? They're tough as nails I tell ya. The baby girl is soooo precious. I'm trying to get the mom to name her Rups. So far, the argument has been met w/ deaf ears. Persistance is key. I'll keep y'all posted.
Celebrated my first Holi (the festival of colors) in India. It was the most fun I've had in FOREVER! Amazing. Starts out playing in a field, throwing the colored powder on people, forever dying clothes reds, yellows, blues and greens... escalates into a waterfight once someone finds a hose. Then people start throwing mud and it is ALL OVER! It can prob be best described as a massive mudfight. Spectacular. My stomach hurt from laughing.
I've come to realize that those are some of the best moments to live for. Laughing until your stomach hurts, laughing til you cry.** Extremely vital and necessary. :)
I think I get too easily sidetracked by the little stresses of life (i.e. long lines, mosquitoes, money, being late, career frustrations, consequences that I do not control, not meeting others' expectations... so many things.) I forget that life is supposed to be happy. I forget that choosing to be happy and to enjoy the moments that matter are active choices.
I forget that they are my choices to make.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Past the halfway point
or, in other words, I am more done than I am not done. The ratio is tipping in the other direction. Eeeeeeep!
It frightens me at how comfortable I am in this space. It's like all the superfluous things to worry about were bared away and suddenly, all that's left are the important things. The little things that matter. I feel centered. Grounded. Focused. I feel the work I do matters. Once you get a taste of doing work that you care about, there's absolutely no going back.
I'm comfortable here, but sometimes I shake my head and laugh about how physically tolerant I have become: I am immune to the 2km walk to get fruits and veggies and the 1/2km for milk- daily. I'm dehydrated for better part of the day. My farmers tan is out of control. ;) My skin is super dark from running around in the sun all day and some how I'm always either recovering from a sickness or cut or bruised.
Case in point: I had my first hot shower in months this morning. Man, talk about appreciating the little things.... I'm on cloud nine.
My project is going well. I post a lot about my adventures here, but don't really talk about the work I do. So, this might get a little long, but here's what I have been up to work-wise:
Out of the 60 women in the Rural Design school, abt 12 to 15 of them are uber talented and rockstars when it comes down to color, design, composition, quality of work etc. The next step is to help them create portfolios for themselves and start an artists' collective. I want them to have a space that inspires innovation within the medium and watches out to make sure they aren't being exploited by outside markets, like a union. I'm also organizing an exhibition planned for them in the big citay of A'bad. "Contemporary Expressions," playing off of their innovations on a traditional craft.
....
So here's the cool thing about this year: I am not 100% decided on which direction to go in after this year (yeah, still), but the longer I am out here, the less I freak out about it. I'm helping the women found a artist collective. Teaching at the grade school (when the teachers don't come.) Running a kindergarten in the neighboring village. Mediating intra-village and inter-village politics. Helping build community within and between economic classes, genders, religions. Painting road signs. Breaking concrete. Building a community space (complete with getting the supplies- cement bags, wooden pillars, cement blocks.) Helping women create portfolios. Empowering them through example, through taking risks with their work, through not settling for anything. Marketing art. Monitoring women's health in the area. Organizing competitions, exhibitions, music performances. Trying to counter the negative long term effects of the relief efforts of four years ago. Doing it all in a language I am still learning.
Some of the projects I'll be working on in the next few months: Painting murals with the women on the sides of the buildings. Writing brochures about the Rural design school portfolios. Editing a collective book. Putting together a coffee table book on the rural design school. Creating my own portfolio. Designing a set of postcards. Creating a promotional video.
Where August will find me is still vague; the grayest of gray areas.... but the experiences I'm putting all up under my belt make me feel like I'll be ready for whatever comes my way.
It's a great feeling.
Summer is rollin in. It is hotter than hot. And this is only the beginning. But summer also marks the beginning of the mango season. This is the legend I have only heard about- a whole season devoted to mangos. Pretty excited.
Man, I hate links.
I hope this one works.
Missing the people at home a lot today. Notes to pass along:
Mom, you owe me a letter and copies of those jewelry designs.
Vim/Vish, come during the third week of July. :)
Ang, happy bday Oldie McPhereson.
A huge tackle hug to everyone else. Huge. And someone do some handstands in my name; I can't do them here. :)
It frightens me at how comfortable I am in this space. It's like all the superfluous things to worry about were bared away and suddenly, all that's left are the important things. The little things that matter. I feel centered. Grounded. Focused. I feel the work I do matters. Once you get a taste of doing work that you care about, there's absolutely no going back.
I'm comfortable here, but sometimes I shake my head and laugh about how physically tolerant I have become: I am immune to the 2km walk to get fruits and veggies and the 1/2km for milk- daily. I'm dehydrated for better part of the day. My farmers tan is out of control. ;) My skin is super dark from running around in the sun all day and some how I'm always either recovering from a sickness or cut or bruised.
Case in point: I had my first hot shower in months this morning. Man, talk about appreciating the little things.... I'm on cloud nine.
My project is going well. I post a lot about my adventures here, but don't really talk about the work I do. So, this might get a little long, but here's what I have been up to work-wise:
Out of the 60 women in the Rural Design school, abt 12 to 15 of them are uber talented and rockstars when it comes down to color, design, composition, quality of work etc. The next step is to help them create portfolios for themselves and start an artists' collective. I want them to have a space that inspires innovation within the medium and watches out to make sure they aren't being exploited by outside markets, like a union. I'm also organizing an exhibition planned for them in the big citay of A'bad. "Contemporary Expressions," playing off of their innovations on a traditional craft.
....
So here's the cool thing about this year: I am not 100% decided on which direction to go in after this year (yeah, still), but the longer I am out here, the less I freak out about it. I'm helping the women found a artist collective. Teaching at the grade school (when the teachers don't come.) Running a kindergarten in the neighboring village. Mediating intra-village and inter-village politics. Helping build community within and between economic classes, genders, religions. Painting road signs. Breaking concrete. Building a community space (complete with getting the supplies- cement bags, wooden pillars, cement blocks.) Helping women create portfolios. Empowering them through example, through taking risks with their work, through not settling for anything. Marketing art. Monitoring women's health in the area. Organizing competitions, exhibitions, music performances. Trying to counter the negative long term effects of the relief efforts of four years ago. Doing it all in a language I am still learning.
Some of the projects I'll be working on in the next few months: Painting murals with the women on the sides of the buildings. Writing brochures about the Rural design school portfolios. Editing a collective book. Putting together a coffee table book on the rural design school. Creating my own portfolio. Designing a set of postcards. Creating a promotional video.
Where August will find me is still vague; the grayest of gray areas.... but the experiences I'm putting all up under my belt make me feel like I'll be ready for whatever comes my way.
It's a great feeling.
Summer is rollin in. It is hotter than hot. And this is only the beginning. But summer also marks the beginning of the mango season. This is the legend I have only heard about- a whole season devoted to mangos. Pretty excited.
Man, I hate links.
I hope this one works.
Missing the people at home a lot today. Notes to pass along:
Mom, you owe me a letter and copies of those jewelry designs.
Vim/Vish, come during the third week of July. :)
Ang, happy bday Oldie McPhereson.
A huge tackle hug to everyone else. Huge. And someone do some handstands in my name; I can't do them here. :)
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Incognito
I think it's a good thing that I can't post pics up here. No one from home would recognize me anymore. My hair--> super long. Like longer than I've worn it in years. I am also crazy tan and losing weight from all this trekking around. However, the six-pack, as is perpetually my style, is still a work in progress, ever hindered by my love of peanut M&M's and ice cream. Some things never change. :)
I have also stopped apologizing for who I am. Hopefully, this is something that will stick.
I have also stopped apologizing for who I am. Hopefully, this is something that will stick.