This is one for the good days and I have it all here in red, blue, green.

Delhi Trip

I came to New Delhi on the 14th of February to participate in the PAR (Program Area Review) planning meeting for Disability. My roommate Jen accompanied me and we went to work hard all day and shop hard all evening. Woohooo for Sarojini Market!


Sarojini Market.

We also had a very productive time at the VSO office. We will be helping facilitate the meeting in Puri next month. The meeting will help flesh out the general direction of development projects for VSO over the next few years. Very exciting!

Wedding Season

OK, so the winter months are the wedding months. I've heard it is because the weather is comfortable enough to celebrate properly... otherwise it is way too hot. I have been seeing wedding parades almost daily since my arrival. Weddings entail loud music, tonnes of guests, mountains of great food, intense dancing and fireworks. They really know how to party here.


Bride and groom at a wedding I was randomly invited to near the OAB.


Reception with lots of great food.


Parade!

Song from title: Videotape by Radiohead

Our robot masters will know how to clean this mess up and build a better world.

Tribal Fair

I had the opportunity to attend a tribal fair and it was really interesting. There was much to do and see about the day to day living of people in rural areas. I enjoyed dances, sand sculptures, paintings and many pickle chutneys. Mmmmm.


Tribal dancing.


Figures depicting cultivation.


Giant sand sculpture.

Life Gym

I joined a gym that is very close to my home. I can walk there in under 5 mins. I have been going regularly for the past month and I am quite pleased with the facilities. I thought that I wouldn't be able to exercise in this capacity in India and I am happy that I can stay fit. I have been having some trouble with the dress code. I was told that tanks and shorts are not allowed. BUT I have seen many men wearing tanks so I asked why this rule only seems to apply to me. They could give me no reasonable answer so I informed them that when they enforce the dress code for the men that I will comply. I've been wearing tanks since and I have had no problems from management or other members in the gym. It is hot as hell in there!


Check out the sexy posters that cover my gym.
AHHHHHHH!.
Make your babies run abnormally fast!.

OAB Update

Work is still slow going. I finally got an internet connection at my desk. This is because I went out one day while frustrated and bought a wireless router and set it up myself. I am currently waiting for reimbursement for my purchase from the OAB. I still have to sit down with the secretary and flesh out the details of the web application that I would like me to write. I have started scripting the database side of it... because it seems straightforward.

All I want is to get my Secretary alone for twenty minutes without the interruption of phone calls or others dropping in. So far I have yet to do this. Like I say every week, "maybe this week". Despite not getting alone time with the big cheese the OAB keeps me busy. I have been helping teach the functions of Zoom-Ex/Office to staff so that they can scan books and convert them to audio or printable Braille format. I have also been teaching the computer instructor more functions in Access. As well, I have been helping with general computer inquiries from administrative staff.

Here's some faces from work... "Madam likes to take snaps".





Song from title: Citizens Of Tomorrow by Tokyo Police Club