Valentines Day
One Billion Rising- a pledge to fight violence against women
[Was having some internet difficulties in posting this....a little past due...]
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Today is Valentines Day in India. Apparently the celebration of love (or hallmark holiday) is universal. (I’d like to pretend it’s the celebration of love…) On my way to work, people are flooding the streets selling flowers, chocolates, flower necklaces, and little red and pink decorations. Happy couples buy each other gifts and little kids are sitting on the sidewalks by their huts playing games. I hear loud music next to the traffic and a large group celebrating wedding festivities pass by me. Men are wearing brightly colored turbans and the women with detailed, vibrant saris decorated with bright reds, pinks, silvers, and golds. The little jewels on their bangle bracelets are shining in the sunlight as they chime together with the wave of their arms. Over the past week, there have been many wedding celebrations with people parading through the streets in their gorgeous saris and scarves, stunning jewelry, and Dhol drums pounding in the background. Their weddings seem so elaborate and exciting! It’s nice to see people together and happy on Valentines Day. It makes me miss friends and family at home, but also reminds me how fortunate I am to have those people in my life. It is also the day for "One Billion Rising." On the tv in the doctors' lounge and in the papers, there are news stories about the "One Billion Rising"- a pledge to fight the violence against women. It's makes me very happy to see all these women coming together to fight for our rights. So far it is a good start to Valentines Day :)
At work, we go straight up to the Operation Theatre (OT) and start a hypospadias fistula repair on a little boy. It’s a very interesting case, one I haven’t seen before, and I am trying to listen to attendings teaching points when he switches to English. I am still adjusting to the language differences…. I try my best to speak in Hindi. They smile at me and laugh and I wonder if I'm even saying it right. They say, "No no! It's right! haha." Sometimes people around me will be talking in Hindi, Telugu, or Marathi and then quickly switch to English, but I can’t tell because many of their accents are very strong, so they yell, “Jennifer! I am talking to you!!” I just say, “Ohhh sorry!! Ha Gee?” (yes sir?) and then they giggle at me. They also correct me on phrases I would typically say in the States but are used differently here. At the hospital, most of the health care workers know English, which is very helpful, but when I'm on my own (like in cabs or rickshaws) the language barrier can be quite frustrating. I wish I was fluent....
After our case with the peds urologist, Dr Tibrewala calls us down to give us a little Valentines Day box of delicious pastries. He is very kind to us :) For lunch I enjoy some Pau Pudgee (sp?) and the residents get excited that I know some Hindi and tell me to list everything I know haha. I wish I knew more. They make fun of me because of my obsession with using utensils while eating and constantly using hand sanitizer/washing my hands. And that I never go anywhere without toilet paper! Haha. I've heard that the public hospitals are very different. I would like to check them out at least once during my stay. I want to get the full picture of health care here and see what it's like for all the classes of people. I love learning about India and tend to bug them with lots of questions :) I ask them about Indian music and they explain Indipop, Bollywood music, the different types of classical music, Carnatic and Hindustani, and the ragas that they sing. The resident I mainly work with tells me that she also likes some American music, such as Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys hehe. I wish I could share more of our music with her, but it makes me smile that she likes some of our stuff. It's interesting to hear their perceptions about America. The other day at dinner some new friends were asking why America's divorce rate is so high. They also ask why everything is so expensive in the states- especially education and health care.
After our case with the peds urologist, Dr Tibrewala calls us down to give us a little Valentines Day box of delicious pastries. He is very kind to us :) For lunch I enjoy some Pau Pudgee (sp?) and the residents get excited that I know some Hindi and tell me to list everything I know haha. I wish I knew more. They make fun of me because of my obsession with using utensils while eating and constantly using hand sanitizer/washing my hands. And that I never go anywhere without toilet paper! Haha. I've heard that the public hospitals are very different. I would like to check them out at least once during my stay. I want to get the full picture of health care here and see what it's like for all the classes of people. I love learning about India and tend to bug them with lots of questions :) I ask them about Indian music and they explain Indipop, Bollywood music, the different types of classical music, Carnatic and Hindustani, and the ragas that they sing. The resident I mainly work with tells me that she also likes some American music, such as Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys hehe. I wish I could share more of our music with her, but it makes me smile that she likes some of our stuff. It's interesting to hear their perceptions about America. The other day at dinner some new friends were asking why America's divorce rate is so high. They also ask why everything is so expensive in the states- especially education and health care.
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After lunch and some more work, we finish around 4pm. When I call the cab company, they tell me they are booked until 8pm. The residents I’m with insist that I just take the bus and tell me they always feel safe so no worries. A typical cab ride for me costs about 350 rupees ($7) each way, and the bus is only 50 rupees ($1). So I would save money and time. They reassure me- telling me it’s safe, easy and cheap. I feel a little nervous about taking the bus system considering what I’ve heard, but everyone keeps saying, “Oh no, no! It’s very safe! You will be fine! Just don’t get on the wrong bus….”
So we go ouside to wait for the bus. I ask my resident to stay with me to make sure it’s the right one, like a child waiting for the bus on the first day of school... She tells me, “It’s easy. It’s the AS-4 bus with Oshiwara written on the front!” However, all words on the buses are written in Hindi characters…. And I am a beginner, still trying to learn the alphabet… So the first bus pulls up. It is red and black, completely packed with very sweaty men, and not a single female. I turn to my resident, “You sure this is safe? What if they don’t go near my place? Do women ride the bus?” I am imagining my roommate's voice in my head saying, “Do NOT take the buses! They are not safe!” We both look again at the red and black bus. “Oh no no. This one is not the one you want to take…” As the next bus comes along, it is more of a grey color. I am trying to figure out what the characters say and my resident says, “Oh. It’s a different color…but yea…. I think this is the one…this should be good…. Ok see you tomorrow!” As she pushes me up on the bus. The bus driver nods and I quickly board very flustered. It’s similar to a charter bus with air conditioning and nicer seats that the other bus. I'm being spoiled with the fancy bus. I turn around and say “Infiniti Mall, Link Rd jaana hei. Link Rd jougay?” (I need to go to Infiniti Mall. Do you go to Link Rd). He says, “Haa. Ha. Teekay.” (yes, yes, ok). He presses on the gas and I stumble forward towards the very first seat I see. I am sitting by myself and look up to realize that I’m facing everyone else on the bus. Very awkward moment… Hello friends. Yes I am a foreigner… Feel free to stare the entire hour long bus ride…. So I sit awkwardly facing the window and try to pay attention to the landmarks to see if this bus will actually take me home.
I am looking out for my familiar landmarks- bronze statue, white and red church, large beautiful temple, little lamp shop called “Shady Ideas”, left then string of palm trees, a few slums, little shops, big blue building then left, etc- I am feeling confident that I know exactly where I am and this bus will take me home! But when we get to Link Rd and I need to go straight, the bus turns left. My heart starts pounding. Um… I have never been this way and have no clue where I am now. After a little ways, I go to the front and tell the bus driver. “Link Rd jaana hei. Hum kidthar hei? Link Rd peylay hei.” (I need to go to Link Rd. Where are we? Link road is before.) Trying to communicate with him the best I can. He says, “Haa. Ha. Paanch minute." (5 minute). I look nervously at my surroundings as I get further and further from Link rd. I just sit and wait.
After we turn up another road and drive for a little while, the bus stops. “Madum." I look around and say, “Hum kidthar hei?” (where are we?). He points to the right and just says “5 minute.” So I get off the bus and it drives away. Cars are zooming past me at this intersection that I’m supposed to cross. They honk as I feel them just skim by by arms. A women from the bus comes up to me and says, “ma’am, to right, 5 minutes.” And I say “Aapko maloom Costa Coffee hei?” (do you know where costa coffee is?). She says, “Ha. To right, 5 minutes”. She helps me frog hop across the madness of honking, zooming cars in the intersection. We make it alive, and she tells me, “good luck.” I am very thankful. I tell her, “Bahut dhunya vaad.” (thank you very much) and wave as she walks the opposite direction. I head to the right and walk along the road quickly with a purpose. I want to reach home before it’s dark, and have no clue where I am. I walk for about 15 minutes, hoping to see something familiar. There are stray dogs running past me, people everywhere, and I almost step on a rat. Finally I see Costa Coffee! I am ecstatic that I know where I am. Hurray! I walk about a mile home and make it before dark. It was a success. I saved $6 and make it home safely! I told my roommate I would be good and not take the bus anymore… or at least after dark. :)
After we turn up another road and drive for a little while, the bus stops. “Madum." I look around and say, “Hum kidthar hei?” (where are we?). He points to the right and just says “5 minute.” So I get off the bus and it drives away. Cars are zooming past me at this intersection that I’m supposed to cross. They honk as I feel them just skim by by arms. A women from the bus comes up to me and says, “ma’am, to right, 5 minutes.” And I say “Aapko maloom Costa Coffee hei?” (do you know where costa coffee is?). She says, “Ha. To right, 5 minutes”. She helps me frog hop across the madness of honking, zooming cars in the intersection. We make it alive, and she tells me, “good luck.” I am very thankful. I tell her, “Bahut dhunya vaad.” (thank you very much) and wave as she walks the opposite direction. I head to the right and walk along the road quickly with a purpose. I want to reach home before it’s dark, and have no clue where I am. I walk for about 15 minutes, hoping to see something familiar. There are stray dogs running past me, people everywhere, and I almost step on a rat. Finally I see Costa Coffee! I am ecstatic that I know where I am. Hurray! I walk about a mile home and make it before dark. It was a success. I saved $6 and make it home safely! I told my roommate I would be good and not take the bus anymore… or at least after dark. :)
[wow sorry… very long blog…]
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Celebrations on my way to work
View from the Hinduja Hospital
Another view from Hinduja Hospital
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"She took her power back without permission." (unknown) ...happy to see people fighting for women's rights.
"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." (Buddha)
"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." (Dr. Seuss) ...haha I like this :)
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." (Lao Tzu)
"All you need is love." (John Lennon) ...Indeed :)
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