Mona Lisa Smile

So people here in India are finding it difficult to say or remember my name. I have asked a couple of people about a local Indian name that sounds like Melissa. And both quickly said "Monalisa." I've actually started to introduce myself as Monalisa, and the locals love it.

So when I saw this picture yesterday, I couldn't help myself...

So there is no mystery to my smile, and Mona Lisa doesn't have a greasy-sweaty face... but whatev.

Resilience

"Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant." –Maya Angelou

Interacting with people of different lands and cultures in this world has left me to reflect on one of the most beautiful common strands running throughout the human race: that of resilience. In my short 3 weeks here in India, I have seen this manifest in a variety of ways.

Like early this morning, when the lady who picks through the garbage that we leave out actually came to our door to see if we had some garbage to put out- because we have a more lucrative collection (a lot of bottled water goes down here) and hadn't put it out this morning. Though her clothes are a bit tattered, she always has a flower in her hair. I dropped my new phrase in Telegu for "What is your name?" and she seemed surprised I would ask. She is Napera. She is a pretty pretty lady, with smooth skin, dark almond eyes, a petite frame, and a lovely smile (people have rocking teeth here, by-the-way. Low sugar diet, I'm guessing?). I would love to know her story sometime.

And the darling little old man that sat in front of me at the "Human Rights in Leprosy" National Forum- he was flipping through his notes and writing things, all with little stubs for fingers. Not a wit behind his fully able-bodied neighbor. So cool.

Or the kids we visited at the MV Foundation “bridge school," who have had little or no education because they have been child laborers or indentured servants. These schools function to help the kids catch up in 1-2 years, to then be able to enter public schools at their grade level. We got to hear some of the girl’s stories. I wish kids in the US could meet these girls, and never fake a sick day again.

The human fight for survival is astounding. And further impressive, is the ability to adapt to new and even extremely difficult circumstances. And most of all, the ability to find reasons to laugh and play when things are tough. I’ve seen all of these, and feel inspired.

And just for fun, some silly personal examples:
- Every time I have lived for an extended period in a more tropical I quickly develop this heat rash on my neck that looks… like a hickey. Yeah… However, I think in China it lasted all summer, Uganda about half the summer, and here- I think it is on its way out after 3 weeks. Hoot-yah.
- Real Indian food has got a crazy spicy kick. I think that the spiciest you can order it in the states is the mild here. However, after the first few days, we can stomach the spice no prob, and actually request it. It’s either a numb-tongue issue, or legitimate adaptation but whatever it is, I may be buying a travel-size bottle of Tabasco to put in the purse upon returning home.

- I have seriously had cankles since arriving here. But they HAVEN'T been resilient. So they are a non-example of my point. But I kind of think they are funny in a ridiculous way, so I'm including them in this list.
- In these short few weeks, the things we thought of as inconveniences at first- running water that only works part of the time and is cold when you want hot and hot when you want cold, sweating for every waking hour, not only riding without a seatbelt but with several of us cramped on top of eachother nearly hanging out of the open-air 3-wheeler autos in ridiculous traffic… it’s all just normal life now. Even for many of the volunteers in our group who are first-time out of the country-ers, they are adapting like champs.

Resilience. Thriving. Elegance. Love it.