Back in the desert

3/10/08

Day 5….
We’ve resorted to spearing snakes and rats in the desert, while Dillan has fallen ill. Kidding about the former, serious about the latter. We continue to wait around for something to happen. Yesterday Giriji returned 2 days later than he said from visiting his family. Since he’s the only English speaker and the Field Center leader it was a relief to have him back, especially since he is our jogging partner in the early morning, this for the second time!
The cabin fever is really getting to me. Although our interactions with the families and workers here are priceless; I won’t forget sitting having my hands done with mahandi (like henna)

mahandi on our hands from GRAVIS girl

and helping to milk a goat so that chai can be made on the spot, or playing soccer outside the compound walls in the desert Fields.

village hut at sunset

But Field visits that actually encompass doing something, in fact any kind of work beside the 15 minutes ‘mutual work’ in the mode of Gandhi each morning, is likely to few rare.
Yesterday, we locked the outside doors of fort gravis and laid out in shorts and Then I did some drawing. Then I sat and stared. How long can I do this before going mad? Tom Hanks did it for two years but I don’t have the benefit of needing to do work for survival or Wilson to talk to.
No Wilson, but there are dogs. They discourage me from petting the three friendly (and relatively clean) compound dogs, though I do it anyway. I discourage them from having me hold their babies. This is a tough task considering there are babies and small children everywhere, staring curiously with charcoal decorated eyes, yelling tata! and checking my face for nonexistent jewelry. I have never interacted with children so much in my life. Rao and Umchko continue visit us daily and attempt to teach us Hindi words. If only I were in the Matrix and could upload a language things might be much easier around here.

Back in the desert

Jodhpur, India