Thursday, December 30, 2010
Feeling Well!
Namaste Friends,
I am finally feeling better and am able to eat food that is cooked in the traditional style (no more boiled rice and veggies only!) This week was somewhat sad because I had to say goodbye to Pei Qi and I was told that no new volunteers would be arriving for at least a week, but likely Violet arrived yesterday. Violet is also supposed to be working in the orphanage and we will move there together on January 9th. I will be spending another week in the slum school which I am very happy about because I have come to love teaching the children there.
Besides attending school, I also spent a great deal of time this week with Merry and Cherry, my two Indian friends that live down the road. They have been so kind to me and I am not sure how I could ever repay them for their hospitality. Both them and their father constantly invite me into their home and treat me with refreshments and I truly enjoy all the conversations we have.
Two other exciting events occurred this week. Yesterday, a couple that is friends with my host family took me to purchase a removable network card for my computer so I can get internet everywhere! I am now able to skype and call everyone at more decent hours and update this blog more frequently.
Finally, I have some fun plans for New Years Eve. Violet and I are taking a taxi into Delhi tomorrow and staying at a hotel on Friday evening, so we get to spend Friday and Saturday exploring the city a little more. We are both excited for restaurant food and hot showers (this week the water was out at home and I am not even to tell you how many days it was before I showered!). We love being here and living with our host family but it is always nice to go into the city for holidays.
I love you and miss you all! Have a safe New Years.
Allie
I am finally feeling better and am able to eat food that is cooked in the traditional style (no more boiled rice and veggies only!) This week was somewhat sad because I had to say goodbye to Pei Qi and I was told that no new volunteers would be arriving for at least a week, but likely Violet arrived yesterday. Violet is also supposed to be working in the orphanage and we will move there together on January 9th. I will be spending another week in the slum school which I am very happy about because I have come to love teaching the children there.
Besides attending school, I also spent a great deal of time this week with Merry and Cherry, my two Indian friends that live down the road. They have been so kind to me and I am not sure how I could ever repay them for their hospitality. Both them and their father constantly invite me into their home and treat me with refreshments and I truly enjoy all the conversations we have.
Two other exciting events occurred this week. Yesterday, a couple that is friends with my host family took me to purchase a removable network card for my computer so I can get internet everywhere! I am now able to skype and call everyone at more decent hours and update this blog more frequently.
Finally, I have some fun plans for New Years Eve. Violet and I are taking a taxi into Delhi tomorrow and staying at a hotel on Friday evening, so we get to spend Friday and Saturday exploring the city a little more. We are both excited for restaurant food and hot showers (this week the water was out at home and I am not even to tell you how many days it was before I showered!). We love being here and living with our host family but it is always nice to go into the city for holidays.
I love you and miss you all! Have a safe New Years.
Allie
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas in India
Hello Friends!
I am sorry for my lack of communication over the past week. I hit a little road bump in my trip and ended up spending 3 days in an Indian Hospital because of a stomach infection and dehydration...not fun. They released me yesterday and I am feeling better so hopefully when I am off my diet of all boiled food I will not get sick again. Due to my stint in the hospital my move to the orphanage has been delayed and I will stay at the slum school for at least another week or two. Apparently the orphanage I will be moving to is a good distance from the hospital and it is better for me to stay where I am at the moment.
I am starting to get a little homesick since Christmas is tomorrow and I keep thinking about all the family traditions I am missing, but my host family is having a Christmas dinner so hopefully I will be distracted. Today Peiqi and I went out and purchased Christmas gifts and it was nice to see this one pastry shop we always go to really decorated for Christmas. They placed a medium sized tree in the corner of the room and decorated it and both Peiqi and I took a picture next to the tree.
This week I am hoping to make it to school everyday and avoid any more medical mishaps! I am slowly adjusting to life in India and I am hoping as time passes it will only get easier. Everyone here has been so welcoming and that makes it easier to be away from all my loved ones.
Please have a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I love and miss you all!
Allie
I am sorry for my lack of communication over the past week. I hit a little road bump in my trip and ended up spending 3 days in an Indian Hospital because of a stomach infection and dehydration...not fun. They released me yesterday and I am feeling better so hopefully when I am off my diet of all boiled food I will not get sick again. Due to my stint in the hospital my move to the orphanage has been delayed and I will stay at the slum school for at least another week or two. Apparently the orphanage I will be moving to is a good distance from the hospital and it is better for me to stay where I am at the moment.
I am starting to get a little homesick since Christmas is tomorrow and I keep thinking about all the family traditions I am missing, but my host family is having a Christmas dinner so hopefully I will be distracted. Today Peiqi and I went out and purchased Christmas gifts and it was nice to see this one pastry shop we always go to really decorated for Christmas. They placed a medium sized tree in the corner of the room and decorated it and both Peiqi and I took a picture next to the tree.
This week I am hoping to make it to school everyday and avoid any more medical mishaps! I am slowly adjusting to life in India and I am hoping as time passes it will only get easier. Everyone here has been so welcoming and that makes it easier to be away from all my loved ones.
Please have a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I love and miss you all!
Allie
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
I Made it to Faridabad!
Namaste!
I am finally living in Faridabad. I arrived late Sunday evening after a long day traveling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We left Gurgaon at 6:30 AM and did not arrive in Agra until 2. The trip should have taken four hours but we got stuck in traffic and there were points when I driver just shut off the engine for 15 mins at a time.
The Taj Mahal was absolutely breath taking. I have over 100 pictures from that day and I will post some here and the remainder on Facebook when I am able to make it to a cafe with wifi. Gaining access to the internet here is even harder than in Gurgaon. I will have to take a taxi to the mall to use my computer and post photos, as well as skype and I will only be able to do that on the weekend.
Right now I am living with a host family and not in the orphanage. I will not be going to the orphanage project until after Christmas because the slum children project had less volunteers. The family I am living with is wonderful and I have enjoyed the project thus far. My local coordinator palced me with the family because they celebrate Christmas and he thought 5 months in an orphanage might wear on a me.
The slum children school was started by my host family and it is a wooden, open sided structure that is covered with a tarp to keep the rain out. In the morning we have breakfast around 7:30 and walk to the slum school around 8:30. In the mornings it is pretty cool and the weather is only going to get colder as January approaches. The children are so cute and range from 4-12 (around kindergarten to fifth grade). Peigi and I correct their spelling and math exercises and try to explain the difference between addition and multiplication to children at very different levels. In the afternoon we teach english to the children and school lets out around 1pm.
I have the afternoons free and I have been walking around exploring the market. There is actually a bakery in the market that makes delicious (swaadist) cakes and Italian pizzas (both of which I have tried). I am hoping to discover a cafe with wifi closer than the mall so I can keep you better informed.
Oh...Cool tidbit for the day. I rode to school on a motorcycle today. I was terrified because the roads are crazy and there was no helmet involved but it was fun.
Sorry for the jumpy stories! The limited internet time is not conducive for creative writing.
Love you all!
Allie
I am finally living in Faridabad. I arrived late Sunday evening after a long day traveling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We left Gurgaon at 6:30 AM and did not arrive in Agra until 2. The trip should have taken four hours but we got stuck in traffic and there were points when I driver just shut off the engine for 15 mins at a time.
The Taj Mahal was absolutely breath taking. I have over 100 pictures from that day and I will post some here and the remainder on Facebook when I am able to make it to a cafe with wifi. Gaining access to the internet here is even harder than in Gurgaon. I will have to take a taxi to the mall to use my computer and post photos, as well as skype and I will only be able to do that on the weekend.
Right now I am living with a host family and not in the orphanage. I will not be going to the orphanage project until after Christmas because the slum children project had less volunteers. The family I am living with is wonderful and I have enjoyed the project thus far. My local coordinator palced me with the family because they celebrate Christmas and he thought 5 months in an orphanage might wear on a me.
The slum children school was started by my host family and it is a wooden, open sided structure that is covered with a tarp to keep the rain out. In the morning we have breakfast around 7:30 and walk to the slum school around 8:30. In the mornings it is pretty cool and the weather is only going to get colder as January approaches. The children are so cute and range from 4-12 (around kindergarten to fifth grade). Peigi and I correct their spelling and math exercises and try to explain the difference between addition and multiplication to children at very different levels. In the afternoon we teach english to the children and school lets out around 1pm.
I have the afternoons free and I have been walking around exploring the market. There is actually a bakery in the market that makes delicious (swaadist) cakes and Italian pizzas (both of which I have tried). I am hoping to discover a cafe with wifi closer than the mall so I can keep you better informed.
Oh...Cool tidbit for the day. I rode to school on a motorcycle today. I was terrified because the roads are crazy and there was no helmet involved but it was fun.
Sorry for the jumpy stories! The limited internet time is not conducive for creative writing.
Love you all!
Allie
Thursday, December 9, 2010
New Delhi Tour!
Namaste!
I am quickly adapting to life in India, although this week has provided a few challenges. I have spent the last few days with my roommate Peiqi, a volunteer from Singapore, learning Hindi and exploring Gurgaon. On Tuesday, during one of our many excursions around the city we managed to get lost because our rickshaw driver did not understand where our apartment complex was located. Although, I have managed to learn quite a few Hindi phrases, neither Peiqi nor I was able to explain to our driver that he was going in the completely wrong direction. Luckily, English is one of the many national languages of India and we were able to find someone to translate our directions to the driver.
In the late afternoon and evening I have been devoting my time to reading and walking ten minutes to the nearest internet café so I can wake people up at 6AM or 7AM est to say hello. I would definitely say that the time difference is more of a hassle than I anticipated, but my family members and Christopher have been very good sports!
Yesterday was the first day I was able to actually see New Delhi. Peiqi and I left the apartment with a driver and traveled 45 minutes on the crazy Indian highway (nobody uses lanes and seatbelts in the back seat do not buckle), to New Delhi. We began our tour at Qutub Minar and then visited the Lotus Bahai Temple, and finally Humayun’s Tomb. We also stopped at an Indian goods market and I purchased a Sari that I will wear to the Taj Mahal on Sunday (I am very excitedJ). Below I have included the pictures that Peiqi and I took throughout the day and I am quite sure they do not do the monuments justice. It is so hard to believe that many of these structures were erected between the 4th and 11th centuries. As I travel through the cities I find myself wishing that I was able to take an Indian history class so I can understand how the country became what it is today.
Although, I loved the exquisite architecture of Qutub Minar and Humayun’s Tomb, I enjoyed visiting Lotus Bahai Temple most. The temple is considered a place of worship for all religions and it was the first holy place I have been in since I arrived in India. Another challenge in India is my religion, since churches are not around every corner I am not afforded the opportunity to pray in many sanctuaries therefore, I took advantage of the ten minutes I had in the temple to pray.
On our way out of the temple we met some people that wanted to take a picture with me because I am American and that is definitely very new but I guess I will get used to it. Tomorrow we head to Old Delhi for more sightseeing.
Phi Milenge
Namaste,
Allie
New Delhi Sights:
Qutab Minar
Qutab Minar
Lotus Temple
Humayun's TombMonday, December 6, 2010
Adapting to India
Namaste! Sorry about the lack of correspondence since I have arrived. I have to go to an internet cafe to use my computer and buy an hour of wifi (which is wicked cheap) but I have been calling my family members with that time. Since I have arrived on Friday afternoon I have been living in Gurgaon with several volunteers and exploring the local markets in my free time. Yesterday I took a rickshaw to a mall about 10 mins away with a friend and while the ride was a little treacherous in the traffic, it was also a lot of fun. On the ride home our driver was so small that he was struggling to make it back to our apartment. At one point I was afraid he would drop us on the side of the road because he could not handle our weight.
The food at my coordinator's apartment has been wonderful and I have not found it difficult to adapt. The area where we are living is very wealthy and in an area that would be considered the suburbs and I will probably experience more of a culture shock when I travel further into the city this week and when I move to Faridbad and start living in the orphanage. This week I will be learning Hindi and exploring all the tourist attractions with another volunteer. I will be posting tons of photos by Friday so everyone will be able to see the beauty that is India. Also, Sunday is the day I will travel to Agra to the Taj Mahal and I will try to express how amazing that trip will be. Although, the sight seeing and down time is great I cannot wait to move into the orphanage next week. I hope all is going well in the states and I love and miss you all!
Namaste,
Phi milenge (see you later)- I don't know how to say talk to you soon yet!
Love,
Allie
The food at my coordinator's apartment has been wonderful and I have not found it difficult to adapt. The area where we are living is very wealthy and in an area that would be considered the suburbs and I will probably experience more of a culture shock when I travel further into the city this week and when I move to Faridbad and start living in the orphanage. This week I will be learning Hindi and exploring all the tourist attractions with another volunteer. I will be posting tons of photos by Friday so everyone will be able to see the beauty that is India. Also, Sunday is the day I will travel to Agra to the Taj Mahal and I will try to express how amazing that trip will be. Although, the sight seeing and down time is great I cannot wait to move into the orphanage next week. I hope all is going well in the states and I love and miss you all!
Namaste,
Phi milenge (see you later)- I don't know how to say talk to you soon yet!
Love,
Allie
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
About to Embark!
Hey Everyone,
I am leaving in two days and I am both excited and incredibly nervous. I think I would feel a little more at ease if I did not get sick right before my trip, but I am trying to make the most of my last couple of days in the states. I plan on updating this blog with posts and pictures at least once a week and possibly more often if I have easy access to the internet. Although I am a little terrified at the moment I know that once I arrive in India I am going to love every second I spend there. I cannot wait to arrive at the orphanage and meet all the children I will work with during my 5 month stay. Please send me your email address or skype name if you have not done so already! Love you and I will miss you all. See you in May~
I am leaving in two days and I am both excited and incredibly nervous. I think I would feel a little more at ease if I did not get sick right before my trip, but I am trying to make the most of my last couple of days in the states. I plan on updating this blog with posts and pictures at least once a week and possibly more often if I have easy access to the internet. Although I am a little terrified at the moment I know that once I arrive in India I am going to love every second I spend there. I cannot wait to arrive at the orphanage and meet all the children I will work with during my 5 month stay. Please send me your email address or skype name if you have not done so already! Love you and I will miss you all. See you in May~
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