I am just a few days shy of being here for one month. So much has happened and I have said so little. As I have said to family and friends, our internet connection here is so hit and miss I hardly check if it works. When it does everyone in my group is on and I usually just choose to read and not take part in the madness.
I had one of the better experiences since being here yesterday. One of our night watchmen plays cricket every Sunday so another girl and I decided to go check it out. The monsoon season started more or less yesterday morning so not many guys were out there - most of them figured since it rained a little no one would be playing. There was only a small group of guys and a few children running around as is slowly started to sprinkle again. I had brought a disk with me and she and I started throwing. One of the guys started taking pictures of us....but really is that any different than us taking pictures of them? I didn't feel threatened and there was no reason for me to yell at him - within 3 minutes he put his camera down.
After about 20 minutes one of the smaller children came over and stood within 20 feet of me. He wanted the disk. I tossed it to him and this huge grin went across his whole face. Within 5 minutes all the children and a few of the older guys were wanting to throw as well. (Now to have a sidebar for a moment. When I say older guys, I'm talking about late teens, 20's and probably some in their early 30's. As for the children however, they are small but I could not for the life of me make a guess that was close to there age. One boy looked like he was 13....he was 18! Some of the children were young, but I don't think any were under 7 years of age.) My favorite throw was when one of the older guys came over looking all macho. I throw the disk to him and it just hits him right in his chest...didn't put out his arms or anything. His whole crew started laughing and for the next half an hour, until they understood better what was going on, the peanut gallery hooted and howled at them.
The actual cricket game didn't start until about an hour after we had been there. The kids and I moved out of the field and I showed them how to flick and hammer. One little kid, probably 14 really, was really really good. He picked up the different throws really fast. His flick is amazing....much better than mine when I first started. I turned back and forth between tossing and watching the game. I tried to learn their names but being a different language it was difficult for me to remember them all. I don't speak much Tamil and they just had a little English. But this was an activity that didn't require language and it was wonderful just to spend time with the local people.
After about 2 hours the little kids ran off and a few of the older ones started to teach me how to bat. That bat would really knock someone out. I have blisters on my hand and I can hardly lift my arms above my head today. It was great when I did make contact with the ball they were in awe that a girl could hit like that. Now they were not doing the running start, but the ball wasn't slow either, and I wasn't on the real field - but still, I did well. I hit probably for 45 minutes or more, my arms were done and I just sat down to watch the real game going on.
It was nice because they were not focused on me. Most of the time when I go out I am the focus of everyone attention because I'm American. But they were into their game and I could just there and be. Other than that guy the first few minutes while we were there their attention wasn't on us, unless I had the disk. The little kids asked my name and shortened it to 'Isa' and at one point they were calling me Big Sister. While I was batting and when the really game took a break I knew they were talking about me because I heard my name....but had no idea what they were saying. Nanda is our watchman who plays so I asked him to find out what was being said....see if I am worthy to play with them in the future.
I had such a refreshing day to be with the locals, on their turf, and able to interact with them without loads of attention or intentions or just being looked at constantly. I have gotten use to it and it doesn't bother me yet some of the other girls don't like it...which I understand. But I was more myself yesterday than I have been with my 'community' for the past month. Ultimate is something that I love and I was extatctic that I got to share it with them. They asked if I was coming the following week, but we will be traveling but I said I'd be there in two weeks. I am excited to teach them to play really ultimate and hope they will let me play cricket with them. Since I'm female I don't know if they will allow that but Nanda says I should be fine. I cannot wait!
In other news, as I said monsoon season started. The rain here is, no I should say the thunder here is amazing. I wanted to get my camera and take audio of it because it is some much different than anything I have heard at home. Here there is the rumble that we hear at home, but it lasts throughout the entire 'thunder' as it were. Then towards the end there are loud booms, that sound like a cannon is going off. At home it's more of a crack noise that sounds like the sky is splitting but here it's such a beautiful sound. I should have plenty of chances to let everyone hear it...so hopefully the next time I post I can have some wonderful thunder for you.
I think I'll leave it there for the moment. Personally I am doing fine. I haven't had any revelations or awe inspiring moments to write down....they will come eventually.
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