I ‘m doubtful that I’ve expressed my continued affinity for April 2nd recently, so no better time than the present. Today is Jan and I’s going out anniversary, which most people likely don’t have, but we do because we fell in love as kids. I really cherish this day because it is not a day we picked, or anyone else established, it is a day the fatefully gave our lives a whole new depth of meaning and changed the trajectory thereafter. Right before Jane was born I was investigating String Theory, and I started to ponder if time is real as we see it which led me to wonder if I’ve known Jane and Jan all along. Never mind that point, it will turn into a writing attempt that I’m not confident my brain can handle. But the fact that I was completely taken by Jan when I first saw her in 2nd grade, and purposely didn’t approach her until I knew I was ready, at the ripe age of 17, makes me whimsically think that what we have is bigger than the poster I gave her that said, “will you go to prom with me Jane (e crossed out).” Anyways, I miss Jan and Jane too. Jane is starting to crawl veraciously, and she looks older on Skype. This part of the trip is no bueno, but I know that this experience is better for the three of us. I think that we should reclaim April 2nd, as our falling in love anniversary- because “going out" is a gross understatement.
The romance with Rajagopal went on, we had great conversations on the deck, enjoyed a walk at sunset, and shared a couple of elegant meals. He is cool, and knows how to work the system. He’ll routinely do a short wave or gesture, which I’ve learned means “stay there foreigner”, and he’ll head off to negotiate without my face in the mix (which will double the price). Sometimes he leaves and brings me back a surprise, like a Fanta or cookies……R-O-M-A-N-T-I-C. I always say no, and he says “take, take” whereupon I take it. After spending numerous nights with him, which is now turning into days I think I’m picking up his angle, ‘whatever you choose, do it for the right reasons; and whatever you do , carry out your actions with full commitment and high quality’…...”That is very important.” Last night he had the star- student, Vishruth, meet me at my room, because he was running over an hour late. I had a quick dining experience with Vishruth where he perfectly articulated what he saw as the issue with the high pressure board exam system in India (kids are taught to the test, do well, and forget everything- sounds familiar to AP). One example is that Rajagopal had his students take seventeen 3-hour practice exams before the boards….wow!
Jumping around a bit, but back to how our Kerala tip started after my dinner with Vishruth. Rajagopal and I hurried up the road with the greatest sense of urgency, and were dropped by Vishruth’s driver at an random spot in the road to catch the bus. We waited for the bus for about 3 hours, it had gotten stuck in traffic. This was much more about the journey than about the destination. This spot in the road was as good as gets for civilization watching.
I had made the conclusion that the sidewalk with a mass of people laying across it indicated that this was where they were going to reside for the night. However, I hadn’t committed it to reality. When the family next to us started to put up their mosquito net, Rajagopal pointed out the obvious by affirming that was their home for the night. This road is bright and loud beyond most Burquenos (people from Albuquerque) comprehension. Rajagopal’s comments made me think deeper about that being their life. It looked as if there were four in the family- an elderly appearing couple , a young mother, and a small boy in school clothes that was about 4. They looked happy, or at least the boy looked like his emotional needs were being taken care of (not that I know much). The adults were attentively paying attention to the boy, while preparing the sleeping arrangements. I’m not sure what to think or feel, and this is the same at home. It used to crush me, just as seeing the freshly caught fishes lips being cut off and then its body split open today. I think I’m done with fish now, I’ve been a quasi-veg for awhile, or a pescatarian. Seeing that fish dismembered for a forgettable meal might have sealed the deal for me. As far as the family goes or anyone else in need, I want to strive for answers that make society grasp the responsibility for acknowledging the least among us by teaching them to fish, rather than giving the fish for the day. How that happens, I’m not sure either but maybe continually questioning it will somehow help someone come up with the answers I don’t have. In the mean time that family is getting by, and there is nothing I can do. The problem isn’t something the money in my pocket can address, nor do I have magic answers. If they were in the same condition in a rural area I’d think they’d be good to go. Having to take the brunt of all the pollution and dangers in a city is different. Rural people migrating to urban centers is a problem throughout the developing world, and is going to be intensified with global climate change.
Rajagopal regularly shares his little life secrets and finishes with “That is very important, ha, ha, ha.” Without the slightest bit of mockery, I enjoy his profound statements. For instance, he instructed me how to take a bath. I don’t think this was a subtle suggestion to bath better in lieu of using so much Gold Bond. By the way Rajagopal seems to be a business wiz, he is the commerce dept head, which is tempting me to figure out how to get a cheap gold bond-esque product into this area, and other tropical environments. It is a real lifesaver. Anyways with full animation he showed me that you take the small bucket and just drip small amounts of water on your head. Cold water of course, he is anti- hot water, a/c, or household appliances. When the water drips down your body, it will remove the heat away. Then after a few pails you can start the bath, by dumping full pails. I’m on course to try this, it sounds like a great idea. He makes an extremely valid point that the 20r bus with a/c as opposed to the 5r bus is now a luxury, but will soon be a necessity. We have so many necessities in American life, that we end up working to support our recently created necessities, not to mention polluting at an incredibly high level. Our answer is always an environmentally smart product, as opposed to no product at all.
The school I’m at has no a/c and it is over a 100 degrees with full humidity. It is hot, but you adjust. We could work more on our three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) and strive for the fourth, refuse. I guess if there is one thing that I’m taking away from all of my travels is to be as worldly as possible so you don’t unknowingly contribute to other’s problems, but take care of your own community's problems first. There are a multitude of reasons for the later statement: Your community is the one you know and the one you’ll be able to have the most impact in, your own community has plenty of problems which may or perhaps already are spilling into other communities, and community self-empowerment is the only sustainable answer. Gift bearing missionary work can be unintentionally dehumanizing and ineffective. There are many exceptions, but too often communities become reliant on governments organizations and NGO’s. I’m all over the place on this entry, but so goes my day.
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