Wayanad days

Well, working with RASTA now. It is an organization that helps small farmers and farmer families from all parts of society (which includes about eight indigenous groups in the area) in incorporating sustainable and highly modern forms of agriculture in their daily work. That means showing them to recycle, e.g. compost, the parts of the plants not used in feeding animals or humans. Other things are rainwater harvesting for drinking water, educating women and emancipating them (that is, showing them means of generating income (pottery, weaving, etc.)

My job so far is to create a webpage-content for their website, one about the volunteer program, of which I am a part and another about their involvement with the Telesupport organization, where all the techniques and practices they develop here will be posted online for everyone to access.

Today was the first time I went into town (Kambalakkad), which is a roadside town of, hmm, not a whole lot of people, to do some necessary shopping. I now own two button shirt and also ordered a pair of pants (not too fancy, but I don't know if they understood). I first had to get the cloth ("Here only stitching!") and that was harder than expected, because the guy didn't speak a whole lot of English and soon got fed up with my questions and requests. I'll see how everything turns out, it'll take two weeks.

The people I work with here are Vishnu and Danesh (the boss and husband of Omana, who is a Nobel peace price nominee and not here right now), and also Suresh and Chandra, who don't speak a lot of English. Also, there is the lady who keeps the kitchen and whose name I still don't know or can't remember and who always smiles very nicely and gives me food. So she's really important, yes!?! ;-)

I got my own room, well, there are some insects I have to share it with, there's a power cut at 9pm every day, and a lot of people who greet me when I go to town. Today I talked to Kat, and she's ok, only slight muscle ache from her pre-kalari training. I will see her tomorrow in Coorg or in Kannur, we don' know yet. Cheers!