This is an account of the 4 days I spent in Bangalore/Bengaluru before my volunteering internship with 40K began. Sorry in advance for the blocks of text, this will change in the future as I'll cover the significant moments to me and my thoughts rather than my actions. K, hope you enjoy.
New Year’s Eve
Had a rough nights sleep after waking many times from weird dreams and loud noises outside, get up at 7:30. There was mould in the bathroom and no hot water, so I delayed having a shower and went down and asked for breakfast. Reception said that I needed to phone it up and ask for breakfast so I went back and did so. They didn’t come and bring it so ent down again 30 min later, and when that failed after 30 min I went again and this time I eventually got it and ate it next to the street. Breakfast was Masala Ragti which I liked and then got an extra which I kept for lunch. Sometimes kindness pays off ;)
Whilst eating I just sat and watched the Indian world turn. Seeing drainage get cleaned with long bamboo sticks, seeing a man pick through plastic bottles and watching cars mechanically dance around pedestrians. Felt familiar, and calmed me down. The cleaner boy was also nice, speaking simple English, and we managed to have simple humour about Australia and Indian food, though I suppose the only funny bit about it was how difficult it was to communicate.
After breakfast I went walk about near my hotel which was next to Church St. I went down Brigade road, seeing the western style shops along side rough Indian shops and carts and poverty. It really was a place that requires a numb mind so that you just focus on where you’re going and what you’re looking at and ignoring what’s around you. Then I went up to MG (Mahatma Gandhi) road, and it was similar but with a long fly-over for the metro system… and many rickshaw drivers.
I hadn’t gone far at all when a rickshaw (in SE Asia they’re called Took-tooks, another name is just Auto) driver started conversing with me then followed me in his rickshaw. The common deal they offered was a free lift to the market as “we get a fuel voucher when we take tourists to the market for new years”. My fall back was to say that I was just ‘walking and exploring’ yet he continued and acted kind. His offer was a free lift to Cubbon park if I went with him. I’ll admit that since it was just down the road and the man seemed legit kind I went with him. Along the brief journey he told me about opening a shop with his brother and offered to take me there.
By now you should be cringing as the outcome is obvious. And that was indeed the outcome. It’s awkward for me to write this little bit as it is slightly embarrassing, yet it’s the truth, and I hope it helps.
I accepted the man’s offer due to both his apparent kindness and the fact he offered rather than forced. I felt like I owed him something, something in return for his kindness so I’d give mine by going along with the scheme and seeing the shop. So when we got to the shop I went in had a 30-second look and told the manager that there was nothing I wanted. I went back out and we began going to Cubbon park. Along the way we were stuck in traffic and the driver began asking if I could pay him a bit. I said I didn’t have any Rupee, so he insisted on any foreign currency. I told him firmly that he said the trip was free and then I got out of the rickshaw since it was stuck in traffic. The driver just accepted it though and didn’t try call after me. I was surprised by that. Thrifty drivers are definitely becoming smarter.
I walked a bit more, crossed through several lanes of stagnant Indian traffic and started back towards my hotel room. Along the way, I stopped at a pharmacy style store (but it had no medicine) on MG road to pick up some supplies I had deliberately left behind in Aus to save space, such as toilet paper, bigger toothpaste, sunscreen bottle, moisturiser and some other things. The shopping attendants laughed as they scanned the toilet paper purchase, a waste as out of the 4 rolls I bought I would use only 10 or so squares.
After getting the stuff, I ran into a group of foreign uni students with Aussie accents. They were doing the 40K programme as well. I showed them how to get to Church Street and then hung with them a bit. Was kinda nice to just chat to others in the same circumstance, even if it was only 10 min.
One of them asked me about the sim card in my phone and I was honestly embarrassed to say that my parents had got it for me. In my mind I felt like a snob compared to these battlers that were searching for sim cards in India. Though the honest truth is that I am stupidly rich, and I have loving parents who use that wealth to help me be comfortable and safe. Though thinking more about it afterwards, I can see how it must be tough to cut back your purchasing power so that your children will learn to live by themselves. I can also safely say that I haven’t felt this way for the rest of the trip, so my mum and dad have done well to not smother me.
Went back to the hotel, put my purchased items in their respective parts of my room, then received a Whatsapp from parents which was wonderful, and once again I was close to crying. Their advice continues to shape my experience which then shapes me, and I can’t help but be thankful for it.
After the call, and to relax after what felt like a tiring day out I played bit of To The Moon, an incredibly beautiful game, a game so good I’m waiting for the right moment to finish the last little bit (and after 2 weeks I still haven’t).
I wanted to read some Lord of the Rings, so I googled my nearest library then started walking there. Along the way a rickshaw driver once again followed me, and when I said where I was going he said it was closed. He offered me another free lift to go see the library, along with 3 shop visits after and to drop me at the markets. This time I accepted, not out of foolishness, but out of mischievousness. We went and found the library, which was open. It had surprising security where I had to leave my bag at the front and had a metal detector scan me. It was also really small with desk space for only 20 people, and no Lord of the Rings. I left, called my Rickshaw driver, and off we went to the first store… which was exactly the same store as the driver before me.
It was funny that when we rolled up, the doorman of the shop made eye contact with me and I just smiled. He said something in Kannada along the lines of “Hey driver, we’ve already had this white kid here. Keep moving.”. The driver turned to me and asked if I’d been here before and I devilishly said “yep”, and I’m certain he could hear the glee in my voice.
We started moving again and he checked that it was the only store I had been to, which I told him was the truth. So we went to the next store which I had a quick look through and once again said that there was nothing I wanted. Obviously it was too quick for the driver’s liking since as we were driving to the next store he told me to “try look around for a bit longer”
“how long?” I replied
“10 minutes or so”
“so you want me to act in the store like I’m interested for 10 minutes?”
“yes sir”
“I can do that”. A smile grew across my face and I patted the driver on the back. It was small moments of understanding as the driver and I connected in common deception and we saw through each other and arrived at honest understanding.
Into the final shop I went.
The game plan was to act more realistic by going in with a specific purpose and then working around that. My made up reason was to get my mum a birthday gift of jewellery. And so we went straight to the jewellery section, bringing out all sorts of possibilities, and then narrowing it down. After a single item was found, it came down to bartering a price that suited my “very tight budget”. In the end, I actually think I did too good a job. I got the price of a pair of nice earrings down from 1800 to 1100 when my initial limit was 1000, and I was honestly happy to buy them. And so I made the deal and exited the store with a pair of earrings for my mum’s birthday which was actually a month earlier.
I’m fully aware that by going along with the system I was being counter-productive to stopping tourist exploitation. Yet I feel like in a country as competitive and desperate as India, exploitation of any kind is inevitable and accepting this is part of accepting India as it currently is.
Got dropped at the market and said farewell to my driver. I hope he was rewarded for his performed kindness just as I was.
The market was crazy, just as any bazaar is. Used G-Maps to zig-zag through the streets towards home. I bought myself a Frankie when I got hungry, which was just a chicken masala wrap. I didn’t get diarrhoea too, which was surprising. I politely declined one drum-seller, but he continued and proposed the idea of me giving my watch then him giving the drum as a gift. I was initially confused by the idea of the drum being a gift, but when I realised it was a trade I just told him No firmly and immediately walked away from him briskly. When you’re in India you quickly realise that being forceful is a habit required for existence, and it is something organised Westerners often lack.
Stumbled across St. Mary’s Basilica which was a very cool looking church amidst the ocean of inequality.
After the church I got my photographer on at the MG Road Metro station. I think the station fascinated me because it was a demonstration of what India was trying to be, its modernised self, and I wanted to show people this beautiful side to the reality of India rather than just the ever-present inequalities.
I went into the station and understood the Metro system by asking the workers. Having a bag scanner and security guard at the entrance was interesting yet easy to get through. The only confusing part was that the maps were out dated, and one rail station had been renamed from Mysore on the map to Mysuru on the overhead sign.
Got back in room at 4:15 and chilled for a bit. Probably listened to music, I can’t remember. I thought about what I could be stuffed doing for New Year though.
I ended up going to sleep as I was really tired from these small adventures in India. You need to warm up to India, to get used to the conditions.
Woke up at 6:30 yet was really tired and struggled to get out of bed, indecision about what to do next also made it difficult. In the end I decided to go out and get some food along Brigade road.
It was insane. The streets were literally filled with people, both ends were closed off by security scanners and the side roads had blockades. People poured through the detectors with no sign of anything stopping them and no security near them to enforce it. There were police, yet they sat around and had sticks to control the crowd. There were hawkers selling all sorts of party lights and simple gadgets, yet the common one that many bought was flashing devil's horns and loud air horns. In contrast, there was strung lights along the street that moved in coordination and beauty. The clubs and bars of the area were at capacity, and the streets were a river of people. Being tired made me drift through the rowdy crowd, it felt as if my mind was being pummelled that it had just cut back to the essentials, I was practically sleep walking through noise.
I tried some sugar cane extract which was very sweet. It was nice at first but over time it became really heavy and removed nearly all my appetite. I got about half-way through it before it found itself in a bin.
Whilst walking around I found two very charming book stores, filled to the roof with books of all styles and ages. Both were a bookworm's paradise, yet both had sold out of the Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring which was frustrating as the books are loosely organised and it takes a while to find what you’re looking for.
After 2hrs out on the streets of New Years Eve, I called it a night and when back to bed at 9:30. Goodbye 2016
1/1/2017 - Sunday
I expected to wake up to the cheers welcoming the birth of 2017, yet instead I awoke at 6 due to jet lag and then got up at 8 after reading a bit of Scott Higgins’ The End of Greed. Due to no hot water, O just washed my face to wake up.
Went down for brekkie, which they said was 5-10 minutes away. I went back to my room expecting it to be more like 30 min away and spent the time organising my day-pack and working out my Indian phone.
I also did some research on organisations that help street people in Bangalore. I did this so that I could have peace of mind whenever a begger came to me, knowing that I did something that will have greater impact that giving them money once-off. The payment didn't go through though and I'm still trying to find a worthy organisation to accept my donation.
Went down for breakfast at 9 yet it still wasn't ready, yet they told me to wait in the restaurant, which is normally a good sign. 10 minutes later, a guy shows up on a scooter with plastic bags in his hands, he goes up the hotel stairs, gives them to the manager, who then takes them through to the kitchen. 2 minutes later out pops my hot breakfast.
I went back to my room and got ready for the day, left at around 9:55. I was going to St Marks Cathedral for their 10:30 service. Along the way I saw this interesting street art along church street.
After the service the church community also was quite tight as many stayed and talked after, and there was a line for tea and coffee. It had a community feel which was nice to see even in such a big church.
I went back in for my service. Found a seat then moved when I realised that a pillar blocked most of my view. Found a new seat and the service started, and it was a normal Anglican service which I felt comfortable with. Also after the service started I discovered that there were projectors on either side of the main area that live-streamed what was happening up front. I read the churches newsletter as well, which mentioned a church blood donor service and a need for volunteer doctors. As all newsletters have, there's a list of birthdays and anniversaries for the week, yet this church had 10 birthdays and about 4 anniversaries for every day that week. Was nice to be in church, it's something that connected me to home.
The service consisted of only male speakers yet there were some Sisters. one standout moment was single Great is Thy Faithfulness, which also transported me back home. Communion also took a while yet people were patient with me and made obvious signals for what I was meant to do, something I wish was common to all visitors in churches. Overall the service and the church was quite british, it was undoubtedly a relic of imperialism, yet the community and faith of the believers was genuine.
The church also seemed to be a tourist attraction as after the service finished many began to take photos. I just walked around outside until they thinned out yet it was strange to think if people were worshipping the architecture rather than the architectures source.
Once again, after the service people were very kind, asking where I'm from and saying Happy New Year (something I don't remember hearing much in Aus, but over here they said it frequently and they meant it).
Here's some of the photos of the church's interior.
Across the road I went to Cubbon Park, and what a spectacle it was. It was a place of pure fun and relaxation. It was great seeing families play cricket and other sports in the park, others lying down and reading. I grabbed some street food for the journey.
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| I have no idea what this is called, but it delays hunger effectively |
Like the Metro system, Cubbon Park is a symbol of what Bangalore is trying to be.
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| Tourists trying to get their own photo of the Karnataka Supreme Court |
North of the park is the government of Karnataka building, and there were many tourists outside. One Rickshaw driver told me it was closed and offered me a tour of the city, yet I walked there myself and it was open, some people even got around the fence and went up the stairs. Was crazy to see so many tourists.
Next was the State Library. And honestly, I was disappointed. In a place that creates and relies on intellectuals as heavily as Bengaluru does, I was underwhelmed with their library. See for yourself below. Another interesting aspect of the Uni was that 90% of the students there were male, and there was a designated ladies-only desk. I feel that if there is gender inequality even amongst students, India still has a long way to go along the gender justice path.
When I was walking back from the bottom corner of the park I found Kanteerava sports complex. In it was an old concrete arena, a big new-er stadium, and a group of guys playing a weird variety of volleyball where they quickly catch up and through it to each other whilst putting lots of spin on the ball.
There was also a really nice Veg restaurant at the site. I feel like the waiters paid my special attention/kindness, yet the food was superb. Due to this special treatment I tried to imagine myself living in India, yet going into a restaurant with a bag on my bag, and getting foreigner-class service. O, the disturbing power of white skin. I had to go to the toilet just to make space for the food, and even still I didn't get through the meal. The toilet also had no Toilet Paper, good thing I bought my own. First time I'd had paneer in years and it was divine! I tried paying for it by card, yet it failed for several machines. Eventually they brought out an old machine that it worked on and I was relieved, I had next to no cash.
Another gender observation as that all waiters were male, and that's been consistent in every hospitality place I've been to so far.
Walked back to hotel with full stomach. Got there at around 4:30.
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| But Physics told me that non-ionizing didn't hurt you? |
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| An example of Central Bangalore's shiny new development |
When I got home I had another good phone call with parents. Thank God for whatsapp and wifi.
Afterwards, I went out and tried to get cash from an atm. I struggled at first but then people behind me told me that I could only take out 2000's. This is actually quite a big problem in India as these bricks of rupee's means that small change is hard to find and 2000's are hard to break especially in rural areas. As a result of this limitation many ATM's run out of cash, and it is a game of chance if it's working. Also there's a 200Rs transaction fee on international cards which is a bit steep, but thankfully you just try to use cash as little as possible.
Due to lunch filling me up, I just grabbed a bit of street food for dinner. I grabbed a Sambosa and looked for something to do. Went walking around, yet was very conscious of dark places and stayed safe. Eventually got hungry again and got a burger in Maccas at 8pm. I ordered a Chicken Maharaja burger, the equivalent of a Big Mac, yet was difficult as there was little queuing and the prices on the boards were less than reality due to taxes. Even in Macca's, all the workers were male.
Took the burger back to hotel room, and as soon as I got out the door some street kids were gathered around the Macca's stairs, trying to sell me roses. I firmly refused though it was much more painful than refusing others.
I ate the burger whilst watching a Netflix Doco about Algorithms. Was fascinating, and the burger was delicious and not too spicy. Watched a bit more Netflix before bed at 10:40.
I went to bed, still feeling unstable yet happy that I'm feeling more comfortable with India. I hoped that tomorrow I could fit in a full day of adventure. And that is what I did.
2/1/2017
Once again wake up at 6 yet up at 7.
I had my first cold bucket shower as no hot water came out after 5 minutes. The cold cut through my body, and I was patient like a surgeon to try and minimise my exposure to it. The experience was just as humbling as the first time I did it 3 years ago. As you'll later discover, this was something I needed to get used to.
Watched some PewDiePie out of boredom before breakfast. Was nostalgic and silly yet entertaining.
Went down and had breakfast. The hotel manager was also having brekkie whilst looking at the expenses books. I sat with him and we shared a nice breakfast, discussing our lives and thoughts of India. He offered me breakfast for the next morning, which was nice. I got the feeling that he was being nice to improve my perception of the hotel, but you can never know what's sincere in India.
Got back to my room at 9:05 and prepped for the trip today, as well as reading my bible and clipping my nails. Whilst fluffing about and making sure I had enough stuff the thought "Man, this is India, get moving" was on repeat. It's a motivation I try to maintain in Australia, though is obviously much easier to follow in the exceptional circumstance of any holiday.
Got to Metro station at 9:50 and grabbed a token (ticket) to the east end of the line, Barenahalli. It was after peak hour yet the trains were still full.
Along my Metro journey I got off at different stations, looked around and took photos, then jumped on the next train going in the same direction. At some stations this raised attention from security, but I tried to just embrace the tourist so that they were less confused. At the ends of the line, I got out of the station and looked around. After Barenahalli, I tried to get a card to assist with the travel. I went to the ticket booth and asked for a 10 trip ticket and gave over a 2000 note. The guy was confused and just changed my 2000 into a lot of smaller change. When he did that I was stunned for second, and in that time the person behind me squeezed in and started getting a ticket. Out of surprise I just walked away. I went over to customer care and they explained that the 10 trips card was only up to a set station. So I decided to stick with single trip tokens for the rest of the day, which was simpler and still quite cheap.
After that I went to check out the City Railway station, and along the way I checked out some really cool subway station. In one was a cool yet broken Owl stature. When a guard saw me try to take a photo of it he came over and fixed it up for me. In another there was really nice artwork. Along the way strangers asked where I was from and we talked briefly about Australia. The whole experience was wonderful.
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| The so called Majestic Railway Station Is still a work-in-progress |
I tried to get off at what the sign said was the City Railway Station, but it was actually called a different name which I can't remember. I went out looking for an obvious train station but all I found was construction sites and trains. In my curiosity I crossed a bridge meant for "people with valid tickets only" and planned to feign tourist ignorance if I was caught. When I got over the bridge I found out that this was the part where people got on the trains, and at the other side of the bridge were ticket inspectors. I noped the heck out of there and went looking for a way around.
I went across some crazy roads, following G-Maps to get me around. Amidst my confusion, a tourist walked past me who seemed to know where they were going, so I followed them briefly and discovered the train station. It was big and crazy. Tonnes of rickshaws out the front, many people sleeping near the entrance, and a crazy collection of people at the ticket booths. I got some lunch at the Restaurant with the help of a kind local who explained that the shop was out of some food and then asked for me to have the same food as him. The system by me telling counter person what I wanted and paying for it, then getting receipts per item, which I then handed over to another person who collected the items for me. I got a veg puff and a Rice Baath, and luckily it was delicious. Whilst I was eating another traveller to Chennai ate next to me and we talked about life in Chennai and being Australian. That's one nice thing about being obviously foreign, people are curious about you. There are obviously negatives to this extra attention, but on this occasion it was nice and sincere.
Nearby to the train station was a bus station, and I started walking around, asking where the Kodaikanal bus went to. My first attempt failed as my instruction was that it was a satellite bus station and city buses could take me there. I walked around to another terminal of the bus station (it was like an airport, honestly) and this time had more luck, discovering that it went left from Shanti Nagar bus station and that BMTC buses (which left from across the road) could get me there. As I was walking to BMTC a local said that instead of crossing the road I could take a path in the metro station. I failed to find that path yet appreciated his attempt at helping a tourist out.
The BMTC bus circle was CRAZY!! Buses all squeezed together and spewed out onto a single road. The enquiries desk pointed me in the vague direction of a bus for Shanti Nagar yet it was talking to the bus conductors in that area which helped me find out which routes the take. I also got a bus from the BMTC station to the next Metro train station to continue my journey. Got on the bus and had to pay the 5Rs fare with a 100 since I forgot where I put my smaller notes (they were in my real wallet as opposed to my travel wallet). Other passengers were once again helpful as they told me when Mantri Square station was coming up.
Got the Metro to the northern end of the Metro, Nagasandra. It was a beautiful journey, seeing slums then massive apartment suburbs, then housing so small yet dense it looked like sand, and skyscrapers being built around you.
Reached the end and looked around. Found some fried rice for street food. It was spicy and took 2 min to make but was delicious and ridiculously cheap. It was quite beautiful as well, being a dusty part of town yet we ate under a fly-over.
On the way back I enjoyed the view more and relaxed. The good thing about getting on at the end of the line is that you'll always get a good window seat. Took some photos through the train windows though. It was truly wonderful.
Got back to Mantri Square and this time saw a shuttle bus waiting for me, which made getting back to the main train station much easier. I caught the train to Mysuru road station, and by now it was getting dark so tough to take photos. One highlight was seeing a big trash fire next to the river. Also as it got later, guards began more suspicious of me getting off the train, looking around and catching the next one, so I just stayed on the train till the end. Got off at Mysuru road, and it was cool crossing a bridge over traffic, but there was nothing to do there so I got back on the next train and headed to my hotel for my final night there. I got there at around 7.
My Metro adventure was simply fantastic. It's such an easy way to get around the city and it's views are worth more than the ticket. You can see first hand the changes of Bengaluru and where they're taking place. Bengaluru is definitely a place I could live in, but may be a world of injustice I don't want to see. But also I think that I am a part of this injustice whether I like it or not, just as I'm a part of this world. So it's better to recognise issues of justice and try to solve them by understanding them, rather than running and helping from away like some general who has no idea what's happening on the front lines. I both want and don't want to be a part of this messed up world, and that's really tough.
When I was walking back to my hotel I saw a stand selling momo's (dumplings). I went out again at 7:50 looking for it but failed. Found a place near the bottom of Brigade road that sold them, so I grabbed some and a cup of corn. Took it back to my room and ate it whilst watching Brooklyn 99. From 9pm I tried to stuff all my belongings into a single bag, and at 10:30 I had almost done it. Almost.
Got ready for bed and slept at 11. A full day of adventure had been completed.
Mission Accomplished.
3/1/2017 - It's almost 40K time
After another rough night's sleep, I'm up at 6:30 to finish packing my bag. To get everything in, toilet paper was sacrificed. I closed up my bag then went up to the manager's room for breakfast.
His room was on the top floor, yet when I got there it was just all construction and the workers looked strangely at me as I went through their worksite. At the end of the hall, and across some stepping stones was an open door so I went in and found the managers family, the manager had forgotten his own invitation. I waited there for about 5 minutes before he came running back in, washed his face and changed his shirt. With numerous apologies we got in his car and drove to the Bowring Institute at 7:45am. It looked like a country club pretty much with members only entry and a well maintained aesthetic.
We ate idly and something, and made meaningless conversation. At the end they brought out coffee which I hadn't asked for, then felt social pressure to drink it. The manager took half of it and then I had to skull the rest. Was bad yet not too bad. I'm still gona try avoid it in the future though, I've seen what it can do to people and their bank accounts.
Got back to hotel at 8:45, plenty of time to spare. Grabbed my bags and checked out, and was pleased to discover that I didn't need to pay for my first night's stay and the rest I had already paid for. Win!
Whilst checking out I met another 40Ker who'd been staying in the same hotel. The manager's smile dropped for a second when he said he was doing the same programme as me, a missed opportunity to butter up a foreigner I suppose. When we were leaving the manager did the obligatory plea for a review on TripAdvisor. Classic.
The other Glober had mostly negative things to say about the experience so far, and of course they were fair points, though I didn't try to bring some clarity by offering alternative perspectives.
We got to Cubbon park and there I met up with my team leader Angus and the rest of the group slowly arrived. The ladies were Ella, Miranda, Candy, Lauren, and the guys were Jaya and Stefano. Did some talking about experiences of Bengaluru so far, and heard about an unfortunate bloke who lost his passport between security at Kuala Lumpur and immigration in Bangalore. The poor guy got deported back to Aus, and his bank account had a hammering. To make it worse the guy needed to wait in immigration for about 40 hours before he was sent home, and he needed to pay security guards to get him food. He was offered a full refund from 40K/free trip later on, yet if I was him I'd just like to chill in Aus for a bit and earn some money.
(border security pic here)
When we were all together we put ribbons on our bags and walked down to catch a bus. Sat in row with Ella and Stefano, and for the 30 min bus ride we just talked and got to know each other. Just from that bus ride, I knew that they were awesome and I was in for a great month. We went to a place called Winds, and no it wasn't a temple to indigestion, it was a hotel where we had the 40K Globe "Opening Ceremony". It had a history lesson that went for too long, some traditional dancing, an Olympic flame (candles), and a banner made up of each team which when combined made the 40K logo. Yep, it was that cheesy.
After that we had lunch with some of my team members and some rando's who's names I will always struggle to remember. Was tough as there wasn't enough tables for everyone and the food was quite spicy, though it would be difficult to say whether to go easy on foreigners with spice or to try toughen them up.
After lunch our team got our bit of the banner and jumped on the bus to our region. In each team there are about 7 people + 1 team leader, then each region consists of about 5 teams, and there are 3 regions: north, central and south. I was in central, and we all went together to a village near to us. The bus to that village took about 40 min, and once again I watched Bangalore transition from modernity to villages, from high-rise to farmland, yet still it was a shift from gem to gem. The villagers are beautiful and modern enough to live in, once you get used to some minor inconveniences.
We arrived and went onto the roof of a building which had an incredible marquee setup of classic Indian style. We sat and learnt about emergency response, revised the 40K leadership structure, and swallowed up info for the month. The team-building task was to make a mascot for your team.
We made ours by finding a piece of foam and ribbon, then collecting flowers and eucalyptus leaves from a local temple (they gave them to us). From there it was just a contest to try and BS as much meaning out of the mascot as you could, it was pretty much an art essay.
After the mascot and all the info, I found myself feeling down for some reason. I didn't write down in my notes why, though I think she was telling us about the reality of the month; about the hard work we will put in, about the sickness we'll endure, about the poverty we'll confront, about the casual injustice we'll accept. But then to help shift the mood, Aziza told the story of her time being a Team Leader, and how her team suffered repeated failure to help get a woman employment until they tried one little solution and they landed a business deal which changed a ladies life. Personal narrative is indeed truly powerful.
We got back on the bus, and one legend sparked playing some classic happy through some speakers. As soon as the beats started playing everyone began smiling and in that moment, about 50 minds switched from optimism to enjoyment.
It was only a quick trip as we dropped off each team in their village, everyone was within 3 km of each other. We arrived at my home for the next month. Marenahalli. A quick walk to our place was made easier by how obvious it was, a big purple 2 story house that stuck out from the surrounding houses. We stayed on the second floor, which was cut in half into 2 small houses, each having their own bathroom and kitchen. The guys took one house and the girls took the other, though we often went back and forth. The house is the first one that 40K rented in India, and has been used since July 2012. It is loaded with history, out of context quotes, random photos and adventures, but most of all, the faces of 40K. The faces of young people trying to make a difference live on every wall, and some are even looking down on you from the ceiling as you lie in bed. As well as the humbling history, there is the humbling facilities as there is no hot water, bucket showers, squat toilets, a simple kitchen with no microwave or oven, BYO wifi, and you share it all with 7 others.
And, I can honestly say with all my heart, I love it all.
Today, ever since I arrived at Cubbon park with 40K, it had felt like a school trip. Corporate responsibility was taking care of me, was shielding me from anything stupid I may want to do. And I had been shuffled and pushed and pointed around for the entire day. But now, I was home. The field trip was over and work begins tomorrow. I have been given a task that I have to do, and I will do it to the best of my ability in order to maintain sanity. Tomorrow, a different kind of adventure will begin.
Bring it on.
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