Sunday, February 19. 2006
Weekend Update
So here's the weekend update. Yesterday, I gave a short talk on nutrition during pregnancy to a group of balwadi (nursery school) teachers who work in the area around our clinic. Did I mention that I had to give it in Hindi? I was worried that it would be a disaster, but thankfully I managed to hold things together. The minute I opened my mouth though, the giggling in the audience began!
After the presenation, they presented a flower to me and the two other people giving nutrition lectures and they made a short speech of appreciation. It was very formal but sweet of them! Then I attended a clinic session where the doctor I worked with saw fifty patients in in an hour and a half! It helps not to have to worry about medical liability in the documentation, we basically just had to write the diagnosis and treatment on each chart.
The photo is from a restaurant near my appartment, Tawaa. I'm mainly posting it because I haven't posted any photos yet! I developed my first LOMO roll and it turned out okay. I'll get a photo CD from my next roll so I can post some of them.
Friday, February 17. 2006
Rang de Basanti (a 6 on the Kollins -10 to +10 scale)
This theme permeates the new Bollywood film, Rang De Basanti, about a British filmmaker who comes to India to shoot a documentary about her Grandfather’s life as a colonial jailor. According to the story, he oversaw the execution of four charismatic freedom fighters during the early days of the Indian Independence movement. Branded as terrorists by the British Raj, the strength and dedication of these men created a personal crisis for him as he supervised their torture and eventual hanging. The filmmaker casts five carefree college kids (including the forty something actor Aamir Khan… hey, it’s Bollywood after all) to take on the roles of the condemned men. When a government corruption cover-up results in the death of their friend, a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, they are inspired into action by the characters whose roles they have taken.
Though their response is unnecessarily violent and a little bit preposterous, I couldn’t help but think about the difficulty in transitioning between endless and circular debate and concrete action. A similar idea was presented at the Gandhi exhibit I wrote about. A quotation of his stays with me, “Truth is my goal, Ahimsa (non-violent resistance) my method. With truth on my side I am invincible.”
Sunday, February 12. 2006
Bombay Duck
So, I arrived safely in Mumbai last week after a six-hour delay en route. The plane from Amsterdam to India was turned around after two hours because the toilets wouldn’t flush. At first I thought that we should have just pushed on, but then I realized how close my seat was to the lavatory!
More exciting on the journey though, was the announcement on the Detroit Amsterdam flight… “If there is a medical doctor on board, please report to the aft galley.” I sat frozen for about thirty seconds, several questions racing through my mind. What’s going on? Does a final year medical student qualify as a “doctor” in this case? What the hell does aft mean? I thought things over… I’ve worked in a hospital or clinic setting for almost two years now, so perhaps I could be of some assistance. I must admit I was relieved relieved, upon arriving at the rear of the plane, to find four physicians had responded. The first on the scene took charge, and the others had already turned around. Chief Complaint: Minor asthma attack.
I returned to my seat amidst admiring stares from my fellow passengers. Their respect made me ashamed of my initial hesitation. An hour later, a second announcement echoed through the cabin, “Will a medical doctor please report to the middle galley.” This time I stood with some other miscellaneous medical types a respectful distance away from the first responder. This time my stethoscope came in handy. Chief Complaint: Nausea.
Anyways, now I’m in Mumbai. I’m working with the same NGO I volunteered with in 2003, the Niramaya Health Foundation (www.niramaya.org), though this time around I should be able to see patients on my own in their clinics in Mumbai’s various squatter’s settlements. I’m also conducting a training workshop on water borne diseases for their community health workers, and I’ve designed a pictographic flipbook for them to show people how to make their own Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) to treat diarrhea. When I’m not at work, I’ll be partying near where I’m staying in Bandra (for those of you who know Mumbai). My sister has been here for the last several months so I can basically latch on to her pre-existing social circle! Using that strategy I ended up at a wedding reception at the Mahalaxmi race course last night, and yes... the drinks there were free.
Today being my day off, I went to the National Gallery of Modern Art for an exhibit on Gandhi. Every piece basically went out of its way to use interactive multimedia (video, electronic buttons, laser sensors, etc.), but they were so complicated that they all needed a staff member on hand to explain how to use it! I somehow found that level of labor allocation to be uniquely Indian, but I did enjoy the exhibit.
Lomo photos are on the way. I’m almost finished with my first roll of film!
Thursday, February 2. 2006
LA, LOMO Style
So upon arriving at Newport Beach, we were assaulted by members of the local high school water polo team. Being from DC however, we threw the first punches...
Afterwards, we had to make a quick gettaway in our souped up vintage mustangs (we each drove our own cars in true LA style). Our destination...Mulholland drive.
Next blog from India!
Thursday, December 1. 2005
NYC Lomo
Here's a photo from a restaurant in New York called Le Souk. I've managed to perfect my low light, long exposure shots by balancing the camera on a glass. Check out the restaurant's website, it's kind of crazy: www.lesoukny.com , the soundtrack sounds like my top fifty playlist!