Indian Immersion 101

Welcome to my first post from India! It's only been two days, but I've seen and experienced so much already that I hardly know where to begin. I'll start with my first flight out, to London, because I had one of the best experiences and found so much assurance towards my purpose.

When I got my flight tickets, I realized that I had not asked if window seats were available so I went back to the counter and asked. The last two window seats were taken as she was looking at them. Not too dejected, I accepted my original seat thinking I might be with 'fascinating people I have great conversations with', to quote myself to my family and Peggy. It was like God heard me and said, 'Let's make that happen!', because I got the privilege of sitting next to an extraordinarily caring British woman, Beth, and her four-and-a-half month old son Reuben. Now, before you get all exasperated over the endless commotion possibilities, take a look at the little guy:

I know, right? The kid's got it goin' on. But the best part of the trip was my conversation with Beth, who was right in the middle of a nasty situation and had made the terrible choice to do what was best for her and her child. I was given the humbling opportunity to listen to her story and provide advice to someone who needed it badly. The conversation went on for half the trip, and I was so blessed to find blatant assurance from God that I needed to be in that seat, for that woman and her child. Divine orchestration. Those moments consoling and just being there for someone I'd never met before set the tone for this whole trip, and I found myself confident in my abilities, for whatever capacity in which I find myself.

I spent a few hours in downtown London, complete with shots of Parliament and Great Ben, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the Guard, and a breathtaking tour of Westminster Abbey. The day was cold, and I wore sandals. Wasn't too bad actually. I slept most of my other flight and got into Delhi right at 5am, breezed through customs, exchanged currency and found my luggage. I and another IVHQ volunteer, Mathilde from France, were picked up around 6 and brought to the IVHQ coordinator Ananta's apartment where some other volunteers are also staying. I decided to stay up so that I could make the sleeping transition easier, which has fared well so far. This morning was a breakfast of toast with peanut butter and jam (so Indian, right?) with hot tea (scratch that: British). Then the three volunteers  already here and I spent the morning wandering around the mostly sketchy, completely fascinating neighborhood. Back home to an Indian lunch of rice, a curry of some delicious sort with cauliflower, and fresh naan, then the five of us (Mathilde joined this time) decided to take the train to downtown Delhi for the afternoon: a most excellent choice.

How do I begin to describe this place, these people and the shopping district of Delhi? Things I experienced: many many stares; a dogfight wherein the winner limped away with the food and a bleeding ear; languid cows and pigs; a child sitting on an elevated bed under a tree waiting for passersby to request one of his many coconuts, which he then would chop open with a machete; many well-dressed Indians (most of them, actually) nonchalantly walking through garbage-laden streets (a paradox I still can't fathom); every rickshaw in Delhi slowing down next to us, hoping we'd hop in... then the drivers staring at us while slowly driving away into traffic unawares; an obviously rabid dog with most of it's hair gone; more people in one rickshaw than I could count; more shops selling the same items than I could count, and more pungent smells than I've ever before experienced. To name just a few. On the trip in, I sat next to an Indian fellow around my age named Garin who struck up a conversation with me. We covered a broad range of topics, mostly discussing differences between the U.S. and India and disparity within India and how he believes it's changing for the better more and more each day. Did you know that, once you complete school in India and go into the workforce, you never get a vacation day? Garin also said that family binds make it extremely difficult to leave the country and that he has wanted to get out for years. He's finishing up his Masters though, and going into the workforce soon so he had little hope in his eyes of travelling. He especially liked to hear me try to explain snow and delighted in trying to prove to me that Indian people are polite, curious and engaging. It was really a lovely talk, and I was glad I got that opportunity.

I have few complaints healthwise, other than a cold which seems to be confined to my nose (a blessing actually, as I can't smell the putrid air as much) and my one reaction to Indian food so it seems: Gas. De-airing your derriere, tooty fruity in my booty, cutting the cheese... no matter which way you say it, Indian food has given me a bit of flatulence. I know you really wanted to know that. You're welcome. Actually, I don't think it's disgusting at all here, after the things I've already seen (dog going number 2 in the middle of the street, anyone? a person going number off the sidewalk, like some sick trick shot that probably completely missed the bowl. Goal? Net. That's the word.), a little fart doesn't even reach one's ears or nose. It is a rather fascinating combination, though: farting and nose sniffles.

Now, it's off to bed with me. Going to start my project of becoming a morning person and doing prayertime/devotion reading in the mornings so I need to get up early. I think that, with my last sleep being on a plane and having walked miles and miles today, I shouldn't have trouble getting to sleep even with all of this noise. Oh, did I mention that I scored a full-size bed in a room of my own? Yeah, holla. The internet connection is great too, so I shouldn't have any problem there.

Tomorrow morning: the beginning of Orientation week! SO excited to find out the details of my placement and get rolling on learning Hindi!

Take care friends, and I shall leave you with a parting gift. I read this on a poster a vendor was trying to sell: 'If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a dear. Wipe clear.'

Heh.

Goodnight from India!