monsoon

On our way home from our debriefing retreat, Karli and I rode with Beth in a taxi. Normally we didn't ride in taxis, but since beth had brought a bunch of treats for us, she had a large bag, that wouldn't really work on the metro.

it was the beginning of the monsoon season - and it had rained hard the night before, and that morning. the city was really flooded - obviously a different view than i was used to. it was incredible to drive around and see all the water. it looked like the videos i see of flooding in texas so often - only different. different cause this is "normal" and for a few months rains would come daily, roads would flood - and so would my friends' houses. i remember waking up that morning, loving the sound of rain, cozy in my soft bed, with air conditioning - for the first time since i'd been in India...but there were thoughts racing through my mind...

the week before i'd be in the room of one of the women who work for sari bari, and she showed me the water-line in her room. she said during monsoon season she had to keep everything she wants to keep dry on her bed.

the day before Karli asked Rozi what her family does when it rains, and she said they huddle together, and that yes, their roof does leak (not really a surprise cause its made of plastic tarp).

i couldn't get out of my head the hundreds of people that my bus passed on my way to prem don - and their "beds" on the sidewalk...where do they sleep when it rains like this?

as i've "kept tabs" on the folks in k-town, they told me that the monsoon was horrible this year, and that roads flooded that normally don't. it was a hard year in terms of rain in India...