easter greetings

Sorry for being a week late with my Easter greetings! I was up at 4-30am on Easter Sunday to join a CMC tradition of climbing a nearby hill to watch the sunrise. It was very beautiful and moving to share communion together. I am nicely baking here in Vellore with temperatures around 38 degrees average. I am freezing my water bottles overnight so we can enjoy a cool drink most of the day and switching the fans up high. Think of the patients in the villages with no access to fans, fridges or even water at times!!

The Fellowship programme has now started and Dr's Vishnu and Ravi are the first students. They are both enthusiastic and settling well into the department. The other programmes for the education unit are all in progress and look innovative and exciting. We will also be contributing to an excellent distance learning programme for Family Medicine run by Dr Vinod Shah at CMC. I will only be able to offer support for 2 months this time though the team will be busy with clinical work and education developments over the summer. We are still waiting for some administrative issues to be sorted before the first patients can be admitted to the Hospice- that will be a red letter day!!

I also have a new bicycle as a gift from Reena and Pradeep. It is bright blue and named Miss India (as were all the others in the shop). I am having fun riding around campus starting with an early morning ritual to collect idly or dosa for breakfast. As a contrast, Rishi, Reena's wee son, now says haggis is his very favourite food. Even better than biriyani! How is that for cross-cultural exchange?
One tip - hold on to your biscuits though or a cheeky monkey might whisk them away - as happened to one small boy at church!!