I have been in India a total of 3 weeks. Today it rained for the first time since I've been here and it only lasted about ten minutes. Now it's sunny again and hot. I enjoyed the cool air and wind while it lasted though.
Last Friday Tanja, Habib and I accompanied Anil Henry to Raipur for the day. He had a meeting to go to so the three of us walked around the city, saw the market, went to a mall there. We ate at a very nice restaurant, which Anil later told us was famous. I ate Chicken Tikka Masala and nan bread. It was so delicious! While we were there a Muslim festival and parade were taking place to celebrate Muhammed's birth. The main streets in the town were closed off for several hours.
One young man came up to talk to us and asked where we were from. When I said America, he replied, "You know Muslims hate America." I was a little intimidated by his forwardness, but he was trying to give us a warning because of the festival going on. He asked what I thought of Muslims and I told him I had nothing against Muslims and I didn't know anyone who didn't like Muslims.
The parade consisted of some trucks driving through the streets blasting music. Following the trucks were people with green flags and blue cloths dancing in the street. It was amazing to see just masses of people in every direction. It was so refreshing to see so many young people there who were so enthusiastic about their religion.
The market in Raipur was very large and colorful, of course. Tanja and Habib and I stopped in a bakery ad got a box ful of all sorts of Indian sweets and cakes to try. They don't really have chocolate here so the treats were made of almonds, cashews, coconut and mango.
Yesterday Tanja and I walked to the market in Mungeli. There is a woman there who we always buy peanuts from because she shells them and roasts them and most other vendors don't. She introduced us to her nephew who had a fruit stand beside her. I looked over at the other side of the fruit stand and there was a cow eating a very large amount of grapes right off the table. I was kind of shocked at first and didn't know if I was allowed to shoo it off (because they're holy here) so I just pointed and exclaimed "That cow is eating your fruit!". The boy ran him off, but not before the cow had grabbed another bunch to take with him! Anil says that the cows here are so used to be treated with respect that they act different than cows in any other country. They're always walking in front of fast-moving vehicles at the most leisurely pace. We even saw them in the street in Raipur, which is a lot larger than Mungeli.
Today at school I taught grammar as usual and read some to the kids from the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I've played hangman with them so that they could guess some difficult English words, but am currently trying to find other educational games to play with them. I'm thinking about Heads Up Seven Up or Simon Says, but if anyone has more suitable suggestions I would love to hear them! Email me or write a comment on this blog with any suggestions. I need games for any age group, but especially 7 to 13 year olds.
The day before yesterday a car pulled up to the hospital just before rounds began. The patient was an old woman who had very advanced Tetanus. She was immediately taken to the Operation Theatre where they performed a tracheotomy so that she could breathe because her body and airway were seizing. They then administered a shot in her spine with some type of antidote. Her whole family (about 8 people) had accompanied her there. The sad thing is, that after all the doctors did to save her, her family took her away the next day when she was supposed to stay at the hospital for 10-12 days to be monitored and treated further. The odds are that she won't survive at home. Maybe the family didn't have enough money to keep her at the hospital though.
There are lots of successful stories at the hospital, but there are also lots of failures. Lots of times, a patient can't receive all the treatment they need in Mungeli, but the family don't have enough funds to transfer them to a bigger city.
I'm hoping to go on a long weekend soon with Tanja and Habib, perhaps to a waterfall nearby here. I'll write more soon,
Lauryn
Friday, March 20, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
First Week
I can't believe I've been here over a week now. I've done a lot and experienced lots of new things, but it's gone by very fast. I can hardly remember everything that's happened since I last wrote. I manage to keep busy and when nothing is going on I catch up on my reading. I've almost finished The Hummingbird's Daughter.
Saturday night Tanja and Terry and I went shopping. All the clothes here are very colorful and flashy, not at all like American clothes, so it was difficult to find something that fit with our simple tastes. All the clothes are beautiful, but they're so fancy I wouldn't know when to wear them! Tanja and I were so picky we left the store in a bit of a mess. The men started off showing us outfits and pulling them out for us but we eventually started to scan the shelves on our own and pull out the ones that interested us. We asked Terry if people normally did that at the clothes shops and she said they didn't; they just usually sit and let the sales people handle everything.
After we returned we had an arrival dinner party at Anil's house. We sang karaoke (Anil loves to make everyone sing) and ate Biryani. It was chicken so it was a special treat since we mostly only eat vegetables here. Everyone eats with their hands here which is hard to get used to. I'm trying but I mostly just make a mess! The food is sometimes spicy but I find that if I keep eating it gets easier after a few bites and the sensation disappears quickly once I'm finished.
Last week we went to market to buy a few neccessities (including an alarm clock for me) and food. We went to the place where they sell chickens. They kill them right in front of you. I was a little disturbed, of course. I picked out the chicken, but then felt guilty afterwards because who am I to choose which should have it's life ended? I'm sure they all had the same end anyways.
This weekend I saw the birth of two twin boys in the labor room. It was a really amazing experience. I'd never seen a birth before, except in films. It was very different than watching it on a screen. It's not something I'll soon forget.
Most of the women at the hosptial are there for birth, hysterectomies or cesareans. The men are often there for accidents. This one man was chasing monkeys up a tree and fell and broke his leg and both wrists! There is one patient here now, a woman, who has malaria.
There is lots of construction going on at the hospital. They are trying to make room for 20 female student nurses and their teacher. They are currently putting in a walkway outside our building and expanding the lower ward. That way they can move the upstairs ward patients down there and renovate the top floor. They are constantly updating and improving things!
I'm currently helping Anil load a new program onto the computer so that the school can do it's records on computer rather than by hand. I love all the children at the school. Whenever I walk through the school yard in the morning or at recess, all the little children run up to say good morning and shake my hand. It's hard to teach the little ones, but the middle-aged students know me very well and always want me to come to their class. They're fascinated by foreigners. I like the teachers as well. I just wish I could communicate with them better! Their english skills aren't very good. This one English teacher named Mrs. Masih translates some for me, though. She's very nice and I sit in on her classes often.
In between classes and during the walk to the gate I speak with a girl named Srishti and on the walk from the school to hospital (going home) I walk with Abijah ( I think this is the spelling). They are both in the 6th class. Abijah likes to talk about comic books and superheroes like Spider-man and Batman. I found out today that Srishti is a Jain and Abijah is Hindu.
I have watched the sunset here several times. It's so different than at home. The sun is always perfectly round, like a big orange egg yolk. There are rarely clouds here to cover it. The colors are beautiful though. Just before sunset in the afternoon it gets very still and right after the sun has disappeared the commotion begins. I guess it's the equivalent of rush hour. In town, the cows crowd together in the center of the round-a-bout to avoid all the cars and there they stay until it quiets down. I'll have to get a picture of it; it's very humorous. Everyone goes out at night and stays inside in the afternoons to avoid the scorching heat. Sometimes when I walk back from school (it only takes 5 minutes from our apartment) the living area will be completely deserted.
The wards are another matter. There are always people hanging around outside and inside them, as well as at the outpatient department. And the afternoon is the time when all the surgeries take place in the Operation Theatre.
School is out for the next two days because of festivals going on in town. I'm not sure what I'll do with myself! I'll probably work on getting the computer program for the school running. The dentist here, Ashwin, also wants to organize a dental camp for the school and wants my help in planning it.
I guess that's all for now. I'll try to write again soon!
Love, Lauryn
Saturday night Tanja and Terry and I went shopping. All the clothes here are very colorful and flashy, not at all like American clothes, so it was difficult to find something that fit with our simple tastes. All the clothes are beautiful, but they're so fancy I wouldn't know when to wear them! Tanja and I were so picky we left the store in a bit of a mess. The men started off showing us outfits and pulling them out for us but we eventually started to scan the shelves on our own and pull out the ones that interested us. We asked Terry if people normally did that at the clothes shops and she said they didn't; they just usually sit and let the sales people handle everything.
After we returned we had an arrival dinner party at Anil's house. We sang karaoke (Anil loves to make everyone sing) and ate Biryani. It was chicken so it was a special treat since we mostly only eat vegetables here. Everyone eats with their hands here which is hard to get used to. I'm trying but I mostly just make a mess! The food is sometimes spicy but I find that if I keep eating it gets easier after a few bites and the sensation disappears quickly once I'm finished.
Last week we went to market to buy a few neccessities (including an alarm clock for me) and food. We went to the place where they sell chickens. They kill them right in front of you. I was a little disturbed, of course. I picked out the chicken, but then felt guilty afterwards because who am I to choose which should have it's life ended? I'm sure they all had the same end anyways.
This weekend I saw the birth of two twin boys in the labor room. It was a really amazing experience. I'd never seen a birth before, except in films. It was very different than watching it on a screen. It's not something I'll soon forget.
Most of the women at the hosptial are there for birth, hysterectomies or cesareans. The men are often there for accidents. This one man was chasing monkeys up a tree and fell and broke his leg and both wrists! There is one patient here now, a woman, who has malaria.
There is lots of construction going on at the hospital. They are trying to make room for 20 female student nurses and their teacher. They are currently putting in a walkway outside our building and expanding the lower ward. That way they can move the upstairs ward patients down there and renovate the top floor. They are constantly updating and improving things!
I'm currently helping Anil load a new program onto the computer so that the school can do it's records on computer rather than by hand. I love all the children at the school. Whenever I walk through the school yard in the morning or at recess, all the little children run up to say good morning and shake my hand. It's hard to teach the little ones, but the middle-aged students know me very well and always want me to come to their class. They're fascinated by foreigners. I like the teachers as well. I just wish I could communicate with them better! Their english skills aren't very good. This one English teacher named Mrs. Masih translates some for me, though. She's very nice and I sit in on her classes often.
In between classes and during the walk to the gate I speak with a girl named Srishti and on the walk from the school to hospital (going home) I walk with Abijah ( I think this is the spelling). They are both in the 6th class. Abijah likes to talk about comic books and superheroes like Spider-man and Batman. I found out today that Srishti is a Jain and Abijah is Hindu.
I have watched the sunset here several times. It's so different than at home. The sun is always perfectly round, like a big orange egg yolk. There are rarely clouds here to cover it. The colors are beautiful though. Just before sunset in the afternoon it gets very still and right after the sun has disappeared the commotion begins. I guess it's the equivalent of rush hour. In town, the cows crowd together in the center of the round-a-bout to avoid all the cars and there they stay until it quiets down. I'll have to get a picture of it; it's very humorous. Everyone goes out at night and stays inside in the afternoons to avoid the scorching heat. Sometimes when I walk back from school (it only takes 5 minutes from our apartment) the living area will be completely deserted.
The wards are another matter. There are always people hanging around outside and inside them, as well as at the outpatient department. And the afternoon is the time when all the surgeries take place in the Operation Theatre.
School is out for the next two days because of festivals going on in town. I'm not sure what I'll do with myself! I'll probably work on getting the computer program for the school running. The dentist here, Ashwin, also wants to organize a dental camp for the school and wants my help in planning it.
I guess that's all for now. I'll try to write again soon!
Love, Lauryn
Monday, March 2, 2009
Beginning
I left Nashville at around noon on Wednesday and arrived in Mungeli Friday at 11 am, or around midnight Nashville time. Travelling was exhausting; Newark airport was especially confusing. It was slightly nervewracking to come into Delhi and have a military man with an extremely large gun check my pasport. I was picked up in Raipur by the hospital's driver (he also drives the bus to school etc.). It was easily the most terrifying car ride I've ever been on. The road was bumpy and they don't have traffic laws like we do in the US. No stop signs or lights. People honk all the time (it's the first thing I hear in the distance in the morning after the roosters crow) and cows and monkeys roam the streets at their leisure. They are lots of bikes and scooters here.
I ate breakfast at Anil's house when I arrived and his mother (who was in town for a couple days) showed me around and found a key for my room. I share an apartment with Tanya and her significant other Habib, from Denmark. They are older than I and are medstudents. They're very good at what they do, and have made the transition to Mungeli life easier for me.
Saturday I woke up at 7 for chapel and at 8 I went to the school to observe. It's a small school, but the children are very sweet and so are the teachers. They presented me with a garland of fresh flowers upon my arrival!
After leaving school I went to O.T. which is where the surgeries are performed. This is where Tanya and Habib spend most of their time every day. I watched a little, but it was difficult to watch and I'm not good at seeing things like that. I'm interested to learn more about this aspect of the hospital.
Yesterday, we went to the market in Mungeli. It's a fairly long walk, especially in the hot sun. We bought lots of vegetables which our cook, named Kavita, will use to cook for us. It's nice to eat traditional Indian meals. Tanya and I looked at saris, but all the fabrics are so beautiful I don't know if I could ever choose one! We're going to go back with Teresa, Anil's wife, because she knows where the tailor is and where to get the best deals. I need to go soon because I didn't bring many clothes along with me.
The town had beautiful architecture, but was mostly fallen into disrepair. You can pretty much buy anything you need here. All the people, especially children, like to approach us foreigners and always wave when we walk by or introduce themselves. They ask questions about where we're from and how we like Mungeli.
Our apartment is nice except for all the bugs. I've had a couple of lizards living behind the tank for my toilet for almost 2 days now. I guess they're eating the bugs so I don't mind them. There's no AC but we have lots of fans and it stays pretty cool inside during the day.
Today I taught at school again and delivered school supplies which they really appreciated. And Anil was so greatful for the sutures I brought. I'm getting a hang of things there, and the 6th class taught me how to count to ten in hindi today. I'm trying to teach them some grammar and how to carry out conversations in English. They know the basics but not how to apply them in a broader use. I also got to teach some six year olds in the 1st class and they're adorable! I drew pictures on the blackboard to illustrate words and had them spell them. They're all so full of questions about everything!
Overall I feel like my adjustment to life here has gone smoothly and quickly. I'm still getting a hang of the teaching thing, but I feel comfortable and happy mostly (though I still miss home, my family and friends often, especially at night when I'm not really busy).
Need to go now, but will write asap.
Mom, Anil says don't send sutures over mail because they won't reach them here.
Love, Lauryn
I ate breakfast at Anil's house when I arrived and his mother (who was in town for a couple days) showed me around and found a key for my room. I share an apartment with Tanya and her significant other Habib, from Denmark. They are older than I and are medstudents. They're very good at what they do, and have made the transition to Mungeli life easier for me.
Saturday I woke up at 7 for chapel and at 8 I went to the school to observe. It's a small school, but the children are very sweet and so are the teachers. They presented me with a garland of fresh flowers upon my arrival!
After leaving school I went to O.T. which is where the surgeries are performed. This is where Tanya and Habib spend most of their time every day. I watched a little, but it was difficult to watch and I'm not good at seeing things like that. I'm interested to learn more about this aspect of the hospital.
Yesterday, we went to the market in Mungeli. It's a fairly long walk, especially in the hot sun. We bought lots of vegetables which our cook, named Kavita, will use to cook for us. It's nice to eat traditional Indian meals. Tanya and I looked at saris, but all the fabrics are so beautiful I don't know if I could ever choose one! We're going to go back with Teresa, Anil's wife, because she knows where the tailor is and where to get the best deals. I need to go soon because I didn't bring many clothes along with me.
The town had beautiful architecture, but was mostly fallen into disrepair. You can pretty much buy anything you need here. All the people, especially children, like to approach us foreigners and always wave when we walk by or introduce themselves. They ask questions about where we're from and how we like Mungeli.
Our apartment is nice except for all the bugs. I've had a couple of lizards living behind the tank for my toilet for almost 2 days now. I guess they're eating the bugs so I don't mind them. There's no AC but we have lots of fans and it stays pretty cool inside during the day.
Today I taught at school again and delivered school supplies which they really appreciated. And Anil was so greatful for the sutures I brought. I'm getting a hang of things there, and the 6th class taught me how to count to ten in hindi today. I'm trying to teach them some grammar and how to carry out conversations in English. They know the basics but not how to apply them in a broader use. I also got to teach some six year olds in the 1st class and they're adorable! I drew pictures on the blackboard to illustrate words and had them spell them. They're all so full of questions about everything!
Overall I feel like my adjustment to life here has gone smoothly and quickly. I'm still getting a hang of the teaching thing, but I feel comfortable and happy mostly (though I still miss home, my family and friends often, especially at night when I'm not really busy).
Need to go now, but will write asap.
Mom, Anil says don't send sutures over mail because they won't reach them here.
Love, Lauryn
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