The Children of Hope & The Girls of Kripa Saran...

Well, can't quite believe I'm writing this, but it's a wrap! My last of four weeks volunteering here in Darjeeling, and it has just flown by! My last week and a half was spent using up the contents of that incredible package I received in the mail...thank you again all who contributed to it!! So I wanted to provide a little more detail on my projects while I've been here, as I've been waiting til the end to share them with you...

Hope School
The children of Hope are truly amazing kids...I've learned so much from them, more than I could ever have aspired to teach them! I know I described the school and how it's setup in one of my earlier entries, but I can't stress enough how they've just eked out an existence on the upper balcony of a temple for this school and what they're doing with the limited resources they have! Needless to say, the kids were thrilled with everything in the package that I took in to them...I've attached some pictures of the kids hard at work on the various projects I had them do the past four weeks...the looks on their faces tell it all I think! From tissue paper flowers, to foam sticker collages, to Playdoh and Cooties...they were overjoyed to get their hands on it all! Most kids demonstrated some form of developmental delay, and obviously, there was a pretty incredible language barrier, as the children only spoke Nepali or Bengali, knowing very little English, and sometimes even being non-verbal, or having a speech impediment...it was just as hard for me to understand them as they were trying to understand me. But they comprehend so much it never failed to surprise me, and they're so eager to learn! And they pick up on the subtlest things...completely ignoring how far I would move the glue out of their reach after they created a large lake on their paper and reaching for more, all the time giving me the biggest, most mischievous smile they could muster! Mostly I tried to work on developmental motor skills through creative/purposeful activities/fun stuff for them! So handwriting, cutting, pasting, coloring, tracing, etc., all trying to encourage bimanual integration, fine motor coordination, age appropriate grasp-release, etc. etc. (I won't bore you with the list of things in my occupational therapy-trained head that I tried to focus on with each activity). My main goal each day was to get the kids to produce an end-product that they had done as much as they could on their own or with as little assistance as possible, so they could take it home and show it off. I know I've mentioned this before, but people with disabilities here are automatically counted out, seen as oddities and kept out of the public eye mostly, so just giving the attention to one child each day by either sitting with her for 5 minutes to help her cut out shapes or spending snack time feeding one of the kids with cerebral palsy and doing the "airplane" to make him smile...completely makes their day...it blew me away each and every day how simple it was to create joy for these kids and I was more than rewarded by what I took away at the end of the time I spent there! Unfortunately, a lot of the kids need one-on-one attention, so most of the time, I was wishing I had 3 laps and 8 arms, but I managed somehow! Now, I hate to say it, but I did have some favorites...you might be able to tell from the photos...one of the little girls who attends Hope with her little sister, both of whom are only there because they have short limbs (!!--noted only because if these kids were living in any Western country, all they would need is a one-to-one aid or some other basic classroom support and they'd be attending a regular school) due to malnutrition while their mother was pregnant with both of them. Her smile never failed to give me the warmest fuzzy, and she loved to have her picture taken! She absolutely loved every craft activity and was so tiny that it just was impossible not to scoop her up each time she came in the door! There was also one little boy with cerebral palsy with whom I had a standing lunch date! He is about 5 years old but is already quite the charmer, throwing me a coy smile as wide as the Grand Canyon, his whole face lighting up every time he saw me! As with most of the kids with CP, one side is weaker than the other, and he demonstrated a moderate amount of spasticity, so he preferred to use the side that works best, naturally. My first day at Hope, I was asked to feed him, and by the end of that week, I had him getting the spoon to his mouth after loading the food on for him, and in 4 weeks time, he can feed himself with his unaffected side but most importantly he is now holding onto the cup of food with his spastic hand with assistance for about 5 minutes! (Another concept I really pushed...getting the kids to use their weaker sides, even if it was just to assist their other hand in the task they were doing, as they are not really encouraged to...it either takes too long or they make a huge mess!) Well, today being my last day, it was the last lunch date with my little man, so I sat down next to his high chair as usual, but then the teachers told him something in Nepali, and it took him a minute, but then his face fell, out came the lower lip, and he just started wailing. I had no idea what was wrong, checking his positioning to see if something was pinching him, and then they told me what he was reacting to, which was that they had told him it was my last day and that someone else would be "feeding" him tomorrow, and mind you, I had been keeping it together pretty well, but that just made me come unglued, and I started crying! Talk about hearts breaking all over the place...but by the end of lunch, he was smiling at the bubbles and balloons I pulled out!! Today, my last day working with the kids at the school, I brought in the paint and brushes that were included in the package, and I'd like to share this one little breakthrough that just made my week...little did we know we had our very own Van Gogh who managed to use the whole container of blue paint on his one piece of construction paper (see picture), but the amazing part was that this little boy, who has the worst case of hyperactivity I have ever seen, not being able to focus on a task for longer than 5 seconds, and then throwing things or sabotaging other kids projects after he loses interest, which pretty much meant he was not very popular with the other kids and the teachers were always quick to jump all over him. Well, he became my little project you could say, and today, he was able to stand and paint 2 pictures for a total of 25 minutes, with only a few mishaps!! I was so proud of him, and he knew it! We were both beaming the whole day!! He actually was picked by the teachers today to give me my cream-colored silk scarf, a sign of respect and to wish me well, which he placed around my neck during the little goodbye they had for me today during lunch!

The highlight of the week had to be yesterday though, as I got to take the kids to the zoo!! I had talked to my in-country coordinator here earlier in the week about the idea, and her husband being in the tea industry, and with a lot of connections around town, made a call to the principal of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute/Zoo, and needless to say, we got in for free!! It was a little misty and rained just a bit, but in no way did that dampen the kids' absolute zeal as we wandered around! About 40 students and teachers piled into 2 jeep taxis (meant for about 10 people each...keep in mind--kids with disabilities here!), me with two kids on my lap and very glad it was only a 5-minute ride to the zoo! Once we unloaded and paired off the kids with teachers, some children requiring 2 people to assist them in managing the stairs and steep hills, and some having to be carried, we spent about an hour walking along all the outdoor cages. The kids had an absolute blast, especially when they had to find the animals that were "hiding." Right off the bat though, we saw a "balou" as we entered the zoo, which the kids were ecstatic and squealing over, which as some of you familiar with the Jungle Book, know that that means bear!! We also saw snow leopards, barking deer, yaks (!!), red pandas, lots of birds, and even some Bengal tigers! I don't know who was more tired though when we got back to the school...the kids, or the adults! Definitely the only way to see the zoo though, through the eyes of children that don't get to experience these things very often.

The Girls of Kripa Saran Buddhist Mission
This was my other project while I was here in Darjeeling, which was kind of an unofficial one started by previous volunteers, who would just go here about an hour a day to spend time with the girls when they got home from school. There are about 41 girls here now, and they are all their own unique personalities...it was so much fun getting to know them! Among their favorite things to do when I was there was to play cards, or "tas", so I taught them a few new games (Go Fish among them), and thanks to whoever included Uno in the package, because the girls love it now! They were also introduced to dominoes, and I had so much fun showing them the ropes! Another favorite activity was dancing!! They had a small cassette player and a few tapes, so another volunteer and I went out and bought a few new ones for them, their new must-play tape being Shania Twain!! Especially the song, "Man, I feel like a woman!" Lots of laughs as we had dance party after dance party (see picture)!! They were so fun to teach new moves to...the tango, with the dip!, the mashed potato, and their new favorite...the disco! John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever, move over, cause these girls can boogie! Thank you also to the people that contributed hair accessories and bracelets to the package, as it made for a day of girly-ness! They were fighting over mirror space and I had a line of girls wanting me to do their hair with the clips and elastics that I gave each girl! I will really miss them and have felt truly blessed to be with them, even if for only a few weeks...seeing these girls at the same points in their lives that reminded me of things that I went through at the same age, it reminded me of how important parents were for those times when I was growing up, and I can only pray for them that their journeys will be ok...they are truly wonderful though and I have no doubt they will become beautiful, independent women!

So that has been my last 4 weeks here...so amazing to be involved in both projects...they will have special places in my heart for a long time to come! A few other highlights from the past week...Indian Idol update: last week's voting placed Prashant (Darjeeling's native son) in the bottom ranking and he was almost eliminated...come to find out...Darjeeling's text message votes via mobile phones were not going through, so there was a huge protest through the streets...shops closed down, people were basically on strike until it was all sorted!! So this weekend's round should be very interesting!! Another highlight...as a token of gratitude, another volunteer that is staying at the hostel and I decided to make chocolate chip cookies, an American specialty, for our host family. Well, who knew how hard it would be to find basic ingredients like chocolate chips and flour!! We had to go from shop to shop, as there is no real supermarket here...picking up one thing in this store, another in that store. The ingredient we had the most trouble with, however, was none other than brown sugar! We searched probably every shop in Darjeeling, asking everyone and their brother where we could possibly find brown sugar (which we were finally able to acquire)...getting the strangest reactions from most, which we just attributed to it not being used here that much. We shared this story with our host family after the cookies came out of the oven, just fine by the way and very tasty!, who started laughing! I guess "brown sugar" in India means a refined form of heroin...who knew?! That would explain all the strange looks! So there you have it...still learning as I go! It is getting rather late though, and tomorrow is quite a big day, as my Charles arrives and we start our whirlwind tour of India together, after spending a few days in Darjeeling!!

Indian Idol...

So I'm sure most of you are familiar with the popular TV show in the States called American Idol, which got it's start from Britain's Pop Idol...well, now there's an Indian Idol believe it or not! For those of you not familiar with the show, there are 3 judges who travel the country holding auditions that thousands turn out for, narrowing it down to 50 or so that travel to a certain destination and then whittle it down even further to 16 or so that compete live over the course of an extremely prolonged/drawn out period of time, til one is named the next American Idol. The judges do have some say, but the general public has the final vote, casting via telephone for their favorite contestants week to week, each one having their own number. I first became aware of this craze sweeping India when I saw signs plastered all over Darjeeling to vote for a particular contestant--Prashant Tamang--who's hometown is...you guessed it--Darjeeling! I have also been able to view this show/extravaganza, with the girls living at the hostel who are attending local Loreto College. I was unable to stay up til 11:00 with them when the show ended and only saw the first 1/2 hour or so of the 2-hour show, and keep in mind they're still in the preliminary stages, with a dozen or so guys and just as many girls. I did however surmise that Prashant did well based on the squealing I heard coming from the girls still upstairs, and by the fireworks and cheering I heard outside my window coming from all over the hillside!! Needless to say, Indian Idol has taken Darjeeling by storm!

And for the most exciting news of the week: I received a package!! For those of you who contributed to the 40-pound box of goodies, thank you, thank you, thank you!! Just seeing the box sitting at the hostel, I was ecstatic, but then opening it up and pulling out everything, I was completely overwhelmed by your generosity. I have been taking a few things in every day, and the kids are absolutely thrilled with the stuff they get to make and do with all of it! I promise to have pictures by next week, as their faces tell it all much more clearly than I could put into words! So a tremendous thank you goes out to all who contributed! Hard to believe next week is my last, but as they say, time flies when you're having fun...who knew how great it is to spend 4 weeks playing and making crafts with kids that are thrilled beyond belief with a new bottle of glue or a new pack of crayons!?

Elephant Riding in Jaldhapara...

Now that I've conquered yak-riding, I thought I would give elephant-riding a go...So this past weekend, 2 other volunteers and I made the 3-hour journey down from the hills to Siliguri, where we then transferred to the vehicles that would be taking us the 5 hours to Jaldhapara National Park, located southeast from Darjeeling and at only 61 meters in altitude, very hot on the plains of India as it is now summer here too. The heat is unique here...it is definitely hot, but the humidity, combined with the dust and pollution, leaves a sticky feeling to the skin that is an experience in itself. I felt like we finally arrived in India, not only because of the heat, but also with the drive through towns where bicycles, rickshaws, autorickshaws, trucks, cars, cows, goats, dogs, and pedestrians all jockey for space on the roads, then passing by endless fields, and seeing people bathing in the rivers we passed. Seeing cows not only in those fields, but also wandering errantly through the streets of the towns we went through, I had the thought..."Only in India!" Our group was composed of the three of us, then 4 nurses who all went to school together in London, and a retired anesthesiologist with his wife from Calcutta. We stopped for lunch along the way, then another stop at Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, where we spent a hot half an hour sweating at the top of an observation tower, not really seeing anything, but completely soaked by the time we came back to the vehicles. After a flat tire along the way, we arrived at Jaldhapara Park, pulling up to the Hollong Forest Tourist Lodge after a 15-minute drive down a gravel road, deep into the jungle of the park. Our room was very nice, with a Western-toilet and a shower that looked oh-so-inviting! One of the leftover influences from the British that I've come to expect here is afternoon tea, which was lovely after a long drive. Surprisingly, a hot beverage actually helps to cool you down. Dinner was great, and the shower helped to make me feel human again. The mosquito nets brought Africa memories rushing back, and having been at elevation and cool weather for the past 2 weeks, reminded me why I was taking malaria prophylaxis. I fell asleep to the chirping of the geckos adorning our walls, and the call of wild animals that sounded like they were just outside our window! Now, we had booked at this particular lodge for the sole reason that you are guaranteed an elephant ride the next morning. That's right...an elephant ride!! So at 6 the next morning (early because it's cooler and there's a better chance of seeing the animals that are still waking up and not moving very fast), we climbed the stairs to the elevated platform, where a line of elephants was waiting for us, saddled up and with a "driver" sitting on the back of each one's neck, armed with a gun, a machete, and a hooked spear attached to a rope...didn't want to really think about the purpose of these as we lumbered off into the jungle! Each elephant took 4 people, so we climbed on, 2 to a side with our backs to the other person and our legs hanging down on the elephant's side. My elephant was a new mother, so her baby stuck right by us the whole time...it was soooo cute! I don't think it stopped eating the whole trip, pulling down branches and uprooting grass like there was no tomorrow...it was like an all-you-can-eat buffet for this little guy! Now, the elephant is a large animal, and was pretty good about judging it's own way through thick brush and under overhanging branches, but was not so good in judging the space needed for 4 people riding atop its back through the same thick brush and under hanging branches! Needless to say, my flip-flop came off at one point, going through a mess of branches, and probably the highlight of the whole trip for me was the driver turning the elephant around, giving her a command, then watching her pick up my flip-flop with her trunk, pass it over her head to the driver, who then handed it back to me!!! So amazing!! OK, so I've ridden a horse before, albeit a long time ago, and I've recently ridden a yak, but riding an elephant is a task that requires a certain style...the rhythm of an elephant's gait causes any passengers on its back, despite being on the saddle with an iron bar holding you in, to have the sensation of almost falling off with every step! So the whole ride through the jungle, we saw a couple of monkeys, and then we passed a watering hole where there was a one-horned rhinocerous, which they call a unicorn rhinocerous, the park being home to 50 of these animals whose numbers have been decimated recently by poachers, just chilling out in the water, watching us as we strolled by. We also saw a good number of birds, including peacocks, and then as we were headed back to the lodge, our driver pointed out a rotting tree to which we sidled up alongside, only to see the largest python curled up, thankfully sleeping, in the base of this hollowed out tree...it must have just eaten the biggest meal ever, since the diameter of it was just immense!! I was grateful when we started moving again, and shortly thereafter reached the platform and "disembarked." Absolutely incredible and the ride of a lifetime!

After breakfast we loaded into the vehicles to head back to Siliguri, making a couple of stops along the way, which helped to break up the 5-hour drive. We first stopped at a leopard refuge center, and took a short ride through their pen in an enclosed vehicle (imagine it getting even hotter than previously described), not even going a minute into the journey before we saw our first leopard, sauntering right down the path towards us! That one was followed by 2 more, who then broke off and headed into the jungle. We also saw one just hanging out in the shade, and he was probably the largest, his eyes the color of amber, just staring intently at us as we stopped not 15 feet from him! There were also some Bengal tigers that we were not able to get close enough to really see, they had just been rescued from a circus that had not treated them very well.

We made it back to Siliguri just fine and early to boot, which was good since it's a 3-hour drive from there to Darjeeling. Had no trouble finding a shared taxi, but things did not go so well, from the flat tire just outside of Siliguri that probably was the result of having 15 people in a 10-seat vehicle, but was fixed after a half hour. We were on our way again, but not for long, when the transmission blew and our vehicle became dead on a very steep hill...good thing for the emergency break! After getting some of our money back, we started walking, having another 2 hours (driving) to go, and it would soon be dark. We were able to get in touch with our volunteer coordinator and with her many contacts, she was able to arrange a taxi for us, which had to come from Darjeeling down to get us, but we had to meet it at a certain point and ended up having a nice stroll uphill about 10 km...actually felt good after sitting for so long in a jeep. Long story short, everything that could have wrong did on the trip back to Darjeeling, but it was well worth it and we ended up back at the hostel around 10 last night...having been up since 4:30 in the morning to ride elephants, we were quite exhausted! Can't quite believe I'm starting my 3rd week here, time is really flying!!