Update on miracle baby who took a train toilet tumble

by Jamie Rhein on

A week has passed since I posted about the baby who was born prematurely while her mother was using the toilet on a train in India. As with many global stories, unless there’s some big breaking news, we rarely hear what happened next. It’s like traveling on a highway, seeing a big wreck on the other side of the meridian, but never really finding out what happened. We think about the wreck for a few miles or so, perhaps tell someone what we saw after we arrive at our destination, if we remember, but often our attention has already turned to the latest thing to pass in front of us.

After doing a quick Web search to look for information about the baby’s well-being and ending up with my own post, I headed toThe Times of India for news. The latest update I found is from March 1. The baby–a girl, either to be named Jodhaa or Karishma, had just begun to drink her mother’s breast milk through a tube. She’s also on extensive antibiotics in order to combat any infection from the umbilical cord being ripped off (and I expect spending the first seconds of life in a toilet). The umbilical cord was found by her where she lay at the side of the tracks. The doctors think that she must have not been born head first but landed on her hip since there is some internal injury there, but it doesn’t seem serious. Wow!

The hospital is not charging for the baby’s care since the family doesn’t have any money and the station master who found her spent his day off from work going to Ahmedabad to see her. (see article)

These are the details that make me start singing Louis Armstrong’s tune, “I see trees of green, red roses too….and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” There is a line about babies. (Click here for the song)

GADLING TAKE 5: Week of 2-29-2008

by Catherine Bodry on

Happy Leap Year Day! I’m certainly grateful for the extra 24 hours in my schedule.

We’ve had a fun-filled week at Gadling, filled with the amazing, the astounding, and the downright odd:

Happy weekend, and enjoy your extra day!

Monkeys get hitched in India

by Anna Brones on

If you’ve ever seen the movie Monsoon Wedding, you know that marriage ceremonies in India can be elaborate events full of colorful flowers, saris and a feast of delectable traditional Indian food. When two monkeys were wed last Thursday in eastern India, the festivities were no different. Women chanted while priests sang sacred hymns, the “bride” wore a five meter long red sari and the “groom” was brought into the temple by a grand procession. After the wedding ceremony the monkeys were presented with gifts, which consisted mostly coconuts and bananas; one local businessman was generous enough to donate a gold necklace which was given to the bride.

Monkeys are considered sacred in the Hindu faith and the monkeys had been taken in as pets by two local families. Their marriage was a sort of a send off before their release back into the wild. But they haven’t strayed too far; since their release the young couple has been hanging out at the temple where the marriage took place. No money honeymoon?

Marriages between humans and other creatures are not uncommon in India, and are intended to ward off spells and other curses; last fall a man in the southern state of Tamil Nadu married a female dog in an attempt to atone for stoning two dogs to death, which he believed had cursed him.

Names that don’t travel well

by Iva Skoch on

Whenever I am in a Spanish speaking country, I feel really special. Every time, I get a check, it says “IVA incluido.” That alone isn’t bad news for me, but since everyone else is getting checks with “IVA included,” it makes me feel, you know, a little cheap.

IVA is the Spanish equivalent for the VAT, so I find my name everywhere: from checks to car showrooms. I guess, it is not as bad as running for President with a name like Barack Hussein Obama, but CNN reports that crazy names are totally common for Indian politicians.

Here are a few of the people competing for legislative seats in India: Frankenstein Momin, Billy Kid Sangma, Britainwar Dan, Admiral Sangma, Bombersingh Hynniewta, Laborious Manik Syiem, Hilarius Pohchen, Boldness Nongrum, Clever Marak and Adolf Lu Hitler Marak.

Hitler must be a popular name in Mumbai. The restaurant “Hitler Cross” was forced to change its name, however, after Mumbai’s Jewish community protested.

Sex in the … temple?

by Jerry Guo on

I’ve no idea why this place isn’t crawling with tourists yet–the sprawling “sex temples” of Khajuraho in India.

Built more than a millenium ago, the temples–which has dwindled down to 22 from the original 85–celebrate human sexuality and in particular, the beauty of the female body.

There are statues and carvings all over the place; the extent of the details are absolutely astounding, especially when you consider that they’ve been facing the elements, as well as what must be constant looting, for so long.

Here’s a photo gallery–Not Safe for Work!!!