Chatfields in India

Saying Farewell -

2008-05-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

I understand what Shannon was feeling when she said, "Mom, I wish we'd never come here (India) because now we have to say good bye." While both of us are excited about returning to family, friends and our home in "America" (as the Indians refer to the U.S.) it is with sadness we leave behind so many dear people. We treasure the memories we will carry with us of this amazing place and our time here.
At a recent teachers' seminar organized by creche manager Hilda she managed to get me into a sari one last time!

Finally - A Permanent Home for Grace Kids Centre!

2008-05-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Grace Kids Centre, which has until now been housed in a variety of rental properties, will open following the annual school vacation at a new location in Kodaikanal on land purchased this spring. It was a pleasure to attend and participate in the ground breaking ceremony this month. Construction has already commenced and it is anticipated that the new building will be ready for occupation in June. Thanks to all the generous donors who have made this a reality!

2008-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Winding Down and Wrapping Up

2008-05-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

May brought the closing of the creches for annual "leave" (vacation). Each creche held a closing ceremony at which the five year olds "graduated", I was able to say goodbye, and the children performed dances and songs and made my day (and year!) by doing health skits on the three topics we had been working on (hand washing, tooth brushing and cough and sneezing etiquette). I was also able to do a final presentation for the staff and parents on HIV.
Little Lilies will remain open during the one month leave to provide lunch for the children in that community.

2008-05-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

Next stop was Kabini River Lodge where we traveled in a safari jeep."I want one of these (jeeps)!" said Shannon. Going out at dawn and dusk we spotted many deer, langurs and elephants and just missed a tiger which crossed the path of the vehicle ahead of us. His fresh print in the mud was most impressive. We wrapped up the trip with an elephant ride and a stop in Mysore to tour a silk factory before boarding the train back to Kodai.

Close Encounters of the Leech Kind!

2008-05-07T02:19:00.000-07:00

From Bylakuppe we traveled on to the Rain Forest Retreat near Madikeri in Coorg country. At this small establishment which is located on an organic spice plantation we stayed in a tent, took walks and joined the other guests for delicious meals. Due to recent rain tiger leeches were abundant and a popular topic of conversation.

Touring the State of Karnataka

2008-05-07T02:08:00.000-07:00

Shannon and I traveled to Karnataka in March where we visited Bylakuppe, a Tibetan refugee settlement where Shannon had spent a week on a school field trip last fall. Shops were closed while many residents were attending demonstrations. We were able to visit the elaborate Buddhist temple there.

Big Teeth A Big Hit!!

2008-05-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the American College of Nurse-Midwives Foundation grant I was able to purchase these "big teeth" which allow us to demonstrate how to brush. They were very popular with young and old alike and everyone got a chance to try out the big brush.

Shannon's Belated Birthday Celebration

2008-04-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Finally two months after her "real" birthday Shannon was able to host her much anticipated sleepover with five school friends. Arriving after a school basketball game the girls dined on Annie's Mac and Cheese and enjoyed brownie cake with ice cream and chocolate sauce while sitting around a camp fire, compliments of our neighbor, Bruce Peck. The next morning a breakfast of "Bombay" (AKA French) toast was served while the guests listened to music, watched videos and read fashion magazines.

International School of Geneva Students Brave Dreadful Weather to Help in Creches

2008-04-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Thirty 10th grade students and six adult chaperones from the International School of Geneva, Switzerland arrived in Kodai March 16 to volunteer in the creches. Now in its eighth year this annual opportunity for students to visit India, observe village life firsthand, interact with the creche children and participate in several projects has proven to be a most meaningful and enriching experience for all involved. Enthusiasm never wavered and spirits never "dampened" in spite of the cyclone-like weather that week which resulted in one creche being flooded and temporarily closed, trees and power lines down, and road travel difficult to say the least. Projects included painting, building tables and benches, writing and performing health skits, assisting with assessment of the children's nutritional status and helping with smokeless stove installations. Thank you International School of Geneva! It was a joy having you here!

More Visitors and More Travel!

2008-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Two more friends arrived at the end of February and off we went for a seven day road trip to Kerala on the southwest coast of India. First stop was Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, an elephant ride and the town of Thekkady where we enjoyed a performance of Kathakali, an ancient Indian dramatic art form traditionally performed by males who are heavily made up with paint and colorful headpieces and clothed in elaborate costumes. Using hand gestures called mudras and eye and facial expressions they portray stories to the accompaniment of drummers and singers.
Kerala is famous for its beautiful backwater boat trips. We enjoyed two such outings in Alleppey, observing village life along the river banks as we floated by.
Next we were on to Cochin, home of St. Francis Church where Vasco da Gama was initially buried. Dating from Kublai Khan's time are Chinese fishing nets still in use today along the shore of Cochin. Here near the nets we encountered this cat!
It was here in Cochin that I spotted my first snake charmer who entertained us with his cobras.
Last stop was Munnar and its beautiful tea plantations framed here by a blossoming jacaranda tree.
Back in Kodai my friends got decked out in salwar kameezs.

Shannon Places First in Field Day Events

2008-04-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Recently Shannon's school held its annual field days. The entire school body gathered and paraded to the playing fields. Shannon took first place in her division in long jump (pictured) and high jump. Not bad for her first attempts at track and field events! The second day concluded with the traditional chicken biryani luncheon served to all attendees Indian style on a palm leaf.

Creche Children Thrilled with Sound of Their Own Voices

2008-04-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Back in Kodaikanal we visited Little Lilies Creche where my friend recorded the children singing. With the advent of digital cameras the children are used to seeing their photos, but they were quite amazed to hear their voices played back. Their joy was infectious as they gathered round this newly discovered piece of equipment.

Guests Galore and Lots of Travel

2008-03-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are alive and well!! The past two months have been busy and full for both of us. In February I met two midwife friends in Goa on the west coast where we stayed in a lovely guesthouse on a quiet lane in picturesque Panaji, the former Portuguese capital of Old Goa, located at the mouth of the Mandovi River. We visited the many Roman Catholic churches and cathedrals in Old Goa, drove past vast rice paddy fields and toured an organic spice plantation where it is the custom to cool off the visitors with a ladle of cold water poured down the back at the end of the tour!

Where Did February Go??!!

2008-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

February brought my 57th birthday on the 19th and Shannon's 14th on the 27th. I expected my birthday to pass quietly without fanfare. Much to my surprise Hilda, our able creche manager, arrived on my doorstep at 8 a.m. with her family and two lovely bouquets of flowers. At 9 a.m. she returned with several creche teachers and gifts of a sari and a salwar kameez and an invitation to her home for supper. Later that morning a friend dropped by for coffee and a motorcycle ride around the lake. All in all it was a wonderful day.
Shannon was treated to a buffet dinner at a local hotel and several new manga books on her special day. She is planning a sleepover with several dormmates in the near future to continue the celebration.

We Ate All Kinds of Weird and Wonderful Food...

2008-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Rice, noodles (buckwheat and white wheat), yakitori (skewered chicken and vegetables grilled), sushi and sashimi, sukiyaki and shabu-shabu (beef and vegetables cooked at the table in broth), tempura (of course!), fried oysters, lots of shrimp, hiroshima-yaki (an egg based savory pancake made with noodles, fried eggs and more), tofu, edamane (soy beans), miso :( ,wasabi, pickled vegetables...
We ate many unidentified foods too. As far as I know we missed eel and fugu, the notoriously deadly pufferfish.

2008-01-19T05:09:00.000-08:00

Sing karaoke? You bet!

People Ask, Did We....? Yes!!

2008-01-19T03:50:00.000-08:00

Ride the shinkansen (bullet trains) that travel up to 300km/hour? Yes and they are safe, punctual, spotless and comfortable. In order to keep the trains running on schedule platform signs indicate where to stand for your carriage when it arrives at the station. The Japanese are masters of efficiency.

Japan-All and More Than We Had Expected or Hoped For!

2008-01-17T04:14:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Japan was the result of a "deal" Shannon made with me over a year ago. "If we go to India (mom's heart's desire), I want to go to Japan," she told me. Shannon's interest stemmed from an obsession with manga and anime (Japanese comics and animated films). Seems like a reasonable request, I reasoned, it's in the same region of the world. Well, not exactly. My geography was a bit off, needless to say. But I went ahead and booked a low-budget tour with G.A.P. Adventures.
We arrived at Narita Airport, Tokyo via Bangkok at the end of November and were met by the son of VT friends who lives there with his Japanese wife and son. Thank goodness we didn't have to find our way to their apartment that first day. Although we quickly learned how to get around on the trains and subways, initially the signage and routes were overwhelming to decipher.
We had our first encounter with the famous Japanese toilets (see photo) which include a warm seat (how we missed that on our return to chilly Kodai!), a bidet button or a more forceful spray option, built in deodorizer, and a "modesty" button which provides an electronic flushing sound to disguise any unsavoury bodily noises.
Within twenty four hours Shannon had fulfilled two of her trip goals - to buy a kimono (see photo) and to visit the Ghibli Museum (see photo) dedicated to the work of famed anime creator Miyazaki Hayao. His films include My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away. I am grateful to Shannon for introducing me to this amazing genre of films and urge you who are unfamiliar to see them.
We also began what was to be a journey of incredible culinary delight with a traditional dinner and breakfast with our hosts followed by our first sample of yakitori (charcoal broiled chicken and other meats and vegetables on skewers) at their favorite neighborhood restaurant.
The next day we joined our tour group at a Tokyo hotel. We were 14 with our group leader and a very compatible bunch from Australia, Canada, Germany, England and the US.

New Coats and Toothbrushes

2008-01-16T04:37:00.001-08:00

With Your Help...

2007-12-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

This little Hindu girl and her fellow students at the creche give thanks for YOU as well as their lunch every day!!!
As the calender year has drawn to a close I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you just how your contributions have made a difference here in South India. Surrounded by such profound and basic unmet needs it is tempting, but inevitably futile, to try to respond through charitable measures i.e. handouts of some type. In the long run improvement in living conditions occurs as a result of advocacy which in the case of the Creche Project takes the form of education of children, staff, parents, and the community.
On the other hand there have been situations which presented themselves where I felt a charitable response was warranted and I am grateful that funds were available. Twin boys were born (unexpectedly!) to a local village couple after five years of infertility. Although cause for much rejoicing in the family and community the parents did not have the resources to clothe the babies. A layette was provided. A creche graduate now in her teens suffers from tuberculosis (TB) of the kidneys and has lost one kidney to the disease already. Her mother, dressed in rags, father and three siblings go without to cover her medical expenses which are on-going. Her mother received an inexpensive ($4.00) sari in December and I was able to advocate for this and another family who had gone into debt due to medical bills and to obtain financial assistance from a local organization.
Two creche staff members had family medical emergencies with which I could help by providing financial assistance with transportation, diagnostic testing, and prescriptions. I am talking about $20 for a taxi ride for someone with a severe headache who would otherwise have had to take a hot, dusty, jarring bus ride of three times the duration to get treatment, $10 (yes, you read that right!) for a CT scan at the government hospital, and a few dollars for medication for someone's father who lay barely conscious on the floor of his daughter's three room house. I am glad to report that both of these people are doing well at this writing.
In appreciation of the two "granny" midwives sharing their stories with me I was able to purchase thread and razor blades for tying and cutting the umbilical cord. To encourage toothbrushing all the creche children went home with a new toothbrush one day and as the weather turned cool here in Kodai we were able to have 150 little red, hooded fleece jackets with pockets made at a cost of only $300. As you can see from the photo I was a bit off on the sizes, ordering Size 2-4 and 4-6 for our three to five year olds!
Advocacy-
The first three months of my time here was spent interviewing members of the health care system as well as consumers/community members as part of a community health assessment which helped me identify needs for education as well as services. In Porayar it was evident that people did not have ready access to primary health care services and were often seeking out the creche nurse for care. We were able to provide her with very basic supplies including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, scabies treatment, gloves, bandaids and dressing materials. In addition a British-trained Spanish midwife passing through Kodaikanal had given me her birthing kit complete with instruments and emergency medications and I was able to pass this on to the same nurse in Porayar where most births are attended by an elderly traditional birth attendant with the most rudimentary knowledge and supplies.
The focus for the remainder of my time here will be on continuing various educational programs with the children, staff, parents and community members. Hand washing and tooth care as well cough and cold etiquette will be reinforced. In-service educational topics for the staff will include health and safety issues in the childcare setting. Parent and community meetings will address issues which the participants have expressed interest in including women's health issues, HIV, family planning, and care of the sick child.
As you can see $10 can go a long way here so donations no matter how "small" can make a real difference and any amount will be gratefully accepted. For more information on the Creche Project please go to www.help-kids-india.org (That's dashes/hyphens NOT underscores.) Checks can be made out to The Betsy Elizabeth Trust and mailed to Ann Peck, P.O. Box 12, Topsham, VT 05076, USA
Thank you so much for your support-financial, emotional and spiritual, and keep those emails and blog comments coming!!
Happy New Year!!
Lora

Creches Receive 2007 American College of Nurse Midwives Foundation Community Grant Award

2007-12-24T01:26:00.000-08:00

Today (Christmas Eve) I received a wonderful Christmas gift. It came in the form of a letter notifying me that we had been chosen to receive the above grant of $500. to purchase teaching materials, supplies and equipment for the educational sessions we will be holding in 2008 in the communities served by the creches. In previous meetings village residents have shared with us topics of concern like women's health issues which we will be addressing as well as family planning and HIV. We will continue to reinforce hand-washing, tooth care and cough etiquette which we have previously covered with the children and parents in lively, interactive meetings. Thank you A.C.N.M. Foundation!!

Standing Room Only for Creche Christmas Program!

2007-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

The creche children have been rehearsing for weeks for their Christmas programs. In addition to the re-enactment of the Christmas story (see an expectant Mary making the journey to Bethlehem with Joseph!) parents and guests were treated to songs, Bible verses and readings, and beautiful, traditional Indian dances performed by their preschoolers. The programs culminated with gifts of new school uniforms, stuffed toys and sweets for the children, some kitchenware for parents, and new saris for the teachers.

Yes, We Are Alive and VERY Well!!!

2007-12-18T04:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from South India via Japan from Us to You!

The past several weeks have been full of travel, hence the lack of posts. We have lots to share with you including this beautiful Irish-American geisha recently spotted near a Kyoto teahouse!!!

Sunday in Porayar

2007-10-25T06:51:00.001-07:00

Porayar has a large Lutheran community and I was invited to attend the Sunday service by Betsy Elizabeth Trust board member, Inbaraj. Pictured here is the large Sunday School. At the end of the church service a goat (pictured here with Inbaraj) suddenly appeared in the sanctuary and was raffled off to the highest bidder to benefit the church. Following church I was treated to more Indian hospitality when my landlady's mother and brother prepared a delicious meal for me, served on palm leaves. We dined Indian style, sitting on the floor, eating with our hands. The menu included fried fish and chicken, rice (always!), curry, and curd (plain yogurt) with fresh, raw vegetables.

Getting Around as a Family

2007-10-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

Three grown men riding on a motorcycle is a common sight here and allowed by law. Families rely on motorcycles for transportation too. Pictured here are creche nurse Regina, her husband, and two children on their way to a wedding reception. Women typically ride side saddle in their saris, a balancing feat in itself! When you add a squirming toddler it becomes quite a challenge. The older children are adept at holding on. A national helmet law has been passed but is not yet widely enforced.

Tsunami and Its Aftermath

2007-10-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

Although Porayar, which lies 1 km. from the coast, was not directly hit by the 2004 tsunami, many people lost friends and family members. I met one man who was swept inland by the wave about 1 km. and miraculously escaped with only minor injuries! Above is a chart seen at a local social service agency which records the loss of human and animal lives in the surrounding villages.
A mass grave is pictured also.
There was much evidence of recovery efforts along the coast with new housing and fishing fleets.
Fortunately people can once again enjoy the pleasures of the beach, even though bathing suits are taboo and way too revealing for Indian ladies. Women still go in the water sari-clad as did my friends Pushpa and Florence, creche teachers, and Florence's son. I couldn't resist joining them, even in my clothes, knowing we would be travelling back to Porayar by bus. The air temperature was in the 90's and the water was like bath water.

Kids, kids and more kids!!

2007-10-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

My sunglasses were a big hit at the creche, even with the teachers, and everyone got a chance to try them on and see the world through, not rose but, amber colored glasses. Of course the digital camera is a magical invention and EVERYONE wanted their photo taken.
Often I would prepare to "shoot" a couple of kids and within seconds the "couple" had multiplied to a "bunch"!

Karuppai-Porayar's traditional birth attendant

2007-10-17T02:22:00.000-07:00

In Porayar I was privileged to meet Karuppai (pictured here with Regina, creche nurse, and myself) who has been attending home births there for over 25 years. In addition to doing farm work she "catches" an average of two babies per month and receives 100-200 rupees ($2.50-$5.00) from those who can afford to pay her. Most women in this area deliver their first baby in a hospital, usually in the town or city of the mother's family, but then remain at home for subsequent births.

More on Porayar

2007-10-14T23:40:00.001-07:00

As in Kodai I met with creche staff and parents in Porayar to talk about what they perceived as health issues in their community.
Recurring requests were for latrines; for an accessible, affordable place in the community to go for evaluation and treatment of common illnesses and minor injuries and to receive effective medications at low or no cost; and for someone to assist with and continue the work of the local traditional birth attendant/"granny midwife" so that women could have safe home births. I will be working with creche nurse, Regina, on the latter two issues and we began by purchasing some basic supplies and medications for her.
Once word got out in the village that I was visiting, I experienced a constant stream of "patients", people with a variety of maladies, some very serious or life threatening, who arrived at the creche to see me. I was at a loss as to what was expected of me. And I had little to offer. Fortunately everyone seemed happy enough if I just reviewed the handheld medical cards they carried with their diagnoses and prescriptions and encouraged them to continue follow up with the available doctors and nurses at the local government hospitals. Many asked me to pray with and for them.
Pictured at top is the parent meeting, next a family I met in which the mother had delivered quadruplets (spontaneous, not the result of fertility drugs). Two of the four babies survived, weighing 1.3 and 1.5 kg each and spending the first month of life in the hospital. This seemed truly remarkable to me. This mom, as is typical in Indian families, is the last in the family to eat after husband and children and it was pretty obvious by her physical appearance.
The families in Kodai typically have two children, while in Porayar four and more children are common. Not surprisingly the degree of poverty seems much more severe in Porayar.
We were able to help this family with rice and eggs and some iron supplements for the mom. Sadly this was only a bandaid for their chronic financial problems.
The bottom photo is of a family in which the father is suffering from diabetes and has a serious infection in his foot, precluding work. Diabetes seems to be rampant here, probably in part due to a lot of intermarriage and the hereditary nature of the disease. Controlling blood sugar through diet is extremely difficult when rice is the staple and eaten three times a day by poor families. This man had us all very worried. He wrote me a heartbreaking letter in broken English asking for help constructing a new house. At present the family is living in a flimsy palm branch shelter which will probably not survive the monsoon season. Again we sent rice and eggs and supplies for his wife to use in changing his dressing. I will be checking in with him when I return to Porayar at the end of this month (October).
The third photo is of me holding a baby brought in by his grandmother. The story was that the baby "cried all the time" and had been taken to many doctors who reportedly told the family the baby was okay. As I looked at him I noticed that he threw his head back and arched his back and was very irritable and difficult to comfort. As I talked with the grandmother I learned the baby had been ill with fever (maybe meningitis) and appeared to have suffered some brain damage. I suspect the family was told the baby was okay meaning nothing could be done at this point.

Health Care in the Creche

2007-10-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Seline's nurse counterpart in Porayar is Regina, pictured at bottom. As in the Kodaikanal creches, FIMRC (Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children) generously provides funding which allows the creche children to receive primary health care. Pictured here are some of the children in taxi driver Anand's Ambassador car, ready for the weekly 13 km. ride to Karrikal where they will see the creche doctor. We arrived to find a long queue of parents and children at the clinic. Regina and teacher Pushpa helped the children remove their shirts in preparation for the doctor who listened to their chests and treated their coughs and colds. Fortunately no serious problems this trip. Next stop- the pharmacy to pick up paracetamol (Tylenol) and cough syrup.

Creche Life

2007-10-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

At Helping Hearts Creche in Porayar, cook Jayanti, prepares lunch for the children and staff. Here you can see her using an ancient implement for peeling ginger and cutting vegetables. Hard boiled eggs and fish are served on different days once a week. Chicken is a special treat once a month. No beef here. Cows are sacred animals in the Hindu faith. A HUGE pot of rice is always on the lunch menu. These children have hearty appetites and hungry stomachs.
In addition they receive breakfast porridge and a high protein snack before going home in the afternoon.
Following lunch the entire staff pitches in to clean up and wash the dishes at the water pump in the creche yard. A bit of coconut husk makes a great scratch pad for scrubbing pots and pans.
In the meantime the childen take a long nap after lunch. On awakening they have their hair combed and faces powdered with
talc in preparation for going home.

American "Auntie" Visits Helping Hearts Creche

2007-10-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

In September I travelled with Hilda, creche manager, to the fourth creche, Helping Hearts, in Porayar. Getting there entailed a long, hot, hair-raising road trip of about nine hours duration. Driving or, in my case, riding in a vehicle in India is an experience unto itself. First we travel two hours down the narrow, twisting and turning "ghat" (mountain) road from Kodai to the "plains". All Indian roads are loaded with a variety of obstacles including, but not limited to animals (freely wandering cows, goats, and dogs), rock and sand piles, speed bumps (all unmarked), remnants of recent accidents like motorcycles lying in the road ("It can't be removed until the police complete their investigation. They will come in three days."), ox carts and always people walking (no sidewalks) and bicycling. I have no desire whatsoever to drive here. For one thing it would take forever to get anywhere with all the braking and stopping I would be doing. The Indian drivers just keep on going, horns blaring, passing slower and often very large vehicles like trucks ("lorries") and buses on curves, and anticipating that an animal is going to move out of the way (so far they all have). They are incredibly alert and focused and I feel amazingly safe with them at the wheel (although I usually opt for the back seat!).
Anyway we arrived in Porayar to a warm welcome from the staff and children. Hilda left after a couple of days to return to Kodai and I stayed on for two weeks to do the community health assessment, spend time at the creche, learn more about the area and do a bit of sightseeing. One of my jobs was to photograph each creche child.

Independence Day

2007-09-24T08:57:00.001-07:00

August 15th marked the 60th anniversary of Indian independence. Traditionally schools hold special ceremonies to celebrate the day. I was honored to be invited to Grace Kids Centre creche for the occasion. It is the custom for the children to portray various characters from the independence movement. I'm not sure who this young man was meant to be, but he took his role very seriously and his lines were loud and clear. Some of the other children performed dances including this little girl dressed up in a saree for her performance. The morning ended with the children being presented with their new creche uniforms by visiting dignitaries and then sweets for all!

Smokeless Cookstove Installed

2007-09-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

I was aware that the Creche Project had partnered with the International Humanitarian Foundation to provide each creche family with a smokeless cookstove. Recently I accompanied Selvum and Sixton to observe an installation first hand. We found grandmother and creche child's brother at home, anxiously awaiting our arrival. The village families are thrilled to receive these stoves, a vast improvement over traditional open cooking fires which fill the one room homes with smoke that irritates the lungs and stings the eyes. By enclosing the fire and adding a chimney there is a significant reduction in indoor air pollution.
It was a hot day and a steep climb to the house with the materials needed to install the stove. (Masks are on order to replace the handkerchief!)

Close Encounters of the Gaur Kind

2007-09-23T23:25:00.001-07:00

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After having missed several gaur (wild bison) sightings on hikes when the animals heard us and ran off into the forest, I was thrilled to arrive at the house of friends recently to be greeted with, "Quick, upstairs, there are two wild bison behind the house!" Indeed this massive fellow and a younger bison were within feet of the house, "stolidly indifferent" (an apt description I have read about them). We remained in the house initially and gradually ventured outside for a closer look. There is a story circulating here of a man who was gored to death after taking a flash photo of a gaur. I have also met a local woman who collects firewood in the forest and had been attacked. So we kept a safe distance. We watched them for quite some time and then went off for tea. In the meantime the bison moved on. Later my friend and I set off for home on foot and on rounding a corner came face to face with one of the bison. We made a hasty retreat up an embankment, not really a rational decision since bison are as quick and agile as mountain goats. A few minutes later the bison ambled past us on the road and as he passed me, he stopped, turned his huge head, looked right at me, and then continued on. I was more awe-struck than frightened.

Shannon Discovers Volleyball

2007-08-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Shannon is thriving in dorm life. Her room is the site of frequent mass sleepovers and the dorm is a lively place full of screaming, giggling middle school girls.
Left to her own devices and with the occassional gentle prodding of her dormparent she is managing to get to meals, classes and other activities in a timely fashion AND to pass room inspection!
Unbeknownst to me, Shannon joined the volleyball team and has become a major player and scorer. She is very modest about her new found talent. I only became aware that she was playing at all through her classmates! This weekend she travels to a rival school for a tournament. With no girls' soccer offered here she is happy to have found this alternative sport.
Academically, she is finding KIS challenging, but not impossible. She is enjoying studying Tamil but struggling with the periodic table in Science. She is looking forward to Field Trip Week in September when her class will visit a Tibetan refugee settlement and study Tibetan culture firsthand.
She and I usually go out for lunch on weekends and I often see her when I am at the school for yoga and other activities. We are in contact by phone several nights per week too. Conversations tend to revolve around requests for snack foods and spending money!

Much Appreciated Employment Produces Much Appreciated Home Help

2007-08-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

I am truly blessed to be able to provide much needed employment for Mary, Daniel and Martha and to benefit from their assistance in keeping the household on an even keel. I look forward to their arrival three mornings a week when they endure my feeble attempts at Tamil, help me with any "poochie" (insect) problems, distinguish between a worm and a snake (it was a worm fortunately!), and tackle a myriad of other minor problems as they arise.
Mary, botttom photo, prepares the most delicious Indian food imaginable and has a wide American repertoire as well. She is a master at the use of spices, insists on using fresh coconut (no canned coconut milk for her!), and is sabotaging my weight loss program with her marvelous homemade Indian breads!
Martha beats the dirt from my hikes out of my clothes and keeps the house dusted, swept and mopped, all without the aid of the modern conveniences we take for granted.
Daniel, Martha's husband, is a jack of all trades, doing gardening, cutting the grass by hand (no lawn mowers here), keeping me well-supplied with firewood (no central heating or heaters here!), and making sure the rain water is pumped up into the holding tank or alerting me to a need to buy water when supplies are low.
I am thankful for each and everyone of them.

Local "Granny" Midwife Shares Forty Years of Experience

2007-08-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of meeting this delightful Hindu lady, Eswari, age 67, who has been attending home births in the local creche area for forty years. Her own mother attended Eswari's births and encouraged her daughter to apprentice with her. She has a deep sense of God's calling on her life and His presence with her at births. If she receives any pay at all, it is often in the form of a new sari. And guess what, midwife friends? She uses castor oil!
She also serves her community at the time of death when she is called in to bathe the body, a job many shun.
Presently there is no one working with Eswari to carry on after her. Several women have told me that they had their mother or sister or friend present at their home birth to assist. For these untrained attendants, the Home-Based Life Saving Skills program which I have mentioned before and would like to implement here, would provide critical skills and knowledge.

KIS Hiking Program

2007-08-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

All KIS students are required to participate in two hikes, after that hikes are optional. Many kids continue hiking in pursuit of the "Tahr Pin" awarded to all who complete a certain number of increasingly long and strenuous hikes. I have joined the past four hikes in part for exercise, but more for the opportunity to get out in the surrounding forest inhabited by wild bison and even elephants farther away. The scenery and views are spectacular. I can no longer blame the altitude (7000 ft.) for my shortness of breath since two months are plenty of time to adjust. As the old adage goes, "I'm in no shape to exercise!" Every week I say, " This is the last hike"' as I hobble home after, but each week the muscle aches and pains are disappearing earlier in the week and off I go to sign up for "just one more". There are usually a few others who are struggling on the steep uphill slopes, huffing and puffing. The students are a pleasure to chat with on the trips and we congratulate each other on our mutual accomplishments.
Pictured are Dolphin's Nose, Jerry's Point and Gundar Falls.

Caring for Body, Mind and Soul

2007-08-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Shannon's school has proven to be a wonderful resource for me. I attend church in the school chapel, pictured here. On staff are four ordained ministers from Mennonite, Indian Orthodox and Lutheran traditions which lends great variety to the services. In addition the students are very much involved in all aspects of worship. The music ranges from classical to choruses, strings to percussion. It is a real joy to be in the midst of such a young congregation.
Following the Sunday service, several members of the staff and community gather for adult Sunday School. We are reading Philip Yancey's "What's So Amazing About Grace?", watching the accompanying DVD, and feeling challenged by his words.
Once a week the school screens a foreign film for any interested adults. There is a small but loyal group of us who show up regularly. Since there is no movie theater in Kodai this has been a welcome alternative to commercial laden TV movies.
Twice a week I attend a great yoga class. Although I pass on the shoulder and head stands I am beginning to reap the benefits as my joints loosen and flexibility and balance continue to improve.
KMU is a small library on the school premises where one can drop in twice a week for coffee and conversation which can range from Parsi death customs to environmental issues to local news depending on who drops by.
In all these settings I have met many wonderful people and all the activities are free!

Home Visiting

2007-08-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

I have had a number of opportunities to visit families in their homes. I consider this a great privilege to witness the reality of these peoples' lives directly. Without exception I have received a warm welcome, always an offer of tea and a chair to sit on. When I opt to sit on the floor, a mat to cover the floor always materializes.
To the right are photos of visits made with the local township nurses to the homes of pregnant women.

Community Meetings

2007-08-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

On the side are photos taken at one of the two meetings we held in the villages served by the Kodai area creches. One of the Betsy Elizabeth Trust board members, the creche manager and the creche nurse arranged these get togethers with creche parents and any other interested women. We met on a Sunday morning for about an hour. It was difficult to find a time when these women were free. They work six days a week collecting firewood, carrying rocks for masonry, collecting eucalyptus leaves for oil and working at other unskilled, low-paying jobs. Sundays are busy with religious observances and trips to the big open air market in Kodai. Over tea and biscuits we talked about their childbirth experiences, if and where they had received prenatal care, where they had delivered (home, hospital, clinic), how complications were handled, family planning methods, experiences with deaths of mothers and babies, and finally what they identified as needs with which I might assist.
Many requested treatment for various ailments or a few paracetamol (acetaminophen) for aches and pains. Unfortunately I could not respond to these requests but the women did come up with some topics to address in future meetings around women's health issues.

Meeting Newest Member of Local Dentist's Family

2007-08-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

Community and Referral Center Assessments

2007-08-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Arriving in India with a vague intention of doing something health related in the communities served by the creches, I have spent a lot of time during the past two months meeting anyone and anybody who was willing to talk to me about the health care system here and in particular maternal and child health care. I have been amazed by the wonderful reception I have received. I have met with administrators and staff in local private and government hospitals, municipal health officials, public health nurses, and private practitioners. Without exception everyone has gone out of their way to answer my questions and to allow me to observe everyday operations in their facilities and the surrounding community. Through these meetings I am gradually developing a sense of what needs I might be able to address in a very small way. Seline and I are working closely together to design some health education programs for the creche parents and staff to begin with.
For me the most interesting and enjoyable part of the community assessment is meeting with families in the community as they share their birth and other stories. I have had the opportunity to do this both formally and informally with creche staff and by accompanying public health nurses on some home visits.

Next Stop-Pharmacy

2007-08-06T23:41:00.001-07:00

When all the children have been seen, our next stop is the pharmacy. Pictured above is creche nurse Seline at the pharmacy.
Curious about what the various medications are I quiz Seline or the pharmacist, read labels, and google the unfamiliar names when I get home e.g. Kolq, Serronak, Hatric 3, Calpol, Roxid, Nicip, Zifi, Sporidex, and Zedex.

Dr. V - Nalla (good) doctor!

2007-08-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

Dr. V., (see sign for full, multisyllabic name!), a family practice physician, with the assistance of nurse Christine treats the children primarily for coughs and colds, scabies and impetigo. As part of the creche intake process Seline reviews the immunization records and health histories of the children.

Monday Doctor Run

2007-08-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

Every Monday morning the creche nurse, Seline, screens all the children for any illnesses or injuries that require medical attention and off we go in the jeep to see Dr. V. His services and any necessary prescriptions are covered through the generosity of FIMRC, the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, USA. On arriving at Dr. V.'s office the children wait patiently (no pun intended) in a side room to be seen.

Vanakkam! The Trials and Tribulations of Tamil

2007-08-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

In spite of hearing some discouraging accounts of attempts to learn Tamil, I decided to give it a shot if for no other reason than to try to ward off Alzheimer's. (Language study and crossword puzzles are supposed to help!) Furthermore I have found over time in many settings that people have always met my feeble attempts to communicate in the language at hand with pleasure and usually much amusement. It's a definite ice breaker!
Some of the challenges peculiar to Tamil include the following:
-There are 35 basic vowels and consonants in Tamil. You can see in the signs above the appearance of the written language. Although I have no conscious memory of learning the English/Roman alphabet as a child, I have a much greater appreciation for this achievement by kindergarteners as I struggle to identify Tamil words!
-A number of Tamil sounds have no exact counterpart in English. One set of sounds called "retroflex" sounds requires that the tip of the tongue be turned backwards so that the underside of the tongue touches the roof of the mouth. It feels like yoga for the tongue!
-Many words are very similar except for the length of the vowels e.g. aamaa (yes) and ammaa (mother), padam (picture) and paadam (lesson), pal (tooth) and paal (milk). You can imagine what kind of trouble I can and do get into with this!
-Word order in a sentence is subject, object, verb e.g. Ganesh her saw (Ganesh saw her.). I invariably get this wrong but find it comforting that the Tamil speakers speak English in Tamil order as often as I do the opposite and we seem to get by.

My Tamil teacher, Radhicka, pictured above, has infinite patience fortunately. In addition to teaching me Tamil she is a great source of information on Indian customs and traditions. We try to meet twice a week.

Last week I put my Tamil to the test with some of the creche children asking them to point to various parts of their body as I said, "Where's your...?" How exciting it was to have them respond correctly! They looked puzzled and then laughed when I said, "Where's your tail?"

By the way, Vanakkam, pronounced "one-a come", means Greetings.

Notice the warning in the second sign - "No Eve Teasing". Kodai is a popular destination for Indian tourists, many of whom are young men. Renting row boats or paddle boats on the local lake is a common pastime. Apparently the young men sometimes become a bit unruly out on the lake in the presence of young ladies, hence the sign.

Coming up- communicating in English!

A Woman's Work Is Never Done...

2007-08-03T02:28:00.001-07:00

Riches to Rags

2007-08-03T02:11:00.000-07:00

Having just left the school gates following the opening assemby at KIS and leaving Shannon to start school, I met these "ragpickers" on the road. These children pick through trash looking for saleable materials to provide income for their families. School is not a part of their day.

Trunks on the Move Again!

2007-08-03T01:34:00.000-07:00

After a three day orientation for parents and new students Shannon moved into her dorm at Kodaikanal International School (KIS) on July 16th. As we pulled into the dorm these men appeared and without hesitation placed the trunks on their heads. Shannon and I had just struggled together to get them into the jeep, one of us grabbing a handle at each end!
Shannon and her roommate from Canada share a dorm with about 20 other (usually screaming!) middle school girls from all over the world including South Korea, India, Dubai and Japan.
Shannon's course load includes Tamil (the language of Tamil Nadu), Humanities, Food Technology, Religious Education, Math, Science, Health, Phys. Ed., Computer Technology and Performing Arts/Music. There is an active hiking program at KIS and all students are required to make two hikes. I chaperoned a hike to Dolphin's Nose last Saturday. It was quite a workout for me but a great opportunity to see more of the beautiful mountains and scenery around Kodai. This Saturday I'll be on a hike to a place called Spring Valley. All the kids rush to do their mandatory two hikes during the first few weeks of school since the level of difficulty increases every week. That means I have company, at least for the first couple of hikes, bringing up the rear of the group!

Betsy Dailey Visits Kodai!

2007-08-01T08:16:00.001-07:00

Betsy Dailey and children, Grace and Jacob, arrived in Kodai on July 4th for a one month visit. Betsy, founder of the creche project, is the Betsy of The Betsy Elizabeth Trust, the non-governmental organization which oversees the creches. Better known as "Ama" (mother) to those who know and love her from her many years in Kodai, Betsy visited all the creches and together we did a teacher training which included cough etiquette, handwashing, and playground safety. Betsy proved an invaluable resource to me during her visit, picking up where Ann had left off, introducing me to more people, educating me about Indian culture and customs and the Tamil language, and keeping me well fed with blueberry pancakes, spaghetti and newly discovered Indian sweets. Midway through the Daileys' visit, Shannon started boarding at school. It was especially nice to have them around during that transition. In addition they left me lots of good stuff like Time and Newsweek magazines and Hershey chocolate!!!
Thanks Betsy, Grace and Jacob! I miss you!

More Cute Kids

2007-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Bottle Caries (Cavities)

2007-07-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Let Me Count Your Teeth!

2007-07-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Soon after I arrived in Kodai, Dr. Adey Bowminn, a pediatric dentist, called to say he would like to come and screen the creche children for dental problems. Together we saw all the children with the help of the creche staff. I acted as secretary and assistant, recording the names for Tamil language practice. It took me a couple of days before I realized when I was told how to spell names that "yel"means "l", "yen" means "n". Adey gave me a crash course in dentistry including distinguishing between staining and cavities, how to do a temporary filling, and how to record findings based on the tooth involved.
Being a former resident of Kodai, he knows lots of people and kindly introduced me to many of them including the general manager of the local 5 star hotel, the Carleton, the medical director of the local private hospital, and the manager of the local boat club. During all this travelling around Kodai, Adey was also trying to teach me Tamil! So now I have "dental Tamil".
"Bottle caries" due to putting little children to bed with a bottle fiiled with something other than water is a big problem in children here (see photos). We are working on a presentation for parents on prevention of this problem and dental care (e.g. brushing) in general. All the creche children receive a toothbrush and and are taught how to brush their teeth at the creches. Adults typically use a branch from the neem tree as a substitue for a brush. Unfortunately this technique tends to destroy the tooth enamel.
We will also be working with a local Tamil dentist who is a protege of Dr. Bowminn's and has agreed to help us with education of the families and treatment of the children. Many parents are reluctant to give permission for treatment because of past traumatic experiences with dentists and traditional health beliefs which dictate the best weather or season for treatment.

Adey and I visited a dentist colleague of his. The following is his fee schedule:
(A rupee is 2.5 cents or 40 rupees to a dollar)
Adult cleaning 250 rupees
Child cleaning 70-100 rupees
Small filling 100 rupees
Big filling 250 rupees
Extraction 60-100 rupees
Xray 50 rupees

Washing Up After Lunch

2007-07-10T06:52:00.001-07:00

Grace Kids Center

2007-07-10T02:49:00.000-07:00

The Creches

2007-07-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

See www.help-kids-india.org for detailed information on The Betsy Elizabeth Trust and the Creche Project. As a nurse-midwife I am hoping to work with the families of the creche children, the staff and other local community members on maternal and child health problems. In the rural villages around Kodai where the creches are located it is not uncommon for mothers to die from complications of childbirth or for babies to die. Through an educational program called Home Based Life Savings Skills (HBLSS), designed by members of the Global Outreach Department of the American College of Nurse-MIdwives, community members can learn how to identify problems associated with pregnancy, birth and the newborn, provide first aid, and refer and transport women and babies to local medical facilities in a timely fashion. More about HBLSS in the future.
It's hard to describe the feeling of approaching the first creche we visited (Grace Children's Center), opening the door and suddenly finding 50 pairs of big, deep brown eyes fixed on us. The photos will speak for themselves. The children are BEAUTIFUL!

How's Shannon?

2007-07-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Shannon is enjoying her brief summer vacation U.S. style-sleeping until noon, watching HBO movies (when the electricity is on), listening to her iPod and growing collection of World Music (latest acquisition is a collection of Tamil hits), drawing manga, watching anime movies on her laptop, and listening to the Top 40 on satellite radio. We have discovered Skype which allows her to call the U.S. via the laptop at very reasonable rates.
Her favorite thing about India she tells me is "the prices". The shops and street markets are full of beautiful, inexpensive jewelry, fabrics, lampshades, posters, clothing, crafts. A teen girl's dream!
We are working with a local tailor having salwar kameez (the other traditional woman's garment besides the sari) made. It is considered immodest here for a woman to expose the legs or bottom. The salwar kameez takes care of both problems with long pants and a long top.
Shannon is also responsible for most of the photos posted on this blog. Today she announced she was starting to write a book and how did one begin?! There is PLENTY to write about here! Everyday brings a new sight, sound, taste, smell, tactile sensation, or emotion.
I am so proud of how willing Shannon has been to try new things especially foods. She now counts lychees, mangoes, chickpea curry and chicken masala among her favorite foods. She was surviving on potatoes, rice and various Indian breads for the first few days here until she began sampling some of the other offerings.
An orientation for students and their parents begins next Saturday, July 14 at Shannon's school, Kodaikanal International School (www.kis.in) where she will be entering eighth grade with kids from all over the world. We have met several of her teachers and their families since arriving. School starts July 16 with a six week break at Christmas when we plan to travel to Japan (Shannon's request since Japan is the home of manga and anime). We have found a low budget 14 day tour that uses public transportation and local inns for accomodation.
So although Shannon definitely misses her friends, she is doing very well adjusting to life in India.

Views From Our Home Away From Home

2007-07-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

Road to Kodai

2007-07-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

Off to Mamallapuram for Sightseeing in an Autorickshaw

2007-07-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

A Word About Indian Toilets

2007-07-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Indian toilets are known as squat or floor toilets for reasons obvious in the picture. For one of us (no names mentioned!) these pose a slight physical challenge. A few deep bends a day build those thigh muscles pretty quickly though! Fortunately we have Western style toilets in our home, but the Creches don't. It's strictly BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper) there.The children fear falling down the hole much like U.S. kids fear our adult size seats and instead train on potty chairs or seat inserts. The kids here tend to move to one side of the hole.

We had a choice of this IWC (Indian water closet) or EWC (English water closet) at Chennai Airport. We opted for EWC.

2007-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sharing poolside on arrival in India

2007-07-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

Dinner in Windsor with the Banks and the Crossleys

2007-07-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Shannon, Lois and Nell enjoying fish and chips at Legoland

2007-07-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Legoland, Windsor, UK

2007-06-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

With only one full day to spend in England and Legoland only a mile from our B&B, that's where we headed. I knew that Shannon, who had patiently put up with my endless reminiscing with old friends, would enjoy it. The rain held off and Lois, Nell, Shannon and I had a great time. The rides are geared for kids up to twelve so were about at my level of scariness i.e. thrillling momentarily but not terrifying or sick-producing. An unexpected but pleasant surprise was how yummy the fish and chips were there. Nell also spotted British actress, Emma Thompson, amongst the other visitors. Next-India.

Two friend- filled days in Windsor

2007-06-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

En route to India we spent two nights in Windsor in England. It's close to Heathrow and we found a lovely bed and breakfast on line called Park Farm. A word of warning- B&B's are no longer 10 pounds a night as they were in the 70's or the spare room in someone's house. I had contacted all our Irish and UK friends that we would be passing through and was thrilled when so many traveled to Windsor to see us. Jill Stewart-Moore (midwifery training fellow student in the 70's) came all the way from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Lois Parsons (another midwifery school friend) and her daughter Nell made the trip from Somerset and spent the 4th of June with us touring Legoland. (More about that later.) Pete and Janet Banks and Barbara and Tony Crossley and daughter Lydia joined us for dinner in Windsor at the foot of Windsor Castle. The flag was up so the queen was IN. The aforementioned couples are friends from the 60's when I attended school in London. It was especially interesting to hear from Lydia, a nurse at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, the impact of what the British refer to as "7/7", the London bombings a few summers ago, one of which occurred in Tavistock Square where the hospital is located. Flying high over Iraq the following day en route to India felt surreal as I thought about 9/11 and all the events that have transpired since that fateful day. Although we have satellite radio here including BBC News and my beloved NPR I haven't had much time to listen to the news. I am fearful of what I might hear. For now ignorance is bliss.

We're here!!

2007-06-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

Bear with me! This is my first attempt at a blog. It seemed the only way to go with so many people wanting to know what we're up to and how we are doing. So if you're curious, log on from time to time and we'll try to keep you updated. I think the photos will be fun to see.
We left sleeping Bradford at 3:30 a.m. Sunday, June 3 for Boston's Logan Airport where we took a morning flight to London. In spite of Ann Peck's advice that almost everything we would need would be available in India, we seemed unable to travel with less than four footlockers and our carry-on luggage. The trouble started in Boston where our carry-ons were deemed to large and we were sent aside to repack. In London we had to store the trunks for two nights at the airport. At Heathrow we exceeded weight limits and were sent to an area with a scale marked "Lagos passsengers" to repack. I guess Nigerians must share our tendency to overpack! In addition, on leaving London we were only allowed one carry-on including a back pack or handbag until we passsed through security. Once through security we could have a purse and suitcase each. Miraculously enough and to the surprise of the British Airways staff person checking us in, the computer said we could check not two, but three bags each which solved the carry-on problem. Nine plus hours later we arrived in Chennai at 4 a.m. once again to hoist the trunks onto a trolley. This was just the beginning in India where we took an overnight train to the base of the mountains where Kodaikanal (Kodai for short), our final destination, is located, a 2 1/2 hour drive up a winding narrow road (the ghat). At the railroad stations the coolies (porters) thought they had struck gold when they saw our luggage. Major haggling was necessary including Ann, our host, saying, "Forget it, we'll do it ourselves!' (all part of the bartering system). So long story short we arrived in Kodai in one piece, the trunks somewhat the worse for wear and I will be shipping all cargo home by sea in the future. As they say," What was I thinking??!!"