Pauses.

I haven't had a moment of respite over the last three-four days. Starting tomorrow, the lecture tour we've organized for Barbara Bryant, a prominent American litigator, author and professor on issues of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, kicks off. I'm going to the airport to receive her; her flight gets in at 1 a.m, but since I've been her main contact person at ICHRL, it'd be terrible of me not to go. Moreover she's a professor at Stanford Law School - just think how awesome it'd be to have a recommendation letter from her for my law school applications! I'm selfless and professional. No,listen - I really am.

Anyway, I briefly contemplated going AWOL, but who am I kidding? I'm just not cool enough to pull off the mysterious disappearing act. I'm not going to be around until the end of the month, because I'll be super busy with the conferences in Bombay, after which I'll head to Ahmedabad and then Delhi on work.

In Bombay, we're holding a 2 day conference on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in collaboration with the Maharashtra State Commission for Women (puke), to bring the issue into the forefront. We have some fantastic speakers from a variety of sectors - government, public, private, academic, media, social - so I'm really excited about it. The conference culminates in the press release of our training film and training package, which includes a book fully authored by me! So despite the ridiculous amount of running around and stress that has plagued my life lately, I am really quite excited about this conference.

Ahmedabad, I'm not looking forward to at all. Delhi has potential since it's a National Consultation on Sexual Harassment, but I'm not going with very, uh, exciting people. Still, Rajdhani train journeys are always fun, and the conference should be an experience to say the least.

I have to run off soon to make calls to 7897 people, but I just want to leave a few notes to people who I (very unfortunately) don't have time to e-mail individually:

Andy: I was away when you sent me the message on MSN. I was all set to send your letter when the Bombay floods happened, and I was stuck indoors for a week. I forgot all about it until I got your message (I'm a terrible friend, I know :()so there's a letter to you sitting pretty in my house, waiting to be sent off to Montreal. It will be done soon, I promise. I miss you!

Carly: You're in my facebook picture *and* in my heart - ha! Thank you so much for talking to Davesh; please please please e-mail me when you know what's happening. You're an angel.

Jenna: December 27th cannot come soon enough - please keep me updated on your trip, so I know if I should take one day off work or two!

Rosemary: I'll call you on the 1st or 2nd of November or thereabouts, okay? It was SO SO good to talk to you the other night :)

Also, just to make sure you're all truly updated on my life: Today as I was sitting in the State Commission office, fuming over rigid hierarchies and inefficiency, my lovely but decidedly ancient blue-green-silver sari material pants tore. From the crotch down to my mid-thigh. Thank God for unsightly Jansports.