Divas 200: I left my smile on the counter.


Today started with a blood test. (All normal, but I'm supposed to eat more sugar -- I can certainly do that!)

After this, I read the next section of The Power of Now and a page of Ars Amatoria.

Before getting ready, I chatted with my cousin Nayaz on Skype. It's been ages since we caught up, and it was good to finally hear about the latest and greatest in her life, and fun to be told that I "look like an underachiever" and "shouldn't have gotten a hairchop." Thanks, Naazoo!





This morning, I had a meeting with Dr. Sneha Pulnitkar, the Director of the All India Institute of Local Self-Government. She gave me an overview of the challenges of urbanization, and some insight into the 22 projects her organization is currently implementing and monitoring in the fields of infrastructure development, poverty elevation, and governance.

While there, I also read parts of the latest Mumbai Human Development Report -- the chapters on Gender, Elementary Education, and Slums.


This reading, particularly the first two chapters, of course made me think of my girl students at Gyaan Ghar.

Thus, upon returning home, I drafted a letter to my close friend Sonal Chawla, requesting that she do some activities and therapy work with the girls as part of our Sisters' Circle initiative, even in my absence.

I then passed out for three hours (as usual) and woke to Skype with Priya as she received the presents I sent for her from India. I also spent this time watching her play games on her cell phone and teaching her to plunge a toilet.

Additionally, she said she was proud of me (for the first time ever) when she saw a sketch I had done of an Indian outfit I am planning to have tailored. Score!

It's time for dinner now, and then planning for my penultimate day of garrulousness!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bygones -- by Marina Keegan

Image
I had a dream the other night that I was checking my email. That dream sucks. And woke to woes of seniors writing love songs for tomorrow and Tomorrow and the melodies That flirt us forward, whispering the next thing and the next thing and  – so we beat on birds flocking south until we circle round and realize maybe maybe all that running wasn’t worth it. Maybe we should build a cabin. Or teach high school. Or use our hands. My palms are smooth as words – Weak with fashion and double spaces. I want everyone else’s club and job and class The grass I sleep in always browner than Than that around erasing dreams To sit and breathe because you Only bank for two years then it's over And twenty two is nothing new It’s just another chance to build For when we’re twenty three And twenty four And time begins to sell for more than Any 9 a.m. to never. We’re not stuck. That's the thing, we're not stuck. We owe no o...
Read more

Din 227: “God took his time making you.”

Image
I awoke this morning to the sound of my students -- what could be better? We started today’s class with 15 minutes of Anapana (the first step of Vipassana meditation), which is designed to concentrate the mind. I have never seen meditators more still or focused than these children! After teaching them the technique, I told them we would be starting every class like this from now on. Meditation is a wonderful tool they can take with them wherever they go, and they are lucky to be starting at such a young age! As the class broke into groups and started practicing numbers for our upcoming Variety Show, I caught up with a few students. Vandna, a sophomore and our oldest student, was supposed to pick her academic stream (cf. major) a few weeks ago, but had been waiting for my return to consult me before making her final decision. She is most interested in commerce and dreams of holding a high position at a bank one day, but her family is advising her to take liberal arts, which has le...
Read more

PSYCHED for summer!

Image
The last few days have been emotional with packing and moving and no more exams and lots more goodbyes. Wednesday night we threw a fabulous surprise farewell party for a very oblivious Reylon, with many of his closest friends and entrywaymates turning out to shower him with love, song, and pizza. Yesterday came my last exam of the year, a truly tragic event -- I stayed in my Latin classroom until the very last possible moment, twiddling my thumbs and staring at my professor and trying to draw out my freshman year as long as possible. I cried when I turned in my test and left the room. In the evening, the Opportunes had our last private gig of the season at the Faculty Club (throwback to our first gig this year!), where our beautiful seniors performed their last public rendering of "Midnight Train to Georgia" amidst laughs from the audience and tears from Bernie. After a night of packing and snacking and New Girl , I fell asleep hoping to stay in...
Read more