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Namaste Dear family and friends!
I just opened my computer, which I had stuck in my bag, to find that it is infested with ants. And I don’t mean an ant here or there - 50 ants poured out from under the keys, swarming over letters and onto the screen. How did this happen overnight? I think this must be a very bad sign for my bag…I’m scared to look.
OK I looked - it’s not that bad, ants prefer the internals workings of a laptop to nesting in clothing. Or maybe they are just exited by something new. Even as I type, they still haven’t left the keys: reduced in number, they frantically dart in and out of letters, searching for their fellow ant comrades. Or maybe they are trying to spell something…shift…z…3…x…sunshine symbol…tab. Yeah, I’m not getting it. Instead of flicking them off, I just let them run around. I’m trying to get used to it.
There are ants everywhere. In my room, in the toilets, ALL over the kitchen, and once in my hotel food. The sink of my host family is swarming with them, big black ones. Somehow, they don’t end up in my host mom’s cooking. She must have some secret.
The ants are not alone. Lizards and geckos scurry around my host family’s small backyard, chased by their two dogs. Birds nest in the vines, and right outside my door is the constant chirping of 30 caged parrots. Budgies, cuckatoos and one big parrot that mimics the calls of the other birds. At 7 this morning I was awakened by a hurricane of chirping, it was unbelievably loud. Every time I open my door there is a flurry of flight as the alarmed parrots find higher perch, staring down at me as I pass. The parrot just stares at me...he’s also trying to tell me something.
FSD orientation is over, and I’m moved in with the Patwa family. They are an absolute delight. It takes some getting used to, but I think I will come to love it here. There is a husband and wife, a daughter my age, an old grandmother, and a servant boy. The mother runs hostels in Jodhpur, the father is a doctor, and the daughter is studying architecture. The boy looks to be about 13 and is from a nearby village that I assume is very poor. He goes to school everyday, and does most of the housework. Last night we talked for a while in the backyard and he taught me some Hindi, laughing at my fascination with the huge geckos. Besides him and the grandmother, the rest of the family speaks English very well. The accent takes a little getting used to, but even more confusing than that is the head wobble. When speaking, most Indians shake their head, but in agreement. It’s not a hard shake, but a slight tilting back and forth, less dramatic versions of what you might see women do in a Hindu dance. Everyone does it, and its distracting because I ask a lot of questions and when I get a head shake, it usually means yes.
Today was the first day the head wobble made me think “yes”. I was sitting at my NGO, Sambhali Trust, with one of the teachers in a classroom. She was explaining Hindi grammar, which, by the way, is completely different than any language I know, and she shook her head and I was right! My Hindi is coming along swimmingly. It helps that FSD had some Hindi classes, and that the girls at my NGO speak little English. Today was my first day, and I mostly sat and socialized with the women. Most of the women are in their late teens, but the age ranges, and there are a few young girls. Today they were doing embroidery work and showed off their stitching and original designs. Some of them are quite spectacular.
Sambhali trust holds free classes for these women who are primarily in the lowest Hindu cast, Harijan (known as untouchables, renamed Harijan meaning “children of God” by Ghandi). They are taught basic skills that traditionally they would not have, like applying for jobs and filing police reports. They are also taught English and sewing, and their products are sold to support the NGO. Ideally, when these women graduate they will be able to begin their own business. Sambahli Trust also has a sewing center that I visited in the afternoon. These women spend most of their time sewing, and in the afternoon we run educational and fun workshops. As an intern it is my responsibility, along with my fellow volunteers, to design workshops based on the need of the women. At this point, I’m trying to get a feel for the organization, and see what the needs are. This will involve talking to the women and employees and observing what is lacking in the organization, or what goals are not being met.
Earlier, I had a meeting with Govind, the director of Sambali Trust, where I met the other interns and the teachers. After talking logistics, about sewing production and money, I learned about some of the marvelous work that the Women’s Empowerment Project has accomplished. I’ll have to save these stories for a future entry, as I am totally exhausted.
Namaste,
Ariel
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Paul
non-member comment
New family
Glad you like the family you are staying with - it will make the experience so much more enjoyable. I am sure you will come up with exciting and meaningful activities for the women to do. As for the ants and geckos, they will become like family as well. Just don't come home with them. Love, Dad