While at the Hospital in Delhi

We have been having such trouble with the internet.  I seem to finally have an evening where I can get online, so here is a post I wrote while sitting with the young ladies who were in the hospital while we were in Delhi. I took care of discharging them from the hospital that day while the rest of the group was visiting the Indian Parliament.

"My world is very small today. MTV is on playing on the television in the hospital room and there is video being shown that is set in New York City. To get there feels like there are many circles, not of hell but of hardship, to climb out of at this moment:

1. Primus Specialty Hospital – the two girls here were SO sick with food poisoning and after taking care of them through one night I am relieved they are better but here we are in the hospital room waiting for the discharge papers to make it to the discharge/bill payment office (there is no healthcare system here. You pay as you go. Corrina's chest x-ray from 2 weeks ago cost Rs. 250, or $5.00).
2. Sikkim House – we are staying in a dumpy basement room in the official hostel and hotel of Sikkim. I dread going to the room at night. It is supposed to hold 6 people and, until 3 girls went to the hospital, we had 9 people staying in the room sharing one bathroom.
3. Delhi – Delhi has not been as stressful or overwhelming regarding filth and poverty as I had expected. It feels like India, more people than you could ever imagine sharing one small city. Sikkim House is right across from the American Embassy so the surrounding environs are well kept and contain tree and grass lined, long straight avenues with an occasional rotary to break the drive.
4. Gangtok – the girls and I are enjoying Delhi but we are looking forward to going back to our temporary home, Chanbari House. When we get home we will have less than 2 weeks to go until we leave for winter break.

5. America and New York – It is hard to imagine what it will be like to live in America after 4 months in a place so significantly different. Maria said to me yesterday as we were making our way through throngs of people to get to a market, “Beverly is going to seem so empty after this.” I think she is right."