Foreigners were quite the attraction in this small Andhra Pradesh village. It was always a little disconcerting, but here it came with a truly sad note. One of the women (not pictured here), was convinced that we should take her baby back to the United States. "Here, she will have no school. she will have no food. In America she will be fat and happy." It took the better part of an hour to explain that even though yes, her baby was beautiful and healthy, we would not be allowed to bring her into our country. To the end she seemed sure that if only her baby was a little more beautiful we would have been swayed.

It's difficult to see someone who loves their child and yet thinks the best thing she can do for her is to give her away to complete strangers. It's one of those times when overwhelming guilt makes me wish I could travel in complete invisibility.