Grrr...

So, I used to think that doing research was difficult. I thought that having to spend hours in the library, online, and talking to various people was somewhat of an arduous task. I now consider such activities to be a great privilege. At this point I realize that being able to actually go to a library, using a computer whenever I feel like it, and ultimately talking to people in a common tongue is truly something that I took for granted back home. I'm finalizing my research proposal, and the various challenges that I'm facing in regards to the above mentioned things are driving me nuts. Ok, enough said...the rant is over. That's all I've got...The moral of this story is that researching in a foreign place, where computer, library, and language barriers are huge, makes for an extremely frustrating experience...gotta love it though!

Also, I've changed my research topic. I was doing the dating thing, but for a number of reasons it panned out to be far to ambitious for one three weeks of research and one week of write up. Instead, I'm going back to Oogna, and I'll be working with my friend Nareshji. My focus is going to be on basic education reform. Further, I hope to posit as to what function education has in a rural setting. It is agreed that education has intrinsic value, but what function will it serve in a setting where an agrarian lifestyle is predominate? Again, basic literacy and math skills are useful almost in any context, but what purpose will higher/highschool education serve? It seems as though most of the children who get this higher education end up going to cities. What will this mean for the cities? What will this mean for the villages? Can the cities handle an influx of educated people who are not only looking for places to live, but also jobs? Can India deal with a rapid urbanization scheme...in short this is what i hope to address in my research. So, to conclude...blah, blah, blah...just kind of like my mood today.


Much love,
Be well,
~sETH