Last Sunday, Deb volunteered to be part of one of Novartis’ sponsorship government school’s celebration of Independence Day. And yes, one of the cable stations carried Gandhi and one station carried Independence Day. But Deb’s experience certainly was worth noting for two reasons: (1) she was at the school from where our charges during the zoo excursion came from, and (2) she was the center of attention – again. She did try to blend in, but come on, you call THIS blending in?
One of the dignitaries on hand was a graduate of the school who went on to become an important civil engineer in the state government. Like we discovered in our trip to the zoo, there are roses among the thorns, but, damn, you had better wear thick leather gloves when you search. OK, not leather, that would be a no-no.
I’m seated at my workstation looking out to the east at the old city and watching a storm move in. Over the last week, it has stormed every night. The locals say that this is the wettest season in about 4 years. That’s good, because the last two have been near-draught conditions.
The fan in the room is cranked up a bit to help spread the humidity around the apartment. It’s so thick that it can be felt. I imagine it as the invisible version of the Cecil B DeMille’s tenth plague from the Ten Suggestions, the Hollywood re-titling of the Ten Commandments to be more inclusive and non-judgemental. Here are some additional photos of Independence Day.
The class size is about 60 pupils per room. There is no running water and, of course, nothing but latrines. The courtyard is dirt (with the ubiquitous litter)but these children have a chance (and many have the desire) to break out of the deprivation from which they come. Eventually I will get around to the issue of poverty versus deprivation.
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