Work is Done

As of 2PM today our last official appearance had been completed. We have now Presented to 17 Rotary clubs in 20 days as well as the District Conference where there were representatives of most of the 67 Clubs in the District. I say 17 because that's all I am counting with a quick review but I know I brought 25 flags from my club as well as 25 DVDs of our anniversary celebration and I have no flags and two DVDs left. A flag and DVD were given to two people at Conference so that would lead me to believe we have given out flags and DVDs to 21 clubs. Chris and Megan brought several flags from the Martha's Vineyard club and when we originally thought we might be speaking to as many as 40 clubs we held some of them back till we got more than half way through and knew we would have enough. Rebecca brought a few from Fall River (sponsoring Club) and as of today we have given all out but two. Tomorrow, we will spend the afternoon at the home of the President of the Sullerpet Club after visiting the Bird sanctuary there before catching the train to Hyderabad so will give our last to him.

All of us are in various stages of repacking, trying to decide what we must leave here for others to use and what we can fit in luggage to take home. We brought so much to give away and return with far more than we came with. I only hope the airlines is lenient with weight restrictions. Since some of the many gifts we each received at each stop had slight variations, there has been some exchange among the Team members for the right color or style to take home on an item like a sari or a necklace or bangles.

This evening we have a relaxed evening planned in the home of our host the Immediate past District Governor Surendra Reddy and his lovely wife. He is the youngest Club President (having achieved that rank by age 29) in the District and also the youngest District Governor ever here having not yet reached the age of 40. He is younger than all but two of our team! This is a photo of him in his yard.

Yesterday and today we toured several projects of the Clubs in this area including an eye hospital that does 5000 free eye surgeries annually. There were several bore wells for use by the entire community and a housing complex with

basic housing for thirty two families. The oddest project is a crematorium. I had heard at several other clubs that they had built them. Hindus cremate their dead rather than bury and most do not have a dignified place for the bodies to be sent off and family to view the sending. Many families are forced to take loved ones out to garbage strewn fields, pour kerosene over them and burn the bodies. Here there are three pyres that are under cover and vented so that cremations can take place even during rainy season. There is a paid family of caretakers to protect the remains from scavagening animals until the embers have cooled and the ashes may be collected. There is a guest room where grieving families my rest or wash or use the toilet. Additionally flowering trees and shrubs and monuments to the Hindu gods have been erected making it a sacred space. Fees are the same or less than asked at places that do not have the hallowed environment and are within reach of even the poorer families needing this service.



Oh!....I can now put on my own sari without having to have someone wrap me. I do not have blouses for all of them but do have shirts that I brought that can be worn with a couple so that works. This photo is taken of the team on our next to last evening in India with our good friend Shabbir who coordinated all of our transportation while we were there. What a wonderful man!

For those of our new friends in India who are reading this, many thanks again and again for the love and care you put into our stays in your homes and in your towns. Your hospitality is unequaled, I am convinced, anywhere else on the face of this great earth. We honor you, thank you and bid you Namaste!