Til We Meet Again

If I had to have a last day here, I could not have asked for a better one. Today we went to the Moot colony, a colony completely run by Rising Star. It is very small and very old and very isolated. These people do not have or know of a world outside of their small community because they have no means of transportation and most are severely crippled. Rising Star brings them rice and beans once every 2 weeks and that is the only way they survive. Spending time with these people today, I realized how special each of them is and how my life is richer having known them.

Meet Saroja: Saroja is so tiny and looks even smaller as she moves around on 2 fingerless hands and one stump of a foot. She cannot weigh more than 60 pounds. She contracted leprosy at around age 5. She is in her late sixties now, and in addition to her disfigured and missing limbs she suffers from a half paralyzed face and sunken eye. Dr. Kumar told us how she married at age 14 to Krishna, another member of the colony. He was physically abusive to her for most of their marriage, but now he gets around on a little tray with wheels, pushing himself with his sandled hands. Even though she hates him and they do not live together, she still makes his food everyday because he cannot do it on his own. This woman, who has so little, takes part of her ration of rice and beans, crushes it up, and feeds it to the birds. It is what makes her happy, giving to those less fortunate than herself. I cannot think of a better example of charity and strength.

Meet Jay Raj: Jay Raj is the entertainer. There was not a moment while we were there that he didn't have a huge smile on his face. He spent most of our visit dancing to what few Indian songs I currently have in my repertoire (Thank you, Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack) and some American songs as well. It never ceases to amaze me how much joy some of these people have in their circumstances. It really makes me look at my life in a new light. Is it bad that they do so much more for me than I could ever do for them?

It was really sad to leave Moot, especially knowing that I probably won't see these people ever again in this lifetime. I hate that this trip has to end. I hate that there isn't more I can do right now. Let me stay.

I have been preparing myself for this last play time with the kids. And by preparing, I mean avoiding the fact that it is my last time with the kids. There are so many relationships that I've begun that have only just started to blossom, and it breaks my heart to have to say goodbye so soon. Play time was over too fast. Vicky and little Gracie held each of my hands as we walked to the Dining Hall for prayer time. I sat between them and just looked into their beautiful faces. These children have so much love to give and crave so much in return, and it just kills me that I can't give it to them.

After dinner, I took my little disposable camera (which I had to reteach myself how to use) and took photos of me with all my favorite kiddos. I'm going to mail the pictures back to them when I get them printed and hopefully start some sort of mailing correspondence. I am genuinely concerned and interested in their education and futures and I want to keep in touch. I see how happy they get when they receive letters from their sponsors and I want to give them that joy. I just hung out with my boys for a little while. We played soccer and Vicky painted my nails a horrendous jaundice yellow, and when it was time for bed, I lined them all up to get a kiss from me. What followed was a solid 40 minutes of giggling, tickling, and kissing. I am so in love with these kids and their laughs. When they smiled at me and kissed my cheek, I could die of happiness. It was the hardest thing in the world to say goodbye to them.

Tonight we gathered in the mango room with Steele and Sarah and all took turns reading a journal or blog entry and telling everyone why we came to India. I shared my Shakthivel story and showed them my plastic wall hanger. As for why I came to India, I think it was to learn to love more purely. I think it was to participate in something bigger than myself, to serve others so completely that my worries and troubles would melt away in the things that really matter in this world. I will miss the children, I will miss the people I've met in the colonies, I will miss my fellow volunteers, I will miss India.

I will love, I will serve, I will feed the birds.

Can I Adopt Them All?

Another perfect day in India. Every night I go to bed thinking today was the new best day of my life. I am so blissfully happy here. I don't have a care in the world outside of these children, their education, their families in the leprosy colonies, and what more I can do for them. I cannot come to terms with the fact that tomorrow is my last day with their smiling faces.

I got to tutor three of my favorite boys today: Vicky, Shakthivel, and Vijay. Vicky and I are buds. We are always so happy to see each other and I literally wish I could take him home with me. He has a smile that lights up my life and has a quiet assurance about him. It will be very hard to say goodbye to him tomorrow. And then there is Shakthivel. That boy is the sweetest thing in the world I think. I already dedicated like an entire post to him but I could talk about him forever. He has changed me with his pure love and ability to sacrifice to make others happy. I will keep that silly wall hanger thing forever. Bless his heart. Vijay always has a smile on his face. He has a crazy eye, so you never really know what he's looking at, but he is a special boy to me. He had me the first time I went through his memory book. It was a gift that I was able to have personal time with all three of them today at tutoring.

Everyone wanted to play soccer again today at play time, but there were a lot more kids this time. Once a few of the older boys joined Team Mary, the younger ones on Team Jesus sort of gave up. It wasn't fun to see their excitement turn like that. Boo older kids. We decided it was a good time for a water break, and Vicky found me at prayer time to walk with him to the dining hall. I freaking love him. Why do I have to leave?

I actually enjoyed dinner tonight. Like enough to have seconds. That was a first. It wasn't much different from what we usually have but it was sooo delicious tonight. Either I'm getting used to it or I'm starving. We ate on the roof. Its been a while because it rained a lot while we were in Delhi and everything up there was really wet. The moonrise was spectacular. I wish I had a camera.

After dinner, I went back to the Elephant house to get paper and crayons. I wanted my family to draw me pictures as a farewell present. I don't want to ever forget these kids. They are the sweetest, cutest little boys ever and I can't get over how trusting and loving they all are. They make me so happy and so tired and I love them all to pieces. Their drawings are precious. I'm really glad I thought of that.

Birds and Worms

This morning we all went together to the Bindu Art School again. It was so great to see the familiar smiling faces of the painters. I had seen another painting that I wanted to get last time I was there, but it turns out that I fell in love with one a woman in the corner had just finished. She sits on the floor near the backdoor, is deaf and nearly blind, and with her deformed hands she paints birds. It is the most amazing thing to witness. I'm pretty sure I posted a picture of her painting in an earlier post. Her paintings are not the most magnificent pieces of workmanship; in fact, they look like they could have been painted by a child. But what they represent makes them more beautiful than any museum art I have ever seen.

Most everyone left the school with paintings in hand and we headed off to the junction. A few of us made the mistake of trying some of the food people were selling on the street, only to be reminded by Sara that we might get worms now. Oops. I stocked up on my favorite Indian snacks and cookies to bring home and bought some bindi's to rock for my last few days here. I can't believe I go home this week. This trip went way too fast. I'm not ready to go back to the real world. I'm not ready to leave my little heaven here. I'm not ready to leave the kids who I've only just begun to get to know. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the wonderful, rich people I have met here who teach me lessons of service and love.

Today's high: Playing with the little girls during talent class.

Today's low: Worm scare.

Is this real life?

My mom sent me an anxious email telling me to update my blog and I apologize for not letting you all know that I would not be taking my computer along with me this weekend. I probably should have so I wouldn't have to catch up on so much now, but whatever.

The journey to Delhi began with the 3 hour bus ride back to the airport, where we boarded a plane and enjoyed a 3 hour flight. We spent a few hours driving through New Delhi and exploring Old Delhi via bicycle-powered rickshaw. New Delhi is about 100 times nicer than Chennai. It was amazing to see how clean and green it was. It didn't feel like India. We stopped at the place where Ghandi spent his last 144 days and where he was shot by an assassin. The memorial was awesome and super pretty. In Old Delhi, we rode through tiny alleyways and had a quick tour of a Jainism temple which was beautiful inside. I swear we almost got hit five or six times but it made for an exciting time. We walked through the spice market which was kind of disgusting and not as cool as it sounds. There were dead dogs lying on the sidewalk and sooo many flies. We eventually got back on the bus and slept through the 5 hour drive to Agra where the Taj Mahal is.

We got there really late and had to wake up really early in order to get to the Taj at sunrise. The whole thing was unreal. It is the single most stunning building I have ever seen in my life. It is somewhere around 500 years old and looks brand new. There is extraordinary detailing inside and outside and it has retained its original beauty because it was done with gem stones instead of paint. Everything is very symmetrical and perfect. It looks too perfect to be real, although the stone towers on the sides are intentionally leaning outward in case of an earthquake. The Taj Mahal was built by an emperor for his favorite wife when she died. So romantic.

We had to leave the Taj eventually. I probably could have stayed and looked at it all day but we had to go see the Agra Fort where this famous emperor lived. On our way, Corin and I fell under an attack of the vendors. We made the mistake of buying something and were thus bombarded. I pretended like I couldn't speak English, but apparently these vendors speak Italian too. On two occasions, we took off running to get away from them. Most stopped at that point but there were a couple boys that ran right after us. It was pretty hysterical.

Agra Fort was incredible. It was huuuuge. It just kept going and going. It really was gorgeous. My personal favorite was that there was a giant courtyard with a huge bath in the center especially for the emperor's 500 concubines. Yes, this is the same emperor who loved his wife so much he built the Taj Mahal. Took the romance out of that story real fast.

Later that night we went to the mall where they actually sell clothes on like hangers and stuff. I bought a curta that I though I might wear in America (what did I wear there? I seem to recall stretchy pants?). A little kid did henna on my arm which looks AWESOME and then we hit up McDonalds where there is not one thing on the menu that contains beef. I got a veggie burger, fries, and the most amazing ice cream sundae of all the ice cream sundaes. After dinner, we made a quick stop at the Medical Store (for future reference, remind me not to ever start my period a week early and unprepared in a foreign country that has never heard of the tampon unless I want to stop at said "medical store" that ends up being a tent on the side of the road with creepy old men smoking in the back because its the only place in India that sells feminine hygiene products). From there, we split up, half of us going to some equivalent of an off-broadway musical and the other half going to the bazaar. I was in the bazaar group and it was so fun to peruse the shops and shop my little heart out. We took a motor rickshaw back to the hotel, and as we were still negotiating the price, our driver started going. We yelled at him to let us out because we wouldn't pay him as much as he wanted and when he didn't, Mandi yells "No rupees for you!!" and he busts up laughing. Maybe we were loopy from the long day, but it was the funniest thing ever. Until we went to the hotel's discotheque and danced with crazy Indians. It was a great day.

Sunday morning we woke up and went to ride an elephant. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't to pull over onto the side of the road and meet it there. I think that if I saw the elephant before I paid for the ride, I definitely would not have paid for the ride. It was the saddest elephant I have ever seen, covered in these weird spots that made it look kind of diseased. I asked the elephant driver what the spots were and he said the elephant was female. Something is telling me that that isn't quite right but whatever. It was cool to take a little ride down the road on an elephant amongst the motorcycles and rickshaws.

I don't really want to talk about the travel back to Rising Star. It was awfuuulllll. I was so happy to get back last night. It just feels like home. I missed the kids and I missed doing productive things with my life. Today I was on medical and I've decided that while it is the hardest of the three rotations, its my favorite. We got there early today so we had a chance to walk around the colony, which is the biggest one I've been to. We met a man who had no legs from the knee down and was in the process of putting on his prosthetics when we passed by. Dr. Kumar told us of how one year ago, when he still had one good leg, he was suffering greatly and Dr. Kumar sent him to the hospital with his cell phone number in case he had a problem. A day or so later, Dr. Kumar received a phone call. He usually does not answer while he is driving but for some reason he decided to pull over and answer. It was this man, who was at the train station. He felt as if there was no hope for him and he was a burden to his wife, so if Dr. Kumar didn't answer the phone, he was going to throw himself in front of a train. Dr. Kumar testified that it is the small things we do that really matter around here, like answering the phone. He helped this man get into the hospital, which at first denied him because he has leprosy and he is doing okay now. I thought that was an amazing story.

I started off washing feet today, but there was a greater need for people testing for diabetes. I've never done that before and I kind of felt uncomfortable about it but I knew I had to do what I had to do. As they were showing me how to poke the needle into what is left of their hands, I kind of had a minor meltdown. My hands started shaking uncontrollably and I almost started crying and I didn't know what was wrong with me. Medical is so draining emotionally and I guess I just lost it for a second. I walked it off and was able to come back and do it for the rest of the time we were there, but it was rough. I feel really stupid and weak about that.

Norbin cheered me up. Norbin was blind for 20 years during which he kept to himself, was soft spoken, and reclusive. He recently was able to get cataract surgery and can see and live again. He is the most gregarious and hilarious men I have ever met. We couldn't speak a word of each others language but we had a great time just being with each other. He showed us the tattoo on his chest which looks like 2 men sword fighting. He checked out our henna hands and laughed and smiled with us. As we were parting, he burst into song and blessed us. He even threw a little beat boxing in there. He seriously made my day and I just love him for the joy he brings to everyone around him.

I was so happy to see the kids again today. I really did miss them. During play time, we had a heated soccer game. We split up into teams and I asked the kids what our team name should be. Vicky said "Team Jesus" so we all put our hands in for a "1, 2, 3, TEAM JESUS." Next thing I hear is the other team screaming, "1, 2, 3, TEAM MARY!" It felt so good to run around after so much sitting and traveling. I was soaked with sweat by dinner time. It was great.

Today's high: Meeting Norbin, Team Jesus's epic win, and the fruit and green beans I ate for dinner.
Today's low: unnecessary breakdown over stabbing people with needles

"Auntie you look supah!"

I walked through the village early early early this morning and it was really great to see everything as it was just waking up. There were cows everywhere and women drawing water from the well. People were sweeping in front of their houses and children waved to us as we walked by. It got hot far too quickly though and I found myself speed walking back to my air conditioned room.

Today was construction day in the colonies. And like any true American construction site, there were two people working and 8 people standing around. There just wasn't anything for us to do; and while that may sound like a good thing, its hard when you are here all ready to help and work hard and then you end up doing nothing instead. It kind of made me feel like I wasted my day because there is so much I could be helping with back on the RSO campus. On the bright side, I bought a painting from the Bindu Art School (I know, another painting). These paintings are done by the leprosy patients that live in the old folks home so they are extra special to me.

During our break time today, Brittany and Tricia and I got all dressed up in Sari's. All the Indian women here wear them and they are super gorgeous. Sari's are super complicated to get into so I had tiny Mira help me into it. She is a grown mother of three but probably weighs about 80 lbs. She was upset by the fact that I didn't bring any jewelry here because apparently the Sari isn't complete without some glam bling. I walked over to play time and one girl came and fixed part of it for me. Another girl looked me up and down and exclaimed, "Aunty, you look supah!"

Instead of talent classes today (which were a disaster last time) we decided to have a huge dance party with all the kids. It was soooo fun dancing with them to Indian music. They have some awesome moves. It started to rain a little bit on us and I was hoping for "dancing in the rain part dos" but the rain stopped. Joseph Stalin has a high kick that is every dancer's dream and Rajkumari is such a talented dancer that all the little kids look up to. It is amazing to see how much joy dance brings these children and how much joy their smiles bring me.

Dinner was sad tonight because its our last one all together. Katie, Raegan, and Jenny all leave this weekend and so all next week we'll just be with Steele and Sara Hendershot. Those of us who are going on the Delhi trip to see the Taj Mahal and everything are leaving at three in the morning to make it to the airport in time for our flight. I'm still trying to decide whether or not to go to bed tonight. Since I'm already falling asleep, I think I know what will inevitably happen.

Photos courtesy of photo booth. R.I.P. camera.

Today's high: dance party
Today's low: sitting around at construction

My Life is Over

It happened. My worst fear. My method of recording everything I see and do out here is destroyed. My camera is broken and I am trying so hard not to burst into sobs of self pity right now. I mean, it could be worse. Okay it couldn't really be worse. We leave for our Delhi trip Friday morning so this is just in time to make sure there are no Taj Mahal pictures for Michelle. Please feel bad for me.

Happy Day

I was excited to be on medical again today. We drove to a different leprosy colony close to Chennai, a 2 hour drive. It is literally right off the highway, which is both strange and dangerous for the people who live here. This colony is much smaller than the one I went to last week. I took people's blood pressure this time and there were only about ten patients. There are a good number of people living here that do not have leprosy but are related to someone who does. As I walked around the colony, saying "vanacom" to every one I saw, I couldn't help but notice how happy everyone is. Even Yoshoda, an elderly woman in an advanced stage of leprosy, cracked a few smiles between wincing in pain. She has no feet and her hands are clawed, so her grandson Sadayandhi carries her everywhere she goes. I was so touched by his love for his grandmother. She cried out in pain when I was taking her blood pressure and he talked her through it. He held her hand as she was tested for diabetes, having to be pricked four times because we couldn't get any blood out of her hand. What an outstanding example Sadayandhi is of charity and love.

I met a woman named Jodi (thats what it sounded like anyway) who spoke very good English. She invited Katie, Marni, and I into her home and showed us photos she had of the president and prime minister. She told me she went to college to become a lab technician and showed us the Indian equivalent of a diploma, which stated that she graduated first in her class. This young woman was smart and beautiful, and I could see the sadness in her eyes when she told me that her husband won't let her work because he wants her at home. Katie asked her if she will be able to work sometime in the future and she shook her head. Once again, the treatment of women here makes me sick.

During my break today, I went into the mango room. In said mango room, there are baskets with each of the housemother's names on them filled with memory books for each child. Since these kids grow up living on the RSO compound, they do not have their parents keeping albums or writing down memories of the silly things they do everyday. So that is our job. Since I still don't know all of my boys names, I went through each book and read what past volunteers had written about each boy in order to better get to know them. It was really special to read the joy that these kids spread to those around them, and the kind and funny things that they have done. When I met them at play time, it made me feel that much closer to them. I especially bonded with Vicky tonight. He is the one in orange and Sakthivel (from yesterday) is the one in white. I love those little guys.

I've kind of described my loveless relationship with the food here. Its a constant struggle between hunger and taste. Most days its rice with some sort of sauce that always tastes the same, vegetables, and fruit. So you can imagine my complete ecstasy on discovering that we would be having....dum dum dum dum!....FRENCH FRIES with dinner tonight. They tasted just like (if not better) than In N Out fries. They were the highlight of my life. And gone too quickly. Also served were these little rice cake type things which looked like uncrustables. They were mostly flavorless but they were better than the rice and soupy sauce we've been having every night.

After dinner I read with Ajay and Mariyadoss and helped Vijay with his homework. Which was probably a lot harder for me then it was for him. I don't remember a thing about long division. Don't they have calculators in India? Seriously though I haven't taken a math class since 2006. Art major, remember? I figured it out eventually but it was rough.

Its become a nightly ritual in the elephant house to watch bollywood movies before we go to bed. So. Funny. Its like every movie is the Indian version of high school musical.

Today's high: french fries
Today's low: Jodi's story in the colony

Shakthivel's Gift

My group went back to the same leprosy colony we went to on Thursday to help in the construction of some bathrooms. I didn't get to say hello to my friends at the old folks home, but I am sure I'll be seeing them again soon. For the first part of the time we were there, we lifted 50 lb cement bricks from a pile on the ground to the back of a truck, assembly line style. We then drove half a mile away to the construction site and unloaded the truck. It was sweaty work. Once we were done, we split up and I helped to fill a framed hole with dirt. It will become an Indian toilet eventually. It was hot and we were gross but we got stuff done and that is what matters. I drank plenty of water but I still got heat rash on my neck and arms. I feel great though.

Today we did talent classes for the kids. Tricia and I had supplies to make bracelets and paint nails. It was super chaotic and crazy but I had a sweet experience with one of the little girls. She had been trying very hard to make a ring, and right when she finished it, all the beads fell off. "Aunty!! Help me!!" I was helping some other girls so I wasn't able to help her restring the ring, but as we were wrapping things up, she proudly showed me the ring she had redone. I was so proud of her for overcoming her obstacle and not giving up.

Dinner wasn't as bad tonight, and I decided I really love eating on a banana leaf instead of a plate. It makes clean up so much easier. After dinner, I read with a couple of the boys in my family. It was a book that was above their level of reading, but I think they enjoyed the challenge and they felt even more proud of themselves when they could say the word without my help. As we were reading, Shakthivel was playing with my water bottle and accidentally broke it. I tried to fix it but couldn't, and while I was bummed that it happened, I wasn't mad at him in any way. He felt so horrible and went and sat by himself. I kept telling him that I wasn't mad at him and that I knew he didn't mean to do it, but he just sat there with tears welling up in his eyes. I've mentioned before how I haven't felt much of a connection with these kids since being here, and this really was my moment. I told him that I forgave him and that I don't want him to be sad. I opened up a book and told him to read to me, which he did very well.

Later, I noticed he had disappeared and I went to look for him and found him in the hallway. He handed me this little plastic thing and said "This is my gift to you." He could have handed me a hand grenade with those words and my heart still would have melted. I felt tears come to my eyes and I truly felt my heart open up to this child. Shakthivel does not have much in the way of personal possessions. The children here have a school uniform and 2 play outfits. Any toy must be earned and bought in the star store. He wanted to give me what little he had because he had broken my water bottle. I have more water bottles. I have so much more than he does. But I would trade it all in a second for one more hug from this boy.



Today's high: Shakthivel's smile when I accepted his gift.
Today's low: Having to say goodnight to Shakthivel.

The Miracle of Service

Happy Indian Independence Day! I wish I had any thing else to say about that.

Today some of us took the 3 hour trek into Chennai to go to church. I somehow managed to find this great curta to wear that is somehow a mix of Chinese silkwork and maybe a dress that I could have been found wearing in 1989 (best ten months of my life). Katie saw me wearing it and told me how happy she was that I chose that one because no one ever wears it. It was kind of really tight around my chest but I thought it was worth it to wear something so vintage and neglected.

The church was located at the bottom of what looks like some sort of warehouse building, but almost every commercial building looks like that. We were greeted by a security guard before walking down, but from that point on it was literally just like any other LDS ward I had been to. There are 3 branches in Chennai, and I counted about 80 people in Sacrament meeting, 20 of which were from Rising Star. It was air conditioned and really quite nice. Sunday school, on the other hand, was a literal sweatbox. Imagine 30 people in a tiny 10x10 classroom with the door shut. Now turn the temperature up to about 90. And put on a lot of clothes including a super tight silk curta that is suddenly a very bad idea. This is India.

The directors of Rising Star--Steele and Sara Hendershot--were at church today too. They moved here from Utah about ten months ago with their five little kids Cole, Olivia, Boston, Oaks, and Belle and will be here for a year total. I just think that is such a neat thing to do with their family when they are still so young. While most American kids spend their childhood playing video games and watching TV, these kids run around barefoot chasing snakes and taking family vacations to Sri Lanka. Good for them. I almost died seeing little Belle in her sari. So freaking cute.

On the long drive back home, Katie filled me in on the terrible inequality between men and women here. I guess it still happens somewhat frequently that a man will enter into an arranged marriage to get the woman's dowry, but as soon as its spent up on alcohol or whatever, he will lock her in the kitchen and let her burn to death. These "kitchen fires" were outlawed years ago, but apparently they still happen. In this culture, women are kind of at the bottom of the totem pole. She must always prepare the meals but has to eat last after her husband and children, so if there isn't anything left then she doesn't eat. There have been a lot of birth defects in children due to the malnutrition of their mother during pregnancy. Additionally, domestic violence is common, and many of the village children we have here at Rising Star go home to abusive homes every day. Someone told me the other day that most of the girls here have been sexually abused at home and it truly breaks my heart. I am so grateful to have been born in a country where these behaviors aren't tolerated or ignored and women are loved and respected.

On a happier note....

It was so fun to play with the kids today for a little bit before dinner. I'm still terrible with names, but one little girl made me run around with her on piggy back until I was gasping for air. It is so fun to make them laugh. We had a little Sunday devotional tonight on the miracles that come from service and Tanner said something that totally rings true. The miracle here at Rising Star is not the hostel and the school and the volunteers. The miracle is that these children are going to grow up and change India. He had asked little Joseph on the bus ride to church why he went every week. Joseph answered because he wants to go on a mission and stop all the bad things that happen in India. At age eleven or twelve, this boy already has more faith and ambition then I think I have ever had. He sees what is wrong with his country (in his words, namely, the abuse, yelling, and stealing) and has already decided that by teaching his fellow men about Christ and repentance that he can change all of that. These children are the miracle here. What they will do is the miracle.

Today's high: The Indian guy sitting next to me telling me that my sandals were "the funniest slippers I have ever seen." And also seeing sweet little Belle in her sari.

Today's low: Finding out why all the women here seem so unhappy. And dinner.

I Make Special Price For You

We left early this morning to go to Mamallapuram, a beach town 2 hours south of our village. We got to play tourist for the day and hike around the temples, do some major shopping, and hang out at an awesome resort. Everything is sooo inexpensive here that I might have gotten a little carried away but the stuff is beautiful and I'm obsessed. The first store I entered was run by a young man from Cashmere. I could tell he was from Cashmere because Jenny warned us about how beautiful they are. He was literally the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I couldn't even barter with him, he was so beautiful. Cashmere people have lighter skin than southern Indians and gorgeous eyes. Too bad flirting is illegal here.

I loved shopping here because every shop has something different to offer. I literally could have bought everything in the cashmere boy's shop, but I figured I should probably not spend all my money in the first store I set foot in. A little while later, Jaclyn, Corin and I came across an art shop. The owner's name was Masi and he graduated from the university with a degree in iconography. He had so many beautiful paintings and my little heart just melted. He had a large 5' by 4' painting of 2 lovers in a peacock garden. It was so gorgeous and way out of my price range but I couldn't help but compliment him on it over and over. He insisted that I buy it, but seeing as I did not have 10,000 rupees on me, I told him he was out of luck. He told me that he would make special price for me. I gave him what I had: 3,400 rupees. Best. Deal. Ever. Thank you Masi.

We took a rickshaw to Ideal Beach Resort where we paid the equivalent of about $7 for access to their private, hammock covered beach and swimming pool. We paid an additional $7 for a massage. I love India. Before getting in the pool, we ate lunch. I thought it would be funny to get what they called the "Polenesian Pizza" and yes that is how it was spelled. It was trying to be a Hawaiian pizza and it wasn't that bad. Diving into the pool felt sooo good. The water wasn't cold, it felt like bath water, but it was wet and thus amazing.

I took a break from the pool to get my massage, and it was definitely my favorite part of the day. Indian massages are different from American massages in two major ways: there is no real massaging involved and no strategic sheet folding. I have thereby renamed the Indian massage "the naked rub down." She saw all of me within five seconds of meeting her, and for the next thirty minutes she basically just rubbed warm oil on my back (and bum). At one point, I started to get extremely ticklish to the point that I was trying to think about sad things so I wouldn't laugh. I couldn't hold it in though and eventually she stopped and laughed too. "You supposed to be sleeping, not laughing." I apologized, but there is something about being tickled by an Indian woman while I am lying naked on a table that just gives me the giggles.

Corin and I walked down the beach a little while to see the boats up on the shore and everything. We took some super cute pictures and waded in the waves a little bit. The Indian ocean is like bath water too. It is so warm it is ridiculous. I loved it though. As we were walking back toward the pool to meet everyone before we left to go back to Rising Star, I could feel myself getting sick. I'm thinking it was the pizza. I probably knew before I ate it that I should avoid meat and cheese in India and ate it anyway. Bad Michelle. Needless to say it was a long 3 hours back. It took longer because it rained and for some reason, people here can't function when it rains and there is lots of traffic. We also stopped to get some local food which was soooo delicious but I couldn't eat much. The two kinds of flat bread that I did try were so yummy.

Today's high: Naked rub down
Today's low: being sick

India Eyes

Today ranks up in the charts as one of the best days of my life. I am so incredibly happy here and couldn’t ask for a better way to end my first week of Rising Star. Saturdays and Sundays are our days off, but I don’t know how the weekend could possibly top today.

Every morning we all meet together to have a little powwow before splitting up to our different assignments, and this morning Jenny gave a really special perspective. She told us to find our “Indian Eyes.” A lot of times you might find yourself looking at the dirty ground beneath your feet, what people are wearing or whatever ailments they may have, but if you just look up—at their faces, at the treetops, at the sky—you will see how beautiful this place and its people really are. Here, physical appearance doesn’t matter nearly as much as it does in the States, and yet these are the most beautiful people I have ever met, inside and out. Their kindness shines through their eyes, and their smiles melt my heart.

Today I was in the group that tutors the children. I did one-on-one reading for about three hours. It is interesting to see that some of them do not sound out the letters at all, and have just learned to memorize words. So they will sometimes read “Cat” as “Dog” because they recognize it as an animal. After one-one-ones, we breaked for lunch and then came back to do group reading. I got the fastest readers: Praveed, Ranya, Majan, and Meerjadhdnsdnakjdfkdaf (but seriously). We cruised through 3 book and took a break outside. We did itsy bitsy spider and simon says, danced the macerena, and raced down the dirt sidewalk. By then we were ready to get out of the heat (well, I was) so I read them “The Little Engine That Could” in the library, complete with sound effects and voice changes.

To celebrate the end of summer and India’s Independence day coming up, the children had an assembly that showcased what they have learned over the last few months. They demonstrated warm-ups and exercises, did a few dances (both Indian and American) and I was amazed and proud of what they were able to perform today. All 120 kids were in attendance and I loved scanning the crowd and picking out the ones whose names I remembered: Steven (an older kid that helps us with the younger ones sometime. LOVE HIM!), Joseph Stalin, Carl Marx, Satia, Ranya, Gracie, etc.

After the program, clouds started to gather and the winds started to pick up and I just prayed to the universe that it would rain. It has been so hot here that nothing sounded better than a complete downpour. India’s monsoon season is in September and October and it rarely, if ever, rains in the summer; so you can imagine what a wild surprise the wall of water that came down on us for about an hour today was. It felt so amazing after being so hot for so long. It was the kind of rain that takes about five seconds to soak you completely. Because the kids had to stay in their rooms due to the weather, we canceled talent classes for the day and went back to the volunteer home.

What ensued was the most fun and amazing dancing in the rain experience I have ever had. There is a courtyard in our home that just sort of fills up when it rains so it was perfect for splashing and dancing around. Katie taught us the Jai Ho dance from Slumdog Millionaire and it was so exhilarating to dance it in India, in the rain. Everyone was soaked through and through and laughing their heads off. It was a great bonding experience and just made me so completely happy. I didn’t take any pictures of us dancing because, well, I was dancing. But I am going to try to get someone who did to send me copies because that is a memory I want to preserve forever.

Dinner tonight was actually super delicious, probably because it consisted of some things that I love to eat at home: wheat tortillas that rival cafe rio's and fresh watermelon and papaya. Also served was a garbanzo bean type curry, vegetable rice, and a cucumber yogurt which I neglected to try. Jenny told us this really amazing story about the origins of Rising Star Outreach and how Becky Douglass, one of the original five, came across a leprosy-afflicted person in India and basically racked her brain as to how she could do something to help people affected by the stigma. Her famous quote around here is "Once you see, you own the responsibility to do."

I am so happy to be here, to be a part of a cause so amazing. The children of the patients who attend school here at Rising Star have an incredible opportunity to acquire the education needed to break the cycle of poverty and have a brighter future. Their parents have been through so much, but because of that their children have the means to follow their dreams here at Rising Star. Jenny told us that the directors here have made a deal with Dell and other American companies that outsource to India that if they keep their grades up that they will be given jobs when they graduate. This in itself is amazing because even being the child of someone with leprosy limits your employment significantly. So much is being accomplished in so short of time here.

Today's high: dancing in the rain
Today's low: nothing

This is why I'm here...

Going to the colony today was such an amazing experience. Because of micro-lending, a lot of patients have set up their own shops utilizing their many talents. There is an amazing carpenter in the village, and I especially enjoyed going to the art school and watching these incredible individuals paint with clawed, sometimes fingerless hands. I am going to buy one of their paintings before I leave. Their art is really a symbol of the life and beauty that continues to exist when everything else seems to have gone wrong.

The place where we provided medical attention is lovingly called The Old Folks Home. Dr. Kumar told us more about leprosy and explained their treatment methods, and as he was doing so I felt myself losing it. I was getting lightheaded and nauseous before I had even done anything and I had to kind of pull myself away for a minute to compose myself. I was frustrated at myself for feeling this way and I knew there was no way I was going to back out of this now, so I quickly prayed for strength and went back to work.

I volunteered to wash the feet of the patients, and it was amazing. The little old ladies were my favorite. None of the patients spoke English, but they showed their gratitude by grabbing my face, then kissing their hands. One lady, after I had washed her disfigured and ulcered feet, grabbed my cheeks and proceeded to say a prayer for me. It was so touching, and as I went all teary-eyed to refill the washing bowl, I saw a butterfly floating over the trash-filled alley. It was a reminder to me of the beauty that can be found here. The country is poor, the cities littered and crowded, but India is full of the kindest, happiest, and most beautiful people I have ever met. "Reaching for the Stars" does not seem like a good title for my blog anymore.


After I got back, I took a bucket shower and went to the dress rehearsal for the dance program the kids are putting on tomorrow. I was sort of inspired by the instructor's story. Her name is Katie and she is a dance major at the Boston Conservatory. She's been here since May and has since organized a dance troupe that she hopes will one day travel to the neighboring cities and colonies with the message that leprosy is not the stigma that it used to be. The theme this summer at RSO is "Change a World" and I think Katie is really doing it.

Play time was exhausting today. Probably because I didn't sleep much last night. I finally met the notorious Rosemary and we took a couple laps around the playground. She is a saucy little girl and truly hilarious. I danced the macarena with some older girls, which as you all know, is my favorite past time. I was nodding off during dinner on the roof. All I ate for dinner was a small portion of fruit salad. The meal consisted of bony fish and curry with bony fish in it, so I passed. I reaaaally wish I had a grilled cheese right now. I took a tiny nap on the boy's mat tonight. I really need to get over this jet lag.

Today's high: The women at the colony and what they taught me about love.
Today's low: Exhaustion. And also realizing that there is a very good chance I'll get lice here. Dang it.

Indian kids are cute

I met the rest of the group this morning when we all convened together in the Marriott lobby. It was fun to reunite with Corin and Jaclyn (I butchered their names before) and meet all the other girls and one boy. We are basically from all over the country but there are a few of us from Utah. There's a 18 year old from Mission Viejo who couldn't look or sound more like Blake Lively. Her name is Mandy and she is friends with my cousins who live in southern california.



The 3 hour bus ride to RSO, though extremely hot, was not that bad. It was fun to get a look at India during the day time, and I stand by my first comparison to Egypt. There are a lot of 4 or 5 story buildings, most gray, and lots of little storefronts lining the street. Most people drive these little 3-wheeled open-air motor cars or motorcycles, but I saw a lot of nice cars too. One thing I noticed was that there were a ton of people out on the street, either walking around or sitting around. Men wear modern clothing and women traditional. The city soon turned to waterfront which turned into foliage which turned into farm land which turned into the village just outside our campus: Thottanaval.

The building we are staying in is brand new. I share a room with four other girls, have to use a squatter toilet, and Indian meals are prepared for me daily. So far, the food is just okay. A lot of rice and curry and cabbage. I'm excited to make myself a pb&j tomorrow. As soon as we arrived, we (the girls) changed into traditional kurtas which turn out to be hotter than you'd think they would be. I actually don't think it matters what you wear here, no matter what you will sweat through whatever you are wearing. It is so hot and the humidity makes you feel like you will never be clean again. Hopefully, at some point, I'll get used to it.



Jenny, one of our coordinators who has lived here on and off for the past year, gave us a tour of the campus: our building, the school, the David Archuleta pathway of hope (what the...), the boys and girls home, etc. Then we were let loose to play with the kids. FINALLY. I have been waiting to play with them for months. They are the cutest things I have ever seen and have more energy then any american kid I have ever known.



These kids are sons and daughters of people afflicted with leprosy, and only see their parents 3 or 4 times a year. For the hardship they have suffered in their young lives, these children are unbelievably happy. They just want you to play with them and take pictures of them and I realized immediately how daunting the task of memorizing their names is. First of all, they are mostly long and complicated. Second of all, it is really hard to understand some of their accents.




After play time, the volunteers went up to the roof to eat dinner as is tradition. We ate traditional Indian food on the traditional plate of the banana leaf. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset and each talked about our highs and lows of the day. I realized how grateful I am to be here right now and how much I really do need this. We were assigned to house families at dinner. For the rest of my time here, Mandy, her brother Tanner, and I will be helping and taking care of a group of 4-9 year old boys. They are the most beautiful things I have ever laid eyes on and they are so full of personality. It was hard to get all fifteen or so to settle down and go to sleep on their little mats on the floor, but with the help of house mother Elizabeth we were able to get them to bed on time.

I am so exhausted and gross and happy to be here. Tomorrow I am assigned to medical duty in the colony. I am nervous and excited.


Today's high: The kids.
Today's low: The heat.

Hello India, My name is Michelle.

My first flight today, from Salt Lake City to Chicago, was a breeze. In two and a half hours, I barely had time enough to enjoy a ginger ale and some crossword puzzles. I sat next to a girl who only spoke French so needless to say it was a quiet flight. (Where were you Lizzie??) I met Tricia at the airport in Salt Lake. She is a nursing major from Salt Lake and I may or may not have basically copy/pasted her itinerary so I wouldn’t be alone. Luckily, we like each other.

We met another girl, Rachel, in Chicago and had time to get to know each other before our 8-hour flight to Brussels. I decided to try out something my friend Spencer suggested on this flight. I bought my flight attendants a bag of mini Oreos in the gift shop because I was told that, especially on long flights, if you show that kind of appreciation to your flight attendants that they will basically be really happy and hook you up. So before take off, I handed the bag to one of the flight attendants, expressed my sincere appreciation for their service and empathized that having known people in the industry, I know how tough it can be sometimes. It was amazing to see her eyes light up at this act, and soon she and her friend were thanking me over and over again. Her friend told me that she was having a really rough day and that those Oreos just made her so happy. At that point, I realized that whether or not they give me anything, I have to always do this from now on. Prior to the Oreo exchange, they had graciously moved me to a window seat with no one sitting next to me, so I already felt hooked up and did not expect much more. However, whenever they brought that drink cart around, they were offering to buy me drinks left and right. Gotta love that airplane wine...:)

There is nothing quite like watching the sun set and rise from an airplane. There is also nothing quite like chasing the sun. It was only dark for about 4 hours, of which I’d hoped to sleep through with the help of Tylenol PM. However, I did not sleep very well. I kept waking up and my body would be all numb from the pain killers. It didn’t make me drowsy though, so when we arrived in Belgium I was doing okay. Flying into Brussels this morning was great. I loved the fact that I was back in Europe, and the beauty of the countryside through the window reaffirmed my desire to live there someday. Once we’d landed, I met two more RSO volunteers, a girl named Shannon and her mom Kim.

Our flight to Chennai, India was delayed. It turned out to be a ten-hour flight. It really was not all that bad though. It was a nice plane and I had an aisle seat with an empty chair next to me. I was able to sleep a little without medicinal help. I watched three movies. I listened to my books on tape. I did crossword puzzles, and just when I thought the flight had to be just about over….I realized there was still almost 4 hours left. There were lots of Indians on my flight and they are such beautiful people. The old lady in front of me was rocking a bright green sari that shows her stomach and a gold nose ring. The middle aged man across the aisle has a mustache that would be the envy of any of my guy friends. As we flew low over dark Chennai, aglow with city lights, I said to myself, "Hello India, it's great to finally meet you."

I made it to the Marriott without a glitch around 3am India time (3pm Utah time). This was the part of the journey I was most worried about. It was dark, so I didn't get a spectacular idea of what Chennai looks like, but from what I saw it is very similar to Cairo, if not a little nicer (which isn't really saying much). It was interesting to have the car I arrived in checked for bombs before being let on the premises. And if I hadn't had my passport and bags checked enough already, they did it again at the hotel as well. I'm staying in a room with Rachel and Tricia and its pretty nice. I just exchanged my American money for Indian rupees. I don't think I will ever understand how my $60 turned into 2,586 rupees.

I am so glad to be here safe and sound. Tomorrow I will take the fateful bus ride to the RSO campus and finally get a feel for what I will actually be doing these next few weeks. I can't wait!! Now I will go take my last normal shower before I perfect the bucket method. Love to you all!

Surprise!!

So there I am, working in the Alpine Village office as usual, and in walk two lovely girls. They are asking a question about moving out because they are flying to India on Saturday. I probably showed too much enthusiasm and almost jumped out of my chair. I was very happy to learn that they are also doing session 6 of RSO. They were so cute and I am way excited to get to know them. Yay for meeting my new friends Corinne and Jaqueline. Were those their names?

7 days.....

I cannot believe that I am already down to the wire here. I am only working for 3 more days and then I'm heading back to Sandy to spend my last few days with my family and doing my final packing.

All the big stuff is done. I have raised $2000, I have recieved my visa, I have had my shots and have started taking my anti-malarial medication. Now all that is left is to pack and find a good herbal sleeping concoction to make the nearly 24 hours of traveling go quicker. I was also advised to purchase some pepper spray (just in case).

I cannot wait to get to India. I am so excited to meet the kids and become best friends with every little girl in the joint. I am fully committed to diving head first into this experience and giving myself fully to this cause. I am ready to leave all the stress and drama of real life behind me to participate in something that really matters. These people have been shunned from society because of their illness and their wasted appearance. I already love them for what they have been through.

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat... Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." -Mother Teresa

Children of Rising Star Outreach

I can't wait to meet these kids!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slp_1GXzpPs