No Tea Today

Even after nine hours of sleep, I woke up tired.  After morning devotions, Bipasha took me around the GBC buildings – they have a girls school, a girls hostel, a clinic, main office, a primary teaching institution and another set of offices – lots to see.  The girls hostel reminded me of something you would see at a museum of an old mission school from the frontier. 

Of course at each place we visited, they offered tea and I had to say no, because the caffeine gave me a pretty killer headache last week; I must have had twenty crackers or biscuits though.  It was raining and as we used umbrellas to travel from one building to another, we had to duck in doorways and under clotheslines—I felt like those Chinese dancers who have the pretty umbrellas they dance with.  At the education board, the man was telling me how close to the border we were, and how jungle passports made it easy to enter India.  Jungle passports wouldn’t work for me though – it would be pretty easy to tell that I’m not Indian.

I came back to the YWCA for lunch and then back to GBC.  I was still tired when I got back, and apparently I was sucking all the energy out of the room, because Paritosh sent me home early to get some rest.  I tried to sleep and managed to get a little, but woke up with a kink in my neck and a headache. 

On the way back from GBC (accomplished that walk twice by myself today!) I met a woman and she asked me some questions in Bengali that I could understand which was quite exciting.  I also couldn’t understand some of her questions, but it’s progress. 

We went to Kohima’s sister’s for dinner tonight – she was delightful.  She is the oldest, and has three grandchildren.  She said to come visit her anytime, and if I have a problem during the week to come to her, which is wonderful.  Hopefully I’ll make it to her house sometime this week.

I got a call today from the Indian Commissioners’, that I have to go in for an interview on Sunday about my visa—I’m praying that it all works out.  We’re hoping it’s just because it’s my first time.  We shall see.  Headache is better, and now for some much-needed rest.