India 2009

Bump in the Road

2009-03-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

What follows is a letter I received via email today from Timothy Jalam in Miraj, with whom I am working to start a hospice building and program there. My goodness! What a different world.

Respected Cynthia,

I am sorry for delay in responding the progress of the Hospice center.

The construction of New Hospice Center was started on 09/03/2009. But group of women and men from higher cast community of Bamnoli village shouting slogans saying stop this work if the Hospice Center is constructed in this village then whole village will be infected with HIV/AIDS. The situation was out of control we had to stop this work. I took the help of Police in this matter but the response was not very favorable.

Dated 12/03/2009 I had been to Mumbai and explained the situation to the Government authorities our intention of constructing Hospice center and provide care and support to the people who are sick and dying.

I was able to convince Government Authorities and got the special permission from the Health Ministries.

At the same time at village level organized four meetings with the village leaders and community people pleading them for their cooperation and explaining them that the HIV/AIDS will not be spread in the village if we have Hospice center in Bamnoli village, this will be privilege and honor for our village if we have this project in this village. We will be able to provide good service to the sick and dying.

I am happy to inform you that the construction work has now stated again. Please continue to pray for this work.

Can I get email address of Janet Hignett, 3 Loast lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15271, USA who came with the Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pittsburg USA. Who was residing with you at the Fletcher Hall in Miraj

With regards,

Rev. Timothy Jalam

Rukhminibai Lives!

2009-03-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a letter I received via e-mail from the surgeon who replaced my friend's mitral valve and repaired the tricuspid. This was done in a full-on open-heart surgery procedure that lasted about 5-6 hours, wherin Shirish, bless him, opened her chest by sawing through the sternum with a surgical jig-saw, I kid you not. In this photo taken about 10 days after the surgery, my friend, Rukhminibai is pictured on the right, next to her daughter Alaknanda, and Alaknanda's daughter, Prachi. I first met Rukhminibai when I was 17, she was 24, and Alaknanda was 5.

My dear Cynthia,

I hope this note finds you in good health. Rukmini our patient came for follow up today. I was so happy to see her and did remember all your efforts for her. I was especially touched by your patiently waiting outside the ICU for hours on end while Rukmini was recovering after surgery. Rukmini is doing well. Her symptoms are almost gone and she is doing all her routine activities. Her heart size on Chest X-ray has remarkable decreased. Her operative wounds are healed well and her Anticoagulation blood reports are within the expected levels. I have readjusted her medicines and have called her for follow-up after 2 months. I praise God for having helped this patient back to almost normal health.

I thank you so much for putting your trust in my small department and allowing us to treat your patient and giving us this great opportunity to be instruments of healing in our Makers Hands.

With love and prayers,

SHIRISH

Dr. Shirish S. Pargaonkar

Head, Cardio-vascular & Thoracic Surgery

In-charge, Miraj Heart Institute,

Medical Superintendent, Wanless Hospital

Miraj - 416410 , INDIA

Mobile: 9823066280

E mail: shiripar@hotmail.com

shiripar@gmail.com

Pune

2009-03-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Visited the site where Mary plans to start a school to educate young girls from surrounding villages with the intent of helping them pass the 10th standard exams, like a high school exit exam. She was inspired to do this from assisting her housekeeper's daughter with her studies. The girl failed the 8th grade and Mary is tutoring her every morning before school. Mary's idea is that if she can get these children to pass their exams, a whole world will open up for them. The young girl in the headwrap is the caretaker's daughter on the land. My head is wrapped in a scarf in the latest fashion: protects against sun exposure and air pollution on the crowded smelly streets of India. This scarf was purchased in Maliwada. Pooja, Mangala and Hiraman Gavai's 25 year old daughter showed me how to tie it. Pooja and Hiraman both work at Capgemini. Mangala stays home and is looking for a project. They have closed the ICA-Bombay office, but want to reopen it as a guest room for travelers. The orchid is blooming in Mary's garden for me, she said. Portrait of Dali, lounging. Hello, Dali. I sing to her every morning, but she is heretofore unimpressed.

The D'Souza Family

2009-03-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

I am fully enjoying my visit with the D'Souza family in Pune. Cyprian has created an amazing IT business, having used ICA methodology to create a company that was sold to the French for millions. They are worldwide, but the main campus is here in Pune. They provide software for financial institutions all over the world. Everything is state of the art. An incredible building. Pune calls itself Silicon City. They were on the "hitlist" of the Mumbai Terrorist attacks in November and have stepped up their security. Eventhough Cyprian was one of the originators of the company, we were inspected thoroughly at the gate. They rolled a mirror around under the car, had a metal detector wand if needed, opened the trunk, had us unroll all the car windows to inspect us. No photos inside allowed. It was quite something. Dali, the great Dane at their home is impressive, but extremely shy especially around me. Their son, Ashwath is beautiful and intelligent with a British accent from schooling in York and Wales. Mary and Cyprian are very much the same. Wonderful people. Their daughter is teaching at a school for the mentally challenged in Kerala. She is 19 and an amazing artist. Beautiful in photos, but I have yet to meet her.

Holi Festival

2009-03-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today is Holi festival. It started last night with the full moon. Lasts today and tomorrow. Last night, I visited Shankar Jadav and his "new" wife, Renuka and their almost 2 year old son, Aditya. They made a special meal with jaggery (unrefined raw sugar, like dry molasses) stuffed chapatis and khir(sweet milky rice with nuts), bindi (okra), pakoras, other fried snacks, rice and dahl. Very good. Today, people throw colored water and powder on each other. I left my friends in Aurangabad just before holi, but they annointed me with orange powder and then gave me the powder to color each of them as part of the parting ritual. Here in Pune, mostly college kids, families and kids celebrate. Many people do not. Also part of the tradition is to drink bhang water (hash tea) all day. Haven't sampled that yet.

Last day in the village

2009-03-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Spent Saturday evening, night and Sunday in Maliwada, having tea with old friends, meeting new friends, children, wives and husbands, having beaucoup cups of chai, chai, everywhere chai. These people feed me and give me chai and snacks every few minutes and then ask why I'm so fat. We sang bhajans together. I relented and let the ladies dress me in a sari, marathi farm style, through the legs in front and tucked in the waist at the back. They couldn't help but giggle and laugh, but so appreciated my effort to engage in local custom. They were constantly honoring me with red powder on the forehead. I honored them by drinking their tea, singing their religious songs with them, and wearing their clothes, and generally enjoying their beautiful smiles and enthusiasm for life. I found a computer genius named Ravi who downloaded my pictures and videos on his harddrive to share with the others. Who would have thought that possible in little old Maliwada? Maliwada now has a bank, restaurants (not just tea stalls) and shops with everything from bangles, saris, shoes, hankies, to motorcycle parts and building supplies. They seem to be thriving. And growing. New infants, this one only 7 days old, pulled out from under the bed when reviewing the family tree. Some things are just the same. Pundlik in his blacksmith shop, started by his grandfather and continued by his father. His youngest son, my friend Nandakishore helps him in the shop sometimes. Granny in her glasses watching the world go by.

Eating Well

2009-03-04T22:20:00.001-08:00

Last night we went to a lovely restaurant in Nashik and ate quite well. This is called a thali plate. This style of dining is available in Santa Cruz, but nothing like this quality and quantity. You just arrive at the restaurant, called a "hotel" and sit down. The servers bring all the food and condiments and refill as you eat unless you are vigorous with your declinations. There were four more food items yet to come when this photo was taken: rice, puris (like chapatis, but fried), a sweet yoghurt dessert dish, another yoghurt dish with a ball of rice in the middle. The food was fabulous. Very high quality.

Orchid Farm at Belgaon Dhaga

2009-03-04T22:07:00.001-08:00

Sumit and his wife Anjali decided to return to his parent's farm near Nashik, near a village called Belgaon Dhaga. They are starting an orchid farm in the old chicken house. The Parekh's got rid of the chicken venture about 3 years ago. Sumit and Anjali got their orchids from Thailand. Anjali is an architect and designed the home they built on the property "within shouting distance" of Sumit's parents. You can see the house on the left side of the photo and the children walking back to their house from "Aba's" (grandpapa's). Sumit is a business man. They are both world travelers.

Vinod Parekh

2009-03-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

This is Mr. Vinod Parekh with his 2 delightful grandchildren, Ved and Devika, ages almost 4 and 2. They are Sumit's children, Vinod's eldest. Vinod was the project director at Maliwada village in 1975-77, where I met him when I first came to India. He is the same, great sense of humor, loves people, can communicate well with all types. People confide in him. He is inspirational. Two people told him they were on the verge of committing suicide until they spoke with Vinod and regained a desire to live.

Fun with Devika

2009-03-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

Bathtime with Devika.

This is Vinod Parekh's granddaughter, Sumit and Anjali's daughter, named Devika. She just turned 2 about 2 months ago and is a firecracker. This was just after the moment that she came to me and asked me to pick her up, by reaching up with both arms in that wordless 2 yr. old way.

Radhakrishnan

2009-03-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

This is Radhakrishnan in his barber shop, son of a barber; his brother's a barber. At the age of 12 or so, he was my translator 33 years ago. He taught me the bhajans I still know today.

Barbershop

2009-03-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

This is Radhakrishnan's barber shop. His eldest son is the barber in the background getting ready to take a straight razor to his customer's throat.

Maliwada Reprise

2009-03-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

So, this is the middle of town on an early Sunday evening. Maliwada now has a "market", fruits and vegetables. The temple in the background is new in the last 33 years. The well to the left has been there all along. All the people and activity are new. This is a teaming village of 5000 people now. When I came it was a struggling farmtown of about 500. Such a change! Some of the oldies but goodies recognized me. I was there for only 2 hours, but will return Saturday for 2 days, staying in the village, probably at the goldsmith's house. My blacksmith friend has no indoor facilities, except electricity.

Pics of Hospice Presentation at MGM

2009-02-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

Here I am signing my autograph and words of encouragement to the nursing students.

The audience. Some sleepy, some enthused. The usual.

At the beginning; the head of the College of Nursing: Dr. Mhaske, PhD in Community Health

The end.

The Stove Project for Changu Narayan, Nepal

2009-02-28T06:18:00.000-08:00

Some of you more careful readers, (Mom, Dad) may remember that I had plans to visit a stove distributor in Bangaluru for the purpose of inspecting and sending if appropriate a couple of samples to the village project in Nepal. Well, that visit did turn out to be fruitful. I arrived at their swanky office in a somewhat sweaty and dishevelled condition as is my bent when travelling in this hot, dusty country, it seems. In spite of my appearrance, they were very polite, gave me a tour and let me use their computer to check for a non-PO box address to receive some stoves and made arrangements to send 2 models up to Kathmandu. I showed them my photos of the stove project we saw up there at their Centre for Rural Development in Kathmandu. A very pleasant man named, Ravi was my guide and told me he is fluent in the 5 languages of the areas around Bangaluru in which they are working now. They have plans to expand up to Maharashtra and Gujarat in the next year or so. They've been in the current location for about a year and a half. Ravi took me to an ATM where I withdrew about $100 worth of rupees and paid for 2 stoves and shipping to Nepal. They will send them as soon as they receive a physical address from me. I'm excited about the combined efforts of the stove technology in Bangaluru and the fuel developments in Kathmandu and the resulting potential for improvement of air quality and stopping deforestation. Another success story!

Mahatma Gandhi Mission

2009-02-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry for no photos this post, but forgot to bring my camera cord to hook into the computer. Just had a reprise motorcycle ride to get to this cafe from Nandakishore's office. Reprise, because the last time I rode sidesaddle on the back of a motorcycle was in this very area 33 years ago, and the results were less than spectacular. We were leaving the village of Maliwada, just gaining speed from the dirt road onto the blacktop, when the back tire blew out and the cycle started to tilt. I tried to jump off just before getting wiped off the back end of the thing and was wearing leather "chappalls" or typical Indian style sandals and did not succeed in staying on my feet. I fell, and the momentum I had from being on the motorcycle doing 25-30 miles an hour carried me rolling across the road and into the dirt at the edge. I skinned up my leg and tore my dress (yes, I was wearing a dress at the time). This lovely feat was witnessed by quite a few villagers who knew me and came running to see if I was hurt. Thankfully, only a little, and I went back to the village to lick my wounds. But that was then, this is another story, thank the gods and goddesses in such abundance here in India. This motorcycle (a honda hero) was also very old, but in good condition, and the driver very careful. We arrived without incident. Earlier today I delivered a very successful Hospice presentation at the Mahtma Gandhi Mission which has a hospital, schools of agriculture, engineering, nursing, among many others. It's lovingly referred to locally as MGM, not to be confused with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Hollywood. For my presentation, I received my very own small bust statue of Sri Gandhi himself and a beautiful white cotton shawl, as well as a 500 rupee honorarium which was referred to as a "love gift". That's a lot of money here. They were extremely appreciative. They want me to come back and do a more involved presentation over several days. They provided a projector so that I could show my powerpoint slides that I developed in Miraj at Fletcher Hall. A bunch of students asked for my autograph at the end. It was very touching. Pics to follow.

The Summit

2009-02-25T04:22:00.000-08:00

Here's the giant Shivaji temple parts of which are 2000 years old in the city of Tiruvannamalai.

This is me on the summit with my intrepid guide taking a moment over my right shoulder.

I met this lovely French man named, Guy just below the summit. He hiked to the top with us and I enjoyed a chat with him in the hut at the top as we rested for the harrowing journey back.

This is me at the beginning, fresh and unsuspecting.

Photos of the big climb

2009-02-25T04:02:00.000-08:00

We started out in Selvaji's hut. He is a guardian of the forest, keeping people from smoking and putting out forest fires. I started up the mountain alone while Selvaji went back for provisions.

This was one of the "sleeping spots" Selvaji picked out for me. He set two rocks down for a pillow and said, "you lie down and sleep for 2 minutes." Very refreshing.

Arunachala, Sacred Shivaji Mountain

2009-02-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

This morning I got up and planned a sedate 2 km. hike to the cave where Sri Ramana Maharshi lived and meditated for 7 years; started at 6am and planned to be back by 8am to bathe and go to Richard Clarke's (retired here from San Jose a year and a half ago; rents a palatial 2 story home with roof deck for $200/month) house for a visit by 9. But nooooooooo. I caught the enthusiasm of an impromptu guide living in a grass hut at the foot of the mountain and agreed to have him guide me to the top, without asking the length of the trip or preparing for a long gruelling hike with sunscreen, water, food, head protection, walking stick, none of the essentials. Nevertheless, my fearless guide took me on like a project with comments such as, "you have a big body and walk so nicely to the top of the mountain." Well, that didn't turn out to be entirely true, because near the end, I turned my ankle and fell, colliding with my tiny guide and we both sprawled in the dirt on an incline. He scratched his leg and hit his spine on a rock. I scraped my back and turned my ankle, but not badly. He urged me to a standing position as quickly as possible and had me crawl into a narrow cave for shade to "sleep" while he hustled down the hill a few hundred yards to the cave cum ashram and freshwater spring. He returned with a liter of water and a steel plate of food, rice, dall and green beans. It was the salt that was most critical at that point, and the rest. Whew! Near catastrophe averted. Now I'm recovering with only moderately sunburned forearms and face, swollen and sore knees, but proud to have bagged that peak! Pictures to follow, my camera battery just died.

Where I'm Staying

2009-02-23T05:59:00.001-08:00

This is the Ashram down the road from Sri Ramanasramam where I am staying. Accommodations are mediocre, I wouldn't even say clean, but at least I have a place to wash and sleep, which is better than the alternative and what a lot of people around here have.

More of the self-guided tour

2009-02-23T05:41:00.000-08:00

Got a little cow dung between my toes when I wandered into the milking room. Snapping a photo of this guy attaching the automatic milker produced an "Hare Ram" from him. I think he was a little taken aback by the sudden audience during this private moment with the cow. The teeny calf in back had to wait his turn at the teat. I wandered to the back of the property and came across this little settlement of shacks and snapped a photo of a little girl finishing her bath. Everything pretty much happens out in the open here. Earlier in the day I saw a very old woman bathing by a public water pump, naked from the waste up, squatting by the side of the road, young boys, men and me walking by. She didn't care, nor did they seem to notice. Saw a man brushing (or rather cleaning since no brush was involved) his teeth in the typically Indian fashion with black tooth powder and his index finger outside his room at the ashram, instead of inside in the bathroom which has no sink, just faucets in the wall in an enclosed bathroom. The little girl in pink above was too cute to pass up. I think she lives behind the ashram in the shacks.

Exploring Sri Ramanasramam

2009-02-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed the ashram a little more fully after bathing, sleeping a few hours, eating a full meal and of course shopping a teeny bit. That always puts me in a great mood. So I caught a fairly good close up of a peacock and better yet, caught some of the strange cry on video with some preening behavior which involved opening the feathers a little, not the full on sexual display, but something worth seeing. I happened in on a bhajan singing below the huge portrait of Sri Ramana Maharshi in his diaper sitting on a tiger skin (not happy about that detail, the tiger RIP). Then another bhajan singing group which was a call and response with men and women. I snapped the photo without flash to show the hall. In the back is the shrine with the ashes of the Guruji (hence no flash).

Sri Ramanasramam

2009-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Arrived safely in Tiruvannamalai at 4:15am Monday after some hairy travel experiences, not the least of which was a small fender bender at the bus stand involving the bus I was in and another bus backing into a spot next to the one we were vacating. This happened in Bangaluru. I wasn't even mildly disturbed since I had spent the previous hour and a half anxious about getting on the right bus to the right destination with all my bags and myself in one piece. I had carefully memorized the Tamil Nadu spelling of Tiruvannamalai, or at least the shape of the last letter, and did not see it on the bus that should have been mine. I asked the conductor and he said "yes" this was the bus to Tiruvannamalai, but I'd been foolled before by an official at this very stand, so I wasn't sure until I saw my neatly typed name on his list. Whew! So once I got myself installed on the bus with all my bags wedged anywhere they would fit alongside giant baskets and bags of god knows what all from other passengers and two brand new tires placed neatly on top of my suitcase, I was glad to be on the right bus, nevermind the bump, scrape, crunch of metal, ensuing cursing and flailing by the driver. We were only delayed 20 minutes by that incident. A few minutes later, still within a half mile of where we started from, a small child emerged from the rear of the bus, crying and wanting to get off. There was some lively discussion among the passengers and the driver, he got off, followed by a man, the bus was turned off and we waited awhile. I didn't know if the kid had to pee, or had lost his mother, but we waited and then drove off without him, unless he got back on at the back door when I wasn't looking. So then we had a very long, bumpy screechy trip with deafening horn blowing periodically and slamming on of breaks and carreening back and forth to miss obstacles on the road including oncoming traffic. Arrived and was deposited by a kind but overcharging (the 8km ride cost more than the 5 hour bus here) rickshaw driver at this very peaceful ashram pictured above. I waited 3 hours for the office to open so that I could inquire about a room only to find there was no room at the inn. I spent the morning listening to a strange bird call and when it got lighter I saw the giant peafowl atop the roof of the ashram. There was also a monkey or two and several very sweet dogs, one of whom was brave enough to run right over to me for an ear and head massage. The mountain in the background is the famous holy Arunchala where it is said Ram, Vishnu and Siva were arguing about who was more powerful and Ram sent a column of light through this mountain to show his degree of power.

Last day in Miraj

2009-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

Gave a small presentation with a fabulous powerpoint slideshow at the Wanless Hospital College of Nursing. It went off without a hitch once we got through the rough patches. It only started 30 minutes late and the audience was very hastily pulled together and very polite, given the last minute arrangements. There was a small snafu with communication which is quite common for me here in India, and the program was never advertised. So at the last minute we dragged together some willing and not-so-willing nursing students who were under the steady thumb of the lady- Mrs. -nurse- in- charge- hai. After the program, Nandakishore and I walked downtown twice to get a little steel mortar and pestal engraved for Timothy and the new hospice and new med room yet to be built and organized. We had to go twice because the electricity was out on the first trip. "load-sharing" they call it around here. So we passed this lovely Hanuman temple twice and turns out Saturday is Hanuman day around here and I got some valuable info about Mr. Hanuman from Nandakishore, including the small detail that ladies are not supposed to enter the Hanuman temple because Hanuman never married and did not hang out with ladies so it is considered improper, but in Miraj, ladies go to the temple anyway. Also, when Indian men marry, they are supposed to pay homage to Hanuman on their way to the wedding, kind of a batchelor devotion en-route to losing their batchelorhood. As we walked by the temple, I asked Nandakishore if he wanted to stop and pray there; he said "no" he already did. I missed it because I was looking at the temple on my left and Nandu was walking on my right. Apparently his devotional moment was brief.

Going away party at Miraj railway station

2009-02-21T19:55:00.000-08:00

This is Mohan, our cook at Fletcher hall donning the flower garland that Timothy brought. Timothy is on the left, Monsieur le Chatigre on the right, I love that guy! Really all 3 of them. But chatigre has the best name of anyone I've met so far: He's from Cote D'Ivoire, native tongue is French, last name means "cat tiger", full name is Konan Justin Chatigre, only when you're reading it you must use a heavy french accent and correct pronunciation, otherwise, it's just not the same. At the hospital, he is Doctor Chatigre, but to me he is Monsieur le Chatigre. His English is not good, so we communicated in French/English. I really enjoyed his company and trying to talk to him in a variety of ways. He was planning to stay in Miraj for 3 months, but due to language issues, he's leaving after a month and a half.

The Big Surgery

2009-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Glad to report that Rukminibai's surgery went smoothly. She had a MVR, mitral valve replacement and a tricuspid repair. It took 5-6 hours. She was scheduled for surgery on her youngest son's birthday, Monday Feb. 16, but an emergency case came in at 5:00 that morning, and her surgery had to be postponed. There is only one heart surgeon here in Miraj at Wanless Hospital. So we were all ready to go on Monday up until 12 noon, when we were informed it had to be postponed until the next day, that's after waiting 8 days from her arrival in Miraj. She is still in ICU and will be discharged this coming Thursday the 26th of February. She'll stay in Miraj another 8 days by request of the surgeon for follow-up so that he can "keep an eye on her blood", presumably clotting factors and all. That's apparently a delicate balance after valve replacement. Dr. Pargaonkar, the cardio-thoracic surgeon is pictured above, consulting with my father. (Actually, I think they're looking at a camera, but who needs to know that?)

Bore Well for the new Hospice House in Miraj

2009-02-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

Big news! The truck arrived 9 am Friday morning and dug 200 feet in 4+ hours, yielding water for the new hospice building (soon to be built) and the Home of Hope Orphanage next door. It cost about $200 or 10,000 rupees for the job. The exact spot for digging was chosen by a boy who was born breach (feet first) and therefore able to find water using a coconut in his upturned palm. He walked around the grounds and when the coconut tipped, that was the spot for digging. I wish I could have seen the "water witching" process. But anyway, we know it worked, because we definitely got water. They had to keep adding lengths of pipe for the drilling. At 100 feet, wet mud was coming up, so we were thrilled.

Village called Digraj

2009-02-15T21:05:00.000-08:00

Went to a small village church to talk about Hospice. Crossed a big river on the way and stopped to observe cow washing time. Several farmers led their bullocks down to the river and in the river for a bath. I also saw some people washing their water buffaloes on the side of the road. Lot's of care for the bigger animals.

Teaching the Hospice Philosophy

2009-02-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

Each time I teach a class about Hospice, there is an "arati" ceremony to apply the god's eye to my head and to thank me for coming and to basically treat me like a goddess. Pictured above is a girl of 15 with her daughter who turns 4 this week. They are both suffering with HIV infection.

Hospice Update

2009-02-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

We had a ground breaking ceremony for the new Hospice at Prabhat Tara Sanstha. Unfortunately, it was purely ceremonial. There are many hoops to jump through in order to actually get started. Number one is water source. The plan is to dig a bore well in the next few days. I met with the engineer (builder) and Timothy and a board member and modified the drawings for the facility. The engineer is working on revisions. Then they must approve the project with the local village leader. All of this will take 2 weeks. I leave the area on the 21st. Timothy purchased 10,000 bricks with the money I sent in December from my Christmas gifts to my family and a large donation from my dear friend, Rebecca. Timothy and I are working on a name for the building, and on teaching the hospice philosophy to the local community, people in the redlight districts and people in Timothy's church.

My friends from Aurangabad District

2009-02-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

Nandakishore, turns 25 on Feb. 16th. Rukhminibai is 57. Punklik is 65. He is the village blacksmith or "iron worker", making a repairing and sharpening farming tools.

Rukhminibai's Angiogram

2009-02-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

Arterial puncture site in right groin; Cath lab with video image of dye in cardiac arteries; Rukhminibai, age 57, pre-procedure.

Rangoli

2009-02-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

Even in the midst of the worst slums, people beautify the dirt in front of their shacks.

Redlight District, Sangli

2009-02-10T21:50:00.000-08:00

So, Timothy took me to the redlight areas in Sangli and Miraj. He has several programs in 3 different slums in addition to his orphanage. Pictured above is an outdoor classroom where women and children are learning English and Marathi literacy. To the left is a game at the orphange where one child runs across the line tries to tag someone and run back before being grabbed and dragged into the clutches of the opposite team. The girl in pink and green didn't make it back. Far left is a gathering in the street in front of a clothesline.

The Pittsburgh Folks

2009-02-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

A group from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA has been staying in Fletcher Hall here in Miraj. This is their last night after 9 days here, checking on projects funded by their church and generally enjoying the local area. They were given these clothes as a parting gift from Sandeep Raut at Sangli Industrial School.

Miraj Market

2009-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

Have been to the market in Miraj a couple of times. The main part of the vegetable market is housed on the ground level of this old colonial building. The surrounding area is full of shops selling everything from stainless steel as in the middle photo above, to saris, punjabi clothes, children's clothes, shoes, etc... There are also smaller stalls with flowers (the white ones above are jasmine), bangles (the woman in purple is being fitted with green colored glass bangles), and colored powder for the tikka or bindi (god's eye) dot for the middle of the forehead. This is the same kind of colored powder sold in the market for throwing at one another during the holi festival. That comes on March 12th. I can hardly wait.

Arrival in Miraj

2009-02-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Miraj at 5:45 am on the Mahalaxmi Express from Mumbai. Dad and a driver were on the platform to meet me! Yeah! Back to the Wanless Hospital Guest House for breakfast and a shower. Yesterday we had supper with a pharmacist and his family (pictured above left). He had open heart surgery a few years ago and has become friends with my dad. I was able to do some preliminary hospice medication availability research with him. The bad news is Morphine is not readily available for home use, but there is a way. I will be pursuing that. We went to a place where people with leprosy make woven goods. (see middle photo above). The last photo of the bullock cum cart was taken in the center of Miraj when Joan and I were on a mission to get some punjabi clothing made for me. Soon you will see photos of me having gone somewhat native.

Train Travel

2009-02-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Took my first train ride this trip from Haridwar to New Delhi. !st Class, AC car, the only way to go. The trip went from 6:15 pm to about 10:45 pm. Didn't have to worry about riff-raff pillaging my belongings. Plus, they fed us every 20 minutes of all things! So I didn't have to eat suspicious looking train station food, or go hungry. First there was a snack tray with Lay's brand masala potato chips, a large hot, fried potato pakora, a really weird little package of something they called "cake" but it was actually dehydrated powder that was sweet, may have had milk solids in it, had some flavoring, made from some kind of bean flour. A small Cadbury brand chocolate/caramel/cookie candy bar.Two little pieces of candy. A packet of "mouth fresh" which is sweetened fennel seeds. A quart of water. I thought that was the meal, so I ate it all. Then they brought some kind of lentil soup broth with tiny pieces of chopped green beans and carrots in the bottom. Then the full on hot meal came with curried kidney beans, rice, curried potatoes, curried squash, yoghurt, 2 chapatis. I could have had a small thermos of tea also, but I declined the offer. They brought fruit, bananas and some other round thing I didn't recognize. Then caramel ice cream. Whew! I won't be losing any weight here unless I get amoebic dysentery.

Playtime

2009-02-02T00:33:00.000-08:00

Every afternoon at the Ashram from 5-6 is playtime. The trampolines are a big draw for kids of all ages. Badminton is another popular game, as well as playing house with a teaset. Kids play marbles in the dirt and race around on bicycles. There's a 3 wheeled cart they ride in along the drive up to the entrance gate.

Accomodations

2009-02-01T23:58:00.000-08:00

My room at the Ashram is very comfortable. It's a double, but I don't have a roomie. The bathroom took some getting used to. That's a flush hole-in-the-floor toilet. No paper allowed. So I use the old water and left hand technique. No hot water in the bathroom, so I get a bucket and fill it at the water heater in the hallway near my room, bring it in the bathroom and mix it with cold and pour it over myself, standing up. Then I soap up, rinse off and squeegie the water down the drain. I don't use the cold water shower in the bathroom because the air temp is very chilly here, probably around 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning.

Spirit life at Sri Ram Ashram

2009-02-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Babaji sits in his room every morning and every evening and enjoys the company of the residents and visitors of his Ashram. This is called Darshan. People talk to one another, play games, sit with Babaji, receive his council. Everyone receives a piece of candy tossed by Babaji or a child seated with him as they enter, and most generally touch Babaji's feet as they enter or exit the room.

Morning and evening, the children have Arati, which is kind of like church. I haven't attended the morning session, but in the evening, they light the oil lamp, incense, chant a series of prayers that goes on non-stop for about 10 minutes, Om three times with a brief period of silent meditation maybe 2 minutes, sing some bhajan songs. They have a harmonium and tabla drums. The lead chanter last night was a 4 year old girl. A boy about 10 years old dressed in white lights the lamp, flings water, lights incense in front of the altar that includes statues of Shiva and Nandi and Ganesh, pictures of Babaji and Hanuman and a picture of a caucasian woman the children refer to as their mother who is now deceased. She must have been one of the Ashram's caregivers some years ago.

The poster above of Hanuman as a small child is hanging in on the baby rooms. The picture of Babaji as a young man is hanging in the children's dining room. The statue of Hanuman above middle is in front of the main Ashram building. The top left photo of Babaji was taken by me the first morning I was here. He is now 86 years old, I think.

Field Hockey

2009-02-01T19:24:00.001-08:00

The kids had a scrimmage yesterday. Pictured here is one of the best female players on the team. She's an incredible athlete in all sports. Her name is Jyoti. We all enjoyed watching them play. They don't have lines on the field. No circle, no box, no corner, no half field line. Only the perimeter. So it was hard to explain to others what the rules are when there are no marks to go by. Babaji knows the game well and drew a little diagram on his pad. It helped a little. Mostly we just cheered. Some of the older girls on the sidelines picked out their favorite male players to cheer on. I taught two of the little girls the concept of cheerleading for their school. They mostly just giggled through the cheers and wanted me to physically move their arms through the motions.

Study Hall

2009-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

Every afternoon from 3:30 to 5 the children have study hall. I have been
sitting with the 4 and 5 year olds helping them learn to read English and
Hindi,their multiplication tables and simple subtraction. A group of 5 girls
have one tutor.
--

Baby

2009-01-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

Priti is the youngest child at the orphanage. She is almost 3 months old and
has been here since she was born. About a month ago she developed bronchitis
and had to be fed with a tube when she quit eating. She is better now.

Isha on the swing

2009-01-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

Isha loves to swing, jump on the trampoline and play in the dirt.

Babaji

2009-01-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

Everynight there is a ritual in Babaji's room that involves quite a bit of
ruckus, chaos and unmitigated joy with a tinge of pranking. Everyone is
invited to come to Babaji's room for games, reading and hanging out. Babaji or
a child sitting next to him on his elevated chair of honor flings a piece of
foil wrapped chocolate to the person entering the room. That person attempts
to catch it and then eventually eats it, balling up the foil for ammunition to
pelt others in the room. Adults and children run around collecting foil balls
to throw at one another. Meanwhile, people are playing board games, reading
aloud to children, talking, laughing, enjoying the fun. The noise level
generally gets quite high. After about 1/2 hour of this, the children leave to
go eat their supper.end #

Welcome

2009-01-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

नमस्ते, एंड वेल्कोमे तो इंडिया
Namaste, and welcome to India

Sri Ram Ashram in Shampur near Haridwar

2009-01-29T23:19:00.001-08:00

Arrived here at midnight Wednesday, having missed the afternoon train and hired a private car instead. 6 hours later, we finally found the place. Beautiful place, welcoming people, in spite of the lateness of the hour. The children are quite fascinated with this new visitor. I assisted in the clinic with Andrea, a german nurse who lives here, married a local man and has a 14 mo. old girl baby named Isha. In the clinic we found 3 ticks in the ears of 3 different people, a strange, unidentified white thing with pain and swelling in another ear, infected ears in a fourth person, scabies, constipation, general joint pain in some older people. There is a visiting chiropractor who treated the pain. Fascinating work. I babysat Isha and looked in some ears.

Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest)

2009-01-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

Went on a most amazing flight seeing tour this morning to see this 29,000 foot peak via Yeti Airlines. Plane load of Chinese tourists, one lone Japanese man who is taking a year to travel around the world and reported he was feeling "very lonely." Two Philadelphians and us. We all oohed and aahed and snapped many a photo. No clouds, and very little snow, considering how high up the terrain is and how deep into winter we supposedly are. Regardless of these factors, quite a wonder.

Changu Narayan Hindu Temple

2009-01-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

This temple is over 1500 years old. Up many stone steps at the top of the village. Beautiful wood carvings, gold covered doors.

Shivaji Temple

2009-01-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

Opposite the funeral pyres is a stone platform where singing and fire puja is performed each evening from 6-7.

Shiva Temple

2009-01-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Visited the Hindu temple in Kathmandu in the evening where they have funeral pyres which is what you see burning in the center of this picture. The temple is on the bank of this dried up river. After several hours of cremation, the ashes are sprinkled in the river below.

The light colored building to the right is a hospice where people go to die opposite the temple and conveniently located right next to the cremation staging area.
We hope to visit that place today. Our Nepali guide is somewhat reluctant. His response to my request to visit the hospice was, "I have no courage."

Buddhist Temple

2009-01-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

Lighting devotional oil lamps daily.

Visit to Buddhist Monastary and Temple

2009-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

Incredible temple sourrounded by shops selling everything buddhist and more. A whole shop of singing bowls; a shop with nothing but malas; books and posters; movies;

Never seen so many prayer flags. Notice the face mask on the man in the foreground. If I stayed here long, I'd be wearing one. Wiping my nose this morning yielded sooty looking mucous. (Sorry for the graphic details, but I am a nurse...)

Bright colored clothing, saris, sweaters, Nepali style woollen hats, sweaters, traditional boots.

Driving through town

2009-01-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

After settling into the beautiful Everest Hotel which is the oldest 5 star in Kathmandu, we squeezed into a tiny taxi and road through town. Again, I was lucky enough to score a window seat and snapped street scenes out the window, like the one here. Bicycle vegetable vendor. The gutters and alleys were filled with trash. The driving (and riding) was treacherous. There is no observation of lanes, and liberal use of the horns to let others know we're coming through. Saw two cows, many motorcycles and mopeds and of course thousands of cars, trucks, buses, crammed with people. The air is very smokey. No sign of the big mountain, but Joan and I plan to take a flight seeing tour while we're here. Joan is from Denver, travelling with my dad, and met him through his Reading for the Blind group. She's a very nice lady in her eighties who has travelled a lot in her life, but never to this part of the world. Pleasant company.

Arriving Kathmandu

2009-01-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

Our plane departed New Delhi at 1:05 pm on Sunday afternoon. We arrived in Nepal about an hour and a half later. However, the Nepali timezone is 15 minutes later than in India. I was lucky enough to have a window seat and saw scenery like this as we approached the airport. I snapped many photos, but each picture requires 5 minutes download time, so you'll be getting a precious few. You'll get to see many hundreds upon my return, should you so desire.

Arrival in New Delhi

2009-01-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

After many hours trapped in my seat with only one bathroom break, playing endless games of freecell on the little screen in the back of the seat in front of me, our plane touched down after 13 and 1/2 hours in the air, direct from Newark. I missed the man who had arrived to pick me up to take me to the hotel where my dad is staying; found someone else to take me to a two star hotel near the airport. Got on the internet, read my old e-mail with the phone number, made contact with my dad by phone and went to bed. Awake at 5 am, but even a few hours stretched out on a bed is better than many hours curled up in the plane.
We are 13 and 1/2 hours ahead of folks back in Santa Cruz. I discovered that making a call home to reassure them I had been found. My dad had called there when I did not arrive at the hotel as scheduled.
My first impression upon walking outside at the New Delhi airport was smoke. People still use wood fires for cooking and heating their living space, I guess. Lots of car, bus, truck and auto rickshaw traffic--horns blaring; many near misses; no delineated lanes, just a free-for-all. No sitings of livestock yet, just one lactating dog.
This morning I bought a cell phone I can use locally and to call the US. If you want to call me, try 910-9711591028. It took me one hour standing at the cell phone stall on the street to get it all connected. I walked with the owner to a photo shop to get a digital passport sized photo for his phone records to establish the phone in my name. He was very polite and accomodating and ended the transaction by giving me 6 numbers where I could reach him, including his personal number. I have a friend for life. I was approached by several beggars while I stood there, but not inundated as I remember from the past.

Hospices in Mumbai

2009-01-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

After a teeny bit of internet research I have discovered that there are actually hospices in India already. Actually, my friend, Hanife clued me in on that one. So, there are 2 in Mumbai that serve people with AIDS. Niramay Niketan in Trombay, and Jyoti Terminal Care Centre at Kalamboli. I'm hoping that I can figure out exactly where these centers are and perhaps visit them on my way through Mumbai, which it turns out is the hub of all travel by air or by train, so I will be passing through there a few times on my way from here to there.

Future Hospice Building Site

2009-01-09T21:44:00.000-08:00

This is the photo Timothy Jalam sent me of the land he has acquired for the hospice he wants to build for the women and children in his community who are dying with HIV.

Hopefully we can break ground while I am there and we can begin construction as well as program planning. I will also have time to familiarize myself with the people in need of this service, the local medical system and supplies, medications and expertise available in that area.

Leaving for India very soon!

2009-01-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Count down to take off time. One week from today is my last day at Hospice of Santa Cruz County. One week after that is the day I fly to New Jersey and New Delhi, leaving SFO at 8:00 am Friday January 23rd. Between the 16th and the 23rd, I relax in the hot baths at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, in between Improv classes for 5 days. Then the marathon journey begins.

PBS Special on India

2009-01-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Saw a fabulous 1 hr. special on India last night, 9:00 PST on PBS. I think it's part of a longer series and plan to tune in again tonight, Tues. Jan. 6th. History, Archaeology, Anthropology, and many current shots of people and places primarily focused on the Indus River valley in Western India, north, through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan. Very intriguing. Toward the end they showed film clips of the narrator, a Brit being showered with colored powder during the Holi festival last year. I'm definitely looking forward to that.

History and Mission Statement of Prabhat Tara Sanstha

2009-01-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Respected Cynthia,

Greetings from India!

Please find information about Prabhat Tara Sanstha and its activities.
Prabhat Tara Sanstha is Non Governmental Christian Organization in India. It is registered under

Societies Registration Act, 1860, on 15/07/1994 and its registration number is Maharshtra / 4402/ Sangli.

Public Trust Act, 1950, on 21/09/1994 and its registration number is F4367

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976, on 13/12/2001 its registration number is 083960064.

Since its inception with the regular intervention and support of the Positive Steps , Unit 6 Meadowmill, West Hendersons Wynd, Dundee, DD1 5BY, Scotland,
<> Mr. Derek Sharkey is the Chief Executive Officer of Positive Steps, Scotland.

Prabhat Tara Sanstha is working in the red light area of Miraj, Sangli and Gokul Nagar among around 4000 sex workers and their children for the transformational development with the ideology of collective struggle and care and support to women and children living with HIV/AIDS.

Vision
A society of sex workers, Devdasis Eunuchs, and their children based on justice peace and equality and harmony with the Nature.

Mission

To restore human dignity of sex workers, Eunuchs and women and children living with HIV/AIDS through collective struggle and care and support.

To Activities our vision we have carried out following activities.

Three Pre school education centers in the three red light areas
Extra tuition classes to the children going to the school,
Home of Hope [hostel] for 40 girls who are from red light area these children are cared and accepted irrespective of caste, creed, religion, race and provided to the extent possible an opportunity to receive and enjoy the benefits of physical mental and social and moral education so that each will be light and the salt in the days to come.
Home of Hope for boys [hostel] who are from the red light area.
Care and support, psychosocial support, Nutritious support and travel support visit ART Center Civil Hospital to 35 children living with HIV/AIDS in Miraj Taluka.

Care and support, psychosocial support, Nutritious support and travel support to visit ART center Civil Hospital to 40 women living with HIV/AIDS in the red light area.
Collective struggle for livelihood and food security for sex workers and Devdasis.
Skill training to the adolescent girls.
Eye camp, ENT and Dental camp,
HIV/AIDS awareness and preventive education and home based care for HIV/AIDS.
In the red light area Brothel House is converted in to a Church and we are having regular church service in the red light area in spite of all oppositions.

Looking forward to hear from you.

His Grace and Peace.

The Rev. Timothy Jalam,
Chairman,
Prabhat Tara Sanstha,
Swami Vivekandnada Nagar,
Miraj 416410, District Sangli,
Maharashtra State,
www.bmsindia.wordpress.com
Prabhat_tara_sanstha@yahoo.co.in

Photos sent by Timothy Jalam

2009-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Prabhat Tara Sanstha

2009-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

Just received word from Timothy that he received the donations I sent him as "seed money" to purchase some beginning materials for the hospice building. He also sent some beautiful photographs of some of the women and children in his community.

This initial donation came from my friend, Rebecca Dalton in Silver Spring, Maryland, thank you, Rebecca. A second portion was given by me in honor of my family at Christmas, my mother, Freda, my father, Don, and my brother, Thomas.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T18:38:00.001-08:00

May all beings be happy. May all beings know peace. May all beings let go of fear. May all beings be true.

I am thrilled to be celebrating the close of 2008 and ringing in the infinite possibilities of 2009. I am hopeful about a new beginning.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Holi Festival

2008-12-26T23:21:00.000-08:00

Holi Festival begins the first day after the first full moon in March lasting 2 days and signalling the beginning of Spring. It is the festival of color. Generally people go a little wild, throwing colored water and powder all over each other. Regular work shuts down and everyone celebrates the joy of new life and a new season with special foods and of course bright colors everywhere. When I was in Maliwada village at age 17 during Holi festival, I was advised to wear old clothing and go out and have a good time. I came back completely covered with powder and colored water all over my hair, face, arms and of course my clothing. I was all shades of pink, green, yellow, red, purple, orange, and every shade inbetween. I rode on the back of a motorcycle into the nearby city of Aurangabad and got fully pelted coming and going. Of course I loved it at the time, as did the smallest children whose aim was good. We'll see how I fare this time around.

Itinerary

2008-12-26T22:49:00.000-08:00

January 23rd Friday: Fly from SFO at 8:00 am; arrive Newark, NJ at 4:20 pm; Fly to New Delhi at 8:20 pm.
January 24th Saturday: Arrive New Delhi at 9:30 pm. Hotel near airport.
January 25th Sunday: Fly to Katmandu at 10:00 am; visit Changu Village
January 26th Monday: Changu Village
January 27th Tuesday: Changu Village
January 28th Wednesday: Fly to Delhi; Travel to Haridwar
January 29th Thursday: Haridwar Orphanage and Ashram
January 30th Friday: Haridwar Orphange and Ashram
January 31st Saturday: Haridwar Orphange and Ashram
February 1st Sunday: Haridwar Orphange and Ashram
February 2nd Monday: Rishikesh Ashram
February 3rd Tuesday: Rishikesh Ashram
February 4th Wednesday: Travel to Delhi; Fly to Mumbai; Train to Miraj
February 5th Thursday: Wanless Hospital
February 6th Friday: Wanless Hospital
February 7th Saturday: Wanless Hospital
February 8th Sunday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 9th Monday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 10th Tuesday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 11th Wednesday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 12th Thursday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 13th Friday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 14th Saturday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 15th Sunday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 16th Monday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 17th Tuesday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 18th Wednesday: Timothy's Hospice Project in Sangli
February 19th Thursday: Train to Mumbai; Fly to Jaipur, Rajasthan then train to Puskar
February 20th Friday: Puskar
February 21st Saturday: Puskar
February 22nd Sunday: Train to Jaipur; Fly to Bangalore; visit stove factory
February 23rd Monday: To Arunchala
February 24th Tuesday: Ashram
February 25th Wednesday: Fly to Aurangabad
February 26th Thursday: Ajanta Caves
February 27th Friday: Ellora Caves
February 28th Saturday: Daulatabad Fort
March 1st Sunday: Maliwada Village
March 2nd Monday: Maliwada Village
March 3rd Tuesday: Maliwada Village
March 4th Wednesday: Maliwada Village
March 5th Thursday: Fly from Aurangabad to Mumbai; Train to Pune
March 6th Friday: Pune
March 7th Saturday: Pune
March 8th Sunday: Pune
March 9th Monday: Nashik
March 10th Tuesday: Nashik (Full Moon)
March 11th Wednesday: Nashik (Holi Festival)
March 12th Thursday: Nashik (Holi Festival)
March 13th Friday: Train to Mumbai
March 14th Saturday: Fly home at 10:00 pm
March 15th Sunday: Arrive SFO at 12:00 noon; Santa Cruz by 3:00 pm?

voices from the past

2008-12-25T22:49:00.001-08:00

I am thrilled to have received responses to an e-mail I sent out to contacts in India I had made in 1989. One of my colleagues from the original ICA village project I worked on at age 17 in 1976 replied and is living in Pune! I will be happy to see her and her husband again, both of whom I remember quite well from our Maliwada days in '76.

Visit to Envirofit International

2008-12-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

Late in February, my plan is to travel to Bangalore to visit an ashram and a contact from Santa Cruz. While there, my dad has asked me to visit a stove factory that originated in Fort Collins, Colorado that makes indoor cook stoves that are highly efficient, clean, cut down on indoor air pollution, burn anything and pay for themselves in fuel savings in less than a year. He wants to see if we can ship them to the Changu village project in Nepal, or even open a factory up there. I'm looking forward to this leg of my journey.

Maps

2008-12-21T19:24:00.001-08:00

http://maps.mapmyindia.com/
Try this spot to see a map of India

OK, so having failed at transporting a map from the internet to this site, I drew one of my own. I'll be flying into New Delhi, arriving Saturday night in time for a good night sleep in a hotel near the airport, then a flight to Kathmandu and a visit to Changu village project there. Dad will fly to Bhopal. I'll take surface transport to Haridwar and Rishikesh.

After Nepal

2008-12-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday of the first week, my dad will fly to Bhopal to meet up with an Indian heart surgeon he has worked with in the past. I'll be going to an area near the headwaters of the Ganges River to visit an orphanage and ashram near Haridwar and then to Rishikesh. One week later I'll meet up with my dad in Miraj where he will be working with a cardiothoracic surgery team at Wanless hospital, consulting. I will be volunteering in a nursing capacity as needed and learning more about what medications, supplies and services are available locally for hospice patients in preparation for my efforts to help start a hospice program in the nearby city of Sangli.

Ode to India

2008-12-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

This is a poem I wrote upon awaking from a dream after my last trip to India in 2000.

ODE TO INDIA

Road killed carcass of dog at first
bursting with the creamy rot of fresh decay
Then wide open, caved in, picked clean by crow and runaway piglet
feeding on this unexpected source of rare nutrition
The smell of human excrement
Pervasive through the pungent spice of
Cardamom and burning temple incense ganja weed bidi smoke
Fly encrusted flesh wound on
an otherwise skeletal stretch of skin
Over the smooth, nubby bone of thigh
pushing out at the knee and hip and pubis-
Revealed through tattered
filthy cloth the color of dust,
once magenta or azure or parrot green
Trimmed in gold.
Shrieking claxon of overloaded lorry
Pounding over broken pavement, rutted road
and smashed melon bleeding cracks
Barely missing the lumbering charcoal water buffalo
with long curled horns tipped in brilliant red.
A bright blue tassel smartly jiggling on his wrinkled forehead
Beautiful brown eyes shining through the
Long dusty lashes, clear mucous rolling from
the giant whiskered nostrils in tiny streams.
Bitter taste of diesel fumes and ginger garlic cumin
clouds of steam billowing through cracked and broken grass mat walls
Stained with the splash of mud mixed urine, discarded
tea, dishwater, bathwater, soot from fire pit
Deafening roar of rolling metal machine transport
Cut through by the shrieking horns, squealing brakes, and rubber tires
Forced around turns at high speeds occasional shout—jeldie jeldie lakie jao
Barely missing sudden death by crushing blow
Of impact with the endless flow of living creature
from lamb to goat to pig to cow to dog to chicken to
Tiny urchin child with shiny begging eye and
Outstretched mutilated limb—mehm sahib mehm sahib paisa?
Whispered, whined and bawled through parched throat
of scrawny little dust laden person
A person with heart, blood, spirit, feelings, flesh and
Human bond with mother. Always a mother somewhere
Somehow warm and tender milk sweet holding soft enfolding
Long black oiled hair scented with coconut or jasmine or cook pot steam
The froth of thick buffalo milk boiling in a battered pot
Tinted with the creamy brown of Darjeeling or bergamot tea.
Syrupy sweet with mounds of pure white sugar ladled generously in.
Floating cardamom pods, black speck of sticky seed
rich with succulent aroma. Chai, chai, chai wallah chai wallah chai.
Tiny newborn child swaddled in a crusted cloth
Shining new brown skin of toe and heel thrust through and into air
Dangling below the tiniest fragile perfect knee
Held close to withered breast, wrinkled face, broken, black stained teeth,
showing through red colored pan chewed smiling lips
Winking diamond eye of great grandmother—shriveled
small as an eight year old child—
wrapped elegantly in her cotton cloth sari dress
with petticoat tails of clashing color
above be-spangled silver chained bony ankles and cracked bare feet
The second toe of each encircled with a shining band of marriage metal.
All of this from rot to ruin to fresh and brilliant beautiful lush and colorful
All of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes the touch of India
Vibration of color and life and amazing inspiration in the
deepest poverty and despair, pain and dying desperate hell.
India calls me back relentless tugging at my soul
Awakening in me a fascination with the extremes of human condition
All displayed in full light every day exposed and open.

Leaving Town

2008-12-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

I'll be leaving town on Friday, January 23rd. My plan is to fly to New Delhi, via Newark, NJ. It's a non-stop flight to India. After a brief sleep in a hotel near the airport in New Delhi, I'll meet up with my dad and his travelling companion and we'll fly to Kathmandu, Nepal to visit a small village development project my father is supporting. His main goal this trip is to arrange for clean water to be piped from a well a mile away, so that people don't have to carry water from so far away.