I think today is the day it clicked that, yes, I am actually going to India. I'm starting to have the same feelings of fear and hesitancy that I did on the days leading up to the start of the program. All the things that I need to do before I go are becoming more and more urgent; I'm starting to think about when I need to take my Dukoral vaccine and start my malaria pills; I'm beginning to realize a lot of what I assumed I would do before leaving is just not going to happen. I also wish I knew a lot more Hindi than I know, and I'm better off than most other Canadians for that.
The Canadian participants got together at the end of our normal day at the AIDS Network and discussed our hopes and fears about the Indian phase. For the most part, I'm obviously really excited, but at the same time feel like I will give up so much of my independence when I go. I'm also a really long (sketchy) bus ride from the other participants, so I'm worried I'll be really isolated. I will be living with Annu's family for sure, which is not ideal but I'd rather be there than at the SPYM guest house without my counterpart as some Canadians will be.
Today we also read a copy of an email a girl visiting New Delhi wrote home to her family and friends about her initial impressions of the city, most of which were not good. It lead to some interesting discussion about how we will perceive everything in the context of what we already know as normal, and therefore we are much less likely to see the reality of our new environment. I'll have to keep that in mind before I tell you all about the 'crazy' things I see!
Tomorrow I'll be presenting a session on STIs to the Rainbow Drop-In group, which was one of my favourite experiences here. Wednesday will be my last day of volunteer placement at HIFY. I'll be presenting 'Healthy Relationships' to a group of immigrant women at a centre downtown Hamilton, then back to help in the clinic and observe Risk Reduction one more time.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sorry I forgot about this thing
So I haven't written in my blog for over a month. Oops. I guess things started to slow down and settle into more of a routine since right after my last post, but then picked up so quickly I didn't have time to post another.
On Wednesday, Jenny, Vahid, and I presented our HIV/AIDS session to the group at HIFY, which went pretty well but needed some modification after. I will be preparing and presenting a workshop on healthy relationships and self esteem to a small (10-12) group of immigrant women from all around the world. Apparantly their English is VERY basic, so they won't answer any questions I ask them and won't read anything I have written, so that should be a good challenge.
We had our mid-project activity at Crieff (so close to Guelph!) the last weekend in October. All 20 of us (18 participants + 2 project supervisors) lived in the same gigantic house and took turns cooking meals, etc. It was pretty awesome, and I wish we were all living together in one house in India (apparantly they've done this in the past). Instead it sounds like we'll be really spread out over the gigantic city, and might not see too much of each other anymore.
Since my last post we also helped out at a conference in Toronto called the Global Citizens Forum about creating social change through a variety of means (i.e. photography, documentary making, etc.). It was really interesting and I met a lot of really cool people who were doing a lot within their own lives to make a difference. For example, there was a man from Almonte (a really small town near Brendan's cottage I canoed through last summer) who went to Haiti with 30 disposable cameras, taught kids how to use them, and sold the pictures back in Canada as a fundraiser for their community.
As the days countdown to leave for India (19 to go!), I've really been realizing the importance of this phase of the program, and am trying to appreciate every day for what it's worth. Today Sharon is taking Annu and I up to Gravenhurst to visit her daughter and grandchildren and we will be back tomorrow in time for a movie night with the girls from the program.
I'll try to blog again soon! :)
On Wednesday, Jenny, Vahid, and I presented our HIV/AIDS session to the group at HIFY, which went pretty well but needed some modification after. I will be preparing and presenting a workshop on healthy relationships and self esteem to a small (10-12) group of immigrant women from all around the world. Apparantly their English is VERY basic, so they won't answer any questions I ask them and won't read anything I have written, so that should be a good challenge.
We had our mid-project activity at Crieff (so close to Guelph!) the last weekend in October. All 20 of us (18 participants + 2 project supervisors) lived in the same gigantic house and took turns cooking meals, etc. It was pretty awesome, and I wish we were all living together in one house in India (apparantly they've done this in the past). Instead it sounds like we'll be really spread out over the gigantic city, and might not see too much of each other anymore.
Since my last post we also helped out at a conference in Toronto called the Global Citizens Forum about creating social change through a variety of means (i.e. photography, documentary making, etc.). It was really interesting and I met a lot of really cool people who were doing a lot within their own lives to make a difference. For example, there was a man from Almonte (a really small town near Brendan's cottage I canoed through last summer) who went to Haiti with 30 disposable cameras, taught kids how to use them, and sold the pictures back in Canada as a fundraiser for their community.
As the days countdown to leave for India (19 to go!), I've really been realizing the importance of this phase of the program, and am trying to appreciate every day for what it's worth. Today Sharon is taking Annu and I up to Gravenhurst to visit her daughter and grandchildren and we will be back tomorrow in time for a movie night with the girls from the program.
I'll try to blog again soon! :)
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