So far, so good

I’m finally blogging, now Gopal will be happy.  We are now on our 2nd full day in India.  Going well so far.   The trip went well, including our exciting car ride from the airport to Pondicherry.  I think Tim already mentioned our driver dozing off, luckily only for a second.  I think he was much more awake after Tim yelled at him.  Thanks to his fatigue, we got to check out a couple of roadside stops when he went to get coffee.  Interesting places at 3am.  The medical conference we’ve attended the past 2 days has been interesting to say the least.  Indians really like to congratulate, thank one another and distribute bouquets, it’s very touching.  Off to the the ashram and folk dancing tonight.  We should be fun.

We Made It.

It was a long and painful journey. Lots of waiting. It felt like we were never going to get there…and that was just the RTA to the Airport. Once we got to the airport, the flights were fine. I took my Lunesta and slept the whole flight from Germany to India. We got through customs fine and all out checked items arrived. The drive from Chennai to Pondicherry was interesting at 3AM, especially since our drivers spoke no English. I am not sure there are any traffic laws in India, but I know that liberal use of the horn is encouraged. Only once did I have to yell at the driver because he fell asleep and drifted off the road. But we made it.

The medical school were we are staying is pretty nice. The building where we are dorming looks like it is half underconstruction but the rooms are nice with working A/C and marble floors. And the bathroom has a regular toilet and shower, much better than what I was expecting.

So far, all we have done is attend this conference on HIV/AIDS and Child Development. It was pretty interesting. They spent alot of time on the ceremonies congratulating the speakers. “We are requesting Dr. XYZ to hand over the certificate to Dr. ABC.”  They put on a good conference…the food has been great and we did meet the Govenor of Pondcherry. He and Dennis Kucinich are probably the biggest celebrities I have ever met.

Of note, Gopal and I have decided to become one with our South Indian selves and assume a piece of the culture. Like all good South Indian men…we are growing mustaches.

Exhaustion

Will flesh this out later. Since I left Hyderabad 2 days ago:

Took a flight to Chennai and subsequent 3 hour car trip to Pondicherry. Driver, who has spent his entire life in Pondy, has never heard of French.

Stayed at a 2 star hotel with Inspector Clouseau.

Attended the CAMHADD conference and gave a Keynote lecture. Chaired a session. Felicitated 2 speakers and was felicitated twice.

Met the Lieutenant Governor of Pondy (at his Republic Day party) and spoke to the Chief Minister of this territory.

Went to Aurobindo Ashram. Will be going back today to attend folk dance, check out the French architecture, hang out at beach. CIT2 very rough so far.

I am now staying in the dorms with the team. Internet access very very limited.

Hot and Humid

We’ve made it Pondicherry and our host hospital Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute.  After a 3 hour drive from the Chennai airport (one which I was very glad not to have made on my own), we arrived exhausted at 430 am.  We crashed in our lovely airconditioned rooms (thank goodness for A/C!)

We jumped headlong into a Commonwealth conference on child development and HIV and AIDS.  I was still too sleepy from the flights over.

It’s nice to see a medical college taking an interest not only in their own campus, but also trying to expand their horizons.  By US standards, the facilities are not a “nice.”  But they still have an impressive hospital and medical school.  I’m looking forward to see what happens on a typical ward here.