March 9 post

I'm over feeling honored due to my age. I think I want to go back to Burma, because I was called “an old woman” today! It was merely a description by a local guide to describe me to others...The young women on the shuttle looked shocked and said, “Did you here was he SAID?” Yes, they were shocked too.

About thirty of us visited an orphanage sponsored by the Sandhwanam Charitable Society that was created by a large family that saw a need to care for children whose parents are in jail or just can't afford to take care of them. The family began the orphanage with the help of Rotary Club and the Federal Bank. There are seven trustees who make decisions and three of the family members are on the board. I talked with Santa Menon (not Claus), a family member and trustee and you can see our picture in this post. But, when I told Santa my age, she said, “Nobody your age would be that interested in such matters as these!” Man, the Indians really know how to put it!

I learned that the society doesn't have fund raisers and depends entirely on donations from corporations and wealthy people hearing about the work. The orphanage takes children from the age of 3 – 12 years old, but the children can go back to the parent if the home situation gets better. This place becomes their new home—sort of a temporary caretaker—and even though they cry when they first come, they become a part of a new family. Adoption doesn't happen as the law makes it difficult to do. After 12 years old, the children are placed in hostels but still cared for by the orphanage until they are 17.

We saw only the younger children, because the others were off to school. The children go to public school or vocational school, but they leave the care of the orphanage when they are 17 years old. Some girls have “arranged” marriages from the home.

The SAS students were absolutely great with the kids!  They got down on the floor with them, sang, danced, painted faces, played hand games, put stickers all over. The kids came alive, especially when music came on. I couldn't quite get the exact title, but the words of one of their favorite song was “I Got No Stars.” It was very touching to see SAS students who have so much give their time and enthusiasm to children who have so little, and tears came to my eyes when I watched.

When I arrived back at the ship, I heard stories from other travelers who flew to New Delhi, a city in northern India and the capital of India and the fourth largest city in the world. The travelers described busy chaos with cows, pigs, tuktuks, motorcycles, cars and everything in the street. In northern India the cow is holy, or sacred, but in southern India—where I am—the cow is just delicious, so they say here.

One unique mannerism that I've seen a lot is a side to side head bob—it's just an acknowledgment that the listener had heard and understood what you've said. It doesn't mean they agree or disagree with you, and I think we could use that head bob in the US, don't you?