Hello world!
April 14th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »20 April 2010
I am going to try to document my impressions on this trip. I first noted the “culture shock” as I stood in line at Eithad Airways in
Chicago, in fact you felt it when you entered the international terminal…the sense of being different from everyone else, in the color of my skin and hair; the language that I spoke, even the amount of luggage that I had with me. Many of the families and couples had 5, 6, 7 huge hard sided bags piled on trolleys. I had two small bags to last for a month, and most of those were filled with books and crayons for the school that I planned to visit. I was frustrated when I got to the front of the line and had to check my carry-on bag because it was over 7 kilos…most of the other people were allowed to keep their carry-ons??? On the plane I sat next to a couple, older couple from Chicago of Indian descent, that were travelling to
Mecca. They were interested in where I was going, what I was going to do and why I was travelling alone. They twice told me about the poverty in Chennai, my destination. After about 13 hours of travel we arrived in
Abu Dhabi…a beautiful airport, mosaic ceilings in blues and greens. I am looking more out of place here. I feel very self conscious…a little like wearing shorts to a formal banquet. Very out of place in my western slacks, and pink flowered top. There is quite an exotic feel to the airport…sheiks in flowing white robes with white head dresses. I haven’t seen this before. Of course, lots of women in salwar suits and sarees, and children, especially very young children everywhere. It looks like we will board a bus to take us to the airplanes. Mid-seventies in
Abu Dhabi. About 6 hours flight on to Chennai, India then a 3 hour cab ride to
Vellore. I did sleep some on the flight over so I feel pretty alert now.
Made it through customs without event. When you exit customs into the world beyond, it appears like a gauntlet, a long line of faces, all eagerly looking for someone and curious about someone who looks like me. A young man holding a “Beth Grubbs” sign was easily located and we made through the crowd to the cab. Left the airport at 4:45 am and arrived in
Vellore at 7 am. The first part in the dark, lots of people sitting on curbs waiting for buses. Interesting small closet like “snack shacks” that had bags and bottles of hanging snack and it looked as if they were selling chai. All had a few men lingering around, some reading papers and others talking. It was an interesting ride…lots of horn blowing and fast traffic. There was a small delay with my room when I arrived so I went to have coffee in the mess downstairs. Met Jason Kimm, a public health student from
Kansas City. He tried to orient me-he goes to Chennai today for a conference and he leaves for the states tomorrow.
Sat., 24 April 2010
I have had a few days to rest and adjust to the time change. I “caved in” and asked for air conditioning in my room. I tried living with just fans but I was obviously not made for 110 degree temps. I met with Dr. John yesterday and the occupational therapist, Sam about my work here and we have several ideas for a project. I will develop a plan and meet with Sam on Monday. Today, Saturday, I went to the
CHAD hospital to see the diabetes clinic and leprosy clinics. The hospital is open air with lots of people everywhere-and no AC. In patients have beds in wards with 4-5 other beds and there are always several expectant mothers and fathers walking the halls and waiting for new babies. Today I will work on my “plan”. The other American student, Jason, left yesterday and many of the Indian students left yesterday on their summer break so it is very quiet today. I am staying in an international student dormitory with a cafeteria attached. So far, I have had all of my meals there. You receive a round stainless steel tray and there are usually 2 pots of vegetables. At breakfast you get either a pancake like item or a puffy bread item and dip it in the vegetables that are on your plate. No utensils are used, everything is eaten with your right hand. At lunch and dinner there is rice and the 2 types of vegetables to add to the rice. Also at lunch and dinner there is a small bowl of yogurt…that seems to help with calming the really spicy things.
Yesterday I took a short walk outside of the compound. It is all so overwhelming with many people, cars, auto rickshaws, motorcycles, dogs and goats. All are using the same streets and sidewalks with lots of horn blowing. Of course, the heat doesn’t help. I am wandering only in short doses until I used to things. Today I am going to go in search of fruit…there were several stands outside of the gate.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
I am still having difficulty adjusting to the time change and seem to be awake from 1 to 3 AM. I slept late and then went to the Canteen thinking that the sign for a breakfast buffet was for the Canteen, it wasn’t. I was going to the buffet to see if I could start to put a name to different food items, it is hard to order in the canteen when you don’t know what you are ordering. On the buffet list cornflakes with cold milk was the only item (besides coffee) that I could identify. So, instead I ate at the Canteen, had ghee roast which is like a large crepe with 3 different savory type items to dip the ghee roast into. Note: the coffee is excellent, Starbucks doesn’t even come close. Coffee is served already sweetened with milk added-perfect! I did try the pineapple juice at the canteen, you can see the lady in the back cut the pineapple and put it into the blender and then strain out the juice-it was delicious.
I am learning to put everything in perspective. I ordered, at the clerk’s suggestion, the most expensive thing on the menu for breakfast, coffee and juice and was astounded at the cost, 44 rupees, until I realized that equals about US $1.05.
Yesterday, I did venture out of the compound and bought bananas from a fellow with a cart of bananas, oranges and grapes. Bananas are small and fat (as opposed to our usual long and thin) and seem juicier than ours. Five rupees for 2 bananas (12 cents US).
There were many people yesterday for the diabetes clinic. About 75 or so, and the staff are quite efficient-the nurses weighing each patient in one group while the doctors visited with each one and updated their data cards. I was impressed that all of the patients with diabetes did have shoes on to avoid injuries to their feet.
I had not seen anyone with leprosy before and was surprised (though it makes perfect sense) that some who were unable to walk used plastic thong-type shoes on their hands to assist with their mobility. There were only a few leprosy patients that I saw and they sat in a different area than the other patients.
After breakfast this morning, I took a short walk around the compound. It is mid-summer here and very dry so many of the plants are wilted and there are lots of fallen leaves (like August in KC). There is a formal garden near the chapel so I try to walk there daily so I can see something beautiful. The crepe myrtle, jasmine and plumeria trees are in bloom so there is a really nice smell. (Some of the trees are labeled so I am able to identify them).
I have made two findings of importance:
*Your most important fashion accessory is the umbrella, as useful in sun as in rain.
* Always look up before taking a seat-choose the seat under the moving fan.
Today I work some on the proposal. Not much happening here since it is Sunday.
Monday, 26 April
I was at the OT’s office bright and early (8 am). His office is located in the hospital-about 100 patients were lined up before I arrived waiting at the cashier’s desk to pay for their visit. Many looked like they had been waiting for a long time. It was a little cooler this morning, probably mid-80s. Today is the pediatric clinic so there were many children. Most mothers and children (some fathers there also) held listless children, sitting on the floor. Several children were referred from the clinic to the OT, so I observed his evaluations, they acted like typical children, crying when a stranger took them. Some had developmental delays so the therapist showed the parents exercises to assist with sitting or walking.
Sam, the OT, then gave me a tour of the hospital. The ICU had 4 patients-many had family members that sleep on the floor beside them. They had 15 children in the pediatric ward-the family stays with them at all times. It appears that any food received by the patient is brought by the family. They have 200 beds in the
CHAD (Community Health and Development) Hospital, most are occupied.
He also took me to the leprosy ward-a separate group of old buildings around a central courtyard. Though their leprosy is not an active disease, they don’t stay with other patients. This ward was very primitive. They sleep on stainless steel gurneys…no mattresses, just the stainless steel bed. They did have something that looked like a placemat for their head. There were 6 women and 4 men there – separate quarters but the same compound. They have been trying to find something productive to do. In the past they have made candles to sell but for some reason that has stopped at the moment. They are going to start making doormats in an Irish Knot fashion from rope. The women were very chatty and wanted their pictures taken…and wanted to see on the camera afterwards.
One lady raised her saree to show me her prosthesis-below knee- the foot was carved from wood, and looked surprisingingly real. All of them had foot or hand ulcers that were being treated, some who still had fingers were playing cards.
Tuesday, 27 April
Today I went along with a nurse and community health worker to visit rural villages. CMC has a mobile rural nursing unit and doctor unit that go to 82 different villages on a rotating schedule. The nurse, driver and I started out at 8:30 and drove to pick up the health aide. We visited 3 villages in the morning. They pointed out that most of the villagers performed coolie labor (agricultural work in the fields) and these were very poor villages. The health aide is usually an older lady who knows everyone in her villages. She keeps track of who is sick, who has died, babies that have been born. Each village has a “crèche”- preschool that is free for the children of that village. Many of the homes, really small compounds with several low brick or mud buildings with thatched roofs, surround an open space where there is often an open sided building for the animals. In the center there is also a cooking area-several homes used wood cooking… seems to be a good method for keeping the heat out of the house.
I did get to go into a few small homes, had to duck low to get under the thatched overhang. Often they had a hotplate hooked to a small propane tank for cooking in the one room of the home. Mats were rolled up but served as bedding during the nights. Pots, pans and utensils were hung on the walls. Most had a small television, a fan and one electric light bulb. Everyone was very nice but often the villagers (especially children) followed us to look at me. Most homes offered me a plastic chair to sit in…no one else sat. One group wanted to touch my hair. A few homes offered me buttermilk or water, which I did not take, I want to avoid stomach upset at all costs!
We visited one village that is considered a model village, Kattupudhur, with a communal toilet and bathing building. Most homes do not have a toilet, showers are taken with clothing on at the village pump. Kattupudhur was very clean, the streets had no trash and there were no open ditches for sewage.
On Wednesday, I observed the immunization clinic…imagine 180 small children along with their mothers, and often grandmother and siblings sitting in the HOT open air hall. All were registered, the child weighed and their reflexes tested. If a problem with the reflexes was noted by the OT, they showed the mother exercises to use with the baby. One child with Down Syndrome was identified…the parent had been told to bring the baby in for assessment but had been to busy to do that. The OT talked sharply to her and stressed the importance of bringing the child in while she was young…he was not encouraged by her motivation. I was told that often the family believes that if they have a child with a disability it is because they have done something bad and are being punished. It was a busy morning and all was quiet by about 1:00.
Thursday, 29 April
Today, Sam OT and I went to a village with a mobile nursing unit. We visited one lady who had had her leg amputated below the knee due to infection and the OT had made modifications to her home to allow her to be independent. They put parallel bars along the sidewalk from the hut to the toilet so she could get up the hill without use of crutches. The toilet had also been adapted and was a box about 2 feet from the floor to the seat. Usually toilets here are just a hole in the ground…this adaptation allowed her to be independent. She lived in a small one room hut…cooking items on one side (hotplate on the floor) and rolled up mats for sleeping on the other side. The whole room was about 8’ by 10’ but very clean and perfect for her. She receives a widow’s pension of 400 Rs (about $10) per month. He son lives in the house just next to her and provides for her.
We visited another house where the father had both legs - amputated below the knee and he had a special tricycle adapted for him. The “pedals” are at chest height and are turned by his hands to propel the tricycle. He also receives a government pension of about $10 per month-he lives with his son and daughter-in-law and they assist him. If he has to go to the hospital for any treatment he rides on the motorcycle with his son.
My new adventure for today was riding a city bus. The buses are packed full of people, they almost appear to be hanging out the windows and doors. (FYI, there is no A/C). The bus driver slows and people jump off and on…he never really seemed to come to a stop.
Today we started work on a database. That is one of the projects that I am undertaking while I am here. They have tattered notes on all of the individuals with disabilities-many from the 80’s and 90’s. They have a database with some demographic information; name, address, age, sex but no other information. They collect much information on their forms but do not have a way of demonstrating outcomes. I have set up an excel spreadsheet and we are entering information about disability type, co-morbidities, interventions used, adaptations made, education, training programs completed and their family situation. Hopefully this will allow them to demonstrate the good work that they are doing.
Thursday, 29 April-continued
I decided this evening to take a walk at dusk (6:15pm-there are only 12 hours of daylight here, I guess if Alaska is going to get all the daylight in the summer, the equatorial regions are going to get less, I just hadn’t thought about that before). It was surprising all of the people that were out. Apparently they all stay in their cool rooms until dusk, when it is only about 85-90 degrees. Kids were playing basketball and cricket. There are lots of volleyball (or is it badminton?) nets, even the small villages I went to had them but I haven’t seen anyone use them.
I had been wishing for some good food, everything here is starch-rice, flat breads, crepe type things. I was really hoping for some protein…maybe a cheese omelet? I think I have seen 4 garbanzo beans in the food this week…that is the sum total of the protein but instead I had a big dinner, idlyampam (rice noodle cakes) with a spicy sauce and coconut milk (cold coconut milk.-anything cold is wonderful), fruit salad and fresh orange juice. Cost was 57 Rs. (US$ 1.70). Tonight is malaria medicine night and it has to be taken after a meal. I actually like malaria medicine night, one of the side effects is dreaming. I have had some interesting dreams and am so glad they haven’t been nightmares.
I brought along my favorite book, Under the Tuscan Sun, which was probably not the best choice. I have trouble making the leap between Italy in the book and
India outside of my window. Also, the author goes on and on about Italian food – basil, tomatoes, pecorino cheese, peaches…a far cry from Indian food.
Friday, 30 April
Today we set out for the rural villages in the physician’s mobile unit. I had wanted to meet persons who had disabilities so Sam OT went along with me to the villages. In the first village, Salamatham, we visited a woman with 2 daughters in their 30’s, both were deaf. They had their own sign language system and verbalizations that they understood. The daughters were both married and had children of their own. They were pretty well integrated into their community and functioned with minimal assistance.
The mobile physician unit is interesting. We pulled into the front yard of a house-under a tree for shade and they set up shop. There were about 10 women sitting on the porch waiting for the van. One doctor sat outside of the van at a table and saw anyone who walked up. Everyone has a medical card and it is obvious that they guard this card…they carried the card in old woven plastic rice sacks for protection. The doctor outside takes the person’s blood pressure and talks with them about their complaint. Another doctor inside examines anyone that the outside doctor refers. There is also a health worker (she wears a pink sari) who hands out vitamins to pregnant women. And there is a nurse (she wears a blue sari) who dispenses medicines from a window in the back of the van. It is a very efficient operation.
After about 2 hours, everyone had been seen who wanted the doctor’s services so we moved onto the next village, Perumalaipet, where the doctors again set up shop. Sam OT and I walked to the home of a young man who had severe disabilities. His mother had had rheumatic fever while she was pregnant. This young man was 17 years old and in the 5th standard (I think that is equivalent to our 5th grade) and was making excellent grades. He had not been allowed to start school until he was older because of his childhood illnesses. His older brother has mental retardation and carries around the younger brother. The younger brother wants to do computer work when he finishes school…but the family is extremely poor. Sam OT was hoping I could find them some financial help…this boy has an opportunity to learn a skill that will allow him to be independent. He is really a poster child of sorts. The father climbed the palm tree in the yard and brought down 2 green coconuts for us to drink from and then cut them open so we could eat the coconut meat.
Sam OT and I rode the city bus back to CMC campus-another adventure! Hot, crowded (VERY CROWDED) but a gentleman did give me his seat. The children stare, of course, but it was interesting…they would try to get near my seat and hold onto the seat back and “accidently” touch my hand with a finger. I was a real curiosity on the bus.
Enough adventures for one day.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
May Day! Worked in the hospital-on the database until noon. Then I decided I should try going into the bus station since I will be going to
Darjeeling via Chennai on Thursday. I will say that I had to muster my courage to go to the city. I left a post it note on the mirror in my room stating when I left, where I was going and the number to call Henry if they found the note while cleaning the room on Sunday. Otherwise no one in the whole world would know where I went. I rode an auto-rickshaw (3 wheeled vehicle) into town, about 6 kilometers…the whole honking horn, swerving in and out of traffic, traveling where there were no lanes… I made it to the bus station which is really a mass confusion of about 50 buses and lots of people both inside and outside of the buses. I found a schedule posted in English for the bus to Chennai-the bus with AC since it is a 2.5-3 hour trip. Then I just wandered until I found a bus with the windows up…that would be the one with AC, and it matched the picture of the bus on the schedule. Now, I feel a little more confident about Thursday. I got into an auto-rickshaw headed to the fort but the driver didn’t understand me-I finally tapped him on the shoulder and pointed the direction that I wanted to go and he turned around on the spot going through traffic, the wrong direction, and white-knuckled I made it to the fort. It is an interesting old fort from the 17th century and has lots of park space, playing fields within the fort. But mostly I was a spectacle for everyone to look at. The children have a good time coming up to me and saying “hello” or “good morning” and then giggling when I reply back to them.
After visiting the fort, I caught another auto-rickshaw back toChristian
Medical
College where I am staying. I had printed it on a paper and handed this to the driver so there would be no confusion about where I wanted to go. He said, “one minute please” and left-I watched him take my note to 3 different shopkeepers and ask where this was. That is real encouraging. But he made it back to CMC very efficiently. I am done for today!
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Missed a few days there, not that I was extremely busy, just not motivated. Sam OT, Preethi OT intern and I visited several persons with disabilities over the past few days. It is interesting, one young man with quadrapelegia-good looking kid about 21 years old, 2 years after a road traffic accident, is so unmotivated and content to lie on his bed. He had a couple of cell phones he looked at, hot dark room, fan not on…only a shirt on and a towel over his bottom (lying on his stomach) in a filthy room. Sam OT really gave him a what for about getting up, going to rehab, getting a job…he said it hurt too much to sit up. Don’t know if Sam will be able to motivate him but what a waste of a life.
Another man, about 40 years old, also had a spinal cord injury from a road traffic accident. He has a small hut with dirt floor but at least he can pull himself in and out with his arms. He has several small children that a neighbor comes and cares for while his wife does coolie work in the fields. I can’t even imagine what life must be like just sitting day after day. He has a beautiful spot to sit…looking a the hills, near a stream, banana trees and fields all around but I am afraid it is not much of a life.
Today I made the trip to
Darjeeling. I have so been looking forward to this but it was a tough journey…2 ½ hour cab ride from Vellore to Chennai…plane to
Calcutta then a second flight on to Bagdogra. Then I had another one of those “adventures”, I took a shared jeep (guidebooks recommend-they are wrong but one more thing checked off of my “I think I’ll try that” list). I shared the jeep with 12 other people (ok, one was a small child but still, that’s a lot of people in one jeep) for 3 and one half hours(!!) around hairpin turns and steep drop offs on the roadsides. I was in the very back seat-shared the bench seat with 3 men. The seat had been well used, there was almost no padding and I spent most of the time holding on with my fingertips of my left hand and bracing myself with my right leg so I didn’t fall over on the guy next to me..my bottom was so sore!
Amanda and I came to
Darjeeling 5 years ago so I had good memories but tonight I am so done. I can handle most anything but dirty sheets on the bed. Tonight there is no top sheet-just supposed to put the comfort over me… I can’t stand this. I am going to sleep wrapped in a shawl and will go in the morning and buy a big blanket to sleep in.
Friday, 7 May 2010
Today my attitude is better. Had a restless night in a very uncomfortable bed but that’s too trivial to worry about. I had coffee and a roll this morning at Glenary’s-
Amanda and I had lassis there when we were here last time. Then my mission was to see the
Himalayas. I walked to the mall and sat on a bench for quite a while…there are some nice views but the clouds covered the mountains. I will keep trying to see them. I then walked to the
Tibetan
Refugee
Self
Help
Center-for anyone going there take a cab. I’m not sure my knees will recover. It is the sharp downhill slope that really causes me trouble. Of course, once down there, I had to walk back up…probably only 2 miles in all but very difficult. They have a nice center where they were spinning wool, knitting, making rugs, weaving and doing leather work. They have a nice shop (all money stays to help the refugees) and it was packed with Indian tourists. Darjeeling is one of THE tourist spots this time of year to escape the heat in southern
India. I walked down to the center with a woman who’s parents left
Tibet as refugees 50 years ago and live at the self help center.
Today, I just walked. I love the Tibetan women with their traditional aprons coming to market. I was able to get a few photos, they look so stately. There are many small stalls for vegetables and cooked items (cannot identify the cooked items-some sort of flatbreads and dough balls that are fried. There was fresh fish (not on ice, just lying out) that was cut by the man and weighed. The stalls are made of wood, plywood and tarps over the top. They are like a table, 3 feet off the ground and the seller sits on the “table” amidst their wares. It’s a little hard to explain but they are at eye height for the buyer and surrounded by their goods.
There are also several women sitting on the ground with metal pans, a little like a dutch oven, filled with hot coals they fan. They cook corn on the cob on a stick over the coals. Many people are walking around with the corn and it smells delicious (but I’m not ready for food off the street yet).
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Today worked out very well, especially considering it could have ended badly. I had difficulty finding a car and driver to take me to Gorubatham, therefore was unable to get back with Puran Rai, my contact person. By the time I had arranged the car (9 pm on Friday night), I discovered I had missed a digit when recording his cell phone number and all the internet cafes were closed. Therefore, when I left this morning, it was on “a wing and a prayer” so to speak. I wasn’t even able to tell him that I would be there to pick him up (in Kuryseong), much less what time I would be there. But, he was waiting exactly in the spot where he had earlier designated. We had a nice visit on the way to
Rainbow
Academy and stopped for toast and coffee (his idea but I was really not feeling too well with no breakfast and all those hairpin turns). We made it to
Rainbow
Academy at about 10:00. It is a beautiful setting with acacia nut trees, banana trees, corn growing all around. The building and grounds were impeccable, and the children, in their uniforms were so well behaved. They sang for me, two of the children danced and the teachers were introduced. I was a little overwhelmed, I am not usually the center of attention. I had brought books, crayons, chalk, pencils for the children so we handed those out. Oh yes, several of the children presented me with silk scarves for my neck. I was very honored.
Rainbow
Academy is a school for children from 1st through 8th grade. The students are the children of the laborers on the tea plantations. This is an English speaking school that these children would not otherwise be able to attend. If the parents can afford to pay tuition, they are charged, otherwise the children can attend for free. They have been open for 5 years and want to expand to educate students to the 10th grade.
Puran Rai was my contact person. His mother has give the land for the school which is located next to her home. Their family believes strongly in helping disadvantaged persons and have given these children a chance for an education that will allow them to become something other than laborers.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
I made it back to
Vellore on Monday. That was a trip. We don’t appreciate the efficiency that traveling on good roads allows us. I went in a shared jeep from
Darjeeling down to Siliguri in order to get to the airport. Sorry I complained about 13 sharing the jeep on the way up to
Darjeeling because on the way down there were 16 adults in the jeep. I did figure out how that happens. When you go to the stand to purchase a ticket for a shared jeep, they put 10 or 11 of you in the jeep (a reasonable number), HOWEVER about 2 blocks down the road the locals hop in…an additional 5 people (there may also have been 2 people on top of the jeep, we did not pass a window where I could see the jeep’s reflection). We rode the jeep about 3 hours down the mountain, hairpin turns the entire way though only traveled about 40 kilometers per hour. After reaching Siliguri, I took an autorickshaw to the airport, only about 12 km but it took an hour through pollution filled traffic.
Next, I waited 2 hours for the plane to Chennai. Interestingly, there were many large groups of Indian family and friends traveling together. I wonder how many of them were taking their first plane ride. They played musical seats with each other, took pictures of each other, played with putting the seats up and back. They had the stewardesses hopping constantly. And when it came time for the meal, they shared between rows-asking the stewardesses to pass food to the passenger in another row. It was all quite interesting to watch.
I arrived in Chennai at 7:20 PM and it was dark. I took a pre-paid taxi (that way you don’t negotiate a fare…just pay for a standard cab) to the bus station…again an hour in traffic. I did navigate the bus station fairly well and within 15 minutes was on a bus to
Vellore. There was no AC, there were 3 persons on each bench seat, the aisles were filled with people and unfortunately I chose the seat behind the driver. The engine heat comes from a small vent just to the side of the driver. So, even though it was about 85 degrees outside I had this heat on my feet for the next 3 hours. Arrived in
Vellore at midnight and took another autorickshaw (only about 20 minutes) to the dorm where I am staying. We should really appreciate how fortunate we are!
Tuesday, I again reported to the
CHAD (Community Health and Development) Hospital and am continuing to work on database development for them. Went with the OT on rounds in the nursery today. Wow, there were about 6 babies, in clear sided bassinets like used in the States. BUT, the mothers of the sick babies slept on the floor next to the bassinets. I don’t mean with a pillow and blanket, just on the linoleum floor. Some of the babies had been there over a week. I cannot imagine just having had a baby and then sleeping on the floor.
On Wednesday the immunization clinic is held. Today I weighed the babies and recorded the weight on the card each mother had. The card has the weight for age grids developed by the World Health Organization already printed on it so we could graph progress and percentiles easily. We had 153 children for the clinic (most under the age of 3). Imagine an open air room, full of 153 children, their mothers and often their grandmothers. Everyone is sitting on the floor in the sweltering heat. Few babies have any kind of diaper. Most are just bare-bottomed laying on a piece of cloth, some have a small rag tied around their bottom. There are accidents everywhere on the floor but the mothers just wipe them up with a blanket or the end of their sari (I always wondered what those extra yards of fabric were for). It was quite a sight, sound and smell adventure.
Today I met some interesting people at breakfast. One young man from
Sweden is a medical student who will leave this week after 3 months here. He had lived in LA for a year while his mother did a post-doctoral fellowship. Interestingly, he realized how prevalent that the Spanish language was in LA so he decided in order to learn Spanish he would go to
Peru and volunteer at an orphanage for a year to learn the language. Another fellow joined us-he has been here for 3 years but had just returned from the
UK for a one month holiday. He works for the Cochrane Institute-I learned a lot at breakfast about medical research and the Institute. All in all it was a good start to the day, very stimulating conversation.