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.