Hi again

So it's only been a few days, and I haven't had much new excitement in my life really...But things are still going okay, and every day leaves me feeling a little bit more comfortable and at home here. It's weird how really strange things start to feel normal. There are still a lot of cultural adjustments to be had at the daycare - today when we first arrived there was a GIANT (I mean, like, small tire-sized...and no I'm not exaggerating) cow turd right in the middle of the porch that serves as the daycare. So we were a little confused as to how exactly to clean it up? But when the teacher got there she proceeded to clean it off with her bare hands! It was a little shocking, but being the culturally aware being that I am, I tried my best not to judge....So it's just little things like that, that are still taking some time to work through. Another kind of unusual thing about the dynamic between children and mother/teacher here is that while the women are obviously extremely dedicated to caring for their children, they tend to hit the kids as a way to discipline them. Of course, we as Americans haven't really felt comfortable with this, so we've been trying to find other ways to handle the kids that doesn't involve resorting to anything physical. I'm just getting over a slight cold that I've had for the past few days, which was a little challenging with the weather/work/all the walking. But things could always be worse! I am still feeling really happy, and in awe of all things Indian.

Another really cool thing I forgot to mention was that the other day a friend of mine, Taylor and I were walking around in the market trying to find a travel agency sort of thing. So this little boy told us that his sister was one, and he then called her to come. She promptly came with her young child and husband, and we sat in her office and talked over chai and cookies for almost an hour! She told us all about Hindu tradition and culture, about her family, and so much more. It was such an awesome time, and experiences like that have just really made my time here seem so valuable. Every single day is a new lesson, a new experience. Sitting and looking out at the beautiful landscape, I feel full of awe for this beauty that God has created, and I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to be here at such a crucial time in my life. I can't think of any other way to be spending my time than doing this - it is such a fulfilling and challenging experience.

Hello from Dharamsala!

Greetings from the internet cafe here in the market of Dharamsala. I don't know how exactly to describe the beauty here, but it is unlike anything i have ever seen before! It is very hilly and mountainous, and from our beautiful flat you can see the first snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas. They are quite large! Much larger than anything we have in New Hampshire. The people here are also very friendly, and greet us with "Namaste" every time we pass. But let me give some history first: we flew here on Friday after about 4 hours of delay in the airport. The plane was tiny, tiny, tiny, and I think most of us were pleased to finally land in Dharamsala. We had to trek about 5 or 10 minutes up a hillside after about a 40 minute ride up the mountain to get to our flat ,which is beautiful. On the front porch you can see both high peaks and deep valleys... The food is of course excellent, mostly traditional Indian food, and the staff is also very kind and friendly. They really take good care of us - hot chai always, laundry and housekeeping, and plenty of good advice and information. One thing I was very surprised to learn of was the apparent animosity between the Indian and Tibetan population here. Because the situation in Tibet is a popular cause in the Western world, most refugees have received much money, making them some of the most wealthy citizens in the area. Because of this, they are essentially corrupted by the money and lose all efforts to fight for the cause of Tibetan independence. Not only this, but their bountiful supply of money has tampered with the traditional Indian feel to the area here, which creates much disagreement between the two cultures. It is very easy, just in walking around the area, to tell who is Tibetan - generally, they are dressed very well, and usually travel in large groups. Just the other day we saw a group of monks wearing their traditional robes, and they were all using cellphones or blackberry's.....rather shocking. I was really surprised to hear this, but in spending only a few days here I can understand it well.
I have been to my volunteer placement, at the Anganwadi Upper Barol daycare, for about two days. Mostly, our biggest challenge is the language barrier. The teacher at the daycare, and the helpers speak no English, and we as volunteers speak only very little Hindi. The teacher spends little time with the kids, and leaves most of the work to us. Usually, we spend our time teaching the kids songs, reading them stories, playing with blocks, and coloring. They generally are able to do all of these things well, although they sometimes have trouble repeating English words. We have quickly learned how to say things like "don't bite", "don't hit", "no", "stop", "good job" , etc. in Hindi, as these words are very valuable when working with children. I wish I was able to post pictures here, you would all agree with me in saying that the children are adorable! Even thought the task of occupying 15 or 20 toddler's time every day can be daunting, it makes it all worth while when they smile or laugh, or have a good time. They absolutely looooove having their picture taken, and being held or swung around. They can sing their ABC's, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
And let's not forget the jet lag! I have managed to be fully awake by about 6 am everyday...I don't think my body has been very happy with me lately, but we won't go into the yucky details. I was feeling very tired and stressed the first few days, and even having thoughts of going home. But no worries! I am a trooper, and things have been getting much better in the past few days. I am looking forward to doing some shopping and stuff in the near future...maybe get some hiking in as well. There are beautiful mountains and trails all around us....I can't believe I have been here for nearly a week!
Also, another odd/cool thing: animals sort of roam the streets here. Its not uncommon for 5 or 6 cars to be backed up on the road because of a cow, goat, donkey, or even monkey, that is standing in the middle of the street. Most people use their animals like this to carry things from their homes to/from the market because most roads are very steep and rocky. Another nice thing is that everything is so cheap! Even using the internet, for one hour, is 30 rupees which is less than a dollar! And this applies to all goods: you can eat at a restaurant in town here for about 4 dollars. A full hand-made outfit with your choice of fabric is about 4 dollars as well.
Namaste ya'all!

finally here

Greetings from Delhi! I have been here for about a full day, and finally got some time to post on here...Things have been going pretty well so far, but it's definitely been tough acclamating to life here. This morning I was so jetlagged and woke up at about 6:00 a.m. completely wide awake (which I can promise you never, ever, ever happens), so we went to the nearby market with a veteran volunteer to get coffee. Today has been a pretty exhausting day...we did some sightseeing this afternoon,which was nice to get to see the city, but the heat is indescribably unbearable here, and it definitely hinders your ability to do a lot of walking/travelling....after about an hour I was ready for a major nap. Thankfully, I haven't been feeling too terrible, at least not yet, and the other volunteers I have met so far are really great. One thing I can say for sure is that it is a completely different world here. This city is beautiful, and enormous, and really intimidating...and kind of hard to put into words. It's a lot like what I imagined, but also so much different. Today during our sightseeing we got a chance to drive down Connaught Place, in the heart of the city, which houses the parliament and other government buildings and also the India Gate, which is a war memorial. We also stopped at the Lotus temple, a Baha'i temple, that is definitely an architectural wonder! Another really exciting thing is driving through the city - everyone continually beeps their horn, and really has no sense of courtesy, which definitely makes for a chaotic and almost scary ride through the city. I am definitely still in the process of getting used to all the different elements - the heat, the smells, the time difference, and so much more (can you say culture shock??). Tomorrow we will meet the rest of the volunteers for orientation, and then its off to Dharamsala on Monday! I got the chance to talk with a woman today who worked at the daycare where I am placed, and she gave me a lot of really helpful advice - I definitely have a lot of tiring work ahead of me! Anyway, I am beat so I think I'll turn in for the night...Hopefully I will get more chances to post here in the future...Namaste!

Almost there

About 2 and a half weeks until my trip! ...wow, I am really excited but its been hard to get passed finals and all thats been going on here in DC to really emotionally come to grips with it all. My grandmother passed away last week, which has been really hard, but thankfully I have the love of my family as a great support.

I'm heading home on Wednesday, and then it's crunch time to try and get everything ready before I leave on the 22nd. I finally booked a flight, thanks to Aunt Donna! I'm really going to need some guidance with packing....