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The barber and the barbed.
Belated happy anniversary to Dhiren and Priti, and to Jyoti fui and Suresh fua!
T’s birthday was November 14th. Maybe if some of us wish her happy birthday here we’ll get her to finally join Medavo. 
I had the distinct joy of seeing Paras over Thanksgiving, after several months. He is all grown up: thoughtful, handsome, ever hungry for knowledge (he is learning sign language and caopeira among other things), and way taller than me. He and Vishwa both beat me at Taboo. I’m demanding a rematch.
I found out that Paras recently received a promotion at his firm. Was I the only one that hadn’t heard about this? Congratulations bhaisab! Please share the details!
Happy birthday Dipti! I hope you have a wonderful day. The skies are weeping with happiness for you.
I also want to sincerely apologize for being absent from Medavo for the last few months. My internet access is poor in Sierra Leone but now I am back and would like to be more in touch while I’m here.
I want to send ^sincere^ though belated birthday wishes to Mitesh, Ashish, Dad, Vasu fui, Avni, and Duncan ji. And happy anniversary wishes to Vishal and Dipti, Jayanti Kaka and Jaya Kaki, and Jyoti Fui and Suresh fua. (have I forgotten anyone else from the last few months?). And to thank you all for your happy birthday wishes to me in march, which were a warm touch of home while I was far away.
Paras somehow the fact that you dove from 10,000 ft. had escaped me! I’d love to jump with you next time.
It was great to see some of you in Cleveland, and some of you in Norwalk.
just to take a poll: anybody supporting barack obama for 2008?
and another: anybody read any outstanding books lately? I love “Creation” by E.O. Wilson: an appeal from a renowned evolutionary biologist (I took his class in college) for science and religion to put aside their differences and make common cause to save our environmental heritage. It is such a compelling argument, expressed with both passion and reason.
also: our program in sierra leone has a website now, have a look at timapforjustice.org
nim- is the poetry site online yet?
Much love,
vivek
hi everyone, i got back from sierra leone last week and am closer to the computer now. when i’m there i have very little internet access; i apologize for my infrequent contributions to medavo. hansraj’s family went to alka masi’s for thanksgiving, which was nice: lots of eating and playing, walking in th woods and rigorous debating.
i just watched avi’s dance and it was AMAZING. i love the way that it retains many aspects of the traditional movement while infusing an explosive, youthful energy. i love the interaction between the movement and the music, like when the men would bend into an extended upside down “L” shape while the singer would chant “eeeeehhhhhh.” as paras said, the whole dance made me want to dance. i hope avi will teach me some of those moves. it looked exhausting- avi you must be in great shape. did you help to choreograph?
oh ji re maro halo sambro re….
on another note i was wondering if harakh kaka could post the duha he recited at the garba for sheelu’s wedding. we were trying to remember it last weekend.
on still another note, i don’t think i ever succeeded to post that essay i wanted to share about our work. it is now published and can be found at http://www.yale.edu/yjil/current_issue.htm.
also, the world bank recently agreed to support our program for 3 years, which will allow us to double our geographic scope. there is a press release about this at http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=103454.
love to you all.
v
i loved nimit’s tribute to the sisters. i love all of you too and have loved watching you grow… into…women, scholars, professionals, mothers, wives, thinkers, seekers, dancers
i am honored to carry your love on my wrist. i’ve still got some 2005 joints on there!
Dearest family,
Kub, kub abhar for the warm birthday wishes. It is such a gift to have words and thoughts from home.
I had a nice birthday. I remembered how grateful I am to breathe and run and laugh and love and live.
I jogged in the morning in the hills of freetown, through an outdoor market and many huts, past aunties sweeping their yards and children toting water, along a stream and through a valley and then up onto a ridge from which the ocean exploded into view.
In the evening I had a little jam at the house: I served dal and chole and palak paneer and raita and a fruit bonanza of mango, papaya, watermelon, grapefruit. And banana bread. I taught the dandia raas to some 30 sierra leoneans. I had a carpenter in town make the sticks. It was a joy to see my friends here jumping and jamming to ordini ude to bale udi jai.
I left rock the cradle chop the wood out of my routine and am happy to report no injuries.
Abinandan and respect to Nalini kaki and Nina kaki.
I love you all and miss you all.
Am home at the end of the month and look forward to seeing everyone.
Some of you might wonder what I’ve been doing out here. I wrote an essay that tells the story of our work and am uploading it in case anyone is interested.
Thanks to Nimit for this wonderful new institution, and sorry to be so slow to contribute. My internet access is kinda rough out here…
Remembering all of you.
Vivek
