June. 4
It's only been about 10 days and already the value of rain is crystal clear. It has been hot. I woke up this morning at about ten past six to the sounds of a huge thunderstorm. It's pouring outside. The raindrops are huge. I opened my window and the cool air brought by the rains hit me like a wall.. The most refreshing thing ever.like diving into an ice cold pool on a sweltering hot day.. The smell in the air carries signs of the monsoons.they have begun..
Last night before bed was quite the ordeal. I was brushing my teeth in the washroom when suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw something - a shadow - bolt by. I turned and standing by the open door to my room, I saw it. The biggest lizard I had ever seen.teeth so sharp the crocodile hunter would think twice, a tail so long Dickins would be humbled, and eyes like ice cold daggers peered back at me. I quickly tried to close the door, but like a flash of lightening it was gone..around the corner AND INTO MY ROOM. I peaked around and saw it scatter under my bed. I knew this would be a worthy adversary. I quickly ran and got Dave and together we attempted to vanquish the beast.
So basically a 1 inch lizard got into my room, scared us like little girls and we had to get to of our Indian floormates to scare it away.
Today we spent the day in the slum of Shivashankanagar. We went from home to home and spoke with the residents of the slum. We asked them questions about their ocular histories and if them or anyone in their household had any visual problems. we informed them that we were from the LVPEI and that we would be providing transportation from their village and a free vision screening the next day. There was a lot of interest. Shankar, the field worker we were working with, informed us that our presence was sparking a lot of interest and that people were a lot more inclined to hear what we had to say. T hey were much more receptive, which was great for us, but, in the end, will be of greater
benefit to them.
You know what would be a good new REALITY TV show. "Survivor Poverty: The Slums of the Developing World - The True Survivor"
June. 5
Today we held a community screening camp at the Sri Sai Baba Old Age Home in Miyapur, part of the Deepti Sri Nagar Colony.
A lot of love, yet a lot of problems. It quickly became apparent that there are no regulation boards monitoring Old Age Homes. Although much less common in India (the elderly normally live with their children), the centre could definitely use some money.The caregivers were obviously there for the right reasons and the residents seemed happy (we spoke with many of them: hearing tales from their pasts, how they learned English, their experience with white people, and the like). However, the safety standards were, by our measure, somewhat lax. Some of it seemed to boil down to resources, but other things just seemed like neglect..
A woman being pushed to our screening room in a plastic lawn chair. No wheelchairs..
One elderly woman.very frail. had a terrible eye infection. what seemed like an ulcer of the eye. We were told it had shown up a couple of days earlier and they were waiting for the doctor who visits once a week. This was not something that could wait. It was too late and we were told her eye would have to be enucleated.
We placed an eye patch over her eye in order to prevent the infection from spreading to the other eye and arranged for her to go to the hospital the next day. We then told the staff to contact her family. We were informed that her son had left her with his wife while he went to the States and his wife had put the mom in the home after the son left. the son apparently doesn't know.. We arranged for someone to go with her and stay with her. There is an overriding feeling of helplessness.. You want to do more and ensure that every story has a happy ending.but it soon becomes clear that there are so many stories.one the same as the next.A system wide, mass intervention is needed.that is clear.population health is essential.but until then you do what you can. The value of NGO's (and we've been exposed to others besides LVPEI) is immense in the developing world.
Who's to blame here? The government? I don't have an answer to that yet.and I don't know if I'll find one, or if that's even the question I should be seeking the answer to..
June . 7
An interesting couple of days. After we left the old age home we headed for LVPEI. A good fundraiser might be to send a donated wheelchair over and pay for the shipping..
Although some of what we saw was hard to swallow, the patients generally seemed happy and enjoyed each other's company. Definitely a number of interesting characters to keep things interesting.
Got to the hospital and waited in the second floor field testing room for some of the students (Ajay, Marveen, Anton and Dikshit). This was apparenlty the most air conditioned room in the hospital and for the first time in India, I actually felt cold. The others arrived and we all jumped into an auto and headed for Lifestyles, a new mall and "the top spot" in town. A lot of fun. The mall was very westernized except that everyone was Indian.you could have been in Brampton and you wouldn't have known the difference. The culture and magic of India disappeared within these walls, but nonetheless, it was worth seeing and a good time.
We went for dinner at a little Punjabi Dabha called Leeds. Had some amazing Alu and Onion Pranthas. Some of the guys ordered Lassi . Just to be careful, I only had a sip.. but it was sooooo good.. Damn Canadian immune system.. If only it were pasturized.. Maybe in a couple of weeks. We then went to a little pub called Sparks.It was couples only but the guard remembered us from the other night and let us in. We enjoyed a pitcher of Kingfisher and some hip-hop by request. A good time was had by all.
When we arrived back at campus the guard informed us that our Karam Cherdu (satellite station) plans had been cancelled due to heavy rains in the area. In addition, I had to change my room b/c some elderly guests were arriving the next day and the only other guest room was two floors up. I gladly switched rooms. It rained pretty heavy that night. Once again the breeze was wonderful.I had to take advantage. I taped up mosquito net over the window and created the best Ghetto AC ever. slept like a baby. There was an extra bed in the room so Ajay slept over. A nice change for him I'm sure. The guest rooms are nothing like the student rooms.
We woke up late Sunday morning and went for breakfast - Channa ; ) Batura At breakfast we made plans to go see a movie with a bunch of students in the afternoon.
I had to change rooms again for the day b/c there were a number of guests here for a meeting hosted by Dr. Rao's wife. They wanted to offer rooms to the guests to freshen up after lunch.
We wnt to the IMAX theatre in the afternoon. The pride of the theater industry in Hyderabad. and interestingly, also owned by LV Prasad. This was a huge entertainment complex (Prasads) with the latest equipment. Dave went wall climbing as we all cheered him on from the crowd below, we played video games at the arcade, and then watched Bollywood's latest hit - Mei Huhn Nah (somewhat of a take on the matrix, but with all the classic Indian touches - action, adventure, comedy, romance, and of course.random musical outbursts). Dave and Jenna both enjoyed too. Ajay and I translated throughout.
Went to Universal bakery for dinner and had Chicken burgers..delicious Got back to campus and got put in another room because the guests decided to stay the night.
June. 8
This morning I moved back into my original room. Spoke with Rajashekar and found out we would be going to Mudhol, another satellite station, on Thursday. It's supposed to be a really nice centrewith gorgeous surroundings. We'll be there for approximately one week and spend our last week on rotation in the main hospital.
Today we got a lesson in lensometry and began testing the prescriptions of the approximately 1000 pairs of glasses we brought to donate. These glasses will then be donated to members of the communities we have been working in, who would otherwise be unable to afford them . very satisfying!!! After lunch I had a meeting with Flash. I think I may have found one of UWIHDA's future projects. Flash is Namibia's National Coordinator for one of Africa's top ocular institutions. They run a number of community/public health programs and they sound wonderful. Flash described Namibia, the programs, the logistics, the wildlife, the work.and invited us to partner with his organization for our next project. I will definitely be following up on this.
Went to a really great shopping area/bazaar. Jenna wanted to buy a Salwaar Kameez. Shopping with women is hard as it is. now add a white woman in India with hundreds of people watching... Quite the experience..Good times.. We also bought a new SIM card.we can be reached at 011 91 9849679883
Had a good argument with the auto driver, grabbed a bus home from Mehndi Putnum, had some mango and went to bed.
Interlude
While the 5 star hotels, crystal clear swimming pools, free drinks, and sandy beaches have always delivered a good time. they fall into a different category of travel. This type of travel is different. It is an adventure. It's an experience from start to finish. Some of the aforementioned things MAY come into the picture somewhere along the way, but by no means define this type of travel. This type of travel is putting yourself in a different world; it is learning; it is meeting new people; experiencing new cultures; trying new foods. This type of travel is adapting; it is flexibility and openmindedness. It is being cautious but not paranoid. It is meeting every new challenge with a smile. This type of travel is heat and bugs and rain and animals. It can be snow and sleeping bags or tents and repellant. This type of travel is experiencing life to the fullest and being a part of what this vast planet has to offer. New sights, new sounds, new people, new cultures, new smells, new friends. It is exploration, curiosity, wonder and awe.It is amazement and passion and anticipation. It is jungles and monuments, Kayaks and canoes, caves and waterfalls, mountains and snowshoes (that was my poor attempt at a rhyme).. It is meds, trail mix, and a good book in your bag. if people are waiting on you hand and foot it can really be a drag (my name does rhyme with Poet after all). Its friendships, tiffs and laughing all the way.its listening and language and knowing what to say.. This type of travel means being a part of the best and worst life has to offer..
June. 10
My words will always fall short. The best I can do is try and describe the bitter sweetness of India to you.. But until you come and see what we have seen, and do what we have done. it is impossible to know.. Surreality. Not just a feeling any more.
Tomorrow is my sister's Birthday. She's turning 19..19!!!!
Spoke with my family. they called at 4:30am. They're Indian.they're supposed to know what time it is here. Glad they did..It was an energy boost and just what I needed to start this day.. As I spoke with my father on the phone the song of Koyal birds could be heard...then, the sounds of Muslim prayer filled the air (as it does four times daily) with words from the ancient Quran being recited. a sense of mysticism is inescapable here.
Today we leave for Mudhol. anticipation sets in.
I hope and pray that my English skills are fit enough to adequately share some of this. It is essential that people back home are exposed to what is out there. here.
This morning. Déjà vu.
As I was removing my home made AC (a.k.a. mosquito net) from the window. I thought I saw something fall from the net. Before I could register what I thought I had seen, I felt something scamper over my left foot. I turned to my left, and there, at the entrance to my closet was the lizard we had evicted from my room days earlier. Before I could close the door to my closet he bolted inside. My nemesis had returned. and I had to catch a bus. I had no choice but to leave.. And so I locked the door to my closet and will return in 7 days to face this formidable gecko.
The journey to Mudhol was a good 5 hours. including a stop at a dabha for puri alu for breakfast. Anlong the way Jenna and Dave finally got to see some monkeys that I had assured them would be all over the place.I was getting a bit worried there. A long awaited sight had finally come to be.
We arrived at the satellite centre and were greeted y a number of staff from the small hospital. Our bags were carried to a guestroom within the hospital with two beds, a fan, a closet and a washroom with an old school Indian toilette. No pleasant scents here.
We freshened up and were then given a tour of the facility by Babu Rao, the hospital's director. We had lunch, relaxed for some time, played an intense game of ping-pong and were invited to go see the guesthouse we would be staying in starting the next night.
We were forewarned that the guesthouse was in a village and that it was unlike our guestrooms at BLSO or even at the hospital. Baburao made it quite clear that we would need to be a bit "flexible". I responded by saying flexibility is our motto.
The drive was short, but interesting. we weren't 100 ure how far it was, so when we were driving through a failry run-down area. what we would percieve as a bit better than a slum. we didn't pause to think that this was the village we would be staying in. We drove, honking all the way, through the narrow, dusty streets of the village. Pigs to the right of us, chickens and cows to the left. Narrowly missing a donkey, we turned a corner as the eyes of passer bye's (?) peeped through our TATA's windows.
We pulled up in front of what was a quaint little house with yellow bordered doors. what had to be one of the nicest homes in the village. Which by "Canadian standards" isn't saying much. we got out and walked to the gate. A young man opened it and greeted us.
Baburao quickly added, "I'm glad you guys are so flexible," and with that we entered the house.
We walked through an empty kitchen into a room with three cots and no fan. We then walked through another door at the back of the room which lead back outside. We turned the corner and faced a metal door. The young man pushed it open. some lizards scurried away and he introduced the washroom - a small shed like room no more than 5ft by 5ft with an old school Indian toilette and a bucket with a scooper for bathing.
Awesome!!!! We are totally psyched for this week. This will be an experience we will not soon forget.. Villagers for a week.
Never could I have imagined..never would I have expected.to find insects that were larger in India than in the rainforests of Guyana. I was Wrong!!! My mosquito net is my salvation. It is my fortress of solitude. beneath it I feel safe. protected. unpenetrable. although the size of some of these bugs have got me a thinking twice.. Trying to bathe while insects of all shapes and sizes fly at you is not my definition of a good time. but for now, it will have to do.
June. 12
We ended up staying in the hospital again last night. The heat was unbearable. We had put up a mosquito net over the window so that we could leave the window open over night. It began to rain quite heavily during the night and our excitement reached a new plateau in anticipation of the cool air the rains would bring in combination with our replica window screen. But it was not to be. Instead of bringing a cool flow of air the rains brought power failure after power failure..The night introduced a battle of epic proportions (not unlike the Mahabharata) between the storm and the generator that was feeding our ceiling fan. inevitably, mother nature won. Although the fan would occasionally start up and provide a glimmer of hope bringing with it the sweet salvation of a cool breeze, it was always short lived.the night went on like this.fan on. (sigh of relief).fan off.(lying in a puddle of sweat).fan on.(Yes!!!).fan off .. (Nooooooo!!!!!!!). fan on... (thank you God!!!). fan off. ("it's only 1:30!?!?!).
Jenna was on the verge of a reakdown, Dave, quite surprisingly slept fairly well with the occasional, "damn it!!!" when the fan turned off. I found it all quite amusing. uncomfortable, but amusing. waiting to write the story down in my journal.
It's a good thing that the majority of today will be spent at the hospital shadowing the ophthalmologist.we're all a bit tired. Random thought. To be as educated as we are and still be indifferent shows the failure of our education.
June. 13
Went to Saraswati temple today. One of two in all of South Asia dedicated to this Goddess of education. We asked her to bless our intellect and watch over our educational pursuits.. The statue of Saraswati Mata was gorgeous.a famous solid gold statue adorned with and surrounded by flowers, fruits, incense, ganga jaal, and various coloured powders.. We were there for the evening aarti.
It was..enchanting is the word that comes to mind. The sounds of the priests
chanting mantras was hypnotic; mystical; healing.. Over the past few days we have received the opportunity to truly see rural life in India. The life of the Indian farmer. And his dependence on the land.. The hospital finds that during these three months (June, July, August) there is a substantial decrease in the number of patients. We determined the answer to this decrease first hand during a community screening in one of the villages we
visited. a little epidemiological investigation if you will... It was clear, after speaking with a number of the villagers we screened, that their priority during these three months was work.even if at the expense of their vision. These three months constituted their livelihood.
Yesterday we visited two of the tertiary vision centres near Mudhol. one was in the middle of the nearest town and the other in a small village far out in the middle of acres of open farmland. In the 2nd town, as we were exiting from the vision centre, a crowd had gathered due to word of foreigners in town. While hundreds of eyes gazed at us,
one man, obviously drunk, started yelling something at us. he touched Jenna's feet and then mine. In Telegu he said, "I am a donkey compared to you" with a heavy tone of sarcasm. he continued on and said something about us "living in our castles whilehis family was dying". There was a definite sense of resentment. It was humbling. Nothing we didn't already know.the inequality that exists in this world is mind boggling.. But, nonetheless, a rude awakening.
We had a great conversation that night which was sparked by the events we had experienced over the last couple of days in this remo te, secluded area.our conclusion wasn't directly related.we covered a lot of topics during our nightly debriefing session (I started holding these after our second night here). but we agreed that people back home. in the society we live in. don't get enough opportunity. or don't take the time. to reflect. to think about and discuss life. there are undoubtedly exceptions to this , rare as they may be. but generally self-reflection, time on your own away from the hustle and bustle
of daily life. is rare.. Opportunities like this . being in the middle of nowhere; little to do when not working; gorgeous surroundings. and other elements that have come with this experience have allowed us this time. People need opportunities like this.
Animals seen in the past 2 days: mongoose, langurs, scorpions, giant mother super cockroaches, and the usual suspects - goats, water buffalo, pigs, cows, dogs.
June. 15
OH what a night!!!!
"The rooftop is a good friend out here."
-Baburao
This morning we were talking about how we were going to miss Canada Day and the fireworks, etc, etc..and then by some weird twist of fate.. Dave and I ended up on the rooftop of the hospital just in time for a light show extravaganza. A symphony of fire, not presented y Benson and Hedges, but by God himslef. As the sun was setting over the Savannah-like backdrop of rural Andrah Pradesh we could see lightening in the distance just over the horizon.
The winds were strong and the cool air was refreshing as usual.good time for contemplation.
The past few weeks have reinforced my desire to pursue my MPH in international health. It would be a mistake to opt for the more financially sensible MHA at UBC option, when my heart and mind are in line with international health.Thus Boston is the right choice for me and I will check the no box for UBC.
Baburao joined us on the roof. After a while we noticed a certain tranquility that had come over him. As he looked out at the surroundings of the hospital, Dave and I wondered if this was one of the first times he had done this.
It is fairly easy for us to find the beauty of this place. As visitors in a new and amazing place we are actively searching for the beauty of the place. that's really what we are here to do. it's a natural progression for us to seek out spots like the roof.
We then thought about how for Babrao, who works and lives here, it is his daily existence. This is the place he works. it's a job and it's in a country that he has been born and raised in. He confirmed that this was only the second time he had been up there.I think Dave and I were able to offer him. quite serendipitously. a new perspective of
his everyday environment. to us a spectacle. people don't find things unless they're looking for them.
Today was an amazing experience and opportunity. For the 2nd time on this trip we got scrubbed up and for the entire morning we were in the operating theatre (OT). We witnessed 3 cataract surgeries as well as their pre and post operative procedure which we aided in. To see someone's sight restored.their windows to the world reopened.was moving.powerful.inspiring.
It was easy to lose sight of the fact that the surgeon was working with man and not machine. her movements were so mechanical and precise. I was surprised at the lack of gentleness. I expected something far more fragile. the patients entire body was covered and only the eye exposed. a suture was placed through the sclera above the anterior chmber (superior limbal incision) so as to stabilize and position the eye for the cataract removal. the method used was small incision cataract surgery (extracapsular extraction). The anterior portion of the capsule (of the lens) was then cut and removed (capsulotomy).
The nucleus of the lens was extracted thro ugh the previous incision.The IOL implant was then placed in the remaining posterior portion of the capsule..
June 17
Sometimes you can't help but wonder why there aren't more types of programs to help those in need. But the reality is that there are more people in need than not. It brings a quote I recently read to mind: "when your own life Is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival." -Life of Pi
People may feel pity, but then they move on.
After a week in Mudhol we are back in Kismatpur, and after a week in my closet Godzilla is still in alive and well in my closet.
Today is my convocation at Waterloo. Its probably going on right bout now actually. As much as I'd like to be there, being here using what I've learned over the past 4 years seems somewhat appropriate too. It's a great 2nd. Thats it for now. Much love to all.
It's only been about 10 days and already the value of rain is crystal clear. It has been hot. I woke up this morning at about ten past six to the sounds of a huge thunderstorm. It's pouring outside. The raindrops are huge. I opened my window and the cool air brought by the rains hit me like a wall.. The most refreshing thing ever.like diving into an ice cold pool on a sweltering hot day.. The smell in the air carries signs of the monsoons.they have begun..
Last night before bed was quite the ordeal. I was brushing my teeth in the washroom when suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw something - a shadow - bolt by. I turned and standing by the open door to my room, I saw it. The biggest lizard I had ever seen.teeth so sharp the crocodile hunter would think twice, a tail so long Dickins would be humbled, and eyes like ice cold daggers peered back at me. I quickly tried to close the door, but like a flash of lightening it was gone..around the corner AND INTO MY ROOM. I peaked around and saw it scatter under my bed. I knew this would be a worthy adversary. I quickly ran and got Dave and together we attempted to vanquish the beast.
So basically a 1 inch lizard got into my room, scared us like little girls and we had to get to of our Indian floormates to scare it away.
Today we spent the day in the slum of Shivashankanagar. We went from home to home and spoke with the residents of the slum. We asked them questions about their ocular histories and if them or anyone in their household had any visual problems. we informed them that we were from the LVPEI and that we would be providing transportation from their village and a free vision screening the next day. There was a lot of interest. Shankar, the field worker we were working with, informed us that our presence was sparking a lot of interest and that people were a lot more inclined to hear what we had to say. T hey were much more receptive, which was great for us, but, in the end, will be of greater
benefit to them.
You know what would be a good new REALITY TV show. "Survivor Poverty: The Slums of the Developing World - The True Survivor"
June. 5
Today we held a community screening camp at the Sri Sai Baba Old Age Home in Miyapur, part of the Deepti Sri Nagar Colony.
A lot of love, yet a lot of problems. It quickly became apparent that there are no regulation boards monitoring Old Age Homes. Although much less common in India (the elderly normally live with their children), the centre could definitely use some money.The caregivers were obviously there for the right reasons and the residents seemed happy (we spoke with many of them: hearing tales from their pasts, how they learned English, their experience with white people, and the like). However, the safety standards were, by our measure, somewhat lax. Some of it seemed to boil down to resources, but other things just seemed like neglect..
A woman being pushed to our screening room in a plastic lawn chair. No wheelchairs..
One elderly woman.very frail. had a terrible eye infection. what seemed like an ulcer of the eye. We were told it had shown up a couple of days earlier and they were waiting for the doctor who visits once a week. This was not something that could wait. It was too late and we were told her eye would have to be enucleated.
We placed an eye patch over her eye in order to prevent the infection from spreading to the other eye and arranged for her to go to the hospital the next day. We then told the staff to contact her family. We were informed that her son had left her with his wife while he went to the States and his wife had put the mom in the home after the son left. the son apparently doesn't know.. We arranged for someone to go with her and stay with her. There is an overriding feeling of helplessness.. You want to do more and ensure that every story has a happy ending.but it soon becomes clear that there are so many stories.one the same as the next.A system wide, mass intervention is needed.that is clear.population health is essential.but until then you do what you can. The value of NGO's (and we've been exposed to others besides LVPEI) is immense in the developing world.
Who's to blame here? The government? I don't have an answer to that yet.and I don't know if I'll find one, or if that's even the question I should be seeking the answer to..
June . 7
An interesting couple of days. After we left the old age home we headed for LVPEI. A good fundraiser might be to send a donated wheelchair over and pay for the shipping..
Although some of what we saw was hard to swallow, the patients generally seemed happy and enjoyed each other's company. Definitely a number of interesting characters to keep things interesting.
Got to the hospital and waited in the second floor field testing room for some of the students (Ajay, Marveen, Anton and Dikshit). This was apparenlty the most air conditioned room in the hospital and for the first time in India, I actually felt cold. The others arrived and we all jumped into an auto and headed for Lifestyles, a new mall and "the top spot" in town. A lot of fun. The mall was very westernized except that everyone was Indian.you could have been in Brampton and you wouldn't have known the difference. The culture and magic of India disappeared within these walls, but nonetheless, it was worth seeing and a good time.
We went for dinner at a little Punjabi Dabha called Leeds. Had some amazing Alu and Onion Pranthas. Some of the guys ordered Lassi . Just to be careful, I only had a sip.. but it was sooooo good.. Damn Canadian immune system.. If only it were pasturized.. Maybe in a couple of weeks. We then went to a little pub called Sparks.It was couples only but the guard remembered us from the other night and let us in. We enjoyed a pitcher of Kingfisher and some hip-hop by request. A good time was had by all.
When we arrived back at campus the guard informed us that our Karam Cherdu (satellite station) plans had been cancelled due to heavy rains in the area. In addition, I had to change my room b/c some elderly guests were arriving the next day and the only other guest room was two floors up. I gladly switched rooms. It rained pretty heavy that night. Once again the breeze was wonderful.I had to take advantage. I taped up mosquito net over the window and created the best Ghetto AC ever. slept like a baby. There was an extra bed in the room so Ajay slept over. A nice change for him I'm sure. The guest rooms are nothing like the student rooms.
We woke up late Sunday morning and went for breakfast - Channa ; ) Batura At breakfast we made plans to go see a movie with a bunch of students in the afternoon.
I had to change rooms again for the day b/c there were a number of guests here for a meeting hosted by Dr. Rao's wife. They wanted to offer rooms to the guests to freshen up after lunch.
We wnt to the IMAX theatre in the afternoon. The pride of the theater industry in Hyderabad. and interestingly, also owned by LV Prasad. This was a huge entertainment complex (Prasads) with the latest equipment. Dave went wall climbing as we all cheered him on from the crowd below, we played video games at the arcade, and then watched Bollywood's latest hit - Mei Huhn Nah (somewhat of a take on the matrix, but with all the classic Indian touches - action, adventure, comedy, romance, and of course.random musical outbursts). Dave and Jenna both enjoyed too. Ajay and I translated throughout.
Went to Universal bakery for dinner and had Chicken burgers..delicious Got back to campus and got put in another room because the guests decided to stay the night.
June. 8
This morning I moved back into my original room. Spoke with Rajashekar and found out we would be going to Mudhol, another satellite station, on Thursday. It's supposed to be a really nice centrewith gorgeous surroundings. We'll be there for approximately one week and spend our last week on rotation in the main hospital.
Today we got a lesson in lensometry and began testing the prescriptions of the approximately 1000 pairs of glasses we brought to donate. These glasses will then be donated to members of the communities we have been working in, who would otherwise be unable to afford them . very satisfying!!! After lunch I had a meeting with Flash. I think I may have found one of UWIHDA's future projects. Flash is Namibia's National Coordinator for one of Africa's top ocular institutions. They run a number of community/public health programs and they sound wonderful. Flash described Namibia, the programs, the logistics, the wildlife, the work.and invited us to partner with his organization for our next project. I will definitely be following up on this.
Went to a really great shopping area/bazaar. Jenna wanted to buy a Salwaar Kameez. Shopping with women is hard as it is. now add a white woman in India with hundreds of people watching... Quite the experience..Good times.. We also bought a new SIM card.we can be reached at 011 91 9849679883
Had a good argument with the auto driver, grabbed a bus home from Mehndi Putnum, had some mango and went to bed.
Interlude
While the 5 star hotels, crystal clear swimming pools, free drinks, and sandy beaches have always delivered a good time. they fall into a different category of travel. This type of travel is different. It is an adventure. It's an experience from start to finish. Some of the aforementioned things MAY come into the picture somewhere along the way, but by no means define this type of travel. This type of travel is putting yourself in a different world; it is learning; it is meeting new people; experiencing new cultures; trying new foods. This type of travel is adapting; it is flexibility and openmindedness. It is being cautious but not paranoid. It is meeting every new challenge with a smile. This type of travel is heat and bugs and rain and animals. It can be snow and sleeping bags or tents and repellant. This type of travel is experiencing life to the fullest and being a part of what this vast planet has to offer. New sights, new sounds, new people, new cultures, new smells, new friends. It is exploration, curiosity, wonder and awe.It is amazement and passion and anticipation. It is jungles and monuments, Kayaks and canoes, caves and waterfalls, mountains and snowshoes (that was my poor attempt at a rhyme).. It is meds, trail mix, and a good book in your bag. if people are waiting on you hand and foot it can really be a drag (my name does rhyme with Poet after all). Its friendships, tiffs and laughing all the way.its listening and language and knowing what to say.. This type of travel means being a part of the best and worst life has to offer..
June. 10
My words will always fall short. The best I can do is try and describe the bitter sweetness of India to you.. But until you come and see what we have seen, and do what we have done. it is impossible to know.. Surreality. Not just a feeling any more.
Tomorrow is my sister's Birthday. She's turning 19..19!!!!
Spoke with my family. they called at 4:30am. They're Indian.they're supposed to know what time it is here. Glad they did..It was an energy boost and just what I needed to start this day.. As I spoke with my father on the phone the song of Koyal birds could be heard...then, the sounds of Muslim prayer filled the air (as it does four times daily) with words from the ancient Quran being recited. a sense of mysticism is inescapable here.
Today we leave for Mudhol. anticipation sets in.
I hope and pray that my English skills are fit enough to adequately share some of this. It is essential that people back home are exposed to what is out there. here.
This morning. Déjà vu.
As I was removing my home made AC (a.k.a. mosquito net) from the window. I thought I saw something fall from the net. Before I could register what I thought I had seen, I felt something scamper over my left foot. I turned to my left, and there, at the entrance to my closet was the lizard we had evicted from my room days earlier. Before I could close the door to my closet he bolted inside. My nemesis had returned. and I had to catch a bus. I had no choice but to leave.. And so I locked the door to my closet and will return in 7 days to face this formidable gecko.
The journey to Mudhol was a good 5 hours. including a stop at a dabha for puri alu for breakfast. Anlong the way Jenna and Dave finally got to see some monkeys that I had assured them would be all over the place.I was getting a bit worried there. A long awaited sight had finally come to be.
We arrived at the satellite centre and were greeted y a number of staff from the small hospital. Our bags were carried to a guestroom within the hospital with two beds, a fan, a closet and a washroom with an old school Indian toilette. No pleasant scents here.
We freshened up and were then given a tour of the facility by Babu Rao, the hospital's director. We had lunch, relaxed for some time, played an intense game of ping-pong and were invited to go see the guesthouse we would be staying in starting the next night.
We were forewarned that the guesthouse was in a village and that it was unlike our guestrooms at BLSO or even at the hospital. Baburao made it quite clear that we would need to be a bit "flexible". I responded by saying flexibility is our motto.
The drive was short, but interesting. we weren't 100 ure how far it was, so when we were driving through a failry run-down area. what we would percieve as a bit better than a slum. we didn't pause to think that this was the village we would be staying in. We drove, honking all the way, through the narrow, dusty streets of the village. Pigs to the right of us, chickens and cows to the left. Narrowly missing a donkey, we turned a corner as the eyes of passer bye's (?) peeped through our TATA's windows.
We pulled up in front of what was a quaint little house with yellow bordered doors. what had to be one of the nicest homes in the village. Which by "Canadian standards" isn't saying much. we got out and walked to the gate. A young man opened it and greeted us.
Baburao quickly added, "I'm glad you guys are so flexible," and with that we entered the house.
We walked through an empty kitchen into a room with three cots and no fan. We then walked through another door at the back of the room which lead back outside. We turned the corner and faced a metal door. The young man pushed it open. some lizards scurried away and he introduced the washroom - a small shed like room no more than 5ft by 5ft with an old school Indian toilette and a bucket with a scooper for bathing.
Awesome!!!! We are totally psyched for this week. This will be an experience we will not soon forget.. Villagers for a week.
Never could I have imagined..never would I have expected.to find insects that were larger in India than in the rainforests of Guyana. I was Wrong!!! My mosquito net is my salvation. It is my fortress of solitude. beneath it I feel safe. protected. unpenetrable. although the size of some of these bugs have got me a thinking twice.. Trying to bathe while insects of all shapes and sizes fly at you is not my definition of a good time. but for now, it will have to do.
June. 12
We ended up staying in the hospital again last night. The heat was unbearable. We had put up a mosquito net over the window so that we could leave the window open over night. It began to rain quite heavily during the night and our excitement reached a new plateau in anticipation of the cool air the rains would bring in combination with our replica window screen. But it was not to be. Instead of bringing a cool flow of air the rains brought power failure after power failure..The night introduced a battle of epic proportions (not unlike the Mahabharata) between the storm and the generator that was feeding our ceiling fan. inevitably, mother nature won. Although the fan would occasionally start up and provide a glimmer of hope bringing with it the sweet salvation of a cool breeze, it was always short lived.the night went on like this.fan on. (sigh of relief).fan off.(lying in a puddle of sweat).fan on.(Yes!!!).fan off .. (Nooooooo!!!!!!!). fan on... (thank you God!!!). fan off. ("it's only 1:30!?!?!).
Jenna was on the verge of a reakdown, Dave, quite surprisingly slept fairly well with the occasional, "damn it!!!" when the fan turned off. I found it all quite amusing. uncomfortable, but amusing. waiting to write the story down in my journal.
It's a good thing that the majority of today will be spent at the hospital shadowing the ophthalmologist.we're all a bit tired. Random thought. To be as educated as we are and still be indifferent shows the failure of our education.
June. 13
Went to Saraswati temple today. One of two in all of South Asia dedicated to this Goddess of education. We asked her to bless our intellect and watch over our educational pursuits.. The statue of Saraswati Mata was gorgeous.a famous solid gold statue adorned with and surrounded by flowers, fruits, incense, ganga jaal, and various coloured powders.. We were there for the evening aarti.
It was..enchanting is the word that comes to mind. The sounds of the priests
chanting mantras was hypnotic; mystical; healing.. Over the past few days we have received the opportunity to truly see rural life in India. The life of the Indian farmer. And his dependence on the land.. The hospital finds that during these three months (June, July, August) there is a substantial decrease in the number of patients. We determined the answer to this decrease first hand during a community screening in one of the villages we
visited. a little epidemiological investigation if you will... It was clear, after speaking with a number of the villagers we screened, that their priority during these three months was work.even if at the expense of their vision. These three months constituted their livelihood.
Yesterday we visited two of the tertiary vision centres near Mudhol. one was in the middle of the nearest town and the other in a small village far out in the middle of acres of open farmland. In the 2nd town, as we were exiting from the vision centre, a crowd had gathered due to word of foreigners in town. While hundreds of eyes gazed at us,
one man, obviously drunk, started yelling something at us. he touched Jenna's feet and then mine. In Telegu he said, "I am a donkey compared to you" with a heavy tone of sarcasm. he continued on and said something about us "living in our castles whilehis family was dying". There was a definite sense of resentment. It was humbling. Nothing we didn't already know.the inequality that exists in this world is mind boggling.. But, nonetheless, a rude awakening.
We had a great conversation that night which was sparked by the events we had experienced over the last couple of days in this remo te, secluded area.our conclusion wasn't directly related.we covered a lot of topics during our nightly debriefing session (I started holding these after our second night here). but we agreed that people back home. in the society we live in. don't get enough opportunity. or don't take the time. to reflect. to think about and discuss life. there are undoubtedly exceptions to this , rare as they may be. but generally self-reflection, time on your own away from the hustle and bustle
of daily life. is rare.. Opportunities like this . being in the middle of nowhere; little to do when not working; gorgeous surroundings. and other elements that have come with this experience have allowed us this time. People need opportunities like this.
Animals seen in the past 2 days: mongoose, langurs, scorpions, giant mother super cockroaches, and the usual suspects - goats, water buffalo, pigs, cows, dogs.
June. 15
OH what a night!!!!
"The rooftop is a good friend out here."
-Baburao
This morning we were talking about how we were going to miss Canada Day and the fireworks, etc, etc..and then by some weird twist of fate.. Dave and I ended up on the rooftop of the hospital just in time for a light show extravaganza. A symphony of fire, not presented y Benson and Hedges, but by God himslef. As the sun was setting over the Savannah-like backdrop of rural Andrah Pradesh we could see lightening in the distance just over the horizon.
The winds were strong and the cool air was refreshing as usual.good time for contemplation.
The past few weeks have reinforced my desire to pursue my MPH in international health. It would be a mistake to opt for the more financially sensible MHA at UBC option, when my heart and mind are in line with international health.Thus Boston is the right choice for me and I will check the no box for UBC.
Baburao joined us on the roof. After a while we noticed a certain tranquility that had come over him. As he looked out at the surroundings of the hospital, Dave and I wondered if this was one of the first times he had done this.
It is fairly easy for us to find the beauty of this place. As visitors in a new and amazing place we are actively searching for the beauty of the place. that's really what we are here to do. it's a natural progression for us to seek out spots like the roof.
We then thought about how for Babrao, who works and lives here, it is his daily existence. This is the place he works. it's a job and it's in a country that he has been born and raised in. He confirmed that this was only the second time he had been up there.I think Dave and I were able to offer him. quite serendipitously. a new perspective of
his everyday environment. to us a spectacle. people don't find things unless they're looking for them.
Today was an amazing experience and opportunity. For the 2nd time on this trip we got scrubbed up and for the entire morning we were in the operating theatre (OT). We witnessed 3 cataract surgeries as well as their pre and post operative procedure which we aided in. To see someone's sight restored.their windows to the world reopened.was moving.powerful.inspiring.
It was easy to lose sight of the fact that the surgeon was working with man and not machine. her movements were so mechanical and precise. I was surprised at the lack of gentleness. I expected something far more fragile. the patients entire body was covered and only the eye exposed. a suture was placed through the sclera above the anterior chmber (superior limbal incision) so as to stabilize and position the eye for the cataract removal. the method used was small incision cataract surgery (extracapsular extraction). The anterior portion of the capsule (of the lens) was then cut and removed (capsulotomy).
The nucleus of the lens was extracted thro ugh the previous incision.The IOL implant was then placed in the remaining posterior portion of the capsule..
June 17
Sometimes you can't help but wonder why there aren't more types of programs to help those in need. But the reality is that there are more people in need than not. It brings a quote I recently read to mind: "when your own life Is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival." -Life of Pi
People may feel pity, but then they move on.
After a week in Mudhol we are back in Kismatpur, and after a week in my closet Godzilla is still in alive and well in my closet.
Today is my convocation at Waterloo. Its probably going on right bout now actually. As much as I'd like to be there, being here using what I've learned over the past 4 years seems somewhat appropriate too. It's a great 2nd. Thats it for now. Much love to all.
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