Update
I haven't written much since we got back from our All-India tour, and there's a definite reason for that. I had started to write at length on that reason, but have wisely, I think, decided to not be deliberately antagonistic. That, and the fact that the internet went out before I could post it yesterday. Blessings in disguise.
Instead of ranting about the attempted censorship of our blogs, I'm just going to write what I want to when I want to from now on, whether it's good, bad, ugly, or otherwise. Not everything I write is going to be deep, meaningful, or reflective. Not everything I write is going to be flattering for India, UC College, the people I know, or myself for that matter. I'm obviously not going to go out of my way to slander anybody or anything. But what I write will be honest, and will be a truthful depiction of MY PERCEPTIONS of the experiences I'm having. If you want objective reporting and analysis of social issues, go read The Economist or something.
Anywho...
I just want to catch people up on what's been going on with me here since we got back one month ago to the day. The southwest monsoon has finally started, as have classes at UC College. The temperature is now comfortably in the high 70's/low 80's. At night I'm sleeping in long pants, socks and a hoodie, I find these temperatures so cold. Even though students are back at the college and classes are back in session, I haven't really been doing much. I split my days now between the computer in the library, the canteen, and the reading room in the English Department. Of course I engage students, teachers and staff whenever I get the chance, but mostly I've just been checking and writing e-mails and reading. On Friday I start teaching some classes again, so things should pick up. A couple of days ago, I went into Ernakulam and recorded the narration for an online typing class. This is the second project I've provided narration for since I've been here. Maybe I should look into a job as a voice-over actor. And last week, I celebrated the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua at a Franciscan Monastery.
The proximity of the end of my term of service is driving me crazy. July 31st is still more than a month off, but it's looming incredibly large in my mind. No matter how hard I try, I can not keep my head in India; all I can think of is going home. I've been away from friends, family, and the comforts and distractions of my life in the US for so long, all I can think about is where I want to go to eat, what movies I want to watch, what games to play with my brother, what's the first song I'll play on my electric guitar, where I'll live, where I'll work, where I'll go on my long runs, what characters to roll in World of Warcraft. Argh!
So that, in brief, is where I'm at now. There's a bunch more stupid, non-reflective stuff I want to write, so I'm going to write it. Expect to hear a lot more from me in the coming days.
I haven't written much since we got back from our All-India tour, and there's a definite reason for that. I had started to write at length on that reason, but have wisely, I think, decided to not be deliberately antagonistic. That, and the fact that the internet went out before I could post it yesterday. Blessings in disguise.
Instead of ranting about the attempted censorship of our blogs, I'm just going to write what I want to when I want to from now on, whether it's good, bad, ugly, or otherwise. Not everything I write is going to be deep, meaningful, or reflective. Not everything I write is going to be flattering for India, UC College, the people I know, or myself for that matter. I'm obviously not going to go out of my way to slander anybody or anything. But what I write will be honest, and will be a truthful depiction of MY PERCEPTIONS of the experiences I'm having. If you want objective reporting and analysis of social issues, go read The Economist or something.
Anywho...
I just want to catch people up on what's been going on with me here since we got back one month ago to the day. The southwest monsoon has finally started, as have classes at UC College. The temperature is now comfortably in the high 70's/low 80's. At night I'm sleeping in long pants, socks and a hoodie, I find these temperatures so cold. Even though students are back at the college and classes are back in session, I haven't really been doing much. I split my days now between the computer in the library, the canteen, and the reading room in the English Department. Of course I engage students, teachers and staff whenever I get the chance, but mostly I've just been checking and writing e-mails and reading. On Friday I start teaching some classes again, so things should pick up. A couple of days ago, I went into Ernakulam and recorded the narration for an online typing class. This is the second project I've provided narration for since I've been here. Maybe I should look into a job as a voice-over actor. And last week, I celebrated the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua at a Franciscan Monastery.
The proximity of the end of my term of service is driving me crazy. July 31st is still more than a month off, but it's looming incredibly large in my mind. No matter how hard I try, I can not keep my head in India; all I can think of is going home. I've been away from friends, family, and the comforts and distractions of my life in the US for so long, all I can think about is where I want to go to eat, what movies I want to watch, what games to play with my brother, what's the first song I'll play on my electric guitar, where I'll live, where I'll work, where I'll go on my long runs, what characters to roll in World of Warcraft. Argh!
So that, in brief, is where I'm at now. There's a bunch more stupid, non-reflective stuff I want to write, so I'm going to write it. Expect to hear a lot more from me in the coming days.
posted by Andy at 9:39 AM
4 Comments:
Who wants to, or has access to, censor your blog? Is this the "vast right wing conspiracy" that Hillary speaks of? Despite what you say now, there are regrets you will have about things you could have/should have done in India that you will feel after you are home, and people and things you will miss. I feel those regrets even now about my time in VietNam....
Dad
I'll fasten my seatbelt.
I know that I'm going to have regrets about things I wish I'd done while I was here and miss people and things from India once I'm home. That's why it's driving me crazy that I find it impossible to be fully present here now. But I'm workign on it. I'm still going to try and make this last month as valuable for me and everyone here as I can...
Nobody but me has access to edit the blog, fortunately. But we were given a stern talking-to about what it's ok and not ok to write.
Crap on that.
And it's actually a cadre of people who are ostensibly Leftist who are trying to curtail our freedom of expression. Funny....
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