Tuesday

Today was a bit a bit of a slow day. Most of Kerala went on strike to protest that the government has failed to maintain the main dam. This dam, called Mullaperiyar, is holding back tons of water, and if it fails it has the potential to completely submerge most the state. The other day there was a tiny earthquake which scared people into protesting today. Because of the strike, there were no motor rickshaw workers (or any workers for that matter), so we stayed around the house.
Some people started the day by meeting up with local kids and playing cricket and badminton. It was a fun way to hang out with some of the kids that we have seen and play some games. The only downside was the heat and humidity, but that's something we're all in the midst of getting used to. After they came home, we went and unloaded all of the donated medical supplies. We unpacked everything first, completely covering two large tables, and then brought some up to the actual medical office, and organized the rest into another room in the clinic compound (now used as a tutoring room). It was fun to show everything that we brought to Dr. Sashi, especially since it seemed like the clinic was running low on a lot of supplies.

After unpacking the supplies, we walked up to the house and enjoyed a lunch of PB&J sandwiches, veggies, boiled veggies, papadams, and fruit. As we finished, Ms. Laly told us that a handicraft worker was going to come and give us a craft lesson. This lady came by the house that was 67 and weaved her baskets completely bent over with her legs straight (kind of like a yoga pose). She made fairly large baskets, but told us that she only gets 50 rupees (approx. $1) per basket. While the lady was showing us her technique, some of us played with two local kids who were quite cute.

After the mini craft lesson, lots of local kids came by the clinic for a storytelling session. The Hope compound currently consists of multiple rooms, and we learned yesterday that the room we had been painting will be used as a preschool and kindergarten for kids nearby. Some of the kids came over, so a few of us read them books in English. It was adorable to sit with 7 three-year-olds hardly knew English yet would still repeat everything you said. Another highlight was teaching them how to high-five, something they did for the rest of the hour. Nick and Jessica also read books to about 8 five to twelve-year-olds, though by the end the kids were reading out loud to them instead. After the reading session, we played games with the older kids, and then taught them down by the banks. We ended the neighborhood meet up with chai tea, cookies (biscuits), and a dance party.

After our time with the kids, we came home, cooled off, and then some of us went on a walk to a local church. It was fun to explore, even though we got "attacked" by red ants in the cemetery. We returned home to a beautiful sunset, and then awhile later an exciting thunderstorm. Dinner was light and pretty tasty, though some of us had a bit of a Thai food craving.

Hope everybody is doing well!
Maya