Cricket

Day 16 - 28Jul2012

I slept in this morning and took time to reflect on who I am and who I want to be.  I have never been so sure of myself and yet so unsure of myself.  I know that doesn't really make sense, but it means that because I am so sure of myself, I have never been more acutely aware of where I am lacking and what my flaws are.  I guess I needed to come to India to learn that...

Today is Saturday and I have the weekends off, but today was a special day.  The children still had school and although I didn't wake up intending to tutor them today, that is what I did.  I headed over after recess and tutored during the last two class periods.  Reading and math.  My first student did NOT want to read today.  I wouldn't want to be in school on a Saturday either.  My second student was a boy from Basha's house...so what did he call me?  Yup, Lady Grinch.  I don't think I'll break away from that nickname anytime soon.

Today is special because the Marriott came out to host lunch and a cricket game with the kids.  The lunch was a little different than normal...it was NOT curry!  I ate in the dining hall with all the kids and I decided that today, being a special day....I would eat with my hands!  Yup, no utensils for this one.  I made sure my hands were clean first. :)  It was...an experience that's for sure!  The kids laughed at me like they usually do when I try to be like them.  And they corrected me when I ate with both hands.  You should only eat with your right hand here in India.  I didn't know that, but I do now!  I talked with Mymonisha and Jayanthi.  A few days ago they asked me to bring back "so many chocolates" for them from Mamallapuram.  And sure enough, they asked me if I had fulfilled my promise.  I did. :)  I gave the chocolates to one of the coordinators to put in the Star Store.  The Star Store is based on a point system.  Each student gets star points for doing well in school and behaving in the hostels.  Once they have enough stars, they can purchase different things from the Star Store (like candies or toys).  This helps the children understand that they need to work for what they want.  Hopefully this will aid in breaking the cycle of begging that most of them are familiar with.

M. Nisha

After lunch, our boys' cricket team faced off with the adult Marriott players.  It was obvious how much the kids enjoy this yearly event.  The excitement was in the air!  M. Nisha found me and sat on my lap for a long time.  Nisha is the albino Indian.  She has such a sweet personality.  We talked about her sponsors and I learned that she wants to be a scientist.  I told her that I was kind of a scientist in America and she was really excited about that.  I don't think she can see very well, but it doesn't stop her.

I didn't eat much at lunch so I was starving by dinner.  We had chapati (Indian flatbread).  It was delicious and my banana leaf was as clean as could be by the time I was done.  Because it is Saturday, it was movie night tonight.  I watched "Cars 2" with the smaller kids.  Jayanthi wasn't there because she was being punished for doing something earlier in the day.  Mymonisha was there though.  I followed Mymonisha to her hostel to say hello to Jayanthi for a few minutes and to ask a house mother to wrap me in my sari for church tomorrow.  I have to wake up super early to let them beautify me before church.  So it is off to bed!

Day 16 - Complete

Firsts/Realizations:  I did the "ok" head bob today without thinking about it.  

The Ocean - It's What It Does

Day 15 - 27Jul2012

Mamallapuram!

We drove to the beach town of Mamallapuram today.  We were able to spend the morning shopping and then hit the beach at the Ideal Beach Resort.  Sarah and I were separated from the rest of the girls when we stopped at a shop to buy pillow cases and jewelry.  The man running the shop was a very nice man and an extremely good salesman.  We must have spent an hour just in his shop.  When we left his shop, Sarah and I started walking in the direction that we had last seen our group go.  We were encouraged by a street vendor to look at this huge government pond with lily pads.  We entered and took a picture with the "guardian."  A woman gave us a lily pad with the water from the pond on it.  It was some kind of holy water...I'm not really sure, but I spilled it...oops!  As we went to leave the guardian kept touching my arm and asking for something.  He wanted to be paid for that lily pad!  20 rupees later...we were allowed to leave.

We knew a few of our friends were going to be eating at a restaurant called the Blue Elephant so we asked one of the shop owners where the restaurant was.  He pointed us in the right direction and we finally found our other two roommates.  They were on a street that we should have been shopping on the whole time!  We visited a few shops and I ordered a chudidar to be made to fit my body.  I bought several awesome souvenirs.  We stopped by the ruins for a few minutes and then hitched a ride by taxi to Ideal Beach.

Ideal Beach was exactly that, an ideal beach.  We paid about $8.00 to use their beach and their swimming pool.  We changed into our suits and dove right in.  It's not every day that you get to swim in the Indian Ocean.  Sarah and I had a grand old time playing in the water.  The rip tide was VERY strong so we didn't venture out past our belly buttons.  The beach was phenomenal, but the sand was less the kind.  The sand for the Indian Ocean is large and grainy.  We played in the water until our food order arrived...pizza, french fries, and Miranda (yup, same stuff as Romania).  Delicious!  We order American food every chance we get!  We spent about an hour enjoying the ocean.  I felt like the newness of India has faded and therefore the shopping experience we had today was not as spectacular as it was in Pondicherry.  While we were sitting at the beach, I mentioned that the ocean had made my entire day.  Everyone agreed.  The ocean - its what it does...

After we had our fill of the beach, we bathed in the resort's swimming pool.  If I were to take a vacation in India, this is where I'd stay.  The pool was breathtaking.  The water was divine.  It was a much needed break from the sweaty lives we usually lead here.

We stopped for paratha on the way back to Rising Star.  We got home late.  The day was glorious!

Day 15 Complete

Firsts/Realizations: A bird pooped on Sarah's head.  Funniest thing that has happened all day!

Also, I was told that the snake from "Snake Wrangler" was poisonous today...yikes!

Leprosy Art

Day 14 - 26Jul2012

I was on construction rotation today.  The last time I did construction was the first full day here and after two days in a row of tutoring, I was ready for a break.  We headed out to a colony to work on installing a few bathrooms.

Our first job split our team up.  I was assigned to work with three paid Indian workers with two other volunteers.  Our job was to help the workers move the dirt they had dug up for the bathroom.  At first we formed an assembly line to pass the dirt in these huge bowls to each other.  The Indian workers didn't speak any English so eventually they just motioned to us where they wanted us to stand and where they wanted us to throw the dirt.  We worked liked this for a couple of hours.  To pass the time, the other volunteers and I started singing primary songs.  I know the workers couldn't understand us, but there had to have been some spirit surrounding those songs that they could feel.  I felt it.

About half way through this assignment, the little old woman who lived in the house we were building a bathroom for came out and talked to us in Tamil.  Since we definitely do not speak Tamil, we just acknowledged that she was speaking and she left.  When she returned she had orange sodas for us.  We were grateful for the sodas!  However, we soon realized that the glass bottles the sodas were in were not for the drink she gave us...Pepsi is not an orange soda...we drank them anyway even though they had probably been refilled because we didn't want to be impolite.  We figured that the carbonated water would kill anything that would hurt us.  It has been over 12 hours now and I have not had any symptoms...dodged another bullet...hopefully!

The art school.

We broke for lunch and enjoyed about an hour break to explore the colony.  We were able to visit the art school in the colony.  The art school is a place where leprosy patients can paint and then the school sells the paintings.  It is a great way for the patients to earn some money since most are not permitted to work anywhere else.  The wonderful thing about the art is that most paintings are done by patients that are missing fingers.  I bought a beautiful painting that I love and was able to meet the painter.  She is a beautiful woman.  I'll love that painting for many years to come.

After lunch we went back to work.  This time we used these weird shovels to shovel rocks into gunny sacks.  We then hauled the sacks to various houses for the bathrooms.  As always, it was extremely hot and I was extremely sweaty by the time we finished.  The work here is hard in a good way.  Romba Kaaram had a great time working today.

On the way home, we stopped at "the junction" for some of the girls to buy henna.  I saw a monkey climb down from the roof of the shop.  Scared me to death!

In the evening, I added my name to our portion of the wall.  Our theme is "It's All About Love."  Family time was really fun tonight.  I played a version of the card game "War" that I've never seen before.  The rules these kids make up are pretty cheeky.  It took me about 10 minutes to understand all of them.  It doesn't help when they try to explain it to me in Tamil.  And just when I think I understand, I'd make a move and then they would tell me I couldn't do that.  I kept telling them that I thought they were cheating and they'd just laugh at me...I think they were taking me for all I had.  I shuffled the cards at the end of the game and they really liked that.  I tried to teach Vicky how to do it, but his hands were a little too small.

Tomorrow we are going to Mamallapuram for shopping!

Day 14 Complete

Firsts/Realizations:  Everyone squats differently while using the squattie potties.  I believe my squatting technique is the most efficient.  Also, Top Ramen is the most delicious food item on the planet...right now. 

Lady Grinch

Day 13 - 25Jul2012

Jayanthi

I was on education rotation again today.  I spent the morning tutoring kids in reading and math.  During math class tutoring, I met the most interesting of kids.  She goes to school at Rising Star, but does not live in the hostels.  She goes home after school in the village closest to us.  She is an albino Indian.  Her name is Nisha.  She has the whitest of white skin (even whiter than me, which is saying something).  Her hair is brown instead of black and her eyes are hazel instead of dark brown.  She is the most exotic looking person I have ever met because besides that, she has extremely Indian features.  She is a sweet girl and we sat and talked with each other during recess.  Two boys came up to us during recess to point out that our skin color matched.  I can only imagine how she must be teased here by the other kids.

I tutored Captain Karan today - yes, that it his name. :)  Funny name for a funny boy.  It must have been an off day for him because he did NOT want to read.  I also tutored Agalya.  We worked on phonics and every time she finished a page, I'd make my fingers into an "ok" sign and say "super!"  She loved that.  Such a sweetheart.

Ranjith

I had my first food dream during a nap today.  We were having a BBQ here in India - hamburgers, Dunford donuts, and seven layer dip (great combination!).  I was pretty upset in the dream because the chips were gone and I couldn't have any seven layer dip.  Needless to say, the curry tonight was less satisfying than usual.

UKG through II Standard (Kindergarten through second grade) had a fun craft class today during play time.  They did finger paintings.  Annu and Jayanthi picked flowers for my hair and we took some photos.  Several of the girls snapped some candid photos of just me which I love and others were not so candid ;)

Vishva

During family time, I noticed a bug on my leggings and Sathish quickly killed it and made a funny noise.  I asked him what it was and he made a creeping motion with his fingers and pointed at his head...lice.  I thought for sure that I had it this time, but I was checked and I'm lice free!  Dodged another lice bullet ;)

Day 13 - Complete

First/Realizations:  The nickname "Lady Grinch" has stuck and all of the boys from Basha's house call me it. :( I did learn that it has to do with the outfit I was wearing a few days ago though and not for any other reason...like my attitude.  Because I've been most happy and content here.

Serious Matter

Day 12 - 24Jul2012

I was on education rotation today.  Not my favorite of rotations, but I had a better time doing it today than I did last week.  I've gotten to know most of the kids now which makes tutoring fun.  Before heading to school, I was able to Skype with my mom.  She had some great news for me!  I've been accepted to the LSAC (Licensed Substance Abuse Counseling) program at the University of Utah.  I made her hold the letter up to the camera so I could read it for myself.  I'm really excited, but also really nervous to go back to school.  I never thought I'd go back to school after getting my bachelors.

I tutored mostly in reading today.  I was able to tutor my favorite girl, Jayanthi.  I know I shouldn't have favorites, but I do.  She is behind in her reading abilities, but it was fun to have her sound out a word and then recognize the word later on and read it without sounding it out.  Tutoring kids for five hours can be draining, but it is very rewarding.

It was too hot to play "catcher" during recess so I sat on the steps in the shade.  Jayanthi and some other girls talked to me about my face.  They wanted to know what the dots on my face were (freckles) and they touched my fake eyelashes.  Then the grooming began.  They went through my hair looking for bugs.  Lice is such a common occurrence here that all of the girls know how to do checks.  They didn't find any lice, but they did find a mole that they seemed quite concerned about.

I took my iPhone to play time...big mistake.  If I bring my camera or phone to play time, that is all the kids want to play with.  My phone is in one piece and working perfectly, it just causes drama.  For example, if I have the rule be that each kid can take five pictures, without a doubt one of the kids will break the rule and make the other kids upset.  That happened with Anitha.  She took 20 pictures.  And when I told her that wasn't fair and that she would not get another turn, she was upset with me.  Jayanthi came to me and pulled me away from the other girls for a "serious matter."  The "serious matter" was that Anitha was no longer going to be my friend.  Such drama with these girls!  I've decided not to take my camera or phone to play time from now on.  I'll just have to get pictures from other people.

Family time was better than usual for me.  I sat with a small group of boys and folded paper into those four square mouth things...do you know what I'm talking about?  I used to make them in church with the sacrament programs.  All of the boys really liked that and I made one for each of them.  The boys were really mellow tonight.

I took my usual nightly shower, but the power went out.  It was out for about five minutes and I showered in the dark.  Power outages are common and happen multiple times a day.  They usually only last a few seconds, but sometimes it can be minutes.  I figure I haven't really taken a bucket shower in India if I haven't done it in the pitch black.

Day 12 Complete

Firsts/Realizations:  I feel like I've lived here forever and yet the days have gone by so fast.  

Snake Wrangler

Day 11 - 23Jul2012

First off, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to those of you who are reading my blog.  It is nice to see so many followers :)  I haven't been physically writing anything down while I've been here so this really is my journal.  I'll try to be funnier or more...inspiring maybe to keep you entertained and wanting more.  I'm sorry that some of them are so long, but so much happens in a day!  Also, the internet has been really slow here so I haven't been able to upload pictures to my blog. Please check facebook for pictures.  Thanks :)

Today is Monday and I got the fine privilege of being on medical rotation (my favorite!).  I kept having dreams of lice last night so I didn't sleep very well.  I had a lice check as soon as I woke up and I'm lice-free :)  I had a delicious breakfast.  Did you know that I love Nutella?  I had never tried it before coming here, but I brought my own tub of it.  D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.  Can't get enough of it.  I had it on toast with bananas this morning.  So good.

We headed out for the colony around 9:00AM and we had the spectacular privilege of having Anan as our driver (more on his shenanigans later).  The colony was fairly small, maybe 10 houses on each side of the street.  We arrived about 10 minutes before the medical team van.  We had the opportunity to walk the full colony.  At the end of the street, a woman with a five day old baby boy came out to greet us.  She invited us in.  We met another woman with an eight month old baby in the house.  We spent a few minutes doting over the cute infants.  The woman holding the younger baby asked me for "prayer."  I wasn't really sure what she meant so I looked at her questioningly.  She demonstrated that she wanted me to touch her child's head.  Umm...ok...I did and thanked her and told her the baby was beautiful.  She nodded and thanked me.  The people here really like it when white people hold and touch their children.  I don't fully understand why.

Once the medical van arrived, we walked back to the other end of the colony.  An old woman hurried to greet us.  She did not have any fingers or toes and she wore sunglasses.  She went around hugging each of us individually.  She was so happy and grateful to see us.  It is an amazing feeling to be loved by a stranger you have never met just because of the work you are doing.  We set up our mobile clinic and the patients started trickling in.  I was on the eye-drop station for most of today, but I did wash one patient's foot.  As I was sitting on my stool waiting for a patient, a patient was already sitting at another volunteer's station.  When Emily started to wash her foot, she pointed at the cross that hung on the wall to let us know she was Christian and performed the sign of the cross.  She then closed her eyes and began to pray.  She brought her fingerless hands together and raised them as she spoke very softly in Tamil.  She then pointed at each us (myself included) as she spoke.  She did not open her eyes.  The rest of the room was silent as we watched her.  I didn't need to speak Tamil to know what she was saying.  She was offering a prayer of gratitude.  She was asking God to bless us.  Even now, as I write this, I am overcome with emotion.  This was the most sincere offering of gratitude I have ever witnessed.  I was in tears by the time she finished her prayer.  I think we all were.  Why are we not more openly grateful?  Why do I not show my gratitude as often or as much as I should?  Am I not more blessed than she?

We provided medical services to about 10 or 12 patients today.  Some caught the disease early and have not be ravaged by it's effects.  Others are missing fingers and toes or both.  All were grateful.

On the way back to Rising Star, Anan had a little surprise for us.  Shenanigans!  He took us to Pizza Hut!  Or IPan in India ;)  It was the same though and so amazing!  A personal pan cheese pizza for me! I also experienced using an ATM today.  I felt rich withdrawing 6000 rupees (about $100).  After that, Anan took us to a different temple.  Shoes had to come off as always!  I have no idea which god this temple was dedicated to, but I was blessed nonetheless.  After the temple...well, let's just say that I have coconut cookies.  That story has to be told in person ;) Anan sang "Who Let the Dogs Out" for us again.  He is such a funny man.

Jayanthi trying to teach me Tamil

Play time was fun.  Jayanthi and Mymonisha stole my camera away from me for a while and took a lot of candid videos and pictures.  They get good photos...sometimes.  Jayanthi tried to teach me Tamil...again.  I don't think I'm a very good student.  The kids made fun of me for still having my bindi on from the temple.  They told me I shouldn't have one because I'm Christian.  Such smarty pants!  I tried to explain why I had one to them, but I couldn't.  Near the end of play time, I participated in a little group work out in the dining hall.  Pretty funny experience.  I work out at home (CrossFit Sandy!), but this humid heat literally kills me.  It was interesting to say the least.  Family time was also fun.  The coordinators reminded us that we need to be mellowing the children out so I tried reading with them.  They lost interest pretty quickly and decided to color instead.  I've heard Ranjit can speak in an American accent, but I haven't been able to get him to do it in front of me.  

When family time was over, it was time for a shower.  I headed into the girls bathroom with Amy.  She walked into her shower stall to find...a snake!  She screamed and then I screamed.  It was just a tiny green snake.  It wasn't any longer than two feet, but we were terrified of it.  Cassie tried leading it outside with a hanger, but it hissed and striked at her.  I decided to take on the snake.  I stared that thing down...it reared it's head and tried to strike me...but it was tiny and was I was a lofty opponent.  He wasn't even close!  I used the hanger to wrangle the snake into one of our buckets.  Success!  I took the bucket to a coordinator.  She freed the little demon just outside our compound.  The others wanted to know what the screaming was all about.  And then I became known as...the snake wrangler!

Good day!

Day 11 - Complete

Firsts/Realizations: Pinch kiss!

Celebrities

Day 10 - 22Jul2012

Today is Sunday and I had the day off to do whatever I'd like.  A small group got to go into Chennai for church, but I didn't make the sign up in time for that.  I stayed back at Rising Star.  My room slept in a bit and enjoyed a free schedule.

A small group of those that didn't go into Chennai for church decided to go on a little stroll to a village near to Rising Star.  There were eight of us (five girls and the three boys).  We headed out to experience India separately from Rising Star.

We stopped at several interesting roadside places along the way.  First up was a well.  I found a crab skeleton there.  We also found a Christian cemetery.  We know it was Christian because a cross adorned the entrance.  We continued on...

Once we arrived at the village, everyone came out of their houses to look at us.  I felt like a celebrity.  As we walked down the street, a group of men called after me, "Photo!"  I turned back to let them take a picture of me, but that is not what they wanted.  They wanted me to take a picture of them with my camera.  There was one man in particular that the others kept pushing forward to me and laughing at.  I asked him if I could be in the picture with him.  They laughed.  It is hard to take pictures with people here.  I need to respect their culture so I never know how much I can touch them or not.  The picture is a little awkward because I'm trying to lean into the picture, but not actually physically touch him.  Just then, a mother walked over to me with her small child and placed the child in my arms.  I held the very confused four year old for a couple of minutes and set her down.  I don't know what they wanted me to do with her.  I got a picture though!  Another man asked us if we had "finished lunch."  We lied and said we had because we didn't want them to feed us.  I have to be very wary of the food you eat here.

As we continued on, more people came out to see us and take picture of us and with us.  We were quite popular!  They led us to a Ganesh temple.  When we were about to leave an older woman came over with a key to unlock the gate to the temple.  She said something to us in Tamil in a very upset tone of voice.  I'm still unsure about what she was wanting.  But she blessed us by placing white chalk on our foreheads and then used red chalk to make a red dot on the white.  She then lit a match and lit some kind of substance on fire.  She showed us that we were to pass our hands through the flame and touch our heads.  I participated in this blessing.  I'm not really sure if what I did was sacriligious, but I figure that I was just experiencing a culture.  The woman again proceeded to yell at us.  We were able to figure out that she was unhappy about us putting our shoes back on so soon and that we did not "donate" money or pay her for the experience.  We gave her a few rupees and she seemed satisfied, but she kept yelling at us about our shoes until we reached the road.

They led us to another temple.  They told us that this one had been completed only a couple of weeks earlier.  This temple was dedicated to their village god.  We had a take off our shoe again.  This temple was beautiful!  It was extremely colorful and vibrant!  Statues of Lakshmi adorned the gated entrance to the shrine.  The old woman wouldn't let us go in this one, but when we finished she was there to yell at us until we "donated" again and put our shoes on at the appropriate time.  After spending two hours in the village, we decided to head back to Rising Star.

As always, it was really hot and I was extremely sweaty by the time we got back.  When we got back to the Elephant House, the rest of the volunteers had arrived.  We had a couple of hours of free time before we ate dinner with the kids.

Eating dinner with the kids is an experience.  They use their hands to pick up massive amounts of rice and curry and then they stick out their tongues and plop the rice onto it.  Beside their hands, they don't really get dirty.  It is pretty amazing and disgusting all at the same time.  I really didn't like the curry they served tonight so I didn't eat much.  Jayanthi and Mymonisha made fun of me for not eating.  They were appalled that I didn't finish my plate.  I felt bad, but wasn't going to force myself to eat it.

At family time, I played thumb wars with Kristraj.  A couple of the other boys taught me how to play their version of marbles.  It really is amazing the type of things they come up with here to keep themselves entertained.  I sat and read a book to Harikrishna (yes, that really was his name).  He is one of the younger boys.  He said, "Auntie!"  I looked down and he pointed to my water bottle.  I told him that it was mine and they I saw him pull some pretty sneaky moves.  He looked at his house mother and quickly lifted the straw, then he looked at me.  I was curious about what he was going to do so I smiled.  He looked back at his house mother intently and then at the water bottle - back to his house mother.  And then, before anything could be done, he had his mouth on my straw and was taking a huge sip of my drink (which was blue Powerade).  He set the bottle down and made sure that his house mother hadn't seen him.  I looked down at him and asked him if it was good.  He gave me the slyest smile ever and did the head bob to indicate that it was.  So cute!  I laughed out loud.  I continued reading to him and saw him take two more sips.  He thought it was hilarious!  Naughty boy.  Don't worry, I washed the water bottle before I filled it up again.

I loved being immersed in the culture of a village today.  And I loved being so warmly welcomed.  I never felt threatened or unsafe.  But that is just the kind of people they are.  What a great day!

Day 10 - Complete

Firsts: Eating with the kids.