No Snacks Needed
A few people have expressed interest in what I am eating. You will see that I'm eating plenty! I'm still learning the names of most foods, but enjoying everything, whether I know its name or not. Mostly we eat Indian food although we do occasionally have toast or several forms of eggs. Twice we've had french toast. Even without syrup it's tasty.

Here are a few meals served this past week. I will always start by naming the bread or rice dish, work clockwise around the plate and end with the extra dish on the side.
One morning for breakfast we had wheat chapati, onion raita, green peas masala with a hard boiled egg, and two fried eggs.


Another morning morning we had dosa. sambar, chatni (chutney), vada (looks like a donut), and a rolled omelet.

Yesterday morning I was very pleased to be served tea right after I sat down. Then a second cup with toast, butter and jam. Soon after I finished the toast Abraham came apologizing because the iddiyapam that was to be breakfast was not ready. He explained something about Tankaraj going to church the night before and the kitchen keys, etc, etc. I assured him I was perfectly happy with tea and then toast. By this time the iddiyapam was ready and was served with tomato chatni. I do like iddiyapam...especially with coconut milk.

Lunch is another large meal. For lunch on Mondays we have chicken, on Wednesdays fish. All other meals are vegetarian, although we do have eggs often. So Monday lunch we had white rice, chicken curry, chicken and gobi (cauliflower) fried, papad, veg. karuma and mixed fruit (pineapple, apples, grapes). Another day we had paratha, channa(chickpeas) masala, onion raita, and mixed fruit (grapes, pomegranate, dates).

Some days I'm unable to eat lunch at the office building so it is brought to me. Yes, brought to me. It is common for lunches to be dropped off at the school around noon. That way the food is hot. I, and many students, walk to the gate at 12:20 to pick up our lunch. Mine comes in this basket. The rice, veg kuruma and salad, or whatever we're having, are in the stacked and held together containers.

Dinner is a lighter meal. One evening we had egg and veg noodles with tomato sauce (ketchup).

Another evening we had dulka and veg. kuruma.

Chilled water is served with each meal. At breakfast and dinner we have a choice of tea or coffee.The coffee is Nescafe. The tea is made by heating milk, adding loose tea to brew, straining and then adding sugar for those who want it sweetened...and most here do. I should also note the food we eat in our cafeteria is toned down. In a restaurant it's much spicier.

The kitchen staff are students at a college in the next county. They are majoring in cooking, hotel and tourism. They are also learning English at their college. Their foreign teacher is from Korea. They have come from villages and when asked said they want to live in villages. But then the eyes of Abraham (middle) twinkled because he had told me earlier he wants to live in a big city like Chennai, Mumbai or Delhi where a cook in a hotel makes Rs 10, 000 to 15, 000 ( $250 to 375). His sister who is a teacher makes Rs 6,000 ($150). These students' practicum ends this weekend. They will return to their college and be replaced by classmates. Hope the new group has the same level of skills. I understand the prior group didn't measure up.

Something different.....

Smoking in public is banned here. You can smoke at home. That explains why I've only seen ten or so smokers in the three weeks I've been here.

Also paan(beetle nut) is banned in public. I've read a chew is enjoyed after a meal, but not in public. I think I've seen the red on some teeth, but I've not seen anyone chewing.

Water
I'm reading In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India. I found it in the collection of books left by other volunteers. The author, Edward Luce, has praise for the way things function in Tamil Nadu, the southern state where I am living. However he does mention a chronic problem with poor water supply. This has not been my experience so far. They must have made improvements in the last three years. It is true that the piped water is not potable but I have ample supply...most of the day. There are those two early mornings when I had water and then I didn't: once when I was washing clothes and once when I had suds in my hair- had to be. These experiences make me wonder if the water is shut off at night. (And you are wondering why I am up so early.)

During the day I have had no problems with our piped water. I think most people in this area have piped water. Although I am told that some poor do not. I have seen pumps like the one in this picture. They don't seem to be used all that much, but I have seen them used. I'm told anyone can use them.

There was a drought here 2 or 3 years ago and, of course, water was a real problem then. But then there was a good rain and now water is not a problem. There are tanks on the roofs, like these. Apparently water is pumped from below and held in the tanks. Maybe that's why I ran out of water on those early mornings - perhaps our tank was empty. I was the only one stirring in our building since it was early. The neighbor, though, was using her water. She is an early riser. I could hear her washing clothes with her water running. And yet my supply had petered out. Then life in my building began and the water flowed from my faucets once again.

We have no temperature control on our taps. It runs cold. Or so I thought. One day this past week I came home hot, sweaty and looking forward to a cool, refreshing shower. Imagine my surprise when the water was hot - and remained that way with no way to cool it down. Like the water in a hose on a summer day, the water in our pipes or tank is heated by the sun. So in the afternoon, we have hot water. The rest of the day we have cold water.

I'm following the example of those around me.... I'm washing my clothes by hand. So far. Every morning I wash what was dirtied the day before. In this way the laundry never piles up and is manageable. For now. I have noticed that not everyone is keeping up daily with their laundry. I have seen a few roofs, fences and lines with more than a day's worth of laundry drying. (And, no, I'm not washing my sheets or towel.)

As I mentioned, the water in the pipes is not potable. Some people buy potable water from trucks like this one. Viji says water is expensive. We can buy bottled water in the stores. It's Rs 12-14 (30 cents) for a litre. The women filling their jugs from the truck are paying less. It looks like coins are being exchanged...so maybe several rupees for a jug or two? You can also buy potable water from stores but not in bottles. You provide your own containers just like these women on the street are doing. Bottled water is part of what we volunteers paid for in our fees. The supply at the office is unending. We even get chilled water with our meals! (And, yes, I admit it. I did grab my bottle of water to rinse the suds from my hair that one morning!)
Like I said, I haven't found water supply to be a problem. And it doesn't seem to be for others either. Let's hope the situation remains this good. And that one day the water in the pipes is potable.
Two other notes:
I was able to watch the inauguration. It was shown on an English Language News Channel in real time. So, I was watching the ceremonies at 11pm Tuesday night. My principal said he would watch it. Viji, a teacher, and her family watched it and wondered if I was too. Might as well include a photo of Viji, her husband and her son. She has been very helpful and supportive.
Also- I mentioned to our yoga instructor that I'm always pleasantly surprised at the change in the weather by 7pm. At 3:30 when I return from school, it is hot outside. But then the sun goes down just after 6 and when we meet on the roof for yoga at 7 , it is cool and breezy. He said, "You are hot? This is winter." Oh. Yes.

Weekend Trip to Madurai
Every other weekend Projects Abroad organizes a fieldtrip. This past weekend 2o of the 30 plus volunteers, who are spread out over southern Tamil Nadu, met up in Madurai.

On this map Sivajasi is the 4th named city up from the tip. That's where I'm living. The next city to the northeast, unnamed on this map but near Melur, is Madurai. Sivakasi's population is 100, 000 to 200,000. Madurai's is 1 million. The train ride from Sivakasi to Madurai took an hour and a half, more or less. And it cost only Rs 12 (30cents).

People travel to Madurai to see the Sri Meenakshi Temple. It was built in the 1500s, covers 16 acres, has great stone walls and corridors, courts inside of courts....and is currently going through restoration. So, the towers are covered with mats.

A peek behind the mats shows the towers will be beautiful when the restoration is completed.

Everyone entered the temple barefooted. Sacred music played over a loudspeaker. Hindu visitors paid homage in front of different gods. Some put their hands together in front of their faces, some bowed, some made themselves prostrate, some circled in prayer. One group chanted and paraded. I felt the devout belief of the pilgrims. In one corridor I watched an elephant giving blessings for coins. At each of the 4 gates religious memorabilia were for sale.

Outside the temple a visiting family wanted me in their picture and then posed for me.

An ironer set up his business at the side of the street. His heavy iron was made hot by burning charcoal placed inside and his cart made his enterprise movable.
As the morning progressed more and more people filled the streets. Bare feet, which are seen, were even more common near the temple.

By mid-morning the streets were full. Cars, buses, bikes, scooters, autorickshaws fought for space. Shoe repairmen, jewelry salesmen, flower vendors joined the ironers. Tourists, shoppers, pilgrims, students went about their business. Stalls selling tea, sweets, green coconuts, fruit, juice, vegetables set up. Sweepers and garbage collectors cleaned and yet trash and garbage lined the streets. Horns, bells, voices spread their noise. Guides and drivers sought my business. Cattle with painted horns remained from Pongal, the harvest festival. A slight stench from garbage and animal waste battled with the sweet smells of flowers and perfume.

Across town was the Gandhi Museum. In 1921 Gandhi went to Madurai. This is where he started wearing the dhoti that he is famous for. And it is where he encouraged all Indians to dress in local fabrics, to boycott foreign materials. The Gandhi Museum gives detailed information on India's 200 year (1757 -1947) struggle for independence. Even more interesting to me were the artifacts: Gandhi's round-lensed spectacles, his sandals, his correspondence, and the blood-stained dhoti he was wearing when assassinated in Delhi.

On Sunday we volunteers headed back to our separate placements. The train was full. Some of us joined others sitting with the luggage above the seats. Here are Mandy, from Germany, and Daniella, from Switzerland. They are volunteering in an orphanage in a village. They are remote enough to be without Internet!

The women in the seats below us entertained us...and, yes, were entertained by us.

One mother made a make-shift hammock for her sleeping baby.

Another friendly mother and her son posed.

Vendors worked the aisles . This man with his local guavas was a hit.



A woman sitting below me knotted blossoms together with string. The women wear these strings of flowers in their hair.


As you probably have already imagined, I was enjoying myself!

I AM HERE!
I am in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu in the southern tip of India. I left Portland Jan. 7 at 11am. After 28 hours in flight through Chicago, Frankfurt and Mumbai, I landed in Chennai where I was met by Dass of Projects Abroad. There was time for breakfast and a four hour rest at the New Victoria Hotel before we caught an 8-hour train south to Madurai. We were met at the station by a taxi driver in a classic Ambassodor car. He took us two hours further south to Sivakasi. I was in my room soon after 10:30pm on Jan. 9. It was 9:15 am in Oregon. My suitcase arrived three days later. So, now - I am here.
My room has two twin beds, a wardrobe and a three-shelved metal stand I'm using as an end table. A mirror and sink with cold water tap are in one corner. Across from them is the bathroom with a Western toilet, cold water shower and cold water tap. A TV is mounted high on the wall facing the beds. The arm of the mount makes a good place to hang drying clothes. A fan above the beds creates a breeze which is cooling and helps keep the mosquitoes away. There is also a mosquito repellant plug-in. Three sets of windows and light paint make this a light-filled room.

The Projects Abroad building is located between two small side streets. There is a doorman on duty at all times. Here he is reading the morning paper. (On the right you can see a sand painting on the road. Today is Pongal, a celebration of harvest. The bright paintings at entrances are part of the celebration.) My room is on the second floor of this building as is the Projects Abroad local office. There are more rooms and the International Projects Abroad office on the third floor. The Sivakasi Times, a newspaper, is on the fourth floor. They have a small library of English novels. Our cafeteria is on the fifth floor. Yes, once again I will not be fending for myself. Here are three of the cooks who prepare our meals three times a day.
One more floor up you can step out on the roof. I've joined the yoga class that meets there. At 7pm you will find us under the stars stretching and breathing our way to better health.

I took this picture from the balcony outside my room. I'm looking down the side street in back of our building toward the busier street. Through the wires you can see cows feasting on sugar cane leaves. The sugar cane and feeding cows are part of the celebration of Pongal. Neither are normally at this corner.
Across the street from this corner is the Internet shop I'm using. It's Rs 20 ( 50 cents) for an
an hour. Some people wonder why I still have dial up at home. It's so I'm happy in establishments like this. So...this is the corner where I will be for the next two months. I'm adjusting to the noises and ways of doing things. Just some examples.... the woman next door is often up at 4:30 when she begins handwashing clothes and preparing meals. She soon turns on the music she loves to work to. ....I now know that the bells I often hear are vendors on bicycles with milk, ice cream and other goods. .....At meals we are often given silverware, but I am getting used to eating rice with sauces as finger food. And I'm getting used to using the fingers of only my right hand while my left hand stays in my lap, even when tearing tortilla style bread. ...Drivers here use the best side of the street whenever possible. When that's not possible they will veer to the left as that is the appropriate side to be on. .....When pronouncing local names the letter a is given a short u sound. ....And a circling wobbling head means "yes." Adjusting to this gesture has made me realize how often we nod and they wobble. We're such agreeable people!