Posted on February 23, 2017 under Thursday Tidbits with 5 comments

The guest of honor

So, a couple of days ago, Sister Archana, the superior of the Daughters of Mary here in Kannyakumari informed me that I would be relieved of my teaching duties on Wednesday. I never question Sister… and I never know what she has up her sleeve. She told me that I was going to attend a Sports Day at a school a couple of hours away. I would be the special guest. She asked me to forward a brief bio and a picture to the school authorities.

They ( the school ) arranged for a taxi to pick me up. I know what you’re thinking. It seems exorbitant to pay for a taxi for a two hour trip but like everything else, taxi fares ( and transportation in general ) are incredibly cheap over here. The driver was a pleasant chap but I soon found out that he didn’t know a single word of English. This suited me just fine as I wasn’t in a chatty mood. I sat in the back seat ( he insisted )  like some kind of celebrity and let a warm Indian breeze blow over my face. It was one of the most enjoyable and least stressful drives I have taken in months. Most of the ride was in a rural, jungle like area and the roads were in great shape.

As we approached the outskirts of the town, I saw what looked to be a road block but it was school officials, the local police, students dressed in track suits, photographers and a guy operating a drone. I thought that maybe they were expecting Prime Minister Modi but no, this was for the “ special guest from Canada.” I assisted in the lighting of the relay torch for the day’s events and we proceeded on down the road to the Holy Angels International School.

The school is located a bit off the beaten path and is a beautiful patch of real estate. Hundreds of students dressed in athletic gear met me at the entrance. I was causing quite a stir. I momentarily looked around for the palm leaves! ( Trust me, there are plenty of them available in this part of the world ).

The school property was festooned with flags ( including Canada’s ), banners and flowers. It was apparent that this was no ordinary Sports Day. I was escorted from the vehicle by the chairman and owner of this privately run institution. I quickly found out that almost all of the 580 students came from very poor families and that this was a not for profit enterprise. I also found out much later in the day that none other than Sister Archana was one of the key architects of this project when she was working in this parish years ago. BTW, in addition to her Phd., Sister has a law degree. She is a very smart and decisive woman.

I still wasn’t sure about my role in all of this but I have learned to simply go along with whatever is presented. The front patio of the administration wing of the building was surrounded by the entire school population. I was directed to take my place at the head table with school officials, the chief of police, and the parish priest. Something caught my eye. Behind the head table, there was a very large banner announcing the Sports Day. And whose mug was front and centre? Yours truly. I was a bit embarrassed by all of the attention. I took my place and we sat as we awaited the torch relay to reach the school grounds.

I glanced at a copy of the program placed in front of each dignitary. Item #12 caught my eye. “ Speech by special guest, Len MacDonald.” I knew I was going to be an observer but did not realize that I was the keynote speaker! I flipped the program over and hastily came up with 10 “bullets.” I wasn’t at all thrown off. I rather relish the opportunity to chat with young people and today’s event was right in my wheel house. The younger children were staring at me like the exotic bird that I have become while in India. I was sitting by the Chief of Police and , as he spoke no English, I wandered over to the kids and engaged in a spirited conversation.

I then heard the familiar strains of a marching song as throngs of students carried flags and marched smartly past the head table. And then it was time for the big moment: the lighting of the main torch. I was called to do the deed. Now this lacked the drama of Muhammad Ali lighting the flame at the Olympics in Atlanta but the school administration went out of their way to make this a very special day for the children.

I made my speech and was presented with a ceremonial shawl ( might have to buy an extra suitcase for my Indian clothing! ), fresh cut flowers and a gift.

Let’s just say that it was a wonderful day and skip all of the details. When I wasn’t handing out medals and doing selfies ( not mine ), I was talking with the students. I showed them pictures from home, including some huge piles of snow! I know that I won’t get a lick of sympathy from anyone but I was wearing slacks and it was 33 degrees and the humidity might have been 150 %. Go ahead. Drift a few snowballs at me. Actually, please drift some snowballs at me!

When I was leaving, they handed me one more momento: a Holy Angels International School coffee cup. Now I have achieved nirvana. I have a reliable source of excellent coffee and my very own coffee cup.

I told a little white lie earlier. My cab driver understood one English word. Actually, it’s not a word but an abbreviation: a/c ( air conditioning ). I asked him to turn on the a/c for the trip home but once we got out on the highway, I was happy to wind down the windows and soak up the warm breezes once more. I gave the driver a tip when I got back to the convent…. for not talking. It’s not often that you have a few hours of utter peace in India.

Have a great day.

P.S. Here’s how charity works. A dishevelled man showed up at the convent early yesterday morning. He tried talking to me but we didn’t know each other’s language. I got one of the Sisters and a few moments later, he had a heaping tray of breakfast and a cup of tea. He was hungry… and the Sisters gave him food.

 

Posted on February 9, 2017 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

 

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.”

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

Water.

Is it possible to transform the lives of an entire community?

In a word, yes.

For most people, water is an afterthought. We turn on the tap and out comes clean water, hot and cold and plentiful. We use it for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing, for toilets and doing our laundry. About the only time we really notice it is when our towns or cities are fixing a problematic water line or flushing the lines. We are mildly inconvenienced for a few hours while the necessary repairs/maintenance are carried out. We hear the comforting swoosh as the water is turned back on and after a few minutes of discoloration, we’re back in business.

There are many places in the world where getting water is a major undertaking every day of the year. In some cases, people have to travel significant distances from home to get water and then have to lug it back.

 The leprosy community is next door to the Daughters of Mary. The Sisters support these people who were afflicted by this terrible disease years ago. The good news is that the community has an abundant supply of clean drinking water. It comes from storage tanks on site and is transported to ten outdoor taps scattered throughout the village. The problem is that these 10 taps serve 60 families. There are no indoor water taps. That means that most people have to leave their homes and travel a distance to fill their jugs. The distance, albeit short, wouldn’t be a big deal for most individuals.

Amputations amongst people with leprosy, is common and very often it is the hands and feet that are the areas of the body most affected. Poor eyesight is another symptom of the disease.  Going to get water is much more complicated for these people. Having a water tap outside every home would make this aspect of daily life so much easier and would be one very small step on the way to independent and dignified living.

Fifty taps. $100 per tap. $5,000 in total. A drop in the bucket.

I am asking you to consider a contribution to make this a reality. You can buy one or more taps yourself  or perhaps partner with friends in your book club , alumni organization, coffee clutch or professional association. If you have a big extended family, maybe they could pool their resources and take this on as a project. I can’t think of anything that is more basic or more necessary in this circumstance.

It’s time “to turn on the taps.”

Next Thursday, my Faces in the Crowd story will be about John Ponnya, one of the residents in the leprosy community. I sat with John the other evening to hear his story and to try and understand what goes on inside the head of someone who has been discarded, cast out of his own home when diagnosed, marginalized and reduced to begging. This story is not about pity. It is about understanding. For someone who has had a life unimaginable to us, he still has a glimmer in his eyes and he has a good sense of humour. We shared some laughter through an interpreter.

Count your blessings and have a great week.

P.S. A few of you have been having problems with e-transfers. When you go into your on line banking and click on “interac e – transfers” ( or something similar ), would you please add the “ Daughters of Mary” as “ new recipient” and double check the e-mail address. A few folks have mistakenly used the incorrect e-mail address. The correct address is : investmentindia2017@gmail.com. There is no “in” between the words investment and india. I am still receiving transfers daily so I know the system is working. If you retry and are unsuccessful, could you please send me the name of your financial institution… just the name? I want to see if there might be one particular bank with whom we are having the issue and then we can try and resolve this. Really appreciative of your support… and patience.

Posted on January 5, 2017 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

An oasis of tranquility. My home for the next few months in India

 

So, I’m driving in a taxi from the airport in Thiruvanatharum  ( say that three times after a glass of wine! ) to Kanyakumari. I hadn’t eaten since the morning as both of my flights were short hops and they weren’t even serving peanuts. I was so hungry that I could have eaten an elephant when what should appear blocking the road? Why, an elephant, of course. The thought of raw elephant seemed tantalizing and even in my weakened state, I thought I could bring him down.

Oh yes. My driver’s name was Wilson. He barely knew any English so you can imagine my astonishment when he plugged in his ipad to the vehicle sound system and started playing English gospel songs and Christmas hymns, including Oh Holy Night. And he could sing too. He attends a Pentecostal Church and is a soloist. Wilson knew how to “pick it” when it came to music. ( Only those of you born 5 decades ago will understand this groaner ).

I was met at the convent at 10:00 p.m by Sister Sophie and Sister Beena. They presented me with fresh flowers and curried chicken. There were two other people in the welcome party. Ninian and Carol Bliss are from Mayo, Ireland and are also volunteering at the convent. They are lovely people and have already been here two months establishing a B@B for the Sisters located on the convent grounds.

When I went to bed, I was struck by the utter tranquility of the place. When I awoke in the morning, I realized that I had landed in a small piece of paradise as their property is an oasis of peace. They are big into horticulture and the grounds are simply lovely. I went for an early morning walk and not more than five minutes away, I was on the shores of the Arabian Sea. To breathe salt air ( and not burning garbage)  was a near mystical experience.

One of the many projects operated by the Sisters is a leper colony which is another five minute walk from the convent. I was shocked to hear that there were still such facilities. There are no active cases of leprosy in this part of the world. All of these people are suffering from the ravages of the disease. On New Year’s Eve, we spent two hours with the lepers walking through their small village followed by mass. It was a humbling experience.

No fireworks at the convent. We went to another mass at a church right by the ocean at 9:30 .During the tsunami of 2005, the church was levelled and a new one erected. Where the water reached is simply staggering to imagine when you climb the long hill ( maybe 400 yards with a fairly steep incline ) up to the main road.

The B@B was very busy and I met some fascinating guests. I must ask you to read Faces in the Crowd even when they are faces that are not familiar to you. I have two new stories that I’m sure you’ll find interesting. One lady does simultaneous translations… for the Pope and Obama, among others. The other lady was the chief protocol officer for the United Nations. Their stories are fascinating. Several other guests from different parts of the world shared their stories of being in India during demonetization. I could go on and on and on about this subject. It still isn’t any better than it was 60 days ago. My vow of poverty remains unblemished!

I am reading the first Harry Potter book. I heard J.K. Rowling interviewed on NPR the other night and decided that I would expand my literary horizons. Tuck this piece of information away for a few minutes.

On Monday, I had my iphone plugged into my computer getting it charged. Both devices were sitting on top of the television set, as the only available electrical outlet was nearby. I needed to take the computer over to the main entrance of the convent to post Monday Morning Musings. I unplugged the computer and started to walk away with it. Regrettably, I forgot to also unplug my iphone. The phone dropped to the ground and the power cord… disappeared. Did you ever think , that after all these years, you were finally “ losing it”? ( and I don’t mean the charger cord )

After a thorough check of the room, I headed over to the convent. I asked one of the Sisters if they could ask the ladies who clean the B@B rooms ( my room is in the B@B ) to take a look. Sister went one step better. She and two of the staff immediately launched their own search party and came up empty handed. I started to wonder if Voldemort was lurking somewhere nearby.

My iphone is my lifeline so I decided to head into town to buy a new cord. One of my children had an uncanny knack for finding lost items. I asked myself, “ where would she look ?” The only place I hadn’t looked was on top of a wall mounted dresser. The room has very high ceilings and the top of the dresser is easily ten feet from floor level… and 20 feet away from the television where the drama began hours previously. Problem is that I couldn’t get up to check. The standard hotel room chair only got me half way up the dresser.

The bed. I got on the bed. ( Please , Lord, tell me they don’t have hidden cameras in a convent! ) I still couldn’t see the top of the dresser so I started jumping up and down like a trampoline specialist until I reached eye level. There were a few items on top of the dresser but I couldn’t tell for sure. I did a perfect dismount ( a 9.5 is my guess! ). I scoured the room and the only item that I could find to give me leverage and extra arm length, while standing on the chair, was the toilet scrubber. I stretched as far as I could and started hauling bits of discarded items towards the edge. And there it was!

I will be writing my own story of wizardry: “ Harry Potter and the Catapulting Cord.”

POTTY TALK ALERT.

You knew this was coming. At some point in time, I had to tell you about Indian toilets. Many of you are sophisticated global travellers and have encountered many types of bathrooms. But for a small town guy, arriving in India for the first time two months ago, it was just a bit disconcerting the very first night to discover that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom. I was staying at the house of a friend in their guest room. When I came downstairs to inquire as to the whereabouts of toilet tissue, he matter of factly stated, “ What do you need that for?” It’s not very often that I can’t respond to a question.

The standard Indian bathroom has a toilet and beside it, a wall mounted device with a tap and a flexible hose. Some don’t have the latter but merely have a tap and a bucket. I did a quick Google search and discovered how to use both methods of cleaning after using the bathroom. ( see “semprotan cebok ) Rather than spoil your breakfast, I’ll stop there but like so many other things in India, I have adapted. I no longer carry toilet paper everywhere I go.

Have a great week.

P.S. MAN COLD UPDATE.

Kashayam.

You won’t find this at Shoppers or MacKinnon’s Pharamasave. It is a hot drink that can slay just about any malady, including the dreaded man cold. You’ll just need to go out and pluck a few leaves off your Neem tree, along with a few thulasi leaves. ( both are medicinal ) Add some dry ground ginger, lots of peppercorns and jaggary ( sugar cane ). Add water and boil for five minutes. Administer to the man of the house twice a day and after 48 hours, you won’t have to listen to your husband, partner or boyfriend whine and complain. Almost worth getting a shipment of ingredients from India, wouldn’t you say?!