Lodhi Garden and Shopping!

I had an "almost" taste of home in the Lodhi garden yesterday! It is a super nice area with ruins and beautiful flowers & shrubs/trees with walking paths. We spent a couple of hours there walking the grounds, admiring the scenery and enjoying NOT being in a car. The garden is 80 acres of "peace" in the city. The garden holds multiple tombs - the earliest dating back to 1444. The garden was peaceful and a nice break from the typical honking and noise that encompasses the city. before we got to the garden, we stopped by the WWF but they were closed. We were still able to go into the lobby and learn a little more about the WWF history and their current efforts. There are only 1411 tigers left in India - there's a huge push to ensure they do not go extinct.

After the garden, we did what we always do - Eat! We went to a country-club sort of place that has a 50 year waiting list to become a member. 50 years. I didn't think it was that nice...we had a mix of continental and Thai food (I didn't eat - wasn't feeling the best) and some orange juice with a sort of salt added. After lunch, we hit the Janpath and State Emporiums. Janpath is this crazy street where haggling is absolutely necessary. I got some great gifts there! the State emporiums are boutiques from each state of India. No bargaining but great finds from places like the UP, etc. Again, awesome place for gifts (my duffel bag is seriously already fun between the things that I have been given and what I've bought...). It was pretty low key but Janpath was crazy. We left at exactly the right time because shortly after we got in the car it started to downpour. We went back to Sharvan's house and enjoyed a delicious "snack" (that was basically an equivalent to a full dinner with dessert) and I sat out on the patio with Carin and Scott on a covered swing enjoying the sounds of the rain and thunder. It was so peaceful and relaxing. I stayed out after Carin and Scott went back in and fell asleep on the swing. If it hadn't gotten so cold I probably would have slept longer!

After some good R&R we went back to our house and ate dinner. I started to organize my things - everything is a disaster after 5 houses....I got all of my things back into their labeled ziplocs and felt MUCH better. We are heading to Jaipur tomorrow so we need to pack a light overnight bag and leave the rest of our things at the Vikram hotel (our homebase).

Today was a little more intense emotionally. We went to a hospital where the Rotary club sponsors a Polio ward. 8 beds are always reserved for these patients. The doctor who showed us around was pretty much a saint - he is an orthopedic surgeon and people seriously line up to talk with him. he's changed so many lives and does great things. The hospital does not charge anything to make these corrections - basically they help straighten legs and perform other surgeries allowing people who are otherwise destined to crawl or have less mobility to walk with crutches, braces, or without any assistance. His work is truly incredible. I had a really tough time seeing the patients with pins in their legs, weights trying to straighten them out...both children and adults in such tough shape. A couple had just come out of surgery and were obviously in a lot of pain. I had to step out of the room for a bit...we also saw how they make the braces and artificial limbs - all by hand. We saw an incredible presentation of before and after cases...words truly cannot describe what these people go through.

After the hospital - again, we ate, and then went back to rest. I called my parents at 5:30 in the morning :) I'm really surprised they didn't disown me on the spot (just kidding!). I had a few minutes and wanted to take advantage of it! After that, we went to the Red fort and general area - it was crazy!! I need to post pictures and an entire post just on that!

Qutab Minar

This was truly incredible...absolutely breathtaking.

The Qutab Minar is at 72.5 meters at the base and the world's tallest brick minaret. It is situated in the Qutab complex, amidst the ruins of ancient Hindu and Jain temples which were destroyed and their stones used to build the Qutab complex and minar. Construction commenced in 1193 under the orders of India's first Muslim ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak, and the topmost storey of the minaret was completed in 1386 by Firuz Shah Tughluq.

The detail is phenomenal...the colors are striking. I can't believe how beautiful it was and the shape it was in for its age! We spent over an hour walking the grounds...definitely a highlight!

Music and Change

Pictures:

Wedding - round 2 - with a different team-member :) Carin stayed home and Scott actually made it! We saw all but the white horse part. The Indian weddings have SO many layers and celebrations - this was the part when the groom goes to the bride on a white horse and there is dancing. Then, the bride and groom greet each other with flowers (you can see when she is walking around him and throwing flowers on him - I love this picture because you can see the mischevious smile). That is about half of the wedding. The other part is the actual vow and a symbolic walking around a fire 7 times.

The other picture is from the car - we see this a lot and I am never ceased to be surprised when I see cows on the street or 4 people crammed on a motorbike (2 children included without helmets). I don't even know what to say....

So, I think the one thing that is keeping me "sane" amongst zero control levels and chaos is music. My love for classical music is growing and artists like Kutless, Matthew West, and the LDS hymns are my little 'slice' of home. The good news is that with that - I'm absolutely LOVING India. This is truly a better experience than I could have imagined. I've been asked a few times about the food and I keep neglecting to say how absolutely incredible the food is here - so much for losing weight! That is SO not happening - sometimes it feels like all we do is eat! The food is delicious - the layers of flavor are unlike anything I've had at home and I seriously need to do a better job of learning how to cook here. I've "mastered" paratas (stuffed chipates - I think I spelled that incorrectly) and pretty much nothing else. Last night we went to a wedding and the food was probably the best I've had. We had stuffed red bell peppers, paneer (always!), other vegetables and the gravy and vegetables that has a name that I should have written down :) MMMM...sooo good....I'm still adjusting to spicy food for breakfast but it is really growing on me. We alternate between western breakfast (eggs, toast, fruit) and traditional breakfast (vegetables, paratas, spicy food, etc.). My poor stomach isn't exactly 100% all of the time, but its not really at home either so I am absolutely not complaining. When I get home I'll work to get a few of these things down for sure...anyone interested??

We changed homes this morning and I was pleasantly surprised to have wireless Internet AND we got the key (bonus!). Carin and I are staying together again but we don't have our own rooms this round. That's totally fine...I just feel bad for the guys because they are also sharing a room and neither one is 100% healthy. My host "dad" is a urologist (surgeon) and one of the nicest guys I've met. His wife is a sweet lady as well - they are so welcoming and it was SO nice to have a bit of relaxation time....we're both pretty tired. They have 3 dogs and it really makes me miss Riley :( BUT, one is a rescued street dog and he is super sweet. The other 2 are still warming up to us, but I am sure we'll be great friends by the time we depart in about 4 days. Tomorrow is their 32nd anniversary and I am going to make them a cake. I am a little nervous because I usually support my awesome department and bake Betty Crocker Supermoist cakes thus, I haven't baked a cake from scratch in, um, well, like 15 years - and then I only did it twice. So, let's hope that the 'food person' doesn't bake something terrible and let everyone down... :S I'm pretty confident that the frosting will turn out - I hope they have a mixer...hmm...maybe I should take an inventory of the kitchen before I find a grocery store. I'm excited, either way, to make something for them. I have this feeling I am going to become super attached to this family, much like Rohit and Anu.

The schedule that is posted on my office door is so completely wrong it isn't even funny. When we arrived we got an updated schedule and basically every club we go to (change approximately every 4 days) we get an updated schedule from the master. The good news is we are actually getting a rest day tomorrow - the first one! In my rest day, I'm not really resting, rather, I'm heading back to Guragon for what, I am not exactly sure. It'll be an adventure. My ideal day involves riding a rickshaw and trying to get lost which wouldn't be very hard. I know that probably won't make my parents or family very excited so No, I will not do the aforementioned by myself, but I really really want to ride one before we go! Here's the adventurous Michelle breaking out :) I need to play and run...I've been caged a little too much with all the scheduling. I'm learing patients - this is really good for me!

Sure, now I'm tired...

So after a ton of blog entries, I'm finally starting to feel tired again :( Its funny, one would assume with all of these ridiculous modern ammenties and hot water, I'd be sleeping great. The bed is comfortable and life is good, but my mind is just racing and I keep having nightmares. Last night it was I couldn't get 'home' and I was walking to my current 'home' being chased in India...pretty much lost because Delhi is an absolute driving nightmare. There are so many u-turns and round-abouts, I feel like we just drive in circles for a really long time. Its hard to distinguish much of anything, especially when I'm paying attention maybe half of the time. I keep seeing the stadium for the Commonwealth games this fall and of course the monstrous AIIMS (which still makes me shiver)...

I suppose when I decide to venture out of my cozy bed (which will be in a few minutes) i'll get ready for my vocational day. This is day 3/4 for the vocational visits. Mary is actually coming along with me because of the terrible experience I had on the last one. Really, that was not good...i think I could write an entire book on that...

Then, we have another part of a wedding to attend - the dancing around the white horse ceremony. I have no idea what it is really called but the groom and a young boy arrive to the bride's house on an elaborate white horse. I think the sisters or sister-in-laws feed the horse too and of course there is dancing and I'd be shocked if there wasn't food. I think this'll be the first time in over a week that the whole team will be back together. Scott is looking much better, Carin was good after a day rest yesterday, I'm feeling better (even without a ton of sleep), Mary was always fine, so now hopefully Mike is doing ok! Hopefully we have our sickness out of the way.

I still have SO many things to post, but I think it'll have to wait until tonight or tomorrow morning :) I hope everyone is doing well!! Cheers from India :)

My "home"

From the land of extremes....here's one end. The pictures really don't do this place justice....I'll take more before I leave. It seriously takes me a good 3+ minutes to walk to Carin's room....

Church!

So, amongst all of the temples and chaos in Delhi, there are 2 havens also known as meetinghouses :) After the polio vaccinations, I was actually able to go to one! Granted, my whole keeping the sabbath holy has not been exactly optional because of the schedule, but I still feel like I am supposed to be here. So, my driver (yes, I have a driver) found the church with little direction - it was awesome. I can't explain how comforting I felt to see the elders and talk with them. I immediately felt better after a blessing (they really couldn't understand me well because my voice was mostly gone) and was able to attend Relief Society. The branch was quite small - there were about 8 young women and maybe 7 adult women (we all met in the same room for opening exercises). Our lesson was on repentance and it was great - we had good discussion amongst the intimate group. They even asked me to give the closing prayer. I had quite a few hugs and was overcome with gratitude that I could attend a meeting with the Saints in India! How cool is that!?! It was a well-needed experience - even if it was short - and I was so happy to sing (even without a voice) and feel at home for a short while. I was also able to give the elders my specially-packed bag of American Candy I brought. They looked happy - however, I thought I was being pretty generous for 2 elders but was a little surprised when I met 6! So, it's not going to go as far as I had hoped....still I hope they enjoy just a bit from the States. I should have written down their names but I didn't get a chance - I was so appreciative they were there, could talk for a few minutes, and happy to give me a blessing. I love the Elders!! I love the Elders who taught me! I miss them!!

The Center...

So, I'm sitting in my mansion (home that has an elevator, atrium, and more space that hotels I've been in. Seriously, my room is at least - at LEAST 1000 sq. ft and beautiful), listening to Matthew West, "The Center", and contemplating everything that has happened thus far. We're about half way through and I can't decide if it feels like we've been here a year or 2 days. The good news I'm adjusting to things like the traffic and eating dinner at 10:30 pm. The extremes are still a lot to digest and I guess I'd rather continually be shocked by them opposed to start to become immune. It is still hard to avoid eye contact with the throng of children that knock on the car windows each time we are stopped at a light or in traffic.

The good thing is that even in everything - it is SO clear that Heavenly Father is HERE and loves his children. Two days ago (Sunday) we started the day visiting 2 polio vaccination sites for the national vaccination day. There are thousands of sites around Delhi alone and they use a bivalent immunization to prevent 2 of the 6 strains of polio. We met the team of doctors who oversee the entire operation - it is a record-keeping, organizational nightmare. There are so many children and the effort is so large....

One really interesting fact is women are actually paid to have their children in the hospital basically so that the children will get a set of shots the day they are born. Apparently many children are born into slums because the mothers are uneducated and think the doctors may hurt more than help. The amount they are paid is minimal (equivalent to about $10), but still it is enticing for people who simply do not have anything. The children are given these immunizations and their left pinky finger is marked with a permanent marker to indicate they've recieved the vaccination. While performing some vaccinations, I accidently grabbed the marker by the wrong end and got it all over my hand. I sort of wondered if it was a special marker (wasn't labeled sharpie or anything) that would stay on the skin and nail longer but after a couple washes the same day - it all came off. This seems insignificant unless you realize that these children just don't have washing capabilities and that's why the marker works - in a week the mark will still be there so the people who go door-to-door or through the slums can tell if the children have had their immunization. Wow....

I took a video as we walked out of the slum....I haven't watched it to see if it even catches everything (I just held it against my chest) or anything...If it isn't too bad I'll post. otherwise, I'll show those interested when I get home....

I can't believe how awake I am....for being sick and having more nightmares (sleeping less than 5 hours), I feel actually very good. Thank you to everyone who has been writing emails - I haven't responded to many but knowing that you are all doing (pretty) well and haven't completely forgotten about me yet is comforting :)

Indian Wedding

As the pictures do not accurately articulate - India is totally the land of extremes. I cannot imagine how much money was spent on this wedding. It was truly beautiful and more food that i think I've ever seen (including a buffet in Las Vegas...). We had fun dressing up and seeing it, but it sort of made me sick seeing the food that was wasted knowing children down the street were starving.

Carin and I were discussing how strange it was to be at a wedding and not really know anyone...so after "experiencing" everything we went home early (about 12:30). As we were wrapping up our photo session, I turned around and actually recognized someone - Nav - someone I went to school with at the U of M! I couldn't believe it...I called his name and it was actually him! We chatted for a few minutes - apparently he was a friend of the groom and working between Delhi and Calcutta. CRAZY! We had to go - our cars were being pulled around - but it was awesome to see someone familiar! What a small world!!!

Humayun's Tomb

This tomb was designed by the same person who did the Taj Mahal. It was truly gorgeous & breathtaking. The pictures cannot really show the beauty and intricate details! We walked around for quite awhile and it ended up to be very hot! This was the first major 'tourist' thing we did and it was strange to see other Americans and tourists (apparently most people don't come to see AIIMS in Delhi :).

After the tomb, Carin and I went to see the doctor - he was totally dismissive and told us we were just worried because of the traveling. It was incredibly frusterating but life went on...

Update :)

So, since the last post (not today's), we've switched clubs again! Scott was admitted and released from the hospital (pneumonia - he looks really good now and his voice is better than mine!), I've been to a doctor and chemist (pharmacist) and am feeling better (so incredible that I can walk right in, ask for prescription drugs and buy them for about $2 or WAY less...), performed polio vaccinations (in the slums, was incredible), been to CHURCH (LDS church - wow, totally needed it!), seen more temples (mostly Hindu), tombs, and been to a wedding. I have over 20 pages of typed journal....I can't even begin to discuss the experiences we've been having. So, I think my plan is to post some of the highlights and lots of pictures :)

SO Behind

I FINALLY got wireless and I'm incredibly behind! First...some pictures :)

This is the bird sanctuary we went to last week - feels like years ago! the first picture is a monkey that almost killed Mike. He (the monkey) thought Mike was getting too close to his companion and baby when he was approaching to take pictures and got pretty upset.

Another is of a king fisher bird - gorgeous colorful bird that I crept up to take a picture of....I think everyone got pictures of me slowly approaching to get pictures of the bird...haha :)

The last is a general picture of the sanctuary - it was SO nice to be away from traffic! For once, we didn't have a million horns honking or tons of people around...oh so relaxing :)

Vocational Day and picture issues

This truly will be quick because I’m typing and then transferring to my flash drive so that I can use dial up to post. And right now I’m attempting to send an email on the dial up and its not working. Frusterating!

The only word to describe the moment is “blahhhh” as Carin would say (it is totally rubbing off on me). Today was crazy…really crazy. We had our vocational days and I went to one of the biggest and “best” grain producers (corn, popcorn, flour, chickpeas, beans, etc.) in the country. I put “best” in quotes because I couldn’t believe what I saw. I don’t want to write too much here in the off chance it is read by the wrong person but let’s just say I wasn’t impressed – or hungry – to say the least. The worst part is that the contact (director of the facility) sent 3 samples of rice with me so that I could take them back to my headquarters because he is very interested in doing business with the 6th largest food company in the world. I’m never going to complain when the FDA shows up again. Really. Promise.

Afterwards I took a 3 hour nap – was really tired and stressed – and then we went shopping. The market we went to had many sales and I got some awesome clothes and scarves. I got a partial silk skirt (that isn’t black!! – thought of Susie) for about $10. So many other things too…I was excited.

I’m still struggling with the whole driver and servant thing. It is crazy that we have drivers for everything and I’m supposed to leave my bags in the car so he can carry them up for me. I feel like I’m in a movie. I send my clothes out, get served stuff constantly, have my room and bathroom cleaned, and I do not lift a finger. It makes me quite uncomfortable, really. I don’t think it is nice, I feel like these poor people are not treated the same. I smile and say hi but there is a difference…its hard to digest and more hard to explain. I do know that this is employment for them and they truly need it but still….

Tonight we are going to a dinner and then dancing. I’m starting to feel a little tired already AND I don’t think I ever went to a club when I was even in Minneapolis, SO this isn’t exactly “Michelle”. Oh well, I’ll have fun anyway  I’m actually wearing Indian clothes too…I feel silly but have been assured I look fine….I don’t know about that…

Better go, leaving in 5 minutes!!

I will really try to post more pics...I failed 3 times last night and gave up...will try again tonight!!

New Club, New Family, Train Museum!

So, I really tried to post last night but the Internet didn't work out so well...SO, I have just a paragraph that I need to finish about yesterday. Today, I got up to see Avni and Mahi off to school (6:40 and 8:30 respectively). I packed and got ready somewhere in the middle of all of that. I was so sad to leave - I absolutely adored that family. Rohit and Anu were the most wonderful hosts. Rohit asked how they could have improved over breakfast - and I really, honestly, couldn't think of anything - they were so hospitable. Breakfast was so awesome - we got "raspberries"....I'll post a picture they don't quite look like the raspberries we get at home.

Then, I went over to Scott's house - he's not looking so great. He had a cold when we got here and it really took a turn for the worse. He stayed with his hosts in Guragon again today while we continued back to Delhi...we really missed him :(

Still, we continued on to our hosts (meeting at our first hotel again and splitting up) before going to the museum. My hosts are wonderful - they have two sons in the UK and have 2 dogs that are wonderful company. Vijay is a civil engineer and is working on many large projects. He owns his own company and seems very nice. Rita, his wife, took me to the market after I hung up my clothes and in an hour we got shoes, bangles, and jewelry for the wedding. We also got a sweater (for a gift) and a duffel bag so I can check another bag on the way home. I'm going to need at least that one bag - it is crazy that I've been to 2 homes and already have my suitcases completely packed!!! I may have to leave a few things behind (like the pants I ripped....yeah, that was a good day and apparently an indication that I ate a little too much Indian food...yumm....).

Then, we had a quick lunch - more Indian food (first time I've had it since I felt really sick - it was good), and went to the museum. I got some silly pictures climbing on trains...we had a pretty good time. There was a train that went around the park and we budged in front of a ton of school kids to ride it so we could head home...it was pretty rickety and sketchy....but we all made it and rode in the caboose! The museum had a ton of old track-changing equipment and out of commission equipment (engines, etc.). It was a fun, informational, relaxing afternoon. We're now updating our pictures, group blog, and catching up on some things we need to work on. Its pretty low key...nice.

Tomorrow is a vocational day and the plan is for me to go to one of the leading flour producers in India. My hosts happen to be working on designing & building their new production facility so...I get to go and tour one of their facilities. I'm excited - should be interesting.

Okay, I need to post pics and then re-do my post from yesterday. I'm behind on writing up a paragraph for the first club's newsletter. More work ahead!!

Picnic Pictures

One is of the game with the bricks/dodgeball theme :) I should really find the name...

One is of Mahi - she is super cute and I am staying with her family.

Three-legged race!! ha!

The flowers were so beautiful - I had to post a picture of one :)

Picnic and Sickness...

Yesterday was a ton of fun - we drove about an hour to a development by one of the Rotarians - he is making villas. The archetect is the same person who designed the house i'm staying in - and it is beautiful. The villas are gorgeous as well. They set up a lovely picnic area with tables, food (of course), and music. We played soccer (football), flew kites, and played another game...as Scott (teammate) said, "Its like dodgeball with bricks and stuff..." :) I have a video I'll have to get on youtube somehow - it is hilarous! Mary, Carin, and I were in a race balancing a pot on my head (got about half way down and it fell off); Scott was in a race with a lemon in a spoon (he actually took 2nd place!), and Scott & I attempted a 3-legged race (didn't work so well since he's about a foot and a half taller than I am...but I'm sure it was entertaining for those watching!). So, we had fun. But, right at the end I started to feel ill and by the time we got home my stomach and entire abdomen area. So, they called the doctor and 20 minutes later I popped 2 pills. They helped a lot but I still had dry toast for dinner and went to bed early.

The hard part about yesterday was seeing the workers constructing the adjacent villas as we were all having fun. I felt so bad as they looked onto us and our games - the only way I can describe it is I felt the same way I did when I have previously read stories about slavery in the US. Obviously, these people are being paid but I can't imagine what they are thinking. I feel so akward - like I should go help them put bricks up or something. Its strange...I am not explaining how I reall feel well. I don't know if I can fully comprehend the situation to really write about it in the first place.

Today we are off to a bird sanctuary and a club meeting (presentation time!). I guess this sanctuary is a haven for migratory birds from Siberia...hopefully we will see a ton of birds.

Sabbath totally broken and it's only 9:30 :(

Its hard to be a "light which cannot be hidden" when I'm doing things like breaking the Sabbath. I realize that I have a strict schedule and Heavenly Father knows where my heart is and I knew this would be part of the deal, but I would hate to think anyone sees me as insincere. That's weighing on me at the moment.

On a better note, I'm staying at a wonderful home with a sweet family. Rohit started his own precision auto parts business that exports to the US. I saw so many of the same tools we use at the plant - why-why, fishbone, SPC, etc. It was pretty cool. Also their leadership does a basic LSW walk with the employees and has "bottleneck" meetings to discuss what the workers say are issues. Its nice to see so much involvement.

We were "Americanized" last night - we went to TGIF restaurant :) Scott, Mary and i shared a veggie pizza. Then Scott and I went for a quick walk around an adjacent mall to "decompress" for a few minutes. Every once in awhile I get those emails at work that make my blood-pressure rise and I know that I need to simply close them and relax a bit. With everything going on, that seems to be the best analogy of how I feel - except I can't close the email. Don't get me wrong, this is the most amazing experience but I feel like I'm not able to really comprehend the full ramifications of the siutation. There are such extremes - such poverty and wealth...Beauty and horror...similarities and differences...I'm just trying to absorb everything I can. I suppose it will hit me over months to come.

I'm pretty sure I got a new nick name - I think it is Spunky.... :) Made me think of Al and "spitfire". Hopefully I don't drive my teammates crazy...they didn't know what they were getting into :) I'm defiantly trying to be 'me'...no point in really trying to worry about what everyone else thinks....way too stressful. I figure that if I truly try my best to be true to myself then I will represent America and Rotary well. At least I hope...

Today we are off to a picnic - like I said Sabbath broken. Then, I'm not sure but I hope that we will spend some time with our families. I love the girls - Avni and Mahi - they are so sweet and fun to be around. Avni is about to turn 15, and Mahi is around 6...(not sure). The picnic should be fun - we have activities like kite flying, a 3-legged race, and tug-o-war. Pictures should be fun later! Luckily I got a bit of time to myself this morning and was able to listen to wholesome music and do a bit of scripture study. Its been *interesting* seeing all of the religions over here. That would be a whole blog entry by itself....

Breakfast time!!

PS. Thanks to everyone who is reading this - I've been getting some emails and it is awesome to see some friendly notes from home. I'll respond, I promise, I just need to find some time!! Love you and miss you all :)

Pictures from the car.

This is my disclaimer becuase they aren't very high quality. Still - you have to see a few of these...

Vocational Day - January 28th

Here are the pictures of the temple, McDonalds, and Britannia. Check out the menu for McDonalds - my favorite is the veggie surprise :)

The crazy thing is I don't really eat it in the states, and I had it in India! Here, they give you seasoning and a bag to shake your fries. I kept one of the seasoning packets to bring home - they tasted very good!

Hauz-Khas Village

This is the man made lake and monument that is over 800 years old. The little shops that were nearby reminded me of uptown in Minneapolis - 'posh'. The lake was beautiful but very polluted. I loved how you could really climb anywhere - no safety ropes!

January 28th pictures

Here are the pictures from the orphanage - the child Carin is holding is one of the chidren of the 16 year old girl I mentioned in my previous post. She was very cute and we were all surprised that she came to Carin!

The second is their method of making concrete - this was on the roof of the hospital and they would mix the water and mix with a crude shovel sort of thing. Then, it was placed on the round plate and carried on a man's head down all of the stairs to where they were working.

The third is a picture of the hospital in progres...

The last is the sign for the boy's house in the orphanage.

The website for this home is www.humancareint.org if anyone is interested. I really feel like we can do something to help as things are so cheap here but they truly need funds and support.

Wow!

I just arrived at my second home and it is truly incredible! My room has a huge bed, sofa, private bath, and walk-out. it also has wash clothes :) (just for Alex). I am really hoping for hot water!! It is so surprising that a minute before we pulled up we saw not so nice of areas and then we walk into this huge (must be 5000 sq feet at least), beautiful home. I'm staying with a Mechanical engineer, his wife, and 2 children. AND there is wireless Internet :) I felt inclined to hang all of my clothes up in the closet and truly unpack so that I am comfortable here. Its a good feeling.

Right before I arrived here, we went to a Rotary Public School (and in India public means private). It was incredible. They have 2000 students from K-12. The chemistry class was covering things I learned in gen chem. The physics class was covering things I learned in differential equations (2nd year of college) and these were 16 year-olds. No wonder these kids are brilliant! This school was started by a Rotarian in the 1980's and has grown from 4 classrooms to the current size. The students win many awards and are well versed in the arts. It was really cool to see these little bulletin boards around the school - they had great quotes, I wish I would have written them down! I thought about Julie a ton!

In about an hour and 15 minutes I will be picked up to go to a "modern shopping mall" that apparently has 4 floors and each one is a 1 km loop. hopefully I'll find something for the wedding. Then, we have dinner at a Rotarian's house and I am looking forward to sleeping!

The plans keep changing - instead of going to the Hero Honda factory, we are now going to go to 3 Rotarian's factories. One is in polymers/rubber (I'm super excited for that!), one in textiles (major exporters to places like the Gap), and another is in auto parts. After that we will have lunch and whatever else and it sounds like we will go to 3 Idiots tomorrow :) The long awaited movie....but apparently it doesn't have subtitles so who knows what it will be like.

The plan now is to organize my photos and "freshen up". More fun to come! But of course I'll post pictures first :)

Emotional Rollercoaster

This may be brief and the punctuation will be terrible because I'm in a car right now :) Tarun has this great little USB device that connects to the Internet anywhere and I'm taking advantage of it after visiting Britannia - the leading biscuit manufacturer in India. The factory tour was fantastic! I was very happy to hear they train and have HACCP, GMPs, and we spoke the same language. i felt at home there and saw equipment much the same as Chanhassen had. The processes are very similar but I was surprised to hear about their fantastic safety record even though all i had to wear was a hair net. It was great to see that they use the same standard Metal detector check pieces as well. I could go on for a bit longer but I'll spare everyone who is reading and not interested in all the details of biscuit making :)

Today started well - another freezing cold shower - very spicy breakfast washed down with fresh papaya. Then, papa took me to the temple (papa is the father of Tarun, I'm not sure of his real name at this point, but he said i was now family and could call him papa. he also invited me back and said out of the thousands of people and women he has met I'm the first one who doesn't drink alcohol...). I'm not really sure what type of temple it was but we did this thing called "pooja" (made me smile thinking of Pooja!) and everyone at the temple knew papa. he has been going since the beginning/establishment and he has special treatment. We were escorted around personally. we only spent about an hour there and did a few things that i completely don't understand and couldn't get any explanation for. we actually got gifts from them - fresh coconut, more flowers, bananas, and some little white sweets. it was interesting to say the least. I had a tough time because these people were literally worshiping idols and statues. i suppose i needed to experience this because i never did understand how one of the commandments could be to not worship any other gods. i always understood this as we had to put Heavenly Father first and although I had heard that people do worship idols, etc. it was an entirely different experience to see people literally worship them on 74 acres in beautiful, ornate, gold buildings while half a block down the street children are begging for money and the lower class is sitting in their makeshift houses. the contrast is truly mind-boggling.

So, today has been good and eye-opening but doesn't compare to yesterday. yesterday morning we went to the AIIMS cancer center. It was part of a hospital subsidized by the government. This particular building was started by a Rotarian and the board of the hospital meets with a board of Rotarians from the district once a month to discuss extra funding that is needed. The director we met with in a very humble office, was in charge of preventative research. He said that 5 years ago 70% of the people who came to the hospital were untreatable because of the advance state they were in. now it has reduced to about 60% because of the education they are working on. Much more work is ahead. They are looking for funding to get a van and equip it with a machine to do mammograms. Breast and cervical cancer are the leading cancers for women. head/neck is for men in India. they also have departments on drug research and others in the hospital. it is a teaching institute and of the thousand of applicants just a handful are admitted each year. So, i imagined a beautiful hospital - as it is the best in the area - people come from neighboring countries for treatment, even the prime minister and other diplomats use it - but i couldn't believe what i saw. there were so many people everywhere - they come in from miles away for radiation. they have 8 rooms that are constantly full. there are nearby hostels that they recommend for the people who come for treatment during the day and have to go back at night. the hospital is 200 beds and there is a constant waiting list. if that's not enough, we saw where the major surges take place..NOTHING even resembling what we have in the US. the beds that people come out of surgery on are like gurneys with a small pad. we saw someone come out...she didn't look so good. It was really hard....and then, at the end we were taking a few pictures outside of the building and I saw a lady with her 2 children. when I turned around again, I saw her son in her arms, his eye bulging, red - the size of a 3-year old's fist protruding from his little head. She was simply holding him, waiting. this is one of many. while we were also there a man was lifted from his rolling bed to a rickshaw. I have no idea where he was going but he couldn't even really lift himself.

So then, to continue the rollercoaster, we went to Haus Kaus (spelling?) - and it was a beautiful area built about 800 years ago - large structures that now serve as a tomb and a nice man-made lake. the area was beautiful and unlike in the states - you could walk anywhere. It was a strange change to just go wherever I wanted. I have great pictures from it I'll post when i'm not in a car :) We had a fabulous lunch in an award-winning restaurant that overlooked a beautiful park just minutes walking away from Haus Khas. This was our up...

but then...we were again taken to a heart-wrenching but inspiring area - an orphanage and school for kids from a leper colony. They are not allowed to go to school so this amazing man has taken them in. he started this school years ago (i will get the details and website up soon!) and now he has over a hundred people living there. As if it isn't enough to have these children, teach them, provide food and shelter, he also has an room for the mentally unstable. These are the people whom society has taken advantage of or neglected. They all have some kind of issue and are quite unpredictable. one girl - age 16 - was raped and left on the side of the road. She had already had 2 children. One of the babies - who is 3 year old - was so very cute but obviously underdeveloped. she looked maybe 18 months...maybe. She came to Carin when we were sitting in the hall with all the children. She was so cute but it was absolutely heart breaking. He also provides a rest home for the 'elderly'. basically, its a place where people can die in peace. i think he said they lost 2 people last week alone. They can be brought in from the government or just found on the side of the street. he takes care of them - no questions. right now he is working on funding for an adjacent hospital. it is under construction. I'll post pictures, you'll never believe them. He still needs more funding and is constantly looking for help. He quit his job and he and his daughters (his wife passed about 4 years ago) live on site. There is no running water. Food is all donated. he didn't have a bed until last year. he has much faith in Jesus and the children attend church. it was sort of sup rising to see a Christian amongst everyone of the different faiths.

there are so many opportunities here to help and some very good people devoted to making this place better. i still find myself surprised at everything - I think i won't be able to fully comprehend everything for quite some time. So, now I just document it.

Well, this is quite long and i better check my email again :) I change homes tomorrow and I am not certain if i will have Internet access. Hopefully - and I will post pictures. Tomorrow is a tour of the Hero Honda factory - they are the leading supplier of motorcycles over here - and trust me there are many! They look awesome and fun...I am excited. I saw Honda and was hoping we would see something on AI, but not so. that's OK!
AND we just pulled into our enclave so we'll be home soon! i hope everyone is doing well, i definitely miss things back home but this is truly an incredible experience!

more pictures

A few more - we had a lovely greeting at the first school - Carin and I are posing :)
the 2 girls dancing are at the 2nd school - they were so cute and did a wonderful job. One girl had so much confidence - it was wonderful to see because at the first school when girls would sing or dance they would just look at the ground. the other picture is our second greeting at the second school (hence the red dot on my forehead and flowers in my hair)

Pictures

not sure why I am having so many issues with pictures :) It took about 30 minutes to upload these last night :(

The first one is of the water jugs that the people fill every other day. then, there is a close up of one of the posters in the school class room. it is entitled something like "things good boys do"!!! Then, we have a picture of the team with many of the students on a terrace outside of their classroom - so many cute children!!

Day 2, I think...

Already SO much has happened that my mind is constantly in motion. This is my first real chance at the internet although I am still having issues connecting to some websites (for example, webmail for work). It is a slow connection and reminds me (almost) of when we had dial-up on the farm :)

SO....the 15 hour plane ride was great...we had on demand tv shows, movies, games, and music. i didn't even take my netbook out. I watched Modern Marvels (yes, I know i'm a nerd) and some PG movie. I slept a little, looked at the music, and then listened to my music. We had Indian food on the plane - it was actually delicious and a good start. When we arrived, the airport security was very tight because of the upcoming Republic Day security. there were armed men everywhere. Welcome to India...

We stayed at a hotel and the next morning had a wonderful Indian breakfast. We didn't see much of the city the night before because we got in around 10 pm and it was dark and foggy. So, the next day (Monday, 25th), we really got to see traffic and parts of the city. We had a briefing and discussed some of the upcoming events. Then, after lunch, we were taken to our host families and prepared for a Rotary dinner. My host family is Charoo and Tarun with their 3 children. They are very nice and live in the Sanik Farm area. A "farm" around here is just an enclave or grouping of houses on larger plots. It is further away from the city and quite nice. the house I am in backs up to about 5-6 acres of vegetables. The family has a helper for the kitchen and a driver. Different way of life....

This morning we got up quite early (6 am) and went to the Republic day parade. It is crazy how tight security was - everyone was patted down and went through metal detectors. nothing besides the official invitation and identification was allowed inside. So, no pictures :( still, the parade was awesome! the first half was just of the different military organizations - they all had on colorful uniforms. the typical head-dress looked like a sunshine mohawk :) There were bands and even a band riding on the backs of camels! There were also floats from each of the different states and some of the ministries (like Agriculture - it was covered completely in flowers). the finale was a fly over from the air force OH! and they had big tanks and this multiple missile launcher and the biggest missile I've ever seen in the parade too.

After lunch we went to 2 of the 5 schools that the Megapolis Rotary club sponsors in low income areas. These just blow my mind. The children are so cute but just left to their own devices because the parents are laborers and leave every day. in the first area there was no water - the government brings in water tanks and they fill up old plastic jugs for the next day or 2 use. The area is like something I've never seen. in fact the whole city is truly shocking for me. it is very good to see and appreciate, yet my heart just aches to see the condition in which these people live.

After the visits, we did a bunch of shuttling everyone around and I came back to my home for a couple hours before another club dinner. (we eat dinner around 8:30 or 9 pm each night). i got a tour of the upstairs of the house - it is absolutely beautiful! and looked at their wedding pictures. it is culture here for the groom to ride to the bride on a white horse - how romantic! the whole process is quite interesting. I am excited as we will be able to attend at least one wedding (already been invited to another one!).

Some funny moments include Ravi saying that if we see a popular Hindi movie we should see "three idiots" or "avatar" ... nice :) passing cookies between cars at the stoplight because our hosts must think we are always hungry! almost being hit about a million times because the lines on the road do not mean a thing, really. Seeing cows walk down the middle of the street and avoid traffic.

Some not so fun moments - never having a warm shower (hot is completely out of the question...warm would be sooooo nice), seeing dogs all over the streets, children coming up knocking on windows and begging, going to restrooms and finding that toilet papers is simply not used (learned to now take it along wherever I go), having to take some pepto bismol tabs, and the list goes on.

we have been having so much fun though! the hosts are so wonderful and nice. They are sweet and thoughtful. the children in my house are great - the youngest boy (4 years old) was sitting in my lap in the car for about an hour this afternoon. He doesn't speak much english (mostly Hindi if anything) but he was talking to me...I felt terrible that i had no idea what he was saying. for some reason Hindi is not really sticking with me...

I found out some great news...tomorrow we are going shopping for clothes for the wedding and I get dinner with my family. We are also going to see a cancer hospital and another of the club's projects. Thursday i will be going to India's largest biscuit manufacturer's plant close to Delhi. I am excited! ALSO, one of our hospitality committee members said if there is anything we want to do, to ask. So, i took the LDS church address to him and asked if I could go on one of my Sunday afternoons that are "free time". He looked at the address, found when I would be close and it happened to be a free Sunday. so, February 6th I'll be participating in fast Sunday :) i'm super excited! AND we also get to participate in a polio immunization day! This was one thing I really wanted to do and was told we weren't going to be able to....well plans have changed! This will be wonderful...I'm so glad we are able to participate and really help try to eradicate polio in one of the last countries to have the terrible disease. this trip is truly beyond my imagination.

I'm going to post a few pictures and go to bed. I'm absolutely exhausted and need to sleep. a lot...So, hopefully I'll be back on soon but if not, here's a start. I've been keeping an electronic journal at least 1x per day to remember everything. i think I'll have to reorganize the pictures later. :)

Okay, pictures not working right now...will try to post on another page...

56 pounds...

I'm allotted 50 lbs for my checked luggage (x1 piece) unless I feel like pay fees for an extra bag or overweight luggage. Not 56. I'm looking at my main suitcase - it has plenty of room, just needs to lose weight. AND, as I look around my room, I still see my uniform, a pair of shoes, some miscellaneous items (including batteries, my camera, netbook, jewlery, glasses, etc.), 3 lbs of chocolate, and about 6 lbs of jelly beans that still need to go. hmmmm....this could be a challenge. Good thing I have a few days to work on it :)

I'm SO happy I went shopping with Susie today - I found a great black jacket ($4), some new collared shirts to go under the jacket (very professional, and about $3 each), another pair of Navy shoes (back-up for the Calvin Kleins - $5), and a spare pair of Gap Kakies ($10). I feel good about what I'm taking, hopefully the photos turn out well :S

I seriously feel like I'm going to get there and have forgotten something very obvious, like toothpaste. Or just one whole set of things, like, "ooops, guess I forgot that bag of socks!". I've never been on a trip this long or this far away - I think I'm just putting WAY too much pressure on packing :)

Well, back to the challenge I suppose. On a side note - the attached pictures are of the group heading to New Delhi in our uniform (we won't wear it all of the time - just when we visit clubs and give our presentation).

12 days and counting...

I simply cannot believe that in 12 days I will be boarding a plane headed for New Delhi, India! We had a wonderful Indian meal last Saturday with our language coach. She is an incredible cook and the food was delicious...it is rare that one can experience layers of flavor as we did that day. I was hoping to lose weight on this trip. Apparently I should plan for the other direction...

The most exciting news about Saturday is we got our itinerary! I am SO impressed with the level of detail - we really will have to sleep during the scheduled time. The highlights (at this point) will probably be an Indian wedding (SO excited - I even have a beautiful Indian dress/skirt to wear!), the tour of the Honda Factory, seeing the Taj Mahal, the University, and visiting with my host families - all 8 of them! I did see one Sunday afternoon that *may* allow me to attend church. I've researched the branches in New Delhi and I'm hoping that my host family lives near the one that has 2:00 pm service. (fingers crossed). I think it would be incredible to visit with the Saints in India :)

The most stressful part right now is making sure work is transitioned properly. It feels like the moment I sit down, something comes up AND my to-do list keeps growing. It started as 3 post it notes. I think I added a whole notebook page (list format) today alone. I suppose this is when prioritization comes in handy...

So, I have a plan, I am about 1/2 packed...everything is set out, now I just wait for my uniform to be altered. After that, I should be good to go. I think. If I can get it all packed in under 50 lbs. :S I cannot believe what an incredible opportunity this is! I'm a little nervous but mostly excited. I am glad almost everyone at work is supportive. I've had many people wish me well and offer bits of advice... "don't forget pepper spray", "do you think you'll need a knife...???", "take lots of pictures!", "don't drink the water", and my favorite thus far..." wear tall shoes". Things I may not have considered on my own ;)

This was a good mental break/dump...now I suppose it is back to work and hopefully some sleep...