back on the scene (crispy and clean)
just returned from two days in Kerala. Henri turned to me out of the blue on monday morning and asked, "can you travel with me this evening?" I said, "uh, sure."
and so it went, overnight suv ride through the foggy western ghats (mtns which separate tamil nadu from kerala) and the rain, and a 6am arrival in Alleppey, center of Keralan backwaters. then, from the car to a small boat, and a ten-minute ride to a small island. Kerala is surely God's country, at least the small corner of it that I got to see -- (though, one of the Keralans from the EU project team assured us that the Devil owns some real estate there, too). The trip was to catch the last two days of a communication training for the EU project teams, so I got to meet representatives from four states (Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan, in addition to Tamil Nadu). No time to travel off site, but the view from our backwater island hotel was stellar, and the air soft and sweet.
And the food in Kerala was fantastic! I ate well for the first time in a week, and probably the best food i've had in India so far. Beef stew (Beef!), curry fish, fried masala fish, and big fat keralan red rice. Physically, i'm feeling about as well as i've felt since i arrived, and my stomach/intestines seem (i hope) to have finally adjusted and assumed some level of normalcy. Now, if only i can get a yoga program up and running.
Anyway all this is just to say that things are mellower after two days in the countryside. In my mind, at least. My housing situation is no closer to being solved, but i will hopefully stop stressing about it so much. And I have a better sense of what work will look like, and the flexibility i have to take the off if i need to.
that said, i think i'm very lucky to be in this place. these are lenthy stories for another time, but the short of it is that People's Watch - Tamil Nadu is a pretty amazing org (at least at first glance), and I get a ringside seat to it's inner workings in the form of special attention from and access to Henri, the director, and his wife, Cynthia. This will of course come with its own set of difficulties, but in the end, wow, can't wait. Already, i have no possible way to express my gratitude.
and so it went, overnight suv ride through the foggy western ghats (mtns which separate tamil nadu from kerala) and the rain, and a 6am arrival in Alleppey, center of Keralan backwaters. then, from the car to a small boat, and a ten-minute ride to a small island. Kerala is surely God's country, at least the small corner of it that I got to see -- (though, one of the Keralans from the EU project team assured us that the Devil owns some real estate there, too). The trip was to catch the last two days of a communication training for the EU project teams, so I got to meet representatives from four states (Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan, in addition to Tamil Nadu). No time to travel off site, but the view from our backwater island hotel was stellar, and the air soft and sweet.
And the food in Kerala was fantastic! I ate well for the first time in a week, and probably the best food i've had in India so far. Beef stew (Beef!), curry fish, fried masala fish, and big fat keralan red rice. Physically, i'm feeling about as well as i've felt since i arrived, and my stomach/intestines seem (i hope) to have finally adjusted and assumed some level of normalcy. Now, if only i can get a yoga program up and running.
Anyway all this is just to say that things are mellower after two days in the countryside. In my mind, at least. My housing situation is no closer to being solved, but i will hopefully stop stressing about it so much. And I have a better sense of what work will look like, and the flexibility i have to take the off if i need to.
that said, i think i'm very lucky to be in this place. these are lenthy stories for another time, but the short of it is that People's Watch - Tamil Nadu is a pretty amazing org (at least at first glance), and I get a ringside seat to it's inner workings in the form of special attention from and access to Henri, the director, and his wife, Cynthia. This will of course come with its own set of difficulties, but in the end, wow, can't wait. Already, i have no possible way to express my gratitude.
posted by jordan at
12:39 PM
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