Bits of a return to India
Social networking is pretty amazing sometimes, especially when you’re looking at different ideas while in a different country. It’s even more interesting when you have other international friends. There was a great video that my friend Niddhi (an Indian in India) posted on facebook. See here: http://vimeo.com/34414313. I found this video worthwhile sharing. Facebook did what it does best and made the video viral (I’m sure way before me, but I am now a part of this video). What I found interesting is that this video came from the US, New York in particular, I got it from a friend here, and now it’s spread to several of my other friends, including someone I know from Switzerland (who reposted it and a friend of his reposted it who lives in Eritrea), a friend in Brazil, and another friend who posted it on a facebook group he’s a part of for social change. The world is so tiny when it’s connected through a computer. It’s amazing.
On Monday I’m going to hear Robert Swan as a part of one of the sponsors for where I work. I’m so excited!
This weekend was really nice. We have a new capoeira space, it’s indoors, the people are nice, we can play music. It’ll be great I think.
We had sports day again this weekend. It was much nicer than last year for a few reasons, one of which is that I know the kids so much more and they know me. There was a requirement of attention, which made me feel warm and fuzzy. Sometimes I miss just playing with kids. I get to be the person who comes and observes teachers, who is the “threat” if the kids don’t behave.
It’s cold. I mean it’s not New York freezing cold, but it’s cold – scarves and sweaters cold. This is fine except for certain activities like riding a bike in the morning, sleeping in a room with no heat that doesn’t have the best insulation, and doing things like showering. I’ve touched on the shower issue several times before, but when it’s cold, it’s a whole different ball game. You have to wait longer for the water to heat before you fill the bucket. Sometimes, you think you’ve waited long enough, fill the bucket, and realize, it’s not so warm. Then you have to find a place to dump the water that’s useful and wait even longer to fill it up. There are two more uncomfortable things about showering, or rather should I say bathing, in the winter. It’s cold in the bathroom. We have a window, or rather should I say an opening that doesn’t close and so all the cold air is in there with you. The second is coming out of the shower into a cold house at night. It’s just not fun.
Yesterday I went to my chai/pohe guy. He makes the best chai and pohe anywhere. Every once in a while, sometimes once a week, I’ll stop by for breakfast. I get pohe (a puffed rice with things like peanuts, coriander, potatoes, and turmeric), and he usually gives me a free chai. He always gives it in a plastic as opposed to a glass glass. I think he thinks I’ll think the glass glasses are a bit dirty. They are dirty in fact because washing them consists of rinsing them in water. Anyway, I brought back coffee from the US, my Guatemalan stuff I got delivered to my house there. (propaganda here – it’s my blog, I can do it – go to asgreenasitgets.com for the best coffee ever) and gave him some. I don’t take sugar, only milk in my coffee. I don’t think he liked it very much, but I’m sure appreciated the gesture. It was really funny. He gave it to his friend who works at the booth next to him. I should definitely take a picture and include it in here. It’s one of the things that makes me feel like this is a small neighborhood or something.
To end on something fun, I’m going to Goa with my friends. It’s a first mass group trip. We’re going next week during Republic Day. It would be nice to go somewhere cultural or new, but sometimes it’s just fun to go to the beach. That’s next week and it’s Monday of this week. Work is also going really well. I’m busy. I like to be busy.
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