Movin' On Up
Just when we thought we were down, India has dropped another miracle in our laps: Jürgen and Sabine, who are organizing the project with us, suggested that we move into their guesthouse at Palmyra. The relocation will save us a 20 minute drive to and from the site everyday and make communicating with the project team members much easier (things have been tricky without a phone).
As happy as we were in our Aspiration community, we couldn't pass up an offer for free housing, so yesterday we packed up the motorbike and moved "across town." It's a beautiful place with two bedrooms (with a lovely view of the building site), a kitchen, and a large bathroom (read: bathtub, cold water, squat toilet). There's even a hammock!
Now, the kitchen has neither a refrigerator nor stove, but not to worry: Jürgen's cook made us a lovely lunch yesterday and Michael had us over to dinner last night. Today we ate a large lunch at a nearby restaurant and the total bill was Rs30 ($0.68). We do have a gas bottle for making ramen noodles and rice...there's an Indian cookbook in our future!
Please note the new address and send us mail: packages take at least 3 weeks, so you'd better hurry! ;)
Happy Diwali!
While all of you were trick-or-treating, we were playing with sparklers! November 1st is Diwali (DEE-vall-ee), a Hindu-oriented but very secularized holiday likened to Christmas (in scale, not in religious affiliation).
Travis and I felt like "two Jewish kids on Christmas," but from what we could gather everyone wears new clothes like on Easter, makes a big feast like Thanksgiving and plays with fireworks like the 4th of July. We attended an Auroville celebration on Monday with fireworks and a musical performance and then a separate celebration in our community on Tuesday. There was lots of food and sweets and all kinds of fireworks we'd never be allowed to play with at home (sorry, Dad).
We were unsure about it all at first (isn't it a bad idea to let 5 year-olds play with explosives?) but pretty soon we were wrapped up in the excitement, lighting large displays and running around with the children. There was something magical about the palm leaves and the people silhouetted in the colored lights and smoke.
We both missed candy corn and costumes, but this was a pretty good trade off.
Dear Diary
[First things first: we're okay and the explosions in Delhi are far, far away from us.]
To a certain extent, we've adjusted and many things that were intimidating before have become (more or less) commonplace. But nearly everything is exactly opposite from what we're used to and India's overall effect on me is intense: intense heat, intense rain, intense noise, traffic, activity, poverty and beauty.
Each morning as we drive to the site I feel overwhelmed with gratitude; the simple lifestyle of the villagers really puts things into perspective and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to see this beautiful country. Many things that were once important now seem trivial and superficial; likewise I have come to realize all I take for granted. The conditions are often heartbreaking, but the attitude of many of these people is an inspiration.
When we are working alongside the Tamil men, I feel deeply humbled. Everyday I struggle with a lot of frustrations; I'm discouraged by my own limitations and it's hard to adjust to the way things happen around here (on India time). Learning to let go of my self-will has been an important lesson.
Every night I fall asleep thinking about home. There is so much left to see and do and learn in India, but I often find myself thinking about returning to my loving friends and family. It is a constant struggle between homesickness and appreciating this incredible experience.
