I love random walks to explore the world...

Sorry for the long delay between posts.  I had a very special visitor (Mister Jonathan) and was ill for a few days.  I am now back on my toes happy to report the happenings of my beautiful Indian life!!!

Last Thursday we did not have class because it was a holiday.  I am not sure what holiday but it was nice to have the day to walk around town and explore with Laura-my super cool roommate!  We headed off mid-morning with no aim but to explore our little area of Trichy.  After five minutes of being out of the house we were asked by a rambunctious group of 12th standard girls if we wanted to go to a birthday party with them.  We laughed nervously and they asked us questions and headed on their way.  We did want to go, we just didn't want to be invited on the spot and be the white people who show up and totally crash that poor girls birthday party!!  We ventured on!  We walked in and out of beautiful streets.  The streets were filled with children playing.  Some running toward us as we approached and others hiding and giggling as we came near.  

We came across a group of boys who were stealing mangoes from a wealthy house's yard.  It was actually a funny scene.  One stood on the cement wall (to protect the yard) and picked the mangoes.  He then tossed them to his friend.  The other one then quickly ran away with them and hid them in a plastic bag.  They were quick little dudes and were sure happy to see us.  We took their picture with their stolen loot.  They also had two girls with them.  I am not sure if they were sisters or not but they appeared very suddenly ready to be in the pictures!  

About one block later we were in the thatch village area.  I will front load this with a little information.  Several people have told us that the thatch village area are 'slums' and that we should not go in there.  Having studied sociology-I am always interested in space and perceptions or thoughts tied to certain places.  Such as some people would refer to a side of town where people from a lower socio-economic status tend to reside as 'the ghetto', when in fact it is not a ghetto and has many beautiful people residing within that area.  I am not negating that some places do have gang life, violence due to lack of resources and decreased police presence, and drug use which create an unsafe environment.  I am saying however, that sometimes these perceptions of spaces that we have can be incorrect.  We must take more than one opinion before ultimately deciding how we feel.  As for space:  in some areas it appears as though there is literally a line dividing towns or neighborhoods.  Well, that was clearly the case here.  All of a sudden we were no longer surrounded by cement houses with gates.  We literally stepped off of the dirt road onto a path and about ten feet away was the first thatch house.  People were sitting outside chatting and kids were running around.  The poverty was apparent but the danger was not in the atmosphere at all.  People glanced at us like normal-our white skin is very eye catching.  We continued along a trail made in the orange dusty soil.  It was apparent that it was a heavily walked trail.  We walked past some thatched houses that looked very well maintained and others which looked like they could use some work.  The poverty surrounding me was a little much.  Such poverty is so hard to describe for those who have not seen it.  For all the children, it makes me want to cling to the education system with all my strength because I know that education might be their only chance out of such extreme poverty.  

We kept walking until we came upon a dead end.  Suddenly, we became surrounded by three little white dogs.  They were actually very scary.  I think that my fight or flight turned on almost because my brain told me to kick the one closest to me and then pick up anything and strike the others.  And just hope that Laura kicks one too.  I was really scared.  But suddenly four very beautiful young boys came to our rescue!!!  They were the owners of the dogs and called them away from us.  We were instantly invited to sit down.  They dragged us to the front of their thatch house and ordered us to sit down in the shade.  We did.  We sat across from an older woman who just smiled at us the whole time.  And of course like any Indian made sure our needs were met by asking us if we needed water-she asked several times in fact.  The boys with their limited English and our limited Tamil asked us questions.  They were so intrigued by us.  We asked them questions and surprised them with our little Tamil.  We even got a roar of a laugh out of the older woman!!  

Soon the boys asked if we, "had picture."  Which I was sure meant, "Do you have a camera?"  We did make the mistake of not lying which led to several thousands of pictures!!!  It was all good though they enjoyed themselves and actually learned how to use the camera quicker than I did-and they even showed me a feature that I was unaware of which is funny considering I have owned the camera since 2007!  

Meeting the boys was a great moment for me.  It confirmed my belief that I shall not judge a place just based on perceptions that others have and on the socio-economic status of the people residing in that space.  I am so grateful that I am able to put judgments that others feed my brain aside and make my own opinions.  I am happy to have found such beauty in an area which brought me sadness due to its troubles with poverty.  I am so overjoyed to have met those boys-I just hope they know how much it means to me.