Best. Day. Ever.

This morning we climbed a mountain to see the Edekkel Caves, which are the 2^nd oldest cave drawings in the world [2500 BC, the oldest are in France]. We also stopped and saw some touristy things, but it was fun because Saji was our guide. In the afternoon, we had a rocking interview/conversation with a woman named Shirley, who started the Kanavu school for Adivasi children. We talked about Kanavu, education, Adivasi, culture, and she was very honest and humble and challenging and wise. She had two sides to every story and opinion, and articulated a lot of what I have been thinking about for the past several days.

But the best best best was when we actually went to Kanavu and Saji gave us a tour of his school. Then we sat on the porch of the library in the pouring rain and he told us his story, his struggle, his view of justice for the Adivasi. And what was it? Confidence. Self-empowerment. The issue isn’t land. It’s not assimilating to society. It’s identity, respect, self-worth. We were vulnerable with our questions and confusions, and he was vulnerable with his story: this was a bonding moment.

We spent the evening at the school and sang and danced with the students. This was actually the hardest moment of my time in India so far because it was he first time I really wanted to communicate but didn’t know how. The kids had no need to play with us, which was good because it meant we weren’t special because we were white, but I wanted so badly to connect with them…but Saji told us that they liked us, so I guess we made some connection. I would love to come back here someday.

However, the greatest moment of the entire day was in the jeep on the way home. I realized that exactly a year ago I was accepted to grad school, and here I am now in India. Crystal shared where she was, Melissa shared where she was, and we asked Saji where he was at a year ago. He was in Bangalore, and I asked him if he ever thought he’d have a jeep. He said no. Crystal asked if he ever thought he’d be with people as cool as us in a year and he said no, and “I’ve been thinking, and I don’t want to take money from you” which we clearly resisted and insisted until he explained that if he didn’t need to pay off his jeep, he would not charge us because at the beginning of the week we were just another job, but now, “I am feeling that something has changed with us. We are friends.”