Koraput times

I had a day out of Koraput yesterday, travelling north to the town of Rayada (sometimes spelt Rayagarha). This was to see my friend Sheila, a recently arrived VSO volunteer living alone in that town. I went there in a hired car with Michele from VSO UK who was visiting us Orissa volunteers and we had a really nice day out. On the way we asked our driver to stop so we could take some photos of paddy fields being cultivated. It looked hard work, wading through all that clay mud and water

We drove through some spectacular countryside, mostly forested with lovely hills

I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to go as I'd had a really bad night on Saturday with a bout of the dreaded Delhi belly and was feeling a bit delicate. However, I decided that I'd stopped vomiting and with the reassurance of an Immodium tablet I'd take the risk. I came to India with a small supply of first aid and medical supplies which included 2 packets of Immodium. I hadn't used any until Sunday but while my son was staying with me, he asked if he could have a pack to take with him in case he was struck while travelling on the trains and my husband had also used some when he was unwell but I assumed I'd be able to restock without any problem. I went to three drug stores today to try to buy more supplies, only to be told no, they don't sell anything like that. Oh dear,I only have 2 left.  You can buy almost anything over the counter in India but not Immodium.

Last week I ventured into a shop that had recently opened up which looked like it might supply some of the foods I like to treat myself to now and again with the added advantage of being significantly closer to my house so not so far to carry heavy items home. First I was really pleased to be able to buy some very nice jam and marmalade. Back home, I make my own preserves and the jam I'd had in India was all very sweet, very processed and not very nice at all. This jam tastes of the fruit it's made from and even more exciting, doesn't contain added refined sugar but is sweetened with grape juice. I asked if they sold brown bread and was told that he could get some in if I called later in the week so we agreed on Friday.

I went in on Friday only to be told that my neighbours from just up the road had bought both the loaves in the shop but he'd get some more in for the next day. I was a little irritated that the loaf I'd ordered had been sold to someone else but true to his promise, there was a loaf of brown bread for me the following day. Although it is not up to the home-made standard of wholemeal loaf I eat at home it was much nicer than the sweet white sliced bread I'd been consuming up till now. Another good result. The shop-keeper had asked if there was anything else I wanted so I asked for muesli. He promised me faithfully he'd get some in and to go back on the 18th. So, back I went today, the 18th. He looked horrified when I went in and told me that the 2 packs of muesli he'd got in for me had both been sold just a few minutes earlier - to the same neighbours who had purloined my brown bread. This is war - you know who you are!  The shop-keeper was mortified and promised he'd get me more in as quickly as possible and bring it round to my house.  Which will bring the next problem as I don't have an address for my house.  Life in Koraput can get very challenging sometimes.

I bought some fabric a few weeks ago ready to get some more salwar kameez suits made up. So far I'd only had 3 suits which is just about enough but does mean that I have had a never-ending cycle of washing and drying to make sure that I always have a clean one ready to wear. I decided I'd splash out and get another couple made up. The first ones that were tailored last year were a perfect fit and very well sewn. Unfortunately the new ones were sewn too tight and were not going to be wearable. When they tailor clothes here they leave big seams so that the garments can be adjusted if needed so I just needed to take them back and ask for them to be adjusted. That brought the challenge of working out how to tell explain the problem to the tailor. That shop is staffed mostly by deaf men. There is one speaking-hearing man but he does not speak English. I decided the easiest way would be to take a well-fitting kameez with me and show the difference in size between that and the new ones. Great idea as he immediately realised the problem, except that he then took possession of the properly fitting one to use as a model for resizing hte others, which meant that I was reduced to just 2 sets of clothing suitable for me to wear to work.

We worked out that I'd return to collect the adjusted garments on Friday, at the same time as picking up the choli (sari blouse) that was also on order. Back I went on Friday. He gave me the choli but when I gestured that I also wanted the kameez he shook his head and pointed at the calendar to show the next day. OK, it's tomorrow. Tomorrow came and I arrived there at around 6 in the evning. He looked at me, shook his head again, looked at the clock and pointed to 8. I shook my head and pointed away, trying to explain that I had already arranged to meet up with friends for dinner. He pointed to the following day. I gestured that I was out for the day so would go back on Monday.

Momday evening arrived. Down into the town I went to buy some bananas and tomatoes and stopped at the tailor on the way back home. He looked at me and when I saw his face I immediately realised that they'd forgotten all about the order. So I sat down for about an hour and a half while the hurriedly fixed the problem. I managed to have a good conversation with the tailor, probably the longest conversation I'd had with anyone all day.  He now knows I have 2 children although I think he thinks that my daughter is studying to be a doctor rather than doing a PhD in history and we know how old we and our respective children are.  He nipped out to the shop next door and returned with a man who said hello to me, then the tailor gestured drinking - which I assumed meant I was being offered chai. Han, I said. The man went off and returned a few seconds later with a bottle of sweetened flavoured milk, which apparently contained nature-identical artificial flavouring. But it was a very kind thought and helped to give me the energy I needed to finish the walk home. Fortunately my adjusted suits all fit me very well now.