Sunday. . . Fun Day

And by fun, I mean nice and peaceful! I woke up this morning - chronically early as usual after our late night and big day in Hyderabad (old and new) city. I went to b-fast at 7 and then returned to my room. I got a phone call from one of my mentors soon thereafter, so I was happy I was up and att'm. She was telling me about how whe arranged for me to go to church - YAY, YAY, HIP HIP HOORAY! So, now I get to go to a local Catholic mass. I met the man who was to take me - Hector - from the Phillipines also and we had the nicest conversation on the way to Mass. He told me about the Phillipines, about India, about ICRISAT, and his family. He has 5 children and they are similar ages to the kids in our family!

Well we got to the church and people were there in Mass. He thought it may have been the Telagu mass and he got out to ask. Turns out the schedule was changed so we were an hour late! But he was telling me about the service and I am so excited! We returned to ICRISAT and I am going to return next week to go with him if it all works out! (At the proper time of course!) So, I am very excited about that. He oriented me a little on the way. The mass is long he said and the priest really uses it as an opportunity to teach the catechism. He said a 10 min. intro, 30 min. homily, and 10 min. conclusion after Mass also so I am terribly thrilled for next week! The men and women sit separately and we will take off our shoes at the door.

There were a lot of people there - a lot of cars - and a bunch of people standing outside. It is so cool to see all of these people that have been here the whole time but I just never knew about them. It is a great experience to be the minority. I think that when people are in the majority it is so easy to never examine your life and think about things. Here I stand out everywhere I go. I stand out in culture, customs, appearance, beliefs, and religion. Yet I absolutely lovvvvve all that I am being exposed to at the exact same time. There is such a beautiful mutual respect that everyone seems to hold for one another. People are so excited to meet me and learn my name. That is a big thing here - people will ask so politely to know your name. Names really do have a lot of significance. No matter what language you speak, a name is something that can be shared and understood.

So then I worked a little on my report today, took a nap to catch up on the lack of sleep that this weekend has been, so that was nice. When I wake up from a nap I am sometimes irritated b/c I don't like to take them, but it was nice to give myself that rest I think. I was starting to get some bags under the eyes from the past couple of days and I recall priority #1! :) Then I had plenty of energy to expend and I got my things to go churching. I treked to the St. Francis of Assisi chapel and it was a late time I was going b/c I usually go 1st thing in the morn or so. That was nice and then on the way home I actually decided to run all the way back to campus. (Or the dorm part of campus!) And I was wearing jean capris. . . but it was very nice and a great workout too :) So then I was hot, sweaty, and red-faced when I ran into my mentor going on an evening stroll with her husband.

I chatted with her and told her the church details, so we will try again next week! Then I headed to dorm, quickly showered, and headed to dinner. A delicious dinner was had by all! This cafe is the best in the world - we have so many options and they are really quite tasty! I'm thinking they'll have some Indian food in CT for me if I get a craving! When I spoke with Hector, the man who took me to church, today, it was so neat! He is in H.R. here and it was great to speak with him. This place is the best connection ever. They have a policy-making partnership/branch of ICRISAT that is based in Virginia!! Not to mention that ICRISAT is in the semi-arid tropics of Africa also - - - I am loving the idea of these research opportunities. What a way to see other countries!

I am doing better with the whole guilt thing I was dealing with earlier on in the trip. I don't know if that is a bad thing b/c it is so easy to find justification in our lives about the choices we are making, or it could be good b/c obviously I am not feeling as bad. I am kind of just feeling like all you can do is all you can do. What I have been doing recently is just workiing pretty diligently on my project and it is so neat to share the farmers' stories. It is an attempt to make their lives better - to document their struggles. So by working hard on my work, it does feel like I am serving a cause.

However, it is still perplexing to know what to do when seeing the beggars on the street. I don't know what the best response to that is - so I have not been having too much of one. I was thinking today about how it really would not be bad to just get a big bill cashed into coins and I could always have something to give. But I don't know if there is a safety issue or anything. It is just sad. I know they could use money - I know I am so rich in comparison to them. I was thinking about the culpability of seeing the poor and how if someone starved to death that I saw and did not give $ to, wouldn't that be horrible? Then, of course I justify it by thinking that they really won't starve to death, but I don't know. We never really know - who knows what a few extra Rs. could do for a person. I think moreso than the money even is the fact that you are acknowledging someone - saying you care about them. That they are not the dirt everyone treats them like. They are a human being with dignity and worth and deserve respect. Not to be pushed aside. Not to be ignored. Not to be voiceless. But deserving of compassion and love. Of acknowledgement and respect.

I was also thinking about languages today . . . the languages here vs. the languages in the U.S. I love the country of India. It is just so fascinating - you could be here forever, study it forever, and still just touch the tip of the iceberg of the wealth of information and cultural heritage. It is thrilling. Someone asked me if I ever felt like there was just too much to learn and know and as if it is just all suffocating me ever. At the time the question was asked I was tired so I said, "Well now it just makes me tired, but normally it invigorates me!" People here are all so knowledgeable - I feel like I am always always always always learning a million new things! Someone asked me if I felt like I had learned something being here at ICRISAT this summer and I was like, "ARE YOU KIDDING!?!? Learned SOMEthing!?!? Learning a MILLION somethings!! SOOOO much!!! It is wonderful! How exciting. There is always more to learn and know and areas in which to grow. Our entire lives long!! (I guess this is where the term "life-long learner comes in!!!) :) :) :)

On another note, there is a new gym here that was just renovated so I am super psyched to test that out this week. I'll get some good pics hopefully if I make myself leave work early enough! I gotta get back to my workout routine now to keep up with all the great Indian food :) On Tuesday of this week, Claire and I are U.S. World Food Prize diplomats to the Pioneer in Hyderabad. We are touring it so that is great and exciting and is sure to be an adventure like everything else here! I feel like absolutely everything is so invigorating and exciting. I think that somewhere in the middle of the internship I just got to being like, "Yes, this is my life. . ." and I forgot that this isn't my life. This is only a precious 8 wks. that is passing quickly! However, before I feel bad about that, I realize that even if this is only 8 wks. that is 8 wks. of needing a home. So I think in the middle it was me just settling into the home here and not looking too far ahead to the end of my life here. Now, the planning has to be immaculate to fit in the essential activites and it has worked out beautifully!

Argggh, time to roll. Better get a little plan drawn out for the fascinating and exciting week ahead. It would be great to finish my paper this week. I then will have a lot of changes to be made of course. Any paper that is going to end up being well over 20 pgs. of research is gonna need some editing I imagine. So I am lucky to have such great helpers at work. I'm on pg. 23 now and still have so much to document! Then I do an oral presentation to scientists. I don't remember if I said this, but if I did, I am saying it again. 30 minute presentation and then 30 minute grill time! So that should be great. I am happy I enjoy pub. speaking - that should make things more fun. Grill time is sure to be interesting though!! :)

Aight - off to accomplish tasks before bed. Keep it cool in IA!