Catching up

Today we're in Ankleshwar, a small town that neighbors Baruch (to me, it resembles an old European village more than anything I could compare it to in the US -- but even that comparison is pretty feeble). I've been jotting down a few notes on paper every once in a while, since I can't get to a computer every time I see something blog-worthy. Here's a few observations from the last two weeks:

1/5 (or 5/1 as it's known here) - For better or worse (I'm not sure yet), extreme poverty isn't in plain sight as much as I remember it being. We arrived late at night (on the 2nd), so we didn't see the giant shanty town outside the airport. If there are 'two Americas' (i.e., a rich one and a poor one), then there are at least five Indias. If you saw the way an upper-middle class Indian lives and then saw of the way that some of the poorest live, you'd have a hard time believing that they live in the same country, let alone the same street in some cases.

1/6 - Between being with Dixie and getting involved in microfinance, I've developed a much stronger appreciation for India (in advance of this trip). A bit to my surprise, I'm really comfortable living here.

1/8 - Ran into the Byramjis, family friends from NJ, in Mumbai. I thought I was going to be lost in this sea of humanity, but I guess now I'll have to abandon plans to let my appearance go.

1/12 - Saw a film (Gajini, with Aamir Khan) in an Indian movie theater for the first time today. More importantly, I went out and got 2 samosas during the customary break for intermission (Indians enjoy 3-hour-long movies, but like the rest of mankind, can only go so long without food and bathroom breaks). I may not have been able to appreciate the movie to its full potential (I can't really understand much Hindi, and it was too close a copy to 'Momento' for my taste)...BUT the movie redeemed itself in the end. The last scene was shot at Aamir Khan's home in Panchgani -- right next to Mount View, where we had stayed. I recognized it immediately (despite the fake sign reading 'School for Orphans') and when the last shot panned over the Krishna River valley, we got a bit too loud and unnerved the other theater-goers with our excitement.