Though everyone talks about the changing of seasons here, there really is no period of change...one day it is cold and the next it is hot. It is averaging about 80-90 degrees over here and people say it is going to get even hotter in May and June. I personally don't mind the heat, especially now that Ian and I have a fan for sleeping at night, but all my rickshaw pullers are worrying about how I will fare.
Overall, things are going well. I had a bit of a stomach bug last week. Our high caste landlady insisted that it was the "low caste" food I had been sharing with the rickshaw-wallas but I doubt it. I think it must have just been a bit of a virus...nothing too serious, just unpleasant for a couple of days. However, it did raise the issue of the fact that our landlady doesn't like the people I work with...she even went so far as to send her son out to tell some of my guys not to feed me. Oi vey!
On the 21-22 March, we celebrated Holi, which is the North Indian Festival of Colors. The first day is a day of worship in which offerings are given to the goddess and at night bonfires are lit and freshly cut wheat is roasted in the fire and eaten as "prasad" or blessed food. The second day is the actually day of "playing" Holi, when colored powder or colored water is thrown on people. Ian and I have pictures which I will try to get up this week. Again, everyone was worried about our well being since it is a big drinking holiday, but all the people we played with were well-behaved.
Besides that, Ian and I have been meeting with people for our research. I hope to start interviews with some of my guys next week so I can get a fair amount done before I head off to Karauli at the beginning of May.
Finally, we finally remembered to ask about our address. Here it is:
Emera Bridger and Ian Wilson
c/o M.C. Sharma
335 Rajendra Nagar
Bharatpur Rajasthan 321001 INDIA
Letters would definitely be welcomed. :)
