So Close and Yet So Far
We get around mostly in auto rickshaws, and the drivers are incredibly skilled at getting as close as possible without hitting one another or the people, cows, trucks, or whatever else happens to be squeezing through the traffic. Drivers make razer sharp turns that leave us literally on the edge of our seats, gripping the rick's railing and fully expecting there to be a "connection." So far so good.
After two ricks and one cab, we made it to the Jewish Community Centre in Mumbai today. (We needed the second rick after the first let us off far away from our destination. We really need to work on that language barrier! Ah, but it was worth the effort.) It was great to visit when a camp program was in session, and to see the kids singing (Hava nagilah), dancing, and just having fun. 
Programming at the JCC is available for all ages, and services include a meal on wheels program for senior adults. We were invited to return on November 19 for the All India Jewish Conference. The theme is: Securing a Jewish Future in India - My Community in the 21st Century. Sounds good.
Kids looking on while a dance contest is underway. These kids are more fun to watch than Dancing with the Stars!
Tonight we met the SSP staff for the first time. It was great to put names with faces and to hear about challenges tied to promoting the use of leach-pit toilets in rural areas, one of their many important projects. BP had an initiative here and put millions of rupees into marketing. They used famous Bollywood actors and popular music, produced videos, and distributed those to various villages. The results were very poor. Prema, executive director of SSP, explained that a very different approach is needed, one that enables villagers to learn about the importance of toilets from people they can relate to. Makes sense! More to come on this.
Tomorrow we officially start our assignments. We're ready to go!
posted by arr at 11:30 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Frank and Audrey,
I am enjoying your blogs and reading them with great interest. I would love to see pictures of your neighborhood, the streets, and the markets. I suppose I will have to readjust my sense of crowded. I thought the East Village in NYC was crowded, but it now seems positively spacious compared to what you describe. [Par.] It is now cold, unseasonably so, and the 90 degree weather that Frank described before he left now sounds pretty good. I would even take 90 degrees without air. [Par] Best wishes and good luck. [Par] Connie Salemi
Audrey,
Your descriptions and pictures are a treat! I check your blog daily in anticipation of new adventures. Thanks for taking the time.
Cheers,
Sarah
Hi Audrey,
These updates are wonderful!I'm really enjoying experiencing your experience vicariously (it would be even better if I could better channel those warm temperatures!).
Laura
Post a Comment
<< Home