The Land of Areca Nut

Well, I'm in Channagiri. The Land of Areca Nut. Where Areca Nut seems important when you say it like that. Along the road before you reach the measly hospital, you'll see people drying areca nuts on wide sheets on the ground in front of their houses. The husks of the nuts are kept in a pile near some random (random to me, maybe not so random to the locals) plantation, just by the roadside.

Why am I here.

Well that's an irony isn't it, seeing there is definitely a place more rural than Davanagere (which I already thought already considered rural) and they decided to send some of us here to serve the people. Haha. I'll take it as a joke anytime. Patients vary from nil to 5 to as many as 22.

I live for the scenery and the journey.

We passed through housing colonies, farms, paddy fields, rural schools, water channels, lakes, old, unused bridges.

Everytime I see a house or some schools I tried to imagine what they're doing, is it important for them to have bath everyday, or is it more important to milk the goats before letting them off to feed on some grassy fields. What are the plays of those schoolgirls in pink, and is their teacher a localite, or some town lady who had been forced to work in the rural part because she had an argument with her boss early in life. What are those uncles who sit around the rooster doing, betting for some meager money? So many questions, so many feelings, even my array of songs in my Walkman can't shut my mind from thinking of the possibilities. I am wide awake, and somehow I feel jealous of the sleeping people around me, heads lulling about along the bumps of the road the bus took.

Everytime, I look high to the fort and wonder, what do they need to protect here in this peaceful part of the country once upon a time.

Oh well. 8 more days to go.

Most people hate the journey, but I don't.

I feel like the Land of Areca Nut had my mind buzzing more than I ever felt throughout the year, and I'm glad.

I'm glad I have these 15 days.