One of 7 wonders, Ayurveda round 2, and Dancing in the Rain

As our alarm went off this morning at 4:30 am, I quickly hit snooze...3 times. Oh crap, we need to get up Kelsey its 4:45. A mutual "ugh" sound was made and we remembered we had to be on the bus by 5:30. We look out the window bummed to see that the sun was already up (later we found out the Taj faces north anyway. It’s just nicer weather and less people in the early morning). Somehow we made it to the bus by 5:31...dang we're good. We rode as far as they allow buses to go, and then purchased our tickets and jumped on an auto to the entrance of the Taj Mahal. There are 4 gates each facing north, east, south, or west all built with the same red sandstone as Fatehpur Sikri. We entered the east gate into the courtyard and them the north gate which leads to the Taj. I wish there was a non-cliche way to describe the Taj Mahal but it literally is breathtaking. It’s so much more beautiful than in pictures and there's swarms of birds flying across and over it all the time. Once you walk through the red north gate it’s nothing but enormous stark white pillars and a sparkling pool down the center with green gardens all around. I remember thinking it almost looked like it was glittering in some parts. (We later learned there are small precious stones inlaid all over the outside of the building). Luckily since we arrived so early there weren't very many people there and since it's off season (due to the extreme heat) very few tourists were around also. We spent a good 45 minutes taking pictures at every possible angle and of each other and then finally when I thought our tour guide might quit on us because we were taking so long, he lead us down the gardens to tour the inside.

As we walked we learned some history. The 5th Mogul emperor built the Taj in memory of his wife who died during childbirth of their 14th child at the age of 38 in 1630. Construction began in 1631. It took 22 years, 16,000 craftsmen, and the equivalent in rupees of 1 million US dollars. It is the last example of Mogul architecture in India. The king had meant to build a second Taj in black stone directly opposite the river to the white Taj, but instead he was imprisoned on house arrest by his son, the 6th Mogul emperor. His son knew India could not afford another expensive project like that and so he forced his father to live in the palace (called Red Fort) where he could see the white Taj in the distance. His father died 8 years later.

We're pretty sure he must have had some OCD issues because every single aspect of the Taj Mahal is symmetrical, down to the very center where his wife's tomb is located. There are tiny jeweled lotus flowers surrounding her tomb with 64 separate pieces required to create each one. The whole time we were there I kept wondering how they could have possibly had the technology to make such an enormous place. They even thought to make the 4 pillars surrounding the main building to lean at a 96 degree angle outward so that if there were an earthquake they would land inward to crush the big dome. Many people think the Taj Mahal is a palace but its real only purpose is to be a tomb for the queen. Nobody has ever lived there. When the King died, he had always planned to be buried in his own replica black Taj Mahal but since that never happened he was buried off-kilter next to his wife as the only non-symmetrical part of the entire building. Hmm, I wonder how his OCD is affecting him in the afterlife as he stares down at his tomb all off to the side and out of place. Hehe.

We got back to our hotel for breakfast around 9:00 and had time to rest until our checkout at 2:00. There just haaaappened to be an Ayurveda Spa right inside our hotel so for 750 INR (about $15) each we got to experience first hand what this Ayurveda oil massage was all about. And it actually was just as nice as getting a Swedish massage in the US, although they are not at all concerned with keeping privacy for you which was quite uncomfortable. Rather than the kneading and pressing downward motion of a Swedish massage it was more of a sliding and pushing upward like they were trying to improve circulation or something. It was incredibly relaxing and a great way to kill some time since Agra has very little going on besides the Taj and Red Fort.

At 2 pm we checked out of the hotel and went for lunch and a walk through the local "mall" which had about 4 stores and a movie theater all with movies in Hindi. At 4 we took our bus over to Red Fort, the palace built by the 3rd mogul emperor. It took 90 years to build it but once it was finished and for over 60 years following Agra was the capital of India. We had to hike up a long and steep ramp entryway which was built as such so that stones could be rolled down it to stop enemies and also to make it a more difficult trek and to slow down the enemy elephants. Side note: our tour guide informs us, if you're ever being charged by an elephant simply change directions quickly for the elephant cannot do that. Just in case.

Now the heat of the day was beating down on us and it was beating down hard. As we walked through the fort trying desperately to seem as interested as possible, all we really wanted was some AC and a cool drink. We were all dying in the heat and slowly enjoying the tour less and less which as you can guess induces crankiness and whining and grumpy behavior...greeeeeat. Even the funny stories of the king playing hide and go seek with his hundreds of mistresses in the courtyard elicited few laughs.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, monsoon season hits Agra!! There were some flashes of lightning followed by an immediate downpour of rain. I don't think anything could have made us happier. As all the tourists and locals ran for cover under the fort all us girls ran out into the middle of the courtyard letting the rain soak completely through our hot sweaty clothes and get our hair sopping wet. Kelsey started belting out that raindrop song about lemondrops and gumdrops and oh what a life that would be and pretty soon we were all singing along and dancing around and spinning in circles. I have a feeling if you were watching you would agree that that's what pure happiness looks like. Even though the other foreigners and locals especially probably thought we were just another bunch of crazy Americans we were literally loving life right there in the middle of India in the town of one of the seven wonders of the world. Needless to say it raised our spirits immensely which was a good thing because it was only 6 pm and our train for Varanassi didn't depart until 11:30 that night. We had 5 hours to kill and we had already seen every major and minor attraction in Agra. We finally convinced our guide, Surrendra to take us to the local markets. This turned out to be a really great experience also. There were people everywhere walking, on bikes, autos, cars, camels, horses, cows, everything. They were selling foods and fruits and clothes and everything you can imagine. It was so nice to actually walk through a real local market instead of driving like we usually do and it provided a lot of photo opportunities. There was a lot more poverty in Agra than we had seen in Jaipur. There were kids nearly naked running up to us putting their hands out and then to their mouths begging for food. There were mothers doing the same thing only they were clutching tiny babies in their arms too. Another thing that was pretty sad was they would point to our cameras and tell us we could take pictures of them if we gave them money. Although it was sad it was still a good experience for us to see what India really is like outside the tourist area and Dr. Blenner warned us it would be similar if not worse in Calcutta and Varanassi. After I thought we had walked for hours it was only 7:30 so we all decided to hit up a restaurant for dinner. One thing I don't think I've talked much about are the frequent power outages in India. Think of it like putting way too many surge protectors and extension cords together in the dorms, it’s like blowing the fuse for the whole street. I think we were eating in absolute darkness at least 3 times at dinner. After dinner we killed some more time by sitting on the bus and then fiiiiiinally after what seemed like the longest day of our lives we arrived at the train station...which requires a completely separate blog altogether let me tell you... So goodnight for now and more to come soon!

Day 3

And we begin Day 3 of our Journey through India. I woke up this morning to my 3rd hot shower in India (oh, the luxury!) and then we had an American breakfast! Scrambled eggs and sausage and cereal! I even drank regular coffee. I know...it's crazy. I actually consumed coffee that was not a grande triple skinny caramel latte. I was desperate though, so black coffee with milk and sugar it was! And I even enjoyed it! Could I really save the $4.73 I spend on my latte everyday and make it at home? Hmmm don't want to get too crazy now. Spencer would be proud I'm sure haha. When I stayed with him in Laramie he gave me hell every morning for making him drive me to the coffee hut instead of drinking his "perfectly fine" old man black coffee. Once I start working night shifts maybe I’ll be desperate enough, or once I'm off the Fulkerson payroll and out on my own.

Well today is our 230 km, 7 hour drive from Jaipur to Agra. I'm a little sad to be leaving Jaipur already as I feel there was so much more to experience, but I should probably get used to it since each of our stays in these cities is no more than 2 nights. As I sit on our hot sticky bus (in the back seat again where the bumps in the road are the worst) I can't help but feel like were just driving through rural America. Aside from the fact that replacing houses are straw huts and there's garbage everywhere we could almost be in the middle of the Nevada desert. Oh, except people are riding camels. And there are more trees. And people shower outside in front of everyone by pouring buckets of water on themselves. And the Hindu temples every so often. Okay, maybe it’s not the same.

So our first and only excursion on the way to Agra is a palace called Fatehpur Sikri. Unfortunately for us it is 46 degrees celsius today...113 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say we were boiling for the next hour. Even still, it was a beautiful place. Fatehpur Sikri is the name of the city as well as the palace. Sikri is the first part and it is the older portion of the palace where the king with the 3 different wives lived. Fatehpur is the newer portion and means victory city. King Agbahr had the 3 religious wives, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. None of the women had born him a child yet so in 1569 he came to this place and met a holy man who blessed him. The next year his Hindu wife had a son. She instantly became his favorite wife (obvi) and he decided to build a palace in commemoration of the birth of his only son. It took 12 years to build each side. Sikri was the palace side and Fatehpur was the holy place. All of the palace was built with red sandstone found locally. The Muslim wife had the smallest living quarters, but they were much more intricate than the larger quarters for the Christian wife. The Hindu wife's quarters were enormous. Let's just say her kitchen was bigger than the Muslim wife’s quarters. She had her own enormous palace with two separate quarters for summer and winter. She needed a separate kitchen because she didn't want any meat to be cooked in her kitchen. She even had her own temple with a huge statue of the God Vishnu. In the center of all the wives’ quarters the king had built a life size Parcheesi board and he would stand on a big square stool above his "game pieces" which were women whom he would order around to move from place to place and they would have to dance their way to the next spot. For a good picture Kathryn and I made our tour guide, Surendra (his name) stand on the big stool and point at us angrily while we pretended to dance on the game board. The king never played against an opponent however so he would always win. He was also 5 foot 3 and kept over 550 mistresses though so I think he had a number of self confidence issues.

The second part was the Holy Temples. We had to take off our shoes before entering and therefore nearly burned the skin off our feet walking through this place. It was dedicated to the man who blessed the king so he would have a child. The legend is anyone who comes to the main temple where that holy man is buried can make a wish by tying a string to the windows of his tomb. Upon leaving this weird important looking guy was telling us we had to leave rupees and when we didn't he yelled at us disapprovingly and hit us with his broom. But our tour guide emphasized that "wishes are free for all!" so we weren't about to be ripped off on our free wishes. The area has the largest temple entrance gate in all of Asia. After our tour we took auto rickshaws back to the bus and continued onward toward Agra.

Upon arriving at our hotel in Agra (not quite as nice as our palace holiday inn...our room has a distinct smell of yucky) half the group went to McDonalds, but I don't even eat McDonald's in the US very much so I convinced some of the girls to stay at the "Merry-Go-Round" restaurant on the roof of our hotel which ended up being a revolving restaurant. Which actually sounds much cooler than it is but it did overlook part of the city which was nice. Tomorrow we see the sun rise over the Taj Mahal at 5:30 am and we're up all day and night until our overnight train which boards at 11:30 pm. We arrive in Varanassi the day after at about 1:30 pm...it’s going to be a long day! Please pray we stay safe on the sleeper train...It looks a little sketchy to me!

Picture 1: Kelsey and I pointing to the column leading up to where the King would stand. The carvings on the column were supposed to represent all religions but the carvings representing Christianity were the smallest...and they "represented" catholic windows which technically isn't even Christianity. You can see us pointing to the christian section.

Picture 2: Kelsey making her wish

Picture 3: All the ties on the window

Picture 4: Nathalie and April outside the holy man's tomb

Dancing in the Streets of Jaipur with the Gypsies

After our visit to the fort we went to the local markets to buy handicrafts. I quickly learned that I have absolutely no skills in bartering...and after about 2 hours in the sweltering heat Kathryn and I decided we'd had enough shopping for one day. We headed back to the bar at the hotel for some cold beers. Our rationale was that we could still experience some Indian Culture from the Holiday Inn by befriending the bartender, surely bartenders are the same everywhere and he'd be willing to tell us his life story. Once we sat down, we quickly learned that our bartender (whose name, Rajender ironically rhymed with his bartender profession) was not very talkative. He was friendly enough but after learning that he was married with 2 sons and drove a Vespa and lived in Jaipur his whole life, he left us to watch the Germany vs. England world cup match. We decided since England was already down by 1, and since someone in Germany procreated to birth Hitler, we would root for mother England. Eventually we remembered that as long time members of swim teams, neither of us were very interested in soccer...or footie...except for the fact that the camera kept showing clips of David Beckham, it mostly just looked exhausting.


So, after we were a few beers deep (nobody's talking numbers here, people) we decided we knew each other well enough to start telling stories. Between all the dates from guys I've met at bars and all Kathryn's dates from Match.com and e-haromony, we had quite the array of hysterical and horrific date stories to tell. We told each other every terrible first (and last) date we had ever been on, you'd be surprised how many weirdos there actually are in southern california...or maybe you wouldn't be. They all seem nice on the outside with their fancy cars, and suave pickup lines, but once you're sitting to dinner with them, oh man you wouldn't believe what comes our of their mouths...and what doesn't. Eventually we tired of making fun of the male species and we began to feel a sense of adventure. We could faintly hear some music playing in the distance and decided to investigate.

As we began to follow the music we got distracted by the hotel pool. There were 3 different families relaxing there. All the wives were in full Sarree regalia sitting in the shade of their umbrellas, looking bored out of their minds. The men were "swimming laps" which just meant pot-bellied men with inner tubes around their middles floating slowly from one end to the other. Their kids kept hanging off them and whining in their ears. We asked the pool boy where the music was and he pointed towards the hotel entrance, thanks pool man, we could have figured that out. He said it was most likely a wedding celebration. As we walked outside and up to the music there was a group of people surrounding 2 women dancing like what you would think gypsies dance like. There were a bunch of men playing drums and someone must have been playing music somewhere. Everyone looked so happy to be a part of the celebration and were clapping along to the music. A few little girls jumped in with the women and giggled as they tried to imitate them. Before we knew it someone had pointed us out to the dancing women. We were a little worried at first that we were interrupting the wedding festivities but then they were walking toward us with big smiles! They grabbed us by the arm and pulled us into their dancing circle. Kathryn looked at me like, maybe we shouldn't do this...but our liquid courage gave us the incentive and as our Indian friends from the hostel always say, hey, It's India! We danced around in circles with then, spinning and laughing and clapping, tossing our heads back and shaking our hips and flailing our arms around. It was an experience I don't think we'll ever forget. Just the fact that they wanted us to participate in their celebration was so great. As we walked away we waved goodbye to the wedding party and headed back to the hotel. In the end, going back to the hotel gave us the best Indian cultural experience we could have asked for, and a great day was had by all...I mean by Kathryn and I.

Xoxo, and we're off to Agra!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...and elephants! Our trip to Amber Fort

Yesterday was our grand excursion through Jaipur, and yes it was grand. To give you a little history, Jaipur is in northwest India, about 250 km south of the capital, Delhi. The city was built in 1737 and was the first well planned city in India with systematic roads. Many refer to Jaipur as the "Pink City," but the actual pink area of the city is very small. The 8th King of Jaipur chose the pink-toned terra cotta paint to symbolize welcoming when a British prince came to visit the city. The pink area of town is surrounded by a 20 foot tall and 5 foot wide wall for protection. The newer and larger part of Jaipur is only about 30 years old and the total population of the city is about 4 million. The city is surrounded by the Aravali mountains which are about 600km in elevation and are the oldest and largest mountains in India.

Our first outing of the day was to Amber Fort. Amber Fort is a palace built in the 16th century for the royal family. It is situated on top of a mountain over looking the city. They chose the name Amber because it means sky in Hindi and because on the mountain people thought it looked like it was in the sky. Surrounding the palace is a wall lining the tops of the mountains. It is 9 miles long and was modeled after the Great Wall of China. Soldiers would line the walls to ward off enemies (Muslims).

In order to get to the fort we rode elephants!! It was two people to an elephant so Kathryn and I hopped on the first one. Our "driver" told us the elephants name was Chun-Chun. Unfortunately, even though we were the first elephant to leave, we were the last to arrive. I think we literally had the slowest elephant on the planet, but hey I guess that means we got more ride for our rupee (so to speak) haha. Kathryn and I decided Chun-Chun must have had one too many King Fisher Beers the night before and he was all sort of hung over. For some reason this random guy followed us the whole way up playing this obnoxious instrument with the same short song over and over again...needless to say it got a little old. I had a feeling he was like the mariachi players at Mexican restaurants in Old Town, everyone thinks they're free the first time, then they don't leave till you tip them. Plus we're 90% sure one or two of Chun-Chun's legs were shorter than the rest (which Kathryn could identify with since one of her legs is shorter) because riding him was exactly like those elephants in Jungle Book who sway dramatically from side to side while lifting their feet high as they dance and sing. With every step we felt as if we might just slide off the side under Chun-Chun’s slow gait, and then be forced to tip the annoying instrument player that we never asked for.

Finally we arrived at the fort and began our tour. The first king to live in the fort was a mogul emperor who had 3 wives. He was really just trying to be a good diplomat because he had one for each religion, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. He separated them though and kept his Hindu wife here.

All the white marble in the palace came from 30 km outside Jaipur, and is the same marble as was used in the Taj Mahal. The fort was built entirely handicap accessible because the Hindu queen wore over 25 lbs of gold and jewels and clothing so she couldn't walk; instead she used an elaborate wheel chair to get around.

The next king to live there was a bit frivolous in his additions to the fort. In 1653 he ordered glass from Belgium which was placed in plaster of paris and inlaid with polished silver to create a mirror-like palace area which had a dancing room inside. He also created what was called a "pleasure room" with 3 rooms separated by grass curtains which constantly had water falling down them creating a natural cooling system. He also built an additional fort higher up just for his Army to better protect the fort and city.

The last king to inhabit the palace added 12 special (and very separate) apartments for each of his 12 wives. The king built his own apartment higher up overlooking the other 12, and he had 12 separate secret passageways to each of his wives apartments. I couldn't help but wonder if he ever got confused in the middle of the night and walked into one wife's apartment just to tell her "Oops, sorry wife number 6, I meant to go to wife number 7". Now this king was a bit over the top if you ask me, he had guards in front of each wife's apartment and all the guards were women. He didn't allow a single man in the apartment section of the palace besides him. AND, if 12 wives wasn't enough, he had over 200 "concubines" aka mistresses, whose rooms each had a whole in the top so he could look in on them...ewwwww. What a terrible boring life it must have been for these women. We decided he must have had to pick one to be his main squeeze as the public's actual Queen. We figured its probably like that Mormon guy on the show Big Love who has his one main wife plus 2 other ones to watch the kids, or like Hugh Hefner when Holly was his main girlfriend and the other two just for laughs and entertainment. But 200? That's a bit excessive yes?

After the tour we walked back down to the bus and were hassled by nearly 100 people trying to sell us trinkets. They were literally right in our faces, we had to dodge them. They even used little kids to try to sell us stuff, which I thought was a pretty low blow, how are you supposed to say no to a little girl offering glittery pens for "only 10 rupees for 10! Please, please I make good price!" Not easily, let me tell you. We did see a number of snake charmers on the way down however which was pretty cool...and also a bit scary because the tip basket was right next to the hooded snakes...finally we were back at the bus only for more and more children to be tapping on our bus windows thrusting puppets and little elephants and turbans at us. Thinking back on it I'm wondering what it must be to live a life like that as a child...

More about the rest of our day later.

Our Private Palace in Jaipur, The Holiday Inn

Well, after arriving at the Coimbatore Airport 3 hours early, taking a 4 hour flight to Delhi, the driving 6 hours to Jaipur, we finally arrived! So far the only differences I have noticed in the north are that there are a lot more cows and they're walking wherever they want and that they use camels to haul stuff here. Our 3 star hotel is more than enough for us! There are hot showers! And it really is beautiful. We went to a "puppet show" last night...I wish there was a way to describe it besides just saying it was very odd. The puppeteer was wearing one of those head turban things but it kept falling down so he just threw it to the side. He was kind of funny, but after his 5 minute show he tried to get us to buy his $65 puppets! We weren't very down for that, and eventually found some smaller pretty ones for 2 for $3. We're getting our bargaining skills warmed up! Well today we ride elephants to Amer Fort...hopefully I'll get a picture to post! Xoxoxo

Local Weaving Unit

This afternoon we went to a few homes where people have these huge hand looms that they use to make Sarees. It takes about 2-3 days to make one Saree and the net profit is about 500 INR each. One person can make the bulk of it on their own but once the detail and different colors come in a second person has to manually push the threads through. The loom uses these big wooden cards with various holes in them which make up the pattern of the Saree. The number of holes indicates the number of threads that are pushed up so the second person can thread through a different color. Almost all the homes on the street we visited had the weaving looms inside. They were so big it almost looked like the houses must have been built around them.


One thing we still can't get over about the culture here is their serious obsession with cows. They even smear watered down cow dung on their floors each morning then let it dry to bring the home good health and wealth! And they make us take our shoes off before we come in! All the children in the homes were so proud of their families' business and proud to show off their English skills to us. They're always so cute and proper saying "What country are you from?" "What is your age?" And then they want to introduce you to each of their siblings and parents and aunts and uncles.


Oh! I've been meaning to tell you all why India has 2 names for every city. It is because during the British control over India the Brits chose to change all the city names to things that were easier to pronounce. So they changed Mumbai to Bombay and Kolkata to Calcutta. Recently India has finally changed their city names back to what they should be :)

Well, tomorrow morning we fly to Delhi! From Delhi we drive straight to Jaipur, which is nicknamed "The Pink City" due to a lot of pink stone that was used in buildings there. More tomorrow!

The Isha Yoga Center

I wish I could tell you more about what exactly Isha Yoga is, but even with a tour guide the concept is still very vague to me (as is the situation with many traditional Indian practices we've learned about). So all educational details aside, I'll try to describe to you exactly what I saw and felt as we walked through this spiritual place many, many kilometers outside the city.

The drive to the center was about 45 minutes up into the mountains (yay more dirt roads...not). On the way we passed a lot of coconut tree farms and the closer to the center we also saw a lot of walking trails. Upon arriving we were told to remove our shoes and to leave all bags, cameras and phones with security. (Security being two tiny Indian women handing out plastic numbers and putting your bag on a hook). I thought I'd be sneaky and bring my camera in but then chickened out so I only have one picture haha.

The first thing we saw upon entering the center was a 20 foot tall stone wall with 3 faces carved into it. The three faces represented intense thought, meditation, and awareness.

Next was the visit to the temple. The outside walls were lined vertically with long metal rods. Attached up and down, the rods were gold metal leaves with tiny votive candles in each one. After purchasing an offering to give (see the one photo I took) inside we were instructed to walk counter clockwise around a big stone bowl with lotus flowers floating in water and then a metal lady figurine laying face down with her hair down and her right leg crossed over her left. She had her right hand under her forehead and her left lying straight out in front of her...it was a little creepy looking to be honest. Next we walked into the entrance to meet a huge gold trident looking statue placed in a shallow box. Everyone tied their gold/yellow bark with the string around trident (this was supposed to represent a prayer for one’s significant other). In the bottom of the box we placed our leaves with lard and a wick which you light from someone else’s wick. This was to represent prosperity. Next we walked (counter clockwise still) around all these people who were praying lying down in the same position as the metal lady outside. A few steps below them was the main attraction, an egg shaped god with 10 hands. Here we traded our papers printed with red string for a real red string. This we tied on our left wrists to represent worry and fear. You're supposed to leave it on for 40 days then untie it and re-tie it to a fruit tree. We walked out of the main area and sat cross legged to pray and meditate. Lastly we laid our jasmine flowers and leaves in a basin on the way out.

I was a little indifferent towards this temple. Usually I am very moved by spiritual places like this but the people laying face down like that was a bit strange for me, and I've never been one to offer gifts to Idols...but still it was really nice to see how important this place is to so many people and how seriously they take it. Even small children were laying face down to pray.

The next part was very cool. First we walked down some steps toward a tall statue engraved with figures to represent all religions. I liked this place better than the temple already. Next, we stepped up 3 huge steps toward a long hallway where a group of people sit and meditate or pray together until the prior group is finished inside. Their time is up once a bell is rung and the next group goes inside. When I say "inside" I am referring to an enormous dome enclosure made of thousands of tiny bricks. It was absolutely huge, and made echoing sounds with every small movement. I felt like I had entered an ancient room or tomb or something. Upon entering you can place lotus flowers in a square pool around this giant capsule shaped stone with a white cloth tied around it. Next you find a place to sit, either in one of the small cave outlets carved into the dome just big enough for one person to sit in or just on the floor in front of them. Above the little meditation caves were tiny triangular windows circling all around. It was almost as if you could feel the wind rushing down the hallway and swirling around up to the top of the dome. As I sat down in that cool, dark dome I closed my eyes, placed my palms facing up, and I felt so peaceful. None of my bug bites were itching, my aches and pains from Indian dance weren't bothering me, I was completely content. After about 10 minutes the bell rang for us and we were motioned to leave.

Next we went to what was absolutely, without a doubt the most magical place I have ever been. There have been only a handful of times in my life where I have truly felt touched by God but this was certainly the most powerful. Before entering, we went into a women's changing room and washed off our legs while others were removing all their clothing and replacing it with an orange dress covering. Next we all walked around this narrow corner designed so nobody outside could see. Around the corner was a huge stone enclosed space with about 50 stone steps leading down to a large pool with huge tall vaulted ceilings. The ceiling above the pool was painted with what we assume were Yogic gods and goddesses in various positions. In the center of the water was a big metal dome and all the women in orange were submerging themselves into the water and wading toward the dome to place their palms against it. They all looked so beautiful with their hair soaking wet and their eyes closed each looking like they felt so close to whoever their God was. To the left of the pool was a huge waterfall pouring out from the top of the stone wall. They allow only women and then only men and they alternate throughout the day so everybody can swim in the pool separately. I dipped my feet in the shallow end and just allowed myself to feel completely overcome. I don't know if it was all the feminine energy or the echoing sounds against the stone walls, or the water dripping all around us, but like I said, I felt so calm and close to God. It was almost like every inch of my skin was being wrapped in a soft, thick warm cloth and I couldn't help but smile. I put my hands to my heart and closed my eyes and prayed until the bell rang for it to be the men's turn. As I was climbing back up the stairs I remember thinking how great a thing it is that so many women of different religions can worship in what physically may look like the same way, but is really each to their own God with their own beliefs. I also wished we had gone into the water like the other women, but still it was a tremendous experience that I definitely will not forget :)

My offering at the temple.

Some little kids who practice martial arts at the yoga center.

Nathalie and I from this mornings goodbye ceremony with all the professors and the trustee who funded part of our trip.

4-5 of us at the ceremony.

Are You Veda?

We spent the afternoon today visiting an Ayurveda (or Arya Vaidya...however you want to spell it apparently) Research Center and Hospital. Unfortunately for our group, after all the wonder and excitement that the Shanti Ashram had to offer, poor Ayurveda paled in comparison, though the two places really shouldn't be compared as they are entirely different. This hospital holds 120 inpatient beds, but sees over 7,200 clients on an outpatient basis.

Ayurveda is a way of life. It is based on prevention, strict diet, yoga, treatment/curative, equilibrium of the doshas, herbal medications, oils, animal products (milk, honey, butter, etc.), massage, martial arts, divinity, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately we weren't really able to get a firm grasp on what Ayurveda REALLY is all about. It felt like psychology class where the professor goes on and on forever and asks if there are any questions and you just want to say, "yeah, so what is it?" What I do know is that it originated in many different states in India in the 18th century and is actually quite common due to its holistic approach. Also, since this particular institution is dedicated to research, they are even finding scientific fact to back up their ancient practices.

Just to give you a little taste I'll describe one of the treatments we saw. Basically, for 90 minutes a day for about 14 days, very warm oil is continuously poured all over your naked body by a minimum of 6 different people. Also, a pot of this warm oil is being continuously poured onto your forehead in an oscillating motion so as to cover your whole forehead. If you're a woman, yes that means the oil gets all up in your hair. Needless to say, we were all a little skeptical. Not quite as skeptical as we were toward the fruitarian weirdo, but still...a little odd. At least they are doing a lot of research. Though after multiple attempts we couldn't get anyone to give us real statistics on the effectiveness of the therapies on reducing symptoms. They do publish actual research articles in Ayurveda Medical Journals which they provided to us. Still though, the Shanti Ashram overshadowed the Ayurveda which was kind of a bummer because I was looking forward to learning about it with an open mind. Oh, well, another time.

After returning home the rest of the students got to have their dinners at faculty houses so Becca and I went out to dinner and then came home to do laundry while the others were out. The machine is very odd and I'm a little worried because the water is almost black so I think one of my pants had a lot of dye in it or something and now all my white shirts are gray...But at least they'll be clean I suppose. Now I get to hang them up on a real clothesline! We have no dryer. I'm kind of excited, I've never used a clothesline before haha.

Well tomorrow is officially our last day in Coimbatore before we start our 2 weeks of travel and boy am I SO excited to travel. After talking to some students from Jaipur and Delhi we've come to realize that this city is kind of old school, super traditional and old fashioned so it will be nice to be in cities where the people are more modern...well as modern as you can be when you allow cows to wander the streets like people. I don't know how I'll keep up with my blog though with all the excitement! I'll do my best! I'll have more to tell tomorrow as we visit a Yoga center and local weaving unit. Good night! Xoxoxo

Well, it's Official...I am in Love

...No, not with an Indian man (as if I could find one over 6 feet). No, I am in love with the Shanti Ashram.
We visited the Ashram this morning and first heard a lecture from two different doctors who work and volunteer there, Dr. Kezevino Aram and Dr. S.R.Subramanian. Dr. Subramanian gave us an overview of the Ashram. The Ashram is a Ghandian organization founded in 1986 based on the vision, "Sarvodaya" which is a sanskrit word meaning "uplift men of all." Ghandi believed if women are empowered, the whole nation is empowered. The organization also believes that nothing should be free, if you don't pay for what you receive, then it has no worth to you. The Ashram bases its work around 8 categories: the Bala Shanti Programme (for rural children), Community Health, Environmental Restoration, Panchayat Raj Training & Research (a program to help rural people be self-governed), Peace & Interfaith Collaboration Programs (each day at the ashram is begun at 9:30 with an interfaith prayer), Poverty Alleviation (over 20% of Indians live below the poverty line aka less than $1 per day), Women's Development Programme (go Ghandi!), and Youth Leadership. Each category has up to 14 subprograms currently running with support from the Ashram and local organizations (like the Rotary Club of Coimbatore West and even a Rotary Club in Germany!). The Ashram itself has helped develop 109 women's groups called "self-help groups" just like the ones in Arasur only they keep all the money they earn. So far all the women have saved 1.2 million INR! Each group has 10-12 women and allows each woman to support herself without any aide from her husband. In their local government 30% of seats MUST be occupied by women! Cool huh? But, as with all governments, there are good sides and bad (though I know some who would say it’s all bad). All health practices in India are determined at the state level. Nothing can be nationally mandated and a local government cannot enact any new health laws without support from the entire state. This makes it difficult to provide healthcare specific to each community, especially since all areas of each state are so different. The bustling modern city of Coimbatore has much different needs than their neighbors not 10 km away who run farms and must fetch their own water.

Next was an extremely uplifting, inspiring talk from an obviously very passionate woman, Dr. Aram. Dr. Aram earned her doctorate degree from PSG medical college! She then went on to study in the US and now teaches at Harvard (I think). Her passion is community health with an emphasis in pediatrics...I love this woman already. She taught us about the 18 international rights of the child. Every country in the world has signed these rights (except Somalia and...wait for it...the United States?? What?? I know...my reaction too, I don't get it either). Dr. Aram described that India has determined that 1/3 of babies born suffer from low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg) but that the research in her community suggests it is closer to 47%. She said nearly 57% suffer from latent hunger and went on to describe that the only true way to help solve these issues is to do what she calls "Reimagining Preventative Pediatric Interventions." She told us that each word in that phrase was chosen very specifically for important reasons. Preventative interventions in India are generally delivered halfheartedly because so many people (especially those working in private health care like PSG) are much more focused on curative and rehabilitative health care practices; primarily because those practices make more money, and the more prevention you work on, the less patients you'll have in acute and chronic disease, which eventually means the less money people make.

Also crippling to Dr. Aram's work is the fact that rural communities in India are entirely dependent on government support for any preventative services. Even though the government has a national law that all salt must be fortified iodized salt (to help the national iodine deficiencies), only 60-70% of children are even receiving iodized salt in their food. The government used to provide funding for all child vaccinations but recently has cut the funding for half the vaccinations. Therefore, children are not receiving Typhoid or MMR vaccinations. Now I don't mean to totally rag on the Indian government because they do support a lot of good programs. Just very few are focused on preventative or promotional health care and very few are reaching the rural communities. The Shanti Ashram has made it a point to never duplicate any government programs. They understand that all Indian citizens must do everything they can to be aware of and benefit from government programs so as such, the Ashram provides resources for these programs rather than creating the same ones which might just be more easily accessible. Rather, they want people to be proactive about their care and seek out and utilize these programs on their own.

One program the Ashram has started on their own is called Asha which is the Hindi word for "hope." Asha is an immunization program which provides 4 MMR clinics per month with 100-150 vaccinations given per clinic. In order to ensure the programs success they began with a small outreach to a village and gave 250 immunizations funded entirely by the Ashram. Since that trial run went pretty smoothly and parents received the information well they did a second trial run of 500 immunizations which was funded by Rotary. This also went very well and finally Michigan State students provided the bulk of the funding to make the project really take off by donating 8,000 vaccines (at $2 per vaccine). The program begins one day where the Ashram volunteers go door to door with verbal and written descriptions of the importance of the MMR vaccine. The next day they find a local building that is often visited by members of the community and they set up the clinic in the same manner one might see in the urban public health center in the city of Coimbatore. So far they have completed 8 clinics and have reached 986 children. I was so inspired at the way she explained the program to us and how much planning and effort went into it to ensure it would truly be both beneficial and cost effective for their community. Dr. Aram described that "a big celebration will occur for the 1,000th child whose life is now saved from 3 diseases." I think it’s such a much more powerful way to describe the MMR vaccine than just saying the 1,000th shot, because truthfully, because of the Ashram, already nearly 1,000 children will not die from Measles, Mumps, or Rubella.

Ohhh there is so much more I could tell you about this wonderful place because it truly is amazing. It’s all about taking an interfaith-based organization of people for empowering women and helping children and creating a better, more self-sustainable rural India. And guess what? They take student interns and volunteers year round for whatever length of stay they wish to volunteer for! Now do you know why I'm in love?

Note-also had to attach a better picture of the crazy people here who carry their babies on motorcycles. Also- we have now officially seen 5 people on one motorcycle (can't remember if I told u this already) it was 4 children and 1 man but still...that's a bit excessive.

My Little 4th of July in India

June 23rd: We got to sleep in today!!! Only until 9 though, don't get too excited. Today is the first day of the Annual World Tamil Conference! The president of India is coming! I woke up and actually had time to blow dry my hair...woah. I've decided to pretend that it’s my own 4th of July here. There's a big parade today but it doesn't start until 4. Now all I need is a latte and a breakfast croissant from Peter's.

Luckily some of the girls befriended some Indian students staying at the PSG School of Management hostel and they helped us call a cab to Chennai Silks Department Store. We spent the morning shopping and buying gifts for our friends and family back home. Afterward we called our Indian friend, Anun so he could call us a cab back but he said it would take 30 minutes so we quickly decided finding a bar was a necessity, after all, it is my 4th of July in India.

After a few King Fisher's (Indian Beer) we headed out to the street to wait for our cab. Then we found out the main road back to PSG was closed for the 4th of July Parade. We had to convince these dirty rickshaw drivers to take us using the back roads, they said we'd have to pay extra...a total of 120 INR per cab (about 3 dollars). They're only supposed to hold 3 people in the back, so I sat shotgun.

After a rigorous ride through terrible traffic (don't worry I took a video on my camera) we arrived back at PSG to meet Anun and his friends for pizza! Yayy pizza again :)

After pizza a few of us came back to the guest house to nap until the big parade. We woke up a little late and ran to the college bridge that passes over the main road where the parade goes through. This policeman/guard/very angry Indian started yelling at us in Tamil (sheesh, that's twice in one week we've been yelled at by the cops). He kept pointing for us to go down and not cross the bridge. We kept trying to make excuses, "but were international students", "but were staying at the guest house”, "but our friends are up there" but he was not having it. Then some Indian family came up behind us so he started yelling at them too and they didn't seem that concerned about it. They just smiled and kept trying to get around him. He kept yelling for the other guards to come help but they just looked at him, then watched the parade again. Finally another guard came and just waved us in like it was no big deal. Yay! We got to watch the parade from a great view.

And man, oh man, was it a beautiful parade!! I thought of when we arrived in Costa Rica and their soccer team had just won a big match. All the people were running and cheering in the streets and Grandma said, “Oh look! They're welcoming us!” Haha. Although we always feel like everyone’s welcoming us because we get so many waves and hoots and hollers everywhere we go since were pretty sure were the only white people in Coimbatore. Anyway, the parade was absolutely marvelous, there were tribal dancers and people beating drums and costumes galore. The floats were amazing and you would not believe the number of people there. Even the pictures I've attached don't do it justice. There were some areas that just looked like a sea of black hair. The peoplemust have been so jam packed.

After the parade we met back up with the people who weren't lame like us and didn't take naps so they got front row seats to the parade. Kathryn and I did some pizza math and decided the leftovers belonged to us. Another good day was had by all.

Dinner at the Faculty's Home

June 22nd 11 pm: Becca and I went to dinner tonight at the principal, Jean Abraham's home in Coimbatore. We wore our best churidhars only for her to say she wished we had worn our "american costume!"

Due to the increased traffic for tomorrow’s parade, Jean took us the back roads. These roads used to be only for walking and were never meant for cars so they're extremely narrow and there are no sidewalks. You can imagine the chaos. There were a lot of market shops stacked nearly on top of each other, tons of people walking and just sitting around chatting. There was a huge community water faucet since there isn't any water to most of the houses. People were filling big plastic bins with water and Jean told us they usually boil it first if they're going to use it for drinking water. The streets were so beautiful with all the little shops and everyone had strung these colorful little lights for the conference. I was so surprised that Jean’s car was a stick shift, now I really need to learn, I'm way overdue.

Jean's family lives in a very nice apartment complex that looked very similar to ones in the US. She lives near an old windy racetrack that is now used as a walking path. She reminded us that it’s probably the only safe place to walk in Coimbatore since there are no cars on the path. Her complex had a pool and a gym and a tennis court and this crazy elevator with a door that you had to open yourself, then a metal gate that slid across. It was tiiiiiny and on the way out we squeezed 7 people in it...I was praying very hard that we wouldn't plummet to our death.

Once inside the apartment we met with Jean's sister, her niece, her husband, her friend Ann, Ann's daughter, and Jean's son. Before dinner, Jean's husband served us the most delicious wine from Goa. It was a deep red port wine and tasted like it had brown sugar in it. They served it in these tiny little shot glasses. For dinner Jean made the yummiest pasta dish with corn in it and a very mild sweet curry chicken dish over ricebread. Her husband was so funny and kept telling us “Have more! Have more!” Even when we said “no thank you” he put more on our plates. It was just like eating dinner at a Filipino aunt’s house. Jean even refused to start eating until all her guests were done, just like my Lola does! And then, when we seriously could not put another bite in our mouths for a million rupees, there's dessert. Mmm chocolate mousse. Guess I won't be losing weight in India after all. We kept complimenting Jean on the great food and told her husband he was a lucky man and Jean said, "tell him that again! He needs to hear it more often!"

After dinner Jean showed us beautiful photo books from her daughter’s wedding. Her son joked that half of Coimbatore was in attendance at his sister’s wedding. The crazy part is Jean and her husband found their daughter's husband on the internet! We didn't ask her to elaborate, but Becca and I agreed that was very peculiar. Their daughter met him online through Skype, got engaged one day later, and were married within one week! I thought there would be no way their daughter could be down for such a marriage but in every photograph in the book she has the biggest smile on her face. And Jean says she calls her every month on the date of their anniversary just beaming about how happy she is.

Jean's friend, Ann was Becca and I's favorite. She was the funniest lady, she had this boisterous jolly way of describing everything in so much detail. She was all about describing what the motion of the house boats will be like for us and how it is "Oh sooo soooooothingggg!" It surprised me when she told me she had to ask her husband’s permission to go visit her son in LA. She was so funny how she described that she waited verrrry patiently for him to be in a good mood (it took quite a while she pointed out and giggled) and then asked him for a 4 month visit. He said yes and so she waited one more week and then asked to extend it to 6 months. I couldn't believe such a seemingly independent, outgoing woman had to ask permission to visit her own son, but boy was she funny.

We talked a lot about the differences in our culture and in other countries they had visited. Jean said everywhere she goes people are always surprised that most Indians know English. We watched the world cup and learned how much India hates Pakistan. We talked about how we all think the French are rude and never try to help people learn their language. We talked about our big love American cheesecake. Finally around 10 pm Jean noticed we were all getting very sleepy eyed. She laughed at us and said usually they wouldn't even eat dinner until 10! Her husband said he would drive us home but she snatched the keys from him and instructed that she could do it. (Go Jean! haha) A good night was had by all and we went to bed with full tummies and happy hearts.

The first photo is of Becca and I with the wine. The middle picture is of us and Jean. The last picture is what the Churidhar pants look like haha. My roommate Kelsey made me post it. I'm not even stretching them out they're literally that large haha.

Visiting the Emergency Room in a 3rd World Country

Well, now that four of the ten of us have experienced what it is like to go to the ER in India, I now feel comfortable posting to you all exactly what it was like for me. I was worried to post it at first, since I think many of the groups parents are reading this blog and I didn't want them to worry, but this blog is supposed to be about health care practices in India, and we have truly experienced it first hand. (Plus Kathryn said she was going to blog about her experience so I'm doing it too hehe). Oh, and just so you all know, Kathryn and Nathalie went to the ER a few days ago for food poisoning and Allie went for a clogged duct in her armpit. Everyone else is fine :)

So last week on Tuesday we were all sitting at dinner eating this rice dish that we had eaten previously when I ate what I thought was a green bean and turned out to be the HOTTEST pepper I have ever tasted in my life. My entire mouth and lips were burning for a good 15 minutes, even after I put a spoonful of peanut butter in my mouth. Finally it subsided and I went outside for about 30 minutes to talk to on the phone and my stomach started to hurt so I decided to just go to bed. Lying in bed my stomach pain increased tremendously and I felt like i was burning from the inside out. I filled up my Nalgene and drank all of it hoping it would help the pain. Then I remembered I hadn't taken my contacts out, so I went to the mirror and pulled them out. I think there must have been some of the pepper still on my fingers though because it made my eyes start to burn too! Before I knew it my eyes were nearly swollen shut. I took 2 Benadryl and tried to just go back to sleep. Then I started wheezing. It was only on exhalation at first, but then my roommate came in to go to sleep too and she said she could hear my wheezing too. We decided if it didn't get better in about 20 minutes that I'd go wake up Dr. Blenner. However, it wasn't getting any better at all! In fact, it was getting worse. I was wheezing terribly on inhalation and exhalation and was beginning to feel my throat get tighter and and tighter. We ran downstairs and called an ambulance.

Now the "ambulance" was a hard cot in the back of a yellow van. There was no EMT, just a driver who took us to PSG hospital (luckily located right next door to our guest house). When we arrived they tried to put me in a wheel chair but being obstinate and stubborn I insisted that I walk to the ER. The "ER" is a room full of 8 "beds", separated by curtains. The "beds" are not beds at all but in fact hard plastic tables which bend in half if you want to sit up. The doctor and nurses (who were actually nursing students but we didn't know that at the time) told me to lay down and then started asking my roommate Kelsey everything about my medical history and who we were and what happened. The nursing students took my blood pressure and put me on a pulse oximiter to measure my oxygen saturation. I kept trying to sit up and tell them myself but they wouldn't allow it. Even after Kelsey told them that we weren't related and she'd really only known me for less than a week, they insisted that she answer all the questions. Even after determining my diagnosis they refused to tell me what was going on, they directed everything at her. So here I am, lying on a hard plastic bed in a 3rd world country gasping for air...trying desperately not to cry for my mommy. I politely suggested to the nurse that MAYBE I should sit up since I can't BREATHE...she agreed that would be a good idea. Then doctor ordered some medications at the nursing students (they spoke in Tamil so I had no idea what was going on) and suddenly someone is coming at my hand with a long needle. I demanded to know what the medication was but Kelsey nor I had ever heard of it. We actually thought they were just starting an IV. I turned my head and told Kelsey, "watch EVERYTHING they do! Make sure they use alcohol to clean my hand first!" It turned out that they injected the medication straight into my vein, there was no IV. After the injection they told me to take off my glasses and they placed a nebulizer over my nose and mouth. So now, I couldn't breathe, couldn't see, and just been injected with a foreign medication, oh...and I REALLY had to go to the bathroom after drinking my whole nalgene of water.

Kelsey left to go fill out paperwork and I looked up at the ceiling through the tiny slits in my eyes that I could barely open and everything around me was a nauseating off-white color, the walls were cracking in the corners, the sheet on top of me looked like it hadn't been washed after the patient before me used it, and I had three Indian nurses staring at me with very stern faces. I remember thinking, this is exactly what a nightmare would look like if I were having one...only this is real life. Adam had just sent me a picture message to my blackberry of him and Dally telling me they missed me...then I could no longer hold back the tears....which made my face turn very red and even more swollen which made the nurses even more concerned. Then, out of nowhere, (I'm assuming because I was so overcome with emotion) I just started my period. I stood up and informed them I was going to the bathroom right NOW. One of the nursing students started to follow me. It irritated me but I decided I had to pick my battles at this point. So through blurry, barely opened eyes I walked to the bathroom down the hall, praying very hard that it was a real toilet and not the hole in the ground "toilets" that exist in most bathrooms here...and yayyy it was, but there's no toilet paper. Now I'm just hysterical trying to ask this woman for toilet paper and she's looking at me like I'm an alien. Finally I spotted some sitting on the EKG machine and snagged it. One of the people working there said I couldn't use it, that it was for cleaning the machine...I ignored her and took it anyway, what else was I going to do? Finally I came back to my "bed" in the "ER" and laid down. I could breathe again, but I was developing a dark red rash around my neck and it was spreading down my chest, then my lips started to swell too...I was really looking hot let me tell you. They decided to give me an intramuscular injection, which I was fine with, until she told me it would be given in my butt. I argued with her for a good 5 minutes about the risk of hitting the sciatic nerve, and that she needed to give it in my arm, but she wouldn't budge. Finally I just let her do her thing as the Benadryl and whatever medication they put in my hand was starting to make me very drowsy. An IM injection is supposed to be darted into the muscle very quickly, but she put it in very slowly and then injected the medication even slower...super fun.

Suddenly two girls slid around the corner and ran into our "room." They were two of the PSG nursing students we met at orientation who were dressed in the beautiful Sarees! They demanded from the other nursing students (who were a year below them) to know what medications they had given me and what had happened. Then they stayed with us the rest of the time reassuring us that everything would be okay and calming me down and making us laugh to take our minds off things. After they came, 3 of the professors arrived and Dr. Blenner came, and eventually I had calmed down and realized everything would be okay. I had simply had an allergic reaction, most likely to the pepper I ate at dinner. They made me stay for another hour for observation, where I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone listen to everyone who kept lecturing me never to eat a pepper again...I wanted to say, "Yeah, I didn't try to eat a pepper people, I thought it was a green bean, I'm not an idiot". Finally, about 2 hours after entering the "ER" the "ambulance" took us back to the guest house and we fell asleep.

I suppose it was good to know that we have access to generally "good" health care very quickly should we need it in an emergency, but it was also good to learn what it is actually like to be a patient in one of these places.

Disclaimer: Parents, please don't worry, we're fine.

Community Health Clinical

Today was our rural community health clinical rotation (and last clinical rotation of the trip). We visited a rural community called Arasur, about 10 km east of Coimbatore. Arasur consists of 10 villages totaling approximately 50,000 people. There are 4 schools of which it is mandatory for children to attend. The government funds the schooling and also provides free lunch for all students. This community is unique in that it was created to abolish the caste system that is common in much of India. The government of Tamil Nadu is working with local elected officials from each village so that all the people within the village will live together as equals. The community has even formed 9 "self-help" groups for women who are stay at home moms. The government funds $35,000 INR and the women fund some money themselves so that they can open their own small businesses and sell their handiworks. They have to repay a certain amount weekly to the government, and the rest of the money they earn is taken to the village counselors, government officials, and elected officials to be redistributed to help the community prosper. The government has set up the village so that the farmers (which is the occupation of most males in the community) do not have to pay for their electricity. The government also has provided jobs in maintenance and environmental promotion (specifically rain water harvesting) which pays about $100 INR/day for a minimum of 100 days per year. The government also provides health care funds of up to $100,000 INR per member of the community if they do not purchase local medical insurance. There is also a system of food stamps called "ration cards" for the villagers to obtain groceries at no cost.

I found today's experience so interesting! I suppose I just assumed the caste system of hierarchy was well accepted in India when in fact their government is taking huge steps toward human equality. After visiting the village we went to their Public Health center (govt funded, unlike PSG). They had a pediatric ward, labor ward, herbal medicine ward, and regular checkup center. Its surprises me how I am getting so used to these places. Their immunizations for the children were kept in coolers and labeled and left in the waiting area. When they take blood work, the phlebotomist is also the lab tech and he performs all the work right in front of the patient while they wait. If I thought I wouldn't want to have my baby in the private PSG hospital, I definitely don't want to go to the government funded public health center. There are two rooms separated by a thin wall: the laboring room and the postnatal room. There was a woman in the laboring room and I am embarrassed to say that I just cannot imagine what it must be like to have your baby in the middle of nowhere RIGHT next to someone else having their baby, not to mention no possibilities for epidural or emergency C-section. But I suppose when that is all you've known then it doesn't bother you. When it is in your culture to suffer the pain of childbirth, that's probably just what you do.

Tonight we might be visiting the faculty houses for dinner and tomorrow we have the day off! All planned activities are cancelled for the annual Tamil Nadu Conference! There's a big parade on the main highway in Coimbatore at 4 pm. Hopefully we'll get to sleep in...after dance class that is :)

Our Journey to the Hostel

Yayyy Indian dance class was cancelled this morning! So Kelsey and I went over to the rooftop deck to enjoy the morning sunshine. She wrote in her journal and I did yoga and we felt so content and happy. Then I had 7 mosquito bites and she had none. Greaaaat. Unfortunately 3 students were ill today and couldn't attend clinical so the rest of us went on our own to the urban and rural public health facilities. They were very similar to centers in the US except that most of their family planning is with married couples, not teens or college students like in the US. We also visited free day care centers for children as well as a govt funded vocational training center for women without jobs who just sit at home to come learn how to sew and type and use computers all for free.

Since so many students fell ill we cancelled our big dinner with the PSG trustee and had the afternoon to rest!! Finally!! Much needed rest. After our 3 hour nap...oops...we decided to journey to the hostel to visit the students again. Unfortunately the gate which links us to a shortcut was closed and locked. So, Indian skirt and all I just decided we should climb over, so we did. Then we see a police guard come running towards us speaking very quickly in Tamil, not sounding very happy. After about 10 minutes of me on one side and Kelsey and Michelle on the other all trying to reason with this man and getting nowhere, I just said, "Michelle just jump over real quick!" So she did, then Kelsey did, and we were on our way. We waved at the guard and he just shooked his head and walked away...haha...our bad.

We had another fabulous time at the hostel and made sure to bring lots of candy. I brought my favorite friend, Breeva a pin from Yellowstone Gift Shop. I think she was a little confused but gracious still haha.


On the way back we rode in an auto rickshaw since it was dark out. Now that was quite the experience! It's a yellow 3 wheeled tiny vehicle used as a taxi.

Oh, and the already ridiculous bustling traffic in Coimbatore has doubled for the Annual Tamil Nadu Conference in town...greeeeat. Coming home was quite an adventure :) I took a video on my camera of us trying to turn right (remember the roads are opposite here) into oncoming traffic...it's unreal!! And only costing 50 rupees for the ride (about $1.25 US). Finally home safe after our fun-filled evening we ordered Dominoes Pizza!! Mmmmm. I'll sleep well tonight haha. A nice little break from the curry we'll eat all week.