Last Day in Vellore Continuation

I was just interrupted, so here is the last of my story...

So, some people wanted to go to the fort, and I needed to go there to pick up my sari, which after a lot of conversations was finally established to be done. I did not go with them though, because I was supposed to look for my new German friend (who worked in surgery as an international med student) Katha, because we were going to go together. So, I walked back to the hospital in Vellore (a 10 minute walk or so) and we got our first dose of Indian rain. It poured. And poured. I was soaked to the bone by the time I got back to the hospital, and the papers inside my backpack were soggy. I spent a long time trying to find my way back to surgery to wait for her, but it was confusing and took a while. I hadn't seen her all morning, but thought she must be somewhere around there, since she was still doing surgery, so I waited at the door to the operation theater, and finally the time came that she should be done, and she did not come. I asked some nurses, and they either didn't know who I was talking about, or said she was in there. So, I waited. But, without scrubs and a badge I couldn't go too far. Twenty minutes later I decided she must be in surgery ICU or something, and the guard let me in because of my lab coat, and helped me find my way in, and laughed at me to some nurses as a foreigner, but I heard. What ever. She wasn't in there either. So, I decided to find a pay phone to call her, since I had her number. The first phone wasn't working, the second was jammed so I could not put in my 1 rupee coin, and I couldn't find any more after that. The rain was slowly stopping, but the streets were pretty well flooded by Seattle standards, and it was hard to walk in the street. Sunset was approaching, and I still had to get to the fort, so I decided to go alone. It took forever to hail a tuk tuk, (I don't really know how to spell them, as that is our local name for them- not the official- they are officially "autos") since it was closing time, rainy and everyone was trying to get home. Finally someone stopped for me, and was way over pricing his fare- like 30 rupees for a 10 rupee ride, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get done. I found the shop, and along the way everyone was staring at me and wanted to know my nationality. The shop owner was waiting, and apparently had come in on a shop holiday just for me. He had another problem though- the sari blouse was not finished. I finally convinced him that I was leaving Vellore tomorrow, so he set me up with a cheap ready made blouse, and got everything figured out. He must have seen how disappointed I was that after a week, there was still trouble, because he finally said "come back in an hour and I will have it finished" so after all that waiting, I decided I would try it. So, I went over to the fort, which was closing shop for the day and was looking abandoned. And, it was starting to get dark, so to avoid a ton of attention I sat on a nice set of steps into a big sports field right across from the big temple tower in the middle of the fort, which looks a lot like the Aztec/Mayan wonders/castles in Age of Empires II. There was a pack of dogs in the area and they seemed like a little gang among themselves, but left me alone and one fell asleep near me. I just sat and wrote for an hour. The sun was setting just as it was time to go back, so I hurried back to the shop, and no one bothered me. One man asked me for directions though, which I though was kind of funny since he was Indian and I was obviously foreign, but I was still wearing my lab coat to look official and less like a target, so maybe I looked official enough to know what I was doing. He spoke pretty good English though. I got back, and had to wait a little while because "the boy" was bringing it back, and the shop owner was just about to call me, which wouldn't have done any good since he had Ardie's number- not mine since I used Ardie's phone to call him earlier. A few minutes later, "the boy" came, and I switched my cheap blouse for the tailored one, but still had to pay the full price. It seemed like he would reduce it, but I suppose he was "kind" to get it finished so quick, and I just wanted to get back to Bagayam and not be alone there any more. So, I left. He seems nice enough- his tailor is apparently a problem though. So, I quickly hailed a tuk tuk and told him to go to Bagayam, and I offered him 50 rupees, even though it is a 30-40 rupee trip, and he insisted on 70, with a smirk smile. I was livid, but finally agreed since I just wanted to get home, and didn't feel like dealing with other drivers, and I suppose it was dark which is a legitimate reason to raise prices slightly. He picked up another family of women, and dropped them off first, and I kept telling him Bagayam, and he kept saying ok, but is was obvious he didn't know where to go exactly. I had to give him directions, and he kept smirking back at me. I wished there was someone else in the auto with me. He ended up asking a guard for directions, and I had him bring me in a little, and got out and payed him 70 rupees, but he had a pill and said I owed him more, because he brought me in and didn't leave me at the gate. I was really livid, and told him we had agreed to 70, and that we were at Bagayam, and had not gone somewhere else, and he was already overcharging me. He kept arguing, but so did I. I didn't have an extra 10 rupee bill- just 100s, and didn't want to give him that much. He finally let it go, and we parted friends, I suppose. All of the other drivers take us all the way from CMC to our Alumni house doorstep and don't have a problem, for 50 rupees... I wasn't liking to be taken advantage of. I was just glad to be back, as a couple of times I wondered if he actually would take me back. So, that is my adventure with nighttime Vellore... thankfully all was well.

Tomorrow morning, most of us are leaving at 5am for a place half a day drive east of here to go on an Indian Safari. There are supposed to be lots of elephants there, though I doubt we will ride one. the original point of the trip was to ride elephants, but the only place available is far away and would only give a 15 min ride, or so saith our travel agent. Instead, we are doing the Safari, and going rafting, and touring an old town with a beautiful old palace, then taking the public train back through the night Sunday evening, and starting back up with clinical in Chennai on Monday- my birthday. Ardie wanted me to make sure to pick up my Sari so I could wear it on my birthday... I guess I will find out why. I can't remember any of the places we are going's name, but I'll be able to tell all about it if I get a chance when I get back. Trains are well booked these days, so I think our seating is just about the worst, so it will be something of an adventure. I am only bringing my carry on case, as Ardie will take our luggage to Chennai. She is letting us use temple travelers (the buses we rode in from Vellore) so our travel costs are greatly reduced on the way there, which is nice. We are staying at a lodge of some sorts- it is so nice to have a travel agent for all this stuff!

Apparently, Chennai has a different relationship to UW than CMC, so we have a much more structured set of rotations, but more freedom in the afternoons to wander where we want without a whole ton of paperwork. I am planning to "hang out" in the ER a couple of times... because I am sad I didn't get that rotation here. We are staying on campus, where Internet is not available in a dormitory annex. Apparently traffic is worse there than it is here, so we won't be getting off campus very much or very far, it would seem. Our clinical will be shorter however, giving us a study block for discussions and time to find information and write our paper, and prepare presentations. There is a rumor at some point we will be assigned nurses, or a group of us will be assigned a nurse "sister" who will help us shop/sight see and help us get local rates. That would be nice. So, Sri Ramachandra will be a whole new set up for a week.

I will miss CMC a lot though, and Bagayam and the monkeys and banyan tree out my window. Lovely the nurse got my e-mail and wants to keep in touch with me, and my German friend Katha gave me hers, so we can also keep in touch. She is a true kindred spirit, and a strong Christian, and says in ten years or less I have to come stay with her in Germany. The supervisor in surgery also gave me her number, and is expecting me to call her. I probably will- though figuring out the international call will be an adventure. I will also miss the front desk boys at the Alumni house. They are so kind, and are Christians, and always play Christian music really loudly. One might come visit us in Chennai, as he has made a lot of friends in our group... he is maybe 25 years old? Hard to tell... so a lot of the people (nurses, staff etc) are our age, and many are Christians. I haven't heard of a single conversion story though, as I often ask why they are Christian, so it would seem many are because their family is. It must be hard to convince the other faiths to give up their faith and become Christian. At least they are tolerated. Sri Ramachandra and Hindu land will be a little bit different me thinks, but interesting. Well, I have to look up a couple of articles, so am signing off for now! Bu-Bye!