(It was Thursday night that I got the offer to go to Nellore)

When Ravee invited me to go to Bali with him on business for the weekend, I wanted to say yes but I knew I had to say no. Evading the country is not the way to solve loneliness, and even with Bali in my sight, I knew that running from India would not stop it from coming for me. Also, the $800 ticket and my genuine desire to conquer my fears and understand this country made the decision easier. While getting to know Ravee better has given me great insight into India, I am not here for a vacation. I know he offers me these opportunities out of genuine concern for my wellness since I’ve seemed so sad, but even I know I have to get my act together sometime. So after I turned down Bali, Ravee offered me a couple days at a beach north of Chennai. I laughed. Ravee, I am here to understand India, to do service! I cannot sit on a beach all day! He offered to tell me a bit more about the site I would be at and soon, we were getting somewhere. Ravee, while he is a business man, is a man with a conscious- he is, afterall, chairman of the Bapagrama. He has told me of his past in which he had a hard life of near poverty, and seems to truly appreciate and understand how lucky he is and how important it is to give back. Also, he is the best example of time management I have ever seen, but thats another story. Anywho, the project is along a port near Nellore. The port will soon be the largest in India, with over 70 acres available for docking and stationing. This port is also owned by a man who owns two other large ports in India. How one man own three gateways to a country reminds me that the world can sometimes baffle me- but anywho, this man is building a guest home on his port. The home is a work of art fresh from the minds of Ravee’s incredible team, but also pays homage to the people that are building it. This port will offer 3,000 new jobs to Indian citizens, and also, while working on the construction, offers homes and food to its employees, many of whom seemingly cannot afford much of either. The owner of this port has also built many homes for low income families, as well as free homes for victims of the tsunami. Anywho, this guy has lots of money, but also a conscious. I appreciate this. Ravee said it would be interesting for me to see how Indian infrastructure is being expanded. This is a perfect example of how the Indian people are becoming more and more globally connected and internationally important. Furthermore, being a part of this project affords me the opportunity to talk to these people, who seemingly are benefitting from the project- to get a real view at the way the hierachy works and if in reality, the project is making positive changes across the board. Another part of the project that really moved me is that Ravee’s hope upon finishing each building he builds is that the owners of the new construction will invite the builders to have dinner at the home. This is already planned for this site. Ravee believes that achitechture can have meaningful, lasting impacts on communities and help to break down the caste system, piece by piece. This sounds like something I’d like to be a part of. Only problem is that if I want into the building, I need a reason to be. The port itself is under strict security and I will need a reason on and a day lounging on the beach will not get me access to the workers. So we got to thinking and talking, and then we had it- I’m an artist, duh! I’ll be in charge of interior design. This all sounded so wonderful until I realized Ravee is totally serious. He wants me to go in, without any previous experience in interior design and begin picking the art, the silver wear, the dishes, the candles.. all the small details for this home. And also, have access to the people that work for him and a chance to see how this system of hierachy functions on a day-to-day level. I’m honored with this offer, but obviously quite nervous. Another night spent not sleeping. I had to wake up at 5 to be out by 6 for the trip, its 5+ hours to Nellore, and surprisingly, they were very, very good hours.