Daily Summaries by sihi 2004 students

Daily Summaries By students, SIHI 2004
Friday, 7th May, 2004 Sarah (Bing) It’s difficult to figure out where to begin in describing our journey so far…so many thoughts, emotions, feelings, and…SMELLS! From the plane rides to the buses to our walking journeys through the villages, it seems as though everywhere there are new smells! Sensory-overload is probably the most appropriate way to describe our experience so far… After long flights we finally arrived in Delhi. As we lugged our baggage and heavy packs outside we were hit by a wall of heat, new smells, sounds, and emotions. Cows lingered outside of the airport, alongside people sleeping, selling various goods, and in the midst of shouting in Hindi. We hauled our packs up onto the bus waiting outside for us, and enjoyed some Indian sweets and potato snacks and drinks. However, our attention was quickly diverted from our snacks and dialogue about the heat once the bus started making its way through Delhi. It seemed as though there were new smells around every block and twist in the road. Sulphurous exhaust fumes mixed with food and animal-related smells raised our eyebrows and kept us awake fro miles, despite our severe lack of sleep. We also held on- with bated breath- to the handles of the bus as we watched every size and shape of vehicle and moving object pass less than an arms-length from our bus at high speeds. Our 8-hr bus ride took us through a number of villages, past brightly coloured buses, houses, and buildings, and even monkeys and cows lingering at the sides of the roads. Our arrival at the SMTA hostel in Vikas Nagar on Thursday morning at 7:20am was a welcome end to our journey on the bus, and we gladly unloaded our bags and packs into our rooms in the SMTA hostel. After unloading, we enjoyed a light and delicious meal prepared by Maggie, one of our hosts at SMTA. We were able to meet Maggie and Ruben, our kind and hospitable hosts at the hostel during breakfast, along with their son, Nishant. Following breakfast, we traveled to the market in various groups to make calls to our families, search out the many goods, and purchase traditional clothing. Esther’s assertive and very successful bargaining skills entertained one of the groups, while others also looked to their Hindi-speaking group members to help them in their bargaining pursuits. Irfaan and Sammy were also able to fit in a visit to a local mosque, where they were shocked at how conspicuous they appeared to the other men attending worship. They also noted the differences in local practices, despite sharing some similarities. We all came back at the end of the day very aware of the degree to which we stood out among the crowds of people in the villages. Upon our arrival from the market, we were hot, sweaty, and full of stories about our experiences. We shared these experiences together around a wonderful meal of okra, rice, potatoes & paneer, and various other dishes prepared by Maggie. With our stomachs full, we ventured off to our beds for a late-day siesta. After our naps, we were able to meet with Dr. Jeff, an American physician who practices family medicine nearby, and has also studied the traditional practice of Ayurvedic medicine. Dr. Jeff was appointed “judge” by Dr. Sachin, who suggested that we all have new names, or “handles” given to us by our peers. We were instructed to sing a song, and then our fellow group members were asked to derive a name from our chosen song. We ended up with the following names: Bing (Sarah), Bells (Esther), Duff (Nitton), Angus (Julian), Smooth (Irfaan), Cheers (Sammy), Buttercup (Rita), Boots (Michelle), Vista (Ferhana), Superstar (Ahana), AG (Grace), Soni (Amandev), and McGee (Jayant). Dr. Sachin kept with the tradition of being called “Mr. Pipes” and even sang a little tune for us, as did Ruben. Once our new names were established, we sat down together to yet another delicious meal prepared by Maggie, this time with papayas for dessert. Finally, when all of the dishes were washed outside, we made our way to our beds, some of us washed the dust off our cheeks, others finished their meals a Malaria pill for dessert, and others crawled under their mosquito nets…and we drifted off to sleep to the sounds of the fans above our heads- albeit intermittent- eager to rest our heads and renew our minds and energies for another day in India.		NB: While trying to upload this file from a cyber cafe a week ago, a virus (VBS.Redlof.A) seems to have infected this file. If your antivirus is updated regularly, it should cause no problem. This is new clean file. We regret the inconvenience. (Ed).
Saturday, May 8th, 2004 Jayant (McGee) After our first night of sleep since arriving in India, we awoke to the fresh smells, sights and sounds of an Indian morning. Instead of having our typical alarm clocks to wake us up, we were awoken early to the crowing of a rooster to the rising sun. The only other thing to make our stay in India more authentic was to wake ourselves up with a refreshing “bucket shower”. After eating a delicious breakfast of Idalli Sambar (my favourite!), part of the group headed to the roof of the Hostel, where we wrote in our journals, took pictures and were in awe of the scenery; the beautiful fields of India scattered with trees and back dropped with the Himalayan mountains. No words can truly describe this beauty, only when looking at this landscape can you understand the feelings that India evokes from each person. The group then decided to all head to the local market, as Yajur had just reunited with the rest of the group after returning from his grandfather’s house. The markets best embodied the energy and vitality of India herself, as the numerous shops lined side by side were filled with authentic Indian clothing, foods and merchandise. After splitting into two groups, we decided to locate an Internet café where we e-mailed our friends and family. Many of us were also able to buy traditional clothing for our stay here in India; Salwar Kameez for the ladies and Kurtas for the men. After returning from the market and eating a lunch robust in the flavours of India, Dr. Sachin invited Dr. Jeff, an to act as a guest speaker in providing us with a presentation on Traditional vs. Ayurvedic medicine. The presentation was highly informative and very helpful in allowing us to understand the Indian culture better, and to compare and contrast the pros and cons of both allopathic and ayurvedic medicine. We were given free time after the presentation to relax and enjoy life in India. Some group members wrote in their journals read inside, others talked outside, and some of us enjoyed the scenery from the rooftop. Yajur and Irfaan also went to play basketball with Nishant after sometime, Sammy and Julian took a nap, I enjoyed the sights of India with a rooftop view and binoculars and the rest of the group members chatted in the yard and wrote in their journals. After spending some time alone on the roof, I decided to come down to chat with the rest of the group. As I was walking towards the yard, I happened to spot what I believed was a snake! After realizing it was only a piece of a hose and being laughed at incessantly by the rest of the group members, we all sat down for hours together talking, sharing stories, laughing and bonding. Before we knew it the sun had set and it was time for another amazing dinner cooked by Maggie. Following dinner we all congregated in the boys room, where we played the high tension game “Mafia” until 11:30 PM, at which point we were exhausted and decided to get some much needed rest. After our first full day of living India, it was apparent that the entire group was ready to face another day in India and the unexpected… Things worked out differently for Esther 7th May: She and Sachin went to the local police station to get her papers stamped. They were told: This can be done only by LIU in Dehradun. 8th May: Esther accompanied by Anand from SMTA, reported to LIU office in Dehradun, where she was told that she is not supposed to be in Uttaranchal, as she does not have permission to visit it. Also, that she should first get her papers stamped in Delhi. 9th May: Sachin and Esther traveled to Delhi. Near Turkman gate, there is a foreigner’s registration office meant for Pakistani nationals. With a late fee of Rs 1450 she was given an entry into Delhi. Next, for seeking permission to travel to Uttaranchal, they were referred to a Home ministry office in Khan Market (Lok Nayak Bhavan, 1st Floor). But since it was a Sunday, it was closed. 10th May: General elections. All offices were closed. Esther stayed with Thy (pronounce Tee) and Sushma’s family in Delhi. Thy had arrived two days late, on 9th May. Sushma and Lazarus had received her. 11th May: Esther and Sachin went to the concerned office in Khan Market. They were told that as per some rule, Pakistani nationals can be given permission to visit only three places in India at the most. In her case, these three were- Delhi, Mumbai, Trivendrum. She could not be given permission to travel to fourth destination. They requested them to cancel Delhi and give permission for Uttaranchal in lieu. But nothing could/ would be done. We visited couple of friends to find some volunteering position for her in Delhi itself. 12th May: Leaving Esther in the safe hands of Sushma* and Lazarus, Sachin and Thy returned to Vikasnagar, somewhat sadly at this strange turn of events. Esther too felt bad but there was not much that could be done. Nitin and others in the group had kept in touch with Esther over phone. All concerned had to accept it as God’s wish and as something eventually good for all. Esther’s luggage lying in Vikasnagar was sent back with Lazarus, who had accompanied them from Delhi for a day trip to Mussoorie. Sachin attended to currency exchange needs of the group in the afternoon. 13th May: Marriage season was on, so getting bus or vehicles was difficult: Nevertheless, we hired three Sumos and traveled to Jaakhdhar, Smta niketan campus.) * Sushma works with World Vision India and Lazarus, as a minister, works with various Christian Youth organizations. Lazarus has spent considerable time in Canada. They have two children- Joshua and Jason, and live in Delhi.
Sunday, May 9 2004 Michelle (Boots) What a good feeling to be woken in the morning by only the rising sun and a warm breeze, and of course our reliable rooster, which I think is important to add, is in extreme danger of becoming Jay’s supper soon if he doesn’t respect our precious sleep. Although it is only our third day in India, we have lost all sense of time, and have trouble remembering the day, which is what India is famous for, being so peaceful that the restraints time brings at home in Canada are not felt here. While most students slept in to try and get over the jet lag mixed with the exhausting heat, Julian, Sarah and myself joined Maggie for Sunday service at her catholic church. With the service beginning at 8, we had to wake quite early, but Maggie was very pleased that we accompanied her. The church was quaint, with it’s small gardens, and beautiful mosaic of colours. It was instantly homey. The service was in Hindi, which we all suspected, yet it was easy to pick out when the Lord’s Prayer was being recited as well as other prayers and songs. After the service, Maggie proudly introduced us to many of the nuns in attendance, who were quite receptive to our visit to India. We were also introduced to Father John, who although Indian, could easily be mistaken for the Ghost of Christmas Past from Charles Dickens with his deep, but friendly voice and the warmth that he carried that made us all feel so welcome in his parish. After a short introduction with Father John who speaks quite good English, even though he mistook Michelle for “missile”, which is now my new nick name, he promised to stop by for tea later in the day. Back at the hostel, we had a quick lunch, and were soon off to the market to purchase more traditional clothing, email home, and obviously, stop for cold Pepsi on the way. Many of us tried our hand at washing our clothes without a washer, which proved to be quite messy. After this, we all have gained an even greater respect for the women around us who do this on a daily basis. Sammy also realized that it is important to use clothespins when hanging your clothes to dry in 50-mile winds, or else you will have to wash them again when they land in a heap of sand. After enjoying the cooling of the hot air, and throwing around a frizbee, we sat down to yet another enjoyable dinner from Maggie, Sheila and Budro. Not long after, we were all feeling our eyelids getting heavier with the dark, and hit the sack with hopes of cooler temperatures the next day.
Monday, May 10, 2004 Amandev (Beckham) Today started off like most of our days here. We had breakfast together (well, most of us anyway…) We had to forgo our usual morning market ritual because the presidential elections were going on today. As a result, the market was closed and we had to come up with new and innovative ways to entertain ourselves since none of us were too keen on facing the market on such a chaotic day. A few of us did visit the cyber café via a back roads route but came back shortly. It was finally the time for us to burn our garbage, which had accumulated surprisingly quickly since coming to Vikasnagar. Ahana, Rita and I, armed with our garbage, set out to the back of the Hostel to find a good spot to burn garbage (which coincidentally happened to be next to the rooster, the object of Jay’s hatred). However, we faced unforeseen obstacles as lighting a match and starting a fire was surprisingly difficult and Nishant had to help us, much to our chagrin. It was smooth sailing from there and then Irfaan started the process of getting rid of the boys’ garbage. Today also turned into an unofficial laundry day and it was hard to walk around without bumping into someone’s wet clothes. Finally, when we were all about to go crazy from having spent the entire day at the Hostel, at 5:00pm Nishant took mercy on us and we set off on what was advertised as being a “half hour walk” to go to play soccer and Frisbee at a park. In reality, this turned into nearly a two-hour walk. Our consolation was that we got to see a really cool dam that we unfortunately were not able to take pictures of (lest one of us decide to do something horrible to it). It was time to head back once we did see the dam because the sun was beginning to set (which sadly meant no soccer…) We cut through the market and we were able to catch a three-wheeler to take us back to the SKCC Hostel and for unknown reasons, this ride brought us sublime joy (successfully fitting 9 people into the back of a three-wheeler was quite an accomplishment). However, our joy quickly turned to exhaustion and hunger, and most of us were asleep quite quickly after dinner…
Tuesday, May 11, 2004 Ferhana (Vista) Today we took a day trip out to Mussoorie, the Queen of Hill Stations, located at an altitude of 7000 feet. At 6:30am all 13 of us, along with Nishant and Shinto, loaded up into two Sumos (4x4’s). The road up to Mussoorie was curvy and bumpy, but the scenery was spectacular!!! As we admired the gorgeous hills and streams, many of us held onto our stomachs. After about an hour into the drive we made a puke stop….yes the motion sickness was that bad! After another hour, we reached Kempty Lake. Here we walked through a small market and found a snake tamer. Many of the students paid a small fee to hold the snake over their shoulders. As we progressed further into the tourist area we found a beautiful waterfall. We waded in the cold water just long enough to take pictures. Soon we were back on the road going further up to Mussoorie! Half an hour later we were finally at Mussoorie but had no money! After wondering around for at least an hour we found a private bank that converted our travelers cheques. With our hands full of money and growling stomachs we hit the Coffee Café. We enjoyed Burgers, fries, pizza, chocolate cake and various cold drinks! After refueling we shopped until we almost dropped (well at least the girls did). Next we headed to Dehradun. On our way there we stopped at a beautiful Shiva Temple. Some of the students went in and offered prayers. After reaching Dehradun, we decided to take things easy and unwind over smoothies, scrabble and the new books we just bought. We left Dehradun at 7pm (the ride was scarier and faster since it was night) and arrived in one piece at SMTA just after 8pm for dinner.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 Ahana (Superstar) Today we woke up to the usual crowing of the rooster – our ever-faithful alarm clock, minus the snooze button. The boys grumbled and harrumphed and had few choice words for the rooster along with various plans to try and silence the rooster. The results of the plans are still pending…so far, the score is Rooster/Boys = 7/0. Today is the last day at SMTA Hostel in Vikasnagar because tomorrow we head out to the mountains to start our core module. This means that this day marks: 1) The last day to shop ‘til you drop. 2) The last day to use STD, ISD, PCO and other abbreviations whose real names we don’t yet know, but, which allows us to communicate with our loved ones, and I’m sure that most of us took this mundane form of communication for granted – until now. 3) The last day for the Internet Café with the homely auntie who is so proud of her daughter who’s currently in a medical school in Russia. 4) The last day to buy cold Limca, cold Miranda, cold Frootie, and of course, cold, throat-caressing Pepsi that comes close, but doesn’t quite taste like home. 5) Finally, today is the last day to relax. And, we’re looking forward to this day ending. Most of us have started to feel as if we’re merely sitting around without any purpose. Our minds are in a state of numbness. Lying in beds, under the barely-attached rotating fans, watching the arms mix and re-mix the hot air around and around our rooms – and, with fascination. The timelessness of India has crept into our bones as well. One highlight of our day was the arrival of Thy, but, it was also bittersweet because Esther did not accompany her. A couple of us met Thy at the hostel when we returned from our shopping, and filled her in on all the things she has missed thus far. She fit in instantly and even ventured out to the market of Vikasnagar. During the night, Dr. Sachin met up with the group and we played some games to better our interaction with one another, and of course, act as foolish as we can. Our first game was “Boom” and people’s math skills came under suspicion. Then, we moved on to the “Name Game”, trying to figure out each other’s lovely handles. Before we began, we had to give Nishant and the late-comer Thy, a handle as well. Thy was way too sexy for her song and Nishant’s voice wowed us to silence. Finally, we went over some of the cultural sensitivity that we would need to maintain as a group of McMaster students being privileged enough to visit and interact with the villagers and had some fun, and a lot of exaggerations with the activity. We also received a token gift from Dr. Sachin, a handkerchief with the emblem “Mind, Body Himalayas” stitched in a circular pattern on a corner of the garment. After much brainstorming we realized that it was not JUST a handkerchief and that with creativity, it could become a sling for a broken arm, a water filter, a fly net, a present, and even, an undergarment. More than that, the phrase of the handkerchief gave us some thought and premonition about what to expect from the Himalayas and, of course, what the Himalayas expect from us. After a predictably delicious dinner, we headed off to bed, with even more delicious anticipation of finally…..finally going up to the mountains. And so, the true journey begins….
Thursday May 13th, 2004 Yajur Shukla (Refugee) Today marked the day for our departure to the SMTA Niketan located closeby to Chakrata. It also happened to be an auspicious day in India when many couples decide to have their wedding. There are four or five auspicious days according to the Indian calendar and we are blessed to be in India during one of these days. Unfortunately, our three jeeps that were arranged to take us to SMTA Niketan were delayed a couple of hours. Around 9am, we departed from Vikas Nagar and made our way up through the Himalayas. The roads were almost non-existent which made it quite the challenge for our drivers to safely get us to our destination. Looking out the window, it is almost impossible to describe the beauty that meets our eyes. Mountains upon mountains, some high and low, are found with winding roads and stream-like waters running through. After about three hours of driving, our group stopped off at a small local village for a lunch break. Maggie had kindly packed us scrumptious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (with cheese), and fruits to re-energize our group. After our quick lunch, we hopped back into our jeeps and drove for another two hours to SMTA Nikten. These two hours proved to be the most dangerous roads, as they were no wider than a small Volkswagen Beetle. Approximately five minutes away from SMTA, our jeeps encountered a large truck. All of us did a little prayer to help us pass this truck which almost took ten minutes. So finally, we arrived to our home for the next sixteen days. We were impressed by the facilities, as many people had us expecting almost nothing. The group enjoyed a nice hot Indian meal, and then retired to bed for a couple of hours. That evening, Dr. Sachin organized a gathering on the rooftop of SMTA. We were taught a song that goes as the following: Itni Shakti hami dana daka, Munkaj vishwas kum jola hola Hum shale nai ke rastai pai humsee Bhuka pagwee goola huna Dr. Sachin also gave us the interpretation of this song which would bless us for the next couple of weeks during our trekking journeys through the Himalayas. The song describes universal power given to us by God. This form of power is one that we can never lose. It helps us gain inner faith that never sways in the face of tribulations. We walk on the pathway of righteousness. We should also make the effort to not make unconscious mistakes. After an evening of chat-chat and laughter, our group went to bed early to prepare for our first trekking experience the next day!
Friday, May 14th 2004 Julian (Angus) Today was the real test of our preparation for this trip in another sense – today we climbed our first Himalayan mountain on the way to a nearby village to take part in a festival. I’d like to make a note here that today we were NOT awoken by the rooster back at SMTA in Vikasnagar, but we were greeted by the same delicious food, courtesy of our mom-away-from-home-who-never-stops-looking-out-for-us, Maggie! And after sporting our trek shoes for the first time, our traditional Indian clothing, and getting our BOOM game on, we set out on the two hour hike uphill to the village. The scenery was absolutely breath-taking, and all the tough terrain that we treaded climbing up the mountain was worth it in the end. We arrived in the village and filled our water bottles before heading up another hundred feet to a grassy hill overlooking the festivities. In came to our attention when we entered the village that the festival was a religious ceremony, and for this reason, Dr. Sachin decided that we should remove ourselves from the event and just observe. We all rested for a while up on the hill looking down on the market that was being assembled beneath us and we could hear the drum beats down below signaling that the local deity was being brought out. After an endless wait though and countless stares from the people down below, we decided to move on though so as not to disturb their festival. The festival was not going to start for a little while and we made our way through the crowd back down the mountain, taking a different route than the one we came by. It was an easier walk back down the mountain, although Jay recognized that it was actually harder on the legs, and we arrived back at SMTA exhausted. Everyone rushed straight for the kitchen for some cold drinks and we spent the next few hours in the afternoon resting and cleaning up. Just before dusk, everyone assembled on the roof for a surprise tea party for Julian’s birthday, and we sang Happy Birthday and gave him the awesomest card in the world! To say the least, it was a very, very good birthday. Afterwards, we discussed the next day’s events – the guys and girls would separate into two separate groups and travel to two different villages to interview people on their respective topics, followed by an evening meeting with a veid, and some teachers from SMTA’s campus here in Chakrata. Dinner was as home-made as it can get once again, thanks to our favorite cook, Maggie!!!
Saturday, May 15th 2004 Thy (Fred) Today was a busy day for the entire group. We started off early in the morning in order to beat the heat of the scorching sun. The girls took a short hike to visit a dai (village midwife). Ferhana again served as English-to-Hindi translator as Dhaneshewari Ji served as our Hindi-to-Jaunsar translator. The dai welcomed us into her home and we were grateful that she was willing to take time out of her busy day to talk to us as most dai's do other household and farming work. Her husband also greeted us and made known that he had heard of our coming to the village and that he was quite familiar with last year's SIHI group. After introducing ourselves in Hindi, the dai was very willing to answer any questions that we may have had. This was an especially important interview for the women's health group, although some questions regarding adolescent health and ayurveda were also addressed. We were offered chai (tea) and given walnuts as a form of hospitality. It was a very positive and educational experience. At the same time, the boys were lead by Sultan Ji to the village of Sanjor where they visited a local school. Talking to the school children and teachers was especially helpful for the children's health group as well as for the panchayath group. Some members of the ayurveda group also had the opportunity to interview the local vaidya (ayurvedic doctor). Both groups had arrived to SMTA by about 1pm for lunch which was deliciously conjured by Maggie as always. We were reminded of tomorrow's visit by SMTA's president, Mr. Joshi, at which we would also have the opportunity to ask questions regarding SMTA and our respective research.
Sunday, May 16th, 2004 Irfaan (Smooth) Today was definitely a day of distinction, as we had the most honourable opportunity to meet someone very important in the development of not only the Jaunsari people, but of all people residing in India. The President of SMTA (Society of Motivational Training and Action) was Mr. Kirparam Joshi. He was also accompanied by Mr. N.D. Joshi, a journalist writing for a local paper in Chakrata (which is located about 26 km from our current location in the hills.) Mr. K. Joshi was the one we had most interest in, as he was fluent in not only Hindi (of course), but also in English, which made him an invaluable resource of knowledge. Before we met with Mr. Joshi, we had a meeting to decide which questions would be asked of him (in a general sense) before each group would break off individually with him to ask their own questions based on their research of interest. After coming up with four questions, it was decided that I would ask the questions, which was of course, quite an honour. After introducing the group, and ourselves, we began. The first question we had was about the long-term vision of SMTA. Although we had much of this knowledge, it was important for the group to hear it from the man who knows more about the mission of SMTA than anyone else. Mr. Joshi eloquently talked about the beginnings of SMTA (est. 1986), and of the local visions of SMTA, which is specifically Human Development, and the mediums through which this vision is enacted (ie. value based; considering children as well as adults...). Mr. K. Joshi also talked about some of the strategies and approaches of SMTA, as well as their areas of involvement (ie. education, health, environment, etc...). We also asked him about the programs that were successful in implementation, and those that needed more work and fine tuning. From this questions alone, we have all learned that much work still needs to be done before the goals of SMTA will be reached. After these initial questions, the group broke off into their sub-groups of research interest. First was Children's Health, followed by Adolescent Health, Ayurvedic Medicine, Woman's Health, and finally my research topic, Panchayath. After a long three hours of interviews, we broke for lunch, provided once again by our adopted mother, Maggie. After lunch, there was a one hour interview by the journalist, who asked us many questions about Canada, ranging from our health and education systems, criminal and law systems, religious customs, etc... Once the interview was over, we were beat, but we still had a Research meeting to follow all that up with!!! Ugh, we finally got through that, (although much thoughtful progress and insight was discovered), and finally retired for a shower, dinner, and finally SLEEP!!!
17th May, Monday After an average 7 am (more like 7.30 am for more) breakfast, most groups made their way out around 8 am. The Ayurved group and Pancjhayat (aka Irfaan) traveled with Dr Satyendra and Dr Tiwari to see two local vaids and learn more about the practice of herbalists. We all gradually converged back to SMTA niketan, a little more tired and hungry than when we left. Anand, the generous fellow that he is, brought a box full of choice items (coke, limca, chips, cadbury) that we had requested from Chakrata, late last night, so those were distributed today. Everyone also had an opportunity to peruse emails sent by loved ones to sihi@mountaindiary.com (just a subtle reminder!). The afternoon was spent playing cards doing laundry, reading and catching up on Journals. As well the phone connection was quite decent today so quite a few people (including yours truly) received calls. Before dinner, everyone gathered on the roof to practice the "itni shakti" song and we surprised Dr Sachin with a pre dinner performance. However, in what is becoming routine , Dr Sachin one-upped us with his Hramonica skills. Post dinner everyone engaged in the usual activities including going to bed early, looking at the stars from the roof and working on journals.
18th May We traveled to Tungroli in the morning and the whole group came along. The children's and adolescent group both went to the primary school to interview the local teacher and his students. Later the entire met up in a local carpenter's house where the ayurved and panchayat groups interviewed the family. The women's health group interviewed a Dai and a group of 20 local women. We had mash potatoes as a treat, for dinner.
19th May Nitin Anand Tungroli was again the main destination for the children's and ayurved groups. At Tungroli the group went back to the school where the children's group facilitated some games and activities for the children. Afterwards both the groups returned to the carpenter's house where the ayurved group completed their set of questions. The women's group and adolescent group collected food and other supplies for a family in need. They had a pleasant meeting with the mother and children as they were extremely happy to meet us. Later when the girls reached the second dai's house, they were joyously welcomed. This was the second meeting with this dai who provided more entertaining stories for them. The dai concluded that the girls were "ripe" for marriage and had a few boys in mind. She even insisted on delivering the girls' babies and all she needed was a letter to let her when and where.. The rest of the group remained at SMTA where they gave Maggie a fond farewell until we could meet her again in Vikasnagar at the end of the core module. Later that evening the group played numerous Indian and Canadian games with the local children at SMTA. Everyone felt like children all over again!
May 20 A little after 5 am, a group of determined but crazy individuals (Irfaan, Sarah, Ferhana, Julian, & Amandev) set out on a trek that was expected to end by 8.30 am.. In reality, we cam back at noon, tired but exhilarated, We hiked up to an elevation of 7200 ft (elevation of SMTA 5800 ft.) and though it seemed that the top of the mountain was elusive, we did finally reach it and we were rewarded by an absolutely breath-taking view, On the way back, we passed an elementary school and decided to go in and say hello. Once again the students dazzled us with their dancing and singing skills (insert what others did..) and we were glad we visited. We had a research meeting at 5 pm on the roof and we began by role playing exercises. (The frisky five were accompanied by Belam and Sachin. Ed.)
21st May The women's health group woke up early to go to Sainjar. After meeting with villagers, they headed back. On their way they stopped and interviewed a private practitioner, an allopathic Bengali doctor. The ayurved group met with Dr Tiwari who showed them various herbs used for common sicknesses. Later on in the evening Dr Tiwari took the group on a nature walk and showed them various medicinal plants. The other group and especially the trekkers took the day off! The girls tried to learn traditional Jaunsari dances but failed miserably! Sarah mastered words to one song and convinced locals she knew Jaunsari. Later that night, some of us hung out with the SMTA staff and sang Hindi movie songs. The rest of the group played cricket and broke as many balls as they could! (They even duct taped it two times!) Everyone had a blast playing with the kids.
22nd May, Saturday Jayant Ramakrishna This morning we woke up at 5:00AM to leave for the village Mairawana, which resides on the opposite side of the mountain. For our trek, we packed breakfast, consisting of chapatti's and hard-boiled eggs. When we reached the opposing peak of the mountain, we are our breakfast while looking down on our SMTA hostel on the other side of the gorge. When arriving at the village (after a 2 hour hike), we were greeted by the entire village who brought out a blue tarp for us to sit on, with the villagers sitting around us. We were greeted by N.D. Joshi's son, who was visiting from Delhi and who spoke fluent English. After Irfaan introduced our group and we asked some general questions, we split up into our research groups to conduct our interviews in the most appropriate areas of the village. The ayurvedic and panchayat group went to a hospital, the women's health group visited a dai and the adolescent and children's health group trekked further up the village to the local secondary school. After reaching the school, the adolescent group interviewed some students in a classroom, while the children's group interviewed the gathering primary school students (who had a P.A. day). The teacher's were very accommodating and hospitable of our intrusion in to their school. After asking the young children some health related questions, the school children put on a cultural show for us, which was filled with singing and dancing. We also sang "Oh, Canada!" for them in return. On our departure of our village ALL the children crowded around us, watched us from rooftops and bade us farewell. It was the first time I caught a glimpse of how a celebrity must feel when surrounded by a mob of fans! On arrival back to SMTA, we were rewarded with the return of Anand from Vikasnagar, who had brought back some junk for the group! The rest of the day was spent relaxing, playing with the kids, reading, writing in our journals and dealing with our diarrhea...
May 23th, 2004 Today some of the SIHI crew was hoping to go on a morning trek, but because of the thunderstorm last night and rain we didn’t get a chance to go unfortunately. It was a day off for us and everyone decided to sleep in and go to breakfast later than usual. Without fail, Dr. Tiwari came into our rooms and woke us up for breakfast. After breakfast, Dr. Sachin went with a group for a short trek in the rain as a warm-up for the unexpected Indian weather that we could find ourselves facing on any village trek. It was a really nice change in weather though and most of us welcomed the cool air. The thunderstorm was unlike any storms back home too, with the thunder shaking the mountains around SMTA. At breakfast, we organized a meeting to discuss some of the articles that Dr. Sachin had given us, and we decided to have it after lunch. We had some free time in the morning beforehand and most of us spent the resting time writing in our journals and preparing for our meeting after having trekked to villages for the past three or four days straight. After our lunch, we spent the first part of the meeting organizing ourselves for the last few days of the core module, and decided which days to travel to Hardiwar and back to Delhi, and talked a little bit about Agra and how we would be spending the days in Vikasnagar. We then presented the articles we had read on “India’s sacred cow,” “The State of Health in India,” “The Affluent Society,” “Indian Systems of Medicine/Healing,” etc. A lot of the articles have really helped us out in our research here and some, like the one on stomach worms and how the patient perceives this illness (presented by Michelle), were just interesting articles that talked about Indian culture and perspective. We all spent the afternoon enjoying our rest day and working on details of our research. It rained for most of the day, and at night we all watched the thunderstorm over the mountains. We headed to bed early after our uneventful day, catching up on sleep, work, and rest.
Tuesday May 25th, 2004 Yajur Shukla (Refugee) Today our group woke up bright and early in the morning for our visit to Jogio. The journey would be rather long and uphill, so we decided to take our breakfast on the go to beat the heat radiating from the sun. The terrain was composed of rocks and steep narrow pathways. We frequently took breaks during the climb up, but were still able to make it to Jogio rather early. At the village, the Children’s Health Group went to a primary school to interact and teach the children about first-aid. This posed a challenge as the school teachers were at a training summit. The Women’s Health Group, Ayurvedic Group, and Panchayat spoke to village men about their learning topics. Their discussion with these men was lengthy and was beneficial in terms of revealing new ideas within their topics. Meanwhile, the Children’s Health Group having completed their first-aid session with the children, went to a family’s house with Belamji (SMTA Worker). The family was very hospitable offering us snacks and tea. Michelle showed the children of the family her photos of her family back in Canada. They seemed very intrigued and excited to view the photos. Before our departure back to SMTA Niketan, the family dressed Michelle up in Jaunsari traditional clothing, and took pictures of the Children’s Health Group (Michelle, Nitin, Jay, Yaj). The trek back down to SMTA Niketan was much easier than the trek up. When we got back, we all freshened up and were served an Indian lunch. For the rest of the day, the group wrote in their journals, interacted with each other, and played with the children from the nearby houses. Most of us were asleep by 9pm to rise and shine early for the next morning.
Wednesday, May 26, 2004 Ahana Strived to wake up early enough to catch the cool Himalayan morning at its best while we hiked up the mountains to the villages. Didn’t really happen as planned, but we still made it. The trekkers (Sammy, Irfaan and Julian) left as early as they could to conquer the highest peak that we could see from SMTA, with Belum as their guide. They pushed themselves and each other to their limits. They went and they conquered. Michelle, Amandev, Ahana, Rita and Yaj, along with Dr. Sachin and Dhaneshwari-ji as our ever-dependable guides and translators, decided to go to the village of MajGao, bringing our staple carry-on breakfast of Chappati (with peanut butter and jam…yum) and boiled eggs with us. The scenery was beautiful and the hike up was made easier and more fun by Dr. Sachin’s riddles and our easy conversations. We stopped for breakfast at a beautiful valley with green forests and fossil-lava as boulders surrounding us, amidst the cow dung. MajGao, like the rest of the villages that we visited, was very welcoming to us. We visited a family and then a primary school where Yaj and Michelle, as the Children's Health Group, wanted to ask the teachers and the students some questions and then give them a presentation on First Aid, leaving a First Aid kit with the school. One teacher held our group in suspect and was not very open to our questionings, even going as far as to claim that he has NEVER seen any of his kids fall ill, get cuts or bruises and have other health-related problems. The kids, on the other hand, were open to us all and took to the First Aid presentation very well, with some of them being volunteer models for the presentations. Yaj and Michelle then left the kids with some stationary and the first aid kit and we went on to visit some women and talk to them. Rita and Ahana, as part of the Women’s Health Group, spoke with four women as Yaj, Michelle and Dr. Sachin interviewed an adolescent boy for the Adolescent Health Group. The talk with the women went okay but the group was somewhat disturbed to learn that an ANM had yet to visit their village to give the required immunizations to the children. With mixed results from the visit to MajGao, the group headed back home, and along the road, was met with Anand and Maggie in the SMTA sumo. We were all overjoyed to have Maggie with us again, and some of us wanted to have the true Indian experience of riding on the rooftop of the car. Yaj, Ahana and Michelle hopped on and realized that Canada’s Wonderland didn’t even come close. During the evening, a Research Meeting was held, but, the last part of the meeting was an eye-opener for us all. Along with Dr. Sachin, we candidly discussed all the expectations we had for this trip, and the expectations that others had of us, and the ways that this trip could be improved for next year, focusing on the positives and not shying away from the negatives. We all realized that some of us didn’t really understand this trip to be more of a personal experience, and as Dr. Sachin put it, “Appreciative Inquiry” and tried to only focus on this trip as “Research”. The meeting was a valuable one as we were honest with ourselves and each other.
Post Script (Ed.) 29th - The group returned to SKCC hostel in Vikasnagar from SMTA Niketan in the mountains. 30th - The group gave a presentation to a group of SMTA teachers. 31st - The group went to Haridwar in three sumos for a day trip. Julian and Nitin said good bye, as they were to leave for Delhi from Haridwar itself. 1st June - Everyone rested. 2nd June - Some students visited Herbertpur Christian (Lehman) Hospital. 3rd June - The group boarded evening Shatabdi for Delhi, from Dehradun. Yajur went to his Grandpa in Dehradun. Rest everyone visited Agra over next few days, before returning.		Presentations Thank You!