November Retreat Part II
(23-26 November 2006)

Ok, so I realize it's no longer November. I again apologize for my laxity in making these posts; but believe it or not, I've actually been too busy to spend any real concentrated time at the computer.

Regardless, the weekend before last (when it was still November), all of us volunteers got together in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram, if you prefer) for a retreat/exposure program. The original plan was to get together at Achen's house for Thanksgiving on the 23rd and then head to Andhra Pradesh for an exposure program. However, because of the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, we were unable to get train tickets; so we had to revise our program. Instead, we decided to head down to Trivandrum on Thanksgiving and spend the weekend there learning about the plight of the fishworkers. The only problem was that this way, it didn't look like we'd get to have a special Thanksgiving dinner. Taking matters into our own hands, the volunteers hatched a plan to make our own Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night before we left. We'd all get together in Kottayam and make a turkey and stuffing and potatoes, and celebrate a good ol' fashioned American Thanksgiving together. But once we realized that we had no way to cook anything, and once Achen expressed his disapproval of the plan, we were convinced that we were just not meant to have a Thanksgiving dinner.

I have to admit that after our plans for Thanksgiving dinner were foiled, I did not have high expectations for this retreat. And one six hour train ride and one attack against my live-a-simple-and-responsible-life-of-mindfulness-and-love plan for my life later, I was not feeling much better upon our arrival in Trivandrum.

But such is this group that from the jaws of suckines, we can pull life, light, love, and laughter (and alliteration, apparently).

We arrived at the Animation Camp retreat centre around 6pm and all crowded into Achen's room where we reflected a bit on Thanksgiving. We told the story of Thanksgiving, explained briefly why we celebrate, and what the holiday means to us. We all shared some memories of Thanksgivings past-- Allison's slice of Norman Rockwell Americana, the story of Achen and Betty's first Thanksgiving in America, the story of how Cat's mom learned to celebrate again. And I...

How do you explain a Smith Family Thanksgiving to someone who doesn't know what a nose-flute is?

I tried, but Lord knows there are some things you simply can't describe with mere words.

Anyway, we talked a bit about things we've witnessed here that have moved us, and I think we all struggled a bit with the idea of Thanksgiving as one volunteer was moved to tears telling of a young girl who cannot attend the class field trip because her mother-- an abandoned woman who must support herself, her children, and a mother with heart disease-- can not afford the Rs. 200/- (about $4 USD) it would cost to send her. We all railed inwardly against the cruelty of a system that could allow this, and pleaded outwardly for an answer. Then, we all went around and said what we're thankful for-- loving people at home and in India, eachother, the challenges we face that help us to grow. We lifted up in prayer family and loved ones near and far, one another, and those we came here to serve.

And then it was time for dinner.

Unbeknownst to us, the staff at Animation Camp had been informed of what constituted a Thanksgiving dinner and had done their best to approximate it. So we had chicken and potatoes, and salad and veggies; none of it quite what we're used to, but all of it fantastic. The food would have been great on its own, but the love and attention that had obviously gone into it made it that much more special.

The next morning, the other volunteers presented me with a "birthday present." When we came together in the end of October for Betty's birthday, we composed and performed a song for her. I was informed that no one wanted to sing in front of me, so instead they came up with a little skit that depicted how some of my different personalities would respond to a particular situation. It was almost frightening how accurately Metal Andy, English Major/Teacher Andy, Buddhist Andy, and Crohn's Disease Andy dealt with the onslaught of an overly zealous Christian fundamentalist Indian student (played with gusto by Achen). It was embarrassing, humbling, and wonderful. I was mortified, I laughed until I cried, and I am still curious when and how they put this together.

The rest of that day was spent with two activist/film-makers, both named Santhosh. With them, we watched and discussed films and documentaries that relate to issues of interest and our work in India. We had some really good conversations regarding these films, and I think we all gained some valuable insights. And those of us working in colleges got some good advice on how to try and make students care about social issues and engage in meaningful discussion about them.

The following morning, we were up at the crack of dawn so that we could leave Animation Camp by 5am to get down to the beach by sunrise to watch the fishing boats do their thing. From a pier jutting out into the ocean, we watched as dozens of small fishing boats set out from the beach and spread their nets in hopes of a bountiful catch-- an increasingly unlikely scenario, as the ocean floor is being decimated by commercial trawlers that lack the personal connection to and understanding of the sea that these fishermen have cultivated for generations, and entire species of fish are being wiped out by the loss of this ecosystem and through overfishing. It was beautiful to see the sun rise over the sea, and it was interesting to watch the fishworkers pull the boats and nets onto the beach. But sadly, we actually learned very little. While we had some representatives of the fishworker's union with us, they really just talked amongst themselves in Malayalam and completely ignored our presence for the most part.

This scenario repeated itself again later when we visited Srothus, a community centre that works with women and children from the city. While we were again ostensibly meeting with representatives from the union to learn about the plight of the fishworkers and the role the union is playing in their struggle, a more accurate description would involve us struggling to stay awake while the "grown ups" talked with eachother in a language that even the best of us only understand the barest rudiments of. On the bright side, we got to met Sister Annie, the nun who runs Srothus. She's an absolutely amazing woman who has done some really incredible stuff-- like working in the Belgian Congo during its struggle for independence. As if we needed any further reasons to love Sister Annie, she gave us food. We ate breakfast and lunch at Srothus. Between the meals, we briefly went to a park where we sat under a palm tree sipping tender coconut water, and sat on a beautiful beach for a while. After lunch at Srothus, we went to Kovalam, another beautiful beach that seems to be a major tourist destination for Europeans (particularly Germans). So we spent the latter part of Saturday swimming, lying on the beach, and feeling scandalized by the tourists' and eachothers' lack of clothing. Before we headed back to Animation Camp, we decided to kick back on the veranda of a beachfront restaurant and sip tropical drinks while we watched the sun set over the ocean. So maybe this doesn't fit the traditional view of missionaries. But I think we all needed it. For the women in our group, it was a fleeting but vivid moment of freedom. For all of us it was a mental break from the pressure, doubt, stress, strain, and anxiety we all face on a daily basis. Like my trip to Ft. Cochin, it was a chance to step outside our experience for a couple of hours and laugh, argue, reminisce, and reflect on our experiences while being allowed the perspective one can only gain by getting away from those experiences.

The next day we headed back to the reality of our respective sites, but I know I at least felt refreshed and ready for whatever may happen next.