Bye,bye,bye Auntie from our Hee a aaa rrrtttssss!!

St. Bethany's School (she stays at Mother Teresa too)

Mother Teresa Home

Every person we met in Shillong seemed to be involved in some humanitarian project. The postmaster of 7 states in India’s northeast region ran campaigns through her office since the post service reached rural areas NGO could only dream of reaching and sold organic products made by groups of women. The schools we visited all had an equally charitable edge. We made trips to the St. Bethany’s School, KC Secondary School, Army School, and Mother Theresa Home and Orphanage. All very different schools with amazing and unique programs! Bethany’s School integrates both able and disabled students in their curriculum. Not only are they able to effectively teach the students in a supportive environment equipped with Braille printers and expensive programs, they teach the older disabled students vocational skills. As we toured the vocational classrooms, each room was different from the next. One room had a group sewing, another room, baking, another weaving, and then finally furniture weaving. The students could not only learn a trade to sustain themselves, but they could also enjoy and be proud of their wonderful work.

Mother Teresa Home-my personal favorite. The children and the sister here are lovely. We stood there listening as the kids sang to Winnie since she had purchased them all watches. They have beautiful voices. Apparently, children born in the northeast are born singing….

(sang to some Scottish tune)

“We thank you, thank you auntie. We thank you, thank you auntie. We thank you, thank you auntie from our heeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrts. We thank you, thank you auntie. We thank you, thank you auntie. We thank you, thank you auntie from our hearts.”

Followed by…

“We love you, love you, auntie. We love you, love you auntie. We love you, love you auntie from our heeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrts. “We love you, love you, auntie. We love you, love you auntie. We love you, love you auntie from our hearts.”
And, then….

“We bye, bye, bye, bye auntie. We bye, bye, bye, bye auntie. We bye, bye, bye, bye auntie from our heeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrts. “We bye, bye, bye, bye auntie. We bye, bye, bye, bye auntie. We bye, bye, bye, bye auntie from our hearts.”

The orphanage was well kept by the sisters. Many of the babies were abandoned at hospitals or found at the side of the streets. They lay peacefully in the cribs sucking away at bottles that at by their sides. Winnie is fantastically at ease with the children...

NOTE: If any of the destitute children of India or the world are going to have a chance at a happy life, it would be these children. They are in such a supportive environment which value them as individuals. How wonderful it was for me, as I am sure it is for any person living in a privileged society, to come to these programs and leave feeling a sense of hope for the world, children, humanity, whatever, after a short visit. For me, the visit illustrated an important point; there are many, many, many unseen children that did not make it safely to the care of St. Bethany’s or the sisters, but could have similar hopeful opportunities. The programs paint a real, inspiring picture of what could happen for these invisible children. For the pessimist, the cynic, the embittered it gets the wheels turning…

Helicopter to Shillong and Nakedness!!!

Massage Place

View from our Shillong Home

Punk Shillong Kids

So I hate to disappoint everyone, but the helicopter was canceled due to weather, but I promise nakedness here!!!! For the last week we traveled from Delhi to Guwahati to the mountainous northeast region of Shillong the capital city when the Brits colonized the area, 100 kilometers from the Bangladeshi border. The General was based in Shillong at one point and Maitri, NGO, started because of Winnie and the General’s experience here. Because of the constant downpour, Shillong contains an area with the most statistically annual rainfall in the world, we did not take the highly anticipated military helicopter. Instead we negotiated winding turns uphill in a car avoiding a few cows, cabs, leafy drop offs, and large military trucks.

The region contains many tribes and non tribal people in the region and illegal drugs and terrorism has made a fair industry here. The city itself is an educational hub for students from all over India and Southeast Asia, Thailand and Korea. For those wondering, yes, Shah Rukh Khan, the famous (and proliferative, he’s everywhere) actor, studied in Shillong. There is a high school (called a college) on almost every corner. However, because of all the youth, exposure to intravenous drugs, and a lack of a sex education, the students often engage in risky behaviors, increasing their risk to HIV/AIDS.

I will have to admit, the week was very unexpected, exciting, confusing, inspiring for me. The first day we met with Sanjay and Bonnie, the graphic designers of Maitri. After discussing his grassroot efforts in nearby villages and the coal community, where the sex industry thrives, we discussed our plans in Shillong.

“Yes, you should try massage, traditional kerala ayurveda massage. They use lots of oil and it’s all organic.”

So the next day, we all went to get oil massages. It was nothing like the foot massages I received in Delhi. The masseuse stood there watching me in the dank room and answered “off” as I hesitantly removed a shirt first, tank top, pants under her stare until I was standing there naked, laughing inside because the tattered curtain barely covering the open window flitted back and forth as men chatted outside. It wasn’t a deep massage. She poured various hot oils and lathered them into my skin as I lay on a hard table. So for an hour, I laughed because I felt like a beach whale or a greasy pig and the chatting continue outside the window. After the steam bath and shower, we sat there in the foyer, oily, sticky, and light headed from the steam bath. I didn’t feel quite refreshed, but the pain in my neck was gone. Yay!

I hate blogging sometimes

I decided I hate blogging. Journaling can be so much more liberating. I don’t think I’m going to be very good at this.

WHO? WHO? Reports

Llamaji, the award winning, overweight, beagle is so cute. He received alot of backrubs this week from me.

Winnie took us to a talk at the Hyatt this week after work without any notice. Everyone was dressed impeccably. I was very self-conscious of my plain t-shirt and shirt. However, whatever blush colored my cheeks was mitigated by greeting Rotary Club members. It was their weekly meeting. The talk was on Safety Injections given by a man who worked for the WHO and now worked with BD Industries. Note to self: I will probably have to start brining a change of clothes to work everyday ...Also, the ice cream served at the meeting is second to Winnie and the General's ice cream and first to the ice cream served at Big Chill, Khan Market.

Week 2: I am working on a report of the current public healthcare status on India for a newly funded project by the Australian government (due Friday). Numerous World Health Organization reports show that India has been improving over the last 5 years in healthcare infrastructure and government funding. In my interpretation, the statistics are still very, very dismal despite some progress. For example, India is contains the second largest HIV/AIDS infected population in the world. However, India’s therapy coverage is only an eighth of what other developing countries with a similar economic profile are covering. Similar trends continue when medical personnel per 100,000 people and hospital beds available per 100,000 are compared with other countries. Problems are exacerbated by shear country size and inconsistencies of health care systems within each state.

Varanassi

Looks like no trip Jaipur and Agra. The roads are closed due to protestors; the tribe Gujjars. Their request to remain lower castes which would have allowed them specific benefits was rejected by the state of Rajasthan. As such, protestors have stopped highway traffic and trains to all roads leading to Agra and Jaipur from Delhi…Like everything in India, all plans are subject to change. So this last weekend, we went to Varanassi, the holiest city in Hinduism.

The overnight sleeper train ride to Varanassi was basic. Bunks, no AC, gated windows, mosquitoes. I didn’t bring any sheets. The trip was literally planned on the spot. I usually sleep like a champ, anywhere, anytime, but my senses were assaulted all night and there was no way I would get sleep. Sellers would up and down the aisles repeating “Chai, chai, chai” or “pani, pani, pani (water) or “omelet with mango chutney. Very good!” I would wake to my skin sticking to the dingy plastic bed, or some smell burning my nose or swooshing, cracking noises as other trains rushed by. Flickering fluorescent lights did not help. Rough night. The AC train on the way back from Varanassi was 150%+ like the cost of the ticket.

After arguing with the TAXI driver, we finally arrived at the Ganges Guest View House at Assi Ghat. The place has a British colonial era feel to it. Stepping outside our room is a larger, brighter room with windows framed with light curtains overlooking patios and the Ganges. This room was my favorite place to journal this weekend. Artists (Varanassi is known for art and music) work round the clock painting miniatures and large murals for the hotel. Two dachshund roamed about the black and white tiled floors. Dinner was fantastic.

Varanassi is described as the “quintessential India,” and it’s trippin’. The wide display of human activities and emotions are unbelievable and overwhelms the sense as you walk down the ghats. Everything revolves around the river. Cows, water buffalo and goats are shitting as they meander along the stone ground while a man shits nearby while ten feet away are boys splashing around in the Ganges while 200 meters downstream a grandson gives his grandfather last rites in the same water while a pyre, where the body will be cremated, burns 5 feet away while a man fishes in the river as gigantic bats fly overhead. The Ganges This is only the evening.

The next morning at 5:00 AM, a different jumbled events are happening; a priest welcomes the sun with smoke and incense as sun worshippers meditate while staring directly at the orange orb rising above the Ganges, while Aghoris meditate, skin gray from the ashes of the recently deceased, and a yoga class is amplified through speakers and illustrated above a crowd of children and chanting is sung round the clock. There is more bathing, this time by the women. The men overlooking the cremation are now turning over the Grandfather's skinny body with a long stick. The ghats are where everything is happening at the same time at the same place. Varanassi it like a page from Where’s Waldo India except living it is more of a shocking realization of the bare essentials of human living in one scene rather than an amusing scene of antics on a page.

More pics to come

Hinkley Institute of Politics Shout Out

I could go on and on about Llamaji or Varanassi or rickshaws or train rides (later blogs), but before I do, I'd like to give a shout out to the Hinkley Institute of Politics for making international internships possible. As such, I'll be summarizing work and highlights! at the end of each week for you and Courtney.

Week 1: A lot of settling and becoming familiar with all of Maitri sites around Delhi; a closed classroom, a classroom and a women’s training center, the office and attached classroom all on the outskirts of the slums.
Working on a short research topic effective modes of HIV/AIDS communication within 4 populations. Haven’t found much on India’s situation, but findings in Africa should be sufficient case studies. I’m surprised that I have not found more on India. Joined AIDS/India E Group