Going to Sri Lanka

Hey All--

A quick update to let you know that I and the other YAVs are headed to Sri Lanka, to renew our visas before re-entering India. We will be in the country for two weeks as we apply at the Indian consulate. Wish us luck!

Wintry Update

Hello dutiful blog followers!

I figure that a quick update is in order, since it has certainly been a while! As many of you may know, I suffered from a broken wrist in early December, for which I needed corrective surgery and a steel implant. This left me incapacitated from computer use for a good two months time! While many of you were waiting out the bleak midwinter, I was trying to keep cool in a full arm cast in a much sultrier climate. (Linguistic note: When Malayalees say 'sultry', they mean 'humid'.) The cast, however, is now removed, and I hope things are looking on the up and up following some physiotherapy. This also conveniently lets me get in better touch with all of you!

Although I was in a cast for a while, I was far from incapacitated! The South India YAVs had two fascinating retreats during this time, one in December to Alappuzha, one in January to Vayanad. In each place we met with different communities in Kerala. While in Alappuzha, we got to meet with some community organizers that deal with the local fishermen. India still has a large number of traditional fishermen who largely work with traditional methods such as land-based fishing nets and beautiful painted fishing boats. Unfortunately, many of these peoples lives and livlihoods are threatened by declining fish stocks, environmental destruction, and competition from mechanized trawling ships. It was really interesting to learn about their lives, as well as to witness how they go about bringing in the fish that just about everyone eats in Kerala. (Worthwhile tidbit: Individual fishermen sell their fish in ad hoc auctions that take place on the beach/the pier. The buyers are usually people who sell them in market stalls or distribute them to other organizations.)

The second retreat occurred just this past weekend, in the hill town of Vayanad. This time the goal was to interact with some of Kerala's tribal people, or adivasis. In India, there are large numbers of adivasis who have their own traditions and languages separate from the rest of Indian society. Oftentimes these tribal groups have been exploited or maltreated by the more powerful groups from cities and towns. It is possible to draw analogies between the experiences of Indian adivasis and Native Americans. In Vayanad, we met with a school entirely operated by tribal people, in which their regular state curriculum is supplemented with an education in the language and history of their own tribal group, as well as cultural activities such as music, dance, and handicrafts. We (and a school tour of about 150 9th grade girls) got to see an absolutely great music and dance performance put on by the teachers and students of this school.

Sandwiched in between these two programmed retreats was a visit from my parents and sister, who stayed with me in Kerala for 8 days. During this time I got to see some places I had yet to visit in Kerala, as well as spend some much-needed catch up time with family. The above picture was taken by my sister Colleen on a dam in the Kerala hill region near the town of Munnar.