Hello!
So much has happened since I last posted...I couldnt possibly write it all down. We have all begun work at our sites which is the most important thing though.
On Friday we all drove to Palamaner which a rural town about 3 hours from Bangalore where Jon and Sarah will be staying. It was really interesting to see a different side of India. The drive there was an adventure in and of itself. Indian driving is crazy to begin with. There are basically no traffic laws and people kind of just do whatever they want. In a city this isnt such a big deal because you are only going about 30 miles per hour. In the country people drive much much faster and pass cars every two seconds. There were a couple times when I literally thought I was going to die as we drove right at another vehicle but somehow we made it just fine. When we got to the friary there we had tea (of course; we have tea 2-3 times a day or more!!!) and then got a tour of the grounds. It was nice to escape the noise of the city. We even got to see wild monkeys in the trees! After our tour and after lunch we drove to the hospital where the Jon and Sarah will be working. It is a leprosy hospital and there Dr. Jacob works to treat and prevent leprosy in the community. We got a tour of the hospital, including the leprosy wing. What we saw there was the saddest thing I have ever seen. Many of the patients have had to have their limbs and appendages removed because of their disease and because of their ulcers the room smelt horrible. These people are often outcast from society because people find their disease difficult to understand and cope with and that really angers me, especially when it is children who are faced with the disease. Dr. Jacob does great work both helping to treat the disease as well as humanizing it. I will never forget what I saw in the hospital that day.
We left Jon and Sarah in Palamaner but we will see them again this coming weekend to celebrate Sarah's birthday. Plans arent set in stone but we plan on going to Mysore to see some temples and palaces and possibly ELEPHANTS!
This weekend Mike and I spent a little more time getting used to Bangalore. We visited the mall again (we took a bus this time which was quite the experience), saw an aquarium and a museum. We were shocked by how small the aquarium was. Ive kind of decided that being American ruins things for us. I have seen quite a few aquariums and have learned what to expect of them. I was disappointed by the one here because "Ive seen better." Watching the Indian people enjoy the aquarium was a lesson to me to enjoy the small things in life :)
On Monday...which was yesterday for me, I got dropped off at my site, the Domestic Workers Movement. I have my own room on the top floor which is nice except is excruciatingly hot. I guess on the positive side I will sweat off some weight lol. For now it is only myself, Sister Nisha (my coordinator) and another woman whose name Im not sure how to spell but I think it is Vijaya. She is having problems with her husband and has no family to stay with so until her issues are resolved she is doing housework for Sister Nisha. I am kind of treated like a princess here. She serves my food to me and brings me water to my room and makes me cups of tea several times a day. She wont let me do anything for myself! The conditions here are much better than I thought going in which is a relief. I have western toilets and a cold shower but I am still advised to
conserve water and electricity.
Yesterday was a "rest and settle day" for me according to Sister Nisha so I basically just unpacked my things and spent time getting used to the house. Another woman, Nagu, came to take me shopping and what an experience that was. I now have four kurtas to wear which is nice. They are much cooler than anything I have brought from home and considering the weather is close to 100 degrees everyday that really helps.
Today I was sent to the children's home. These children are either orphaned and have been rescued from domestic work or their mothers are domestic workers who cannot provide for them. I have been playing with the girls all day and letting them use my camera. They have asked me so many questions about America and about my family and friends. They were watching tv and Pocahontas came on which was really cool because I was able to explain the movie to them. They also thought it would be a great idea to give me bindi on my forehead which is actually just a decoration which originated as a hindi religious thing. Right now I am using the computer in the office while they take a nap.
I am struggling to adjust to the food here but every now and then I get a pleasant surprise at a meal. For breakfast this morning I had nutella on bread and for lunch they had an Indian version of French fries for me!
I will try and post some pictures now but I guess that is all for today. I am still missing everyone back home! <3
So much has happened since I last posted...I couldnt possibly write it all down. We have all begun work at our sites which is the most important thing though.
On Friday we all drove to Palamaner which a rural town about 3 hours from Bangalore where Jon and Sarah will be staying. It was really interesting to see a different side of India. The drive there was an adventure in and of itself. Indian driving is crazy to begin with. There are basically no traffic laws and people kind of just do whatever they want. In a city this isnt such a big deal because you are only going about 30 miles per hour. In the country people drive much much faster and pass cars every two seconds. There were a couple times when I literally thought I was going to die as we drove right at another vehicle but somehow we made it just fine. When we got to the friary there we had tea (of course; we have tea 2-3 times a day or more!!!) and then got a tour of the grounds. It was nice to escape the noise of the city. We even got to see wild monkeys in the trees! After our tour and after lunch we drove to the hospital where the Jon and Sarah will be working. It is a leprosy hospital and there Dr. Jacob works to treat and prevent leprosy in the community. We got a tour of the hospital, including the leprosy wing. What we saw there was the saddest thing I have ever seen. Many of the patients have had to have their limbs and appendages removed because of their disease and because of their ulcers the room smelt horrible. These people are often outcast from society because people find their disease difficult to understand and cope with and that really angers me, especially when it is children who are faced with the disease. Dr. Jacob does great work both helping to treat the disease as well as humanizing it. I will never forget what I saw in the hospital that day.
We left Jon and Sarah in Palamaner but we will see them again this coming weekend to celebrate Sarah's birthday. Plans arent set in stone but we plan on going to Mysore to see some temples and palaces and possibly ELEPHANTS!
This weekend Mike and I spent a little more time getting used to Bangalore. We visited the mall again (we took a bus this time which was quite the experience), saw an aquarium and a museum. We were shocked by how small the aquarium was. Ive kind of decided that being American ruins things for us. I have seen quite a few aquariums and have learned what to expect of them. I was disappointed by the one here because "Ive seen better." Watching the Indian people enjoy the aquarium was a lesson to me to enjoy the small things in life :)
On Monday...which was yesterday for me, I got dropped off at my site, the Domestic Workers Movement. I have my own room on the top floor which is nice except is excruciatingly hot. I guess on the positive side I will sweat off some weight lol. For now it is only myself, Sister Nisha (my coordinator) and another woman whose name Im not sure how to spell but I think it is Vijaya. She is having problems with her husband and has no family to stay with so until her issues are resolved she is doing housework for Sister Nisha. I am kind of treated like a princess here. She serves my food to me and brings me water to my room and makes me cups of tea several times a day. She wont let me do anything for myself! The conditions here are much better than I thought going in which is a relief. I have western toilets and a cold shower but I am still advised to
conserve water and electricity.
Yesterday was a "rest and settle day" for me according to Sister Nisha so I basically just unpacked my things and spent time getting used to the house. Another woman, Nagu, came to take me shopping and what an experience that was. I now have four kurtas to wear which is nice. They are much cooler than anything I have brought from home and considering the weather is close to 100 degrees everyday that really helps.
Today I was sent to the children's home. These children are either orphaned and have been rescued from domestic work or their mothers are domestic workers who cannot provide for them. I have been playing with the girls all day and letting them use my camera. They have asked me so many questions about America and about my family and friends. They were watching tv and Pocahontas came on which was really cool because I was able to explain the movie to them. They also thought it would be a great idea to give me bindi on my forehead which is actually just a decoration which originated as a hindi religious thing. Right now I am using the computer in the office while they take a nap.
I am struggling to adjust to the food here but every now and then I get a pleasant surprise at a meal. For breakfast this morning I had nutella on bread and for lunch they had an Indian version of French fries for me!
I will try and post some pictures now but I guess that is all for today. I am still missing everyone back home! <3
...and we are missing you too! I am happy to be reading about your experiences. I am really looking forward to seeing some pictures. I am just getting started in my day, and you are finishing up yours. That is a strange concept. Monkeys in trees??? That is a strange concept too! Please don't bring one home. I love you! Good night.
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