I still feel quite sad about the whole Nagaland thing. The project from the start has been filled with all these issues, and they continue on today. It is hoped that they will start treating patients in two and a bit weeks, I’m hoping that it will make me feel happy. Even if it doesn’t it makes my time there worth something.
I hate how much it all still affects me. I had almost moved on…
I got a very nice apology and real explanation of what went down at the hospital. That makes me feel so so much better.
Well yesterday I found out that the hospital I was working on last year has been inaugurated on Monday. My trip to India was rescheduled so that I would of been able to attend the inauguration if my trip were not cancelled. Still waiting for some official communications from the hospital team about what’s going on. I hate waiting on emails.
From what I can tell the hospital isn’t really open. I don’t think it is seeing patients yet or anything.
I have found out through unofficial channels that the IT team that I was going to head are visiting the hospital in a week or two to help Tushar the guy I trained get the IT systems ready.
I am left confused as to what has happened. Hopefully I will get a good response from the director of the hospital, that will make it all make sense.
What I do know was if I had been consulted about things I might of been able to work out someway I could assisted them. Plus I could of had a fun party for the hospital opening. I like parties.
No one lifts their hands
No one lifts their eyes
Justified with empty words
The party just gets better and betterI went away alone
With nothing left
But faith
Faith by The cure
That about sums up my Nagaland experience really.
I am so incredibly humbled by the responses I have had from my research partners in Africa. The enthusiasm and love that is so clear in the short emails I received is overwhelming. To hear people working in tough places doing hard work say that what for them will be just a one week visit from yet another white man is something they feel grateful about and receive as good news is just so humbling. One of them even says they are now praying for my trip.
I hope I can provide them with value whilst doing my research. I think that providing them with value is possibly becoming more important to me then the research itself.
I feel also that this enthusiasm may suggest that there is a real place for my skill set in capacity building of organisations serving the poor. Still don’t know long term what that looks like. Hopefully my little expedition will help me work that out.
This guy is putting together a collection of rap about Jesus based on this cool book .. My favourite one is based on the beatitudes. The rest are here.
I have finally found a class that I belong to. It is a term I coined tonight, but it may have been previously and independently used. After much searching I have decided that I am a aspirational bohemian. I love the values of bohemianism, but found myself strangely attached to fine places and fine things.
I find it interesting, the people who I see and know who are doing real good are so uncertain about the amount of good they are doing, and even their own motives. It’s strange, this somewhat reassures me in my life. I really hope I am not ever too comfortable or complacent, until I am in the next life. I am hoping that my current work which doesn’t really engage my central passions, is actually going to fund a really useful and good thesis. At least lots of my work is on a project aiming to improve public transport, which should fulfil a cardinal rule of aid and development of “first do no harm”. Though the amount of paper I am using on this job at the moment is slightly scary. Stupid drawings.
Anyway I think all I was saying here really was that I am feeling comforted by being uncertain in life. Since my India trip was cancelled I’ve been feeling a bit down, and a bit unpurposey and general uncertain. I’ve been trying to focus myself on my thesis and doing that well now, but even though I am currently doing it, it seems so far off. Also I’m trying to work out what I want to do after June next year. Too many options, sadly few of the ones I like are in Sydney.
The other thing that I think I need to do is focus more on God, but that is a whole other post.
Is a winner. $3 for delicious fair trade organic coffee, and free Wifi internet. What more could one ask for??
Well I am glad the election has been called. It was getting borrrrrring waiting for it to be called. I am carefully optimistic of the chances that we will elect a a slightly more compassionate government. I am very glad that we have compulsory voting in Australia, as I am sure many will not feel like voting by the end of the campaign.
Today I decided to buy a new pair of shoes, but I decided to try and buy non-slave made ones. No one seemed to want to sell me mens casuals shoes not made by slaves. Particular because the shoes I buy tend to cost between $90-250.
Shoe shop in centre point one
Only made in China or India. Offered to ask the manager and manager didn’t know, couldn’t assure me.
Myer on George St
Straight out no. At this point my backpack broke, and I ended up buying a bag made in China. I had a heavy backpack and didn’t have the energy to try and find a fairly traded one.
Colarado on Pit St
Didn’t even know what a sweat shop was.
Men’s shoes shop on Pit St
Said most mens casual shoes made in China and India. Found one pair in the shop made in Italy that I liked, but cost $270.
Florshim in Galaries of Victory
Didn’t know of any. Showed me two pairs made in China and India. Suggested that kangaroo leather would be OK because at least leather was fairly made. Then tried to convince me that it would cost to much to make shoes and pay workers more money.
At this point I gave up on buying shoes and decided to do have some probably not fair trade made coffee at a café. I did some work on my thesis and decided to head back to Hornsby.
Ecco Shoes Hornsby
I went and asked in Ecco Shoes Hornsby as one last attempt. I own a pair of Ecco shoes at the moment, they are good shoes but rather expensive. Anyway when I asked the woman in the shop, she told me not only were they not made by slaves, but that the employees in Thailand had a bus and were paid above the local award wage. She told me I could find more on their webpage, but I looked when I got home and whilst I found some positive stuff could not find any specifics.
I think I might buy a pair of Ecco shoes this week.
Further to the last post the hospital is not opening because the government has failed to release over $AU2.8 million of funding that it owes the hospital.