Reading - Outlaw: India's Bandit Queen and me by Roy Moxham

How to Fit in at the Movies in India - You stand to sing the national anthem before the film and then talk loudly on your cellphone while the film plays.

Favorite Hindi Phrase - Tutta Frutta, it means break as in if a plate breaks or if you are speaking poorly, as in "broken hindi"

Photos

Today we were supposed to go to a youth event, but got lost and ended up at a temple. This is India.
This is me and my friend Sonali who is an MSW student here in Pune. She is also a make-up artist and has introduced me to wearing a bindi.
The two girls I am traveling with (Mika and Jana) and two Pune girls that adopted me as their sister.
Indian dance. Beautiful!
Jana and I hard at work. Or pretending to anyway. So far the most we have contributed is editing the English in some of the kids files, lol.

One Week in India

listening to: the traffic and people speaking hindi

reading: Ghandi autobiography, the mother goddess comic book

thinking about: the ethics of clinical trials on human subjects

phrase of the day: save on fuel, spend on your wife

Being "Crazy"

I don't remember the name of the writer or the paper, but someone once wrote about how there is still a lot of societal racism in the world. I will use "" when I am speaking of something that is not a biological fact, but a social construction that leads to lived realities. The writer challenged "white" people to ask themselves what it would be like to have to deal with internal questions that "black" people deal with on a daily basis. I think this issue translates to invisible discrimination by the "sane" against the "crazy".

Do you wonder every time you have an emotion if it is a symptom of something the doctors say is wrong with you?
Do you have to watch the way you speak in academic circles when sharing your "crazy" experiences as this may credit or define you from that point forward?
Do you have to keep quiet when someone makes an offensive joke to avoid an awkward defense and silence?
When you access a social service, will your "crazy" status define whether or not they will give you services?
Will your health records show up on a criminal record check?
Do you feel shame or guilt taking a sick day because your symptoms are different than the flu?
When you tell someone about your life do they automatically categorize you as either a victim or a menace?

Namaste

Listening to: Sonrise Yoga Podcasts Meditation

Reading: Holy Cow; City of Djiins by William Dalrymple

Phrases of the week: We can give you up to 60% discount. No, my dog is not fat, he is fit!

Joke of the week: Since the prince loved his wife so much he built the taj mahal for her, don't you love our wife enough to build her a toilet?

Tip: Chose a rickshaw driver that doesn't have allergies. Sneezing = eyes closed = even more terrifying than regular traffic.

New Year

songs: Not Tonight by Tegan and Sara, Talkin' Bout a Revolution by Tracey Chapman

reads: lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neill, Down and Out in London and Paris by George Orwell, in dubious battle by John Steinback.

indian phrases: "cultural shocks", "we will negotiate"

Best Hindi story: Goddess of Justice, Durga, was fighting a really annoying demon. As she frowned, the Goddess of Destruction, Kali, was birthed from between her brows and ate the demon.

Christmas was great. My last day at work was amazing. I miss you Safe House! Seeing Amy's house in Camrose was lovely. India in 4 days...