Am finally getting settled into work after a busy weekend and two days off for the Holi festival!
I spent last weekend with friends, visiting the huge Royal Observatory and the Albert Hall, a huge peaceful old museum with exhibits from all around Asia and the Middle East. Sunday afternoon was spent zipping around in rickshaws seeing first an old Palace in the middle of a lake, then heading up to the hills to see the Monkey Temple which, as the name suggests, is overrun by monkeys. It had an amazing view of Jaipur and we had a great time wandering around making friends with the tame monkeys.
I had my first day of work on Monday, and an eventful journey out to the NGO on a public bus which was crowded enough to make me feel all dreamy and nostalgic for the Northern Line at 8am… The NGO I’m working for Cecoedecon is huge, with offices all over Rajasthan and policy clout at national and international levels. They run several initiatives aimed at helping the rural poor in Rajasthan. I’m working in quite a small team focused on micro-finance, which is part of a larger €1.8 million rural development programme. Over the coming weeks I’ll be conducting field research into the various microfinance initiatives that they run, before reporting back on their success (mini-dissertation style) and using the information to compile sales resources that they can use for sponsorship proposals. I’m currently trying to absorb as much microfinance info as possible and am finding it increasingly interesting, so anyone who knows about the area or can suggest good sources of info all suggestions will be gratefully received!
Tuesday and Wednesday were off as the whole of India was out celebrating the festival Holi. I spent Tuesday afternoon at an elephant festival in Jaipur. It's very much for tourists and has been running for quite a while. All of the local elephant handlers paint and decorate their elephants all day, before parading them around a huge stadium, where prizes are given for the best decorated elephants. The event itself had a really nice atmosphere, with an even spread of tourists and locals – the pitch got a bit swamped with people who wanted close-up pictures, and decided they weren’t afraid of a little elephant trampling so it was difficult to see some of the festivities but overall the atmosphere was relaxed and happy, a nice way to spend the afternoon. I lucked out at the end and was hauled up onto the back of an elephant to play Holi (pictures to follow)! As the next day was a holiday there was a party in the evening and we spent the night sprawled over cushions on a rooftop, enjoying the breezy night, relaxing and chatting well into the next morning.
Holi itself was on Wednesday, and it’s described as the festival of colour. Everyone gets the day off work, and spends from morning until early afternoon showering each other in brightly coloured powders – it’s very beautiful and a lot of fun, although best celebrated with friends high up on a rooftop somewhere to avoid being drenched in the streets! All of the trainees in Jaipur got together with some AIESECers and alumni and everyone was very thoroughly pasted with colour – much of it permanent. By the time afternoon came everyone was soaked and dyed bright pink all over with coloured water, and additional powder had been caked and baked into our skin by the sun just for good measure. Exhausted and hungry we sat around eating pizza, before sleeping for most of the rest of the day! After making it home I only ventured out with Shoko, the other trainee in my house for some fresh naan to eat with our dinner. The special water dyes we were all using at Holi are specially designed to stay put for a good few days, which adds much hilarity to the proceedings…at the time. However, 3 days on and I am still very very pink, particularly on my hands and around the ears and face. My parting is bright magenta. It’s not all bad though – I’d never have guessed it but it seems that turning up at a new job looking as if you’ve been dipped into a giant vat of Ribena and left to soak for a week is actually a marvellous ice-breaker.
I spent last weekend with friends, visiting the huge Royal Observatory and the Albert Hall, a huge peaceful old museum with exhibits from all around Asia and the Middle East. Sunday afternoon was spent zipping around in rickshaws seeing first an old Palace in the middle of a lake, then heading up to the hills to see the Monkey Temple which, as the name suggests, is overrun by monkeys. It had an amazing view of Jaipur and we had a great time wandering around making friends with the tame monkeys.
I had my first day of work on Monday, and an eventful journey out to the NGO on a public bus which was crowded enough to make me feel all dreamy and nostalgic for the Northern Line at 8am… The NGO I’m working for Cecoedecon is huge, with offices all over Rajasthan and policy clout at national and international levels. They run several initiatives aimed at helping the rural poor in Rajasthan. I’m working in quite a small team focused on micro-finance, which is part of a larger €1.8 million rural development programme. Over the coming weeks I’ll be conducting field research into the various microfinance initiatives that they run, before reporting back on their success (mini-dissertation style) and using the information to compile sales resources that they can use for sponsorship proposals. I’m currently trying to absorb as much microfinance info as possible and am finding it increasingly interesting, so anyone who knows about the area or can suggest good sources of info all suggestions will be gratefully received!
Tuesday and Wednesday were off as the whole of India was out celebrating the festival Holi. I spent Tuesday afternoon at an elephant festival in Jaipur. It's very much for tourists and has been running for quite a while. All of the local elephant handlers paint and decorate their elephants all day, before parading them around a huge stadium, where prizes are given for the best decorated elephants. The event itself had a really nice atmosphere, with an even spread of tourists and locals – the pitch got a bit swamped with people who wanted close-up pictures, and decided they weren’t afraid of a little elephant trampling so it was difficult to see some of the festivities but overall the atmosphere was relaxed and happy, a nice way to spend the afternoon. I lucked out at the end and was hauled up onto the back of an elephant to play Holi (pictures to follow)! As the next day was a holiday there was a party in the evening and we spent the night sprawled over cushions on a rooftop, enjoying the breezy night, relaxing and chatting well into the next morning.
Holi itself was on Wednesday, and it’s described as the festival of colour. Everyone gets the day off work, and spends from morning until early afternoon showering each other in brightly coloured powders – it’s very beautiful and a lot of fun, although best celebrated with friends high up on a rooftop somewhere to avoid being drenched in the streets! All of the trainees in Jaipur got together with some AIESECers and alumni and everyone was very thoroughly pasted with colour – much of it permanent. By the time afternoon came everyone was soaked and dyed bright pink all over with coloured water, and additional powder had been caked and baked into our skin by the sun just for good measure. Exhausted and hungry we sat around eating pizza, before sleeping for most of the rest of the day! After making it home I only ventured out with Shoko, the other trainee in my house for some fresh naan to eat with our dinner. The special water dyes we were all using at Holi are specially designed to stay put for a good few days, which adds much hilarity to the proceedings…at the time. However, 3 days on and I am still very very pink, particularly on my hands and around the ears and face. My parting is bright magenta. It’s not all bad though – I’d never have guessed it but it seems that turning up at a new job looking as if you’ve been dipped into a giant vat of Ribena and left to soak for a week is actually a marvellous ice-breaker.
Got more going on this weekend then hopefully can spend next week at work nailing my research visits!
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