Halloween

Today we met Manu at 6:30. We'll it was closer to 6:45 and he said we were late. I'll never understand Indian time. This was the only time I've heard of anyone being late for anything. 

We got on the back of his bike and he took us through a few villages on the roads he said we could run on. We drove out to the river road and he said we could run left and right on it. There is a boundary on one end with "antisocial people" who mine and sell river sand and the other end is bounded by another village. The start of the road is probably about 5-7k from the hospital and goes through the center of another village. He dropped us off at the boundary by the sand people and we ran past the T to Juanga and along the river. It's overcast and beautiful out this morning. The river road is a single lane raised about 25 feet from the surrounding fields and river with a beach. Next time I'll bring my phone to take pictures. Along the way, villagers would greet us with everything from sullen stares, to a head bob, to a wave and good morning (usually from students we knew or hospital staff on their way to work or school) to one old woman who started shouting at us. There is school from 7-10 on Saturdays. By the time we got to to the village on the other end of the river road and turned around  I had to poop an uncomfortable about but was determined to get back in time. 

We passed bicycles with two people on them, motorcycles with entire families and rickshaws crammed full of at least 8 students. Those were my favorite because the students would all stick their heads and hands out the side to wave and shout namaste or good morning. The huts, shops and temples lean into the road when we passed through the village and cows take up most of the road. Running here is a bit like a super flat obstacle course. 

We also passed another school towards the start of the run and all of the kids ran out onto the road to watch us run by and yell after us. It's surreal to be cheered on my slow, short run by 30 uniformed school kids who don't speak English. I'm waiting for Connor to shower and then we'll go eat breakfast. The power is out but should be back soon.  

After seeing a few patients and one mystery case (sent for more tests), We went to Niele with Biku to buy lungis and some other supplies. I'm starting to see the herds of cattle and goats on the road as a normal part of travel. We went into the market and sat on a mat in the lungi shop while Biku made him bring out everything he had. He sent him back twice for more stuff (they all looked the same to me). It was not how shopping works in America. 

We also stopped at a stand to buy some bananas. They're really small and the ones we ate were super sweet, they tasted like jolly ranchers. Not banana flavored either. Like strawberry jolly ranchers. I had 6. 

On our way back to Juanga we stopped randomly (it seemed) in a village and went into a wood working shop. They brought us chairs and insisted we have a glass of water, then soda, then by far the worst coffee I've ever had. After about 45 minutes, we picked up the couple prices of wood we were there for and got back on the road. 

When we got back to the hospital Connor and I went to play ultimate frisbee at the school. As we walked, some of the kids saw us and went to get more friends. We tossed the disc with the four of us until we had enough for a full game. By the time we were done playing, there were about twenty people there. Some of them are starting to get really good. 

The kitchen was closed when we got back around 430 but they had set out some food for us. After a shower, I studied another couple pages of the anatomy book and tested Biku on the pages from the day before. Rohit came up and taught us how to tie our lungis and then we had to go through the hospital and to pay our respects to govinda and the doctors. That involves taking off our shoes, touching the feet of the elder, and then our head and chest. Govinda was excited that we're learning Indian customs and gave us a hug. Dr. Mohanti wouldn't let us touch his feet and have us a hug and namaste. 

The lungis are really comfortable and are much cooler than wearing pants. I'll put up a picture when we have one. 

After another huge meal, Biku wanted us to come hang out in his room, where he immediately went to sleep. Connor is working on a very complicated system for learning Odia which I'll use too once he figures it out. It's starting to get cool enough at night to sleep under my sheet and I'm excited for this trend to continue. 

The gynecologist will be back tomorrow and there are 4 surgeries scheduled. 

-AB

We look Indian

Wind blows around the ankles

I'm wearing a dress

Rainy Day Rambling

I'm not sure what the impetus for this train of thought was but here's a little piece of what's been going through my head today: 

I was reading a little game of thrones earlier today (for you, Ben) and talked with Connor at lunch.  read a section where Arya is in .. Something like a death temple. Part of her being there involves letting go of her former life. When asked, who are you? Their answer is, I am no one. These people in the temple are able to change faces and assume different identities.

At lunch, Connor was struggling with the dissonance of wanting to be fully present in the experience here while wanting to contact his brother and best friend back home. 

These things got me thinking. 

There is a romanticized notion of traveling/solo travel that involves relinquishing ones former self and becoming a vessel to be filled with the souls of new experiences. Part of me is drawn to this ideal. Talking with family & friends from home will serve to draw me back and out of the of this new world. 

I say new world, because it has been like trying to figure out life on a new planet. I've always thought of myself as culturally literate/aware/tolerant/etc. but this past few soda us has been a world apart from my experience. Everything from the way we eat, to the social cues is alien. The remnants of the caste system inform many daily interactions and is anathematic to cultural values I've been taught. The amount of silence in the social world is huge, but punctuated by seemly-random bursts of singing, dancing, and physical contact. Life here is vastly more different from what I'm used to than than it is similar. "Going with the flow" doesn't even begin to cover my experience so far. The language barrier is an afterthought in the difficulties of adapting to life here. 

But I digress. The romanticized ideal of solo travel is renunciation. I've read the writings of and heard about world travelled and I've seldom seen mention of family and friends. I'm wrestling with this idea and realize that this is not the way that I travel or the way that I am. I'm unconvinced that close connection to a social home and complete immersion are mutually exclusive. My identity is inseparable from my family & friends. I plan to be a receptive vessel for this new culture & experice but a distinctly unique one (an Alec-vessel). 

There is a balance point between leaving yourself for the new culture and taking important things with you. 

So Jenna, let me help you pick classes & talk through your complicated internship. Lindsay, talk to me about school and the joys of the job search. Roberto, tell me how many holes you had to dig today and Max, I want to hear how much you love your work. And mom & dad, I guess I can let you know I'm alive every once in a while. For the few minutes once a week there  is both power and Internet, and it's daytime (in both time zones), I'd be happy to be drawn home. No matter how fully I embrace this new world, you are part of who I am, and I can't help but bring you with me. 

Rainy day.

Biku had said be in the office by 9. It's now 11 and he's still showering and will have to get dressed (another 30 min) and eat breakfast. I'm sitting at the nice table outside the kitchen talking to whoever stops by and trying to learn some more Odia. Baba-G came by and taught me how to say, I like rain & Juanga and today I'll go, (and we'll go, you go, he go) to school (I think that's what he was saying) When I'm alone here I'm reading and listening to the rain and the sound of morning prayers rolling over from the school and drinking chai.  It's a good day.

It was also the first day I didn't start sweating until the afternoon. There were few patients in the morning because of the rain and the gynecologist showed up from Bhubaneswar around 2:30. It's amazing watching him walk into a room. Everybody stands up and puts their hands together in front of their chest. He ignores this and goes to sit wherever he wants. 

There is always a line of patients waiting and I saw about 30 of them today. The women are always wearing beautiful brightly colored sarees with sequins and complex stitching patterns. They also always have a man with them who does at least some of the talking for them when we're taking a history. 

 I read about a bunch of the cases we saw and was taught the process for prolapse surgery. One of the nurses is Milan, and she showed me in detail how to give shots IM and IV and how start an IV line. I've seen this through Ems but there are some differences and it's good to be taught the process in detail. 

The gynecologist was kind and would sometimes switch to English to explain things as I shadowed him. I ate lunch with him and we talked about differences between US and Indian medical training and practice. I've also been learning that spoken Odia differs from person to person even between nearby villages. So Biku, Manu, Dr. Mohanti and Dr. Putnayak all speak different dialects. He said the only Odia I should learn is "I don't speak Odia". I answered, Doikeba. It seems like he'll be a great medical resource over the next several weeks. As long as we speak slowly, we can understand each other's English. He's here on Fridays and Sunday's and will be doing at least three surgeries this week. 

I've started walking through the hospital and shadowing whoever seems the most busy. I met nurses, and the dresser today and maybe tomorrow I will see how they do labs here. I saw a couple nasty foot wounds dressed, and a case of dysentery treated in addition to the gynecology patients. The power was out for most of the day possibly because of the rain. 

In the afternoon, Dr. Mohanti found my small anatomy book I brought with me and loves it. He says he wants me to get someone to bring one for him. I told him he should keep this one when I leave. I'm trying to learn all of it before I leave. Biku and I are going to go over 6-10 pages a day and testing each other every day. Biku just wants to refresh and pick up more details. Most of it is new for my but I'm excited about it. 

Today felt like the first time I am a real part of hospital life. I know more of the staff and am starting to have extended conversations with people other than Biku. Even the people who don't speak English are happy when I come to sit with them and talk as much as we can or just sit in comfortable silence. 

Manu says that tomorrow at 6:30 he will show Connor and I some longer running routes. He says there are some areas with antisocial people (who mine sand) where we shouldn't go. 

Connor and Biku are talking about love/hate and friends while I'm writing this. 

There's still a few hours before dinner and I may workout (or nap). 

... I didn't do either of those things. 

-AB

Cool, calm rainy day

Gynecologist is kind

Today, so much thought. 

View from the roof 

Chai and breakfast

Improvised cubbies 

Scrubs drying on roof

My bed

Connor shaving his head. 

Some updates & photos

Doo DOOO doo doo, doo DOO DOO doo!! Every morning around 6, the bus stops In Juanga. The entire way into town and while stopped, it plays its supremely loud musical horn. All busses here are equips with blinding colorful LED lights on the upper front and a super loud horn. 

The sounds here as constant as they are diverse. In addition to the bus in the morning, we have Ravens, pigeons and a multitude of other birds rising with the sun. Crickets and other insects do their part from the surrounding ride paddies The motorcycles start around 6:30 as people start getting up to go to school or start working. At night, packs of street dogs fighting each other in the courtyard below lull us to sleep. 

This morning around 5 am the wind blew my doors open and knocked my clothes off the mosquito net frame where they were drying. We have rain! Its around 7:30 now and usually it's way to hot to stay in bed, but the rain kept everything much cooler. I'm enjoying the chance to sleep in a little. Biku (and breakfast) usually aren't up until after 9 and my legs are a too sore for me to want to run, so I'm going to write a little more of this post and lounge until breakfast. 

People take photos of me. Random villagers that we have never met ask(pantomime) if they can take a picture of Connor and I. Or of us with them. Or both. It's how I imagine celebrities must feel. Maybe I'll start giving autographs too..  

Eating: They also watch me eat. Anytime I'm eating a meal with a new group of people, they all watch out of the corner of my eye to see if I'll eat with my hand or use the spoon often provided. I always eat with my hand and it's starting to feel pretty natural. The first couple times just didn't feel right but now I'm a pro. 

Pooping: definitely have still not mastered this skill. 

Odia: working on it and know some basic phrases. Trying to find a textbook or English Odia dictionary to help. 

When I went down stairs to sit outside the kitchen, Govinda serenaded us. The only words I recognized were "Alec, Michael, Connor, and hospital" 

It's raining a little here and it feels amazing. Unfortuately, that means there will be very few patients here. A gynecologist is coming around 2 and he'll be back Sunday to do surgery. 

Here are photos from yesterday. All the people I've met love taking pictures and video of everything. It's a little weird, but it makes this blog more interesting. 

The surgical scrubs drying on the roof. 

Doctors must have patients

Biku said to be downstairs for breakfast at 8 when I asked him the first time and "yes 8, 9" when I asked again. I didn't get a ton of sleep because I caught Biku's cold (because he sneezes directly into his hands and then touches my face..). I found the NyQuil that I brought around 1 am and slept great after then. When I told Biku I might have caught his cold he felt really bad and wanted to perscibe me cold medicine. 

We ate breakfast around 9:30 and then went to see the patients who had already arrived. There were already a bunch more congregating outside the entrance and Dr. Mohanti was already there seeing patients when we joined him. 

The bulk of the patients had hernias, hydrocele, or appendicitis. And we also saw child hernia, typhoid, severe anemia and anal fissures. The examination table is right behind the desk where we sit and it's separated by a thin curtain. The patient histories are conducted in Odia but the charts (very very brief charts) are in English and the doctors all speak at least a little English because their medical school textbooks were English. When I have trouble understanding new medical terminology, I ask them to write the word in my notebook and look it up in the textbooks later. 

Biku said the surgeon would be arriving at 10 so naturally he showed up at 11:30. When he walked into the room, everybody stood and Biku gave up his seat. The way they treated him seems sort of like the way residents would treat the head of their hospital times two or three. There were now 3 doctors and one nurse in this small room with patients and people would just wander in and out whenever they wanted. It seemed pretty chaotic. I saw about 20 patients with the surgeon. He sees every case that might need his services. At around 2, we went up to the OT and scrubbed in. It's very strange being in an operating room in flip flops. We left our shoes outside and put on the clean sandals inside. Having open toed shoes in a medical setting just feels wrong to me. The first surgery was a herniectomy with a non-descending testicle. They used spinal anesthesia and I watched the entire procedure with Biku explaining different parts to me. There were two more surgeries scheduled for right after but I left after this one. I was feeling pretty sick from my cold and probably a little lightheaded from watching the surgery. I figured it was better to leave for a little while and see more tomorrow than pass out and distract everyone during the next operation. It was a really cool procedure  and I'm looking forward to more. 

** right after I wrote this, I had some water, and went back into the room. I watched two more hernia surgeries and one hydrocele. Have you ever seen a scrotum the size of a football? .. I have. 

The power went out durning the last operation and the nurses just grabbed a flashlight and we kept operating. The generator kicked in a couple minutes later. The OT was also one of the only places in the compound that has AC and it felt wonderful until the power went out. We were operating from 12 to around 5. 

Afterwards, I laid in Biku's bed for a while. He's definitely way too snuggly, but I think that's probably a cultural thing. 

We found Connor (he'd been working at the school) and asked govinda if we could go to Niele, a nearby village to buy some supplies we've been missing. He said it's better to go during the day because people drink alcohol at night. We went to meet our frisbee friends instead by the river. Some of the younger kids were there (successfully) catching fish in a gill-net. This is the first night it's both clear and dark enough to see some stars. Usually we have foggier skies than New York City. 

We ran into Rohit on our way back and he said he wants to have a party for us on Sunday night. I volunteered Connor and I to cook a feast for the hospital staff (and Rohit and Baba-G). But it may be slightly difficult to cook for so many people with unfamiliar utensils and ingredients. . Doikibah. 

Dinner isn't for at least 2.5 hours and I might be able to read some of my book for the first time since getting here. . Never mind. Going to watch another Bollywood movie with Biku. 

It's amazing how fast ones standards can change. I think it's nice Whenever the power stays on for a whole shower. Or when I'm only sweating through most of my clothes. I'm clearly starting to adapt. 

-AB 

Surgeries excite

Power isn't needed here

Barefoot toes wiggle

"Work"

We finished running around 810 and ran into Biku. He said to be downstairs to eat by 9. He then proceeded to shower in our bathroom until 9:10. Connor and I showered fast and were downstairs by 9:20 and then had to wait till about 9:45 for Biku to show up. Breakfast was something like spicy bananas, rice, lentils and some mystery vegetable with spikes. 

Afterward, Connor went with manu to discuss some projects for the school and I went with Dr. Lenka (aka Biku) to see patients. What that involves is sitting in a room by the entrance and waiting for patients to show up. There is a more senior doctor here who takes most of the patients and we saw 4 patients. Two with upper respiratory infections, one with a large cut on his leg and a girl who had something dropped on her foot and had to have her big toenail removed. I watched that procedure and as far as I could tell, they used no numbing agent at all. It looked awful. They also didn't use gloves when removing the nail. I said something to Biku and he said that gloves are expensive and they use them for the surgeries. 

After the extraction, we spent some time going through the medical text books together while waiting for patients to teach me about the more common conditions the hospital sees. 

After a little while with that, I started teaching Biku Spanish and he helped me work on my Odia. I'm learning a bunch of common phrases and can sometimes make basic thoughts understood. We ate lunch and then went to the school with the frisbee. There were about 30 people there today and we got a 4v4 tournament going. It's amazing how much they all low the game and love to win. Watching them fight over the points is vastly more entertaining than the game itself. My team obviously on the tournament. We came back when it got dark and I think some of them want to play later when the full moon is out. 

I'm going to see a few more patients now with Biku and then we'll see about later. Doekiba-means "we'll see" and it's a very common phrase here. 

There is a big festival tonight and all the girls have beautiful colorful dresses. That's all that I've learned about it so far. And that we can hear loud chants from our roof early in the morning and through the night. 

I just took half and shower and was in the middle of washing some clothes when the power died. It's out at least 10-15 times a day for anywhere from a couple minutes to a few hours. 

After seeing another couple of patients that showed up around 7, we went to meet a group of people that had only been here for the festival and were leaving the next day. We went down by the river and met the about 15 of them who were there. They took us on their bikes around in a loop around the river and through the center of Juanga. The roads varied from dirt trail to something that could pass for a backroad back home. Huge bales of dried rice stalks lined segments of the road and was often 6 inches thick across the entire road. We passed the broken down bus to Juanga and honked every time we'd pass or turn or do anything else. Riding through the village was spectacular. They were playing super loud music for the festival and there were arches with blinding LED designs that we rode through. There were also groups of villagers praying around the town center for the moon festival. When we got back to the road by the river, someone started playing music and we had an impromptu dance off. I mad far as I can tell, the crazier your dance moves are, the better you dance. Connor was actually a spectacular dancer and they all loved it. They decided to stay an extra day and have a feast for myself and Connor. They say we'll have to dance for everyone so I'll have to work on my moves today.. Maybe I'll do the worm. 

We ate dinner at 10:30 and had a short Odia lesson with Biku before bed. I'm about to go see some patients with him before breakfast. I'm really looking forward to thursday. In addition to having a general surgeon, There are vastly more patients. Surgeries are scheduled on Thursday Friday Sunday's and there are at least 3 tomorrow. 

-AB 

Rode motorcycles

An impromptu dance party

Don't you tell my mom

Class - 5 Juanga high school.

Connor and I walked over to the primary school (kg1 through class 4) for the morning prayers from 7:15-7:30. All of the students were lined up in rows outside the school and singing. After they went into their rooms, Manu walked us into each room and introduced us and told them about one of the projects Connor will be working on with them. 

They are all in uniforms and the boys and girls sit separately. Anytime we'd enter a room, the students would all stand up and say "namaste" in unison. They'd stay standing until the teacher or Manu said "bassa". There was complete disciple in these classes that I will soon disrupt. I recognized one of the students from frisbee and when the teacher wasn't looking I slipped him a little candy. I always carry a couple sweets in my pocket because whenever I see Baba-G (the one legged man who runs the little shop here) he smiles his ear to ear, mostly-toothless smile and insists on giving me these tiny green candies. They're a great way to make friends. 

Then I walked back to the hospital and found Biku to see some more patients. We only saw a few and the most interesting was an old man who was mostly blind and deaf who was having stomach problems. He thought I was the doctor and started shouting at me in Odia. I led him to the exam table and called Biku over to take a more complete history. 

After a spicy breakfast, I ate a couple of chewable pepto bismols and went to see the high school. It's class 5-10. We did the same introduction thing and then sat in on an English class for grade 6 and then grade 10. It's amazing how fucused they are even with a distracting white man in their class. For class 6, the teacher wrote letters to the government on the board and had the students copy them down. The first one was about a stolen bicycle and the second I copied below: 

***To: the C.D.M.O. 

Cuttack

Subject: regarding dengue

Sir, 

Most respectfully we the inhabitants of Panaga during your area would like to inform the following few lines for your kind consideration and favorable action. 

That dengue is a serious disease which has spread in our locality. It has already claimed three life. There is only one hospital in our area and the only doctor is totally unable to treat the patient because more are hospitalized till now. Again there is also a shortage of medicine. If this trend continues, it will take serious turn. Therefore, we request your honor please be kind and send a team of doctors immediately with some medicine for which acts of your kindness we shall be obliged. 

Yours faithfully, 

Alec Bernard

Class-6

Juanga High School***

The 10 grade class was teaching grammar so complicated I would have been lost even if it was taught in English. 

We talked with some of the teachers who spoke English and they promised to bring an Odia textbook for us tomorrow to help us learn the language. I asked if we could sit in on a drawing class (the only think I was pretty sure we'd be able to follow. The entire 45 minute period was the teacher drawing a landscape on the board and the students (including us) copying it. It might be one of the best drawings I've ever done. 

While I ran back to the hospital to use the bathroom, one of the teachers fainted. It seems like I always miss the medical activities by a few minutes. 

The dinner feast planned last night was turned into a lunch and we met at 2 at the primary school yard (class ends at 1:30). Our friends cooked for the next hour or so while some of us played cards. We played a game Connor and I had taught them yesterday but sometime soon I want to learn the 4 player game I see lots of people playing every day. We were super hungry by the time lunch was ready and we ate on leaves sitting along the school walkway. The food was the spiciest so far and had tons of little fish spines in it. I still haven't mastered the art of sitting on the floor but I'm working on it (and I'm getting used to being laughed at). Meals are served in a very particular fashion. The guests are always served first and often with the hands if you don't want more food, you have to refuse three times and if you do, you have to refuse at least once. Meals are also usually eaten in silence, which takes some getting used to. At the end of the meal, we just throw our leaves and leftovers into the bushes where the street dogs will eat it. There is trash pretty much everywhere you look because the use of trash cans hasn't caught on here yet. The hospital has a few that are used, but everywhere else, when you're done with a plastic wrapper or anything else, you just toss it to the side of the road with a careless nonchalance I haven't mastered. 

When we were done with lunch, Connor went back to the hospital to catch up on writing and take a break from all the chaos. 

We played another frisbee tournament and I was way too full to move well but my team still made the finals ( obviously.) we played until just before dark and then went back to the hospital. I talked a lot with one of my teammates, Depak, who is home for the festival but lives in Puri. His brother owns two of the camels we saw walking on the beach and he works with them catering to tourists for most of the year. He claims to have a Japanese girlfriend who visits every winter. He was planning to leave the next day but he had also said that yesterday so.. Doikeba (we will see). Some of the other people there worked as pharmacists or business men. Most of them will leave on Thursday to go home but will be back next week for Diwali. 

We had planned to meet them all at 7 for a dance party in the street by the river but Biku didn't get in the shower until 7 because the power was out. He takes the longest showers of anyone I've ever met. By the time he was and we got to the spot, they had left. Biku called them and while we waited, we talked about unrequited (one-side) love. 

They set off the loudest firecracker I've ever seen in the middle of a small tree on the side of the road. The fuse took forever and it sounded like a cannon and had a shockwave that spread out over the rice paddies in every direction. It also took a chunk out of the tree. They say that next week there will be tons of fireworks for Diwali. 

After the firework, we put on some music and danced a little before learning the words to an Indian love song about the moon. Connor dances really well and they kept trying to get him to try Indian dance moves and teach them his. We also taught them some of the words to one of jake's and recorded a video for him. Jake will be the next big star of Juanga, Orissa, India. 

They taught me a couple swears in Odia and I may have made up a bunch of American swear words for them. 

We went back to the hospital for dinner around 11 and then showered and went to sleep. I usually wear some of the clothes I was wearing into the shower to clean them for the next day. Unfortunately, the water has a unique smell to it and I'm not sure if I'll be able to completely clean my clothes until I come home..

After my shower we talked a little more with Biku about his relationship history. Things move very fast it seems. He knew someone for 3 days and was in love and then asked her to marry him after a few weeks. But it wasn't meant to be. Biku also told us he loves us. Maybe one day he will visit us in America. 

-AB

Being a student

I totally aced drawing 

But don't know English 

**this is the grocery store

Puri, beach and beer

Note to self: next time Connor sleeps in the middle. Biku likes to snuggle in the middle of the night. 

Indian men seem to be much more touchy with other men than Americans are. I've seen a bunch of friends holding hands. Biku also loves to rub Connors shaved head and play-fight with me. On the other hand, there is also absolutely zero contact between men and women. There were several at the picnic yesterday and the men and women did not intermingle at all. It did feel like middle school all over again. 

I'm in bed about to go to sleep listening to a pack of dogs fighting in what I guess could be called the courtyard. 

- we woke up later than we have all trip by several hours. Usually(like today) I'm awake around 5 when the sun rises and comes in through the windows and door but the room in Biku's house had no open windows. 

We were served what we thought was breakfast of two giant packaged jelly Cinnamon rolls each. Biku wasn't eating any and said he was not hungry. We soon found out why. Soon after finishing, Biku's grandmother and aunt brought out a whole meal of chipati and vegetables. We definitely don't have meal times figured out and I usually end up stuffed for most of the day. 

After second breakfast, we drove down to the beach. It was massive and stretched out as far as I could see in either direction. There were ramshackle huts set up along the shore selling fish freshly caught in these long, stand-on-top fishing boats that were poled out into the bay. Biku said that he wanted a beer and asked if we would have one too. After assuring him that I'd like one, we went to a restaurant near the shore and got into a hushed discussion with the waiter. Biku said he knows that they have beer and that his father is very close with them and they kept looking at us and insisting that there was no beer (from what I understood). We went back to the car and drove around the city looking for a bar and a place to park. We found one and went into a dark basement where everyone spoke in whispers. Biku, Bikas and I each ordered a kingfisher, which cost the equivalent of about $2. I didn't realize it, but the beer came in bottles that were at least 24oz. The back of the bottle said that they have 5-8% alcohol and a big sign on the wall said that bars close at 10:30pm. Drinking is definitely not a big part of Indian culture and I think this may be one of my only beers during my trip. 

We went back to Biku's house for a giant lunch of rice and uncomfortably-spicy vegetables after a quick nap. Biku informed us that his grandma would be coming back to Juanga with us to go to a doctor in Bhubaneswar later in the week. 

During the two hour ride back, Biku's grandma spit some of her beetle juice out the window and almost all of it flew directly back through the window and all over my shirt and pants. There was dark red liquid with chunky bits and everything. 

I also forgot to mention yesterday that we went to an open air market to buy some sunscreen, bug spray, antiseptic, a knife and a razor for Connors head. Biku insisted that we should buy a safety razor and blades (what people used in the 50's to shave). It was very cool walking through the chaos of the market. 

After getting back to Juanga, we convinced Biku to workout with us and he kept up for about a minute of our twenty minute routine. He's excited though and wants to join us again. I tried calling home for the first time and was able to talk to my sister, Jenna-bean for a little while. The Internet access here is almost good enough for a phone call. 

We had an early dinner at 9:45 PM and then wrote a little before bed at 11:30. Biku gave us some magic chalk to put around our beds in an attempt to keep the bugs out. 

I think one of the side effects of the antimalarial medication I'm on is "vivid dreams" and I've been having a very strange experience right before I fall asleep most nights. I'm definitely still awake, but I start having these super vivid daydreams, almost like I'm watching a movie of a memory. (I know that doesn't help explain them at all, but that's what they are). 

Anyway, I'm about to go run before breakfast and then I think I'm going to be seeing patients all day. Wish me luck!

--just went for a run. Did 11 laps from the school to the hospital. Ran later today so some of the kids were up and they would shout my name when I passed by. All of them also said they want to play frisbee. We told them we'd come by this evening to play. One positive of running the same short section over and over is that the villagers get used to your presence very fast. 

Going to shower, eat and start work! 

-AB 

Beer in India

Don't let anyone see you

Drank in hushed whispers 

Whatever you thought, you're wrong.

Our plan (as far as I understood) was to leave at 7, Biku was going to drop us off at his parents house and then go meet his friends from class 8. We thought we were getting used to Indian time, so we woke up at 6:55. We still have to calibrate our clocks some more. He was walking around in (the Indian version of) his underwear. He also takes at least an hour to get ready every morning. We waited for him to be done in the bathroom, got ready and had breakfast. Biku told us it's his dream to go ice skating and we said we'd teach him. He wants to take a week-long trip to go to one in another part of India. I also explained what skiing is with drawings in my notebook. We were all ready to leave.. At 9:30. 

It was 75km to Puri, which is about a 2 hr drive. We passed along the river where we had been the night before and it was beautiful in the daylight. The entire road was often covered with hay, goats cows, dogs, villagers, motorcycles and bicycles. All on a dirt road at most 1.5 lanes wide.

We stopped on the way to buy some of those leaves and spices I think are called 'beetle'. We also passed through more of Juanga and saw the crowded huts along the road. 

We pulled up to a picnic spot by a river outside of Puri and Biku told us we were going to meet his friends together. He also informed us we'd be staying over at his house. The plans we thought we'd been told, the plans that were made, and what actually happens have been three completely separate things so far. Going with the flow has already been extremely important. 

The first of Biku's friends showed up around 11:30 and we walked around through the forest by the river looking for a good place to picnic. Over the next hour, more and more friends showed up with a big tarp and a bunch of food and cooking supplies. We ended up driving to another area about a mile away and set things up there. 

Everybody always takes off their shoes before entering pretty much anywhere and this held true for the picnic tarp. Some small fire pits were dug and we all collected wood to get the cooking started. In the middle, everybody ran off to go look at the deer that someone spotted. We started with a cake about 2 hours after we got there. Biku's friends made me cut it and then proceeded to smush cake and icing over everyone's face. It was a little bit like a middle school birthday (or a more recent one of mine). While the cooking was going on, everybody would wander around the forest. We were very near an official entrance to the beach and tried to go down to the water but the guard wouldn't let Connor and I through unless we paid 1000 rupees each (about $17). The price for Indians was 20 rupees and was on a sign, but I didn't see anyone get charged while I was there. 

The cooking process took around four hours and no one seemed to be in any hurry. Some of Biku's friends spoke basic English and I spent a while talking to them. When being served, and most other times, no one here says thank you. It's going to take some getting used to. 

There was trash everywhere and when we were done with the wrappers of things, they were just tossed aside. It's definitely something I'm not totally comfortable with, but there don't seem to be a lot of other options. We ate on plates made from leaves which helped to reduce the waste. 

When we were done eating, we got on the back of Chiku and Anjan's motorcycles and ride back to the river. We were only two to a bike, but most people we passed were at least 3 or 4. After washing the tarp off in the river and taking a few photos, we rode back towards Puri. Riding through Indian traffic is a unique experience. Nobody goes fast, but they also don't follow any rules that I can understand, other than honk all the time. Ever kilometer or so, we'd pass a sign that would say "alert today, alive tomorrow" or "accidents cause tears, safety brings cheers" or "donate blood, but not to the road". The bike I was riding got a flat tire and I hopped got on a different one while Chiku rode slower into Puri. We all went to a mechanic (a tarp hut with some tools in it). It had just gotten dark when we got in the car to go to Biku's house. It definitely felt like time to sleep but it was way too early. We left and went to 4 different stores to find jeans and a shirt for our driver, Bikas. Biku was buying him a gift for the festival. 

--They have a very interesting relationship. In another post, I'll eventually talk about the caste system and how it plays out in daily life-Id also like to talk about women's role in Indian society at some point.--

We eventually found a (very colorful) outfit and went back to Biku's for dinner. I have definitely not mastered sitting on the floor to eat and I'm definitely going to have to work on my flexibility. The picnic and dinner left my legs way too stiff. But on the plus side, pretty soon I'm going to be able to taste with my fingers. 

Biku wanted to stay awake but Connor and I insisted on sleep. The three of us laid down on the bed*

*Side note: beds here consist of a wood platform with something like a lawn chair cushion under a linen sheet on top. The pillows might actually be rocks. I'm not convinced that it's softer than sleeping on the floor. 

I'm going to start writing shorter posts from now on, but I don't want to forget anything and tend to not write as much in my notebook. I had also wanted to write more descriptively, but a combination of my fatigue, the simple sentences required for successful communication here, and the sheer volume of activity make it impossible to write exactly the way I'd like. 

I'll figure it out eventually. 

It's now Monday night and I'll try to post about today after dinner if I have time before sleep. 

Also, at the picnic, I thought I saw an old woman crouching in the bushes to poop. Upon closer inspection, I was mistaken (see below)**

-AB

Saw an old woman

Near the picnic she crouches

A sneaky monkey

**