Surveys in Aurepalle

On Monday I went to Aurepalle to do my last day of data collecting with my survey and focus group discussion questions. Unfortunately, it was again hard to find respondents because all the youth are migrating to cities for work. The surveys that I did get to do turned into a huge event. Everyone stood around to watch. Here are some pictures of the surveys I did get to do.

 One of the respondent's mom sat in front of me and kept playing with my shoes and taking my pen, it was hysterical.

Every time I spoke, the lady in the purple would try to say exactly what I said. And every time I said "yeah" she would keep repeating it because she had never heard that word before. While in the middle of a different interview, she was trying to wipe the juice from almond fruit on me (which is bright red). I though it was funny, but her kids were getting so embarrassed.

The research field investigators who live in Aurepalle. They're so nice!

I also got to visit a school house and talk to a teacher. She gave me a lot of insight about parent support in the villages. It was interesting to get a different perspective. 

Overall, the trip wasn't as successful as I had hoped, but I did get 5 respondents with my survey. I don't know exactly how my research paper is going to written with the lack of information I got. Hopefully Dr. Nagaraj has some suggestions, but he's out of town. This week I've been working on making graphs that I can use in my final report about India as a whole. I'm excited to start working on my final report.

Last night when I was walking to dinner, it was raining, and the bats were going crazy. They literally fly right past your face. It's the scariest thing. So, spiders are no longer my biggest fear. Bats are now a much larger problem. 

So while you all are complaining about 103 degree weather, I'm dodging bats. Just kidding..not really

-Kirsten

Surveys in Dokur

This past Friday, I got lucky enough to go to Dokur and give my surveys! I loved every single second of it. The drive there was a little longer than the drive to the other village, so of course I took a nap to pass the time. Vishnu, the same guy who drove me and Lara to go sightseeing drove us. When we first got there, we met two young boys who were assistants at the ICRISAT center in Dokur and a man that would be translating for us. We walked to where a focus group discussion would be held and the other two interns I went with and I all held our focus group discussions.

After this, we walked around to different households and gave my survey while the other interns asked questions. My survey is only for people 15-24 years old, and the lack of youth in this village was evident. I only interviewed two youth and one older poultry farmer. 

Hospital room in the village

Lots of ox were being moved throughout the village

This boar literally fell in this ditch and just kept eating, I couldn't stop laughing and everyone was staring at me

The poultry farmer's survey 

After I gave the poultry farmer my survey, his sister came out and gave us all tea. Everyone said this tea was very safe. I was expecting bitter tea. I was completely wrong, it was so sweet and it was the best tea I've had since I've been here. I've been craving it since. While we were drinking the tea, she told me her son moved to New York City. I began asking her questions because she went and lived with them for 6 months last year. (Keep in mind this whole conversation is through a translator) She ran inside and brought out this scrapbook and showed me all the pictures from her trip. It was full of pictures of her husband standing in front of all these famous places like the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. My face lit up because her hospitality meant the world to me. I loved hearing about her trip and her grandson. 

Me, the translator, and the two other interns. (Sarah and Shreyash)

After this we went to a few more households, but I wasn't lucky in finding any youth to take my survey. I was beginning to get frustrated because the translator wasn't really listening and kept ignoring me, and I think it was because my age. But I just kept telling myself: If you let yourself be a pushover, you're whole trip is going to be for nothing. So I eventually got the courage to tell him that my surveys needed to find some participants. I eventually found out the assistants were in my age range and surveyed them.

This is me with the two ICRISAT assistants and this very kind woman who showed us around the village. She was so nice and I think she really liked talking to me. I still have one of my acrylic nails on that hasn't come off yet, and she was fascinated with it. She kept asking me: What's wrong with your real nails? She couldn't believe I would voluntarily glue plastic to my nails.

Right before we left, these kids walking home from school walked past the gate of where we were standing. The second I saw these kids, my heart melted. They kept peeking their heads in and I kept smiling at them.  I don't know Telagu (their village language) and so I asked Vishnu to tell them to come over and they all knew hi in English and they all wanted to shake my hand. I then asked to take a picture and then all came over and stood with me and Sarah. Then they were obsessed with the camera, it was adorable. They wanted to see what every picture looked like after I took it. (I tried to put in a video, but I don't know if it will work)

When I told them I had to leave they all started saying "bye ica!" and I had no idea what that meant, but I figured it was bye in Telagu. Vishnu told me that ica meant sister and they were all saying "bye sister!" I immediately started tearing up, I wish that I could have taken every single one of them home. This was the single most life changing moment I think I've ever had. Being with these kids resparked my passion for youth in agriculture. This area needs more attention so that kids like this can grow up and have functional bodies. It sounds pretty irrational, but it's true. Moments like these make me realized how blessed I am. I could have stayed there forever. Hands down something I will never forget. So with me crying and blowing kisses (yep, I taught 'em that) we left Dokur. 

Today is Monday and the original plan was for me to go to Aurepalle and do more surveys. When I was getting ready for work this morning, I kept throwing up. So I decided I was going to suck it up and go to work anyways because I really didn't want to miss this trip. However, when I went into work, I learned that the trip got cancelled. I decided that I needed to go to the on campus doctor. He informed me I have low blood pressure and my nausea and vomiting might be from malaria medication that I've been taking or food that I've been eating. He gave prescribed me something to take before I eat to help with digestion. I came to my room after that and decided to rest. I feel a lot better after resting today, so no worries :) Hopefully tomorrow we can go to Aurepalle. Lots of love to back home. One more month left until I'm back in the states telling you all my stories. Miss you all.

-Kirsten

Sight Seeing

So last weekend, me and Lara went sight seeing around Hyderabad.  Our drivers name was Vishnu and he was super friendly. The first place we went was Golkonda Fort. It was amazing architecture. The fort was huge and we could see all around Hyderabad from the top. Lara has recently started photography and she took all these amazing pictures. The walk to the top was torturous. There were 600 steps, I think our driver said.

The steps had this paint all over them that the women would put as they walked up and prayed. It's part of a week long celebration, but I can't remember the name.

After that we drove to this palace called Chowmahala where the nazams of India would stay. It was beautiful here. Each building had like a different museum exhibit. 

It was such a great time sight seeing. This week I have been working on making a survey that I can go out to villages and give. My research is getting so exciting!

On the way home, we had to drop Lara off at the dentist because she had an appointment. After we dropped her off, Vishnu started into this explanation of this candy that is"the best thing in the entire world" but in India it's not very good. I asked him if I had it in America, and he said yes and it's the best in America, but he didn't know the name of it in English. The name in Hindu is boomer. After a long period of charades, I finally understood he was talking about gum! I coincidentally had some in my bag and gave it to him. I honestly don't think I've seen a man so happy in my life. He loved it, and kept saying: BEST BOOMER EVER. I was belly laughing the whole way home.

Hope everyone had a safe fourth!

-Kirsten