Kochi Sketching

So since I am technically here to draw and paint, everyday I try to do some sketching. It's currently monsoon season in Kerala, which means it can start raining and any time and there are multiple-day periods of overcast and dreary weather, which can make it difficult to do any drawing outside. However, there are breaks in these rainy periods. I think I've figured out a pattern: if it rains during the day it will be pretty clear at night and vice versa. Usually it comes in 3-4 day periods, so it will be rainy for a few days and then clear for a few days. Anyways, the point is that I have to take advantage of the sunny days to sketch outside. Since kochi is on the coast and is renowned for its huge old school Chinese fishing nets, I go sit on one of the benches that overlooks the water/nets to draw. There is a little pathway that runs along the coast with a bunch of benches on it. This is a favorite spot for locals to come sit or walk. At first I found it dfficult to do any artwork here and limited myself to very quick watercolors because people would come and stand next to me and sort of bother me (and as a result my first few watercolors are pretty poor). Now I've sort of gotten used to the passersby, and I've come into a rhythm where if I am focusing intently enough on my drawing or painting, people still come and stand very close next to me to watch me draw but they typically don't bother me. Instead they chat amongst themselves and look at/gesture towards whatever I'm drawing. It's a very strange experience, mostly because there is a lot of pressure on me to be doing a good drawing! But I'm hoping that what I'm really doing is causing people to take a look at something that would otherwise have gone unnoticed (like a tree) and contemplate its beauty.