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Clinic Blog: 2012 India 3 Clinic Blog

October 21, 2012

Final Blog - Week 2

By pmannix

No internet access until I got home.  Here is a summary of week 2.

The last days of clinic have been similar to Day 5 – a slow but steady stream of people coming to the clinic.  There are many small villages though out the countryside, and people travel for miles to get to the clinic.  Many come on foot but we see lots of tractors pulling wagons full of people.  One day we saw an ox-drawn cart! 

The final day of clinic we had camel rides…how awesome is that!!  The leader from week 2 was so sad to see us leave, he was choked up and had trouble saying goodbye.  This privilege we have to come on a One Sight mission is worth every hardship when we see the gratitude from the people we serve.  We’re learning some interesting things about the people here.  For example, the average monthly income is about the equivalent of $80 US.  That gives you some idea of the level of poverty.

The team is at the Delhi airport, getting ready to head for Newark.  We left the hotel this morning for the flight from Jodhpur, then had over eight hours to kill.  So Scott arranged for a bus to pick us up and we went to a nice market for lunch and …what else…more shopping!  I think I’m shopped out! 

This team has bonded so well, and we’ve made some close friendships.  We shared so much time together, on the bus and in the hotel, that we feel we’ve made friends for life.  But as every mission team knows, it’s time to say see you later.  Wish us safe travels.

 

October 15, 2012

Clinic Day 5

By pmannix

We started our 2nd week of clinic today, this time two hours in the opposite direction. A slightly shorter but much more bumpy ride. The clinic site is smaller but the flow still works well. We were lucky that the people arrived spread out through the day instead of all at once, so the day went smoothly. No outstanding stories today but we saw 599 grateful people and expect many more in the next three days.

The internet at the hotel is not very strong, so I have not been very successful in posting pictures. I’ll keep trying but you’ll probably need to check facebook once we get back to see more. In the meantime, I’ll try again now.

October 14, 2012

Our Weekend

By pmannix

Our weekend in Jodhpur was a combination of work and play.  Saturday we started by touring the Meheramgarh Fort.  It included an audio tour that told all about the history of the Maharajas that lived there thousands of years ago.  Then some shopping in the gift shops before we headed to the Clock Tower, a traditional market jammed full of people, motorcycles, tuk tuks, cows, and every smell imaginable.  One little girl, a ten year old named Byndia, followed us around the entire time, trying to sell us her necklaces.  She was adorable, and very good at upselling.  Quite a few of us ended up buying her beads.  After a couple of hours at the market we headed to another area with a shady courtyard restaurant for dinner, then more shopping at some nice textile and jewelry stores.

On Sunday we drove to our next clinic site to get set up.  This one is only a little closer; just over two hours.  But we'll see how the time works out during rush hour.  One of the school officials shared his thoughts:  "Good relationships are not built by forcing others to understand you, but by giving them confidence that you have understood them very well without saying a word."   The school is smaller, so the clinic setup is a bit "cozy" but it should work out fine.  Some of the team members started a game of "muppet frisbee" with the local kids.  I'm not sure they had ever seem a frisbee...or a muppet!  In a few hours we were finished setting up, but before we left the school, we took a short tour of the village.  It was small and humble, and very much in need our services.  We're definately in the right place.  After the tour we started the two hour trip back.  We stopped at another shopping area before heading back to the hotel for dinner.  Tonight is the Silent Auction so we'll see how much we can raise for One Sight.  Tomorrow begins Clinic Week 2.

October 12, 2012

Day 4

By pmannix

Today is our last day at Clinic 1. Dr. Dave told us that there is an extremely rare condition called Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma which occurs in only one of many thousands of people. But this week they saw three people with the condition! They were able to treat two with medication, and the third was having surgery by the time we left the clinic on the last day!

Today we saw 566 people, bringing our total for the week to 2,858. After the last patient was through, we packed up all the glasses and equipment, and loaded it all on a truck to go to our next clinic site. Then we let the kids chose a gift, and made sure all of the adult volunteers had a pair of sunglasses. Day 4 ended with a closing ceremony. We were each presented with a colorful turban, and Scott presented the One Sight awards to the clinic organizers. Finally, we posed for pictures with the kids who helped all week, then headed to the bus for our last trip on these roads. Can’t wait to see what next week’s travel is like!!

October 12, 2012

Day 3

By pmannix

We left the hotel at our normal 7:00 but after 2 hours we had to stop for a flat tire. Luckily we were very near a beautiful old temple, so we walked over for a tour while we waited. We were met by the high priest, who welcomed us and presented us with gifts. An hour later we were back on the road, but 10 minutes before arriving at the clinic our new tire blew out. The clinic sent a school bus for us, and we arrived at 11:30; a 4 ½ hour drive. Scott summed it up. “Air conditioner off…air conditioner on…air conditioner off…air conditioner on…flat tire 1…flat tire 2…walk…walk…walk”.

But it was a fantastic day anyway. Even after such a late start, we saw over 900 patients. Stephanie shared that one man asked her in broken English “Where are you from?” She answered “the United States”. He replied, “No, you are from heaven. You are giving us eye sight. You are like a God to me”. That's what One Sight is all about!

October 12, 2012

Day 2

By pmannix

After another long drive to the clinic, we got off to a faster start.  It’s amazing how quickly the team gelled.  Our local volunteers are fantastic, helping guide the patients, translating, and giving us language and culture lessons.  What a great group of people! 

Today we saw 816 people.  Franco, our “Pied Piper” from Italy, was a hit with the kids.  In just a few minutes, and with few common words, he rounded them up and had them standing in line waiting for candy.  Back at the hotel after dinner people started playing games – Buzzword, Uno and a serious game of Euchre!

October 12, 2012

Day 1

By pmannix

The team headed to our first day of clinic excited and ready to start. We’d been to the site the day before to preview the layout and do some training. The site is perfect…lots of room to spread out and with great traffic flow. But it’s in such a remote location! The trip is 2½ - 3 hours each way, depending on the number of cows, goats, peacocks and the occasional camel strolling down the street. Most of the drive is in the countryside, along a one lane road. Every time a car comes the other way, both have to drive off the side of the road to get by. It’s a game of chicken, seeing who pulls off first! Speaking of games, we’re lucky that Roman is so good at leading them. We especially enjoyed the icebreaker “Scar”. The point of the game is to say your name and tell a story about your most interesting scar. We really heard some crazy stories, and voted on our favorite, “flaming drink”. When we arrived at the clinic we were greeted by musicians and a ceremonial Hindu welcome. The people are so patient and kind. They come in groups and families, sometimes walking for hours to reach the clinic. On our first day, after getting set up and into our rhythm, we saw 539 patients. After an amazing first day, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and an evening of relaxation and team bonding.

October 12, 2012

Water Habitat Retreat

By pmannix

Finally...a wireless hotspot!  The Water Habitat Retreat is an old, restored maharaja’s palace with lovely gardens and views.  There are hills directly behind with small temples used for prayer and meditation.  The rooms are quite nice, and there is a large dining room/lounge where we eat our meals and spend time together in the evening.  But the road to the hotel is so narrow and winding, the bus can’t navigate it.  So we pile into jeeps for a short drive up to the main road.  The roads are full of stray dogs, cows, pigs and goats…and motorcycles everywhere!  Entire families travel that way.  It’s not unusual to see families of five or more riding together on one bike.  Small three-wheeled cars called “tuk tuks” dart in an out of traffic, and horns blow constantly.  It’s a wild, noisy, chaotic and fascinating place!

October 6, 2012

Team arrives safely in New Delhi

By pmannix

The US team arrived safely.  Tomorrow we head to Jodhpur!

October 3, 2012

Team India prepares to travel

By pmannix

The team leaves in 48 hours for Jodhpur India!  While we're there we'll deliver eyexams and glasses to thousands of people in the community.  We're staying at the beautiful Water Habitat Retreat, a renovated 19th century Maharaja's palace.  Please check back to hear stories and see pictures of our clinic.