Your good name?

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I have been paired up with a social work student from the college we’re connected to at prac. He is super keen and definitely the fastest walking Indian I’m yet to meet! The problem is, he and I can’t communicate. I know what you’re thinking, of course we can’t, we speak 2 different languages, but that’s not it, he’s very fluent in English. Our conversations go like this:
Him: So Sally today we’re going on home visits
Me: Oh cool, I’d really like a day in the office so I can catch up on stuff
Him: We will be walking from house to house gathering information for the clients case notes
Me: Ok, should we get a bus there
Him: They are recipients of Child Sponsorship
Me: That’s great I really wanted to get better insight into the Entrepreneurship program
And that’s what the day consists of. We both try really hard, but the harder we try the less sense our conversations make!
I also get to work with the loveliest nun who is very excited to have me round and claim me as her best friend to anyone who will listen. She calls me at very strange times, ranging from 6 in the morning to 11:30 at night. She’s got the cheekiest sense of humour I’ve come across in India!
Am now in a place called Varkala. It’s very equipped for tourists, but is beautiful all the same. Shops, cafes and restaurants line a cliff edge that looks out at the ocean. There is even a beach where you can swim in a swimming costume without fear of offending anyone (I think).
Last night there was a massive storm. I even saw explosions coming from powerlines, it was pretty intense. My main concern however, was that I hadn’t eaten dinner and I may have to spend the rest of the night starving to death, Fortunately the crazy weather subsided and I was able to get something to get some momo’s from a Tibetan restaurant (this place is so touristy that it’s hard to get Indian food!).
It’s still raining today but the wild weather from last night has gone. I was looking forward to going for a swim but will happily read my book instead. Walking along the cliff in Varkala, there are lots of shops with the same touristy things- copious amounts of harem pants, shawls, bedspreads, bags – but the people in the shop are such resilient sales people. Whenever I walk past a shop and they offer for me to look inside, I say no thank you, they then ask me to come back later, I say maybe, then they say ‘promise’ and hold out their hand for me to shake. I don’t want to be rude so I shake their hand. If I do happen to walk past later, there is no getting past them, they remember the shake and force me in with their gift of the gab. I came up with a strategic plan to tell them that I had to work out what I needed to buy as Christmas presents and would be back the next day. I’m such a fool! They remember that too of course, all the shops, spreading 300 metres across the cliff waiting for me to spend all my money on Christmas presents!
This last week or so has been a tricky time. Dad has been in and out of hospital (and then back in again) with his heart. Luckily I have the most incredibly selfless brother who is doing everything and anything to be there for Dad (and make up for the absence of George and I) and at this stage it looks like he is on the mend! I spoke to Dad yesterday and he seemed to be feeling positive, although unwell, and was looking forward to some visitors, so things are looking up!
The rain is starting to dry up and the sun is trying to come out so I might get that swim after all!
Just over 2 weeks of prac left to go!
Much love!

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