Monsoon Moonrise!

The connection to the internet has been very whimsical and erratic. Sometimes it works. Most of the time it doesn't. It's been difficult checking mail etc. Even mobile phones are not working properly. They tend to go dead in the middle of a conversation. "Tower problem", as we say here.

But all this was expected during the monsoon. And monsoon has started in earnest. It's raining intermittently -- from light drizzle to heavy downpour. There's a very heavy shower on at the moment. But the sky is clearing and soon it's going to stop. The temperature is very, very pleasant.

Bhola is in Kolkata. He went yesterday in the evening and will be back tomorrow in the morning. I haven't been able to stay in touch with him because of bad connectivity. But I gathered he's managed to do most of the errands that he had gone there for. I'm excited to see what kind of "yoga mat" he brings back for me.

The good news is that Intel has now officially given us 10 "waterfall" laptops. That's the good news. The bad news is that they don't have OS and hard disks! That's going to cost money to install. Rahul is doing something about it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to connect with him on the phone.

Richard looked like death this morning! He was suffering from severe stomach cramps. I asked him if he had anything at the market that he had gone to, he said No. But Khangen informed me that he a "small" piece of sweet. Anyway, the outcome was that he had severe stomach cramps. Poor chap was holed up in the toilet for about a couple of hours! I gave him some ORS and Metronidazole. He's feeling better now. Resting. I'll see how he is by tomorrow morning. If his condition does not improve, I get Bhola to escort him to a hospital in Kolkata. It would be sad if he has to leave. He's fitted into the routine here and is quite useful as a teacher.

The wall separating the staff area
There has been some construction work on the project. We built a coal bin to keep the coal in one place and also protect it from the rain. We also got a wall made to separate the "staff area" from the "ashram area". Actually that isn't the intention. The idea is to be able to lock up the dogs there while school is on! The pups make a lot of noise while class is in progress. They tend to run into class and also have lately taken to chewing the books kept on the desks! We kept them outside the gate for a few days. But it seems cruel in this season. So the best thing is to confine them to one small area. They can move to "Suman's Veranda" when it rains.

I wrote this yesterday. But was unable to post it. I wonder if it will go through now... I'd like to add a few photos. But I suppose I will be able to do that when I have a better connection.

Connectivity hasn't improved. It seems to be a bit better at the moment and so I'll quickly add a few more words. Hopefully I will be able to upload this without a problem. Last time I tried, it failed.

The coal bin under the Gulmohar tree
Bhola is back from Kolkata. A few minutes after he arrived we got a visitor -- a journalist. I gave him a cup of tea and told him we don't want any publicity. He was surprised. But we had a nice chat about the area and the work we are doing. And then this evening we got another visitor. This time it was the BDO (block development officer) of Sunder Pahari. He wanted to know all about our work and also wanted to know if I could tell him about the Paharias. I told him I would, provided he came to meet me alone and not with a retinue of minor officials. He agreed. A nice young man. Sincere and as yet not disillusioned by the system. I hope he will be able to do something for those who need help.

Richard is feeling better. In fact, he's normal again. I'm sure he'll be able to teach tomorrow. He wanted to teach today. But I asked him to take it easy. He did go for the village visit with Bhola and ate a normal meal this evening. I'm glad he's recovered so soon and so well.

It's been raining a lot. The weather is nice.