Pox Attack

After 10 days without the children, we were really missing them and so ready to get back home to Bangalore. An exhausting and fast-paced trip made everything here seem sweeter, the air fresher, the grass greener (there's (some) grass here!), and the food we had grown bored of eating day after day suddenly seemed deliciously appetizing. Unfortunately, upon our return, we discovered that there had been an outbreak of the chicken pox during our absence. While the rest of the kids are finishing up their exams and getting geared up for their short summer vacation, these poor itchy ones are scratching and blistered from head to toe. From lice to chickenpox, I guess its always something when you are living with 65 children in close quarters.

While we were gone, our girls moved back upstairs with the other girls and younger boys. Rather than resuming our previous responsibilities with them, we are now running the infirmary, since the sickly ones have been sent down to be quarantined. At present, there are ten children sprawled about down here: Thangmaigam, Uday, Sharavan, Anjali, Thomas, Someshakar, Monica, Swetha, Mercy, and poor Karun who on top of the pox has a terrible case of conjunctivitis. We are trying our best to keep them out of our room, but it's more difficult than one might think. Luckily both Nina and I had chicken pox when we were children. Lets just hope that we are immune to the Indian strains as well, and pray for a quick recovery for these poor poxers.

On the bright side, we are getting to know a new group a little closer than we might have been able to before. Maybe the chickenpox can be a blessing!