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Teresa's emails

Teresa Curran relates her experiences participating in CWM's Training in Mission Programme (TIM) in South Africa and India.

• 27 October 2005
• 14 October 2005
• 5 October 2005
• 17 September 2005
• 20 August 2005
• 5 August 2005
• 28 July 2005
• 15 July 2005
• 5 July 2005
• 1 July 2005
• June 2005
• May 2005
• April 2005

27 October 2005

14 October 2005

Dear friends

The streets pulse with energy here. It’s a never ending horn tooting, tire screeching, shouting cacophony of sights and sounds and colours . The colours are unforgettable, women float around (and the do seem to float, a grace most people never achieve) in all shades of the rainbow, making walking in a sari look easy – and I assure you it isn’t. Raised voices call you to come into shops and purchase things you neither need nor want, there is a note of desperation as you walk on. “Hey madam, what do you want?” the vendors call. On a good day you smile back at them, on a bad one you want it all to stop and to hide somewhere quiet.

Three months here has made me cry at times at the faces of children who ask for money, anxiety written in faces that are too young to look this way. They are a million miles away from those ladies floating in saris; their parents, if they have them are too busy scraping a living to float gracefully. I’m scared of what will happen to them. How can I even help one?

Time has also made me cynical (yes me!) as I bargain with people, knowing the price is so much higher because of the colour of my skin. At the same time I know that I am unimaginably rich to so many here. Often I agree with the price and walk away…then others take great delight in telling me how much I should have paid. It would be different if I was a tourist here, but I must also live on the small allowance we all get.

It’s raining today and was yesterday too. I’m sitting huddled in my warmest clothes, it is 25 degrees outside. I’m going to freeze when I get home! The rain settles the dust; things seem fresher here today as the wind blows over the rice fields.

The Henry Martyn Institute is out of town, you can take a rickshaw here for about 70 rupees or you can come on the bus. Think of those images of overcrowded transport, five in a rickshaw made for three is nothing compared to people hanging out of the doors of buses that move off if you are on it or not. The bus will set you back 7 rupees, a bargain but sometimes just too much to cope with.

The hostel and the offices are located through the gate and past the aforementioned rice fields. Straight ahead is a prayer hall where we have interfaith devotions every morning at 9.30. I’ve got an office where I’m supposed to be sorting out the filing system, the computer and email as tempting to me as always.

I go to classes on Religion and Interfaith during the week, Robert and Andreas often using me as a dictionary as the only native English speaker in class. People staying here at HMI include Anu from South Africa, a guest lecturer here teaching gender and peace-building, Emma from the Lutheran Church in America volunteering for a year, my room-mate Juuki from Arunachal Pradesh in the extreme North east of India, Ruth from England who is studying Urdu and many others who are here to study interfaith or community development/peace-building. A large number of students are from the North East, a troubled place where peace builders are needed. This week twenty social work students from Sweden and Germany have been visiting. Last night I went with them on a visit to a Mosque. It’s Ramadan this month so a few of the students here are fasting during the day. Being a woman I was not able to enter the Mosque, but it was fascinating to watch people come and go as they celebrate this holy time. Hyderabad is interesting because of the Islamic history it has. There are so many buildings that you would associate with the Middle East, it doesn’t feel the same as other places I’ve been in India.

People are very welcoming and interested in where we are from and what we are doing here. On the train here I was surrounded by five Muslim patriarchs, who were very concerned at my travelling alone. At dinner time they imperiously ordered one of the vendors to come inside the train and bought me delicious puri (deep fried flat bread) and potato curry, and would not eat theirs until I had finished every crumb. Then they spent a few hours discussing the NZ cricket team with me being no help at all and assigned me the top berth, assuring me that I would be safer up there. They were very happy to find out that I was studying interfaith at HMI, declaring that what the world really needs is for people to know more about each others faiths, because if you know more, then you fear less. Wise words indeed!

I am reading a wonderful book by V.S Naipaul entitled India: A Million Mutinies Now; it is strangely enough, about India. In it you meet so many people who are India! It is about them personally, rather than about religion, politics or culture. Mainly men though…it’s pretty hard for any man to interview Indian women. If you can get your hands on a copy, read it…trust me on this one.

I miss my friends! I’ve come to the gripping realisation that I won’t be seeing them everyday after November (I’m a bit slow). We are having such different experiences at placements that it feels like we are already starting to slip away from each other.

I will go out into the foyer in a few minutes to have a cup of sweet Indian tea (I’m told that they grow it, so they know how to make it…but I’m not convinced about the amount of sugar) we will sit around chatting and looking at the paper. There are two English language papers available here. It’s really nice to be able to catch up with what is happening both here and abroad, even though the only information about New Zealand is in the sports page…typical!

The rain is falling harder and I can hear it against the roof, the mosquitoes will be terrible tonight. Did you know that mosquitoes in India are very quiet, they’re stealth mosquitoes! I’ve a stack of books to read and some assignments to complete this weekend – just in case you thought I might be going shoe shopping (actually I did that last weekend…I was in the old Muslim part of town where there were all these shops selling handmade shoes, gosh, how’s a girl supposed to choose?)

Good grief, this email is enormous!

I hope that you are well. Tell me how you are!

Arohanui

Teresa

5 October 2005

Hello my friends

I’m in Hyderabad, having a wonderful time at the Henry Martyn institute for Islamic studies and interfaith relations. Poonam who was on TIM last year liked it so much that she came back this year to study!

I’m attending some classes on interfaith, religion and peace building. Also I go out to the community centres around Hyderabad each week and will be visiting various Muslim mosques, Hindu temples etc. there is a great library here and I’m spending lots of time reading.

I’m on the home stretch now, after placements there are just a few weeks until the programme finishes. I’m looking forward to spending some time with friends and family (and trying not to freeze...it's very hot here, spare a thought for Chris and Liz who are going home to winter :)

Indian food is starting to become monotonous, as you could tell from some conversations around here (there are a number of non-Indians staying here) top of the list is some Japanese food, though a nice espresso (Nescafe being the height of cool in these parts) would also be great. What am I talking about? I'd cope very well with a slice of cheddar on brown bread!!

The rest of the team is spread out around South India; we’ll see each other at the end of the month. I miss having them with me, it’s like a part of me is missing at times...strange! Life will be odd in December I guess, though Internet is a wonderful thing!

Hope that you are well, please send me your news (and if you have no news, make some up…I’ll believe you!)

Love Teresa

17 September 2005

Hello

Yes I am a group emailer, it's a terrible affliction caused by slow computers and a fiscal disadvantage (i.e. don't get paid)

We are going on a retreat tonight and will be back next Saturday. Then it’s off to Hyderabad for me to do some interfaith dialogue. Should be fun! The retreat is in Kerela, which is on the Arabian Sea side of India, it will take us all night to get there, and we have sleeping berths on the train, which is actually quite comfortable.

The last two weeks have been spent looking at land/water/agriculture issues in India. 70% of Indians work on the land and most of them are just scraping a living. We went to Valpari in the hills North West of Madurai; the trip itself gave new meaning to the word bumpy, a ten hour trip in a bus not being my idea of fun!

While there we visited a tea estate, it was heartbreaking to see how long and hard people worked picking tea and how little they get paid to do so. Conditions seemed impossible to me, freezing cold rain, spiders, snakes, elephants and leaches (that’s right leaches…urrrghhhhhhhhh) are common. The work is quite dangerous at times; it damages your back, your neck and your hands. We had an opportunity to talk to some of the workers as they welcomed us into their homes. As always I am amazed by the hospitality we get shown. They had no idea we were coming, yet they were happy to talk to us about their lives.

So I hope you all are buying fair trade tea!!!!

Speaking of fair trade I’m boycotting Pepsi at the moment because they have a tendency in these parts to buy large pieces of land just outside of villages and then either use up all the water or poison it with their waste. Talk about evil!

You know we can all see the effects of globalisation, but here in the third world they are life or death to the poorest people. And nobody really seems to care. The Church has a hard time addressing these issues; often it seems more interested in gaining the favour of the rich than helping the poor.

It’s hard to know what we can do to help.

Btw I didn’t get bitten by any leaches, but some of the others did, they are very nasty creatures (the leaches not the others)!

On the good news front I have discovered a very tasty snack, it’s made from peanuts and toffee and is probably very bad for my teeth, but it’s much better than chocolate that melts in 10 seconds.

Hope you are well.

Love t

20 August 2005

Hi everyone, your intrepid explorer has finally done it, bit the bullet and shelled out too much money for the slowest Internet in the history of the known universe, even slower than Karangahake for those in the know!!!!

But it serves me right cause I'm hanging out on a tropical island, enjoying the sun (except for the burnt bits on my back) sand and surf. This placement was a bit of a rushed job, cobbled together at the last minute and it shows. We haven't really had enough to do. There are four of us here, Subash, Makenti and Chris all staying together in a room atop of a school for disabled children. Basically we are spoiled rotten despite all our attempts to convince them we should not be honoured guests.

Yesterday Chris and I were guests at a couple's house about 30 minutes away. Originally from India they moved to Canada 40 years ago as teachers and have come home to retire. A modest saving in Canada is a small fortune here and it was so nice to be in a home where we could speak English fluently and use the full extent of the old vocab which has lain dormant for some time now. We had a lovely time but it made me so homesick... I miss my family!

At times I feel like I am stuck in a feminist nightmare, it is weird not having an opinion that matters - you can imagine that might be frustrating... "Chris, would Teresa like a cup of tea?" ARRRAAAGGGHHHHHHH. Yet at the same time I am a celebrity because of the colour of my skin. So a paradox perhaps, everyone wants to talk to me, but no one listens to what I have to say. In fairness this is a remote rural area, frequented by Hindu pilgrims and not many others.

We have had some interesting days here; it's not all lying in the sun. A visit to an English medium school was a wonderful chance to talk to teenagers of the Indian female variety. And the teachers were very interested in a world without corporal punishment (imagining 60 children running riot in every class) we'll be going back there which will be wonderful. The children in the home we stay at a great, there are just 10 of them and we make sure to spend some time every day. (Using all those Mountain View songs... thanks South Africa!

At the end of November I'll be coming home, which means I need a job, keep a look out for me please... preferably in NZ, but I'm not at all adverse to Spain!

Right it's Saturday, Chris is doing the sermon tomorrow, which means I have the day off YIPPPPPPEEEEEEEE. So I'm off to the beach... but this time I'm using sunscreen.

Hope you are well and that this email doesn't give the impression I do nothing all day... I'm writing lots and some of it is even quite good. India sure has given me a lot to think about.

Love you

t

5 August 2005

We are off to placements on Monday.

YIPEE!

Which means we are away from Madaurai for four weeks. I'm going to an island in the Palk straight (between India and Sri Lanka) called Rameshwaram. I’ll be there with Chris, Makenti and Subash.

Absolutely no idea about email communication from there, so if you don't hear from me for a while don't worry... and keep the emails coming. Hope you are well.

Love t

28 July 2005

So my inbox is looking very very empty lately which means it must be time for me to send you all another interesting and informative email full of witty anecdotes and droll observations.

Hmmm. Failing that I could just send you this one!

My head is about to explode with all the information it has received over the last few weeks; I think that I need a holiday! Unfortunately I will go on my first placement on Monday so my chance of a holiday seems fairly unlikely. So what have I been doing? A typical day in the life of me?

Well, breakfast is at 7.30 so I wake up at 7.28, yell at Alice and Felencia to wake up (get grunted at...morning ain't their best time - mine neither come to think about it).

Splash water somewhere near my face and stumble to the guest house where there is toast waiting for us (they tried to get us to eat Indian breakfast but we are not very willing -like I said not morning people, all that spice at 7.30am, I think not!).

Between 7.50 and 8.15 we all try to have a shower, iron our clothes (that's just there for you mum, the heat makes all the crinkles drop out, honestly) and get ourselves ready for morning worship at the chapel. Morning worship is in Tamil and I know 3 Tamil words so we listen to the music and meditate (no that is not another word for sleep) or we read our bibles I’ve studied both books of Samuel in depth, so the time is not wasted, besides the music is really good... lots of traditional instruments and wonderful singing. As a treat, the service on Fridays is in English, so we belt out a few songs whenever asked - our group's not shy to perform (though I kinda let the team down in the singing - we've a few overachievers in that department)

Then from 9 till 9.30 we have a break (those who haven't showered do so - one bathroom, three girls it's a recipe for disaster).

At 9.30 we have devotions with a different member of the faculty each day, it’s really interesting to hear different interpretations by different people. We have really been challenged to use our brains...YIPEE.

Then straight into class (gosh I’m exhausted just reading this).

At 1pm we have lunch with all the other students…it consists of rice (big surprise) some yummy vege concoction, some meat - often beef to prove we are Christian (don’t ask). It’s SPICY…good though.

After lunch? Well its time for a nap – it’s really really hot by that time, all we can really handle is a bit of a snooze. Then we have time to do our reading (we’ve lots it’s great!) Play some volleyball (well, the boys’ play – the girls applaud – we are in India after all) and hang out around the Internet hoping for emails from you lot.

Then we have dinner at 7.30pm (more spice) a quickgroup meeting –how are you? Fine! Goodbye! And we are freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

So we watch TV, only BBC World naturally :), go for a walk outside the campus (there are samosas out there) or hang out with Chris playing the guitar and singing like the little angel he pretends to be.

Then we go to bed, get eaten by mosquitoes the size of cats, sweat copiously and wake up refreshed in the morning (yeah right, like I said… not morning people, just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.)

What else could I possibly say?

I got the most beautiful card yesterday from NZPresbyterian youth… I was really touched by the messages of support it contained.

I also got a card from Jean Bott (yay) Janice can you tell her that I appreciated it very much next time you see her or pass the message onto Bruce :)

I’ve made my decision about the second placement… interfaith dialogue won by a nose though all the advice from you lot wasn’t much help – four said one, four said another – some type of conspiracy perhaps?

I’m really glad that Dad is coming to India at the end of the programme, I’ll need someone to carry my books (I love books – and they are all very educational, honest).

I’ve a new scarf it’s very pretty.

And in answer to the question I asked in the subject line... well it's probably cause I check it too often (getting in while I can, don't know how good email access will be next week)

Hear from you soon - or I'll sulk :)

Love t

"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."

Jane Austen

15 July 2005

So the question I've been asked this week is "Are things getting better?" and yes, I think that they are.

It's hard to believe that we have nearly been here for four weeks; the time has gone by so quickly. I'm a little concerned that before I know it we'll be flying home. We have been doing lots of study, but as normal I'm learning the most from talking to the people around me.

We are really getting to know the students here and starting to feel like part of the community, at the back of my mind I've been considering which placements I should do (we get two in India), I'm really interested in one working with fisher folk on the coast of Tamilnadu (no not fishing) it would be with an activist organization, working for peace, justice that sort of thing... obviously after the tsunami things have become very different and now the government has implemented a scheme where they will open up the straight between India and Sri Lanka for commercial use - meaning that the fishing of the village fisher folk (who have traditions dating back thousands of years) will be destroyed, by trawlers and over fishing. It sounds really interesting and pretty topical all round the world.

The other option is interfaith dialogue at the Henry Martin institute. This would involve research into Hindu and Muslim religion which I think would be fascinating.

Unfortunately both of these are at the same time, which means I have to make a decision! The first placement is a bit easier to choose, I'll be at a hospital and school... I hope.

So I'll put more thought into it, urrghh I hate difficult decisions.

On Monday there is a seminar on the impact of globalisation and neo liberalism in India, should be great. The focus on social analysis here is just amazing, I'm hardly ever out of the library :)

It rained yesterday! Now this shouldn't be exciting, but it was...it meant that the place was cooler for once, we all ran out of class and danced in it, for those who think we'll all catch cold... well we have cold showers every day, so I doubt it. (No, not by choice, there's no hot water)

I hope that you are well, tell me how you are doing (I really really really like getting emails... indulge me)

Arohanui

T

5 July 2005

Hello

So I’m sitting in the Internet cafe trying to decide what to write to you, cause to be honest I haven't really been having much fun since I’ve been here in India. I’ve been sick with stomach problems for a lot of the time, my mobile won't receive messages from home, and it’s hot!

I’ve been thinking about this and I guess that leaving South Africa seemed like the perfect time to be going home, but I didn't. Instead I travelled to a place that is even more different than South Africa was. I wonder what my first reaction to India would have been if I wasn't so upset about leaving South Africa.

The more I travel the more I think that our so-called boundaries (north South, Asia, Europe, Western etc) are nothing at all. They don't define us, we define them... let's face it, I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia but that was in a completely different world to where I am now.

In a country that is so packed, tightly crammed with humanity, it is impossible to define what it is to be Indian, the regional differences are vast and important, the culture and history are so interconnected with the religion that they become one. This is a very spiritual place!

I’m excited about what I will learn here and what comparisons I can draw between India, South Africa and at home and yet I’d love to be at home, curled up in front of a nice fire with a cup of tea and a good book.

So that is where I am now, we started study this week after a week spent in a cooler climate learning about the church of south India. It is shaping up to be really interesting with a huge leaning towards the social responsibility of the church... nice!

Well, my friends... tell me how you are and what you are doing; I’d love to hear from you.

Love you

t

1 July 2005

This is a mini-interview Teresa wrote for the Missions display at Connect 2005.

So me?

Teresa Curran

Originally from Paeroa, most recently I lived in Hamilton... now living in Madurai, India as part of the Council for World Mission Training in Mission programme.

Why am I here?

I was selected last year to be part of this amazing programme where approx 12 young people from all around the world come together in South Africa and India for a year to learn more about what mission is. I guess most people think about mission as going overseas, but we are learning what to do at home... a very exciting prospect!

I’ve been in India for a week and a half now, it's strange not being in South Africa anymore, I had grown to love that country and the people - of course, there’s a whole lot of South Africans in NZ so that shouldn't be a problem :) We are all getting a little tired of spices (already) and today had fries... absolutely great!!!

Now that I think about it chips may well be my favourite food.

We’ve been doing lots of singing together and at the moment my favourite worship song is Takawba (there's no-one). It’s in Bemba (from Zambia). We’ll be recording a CD at the end of our trip (I’ll be singing quietly, there are some amazing voices here).

Other than that I love jazz jazz jazz oh and coldplay, just bought their new album, oh and Ben Harper (live from mars, disk 2... trust me) and must admit a strange fascination with Cat Stevens.... hmmmm.

Hobbies? Trying to keep cool in this tropical climate, would you believe I was talking to my dad earlier this morning and it was 2 degrees at home... and I missed it. Trust me, its really hot here.

When the budget allows I love films, haven't been to any for a while but Finding Neverland was great! Miss Congeniality 2 was less so :)

Most of all I love spending time in God's creation, anything that involves being outdoors, I love it!

I’m 27 years old, was working in community development at home, not sure what I’ll be doing when I get back... I’ll figure that out in November.

June 2005

Dazed and confused but in India (finally)

After a trip that never seemed to end (four different planes, a few very long stopovers, one ticket fiasco - none of the tickets to Madaurai were valid, don't ask!! Countless airline meals - average I guess, a bus trip through Madauri in a state of terror - thought we were going to die, confusion over what a rupee actually is - I think I withdrew about NZ$6 at an atm and some very funny Bollywood movies - we arrived at the Tamilnadu theological seminary on Tuesday afternoon, a bit (read, extremely) tired, missing South Africa and fairly bad tempered.

But we are over the joys of international travel now (I think) and are into the joys of the Indian context. So first impressions...

It’s really really hot!

The sense of community is amazing

The town is chaotic (looks like fun)

It’s really hot

It’s not South Africa (duh)

I like South Africa (you may have guessed)

This is a whole new world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Um, it's really hot.

So I thought I’d let you know that I’m here and that I’m alive and well, the food is great; we are going shopping this arvo for some local threads (did I mention it is hot)

Hope you are well, I’ll write again soon

Love ya

t

May 2005

I am back in the world of books and knowledge andlearning, in Stellenbosh...a pretty campus town north of Cape Town, writing about the Missionary Movement in a Post Modern age. The only conclusion that I have reached is I am truely post modern, my search for some meaning in my life has brought me this far...and what a journey!

I reflect on my time in South Africa this far. The most important part of my growth has absolutly been my placement at the Jack and Jill Educare Center in Mountain View Community. However there have been other areas in which I have been challenged in many ways.

Living in a group is not easy, although as a Church we are called to be a community. Paul gives us instructions in how to live together in his letters, i always think of Colossians 3:12-17. We cannot do this alone. But the tendency of any body of people is to fly apart. Love is the one bond that will hold us together in unbreakable fellowship. To be Christian is to live in community. On one side is the consistency of God’s love. On the other is the problem of living together. Paul is telling us how to live together, as Jesus and his disciples did. It isn't easy living with people you know, it's really hard living with 11 people from 10 countries, all with very strong personalities, views and ideas. I love them, I hate them, then I love them again. We are in this together, I really hope that the bonds that we make here are lifelong ones.

I came to Christianity recently, I keep saying this but I think it is relevant. I am fascinated by the history and desperate to learn more. I want to be challenged in my thinking, I want to explore new ideas, I want to learn from past mistakes. I did not find the theology phase particularity inspiring, it seemed too basic, i want to know more! This is not the time or the place for that though. This is the time to experience many things for a short time. To be challenged to explore further in the future. To ask, "What I shall do?"

I'm not made to be locked up. I relish my freedom, I'm a girl from the country, I need space and time and a place to be me. For others they are more free than they have ever been. I respect that so much, I want to let them know that it is okay to feel free. We live in a compound, it's hard for me, though I recognize the necessity.

And so to Mountain View...

Fact – I cannot be objective here, I love these children!
Fact – a number of them will not reach adulthood!
Fact – it is unknown how many have HIV!
Fact – many have TB, skin diseases, severe tooth decay, malnutrition!
Fact – most will not make it through primary school!
Fact – many only know one parent!
Fact – it is the children that get hurt most in a hurting world!

Did i make a difference? I have no idea, but I did what i set out to do. I think that I needed these children just as much, if not more than I needed them. Sounds odd, I know, but it's true. In order to come to grips with what i saw around me i needed those children to love. Even when I had nothing more to give I could hug them and I could draw from their joy.

They were so happy and so eager to learn and to accept new people. They made me strong, and in my strength i realized Jesus meant these children when he talked about entering the Kingdom of God. Amazing stuff really.

Where to from now? I don't know, and don't care...I'd like your prayers on the journey though.

love you
t

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April 2005

hi there!

it is so wonderful to get so many replys to my emails, once again i'm really sorry that i can't answer everyone individually but i just don't have the internet time to do so.

well, another week has gone by and i'm still alive and i've had my visa extended so i can stay in south africa (a very good start) and still working at mountain view every day.

i'm amazed at how quickly i have grown to love the children there. i think it is because they are so desperate for love and affection. there are some that are absolute little terrors and i probably love them even more because of that. really the best part of each day is when we sit down for story time, i read a book in english and one of the teachers translates into afrikaans. we start out in a circle but ever so slowly they inch foward until they are practically sitting on to of me, it's so funny! oh, and the other day i was reading that book "are you my mother" (don't pretend you have no idea what i'm talking about) and little justin looks very sad at the end..."what's wrong?" we ask...i liked that book but next time can we have one about an adult bird?" at five he thinks he's much too old for baby birds. ha! well it amused me. and it's wonderful to see their faces as they run towards us in the morning, it lifts the soul! (how will i ever leave?!!)

we went on a retreat on the weekend, the 11 of us and humphry and natalie (they are the coordinators - i told you that, right?) together again, the first night laughing, the second crying, the third laughing again. we are all going through such different and difficult experiences here in SA. i think it's good to be back at work though. my time with the kids is so limited (only one more month) that i should treasure each moment.

i am still overwhelmed by the poverty, it still reduces me to tears (and i don't think i want to loose that pain either) it's not something that one should get used to, because if you get used to things they become natural and you forget. i guess i've always known such things existed but it is different when you can see and touch and feel it. but i'm coping much better with it. i'm lucky to have natalie as my placement coordoinator as well, she is a great help and inspiration to me everyday (she's been working with the community for 9 years, eeeeek)

well must do some work, hope that you are well and that i'll hear from you soon.

arohanui

t
"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."
Jane Austen

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