In the late morning hours I am finally on my way up towards the Arani Mansion. It has been 22 years since we left Ooty, India's "queen of hill-stations." In the crisp cold air and bright Ooty sunshine, I walk up the hill pass the old college, the large playing field, and the famous stone house, the first house constructed by the British. As I get closer I take the detour along a windy path that passes through a small village and lots of vegetable crops. Even as to this day children stick their little heads out of their houses to [View Full Entry]

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Of all places I visited Ooty was probably the highlight. This is truely an amazing place. While located in south india it has the falvour of europe or parts of north america in both weather and architecture. Various tribes such as the Todas have probably had inhabited this region for some time, but the British made it the retreat of the then 'Madras Presidency,' sometime in the 1800's. Colonial style homes or mansions are still abundant. Ooty's climate is somewhat of a paradox. It is the low latitude city with high latitude climate, like Seattle. This is only possible because it [View Full Entry]

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The Seven hour car ride from Ooty to Kochi was painful, but later found that it was worth the trouble. Car travel from Coimbatore to Kochi must be avoided because the roads are in a shamble simply they can not bear the burden of traffic. Take the train. Koci is one of those few very unusual cities in India, where the influences of multiple cultures and religions are deeply felt. There are Dutch, English, and French Jewish influences easily noted in both food and architecture. Again an amazing mixture of religions coexist peacefully, a reality of which they are verbally proud. [View Full Entry]

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Goa- Day 4 On the second day on the beach, was contemplating leaving the area, given the mixed experience in the lonesome resort the night before. While taking a long walk up the coast ran into a very nice spot in small alcove filled with palm trees. This area is on the Asvem Beach and is shared by three or four separate small shack resorts, all of which are quite atmospheric. Rock Bite is the place in which I stayed. It is located on a slightly elevated area right off the beach. It has a very nice restaurant, with outstanding seafood. [View Full Entry]

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Goa Day 3 Spent the night in the Panjim People's hotel; it is a turn of the century colonial house turned into an art studio, school, and guest house. The Hotel is located in the Fontainhas neighborhood, which is reputed to being Asia's only Latin Quarter. After breakfast got on the rented scooter, put on the back, and ventured into the unknown. Had a general idea where I was heading, north. There are multiple beaches and small villages studding the northern coast of Goa. For a small portion of the ride used the major highway. Riding was much less nerve racking [View Full Entry]

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Goa, Day 1 Two words summarize the situation here at Panaji, Goa’s capital: hot and very humid. Arrived last night via a direct flight from Ahmadabad, capital of Gujarat, a five-hour bus ride from Udaipur. It pretty much feels like a steam bath. On arrival arrival last night it rained heavily, which is unusual for this time in Goa. Goa has a very interesting mix of cultures and religions. The local language is Marathi but a few older folks still speak Portuguese. Hindi is not commonly spoken here. Today I walked into a local spa, where hairdresser was a Muslim, and [View Full Entry]

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The noise and the street hustling put aside, the charm of Udaipur, I think, lies in its architecture and roof top restaurants. There are so many of them that are hard to choose which to go to. All offer very good views of the city, and are haven from the street noise and pollution. But that is not what is on my mind today. The situation with hustling appears to have gotten worse. The hustlers continue to hustle with rapacious audacity, and know no limit. "If it was up to me," said my gentle and very kind host, "I would hang [View Full Entry]

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We made our last village visit 2 days ago. To reach the village of interest, we had to drive 40 minutes south of the city and use teritialry roads to get to it. We then had a little walking to do to get to the Balwadi or day care center. At the time of our arrival we found the children and the children seated in the Balwadi (child care center) which is poorly lit. The children on our arrival were asked to step out and clean theri hands and faces. They did so in a common tub which was laying outside [View Full Entry]

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Day 5.Field visit is arranged for in person assessment of Balwadis (child care centers) in the Block that is most affected by Malnutrition according to recent survey. The the jurisdiction of the villages under Seva Mandir is arranged by blocks, zones, and villages. The "X" Block is in the northwest region of Rajastan, with plenty of Forest land, and is considered the greener part of the state. This is predominantly a tribal region, and is reputed for a high rate of alcohol abuse and associated social ramifications. The villages are very remote. To get to most of them, we have to [View Full Entry]

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Day 4 Visit to local Pediatrician Office. It is late in the afternoon and the air is gradually cooling. The waiting room of Dr. Ashok's office is filled with parents and their young children. The patients are seen one after the other, with very little wait time. Before embarking on the first field trip for data collection in regards to malnutrition in the Balwadids, consult a local pediatrician who has worked closely with the NGO's health program. After a few 15 minutes of waiting a lady with a white sary who is probably the nurse ushers me into the office. Dr. [View Full Entry]

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