Breathe in,

breathe out. Aaaaa....

so many things to say.

Ok, first things first. My dada is feeling better. Still in the hospital, but stable. Yay! *sigh of relief* Because he had come to visit me a few months earlier, the people in my village keep asking how he's doing, how he's feeling. Now that is community. :) Someone pass him word that everyone on this end is pulling for him. Everyone, including people he has yet to meet.

Next, someone give my two brothers a big hug from me. I miss them so much.
And Mom for mom's day. Sorry to be so far!

....

Now, I think I might notice this more than everyone else who is 'wrapped all up in it' (whereas I am a bit removed for the moment.) Life is unbelievable. Everyone I know is in an amazing transition right now. And b/c my contact w/ ppl is fewer and farther btw, I can SEE how much the people I love are growing. It is an INCREDIBLE thing to notice.
---> this realization begins with some great news. Angela Patel, who, incidently, was *convinced* that she would never make it through high school, is graduating with a Masters in Social Work from Colombia. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My baby's growin up!!! Someone hug her for me. (Then kick her as hard as you can.) I am so proud of you beta!


....
As for me, I'm doin ok. My toe is healing (I got an Xray taken finally, and it's going to be fine.... btw, I have the cutest toe bones evah!) *wink*
and...

I HELD MY FIRST ART EXHIBITION EVER! Such an overwhelming experience, I don't know where to begin. We convinced the village men to let 20 of their women come out to Ahmedbad to be a part of their first exhibition of their work. THEY CAME!!! 20 women, who had never left their village before, came out to big city A'bad. We wanted them to see for themselves, the buzz that has been created over artisans reclaiming ownership of their craft.

We did it all....overnight bus, a roller coaster, meeting the Gujarat minister of education, interacting with artists, designers and shop owners, going to department stores, high end clothing stores, out for ice cream, downtown, a movie.... 3 days of craziness. THE MEN AGREED (on the condition of 4 male escorts from the village.) We also took 4 boys from the villages, who are super promising at their studies, to enroll them at a great boarding school in A'bad. The publicity was unreal: articles in the Times of India, Mumbai Samachar, Divya Baskar AND, randomly enough, the Sunday London Times.

Now, here's the excitingest part. Anyone read the tipping point by malcolm Gladwell? It's about how movements are started and how they gain momentum. Basically, a whole lot of groundwork is laid, and then it just takes one small trigger to tip the scale. I have yet to see if I am getting ahead of myself, but I think we hit it. The difference in their cooperation, their understanding, the DESIGNS and QUALITY of their work is UNFUCKINBELIEVABLE. (excuse the language- i am too excited) A popular motif in their last piece was peacocks, because they saw peacocks roaming around for the first time! And suddenly, the women are thinking about their work. They are drawing inspiration from their surroundings, from their experiences, from their lives- they are evolving their traditional art themselves. They have ready replies for WHY they chose a particular (motif, color palate, spacing, layout) anything.

Sorry if this is rambling. I'm on a huge high right now. This is what they are talking about when they are talking about empowerment. Letting the people reclaim who they already are.
The majority of the handicraft work done in India is all about 'reviving tradtional art' via income generation. ... i.e. giving the women pre stenciled designed cloth, kits of thread in the colors of the design, and a sample of what the finished product should look like. Like labor work...
Which I am not knocking, b/c it is necessary to give these women work, and the women do not argue with the money. And their skills in embroidery are used.

But there is an unmatched, unparallelable beauty to have them take ownership of their work. There is a visible difference in how much they enjoy creating the finished product. They debate what looks good, what doesn't. They express opinions. They *argue*. They are suddenly *thinking* about their work. And enjoying the process. And reclaiming ownership. I can't believe that it's actually happening.

Maybe they just had to see it for themselves.