Look at all the fun stuff I’m learning at our India logistical pre-port:
93 students have been sanctioned by SAS due to a violation of policies.
35 of these sanctions have been dock time, upto 13 hours.
55% of incidents before Mauritius have been alcohol related.
80%+ of incidents after Mauritius have been alcohol related.
15 drug tests have been given (including faculty), all with negative results.
No worries, just normal college stuff.
In India, the water contains:
- E coli, campylobacter, shigella, and salmonella
- Viruses
- Tapeworms (Cysticercosis)
Locally bottled water is not safe. International brands of water are.
Check all bottles of water to make sure they have not been tampered with (ie. refilled with local water).
Diarrhea is a serious problem, all trip leaders have been briefed on how to assist students if they have issues.
70% of spinach in India has high levels in lead (this includes cooked).
Do not swim in fresh water. (Personally, I wouldn’t swim in swimming pools either, unless it was at a reputable 5-star tourist hotel)
You do NOT survive rabies (30k deaths in India last year). Don’t pet cats, dogs, or monkeys.
70% of injections in India are unsafe.
The deck 7 pool bar (outside) and deck 6 cafeteria (has exits to the outside) will be closed due to hygienic reasons. Apparetly we will know why when we smell the Chennai air tomorrow morning.
You WILL be mobbed by people at “the gate”.
Giving money to beggars/children/etc may result in stampedes.
Don’t touch your head (or anyone elses for that matter), don’t use your left hand, eat with your hands, when taking servings to your plate use your left hand instead of your right. (Intentionally a run-on sentence)
We also received a lovely demonstration and tips on how to use squat toilets.
Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.
P.S. Since our entry into the northern hemisphere, the internet speed has been *excellent*.