I had forgot how strong and foul the smell of the city was. We noticed it as we were walking towards the bus stop. In the JSS campus the sanitation is good, and in the village of Ganiyari the population density is low. In the city, the density is high and the sanitation quality is "open sewers" so you are assaulted by new stenches at every turn.
We do have our new apartment, sparsely but thoughtfully furnished by the Doctors and Jacob. Our first night back was spent in the guest house, however, as we did not have a way of hanging our mosquito net. There is a hot water heater in the guest house, so we were also able to take a warm shower, which was nice.
It is also Dolly's birthday today (call her! 9406433262). We went out for chicken (Tandoori and Curry), and I made her a breakfast of French toast (one of the few American foods we have the ingredients to make). Last week we bought cloth for a new outfit, and had it tailored last week. Though the tradition is to wear it on your birthday, she wore it on Saturday instead, as that was our last workday living in Ganiyari, and the German med students were also wearing their new Indian-style outfits.
The med students and Jaya, a village health trainee from Assam were both leaving, and Jaya brought henna, a paste that stains the skin and acts like a temporary tatoo. She was decorating people's hands, and the German girls had some done. One of the henna artists entheusiatsically started on a swastika on one of their hands, not knowing the significance. The German girl, not knowing the Indian meaning (a religious symbol that pre-dates the Nazis by thousands of years) stared in horror, and Dolly did her best to explain to both sides the other culture. She has side of the story on her blog.
We do have our new apartment, sparsely but thoughtfully furnished by the Doctors and Jacob. Our first night back was spent in the guest house, however, as we did not have a way of hanging our mosquito net. There is a hot water heater in the guest house, so we were also able to take a warm shower, which was nice.
It is also Dolly's birthday today (call her! 9406433262). We went out for chicken (Tandoori and Curry), and I made her a breakfast of French toast (one of the few American foods we have the ingredients to make). Last week we bought cloth for a new outfit, and had it tailored last week. Though the tradition is to wear it on your birthday, she wore it on Saturday instead, as that was our last workday living in Ganiyari, and the German med students were also wearing their new Indian-style outfits.
The med students and Jaya, a village health trainee from Assam were both leaving, and Jaya brought henna, a paste that stains the skin and acts like a temporary tatoo. She was decorating people's hands, and the German girls had some done. One of the henna artists entheusiatsically started on a swastika on one of their hands, not knowing the significance. The German girl, not knowing the Indian meaning (a religious symbol that pre-dates the Nazis by thousands of years) stared in horror, and Dolly did her best to explain to both sides the other culture. She has side of the story on her blog.
