What goes around...

…comes around!
More on that one later, but I just wanted to do shoutouts first because it has been a loooong time since I’ve posted!

Aku, Anokhiben, Anna Masi, Benu Masi, Ratna, Semira – who all had bdays lately!!!

And HAPPY DIWALI to all!!!
I have been travelling all around with the parents and so haven’t had too much time for blogging. And also, I don’t think there’s too much that’s worthy of blogging when I’ve just been travelling and not actually working!
We went to Agra for Ba’s Bandaro which was really nice…saw the Taj Mahal which was more chaotic than anything else. There were so many people there and the whole touristy aspect kind of robbed the place of any spiritual essence. But it was still nice to see. There were lots of debates over why the price for tourists (Rs 750) was so much more than for resident Indians (Rs 20). I had read that it was to discourage tourists because they thought the structure was being ruined by the rampant tourism. Alicia once told me that she got a ring with a jewel from the Taj Mahal because these women go up and pick away parts of the structure and sell it to tourists. In any case, Rs 750 is about 25 dollars Canadian, which is less than you pay to go up the CN tower, so I can see the rationale behind it. It’s sad that tourists couldn’t preserve the structure out of respect and they had to resort to such drastic measures.
From Agra we went to Bombay and stayed in, quite possibly, the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at in my life. After dinner we walked outside the hotel to find someone to give the leftovers to. Sad to say, but we didn’t have to walk far. In Bombay, we did some shopping, went to Elephanta Caves, and to Gandhi’s house.
Bombay to Delhi, where we got an inside tour of the government buildings thanks to Jyoti Auntie and Girish Uncle.
Then we went on the tour of Kerala. Kerala is the world’s first democratically elected communist state and also has a 92% literacy rate. It’s also the birthplace of Arundhati Roy (my favourite author). It was quite beautiful, really scenic and peaceful. The people were really nice, calm, much more relaxed than in Gujarat and the other places we visited. It was a really relaxing, nice time. The coolest part (by far), was that with Nasser (our driver)’s help, we found Arundhati Roy’s mother’s school in Kottayam. I met her sister-in-law and gave her a letter for Ms. Roy, and she gave me her phone number in Delhi!!! So cool! I don’t know what I am going to say to her if I do call her, but I’m so excited nonetheless!
Oh ya, what goes around comes around…Ice cream is my favourite thing in the world, for anyone who didn’t know that. We were in bombay walking around/shopping etc. and I had this craving for these butterscotch ice cream cone things they have here. So at first I was like, no, i just ate, im full. Then finally I couldn’t take it anymore and just bought it. So now I am soooo excited about this ice cream cone. So I take one bite, and there are just no words to describe how good this ice cream tasted. Just then, this sweet little boy comes up to me and says, “Auntie, I haven't eaten anything all day, please, just one bite.” So I gave him my ice cream. Then I was debating whether or not to buy another one and decided that I shouldn’t because that would defeat the purpose of giving him mine. By this point I was a bit distraught about my ice cream. The next day, we were visiting family all day. At the last place we had to go, they offered me ice cream, so I said I’d have a little bit. Turns out, they were out of it...so then they called for someone to bring ice cream, and I’m like, just forget it, it’s not a big deal, but they insisted. So anyways then the ice cream guy didn’t bring the ice cream they had asked for, and by mistake, brought...my butterscotch cone! It was really cool. What goes around really does come around!!!!! Okay, I know I probably sound a bit crazy but it was such an awesome feeling.
I have felt quite guilty whilst travelling. I find myself thinking of money in terms of how much I can do for the people I’ve met: how much morphine I could buy Zanele, medicines for Dr.Davis, diapers for Wandele, fruit for the Dream Centre, bricks, cement, food…the list goes on. I no longer spend money in dollars and cents. I spend by sacrificing someone else’s needs, someone else’s comforts, and in the case of medicines, someone else’s life, for my own. It’s not a pleasant way to live and I don’t enjoy it. But I can’t help it and I’m not sure if I want to. Even things like taking a shower…in Bombay I was so excited to have my first shower since I’d left home, but bathing with a bucket and water has made me realize how much water I waste by showering. I wonder how long after I get back home it will be before I forget the guilt. I know after a few months or so, things will go back to normal and showers will feel guilt-free and wasting water will no longer be a concern of mine. It’s not something I am proud of and I hope that I prove myself wrong, but it’s the truth. Wright talks about it in “The Shackled Continent”. He says that he’s travelled all around Africa, but he does so cloaked in the comfort that money provides. If he is sick, he can pay for medicine. If he feels unsafe, he can pay to be safe. And it’s true. Though I am here, I am here cloaked with the comfort that money provides.
I went to Sewa Rule today to drop off my things. It is in a small town called Juhgudia (sp?), and is run by my Shaku Kaki’s sister. I start there on Monday and will be there for about three weeks. I am now coming home on December 7th, and then will most probably be going to England as Ba (my grandmother) is having knee surgery and needs some help!

Reading Pleasures: I finished “A Long Walk to Freedom” which was an awesome autobiography for anyone that is interested. It read like a novel it was so engaging. I also read “In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones” which is the script of a short film that Arundhati Roy wrote a long time. I bought it in Kerala and it’s only available in India. Now I am rereading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Hope everyone is well!
I don’t think Sewa Rural has a very good internet connection but hopefully I can post a bit from there!