The end of the road!

Pictures: Dosa cooking on the griddle, some of our group on presentation day, remains of our indulgent "western" lunch, Erin on the beach in Chennai, and me with Thendral- our host mom from Thanjavur

Our course is officially over, hard to believe! The last 2 months, and especially the last week or so, have been a whirlwind of activity. Last weekend in Kerala was a calming reprieve from our projects, but it was nice to know how much progress we'd made and that our final papers and presentations would soon be complete. After 2 overnight trains in 3 days, I spent my last night in Thanjavur, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming transitions- to the chaotic city of Chennai, and then to St. Louis, and then Oregon. Our host mom in Thanjavur was sad to see us go, and we were sad to say farewell to her after her amazing hospitality and kindness. We said our goodbyes and took pictures with her before heading out for yet another overnight train.
My impressions of Chennai after being in India for 2 months are much different than upon my initial arrival- although things are chaotic and loud and still occasionally overwhelming, I feel more accustomed to the hustle and bustle, and I have a better understanding of the culture. I'm not as hesitant to venture out and explore, and I appreciate knowing how to navigate some of the busier streets and shops. A group of us endulged in a trip to the westernized mall on our first day back- I think some of us were craving some of the foods and comforts of home- and were excited to eat at Pizza Hut of all places. Other than that I'm trying to eat as much delicious Indian food as possible before I return to my usual diet.
Our final presentations were yesterday, and the preparation leading up to them was definitely tense- most of us were locked up in our hotel rooms writing, creating power points, and practicing speeches. I felt lucky that I wasn't presenting but helped my groupmate prepare. After hours of working on the paper and presentation slides we were both delirious and just hoped for the best the next day. The following morning most of the women in our group attempted to dress up in sarees (we all had creative approaches to draping them, none of which were correct), and headed to the ICTPH office. While waiting for presentations to start, I ventured to the cafeteria and was pulled aside by 3 female janitors- they insisted on fixing my saree. It was pretty comical having three strangers unravelling me and putting me back together again, kindly donating their safety pins to secure me in the endless fabric. We all laughed and had a good time.
The presentations went really well, although the audience was smaller and less intimidating than I was expecting. We were all prepared to be thrown challenging questions, but there were very few questions at all. At least were were prepared and the ICTPH staff attending seemed to be pleased with our proposals. ICTPH was kind enough to transport us to a nice resort on the beach of the Bay of Bengal for swimming and dinner. A few of us were adventurous and swam in the bay- the water was a perfect temperature and the waves were easy to swim through- I felt totally at peace.
Now I have 48 hours to say goodbye to India, process my time here, and spend time with my colleagues and friends who have made this experience pleasant, interesting, challenging and inspiring.

Kerala Pictures

Kerala = Paradise

Welcome to Kerala, listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful places in the world (according to some guidebooks)- I can certainly say it's on my top 10 list. But prior to arriving at such beauty, five other girls and I had a fun evening of riding the overnight train. Our host mom in Thanjavur, Thendral, was so kind and offered to make us dinner to go since we were leaving right at dinner time- she drove to meet us at the train station because she didn't want us to be late but insisted on bringing homemade dosas, curried vegetables, and coconut chutney (to die for). She even waited around with us and helped us find our seats- she's such a sweetheart! The train ride was alright, although sleeping was challenging- something about the stopping and going and swaying kept me awake. But we arrived on time at 6am and were picked up by our driver who took us around Kochi, a town on the Arabian sea. We visited a lovely cathedral, walked along the beachfront- there were numerous Chinese fishing nets, fishermen, and fish, accompanied by swarms of cats and crows eagerly awaiting scraps. Oddly there were also a lot of chicken feet strewn about the sidewalk... interesting. We were all pleasantly surprised at how clean the area was overall- it might have been thanks to the abundance of funny animal-shaped garbage bins which I found amusing. After realizing that most places don't open before 9am we went ahead and left for Alleppey (properly known as Allepuzha), where we ate breakfast, visited a home where people weave rugs out of coconut fibers (really incredible to watch) and finally went to meet up with our houseboat. I had no idea what to expect, but after our short trek on foot down a muddy path to the waterfront I was pleasantly surprised to see large, beautiful boats with comfortable looking decks and rooms enclosed by woven palm-frond roofs. Our boat was more than welcoming, with comfy chairs and benches at the front in the open-air (where we spent most of today) and cute rooms for all of us, and just us. There's a kitchen at the back where our hosts prepare incredible home-cooked meals- lots of fresh seafood and coconut included- and even electricity and running water in the rooms. Who could ask for more? The rest of our day has been nothing but relaxing, enjoying a delicious lunch complete with whole, pan-fried fish, multiple fresh curries, rice, and freshly made tapioca desert (much better than your average tapioca pudding). Tea time included bananas fried in coconut oil, definitely decadent. After spending most of the day sailing around the seemingly endless waters separated by thin patches of land from vast fields of rice paddies, we docked next to an idyllic view and were greeted by a man who had just caught fresh prawns- he held one that was still alive out towards us. We were adventurous and bought one, which our hosts graciously cooked for us with enticing spices. So much delicious food, I'm looking forward to walking around a bit tomorrow to burn some of it off.
While I've been relaxing and on vacation, I still think about why I'm here- it's hard to stop thinking about peoples' health and livelihood here and what would work to improve some of the dramatic health disparities. India itself has tremendous variations in health outcomes across the country- in some of the northern states life expectancy and infant mortality rates are problematic, but in Tamil Nadu and especially Kerala, these areas are not nearly as big of an issue. Kerala was recently noted as having better health outcomes than the rest of India, and often by a long shot. My fellow travelers and I have been wondering why this is. From a day of observations, it appears that Kochin and Allepey at least have fairly good infrastructure- quality roads, garbage collection, laws in place for wearing helmets (and people actually wearing them, not a common sight in other places we've been)... not to mention the sense that people demonstrate caring for their wellbeing through exercise (there were numerous people exercising along the beachfront) and even wearing seatbelts (another rarity elsewhere I've been). It makes me question how these ideas and attitudes came to be- were these the result of strategic governmental promotions, or more a reflection of an overall variance in culture? How much does the environment play into it, with more availability of fresh and healthy foods and beautiful places to exercise? It's tough to say, but interesting to consider. Meanwhile I will continue to soak up the luscious green scenery surrounding me, the sounds of lapping waves, and the smells of cooked fish and coconut- a true paradise.

Madurai Pictures

Madurai, history, and spiritual gifts

Erin and Shawn and I embarked on a quick weekend journey to Madurai, a city considered to be the cultural center of Tamil Nadu state. We were adventurous and took the bus- no air conditioning, but the open windows did us well, and the price- about $1- was hard to beat. It was nice to see the scenery and not feel like so much of a tourist, at least for those few hours. Upon arrival in Madurai, however, we joined the many other foreigners coming to the city to visit the magnificent Meenakshi Amman Temple and the Gandhi museum. Both of these places were awe-inspiring- one for its architecture and spiritual history, and the other for its detailed accounts of India's tumultous past and the noble efforts of a humble man to establish unity and independence in the region.
The temple, actually composed of two attached temples, consists of architecture dating back to the 17th century. Fourteen gopurams, or towers, rise above the temple walls to illustrate various mythologies with their thousands of intricate, colorful figures. The tallest of the gopurams consists of 1,411 individual figures- one can only imagine how long it took to construct such a thing. The ceilings and walls are decorated with the myths of Meenakshi's life and eventual marriage to Shiva, as she was considered to be an avatar of Parvati, Shiva's wife. Meenakshi was said to have been born without conception, with fish-shaped eyes and 3 breasts, one of which was destined to fall off when she met her true love. This happened when she first encountered Shiva, and the two were married. Various statues and paintings throughout the temple illustrate their meeting and lives together.
It was amazing to see the temple come to life with so many visitors- a multitude of devoted Hindus, people celebrating weddings and births, and foreigners from all over. Many of the stone statues were carved from huge single stones and covered with chalk and ash markings, which people leave as blessings and prayers. Music rings throughout the imposing stone walls and even as an outsider I could not help but feel that I was in a very special place.
After getting a taste of the history and significance of the temple, we explored the city in all its chaos and noise, a welcome change from the rather quiet outskirts of Thanjavur. We had delicious meals, including mango ice cream, and visited a hilarious bar in the basement of a hotel- it was built to resemble the interior of a spaceship, complete with light-up consolses, a bizarre metal portal for a door, and futuristic seats. The musical selection included Tamil pop music, which we're now very familiar with, and some American pop music from the 1990s- a fun and eclectic mix to listen to as we journeyed into space.
In complete contrast, we visited the large Gandhi museum located close to our hotel. I had known very little about the history of India and about Gandhi himself, but the museum filled in the gaps in my knowledge. India has suffered great conflict and tumult both from internal and external forces, and especially the British. It was painful to read about the exploitations of the East India Company and the brutal attacks on anyone resisting British rule. Gandhi's role as a non-violent leader seemed crucial for India's spirit and autonomy- although it is unfortunate that his vision of a united India was not realized, as the division between India and Pakistan still occurred. Nevertheless, it was inspiring and heart-wrenching to read about Gandhi's passion and self-sacrifice in the name of his country and people. It is unfortunate that so few people have both the ability and the audacity to stand up for the wellbeing of people as a whole, rather than remaining under the oppressive will of the privileged. And it is more unfortunate that there are still those who willingly oppress and exploit those who lack the power to resist. Although I don't have the answers to ending such suffering, I am thankful for the inspiration and example that Gandhi and other remarkable people provide.
Back in Thanjavur, this week holds further progress on our implementation and evaluation plans- writing, researching, and our final field visits to be sure that our ideas are feasible and useful for ICTPH, and of course, in the best interest of the people who live here. I still struggle coming to terms with the idea that in such a short time we can provide something that is really useful, culturally-appropriate, and likely to succeed, but I am hopeful that with ICTPH's investment in the rural communities they work in, they will be able to tailor our interventions according to meet the needs of the people there.

Kodaikanal: Feels like home

This weekend was a welcome break from after some intense work over the last month- a group of 9 of us students ventured to Kodaikanal, a town way up in the Palni Hills, part of the Western Ghats range in Tamil Nadu (west of Thanjavur). I wasn't sure what to expect, as I heard a variety of estimates of the weather ranging from high 90s to rainy and 60s... I packed a variety of clothes, and was thankful for the few long-sleeved items and rain jacket since a mild, chilly and damp terrain greeted us. We managed to catch a beautiful sunset as we approached the base of the hills, but missed out on the scenery as we swerved around incessant curves, climbing ever higher for nearly 2 hours- finally we saw lights going up and down the hillside and into the valley below. We stayed at the Dalethorpe guest house, where the very kind owner greeted us enthusiastically. We were all surprised at the chill and the damp in the air, and I was excited because it felt so much like Oregon! It was nice to be cold and make myself at home in the little cabin behind the guesthouse, fireplace included! We awoke the next day to a chilly and grayish morning, eating omelettes and limitless toast provided by our gracious host. Kodaikanal is known for it's tremendous trees, waterfalls, and other natural wonders, so we set off to explore with the guesthouse owner as our guide. We drove up the hills to a trailhead guarded by monkeys (luckily they weren't being scary) and leading down to a small waterfall. It was disheartening to see trash on the trail and even in the water, but I tried to let it slide so I could enjoy the experience- being in the woods, not being hot, and listening to flowing water made me perfectly content. I even discovered some recognizable plants- sourgrass (a.k.a. oxalis), stinging nettles, ferns... again, it made me nostalgic for Oregon. We continued downstream and saw several other small waterfalls, took pictures, and enjoyed the little bit of rain along the way. After that hike we continued to another trail further up the road. We traversed beneath tall and spindly eucalyptus trees and next to a rock wall protecting a pear orchard, and occasionally got glimpses of the lush green mountainsides beyond the trees. We approached a clearing and, despite the misty haze, we could see towering mountains all around us, abundant forests descending into a vibrant valley- it was incredible. We all grew silent and approached the edges of the cliff, wearily peering down the steep drop into the abyss. I got a little dizzy as I approached the edge, the sheer height was hard to comprehend. As I peered over I discovered a tiny waterfall deep in the valley and wished I'd brought a parachute so I could drop down and see it up close. As the clouds grew darker we headed back toward the car and proceeded to get completely drenched over the hour walk. It was nice to have a hot lunch, complete with a cafe au lait and pizza, to warm up after the rain. I explored the town a bit, discovering some fun craft and jewelry stores, and even a restaurant/hotel called the Astoria! Needless to say I was excited. It was strange to be in a more touristy area than Thanjavur- seeing white people was a strange phenomenon, and having tourist attractions like paddle boats and even "Fun Park" - complete with zorb ball (not sure what that is) and shooting sports (yikes)- made me confused about where I was.
The next day involved more hiking- returning to the amazing place on the cliffs, and then proceeding further to hike down to Dolphin's Nose- a rock outcrop overlooking the same valley but from a different angle. The trail was a tough one, with sharp declines, rocky terrain, and even a long stretch of "steps" composed of elaborate root systems. It was beautiful, though, and the views from the ridge, although scary at times, were amazing. After wearing ourselves out, we ate at a Punjabi restaurant (north Indian cuisine), where I was excited to have chana masala (spicy chickpea curry) with vegetable-stuffed Kulcha (delicious tandoori-oven-toasted flatbread). Needless to say, I ate to my heart's (or at least my stomach's) content. Lunch was followed by a stroll around Coaker's Walk, a brick pathway along the mountain ridge built in 1872- again, more amazing views of the mountains and valleys, along with a nice glimpse of the town from afar. Some of us explored the lakeside as well, which was beautiful despite the heavy traffic and numerous vendors surrounding it. I was so happy to get to see yet another diverse piece of India, and to experience cold and rain after a long month of relentless heat. And since I love food, I should also mention our excitement at discovering that Kodaikanal is known for their handmade chocolates, and also some fruits that are hard to find elsewhere such as avocado, starfruit, mangosteen, and pears- all to my taste buds' delight!
The trip home was just as stunning- coming down the mountain in the daytime was exhilarating, seeing the endless forest and dramatic plunges into deep valleys- I tried not to think about the narrow road and the often frightening driving conditions. We passed Rat's Tail falls- a very narrow and insanely tall waterfall that I would have missed if I hadn't been so excitedly eyeing the scenery. Truly some amazing places that I'm thankful to have the opportunity to see.