I was wondering how long it would be before I had a reason to use this title.... :)
Ok so maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to convince my friend to drive down to Mahabalipuram on a bike. Mahabalipuram is about an hour and half away-a bit of a long drive, but the weather was nice (much cooler than it has been recently) so I thought it would be ok. I wanted to check out the Community Development Center that Vineyard runs there. They have been looking for volunteers to teach conversational English there, but it has been hard for me to commit while working nights. But finally, I decided to give it a try...
It all seemed to start out smoothly, despite the fact that it was morning and we had both just gotten off night shifts. Smoothly, that is, until we got HIT BY THE COW!!!! The thing was trying to cross the road in front of us. My friend (who is a very safe driver, let me assure you) swerved left to miss it at about the same time it decided to speed up to try to get out of the road. It knocked right into us-luckily we didn't fall-but both of our legs scraped against it. OUCH! It hurt me, so I have to believe it hurt my friend, who took the brunt of it, even more. We didn't end up stopping, but both of us later admitted to looking back and seeing the thing twitching on the side of the road. :(
So, we were a little shook up by the time we got to the Community Development Center and met people there. Despite that, I was really excited about what they are doing there. Basically, they are working primarily with children of fishermen with special emphasis on the children of widows. They support these children in their studies at the local schools-whether by providing tutoring classes or money towards uniforms or even food for the family to eat before the children head off to school. I'm very excited about helping out in whatever way I can there. Next week, I think I'll be taking a class there. (This terminology actually means that I will be teaching there.) The future vision is for them to open their own school, with their own fee structure, so that they can accept whichever students they choose.
Luckily, the trip home was much less traumatic than the trip down. That particular cow was no longer lying by the side of the road. But it still seemed, to me at least, that the rest of the cows were out to get us. (Of course, I was probably paranoid by this point in time!) I tensed up each time we saw one by the side of the road. (Which, you may imagine, is pretty frequent here...)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
That was hilarious. You seem to have a knack of running into things or things running into you for that matter. I love to drive down the road to Mahabhalipuram. My friends and I used to stop over at those beaches in between, sit by the sea and sip some beer. Dunno if it was legal. Was fun anyways. :-)
ReplyDeleteIs'nt it strange you just got scraped by a cow, but you guys eat the cow all the time. I think the cow has more to complain than you. Stop cribbing. I have been reading your blog and all you do is complain, your just not happy are you ?
ReplyDeleteI really dunno what to comment...however Looking at a past few comments and you bothering to reply i wonder you would be thinking
ReplyDelete"if Mr High N Mighty Anonymous was so hignnmighty to have not posted anonymously, then maybe I would have cared. But boohoo, anonymous wants to be anonymous as he is in the world he lives in - anonymous. I pity you my friend...."
Anyways good luck for your training at vineyard
Some of the best writers, authors, poets have chosen to keep themselves unknown !!! or in your words ANONYMOUS.....Why is that people want to hear only good things about themselves...learn to take criticism !!!! Afterall Ms. Lori is not taking part in the "I want to Bitch about India contest"
ReplyDeleteLor
ReplyDeletenow you got me laughing at your blog. i always wanted to reach out and smack one of the cows as we drove by in the autos. but always figured i'd better not.
i always wondered what happens to cows that die on the street. hit by motorists or other natural causes. i imagine that cows are pretty solid, like dear. so you guys were probably more hurt than it was.
good story
There is a difference between using a psuedonym and being anonymous.
ReplyDeleteAnd there is a difference between legitimate uses of pure anonymity and blogs/forums where it can be very hard to track who said what when everyone is posting anonymous.
Welcome to the internet.
The recent anonymous postings reek of ignorance, nonsensical remarks, and baseless personal attacks originating from a blind spite of "wealthy foreigners".
Not to mention the highly selective reading and/or poor comprehension of American english.
Isn't it strange that you just got scraped by an untouchable, but you guys beat the untouchables all the time.
What I think is strange is that you routinely treat animals better than people in your society.
-LAMIA!
(Look At Me I'm Anonymous!)
Hey Guys this is fun ... I should warn u of the sign boards that say where u can expect cows on the way to mahabs ... Well u know the base rule of thumb is to stop for pedestrians to cross the road (even if it’s a COW J)… The best part is if u guys and the cow fell at the same time don't be surprised that the cow gets more attention and care than u guys… hey I have some thing more to add to the others who post their comments… I was anonymous at some point but having a pen name won't hurt :)) ... I am not a writer, author or poet but still can have a pen name for myself ... coz its a shame to hide behind and shoot arrows like arjun did behind shikandi (that is fair in WAR not in real life …)
ReplyDeleteTalking of differences, it is subject to what one thinks and comprehends it to be. "Wealthy foriegners" hmmm? If you call living beyond your means wealthy, if you call debt and abundant bank loans money, am sorry, but you definately need to take a class on economics/finance. It is a shame that people trash India, Infact as Indians we bring it on us. We are pleased when other thrash our country, infact we even contibute to the filth. Shame on us that we tolerate this. As Indians we know what our country contributes to the world, we dont need a petty foreigner to tell us that. We are far more educated and well read than most nations are. Be content that you belong to a superior culture.
ReplyDeleteAgain, why is that you find it hard to accept criticism ??? and is it wrong to defend ones culture and country. Americans do it all the time (which is perfectly alright)I dont think so miss rachael. You are defending Lori only because she is your friend or friends, friend. Whatever the case maybe, you people find it hard to accept criticism. You know what I love this blog, it kills my time and its makes me proud to be an Indian. But from a critical perspective, there is not one thing nice that Lori had to say about the country, which saddens me. Suprisingly my fellow Indian friends dont feel the same. You will be happy to note that as Indians we dot give a rats ass about you.
ReplyDeleteHi guys,
ReplyDeleteThis is for u to know "Mr. Anonymous" I am an Indian and have spend most of my time with Americans, however adding to your concept of criticism let me tell you that its just not all about proving ones point. If u actually go through your statements they are contradicting as in if u say Lori cribs about India so do u about America! I completely agree with you that people crib about India, but my friend, don’t u think that it’s true. People crib cause things happen so in India then why blame some one for it??? Talking about u hiding your identity let me tell u that a critic always believes in an open forum as he does a man's job so there is nothing to hide, cause I am a critic too…
Hey Zameel,
ReplyDeleteGreat point made there, I totally concur with you my friend. But dont you think that Lori here has nothing good to say. She says the people are rude, there are cows everywhere....etc etc. I live and work in the US myself. But you know when I talk about India to the Americans I give them a different version. A version about a civilization that is one of the oldest, a country with the greatest diversity, a land which every great ruler desired, a place where people beleive in welcoming you and now a nation once called underdeveloped becoming one of the fastest growing economies in the world. I am not here zameel to trash America, only to suggest that people should look at the good things a country has to offer. And for Lori, I have only one thing to say I PITY THAT YOU DONT SEE IT. And btw criticism is never favorable as the first defination In Webster Goes.....
Dear 'Mr. Anonymous', If you love your country so much, why don't you go live and work there. After all it's one of the fastest developing nation. I'm sure you can find a job. I'm sure the job you have here ain't all that great anyways since you spend most of your time reading Lori's blog and that actually seems to be your favorite past time ( as you claimed yourself). It takes a lot for anyone outside India to take up a job and live there considering the different cultures, languages etc and I'm sure you must be aware of that. We, who know Lori personally also know how much she loves the Indian culture and the people there or else a person who just visited India for a pleasure trip will not give up the job she had and go work in India for a year. If you can't actually look at her blog as her way of relating all her experiences in a new country and think back and actually relate to a lot of it, do us all a favor ( and yourself) and try to go do something worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteGood point radhika...
ReplyDeleteWell yes, you need to lori better to know her!!! You love india Eh? bull shit, then come her slog, get paid and pay your taxes...that would help, not just portraying good pictures to foreigners.
I work here, pay my taxes, vote and i could say, I'am patriotic and holier than thou...
by the way anonymous you are not a critic, but a selfish, confused, so called patriotic indian....venting out your frustration beacuse no body there likes you there, i guess and yeah nobody here likes you too...hahahahaaaa....
A blogger is somebody who wears his heart in his sleeve and talk about it, unlike you coward, and its so disappointing to see people vomitting here saying they are critics!!!
Again !!! It is really funny to see you all get so worked up. Calm down, why get all agitated....looks like Lori has A big fan following . Well I have to say that I work in india as well as in the US, since I have travelled to most parts of the world, I have many experiences, mostly positive, not like that of LORI's (mysterious yet unhappy). And Radhika you sound and look like an Indian yourself. Might I remind you that no one will call you American (which looks like you are dying to be) , you will always and for the rest of your life be an Indian. So its not just my country but our country. And Jay you really need a crash course to refine your English, its a bit rusty !!! So both of you GO get a life , and stop taking my comments seriously and defending LORI.Am sure she can do it herself. And another thing what I do with my time and how I exhaust it is none of your business. Please go and get a life missy.
ReplyDeleteOK OK OK...this is getting childish-all of you-ENOUGH!!!
ReplyDeleteAs I said in my post, this is about me and my experiences here and I'm not going to let it disintegrate into name-calling and baseless rants. In case you have forgotten, this post was about my experiences with HITTING A COW and it has morphed into some sort of vicious mud-slinging. I feel like I'm refereeing a kindergarten recess time. If you have something to say regarding my experiences, fine. If not, you will have to hold your comments until a future date when it fits into the topic of the post.
Furthermore: 1.) I did not say that people here are rude. Please read more carefully-I said that in America it is interpreted as rude behavior. 2.) There ARE cows on the roads here-that is an undeniable FACT. I did not comment on whether this was a good or a bad thing.
There are good and bad things about every culture. It is learning to deal with and accept both that is what is really important. I happen to use humor to do so both here in India as well as in America. Deal.
This person named 'anonymous', my dear fellow readers and posters, is what is called an internet troll. An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the Internet. He tries purposely to start arguments and upset people. He frequents boards and blogs of people he specifically disagrees with to attack to make himself feel superior to others. Since no one on the internet can confront him to his face, he feels he can say anything he wants and throw all social conventions of respect and politeness out the window. It's a coward's game.
ReplyDeleteThe main rule of thumb is not to feed the troll, that is - ignore them. They are only here to argue and nothing you say is going to change their viewpoint anyway.
Be well, everyone. Lori, we sooo miss you at Monroe Park!