Only Today Counts

Language learning is without a doubt a difficult thing to do. Many people in this program are natural language learners. They are extremely gifted in that area. Others of us are just as deeply talented and deserving of scholarships such as this, but we learn at a different tempo...pace. I did not think I could become overwhelmed in my last week in Lucknow. Yet it has occurred. With our final exam on top of the final presentation, on top of the OPI test, on top of maximum anticipation...stress was born. Not a regular type of stress. Maybe I shouldn't even call it stress. What I have is something else or a bunch of other things. (Should I name it?) 

I can’t help but question - in these few hours- what happened to my "progress." 

Could it be that progress is merely a type of goal accomplished after time? Isn't progress progressive?.. Constant that is...ever flowing? I guess I could be in progression at the current moment. Surely I am constantly progressing.

While sitting in class, hot, and exhausted, I could feel my heart. It was as if it were pounding outside of my shirt. Energy lever: 0. What was I thinking?.. Nothing.

Class was then over. I walked to the water filter. I drank five glasses of water in approximately three and a half minutes. This was happening as another student paced the room back and forth focusing on her presentation with paper in hand. It was approximately three and a half minutes because I had my eyes on the clock the whole time. Time seems to be ticking away slower than ever. 

I wonder if you can see the... No. I'm sure you can see the emotions on my face and in my demeanor. Earlier today I was pondering on how the guys in this program are holding up so well. How are they so strong??? That led to the new age old question:  Are men stronger? Or are men just less sensitive? Of course we all know their sensitivity has to do with the ways of the world; how one is raised, etc. After speaking with a few of them, it's just the outside that is so strong.   

I changed my mind about the students here. I forgot we were in an advanced learning program. There are few who can thrive in such an intensive place. This intensity could be defined by the six to seven weeks it has taken us to dive into the language. We haven't just dived in, we have been placed into a circumstance where language thrives and English is not the norm. This intensity is made up of so much more. We aren't just immersed in an Urdu speaking country; many of us are immersed into a foreign culture. We have lived, spoken, seen, tasted, and felt India. AKA Hindustan. AKA Bharat. For a while I was thinking, "What is Hindustan," but I eventually caught on.

In this program no experience for an individual is the exact same. One very important difference has been our living situations. Some of us have roommates with very eclectic personalities. Others of us don't have roommates at all. Certain homes have great food and other homes don't. Some of our host families interact with us. Other home-stays treat us like paying guests. This vital piece to the immersion puzzle affects us all in different ways, positive and negative. I would say the environment one lives in is key to ones study habits and abilities. For example, I'm living with a non-meat eating Hindu family. More saddening is the fact that they haven't really adjusted to a vegetarian diet. Thus, I have eaten a lot of what consists of only carbs, brown stuff, rice, beans, bread, and potatoes. I never thought I would eat a potato sandwich but hunger will do that to you. I’ve had the occasional traditional types of food in and outside of the house. I'm almost sure my body is going to freak out when I get back to my regularly scheduled diet, but I'll be fine. Other differences you may think will affect you, Do. I fortunately understand I need the proper lighting and clean environment to pull out the best of my abilities. This, however, was not my fortune. So I dealt with the situation and can’t regret a bit of it :)

Today, after listening to the advanced students present, I realized it takes a large sum of effort to listen to advanced Urdu after two months of learning and a full day of study it. I’m exhausted and the official count down has begun. Three Days...We are actually calling is two.

Two Days.   

Occurrences and Progress!

I woke up in the middle of the night. I haven't been sleeping well. Its probably the anticipation of going home in a week. When I decided to get back to sleep around 5 am I heard a hurdling shriek... No doubt it was my roommate but I was in bed, my door was closed, and I was almost positive it had to be some sort of small creature that caused her shriek. A few moments later I heard the computer turn off and her door slammed shut. I was relieved but too sleepy to text her or call out to her. I knew she would be awake a few hours later anyway to tell the story. 

First think in the morning I opened my door to my two roommates having breakfast. I asked what it was. To my surprise it wasn't a lizard, which I jumped at the night before. She said that it was a RAT. What! Rats in India? So I asked if it was a mouse and we went on... it was with no doubt a rat. Gross I know. 

School has been pretty great. I can finally see the progress I've made in the past few weeks. I remember trying to simply write the Urdu script with the 30 or so characters. Now, I can actually have a select number of small talk conversations. Progress! 

All is well, but the last couple of weeks have been extremely up and down. I was first beginning to get excited about going home when just about the worst thing happened. You need to remember that most of the floors in India are made of marble. So... I was on my laptop typing up my final paper in Urdu when I turned to look at how to spell a word on a nearby computer. Of course I was listening to music at the time through my headphones; it was actually gospel music. Then it happened...  I could hear it shifting from the table... my heart dropped. My laptop crashed into the ground. The marble floor! I was thinking, "I cannot believe this just happened." I turned to see the damage. I picked it up and the screen was terrible. It was so bad I cant describe the pain both the laptop and I felt. The music was skipping so i sadly turned it off. 

My mood shifted back to happy after being reassured by a few folks that it was ok, and that I was doing alright in the program. I know that the program and the computer are kind of unrelated but not so much.

A Bit of The Crowd

In Lucknow, the outside world, things go on as usual. Rickshaw valas wave us over to pay for a ride. People stare at us while passing and wave insistently. One day this happened so much I'm sure they thought I was a pop star. What would happen if I dressed in native garb...would I go unnoticed? Of course I would... I've grown to disregard the celebrity treatment. 

 

On a CLS trip to Deva Sharif, while taking a group photo, a crowd bigger than us took pictures in fascination. Pictures of us. That was the biggest crowd I think we've assembled at one time. It was borderline scary.

 

 One week...

But First... Let us recap a few of the "priceless moments."

- Not understanding the people who are obviously talking about you in a foreign country.

- Disliking the continuous smell of garbage in the streets. Even though the disposing to trash system may work.

- Not seeing African American magazines or any African American/Africa influence...I know it's south Asia.

- Being in a two month language program that would normally take a year and feeling behind.

- Finding joy in the small things. Such as seeing Heinz 57 in a random corner store in Lucknow.

- Absolutely not being able to locate adequate hair products. Glad I bought something with me. :/

- Interacting with people who refuse to smile until I make the first smile.

- Being excited about learning Urdu and desiring to finally conquer Spanish.

- Progress!

 

 Other:

 

Deva Sharif

After an Ancient Art Documentary viewing

Emily and I getting prayer cloths

Mid Air at the Residency

The Residency

 All in all I have had a great time...

 

Backpacking Outside of Suburbia

Delhi

I have arrived safely in Lucknow and I am doing well. The recent events may have scared some of you since I was traveling but I was nowhere near Mumbai. This week my adventure began in New Delhi. I went with two other CLS students, Kim and one of my roommates Subrina. We arrived in Delhi by plane, where we immediately took an airport taxi to our first previously booked hotel. The taxi guys are making a lot of money... the car was metered but he took us way out of the way. We only figured that out because the hotel had internet and there was actually one road that would have gotten us there. Excited about the trip all we wanted to do was chill, which we did. Subrina called up a native Delhian* she was introduced to by a fellow CLS student. His name was Sankalk; I ended up calling him Sunkemp. He came through that night and we all went to eat at a near by KFC. It was good. It was also kind to my stomach. After sitting in the KFC for a few minutes I noticed the store was being ran by mostly signers and I also saw a few African people. Both of these events made me happy. We walked around the area a little while after dinner. Sankalk who is a twenty year old guy told us our hotel was in a small village. He made the joke that where we were wasn't really Delhi. This was our most relaxed day all week. The next day we planned to go to Dharamshala, but we heard from some friends that there were monsoons there so we changed our plans. We were going to stay in Delhi another night.

The next morning we spent deciding what to do and were to go. We then checked out and met up with Sankalk who was given the duty of finding us a hotel to check into. Meeting up with him became a bit confusing but nothing we couldn't handle. We were tasked with getting to the Delhi Metro (a very efficient metro system) and going to where he was or going to where the hotel was...either or both. We eventually made it to a stop where the hotel was to find no Sankalk. Now, the first night I met this guy he said, "don't trust anybody" in Delhi in particular so this little missing bit didn't surprise me. We waited for a while then ventured across the street to where the hotel supposedly was. I say ventured because the streets in Delhi are crazy. It literally feels like you're the turtle in all those movies desperately trying to cross the road, no joke. Sankalk eventually came we checked in and began our adventure in New Delhi.

Since Sankalk was from Delhi, we used public transportation to the fullest. There are so many attractions/monuments, which mostly consist of religious temples and the like, in India to visit. The first place we ended up was the Lotus Temple. It had amazing architecture and it was probably one of my top favorite places we visited. In addition to the awesome design, consisting of twenty-seven petals and pools of water around it to cool the building, it was a very peaceful place. It welcome people of all religions. It was so great that I can't describe it. At this point, against my advice to drink lots of water, I could tell Kim and Subrina were getting dehydrated. ((shakes my head)) After taking the bus and the metro to the lotus we then took the metro to the biggest mosque in Delhi maybe in India, the Jama Mashjid (Masjid-i Jahān-Numā). By this time it was dark, beggars were on their grind, and no one was feeling at 100%. We took a bus back to the hotel on the longest bus ride ever and hoped for a really great next day.

The next stop was Amritsar but not before India hit another student with ailments. Kim fell ill. That morning we packed our bags, asked Sankalk if he wanted to travel with us, and went to find food. [ FYI: He is a hustler because he hustled Kim and Subrina out of a free trip to Amritsar and Dharmshala...against my better judgement but the more the merrier.] We don't eat street food and only go to trusted restaurants so we found a Cafe Coffee Day, which was our only true friend on the whole trip. It was even our first stop off of the plane from Lucknow. They have coffee drinks and a few sandwiches. It's a safe wanna be Starbucks, American/Indian style. Sankalk found us an air-conditioned bus to Amritsar and we were off...

Amritsar

Arriving in Amritsar about eight to ten hours later, we took a very nice auto rickshaw to the previously booked hotel and immediately began to use their internet. In the night we briefly heard about the bombing events in Mumbai. I called the family to see what was up and heard everyone was worried. This was a small shocker since I was at least 700 miles away from Mumbai and I told people where I was going. ((Maps do come in handy! :)) Rest assured I was safe. The hotel on the other hand was super raggedy, India hood. Our room was up the stairs, past the kitchen, down a wet and dark hall, outside, and in front of a space street cats inhabited. The air conditioner was so throw-back that it was leaking a pool of water and had a lot of heat coming from it. Then inside of the room the furniture was old and molded, and the door didn't really fit, allowing mosquitoes free range. On top of all of that the man at the desk would not let Sankalk inside. After also discovering one bed and no toilet paper, we swiftly exited the room. By this time, Kim was getting better and Subrina was getting sick. Via my own diagnosis, these weren't normal sicknesses. They included vomiting, fever, and stomach problems. It clearly was not just travelers diarrhea. We stayed in the lobby of that silly hotel using their WiFi trying to find another hotel. Once we called one that seemed reasonable we left and it was just down the next alley way. Since, Sankalk was Punjabi and very outgoing I think we got a bit of a hook-up. The room was ok and they had a pretty decent WiFi connection for a few hours. We settled in and against my judgement again, they decided to wait until the dead of heat to go to the Golden Temple. Since we were further up north, the heat wasn't too deadly.

First thing after their nap we went to find food. Once again, we ended up in Cafe Coffee Day but we ate at Pizza Hut. The auto rickshaws in Amritsar were too costly for me but I guess their charges were the norm. (Agra rickshaw prices were the best.) We ordered the cheapest pizza and drinks ever. An appetizer, a personal pan pizza, and a cool drink for Rs. 99, which is equal to $2.42. I was happy; it eventually caught up to my tummy but I was ok. We then began our site seeing at around noon. The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) was very nice. This place is considered holy but the Sikhs. In this rectangular complex, the temple of pure gold sits off the water. Some sort of music/reciting of script plays over speakers and gives off this calming vibe. People are allowed to stay there for free in return for simple work tasks around the temple. Anyone can also eat there three times and day for free because they turn no one back. It is a really great system and has been working for years.

The the further we got from Delhi the more intense the staring became. Even in the temple people would trip over themselves looking at us. (A Black woman, a White woman, an American Pakistani Punjabi woman and a very native Indian Punjabi boy.) It became very annoying. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a martyr's memorial where some soldiers became trapped and jumped into a well to save themselves the execution years ago. Back at the hotel we got some much needed down time. Sankalk and Subrina went to the India Pakistan border ceremony. They had a good time and I had an even better time napping. When they came back Kim and I decided to go back to the Golden Temple because it was said to be very beautiful at night. Sankalk joined us. During the night at the Golden Temple there was a totally different feel. There were a lot less people out, it was more serene, and stepping further outside of my comfort zone we even ate there. Accepting naan with the right hand over the left and eating it with some daal. The food wasn't too shabby. It filled the void in my stomach even though I was a bit hesitant. It was a really nice experience. That night it rained. After checkout that morning, we had to tread through some disgusting puddles to get to the main street, which was clearly flooded. A rickshaw took us to the bus station that Sankalk ventured off to get information on the night before. The streets were so flooded that I imagined the fear Katrina might have brought on.

Dharamshala

Our bus arrived. For about 450 rupees a piece we all got on an unair-conditioned raggedy bus to Dharamshala. Dharamshala is further north and is apart of the Himalayan mountains. The ride was intense. It took us a while to get there. We sat near the front of the bus so the staring wasn't so bad although we did have many onlookers. At the break stop before we got into the mountains Subrina got into a small spat with some women over our seats. She used her Hindi (language) magic so they moved to some opened seating. It was funny because she hadn't really been speaking the language the whole trip. I was having a lot of nonverbal communication with other people on the bus during that situation...one of many. On our way up the mountain the bus would stop so people could get on and get off. One guy that got on would not stop looking at us. He was Indian with these blue hazel eyes. He sat in front of us so he was head turning the whole ride up. I think we even obtained a few pictures of him looking. After a lot more than 50 kilometers up the mountain, we arrived at the bus station. We then took another bus some kilometers up the mountain to where in 1959 the Dalai Lama fled. This was a tourist destination but there is still a big Tibetan community there. We went to a temple of sorts, and absolutely came unprepared to shop on the streets. Subrina was still sick, and it was Sankalks first time visiting there just like us. He was super excited. Spending a few days with him we learned that he was a nice guy but being an only child still lacked some skills he may have gained if he had siblings...like being considerate. There was word of a very nice waterfall near by so we went.

By we, I mean Sankalk and myself. Kim stayed with our sickly friend. We took a rickshaw further up the mountain to get to another tourist space from where we would hike to the water fall. This was no ordinary hike. The incline was massive, and I was carrying  25 to 35 pounds (packing light). On the way up the mountain we took a few pictures and Sankalk picked up his speed. I stayed going at my own pace and taking in the scenery. The clouds were beautiful, the river below was flowing through the valley, and above was the waterfall. At the beginning of the journey a couple of dogs began to follow us. I think they were following me... the rottweiler anyway because he stayed with me the whole time up and he wasn't begging for food or anything. The hike took a tole on my body or maybe I was weak in the knees like my mom. Most of the way up I was by myself taking pictures of the distance. Some people passed me and there were a few tea shops along the way. I stopped frequently to drink water. When I came to the last stretch before the waterfall I discovered that you had to climb a wet rock to go further into the mountain to get to it. After much contemplation, I decided against it. I was as far as my mind and body would take me in that condition. My bags weren't steady and my shoes were not fit to go unbalanced on a slippery rock. I met this girl from New Delhi who was with her parents; she took a photo of me. We discussed how our parents wouldn't let us climb that rock to get to the water fall. Legs shaking I sat down to wait for Sankalk. I saw him over at the waterfall waving me over. I waved that I wasn't coming and waited some more. He didn't come back and I even tried to call him but the phone wouldn't work. So I said a prayer and went on. On the way back down I actually walked on some of that wet rocked and slipped but I didn't fall. An India guy saw it and chucked to himself; I warned his group that it was slippery and kept it pushing. Getting down the mountain was no easier than getting up it. When I cam upon the shops I waited a little while longer for Sankalk but he was a no show so I tried to call Kim. Again the phone would not work but it eventually sent a text. I tried to get a rickshaw back down to where my group was but the rickshaw guy did not speak English. He was trying to rip me off so I walked. Did I mention that the hiking was exhausting yet invigorating. I was hot but it was a good time. To be safe I walked with a group of German students. Back in town, Kim and Subrina were at Cafe Coffee Day. I told them about the hike and how the boy ditched me. I ate some food and we went to shop around some more. Sankalk met back up with us. He said he went to the police, drew a picture or me, and he actually said he was "not going to talk" to me. This was a bit childish considering the days events but I know people always come around. Earlier that day we discovered that he was holding out on us and actually brought a bit of money with him. Because of his collective actions, Subrina and Kim seriously contemplated leaving him. We didn't although we did make him pay for half of his ticket back to New Delhi. On the Jeep down the mountain we fit twelve in the ride. I happened to get sat next to an old tipsy man who knew a little English. With my language skills and personality I made the best of it. I had almost everyone in the ride minus Sankalk, who sat very far from us, laughing. This man was talking about things being pretty...probably us being pretty, then about how he needed a woman, and about getting money. I think he was trying to solicit for sex... I dont know. I was speaking to him half in English and half in Hindi/Urdu. Subrina was telling me a few things that I wanted to say. I told him to ask this young guy in the car where the woman were and to go get a job in Delhi... I'm pretty sure everyone in the car understood what was going on and yet no one said anything. Good thing I handle myself well in those situations.

The mountains were so amazing...we were in a cloud half of the time.

For the next bus ride they decided against the air-conditioned bus which was double the price. So we endured another night of being stared at awake and in our sleep. On the way back to Delhi a boy on the bus was vomiting out the window about every three minutes after the first couple of times I gave him a napkin to wipe his face. (By the way this bus was full of men.) After another 15 minutes of him jumping over his friends to hurl out the window I checked to see if pepto bismol would work for him. Since it was dark, I had may hair tied up and my face covered so I wouldn't get sick from all the air. I told Sankalk to give him the medicine. After they spoke a bit, Sankalk told me that they thought I was going to poison him. The young man didn't immediately take the medicine. Sankalk told me they were afraid of me. At our next stop I asked how the young man was in Urdu...when I tapped him he actually jumped. Come to find out the media portrays African Americans as scary. Maybe that gesture changed his perception and the perception of the many creepy onlookers. Needless to say he stopped throwing up after taking the medicine. Too bad the staring did not stop.

The ride back to Delhi was long and we were miserable. It started to rain and of course it was raining in the bus. We were wet, tired, and angry at all the people continuously staring. It was still a well worth it trip. Down the mountain Sankalk started talking to me and apologized. The Himalayan mountains are a must see. It was also nice being around people other than Indian people for a change. One of my next trips will definitely be an Asia excursion or Europe of course, so I can master a different accent. In New Delhi we took the metro to the airport and eventually said bye to Sankalk. We were about eight hours early to the airport and they would not let us inside. A sort of unspoken sadness came upon us but what Americans take no for an answer? After speaking to a few people and trying to get in at every corner, a guy in a window told us how to sneak in (not that it was illegal or anything. they just have really tight security.) We made our way into the airport, washed up a little, changed into cleaner clothes, and went to sit and eat at Cafe Coffee Day. We spoke about our trip, all of the good, and all of the bad.

Today, Subrina is better and we are safe and sound in Lucknow. Home is closer and our next stipend comes in a few days. I think I'll stick around Lucknow until August. We still have many local trips planned and I need to study.

Because I Cant Help But Say...

I'm in a place where the only tourists are us. Though maybe not in the extreme heart of India, we are still in a very engaged place. I am curious; minimally perplexed at the way we are protected by the government (CLS) yet still inside of it all.

I have been sick for the last few days and I still question why... could it have been the food, the drastic change of climate, something simple like a slip of drink or some food too familiar to India. Is my body just adjusting? Either way, I'm sure ill be fine considering the length of stay left.

- I cannot help but fantasize about the American food the Chicago airport will provide me upon stepping foot on that familiar solid ground.
- I cant help but think of the final oral exam we take after the program is over. Already three weeks in and I'm better at writing Urdu then anything else. Learning is a process...
- I also cannot help but miss the Black culture I call my own. It doesn't seem as difficult for the Eastern natives - heritage wise- to find a bit of security in India (the cuisine and the culture). The main stream Americans (because I was told some don't connect with "Caucasian.") aren't so easily bothered because of their similar culture with one another.
I have been thinking "what is my place here?" Knowing all along who I am and who I represent as a part of this program. ((you shouldn't wonder...if you are reading, I am sure you already know.))
I do wonder what the Lucknow people think of me...maybe ill soon find out.

This Fourth of July Ill be in India... Having Indian Pizza Hut and immersed in a culture outside of the pizza place not of my own... But undoubtedly of my people...not a race. Just Humans Being ;)

Wish my tummy luck.

The Taj and "Taj foolery."

There is a certain time you don't go out in India because of the extreme heat. That time is from about noon to five o'clock...Especially in June and definitely in Agra.

Our trip began almost being cancelled. A few of our guys set up a weekend trip to see the Taj Mahal for twelve people. This in itself was not the most simple task, but who goes to India and doesn't see the Taj? As the weekend neared everyone became more and more excited... Just until the details of the trip were released and we realized there were a few possible holes in our plans. The trip would cost at least Rs. 2700 (rupees) for travel by car and a room for two nights. On Friday, we hit another snafu! The program heads began to discuss with us the safety precautions of driving in India at night. (Being on the road at night was a part of the original plan.) As a result of all the chatter, four people dropped out of the trip. We planned and budgeted for six per vehicle; only six could fit. With the four dropping out because of the price (only about 60 American dollars), and the predicted heat and rain, only six people could go... ideally. Two of the fellows, like noble men, volunteered to drop out but that wouldn't be fair because they planned the trip. Now, we also had to either leave right after school or the next morning. (keep in mind this is only a weekend trip) There was for sure eight of us who wanted to go. We then spent the greater part of the afternoon trying to decide how to make the situation work. I decided to make the executive decision to just try to recruit four more people so no one would have to drop out.

This actually worked!

In all the commotion and desire to get enough people on board we found two more people. This made it a permanent TEN. (Five per car ended up being a perfect fit.) We all ran back to our places to pack and get back to the school within two hours/ by five o'clock. Getting to Agra would take approximately six to seven hours; we got there in eight. Being on the road was insane. All the backwards driving, giant trucks full of people with no lights, bumps in the road, and not being able to fully communicate with our drivers was a task. Shortly after being on the road, my car realized we had no food. The first thing I thought would be perfect was sandwiches. Unfortunately Indian people don't seem to eat those, and there is no such thing as packed ham or turkey here. None the less we starved only have eaten lunch at the school. Food from the side of the road isn't exactly safe... that was out of the question. Kilometers and kilometers later we stopped at a rest stop but none of us were down to eat there so we waited. Even more kilometers later we stopped and found a place with packaged snacks (cookies, chips, and crackers). The hunger slowly dissipated but it didn't help that we talked about all of the food we were already missing. For example, hamburgers, nachos, and guacamole. The road was a little less than rough.

Not too far from Agra our two Hindi speakers told our drivers exactly where the hotel was.
[Side Note: Maps come in very handy in India. The lack of GPS, Internet, and cell phones can greatly hinder any smooth plans one may have.]
We finally get to Agra. The drivers asked multiple people how to get to the hotel. By the way, it's the middle of the night. At this point asking resting rickshaw drivers for directions at a dead end seemed pretty fishy to me. Glad I was in a car with three smart and savvy guys. We eventually found the place, but not before going down some very suspicious roads.

We get settled in an hour and a half past midnight. The hotel we were in was just for the night but it ended up being five minutes from the Taj Mahal, which was great. We all decided to wake up at five to see the sunrise over the Taj. This was a good plan because we were there before the crowds and the dead of heat. At the Taj, we got a guide who showed us a few of the allusions. etc. A few hours later we were all hungry and unknowingly dehydrated. Our guide showed us to a popular place called Joney's to eat. Can you say BOMB! They had tourist friendly Indian food and it was super cheap. Breakfast sandwiches were Rs. 20...Cheaper than 50 cents. Thus we ordered a gazillion of them. Everything else was super cheap as well. I ordered one egg sandwich, one tomato and cheese sandwich, a fruit lassi, and a water. This was just the first visit. The sandwiches were fried and a lassi is similar to a smoothie...very tasty. We then proceeded to return to the hotel to move to another hotel. On the way we ran into a guy who had an antique shop and wanted to exchange money. He tried to rip us off by charging below the exchange price and then acting like he calculated correctly. What a waste.

To stay out of the heat we went back to the hotel to rest while the sun did its thing. We all would meet back up at Agra's Red Fort around five o'clock. But first, this new hotel gave us conditioned rooms. Notice I did not write air conditioned rooms. It was terrible. After an unbearable nap, my roommate and I inquired about an air conditioned room. We paid 450 rupees extra for it, which was well worth it.

Taj Mahal. After our touring we ate again and went shopping at a market. We didn't find much there though.

The next morning we planned to go back to Joney's for breakfast, meet up with the drivers, and go to another temple before we headed back to Lucknow. That didn't happen. The drivers were late and on our way to the temple, it began to rain. We made a unanimous decision to turn around and head back to Lucknow. It was a great trip! Even the bumpy roads, the flies, and the hustlers (people will try to see you anything) were cool.

We made it back safely...now I REALLY need to study.

Don't forget: "This is SPARTA!"

Gunfire and Goldfish!

I have come to believe that I am just sweating out all the toxins in my body.

(I only walked to the river.)

Went to the river
found us some friends
couldnt speak the language
just sort of pretend
but...
none of that really mattered
and all was well
the kids around us gathered
that was the deal...
[ That is pretty much the extent of the river visit. It was quite fun. We exchanged numbers with three young ladies who live here... This exploration was incentive to really learn the language. Gotta love it! ]

The other night I heard shots that sounded like gun fire. I just laid in the bed... more shots fired and the next thing you know my roommate was inquiring in my room. We went to the window and people were gathered in the street; music was playing loudly... We didn't know what to think of it. After seeing fireworks, we felt more secure and went back to bed. In the morning, we asked Aadesh (host brother) what it was. He explained to us that it was a wedding. During weddings a lot of non sense goes on but without it, there is no fun...he says. This information was a big relief to my roomy ;)

A Cultural Surprise.

Experiencing the first summer rain in India... The clouds rolled in covering the hot noon sun. Then the breeze began to pick up. I walked outside to the smell of what seems to be a burning tradition. I am unsure of what the people here are burning but the scent is not harsh...

It is monsoon season.

Finally, a weekend settled in. I 'm taking in the culture.

Similar to in the U.S., there is a large gap between the well off and the poor. That gap I think is greater here.
There are so many religions in India. The family I stay with is Hindi but it is interesting to know the different greetings one says to certain families depending on the religion. Many people have servants, which seems some what of a benefit because of the need for money.

People here eat later than someone in the states would on a normal basis. They eat dinner around 9 pm, and lunch is given to us at 1 pm.

We are fortunate to have a toilet in our home stays and at the institute. Few homes here use toilet paper. Actually they have squatting pots... built into the ground of course.

With learning the language I have become more and more submerged into the culture... Yes, I do like this.

Nightly Update!

Oh this event was good. After class we went to a mall. I cant remember the name because it's sort of difficult but listen...

Rule: Not to stay out in India After Dark.

Fact - it gets dark here after seven...seven thirty-ish

A group of us - two males and five females - run around the mall a bit looking for clothes, etc.
By seven thirty we decide that it is time to go.
We walk back out to the street where there are many bike rickshaws waiting for passengers.
Problem: we all pretty much live in different locations and none of us know how to tell the bike drivers how to get us to where we live.
One of us (Ayushi) is more familiar with the language than the others...so she goes about speaking the native tongue giving directions and orders.
Now, these guys are like taxi drivers and are hustling...
In the busy street it looked like five Americans vs. five or so rickshaw drivers...the scene was classic.
So she tells the driver how to get the guys home and they work out a price. 30 to 50 rupees (Rs.).
She is then speaking on the behalf of me and my roomys. [[One roomy is very outspoken and the other is sort of the only child type.]]
She is speaking with this guy for the better half of 15 minutes who clearly had a big ego. He wanted a lot of money and didnt seem to know where it was we were trying to get. By this time a crowd was forming in the street. Kids were poking us for hand outs and people were trying to sell us flowers. A kind woman did ask if we needed help and we should have taken it.
One guy interjected and acted as if he know where we needed to go. After a bit of negotiating...all three of us pile in a two person rickshaw...hopeful.
After about a quarter mile in the right direction the driver directs us to get out.
CONFUSION!!!
We reluctantly get out thinking he was saying something about the police but he wasnt.
Question: Did you really think this was where we were wanting to go for Rs. 50...
Answer: NO!
So Tabitha is talking to him and Sabrina is taken back more than the rest of us. < roomys
I immediately get on the phone with our host brother Adesh*.
He talks to the guy and we are on our way again...knowing this guys is going to want to charge us an outrageous fee.
After we got back to more familiar territory, the driver makes a wrong turn (i knew it). He drives a block and stops..
Wait...wait...wait...
And... he was whispering to people walking in the street. That was a No Go.
So...I get back on the phone with Adesh. The driver gives the phone to another guy in the street. He was an older man walking with a younger man. Adesh gave them directions to give to the driver and we were once again on our way.
At this point we were near the school but unsure of it. The school is not close to the house but I knew how to navigate from there. It was dark and Im guessing it was dangerous. (Just as in any city...rough or not)

We get back to the house. :)

The the driver sort of starts a scene... about the money of course. I handed him Rs. 100 and walked inside. The others lingered behind me. Our host brother came out and his servant I'm guessing ( a young boy - he answered the gate for me) Kids were beginning to gather and the family was watching from the inside. Also, another familiar rickshaw biker was outside. He is super friendly though and a strong old man if I might add. That was that! It wasnt that big of a scene; it was a very complex night.

I thank God but I know he had us the whole time.
It was fun...a "for sure" India experience.

Goodnight and Good Morning.