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Updating from last weekend- we did in fact also have a blissful afternoon at the beach. The moments of joy accumulate in my heart.

July 17, 2011
I had a wonderful day yesterday, although busy. After  my first
workshop which went smoothly and the teachers all seemed excited
about, I went to Kofi bar and drank cold coffee with ice cream to
celebrate. I took the kids swimming in the pool. Geetha and I spent
two hours driving through the villages to visit Parimala, who used to
live at the boarding house and now lives with her sisters, and Satish,
a student from  my school who is now in highschool and whom Deborah
and Galen have both helped financially as he lives with his mother who
is very poor. Driving and walking through the streets of the villages
are always intense as what is normal in them is so vastly different
from my normal. Families living in one room together. Dirt floors.
trash and mud everywhere. When I ride my mo-ped its like riding
through an obstacle course there are ditches in the middle of the road
and piles of gravel and rocks, not to mention stray dogs and small
half naked children. A woman sat in the edge of the road selling fish
and squid. But everyone always smiles at me, and I know so many of the
children who live there so I frequently have to stop as different
children run into the street saying, “Meghan!” When I stop and ask how
they are they all beam and answer. “Yes, I am fine. How are you?”

After our afternoon of visits. Geetha and I returned home for dinner.
(I begged out of tomato rice tonight, my stomach was acting up a little after the ice cream)And then I retreated to my room for some much needed relaxation time during which I chatted with Deborah on skype,
did an hour long yoga practice and read Twilight. After this I sank
into sleep leaving my computer on as usual just in case Galen decided
to call me in the middle of the night. My only thoughts were about
going to the beach and getting a salad the next day.

At some point in the middle of the night I was pulled out of sleep by
a Beattles song. I groggily stumbled to the desk thinking that
something on my computer must have been going off- maybe Galen was
calling? But why would the ring tone be “In My life?” I was very
confused as I realized that the music wasn’t coming from in my
computer or in my room. I pulled the curtain back and looked ut the
window- Galen was standing on the terrace!!!!!

I was in absolute shock. As some of you may know already, due to
budget cuts at UNFPA they would not approve Galen’s new contract. It
was quite a surprise for us to hear this information as everyone had
assured Galen that it wouldn’t be a problem. Galen found out on
Monday. Tuesday morning he woke up and booked a ticket to India. He
had to return to NYC from Canada first to get his visa, return his car
and pack up, and then Friday morning he left for India. He didn’t tell
anyone except for his parents, my parents and his friends that he was
in Canada with.

Galen and Parasu playing at the beach on Galen’s first day in India!

It is now late morning in India. Galen and I have spent the last two
hours at the boarding house. The kids were in just as much shock as I
was seeing him, but they ALL threw themselves at him, hugging him with
huge grins spreading across their faces. We ate iddlys and dosas and
drank tea. We watched the kids get soaked draining out the fish pond.
The sun is hot and bright. They are burning brush behind our house and
smoke is wafting across the yard. There was a lot of laughter, joking
and hugging. It was a perfect sunday morning in India. It amazes me
how everything works out. Although it was of course a blow for Galen
to lose his job, it has been a very stressful situation and he has
often wished that he could find a new one. Now he will be forced to
and he already has some opportunities on the horizon. I could say that
I wished he had known and been able to come with me in the beginning,
but honestly, I think it was good for me to go through the time (and
struggle) of being alone. I had really found a way to be independent
and at peace with being here on my own. Also, Galen needed to go to
Canada with his friends I think, and realize that it wasn’t really
where he wanted to be. Now he can finish his practicum (a project or
internship) for his course through SIT while we are in India. So there
is a purpose for him being here also. Things feel complete. I feel
blissful. It is so normal and right feeling to be here at Roy’s with
the kids and Vanitha and the sun and the spicy food. There is so much
joy. Galen has taken Partiban (one of the kids) to go buy chicken or
fish for lunch. This is the one meal during the week that they have
meat during the week. We will probably take some time away this
afternoon to go in search of a salad, and then we will take the kids
swimming at the beach in the afternoon.

Dhinagar sculpts Parasu into a strange sand creature!

Galen and Manjula enjoy the Sunday sun while the kids are cleaning out the fish pool!

I need to start planning my week and my next workshop, but at the
moment I am happy to sit and just feel the joy.

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