Report of 26 Nov '06
Hello from the B!
Man, good equipment is worth its weight in gold, isn't it. I love the B's new computers.
We are well. Life is fine at the B, and a couple of fine interactions helped me reaffirm my purpose in life. I'd mentioned Ms. P, whose husband, and subsequently, uncle, had thrown her out. Her little son is in an orphanage, and attending school, and one day he came to visit. I was at the B's entry gate looking for the doctors' register that all of us sign on entry and this sweet little kid whipped out a pen thinking I was looking for one. I took it, anyhow, signed in and asked who he was. He told me. A little later, I saw P taking him for b'fast, her hand at his back, a wealth of love, pride and affection in 1 little touch. She introduced him to me, I mentioned we'd already met, and I told her what a smart little boy he was, narrating the pen incident. She pulled another pen out of his pocket and said, "He says he wants pens, and I had to spend 7 Rupees on this one." It was the mixture of mock-irritation and undiluted affection that doting mothers are wont to have, and I saw Ms. P healing more just by the presence of her son. We can empower her, I am sure, to earn a living and provide for her son, thus giving her a ton of self-worth.
Ms. M, of the butt gash and non-functional leg fame, wants to go home to Kolkata (Calcutta). She comes crawling over when I enter, takes my hand in both of hers, and speaks fervently in pure Bengali which I can't understand a word of. Sandhya, a social worker who understands a bit of it, was roped in by me and translated. We have to wait for a rehab team to head Kolkata-wards, and told Ms. M that. When Sandhya asked about a prosthesis for her leg, Ms. M vehemently shook her head and said the leg was what God had given her, she did not want a change at all.
I read a saying once: One of the great tragedies of life is to not get what one wants, the other is to get what one wants.
Folks at the veg market are reeling with conjunctivitis. One of the therapies is isolation and not handling what the affected person handled, and in the vendors' defence, several of them did have protective eyewear on. The place was crowded. When we stopped at the beans stall and asked for 1/2 a kilo (about 1 pound), the vendor took a look at what was on the counter, then dove under it, opened a fresh bag and pulled out extremely fresh, good-looking things. Our blessings are many and varied.
Tutoring happened. 3 little girls came, did their lessons, worked on some math and then all (tutors and students) dove into "Pick-up sticks" and some candy. I don't know what we do academically, but the kids come very happily and whenever they can.
My father transited through Chennai to Madurai, on his way back from a conference in Hyderabad. He had told me not to meet him as he changed from airport to train station, but Scott and I went anyhow, to facilitate the passage. It was fun to get a quick gab in. My father is a big fan of his daughters, and delighted w/ his sons-in-law; soon after our wedding, Scott did a little favor around the house (fixed an outlet, perhaps), and my father said, "Thanks, I'll give you half my kingdom," and Scott said he looked over at me and replied, "Thanks, I already have it."
It seems like ages since we saw a movie. We don't have TV in our house and I used to think this was the territory of Tofu eaters and those who commune w/ the earth, etc., but you know, my sons read more and converse more (well, as much as teenagers will). The boys' exams are on the 1st and both are studying. Several 10th standard (grade) parents email back and forth, and all of us share our angst as our children sit for these crucial exams. Naren continues his adolescent opinions, which I enjoy unless he's picking a fight w/ us, and Navin persists in attempting to express them also.
Stay cool, count your blessings. Trust all our U.S. friends and relatives had a great Thanksgiving!
Unw -
R
Man, good equipment is worth its weight in gold, isn't it. I love the B's new computers.
We are well. Life is fine at the B, and a couple of fine interactions helped me reaffirm my purpose in life. I'd mentioned Ms. P, whose husband, and subsequently, uncle, had thrown her out. Her little son is in an orphanage, and attending school, and one day he came to visit. I was at the B's entry gate looking for the doctors' register that all of us sign on entry and this sweet little kid whipped out a pen thinking I was looking for one. I took it, anyhow, signed in and asked who he was. He told me. A little later, I saw P taking him for b'fast, her hand at his back, a wealth of love, pride and affection in 1 little touch. She introduced him to me, I mentioned we'd already met, and I told her what a smart little boy he was, narrating the pen incident. She pulled another pen out of his pocket and said, "He says he wants pens, and I had to spend 7 Rupees on this one." It was the mixture of mock-irritation and undiluted affection that doting mothers are wont to have, and I saw Ms. P healing more just by the presence of her son. We can empower her, I am sure, to earn a living and provide for her son, thus giving her a ton of self-worth.
Ms. M, of the butt gash and non-functional leg fame, wants to go home to Kolkata (Calcutta). She comes crawling over when I enter, takes my hand in both of hers, and speaks fervently in pure Bengali which I can't understand a word of. Sandhya, a social worker who understands a bit of it, was roped in by me and translated. We have to wait for a rehab team to head Kolkata-wards, and told Ms. M that. When Sandhya asked about a prosthesis for her leg, Ms. M vehemently shook her head and said the leg was what God had given her, she did not want a change at all.
I read a saying once: One of the great tragedies of life is to not get what one wants, the other is to get what one wants.
Folks at the veg market are reeling with conjunctivitis. One of the therapies is isolation and not handling what the affected person handled, and in the vendors' defence, several of them did have protective eyewear on. The place was crowded. When we stopped at the beans stall and asked for 1/2 a kilo (about 1 pound), the vendor took a look at what was on the counter, then dove under it, opened a fresh bag and pulled out extremely fresh, good-looking things. Our blessings are many and varied.
Tutoring happened. 3 little girls came, did their lessons, worked on some math and then all (tutors and students) dove into "Pick-up sticks" and some candy. I don't know what we do academically, but the kids come very happily and whenever they can.
My father transited through Chennai to Madurai, on his way back from a conference in Hyderabad. He had told me not to meet him as he changed from airport to train station, but Scott and I went anyhow, to facilitate the passage. It was fun to get a quick gab in. My father is a big fan of his daughters, and delighted w/ his sons-in-law; soon after our wedding, Scott did a little favor around the house (fixed an outlet, perhaps), and my father said, "Thanks, I'll give you half my kingdom," and Scott said he looked over at me and replied, "Thanks, I already have it."
It seems like ages since we saw a movie. We don't have TV in our house and I used to think this was the territory of Tofu eaters and those who commune w/ the earth, etc., but you know, my sons read more and converse more (well, as much as teenagers will). The boys' exams are on the 1st and both are studying. Several 10th standard (grade) parents email back and forth, and all of us share our angst as our children sit for these crucial exams. Naren continues his adolescent opinions, which I enjoy unless he's picking a fight w/ us, and Navin persists in attempting to express them also.
Stay cool, count your blessings. Trust all our U.S. friends and relatives had a great Thanksgiving!
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
9:26 PM
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