I tried to post the remaining three photos of Jodhpur, but the kiddie computer I’m borrowing is finding the photos a little difficult to handle. So, next time.
I’d really like to have something good to say.But today i am overwhelmed again. The street harasment is really wearing me down. I get harassed EVERY day, walking to school and walking home. There is a group of men who hang out on the roof of a neighboring building and try to peep in my window. Whenever I open my curtains they all point and move closer to my window and stare at me. I am harassed even in my own room. Men follow me around in stores, they call at me on the street, they fall silent and stare when I walk by. In Jodhpur I was stared at a LOT and I was groped by someone walking by our rickshaw. EW. I am SO SICK of all of these men who think they can just get into my personal space. I AM NOT PUBLIC PROPERTY. Fuck off, assholes. Unfortunately I can’t say that in Hindi, and anyway, doing so might escalate the situation.
I am also really sick of all the priviledge the men in the language program don’t realize they have. Today we were assigned a “scavenger hunt” which involves going out and talking to members of the public. Of course this is easy for men to do, so the men in my group immediately suggested that we split up the work. They don’t seem to realize that a single American woman can NOT just start random conversations on the street. Hell, if I am seen as available for harassment just by being in public, what will happen if I try talking to strange men? The male students have such priviledge here that they don’t even have to consider their personal safety.
Today i am just so mad. I get harassed constantly and it’s exhausting. And there is literally no escape. I finally broke down and talked to a teacher about it today. She’s going to help me with the peeping toms, but the regular street harassment she can’t do much about. Even my friends have noticed that I’m getting it worse than most people. I dress pretty modestly, so the only thing we can suppose is because I’m tall (taller than most women here) and blond. Ugh.
I’m still looking for a good story to tell about things lately. But really, I still just want to go home.
