day 11

Ok, so it’s Sunday. I slept well. Well, better than the night before. I failed to mention in that long post that I dint find rest to nearly 420. I knew it was 4 am because that’s the first call to prayer for the surrounding muslin mosques. Needless to say, I slept better this time. I woke around 6 finally get out a bed around 620. I took my shirts up stairs to dry. I hung those up and came back to shower. Got cleaned up had a quick cup of coffee and then went to mass at 7. Well the rosary started at 7 because it’s May, they say the rosary beforehand. Mass was at 730. I followed the rosary pretty well… interesting to not a Hail Mary in English takes the same time in Hindi, the language the mass, rosary, and everything else in India is written/spoken.

So the mass was nice. Father gave us a shout out and everyone stared at us for a while. Awkward. It’s like stand? Wave? Smile and nod? Breathe slowly. Any way after mass, Mary Ellen and I were supposed to meet Anon and go around the city with him. So I was talking to him, and all these people came up to me shook my hand and said good morning. I felt like a celebrity.

I went upstairs, devoured a small breakfast, like 2 hardboiled eggs and a cup of coffee, changed out of khakis and put on my other pants. Time out... so these pants are awesome I got them at gander mountain then unzip at the knee, yah the kind that were/are really unfashionable but had a phase in like the 1998 summer. Yes those pants. Well they are really light weight and have a few different cargo pockets. No I haven’t worn the shorts or unzipped them in public, I still have some dignity. Anyways they have male bathing suit insides. Ladies that’s like wearing whitey tighties with a lot of holes, I guess. Well I wear boxers and these are really cramping my style. Sorry for the TMI update, but I’m thinking about cutting them out entirely. I’ll be sure to see you posted.

Where was I…. ok so we met Anon and walked to the road where we picked up a 3 wheel taxi. Us and 4 other people. There were 8 people crammed into a double wide red flyer wagon. Seriously that’s what it felt like. No doors. Just a bar on one side and an open hole where a door would go. 4 people in the back 4 in the front. You drive with a bike handle. And apparently you're not supposed to have all your teeth or bathe regularly. Shucks I guess it’s not the job for me. So were going. I pull out my hankie, yes laugh but I carry it and love it. So I pull it out and have to breathe through it because the exhaust and dust is so thick.

We finally made it to Patna. We were going to get me a cap, or gotee as it is in Hindi. But they were over priced 250 Rs (250 rupee ~ 6 US dollars.) so we walked and smelled really foul garage on the side of the road. Drew many looks but kept walking. Got in another 3 wheel off to where? I don’t know. So we got there and there’s this guard standing by the fence and this huge building doesn’t open until 11. Its 10 am now. He tells us it’s the star house. Plantation?!?! What… I don’t understand. Stars house. Plantartaion. Planetarium? Oh yess. Yess. Ok

We now go to the “Jew house” ha-ha what where are we going?? “Jew house”

We arrived at the “Patna Zoo” Yes “Jew house” ok my Indian friend, ok smiles so the charge to go in the zoo was 15 Rs so like 35 cents. We went inside and it was hot. Easily in the 107 range. And zoo animals loovvve the heat so they were all out! Yay us. Just kidding. But it was cool though the ones that were out, u could practically pet a lot of them. And by practically I mean. You had to stand behind the “protective barrier” and extend you arm. If the animal was there, it would be under/eating your hand. I dint know we were going so I brought my little video camera that I bring everywhere so I only got a few lower quality pictures, but they are cool. Oh and I think all the animals here are in mating season. Or just really happy to see one another… oh another fun thing. We felt like animals too, well got that much attention. People followed us around all day and took pictures of us, with us…. The conversations would go like this “you're not from here.” “No were from America” “Are you from America?” “Yes we are” “can we take a picture with you or of you?” yes sure. Try this to a random person some time. I swear you will confuse them very very much. And they will tell their friends Americans are strange. Ok we left the zoo and headed back to the star house.

Went to the planetarium by 3 wheel had some street biscuits. First street food. Went inside the gates and paid 20 rupee for a ticket, as more people took pictures. IT was kinda cool to people watch or watch people discover there are Americans nearby it spread from one family to a group of teens to some old people across the open area… There were easily 300 people there, in not 400. We got there at 1pm. Show doesn’t start until 2pm. Spoke to Anon's sister on the phone. Going to visit her in July maybe. Finally inside, there are metal detectors, security guards feeling pants checking purses, not like at the movies here its kinda overlooked, more like airport pat downs… we got inside the theater and it’s like an Imax. Seats broken, split backs. Put head on water bottle and fell asleep ha-ha. Woke up. Show starting. Title was in Hindi, then English, this could be good.…. Then the rest in Hindi ahhh darn. So I followed by pictures. Galaleo Galileo? And then Isaac Newton finding effects of gravity…. Then starts and planets then……. Space ships and space station. Later found out it was intended for the illiterate and uneducated people of the city. Great. I’m neither and I still couldn’t understand.

Got back devoured lunch 3 kinds of chicken. Yellow covered in a turmeric sauce ok, brown covered in a ginger sauce ok, deep fried and roasted. With fries and onion and tomatoes. AMEN scoreeeee. Father you have been listening to my dreams! Went back showered and passed out.

Supposed to meet anon again. He dint show I took pictures of flowers, duh had to do something, and I had my nicer camera on hand

I helped set up for party for a father who is moving onto another order by diocese. The priests invited other priests in the area that are Jesuits. Total of 9 maybe? So I helped set up and the kitchen smelled awesome so I was excited. We had 3 different kinds of nuts for appetizers and some spicy rosemary breadstick thing. Dinner was chicken and then beef of some sort. It was tough but so delicious. Some packaged bread and a vegetable salad, which means carrots sliced thing on a plate with cucumber sliced really thing on top with onion sliced thin onto of that, with thick slices of tomatoes on that. Not too bad actually. Then there was whisky and beer. Went through 2 bottles of whiskey. I remember stories from high school that the Jesuits know how to have a good time. Confirmation on the stories. There was lichen for dessert. Great evening.

Talked with one father about education how Indians are excelling because they know Americans are lazy and foolish in school. And Indians see this and know education is their only ticket out. He also told me to visit the southernmost tip of India. Very literate, very beautiful, full of coconuts. I’m sold. Let’s go!!!

Spoke to another father about the young boys lined up to be Jesuits and the challenges they face. Also he’s a counselor and a psychiatrist. He told me the difficulties he’s seen and how no matter what country u go to, everyone has the basic need to love and be loved. True that father. Also spoke on how English is the international language, not Spanish and no other crosses so many borders and continents. Especially in the religious communities. When they come together it’s all taught in English, good work AMERICA.

Did some laundry. Now it’s soaking. Sleep then Monday Monday Monday, except unlike the rest of my friends in the US, I’m not gardening, or landscaping, or going to class or evening looking for apartments in San Francisco, I’m working on top of a hospital and a school for the lowest caste of people, in India, troubleshooting electrical failures in a solar cell with a group of priests, only one speaking English.

Bring. It. On.

“The life we lead is the life we choose, one way or another”

--Tim Hartnett J <3 J