i haven’t updated for a week because so much has been happening and because i got sick. first, i'll tell about the illness: i was not well until i stopped taking malarone – the anti-malarial that i was taking. now i feel great, and i will start taking chloroquine this weekend. that’s all there is to say about that without grossing you all out :)

now for the past week. oh, it’s been wonderful. last thursday, we went to ramayeshwar, a waterfall 15 minutes from CRHP that was supposedly formed when the god ram shot his arrow into the countryside. then he stayed there for fourteen years or so with his consort, sita. at the site where their table was is now a temple. we walked down 1000 or so stairs into the valley, over the pool under the waterfall and into the temple. it was magical.

the rain started to fall heavily as we climbed back up the stairs and eased as we looked out over the misty valley that looked almost rainforest-like, though it is drought-prone plateau in the middle of monsoon season in subtropical india! here’s rinske, david and june at the top on the look-out over the landscape.

last saturday, we went to the hospital to see patients with dr. shobha. sunday, as are all sundays here, was a day of rest, and that evening three students from SUNY downstate arrived – alex (who was the arole fellow last year), samar (pronounced summer; a bombayite who has lived all over the world and holds an MSc in computer science and a PhD in neuroscience), and ozzie (a quirky iranian-american with great stories and a reverence for che guevara’s commitment to his ideals). we began the course on monday.

we spent time talking about the social structure of india, including the caste system and the treatment of women; determinants of health; our expectations of the course; our values and beliefs; alma ata and primary health care; and more. but the wonder comes from the village visits. on our first morning, we piled into the CRHP bus and went to a village called patoda where sarubai, a village health worker, has been working for over 15 years. here she is with another village woman.

we were instructed to wander around in groups of two with a translator (i went with rinske, the dutch student, and pushba – our marathi teacher) and learn about the town. we walked through the homes of two families – one hindu, one muslim – who had businesses selling goats and grains, respectively. their homes were simple, made of brick and straw and mud, and their smiles were beautiful. in most homes live the mother, father, sons, daughters-in-law and the grandchildren. many other village children (and some adults) look on curiously, but smile when a smile is offered. the children continue to run up and say “hallo!” and shake our hands.
we left the homes of the families, and walked down a narrow road to a village well, where we met nani. she touched my face and said how fair i was and wanted a picture with me.

then she took us to her home and gave us tea and sang for us. while we were there, a woman came in who said she felt the spirit of lakshmi, a goddess, in her. she hooted and waved her arms around, joined at the wrists above her head, her whole body moving like a butter churner propelled by an invisible force. but she began laughing when she tried to do it in front of us, so i have to say respectfully that i’m not sure how possessed she actually was!

we discussed our village visit and many other topics over the ensuing days, heard more about village health workers’ lives, and got to know each other better, too. today we went to the cattle market in town, where villagers come from all over to sell cattle, goats and buffalo every saturday. then we went to the fruit and vegetable market and the hindu temple in town, where there were brightly colored sculptures of gods and goddesses that matched the electric hues and scents of the market surrounding them. There were mango, pomegranate and bitter squash vendors; men making fried sweets in steel pans filled with oil; straw baskets filled with fluorescent spices – orange, red, pink, green – under a blue tarp-covered stall; and snack mix stands attended by cross-legged women, sitting on top of the wagon on which all of their goods were stacked in unstable-looking pyramids. it was amazing.

today a preschool teacher and public health student from australia arrives, who will be here for the next month and will share my room. her name is kate. i’ll keep you posted on my new roommate and upcoming adventures.

on a parting note, a few things i’d like to share that are unique to India but have already become everyday to me:

- nodding yes consists of wobbling from side to side, not up and downone takes shoes off before

- entering a home, temple, or storeone eats with the right hand, as the left hand is used for washing

- limbupaani, or lemon water with salt and sugar, is a fantastic oral rehydration solution**
**[take from this last nugget what you will about what becomes a part of daily existence here!!]

with love,
zoe