Hey Pam and co.

Pam!! Thanks for your note, say hi to everyone for me and I do think of you guys. It is so amazing seeing community health in action here, so different yet so similar. Now I'm going to post some pics or at least try to :)

Mom's birthday today

Hi again from India. First of all Deane thanks for commenting on my last post, I miss you too and writing on this thing is always emotional for me because I do get homesick when I think of my sweet family (and the hockey I'm missing!). That being said, I'm having just the most incredible adventure and I don't even know where to begin. I'm feeling so much better now thank God, and my days and nights are almost switched around, but I seem to need less sleep here (I wake up about 4:30). The 20 students are just an incredible bunch and they make the three of us oldies feel very included and special. I've spent most clinical days in ommunity health- this country is very hands-on at primary health care, it's something to see. They do outreach health camps, which is really amazing, taking care to people everywhere. We had a presentation about outreach services for kids after cleft palate repair from the speech pathology unit yesterday- their work is groundbreaking and top=notch (in fact this university does very, very complex research on things from stem cell transplants for cardiac patients to phytoresearch in plants that have pharmaceutical properties--they make drugs right here! We had a tour of the 4 acre herb garden today but on of the leading pharmacy researchers, it was something else. The economic disparities continue to be enormous, but anyone taking advantage of the free health care system can have a birth attendant, surgery, TB or leprosy drugs, etc etc. I spent yesterday in the hospital OB/GYN unit with 5 students and we saw not only a birth (WOW!) but lots of breastfeeding moms, teeny tiny sick babies in the NICU, and more. Honestly each day has been about 5 life-altering experiences and it's all kind of hard to process. Well, the realities are also here--this place is not airconditioned and I am HOT so will sign off for now--love to all, Barb

YAHOO!! I made it to India, what an adventure I am having. A gruelling trip here but the coolest ever airplane TV/video/games unit in every seat- Wes would have loved it, you can play 2-person games (like bejewelled). I watched 4 movies and slept quite a bit too. Had layovers in Seattle, Amsterdam then a very interesting all-nighter in Mumbai airport. The domestic part is lovely, the international is scary!! We arrived in Chennai at 6:40 a.m. and stayed awake all day to try to switch around. Unfortunately I did myself in and now have a cold!! So anyways I have some quiet time at this internet cafe a dusty walk away from the university. Crossing the road to get here was crazy- the cars and motorbikes have the right of way so you have to be quick!!

I'm mentoring a group of public health students in the Community Medicine department of the medical school. I can't post pictures today but hopefully will next time. I'm on a really old computer. The university is GORGEOUS and well funded. Our rooms leave a little to be desired but most of the time we have electricity, air con and always have cold water for a shower so it's great. Yesterday the students went to the leprosy centre but unfortunately I was tied up with a bigwig ceremony (lots of that here). Anyways today we had an incredible lecture on leprosy then went to the TB (DOTS) program and HIV/AIDS counselling centre for pregnant women. The ladies and their husbands get tested- I will have a great inservice when I get back at work if anyone wants to listen :)

The rest of the week we are going to a community health centre, Alcohol and Drug treatment centre then finish at an HIV/TB sanitorium. Our days start at 7 and we go full tilt finishing with an optional field trip at 5 (although the buses seem to run at least an hour late...). FIeld trips include things like a trip to an orphanage, bazaar for shopping, the beach, and a 5 star hotel.

India has changed since 1979--there is much more prosperity evident everywhere because of the flourishing IT industry. That being said there are still huge socio-environmental problems like garbage everywhere, dirty water, poor people in bare feet (but very, very few beggars). The air isn't bad, though. Mumbai was awful and apparently Delhi is as well.

I miss my family and am sorry I am not with the new hockey players but I bet you guys are doing OK without me there. Deane it was so good to talk to you last night, boy a month seems like it's going to be a long time to be away...I'm going to call once a week. Wes, be ready for school, please don't spend all your money before I get home and have a great time in net next week. Good luck getting your courses sorted out, talk it over with dad before Tues. Laura, have an AMAZING time in Vienna, hope you got a great tenant and that you are leaving relaxed and happy. Becky thanks for being the mom in my absence, and sorry you've been chased out of your room but I hope things are going well getting ready for Calgary. Mom and dad, love you- both sides :) And Kand J too of course. And hi to my other "family" at the health unit.

Hey any requests from anyone for clothes?? They are SO cheap here. let me know on facebook or reply on this blog.

That's it for now, love Barb