GOA!

Ok first off for the like 50 people who have been like "WE WANT AN UPDATE!" I'm sorry! Here it is! I promise I'll make it a good one! :)
Last weekend, which only feels like a lifetime or so ago, we gathered up our stuff and headed away to Goa, the smallest state in India for a weekend. The other Americans- Mike, Chelsea, Sarah, Jess- and I left Bandra, where we all stay, around 5:00PM Friday evening to meet our Indian friends joining us- Ishan and Kunal in Chembur, where they both stay and where the bus was leaving from. The bus was supposed to leave around 8:30, but due to one small factor known as Indian Standard Time, IST, we left more like 10. The bus ride down was at best forgettable, but honestly just unpleasant. Its about a twelve hour drive and we had a terrible driver who didn't know how to handle the curvy roads that led us away. Luckily I was able to get some sleep and we arrived in Goa around 11:00AM Saturday morning.
Stop number one was to our Hotel, Villa Emmanuel, where we had rented a two-bedroom cottage and a private room for all of us. After that, in the middle of October, I went swimming in the delightfully warm Arabian Sea. This was the first time in probably two or three years where I had been at a legitimate beach. I had forgotten how much peace I find in walking along the sand and letting the ocean hold me while I ride the waves.
Another major highlight of the weekend was renting mopeds. While I didn't drive one, I spent many hours riding on the back of one and loving every second of it. Although, if and when I go back, I have promised myself that I will muster the courage to at least drive small distances. I probably won't drive much, but at least a little bit. For anyone planning a trip to Goa, rent a moped. It is by far the best way to get around the community and I can honestly tell you there is nothing like riding on one. Mike especially enjoyed the experience of riding and will happily help anyone who is interested in repeating the experience.
Now the original plan was for us to leave Monday evening and get back Tuesday morning, since none of us had class on Tuesday and take the day to relax. However, we all realized that we could not possibly imagine leaving Goa quite yet and needed at least another day (or a lifetime) in Goa, so we switched our tickets to Tuesday night.
Monday night we went to Curlies, a spot known only to the locals or those who know the locals. You find Curlies through riding down many unmarked and random dirt roads. Curlies is one of those spots from the sixties that never really left, much like the rest of Goa. While we were there we sat on lounger chairs and soaked in the atmosphere.
Tuesday morning, Mike, Jess, Ishan, Sarah, Kunal, and I all went to the Anjuna Cafe, as we called it, a small cafe on a mountainside that looks over the ocean. If I had not decided it already, I determined there that anyone who leaves Goa by choice is an absolute fool. I could easily spend my rest of my time in India riding on a moped and sitting on the beach in Goa. Surely I could make this count as social work credit, right?
As amazing as Goa was, its hard for me not to acknowledge one really upsetting incident that I had to spend some time working through personally. One thing that is relatively well known in India is that children are often used for labor. This is often under the table and done in "cash only settings" All along the beaches, women and children would sell various trinkets, jewlery, and sarongs. One boy that came to us a couple of times, Ravi, told us that he was 11 years old. One time when he was trying to get us to buy something, he and his "friend" (business partner?), saw a police officer. Instantly, the two boys started running in the opposite direction. They were obviously hiding from the officer, since child labor is illegal. It was really hard for me to process watching these little boys running away from police officers. Little kids should be spending time in school or running on the beach with their friends because they are playing, not because a police officer is racing after them.
We got back to the city on Wednesday morning, and although the bus we were on was much nicer, we still left late and didn't reach until 9:30 in the morning. This was a bit of problem, since all of us had places we needed to be. We were all able to sort this out though and I honestly think that it was worth it to spend an extra day in Goa.

The rest of this week has been pretty laid back, how could it not be when you had just spent most of it in the happiest place on Earth?
Yesterday, I went to the Remand Home for my internship. Jaya had introduced me to her friend, Veera, who works there telling stories to the girls who stay there to encourage their personal development. Many of the girls have either been removed from their homes because of inter-familial conflicts, or have been found on the street. Some have ran away from home. The girls I met ranged from 11-16, although some of them only looked like they were 8 or 9. I spent a lot of time talking to some of the older girls and then, at their request, danced and sang for them. DO NOT LAUGH AT ME! I ended up singing them the same song my mom used to sing to me when I was a little girl when I was going to sleep.
On the way to Remand Home, there had been a pipline burst along the train tracks, which resulted in general mass confusion, and stress. While I was waiting to go I saw men and women, in Sarees no less, cross over the train tracks as they adjusted to the change. Some people had to cross multiple times because they kept switching the tracks. This was the first time where I saw more than one or two people at a time crossing and it certainly was something to see. When we were coming back, the pipeline burst had caused so many delays that the trains were super-extra crowded even for Mumbai standards. We made it back to Bandra safe and sound somehow or another though and I can honestly say that I'm relieved that I won't have to ride in a train again until Monday morning. :).
Peace, Love, and Elephant Kisses- Emmy