Today is a hot one! The sun is up and shining. It is good for drying up the rains, but bad for us white folks who aren't used to the heat. Even the Indians are complaining about how hot it is.
So, a little recap...it turns out that we actually have very little to do with the hospital. We are working only with the school. This week we had the nursery through grade one kids, also known as 3-5 year olds. They are a challenging age to work with. Plus there were 190 of them. We perservered, and they are all now our best friends...he he. Today was our last day with them.
We also do nightly devotions with the children who board at the school, there are about 40 of them. Oh, and for the next two weeks we'll be doing a short devotion at morning excercises for the school. Mark is speaking at church on sunday, and we'll be doing the sunday school in the morning. So they are keeping us very busy.The food here is excellent. We are being personally looked after by the principal's wife, and she watches over us while we eat. Meals consist mostly of some type of rice, some type of spicey potatoe dish, a spicey sauce, and variations on flat bread that helps us to pick up the food and put in our mouthes. We only use utensils for cereal in the morning. I think we're all getting quite good at eating with our hands.
Health of our group has been pretty good. Brian was pretty sick shortly after we arrived here. He had a tropical virus and isn't up to 100% yet, but he is close. We are fortunate to be so close to a hospital. Alaina's stomache hasn't been that well and she spent a day in bed, but she presses on and dances her face off for the kids. I think most of the rest of us are tired and have had our moments of international indigestion, but nothing has been too serious.
We are looking forward to working with slightly older kids who will understand english (or even hindi), and we will no longer need to be interpreted.
Well, I have to pee. I am having fun. I am glad to be here.
If anyone from the Pit is reading...send my parents my paycheque, or my rent cheque for august will bounce!! and have you found my other shoe...suckers!
Love for all...I miss your hugs..(not that the hugs of those here are not sufficient, but i have little holes that can only be filled by certain people's hugs)
Laura aka LStew
Friday, July 23, 2004
Friday, July 16, 2004
ek do teen ood
Howdy,
There is a wealth of things to update since i last wrote. So in the spirit of laziness i'll incorporate some point form type stuff.
We travelled by train to the holy city of Hardwar. There was a huge festival for the god Shiva going on there. People were making their way there, taking water from the Gonga river (the Ganges), putting it in an ornamented carrying 'thing' and then walking it to Delhi (a three day journey, though some cheated and took the train). So the town was full of craziness. We saw a type of fire worship, got mobbed after, i dipped my feet in the Gonga, got rained on monsoon style, ate at a host of different restaurants, saw a lot of white people seeking a lost sort of peace, went to a whole bunch of hindu temples, and stayed at a hotel made of marble. Pretty intense. We spent three days up there, most of which was spent in prayer. I would encourage you to think of that area of the world.
On our way home from Hardwar i got hot soup dumped on me, i then had to change my clothes in an Indian style train washroom. Ask me about that when i get back.
Yesterday we went to the city of Agra, which hosts the Taj Mahal, and it is indeed just as cool as the pictures. Well actually it was very,very hot. We all got a sunburn and sweated like it was going out of style. There were lots of pictures taken, something to look forward to... We also saw the Agra Fort, which at one point held the guy who had the Taj built. Its a long story, I'm sure you can find it here on the net somewhere.
We leave today for the north. It is a 24 hour train ride, which will no doubt be a story to share when we get back. We have been told that it is quite wet up there and we are not too sure what to expect.
Dad emailed me all of the comments you have left for me. Thanks! I miss all of you a lot.
Take care, and happy belated wedding, happy wedding day tomorrow, and happy birthday.
Oh, and ek do teen ood means - one, two, three, camel...we saw camels, water buffalo, an elephant and a LOT of cows.
Love, love and more love,
Laura
There is a wealth of things to update since i last wrote. So in the spirit of laziness i'll incorporate some point form type stuff.
We travelled by train to the holy city of Hardwar. There was a huge festival for the god Shiva going on there. People were making their way there, taking water from the Gonga river (the Ganges), putting it in an ornamented carrying 'thing' and then walking it to Delhi (a three day journey, though some cheated and took the train). So the town was full of craziness. We saw a type of fire worship, got mobbed after, i dipped my feet in the Gonga, got rained on monsoon style, ate at a host of different restaurants, saw a lot of white people seeking a lost sort of peace, went to a whole bunch of hindu temples, and stayed at a hotel made of marble. Pretty intense. We spent three days up there, most of which was spent in prayer. I would encourage you to think of that area of the world.
On our way home from Hardwar i got hot soup dumped on me, i then had to change my clothes in an Indian style train washroom. Ask me about that when i get back.
Yesterday we went to the city of Agra, which hosts the Taj Mahal, and it is indeed just as cool as the pictures. Well actually it was very,very hot. We all got a sunburn and sweated like it was going out of style. There were lots of pictures taken, something to look forward to... We also saw the Agra Fort, which at one point held the guy who had the Taj built. Its a long story, I'm sure you can find it here on the net somewhere.
We leave today for the north. It is a 24 hour train ride, which will no doubt be a story to share when we get back. We have been told that it is quite wet up there and we are not too sure what to expect.
Dad emailed me all of the comments you have left for me. Thanks! I miss all of you a lot.
Take care, and happy belated wedding, happy wedding day tomorrow, and happy birthday.
Oh, and ek do teen ood means - one, two, three, camel...we saw camels, water buffalo, an elephant and a LOT of cows.
Love, love and more love,
Laura
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Delhi
Hey Folks,
I am here in New Delhi. It turns out that all of our time in this
city is spent staying at one guest house, which is nice. I am glad that we don't have to move around from place to place.
It feels like we have been here much longer than we actually have. Probably because we have seen and done so much in the short time that we have been here.
The girls have been to a market and bought proper clothing (very
comfy), we've been shown where to shop and eat, been to an Indian fast food restaurant, had an orientation, experienced some CUH RAY ZEE traffic and driving, had two chinese food meals, went to the theatre and saw the movie Troy, and tried to get some sleep.
Mark got here safely, and with him came Alaina's bag. It had been
delayed in Hong Kong. We were glad to see both the bag and our
friend.
The lady who did the orientation reminded me so much of Aunt Margaret. It was very comforting. My first morning here I was kind of spinning in the head. Actually I was rather disappointed with my reaction as I have been to this type of place before. So I did crying, talking, thinking and journaling, I remembered those who were thinking of me back in Canada, had some breakfast and a nap - and I was a whole new woman.
It is quite warm here, but everyone is fond of air conditioning - and so am I! We are sweating a lot and trying to keep up the water in-take. It is an adjustment to say the least.
Some good news: we will have somewhat regular email access while here in the Delhi region AND our train ride north will only be 24 hours rather than the expected 36, plus our train car will be air
conditioned. The only bad news the train travel we are doing is that we will be doing by ourselves. I am not worried, we are traveling first class, which is very safe. We have our first taste of train travel tomorrow (Monday) as we go to Hardiwar (sp?). Please think of us as we do this traveling.
Health of the team is good. There have been some upset tummies and headaches, but nothing that can't be expected from all the traveling and adjusting to a new climate.
Well, I need to take a nap.
Love to all of you,
Laura
I am here in New Delhi. It turns out that all of our time in this
city is spent staying at one guest house, which is nice. I am glad that we don't have to move around from place to place.
It feels like we have been here much longer than we actually have. Probably because we have seen and done so much in the short time that we have been here.
The girls have been to a market and bought proper clothing (very
comfy), we've been shown where to shop and eat, been to an Indian fast food restaurant, had an orientation, experienced some CUH RAY ZEE traffic and driving, had two chinese food meals, went to the theatre and saw the movie Troy, and tried to get some sleep.
Mark got here safely, and with him came Alaina's bag. It had been
delayed in Hong Kong. We were glad to see both the bag and our
friend.
The lady who did the orientation reminded me so much of Aunt Margaret. It was very comforting. My first morning here I was kind of spinning in the head. Actually I was rather disappointed with my reaction as I have been to this type of place before. So I did crying, talking, thinking and journaling, I remembered those who were thinking of me back in Canada, had some breakfast and a nap - and I was a whole new woman.
It is quite warm here, but everyone is fond of air conditioning - and so am I! We are sweating a lot and trying to keep up the water in-take. It is an adjustment to say the least.
Some good news: we will have somewhat regular email access while here in the Delhi region AND our train ride north will only be 24 hours rather than the expected 36, plus our train car will be air
conditioned. The only bad news the train travel we are doing is that we will be doing by ourselves. I am not worried, we are traveling first class, which is very safe. We have our first taste of train travel tomorrow (Monday) as we go to Hardiwar (sp?). Please think of us as we do this traveling.
Health of the team is good. There have been some upset tummies and headaches, but nothing that can't be expected from all the traveling and adjusting to a new climate.
Well, I need to take a nap.
Love to all of you,
Laura
Friday, July 09, 2004
I'm in Hong Kong, where are you?
Howdy,
I'm coming to you live from the Hong Kong airport! Huzzah. We are doing fine thus far. We are all very tired, but surviving.
We had a chance to take the train into the city this morning and we toured around. Part of the touring was doing the world's larges escalator. What we didn't know when we set out for it, was that it only escalated one way, and when we went that way was down. So we had to climb all of the stairs beside the world's largest escalator. We were drenched in sweat but achieved some sense of satisfaction from doing it. And now I can say that I have been all the way down the world's largest escalator.
I think it is safe to say that we are getting a little tired of airplanes. We didn't get off the plane we started on until 19.5 hours after we got on it. Leg cramp, leg cramp! The food has been good and the movies alright. Though there are only so many times one can watch the Emperor's New Groove.
Our next flight leaves in about 3 hours and then another 6 after that we'll finally be in India.
I'm coming to you live from the Hong Kong airport! Huzzah. We are doing fine thus far. We are all very tired, but surviving.
We had a chance to take the train into the city this morning and we toured around. Part of the touring was doing the world's larges escalator. What we didn't know when we set out for it, was that it only escalated one way, and when we went that way was down. So we had to climb all of the stairs beside the world's largest escalator. We were drenched in sweat but achieved some sense of satisfaction from doing it. And now I can say that I have been all the way down the world's largest escalator.
I think it is safe to say that we are getting a little tired of airplanes. We didn't get off the plane we started on until 19.5 hours after we got on it. Leg cramp, leg cramp! The food has been good and the movies alright. Though there are only so many times one can watch the Emperor's New Groove.
Our next flight leaves in about 3 hours and then another 6 after that we'll finally be in India.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Going
How-day,
We had our training at the HQ today.
All of us but Mark are at Alaina's putting all the small details together. We leave from Toronto tomorrow night.
We're getting kind of excited.
My Dad will be doing my posts for me in country. I'll email him and he'll post. I can't send anything out that is of a sensitive nature. So if the posts seem kinda wierd, we'll you'll have to deal with it.
Thank you all for your support it is apprectiated by myself and those whose lives may be about to change (which also includes me).
We had our training at the HQ today.
All of us but Mark are at Alaina's putting all the small details together. We leave from Toronto tomorrow night.
We're getting kind of excited.
My Dad will be doing my posts for me in country. I'll email him and he'll post. I can't send anything out that is of a sensitive nature. So if the posts seem kinda wierd, we'll you'll have to deal with it.
Thank you all for your support it is apprectiated by myself and those whose lives may be about to change (which also includes me).
Thursday, July 01, 2004
A Wee Change
Turns out that Mark can't get his visa for Japan in time to fly with us on Wednesday. But things are good, he was able to get a flight for the next day.
Simon will be our team leader whilst we travel.
Simon will be our team leader whilst we travel.
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