Jennifer Hicks’ Blog

June 6

June 6, 2007
I’m sorry..did I say 20 hour train ride? I meant 27! At any rate, I survived the train ride. It was a long, crowded time to go without hearing any English. Despite having entirely different interpretations of rudeness here (public urination, belching, farting..all completely acceptable here), the people were very hospitable even on the train. I was offered many cups of chai and begged to try their Indian sweets and samosas. Bihar is good so far. I got in last night. Today has been a general orientation of the campus, which is actually much more impressive than I had expected. There’s a lot going on here. I’m going to spend the rest of the week in the surgical ward, next week in pediatrics, the next week in the community health projects, and some time in OB/GYN and ophthomology as well, and then settle in wherever I’m most interested after that. I’ve already seen quite a bit just wandering around today. I’m very glad I was delayed in Delhi a couple of extra days. It gave me a little extra time to absorb some of the cultural norms and practices. In response to your question about the kids working, Angelina..they sell trinkets and food on the streets and some of them are maids. The conditions they work in are deplorable in many circumstances. Zarema told me that it often happens that a child’s father will, in affect, sell their children when approached in exchange for a lot of broken promises of certain wages and conditions. She says that she won’t give them money because she knows it won’t go toward them. Instead she offers them food when she can. We went out to dinner and watched as a family ate in front of their maid. She was brought along to watch after the children. Toward the end they gave her a little bit of food, but Zarema said that that was actually very generous of them compared to many of the families she’s seen. It’s very sad how readily and often childhood innocence is stripped away here. It would be very easy to be detered by many of the sights here, but despite it all, there is still a lot of hope here. I think empowering and educating women will have a lot to do with improving the future of these people. This is a culture where children and women are very dependent on men. If a woman does not have a father or a husband or a son to take care of her, she is pretty much powerless here..it will be interesting to see how they percieve me. Anyway, on a lighter note, the cook here is notoriously grumpy. I was warned well in advance. I’m quite pleased though. He’s either smiling at me or laughing at me, but either way, at least he’s not being surly. I’ve already been invited to two houses for tea. The first was an eccentric old man who is a patient here. Neither one of us understand a thing the other is saying, but we were thoroughly entertained with each other. The second was Dr. Helen, an optholomologist here. I’m excited to meet with her. She is the senior doctor here, having been here for 30 years. Enough yammering though. I must go have some tea before the 6:00 faculty meeting.