A couple days each week, I help the handmade paper-making staff, Nagarash and Joti, with their projects. They recycle paper and repurpose it into useful products such as pencil holders and picture frames, which they then sell back to the students at affordable prices. My role is to provide an extra hand so that Nagarash and Joti can produce more products. We don't communicate with words too much since none of us speak the same language. We communicate by pointing and nodding. It's hard work, but it's hands-on, which I love. Nagarash and Joti are experts in what they do, so it's easy to get the hang of things. We take tea breaks from time to time, too.
My third role in India isn't as clearly defined as student or volunteer. I'm a friend to many people. I've been hanging out with a local Indian comedian named Arvind lately. He performs Monday nights at a nearby bar called Easy Tiger. His humor has a lot to do with Indian society, so I tend to learn a lot about his perspective on the country and its people. There's also Lijo, a student at Christ University studying to become a Catholic priest. He's been a great friend and guide for me. I wouldn't have known about all the delicious street food stands without him. He's also very passionate about ethics, so our conversations tend to be very serious. I always learn a lot even when we don't agree. And then there are all the street food vendors, coffee shop clerks and our building's security guard, who I greet everyday. These small exchanges may not seem like much on their own, but after a while they start to become a pleasant routine--a good indication that I live and belong here.
My last and most recent role is that of a Reach the World traveler.
