Day 13

Day 13
I rode in a rickshaw by myself for the very first time today. It was an experience, and after I found out I could do it, it made me feel so free as I assume I will feel when I am able to drive. I went to visit a lady named Hema today who is the volunteer coordinator in Bangalore of an organization called GapGuru that is an NGO that helps white people come abroad and volunteer. Samrat knew her and I called her and scheduled a meeting (Independence points: +1). I was frightened to call her and was pleased when she was very kind and open to me. So today, I got up at the relatively reasonable hour of noon (because yesterday I got up at 5 in the afternoon), and tomorrow I will have to wake up at 9, with the help of an alarm clock that makes horse sounds (+1). I went in a rickshaw by myself to see her (+1) and got a little lost (-1) because I didn’t know where to stop the rickshaw (I ended up stopping it too late). But I went to Infotech where I knew people could speak English and got directions from them to get directions to the bank that they gave me directions to (+1). The bank didn’t give me very clear directions so I ended up wandering around until a rickshaw driver who was fixing his engine said, “Madam, what do you need help with?” He didn’t know how to help me so I went to a store where a man gave me very detailed instructions in clear English. Ah, the kindness of strangers. I finally came upon Hema’s house, which was big and beautiful, unlike any house I’ve been to in India so far. She had tea with me in the garden and talked to me about what I wanted to do like I was a real person. Everyone in India thinks I am a real person! (+1)
She talked to me about two different schools that I can go to. One that is very nearby but a little bit chaotic and one that is very far away but very structured. She was unsure that I could handle the rickshaw drive everyday to the structured one at Parikrma and I told her that I would try to go there today, and that I wouldn’t know until I went there. (+1) Luckily I found the nicest rickshaw driver in the world who took me to Jayanagar, which is a good 10 kilometers away, and he personally made sure I was in the right place, and waited forty minutes for me, and didn’t chare me for his having to wait. The school was nice and the children were… well, I don’t really have to tell you what it’s like to see happy yet impoverished children. I could, but I’m not feeling like putting my very complex emotion into words right now. But they smiled at me, like I was some really interesting, pretty person.
The combined energy of having gone on a rickshaw by myself and having decided to do something to change the world and having seen a bunch of amazing little kids, I decided to give myself even more freedom and go to Koshy’s and have fun by myself, eating food and listening to my iPod. I felt so good not having to answer to anyone! Then I went to the office and everyone was just delighted to see me and I shared a rickshaw with Malvika on the way home. So yeah, I’d call today a triumph. I know everyone could feel my happy energy (I was smiling, so why not?). I feel so free and unstoppable.