Why am I not Surprised?

---

You can’t get through a day in India without something out of the ordinary happening. I got back to the village last night after a long day of meetings at about 9.30pm. There was music emanating from cheap speakers, and the tinny sound was snaring through my dilapidated frame. And it went on. I tried to read my book, but it went on. I tried to write this blog about some of the meetings, but it went on. It was after midnight when my head heard its last thought before disappearing into unconsciousness. Then it was 5am that the music woke me. As I walked to back to where the kids stay (someone remind me to do an entry about what I have called Diagon Alley) I was racking my mind for a rational explanation why tacky film music had been blaring all night long. I asked little Yemuna, who has short hair that she always combs neatly to the left, why the music played. “Festival” she said with a smile.

With my head tilted slightly to the right in a perplexity that is India, I answered, “For what?”

“Shiva.” She giggled, “Shiva Festival.” It might have been the look on my face, but now she was laughing out loud.

“Ok. But why the loud film music”

By now all the kids had congregated around me and were hysterical. “Shiva festival means no eat and… no sleep.”

Of course it does.

Clary is over in Bangalore as President of the 40K Home Foundation, with travel sponsored by the STA Travel Trust. 40K Home is building the world's first eco-shelter and community learning centre for 100 severely underprivileged kids. See the latest news at www.40khome.org

---