Safe in North India

Since I last wrote there's been lots of excitement, not the least being the bomb blast in Delhi 3 hours ago (where we landed this morning). The news at this point is saying 25 dead and 90 njured... I've been trying to phone home since I heard the news, finally just got a message through to Deane and Wes and talked to mom as well. Anyways our group of 9 is together and doing well.
I'm really looking forward to arriving in Kelowna in 2 and 1/2 days... It's been absolutlely wonderful but it's been a month and a long time since I've been home.
We're currently in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal; tomorrow we wake up at dawn to see and hear the sounds of the Taj before the morning commotion. The seminar wound up for me with a last two days spent in the obstetrics and NICU units then out in a very rural primary health centre (two great days). Then we headed to yet another beach resort and enjoyed not only the beach, etc but two evenings of student presentations. They really grew a lot, and learned a lot about not only medicine but India and her people too. Probably my last post, see you soon! Love Barb

Photos

Well for the first time I'm able to add some pictures but can't figure out the slide show thing yet...anyways maybe I'll put some on facebook. I have tons of pics and luckily they are less expensive here so I'll have some hard copies to share when I get home :) Anyways here's a sampling of some of our adventures...

Weekend oasis

I typed up an update this morning and it didn't save, there's a super slow computer in the girls' residence that I'm not too fond of right now!! Anyways, I wanted to tell you about my weekend, we went to a French community called Pondicherry, supposed to be a 4 hour drive but it became 7 due to a road block. Anyways once we got there, it was all forgotten- this place was a 4+ star resort, and my goodness it was beautiful and classy. I got tons of pictures of the flowering trees, they were magnificent (as was the food). A huge pool, a beach just like Veradero Cuba, warm lovely showers, bathrooms with both TP and towels (mom and dad will appreciate that, having lived here). We could play pingpong (and did, of course!!), tennis, tons of stuff. The highlight was that one of the other teachers treated me to a full body Aruvedic massage- oil from head to toe, very invigorating (Bec NOTHING like the one we had in Calgary!). Then yesterday another treat, an outdoor yoga class with a world-class master teacher. Inspired me to do this when I get home, just like you, Laura. I love my family, my country and so much else about my life but I must say I'm falling in love with this country and her culture and people way more so than in the 70's. I hope I can share this country with all of my wonderful family one day... Today's the day I'm focusing on breastfeeding teaching and practices--they stopped bottle feeding here at CMC in 1995 so it is really cool to be in a baby-friendly hospital. Then later today I meet up with one of Carrie Vossler's local counterparts. One more clinical day here tomorrow at the Rural Health Centre, then three more adventures before I head home--Mahaballipuram (beach), Chennai again, and lastly Agra and the Taj Mahal. Love to everyone back home, see you soon!! XO Barb

Oh my goodness!!

Well I just have a few minutes today to update my blog but luckily I can type fast :) We unfortunately have an ill student back at the dorm that I will be going to take care of. Since I last wrote we are in a new city, Vellore, at the world-class Christian Medical College. There are several campuses, we are housed in a beautiful tropical paridise (Wes there are monkeys!!) at the 100 acre medical college that includes a huge family-centred psychiatric hospital (every room opens to an outside jungle-like park area, it is lovely, AND has cooking facilities, and has room for the family to stay), a Community outreach center, a rehab centre and more The rehab centre (as with all the facilities) does Nobel-type research. We were actually invited into the Spinal Cord Stem Cell research area and right in the lab saw a presentation on stem-cell research (amazing videos where Olfactory cells between the brain and nose are regenerated)- 6 months after spinal cord injury rats are able to have crude movement in lower limbs and-this is very cool- regained bowel and bladder control! Trials are starting with humans shortly (and bone marrow cells as well).
Today we were in Emerg/Trauma and that's a whole other incredible story (saw for eg a central line insertion).
To me the most amazing area is the rural health project, on another huge about 100 acre parcel, where they do so much more than lip service to address the determinants of health-- they not only have a hospital, but determined the needs of the unemployed and now have a college for young men to learn air-conditioning repair, motorcycle maintenance, welding, etc. Women join in collective "support groups" and become self-reliant in running money-making businesses like recycling, a turkey farm, bakery, etc. If anyone wants to listen, boy do I have stories to tell!! The health units are quite similar except that they are open 24/7 and have many children delivered there, wouldn't that be something! Well I must go and attend to my student. I'm having trouble with adding photos but will try at our next community. Love to all, Barb