Stop and Stare

I've been driving for about 6 months in India. Every day I drive myself to school in the morning. My commute takes me about 25 minutes from the parking spot at my apartment to the spot, that's covered in some mystery water, in the basement garage at school. On my commute, I navigate around children pouring out of rickshaw school buses, men playing chicken as they cross the street to use the public restrooms and red buses who I honk at as I speed up to pass them by in the hope that they'll stay in their lane and not move into mine.

When I started driving in Mumbai, I noticed people staring at me as I signaled and sped and honked my way to school. It was the taxi driver next to me who didn't turn when he could because I distracted him. It was the mother wearing a burka walking her two sons across the street to Catholic school who caused me to quickly shift back into first from second. It was a motorcycle passenger whose head swiveled, almost to the same degree as a barn owl, as they passed me by.

I don't notice it so much anymore. The stares. Well I hadn't until this week.

For the first time I drove home from work too. My driver had the day off so I decided rather than bum a ride from a friend, to instead just do both legs of the commute.

Before I left school, I felt a little nervous. How much traffic would there be?  How much today at 4:18?  What's funny is that I thought it'd bother me. After a busy school day I thought a drive would stress me out but instead I loved the freedom. I loved being alone in the car and in control of the music. I was in control of the temperature and which gear we used along the American-like open road stretch in BKC. It kinda surprised me.

Light traffic in BKC on the way home.

Even with these feelings and truly enjoying the ride, I noticed the stares again. The man and woman in the back of the taxi who didn't take their eyes off of me the entire time we waited at the stoplight. The man in all whites in the rickshaw behind them who did the same. A taxi driver who nearly hit the car in front of us because he was looking at me.

I've gotten used to them. They don't bother me anymore. I just keep doing whatever I was doing. Singing, looking around, waiting patiently for it to be my turn to zoom to the next signal and wait again.

What I wonder about is why. Why the stares? Is it because I'm a woman? A western woman? Is it because I'm alone?  I just wonder. I hadn't wondered in a while but I did again this week. No need for answers but just something I noticed. Funny how one small change, like the time of day you do something, reacquaints you with something old again.

Sunny Days Didn't Keep the Monsoon Away

So Saturday afternoon looked like this...

Beautiful and rare blue Mumbai skies on my rickshaw ride home from school.

And this evening around five o'clock it looked and sounded like this...

You know monsoon's finally arrived when many friends and colleagues post photos and videos on Facebook. Funny how many of us did. Sorry for the cheesy narration.

Now back to my perfect evening of listening to the rain with the windows open while reading a good book.

Growing Clouds

Clouds over St. Theresa Church along with same orange blossoms I had outside my window in Brasilia

Clouds have been growing in the skies over Mumbai. Makes me think the pre-monsoon showers may be on their way.

The monsoon's hit Kerala in the South. It usually arrives there in late May. Not this year.

It usually arrives in Mumbai on the day of the 8th Grade Celebration. Again, not this year.

From reading in the Times of India, the monsoon system stalled while out at sea. And not just for a day, it was stalled for much longer. Weeks.

Today, while I was riding in a taxi, I saw some men helping a rickshaw driver who's rick had stalled.  I'm just ready for somebody to push this system along in the same way they did.

Heavy-Weight Champion of the World

Yep. That's my new goal. 

This goal begins with a little background information. 

My school's under construction. They're calling it 42 Tons. Meaning we've started major renovations during the final few weeks and we're moving 42 elephants worth of stuff. These gaurantuan efforts will lead to one new elementary campus and a renovated middle and high school campus in the fall. Very exciting. 

So, Thursday, the 42 elephants began their move. This includes relocating early childhood classes, the fourth grade, art, specialists (too many of these wonderful people to name) and the elementary office. The actual moving began at 1:00 p.m.  

I offered my efforts to the fourth grade team. They're moving from the bottom floor to the top. Up 5 flights.

Classes start again on Monday morning and it's important to me that all of the students who are moving spaces have easy transitions. I also know I've set up enough classrooms to offer my help and services that I could be a good resource for them. Pretty much I told them just to boss me around. 

Our campus has 2 elevators. Small ones. Tiny ones. Obviously to me the men carrying desks, shelving, etc had priority using the elevator over me. Plus I saw climbing the stairs as a bit of exercise. 

I went up and down the stairs several times. Bringing ladders to hang things on the walls, asking questions, making sure things were made as easy as possible for this team. 

To help with this, I made stops along the way to visit with colleagues in other divisions to cool off and take short breaks.  

I'm outta shape, I admit it. Badly. I passed the same group of people several times. Each time I passed, I said hello and smiled. They did the same.  

My final time up, I must have looked tired. It also was the end of the day too. And just before a 3-day weekend. 

One of the staff members I'd passed a few times, who's position and name shall remain nameless, said, "If you climb the stairs many times, you will be the heavy-weight champion of the world."
 

I smiled and thought, "Why not say "stronger" or "you'll loose weight" or have "strong legs?" Nope. Heavy-weight champion.  I replied, "You're right," and when out of sight just shook my head pondering the honesty.

Gotta embrace it, right? So get ready world and especially those of you who occupy the fourth floor, I've got a new goal and you're gonna see me on the stairs working toward it.

Lovin' me some India

So just about 40 minutes ago, we arrived to our hotel. Check-in was a breeze and our room is great.

Since we've arrived I:
1. ate my yummy cheese sandwich from our fabulous hotel in Delhi (Colaba House).
2. swallowed my first dose of antibiotic prescribed by the dr on-call at the hotel. Sadly I know sinus infection symptoms by heart and that mine usually 36 hours later lead to a respiratory infection. I correct diagnosed myself.
3. connected to the internet without any delay.
4. got confirmation from our guide for our afternoon and morning tours.

Loving India and especially that I get to explore it with my parents. Time to rest. Don't wanna upset Mom and Dad. More exploration soon.