I think the more work I do at Gram Chetna the more I realize rural community development is not for me. Not that I really thought it was for me in the first place, but I thought it combined the things I find interesting - travel and people - and I would probably be at least appealing. But this work has one other main component that I really find boring, the whole rural community development factor.
It’s Monday morning and I just arrived in the office. Rajiv just walked up to me and placed a stack of folders and binders on my desk, mentioning that this is the information I requested. All I have to do now is read a few more 100 page reports and summarize some information. I hate this shit.
In other news, and so very typical of this place, we still have no new intern. I thought she called yesterday and that was the reason the guys rode off on the motorbike. But I found out last night that they were simply being proactive.
And I was so looking forward to her arriving! After I posted the last blog I went off on the bicycle and bought a kilo of mangos for the welcoming celebration! When I found out John and Rajiv had returned without Lola, I ate four mangos back to back. I guess I can’t feel too guilty about eating my feelings when I’m eating fresh, ripe fruit. It could have been worse.
On a more positive note, mangos are both cheap and delicious here! I bought six for about 80 cents! Another positive thing is that my bike rides are becoming more and more awesome. My random rides have developed into a specific loop I ride every morning, so the people all know me by now. At first I was just getting blank-faced, open-mouthed stares. But now people wave and smile, and a few young men have somehow found out my name. So I ride along to young men calling out, “Good morning, Meddy!” and all the children wave and yell, “bye bye!” There is even one old man who invites me in for chai almost every morning. I haven’t gotten a chance to take him up on his offer yet, but I‘m hoping to sometime in the next few days.
As for the physical aspect of my bike rides, I’m working on some buns of steel over here! I never really thought riding a bicycle did much in that regard. But man! It’s working for me. Of course I have yet to find a mirror larger than 3 in x 5 in to check myself out in, but I feel way stronger. So I am telling myself I’m getting buff. After all, body image really is all in a person's head anyway.
Alright, time to get to these reports. Ugh.
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I think they made Lola up to keep you from going over the edge and killing them in their sleep. :-) You're right about the mangoes, better than eating, say, 4 pounds of chocolate. Hope you get a chance to have chai with that old man. It's good to be nice to old guys. LOL
ReplyDeleteWaitaminute. I was also looking forward to finding out more about this "Lola" character in this blog post! What was their excuse for her absence: was her flight delayed?
ReplyDeleteSomething seems fishy here. Especially with the facts provided in your last post about how only they were communicating with her via email. Does this girl even exist?
Lola IS a very generic French name after all:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola
Lola does sound like a provocative name. Maybe she'll finally arrive one day.
ReplyDeleteIndia Business class tells us the "not" telling the whole story is quite common, especially when the news isn't good news. You won't be able to pull it out of them.
Saving face is most important in the Indian Culture.
Another point we learned it's appropriate to turn down the first invite and possibly accept on the 2 or 3rd invitation...don't know why, just read it.
:)
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