Sea and Sunsets

This is the last of a series of newsletters written for Luther Memorial Church in Madison, WI.

Culture runs much deeper than solely language, art, music, and food. There are cultural intricacies beyond Raja Ravi Varma (the famous Mavelikaran painter) and the beat of a skilled tabla player that I have grown to deeply respect. Though I realize that my learning curve is soaring at this point, and in many ways I believe another year in Mavelikara would help me solidify work and understandings of which I now have only a foundation, I leave this year realizing how much I have learned simply from accompanying.

The sound of Christians and Hindus at prayer through out the day—in their homes, temples, churches—has become a comforting sound. The faithful professing their faith with a commitment to daily prayer not often so openly witnessed in my home.

I value the prevalence of small shops specifying in one product (milk products, chicken, vegetables, fruits, bakery goods, etc) rather than huge one-stop-shopping marts. This changes ones lifestyle in more ways than we realize. It supports the “average Indian” villager better than any Wal-Mart could, adds a more personal and communal touch to shopping (which builds trust in ones community) and ensures product freshness and quality free from preservatives and pesticides.

The work of Mavelikaran activists has been prevalent for decades: artists, writers, educaters, organizers, physicists and architects, etc. These are men and women who, in some cases, have quit their jobs in order to focus on fighting social injustice. I am proud to have met these activists.

I was treated to hospitality that enabled me to experience the quotidian with fisher-families, daily laborers, agricultural workers, subsistence farmers, teachers, pastors, children, star-crossed lovers, newly webs, new parents, tsunami victims, chikungunia victims, bereaved families, and a precocious 12-year-old. They taught me about happiness without electricity, TV, running water, plastic, cars, air conditioning, computers, couches, carpets, etc. They taught me about their Hindu or Christian faith practice. They gave up their bed so I could sleep. They showed me the sea and the sunset, they walked me to their temples and ashrams, the invited me to their family marriages and funerals.

I am dumbfounded by the trust that allowed me to feel part of Mavelikara. Mother’s with whom I can barely exchange a word, trusting me to walk their small children to school. I pass on the street people with whom I’ve shared countless hugs and heart-to-hearts. Prabha Miss, my supervisor, taught me by being honest about her own life. Thomas John Achen welcomed all five volunteers into his family with compassion not often found in ones own next door neighbors.

There are things, superficial at best, that I won’t miss! The little bugs that smell like old trash and leave marks when I pick them off my skin. Cold-as-ice bucket baths taken in the dark of a power outage. The formidable stray dogs, and worse, the ferocious pet/guard dogs. The buses that careen by, honking a warning just in time. And though I’ve learned to respect the unique worldview of children, I will not miss teaching!

I return to the United States after three years away, ready to use what I have learned to make new lifestyle choices, to question existing norms, to vote, vote, vote (only once) in November ’08, and to celebrate American holidays while remembering Indian ones. I was accepted to the University of Essex’s Theory and Practice of Human Rights Master’s program, but I have decided to defer. I will be looking to return to Chicago, where I studied, this time to work and eat copious amounts of very-American food!

I want to sincerely thank you for your support of my year with the people in Mavelikara. I am a changed person. Peace be with you.