And echoes with the sound of baseball...

Ok...first one to name the song reference gets 100 rupees.

So March Madness doesn't have quite the same appeal to my Indian cohorts as is does to those back home in Ctown and the Chi. I've still stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to watch my Dookies stave off elimination and advance to the SWEET 16. It's been a while since I've been able to say that and am currently savoring the flavor.

With that being said I've attempted to put my time to decidedly better use. Getting back to the gym, attempting to regulate my sleep routine (definitely the most physically challenging task I've encountered here); I now have an even greater appreciation for my mother working 3rd shift for 30 years so that she could be home when my sister and I arrived from school and to make dinner every night. Even cutting back on the cigs in a genuine effort to quit.

In an attempt to propel this change into my social life I decided to volunteer my time at a local orphanage this past weekend. I arrived at the ASPA orphanage Saturday afternoon not really knowing what to expect. In the rickshaw ride there I pictured a dilapidated building with malnourished, scantily clad children who had been cast off into the banes of society. What I came to find was quite the opposite.

After introducing myself to several of the other volunteers and exchanging pleasantries it was time to get to work. We started by passing out boxed snacks (which included juice boxes, tuna sandwiches and muffins to my disbelief) to every child. The notion of malnourished kids clothed in tattered rags quickly went by the wayside. These kids were healthy and happy. Wearing either their school uniforms (eerily reminiscent of my parochial school past) or the most western of wear (think Nike tee's and Levis). How could they be orphans?

The children were divided up by age group in different classrooms, and the volunteers were given the choice as to who they wanted to interact with. Most were suckers for the younger kids (ages 2 - 10) and really how could you blame them? Cute little Indian kids longing for attention...not really a tough sell. I decided to venture upstairs to see what the older kids were up to. The scene was no different than from that of a high school in Anytown, USA. Boys either teasing girls that they actually pined for or picking on each other to determine the alpha male of the group. The girls fending off the boys "immature" advances while immersed in the latest gossip.

They welcomed me in immediately and I was quickly awash with questions. Where are you from...are you married...do you like India...how did you get such blue eyes...what's your favorite food...do you play cricket?

Do I play cricket...no, but I've wanted to try it.

So it's time for sports and activities and basically two games are going to start; futbol (soccer) or cricket. I decide to continue today's theme of stepping outside my comfort zone...cricket it is!
I'll sum up my cricket experience with the following exchange between one of the kids on my team and myself.

Kid: "Do you play baseball?"
Me: "Yeah, well, I did when I was your age"
Kid "I can tell"

...This was not meant as a compliment.
Two games of cricket, a few kicks of the soccer ball and a quick dancing session which I was lured into by a girl of about 8 and it was time for lunch.

Abbey, the organizer of the event, quickly appointed me "biriyani trowler". I was elbow deep in chicken biriyani for the next hour, and it gave me a great opportunity to see just how thankful and polite these children were. Please and thank you came from every mouth and were usually accompanied by a wide smile. The simple act of serving these kids lunch was the highlight of my day and is one that I will not soon forget.

Time for arts and crafts. The event was built around this portion of the day. Each child and volunteer would be given a blank white t-shirt which they were to paint, with the top 5 kids in each class receiving a prize for the most creative and artistic final product. I teamed up with 3 teenagers in the corner of the room and after some quick brain storming we were off and painting. I decided that my shirt would be a visual representation of my day. From the rickshaw ride, to the boxed snacks, cricket bat and ball, a plate of biriyani and finally a paint brush and color palate. Anyone who knows me understands that my artistic aptitude is less than prodigious and ultimately my shirt looked liked it was painted by one of the 4 year olds in the classroom downstairs. So be it...at least one of the kids in my group won a new soccer ball for his self portrait, depicted from behind, standing under an arch of the words "Street Boys"...the groups "gang". When I inquired about the "gang" it became clear that their activities involved chasing girls, watching Bollywood movies and playing cricket...pretty much what I expected.

After a few pictures with the group, goodbye handshakes and hugs it was time to go. As I was walking out a boy of about twelve stopped me and introduced himself. He had an obvious speech impediment but made sure that he thanked me for coming and hoped that I would return. I told him that I enjoyed the experience and that if given the opportunity I'd be back for certain. As I started to walk away he noticed my t-shirt and asked if he could have it. I didn't even have a chance to process why he didn't have one as the word "Sure" came cascading from my mouth and the t-shirt from my clutch. I tossed it to him "Mean Joe Greene style" and walked off.

As much as I sometimes long for a Budweiser, a burger, or my girlfriend; India certainly has it's moments.