No school Saturday!

I just ended a week long stay at St. Joseph's primary school in Porour. Ranging from LKG, which is pre-k to 4th std (4th grade) it is English medium with Tamil and Hindi classes. Working on sculpting some tri-lingual students quite impressively. I stayed in a basic room with two beds and a proper mosquito net. Phil and Nancy had stayed their previously with the shelves bare except for a few English romance novels and some hangers. Every night after finishing dinner at 9p.m. I would escape the mosquitoes (kosu in Tamil) and take to writing in my journal and resting on some wild sky blue sheets with clouds, bubbles, mechanical parts, and random shapes scattered over them. I must say the variety of textiles is pleasing my art influenced eyes. I would give English lessons during the day to the 4th std students and take Tamil class with the 3rd std ones. The 1st std and UKG (kindergarten) students would race to touch my had, step on my feet, or introduce themselves to me. I would watch their drawing lessons showing them some fashion figures and a white daisy I sketched on the blackboard. They drew a tropical fish. One morning a student asked me to draw a bunny, and after 10 minutes there were 25 bunnies of various shape and size littering the chalkboard. I was impressed with the artistic efforts of the school also inclusive of a computer class where they are learning Paint, PowerPoint, and Word programs. It was a week full of questions and learning, my private school knowledge has definitely increased and resulted in a Q&A I've submitted to Phil. I'll be working on applying for a scholarship from Bill & Melinda, if they are so kind and visiting St. Mary's in Chenglepattu today. Having some adventures with Hindu God statues tomorrow all in preparation for another school visit.
It is getting much warmer as I noticed the sweat dripping down my stomach when we played in the courtyard at the school. It became visible through my white t-shirt, an artful one, given to me by the fantastic photographer Casey Sperry (when she used to be a Kelly). It has some black geometric graphics printed on it. With my Mavi jeans and Diesel sneakers I look as American as they come. As I wait for the bus under the shade of a banyan tree and monkeys rustle leaves and look for some food to swipe all the action that surrounds me encompasses me in India. Trucks of rice with Hindu drawings go for delivery, a fish seller moves half of her merchandise out of the sun on it's burlap sack, a group of 5 squeeze into an already full rickshaw, a woman walks with a plastic bag of carrots to her home down the road, a motorcycle zips by to fill up a gas can and some stray dogs pick through leaves and trash trying to nourish themselves while viciously gnawing at their already tormented skin which is scabbed and bleeding, the hairs barely covering their backside. I get on the private bus and I am whisked away by the Indian pop music and the purple printed interior. Everyone looks at me in this moment and slowly their eyes are distracted again by the women bent in half in the paddy fields, or a close call with a taxi or bike passing in the other direction. Back to Chengelpattu to repack my travel bag and meander along the road to another school or another adventure.

reply to Grandma Pinky: Jewish Pioneer

The pollution level everyday here is at the Warning (Orange) level, my teeth are chewing foreign leaves, meats and spices, so I'm sure once my body realizes this intake is better than that of the past 25 years it will adjust pleasurably. Yea, so I'd rather be feeling better sooner than later but if a week or some more of this crazy excrement adventure continues it will be off to the Ayurvedic doctor to give me some natural stomach calming herbs and treatments, and while I'm there maybe a nice massage too. I've been trying to convince Mathew (LF India President) to also get one, since I think it would be great for his mind racing and busy schedule to relax holistically. I've mastered the art of preparing tea on the gas stove. They have a black tea powder that I'm quite fond of and I've noticed it is good for calming my stomach's cyclone. Regardless, tomorrow I will be off to have a long stay at one of the local leaders school's. I'm currently reading his book about Dalit struggles, and he is a priest, so that puts a whole new religious perspective on things. The Christian Dalit movements have a strength that our non denominational ngo can only look at with awe. I've met a few leaders involved in the Dalit Christian Liberation Movement and the National Council of Dalit Christians, but still in my early research I see a great advantage of inclusion of all faiths. The idea to empower all Dalits in the current stage of the movement is quite separated on the basis of religion and sub castes still, so having no religious bias is really a role model for everyone else, we just need some growth and financial support to see LF into a happy sustainable future. At least after this first frustrating month I still believe my being here is a good thing!

(left: kolam art in Krishnankuppum)
(below: tea toast at ODP college students/graduates
conference)

(above: michael collins, sithanaiselvan's father, me, background AMBEDKAR!)

(left: church of the baptism of Ligoria's daughter Mancy Magana)

(below: old bus station crowd in Villapuram)

response to Casey Sperry e-mail

It seems like another lifetime when we were sharing weekends at your cozy apt on front street. This is like a maiden voyage for me. First off in working hand on for a NGO and secondly to be in India trying to accomplish something great and pave the future for Lead Forward. I'm trying to learn how the system functions here in India, from everything to getting a check to a student to pay for their hostel to how the teachers are training students at all levels and how a day in the life of a Dalit student really is. Fun is something Indian culture lacks, in terms of spending money in your free time to have a day at the mall, go to a water park, or whatever else. When I ask our students what they do for fun or what their hobbies, they usually go hand in hand with their studies or they avoid the question by responding about something else. Sometimes frustrating, but it shows how different lifestyle is. I'm planning some visit to a few schools where are students are attendees and that will be interspersed with meetings and lectures on Dalit issues and organization for Lead Forward. Tomorrow we have a preparatory board meeting to discuss a list of details about helping to keep this organization functioning and helping create sustainability for its future if the US were no longer able to support financially. There are no concrete responsibilities though, but when I am well I am like an India investigator probing about life, culture, religion, politics etc, until i wear myself out. My diary is becoming pretty full as well, with some wild excursions that are mostly generalized on the blog. Keep on keepin' on! I'm on the lookout for Jews and Art besides political graffiti.... should keep me busy. A rich culture that you could take a lifetime to learn about, I'm enjoying!

Happy Pongol

A list of symptoms

So I've been pretty sick this past week. I began my ritual of symptoms with some exciting constipation. I took some pepto bismol tablets, then since that didn't work I went to a catholic nunnery hospital where three sisters lived. One of the sisters was a doctor, or something like that, and she gave me a delicious milk of magnesia mixture with great new MINT FLAVOR! It's delicious I assure you. Also on my list of remedies were papaya and plantains. So at the nunnery the doctor/sister climbed onto the roof and with the swing of a long stick she detached two large papayas from their resting place and caught them. Mind you she was about 90lbs, 5'1" and wearing a dress. I took these and some Indian tea to help get the motion back in my expulsion. This adventure was not had alone I was accompanied with a priest Fr. Arocki Doss from Alagapasamuthiram the village I had been staying at for a couple days previously, trying to get the feel for village life talk with some of our students who were there for the Pongol holiday and learn about Pongol too. Post constipation I went on a 3 hour motorbike ride with Fr. Arocki Doss to a village called Periayanayakiammal, close to our great leader Mathews' village in Eraiyur. I didn't know this until returning to Chenglepett with new stomach symptoms. So we took a beautiful bumpy ride through the paddy fields, past rural villages, alongside the red and white government buses until finally arriving at a home of Fr.'s family friends. It was a small shanty, thatched roof, green cement walls, a modest government issued TV and some calendars. This was a Muslim area, so my vannakkam turned into salum alaikum and then in the Hindu areas namaste. How am I going to be able to keep track of these changes as we scoot along the roadways? So we gather Helen (a student Fr. sponsors to go to Computer college) and head further to Periayanayakiammal. On the way we get a liter of water that I desperately need and some batteries that work for about 5 photos. Batteries in developing Asian countries don't ever work, bring stock of whatever you need and always have your spares. We arrive at the church, our destination for a huge mass and bazaar with about 5,000 people or so. Helen and I buy extravagant jewels and hair ties for about $2 until we go to take some photos. I am feeling the effects of dehydration at this point, no matter how much bottled water I drink it doesn't seem to be enough and after getting a personal entrance to the otherwise closed church the symptoms intensify. I am dizzy, struggling to walk, and nauseous. I miraculously reach Fr. Arocki Doss to ask him to lay down for a moment, but that moment turns into a nice sit on a western style toilet, thanks goodness for not having to squat at that moment. I stumbled back to him and then after taking a few more sips of water I'm back on the pot. Now with a super headache where my head feels detached at my spinal cord with my brain floating around like a balloon, someone I have to return the 3 hours on motorbike to my rat poop infested quarters in the church of Miracles. I manage to convince myself I'm good enough to get on the bike, but the next three hours seemed like an eternity, with stops for petrol, tea, juice, club soda, and water the instant remedies for recovery were completely useless. I just pictured myself in a horizontal position asleep and somehow with my head covered in a sheer white shawl, eyes closed, gripping to the bike I made it and was in another world once my feet were off the floor. Needless to say I was quite sick for the next few days, including today. I've started a hydrochloride treatment thanks to a walmart purchase, but if it doesn't help, then onto the natural herbal remedies Indian medicine has to offer. So, Chengelpett for the next few days for as much R&R and I can bear even if it isn't voluntary.

Top 10 things to know about Tamil Nadu

1. Drink 7 liters of water a day
2. Always drive with your highbeams on
3. Don't eat fried street food because they reuse their oil up to 10 times
4. Always have a shawl handy
5. You can never have too many calendars
6. You can never have too many flowers in your hair
7. Pee anywhere you want (poo too!)
8. A guide book can't save you now!
9. Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, and VISA don't really work in India, charge with caution
10. You're lucky if your bed is a mat with a pillow
11. Have bobby pins and safety pins available at all times
12. Burp, fart, spit, belch, or cough as much as possible especially when you are in public.

Roundabout Lifestyle

India, the country of endless time. Trying to get any work, commuting, or preparations done in a timely fashion is completely impossible. Random power outages, cyclones, motorcycle and car breakdowns are just a few of my experiences so far. I am understanding how difficult it is to get anything accomplished. Writing a document, you are distracted by your entire family watching Indian music videos, singing and dancing in the same room (having four generations of family in one room hanging out before dinner is something Americans need to take advice from India on). Arriving on time for a meeting like ODP, our last workshop with the LF India Board, college students, and graduates, the brake line in Mathews car was having trouble, so we had to stop by Pondicherry in a small village to have some work done. Traveling by bus is rather exciting though. The women, beautiful in a rainbow of saris, the children crying, playing, sleeping, then men staring with a questioning eye all jump on and off the bus while it is in constant motion. The people are pushing and squishing to find a standing spot during rush hours (which is all the time!) The bus conductor, with his sturdy purse, sells tickets for around 20 cents. The driver uses 3 foot long shift stick to grind the gears and careen along. I have been living on $5.82 a day. Anita, a Lead Forward student, took me on my first bus ride. At first it was so loud we couldn't talk. My head turned toward the window watching the greenery and mud huts pass us by, and while I was intensely curious about the landscape, everyone else just looked at me. As Phil, the president of LF US, said the last white face I would see was at the Chennai airport upon my arrival, and her name was Sugar.

Wednesday?

I'm almost sure it's New Year's Eve, but after flying for about 15 hours clearly I could be confused. I've crossed five time zones. The center of the Abu Dhabi airport is like a mosaic explosion and I am melting down the sides on a lime green and cerulean blue magma slide. The delayed remark flashes repeatedly on the departure board as I have been noticing life in the lux airport for the past hour and fifteen minutes. Afraid to go to the bathroom for fear of missing my flight, I only hope I don't inconvenience Mathew.