Mumbai: From Bollywood To Child Labor; The Heat, The Smells, The Slums, The Party

What a confusing title! But Mumbai (Bombay) is, in many ways, a juxtaposition of diverging socio-economic, environmental, and class distinctions.

Eric lives on the 28th floor of a fine building in a very nice part of town (Colaba). His 300+ degree view of the city and ocean is spectacular. From the apartment it's possible to watch the daily catch coming in, people enjoying themselves in a beautiful manicured park, a shanty-town surrounded by upscale condominiums, and the daily buzz of a vibrant city.

Yesterday morning Eric took me to the docks where the fish come in and are cleaned by a small army of workers. As we entered the area we were told that photographs were not permitted. In fact, we were repeatedly told that as we walked through even though we had no camera visible. There were hundreds of people - mostly female - kneeling on the concrete cleaning fish, shrimp, and squid. Of the fish workers, a good portion of them were young children (probably why pictures are not permitted).

The smell was absolutely disgusting - thousands of pounds of fish coming through daily, much of their carcases discarded and rotting on the hot pavement (high yesterday was 94), and every few blocks a corner that served as a makeshift lavatory (based on the abominable smells that were confronting us). I did not get any pictures but that's one image that will stick (and I mean stick) with me for a long time.

That walk did not last long but we were both exhausted from it and returned to his place to relax. Eventually we headed out for lunch (or breakfast depending how you define these things). We ended up at Rajdhani in the Crawford Market for unlimited gujrati thali - as in a set menu, an army of staff that kept the plates full of vegetarian Indian food, and quickly being ushered out as soon as we were done. Very efficient. And quite delicious. Cost of that feast was in the $3 range.

We then walked through the Crawford Market. People were asleep everywhere - on the ground, in baskets, on tables. You name it, and it's a bed in India.

We returned home and napped. I woke up just in time to go out for dinner. Our friend Fabio arrived from Pune. I only ever knew Fabio with a buzz-cut but now he's sporting long flowing locks. He resigned from Merrill Lynch a couple of years ago and has started a consulting firm here. Was good fun to see him.

We headed out at about 9 PM for dinner at a rooftop Indian restaurant (not vegetarian this time). Gorgeous place. Food delish. And apparently the sheesha was good too - though that's not something I enjoy. We mostly talked about our days at SAIS and what life is like in India.

Following din din, Eric's friend Zainab joined us and we headed to Olive - a popular hangout for Bollywood types. Lots of beautiful people. Eric knew everyone.

One of the first people we met there was Asad Shan - Veejay on B4U. He does exist, as evidenced by the 54,100 returns that Google gave me. This from Wired Magazine:

Asad Shan was working as an investment banker in London when he decided to jump ship and start a new career in modeling and acting. After a stint at the New York Film Academy, and some success on the runway in England, he moved to Mumbai, hired an agent, and is busy trying to make a name for himself.

Apparently there are a lot of people moving here to take advantage of the booming Bollywood entertainment industry. Check out this BBC article where Asad is also featured. We also met Vibhav Krishna, Mumbai Entertainment Lawyer to the Bollywood Stars.

We hung out at Olive until about 1AM and then headed to the J.W. Marriott to a place called Enigma. Fabio had a 6:30 AM flight to Goa and our plan was to stay out most of the night and then to take him to the airport.

Enigma was loud and jumping and good fun (thanks to my earplugs). We were there when it closed at 3:00 AM and then grabbed a bite in the Marriott's restaurant. Fabio from Rimini ordered... pizza! And enjoyed it!

We drove Fabio to the airport and were back at Eric's place by 5:30 AM. And then the unthinkable happened... I got on the computer and Eric's connection died! Waking him up to reconnect did cross my mind but I caught myself and headed to my bedroom. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was... sunrise. Eric can run up walls.

This morning I woke up at 8:30 AM. I was completely and utterly exhausted but unable to sleep. Thankfully Eric came out to briefly check his email shortly thereafter and I again have internet access. And by 9:00 our Agra train tickets arrived at the front door.

Tomorrow I shall fly to Delhi to be reunited with Karin! Tomorrow evening dinner with the trio. Then Karin and I shall then begin the rest of our adventure together in India.

Hello from McLeod Ganj (Dharamsala)

Just arrived in Dharamsala. It's cold and wet. Again. But we had 2 dry days in a row previously. So the 1st thing we did on arrival: Anjum soaked clothes for laundry, Harry checked himself into the nicer Hotel next door. A + I were debating if we should join him, but I thought that as acting lead I should suck it up and stay with the group. The 'Hotel' is the same as the others- 40 yr old carpet and bedding, unheated, one small space heater. Small water heater. But it is a luxury after 6 nights of camping.

Can't say much yet about Dharamsala except that we have spotted some white people and monks. There are many small Tibetan shops that we plan to visit. Don't know if the Dalai Lama is in town, but we will find out about visiting his complex.

We are not actually in Dharamsala. We are in Mcleod Ganj which is the smaller, nicer, tourist spot where the Dalai Lama lives (upper Dharamsala).

As for the last few days, we had 2 busy clinic days. yesterday we saw 211 patients. Our busiest yet. Overall, we did not see as many patients as expected. Only about 1500 total. So many dermatologic and eye complaints. Also a lot of osteoarthritis and general wear and tear from the difficult lifestyle. Occasionally we come upon someone with a rare disorder that we vaguely remember reading about in med school. I am keeping a list of things to look up upon my return.

Our last camp site (outside of Chowari) was lovely. But due to rain we were bummed out for much of the 6 night stay there. Also, everyone was sick (by everyone I mean ~75% of the team). And we revolved some people in and out of a local guest house- basically room with a toilet, heater, and shower- so they can have their diarrhea without having to trek to the bathroom tents (hole in the ground that became disgusting after prolonged use). Harry was there for 2 nights. Anjum stuck it out in the tent. It is unclear what the illness was, but most people are treating themselves for Typhoid. We will probably all de-worm ourselves as a precaution. And will throw in some scabies treatment to boot.

I am dependent on hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and pepto bismol. So far it has worked for me. Except that my hands have lost several layers of skin and perpetually taste like chemicals. I immediately washed them with soap and water on arrival- what a luxury.

When we get back to our room A+I plan to shower. We have do do that very quickly so as not to use up all the hot water in the heater. The second showerer gets the shaft. I have not taken a proper shower since I don't know when. But I have become very efficient at the bucket-bath.

So we have 2 nights here, and on the 23rd take an overnight bus to Delhi. No more clinic. Just free time. We plan to explore and relax. We have internet and phone access, so feel free to write!

Love to you all.

Karin

Beautiful, Productive Day In The Himalayas. Karin In Charge. Singing. Dancing. I'm Leaving Tomorrow.

I just received a call from Dr. Rash. Today was a gorgeous day in the Himalayas. The team saw over 150 patients and there were many interesting cases. Lots of scabies and rashes. A fair number of years-old untreated spinal fractures. And they are seeing more of the heart-breaking mental-retardation cases where there is little that can be done.

Only 6 people out of the entire team has avoided sickness. Of our Intrepid Trio, only Karin has stayed consistently strong. I have had Karin on a steady diet of hearty Indian fare for the past decade and I attribute her resilience to my own resolute commitment to banghan bharta, saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and raita.

The other physician on the trip decided that, since the sickness was of unknown origin, they should treat for typhoid (a la Dr. House for those of you familiar). So everyone was put on antibiotics. Karin's thought that more of a wait and see approach might be better - as in wait and see who slips into a coma and then treat.

Karin also described an incredible hike they took from a high mountain pass. They all got our of their Jeeps at 10,000 feet and had a wild no-holds-barred snowball-fight with the drivers. They then hiked up an additional 1500 feet and arrived at a peak that was absolutely spectacular. Incredibly memorable experience.

The lead of the trip has now departed. I think that means that Karin is now in charge. She's so modest about these things that it's hard to be sure but I did the math and according to my calculations when #1 goes home, the assistant to #1 becomes #1. So, I haven't completed the proof yet but I'm pretty sure she's numero uno.

The other night they had a serious rain storm. Everyone retired to their tents for the night. Some time later, Prem the Sherpa unexpectedly came around to make sure everyone was dry. Prem, on the other hand, was going from tent to tent in a torrential rainfall without any rain-gear whatsoever. He was sopping wet. That, in the eyes of our Explorers, made him even cuter than before (he's Karin's height).

Evening activity has improved markedly since Harry reported on the (possibly) rabid dogs that they would name, play with, and run from. The staff have been getting together with everyone and playing music, singing and dancing. Apparently their Indian hosts are talented musicians and it makes for wonderful entertainment. Inevitably the staff asks the Medical Team to sing something they know from their culture. Karin reports that the group then sheepishly tries to figure out something they all know and ultimately are stuck singing childhood camp songs such as "Row Row Row Your Boat" and "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore". They all feel quite pathetic when it's their turn but they swallow their pride and do their part to expose the gathered Sherpas, cooks and other Indian staff to quality North American culture. I'm going to suggest that they move on to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Hava Nagila tonight if they feel up to it.

Meanwhile, back in San Diego (where it's storming today), I am doing some last-minute planning and packing. I had sent this website out to some beautiful hotels in India to see if they might consider discounting our stay to become part of this noble, yet entertaining, effort. Aman has graciously offered to do just that and I'm waiting to hear from a couple of others.

And here is the message you will be confronted with if you try to log into the website for booking trains in India today:

We are currently facing problem with the credit card payment gateways at the moment. Your booking may or may not materialize due to the same.

Quick Emasculating Call From Karin

Karin called me this morning at 5:20 AM. Yes, I was in a deep sleep. Yes, it's Sunday. Yes, I was up in the middle of the night. No, it was not an emergency. Yes, I was ecstatic to hear from her.

My head was in a cloud, though, so she opted to call me back 2 hours later. Her purpose: to tell me to bring socks and feminine-hygiene products to India for her. The weather there was bad so everyone was packed into the kitchen-tent and I could barely make out what she was saying. I was, however, able to hear the entire group erupt into hysterical laughter when she chose a crowded kitchen-tent on a desolate mountain-side in the rugged and unforgiving Himalaya-sierra to instruct me to bring panty-liners to India. Yes, I felt emasculated. But I've recovered - as evidenced by my ability to write about it here.

I didn't get much more information because she was speaking on Harry's cell phone and roaming is about 10,000 Rupees per Himalayan minute. So all I can really tell you is that she's running low on... um... socks.

(OK, maybe I'm still recovering)

Contact With The Crew: Meditation, Knitting, Debating. The Scenery is STUNNING. They are FREEZING.

I received a call yesterday evening from Anjum's father. His message: The Himalayan Crew is leaving the hotel in 20 minutes. Call now or forget about speaking to them for a week. And he gave me exactly what I had been dreaming of: A phone number!

I immediately called Karin and caught her just as the Team was about to head off. After exchanging requisite Valentine's Day wishes, she gave me a quick run-down of what is going on. Yesterday the Medical Team delivered care to monks in a monastery. Apparently this was particularly enjoyable because the monks are very pleasant people (and oh so darn cute). Following the clinic, the team was treated to a meditation session. And, later on they all learned how to knit. Since wool is the primary source of what keeps people warm(ish), knitting is a crucial skill to have. Harry abstained from knitting as he finds knitting "unsexy" and, understandably, a potential threat to manhood everywhere. Thanks for standing up for us, Har.

Our Intrepid Trio (Karin, Anjum, Harry) have figured out that a grand total of 2 of the 6 Jeeps have heat. They are currently riding in Anoop's Jeep. Anoop has really got it goin' on... Not only does his Jeep have heat, but it has a CD player and an MP3 player (with USB port). During the drive yesterday they were actually warm (I'll get to how rare that is shortly) and were able to listen to U2, Aretha Franklin (and others) while driving through some of the most unbelievably beautiful Himalayan terrain. Having a decent ride makes it a lot easier to enjoy of course. The Intrepid Trio are worried that they will not be able to hold onto their coveted seats, however, as they are encouraged to move around between vehicles and mix with other team members.

At one point during the drive someone had asked Anoop what elevation they were at. Anoop responded: "Fifteen thousand meters." When one of the passengers questioned that estimate Anoop was adamant (note that Everest tops out at 8,850 meters and a Boeing 747 tops out at 12,500 meters). There was an uneasy silence in the Jeep for a little while... Until they passed a sign that read "1500 meters" and Anoop said "Oh, 1500 meters. Sorry. I make mistake." They are all friends again now.

While the drives are long and sometimes treacherous, they are not uncivilized. The team stops for regular tea breaks and chip breaks. Apparently Lays makes a Himalayan version of their chip that is extremely popular with the Explorers. Karin describes it as a modified-ketchup flavor. During yesterday's drive Anoop's passengers decided to debate some contemporary issues. Among them: capital punishment, gun control, legalization of drugs. If you wish to have your topic debated in the Himalayas by medical practitioners listening to soul or rock (or other) music while eating Himalayan Lays, please let me know and I will pass on your request.

The team will be at the next campsite for 6 nights. They expect it to be vvvery cccold. And speaking of cold, last night in the hotel Karin went to sleep wearing, among other things, long-johns, a thermal shirt, a turtleneck, wool socks, wool hat, wool gloves, with 3 blankets and a space-heater and was completely and utterly freezing. Freezing is an ongoing theme now. The buildings are not heated and even though everyone is constantly bundled up, the cold is never-ending and pervasive. And now they are traveling to an even more frigid area. Brrrrrr.

Rain, Sleet And Snow

It is about 7pm in Manali.

This morning we went to a buddist school to perform physicals on all the students. The building was old and decrepid and very cold!!!! I don't know how the students live there in these conditions. Many of the windows were broken and the common room was open to the outdoors. Despite that the children were all cheerful and happy to see us. They were timid at first, but when we photographed them and showed them the pics on our digital cams, they smiled and happily posed for many more. They were so adorable. Wait till you see the pics.

Since it was so cold (and because we wanted to take advantage of our time in Manali), we cranked through the physicals and were done with ~170 exams by 2pm. We then headed back to the hotel for lunch, followed by an afternoon of shopping and walking around town.

Manali is surrounded by snow-capped peaks- very beautiful. But the weather has been rather harsh. The day started wih sleet, followed by rain, and now it is snowing. Brrrr! The hotel is unheated except for tiny space heaters in the rooms. Last night I heard a buzz and then saw smoke rising from our heater. We got it replaced. We need to leave it on for most of the day because that is the only way our clothes will dry.

Purchases so far have included scarves, hats, gloves, and socks. All wool.

Tomorrow we leave for a buddhist monastery where we will reside for 2 days in their guest house. It is unheated too. No space heaters. Afterwards we will camp for 6 nights. Yikes! Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

It is awesome to have Harry and Anjum here to share this experience.

Love to all,
Karin

Bad Weather, Hard Work, Harry In His Element (and XL2 success)

When I last spoke to Karin she was just coming off 12 hours of sleep following the hell-ride she had coming out of the mountains. She had done the Gravol-Dramamine thing (read sedation) in anticipation but even that wasn't working so she had doubled up... which did not work either. By the time she arrived at the hotel she was extremely nauseous and even more medicated and went straight to bed. Even after 12 hours of sleep she was still in a bit of a stupor.

When Team Himalaya had arrived at the home of the Ex-Health Minister, they had each been treated to a bindi and a garland. A bindi is the red decorative dot that is worn on the forehead. Wikipedia describes its religious significance as follows: The area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the sixth chakra, agni, the seat of "concealed wisdom". According to followers of Tantrism, this chakra is the exit point for kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck.

The team then went to work seeing patients. Over the past 4 days, the Team has seen an average of 150 patients per day. Karin, for some unknown reason, had been advertised as a "child specialist" (she is a family doctor). She thus has been seeing children almost exclusively since our last report. What's interesting about these children is that they often come in without parents. Dr. Rash says it's quite something to have a 5 year old boy come in alone and to have a discussion with him about his condition, symptoms, and treatment options.

A number of the cases are of developmental delay and mental retardation. Those are particularly tough as there is very little that can be done for them. For many other patients the doctors are able to give a few samples of medication but it's frustrating because they know the patients will not follow up by securing more once the sample runs out. And for others the resources that the physicians have are too rudimentary to properly test and/or treat. For extreme diagnoses they get referred to a hospital in a city but there are many borderline cases where additional equipment would be welcome.

It's hard work. It got particularly rough when the weather turned and they were suddenly confronted by strong winds and pelting rain. Since Karin is in a supervisory role, she had no choice but to run between the tents where patients were being seen. Within a short time she was completely drenched.

Eventually the weather got so bad that they decided to wrap up early to get on the road to Bilaspur and then on to Manali. That's when they packed up, loaded up the bus, and had that terrible ride.

The celebration of Harry's birthday continued last night at the hotel. Harry, as he is wont to do, held court in the hotel bar. Most of the revelers went to bed at 10. Karin retired at 11. But Harry and the trip leaders were still going strong when she headed off. This morning Harry chose bed over breakfast.

Today the group will be seeing children in a mission-school. Sounds like they are all doing well and are seriously enjoying being back in a hotel. I have yet to hear of anyone that is overly-excited about getting back into the tents - at what will be even higher elevation and with significantly colder weather.

I do have one complaint about calling them at the hotels in India. Every time I call, a man typically answers and says "Hello?" I then say "Hello, may I speak to Karin....?" Then I hear "Hello? Hello?" as if they do not hear me. So I will say again, more loudly, "Hello! May I speak to Karin....?" Then they will say "Hello? Hello? Hello?" as if all they hear is dead air. And so it goes, back and forth, getting louder and louder. This usually goes on for a minute or two, until the phone is inexplicably passed to another person. The second person says "Hello?" and I say "May I speak to Karin..?" And they say "Certainly, just one moment please." As in, there was never anything wrong with the line! The first person obviously heard me but chose to keep on saying "Hello? Hello? Hello?" anyway. Anyone care to explain?

And in case anyone is interested, all went well in the XL2. There's a story there too but this isn't the right forum for it. If anyone wants to go flying, let me know.

Happy Birthday Harry!

Our Team will be driving back to Bilaspur from Kotdhar today. And it's Harry's birthday! Too bad I'll be missing that. I did get him a gift, though... I shall post a picture of it later today. Happy Birthday Harry!

I just called the hotel. Apparently they will be there in 20 minutes or so (it's 4:20 AM here so 5:50 PM there). Expect a hefty update later on today.

Update: Just spoke to Harry! Wished him a happy birthday. He sounds well. Karin is asleep as she became nauseous during the treacherous bus ride they took today. It had started raining so they expedited their departure. The tiny, poorly-maintained, cliff-side mountain roads that they were traversing then became wet and muddy. Overall it sounds like a really awful ride. And Karin doesn't do well even on good roads in decent vehicles and in stellar weather... so I imagine it was quite hellish for her.

Harry, Anjum, and Karin stayed up until midnight last night so as to kick off Harry's birthday properly. At midnight Karin brought out the Champagne and some other mini-bottle of something that she had been hauling around the Himalayas just for the occasion. Someone else got a plate of cookies together and even a candle for Harry to blow out. Harry's plan for the rest of today is to talk to many of you and to continue the celebration tonight.

Harry has continued with his triage duties but also took on organizing the chaotic manner in which people were gathering to get service. He came up with a system whereby he would have the staff write the names of individuals down and then he would call them when it was their turn. Unfortunately, Harry's Hindi isn't quite fluent yet, and the staff didn't have very good handwriting... In the end, Harry's name calling turned into serious sport. Each name he would call would bring howls of laughter. People were asking him to "Say my name next!" Eventually, the group figured out ways to get him to repeat names such as by saying "Who?" or by just not coming up for a while.

And then there were the people trying to sneak through his system. One particular group of 5 elderly women were slipping by and going to the tents without waiting for their names to be called. Harry would catch them and bring them back but they were relentless. Eventually Harry found a translator and explained to them exactly what was going on (read them the riot act). Thereafter, the 5 elderly women became Harry's enforcement team. I think he may bring them to Princeton in the fall to help handle the new pledges at his fraternity.

Their campsite was reasonably nice. It was at the top of a hill or mountain so the view was beautiful. Evening activity consisted of being entertained by stray dogs that roam the area (they even named a couple of them - Tripod and Mongoose). Apparently these dogs have somehow trained themselves and are a pleasure to be around. At one point a group of dogs did turn on Har however - growling and being aggressive - but Harry beat his chest and made it clear who was boss and they gave him no more trouble.

More later when I speak to Karin. If you feel like wishing Harry Happy Birthday call him at the Sagar View Hotel: 011-91-1978-223095 (it's GMT + 5:30 in Bilaspur).