A Blog by Jake Glaser

I watched the sunrise through the window of an Indian train. The light shined through the cracked glass hitting her hair with the effect of mixing paint. The yellow sun smoothly merged into her golden hair as the train cruised across the various landscapes of the country the two of us have called home for the last three months. I smiled and grabbed my camera in an effort to capture the beauty. I knew Heather was ready to go home, but oh how well she fit the scene.

Of course only Heather can say the real reason she traveled to India, but I have my thoughts. Seeing the tragedy that has happened to such a sweet girl and her loving family just leaves your mind numb. Your heart still beats, but it just seems to fail to connect to the reality that has consumed your thoughts.

Heather first approached me in the Chicago International Airport. She greeted me with a warm smile and a friendly hello. We shared storied and I quickly got excited about my coming months with this interesting girl. Obviously the details of the reason of her uncommon journey didn’t instantly come out, but as weeks went on I slowly was allowed into more and more of her life.

The break from the stresses of life along with a chance to get out seemed like the perfect prescription for a broken heart, but as we both experience the many shocks of this massive country together I couldn’t help but worry about how her healing process was going. Being surrounded by death and extreme poverty so far from home, now didn’t feel like the way out.

Maybe Heather doesn’t want a way out, but I really doubt that. I think she come here partially as a goodbye gift for her love, who had dreams of what she has made a reality; but also partially to attempt to figure out something that people at her age don’t normally have to deal with.

Looking at Heather I like to think she has grown. She often expresses how excited she is to return to her family, but I know she will miss her Indian life and I know I will miss the huge role she has played in mine.

So, In a week Heather will be back at home in the comforting arms of the ones who love her, but something will be different, her world will be bigger and her understanding of the confusion of life/death will be part of a much larger field. She will fly from one half of this world to the next, she will have seen different cultures and lives, but most importantly she will have seen the many lands and people that God created and watches over. Heather has seen more of what has been created to live on during this life. These are some of the things Aaron never got to fully experience, until now. Through the tragedy a smile can be seen rippling across the faces as if one has just gained understanding to a little part of life, like it was a riddle that has been racking their brain for quite some time. In a way, Aaron is the lucky one. I know he is following Heather step-by-step pushing her and being proud that she has endured on such an adventure, while at the same time he is looking down on God’s grand creation with the creator himself. I personally can’t think of a better way to experience India. It truly is the Grand tour.

Good thing Blogging isn't my job, or I fear I would fail miserably. I'm so sorry that I haven't been very diligent in getting new posts up. I've been so busy, though, and have been having some great experiences.
Well, I think I'll start with big event number one: going to the Indian wedding. Prashant, my older brother's friend, was kind enough to invite Jake and I to attend a wedding with us. I'm so thankful, because is definitely one of my highlights since I've been to India. There was just such an incredible amount of everything there: food, drinks, friends, family, music, entertainment, dancing, excitement, colors, beautiful saris, etc. I was so intrigued by everything that was going on around me that I was speechless. Jake and I were smiling from ear to ear the whole time. Every wall of the event space was lined with endless amounts of food. Prashant and I joked that it would be paradise for Mance. After one plate I was full, but there was so much to taste that I willed my stomach to hold more. Everything was delicious. Also, I could get over how incredible everyone looked. The saris were brightly colored and embelished with so many sparkles, patterns, and designs. I felt so underdressed in my plain black shirt and dark jeans haha. Jake and I both had an amazing time, and thanked Prashant for inviting us after he dropped us back at the home base.
This week my students were having their spring exams everyday, so I didn't get to do much teaching. One thing that I really enjoyed, though, was getting to know the kids in a different way that just students. They were allowed to go out and play after they finished testing, so I got to just play with them. They taught me new Hindi words and games. Our roles were reversed and I was suddenly the student learning from them. It was a great week.
Also, I went with Jake and Cathy to Pappan Kalan to paint a room for the women's sewing group there. Before the room such a dark place. The windows let in little sunlight because of all the morter and dirt that was caked on them. The walls had become an uninviting grey, and there were signs of mice everywhere. As a surprise for the girls, we painted cleaned everything up, painted the walls a bright yellow color with some designs as a border, and then ordered tile to be put in the kitchen area and a new rug. The girls didn't know that anything was being done to the room, so I'm excited to see how they respond. The room now light and inviting with a bright purple door. It felt good to be doing some physical labor here, where I could actually see a visible improvement. Working with the kids has been so rewarding, but sometimes I fear that they're helping me more than I'm helping them.
It was funny watching all of the children gather outside the door to see what the "crazy foreigners" were doing. They kept coming in around the corner, trying to sneak a peak at what was going on in the room. Who would have known painting a room would cause so much commotion. Every once in a while we would take a tea break and play a little with the children. At one point Jake was taking so long to finish painting one of the doors because every five seconds he would run off to play. I ended up finishing the door for him haha.
On the way home Jake and I were in such a good mood that we sang the whole way home. Both of us were listening to different songs on our iPods, but were trying to make the songs go together haha. I feel bad for poor Kathy and Kewal for having to listen.

Ok, so I tried to add some pictures of the before and after for the sewing class, but it's not working. I'll try again tomorrow morning.

The Latest News...

Have a just a little bit of free time before lunch, so I'm going to try and type out a blog super fast...
Last week was the hardest week I've had since I've been here. I felt like I was very redundant in school because none of the kids would listen to me or participate in the lessons. One day I actually just gave up trying to get their attention, sat down for the rest of the class, and watched them all run around and punch each other. I think the only thing that kept me sane during those few days was a little boy in my class. He sat in the corner writing his ABC's and singing. The song was slow and sad, but very beautiful. As I focused on his singing the rest of the class's yelling moved to the background.
I think I've finally gotten past the stage where the kids try to take advantage of my lack of Hindi, though. The past few times I've been in class they've been doing a lot better. I'm very encouraged by this. This morning I was even able to do some fun activities without them getting out of control. We all sat in a circle and did a large puzzle on the floor. The puzzle had different animals and numbers on it. I think they enjoyed it, and I did as well. I'm also starting a project of my own. I'm going to make a little book about all the kids in the class. I'm going to have their name, a picture, where they are in their studies, etc. I think this will help the next volunteer get to know all of the kids faster, while also giving information on where each kid stands acedemically. This was something that I had a problem with when I first got here. I had no idea what they had previously been learning, and how much each child knew. So, it was hard to make lesson plans at first. If nothing else, the book will at least help the volunteers learn each kid's name. That in itself was quite a challenge for me haha.
This past weekend I went to a Christian church in Delhi. The people all mingled before church, talking in English (I actually knew what was happening around me for a change). They had a band to sing with, and a lot of the songs were songs that I have sung in my own church. It was very comforting- like a little slice of home.
It rained all day yesterday and all night. It was more rain than I've seen the whole month and a half I've been here! So, the weather has changed again and is much cooler than last week. Hopefully it won't last long. I was really enjoying the sun.
We have this Friday off for yet another holiday (God bless India and all of it's holidays... It takes a whole third off of the years work days haha). So, I'm going to have a long weekend. Jake and I were going to try and go to Varanassi. The train ride is so long that you really need more than just a two day weekend. Unfortunately there weren't any more train tickets available when we looked. I don't know what we're going to do instead. Maybe go to the jungle or Jaipur.

Feelings don't change because you leave the country

For those of you who read my blog, you may have been wondering why it’s taken me so long to update it. Forewarning: Here’s the truth, and it’s not uplifting in any way. I apologize.
I have only been writing my blog on days that go very well, and I am able to (for a very short period of time) forget the reality of my situation. The first few weeks here were extremely busy. I would wake up in the morning, go to work, eat lunch, have a lecture, go on some escapade around Delhi, eat dinner, and then go to bed. I didn’t have much free time. Everyone around me was new, and I was getting to know them. While this was fun, it also ensured that I never had any time to myself, which inadvertently meant that I never had any time to cry over my longing for Aaron. I would sneak in some tears in the middle of the night, or escape on a short visit to the toilet, but I was very limited.
Since the last volunteer group left, I have finished my orientation and no longer have any roommates. Which means more free time, more time to think, more time to feel. It’s coming up on the 5th month mark since Aaron’s death. How is it possible that all that time has passed? I’m still in the same place, but world is continuing. This simple fact is utterly heart breaking.
I haven’t written a blog since my trip to Rishikesh because I haven’t been able to bury my feelings since then. I have felt Aaron’s absence all around me. My logic tells me that I wouldn’t feel this absence so intensely half way across the world in India, because Aaron was never here. But I am, and Aaron was always with me.

These are a few entries from my journal while I’ve been avoiding the blog:
“Aaron should be here. Everyone always says ‘He’s there with you in your heart.’ I know they’re trying to help me, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. I can’t talk to him, touch him, hug him, smile at him, smell him, laugh with him. He’s now a small box of ashes next to my bed, a photo album I won’t let leave my side, a necklace that hangs by my heart, and memories I fear to forget. I miss him more than I can express.”
“I’m very lonely today. I’m in a city of 15 million people, and I’ve never felt so alone in my life. One person can make all the difference. I wish I could talk to Aaron. Even if I couldn’t see him or hug him, I just wish we could talk.”
“ I didn’t get out of bed today. I cried. I didn’t eat breakfast today. I cried. I didn’t get dressed today. I cried. I didn’t eat lunch today. I cried. I didn’t talk to anyone today. I cried. I didn’t eat dinner today. I cried. I didn’t leave my bed today I cried. It felt like he was really gone today. So, I cried.”

I’ll stop there, because I know it’s outright depressing. These are feeling that I would have regardless of my location on the planet though. I don’t want this entry to mislead anyone. I am so glad that I made this trip, and whole heartedly believe it was the best thing for me.
There are things about India that are infinitely comforting at this time. When I was in America after Aaron’s death, the simple normalcy of everything was devastating. Everyone was just going about their day, like normal, in an organized fashion, while my life was in absolute chaos. I was stopped in my tracks, watching the world go by in a blur. I would zone out to the point where I couldn’t hear anything going on around me, and there were times of the day that were totally filled with silence. Silence is a dangerous thing when you have a mind, especially when that mind is full of the painful truth.
India, being almost the exact opposite, is filled to the brim with insanity. There seems to be many things here that don’t associate with any type of logic, and I love that. People show up hours late to a planned engagement, or better yet, they don’t show up at all. I see it almost everyday. I know a good portions of American’s would have a heart attack over this, but in India it’s completely acceptable, and in some cases, even expected. For a person, such as myself, who is having a hard time knowing what they’ll be able to do in a few hours, much less the next day or week, this is an extreme comfort. If it’s one of those days where my heartache moves to a whole body ache, I don’t really have to do anything. Before I left on this trip, I would make plans to meet with people, but at the last minute decide that I just didn’t have the strength at that time. I felt rude, inconsiderate, and like a bad friend. Here, on the other hand, I just feel like a fellow Indian.
There are people everywhere, always moving, always talking, always doing something. This leads to the best thing about Delhi, India… There is NEVER any silence. To make this ever better, all of the noise going on around me is in a language that I don’t understand. My mind doesn’t try to listen to the words that I can’t comprehend, so it just relaxes into a loud drone that makes it almost impossible to think- a beautiful escape. And I’ve come to realize that sometimes that’s all you need. Not everything can be fixed or healed in a timely fashion. You can’t always feel better when you want to. Sometimes pain is unbearable, and it’s these times that you need an escape in order to regain your strength for the next time you are slapped in the face by reality.
Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, have a nice day ☺
I’ll have another good day soon (it’s inevitable thank goodness), which will lead to another good blog.

The GanJ

I had an eventful weekend to say the least. It was by far the most fun weekend that I've had since I've been in India. After class at Vidya the teachers had a little going away party for the Australians. They bought us samosas and chai. It was very thoughtful, not to mention delicious. I even had to sneak in a second samosa before rushing back to the home base to meet Anne. I quickly packed my essentials for the weekend and we headed out the door. Before leaving, though, I ate yet another samosa. Anne's response to this was, "Heather.. Three samosas? Three stomachs." haha Apparently that's an absolutely insane amount of food to eat. I have skills. What can I say?
We took a rickshaw to the train station and searched for our train. Our train was called the Janshitabi Express, so of course we got on the Janshitabi Express (not knowing that there were two different trains with the same name). After getting comfortable, we looked around and decided there was no way this was the right train, because it was supposed to be sold out. So, we asked the two other people that were on the train and found out we were on the entirely wrong platform. Before going to platform 11 (which is where the correct Janshitabi Express was) we asked three different people... just to be sure. The train ride went smoothly. Thank goodness for the guy sitting next to me, or we wouldn't have ever gotten off the train. They don't announce where you are when the train stops, and because it was night we couldn't see any signs.
We took a taxi to the place where we were staying. After about an hour of driving, the taxi driver pulled off to the side of an incredibly rough dirt road. We were at our destination. There was no building in sight except for a little shack for the forest guard. Needless to say, Anne and I were confused. A man with a flashlight showed up after about five minutes, though and led us down a trail to an incredible Bed and Breakfast. Our room was so nice. I felt like we were in a 5 star hotel compared to the CCS home base. The heater worked, the shower stayed hot for more than 5 minutes, and there were no mice! We asked if there was any way we could get something to eat for dinner. The man who owned the house, Steven, said the cook could just "whip up some tomato olive pasta." It was the BEST pasta I've ever had, and I have been craving olives for the past two weeks. I'm used to having an abundance of olives of all different types at the lovely Webster house. So, that pasta hit the spot.
The next morning we had breakfast at the outside cafe. Anne and I somehow ended up talking about animals and this evil swan that she had tried to rescue, and there was wildlife all around us. So, when a bamboo mat fell off the wall and landed on my head OF COURSE I thought I was being attacked by a giant bird. I started flailing and got up as fast as I could to run away, whacking my head on a stone corner in the process. Both of the cooks heard me sceam and came hauling into the eating area to see if I was alright... Very embarassing stuff. Anne (aka Dr. Wheeler) later concluded that I most likely got a moderate level 2 concussion, so there was no need to seek medical attention haha.
The nature was absolutely beautiful. There was a waterfall right outside of our room which led to the Ganges. We walked down to the Ganges ( about a one minute walk), and went on a hike with the mission set on sticking a toe in the Ganges (which we referred to as the GanJ- the capital J is to make sure you really emphasis the "j" sound). The water was so pretty. We were right be the Himalaya mountains so it was glacial runoff- an inviting greenish blue color. The sand was the coolest sand I've ever seen. It was a light tan color, with flecks of silver. It looked at though someone had mixed tons of glitter in with the sand. Beautiful. On our hiking adventure we met a really sweet old man who lived in a tent by the river. He offered us tea and gave us some almonds and raisons for the journey. He told us he spends hours a day just meditating by the river.
After walking for about 45 minutes, we were so hot. The weather was phenomenal. This persuaded us, above all reasoning, to jump into the Ganges. Yes, it's true. I did it. We both jumped of a little cliff/ boulder. I have pictures to document the event. Anne jumped in first, and even though I saw her reaction, I decided to jump in as well. The water was absolutely freezing. Glacial runoff should have given me a hint that it was going to be freezing, but for some reason I didn't make the connection. It was seriously like jumping into ice water. I would say it was definitely worth it though.
Later we went to one of the River ceremonies and looked around the town. It was all very cool. Anne and I both don't have a watch so we got the time wrong on meeting our taxi. We got to the meeting spot a little over half an hour early. So, we found a large pile of rocks to sit on and watched an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Anne's iPhone.
Ultimately I would definitely classify our journey to the Ganges as a success. I, unfortunately got sick at the end of our journey. I had a really high fever and wasn't able to go to work on Monday. Some people are blaming it on the GanJ. Who knows. I saw people drinking that water! And it healed Anne's zit haha. I'm better now.
Back to Vidya tomorrow to see the little ones :)

Another festival... Why not?

This week has gone pretty smoothly at work. I've started doing a project with the kids that has helped keep them engaged in learning and having fun. They are each making their own ABC books. Every day I bring in two letter worksheets that have the letter (capital and lowercase), two lines for them to practice writing the letter, and then a picture that goes with the letter for them to color. The coloring helps keep them concentrated longer, so they're not running around the whole time.
The other night I was awakened to Tonni yelling "Heather there is something in here." It sounded like a small animal going through the trash or in some sort of bag. Tonni turned on the light to have a look around, while screaming and standing on her tip toes in bed. Her freaking out was one of the funniest things I've seen since I've been here. After looking in the trash and finding nothing, Anne set out on a mission to convince Tonni that it was just something outside. The windows here aren't sealed well, so sounds travels quite easily into our apartment. It was a possibility, even if slight. We turned off the lights and attempted to go back to sleep. Everytime I would feel myself dozing off I would be snapped awake by more rustling. After about an hour of this I sat up and said, "That is definitely in our room." So, in a flash Tonni was up again freaking out and turning on the light. This time, the little beast was located after ten minutes of thorough searching. It was in a small bag at the base of Tonni's bed. She had left crachers in the bag that had ultimately attracted a little friend. Tonni bent the sides of the bag down and ran with it at arms length toward the door. I ran ahead of her, making sure to steer clear of the bag, and turned on all the lights. We threw the bag outside and saw a mouse run off, before we immediately ran in the opposite direction as though we were running from some huge monster. I went back outside to grab the bag, and the guard just looked at me like we were absolutely crazy haha. It was quite an eventful night, which caused everyone in our room to sleep through our alarms the next morning. At 9:05 we were awakened by one of our flatmates asking if we were going to work... My roommates and I are all supposed to leave for our placements by 9 haha. Amazingly we all got ready in record time, and were out the door within th next five minutes. We all made it to work.
Yesterday, I didn't have to teach because it was, yet again, a festival day. At school we all just sang songs, ate, and hung out around a fire. From whant I understand it was a festival celebrating the Hindu god of knowledge, which the teachers obviously feel is very important. While talking to the teacher that I help (Mrs. Peters), I was quite surprised to find that she is a Christian. She is the first Christian that I have met here so far. Most of those that I have met are Hindu or Sikh. One of the guys that helps with our program (Vicky) is a Sikh, and he showed us how he puts his turban on. I couldn't believe how big the peace of fabric was. Some of the Sikhs use a 12 meter peice of fabric, which is twice as long as the saris women wear to cover their entire body. The whole process looked very complicated and like it would take a good half hour to put on. Vicky can put his on in 2-3 minutes haha.
Today, I taught the class completely by myself without it turning into total chaos. I've gotten more comfortable using some of the Hindi words and phrases and am actually understanding some of the things the kids are asking. I know all of their names now which helps when you're trying to get someone's attention. I left school feeling like it was a good day.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Ganges with Anne and Tisa is Rishikesh. It is the time of year when a large portion of India makes their pilgrimage to the Ganges for a holy dips, so there are expected to be thousands of people there. I can't wait to see such a huge event in India. It's going to be quite an experience.
Almost all of the volunteers leave tomorrow. Their three weeks are up. There are only going to be 4 people, including myself, left. We are supposed to get a new group in on the 30th. I'm sad that the volunteers in my group are leaving, but I'm very excited to get the opportunity to meet more people.

A Perfect Weekend in Delhi

I went back to school on Friday, after having no school on Thrursday. I brought in a worksheet for the kids to do, but we didn't end up doing any work. The teachers at Vidya brought popcorn and peanuts to once again celebrate for Lorhi Festival. The kids all held hands in a circle as the fire was lit, and then they each got a handful of goodies to eat. It was a lot of fun to just spend time bonding with the kids in a different setting other than lessons. They are so interested to learn and share things about themself with me. I know all of the names of the kids in my class, which I'm proud of haha. A lot of the names are kind of hard to pronounce, and I see them giggle a bit when I call them by name. While we were all outside eating the popcorn and peanuts a lot of the older children and adults from the little slum community came to join. It was nice to see everyone come together to share friendship and a good time.
This weekend I opted to stay in Delhi to do some exploring around the town. It's such a large city, and there are so many different things to see and visit. I'm having a hard time navigating myself around. A lot of the different markets look very similar.
I went to the Lotus Temple again, this time to go inside. Cameras aren't allowed inside, because they don't want the tranquility to be disturbed. It was very beautiful inside, though. The temple is a place for people of all religions to come and meditate, so all the different prayers and creeds are recited in cycles. I heard the Lord's prayer while inside.
Saturday was and absolutely amazing day. There are only 5 of the volunteers still home this weekend, so we all hung out together. We went to Dilli Haat, and spent a great deal of time exploring all the different scarves, shoes, and trinkets. I was able to get some really good deals on presents for the family. I hope they like what I've gotten them.
The weather was amazing as well. It was the first day that I haven't had to wear a jacket! And the fog even cleared for the sun to come out! Because the weather was so fabulous, we all felt it necessary to go to a park. We decided to go to the Lotus Village park. It was beautiful. There were so many trees and such a PLETHERA of birds (that word is for Aaron :) haha). The whole place is deafening with the different caws and squacks of birds. It litereally sounds like you're in a giant bird cage. My favorite of all the birds were the lime green parakeets. There are different paths to walk through the park and a small pond in the middle. There were a ton of lotus plants and ducks. It was lovely.
I finally finished reading Tales of a Female Nomad. I really enjoyed the book. It makes me want to explore in so many other different countries. I hope to get the chance to travel much more throughout my lifetime. Since finishing that book, I've started another. It's called Holy Cow, and is about an Australian girl's life in India (mostly Delhi). It was on the bookshelf in my flat, so I thought I'd give it a try. So far it's been pretty good. I was a little disappointed with the beginning of the book. To start off, it had a very negative perception of India, and seemed to exaggerate some of the negative points of the Delhi. After the first few chapters, though, it has started to talk about more of the positive things.
There was one part in the book that made me laught so hard out loud. My roommate started laughing at me because of how hard I was laughing. The author says "We wake up to the rumble of wooden wheels of vegetable carts, the clip-clop of cows, the ping of bicycle bells and the cry of 'aiiiiiiyeeeeeeeee, aiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeee' (please come)." I thought this was so funny because it's exactly like where I'm living. There is this guy outside of one of our windows that yells aiiiyyyyyeeeee ALL DAY LONG. It's gotten to the point now that we all repeat after him as some sort of weird reflex and laugh. I realize you guys haven't heard this man, so you might not think it's that funny... But I thought it was downright hilarious.
I had another small discovery that made my day. There is this green sauce stuff everyday at lunch, and I've never had it because I always thought it was some sort of mint sauce. Well, today I finally tried it, and it definitely NOT mint sauce. It's amazing! It's tastes kind of like super spicy guacamole, and I'm in love with it. I went crazy mixing it in with my rice. It's something very simple, but it made me very happy :)
I think the five of us that were left in Delhi for the weekend are going to go out and eat southern Indian food tonight. I'm excited about it, I've only had northern Indian food so far. I'll let you know what my taste buds think of it.
I'm starting to plan a trip for next weekend. I think Anne, one of my roommates, and I are going to go to the Ganges. Exciting business! The weather is supposed to be really nice, not too hot, not to cold. So, I think it will be perfect.
That's all I've got for now. I'll try and blog tomorrow as well. I'm going to be starting a big project with my glass. I think they're really going to enjoy it, and it will give them a relatively big goal to work toward.

The Lodhi Festival was so much fun. We made a big bonfire outside of the flats and put on loud music. Everyone danced and laughed. Yes, even I danced! The staff had made all kinds of treats, popcorn, and peanuts for the celebration. After eating the peanuts we threw all of the shells into the fire for the harvest. There was a definite feeling of friendship, which I found quite special considering we're really all strangers from different backgrounds, beliefs, lifestyles, and countries. The whole night had a very good energy, and I feel so blessed to be experiencing this trip.
Last night I went with Ambar to the mall in Delhi, where I was priveleged enough to witness Ada, Ambar's mom, haggle. She's really turned the whole thing into an art form. After negotiating prices with the man, she was still not satisfied with the price, so she walked off with determination. The whole scene looked like it was straight out of a movie. The man ran after her, and she ended up getting the scarf. It was really all a chase and catch type game. It was hard to keep a serious face. I just wanted to laugh so hard.
I am officially well! And just in time. Tonight we had tandori chicken and potatoes and cauliflower for dinner with naans. Seriously the best thing I've ever tasted in my life. The chicken was salty and spicy, so much flavor. I'm sorry. I know I always talk about the food, but you would too if you were eating this deliciousness. While we're here we can learn to make anything of the Indian recipes that the cooks have. So, I will definitely be learning how to make tonight's dinner. That's right family... You will soon be eating this food also :) Get excited.
I went to the Gandhi museum today. It wasn't at all what I expected. The bottom level of the house was pretty standard. It had all the interesting facts, dates, and pictures from Gandhi's life. The top level, however, was very interactive. There were all kinds of electronics to use as learning helpers. One thing that I thought was very interesting was a unity pole. Two people stood on opposite sides of this pole and touched their hand to a metal circle on the floor. Once the two people touched hands the pole would light up. There was also a timeline that had a computer that you moved as you walked. Every date marker brought up facts about Gandhi's life in that year. After walking through all of the rooms, I then went outside to walk Gandhi's last steps. All in all, the museum was very interesting and I really enjoyed it.
After the museum I went with Jake and Tonni to Dalli Haat again (I love that place). I got a couple presents for the familia :) I hope they like them. There were all new merchants in the market today, so a lot of the stuff was different from the last time I was there. I think I'm going to have to go back at least once a week, don't want to miss anything.
We rushed back in a rickshaw from the market back to the home base. We were scheduled to watch some Indian dancing, and posssibly learn some ourselves. There were two men: one playing a keyboard looking thing, and the other man playing a drum. Then there were two dancers, beautifully decorated with jewelry and bright colors. They each wore a head peice that had a row of big flowers, followed by a row of smaller buds around a bun. In the middle of the bun there was a silver jewelry peice. Each finger wore a ring, and then ends of the fingers were painted red, feet matching. One of the girls had on bright yellow, and the other orange. They both moved beautifully to the music. They used their hand to intricately present the words from the songs (which were sung in Hindi). Every body movement was very precise and controlled. They both appeared to be the complete essense of femininity. I found myself totally hypnotized by the beauty of the artistic dance.
After their performance they tried to teach us some of the hand movements. It was very difficult to move my fingers the way they did, and I found that my fingers tired after just a few minutes. I would make a pathetic dancer here haha. This performance was definitely my favorite activity that CCS has organized. I would really like to go see another performance if I can. I recorded a video of part of the dance, because I feel my words don't give it justice.
Tomorrow I'm back at Vidya. Haven't made my lesson plan yet, though, so I better get going. I'm thinking some sort of coloring exercise. These kids need some fun, and who doesn't like coloring.
I'm going to be watching my first Bollywood movie-should be exciting.
Love you friends and family :)

School is Canceled!

Sorry it's been a few days since I updated.. Delhi belly is no myth. It's real. I survived haha. It's amazing how being sick makes you miss your family though. I really wanted to have Aaron there with me, and when I though about that it made me cry.. which made me then want to call my family.
The last day that I was at the school we did an alphabet exercise with flashcards and pictures. I also brought copies of a rainbow I drew, so they could practice their colors. Coloring is always a hit. I even joined in. The kids are listening to me a bit more than they used to, which is a good thing. It makes the day a lot smoother. They had tai kwondo lessons with their morning routine on Monday. I have to say, it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. They were all so intense. Their faces were absolutely priceless.
I finally took some pictures of the kids. They're all destined to be models. They were all pulling on my arms, wanting their picture taken. I barely survived haha, but was happy to oblige.
The last day that I was at school Bela and Jaggy (my program directors) came to check on how things were working out with my placement. It's very strange hearing two people talk about you, while you're in the middle, but have absolutely no idea what they're saying. Hope it was all good things. The teacher showed Jaggy the picture flashcard that I made for the class, which led to an awesome proposition. The school has different pictures painted on the outside (such as shapes, months, nursery rhymes), and Jaggy told me that if I was interested I could do a mural on one of the walls while I'm here! I definitely plan on doing it. Any ideas on what I should paint?
Today school was canceled, thank goodness. I wasn't going to be attending because I've been sick. It was raining pretty hard this morning and very cold. Because the school doesn't have doors or windows, it's not much different than having school outside. I can only imagine how cold and uncomfortable it would have been for those kids if they'd had school. We also get tomorrow off because of the Lohri Festival, which is today. From what I've heard it's a harvest festival that is supposed to mark the beginning of winter ending. Tonight all around town their will be music, dancing, and bonfires. You might wanna look that information up for yourself though haha. I don't know how reliable my information is. I'll make sure to blog about it after I've been.
Well I think that's all I have for today.

Buildings, Buildings, Buildings

First off: I'm a little disappointed that no one ever comments on my post lol. Maybe that's because no one is really reading it. Who knows haha.
The highlight of this weekend was definitely all the historical buildings that I visited. Saturday I woke up at 4 in the morning. Ugh.. horrific. I'm finally sleeping at normal Indian hours, so 4 was pretty painful. Definitely worth it though. We went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I didn't really pay too much attention on the way there. Because its winter India is more prone to fog than at any other time of the year. It was so dense that I couldn't really see past the side of the road. So, I just listened to music and tried to sleep while squished in the back of tiny car with two other people. I was able to contort my body into a strange position that somehow allowed sleep, only for about an hour though. I listened to Atmosphere the whole way there, and the whole way back. I was really missing Aaron a lot on Saturday. The music that I once hated is now the only thing that I listen to on my Ipod. Strange.
Well, we finally aarived at the Taj. There were monkeys everywhere. All along the sidewalks, in the trees, and in the roads. A lot of the mothers were closely followed by a baby monkey or three. So cute (apparently they're mean though). We arrived before the masses usually come, so it was pretty bare. That made it a lot easier to take pictures. The building is absolutely breath taking. It's such a huge buiding, with so much intricate detail. The marble was so cool in the light, semi-sparkly, and changing into slightly different colors depending on what angle you were looking from. They gave us little booties to where while we were inside, so we didn't have to take off our shoes (thank goodness- it's too damn cold). As I was standing infront of the Taj, taking pictures, all I could think was: Wow, I feel like I'm in a movie right now- like I'm the young adult who left her life behind and is now traveling the world to see different famous places. It was a really cool feeling.
Before we left we decided to use the restroom. We had to pay a man standing outside the toilets for some toilet paper, which I thought was hilarious. Then afterward, we ventured out the exit, which was quite an experience. It sounds retarded, but I feel like I got a little glimpse of what it's like to be famous. People literally swarm you when you walk out, trying to get you to buy postcards, magnets, keychains, and all sorts of other memorabilia. I felt a bit claustrophobic, which has never happened before. Anyway, I obviously survived.
On the walk back to the driver I tried to take a picture of a baby monkey.. baddd decision. The mom made a small lunge toward me, which my overreaction of a run into the street. I almost knocked this poor man off his bike haha.
The ride home was long, but it was also very cool. The fog had cleared and I got to get a glimpse of more small town India, which I enjoyed. It's very different from the big city type of India. There were children playing cricket in the fields, and women carrying large baskets of fruit. It was a lot more peaceful.
When we got back to the home-base, I ate dinner at 7, and then went straight to bed. I was exhausted. I slept for 14 hours! haha
I finally got to see my friend, Tonni, today. The poor girl had been in the hospital for the past couple days with some sort of stomach illness. I felt bad going to the Taj without her. I know she really wanted to go.
Today's adventures included visiting the Lotus Temple, Humayun's Tomb, and India gate. Yes, I really packed in the architectural masterpieces :) The Lotus Temple is amazing. I'm completely perplexed as to how they built it in the unique shape of a lotus flower. I can't stress enough how amazing it is. I plan on going back with some friends when we can actually go inside the building (it's closed on Sundays).
After the Lotus temple we made our way to Humayun's tomb. There are so many buildings there that I'm embarrassed to say that I almost missed the actual tomb haha. There's this one building to the right as you walk in the entrance, which is where my friends and I spent a great deal of our time. It was fun though. We were climbing in the windows and on top of the buildings, which produce some very nice pictures haha. Finally, we went off down the path, and got a nice slap in the face when we saw the actual main attraction (which seems like it would be absolutely impossible to miss). The tomb is HUGE, and so incredibly beautiful. It's very simial to the Taj Mahal. I was told that the Taj was inspire by this tomb (don't know if that's true, but I would totally believe it). I think I actually like this building better than the Taj Mahal. It was an intense brick red color, accented with sparkly white marble. It was fascinating to say the least.
We then went by the India gate before going out to eat. I hate coffee! Real brewed coffee! And I loved ever sip of it :) There isn't any really coffee at the home base, only this really nasty instant coffee, and all of the shops int the market next to us only have chai tea.
I called my madre today :) Bless her. I woke the poor lady up at 5:30 AM.. Accident. I obviously didn't to my math right on the time difference. It was really nice to talk to her.
Well, I think that's all I've got for the weekend. I need to work on my lesson plans for Vidya tomorrow- can't wait to see those beautiful children. I love and miss all of my family as usual.

So you think you can dance?

The past few days have been freezing! I can feel the cold in my bones. There's just no getting warm. I tried to take a shower to warm up a bit, but half way through I ran out of hot water. The rest of my shower consisted of a strange backbend move where I was trying to rinse my hair out without getting any of the cold water on the rest of my body. Not cool haha. The one space heater that we have in our flat has officially become my best friend.
Yesterday was quite eventful. I went to my position in Vidya and had my first day of teaching without another teacher in my class. Wooooow! These kids know that I don't speak Hindi and have a wonderful time taking advantage of it. I know they understand when I say "bat jao" (sit down), they just choose not to. One look at those adorable faces, though, and I can't be mad. See if it's the same case in a month or two haha. One little boy name Ashish (spelling?) is ADHD at it's prime. That boy will not stay still for anything. He's up running around, jumping of chairs, climbing by the window, and dancing. The other teacher have warned me about what a trouble maker he is. Secret: He's my favorite :) I know I'm supposed be enforcing some sort of discipline, but the kid is hilarious. I love him.
I have two little ones that have gotten into the routine of walking with me as I leave Vidya. They're so sweet. One of the teachers asked me if I was going to take them home with me.. Gladly :)
I went to the National Museum in Delhi yesterday. There was a lot of really cool things in there, but the tour took forever and a day! The little man that was giving our tour was so cute though. He looked like a little India grandpa Wally haha. He was very knowledgable about all of the artifacts and whatnot that were in the Museum, and it was obvious he was passionate about his job. Very cool.
After the museum I went with a group to Dilli Haat (a local market). It was absolutely amazing! There was live music and people dancing everywhere without abandon. It was a very alluring atmosphere. I know I'll probably be back there quite a few times before I leave. I took some picture and a video, so I'll be able to show mi familia later. My mom would absolutely love it (100 times better than War Eagle). There were yards and yards of beautiful fabric in every color and design imaginable. The art was beautiful as well, filled with golds, rich blues, and yellows. I found a picture of and elephant that I think my mom would love. (Notify my with any specif request for gifts. There's so much it'll be hard to just pick out something random.) There were shoes, bangles, carvings, and scarves everywhere you looked.
Oh, and I found some Diet Coke. I know, I'm ridiculous, but I was so excited. There's tea everywhere, but they don't have any at the flat I'm at. Having a can of Diet Coke was like a little taste of home (Thank you Rick Buttram for passing on that gene).
On the way back from the market I rode in my first rickshaw. What an experience! These drivers show an incredible amount of courage and absolutely no abandon while driving. They just drive in and out of lanes, around cars, bikes, and pedestrans. It's absolutely insane. Our driver had the tradition Indian music blasting, which really brought the whole scene together. It was a lot of fun, definitely better than a taxi. I also have a video of that :)
Today during the morning rituals I got caught "dancing" a little to the drum as the children did their exercises, which got me in quite the predicament. It was like being in grade school- I was called out infront of everyone. That then somehow turned into me and this other girl I work with named Emma teaching the school how to do the macarena! After somewhat mastering the macarena the kids were ready for another dance, so we did the hockey pockey. Incredibly embarrassing, but those kids have rhythm and loved it. All in all, it's been a good couple of eventful days. Who knows what's next!

Viva Vidya! (First week)

Ok so this is not a great intro, but I just have to tell you: BEST NANS EVER today. I ate like four of them. Moving on...
Vidya (where I work) went great today. Everyday when I first arrive the kids do this routine that involes a drum with choreographed movements and some song and chants. It's very interesting to watch and the kids seem to really enjoy it. After they finish that, the had some tia kwondo lessons from a man that comes on Mondays and Wednesdays. There was one little boy in the front that was so into it. His facial expressions were filled with intensity and concentration (the little boy is 8 and one of the cutest little kids I've ever seen). Then I led nursery rhymes to start of the day. "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed" seems to be a hit. The kids all have these motions that they do with it. It's adorable. It's a bit hard to keep the kids attention because I think they get a little frustrated with not understanding English. One boy that I helped today though is very advanced. He was spelling small words and then after I worked with him was able to sort pictures into singular or plural. I was impressed with not only his English but also his exceptional learning speed. After the day began to warm up we took our lessons outside. Although we didn't do any more acedemic exercises, great deals of learning went on. I learned a lot of the kids names and practices some of my Hindi phrases. We played games outside as well, which was fun. It was a little boy's birthday today. I think his name is Laxmi (a bit iffy on the spelling), and he is so sweet. I'm amazed at the generosity of these children. They all have nothing, yet they give what they can. Laxmi brough toffee for everyone, so that they could celebrate his birthday excitement along with him. It was very sweet and heartwarming to witness. I can't help but smile around these kids. They are absolutely beautiful. Their energy is so intriguing. They are so ready to create new relationships and exchange knowledge. My heart has felt so much for these children, and I've only known them for three days. Only God knows what great experiences and relationships will come from three months of living and volunteering in India. As I left the school and began my journey back through the slum to the car, a little girl held my hand and walked with me. She walked with me as though she'd known me forever, skipping and smiling the whole way. These children truly have beautiful hearts.
Later on in the day I started talk to two of my roommates about Aaron. It's hard to know how in depth I can go with stories of him, and the truth about how I'm feeling. I don't want to scare them off. They've only known me for five days. I left feeling like I'd said too much, even though everything was very round about. I haven't talked about anything in depth. They just know the basics. Actually I think someone could probably know more than they do just by looking at my facebook.
Two of my friends here just added me as a friend of facebook and are most likely going to read this blog at some point. I haven't told them about Aaron. So far they just know that he's my fiance and that we've been together for about 2 years. I don't know why I have such trouble continuing on with what has happen. I just stop when I get the the "we're engaged part." I miss him so much, and I still don't even feel like he's dead most of the time so it's hard for me to state that fact to others. There's just no way he's gone. We're supposed to be getting married.
I've been thinking about it today, and I've officially decided that Teena should come join me in India. She said that when she was younger she wanted to do something like the Peace Corps. Well, why not do it now? Nothing stopping you momster :)
I'm excited to go back to Vidya tomorrow and continue getting to know the kids. There's one little boy that reminds me Keegan :) Oh, I love him already haha.
Feel free to send me some messages! I love getting them. It's like Christmas :)

P.S. My dad sent me a picture that he found of Aaron and I from senior prom! hahahahahahaha... a)He looks sooo incredibly young, and b) because of my 4 inch heels I look like a giant next to him
It made my day seeing it. I love Aaron :)

First encounter with work...

I'm up bright and early to use the computer. Victory!
The latest and greatest: Well, I went to visit my job location yesterday in the slum. It's totally indescribable. Even though I've seen it before in movies it's so much different when you're actually there. All of the little houses are so close together and about the size of a bathroom at home. There are little trails that go in and out of all the houses, which makes the place one giant maze. It would be very simple to get lost in there. I also walk by a crematorium on my way to the school, which hit a nerve with me. So far, I still have a cold that I left Arkansas with, which has made it impossible to really smell yet. I get faint hints of things, but nothing compared to normal. I'm a little worried for when my nose clears up. It's very sad to look at, but I was surprised at one of the things I saw... There is SO much color! Bright blues, yellow, orange, green. And all of the colors really brings a more positive energy to the place. So, it's not totally depressing. There are little boys playing cricket everywhere, and they have dogs that just walk around free in the slum. There were a ton of puppies that the little kids were playing with (so cute). I felt a sort of ashamed of myself for being a bit scared walking through the labyrinth of the slum. They're people just like me, but it's just so different from what I'm used to. Out of my comfort zone is officially an understatement. I'm in a whole different world.
I had my first Hindi lesson yesterday. Exciting business! Obviously I'm not very good haha, but I have mastered "hello," "thankyou," "yes," "no," and "don't hit" (which is apparently a very important phrase for where I'll be working lol). I'm so intrigued by everything here. The language, the food, the people, customs, beliefs..everything. I feel insatiable in my learning. Also, I LOVE the music haha. That's my favorite part about driving here, beside the shock factor of their driving style of course :)
The food has been AMAZING, and I haven't gotten Delhi Belly or had any problems. Praying that nothing changes. Yesterday we had this curry cauliflower with vegetable mix. Oh my gosh was it good. I am a big fan.
A few of the people that I'm living with know about Aaron, but not all of them. Most just think I'm engaged, and that's fine with me. My roommates don't know anything. I cried the other night and hope they didn't hear me. It's easier not to cry here because I feel like I can't. These people don't know methat well, so I haven't reached the level of comfort where I can just start tearing up. So far it's just at night, when everyone is asleep, and sometimeswhen I'm by myself (ex. when I'm on the computer). I miss him so much, and it breaks my heart that he never got to experience this. I feel like he would have appreciated it beyond explanation.I know he would have thrived and made such a positive impact on everyone he worked with.
Ok last thing.. I just found out that Delhi is the most polluted city in the world! I was so surprised.. and then I looked around me haha.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Arrival!

I am officially in India! Get excited!
Wow, what a trip. Longest flight ever, but there were quite a few positives. I got to fly with the English familia to Chicago, sitting next to Katherine (that's one shout out for you lol). Then, once I was in Chicago, I met two other people in my program. Their names are Jake and Tonni, both awesome people. Flying has definitely improved since the last time I flew over seas. You have your own screen infront of you that you can choose what to watch on. I wathced The Office and drank Bloody Mary Mix (I know Teena will appreciate that). We landed safely and all that jazz.
Today I had my orientation, which was very cool. I'm so excited to learn about the culture here. It's amazing. I can't remember the last time I was so excited to learn. There was quite a bit of tea drinking, and I must say it's the best tea I've ever had in my life! The food is delish also.
I went to the market and looked around. Can't wait to go back later and buy some present for people. The driving here is insane! Aaron would have LOVED it. It's like the lines are just there for decoration. No one pays attention to them. They're more like "guidelines" really. haha
Ok well, I don't really have much time at the moment.. hogging the computer. I'll try to write a more thorough post on what's happening later.
This is going to be amazing! I'm liking it even more than I expected. Lucky me.
Love and miss my families dearly.