For those of you who didn't know, I didn't like my internship at Navdanya. The IT person in another city was in charge of me and she told me to organize some electronic files for Vandana's secretary. [Insert pompous statement rooted in anger here]. Then I found Gene Campaign, got really excited about everything they were working on and on day one was told, "There are a lot of files in the basement computer that need to be organized." I felt sad that day.
So I had to resort to something my mother asked me not to do and approached an anti-human trafficking organization. Summary of interview:
Anjali: So we have this public health survey that was done by a pre-med student and I'd like you to revise it because it's too long and may not be worded in the most appropriate way. I want you to do a site visit outside Delhi in a town whose name you recognize from the papers for murders and stuff but your gringa-ass will never remember it so don't bother. After you meet the women out there who generally either work as prostitutes or are at risk of being trafficked I want you to research Indian and international domestic violence law. Then put the information into workshop form and present it to these women. We'll give you a translator.
Whitney's Head: No way. Too far outside your knowledge and cultural understanding. This is way over your head...
Whitney's Mouth: Sure. Sounds great.
Whitney's Head: Fuck yeah!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Rant Number 1
Dear India,
I really like you. Like, I like you a lot. But there are some things that are upsetting me. Let me start by saying that you're generally awesome. Take for example the auto driver who takes me to yoga every morning, the guy who lets me live in his house, or the family that took me in for Diwali, and a lot of other stuff. But sometimes I feel like you're taking advantage of me.
Like I said, I'm going to yoga. This means that I'm more tranquil, calm, and stuff but you make this hard. For example, The Green School. It was cute at first, but now I'm afraid I might hate The Green School. This is the school next door to me that blasts (like, I wear earplugs, have the fan on, and it will still wake me up) the same song over and over again starting very early and going on for a long time. Well, sometimes they stop for a minute to sing "for he's a jolly good fellow," but that's about it. Please Green School. On the few days I don't get up before dawn for yoga, please let me sleep.
On that note, the mosque. Oh man. The mosque. I want to like you, I do. Especially because I'm an American and liking you would be progressive so my liberal ass is all about it. But I don't. You are also unnecessarily loud with your calls to prayer. You also do something else at 5 AM where you kinda make noise for a long time. I get up at 5:35 so when you manage to get past my shut windows, fan, earplugs, and consequent dust allergy, I get mad and don't like you.
Now for the next point. Sometimes you get confused and think that my white skin is made of money. It's not. It actually worries about running out of money in India on a daily basis and often can't sleep because of this despite aforementioned yoga. I know that the distance you took me in an auto costs 30 INR. I know this because I go every day and have used a meter. (You may notice that you drop me at an office, not a museum or other tourist destination) So when you arbitrarily charge me 100 INR for a 30 INR journey, I want to cry. (Or hit you, but yoga is keeping me nonviolent.) Of course I can pay a little more. I'm a humanitarian/cosmopolitan so my liberal ass is all about it. But honey buns, 100 is over 3 times the price. As much as I struggle to hold on to thinking I deserve to be charged 3 times more, I'm inclined to think you're an asshole. Maybe a racist asshole.
Which brings me to my final point. Visiting national monuments. I'll take Quitab Minar as an example. It costs 20 INR for an Indian to get in. How much does it cost for everyone else? 50 maybe? 100? Nope. 500 INR!! That is 25 TIMES MORE! Now I try to be open minded so I asked around and the explanation is obvious: My taxes haven't gone to maintaining QM so my admission price should reflect that difference between me and Indians. Cool. But I've found people don't realize I bought a visa to get into the country. How much was it? Well, works out to about 500 INR a month for a year. I thought this might be to mitigate the fact that I haven't paid taxes for the places I'll be visiting. But I'm a dumb foreigner. As Ban said, "You're not gunna just not go to these places." Oh yes I am.
So India, it's not that I don't like you. It's just that you're kinda racist. And I'm really trying India. I'm really trying to see your point of view that America has money and therefore I do and thus I should give it to you, but it's turning out to be a little more difficult than I thought. So throw me a bone here. I'd really like to move forward in our relationship and explore all the wonderful things you have to offer. But I feel like you're holding back and don't want to share yourself which isn't the basis for a healthy long-term relationship. Please get it together or I'll be forced to have an affair with Nepal.
Love,
Me
I really like you. Like, I like you a lot. But there are some things that are upsetting me. Let me start by saying that you're generally awesome. Take for example the auto driver who takes me to yoga every morning, the guy who lets me live in his house, or the family that took me in for Diwali, and a lot of other stuff. But sometimes I feel like you're taking advantage of me.
Like I said, I'm going to yoga. This means that I'm more tranquil, calm, and stuff but you make this hard. For example, The Green School. It was cute at first, but now I'm afraid I might hate The Green School. This is the school next door to me that blasts (like, I wear earplugs, have the fan on, and it will still wake me up) the same song over and over again starting very early and going on for a long time. Well, sometimes they stop for a minute to sing "for he's a jolly good fellow," but that's about it. Please Green School. On the few days I don't get up before dawn for yoga, please let me sleep.
On that note, the mosque. Oh man. The mosque. I want to like you, I do. Especially because I'm an American and liking you would be progressive so my liberal ass is all about it. But I don't. You are also unnecessarily loud with your calls to prayer. You also do something else at 5 AM where you kinda make noise for a long time. I get up at 5:35 so when you manage to get past my shut windows, fan, earplugs, and consequent dust allergy, I get mad and don't like you.
Now for the next point. Sometimes you get confused and think that my white skin is made of money. It's not. It actually worries about running out of money in India on a daily basis and often can't sleep because of this despite aforementioned yoga. I know that the distance you took me in an auto costs 30 INR. I know this because I go every day and have used a meter. (You may notice that you drop me at an office, not a museum or other tourist destination) So when you arbitrarily charge me 100 INR for a 30 INR journey, I want to cry. (Or hit you, but yoga is keeping me nonviolent.) Of course I can pay a little more. I'm a humanitarian/cosmopolitan so my liberal ass is all about it. But honey buns, 100 is over 3 times the price. As much as I struggle to hold on to thinking I deserve to be charged 3 times more, I'm inclined to think you're an asshole. Maybe a racist asshole.
Which brings me to my final point. Visiting national monuments. I'll take Quitab Minar as an example. It costs 20 INR for an Indian to get in. How much does it cost for everyone else? 50 maybe? 100? Nope. 500 INR!! That is 25 TIMES MORE! Now I try to be open minded so I asked around and the explanation is obvious: My taxes haven't gone to maintaining QM so my admission price should reflect that difference between me and Indians. Cool. But I've found people don't realize I bought a visa to get into the country. How much was it? Well, works out to about 500 INR a month for a year. I thought this might be to mitigate the fact that I haven't paid taxes for the places I'll be visiting. But I'm a dumb foreigner. As Ban said, "You're not gunna just not go to these places." Oh yes I am.
So India, it's not that I don't like you. It's just that you're kinda racist. And I'm really trying India. I'm really trying to see your point of view that America has money and therefore I do and thus I should give it to you, but it's turning out to be a little more difficult than I thought. So throw me a bone here. I'd really like to move forward in our relationship and explore all the wonderful things you have to offer. But I feel like you're holding back and don't want to share yourself which isn't the basis for a healthy long-term relationship. Please get it together or I'll be forced to have an affair with Nepal.
Love,
Me
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Savere he, na?
Hey! You might not know this but... WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT!! Let me take a moment to highlight some of the reactions in India:
1) To celebrate, I went to Expat Market (they don't sell expats and it's actually "Khan Market" but lots of whities around) to look for other Americans but... none were to be found. Actually, my first day there was an American woman in the office for about a second and other than that, I haven't seen a single American. Expat Market was all Europeans. So I just drank my coffee and eavesdropped on
2) two fancy looking men who talked in detail about the election. Direct quote: "Well Obama didn't win Texas but that's expected due to The Redneck Factor."
Other guy: "Ah yes, The Redneck Factor."
3) News channel: "Well it's interesting that the Jews, being a big money bag group, voted for Obama."
4) News channel again: Comments of a random old man civilian: "I guess it's better for the Americans to have a black man as president over someone who's completely illiterate."
5) Went to the internet cafe behind the apartment and a middle-aged Sikh came in to speak to the owner and just said "... Obama." With his hands out and a wonderful tone of awe.
6) Some dude in my yoga class (yes, I take Yoga. At 6:30 AM in fact) is a reporter and I think he was trying to appear impressive by saying he tried to talk about me on the air but forgot my name... Maybe it's time to adopt "Parvati."
So I seem to have developed an affinity for numbered lists. Unless this is offensive I'm probably going to continue. Oh, and people here keep asking what made me switch from Obama to Hillary and it was this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html
Supha
1) To celebrate, I went to Expat Market (they don't sell expats and it's actually "Khan Market" but lots of whities around) to look for other Americans but... none were to be found. Actually, my first day there was an American woman in the office for about a second and other than that, I haven't seen a single American. Expat Market was all Europeans. So I just drank my coffee and eavesdropped on
2) two fancy looking men who talked in detail about the election. Direct quote: "Well Obama didn't win Texas but that's expected due to The Redneck Factor."
Other guy: "Ah yes, The Redneck Factor."
3) News channel: "Well it's interesting that the Jews, being a big money bag group, voted for Obama."
4) News channel again: Comments of a random old man civilian: "I guess it's better for the Americans to have a black man as president over someone who's completely illiterate."
5) Went to the internet cafe behind the apartment and a middle-aged Sikh came in to speak to the owner and just said "... Obama." With his hands out and a wonderful tone of awe.
6) Some dude in my yoga class (yes, I take Yoga. At 6:30 AM in fact) is a reporter and I think he was trying to appear impressive by saying he tried to talk about me on the air but forgot my name... Maybe it's time to adopt "Parvati."
So I seem to have developed an affinity for numbered lists. Unless this is offensive I'm probably going to continue. Oh, and people here keep asking what made me switch from Obama to Hillary and it was this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html
Supha
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