Recap

Consider this entry as an attempt at redemption for a five-month backlog. It’s just that I have blogged very few and these are crap written hastily or just for the sake of writing something that badly needed revising.

Since my arrival in India, I’ve worked with my NGO, turned a year older, went on a 6-week in-country orientation with new VSO volunteers, survived Christmas and New year’s away from home, worn a sari, gate-crashed a wedding parade, traveled to the South and explored a bit of the north, took a 50-hour train ride, met people from all over, bid goodbye to a few, lost weight, lost my money, lost my temper, lost my mind, gained an immense amount of patience, and loved and hated India at the same time.

First, work has improved. I started out resisting almost everything about it, primarily the slow pace and my lack of a permanent chair (as in a seat to put my ass on). The NGO I work with is a center for children with special needs so imagine me right smack in the middle of these kids and I didn’t even know how to handle them. I eventually became a familiar face to them and them to me. I get out of their way and try not to get too close or too familiar, and by far I can work amidst the noise and the office traffic. They are part of my everyday life now.

Things have gotten better as well since my work plan has been approved and we now have fixed schedules of activities and set deadlines. This makes me really happy. If I am not reading the papers at three in the afternoon, it means I don’t have idle time and work is moving. It’s also motivating to see the other staff in the organization cooperating and recognizing my role as a volunteer. They don’t see me merely as that girl who monopolizes the computer. (I have learned the value of sharing – it involves a lot of self-restraint but it pays off).

Second, a six-week in-country orientation (ICO) from November to December with new volunteers, including language lessons (which I still struggle with – just last night dining with my Hindi teacher Aarti, I told her something that literally translates to “You are quickly!” when she paid the bill.)

The ICO taught us about the Indian culture (castes, religion, etc.), Indian NGOs, social issues like sexual harassment and disability, program monitoring and evaluation, and even cooking Indian dishes. We also went on an exposure visit to an HIV/AIDS shelter (with a very sensible sign on the wall: Trust God but take your meds).

I went to the ICO with seven other volunteers, one of whom is now my flatmate Melanie, a 23-year old Scottish girl who is working for the rights of the deaf community in India. Neil and Maricor have gone down to Orissa, Heike and Ken are in West Bengal, Tania returned to Chattisgarh, and Tom shuffles from Gazhiabad to Delhi. In summary, let’s just say that apart from the lectures and the language lessons in the ICO, there had been a lot of card games, alcohol, parties, dancing, shopping, and dining involved. We weren’t a very rigid bunch.

Neil, Maricor, Tania, Tom, Melanie, mysef and Ken
(Heike was a week late waiting for her visa)

Third and I should say probably the best thing by far is the travel. I’ve gone to five different states, from where the holy River Ganges runs through in Rishikesh (Uttaranchal), to the Taj Mahal in Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan) down to the beaches of Goa and the backwaters of Kerala in the south. This would entail an entirely separate blog with corresponding photos so I won’t expound. Let’s just say that exploring new places still gives me a high which makes it all worth it being here.

By the River Ganges, Rishikesh