First week in India!

We have now been at our placements for a week, and I am not sure if I feel that is has been longer or shorter than that, but one thing is clear - is has been packed with impressions from day 1! Sebastien willl have to tell his story, but I will try to explain a little bit about my placement :) (I am sorry if it get's really long, but it's hard to explain all these things in few words... :)

I, Anja, am placed at a children's home 10 km outside the city of Dindigul, ca. 65 km north of Madurai. In this place as much as 175 children between 2  - 17 years live at all times, but it doesn't  really seem like they are this many because of the way they are spread out. The area where they - and we - live, consists of many different houses ( called cottages)  where the children are divided into groups of around 15 - 30, after age and sex. They have their own belongings and sleeping mats in rooms, and others rooms where they can play, do their homework, and eventally, sleep.. Our arrangements at the place seems rather luxuourius compared to this, even if they are treated very well here. Each volunteer has one room, with a bed and a dresser, and a connected bathroom with a toilet. My shower is a beautiful red and white bucked with cold water ;)
This is pretty much also my sink and my washing machine, but it works! And having water in the tap just a couple times a day (nobody knows excatly when...) makes me realize how dependent we really are on it!
But so far it works :)

From we, beeing me and MeHee (51), another voluteer from South - Korea, first stepped into the area, we have been very welcomed by everyone here! Our supervisor, who is the "overall boss", is called Madam Neela, and gets repect from everyone, both staff and children. She has an undefinable age, maybe bit over 60 years, but she acts like she is a lot younger. I guess it is like that, that if you are young in mind, you will also appear young to the people around you :)  Madam Neela also has a sort of aura around here, making her an important person, but not at all arrogant. She talks politly, but with respect of everyone, even the smallest children love her. She has showed us around, and taken the responsibility to be my "mother, grandmother or whoever you want me to be, just someone who is always there for you". It's good to know!

During the first week here, we have got to know the area a bit, and how our days will be.
The children's home is a part of the bigger Gandhigram Trust, which also consists of a primary and secondary school, a college, an university, an home for older people and a hospital focusing on the rural people of Tamil Nadu. Every morning we go for a 20 min walk, crossing the high way (it's a lottery everytime, but we are slowly adjusting to the crazy traffic here now!) over to the hospital to be at the adoption centre/ baby centre over there. At this centre they have 10 - 12 kids at the ages 1 month to 15-16 months. Our task is to play with them, talk, carry, sing, feed and change their clothes when they get wet etc. Even if they are very good with the children there, some extra pair of hands is always good to have!

This is a part of the the day I really enjoy, even if we are pretty tired after 3 hours with 12 kids and a lot of noise :) They are so cute, and as soon as they accepted us, I think they started to appreciate the time we spend there too. Still I sometimes think about the fact that me, Malene and many others I know has been in this exact position, and how lucky we have been to get were we are today! I was about the age of the oldest children when I came to Norway, Malene almost the same as the youngest and smallest!
And they are really tiny!! Already the first day I learned how to carry and entertain up til 3 children at the same time. That would never work with norwegian babies, since he or she alone would weigh the same as the two i already had in my arms! ;)

After having lunch, we have some time off, before we help out here at the children's home. Everyone is interested in talking to us, and with us, and very eager to teach us some tamil. We are trying, but it's a tricky language with many new sounds. But hopefully we will get a lot better after the two months here :)
Our afternoon consist of playing with the smallest children (2-4 years), and later talk with the older one's, and help out with homework if that is needed.We are still adjusting to what is expected by us (which can be a bit unclear sometimes), but I am sure things will work out for the best eventually.

Last thursday we got a new volunteer here, Marie from Drammen (Norway) ;) I didn't know I could miss talking norwegian that much in so few days, but apparently that was the case. It was also nice to have someone on my own age, and that I did not have to spell out word by word to.. We get a long very well, and I am looking forward to spending time here with her too :)

This was a lot of information, but I just wanted to say a little but about the place so you know what I am talking about in other posts later. Now I have get back to my place before the mosquitoes dig in to hard here, but will come back with some pictures as soon as I find the cable ;)

So -  All in all we are both doing good - starting to get used to the heat ( but not the mosquitoes!) and getting a long with people. Either of us have had any of the stomack problems we were warned about, and I think we can thank all the good vegetarian food for that :)  I, Anja, have of course managed to get the flu (not the first thing I thought I would catch down here..), but am getting better and better. But fever and 35 degrees C is not recommended! Sebastien is doing good over at his placement, and seem to have a lot of nice people around. He will come back with some more information about his placement too, soon :)

Hope everyone is doing good, wherever you are  :)
Promise I will give you some pictures soon!

Anja