~Car Trouble~

Hola!!!!

Im still in Bangalore...only for a couple more hours, but you know how I was supposed to leave for Shanti-Bhavan yesterday? Well their car broke down, so i leave today instead. Im so happy to be going to the school. The city of Bangalore in overwhelming though I am very happy I witness city life before I go to the country side.

A couple anecdotes of our last day in Bangalore. So yesterday we visited the Maharajah's palace in Bangalore. Wow, a site for sore eyes. It was a beautiful building made out of light brown colored stones. But the inside was mind blowing. At the entrance their was the head of AN ELEPHANT mounted on the wall, an elephant that was once probably 8 feet tall, MOUNTED ON THE WALL! Every door and wooden beam was made out of teak wood and the walls were adorned with intricate designs made out of 24 K gold. Inside patios were embellished with Chinese imported tiles. The kitchen was actually located some 20 ft behind the castle since the servants "are not supposed to be under the same roof as the Maharajah". Funny part of the story: the "tour" was very sketchy...I asked the nice tour guide if we could take pictures of the castle and he quickly answered: "NO NO MEN WITH SHOT GUN!" I was like: oh, sorry...and thinking to myself WHAT THE F&%^??? And, then when he is guiding us through the inside of the castle he proceeds to offer to take a pictures for us with our camera! As i say NO WAY! Francesca gets excited, hands him a camera and grabs me to pose for a picture inside of the exotic ball room. My face on that picture is epic, I have this petrified look thinking so guard with a shotgun was going to walk by the window and shoot the guide and both francesca and myself. Anyways, sounds scary but in the end it was pretty hilarious.

Going to this castle and then driving through the streets of Bangalore was emotionally exhausting. But it is a reality not only in India but everywhere in the world, that some of us live comfortably and with luxuries while others beg on the streets. I think the reason why im here in India and why im engaging in this journey of teaching these children for 5 months is because for some time now i have been asking what my purpose is...and maybe i wont find the answer just yet, or maybe its a question that I will ask always...but being aware of the different realities of people, i think it was my purpose to be here right now.

I read something really beautiful on a book about Shanti-Bhavan and i want to share it with you:
The poor people in the village, especially women, are my window to India. They reveal what life is like for most people on this planet, far out of sight of modern day prosperity. This disconnect is too profound for me. On day I am under the bright neon lights of New York City and just a day or two later I am among people who cannot afford to buy candles. In the simplicity of those rural folks I have found order, in their beliefs I have found faith, and in their misery I have found compassion. The richness of ordinary day to day life comes from their hard work and the caring they show for other members of their families even on the face of adversity and suffering. Still the joy that i derive from my work among these people cannot offset the burning anger within me for all the social injustice, hypocrisy and avoidable suffering.

-Abraham George ( The man who founded the school Shanti-Bhavan)

I can't wait to meet these children!

Im not sure how often I will be able to use the internet after today, but i will try my best to see you all here as much as i can.

Thank you for caring,

With love,
Genevieve