My job is going well, though it can be extremely frustrating at times. As an intern here for twelve weeks, I am eager to find ways in which I can make a substantial contribution to Veerni and the community it serves, but I feel I have yet to do so. Essentially, my supervisors want me to see all the villages they work in prior to doing other assignments. While this is great (and necessary), the people I go to these villages with are often resistant to translating...well...basically, anything, which leaves me to the few stray words I pick up, my natural knack for charades, and the brief and infrequent explanations I'm given about what's going on. It has been interesting to watch and learn (mostly, I've been observing health education workshops and meetings), but it's also extremely frustrating that my task is simply to "sit and observe." All I can say is, it's a good thing I never settled on a major in anthropology...Today's meeting also turned into some kind of women's empowerment slumber party (after about two hours of workshops, the village women and girls broke into song and drew beautiful designs in henna on my hands and on the nurses' feet). It was extremely fun, but it completely took me by surprise.
My henna-ed hand, and a glimpse of my salwar kameez
That said, this aspect of my job should change very soon. I already have a stack of grant proposals that they need help with in the coming weeks, my individual B.A. thesis interviews should start up in a few weeks, and now that the selection of a new nurse has taken place, some supervisors who were previously busy with the applicants, will be available to give me tasks. I'm just kind of impatient for all of this to happen (and have expressed this to my boss...)
In other news, I met the Maharaja of Jodhpur today! His Highness was at the dedication of a new office space for my friend Smita's organization and I gladly accepted my invitation to attend. While the event was exciting, his Highness was fairly distracted as the various speeches and ceremonial gift-giving occured. That said, it was great to meet him (if only because that means I am one step further to arranging my engagement to his son and inheriting the palace).
The poised and elegant wife of the Maharaja
His Highness, the Maharaja.
And now, to leave you with some random photos of my life in Jodhpur....
A man with extremely impressive ear hair (it wasn't from the inside--it was growing out of his lobes!!!)
Ayush and an adorable baby
A tender moment between Jasdeep and Ayush
Some inspiration for Daniel Owings' next 'stache style
A creepy, CREEPY, decoration in a Jodhpur rickshaw. A lot of rickshaws have these photos of random baby models in them...sometimes clothed, sometimes not (?)
No comments:
Post a Comment