Visiting a Leper Colony

Today Sharon, Liz, Amanda and I went to the leper colony in Dehra Dun with Frieda. Today (Friday), is a Muslim holiday and there was no school. Some of the boys that live in the home are from this leper colony and when we arrived we were greeted with smiles and some of the family members of the boys.

Today was probably one of the most unique and moving days of my life.

We got to socialize and see where the people live there make yarn for the fabric they use to make beautiful things. Two mothers of the boys laughed and talked with us with their husbands (with translation) and at one point one of the mothers looked me in the eyes, stood right in front of me, touched and squeezed my arm along with the other mother as well and they told me how grateful they were. Immediately tears were flowing down my face, but I was smiling too. I was just journaling about parents of the boys a few days ago. Even though I couldn’t understand the words they were saying without Frieda telling me, the expression on their faces and their body language said it all. It was so moving. They said they are sad they couldn’t be with their children but they were honored and happy I (we) were helping raise them and teach them. I wasn’t sure what to say in reply but I think the expression on my face said it all. It’s hard to describe how intense this interaction was. I am tearing up just thinking about it as I write this. The father of one of the boys insisted on giving all of us really pretty bags he personally made himself.

The colony was pleasant and in a really nice area. There is a stigma coming from a leper colony and children who come from them are shunned and often times denied education and things. We got to meet some of the other siblings of the boys who were all so sweet and precious. The boys at the home look a lot like their parents and siblings. Their demeanors and overall personalities really were a lot a like in many ways. It was so neat. The things they make and sell in their store were incredible. More pictures are on the link here for you to see from the colony.



I have been in India one month today. I think today was a very appropriate way to mark my one-month time being here. Seeing the families of some of the boys really put things into perspective even more. Today was a very good day. I will NEVER forget it or the people that I met and the feelings I took away from it.

Also, if you have time, please look at Amanda's blog about one of the boys that left for Christmas. It's a great post. You can click here to read it.

a weekend of flat tires and more delicious food I never knew could ever exist

Woo. What a weekend. At Sunday night dinner I forgot my spoon and I ate rice with lintels with chickpeas in it with my fingers for the first time. ( I’ve eaten the bread roti we have for dinner often with my fingers dipping it in the food but not this way with rice before!) When I said this at dinner Frieda gasped and said “Kelly!!!” I figured it was about time! I ate waaaayyy waaaayyyy too much Sunday for dinner. I think this weekend will be marked as one of the best weekends of food consumed in my life. I can’t even begin to describe how good the food is here. You just need to come here! If I lived here I’d be a vegetarian. Hands down no doubt about it. A vegetarian who eats eggs :) The spicy food doesn’t get to me as bad as some other people. I don’t eat chilies straight like some people but the spicy food doesn’t really faze me most times. I love it! Break time at school is called Tiffin time. I think that is what the little box is called that they keep their food in. I am afraid to get one because I would just carry it around in my purse everywhere I go eating out of it. The kids at school are always sharing what’s in their Tiffin’s with teachers. You cannot say no. And of course I don’t. Why/how could I?

This weekend was nice and relaxing. We had Saturday school and we practiced for the Christmas show next Saturday. It is going to be quite the ordeal. All sorts of dancing, acting and singing. Of course I will take lots of pictures and some video too! No doubt there. I guess Friday is a Hindu holiday and there isn’t school. We will be practicing a lot this week for the show and I won’t be teaching too much for the upper classes. Moral Science this week with my first graders we are coloring everyone that was present at Jesus’ birth for the board!

After Saturday school this weekend we went to Dehra Dun for some shopping and some errands. We went to the post office. Which from the outside isn’t labeled and when we went inside it looked nothing like a post office! But they sold me some stamps that are each the size of Texas that I will need to put 5 per letter to the US. They took Lisa and Sharon’s mail so that’s a good sign. They just threw the mail on a stack of books on the table. Somehow it makes it out! When crossing the road to the ATM Lindsey saw me look to the left instead of the right at first and she almost had a heart attack because I didn’t look the right way of traffic. Like I said before traffic is insane here. Last weekend I saw my life flash before me crossing in the village. This motorcycle with two young guys on it had to stop short and fast. But I swear they weren’t there when I decided to dash across the street! That same day I was waiting in front of the shop at the village near Shishya and saw a big military truck almost run over an older couple on a motorbike. I’m pretty sure I yelled out loud in fear before it happened because I saw it all going down right in front of me. Anyways. No close counters this time in Dehra Dun. Liz was able to get her ice cream from McDonalds, which had so many people in it. It was for sure the local hang out. We parked our car to go into a music store only to come out and discover we had a flat tire. We walked across the street… which is always exciting… and we found someone to change the tire while we shopped… and the repaired for about $1.50. Anyways, we went to this little grocery store that had so much food. I stocked up on peanut butter and bread and tea and….. oatmeal cookies. And chocolate. They even had Natural Valley Almond bars. While we waited outside two kids came up to us begging and I couldn’t resist but give them a Natural bar. I was hoping they would open it, and share but no; the other boy wanted his own. So I opened a bar and he tried to take the whole thing but I just gave him one part of it. I think they were brothers because they ran off to the same woman that looked like their mother and I watched her wave them back to us to beg more. Sad.

We went to the Dehra Dun bazaar because Sharon is leaving soon and wanted to get some scarves and they were less than a dollar so I stocked up. Got some really pretty colors. We left the bazaar but not after I got some almonds. This younger girl whose family I think owned the store talked to me and asked where I was from. She asked what I was doing in India and I told her I was teaching English. She wanted my phone number to teach her brother and her English. I said I didn’t have a phone number (which I didn’t) but she was really sweet. For dinner I ate myself giddy on garlic nan, this cheesy spinach sauce, bean dal and this other veggie dish (picture on bottom of this post). For dessert ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. Yes, please. More. Thank you.

Before we got to the Bazaar Lindsey had to make a U turn merging into busy oncoming traffic and this little rickshaw cut us off and Sharon took a picture right when he looked out and made a funny face outside of the rickshaw. This is important because it will come up later. After dinner we made our way back to Shishya and Sharon bought some really neat drums for her son back home. About halfway back to Shishya we got ANOTHER flat tire on the left side this time. We passed a Hindu wedding on the side of the road (pictures and video under Shishya/Dehra Dun picture album) and pulled into a gas station to get our tire fixed. Took about 5 people and 15 minutes to get the jack out from under the seat. Liz said that she heard somewhere that for every one job in the US… about 4 people in India have that same, individual job. While they were changing the tire the wedding passed us by on their way to the reception. Fireworks were going off… loud music and dancing made for an interesting ordeal! It was really neat. While we were waiting this guy walked right up to Sharon and smiled really big and with broken English says “Remember me? I cut you off and smiled to your camera” It was the rickshaw driver that cut us off and smiled for Sharon. He didn’t follow us because he showed up way after we got to the station. It was SO funny! Dehra Dun is a big area and it is so random he came to the same place to fuel up. He insisted on taking a picture of us girls with his cell phone camera. Another friend of Lindsey’s just happened to show up too to help with the search of the jack and putting the van back together. Small town? No. Lindsey’s husband was a little concerned 5 white women were out a little late and getting flat tires but it was good it happened when it did and we were in a busy spot with people to help us! So we made it back to Dehra Dun in Lindsey’s mini bus. I sat in the back with the drums on my lap. Going over the speed bumps and potholes made the ride really interesting for me to say the least. The night was a blast and I had a fun girls night out. Shopping, great food and many laughs is something all women long for and it was just what I needed. I am SO happy here. I get that companionship in plenty here.

I feel like I am starting to get a little bit sick. My throat hurts and I sneeze a lot. Which I already thought was because of allergies but I feel like now it might be sickness! Please no!




Left to right: Lisa, Liz, Lindsey, Sharon and me at Kumar’s restaurant in Dehra Dun.

Tuesday Market

Chai is called tea when it’s served cold. A couple of girls at school told me this the other day. Just from talking with them for about a half an hour, I sealed this bond with them I think. Every time I see one in particular, she puts her hand out for me to touch it and insists on holding and squeezing mine. Makes me smile every time. Both of the girls are Hindu and are in 5/6 grade. Students at school ask me if I know Hindi. I don’t, but I am tempted to sit in on a Hindi lesson in one of the younger grades though. It took some getting used to the fact that grading is called checking here and notebooks are called copies. Rohan has been exceptionally chipper during homework time. He has been singing and smiling and we have been getting a lot done! He was coloring something last night and singing and got so carried away he looked up to smile at me and just decided to mark my forehead with the crayon he was using. Silly boy.

Have any of you ladies had ‘threading’ done? It’s a method for shaping your eyebrows and I guess you can get it done in the states but I never heard of it until I came here. A person uses string to ‘pluck’ your eyebrow hairs really fast. I got it done (big whoopin 25cents). But I’m not going to lie… it hurt a little! I was grinding my teeth! The walk to Seleque takes about 45 minutes from Shishya. On Tuesdays there is a market with fresh fruit and spices as well as other food and random things.




So apparently on Wednesday night the chickens at the chicken farm near by were either having a dance party, or someone was holding a wedding there because music played until at least midnight. (The flies from the chicken farm are starting to drive me a little batty. Some days they just seem to be EVERYWHERE and on EVERYTHING). Also two monkeys ran through campus and on our roof that Sharon described as being comparable in size to a boy over at the home. You never know what you’ll get around here.

I haven’t registered with the Embassy yet and am planning on doing it before Liz and I leave for our two-week break and vacation. A couple of days ago there was a bomb that went off in Uttar Pradesh (which is a state that boarders ours to the southeast that the Taj Mahal is in) at a world famous Hindi temple in the southeast part of the state. You can read the BBC article here. (I had no plans to visit that area at all while I was here). I guess Goa, where we will be spending New Years, pools a lot of people together from all over the world and I guess it isn’t uncommon to have threats there too at New Years. Even though I seem to have a hint of worry, I know it shouldn’t prevent us from alternating our travel plans. It’s India. I knew these sorts of things happen here.

I would love to see the youth center that Ken is running in Dehra Dun. It sort of seems right up my alley but unfortunately foreign volunteers don't work there. Right now Ken is working on a sex education program and message around the high schools and colleges in the areas. I guess Liz heard him say that it’s normal for parents of a teenage pregnant daughter to encourage her to kill herself f she got pregnant out of wed lock (the woman who said this and believed this was right was a professor at a university.) Sex education seems so important and Ken is taking on a challenging task! I would love to get in on that education he is doing; and learning what his message is exactly. It sounds so incredible and so important! Hopefully I can at least make it into the youth center to check it out sometime.

some thoughts and ideas

The transition to Shishya was a smooth one for me. Maybe it was showing up at the same time as another volunteer but this was largely due to the fact that the volunteers that were already here were so warm and welcoming. I wasn’t sure what to expect but everyone here just seems so real to me. They come from lots of different backgrounds but it’s so easy to become close with them and trust them. Abby and Sharon are headed back home on December 20th and Amanda leaves the first week in January. New volunteers will be showing up shortly after Amanda leaves. I only hope I can show the same hospitality and warm welcome I got when I arrived.

The house family for the older boys escaped religious persecution in southern India and when they arrived here, they had nothing. Could you imagine fleeing and leaving everything you have because of your religious affiliation? Absolutely incredible. The family that lives in the small boys home have two children of their own and the big boy family has four children of their own.

Every Sunday night everyone that lives on campus has dinner together outside near the big boys house. (Where the serve the BIGGEST cauldron of rice I've ever seen) I’m so glad I like spicy food. I get it a lot here and it’s DELICOUS. There are about 50 people together for dinner on Sunday. The little boys pile SO much rice on their plate when they eat I wonder where it all goes!!

When students cross their arms in class while they are listening to you, it’s a sign of respect to the teachers. When you ask someone from India a question here and the answer is yes, they nod their head from side to side at a slant and sometimes it looks like they’re saying no!

I know why I really did want to get a black laptop and was disappointed Apple didn’t make them anymore; my white Macbook is starting to look a little dirty! I made a note not to pack white things for India…. and of course the most expensive thing will be an off white when I get back!

Looking ahead, I think I may give up meat for Lent while I’m here. But I don’t think that will be that hard to do since I don’ t think I’ve had meat yet since I’ve been here. I’m a little more reluctant to eat it anyways!

Older men are called Uncle here at Shishya and women, Auntie. Hey Mom and Dad, this place would be a good fit for you guys. Come as volunteers for about 6 months (or less. Some people do it); Mom you work in the school as a teacher and Dad you can help with admin stuff or work around the farm and help with religious education on Sunday. Perfect. I’ll tell them you’re coming and to expect you within the next two years. Or you can come while I’m here: that works too. Whole families have come as volunteers!! You two would work well here. I’m serious!

I bought a loaf of bread, coffee for about a week, some cookies and sugar for about a dollar a couple of days ago. (On the walk back to Shishya we passed a brushy part of area and there were so many monkeys right next to the road in the bushes! The babies were so cute!) I never really drank coffee religiously but since I’ve been here I crave it in the morning. It’s so delicious and always hits the spot! Abby, my roommate, is quite the little cook and she made pumpkin pancakes a couple mornings ago. SO GOOD!! You can get so many fresh fruits here. Papayas, dates and tangerines are all around. This blog should just be about all the food I consume here. Which thankfully, I haven’t gotten sick from yet. I need to keep it up! I’m not going to lie, I am a little anxious about traveling around India for a few weeks!

I read in the newspaper a few days ago that had an announcement about weddings. Whenever we are out driving we usually pass a wedding or two. People are dressed in flashy costumes and fancy clothing. There is music blasting and people are dancing and cheering. This is all happening RIGHT on the side of the road. The announcement in the newspaper was advising wedding parties to please not block roadways. I thought it was such a unique newspaper posting and request!

Another common thing on the side of the road and on the road are COWS. They are everywhere here and their poop too. Most of the time they serve no real purpose. People don’t use the cows for anything. The cows are a sacred animal to most people in the area. Our cows on the farm work though. They are actually used for something!

Apparently the propane people in India have been on strike, and if we run out we’re out for a while? No warm showers or stoves for cooking!

Rohan and I are still working hard during homework time. He needs help on his vowels. Thanks to Mom and Barb Pardee for sending me work sheets. If you have anything more that could help that would be great!

So Lisa, the new volunteer from Germany, is 20 and was working at a school in Nepal for three months before she took a train and bus to Shishya. She is being sent through a program to all these places. It’s pretty incredible. What an experience. She plays the violin and tonight she was playing it. It was so nice. Abby sings songs form fiddler on the roof sometimes and Lisa just happened to play a song from that movie tonight!

Abby said the other day she has to keep reminding herself that I’m 24. She says I seem so much younger. I used to think seeming younger was a good thing but trying to teach English to 8th graders and having them think I’m just a few years older than them makes things a little challenging. One kid thought I was 17 on my first day.

We are watching the boys this weekend. We go to their home in the morning and care for them for about twelve hours. We do this so their house family has the opportunity to take some time off. The families that live in the homes sacrifice so much. I admire them! There are enough volunteers right now that the shifts are short. For those of you that know me I LOVE playing board games and card games and stuff. It just so happened I got the shift on Saturday and Sunday for GAME TIME!!! Twister and UNO here I come! For those of you that went to the Southeast Alaska State Fair last summer there was a ninja acrobatic group there called Nanda. There is a boy in the home whose last name is Nanda and he goes by that name. I'm going to show the boys a youtube clip of them. Pretty cool! The boys were so whirled up during game time today that they managed to catch grass on fire? Wooooweeee so many hyper boys!

What I Forgot!

Since I’ve been here I’ve realized things I should have brought with me that I didn’t (no, this isn’t a wish list. Sending things to India is expensive and often gets lost I hear…):

*A sweatshirt. What was I thinking? I wear sweatshirts all the time at home. I miss my Haines High Lady Bears basketball one!
*A sheet. We have a sheet over the mattress then just a comforter for on top. Something in between would have been nice.
*A shoe style between my flimsy Old Navy flats (which are about to give out already) and my tennis shoes. You can buy shoes here but it’s just finding a place and having time is challenging.
*A planner. Hopefully I can get one here. I feel so disorganized without one.
*Batteries. My AA rechargeable batteries got fried here I think and don’t work anymore. Amanda gave me some of hers!
*Bobby pins. I only brought three?
*My sweatpants/pj pants!
*I should have kept that big pile of Crystal Light packets in my bag. They add some flavor to all the water I drink here. I think I’ll run out quick with what I have!
*A metal lice comb. I have plastic. Hopefully it will work if I ever need it.
*Anti-malaria pills. (This was an important one! The area Shishya is in hasn’t had a case in years. But I’m a little anxious about traveling around!)
*Macaroni and Cheese. Yumm I have a craving! Same with Goldfish Crackers. Sharon leaves in a few weeks to go home and I think she’ll leave some tuna. Which I love!
*Alaska children books.
*Construction paper for the kids. I guess it’s hard to get here.
*Gum
*Mouthwash
*Airline compression socks. I couldn’t find them before I left and my legs swelled so badly from flying so long! I had some really nice cankles for a few days after landing.
*Pictures. I didn’t have enough time before I left to get some printed. I have some on my computer but it would have been nice to put some on my board in my room…

Thank you, Karen Boyce for the use of your handy sized sleeping bag. It has been keeping me warm at night and I sleep a lot better with it! It's a comfort from home :) It will come in handy for the trip I’ll take during the break.

Snake encounter?

On my way back from the small boys house in the dark last night something skinny and long wrapped around my ankle and up my shin. I kicked whatever it was and screamed at the same time. I can’t think too much about what it was. It’s colder here now. In the mornings and at night you can see your breath… so shouldn’t snakes be hibernating? Yikes! It’s so funny because just about an hour earlier I was reading a book to Barrat about the different kinds of snakes and I was getting a little freaked out! I even read the chapter in Eat Pray Love that day about when the lady dreams of snakes in her room. It was defiantly something alive so it wasn’t just a stick! I hear the boys on campus chase down big snakes with sticks and a shovels. They have no fear!

So on the way to Dehra Dun there is this place where a lot of trees are and apparently a few years ago a tiger was found in a hole? I guess a small girl was killed by one too years ago near Shishya. I guess a bunch of people in the village banned together and killed it. I guess it’s rare for tigers to be in the fields but it has happened.

On a sweeter note, there are about 350 kids at Shishya. It’s tradition that on a student’s birthday they walk around with a friend and hand out candies to teachers. There sure are some delicious candies here and they come around frequently! I feel like I eat so much here... but I feel hungry too so I guess that's okay :)

I skyped with my first UAF counseling professor I ever had yesterday morning with her Foundations of Counseling Class. It was great to see some familiar faces! I spoke with my dad on the phone too. It put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Teaching moral science to grade 1 was fun. I enjoy little kids. They’re so sweet.

A new volunteer arrived today. Her name is Lisa and she is from Germany. I was just thinking today how many volunteers the boys have seen since they’ve been here and how many more they will see. I think the exposure is a good thing!