Chettipunyam Colony

I went to the Chettipunyam Colony this past Monday with the medical group.  This was a really neat colony that wasn't very big but I was able to meet one of the 11th Standard girls' mother and actually one of the boys future intended wife. She was about 2 years old and as cute as can be.   They wanted me to take pictures of her so I could take back to him.  She is the baby at the end of the post that is crying with Amy.  Let it be known that it wasn't YAmy's fault- the little one was just scared of Benson and his beard.

This lovely little lady is Mary.  She is carrying at at home care kit that she refills every time she comes for treatment.  These bags were donated and are being used all the time.

When she came in we instantly gravitated to each other.  She would pat my cheeks with her hands and kiss my cheek.  Her first station was to remove the bandages which were stuck onto the skin.  It was painful for her so I stayed with her, holding her hands and helping her move from station to station.  The last station was the removal of ulcers and the whole bottom of her foot needed attention.  She made me go look at it so I could see what was happening but I quickly moved back to her side.  The pain for her was no doubt painful and there where times where she did cry out, but when I started to cry for her it was her comforting me while I tried to comfort her.

I will never forget my little sweet Mary.

These are our drivers:  Vel (left) Anandan (right)

Patients are given the drugs that they need until the next scheduled visit which is about every two weeks I think. 

Benson stop looking at her!

After we were finished with the colony we went to a little shopping area and got some food and they had a little bakery there.  I was in there about 5 min before I noticed the door

What up my Sodexo peeps!

Suttipaaru

This weekend we went back to Mahabalipuram with the session 1 group to suttipaaru (sight see), shop, beach and pool as well as awesome food! Its about a 1.5 hour drive and we drive through Barathapuram one of the colonies to get there. I think one of the best things to do in India is to drive around.  You will see so many jaw dropping, heart stopping and beautiful things. I wish we could stop whenever i see a good picture opportunity but if i did that we would NEVER get anywhere!

My goal this time in going to Mahabalipuram was to go see the Shore Temple.   The Shore Temple was built in the 8th Century and there are supposed to be 6 other temples that once lined the shore in this area giving the area the name of Seven Pagodas.  In the 2004 Tsunami when the waters receeded people saw the sunken temples in the exposed sand.  The Tsunami removed a lot of the sand and other materials that had covered these for centuries.  The tsunami also uncovered statues and other historic artifacts that we can see today. 

When we arrived into Mahabalipuram Berlyn, Julie, Carl and I went streight to a rickshaw and after debating with the driver over where he wanted us to go and where we wanted to go we actually got dropped off at the 5 Rathas which are temples carved out of a single piece of stone.

This area is filled with talented stone craftsman. Here is one making a modern ganesh statue with a laptop.

After seeing the Five Rathas we got back in the rickshaw and went right to the Shore Temple. 

After the Shore Temple we went for lunch before hitting the beach.  On the way we ran into Anandan our driver and got a Appy Fizz and popcicles.  Lime is my fav!  Only 10 rupees.

This was the catch of the day at the restaurant we went to eat at.  Most of it was still moving.  We had the best calamari here!  I think it was the best because it didn't have a layer of curry smothering it.

After the beach we picked up the items that we had made in town and then made the drive back.  On the way out of town there is this house that is made of garbage... no it's literally MADE FROM GARBAGE.  I saw this last time but wasn't fast enough with the camera, but thus time Berlyn reminded me and I got it.

Here is a beautiful horse that was being transported... in the truck and wearing the saddle and everything.  This poor little guy, but his face was in the wind and he wasn't phased a bit.

The day was a success.  We got some shopping in (sandals and ali baba pants), got some sun at the pool, ate good food, stopped for paratha on the way home and finished the night with the kids watching a movie.  By the end of the night all the little ones are asleep.  I got to carry little Gokul back to his house.  He did wake up half way there and gave me the look of - Who is this white girl and where is she taking me.  But he went right back to sleep.

Thee

Thee is the word for fire in tamil.  It is said that the Tamil word "thaei" (meaning "rub") came from ancient time s when fire was made by rubbing two dry sticks together.  It is also said that brush fires in old Tamil Nadu were caused by the  accidental rubbing of dry bamboo stems as they moved in the wind.  On Sunday I got to see one of these brush fires as it made its way to campus.  There were a few of us that stayed back at home so we could get everyone else in the vans for church.  We noticed there was a fire in the area but I just thought they were burning garbage.  I wasn't even fased by the ash that was coming down, again nothing out of the ordinary.  So when Dr. Susan came to tell us that there was a fire outside the wall we ran out to the roof to see it.  The boys at home already started to throw buckets of water on the brush and grass near the wall.  We went to join them.  The fire was stopped before damage was done to the school. 

India is always exciting!

Above the wall you can see the orange flames and smoke.

Shankar was out with the hose helping the Fire Department.

The fire jumped the street and was finally totally extinguished by the Fire Department and other men driving by.

And for the girls wondering if the Firemen are like the ones in the US.... sadly not these ones.

Walajabad Leprosy Colony

This past Friday I went out to Walajabad town that has a small area for those that are afflicted with leprocy. This was a very small area that held a few houses, children, goats, a pig and some very greatness people. 

When we get to a colony we first have to set up the area with bandage removal, washing, oiling and ulser removal stations.  We also had blood pressure and eye drop stations set up as well.  We unload the vans in the treatment areas and prepare for the patients we will be seeing for the next 2 hours. 

Here I am collecting the clean water for the washing stations. The nurses with us always freak out when I try and cary something that weighs more than 2 pounds.  I think they are so use to people that have a limb missing like me are in pain.  I get asked in I pain all the time and the answer is always no.  I want these people to see me work and see me do things they might not think possible. 

Anandan our driver loves my camera.  So sometimes I let him take it around and he always seems to get a picture of me even if I try and dodge him. 

This is one of the little ones in the village that we got to play with at the end of our duties.  So cute!  

On the way home we passed a sugar cane factory and Anandan wanted us to have some so he pulled off the road, jumped the ditch and asked one of the drivers inside the fence for some.  He came back with 5 for us and we all shared.  He told us not to hurt our teeth. He's always looking out for us. 

Then we took a short cut home and Anan wanted to take us to see a Emo Chicken.  We were all really confused at what a Emo Chicken was.  All we got was that it was a really BIG chicken.  So I was thinking maybe its like the biggest chicken in India like the biggest ball of yarn in the US.  Or it could be a really depressed chicken that wears eye liner and black clothes....  really it could have been anything.  So we turned down this side road out in the middle of no where and we see these fenses... and Emu inside the fences.  Emo Chickens are Emus!  Got it!  

We spent some time at the farm watching the birds try and peck at us through the fense.  They liked all the cameras.  

After the emo chicken adventure we went to the junction before going back to campus to get Anandan some ice cream for his birthday.  

This is a usual scene in the streets of India, you should probably come and see for yourself.  Just saying its awesome here...

Avane nallaa padikkumbadi sonneen.

Avane nallaa padikkumbadi sonneen means - I told him to study well.

 Why would I use this phrase today?

I am glad you asked...

When school started we saw a need for assistants and tutors in the computer labs for their Math practice.  So I started going every Monday/Wednesday/ Friday to help Nagaraj with all his students.  To say my first few times were a disaster is an understatement!  But I started to get to know the program and learn what it was asking these students to do.  

Yesterday the Educational Director Celina asked me to run a math lesson period for one of the grades before they went in for their math computer time.  I found this out about 20 seconds before I went in for my first class.  I walked in and all the kids stood by the side of their desks and said, "Good afternoon Callie Ma'am" and they raised their hands in salute.  I stood there in shock or I guess more terror.  What on earth can I teach these kids?

So I started my lesson that I was making up on the fly.  I then noticed the class had not sat down but were still standing at attention at the sides of their desk.  I asked them to please sit and we started to go over fractions and decimals.  Mr. Wong would have been so proud!  (OK he probably would have thrown the overhead projector out of the window again while listening to We Built this City)  We talked about number lines and locating what number is bigger or smaller than others.  For my first lesson I just made up in my head I think it went pretty well.  That section of the room had less questions than the others in the computer lab when we finally made it in there, so I felt pretty good about that.  Tomorrow I hope to have something a little more planned but I was proud that I survived!

Be prepared for anything in India!

Tanni

Tanni means water, and water goes hand in hand with fight.  WATER FIGHT!!!!!  We try and have a water fight every once and a while here and the kids get so excited!  They grab all their buckets and wait impatiently for the volunteers to some over.  One pair saw my camera and found pictures of water balloons on it... they freaked out and ambushed the group on the way over.  They lasted all of 2 seconds.

The girls started before everyone else by dumping water on everyone down below.

Starting the fight:

Fights last a long time so for the main part of it I put the camera away so it wouldn't be harmed.  I think the best part of the day is when one of the bigger boys Deepenraj was running full speed to get someone and I happened to have a full bucket.  That full bucket of water found its way right into his face and he veered on accident right into me.  Unfortunately for him I was firmly planted and he hit me and bounced about 10 feet back and landed on the sand.  We both had a hard time moving after that because it was so comedy.  Auntie can take a hit.

When the fight started to dwindle down I got the camera back out and started snapping.  Above is the refill area.  Basically the worst and best place to be.  You have no choice but to leave drenched by the end.

Anything can be used in the fight. Vinnarasen has a water bottle that is surprisingly powerful in a fight.

The last remaining fighters....

Here is Laura hanging out with her friends when little Varalakshmi come to sneak up on her...

Whoops!  Should have been paying attention....

Here it is happening again not even 2 min later.

    

This is the aftermath of the water fight.

Miranda gazing into the stormy sky...

Dane being Dane....

Drying clothes...

Fun was had this day!