Getting to Angkor –definitely an interesting adventure. Our flight departed from Phuket (about 2 hours south of Bang Niang) at 6:55am on Thursday. Therefore, we took a bus Wednesday evening to Phuket to stay with my friends there. However, finding any kind of transportation from my friend’s house to the airport (about a 45 minute drive) at 4:30 in the morning definitely proved to be a challenge. We left the house at 4:30 and walked through a neighborhood for about a half an hour before arriving at the main road (Soi Palai). However, I feel it is very important to note that most families have at least one dog, if not several and they are more comparable to watch dogs rather than cute little puppies. So picture this, two farangs walking around a small Thai neighborhood with two backpacks, and then recall the scene from Disney’s 101 Dalmatians where all the dogs were barking and howling to send a message from one side of the city the other. As we walked, all of the dogs growled and barked and howled so I’m pretty sure the entire neighborhood knew we were coming. Also, none of these dogs were by any means cute. Their fur, eyes and teeth were all worthy of a role in a horror film. Eventually, we made our way to a 7/11 where we met a very nice Thai man who called us a taxi and bought us two iced coffees. I meet the most wonderful people!!!
Upon arriving in Bangkok, we set out to the Hualampong Train Station to board a pretty crowded and deathly hot train that took us four hours west to Aranya Prathet, the Thai border town. After a short Tuk-Tuk ride to Poiphet (The Cambodian border) we were finally able to go through immigration which was a joke to say the least. The only reason why following the rules was even necessary was to make sure I received a Thai exit stamp, as my 15 day Visa was expiring that day, so I would not have to pay an overstay fee. Other than that, you can basically just walk through mai pen rai. After another 2-3 hour taxi ride and half hour tuk-tuk ride, we finally arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
My first impressions were that Cambodia is clearly a developing country, but maybe somewhere in between India and Thailand when it came to development. One aspect they have surely not ridden themselves of is the exploitation of children. Children as young as 5 or 6 would attempt to sell us guidebooks and souvenirs, but their scam was more remarkable than I had ever seen. They all spoke a script of flawless English that questioned where we were from, and they continued to recite unprecedented knowledge of our origins. When I answered that I was from the US, five of them began regurgitating some sort of song that listed all of our capitals and states. The saddest thing about it was that I knew this scam would work on many foreigners. As a matter of fact, Morten heard another girl express how much she wanted to buy something from a little girl because she was so cute. Just to reiterate- a five year old who had not had a bath for a few days to say the least and was clearly forced by the current social structure to learn how to earn money at such a precious age was considered cute. It was sick, not cute. We were informed that attending school in Cambodia is free, so we were more than wary of the children’s pout of needing money to pay for school. Anyways, after being called a bad person by a boy about eleven for not buying a book from him, I became more than ever convicted to fight the injustice inflicted on these children by the structure that exploits them. For future travelers to the area, do not give the children money or buy from them. Often, the children do not get to keep the money at all and must give it to a type of pimp who makes them go out and work for a meager exchange of some shelter and food. Other times, they are forced to work to earn money for their families. Either way, one should notice that these children are not starving, and often try to just make money so they can pay a certain amount to their family/pimp, and buy some candy with the rest. Kids are kids. They know they’re cute. Unfortunately they already know the evils in the world and how to make money by using their cuteness. What they need is to go to school, not a farang’s money as it is only temporary. Farnags are often looked at as huge ATM machines in some of these areas. All one needs is the right password and money will come out. Sometimes, a cute smile and a child saying you’re a bad person is the right password, while other times it is reciting random facts about your nation. Either way, remember you are being used as an ATM machine. It is tragic, but true. If you feel convicted enough or feel disgusted by the situation, involve yourself in it and do something about it. Do not take the easy way and give them five dollars so you feel okay sleeping at night. Instead, don’t sleep at night. Think about how you can be a part of the solution. Toss and turn until you have maybe thought of something good.
Aside from Siem Reap, the temples of Angkor Wat were epic and absolutely breathtaking. We began our excursion at 5:00am so we could see the sun rise behind Angkor. It was utterly fantastic. To imagine a great civilization living there was very stirring. One of the most devastating things we witnessed were the Buddhist images that had all been beheaded during the Khmer Rouge. The terror that had afflicted Cambodia in the 70s, 80s, and 90s is unimaginable, and the fact that they went as far as mutilating their own country’s great historic monuments solely to make an example of their ethnic cleansing technique is quite overwhelming. After visiting Angkor Wat, we made sure to see the famous Ta Prohm, which is the temple most known for its appearance in Laura Croft’s Tomb Raider. This temple pretty much exemplifies why I have always had a dream of living in a tree house. The temple has literally been engulfed by the jungle for the past 400 years. Trees and gigantic roots were growing in every which direction and while there, one really gains an appreci ation of the strength of nature. Roots had actually made their way through the walls and climbed up to the ceilings. One of the most famous trees actually grew on the roof of the temple. My jaw fell to the dirt, and I was left speechless.
After a full day of temples we visited the Siem Reap landmine museum which typically leaves its visitors very humbled by the strength of the Cambodian people, who are currently overcoming their past with enthusiasm and positivity despite the fact that their past does not cease to continue haunting them. The museum we went to was founded by Aki Ra, who is a professional de-miner. His life story, however, began at the polar opposite of where his life led him. He began as a child soldier, fighting for the Khmer Rouge, and then was recruited by the Vietnamese to fight against the Khmer Rouge. He laid the very mines that he is attempting to rid the country of today. It was very interesting to learn about the world’s positions of landmines at the museum. For instance, in 1997, a global landmine ban treaty was signed by over seventy countries to rid themselves of their stockpiles of landmines and to cease their manufacturing. The major countries who did not sign the treaty were not surprising: India (their reasoning for their tensions with Pakistan), Russia, China, and the USA (reason being that we need the landmines for the Northern border of South Korea). I really refuse to buy that excuse though, especially after seeing that the landmines used in Cambodia, which were used to maim the civilians, generally came from the United States and Russia. My guess is that even if there was a clause in the treaty giving the USA an exemption regarding Korea, we still would not have signed the treaty. Why? Let, be real, it’s the good old dollar. The people landmines kill are 85% civilians. It is not a weapon of war. It is a weapon of terror. They haunt Cambodia still as each year civilians, many of whom are children, lose a limb or their life due to the mines. But then, why would the States not set an example for the world and get rid of our stockpiles too? We don’t support terrorism, right? We don’t use them in our own country, so why should we keep them around? Unfortunately my guess is that we may sell them to other countries, such as those in Southeast Asia in the 70s or to Bolivia and Haiti in the 90s. We don’t support terrorism, which the use of landmines that destroy civilians is a prime example of, but for the right price, they seem to have fallen into the hands of guerilla warfare around the globe. Although my tone is hard and even relentless, I say this with a touch of optimism as I truly believe the States is finally in the right place to hopefully change some polices and be the role model it should be, especially regarding human rights and maybe even common sense regarding safety and security on an international level. So, with that said, signing the Global Ban on Landmines, in my opinion would be a great step in the right direction as far as common sense goes. Ironically, the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty was actually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Twelve years later, Barack Obama was awarded the same, but as of November, 2009 the Unites States has yet to sign the treaty or change its position regarding the treaty. Hopefully, the Peace Prize will not have been awarded in vain to either party, and the US will step up to the plate, but I do think with enough advocacy and pressure from the people, it can and will inevitably happen.
After tasting a bit of Cambodia, it was time to return to Bangkok, where we spent the day in Chinatown before returning to Bang Niang on Tuesday morning. While working on Friday, I had the privilege of going into the field with Aung Kyi, the Grassroots’ medic, to a Burmese community about a half an hour away. We set up our clinic on a porch outside of one of the wooden shacks, and upon our arrival, one might have thought we were Santa Clause and his elves bringing toys on Christmas. Grassroots goes to this community about twice a month, and they therefore know who we are, and are excited to see what kinds of medical tools and medicines we have with us. And soon as we set up, the community lined up and began filling out forms of information and descriptions of their symptoms. One by one they would sit with Aung Kyi, who would make the diagnoses and give them a prescription, which they would retrieve from the two other counselors. The most common ailments we saw were skin infections, either by an open wound or a rash of some kind and GI problems. The community was generally employed by working in the rubber plantations and factories, so there were many back injuries and wounds as well. This was the poorest community I had been to in Thailand, and it was definitely comparable, if not worse than some of the communities in India. This goes to show how discrimination towards the Burmese is set up in the social structure and in the policies towards migrants. More distinctively, I do not believe discrimination is necessarily felt in each Thai personally, but it exists in the system nonetheless. It extremely interesting to note that similar things occur in the States due to the way some systems are organized. Many people think that racism is solely personal as if some people are racist and others are not, and if you are not actively racist, then you are free from the responsibility of acknowledging that racism exists at all. Well, that is simply not the case because racism is not solely about personal feelings towards another race or ethnic group. Instead, it is the way our society is structured to favor one race or ethnic group over another in all aspects. It occurs in the States, and it is occurring in Thailand. The Burmese migrant workers are treated very similarly to migrant workers in the states, probably the most comparable to those coming from Latin America. However, many of the Burmese here, like those in this particular community, are treated much more like second class human beings rather than merely second class citizens. Fighting the stigma against them and ensuring their human rights are realized is the primary objective of Grassroots, and it was extremely exciting to be a part of it. The way racism manifests itself seems to be very similar in all parts of the world, but it was very eye-opening to see it take place in Southeast Asia. In the States, racism usually takes hold against the blacks, browns, and yellows (very politically incorrect, I’m aware, but that’s pretty much the point). Anyways, to the Caucasian population, generally all African Americans, Latin Americans and Asian Americans are lumped together in their perspective groups. Therefore, being an ignorant American regarding different cultures within each “race”, I was very surprised to witness the hostility toward the Burmese by the Thais, when in the States, Asian ethnicities have been stereotyped into one. Anyways, I suppose its two sides of the same coin here. There ought to be a balance as to people respecting other people’s ethnicities and recognizing their differences while maintaining a view of the larger picture, which is that everyone is a human being, and must have their human rights realized, and when it comes to human rights, it absolutely does not matter your color or ethnicity. Regardless of what it ought to be, human rights violations in Burma and in Thailand towards the migrants are completely unacceptable, and I hope to continue to learn more about the issues and advocate for them in the States. As pathetic as it is, I am sure many people in the States do not even know where Burma is, let alone, the horrors that are afflicted upon their people. My Visa run, alone, awoke me to the state of their country, and it was nothing close to appealing.
Now that I am wrapping up my three months abroad, I am have reached a point where I am ready to come home and have listed some things I am extremely excited about.
1.) Volunteering is great and the experience is worth more than I have ever earned, but let’s be real…I’m broke, time to go back to work!
2.) Fixed prices…yes, there are pros and cons, I can live with either one, but in the States, fixed prices are much more convenient.
3.) A good glass of wine…seriously though…Thai rum is great and all, but there’s nothing comparable to a nice glass (or bottle) of wine with dinner.
4.) I am now prepared and excited to actually apply everything I have learned in the States, and to learn even more! Observing health projects has been fabulous, but I really don’t know anything yet, so I am quite excited to start school so I can REALLY be useful in my next health project. In essence, I would love to actually know what I’m doing. Right now, I am just kind of making stuff up and using some common sense mixed with compassion, but I definitely have some room for hard knowledge.
5.) Lastly, of course I can’t forget to mention, I am so excited to see all of my family and friends who have supported me and really made this trip possible both financially and emotionally. I can’t wait to see everyone again!
However, with that said, and after my emotional going away celebration that Grassroots held for me last night, there are many aspects of Eastern culture that I will miss terrible and that have left a stamp on the way I think and feel and view the world.
1.) There is always room for more people! I am just fascinated by the warmth and the inviting attribute of both the Indian and Thai people. It does not matter if a bus is packed to the max with twenty people on the roof of the bus because there is always room for one more. I think the rule of thumb might be something like if there is no one on the driver’s lap, you can still fit.
2.) The relationship is much more important than the task. Because of this, business generally goes on at a snail like pace compared to the States, but things that are genuinely important are done with more sustained passion and usually a wider smile.
3.) Everything is so cheap! Granted, bargaining can become quite draining, and I am even a little excited for some fixed prices back at home, but the cheap prices are what makes a waitress/student capable of traveling.
4.) FOOD! Spicy food! Asian ketchup (sweet chili sauce), chilies, curries, and more chilies. Do not be surprised if upon my arrival home, I make even my salads with some kind of chili dressing. Along with food, I am an official member of the CPC, otherwise known as the Clean Plate Club (as Erin, the founder of Edge of Seven has dubbed it). What I love about the food here is that everyone always takes enough food and finishes it. There is no reason to take too much and then leave it to waste, and if there are ever any leftovers, they ALWAYS save it and eat it later. There is no such thing as wasting food, and it is extremely rude not to finish your meal. With that being said, I have to say the Western countries can definitely learn a lesson from this. In India, for example, you teach the children to always finish what they have because wasting is almost like an insult for those with less than you. With that said, one might think that people eat too much, yet traditionally, they are hardly gluttonous and have mastered the art of balancing their meals. Additionally, each office in India had its own cook so we had home cooking everyday, and in both India and Thailand once noon hits, everyone stops WHATEVER they are doing to enjoy lunch. Whatever they are doing, it is NEVER as important as their nourishment which is pretty fabulous. People work better and harder when they are happy and well-fed as well.
5.) The ambience of the east: the warmth, the fact that people take time for themselves and their relationships. (Often, it can be frustrating as I have wondered at times how people can possibly get anything done, but everything always does get done even to my dismay.) The openness to foreigners and my foreign ideas especially, the fact that I have people in India and Thailand that I can call my family members, are all things I will continue to treasure. I have been moved by the hospitality, the respect for nature, the respect for themselves in times of distress. I can only hope that I continue to hold myself to high expectations and act for the people I have learned to call my family and with continued gratitude.
I believe that in my first post, I mentioned my desire to seek balance while abroad and to observe how others maintain balance as individuals and as nations. Did I do that? Well, kind of. I have learned to recognize where things are unbalanced definitely, and I believe the world must sit in equilibrium. So, where there is more yin here in Asia, there is more yang in the Western World. However, as the world is globalizing, the shifting of yin and yang is very apparent. The western world is infiltrating the eastern world with things like 7/11 and Coca-Cola. Yet, Asia is being heard more and more in the western world too, especially as people are becoming more open to the wisdom of Asia especially regarding health. What I hope happens is that maybe the world might become more and more in equilibrium by the movement of balanced individuals and that that might trickle upwards towards entire countries sitting more in equilibrium. Take an example that might be seem a bit peculiar but rational thought led me to it anyways. In India, cows are sacred and are free to do as they please. They can roam the streets and are definitely one of the causes of chaos in Indian traffic, by American standards at least. In the States, we feed cattle hormones and steroids and treat them terribly so we can grow them faster so we can kill them faster so we can eat them faster. Now, there must be a place somewhere in the middle that manages to reach some sort of equilibrium. Maybe it is a place that does not cause car accidents, but also one that does not cause heart disease and cancer. Balance is something we need in our relationships, careers, businesses, and in our politics, but first and foremost in our lives personally and in our bodies, minds and spirits. Only when we can find balance as individuals can anything larger, especially our nation and our world begin to heal. However, I am again optimistic in that healing is inevitable at this point. The movement to heal ourselves and the world has already begun, and I am very confident in this movement’s capability to continue inspiring people to join it. Take care of yourself, and you can take care of someone else. Heal yourself, heal your family, and heal your business. Taking care and healing are just as, if not much more contagious than disease. Taking care of ourselves, our species, and of the earth are things we are biologically and spiritually designed to do. Therefore, once you make yourself an example, others will follow. I have learned how people accept that task of taking care of each other and succeed in fulfilling it in a few different places of the world. Yet, I have also seen how people have neglected that very task when greed and corruption take over. I am, at this point, more than excited to return home to apply what I have learned about healing into my medical education I am starting in the fall. Competition and driving for success are wonderful attributes as long as they are balanced by cooperation, patience, and love for fellow human beings, which are qualities we need more of in the medical community. So I suppose the timing is perfect for me to return home as I’m just about out of money (just about=huge understatement) and, I am definitely fully prepared to start school in the fall again with both a revamped motivation and perspective on medicine.
But tell me, this physician of whom you were just speaking, is he a moneymaker, or an earner of fees or a healer of the sick?
Plato, in the The Republic
Lastly, I would also like to send a special thanks out to Erin Guttenplan, the founder of Edge of Seven, who put this brilliant program together for me. Erin is an inspiration as she is putting into action what people only briefly imagine doing. It is one thing to be moved by social crises, but to take action takes strength and compassion beyond what most people fathom. She is currently in Nepal fulfilling a promise to rebuild a collapsed primary school after she was so moved by the kindness of the community and injustice of the situation. To read more about the project, donate or volunteer yourself, visit http://edgeofseven.wordpress.com/ or http://edgeofseven.org/.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Coincidence - I Think Not
The dreaded VISA run…maybe the biggest pain in the ass…ever (okay, not as bad as obtaining an Indian SIM card). I think the best word to describe the experience was sketchy. I was picked up in a sketchy minivan with sketchy foreigners from the UK (a few of which my assumptions lead me to believe are here to dabble in the sex tourism), arrived at a sketchy port which included sketchy “officials” grabbing my passport before letting me on a sketchy long-boat ferry. Once all of us were situated on the ferry, which was conducted by a boy no older than twelve, we headed to Andaman Club, Myanmar in order to officially step off Thai soil. Once we arrived, about ten sketchy local men met us and attempted to make a run to 7/11 and buy some whisky and/or sketchy pills for me. “Better price in Burma, you wait here, I get you whisky.” We waited in line for about twenty minutes outside the shack that functioned as an immigration office until they called our name one by one to receive our entrance and exit stamps. After they returned our passports and the locals came back with some whisky, we headed back on the boat only to wait in line once again for our entrance stamps back into Thailand. It was quite an experience, but I was able to hitch a ride down to Phuket which made it semi-worth the cost.
Down in Phuket, I picked up Morten from the airport, which was exciting to say the least, especially since his flight was the first one to remain scheduled out of Frankfurt to Bangkok since the volcano eruption. Fate, destiny, whatever, maybe just luck ;)- not a coincidence though.
Back at Grassroots, I have been given a couple new exciting projects since camp has ended. The first is tutoring English to a wonderfully gracious Burmese woman named Nannyla. She is working to improve her English in order to start studying Education Management at the University. The first day we basically just talked for most of our three hour session so I could assess her current level of speaking and understanding. One thing I have always had trouble with, which I think I have dramatically improved on, is speaking slowly, or at least at a pace people can understand. Actually, a few days ago, I was out with a couple Irish guys who even told me I spoke too quickly for them. I will admit though, I tend to talk quicker when I am either really excited about something (passionate or angry excited) or if I simply have had a beer or two. Anyways, often during the past two months, I have been really excited while speaking with so many warm people and I suppose my curiosity has gotten the better of my speaking speed. However, with that said, speaking slowly is something I definitely have improved upon…and is something I have had to improve upon in order for me to connect with anyone anyways. Tangent aside, talking with Nannyla has been exceptionally rewarding as it has given me some insight to the Burmese culture I have not yet had. We talked about everything from her childhood to why she left Myanmar to her wedding to her daughter to even corruption in government. She is tremendously intelligent. Although her English is definitely nothing advanced, it is really fun to define things by example and circumlocution. Finding ways to communicate effectively with anyone, even in English, can take massive amounts of patience, but even more so when someone is just learning. However, I have found it to be that much more rewarding as that patience has frequently allowed me to see the world through other sets of eyes. Long story short: If you have never taken the time to converse with foreigners, start now because well, patience is a virtue, and the connection is well worth any possible frustrations.
My other new project is using Mark’s project, a health survey among the Burmese migrant women, to develop curricula for education they are lacking, first and foremost HIV/AIDS. I could not have asked for a better project, and it is extremely exciting for the timing to work out so perfectly. I observed the curricula in India for the source population and bridge populations (FSWs and truck drivers) and then continued to write a proposal for HIV education for adolescents and rural women. Here they would like me to write the curricula for the source and bridge populations again which include Thai FSWs and the fishermen, and then curricula for adolescents and the general population. I will also be putting together some kind of radio talk show about HIV which will generally target the fishermen. I am hoping to get a day in the field to really assess the situation so I can really design some population specific teaching tools. For instance, crude body mapping might be a great tool for the fishermen, but not so much for the adolescents.
One of the most popular activities to take part in Thailand is a Thai cooking class. I am lucky enough to have adopted Nong as my Thai sister, and she held an awesome class for Morten and I. I am extremely excited to come back to the States and show off my new skills. Thai curries are out of this world!
Three times a week in Bang Niang, there is a market open right across my apartment building. It has everything from hand carved soaps to t-shirts to pig intestine on a stick. I am generally more a fan of the exotic fruits and banana pancakes, but there is pretty much something for everyone. There is also a local bar called Song’s bar. I have become pretty good friends with the Dutch bartender and his wife Wan. The other night they had a huge birthday party for Wan. No party in Thailand, by the way is complete, without a full-out Ladyboy Cabaret show. It was absolutely fantastic. There is nothing more enjoyable than watching the gorgeous and talented ladyboys hit on the typical foreigner here, which is generally a middle-aged European man with a red face and big gut often only here to make friends with the young Thai women. Anyways, there is simply no way to take your eyes off the ladyboys’ junk when it’s being waved around in one of the farong’s faces for show and tell. It is absolutely HYSTERICAL.
This post would not be complete without talking about the phenomenal weekend we just had. Nong invited us to go trekking with her friends up an 800 meter mountain in the rainforest with her Thai friends. The weekend started off Friday morning with a 2 and a half hour drive to a camp near Ranong. Nong has worked at the camp before, and they are now even turning it into an organic farm: very legit. Anyways, this camp was as legit as it gets. There was a bridge made of sticks that led us in the middle of the river where there was sleeping hut-literally it was only about three feet tall, so it was only made to rest. We lied there and took advantage of the wooden pillows that were carved precisely to massage our necks until we departed for our adventure. The first leg of our trek was a three hour walk through the jungle. It started off easy of course, with a nice wide path, but slowly we were guided into a narrow line hardly marked by past humans’ footsteps. The rainforest was full with vegetation and bamboo shoots that jut out every which direction that require ducking and climbing and eventually lead you to dance through it. As long as you become in tune with all of the obstacles that the environment is throwing at you, you can really get in the zone and dance through it to a very eccentric and sweaty rhythm. However, one of the pretty repulsive encounters we had were tiny little leeches of some sort that ate themselves through our shoes and socks and bit our feet. The good thing about them is that once they bite you, they became full and can’t eat for a few days, but they are still seriously disgusting to see. I don’t mind a bit of blood, or a bug bite for that matter…but the actual leech was freaky and just foul. I kept imagining that it would slug its way in my bloodstream and circulate there until it felt like crawling out. Anyways, after the tremendously rewarding hike, we arrived at a gorgeous waterfall where we stopped for a break. The people with us were absolutely outstanding locals. One of them, who we adopted as our Thai grandma had prepared us sticky rice sandwiches with soy satay. It was delicious. Basically, Grandma’s story is that in the past 14 years, she gave away all of her possessions, and she now lives alone and studies meditation and yoga. She is one of the strongest women I have ever met, physically, mentally and spiritually! She is probably in her mid fifties, but she is as fit as any twenty five year old. After the break, we continued our journey with some bamboo rafting, where my foot sunk into the mud, and we eventually landed in a small patch of coconut trees. The guides used their machetes to splice some open for us, and they were absolutely delightful! After another vigorous upward climb, we finally reached our destination at the campsite. We were greeted by a very friendly staff who prepared one of the best meals I have ever had. (Grandma, by the way is also a vegetarian, and made sure everything was veg friendly- very legit.) We had some of the most exotic vegetables and leaves I have ever had including banana flowers. Afterwards, we headed to the campfire, where we all sung Thai camp songs and gave each other foot massages with Tiger Balm before passing out in our tents.
The next day, we awoke with the sunrise peeking up through the mountains. I then had the pleasure of learning some yoga with Grandma. She didn’t realize I had a tiny bit of experience, and I think she was a little impressed a westerner even knows what yoga is. It was pretty exciting. After our yoga lesson and a breakfast of spicy rice porridge we headed back out on our journey. Our mission was to climb an 800 meter mountain so thick with rainforest; you could hardly see three people in front of you. On the way, we also saw a huge iguana lying on a tree. It was probably around three feet long. I cannot possibly describe how powerful it felt to complete the trek. It was demanding and exhausting, but after two and a half hours we reached the top and the view moved me to tears. We could see the Andaman Sea and the mountain range for ages. It was absolutely gorgeous. The best part was watching the sunset. The colors went from an intense orange to a soft lavender and finally to a cool indigo against the fog. It was just stunning, and it felt close enough to touch. After indulging in the sunset, we pitched a tarp, cracked open the Thai whisky, bundled up, lied like sardines and fell asleep under the stars (although it was a bit foggy). That night while I was sleeping, I definitely saw an anteater about one meter away from me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture, but it was probably a good thing for the anteater that I saw it at 4am because if I had told one of the guides, they would have slaughtered it and taken it to the market. Apparently, anteater meat is quite the delicate snack in Thailand and goes for about 3000 baht per kilo, which is about 100$. After waking up the next morning around 5:30 to watch the sunrise, we headed back down the mountain and headed home. Overall, I would have to say it one of the most vibrant experiences of my life.
Yesterday, during my lunch break from the office, Morten and I decided as a joke to check out a restaurant calle Sabai-Dii (I believe that means very delicious). Anyways, below Sabai-Dii, the description of the restaurant said Deutsch, Vegetarisch, Thai Kueche (German, Vegetarian and Thai Kitchen). Obviously, we had to check it out. We definitely thought it was going to be a very cheesy tourist place, but we couldn’t have been more wrong. The couple who owned the place was a vegetarian German couple who ran an alternative medicine clinic as well. The man actually practiced sound therapy which might be the craziest thing I have ever heard. Apparently, you lay down and after 80 minutes of him playing gongs and metal bowls, people have actually had out of body experiences. Anyways, we were the only customers so we were able to get a little demonstration, which was pretty crazy. Everything is pretty much based on Leonardo DeVinci’s energy field diagram and the Chakras. After the demo, we really could feel the energy field. Anyways, he often treats people for back pain, headaches and other common ailments, but it is also used as a way to simply fall into deep relaxation. I thought it looked legit. Anyways, this couple is just outstanding and they did in fact make awesome vegetarian Thai food. They are very much into nutrition for the human body as well as for the earth. The man also makes homemade coconut ice cream, which by the way is made with coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, as well as chunks of the actual coconut-delicious. He then sells it at the market and gives all of his profits to the Beluga school for Thai orphans from the Tsunami. The school also operates as an organic farm, so the children are all learning how to farm themselves and eat healthy. Additionally, the place is used as a type of eco-tourism, and all of the profits made by the tourists go directly to the school. Overall, it’s pretty funny how heading to this restaurant started off as a joke, and turned out to be so much more than that….coincidence…I think not.
So tonight, we are heading to Phuket to catch our flight tomorrow morning for Bangkok. We are heading to Siem Reap, Cambodia for the weekend to see the epic Angkor Wat. (It’s where Tomb Raider was filmed…Wikipedia it).
Down in Phuket, I picked up Morten from the airport, which was exciting to say the least, especially since his flight was the first one to remain scheduled out of Frankfurt to Bangkok since the volcano eruption. Fate, destiny, whatever, maybe just luck ;)- not a coincidence though.
Back at Grassroots, I have been given a couple new exciting projects since camp has ended. The first is tutoring English to a wonderfully gracious Burmese woman named Nannyla. She is working to improve her English in order to start studying Education Management at the University. The first day we basically just talked for most of our three hour session so I could assess her current level of speaking and understanding. One thing I have always had trouble with, which I think I have dramatically improved on, is speaking slowly, or at least at a pace people can understand. Actually, a few days ago, I was out with a couple Irish guys who even told me I spoke too quickly for them. I will admit though, I tend to talk quicker when I am either really excited about something (passionate or angry excited) or if I simply have had a beer or two. Anyways, often during the past two months, I have been really excited while speaking with so many warm people and I suppose my curiosity has gotten the better of my speaking speed. However, with that said, speaking slowly is something I definitely have improved upon…and is something I have had to improve upon in order for me to connect with anyone anyways. Tangent aside, talking with Nannyla has been exceptionally rewarding as it has given me some insight to the Burmese culture I have not yet had. We talked about everything from her childhood to why she left Myanmar to her wedding to her daughter to even corruption in government. She is tremendously intelligent. Although her English is definitely nothing advanced, it is really fun to define things by example and circumlocution. Finding ways to communicate effectively with anyone, even in English, can take massive amounts of patience, but even more so when someone is just learning. However, I have found it to be that much more rewarding as that patience has frequently allowed me to see the world through other sets of eyes. Long story short: If you have never taken the time to converse with foreigners, start now because well, patience is a virtue, and the connection is well worth any possible frustrations.
My other new project is using Mark’s project, a health survey among the Burmese migrant women, to develop curricula for education they are lacking, first and foremost HIV/AIDS. I could not have asked for a better project, and it is extremely exciting for the timing to work out so perfectly. I observed the curricula in India for the source population and bridge populations (FSWs and truck drivers) and then continued to write a proposal for HIV education for adolescents and rural women. Here they would like me to write the curricula for the source and bridge populations again which include Thai FSWs and the fishermen, and then curricula for adolescents and the general population. I will also be putting together some kind of radio talk show about HIV which will generally target the fishermen. I am hoping to get a day in the field to really assess the situation so I can really design some population specific teaching tools. For instance, crude body mapping might be a great tool for the fishermen, but not so much for the adolescents.
One of the most popular activities to take part in Thailand is a Thai cooking class. I am lucky enough to have adopted Nong as my Thai sister, and she held an awesome class for Morten and I. I am extremely excited to come back to the States and show off my new skills. Thai curries are out of this world!
Three times a week in Bang Niang, there is a market open right across my apartment building. It has everything from hand carved soaps to t-shirts to pig intestine on a stick. I am generally more a fan of the exotic fruits and banana pancakes, but there is pretty much something for everyone. There is also a local bar called Song’s bar. I have become pretty good friends with the Dutch bartender and his wife Wan. The other night they had a huge birthday party for Wan. No party in Thailand, by the way is complete, without a full-out Ladyboy Cabaret show. It was absolutely fantastic. There is nothing more enjoyable than watching the gorgeous and talented ladyboys hit on the typical foreigner here, which is generally a middle-aged European man with a red face and big gut often only here to make friends with the young Thai women. Anyways, there is simply no way to take your eyes off the ladyboys’ junk when it’s being waved around in one of the farong’s faces for show and tell. It is absolutely HYSTERICAL.
This post would not be complete without talking about the phenomenal weekend we just had. Nong invited us to go trekking with her friends up an 800 meter mountain in the rainforest with her Thai friends. The weekend started off Friday morning with a 2 and a half hour drive to a camp near Ranong. Nong has worked at the camp before, and they are now even turning it into an organic farm: very legit. Anyways, this camp was as legit as it gets. There was a bridge made of sticks that led us in the middle of the river where there was sleeping hut-literally it was only about three feet tall, so it was only made to rest. We lied there and took advantage of the wooden pillows that were carved precisely to massage our necks until we departed for our adventure. The first leg of our trek was a three hour walk through the jungle. It started off easy of course, with a nice wide path, but slowly we were guided into a narrow line hardly marked by past humans’ footsteps. The rainforest was full with vegetation and bamboo shoots that jut out every which direction that require ducking and climbing and eventually lead you to dance through it. As long as you become in tune with all of the obstacles that the environment is throwing at you, you can really get in the zone and dance through it to a very eccentric and sweaty rhythm. However, one of the pretty repulsive encounters we had were tiny little leeches of some sort that ate themselves through our shoes and socks and bit our feet. The good thing about them is that once they bite you, they became full and can’t eat for a few days, but they are still seriously disgusting to see. I don’t mind a bit of blood, or a bug bite for that matter…but the actual leech was freaky and just foul. I kept imagining that it would slug its way in my bloodstream and circulate there until it felt like crawling out. Anyways, after the tremendously rewarding hike, we arrived at a gorgeous waterfall where we stopped for a break. The people with us were absolutely outstanding locals. One of them, who we adopted as our Thai grandma had prepared us sticky rice sandwiches with soy satay. It was delicious. Basically, Grandma’s story is that in the past 14 years, she gave away all of her possessions, and she now lives alone and studies meditation and yoga. She is one of the strongest women I have ever met, physically, mentally and spiritually! She is probably in her mid fifties, but she is as fit as any twenty five year old. After the break, we continued our journey with some bamboo rafting, where my foot sunk into the mud, and we eventually landed in a small patch of coconut trees. The guides used their machetes to splice some open for us, and they were absolutely delightful! After another vigorous upward climb, we finally reached our destination at the campsite. We were greeted by a very friendly staff who prepared one of the best meals I have ever had. (Grandma, by the way is also a vegetarian, and made sure everything was veg friendly- very legit.) We had some of the most exotic vegetables and leaves I have ever had including banana flowers. Afterwards, we headed to the campfire, where we all sung Thai camp songs and gave each other foot massages with Tiger Balm before passing out in our tents.
The next day, we awoke with the sunrise peeking up through the mountains. I then had the pleasure of learning some yoga with Grandma. She didn’t realize I had a tiny bit of experience, and I think she was a little impressed a westerner even knows what yoga is. It was pretty exciting. After our yoga lesson and a breakfast of spicy rice porridge we headed back out on our journey. Our mission was to climb an 800 meter mountain so thick with rainforest; you could hardly see three people in front of you. On the way, we also saw a huge iguana lying on a tree. It was probably around three feet long. I cannot possibly describe how powerful it felt to complete the trek. It was demanding and exhausting, but after two and a half hours we reached the top and the view moved me to tears. We could see the Andaman Sea and the mountain range for ages. It was absolutely gorgeous. The best part was watching the sunset. The colors went from an intense orange to a soft lavender and finally to a cool indigo against the fog. It was just stunning, and it felt close enough to touch. After indulging in the sunset, we pitched a tarp, cracked open the Thai whisky, bundled up, lied like sardines and fell asleep under the stars (although it was a bit foggy). That night while I was sleeping, I definitely saw an anteater about one meter away from me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture, but it was probably a good thing for the anteater that I saw it at 4am because if I had told one of the guides, they would have slaughtered it and taken it to the market. Apparently, anteater meat is quite the delicate snack in Thailand and goes for about 3000 baht per kilo, which is about 100$. After waking up the next morning around 5:30 to watch the sunrise, we headed back down the mountain and headed home. Overall, I would have to say it one of the most vibrant experiences of my life.
Yesterday, during my lunch break from the office, Morten and I decided as a joke to check out a restaurant calle Sabai-Dii (I believe that means very delicious). Anyways, below Sabai-Dii, the description of the restaurant said Deutsch, Vegetarisch, Thai Kueche (German, Vegetarian and Thai Kitchen). Obviously, we had to check it out. We definitely thought it was going to be a very cheesy tourist place, but we couldn’t have been more wrong. The couple who owned the place was a vegetarian German couple who ran an alternative medicine clinic as well. The man actually practiced sound therapy which might be the craziest thing I have ever heard. Apparently, you lay down and after 80 minutes of him playing gongs and metal bowls, people have actually had out of body experiences. Anyways, we were the only customers so we were able to get a little demonstration, which was pretty crazy. Everything is pretty much based on Leonardo DeVinci’s energy field diagram and the Chakras. After the demo, we really could feel the energy field. Anyways, he often treats people for back pain, headaches and other common ailments, but it is also used as a way to simply fall into deep relaxation. I thought it looked legit. Anyways, this couple is just outstanding and they did in fact make awesome vegetarian Thai food. They are very much into nutrition for the human body as well as for the earth. The man also makes homemade coconut ice cream, which by the way is made with coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, as well as chunks of the actual coconut-delicious. He then sells it at the market and gives all of his profits to the Beluga school for Thai orphans from the Tsunami. The school also operates as an organic farm, so the children are all learning how to farm themselves and eat healthy. Additionally, the place is used as a type of eco-tourism, and all of the profits made by the tourists go directly to the school. Overall, it’s pretty funny how heading to this restaurant started off as a joke, and turned out to be so much more than that….coincidence…I think not.
So tonight, we are heading to Phuket to catch our flight tomorrow morning for Bangkok. We are heading to Siem Reap, Cambodia for the weekend to see the epic Angkor Wat. (It’s where Tomb Raider was filmed…Wikipedia it).
Monday, April 19, 2010
SONGKRAN!
So the last days of camp ended terrifically! The final day we did a Summer Camp Decathlon which involved 3 teams of 7 competing in ten different events and being judged on their team spirit, activity performance, and their response to a question at the end of each event. My favorite event was a blindfolded ball toss. Basically one kid from each team ran blindfolded about 15 meters to a cone where there was a bucket of balls, grabbed one, and then ran back to his team, and put the ball into a new bucket. It was absolutely HILARIOUS! The blindfolds worked flawlessly and there was no peeking through them. We actually ended up using dust masks. The way the kids flailed about on the ground trying to locate the buckets was so funny. Especially touching were the smiles and hugs I received at the end of the day. It was obvious that a relay race which I viewed as such a simple gesture could make such a dramatic impression on both the kids and the staff. Summer camp here was brought by British volunteers a few years ago, and therefore is originally a foreign concept. Many things that summer camp in the States is as well foreign, yet welcomed wholeheartedly. The camp is for the lack of a better word, edited each year by new volunteers, their contributions have enhanced it tremendously. Actually, noting from previous experiences, camp is generally a western concept, but when brought to other parts of the world, it has made a huge impact, and is always exciting to be a part of. Last week, we also said farewell to Mark the traditional Burmese way…Thai whisky, rum, beer and endless food. We all sat on the floor and “partied” for about 4 hours. It was a good time.
Last Saturday night, I met up with my friend Alex from Delaware, who is currently in Phuket and we headed to Bangkok for the holiday Songkran. Songkran, or the Thai New Year, is a three day holiday in which our office was closed the entire week. We took an overnight bus from Bang Niang to Bangkok, which lasted 13 hours. During the bus ride, we pulled over numerous times where the military checked out our bus. We had no idea what was going on. We arrived at about 5am where I woke up to the Thai news announcing that the previously peaceful red shirt protests had become violent, and at that point there had been eight deaths. Travel alerts were going off in all of our phones, and it apparently was not the best time to be in Bangkok. However, we checked into our hotel which was right on the riverside. From there, we were maybe 2 blocks away from the TV station that had been knocked down and we had a terrific view of the riots on the close-by bridge.
But, why get stuck in the protest blues? The red shirts didn’t, and we followed suit…grabbing our hardcore water guns, we fought to the near-death with our greatest opponents being those around 8 years old and other farongs (foreigners). Oh, but why stop at water when you can also massacre those around you with a mixture of flour, water and icy hot for an extra kick? The entire experience mimicked the typical college spring break in Cancun with the day drinking on Th Kho San Road. Red shirts, police officers, military personnel, children and farongs all let go of their prejudices while no one was spared when it came to Songkran. While in Bangkok, however, I did manage to get some really cool “culture” time in as well. We visited some of the most famous temples such as Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha and the Wat Phra Kaew inside the Grand Palace to admire the Emerald Buddha. During this, because of the holiday, all of the temples were filled with Thais performing sacred rituals such as offering food to the monks, and pouring holy water over the Buddahs. Each temple was filled with the spirit of Songkran and the never-ending Thai smiles.
One of the coolest things we did in Bangkok was ride a long-boat through the canals where people live. Our driver actually took us to his own house where we met his family and took part in sharing some beer and whisky. It was very cool to talk to the locals about Songkran and celebrate with the locals.
Following three days in Bangkok, we caught a bus to Chiang Mai for the rest of the Songkran activities. Chaing Mai was nuts. One of the days we rented bikes to get a good look at the city. We truly attempted to stay dry, but we 100% thought wrong. After four days of wearing soaking wet clothes, I think we all had a good case of what felt like diaper rash, and we were much relieved to put away our water guns.
We celebrated the next day by riding on elephants, “bumper boating” (which is white water rafting in the dry season) and a much needed massage at the Thai women’s correctional facility (it’s cheaper that way). Overall, Songkran was definitely an experience of a lifetime. The most endearing insight to Thai culture I gained was how everyone: red shirts, pink, shirts, cops, robbers, ladyboys and farongs could all find a reason to smile to each other during the holiday. It was simply moving.
Last Saturday night, I met up with my friend Alex from Delaware, who is currently in Phuket and we headed to Bangkok for the holiday Songkran. Songkran, or the Thai New Year, is a three day holiday in which our office was closed the entire week. We took an overnight bus from Bang Niang to Bangkok, which lasted 13 hours. During the bus ride, we pulled over numerous times where the military checked out our bus. We had no idea what was going on. We arrived at about 5am where I woke up to the Thai news announcing that the previously peaceful red shirt protests had become violent, and at that point there had been eight deaths. Travel alerts were going off in all of our phones, and it apparently was not the best time to be in Bangkok. However, we checked into our hotel which was right on the riverside. From there, we were maybe 2 blocks away from the TV station that had been knocked down and we had a terrific view of the riots on the close-by bridge.
But, why get stuck in the protest blues? The red shirts didn’t, and we followed suit…grabbing our hardcore water guns, we fought to the near-death with our greatest opponents being those around 8 years old and other farongs (foreigners). Oh, but why stop at water when you can also massacre those around you with a mixture of flour, water and icy hot for an extra kick? The entire experience mimicked the typical college spring break in Cancun with the day drinking on Th Kho San Road. Red shirts, police officers, military personnel, children and farongs all let go of their prejudices while no one was spared when it came to Songkran. While in Bangkok, however, I did manage to get some really cool “culture” time in as well. We visited some of the most famous temples such as Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha and the Wat Phra Kaew inside the Grand Palace to admire the Emerald Buddha. During this, because of the holiday, all of the temples were filled with Thais performing sacred rituals such as offering food to the monks, and pouring holy water over the Buddahs. Each temple was filled with the spirit of Songkran and the never-ending Thai smiles.
One of the coolest things we did in Bangkok was ride a long-boat through the canals where people live. Our driver actually took us to his own house where we met his family and took part in sharing some beer and whisky. It was very cool to talk to the locals about Songkran and celebrate with the locals.
Following three days in Bangkok, we caught a bus to Chiang Mai for the rest of the Songkran activities. Chaing Mai was nuts. One of the days we rented bikes to get a good look at the city. We truly attempted to stay dry, but we 100% thought wrong. After four days of wearing soaking wet clothes, I think we all had a good case of what felt like diaper rash, and we were much relieved to put away our water guns.
We celebrated the next day by riding on elephants, “bumper boating” (which is white water rafting in the dry season) and a much needed massage at the Thai women’s correctional facility (it’s cheaper that way). Overall, Songkran was definitely an experience of a lifetime. The most endearing insight to Thai culture I gained was how everyone: red shirts, pink, shirts, cops, robbers, ladyboys and farongs could all find a reason to smile to each other during the holiday. It was simply moving.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sa-wat-dee-ka!
This week has been an extremely rewarding change of pace. I am staying at Biang Nang Beach, right next to Khao Lak, a popular dive stop for tourists. About a half hour bike ride and 20 minute hike up the rainforest is a waterfall that I have already indulged in twice. One side of the road on the way there is a rubber plantation full of perfect lines of towering trees while the other side is the lush rain forest. The first time I rode my bike with another volunteer, Mark, who is just finishing up medical school. However, my bike, unfortunately was only suitable for someone about 5 ft tall, and I was therefore required to stand up the entire time, which put too much pressure on my handlebars, which loosened them to the point where the bike was pretty much unrideable by the time we arrived. I have since replaced it with a much better and smoother ride which has made life much easier. The journey was well rewarded though with the best shower I have had my entire trip in the mountains.
Outside of camp, life is pretty enjoyable too. There are a many Europeans hanging out around here, and I have met a lot of people I wouldn’t call tourists, but that are definitely not locals. They are more like full time vacationers? I have also made a new sister. Her name is Nang and she owns a small bar in Bang Niang while also working for Grassroots. We have gone out a few times as the nightlife is pretty fun around here. Other highlights about my living situation: the beach is only 1km away, the backdrop is the rain forest and mountains, the nearby waterfall, the 7/11 right across the street, and of course the shower!
Working at camp so far has been very fun. The kids here are definitely different than those in India. These children have already been to school for a few years, and that has definitely paid off. I am teaching child development, which is pretty vague and gives me free reign to be as creative as possible. The first week I focused mainly on self-awareness and self-esteem building while this week I am focusing on teamwork and team building. One of the notable activities we did was write a list of all the things anyone has ever told them they can’t do. Sometimes the messages come from parents, other family members, peers or even themselves. Then, after sharing one, they crumpled their paper and through it in a tissue box I had attempted to decorate like a casket. We then went into the garden and had a funeral for the “I Can’t” way of thinking. It was pretty cool.
Team building, on the contrary, has definitely been challenging already. We attempted the human knot activity, and I think it took maybe 7-8 attempts plus a demonstration by the staff to understand that they need to work together. It was actually pretty funny. In the beginning, they were all twisting and just trying to get themselves loose. It was not working. We also did the “Protect the Egg” activity in which they had to build protective containers for eggs out of straws and newspaper. All of the eggs broke the first attempt, but after redesigning them, 3 of the teams successfully protected their eggs.
Saturday, we organized a wonderful game of Capture the Flag. It was their first time playing, but certainly not last. The two teams all had headbands in their respective color that Myaa Thu and I made out of old cloth from the women’s center. They also had to come up with a team name and make their flag. One team was the Stars, and the other was Viewpoint, which actually turned out to be a really cool flag. Then they had to come up with a song/chant for their team, which was awesome because we were equipped with a guitar, tambourine and drums for some background beat and harmony. The location was perfect too, especially for first-timers. We went to a park about half an hour away right on the beach. The park had a great playground, enough trees, and was generally a dynamic enough atmosphere to make the game interesting, but it still was not too big. Like all Capture the Flag games begin, the teams all ended up in jail as they had not quite figured out the fluidity or the tactics of the game. Unfortunately, the game was totally rained out with a huge monsoon, and we had to take shelter singing songs, but the game is back on schedule for tomorrow.
Sunday, we went on a field trip of sorts to the water fall which was just beautiful. I had already been there once, but going with the kids was incredible. None of the children have been taught how to swim, so I got to work and held a beginner swimming class. I actually taught swimming all through high school, so I did have some experience working for me. I taught them all how to blow bubbles and the basics of floating, although I definitely had to be much more creative in conveying floating techniques with such an intense language barrier. There are absolutely no cognates between Burmese and English. Anyways, after swimming in the waterfall for a while, it was time to head back to camp.
So far, the culture shock is not even comparable as it was to India. However, I will say I think I preferred Indian food, as it is a little more difficult to come by vegetarian cuisine, and I have definitely had a multitude of interesting eating experiences already. If I am eating at camp or at someone’s house, I frequently reminisce about my time in China when there is a bowl of chicken feet in front of me. Other than that, the cook at camp also makes a spicy vegetable dish for the endless bowl of rice with is really sweet of her, and I have become a huge fan of the spicy papaya salad with sticky rice at the street restaurant right outside my guesthouse. I also had my first try of Thai roti, which is a sweet pancake sometimes rolled and stuffed with mango or banana. It was delicious! Indian roti is a basically just chapatti drizzled with a tiny bit of ghee that you have at every meal.
However, sometimes the food is just bizarre. After lunch at camp yesterday, they gave everyone something comparable to a dessert for the holiday Chakri. It was coconut milk with two pieces of wonder bread and “cherries.” “Cherries” are not cherries by the way. They are artificially flavored and brightly colored pieces of gelatin that don’t taste nearly as good as Jell-O.
Another day at camp we had a sweet which was coconut and sugar rolled up in a banana leaf which tasted pretty delicious.
Last night while having dinner at a cheap Thai dive that looks more like a garage from the outside, about a dozen tiny flying insects dropped right onto my head. Apparently, they were hanging out on the light right about my table. It definitely startled me to say the least. Bugs are pretty common around the street restaurants...so much for being a vegetarian, but it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Without the staple of lentils, I wouldn't want to go and have a protein deficiency or anything.
So camp ends this week with a large relay race Myaa Thu and I are planning, and then next week is a week-long holiday for the Thai New Year called Songkran. I have heard that it is basically a huge water festival where the Thais get their water guns and balloons out and just attack people with them on the street. The cities like Bangkok and Chang Mai are apparently the place to be, so that’s where I am headed next weekend.
FYI: This morning I was woken up at 7am because of a tsunami warning placed on Phang-Nga Province due to an earthquake that hit Sumatra at 5:15 this morning. The warning was lifted two hours later, so no worries thus far.
Outside of camp, life is pretty enjoyable too. There are a many Europeans hanging out around here, and I have met a lot of people I wouldn’t call tourists, but that are definitely not locals. They are more like full time vacationers? I have also made a new sister. Her name is Nang and she owns a small bar in Bang Niang while also working for Grassroots. We have gone out a few times as the nightlife is pretty fun around here. Other highlights about my living situation: the beach is only 1km away, the backdrop is the rain forest and mountains, the nearby waterfall, the 7/11 right across the street, and of course the shower!
Working at camp so far has been very fun. The kids here are definitely different than those in India. These children have already been to school for a few years, and that has definitely paid off. I am teaching child development, which is pretty vague and gives me free reign to be as creative as possible. The first week I focused mainly on self-awareness and self-esteem building while this week I am focusing on teamwork and team building. One of the notable activities we did was write a list of all the things anyone has ever told them they can’t do. Sometimes the messages come from parents, other family members, peers or even themselves. Then, after sharing one, they crumpled their paper and through it in a tissue box I had attempted to decorate like a casket. We then went into the garden and had a funeral for the “I Can’t” way of thinking. It was pretty cool.
Team building, on the contrary, has definitely been challenging already. We attempted the human knot activity, and I think it took maybe 7-8 attempts plus a demonstration by the staff to understand that they need to work together. It was actually pretty funny. In the beginning, they were all twisting and just trying to get themselves loose. It was not working. We also did the “Protect the Egg” activity in which they had to build protective containers for eggs out of straws and newspaper. All of the eggs broke the first attempt, but after redesigning them, 3 of the teams successfully protected their eggs.
Saturday, we organized a wonderful game of Capture the Flag. It was their first time playing, but certainly not last. The two teams all had headbands in their respective color that Myaa Thu and I made out of old cloth from the women’s center. They also had to come up with a team name and make their flag. One team was the Stars, and the other was Viewpoint, which actually turned out to be a really cool flag. Then they had to come up with a song/chant for their team, which was awesome because we were equipped with a guitar, tambourine and drums for some background beat and harmony. The location was perfect too, especially for first-timers. We went to a park about half an hour away right on the beach. The park had a great playground, enough trees, and was generally a dynamic enough atmosphere to make the game interesting, but it still was not too big. Like all Capture the Flag games begin, the teams all ended up in jail as they had not quite figured out the fluidity or the tactics of the game. Unfortunately, the game was totally rained out with a huge monsoon, and we had to take shelter singing songs, but the game is back on schedule for tomorrow.
Sunday, we went on a field trip of sorts to the water fall which was just beautiful. I had already been there once, but going with the kids was incredible. None of the children have been taught how to swim, so I got to work and held a beginner swimming class. I actually taught swimming all through high school, so I did have some experience working for me. I taught them all how to blow bubbles and the basics of floating, although I definitely had to be much more creative in conveying floating techniques with such an intense language barrier. There are absolutely no cognates between Burmese and English. Anyways, after swimming in the waterfall for a while, it was time to head back to camp.
So far, the culture shock is not even comparable as it was to India. However, I will say I think I preferred Indian food, as it is a little more difficult to come by vegetarian cuisine, and I have definitely had a multitude of interesting eating experiences already. If I am eating at camp or at someone’s house, I frequently reminisce about my time in China when there is a bowl of chicken feet in front of me. Other than that, the cook at camp also makes a spicy vegetable dish for the endless bowl of rice with is really sweet of her, and I have become a huge fan of the spicy papaya salad with sticky rice at the street restaurant right outside my guesthouse. I also had my first try of Thai roti, which is a sweet pancake sometimes rolled and stuffed with mango or banana. It was delicious! Indian roti is a basically just chapatti drizzled with a tiny bit of ghee that you have at every meal.
However, sometimes the food is just bizarre. After lunch at camp yesterday, they gave everyone something comparable to a dessert for the holiday Chakri. It was coconut milk with two pieces of wonder bread and “cherries.” “Cherries” are not cherries by the way. They are artificially flavored and brightly colored pieces of gelatin that don’t taste nearly as good as Jell-O.
Another day at camp we had a sweet which was coconut and sugar rolled up in a banana leaf which tasted pretty delicious.
Last night while having dinner at a cheap Thai dive that looks more like a garage from the outside, about a dozen tiny flying insects dropped right onto my head. Apparently, they were hanging out on the light right about my table. It definitely startled me to say the least. Bugs are pretty common around the street restaurants...so much for being a vegetarian, but it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Without the staple of lentils, I wouldn't want to go and have a protein deficiency or anything.
So camp ends this week with a large relay race Myaa Thu and I are planning, and then next week is a week-long holiday for the Thai New Year called Songkran. I have heard that it is basically a huge water festival where the Thais get their water guns and balloons out and just attack people with them on the street. The cities like Bangkok and Chang Mai are apparently the place to be, so that’s where I am headed next weekend.
FYI: This morning I was woken up at 7am because of a tsunami warning placed on Phang-Nga Province due to an earthquake that hit Sumatra at 5:15 this morning. The warning was lifted two hours later, so no worries thus far.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Down the Rabbit Hole
Last week began with my trip to Ajmer to see the Female Sex Worker (FSW) project which was one of the most dynamic experiences of my life. The first day I was there Pratab, the project manager, gave me a briefing on the project and of the daily schedule of an Indian. A daily schedule goes more or less like this:
5-7am: Exercise/meditation
7-8: Getting ready for the day
8-9: Breakfast
9-5: Working
5-7: Time with boyfriend/girlfriend
8-11: Spending time with family/dinner, go to bed
So, I decided to keep him on his toes, and proceeded to ask about his work-out plan from 5-7. He said he wanted a 6-pack, so I decided I would hold aerobics class for him and two of the other staff members from 6-7, watch the sunrise, and make Pratab into a super-model. The next morning was great! With the backdrop of the mountains, we jogged, did some stretching and many “Meggie-G” inspired exercises. It was quite a sight!
During working hours, the outreach worker, Ashok, and the Peer Educator, Sultana, took me out in the field to see what they do every day. We started off by visiting some of the other peer educator’s homes. Basically, the Peer Educators are either FSWs themselves with strong leadership qualities, or they are social workers with strong connections to the FSW community. Each home I went to immediately offered me a glass of shady water and some kind of snack. Without really a choice, I downed the water to be polite, and I immediately gained their friendship. You know that feeling when you are out in a bar, and someone buys you that shot you know will put you over the edge, and you take it anyways? That was the feeling each and every sip of water…however, I was lucky….not too much nausea…and no hangover.
Anyways, all of the peer educators were so friendly. One of them insisted on giving me a bracelet. It was also very interesting to meet their families and husbands. If the peer educator is an FSW herself, her husband generally has no idea what her other part time job is. After visiting some of the homes, Sultana (who by the way is not an FSW, only an amazing social worker) held a female condom demonstration at one of the other PE’s homes which many FSWs from the community attended. Sultana is one of the most amazing women I have met. She is extremely strong, eloquent and commands the attention of a room. Even more amazing is the fact that I maybe speak 20 words of Hindi, and she speaks about 20 words of English, yet we understood each other perfectly well. The ability to connect and communicate was really exciting. The children of the FSWs were in and out of the home and I got to take some very adorable pictures. One child stuck in my head as he was walking around with an old empty petrol bottle tied around his neck as a makeshift drum and beating it with two sticks.
On our way back to the office, some sort of festival was going on and there was a parade of beautifully dressed women in brightly colored saris and some kind of a drumline. While walking by, the parade stopped and grabbed me to try and dance with them. After some photos and dancing, they continued to try and take me back with them and kept offering me khan (food). Ashok had to grab me by the arm and pull me out of the mob.
Later, we went to another PE’s (who was an FSW) home. She is currently pregnant, but she continues to earn money doing “booking.” She basically rents one of her rooms out to FSWs and books appointments for them. As a matter of fact, while we were there, a business transaction was taking place right then. There, I was also able to gain insight as to how the business works and learn how much the women were making. I was astonished by learning they can make up to 100$ a day which is probably an average shift working at Gelato in the States. I also learned that the women in Ajmer are generally very content on their career choice. Actually, 95% of them go into the business as a choice to make extra money for their family and for themselves while doing part time work at some kind of shop during the day. Only 5% are younger girls forced into it or sold into the business, but in that case, Vatsalya has a crisis management team who rescues the girls. It was here that I gained a very deep understanding about these women. Sultana asked me what I thought about her work, and when she realized I was all for it and just excited that people are unafraid to educate those people about HIV where others are too scared, she began to tear up. Many people look down on the FSWs and think the social work people should only do involves arresting the prostitutes as if getting them locked up would solve the problem. However, in Ajmer, the women tend to have a positive relationship with the police (even though prostitution is illegal in India) and use to police if someone is being violent towards to the women. I feel that if people want to end prostitution, by all means try and do it, but they must know prevention has to occur first, and that means it is not a quick fix by arresting and getting rid of the prostitutes. It involves community development and assuring that jobs are available for the women with adequate income. Additionally, they need to realize that a business cannot exist without customers. Therefore, education to the men, or some kind of moral preaching would have to go to both men and women if they want to end prostitution. Essentially, if people want to successfully end a business, they will need to abide by the laws of supply and demand and the market economy.
That evening, I was invited to one of the PE’s daughter’s birthday party. Her daughter’s name was Anshu, and she was turning nineteen. Sultana lent me a red and gold beautiful sari for the occasion. This experience was definitely one of the most bizarre experiences I have had in my life. I kind of felt like Alice in Wonderland going down t he rabbit hole. Because it was her birthday, Anshu was fasting, which allowed her to devote all of her attention to the guest of honor: me? At one point, she picked up my spoon, filled it with sabji, and I thought she was going to try and feed me, but luckily she just put it in my hand, and said, “Please try!” She then proceeded to turn my plate to make sure I had adequate space to each dish. I now feel like I have always been a very terrible host at all of my parties in the states. The hospitality did not end there. Her uncle brought up cashews and said I was not allowed to give them to anyone else: they were for me only. Her uncle and grandfather then continued to pour me whisky into my glass of Fanta. Later, when her father arrived, I was “adopted” into the family. He told me I now had a new Indian dad and that I was to be Anshu’s older sister. (This is really great, by the way, because if I happen to run out of dads in the states, I can just pick up a flight to India.) Anyways, before anything could become legal, Pratab and Sultana grabbed me and led me away. The whole experience was crazy but very fun!
After a few days in Ajmer, I returned to Jaipur for health camp at the Kavach project. I started out gathering a mob of truckers as I played the usual Snakes and Ladders and handing out prizes. Afterwards, I participated in the Street Play. Street play is one of the ways Kavach engages the truckers in HIV education and tells them about the clinic. Professional actors perform an improve skit with dancing and singing and drums and eventually discuss HIV. My role was Lala, a prostitute who refused business without the use of a condom. I did not have any lines, but I smiled, nodded, danced and clapped pretty well.
After the weekend in Jaipur, I began a very busy week, spending each night in a different place. A new volunteer from Germany, Kerstine, and I headed back to Ajmer for a health camp, and for a tiny bit of sightseeing. Tuesday morning, we visited Pushkar and the Brahman temple. It was very beautiful, except the fact that it was a huge way to scam foreigners. After the tour by a very nice guide, we were directed to a Mantra, a trained person who prays for us, performs a ceremony for us, and then asks for ridiculous amounts of money. To be clear, it is normal to give a donation at the end, no matter who you are. Usually for an Indian, up to a couple hundred rupees is probably appropriate. However, my Mantra first asked me how many people I had in my family. I said about 9-10. He then suggested very calmly and pleasantly that I might step over to the donation area and give 9-10 thousand rupees: enough for each family member to eat dinner. I was like…uuuuh are you kidding me? He told me he understood I am a student, but that I should really care more about my family. After making a comparably meager donation, he told me that the German donated more than me as an American. He was extremely disappointed in me and told me I might not have very good karma. I guess in my next life, I might come back as a squirrel or chipmunk: oh well.
Health camp for the women in the community was a very positive experience and was led by Sultana. It was only about 30% FSWs, but it was mostly geared toward general women’s health. Basically, the women would come in, register, see the doctor, describe the complaint, and obtain a prescription which they picked up at the counselor’s station. There are no physical exams administered, which was very interesting, but the complaints are generally Lower Abdominal Pain (PID) and apparently require a simple prescription. Sultana then talked about condoms again, and we were on our way.
The following day, I went back to Udayan for the identity workshop in the Jeep with Aasma, Parveen and Septiem, the children with whom I live in Jaipur. The Jeep does not have a radio, but who needs it when Aasma and Septiem sing gorgeously in Hindi?
The workshop went really well. The main objective of the exercise was for the children to be able to identify their different identities and take ownership of them. The children and staff began by writing a list of their identities (good and bad) and sharing them in small groups. They then thought of symbols for their identities they want to represent themselves with and made a collage of them. Following, we had a discussion regarding the views society has about some of their identities and how they were different than their own views. For example, one of their identities was being a child, and often adults view children as stupid or liars. To combat that, they must realize they are in control of how they are seen. If they view themselves as beautiful, truthful and intelligent, they can represent themselves that way and therefore be seen that way, or at least be strong enough to disregard negative views from others. After the discussion we sat in a circle, and I asked them to think about any bad events that have happened in their lives that have actually become identities. Sometimes events can have such a strong effect that they can become a part of us and make us doubt our self-worth. I then had them close their eyes and raise their hand if they one. About 4 out of 30 people raised their hands including me while most of them were extremely shy about revealing themselves. After sharing one of my negative identities, the ambience changed and the exercise became really beautiful. I explained that negative identities exist in everyone, but if you own it, and refuse to let it control your life, you can still do anything. We then repeated the exercise. This time 25 of them raised their hands, and we gave ourselves a round of applause. This simple gesture of recognizing their identity allowed them to take the first step in owning it and letting it go, and many of these children have horrific identities that need to be shed.
The workshop went so well, Jaimala decided I would do it right before I left for Delhi with the Upaanjen youth. Unfortunately, we only had 45 minutes so it was very condensed, but the students were really into it! I don’t think these young adults have ever thought about these issues before, so watching their eyes light up when we asked them to share their opinions for the first time was really exciting. From now on, the Upaanjen youth will be giving self presentations on Saturdays as an exercise to overcome the negative messages they are constantly receiving from both family and society. While many were shy and probably nervous, I think after seeing some of their peers shed the negativity and own themselves, they will become inevitably inspired.
During the past week, I was also able to do a little bit of shopping which was fun yet exhausting while I tried to continue being friendly towards the numerous scamming touts trying to lead me astray. Anyways, I settled on a few things: probably not the best quality and probably overpriced, but it was exhausting to just smile at some merchants so I still gave myself a pat on the back. My favorite thing I bought was a pair of 2$ earrings from a 14-15 yr old boy on the street. I paid 100 rupees, but I am well aware they might be worth 10 rupees, 20 tops. Anyways, the boy tried to tell me they were 500 rupees, and after laughing and joking around with him for a little while, his lazy eye and crooked smile tempted me to settling at 100. He then ran after me and gave me ring as a gift that was probably worth about 5 rupees. It was very sweet.
After a bitter sweet farewell party at Udayan, which included sugary sweet ghee treats and the usual wild dance moves, I headed to the identity workshop at Upaanjen, and to Delhi where I began an interesting journey to Thailand. First, I ended up sitting next to a man studying astrology and fortune telling on the bus. We had a very remarkable and interesting conversation. He told me all about the planets and how everything is written the moment you are born according to the way the planets were aligned. He seemed legit, so I put him to the test. 10:32 pm January 25th, 1987 Winfield, Illinois U.S.A….But, just like the birthday wish superstition, I’m not going to spill: that might ruin it.
The bus arrived at my stop at about 10pm, and I was helped by a very sweet man named Hans, who is about the age of my grandfather. He has dual citizenship to India and the US, and was on his way home to Houston where he has a jewelry business. He helped me get an auto and we rode together to the airport. We talked all about my adventures in India, Vatsalya, and the main culprit of all India’s problems: corruption. After sharing his dinner from his family with me and talking for about a half an hour at the airport, we were on our way. I seriously cannot believe my luck sometimes; although I am starting to believe it actually after hearing about how the planets might have a thing or two to do with it.
Anyways, I have now arrived safely in Thailand, and while I began the week with experiences leaving me with the feeling of falling through a tunnel drugged up on shrooms as Alice, I have now fallen out the other side upon the stunning Phang-Nga province, just north of Phuket Island. There is really nothing else to say besides breathtaking. I am volunteering for the NGO, FED (Foundation for Education and Development), previously GHRE. FED works with Burmese migrant workers and their children to advocate for the rights. My volunteer coordinator, Zurine, is really cool and so far I know I can really get used the Thai friendliness. My project plans are not really set in stone yet, but I do know I will be teaching in summer camp to start with. So far, I have really just been soaking up some rays and enjoying the gorgeous surroundings….and the occasional trip to 7/11 for some chewing gum and other necessities.
5-7am: Exercise/meditation
7-8: Getting ready for the day
8-9: Breakfast
9-5: Working
5-7: Time with boyfriend/girlfriend
8-11: Spending time with family/dinner, go to bed
So, I decided to keep him on his toes, and proceeded to ask about his work-out plan from 5-7. He said he wanted a 6-pack, so I decided I would hold aerobics class for him and two of the other staff members from 6-7, watch the sunrise, and make Pratab into a super-model. The next morning was great! With the backdrop of the mountains, we jogged, did some stretching and many “Meggie-G” inspired exercises. It was quite a sight!
During working hours, the outreach worker, Ashok, and the Peer Educator, Sultana, took me out in the field to see what they do every day. We started off by visiting some of the other peer educator’s homes. Basically, the Peer Educators are either FSWs themselves with strong leadership qualities, or they are social workers with strong connections to the FSW community. Each home I went to immediately offered me a glass of shady water and some kind of snack. Without really a choice, I downed the water to be polite, and I immediately gained their friendship. You know that feeling when you are out in a bar, and someone buys you that shot you know will put you over the edge, and you take it anyways? That was the feeling each and every sip of water…however, I was lucky….not too much nausea…and no hangover.
Anyways, all of the peer educators were so friendly. One of them insisted on giving me a bracelet. It was also very interesting to meet their families and husbands. If the peer educator is an FSW herself, her husband generally has no idea what her other part time job is. After visiting some of the homes, Sultana (who by the way is not an FSW, only an amazing social worker) held a female condom demonstration at one of the other PE’s homes which many FSWs from the community attended. Sultana is one of the most amazing women I have met. She is extremely strong, eloquent and commands the attention of a room. Even more amazing is the fact that I maybe speak 20 words of Hindi, and she speaks about 20 words of English, yet we understood each other perfectly well. The ability to connect and communicate was really exciting. The children of the FSWs were in and out of the home and I got to take some very adorable pictures. One child stuck in my head as he was walking around with an old empty petrol bottle tied around his neck as a makeshift drum and beating it with two sticks.
On our way back to the office, some sort of festival was going on and there was a parade of beautifully dressed women in brightly colored saris and some kind of a drumline. While walking by, the parade stopped and grabbed me to try and dance with them. After some photos and dancing, they continued to try and take me back with them and kept offering me khan (food). Ashok had to grab me by the arm and pull me out of the mob.
Later, we went to another PE’s (who was an FSW) home. She is currently pregnant, but she continues to earn money doing “booking.” She basically rents one of her rooms out to FSWs and books appointments for them. As a matter of fact, while we were there, a business transaction was taking place right then. There, I was also able to gain insight as to how the business works and learn how much the women were making. I was astonished by learning they can make up to 100$ a day which is probably an average shift working at Gelato in the States. I also learned that the women in Ajmer are generally very content on their career choice. Actually, 95% of them go into the business as a choice to make extra money for their family and for themselves while doing part time work at some kind of shop during the day. Only 5% are younger girls forced into it or sold into the business, but in that case, Vatsalya has a crisis management team who rescues the girls. It was here that I gained a very deep understanding about these women. Sultana asked me what I thought about her work, and when she realized I was all for it and just excited that people are unafraid to educate those people about HIV where others are too scared, she began to tear up. Many people look down on the FSWs and think the social work people should only do involves arresting the prostitutes as if getting them locked up would solve the problem. However, in Ajmer, the women tend to have a positive relationship with the police (even though prostitution is illegal in India) and use to police if someone is being violent towards to the women. I feel that if people want to end prostitution, by all means try and do it, but they must know prevention has to occur first, and that means it is not a quick fix by arresting and getting rid of the prostitutes. It involves community development and assuring that jobs are available for the women with adequate income. Additionally, they need to realize that a business cannot exist without customers. Therefore, education to the men, or some kind of moral preaching would have to go to both men and women if they want to end prostitution. Essentially, if people want to successfully end a business, they will need to abide by the laws of supply and demand and the market economy.
That evening, I was invited to one of the PE’s daughter’s birthday party. Her daughter’s name was Anshu, and she was turning nineteen. Sultana lent me a red and gold beautiful sari for the occasion. This experience was definitely one of the most bizarre experiences I have had in my life. I kind of felt like Alice in Wonderland going down t he rabbit hole. Because it was her birthday, Anshu was fasting, which allowed her to devote all of her attention to the guest of honor: me? At one point, she picked up my spoon, filled it with sabji, and I thought she was going to try and feed me, but luckily she just put it in my hand, and said, “Please try!” She then proceeded to turn my plate to make sure I had adequate space to each dish. I now feel like I have always been a very terrible host at all of my parties in the states. The hospitality did not end there. Her uncle brought up cashews and said I was not allowed to give them to anyone else: they were for me only. Her uncle and grandfather then continued to pour me whisky into my glass of Fanta. Later, when her father arrived, I was “adopted” into the family. He told me I now had a new Indian dad and that I was to be Anshu’s older sister. (This is really great, by the way, because if I happen to run out of dads in the states, I can just pick up a flight to India.) Anyways, before anything could become legal, Pratab and Sultana grabbed me and led me away. The whole experience was crazy but very fun!
After a few days in Ajmer, I returned to Jaipur for health camp at the Kavach project. I started out gathering a mob of truckers as I played the usual Snakes and Ladders and handing out prizes. Afterwards, I participated in the Street Play. Street play is one of the ways Kavach engages the truckers in HIV education and tells them about the clinic. Professional actors perform an improve skit with dancing and singing and drums and eventually discuss HIV. My role was Lala, a prostitute who refused business without the use of a condom. I did not have any lines, but I smiled, nodded, danced and clapped pretty well.
After the weekend in Jaipur, I began a very busy week, spending each night in a different place. A new volunteer from Germany, Kerstine, and I headed back to Ajmer for a health camp, and for a tiny bit of sightseeing. Tuesday morning, we visited Pushkar and the Brahman temple. It was very beautiful, except the fact that it was a huge way to scam foreigners. After the tour by a very nice guide, we were directed to a Mantra, a trained person who prays for us, performs a ceremony for us, and then asks for ridiculous amounts of money. To be clear, it is normal to give a donation at the end, no matter who you are. Usually for an Indian, up to a couple hundred rupees is probably appropriate. However, my Mantra first asked me how many people I had in my family. I said about 9-10. He then suggested very calmly and pleasantly that I might step over to the donation area and give 9-10 thousand rupees: enough for each family member to eat dinner. I was like…uuuuh are you kidding me? He told me he understood I am a student, but that I should really care more about my family. After making a comparably meager donation, he told me that the German donated more than me as an American. He was extremely disappointed in me and told me I might not have very good karma. I guess in my next life, I might come back as a squirrel or chipmunk: oh well.
Health camp for the women in the community was a very positive experience and was led by Sultana. It was only about 30% FSWs, but it was mostly geared toward general women’s health. Basically, the women would come in, register, see the doctor, describe the complaint, and obtain a prescription which they picked up at the counselor’s station. There are no physical exams administered, which was very interesting, but the complaints are generally Lower Abdominal Pain (PID) and apparently require a simple prescription. Sultana then talked about condoms again, and we were on our way.
The following day, I went back to Udayan for the identity workshop in the Jeep with Aasma, Parveen and Septiem, the children with whom I live in Jaipur. The Jeep does not have a radio, but who needs it when Aasma and Septiem sing gorgeously in Hindi?
The workshop went really well. The main objective of the exercise was for the children to be able to identify their different identities and take ownership of them. The children and staff began by writing a list of their identities (good and bad) and sharing them in small groups. They then thought of symbols for their identities they want to represent themselves with and made a collage of them. Following, we had a discussion regarding the views society has about some of their identities and how they were different than their own views. For example, one of their identities was being a child, and often adults view children as stupid or liars. To combat that, they must realize they are in control of how they are seen. If they view themselves as beautiful, truthful and intelligent, they can represent themselves that way and therefore be seen that way, or at least be strong enough to disregard negative views from others. After the discussion we sat in a circle, and I asked them to think about any bad events that have happened in their lives that have actually become identities. Sometimes events can have such a strong effect that they can become a part of us and make us doubt our self-worth. I then had them close their eyes and raise their hand if they one. About 4 out of 30 people raised their hands including me while most of them were extremely shy about revealing themselves. After sharing one of my negative identities, the ambience changed and the exercise became really beautiful. I explained that negative identities exist in everyone, but if you own it, and refuse to let it control your life, you can still do anything. We then repeated the exercise. This time 25 of them raised their hands, and we gave ourselves a round of applause. This simple gesture of recognizing their identity allowed them to take the first step in owning it and letting it go, and many of these children have horrific identities that need to be shed.
The workshop went so well, Jaimala decided I would do it right before I left for Delhi with the Upaanjen youth. Unfortunately, we only had 45 minutes so it was very condensed, but the students were really into it! I don’t think these young adults have ever thought about these issues before, so watching their eyes light up when we asked them to share their opinions for the first time was really exciting. From now on, the Upaanjen youth will be giving self presentations on Saturdays as an exercise to overcome the negative messages they are constantly receiving from both family and society. While many were shy and probably nervous, I think after seeing some of their peers shed the negativity and own themselves, they will become inevitably inspired.
During the past week, I was also able to do a little bit of shopping which was fun yet exhausting while I tried to continue being friendly towards the numerous scamming touts trying to lead me astray. Anyways, I settled on a few things: probably not the best quality and probably overpriced, but it was exhausting to just smile at some merchants so I still gave myself a pat on the back. My favorite thing I bought was a pair of 2$ earrings from a 14-15 yr old boy on the street. I paid 100 rupees, but I am well aware they might be worth 10 rupees, 20 tops. Anyways, the boy tried to tell me they were 500 rupees, and after laughing and joking around with him for a little while, his lazy eye and crooked smile tempted me to settling at 100. He then ran after me and gave me ring as a gift that was probably worth about 5 rupees. It was very sweet.
After a bitter sweet farewell party at Udayan, which included sugary sweet ghee treats and the usual wild dance moves, I headed to the identity workshop at Upaanjen, and to Delhi where I began an interesting journey to Thailand. First, I ended up sitting next to a man studying astrology and fortune telling on the bus. We had a very remarkable and interesting conversation. He told me all about the planets and how everything is written the moment you are born according to the way the planets were aligned. He seemed legit, so I put him to the test. 10:32 pm January 25th, 1987 Winfield, Illinois U.S.A….But, just like the birthday wish superstition, I’m not going to spill: that might ruin it.
The bus arrived at my stop at about 10pm, and I was helped by a very sweet man named Hans, who is about the age of my grandfather. He has dual citizenship to India and the US, and was on his way home to Houston where he has a jewelry business. He helped me get an auto and we rode together to the airport. We talked all about my adventures in India, Vatsalya, and the main culprit of all India’s problems: corruption. After sharing his dinner from his family with me and talking for about a half an hour at the airport, we were on our way. I seriously cannot believe my luck sometimes; although I am starting to believe it actually after hearing about how the planets might have a thing or two to do with it.
Anyways, I have now arrived safely in Thailand, and while I began the week with experiences leaving me with the feeling of falling through a tunnel drugged up on shrooms as Alice, I have now fallen out the other side upon the stunning Phang-Nga province, just north of Phuket Island. There is really nothing else to say besides breathtaking. I am volunteering for the NGO, FED (Foundation for Education and Development), previously GHRE. FED works with Burmese migrant workers and their children to advocate for the rights. My volunteer coordinator, Zurine, is really cool and so far I know I can really get used the Thai friendliness. My project plans are not really set in stone yet, but I do know I will be teaching in summer camp to start with. So far, I have really just been soaking up some rays and enjoying the gorgeous surroundings….and the occasional trip to 7/11 for some chewing gum and other necessities.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
प्रकाश और अंधेरे
(Light and Dark)
One does not become enlightened
by imagining figures of light
but by making the darkness conscious
The latter procedure, however
is disagreeable, and therefore not popular
Carl Jung
Finally, the moment I have been looking forward to since I have started planning this adventure: assimilation, adjustment, adaptation, integration, whatever you want to call it….the point where everything just kind of clicks has happened. It is the moment where I feel like I can truly be myself and where my personality and motives are genuinely coming across. There is no longer any hesitation or reluctance to dive into anything. Overall I feel like my energy is in the flow with India’s energy rather than fighting against it.
The week started when Jaimala, Hitesh and I went to a practical exam of sorts at the hotel/restaurant class at Upaanjen. The Upaanjen project might be my favorite project of Vatsalya and it has had tremendous success. At the end of the first cycle, they had 88% of their students successfully placed in jobs. We had a mock lunch, and one of the students cooked us absolutely delicious food that we ordered off a menu. We also had a dessert (compliments of the chef) called gajar ka halwa. It is made with carrots, sugar, raisins, almonds, pistachios, milk and ghee. Sounds weird, but it was so good! Anyways, who knew my experience at Caffe Gelato would come in handy here? After lunch we critiqued the service which was actually really good besides the lack of confidence. It is really amazing what kind of turnaround the students make. In the beginning of training, many of them were pretty broken and had never been told they can actually do something with their lives.
Back at Udayan, I have made some genuine connections with both the children and the staff and am feeling that my thoughts and actions are being well embraced. Bonding with all of the children this past week has been a dynamic experience as each child has shared their own eccentricities with me. When the smaller children come running, it usually implies I am to fulfill my duty to become a tree while they all become monkeys. Hanging out with the older boys, on the contrary, usually includes a full show-and-tell of their favorite actors/actresses/cricket players and pictures from their favorite movie: Doom 2. Being around all of the children has made a world of difference for me. I have said this many times before, and I believe it more and more everyday: kids are kids…no matter where in the world you go and no matter what language they speak. They are all essentially going through the same things, and I can for the most part, always connect with an issue they are going through. Or, it is at least much easier to relate and connect here than it was with the grown men truck drivers as a foreign white girl. Although I still learned a lot, connection was just not happening.
I am also really starting to connect with the staff. I feel like I know what I am doing here, they know what I am doing here, and I am really working in line with their flow. Earlier, I did not comprehend how anything was accomplished as I was seriously confused and agitated by the simple inefficiencies and interruptions, but for the most part, that has passed. The staff at Udayan is very open to all of my ideas, and I could talk to some of them for hours just entranced with new knowledge about the culture. While things work differently, and sometimes I even think ass backwards, I suppose I’m growing accustomed to it.
I was blessed with a very sweet moment on Saturday which actually reminded me of another quote by Emerson, "You cannot see the stars until it gets dark enough." (By the way, at Udayan, which is basically in the middle of nowhere, I can see more stars than I have ever seen in the states as the sky is so clear). Anyways, I had been working on documents and proposals for about 4-5 hours when my eyes basically succumbed to the pixels of the computer screen and I could no longer read. I was becoming frustrated with my own abilities and of course with that, self doubt and the fear of failure creeping in my thoughts led me to a much needed break and an inevitable moment that rinsed those fears away. As soon as I went to take some chai, 5 year old Davika pounced on me, 3 year old Chupnub began playing with my hair and I simultaneously taught five year old Chayneese tic-tac-toe. (He, of course, beat me every time). It’s really wonderful to be blessed with reassurance that my work here may mean something through the small interactions with the children. Whenever I become discouraged by my own misunderstanding of the culture or lack of knowledge about the work I am attempting, I only need to step outside to be reminded that conquering my discomfort is a small price to pay for a potentially large reward which is the honor to be able to serve some phenomenally strong children.
It is important for me to note that the encouragement I received from the moments I can share with the children is truly a blessing. The opportunity to regain assurance and recharge my empowerment is something I have come to value daily as I am continually witnessing the huge negative outcomes of an un-empowered society who does not witness the people their actions or inactions effect. For instance, I recently wrote a proposal for a rural women’s health initiative. I then came to learn, however, that there already is a very well structured rural women’s health initiative in place…by the government. However, like the JJ act, there is some great policy but horrific implementation. The people hired by the government apparently do not care about their job. How can someone who is responsible for the care of pregnant women and the birth of children not care about their job and their impact? According to the staff, their problem is corruption and laziness. I then came to the realization that corruption may work and infect in at least two directions. It can be trickled down from the powerful as greed infects people, or it can be embedded in the apathetic trait of the culture and grow from the roots of society. Both, I believe are present in this case. What makes me cringe though is how the latter is so preventable! If people are taught that their actions in fact make a difference, no matter how small, maybe they will feel more responsible for both their actions and inactions. The lack of innovation, creative problem solving and passion behind their actions is disheartening. For example, is it really the case that transportation is not provided for rural pregnant women from their villages to the health center that was actually built for them? And why? My guess is that no one spelled it out for the employees that they need to provide transportation for women in need of services. But then, why do they not think themselves to provide transportation to pregnant women who cannot drive themselves from the middle of nowhere to the health center? The situation does not end there. They also fail to give the supplemental education adequately that goes along with the health services. But why? Both services are written in the job description! How do the employees not care? This apathy exists everywhere in the world, and I just do not understand why. Some people truly do not believe their presence on earth has anything to do with anything or anyone else so they take a stance of apathy and protect themselves with numbness to many of the largest problems that are sometimes in their own backyard. The only thing I hope I am capable of doing here is empowering a few young people here, or maybe just one, and hope that that action might ripple into something greater. That long tangent, by the way, comes back to the fact that I really feel lucky to get close enough to the people I am affecting for a little daily motivation.
In spite of dealing with a few difficult realizations, I am still very optimistic as I have had a few successes. First, a date is set for next Wednesday for an identity workshop I am planning for those 13 and older. Secondly, I have written 6 proposals for either new projects or restructuring/reorganizing older projects. Many of these proposals involve adding a health curriculum into other projects Vatsalya already has started. I am also currently working on some volunteer scheduling documents and other odd jobs around Udayan. While continuing to work on these things, I am heading to Ajmer tomorrow for a few days, and back to Jaiupr and Udayan for my final week in India. I cannot believe I have already been here for three weeks. However, I am so glad I chose to come here for the amount of time I did. I definitely feel like I am working along the current of Indian culture.
Ah, lastly…if anyone is interested in some gorgeous handcrafted garments, jewelry or other works of artisanship, please check out www.anoothi.org. All of items are handmade by the rural women outside Jaipur, and the proceeds go to the women themselves and Udayan.
Also, if you would like to become a member of the 100$ pledge for Udayan, let me know. It is a commitment to donate 100$ a year to the children’s village. With the economic recession, many of the largest donors have had to pull the plug on their sponsorship. As a result, Vatsalya’s fundraising plans have changed, and they are now attempting to get 500 100$ members in the place of a few large donors. If you would like more information about Vatsalya, check out www.vatsalya.org.
And just for fun, and because I have been reading many quotes lately, I'll just leave some words that have resonated strongly with me this week by Nelson Mendela
Our deepest fear
is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not or darkness,
that frightens us
We ask ourselves, who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented
and fabulous?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people will
feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the
glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us;
it is in everyone.
And as we let our light shine.
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
One does not become enlightened
by imagining figures of light
but by making the darkness conscious
The latter procedure, however
is disagreeable, and therefore not popular
Carl Jung
Finally, the moment I have been looking forward to since I have started planning this adventure: assimilation, adjustment, adaptation, integration, whatever you want to call it….the point where everything just kind of clicks has happened. It is the moment where I feel like I can truly be myself and where my personality and motives are genuinely coming across. There is no longer any hesitation or reluctance to dive into anything. Overall I feel like my energy is in the flow with India’s energy rather than fighting against it.
The week started when Jaimala, Hitesh and I went to a practical exam of sorts at the hotel/restaurant class at Upaanjen. The Upaanjen project might be my favorite project of Vatsalya and it has had tremendous success. At the end of the first cycle, they had 88% of their students successfully placed in jobs. We had a mock lunch, and one of the students cooked us absolutely delicious food that we ordered off a menu. We also had a dessert (compliments of the chef) called gajar ka halwa. It is made with carrots, sugar, raisins, almonds, pistachios, milk and ghee. Sounds weird, but it was so good! Anyways, who knew my experience at Caffe Gelato would come in handy here? After lunch we critiqued the service which was actually really good besides the lack of confidence. It is really amazing what kind of turnaround the students make. In the beginning of training, many of them were pretty broken and had never been told they can actually do something with their lives.
Back at Udayan, I have made some genuine connections with both the children and the staff and am feeling that my thoughts and actions are being well embraced. Bonding with all of the children this past week has been a dynamic experience as each child has shared their own eccentricities with me. When the smaller children come running, it usually implies I am to fulfill my duty to become a tree while they all become monkeys. Hanging out with the older boys, on the contrary, usually includes a full show-and-tell of their favorite actors/actresses/cricket players and pictures from their favorite movie: Doom 2. Being around all of the children has made a world of difference for me. I have said this many times before, and I believe it more and more everyday: kids are kids…no matter where in the world you go and no matter what language they speak. They are all essentially going through the same things, and I can for the most part, always connect with an issue they are going through. Or, it is at least much easier to relate and connect here than it was with the grown men truck drivers as a foreign white girl. Although I still learned a lot, connection was just not happening.
I am also really starting to connect with the staff. I feel like I know what I am doing here, they know what I am doing here, and I am really working in line with their flow. Earlier, I did not comprehend how anything was accomplished as I was seriously confused and agitated by the simple inefficiencies and interruptions, but for the most part, that has passed. The staff at Udayan is very open to all of my ideas, and I could talk to some of them for hours just entranced with new knowledge about the culture. While things work differently, and sometimes I even think ass backwards, I suppose I’m growing accustomed to it.
I was blessed with a very sweet moment on Saturday which actually reminded me of another quote by Emerson, "You cannot see the stars until it gets dark enough." (By the way, at Udayan, which is basically in the middle of nowhere, I can see more stars than I have ever seen in the states as the sky is so clear). Anyways, I had been working on documents and proposals for about 4-5 hours when my eyes basically succumbed to the pixels of the computer screen and I could no longer read. I was becoming frustrated with my own abilities and of course with that, self doubt and the fear of failure creeping in my thoughts led me to a much needed break and an inevitable moment that rinsed those fears away. As soon as I went to take some chai, 5 year old Davika pounced on me, 3 year old Chupnub began playing with my hair and I simultaneously taught five year old Chayneese tic-tac-toe. (He, of course, beat me every time). It’s really wonderful to be blessed with reassurance that my work here may mean something through the small interactions with the children. Whenever I become discouraged by my own misunderstanding of the culture or lack of knowledge about the work I am attempting, I only need to step outside to be reminded that conquering my discomfort is a small price to pay for a potentially large reward which is the honor to be able to serve some phenomenally strong children.
It is important for me to note that the encouragement I received from the moments I can share with the children is truly a blessing. The opportunity to regain assurance and recharge my empowerment is something I have come to value daily as I am continually witnessing the huge negative outcomes of an un-empowered society who does not witness the people their actions or inactions effect. For instance, I recently wrote a proposal for a rural women’s health initiative. I then came to learn, however, that there already is a very well structured rural women’s health initiative in place…by the government. However, like the JJ act, there is some great policy but horrific implementation. The people hired by the government apparently do not care about their job. How can someone who is responsible for the care of pregnant women and the birth of children not care about their job and their impact? According to the staff, their problem is corruption and laziness. I then came to the realization that corruption may work and infect in at least two directions. It can be trickled down from the powerful as greed infects people, or it can be embedded in the apathetic trait of the culture and grow from the roots of society. Both, I believe are present in this case. What makes me cringe though is how the latter is so preventable! If people are taught that their actions in fact make a difference, no matter how small, maybe they will feel more responsible for both their actions and inactions. The lack of innovation, creative problem solving and passion behind their actions is disheartening. For example, is it really the case that transportation is not provided for rural pregnant women from their villages to the health center that was actually built for them? And why? My guess is that no one spelled it out for the employees that they need to provide transportation for women in need of services. But then, why do they not think themselves to provide transportation to pregnant women who cannot drive themselves from the middle of nowhere to the health center? The situation does not end there. They also fail to give the supplemental education adequately that goes along with the health services. But why? Both services are written in the job description! How do the employees not care? This apathy exists everywhere in the world, and I just do not understand why. Some people truly do not believe their presence on earth has anything to do with anything or anyone else so they take a stance of apathy and protect themselves with numbness to many of the largest problems that are sometimes in their own backyard. The only thing I hope I am capable of doing here is empowering a few young people here, or maybe just one, and hope that that action might ripple into something greater. That long tangent, by the way, comes back to the fact that I really feel lucky to get close enough to the people I am affecting for a little daily motivation.
In spite of dealing with a few difficult realizations, I am still very optimistic as I have had a few successes. First, a date is set for next Wednesday for an identity workshop I am planning for those 13 and older. Secondly, I have written 6 proposals for either new projects or restructuring/reorganizing older projects. Many of these proposals involve adding a health curriculum into other projects Vatsalya already has started. I am also currently working on some volunteer scheduling documents and other odd jobs around Udayan. While continuing to work on these things, I am heading to Ajmer tomorrow for a few days, and back to Jaiupr and Udayan for my final week in India. I cannot believe I have already been here for three weeks. However, I am so glad I chose to come here for the amount of time I did. I definitely feel like I am working along the current of Indian culture.
Ah, lastly…if anyone is interested in some gorgeous handcrafted garments, jewelry or other works of artisanship, please check out www.anoothi.org. All of items are handmade by the rural women outside Jaipur, and the proceeds go to the women themselves and Udayan.
Also, if you would like to become a member of the 100$ pledge for Udayan, let me know. It is a commitment to donate 100$ a year to the children’s village. With the economic recession, many of the largest donors have had to pull the plug on their sponsorship. As a result, Vatsalya’s fundraising plans have changed, and they are now attempting to get 500 100$ members in the place of a few large donors. If you would like more information about Vatsalya, check out www.vatsalya.org.
And just for fun, and because I have been reading many quotes lately, I'll just leave some words that have resonated strongly with me this week by Nelson Mendela
Our deepest fear
is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not or darkness,
that frightens us
We ask ourselves, who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented
and fabulous?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people will
feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the
glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us;
it is in everyone.
And as we let our light shine.
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
यह भारत है
(This is India)
So this past week, I have definitely had some frustrations. First of all, I don’t think I have ever appreciated the United States more than I have the past week. In the states, it doesn’t really matter if you are growing a beak and have a purple face. You will still be able to walk around alone and probably even safely. In India, as a foreign woman, my energy is constantly being drained as I am trying to walk around while ignoring stares, while also trying to fend off motorcycles after rickshaws after policemen trying to help and “show me the way” as if I am a lost damsel in distress.
The other day I was hiking in the same park Hitesh had taken me to last week. A fifty or so year old man came up to me and asked, of course, if I was married. I responded, “Absolutely!” to save myself from yet another discussion about western culture and women. It is much more fun to make up grandiose stories of my wedding and how I have two children waiting for me in the US than to give a cultural lesson about the differences of values in the East and West.
Traffic laws (or more like the unspoken rules of traffic) in India:
The right of way: Cows (the mother of all humans), camels, goats and goat herders, dogs, trucks, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians…in that order… or something like it…it really just depends on one’s perspective actually…maybe one day people go ahead of trucks, maybe the next day not so much…as Opa Ji says, “This is India.”
This week I have also really started to feel at home at the guesthouse. The other day, I was hanging out on the roof, and 14 year old Aasma (which means sky) came up. We spent a few hours giving each other dance lessons and then listening to both Western pop music and Indian pop music. She is now a fan of Elton John (<3 UDSST)! Others she liked were Sleepyhead by PassionPit, and Kids by MGMT…obviously. She then taught me how to make Chai the Assma way (5 more scoops of sugar than the already very sweet recipe) and let me help make dinner. I will definitely be coming home with some bangin Sabji (spicy vegetable) recipes!
During my stay in Kavach the past week, I have learned a ton on how to operate a truly grassroots initiative in HIV prevention. The whole operation is crude, blunt, in your face and hard core in the field. For instance, to engage the long-distance truckers in conversation about sex, the health care workers start “bodymapping” on the side of the road. Bodymapping is exactly what it sounds like. The health educator draws an outlandishly cartoonish figure of a woman and all the ways a man can correspondingly have sex with her. Then, they proceed to talk about which ways having sex are high risk for STI/HIV infection and how it can accordingly be prevented. Next, the truckers who have some kind of health concern are shown to the mobile satellite clinic. This is usually an abandoned garage or room of some sort with no walls separating the doc’s office from the “lobby”. In one of these clinics, the doc brings the patient to the back of the room underneath a dark staircase, asks him to drop his drawers, and then sees what is going on with a flashlight. So, overall the circumstances are extreme, but like Dr. Hitesh said earlier, start chaotic, and get structured later. The whole process is definitely chaotic, but I think it has to be in order to truly engage the truck drivers and appeal to their lifestyle. Overall, the process has a flow to it, and it definitely works and gets results.
Something else I have noted to be a little strange and pretty funny was the surprised look on Dr. Rahul’s face after he realized that during one of his teaching sessions with me about STIs and condoms, I had at least already been taught the basics. After his third lecture and demonstration about the proper way to use a condom, I told him, “Yep, I think I got it.” He said, “Really? You don’t know how to use a condom, a nice girl like you?” I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I then proceeded to tell him that I am no stranger to the banana demonstration because in the states, every 14/15 year old is shown proper technique. He was flabbergasted. In fact, this realization that people, especially adolescents, receive no formal health or sex education actually led me to a project I, with the guidance of Jaimala and Hitesh, will be embarking on.
During the next week, I will be heading back to Udayan for a couple of days and then two hours away to the Female Sex Worker project in Ajmer. My goals are to basically assess how Vatsalya conducts sex education to various populations and to also gauge the current level of knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. Currently, they have formal projects to educate the source population (female sex workers) and the bridge population (the long-distance truckers), but not yet the general population. In India, there is actually no public sex education which leaves the discussion of disease prevention to be quite taboo. I essentially hope to design a culturally sensitive health curriculum appropriate for the general population of street children and women who are susceptible to STI/HIV infection via the bridge populations. Each age group and subgroup will of course have a different curriculum. I will also hopefully get to discuss some acute situations going on at Udayan where there are always children in adolescence with corresponding health concerns.
So this past week, I have definitely had some frustrations. First of all, I don’t think I have ever appreciated the United States more than I have the past week. In the states, it doesn’t really matter if you are growing a beak and have a purple face. You will still be able to walk around alone and probably even safely. In India, as a foreign woman, my energy is constantly being drained as I am trying to walk around while ignoring stares, while also trying to fend off motorcycles after rickshaws after policemen trying to help and “show me the way” as if I am a lost damsel in distress.
The other day I was hiking in the same park Hitesh had taken me to last week. A fifty or so year old man came up to me and asked, of course, if I was married. I responded, “Absolutely!” to save myself from yet another discussion about western culture and women. It is much more fun to make up grandiose stories of my wedding and how I have two children waiting for me in the US than to give a cultural lesson about the differences of values in the East and West.
Traffic laws (or more like the unspoken rules of traffic) in India:
The right of way: Cows (the mother of all humans), camels, goats and goat herders, dogs, trucks, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians…in that order… or something like it…it really just depends on one’s perspective actually…maybe one day people go ahead of trucks, maybe the next day not so much…as Opa Ji says, “This is India.”
This week I have also really started to feel at home at the guesthouse. The other day, I was hanging out on the roof, and 14 year old Aasma (which means sky) came up. We spent a few hours giving each other dance lessons and then listening to both Western pop music and Indian pop music. She is now a fan of Elton John (<3 UDSST)! Others she liked were Sleepyhead by PassionPit, and Kids by MGMT…obviously. She then taught me how to make Chai the Assma way (5 more scoops of sugar than the already very sweet recipe) and let me help make dinner. I will definitely be coming home with some bangin Sabji (spicy vegetable) recipes!
During my stay in Kavach the past week, I have learned a ton on how to operate a truly grassroots initiative in HIV prevention. The whole operation is crude, blunt, in your face and hard core in the field. For instance, to engage the long-distance truckers in conversation about sex, the health care workers start “bodymapping” on the side of the road. Bodymapping is exactly what it sounds like. The health educator draws an outlandishly cartoonish figure of a woman and all the ways a man can correspondingly have sex with her. Then, they proceed to talk about which ways having sex are high risk for STI/HIV infection and how it can accordingly be prevented. Next, the truckers who have some kind of health concern are shown to the mobile satellite clinic. This is usually an abandoned garage or room of some sort with no walls separating the doc’s office from the “lobby”. In one of these clinics, the doc brings the patient to the back of the room underneath a dark staircase, asks him to drop his drawers, and then sees what is going on with a flashlight. So, overall the circumstances are extreme, but like Dr. Hitesh said earlier, start chaotic, and get structured later. The whole process is definitely chaotic, but I think it has to be in order to truly engage the truck drivers and appeal to their lifestyle. Overall, the process has a flow to it, and it definitely works and gets results.
Something else I have noted to be a little strange and pretty funny was the surprised look on Dr. Rahul’s face after he realized that during one of his teaching sessions with me about STIs and condoms, I had at least already been taught the basics. After his third lecture and demonstration about the proper way to use a condom, I told him, “Yep, I think I got it.” He said, “Really? You don’t know how to use a condom, a nice girl like you?” I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I then proceeded to tell him that I am no stranger to the banana demonstration because in the states, every 14/15 year old is shown proper technique. He was flabbergasted. In fact, this realization that people, especially adolescents, receive no formal health or sex education actually led me to a project I, with the guidance of Jaimala and Hitesh, will be embarking on.
During the next week, I will be heading back to Udayan for a couple of days and then two hours away to the Female Sex Worker project in Ajmer. My goals are to basically assess how Vatsalya conducts sex education to various populations and to also gauge the current level of knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. Currently, they have formal projects to educate the source population (female sex workers) and the bridge population (the long-distance truckers), but not yet the general population. In India, there is actually no public sex education which leaves the discussion of disease prevention to be quite taboo. I essentially hope to design a culturally sensitive health curriculum appropriate for the general population of street children and women who are susceptible to STI/HIV infection via the bridge populations. Each age group and subgroup will of course have a different curriculum. I will also hopefully get to discuss some acute situations going on at Udayan where there are always children in adolescence with corresponding health concerns.
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