Gopalganj

So for the past two days we have been doing field visits in Gopalganj, a district which is northwest of Patna about 3-4 hours. However, the roads there are pretty great. Great in terms of I felt like I was on a road most of the time, which is pretty great.
The first day was a short day going around the District Health Society offices and the second day was a monster day trying to fit in interviews at 2 blocks. At each block to really do it right I’d need to talk to at least 8 people and to REALLY do it write probably more like 15. Usually with time and people not being where they are supposed to be, it turns into 6. Yesterday we did two blocks and 11 interviews.
My favorite experience of the day happened in a village about 1 hour from the district capital. We were walking around and Sanobar spotted a woman making a straw basket. On the way back she decided to find the woman and buy it. It turns out that the women in this village make these baskets for their daughters to carry their things to their husband’s households. They wouldn’t sell them because they just make them with grasses and wouldn’t take our money. So they gave Sanobar one, and then gave me one, and then someone else wanted to give us one, and then they couldn’t let visitors go with three presents so they gave us another one. It was so touching and I really wanted to give them something in return.. By the time we left most of the neighborhood and come out to see and send us off… :)
This morning we are headed up to West Champaran. This is the NW most part of Bihar and I’m kind of excited because it was part of my fake proposal to go here so now I really am going. :)
YAY