Good news!

Medical Update:

Luckily for me the lack of emphasis placed on the importance of deadlines and schedules has worked in my favor. Although the doctor told me the biopsy results would take 8-10 days to get back I called them this morning in the off-chance that they might be finished. They were.

It's not cancer and it's not tuberculosis (which they suspected). It simply a bacetrial infection that, hopefully, should be completely treated within a month or two with antibiotics. This is a huge relief and I cannot thank you all enough for the incredible outpouring of love and support. It is time like these when we are reminded of the community of people surrounding us who love and care for us always. As my Aunt, an eternal optimist, put it: we are there through the good and the not so good.

For all those who sent emails and messages I thank you so much. Your kind words were a huge support to me. For all those who kept my family and I in their thoughts and prayers, thank you. I feel truly blessed.

In one of those very coincidental moments in life I awoke this morning to a text from a young man I met a few weeks ago (it's common for me to receive texts like these). It said, "Sometimes, god fills our eyes with tears... Perhaps he makes our eyes get washed once in a while so that we could see life with a good vision again". Well put Roshan.

Thank you again to everyone for all of their wonderful support!

Check back soon for the much belated blog covering my trip to Mumbai!

Challenges

I knew that there were going to be difficult periods during my YAV year. I thought that in preparing for this year I had considered all of the possible challenges that I might face. I was wrong.

About a month ago I went to the doctor because my stomach was giving me problems.  They started with a general exam, followed by a complete blood test, ultrasound and later an endoscopy. The ultrasound showed that my spleen was slightly enlarged but they told me to wait on it for a week or so to see if it got better. It didn't really. So then I went back and they conducted a CT scan which showed some irregularities, nothing too serious but enough to warrant and colonoscopy. The colonoscopy came back all normal apart from an ulcer in my upper colon which they have taken tissue from for a biopsy. The colonoscopy was done on Tuesday. Although they seem hopeful that it is nothing serious we will not know for sure until the end of next week. This has been a draining and nerve-racking process that has been made especially difficult by nature of the fact that I am so far away from my normal support group.

Having said that… everyone here has been extremely helpful and supportive. Thomas John was able to use his wide spread connections to get me appointments in, what must be, record time. Madison and Maggie have been by my side (often quite literally) through the whole process. And here at my site I have had the support and encouragement of my supervisor, Gigi Sir, and the students.

 All I ask is that you keep me in your thoughts and, for those so inclined, prayers. Take this opportunity not just to think about me but all of the people suffering around the world. I will be sure to update you on the situation when I know further details. I should be getting back the biopsy results towards the end of next week.

And for those of you who see my parents on a regular basis give them a big hug for me please. They have been incredible through-out all of this. I am truly blessed.

Latest Malayalam word: Kallan-- thief.

It was the weekend. I slept in, did a small amount of laundry, made myself some chai, read a little, took a shower and then decided where I wanted to get some lunch from: Shalimar (one of the usual spots). I enjoyed my masala dosa and second or third cup of chai for the day. Began walking back to the college and decided to run by the small store and pick up some supplies. It was a truly spectacular day and, when in the shade it was an enjoyable temperature. As I entered the campus I remember thinking to myself how lovely the weather was outside. Campus was busy because of a two day job fair for students from many surrounding colleges and universities. I stopped briefly to chat with some of the CMS students I saw there and was introduced to several students from nearby colleges. After talking for a while I continued on the final short distance to my room. I walked in, placed my padlock down on the table and instantly noticed it was missing.

My laptop. My laptop is gone. What the hell?!? I searched around the room just to make sure I didn’t leave it anywhere before heading out. No, I’m sure I had left it on my table. Yep… proof. All of the items on my desk are messed up and the wiring has all been pulled towards the window. It’s gone.

I called my supervisor and he told me to go and tell the campus security. Because of the job fair though there were uniformed Kerala Police Officers on campus. So I explain to them what has happened. Or, rather, I explain to one of the CMS students who then translated for me.

The police then came down to investigate and decided that I should write a letter of enquiry to the Circle Inspector of Police and he will conduct the further investigation. That investigation has come and gone and, seeing as it entailed two questions (what day did it happen? What time?), I am not hopeful for the return of my laptop.

Losing the laptop is one thing. But it wasn’t losing the replaceable plastic skeleton that bothered me. It’s losing everything that was in it-- including all of my documentation of India. At times like this only one thing comes to mind. And, it just so happens that these words came from a man who’s life experience was also shaped by this country and who lured many an adventurous Westerner out to the land of the Jungle Book.  In his poem If--, Rudyard Kipling says of losing everything you have, “And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;”

So, that’s it. I shall say no more on the subject.

November Retreat and the start of December

Once again I find myself apologizing for my lack of posts. It has been a busy few weeks culminating with a wonderful retreat with my whole India family.

This month our retreat was in Wayanad in the north-eastern portion of Kerala. To get there we had to take a 3 hour train ride followed by a 3 hour bus ride up into the mountains. Wayanad is know, amongst other things, for its tea production and in the cool climate it thrives.

The mountains, which are part of a long range of moutains (the Western Ghats), are home to a large tribal population. If you remember one of my past blogs I discussed the lives of Dalits. Tribals do not technically fall in the caste system but they are none the less of the most marginalized and systematically oppressed people.

In Kerala at the time of Indian Independence and the creation of the modern state of Kerala the elections were one by the Communist Party of India. One of the first pieces of legislation that the party passed was a land reform act returning land to Tribal groups who had, for various reasons, lost their land.

Now, however, many of them still find themselves landless-- having sold their land for as little as a few bottles of alcohol and some cigarettes.

These people education is poor and that was often taken advantage of by wealthier land prospectors.

In Tribal communities today alcoholism and unemployment are high and, like the Dalits, structural system in place on help to keep these people down.

During our four day stay amongst their community we were able to meet many Tribal people. We even attended an Alcoholics Annonymous meeting at a local home.

The people of this region are trying to struggle with the challenges ahead.

We will be returning to Wayanad in late Spring and we are all looking forward to the refreshing cool mountain air!

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We are finally into December and I only have two more days as a 22 year old which is quite hard to believe. I can remember being 8 as if it were yesterday. But experiencing this time of year is integral to my time here in India. Spending this time away from friends and family only reminds me of how important they truly are.

Dalit Reality

This past weekend we had our second retreat of the year. We were staying in Kozhencherry about two hours by bus from Kottayam. As I have mentioned before retreats are a time for us to get together, share stories, laugh, relax and also be exposed to a different reality in India.

This months retreat was focusing on the lives of Dalits in India. Dalits are what we know as the "untouchables" cast. Although, technically, they are so low that they aren't even considered to be part of the caste system.

The caste system in India has been in place for thousands of years and is deeply ingrained into Indian society. Unlike the racial divide that persisted (and still does in some way) in the United States, the caste system in India is not based on ethnicity or race. It is essentially a division of labor. Different professions are assigned to different castes. The Dalits are the lowest of these caste and are stuck with menial jobs that no one else wants (or is allowed to do). Ghuri, an Indian anthropologist who studied the caste system in his book, Race and Cast in India, described the caste system as having six features that kept it ingrained in society.

Six Features:
1. Segmented Society
2. Heirarchy
3. Restrictions on feeding and interactions
4. Civil and Religious privileges and limitations
5. Restriction of occupation
6. Restriction of marriage

Because they have been oppressed and marginalized for centuries the disparity between the lives of the dalits and those of other castes is extremely wide. They don't receive good education and they aren't offered good positions which makes it very difficult for social mobility or improvement of life.

One example that I experienced first hand was from a young woman in the Dalit community we visited. She had had the fortune to study all the way up to a Masters Degree in Molecular Biology (largely because of the practice of "reservations" for students from certain communities). She was offered a position at a hospital four hours away from her home. She had to decline the opportunity because her family did not have the money or the connections to find her a place to stay for the first few months before she received her first pay check. Now, instead of working at the hospital research facility she is teaching Biology to high schoolers. 

The Dalits usually live in close community with one another and rely on the community as a whole to provide for many of their daily needs. In older towns the Dalit community lives in the eastern part of the town because the upper-castes don't want the Dalits to pollute the breeze flowing from east to west. In more recent decades dalit families have financed their most promising young adults migration to other parts of India or the world (usually the Gulf states). They work jobs that no one else will do in these countries and send back most of the money they make to their families back home.

As in all other parts of their lives, their religious communities are separate from non-Dalit congregations. Their churches don't receive full-time clergy and severely lack funding and basic infrastructures.
Thomas John's grandfather was the minister of a Dalit congregation. Although not a Dalit himself, Thomas John grew up in this community and the people here were his neighbors and friends. To return to this community is always an emotional experience and we spent our time going around and visiting many of the families.

One of the interesting recent trends amongst many Dalit communities is the mass conversion to American Pentecostal churches. These churches come into the communities with conversion quotas and give out monetary and material gifts to all those who come to their meetings and are "saved". For the average Dalit family these physical incentives can be enough to get them out to these worship services and the parents usually come away with some money in pocket and the children usually have new school supplies. In our short stay near to this community we met two men from the United States who were Pentecostal ministers.

I know that people like pictures and I apologize that I cannot really provide them for this experience. Due to he sensitive nature of the situation we weren't walking around with our cameras around our necks.

Thursday was Kochammas birthday and so we celebrated that with cake and a small gift from us volunteers

Our novelty card to Kochamma

There's no business like show business!

The movie is called Anwar and it is the latest film from the new Super-Star Malayama Actor, Prithviraj. It was my first film in Malayalam and, as I went in with little to no expectation (admittedly leaning more to the little side), I came out pleasantly surprised. Having said this I have tried to add some humor to the situation and I would like to point out that these are only my experiences from one movie at one theater in one city.  For those reading this in Kerala and my American friends who enjoy watching Malayalam movies: SPOILER ALERT!!!

The plot line is quite simple: A young Muslim man’s family is killed in a bombing committed by a Muslim terrorist organization in a jewelry store here in India. In the aftermath many Muslim men are rounded up for questioning—including the young man who lost his family. He tells the India authorities he will do ANYTHING to get back at the men who did this. He is quickly trained in the arts of explosives, hand arms, martial arts, as well as a much fitter body, a strong sense of courage, military tactical prowess of a seasoned veteran and deadly instincts. He is placed in the prison to befriend the supposed perpetrator of the bombings. In prison he becomes one of the most trust men of the mastermind. Upon their release (which is never actually explained) he is quickly recruited by the mastermind to join his… terrorist group… (I guess?!?!). He joins the group and he gets into the inner circle. He ends up committing a number of acts of violence in order to be accepted by the mastermind. In the end he learns that it was in fact the mastermind who killed his parents. In the end they face each other at gunpoint and the mastermind commits suicide.

END OF SPOILER ALERT!

So needless to say it was good.

There were a number of reasons it was interesting.

First: The population of Kerala is split up into equal thirds when it comes to the major religions. There are 33% Christians, 33% Muslims, and 33% Hindus. Meaning that, give or take a few people, a third of the audience was probably deeply offended and angry.

Second: It is a movie about terrorism and they still managed to find reason for not one, but TWO song/dance numbers (Interestingly enough the hit Malayalam songs on the radio are usually the songs from the big movies of that season).

Third: There is ALWAYS an intermission. No matter what.

Fourth: Popcorn and tea is actually quite a delicious combination.

Fifth: You buy tickets according to where you want to sit. Usually, families and groups of girls sit up in the balcony (45 rupees) and the boys and young men sit in the floor seats (30 rupees).

Sixth: There is no message before the movie to silence your cellphones. Come to think of it… there wasn’t a message for “don’t talk on your phones during the movie” or “don’t carry on loud conversation to discuss the goings on in the movie”.

Seventh: Not even the cinema is immune to the frequent power-cuts in India. We stopped our movie twice. Once for 13 minutes (it was the second time and I happened to look at my clock… I wasn’t timing it or anything).

Eighth: Indian men are good whistlers.

Ninth: Seriously…. Popcorn and tea is actually good.

Some other interesting things to know about the Malayalam film industry.

The highest costing film was just over 5 million dollars which is equal to the cost of golden leaf toilet paper used by James Cameron while filming Avatar (the 230 million dollars used to make Avatar is more money than then each of the ten smallest economies make in a year and the worldwide box-office grossings of 2.7 billion are greater than the forty-six smallest national-- RIDICULOUS). The major Malayalam film stars are in as many as ELEVEN films a year. They like to use only one take for fight sequences (there are a lot in every movie… probably even romantic comedies…) and are infamously fast about how quickly they can set up and take down film sets. They also usually film in live settings… i.e. the actual road, or the campus of the college I am at (it was used in the 2006 hit comedy, Classmates).

Another nice thing about Malayalam films is they don’t use lead actors with chiseled abs, handsome features and uncanny debonair…. Oh no… they use THESE GUYS (and yes... these are two different men):

Mammootty

 

 

Mohanlal

It leaves the chance for all of us to be movie stars!

And finally, in a state that democratically elects and is, in fact, run by the Communist Party the Malayalam Film industry is one of the finest examples of cut-throat unabashed Capitalism you are ever likely to see. If public reception to a film is bad the film will run no longer than a week. If a film is loved it will last in theatres for months. Theatres here have one screen not multiple smaller theatres. The auditoriums, which usually have a balcony and a floor level, seat over a thousand in a single screening. The film on offer is showed four times a day, everyday. You wait outside and with fifteen minutes to the start of the film a bell goes off and you are able to pay fory our tickets and shuffle through the turnstiles. Inside the theatre is already dark, the floor is stone, and the techno music is bumping (LOUD). If a film is not doing well and not enough people come to see it the cinema will simply stop showing it and put on one of the MANY other films out there.There's no business like show-business!

Play Ball

Asides from my other responsibilities here at the college I have taken on the position of Coach of the Softball and Baseball teams as requested by the players. It started when I would join in on the Cricket teams practices and eventually the captain of the Softball and Baseball teams asked if I would be their coach. I was excited to accept this role. We began practices roughly three weeks ago and towards the end we began practicing twice a day (once in the morning and once in the afternoon). Some of the boys had played on previous teams but the majority of the players were enjoying their first swing at the American bat and ball sports.

On Sunday night the captain called me and informed me that our first game of the league would be tomorrow. "We leave at 530", he said to me.
"OK... and we play one game tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yes" he says.
"One game and then we come home?"
"Yes"
"Ok. Well I will see you in the morning then."
"Yes. 530"
"Ok."

So I get up at 5 and take a bucket bath and prepare for the day. At 530 we leave and head to the bus station to take a bus an hour south to a town called Tiruvella. We arrive around 730, have breakfast and make it to the field by 815. As we are walking in I notice a lot of activity going on around the field. To my delight they are still measuring out the field and chalking it by hand. 10 AM rolls around and still no games have been played. Eventually, at around 130pm we play our first game-- winning 13-2. They play five inning games to keep play moving. I was very excited and the players had played extremely well and had even incorporated many of the things we had talked about leading up to the match. An all around sound showing. I was excited to head back home too because a long day out in the sun can be quite draining. To my surprise none of my players seemed to be  getting ready to leave. "Shall we go?" I asked.
"No. We still have at least one more game."
"Um.... I thought we had one game today?"
It turns out we did only have one game today... and then another one... and then another one. Three in total. And, whereas I had assumed "league" meant that we would be playing over the course of several weeks, we were in fact cramming the league into four long days. By the time I got home and had taken off my sandals I realized that I had the Chaco tan to end all Chaco tans. If anyone knows of a more ridiculous Chaco/sandal tan please do send pictures. Here is mine:

 

By the end of the four days (which ended up concluding on Saturday because of heavy rain delays on Tuesday and Wednesday) our team finished second out of eight. Something we are very proud of.

If anyone is involved in a Baseball or Softball league and would like to help out this team at all it would be greatly appreciated. The team is using very old/broken equipment. My outfielders don't use gloves (Two of them are left handed and you can't get left handed gloves in India and we only have six gloves good enough to be used in games leaving the outfielders to catch the softball/baseball as they would a cricket ball). I am not sure if sending equipment would be the best idea because of shipping costs and unreliability of the postal service here. If you are interested in helping out or know someone else who might be, please contact me via email at: jimsim@gwmail.gwu.edu