Arrival at the Ashram

Jake, Scott, Geaorge and Oscar at the local cricket game...madness!Sharlene, Jake and Venod.

Yay we finally arrived! Swollen cankles and a lil tired but stoked to be here. Arrived at 4am to Delhi where our good friend Scotty picked us up. Walked into the ashram after an hour drive to have a few patients shout out "Namasteeeeee" (Hello). Our good friends Sharlene and Scott with their 3 kids who have been working here the past 6 months had set our cute lil room up with new sheets and a pile of insect repelent. Wicked!

So far this week has been a mixture of emotions....trying to get used to this culture, language and where we slot into this place...so different than back home!! So cool too though too.

I reakon iv had one of the best moment of my life the other day....

We have a patient called Venod. He has been at the Ahsram for 9 months after been found on the steps of a hospital in Delhi. He was paralyed over a year ago from the waist down and had been pretty much used as a guinne pig at a hospital by the "learning doctors" for 3 months.

They then decided they had had enough lessons off him so left him on the steps of this public hospital where he sat in his own waste with no food of water for 3 days before staff at the ashram found him.

He was extremely depressed and has no family that we know of. He has been lovingly cared for here, but has been on bed rest for 9 months.....I know I cannot know what he is thinking but im sure he would be thinking if he would ever sit up again, or get to sit in the sun, or be mobile....This is where Jake came in!

He worked with Venod and was able to sit him up on the edge of the bed within the first 2 days!! Sharlene and I were a mess watching-I can only imagine how long he has waited for this and how stoked he was. He was crying too. We have now got him up into a chair for a few hours everyday and are currently waiting for his very own wheelchair to arrive. I cant wait to take him for a spin around the ashram and up the road for a bottle of fizzy! Hes now smiling and chatting and heard him laugh for the first time the other day. Totaly a differnent man than 9 months ago.

For those interested too the food is sweet. Cant stop singing "Its my cha party and il cry if I want to..." Every time we have chapatis for dinner. Sure its gunna get old soon.....

Cool.....so thats a lil snipit from week one......apolagies for sideways photo....not the best with these technical things =)