Report of 18 Sept '05
Egad it's hot here.
Hope all are well. We have just survived a fairly epic sleepover (4 kids + our sons) and decided grounding, punishing, etc., probably have run their course w/ our sons. So we'll start anew, and let them have a life in addition to academics (always a tough act in India). The guests' parents joined us for a huge potluck ("pitch-in") last night and it was a fun evening. It is mighty nice when one can socialise w/ one's kids' friends' parents - homogeneity has its place.
Work is good. The Banyan remains a fun place to be. The sick room is getting fuller, and one of the residents who wants to stay on there as it is preferrable to the dorms will soon be evicted (not to the streets, but to said dorms). We have had some older patients (paatis or grandmothers) return after cataract operations and they are to be there until all follow-up is finished. One of them, Ms. M, is a cutie and I watched her the other day as she returned to her bed after a restroom visit. Her neighbor handed her her dark glasses, and I am always struck by the kindness patients here exhibit to each other, regardless of how sick they are themselves. As I watched Ms. M get to the bed unsteadily, I remained very grateful that she was at the Banyan and not made to feel like a burden to her family, w/ caustic words thrown in her direction and not enough food given to her - which is the lot of many older pts in India. M and I talked, we giggled, and she told me she had eaten 3 dosais - crepes made of rice flour - w/ the 3 hesitantly held up on 3 fingers. God bless Vandana and Vaishnavi for starting the Banyan, what a privilege it is to work w/ them. I hope to do it as long as I live. As I thought these deep thoughts, I looked over at M again and saw that she had inadvertently struck a very model-like pose w/ the dark glasses perched upside down on her nose; the medical assistant and I laughed out loud as she went to correct the situation. Humor is in abundance here, and it is a lovely place to work. Check it out - www.thebanyan.org.
The other orgn that I used to work for, Udavum Karangal, has a full-time Resident Medical Officer (RMO) now and does not currently need my services. Next week, I will figure out other options. My mother said the other day that it'd be good to have my registration to work here (still in the works as we speak) so that I could make some money, and I was surprised at the thought of money - hmmmm, I *am* working and the knowledge is kept up, the money is currently secondary. I have to admit it was great to have some in Indianapolis; I saved some to renew my membership in the American College of Physicians and now get their journal. It is very exciting to keep up w/ new advances coming from the West. Next on the agenda: to get to a meeting or 2 per year. I remember my sister Anu getting an invite out of the blue to join other pediatricians at a forum in Austria to discuss injury prevention in children, which is a great interest for her. I've often thought that'd be wonderful, to have someone say, "Dear So-n-so, we have heard of your work and would like you to join us for this meeting, or speak on the subject ...." Someday, perhaps.
Tutoring continues. We have new Security Officers in place at our complex and one of them apparently did not know of our effort, so I could see his whole skeptical demeanor through the window as he escorted 2 young girls towards our tutoring room. I waited for them at the door, and when the girls saw me, they turned triumphantly to him and pointed to me. He nodded, smiled and left. It was great to be a part of the girls' small victory. We worked on exam stuff for the kids, as everyone is in the throes of exams, and managed to get across the concept of addition of 3-digit numbers to a 2nd-grader: it is a fantastic feeling to see the light come on and understanding dawn.
We are going to be in withdrawal soon - the mountains of chocolate I brought have dwindled and we are hoarding every M&M. A lot of candy was given away as gifts, as it is so rare and precious here, and the kids' teachers were particularly appreciative. We saw "Madagascar" today w/ the family and loved it. Scott and I started watching "The Butterfly Effect" but stopped as it was so creepy.
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin
Renu
Hope all are well. We have just survived a fairly epic sleepover (4 kids + our sons) and decided grounding, punishing, etc., probably have run their course w/ our sons. So we'll start anew, and let them have a life in addition to academics (always a tough act in India). The guests' parents joined us for a huge potluck ("pitch-in") last night and it was a fun evening. It is mighty nice when one can socialise w/ one's kids' friends' parents - homogeneity has its place.
Work is good. The Banyan remains a fun place to be. The sick room is getting fuller, and one of the residents who wants to stay on there as it is preferrable to the dorms will soon be evicted (not to the streets, but to said dorms). We have had some older patients (paatis or grandmothers) return after cataract operations and they are to be there until all follow-up is finished. One of them, Ms. M, is a cutie and I watched her the other day as she returned to her bed after a restroom visit. Her neighbor handed her her dark glasses, and I am always struck by the kindness patients here exhibit to each other, regardless of how sick they are themselves. As I watched Ms. M get to the bed unsteadily, I remained very grateful that she was at the Banyan and not made to feel like a burden to her family, w/ caustic words thrown in her direction and not enough food given to her - which is the lot of many older pts in India. M and I talked, we giggled, and she told me she had eaten 3 dosais - crepes made of rice flour - w/ the 3 hesitantly held up on 3 fingers. God bless Vandana and Vaishnavi for starting the Banyan, what a privilege it is to work w/ them. I hope to do it as long as I live. As I thought these deep thoughts, I looked over at M again and saw that she had inadvertently struck a very model-like pose w/ the dark glasses perched upside down on her nose; the medical assistant and I laughed out loud as she went to correct the situation. Humor is in abundance here, and it is a lovely place to work. Check it out - www.thebanyan.org.
The other orgn that I used to work for, Udavum Karangal, has a full-time Resident Medical Officer (RMO) now and does not currently need my services. Next week, I will figure out other options. My mother said the other day that it'd be good to have my registration to work here (still in the works as we speak) so that I could make some money, and I was surprised at the thought of money - hmmmm, I *am* working and the knowledge is kept up, the money is currently secondary. I have to admit it was great to have some in Indianapolis; I saved some to renew my membership in the American College of Physicians and now get their journal. It is very exciting to keep up w/ new advances coming from the West. Next on the agenda: to get to a meeting or 2 per year. I remember my sister Anu getting an invite out of the blue to join other pediatricians at a forum in Austria to discuss injury prevention in children, which is a great interest for her. I've often thought that'd be wonderful, to have someone say, "Dear So-n-so, we have heard of your work and would like you to join us for this meeting, or speak on the subject ...." Someday, perhaps.
Tutoring continues. We have new Security Officers in place at our complex and one of them apparently did not know of our effort, so I could see his whole skeptical demeanor through the window as he escorted 2 young girls towards our tutoring room. I waited for them at the door, and when the girls saw me, they turned triumphantly to him and pointed to me. He nodded, smiled and left. It was great to be a part of the girls' small victory. We worked on exam stuff for the kids, as everyone is in the throes of exams, and managed to get across the concept of addition of 3-digit numbers to a 2nd-grader: it is a fantastic feeling to see the light come on and understanding dawn.
We are going to be in withdrawal soon - the mountains of chocolate I brought have dwindled and we are hoarding every M&M. A lot of candy was given away as gifts, as it is so rare and precious here, and the kids' teachers were particularly appreciative. We saw "Madagascar" today w/ the family and loved it. Scott and I started watching "The Butterfly Effect" but stopped as it was so creepy.
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
8:37 PM
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