Coming to India, I prepped myself for many things going wrong: probably losing my luggage, my bank card not working, getting terribly sick (like everyone does) or at least something small. Up until now, I had it free sailing and without problems. My ISAC (India Study Abroad Center) boss came to visit for a few days so that was great. We were counting weeks and days until I left and realized that the number of weeks from start to departure flight was 13 weeks, we had on record only 12 weeks and that’s what I had paid for. My IE3 coordinator, ISAC boss and I had all missed this somehow. An extra large sum of money was needed to stay until my departure flight  so the next step was to find an alternative. We weighed all my options and decided it was best to move up my departure date. 6 weeks sounds like, “Cool, I’ve got some time here still.” But, 5 weeks is like “I’m leaving so soon!” Now comes the realization to truly cherish every moment here and take it all in.

Part of enjoying all these little moments are my morning runs. At first, I was nervous to go running because it’s just not something you see here. Everyone reassured me it was fine, and besides, it was just another silly thing the foreigner in town does. Running gives me time to not have to think about what somebody is saying to me in a different language or what kind of custom I am breaking. I go at 7am before the sun gets too hot so it’s just me, my running shoes and the pavement (and the peacocks/parrots). Lately, it’s turned into the original Olympic Marathon. As I run through the villages, people cheer and barefooted children run alongside or try to race. It’s always a challenge dodging cows, herds of dogs, the huge vegetable carts or the zooming motorcycles. One thing I find very funny is that for about 1/4 of a mile of the road, there is a cobblestone sidewalk. Normally, I associate cobblestone streets with my city in Germany or parts of Europe, but they use bricks for many things here so, I guess why not? Right?!

I’m glad that through my weird and foreign ways I bring joy and laughs to those around me. My manager always says that I am so expressive and passionate about things. #1. I find that Americans are generally more expressive through emotions and body language than Indians and #2. My personality is more outgoing than most Americans so it’s like a double dose of excitement over here.

These were the few faithful students while everyone else was at the fair

In a Team Balika Training. The girl standing next to me is already planing to gain political power, and is well on her way. What a girl!

Some are just too precious

One of the main streets into market

Even though I’m headed home a week earlier than expected, I’m glad everything worked out and if that’s the worst of my troubles, I’ll take it! In a month, I’m headed back and I’m excited to get back to real life but I still have lots to do here ie. vacation and meet a few more little smiling faces. ~ Anna

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Laozi

Officially crossed that mid-time marker and what a journey it’s been. I like to think I’m well established here and know how to get around and navigate the back alleys which are streets and the bustling traffic along the high way of huge trucks constantly honking and motorcycles swerving in and out. I know what to order and what and how to eat properly. I’m in a way a baby to life, having to re-learn all my basic skills along with language. Overall it’s great though.

This past week I got a new, lovely experience. Teacher’s are always looking for ways to improve the class and move forward in the styles of teaching. Having Educate Girls facilitate the training, the focus is really about teaching through play. I taught them a few English songs, with correlating hand motions, about the body parts and days of the week. They were very excited to teach them to their students.

At trainings, teachers are always very excited to talk to discuss the American school system. The want to know about a teacher’s salary and if they work in higher education if they’ll get paid more. The most surprising fact I tell them is that Doctor’s are more well respected and paid way more than teacher’s. This appalling to them and hard to believe.

From being at Western and chatting with almost everybody who walks by to knowing about 2% of what’s being said, it opens up alot of time to think and ponder life.  I have much time to observe everything and everyone going on around me. This has helped in discovering more about myself and the culture around me.

This is the equivalent of Hwy 99

The God of Education with song prayers written on both sides

My favorite Master Trainer’s granddaughter, her name is also Annie

With every passing week,  I realize more goals and dreams I have. I came to India in hope to find where my true passions lie and to test out others. I am happy to say I have realized alot about myself and in which direction I want my future to go. I have learned to channel all my passions into one collaborative group but it has been discovered. With great peace and metta ~ Anna

″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

One month down, two more to go! Any thoughts I’ve had about this wonderfully, diverse country have all been challenged, changed, redirected and shattered. I knew the western perspective had some misconceptions about India but I’m now realizing just how many. This week I had the chance to get to know two girls who came from Mumbai who just joined as part of the communications team. We spoke on many things together regarding Indian traditions, customs and the not so simple ways of life. From an outsider’s view women staying at home and working; cooking and cleaning and watching after the children is simple. Yes, the acts in and of itself may be simple but take a deeper look and there are many rules and customs to abide by. For example, when there are two bothers the oldest brother and the youngest brother’s wife aren’t allowed to have a relationship, at all. They can’t talk or see each other. When he enters the house he either coughs or calls to someone in order to warn her of his entrance so she’ll leave the room. In family pictures he’ll stand in the back and she’ll be brought in at the end, veiled and be ushered out first thing. The reason for this is to keep order in the joint family. If they don’t have a relationship it’s easier to give and take orders.

I have learned so incredibly much through these wonderful ladies and through conducting interviews with Team Balika members. This week I got to visit a couple more schools where the students adorably sang and danced for us and went to a temple opening festival. At the festival, was mass amounts of food for the whole village to be fed but still there were dividers set up for the division of the different castes to eat behind. In some ways there is so much progress and in other areas the old traditions have such a tight hold still. Traditions are great in order to not lose the base culture but some traditions are very harsh in discrimination and dividing the people.

Chatting with the leader of the village at the temple ceremony

Happy faces waving goodbye at a girl’s hostel

The quote on the bottom says, “Woman today don’t know how to pray but the speak English.” We pulled him over because are proud of this fact!

The more people I meet, the more my mind is filled with knowledge and history. Watching the young girls in the hostel sing and dance, with an extra shimmer in their eyes because they don’t have to go back to a home where they may have to work lots or abuse takes place was remarkable. Hearing them giggle and call after me “Didi, Didi,” (Big Sister) is why I’m here; to help make this whole world attainable to them. If Educate Girls can enroll just one more girl or convince one more father to let his daughter study past the age of 15 then our work here is done. Fighting for the cause. ~Anna

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Not only is it the end of the month so monthly review and planning was happening but the District Manager from Pali came down to discuss the past years goals and set new targets. 7-hour meetings ended up in passing notes and drawing pictures in our notebooks so I could understand the discussion. Amongst the discussions were things such as proper drinking, separate restrooms or electricity in the schools. It’s times like these where I find myself just listening and realizing this is still truly an issue.

This week we also said goodbye to our friend and co-worker as she is taking another position up in Pali. One tradition that’s held at going away parties is you feed each other cake, just like at a wedding. Everyone took turns feeding and receiving cake from our departing one. So many fun traditions I’m constantly being exposed to and learning about.

Big City!!!!! I took my first vacation to Udaipur this weekend, also known as the City of Lakes, which is about 2.5 hours by bus. Often it’s called “The Venice of the East” since everything’s built around the lakes and canals. During the day it’s bustling with tourists and making their way around to the gorgeous temples, the City Palace, nature reserves and markets. There are structures in the middle of the lake you can boat out to and just sit and relax. At night the city is illuminated by colors on the hills, immaculate hotel lights and the little structures along the lake side with changing colors. One of my good friend’s fellows lives near by so he came to hang out for Sunday. We went for lunch at this wonderful restaurant where two different sets of tourists came in. They would look at me sitting with two Indians, wearing a Kurta and just look so puzzled. One couple flipped through an ‘Indian Lonley Planet’ guidebook as they ate. I laughed to myself for I felt like this time, I was the tourist! So great!

During the day it was hilarious to watch other foreign tourists’ reactions as we drove by on the fellows motorcycle. I can only imagine their thoughts, “Oh no! A foreign girl on the back of an Indian man’s motorcycle I hope she’s okay,” or other foreign couples would stare as they wondered around trying to navigate or hoping their rickshaw was headed in the right direction.  It’s been a dream of mine to ride one and with pure joy and hair flying that dream was fulfilled. That night I also had some cold coffee that tasted just like my caramel frappaccinos, ahhhh!!!! 😀 How lovely it was to get a little break and …. to see foreigners! One sight I will ever forget was a party in the slums. As we drove past the small houses and tents you could hear music playing and cheering. A break in the hut’s walls revealed many, many children gathered around an orange glow from a fire and two children dancing their little hearts out on a stage. What a cool sight to be seen. I’m going to try and paint it so I never forget that moment.

The lake view of the city

Curry and Chocolate Banana Pancakes!

At Jagdish Temple in Udaipur

Tomorrow I take off for an adventure of a lifetime. I will be interning with an organization called Educate Girls for three months in Sirohi, Rajasthan, India. I’m told that I will be shadowing the director for the first couple weeks and then moving on from there. Starting with behind the scenes and then looking at the front side of the organization will give me a better idea how NGO’s function and are stabilized. I don’t truly know what’s in store and it will probably all change once I get there so I will have an open mind and am excited to simply just be there. My travel time is about 32 hours arriving in Udaipur at 6am then a 3 hour car ride to my guest house and start work and 9am the next morning. I am staying up all night tonight in hopes to sleep the entire time on the plane so the time goes by faster. The past 3 months have been spent in great anticipation for this moment and in the morning I head out. I am told I’ll have WIFI and all my meals prepared for me.  This does not sound like the stereotypical India everyone thinks about. Preconceived notions can’t be helped so I’m excited to see how these compare and to break down others. I know only very basic phrases in Hindi so this will be a fun adventure to communicate in everyday life. I studied abroad in Germany last year but I was there solely for the purpose of increasing my German language skills. Although this isn’t my first time abroad or traveling on my own, there are naturally butterflies in my stomach and I can’t wait to just get there already. Enough for now and next time I write will be from wonderful India!

Sirohi is in southern Rajasthan closer to the border of Gujarat. Rajasthan is also one of the most touristy areas of India. Famous for the great desert in Jaisalmer where you can ride camels, the lake palaces of Udaipur or the mountain range containing Mt. Abu.

My Bucket List for India:

~Ride a Camel
~Ride an Elephant
~Be involved in a festival
~Attend a wedding
~Learn enough Hindi to engage in small talk
~Master the art of not using utensils
~Learn 5 Bollywood dances
~See the Taj Mahal
~Have a successful internship
~Simply Enjoy Life!

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” Saint Augustine
Onto the next chapter. ~Anna