I have now been at the hospital two days, and I have to say, I really like it out here! The hospital staff and other volunteers (5 people about my age from England/Australia) and patients are really lovely, and the room is basic but clean.
My first impression of India was definitely the noise. The roads are crazy: anything goes. I have seen cows on the road, crazier driving than Smoggle's overtaking in Scotland, and the horns blare All. The. Time. You know on your theory test, when you click when you see a hazard? It's like that but with horns. And you lean on the horn. And an empty road is a hazard. We were at a rail crossing today, and the barriers were down and an announcement was saying, please do not walk on the rails, a train is approaching. Anything and anyone who could fit under the barriers were strolling casually across the tracks, even when you could hear the train coming! And then the train passed, and there were people hanging out the open sided carriages. It was amazing, but also really scary. I tried to get a photo but it didn't come out.
The food is very basic: breakfast is bread and butter, lunch is rice and potato curry, and dinner is rice and chapatti and potato curry. Today was a treat: we had a piece of fish about the size of my thumb. I loved it.
The weather is not as hot as I was expecting - it is monsoon season, so it rains very hard in 10 minute bursts about 4 times a day. Which means it is very humid (95% according to the psychiatrist!) but also a reasonable temperature: around 30 degrees. The only problem with this is that I brought a travel towel rather than a proper one with me, and those of you experienced in travel towels will know that it doesn't really dry you. Takes off most excess moisture, yes, but you need to air dry for a few minutes after. And when the air is full of water, it doesn't happen! So already I am excited for a proper towel again.
I was shadowing a psychiatrist today which was really interesting - some patients had travelled with their families for three days to get to the clinic. And three days to get home again. And some had been carried there: one guy with bipolar disorder has broken his foot when jumping off a wall when in a manic episode, and was carried to the hospital. You are allowed to sit in on much more here than in the UK, and also the family can admit the patient top the hospital without the patient's consent, which doesn't happen in the UK: you need to be admitted by a social worker and there is a lot of paperwork - here, they just say.
So all in all, a huge culture shock, but I am enjoying my time here so far! The hospital and the people are lovely, and I am learning a lot. I will be going with the psychiatrist on rounds of the wards tomorrow which should be good. I'd better go - the sides of the road are covered in mud and waste (yuck) and I stepped into them accidentally when a rickshaw came close, and now I need a shower.
Roz
My first impression of India was definitely the noise. The roads are crazy: anything goes. I have seen cows on the road, crazier driving than Smoggle's overtaking in Scotland, and the horns blare All. The. Time. You know on your theory test, when you click when you see a hazard? It's like that but with horns. And you lean on the horn. And an empty road is a hazard. We were at a rail crossing today, and the barriers were down and an announcement was saying, please do not walk on the rails, a train is approaching. Anything and anyone who could fit under the barriers were strolling casually across the tracks, even when you could hear the train coming! And then the train passed, and there were people hanging out the open sided carriages. It was amazing, but also really scary. I tried to get a photo but it didn't come out.
The food is very basic: breakfast is bread and butter, lunch is rice and potato curry, and dinner is rice and chapatti and potato curry. Today was a treat: we had a piece of fish about the size of my thumb. I loved it.
The weather is not as hot as I was expecting - it is monsoon season, so it rains very hard in 10 minute bursts about 4 times a day. Which means it is very humid (95% according to the psychiatrist!) but also a reasonable temperature: around 30 degrees. The only problem with this is that I brought a travel towel rather than a proper one with me, and those of you experienced in travel towels will know that it doesn't really dry you. Takes off most excess moisture, yes, but you need to air dry for a few minutes after. And when the air is full of water, it doesn't happen! So already I am excited for a proper towel again.
I was shadowing a psychiatrist today which was really interesting - some patients had travelled with their families for three days to get to the clinic. And three days to get home again. And some had been carried there: one guy with bipolar disorder has broken his foot when jumping off a wall when in a manic episode, and was carried to the hospital. You are allowed to sit in on much more here than in the UK, and also the family can admit the patient top the hospital without the patient's consent, which doesn't happen in the UK: you need to be admitted by a social worker and there is a lot of paperwork - here, they just say.
So all in all, a huge culture shock, but I am enjoying my time here so far! The hospital and the people are lovely, and I am learning a lot. I will be going with the psychiatrist on rounds of the wards tomorrow which should be good. I'd better go - the sides of the road are covered in mud and waste (yuck) and I stepped into them accidentally when a rickshaw came close, and now I need a shower.
Roz
Good to see this Roz - you've arrived safely and settled in! Keep writing, and good luck with the Rickshaws and cowpoo!
ReplyDeletehaha I see you've met the Indian traffic with the constant horning... hope it doesn't give you a headache :s we're having a lot of rain in Singapore too...
ReplyDelete