Yesterday

OK- I know that this is getting confusing- I've been pretty busy lately so I'm going to blog about yesterday, today!
In the morning yesterday, we all left the house around 9:30 a.m. to go see a movie! We went to a Tamil movie called "Kandasami" (spelling?) that's been the talk of the town for, if you can believe it, over a year! The movie was supposed to be released quite a while ago, and when it finally did come out there has been a rush to go and see it.
I enjoyed the film (all that I could!) - see, it was in Tamil so I couldn't understand what was being said, but I did my best to interpret from the scenes! Also, movies here are REALLY long! They usually last around three hours and have a short intermission in the middle of the movie!
The theater was HUGE! We sat in a box at the top, but below us you could see (probably) around 800+ seats! At the complex that we went to there are four theaters, and VERY different concessions to what I'm used to! The concessions that they offered included sodas (Pepsi, coke, etc.), popcorn (salted or with a spice that was pretty spicy!), samosas, burgers and ice-cream. No candy!
After the movie we all went out to lunch, and then a little later my host family, my host mother's nephews, and I drove out into a suburb of Coimbatore to the race track. When we were driving out the sky began to darken a little, and while we were there it was cool, windy and it even drizzled a bit on us! We got to watch two go-kart races, and we were all good sports fans with our hats that we had been given upon arrival! (photo above)
We left the race course around 5:20 p.m. to drive back into the city for a football (soccer) game- my school Vidhya Niketan against my host mother's old school for the district finals! Unfortunately after only a few minutes, my host mother's old school team scored several goals, and my school's team forfeit the game...it was sad- but it was pretty good soccer, and I was glad to be able to go and watch!
After the game we all went out to ice-cream and then went home around 9:00 p.m. It was a fun and busy day!

Party Night!

Well, yesterday was such a busy day that I had to blog it in two posts (therefore the post below is also from yesterday)!
Last night, after getting lost a bit on the way, my host parents and I arrived at a Rotarian in my club's house for a dinner, with the occasion being his wedding anniversary and also my host parent's! Him and his wife's anniversary was yesterday, and my host parent's in tomorrow, but they decided to have a conjoined party which made it even more fun!
We were the first guests to arrive (funny since we got lost!), but soon enough others began arriving and it wasn't long before lots of families were there! There were lots of kids too- even though I can't remember half of their names, I had a lot of fun meeting all of them!
The first part of the party, the women and children spent in the living room on the first floor of the house, while the men spent their time on the roof. On one side of the room, the moms chatted about gossip, fashion and their kids, and on the other side all of us girls discussed travel, future plans and our families. I met a lot of girls last night- most of them were in or near their twenties, but they were all very sweet and open for conversation. There were also some younger girls who were a little bit shy, but as the night wore on they came around!
We all ate dinner around 9:30 p.m. back in the living room. There was a big table set up in the middle of the large room that was COVERED in Indian dishes including two of my favorites- perota and masala dosa! The dinner was commenced with a scoop of ice cream (I had strawberry)!
We then all filed up the stairs when we heard a screeching voice from the roof- at first I didn't know what was going on, but when I reached the top and looked around, I realized that the screeching was in fact a few of the Rotarians singing Karaoke- Tamil version! From that moment, the night became a party! Everyone came up and sat around on the roof in plastic chairs to watch the singing going on, and before long there was a dance party going too! While a few people sang, all of the young adults and teenagers free-styled it! I didn't feel comfortable dancing in front of all these people, but before long a new friend of mine named "Aarthi" (pronounced Ar-ThEA) grabbed my hand and pulled me into the group. It wasn't long before I was laughing and dancing like a fool just like everyone else!
Last night was probably the best time I've had since I've been here. The Rotary Club of Sai City, Coimbatore is not just a business club, it is a family. Everyone has fun with each other and loves being together, and I am so happy and grateful that I get to be a part of it!
P.S. the photo above is of me and Rhianna- she's the other exchange student from New York! She got here three days ago and she seems to be doing great!

Hanging Out With The Girls

Yesterday morning at 9:00 a.m. I went downstairs to meet Apurna (the girl who lives in my apartments). Together we walked a few blocks to the main road where we waited for a few minutes to be picked up from another friend named Lavanya- it was pretty easy to spot the taxi she was in, because it had a board sign on top that said "Lavanya!"
When Lavanya had picked us up, we all drove over to Swati's house (all of these girls are in my class at school). We got there around 10:00 a.m. and spent the first hour chatting in her living room. We then went into the office and watched Michael Jackson videos in honor of his birthday (all of us were singing along)!
Around 1:30 p.m. we had a lunch of biriyani (spicy rice with some vegetables), apple, and for the first time for me, guava fruit! The guava had an interesting taste- it was sweet on the inside, but the skin had a tangy sourness that balanced the sweet.
When we had all finished our lunch, we got a ride from Swati's father back to the apartments where we all went up to Apurna's for a while. Here is where I got to do something REALLY cool- Swati was brave enough to allow me to do mahindi (henna) on her hand! I practiced a little bit on a piece of paper first, and then went at it! It was a little difficult to get the paste to come out evenly, and with my hand shaking, my lines weren't exactly straight...but I think that it turned out pretty well...for my first time! (Photos above are of Apurna, me and Swati, and then of Swati after I had finished the mahindi).

Perota and Chocolate

Last night around 9:20 p.m., my host mother and I decided to go and get something to eat for our dinner. She asked if I wanted to get perota, and since I love it, there was no hesitation in my answer of "yes." So, we left the house and walked down the street a few blocks to a "mess" nearby (a mess is a small, roadside restaurant) that is known for it's delicious perota. The sky was dark, but the street was lit brightly from all of the shops and vehicles around. The air was warm and a bit humid, and the high pitched squeak of the scooti's horns filled my ears.
We got to the shop and ordered out perota- we then got to watch as the man who owns the mess made them. He had lots of little balls of dough on a table, and his assistant would flatten them out with a rolling pin and then put them in a pile for the owner to then place them on the grill. They cooked for a few minutes, and then they were bagged, together with a sauce called "korma" and we took it home.
On the way back we stopped at a small shop in the road to get some desert- we both got a Dairy Milk Chocolate bar of different flavours, and when we got back to the apartment to finish the movie we were watching, we ate our dinner and followed it up with a sharing of each other's chocolate!

Swimming!

Today was a pretty exciting day for me at school - see, I started my new schedule today, and (unfortunately yoga is only Monday through Wednesday, so I didn't have it today) I had art for the first time!
My art class is with an eighth grade class- I was a little scared when I found the classroom because all I could hear was screaming kids and things falling over....when I walked in the wildness didn't subside, but there were two girls who immediately approached me and started to talk to me. They told me that their class was crazy (I could see that)! But, by the end of the class I realized that their class was not just crazy, it was a lot of fun! They're all really sweet kids!
Art class here is taught very differently (just like everything else!). The teacher will draw a frame on the chalk board and then sketch something there for us to follow. Today it was a dog, so the teacher drew some circles and squares, and then connected them all in the right shape! It's an interesting way for me to see art taught, but it's definitely going to give me some good practice!
I also met with the Principal this morning, and GUESS WHAT?!!! She said that her and the Correspondent (who owns the school) had talked it over, and that I could go along with the 12th grade on their trip to Kerala at the end of September! It's a two day trip (one night) and we'll be touring the backwaters of Kerala, going to a show in the evening, and then taking a ferry boat to Cochin where our bus will pick us up and take us back! I'm so happy that it worked out- and so excited that I get to see the backwaters! They're so beautiful!
When I got home from school today I had a nutella sandwich and an apple before heading down to the pool to meet a girl named Apurna (who lives in my apartments) to swim! It was my first time, so I was a little bit nervous...but it was fun! The water was REALLY cold though!
Tonight my host mom and I have the house to ourselves because my host father flew to Chennai this morning for the night. We're planning to watch Iron Man on HBO- I suggested that we watch it because all that I've heard about it has been positive....it better be good! I'm staying up late to watch it....

A Drive

Today, overall, has been a quiet day. This morning I awoke again at 4:00 a.m. restless and sleepless. When the time came for me to get up and get ready for school I was torn between going to school and staying home to attempt to sleep a little. I ended up asking my host mother if I could rest for the day, and since the students at school are taking tests right now it wasn't a big deal.
I spent the day watching Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, watching a movie called "Glitter" that was on HBO, reading "Eat, Pray, Love," writing and trying to sleep to no avail.
This evening my host mother and I went out- my host mother's shoulder had been bothering her all day, so my host father sent a car to pick us up and drive us to a ceremony where the statues of Ganesha from "Ganesha Chathurthi" (the holiday that was on Sunday) are ceremoniously put into the river. Unfortunately, there was some confusion about where it was to take place, and when we finally reached our destination we discovered that the ceremony had in fact happened yesterday. Well, at least I got to drive around the city for a while and see some new spots! I saw all kinds of things that I never knew existed, including two lakes, and a big church that overlooks a lush green field of grass. We also drove through a market- this market happens every Thursday in a certain neighborhood, and vendors sell everything from vegetables (some that I've NEVER in my life seen before) to jewelry to underwear! Although it was dark, the market was buzzing with activity, and when my host mother and I got out of the car to buy bananas, I had my first experience here where I had to actually push my way through the crowds. There were people everywhere! The air was filled with the calling of vendors selling their goods, Tamil chatter from the buyers, and the smells of a "Mess" (road-side food stand) across the street. It was a neat experience- and I can't wait to go back another day when it's light outside and walk around a bit!

My New Schedule, The Post Office, and The Bank

Today has been a good day. The only fault with it (I have to say) was the fact that I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning and could not seem to fall back to sleep. So, other than my exhaustion throughout the day, I've been good!
Today at school the students were still taking their exams in the morning (they have a different test every day) and since I'm not taking exams yet (I am SO lucky- let me tell you!) I spent the morning in the Biology lab. During my two hours though, I went to the Principal's office to meet with her about changing up my schedule a bit. I've been here a month now, and I think I have a pretty good grasp on what's working out for me and what's not. I told the Principal that I'd like to learn as much as possible about India and the culture while I'm here and that I felt like taking so many classes was a really bad idea for me because, not only are all of the classes hard, but I'm not taking any of the special classes either.
When I first was signed up for school I was put in an 11th grade class- the 11th grade has only one special period every week called "Moral Science" when the Principal will come in and talk about pretty much anything- the last two times she has talked about relationships with people and then today she talked about stress management techniques (I listened closely today!). But, what I didn't know up until yesterday was that there are in fact several special classes that are offered to the younger students- Art and YOGA! So, today when I went in to re-write my schedule, the two of us (the Principal and I) did it strategically. First we filled in the times for the classes that I want to stay with- English and Biology (both with my 11th grade class) and then I told her that I wanted to do a math class, but that the 11th teacher, and the math that we're doing was much too complicated for me, so she put me in.....a ninth grade math class! We then filled in some of the remaining periods with all of the art and yoga classes that I could fit in. I'm happy with my new schedule, but there is one set back to it- I have LOTS of free periods. I have some ideas about what to do with them (reading, studying for the SAT, writing, and also blogging because the Principal made an exception and is going to allow me to bring my laptop to school a few days a week!) but I need some more thoughts. I'm reaching out to you! I was thinking that I could do an independent study type project on some things about India, but I need some ideas for it.....

After school today I rode the van back to the apartments and got in at about 2:45 p.m. My host mother wasn't home yet, but it was only a few minutes until she called me on my "mobile!" to tell me to come down and meet her outside.
We drove to the post office around the corner- a small yellowy building with an opening to a "waiting area" where there was a single bench situated on the wall. To the left were four small barred openings where people sat behind on computers. It was dark, and my host mother and I went to the first window and inquired about buying stamps. I handed over my letter in it's envelope, and we ended up paying 25 rupees (about fifty cents) for a stamp to put on a letter to my parents and sister. After gluing on the stamps, we placed the letter in a beaten up maroon box on the wall that had the barely legible word "letters" painted in white on the front. I'm really hoping that it gets home safely!
After leaving the Post Office, my host mother and I drove around the corner and made a quick stop to get some bread, cookies, and three pieces of cake for us to eat. It was a very hasty stop, but the shop smelled amazing! It could have been because I was hungry, but, you could smell the freshly baked bread, and the sugary treats being made in the next room- (for those of you in Ashland) it smelled something like Puck's Donuts in the evening hours when the freshly baked dough teases your taste buds!
We then went to the bank. We drove for a few minutes, and then pulled over into a dirt parking lot where there was a two story building with signs posted ll over the front. We got out of the car, walked up the steps, and, instead of going in the door, we turned to the left where there was a flight of stairs leading to the next level. When we reached the top, there was a man in uniform, holding a gun sitting in a chair outside the door (this was surprising...and a bit scary). But, when we went inside it looked like a bank. There were ten desks situated around two walls of the room, each one with a teller sitting behind it, and a waiting area where there were black metal chairs set up.
When we finished at the bank we drove back to the apartments where we both sat down to a lunch of egg on toast and an apple together.

Laughing on the Van

Today I decided to write a story about a single moment today- a moment that happened on my way home from school in the van.
School had just gotten out, and as me and a few of my friends walked to the roundabout where the vans pick up in the afternoon I realized for the first time how nice the weather was. Today (for the first time) it was actually pretty cool outside. In the morning it had been windy and cool, and the afternoon turned out to be just warm instead of the usual heat that I've been experiencing (and it's supposedly been cool this whole time...).
We all waited together in the middle of all of the vans, cars and scooters for our van to come- it was late today and we finally saw that it was in fact parked outside the gate of the school! When we boarded the van I realized that this was going to be a very SQUISHED ride- there were probably about twenty kids for about twelve seats! When we pulled out, there was some one on each lap except for mine (although the girls are comfortable talking to me now they're still hesitant to touch me in any way!). We drove about one hundred feet before the van driver stopped and told some of the kids to get out and transfer into another van that was parked outside. Everyone laughed as the kids on the top layer tumbled out the doors and ran to the other van- one of the girls left her book in the hands of one of her friends, and as we were pulling away once more, her friend was waving the book out the window and yelling the girl's name- to no avail. Oh well! I guess she'll have The Little Mermaid book to read tonight when she gets home!

My First Wedding!

OK- so I'm going to attempt the impossible here- I'm going to TRY to explain to all of you my experience at an Indian Wedding this morning....OK here it goes:
This morning I woke up early again- when my host mother knocked on my door to get me up I was wide awake. Possibly because I was excited for the day ahead, and possibly because I'm still having trouble sleeping. Anyways, I got up and got dressed in a new outfit (my host mother lent me a really pretty red shalwaar suit for the wedding!) and had some choco-milk (this choco-milk has been my wake-up drink almost every morning since I've been here!). My host parents and I then left the house and drove to another kind of ceremony- a house warming ceremony!
After a few minutes there we all got back in the car and returned to the apartment for a few minutes before my host mother's sister and her husband picked me up to take me to the wedding. The wedding started at 9:00 a.m. and immediately from walking in I thought "wait a second- has this been going on all night?" The reason I was confused was because the wedding was in the same hall decorated from last night, and the music was still going!
My host mother's sister (whose name I cannot hope to spell, but it is pronounced like "Wa-San-Tea") led me in through the crowd and up a flight of stairs, "We'll go see the bride!" she told me. We got to the top of the stairs and went into a small room with a bed, and about fifteen women inside. The bed was covered in plates heaping with chocolates, candies and other sweets- and then I saw the bride. She looked so beautiful- wrapped in a white and gold Sari, draped in strings of colorful flowers, and decorated head to toe in gold jewelry. The room was buzzing- women stressing over the bride, women stressing over one-another, and women stressing over the plates of sweets. We took some pictures together after I was introduced to everyone, and then the REAL photographers came in to take some shots of the bride. After the photographers left, everyone assembled together and the plates of sweets were handed out- one to me too...I was confused at first, but then I realized that the bride wanted me to take part in this tradition of all of the women taking plates of sweets to the bride-groom to "coax" him back to the hall to get married! We all lined up and started a procession down the stairs- the drums keeping a steady loud rhythm at the head of our group. We walked down through the hall and then outside to the street where we had to ALL cross the street to get to a temple directly ahead of us where the bride-groom awaited.
We all filed into the temple to find the groom sitting at the front of a shrine to Ganesha with a blanket at his feet where we placed the plates of sweets. The bride-groom was then offered the sweets by some of the women and then he was blessed by the priest before getting up and leading our whole procession back across the street to the wedding hall. At the entrance to the hall we stopped, and the bride-groom's feet were washed off before entering. (Throughout the day when I asked some of the girls near my age about traditions, their answers were always "they have been happening for so long, even we don't know what they're for!)
We all filed into the hall and took our seats to watch as the groom went to stand on the "alter" (I guess that's what you would call it...it was a gazebo looking structure where the bride and groom sat together throughout the ceremony). A short while later, after the groom was there, the bride was walked up to the "alter" and they both sat down side by side facing the audience. For the next hour, many traditions were carried out by the couple and the priest, including lighting fires, being blessed (many times), and walking around the "alter" three times tied together. The final tradition (that signaled that the two were married) was when the bride-groom tied a yellow string around the bride's neck (all married women have them).
After those ceremonies, some of the crowd filed into the room next door to have breakfast on palm leaves, while the rest of the crowd stayed in the marriage hall and talked. For the next few hours we all sat around and talked- me and a few of the girls near my age at the wedding. They all had beautiful henna (called mahenti here) painted on their hands, and I was only too excited to accept when one of the girls offered to do it on me! My host mother's sister, her husband, his sister, and her son and I took a little outing then to get a henna cone. It only took about fifteen minutes, and when we returned the girl and her sister got to work on my hands- I had to leave it on for a few hours (therefore eating lunch soon after was a little difficult for me!) and when I arrived home a short while later most of the hardened henna had fallen off.
The wedding is over for me, but not for everyone else! The wedding will continue at the bride-groom's house tonight, and will probably last past midnight- these Indians sure know how to have a long party! Maybe next time I go to a wedding I'll be able to explain a few more things, but for now that is all I could take in from today!

Ganesha Temple

There has been a lot that has happened in the last two days, so I'm going to try and blog about what I can! Sorry if it's not everything!
Yesterday was a holiday to celebrate the God Ganesh- I wrote about the morning puja yesterday, but what I didn't write about was the EVENING puja. Last night at about 8:00 p.m., my host family and I left the house to go to a betrothal ceremony- we could only stay for a few minutes, but it was cool. It was held at a big hall that was decorated with lights on the outside and while approaching the building, I could hear the loud drums coming from inside.
We were only there for about fifteen minutes, but I got to see the bride and groom to be in their fancy outfits! They were completely covered from head to toe with beautiful garlands of flowers and gold jewelry.
After leaving the ceremony, my host parents and I drove for about twenty minutes- farther than I've traveled in the city so far- to go to a temple for Lord Ganesha. This temple (unlike the temple in the morning) was HUGE and completely designated to Ganesha. We arrived at about 9:00 p.m. to a beautifully decorated building- complete with flashing lights and an arch made of flowers and plants that welcomed us into the temple.
We took off our chappals to the right of the entrance and then bought some flowers from a vendor standing nearby- I bought the two things that are meant to be "special" to Ganesha- some grass and a certain type of flower that has no English name. My host parents and I then put our offerings together in a basket and entered the temple- to come face to face with Piriyanga's parents! What a surprise! We had no idea that they would be there so it was kinda fun to see them!
We waited in line for a few minutes with our offerings before we reached the front and could see into the shrine for Ganesha- it was magnificent! The entire Ganesha statue was made from solid gold, and was covered in strings of flowers, with baskets and baskets of offerings laid out in front of him. The "Iyer" (basically the priest) took the basket of offerings from my hand and turned and walked into the shrine to do a puja with our offerings- he chanted over the God and placed our offerings around him.
After spending a few moments at the temple walking around and viewing the carvings of the Gods on the walls, we left to go home. We drove back through the dark streets (at a VERY high speed I might add) and got back to the apartment around 10:00 p.m., just in time for me to go to bed!

An Early Morning Puja

Today is a holiday- a day to celebrate the God Ganesh, who is the God of new beginnings and of good luck!
This morning I woke up early (sleeplessness) and layed in bed for a few hours before my host mother knocked on the door at 7:15 a.m. to wake me up. We had been planning to attend the puja this morning (the one starting at 5:00 a.m.) but she had slept in and we therefore decided to go late.
We left the house ten minutes after getting up with Babu (one of the little girls nextdoor) and walked down the street a few blocks to the Temple- skipping over mud puddles, broken asphalt, and dodging the traffic that was already buzzing around the roads.
We arrived at the entrance of the Temple to find an arch over the gate, constructed completely from large green leaves, bananas and branches. We took off our chappals at the gate and went in- walking over a cement floor that had recently been washed with cow dung, and painted with many designs called "kolams" that had been drawn this morning. A "kolam" is an auspicious design that are often seen drawn on doorsteps and floors during a holiday. The "ink" that is used to draw a kolam is made from ground rice mixed with water to create a paste. It is believed that kolams will attract ants- giving them something to eat and therefore saving the household from any ant problems.
When the puja began, the many people that had gathered at the Temple crowded around the elaborate shrine that had been set up for Ganesha. The statue of the God himself was inside a small. three walled room, and the opening was covered with a curtain with a picture of Ganesha on it (so as to not reveal the God yet). We watched as the "Iyers" (basically the priests) stepped over a floor blanketed in offerings- bananas, coconuts, chocolate, flowers, plants, etc.- and chanted. At the end of one portion of his chanting, the Iyer (pronounced "eye-AIR") went inside the curtain blocking the God, and slowly opened the curtain, unveiling Ganesh who was completely laden with strings of flowers, fruits, and many other offerings. At this moment, the crowd watching put their hands together in prayer, and those who could chanted along with the Iyer who was now chanting again. The Iyer then closed the curtain- signifying that the puja was over.
Everyone then gathered around a table where a few men were serving food that had been blessed by the God- a few kinds of rice, and sambar.
When Babu had finished eating her rice (she is a VERY slow eater!) we walked back to the apartments, stopping quickly along the way at a small shop to buy a few snacks and vegetables to bring home with us.
p.s. I just wanted to let everyone know that (for some reason) my internet on my laptop is down, so I'm using my host mother's computer and therefore will probably not be able to answer to too many emails. Don't worry! I'm fine- we're going to get it fixed soon!

Breaking into the Office

Today after lying in bed for an hour trying to sleep, I got up at around 8:15 a.m. My host mother was home and she gave me the remote and told me to find a channel. It took a little while (India's TVs have VERY few English channels) but I finally found something in English that I was mildly interested in watching- The Simpsons. After an hour of that I was done and went onto my laptop to check an see if my parents were online yet- we had been planning to do Skype this morning and I was really excited because I was finally going to get to talk to my mom and sister after a week and a half of them being gone in San Diego! When I got on I only had to wait a few minutes, but I got to talk with all of them! It was a great way to start off my day here!
After Skyping, I ate a breakfast of dosa (thin buttery bread thing) and chutney (a spicy tomato sauce) and played a game called "Mastermind" with Sanju from next door. It was fun!
At 11:00 a.m., my host mother and I left for her office- but we had a little bit of a problem when we got down to the cars- my host father had gotten a driver this morning and therefore my host mother's car was blocked in! She doesn't feel safe driving my host father's bigger car so.....we took an AUTO! My firs ride in an auto of India (picture above) something that my liaison Sara had told me all about. It was a great ride! The autos don't have doors and therefore are open on the two sides which was nice because we got to have the wind on our faces! We drove through streets filled with traffic honking and animals sounding, bumping along over every speed bump that we came across.
When we arrived at my host mother's office (she is a consultant for Oriflame cosmetics) we had to walk down a very narrow hallway through two cement buildings until we arrived at a wooden door. My host mother told me that we had to pick up the key from these people for the office and then she knocked on the door. There was no answer. She called the owners of the house and they told her that they had gone out- she should just break the lock and get the key! That was an interesting request....so we tried. My host mother tried shaking the locks, hitting them with a rock, and brought several people to try and help before (about fifteen minutes later) a man finally broke through the lock and we got the key!
We spent a few hours at the office while my host mother worked and talked with two of her staff that had come in. I read most of the time (I started "Eat, Pray, Love" today) and looked through the Oriflame catalogs.
At about three o'clock, we left the office and met my host father on the street. He had come to pick us up and take us to lunch at Annapoorna (the restaurant that I've been to several times and love!). When we arrived there it was crowded (like usual) and we had to wait a few minutes before we could snatch a table- the wait was worth it though! I had paneer (a curry with cheese) and nan (Indian bread) for my lunch along with a mango milkshake! My stomach was definitely satisfied after that meal....
After we finished eating, Mahesh took me to a shop nearby so that I could purchase some knitting needles and yarn (I'd like to start knitting again) and we spent about fifteen minutes there before my host father picked us up and took us back to the apartment before returning to work himself. When we got back, we walked over to the medical shop that it right outside the apartments and I got some throat medicine- my throat has been bothering me for a few days so I hope it works!
My host mother then stopped by the neighbor's and I got to go spend a few minutes with Sowbe before she had to leave for her tution (I know! On a Saturday!).
Tomorrow is going to be a jam-packed day of activity! It is a holiday to celebrate Ganesha (the God of new beginnings and art and wisdom). There is going to be a few celebratory pujas going on in the early morning, and then in the afternoon we are hosting one in the apartment, and then after that going to a wedding reception, and then after that to the Ganesha Temple here! It's going to be a busy day....I'll take lots of photos!

Waiting for the Train

This morning I woke up early (as usual), but this morning I had to GET UP earlier than normal because today was my first day going to school in the van instead of by bus. While my host brother Surya was here, the bus was no problem because I had someone with me to walk there and back, and to cross the VERY busy road that goes through the center of the city. Once he left, my host mother (and I) thought it best if I ride in the van- a smaller bus that comes right up to the gate of the apartments that I'm living in.
So, after eating my usual breakfast of corn-flakes with hot milk, my host mother walked me down to the gate where we met two other girls that go to my school. She then left me there, and withing a few minutes, the van pulled up to the stop.
The van is like a small bus- it is longer than a car and taller. This van is grey, and we took a different route to school than the bus so I got to see a little bit of the neighborhoods on the way. We traveled bumpily along narrow streets- squeezing between the pastel colored houses on the sides, and the other traffic that was moving along the same way or opposite us. It was crowded, but the kids riding in the van were very nice- most of them were studying for their monthly tests that started today- chatting and discussing answers and readings in their textbooks.
When we got close to the school, the van stopped. I looked out ahead to what seemed to be a traffic jam- there were cars, buses, scooters, and animals all stacked up for a few hundred feet. I asked one of the girls next to me what was happening and she says "oh it's the train- we'll just wait a few minutes." And so we did. Here there are no automatic signals that go down when a train is coming, it's all manual work, and so the gates are dropped up to fifteen minutes in advance! We sat there waiting for a while, and then the train came- speeding along- a blur of red, and black where the windows were.
When we finally reached the school I realized that we were actually over half and hour early- which I guess is normal for the vans. I ended up sitting outside my classroom with some of the girls that were there, watching them study and relaxing for a while.
Today was a pretty boring day at school for me. I talked to the principal on Wednesday about dropping Physics and French (Physics I just DON'T get, and the French class is already pretty far ahead and so I wouldn't be able to catch up) and today was my first day to not attend those classes. The first two hours this morning however were for an exam- and since I'm not taking the exams yet I just sat in the empty Biology lab and read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and worked in my SAT book for two hours. After that it was break, and then we had Math, and after math was French and then TWO periods of Physics, so I spent another two hours in the BIO lab reading before I got to FINALLY go back to class for the last period- English. Every day's schedule is different, and since the students are taking their exams right now I'm probably going to have a lot of free time- that's OK though! I can read my books!
Now I'm home for the afternoon, waiting for my host mother to come home from work, eating a nutella sandwich and some wheat thins that my parents sent in a box that came yesterday. I was so excited to get the box! Although it was pretty beat up, almost everything inside survived the trip- books, DVDs, wheat thins, medicine, some more gifts, and a stuffed puppy that I absolutely love! I slpet with it last night- and last night has been the best sleep that I've had since I've been here! Thanks Mom, Dad and Liv for all the stuff!

Walking for Cookies

After finishing off my fruit cup last night, Piriyanga and I went down to the bottom floor of her apartments and over to Theeksana's apartment. We knocked on the door, and when she came out we all went on a walk around the apartments. We walked around the driveway about eight times, the whole while the sky was darkening, and by the time we finished our eighth circle it was dark and the mosquitos were out! So, we said good-bye and Piriyanga and I went back up to her apartment.
A short while later, Sowbe called (she had just finished her tution) and asked if I wanted her to pick me up to come to her house and get my things from the past two nights. I said that would be fine, and after a few minutes Piriyanga walked me down to meet her and her Dad "Ram." We went back to Sowbe's and I packed up my things. Then we sat down and had chapatti that her mom had made with curry- it was soooo good! Can you tell that I'm really starting to love the food?
After that, Sowbe and I decided to go on a short walk to a small shop nearby. On the way we saw a dog on a leash- yes! Promising! A dog on a leash could mean that it's friendly (I miss having dogs!)! But, when Sowbe and I asked the owner, he said that the dog wasn't really a people person- too bad! We were both really excited to pet a dog (Sowbe loves dogs too)!
When we got to the shop there were mountains of things everywhere! Everything from cleaning supplies to fruit and chocolate! We, of course, headed strait for the sweets aisle and picked out a few of our favorites- Sowbe got some chocolate filled chocolate cookies, and I got (another) kit-kat and some cashew cookies that I ABSOLUTELY love! Then, Sowbe and I walked home the two or three blocks, talking about dogs and other GIRL stuff!
I'm having a lot of fun with Sowbe- her parents are both extremely nice people (everyone is here!) and I feel very comfortable with them. Her mother is a very religious woman, and she wants to teach me about all of the religions! I'm really excited to learn- India is such a metropolis of religion, and there's so much experience to have in that area- she even told me that we could go to a meditating class at a temple nearby, and yoga too! Apparently there is a teacher there....!
After going to Sowbe's I returned to Piriyanga's house. It was getting late, so I showered and got online to see if Skype would be possible with my Dad- and it was! It was great to talk to him! It sounds like my Mom, Sister and Grandma will be back from San Diego in a few days- they had lots of fun- Liv even mooned an entire water park (by accident of course!) when she slid down a water slide the other day! I love hearing stories like that- priceless.

The Fruit Cup

First of all, I'm sorry that I didn't blog yesterday! I didn't have Internet access all day!

Today I woke up early for school- I stayed over at Sowbe's house last night, and she woke up LONG before me to go to what is called "tution." Sowbe is in twelfth standard here (twelfth grade) and so she is ALWAYS busy it seems! I was so glad to have a few days with her! Tutions are basically like extra classes that all of the kids in twelfth standard will go to, up to twice a day sometimes on top of school! Twelfth standard is the most important year here, all of the kids work extremely hard studying and going to tutions so that they do well on an exam that they have to take at the end of this year. This exam (I think of it kind of like the SAT, but it's pretty different) is the most important test that they will ever take in their life-based on the marks (correct points) that they receive, decides their whole future, what college they can go to, and what profession! Talk about pressure!
School seemed abnormally long today. It was probably because I'm so exhausted and the sleeplessness is finally getting to me, and because it WAS longer. School days at my school are from 8:20 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with only one fifteen minute break at 10:30 a.m. for canteen (cafeteria, for breakfast). But, the school day can always change! Depending on the teachers, they can designate extra time after school to finish off a lesson before a test or exam. Today, my class had to stay behind from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for extra Chemistry class in preparation for the August monthly, which start on Friday. There are so many tests! On top of the tests in class almost every week, there is also monthly tests, quarterly tests, and then the final at the end of the year!
When the bell rang, (FINALLY!!!) at 3:00 p.m., Piriyanga, Theeksana and I got on the bus to go back to Piriyaga's house (I'm staying there tonight). When Piriyanga and I got back, her mom fed us a nice lunch of a sandwich that she had made, and Pav Vhaji- which is a roll type bread and sauce that was really good. To top off a nice lunch she made us fruit cups! OH MY these things were good! It is made from milk (with sugar) and has chopped fruit inside! This one that Gita (Piriyanga's mom) made had pomegranate, apple, banana, cherry, and paneer (cheese). It was so yummy!

Dancing During Math

Last night (and for the rest of the week) I stayed at Piriyanga's house. Piriyanga is a girl in my grade, and she's also in my class at school. My host parents and her parents are also good friends, so it was only natural that I stay here while my host parents are away!
We woke up this morning and got ready for school- today was my first day wearing the uniform....ahhh! We left the house and Piriyanga's father drove me, Piriyanga, Praveen (Piriyanga's brother) and Theekshna (another girl in our class who lives in the same apartment) to school. As we drove through the newly wet and muddy roads, we listened to some popular Indian music from Bollywood- a great way to pump us up for a day at school!
When we arrived the bell rang and Piriyanga, Theekshna and I ran to our classroom to put our backpacks away for assembly, getting to our lines at the perfect moment when the program started. Today throughout the day there was a lot of talk about tomorrow- tomorrow there are some sort of elections going on, and no one knew (even the teachers) if tomorrow would be a holiday off from school or not.
During the first period (math) the bird outside the window of my classroom started to wail back and forth to each other, and it wasn't long before I realized that they were peacocks! Everyone started laughing, and pointing out the window- and when I looked I didn't see anything. I asked the girl who sits next to me what everyone was pointing at, and she says "look on the roof!" I looked to the right where there is a small overhang to cover the bikes, and on the roof was a peacock- dancing with his feathers unfurled and singing! As we all watched his dance, female peacocks began to join in on his song, and fly up to rest on the roof around him. This lasted the whole period, and gave us all something interesting to watch while the math teacher droled on and on!

Saying Goodbye in the Rain

Yesterday was my host brother Surya's last day here in Coimbatore. The day was packed with visits and calls from all of the relatives, and it was fun to see him going through the same moments that I went through only three weeks ago.
In the afternoon I tried to take a small rest, and when that didn't work out I went out into the living room to see what was going on. The ENTIRE family was all dispersed around the room- and when I saw Sanjo (the little girl next door) I decided that I would sit and talk with her. The whole house was buzzing with Tamil conversation, and so Sanjo and I decided to go out into the hallway to play with a pink ball of her's. We had fun out in the hallway, bouncing the ball back and forth- first with our hands and then switching to feet- the whole time with Bapu (Sanjo's younger sister) running in and out of the fire zone (once in a while getting bonked in the head and laughing!).
After playing for a while, Sanjo suggested that we read a book called "Shiva's Fire" that I had started for her. So, we went in her apartment (mine was MUCH too noisy!) and read for a little while until it was time to leave for the airport to see Surya off.
I went to the airport with Sohbe (my host mother's brother's daughter) and her family. We drove there behind a line of cars (most of them family members) and got to the airport just before seven.
As it started getting dark, more and more people arrived to se Surya off and to wish him good luck, and when him and my host mother Mahesh got in line for security, the sky broke and it started to drizlle slightly. We all stood in a big group together- waving and smiling to send Surya off on the adventure of his lifetime!
After seeing Surya off, Sohbe's family invited me to go to dinner with them at Domino's. It was my second time there, and enjoyed the pizza for the second time as well! Domino's here is (like everything else!) "Indian style." The pizzas all come with a spicy Indian melted cheese underneath the cooked layer- it's like a double decker cheese pizza!
Sohbe's family then dropped Sohbe and I off back at my new home so that I could pack to go to another friend's house for the week while my host parents are away in Chennai seeing Surya off. We spent a few minutes rushing around my room- throwing everything I MIGHT need into a suitcase before dropping Sohbe back off at her home. By this time it was POURING outside!

The Sizzling Brownie

This afternoon my host family and I went out to lunch with my host mother's brother and his family- to a small Italian/Mexican restaurant about ten minutes away. I've only spent a few hours with my host mother's brother's (I know, tongue twister!) family, but the time I have spent with them I've really enjoyed. They are wonderful, caring people, and I think that their daughter Sohbe and I are going to be great friends! She's a year older than I am, and therefore has to do a lot of extra tutoring and schooling before college, but we've both agreed that we'll make special plans to hang out with each other!
At lunch I decided to see what an "Indian style" Mexican dish would taste like, so I ordered an enchilada. When it came I was surprised to find that it didn't taste like an enchilada that I know, but in fact tasted something like lasagna! It's always fun to try all of the "Indian versions" of different cuisines and to compare them to the "American versions" that we have back home!
I have to say though- the best part of lunch, was desert! Sohbe had told me about the sizzling brownie the first time we ever met, and she talked about how much she loved it, so I was excited to try it! When it came it was like a little volcanoe show! The waiter brought out a dish with a brownie in the middle, and a bug scoop of vanilla icecream on top- he then dumped hot chocolate sauce over the top, and when it hit the plate below it boiled and sizzled! The plate that it was served on was super hot, and it made for the perfect contrast- the heat of the chocolate sauce and brownie, with the nice chill of the vanilla ice cream!
After lunch we all went to visit a friend of Sohbe's mother, who just so happens to live in PORTLAND OREGON! She and her family were visiting India for the summer, and it was fun for both my host brother Surya and I to talk to her and her daughters (one was our age) about the differences in the two cultures.
Now we're home again for a few hours before we go over to another friend of my host mother's for dinner tonight! She's making all of Surya's favorite foods (and most of them are my favorites too), so I'm excited!
p.s. here is a picture of me in my school uniform....

The Last Puja

Yesterday evening was jam-packed with activity! It all started at about 4:30 p.m. when my host mother, host brother and I left for Mahesh's friend's house. Her friend's name was Lalita, and they have been close ever since they were in Kindergarten! I got to meet lots of her friends, and we spent the evening at the shrine set up in Lalita's house. The shrine was amazing! The decoration and color that are used here in daily life are just amazing- the flowers that the women wear in their hair, the paintings, the sculptures, and not to mention the Sari's!
This particular shrine was set up for Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. When we arrived there were incense burning, and the table outside the shrine room was laden with offerings- things like lotus flowers, Jasmine flowers, a basket of fruit, a plate filled with bangles, and many other things.
When the puja began, the women that were there gathered around the door of the room to watch as a man from the temple chanted over Lakshmi and presented her with the offerings. Then, one by one, we would all approach the shrine, take a handful of flowers from a basket, and offer them by tossing them at the statue's feet.
The chanting continued for about two hours, and when the ceremony ended, the bangles were handed out, and my host mother tied two orange flowers in my hair. We then spent a little while chatting, and I spent some time playing with a new friend- Amu. Amu is a two month old baby girl that had been sleeping throughout the puja- when she woke up I was all too glad to hold her and watch her tiny little face contort into a small smile for me!
After the puja, my host mother, host brother and I left for town. My host mother needed to finish up some work on the computer so we went to what is called "A Browsing Center." A browsing center is a place where you can go and pay to use the computer for an amount of time. It was a small blue room in the upstairs part of a building full of businesses- everything from Sari's to cell phones!
We spent about twenty minutes there, and then left to go to dinner with some friends of my host parents. My host brother Surya is happily awaiting his departure for an exchange in Oregon tomorrow, and for the past few days, the schedule has been packed with events in preparation to send him off!
We ate at a vegetarian hotel- it was great food! Everyone shares all of the dishes here, so I tried a little of everything. My favorites were the paneer (a spicy sauce with cheese), the nan, and American chopsuey that Surya ordered! I'm really starting to love the food here!
(The photo above is of the shrine for Lakshmi at the puja).

SLEEPLESS and Pirated Movies!

It's now been two days since I arrived home from the Hospital- I'm no longer having "loose motion" or bad stomach pains, but I'm still feeling a little bit weak and VERY MUCH drowsy. For the past two days I've been trying to sleep as much as time allows, but to no avail. I feel pretty awful, and I'm really tired but for some reason my body won't let me sleep!
Yesterday (after laying in bed trying to sleep all morning) I went out with my host mother and brother to get a few last minute things before he takes off for exchange in Phylomath, OR on Sunday. It was a holiday- Krishna's birthday, so all of the stores were crowded with people, trying to take every advantage of the discounts being offered. We spent a few hours looking around for things like white T-shirts, gifts, etc. and then we stopped by the Secretary of the Coimbatore Rotary Club's house to see a design he had created to be printed on my host brother's T-shirts. When we arrived at his gate (a large, red metal one) there were two painted figures that looked something like feet painted at the entrance. When we pushed the gate open, I discovered that there were in fact lots of them painted all along the walkway. My host mother noticed that I was confused and so she told me "those are Krishna's footprints." Later I found out that Krishna is in fact a baby God and his footprints were painted on the walkway to show that Krishna had entered the house, and therefore had brought good luck to the owners.
We spent the rest of the day running errands, stopping only to have some lunch in the same restaurant I first went to while here in Coimbatore (and now I can remember the name!)- Annapoorna. It's a vegetarian restaurant that is famous for it's good food- both of my host parents love to go there! Since I had been sick, I decided to just eat some plain things; I ate some tomato soup, and a perota (pear-O-ta, I don't know about the spelling) which is a thick, doughy bread that is REALLY good!
When we got home at 7:00 p.m. I told my host mother that I needed to sleep if I was going to go to school the next day (my biology class was taking a field trip to a poultry farm). She agreed and allowed me to stay home and rest while they went to some one's house for dinner. Unfortunately, even though I was DEAD TIRED and took a sleeping pill, I couldn't sleep. I layed in bed with my eyes closed for hours trying to get myself to drift off, but it didn't happen. When time came for me to get up to go, my host mother asked if I had slept and I told her no. She allowed me to stay home for the day and try to sleep some more. I layed in my bed for hours this morning, and I only slept for about thirty minutes. This sickness has weakened me quite a bit, and I know that I need to sleep it off but I'm having a really difficult time. When I finally did get out of bed, Surya and I decided to watch a pirated copy of Lord of the Rings that I had bought a few days ago. Halfway through the movie it started freezing, and when I took it out to look at the disc, I discovered that an entire portion of the CD looked like it had melted! Well, that's pirated movies for you- you never know exactly what you're paying for!

My Night in the Hospital

It's been a few days since my last post- my life for the past three days has been QUITE hectic. As some of you may already know, I woke up tuesday morning with a stomach ache and what Indians call "loose motion." I didn't feel well enough to go to school, so my host mother allowed me to stay home and rest for the day. It was a good thing that she did because, as the day went on, I started to become very week, and tired. I lay down on the couch to try and rest, but my body only grew more and more frail. When I sat up to take a drink of water, the vomit came. I had gotten sick (expectantly, but definitely not wanted!). After a few hours of this continuation, my host mother took me to the Hospital to see a doctor. My legs were so week that they trembled and I almost fell over as we walked from the car through the busy doors of the Hospital nearby. My host grandmother (or as we call her "Pati") came with my host mother and I and kept me comfortable while we waited and waited in the Emergency Room (just like back home! You have to wait for an hour- even if it's an emergency!). When we did finally get called in, a doctor examined me quickly, asked a few questions of my host mother, and told her that I needed drips. He said that I was suffering from dehydration. But, unfortunately the hospital was completely full, so we had to leave and go to another hospital nearby.
When we arrived at the new hospital, I struggled into the waiting room with Pati where a nurse took my blood pressure, and temperature before putting an IV needle into the vein on my left hand. I was then pushed in a wheelchair up two flights of outdoor railways until we got to an empty room on the third floor. The room had two beds with matching sheets and pillows. I lay down on the nearest one, and then waited patiently until my host mother and Pati came, and then another nurse who hooked me up to the IV fluid. I ended up staying the night, and six IV fluid bags later at about eight in the morning, my new family and I were able to leave the hospital. I was so grateful that my family stayed with me for the entire night- as some of you may know, I am very afraid of needles, and just being in a foreign hospital was pretty scary- but, since I had my loving and caring family with me, I remained (mostly!) calm.
After leaving the hospital I got to talk to my parents and my grandma on the phone, to reassure them that I was OK and doing well. I was incredibly tired from all of the medicines (and still am!) and so when we got back, I lay down and watched a movie on my laptop before taking a nice, LONG nap.

Another Monday

Today was yet again another Monday- therefore, I had to go to school again :(
I know that I've talked a little bit about school, but there's so much more to tell! My school is on a pretty nice campus, it's outdoors, and there's little green areas in between the covered walkways. Every morning (usually) there is an assembly where there is a prayer, one student reads some news, and then the principal says a few things. This all happens out in front of the school and we all have to be in lines by our grade and by our class. We also have to stand with our feet apart and our hands behind our backs- it's a very military-like looking ceremony, with all of us standing in lines in a certain pose, and the sea of green uniforms (besides me! mine is coming soon!).
After assembly, we all go to our classroom. I think that I already said that we stay in the same classroom, but what I didn't say is that when the teacher enters, everyone stands up and says "good-morning Miss" and waits until we are told to sit back down in the chair. Same goes for when you are asked a question by the teacher- you have to stand up and give the answer, and then wait until she asks you to sit back down (when kids don't have the correct answer they have to stay standing until the teacher decides they've been punished enough!).
Now, I know that this all makes the school sound very strict, but the truth is that it's REALLY not at all! Sometimes the teachers come late, or they don't come at all, and then the whole class will just have free time to chat (it usually gets pretty loud)! I asked my host brother Surya why school was so laid back and the kids don't listen too much today, and he told me that the kids prefer to do all of their learning at home by themselves- so basically, they don't listen because they want homework to do when they go home? This is all very new and strange to me!
Now I'm at home for the afternoon. I try to keep myself busy doing things like reading, watching movies, blogging, and catching up with emails. The family lifestyle here is very laid- back. Nothing like at home where I'm ALWAYS running around from one thing to the next! There's a lot of time to rest, and for me, reflect about my experiences here.
I hope that all of you are doing well! I miss you- more than you can imagine!

Going Away Party for Surya

Last night was Surya's going away party. We all got up at our usual times (me still early) and then Mahesh and I went over to her sister's house around 11:00 a.m. On the way, we stopped to order ice cream for the party. The place where we went was just a small shop around the corner, and they make all of their ice cream fresh! It was a neat experience to see how ice cream is sold here- as you know it's hot, so you don't usually find ice cream in a completely frozen state :) We bought five liters of ice cream, and guess how much it cost??? Only about 475 rupees (that's only about ten dollars)!!!
After placing the order (the company delivers the ice cream for you), we went ahead to Mahesh's sister's house where many of their relatives had already arrived. We spent the entire afternoon watching over the cooks, and I also finished two books.
When darkness fell, people started to arrive, and the program began. Prabak and Mahesh had written an entire schedule of events for the night- starting with Surya's introduction where I got to introduce myself and then perform a mini interview of Surya (that had to be translated to the audience) about how he's feeling and what he expects. The night then continued with food, and even a few dance performances by a couple little girls (including our neighbor Sanju)! The party went on late into the night, and at around 11:00 p.m. I was falling over in my chair. My host family wasn't planning to go home anytime soon, so I got a ride home with a new friend named Shobe (pronounced Show-Bee) and her parents. They dropped me off at home where I showered and hit the bed. I woke up this morning a little later (at 7:30 a.m.) and stayed in bed trying to sleep until nine. When I did get up, no one else was awake yet, and it wasn't for another hour until I realized that no one was here! They got home and it turns out they stayed overnight there! (Don't worry, the neighbor was watching me throughout the night)!
Now it's Sunday, and I have school tomorrow...
p.s. the picture above is of my host mother and of Bapu, the little girl next door.

A Kit-Kat and a Temple

Today was Friday! (I have already blogged twice today but I wanted to write about this)!
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. after watching a bit of Indian Disney Channel (WAAAAAY different from the US!), my host mother and I walked down to a temple that was just a few blocks away. The temple has a special ceremony every Friday where a different God or Goddess is worshiped by people that come to sing and make offerings of flowers, fruits, sweets, etc. We met our neighbors there (the two little girls Sanju and Bapu and their mother Vanivu) after the ceremony and had some rice in banana leaf cups.
On our walk home, Sanju and Bapu's grandmother insisted on buying us all a piece of chocolate, so, I decided that I would look to see what kinds of things were available. To my surprise, the only recognizable chocolate was a Kit-Kat, one of my favorites (although I may get cravings for Reeses sometime soon!) and the others were all brands that I had never heard of before. Sanju and I shared a Kit-Kat, and when I offered it to Babu she insisted on only eating her candy (and not sharing it!) and wouldn't touch mine. I'm actually happy with the progress that I've made so far with these two little girls, although Bapu still won't talk to me, she will talk ABOUT me with Mahesh or with Vanivu, and she's even started to come near me now! Sanju has adapted much quicker (probably because she's a little older) and is talking to me now and even walked beside me today on the way home from the temple!
I also finally got a converter and my camera is charged! Yea! Now I can post more pictures for all of you here and on my facebook! There would be some now, but my computer is having a lazy day and is taking over 20 minutes!

A Long Day

Today I woke up after my first full night of sleep! (I FINALLY decided to try out the earplugs that Sara gave me) and I'm even more tired than I've been the whole time I've been here! How is that even possible? I guess my body is still adjusting.
I then had my breakfast (cereal) and rode the bus to school with Surya (my host brother). The school bus is SO crowded! Nothing like in Ashland, that's for sure! Every seat is filled, and some of the smaller kids will sit on the older kid's laps or stand! It's always loud and rowdy, which makes for a fun, bumpy ride to school!
When I got to school I went to my classroom to get ready for my first lesson- Physics. But, today ended up being a very different day...because we only had the first three classes and then all of the kids broke up into groups to practice for a competition that will be held at the school tomorrow (Saturday). There are all sorts of competitions that kids are taking part in, from answering quiz questions, to salad making! Since I didn't have a group, I spent my day with some of the girls in my class- the practice ended up taking about fifteen minutes, so for the other three or so hours we just sat in the hall and they sang some songs in Tamil. It was also VERY hot today, and so when we went outside for the assembly in the morning (every morning there is an assembly and a prayer) I was trying my hardest to stick to the little bit of shade available! And when we went to sit in the amphitheater (outside), I was lucky enough to have my teachers watching, and my Physics teacher allowed me to sit in the shade with her! I think that today I can finally say that (much later than expected) I got my first sunburn!

My First Rotary Meeting

The other day I went to my first Rotary meeting here in Coimbatore, and, like everything else here, it was quite different from the Rotary meetings that I'm used to. We got there late (about a half hour)- and they hadn't yet started the meeting. So, we mingled around with some of the Rotarians, and I also met the two Indian boys who went to the US last year and just returned! When we started the meeting, us three exchange students got to sit up on the stage with the president, secretary and past president. They went through the formal proceedings, and then Khartick, Vicknesh (two boys who went to the US) and I made short presentations. Me about where I'm from, and the two of them had made a slide show about their years abroad. It was great to finally meet them after corresponding with them a few times before I left!
After the presentations, the past president Pratap Gokuldas got up to the podium and said a few words about the Rotary Youth Exchange program and how he has had a hand in it for over thirty years! What he said made a bid difference in my outlook- not all of you know, but I've been having a bit of a hard time getting used to it here, and after he spoke, I realized how wise he was. He told us that it wasn't going to be easy, and that every day has new challenges that we have to face. He told us that we have to just get through it- fight through it, until it gets better because it will.
After listening to that I decided that he was right- his speech was exactly what I needed to hear and at the right time. I realized that of course it's going to be hard- much harder than I would ever expect (because it has been), and that I have to fight through it, because there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you so much for that advice Mr. Gokuldas- I would love to talk to you more, and hear more of your wisdom sometime!

School in India

My first day of school. Well, it's definitely a different system here!
I woke up this morning at 7:00 a.m. and got ready so that we could leave the house by 7:40 a.m. The school that I am going to starts at 8:30 a.m. and you have to be in class by 8:20 a.m. The first subject that I was supposed to have was math, but (lucky enough!) the math teacher was absent, and so the English teacher came in and subbed. We spent the forty minutes of class time each making short speeches about a topic that the teacher chose. After that, my class had physics, but since I have such a big class, half of us just sat in a little courtyard for that period (most of the kids studied, but I didn't have anything to study). After that time, we came back to the classroom for chemistry- and oh my gosh was it hard! The material seems to be very much like what we learned in CHEM last year, but the teacher who taught it here made no sense to me at all! She just came into the room when the bell rang, and started writing a bunch of numbers, drawings and equations on the board. While she was writing she would say what she had written, but she didn't explain things or let us ask questions at all! It was so crazy!
After CHEM, the English teacher came back for our real English lesson, and once again- it's soooo different! The teacher came in and opened her book, and started to write on the board a table. When she finished drawing the table, she read aloud to us some words, and then their definitions and usage for us to copy down in our notebooks.
After English, the principal of the school came in for a period to teach us some life lessons (cool huh?). She talked about time management, and about choosing friends wisely. She also talked about not blaming other things for your faults, and instead finding the reasons inside ourselves.
I then went to Biology where the teacher handed back a test and then took down everyone's scores. (That's all we did)!
Then came Physics. The subject that I was dreading because I've never taken it before, and it went well! The teacher was very concerned that I get the help I needed to understand, and her accent wasn't as thick as some of the other teacher's.
The school itself is really nice. It sits on private grounds and there is a basketball and volleyball court, and also a field with goals for handball. The entire school is kinda outside too! The classrooms have no doors, and there are windows that are open. All of the hallways are open to the outdoors too.
I then rode the bus home with my host brother Surya and am now getting ready for a Rotary meeting tonight (my first) where I'll make a presentation.
Sorry I don't have photos of the school yet! I'll make sure to take some as soon as I can get my camera charged!

Patience

Today I woke up around 7:00 p.m. and tried to sleep longer, but, as you may guess, it is so hot here in the morning that I wake up sweating and therefore cannot fall back to sleep. At around nine o'clock I got to skype with my family! Even my sister's best friend Abby was there! I was really happy that I got to talk with all of them, it definitely helps to have a support system at home when I am attempting something so different and sometimes overwhelming.
My host mother had to go into her office today to work, and so I was left alone with Pati (my host mother's mother) who doesn't speak any English. I spent those few hours watching the only American movies my host family had on my laptop (The Wedding Planner and Pirates of the Caribbean). When Mahesh got home from work, and Surya from school, the three of us went to the Vidhya Niketan school to fill out my application and paperwork (this time the principal was there!) and so we waited for a little while outside the office. One of the lessons that I've learned while being here is to be patient. For, as my wise liaison Sara Marvin once said "You cannot control India. India controls you." I've found that this statement is incredibly true- and an example of it was today when we had been waiting outside the office for about ten minutes, the Owner of the school arrived, and then we had to wait another ten minutes for her to have tea, before being called in a few minutes later. Patience is key here. Some things are very easy to get here while others are very difficult. I've learned to be very patient over the last few days before I begin school because I don't have too much on my mind right now (although I have a feeling that all of that will change when I begin school tomorrow)!
After discussing a few things with the Principal and Owner, it was decided that I could begin school tomorrow! - but we have to go back tomorrow to fill out the application. I'm excited to go to school and see what it's like. I've heard a few things that make me a little nervous; one being that I am taking three of the hardest sciences, and two, that the teachers will sometimes teach in half-Tamil, half-English. The principal seems to think that I'll do fine though!
After finishing up there, we went to a store where I got two pairs of shoes for my uniform (a black pair, and a white pair for sports). It seems funny to me that the schools have uniforms all the way down to socks and shoes- it's so different from what I'm used to!
After that we went to a sweet shop. Sweet shops are very different from the U.S. First off, none of the sweets are at all similar to those that I am familiar with- they are sweets, but they are not very sweet!! I had a mango juice called "Slice" which was very good, and then I found something with a recognizable name, but NOT a recognizable package! A Kit-Kat!
After buying the sweets, we went home and I went to the gym for a while. When I came back, I showered and was then invited by Mitu (the elder little girl next door) to come and watch her practice the dance that she's learning! It was fun to watch- I think that I will join her class next week, and I'm excited because it looks fun! I'm glad that the two little girls are finally warming up to me, it is nice that they will talk to me now instead of just smiling shyly and running away!

Beaten Up By Shopping

This morning I woke up early as usual (since I've been here I haven't been able to sleep for more than seven hours a night) around 7:00 a.m. I went out into the living room and my host mother asked me if I was hungry- I told her yes, and that I would like to have the cereal that I had gotten at the Nilgiri store a few days ago. After serving myself the cereal, my host mother handed me a cup filled with hot milk- I looked at it confused and she asked "you like your cereal with milk?" I nodded and she walked away. Well, I thought, I might as well try it. The hot milk made the cereal warm and soft, and it tasted a lot like oatmeal, which was OK with me!
After breakfast I got onto my computer to see if I could catch my family online, and after a little while I got lucky! I was soooooo glad that I got to talk with them! When I started out going after this goal of mine, I thought it would be easy to be away from home, but, the truth is that you don't realize how much you love what you had until you've lost it. I wanted so badly to get out of little Ashland, and I've been here only a full week and I'm already missing the peacefulness of that beautiful little town.
Surya's friend Piriryanga then came over to go shopping with me Mahesh and Pratheeba, and so I got ready to go- only to be told that we weren't leaving for a few hours......When we did finally go, it was definitely a new experience. Shopping in India is nothing like back home- first of all, there are hundreds of people in every store (like black friday almost!), and there are only a few sizes to choose from. Once you've found a size that works, an employee will show you a few styles of the same size so that you can choose. Once you've chosen, you give the things you want to the employee and they give you a receipt. You then go to a counter and pay for the things and they stamp your receipt, and then you finally go to another counter where behind there are shelves full of bags with numbers on them. You hand one of the employees your stamped receipt, and then they will hand you back your bag of clothes. I guess that the strategy of all of this may be good because it definitely kept people a little separated.
We shopped for about two hours, and I go a few Kurtas (knee-length shirts), a few longer shirts, and a pair of pants. The pants here are very Alladin style- they float out all over the place!
When everyone started to get hungry around 3:00 p.m. we decided to stop shopping and go to lunch. We were in a store with a few story's, and so we had to go down a few flights of stairs. Now, all of the flooring here is marble, and it is QUITE a bit dusty, so, when my shoe slipped on the stair, I took quite a tumble down on my back. Luckily I went feet first, or my few bruises could have been worse! It was so embarrassing! Already everyone stares at me all the time, and when that hapened I'm sure I turned bright red and the rest of the people in the store turned to stare at the klutzy American!
After lunch we ran a few errands for Mahesh and then returned home so that Pratheeba could pack up her things. Their bus to take them back home to Chennai cam at 7:45 p.m., and so Mahesh and I took Piriyanga home and then dropped the couple off at the bus station.
I am now getting ready for bed- it's 9:00 p.m. and my host family is having dinner, a meal that I am MUCH too tired and full for.
My camera died last night so I won't be able to upload any recent pictures any time soon, but I am searching for a converter that won't blow up all of my electronics! I hope everyone is well!

Kissed by an Elephant

Today my host family, Pratipa and Santosh visited a few of the many temples in Coimbatore. We had lunch at a hotel where I had fried rice and a mango milkshake (what I know as a mango lassi is actually called a milkshake here. Lassi's are drinks that contain curds). After lunch we drove for a little while to a temple called The Patteeswarar Temple. This temple was under construction to maintain it's 2,000 year old existence, but luckily we could still go inside most of the rooms. In this temple is where I got to watch my first big religious ceremony, and also where I was kissed on the head by an elephant. When we first walked into the temple, my hot father asked me "Madi, how many elephants have you seen before in your life?" I told him that I had seen a few, and then I saw an elephant not ten feet from me! His long tusk was slightly painted with lines with ash from the religious burning for the Gods, and he was HUGE! My host brother Surya handed me a coin and told me to give it to the elephant, and so I placed it inside it's trunk and the elephant started trying to touch me with it's trunk- I was confused and so I moved backwards, and then I saw another woman give the elephant a coin and realized what I was supposed to do. I took out another coin and handed it to the elephant, bowing my head as it gently "kissed" the top of my head (as a blessing).
The religious ceremonies here are very interesting, I got to watch a few and participate in a few also. What happens is there is a statue of a God or Goddess (the Patteeswarar Temple is a temple for Shiva) and there are a few religious men who work at the temple. People who come to watch stand around a fenced off area and observe or pray as the men cover the statue with flowers (gifts from the audience) and use fire in a bowl to circle around the front of the statue's head a few times, all while chanting a mantra and ringing a bell.
After spending some time in the first temple, we drove for a while through fields and fields covered completely with palm trees and banana trees. As we drove, the sun was setting in the distance over the Nilgiri Hills, and as it was getting darker, Pratipa pointed out some lights in the distance on one of the hills- another temple, the one we were headed for. When we got to the foot of the hills, there was a street filled with vendors and so we stopped to have a coconut. I've never had the chance to drink coconut milk strait from the husk, and neither have I ever eaten soft coconut from the inside, and it was a very odd sensation. The milk is almost like drinking water with some dust added to it, and the meat of it tasted the same and the the texture of raw fish. Of course, I was offered the biggest coconut, and when I couldn't finish it all, I had to have my host brother help me out a bit!
The temple that was settled in the Nilgiri's was called The Murugan Temple, and no surprise it is a temple to worship Murugan, the son of Shiva who was a brave warrior. We went again to one of the ceremonies, and this time I bought a lotus flower as an offering- we got to sit down inside the gate during this ceremony, and it was performed in the same way. When these ceremonies are finished, the religious men will walk out inside the gate with the bowl that held the flame. Each person will place a small amount of money on the plate, and then the man will give you a pinch of ash from the burnings in your hand. You then transfer the ash from your right hand to your left and using your index finger, rub a bit of the ash onto the center of your forehead. When the ceremony was over at the second temple, we started to get up and a man came over and put a lei made of jazmine flowers into my hand. I asked Pratipa what it was for, and she smiled and said "it is a flower from earlier in the day- one that Marugan has already blessed! It is good luck, they only give a few out at random and they are said to be auspicious. Well then, that's two things that have signaled good luck for me in the past few days, the lizard climbing up my leg, and now the lei too!
We finished off the evening with dinner at another restaurant, and for the first time I got to eat off of a BANANA LEAF!!! I had been excitedly waiting for the moment to happen since I found out that it is common to eat from the giant leaves!
Now it is 11:00 p.m. exactly, and the family is going to finish off the day with a few card games!

Corny Music That Triggered Homesickness :(

Yesterday was yet another day for many new things (I suspect a lot of my time here will be filled with that)! My host mother, brother and I went shopping at a store here in Coimbatore called "Nilgiri's" for some "American style" foods that I can eat (my host mother seems to think I'm starving myself because she always wants me to eat during the day!) for snacks throughout the day. We got all types of things including pancakes, maple syrup, nutella, orange juice and oatmeal! I think that I'm going to make pancakes for my family and their guests this morning!
In the morning yesterday my host father and I went out to pick up his niece and his niece's new husband (their names are Pratipa and Santo) that will be staying with us for a few days. They are a newly married couple, and they both are very nice!
Suya, Mahesh and I also visited a museum yesterday that is all about a man who (basically) founded Coimbatore. The museum was a HUGE room filled with glass cases that were bursting with all of this guy's collections! I swear, this guy collected everything! He liked to collect every model made of many different electronics including cameras, copy machines, record players, etc.
Last night the family went out with some friends to celebrate Surya's going away (he's going on exchange to Phylomath, Oregon). There were several of the same families who were at Mahesh's sister's house, and then a few of Surya's friends and their families. The restaurant was located in a hotel (probably one of the nicest buildings in Coimbatore) and was a buffet style. I tried a litlle of everything and had my first taste of some spicy food (my host mother has been really careful not to burn my mouth yet)! It was a fun night (that went REALLY late and had me falling over into my food) of new faces, newer faces, brand new faces, a constant buzz of Tamil chatter (with the occasional English thrown in for me) and corny American music being played over and over again (songs including Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, and Barbie Girl) that were making me a bit homesick!