Udaipur

The second half of the program is now underway, and I think the best parts are yet to come. I finished my second day of interning with ATHSA. I am working in the Self-Governance Unit with three other employees and two interns. I am the only American intern, and am getting a crash course in Hindi, as my co-workers speak very little English. I was given my main task the first day. The personal project I have been assigned is to conduct research and compile a process report about two specific Panchaiyat members of village communities. Panchaiyats are elected village officials who work for the welfare of their own. Currently, 33% of these seats are reserved for women. I am going to look at the structure, challenges, and strengths, etc. I am off to the first village on Thursday, with an translator. Hopefully the interaction won't be too awkward and I can start to build a relationship with these women and obtain useful data. I'm feeling a little pressure because ASTHA wants to publish the findings in their annual report.
The staff there are really nice. The two female interns and I try to communicate as best we can, but mostly it ends up in strange looks or giggling. They are very sweet, and like to ask lots of questions. The other female worker is 24, and will be a translator. She also revealed to me today that she is engaged to be married through an arrangement. She has met her fiance only once, and will see him one more time before marriage. I asked her if she was happy, and she said 'yes.' Still don't completely grasp the idea of arranged marriages, but to each their own.
The city of Udaipur is a nice change from Jaipur. It is still large, but the traffic and dust are incredibly minimalized when compared to Jaipur. Also, the smells aren't as pungent because there aren't men peeing in every corner. I feel safer walking around here too because I don't feel hassled as much as before. This weekend I hope to explore the city more, and check out the lakes and temples on the hills surrounding the city.
One more thing. I had my longest Hindi conversation yet. It was today in a group taxi with a woman who had a gnarly front gold tooth. She pretty much sat on top of me, and then introduced herself. Once I proceeded to tell her my name, she reached for my leg, and started rubbing my tattoo. Then another lady joined in and was touching me. Strange, but I couldn't stop smiling. I managed to tell them where I got it, where I am from, where I work, and asked about their day. Then after about a minute, I was out of sentences. They didn't seem to mind and started talking more Hindi, so all I did was nod, and say 'tik hai' (means 'ok').
By the end of this month stay, I think I should be up to a two minute conversation.