Kanchipuram

We went to the Uma Eye Clinic two days ago and watched some eye exams. After that, we went to a Bollywood (Hindi) movie called Aisha which was supposed to be really good but it was TERRIBLE! It was about a girl named Aisha who decides she is going to be a matchmaker for all her friends. Awful movie. I ordered food at the movie and they brought it to me in the theater. It was like bears tooth but the food wasn't as good.

Yesterday, we woke up at 6 am to go to Kanchipuram. Prashanth's grandpa got a van and picked us up from the hotel. We saw many temples, including one that is the oldest in India. You aren't allowed to wear your shoes once you get to the entrance, but much of the temple is outside and the stone tiles badly burn your feet. Yesterday was hotter than usual so the tiles burned even more. At one of the temples, I paid 5 rupees to get blessed by an elephant (the elephant taps you on the head with its trunk) and 100 to ride it! It was so scary being up so high! I was sitting right at the back of its head and every time it moved its head I thought I was going to fall. I have many pictures that I will post in a few days when I get home. For lunch we went to an upscale restaurant. When we arrived, there was a cockroach on our table that was laying on its back and moving its legs in the air. It was supposed to be a vegetarian restaurant but they put meat in my food! There was a large unidentifiable bug in my ketchup and a worm in my noodles. The noodles tasted good though! After lunch, we went shopping for shawls. My bill was 5700 rupees but I was able to get it down to 4600. Part of that discount was because I was paying with cash and they don't tell the government about sales in cash, so they make a bigger profit. Jean and Sonia got their thumbs read after that, and for Jean it took 2+ hours. Everyone was bored to death. She didn't want us in the room while her past, present, and future was being told so 5 of us sat outside. A few times we were startled by loud firecrackers being lit off close nearby. When a person dies, there is a procession in the street and firecrackers are lit off, not pretty ones, usually just ones that are loud. After that, we went back to Chennai. It took about 3 hours because we didn't take the road we took to get to Kanchipuram. Apparently there are a lot of accidents and fatalities on that road, especially at night, because it is one lane and people try to overtake other vehicles when there is not enough room to do so.

Today, we went to a village camp. This is the only village camp I have had the opportunity to go to because they are far away and more difficult to organize. Anna and Caitlin handed out glasses while Jean and I sat with Dr. M. and looked at everything that people had wrong with their eyes. He is a very hands on teacher so when I shadow him, I get to do and learn a lot. On the way back to Chennai, all the doctors and volunteers stopped for lunch. I had chicken lollipops, which is the Indian version of a drumstick. They were delicious. Tonight we are going to the Uma Eye Clinic again.