Ashramisms

I know its been ages!!!!

So what has been happening? Well a couple of weeks ago I went the the blood bank with 4 other ashram volunteers to donate blood for a couple of our patients. It is not like Australia where you give and receive blood for free. Rather if someone needs blood they need to know someone who will donate blood for them or it is very expensive. Unfortunately when we got there Ruth and Jake were not eligible to give blood as they had had a rabies vaccination just a few days before and Jenni was on asthma preventatives which excluded her also. So Michael and I were left to donate a unit each....not really enough but it will have to do. It costs about $30 to receive blood from someone who is donating specifically for you and double that for purchasing stored blood.

One strange superstition seems to be that the person donating has to leave there shoes outside the room. They could not be on the floor in the room, yet everyone else in there with me had shoes on...

It was my first time giving blood so I was a little nervous that I might get woozy, nauseous or faint... but it was all fine.

Unfortunately the guy who I gave the blood to died on Saturday...

Actually, we do need more blood for some of our new patients so now would be a good time to visit *hint*hint*

On a lighter note I have finally purchased a sari... it is wedding season here at the moment and we have been invited to four weddings so far but I am not sure I will be able to attend any of them due to other commitments...ah well at least I have a sari. At the moment my sari is with the tailor as the end piece of the 6 metres of fabric needs to be cut off and turned into the top that you wear under the sari. I will post pics when it is done.

A few of the volunteers and I where discussing a few of the funny things we catch ourselves saying here at the ashram. Things that would sound crazy in any other place...here are a few of our favorite "ashramisms"

• "Is anyone helping the Rajastani (nomadic herdsman) in the clinic? No. He is just waiting for his mobile phone to charge"
• "I will be right there... if I can just squeeze down the alleyway past the angry monkey"
• "What is that poster on the rabbit hutch advertising? Oh there is a tele-evangelist in town"
• "Is there a car available? No, just take the ambulance"
• "Raj Pal could you please stick this notice on the door?" So Raj Pal puts the notice on the door with the blue tack on the outside of the paper stretched like chewing gum from the corners of the paper onto the door! so cute!

Okies there goes the dinner bell... cya