July 8th, A Busy Thursday

A delicious lunch at the Western Canteen, or the International Cafe, whatever term you like!
Today was a big day! I woke up this morning with my alarm, which was pretty early. I was going to let myself sleep some more if my body wanted it and I set an alarm for a half an hour, but that didn't work out, so up up up I was. I was able to talk to Mom this morning - and her night for a few minutes, so that was great. She told me about the little boy they are babysitting right now and it sounds so fun. Hearing about the green beans and broccoli from the garden is quite appetizing - I bet it is just so lush and beautiful. Man, one of the biggest things I am experiencing is pure gratitude, for all that I have been given. It is absolutely insane how blessed we all are.

Today at work I had a big big day, as I said earlier. So, this morning I met with my mentor and then needed to redo a page and a half of my single paged report - the background area. However, I needed to condense it and (really do it altogether over) which makes a lot of sense. It is much better now. I worked really really intensely on that this morning after getting his suggestions - when he helps me, I just sit there and watch his wheels turn, thinking, "Wow. He is so smart!" It is awesome to have such knowledgeable mentors and helpers - they have all had so much experience and have developed wonderful skill sets. I also had to change some other areas and I wanted to complete this by tea break in the afternoon so I could run back to my room and email it to him. I am working against the clock everyday I feel. So, I kept working during morning tea break, had a wonderful lunch break, another great meal - I had a little less today, but still too much. For some reason, this food is really filling. Not too much at the mealtime - but it just sticks with me forever. I am trying to get to the right amount so I can be hungry for supper! Anyway, at least I got a pic. for you today :)
So, I made the changes and got the paper sent out again. Now I am requesting to go on a field visit next week, but it seems like very late notice to me, so we will see tomorrow. I have 3 hypotheses to test, 3 objectives to fulfill for my study and a whole bucketful of questions which will turn into data after my village visit. So, it will be madness to get everything completed, analyzed, and a final report and presentation also. On top of that, everyone is just so nice, it is hard to get time to do my work (and of course have my good 'ol "Leah time" also!) I was thinking if I just became socially awkward, but then vetoed that idea as it did not sound very nice or fun! So, instead, I will just keep chugging and not let the deadlines get to me too much. I mean, it is only one time around you have - so you need to take in the work, the experience, the reports!!, but the fun, the friends, and the companionship also.
It is sad that my friends will actually start to slowly leave before me when their internships are up, but I guess that is life. It is strange because you are so happy for them, but also sad they are leaving, never to know if you will see each other again. This is a real coming and going type of place, so if you are here long at all, you must get used to that. I will also maybe have some more time to work on homework then! Everyone here just wants the best experience for me, they are all so kind and inviting. It is like, as I have said many times before, we are one big ICRISAT family ;) I am really happy to be here and tonight we had another workout night.
Although, it was even better because Claire and Anupa came with Christen and I also! It was fun, although I was too sluggish to get much done there! Anupa is adorable and Christen and I were teaching her some good workouts and resistance training exercises. It is not popular for girls to lift weights here too much I do not think - of course athletes and the younger crowd, but probably not the same as a YMCA or something. She is going to join us now nightly so I am excited for that.
I went to Kamanda's flatlet after supper, one of my friends from work, I think I gave him an alias name yesterday, he is with the U.N. program. Anyway, he showed me pictures of his family - his wife and his son - and they were so cute! It was neat to see the pictures and share some culture. This place is just one big culture sharing, it is such a neat experience. Everyone really appreciates where you come from. I oftentimes give the U.S. a pretty critical eye, but being here shows me that each country has its own problems and its own successes and it is unfair to be too harsh of a critic - even if it is about your own home. Our way of life in small town Iowa is simply foreign to many parts of the world - but in the very same way, when I visit the village of Kinkheda in the state of Maharashtra here, that will be entirely different for me also. The one uniting force is the people everywhere - so things never change. The love and the laughter, the tears and the pain.
I found out something I have been very interested to learn about recently. This was the wages of the people who work here on the cleaning/housekeeping staff. I have always been curious because I knew it could not be very much - and it is not. Somewhere around 2,000 Rps. a month may be an estimate for a housekeeper. To put that in perspective, sometimes at the cafe, a really good meal may cost about 70 Rps. and if you eat off campus, nice restaurants can cost 600 Rps. or you can get cheaper meals for 100-200. But that is, whatever way you look at it, not a lot! Can you imagine raising a family? Buying groceries - which were not cheap either - when I went to the market, someone I was with got just a little basket with some food items and it was a little over 500 Rps., so obviously the different ways of life are evident right there. And this is the inequity occurring right on the campus! Just step a foot outside to see worse, those who are not able to find even a job to pay 2,000 Rps. a month. The housekeeping does such a nice job too - everything is so clean, they sweep the sidewalks - every morning - when it rains, etc.
One cool thing about the culture that Claire pointed out to me is that the cleaning crew works the same type of hours as the workforce, which is really cool. I mean, each morning at work, the man will come with the broom and sometimes with a mop and just sweep out the room for us while we stand outside. It is neat because they can have nicer hours also, and who cares if the office is the same in the morning as you left it the night before? That only seems to make sense, huh?
Alright, better head to bed - I promised myself I would go early tonight. May wake up early and do some writing work, or sleep a good night's sleep - that would be good too. Also, maybe I will catch the 'rents when it is nightime for them! I am making an effort to call a little more frequently now because when I go to the field I will be gone from here for maybe six days or so, so I will have to journal and update - tons - a super lot - beyond belief - when I get back :)
Night.