Remember when I posted about how the neighbors loved having me take pictures of them, and like made me dance with them and put a red line on my forehead? Well that trend has continued. Last week was some weeklong celebration, and there was the yellow powder day, where they were all covered in yellow powder and tried to cover me in it, and there was also one night when they carried some ornate flower arrangement thing to a temple down the street and had a ceremony, which they made me participate in.
In a related story, on Sunday morning at 6am, the town started blasting music over these loudspeakers which are attached to the telephone poles. The music was so incredibly loud and annoying, and didn't stop until 10. Keep in mind that these are not like high quality speakers, they are PA speakers on telephone poles. It turns out it was for some Hindu celebration.
Seriously, 6am? WTF? Seriously though, I mean seriously, 6am? Really? Seriously?
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The boss
I saw a Tamil movie last Saturday, called "Sivaji The Boss". It is seriously the talk of the nation right now. Everyone has seen it multiple times, and the music from the movie is playing everywhere. It is an unbelievable cinematic experience, like none I've ever seen before.
First off let me say: this movie is terrible. But it's also awesome, just awesome. Absolutely everything in this movie is done to excess. Indians do not have much of an appetite for subtlety; they like their heroes to possess superhuman fighting skills and be pure good, and their villains to be pure evil. They overact everything, so much so that you don't even need to know Tamil to understand the plot. The movie is three hours long and has an intermission, and I actually fell asleep for a big chunk of it, but trust me -- I didn't miss anything.
The hero is this 50 year old guy named Sivaji who is a really rich businessman who is building a free hospital and med school, but the villain is trying to block him from doing this and ends up putting him out of business completely and Sivaji seeks his revenge to get his reputation and money back, all the while courting a girl who can't be older than 20. He is kind of fat and has big 70's hair and is so cheesy but so awesome. In the dance sequences, he doesn't move as much as the other dancers, which is also really funny.
He always says "cool" in a way that's sooooooo cheesy. There's one point in the movie where they are resuscitating him with the defibrillator and all of a sudden he comes back to life, and immediately looks at the camera and says "cool." Man oh man that was one of the best moments of my life.
On a related topic, the subtitles in Indian movies are so hilarious. In a DVD store they were playing a movie and the subtitles for a song were like "I will defeat the goblin, my heart is like chocolate fudge, something something I won't budge..."
First off let me say: this movie is terrible. But it's also awesome, just awesome. Absolutely everything in this movie is done to excess. Indians do not have much of an appetite for subtlety; they like their heroes to possess superhuman fighting skills and be pure good, and their villains to be pure evil. They overact everything, so much so that you don't even need to know Tamil to understand the plot. The movie is three hours long and has an intermission, and I actually fell asleep for a big chunk of it, but trust me -- I didn't miss anything.
The hero is this 50 year old guy named Sivaji who is a really rich businessman who is building a free hospital and med school, but the villain is trying to block him from doing this and ends up putting him out of business completely and Sivaji seeks his revenge to get his reputation and money back, all the while courting a girl who can't be older than 20. He is kind of fat and has big 70's hair and is so cheesy but so awesome. In the dance sequences, he doesn't move as much as the other dancers, which is also really funny.
He always says "cool" in a way that's sooooooo cheesy. There's one point in the movie where they are resuscitating him with the defibrillator and all of a sudden he comes back to life, and immediately looks at the camera and says "cool." Man oh man that was one of the best moments of my life.
On a related topic, the subtitles in Indian movies are so hilarious. In a DVD store they were playing a movie and the subtitles for a song were like "I will defeat the goblin, my heart is like chocolate fudge, something something I won't budge..."
Catching up
Went into Chennai today to see a doctor about getting more malaria pills...my doctor only prescribed 30 pills despite the fact that I told him I am going for two months. Worst doctor ever. This was the guy that tried to convince me not to go because there are snakes in India.
My friend Jin, who is volunteering at a hospital in the slums, is going to come to Kanchipuram tomorrow and stay for a few days, since he doesn't have much work to do right now. This weekend we are going to go to Mahabalipuram, which is very close, and apparently has fantastic beaches and nice beachside resorts with fucking POOLS and where you can get an ayurvedic massage (traditional south Indian massage). Fuck yes.
We met this girl randomly last weekend when I was in Chennai. I was waiting for Jin and Dilkushi outside a restaurant and started talking to this girl who is from Texas, invited her to lunch with us, and we all ended up hanging out all day. She is working here for TWO YEARS so it's nice to have another friend here.
I saw one of the temples in Kanchipuram last weekend, and it's really interesting, but it's like cathedrals and castles in Europe...once you've seen two or three, you really don't need to see any more. There is one more that I want to go to, but only because they have real live elephants and I think elephants are neat.
My friend Jin, who is volunteering at a hospital in the slums, is going to come to Kanchipuram tomorrow and stay for a few days, since he doesn't have much work to do right now. This weekend we are going to go to Mahabalipuram, which is very close, and apparently has fantastic beaches and nice beachside resorts with fucking POOLS and where you can get an ayurvedic massage (traditional south Indian massage). Fuck yes.
We met this girl randomly last weekend when I was in Chennai. I was waiting for Jin and Dilkushi outside a restaurant and started talking to this girl who is from Texas, invited her to lunch with us, and we all ended up hanging out all day. She is working here for TWO YEARS so it's nice to have another friend here.
I saw one of the temples in Kanchipuram last weekend, and it's really interesting, but it's like cathedrals and castles in Europe...once you've seen two or three, you really don't need to see any more. There is one more that I want to go to, but only because they have real live elephants and I think elephants are neat.
Internet
I have been having problems with the internet connection at the apartment. Long story short, I have abandoned hope and will be going to internet cafes from now on. I am currently at "googly internet cafe", though I was also considering going to "Yagoo! internet cafe". Seriously.
Oh, sweet sweet broadband, how I love you. This means that you are going to see plenty of pictures soon!
Oh, sweet sweet broadband, how I love you. This means that you are going to see plenty of pictures soon!
Friday, August 24, 2007
The children
There is a database of all the children, which I have been looking through. It gives background information on them, and reading through it is really sad. There are a number of children whose father ran out on the family and then the mother committed suicide. There is one child whose father is a missionary and left his son behind. There is one child whose parents died in the tsunami, and there are no papers on her so her birthday is just an estimate. There is a girl whose father died and her mother started seeing someone else and just left her on the street. Also, there is a whole contingent of kids from Manipur (region of India next to Burma) who have been at the orphanage for seven years. There is a militia there that kidnaps people and forces them to join, and there is a whole underground hiding from being kidnapped. In the underground, there are a lot of intravenous drugs and AIDS and kids whose parents have been kidnapped. These kids were rescued from that.
It is really sad to hear their backgrounds, but at the center it’s all smiling faces. It’s really uplifting to see these kids going to school, studying, getting regular meals, and playing together.
It is really sad to hear their backgrounds, but at the center it’s all smiling faces. It’s really uplifting to see these kids going to school, studying, getting regular meals, and playing together.
Sending things here
A number of people have asked about sending things to the orphanage here. Here is a list of things that would be good to send:
Clothes: Any sort of children’s clothes would be great. Clothes are in short supply here. Any size and shape will do; it will fit someone, I guarantee it. Just don’t send any shirts that say “I’m with stupid” or “No fat chicks” or “India sucks”.
Medical supplies: It’s hard to find good medical supplies here. The bandaids suck; they come off very easily. If you go to a “medicals” shop and ask for bandaids, and they will only have one kind. So, a ton of good bandaids in different shapes and sizes would be great. Neosporin too. Anything else you can think of, standard medical stuff, would be great.
Toys and games: any toys and games will do, but preferably not with a ton of pieces that will get lost or eaten.
The address to send it to is:
Sophia Chelladurai
MIG 348 2nd Main Road
Nolambur Mogappair
Chennai 600037
India
No pressure to send anything, but if you do feel like it, then thanks!
Clothes: Any sort of children’s clothes would be great. Clothes are in short supply here. Any size and shape will do; it will fit someone, I guarantee it. Just don’t send any shirts that say “I’m with stupid” or “No fat chicks” or “India sucks”.
Medical supplies: It’s hard to find good medical supplies here. The bandaids suck; they come off very easily. If you go to a “medicals” shop and ask for bandaids, and they will only have one kind. So, a ton of good bandaids in different shapes and sizes would be great. Neosporin too. Anything else you can think of, standard medical stuff, would be great.
Toys and games: any toys and games will do, but preferably not with a ton of pieces that will get lost or eaten.
The address to send it to is:
Sophia Chelladurai
MIG 348 2nd Main Road
Nolambur Mogappair
Chennai 600037
India
No pressure to send anything, but if you do feel like it, then thanks!
Population density
I had a revelation today. I was thinking about how the kids always crowd around me, stretching their arms out and asking for things – paper, pens, sharpeners, pencils, rulers, etc. They get as close as possible to me, shove other kids and cut in front of others, and it’s always a mad rush no matter how hard I try to keep order.
Being in Chennai last weekend, I realized that they are really just doing the same thing that the adults do. People will just blatantly cut in front of you in line, seriously just blatantly do it. Everything is a mad rush to the front, and the cashier or whoever doesn’t care at all. Honestly I think it’s just how people have gotten used to dealing with the insane population density.
It’s really annoying to have to deal with this. I can do it – I can fend them off, but having to do this at every store you ever go to is maddening, and you just get really pissed at everyone.
How can I expect these children to learn to think about others and not push and shove when the adults do the same thing?
Being in Chennai last weekend, I realized that they are really just doing the same thing that the adults do. People will just blatantly cut in front of you in line, seriously just blatantly do it. Everything is a mad rush to the front, and the cashier or whoever doesn’t care at all. Honestly I think it’s just how people have gotten used to dealing with the insane population density.
It’s really annoying to have to deal with this. I can do it – I can fend them off, but having to do this at every store you ever go to is maddening, and you just get really pissed at everyone.
How can I expect these children to learn to think about others and not push and shove when the adults do the same thing?
Auto rickshaws
So let me tell you about these auto rickshaws. Auto rickshaws are awesome. There are these small, three wheeled vehicles with a two-stroked engine that are used as taxis. They are so fucking cool and I want one sooooooo badly. I need to get one, it just needs to happen. It would be so fun to throw a kit on that bitch and blaze around SF.
So let me tell you about these auto rickshaw drivers. They are the most crooked people ever. They will try to rip you off every time. There are no meters; you have to negotiate a price with them beforehand, and being a foreigner you will stay pay twice as much as normal even after haggling with them. If you forget to set a price beforehand, they will completely rip you off when you get to your destination.
Also, even if you set a price beforehand, when you get to your destination they will try to convince you that you negotiated a different price. Twice now, I agreed on 20 rupees to get from the bus station to my house, and they tried to convince me later that we had agreed on 30 rupees. Keep in mind that the people who live here pay 10 rupees for the distance. Okay, granted that I’m talking about a 25 cent difference here, but I just hate seeing these crooks get their way. I have learned that you have to have the exact amount or they’ll keep more of your change than you bargained for.
Another thing; in Chennai they have commission deals with certain stores, so they will take you to some random store instead of your destination, and they will tell you to go inside and take a look. “Just take a look. Just three minutes. Just take a look. Looking is free.” They will go on and on and on and won’t shut the fuck up, and you have to just yell at them that there’s absolutely no way you’re going in.
So let me tell you about these auto rickshaw drivers. They are the most crooked people ever. They will try to rip you off every time. There are no meters; you have to negotiate a price with them beforehand, and being a foreigner you will stay pay twice as much as normal even after haggling with them. If you forget to set a price beforehand, they will completely rip you off when you get to your destination.
Also, even if you set a price beforehand, when you get to your destination they will try to convince you that you negotiated a different price. Twice now, I agreed on 20 rupees to get from the bus station to my house, and they tried to convince me later that we had agreed on 30 rupees. Keep in mind that the people who live here pay 10 rupees for the distance. Okay, granted that I’m talking about a 25 cent difference here, but I just hate seeing these crooks get their way. I have learned that you have to have the exact amount or they’ll keep more of your change than you bargained for.
Another thing; in Chennai they have commission deals with certain stores, so they will take you to some random store instead of your destination, and they will tell you to go inside and take a look. “Just take a look. Just three minutes. Just take a look. Looking is free.” They will go on and on and on and won’t shut the fuck up, and you have to just yell at them that there’s absolutely no way you’re going in.
Boils
The kids here get boils all the time. I don’t know what causes it, but it’s really gross and really sad. They get them on their heads, which then need to be shaved. When they shave them, there are patches around the boils because they can’t get close enough with the razor. It is so sad to see. It really breaks my heart when these pretty little girls have to get their heads shaved.
Last night, I had to get rid of a boil on this one kid’s head. It is utterly disgusting. You have to pop it like a zit, which is apparently horribly painful, judging by the kid’s scream. You know, this job is really hard sometimes, but hearing these kids’ puny cries makes it all worthwhile.
Last night, I had to get rid of a boil on this one kid’s head. It is utterly disgusting. You have to pop it like a zit, which is apparently horribly painful, judging by the kid’s scream. You know, this job is really hard sometimes, but hearing these kids’ puny cries makes it all worthwhile.
Catching up
Sorry that I haven’t posted in a while; my internet connection has been down.
I went to Chennai last weekend, and although it was great to hang out with Dilkushi, Michelle, and Jin (other volunteers at different locations), I basically have no desire to go back to that city. It is basically just a hot dusty pollution filled mess and there isn’t really anything to do. We went back to the hookah place again (twice), went back to the mall, went to the beach which was kind of meh given the amount of garbage, and went to a few hotels to get (gasp!) alcoholic beverages. There was a lot and a lot of sitting around being like Chennai sucks.
This week was the same thing in Kanchipuram, helping out the kids. The kids were actually starting to really frustrate me this week…I love them dearly but I am so sick of hearing “uncle I want pen” and “uncle eraser uncle” and having to constantly fend off the same kids over and over and over while I’m helping someone else. I will be helping someone read and some kids will just pester me and pester me and I have to tell them over and over that they have to wait their turn. Honestly I think at this point they are just used to saying “uncle” over and over. Today, one kid was like “Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!” and finally when I was like “What? What is it?” he was like “oh, well nothing I guess” and walked away.
There really is just a huge need for more volunteers. I can’t be mending bags, taping up books, teaching someone to read, handing out pens, putting on bandaids, and teaching someone math at the same time. Any time I do anything, there are 92 other kids vying for my attention.
I went to Chennai last weekend, and although it was great to hang out with Dilkushi, Michelle, and Jin (other volunteers at different locations), I basically have no desire to go back to that city. It is basically just a hot dusty pollution filled mess and there isn’t really anything to do. We went back to the hookah place again (twice), went back to the mall, went to the beach which was kind of meh given the amount of garbage, and went to a few hotels to get (gasp!) alcoholic beverages. There was a lot and a lot of sitting around being like Chennai sucks.
This week was the same thing in Kanchipuram, helping out the kids. The kids were actually starting to really frustrate me this week…I love them dearly but I am so sick of hearing “uncle I want pen” and “uncle eraser uncle” and having to constantly fend off the same kids over and over and over while I’m helping someone else. I will be helping someone read and some kids will just pester me and pester me and I have to tell them over and over that they have to wait their turn. Honestly I think at this point they are just used to saying “uncle” over and over. Today, one kid was like “Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!” and finally when I was like “What? What is it?” he was like “oh, well nothing I guess” and walked away.
There really is just a huge need for more volunteers. I can’t be mending bags, taping up books, teaching someone to read, handing out pens, putting on bandaids, and teaching someone math at the same time. Any time I do anything, there are 92 other kids vying for my attention.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monsoon!
The monsoons come very suddenly, with little warning, and they bust in with both guns blazing. It went from normal night to crazy rain in a matter of minutes.
Last night I was at the orphanage, around 9:00, and all of a sudden some huge gusts of wind came through. Then, the power went out, and the rain started. All of a sudden it was madness inside the place...the building isn't exactly water tight, so they had to move their stuff around to the areas where they knew it would be dry. Meanwhile, some of the younger girls were really scared, and were clinging on to me for dear life.
There was one girl in particular, who is an absolute sweetheart, who was very frightened and was crying. For the longest time, I held her close to me, and kept telling her that it was going to be alright, the power just went out and soon the rain will stop. Everytime a big gust of wind came through, she freaked out. Poor thing. She kept her eyes closed because she thought something bad would happen if she opened them.
I ended up sleeping at the orphanage because of the monsoon, which ended up being a very bad night's sleep! One thing that I liked about the monsoon, though, was it was so refreshing to have a cold gust of wind come in. I have been in several restaurants and shops with A/C, but to have a natural coolness felt soooooooo good.
Last night I was at the orphanage, around 9:00, and all of a sudden some huge gusts of wind came through. Then, the power went out, and the rain started. All of a sudden it was madness inside the place...the building isn't exactly water tight, so they had to move their stuff around to the areas where they knew it would be dry. Meanwhile, some of the younger girls were really scared, and were clinging on to me for dear life.
There was one girl in particular, who is an absolute sweetheart, who was very frightened and was crying. For the longest time, I held her close to me, and kept telling her that it was going to be alright, the power just went out and soon the rain will stop. Everytime a big gust of wind came through, she freaked out. Poor thing. She kept her eyes closed because she thought something bad would happen if she opened them.
I ended up sleeping at the orphanage because of the monsoon, which ended up being a very bad night's sleep! One thing that I liked about the monsoon, though, was it was so refreshing to have a cold gust of wind come in. I have been in several restaurants and shops with A/C, but to have a natural coolness felt soooooooo good.
Monday, August 20, 2007
You have GOT to read this one.
I broke the ice BIG TIME with the people who live on my street today. I was walking home from the orphanage in the early afternoon, and passed by a whole bunch of people crowded around. There was a guy playing a drum really loud and a bunch of shirtless guys sweating profusely. They had formed a small dancing circle, and they would put someone in there who would just go nuts. It wasn't really any sort of formal dancing, it was just shaking your arms and legs wildly. They were like "the kid!" and put this small kid in the circle who went nuts. I was watching with curiosity, and they were like "get in here!!!" and put me in the circle. I went crazy, arms flinging wildly, having a great time. They cheered like you wouldn't believe. They thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Which actually they probably don't have. Seriously though they went nuts over it, everyone trying to shake my hand, old and young alike, big smiles all around. Others danced in the circle, then they put me in there again. They put a red vertical line on my forehead, which I assume means "he's white but we met him and he's cool".
I was like, I HAVE to take some pictures of this craziness. I went home, got my camera, and came back, and this was an insane experience. They saw my camera and they wanted me to take pictures of everyone, and I mean everyone. It turns out that this whole thing was a family having some sort of holy celebration, carrying this big flower-adorned god figure down the street with incense burning, and taking it to a small temple by their houses. They took me down this one lane, where the big gathering was. All these guys were grabbing my arm really really hard and forcing me to take pictures of their families, friends, children, etc. There were fights over who I should take a picture of next. There was so much grabbing and craziness and I had no control over what I pictures I could take, they just forced me to take pictures of everyone! It was sooooo much fun and the people were really awesome. Everyone tried to crowd into every picture and they went right up to the camera despite my pleaseto the contrary.
Then they were like "take pictures over here!" and we went to this one area and they took me to this one lady who saw me and was like "NO photos. NO." Apparently Professor Buzzkill wields a lot of power because at that point everyone was like "uh, hmmm, I guess it's time for you to leave dude."
Also, I finally learned why they keep the dried cow pies. Apparently that's the horrible burning smell I've been wondering about lately, which is to say they use them to cook.
I will post some of the pictures later.
I was like, I HAVE to take some pictures of this craziness. I went home, got my camera, and came back, and this was an insane experience. They saw my camera and they wanted me to take pictures of everyone, and I mean everyone. It turns out that this whole thing was a family having some sort of holy celebration, carrying this big flower-adorned god figure down the street with incense burning, and taking it to a small temple by their houses. They took me down this one lane, where the big gathering was. All these guys were grabbing my arm really really hard and forcing me to take pictures of their families, friends, children, etc. There were fights over who I should take a picture of next. There was so much grabbing and craziness and I had no control over what I pictures I could take, they just forced me to take pictures of everyone! It was sooooo much fun and the people were really awesome. Everyone tried to crowd into every picture and they went right up to the camera despite my pleaseto the contrary.
Then they were like "take pictures over here!" and we went to this one area and they took me to this one lady who saw me and was like "NO photos. NO." Apparently Professor Buzzkill wields a lot of power because at that point everyone was like "uh, hmmm, I guess it's time for you to leave dude."
Also, I finally learned why they keep the dried cow pies. Apparently that's the horrible burning smell I've been wondering about lately, which is to say they use them to cook.
I will post some of the pictures later.
Daft punk is playing at my house, my house.
I went into Chennai over the weekend. Before going, I told some of the older girls that I would pick up some CDs for them. They love to listen to music and dance, but only have a few CDs -- the Grease soundtrack, a compilation featuring such classic hits as the macarena, and honestly I don't even know if they have any more. So, I bought them a bunch of CDs, but the selection was very limited. I am embarrassed about some of the titles, to be honest...but I am really glad that I found a copy of Discovery by Daft Punk. It is going to be infinitely entertaining to me to see these kids dancing to Daft Punk.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
I need your help, chapter II
Thanks for all the cow suggestions. I'm too tired to pick three right now.
Okay, I really really need suggestions for songs to sing and games to play with the younger kids. Here's what we have been doing so far:
Okay, I really really need suggestions for songs to sing and games to play with the younger kids. Here's what we have been doing so far:
- Hokey pokey (they loooooooove this one, plus it helps teach them right vs. left)
- Ring around the rosey
- B-I-N-G-O
- We do stretches and jumping jacks and hopping on one foot, acting goofy, etc.
- Sit quietly while David drinks his coffee
- Simon says (they don't really get it, though)
- Freeze dance: playing music on the cd player and they dance, then stop the music and they have to freeze, then name an animal and they have to act like that animal
- Run around and hit each other
I need as many suggestions as you can give. Songs especially. They really like to sing.
Things the kids like, chapter I
They really like my hair. They love to run their fingers through my hair. They also like touching my beard, which is quite prominent now.
I've got this whole Jesus look going on right now. You would think that this would make the children, who go to a Christian school, go to Church on Sunday, and do evening prayer every night, to actually do what I say. Alas, that is NOT the case.
I've got this whole Jesus look going on right now. You would think that this would make the children, who go to a Christian school, go to Church on Sunday, and do evening prayer every night, to actually do what I say. Alas, that is NOT the case.
Computer Class
I am starting a computer class for the older kids. I brought them in here and showed them the computer yesterday, and it was the first time they had ever touched one. It's crazy, if they were in America they would probably be dwarf master level 26 on world of warcraft or something. Anyway, they are going to come by everyday to learn the computer. Still, though, I only have one hour for five kids, and that’s really cutting into the time I spend helping the others with their homework. It's a constant process of making hard decisions in terms of how to spend my time at night. There are just too many kids.
Independence Day
Yesterday was India’s Independence day. This whole time, when people were taking about this Gondy fella, I figured he was some famous Indian actor or something. No, as it turns out he led India to Independence from England in 1947.
They celebrate it pretty much the same way we celebrate the fourth of July – people drinking Budweiser out of beer hats, watching fireworks, and singing the star-spangled banner, and burning effigies of Hugh Grant. Actually, it doesn't seem to be all that big of a holiday. They had Tuesday off and yesterday they just had to show up for an hour in the morning, presumably to talk about Independence day.
They put these miniature paper Indian flags on every child with a pin, which made my life miserable. Every five minutes a child would come up to me and say “uncle, you are putting” and would show me a crumpled up flag with holes in it and a pin. I have no idea how they managed to crumple, rip and tear all their flags in a matter of one hour. A few kids came to me at least three times to fix their flag. I was like, well if you’re just going to tear it off in ten minutes, why do you even want me to put it on?
Kids!
They celebrate it pretty much the same way we celebrate the fourth of July – people drinking Budweiser out of beer hats, watching fireworks, and singing the star-spangled banner, and burning effigies of Hugh Grant. Actually, it doesn't seem to be all that big of a holiday. They had Tuesday off and yesterday they just had to show up for an hour in the morning, presumably to talk about Independence day.
They put these miniature paper Indian flags on every child with a pin, which made my life miserable. Every five minutes a child would come up to me and say “uncle, you are putting” and would show me a crumpled up flag with holes in it and a pin. I have no idea how they managed to crumple, rip and tear all their flags in a matter of one hour. A few kids came to me at least three times to fix their flag. I was like, well if you’re just going to tear it off in ten minutes, why do you even want me to put it on?
Kids!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I need your help
I need your help naming the three cows that stay next to my house. So far, I have received only one suggestion: Captain Moo, from Ms. Kelley Buhles.
burrito? yes, burrito.
Okay, I gotta tell you about this. On Saturday, in Chennai, I had a burrito. We went to a restaurant that had food from different countries. One of the menu options was a burrito, and I was like, I’ve GOT to try this.
The result = not too bad! I mean, yeah, it was absolutely nothing like a burrito from Cali, but it was not without its charm. It had that Indian spice to it (everything here has that Indian spice to it), but it was sort of sweet, and pretty tasty.
The result = not too bad! I mean, yeah, it was absolutely nothing like a burrito from Cali, but it was not without its charm. It had that Indian spice to it (everything here has that Indian spice to it), but it was sort of sweet, and pretty tasty.
luggage status
On Monday, I found out that my luggage would be delayed even further, and would be arriving on Thursday. Then, yesterday Krish called me up and said it had already arrived! So I spent most of the day picking up my luggage.
You see, there is a big difference in the way lost luggage is handled here. They do NOT bring it to you; you have to pick it up (especially since it had to go through customs). Also, the amount of paper and ink they bring into this process is staggering. I can’t tell you how many times I had to sign my name. They keep bringing out new forms, filling them out, stamping the back, writing something on the stamp, having me sign it, having someone else sign it, etc. Finally, they told me to go to a wing of the airport that was a former baggage claim area that was all run down and full of bricks and other random stuff. In the very back were all the lost pieces of luggage, and I had to find it myself. Then more filling out of forms, then going to customs, more filling out forms, then finally I was free.
Oh, what glorious bounty lies within! Underwear! Shirts! Sandals! Elvis commemorative plates! Encyclopedia Brittanica set, A through M! My collection of shivs!
You see, there is a big difference in the way lost luggage is handled here. They do NOT bring it to you; you have to pick it up (especially since it had to go through customs). Also, the amount of paper and ink they bring into this process is staggering. I can’t tell you how many times I had to sign my name. They keep bringing out new forms, filling them out, stamping the back, writing something on the stamp, having me sign it, having someone else sign it, etc. Finally, they told me to go to a wing of the airport that was a former baggage claim area that was all run down and full of bricks and other random stuff. In the very back were all the lost pieces of luggage, and I had to find it myself. Then more filling out of forms, then going to customs, more filling out forms, then finally I was free.
Oh, what glorious bounty lies within! Underwear! Shirts! Sandals! Elvis commemorative plates! Encyclopedia Brittanica set, A through M! My collection of shivs!
journal post
On Friday night, I was pretty bummed out. I had had a difficult day with the children, and in retrospect I was lonely because there are no other volunteers to hang out with. I was like, what am I doing here.
I decided to go into Chennai on Saturday, because the children have very few toys and games, so I wanted to get some more things for them to play with. For 93 kids, there is a small shelf with a small selection of random puzzles and a few other things, which are not really geared for the preschool/kindergarten age kids that I teach in the morning. I also wanted to get some better medical supplies for them. (No luck there, though…it’s hard to find quality medical supplies, even bandaids in different sizes.)
When I got into the city, I called Krish, the local volunteer coordinator, who told me that two other volunteers were having lunch and that I should join them. I had met one of them already, Michelle, and the other volunteer is Jin. Both of them are really cool and were a lot of fun to hang out with. They are both in college, Michelle doing pre-med in Boston and Jin in medical school in London. They are volunteering at a hospital in the slums that caters to patients with leprosy, TB, and AIDS.
We had lunch together, then went to Spencer Plaza, that crazy mall I mentioned earlier, to get the supplies I needed and a few other things. After that, we went to a hookah bar, then had dinner. It was really refreshing to hang out with them and share stories about our volunteer experiences, talk about the idiosyncrasies of life in Chennai, and whatever else. It really reinvigorated me to spend the day with them.
Another thing…not to freak you out, but Jin had just recovered from malaria! Back in London, every pharmacist said that the area was low risk, and to just make sure to use insect repellant. Well, he got malaria, and said it was absolutely horrible for a week. The pills they give you cause some horrible side effects. Don't worry, I'm taking pills to prevent malaria.
Jin was telling us stories of traveling in Kerala, and now I definitely want to go there during the two weeks I have at the end. Kerala is a state in the southwest part of India, and is way more laid-back than Tamil Nadu, which is actually a pretty conservative state. It is full of beautiful beaches and backwater areas that you can take boat trips on. I am going to get in touch with the volunteers at other placements who will be here at the time and see if anyone wants to travel with me for a week or two.
I decided that I really just need to get out of here on the weekends and have some fun, so I will go back to Chennai next weekend, and stay overnight on Saturday. We are going to go to one of the expensive hotels because there is a club inside and we want to see what that’s like. We were talking about going to see a Tamil movie too, but they may have done that already.
I also want to go to Pondicherry which is a little bit south from here, and is a former French colony, oui oui. Jin said that the driving there is not hectic like it is here, and he rented a scooter for a day and it was a lot of fun, so I will do that some weekend.
Sunday was chill, we took the children to the “grounds” which is a big open area at the school with a few playground structures. They LOVE going to the grounds and especially love having me push them on the swings. They all say “uncle me next uncle” or when I’m pushing someone else they say “uncle enough uncle” so that they’ll get their turn faster. I obey a strict no cutting rule. You cut, and it’s back of the line. And they all think they’re sooooo clever by just waltzing up to the front casually, like I won’t notice.
Monday was a lot better with the kids, I am starting to learn how to discipline them and am also learning each child’s names and personalities. The prize system works great, although I feel like a horrible person denying stickers to some of the kids.
There is one kid that is really bad –I call him Voldemort. Not to his face, just to myself and to you. After making two girls cry and scolding him all morning, I took him into the other room, put him in the corner, gave him the business, then attended to the crying girl. When I got back he was sitting down and crying. Man oh man did I feel like a horrible, soulless person. I was prepared though – my sister said to me that sometimes this will happen. It’s not like I hit him or verbally abused him, I just sternly told him what he did was wrong. Regardless of the reason, it’s still hard to shake the terrible feeling you get after making a kid cry.
Monday night, something happened that was really sad. Every night before dinner they have an evening prayer. They all sit up and pray individually but out loud, sort of quietly. I don’t really get it, but that’s what they do. Anyway, there is one child who is fairly new to the center and very young, and although he is full of energy and all smiles, he is not very social. Many of the children have siblings at the center, but he doesn’t, and he hasn’t really made any friends yet. I think he's still kinda scared and very lonely, and he barely talks at all. When everyone else was praying, he just sat there quietly with tears streaming down.
Yesterday was a holiday for them, don’t know why, but I had to go into Chennai to get my luggage (yay!) and when I got back I helped the kids. I hung out with some of the teenagers, and they are really cool. They are most girls, and they like to listen to music and dance. I helped some of them with their homework; what a relief to explain mathematical sets – unions, intersections, subsets, complements, rather than the usual alphabet/reading and addition/subtraction that I teach the other kids.
I decided to go into Chennai on Saturday, because the children have very few toys and games, so I wanted to get some more things for them to play with. For 93 kids, there is a small shelf with a small selection of random puzzles and a few other things, which are not really geared for the preschool/kindergarten age kids that I teach in the morning. I also wanted to get some better medical supplies for them. (No luck there, though…it’s hard to find quality medical supplies, even bandaids in different sizes.)
When I got into the city, I called Krish, the local volunteer coordinator, who told me that two other volunteers were having lunch and that I should join them. I had met one of them already, Michelle, and the other volunteer is Jin. Both of them are really cool and were a lot of fun to hang out with. They are both in college, Michelle doing pre-med in Boston and Jin in medical school in London. They are volunteering at a hospital in the slums that caters to patients with leprosy, TB, and AIDS.
We had lunch together, then went to Spencer Plaza, that crazy mall I mentioned earlier, to get the supplies I needed and a few other things. After that, we went to a hookah bar, then had dinner. It was really refreshing to hang out with them and share stories about our volunteer experiences, talk about the idiosyncrasies of life in Chennai, and whatever else. It really reinvigorated me to spend the day with them.
Another thing…not to freak you out, but Jin had just recovered from malaria! Back in London, every pharmacist said that the area was low risk, and to just make sure to use insect repellant. Well, he got malaria, and said it was absolutely horrible for a week. The pills they give you cause some horrible side effects. Don't worry, I'm taking pills to prevent malaria.
Jin was telling us stories of traveling in Kerala, and now I definitely want to go there during the two weeks I have at the end. Kerala is a state in the southwest part of India, and is way more laid-back than Tamil Nadu, which is actually a pretty conservative state. It is full of beautiful beaches and backwater areas that you can take boat trips on. I am going to get in touch with the volunteers at other placements who will be here at the time and see if anyone wants to travel with me for a week or two.
I decided that I really just need to get out of here on the weekends and have some fun, so I will go back to Chennai next weekend, and stay overnight on Saturday. We are going to go to one of the expensive hotels because there is a club inside and we want to see what that’s like. We were talking about going to see a Tamil movie too, but they may have done that already.
I also want to go to Pondicherry which is a little bit south from here, and is a former French colony, oui oui. Jin said that the driving there is not hectic like it is here, and he rented a scooter for a day and it was a lot of fun, so I will do that some weekend.
Sunday was chill, we took the children to the “grounds” which is a big open area at the school with a few playground structures. They LOVE going to the grounds and especially love having me push them on the swings. They all say “uncle me next uncle” or when I’m pushing someone else they say “uncle enough uncle” so that they’ll get their turn faster. I obey a strict no cutting rule. You cut, and it’s back of the line. And they all think they’re sooooo clever by just waltzing up to the front casually, like I won’t notice.
Monday was a lot better with the kids, I am starting to learn how to discipline them and am also learning each child’s names and personalities. The prize system works great, although I feel like a horrible person denying stickers to some of the kids.
There is one kid that is really bad –I call him Voldemort. Not to his face, just to myself and to you. After making two girls cry and scolding him all morning, I took him into the other room, put him in the corner, gave him the business, then attended to the crying girl. When I got back he was sitting down and crying. Man oh man did I feel like a horrible, soulless person. I was prepared though – my sister said to me that sometimes this will happen. It’s not like I hit him or verbally abused him, I just sternly told him what he did was wrong. Regardless of the reason, it’s still hard to shake the terrible feeling you get after making a kid cry.
Monday night, something happened that was really sad. Every night before dinner they have an evening prayer. They all sit up and pray individually but out loud, sort of quietly. I don’t really get it, but that’s what they do. Anyway, there is one child who is fairly new to the center and very young, and although he is full of energy and all smiles, he is not very social. Many of the children have siblings at the center, but he doesn’t, and he hasn’t really made any friends yet. I think he's still kinda scared and very lonely, and he barely talks at all. When everyone else was praying, he just sat there quietly with tears streaming down.
Yesterday was a holiday for them, don’t know why, but I had to go into Chennai to get my luggage (yay!) and when I got back I helped the kids. I hung out with some of the teenagers, and they are really cool. They are most girls, and they like to listen to music and dance. I helped some of them with their homework; what a relief to explain mathematical sets – unions, intersections, subsets, complements, rather than the usual alphabet/reading and addition/subtraction that I teach the other kids.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
kids: a griping post
Friday was my first full day at the orphanage. I was basically thrown into the fray and had to wing it. As it turns out, I suck at teaching kids. The kids are sooooo fantastic, but it is extremely hard to teach them. So, here's a little griping for ya.
I have to look after the youngest ones from 9:30 to 12:30; teach them, play games, etc. Although my level of respect for my sister was already very high, it is now through the roof. It’s fucking ridiculous how hard it is to look after these kids. I can’t get them to motherfucking pay attention to a goddamn thing I do. Even things that involve jumping up and down, out of 14, maybe five of them are doing it while four sit in the corner and draw and the rest are doing who fucking knows what. The ones drawing, hey I’m cool with them, I figure that as long as you’re sitting down quietly and being creative and not trying to jump on my back or fuse yourself to my leg or hit another child, then fucking draw away.
But yeah, I can’t even get them to sit down to read them a story. I was trying to read them a story and I would say to one kid over and over and over, sit down, and he would sit down then immediately stand up. No, sit down and STAY seated. Seriously it went on for ten minutes, sit down, just sit down, fucking sit the fuck down what the fuck.
I sent out a distress call to my sister who emailed me a bunch of advice on discipline in the classroom (thanks Karen!), and I also emailed a former volunteer to find out what he did.
So now, I have a plan. First, I am going to guilt trip them back. You like guilt tripping me? Well I have 20 more years of experience with it than you do. I am also planning on using the prize system. I bought a thing of stickers…which they will only get if they do something good. Plus, our class will be the all singing all dancing orphanage extravaganza. I want to tire them out before they tire me out. I also want to get a whistle. Not just cause it's fun to have a whistle, but also to have something that says shut the fuck up without actually saying shut the fuck up. On a side note though, it's fun to have a whistle.
I am helping the older students with their homework when they get home at night, which leads me to my next problem. Every time I try to help a student with their homework, an older kid sits by me and immediately gives the answers. If I’m trying to explain how to add 42 and 18 together, some older kid will just immediately say “that’s 60”. Yeah, I know it’s 60, you know it’s 60, but SHE DOESN’T AND I’M TRYING TO TEACH HER. These kids really want to impress me by showing that they know the answers, but they don’t understand that I’m trying to teach someone else. And then I say to the older kid, I want HER to do it, and then during the next problem they do the same thing.
Another thing is that this whole alphabet song is complete shite. They can memorize the song, but they don’t learn the letters at all. Each one of these youngens can sing the song, but when I point to the letter “D”, they don’t know what it is. I have taken to holding each child individually and picking letters at random and getting them to say what they are. The good thing is that they LOVE that!
Another thing is that each letter typically has a word that goes along with it. A has apple, C has cat, etc. Y has…yacht? Of all the nouns that start with Y, they chose yacht? Who the fuck decided that, Richie Rich? As if these kids have any clue what a yacht is. Why not yo-yo? You see, a yo-yo is something that most kids might actually come into contact with or recognize.
Although I’m griping right now, don’t get the wrong impression…it’s absolutely fantastic to work with these kids; I’m just learning how to go about doing it in a manner that will be effective, and I’m actually having a really good time figuring all this out! I am also going to create a manual for future volunteers that will give some advice on how to interact with these kids.
I have to look after the youngest ones from 9:30 to 12:30; teach them, play games, etc. Although my level of respect for my sister was already very high, it is now through the roof. It’s fucking ridiculous how hard it is to look after these kids. I can’t get them to motherfucking pay attention to a goddamn thing I do. Even things that involve jumping up and down, out of 14, maybe five of them are doing it while four sit in the corner and draw and the rest are doing who fucking knows what. The ones drawing, hey I’m cool with them, I figure that as long as you’re sitting down quietly and being creative and not trying to jump on my back or fuse yourself to my leg or hit another child, then fucking draw away.
But yeah, I can’t even get them to sit down to read them a story. I was trying to read them a story and I would say to one kid over and over and over, sit down, and he would sit down then immediately stand up. No, sit down and STAY seated. Seriously it went on for ten minutes, sit down, just sit down, fucking sit the fuck down what the fuck.
I sent out a distress call to my sister who emailed me a bunch of advice on discipline in the classroom (thanks Karen!), and I also emailed a former volunteer to find out what he did.
So now, I have a plan. First, I am going to guilt trip them back. You like guilt tripping me? Well I have 20 more years of experience with it than you do. I am also planning on using the prize system. I bought a thing of stickers…which they will only get if they do something good. Plus, our class will be the all singing all dancing orphanage extravaganza. I want to tire them out before they tire me out. I also want to get a whistle. Not just cause it's fun to have a whistle, but also to have something that says shut the fuck up without actually saying shut the fuck up. On a side note though, it's fun to have a whistle.
I am helping the older students with their homework when they get home at night, which leads me to my next problem. Every time I try to help a student with their homework, an older kid sits by me and immediately gives the answers. If I’m trying to explain how to add 42 and 18 together, some older kid will just immediately say “that’s 60”. Yeah, I know it’s 60, you know it’s 60, but SHE DOESN’T AND I’M TRYING TO TEACH HER. These kids really want to impress me by showing that they know the answers, but they don’t understand that I’m trying to teach someone else. And then I say to the older kid, I want HER to do it, and then during the next problem they do the same thing.
Another thing is that this whole alphabet song is complete shite. They can memorize the song, but they don’t learn the letters at all. Each one of these youngens can sing the song, but when I point to the letter “D”, they don’t know what it is. I have taken to holding each child individually and picking letters at random and getting them to say what they are. The good thing is that they LOVE that!
Another thing is that each letter typically has a word that goes along with it. A has apple, C has cat, etc. Y has…yacht? Of all the nouns that start with Y, they chose yacht? Who the fuck decided that, Richie Rich? As if these kids have any clue what a yacht is. Why not yo-yo? You see, a yo-yo is something that most kids might actually come into contact with or recognize.
Although I’m griping right now, don’t get the wrong impression…it’s absolutely fantastic to work with these kids; I’m just learning how to go about doing it in a manner that will be effective, and I’m actually having a really good time figuring all this out! I am also going to create a manual for future volunteers that will give some advice on how to interact with these kids.
my life in india
Okay, so let me tell you everything about my life here. I'll post about specific experiences later. This is going to be a long one...
The orphanage
The orphanage consists of two main rooms, two smaller sleeping rooms, a kitchen, a supplies room, and the roof area. Not big whatsoever, and there are 78 kids staying there. At night, there is basically no walking space, just kids sleeping everywhere.
There are a few adults at the center who are paid to cook, and do random tasks. Unfortunately their English isn’t very good, so it is hard to communicate with them, but they are very friendly and helpful.
There are a few fans in the rooms, but it is still sweltering in there. The supplies room is very limited, and contains a small random assortment of basic medical supplies, story books, a few games, and pens/pencils/paper etc. That is to say, supplies are extremely limited.
My accommodations
I am staying down the street from the orphanage. I am a 15 minute walk away from the city center, so it’s a little bit less crowded here, but there is still a lot going on.
My place is actually quite pleasant. Quite pleasant indeed. It is solely for the volunteers, but I’m the only one here so I have it to myself. There is a fan (thank GOD), a fridge, a TV, a shower (really just a pipe coming out of the wall), and a small kitchen. The awesome thing is that I actually have a computer with internet here. Fuck YES.
There are an additional 14 kids staying above me, so that makes 93 kids total. Keep in mind that there are also about 25 kids at the orphanage’s old location, too! The kids upstairs aren’t actually in an apartment, it’s just an outdoor area with a roof; very basic. They are not allowed in my apartment, and they are keenly aware that this is a forbidden zone. This is by design, to give volunteers some personal space. Sophia said that if you let them in, they will all want to come in all the time, and you will never have a moment’s peace.
The center has a DVD player and they allow the kids to watch a DVD on the weekends, and during the week I can borrow it. They have chain stores here that sell pirated DVDs, and I have already bought a few of them, which go for 100 rupees, which is like $2.50.
The kids
The kids are absolutely fantastic. I was actually afraid that they wouldn’t like me, but ohhhhhhhh no. They cannot get enough of me. They are around me all the time, and I mean ALL THE TIME. Every time I need to go into the supplies room, whether it is to pick out a book or give a kid a bandaid, I have to lock the door or I will get kids billowing in trying to be near me. They even fight over who gets to hold my hand when we walk down the street! True story.
Lemme tell you, these kids are really freaking cute. I have studied there cuteness levels, and the statistics are off the charts. I even had to bring a specialist in to confirm the results. Karen, if you were here, your head would explode. Fact.
The kids have so little, and want anything at all that they can hold in their hands. They will beg me for half an hour for a pen, and will guilt trip me beyond belief. “Oh please uncle, oh PLEASE uncle, I NEED a black pen. Please, I need it.” And if I give one of them a black pen, it is a moral outrage if they don’t all get black pens.
Communication is difficult. They know basic English and learn it in school, but it is still hard to understand them. I’m getting by though, and I’m sure I will get better at communicating with them as time goes on.
I have two main concerns with these children. The first is health. For one thing, many of them, if not most, have boils. Some have a lot of boils on their heads and they have to shave their heads. I am very worried about infections too, as some wounds go untreated. I bought some Neosporin, and am going to try and make that the standard for treating wounds since there are numerous opportunities for infections. Fever seems to be very common, and it certainly doesn’t help that they are recovering in a sweltering room.
The other thing is their education. For the ones falling behind, it is very difficult for them to get the constant attention and help they need. At night, I’m trying to help 93 kids with their homework; not an easy task. I saw that a previous volunteer was working on a piece of paper describing each kid’s status in school, their specific educational needs, and how best to help them. I will try to locate the other records to aid in my teaching.
Chennai
Chennai is alright, but is very busy and hectic, with a lot of pollution. There isn’t a whole lot to do there, but it is the place to go to get supplies, get a nicer meal, etc. Chennai is not a tourist city at all, which is very little that caters to tourists and you really get to see how people live around here.
There is a mall called Spencer Plaza that is one of the trippiest places I’ve ever been to. It is a giant maze, and is not recommended if you suffer from claustrophobia. Actually that’s their motto, written in big letters out front. The mall has all these different areas and is very crowded, and just twists and turns into oblivion. Seriously that place is going to haunt me in my dreams for years to come.
One problem about Chennai and the surrounding area is that it is the driest place in the world. In fact, the only place to get a beer is at the expensive hotels. Which I will be going to next weekend.
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram is a smaller town, but I say that only in comparison to Chennai, as there are a fucking shit ton of people here. The streets are teeming with life (finally, a chance to use the word “teeming”). When I go out in the morning, there are people weaving on enormous looms that span two houses, women balancing giant jugs of food or water on their heads, bicycles and motorbikes and autorickshaws whizzing through everyone, cows lingering about…it’s pretty much what you would imagine life here to be like, but actually being here and seeing it all overwhelms your senses.
The kids in the town are anxious to meet me. They run up to me and say “what is your name?” or “where from?” The adults, on the other hand, are not as welcoming, for the most part. They give me a look as if to say “what’s up WHITEY.” The ones who do approach me are very friendly, though. One woman even invited me in to her house to eat (I couldn’t because we were on our way out).
I haven’t gone to any of the famous temples here yet, because they are on the other side of town. I won’t be able to see them for a while because during the week I am busy from 8 in the morning to 10 at night, with a two hour break, and next weekend I will be going into Chennai.
Animals
Dogs. I have discovered that, left to their own devices, dogs are filthy, dirty, mangy, bug ridden creatures that I wouldn’t touch with a biohazard suit on. They seem happy enough, though – they prance around with big smiles, eating whatever scraps they can find, and napping in shady spots.
Cows. They are everywhere. They are different from cows in America though, as they are much smaller and skinnier. I guess if they’re not being fattened up for the slaughterhouse, they will look different. Often, the horns on steers are painted, and they will sometimes put jingly things on them. I’m going to start naming the ones that live next to my house. I am currently accepting suggestions.
Goats. Lots of goats. Goats go baaah.
Cats. Not too many of them, but the ones I’ve seen meow like it’s going out of style. Really cute, but like dogs, I’m not about to touch some goddamn filthy street cat and get the plague.
Elephants. I saw a real live elephant yesterday, just walking down the street along with all the other vehicles. It was fairly small, and it’s trunk had been painted with a really interesting design. I don’t know what it was up to. I assume it was peanut related.
Money
There are about 40 rupees to one dollar. The dollar goes FAR over here. The funny thing is, you start to get used to their system, and you’ll be like 60 rupees, forget it but really that’s $1.50. A bottle of water at the corner stand nearby is 13 rupees, a bus into Chennai (~1.5 hours) is 25 rupees, and meals at nicer restaurants in Chennai will go for maybe 100 rupees.
Food
As expected, the food here is very different from the Indian food we get at home, but it is very good. I get three meals a day from the orphanage, and what they give me is different from what they give the kids. The kids get rice for breakfast, rice for lunch, and rice with sauce for dinner. Sometimes they get these soft rice patties instead of rice. The other adults and I get a variety of things, like chapattis, curried vegetables, rice with a yogurt tomato sauce, etc. They give me a lot of food, more than I can usually eat.
Today (Sunday), we took the kids to the school grounds to play. The school fed everyone – everyone was lined up down the edge of the building in the shade, and we were each given a banana leaf, on which they put rice, curried chicken, a different type of curried chicken, and some sort of onion lentil thing that was delicious. For orphanage meals, you always eat with your hands (actually just your right hand).
The bananas here are these mini bananas (I call them minanas, ha!), and are sweet and delicious.
Going out to eat, I have only gone to nice restaurants, which is really worth it. The nice restaurants will cost you $6-7 dollars for a full meal and a bottle of water, and you definitely want to be on the safe side when it comes to food, plus I’m only eating out occasionally so it’s definitely worth it.
The coffee here is great! It’s not coffee in the traditional sense though. It’s hot milk mixed with some coffee substance and sugar, and they do this thing where they mix it between cups and it comes out all frothy and sweet and ever so tasty.
Oh man, a half hour ago I went to a store to pick up some things, and they were selling a candy bar made by Cadbury that I thought would be a crunchie – even though it was called something else, it had very similar packaging. Turned out to not only be something else, but had obviously been in that case for a while, and had the grody white stuff on it and was chewy, but like in a bad way. One of the most disappointing food experiences ever.
Anyway, I have been overly cautious about eating here to make sure I don’t get sick. I haven’t bought any food from the numerous street shops yet, only packaged snacks and whatnot. I will start to branch out more though, because I really want to sample the local sweets. And judge them harshly.
The orphanage
The orphanage consists of two main rooms, two smaller sleeping rooms, a kitchen, a supplies room, and the roof area. Not big whatsoever, and there are 78 kids staying there. At night, there is basically no walking space, just kids sleeping everywhere.
There are a few adults at the center who are paid to cook, and do random tasks. Unfortunately their English isn’t very good, so it is hard to communicate with them, but they are very friendly and helpful.
There are a few fans in the rooms, but it is still sweltering in there. The supplies room is very limited, and contains a small random assortment of basic medical supplies, story books, a few games, and pens/pencils/paper etc. That is to say, supplies are extremely limited.
My accommodations
I am staying down the street from the orphanage. I am a 15 minute walk away from the city center, so it’s a little bit less crowded here, but there is still a lot going on.
My place is actually quite pleasant. Quite pleasant indeed. It is solely for the volunteers, but I’m the only one here so I have it to myself. There is a fan (thank GOD), a fridge, a TV, a shower (really just a pipe coming out of the wall), and a small kitchen. The awesome thing is that I actually have a computer with internet here. Fuck YES.
There are an additional 14 kids staying above me, so that makes 93 kids total. Keep in mind that there are also about 25 kids at the orphanage’s old location, too! The kids upstairs aren’t actually in an apartment, it’s just an outdoor area with a roof; very basic. They are not allowed in my apartment, and they are keenly aware that this is a forbidden zone. This is by design, to give volunteers some personal space. Sophia said that if you let them in, they will all want to come in all the time, and you will never have a moment’s peace.
The center has a DVD player and they allow the kids to watch a DVD on the weekends, and during the week I can borrow it. They have chain stores here that sell pirated DVDs, and I have already bought a few of them, which go for 100 rupees, which is like $2.50.
The kids
The kids are absolutely fantastic. I was actually afraid that they wouldn’t like me, but ohhhhhhhh no. They cannot get enough of me. They are around me all the time, and I mean ALL THE TIME. Every time I need to go into the supplies room, whether it is to pick out a book or give a kid a bandaid, I have to lock the door or I will get kids billowing in trying to be near me. They even fight over who gets to hold my hand when we walk down the street! True story.
Lemme tell you, these kids are really freaking cute. I have studied there cuteness levels, and the statistics are off the charts. I even had to bring a specialist in to confirm the results. Karen, if you were here, your head would explode. Fact.
The kids have so little, and want anything at all that they can hold in their hands. They will beg me for half an hour for a pen, and will guilt trip me beyond belief. “Oh please uncle, oh PLEASE uncle, I NEED a black pen. Please, I need it.” And if I give one of them a black pen, it is a moral outrage if they don’t all get black pens.
Communication is difficult. They know basic English and learn it in school, but it is still hard to understand them. I’m getting by though, and I’m sure I will get better at communicating with them as time goes on.
I have two main concerns with these children. The first is health. For one thing, many of them, if not most, have boils. Some have a lot of boils on their heads and they have to shave their heads. I am very worried about infections too, as some wounds go untreated. I bought some Neosporin, and am going to try and make that the standard for treating wounds since there are numerous opportunities for infections. Fever seems to be very common, and it certainly doesn’t help that they are recovering in a sweltering room.
The other thing is their education. For the ones falling behind, it is very difficult for them to get the constant attention and help they need. At night, I’m trying to help 93 kids with their homework; not an easy task. I saw that a previous volunteer was working on a piece of paper describing each kid’s status in school, their specific educational needs, and how best to help them. I will try to locate the other records to aid in my teaching.
Chennai
Chennai is alright, but is very busy and hectic, with a lot of pollution. There isn’t a whole lot to do there, but it is the place to go to get supplies, get a nicer meal, etc. Chennai is not a tourist city at all, which is very little that caters to tourists and you really get to see how people live around here.
There is a mall called Spencer Plaza that is one of the trippiest places I’ve ever been to. It is a giant maze, and is not recommended if you suffer from claustrophobia. Actually that’s their motto, written in big letters out front. The mall has all these different areas and is very crowded, and just twists and turns into oblivion. Seriously that place is going to haunt me in my dreams for years to come.
One problem about Chennai and the surrounding area is that it is the driest place in the world. In fact, the only place to get a beer is at the expensive hotels. Which I will be going to next weekend.
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram is a smaller town, but I say that only in comparison to Chennai, as there are a fucking shit ton of people here. The streets are teeming with life (finally, a chance to use the word “teeming”). When I go out in the morning, there are people weaving on enormous looms that span two houses, women balancing giant jugs of food or water on their heads, bicycles and motorbikes and autorickshaws whizzing through everyone, cows lingering about…it’s pretty much what you would imagine life here to be like, but actually being here and seeing it all overwhelms your senses.
The kids in the town are anxious to meet me. They run up to me and say “what is your name?” or “where from?” The adults, on the other hand, are not as welcoming, for the most part. They give me a look as if to say “what’s up WHITEY.” The ones who do approach me are very friendly, though. One woman even invited me in to her house to eat (I couldn’t because we were on our way out).
I haven’t gone to any of the famous temples here yet, because they are on the other side of town. I won’t be able to see them for a while because during the week I am busy from 8 in the morning to 10 at night, with a two hour break, and next weekend I will be going into Chennai.
Animals
Dogs. I have discovered that, left to their own devices, dogs are filthy, dirty, mangy, bug ridden creatures that I wouldn’t touch with a biohazard suit on. They seem happy enough, though – they prance around with big smiles, eating whatever scraps they can find, and napping in shady spots.
Cows. They are everywhere. They are different from cows in America though, as they are much smaller and skinnier. I guess if they’re not being fattened up for the slaughterhouse, they will look different. Often, the horns on steers are painted, and they will sometimes put jingly things on them. I’m going to start naming the ones that live next to my house. I am currently accepting suggestions.
Goats. Lots of goats. Goats go baaah.
Cats. Not too many of them, but the ones I’ve seen meow like it’s going out of style. Really cute, but like dogs, I’m not about to touch some goddamn filthy street cat and get the plague.
Elephants. I saw a real live elephant yesterday, just walking down the street along with all the other vehicles. It was fairly small, and it’s trunk had been painted with a really interesting design. I don’t know what it was up to. I assume it was peanut related.
Money
There are about 40 rupees to one dollar. The dollar goes FAR over here. The funny thing is, you start to get used to their system, and you’ll be like 60 rupees, forget it but really that’s $1.50. A bottle of water at the corner stand nearby is 13 rupees, a bus into Chennai (~1.5 hours) is 25 rupees, and meals at nicer restaurants in Chennai will go for maybe 100 rupees.
Food
As expected, the food here is very different from the Indian food we get at home, but it is very good. I get three meals a day from the orphanage, and what they give me is different from what they give the kids. The kids get rice for breakfast, rice for lunch, and rice with sauce for dinner. Sometimes they get these soft rice patties instead of rice. The other adults and I get a variety of things, like chapattis, curried vegetables, rice with a yogurt tomato sauce, etc. They give me a lot of food, more than I can usually eat.
Today (Sunday), we took the kids to the school grounds to play. The school fed everyone – everyone was lined up down the edge of the building in the shade, and we were each given a banana leaf, on which they put rice, curried chicken, a different type of curried chicken, and some sort of onion lentil thing that was delicious. For orphanage meals, you always eat with your hands (actually just your right hand).
The bananas here are these mini bananas (I call them minanas, ha!), and are sweet and delicious.
Going out to eat, I have only gone to nice restaurants, which is really worth it. The nice restaurants will cost you $6-7 dollars for a full meal and a bottle of water, and you definitely want to be on the safe side when it comes to food, plus I’m only eating out occasionally so it’s definitely worth it.
The coffee here is great! It’s not coffee in the traditional sense though. It’s hot milk mixed with some coffee substance and sugar, and they do this thing where they mix it between cups and it comes out all frothy and sweet and ever so tasty.
Oh man, a half hour ago I went to a store to pick up some things, and they were selling a candy bar made by Cadbury that I thought would be a crunchie – even though it was called something else, it had very similar packaging. Turned out to not only be something else, but had obviously been in that case for a while, and had the grody white stuff on it and was chewy, but like in a bad way. One of the most disappointing food experiences ever.
Anyway, I have been overly cautious about eating here to make sure I don’t get sick. I haven’t bought any food from the numerous street shops yet, only packaged snacks and whatnot. I will start to branch out more though, because I really want to sample the local sweets. And judge them harshly.
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