Anyway this year my trip to India is going to be quite different because, its the first time I will be alone for 2 weeks in a foreign country, pretty sick isn't it? I will leave July 23rd, around 6 have a stop in London, buy some awesome things, board back on and than reach New Delhi, India around 11 at night. I'll be in Delhi for about a week, shopping and exploring a few colleges, and yes I am determined for college in India, and than after a week or so take a plane to Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh (South India). Where I will spend one week or so, in a choir to perform in front of a prophet and do some seva (service) at the hospitals and canteens there. (again wicked excited)
In New Delhi, I'll live in a flat (apartment) with my uncle, aunt & my two lovely under the age of 13 yr. old cousins. A few problems will of course arrive with this.
Ek (1) Hindi. I won't have my mom with me to help me steer away from humiliating situations in which I would fail at communicating with people outside the house, for ex. the store owners, the kulfi wala (ice cream guy) and God knows how many other people...oh yeah the people who will be coming to the hospital that I'll be volunteering at, this will be so much fun. Sure I understand hindi, and can speak it, but when I try to be fluid, I completely and utterly fail. It all comes out tooti footi (broken up). My uncle mocks me and tells me that I have a "Gora accent". Never heard of a Gora accent? Youtube Katrina Kaif and hindi, and you'll understand what I mean.
Do (2) Bargaining. My mom, is the Queen of Bargaining. And sadly my face just gives away my skills...0 zero, nada, zit. I think its cuz of my hindi, they storeowners can tell, "fresh meat". They charge foreigners SO MUCH MORE than what its actually worth. Kinda sucks, but hopefully my Mami (auntie) will have my side AND my increased fobbiness from junior year might just cover up a little.
Teen (3) Tech-NO-ology. Yep, I'm still not sure whether I will have my awesome new laptop with me there but I will have to go to a cybercafe. First time I heard of that I was thinking silver, metal walls you know with a blue backlight, nicely air conditioned. Almost like something out of a Scifi airship but haha its the complete opposite. Its hot, light goes out every now and than, computers are extremely slow, people are extremely sketchy and yeah not very pretty. But I'm hoping to catch some internet and hopefully keep this thing updated.
Char (4) HOT. HOT. HOT. Did I mention its going to be rediculously HOT? I checked out the temperature of New Delhi today and it said that its highest was 102 and low 82 degrees fahrenheit! Again rediculous, I have a feeling I will refuse to leave the nicely air conditioned room. But sigh, shopping, so I might just have to give a little to get a lot. Oh btw don't be amazed if I return home a shade or 5 darker than what I am, by February or so it should be all better...hopefully. Oh talking about Hot, hot = mosquitos. Like so many bugs, my last trip to India i encountered these huge 6 inches cockroaches, no exaggerating, crawling everywhere near the train station. I don't freak out with bugs, but these were insanely disgusting I couldn't help but release the "wow ew gross" face. And basically I'm just looking forward to a mosquite bites filled summer. woo
Paach (5) Poverty. One thing to know, no matter where you go in India or any place around there. Poverty is everywhere. literally everywhere. Every street, every city, every state its there. And the worst part is that you can't really do anything about it. Sure, you'll see a little starved, beaten girl wearing a dirty brown dress walking around holding a little baby, asking for money or trying to sell you something that isn't as useful, but it comes down to you not being able to do anything. The moment you accept the product, or donate money, thats when a mob of poor children and abused mothers or diseased men will come to you asking for the same treatment. And you just can't give the money away because one you don't have that much to start with and two, the money doesn't even go to them, they end up giving it away. Usually they are beaten and forced into begging, by some "bad guys" or as I like to call them "dacoos" (bad guys). I'm sure you have seen SlumDog Millionaire...can I just say that whole scene when the three kids are forced to practice the same song over and over again, and whoever sings the best they get screwed up and are forced on streets to beg, because of their amazing singing ability they should get more money. (which you probably figured out) But all that is mainly realistic and extremely sad.
Chey (6) Creepers. They are everywhere. No matter what country you go to, they are there. And no not the facebook creepers, where they check your wallposts and pictures, these creepers literally check you out. And its degrading and completely gross. But I am not completely worried about them, hence the last ranking on my problemo list.
All I hope is that this summer, my trip to India will hopefully be awesome, not too hot, lots of good shopping, lot to see and do, many new faces to meet and what not. Ok Swades is over and so is this blog.
