So I was pooped on less than 45 minutes ago.
I wish I could have written one more entry before I arrived so that I had a recording of my frantic energy and attempts to clear my mind of expectations and the like. I really wanted to try not to imagine this place as anywhere I had ever been, make the obvious culture comparisons and judgements and also not delude myself into thinking that I could ever "get a handle" on the place (which I won't). Right now I'm just trying to keep my head.
In a few minutes Kate, Sumathy (one half of the Indian couple who runs the orphanage), and our new friend Chris, an amazing girl from Idaho, are going to go get some sari's, which will come in handy since my only real pair of pants I brought have infant diarrhea on them. Okay, so I guess it made it a little less horrible since the little 4 month old girl who pooped on me is one of the most adorable creatures I've ever seen, and yes, this was only the first time it happened and I anticipate many more to come. They don't wear diapers, so walking barefoot around the orphanage (no shoes inside) is an adventure in and of itself.
So Ranjith and Sumathy run this place, called Bala Gurukulam, and they are the only orphanage in south India that takes in infants. These kids' stories of how they were found are absolutely heartbreaking. There are 43 kids, and I have never seen anything like it. The older kids (even the 5 year olds) take care of all the babies, and take care of the place. I just can't believe I'm seeing a kid barely out of diapers (or diaper wearing age, since they rarely wear them) walking around, wiping the noses of the toddlers or cleaning up vomit. Its incredible. And they are so happy. Its a miracle what Ranjith and Sumathy are doing. Apparently, as we've learned from Chris, who has some of the craziest travel-orphanage-leper colony stories I've ever heard, this place is the cream of the Indian orphanage crop. We are so damn lucky that we found a place that is actually legit, and two Indians that we can trust. I know it sounds horrible and one of my 'objectives' before coming here was not to make too many generalizations, but so much for that.
Kate and I are really excited and shellshocked. Still getting used to the no toilet paper (although we have access to a sit down toilet, which is exciting), eating off banana leaves on the floor using only the right hand, changing a 'yes' nod into the 'yes' head bobble and trying not to make eye contact with any men. But oh my God those orphans are amazing, and we are already so in love with them. Our jobs are basically to hold the babies a lot, teach the slightly older kids English, and comfort them if they wake up in the night.
So, basically, aside from the crazy malaria filled mosquitoes, the guarantee of having some lice of our own very soon, and the threat of hepatitus, we are safe, sound and well taken care of. I'll try to post some photos soon.
27 January 2008
23 January 2008
Passports and Phones
I suppose its been pretty standard for me to start a trip feeling a little unprepared, but I can't say that I've ever been this close to leaving the country without actually having my passport in hand. Right now I'm supposed to fly out of LAX in less than 48 hours and my passport is probably in a FedEx sorting bin in Anchorage, eagerly awaiting a flight to California and a glorious and tear-filled reunion with its owner, preferably prior to my Friday morning departure. I could go into great depth about how this situation was only in small part my fault; I could rant about the ineptitude of the San Francisco office of the Indian Embassy; I could mention how guilty I feel about once again saddling my Mom with the extremely stressful burden of sorting out some random business-related thing while I am out of the country or on my way there (thanks again and I'm so sorry, Mom). But I think I'll take this moment to rant about what is, arguably, my favorite topic of late to get truly angry over.
Ah yes, Cingular. I so wish that it was something nobler, something on which I could justify spending immense amounts of time and emotional energy. But no, its Cingular. Today I ended our 2.5 year relationship via Customer Service Operator Michael Setzer and his ex-Marine supervisor, Rachel Smith. Like a proper lovers' quarrel, and like many of our quarrels past, we played a three day game of phone tag (although usually I was the only one to call back) and, as usual, I ended up caving in and paying a portion of an entirely unjust fee. Now I hope that I'm not the only one who finds it ridiculous that a $36 'shut off' fee is charged if you want to pause service while abroad. That's $36 in addition to your normal monthly payments. Maybe I'm just crazy, but even Michael Setzer was in agreement about this one. So then I turned into "screeching shrew" mode, saying how terrible my service had been, how past operators had promised the moon and never delivered, how I was terminating service and never EVER going to use Cingular again. And so Michael Setzer promised me the moon and seemingly, made a genuine attempt at it. I tried faxing proof of my Alaska residency (car title, pay stub, W-2, voter registration card) which would have, effectively, forced them to cease service and not charge me the $175 contract-termination fee. Mr. Setzer said he truly believed me when I said that I lived in Alaska, but since I had no way of delivering them a utility, gas or electric bill with my name on it (the only accepted proof of residency documents that the Cingular Relocation Dept accepts), his "Nazi" former-Marine boss said no to his request. This was my evening fun for the past two evenings, and tonight I accepted a proposal from Michael Setzer. I could pay half of the $175 cancellation fee right then or try to drum up the appropriate documents. Since I am leaving shortly and simply don't like being that angry, I totally caved and gave the bastards half the fee to end our affair. C'est l'amour.
Ah yes, Cingular. I so wish that it was something nobler, something on which I could justify spending immense amounts of time and emotional energy. But no, its Cingular. Today I ended our 2.5 year relationship via Customer Service Operator Michael Setzer and his ex-Marine supervisor, Rachel Smith. Like a proper lovers' quarrel, and like many of our quarrels past, we played a three day game of phone tag (although usually I was the only one to call back) and, as usual, I ended up caving in and paying a portion of an entirely unjust fee. Now I hope that I'm not the only one who finds it ridiculous that a $36 'shut off' fee is charged if you want to pause service while abroad. That's $36 in addition to your normal monthly payments. Maybe I'm just crazy, but even Michael Setzer was in agreement about this one. So then I turned into "screeching shrew" mode, saying how terrible my service had been, how past operators had promised the moon and never delivered, how I was terminating service and never EVER going to use Cingular again. And so Michael Setzer promised me the moon and seemingly, made a genuine attempt at it. I tried faxing proof of my Alaska residency (car title, pay stub, W-2, voter registration card) which would have, effectively, forced them to cease service and not charge me the $175 contract-termination fee. Mr. Setzer said he truly believed me when I said that I lived in Alaska, but since I had no way of delivering them a utility, gas or electric bill with my name on it (the only accepted proof of residency documents that the Cingular Relocation Dept accepts), his "Nazi" former-Marine boss said no to his request. This was my evening fun for the past two evenings, and tonight I accepted a proposal from Michael Setzer. I could pay half of the $175 cancellation fee right then or try to drum up the appropriate documents. Since I am leaving shortly and simply don't like being that angry, I totally caved and gave the bastards half the fee to end our affair. C'est l'amour.
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