Whew, we've had a rough 24 hours here. Saturday night, Megan, Erik and Steena got sick with vomiting and diarrhea for much of the night. By Sunday morning, I was sick as well though thankfully not as bad. Megan and Steena decided to go to the hospital to get some fluids and stayed until this morning. Dr Henry suspects we may have gotten an amoebic infection which is very common in this area. It looks like we're all on our way to recovery though.
Going back, on Friday we went to chapel and then rounds in the hospital and then attended a memorial service for a missionary named William Campbell who had spent much of his life doing an amazing amount of work for the people in this area. He recently passed and had requested his ashes be buried in the town where he lived for many years. Though it was mostly in Hindi, it was a beautiful and emotional service. Almost 1,800 people showed up for the event, and the proceeding lunch that Dr Henry organized was a marvel in and of itself.
Men cooking very large pots of rice.
After lunch, we relaxed on campus and had a low-key dinner.
The next morning, after chapel and rounds in the hospital, we saw some patients in the outpatient clinic. The hospital was busy preparing for their annual Capping ceremony, in which the first year nursing students officially receive their nurses' caps.
They set up a big tent in preparation.
The nursing students wanted to get us girls dressed in saris before the big event, so we went over to their dorm so they could get us ready. They were really sweet buzzing around us, arguing about what we should wear, deciding on jewelry and how we should have our hair done. I'd like to learn to drape a sari, but it does not look like an easy task. They're also fairly challenging to walk in as I found. I was perpetually scolded all night for hiking mine up so as not to step on it. I never really did learn how they manage it.
The girls getting capped. This picture doesn't nearly capture their pride and excitement.
All the first years.
There was a culture show after the ceremony. Kids who live at the hospital put on a ribbon show and many of the nursing students choreographed beautiful traditional dances.
The whole group.
Dinner for a lot of people. Goat curry and rice, one of my favorites.
Unfortunately, soon after dinner everyone started feeling ill and we all crashed fairly early.
One of the highlights of our past week was a guest named Dr Sylvia Babu. She's a retired pediatrician who is originally from a region of India near here but has practiced in Atlanta for about 50 years (?!). We all enjoyed being around her SO much. She is really wise and has had so much clinical and life experience, but is also so kind and light-hearted. I think we'd all love to grow up to be some version of her one day. We are palpably grieving her absence since she left Sunday morning.
Sylvia's in the orange. Her friend Sharon, in the pink, spent the week with us as well.
xoxo,
Lily
Going back, on Friday we went to chapel and then rounds in the hospital and then attended a memorial service for a missionary named William Campbell who had spent much of his life doing an amazing amount of work for the people in this area. He recently passed and had requested his ashes be buried in the town where he lived for many years. Though it was mostly in Hindi, it was a beautiful and emotional service. Almost 1,800 people showed up for the event, and the proceeding lunch that Dr Henry organized was a marvel in and of itself.
Men cooking very large pots of rice.
After lunch, we relaxed on campus and had a low-key dinner.
The next morning, after chapel and rounds in the hospital, we saw some patients in the outpatient clinic. The hospital was busy preparing for their annual Capping ceremony, in which the first year nursing students officially receive their nurses' caps.
They set up a big tent in preparation.
The nursing students wanted to get us girls dressed in saris before the big event, so we went over to their dorm so they could get us ready. They were really sweet buzzing around us, arguing about what we should wear, deciding on jewelry and how we should have our hair done. I'd like to learn to drape a sari, but it does not look like an easy task. They're also fairly challenging to walk in as I found. I was perpetually scolded all night for hiking mine up so as not to step on it. I never really did learn how they manage it.
The girls getting capped. This picture doesn't nearly capture their pride and excitement.
All the first years.
There was a culture show after the ceremony. Kids who live at the hospital put on a ribbon show and many of the nursing students choreographed beautiful traditional dances.
The whole group.
Dinner for a lot of people. Goat curry and rice, one of my favorites.
Unfortunately, soon after dinner everyone started feeling ill and we all crashed fairly early.
One of the highlights of our past week was a guest named Dr Sylvia Babu. She's a retired pediatrician who is originally from a region of India near here but has practiced in Atlanta for about 50 years (?!). We all enjoyed being around her SO much. She is really wise and has had so much clinical and life experience, but is also so kind and light-hearted. I think we'd all love to grow up to be some version of her one day. We are palpably grieving her absence since she left Sunday morning.
Sylvia's in the orange. Her friend Sharon, in the pink, spent the week with us as well.
This morning, us sick ones are still trying to get our feet back under us. I plan to do a lot of reading, some movie watching and maybe sitting by the pool at Dr Henry's. I'd like to be better soon, so I can get back to the business of taking care of other people!
xoxo,
Lily
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