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Published: December 7th 2006
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Mamallapuram Beach
AKA local's toilet Mamallapuram turned out to be great. As you can see from the photos, a lot of partying was done and there were a few hangovers to be nursed. However, i did do something constructive in the 3 days here. I've arranged to come back to Mamallapuram to work for an aid agency called Earth Aid Asia. I am going to be working with a local Health Worker, visiting the surrounding villages, and assisting with any health problems they may have. I'll find out more tomorrow, but i'm really excited, if a little apprehensive! All those lectures i went to for the 6 months i was doing my tropical nursing qualification seem to have vanised from my brain, aahhh!
So from here Mike and i headed to Chennai (aka Madras) for a few nights.We searched high and low for a Madras Curry, couldn't find one. Can you believe it! it must be something the British have made up to suite our palates!
Saw a few sights (on a hideous city tour- i never learn) but the highlight for me was Chennai Beach. Its not the kind of beach you go to for sunbathing or swimming, but the atmosphere early evening
was amazing. We headed there randomly, to find the beach swarming with Indian families having a day out at the seaside. There literally were people everywhere. And dotted around the beach were some of the most amazing food stalls, all teaming with people. Children were running about flying kites made from sticks and plastic bags, there was donkey rides, picnics, toy stalls, artists. i have never seen anything like it........this was definatly a highlight for me!
From here we got a overnight sleep train to Mysore. This was the funniest experience ever, i havn't laughed so much in ages. We were sharing the sleeper compartment with 2 Indian men and two indian women. The women were on their way to a Nursing Conference In Bangalore. As soon as they found out Mike and i are nurses, the lady to the left in the photo (who was quite excitable anyway) went into overload. "we are like one big family now, we are all nurses, i can't believe this, its so exciting, blah blah blah," she didn't stop for an hour and was so animated with her speech. Everyone in the carriage was in stiches..... i guess you had to be
there though! Turns out the lady in to the right in the photo, works as cardiothoracic nurse (same as me) in Chennai. She works at a private hospital that does mostly charity work. This could be a very useful contact because in the villages i will be working in there are two babies that have congenital heart defects and are going to have surgery in Chennai, and its at her hospital. Wierd!
Anyway.......'Mysore Eysore, don't bother with it, the Lonely Planet raves about it but really its rubbish'. This is what Mike and i were told by a fellow traveller about Mysore. But did we listen? No. And was he right? Yes!
Going to summerise the next few days in a few sentances, because i havn't got long to write it and i'm sure you're getting bored.
So Mysore was rubbish, i drank lots of cocktails (as you can see from the photo) to aliviate the bordom and time passed quite nicely! The palace was good though, its a replica of Winsor Castle, nice, but a bit out of place.
Then on to Bangalore, a great cosmopolitan city with shopping malls, bars, restaurants, loved every minute
of it. i took full advantage of the good exchange rate and last chance to shop for a while...........and filled my backpack to capacity!
It was also quite sad as this was mine and Mikes last few days together before he headed up north and i back to Mamallapuram. We ate lots, drank lots and and were merry and celebrated his birthday and christmas (both slightly prematurly) all in one night.
So sat morning we say our goodbyes, strange to think i won't have to see his ugly mug anymore, after seeing it 24/7 for the last 6 weeks. maybe we will try to meet up again after he has 'done' everest base camp and i have done my thing, we'll have to see!
Nine hrs later i arrive in the dark back to Mamallpuram, only to find my requested new room wasn't ready.............ggrrr! was given equvilent room till mine became avaliable, but i'm not impressed. i think the poor manager felt my wrath that night. oops! Met back up with my new friend Mel, an Auzzie that is in town for a while like me, and hung out!
Next day i get into my proper
room, after a lot of prompting and positive encouragement. i clean it from top to bottom and unpack my bag, hopefully for the last time for a while! Feels like tomorrow is my first day back at school. i have new pens, pencil case, books and (semi) smart clothes, and i go to bed early so i feel refreshed for my first day of work with Earth Aid.
Which brings me to the present day. i started work with Earth Aid 4 days ago and am loving every minute of it. the days are long and some of it is tough, but finally i am doing what i have always wanted to do! i really love and agree with the way that earth aid is run, its organised, fair, and doing some great things. the local and permanent staff are all great, and seem a really happy and fun team, so its a lovely environment to work in.
spent first day doing mostly induction and admin stuff and getting annoyed with very aloof french volunteer who is a bit random! but learnt a lot about the culture, cast systems, behaviours of the village people, and even had a
tamil language lesson, i think i've picked up the basics! which should be useful.
tuesday i spent in an outreach meeting with 4 of the local staff planning the next month ahead. they cover construction work, education, youth groups, health, child development,employment and environmental issues in 17 villages in a 50km radius of mamallapuram. i'm mostly involved in the health side of things, which is quite scary as i am the only one with any medical training at all. suddenly i am nurse-dr-pharmacist all in one which is scary.
after the meeting we visited 2 villages. one was water logged so we left the jeep behind and had to wade through knee deep water, i was fine untill they told me to watch out for snakes!!!!
1st village there was a elderly man, that had had a fever for one month, local dr just said take paracetamol, which didn't help. i think he had a chest infection, did a full assessment, but you can only go on vital signs with the absence of CXR, blood and micro tests!!! so we made arrangements for him to got to the hospital and gave him the money to do so.
the government hospitals are corrupt so you have to pay bribes to get seen. his wife has also fractured her wrist ( i think) so she is going with him. also saw a new born baby, checked out mums caesarean wound, weighed baby (i know nothing about babies, so reading lots of texts books at night), assessed patient with known VSD but she is too scared to go to hospital for further tests and so is denying any symptoms. quite worrying really but what can you do apart from educate her. also did HIV/AIDS teaching session to villagers. although quite frustrating that it has to be done through an interpreter!
today i have visited another village, had to loook at some nasty wounds, and try and work out what was wrong! if anyone can help me with the one in the photo then please do! it was frustrating and upsetting, because some of the things i couldn't help with because i just didn't have the resources or equipment.
Anyway, this is the last paragraph now. Heading to meet my new friends for a BBQ party at one of the restaurants. the social side of things here is really
good, the few foreigners that are staying here for a while all stick together and look after one another. i feel a part of it already which is great, and a big change after being in london for 6 yrs.
early to bed though for me, i'm helping to build a shelter in the morning, my builders bum is well cultivated for the job!
hope all is good with you guys and you aren't too sick of the build up to christmas yet!
Miss you xxx
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Ellie
non-member comment
Yo
Hi, Sorry I can't help with the diagnosis of the lovely sore. You crazy girl!!!! xxxx