Millinium Development Goals Achieved by this team from June 21 - June 25;


65 Hours of class room instruction in conversational English and computer skills by 7 volunteers and 65 Hours of preparation time

20 Hours of childcare by 2 volunteer

100 Hours of labor towards the construction of Stage 2 of the Dormitories at Seams

2 Schools, 2 Children's Home and over 400 students impactedTuesday, June 29th

Tuesday, 29th June

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” -Plato

Today, we went on with our usual routines-- Jeff and Joey went to construction in the morning, while Andy joined Cathy at St. Josephs to take on the dreaded kindergardeners. Jeremy joined Bridget and I at Assisi Illam to play with the 3 year olds and attempt to teach them English. Although some are doing physical labor and some are playing or teaching children, both are equally exhausting. The kids somehow drain our energy just as quickly as working in the hot sun! After coming home for a great lunch, we headed back out- with Andy joining Jeff for construction and Cathie going to work with the future nuns. Joey, Jeremy, Bridget, and I went to Grace School to help teach English to the different classes. Bridget and I bought lots of henna at a local store, as prices in the US are around $7 a tube compared to only 10 rupees here! One of the teachers at Grace School kindly offered to henna our hands, and I was the first to get mine done! We headed over to Seams to play with the children for an hour, and then finished off our evening with a lovely dinner at Stephens house. It was great getting to meet Stephen's whole family and enjoying a delicious meal with them. This was the perfect way to end a great day!


Zoe
 

 Wednesday, June 30th

"To help all created things, that is the measure of all our responsibility; to be helped by all, that is the measure of our hope" -Gerald Vann

After more than a week we are starting to ge the hang of things. In the morning my mom and dad went to St. Joseph's School to teach kinder gardeners and first standard. Jeremy, Joey, and i went to Seam's to do construction, and Bridget and Zoe went to Assisi Illam. At seam's we had to carry sand from the roof down to the first floor after the week before we carried it up to the roof. After lunch we all went to different places for a shortened time because we went to the government emporium to shop for gifts. Cathie went back to St. Joseph's to work with the future nuns on English speaking and writing skills, my Dad and I went to construction to help with cementing the walls, Bridget, Zoe and Joey went to Grace School.

Since it was Jeremy's last day, we went to Seam's in the evening so the children could say good bye to him. They made hime a beautiful card and sang him a song. We then went to a restaurant to have the last dinner with the team of 7. Jeremy was a great member of the team and he will be missed. We all came back to the guest house and played Spades.

 Andy

Thursday, July 1st

"I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate"Elbert Hubbard

It is Thursday of week two (7/1) and we are already missing Jeremy's energy and enthusiasm. Bridget and Zoe went to Assisi Illam to work with the preschoolers and Andy and I went back to St. Joseph to work with 5th and 2nd standard. We all noticed the "natives are getting restless". In 5 standard, Andy and I played math Bingo and had the students write descriptions of pictures. It was nice to see the students clap for each other when I told them they had done a good job on their writing.

We were surprised to find that Rani made us a lunch with beef! She included the delicious cabbage and tomoto rice which we all enjoyed a lot.
For the afternoon sessions, Andy, Bridget and Zoe headed to Grace School, while I went to St. Joseph's. The young women in the convent were very interested in a story we read about The Statue of Liberty (and a discussion about the 4th of July), as well as a lesson on common English phrases. It would be fun to hear these proper young ladies say "Hey! What's up?" the next time I come in.

We took our evening trip to SEAMS where the students were busy studying. With books and gadgets in tow, we shared as much English as we could while enjoying the company of these happy, energetic children. I am grateful for all of the teenagers on our team who are happy to lift, swing an flip the kids to their hearts content. As dusk came, the mosquitos swarmed, and I was glad to retreat to the guest house for a quiet night.
Cathie Ricketts

Millinium Development Goals Achieved by this team from June 21 - June 25;
65 Hours of class room instruction in conversational English and computer skills by 7 volunteers and 65 Hours of preparation time.

20 Hours of childcare by 2 volunteer

100 Hours of labor towards the construction of Stage 2 of the Dormitories at Seams
2 Schools, 2 Children's Home and over 400 students impacted

Sunday, 20th June


Today was the actual first day with the complete team. All of us had the chance to get first impressions of the team members, meet each other and get to know a little about our lives. We sat all together in the dining room with Stephen, our wonderful host, and commenced orienteering which is the first phase of the program: we get to know the sites we are going to work on, the place we will live in and the rules we will have to respect.

We then had lunch followed by the second phase which is fixing the team goals and characteristics!

After that we all had a few hours to ourselves before going to meet all of those wonderful, enthusiastic, energetic, funny and loving kids which live at Seams children home. I am happy to say that this teem has a majority of young volunteers, which fitted in immediately with the children playing games and simply having fun.

The impression I got of this team is that we all have different backgrounds, cultures and ways of being but one thing we do have in common, this experience! I am 100 percent sure that we will all have a blast and get on fine together so its all for the best!!

Jeremy

Monday, 21st June

"Little things done over and over again add up to making a differenceToday was our first day of real volunteer work. We began our day with a yoga lesson on the terrace of our guest house. About 6 of the 10 in our group participated. After the yoga fun and group breakfast a group of us went to a local orphanage called Assisi Illam that functions as a day care during the morning while the kids who live there are at school. We played with about thirty 3 year olds who spoke no English. Some of our other team members went to teach children English and do construction on Seams children’s home. Then we came back for lunch,  Afterwards we split up again, some visiting a nearby private school to teach English and grammar to 4th and 5th graders, and others working more with construction. One of our volunteers even practiced English with young girls hoping to become nuns. After this, we had some rest time until we went to visit Seams orphanage to play with the kids which we'll do every evening. Though exhausting, it is apparent that our simple presence means the world to these children, which makes it 100% worth it in the end.

in a big way." -Byron Pulsifer




Zoe

Tuesday, 22nd June

"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell." -Lance Armstrong

It's the end of day 3 (our 2nd full day of working) and I'm writing my journal entry while sitting in bed under the mosquito net. The light in our room just went out, but it should come back on soon. Until then, the light from my iPod will have to do.


It's been another long and exhausting day. The ladies worked with the kids in the schools. Cathie spent the day at St. Joseph's School where one of the teachers was a "no-show", so they put all 62 kindergardeners in one room and wished her luck! Bridget and Zoe were honing their teaching skills at Grace School and Assisi Illam. The 4 guys spent the day at the construction site at SEAMs. While it was 95 degrees outside again, it felt hotter today since the sun was shining bright. I drank 4 liters of water (one gallon), but I'm convinced I sweat 2 gallons out. We spent the day hauling sand again using the traditional Indian methods. We sifted it first through a screen and then put about 20 pounds worth in a large metal bowl, then carried them on our head our around to the side of the building, up the stairs and into the soon to be dorm rooms. By the way, these were the same rooms we took sand out of yesterday and hauled it up to the roof (did I mention it was 95 degrees, sunny, calm, with high humidity?!?) We all feel like we are now 2" shorter than when we started and we're noticing that our heads are becoming flat on top. To make matters worse, we had 3 random Indian men pull up chairs and watch us work while they sat in the shade (likely making fun of us).

I know if you're reading this from afar you must be asking: "Why in the world would anyone pay for an experience like this?". I would simply answer by saying, "I wouldn't trade places with anyone else on the planet today". Every time I felt like I was going to collapse, I would look up and see one of the children smiling at me. These are kids who literally have nothing. They sleep on the floors in the hallways. Some have parents, most do not. I'll bet most of us couldn't stand to hear the challenges they have faced in their short lives, but you would never know it while spending time with them. They are always smiling, laughing, and playing with each other. They are respectful and always look out for each other. I'll bet they have fewer wants than children who have everything. For us, several weeks of hard labor or impossible teaching conditions is a small price to pay to improve the lives of these wonderful children.

Jeff

Wednesday, 23rd June

A German proverb: "He, who teaches children, learns more than they do."

Our third workday began early as we decided to forgo our 7:30 yoga for a 7:00 trip to the flower, fruit and vegetable market. After seeing the amazing array of beautiful flowers and unusual and plentiful fruits and vegetables, we returned in time for our breakfast and morning meeting. Today was a school holiday for the children, so our work assignments for some were a bit different. Andy decided to take a break from construction to join Zoe and Bridget at Assisi Illam to play with the children. I joined the construction team with Jeff, Joey and Jeremy. I wanted to see if they were really carrying loads of sand on their heads. We did do our share of sifting and carrying sand, but jobs were more varied today. We moved bricks and got to try our hand at slapping cement on the brick walls of the roof. Our mentor made it look easy, but after several tries with most of the cement landing on the ground, I decided that I was creating more work and decided to be the gopher instead. Joey actually got the hang of it and managed to cover one wall with cement.


We had a delicious chicken curry lunch back at the guest house, then headed out for our afternoon assignments. I went to my normal afternoon session at St. Josephs to work with the young ladies who are studying to become nuns. I used a deck of cards to play a game to get them conversing in English which they really enjoyed. They are so kind and always try to feed me before I leave, but unfortunately I have to scoot out as Stephen is waiting on me so that he can round up the rest of the group. The construction workers, joined by Zoe, continued at SEAMS with sand sifting and carrying as well as cementing the roof while everyone else was able to work with and play with the children. We returned for our early evening session at SEAMS, all of us dragging a bit, to find the children with even more energy and enthusiasm than normal. We were armed with more balls, books, stickers, and cameras, which kept the children busy and happy. Stephen taught us a game to play with the children which involved a lot of running and tackling - perfect for the kids, exhausting for us! The kids love our cameras and frequently ask to take ONE picture, then run off and snap as many pictures as they can. All in all a good time was had by all.

We headed out to a restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Some of us were able to watch some World Cup action on TVs. while others watched Joey fall asleep at the table.

Cathie

Thursday, 24th June

“The value of man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving” -Albert Einstein

In the morning I slept in through breakfast. After breakfast I went to Assisi Illam and played with the kids. They are always so energetic and happy to see us. After Assisi Illam we had lunch and went to Seam's for 3 hours. At Seam's some of us helped build the new dorms while other helped the kids with some of their school work. After helping the kids we played Kabadi, Cricket, and Coco. While we were playing kabadi, Jeremy said that the losing team should have to do 10 push-ups which everyone thought was a good idea because everyone thought that their team was going to win. My team ended up winning and the other team had to do 10 push-ups. After Seam's we went to the textile, gold, and silver markets. There we bought inexpensive jewelry, textiles, and other items. We got home from the markets at around 9 in the evening and had dinner.
Andy

Friday, 25th June

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa
Today was the last day of our first week of working. In the morning Cathie and I went to Assisi Illam and worked with the orphans that were off of school . We brought tons of coloring supplies and they absolutley loved it, almost as much as they love to be picked up and spun around. Zoe and the boys worked on construction at SEAMS and in the past week have made progress and friends with the local workers. After lunch the whole team joined forces and we took all of the children at Assisi Illam to a park and childrens zoo and then to the beach. We took our regular car and a "bus" which was more of a van and stuffed about twice as many people as could comfortably fit into each. The children loved to see the animals and dragged us from one animal to the next until we reached the playground. We left the park and headed to the beach, as soon as the beach was in sight the children began screaming with excitment. Everyone only went in thr water about ankle deep but some how every kid managed to become soaked head to toe, and we hadn't done much better.Right as we were all about to head back to the cars wiht most of the kids in fresh dry outfits it began pouring rain. We all rain to the cars but we stil became even more soaked and sandy than before. We headed home the bus just as crowded as ever in rush hour traffic and in the pouring rain all soaked and sandy. The bus driver played music videos and the kids danced and sang and kept entertained. By the end of the ride half of the kids had fell asleep on our laps. Overall it was a great day. It was nice to see how happy the kids were about going on the outing and to spend more time with them than normal. Our first week was successful and the challenges seem easier each day. I can already tell we will miss each kid and its only our first week.
 
Bridget
 

Saturday, 26th June
 
"He does not live in vain; who employs his wealth, his thought, and his speech to advance the good of others." -Hindu Proverb
 
After a long and fulfilling week of work (and play) we earned our first free day. We started with breakfast at 7 am and left the guest house around 8:00 on our way to Pondicherry. We were all very excited when we discovered the bus had good a/c and reclining seats! The trip was fairly typical with lots of crazy traffic and horn beeping. We arrived in Kanchipuram to visit 4 Hindu temples. We got a nice surprise in the first temple when we saw 3 elephants being painted with decorations. When we went to take pictures the trainer invited us in to sit on one of the elephants. What a fun experience. The temples were very interesting and we all learned a lot about the Hindu beliefs.  After a tasty lunch we hopped back on the bus and rode to Pondicherry. After checking into our hotel we took a nice walk down the beach and had a wonderful dinner (or in the case of "Bottomless", 3 dinners!). Then it was back to the hotel to watch the US vs Ghana in the World Cup.


I've noticed that after a week in India I've grown accustomed to so many of the sites that shocked me when I first arrived. I came here with the goal of learning more about the Indian culture. I am happy to report that not only do I feel I've accomplished that goal but, thanks to Stephen, I now better understand and appreciate the Indian culture and way of life far better than I imagined I could.

Jeff

Millinium Development Goals Achieved by this team from March 29 - April 2;

110 Hours of class room instruction in conversational English and computer skills by 6 volunteers and 110 Hours of preparation time.

50 Hours of childcare by 2 volunteer

20 Hours of health care provided to the poor at the hospital by 2 volunteers

2 Schools, 2 Children's Home, an hospital and over 400 students impacted

Monday – 29, March 2010.


So goes my second crack at journal writing.

Our time in Chennai is drawing to a close with the coming end of this week. Our dear friends Nikki, Nita and Laura left us on Friday and Saturday and have all reached home safely. Jana, Sue Ellen, Katie and Stephen jetted off to Mysore for a weekend trip while Claudia, Joelle and myself stayed behind to hold down the fort. Monday was an easy day at Assisi for Joelle and myself and Claudia at Grace school following the lazy sunday. We chose to give Rani the afternoon off and decided to go out for dinner following showing a movie at seams in the evening.

More importantly, when deciding how long I was going to stay in this program, it was widely regarded as the three week experience being the most gratifying as the best part of the relationships develop in that third week; I think im beginning to see the light. Being the youngest one in my family, I never really needed to socialize with anyone younger than me. I guess what im trying to say i've always been really bad with kids, and my first week here showed it. However, im beginning to be able to relate to the kids at Assisi and seams more and more with every day, and am growing more comfortable with them and playing with them everyday. I look forward to spending more time with the kids this week and helping them to develop their own skills while im doing the same for myself.

Reflecting back on my time in Chennai, I can solidly say I'm a different person after my time here. The lessons learned through the simple sight of a childs appreciation for your presence when it seems like they have nothing else in their life. Learning how the lack of basic health care and nutrition knowledge have plagued an entire portion of the population and the simple steps that can be taken to begin to solve these problems. Learning the dedication and enthusiasm that nursing students must show to their education in order to pass their studies, and the dedication that regular students must show to their studies in order to pass their examinations. I've not only seen the resolve that people show in order to better their lives, but also the resolve that some put into bettering the lives of others. The efforts of Dr. Sr. Rexline through the St. Thomas Hospital and its associated projects (community clinics, Assisi Illam, Old Age homes) have demonstrated just how much one person can do when their efforts are true to their desires. This woman is a model for not just women over the world, but humanity itself as just how much one person can do.

Being the youngest member of this team (and the only male for that fact), I expected to receive my fair share of teasing during the course of the program, and so I have. However, the relationships ive formed and the knowledge I've gained through this experience make it one of the defining moments of my life to this date. Experiences are what you make of them, and the incredible environment of India was only amplified by the wonderful company that we all have kept during this experience. We bonded together to achieve our stated goals and have accomplished them with the authority and enthusiasm that only a well organized and eager team can. Through trips taken for leisure and those taken as a part of work done here, we have acted incredibly as a unit in accomplishing our goals. As a closing, cheers to Global Volunteers and Stephen for enabling us to partake in this incredible journey with their assistance.

I've found a favorite song of mine that appropriately sums up my thoughts of this trip for more than a few reasons:

"Every mile a memory"

Cheers Chennai, thanks for helping make me into who I want to be.

- Aneesh

March 30, 2010

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”


Margaret Mead

As the climate of South India heats up for the peak of summer (April, May, June), the temperatures rise about one degree daily. It feels much like my greenhouse in Alaska when the door has been closed on an unusually hot day. With schools closing soon, uniformed children hurry home to study for fimal exams. Just as in the U.S., they are excited and restless.

Our team is dwindling. Four have departed, six remain. The weekend was quiet at the guest house, as three travelled to Mysore to visit a Palace, see the forest, wild animals, and sleep in a large treehouse. The 12 hour train ride was well worth it. As volunteers alternately depart, the farewells have brought a celebratory air of treats, another dance party, and even a movie night at the poorest of the orphanages, SEAM's, (Southeast Asian Ministries). The kids were as excited to receive two oranges (!) as they were to see the animated “Shark Tale”. They sat on the floor to watch the computer screen on the table. It was a more intimate evening, the kids more calm, laughing together at times, yawning at others. It felt like a long hug. For me, the teaching at Grace school has taken on more of a rhythm. It helps to know the names of each student and their levels of learning. I am more organized.

The kids like the familiarity of our routine. For example, in 5th grade, we go over
the spelling/vocabulary words from the previous day. Then we do worksheets:
questions about a story, or an exercise to learn about articles, plurals, or
collective nouns. All grades write a sentence in their journals about what they
learned, and are rewarded by a sticker for their journals, and a word puzzle as
they leave the classroom.When the driver picks us up after meeting with the
teachers, Esther has been known to wave him away and say “three more minutes”. I have to admit we used that for arm wrestling Monday.

The children at SEAM's are easier for me to manage as they come to know me better. By changing my expectations I have become more effective. The 'hood around the guesthouse has become familiar, even bordering on charming. Today I took pictures of my haunts: the post office, the copy shop with Mahalalakshmi standing in the door, Fancy Star store, and the supermarket. What originally felt like a death march to the orphanage now is a familiar stroll. Right, left, right, left, straight to the gate by the wagon of coconuts. I wrack my brain to think of useful gifts I could send from my home in Alaska. But the children don't need and have no use for small gifts. The greatest need is for money to Global Volunteers, which is then directed to the sites that Stephen, our leader, chooses. Believe me, you can trust that he will carefully prioritize to meet the needs of the neediest. The children at SEAM's once slept in one large room on a concrete floor. Now they are on bunks, four to a room. There are only bunks in these rooms. Soon the older boys will have a new dormitory, thanks to Global Volunteers. The latest project that I know of will be a garden on that rooftop.

This is a dream realized for me. It can be that for you, too.

Claudia

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

"The soul is healed by being with children" – Fyodor Dostoevsky

A Love Story Chapter Three

Every true love story has a good beginning, a good middle and a good end. A good love story has it cast of characters. And although the end has yet to be written I can tell you of the beginning and early chapters of a big love, a grand love – unexpected and the kind to heal my soul.

First let me start by thanking a good team – every story needs good supporting characters. There were the "youngn's" of the team: Laura who provided amusement to all "only to Laura could this happen!" We weren't laughing at you – we were laughing near you!

Aneesh: the consumate woman's man! Willing to be a shirpa for the gals, holding purses and packages....maybe the only male – but a good one at that!

And then there is Katie – able to share this experience with someone I love was for me the golden nugget of the trip!....You brought much laughter and energy to the team. I love that "my kids" are now "our kids!".

And then there are the nurses: Jana, and SueEllen, I was glad for your watchful eye, suggestions that the SEAMS children received "health inventories" and that you had an opportunity to be in the presence of Dr. Sr. Rexline....my guess is some of her golden magic dust has drifted and now fallen on you too. SueEllen, thanks for your push to continue the important building project at SEAMS. Since I was not one to sift sand, lift windows or carry bricks – my graditude extends to all those who did. Jana – Remember how the Tin Man from Oz asked for a heart? My dear – Sometimes we don't always see what we have – and I assure you – you do have heart. You are lovely people and of good cheer.

To Joan and Claudia, for your excellent planning and teaching at Grace school – Claudia, one of my favorite memories of this trip was the morning I spent at the flower market with you – talking about parents and politics and our lives back home. I am convinced had we lived in the same city we surely would have found each other by now.

To Niki, I have got to hand it to you – India is not an easy place to try out your travel wings and passport – therefore I stand before you in utter amazement. Then, to endure as you did – sickness when giving a million dollars to feel better being impossible, you endured with grace and fortitude that I so rarely see in others these days. I hope you take a lesson in this, because I do believe we learn the most about ourself when the situation seems the worse. Your kindness and gentle spirit is what I will remember most....and I do so hope that your wings are not clipped and that one day, and not in the distant future you will use that passport again.

And to Nita, my partner at Assisi.....I was so glad to have shared the "taming of the little beasts" with you. That you enjoyed the rhythm of the day as much as I only made it more special for me.

Watch out, George is coming your way with those half-crooked, half-puckered lips! Another favorite memory is "girl talk" with Sr. Rose, Sheeba, you and I. One of those truly unguarded moments with Sr. Rose. Many thanks partner....

And finally, I, "Camp Mom" round out the team, as the old-timer, hopefully helping others to learn the ropes with her "bag of tricks!" Just remember the most important ingredient to pack in your bag is your heart!

And now, the main characters of this story:

There of course is the Handsome king – Raja......Better known as Stephen.....and unlike the king in so many other stories – power-driven, one to beat down the weary and demand more and more – our good king Raja is benevolent, kind and patient "Oh yeah!" and a good servant – "We'll check it out!" He is a protector of his people and a shepherd to the poor....he is the best kind of king -

Of course the good king needs a beautiful wife and Sheeba fits the role perfectly. She is so sweet and generous, thoughtful and light-spirited, and yet her best quality is being known to everyone as friend.

Then, there is the "spoiled" prince – Roshan......but he is as cute as can be, so his faults are easily overlooked. It takes a smart and clever boy to overthrow the throne. I'm sure the King and

Queen will have control restored in short order.

There are the villagers of SEAMS – with their governor – the wise and good Pastor Arul....who has served many in his care for years and years. The villagers who truly have so little, still are willing to share what seems to never run short – their smiles, their laughter, and plentiful hugs and kisses.

And then there is the Town of Assisi Illam, blessed and protected by St. Frances, Sr. Rose and Sr. Virgin. The 20 villagers are placed in their loving care as they've turned paupers into princes and princesses. The day care short citizens add to their number (50) during the morning and early afternoon and receive excellent instruction from the fair and powerful, stick weilding Jesse.....whose stick is just enough of a threat to keep all children safe and engaged.

Now that you are on the edge of your seat waiting to hear the depth and breadth of this love story, I will tell you the truth – no one but the two who live it can ever really know the extent of their love – but here are the facts that can be shared: A palm-reader foretold Aunty's trip to India. She then landed in the far-off place called Chennai. On the first day of her first year at the castle Assisi she met a glum and isolated soul whose name she learned to be Augustine. As the three weeks flew by, the two became inseparable as Augustine crawled all over Aunty's heart. The memory of leaving that first year – both with tear-stained faces haunted her for a whole year until she knew that she could only live if only to fulfill the promise of holding her "Little Heart" just one more time.

As plans were made for Joelle Aunty's second visit to Chennai, she learned the news....Augustine was no longer at the castle.....he had returned to his homeland – far, far away. As the message was sent throughout the Kingdom.....of Aunty's impending return......a major search for one little boy in a billion haystack pursued. Found him they did! A drive to Pondicherry and a meeting with the Mother and uncle took place. The good mother allowed me a private audience with her son and it was indeed a most happy event, and one to remembered until memory is no longer useful. But what to do? The desire was so great to see Augustine succeed in life – she turned to the King and begged mercy for this child to put him in a good school near the castle.....and so it came to be.

On this my third trip to Chennai – I have found the healing of my soul – the healing of a year of loss because of one, small mischiveous "Monkey Boy".....who again became mine and I his. He is even smarter and funnier than I remembered, but I am mostly struck by how happy he is – darkness and sadness vanished , replaced by brightness and light. Holding him is my great joy. Even so – I think how can anyone love him more than I? But the story of the "true mother" and King Solomon reminds me that this woman was willing to give her child to another rather than seeing the child cut in two. If I were Augustine's true mother could I give over the care of this sweet boy to another? I doubt that I could, even if I knew it would be better for his life. Therefore, the real love story here is of a mother's love of sacrafice so as to provide her child with opportunities to live and grow and learn. This is big love!

This love story shall continue because there are still other stories in lives yet to be written. I know there will always be a tug between the hearts of the fab five (Sylvia, Sophia, Jasmine, George and John) (plus one....Augustine - my little heart) and my own.

The end of my story has yet to be written....I do think true love stories last beyond this world and into the next. Yet here I sit with my heart pierced not knowing when the next chapters will be written. The words of Garnet Rogers ring so true for me:

The days go slow, the years they flee -
The future's not for us to see,
So for today, I'll let you be...
What I'd give to have you here with me,
What I'd give to have you here with me...

I will dream of you being with me – India, a land and people and especially one little boy who heals my soul.

Joelle

Thursday, 1 April 2010.
All great achievements require time.


Maya Angelou

Today marked the last day for team members Joelle and Katie. The day started by Aneesh, Katie, and I attending our last morning yoga session. At the end of the session, Katie asked our yoga teacher if he would perform his favorite yoga pose for a picture. We were amazed as he stood on his head, then crossed his legs. Perhaps one day we can achieve this, also – or not as the case may be.

After our morning cold shower and breakfast of ramen noodles and hard boiled eggs, team members migrated to their work assignments. Joelle, Aneesh, and Jana went to Assissi Illam, Katie and Claudia went to Grace Nursery and Primary School, and I stayed behind to work on the growth charts for the kids at SEAM. Work assignments are haphazard this week as this is the week before Easter and schools are going on holiday.

Claudia had ordered a cake (from our local copy shop of all places) for a lunch
time treat for the students at Grace School. Aneesh and Jana left Assisi early,
picked up the cake, and took it to the school, where the teachers were anxious to meet Aneesh as they thought he looked like Obama in the brief glances they had of him. However, once Aneesh arrived, the teachers became shy and needed encouragement to talk with him. Katie arrived back at the guest house after the party with the palm of her hand decorated with henna by one of the teachers. Henna is carefully painted on the palms of the hands; after an hour or two, the henna paste is washed off and the resulting skin under the paste remains dyed and lasts for a week or two. Unmarried women can only have the palm of their hands decorated. Married women can also have the tops of their hands painted.

This afternoon, Katie and Joelle went to Assisi to say their last farewells to the
children. Katie was especially honored to be chosen to be the godmother of little
Jasmine and we all felt fortunate to be able to attend Jasmine's baptism yesterday. I'm sure Katie savored her last visit with Jasmine today before traveling back to Minnesota this evening. While Katie and Joelle went to Assisi, Aneesh, Jana and I went to SEAM. (Claudia stayed behind to rest after the party at Grace School as she is still recovering from an upper respiratory infection.) At SEAM, while Aneesh and Jana attended to the students' myriad cuts and scrapes, I had an impromptu conversational English class with four of the students. Using postcards, I told them about Alaska. I could tell they couldn't totally comprehend a land of ice and snow (northern lights were beyond any comprehension) but they were fascinated with the pictures anyway. When we finished discussing Alaska, they brought out a picture book about India and we discussed pictures with which they were familiar. The last part of our visit was playing “Indian games”, which I always lost because they conveniently didn't tell me all the rules. It was hilarious.

Back at the guest house, we quickly showered and went out to the restaurant we
visited our first week in India. This was the final farewell dinner. We had an excellent Indian dinner which included tandoori chicken, garlic naan bread, spicy
fried cauliflower, vegetable curry, and rice. Indian cuisine consists of so many dishes, I could not learn them all this trip. Hopefully, I'll be inspired to cook up a spicy Indian dish every once in a while in my northern abode and think of the warm hospitality I experienced while in Chennai.

Upon our arrival back at the guest house, Katie and Claudia found two students from Grace waiting for them to give them a thank-you letter. Obviously, Katie and Claudia's presence at Grace School touched these students enough to make them to want to make the extra effort to write a letter and wait at the guest house for them to return from dinner in order to deliver it.

Too soon, it was time for Katie and Joelle to leave for the airport. At the

beginning of this trip, there were 10 volunteers, now we are down to four. As my time draw near to leave, I wonder what it was that I contributed. Would the sand have been sifted at the construction site without me? Probably, eventually. Would the students at Grace have learned English without me? Yes. The hospital would have survived just fine without my days of observation. And the children at SEAM would have spread themselves out between nine volunteers instead of ten. So what can I tell others who are contemplating a trip with Global Volunteers what is the purpose of volunteering?

First, no one person is indispensable, nor should be as a program cannot survive if it is dependent on only one person. However, a steady stream of dedicated groups of people can truly make a difference in community selected projects. Secondly, while a program may not be dependent on one person, that one person can truly make a good or bad impressiion on the community. If by smiling politely at the grocery, or patiently waiting in line at the copy shop I can make a favorable impression and my country is viewed in a better light by even one person, I think that is worth the trip. Finally, I believe that the first step in making the world a better place is by first making a change within our own selves. Volunteering provides a great opportunity of personal growth, and by making ourselves better people we are better able to effect change in those around us.

Suellen

Millinium Development Goals Achieved by this team from March 22 - March 26;

155 Hours of class room instruction in conversational English and computer skills by 10 volunteers and 155 Hours of preparation time.


50 Hours of childcare by 2 volunteer


50 Hours of construction at Seams to build the Stage 2 of the Dormitories by 2 volunteers and we were plastering cement on the ceilings and walls


50 Hours of health care provided to the poor at the hospital by 4 volunteers.
2 Schools, 2 Children's Home, an hospital and over 400 students impacted

Monday - March 22, 2010

Amelia Earhart:


Adventure is worthwhile.

After a wonderful whirlwind weekend trip (minus Joan who left us to continue her travels in northern India and Nita who went to Mumbai for the weekend to visit relatives), the team started out Monday morning refreshed and excited to see what the coming week had in store. Even though no one wants to do it, the team has banded together to cover the SEAMs dormitory building project every day this week so it can continue, following the matched labor policy at Global Volunteers. We all realized that not wanting to perform manual labor wasn't a very good reason for halting the project, especially after seeing how much joy having a space and a bed to call their own brings to the SEAMs children. At this time we need to stop and recognize Suellen for stepping up and continuing the manual labor job today even though she did it all day, every day last week. Other team members will be diving up time at the job site throughout the remainder of the week, and the project will go on! Other morning job assignment changes include Aneesh going to the clinic sites this week and Suellen teaching at Grace School starting tomorrow.

For me, the day started out with the running, rooftop yoga, and breakfast with milk coffee routine. I imagine the locals are getting used to seeing our little running club out on the streets of Porur in the morning sunlight. Then, Katie and I headed to St. Joseph's School for our second week of teaching English. We have upper kindergarten and lower kindergarten every day in the morning and another class (first through fifth grade) Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons. Each class averages 45 to 50 students, and we worry the quiet ones may get overlooked at times. Although St. Joseph's is a private school, it serves a socioeconomically poor neighborhood in Porur, and tuition is relatively low (about Rs. 4000 or 93 USD per year). The classes are mostly taught in English but we've discovered the fluency of the teachers varies.

We are finally getting used to being mobbed by the children who want to say "Hi, how are you?" and shake our hands. The kindergartners are a lot of fun. The usual routine is to start with a themed lesson (today it was "Who's in your family?"), followed by a picture book, and then close the class with some songs (Five Little Monkeys is the heavy favorite). After morning classes, Katie and I returned to the guest house for a quick lunch and then went to SEAMs for what Stephen described as "Just carrying some window and door frames up the stairs and then tutoring the older children" (who have time off from school while exams are going on). What he failed to mention was the frames are made of solid wood and the window frames also contain several iron bars. This was a bit more than we bargained for (in our skirts and sandals). Luckily the older boys were there to help. Funny moment number one was watching in horror as Rajeesh held one of the door frames precariously balanced on the stair railing (I thought it was going over for sure) and assuring me that there was "No problem! No problem!" Funny moment number two was watching Katie moonwalk across the yard. I'm not sure how we went from a workbooks, to charades, to moonwalking, but this is how these moments happen. Sweaty and dirty but laughing, Katie and I headed back to St. Joseph's to teach first standard about families, reading comprehension, and the wheels on the bus.

In the evening I had the unique opportunity to accompany Jana and a Sister Genoa, both nurse practitioners, to one of the community clinics near St. Thomas Hospital. At first I likened it to the Minute Clinic of India, providing basic health services with convenient hours, but after spending the evening there, I realized it goes beyond that and offers a health care home to members of the community. Sister Genoa and two nurses staff the clinic every night except Sunday. They have a number of medications available on site, and they are able to perform a few simple lab tests (others they can send out to the hospital lab), sutures, and treatments. It seems that they act as the first line of primary care and an access point into the health care system for the community. Sister Genoa sits quietly and listens to each patient who comes in and writes orders on her prescription pad for the nurses. She knows each patient personally and they seem to trust her and take her advice. Sister refers patients to the hospital as needed. At first it didn't seem like Sister Genoa was doing enough (by our American health care standards), but towards the end of the night I began to suspect that she sees the patients so often and is able to monitor them so closely, that when more rigorous intervention is needed, she provides it. This system likely reduces overutilization of the emergency department and greatly improves access to primary care and ongoing monitoring of chronic conditions.

The night ended as most nights here do with a late dinner, good conversation, and a few mosquito bites.


Laura

Tuesday - March 23, 2010

Quote: “Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what make life meaningful “– Joshua J. Marine

Now into our second week we have all been challenged both personally and as a team. Initially the challenges were interesting but daunting, yet, slowly, as we overcome many of them we are finding them meaningful. All of us have been changed by our various experiences. It is often the little things that have impacted us most. Like the open and genuine enthusiasm with which the children greet us every day, calling us by name, holding our hands and vying for attention or reuniting with an old friend, earning the trust of Indian co-workers, or even walking around our guest house neighborhood and having people greet us like long time residents and having the shopkeepers keep a regular stock of diet coke or pepsi. We have even discovered a lot about ourselves and each other. Who knew that Katie could moonwalk and what it hit it would be with her little charges or Joelle, a Global Volunteer returnee to India who was surprised by a previous acquaintance who traveled 6 hours by bus to spend a few hours with her! Or, what about the construction of the new dormitory at SEAMS children’s home. The hard, hot, dirty work done by a handful of volunteers off-set by the excitement the children have about new decent living quarters.

For some of us, the challenge was finding ways in which to learn more about the Indian health care system and to participate in health care projects. Unlike the well-established programs at the various children’s homes and schools, finding meaningful and useful ways to do this was difficult. It required creativity. One must be pro-active. Which means, being assertive (pushy), cajoling (begging) and willing to try different things. But most of all it takes Luck! Like meeting Sister Jaya, the Dean of the nursing school and finding out that March is the month in which the students do community outreach programs and convincing her it was a good idea to take us along. Every morning we board the school bus and head off to rural and urban underserved areas and work in government clinics or do home health care visits. It is an experience that is not easily forgotten .

We are all reminded that each day is a gift and half the fun is un-wrapping it.

Jana

Wednesday - March 24, 2010

Two poesm for today,

What is the Measure of Love?
What is the measure of love?

Can it be found in the sifting of sands....sands of time, sands of place, sands of mortar and walls?

Can it be found in the courage to use a 10 guage needle when you know the results will be tears and pain and yet more dread to follow?

Can it be found in the Doe Si Doe of partners and new-found friends – a happy dance of life?

Can it be found in the uncomplaining soul when illness strikes at ones strength and will not to be overcome?

Can it be found in ABC's of life – Affection, Blessing, Compassion....while teaching wild children to recite: The cat sat on the mat?

Can it be found in observing traditions of color, a history of a people so great and vast and enduring amidst the challenges of stife, unrelenting poverty, hunger, and want wide and deep?

Can it be found in play, laughter, teasing when the unguarded soul bubbles up and out and pours out in release?

Can it be found in unity of purpose, compiled by separate beings single minded in desire to make a difference?

Where and how then can we find our measure?

The measure of love is what you have gained after contibuting heart and self, it is the gain after – unexepected and delightful.....it is something we haven't sought, yet it is this thing we have found....

and it is forever what changes us, fills us, and is the meaning in the measure.

This second poem, I recited on our way to Assisi Illam one morning to Nita, who seemed to like it. It is the Prayer of St. Francis, whose words I can not even begin to improve upon. This was a favorite evening prayer said by my family. And even when we are gathered here – not of one faith, but rather of one purpose, I conclude there is still truth and beauty in these words for all of us:

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Joelle

Thursday - March 25, 2010

May Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”

Ancient India: a country as old as human speech itself, where the modern and traditional walk, indeed thrive side by side. I came to India to learn about the culture and history as well as to know the people through volunteering. I have not been disappointed. It is definitely worth the effort. Autorickshaws with drivers on cell phones mingle with rickety bicycles, Japanese luxury cars, packed buses, cattle, women carrying loads on top of their heads, carts pulled by cows, and motorcycles. A four lane road is transformed into an eight lane road by the chaotic traffic. It is indescribable and I expect unique to this extreme, to India. It is 95 degrees daily. While there is no infrastructure for roads or sewage, the people transcend poverty, are friendly and industrious, working late into the evenings.The written language of Tamil, spoken here in Tamil Nadu (country of the Tamils) is 2000 years old. The multitude of languages in India are regional, with the different states hanging on to their history fiercely. I only know a couple words: Namali Kapakala (see you tomorrow).

Our guest house is in a suburb of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the province, or state. Our host, team leader, regional & multi country manager is soft spoken Stephen Raja Chinnapan, who at only 32 years of age is somehow able to manage our diverse schedules, rides, communication with the staffs at the different sites. as well as any personal desires such as shopping, dinners out, cooking class, yoga class, and...shopping. All with infinite patience. He somehow accomodates us when we want to change assignments or throw in an extra trip to the tailor (thank you wife Sheeba), or alternate those who prefer to volunteer in the health care field. We are a large group.

It is meaningful to me when I learn that our program fees go towards building the new dormitory at the orphanage, & buying all the uniforms, textbooks, even desks, at Grace school. At the Assissi orphanage Global Volunteers has paid for a hot water heater, water purification, western flush toilet and recently an electric rice grinder. The fees also contribute to the hospital, St Thomas. Team members are creative at the orphanage and day cares, in their play and efforts to teach English. For example, tonight Katie & Laura organized a dance party at Assissi. We were met by the older girls & Sister Rose who wove & pinned Jasmine in our hair. We completed the evening with a traditional Indian dinner on the floor, eating with our hands. Definitely the most fun thing I've done here yet.Music of Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon & more, with loud speakers & 20 tiny graceful children dancing with us and for us. You know Bollywood? Well this is Collywood, as the name changes with the first letter of the region it is in. The children are graceful and practiced as Sister Rose arranges Indian dance lessons for them. We Americans finished the evening off with an energetic Hokey Pokey.

I love teaching grades 3, 4, and five at Grace school. I feel privileged to be able to hog that assignment for three weeks. The children are enthusiastic and when I see their progress, I feel quite proud. After the classes, first Joan, now Suellen and I, teach the teachers with conversational English. Of course I have found that we are the same everywhere. The hour zooms by while we talk about the universal themes of child rearing, beauty, marriage, birth control methods, clothing, juggling jobs and home., and Obama. Yesterday we talked about clothing, what it costs, what we wear for different occasions. Today all three wore their most beautiful saris to share with us. They change into “nighties”, like our long housedresses, as soon as they get home. Colorful chudidhars are for everyday wear in public. Saris are often sequined, worn for everyday, but in a dressing up way like to work, out to dinner, or shopping. The colors, gold and silver bangles and sequined scarves are candy for the eyes. Today we took what we bought yesterday while shopping, to share,like women everywhere.

If you are considering coming to India, do it! Your volunteerism is meaningful and the fees all go towards improving the lives of children. Learning English, for these children, is their hope out of poverty. Many universities teach only in English, leading to jobs and financial security. It is not for the faint of heart here, but then if you are looking at Global Volunteers, you are not.

Friday - March 26, 2010

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. Mother Teresa

Over breakfast with Rani's famous coffee and tea, we discussed the effect we have on the surrounding community. Not only are we directly serving the children at the orphanages and schools and patients in the community, but we are also indirectly keeping several Global Volunteers people employed not to mention the money we pump into the local market with all of the copies, Diet Cokes and ice cream we purchase, not to mention the trips to the tailor. We are truly making a difference here in many ways we many not even readily see.

We all went to our respective assignments today. Niki and Jana left early to pay their community health visits. Claudia and Sue Ellen to Grace School, Joelle and Nita to Assisi and Laura and I to St Josephs. Laura and I had our last day at St Joseph's as they have testing next week. I was honored that the teacher thought I was a teacher back home as well. We worked on adjectives and played a game similar to charades only using words. Without fail, the first guess was always elephant, no mater if we described it as small and furry or even not as an animal. We finished with singing a few of the classes favorite songs including baby fish, five little monkeys, row row row your boat, B-I-N-G-O , the itsy bitsy spider and twinkle twinkle (underwater style). We reviewed the material we covered with the lower kindergarten and were impressed with how much they've retained.

Aneesh, Laura and I headed to SEAMs in the afternoon for a few hours of construction which consisted of sifting sand and then carrying it up to the second floor rooms. The heat of the afternoon required us to take several breaks. We were happy to have the help of a few of the SEAMs children who were off from school today. I'm not sure how we transitioned from sifting stand to martial arts, but Aneesh got a taste of my hip throw which brought him to the ground (gently of course).

The team made it back to SEAMs to recreate the dance party that we had just the night before at Assisi. The SEAMs kids had a different kind of energy that the children at Assisi and we danced the night away one more time. Joelle even led the group in a round of the Virgina Reel. These kids have impressive dance moves and do a wonderful job of mimicking us. A few of the boys shared with us some traditional drumming which also made for great dance music. Being it was Laura, Nita and Niki's last day, the SEAMs children sang a few goodbye songs, presented cards, and individually said their goodbyes. As the kids were saying goodbye many requested us to come back again next year. I can easily see why people make repeat visits.

We hurried home to get cleaned up for a fancy dinner in Chennai at Ambika Empire. We were eager to show off our new Indian fashions with Laura and myself in a sari and Sue Ellen in a chudidar. With Sister Rose's help, Laura and I were secure in our saris. Sister Rose sent off one of the children to pick up some fresh jasmine for our hair and found hair clips, necklaces and bangles which she insisted that we wear. She is too generous. The children enjoyed seeing us in our new get-up. Sister Vergin joined our team for dinner. Some of us enjoyed being able to test our taste buds with some of the spicier dishes as Rani tames things down for us here at the guest house.

As the second week comes to a close, we are sad to see some crucial members of our team return to their respective homes. There will be a void on our team without Nita, Niki and Laura around.

I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love. Mother Teresa

atie

Step to the Music You Hear...

However Measured or Far-Away ...

I tutored, played and taught music with children at SEAMS. In so doing, I rediscovered the musical language of mankind as I offered musical experiences to the children. Music speaks where words fail.

~ Ellen Bowman

Millinium Development Goals Achieved by this team from March 15 - March 19;

155 Hours of class room instruction in conversational English and computer skills by 10 volunteers and 155 Hours of preparation time.

50 Hours of childcare by 2 volunteer

50 Hours of construction at Seams to build the Stage 2 of the Dormitories by 2 volunteers and we were plastering cement on the ceilings

50 Hours of health care provided to the poor at the hospital by 4 volunteers.

2 Schools, 2 Children's Home, an hospital and over 400 students impacted

Sunday, 14 March 2010.


Message of the day:

"When spider webs unite they can tie up a lion."
African proverb

All ten of us are here coming from places ranging from Alaska (Sue Ellen and Claudia), California (Aneesh and Joan), Minnesota (Joelle, Laura and Katie), Oregon (Niki), Connecticut (Jana) and London (Nita).

We spend the majority of the day working through orientation materials and getting to know one another.

We discussed the verity of work assignments which ranged from teaching at two different schools to playing with children at an orphanage to working on a construction project to helping out at the local hospital. The volunteer assignments were selected for the upcoming week. The goal is for each volunteer to have 40 hours of volunteer work in each week.

We reelected on our personal goals of the trip and categorized them into the following categories:

Enjoy time with children
Understand Indian Healthcare
Enrich one's life
Experience Indian culture
Make a difference

We also brainstormed on the characteristics of an effective team. After listing many items, Stephen pointed out that we were still missing something: patience. He said that in India, if you don't have patience, you learn it, and if you do have it you loose it.

Later in the afternoon, we headed over to SEAMs to spend a bit of time with the students. They were every so happy to see us. We were impressed with how polite these children behaved; shaking our hands and asking our names all while making eye contact. That's better than what I get from some professionals. We played games, sang songs, and took pictures. We are eager to see these kids again soon.
I think we all agree that we enjoyed a little too much Indian food at the local restaurant Kaaraikudi. Stephen ordered us a fantastic assortment of food and we shared it family style. Yum.

Katie

Monday, 15 March 2010.

Every child comes with a message that God is not yet discouraged of Man. -Rabindranath Tagore.

India is my motherland. My heritage. The place of my ancestors. But having been born and raised in an entirely other world, it is a land whose people, stories, spirits and ancient culture have forever left me mystified, overwhelmed, awe-inspired. Today was no different. I started my assignment at assisi Illam, a day care/orphanage on Monday 15th March. I was joined by Joelle and Sheba, Stephen's lovely wife. Assisi Illam started 4 years ago and serves orphaned, semi-orphaned, abandoned and underprivileged children from ages 3- 16. There are 35 children in daycare and 20 at the orphanage. The daycare children stay for a maximum of 2 years before going off to school. Assisi is linked to the St. Thomas Hospital and is run by Franciscan nuns.

The architecture of the orphanage is spacious and pleasing. You walk through a gate onto an inviting expanse of carved stone tiles that are shaded from the sultry heat. The building has two floors with large open rooms on each floor and adjoining smaller rooms including the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms and study. There is also a roof top terrace. It's a lovely, healthy environment in which to raise children.

We walked in to a sea of shining little faces and they were so beautiful I had to catch my breath. Joelle dove right in and started playing with the children and they responded to her immediately. Joelle is a legend at Assisi and fully deserves her legendary status. In fact there is a framed picture of her there which I am sure will one day become a shrine. I followed suit and started playing head and shoulders knees and toes with the children for a brief moment until Christu Raj walked in. We were greeted warmly by Christu Raj, a priest and relative of Sister Rose. Sister Rose runs and manages the day care/orphanage and is assisted by Sister Virgin. Their work is tireless and inspirational. After hearing more about the orphanage from Sister Rose she suggested that Joelle and I take 10 children upstairs to play games and read. About 5 minutes into our game-playing pandemonium broke loose and the 3 year old tots were bouncing off the walls laughing and jumping and yelling "Auntie! Auntie!" to show us how much fun they were having with us. A short time later Sister Rose came to our rescue and said TV Time! The children rushed downstairs to watch cartoons with the other daycare kids.

Sheba, Joelle and I then took rickshaws to the Mont Fort school to collect the 5 year old kindergarten children and take them back to the orphanage. We played with them while the other little ones were taking a nap after their lunch. Sister Rose fed us lunch after which time we helped the 5 year olds with homework (which entailed writing numbers from 1-50) and played with the kids until we left at 3 pm. The children's energy, enthusiasm and whole-hearted commitment to life were life-affirming. Joelle made a wonderful comment as we left the orphanage. She said "It is so humbling to be around that kind of joy." Beautifully put.

At about 5:30 Nikki, Claudia, Joan and I went to SEAM (Southeast Asian Mission). I helped some of the boys with basic computer skills which the boys seemed to really enjoy and I enjoyed as well. After our long day I was anxious to return to the house to hear everyone's stories and compare notes. As exhausted and spent as I am I would summarize this day in one word: magical.
Nita

Tuesday, 16 March, 2010

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

Katie and Laura were our energetic joggers this morning and were able to get a
quick run in before our morning yoga session. Our quiet yoga teacher arrived
promptly at 7:30am and led us through half an hour of stretching on the rooftop of our guesthouse. Everyone agreed that it was a pleasant way to start the day, and for Aneesh and I, it was good to stretch out sore muscles after our day at the SEAM's construction site yesterday.

After gathering around our common dining table for a breakfast of rice, curry
sauce, and papaya we gathered our supplies and gear to go to our respective work
sites. Aneesh and I went back to the construction site at SEAM; Laura, Katie, and
Claudia also went to SEAM to so some tutoring; Joelle, Nita and Joan went to the
Assisi School to play games, give lessons, and work on paper Mache'; and Jana and
Nike went to St. Thomas Hospital to learn more about the India health care system.

When our morning assignments were over we once again gathered around our dining room table, this time for lunch. (Aneesh and I arrived dripping sweat from sifting sand and hauling it up to the second floor of the dormities being constructed at SEAM in the heat and humidity. The sand is being used in making mortar for the walls.) Stephen, our team leader, surprised us by providing fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots to have with our lunch after Joelle's fresh vegetable request and he also provided us with a wonderful watermelon for dessert. We were able to rest awhile before we headed out early for our afternoon assignments. Our job assignments started early so that we could end earlier in order to get in a much anticipated shopping trip. Laura was very excited about the opportunity to shop for a sari.

I'm not sure where everyone went on their afternoon assignments, but Aneesh and I went to St. Thomas Hospital. We were first taken to the emergency room where we briefly talked to a dentist who told us about his children who now live in the United States. Soon after we got in the emergency room Doctor Sister Rexline (no, I did not make a mistake about her title) came by and took us to her office for a visit. She is the administrator of the hospital and has overseen its development
from a one room dispensary to a large multi-specialty hospital. I was impressed by
her deep humility and her joy at being able to serve people in need. She said that
we have only once chance to pass through this life and we should take every
opportunity to help people along the way.

After we visited awhile, she took us to see the nursing school and introduced us to
Sister Jaya, who was the nursing school's head. My impression was that she runs a
tight ship, especially after she pointed out that gum chewing could be perceived as
being rude in some cultures as well as sitting with crossed legs; Aneesh stopped
chewing his gum and I quickly put both my feet on the ground. Sister Jaya did
graciously take time out of her busy schedule to take us on a tour of the entire
nursing school. The nursing school is a diploma type school, with all instruction
being done at the school or in the hospital. The length of the program is 3 1/2 years. Applicants between the ages of 17 and 35 years of age can apply. However,
Sister Jaya said that she will only accept applicants 25 years and under because it
would be difficult for an older student to sit next to a younger student.

We took our leave of Sister Jaya, and then went to spend some time observing in ICU.  Aneesh introduced me to the male nursing student he met yesterday. This student had completed a bachelor's of science degree, but needed practical time so came to St. Thomas hospital to get this requirement completed. He seemed pleased to visit with us so that he could practice his English. I am really impressed with the amount of work the student nurses have to do in India. Not only do they have to go through nursing school, which is tough in any country, but they also have to learn and get fluent in English as that is the language used in the hospital environment.

When our time at the hospital was over, Stephen picked us up our group in the van and took us to Chennai Silks to shop for saris or churidars (a type of pant with a long top and scarf). Several of us had fun buying fabrics and are anticipating going to a tailor and having authentic and beautiful outfits made. The Indian shopping system is a touch different than that of the United States. First, an assistant helps you pick out your item and carries it to the cash register for you. Second, you pay for it at the register. Third, another assistant wraps it up for you then carries it to the delivery window where you can finally claim it.

After spending time at Chennai Silks, about half the group wanted to go back to the guesthouse, so rode back in the intrepid white van. The rest of us went shopping for gold and silver at a store Stephen recommended. The variety was overwhelming.  There, you sit or stand at the counter while assistants bring you items to peruse.  After purchasing the item, an assistant elaborately wraps it up for you, then puts the package in a bag, followed by flower petals. The bag is then handed to you with a bow.

Since the van was not there to take us back to the guesthouse (having left to take the group of non-shoppers back home), Stephen hired auto-rickshaws to carry us back to the guesthouse. Riding in a tiny motorized cart with open sides speeding
through traffic that makes 4 lanes when only 2 are marked on the road, is quite the adventure. However, I was glad that I was having an experience that couldn't be had in the United States. Having these new experiences is one reason I travel.  (I'm extremely glad, however, we didn't have the experience of getting flattened by
a bus.) Riding back home, Laura, Katie and I were talking about the amazing variety of material we saw at Chennai Silks. I pondered if the extreme variety of
material makes up for the limited amount of styles that are available here in southern India. If the only clothing choices you have are saris or churidars, then perhaps the way to express your individuality is by color and print design.

After dinner, everyone was excited to show off their new purchases to the others.
Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. However, while the break in our routine was a healthy mental break, I'm sure everyone is ready to resume work tomorrow.
Suellen

Wednesday, 17 March 2010.

"Aim above morality, be not simply good, be good for something." Henry David Thoreau


Incredible India! That is what the tourist posters say and they are right. From the street side vendors, to the cows roaming the busy streets, to the lovely traditional Indian wear, India is full of sights and sounds that assault the senses. But what a tourist sees when he comes to India only scratches the surface of this amazing country. What I wanted to accomplish by committing to Global Volunteers was to go beneath the surface and learn more about the people of India and their way of life, not to mention perhaps helping out where I could. Global Volunteers has definitely allowed me do all of that.

Waking each morning to a yoga lesson and a traditional Indian breakfast is a great way to start the day. My placement is at Grace Nursery and Primary School. It serves 80 local children in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade, some of whom cannot afford to pay the tuition fees. Therefore the staff needs volunteer help to ensure the students get the attention they need. I am assigned to the Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classes, spending 45 minutes with each grade level. Claudia and I are greeted each day with a salute and high volume greeting. The students are all very polite and dressed in cute little school uniforms. I think they must wear certain uniforms on certain days as on Monday, they were all in white and today they were all wearing red plaid shirts and blue skirts or shorts. They are all very enthusiastic learners and it is a challenge to keep them busy. It is also very rewarding when we find something they enjoy and grow from. After the morning classes we are picked up at noon from the school and go back to the house for lunch and an afternoon of class preparation for SEAM and the next day at Grace.

Around 5 p.m. I leave for SEAM with the group assigned there to spend time with my 5th and 6th grade boys. Today we walked to SEAM and it is always fascinating to walk through the neighborhood passing by the women carrying their wares on their heads, the little lady stringing jasmine, the local pawn shop, the vegetable farm, the cobbler sitting on his mat on the side of the road and the dry cleaning establishment consisting of a little outdoor stand and a really big iron. The kids at SEAM are always so happy to see us and our goal there is to pay lots of attention and show them love as well as perhaps to teach them a bit of English and other school skills.

By dinner time I and all of the other hard working volunteers are pretty tired and ready to start winding down in anticipation of doing it all again tomorrow.
Joan

Thursday, 18 March 2010


Quote of the Day-“The miracle is this- the more we share, the more we have.”


Today is the last day of our first week assignments. Nita and Joelle went to spend time with the children and work on paper Mache projects at Assisi. Katie and Laura went St Thomas school to teach classes and, later, worked with SEAMS 8th graders.

Aneesh, Jana, and Sue Ellen spent the morning with the ST. Teresa Nursing Students on their rural clinical rotation. Fighting a touch of food poisoning, I had to stay home at the guest house. Jana and Aneesh went to the clinic where they helped the students give injections with huge 10 gauge needles. Sue Ellen headed off to the village to do in home assessments. Without their instructor’s supervision, Sue Ellen soon discovered that the nursing students enjoyed playing hooky by sitting inside the homes and watching TV.

Claudia and Joan went to Grace School. After classes, the teachers wanted to practice their English, so Claudia and Joan talked with three teachers about a variety of topics such as arranged marriage, euthanasia, and India’s Lover’s Day.
That evening, we said goodbye to Joan and Nita. Joan left for new adventures in India. And, Nita went to spend the weekend with her family in Mumbai. Escorted by Sheba, Claudia, Anessh, Sue Ellen, and I walked to SEAMS for another 2 hours of chaotic activities. Katie, Laura, and Joelle headed back to Assisi for rambunctious fun.

Saturday morning, the rest of us loaded in the van for took our weekend trip to Pondicherry with anticipation of the ice cold AC promised for the ride. We had even been instructed by Stephen to bring sweaters to protect us from the freezing temperatures. Sweating the entire time, we still enjoyed the van ride, stopping along the way to see amazing temples and eventually making our way to spend the night at the ocean. After a day of exploring Auroville and the rock carvings, we headed home, looking forward to another wonderful week in India

Niki

Friday – March 19, 2010

Namesake...


"Remember it always. Remember that you and I made this journey and went together to a place where there was everywhere left to go"

Being the first generation of my family in the US brought with it a good number of challenges during my growing years. Conflicts between my parents and myself were common, often ending with one or both parties involved leaving with a less than stellar taste in their mouths. Little did I know that all they sought was to preserve what little was left of their cultural norms.

Fast forward a few years and came my first trip to India, I remember the day in second grade that my mom pulled me from class to go to the airport. The trip was to see my oldest uncles wedding and to see my grand parents for the first time. This would serve as my introduction to the richness and diversity of the culture that so many wish they could call their own. The vibrant colors and heritage that surround the Indian wedding in many ways mimic the daily lives of the Indian people. Where else can you see a woman dressed in vibrant colors complete with Jasmin flowers adorned in her hair riding a motorcycle through the crowded city streets; juxtaposed with the cattle that team the streets. To the casual observer, this chaos would only serve to deter anyone from wanting anything to do with what India has to offer, it takes someone with a special vision to see what lies beneath the many layers that India has to offer. Through the generosity of my parents, trips back to India have been somewhat commonplace for me, places like the Taj Mahal in Agra, Lake Palace in Jaipur, New Delhi, and even Kanyakumari are not foreign to me and have been extensively traveled and photographed so far. But, when it comes down to it, the monuments of a civilization are just that, monuments, the real make up of a country lies not in the buildings they build, but those who build them.

Part of the reason I chose to join the Global Volunteer team was to see what lower layers of India lay unexplored to me. The description for the India program stated working directly for the benefit of underprivileged children and citizens.
Our days consist of trekking (with the wonderful assistance of little Stephen and Stephen) to local childcare's homes, schools and orphanages to work with local children to build their English and schoolwork skills. Presently, Sue-Ellen and myself are working the morning construction shift at the SEAMS children's home working on their new dormitories. The work is.....not easy to place it lightly, however we can't help but take some pride knowing that our sweat is permanently etched into the building. The rest of the team went about their daily assignments as well: Katie and Laura took to their class of youngsters with the same sense of excitement that they do day in and day out. Jana and Niki left us early again to head out to the community health clinic, something which Sue-Ellen and myself will be participating in tomorrow as well. Claudia and Joan went to Grace school and Joelle and Nita went to Assisi to spend the day there. In the end, our daily assignments are not of the real importance of this journal entry, regardless of where we work or what we do, our impact in the local community is the same. When we signed up for this program, we agreed to carry ourselves as ambassadors of the Global Volunteers program in our placement sites, the work we do enriching the lives of the local children regardless of location can be summed up as only one thing...amazing.
The evening consisted of a trip to St. Thomas Hospital for Sue and myself that saw us watching a live lipectomy on a middle aged woman. The both of us discussed the differences between American medical techniques and Indian standards and the inherent differences in the way doctors and patients carry themselves. We finished the evening with a trip to Stephens own house in Chennai (with a fun rickshaw ride with Laura and Katie) for dinner of chicken byrani, fried fish, chicken, potatoes, beans and carrots and kheer. All of us enjoyed the warmth and hospitality that was displayed to us by his family.
I'll end as I started with a quote by Hemingway that I have held dear to myself during the often painful med school admissions process "The world is a fine place and worth fighting for, I agree with the second part"

Aneesh