Say it with me.... "Ooo-nah-doe"

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.