Well, here I am in India! Amidst the crowds, the incessant traffic noise, the dust, the smells (nice and evil), the rich and... mainly the poor. For real! Yes, nothing can prepare you for it, as they said to me, yet I had tried hard to imagine it. But the preconceived myths I had have also been severely challenged already. The warmth of the people has taken over the expectation that I would feel an utter foreigner. Amidst the chaos, I think i can see some kind of order. People live here, and have been living here for centuries in these conditions that we in the West call unacceptable. For instance I managed to inadvertently get myself in board a 'general carriage' on the 'superfast' train from Madras to Vellore (yes my first train experience in India). We were 4 on a seat that consisted of solid wood, and 4 above my head! It was an overnight train, and my stop was the first, so I just imagined how these people would spend the night, some of the 'standing' ones were already making their beds on the floor. Yet no one uttered any inurious comments, most had a smile on their face and spoke in low voices. These were poor people, yet they showed an examplanry sense of 'oneness' and restraint and discipline. They even helped me with my burdensome pack off the train.
Anyway, the hospital is well set-up though hundreds lie in the shades of the banyans and more lie huddled in the waiting areas. My boss is Prof Chandy and he's an amazing clinician and teacher, one of the best I've ever met. The ward has some amazing patients. I'm having a grand time, but it's day 1 of 150! With this humbling thought, I shall end this one....S