These Things Take Time

I'm trying to break a bad habit. I check a clock or watch about 15-20 times each day (I've done a few informal counts)- it's always on my mind. I'll ask Ankit what time it is when I have nowhere to go and all the time in the world to get there. On more than one occasion he has responded, "It is evening." And it strikes me that he is much more accurate than whatever clock I might look at. 

When is dinner time? Whenever I eat dinner. Will my watch tell me when to eat? Or will I eat when I am hungry and there is food?

Obviously some things require scheduling. But what difference does 5 minutes make? Or even 15? Is it anything but troublesome to deal in such minute accuracies? The more accurately you measure time, the more time you have to fill up with more tasks. And the danger is to be ruled by some narrow understanding of time - to become endlessly linear.

The trick, then, is to make sure there is free time. I mean this in two senses - first, to make room for leisure in whatever schedule you keep. And second, to work on a system of "soft time" where late and early are not easily pinpointed and deadlines are approximate.  Being on time may make a good impression, but it also becomes an addiction. Being off time is difficult and liberating, as is kicking any habit. 

Time is a natural resource and should be used responsibly. Like lumber and oil and water, time can be put to positive use, but if abused can be equally detrimental to public (and personal) health. Nature reserves help to protect the beauty and health of the world, and create space for exploration and wonderment. Time reserves do the same for an individual.

All that behind me, I had planned to leave my house at 2 today and make my way to the market. The time of writing is 2:07, and I'm wondering if being intentionally late will become as habitual as being on time. 

P.S. - I realize that I'm using this blog mostly for musings. If you want me to give something more informative and less talky, either send me an email (friendlyneighborhoodsasquatch@gmail.com) or just tell me and I'll see what I can do.

Really, this is fun.

First, the details. My host family is a family of classically trained traditional Indian musicians. My brother is a 5th generation Sitar expert. Just imagine how much I love this.

Now for a diatribe.

My program administration puts a whole lot of time and money into sheltering we privileged students from the angry Indian masses. The pampered life is alright for a week, but the most important part of getting out into the world is to expand - to get uncomfortable and push my limits. The administration prides itself and is esteemed for "playing by the rules" - which means doing its best to keep students fat, complacent, and out of mischief. I'm certainly overfed, but I'll be damned if I let them get me with those other two.

I inquired with the program director about weekend backpacking possibilities. She's very clever, and always finds a way to be prohibitive, but never explicitly so. The truest answer in this situation would have been, "You'll need my help and knowledge of Jaipur and its surroundings to put something like that together. But that would put you outside the tiny realm of my immediate and overbearing control, so I'm not willing to tell you anything helpful."  Rather than press the issue, I've chosen active disobedience as my response to her passive prohibition.

Beginning first thing Saturday morning, accompanied by several good friends, I'll embark on an ill-advised and intentionally unsupervised urban backpacking trip. At the center of "Old Jaipur," there is a beautiful white tower that is said to have the best views of town. This is our first and only planned destination. Atop the tower, we'll choose our next destination from among the other vertically significant natural and man-made features in and around town. Repeat. 

After navigating through as many back alley shops, sex districts and slums as we can find our plan is to end up in the small mountains not far outside Jaipur for the night  We know little (nothing) about the mountains we're heading to, save two important things: 1)Law does not prohibit us from sleeping there and, 2) Death or serious are not likely. So fear not, loved ones, if I return hurt (or do not return), it will have been an improbability. 

We've also vowed to eat street food, use local restrooms in local fashion (please contact me personally for details), get lost, interact, and forget about how important we're told it is to be painfully inoffensive. 

I went with my host brother and father earlier this evening seeking "grey market" running shoes. When I asked Ankit, my brother, to clarify grey market, he explained, "It is not quite illegal." It operates in the bottom floor of a mall beneath the dozens of brand name stores, and sells the same items for a fraction of the cost. 

I was all geared up to make me some borderline-legitimate business transactions, but it would appear that the Indian underworld caters primarily to hobbits. 

Its fairly late, I'm real tired, and I'm getting up early to do some sort of exercise with Ankit. He's great.

No longer in need of constant adult supervision, 

Micah

Week One

Things have been moving real fast here. Busy as I've been, I hardly have time to think about life outside this program.  I'm in Jaipur and begin living with my homestay family today. I'm not well rested and not feeling particularly articulate today, so this time around I'll be brief. 

Remember how crows are black and eagles are exciting? Well, in Delhi crows are grey and eagles are pigeons. The rest is harder to explain. 

Work it out, 

Micah