Saturday

Namaste!  It's Saturday in India and I'm at work.  

I'm so engaged in my work although I haven't done anything yet.  I've found that I really enjoy observing (I wonder if I could get a job as a professional observer?) I'm bonding with my team over our chai breaks twice a day.  We laugh a lot as we try to communicate.  

I've met my Indian "other"... Rekha Didi (didi is term of endearment that means sister).  She was the facilitator of the training I observed at the DRC (Dalit Resource Center).  It was so neat to watch her engage and connect with the participants as she worked the room with a marker in her hand and facilitated the training.  I think she'd get a kick out of watching me facilitate.  I try to explain that what I do for a job is the same as what she does, but I don't know if she can totally comprehend. Rekha Didi speaks little to no English but is already excited about coming to America to live with me.  She just needs to check with her husband and 3 children.... 

I’m trying to figure out how to best post photos.  The Internet here is very spotty. Maybe tomorrow I can find an Internet café?

I’m writing a proposal for my project and will present to Hitendraji (my boss…I found out I was calling him the wrong name before!) on Monday.  It’ll include 3 components:  an “on-boarding” plan for future interns, “executive coaching” for Hitendraji and Mridu (a young, empowered and thus restless key female staff member), and a small field assignment for UNNATIs work with the “vulnerables”.  It’ll be a lot to accomplish in 3.5 weeks, but I’m excited about trying to impact UNNATI’s effectiveness as well as get field experience.  I’ve found that the language barrier (and the fact that I’m a 6ft tall white women) really hampers my helpfulness in the field.   I want to accelerate the important work UNNATI is doing and not hinder their impact.

As I’m reading and researching empowerment and the vulnerable population, I am conflicted with the fact that my host family has indigent servants (1 mother and 5 children) all waiting on us hand and foot.  I don’t think that they are of the Dalit caste, as those people would be too low to even come into the house or especially the kitchen, but it still serves as irony as I try to reserve judgment, learn about this culture, and more importantly learn about myself.  The servants are treated “well” and are very friendly with little Anuashree (think The Kite Runner) but still cannot wear shoes in the house and must sit on the floor.  I was taken back last night as I walked into the kitchen to my host mother feeding them on the floor right next to the dog’s bowls.  Thus the complexity of India…

On a happier note, I’m looking forward to a day off tomorrow and will be meeting up with other interns to sightsee and shop in the old city bazaar.  I hope to be able to pick up some of my clothes since it’s getting very old washing in the bucket each night and rewearing the same clothes to work every day.  Thank God I’m not in high school anymore as it used to be unbearable for me to “repeat” clothes…thank God I’ve evolved! 

I’m practicing a Buddhist philosophy now regarding the heat.  To be hot is inevitable…but suffering is optional.  Thus you will not hear me complain about the heat or talk about sweat anymore. (But know that I AM STILL hot and sweaty!)

Happy Saturday to you!