Yesterday was our day off, and Amit was sick, so I took some money and went for a "widdo twip" as Eliza used to say. I got one of the best hair cuts of my life, with no electricity involved, in a tiny shop for about 80 cents. I asked the man there, "how long have you been cutting hair?" He looked confused and said, "Iggum pumar du tenthil..." or something like that. So I stopped asking questions and let him work.
I hired a little yellow tricycle cab to take me to Pondi Bazaar, one of the great outdoor shopping strips in Chennai. While I was there, looking around, enjoying the amazing sights and sounds, a man convinced me he knew what I needed and he would take me to the tourist shops. He was a friendly and effective salesman so I got in his rickshaw cab. When I told him my name is Peter, he said, "Ah! You are a Christian man. I am too and my family. We were hindu, but we become Christian maybe 2 years ago. We are great peace, great joy. Jesus is coming soon! Did you know?" This is actually a pretty common response when I tell some people my name is Peter (Peetr!). I liked the guy, and though he talked me into buying a couple things I might not have otherwise, he was a good friend and a nice tour guide to have. Things are dirt cheap in India. I spent 20 cents on a pack of 30 or so breakfast cookies. I am surprised also by how many Christians there are in India. It is a religious meltingpot.
I got to shadow the doctors in their clinic last night. I learned that the Cornea is the most sensitive spot on the human body; 200 times more sensitive than skin!!! So don't get things stuck in your cornea! A lady had a peice of metal on hers. Dr. Senthil numbed her with some eye drops and then removed it with a pin. It was fascinating, but her 20 year old or so son in the room couldn't handle it. He kept laughing nervously and turning his head away.
Our greatest contribution here is the eyeglasses we bring and the money we raise for surgeries. 50 bucks can fix a person's cataracts. It is pretty incredible.
We found a lot of people with cataracts in the clinic we went to today...INSIDE a hindu temple. It was quite remarkable. We had to make a makeshift Snellen's eyechart because some people can't read english and the number chart was left behind. I was actually quite impressed with it...pictures attached. Our diagnosis doesn't have to be superbly accurate because we are mostly screening for people with more serious problems to send them to the hospital and handing out reading glasses to those who are benefitted by them.
I am struck by how happy many people are here. I realize the happiness and wealth are entirely independent variables. The richest is not the happiest, nor the saddest. The poorest is not the saddest, nor the happiest. I think the humble, with true faith, hope, and love; are the happiest. And though hard circumstances may incline most towards humility, the choice to be humble and happy or selfish and shrivelled is ultimately a personal decision, constantly, for all walks of life. The wealthy are not doomed to misery any more than the poor are. The question is, what do you love, and how much of what you have are you willing to sacrifice for what you love?
I think we sometimes misanalyze adversity as well. For me, sleeping on a dirty floor with a dirty rag for a pillow would be terrible. For many people in the world, it doesn't feel like adversity at all. It is just what life is. They don't feel bad for themselves. Why should they? That's what life is. It makes me wonder if the Lord doesn't look down on our current, luxurious modern american lifestyles and feel pity for us (if only they knew what they are missing!) just as we look at the poor or at those who lived before the times of modern medicine, ipads and cellphones and internet and cars. Who knows what other wonders this universe holds and will hold?
What I'm getting at is that our adversity is not intrinsically quantifiable, but it is based on our reaction to situations instead of our situations themselves. That having been said, suffering is suffering, and hard things are hard for all of us. It is humbling to see the courage and hope in the eyes of these people who have so very little, and yet love life despite their hardships. I suppose that without wanting to sound naive (after all, I'm on the luxurious side of things and in no place to speak for the poor) I have seen more poverty but less suffering than I expected in India.
Haha, I have been thinking about these things since watching the movie "Lorax" in italian during the plane ride over here. The Lorax asks the wealthy young man, "Well, have you finally filled up the hole you have inside?" I think that is a good way of measuring wealth. And from what I have tasted during my short life, only the love of God can really fill that hole.
So there is my philosophical tidbit for the day. It is important not to think to hard about these things while I'm walking or riding because I have an uncanny tendency towards getting lost...
Love you all. I can't wait to see you soon!
-Peetr
I hired a little yellow tricycle cab to take me to Pondi Bazaar, one of the great outdoor shopping strips in Chennai. While I was there, looking around, enjoying the amazing sights and sounds, a man convinced me he knew what I needed and he would take me to the tourist shops. He was a friendly and effective salesman so I got in his rickshaw cab. When I told him my name is Peter, he said, "Ah! You are a Christian man. I am too and my family. We were hindu, but we become Christian maybe 2 years ago. We are great peace, great joy. Jesus is coming soon! Did you know?" This is actually a pretty common response when I tell some people my name is Peter (Peetr!). I liked the guy, and though he talked me into buying a couple things I might not have otherwise, he was a good friend and a nice tour guide to have. Things are dirt cheap in India. I spent 20 cents on a pack of 30 or so breakfast cookies. I am surprised also by how many Christians there are in India. It is a religious meltingpot.
I got to shadow the doctors in their clinic last night. I learned that the Cornea is the most sensitive spot on the human body; 200 times more sensitive than skin!!! So don't get things stuck in your cornea! A lady had a peice of metal on hers. Dr. Senthil numbed her with some eye drops and then removed it with a pin. It was fascinating, but her 20 year old or so son in the room couldn't handle it. He kept laughing nervously and turning his head away.
Our greatest contribution here is the eyeglasses we bring and the money we raise for surgeries. 50 bucks can fix a person's cataracts. It is pretty incredible.
We found a lot of people with cataracts in the clinic we went to today...INSIDE a hindu temple. It was quite remarkable. We had to make a makeshift Snellen's eyechart because some people can't read english and the number chart was left behind. I was actually quite impressed with it...pictures attached. Our diagnosis doesn't have to be superbly accurate because we are mostly screening for people with more serious problems to send them to the hospital and handing out reading glasses to those who are benefitted by them.
I am struck by how happy many people are here. I realize the happiness and wealth are entirely independent variables. The richest is not the happiest, nor the saddest. The poorest is not the saddest, nor the happiest. I think the humble, with true faith, hope, and love; are the happiest. And though hard circumstances may incline most towards humility, the choice to be humble and happy or selfish and shrivelled is ultimately a personal decision, constantly, for all walks of life. The wealthy are not doomed to misery any more than the poor are. The question is, what do you love, and how much of what you have are you willing to sacrifice for what you love?
I think we sometimes misanalyze adversity as well. For me, sleeping on a dirty floor with a dirty rag for a pillow would be terrible. For many people in the world, it doesn't feel like adversity at all. It is just what life is. They don't feel bad for themselves. Why should they? That's what life is. It makes me wonder if the Lord doesn't look down on our current, luxurious modern american lifestyles and feel pity for us (if only they knew what they are missing!) just as we look at the poor or at those who lived before the times of modern medicine, ipads and cellphones and internet and cars. Who knows what other wonders this universe holds and will hold?
What I'm getting at is that our adversity is not intrinsically quantifiable, but it is based on our reaction to situations instead of our situations themselves. That having been said, suffering is suffering, and hard things are hard for all of us. It is humbling to see the courage and hope in the eyes of these people who have so very little, and yet love life despite their hardships. I suppose that without wanting to sound naive (after all, I'm on the luxurious side of things and in no place to speak for the poor) I have seen more poverty but less suffering than I expected in India.
Haha, I have been thinking about these things since watching the movie "Lorax" in italian during the plane ride over here. The Lorax asks the wealthy young man, "Well, have you finally filled up the hole you have inside?" I think that is a good way of measuring wealth. And from what I have tasted during my short life, only the love of God can really fill that hole.
So there is my philosophical tidbit for the day. It is important not to think to hard about these things while I'm walking or riding because I have an uncanny tendency towards getting lost...
Love you all. I can't wait to see you soon!
-Peetr
A cool house near the market
In the clinic the secretary does a screening.
It rained last night and so we got a nice swimming pool outside our house. The neighborhood crocodile was happy. (JK mom)
Locals come to the camp to get screened. For many, this is the first time they have ever had their vision checked.
Mathura and Amit make a homemade Snellen eyechart for those who can't read english. They used the sizes from a real snellen's chart.
Cute kid. Nice foot. We all go barefoot indoors.
A man getting screened.
Part of the temple.
A hindu god--I believe the god of warfare.
Goats on the roof of the temple.
If Shirley Temple were from India...
PMO, it sounds like you're having an incredible time. Thank you for writing about your adventures. It's been a little blessing to me to read a bit about what I will be experiencing in a few months!
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