Back in the U. S. of A.

I’m in the USA! Crazy pants… well, actually no crazy pants today… I’m just wearing jeans… :)


It was weird, I was really looking forward to the different foods awaiting me in the U.S. and then when I got here around breakfast time and passed all the Starbucks, Coffee Beans, and general coffee shops full of sugary scones and muffins… I was really craving some kachori padjhi. Dang, that stuff is good… :)

I was able to finally find something though in the shape of breakfast TACOS at Chilis (so not quite your authentic Mexican cuisine but hey, I’m in Chicago at an airport…)


Other surprising things for this Bihari girl:

1) Central heating. It’s COLD in Chicago. Or at least it looks cold from inside this really warm airport. Dressing for spending all day in an office with no heat means that I was actually drenched in sweat by the time I passed customs!

2) SPANISH. Got on the concourse to go to my gate. So did a Spanish family. They were trying to get to terminal 3… and kept telling their daughter to grab onto the pole instead of her suitcase as the train started moving. What? People speaking in another language AND me understanding them? Hooray! :)

3) BLACK COFFEE. I ordered coffee and got it straight up black. No questions asked. Boom.

4) TIME ZONES. Almost missed my flight because my laptop was on Bihari time. Oops! :-O


One last unrelated commentary:

Once you get on the flight and it actually takes off…. Air India is where it’s at. Flight from Delhi to Chicago has fun movie/tv screens with an ample supply of Bollywood movies with English subtitles. I loved every one of them…. AND I loved the Indian woman next to me. Throughout the trip I helped her open her water bottles, peanut packages, and fill out her US entry form (hopefully correctly?) And I scared the bijezis out of her when I decided not to wake her but just crawl over her instead when I needed to go to the bathroom (PS – not recommended!)

False Alarm

Today I was supposed to have my big presentation about my findings… So I worked all yesterday and night and today until I found out… postponed ‘til tomorrow… So, I went to the fair! :) It was quite exciting. Unlike fairs I’m used to, this had nice items at good prices… so much so that each shop quoted the same prices and no bargaining allowed. It was kind of refreshing considering I usually get told a price far higher than other people to start the negotiations…


Shopping done, I went back to the office (yes, it’s a Saturday… and yes, that means my meeting got postponed until Sunday…) But I’m actually pretty stoked to be working all the weekend. I was going to anyway, so now I get to do it at the office with CHAI. :)

Last field visit! :(

Wow, I can’t believe all the field visits are over! No more MO/ICs, CSs, DPMs, DHMs DCMs, DAMs, MOs, BDOs, BAMs, BHMs, BCMs, ANMs, AWWs, or ASHAs. No more going to DHs, DHSs, PHCs, HSCs, APHCs, SHSs, or AWCs. Now all I have left this trip is to share my findings with the COP, DCOP, and others at CARE and work on pilot testing my questionnaire for the ANMs to be given by the BCs. Simple stuff, no? :)


I have had a great time learning about the CARE interventions and the healthcare drug delivery system here in Bihar and am looking forward to using all my newfound acronyms in the spring!

Random Pictures...

On the walk to work...

Also on the walk to work...

Riot control outside the CARE office?? Well, as it happens Shahrukh Khan was supposed to make an appearance at the one and only mall in Patna that day... and then didn't show up. Riots ensued...

This goat was so freakin' cute. He was drinking out of his little bowl with his little orange coat on...

Oh the crowds at an outside interview. So interesting talking about iron and folic acid... everyone wanted a listen!

Tournaments and Shows

It wasn't all work at the retreat... Each night we had a different festivity to keep Amanda from getting her reports written! :) First night was VOLLEYBALL... which means, I was pretty much real excited. Unfortunately for my girly arms the "volleyball" was actually a sorta flat soccer ball so no jump serves but the "practice" ball WAS a volleyball (go figure?) so I tore it up over on the practice field. Boom.

The second night was CRICKET. I don't know how to play cricket. I guess I should have printed up a shirt stating that fact because no one on the team knew this until I was on the field. I still was allowed to play though and fielded a couple balls, even scored two runs! My first hit, however, will stay the most memorable as I was so excited to hit something that I reacted on instinct... and instinct is... baseball :-0 So, I dropped the bat and ran like the wind. Unfortunately the guy running from the other side of the pitch was so confused by my antics that he got tagged out.. :(

Third night was talent show night. True to form I did NOT participate (have any of you all ever seen me participate in one of these? Nope..) :) But did witness many a new experience.

1. There are THREE (and perhaps only three?) things that you can do at a talent show. Singing, dancing, and mimicry! (Doing impressions of other people in the group.) I was quite used to the first two but though it was interesting that A) it seemed to be only those 3 and B) mimicry was clearly something everyone expected as part of a talent show.

2. The MC is called the comparer. Also, no one seemed to know what an MC was.

3. Dance parties: In India it would appear the guys are the ones gettin' down while the girls are on the fringe. Completely the opposite from what I was used to... though probably a good thing given the girl : guy ratio was probably at least 1 : 10.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I'm SO glad I went!!! :)

More Bodhi Temple Photos

One of my favorite pictures of the temple.

Some of the offerings presented for Buddha near the steps of the temple.

It was actually quite busy at the temple, even though it was so early!

Anisha and Jaspreet at the pond.

Meditation time next to the pond.

They say if you can walk all the way to the Buddha and touch the statue with your eyes closed your wish will come true!

Worshipers near the Bodhi tree...

Meditating under the Bodhi tree...

Favorite picture #2 of the Bodhi Temple.

Foggy days make for mystical photos!

Favorite photo #3 of the temple!

CARE Retreat II: Bodhi Temple

My favorite part was actually the morning walks to the Bodhi Temple. This temple marks the area where Prince Siddhartha Gautama (founder of Buddhism and known as Gautama Buddha later) attained enlightenment while sitting under the Bodhi tree. The existing tree at the temple is actually a true descendant of the one that existed there in 288 BC (says wiki). He spent a week under the Bodhi tree and then did various activities around the complex, which make up six sacred places in the area.

Inside the temple. The stone slab that this Buddha sits on stretches outside to the Bodhi tree where Buddha sat.

Worshipers around the Bodhi Tree.

The third week he walked 18 paces back in forth in the Ratnachakrama (Jewelled Ambulatory) right next to the Bodhi tree.

Each step of his is marked by a stone marker.

The fourth week he spent at Ratnaghar Chaitya and the fifth at the Ajapala Nigrodh Tree where a pillar stands to mark the spot. He sat the sixth week next to the Lotus Pond (where now the main attraction is the numerous catfish in the pond that swarm to bread thrown in the lake... not to puffed rice though...) And the seventh week he sat under the Rajyatana Tree, marked now by a tree.

The catfish pond

At the pond in the sunshine... :)

To start my journey in appreciating my time here at this temple I found a small book in the "library" of the retreat. I honestly thought it would be full of quotes but it had a small introduction to Buddhism and some tales for children about not killing / saving the lives of animals and karma (as good things always happened to those who were kind to the animals.) And you know what, between those stories and Meggha's taunting, I didn't kill anymore mosquitos while I was there... :)

Our workday started at 9am at the retreat so a group of about 6-10 people every morning gathered at 5:30am to make the trek to the temple. It was pretty amazing just to see so many people gather at that hour!

Walking across Falgu River... No as you can see we were not walking on water... According to the epic Ramayana, Falgu river was cursed by Sita, Rama's wife.

The first day, I had brought my camera but as it happens there is a 20 Rs. permit that you must buy to take photographs in the temple. I thought it was pretty lame to get caught taking photographs without paying my 40 cents so I waited to take pictures until the 2nd and 3rd day. Those two days were actually great days to go as the first camera day was very foggy and eerie while the second was bright and clear. It was a good time, even if I was a little tired the rest of the day! :)

On the way back from the temple.

You can buy lotus flowers to offer to Buddha outside the temple.

Looking up through the Bodhi tree

CARE Retreat I

No, I'm not an official member of the CARE team but through a sequence of events including living by myself in Patna is not probably the best idea even for just 4 days and also that going to Bodhgaya is on my Bihar Bucket List... I decided to attend the CARE work retreat!

It was located at Sambodhi Retreat, which boasts things like wi fi (they have one computer that you can use which has internet for 60 rupees an hour) and a meditation room (they told me to my face they didn't have this at the desk... but when someone else asked they were told where it was... though it was a small space right next to the gym equipment. Not necessarily optimal meditating territory.) Ultimately though, it was a lovely place with amazing SOUP and good food (except for the naan, which is tough enough to tear and scoop while holding your plate with the other hand. This naan however, was even more tough which made for hours of naan tearing fun!) :/

They wrapped small clay pots around trees and stumps… Not sure why…

Other artful ceramics placed around the grounds.

TURKEY!

Buddhas watching over another pool in the back of the retreat.

I think THIS would be the best meditation room... :)

We had a full day of workshops each day entailing CARE projects and talks about healthcare workers in India, which were all very interesting I and think very useful for both their work and mine.

Workin' hard to understand those Anganwadi Workers...

Pictures from the Road

I'm glad my seat was inside the car! :)


A marching band!


Moharam Celebrations


Made it!

Hona - To Be

My busy travels finally came to a close yesterday evening with a lovely 6 hour ride back to ghar pyaaraa ghar (home sweet home)…
So far East Champaran and Khagaria have been the most intense car rides (aka – bad roads) which has made the rest of the rides seem oddly pleasant and even downright enjoyable adventures as we cruise the hillsides learning about history, literature, and everything else from our fearless leader… :)
Today was a fun and exciting office day and was actually really productive… I also had an entirely Hindi conversation ordering lunch which entailed:

“Lunch?”

“Ek plate chole bhatura!”

Nod

“Kitna?”

“Thirty five”

So see, not super exciting… but hey, I’m working on it!
One day I even got asked got asked “Aur kuch?” after my valiant lunch order and got to say “kuch nahii” because I actually happened to know that one(!) (During interviews that has been a common question my interpreter asks AND was the neighboring town next to me in Peru (Orkush means rat in Quechua… go figure… Therefore, I actually asked about what that word meant at one point…)
Anyway, exciting times in the life of this Bihari gori larki… :)

Gopalganj

So for the past two days we have been doing field visits in Gopalganj, a district which is northwest of Patna about 3-4 hours. However, the roads there are pretty great. Great in terms of I felt like I was on a road most of the time, which is pretty great.
The first day was a short day going around the District Health Society offices and the second day was a monster day trying to fit in interviews at 2 blocks. At each block to really do it right I’d need to talk to at least 8 people and to REALLY do it write probably more like 15. Usually with time and people not being where they are supposed to be, it turns into 6. Yesterday we did two blocks and 11 interviews.
My favorite experience of the day happened in a village about 1 hour from the district capital. We were walking around and Sanobar spotted a woman making a straw basket. On the way back she decided to find the woman and buy it. It turns out that the women in this village make these baskets for their daughters to carry their things to their husband’s households. They wouldn’t sell them because they just make them with grasses and wouldn’t take our money. So they gave Sanobar one, and then gave me one, and then someone else wanted to give us one, and then they couldn’t let visitors go with three presents so they gave us another one. It was so touching and I really wanted to give them something in return.. By the time we left most of the neighborhood and come out to see and send us off… :)
This morning we are headed up to West Champaran. This is the NW most part of Bihar and I’m kind of excited because it was part of my fake proposal to go here so now I really am going. :)
YAY

Gopalganj Visits

Now where's that CARE office?


Found it!


Pani puri!


On the street where the CARE office is... FANCY.


Sup Soup! :)