Back to Dehli

Clint and I left Herbertpur last night for Dehli. Our parents are flying in in just a couple of hours! It doesn’t really feel like we’re leaving India…may be because we’ll be back in Herbertpur next weekend. I'm going to miss the peacefulness of HCH. It's such a contrast to Dehli. Geom was so kind to ride to the train station with us. We may have been lost without him. We had to take a train into a city we haven't been to, and let me tell you it was quite the place! There were people, buffalo, rickshaws, cows, scooters, dogs, and automobiles all were crammed onto the same roads. Everyone should experience Indi at least once in their lives. There's nothing quite like it.

This week we plan to spend some time in Dehli, then travel to Agra (to see the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur. Then we will be taking a train up to Herbertpur so they can see where we've been living for the past 6 weeks. Also, they will be able to meet the wonderful people that we've come to know and love. Should be quite the journey... :)

Down by the Mountains

Here are some pictures from our Sunday afternoon picnic with Jeff & Janet. Jeff took us to a fun little spot by the foothills. We love spending time with these guys! Janet and I can't help but laugh at the similarities between Jeff & Clint and our reactions to them. It's actually quite humorous. Jeff & Janet have shown us so much love, welcoming us into their lives and hearts. Spending time with them is something we will treasure forever. We will certainly miss each of them and look reuniting in the States...

Cosette, Cameron and Clint

Janet & Calvin

Our little picnic spot

Taste of Dehra Dun

Last Saturday evening our friend Geom took Clint and I to Dehra Dun for what we affectionately called our "Taste of Dehra Dun." Derha Dun is the capital of Uttarakhand (the state we are in).

We started at Domino's, I know...not too Indian...and from there went to a Christian book store, a place called Melting Moments (which was a cute little bakery) and finished up at Barista's (a coffee shop that is Italian, I think). Barista's. Oh wait...that's not it. Then Geom had us try a special kind of potato burger before we headed back to Herbertpur....stuffed beyond reason.

Clint and I at Melting Moments.

Clint and Geom getting "orange slushy headaches."

Only Two Weeks?

It’s hard to believe that we have less than 2 weeks left here at HCH. I’m so thankful to return to some friends who have been here. Kendra and Tami, I’m looking you up when I get home!!!

How do you explain India to those who’ve never been? How do you explain the Mess…or spicy food for breakfast…or the joy of Sunday morning pancakes…or the driving…or the noise, the dogs, the birds at all hours of the day…or the horns…or the staring…or the weariness on people’s faces…or how you feel when someone offers you your third cup of Chai that day…or all of the roads filled with little shops selling all of the same products…or the awkwardness of the suit pants…or the countless things you don’t understand…or using buckets of water to get clean and then using those buckets to do laundry…or the laundry man who comes to your door on Thursdays and Sundays and somehow manages to keep everyone’s clothing straight…or the massive amount of people who live in India…or the shaking of the head when a person is saying “yes,” “no,” “thank you,” "ok," or just listening to you…or the wonderful people we have met…or the unique smells…or the painted trees…or the beauty…or finding a chicken heart or other organ in your supper…or eating with your hands…or an auto rickshaw….or the beggar that tugs on your shirt and follows you around…or the colors…or the intricate fabrics amidst the dust…or wearing a sari…

Mom and Dad & Mom and Dad…we look forward in sharing this with you in just a few weeks! Can’t wait to see you…thanks for making the effort to come!

Mussoorie

Last weekend, Clint and I took a trip up into the foothills of the Himalayas (pronounced him-mahl-EE-uhs). It ‘s only 2 hours from where we are at Herbrertpur. Mussoorie was founded by the British in the 1800’s (I believe) as a place to retreat from the summer heat.

On the way up to our guest house, our taxi driver stopped at a Chhaya Café, a little bakery/café. It was the cutest little place. We didn’t find out until the following morning, that a Western lady who wanted to help women who had been abandoned by their husbands had set up the café. She taught several of them how to cook and bake, and now these women run it. All of the food made there is from her original recipes.

Clint, when his pen exploded in his mouth :) ...and I only thought that happened in movies

We stayed at a little guest house called Ivy Bank Guest House for only 800 Rupees/night. Ivy Bank was a 23-minute walk (guess who timed that ☺) up from the main tourist area, so it was really quiet. When we dropped our bags off, we noticed that our room was a bit chilly and that our bed only had a sheet and thin blanket. No worries, we thought, we’ll just get heavier blankets from the office once we return from supper. Well, by the time we ate supper, and had walked down and back to the Mall (the main tourist area), it was quite late and the office was completely dark. It can’t be that bad, we figured. Needless to day, we were we sorely mistaken. It COULD be that bad and it WAS. Our room was absolutely freezing all night. Words cannot begin to explain how cold it was. (For Saturday evening, we made sure to get those heavy blankets and a space heater from the office)

The Mall

On Saturday, we awoke to the sound of pouring rain, and because of our freezing cold room, we knew we couldn’t stay there all day. So, we decided to make the most of it. We jogged down to the café, and had a leisurely breakfast while trying to dry off and warm up by the space heater. Then we bought an umbrella for 70 Rupees ($1.75) and headed down to the Mall. By the end of the day, we had had some great food, time spent in another café just reading and talking and were thoroughly soaked…and cold…but happy.

Walking back up to Ivy Bank on Saturday...soaked and cold!

Sunday morning was beautiful. We hiked up the hill about 10 minutes and hiked around to a spot where we could see the snow-capped Himalayas. Then we stopped for breakfast/lunch at a little place Jeff & Janet recommended and met a lot of neat Western Christians. It was a great, and very memorable little trip.

The shoe's on the other foot

Vivek, Anant, Clint, Ruma, Shalu in the taxi bus

Last night, Clint & I, along with Kristen & Stephanie (nursing students from Canada) took a few of our Indian friends to Pizza Hut in Dehra Dun! We all piled into a taxi bus for the 1 hour journey. Shortly after we started eating, we quickly noticed that for the first time in the past 3 weeks, it was the foreigners who were eating with their hands and the Indians who were eating with silverware. (Indians typically eat with their right hand, as their left hand is considered dirty)

Kristen, Ruma, me, Shalu, Stephanie in Pizza Hut

Clint & Anant on the ride home

Then, on the bumpy ride home, it wasn't the foreigners who got sick, but the Indians. (we've all been getting sick off and on after eating Indian food) We felt so badly for them.

Glimpses...

I thought I’d give you a few glimpse into our lives at HCH.


These are the monkeys that frequent our campus. I’ve seen them here twice, now. They seem to come in groups of 15-20 and just hang out in our trees. (or eat micsellanous pieces of trash laying around)


This is a picture of the road that leads to the hospital campus. (I’m standing with my back to the campus). If you look on the left hand side of the photo, you will see a lady in a turquoise-ish colored suit with big pink polka dots on it. Just behind her, you can sort of make out a purple chair. That chair is at the chai stand that I visit every so often to hang out with Joyce, Ruma and Salu. Their chai is great…not lack for calories, though. :) This is also where I got roped into wearing a sari.


Here we have Dr. Lehmann’s old house. I’m not sure if he lived in the whole thing, or what. On the other side of the blue windows in the center of the picture is our room. The bottom level is broken up into apartments and several staff members live down there.

This is a funny story. So on our first day here, somehow we mistakenly thought Dr. Lehmann’s old house was the former Lehmann Hospital. With a little time on our hands, we went exploring. Well, actually, Clint went exploring. I just tagged along. We found all kinds of nooks and crannies in that place.

All of the sudden, we came across a locked door. (here is a grave difference between Clint and I) When I come to a locked door, I think.. “hmmm…it must be locked for a reason, let’s go somewhere else.” Clint, on the other hand, sees a locked door and can’t resist the temptation of knowing what is behind the door. So he starts yanking and pulling on the door, trying to open in, while I stand there fretting…almost sure we’re going to tick someone off. Bang. Bang. Thunk. Yank. Before we knew what was happening, a face appeared in the door window. My heart rate probably doubled. Here we are, only our 3rd day in India, can’t speak a lick of Hindi and we get caught trying to break into someone’s apartment! Thankfully, the apartment belonged to a resident named Geom who is one of the best natured guys here and someone who has become a very good friend.


This is a little hole-in-the-wall shop behind the hospital where Clint comes for snacks, an occasional Limeca and bread omelets. I myself have found a treasure here… COLD bottles of water for only 12 Rupees (which is between 25-30 cents) for a 1 liter bottle. Amazing.


And finally, this is Conner. He is Jeff & Janet’s 3rd child. Conner has a flying backpack….that shoots out fire…and is made of cardboard.

I’ve been spending my mornings over with Janet, helping as she home schools their kids. The kids are so much fun to be with!