The Chaos Within - A week to go...
First off, thank you to anonymous for the comment. Appreciated it. And we welcome your engagement with the issue.
Today's the 24th of November, in a week it will be World AIDS Day... not too clear why the 1st of December has been plucked out of the other 365(should probably google this query), but no doubt every other day is somehow dedicated to men and gods and the odd apple tree.
World AIDS Day meant little to us a year ago. I missed it completely and I was watching out for it too. Life's blinkers somehow got in the way - and I can't even remember what the blinkers were! Such is the power of the inconsequential.
The DISHA team comprises predominantly of ex-housewives from the community. There were a few working mums of course, and the odd struggling student like Santosh, but overall the DISHA team was immersed in the puddles and pools of life a year ago. Tadiwala Road didn't have blinkers on, they just all blinked, collectively, millions and millions of eye lashes fell like guillotines, and World AIDS Day 2004 passed them by.
This year there is a disruption or disturbance in the force that is already felt within Tadiwala Road. World AIDS Day is on the lips of the youth that are playing for the DISHA Cricket trophy and the novelty of a day set aside for such a stigmatised disease has intrigued this community that has only just begun to understand what HIV/AIDS is about.
We are calling our World AIDS Day event a Celebration of Life. A community dance troupe has formed to dance HIV/AIDS into the Tadiwala Road psyche; a Polish jazz singer from the Le Meridian hotel has come forward to sing, and although her words may not be understood by all the essence will be felt; the local school that won the street play competition will perform on this evening; the Mayor of Pune and the former cricket captain of India will all add to rhythm and colour of our celebration; SAHARA Care home has promised to dance for us too... I can't wait to see what Errol's costume will be! You can't have colour without Errol and his team. They are blue and green, vivid red and peaceful white. You smell their colours. It intoxicates; Jyoti has courageously come forward to stand up on stage at the open air venue in the heart of the community and proclaim her HIV+ status.
It all happening, and hopefully the Pune that has never experienced slum life will be amongst us. The comfortable that don't so much have guillotine eye lashes but crusty Pauline scales that must fall and become dust.
Celebration of Life! Come join us on the 1st of December at 6pm. If you want directions either call Smiler on 9823043350 or Hans on 9823599274.
Today's the 24th of November, in a week it will be World AIDS Day... not too clear why the 1st of December has been plucked out of the other 365(should probably google this query), but no doubt every other day is somehow dedicated to men and gods and the odd apple tree.
World AIDS Day meant little to us a year ago. I missed it completely and I was watching out for it too. Life's blinkers somehow got in the way - and I can't even remember what the blinkers were! Such is the power of the inconsequential.
The DISHA team comprises predominantly of ex-housewives from the community. There were a few working mums of course, and the odd struggling student like Santosh, but overall the DISHA team was immersed in the puddles and pools of life a year ago. Tadiwala Road didn't have blinkers on, they just all blinked, collectively, millions and millions of eye lashes fell like guillotines, and World AIDS Day 2004 passed them by.
This year there is a disruption or disturbance in the force that is already felt within Tadiwala Road. World AIDS Day is on the lips of the youth that are playing for the DISHA Cricket trophy and the novelty of a day set aside for such a stigmatised disease has intrigued this community that has only just begun to understand what HIV/AIDS is about.
We are calling our World AIDS Day event a Celebration of Life. A community dance troupe has formed to dance HIV/AIDS into the Tadiwala Road psyche; a Polish jazz singer from the Le Meridian hotel has come forward to sing, and although her words may not be understood by all the essence will be felt; the local school that won the street play competition will perform on this evening; the Mayor of Pune and the former cricket captain of India will all add to rhythm and colour of our celebration; SAHARA Care home has promised to dance for us too... I can't wait to see what Errol's costume will be! You can't have colour without Errol and his team. They are blue and green, vivid red and peaceful white. You smell their colours. It intoxicates; Jyoti has courageously come forward to stand up on stage at the open air venue in the heart of the community and proclaim her HIV+ status.
It all happening, and hopefully the Pune that has never experienced slum life will be amongst us. The comfortable that don't so much have guillotine eye lashes but crusty Pauline scales that must fall and become dust.
Celebration of Life! Come join us on the 1st of December at 6pm. If you want directions either call Smiler on 9823043350 or Hans on 9823599274.
posted by Deep Griha at 4:00 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home