Commuting to Work

Paddy was planted about 1 month ago, as soon as the seed plots were mature enough and the soil was moist enough from the rains to pull the seed plants out easily. Those sprouts are absolutely florescent green and sometimes the farmers will leave a little bundle of them in the middle of the road, encouraging passersby to give them a rupee or two to ensure a successful harvest.

Lots of things are reversed like that here -- if you have a joy, you're obliged to share the good fortune. The head of the NGO got a new car, then had to drive it 3 hours to the nearest city to purchase sweets because all of his students demanded "You can bring one chocolate, sir"!

Now that I'm starting to give the presentations to the BREDS staff, I have to travel from the college in Orissa across the stateline to the BREDS office in Andhra Pradesh. The commute is one of the loveliest ever. The rice is growing in, much like the scalp of a recent hair transplant patient, and the color is SO green. In the soft light at the beginning or end of the workday, the horizon fades into foggy blue hills, and the farmers make their way to or from their fields. I love seeing their huge, hand hewn farm implements -- wood ploughs that they shoulder to the field, for the oxen to till the soil.

Usually I can catch an autorickshaw, a 3 wheeler that comfortably fits 2 passengers in back and a driver up front. I squeeze in with the other 9 adults, some children, sacks of rice, and live chickens as we bounce along the road. The other day the training went late, and Sharifji explained to me that he would have to take me home on his motorcycle. I could not take a rickshaw home because "this is the hour when the drivers are all in a drinking position. They may use any kind of language". I assured him that it was alright, since I don't understand Telegu after all, I could not be offended! But he insisted, so I got on sidesaddle, as they do here.

Safety issues aside, it was pure joy to glide through the warm air, drinking in the views of the landscape and of village life -- children being washed by their mothers at the water pump, brown skin all shiny, men chatting and chewing their paan, women rolling out chapatis for dinner, then cooking them over an open flame.

I'll try to attach some photos later, I can't figure it out right now. I'll also try to catch up on the backlog of posts, so check for a few new ones this week!