Report of 13 Nov '05
Good morning from my Chennai living room -
The laundry is whirring, stray dogs are making merry outside, the men are asleep but I hear Navin coughing and my 3rd son has already got up once. This is a child named Akhil from a school in Kerala who is at Abacus on an exchange trip and is participating in Navin's 7th grade classes. He is a cute fellow, tiny, full of beans, and easygoing. We are enjoying his presence, and all thoughts of having > 2 children are temporarily satisfied. Probably permanently, also.
The week has been eventful. The city continues to reel under rain and its aftermath, and the Banyan folks have had a rash of upset stomachs. I was reminded by Leela of the need for an antibiotic as I continued my conservative management, and indeed, water-borne illnesses might be very common now. We do not have the luxury of testing everyone for typhoid and I treated 'em for it w/o test confirmation. The patients w/ TB live at a different facility, in Otteri, which has become water-logged, and all of them are now at the main campus in Mogappair. One of them, L, came into the sick room w/ fever and chills, and as she walked in, she saw me, let out a huge smile and said, "HEY!" I have treated her before and she is a little person who will unfailingly offer me her breakfast when I walk in, so warming me with her gesture. (She was found begging at a tea shop when she was brought in, apparently long-abandoned by her family.) I had mixed emotions at her greeting: happy to see her, sorry that her life is such that she's happy to see *me*, and giant gratitude to Vandana and Vaishnavi for starting the Banyan so that folks like L who were on the street now have a home, esp away from rain, and are fed, clothed and unraped.
The vegetable market also had its fair share of patients, including a young lady who appears to miscarry in the 4th month of pregnancy. When she spoke to me once, the head of the market told me to caution her to be more circumspect and respectful, as she had apparently sassed him and is brash and headstrong. I see nothng wrong w/ being headstrong, and talked to this young woman more. She then got very teary (and far from brash) as she spoke about neighbors belittling her for not having procrreated. This is unfortunately very common in India; if a woman hasn't popped a baby 9 months after getting married, everyone considers it their business to comment, and not very kindly, either. I held this girl's hand, told her I'd give her the name of a good Ob/Gyn, and she could get evaluated. The power of the human touch is priceless for me.
All of us, including Akhil, were harboring a virus and the weather was nasty on Friday evening, so I was late ambling down to tutoring, esp b'cos I thought no one would show up. Well, 2 little people did. The tutors had very efficiently opened the tutoring room and got started, which was a big relief for me. The young students said they had got their lessons done and their questions answered. It is time for me, then, to dole out more responsibility to the kids and continue to monitor, but unobtrusively. We are delighted that the kids are doing well. I used to think the kids were too young to be tutored, but we are laying a foundation, I suppose, for lifelong love of learning.
Navin is totally enjoying his guest and both have turned their room into a giant pigsty. Navin is not a clean sort, and I welcome all suggestions to help him keep his things in order. Rewards and consequences have not worked yet. Naren has asked to start dating, and we have refused, stating he is too young at 14. (All inputs welcome to this issue also.) Scott, Naren and I had a long talk yesterday, and we said Naren will shortly turn into Hormonal Harry, with thoughts of only one thing, and that this curiosity could run him into trouble now if he started dating. When he protested vehemently, stating he was not "that way," I told him we trusted him, but that a darkened movie theater and an attractive girl next to him could take his thoughts away from the screen. This discussion will continue. As for Naren's school work, a couple of teachers had some minor complaints, but Naren has buckled down this term and has brought home better grades. He continues to blow off math and science, and Scott will sit with him this weekend.
Well, I have to make a huge breakfast and we are taking the kids to see "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," so I'd better wind up. The kids had school-related activities y'day, including making up rain days, so Scott and I had a bonus day. We ran errands, including dropping off some American perfume to our travel agent (nice to dole out unexpected things thus), and went to eat some lovely Western food. We lingered over the meal, talked and laughed a lot. We also chatted w/ the chef, who is from New Zealand, and ribbed him for putting on wt. It was a spectacular time, relaxed and w/ awesome food, reminding me of the great benefits of having a nice spouse.
"The trouble with wedlock is that there's not enough wed and too much lock." - Christopher Morley
Unw -
Renu
The laundry is whirring, stray dogs are making merry outside, the men are asleep but I hear Navin coughing and my 3rd son has already got up once. This is a child named Akhil from a school in Kerala who is at Abacus on an exchange trip and is participating in Navin's 7th grade classes. He is a cute fellow, tiny, full of beans, and easygoing. We are enjoying his presence, and all thoughts of having > 2 children are temporarily satisfied. Probably permanently, also.
The week has been eventful. The city continues to reel under rain and its aftermath, and the Banyan folks have had a rash of upset stomachs. I was reminded by Leela of the need for an antibiotic as I continued my conservative management, and indeed, water-borne illnesses might be very common now. We do not have the luxury of testing everyone for typhoid and I treated 'em for it w/o test confirmation. The patients w/ TB live at a different facility, in Otteri, which has become water-logged, and all of them are now at the main campus in Mogappair. One of them, L, came into the sick room w/ fever and chills, and as she walked in, she saw me, let out a huge smile and said, "HEY!" I have treated her before and she is a little person who will unfailingly offer me her breakfast when I walk in, so warming me with her gesture. (She was found begging at a tea shop when she was brought in, apparently long-abandoned by her family.) I had mixed emotions at her greeting: happy to see her, sorry that her life is such that she's happy to see *me*, and giant gratitude to Vandana and Vaishnavi for starting the Banyan so that folks like L who were on the street now have a home, esp away from rain, and are fed, clothed and unraped.
The vegetable market also had its fair share of patients, including a young lady who appears to miscarry in the 4th month of pregnancy. When she spoke to me once, the head of the market told me to caution her to be more circumspect and respectful, as she had apparently sassed him and is brash and headstrong. I see nothng wrong w/ being headstrong, and talked to this young woman more. She then got very teary (and far from brash) as she spoke about neighbors belittling her for not having procrreated. This is unfortunately very common in India; if a woman hasn't popped a baby 9 months after getting married, everyone considers it their business to comment, and not very kindly, either. I held this girl's hand, told her I'd give her the name of a good Ob/Gyn, and she could get evaluated. The power of the human touch is priceless for me.
All of us, including Akhil, were harboring a virus and the weather was nasty on Friday evening, so I was late ambling down to tutoring, esp b'cos I thought no one would show up. Well, 2 little people did. The tutors had very efficiently opened the tutoring room and got started, which was a big relief for me. The young students said they had got their lessons done and their questions answered. It is time for me, then, to dole out more responsibility to the kids and continue to monitor, but unobtrusively. We are delighted that the kids are doing well. I used to think the kids were too young to be tutored, but we are laying a foundation, I suppose, for lifelong love of learning.
Navin is totally enjoying his guest and both have turned their room into a giant pigsty. Navin is not a clean sort, and I welcome all suggestions to help him keep his things in order. Rewards and consequences have not worked yet. Naren has asked to start dating, and we have refused, stating he is too young at 14. (All inputs welcome to this issue also.) Scott, Naren and I had a long talk yesterday, and we said Naren will shortly turn into Hormonal Harry, with thoughts of only one thing, and that this curiosity could run him into trouble now if he started dating. When he protested vehemently, stating he was not "that way," I told him we trusted him, but that a darkened movie theater and an attractive girl next to him could take his thoughts away from the screen. This discussion will continue. As for Naren's school work, a couple of teachers had some minor complaints, but Naren has buckled down this term and has brought home better grades. He continues to blow off math and science, and Scott will sit with him this weekend.
Well, I have to make a huge breakfast and we are taking the kids to see "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," so I'd better wind up. The kids had school-related activities y'day, including making up rain days, so Scott and I had a bonus day. We ran errands, including dropping off some American perfume to our travel agent (nice to dole out unexpected things thus), and went to eat some lovely Western food. We lingered over the meal, talked and laughed a lot. We also chatted w/ the chef, who is from New Zealand, and ribbed him for putting on wt. It was a spectacular time, relaxed and w/ awesome food, reminding me of the great benefits of having a nice spouse.
"The trouble with wedlock is that there's not enough wed and too much lock." - Christopher Morley
Unw -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
9:03 PM
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