Off to the Village

I had called and ordered a very overpriced taxi to take me to the desert village today, knowing that trying to squeeze myself into the over-crammed and hot, sweaty bus would not be a good idea in this heat. Last time I took it, the bus was nearly empty in the beginning, yet I couldn't move because all the village men had crowded around my companion and me, staring and touching. That is not something I want to do alone, or in this heat. Therefore, I had gotten the taxi and was angry about being ripped off and uncomfortable to be "rolling in" to this village in a nice car. Fortunately, the farmer I am staying with called me this morning and offered me a ride back to his farm. He has some things he needs in Jaipur and will be in the city this morning. What luck I have....

I have been trying to update this blog as much as possible, knowing that I will rarely, if ever, be able to do it on the farm. The "hot spots" for internet are in the big cities so if my internet plug works at all (doubtful), it will be slow.

I am excited to finally get on the farm. While I learn something new here at my homestay everyday, I have noticed that it is a different kind of learning. Here, I learn from experience. For example, I discovered quickly that a fool and his rupee part quickly. If you're not willing to fight for how much to pay in a rickshaw or for a something in a shop, you'll get ripped off simply for being white. Confidence and aggressiveness are not considered rude or mean when negotiating a price, but necessary. Similarly, I know I need to cover my head when entering a Muslim mosque, or take my shoes off going into a Hindu temple. The things I discover here are mainly everyday occurrences, things I learn from making mistakes and living my life. The things I will learn on the farm will be more from observation. Watching and working with the farmers in the fields, observing how they water the crops, and simply asking questions. While I will make mistakes and feel uncomfortable at times there too, I am excited to learn more facts and discover more information for my project. Working and teaching in the school will also be an amazing experience, one that I am very excited for as well.

Daily life will be different, much more labor intensive, but just as fun and will help my Hindi a great deal. Hopefully I will be able to update this soon, otherwise, I'll be back in a few weeks.