1. Dr. Susan turned 50!! And no, it is not rude to discuss a lady's age in India. I made her a present of vegan friendly balsamic potato salad. I tried my best with what ingredients I had, which wasn't all of them but what do you do. The school also had a celebration in her honor. The celebration/party theme was Grow Trees, in honor of Dr. Susan's love for nature. She was showered with gifts ranging from actual tangible presents to people reciting poems to her. Mr. Satharaj played her a hymn on his harmonica. I love the way Indian's celebrate. People make offerings of what they can and everyone is cool with it. I wish America was more like that. I don't think many people would dare play a song on the harmonica as a present to someone for their birthday (especially not for your boss) because generally, we are all about things/materialism, but here, it really is all about the sincere offering of something to someone else and the most awesome part is that the receiver welcomes the offering with open arms.
2. I have a new roomie. Everyone, meet Dr. Nivetha/Navetha--Im pretty sure she switches the spelling every few days. :) Sometimes I call her Dr. sometimes I just call her Nivie. RSO is trying something new where we will have an Indian VPO and an American VPO (my current position). The hope is that having a representative of both cultures, and having an Indian that can live in the elephant house and keep things steady as the American VPO's rotates in and out, since American's come on volunteer basis and most of them aren't able to stay for as long as I have. Another benefit of having an American & Indian VPO is that the communication between both cultures will hopefully be more clear. It isn't horrible now, but different cultures and different cultures and there can always be more TLC when working so closely together. Just like life within the Peafowl (our) room right now.
It honestly has been pure entertainment--for me anyway. I'm pretty sure she feels the same. There are so many little things that come up when you are rooming with a girl who is from Tamil Nadu and went to medical school in Ukraine. Take drying your hair for example. In India I get out of the shower and thats that, it eventually dries. Nivie gets out of the shower, flips her wet hair over her head and starts beating it with a metal stick. It helps to get the water out. Who knew. She also has an arranged marriage, which is still in the process of happening. He is in Scotland working right now but I've meet him because she talks to him via skype every single day. All day long. So its kind of like we have three roommates. She is constantly calling him By-Jew (I know that isn't how you spell that but that is how it sounds) and for a bit I thought it was his name. Come to find out it isn't his name but a Tamil pet name that means "darling" or "honey" or something of that short. So sometimes I call him that too because I hear it about 25 times a day at least. Its all in good fun though and only when Nivie is around. We constantly have to explain things to one another and laugh over all our misunderstandings. Like when she thinks I am giving people the opportunity to offer me thanks (when really it is to offer prayer to whatever power they worship) and when I ask her why she is laughing and she tells me its because she is watching a show where "three people decided to commit suicide and it is so hilarious!". True story.
3. Caroline did some sick henna on my foot. See the scab on my toe? That is from an ant bite. The ants are brutal here. They mean business. And they drive me insane.
4. Spring Break Session #1 officially left. They were such fun girls. A lot of them live in Utah
and we say we are going to get together when we get back so I really hope we do. I really identified with some of these girls.
5. There is currently an epidemic of swine flu in India. It started in North India but has moved down to Chennai as of late. Because of that, we are not allowed to go certain places, mostly crowded places. One of those places is Chennai, which means I don't know if I will be able to go to the branch again before I leave. My experience there may be donezo. And I didn't even get to say goodbye. :( We have been ordered to move up the end of the year testing just in case it gets worse, which would mean the kids may have to go home early. This whole swine flu thing is not making me very happy.
(Photo cred goes to google--hence the graininess)
2. I have a new roomie. Everyone, meet Dr. Nivetha/Navetha--Im pretty sure she switches the spelling every few days. :) Sometimes I call her Dr. sometimes I just call her Nivie. RSO is trying something new where we will have an Indian VPO and an American VPO (my current position). The hope is that having a representative of both cultures, and having an Indian that can live in the elephant house and keep things steady as the American VPO's rotates in and out, since American's come on volunteer basis and most of them aren't able to stay for as long as I have. Another benefit of having an American & Indian VPO is that the communication between both cultures will hopefully be more clear. It isn't horrible now, but different cultures and different cultures and there can always be more TLC when working so closely together. Just like life within the Peafowl (our) room right now.
It honestly has been pure entertainment--for me anyway. I'm pretty sure she feels the same. There are so many little things that come up when you are rooming with a girl who is from Tamil Nadu and went to medical school in Ukraine. Take drying your hair for example. In India I get out of the shower and thats that, it eventually dries. Nivie gets out of the shower, flips her wet hair over her head and starts beating it with a metal stick. It helps to get the water out. Who knew. She also has an arranged marriage, which is still in the process of happening. He is in Scotland working right now but I've meet him because she talks to him via skype every single day. All day long. So its kind of like we have three roommates. She is constantly calling him By-Jew (I know that isn't how you spell that but that is how it sounds) and for a bit I thought it was his name. Come to find out it isn't his name but a Tamil pet name that means "darling" or "honey" or something of that short. So sometimes I call him that too because I hear it about 25 times a day at least. Its all in good fun though and only when Nivie is around. We constantly have to explain things to one another and laugh over all our misunderstandings. Like when she thinks I am giving people the opportunity to offer me thanks (when really it is to offer prayer to whatever power they worship) and when I ask her why she is laughing and she tells me its because she is watching a show where "three people decided to commit suicide and it is so hilarious!". True story.
3. Caroline did some sick henna on my foot. See the scab on my toe? That is from an ant bite. The ants are brutal here. They mean business. And they drive me insane.
4. Spring Break Session #1 officially left. They were such fun girls. A lot of them live in Utah
and we say we are going to get together when we get back so I really hope we do. I really identified with some of these girls.
5. There is currently an epidemic of swine flu in India. It started in North India but has moved down to Chennai as of late. Because of that, we are not allowed to go certain places, mostly crowded places. One of those places is Chennai, which means I don't know if I will be able to go to the branch again before I leave. My experience there may be donezo. And I didn't even get to say goodbye. :( We have been ordered to move up the end of the year testing just in case it gets worse, which would mean the kids may have to go home early. This whole swine flu thing is not making me very happy.
(Photo cred goes to google--hence the graininess)
