Assisi Home

Today was my last day of work with the gv program and I went to the Assisi Home which runs a day care and orphanage. as it is the x-mas holidays, the older children who live permantly at Assisi were there, as well as a few younger ones who live there full time. As with the children we have encountered everywhere - they are charming, joyful children who love to interact with us.

I enjoyed teaching a few dance steps to the kids. They especially seemed to enjy a jitterbug variation consisting of me turning them forward, then back and then pulling back from each other in a dramatic lean - which occasional;ly meant an overly-enthusiastic butt landing on the ground. Nevertheless, I had many requests as a dance partner! I also taught the tango and limbo - to my loud and probably off-key singing...but there were no complaints...as is par fore the course for these kids.

I was rather horrified at the way the little ones are fed their lunch. In many parts of South India it is traditional to eat with one's right hand...mixing rice with a vegetable sambar (like a soup) or a curry. The 2-year old are sat down on a row on the floor, and the Sister mixes the food and shoves a handful in the mouth of each child in turn...a very efficient germ distribution system. but - they seem quite healthy, so I guess it works for them. They also seem to get potty trained quite efficiently. When one of the little ones has to go - he or she just strips off the clothes, heads for the potty seats at the side of the big open room, does his or her thing, and may or may not put the clothes back on. Diapers are for special occasions only...so it definitely facilitates early learning.

The older girls (about 12-15 years old) treated the 4 volunteers there today to mendhi - we each got a hand and wrist painted in henna which will be a reminder of these children for at least a week.

I certainly do not regret having signed-on with GV and have learned a lot. The people in Chennai have been friendly and open and very welcoming to Americans. But it is a city whose charms begin to wear away after 2 weeks of car rides that seem endless in the heat, pollution, exhaust, and congestion and the sheer amount of garbage, excrement, open sewers - you name it - we see it. My favority was the ride home after our traditional x-mas eve visit to the downtown shopping mall...as we inched our way along a jam-packed divided highway there was a man sitting in the thin median strip calmly reading the newspaper. Why on earth he chose that location is incomprehensible - epitomizing some of the mysterty that is India.

We have one last day to sightsee tomorrow and then, Sunday, will meet our new guide - Neel - who will ferry us through Kerala - the state on the southern western part of India. Also - after seeing the 'Christian" side of India - we now will see the HIndu side - as Neel is a yoga teacher and well versed in its culture. He will not only be taking us for Ayurvedic treatments, visits to temples and to the periyar wildlife sanctuary...but also will offer yoga instruction, discussion of yoga phhilosophy, etc. on the side and to help pass the time in our car rides.

I don't know how frequently I will be able to access internet - but think I finally have gotten the communication between my iphone and the blog...so hope to post a few more photos from the phone.

As Kerala will be much more rural - I am looking forward to a cleaner, calmer experience. But I also am aware that many who have been here before me have cautioned me that things will not go as planned so i should expect the unexpected.

In addition to everything I've already reported, these things have made me happy on this trip:
1. the total ease with which I've slipped out of my regular life. I do not think about the office and what is being done or not done in my absence. I think about the people: Jana - I think of you often in the completely absurd traffic situations (by the way - several times now have seen 5 people on a single motor bike..yes 3 are children...but still!!!) and Wendy - you would DEFINITELY want to bring a busload of thtese children home with you. There were 2 beautiful and charming girls - ages 9 and 11 - at the orphanage today who I would gladly bring home with me. But I do not think about the work or worry about it.
2. I hope i am not about to totally jinx myself - but I have yet to expereince any intestinal distress. Others in our group have had various such maladies. I am sticking to the advice to never drink the tap water, and am rather picky even about the bottled water, I have eaten nothing fried - tempting though it has been at times, and am keeping strictly vegetarian.

I hope I have not fried my brains by the amount of DEET I'm using - but it beats getting bitten!