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Hi everyone!!!
How are you all going? Well, I am going quite well, and am very excited to have finally landed at an internet cafe. Though I don't have very long - the site just took 20 minutes to open. And they say India is advancing so rapidly in the IT industry!
We'll start with the bad news first - I just checked my phone bill, and am lucky that I didn't fall of my seat and break my back in shock when I saw it. So I am going to turn my phone off until I get home - I really can't afford to spend one cent more! So sorry Daryn and Mum who I have been texting - it will just have to wait fr 1.5 weeks! Eeeek!
Well, the last week and a half have been quite good. Among the highlights, I went on an elephant ride, 3 boat rides, all different, did some shopping and other things too. We stayed in a convent one night - it was probably the best night I've had in Kottayam. Actually, that was 2 hours away, in Kumily. The convent was attached to a hospital, while Fr THomas visited his sick cousin in the convent (a nun), another sister took me around the hospital. I saw some tiny babies. One weighed 650g. Born at 28 weeks. He wasn't much bigger than about 2 of my palms. Now this hospital is one of the best in Kerala, and Kerala is the richest state in India. And I felt ashamed that Australian's complain about our health system. The baby that I saw would have been in intensive care at royal brisbane if in Australia. No Toowoomba hospital would take him. And yet, he was being kept alive by a heater. THat's all they had to keep him warm. Not even a humidicrib. It costs 17Rs per day, plus medication. 17Rs is less than 60c. And most people in India can't afford that. If you can't afford to pay - you don't go to hospital. Even if that means that you die. Pretty tough huh?
Thank you for your letter Mum and Lee-Ann and everybody else too. I really enjoy reading them. I can't wait to come back home - only a week and a bit! I'm definitely a family person - being alone isn't really my thing! I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas - I will write again as soon as I have the chance.
I love you all so much,
Love always,
Melody
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