At 6:00 am Shiva rolls up in the Indian clown car. I can already tell I'm going to like morning birding the best because it's so much cooler outside. The afternoons tend to be a little steamy. The remaining four members of the slumdog birdwatching squad are missing because as Shiva put it "Indians are lazy and late to everything, unlike Americans who are always on time". I explained to Shiva that American college students are just as bad, I just happen to be jet lagged and woke up at 4:00 am.
We begin our pseudo bus route by picking up Sham and then head to a nearby tea vendor. Dr. Relton instructed the boys to get me a tea in the mornings and they take their role as hosts very seriously. They bring me a cup of black tea that was probably half tea and half sugar. It came in an itty bitty medicine sized paper cup which upon first sight seemed ridiculous. I like my beverages American sized i.e. enough for two people and a bald eagle. But the cup actually turned out to be just enough. This was an interesting concept for me.
There's a place in Boone called Local Lion, it has great coffee but the guy who owns it always has to ask/explain to you the traditional size versus what you're asking him for. I always assure him that I'm aware of what a traditional size is, as a foundation of my childhood was tiny cappuccinos after my meals. I sincerely thought they were small because I was small; which while a logical conclusion for a seven year old, was not the case. So I always make sure the barista knows that I need my coffee "normal" sized. After my experience with my baby tea however, I'm feeling inspired to make the Local Lion guy's day and go traditional with it.
Sham gets back into the car after being the designated tea runner. While we are at the stand two of the girls climb into the car and then we start back on our route to get Pragathi. Pragathi is an excellent bird watcher and I'm always glad she's there to help me. She says swift (a type of bird) like shivft. I've tried to explain the pronunciation to her but she seems pretty committed to shivft so I just call it a shivft now too.
When we reach the site it seems as if there's even more trash today. It's a depressing sight and I can't help but wonder if we'll even be able to see over the piles by the end of the month. After an afternoon of practice I'm getting better at identifying birds. The great number of species in the wetland is actually a wonder. We have seven sites total at the wetland and it's actually exhausting to stand in the heat and constantly scan the section for new birds. I'm not sure the students understand exactly what we're doing or that we can only look at one section of the wetland at a time. They have a great time finding the birds and joking around with one another. I am thankful for their help in finding the birds though and for their protection against all the random passerby that have a fascination with me.
At the last site (by the crematorium) I am feeling worn out and antsy to get into the car and leave the dirt and trash. This was not what I thought it would be at all. As we're taking a count of the birds I spy a flash of green in the sky. Pragathi and Sham both start chattering about parrots but when the birds land on the grass I start shaking my head and pointing at my nose explaining that their beaks are too long. I don't know why I do this, they all know what the word beak means. Pragathi bobbles her head and starts flipping through her bird guide. She opens it to a page and brings the book to me while saying "bee-eetahr". Sure enough the picture of the blue-tailed bee eater is the little bird's twin, green body, blue tail, with a rust colored face and long black beak. We all suddenly realize that there are four bee-eaters, two pairs, because apparently even Indian birds have learned to commit. The feeling from the discovery is uplifting, it makes all the heat and bugs and unspeakable odors completely worth it.
As we left the site to go back to campus I began asking the girls about the powder smudges that accompanied their bindis. Pragathi looked up trying to find the right word and finally just said it was all just a sign of godliness. Sham then explained to me that Rock Fort was a temple for Pylaya, the god with the face of an elephant. I asked if it was like Ganesh and he bobbled and smiled and said they were the same. Everyone seemed to be very impressed with my knowledge and appreciation of Hinduism.
When the SBS (slumdog birdwatching squad) came to get me in the afternoon Pragathi handed me a handmade envelope with the words 'with love' written on it. Inside were two packs of bindis and two colored powders. I put the bindi on and turned so everyone could admire. Everyone let out a sound of approval and assured me that I was almost a real Indian now. I added the powders, red kum kum below and yellow turmeric above the bindi. It was such a nice and thoughtful gesture which not only made my day but succeeded in confusing every curious passerby twice as much.
It had been a long and tedious day but moments like bindis from new friends and little bee-eater discoveries make you excited for what's to come tomorrow.
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| The SBS, plus Sarah |
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