Forgive me if this entry is short.  I guess I owe you a less sprawling entry given my last one was long enough to make your eyes bleed. The reason for its brevity is the one computer I used to work on when the power was functioning, suffered some trauma yesterday.  After plugging the laptop into an external power source in the Ghat Niche office, the combination of its old battery and a power surge delivered an unprecedented display of fireworks.  The lap-top jumped three feet in the air, a fireball bloomed from its underbelly, and it landed on a table which proceeded to catch on fire.  Luckily I'd gotten up to turn off a light on the other side of the room, otherwise I'd have a pizza face of burnt plastic and hard drive shards.  I have never seen anything like it.  Never actually heard of anything like it.  Yet it was the 4th of July after all. 

I feel extremely guilty because the laptop belongs to a colleague of mine, Jyostna, who supports her sister through university on her meager salary and can't afford another computer.  I also didn't bring my own computer after losing my first one to a power surge in Lao and not being able to buy a new one should it be stolen or shot by an electricity fluctuation here.  I was reprimanded once I arrived for not bringing my own and then in turn having to borrow someone else's.  Therefore I'm experiencing remorse and a strange sense of I-toldja-so righteousness for following my gut. 

Should I have had some time after writing up my report yesterday on the computer that-no-longer-is, I would have told you that I've completed my report on malnutrition in MP and had an incredible experience throughout the interview process. I would have told you that Keena and I had the opportunity to take road trips to Mandu and Maheshwar to visit ancient forts, temples, and 300 year old handloom weaving communities.  I would have told you that I'm in love with the people here and I don't know how I'll say goodbye to them next week.  I would have told you that I was chased by Punjabi high school kids on a field trip in Mandu for pictures, giving me a strange empathy for Princess Diana's paparazzi aversion.  I would have told you that I've reached a relatively conclusive decision on my future research trajectory, informed largely by my experience here (I will elaborate on this in my last entry in two weeks). 

Unfortunately Caca Jii is revving up the truck to wind us back down the ghat to Neem Kheda and I'll have to post this prematurely.  Namaste aur angle hafte milenge Aparna!