Friday 12 December 2014

A day in the life of a volunteer in Palampur


COUNTRY: India, Palampur
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Physiotherapy
WRITTEN BY: Sally Laughton

6:00- Wake up to the birds chirping in the fields outside your room. Curse the birds for waking you up before dawn but, considering you’re awake so early, pile on jumpers and socks and trudge up to the rooftop to enjoy sunrise.

6:15- Find Owen and Sally G already on the rooftop in yoga poses that that look excruciatingly beautiful. Attempt to join in. Fail to even touch toes so sit cross-legged and watch the sunrise. Watch as hidden mountains are slowly lit up and sparkle in the morning light. For a brief moment you even forget its 5 degrees outside. But then you remember and quickly run inside for some hot chai tea and toast.

9:00- The mini bus arrives to pick everyone up, say goodbye to the smiling kitchen staff and snake down the hill in our rickety van. First stop: Ayurveda clinic with its enormous white walls and pristine gardens. Second stop: Goenka hospital in Palampur town, sitting amongst black tarpaulin tents and piles of debris. Third stop: Karan hospital perched on the edge of a hillside and bathed in sun, women chatting in the waiting room as you pass by. The first patient wanders in and the day begins!

12:30- Chai tea break brewed expertly by Monica the secretary. Chat about the morning and plans to go to the market in the afternoon. Seize opportunity to practice Hindi with Monica who giggles at your poor attempt at pronunciation. Scribble new phrases in notebook for practice later.

1:30- Bus comes to pick everyone up one by one. Discuss today's experience whilst keeping an eye on the winding road to fend off travel sickness. Arrive home just in time and completely forget sickness when you walk in the door to the smell of Paneer curry and fresh roti. Devour lunch.



2:00- Head to the market for supplies. Begin with a set plan and shopping list. Get distracted by sari shop and food stalls selling spiced cauliflower chips. Slink down narrow alleyways lined with knick-knack shops that spill out into the fruit and vegetable markets. Realise you really need/want fruit. Buy the entire fruit sellers stock of pomegranates and chiccko. Find other volunteers dragging bags filled with fruit and groceries and Angus, whose entire shopping consisted of Rasbhani traditional Indian sweets.

5:00- Head to the chaotic local bus depot and realise no one can read Hindi. Search around for buses returning to Kandibari and clamber on a noisy green one that’s ready to leave. Get greeted by the amused faces of the ticket inspector who looks very pleased we are supporting the public transport initiative. Thank the universe that we got on the first stop as the bus is inundated with locals returning home from the markets. Realise you can actually fit 40 people on a 20 person bus if you really try. Cheer like crazy when we finally reach our stop and thank the bus driver and ticker inspector profusely for getting us all home safe without a word of English.

7:30- Snuggle in to the loungeroom for dinner and remind ourselves how crazy it is to live and work in India.

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