I sit here all alone in my shed, listening to Maria Mena, Ilse de Lange Stevie Ann and some Dutch cabaret, looking out on my freshly washed clothes and a sky that gets greyer with the minute. In the background there is the faint noise of thunder. Power has gone already today, so I now can be almost sure that I will be able to finish this postJ
Yesterday I did it. I booked my train ticket to freedom, hihi. In this case Warangal in Andhra Pradesh where really isn’t that much to see or do if I listen to other people, but hey, it’s the first step to 4/5 weeks of seeing more of India. Paying 400Rs (€8) for a 3 hour train journey in 3rd class air condition isn’t too bad. Anything below 3AC is said not to be safe for a women travelling by alone.
From Warangal I most likely will go to Hydrabad, since Ravi (an Indian friend) likes to show me his hometown. Hydrabad is said to be the city of bangles (bracelets) and other kinds of jewellery, so I actually should not go here till last if I want to keep some money in my pocket haha. Well first I have to find things I like, since Indian style is not always my style and the second problem is the size, since the Indian women are a lot more fragile than European women.
It’s kind of strange having to pack all my things in 3 different bags. My small pack and newly made travel bag to take with me and my big pack to leave in the Shed or at friends in Chandrapur. I am not sure yet, since last weekend my big pack got eaten by a rat family, it’s not necessary to store it somewhere else in case this would happen. Learned a lesson once again, don’t ever leave anything in your bag a rat likes, like biscuits (or Indian candles). Even though it’s in a sealed pack!
The education project goes the way it should. Ramrao has visited one or two schools almost every day and the children enjoy making the paintings. The only difficulty is that the lower groups, 1 and 2, don’t know how to cut things and can actually only make paintings by drawing instead of sticking waste materials on paper. Oh well, they can collect and like doing that, so getting them involved that way and have them make a drawing doesn’t seem a bad idea to me. Vishwas could only visit 7 schools this month, since he had to go on foot, bus or find other means of transport.
The other assignments are also going well. The results of the interviews with the handicraft employees of SCF are ready to be sent. The interviews with the people of Moharli are done, but the answers need to be translated to English before I understand. Ramrao will do that at the end of this month or the first week when I get back. Nice straight back to business!
The inquiry about the influence of TATR on villages is done straight after the school visits and need to be translated too before it’s of more use to me. Me going away obviously only is a short brake because there is nothing that needs my immediate attention.
There is only one thing. The last month it hasn’t rained all that much to my opinion, even though the statistics say 60% of the rain has fallen already. I wonder if this is a dry monsoon or if I am in for a surprise.. Lets hope the rain will only come at night, like it mostly did this month and I am happyJ
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
When the ‘paus’ comes from the sky and you are on a bike…..you get very, very wet
This happened twice this week. And I can tell you, in a country where attending traffic seems to be a computer game with the mission being to survive, the higher level is reached when it rains that hard that you can hardly see your own bike…. If then a dog decides to cross or a cow lies in the middle of the road… I have seen it all and I am still here.. Bonus points and High score!!
Now the update:
Ramrao and I started visiting schools last Monday. It was about time. We also finished visiting schools last Monday, because we where told that there were important exams this week and thus no time for other, time consuming activities.
The other problem we ran into was the contract we liked the schools to sign. With this contract the schools had to promise that they would use the lesson material provided and SCF would assure 2 fun activities per year and a camp in Tadoba for the children and teachers most actively involved in the programme. The schoolmaster told us that he couldn’t sign this contract, because first we need to have official permission of the Education Officer that the lesson material may be used by the teachers. Unofficially they don’t mind the education workers to come by a few times per year to do a fun activity and it’s also ok to leave the lesson programme behind, only there will not be a guarantee that they will make use of it.
A week ago I visited the Collector, who then did send me through to the RDC, to ask for help in the matter rent that SCF paid in advance and want back. This because the conditions for renting the former SCF Office where not met by the owner. The owner now does difficult about the money and the only one who can now help is the Collector, because that’s the man in the Chandrapur District that decides about money matters.
Friday the 13th I met with the Deputy Collector of Chandrapur for the 2nd time. I hoped he could give me some good news, but Friday the 13th was not my lucky day in that. I did meet a lot of important people again in the office though. The man who organises the elections (and I got told that Maharashtra is the only democratic state without rigging the elections), the District Sports Officer and a few other men. The Sports Officer invited me to see the “olympic stadium” and after that I met his daughter and wife and went for a small dinner at his house. I thought a great opportunity to ask about the Education Officer, who happens to live in the house behind the SO. Next meeting with the RDC I will meet the EO too and hopefully he can help us with the lesson programme permission.
All the days I could not visit the schools, Ramrao and Vishwas have done a survey in Moharli to inform how well known SCF is under the people in this town. The office is located in Moharli and Claudia asked me to find out about this. The survey amongst the employees we held the week before, but this week there was an extra opportunity fro me to ask the ladies of the Handicraft Project about things they don’t like in their work. A personal meeting, without managers present, gave me a lot more information than the survey the week before.
Ramrao and I have also started to inquire about positive and negative points people encounter living in and around Tadoba. People of four villages have answered the questions so far. This was my initial assignment for the Forest Department. I keep them informed and send them information about what I am doing and how I like to do things, but I don’t get much advice or response from them. I think I will have to go into the office more to speak to them and ask them, but there is not enough time to do that. The office is in Chandrapur and the busses go twice a day to Chandrapur and once a day (because it’s rain season) back, if the bus is not needed for anything else. I will then have (if I am lucky) about 2,5 hours to meet with the Forest Department and then I will have to head for the bus stand again. I must say that when I go into the office it takes a lot more time than that because talking with the ACF is really nice and he has a lot to tell.
I have been to Ramdigi to see the waterfall. This is the only time of the year you can see it! It was a really nice spot and fun to see the fish trying to jump up the waterfall after they had just come down with it. The place itself was not much of a town. I think about 20 people live there and because of the flood the earlier all the shops had to be rebuilt. This sounds very big, but all the shops are 1 tent which contains 4 shops and is about 6x4 meters or close to that.
Because I was spotted taking pictures of a Hindu wedding last week, I was asked by the family to join the programme at the temple. It was fun to be part of a wedding ceremony and nice that they explained what they where doing. This was the 1st day of a 5 day feast before the actual marriage would take place. The 1st day the groom and his family bring offerings to the gods in the form of flowers, dahl, sweets a lot of other foods, colours and scents and a goat (not slaughtered this time, vegetarian family). This way they hope that the gods will give their blessing for a long and happy marriage. The goat ate the flowers, which is a good sign. That means that the bride and groom are suitable for each other.
Saturday I have visited Nagpur with Samir, Suleman and Shanoo. Materials had to be purchased for the Handicraft Project at the market and from big companies. I wanted to buy some books and other good things, like toilet paper, because it’s nice to have that when you go travelling. It was a long day. Around 7 am we left Tadoba to arrive in Nagpur (150 km) around 11, but than you still have to travel half the city to get where you want to be. I spend maybe 30 minutes shopping for my own things and after that I sat in the car the whole day, watching many people pass by. I was told not to come to the market because the rates would be higher then. After the shopping was done I was told the price of the materials and it was only 5Rs less than the other time and from a different shop, so I think I stayed in the car for nothing. Oh well, I had my water and some biscuits and my books to read….. At 9pm we got back to Tadoba and the only thing you than like to do is to have a quick wash and sleep…
What I must not forget to tell you, there are no public toilets to be found other than men’s cubicles. Women don’t seem to have to go to the toilet…Further it’s quite normal to go anywhere really, but than you must not be a foreigner. Before you know it your bum will go around on mobile phones… -At times it feels like being an alien, everybody has to stare at you and it seems very strange that you act the same way as the Indians..- On the way back we passed people sitting on the side of the road with their cup or bottle with water to do their susu or poopoo.
Next weekend I will have a 3 day party in Wardha and will bring a visit to Sevegram, which is the birth place of mahatma Ghandi.
The weekend after I will start travelling to Aurangabad and I will return to Chandrapur in September. My placement is almost at the end. When I come back in September I hope the boys will have done what I asked them to do and I will be able to tell what people like and don’t like about living in and around Tadoba.
Now the update:
Ramrao and I started visiting schools last Monday. It was about time. We also finished visiting schools last Monday, because we where told that there were important exams this week and thus no time for other, time consuming activities.
The other problem we ran into was the contract we liked the schools to sign. With this contract the schools had to promise that they would use the lesson material provided and SCF would assure 2 fun activities per year and a camp in Tadoba for the children and teachers most actively involved in the programme. The schoolmaster told us that he couldn’t sign this contract, because first we need to have official permission of the Education Officer that the lesson material may be used by the teachers. Unofficially they don’t mind the education workers to come by a few times per year to do a fun activity and it’s also ok to leave the lesson programme behind, only there will not be a guarantee that they will make use of it.
A week ago I visited the Collector, who then did send me through to the RDC, to ask for help in the matter rent that SCF paid in advance and want back. This because the conditions for renting the former SCF Office where not met by the owner. The owner now does difficult about the money and the only one who can now help is the Collector, because that’s the man in the Chandrapur District that decides about money matters.
Friday the 13th I met with the Deputy Collector of Chandrapur for the 2nd time. I hoped he could give me some good news, but Friday the 13th was not my lucky day in that. I did meet a lot of important people again in the office though. The man who organises the elections (and I got told that Maharashtra is the only democratic state without rigging the elections), the District Sports Officer and a few other men. The Sports Officer invited me to see the “olympic stadium” and after that I met his daughter and wife and went for a small dinner at his house. I thought a great opportunity to ask about the Education Officer, who happens to live in the house behind the SO. Next meeting with the RDC I will meet the EO too and hopefully he can help us with the lesson programme permission.
All the days I could not visit the schools, Ramrao and Vishwas have done a survey in Moharli to inform how well known SCF is under the people in this town. The office is located in Moharli and Claudia asked me to find out about this. The survey amongst the employees we held the week before, but this week there was an extra opportunity fro me to ask the ladies of the Handicraft Project about things they don’t like in their work. A personal meeting, without managers present, gave me a lot more information than the survey the week before.
Ramrao and I have also started to inquire about positive and negative points people encounter living in and around Tadoba. People of four villages have answered the questions so far. This was my initial assignment for the Forest Department. I keep them informed and send them information about what I am doing and how I like to do things, but I don’t get much advice or response from them. I think I will have to go into the office more to speak to them and ask them, but there is not enough time to do that. The office is in Chandrapur and the busses go twice a day to Chandrapur and once a day (because it’s rain season) back, if the bus is not needed for anything else. I will then have (if I am lucky) about 2,5 hours to meet with the Forest Department and then I will have to head for the bus stand again. I must say that when I go into the office it takes a lot more time than that because talking with the ACF is really nice and he has a lot to tell.
I have been to Ramdigi to see the waterfall. This is the only time of the year you can see it! It was a really nice spot and fun to see the fish trying to jump up the waterfall after they had just come down with it. The place itself was not much of a town. I think about 20 people live there and because of the flood the earlier all the shops had to be rebuilt. This sounds very big, but all the shops are 1 tent which contains 4 shops and is about 6x4 meters or close to that.
Because I was spotted taking pictures of a Hindu wedding last week, I was asked by the family to join the programme at the temple. It was fun to be part of a wedding ceremony and nice that they explained what they where doing. This was the 1st day of a 5 day feast before the actual marriage would take place. The 1st day the groom and his family bring offerings to the gods in the form of flowers, dahl, sweets a lot of other foods, colours and scents and a goat (not slaughtered this time, vegetarian family). This way they hope that the gods will give their blessing for a long and happy marriage. The goat ate the flowers, which is a good sign. That means that the bride and groom are suitable for each other.
Saturday I have visited Nagpur with Samir, Suleman and Shanoo. Materials had to be purchased for the Handicraft Project at the market and from big companies. I wanted to buy some books and other good things, like toilet paper, because it’s nice to have that when you go travelling. It was a long day. Around 7 am we left Tadoba to arrive in Nagpur (150 km) around 11, but than you still have to travel half the city to get where you want to be. I spend maybe 30 minutes shopping for my own things and after that I sat in the car the whole day, watching many people pass by. I was told not to come to the market because the rates would be higher then. After the shopping was done I was told the price of the materials and it was only 5Rs less than the other time and from a different shop, so I think I stayed in the car for nothing. Oh well, I had my water and some biscuits and my books to read….. At 9pm we got back to Tadoba and the only thing you than like to do is to have a quick wash and sleep…
What I must not forget to tell you, there are no public toilets to be found other than men’s cubicles. Women don’t seem to have to go to the toilet…Further it’s quite normal to go anywhere really, but than you must not be a foreigner. Before you know it your bum will go around on mobile phones… -At times it feels like being an alien, everybody has to stare at you and it seems very strange that you act the same way as the Indians..- On the way back we passed people sitting on the side of the road with their cup or bottle with water to do their susu or poopoo.
Next weekend I will have a 3 day party in Wardha and will bring a visit to Sevegram, which is the birth place of mahatma Ghandi.
The weekend after I will start travelling to Aurangabad and I will return to Chandrapur in September. My placement is almost at the end. When I come back in September I hope the boys will have done what I asked them to do and I will be able to tell what people like and don’t like about living in and around Tadoba.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Pānī aur macchar.....khuljī khuljī khuljī
Yep and that’s very annoying. First you get wet and your clothes have a hard time getting dry again. The second bite and that does itch very very much, as I already mentioned 3 times above J
Well the rain decided that now it decided to come it had to come all in once. And not a little drizzle, but the sky opened up and, I don’t know what upset the gods, but it did upset them real bad. No sunshine only grey days…And with some luck, I think when the gods are asleep or have dinner, there are some dry moment in which you can do something useful, like visiting a school.
The bike is now in my possession and we have used it last week to visit the first school in Moharli. 3 people on the bike is quite normal here, only you must not forget that there are some mayor holes in the road and the 3rd person is not supposed to fall of. (Me being this 3rd person on the bike) Also the road is not a race track and, I know top speed of 50 km doesn’t sound like an awful lot, but on this bike it feels like you are going a lot faster and that is a little scary. Of course protective clothing is never heard of, at least not in this area of India. In Delhi they did have helmets…Like going by bus, on the bike it also seems to be a rollercoaster ride, wind blowing through your hair many times swaying from one side of the road to the other side to avoid the wholes, a sudden break before a part with more holes than road and if you are lucky you also find yourself in mid-air for a moment. The best thing of all, no long Q and no paying entry fees!!!
I have finished all the theoretical parts of my assignment(s) and with the SCF questionnaires I like to start this week. When I (officially) will start with the assignment for the forest department I don’t know. I still wait for my permission letter to come and before I have that I officially am not aloud to ride the bike in Tadoba, which means that I can’t visit the towns and therefore can’t start my problem inventory. Bus is no option, since I am also not aloud to walk in the park, and after you get off the bus a walk of a few km is quite normal to get to the towns in Tadoba. Unofficially, I have asked the boys to do the inventory for me, because my time is running out. There are only 3 weeks to go and then I have a holiday brake, so before that the practical part of the assignments must be carried out.
I must say that after being here 2 months I let the Dutch way of thinking go a little and picked up on the Indian way. This works a lot more relaxing. The Indians have a phrase: “jo honā hai, so hogā”, meaning: “whatever has to happen, will happen”. Well, I think I can live with that J
So it has to be this way that:
Bats are using my kitchen, bathroom, and toilet (and 1 even my room by mistake!) to shelter for the rain and the daylight. (yugh, the smell)
Macchar dislike DEET 30% for 4 hours at the most and then they just love to eat you again.
A monitor lizard keeps me awake because he walks in-between the roofing and my sealing. (I saw his tail and hind legs disappear..)
In India everything takes a lot longer than I am used to….
Well the rain decided that now it decided to come it had to come all in once. And not a little drizzle, but the sky opened up and, I don’t know what upset the gods, but it did upset them real bad. No sunshine only grey days…And with some luck, I think when the gods are asleep or have dinner, there are some dry moment in which you can do something useful, like visiting a school.
The bike is now in my possession and we have used it last week to visit the first school in Moharli. 3 people on the bike is quite normal here, only you must not forget that there are some mayor holes in the road and the 3rd person is not supposed to fall of. (Me being this 3rd person on the bike) Also the road is not a race track and, I know top speed of 50 km doesn’t sound like an awful lot, but on this bike it feels like you are going a lot faster and that is a little scary. Of course protective clothing is never heard of, at least not in this area of India. In Delhi they did have helmets…Like going by bus, on the bike it also seems to be a rollercoaster ride, wind blowing through your hair many times swaying from one side of the road to the other side to avoid the wholes, a sudden break before a part with more holes than road and if you are lucky you also find yourself in mid-air for a moment. The best thing of all, no long Q and no paying entry fees!!!
I have finished all the theoretical parts of my assignment(s) and with the SCF questionnaires I like to start this week. When I (officially) will start with the assignment for the forest department I don’t know. I still wait for my permission letter to come and before I have that I officially am not aloud to ride the bike in Tadoba, which means that I can’t visit the towns and therefore can’t start my problem inventory. Bus is no option, since I am also not aloud to walk in the park, and after you get off the bus a walk of a few km is quite normal to get to the towns in Tadoba. Unofficially, I have asked the boys to do the inventory for me, because my time is running out. There are only 3 weeks to go and then I have a holiday brake, so before that the practical part of the assignments must be carried out.
I must say that after being here 2 months I let the Dutch way of thinking go a little and picked up on the Indian way. This works a lot more relaxing. The Indians have a phrase: “jo honā hai, so hogā”, meaning: “whatever has to happen, will happen”. Well, I think I can live with that J
So it has to be this way that:
Bats are using my kitchen, bathroom, and toilet (and 1 even my room by mistake!) to shelter for the rain and the daylight. (yugh, the smell)
Macchar dislike DEET 30% for 4 hours at the most and then they just love to eat you again.
A monitor lizard keeps me awake because he walks in-between the roofing and my sealing. (I saw his tail and hind legs disappear..)
In India everything takes a lot longer than I am used to….
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