Fabindia

We went shopping on Sunday to a place called "Fabindia" where all the girls bought a salwar (loose trousers) and two kurtas (tunic-type shirts) and one dupatta (a scarf). There were so many colors and fabrics to choose from!! I will have a picture taken as soon as possible so you can see what the outfits look like. The clothes are really comfortable.


We also went to lunch at a fabulous vegetarian restaurant where we ate all sorts of things I do not know the names of. I ordered "lassi" to drink because I've heard about it. It's a sweetened yogurt drink, and it is very good. We ate our meal on palm leaves (on top of plates) because the food was South Indian, and traditionally their food is eaten off of palm leaves. Let's see, we had lentils (dal) and spiced potatoes and rice and other yummy things. I think I'm going to gain about 10 pounds while I'm here!


Speaking of eating, it's time for breakfast, so I have to go. Namaste.

In Delhi

Well, I got here safe and sound last night at the Delhi International airport. Since I haven't flown internationally in 11 years, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the airplane had individual video monitors where you could watch movies and television. Takes a bit of the pain away from having to sit in the same position for 13 hours!

I met one of my co-volunteers on the plane, luckily, and then we met a CCS rep. at the airport before making a harrowing journey through the Delhi streets (honking horns, seemingly no rules about lanes) to the flat where we will be staying until Monday. Since it was dark, it was hard to see what Delhi looks like--but we should have opportunity for some sightseeing today b/c we're shopping for salwar kameez (the tunic and pants we wear while volunteering).

That's all for now!

India trip

Namaste! This blog will be for updating everyone about my trip to India. I'll be leaving on Friday, May 29, landing in New Delhi on Saturday, May 30, and I will be flying to Dharamsala the next Monday, with a drive to the town where I will be staying, Palampur, that same day. Unfortunately, my Hindi lessons have frequently been interrupted by everyday living, so I am going to have a crash course on the plane.

So, I'm going to India with a group that does volunteer work with local communities. I'll be spending part of each week day teaching English and computer skills to youngsters. The group I'm going with is Cross Cultural Solutions, a non-profit organization not affiliated with any religious group. They emphasize cultural exchange as well as sustainability--two reasons why I thought they'd be a cool group to work with.

On my off time, I'll hopefully be learning to cook Indian food, taking yoga classes, playing cricket with the staff, hiking, seeing the sites, and soaking up the Tibetan Buddhist culture in Dharamsala.


Hope to have a more interesting post in a few days! Take Care.