IV. A Bus Named Ruby

Today, I am working at Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health. So, this morning I planned to take the ACTREC bus to Belapur. I woke up early (not the usual 4:30 AM or so that I arise in the states, but around 5:45 AM), made myself a cup of tea, caught up on some early-morning (or late-night, as the case may be) e-mails, did my morning yoga routine, and went to have breakfast in the ACTREC canteen. Often when I eat here, I think of Dr. Jim Burch. I think that Jim would love this incredibly spicy and complicated cuisine that people here get to eat all the time! I don’t know many people who relish food more than Jim. He works on the Mumbai Cohort Study, too; so, I think that he should come here some time. I am pretty sure that he would agree.


I boarded this bus, with which I have gotten somewhat familiar (and a bit attached), at 8:39 AM. She pulled out at exactly 8:45 AM for the 15-minute trip to Belapur. I think of the bus as "she," as her name is Ruby and the only other Ruby I know is a woman. Ruby Drayton is an important member of the CPCP. Here is a picture of Ruby (on the right), with another CPCP member (and former student), Jaclyn Guess, on the left.

This trip takes about as long as my commute by car takes in Columbia, South Carolina. Of course, I don't have to drive; so, I can take in the scenery, think about the future and the past (every so often, the present; more on that later), and not have to worry about driving into something or getting a speeding ticket. Ruby travels one way very full (55 seated passengers) and usually travels the other way fairly empty. Still, I think the overall fuel efficiency is about 30 to 50 times higher than what I experience in my "little" Mazda back home when I am driving alone (which is most of the time). If I miss the 8:45 AM bus, then I have to wait two hours for another. Consequently, I need to be much more disciplined in my comings and goings than I would be in the states where I've gotten used to simply jumping in the car and going whenever, or pretty much wherever, I please. I like the feeling of being disciplined, but also tend to become a bit lazy when I don't have to adhere to some other schedule for the greater good of the whole.

When I got to Belapur I walked through the railway station and on into the offices of Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health. The first thing that greets someone after coming in the glass entry door on the sixth floor is a picture of Ganesh. Hindus look to Ganesh as the God of Wisdom; to whom people pray when they begin their day or start anything new. I like the concept of deliberately thinking about applying wisdom to our affairs – be they scientific, religious, spiritual, political, or how we treat the people with whom we interact on a daily basis. In this way, I think that we all can work more effectively (not to mention efficiently) in the greater service of humanity.