The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

Richard Mowll is a civil engineer from Croydon,
who travelled to Western Uzbekistan in January 2002 with
MSF to rehabilitate a 600 patient TB dispensary. He then
went on to prepare a 100 bed facility for multi-drug
resistant (MDR-TB) patients, where he was Project
Co-ordinator of the 16 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff
programme.

"font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center">
“The dispensary building in Nukus was a mess –
the result of the near collapse of the health service in
this country over many years. Through my work there, one
incident stands out. A minor incident but one which left a
lasting impact…”

To know what new pipework to order, I inspected the
Dispensary room by room to measure sizes and to identify
the fittings. As I was in one open room with just a bath in
it, a thin girl with a headscarf walked slowly past me and
up to the bath. She held on to the side with both hands and
with apparently all the strength she had, she coughed.
Weak, pitiful, tiny coughs. She was clearly beyond just
‘ill’. A friend of hers came into the room and
stood beside her holding her shoulders from the side,
supporting her as she coughed. "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/newsletter/pictures/200310_image002.gif"
alt=" " border="0" align="right">

What could I do? I’m an engineer who formerly
specialised in road maintenance and concrete construction
– she didn’t seem to need either of those
specialities just then. I couldn’t do anything, but
feel out of place. I left the room. This was a private
moment for them, and I wasn’t helping by being
there.

There were and continue to be so many like her –
six hundred in the Dispensary itself (although in varying
states of illness) and literally thousands of others
throughout Uzbekistan. All of these TB patients were the
victims of not only the infection, but also of the health
system that was not just in a state of decline, but near
total collapse, where doctors earn as little as ten pounds
per month (how could that feed, clothe and warm a family of
four?). How could a health system so under funded help the
population overcome the spread of this disease?

What could I do for the girl? Nothing, by myself. But
the medical staff and the MSF project that I was working on
was trying to improve the system of healthcare for TB
patients by using the World Health Organisation’s
Directly Observed Treatment – Short-Course (DOTS) TB
treatment methodology. This was where it struck me how
MSF’s work was truly a team effort. I know nothing
(or at least very, very little) about treating TB patients.
The medical staff knew very little about rehabilitating a
TB Dispensary building. But this rehabilitation was one
link in the chain, which was improving conditions for the
patients and helping lower the incidence of TB. The medical
staff were more links in that chain.

I never saw the girl again – perhaps she got
better and left, although I kind of doubt that that could
happen. This incident made me realise two things. Firstly
the total need for someone to help this girl and others
like her – MSF are one of the few organisations doing
anything here – and secondly the way that MSF
missions are based so strongly on teamwork. I guess I also
realised a third thing – that I was proud that I was
working for an organisation that was trying to make a
difference.

Today, Richard is back in Uzbekistan working with
another organisation. The TB dispensary is part of a
network of State TB facilities supported by MSF. It will be
handed over to Uzbek Ministry of Health control by the end
of 2003. The MDR-TB programme will start treating patients
in the coming months.

If you would like to contact Médecins Sans Frontières,
you can e-mail them on: "mailto:office-ldn@london.msf.org">office-ldn@london.msf.org
or visit their website:

www.uk.msf.org

Post Script:

Kidnapped: our MSF colleague Arjan Erkel was abducted
more than six months ago in Daghestan, Russian Federation.
We still do not know what has happened to him. Please sign
MSF’s petition to President Putin asking for urgent help to
get Arjan released. Click here and pass it on to your
friends: "http://www.msf.org/arjan/petition/uk.htm">http://www.msf.org/arjan/petition/uk.htm

Rank Country Area (square
kilometers)

1. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/rs.html">Russia
   (17,075,400)
2. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/ca.html">Canada
   (9,976,140)
3. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/us.html">United
   States (9,629,091)
4. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/ch.html">China
   (9,596,960)
5. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/br.html">Brazil
   (8,511,965)
6. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/as.html">Australia
   (7,686,850)
7. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/in.html">India
   (3,287,590)
8. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/ar.html">Argentina
   (2,776,890)
9. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/kz.html">Kazakhstan
   (2,717,306)
10. "http://www.aneki.com/countries/su.html">Sudan
    (2,505,810)

Dear Reader

Please let me introduce my country, Indonesia to you. I
am a native born Indonesian and have lived here all my
life. My life is very simple: I live in the suburbs, in a
small village, Makassar, in South Sulawesi. I am working in
tourism. My parents work as subsistence farmers. I would
like to relate a little information about the area in which
I live. This gives me the opportunity not only to practice
my English, but also to become more self reliant and learn
from others.

First, I would like to change the views of anyone who
thinks that Indonesia is dangerous to visit. Be assured
that the real problems that exist here are internal and are
related to the way our government works. The people of
Indonesia are peaceful and are as shocked by the recent
Bali bombing as the rest of the world, and want no part of
this global terrorism.

Secondly, I want to make one thing very clear, that
Indonesia is a very beautiful country and is an interesting
place to visit and far different to the media’s view
of terrorism and danger. On behalf of all of my people, I
would like to stress: INDONESIA IS PEACE LOVING AND FROWNS
ON ALL VIOLENCE.

Most people coming to Indonesia know only Bali, which is
a great shame as Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of
17,000 islands in 27 Provinces, and one of them is
SULAWESI. Sulawesi, formerly known as CELEBES has a total
land area of about 227,000 square Kilometers and is divided
in to four areas or provinces : south, central, northeast
and the north, with a total population of over 10 million
people.

Sulawesi is home to an amazing variety of people. The
majority are fisherman, catching flying fish, shark, tuna,
mackerel, squid, as well as other fish. We have farmers who
grow wet and dry rice, maize, tapioca, sago, vegetable,
coffee, cacoa and cloves. There are numerous small groups
of upland people who practice slash and burn agriculture in
the interior of Sulawesi. Unemployment is a big problem in
my country.

Sulawesi is full of rich and varied cultures and
traditions, languages and religious beliefs practiced by
several ethnic groups such as: Makassar, Bugis, Mandar,
Pamona, Tolaki, Manadoi and the Hulontalo. There are many
religions, including Islam, Christianity, Budhism,
Hinduism, Confucianism and Animism. The Animism beliefs
until now can mainly be found in Torajaland or Tana toraja,
an upland area of southern Sulawesi. Here the religion’s
belief has a special name in the local language called
“Aluk Todolo.” Aluk mean :rules or belief and Todolo means:
Ancestor. According to this teaching, human beings in the
world have only two problems that are opposites, for
example: ” lose or benefit”, and “happiness or
sadness”. This philosophy has been manifested into
their ceremonies and they have two kinds of ceremony:
Thanks Giving Ceremony and Funeral ceremony. The Funeral
Ceremony is very sacred because according to the Animists,
Death is the end of life.

If you come and visit tana toraja in Sulawesi, you can
see many houses in the village, and the owners put the body
of their loved ones in a coffin in a room and consider them
as sick person before they died, until a funeral is held
although this maybe as many as 10 or 20 years have passed
from the date of actual death.

After the funeral is held, the family take the coffin to
a cave in a mountain for burial. The cave can also function
as a house. Their philosophy is that ” Death is an event
that changes from the real world to the unreal world”.

I hope from this small article you can get a feel for
how remarkable Sulawesi is. Although it is my home, I
believe it is quite special. If you are planning a trip to
Indonesia, do please come and visit Sulawesi, and do not
hesitate to contact me for information about tours and
personal itineraries. I would be very happy to share my
knowledge with you and help to show you around.

For more information, please visit my simple website:
http// "http://www.alamnusantaratour.ch">www.alamnusantaratour.ch

Please be assured that our traditions of warmth,
trustworthiness and memorable hospitality make an enduring
memory for our guests.

Syamsu Alam (Alam)

Tel/Fax. (062)411-553927

E-mail "mailto:alamnusantara@hotmail.com">alamnusantara@hotmail.com

Website: "http://www.alamnusantaratour.ch/">www.alamnusantaratour.ch

Puerto Maldonado, Peru: The Piedras Biodiversity
Center (affiliated with Tambopata Expeditions) is looking
for for 2 volunteers to help out with an amphibian survey
scheduled for November/December of this year. The project
will last about 6 weeks, and the work will be “quite
adventurous,” involving the night-time collection of
various frogs and toads in swamps and streams. Previous
experience is helpful but not necessary, and all volunteers
will be trained. This is a great way to get into the jungle
while helping a worthwhile project. It is also easy on the
pocketbook! If this sounds like the project for you, please
email Tambopata Expeditions at "mailto:info@tambopataexpeditions.com">info@tambopataexpeditions.com
and visit their website at "http://m1e.net/c?16383092-jMv.eFLSBYSW.%40330591-8hflUfgCBFuAk">
www.tambopataexpeditions.com

Did you miss out on a Gap Year when you were 18
and are considering making up for it now? Have you always
wanted to be a TV star ? The BBC have asked us to help find
a number of mature (30 +) people who are wanting to
volunteer abroad and star in a documentary. The programme
will show how the various volunteers cope with the planning
and the assignment itself. It will focus on how they are
affected by the experience.

So if you have always wanted to volunteer abroad and be
a TV star, get in touch with us, Muir’s Tours now. We
provide a wide range of support to various communities in
Asia, Africa and the Americas. If you want to be one of the
8 BBC stars you need to be free to travel abroad during the
period December to March. The ideal candidates will be:

• over 30
• self-financing, or at least have a healthy budget
• planning to travel alone
• planning to leave in late 2003 / early 2004.

Get some ideas from our list of placements and then we
put you in touch with the Beeb. See "http://www.nkf-mt.org.uk/volunteer.html">http://www.nkf-mt.org.uk/volunteer.html

A recent UK scientific study on the efficacy of sun
creams says that although they help prevent sunburn,
lotions fail to block out the harmful ultraviolet rays
which can cause the skin cancer. Sun block could give sun
worshippers a false sense of security.

Burns specialist Professor Roy Sanders said that the
only way to really protect the skin is to stay in the shade
at the hottest times of the day or cover up with hats and
T-shirts.

According to Professor Sanders, one in 68 of the present
UK adult population will be diagnosed with malignant
melanoma - the most dangerous form of skin cancer - at some
point in their life. By 2010, however, that figure will
have risen to one in 50.

Skin cancer can be caused by two types of ultraviolet
light, the short, energetic wavelengths of light in the
sun’s rays. UVA penetrates the skin most deeply and can
suppress the immune system and damage cells. UVB also
damages skin cells. The ‘factor’ rating on a bottle of sun
block refers to the level of protection against UVB,
historically considered the greater danger. A little-known
one to four star system - normally printed on the back of
bottles - indicates the level of protection against
UVA.

Why is that the low cost airlines don’t offer
frequent flier awards? It seems that unlike the US, none of
the European low cost carriers have frequent-flier
programs. Southwest Airlines, the model for low-cost
carriers, including our friends Ryanair, gave away 2.3
million free tickets last year - more than United Airlines
- with its online “double bonus” promotion, which means
that with four trips you get one free when you reserve on
the Web. Is this something we should be demanding?

~~~~~~~~~~

Our webmaster noticed that Ryanair offer a telephone
service called Ryanair telecom. As we are usually unkind
about Ryanair, we thought this month we’d try and
find something kind to say about them, so here are the
details on their latest special offer. We have not used it
and can’t say if it is any good, but were bemused
that this was another one of their activities. This is what
they say:

We have an offer on at the moment giving away 1,000,000
FREE calls in the form of 50,000 x 20 minute calls. To get
your free calls, call+353 1 246 23 33and we will call you
back within 15 seconds! You must call from your fixed line
phone and register with a Visa or MasterCard credit card.
Once you register, you will then receive a free call from
your mobile or fixed line phone. You will get a 20 minutes
FREE talk time if you call from your fixed line phone to
any fixed line phone (premium rate calls excluded) in
Europe, Australia, China, North America, South Africa or
Russia when you successfully register. This offer applies
to touch tone phones and excludes calls made from
payphones, switchboard phones or Internet phones. If the
call exceeds 20 minutes, you will be charged at prevailing
"http://www.ryanairtelecom.com/callback/prices.php">rates.
Ryanair Telecom reserves the right to refuse to supply this
service and may discontinue this offer or service at
anytime. This offer is also subject to our normal "http://www.ryanairtelecom.com/callback/">terms and
conditions .

Iris takes part in a barbecue in Brazil.

We went to a little town called Ouro Preto, in Brazil,
which is in the centre of a mining area, which produced gem
stones. We visited the museum which shows all the different
metals and minerals mined and they have an impressive
display of what they produce, including polished stones,
although I am convinced the diamonds on display must be
paste because they are so big and there are only teenage
boys guarding them!!!

After Ouro Preto we did a bit of travelling with a one
night stand at a place called Jacaraipe, which was by the
coast and was the first of many camp sites which, although
not on the beach, were full of sand. (How I have got to
hate sand since I’ve been on this last stretch of the trip!
It gets everywhere and one seems totally unable to get rid
of it entirely and it turns up afterwards in my day sack,
in my socks, in my shoes, in my hair, for days on end!)

Then we headed for Itaunas where we spent a couple of
nights, arriving at about mid-afternoon and immediately
arranging for a barbecue for the evening . We’d
bought some pork and beef, and lots of potatoes so that we
could roast them in the oven. We had been assured by our
leaders that the Brazilians were a barbecue nation, they
knew all about barbecuing, so when the owner of the camp
site told our revered leader, Heather, that it would be
better done on the beach as there weren’t the facilities at
the camp site, she readily agreed and at the appointed
hour, we packed up the food and also the ingredients for
what was going to be a rather lethal vodka punch and headed
for the beach.

Itaunas is an unspoilt little village at the edge of the
sea, there is no real tourism there and it made me laugh to
see those little village shops with their “Visa” and
“Mastercard” signs in the window as they weren’t selling
anything that would cost more than the odd pound or two! We
trekked all the way down the main street, which is really a
mud track, over the bridge, and along the track for some
500 metres, and then we had to turn off and start climbing
- yes some really big sand dunes with sand that literally
could come up to your neck if you trod in the wrong place!
The path was marked by the odd rubbish bin and it was quite
free of trees (this is important for later) but it was
still at least another 300 metres from the beach and the
bar we were heading for, but eventually after a half hour
walk we were there.

The beach was very narrow and the sea was in. It was
also getting dusk by the time we arrived and then Heather
had the news - the owner had not yet located the barbecue!
Still, we lived in hope. I was part of the cook team for
the evening, our actual cook being Alex, a really tall
well-built Chinese gentleman who was born in Hong Kong but
arrived in England in 1967 to take up a nursing career and
now at the age of 55 has retired from nursing (he ended up
in an important administrative post in the hospital
equivalent to the old matrons) and he is an accomplished
chef who thoroughly enjoys cooking and turns out some
really tasty meals. He has also a wicked sense of humour
and keeps us all amused with his wry remarks.

Anyway, we got on with making the vodka punch (I didn’t
participate because I’m not a spirits drinker and so stuck
to beer and the odd soft drink) but just about everything
was going into the punch. Then came the news, the barbecue
had arrived. There were 22 hungry mouths waiting for that
food and so you can imagine how many steaks, pork chops and
fish steaks we had to cook. The bad news was that our
barbecuing host provide us with a little grill which would
take 2 steaks at a time!

Out the back of the bar there was a bonfire (burning
rubbish) and so it was decided to improvise (it was quite
dark by now) and see if the bonfire could be utilised, but
the problem was we had no grills to put across it. So our
host got his workers to dig a pit and transfer some of the
bonfire into it and plus our barbecue coals it seemed that
was the way to go, except the only grill they could come up
with was the grill which would normally go across the top
of a 4-ring gas cooker! Of course it was totally inadequate
as well as being totally unsuitable and in the end we had
to abandon the idea of a barbecue altogether.

We just used the small barbecue to cook the fish steaks
(four) and then Alex set to in the kitchen and with the aid
of two big frying pans cooked the pork chops first (which
were delicious and so tender - I’ve never tasted such
succulent pork chops in my life before), but unfortunately
when the beef was cooked it turned out to have died of old
age and the cooking just made it tougher and no-one ate the
beef!

So what did most people do? They got drunk on the vodka
punch! Judith and I decided to leave quite early (around
2200) and so set out with three of the men who were also
fed up with the barbecue and just wanted to get back into
town and do a bit of drinking there, so we headed off up
the sand dunes - but it is surprising how different they
looked at night in the pitch dark with no lights to guide
us except the odd torch!

We were first of all walking, then scrambling almost on
hands and knees up and down steep sand dunes, and
continually ending up at dead ends because the other side
of the sand dunes there was scrubland and water, lots of
it! Judith and I were often left far behind by the men,
would lose sight of them and start yelling and then see
their lights heading back our way because they’d had to do
a U-turn! Eventually we found the right path, more by luck
than judgement, and found we had walked a considerable way
in the wrong direction which put at least twenty minutes on
our journey back to town. On the way we encountered the odd
car and van luckily displaying headlights, but then we
found we were among a whole crowd of cyclists with no
lights at all! It was pretty hairy trying to see and avoid
them! All those people in Itaunas must have cats’ eyes!

When we arrived in town, we thanked our men friends for
looking after us so well - it was sarcasm really as they
had left us way behind once we were on the right path and
we only saw them again when we got into town and found them
sitting at a bar and one of them, a Korean gentleman we
call Young, and who speaks very little English, insisted we
join them and have a beer before retiring.

But although we thought we had had an adventure it was
nothing that happened to all our friends who had stayed
behind to finish off the Vodka punch and other spirits and
beer. They all got plastered and every single one of them
got lost on the way back with varying effects. One of our
leaders, a chap called Martin, got himself steaming drunk,
convinced Alex he knew the way home, and promptly led him a
merry dance in the pitch dark without torches through
scrubland and bushes, so that Alex ended up losing his
shoes, his T-shirt and his truck keys, and getting his back
and arms and legs scratched by every conceivable thorn and
twig. Next day, Heather asked what on earth made them head
that way when they knew there were no trees on the path we
had originally taken! There was no answer except to admit
they were too drunk to know what they were doing! Another
of our number lost his trousers and his T-shirt and his
camera, and another of us, a lady called Alison, got a
badly grazed knee and bruised hip falling about in an
unladylike manner!

So in one way it was good we’d had the barbecue on the
day of our arrival because we only planned to stay two
nights before moving on so everyone had a day to recover
from their excesses and attempt to find their lost
possessions, but all searches were fruitless as all those
possessions were gone the next day (although it is more
than probable they were lost on the way home and therefore
extremely difficult to find) The most serious loss was of
Alex’s truck keys because they open all the padlocks on the
truck and we each are issued with a set at the start of the
trip and are told to guard them with our lives!
Unfortunately also, just prior to Itaunas we had all been
issued with new keys as the old padlocks were at the end of
their life and so all new padlocks had recently been
fitted! I dare say Alex had to pay a fine for losing his
and extra to get a new set!

What is Chagas disease? Also called American
trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease is an infection caused by
the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease primarily
affects low income people living in rural areas. It is
estimated that 16-18 million people are infected with
Chagas disease; of those infected, 50,000 will die each
year. Chagas disease is locally transmitted in Argentina,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana,
Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

How do I get it? Small critters called
“kissing bugs” that live in cracks and holes of
substandard housing primarily found in South and Central
America. Insects become infected after biting an animal or
person who already has Chagas disease. Infection is spread
to humans when an infected bug deposits feces on a person’s
skin, usually while the person is sleeping at night. The
person often accidently rubs the feces into the bite wound,
an open cut, the eyes, or mouth.

How do I know if I have it? There are three
stages of infection with Chagas disease; each stage has
different symptoms. Some people may be infected and never
develop symptoms. Acute symptoms only occur in about 1% of
cases and most people infected do not seek medical
attention. The most recognized symptom of acute Chagas
infection is the Romaña’s sign, or swelling of the eye on
one side of the face, usually at the bite wound or where
feces were rubbed into the eye. Other symptoms are usually
not specific for Chagas infection. These symptoms may
include fatigue, fever, enlarged liver or spleen, and
swollen lymph glands. Sometimes, a rash, loss of appetite,
diarrhea, and vomiting occur. In infants and in very young
children with acute Chagas disease, swelling of the brain
can develop in acute Chagas disease, and this can cause
death. In general, symptoms last for 4-8 weeks and then
they go away, even without treatment.

What should I do if I have Chagas disease? See
your doctor for a blood tests to determine whether there
are parasite or antibodies in your blood. Medication for
Chagas disease is usually effective when given during the
acute stage of infection. Once the disease has progressed
to later stages, medication may be less effective. In the
chronic stage, treatment involves managing symptoms
associated with the disease.

How can I prevent Chagas disease? Avoid sleeping
in thatch, mud, or adobe houses, and use insecticides to
kill insects and reduce the risk of transmission. There is
neither a vaccine nor recommended drug available to prevent
Chagas disease.

U. S. Soldiers Home, Washington: during a century
of travel (well 78 years!) both in and out of service I
have travelled to over 150 countries (I count both North
and South Dakota as countries) and for some reason have
jotted signs and happenings that I thought funny at the
time (and now wonder why). So here is the perfect
opportunity to share some of my anecdotes.

In the New Delhi, India YMCA (takes men, women, children
etc) a group of travellers travelling together from many
different countries arrived. They were part of a project to
show different nationalities could travel in peace and work
and travel together. There were people from Hawaii, the
States, Europe, Philippines etc. By the time they got to
India they had formed into cliques and some were not
talking to others, and some wanted to share room only with
their own nationality etc. None of them trusted the Indian
personnel at the front desk and when they found out I had
been in India for awhile they came to me with their
questions. They asked me if it was safe to drink the water
from faucet in courtyard. I had been drinking it with no
ill effects and there was a contraption on it that I
thought purified the water so I foolishly assured them it
was safe. They all got sick. I had been eating with the
dining room with them but from them on walked several
blocks to the YWCA to avoid their dirty looks!

A friend of mine at the Soldiers Home used to collect
business cards so I would try to collect them from all
around the world for him. I went into a gift shop in a
hotel in New Delhi, India. They had a particularly nice
card and so I told a white lie and told them I was a
director of a tour group and could I have more than one to
give to my clients. I forgot I was going to be in that
hotel five days. The next day I was asked when is your tour
group arriving? I said “What tour group” I then recovered
my self and announced that I had been fired.

An English girl who claimed she had become a Hindu in
England told me some of the Hindu temples that required you
to be a Hindu (not all) would not let her in as they did
not believe her. How do you prove you are a Hindu?

Armd Reg. In prayer that God may bless the souls of
those who laid down their lives during India Pakistan War
Dec 1971.

Mahatma (Soul) Gandhi is one of my heroes. Mother Teresa
is another one (she visited the Soldiers Home. She asked
that no collection be taken for her but I think one was.)
Gandhi is one of the few lawyers I respect. When he
travelled throughout India he often stayed in
friend’s homes. In the one he often stayed in Bombay
(now called Mumbai) the house has been made into a museum.
Along with some of his stuff they have a lending library
where you can check out some of the books he wrote. The
sign on the desk reads: “Please return out books after
reading. For we observe that though people may be very poor
accountants they are very good bookkeepers”. At the
Jain Temple there was a sign: “Women in menstrual period
may not enter”. Our guide says that Jains wear a
gauze mask over face so they will not kill any flies or
insects accidentally. At the hanging garden the guide
explained that Parsees instead of burying dead put them in
a Tower of Silence and the vultures eat the meat off the
corpse. It takes about twenty minutes. (Unless a fat
actor.) Indians like their actors fat so they will look
prosperous. (I look very prosperous!) They sometimes make
American actors’ pictures on billboards fatter than
they are. Paul Newman in one poster looked more like Orson
Wells. Back to the Tower of Silence and the vultures. The
bones then fall into a pit where lime and charcoal turns
them into ashes. I asked how often they do this and was
told: “Whenever they die” The Indians are so logical. It
was explained to me that there are so few Parsees left that
they had to feed the vultures meat in the meanwhile and she
looked directly at me or they would become a nuisance in
the neighbourhood. There is a water reservoir next door the
droppings from the vultures would fall in the water so they
covered the top of reservoir and made a hanging garden
there. The soil is not deep enough for trees, just bushes
and flowers. The Jain religion uses a swastika (a Nazi
symbol, only Indians had it first, and the Nazi reversed
the symbol) and rice in their ceremony. I will now take up
a collection for the vultures.

A rickshaw driver is trying to fix me up with a
prostitute. He said she is in the untouchable class. An
untouchable prostitute??

Another time I went into a temple and the people went
out of the way to welcome me. I asked what kind of temple
is was and was told A temple for untouchables, (although I
think this was outlawed.)

The other day in India I realized all my coats were
missing. My raincoat, nylon jacket, sweater etc. I thought
maybe I had left them on the airplane. Then when I went to
look for my shoes under the bed and there they all were. My
room was so small that I had put them under my bed to get
them out of the way.

Some Indians after talking to you when they get ready to
leave will say “May I leave now?” I always graciously
give them permission

Next month, Mac discusses India again.

If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on:
"mailto:macsan400@yahoo.com">macsan400@yahoo.com

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