Sorry there hasn't been a post in quite a while, many small things have happened, but few big things. Partly, this is because we didn't go away for the weekend (Kyla went to Kovalum with Lucy and some others, but Lisette is planning on going later and I wasn't really dying to see it, besides after getting back to the hospital on Weds I was ready to stay put for a while).
We did have a few little adventures. Weds afternoon, Kyla had arranged for us to go visit an orphanage nearby. She had met the Father in charge when he brought some of hte children to Dr. Banus office for check-ups. At 4;30, he picked us up in a Jeep with another priest, a German who was involved in the parent organization that started this orphanage. Apparently, they also run things in Europe which Lisete had heard of (SOS Villages for my more cosmopolitan readers) we chatted a bit in the car about the project and adoption in INdia generally (not done very much). Some of what the German Father (Father Francis) was saying stuck me as a little...off somehow. He said that the funders had wnated to start and orphanage here to help the children of Tsnami victims (we are landlocked, but they get children from around Tamil Nadu, apparently), but it was hard to get children because the government also offered funds so to extended families or grandparents if they would take in the children. He seemed to imply that most of these people would only take in children for the money, and maybe that's so (it can't hurt if you're going to bring in an extra family memeber to also have extra resources) but given what I've seen of families here, it doesn't seem out of place at all that they would rely on the extended famliy as a support network. In the doctors' family, though certainly wealthy by Indian standards, you often see the younger cousins being babysat by the older ones, aunts and uncles carrying kids around, and the grandparents are fully involved in their lives. Granted, they aren'ts RAISING the kids, and it must be hard to run around after a two yera old when your a grandparents (though grandparents are very young here, sometimes in their late 30s). So, I wasn't really feeling his pain that there weren't enough kids for his orphanage.
Still, when we got to the orphanage, I was impressed. It wasnt one building, but a series of 10 houses, each different on hte outside and arrranged in a ring around a mango graove. Each house holds about 10 kids (boys and girls, all ages) though only 4 were filled right now. Each house also has a house "Mother" or, in one case, couple, who lives in the house, cooks, cleans, looks after the kids when they are not in school, and makes them do their homework. There is a special team of two mothers who take care of the few kids not old enough to go to school yet. The houses were reall nice, very clean with one big sleeping room for the boys, one for the girls, a central living room, shared bathrooms for each (with showers), big kitchen (with fridge!) and suite for the mother. Most of the mothers choose to sleep with the girls, though, or in the main room with the smaller children. Every night they divide by ages to do haomework, then have prayers (though they are not required ot go and the children can have Hindu icons in their rooms if they are Hindu), have a home-cooked dinner and then sleep. Saturdays are for cleaning the house and more homework, Sundy is for Church and then free time. The kids that we saw were really happy, clearly adored Father Benjamin (who was in charge) and were delighted to see themselves in the photos on our digita camera.
We had some tea, then went on a tour of hte houses (where thechildren saranaded us with"Rain rain, go away") and the amin building, which wasn't completeed yet. This is going to have space for records, admin stuff, living quarters for the priests and volunteers (way nicer than ours), and a multi-faith room (with removable cross and Shivas?...I have no idea.) The place was really well designed, and Father Francis kept picking on every detail (window catches, where doors would be placed, ect) to make it perfect.
We went back to the kids houses for prayres (which wree in Tamil, so I couldnt follow at all), and then had dinner with the Fathers in the house they are staying at till the main one is completed. Father Francis told us about lots of good tourists attractions in South India that we might want to see, and a little bit about the changes he'd seen in the 20 years he'd been coming to India. It was funny that he was so expert in the developmen and sights of the area but, when we sat down, was the only one who used a knife and fork and didn't know what Channa masala was. We also had to teach him "Thank you" and "Goodnight" in Tamil. Anyway, aftera really nice dinner we were driven back to the hospital, about 9:30. Of course, Kyla and I stopped by the deleivery room to see if there was a birth in progress. There was, an we stayed up till 12:00 watching.
Other than that the only excitment was this weekend. I needed to do school stuff, and am trying to be mindfull of costs, so I opted to stay home. Still, on Saturday Lisette, John (the scottish volunteer wh ocame last week) and I took a quick bus trip to a local national park, just to wak around and see the sights. The park was lovely, a windy raod up the Ghat moutains, with lots of green palm trees, rivers and waterfalls, and little red salamanders. It was technically a tiger reserve, but we were not too disappointed not to have seen one. I asked if anyone knew what to do in case of seeing a tiger, and John wisely replied that it wa pretty much up to the tiger.
We had a really nice conersation too, about home and royal families, national holidays, and health care and politics, and TV shows. Apparently, the Dutch royal family has had some pretty interesting charaters as well (including a princess who was once a gangers moll). John is a medical student who went to St. Ansrews but didn't like it and wanted to take a year off to reapply to another school. We spent the late morning there, got back around 4ish. That night, we went out to a different resturant, known to the docotrs as "The Chicken PLace". Itwas downa back ally which looked like it was leading no where, but then you find a lovely outdoor restaruent, where they bring you pakota and side dishes and amazing Tandoori chicken (secret recepie, apparently) and then an omlette. It was delishious, and the prefect end to the day.
Last night we went to Dr. Gigi's house for dinner, which she kept promising we would do but hasn't scheduled. Her son (also in med school) was home because of flooding at this school, so we chatted with him and her adorable, very exhuberent 12 year-old daughter. I think she has a little crush on John (he was over there the weekend we went to Kochin), because she kept trying to manuvre so she could sit next to him and asking him to play Uno with her. It was cute. We had reall good rice-panckaes with chicken curry, fresh salad and masala fried sardines. After dinner, Dr. Gigi suggetsed that we might watch a Tmial movie while she did rounds. Her house in really nice, with a flat screen TV and lots of movies to choose from. Most of them wree in English, though and Tamli quickly got outvoted (even by me) for Armageddon, which seemed like exatl the kind of dumb Americna movie we were all craving. Truns out I can see why all my gy friends liked it in 8th grade. As bad movie go, though, it was pretty awesome. It also led to some funny discussion from Lisette about how it really wouldn't be so bad if the asteroid did hit...which earned her some looks from us. Lisette, Kyla and I were delighted to find that Dr. Gigi owns The Sound of Music, and are planning a girls movie night if she says ok (we could ask Jane, her daughter, I'm sure she'd love a sleep-over).
We stayed until the asteroid got blowed up, then suggled into bed at 12:30. Luckily, there was no sugery this morning, so I had a chance ot catch pu on some sleep.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
In which Alison learns of the strange customs of India and the even more exotic Jews: OR "Think of me in thrity years"
This weekend, Kyla, Lisette, Lucy and I boarded a first-class train at 8:30 pm for an 8 hour trip to Kochin. We rode first class because we didnt have another option, by the time we went to get the train tickets that was all that was left. Still, it was rather exciting, our first overnight train (arriving at 3:45am) to someplace that sounded really interesting. The rest of the volunteers would be meeting us at the station in Kochin (since they are all coming from different places.
First class is different from second class (which is what we had generally taken) in a number of different ways. First, there is glass in the windows. The cars are A/c, which means that the girls complained about how cold it was rather than how hot (they also declined to use the still warm sheets that were handed out to us at 9pm...sometimes it's nice to be pampered!) Second, there are only two 'tiers' of bunks (just top and lower, no middle) so each one has more room and you can put all of the bunks out and still sit. This is nice because everyone has a bunk to sit on automatically (though the top buks dont have windows, but at night that matters less). Finally, each compartment of 4 bunks separates off from the main hallway with a curtain, so you can make it pretty dark. All in all, really nice, if pricey. We weren't all i a compartment together (two and two) so Kyla and Lucy (who are thick as theives when together) took one and Lisette and I went into ours. We had a lower and upper reserved, but there were two gentlemen seated on the lower seats, so we climbed u to the top. They started striking up a conversation, and I hopped down to chat a while. They were two IT tech guys from Chenni, on their way to a tiny town for a friends wedding (a love match, they worked with both the bride and groom). The spoke great English, since they spent all night talking to "you people" (a phrase which everyone uses here, but which grates wrong on my nevertheless...it's just so rude sounding), answering IT questions. So if you guys callup IT and talk to "Rich" (Sureash,really) you might be speaking to my new friend. They had a lot of fun teaching me Tamil words, including how to say "Are you fine here, we are having fun in our compartment" and sending me down the train to say it too Lucy and Kyla. They looked at me like I had gone completely mad.
They got off, giving me their e-mail and offering to take me around when I'm in Chenni, and Kyla and Lucy came over to our bunk to sleep. Everything was going great, until some guy down the car fell asleep and stsarted the worst snoring I have ever heard (yes, worse than Dad that night in CT). It was awful, and there was nothing we could doabout it save try to "accidentally"fall on him when we got up to go to the bathroom. I think that the other girls got a little sleep, but I was up until we hit the station. We called Projects Abraod, letting them know that we were at the station, and they responded with a confused "WE'RE at the station...we dont see you". It took a few minutes to figure out that we were at different stations, in the same town, though.They had buses to take us to the hotel, so they came by and picked us up, and we settled in for a 30 minute nap.
Kochin is made up really of three islands, connected by land bridges. Ernakulum, where we came in, is the most modern island. Fort Kochin, where we were staying, is the one with all the history. One of the oldest and biggest spic centers in Kerala, it was a very cosmopolitan city, with a Dutch palace and a large Jewish population. Now, its still a fishing hub and tourist spot, but coast towns are always fun to prowl around in. The organized activity for the day was going to a water park (the biggest in India) but I decided to take a pass (not much into waterparks anyway, and certainly not what I came here to do). There wasnt anyfuss about it really, but maybe they realized you REALLY shouldnt mess with a stubborn 25 year-old on 3 hours of sleep. Anyway, we took the bus for breakfast near the beach in the heart of town, where we got good eggs at my table though some people had to wait quite a while. It was pouring cats and dogs, so people were unenthused about the water park (though most said that they were going just to hang out with the other volunteers...) as I was gettting ready to go, one of the guys walked over to me and asked if I wasn't going either. I said no, and he asked if he and another girl could walk around with me. I almost said no, but I figured that the kind of person who doesn't want to go to a waterpark is a pretty safe bet, and we headed out. His name was Malte, hers Juliana and they were both from Germany. They were really great and down to earth, we basically went to the shore to see the famous Chinese fishing nets and then started walking around the island toward Jew Town (as the old area of town is called). We passed through the spice market, which was full of tiny narrow streets and wholesale dealers in tea, saffron, curry and other spices. Then antiques dealers, Kashmiri silk merchants and other shops started to lnie the streets. We reached the old synagogue, but couldnt go in (closed saturdays) so we wandered toward the Jain temple, through a more lived in part of town. It was here that I started to get so hungry I thought I would faint, so we popped into a local cafe (no a/c, wooden tables and chairs, dark room) I was afraid that my companions would veto this eating option (the only one I could see in the area) but they were game and we got served incredible masala dosas (thin rice pancakes stuffed with veggie curry). When we got up to pay, Malte hit the counter first and the man said 27 rupees. Malte handed it over and then Lilianna went up to pay, while the man looked at her like she had gone mad. "27 rupees...for three". Probably the best value meal I've ever eaten.
The Jain temple was closed between 1:30 and 5:30 (which was probably just as well, as I would have had to decide whether to be honest and stay out as they requested because I was having my period, or figure it was the last day and no one would find out and go in). Malte and Lilianna went off walking some more, while I headed back to Jew Town and did way too much shopping. I remembered the three basic rules of haggling (1. Don't fall in love with something...if you do you're doomed, 2. Only accept the tea if you're really going to buy something, and 3. Only pay what you're happy with, don't worry about whether you're getting ripped off or not (you are)).
After an afternoon of shopping, I walked back considerable more laden down to the main area, and popped into an arts cafefor a snack of grilled cheese and iced tea before going to a Kathakali performance. Kathakali is the traditional dance/theater of Kerala, with elaborate makeup and costumes, and hand guestures that convey all of the dialogue. The story tonight was of a demon who spotted a beautiful young man (son of the god Inra) and fell in love with him, she turned herself into a lovely woman and he fell for her too, but needed to ask his father's permission before they could marry. The demon-girl insisted on marrying him now, and he turned on her and discovered what she really was. He then attacked her (now in demon form) and sent her back to the underworld. There were three dancers (the man, the demon, and the woman form) and of the three the one who played the woman was by far the best. His facial expressions were absolutly unmistakable, you cuold see the love, lust anger and pain at the rejection written right across his features. Unfortunatly, this had the effect of making the play a tragety (because you were rooting for the demon, and not a triumph). Still, it was really interesting, and afterwards I called home then took a ricksaw back to the hotel and went to bed.
The next morning, we got ready to go out on a scenic boatride to some of the site we had passed yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm. We split up for breakfast, and I ended up going alone to a little garden resturant of a hotel with orchids blooming from the trees. After brakfast, our boat stopped in at the Jew Town pier. Today we went into the synagogue, which serves a congragation of 13 people. Guides explained the building, which has tiles imported fromCHinea 100 years ago and 12 lass chandeleries (each different) from Italy. It was so strange to hear the guide talking to rapt audiences about the strange customs of the Jews, how this congragation had no minyan, (since they are orthodox and ladies don't count), or rabbi, how they keep the 'holy book', written on animal skin, behind a curtain and have no images of God anywhere. The Hindu vistors were intrigued. Fair play, I guess for constantly asking questions when the doctor takes us into temples.
After that, we got back on the boat and went around the harbor, then stopped at a restaruant with just a few of us for lunch. I had fish masala, and it was amazing. Probably the best fish I've ever had. After lunch, Kyla, Lizette and I had to get ready to go, we were not going back to the hospital but stopping in Trivandrum to go to an Aruvedic clinic (Indian traditional medicine). We took a ferry to Ernakulum (my suggestion, met with some skeptisim, but with worked out much fast and cheeper than taking a rickshaw all the way) and took a train to Trivandrum. We left about 5:15, and arrived about 10:10 (we took the local). We met Ballah (one of the coordinators) at the station. Ballah is one of my favorites, he played the word games wiht us in the car, and seems to understand the US/Canadian sense of humor. He also lets us question him merclessly about his forthcoming arranged marriage. His parents have the photos of 5 girls, and are trying to narrow it down before presenting him with a choice of two. He's confident that this will all work out well. I'm not sure what I think. It's not something I would want, but given how little men and woman get to see each other here, and how important family is, I would imagine that trusting your parents to find someone good for you isnt' the worst idea ever. And they have to like her, her parents have to like you, and then you have to like eachother (at least at first meeting), which is a lot of layors of scuteny for someone to go through. And Ballah is such a great guy, really sweet and flexible, happy to let his wife work or stay home, whichever she wants, that I'm sure him parents will fine someone good for him. I wish it would be while I'm here, but its at least a year away. I'm seriously concidering crashig the next wedding I see...given how we are treated like celebraties just walking down the street, I'm sure no one would mind.
Anyway. We arrived at the clinic late, went to sleep, and were awoken with tea in bed at 7:30. I loved this place already. After idlie for reakfast, we went to a class room where they talked to us about Ayuveda. I can't go into all of this now (this is already a RIDICULOUSLY long post) but basically you are made of homurs, and when they get out of wack you need herbs, oils and other treatments to makeoyu better. Some of the tretments sounded pretty out there (having medicated oil poured into a cone on your shaved head, having buttermilk poured all over you), while others were easier to understand (herbal nasal sprays of colds, sleeping over herbal humid smoke for breathing problems). There are different types of people (basically water, fire, and earth; determined by questions about your health and habits) and they are prone to different diseases. Tessa, the skinniest of us all, was told to watch out for obisity in later life, which seemed pretty funny. Just like allsystems that catagorize people, it had it's flaws, but it was neat that tretment varried according to their consitution. They offered us massages (something that you're supposed to do regulalarly to maintain health), but I was the only one who took them up on it.
I went into a room with a long wooden table, shaped like a person. Two women were there, warming oil over a little stove, and they had me undress and tied a tiny cloth aroud my waist. They then had me lie down on the table, and massaged me with the warmed oil (sandlewood, good for your beauty). It was awesome. They went really genetly on my feet and head (two of other most improtatnt places in Ayruvedic anatomy) but otherwise were firm and made all the aches from hours of train travel go away. After about 30 miuntes of massage in different positions, they went to the door or the room and looked out through the tiny crack, then covered me up with a towel. "Gents!" they said (no ony ever says men or women here, only gents and ladies). I was a little nervous that them ment gents were going to come into the room...but no one did and after a few minutes, when the class that was being held in the other room moved on ,theytook off the toweland kept going. They massaged oilinto my scalp and then put medicinal powder on the top of my head, a prime place to absorb things. After a few more minutes, we headed into the other room where a tub or warm water was waiting for me, and I was washed off all over (including my hair, the powder was reapplied after). It felt SO nice to be really clean, and my skin was so soft after. The next day was moreclasses, and a video on treatments, and then we took another train back to the hospital and "home". It was funny, but when we arrived in our restaurant, it really did feel like coming home. The waiters were very glad to see us, since poor John (the new guy) had been sick and hadn't visted them since we left. Poor kid.
First class is different from second class (which is what we had generally taken) in a number of different ways. First, there is glass in the windows. The cars are A/c, which means that the girls complained about how cold it was rather than how hot (they also declined to use the still warm sheets that were handed out to us at 9pm...sometimes it's nice to be pampered!) Second, there are only two 'tiers' of bunks (just top and lower, no middle) so each one has more room and you can put all of the bunks out and still sit. This is nice because everyone has a bunk to sit on automatically (though the top buks dont have windows, but at night that matters less). Finally, each compartment of 4 bunks separates off from the main hallway with a curtain, so you can make it pretty dark. All in all, really nice, if pricey. We weren't all i a compartment together (two and two) so Kyla and Lucy (who are thick as theives when together) took one and Lisette and I went into ours. We had a lower and upper reserved, but there were two gentlemen seated on the lower seats, so we climbed u to the top. They started striking up a conversation, and I hopped down to chat a while. They were two IT tech guys from Chenni, on their way to a tiny town for a friends wedding (a love match, they worked with both the bride and groom). The spoke great English, since they spent all night talking to "you people" (a phrase which everyone uses here, but which grates wrong on my nevertheless...it's just so rude sounding), answering IT questions. So if you guys callup IT and talk to "Rich" (Sureash,really) you might be speaking to my new friend. They had a lot of fun teaching me Tamil words, including how to say "Are you fine here, we are having fun in our compartment" and sending me down the train to say it too Lucy and Kyla. They looked at me like I had gone completely mad.
They got off, giving me their e-mail and offering to take me around when I'm in Chenni, and Kyla and Lucy came over to our bunk to sleep. Everything was going great, until some guy down the car fell asleep and stsarted the worst snoring I have ever heard (yes, worse than Dad that night in CT). It was awful, and there was nothing we could doabout it save try to "accidentally"fall on him when we got up to go to the bathroom. I think that the other girls got a little sleep, but I was up until we hit the station. We called Projects Abraod, letting them know that we were at the station, and they responded with a confused "WE'RE at the station...we dont see you". It took a few minutes to figure out that we were at different stations, in the same town, though.They had buses to take us to the hotel, so they came by and picked us up, and we settled in for a 30 minute nap.
Kochin is made up really of three islands, connected by land bridges. Ernakulum, where we came in, is the most modern island. Fort Kochin, where we were staying, is the one with all the history. One of the oldest and biggest spic centers in Kerala, it was a very cosmopolitan city, with a Dutch palace and a large Jewish population. Now, its still a fishing hub and tourist spot, but coast towns are always fun to prowl around in. The organized activity for the day was going to a water park (the biggest in India) but I decided to take a pass (not much into waterparks anyway, and certainly not what I came here to do). There wasnt anyfuss about it really, but maybe they realized you REALLY shouldnt mess with a stubborn 25 year-old on 3 hours of sleep. Anyway, we took the bus for breakfast near the beach in the heart of town, where we got good eggs at my table though some people had to wait quite a while. It was pouring cats and dogs, so people were unenthused about the water park (though most said that they were going just to hang out with the other volunteers...) as I was gettting ready to go, one of the guys walked over to me and asked if I wasn't going either. I said no, and he asked if he and another girl could walk around with me. I almost said no, but I figured that the kind of person who doesn't want to go to a waterpark is a pretty safe bet, and we headed out. His name was Malte, hers Juliana and they were both from Germany. They were really great and down to earth, we basically went to the shore to see the famous Chinese fishing nets and then started walking around the island toward Jew Town (as the old area of town is called). We passed through the spice market, which was full of tiny narrow streets and wholesale dealers in tea, saffron, curry and other spices. Then antiques dealers, Kashmiri silk merchants and other shops started to lnie the streets. We reached the old synagogue, but couldnt go in (closed saturdays) so we wandered toward the Jain temple, through a more lived in part of town. It was here that I started to get so hungry I thought I would faint, so we popped into a local cafe (no a/c, wooden tables and chairs, dark room) I was afraid that my companions would veto this eating option (the only one I could see in the area) but they were game and we got served incredible masala dosas (thin rice pancakes stuffed with veggie curry). When we got up to pay, Malte hit the counter first and the man said 27 rupees. Malte handed it over and then Lilianna went up to pay, while the man looked at her like she had gone mad. "27 rupees...for three". Probably the best value meal I've ever eaten.
The Jain temple was closed between 1:30 and 5:30 (which was probably just as well, as I would have had to decide whether to be honest and stay out as they requested because I was having my period, or figure it was the last day and no one would find out and go in). Malte and Lilianna went off walking some more, while I headed back to Jew Town and did way too much shopping. I remembered the three basic rules of haggling (1. Don't fall in love with something...if you do you're doomed, 2. Only accept the tea if you're really going to buy something, and 3. Only pay what you're happy with, don't worry about whether you're getting ripped off or not (you are)).
After an afternoon of shopping, I walked back considerable more laden down to the main area, and popped into an arts cafefor a snack of grilled cheese and iced tea before going to a Kathakali performance. Kathakali is the traditional dance/theater of Kerala, with elaborate makeup and costumes, and hand guestures that convey all of the dialogue. The story tonight was of a demon who spotted a beautiful young man (son of the god Inra) and fell in love with him, she turned herself into a lovely woman and he fell for her too, but needed to ask his father's permission before they could marry. The demon-girl insisted on marrying him now, and he turned on her and discovered what she really was. He then attacked her (now in demon form) and sent her back to the underworld. There were three dancers (the man, the demon, and the woman form) and of the three the one who played the woman was by far the best. His facial expressions were absolutly unmistakable, you cuold see the love, lust anger and pain at the rejection written right across his features. Unfortunatly, this had the effect of making the play a tragety (because you were rooting for the demon, and not a triumph). Still, it was really interesting, and afterwards I called home then took a ricksaw back to the hotel and went to bed.
The next morning, we got ready to go out on a scenic boatride to some of the site we had passed yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm. We split up for breakfast, and I ended up going alone to a little garden resturant of a hotel with orchids blooming from the trees. After brakfast, our boat stopped in at the Jew Town pier. Today we went into the synagogue, which serves a congragation of 13 people. Guides explained the building, which has tiles imported fromCHinea 100 years ago and 12 lass chandeleries (each different) from Italy. It was so strange to hear the guide talking to rapt audiences about the strange customs of the Jews, how this congragation had no minyan, (since they are orthodox and ladies don't count), or rabbi, how they keep the 'holy book', written on animal skin, behind a curtain and have no images of God anywhere. The Hindu vistors were intrigued. Fair play, I guess for constantly asking questions when the doctor takes us into temples.
After that, we got back on the boat and went around the harbor, then stopped at a restaruant with just a few of us for lunch. I had fish masala, and it was amazing. Probably the best fish I've ever had. After lunch, Kyla, Lizette and I had to get ready to go, we were not going back to the hospital but stopping in Trivandrum to go to an Aruvedic clinic (Indian traditional medicine). We took a ferry to Ernakulum (my suggestion, met with some skeptisim, but with worked out much fast and cheeper than taking a rickshaw all the way) and took a train to Trivandrum. We left about 5:15, and arrived about 10:10 (we took the local). We met Ballah (one of the coordinators) at the station. Ballah is one of my favorites, he played the word games wiht us in the car, and seems to understand the US/Canadian sense of humor. He also lets us question him merclessly about his forthcoming arranged marriage. His parents have the photos of 5 girls, and are trying to narrow it down before presenting him with a choice of two. He's confident that this will all work out well. I'm not sure what I think. It's not something I would want, but given how little men and woman get to see each other here, and how important family is, I would imagine that trusting your parents to find someone good for you isnt' the worst idea ever. And they have to like her, her parents have to like you, and then you have to like eachother (at least at first meeting), which is a lot of layors of scuteny for someone to go through. And Ballah is such a great guy, really sweet and flexible, happy to let his wife work or stay home, whichever she wants, that I'm sure him parents will fine someone good for him. I wish it would be while I'm here, but its at least a year away. I'm seriously concidering crashig the next wedding I see...given how we are treated like celebraties just walking down the street, I'm sure no one would mind.
Anyway. We arrived at the clinic late, went to sleep, and were awoken with tea in bed at 7:30. I loved this place already. After idlie for reakfast, we went to a class room where they talked to us about Ayuveda. I can't go into all of this now (this is already a RIDICULOUSLY long post) but basically you are made of homurs, and when they get out of wack you need herbs, oils and other treatments to makeoyu better. Some of the tretments sounded pretty out there (having medicated oil poured into a cone on your shaved head, having buttermilk poured all over you), while others were easier to understand (herbal nasal sprays of colds, sleeping over herbal humid smoke for breathing problems). There are different types of people (basically water, fire, and earth; determined by questions about your health and habits) and they are prone to different diseases. Tessa, the skinniest of us all, was told to watch out for obisity in later life, which seemed pretty funny. Just like allsystems that catagorize people, it had it's flaws, but it was neat that tretment varried according to their consitution. They offered us massages (something that you're supposed to do regulalarly to maintain health), but I was the only one who took them up on it.
I went into a room with a long wooden table, shaped like a person. Two women were there, warming oil over a little stove, and they had me undress and tied a tiny cloth aroud my waist. They then had me lie down on the table, and massaged me with the warmed oil (sandlewood, good for your beauty). It was awesome. They went really genetly on my feet and head (two of other most improtatnt places in Ayruvedic anatomy) but otherwise were firm and made all the aches from hours of train travel go away. After about 30 miuntes of massage in different positions, they went to the door or the room and looked out through the tiny crack, then covered me up with a towel. "Gents!" they said (no ony ever says men or women here, only gents and ladies). I was a little nervous that them ment gents were going to come into the room...but no one did and after a few minutes, when the class that was being held in the other room moved on ,theytook off the toweland kept going. They massaged oilinto my scalp and then put medicinal powder on the top of my head, a prime place to absorb things. After a few more minutes, we headed into the other room where a tub or warm water was waiting for me, and I was washed off all over (including my hair, the powder was reapplied after). It felt SO nice to be really clean, and my skin was so soft after. The next day was moreclasses, and a video on treatments, and then we took another train back to the hospital and "home". It was funny, but when we arrived in our restaurant, it really did feel like coming home. The waiters were very glad to see us, since poor John (the new guy) had been sick and hadn't visted them since we left. Poor kid.
In which Alison confessess to not knowing where people live: OR "What is your native place?"
I promise that tomorrow, when I have a little more time and control of my mouse, I will write about the great weekend that we just had, but for now: Will the following people please post or e-mail me their addresses in order to recieve the fabulous postcards that eagerly await them?
Andrew McDowell
Carrie Hackett
Rabbi Emily
Kathleen Cahalghan
David Lesht
Carol Mostow
Winnie Kessler
Faye Lesht
Anyone else who wants a postcard, feel free to send your address too!
Andrew McDowell
Carrie Hackett
Rabbi Emily
Kathleen Cahalghan
David Lesht
Carol Mostow
Winnie Kessler
Faye Lesht
Anyone else who wants a postcard, feel free to send your address too!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
In which Alison is very hands on: Or "That was your first time?!"
Yesterday was probably our biggest day at the hospital so far, and I realize that I havn't told you all what a typical day here is like, so I'll go through it step by step.
Our day starts at 6:00, when we wake up, get dressed and head down to the surgery. They are usually scheduled for 6:30, and we are almost always there before the doctor or the anesthisiologist. Yesterday was exciting because we were watching a loproscopy (where they do all the surgery inside and project onto a TV screen) which meant that Dr. Antony was the one doing the surgry. He is really nice, and always explains really well. This was a hysterectomy (severe endometriosis). They usually go pretty fast, but this one took almost 4 hours! The tissues were so fused together that it was very difficult to get the uterus out of the surroundings. Still, it was very interesting, and Dr. Antony explained a lot about internal anatomy, laproscopic technique, and why its sometimes infuriorating to work with your sister (Dr. Gigi was there to supervise the removal of the uterus through the vagina). It was 10 when we got out, and we ran to the canteen for coffee and teas before we went to consulations.
Consultations are when we sit with the doctor and watch them take care of patients. It can be really interesting, but since all the consultations are in Tamil it can also be an exercise in charades (to figure out what their complaint is). I was with Dr. Gigi (who explains the least of all the doctors) but its usually ok because the women carry medical records with them that are in English, so I can see if the patient is there for pre-natal, fertility, or some other OBGYN treatment. Today she was just getting started when I heard the nurses saying delivery in amoung their Tamil. Turns out there was a woman about to deliver twins in the labor ward, so I didn't let Dr. Gigi out of my sight for the entire morning (she has a tendency to disappear sometimes). Finally, about 1:30, she got the message that the twin were on the way. I ran to Dr. Banu's office (the pedeatrician, Kyla was there) and Dr. Roys (for Lisette) and we three were there to see the twins born. It was very neat, and the babies were tiny but full of personality. The boy was the shyer, but the girl was screaming her head off every time she was left alone. It was about 2:30 when we left (we usually go at 2pm) and we walked to lunch.
Lunch is at a restaurant about 15 minutes away from the hospital. We eat in the AC room, which was really great the first week but is becoming less nessisary now that it's a little cooler. The waiters get a real kick out of us, and we do out of them. They won't let us order some of hte things on the menu, because they are deemed "gross". The Channa masala, Palak Paneer, and Mixed Veg Masala are all excellent, as are lots of south Indian dishes that I've never had before. The will also give me warm milk, which I love in the evening, though I do get strange looks for it. I ordered it the first time trying to get COLD milk, but that just isn't going over the language barrier.
In the afternoon, we usually go to the internet or read until 5:30, when it's time for "needle nruse". Banumathi lets us fill the saringes, and lets Lisette (who is a 3rd year nursing student), push IV injections. It is SO much harder than it looks ot fill a seringe from a bottle of medicine. I'm glad I'm getting practice now! We do rounds to all of the patients who need injections, and half of hte fun is meeting the mothers, fathers, children, aunts and uncles who come iwht the sick person to the hostpital. The kids especailly are really funny, since they are encouraged by their parents to try their English on us. They are really amused when I ask them their names in Tamil. Even trying to speaks gets approving laughs (at least, I'm hoping that they're approving). At 7, Lisette sits with Dr. Roy for some more consultation. I often go with her (so that I can see different things than in the peds or OB office). Today, a woman needed an intra-muscular injection, and the nurse asked if I'd like to do it. Lisette coached me, and I went right through the skin but tried to be qucik. After I was done, Lisette said soemthing congradulating and the woman said, shocked 'That was your FIRST time?". I remember on of the Georgetown nursing students saying that you always told patients it was your first time doing something AFTER you'd done it, so I"m off to a good start!
After a 8pm dinner, Kyla make a nightly check on the labor ward. Tonight, there was a woman in 1st stage labor (which can last hours), so Kyla checked again before she went to bed around 10:30. She came running back, saying that she was in stage 2 and close. We went down, and found one of the student doctors with her. She was moaning and scared, but they had very few people with her. I felt so bad for her, she tried to grab the nurses hands, but they were busy testing blood and trying to do other things, they kept pushing her away. Finally, I went over and held her hand, and stroked her hair. She didnt' speak English, but she almost took my hand off with her squeezing, so I think that I helped. Her daughter was born around 12:00, and we stayed until 1:00 to watch her get cleaned off and start nursing. FInally, we went to bed to get up for a 6:30 surgery the next day.
And that's a typical day here in India.
Our day starts at 6:00, when we wake up, get dressed and head down to the surgery. They are usually scheduled for 6:30, and we are almost always there before the doctor or the anesthisiologist. Yesterday was exciting because we were watching a loproscopy (where they do all the surgery inside and project onto a TV screen) which meant that Dr. Antony was the one doing the surgry. He is really nice, and always explains really well. This was a hysterectomy (severe endometriosis). They usually go pretty fast, but this one took almost 4 hours! The tissues were so fused together that it was very difficult to get the uterus out of the surroundings. Still, it was very interesting, and Dr. Antony explained a lot about internal anatomy, laproscopic technique, and why its sometimes infuriorating to work with your sister (Dr. Gigi was there to supervise the removal of the uterus through the vagina). It was 10 when we got out, and we ran to the canteen for coffee and teas before we went to consulations.
Consultations are when we sit with the doctor and watch them take care of patients. It can be really interesting, but since all the consultations are in Tamil it can also be an exercise in charades (to figure out what their complaint is). I was with Dr. Gigi (who explains the least of all the doctors) but its usually ok because the women carry medical records with them that are in English, so I can see if the patient is there for pre-natal, fertility, or some other OBGYN treatment. Today she was just getting started when I heard the nurses saying delivery in amoung their Tamil. Turns out there was a woman about to deliver twins in the labor ward, so I didn't let Dr. Gigi out of my sight for the entire morning (she has a tendency to disappear sometimes). Finally, about 1:30, she got the message that the twin were on the way. I ran to Dr. Banu's office (the pedeatrician, Kyla was there) and Dr. Roys (for Lisette) and we three were there to see the twins born. It was very neat, and the babies were tiny but full of personality. The boy was the shyer, but the girl was screaming her head off every time she was left alone. It was about 2:30 when we left (we usually go at 2pm) and we walked to lunch.
Lunch is at a restaurant about 15 minutes away from the hospital. We eat in the AC room, which was really great the first week but is becoming less nessisary now that it's a little cooler. The waiters get a real kick out of us, and we do out of them. They won't let us order some of hte things on the menu, because they are deemed "gross". The Channa masala, Palak Paneer, and Mixed Veg Masala are all excellent, as are lots of south Indian dishes that I've never had before. The will also give me warm milk, which I love in the evening, though I do get strange looks for it. I ordered it the first time trying to get COLD milk, but that just isn't going over the language barrier.
In the afternoon, we usually go to the internet or read until 5:30, when it's time for "needle nruse". Banumathi lets us fill the saringes, and lets Lisette (who is a 3rd year nursing student), push IV injections. It is SO much harder than it looks ot fill a seringe from a bottle of medicine. I'm glad I'm getting practice now! We do rounds to all of the patients who need injections, and half of hte fun is meeting the mothers, fathers, children, aunts and uncles who come iwht the sick person to the hostpital. The kids especailly are really funny, since they are encouraged by their parents to try their English on us. They are really amused when I ask them their names in Tamil. Even trying to speaks gets approving laughs (at least, I'm hoping that they're approving). At 7, Lisette sits with Dr. Roy for some more consultation. I often go with her (so that I can see different things than in the peds or OB office). Today, a woman needed an intra-muscular injection, and the nurse asked if I'd like to do it. Lisette coached me, and I went right through the skin but tried to be qucik. After I was done, Lisette said soemthing congradulating and the woman said, shocked 'That was your FIRST time?". I remember on of the Georgetown nursing students saying that you always told patients it was your first time doing something AFTER you'd done it, so I"m off to a good start!
After a 8pm dinner, Kyla make a nightly check on the labor ward. Tonight, there was a woman in 1st stage labor (which can last hours), so Kyla checked again before she went to bed around 10:30. She came running back, saying that she was in stage 2 and close. We went down, and found one of the student doctors with her. She was moaning and scared, but they had very few people with her. I felt so bad for her, she tried to grab the nurses hands, but they were busy testing blood and trying to do other things, they kept pushing her away. Finally, I went over and held her hand, and stroked her hair. She didnt' speak English, but she almost took my hand off with her squeezing, so I think that I helped. Her daughter was born around 12:00, and we stayed until 1:00 to watch her get cleaned off and start nursing. FInally, we went to bed to get up for a 6:30 surgery the next day.
And that's a typical day here in India.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
In which Alison renounces pasta until I come home: OR "The maharaja was a lover, not a fighter"
After we got back from the leprocy clinic, things got back to normal. Thursday I sat with Dr. Gigi and saw a woman induced for labor. It was especially neat, because it meant that we knew about when to come back to watch the birth. It finally started raining here (they said that this was the wet season, but it seems to rain like Florida-for an hour in the afternoon), and the late afternoon was really cool and nice. We went for a long walk down past the hospital, which leads out pretty quickly out of town and into the fields. The tiny houses next to the road all had animals outside (mostly cows and goats) and the children were playing cricket and other games in the yards. As we got farther out of town, the bugs started to bother us, so we turned around and went back to the main street. Just as we were turning onto it, we heard drums and flutes, and turned to see a procession of men covered in colored dust with gold pots of palms on their heads. They were moving and dancing in time to the drums, and walking in the middle of the road, stopping traffic. We followed them for about half a block, where they stopped in front of one of the little temples and danced wildly for abuot ten minutes, then moved downt eh block to a local store, where the proprietor gave them sweets and figs. It was Indian tick-or-treating!
After following them about half a mile, we saw a covered fruit market and went in. It was erally cool, like the souks in Morocco with so many tempting fresh fruits and vegitables that I had a really, really hard time not buying any. I really do miss having fresh veggies. We did buy some coconut pieses to chew on on the way back, and just before we went to bed Kyla ran down to teh delivery room to see if the lady I had seen induced would give birth soon. She came tearing back up the stairs saying that the baby was crowning and we had to hurry. I ran down, and saw the baby born in the nicest delivery we've seen so far. The mom was fully conscious, and was breast feeding the baby boy before we left to go to sleep. It was also a "precious baby" as they say here, a baby conceived using fertility treatments.
Having children is such a huge deal here, that many choices are made in with that in mind. On friday we saw keyhole surgery for endometriosis. This is where the abdomen is blown up with Co2, then a camera and instruments are stuck through into the cavity and teh whole surergy is done through the holes. It is fascenating to watch. This woman seemed to have a really serious case with cycts all over her ovaries and affected tissue even on her diaphram. Still, there was no question of removing anything from the area (besides the cycts) because she hadn't had any children.
Also friday we saw a c-section at 3pm which was going fine, until the power went out. This happens all the time ehre, and usually the only annoying thing is that the fan stops and you sweat until it comes back on in a few minutes. In the OR however, everything suddenly went much more serious. Dr. Gigi had already cut through the subcutaneous layer, and was about to reach the muscles when the power went. The nures rann off and came back with flashlights, holding them up over the doctors shoulder as she delivered the baby (a big baby boy). She started using towels to mop up the blood (since the suction machine wasn't working) when the power came back on again and everything jumped back to life. It was such an interesting moment, becuase even through it was clearly an annoyence, no one paniced. It was just a fact. Sometimes, when your in the middle of surgery with an open patient, the power goes out. It happens.
Saturday the three of us headed out for Trivandrum on the 7:30 train. We wanted to go somewhere different, not too far away, and this seemed like a nice chance to get away. I was excited to see what traveling around it likely to be like. The train was awesome! We sat in 2nd class sleeper, which meant we had nice long benches an a whole compartment for the three of us. The windows were open (no glass, just bars) so we got a great breeze and could see everything that was going on. It was neat ot see people in the rural areas heading into the fields, weeding, leading animals. There were women washing clothes in all the rivers, and young menherding goats and cows who would stop and wave at the train. Trivandrum is in Kerala, which is the neighbering state and is much greener and lusher than Tamil Nadu. You could really see the landscape change as the train went. It was a 4 hour ride, so we were in Trivandrum by 11:30. We checked into our hotel (which had both AC and TV, so the girls were happy) and set out to hit the town!
Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala, but it isn't really that large a city. Our hotel was a few blocks from teh tarin station, so we walked back down toward the main drag to find a place for lunch. We stopped into an little resturant and asked to look at the menu. Now, the thing abuot Indian restaurants is that the menu is really more like guidelines than actual items on offer. Or, maybe it's a wishlist of what the chef would like to learn to make. Anyway, the only thing that everyplace has is Thali, or Meals as its more commonly known. After a few abortive tries for sandwiches from Lisette and Kayla, we went with Meals. Meals consists of Poori (the flatbread that comes before the meal in most Indian restaurants in the States), chipatti (tortially like flatbread) and an assortment of vegitable side dishes in single-serving bowls. There is usually something with pumpkin and something with potato, but it changes from day to day and resturant to resturant. After you finish our chipatti, a man comes aruond with huge helping of rice, and refills any sides you would like. The thing ends with yougurt and banana. Its really good, if huge, and the common price is 25rs. This is about 50 cents.
We all got meals, and then went to the zoo and two art museums. Lisette really loved the zoo, and it was nice enough if small, and the art museums were amazing. The first featured oil painting from the Raj period, and it was amazing how many things hadnt changed (there were meals in the pictures, the dresses on teh women could have been worn today, ect). The second museum featured more classical art, including some increadible iory carvings. They were just breath taking, and the building that housed them was really cool too. Kerala style is very Chinese influced, so all of the house had red pagoda like roofs and wide porches. We walked back from the park down the main street of the city, stopping in a fwe stores but not buying anything. Finally, we got back to the hotel around 5:30, and rested unti ldinner. We choose a nice hotel, hoping that they would have "real" food. I admit, I was excited that they had spagettii, even though the sause was very strange and full of onions. As soon as I had finished, though I knew it was a mistake. We went back to the hotel and watchecd the begining of Jerassic Park. Long before the dinosaurs had gone amok, I had thrown up all of my dinner and was still distressed. It was a horrible night, just when I thought that everything was gone from my system, I would get ill again. Finally, around 5 am I fell asleep.
The next day I felt better, though still not great, we found a place to get some taost for breakfast at a hotel nearby. We were the only customers in a dark ballroom lit only by the light of a cricket game on TV. After our toast, we went to the palace of the King of Kovalum, who only lived there for one year before he died and it was not used again. It started out a bit sketchy, with a long windy walk to the palace door that didn't look that impressive, but we got our own tour guide who showed us around in hysterical English natration, including showing us a sadan chair and adding "If the royal lady was so big huge, she would need two or even three more carriers!". The maharaja was a big music lover, aparently, and there were lots of musical instruments and a lovely music room on teh top foor with gorgeous carved walls and windows. The whole place was set up so that the women didn't have t ogo outside, there was even a long hallway for the to walk down to exercize! There were also lots of gift from other counrties on dislpay, including a crystal throne given by the Bohemia, tons of Italian glass and Chinese jade. Kerala was a big player in the spice trade, so they had lots of ties around the world. There was also a huge gun, taken from teh Dutch at some battle in India. Lisette and the guide joked that now that she was back, she could have it if she could carry it away with her. It was amazing how not protected everything was...you could touch just about all the artifacts, and the guide told us to feel the textures of rhino-hide armour, the velvet from a child elephant-seat, the teak carvings of squirels on the wall. It was amazing.
Afterwards, I wasn't feeling so well so we watched stupid TV until it was time for our train back. We rushed across the Indian sunset and night, being joined for the last bit by a group of students from Nagarcoil. They were heading to Chenni, and loved reading LIsette's Rough Guide. They offered us food, but we didn't take any (me because I was struggling with my tummy, the others because they are convinced that they will be drugged if they eat on trains. They honestly had a converstation about whether a chipatti could be drugged. Now, maybe taking food from strangers who are sharing our bunk isn't wise, especially if you are allone, but WHY would someone selling food and then getting off the train drug you?) We did give them some chocolate, which they like, and we watched them play Chinese checkers and rooted for them. It was quite nice.
Except for the illness, a good weekend overall. I miss you!
After following them about half a mile, we saw a covered fruit market and went in. It was erally cool, like the souks in Morocco with so many tempting fresh fruits and vegitables that I had a really, really hard time not buying any. I really do miss having fresh veggies. We did buy some coconut pieses to chew on on the way back, and just before we went to bed Kyla ran down to teh delivery room to see if the lady I had seen induced would give birth soon. She came tearing back up the stairs saying that the baby was crowning and we had to hurry. I ran down, and saw the baby born in the nicest delivery we've seen so far. The mom was fully conscious, and was breast feeding the baby boy before we left to go to sleep. It was also a "precious baby" as they say here, a baby conceived using fertility treatments.
Having children is such a huge deal here, that many choices are made in with that in mind. On friday we saw keyhole surgery for endometriosis. This is where the abdomen is blown up with Co2, then a camera and instruments are stuck through into the cavity and teh whole surergy is done through the holes. It is fascenating to watch. This woman seemed to have a really serious case with cycts all over her ovaries and affected tissue even on her diaphram. Still, there was no question of removing anything from the area (besides the cycts) because she hadn't had any children.
Also friday we saw a c-section at 3pm which was going fine, until the power went out. This happens all the time ehre, and usually the only annoying thing is that the fan stops and you sweat until it comes back on in a few minutes. In the OR however, everything suddenly went much more serious. Dr. Gigi had already cut through the subcutaneous layer, and was about to reach the muscles when the power went. The nures rann off and came back with flashlights, holding them up over the doctors shoulder as she delivered the baby (a big baby boy). She started using towels to mop up the blood (since the suction machine wasn't working) when the power came back on again and everything jumped back to life. It was such an interesting moment, becuase even through it was clearly an annoyence, no one paniced. It was just a fact. Sometimes, when your in the middle of surgery with an open patient, the power goes out. It happens.
Saturday the three of us headed out for Trivandrum on the 7:30 train. We wanted to go somewhere different, not too far away, and this seemed like a nice chance to get away. I was excited to see what traveling around it likely to be like. The train was awesome! We sat in 2nd class sleeper, which meant we had nice long benches an a whole compartment for the three of us. The windows were open (no glass, just bars) so we got a great breeze and could see everything that was going on. It was neat ot see people in the rural areas heading into the fields, weeding, leading animals. There were women washing clothes in all the rivers, and young menherding goats and cows who would stop and wave at the train. Trivandrum is in Kerala, which is the neighbering state and is much greener and lusher than Tamil Nadu. You could really see the landscape change as the train went. It was a 4 hour ride, so we were in Trivandrum by 11:30. We checked into our hotel (which had both AC and TV, so the girls were happy) and set out to hit the town!
Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala, but it isn't really that large a city. Our hotel was a few blocks from teh tarin station, so we walked back down toward the main drag to find a place for lunch. We stopped into an little resturant and asked to look at the menu. Now, the thing abuot Indian restaurants is that the menu is really more like guidelines than actual items on offer. Or, maybe it's a wishlist of what the chef would like to learn to make. Anyway, the only thing that everyplace has is Thali, or Meals as its more commonly known. After a few abortive tries for sandwiches from Lisette and Kayla, we went with Meals. Meals consists of Poori (the flatbread that comes before the meal in most Indian restaurants in the States), chipatti (tortially like flatbread) and an assortment of vegitable side dishes in single-serving bowls. There is usually something with pumpkin and something with potato, but it changes from day to day and resturant to resturant. After you finish our chipatti, a man comes aruond with huge helping of rice, and refills any sides you would like. The thing ends with yougurt and banana. Its really good, if huge, and the common price is 25rs. This is about 50 cents.
We all got meals, and then went to the zoo and two art museums. Lisette really loved the zoo, and it was nice enough if small, and the art museums were amazing. The first featured oil painting from the Raj period, and it was amazing how many things hadnt changed (there were meals in the pictures, the dresses on teh women could have been worn today, ect). The second museum featured more classical art, including some increadible iory carvings. They were just breath taking, and the building that housed them was really cool too. Kerala style is very Chinese influced, so all of the house had red pagoda like roofs and wide porches. We walked back from the park down the main street of the city, stopping in a fwe stores but not buying anything. Finally, we got back to the hotel around 5:30, and rested unti ldinner. We choose a nice hotel, hoping that they would have "real" food. I admit, I was excited that they had spagettii, even though the sause was very strange and full of onions. As soon as I had finished, though I knew it was a mistake. We went back to the hotel and watchecd the begining of Jerassic Park. Long before the dinosaurs had gone amok, I had thrown up all of my dinner and was still distressed. It was a horrible night, just when I thought that everything was gone from my system, I would get ill again. Finally, around 5 am I fell asleep.
The next day I felt better, though still not great, we found a place to get some taost for breakfast at a hotel nearby. We were the only customers in a dark ballroom lit only by the light of a cricket game on TV. After our toast, we went to the palace of the King of Kovalum, who only lived there for one year before he died and it was not used again. It started out a bit sketchy, with a long windy walk to the palace door that didn't look that impressive, but we got our own tour guide who showed us around in hysterical English natration, including showing us a sadan chair and adding "If the royal lady was so big huge, she would need two or even three more carriers!". The maharaja was a big music lover, aparently, and there were lots of musical instruments and a lovely music room on teh top foor with gorgeous carved walls and windows. The whole place was set up so that the women didn't have t ogo outside, there was even a long hallway for the to walk down to exercize! There were also lots of gift from other counrties on dislpay, including a crystal throne given by the Bohemia, tons of Italian glass and Chinese jade. Kerala was a big player in the spice trade, so they had lots of ties around the world. There was also a huge gun, taken from teh Dutch at some battle in India. Lisette and the guide joked that now that she was back, she could have it if she could carry it away with her. It was amazing how not protected everything was...you could touch just about all the artifacts, and the guide told us to feel the textures of rhino-hide armour, the velvet from a child elephant-seat, the teak carvings of squirels on the wall. It was amazing.
Afterwards, I wasn't feeling so well so we watched stupid TV until it was time for our train back. We rushed across the Indian sunset and night, being joined for the last bit by a group of students from Nagarcoil. They were heading to Chenni, and loved reading LIsette's Rough Guide. They offered us food, but we didn't take any (me because I was struggling with my tummy, the others because they are convinced that they will be drugged if they eat on trains. They honestly had a converstation about whether a chipatti could be drugged. Now, maybe taking food from strangers who are sharing our bunk isn't wise, especially if you are allone, but WHY would someone selling food and then getting off the train drug you?) We did give them some chocolate, which they like, and we watched them play Chinese checkers and rooted for them. It was quite nice.
Except for the illness, a good weekend overall. I miss you!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
In which I am hit on by a leper: or, "10:30, tea break. 3:30, tea break"
So Monday and Tuesday six of us volunteers went to go visit the Leprocy Mission hospital near Muderai. It was me, Kylia and Lisette with three British girls who are placed in Purianguri, about an hour away from us. Becci was great, very bubbly and funny. Pippa was very sensible, she's been a nurse for 6 years in England. Izzy was a bit know-it-all, but generally a good sport. We started out at six, as I said, and stoped for breakfast about halfway there, arriving at 9:30. They took us to the house that we would be staying in (three double rooms and a common room, which was great) and introduced us to the supervisor of the mission. He was really great, a doctor who had studied in Holland and spoke really good english, so he co9uld answer all our questions. It was interesting the types of questions people asked. Kyla's were mostly "So...if I get leporcy"..."Yes, I know I probably won't but IF I did...", "So we COULD get it?" which was really funny. Mine were mostly asking about the social ramifications (moer about that later) and how this related to their HIV work (since leporacy is decreasing in India, they have expanded to providing general healthcare and educational outreach as well as their specific leporacy work). Pippa wanted to know about epidemiology and wound care (she's a visiting nurse in England and apparently terats lots of wound for elderly diabetic patients).
They took us into the ward to meet the patients. The structure was one story, with three large rooms connected by a porch/hallway. Two of these were womens ward, noe was mens. directly across the courtyard from this was another long strech of rooms, with another mens ward, private rooms, and the maternity clinic. The head nurse took us around (a truly frightening lady about 4'11") and told us about each of the patients. For those of you who don't know, leprocy is a baterical infection that causes nerve damage. The nerve damage (and resulting loss of sensation) are the really dangerous part of it, you can easily get cuts, ulcers and other sources of infection. These infections are what make you loose your apendages, not the disease itself. So, most of the people we saw didn't actually have leprocy, in the sense that they were carrying the baterica inside them. They just had resultant nerve damage, and infected wounds. There were also a lot of diabetic patients. To try to reduce the stigma of leprocy, they dont seperate the leprocy patients from the others (since it's very had to catch, and most people dont have active cases anyway) but you could tell who was who by the type of beding they had. Blue stripes for lepers, white sheets with plad blankets for diabetes, plain blue for other cases.
In the womens ward we met a 73 year-old who has been at the mission for 50 years, and has no fingers or toes. She's their only resident patient. She came at a time when it was common for families to throw out lepers, and though they've since changed their policy, she has no where else to go. She was very sweet, smiling and visitng with the other patients. The nurse bwas very deferential to her, and I'm sure she kind of rules the roost around there. She can eat by herself with a spoon, but needs helkp getting dressed. For patients now, the mission offers incentives to get people to keep their family members. This includes job training, social programs, and money. They have outreach teams in lots of local villages, to try to help with prevention and raising the general standards of nurtition and hygene. Still, the woman in the next bed has been divorced by her husband, and they were still working wither her brothers family to take her in. Also in that ward was a 14-year-old girl who had a sore on her foot. In the men's ward we heard fewer life stories, but met some very grandfatherly men who greated us with palms together in the traditional namaste. I havnt seen anyone do that since I've been here, so it was very nice. ONe man was having a cast put on (his sore was rubbing and they needed to imoblize the foot) so we watched that and then went to the house were would eat for our first "tea break".
Our cook, Gloria, was so sweet. She made us tea, asked about our families, and insisted that we eat lots of "biscuits" (cookies). It was almost 11:30 when we left, but she reminded us that lunch was at 12:30. When we went back to the hospital, they handed us to another nurse who basically took us through the wards again, which was a but embarassing. Still, she talked more about how the hospital is run (pay-what-you can for lepers, about $2 a day for general cases), which was interesting. Then we had lunch (eggs and rice with sambar, we were told to be back at 3:30 for tea break!), and a little nap before heading to the lab to watch them to tests for leprosy on some new patients. ONe was a little girl ,who was very brave. They have to take skin-pus samples from the forehead earlob, finger, and thigh (plus any light colored patches that might be from the disease) and stain them, then look for the bacteria. He showed us some positive samples under the microscope, as well as some TB. Then, we watched one of the docotrs do a sensitivty test (using a feather) on the girl to see if she had any nerve damage. The light patch on her arm was parrtially insensitve, which wasn't a good sign.
We went for another tea break (this time, Gloria looked surprosd that we asked for biscuits...maybe they are only for FIRST tea break?) and had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. We went to town and interneted a bit, then Kyla and I walked through the town. There wasn't much to see, but we did buy Gloria some flowers and Kyla some "cornflakes" (corn flake with curry powder and salt. They're good!). We got back for dinner at 7:30, and Gloria was pleased and surprised with her flowres. I'm pretty sure that they were supposed to be for decorating an idol with (they were in a necless shape) but it was the thought that counted, I guess. We headed to the house and played some cards. I learned new rules for spoons (or, as we played it, PENS since we didn't have spoons), that "Egyptian Rat Skrew" is called "Strip Jack Naked" in England, then Izzy tried to discribe a game called "Big Twos". It took me a minute realize that she was discribing a very common game we used to play in college (the one with four positions that James was so against). I tried to explain the social aspects of the game in America, but she shot me down with "I really don't see what that has to do with the game". So much for cross-cultural understanding.
About 10 minutes later, the power went out (which is HORRIBLE here because the fans go off and you feel like the air is going to collapse your lungs) and we couldnt see our hands in front of our faces. It was a little scary until Izzy found her "torch" (so I had to forgive her) and soon after we went to bed.
The next day we watched them clean the wounds (it was gerat to have Pippa there to expain everything). There were people with wounds that went clear through their feet! It was really interesting, but very gross. Afterwards, we were standing on the porch getting some air when one of the old men came over to me. He handed me a phone number, and indicated I should call it. I still don't have a phone, but I borrowed Izzy's and rang him. He stood there for about 30 second totally ROCKING OUT to his Bollywood ringtone before I hung up. Then he gave me a dazzling smile and walked off. I now have the cell numer an 80 year old leper. I wasn't feeling very well so I slept for the rest of the day. About 4:30 we got picked up and left, and arrived home around 10:30 last night. For Kyla and I, it was a very long car ride, though we all did play "How did they die", "20 questions and riddles. I stumped the car with the "box without hinges" riddle from the Hobbit, but it was the "Jack and Jill are lying on the floor..."that everyone really got into.
Still feeling a little poorly today, but I hope to improve tomorrow. I love hearing from you all!
They took us into the ward to meet the patients. The structure was one story, with three large rooms connected by a porch/hallway. Two of these were womens ward, noe was mens. directly across the courtyard from this was another long strech of rooms, with another mens ward, private rooms, and the maternity clinic. The head nurse took us around (a truly frightening lady about 4'11") and told us about each of the patients. For those of you who don't know, leprocy is a baterical infection that causes nerve damage. The nerve damage (and resulting loss of sensation) are the really dangerous part of it, you can easily get cuts, ulcers and other sources of infection. These infections are what make you loose your apendages, not the disease itself. So, most of the people we saw didn't actually have leprocy, in the sense that they were carrying the baterica inside them. They just had resultant nerve damage, and infected wounds. There were also a lot of diabetic patients. To try to reduce the stigma of leprocy, they dont seperate the leprocy patients from the others (since it's very had to catch, and most people dont have active cases anyway) but you could tell who was who by the type of beding they had. Blue stripes for lepers, white sheets with plad blankets for diabetes, plain blue for other cases.
In the womens ward we met a 73 year-old who has been at the mission for 50 years, and has no fingers or toes. She's their only resident patient. She came at a time when it was common for families to throw out lepers, and though they've since changed their policy, she has no where else to go. She was very sweet, smiling and visitng with the other patients. The nurse bwas very deferential to her, and I'm sure she kind of rules the roost around there. She can eat by herself with a spoon, but needs helkp getting dressed. For patients now, the mission offers incentives to get people to keep their family members. This includes job training, social programs, and money. They have outreach teams in lots of local villages, to try to help with prevention and raising the general standards of nurtition and hygene. Still, the woman in the next bed has been divorced by her husband, and they were still working wither her brothers family to take her in. Also in that ward was a 14-year-old girl who had a sore on her foot. In the men's ward we heard fewer life stories, but met some very grandfatherly men who greated us with palms together in the traditional namaste. I havnt seen anyone do that since I've been here, so it was very nice. ONe man was having a cast put on (his sore was rubbing and they needed to imoblize the foot) so we watched that and then went to the house were would eat for our first "tea break".
Our cook, Gloria, was so sweet. She made us tea, asked about our families, and insisted that we eat lots of "biscuits" (cookies). It was almost 11:30 when we left, but she reminded us that lunch was at 12:30. When we went back to the hospital, they handed us to another nurse who basically took us through the wards again, which was a but embarassing. Still, she talked more about how the hospital is run (pay-what-you can for lepers, about $2 a day for general cases), which was interesting. Then we had lunch (eggs and rice with sambar, we were told to be back at 3:30 for tea break!), and a little nap before heading to the lab to watch them to tests for leprosy on some new patients. ONe was a little girl ,who was very brave. They have to take skin-pus samples from the forehead earlob, finger, and thigh (plus any light colored patches that might be from the disease) and stain them, then look for the bacteria. He showed us some positive samples under the microscope, as well as some TB. Then, we watched one of the docotrs do a sensitivty test (using a feather) on the girl to see if she had any nerve damage. The light patch on her arm was parrtially insensitve, which wasn't a good sign.
We went for another tea break (this time, Gloria looked surprosd that we asked for biscuits...maybe they are only for FIRST tea break?) and had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. We went to town and interneted a bit, then Kyla and I walked through the town. There wasn't much to see, but we did buy Gloria some flowers and Kyla some "cornflakes" (corn flake with curry powder and salt. They're good!). We got back for dinner at 7:30, and Gloria was pleased and surprised with her flowres. I'm pretty sure that they were supposed to be for decorating an idol with (they were in a necless shape) but it was the thought that counted, I guess. We headed to the house and played some cards. I learned new rules for spoons (or, as we played it, PENS since we didn't have spoons), that "Egyptian Rat Skrew" is called "Strip Jack Naked" in England, then Izzy tried to discribe a game called "Big Twos". It took me a minute realize that she was discribing a very common game we used to play in college (the one with four positions that James was so against). I tried to explain the social aspects of the game in America, but she shot me down with "I really don't see what that has to do with the game". So much for cross-cultural understanding.
About 10 minutes later, the power went out (which is HORRIBLE here because the fans go off and you feel like the air is going to collapse your lungs) and we couldnt see our hands in front of our faces. It was a little scary until Izzy found her "torch" (so I had to forgive her) and soon after we went to bed.
The next day we watched them clean the wounds (it was gerat to have Pippa there to expain everything). There were people with wounds that went clear through their feet! It was really interesting, but very gross. Afterwards, we were standing on the porch getting some air when one of the old men came over to me. He handed me a phone number, and indicated I should call it. I still don't have a phone, but I borrowed Izzy's and rang him. He stood there for about 30 second totally ROCKING OUT to his Bollywood ringtone before I hung up. Then he gave me a dazzling smile and walked off. I now have the cell numer an 80 year old leper. I wasn't feeling very well so I slept for the rest of the day. About 4:30 we got picked up and left, and arrived home around 10:30 last night. For Kyla and I, it was a very long car ride, though we all did play "How did they die", "20 questions and riddles. I stumped the car with the "box without hinges" riddle from the Hobbit, but it was the "Jack and Jill are lying on the floor..."that everyone really got into.
Still feeling a little poorly today, but I hope to improve tomorrow. I love hearing from you all!
Saturday, October 6, 2007
In which I re-live gym class: or, "Will the also-well-fighting captain please come forward?"
Cricket Day! I spent much, much too much time watching the staff/volunteer cricket game. Volunteers came from all of their placement sites to Sivaksi, and try to take on Indians in their national sport. Just as embarassing as you might think. We got crushed, but more, it just isnt a very interesting sport to watch. I went in with an open mind (thinking of Lagan and everything) but it still just wasn't happening for me.
We played one practice game, in which I made a pretty good show if I do say so myself. Stephen (one of the other volunteers), yelled "Go Hoyas" when I went up to bat, which made my day!. He even asked if I had played baseball for my high school (thank you, Jacob) but I wasn't picked for the team that went up against the staff. So I mostly sat on the side an chatted with the other volunteres. They seemed very, very young. Most of them are "gap year" kids from England and Canada, going into medical schools next year. I was having a really hard time figuring out why, though they seemed fine, I couldn't find and real "kindred spirits" amoung them. They talked so much about what food they missed, how the bathrooms were horrid, how this or that thing was strange that I lost patience with them. It took me way to long to realize that they were just out of high school, basically, and so I was holding them up to a completely different standard. They are closer to the age I was when I went to France in 8th grade then when I went to Morocco (nevermind that I've lived 3 years since then). After this little relevation, I got on much better with them.
After the match, the director presented awards to the Man and Woman of the match, as well as the Best Batsman and Winning Captain. He invited the "also-well-fighting captain" (Will, a volunteer) to give that last prize, which he did graciously. The prizes were alarm clocks in the shape of soccer balls.
The next day, we headed out to swim at a waterfall. It was quite far away, and it was almost lunch time by the time we arrived. We spent the time in a bus with a DVD, and first watched "Oceans Tweleve" which was bad enough in the theater when I could hear all the words. Indian buses have only two settings, as far as I can see: off and LOUD! SInce not everyone wanted to watch the movie, we had the sound on "off", which meant no one got anything out of it. After that, the driver put in a Tamil movie on LOUD! then proptly went deaf to our pleas that he turn it down. It was the story of tow police men, the higherranking one had a Poirot mustach, and was clearly raelly dumb. His best friend/inferier had a normal mustache, and kept him out of trouble. The Sargent was the approved fiancee of Main Girl, even though she was clearly meant for Captain Mustache because she kept falling off things on top of him. Seriously. They met when she fell off a ladder while watering plants onto him, then she fell off a ladder in a bookstore onto him, then she slipped on a waxed floor-slid accross the floor and UNDER THE ARMS OF Sargent Dummy into the Captains arms. Each time they shared long, empassioned looks. But, since he was not approved and his best friend was, the Sargent just wnet around with a long-suffering look on his face. Then Main Girl went shopping and sang and danced in the skankiest sari I have every seen (seriously, barely covered vital areas) and then all the men in the town joined in.
At this riviting point in the movie, we arrived at the river that was our first stop. We went off for a quick swim before lunch in a local river. There were some men swimming there, and we weren't sure if we could get in with them, but they just wouldn't leave and we evertunally hopped in a little ways away. We had to swim in our clothes, though, swimsuits aren't allowed. When we were done, we walked down the river to a dam, and so got a panoramic view of the valley with palm trees, rice paddies, and mountains in the background. The mountains just rose out of totally flat ground (like Marakesh, only greener).
They'd arranged to have someone cook for us, and we ate off banana leaves on the ground. The food was great, the fried bread that you get at the start of meals in the States (Poori), then rice with curry and onion chutney. There was chicken in the curry, which was the first meat I've had since I came here. After dinner we had a very strange drink: sweet, with peanuts and cashews in it. It was good, but alitle was enough. Then, we headed out for ANOTHER 30 minute drive into Kerela to see the waterfall. It was almost 3:30 by the time we got there, and some people had long bus rides back tto their placements, so we were a little cranky, but the waterfall was beautiful. I stood under it (again, with clothes on), and swam. It felt so good to be cool. When we finally got tired and went back to the bus, we found that we hadn't been alone in the pool. I only had one leech on my foot, but some people had tons. (If someone is reading this to Freddie and Grandma, you might want to leave that bit out). Anyway, they came off now problem and we got back on the bus to head to the office. It was almost 10:30 by the time we got home, and we were so tired and hungry that we just ate and headed to bed.
This morning, we got up at 6 to come to the leprocy clinic. I'll write more about it tomorrow (when we get back to the hospital), since I'm a little pressed for time now. We need to get back to the dinner that our cook is making just for us!
We played one practice game, in which I made a pretty good show if I do say so myself. Stephen (one of the other volunteers), yelled "Go Hoyas" when I went up to bat, which made my day!. He even asked if I had played baseball for my high school (thank you, Jacob) but I wasn't picked for the team that went up against the staff. So I mostly sat on the side an chatted with the other volunteres. They seemed very, very young. Most of them are "gap year" kids from England and Canada, going into medical schools next year. I was having a really hard time figuring out why, though they seemed fine, I couldn't find and real "kindred spirits" amoung them. They talked so much about what food they missed, how the bathrooms were horrid, how this or that thing was strange that I lost patience with them. It took me way to long to realize that they were just out of high school, basically, and so I was holding them up to a completely different standard. They are closer to the age I was when I went to France in 8th grade then when I went to Morocco (nevermind that I've lived 3 years since then). After this little relevation, I got on much better with them.
After the match, the director presented awards to the Man and Woman of the match, as well as the Best Batsman and Winning Captain. He invited the "also-well-fighting captain" (Will, a volunteer) to give that last prize, which he did graciously. The prizes were alarm clocks in the shape of soccer balls.
The next day, we headed out to swim at a waterfall. It was quite far away, and it was almost lunch time by the time we arrived. We spent the time in a bus with a DVD, and first watched "Oceans Tweleve" which was bad enough in the theater when I could hear all the words. Indian buses have only two settings, as far as I can see: off and LOUD! SInce not everyone wanted to watch the movie, we had the sound on "off", which meant no one got anything out of it. After that, the driver put in a Tamil movie on LOUD! then proptly went deaf to our pleas that he turn it down. It was the story of tow police men, the higherranking one had a Poirot mustach, and was clearly raelly dumb. His best friend/inferier had a normal mustache, and kept him out of trouble. The Sargent was the approved fiancee of Main Girl, even though she was clearly meant for Captain Mustache because she kept falling off things on top of him. Seriously. They met when she fell off a ladder while watering plants onto him, then she fell off a ladder in a bookstore onto him, then she slipped on a waxed floor-slid accross the floor and UNDER THE ARMS OF Sargent Dummy into the Captains arms. Each time they shared long, empassioned looks. But, since he was not approved and his best friend was, the Sargent just wnet around with a long-suffering look on his face. Then Main Girl went shopping and sang and danced in the skankiest sari I have every seen (seriously, barely covered vital areas) and then all the men in the town joined in.
At this riviting point in the movie, we arrived at the river that was our first stop. We went off for a quick swim before lunch in a local river. There were some men swimming there, and we weren't sure if we could get in with them, but they just wouldn't leave and we evertunally hopped in a little ways away. We had to swim in our clothes, though, swimsuits aren't allowed. When we were done, we walked down the river to a dam, and so got a panoramic view of the valley with palm trees, rice paddies, and mountains in the background. The mountains just rose out of totally flat ground (like Marakesh, only greener).
They'd arranged to have someone cook for us, and we ate off banana leaves on the ground. The food was great, the fried bread that you get at the start of meals in the States (Poori), then rice with curry and onion chutney. There was chicken in the curry, which was the first meat I've had since I came here. After dinner we had a very strange drink: sweet, with peanuts and cashews in it. It was good, but alitle was enough. Then, we headed out for ANOTHER 30 minute drive into Kerela to see the waterfall. It was almost 3:30 by the time we got there, and some people had long bus rides back tto their placements, so we were a little cranky, but the waterfall was beautiful. I stood under it (again, with clothes on), and swam. It felt so good to be cool. When we finally got tired and went back to the bus, we found that we hadn't been alone in the pool. I only had one leech on my foot, but some people had tons. (If someone is reading this to Freddie and Grandma, you might want to leave that bit out). Anyway, they came off now problem and we got back on the bus to head to the office. It was almost 10:30 by the time we got home, and we were so tired and hungry that we just ate and headed to bed.
This morning, we got up at 6 to come to the leprocy clinic. I'll write more about it tomorrow (when we get back to the hospital), since I'm a little pressed for time now. We need to get back to the dinner that our cook is making just for us!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
In which we enjoy "a grab bag of Indian fun" Or: "You should have been a man"
So, for everyone not in India, Tuesday was a holiday here. It is Gandhi's birthday, and Dr. Roy invited us to come with him to a camp for children with polio. An organization that he is part of has worked with the defence department to develop light weight calipers (like leg braces) using the same material as bomb casings. He picked us up at 7am and we drove to Kalykumari, he town at the very tip of India. The drive down was really beauful. There are mountains betwen here and Kalykumari. On the windway plains 14,000 windmlls have been set up, it was really amazing. Te windmlls we saw in MA were nothing compared to this. Even Lisette (the Dutchie)was impressed. On the leeward side, the plains turned into palm forests with lakes, backed by vews of the mountains. It was amazin, just how you would imagine South India to b.e.
In town, we drove right to the beach and joined in a Lions Club meeting that was celebrating Gandhi's birthday. They called him a "credit to our marvolus country, city, and sex". At least ,I'm pretty sure that they said sex...maybe sect? Anyway, most of it was in Tamil, so I didn't really follow but Dr. Roy filled us in on som of what was going on . The Lions were leading a raide to Chenni to raise envronmental awarenes. On motorcycles. At some point, you just have to giggle.
Afer te meeting, we went to Gandhi's tomb which is wher his ashes rested bfore ging into th sea. Sorry about the typing this ost. This keboard is the worst. I'm just oing to chug allog and fix it atre. Anyway, they chose this spot because aparently at one point Gandhi said that it was the purest place in india. It was very simple, just photos of him at different stagse of his life. It was not that crowded, espeialy given the day, and thre were graet views from the ro of te building. Aftre that visit, we went to the beac hand put our feet in the watre of three seas It was very cool, especially since the stairs were really old and covered with moss.
We walked up the beach to the teple of Devi Kanyakumari, and were surounded by street hawkers. It was the first time I've really had that happen (our twn is very non-toursity, so we are mostly just stared at). I did get some postcards, so you all should expect something in two months or so. An old man kept shoving a box with a parrot in it at us, and I assumed he wanted us to take a picture with it. D. Roy said no, he wanted us to pay him to have the parrot read our fortnes. Well, how can you say now to a bird-read fortune? Kayla wsa told that she wsa supposed to be a man, Lisette that she would have a long life, and then it was my turn. The bird came out of the cage ,turnd around, grabbed a card ff a stack, and then cheeped. My fortune was cast by the goess of Kanyakmari, who is apparently a vrgin marryr (ndoesn't sound very me) Anyway, I was supposed to be lucky in love, which wsa pretty good snice it sounded like that's exatly what the godess wasn't.
After our walk on the boardwalk, we stopped at a fance hotel for brunch. They had eggs and toast, which wasn't so exciting for me but made Lisette and Kayla's day. They've been here for three weeks already, and so are in a very different stage of culture shock than I am. It's wierd, because they go crazy for things like toast and peanut butter, and I'm sure I will too soon, but I've had all those things only a week ago and so don't really see the point. Eh, in three weeks I'll probably be whining for real breakfast too.
Anyway, after breakfast we drove 15 minutes to the polio "camp". It was more of an event, I guess. Not a place with arts and crafts and group sings, anyway. There wree speaches (in Tamil, we put on sunglasses and napped), and then the children went up and got fitted for leg braces. It was neat, since the doctor explained how they were doing the measurements and we got to meet a bunch of his collegues from the area. One woman said that she was "the pet of his mother", also a doctor, while in school and teased him a lot. The children were cute, mostly about 8 years old since the polio vaccine became widley available here about 5 year ago. There were a few older people wh ohad no use of their legs at all, and no wheelchairs. They simply crawled around on the ground. They couldn't get braces (they needed surgery first) but the government will pay for the surgery, so they can start getting treatment. All in all, it wasn't as successful as the Dr. hoped (only about 100 people came, they hoped for 300) so we went to a local school so his group could coordinate the next meeting. The girls at the school smiled akwardly at us and went through the usual questions ("What is your good name?", "What is your country?", "What are your qualifications"), and were adorable. Their teacher was very swwet, and showed us around the school while we waited.
Finally, we headed home and stopped by the Dr. new house that he is building. It was amazing. MOst of the wood was taken from old houses that were being torn down, so they rae 300 year old teak and rosewoodm, carved with flowers and animals. They are over every doorway, up the stairs, in each of the bedrooms, and on the pillars that make up the indor courtyard. It was so beautiful it took my breath away. Oh, and they have a bathroom with a planter in it (since showers here aren't in tubs, just hit the floor and drain out, the waer drains into the plater, which doesn't have a roof on it). It was awesome.
Then we went home, and heard that there was a delivery expected at 2am that night. Kayla and I got up for it, but she wasn't ready yet (babies take their own time). We did see it the next day, right after a c-section (and before another c-section that I skipped). I was feeling a little queezy after the birth. They ones we've seen have been very odd. Two forcepts deliveries (though those just might be the ones we know about) and the mothers have been at least partly out for both of them (they arent big on local anathetics here). It's really...violent, and the vigina usually tears and I just feel like the whole process is so wrong that I don't like to watch. InN this birth, the mother was so out of it she didn't even want to hold the baby after. But, her sister was there to take it and its usually the grandparents who take charge of teh baby for the first few days anyway (they bring it to the doctor for check-ups and hold it while th nurses weigh and bathes it, ect). Then I saw a D and C (dilation and curatage, for those non-Cider House Rules fans). NOT an abortion (I think I lost some points for suggesting that might be waht it was. I'm not sure if they do abortions at this hospital), just diagnostic cause the woman is having heavy bleeding during periods and they supect some kind of mass. For those CHR fans, it was really fast (probably faster than Homer is discribed as doing it), and you really could hear the gritty sound. That was really neat.
Anyway, that bring us pretty much up to date. I love hearing from you all! Oh, and if anyone is inspired to send a care package; I did not bring enough sunblockand Kayla wants aloe gel.
In town, we drove right to the beach and joined in a Lions Club meeting that was celebrating Gandhi's birthday. They called him a "credit to our marvolus country, city, and sex". At least ,I'm pretty sure that they said sex...maybe sect? Anyway, most of it was in Tamil, so I didn't really follow but Dr. Roy filled us in on som of what was going on . The Lions were leading a raide to Chenni to raise envronmental awarenes. On motorcycles. At some point, you just have to giggle.
Afer te meeting, we went to Gandhi's tomb which is wher his ashes rested bfore ging into th sea. Sorry about the typing this ost. This keboard is the worst. I'm just oing to chug allog and fix it atre. Anyway, they chose this spot because aparently at one point Gandhi said that it was the purest place in india. It was very simple, just photos of him at different stagse of his life. It was not that crowded, espeialy given the day, and thre were graet views from the ro of te building. Aftre that visit, we went to the beac hand put our feet in the watre of three seas It was very cool, especially since the stairs were really old and covered with moss.
We walked up the beach to the teple of Devi Kanyakumari, and were surounded by street hawkers. It was the first time I've really had that happen (our twn is very non-toursity, so we are mostly just stared at). I did get some postcards, so you all should expect something in two months or so. An old man kept shoving a box with a parrot in it at us, and I assumed he wanted us to take a picture with it. D. Roy said no, he wanted us to pay him to have the parrot read our fortnes. Well, how can you say now to a bird-read fortune? Kayla wsa told that she wsa supposed to be a man, Lisette that she would have a long life, and then it was my turn. The bird came out of the cage ,turnd around, grabbed a card ff a stack, and then cheeped. My fortune was cast by the goess of Kanyakmari, who is apparently a vrgin marryr (ndoesn't sound very me) Anyway, I was supposed to be lucky in love, which wsa pretty good snice it sounded like that's exatly what the godess wasn't.
After our walk on the boardwalk, we stopped at a fance hotel for brunch. They had eggs and toast, which wasn't so exciting for me but made Lisette and Kayla's day. They've been here for three weeks already, and so are in a very different stage of culture shock than I am. It's wierd, because they go crazy for things like toast and peanut butter, and I'm sure I will too soon, but I've had all those things only a week ago and so don't really see the point. Eh, in three weeks I'll probably be whining for real breakfast too.
Anyway, after breakfast we drove 15 minutes to the polio "camp". It was more of an event, I guess. Not a place with arts and crafts and group sings, anyway. There wree speaches (in Tamil, we put on sunglasses and napped), and then the children went up and got fitted for leg braces. It was neat, since the doctor explained how they were doing the measurements and we got to meet a bunch of his collegues from the area. One woman said that she was "the pet of his mother", also a doctor, while in school and teased him a lot. The children were cute, mostly about 8 years old since the polio vaccine became widley available here about 5 year ago. There were a few older people wh ohad no use of their legs at all, and no wheelchairs. They simply crawled around on the ground. They couldn't get braces (they needed surgery first) but the government will pay for the surgery, so they can start getting treatment. All in all, it wasn't as successful as the Dr. hoped (only about 100 people came, they hoped for 300) so we went to a local school so his group could coordinate the next meeting. The girls at the school smiled akwardly at us and went through the usual questions ("What is your good name?", "What is your country?", "What are your qualifications"), and were adorable. Their teacher was very swwet, and showed us around the school while we waited.
Finally, we headed home and stopped by the Dr. new house that he is building. It was amazing. MOst of the wood was taken from old houses that were being torn down, so they rae 300 year old teak and rosewoodm, carved with flowers and animals. They are over every doorway, up the stairs, in each of the bedrooms, and on the pillars that make up the indor courtyard. It was so beautiful it took my breath away. Oh, and they have a bathroom with a planter in it (since showers here aren't in tubs, just hit the floor and drain out, the waer drains into the plater, which doesn't have a roof on it). It was awesome.
Then we went home, and heard that there was a delivery expected at 2am that night. Kayla and I got up for it, but she wasn't ready yet (babies take their own time). We did see it the next day, right after a c-section (and before another c-section that I skipped). I was feeling a little queezy after the birth. They ones we've seen have been very odd. Two forcepts deliveries (though those just might be the ones we know about) and the mothers have been at least partly out for both of them (they arent big on local anathetics here). It's really...violent, and the vigina usually tears and I just feel like the whole process is so wrong that I don't like to watch. InN this birth, the mother was so out of it she didn't even want to hold the baby after. But, her sister was there to take it and its usually the grandparents who take charge of teh baby for the first few days anyway (they bring it to the doctor for check-ups and hold it while th nurses weigh and bathes it, ect). Then I saw a D and C (dilation and curatage, for those non-Cider House Rules fans). NOT an abortion (I think I lost some points for suggesting that might be waht it was. I'm not sure if they do abortions at this hospital), just diagnostic cause the woman is having heavy bleeding during periods and they supect some kind of mass. For those CHR fans, it was really fast (probably faster than Homer is discribed as doing it), and you really could hear the gritty sound. That was really neat.
Anyway, that bring us pretty much up to date. I love hearing from you all! Oh, and if anyone is inspired to send a care package; I did not bring enough sunblockand Kayla wants aloe gel.
Monday, October 1, 2007
In which Alison almost faints twice, Or: I really wanted this to have a happy ending
Mom, I am so sorry. 
After we got back from the internet cafe yesterday, the nurse at the front desk of the hospital called us over to let us know about a surgery being done at 2pm. We volunteers can go and watch the surgries (glad I brought my scrubs!) but you never really know what you are going to see, since anyhting OBGYN related is "c-section" to the nurses. I was excited, and really not nrevous since I'm really good at disections and have no trouble watching surgery on TV. We got into the operating theater (after a long chat with the anestisiologist, whose son lives in Balitmore) and watched as Dr. Gigi made the incision, clamped bleeding and pulled out a very blotchy, very slimy, baby girl. She was wisked away into the next room (since the pedaetrition takes over as soon as the baby is born here) and Dr. Gigi had started putting the mom back together when the smell, beeping machines, breathing through the mask, and bloody clothes all rushed at me at once and I felt like I was floating about five feet over my head. I managed to make it out of the operating room into the scrub room and get my head between my knees before I totally passed out. The anestisiologist came to check on me and gave me a candy, and I was able to go back in for about two minutes before I started gagging and had to go out again. So much for smelling the ether!
So, again, sorry Mom!
It was fine afterwards, Dr. Gigi said I did fine and told about the boy volnuteer they had who fainted out on the sterile instrument tray, while Lizeth said that Dr. Gigi's brother (Dr. Roy, the ortho surgon) fainted during his first two surgeries. I felt much less stupid after that, though a little nervous for the next time I would go in.
Lizeth, Kayla, and I then went to the huge temple on the edge of town. We were a little uncertain about heading out (since we hadn't been before) but the rickshaw took us right to the front of the Temple square. We went in through a dark, narrow street full of shops with oil lamps, flower garlands, candies, and other offerings. About five feet from the door, stacks of shoes were lined up, so we added ours to the pile and headed in. Its really had to describe what it was like, since it really was a whole complex of buildings and gardens and pools with recesses for staues of the gods. It is mainly a temple to Shiva, so bulls (his carrier), lingums (fertility), and the Dancing Shivas were everywhere. But there were also Ganeshas, Hanumans (the monkee god), a pen for live cows and an Elephant. We just turned a corner of the huge colonade and there it was, with its keeper, decorated with chalk mandalas and eating hay. If you gave it a few rupees, it woul "bless" you by putting it's trunk on top of your head and blowing slime on you. Which I did (of course!). It can't be a great life, but he had a nice pen and could walk around the temple to his hearts content, so it's not so bad for a domestic elephant.
We met up with a Temple volunteer (they wear yellow bandanas that say "Don't tip, just smile!" so you can tell them from the 'guides') who took us under his wing because he has a son who is a doctor in Canada. He showed where it was alright to take pictures, how to get around the complex, and sent us off into the main shrine. The complex was laid out in concentric squares, starting at the outer colonade (home of the elephant and the only place it was ok to take pictures, though not of the elephant becuase he doesn't like that) and working into smaller and smaller rooms. The inermost room had priests doing blessings, and through Shiva was he biggest statue Ganesha had the longest line. The rooms goot hotter and hotter as you went in, and the scent of insense was really intense in the inner chambers. By the time we left, our feet were black with dirt and hundreds of years of soot.
We took a quick walk through an ajacent gardin with a pool, and were heading back toward the exit when our friend found us and brought us to a man in Western clothes with Einstien hair and ashes on his face. He was the chairman of the board of trustees, and he gave us ashes for our faces and little cards with images of Shiva on them, then made us sign the guest book. It was a lovely afternoon, and we got back to the restaurant to have dinner just as it got dark.
Back at the hospital, we relaxed unitl about 10 and got into bed. Aftre 15 minutes later, the nurses came knocking on our door saying "Alison! Alison!". We rolled out of bed and were told that there was a "c-section" going on. Kayla had been hoping to see a delivery (which always happenin the middle of the night) so we raced down to the delivery room to find Dr. Gigi in the middle of a forcepts delivery for a pre-term baby, the membrane had ruptured. When the baby came out, it was lilac. The nurses rushed him into the other room, and we three followed. The pediatrition was working on pumping the baby to get it to breathe. I was sure that they wouldn't be able to. They rubbed it with warm cloth, put it under the heat lamp, and slowly the color started to come back to it and it started crying, though not very stongly. It looked vrey weak and didn't move purposfully, just kind of lay limply. They took the baby to inensiv care, and we returned to watch them finish cleaning the mother. We went to bed soon after, and got up early because there was another "c-section" (really a hysterectomy) at 6:30 this morning.
On the way to breakfast, we ran into the pediatrition who told us that the baby died in the night.
It was hard to focus on the surgery after that, even though it was really interesting. They took out the woman's uterus with a lemon sized-tumor attached. We got to open it up and do an initial assesment (though it had to go to the lab for a biopsy to see if it was cancerous). After this, we follow Dr. Gigi through her consultations. I'll let you know how it goes.
After we got back from the internet cafe yesterday, the nurse at the front desk of the hospital called us over to let us know about a surgery being done at 2pm. We volunteers can go and watch the surgries (glad I brought my scrubs!) but you never really know what you are going to see, since anyhting OBGYN related is "c-section" to the nurses. I was excited, and really not nrevous since I'm really good at disections and have no trouble watching surgery on TV. We got into the operating theater (after a long chat with the anestisiologist, whose son lives in Balitmore) and watched as Dr. Gigi made the incision, clamped bleeding and pulled out a very blotchy, very slimy, baby girl. She was wisked away into the next room (since the pedaetrition takes over as soon as the baby is born here) and Dr. Gigi had started putting the mom back together when the smell, beeping machines, breathing through the mask, and bloody clothes all rushed at me at once and I felt like I was floating about five feet over my head. I managed to make it out of the operating room into the scrub room and get my head between my knees before I totally passed out. The anestisiologist came to check on me and gave me a candy, and I was able to go back in for about two minutes before I started gagging and had to go out again. So much for smelling the ether!
So, again, sorry Mom!
It was fine afterwards, Dr. Gigi said I did fine and told about the boy volnuteer they had who fainted out on the sterile instrument tray, while Lizeth said that Dr. Gigi's brother (Dr. Roy, the ortho surgon) fainted during his first two surgeries. I felt much less stupid after that, though a little nervous for the next time I would go in.
Lizeth, Kayla, and I then went to the huge temple on the edge of town. We were a little uncertain about heading out (since we hadn't been before) but the rickshaw took us right to the front of the Temple square. We went in through a dark, narrow street full of shops with oil lamps, flower garlands, candies, and other offerings. About five feet from the door, stacks of shoes were lined up, so we added ours to the pile and headed in. Its really had to describe what it was like, since it really was a whole complex of buildings and gardens and pools with recesses for staues of the gods. It is mainly a temple to Shiva, so bulls (his carrier), lingums (fertility), and the Dancing Shivas were everywhere. But there were also Ganeshas, Hanumans (the monkee god), a pen for live cows and an Elephant. We just turned a corner of the huge colonade and there it was, with its keeper, decorated with chalk mandalas and eating hay. If you gave it a few rupees, it woul "bless" you by putting it's trunk on top of your head and blowing slime on you. Which I did (of course!). It can't be a great life, but he had a nice pen and could walk around the temple to his hearts content, so it's not so bad for a domestic elephant.
We met up with a Temple volunteer (they wear yellow bandanas that say "Don't tip, just smile!" so you can tell them from the 'guides') who took us under his wing because he has a son who is a doctor in Canada. He showed where it was alright to take pictures, how to get around the complex, and sent us off into the main shrine. The complex was laid out in concentric squares, starting at the outer colonade (home of the elephant and the only place it was ok to take pictures, though not of the elephant becuase he doesn't like that) and working into smaller and smaller rooms. The inermost room had priests doing blessings, and through Shiva was he biggest statue Ganesha had the longest line. The rooms goot hotter and hotter as you went in, and the scent of insense was really intense in the inner chambers. By the time we left, our feet were black with dirt and hundreds of years of soot.
We took a quick walk through an ajacent gardin with a pool, and were heading back toward the exit when our friend found us and brought us to a man in Western clothes with Einstien hair and ashes on his face. He was the chairman of the board of trustees, and he gave us ashes for our faces and little cards with images of Shiva on them, then made us sign the guest book. It was a lovely afternoon, and we got back to the restaurant to have dinner just as it got dark.
Back at the hospital, we relaxed unitl about 10 and got into bed. Aftre 15 minutes later, the nurses came knocking on our door saying "Alison! Alison!". We rolled out of bed and were told that there was a "c-section" going on. Kayla had been hoping to see a delivery (which always happenin the middle of the night) so we raced down to the delivery room to find Dr. Gigi in the middle of a forcepts delivery for a pre-term baby, the membrane had ruptured. When the baby came out, it was lilac. The nurses rushed him into the other room, and we three followed. The pediatrition was working on pumping the baby to get it to breathe. I was sure that they wouldn't be able to. They rubbed it with warm cloth, put it under the heat lamp, and slowly the color started to come back to it and it started crying, though not very stongly. It looked vrey weak and didn't move purposfully, just kind of lay limply. They took the baby to inensiv care, and we returned to watch them finish cleaning the mother. We went to bed soon after, and got up early because there was another "c-section" (really a hysterectomy) at 6:30 this morning.
On the way to breakfast, we ran into the pediatrition who told us that the baby died in the night.
It was hard to focus on the surgery after that, even though it was really interesting. They took out the woman's uterus with a lemon sized-tumor attached. We got to open it up and do an initial assesment (though it had to go to the lab for a biopsy to see if it was cancerous). After this, we follow Dr. Gigi through her consultations. I'll let you know how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
