Bump in the Road

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.