Chakram-centered Orange, Green and White

It's hard to stop thinking of India as a living, breathing sari-clad grandmother whose lap I've fallen into. Occasionally, it worries me that my thoughts of her are so often western--an outsider's thoughts. My sight, smell, touch are all Amrikan and when I speak, well...no one really believes me when I tell them I'm from Bombay.

But India has no patience for such neuroticisms. I can almost hear her. "Arre, vat is this buckwas? West, east. Who the hell cares?" She doesn't really have time for my patriotic confusion. She has too many people pulling on her palloo.

If I am here to find myself, she'll make sure and hide my soul inside my shoes--the last place I'd look. If I have come for mystical enlightenment, she'll mock me with her Barista coffeshops, swanky restaurants and pubs at every corner. If I say I've come to help, she'll laugh and tell me, "okay go ahead, little girl. Show me something I haven't seen before."

She loves to argue, to make sure you don't hold any too-firm opinions of her. If she senses your satisfaction at India's growth and economic vigor, she'll push one of her kids to your autorickshaw and strap a baby to his bare back--his lips cracked and bruised from thirst and need. If she sees you feeling sorry for her homeless, her hungry--she'll rush them off into one of her wonderful restaurants, and make you forget you ever saw them.

She loves to dance. And if you could add some red and make it shine, she will ask--why would you not?

Work is going well, if somewhat both slower and chaotic-er than I am used to. I don't plan to go into specifics about my NGO on here. It feels weird to discuss work in such a public space. So if you wanna know more, you are gonna have to email me:)


I tried to do pictures today. That is, Kodakize the bulk of them. But it took forever, and by forever I mean 30 minutes and still uploading...

Sooo, I'm just gonna do one picture at a time whenever, whatever.

These were taken about two weeks ago during Orientation in Delhi. It's a village we visited in Western Uttar Pradesh, during one of our site visits to an NGO who was helping these guys faciliate a school--with an emphasis on girls' education. It was really fun. The preview feature of our digital cameras was a super-smash hit.

These are some of my favorites.