My days in Mumbai are dwindling. Two weeks from today (at almost exactly this time), I will be landing at JFK. What a strange thought.
With my time here waning, and a college friend visiting, I’ve been doing a little last-minute touring. I revisited the Jehangir Art Gallery, the Gateway of India, and Colaba Causeway. I stopped into a favorite store for the last time, and I did my touristy street shopping (Bombay t-shirts? Check! Mehendi cones? Check! Indian jewelry? Check! Another pair of leather sandals? Check!).
I have two weeks left in India and 7 days left of work (until I’m unemployed! Yikes!). I’ve done so much, and yet, as I clean through my papers and finish my last projects, I realize that there’s so much left for me to do. As Rabbi Tarfon said, “the day is short and the task is great.” I see the true greatness of his wisdom when he added, “it is not your task to finish the work… but neither can you desist from it.” Rabbi Tarfon recognized that there are so many things that need our help, and I am proud to say that I didn’t avoid it just because the immensity of the work is beyond words. Then again, I’m glad it’s not my job to fix it all, either! It should be enough to say I’ve contributed, but I wish there were more I could have accomplished through this year.
On another note, take a couple minutes to read this article from my friend Melissa Weiss, who wrote for her college newspaper, The Diamondback. She beautifully states the feeling of moving to a new country (for her, South Korea), adapting, facing challenges, and thinking about moving on.
2 Comments
June 23, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Awww, thanks for the shoutout!
June 24, 2009 at 2:00 am
omg! you guys are amazing. my throat got a lump looking down off the bridge…what a year!