First Days in India...

Here are some pictures of our first few days here, and my favorite thing we’ve done so far- our self-organized outing to the Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in Delhi. The other is of our inauguration viewing party we watched at 11:30 at night! I’m beginning to appreciate the taste of a plain yogurt/cilantro hybrid. It’s really the only cold and non-spicy food we are given that cleanses the palate. The bottled water as someone pointed out tastes like someone’s Grandma’s house smells of which we equated to moth balls- so a bit chemical-ly but filtered none the less!
I guess I didn’t touch too much on the people in my program, but they are all so awesome and I just LOVE everyone. There’s a horticulture major Ben, Caitlin- runs her college’s radio station, Ajay and Shiveta- two American raised Indians who are on this trip to see what living in India is like as South Asian Americans, there’s a dancer who likes to knit Caroline, Katrina from Canada studying International Development, Religion and Women’s Studies who has very similar music tastes, Alex who is studying Disaster Mitigation, there’s Krista who studies Hindi, South Asian Religion and the Environment of Asia, a neuroscience major who Caroline who loves taking pictures and we’re going to start a collection of logos that we’re looking at like a semester long art project, Maggie a Brazilian who was born in Finland and goes to Penn State, my homestay roommate Amber who is a grad student and works as a counselor at U of Minnesota and Rachel who’s done orphanage work in Nepal devoted to stopping human trafficking and is actually from Buffalo Grove and was on the speech team in high school. After introductions, we were like, WOW everyone sounds so cool and has done some amazing stuff. I’m glad we have about 5 months to get to know everyone! We have had so much fun getting to know one another through vicious matches of ping pong, countless tea times and with our roommates in our various hotel rooms. We are all from pretty diverse backgrounds but come together really well.

Right now, we are about 20km from Jaipur in a really nice hotel for more orientation sessions where we went over everything from what to do in a variety of emergency scenarios to phone. We also met our homestay coordinator (who will put me in touch with a three time grammy winner who teaches dance and music!!) and found out a little about our homestays. Apparently our house is on the basement level of where our school is (woo!!) and there is a grandfather, his sister, his son and daughter-in-law and their two children. Amber and I will have separate rooms and there is a maid. Our host mom is also a good cook and will teach us if we are interested. (YES!!!). Tomorrow around noon we will leave to meet them and I’m so excited to get our feet on the ground there. It’s hard to get orientation to a place we aren’t quite in yet, but I think this time together in isolated places makes it easier for us to get to know each other and keep us focused on knowing the ins and outs of medical information, social nuisances and the like...

Delhi was nice, we didn’t see too much as we were a bit timid, couldn’t really get our bearings and maybe on sensory overload. A bunch of us are really looking forward to coming back though maybe on a weekend trip or something. A lot of the streets have been blocked off too due to preparations for India’s Republic Day on the 26th. Military tanks, road blocks and officers with rifles are stationed all over the city, making things a bit confusing too. I kind of wish we saw the parade but I guess we will be celebrating in Jaipur somehow as we have the day off from school. I really can’t believe the amount of security in India though for everything. Gates surround every building, each having a guard to monitor who and which cars come in and out. Our homestays will also have gates as well.

Favorite quotes:
“My dad would beat up your dad, but he’s a Jain.”

The one who is the biggest has the right of way.
The second rule is that the one who has least to lose has the right of way.
The cow always has the right of way.
-Rules on Traffic

“We’re a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus- and non-believers…President Obama Promises A More Responsible America.”
-The Times of India