hospital tour

5/6/08

It's been awhile since my last email...lots has happened and it's hard to decide what to relate. Summer has arrived to southern India along with almost nightly 'pre-monsoon showers'....mango season is in full swing, and daily stops at the juice counter have become part of my routine. My papaya man has been replaced by my coconut guy...Apparently fresh coconut water cures everything from heat stroke to kidney stones, so I've decided sipping some fresh coconut water daily is a good habit.

I had my first visit to an Indian hospital, and am still in denial that it was in anyway related to my previous night out binging on tasty street food. Rushing to an emergency room while vomiting out of a moving rickshaw is an experience I'm hoping not to repeat. However the doctor, in a bright yellow sari and crisp white jacket, was very efficient (as well as a little shocked to see a westerner). After a quick examination and a few shots her suggestion was to 'drink fresh coconut water'....I would have laughed if I wasn't hunched over her waste basket. I'm fully recovered and am trying to stick to her theory that a coconut a day keeps the doctor away. In the mean time I'm laying off the pani puri

This past weekend however, may have been the highlight of my trip so far. There is a hospital 250 km north of Bangalore in Pavagada, a rural area of Karnataka. The hospital was started and run by an amazing swami (think orange robes, Sanskrit chants, and an uncanny sense of humor)...my work is associated with the hospital and has been involved in providing funding for TB treatment for children. Part of the agreement when I came out to work in Bangalore, was that I'd get to go visit the clinic and the surrounding villages it treats.

This turned out to be one of the most inspiring weekends of my life. One of my favorite books is 'Mountains Beyond Mountains' about Paul Farmer, an incredibly dedicated doctor who sets up and runs a clinic in Haiti....This place is the Indian equivalent. The hospital serves over 500 villages and depends heavily on community volunteers. It treats a variety of ailments, but focuses on Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and blindness. Often villages are so remote the only way patients can get to the hospital is in an ox drawn 'ambulance'. We drove out to two surrounding villages, and visited TB patients , many are children, who with the help of volunteers in the village (one a tailor, another a local teacher) are able to follow a strict treatment in order to be cured. We met lepers in the hospital who were being given special sandals to ease the pain in their deformed feet. We saw doctors preparing patients for cataract surgery to restore their vision.....all free of cost. It was amazing...Everything was run efficiently, the treatments are holistic and effective (not only providing medicine, but food, education and often clothing), and the staff is passionate and friendly. I'm counting down the days until I can go back. Until then...

Best from Bangalore

Karina

still alive

3/27/08

Thought it was time to send out a quick update and let everyone know I'm still alive, in defiance of the Bangalore traffic....The driving really is quite impressive... scooters, auto rickshaws, cars, cows, buses, and ox drawn carts all crowd the same streets. No one obeys traffic signs, uses signals or pays any attention to lines on the road, so basically my driving technique fits right in, but with 8 million people it sure makes the drive to work interesting. However I love my little scooter and I'm getting more and more comfortable zipping around the city. But just to give you an idea of how crazy the driving is....I actually bought insurance within 2 weeks of trying to drive here....that says something.

I recently had a 3 day weekend (which is a luxury in a town that has a 6 day work week). The occasion was Holi, a festival of color. Apparently it was started by Lord Krishna who seemed to like a good time, and would dance around with his 16,000 girlfriends (known as Gopis) tossing color at each other in some form or merriment (or at least that's the story that was related to me).....not bad....So to celebrate I hopped a flight up to Goa, which is famous for it's beach towns, and met up with Megan and Lena who recently left me to bum around India. I spent the weekend swimming in the warm arabian sea, laying on the palm fringed beach and getting smeared with bright fuchsia paint in celebration of holi....It was a great break.

Now I'm back in Bangalore....Doing the IT thing...every time I meet a person and am asked what I do, I have to suppress a giggle when I say I work at a software company and am opening our first development office here in Bangalore...I mean i can barely turn on my computer...how in the world did i end up in the silicon valley of India? Life is funny....anyway i'm enjoying the roll. Interviewing software developers, arranging hires, researching recruitment agencies, buying computers for the office (yah i want the one with 2 gigs of whatchamacallit, ram, right that's it, ram). All good fun.

The summer is heating up, and we've had a few huge rains even though monsoon season is still a few months away (another effect of global warming is what i'm told). I'm really happy and enjoying life.....there's just one thing, I'm quickly tiring of Indian food...I've eaten over 145 indian meals in the past month and a half...curries and dosas for breakfast, lunch and dinner...every day.... I'd kill for a good burrito, pizza slice or anything that doesn't have ghee or tumeric involved. Think I just have to work through it, and I'm sure I'll regain my love of curries one day. Till then sending everyone back home lots of love.

Best from Bangalore,

Karina

settling in

3/5/08

Hi All,

It’s been a few weeks since my last update…and not much to report. Living and working in one place is such a different experience from the constant travel I’m used to. No big travel stories of epic bus rides, new cities or hostel hangouts. Instead I’m settling into a routine and finding enjoyment (or at least a sense of accomplishment) in the little day to day tasks that I’m learning to take care of in a new country...

I’m really enjoying the new experience. The mundane tasks from home can easily become an adventure when living in a new place. For example….did you know it’s impossible to find a plunger in Bangalore…go ahead give it a try….but I assure you that after a day of zipping all over the city on my scooter, popping into every corner hardware/plumbing store, making many apparently obscene jesters, and receiving a dozen blank stares…there is no such apparatus in the entire city…just a random fact you probably didn’t need to know. Moving on....

I’m starting to rack up a nice little list of characters that I interact with daily. Since I moved here knowing no one, I take pride in this list, and find pleasure when I get to add to it. My interactions with people are different than when I’m on the road. I have neighbors, contacts, acquaintances and in many locals I’m becoming a regular. For example I have my Papaya Man, who sets up his cart at the end of my street every morning…He doesn’t speak a word of English, but we smile and nod as he cuts my morning papaya. He finally learned (to his amusement) that I take my papaya without the usual salt and pepper, and I no longer have to do my overacting charade involving multiple silly face to let him know I’ll take my papaya plain.

I’ve also established my local chai hang out, where I get my mid-afternoon caffeine fix. The cashier starts to ring up my chai before I say a word and they guy behind the counter has my drink served, piping hot and waiting. My Indian version of "Cheers". Kumar, who owns the local movie rental store, and I are on a first name basis, and he kindly overlooks my late fees, while giving me daily recommendations of (horrible) 2 year old american films. I have contact numbers in my phone for a plumber, electrician and banker. I’ve found the phone companies head office and know which line to stand in, no small feat. I have a jasmine lady, my favorite fruit stand, and my public pool, but my newest and favorite acquaintance is my ironing man.

As you probably know I’ve never been an “ironing type gal”…I’m more of a “this smells clean” type….however, ever since I’ve discovered there is a guy who will iron, fold and deliver my cloths in 30min for 3 rupees, I’ve been hooked and have even taken to getting my t-shirts and jeans ironed. I do laundry just so I can get things ironed...This guy’s work is spectacular. Origami like perfection in his folding technique, and it’s all done on a rickety old wood table, with an iron filled with coals, right on the street in front of my apartment.

So this is my ever growing community. Not a replacement for the one I’ve left back home, but one that I’m enjoying and love to see grow. Hope everyone is well..I’m sending you lots of sunshine and warmth from India, summer is arriving and it's getting HOT!

Best from Bangalore,

Karina

Bangalore Introduction

2/2/08

Hi Everyone,

This is my update to let ya'll know I've made it to India and am getting settled in (in case any of you didn't get the memo, I'm moving to India for 6 months for work).

Bangalore is a big, dirty polluted city, and so far I'm loving it. I love all of the contradictions. The traffic is crazy, with over 10 million people and with no city planning I guess this is what you get. I don't really know why they spend money to paint lines on the road, because it's pretty much a free for all. Lots of rickshaws weaving in and out of congested traffic, scooters with women in beautiful saris riding side saddle, and guys on ox drawn carts filled with fire wood, and then you'll see two cows meandering across 4 lanes of traffic during rush hour. They are so non-phazed (enjoying their privileged status of sacred) that they could decide to lay down and take a nap right there and not have to worry about a thing. It's currently spring turning into summer. The weather is in the high 70s/low 80s and beautiful. However people still think of it as chilly, so you'll see them dress their kids (and sometimes themselves) in thick wool caps and gloves, a very odd site.

My apartment is great, and carries the added benefit of having 5 ladies (who work in part of the space during the day) who bring me home cooked Indian meals for lunch every day. The food is amazing, and of course so many vegetarian spots. You actually have to search out places to eat meat. I'm starting to be appalled that we can only get Naan bread in US indian restaurants, because the different types of bread here are fantastic, and so far in my investigation endless. Yesterday I discovered my local "farmers market". I purchased a huge crimson red pomegranate and a long garland of fresh jasmine, so my room now smells heavenly. For only a few rupees, I'm planning on having fresh flowers every day.

I pretty much have hit the ground running as far as work goes and am in the process of trying to figure out how to set up an office in India. Luckily I have the help of a very sweet, spunky English woman named Sally, who has lived here for the past year and is showing me the ropes. So far I've hired an electrician (who only speaks Kanada, the local language), found office furniture (I would kill for an Ikea here), arranged for phone lines and AC to be installed and am setting up interviews for an office manager. It is definitely a learning process , the bureaucracy is ridiculous, and the idea of showing up on time is non-existent (i'm happy if they show up at all). Ill never complain about any of my friends being late again (you know who you are =). But so far I'm enjoying every minute of it. I still can't really believe I'm working in India. This is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid, and now I've been given the chance to do it. It's like a dream. I feel very fortunate and blessed to be here and am enjoying the adventure.

I hope all of you are well. Would love to receive emails and hear what's going on in that side of the world. Love ya lots and will send pictures soon.

Best from Bangalore,

Karina