Tata Trichy~June 26

Things you should know about India 

1. If a teeny tiny gecko is in the shower with you, he's not taking the most adorable gecko shower ever, he's drowning. Shoo him out ASAP. 

2. Learn the names of all the people you come into contact with, and ask questions. Indian names tell you a lot about the person they belong to. 

3. Bring a thin scarf. It ups the modesty level, and you can wipe the sweat that will inevitably be rolling off your body with it. It sounds gross, but after climbing 350 steps of an ancient temple, barefoot, in 85 degrees, I promise you'll get over it. 

4. You will begin to smell like curry, it's okay. Just let it happen. 

5. Adopt the head bobble! You will become 10x more accepted by those around you. 

6. Wear loose pants to see the temples. Your sweaty thighs will rub together in a maxi skirt, and tight pants will be too hot and constricting. 

7. Drink as much water as you can, before and during your trip to India! The trip is pretty hard on your body and dehydration is a big issue. If you're not good about hydrating, you'll feel like death warmed over once you get to India.

8. When the flight attendants ask you if you want spicy food, they're talking about Indian airplane food. In my opinion, it's not that spicy, so say yes, unless you want to eat weird Indian versions of American foods. 

9. Advice from Sarah M. - If you're an African American get straight hair not braids. "You're already different because you're black, you don't need crazy hair too".

10. Seriously bring snacks, and not healthy snacks. You won't be craving fruit snacks, you'll be craving some artificial cheese. 

11. Bring your computer. It makes blogging so much easier. 

12. You don't need to bring a ton of clothes. You can do laundry for free, and you'll be thankful for all the space in your suitcase on the way home. 

13. Don't be afraid to eat new things, but also don't be stupid. Indians love to hand you new foods, but sometimes you know better. Go with your gut. 

14. Travel on the weekends!!! You're in a whole new country for a month, Trichy is wonderful, but a weekend away is a great way to recharge and it's fairly inexpensive. 

15. Bring a little jewelry with you. As Dr. Jones will tell you, don't bring your fancy, important jewelry, but if you don't wear anything the Indians will actually think you're an alien. 

16. Don't be afraid to dress as the Indians do! I rocked some fabulous turquoise leggings and a rainbow scarf while here, and let me tell you, I loved every minute of it. 

17. Haggle in the markets, especially if you're buying more than one thing. The vendors will sometimes come down on the price. But do it politely, in the big scheme of things, what you're buying is two dollars. 

18. Everyone will stare at you. It can be frustrating, but it is also okay. You have to remember that most people have only seen Americans on TV or not at all!

19. Get to know your group! There's a reason Dr. Jones sends us together. Not only is your group a great support system, but if you're lucky like me, they'll also become new friends. 

20. When in doubt, go to the roof. Some days will be difficult, but a trip up to sit on the roof and remind yourself of what a beautiful place you're in, will put everything into perspective.

21. Saris are not meant to be breathed in

We are actually stuck in this pose, but we sure are pretty

Maybe I should just teach yoga?~June 25

As yesterday was my final day birdwatching, I now have three days to pack. I really don't need three days to pack, so instead I've become immensely bored and daydream constantly about French fries and pedicures. As a result, when Sarah M.  returned from the clinic today and I found out she was going back in the afternoon, I jumped at the chance to tag along.

For those of you wondering how I ended up birdwatching on a trip catered to Pre-Meds, I'll tell you. I finally looked at my grades and looked at my strengths, and wouldn't you know, none of them lined up with medicine. When every day of chemistry and cell bio is like poking out your eyes with hot pokers, you should probably do some rethinking. Becoming a doctor is a long and difficult road, if I was going to do it, I needed to passionate about it, and I just wasn't. I knew this after my first semester sophomore year, but sometimes it's hard to change the plan. In any event, I was still worried I had made a mistake. So I walked into the labor room at Janet Nursing Home, prepared to have, yet another, quarter life crisis. As I watched a woman crying in agony for her mother, this crisis alluded me. 

Two definitely very cool people

Sarah walked into the labor room and told me we were in luck. Get your shoes, grab your stuff, we're going to a C section for twins. YES! This is cool. I am cool. Maybe I will have my moment in surgery. As I was tying the surgical mask behind my head, my adrenaline was pumping. I was almost sweating from all the excitement. As we shuffled in behind the doctors and found a place to watch from, I was struck by the sickening smell of antiseptics in the room and acutely aware of how hot I was and how hard it was to breathe through the mask. If you haven't already figured it out, I'm a rather excitable person. So I took a deep breath and relaxed into my toes and prepared to watch them cut the incision into the woman.



Now apparently, in India everyone wants a C section. I don't know much, but I do know that's not exactly the best thing for your body. I will be a kind and generous soul and not include my rant about birthing culture today. This woman was about to have her second C section. As she was having twins, I did not begrudge her this c section, especially after I saw the enormous state of her pregnant belly. The doctor went to make the first cut. I braced myself. I was either going to be disgusted beyond belief or completely relaxed. Turns out I was a little bit of both. As the surgeon began to cut through the layers of skin and muscle, I was both fascinated and a touch disgusted. For the most part, it's just bloody and raw, but when they pull a hole bigger and you hear a pop, as a membrane tears or some blood gushes out, you have your ew moment. When they finally got to the amniotic sacs, a rush of liquid came out as they burst them, suddenly there was a leg, then two legs, then half a baby was being literally tugged out. When I saw the first baby come out and begin to cry, I started to tear up. Watching life come into this world, is actually one of the most beautiful things I have had the privilege to see.

After the first baby, a boy, was out, his sister came next. Both babies were large, especially for twins and within five minutes were harmonizing their cries outside. A power twin team, if I do say so. I stayed behind in the operating room to watch the mother get stitched back up, that's what future doctors are into, right? The anatomy and technical part? After two layers of sutures my fascination waned. I went out to see the babies and was excited all over again. They were absolutely beautiful. I asked Sarah when we'd get to see their mother find out about the babies gender and health. She just shrugged, and said they'd tell her later when she woke up. But....I need to see that moment. The magical moment where everyone finds out mother and babies are alright, and it's a boy and a girl, how cool (!), and they're HUGE babies- you go mama, you rocked at pregnancy. But I wouldn't get to see any of that. This is when I once again, came back to the fact that I am passionate about people and their lives. Where they live, how they live, what they need, what they want, what they hope for. I like to talk and I like to listen and I like to help. I don't know what that means in terms of a career, but at least I know what direction to go in. That direction happens not to include cutting holes in unconscious people. 

Be jealous

After the excitement of the C section we went to visit the naturopathy. I am personally a very big fan of holistic and alternative medicine, so I was excited. We walked into a yoga class and were able to join in. I love yoga and enjoy going to classes in the U.S. As it would turn out, I am still able to stretch well. This would lead to the miracle of miracles that happened next. As I folded over in butterfly pose, a pose in which you touch the soles of your feet to one another, and touched my forehead to my pressed together soles, as I made my way back up I enjoyed the stares of at least seven Indian women with expressions of amazement and annoyance in their eyes. I, for the first time in my life, was THAT girl in yoga class. You know the one that sits in the front row and folds herself like a pretzel. The teacher loves her, you want to be her, but by the end of class you resent her because if you only weighed 90 pounds, had no boobs, and only ate air you're pretty sure you could that too. But today I was the queen of yoga, and in India nonetheless. I left class feeling smug and just a little bit sore. 

Goodbyes aren't real~June 24

But really, I promise we're friends

Today was my last morning visit to Manikandan, we even took a picture to mark the occasion. Needless to say, it is both the worst and best picture possible. I don't think our bond is accurately reflected by his deer in the headlights expression. I promise I have not made up everything, and he is genuinely, really happy to see me every morning. 

Today was the final and 18th day of birdwatching. Now I'm not superstitious (that is a lie, I should be a baseball player), but in Judaism the number 18 is known as chai, which means life. Long story short, it's a very good omen, and I think very much a reflection of what this trip was about. Although, to be honest, I think I'll be breaking out my little kid binoculars and doing some Appalachian birdwatching when I return. Being able to identify all the birds you see is both alarming and satisfying, to only be able to do it on the Indian subcontinent seems like a waste. 

I saw another rose ringed parakeet today. They've become like the extra long, weird hairs that you occasionally find growing out of your cheek, or some other odd place on your face. Clearly they've been there a while, because, come on what is this, two inches long? How have I never seen this? Once you see them, you're now acutely aware of their presence. 

There is still a lone purple heron. I believe this supports my theory that the day I saw three, it was book club day. It would make sense, because, I mean, no one hosts book club twice in a row, who is Stephanie the Purple Heron trying to impress? We get it, you can make a cheese plate and your house is immaculate, but you still can't go twice. 

Sarah came with me in the afternoon to see the birds. I think she got to see everything in one day. There were plenty of interesting birds, a funeral procession, and the whole SBS was there. Saying goodbye to everyone was a little sad. I am, in general, bad with goodbyes, because I don't really believe in them. Being in different places doesn't mean that you'll never see each other again. For this reason, it was more of an until next time. I'll be back for Shiva's wedding soon enough and when the planets align and I get married, there will be a whole cluster of Indian faces at mine. Forever goodbyes are a choice. 

Ruddy Shelducks come in pairs~June 23

I can't say today was the most exciting day. It's the day before the last day, so everything just feels a little sluggish. 

Today's bird is the Ruddy Shelduck. When I first noticed this bird, I was very excited. They have a great, almost copper coloring, and love to float around the wetland in pairs. I always assumed that there were only a pair that inhabited the wetland. Today, however, I was looking at the last site, where the ducks usually hang out, and two Shelducks became ten. Who knew I had a whole flock of Shelducks?

Surprise!
www.vogelwarte.ch

Squad Selfie~June 22

Pre-afternoon birdwatching, Sarah M and I took a trip to Chennai Silks. Turns out Saratha's is like Macy's, and Chennai Silks is like Nordstrom's. I refer to Nordstrom's as Nordys, that is my level of devotion to that establishment, so clearly Chennai Silks was right up my alley. I think the trick with Chennai Silks, is that it's very bright, and very white, and the sari floor is even more glamorous. Upon seeing the bridal saris, I'm thinking marrying an Indian, so I can have an Indian wedding, is not the worst idea I've ever had. I went to senior prom with an Indian, clearly marriage is the next logical step. It is to be noted, that the bridal saris cost about as much as a wedding dress in America, that is how beautiful and bejeweled they are.

 Our actual mission at Chennai Silks was to get an Indian style shirt for Sarah's dad. When we finally found the "ethnic" men's section, it was in a corner next to bejeweled wedding jackets, that's how small the section was. The men here almost exclusively wear Western style clothing, while the women are extremely traditional. 

As a young American woman, having to wear long, modest clothing every day, is becoming a little oppressive after a month. It's easy to think about the women here as oppressed too, when you, the American, are sweating out gallons of sweat and just in general, melting in the Indian sun. It's such an American way of seeing though. You can get trapped in this internal dialogue, that these women should be free to wear shorts and tank tops, and run about no toe rings, and zero responsibility, like us American women. But what if these women like how things are? The men here wear Polos and Levi's, but the women still wear all of their beautiful clothing and jewelry. 

I don't think women in India are so much oppressed, as they enjoy their culture, their version of beauty, and their traditions. If not for these women, where would "India" be. You can build cities, skyscrapers, create clean tap water, and run an impressive no littering campaign, and India will begin to look different and modern, but these women are the reason that India will always be India. If she wants to wear shorts, then she should absolutely, but I am a guest in her culture, not some sort of star spangled savior. I hope that anyone who travels to this extraordinary country will be mindful of that. 

Fabulous

At some point between bending in the wind like a daisy and almost falling over onto a cow, I found out why they call this Wind Monsoon season. To put it into relatable terms, I was half expecting to see the Wicked Witch of the West riding her bike in the wind. That was what I was dealing with today. As I watched the birds crash into each other, as they were tossed by the wind, I realized they were even less amused than I was. 

The cows also seemed to be in a fowl (see what I did there) mood today. One cow was hog tied on the ground, getting reshoed, and he was NOT happy when he got up. Then another cow came running down the road. For the record, the cows don't run, they mosey. This cow, however, was running. She soon rejoined her cow friends at one of our sites, so Shiva made us go to the sites out of order, for fear of being caught up in the cowpocalypse. I asked if I could say hello to my baby cow, but Shiva vetoed that, and I was forced to declare my love out the window as we passed by. I know my baby cow heard me though, our bond is deep. 

From Left: Shiva, me Shyam, DJ, little boy, security guard

The little boy who works at the crematory was back today. It was perfect timing, because Shiva has had a little bag of school supplies and a chocolate bar for him in the car since we first met him. Shiva asked me to give the bag of treats to him, which I thought was ridiculous. Shiva should get the credit for the gifts, right? Shiva refused to give him the bag though, so I gave the little boy the gift. He looked genuinely confused when I handed it to him, but when he realized it was for him, a smile spread across his face. The boys later explained to me, that as a foreigner, I'm "special" to them and it means more for me to give the gift than for Shiva to do so. I thought this was odd, to me, the gift was an incredibly thoughtful gift from someone that the little boy could look up to. In any event, I am continuously moved by how kind and good the people in India are, I think Shiva is well placed in the Social Work Department. 

Welcome to my Wetland

It's a beautiful home for birds

And a daily reminder that humans are ruining the Earth

Magical bird home

Trash invading magical bird home

www.flickr.com

Today's bird is the Rose-Ringed Parakeet. Shyam has been telling me, periodically, for two weeks now, that he's seen one of these birds. When I go to look, there is never a parakeet. Naturally, I assumed Shyam was seeing things. Today I saw the error of my ways when a flash of green came out of a bush and flew up into the air. I pulled out my binoculars and wouldn't you know it, it's a Rose-Ringed Parakeet. In conclusion, it is now public record that Shyam was right.

Parakeet Whisperer

                                 

I'm not lost, just American~June 20 & 21

The three of us decided to celebrate our last weekend in Trichy with a trip to Punbugar, a giant outdoor street market. The wind season has caused the weather to be much cooler so we can actually go out during the day without melting. The one downside of being obviously foreign in India, is that any time you're walking down a street, every rickshaw driver will slow down to ask if you want a ride. I have legs, I can walk, thanks. Apparently, being foreign equals being lost.

We spent most of the day looking for jewelry and gifts for friends. Everything is so cheap compared to the U.S. so you can really shop for days. When buying Indian jewelry however, you have to pay attention to the earring backs. Most will be a screw back, the issue is that the post is the size of a small gauge. How these women fit them in their ears, I could not tell you. Sarah and I have been trying since we accidentally bought a pair, and it's been a really disappointing and sad endeavor. The other Sarah however, got her ears pierced as a baby and she can wear them. It should be noted, that she got her ears pierced in Africa. The ear piercing process here is obviously something I can live without seeing. 

On Sunday, the dreaded moment finally occurred, I saw a monkey. Come to find out there were actually two monkeys, and the one we saw was an adolescent. As much as I dislike monkeys, he had a really cute face. I can almost understand why people enjoy them so much. If I didn't know their adorable monkey faces were just a trap, set in order to bite you and give you all kinds of diseases, I'd probably like them too. 

We had a great last weekend in Trichy, it's odd to think this time next weekend we'll be home.

TGIF ya'll~ June 19

It seems crazy that there's only one week left in Trichy. I think we're all ready to enjoy this last week as much as we can, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was looking forward to being home. I need a Cook Out tray and the new season of Orange is the New Black in my life. 

As we were leaving the site today, we were stopped at a railroad crossing, as there was a train coming. This happens every so often and I am always amazed as Shiva and Shyam describe the kind of train it is. Today it was a "goods"train that was carrying coal. This identification prompted a five minute discussion about a large company that uses said coal for power. These conversations are so interesting to me because when I see a train in America, my identification is pretty closely aligned with that of a two year old boy's. It goes something like "blue train, fast, whoosh". It's always interesting to see how connected the two boys can be to everything that goes on around them. 

In the afternoon, a new girl, a friend of Shiva's, came with us. She has a very bright and cheerful face, the sort of face a person you'd like to be friends with has. When we stopped for afternoon tea, we have tea twice a day now, I requested "Indian" tea today. After careful observation, I've noticed that this tea shop seems to make uncurdled masala tea, so naturally I was prepared to try again. I was not disappointed. Not only was the tea made well, but it had ginger in it. It was a little firey from the ginger but still sweet, I'd love to learn to make it. 

www.worldwildlifeimages.com

Today's bird is the Purple Heron. I've seen as many as three at once in the wetland, but most of the time there is just one. It's a very elegant bird and I love to watch it walk around in the water. I have a sneaking suspicion their is a nest in a large patch of tall grass behind the water in the wetland, but so far I haven't seen any little herons.