So I don't really have access to the internet...obviously
Here are the LJ entries I have been typing on my laptop the past two and a half weeks. So much has been happening. Make sure even if you don't read them all that you see the entry with my India phone number so you can call me any time day or night if you so wish.
I love you all and I hope that everything is amazing in America. Here's a picture of me and my favorite Indian girl who I'm contemplating kidnapping. Her name is Shilpa.
Just kidding I couldn't get it to upload. I put it on facebook instead.
Love.
M.
29 June 2008
JFK Airport
18:38
So I know that I really didn’t get to talk to ANY of your before I left the country. For this, I apologize. Things got hectic and quite honestly, between my family and Will there just wasn’t that much time and the people who I tried to get a hold of didn’t answer their phones. So, in summary, I’m sorry. I tried.
I’m going to try to update this every week. I’m not sure what day yet so I’ve been compiling my entries to you all on a Word Document and then posting a week’s worth of entries at one time. As you can see from the sub-heading of this entry I still am not in India. That won’t happen for another 16+ hours. Wow, this plane ride is going to be long. Luckily, I have Stephen Hawkings and the Book of Mormon to keep me company during the time I’m not sleeping. I’ve been scouring the airport for sleeping pills but I can’t find them anywhere. I can’t even find Tylenol. What is up with this place?!?! As I type this I’m on the phone with the Bank trying to tell them not to freak out when I start using my card in India but seriously, why am I still on hold?! I don’t understand.
Oh, for those of you who knew I was going up to Missoula to surprise Will before he left Saturday morning, plans changed (for the better). So here’s the story. Will’s flight was scheduled to leave at 06:28 Saturday morning so I was going to drive up with Susan and meet him literally at the end of his lane on his way out of the house up to Missoula. This would have been truly fabulous but also meant only seeing him for a couple hours max. Friday afternoon I get at e-mail from Will saying, “Good news! I don’t leave until tomorrow!” …meaning Sunday morning…this morning, the same day I leave. I called him and said, “That’s great…and that’s horrible!” Then proceeded to tell him that he had ruined my plans to see him and that I’d been looking forward to seeing him for days. I HAD to see him before I left. So Friday night at about 21:30 I left Blackfoot and around the same time he left Corvallis. He came South. I went North and we literally met somewhere in the middle…the Middle of Nowhere, Montana! It was truly the most fabulous thing I’ve done in probably all my life. It felt so good to be doing exactly what I wanted to do. There was nothing else I would have preferred doing with that time than being in that car headed to see him! We met up and pulled off the side of the highway and stayed there for 9 hours. Why is he so fabulous?!? That was the capstone of my summer thus far. My non-India summer. Things haven’t been exactly smooth getting to India but I’m almost (finally) there and I hope that things will be fine and smooth sailing once I get there. I’m still a little nervous about the first couple days but after that I’m sure it will all be fabulous!
It’s been 20 minutes and I’m still on hold with the Bank! This is ridiculous. Oh, can everyone who is reading this please reply with their address this summer or the address they’ll be at in the fall so I can send postcards, etc. from India…?! Thanks. If you’re nervous about the security settings I believe you can set the privacy setting on your LJ response so that only I can read it. If not, then I’ll just delete your post as soon as I read it.
Well I’m about done standing around here. I want to call Ben so I think I’m going to try that. Talk to the ladies at the gate to get my frequent flyer miles credited to me (so I can fly to visit Will in the fall for free!) and try one more time to find some sleeping pills. I should probably also eat something since I’ve only had one piece of toast today.
Peace and love.
1 July 2008
Christian Theological University (CTU)
11:40
My battery is low and I won’t have a power converter
2 July 2008
Loyola Vikas Kendra (LVK)
15:29
Haha. My computer literally shut down on me while I was typing that earlier sentence. I now have the power converter. I also have a cell phone: 900.891.5244 so any of you can call me whenever you feel inclined. I get free incoming calls. I’m not sure what you have to dial as far as a country code, etc. goes but I figure you’re in a country with internet, etc. you can figure it out yourselves if you really want to call me.
Wow. India is unlike anything I can explain. There’s no way to be prepared for this place. It’s hard to even begin to tell you what it’s like because it’s unlike anything you or I has ever known. Even being in Mumbai and Bangalore, two places that are supposed to be major cities in this country, I didn’t see anything that resembled a city in America. Everything looked like what I would call slums. EVERYTHING. So imagine what Mundgod and the surrounding towns are like here? Slums of slums? Is that possible? But slums has such a negative connotation in English and in the US. It’s not like these are horrible places they’re just not like anything in America. India isn’t America. Imagine that. Haha. Wow. I’m just trying to take everything in as it comes to me. I haven’t figured out how to get to the internet yet so I’m still just storing this posts on my computer. Someday I will find the internet here in India and when that day comes you all will be inundated with these millions of thoughts. I’m a little lonely which is to be expected because I don’t know anyone and I don’t speak the language. I’m hoping to amend both of those momentarily. I also think this transition has been harder because of my time with Will. Being with her for 24 hours a day for over three weeks was amazing. There’s simply no other way to explain it. And besides missing him genuinely, it’s hard to be without him physically present. I already experienced that the last couple days we were apart before he left for China and I came to India. But, being here and truly being alone for the first time in my life has only exacerbated my longing for him.
This place is amazing. I think this experience will be a ridiculously fabulous one. I’m not sure if I’ll love it. I don’t know if that makes sense. I know I will value it and what I learn but will I be desperate to come back? I’m not sure that I will. I talked to my mom, dad, and sister on the phone. Then I called and talked to Pash. I had Susie check my e-mail because I wanted to know if Will had sent me a phone number to call him in China. He hadn’t. I was sad. He did send me an e-mail though, which made me happy. He makes me happy. Everything about him.
To try to stem off the loneliness I’ve been reading my scriptures and Patriarchal blessing a lot. Also, aside from this electronic journal for all of you reading about my life on LJ I’ve been keeping my normal journal, which I have been writing in essentially non-stop since I left Salt Lake City Sunday morning. I’m sure I’ve written about 50 pages since the plane took off. There’s been so much going on and so much to remember and to tell everyone but my journal has been my only friend so far. I have a pink mosquito net in my room. It makes me really happy. I think it will cheer me up every time I come into this room.
So, now I’m in Mundgod and sometime soon I will be meeting up with the nuns in Mainalli which is about 45 minutes away from here. But I think I want to stay here in Mundgod for a week or at least a couple days before I venture somewhere new. I’ve been on the move for the past 3 days straight so I’d kind of like to settle in and meet people and begin to feel comfortable before I start exploring.
There is a girls school here and a bunch of girls who live in the compound where I’m staying. I hope I can make friends. It seems kind of empty right now so I think I’m going to sign off here and go explore a little and see where everyone is and what’s going on. Oh, and the food as been good so far. It’s spicy which I like. I don’t think finding things to eat will be a problem. They always have rice and I like rice. They eat with their hands which is hard to get used to. It feels so messy to me so they have a spoon for me but that makes me feel like a dork. Haha so I guess I’ll just have to get over it.
I’ve been fighting the urge to cry a lot the past three days. I think it’s just me generally being overwhelmed but so many new things as once and also being exhausted from moving moving moving! Also, of course as I’ve mentioned before, missing Will hasn’t helped. I’m a little scared of how much I care about him. I’m going to be strong. Though sometimes crying is therapeutic…
Well, here goes nothing. I’m going to go meet some people.
4 July 2008
LVK
15:55
Happy 4th of July! It’s my first outside of the U.S. and it doesn’t feel like a holiday at all. I taught English for about two hours today and I think I actually made some head way so that felt good. I’ve been feeling a little off the past couple days and I thought today I was doing better but about an half hour ago my head started feeling light again so I’m in my room trying to recuperate. I basically just go wherever whenever. It’s nice but I also worry that I may not be living up to expectations. Though I’ve spoken with Father Francis a few times now and it seems I’m just supposed to play with the kids and teach them some English by talking to them. If those are my expectations from him than living up to them is definitely not a problem.
I got my first Indian telemarketer. Haha. I of course answer every call that comes to my cell phone because not that many people have the number. To be more accurate, 6 people have the number. So when it rings I answer. Anyway, it rang, I answered and then it was a recording…in Hindi. Haha. I just laughed and listened. The only words I understood were “diet” and “skin care” so I don’t know what it was about…some kind of spa maybe? I listened to the entire thing and then hung up after it was done. I figure it’s one of the few, if not the only, Hindi come on that I’ll ever get so I better revel in the novelty.
Having so much time to myself and therefore so much time to think has been interesting for me. I’m interested in where my mind naturally strays and how many hours I seem to be spending thinking about the same thing(s). I’ve found that there are a few things I have no questions or worries about in my life and therefore my mind thinks of them rarely. I also seem to have a handful of things that consume my thoughts, namely: Will, school, and what I’m going to do after I graduate.
I think some of the things I’ve thought about - some of the questions I’ve asked myself - have led to productive conclusions. Others, contrarily, have not. I think that might just be because there is so much in those three subjects that can’t just be figured out by sitting and thinking about them. But, in the end, I think this two months will be VERY VERY good for my focus and direction when I come out on the other end.
12 July 2008
LVK
09:46
Wow, I am having a fabulous time and yet still the days seem to drag a little. Father Francis calls it IST - India Stretched-out Time. Nothing really runs on schedule here - if schedules even really exist. Haha. It’s hard to explain. I feel like I’m doing something all the time all day long and yet the hours never seem to fly by. I can do a million things in a day and still have all this extra time. It’s weird because it’s never like this in America. I can remember even a few weeks ago getting ready for this adventure in India. I had a list of maybe four errands to run and it would end up taking me all day just to get those done. I feel like even though everything runs slow and behind here I still manage to get everything done I could want to each day and still have extra time to try to fill.
Due to the traveling restrictions I have to observe because I’m a young, [foreign] woman I mostly end up just reading and going to bed early. I usually am in bed by 22:00 which is refreshing. I wake up to the prayers of the children around 06:00 but then stay in bed until 07:50 reading the Book of Mormon. Then I get up and do some yoga before going down to breakfast at 08:15ish. After breakfast I come back to my room and finish getting ready and then read more scriptures until 10:30 when I go downstairs with the children. It’s a pretty amazing morning but also means that by the time 22:00 rolls around I’m sooooo tired. I don’t know quite yet how I want to adjust this schedule once I get back to Boston and start school again.
I think I’d like to keep getting up at 06:00 and maybe running before classes. When I did that last semester it really made me feel better but with classes and a life it’s hard to get to bed at a decent time in order to be able to get up at 06:00 and function properly. So I’m going to have to try to work on that balance.
I’ve decided to purchase one very nice sari. I think probably in purple but I’d really like white with gold accents. The reason I shy away from this choice is because I’d never be able to where it here. It’d get ruined in about 2.5 seconds. So it will probably end up being purple which is also good. I’ve pretty much figured out what I want to get everyone from India which is exciting. Shopping here is a blast because it’s like being in a flea market all the time! Plus, there are so many shops and so many different things to look at and buy that you never run out of options! I think I’m going with the Italians, Mary Violet and Irene, tomorrow to Hubli. It’s a bigger town just like a hundred kilometers or so away so we should be able to do some awesome shopping. I want some comfortable pants because jeans were not invented for India, FYI.
Oh, for anyone who might be interested in coming to India any time in their life, this is my one piece of priceless advice: Bring toilet paper. It’s the single best thing I brought with me. Even filtered and bottled water is more easily found than I had anticipated. But toilet paper - there is none…anywhere! I really don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t brought any, or enough. Anyway, disaster averted here. Hopefully this information will be helpful for others in the future as well.
The past day or so I’ve been really really excited for Brandon Hopkins to come home! I’m not sure of the date because for various reasons I haven’t been able to write him but I am remembering Jonathan telling me it was around the 24th of this month I think. I’m going to try to call Jonathan sometime in the next week or so and get a definite date and a phone number I can call to reach Brandon once he’s home. I have to talk to him! I can’t believe he’s going to be back for next year. I’ve already started a list of the million and one things I want to do with him. The adventures we have this upcoming year have to be epic. They have to make up for the two-year deficit.
Honestly though, I am a little worried about Will and mine and Brandon’s friendship. That’s all I’m going to say about that. I don’t want to create problems where problems don’t exist. But let’s just say that many a conversation has already been had about the ability of guys and girls our age being able to simply remain friends. Will and I stand on opposing sides of this argument. Though, the one time this theory has been tested during out thus far short relationship, Will has been right so I guess I should tread lightly. Anyway, that was cryptic.
Oh, I had a dream about Filipe’s Burritos! I will be stopping to get one on my way from the airport to Wellesley on 30 August 2008. Those of you who will be in the area on that Saturday should meet me there for a reunion! Ilang has no choice. She MUST be there. Also, Kirsten, Sheila, and Brandon - be there or be square. I miss your faces.
14 July 2008
LVK
11:04
Wow, the last week en total has been quite fabulous! I was just taking a moment to think about where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to and I feel so blessed. I truly am fortunate to be here in this place having these spectacular experiences. I played Minesweeper yesterday to pass a few minutes mindlessly (which was a nice change) and I thought back to last semester and the Minesweeper Tournament of Champions with Joe and Peter and how hilarious those two idiots are. I’m so lucky to have such an amazing family and so many quality people as friends. Last year has truly been a defining one in my life. So much happened it’s hard to even begin to take it all in. And now, here I am, sitting in Mundgod, India after having just studied Hindi with the kids reminiscing about the fantastic adventures that have comprised my life to this point. There’s really nothing to complain about. Everything, the good and the bad, has been for my betterment in the end. I think that’s usually true for all of us. I’m just so grateful that I have been blessed enough to have that perspective and remain positive through all the trials I might have had to face, especially these past three years at Wellesley.
I have this focus I can’t explain nor comprehend truly. I’m so ready for what may lay ahead of me. How truly amazing is it to be able to say that and know that it’s true! I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ll do my Tanner Presentation on. I think I’ll discuss caste and race. I’ve been thinking a lot about how race is perceived here in Mundgod and the way it has to clearly and negatively effected so many of the lives of the children here at LVK. I’m going to have to talk to Professor Obeng about it a little more to get a more clear thesis but I’ve been keeping pretty quality notes on my thoughts and I’ve been doing some reading so I feel like it could end up being a great presentation.
I had meat for the first time in the 2 weeks I’ve been here last night. Chicken. It actually wasn’t the best but it was fabulous at the same time. Everything here is vegetarian which honestly has been good for me because I’ve learned ways to have filling meals without having so much meat in my diet. I’m going to try to continue to practice many of these things once I get back to Boston. Don’t misread this, haha, I’m definitely DEFINITELY not becoming a vegetarian. I like beef way waaaaayyyyy too much to ever do that. But, I don’t need to eat meet all the time. Anyway, it’s a thought. Um, and I found bread. It’s flat bread, obviously, but bread nonetheless and oh, OH! It was glorious! I’ve definitely been having cravings and to finally satisfy those cravings was probably the single best moment of my time here. Haha. Only slightly kidding.
I could stay here the entire 8.5 weeks as planned. I would survive. I would do more than survive. But, I think I’d still like to go home early if possible. Especially because, it’s confirmed: I have head lice. It’s pretty disgusting mostly because there’s nothing I can do about it while here in India and even if I could I think it’d end up being more or less a waste of time because all the kids here have lice and the chances of me getting rid of it and keeping it away are basically nonexistent. So, the first order of business when I return to Wellesley is stopping at a pharmacy and getting the shampoo and things that are needed to deal with it. Luckily, all my things are in storage and everything I’m bringing back from India (which is little) is washable so I can wash everything and then quarantine it for a while and have my things I’ve packed over the summer at school which will be clean and lice-free.
Pash should be getting here sometime this afternoon. It will be nice to see a familiar face. Other than that I’m kind of just chilling. Mondays are nice and slow because most of the kids are gone to the market with their families who come into town to buy things for the week. I want to buy: a notebook, a saree, more sweets! Hopefully I can make at least two of those three things happen today!
Oh, also, I’m so glad I brought my computer for several reasons: 1) I can type these thoughts, 2) I can clean off my camera occasionally by dumping all the photos into folders on my Desktop, 3) I can watch Across the Universe (though I actually haven’t done this yet), and most importantly, 4) I can listen to the playlists I made for Will and the CD he made for me. This happens to be my favorite part of the day - My bucket shower with my “Will” playlist playing in the background. It’s really a quality playlist if I do say so myself. I think I will take a nap and then eat lunch. After lunch, playing with the kids and etc. Hopefully Pash will be here by then and I can go into the Market with him ‘cuz Violet is busy with Irene translating letters today so I don’t want to bother them.
14:17
Due to the fact that so many kids are gone and so many parents are around I think that Mondays will become Housekeeping days - Laundry, sweeping, mopping, shopping, miscellaneous reading, and some Tanner presentation and plans for the year to come.
15 July 2008
LVK
08:45
Wow, dinner last night with Pash was great…or so I thought. But eating meat after not having meat for over two weeks is not the best idea. I’m not actually sick but my stomach is not happy. I think I might tone it down on the meat from not on for a while.
Another Italian is here and she seems really nice. That makes three Italians. Luckily for me they all speak some semblance of English. I’m a little tired and I want to talk to Will. Now looking back on how we ended our conversation yesterday I feel bad because that might have been the last time I talk to him for 10 days! But when twenty people are vying for my attention I’m afraid the person on the phone is at an immediate disadvantage. Even if in actuality he was the person I’d like to give my attention to more than all the others. Wow, my stomach is not happy. Today will not be an entirely comfortable day I don’t think.
In other news, there’s a huge bug on my wall. It appears I now have two pets - one wall gecko and one cockroach. It isn’t moving which is nice. And it’s up really high and it’s by the bathroom not my bed so all those things make me feel a little better about it. I just keep telling myself maybe it eats spiders so that I like it a little more. I’ll pretty much take anything over spiders.
Well, I think I will read a bit before I have to head off with Pash. We’re exploring around today and checking in on some people who he gave money to in some form of micro-credit type development situation. If they’ve done well with the money and what they had said they would do with it then they will get more. It should be interesting.
Yeah, missing Will some more. Had another dream. I always dream about him. In a home, the two of us together, good food. Those are basically the gists of all the dreams.
CRAP!!! Yesterday was John’s birthday and I totally forgot to try to call him like I had planned. I’ll do that now. I think he’s in California so I hope his cell phone from London still works or else I guess I could try calling Omar or Shahrose. If not, he’ll see this sometime I guess and know I tried. Man, India is cramping my style…haha, just kidding. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!! Miss you like crazy, gf.
I love you all and I hope that everything is amazing in America. Here's a picture of me and my favorite Indian girl who I'm contemplating kidnapping. Her name is Shilpa.
Just kidding I couldn't get it to upload. I put it on facebook instead.
Love.
M.
29 June 2008
JFK Airport
18:38
So I know that I really didn’t get to talk to ANY of your before I left the country. For this, I apologize. Things got hectic and quite honestly, between my family and Will there just wasn’t that much time and the people who I tried to get a hold of didn’t answer their phones. So, in summary, I’m sorry. I tried.
I’m going to try to update this every week. I’m not sure what day yet so I’ve been compiling my entries to you all on a Word Document and then posting a week’s worth of entries at one time. As you can see from the sub-heading of this entry I still am not in India. That won’t happen for another 16+ hours. Wow, this plane ride is going to be long. Luckily, I have Stephen Hawkings and the Book of Mormon to keep me company during the time I’m not sleeping. I’ve been scouring the airport for sleeping pills but I can’t find them anywhere. I can’t even find Tylenol. What is up with this place?!?! As I type this I’m on the phone with the Bank trying to tell them not to freak out when I start using my card in India but seriously, why am I still on hold?! I don’t understand.
Oh, for those of you who knew I was going up to Missoula to surprise Will before he left Saturday morning, plans changed (for the better). So here’s the story. Will’s flight was scheduled to leave at 06:28 Saturday morning so I was going to drive up with Susan and meet him literally at the end of his lane on his way out of the house up to Missoula. This would have been truly fabulous but also meant only seeing him for a couple hours max. Friday afternoon I get at e-mail from Will saying, “Good news! I don’t leave until tomorrow!” …meaning Sunday morning…this morning, the same day I leave. I called him and said, “That’s great…and that’s horrible!” Then proceeded to tell him that he had ruined my plans to see him and that I’d been looking forward to seeing him for days. I HAD to see him before I left. So Friday night at about 21:30 I left Blackfoot and around the same time he left Corvallis. He came South. I went North and we literally met somewhere in the middle…the Middle of Nowhere, Montana! It was truly the most fabulous thing I’ve done in probably all my life. It felt so good to be doing exactly what I wanted to do. There was nothing else I would have preferred doing with that time than being in that car headed to see him! We met up and pulled off the side of the highway and stayed there for 9 hours. Why is he so fabulous?!? That was the capstone of my summer thus far. My non-India summer. Things haven’t been exactly smooth getting to India but I’m almost (finally) there and I hope that things will be fine and smooth sailing once I get there. I’m still a little nervous about the first couple days but after that I’m sure it will all be fabulous!
It’s been 20 minutes and I’m still on hold with the Bank! This is ridiculous. Oh, can everyone who is reading this please reply with their address this summer or the address they’ll be at in the fall so I can send postcards, etc. from India…?! Thanks. If you’re nervous about the security settings I believe you can set the privacy setting on your LJ response so that only I can read it. If not, then I’ll just delete your post as soon as I read it.
Well I’m about done standing around here. I want to call Ben so I think I’m going to try that. Talk to the ladies at the gate to get my frequent flyer miles credited to me (so I can fly to visit Will in the fall for free!) and try one more time to find some sleeping pills. I should probably also eat something since I’ve only had one piece of toast today.
Peace and love.
1 July 2008
Christian Theological University (CTU)
11:40
My battery is low and I won’t have a power converter
2 July 2008
Loyola Vikas Kendra (LVK)
15:29
Haha. My computer literally shut down on me while I was typing that earlier sentence. I now have the power converter. I also have a cell phone: 900.891.5244 so any of you can call me whenever you feel inclined. I get free incoming calls. I’m not sure what you have to dial as far as a country code, etc. goes but I figure you’re in a country with internet, etc. you can figure it out yourselves if you really want to call me.
Wow. India is unlike anything I can explain. There’s no way to be prepared for this place. It’s hard to even begin to tell you what it’s like because it’s unlike anything you or I has ever known. Even being in Mumbai and Bangalore, two places that are supposed to be major cities in this country, I didn’t see anything that resembled a city in America. Everything looked like what I would call slums. EVERYTHING. So imagine what Mundgod and the surrounding towns are like here? Slums of slums? Is that possible? But slums has such a negative connotation in English and in the US. It’s not like these are horrible places they’re just not like anything in America. India isn’t America. Imagine that. Haha. Wow. I’m just trying to take everything in as it comes to me. I haven’t figured out how to get to the internet yet so I’m still just storing this posts on my computer. Someday I will find the internet here in India and when that day comes you all will be inundated with these millions of thoughts. I’m a little lonely which is to be expected because I don’t know anyone and I don’t speak the language. I’m hoping to amend both of those momentarily. I also think this transition has been harder because of my time with Will. Being with her for 24 hours a day for over three weeks was amazing. There’s simply no other way to explain it. And besides missing him genuinely, it’s hard to be without him physically present. I already experienced that the last couple days we were apart before he left for China and I came to India. But, being here and truly being alone for the first time in my life has only exacerbated my longing for him.
This place is amazing. I think this experience will be a ridiculously fabulous one. I’m not sure if I’ll love it. I don’t know if that makes sense. I know I will value it and what I learn but will I be desperate to come back? I’m not sure that I will. I talked to my mom, dad, and sister on the phone. Then I called and talked to Pash. I had Susie check my e-mail because I wanted to know if Will had sent me a phone number to call him in China. He hadn’t. I was sad. He did send me an e-mail though, which made me happy. He makes me happy. Everything about him.
To try to stem off the loneliness I’ve been reading my scriptures and Patriarchal blessing a lot. Also, aside from this electronic journal for all of you reading about my life on LJ I’ve been keeping my normal journal, which I have been writing in essentially non-stop since I left Salt Lake City Sunday morning. I’m sure I’ve written about 50 pages since the plane took off. There’s been so much going on and so much to remember and to tell everyone but my journal has been my only friend so far. I have a pink mosquito net in my room. It makes me really happy. I think it will cheer me up every time I come into this room.
So, now I’m in Mundgod and sometime soon I will be meeting up with the nuns in Mainalli which is about 45 minutes away from here. But I think I want to stay here in Mundgod for a week or at least a couple days before I venture somewhere new. I’ve been on the move for the past 3 days straight so I’d kind of like to settle in and meet people and begin to feel comfortable before I start exploring.
There is a girls school here and a bunch of girls who live in the compound where I’m staying. I hope I can make friends. It seems kind of empty right now so I think I’m going to sign off here and go explore a little and see where everyone is and what’s going on. Oh, and the food as been good so far. It’s spicy which I like. I don’t think finding things to eat will be a problem. They always have rice and I like rice. They eat with their hands which is hard to get used to. It feels so messy to me so they have a spoon for me but that makes me feel like a dork. Haha so I guess I’ll just have to get over it.
I’ve been fighting the urge to cry a lot the past three days. I think it’s just me generally being overwhelmed but so many new things as once and also being exhausted from moving moving moving! Also, of course as I’ve mentioned before, missing Will hasn’t helped. I’m a little scared of how much I care about him. I’m going to be strong. Though sometimes crying is therapeutic…
Well, here goes nothing. I’m going to go meet some people.
4 July 2008
LVK
15:55
Happy 4th of July! It’s my first outside of the U.S. and it doesn’t feel like a holiday at all. I taught English for about two hours today and I think I actually made some head way so that felt good. I’ve been feeling a little off the past couple days and I thought today I was doing better but about an half hour ago my head started feeling light again so I’m in my room trying to recuperate. I basically just go wherever whenever. It’s nice but I also worry that I may not be living up to expectations. Though I’ve spoken with Father Francis a few times now and it seems I’m just supposed to play with the kids and teach them some English by talking to them. If those are my expectations from him than living up to them is definitely not a problem.
I got my first Indian telemarketer. Haha. I of course answer every call that comes to my cell phone because not that many people have the number. To be more accurate, 6 people have the number. So when it rings I answer. Anyway, it rang, I answered and then it was a recording…in Hindi. Haha. I just laughed and listened. The only words I understood were “diet” and “skin care” so I don’t know what it was about…some kind of spa maybe? I listened to the entire thing and then hung up after it was done. I figure it’s one of the few, if not the only, Hindi come on that I’ll ever get so I better revel in the novelty.
Having so much time to myself and therefore so much time to think has been interesting for me. I’m interested in where my mind naturally strays and how many hours I seem to be spending thinking about the same thing(s). I’ve found that there are a few things I have no questions or worries about in my life and therefore my mind thinks of them rarely. I also seem to have a handful of things that consume my thoughts, namely: Will, school, and what I’m going to do after I graduate.
I think some of the things I’ve thought about - some of the questions I’ve asked myself - have led to productive conclusions. Others, contrarily, have not. I think that might just be because there is so much in those three subjects that can’t just be figured out by sitting and thinking about them. But, in the end, I think this two months will be VERY VERY good for my focus and direction when I come out on the other end.
12 July 2008
LVK
09:46
Wow, I am having a fabulous time and yet still the days seem to drag a little. Father Francis calls it IST - India Stretched-out Time. Nothing really runs on schedule here - if schedules even really exist. Haha. It’s hard to explain. I feel like I’m doing something all the time all day long and yet the hours never seem to fly by. I can do a million things in a day and still have all this extra time. It’s weird because it’s never like this in America. I can remember even a few weeks ago getting ready for this adventure in India. I had a list of maybe four errands to run and it would end up taking me all day just to get those done. I feel like even though everything runs slow and behind here I still manage to get everything done I could want to each day and still have extra time to try to fill.
Due to the traveling restrictions I have to observe because I’m a young, [foreign] woman I mostly end up just reading and going to bed early. I usually am in bed by 22:00 which is refreshing. I wake up to the prayers of the children around 06:00 but then stay in bed until 07:50 reading the Book of Mormon. Then I get up and do some yoga before going down to breakfast at 08:15ish. After breakfast I come back to my room and finish getting ready and then read more scriptures until 10:30 when I go downstairs with the children. It’s a pretty amazing morning but also means that by the time 22:00 rolls around I’m sooooo tired. I don’t know quite yet how I want to adjust this schedule once I get back to Boston and start school again.
I think I’d like to keep getting up at 06:00 and maybe running before classes. When I did that last semester it really made me feel better but with classes and a life it’s hard to get to bed at a decent time in order to be able to get up at 06:00 and function properly. So I’m going to have to try to work on that balance.
I’ve decided to purchase one very nice sari. I think probably in purple but I’d really like white with gold accents. The reason I shy away from this choice is because I’d never be able to where it here. It’d get ruined in about 2.5 seconds. So it will probably end up being purple which is also good. I’ve pretty much figured out what I want to get everyone from India which is exciting. Shopping here is a blast because it’s like being in a flea market all the time! Plus, there are so many shops and so many different things to look at and buy that you never run out of options! I think I’m going with the Italians, Mary Violet and Irene, tomorrow to Hubli. It’s a bigger town just like a hundred kilometers or so away so we should be able to do some awesome shopping. I want some comfortable pants because jeans were not invented for India, FYI.
Oh, for anyone who might be interested in coming to India any time in their life, this is my one piece of priceless advice: Bring toilet paper. It’s the single best thing I brought with me. Even filtered and bottled water is more easily found than I had anticipated. But toilet paper - there is none…anywhere! I really don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t brought any, or enough. Anyway, disaster averted here. Hopefully this information will be helpful for others in the future as well.
The past day or so I’ve been really really excited for Brandon Hopkins to come home! I’m not sure of the date because for various reasons I haven’t been able to write him but I am remembering Jonathan telling me it was around the 24th of this month I think. I’m going to try to call Jonathan sometime in the next week or so and get a definite date and a phone number I can call to reach Brandon once he’s home. I have to talk to him! I can’t believe he’s going to be back for next year. I’ve already started a list of the million and one things I want to do with him. The adventures we have this upcoming year have to be epic. They have to make up for the two-year deficit.
Honestly though, I am a little worried about Will and mine and Brandon’s friendship. That’s all I’m going to say about that. I don’t want to create problems where problems don’t exist. But let’s just say that many a conversation has already been had about the ability of guys and girls our age being able to simply remain friends. Will and I stand on opposing sides of this argument. Though, the one time this theory has been tested during out thus far short relationship, Will has been right so I guess I should tread lightly. Anyway, that was cryptic.
Oh, I had a dream about Filipe’s Burritos! I will be stopping to get one on my way from the airport to Wellesley on 30 August 2008. Those of you who will be in the area on that Saturday should meet me there for a reunion! Ilang has no choice. She MUST be there. Also, Kirsten, Sheila, and Brandon - be there or be square. I miss your faces.
14 July 2008
LVK
11:04
Wow, the last week en total has been quite fabulous! I was just taking a moment to think about where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to and I feel so blessed. I truly am fortunate to be here in this place having these spectacular experiences. I played Minesweeper yesterday to pass a few minutes mindlessly (which was a nice change) and I thought back to last semester and the Minesweeper Tournament of Champions with Joe and Peter and how hilarious those two idiots are. I’m so lucky to have such an amazing family and so many quality people as friends. Last year has truly been a defining one in my life. So much happened it’s hard to even begin to take it all in. And now, here I am, sitting in Mundgod, India after having just studied Hindi with the kids reminiscing about the fantastic adventures that have comprised my life to this point. There’s really nothing to complain about. Everything, the good and the bad, has been for my betterment in the end. I think that’s usually true for all of us. I’m just so grateful that I have been blessed enough to have that perspective and remain positive through all the trials I might have had to face, especially these past three years at Wellesley.
I have this focus I can’t explain nor comprehend truly. I’m so ready for what may lay ahead of me. How truly amazing is it to be able to say that and know that it’s true! I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ll do my Tanner Presentation on. I think I’ll discuss caste and race. I’ve been thinking a lot about how race is perceived here in Mundgod and the way it has to clearly and negatively effected so many of the lives of the children here at LVK. I’m going to have to talk to Professor Obeng about it a little more to get a more clear thesis but I’ve been keeping pretty quality notes on my thoughts and I’ve been doing some reading so I feel like it could end up being a great presentation.
I had meat for the first time in the 2 weeks I’ve been here last night. Chicken. It actually wasn’t the best but it was fabulous at the same time. Everything here is vegetarian which honestly has been good for me because I’ve learned ways to have filling meals without having so much meat in my diet. I’m going to try to continue to practice many of these things once I get back to Boston. Don’t misread this, haha, I’m definitely DEFINITELY not becoming a vegetarian. I like beef way waaaaayyyyy too much to ever do that. But, I don’t need to eat meet all the time. Anyway, it’s a thought. Um, and I found bread. It’s flat bread, obviously, but bread nonetheless and oh, OH! It was glorious! I’ve definitely been having cravings and to finally satisfy those cravings was probably the single best moment of my time here. Haha. Only slightly kidding.
I could stay here the entire 8.5 weeks as planned. I would survive. I would do more than survive. But, I think I’d still like to go home early if possible. Especially because, it’s confirmed: I have head lice. It’s pretty disgusting mostly because there’s nothing I can do about it while here in India and even if I could I think it’d end up being more or less a waste of time because all the kids here have lice and the chances of me getting rid of it and keeping it away are basically nonexistent. So, the first order of business when I return to Wellesley is stopping at a pharmacy and getting the shampoo and things that are needed to deal with it. Luckily, all my things are in storage and everything I’m bringing back from India (which is little) is washable so I can wash everything and then quarantine it for a while and have my things I’ve packed over the summer at school which will be clean and lice-free.
Pash should be getting here sometime this afternoon. It will be nice to see a familiar face. Other than that I’m kind of just chilling. Mondays are nice and slow because most of the kids are gone to the market with their families who come into town to buy things for the week. I want to buy: a notebook, a saree, more sweets! Hopefully I can make at least two of those three things happen today!
Oh, also, I’m so glad I brought my computer for several reasons: 1) I can type these thoughts, 2) I can clean off my camera occasionally by dumping all the photos into folders on my Desktop, 3) I can watch Across the Universe (though I actually haven’t done this yet), and most importantly, 4) I can listen to the playlists I made for Will and the CD he made for me. This happens to be my favorite part of the day - My bucket shower with my “Will” playlist playing in the background. It’s really a quality playlist if I do say so myself. I think I will take a nap and then eat lunch. After lunch, playing with the kids and etc. Hopefully Pash will be here by then and I can go into the Market with him ‘cuz Violet is busy with Irene translating letters today so I don’t want to bother them.
14:17
Due to the fact that so many kids are gone and so many parents are around I think that Mondays will become Housekeeping days - Laundry, sweeping, mopping, shopping, miscellaneous reading, and some Tanner presentation and plans for the year to come.
15 July 2008
LVK
08:45
Wow, dinner last night with Pash was great…or so I thought. But eating meat after not having meat for over two weeks is not the best idea. I’m not actually sick but my stomach is not happy. I think I might tone it down on the meat from not on for a while.
Another Italian is here and she seems really nice. That makes three Italians. Luckily for me they all speak some semblance of English. I’m a little tired and I want to talk to Will. Now looking back on how we ended our conversation yesterday I feel bad because that might have been the last time I talk to him for 10 days! But when twenty people are vying for my attention I’m afraid the person on the phone is at an immediate disadvantage. Even if in actuality he was the person I’d like to give my attention to more than all the others. Wow, my stomach is not happy. Today will not be an entirely comfortable day I don’t think.
In other news, there’s a huge bug on my wall. It appears I now have two pets - one wall gecko and one cockroach. It isn’t moving which is nice. And it’s up really high and it’s by the bathroom not my bed so all those things make me feel a little better about it. I just keep telling myself maybe it eats spiders so that I like it a little more. I’ll pretty much take anything over spiders.
Well, I think I will read a bit before I have to head off with Pash. We’re exploring around today and checking in on some people who he gave money to in some form of micro-credit type development situation. If they’ve done well with the money and what they had said they would do with it then they will get more. It should be interesting.
Yeah, missing Will some more. Had another dream. I always dream about him. In a home, the two of us together, good food. Those are basically the gists of all the dreams.
CRAP!!! Yesterday was John’s birthday and I totally forgot to try to call him like I had planned. I’ll do that now. I think he’s in California so I hope his cell phone from London still works or else I guess I could try calling Omar or Shahrose. If not, he’ll see this sometime I guess and know I tried. Man, India is cramping my style…haha, just kidding. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!! Miss you like crazy, gf.