New town, new assignments, and a whole new world.

 

Before I move on, I never got to recap my last rotation in Dehradun with City Heart Center or share pictures with Dr. Gandhi, his staff, and his residents.

Also, I thought I would share this picture I snapped. X-ray of a very evident fracture: Dr. Gandhi on the right, patient on the left. 

Onto Delhi!

Happy belated Halloween!! In 23 years I have never missed all Hallows Eve, but I suppose it had to happen eventually. I hope everyone had a splendid time, and celebrated enough for the both of us!

A 5 AM bus ride and it was back to the place where my whole trip began. Delhi. Four weeks prior I landed in the middle of the night, with ten weeks of adventure ahead. The city was so dirty, so loud and so overwhelming that at the time I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Four weeks later it didn’t seem so bad. Good thing!

First, lets have a recap of what I did with my weekend in Delhi.

October 30, Sunday

New Delhi mall

We arrived in New Delhi and had time to explore. What should we do in a big city? A little shopping at a small market, and a little shopping at the BIG mall… perfect! Needless to say, since I was in my element it was easy to forget I was in India while inside the mall. Similar shops lined the walls; food stands and kiosks lined the walkways. The only remarkable difference was metal detectors, a pat down and x-ray scanner as you entered the mall and SO many employees in each store! If you entered the store at least 12 different employees knew about it. It was a huge mall, and even in the several hours we had to explore, it wasn’t possible to get all the way through it. 

I watched my first cricket game and even threw a pitch (is it even called a pitch?)

New Delhi Metro rail.

The nicest thing I have seen in India thus far. It is nicer than the New York subway, faster than the Portland Max, underground and aesthetically pleasing. Surprisingly they also have a very efficient ticketing system. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised as it was only built 7 years ago, but it was a nice change of scenery.

The one thing I was not too fond of was the police and amount of security. Unlike in the states where weapons are more concealed, in India an AK-47 is nothing to be hidden. In the corners of all the station, behind a small blue barrier a man dressed in a tan uniform leans from behind the barrier with a large gun pointed straight at you/towards the general public. It was very intimidating, but after talking with our coordinator we were told that following the terrorist attack on the metro in Mumbai, security has increased substantially.

ALSO---

While at the mall we found out that Lady GaGa was in New Delhi and was doing a show only 50 km away. Although I am not a huge GaGa fan, how awesome would it have been to scalp tickets and see her in India! That would have been an extraordinary ending to my first four weeks in India…… but along with the unpredictability of actually getting tickets, and the long taxi ride getting there--- we decided against it.

Maybe next time.

Now onto the serious business.

This week was set up a little bit different than normal. I mentioned last week about the other participants going home because it was the end of their four-week program. My next program in Pune starts on November 6 so interminably I spent one week in Delhi going through a turbo speed rotation on public health in the big city. Each day is different and covers a weeks worth of material in just a few hours.

The following is a fast-forward of my days.

October 31, Monday

This is where the Whole. New. World. comes in. I was in a clinic for a mere 3 hours and I could fill pages and pages with comments on my experience.

I learned:

Health care is one thing, public health is another.

For one day we were assigned to work with the DSACS Delhi State Aids Control Society. Although the program is coordinated by an aids prevention and management society, the particular location I was assigned focused on needle exchange, harm reduction, drug rehabilitation & counseling, and Oral Substitute Therapy (OST). OST is similar to how the United States administers methadone to recovering addicts; the Indian government just uses Addnonk (Bupronorphrine tablets) to assist patients with withdrawal symptoms in hopes to ultimately pull them from their drug induced addictive cycle.

I saw needles be handed out and exchanged to several clients which not more than 5 feet away were used to shoot up. I was not more than 6 inches away from several individuals shooting smack (heroin) into their veins completely oblivious to me hovering over them taking pictures. A few even posed to smile when I snapped a pic.

The amount of drug use in such a small plot of plant was beyond belief, but with over 15 million people in one city, police matters are focused on other areas. This was just the first of many ‘hot spots’ I would be exposed to in Delhi.

In the end, regardless of my disbelief, providing drug alternatives such as OST and safe, sterile needles as opposed to used, infected ones is better than nothing at all.

Side note:

Right behind the facility runs the Yamuna River. It was a sensory overload in the worst possible ways. First, it smelled—really, really bad. Second, it looked dirty. The color cannot be categorized as blue, green, black or brown just combinations of all of those depending on what angle you are looking from. It was more than just dirty, but littered, filled with garbage, old clothes and other unknown substances.

Even more exciting… there was a crematorium 1 kilometer away that still to this day dumps the ashes of burnt human beings straight into the river. Eww.

Shocking factor #1: Fishes somehow survive

Shocking factor #2: People bathe in it. Not everyone, but the less fortunate clean them selves and their clothes in it.

Yum! I would make an educated guess that this is a large contributor to the lack of clean water in India.

After that we went to observe a government hospital and a corperate/private hospital. The facilities were truly two different worlds.I will never complain for waiting at the emergency room again for 4 hours, in Delhi your wait may be one, or even two days until you are called to see a doctor! People line the streets waiting to be seen. The government hospital looked similar to the Doon Hospital that I experienced in Dehraduun. Rickety, dirty, and crowded….

However the private/ corporate hospital. Which costs around 1000 rps (20 dollars) for treatment as compared to 10rps (20 cents) at the government hospital. The inside reminded me of a hospital at home, and this wasn’t even a new facility. The separation of social classes became extremely evident, even more so than before.

November 1, Tuesday

First stop was the Sahara Women and Children Addiction Shelter, a daycare, safe home and school for both mom and child.

 The womens center sells bracelets to make additional make up. Although I am awful at bracelet making, it was still fun!

Second stop was the Sahara Men’s rehab and addiction center, a shelter and safe home for recovering addicts.

While both shelters provided meals and bed they also double-teamed as vocational training facilities; teaching men and woman how to do remedial work that could assist them in getting a job after they are released.

November 2, Wednesday

SPYM (society for promotion of youth and masses) Sahyog Juvenille De-addiction. A newly opened boys/ juvenile addiction and recovery center, government run and the first of its kind facility in India. Since it is brand new, the next three years will serve as a ‘trial run’. They have the next three years to show their success in hopes of receiving continued funding. Fortunately, since the official opening in April the success rate of rehabilitation has gone up from 5% to 20%! So far, so good!

If I didn’t witness it myself I would have had a hard time believing that these young boys were capable of such heinous crimes. Smack use (heroin) at the age of five and six. Fluid use (inhalation of toxic substances) starting at earlier ages than most of them can remember. The facility has 34 beds, and currently houses 26 boys age ranging from 11-17. After arriving we all sat down in a big circle so each boy could have a few minutes to tell us about himself. The usual details of conviction: age 12, heroin-murder case, age 16 heroin-murder case, age 17-fluid overdose, age 14 heroin-rape case, age 17 heroin-murder, age 14 fluid-heroin overdose. Seems all too surreal for small children to be involved in these types of cases, but again, in a city of 15 million, you cant escape the inevitable.

Sixty percent of the boys are illiterate, and never made it through 2^nd or 3^rd grade. The other 40 percent could read and write, but nothing past that. The center held daily classes to renew and build literacy, and also provided similar vocational training during their stay.  Many of the boys aspire to be dry cleaners and mechanics after getting released. You must keep in mind that these types of jobs are decent and respectable careers that would not usually be available to these boys under any other circumstance--another positive win toward the success of the center. The minimum sentence is 3 months with a reevaluation after that.

Many of the boys shared similar stories of extreme poverty, broken families, and misfortune, but there was one boy who stuck out to me and fell outside the norm. A 17 year old boy who spoke English well, had graduated high school early and was already well into his first year of college. He was put into this India style “juvy” for heroin use. He came from a good family, and didn’t start using drugs due to influence from others, but instead just wanted to try it… so he did, and he became addicted.

Goes to show you, addiction can happen to anyone if you are not wary. Clearly India doesn’t uses any sugar coated propaganda… I enjoy it.

November 3, Thursday

Morning rotation: The SPYM center truck yard.

Similar to the truck stops and rest areas we have in the states but much more ‘sketchy’ and the duration of stay are lengthy. The truck yard is another hot spot, a very high-risk area for multiple crimes, misfortune and wrongdoings: increased HIV/AIDS prevalence, violence, drug and alcohol use and abuse and the number one problem, and the reason we came to observe---sex trafficking and the prostitution of underage woman.  Exploited 10-17 year olds walking around after dark having sex and performing other acts for as little as 20-100 rupees ($0.50-$2.00). The whole problem arises from the movement of cargo, construction and families. Many of the drivers stay for a few nights, see their families, drop off and pick up new loads.  Some also stay to seek extra labor work nearby.

All of this provides the perfect situation for sex exploitation. SPYM provides random on-site sex education and condoms to anyone who is willing to listen.

If you can’t stop it, you might as well do anything to reduce harm and the spread of diseases. The center also simultaneously provides services to the transgender, homosexual and transsexual Delhi community. While gay marriage is legal in some parts of India, similar to the United States it still extremely unaccepted in others

Evening rotation:  Men’s homeless shelter

Another SPYM sponsored facility that offers 134 beds at night at a cost of 8 rupees per night. It is only open from 6PM to 8AM, and for an additional 15 rupees, they provide a hot meal. Most of the men smelled of alcohol and dirt, and openly admit they have made poor life choices throughout their years. The majority make money through odd jobs during the day, and spend their earnings before night fall. A vicious cycle than never allows financial growth.

At least, if nothing else, the occupants made a good decision of utilizing a facility built just for them.

November 5, Friday

Wow! What a nice ending to my rotations in Delhi. This may be difficult to portray in its entirety, as there were many noteworthy events that occurred, but like always, I will do my best. The facility is called Shalebh. It is an organization started by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, a man who had a vision of decreasing and eradicating the amount of ‘scavengers’ throughout India.  Scavengers refer to individuals who carry and dispose human waste from around cities and villages. Equipped with only a handmade broom and bucket they would sweep up others feces and excretions; earning a living through potentially the most degrading occupation in the history of man. In India sewage systems are rare. Fun fact: there are more mobile phones than toilets. Public and private bathrooms are only recently being established

Before I get into the detail about the center, I have to comment on the wonderful welcome ceremony they held for us. In a huge meeting hall full of staff, rescued women and random reporters (from CNBC and Entrepreneurs Magazine) our names were announced and we were given a necklace of good fortune and gratitude, a shawl, and lovely greeting from Dr. Bindeshwar himself. I felt so privileged to be apart of this organization.

Now back to the details-

Scavengers, or what society has named ‘untouchables’ have been around since India’s existence. They exist in a social class categorized as beings lower than pigs. They were not aloud to enter households, were not allowed to own property or touch anything that would be remotely considered a humane. If an untouchable were to buy fruit from a vendor, the vendor would either refuse to make a sale or would wrap up their hands and throw the fruit towards him or her to avoid any contact with the fruit, table or seller. 90% of scavengers were woman and children; they were never allowed to have a better life than they were born and maried into. Once you or your family became a scavenger, there was no getting out. It was a vicious cycle that would have never been stopped if it were not for Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak He made it his life mission to remove untouchables from their degrading lives, and reincorporate them into society to finally be accepted. Even until the 1990’s their were million of scavengers, and after all of his dedication, there is now less than 40,000 left in remote areas and villages throughout India. I see his success only continuing. As an American, it is almost unfathomable to believe that this kind of thing exists. That there is a group of people who collect other peoples feces, urine and excretions, carry them on their head for several miles just to dispose of it… usually in the river. Yes, I am referring to the same river as before.

Now the Shalebh is more than a salvation center it is a school, and a vocation learning center but it is also a huge sanitation research center for the cultivation and usage of biogas.

The Sulabh Effluent Treatment Technology: Safe recycle and reuse of effluent form human excreta based biogas plant.

They have utilized waste to generate electricity, and biogas, which can then be used for cooking and heating. They also have developed technology to purify waste into fertilizer, building material and even clean water (not suitable for drinking of course… but I bet it is better than the river!)

Dr. Pathack started his sanitation journey by developing a remedial toilet/ sanitation system. It incorporates two tanks, uses little water, and can be used for up to 5 people, for up to 3 years. Slowly but surely his dream, and this ten dollar creation will spread across India where sewage systems cannot reach.

The center also has a toilet museum! Humor and History!

Fun fact: it also had the nicest bathroom in all of India!!!

We worked a lot this week with SPYM society for promotion of youth and masses. Most all of the organizations this week are funded or connected by the NGO SPYM. They do fabulous social work all across India—addiction, homelessness, boys, men, and woman rehabilitation, sex education to reduce AIDS and STDs, raise awareness to prevent prostitution in underage women…and something tells me it doesn’t stop there. It is refreshing to see a cooperation have such an impact on the whole public health system. I fell as though this week truly did its job of opening my eyes to public health in India. Even with 5 short days, and only a few hours-- my eyes and mind have been opened to so many different things.

Shelane's other random thoughts….

Although India has long since gained its independence. British colonization still shines through in some areas.

Is this the Mattress store?

Not-so 24 hours

Even in the bustling city, the maximum hours of operation are only 5AM-11PM, and that is pushing it.

Noise pollution? Air pollution? Visual pollution? Space pollution? I am thoroughly confused at what type of pollution they are referring to. I can’t figure out if this is a joke or not. I haven’t seen blue skies in a week, and I think the air pollution may have permanently damaged my lungs. It is worth a try.

I learned the real difference between

Auto-rickshaw…

And a rickshaw….

Jewelry shopping is always fun! I had a wonderful time with Mr. Dhir looking at brilliant pieces of jewelry. He is a friend of Dr. Gandhi’s and was nice enough to open up his shop just for me. He even served me lunch and tea. It was lovely! I had hoped to find a special something for myself but I ended up walking away empty handed. I learned I have extremely expensive taste, and with 5 more weeks in India I still have to keep a tight budget! Let’s just say I didn’t fall in love with anything in my price range. I had a great time browsing, but even more eventful-- since he had closed down the shop for a day, I was lucky enough to see a gold exchange! ½ a kilo of gold, and a whole lot of cash!

Carpe Diem

I found out the hard way that although the combination of western and alternative medicines can have remarkable benefits; simultaneously it doesn’t always work out exactly as it should. Unfortunately mixing alternative remedies and western prescriptions can have unfavorable reactions. Turns out that some aruyvedic medicines can disturb your absorption and retention of western pharmaceuticals. Whoops… Had to find out some way.

Oh well…

Life is an adventure so you just have to roll with it.

ANNNNDDDD
I got Hena! Yay!

Flying solo

Unfortunately my partner in crime, AKA Taylor Hansen has decided to return to the states a few weeks early. After our first rotation, India had filled her heart with all she needed. It is sad to see her go, but on the other hand, I see it being a huge learning experience for myself. Taking on a new country, and a new place entirely on my own. I have high hopes for continued personal growth, and I am excited for what my next destination has in store for me. 

India wouldn’t have been the same without ya! See you in a few weeks!

Off to Pune to begin the second half of my trip: Child and Maternal Healthcare

Xoxo,

India and Shelane

Update:

I haven’t had any access to Internet in a while which means I could not post my entry about my week in Delhi. So Surprise I am already in Pune!

I conquered Indian domestic flights with little troubles! Very similar to American travels, only with much more security checkpoints and officers with large guns. I have just gotten settled in my own little guesthouse. My caretakers are Dada, his wife Manisha and her sister. They also have a little 14 month old baby girl! I can tell I am going to love it!

My new adventure has begun! I will keep you posted when I can!

Xoxo,

India and Shelane

Hallmark movie

I keep finding myself trying to shorten posts as I know my readers don’t have  large chucks of time to look over my entries. However, this has become an impossible task because everyday and week I learn things that have the potential to be transformational.

Enjoy…

I am not even sure where to start.

However, I assume starting with the last day I wrote would be a good place.

After the week in Rishikesh it was the weekend, and like always we spend this time on our own exploring city after city to cover as much land as possible. This weekend brought me to Dharmahshala, the town the Dahlia Lama resides in. It was a whirlwind of a weekend. I am going to do my best to describe it in detail, as this weekend will be a weekend I want to remember forever.

Friday, October 21

We arrived back into Dehradun around 3 PM, and our train left at 5 pm. We scurried to pack and then Taylor and I were on our way. This weekend was a bit different from the last as it was only the two of us. The other three decided they didn’t want to travel by bus, as it was uncomfortable and hot. I didn’t understand not wanting to travel as much as possible but we left on our merry way regardless. It was a twelve-hour air-conditioned bus ride. It was pleasant and we even made a friend from France. He flocked to us, because as I have explained many times, there is not very many light colored skin individuals here. His name was Rudolph and he was spending a few weeks exploring India. He was traveling alone and had been all through Europe.

 We got into Dharamashala at 5 AM and immediately checked into a hotel. It was still dark, and like I have said before, nobody is out about from 9 PM- 9 AM, unless you are “up to no good”. We needed a little extra shut-eye anyway.

Saturday, October 22

What a wonderful day. The town was quaint and vibrant. The weather was perfect. The town was at a higher altitude than we had been before so it was a bit chilly. The past four weeks has been so hot  that it was a wonderful change-- jeans, long sleeved shirts, a scarf and jacket reminded me of home. I am expecting to be very cold when I get off the plane in PDX but I was more than happy to bundle up for a day.

Small shops lined the streets and it was surprisingly clean. Although it was a tourist town as well, there were few cows, and the air was refreshing. The view was breath taking. I am still having moments where I cant believe I am in the middle of the Himalayan Mountains. The Rockies are familiar territory, but the Himalayans… it is surreal. There were many look out points, and great areas for pictures. Since we had the whole day ahead of us, and only one town to conquer we spent our sweet time moseying around. It was a nice change from our busy schedule. We spent hours shopping and walking around, and then made our way to the Buddhist temple. The town was very spiritual, the men and woman dedicating their life to Buddhism filled the streets. I could have people watched for hours, so that is exactly what we chose to do. 

 I bought a journal from one of the little shops to collect my thoughts in as I dont really have time to reflect on the extra things and specifics that couldn’t or don’t make it into my blog. It is more personal, and I see it being a wonderful investment for the future.  We sat down for tea, and I had time to write.

After tea we continued to walk the streets and make our way through small jewlery  and trinket shops. Needless to say, shopping was fun, again! After that we decided to go to Dinner.

It was a wonderful place, very modern. I think it used to be a Baskin Robins as there was a half worn off pink signature 31 symbol. They had all types of food, and they even had different types of wine and beer! Hip Hip Hooray! Tibetan people live near, and in their culture it is acceptable for woman and men to drink. Taylor and I sat for several hours, sipped on wine and talked about our day. One of my favorite down times in India.  After that it was time to go, so we boarded a bus back to Dehradun….

 

AND THEN…..

The wee hours of Sunday, October 23

The bus ride was awful, not just bad, but extremely horrific. It was a different bus than the ride in, and to top it off we also had our first battle with racism. The bus held around 35 people; the seats were slick, and small. Additionally, because the roads back was so bumpy every seat had two different handlebars to brace you with, except ours. Strangle only ours didn’t have any. Hmm…

It was 14 hours of hitting our heads, falling off of our seats, laying on the bags people had piled up, and several people found it so amusing they laughed at us along the way. I slept on the floor at one point because it was much more comfortable than the seat itself. Note to self, and everyone else who may travel to India: don’t take the Long Distance Local Bus. Seats were cheap but not assigned, and in India there is no capacity limit. At one point 60+ people filled the bus. Men and woman sat on our laps and piled their suitcases on our feet. Awful. I wish I were able to choose better words to describe it because 150 words cannot accurately portray it. Its official, I had my first bad experience in India.

Unfortunately it slightly sucked the “high” I was on while in Dharmshala. Everything was perfect, but the bus ride regrettably dampened it. Oh well. Life goes on.

Even with one awful, negative experience, I came to India to learn, and I have and will continue to do so. I am sure when I get back into the states I will have mouthfuls of conversations I will be so eager to share.

Side commentary:

While sitting drinking my tea in Dharmashala I was thinking about Ellis again, and his comment on Facebook of “I Love Life’. I am almost sure he declared that while in India. People live day in and day out setting up small shops and living on the streets but are somehow still content and happy. Everyday life goes on. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing, life goes on. Some people have it better than you do, and some people have it worse than you, that is just the way it is going to be. There is no reason to mope. In the dirtiest, most polluted, crowded, poverty stricken third world country days pass and continue to pass regardless of circumstance. Life is different here, and my perspective is continually evolving.

Monday and Tuesday October 24-25, 2011

Week 4. Wow. The crew is back in Dehradun and all of us went back to work.

Rotations this week include Dr. B. C. Ramola, an ophthalmologist at the government ran, Doon hospital (I talked about this hospital in my first post). After that, I head back to Dr. Naths for continued lessons on doshas, quantum healing, Hypocrites philosophies, Sanskrit health, and several others. I spent my first week in Dehradun with him, and also my last. He is a 99-year-old knowledge powerhouse. I am trying to be an excellent student, as he is an excellent teacher.

My work in Dehradun ends each day with Dr. Sanjay Gandhi, a self-made, very successful do-it-all doctor and business owner. His life is a Hallmark movie. He started The City Heart Centere ‘Emergency Room’ with only little in his pocket and a big dream in his head. I was assigned two and half hours each day with him, even though all week none of my meeting times were less than three hours. I find myself disappointed when it is time for me to leave. This is one time Indian time has come in handy—I didn’t have to leave on the dot. I have learned so much from this man both personally and professionally; I could fill up pages and pages on only our discussions. Most of these details and stories have made their way into my personal journal, but to all of my readers I offer you the shortened, comprehensive version.

I know Dr. Gandhi will be reading this, so to him I say in advance: I hope I do your story justice. I cannot thank you enough for everything this week.

I titled this blog Hallmark movie, because similar to the past few weeks I have found myself with the feeling of being in a movie. Spending the week with Dr. Gandhi has been such an honor, it was a wonderful experience to both converse and listen to him. He has an amazing success story all the while maintaining humbleness. He is the epitome of a Hallmark movie.

He grew up in a socioeconomically poor family. Eight family members resided in one 10 by 10 feet room. He lived on less than 10 rupees a week (20 cents) and by the tenth grade had stopped going to school. Tensions were tough between family members as Dr. Gandhi had so much potential but nearly settled for being a small vegetable vendor. After many life-altering decisions he proceeded to put himself through medical school solely on dedication, merit and clever money making strategies. Who knew, frog blood, love letters and hand made stereos could pay all of the bills.

According to Dr. Gandhi getting through medical school was the easy part; opening up a practice was where things began to get difficult.  City Heart Center began with one stethoscope, one blood pressure cuff, one small room; no beds, blankets, instruments or lights. Now, at the age of only 37 City Heart is a several story building with several beds, advanced equipment and a booming hospital made famous nationwide by solely word of mouth. He will retire by the age of 45.

He is such a badass. Fountain pen, Iphone (the only one I have seen in India), red motor bike, several cars, a huge library and collection of movies and most importantly a great deal of respect from his patients, colleagues, staff and myself. I aspire to follow a similar path to Dr. Gandhi.

Not only does he own a clinic similar to the one I hope to open, but he also possess many of the traits I hope to incorporate into my own practice someday. Being a patient so many times I have realized the importance of listening to a patient and dedicating more time than just a quick consultation. It is easy to do, but often forgotten by medical professionals. A few extra minutes can make a mile of a distance.

I could add much, much more to his story and the time I have spent with him, but within a year or so he will publish his book and I don’t want to give away too many details. His book is titled

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL *

*conditions apply

Perfect title. I cannot wait to get my own personal copy, and read it. 

Dr. Gandhi has inspired me. I will remember our discussions for the rest of my life. He also gave me his fountain pen, probably the coolest thing I will bring back from India! Thanks Doctor Gandhi!!

Wednesday October 26, 2011

Happy Diwali!!!!

I was lucky enough for my internship to fall on the biggest holiday in Indian tradition. In a previous post I wrote about Dushara, a holiday celebrated with fireworks and a finale of explosions imitating the triumphant victory of good over evil. The whole month of October is a festivity of lights and merriment. The time gap is comparative to how we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas close together. People here give gifts of mostly sweets, and a few families exchange other types of presents. I feel so privileged to be apart of a massive holiday while studying with several doctors and living with a joyous guest family.  India has given me almost everything I could have asked for. All week rope lights and “Christmas” lights filled the city. It was awesome, just like home, except in October. Doctor Gandhi received hundreds of gifts, Dr. Nath celebrated with nuts and sweets, and after that we visited other families that happily gave us sweets and fruit juice. In the evening, around 645 the festival truly begins. Since it is a religious holiday many families pray and give offerings to the several gods. They also participate in a small ceremony from home. Mr. and Mrs. Metha were nice enough to allow us to join in the ceremony.

Although I do not classify myself to any religion, having the privilege to participate in a ceremony so dear to our “exchange parents” was awesome. Full participants!

We also celebrated with Dominos pizza, and cake, it was time for us to treat our coordinators!
And yes, that is a red dot on my forehead-- dont worry its not real, just a holiday! :)

FINALE!!!

October 26, and the festival of lights ends with a bang… literally. Around 6:45-7:00 the fun begins--fireworks, a lot of them! Fireworks are not regulated in India because the ceremony is for religious purposes. (Similar to the law loopholes we have in the United States) Every family, and especially the kids have a grand ol’ time lighting off the ‘crackers’! While we didn’t participate in lighting the crackers off, we got the wonderful opportunity to watch the show of lights from the rooftop of our guesthouse.  I love our Fourth of July extravaganzas, but I must admit--- the firework show here Is much more impressive. Not only are there more people to light off fireworks, but since large, exploding in the sky fireworks are relatively inexpensive and legal, the show was very impressive. No certifications necessary; a match and a quick runner are the only qualifications.

The ceremonies and fireworks were amazing, but the highlight of my day were smiles. Since it was a holiday everyone was joyful, even those in the hospital. I loved the smiles so much I wanted to purposely create more. So, before my last rotations with Dr. Gandhi I bought 60 pieces of candy that sell for a whopping 1 rupee each. During my rotations I handed them out to the staff, the visitors and all of the patients who were already admitted or were coming in for a checkup. It was so rewarding, and the reactions I received will be embedded in my heart forever. One American dollar bought me 60 smiles of appreciation. I am quickly reinforcing my ideal I have lived by my whole life, some things money can’t buy, and in the end you cant take money to the brave.

Thursday October 27

Back to work! Everybody was off holiday break, and now its back to the grind. Rotations continued as normal, but today we were in for a treat! Eye surgery! Taylor and I arrived at 10AM and Dr. Ramola dedicates  every Thursday to eye surgeries. We had the opportunity to watch cataract surgery, cauterization, and lens replacement. Thirteen older patients were in need of eye maintenance and upgrade; many of them in hope for a miracle. Dr. Ramola transforms into a ball of seriousness when he is in surgery, he has been doing surgery since 1990 and continues to do all of the cutting an suturing without any help from a machine. A 300 micrometer incision made solely by a steady hand, and much needed confidence. Each surgery was extremely quick, 8-10 minutes each!

Sadly the last patient was not an adult, it was an 11-year-old boy who was came in with injuries due to Diwali. He was covered in burns, and his eyes were scorched shut. Dr. Ramola said he would gain his vision back, but it would be a long painful process as he had so many firecracker particles in both of his eyes.

I wanted to post some of the more gory pictures, but I resisted because I know some of my readers would not get the same joy I get out of it.

Three things I learned from watching the surgeries.

Standard procedure and health precautions are drastically, terrifyingly different. Keep in mind, this was performed at a public, government run hospital. Standards are unfortunately low, but treatment is cheap. Patients were kept track of by numbered pieces of tape put over their eye bandages. Patients all stood in the same room surgery were being performed in. If you look closely you can see the surgery projected onto the computer screen. This means: patients waiting to have surgery get to watch a real time procedure they are about to have- not intimidating at all. There were cords and wires everywhere. If you look closely atthe picture you can make out the surgery on the computer screen (don’t look too much if you are easily nauseated).

Sterilization does not exist. Instruments are dipped in a bowl of alcohol and wiped off with a towel to be used on the next patient. Gloves were only changed every other patient, as hand sanitizer was only used occasionally in-between. None of the nurses had gloves on, and we were not required to scrub up or wash our hands before entering. Good thing I have been living in my scrubs and I don’t leave home without my hand sanitizer!

Teaching children how to act and take care of themselves should be a priority, not an option; especially in dangerous situations. Since fire works are not regulated, proper safety precautions should be. I understand India is highly populated but the safety of individuals should not be sacrificed. This may sound harsh, but all doctors I am working with 100% agree with me.

Friday, October 28

One last day of rotations.

While Tay and I will continue on for 6 more weeks, this week marks the end of the other colleagues journey though India. They only signed up for the four-week program; Morgan and Elliot will head back to PA school in Iowa, and Sadie will continue to be a traveling nurse heading to San Diego next. It was a fun month with you all, and I am already looking forward to our next get-together adventure. India crew reunion TBD---Mexico, Canada, Europe, Hawaii???

I came to India to fine tune the path that would lead me to the career of my dreams. Four weeks in and only a northern aspect of India discovered I have advanced tremendously

It is time to say goodbye to new friends, goodbye to my wonderful coordinator Mayank, goodbye to all of the doctors and specialist I have had the opportunity to work with, goodbye to my housemother and housefather, good bye to Dehradun, and goodbye to week four.

Next stop, Delhi.

Until we meet again,

India and Shelane

Another city conquered.

Twenty days, six cities and it’s already time to pack up for the next destination. I can’t believe I have already been in India for 20 days! Time is flying by.

I mentioned in my last post about how traveling a small distance leads to what looks like an entirely different world. This week was no different.

The first week, in Dehradun, I was dropped in a fast paced big city with crammed streets, high pollution and lots-o-garbage. Week two I traveled to the middle of nowhere, deep into the beautiful Himalayan Mountains. This week, week three I was assigned to work in Rishikesh; word on the street it is the yoga capital of the world. Score!

I spent my week in a naturopathy center, staying in an onsite guesthouse. This facility gives naturopathic treatment for a variety of disorders. People travel from all over the world to get healed by the doctors of the Parmarth Nature Cure and Yoga center. Patients stay for a minimum of 1 week, and a maximum of 1 month. Three meals, room and board and treatment is all included in one package deal. It is affordable and open to the general public.

The center is located in the middle of a valley. I am surrounded by mountains, and live next to the Ganga River. Rishikesh has busy pedestrian traffic, and although it is dirty and full of garbage too, I enjoy the atmosphere. To be politically correct, unlike other areas there is a larger diversity of people. People are not fazed by the color of our skin anymore (except for when individuals find out we are American). We don’t get stared at nearly as often. It is a nice change.

After chatting with some locals we discovered that Rishikesh used to be a diamond in the rough that few people knew about, but then when yoga became famous so did Rishikesh.

It has become a tourist town, but its natural beauty is still vividly apparent. Taylor and I decided it is the Oregon of India; it has a large range of people and nature. The Ganga River runs right through the middle of town. Only two pedestrian bridges connect the two sides, so you must either walk several kilometers or take a ferry.

Of course with all of the positives of being a tourist town…

SHOPPING… so much jewelry and lovely stuff. I have to keep reminding myself I have 7 more weeks left. I can only carry so much.

…but there is always negative parts too

Beggars… Unfortunately when there is a city with cash flow it is a perfect place for the less fortunate to ask for money. They are everywhere, but the longer I am in India, the easier it has become to say no, or pay no attention to their rattling money cup.

It is not necessarily a negative, but I appreciate the attempt to provide English signs. Whenever there is a spelling error it is usually due to phonetics.It keeps our spirits hihg. Thank you for trying India!

(keep in mind this is 30 second compilation, there has been at least 50+)

Actual spelling versus how it sounds:

Bread= bred

Feel=fill

Look=lick

Tortilla-torteeya

Hello= yes, please (every shop keepers greeting… All. The. Time.)

Can you find the mistake?

Also not entirely negative, but noticeable nonetheless

So many monkeys! I have decided they are the squirrels and raccoons of India! Love them to death, and they are so interesting to watch but not when they enter your room. Yes, you read it right…monkeys decided to make an unannounced visit into our room. They also were nice enough to destroy our breakfast and garbage can. We didn’t even know they were in the room until it was too late. I can officially mark “getting raided by monkeys” off my bucket list.

The monkeys seem so human-esque at times. Just hanging out on the wall watching the day pass by.

There are an exceptional amount of cows here. Way more than any other city I have been too thus far. This can also be blamed on the tourism. Monkeys and cows spread the word to all of their monkey and cow friends that there is food, and lots of it. They gather in huge numbers.

Back to the main topic:

October 15-16, 2011

The first two days of being in Rishikesh the whole CFHI crew was here. Elliot, Morgan, Sadie, Taylor and I had the weekend to do some exploring. We found a restaurant called the Little Buddha café. It was the first place that served Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Indian food. It was a nice change. They had wonderful tea too.

Although all five of us signed up for the same program, Taylor and I chose different “sub programs”. Weekends are free and we all travel together, but then Monday-Friday we part ways and do our own clinical rotations in different cities.

October 17-20, 2011

Since we lived on an onsite guesthouse, all of our duties were within a 5-minute walk. A normal day consisted of yoga 8-9, breakfast delivered to our room by 9:30, lectures with Doctor Hemlata 11-12. After lecture, lunch was at 1, meditation was at 5, and dinner was served at 7.  Some of the topics included in lecture were hydro therapy, sun therapy, mud therapy, color therapy, massage therapy, yoga therapy and acupressure. While some of these healthcare techniques are very abstract for me to grasp, I am glad I had the opportunity to work with someone who has dedicated their entire life to the practice.

The facility:

Similar to last week, this open schedule provided me with more down time than usual. We have a beautiful view off a near balcony, and it was a wonderful place to enjoy the sunset while reading a book. Indian sunsets are amazing, and are like no other. The sun is a bright red glowing circle, a deep, deep red fading into bright orange as it sets beneath the horizon. When I capture a picture of it, I will be sure to share it with you all.

Additionally,

We met a wonderful woman who we dubbed our Indian mother. Her name is Sharda (close resemblance to Shelda… shout out to mom!) She helped us find ATMS, took us out to lunch, brought us to the market and helped us heckle down prices. She told us the best places to buy fruit and vegetables, and how to clean and properly eat them. She is also currently looking into travel plans and contacting her friends for suggestions on how to spend our free weekends. With her help, we will undoubtedly know the best places to go ahead of time. Once again Indian hospitality takes a situation from great to wonderful. She has been a guest/patient at the naturopathy center many times prior; she didn’t have to help us, but did anyway. To give an example of her kindness, on our last night she invited us to come stay at her house in Toronto Canada anytime we pleased. She was born and raised in India but has lived in Canada since she was 20-ish (she is over 40 now). She speaks very good English and is very North Americanized. (Canadianized?). A fantastic woman.

To comment on the fruits of vegetables… Mmmm fresh off the fruit and vegetable carts! Not found in Albertsons: papayas, mustamelons, mangos and guavas galore.

Indians are very hardworking. There is so much competition for jobs that only the best of the best are chosen.  For a single policeman position 1700 males applied. The jobs are not necessarily joyful, but somehow people are still happy.  Someone has to scoop all of the cow dung. Someone has to sweep the streets. Someone has to be the cook, cleaner, and owner all at once, and someone has to fix and make the clothes

The more I learn about Hinduism the more I am mystified. There are so many gods for every topic or situation possible, literally. Pregnancy, water, fire, truth, luck, fulfillment, sadness, winter, fall, summer, spring, earth, life… and the list goes on. Each story is entwined within another by a very intricate story web. I wish I could write them all down because it would be a wonderful record of history, but I don’t think it is possible. I can’t keep track, but If I begin to understand and maintain which story goes with which I will be sure to share with you all.

I mention this, because the river that runs through Rishikesh is named the Ganga, after the goddess Ganga (pronounced Gong-ga). Every night the people of Rishikesh have a small ceremony next to the river thanking her for her continual water supply that supports the city. There are beautiful monuments and statues all over town.

Fun facts of the day:

Even with all of the variety of produce, out side of green, colored bell peppers do NOT grow in India. Our coordinator was shocked to find out red, orange and yellow peppers grow in America.

There are 60-65 states in India. The number is undefined, because it continually changes.

Strangely beautiful nature, reminds me of the Ferngully tree.

For now, that’s all folks!

Xoxo,

India and Shelane

This one is for you Ellis

This one is for you Ellis.

I’m sorry you could never make your way back to India. I have been here for a little over two weeks, and I can tell why you loved it so much.

It is beautiful here. We were never really close past being Biology and Human Physiology partners for three years, but strangely enough being here has made me appreciate you as a person. I don’t think you realized it, but you had a large impact on the India coordinators. Even with all of the students that come and go, one year later they still remember you. When Mayunk (our program director for those of you who are not familiar) was showing us around Rishakesh he asked if it was okay if he told us a story. I didn’t know what was coming, but he began with—It is a little sad.

I had a student who came on this trip who passed away, his name was Rey Charles… I felt a little sorrow take over me as I interjected… but you all called him Ellis, I knew him from college.

On Janurary 21^st you emailed me about meeting up to talk about India. We never got the chance to fully discuss the trip in that same email you told me a little bit about your experience… bucket showers and plywood beds with a thin blanket covering them. You. Were. Not. Kidding. --- but thanks for the warning.

It is weird what an impact you have had on me 9 months after your passing. In your profile picture you are standing on top of a cement building holding a bamboo stick. Mayunk told me that picture was taken here, the same place I stood. I am currently staying in the guesthouse you stayed in, working with the same doctors who taught you about alternative medicine.

I am going to enjoy my time here not only because this internship is awesome, and exactly what I worked so hard for, but also because life is short. I am trying so hard to be a sponge, and soak up everything around me; even though it is nearly impossible because everything is so different. Only people who have been on this internship can understand the entire sensory overload that I am feeling now. You would have understood.

You’ll never get the opportunity to come explore again, but I will do my best to cover as much land as I can.

RIP