Report of 14 Aug '05
Hello from balmy, breezy Chennai -
Happy Independence Day one day early, to all the Indians on this list! Tomorrow makes 58 years that we have been a sovereign democratic republic and I suppose for being as young as we are, we are doing ok. I look at the corruption, poverty and filth, and think we have more to do daily. The founder of the company Scott works for, Infosys, routinely has VVIP visitors - Putin, other visiting Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc. - all wanting to find out how the man could have been successful in creating that company in a third world country.
We have finished lunch, topped off by cold pomagranates. We had sapota yesterday and there is still sugarcane waiting for us in the fridge. Scott is helping Naren w/ physics and Navin is cleaning a very messy closet. As we discussed Naren's performance w/ his teachers, each one said he was capable of much better. He wants to act (for a living) and I think where would we be w/o Mr. Hanks, Ms. Streep, telling us of injustices and joys; yes, the kid can act, but only after he gets a graduate degree.
The vegetable market is a popular place on Sunday am's and it was packed today. The potato and onion man, whom we merely say Hi to and ask about, quickly weighed and bagged our selection though there were others waiting before us; we used to protest, and then realised this is his form of respect and courtesy, and say nothing now. The brinjal (eggplant) man has a wound on his right big toe; he has scratched it and made it worse, and the skin has thickened. The vicious itch-scratch cycle is not a good one, though of course scratching is momentarily greatly pleasurable. I prescribed a very good cream we have - antifungal, antibiotic and steroid in one - and it is a bit better. The tomato lady sustained a fall last week and hurt her arm; the pain med I suggested for her appears to have helped and of course she gave us 1.5 lbs of lovely tomatoes for the price of 1.
She passed! We have a student in our Friday tutoring group (where the overprivileged tutor the under-p) who is 9 and had been held back in 1st grade. When I left for the U.S. in early April, exam results were not back yet and I did not know if she had advanced. On Friday, 6 kids showed up for tutoring and when one of the tutors asked her which grade she was in, she said, "Second." I was DELIGHTED!! I am not sure if she passed b'cos we helped her out; if she enjoyed math so much she aced the test; if the teacher was tired of having her in 1st grade - don't know, do know that she passed!! Man, that is quite my best gift this year. I am not a big kootchie-kooer of little kids, but if I can keep these young folks out of prostitution or premature employment, and give them some vestige of childhood - an hour of hanging out w/ their peers, learning, coloring, getting a piece of candy at the end - I will be thrilled.
Doug, our English med student friend, asked if I'd got expensive Xmas presents from my patients; he said that was not uncommon among English doctors and that they got fancy perfume, chocolates, etc., from their patients. My best gifts have been that my patients heal, that a pain they thought they had to live with could be removed, that their diabetes can be managed. More than enough for me, esp considering I have a new wardrobe from several American friends. Also, there is no place in my closet for more stuff.
The Banyan has a glittering fundraiser, replete w/ famous movie stars, tomorrow. Scott and I have been given passes for it. I asked to pay, and was declined. We will go and have a good time. Scott returns to Bangalore on Tuesday - boss wants him there - and we are looking into the pros and cons of moving vs. staying. The education system is thunderously better here for the kids, but I am not a big fan of this divide and conquer stuff. Scott said he could not believe we had been apart for 4 months, that it didn't feel like it, that he didn't know what that said about us. Ditto; do know that I loved my time working in the U.S. and would head back there short-term if I had the opp next year.
"If you're lucky enough to do well, it's your responsibility to send the elevator back down." - Kevin Spacey
"Motherhood is not for the faint-hearted. Frogs, skinned knees and the insults of teenage girls are not meant for the wimpy." - Danielle Steele
Until next week, may you have tons of gifts of your own this week -
Renu
Happy Independence Day one day early, to all the Indians on this list! Tomorrow makes 58 years that we have been a sovereign democratic republic and I suppose for being as young as we are, we are doing ok. I look at the corruption, poverty and filth, and think we have more to do daily. The founder of the company Scott works for, Infosys, routinely has VVIP visitors - Putin, other visiting Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc. - all wanting to find out how the man could have been successful in creating that company in a third world country.
We have finished lunch, topped off by cold pomagranates. We had sapota yesterday and there is still sugarcane waiting for us in the fridge. Scott is helping Naren w/ physics and Navin is cleaning a very messy closet. As we discussed Naren's performance w/ his teachers, each one said he was capable of much better. He wants to act (for a living) and I think where would we be w/o Mr. Hanks, Ms. Streep, telling us of injustices and joys; yes, the kid can act, but only after he gets a graduate degree.
The vegetable market is a popular place on Sunday am's and it was packed today. The potato and onion man, whom we merely say Hi to and ask about, quickly weighed and bagged our selection though there were others waiting before us; we used to protest, and then realised this is his form of respect and courtesy, and say nothing now. The brinjal (eggplant) man has a wound on his right big toe; he has scratched it and made it worse, and the skin has thickened. The vicious itch-scratch cycle is not a good one, though of course scratching is momentarily greatly pleasurable. I prescribed a very good cream we have - antifungal, antibiotic and steroid in one - and it is a bit better. The tomato lady sustained a fall last week and hurt her arm; the pain med I suggested for her appears to have helped and of course she gave us 1.5 lbs of lovely tomatoes for the price of 1.
She passed! We have a student in our Friday tutoring group (where the overprivileged tutor the under-p) who is 9 and had been held back in 1st grade. When I left for the U.S. in early April, exam results were not back yet and I did not know if she had advanced. On Friday, 6 kids showed up for tutoring and when one of the tutors asked her which grade she was in, she said, "Second." I was DELIGHTED!! I am not sure if she passed b'cos we helped her out; if she enjoyed math so much she aced the test; if the teacher was tired of having her in 1st grade - don't know, do know that she passed!! Man, that is quite my best gift this year. I am not a big kootchie-kooer of little kids, but if I can keep these young folks out of prostitution or premature employment, and give them some vestige of childhood - an hour of hanging out w/ their peers, learning, coloring, getting a piece of candy at the end - I will be thrilled.
Doug, our English med student friend, asked if I'd got expensive Xmas presents from my patients; he said that was not uncommon among English doctors and that they got fancy perfume, chocolates, etc., from their patients. My best gifts have been that my patients heal, that a pain they thought they had to live with could be removed, that their diabetes can be managed. More than enough for me, esp considering I have a new wardrobe from several American friends. Also, there is no place in my closet for more stuff.
The Banyan has a glittering fundraiser, replete w/ famous movie stars, tomorrow. Scott and I have been given passes for it. I asked to pay, and was declined. We will go and have a good time. Scott returns to Bangalore on Tuesday - boss wants him there - and we are looking into the pros and cons of moving vs. staying. The education system is thunderously better here for the kids, but I am not a big fan of this divide and conquer stuff. Scott said he could not believe we had been apart for 4 months, that it didn't feel like it, that he didn't know what that said about us. Ditto; do know that I loved my time working in the U.S. and would head back there short-term if I had the opp next year.
"If you're lucky enough to do well, it's your responsibility to send the elevator back down." - Kevin Spacey
"Motherhood is not for the faint-hearted. Frogs, skinned knees and the insults of teenage girls are not meant for the wimpy." - Danielle Steele
Until next week, may you have tons of gifts of your own this week -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
8:18 PM
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