Fourth of July in India

Someone has a Peter Cottontail on our floor - or that's where the rabbit stew comes from! :)

Nothing says good morning like a black banana!
My walk to the church this morning was a peaceful one and I left earlier so I wouldn't be out in the heat of the day. I ate breakfast at about 7:00 - when the cafe opens, and headed out a little after 7:30. Operation Banana was an epic fail, so I will be turning into a banana soon from all these 'naners I have to eat up! I have forbid my friends from buying bananas from the cafe until my secret stash becomes noticably diminished.
I saw a little boy near the fence in the village and said hi to him (in my scary monster of a hat!) I said, "Banana?" with a banana outstretched. He put his hand up like he would take it, so I brought out the whole bag of bananas to show him, to which he said something that sounded like, "Up-set." I shook my head no about the bananas and he shook his head no. I gave him one more shot and shook my head no and so did he. So that is that. The boy did not want the bananas (and I even left the blackest ones in the fridge!). Either he knows a little English and him taking a bag of bananas would make someone "up-set" or else he simply did not want a whole bag of bananas. I plodded on to the church, depressed about my banana plan which ended in shambles. So, what else is a person to do? I ate a banana.
I have been collecting these bananas from the cafeteria this past week. However, I realized somewhere in there that I only need to start collecting on Thursday or so, because then the bananas won't go black. I have been eating black bananas from the fridge all week and then I would replace them with bananas I brought from the cafe. They must think I am crazy there, like I subsist on bananas alone or something. Each meal I get my whole meal and then put 3 bananas on the tray also! I sometimes make my friends carry out my bananas for me so I don't have to lug out 3 bananas from each meal - but that doesn't work if I eat at a different time than them!
The "Operation Banana" project really encompassed many of my emotions. I am in this poor country, eating probably more than I do at home, having my room cleaned for me, and pretty much living the life on this beautiful campus. Then when we go off campus is when we see the real India. I was out with some friends from work going to the market one night and we passed this woman asking for money. She was elderly and looked miserable. I saw my friends just brush by her by like she was invisible - calloused to the face of poverty. I walked right past also - with a troubled conscience, carrying only one bill for 500 Rs. (I had no bananas!) Operation Banana was the way I could come to terms with the ever-so-evident disparity surrounding us. However, Operation Banana is not to be. I think I may still get some graces for the idea though, or at least for consuming every last one of those going black bananas! I guess I will continue to look for ways I can make more of a difference here.
Showing kindness to all is one easy way, but it just doesn't seem like enough oftentimes. In India, my friend was telling me, oftentimes a middle-income family will have a driver, maid, and cook for the family. This was initially surprising for us Americans, but after thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense. There is a larger population of people looking for and willing to do service jobs here, so it is good their culture provides more employment in that way. Because everyone is so used to having lots of workers, oftentimes the service people will not be very appreciated. I try to make special efforts to thank the people that remove my tray from the table at the cafe and make friends with the cleaning staff.
Somehow researching poverty does not give quite give me the same feeling like I am making a difference as meeting the people and working with them. However, I know how big of a difference ICRISAT has both in Africa and India, so it is quite the opportunity to be working with them. I am excited to meet the people during my village visits when I am collecting my data through interviews and focus group discussions.
One other topic of interest here is the wonderful culture of simplicity. There are so many things that jump out to me which illustrate the simplified lifestyle, even at a nice research institute. For example, the bed has no box spring, but is more like a cot on a wooden frame. Another is the Indian method of showering - from the bucket in the shower. This way only a couple of gallons of water are used in a shower, rather than somewhere over 50 if you take a fifteen minute shower. (Way over 50 if you have an old showerhead also.) I still wonder what they do with the extra food at the cafeteria - I have been praying they take it home or something - I would think there would be less legal restrictions on that than in the U.S. Ok, all of this somber saga for now, getting ready to go to lunch and then a pool party too!