Vannakam from India! Sorry it’s taken me so long to write. I just finally got internet the other day. India is everything I expected and so much more. It’s so hard for me to even describe it. There are people everywhere! We got into the airport at 3 am and there was an enormous crowd of people. We spent the first week in a “hotel.” I had two roommates and we also had a guest cockroach one night. I’m a pro at bucket showers now. Last Friday I moved in with my host family. I live with one girl on my program named Kris. We have a mom, dad, and 12 year old sister named Pavithra. We also have a 20 year old maid. She has been with my family for a few years. She doesn’t speak English, but we’ve learned to communicate through hand gestures. It’s pretty funny. My host dad said tonight that although she’s his maid, he treats her like his daughter. With the exception of my maid, my host family speaks very good English and are amazing. From the second we walked through the door they have been more than welcoming. Initially I was nervous to do homestays, but now I’m so glad that I am. Homestays give you the opportunity to see the culture in a completely different light. I’m learning so much just from living here. I don’t want to leave! They love my hair and constantly say that I look like Barbie. I haven’t gotten sick yet (knock on wood)! I’ve been really careful about drinking the water which has definitely helped. My host family has been feeding me non-stop. They say that I’m too skinny and are definitely trying to fatten me up. They always ask if I want more food and even when I say no they just keep piling it on my plat. The food is a little spicy, but I’m getting used to. I ate kidney today….Not as bad as I would have expected. It was only a small piece though. The house that I’m staying at is really nice. I almost feel like I’m in Florida. We do have a squat toilet though…..quite the experience. My host parents also have another daughter, Pooja who is 17. She’s in her last year of high school and studying to be a doctor. She’s staying at her uncle’s while we’re here so she doesn’t get distracted. She came over last Saturday for the night though. It was so neat to get a perspective on India from someone close to my age. Two other girls on my program are staying with my host mom’s parents right down the road. My host mom’s parents do not speak very much English so my host mom brings them everywhere with us.

Everywhere we go people stare at us. One of our first days here we went to check out the beach. We were instantly surrounded and tons of people started taking pictures of us. It’s the weirdest feeling in the world to be stared at everywhere you go. I’ve never had that happen to me before.

There are no rules on the road here. The beep every time they pass a car (which is literally every 2 seconds). The beep to tell people to get out of the way, but also to let people know where they are. One of the first nights I asked my host-mom why she beeps her horn so much. “If you don’t beep they won’t know the importance of their lives” was her answer. Guess I’m going to be very careful when I cross the street. If you close your eyes and just listen it sounds so fake, almost like a recording of a city being played over and over again. We ride around in these things called auto-rickshaws. They’re like little bumper cars. There’s so much traffic that you’re going very slow, but it’s still scary! I feel like I’m in an amusement park ride every time I get on the road. It sounds dangerous, but there’s so much traffic that you’re not going very fast. Rear ending someone or sideswiping a motorcycle is a common occurrence and no one seems to notice.

Overall, I’m loving it. It’s chaotic, but it’s beautiful. I’m learning so much. I put up pictures today on facebook. Check them out! Let me know your addresses and I’ll send postcards! I have a week vacation beginning on the 24^th.. I have a place for us to stay…any takers?