"Poor Man's Taj Mahal"

"Poor Man's Taj Mahal"
Aurangabad, Maharastra, India

Sunday, August 21, 2011

MINNESOTIAN MAIDS

For me, it's very different to have maids. Luckily (and unluckily), the maids that my family has don't do everything and are not here all the time.
            Two maids come every morning, around 8:00 or 9:00, to help with the house chores. They wash the dishes, do my family's laundry (I do my own), wash the floors and occasionally prepare meals.
            Throughout the day when we have dirty dishes we just rinse them and leave them in the sink. For metal dishes, which are generally used, we rinse them and then place them in a tub below the sink. This helps to keep the kitchen clean. The maids don't do all the dishes though. My mother helps to make sure that there are not too many dishes by washing a few now and then throughout the day. In order to get hot water to wash the dishes, you have to turn on a water heater that is in the kitchen. Because it is small, the water heats up quickly and then is ready to use. The soap used for dishes is a soft bar. You take a small washrag and pick up some soap, then use it on the dishes.
            For the laundry, the biggest difference for me is that there is no clothes dryer. My family does have a clothes washer-which I am very happy about-although, many people here hand wash their clothes. The washer is just like any 'normal' one from the US. However, since there is no dryer, we hang our clothes on rods in the balcony. Because we live on the seventh floor and it is usually windy, the clothes dry very fast (totally dry in around 24 hours). My family told me that right now, during Monsoon Season, clothes take the longest to dry because of the moisture, but for the rest of the year they dry even faster.
            All of the floors in India are hard. No carpet. In college, they are all just plain concrete. In most homes and businesses, however, they are made from marble or a marble look alike. The reason for no carpet is the humidity. It would be very easy for the carpet to get wet and in turn, moldy. Many houses do however have rugs to have a glimpse of carpet. However, it is not needed as much here because the hard floors do not get cold in the warm weather (unlike Minnesota's winters). The maids in turn wash the floors daily. Not with a mop and a bucket though, on their hands and knees with a wet towel. We have a rug here, so the maid washing the floors hangs in on the balcony railing to make sure it stays dry, and then washes the floor underneath.
            Sometimes when my mother is really busy she has the maids prepare meals or parts of meals for the family. This doesn't happen very often, however, and when it does, the food is not as good as when mom makes it.
            Whenever the maids are here, I try to stay out of their way and try not to disrupt their normal routine. Most of the time, I am at college when they are here, thankfully.
            I've never had a maid before so I wasn't and am still not quite sure how to act around them. They treat me very well though. My family told the maids that they had to be extra nice to me, so I wouldn't get a bad impression of the maids in India. They said that the maids where I am from in Minnesota are very kind and do anything we tell them to do. When I told my family, "People don't usually have maids in Minnesota." They said, "We know that, but the maids don't have to!" We just laughed.
            Overall, it's nice to have someone do the 'dirty work' for you, but I do enough to make sure I don't take advantage of them. I'm sure as time goes on I will become more comfortable with them and them with me. Nevertheless, as you can probably tell by the above conversation my family and I are already close.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

COWS IN THE STREET.

All right, so I'm pretty sure I said that the traffic is crazy, but THE TRAFFIC IS CRAZY. It has been hard adjusting to constant horns and swerving in and out of traffic. The streets are so loud and crowded. Words cannot describe the amount and craziness of this traffic. Here, scooters are the prevalent mode of transportation for people over age 16 (that is when you get your scooter license, car license at 18). Otherwise, for families, there are small cars and vans. The "Regular Joe," (like me) is always able to catch a rickshaw. Just on my five-minute ride in the rickshaw to school, I see probably 300 scooters and at least 100 cars. There are cars and people everywhere! The traffic is very different from Owatonna, and even from Minneapolis or St. Paul. I used to think that the traffic in the cities was bad; but compared to this, that is child's play.
            On Sunday, 14 August, my family and I went to Mumbai to send off my sister Aishwarya. [For those of you who don't know, Aishwarya, my host sister, is spending the year as an exchange student in Northfield, MN]. Whenever my family has to travel to Mumbai, they always hire a driver; even though the traffic is busy in Pune, it is ten times worse in Mumbai. Too bad for me, but the driver that hired did not give us a very "smooth" ride. By now, I was pretty adjusted to the jerks of stick shift vehicles and the usual swerve into the other lane to pass and the short stops to avoid accidents. However, this trip was all that and more.
            To start out, my stomach wasn't feeling the most comfortable when we got in the car. [Some of you can probably tell where this is going already]. The driver would constantly accelerate rapidly and then have to slam on the brakes. Not to mention him swerving back and forth through three lanes of traffic. The ride to Mumbai is about three hours long, so my stomach was not in a good state. When we finally reached Mumbai, the driving just got worse. With more traffic than the highway, there were stops and accelerations within seconds of each other; jerking back and forth like some amusement park ride gone bad.
            I started to get the feeling. The one you get when you are about to vomit, yeah, that one. I didn't have a bucket or a bag or anything to use so I tried to roll down the window, but it was locked. I couldn't open my mouth to say that the window was locked, because words wouldn't have been the only things that came out. Suddenly it happened, but luckily, I was able to control most of it. Aishwarya quickly told the driver to roll down the window so I could get rid of it. My stomach felt so good afterwards, but I felt horrible that I had vomited.
            The driver was not at all happy with be for detailing part of his car with my DNA. I showed no remorse however, because, after all it was his fault that I had the feeling and he did lock the windows. Luckily, we stopped at a relative's house for dinner and I had the chance to clean up. The driver glared at me when we got back in the car to go to the airport, but I just ignored it. I wasn't too happy with him either. We finally made it to the airport and I was able to get some fresh air as we all said goodbye to Aishwarya. It was emotional for me even. She was the first sister I ever had and saying goodbye to her was like saying goodbye to my family all over again.
            The ride back was a lot better than the ride there because I was actually able to sleep and no focus on the terribly rash driving. When we got home, about 4:00 in the morning, I was so happy to be on solid ground again. I went straight to bed and was able to sleep in because there was a holiday from school for India's 65th Independence Day.
            Well, now that I got that out of my system, I should probably talk about what this post is actually entitled. Cows in the Street. Not to mention the beggars, dogs, and my personal favorite, elephants. It's so odd to see full-grown cows roaming city streets. Sometimes they are off on their own going through the garbage looking for something to eat. Other times there is a whole herd of cattle being lead through the streets by their owners. Traffic jams are caused because the cows don't like to follow the rules of the road and, from what I can tell, they have the "right of way." You can tell that cows are near from either the sound of the bells around their necks, or the smell and views of cow pies on the streets and sidewalks.
            Another common animal seen in the street are dogs. Much like in my college, the stray dogs roam the streets looking for food or a place to get out of the rain. They run in and out of traffic causing even more stops that are sudden. The dogs like to stay around people with food. They follow anyone with the scent of any meal. Again, sadly, the dogs are not the healthiest, have matted and dirty fur and probably numerous fleas and other small insects living on them. If you see a random dog in the street, STAY AWAY.
            Onto the beggars. There are so many of them. Some really old, some really young, and others of all the ages in between. They are on the sidewalks, on school campuses, and in the middle of the road at intersections. The traffic lights here have wait times of up to 95 seconds. This gives beggars the perfect opportunity to walk down the rows of cars, scooters, and rickshaws asking for money from the drivers and passengers. They knock on windows and tap on shoulders to get your attention and then hold out their empty hands and look at you with puppy dog eyes trying to convince you to give. During my first encounter with beggars on the street, I had no idea what was happening and thought they were crazy to be in the middle of street with traffic as bad as it is. Luckily, my family was in a car at the time, so my father immediately rolled up all the windows and said to ignore them.
            The beggars on the sidewalks are the worst out of the lot. Especially for me, with my fair skin and light hair. They immediate target me, thinking I will have money and give to them. I was just walking down the street looking at some trinkets in shops with my friends when one can up to me and started tapping me. I ignored her as I was taught, but she didn't stop. She actually grabbed my arm and tried to turn me around to look at her. My friend that was with me yelled at her, "No, you don't touch him." Now thinking back on the event, I just laugh, but it was scary. My friends told me to start walking further down the street. I did as I was told, but the girl (only about 13) started walking behind me holding out her bowl for me to put change. I swear she followed me for a good 30 yards before I finally was able to enter a store and she went to find her next victim.
            You also have to be careful on the sidewalk for the beggars that try to put kunku (a red dot) on your forehead. You are strolling along and they just put it on your forehead, and then expect you to pay them. There have been numerous times when I had to duck out of the way so they "didn't get me." They also like to follow me. I cannot wait until I at least get a tan and am able to blend in a little bit more. I am also thinking about dying my hair a darker brown so I don't get the daily stares and double takes.
            Finally, the elephants! I have only seen three so far, but still, it is an amazing sight to see an elephant walking down a street full of traffic. I was lucky enough to be walking one time that I saw one, so I got some good pictures that will be put on my facebook album shortly. They are huge, and you can get close enough to touch them; it is amazing. The other day I saw an elephant that was giving food to his rider. The rider bought some fruit from a stand on the sidewalk, and the elephant used his trunk to give the fruit to his rider. Then the rider put money in the trunk and the elephant paid the seller! It was so cool to see. I really hope to ride one while I am here.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

PHOTO ALBUM

For those of you that do not have facebook, here is a link to my photos taken in India. It will be updated hopefully every week or two weeks.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

MONTHLY REPORT -JULY

I am having an absolutely wonderful time here in India! I already have had so many experiences and adventures! It is so great!

My family is amazing! They are taking such great care of me and the first night I already felt like I was part of the family. They are very caring and funny, and our personalities match perfectly. My host sister, Aishwarya (who is going to Northfield), has been helping me get adjusted, learn the culture and meet new people. My mom and dad are making sure that I am happy all the time and are helped me complete all of the necessary paperwork for registration. My younger sister Mruga is so happy to have me as a brother and shows me off to all of her friends.

I started school last week at Fergusson College. It is the best undergrad college in Pune, and my host family made sure that I would have only the best education. This is also the college that Aishwarya is attending, so she showed me the ropes of everything and introduced me to all of her friends. A lot of my new friends make fun of me because I actually attend my lectures. Most of them like to bunk (skip) classes and just hang out, but they seem to be turning over a new leaf because of me. The studies are very different, and especially the ways of teaching. English is very easy for me and I have a lot of people asking me for help with it.

I have joined a Dohl club where we are practicing playing drums for an upcoming festival. It is a lot of fun and everyone there is very happy that I, as a foreigner, have joined. I'm sure I will be involved in more activities later, as I meet more people, and become more adjusted.

The food is surprisingly good! My host family is vegetarian, but I have had no cravings for non-veg. which is great! Also, my family does not prepare much spicy food, so it is an easier adjustment. I have begun to venture out into restaurants with friends and the food is great there as well.

The shopping here is very different, and there is a wide range of prices. Some things are very cheap and others are very expensive. I have been shopping a few times now and it is a great way to experience the culture.

The traffic is horrendous! I have never seen so many motorcycles and mo-peds! Or heard so many horns! I am getting more used to it and starting to enjoy the spontaneity of every drive. I also take the rikshaw to college everyday which was a very different experience, but now I really enjoy it.

The language is coming fast. They speak Marathi here, and I am learning more and more everyday. I like it that my family doesn't speak in English very often so I am able to learn the language by actions and hearing it over and over again. There is however some translating once in a while.

I attended one Rotary Exchange meeting that was for the out bounds from India. I met my counselor and the president of my rotary club. It was neat to see Rohit again, he was also at the meeting. I'm not sure when my first meeting will be, but the president said that he will be in touch soon with the details.

Overall, the experience has been great so far, and I know it will only get better!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

BEGGARS, BRAWLS, AND BOOKS. HELLO COLLEGE.

                                                                                                                                                27, July 2011
            I felt like Nemo this morning. I was so excited for my "First day of school! First day of school!" After a long week of painful lines and arguing officials, I was finally enrolled and able to start classes. To think that I actually wanted to go to school was surprising, but it gives me something to do and the chance to meet new people. I was a little apprehensive at first, not only the first day jitters, but add on being the new kid, taking a rikshaw all by myself, and having no idea what the Indian Education System is like, it can be pretty scary. Oh! And did I mention I'm the only American I have seen since I've been here. You know those posters about individuality were all the fish are blue except for the one orange one in the corner. Yeah, I'm that orange one. But I'm not lucky enough to be put in the corner, no. I'm the CENTER of attention.
            Talk about being self-conscious. When every eye is trained on me, looking me up and down it's hard to think that I'm becoming a part of Indian society. And the stares aren't quick glances either. They are long stares that turn into minutes of being uncomfortable. In this society, it is perfectly fine to stare, and it seems that everyone, aside from a few friends and my family are taking part in the staring custom. Its mixed reactions too, when I get the courage to look at them, some smile; most just keep eying me over, but no one looks away like we would in America.
            I got to school early, as you always should on the first day, and waited. And waited. And waited. No one told me that the 7:30 class I was 15 minutes early for really started around 7:45. I sat there with nothing to do, and no one to talk with. Finally, my friend Vippasana arrived and we went to class together.         
            The classrooms are VERY different! Of course, this is a college and I am used to high school, but still, very different even from our college classrooms. First, it is leveled, like at a movie theatre, with desks on each level. The desks seat two people, but some (like me when I don't know anyone one in the class) choose to sit alone. The desks also have writing all over them. There are paragraphs of notes, formulas, and pretty much whole lectures written down on the desks. Anything that might be useful for a test. Also, there are chalkboards. Yes, chalkboards. I don't think I was ever taught by chalkboards in my entire schooling career until now. I am so used to whiteboards and SMART Boards, that it is hard to adjust to something that to me seems "old fashion." Actually, I haven't seen any technology that compares to the US at college. From what I can tell, there is only one computer in the principal's office and one computer for the madam that deals with foreign students. Also, the windows in the classrooms are old and broken, so there are pigeons flying around during lectures.  There are fans to keep cool, though they are not always on. The light fixtures are single fluorescent tubes hanging from the ceiling.
            The lessons are also very different. To me, these college classes seem simple. Especially, optional and compulsory English. We are learning about things that I have known for what seems like years. Each class is about 50 minutes long, and because it is college, there are breaks between my classes, and I don't have the same classes everyday. The college day starts at 7:30 and ends about 1:30. But I don't have classes this whole time. Because the college ends when it does, there is no lunch available to students who live in Pune (there is a mess hall for students that live in the hostels). Also, the textbooks are very small. They are all paperback, and only about 200 pages each. This is completely different from the US’s 750 page hardcover textbooks. Oh! And how could I forget?! NO HOMEWORK!
            During the breaks between classes (50 minutes to 1 hr 40 min long because there are classes going on that I don't have), my friends and I generally sit and talk at Kimaya. Kimaya could be compared to a pavilion at a park in the US. It is the "hang out spot" for college kids between classes, or when they feel like bunking (skipping) classes. There are a few seats on the foundation of the pavilion, but no chairs or picnic tables or anything. There are always a lot of students there and many stray dogs as well. Yup, stray dogs roam the streets of India, as well as my college campus. But I was warned from the beginning not to pet them or feed them or even acknowledge them. Because, if I did, they would just keep coming back to me and bothering me. Also, they are not very clean or healthy. And you could easily become sick after touching one.
            Today, during my first day at college, my friend, Vippasana, and I were sitting at Kimaya wasting time between classes when we started to hear yelling. We looked over to see a girl yelling and screaming at a boy. And after a few minutes of name calling and swearing, the girl all of a sudden slapped the boy clear across the face. The slap was so hard we could hear it from 20 yards away, and it popped one of the lenses out of the boy’s glasses before they fell off his face. More yelling and screaming until finally another boy cut in and told the girl to back off. She didn't back down easily, but she finally decided the boy wasn't worth her time.  Of course, all of the yelling was in Marathi so I couldn't understand it, but Vippasana translated the main points for me. What happened: The boy had been spreading rumors that he and the girl were dating because the girl would copy the boy's notes from class. So then today, the boy asked the girl out, but while doing so grabbed her hand like he was proposing. (Now here is where the Indian culture comes in. It is not proper for a boy to touch a girl, especially if they are not dating. In addition, this girl was from a more orthodox family that believed strongly in that fact.) So, the girl freaked out at the boy just for touching him and it caused her to slap him. Just a little Indian drama for you guys.
            Also today, after the brawl, there were beggars. Beggars come to the school every occasionally I guess, asking for money from the students. (In India, college students actually have money to spare, unlike most college students in the US). It was my first experience with true beggars, and to tell you the truth, it was a little scary. Of course, they saw that I was American (or at least a foreigner, because I am white). They came straight to me, thinking that I would be the poor sucker to give them money. This group of beggars was all women, and they had papers that were typed in English saying that their village was destroyed by a flood and they needed money for clothes, food, and shelter. Right away, my friends told me that this was all a lie and just a ploy to get money. I agreed with them when I noticed that some of the women had their hair died. (How can you have money to dye your hair, if you don't have money for food?) Don't think I'm heartless; because I'm not, but everyone has told me don't trust the beggars. Also, if you give to them once, they will keep coming back repeatedly. They are annoying little buggers, just like mosquitoes. They keep bothering you until they get something from you, in this case money. They kept bothering my friends and me so we decided to give them some money to make them go away. I gave them 10 rupees (about 23 cents), the other money I had I was saving for the rikshaw home. They looked at me and said, "Only ten rupees?" I almost snatched it back and wanted to say, "It's better than nothing," but I didn't get the chance. They saw that we wouldn't cough up any more money so they went onto the next group of people.
            By the end of my day at college, I was so exhausted. I almost fell asleep during my last lecture. I couldn't wait to get home and take a nap. And that's exactly what I did, well after lunch of course. The rest of the evening was pretty relaxed, except for my first Dohl practice (Which I will talk about later in another post.)
            Overall, everyday has been getting better and better here! And so has the food! However, that's a different story!  


DAY ONE

18, July 2011
            Sleep was so nice! I can't believe how well I slept with all the rain, birds, and traffic noises outside my balcony. I sadly did not wake up in time for a prayer service followed by brunch. I would only have been able to attend the brunch anyways, but just to let you know there usually isn't brunch. I woke up and immediately took a nice shower. I had to turn on the water heater in my bathroom to give me hot water, although to be comfortable, I only took a warm shower. I felt so refreshed and clean! I knew right away that it was going to be a good day. I was excited when Shilpa offered me Kellogg's Corn Flakes for breakfast! Something I had actually eaten before! There was also fruit, and I enjoyed every bit of my breakfast. I was soon feeling tired because of my jet lag, but Shilpa and Vinayak said I had to go with them to register and verify with the police that I am here with the Gokhale's for school, and I am not a terrorist. When we got to the police station, we realized that we did not have the correct forms, so we had to come back home and print them off the internet. But before we went home, I had to get passport size pictures taken for use in the verification. When we got home, Vinayak went straight to work on filling out the forms. I laid down for a minute and then was out.
            When Shilpa woke me up, she had prepared some lunch for me. A sort of potato with curry and a wheat tortilla. She also gave me some pop called she called Frooti that was mango flavored. Yum. For a small dessert, there was a bar of coconut and mango. It was surprisingly good even though I do not like coconut very much. We then went to a different police station. The main police station for the city, instead of just a local one. We still didn't have everything we needed, so we had to come back home. But this time I was able to stay awake. We then went back to the first local police station and turned in the paperwork. That part was completed.
            When we returned home around 5:00, I immediately went to bed and slept until 9:00. Shilpa then woke me up and made me a fried egg sandwich with ketchup, but she called it an omelet. After that, I was able to go online for the first time since I left home. There were so many e-mails and facebook notifications! It was comforting to know that everyone was thinking about me and wishing me the best. Although I could have stayed online for longer, I decided to spend time with my family. We watched a soap opera together along with a singing show, and on every show we watch, someone in my family knows an actor or actress. Shilpa and Vinayak have friends on TV and Mruga has a classmate. It seems crazy to me!
            I started feeling tired again so I decided I would try to go to bed and hopefully get a full night's sleep.


FROM BMW'S TO BEGGARS

               17, July 2011
            Mumbai. Whenever I think of Mumbai, I think of three words: hot, humid, and crowded. It was a blast of heat as I walked off the plane. It wouldn't have been so bad, but there was not a gate available for our plane. We had to unload onto the runway and take a shuttle to the actual airport. I couldn't help but laugh at how the flight crew was being sarcastic in every remark about, "How nice the weather is," or, "Don't even worry about a shower, I'm taking a bath in my sweat." I was able to meet a woman from Montana who was originally born in India, and we helped each other through customs and the security checkpoints. I then waited at the baggage claim for at least 20 min before I realized that my bag had already been pulled off and was waiting for me in a pile of luggage. I quickly grabbed it and waited in the 30 min line to have my bags x-rayed for customs. Then I was finally free. Well, not yet.
            I was so glad that my flight was late in its departure and arrival; that way my family would no doubt be there to pick me up. As I walked to the glass, I DID NOT GO OUTSIDE. I DID NOT TALK TO ANYONE. I scanned the crowd of people and saw my host father and my host sister waiting for me. It was so nice to see faces that I actually recognized and they even had a sign for me saying, "WELCOME TO INDIA, HARMON!" I quickly walked to them and we formally introduced ourselves with handshakes and half-hugs. They then swept me away to the car waiting for us. When we were outside I was immediately sweating and I was wishing that I hadn't been wearing jeans and my Rotary blazer. I was disgusting. We made it to the car and I met a Rotary official that is very involved with exchange. He is going to visit past exchange students that came to Pune for two months and then return. Once in the car, it was so different that the steering wheel is on the right side and not on the left. Also, I automatically started to buckle my seatbelt out of habit, but then Aishwarya told me that I didn't need to. It was odd to be able to move around freely.
            The traffic was horrible! I heard more horns in my first 10 minutes outside of the airport than I have in my whole life! There were cars, vans, motorcycles, rikshaws, and people everywhere on the streets. The social classes were told by the vehicle or lack there of. One moment you would see a very nice BMW or Audi, and the next you would see a man with one arm begging for food or money. Frequent stops in the middle of the street are not uncommon due to the masses of people and vehicles. We would swerve in and out of the tiniest places, cut people off, speed up and then slam on the brakes. Very different from driving in Owatonna, or even the cities. Not to mention we were driving on the left side of the road. We were making small talk, having just met each other and now I know why people talk about the weather in all situations. The drive from Mumbai to Pune was 3 and 1/2 hours with traffic, but most of the ride I was sleeping.
            We finally made it to our home at about 3:00 in the morning. I was surprised to see both my host mother and host sister awake, but they told me that had been sleeping earlier. Before I could enter the home, I had to remove my shoes and socks. Shilpa poured warm water on my feet to wash them and then blessed me with incense. I was then allowed to enter with my shoes off, to keep the floor clean. I wasn't very hungry, but they kept one offering me food, so I finally accepted and ate. Shilpa had prepared some rice and curry for me. My first Indian meal. It was surprisingly good. She then showed me the house. A master bedroom, the girls' bedroom, my bedroom, the living/family room, and the kitchen. Each bedroom has its own separate bathroom. It is small by American comparison, but very nice and well kept, I like it a lot. Before too long I could see that, they were all getting tired so I let them go to bed, and then started unpacking. I unpacked everything and got my room situated the way I wanted it to be. Then I went to bed around 5:00 in the morning.


GOODBYE USA. HELLO INDIA.

       16, July 2011
           Wow. Hard to believe that a year ago I would never have imagined spending a year in another country. ...Especially India. But now I am here. New Jersey. The last state I will be in for 11 months. Scary to think about. I mean, little Harmon all grown up? When did that happen? I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. But, I guess I will have to be; I will be in India within the day. Now, don't get me wrong, I am very excited to be doing this. It's what I love. Traveling, meeting new people, learning about different cultures, etc. But there are definitely some big butterflies in my stomach and I would have cold feet if it weren’t 95 degrees here in Newark.
            Am I ready? Did I forget anything? Did I have a chance to see everyone before I left? What does that old man across from me keep staring? Do I have something on my face? Questions keep racing through my head. Trying to think about things other than the trip doesn't work very well. (It doesn't help that I'm writing this blog about it, either). Sitting here with my overstuffed bags, I just want to be there already! Not a good experience on a 2 and 1/2 hour flight, and now a 15-hour one?! Yikes! But it will all work out. I'm sure of it.
            For those of you reading this, I'm sorry that it is not very exciting. I mean, how much excitement can you get sitting all alone in a customer service inlet next to the shoeshine guy that seems to be in love with every flight attendant that passes. Oh! And there is no internet access. I have a computer for nothing. Well, not nothing, I am at least able to type this entry out on Word and then copy and paste it to blogspot. Hopefully, in the future, I will just be able to write directly on the blog. ...As well as have something interesting and exciting to talk about.
            It hasn't hit me yet. It doesn't seem like I won't see my family and friends for a year. Maybe a day or a week, but not a year. I find myself asking, "Why am I at this airport? It's not like I'm going anywhere. But the truth is... I am. I'm going on the adventure of a lifetime. I'm going to be living in another country taking in everything for an entire year.
            I can't wait to share those adventures with you all! I will do my best to keep it updated regularly. Goodbye USA. Hello India.