Rats.....what a great way to start my morning, day two. Even though....... I am completely intrigued by this place. They can send me cockroaches and rats, but don't let them run across my feet. I chased two rats back out under the door early this morning, and then found one dead at the bottom of my stairs as I left the apartment at 7 am to walk with my friend Syrinda from Seattle.         

Everything is covered in a thick dust, including my nostrils..... I just keep blowing it out !!!!  My throat is sore and scratchy from the pollution.  There is really only tea and water to drink, Indian's don't drink alcohol, but it's OK because it's against house rules to consume alcohol in house during this program anyhow.  Two volunteer college kids got sent home last week for smoking weed on property.  The food is very hot, interesting flavours I can't identify, and I don't know the names of any of these dishes, yet !!

There is an Indian man singing/humming loudly in the streets below each morning to warn all the apartment dwellers of the fruit/vegetable cart approaching.  The sirens are loud and the pigeon living above my head at night on the air conditioner wakes me often.    

 I live with three college students and the India program director who is here from NY checking it all out.  My partner, who I will be co-teaching 4th grade English/Arts with is 21 yr. old Namarata from Australia. She is of Indian decent, born in Fiji, lived in New Zealand and now Australia. She is studying social justice/law and is passionate about women's rights in third world countries.  She is extremely bright and very pretty......and we are going to have a blast teaching together !!!!  Matt, a 22 yr. old student from Ontario is studying cultural anthropology and really fascinating to talk to....very funny, very smart!!  There is also an 18 year old from Boston in my apartment here for 12 weeks. What a great group to live with for the next several weeks.

I asked Bela, India's on-site director, if I may do two weeks of my volunteer time up in Dharmshala, where the Tibetan in exile community lives.  It's cold there now being closer to the Himalayas and quite beautiful.  Today, I start my job teaching......or just observing day 1. Temps here are about 75 days and 55 nights...pretty comfortable.  You can never really see the sun through the smog.....but,  it's there. 

Here's one I'll try on the students...."What do you call a cow with no legs?"  ........ground beef.....I sure hope they have a sense of humor!!!!  But, you know, they are vegatarian and see cows as sacred animals, maybe I should save it, huh ??

There are so many contradictions here in India. It is so very fascinating here....