Namaste

Namaste,

I’m alive and well in India. I’ve been here for four days now adjusting to the culture (and heat) and immersed in vocabulary memorization. Overall, it’s a bit different than I’d expected. Instead of writing out a long narrative, though, to explain, I’ve decided to make a more digestible pro/con list:

Pros:

• Fantastic food: corn flakes for breakfast with rice and potatoes for lunch/dinner – all of which are delicious and naturally gluten-free!
• Exciting vocab: "elephant" and “monkey” were two of my first 30 Hindi vocab words, because apparently there'll be lots of elephants and monkeys once I get to Jaipur
• Cows: everywhere, just wandering around, minding their own business
• Tea: the best I’ve ever had – rich, spicy, smooth, sweet chai. It amazes me how flavorful a mere 4 oz. can be.
• Warm showers, running water, and toilet paper: I’m counting my blessings while they last.

Cons:

• Isolation: it’s hard to get out alone, as we’re a 20-minute taxi ride from the actual city, and the program coordinator seems to want to keep us within our apartment complex. I’m planning to go out myself later in the week, though, to visit the National Museum.
• Poverty: it’s hard to watch through a car window as children pick through trash or sleep on dirt beyond the highway fence. I haven’t met any of these kids yet, but those that come to the school where I'll be for the next week come from the slums, so I won't be so sheltered anymore.
• Pollution: turns out sunscreen isn’t necessary in Delhi, as the pollution’s too thick to allow sunburn. Instead, I’ve worn it to put a layer between my skin and the dirt.
• Efficiency: if something needs to get done here, it will – maybe not today or tomorrow or the next day, though…

My plans have changed a bit – I’ll actually be working at a school in Delhi for the next week, then finishing up the cultural portion of my program, before heading to Jaipur. Internet’s pretty spotty, but I’m hoping to include another update before I leave the city.

Hope you’re all well,

Betsy

Current Location: Gurgaon, Delhi