I made a difficult choice a few days ago, and switched service locations. I know teach English with my friend Rhi (another one of the group from Beloit College) at an NGO for university students who are VERY weak in English. I've now gone there twice, once yesterday with Rhi, and once today alone, since Rhi is really sick. The master plan was us splitting the 9 students into two groups so that one of us could work with the less-advanced/shier ones and the other could work with the upper level/outspoken students, since when they're all in one big group only the latter category does any talking, and the rest get lost in the tumult. This plan worked really well yesterday, and while it's hard work, and not with children like I wanted, I actually feel like I'm accomplishing something, which is more than I can say about much else on this program. It's an eye-opening experience, being here, and I’m learning a lot about myself, but in classes we don't learn much, so it's very frustrating also feeling like we're not doing anything for the people we're trying to help at service either. Today, working with 9 students of various levels, only some of whom I’d met before was really hard though, but good, and I felt really good as I left there. I GOT SOMETHING DONE!
The rains have actually started now too. Yesterday I waded through water that came up to my knees with condoms and dog poo floating in it, over uneven ground, hoping I didn't fall and become submerged in said cesspool. However, the upside is that now I know the phrase "monsoon" is not an exaggeration, and to really get to put my nice Chaco sandals to use. So that's good.
As for the rest, a lot is going on in my head, but I am far too lazy to write it all out, because most of it is long explanations of feelings that can't really need to be explained. Ug.
I had my palm read today at the beauty parlor where I went with Rekha (who has to get herself extra prettified for her mother, who she's going to visit tomorrow. Rekha says her mom is going to kill her because she's gotten so tan here in Kolkata....) The middle-aged Chinese woman who owns the place was examining my ring (a big ole moonstone I splurged on, prying it from the grips of a miserly jeweler surrounded by the knee-deep lake of Sudder Street, and then started examining my palm. she said my life and destiny lines are both long, and they intersect, which is really good. and I’ll have tow boyfriends. I asked if I get two total, or two more, but she wouldn’t say. So I might be maxed out on the boyfriend quotient..... And then she taught me some Mandarin, and gave me some nice face wash, and made me promise to come back to get more stuff done. Since leg waxing is Rs. 120 ($2.25) and eyebrow threading is Rs. 50 ($1) I felt it was a promise I could make, and can keep. Beauty for pain and a little money? Hell. I think she reallly just liked that I made an attempt to speak Bengali. ("Attempt" being the vital word there.
Ho hum.
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