mehndi saves the day

Big meeting today with the director of Niramaya right? Wrong. Well yes in that it was scheduled. But no in that it didnt happen. I waited for an hour before I was told that she called to say that she was busy in an important something or the other and couldnt meet. Maybe in the afternoon? I told them that I had to leave because I had made plans with Miriam to visit her NGO in Bandra East. Also, I made an appointment to get mehndi done since there is a beautician school there. I'm trying really hard to keep a positive attitude though in all honesty (and justifiable so - or so my roomies say) I'm quite frustrated. I feel like I could have done a lot more here but I came here prepared with the understanding that things go a lot slower here than back home (and in corporate america). But in all fairness to the experience, I got to see and understand everything that I wanted to. I wouldnt take this opportunity back for a second. If anything, I've learned more about an NGO and its operations just by watching and listening to the things that go on in the office on a daily basis. I've gotten to experience a meeting with sponsors for a grant, developed a concept of different social issues in third world countries, visited asias largest slum (Dharavi) + two others + a baldwadi(preschool) + the dumping grounds + sweatshops + street boys mela + childrens school + my roomies NGOs, and of course, I've been all over Mumbai. It's been quite a month.

While trying to wipe the mean look off of my face, I took the train over to Bandra East, which is much grungier than Bandra West, and thats noticeable at a moments glance. There are slums right outside of the train station exit. I wasnt sure where I was going and neither were the autorickshaw walas. After asking three different people, one guy just decided to take me in the general direction of Kherwadi (Miriam's assigned NGO). He dropped me off in front of some random place called "The National Center of Cleanliness in India." What the heck is that? Anyway, I asked the guard in front and he directed me down the street to Kherwadi. The streets near Kherwadi are exactly what I pictured India to be like, or at least what I pictured my work scene to be like. There are three pink buildings, a school (computer + baldwadi + beautician), an auditorium, and a medical clinic/office. After my last two days, I was wishing that I had gotten assigned to this NGO instead because it was perfectly in sync with my expectations (even though I tried really hard not to have any but my mind had to visualize something...) of where I would be working in Mumbai.

I spent the afternoon with ladies from the area and sat while they did mehndi on my hands(for two + hours). They did full-fledged wedding mehndi on me, my hands are covered. It was so interesting to listen to the stories of their lives. these women spend the mornings cooking and cleaning at home, then they come to the school for three hours to practice their skills on one another, then they go home. It's a giant social event for all of them, a relief from their daily obligations and they definitely make the most of it. They were all so joyful, it was so nice to see. One woman out of the twenty or so spoke Bengali (my native tongue) and another spoke English so I was able to converse with everyone. The woman who was working on my right hand was really beautiful and I was super shocked when one of the ladies told me that she has three kids - 8, 5, and 3. It turns out that she got married when she was 16 because the man that married her sister had a brother who wanted to marry her. The brothers bonded together and decided that either they were both going to get married to each of the sister or neither of them would. So, her parents married off both of their daughters! This woman - her name is Urmila - lives with her three kids and randomly visiting mother-in-law (who she doesnt like!) while her husband is working in Spain as a contractor. He's been there for three years and she doesn't know when he's coming back. I asked her why she doesnt go there as well and she said that he lives at someone elses house and theres no place her to stay. I kept telling her that she could make a lot of money doing mehndi or henna tattoos on people. I asked the AVSAR assistant program director about it and she said that 'agents' come and recruit these slum dwellers and take them to European countries. Sometimes they pay then and sometimes they dont. I cant imagine getting up and leaving to go to an unknown country with some random stranger who is promising you a job. Can you? Maybe that's because we all live in a place where we can earn a decent living and we dont think about another world where we could do better - we're already there. I give my parents (and all of the other immigrants) so much credit for leaving everything that they knowto come to a foreign land where they have all built up their lives so beautifully. I dont know if I could have ever done that for myself, its good that I wont ever have to find out. I'm lucky. Their struggle has led to a life full of luxuries and opportunities for me for which I will forever grateful.

This was a day that I will hold in my memories forever. Afternoons like this make me so happy that I came to India.