Olivia - India
Olivia worked at the Gremaltes Hospital in Chennai and CMH in Madurai.
The Nurses
Hanging out with the wonderful nursing staff at Gremaltes.
Leprosy Patients
I watched the leprosy patients in the men's ward play a board game.
Diabetes Education
I used this poster to present info on diabetes to school children and adults.
Cooking Breakfast
As I walked through a slum area, I saw women cooking breakfast for their families.
Kids in class
The Indian children were so tiny and cute!
Female Patients
These are the female ward patients. Even though their English wasn't very good, they showed me how to wear a sari and how to draw rangoli designs.
Nursing Students
Sometimes groups of nursing students would come to Gremaltes Hospital for a tour and information session.
Visits
Some families invited me to their homes for a traditional Southern Indian meal. They were all very generous.
Dosas
I saw how rice was soaked, ground, and used to make these dosas, which were served with different chutneys.
Braids
The staff was like family. They braided my long red hair in very interesting ways.
Tiffan
At Christian Mission Hospital, my meals arrived in a tiffin box. The stacked containers each held a different dish and fit together for easy transport.
Idlis
A typical breakfast of tea, idlis, coconut chutney and sambhar. Yum!
CMH
CMH was beautiful! The open-air environment let in warm breezes, and visiting families would have picnics in the center courtyard.
Mehndi
Some of the nursing students applied mehndi to my hands. It lasted for two weeks.
My Sari
This is my silk sari from Chennai.
Teaching
I taught these kids about hygiene and skin care. After my presentation, I asked the students questions and gave out stickers.
Posing
These kids loved posing for photos!
Field Trip
On Diwali weekend, I visited an orphanage. We waited with the kids to get a ride to a temple.
Yamuna
Some of the orphans had cerebral palsy and were bedridden. Yamuna was my favorite, and her smile lit up the room.
