Well, I'm actually quite busy. Work starts at 930, but I like to get here before 9, so I can Skype with my parents, or chat on Facebook. At that time, ~10pm, people are getting ready for bed! Then i read all my emails, etc. Seriously though, now I will attempt to explain my purpose at work....
Most of the people reading this blog (so, my parents) are aware that India has an HIV/AIDS problem, so I dont need to quote statistics, etc. I'm working for a non-profit organization, SAATHII, whose goal is to expand access to quality HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, support and care programs throughout India. I'm specifically working on a program to expand such services in the private sector of healthcare.
The Indian health system is very different from ours. There are private hospitals and government run hospitals. In general, one can get better care at private hospitals. But, when it comes to HIV/AIDS, most of the private hospitals choose not to treat HIV patients. Also, because HIV/AIDS has become a major priority for India, there are pretty strong government medical programs and a lot of good data in the government sector. It is opposite in the private sector. There is almost no data, and there are a great deal of patients that are not being reached.
So, I'm working on a program, called Public Private Partnership (PPP), that aims to reduce the incidence of HIV through PPTCT (prevention of parent to child transmission) and to decrease STI/TB related morbidity/mortality in the private health sector. To do this, they intend to set up ICTCs (integrated counseling and testing centers) to increase access and ensure quality, standardized care. SAATHII has implemented programs such as these in other states and now we're doing one here in Tamil Nadu (the state that I'm in).
Right now, they've just done an assessment of 95 hospitals to see where they stand in terms of infrastructure, practices, policies, etc. Next step is to train the hospital staff and then implement the ICTCs. I'm editing reports on those hospitals and also the proposal for the funders. It's a lot of work. I know I need to teach the staff more about writing in English, instead of just editing, but I have no idea how to do that. English writing is very hard to teach, especially because I dont know the rules, I just know when something doesn't look right. Plus, my English writing is pretty shit. I've asked AJWS for help with this, but I'd also welcome any suggestions you guys may have.
I will have to write about office culture here later, but I wanted to let you guys know what the efros I was doing over here. Also, Im excited to say that tonight I'm going on an overnight train to Hyderabad, so attend a meeting of PPPs all over the country, to compare notes, etc. I'm going with 2 other people in my office, Mani and Dr. Sathish, who are both very nice and fun. Should be an experience! I'll let you know how it goes.
Namaste,
C
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Where is my mind?
Written at 530pm local time Friday evening.
The title comes from my favorite Pixies song of the same name, which I usually listen to when I'm feeling disoriented, like when I wake up, jet-lagged, on a layover in a strange place (Korea, Taiwan, Mumbai, etc). I'm just in my flat in India, but at this point it is appropriate for me to listen to this particular song.
Today I stayed home from work because the gas man was supposed to come. Getting a gas refill for my kitchen has proved to be the most difficult thing for me so far in India. More difficult than sleeping in a too short bed, more difficult than the cold showers (no hot water at my house) and yes, even more difficult than pooping without toilet paper (Indians believe TP is unhygenic).
Gas is sold in large cylinders (17.1 kg) that you hook up to a counter top double burner. It is either procured from a private or commercial source, both of which require some sort of special number, or book, or something that has been lost in translation. Or you can go the black market route, which my landlord seems to think is what the previous tenant (the director of my NGO) did. I am not alone in this endeavor, my NGO counterpart, Dr. Sathish, and the office secretary, Nirmala Madam, have been doing everything they can to move this process along.
So far, over the last week, we have gotten the name of the gas company and the special number/book/secret code from the last person who lived here. We've contacted the company and attempted to order. Yesterday they said their stock of gas came in and would be delivered to my flat today. So here I am, waiting. This morning they said they only have cylinders that are too large (?), but a delivery of the correct size cylinders are on their way, and the gas will be delivered in the afternoon. More waiting.
I haven't left my house today. I have my tiny computer, nicknamed “the runt” at the office, and have been continuing to edit the 95 facility assessment reports from home. In my house one can either sit on the bed, the other bed, or the floor. I sleep in one bed and I've fashioned a couch out of the other bed. This is where I've been sitting, all day, correcting pretty much the same grammatical and syntax errors over and over.
I don't have internet, but have been listening to various stories, music reviews, and The Onion news clips (“Pope announces plan to build moon Vatican”) I downloaded onto my computer while at the office. I dont have that many, and have been using them sparingly for my nightly entertainment. But doing this work without distraction is brutal. I miss the chai women at the office.
I want to walk to town, but I'm afraid if I leave I will lose my one chance at getting gas. But my brain has turned to mush, and my edits have become useless. All I can do now is listen to music and write this blog. If only it were that other Pixies song that were applicable; “Here comes your man”
Gas Man, where ARE you?!?!?!!!!!
ps- gas man came Sat morning, as I was getting ready to leave for work. It's a miracle!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Get on the Bus...
Surely we can fit one more! That seems to be the common theme on the bus in Chennai. There are seats and aisles, it looks like a normal bus, all seats facing forwards. There are 2 people in every seat, normal, then people stand next to the seats in the aisle, with their fronts facing the window. Then, when more people get on, a third row of standing in the aisle forms, between the 2 other rows. That's the worst place to be. But still, more people can fit. Near the doors (there are 2, front and rear), people just cram in. Standing on the stairs, or in the aisle before the seats. But that's not all! Then there's the people, mainly college boys, who hang out the door and on the side of the bus. They run alongside the bus, holding onto bars on the outside of the bus. While doing this, they swing their bags in through the windows, onto the ladies sitting in the seats. Then, they hop up and put their feet onto the windows and crouch down, like spiderman, and hang on until the next stop. It's nuts.
The bus has a womens side (door side) and a mens side. This is nice because I'd rather be sardined with women although often the aisle is very mixed, especially in the dreaded "3rd row." Another nice thing is that whoever is standing can usually put their bags (or children!) on the laps of those who are sitting. That way you have all your hands free to hold on to the rails on the roof so you dont fall over during the crazy ride.
You have to pay every time you ride the bus, there are no passes. And you have to pay by distance, so you have to say where you're getting off when you get on. There's a conductor who collects the money and gives you a receipt. When the bus isnt crowded, he walks down the aisle collecting money from everyone. But most times he just stays put where he is and you have to pass the money up to him. For instance, this morning I gave 10 rupees to the women next to me and said, "Volluvar kottam- one". She did the same thing to the women next to her, and my money and message went all down the bus until it got to the conductor. He then sends my ticket and change back down the line to me. I like this because it gives me a chance to interact with people and learn more names of stops.
I like it best when whoever I pass my money to understands what stop I'm saying. If I have to say any letters or numbers in English, I've found that people understand me better if I speak English in an Indian accent. If I say 47A or I.C.F as an American I have to repeat it usually 2-3 times before someone nearby understands me. It's hard to type the way that I have to talk, you'll just have to hear it later. I find this hilarious, but it really helps me communicate with people.
The bus comes pretty often (more often than the #1 in Boston!). But there are different classes of bus with different prices. Prices also seem to vary depending on where I get on/off. The delux bus is 7-8 rupees, the other bus is 3-5 rupees. once I rode the bus for 2.50, dont know how this happened! So, in general, the bus costs 10-20 cents for me to ride to work. If I took an auto, it should cost around 80 rupees, but you have to argue a lot and will prob pay closer to 100 rupees. It's still only about $2.25, but to put it in perspective, I could instead spend that money on 2 or 3 lunches. It's all relative.
Plus, I love public transportation!!
The bus has a womens side (door side) and a mens side. This is nice because I'd rather be sardined with women although often the aisle is very mixed, especially in the dreaded "3rd row." Another nice thing is that whoever is standing can usually put their bags (or children!) on the laps of those who are sitting. That way you have all your hands free to hold on to the rails on the roof so you dont fall over during the crazy ride.
You have to pay every time you ride the bus, there are no passes. And you have to pay by distance, so you have to say where you're getting off when you get on. There's a conductor who collects the money and gives you a receipt. When the bus isnt crowded, he walks down the aisle collecting money from everyone. But most times he just stays put where he is and you have to pass the money up to him. For instance, this morning I gave 10 rupees to the women next to me and said, "Volluvar kottam- one". She did the same thing to the women next to her, and my money and message went all down the bus until it got to the conductor. He then sends my ticket and change back down the line to me. I like this because it gives me a chance to interact with people and learn more names of stops.
I like it best when whoever I pass my money to understands what stop I'm saying. If I have to say any letters or numbers in English, I've found that people understand me better if I speak English in an Indian accent. If I say 47A or I.C.F as an American I have to repeat it usually 2-3 times before someone nearby understands me. It's hard to type the way that I have to talk, you'll just have to hear it later. I find this hilarious, but it really helps me communicate with people.
The bus comes pretty often (more often than the #1 in Boston!). But there are different classes of bus with different prices. Prices also seem to vary depending on where I get on/off. The delux bus is 7-8 rupees, the other bus is 3-5 rupees. once I rode the bus for 2.50, dont know how this happened! So, in general, the bus costs 10-20 cents for me to ride to work. If I took an auto, it should cost around 80 rupees, but you have to argue a lot and will prob pay closer to 100 rupees. It's still only about $2.25, but to put it in perspective, I could instead spend that money on 2 or 3 lunches. It's all relative.
Plus, I love public transportation!!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Losing Your Mind in India
Lately at work I've been doing some really boring work; double checking numbers in reports against hard data. I will write more about my actual purpose at work soon, but since I currently only have internet while at work, I cannot post a lot. Anyways, so I've been doing boring work but have been able to listen to music online. I've found that I can listen to This American Life from 1030-1130am (my time) on PRIorg everyday, and then from 1230 on I can listen to WERS music (Boston college radio) which is always good.
Today I heard this week's This American Life episode, entitled Contents Unknown. One segment was about a man who got amnesia while living in India for a year. He "woke up" in a train station with no passport and didnt know who he was or what he was doing. The story was really scary and I almost ended up crying at work at the part when his parents came to visit him. **Spoiler Alert!!*** He lost his mind beecause of his malaria med he was taking, Lariam. It happens sometimes with that med, but very rarely. That also happens to be the anit-malarial I'm taking!!! So if I ever forget who I am here, remind me to read this blog :o)
In other news, I went out to dinner last night with a co-worker and his girlfriend (who happens to be an American ex-AJWS volunteer!) and another volunteer who has been living here for 2 months already. It was nice to get out into a different neighborhood, although it did take me 1.5 hrs to get home on the bus (not lost, just TRAFFIC!!!). my co-worker and his GF met through yet another volunteer and now live together. She has to travel a lot for her job, so my co-worker moves wherever she moves. It's pretty crazy, but inspiring. Love can happen anywheres!!
I also got to go out to lunch today with another co-worker, which is rare. He said he was very impressed that I was dressing and eating like a native. He said it was really respectful and he really appreciated it. That made me feel good. You guys should see how I eat, I have it all figured out! I also got invited to his house, which is nice. But not this weekend, 'cause I'm going to a wedding!!! Yeah! Im totally going to win first volunteer invited to a wedding! But it's just the reception, so I think I've already missed all the interesting rituals. But I'm sure there will still be lots of good food and hopefully dancing. I figure I can continue my wedding crashing into India!
Things at home are going well. My place is empty empty, no tables, furniture, etc except for beds. So I moved the second bed into the living room, covered it with a blanket and some pillows and now i have a couch!! I still dont have gas, but do have water in my house now. Because it's summer, there are ants EVERYWHERE!! I found out (the hard way) if I leave something on the counter, the ants get it to it quicker than I can take a shower. So, then I put my biscuits in what I thought was an airtight container, but they got in that too. Furthermore, they got into my peanut butter. Inside the jar! How do they do that?!?! Mani, one of my co-workers says the trick is to put things into containers and then put them on a tray of water. Ants cant swim! I can't wait to try it. First I have to dig out all the ants from my peanut butter- gross.
Tonight I'm going to the movies, a popular Hindi movie, 3 Idiots. I can't wait to see it and I can't wait to see what the movies are going to be like! But I wish you guys could come too, I miss yous. Then tomorrow I'm going to try to go to the mall and the ATM. Ill report back on Monday.
namaste,
C
Today I heard this week's This American Life episode, entitled Contents Unknown. One segment was about a man who got amnesia while living in India for a year. He "woke up" in a train station with no passport and didnt know who he was or what he was doing. The story was really scary and I almost ended up crying at work at the part when his parents came to visit him. **Spoiler Alert!!*** He lost his mind beecause of his malaria med he was taking, Lariam. It happens sometimes with that med, but very rarely. That also happens to be the anit-malarial I'm taking!!! So if I ever forget who I am here, remind me to read this blog :o)
In other news, I went out to dinner last night with a co-worker and his girlfriend (who happens to be an American ex-AJWS volunteer!) and another volunteer who has been living here for 2 months already. It was nice to get out into a different neighborhood, although it did take me 1.5 hrs to get home on the bus (not lost, just TRAFFIC!!!). my co-worker and his GF met through yet another volunteer and now live together. She has to travel a lot for her job, so my co-worker moves wherever she moves. It's pretty crazy, but inspiring. Love can happen anywheres!!
I also got to go out to lunch today with another co-worker, which is rare. He said he was very impressed that I was dressing and eating like a native. He said it was really respectful and he really appreciated it. That made me feel good. You guys should see how I eat, I have it all figured out! I also got invited to his house, which is nice. But not this weekend, 'cause I'm going to a wedding!!! Yeah! Im totally going to win first volunteer invited to a wedding! But it's just the reception, so I think I've already missed all the interesting rituals. But I'm sure there will still be lots of good food and hopefully dancing. I figure I can continue my wedding crashing into India!
Things at home are going well. My place is empty empty, no tables, furniture, etc except for beds. So I moved the second bed into the living room, covered it with a blanket and some pillows and now i have a couch!! I still dont have gas, but do have water in my house now. Because it's summer, there are ants EVERYWHERE!! I found out (the hard way) if I leave something on the counter, the ants get it to it quicker than I can take a shower. So, then I put my biscuits in what I thought was an airtight container, but they got in that too. Furthermore, they got into my peanut butter. Inside the jar! How do they do that?!?! Mani, one of my co-workers says the trick is to put things into containers and then put them on a tray of water. Ants cant swim! I can't wait to try it. First I have to dig out all the ants from my peanut butter- gross.
Tonight I'm going to the movies, a popular Hindi movie, 3 Idiots. I can't wait to see it and I can't wait to see what the movies are going to be like! But I wish you guys could come too, I miss yous. Then tomorrow I'm going to try to go to the mall and the ATM. Ill report back on Monday.
namaste,
C
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Chennai is a Cluster Cuss!
Yesterday was rough. In fact, the last couple of days have been rough. Chennai is hard and I havent really been sleeping well. Yesterday after work I was tired, but desperately needed to get more clothes as I only have 3 work outfits that I've been rotating and I was invited to go out to dinner on Friday. A trip to FabIndia (www.fabindia.com) was in order. So I googled it and found my closest FabIndia. But it's not that easy here.
They Layout of Chennai as a city sucks. It is known for this. The other main annoyance is the auto wallas (auto rickshaw drivers). They are notorious for being deceitful and hard to bargain with. Therefore, getting anywheres here is already a challenge. Throw in lack of any street signs (seriously), names that sound very different to how they are spelled, and people who are so eager to help that they will you give you wrong directions before they sa they do not know and you're pretty much screwed!
Chennai does have an impressive bus network (so they say), but navigating it is nearly impossible unless you've already physically been to where you're going. There isn't a bus route map, so you can't actually see the location of the bus stops on a map. Furthermore, the stops aren't really listed on the route!
For instance, I take bus 47A to/from work. I can get on at 3 different stops near my house; Bethel Matriculation School, Ayanavaram water tank, or Kilpauk. At work I can get off at either Valluvar Kottam or Nungambakkam Police Station. You have to tell the conductor where you're stopping when you get on 'cause you pay by distance. No matter what combo of stops I use, my ticket never says any of those names and always says I.C.F to Vidyodaya, or vice versa. The MTC website only lists 12 stops (none of which are any of the 5 that i use) total on the entire route, which I know isnt true because my bus stops more than 12 times on the way to work!
So I attempt to make it to FabIndia yesterday after work. I leave work around 545, rush hour, meaning that the bus will be packed like sardines, making everything that much more difficult. I know I need to get off somewhere between Pondy Bazaar and T. Nagar. So I make my best guess and then wonder around in every direction asking lots of questions until I finally make it there, at around 730.
By this time it was dark, I was running low on water, had no snacks as I had eaten my emergency snacks during work (stoopid), and was thinking, this is it, I'm finally going to have that breakdown I've been dreading. So walking into air-conditioned FabIndia made me so happy that I spent Rs. 3,000 (~$65) and got 3 kurtas, 2 salwaars, a bottle of avocado hair conditioner and a much deserved FabIndia organic fudge brownie (jumbo sized).
Then I took a shared auto back to my work bus stop (turns out it was less than 5 min away) and got back on the ole 47A towards home. As I sat there safe at my local veg restaurant (Hotel Sri Krishna Bhavan), eating Chappathi Kuruma, I realized that despite 2 hours of frustration and a near breakdon, the fact that I actually accomplished something on my own and didn't give up made it all worth while. Chennai is a complete cluster cuss, but I'm having an absolute BLAST trying to figure it out.
They Layout of Chennai as a city sucks. It is known for this. The other main annoyance is the auto wallas (auto rickshaw drivers). They are notorious for being deceitful and hard to bargain with. Therefore, getting anywheres here is already a challenge. Throw in lack of any street signs (seriously), names that sound very different to how they are spelled, and people who are so eager to help that they will you give you wrong directions before they sa they do not know and you're pretty much screwed!
Chennai does have an impressive bus network (so they say), but navigating it is nearly impossible unless you've already physically been to where you're going. There isn't a bus route map, so you can't actually see the location of the bus stops on a map. Furthermore, the stops aren't really listed on the route!
For instance, I take bus 47A to/from work. I can get on at 3 different stops near my house; Bethel Matriculation School, Ayanavaram water tank, or Kilpauk. At work I can get off at either Valluvar Kottam or Nungambakkam Police Station. You have to tell the conductor where you're stopping when you get on 'cause you pay by distance. No matter what combo of stops I use, my ticket never says any of those names and always says I.C.F to Vidyodaya, or vice versa. The MTC website only lists 12 stops (none of which are any of the 5 that i use) total on the entire route, which I know isnt true because my bus stops more than 12 times on the way to work!
So I attempt to make it to FabIndia yesterday after work. I leave work around 545, rush hour, meaning that the bus will be packed like sardines, making everything that much more difficult. I know I need to get off somewhere between Pondy Bazaar and T. Nagar. So I make my best guess and then wonder around in every direction asking lots of questions until I finally make it there, at around 730.
By this time it was dark, I was running low on water, had no snacks as I had eaten my emergency snacks during work (stoopid), and was thinking, this is it, I'm finally going to have that breakdown I've been dreading. So walking into air-conditioned FabIndia made me so happy that I spent Rs. 3,000 (~$65) and got 3 kurtas, 2 salwaars, a bottle of avocado hair conditioner and a much deserved FabIndia organic fudge brownie (jumbo sized).
Then I took a shared auto back to my work bus stop (turns out it was less than 5 min away) and got back on the ole 47A towards home. As I sat there safe at my local veg restaurant (Hotel Sri Krishna Bhavan), eating Chappathi Kuruma, I realized that despite 2 hours of frustration and a near breakdon, the fact that I actually accomplished something on my own and didn't give up made it all worth while. Chennai is a complete cluster cuss, but I'm having an absolute BLAST trying to figure it out.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Hi from Chennai
I made it, again!! Trip here was loooooong (see previous post), so I didn't arrive until late last night. A driver picked me up and took me to my hotel. The hotel is nice, AC, TV, hot water, etc, but is very pricey ($50nt!). I walked around and found some food and then watched movies until I fell asleep.
Today was my first day at work. In India they work on Saturday, and all I can think of is that song from camp, "ain't gonna work on Saturday!" But not many people were in the office today because yesterday was a holiday. ?? Another employee who works in my office lives near my hotel, so he met me at my hotel and we took an auto-rickshaw (auto) to the office. I met people, we had tea and then I went with the office administrator to find a place to live. It was long, hot day (yes, it is now hot), but I did find a place to live! It's a 2 bed, 2 bath lovely place on 3 floor of a family house. there is a nice terrace on the roof. i have my own kitchen. It will be around <$300/month, including a servant maid (which means cleaning lady, I imagine) who will clean and do my laundry. It's in a nice neighborhood, about 15 min auto ride from the office, but I can also take the bus which I hope to do. I am not ready to ride bikes here, but a lot of people do. One thing at a time.
So I didn't work at all today, or even talk about what I will be doing. Tomorrow is day off and I'll be moving. then I hope to secure a cell phone and learn my way around my neighborhood. Also, they said it is best to send mail to me (PLEASE SEND MAIL!!!!) to the office. Here is my address;
Ms. Carly
SAATHII
No. 78, Pushpa Nagar Main Rd.
Nungambakkam, Chennai 600 034
Got it? Send me mail. Good books (in English) much appreciated. I will let you know my cell phone number when I get it. It is free for me to recieve calls, so you guys can buy phone cards and call me all you want!
I have been walking around my hotel neighborhood this evening. I ate at a street food stand, it was tasty. I haven't tried lots of foods, mainly staying to ones I know (Masala Dosai). I'm dressed in normal Indian clothes and have been wearing a bindi (red dot, you know), so I dont stick out too much. That and my ability to eat properly and follow those cultural rules has been very helpful in not drawing attention to myself. It's been working out quite well and I feel quite comfortable.
Publishing pics on my little computer has been harder than I expected. Internet is different here. I hate to say it, but I think I'm only going to put them on Facebook. It's just too easy. So, until I figure out the alternative, they will be there. soon, I just have to get internet at my house, which i havent' moved into yet. You must be patient, just like me.
Namaste,
C
Today was my first day at work. In India they work on Saturday, and all I can think of is that song from camp, "ain't gonna work on Saturday!" But not many people were in the office today because yesterday was a holiday. ?? Another employee who works in my office lives near my hotel, so he met me at my hotel and we took an auto-rickshaw (auto) to the office. I met people, we had tea and then I went with the office administrator to find a place to live. It was long, hot day (yes, it is now hot), but I did find a place to live! It's a 2 bed, 2 bath lovely place on 3 floor of a family house. there is a nice terrace on the roof. i have my own kitchen. It will be around <$300/month, including a servant maid (which means cleaning lady, I imagine) who will clean and do my laundry. It's in a nice neighborhood, about 15 min auto ride from the office, but I can also take the bus which I hope to do. I am not ready to ride bikes here, but a lot of people do. One thing at a time.
So I didn't work at all today, or even talk about what I will be doing. Tomorrow is day off and I'll be moving. then I hope to secure a cell phone and learn my way around my neighborhood. Also, they said it is best to send mail to me (PLEASE SEND MAIL!!!!) to the office. Here is my address;
Ms. Carly
SAATHII
No. 78, Pushpa Nagar Main Rd.
Nungambakkam, Chennai 600 034
Got it? Send me mail. Good books (in English) much appreciated. I will let you know my cell phone number when I get it. It is free for me to recieve calls, so you guys can buy phone cards and call me all you want!
I have been walking around my hotel neighborhood this evening. I ate at a street food stand, it was tasty. I haven't tried lots of foods, mainly staying to ones I know (Masala Dosai). I'm dressed in normal Indian clothes and have been wearing a bindi (red dot, you know), so I dont stick out too much. That and my ability to eat properly and follow those cultural rules has been very helpful in not drawing attention to myself. It's been working out quite well and I feel quite comfortable.
Publishing pics on my little computer has been harder than I expected. Internet is different here. I hate to say it, but I think I'm only going to put them on Facebook. It's just too easy. So, until I figure out the alternative, they will be there. soon, I just have to get internet at my house, which i havent' moved into yet. You must be patient, just like me.
Namaste,
C
What's the Vector, Vikram; Notes from the airport
Airports, as with everything in India to me right now, are funny places. Having an extra 8 hours in the Lucknow airport yesterday, (flts to/from Delhi were cancelled due to monster fog, everything needs rebooking, takes lots of time, etc), I was able to watch the goings on.
Everyone appears calm and waiting, sitting down. Then a flight/gate is announced and it's a mad dash to the door, as fast as possible!! Out of the big commotion forms a line that winds around the area. People (mostly men) line up as close as physically possible, if not closer. Of course, head of the line is the place to be, and people will stick a leg in line between two other people in hopes of wiggling the rest of their body in. The best part is that they are lining up to get on board a bus where again, everyone is equal! The bus takes you to the plane, there are no jetways. I was able to see this over and over, and it was always funny.
Everyone appears calm and waiting, sitting down. Then a flight/gate is announced and it's a mad dash to the door, as fast as possible!! Out of the big commotion forms a line that winds around the area. People (mostly men) line up as close as physically possible, if not closer. Of course, head of the line is the place to be, and people will stick a leg in line between two other people in hopes of wiggling the rest of their body in. The best part is that they are lining up to get on board a bus where again, everyone is equal! The bus takes you to the plane, there are no jetways. I was able to see this over and over, and it was always funny.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Winner, Winner Chikkan Dinner
Sorry I have not written since arriving! Not much interesting is going on as I'm only here for orientation. I'm in Lucknow, which is in the North, and it has been unusually cold. weather.com had said it would be high 60s in the day, and 40s at night. And again I'm decieved! It has been in the 40s during the day and colder at night. They say it's the coldest it's been in a decade! Our place has no heat, and the hallways are all open, so when walking from room to cafeteria or room to room, you can see your breath! We sit in our training sessions hudled on the floor (everyone sits on the floor) under blankets. I was not prepared for such cold, but luckily have been able to borrow a fleece and a wool shawl.
I have managed to take one shower, which was quite difficult in the cold. I have my own bathroom, with hot water, but bucket shower. This means standing in the freezing bathroom pouring cupfuls of water over my head. Also, I have to go through an outside private space to get to my bathroom. Suprisingly, its not too cold for mosquitos, and there are plenty.
We've been doing a lot of training sessions, some getting pretty intense. They cover general information about Indian culture, govt, caste system, gender roles as well as volunteer specific things. I almost cried once, when we were all sharing our fears. It was a bit like group therapy. My main fear is that I will not be emotionally stable enough to help anyone! Then yesterday again when talking about common volunteer challenges. Its beginning to seem a bit overwhelming. Coming here alone to a country I do not know, into a workplace with a different culture and expecting to get something done. I came looking for a challenge, but have I bit off more than I can chew?
In other news, the food has been great. The enire compound where we are staying is vegetarian. I'm not sick of Indian food yet and am maybe even getting used to the spice. Im enjoying learning to eat without silveware, using only my right hand. Sunita, our very motherly Indian representative, says I look like a native Indian eater, which I take as a compliment. Sunita took us into the kitchen and showed us how to set kurd (yogurt) and make paneer (cheese). It was very easy and I hope I can show you guys when I return. Also drinking loads of sweet sweet chai.
We went to town the other day on a field trip and did a lot of shopping. It was nice to have Sunita there to show us the quality stalls and help with bargaining. There is a form of embroidery that is typical of this city called chikkan (pronounced chicken). I have bought some lovely chikkan kurtas (Indian tops) to wear to work and around town.
We have been eating all our meals at the compoud but last night we got to go out to dinner at a very funny restaurant that looks like a mini golf course! Driving here is probably the worst I've ever seen, so it was definitely an outing to go out at night.
Tomorrow morning I'm leaving early early in the morning to go to my placeent in the South. I feel well adjusted and am going to be sad to leave all the new friends i've made. I still have yet to meet anyone from my organization where i will be volunteering, and still dont know where I'll be living or what exactly I'll be doing. But at least it will be warm.
Namaste,
C
ps- I will publish pics from orientation shortly
I have managed to take one shower, which was quite difficult in the cold. I have my own bathroom, with hot water, but bucket shower. This means standing in the freezing bathroom pouring cupfuls of water over my head. Also, I have to go through an outside private space to get to my bathroom. Suprisingly, its not too cold for mosquitos, and there are plenty.
We've been doing a lot of training sessions, some getting pretty intense. They cover general information about Indian culture, govt, caste system, gender roles as well as volunteer specific things. I almost cried once, when we were all sharing our fears. It was a bit like group therapy. My main fear is that I will not be emotionally stable enough to help anyone! Then yesterday again when talking about common volunteer challenges. Its beginning to seem a bit overwhelming. Coming here alone to a country I do not know, into a workplace with a different culture and expecting to get something done. I came looking for a challenge, but have I bit off more than I can chew?
In other news, the food has been great. The enire compound where we are staying is vegetarian. I'm not sick of Indian food yet and am maybe even getting used to the spice. Im enjoying learning to eat without silveware, using only my right hand. Sunita, our very motherly Indian representative, says I look like a native Indian eater, which I take as a compliment. Sunita took us into the kitchen and showed us how to set kurd (yogurt) and make paneer (cheese). It was very easy and I hope I can show you guys when I return. Also drinking loads of sweet sweet chai.
We went to town the other day on a field trip and did a lot of shopping. It was nice to have Sunita there to show us the quality stalls and help with bargaining. There is a form of embroidery that is typical of this city called chikkan (pronounced chicken). I have bought some lovely chikkan kurtas (Indian tops) to wear to work and around town.
We have been eating all our meals at the compoud but last night we got to go out to dinner at a very funny restaurant that looks like a mini golf course! Driving here is probably the worst I've ever seen, so it was definitely an outing to go out at night.
Tomorrow morning I'm leaving early early in the morning to go to my placeent in the South. I feel well adjusted and am going to be sad to leave all the new friends i've made. I still have yet to meet anyone from my organization where i will be volunteering, and still dont know where I'll be living or what exactly I'll be doing. But at least it will be warm.
Namaste,
C
ps- I will publish pics from orientation shortly
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Welcome to my Blog
I think we all knew that once I joined Facebook, this was where I was headed! The name of my blog comes from my friend, Kieran, in response to my lack of communication. Problem solved! I'll write it, but it's now up to you if you want to read it.
Here's what I don't know. I don't know where I'll be living and I don't know exactly what I'll be doing. But this will be my new life for at least the next four months. At least I'll be doing something and living somewhere I can call my own. Since the end of August I've been gallavanting all over and haven't really felt like I belong anywheres. Hopefully this will give me something to focus on.
Also, I don't really have plans for the blog. Hopefully it will be funny/interesting stories about India and not rhetorical questions about why I turned my life upside down, but you never know. As with everything else I've been told about this experience, it will probably benefit me more than others. Fair warning; it may get personal.
So when you find that the weather is shitty or work sucks, or when you're just plain bored, you may find yourself thinking, "What the Efros is Carly doing?!?" And now you can always find out! Check back often.
Namaste,
C
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