Good Busy

We have officially reached the last quarter of 2009, and the beginning of the rush to plan 2010. The time to scramble towards year-end targets and meet annual goals. The time to review budgets and finish filing systems. The time to start thinking ahead to what new projects await and how old projects need to be revived and if existing projects will continue. I've been spending most of the alert waking moments at the office for the past week or so. (I'll blame my blog-silence on that. By the time I leave my messy desk, my eyes are begging for a break from the computer screen and my creative energy would rather direct itself to an endeavor other than the written word -- like eating food cooked by my flatmate (thank God for people who unwind by cooking up a storm) or hitting the town to follow around our favorite Hip Hop DJ's for some dancing.)

In the midst of all this busyness, much of which is restricted to the confines of Microsoft Word Documents and A4 sized paper, I must intentionally remind myself of the people--both my colleagues and our clients--behind the goals and targets; the real lives represented by the numbers and statistics; the invaluable relationships simply recorded in the files. Remembering, and investing in, these people, lives and relationships takes a lot of time and energy. But that's the good kind of Busy.

A couple of weeks ago, I was witness, and part, of a day that sustains me through the mundane yet overwhelming tasks of long work weeks like this one. I had the once again amazing opportunity to document a day of Freedom. The IJM team partnered with local government officials to rescue ten people from slavery. The patriarch of the bunch and his wife had three small children plus two married children living with their spouses and working for the same rock quarry owner. The middleaged couple had been bonded labor slaves for fifteen years. Please read the story on IJM's website, currently the top story in the Casework Bulletin.

So Hot Right Now

Sometimes, South Asia doesn't know quite how cool it is. Take Coconut water for instance, piles of irregular shaped ovals taking over many a street corner and prompting every third person (or thirtieth, but there are so many you'd blink and miss 27 of them) to stop and sip. A couple of weeks ago, I came across this article in the NYTimes. Apparently Coconut water is all the rage in Brooklyn. You could pay $2 to $4 in Brooklyn, or you could come visit me and pay 20 to 40 cents.

Trend Setter, on the side of Spur Tank Road.

A Happy Day

This week I had my favorite kind of work day -- one spent with IJM's "clients," individuals who are former victims of forced labor and are now living free lives. No matter how many cases I review or write about, every time I meet the subjects of these stories I am humbled and inspired. This particular family has a powerful story, before, during and after the salt mine where they were coaxed to come and earn an allegedly good salary, educate their children. One hundred percent of their "salary" was paid to one local shop, where they were forced to buy all food and necessary provisions. The school where they were promised education literally shut down two days after their arrival; the preteen daughter forced to work alongside adults raking and spreading salt. When IJM first met her, her feet were scarred with boils and her hopes were flat. When I spent the day with her, her feet walked around a zoo in the city and jumped rope, spirits soaring.

I hope to share more of their story someday soon. For now, I leave you with a (lighthearted) photo of me and a deer. That's right, here, deer like people, daytime and. I think the only thing more amazing than petting a deer in the two-wheeler parking lot were the confused looks on the family's faces as they wondered at my wonderment.

Apparently, this is normal.

I guess it makes sense that Bambi likes popcorn...
Did you know that peacocks spread their glorious feathers and dance when it is going to rain? As if I needed another reason to love my favorite animal.