Thursday, 18 February 2010
Wedding Jewellery
Sue and jewellery................ the women visiting the centre each day are now bringing costume jewellery with them, much laying out of cloth and opening of boxes to entice our team, to which they succum with great glee. Guys, control the money!! Sue is getting blinged...... Angelique and Daisy have both now been dressed up for weddings, to the great glee of all, pictures to follow.
Well, I get the prize for the first to have the full Delhi experience - Delhi belly! Who will be next?
The Tigri ladies are doing thir best to improve our appearance- obviously painty tee shirts are not 'a la Mode'. It seems that nosooner do you sit down on the carpet or bench than someone offers to paint your nails, give you a bindi or drape you in jewellry. I now have a complete set of bling- necklace, ankle brcelets, toe rings and bracelets. It was a bit like Cinderella- watching the team trying to force their hands into Indian width bracelets!
on a serios note, some of the people we meet are overcoming such odds. We met one student, now at Delhi Uni, who shared that his father is alcoholic, starting drinking in the morning and then abusing the family. He has not been drunk for the past 2 months. How the students mange to study in these conditions i cannot imagine.
walking round the lanes we met another student in her home. The room at the back had one bed where all 9 of the family slept. A ladder went upp to the roof and this is where the student studied. She also taught some chidren each dayto earn some money- about 100 rupees a month (£1.40). Asha has taken all the girls shopping befor starting uni and bought them salwaar, shoes etc so they fitted in better.
Next home had a room at the front for father-in-law, complerte with hookah pipe. Mum was pregnant and lived with the family in a room at the back. She had not had any ante-natal care and couldn;t be persuaded to have this, her third baby, at hospital. She said the doctors would scold her and beat her.Then father-in-law came in with the 3 year old boy who had typhoid. They said all their money goes on medicine for him.
The Tigri ladies are doing thir best to improve our appearance- obviously painty tee shirts are not 'a la Mode'. It seems that nosooner do you sit down on the carpet or bench than someone offers to paint your nails, give you a bindi or drape you in jewellry. I now have a complete set of bling- necklace, ankle brcelets, toe rings and bracelets. It was a bit like Cinderella- watching the team trying to force their hands into Indian width bracelets!
on a serios note, some of the people we meet are overcoming such odds. We met one student, now at Delhi Uni, who shared that his father is alcoholic, starting drinking in the morning and then abusing the family. He has not been drunk for the past 2 months. How the students mange to study in these conditions i cannot imagine.
walking round the lanes we met another student in her home. The room at the back had one bed where all 9 of the family slept. A ladder went upp to the roof and this is where the student studied. She also taught some chidren each dayto earn some money- about 100 rupees a month (£1.40). Asha has taken all the girls shopping befor starting uni and bought them salwaar, shoes etc so they fitted in better.
Next home had a room at the front for father-in-law, complerte with hookah pipe. Mum was pregnant and lived with the family in a room at the back. She had not had any ante-natal care and couldn;t be persuaded to have this, her third baby, at hospital. She said the doctors would scold her and beat her.Then father-in-law came in with the 3 year old boy who had typhoid. They said all their money goes on medicine for him.
Update from 15th
Monday 15 Feb
Well, we have spent our first full day in Tigri slum. Now folk have got over the initial impact of first impressions, we walked into the community centre like going somewhere familiar! The painting teams swung into action with people discovering previously unknown talents! Radishan mixed paint colours for us (why did we choose pictures that need so many!!) Louis did a wonderful giant ‘Elmer’ and giraffe, Ian managed a huge globe with India at the centre and the rest of us painted people from around the world, their bodies dressed in flags. By the end of the day it was really taking shape.
We had time to work with children and students too – a careers discussion with students in the morning. We could hear the conversation drifting out of the room as we painted. Roger, Nigel, Stuart and Janet shared about their jobs and our families jobs, then the students shared their dreams and difficulties. All very positive.
In the afternoon the children’s group arrived. It’s really hard to guess their ages as they look much younger than our children. They seemed to range from 8-14. We sang action songs about animals (Thank you New Life Playgroup!) then had crafts. They coloured an Elmer wall hanging (thank you Edd!), had their faces painted, played dominoes and listened to an Elmer story. The children are great at counting in English but are glad to practise their conversation with anyone English-speaking.
One of the girls hennaed Janet, Frances and my hands. It was only after they had squeezed henna onto the fronts and backs of our hands they explained you had to sit there for 1 1/2 hours! Have you ever tried to eat a biscuit using 2 fingers?
Impressions from today- a hugely warm welcome, a place of calm and purpose in the middle of a frantic city, a privilege to be here!
Sue
Well, we have spent our first full day in Tigri slum. Now folk have got over the initial impact of first impressions, we walked into the community centre like going somewhere familiar! The painting teams swung into action with people discovering previously unknown talents! Radishan mixed paint colours for us (why did we choose pictures that need so many!!) Louis did a wonderful giant ‘Elmer’ and giraffe, Ian managed a huge globe with India at the centre and the rest of us painted people from around the world, their bodies dressed in flags. By the end of the day it was really taking shape.
We had time to work with children and students too – a careers discussion with students in the morning. We could hear the conversation drifting out of the room as we painted. Roger, Nigel, Stuart and Janet shared about their jobs and our families jobs, then the students shared their dreams and difficulties. All very positive.
In the afternoon the children’s group arrived. It’s really hard to guess their ages as they look much younger than our children. They seemed to range from 8-14. We sang action songs about animals (Thank you New Life Playgroup!) then had crafts. They coloured an Elmer wall hanging (thank you Edd!), had their faces painted, played dominoes and listened to an Elmer story. The children are great at counting in English but are glad to practise their conversation with anyone English-speaking.
One of the girls hennaed Janet, Frances and my hands. It was only after they had squeezed henna onto the fronts and backs of our hands they explained you had to sit there for 1 1/2 hours! Have you ever tried to eat a biscuit using 2 fingers?
Impressions from today- a hugely warm welcome, a place of calm and purpose in the middle of a frantic city, a privilege to be here!
Sue
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Vital statistics in the street...
Armed with sari material purchased in Jaipur last summer, Soni, Sunita(two amazing ladies!) Dick and I went to visit the tailor's shop. Here I was asked to choose the style of my blouse from at least 50 designs, this being just the neckline..then another 50 ish designs for the back design. Length Madame? I explained to Soni that I wanted the longest possible as vanity and weight gain, plus rolls of flab were not really pleasant for public viewing...so out comes the tape measure and all my upper bits were measured in full view of the street, who cares eh?! Smiling lads looked on, woman stared...I think unimpressed by this scruffy, paint streaked woman in baggy T shirt and shapeless trousers....yeah yeah, I know vanity, vanity , all is vanity. Dick took photos to record to moment..felt like Exhibit A.
Then we visited the next shop for the petticoat. Now I had imagined just a calico petticoat,plain and hidden....but no, there were shelves of multicolured ones and Soni and Sunita deliberated about which shade and we all discussed it...Dick was offered a chair... The petticoat adds to the colour under the shimmery sari, you see. So length is measure, no problem there...all Indian woman are shorter than me....yes really...
Finished? No next we go next door for the draw string cord and the all important safety pins which I'm told will hold everything together...I do NOT want to unravel...
So three shops later, we return back to the slum. Tomorrow my top will be ready, Friday I shall wear it for the Inauguration ceremony. Sunita will have to dress me for there are many many pleats and folds.....and no doubt much amusement from the other ladies who will be a willing audience!
Then we visited the next shop for the petticoat. Now I had imagined just a calico petticoat,plain and hidden....but no, there were shelves of multicolured ones and Soni and Sunita deliberated about which shade and we all discussed it...Dick was offered a chair... The petticoat adds to the colour under the shimmery sari, you see. So length is measure, no problem there...all Indian woman are shorter than me....yes really...
Finished? No next we go next door for the draw string cord and the all important safety pins which I'm told will hold everything together...I do NOT want to unravel...
So three shops later, we return back to the slum. Tomorrow my top will be ready, Friday I shall wear it for the Inauguration ceremony. Sunita will have to dress me for there are many many pleats and folds.....and no doubt much amusement from the other ladies who will be a willing audience!
Harry the monkeys blog
Stuart; woke up to a bit of surprise this morning as I didn't expect to find a bloomin' great ape in bed with us. Yes it was Harry, unless of course Pauline has developed a very hairy chest ! All became clear when Pauline explained he was there to provide insulation from the morning chill and noise .... mmmm but Harry is spending the next night with Angelique.
Well that's one pest expelled from the room, there is of course the Roger Allen who keeps popping up again and again. Pauline met him unexpectedly on her way to the shower, just opened the bedroom door and there he was. He seems to be mostly harmelss so we let him roost on balcony and put him back outside the main door when we go to bed, a bit like putting the cat out for the night. I think it was Nigel that suggested we have a Roger flap fitted to the front door so he could come and go easily. But then we'd have to put a bell on him too so we could hear him coming in.
Harry stayed in the building today and didn't disrupt todays field trip into the slum, but kept the kids amused who visited. I'm sure he was recognised as we were driving into the slums today though, for sure he was being waved to.
I'm sad to report that crocky wock has become even more of a handful. During the story of Queen Daisy's hairslide, he was pausing from his part in the epic tale of "the mind map and Harry the monkey" (featuring Louis - the large tree), in order to eat the odd small child as a snack ! Then he was caught on camera in the return bus sneaking up on the regal Queen Daisy, to the backdrop of the "Jaws" theme sound effects from the Roger Allen, was Daisy eaten ? ... tune in the next blog to find out.
The magic tricks with the ASHA staff are going well, I do one trick and the all dissapear !!
No only joking, they are a wonderful audience and I'm enjoying their time and attention.
Painted a giraffe today with Dick and Nigel, some say using brushes might have been better, but hey they were handy.
Well that's one pest expelled from the room, there is of course the Roger Allen who keeps popping up again and again. Pauline met him unexpectedly on her way to the shower, just opened the bedroom door and there he was. He seems to be mostly harmelss so we let him roost on balcony and put him back outside the main door when we go to bed, a bit like putting the cat out for the night. I think it was Nigel that suggested we have a Roger flap fitted to the front door so he could come and go easily. But then we'd have to put a bell on him too so we could hear him coming in.
Harry stayed in the building today and didn't disrupt todays field trip into the slum, but kept the kids amused who visited. I'm sure he was recognised as we were driving into the slums today though, for sure he was being waved to.
I'm sad to report that crocky wock has become even more of a handful. During the story of Queen Daisy's hairslide, he was pausing from his part in the epic tale of "the mind map and Harry the monkey" (featuring Louis - the large tree), in order to eat the odd small child as a snack ! Then he was caught on camera in the return bus sneaking up on the regal Queen Daisy, to the backdrop of the "Jaws" theme sound effects from the Roger Allen, was Daisy eaten ? ... tune in the next blog to find out.
The magic tricks with the ASHA staff are going well, I do one trick and the all dissapear !!
No only joking, they are a wonderful audience and I'm enjoying their time and attention.
Painted a giraffe today with Dick and Nigel, some say using brushes might have been better, but hey they were handy.
Field visit
Just returned. Met lots of mums and children, mum who had just had 6th baby girl last night, much to disappointment of her family who all wanted a boy! We saw all that Asha is achieving yet still found it all very sobering.
Frivellous Part 3
Finding a free source of unsecured internet from your balcony, albeit in the dark, hardly daring to move in case you lose the signal and managing to talk to both Nick and Laura Allen tonight has been an unexpected plus! Only problem now is that I itch...bites have appeared, cream applied, but I may have issues with this tomorrow! Still it was worth it! Last night the only place we could get any signal was on Stuart and Pauline's bed...so a cushion was deployed on the floor and I sat in their room whilst they sat in bed.....it's all good here!!!! To add to stretching the friendship....I appeared from the shower draped in towel, to find Roger crouching in a remote corner of our family room (Dick and I have adjoining rooms with Stuart and Pauline...with interconnecting doors...with gaps..so you have to pick your place to undress with care to maintain your modesty!!) Anyway..I digress..there is Roge trying to access our free internet by roaming around the rooms....lurking in corners....I don't know why no one else can get it in their rooms.....we will charge for entrance soon....Incidentally, when I mentioned the money pouch, I meant flesh COLOURED not flesh covered....disgusting thought...
Everyone has been remarkably normal today...no real incidents except Nigel and the sleeping homeless man....Roger suggested he never became a Street Pastor...it WAS VERY dark and quite difficult to see in the gloom, but we all managed to avoid treading on him....but no...Nigel obviously not....and by the way..no belt yet...but he's working on it....
Janet tells me that sharing with Angelique and Daisy is well and a shower routine has been esablished. Daisy first "because I take the longest to get ready" Daisy's words, Angelique second...then they have to shake Janet awake for her turn....
Barista's coffee house is now becoming a frequent evening habit....although none of us fancy the advertised "Now we have coffee that is flavoured with olive oil and garlic" yuk...
Well now it is midnight, so I will sign off...not bad for someone who turns the light out at 10pm normally!
Everyone has been remarkably normal today...no real incidents except Nigel and the sleeping homeless man....Roger suggested he never became a Street Pastor...it WAS VERY dark and quite difficult to see in the gloom, but we all managed to avoid treading on him....but no...Nigel obviously not....and by the way..no belt yet...but he's working on it....
Janet tells me that sharing with Angelique and Daisy is well and a shower routine has been esablished. Daisy first "because I take the longest to get ready" Daisy's words, Angelique second...then they have to shake Janet awake for her turn....
Barista's coffee house is now becoming a frequent evening habit....although none of us fancy the advertised "Now we have coffee that is flavoured with olive oil and garlic" yuk...
Well now it is midnight, so I will sign off...not bad for someone who turns the light out at 10pm normally!
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