India trip 2012-2013

Time for a new post!

1. Diwali is days away, and the city is packed with traffic. Trying to come from one end of the city to the other was something! I have had fun commuting though. What many might find uncomfortable, I find fun and all part of the greater essence of India. I take sharing rikshaws which are basically rikshaws that stuff as many people as possible. It is packed beyond imagination unless one has actually been in it. It is much cheaper than private rikshaws. You just tag one down with your hand. If there are people already sitting inside and they are heading in same direction as you, then you hop on. Don't be alarmed by the space-there is not going to be any. You make space. Of course, it is not as comfortable as private rikshaw, cars, or luxury vehicles. This is India meri jaan. I have ridden in cars here, bikes (motorcycles), scooters, scootys, buses, and took a plane to get to India! I will sit in a train sooner or later no doubt!
    I was determined to get papad no lot. I love it, and it is one of my all time favorite snacks. Apparently, there is only 1 place in all of Baroda that has it. I'm sure there are other shops that sell it, but no one knows of them. Therefore, what did I do? I took rikshaw to Madvi, the main city shopping area, where the dry fruit shop is and I got 5 packs of papad no lot!! I had gone to the shop with my grandma in 2005. I still remembered the location, just had to walk around to find it for a while!
    Then I changed rikshaws 4 times and reached this side of the city! I am so relieved to be home. I was tired of the mid afternoon sun, but I keep going. I am not here to be pampered and treated like a queen. Suck it up-life's tough, get a helmet (Boy Meets World reference)-even better, become your own helmet! stones will be thrown in your path, you'll trip, you'll fall, you'll sweat in the sun, freeze in the cold, and get cramps from being shoved in over crowded vehicles on bumpy roads, but life will not slow down for you. You speed up for it.
    I wanted to keep health sessions in the villages on women's health. At first, it seemed so impossible to gather women in the afternoon time since all the women are out in the farms. That does not mean it cannot be done. It just means we go to each home and recruit women on our own. I got together with the social worker and the community health worker in the village and we invited the women. I think we had a good overall session. We kept it at the balmandir anganwadi (village preschool). The little kids all sat there with their and listened, so I tried to incorporate child health topics and nutrition with the overall topics. You can't just address the women, you need to address the whole family.2 hour Rikshaw ride to and from the villages! Oh the lovely experiences of India!
    The day before yesterday, we went to the villages on a motorcycle. 1.5 hour motorcycle ride to the villages-The wind on my face barely allowed me to keep my eyes open, but I managed to view the beautiful farms of cotton, etc. Village life is so serene and tranquil compared to the city! Also, the hospitality in the village is very sweet. Hard to find in the city, but some people are very caring in the city too. I've had the pleasure to be around wonderful neighbors.

The anganwadi (preschool) building in the village where we kept the health sessions

The village community health worker and I. She is truly amazing!

     My plans for Diwali are still pending. I do not know exactly where I will go all of these days. The first time in my life after 15 yrs I have Diwali off. I want to go meet some family and friends- I'll see.
     During my little shopping trip this morning, I got little bubble pens for my nieces and nephews and some of the neighborhood kids in my grandma's neighborhood. I hope they like it.
     The strange this I find about India- the people that are getting paid to do their job don't do their job properly. The people that are not getting paid do their and others' work without pay and without slacking. How is it that the schools that have so much discipline here result in workers at workplaces having very poor work ethic? **Vodafone customer service is not good-some of the reps don't do their job properly, they take your money, their services don't work, then they waste your time, services still don't work, waste more time, don't give clear answers, are arrogant, and services still don't work, waste your money** -they laugh in your face when you request a bill and then cut your connection without notice and make you go to their office out of your way to get new sim card..anyway-forget it. (I am not going to let this get in my way though. It is Diwali and I am not going to bother much about the internet service for now. I won't have access, but its okay-I will be sure to argue and be extra assertive and aggressive if needed with those vodafone people after Diwali and the holidays are over-They have wasted enough of my prepaid money-this was not cheap.) Instead of going to Vodafone office tomorrow to argue, I am going to go see my cousin, aunt, niece and nephew, and all. That matters to me more.
     Nonetheless-There are plenty of nice people in this world. Very few customer service people are courteous in India, but some are very very kind and helpful. Also, local people can be very homely or family like even if you meet them for the first time. I have striken up conversations in the rikshaw, villages, slums, randomly on the street, neighborhoods..Random people I meet for first time, or after long time, or see everyday- I just like talking. I have become very talkative here.
   My bhabhi's parents who invited me to spend Diwali with them despite them meeting me for the first time this year, and they got me a dress to wear for Diwali-its my bhabhi's old dress, but new for me. Diwali is all about love-sharing and giving. I did not want to accept the dress, but because they gave it with love, I will happily wear it. I find it beautiful anyway-it is very traditional. The aunty and uncle were telling me about all these other NGOs that work and govt. organizations too. Family and family friends are offering to show me different NGOs, schools, hospitals here-but I just need more time! Strangers here are like family. My time is booked and very busy right now with the 4 NGOs I have commited to, and it is basically full time- 9 to 5. I will still love to visit all places as much as I can!
    I also went to the Tibetan market here in Vadodara yesterday night. It is an annual exibition/open market that bring vendors from Tibet to sell sweaters, scarfs, etc. I got a sweater for my dad, and a scarf for my mom and I to share :) We had stopped there on our way back home from Surya restaurant/hotel. We had typical Gujarati thali for dinner, but it was good. I love Punjabi food though, but still, there was something about that restaurant that made me feel nostalgic. The terrence outside seemed so familiar... I came home and I called my dad and told him. He said we had gone there earlier when we lived in India. No wonder it seemed so familiar to me. I can kind of recall some photogenic memories of that place from childhood. It has been so long though!