Wednesday, February 6

Wednesday, February 6, 2008:
This morning the weather was again “unusually cool and rainy”. Evidently the weather here is usually quite a bit warmer and sunny. Of course, compared to our winter, the temperature was warm, but not as warm as we had anticipated so we were wearing several layers to keep us warm. We had been waiting to do some laundry, and our coordinator had asked our hosts to help us—so my host’s wife showed me their washing machine (it is much smaller than ours) and the spinner. She washed my clothes for a few minutes and then put them in the spinner. Since it was rainy outside she told me to spread out my clothes in the bedroom I was in and turn on the ceiling fan. She had already done her family’s laundry and it was strewn all over another room.

My host family did not have internet access at their home, but half a block away at a little shop in the back of a house I was able to get on the internet and for the first time the connection was broadband rather than dial-up so it was very quick. There was also a phone there where I was able to call home—it really is striking the contrasts between the old and the modern here in India.

Our first visit of the day was originally supposed to be the aluminum plant but due to security reasons we were not able to go there, our second stop was supposed to be the coal plant, but because of the rain that also did not work out. Plan C was to visit the school for the blind, deaf and mute, which the Rotary club sponsors. Our coordinator’s wife is the principal of the school. We visited a number of classrooms, and of course took photos. After the visit to the school, we stopped at a “tea house” for some tea and soft drinks. Next we went to a small store to get some groceries for preparing the food of our choice at our coordinator’s house the next day—a chance for us to eat more familiar tasting food. Molly and I were both not feeling well so we were not much help. We also stopped to do a little shopping for some souvenirs. Shopping here is a little different—each store just has one thing—like blankets and towels, or gold jewelry, or bangles, or CDs so it takes a little more time. They are also very small and crowded.

One of the most senior Rotarians treated us all to dinner at his house—which was a newer home. Unfortunately Molly and I were not well, and the meal times are especially unpleasant, the Indian hospitality practice, is to very insistently, and repeatedly offer food. My adventurous taste sampling yesterday did not seem to agree with me, and I was only interested in liquids or very mild food—in other words something that is not really part of the Indian food diet. After lunch, we drove around to see part of the aluminum and power plants. We also went to the hostel (dorms) where some of the children that attend the school for the blind, deaf and mute stay. They had just added on to accommodate more students. We are very impressed with how well the students manage.

After the visit to the hostel I went back to my hosts since I was still not feeling well, while the others went to get ready for going to a Hindi movie. At the theater you could purchase either a lower level, or upper level seat. We were given the more expensive upper level seats that cost about one dollar. There were not many people there and small baggies of different tasting popcorn were provided—it was a different movie experience. The movie was called “Sunday” and was about a girl who had lost a day, and was trying to piece together what happened. It was in Hindi, and at intermission we decided to go get ready for the Rotary meeting. At the Rotary meeting we did our presentation, and then had dinner. Again we were eating quite late (around 10 p.m.) and we still are not quite used to this practice.