Day 8- more of the same and a lot better

It just seems to keep getting better here.

We continued our research/interview project today. I love talking with the women. They are so sweet. Today as we sat on the ground ants crawled up my skirt. I jumped up in a hurry and was flapping around laughing. The women all laughed along with me. Or at me. From then on, the women squished any ants they saw.  It was wonderful to be able to communicate without the barrior of language.

We also observed a telemedicine center.  The nurses and a patient were on our end and they were able to consult with a doctor over the internet. Blood pressure, heart rate, and something else could be seen or heard by both the doctor at the hospital and the nurses in the room. It was so cool.

From there we went back to the hotel and got ready for the evening. Most of us dressed in traditional Indian clothes and I finally pulled out my Saree.  The evening was a lot of fun. We watched more dancers and ate amazing food. The food seriously was so good.

We were fed off of banana leaves again and ate with our hands. I’m still not very good at it but I did try valiantly.

The night was so beautiful it was warm and the sky was clear. We watched the sun set over the mountains and the stars come out.  Who knew India could be so beautiful alongside such depression.

In Christ
~Michelle

A few pictures

the Pacific ocean, Chennai

Meenakshi temple Madurai

Bats. the trees were full of them too. 

Monkeys!

the scenery of southern India

rice harvest

cute kids :) they were following us around.

a woman showing us how she is repairing the wall.

a group of women drying a bread like food

Elephant! :)

This is what happens when a bus collides with a tractor pulling a wagon.

Like I said, the traffic is crazy.

This is all I could get to upload but, it pretty much brings you up to date. As you can now see, I am having a wonderful time. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

100

This is my 100th post. Just thought I'd throw that out there. :)

In Christ
~Michelle

Day 7- Heavy

We visited an HIV clinic today and spoke with women who had been rescued from the sex industry.  We also spoke with women and boys who are still currently in the business. It was so sad to listen to. The women had basically been forced into it by the needs of their children and the pressure from friends. The boys were so messed up.  

The women cried as they spoke about their experiences.  Their husbands had either left them or died of AIDs after passing it on.  Some had sent their children away so that they did not have to live with the reality of who their mother was.

This was one of the saddest most amazing interactions yet.

...

We went to a school/orphanage for lunch and spent a little time with the kids.  I know I’ve said it before but, they are so cute. We taught them how to high-five and they loved it.  Some of them can speak a little English and they are able to ask our names.

I love the kids and I wish I could spend the rest of the time with them.

This evening we went shopping and I finally bought a few souvenirs.  I also bought myself a shalwar kameez. I'm pretty excited.

*as for pictures- the Internet connection is really slow here I'm trying very hard to get a few up.

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 6- random

India is great.  The weather was awesome today.

One of the girls on our trip had raised money for one of those animal gift organizations (i.e. World Vision, Heifer project). Today, we went to the goat giving ceremony.  It was amazing to see the community. Different families in the community had received goats in the past and they, and those they had passed goats on to, had improved their lives drastically.  The women receiving goats today were so excited. 

From there we visited more microfinance places and interviewed women for our project. I loved being able to actually speak with the women.  Though a lot got lost in translation, they had so much to say and were so willing to speak.

In the evening we went to a dance recital.  It was a traditional Indian dance form danced by a man.  I mean no disrespect to the culture, but it was really boring.  At least they fed us.

I have some time so here are a few random things.

Indian Bathrooms-

Here they are squat toilet. They are basically a glorified hole in the ground and surprisingly they are easy to use and not that gross.  The hotel we are staying in is much Americanized so, thankfully, it has a more western toilet. They still don’t use toilet paper. I am very glad I packed some. Thank goodness for the Boundary Waters, I’m kind of used to this.

The bathrooms are normally connected to the shower and completely tiled. Most showers don’t have curtains so the entire bathroom gets drenched each time you shower.

Driving-

Motorcycles are the most popular form of transportation here. It is not uncommon to see an entire family on one motorcycle. A child or two sits in front and then the husband. The wife sits seated sidesaddle behind him with her feet on a running board. She is normally holding a baby. And occasionally the fourth child sits on the running board. Motorcycles are also known to be great for transporting goats.

Traffic is ridiculous.  Lines don’t really mean anything at all.  Vans will pass buses side by side with motorcycles while swerving into oncoming traffic.  Our van drivers laugh at us because we scream quite frequently.

Clothing-

Women wear one of two traditional outfits. The Saree or the Salwar Kameez. The Saree is a long piece of fabric that wraps up into a dress over one shoulder. The salwar kameez is a long tunic and baggy pants.

If the woman is Muslim she wears a saree and wraps the end that drapes over her shoulder up over her head as well.

I feel like we are constantly moving and doing here yet, we never know when or where. Everything is spur of the moment. Thankfully, the evenings are open and I can relax.

I can't thank you all enough for the prayers. I'm having a wonderful time. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 5- Microfinance

Sunshine! :)

It’s warm and sunny here and I think I’m getting some color.

Today we visited microfinance organizations and a few businesses run by women who have taken out loans.  It was so interesting. 

For those of you who do not know- microfiananing focuses mainly on women because they take care of the children and the home.  An organization gives a lone of $20 or more and helps them build a business. As they pay back their loan they also pay into savings. So, they are learning how to save money and they are building a source of income for their family.

We visited a group of women who made small flour patties to sell to restaurants and another group who made baskets to sell.  It was amazing.  Just seeing the loans in action and how it really does bring people out of poverty was so cool. 

In the afternoon the kids got out of school. As we drove down the street kids waved and shouted at our vans. When we got out they  mobbed us asking for pictures and practicing their English.  they would ask us our names and how old we were.

We were also able to watch a group of women harvesting and drying rice and as we were leaving a neighborhood we were surprised with an elephant.  Some of the girls actually got to ride it but,  I was content staying on the ground.

That's all for now but, there is a lot more coming. :)

I'm loving it here.

In Christ

~Michelle

Day 4- coconuts monkeys and bats

The day began by sleeping in and spending time at the hotel relaxing.  It’s Sunday, as well as New Years day. We didn’t have any plans until 2:00 so, I listened to a few sermons.  Everyone else slept in later than I did- results of the night before- so, I got the living room area all to myself.

In the afternoon we loaded the buses and drove into the mountains.  We stopped at a school that some will be studying at these next few days. They gave us each a coconut to drink from and eat.  I’m still not sure if I like it or not.

We left the school and drove to another temple. We weren’t actually allowed to see the temple because we are foreigners but, we were able to experience the water temple.   Near the top of one of the mountains was a small pillared building. There were steps leading up to it and long lines from the bottom of the steps up to the temple. Inside, there were steps leading down into a small spring-fed pool about two inches deep in water.  Practicing Hindus entered from a different direction and got doused by a water fall. The rest of us entered and splashed our faces with the ‘holy’ water. It actually felt really good. It was an extremely hot day and I was covered in bug spray and sunscreen. Mountain water is nice and cool and clean.

When we exited the pool we joined another line that led to man burning incense. People were wafting the smoke and praying to an idol. We were expected to do this as well.   When it became my turn I walked past the man without even looking at him.  I will let them put a dot on my forehead as a sign of cultural respect and I will walk through the temples like a tourist doing only what is respectful but, I will not take part in idolatry.

The temple was surrounded by monkeys and bats; huge bats that fly around in broad day light. They filled the trees.   The monkeys ran all over, in and out of the temple,  begging for food.  They were creepy.

My feet are so gross. With all the taking off of shoes and walking around in temples and on the road where dogs, cows, monkeys, and humans have been, they are stained with dirt. It’s a good thing I’m used to being barefoot on a hog farm. The city kids in the group can barely stand it.

The last thing for the day was a light show at the Madurai palace. The light show was basically shining different colors of lights on different sections of the palace along to music. It was boring. But, the palace was really cool.  I loved the architecture (once again, so cool stone columns and arches… ).

Anyway, that was it for the day.  Things around here are gradually getting more normal. The driving doesn’t scare me as much and the lack of time table…well, it still annoys me…but, I at least expect it.

In Christ

~Michelle