Is this a beach vacation?

It seems somehow, as fortunate as I may be, whether it is almost getting hit by a bus or motorcycle, or getting to taste some random exotic fruit I've never tried before that I always end up at the beach. In my journey so far I have not taken any time on my own to travel away from Lead Forward and have spent most all of my time with people working for the program or in relation to impoverished people in India. I have maximum 4 non Indian acquaintances and I call them that because 3 of them I've only met once, and the other has left the country. So how is it that I have all these magnificent beach experiences. I've been to the tourist beaches where historic temples come with a high fee for entrance, even for India. I've been to the biggest beach 13km long with a width that you could hold track and field events. I've seen boys practicing gymnastics and break dancing flipping and flopping in the sand and crashing into the sea. I've been accosted by boys with their 'pet' monkeys trying to get any rupee from the foreign girl. I've been to deserted beaches where fishing villages are still trying to reconstruct their lives after tsunami devastation. I've been taken out to sea in their hardcore boats with thumping trumpets of engines cruising along with priests and administrative assistants. I've been to the most deserted village beaches near Cuddalore where all the industrial factories are developing without any pollution control. To compare the most industrial places with the most natural without any restrictions for either, no wonder they say Cuddalore is the #5 most polluted city in the world. I wonder what the future toxicity of that gorgeous beach will be. I've sat under a palm tree plucking roses to put in my hair while eating cashew biscuits and drinking Pepsi. I've had women's empowerment discussions under these palm trees. I've been to the touristic Silver Beach where there have been so many people it's difficult to see the sand or walk and on other visits I've relaxed in the sand for hours losing track of time discussing philosophy and culture. I've indulged in cashew butterscotch ice cream that costs only 20 cents. It's rich creamy half melted consistency cooling me along with the sticky ocean breeze. I've sat with families. I've sat with friends. I've sat with clergy. I've debated with security officers who don't speak English and bad mouthed commissioners who have come to inspect and regulate the beach scene. I've eaten fried, battered bananas, chillies and onions wiping my greasy fingers on my jeans or some newspaper. I've swam with skirts, jeans and churyda, but never in a swimsuit. I've been an assistant architect for magnificent sandcastles and posed in photos with random strangers. I've watched the sun set into the sparking black sea it's blazing pink, orange and red colors captured, everlasting by my dinosaur of a camera. For all the frustration and fight the oppressed are faced with whether or not they can afford a cinema ticket to distract themselves for three hours at least there is so much natural beauty that they can surely be distracted for a while.