My last few weeks in Delhi.....

I know I know I know...... I have gotten absolutely horrible at posting updates on my trip. Life has just been such a whirlwind and I have been loving every minute of it. By the time I get home at night I am so full and exhausted I never have the energy to blog! Since I am unable to sleep I guess this is a good time to attempt....

The past few weeks have been so much fun but also filled with some sad goodbyes. I had to finally say bye to Michelle and Shipra. We had so much fun with each other and I am so glad/blessed to have met them!

 I have been trying to see and do everything I can in this awesome city since I am leaving so soon. I have been stuffing my face with Gulab Jamun's. Found out that I have been ordering my favorite desert (the gulabs) incorrectly and ordering rose laxatives instead.... regardless I still got the goods so I am ok with that situation... I have been shopping up a storm.. and let me tell you... mama can bargain like it is nobodies business!!!!!! Shopping in the States now is going to be very boring for me.... so this may be a wonderful thing for my checking account....

We all got to go out and celebrate Kelesy's birthday together which was a lot of fun! I also got to go and see many of the beautiful temples and Mosques here in Delhi. We got to go to Delhi's largest Sikh temple and it was absolutely breathtaking. It really made me want to go to the golden temple in Amritsar even more... but that will have to be saved for my next trip to India.

Kelsey's birthday celebration at a hookah bar!! I had never been to one before!! and gggooolllyyy could I please get some color!?! (Ptl Thailand trip is coming up)..

The Sikh temple and yours truly! The body of water is where the men bath.. and.... you get free candy after praying... maybe I should convert!!! 

 I went to Jaipur this past weekend... and let me tell you.... good times were had..... from sight seeing to FINALLY riding an elephant to a party in a fort in the desert..... I must say.... it was a successful weekend trip. 

My lady <3's and I at the Amber fort!

Where we ended dancing the night away!!! So much fun!!

On a sad note I had to say goodbye to my kids this week. It was so hard and I never thought I would fall in love with these kids like I have. I learned so much from them and I will never forget them or the experience I have had with them. They have changed the person I was and I truly feel like I learned more about myself in these last 8 weeks with them then I ever dreamed possible. I will treasure my time with them and think of them everyday. 

Although I loved them all this little guy (Nickal) stole my heart. I would have brought him back in a heart beat if I could and I wish I could of somehow stayed in contact with him. 

This is my last weekend in Delhi and I am already missing it. I have met some amazing people in this program. For only knowing some for such a short time, I feel like I have created a bond with them that will last a lifetime. I am excited about my upcoming travels... but dreading saying goodbye.

Monday is Udaipur... but I will have such an amazing weekend that I PROMISE to blog on Sunday to tell you allll about it...

Until next time...

xoxo

It's been toooooo long....

Ok I am so sorry I have not posted in awhile..... I have been sooooo busy and loving every minute of it... So here is my attempt to fill you in on what has been going on since my last post....

Michelle and I have really started to explore this amazing city. We made it to Gandhi Smriti which is where Gandhi spent his final days. It was a fascinating museum and the top floor was all art exhibits made in Gandhi's honor. Needless to say we wondered around there for hours. We walked his last steps and got to see where he was shot..... It was moving and such an amazing sight to see.

hehe see I am literally in his last footsteps!!! please excuse my funky green socks.... 

We also got to go to a Soorya festival which was a music and dance performance. The Soorya festival is celebrated in south India so it was really cool to see!!

The band that performed... they were so awesome!!!

The dancers!! I loved them!!!

Then Michelle and I went to Jantar Mantar which is an observatory in downtown Delhi. There is also one in Jaipur which we will go see when we go out there in a few weeks! Can't wait

Although Michelle and I were constantly hassled here and it was the first time I have felt uncomfortable in the city... the observatory was still so worth seeing!

We have been trying to go out and find things to do at night... and ptl.... mama found a bar with some champagne.... 

It was worth the price... 550 rupee's a glass!! GGGGGOOOOLLLLYYYYY!!!

We went to the All Indian Fine Arts and Crafts society to see some local artwork... these were my favorite....

hahahaha how they see us Westerners.... 

and.... this is just amazing....

I also finally made it to India gate! It was huge and beautiful!!!

Michelle and I had an amazing weekend in Varanasi. I must say.... I never thought I would be ok with watching dead bodies being burned... but..... I was! Although I was expecting the trip to be more spiritual and insightful then it ended up being... I still had a blast... just slightly disappointed with how the city runs... BUT shopping and barganing in the streets was a blast! Got some great clothes!!!

This is the main cremation ghat. The smoke you see is a body burning. 

I got to light a candle for Gallie and say a prayer to him....

We also got to see all the amazing temples in Varanasi, the well that the God Vishnu is believed to have retrieved  his wife's earring and know the well is believed to bring knowledge if you drink out of it. We even got to take a yoga class in an ashram ran by a women... it was interesting to say the least.

Work is beyond amazing. I love my kids more and more each day. Kumkum's grandmother came up to me and told me that her granddaughter obviously loves me very much and she can tell how much I love her. She told me this in Hindi and it was translated for me. It made my day and made me feel like I was doing something right. 

My Kumkum!!!

I finally made it out to the Qutab Minar... It was sooooo amazing to see I had no clue the history behind the monument and the mosque and tombs surrounding it. It is probably one of my favorite things I have seen since living here. 

I also got to go to an arts and crafts fair... and a bunch of us rode some rides... it was... an interesting experience (sorry mom this is going to terrify you)

Kelsey and Eliza... on the ferris wheel!! hahahaha not the sturdest contraption!!!!!

Now this weekend... I will get to see the Ellora caves and the Ajanta caves! Can't wait!!

love to you all

xoxo

Things get so much better......

So my last blog was a little depressing.... my apologies, I had a case of the homesickies but all is well now. As soon as I was feeling blue little things started to really cheer me up and get me even more excited to be here!

FIRST... on Friday (the day after depressing blog) as I was running on the treadmill.... low and behold.....

MY FIRST ELEPHANT SIGHTING!!! Just walking down the street!! It was amazing! 

Then later on Friday night the roomies and I all went to a farewell dinner...

Le sigh..... it was fun while it lasted!!! The dinner was DELISH and wine was found and consumed....

Even though it was very sad to say bye to them I am really starting to feel more at home and ready to really get out and see Delhi!!! 

I went into work on Saturday and at last.... I HAD PROGRESS!! I was allowed to finally run the show... which I am sure everyone who really knows me knows... this is how Hilary works best. It was wonderful. I have such a better understanding of how to teach the children. I can now divide the class into smaller groups and have the kids work on projects that are on there level. I also met with the women Rashmeed who runs the center and I got a better understanding of what my overall goal is with the age group I am teaching. Of course I was not all work at work... I had to have some fun...

they are silly and soooo cute....... and sooooo snuggly at times!!

The new group of volunteers got here on Saturday as well. They are all extremely nice and really excited. I was glad that Michelle and I are still here so we are able to help them with a lot of questions that we had... but nobody to answer for us! Two of the girls will be coming with me to the hope foundation so I am excited to have more help there.

Oh and I found a decent place to spoil myself at..... Today was a pedicure....

next week... a Diamond peel facial!!!

Next.... I finally got some henna!

We also went to Delhi's red fort... it was sooooo beautiful!!! I have not uploaded the pictures yet... so that will be another time.... 

Old Delhi was easier and more enjoyable to me this time around.... probably because now I am more used to India's way of life and really seeing the beauty in it....

It is so funny... although I miss everyone and everything so much.... I am now getting sad that I am almost halfway through my trip.... complete different tone from my last blog I would say....

Until next time loves!

xoxo

Homesick....

So I am loving India and learning so much.... but honestly..... mama is homesick!!! I am not regretting my decision at all to come here, but I am wondering why I decided to stay so long. I know this is just a temporary feeling.... and not feeling well (still) is not helping either. My placement is not at all what I had hoped for and there is really nothing that can be done about it. So basically I am stuck babysitting 40 kids who can not understand me and do not listen to anything anyone says. What I would give to have Gin in my arms, vega in my lap while laying in my bed in Austin.....

Oh Austin.... I REALLY MISS YOU!

I miss all my amazing friends that I have been so blessed to have in my life...

 my daily talks with Mama and Papa Dukes

and constant sissie texts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DING DANGIT I WANNA TALK TO MY GRAN!

 I haven't gotten to talk to him since I have been here since my calling cards will not work! OH INDIA WHY ARE SO FAR FROM MY REGULAR LIFE....

love and miss you all so

xoxo

Highs and lows....

So this past week has been busy and full of high's and some low's..... so here it is.....

Completely feel in love with my kids....

but..... I got REALLY sick.....

I made a really good friend Melissa.....

but she already left :(.....

(This is where Melissa was supposed to be! haha)

We went and saw the beautiful and amazing Taj Mahal...

BUT the city of Agra is HORRIBLE besides being home to the Taj.... I had a throw down with a rickshaw driver, got kicked out of amazing movie seats FOR NO REASON... and frankly it just stunk! No pic can show my dislike for the city.... 

to end on a high note though..... We found a restaurant with beer (this has been A LOT harder then expected!!!)... and we drank lots to drink away our pain of being stuck in Agra for the night!!

I didn't make it two months with no booze BUT two weeks is better then nothing!!

Love to you all and miss you all so!

xoxo

   

Teaching and Vaca

So a week has passed and I am loving every minute here and wishing it wasn't going so fast. Still (thankfully) no sickness on my end but all the Australian's have gotten very very VERY sick..... as in little Jack projectile vomiting in his taxi to work today....... yucks.....

My placement is going well but to be honest not as well as I hoped. Teaching kids with absolutely no resources or anything is extremely difficult. The minute I think they are understanding what I am doing or saying the next day I come in and realize they are only memorizing everything. That is how these children are being taught.... strictly on memorization. There is a huge language barrier between the head teacher and I so I have no idea what expectations she has of me or frankly what she needs me to be doing.

The kids though are so sweet and amazing. I am not going to lie and say it has been easy to get used to the environment these children are living and being taught in. When it comes down to it though, they are just kids who want to play, learn and get attention. They always run to me once I come in the class greeting me with "Good morning Didi" and once I leave they touch my feet (a sign of respect to elders) and hug me lots. I have completely fallen in love with them..... even when they are screaming, pushing and coughing on me. Tomorrow I have set up for someone to come to work with me to interpret for the teacher and I so I can get a better feel for what I should be doing and hopefully for us to come up with a set schedule. So I think it will all work out wonderfully.

Sneak picture of my class and a few students.....

and my snuggle buddy during todays class.... she wouldn't get off my lap all class but I adore her so I was more then ok with it...

On a different note..... This past weekend my roomies and I ventured to Rishikesh which was BEYOND beautiful and amazing. It is north of Delhi in the foothills of the himalayas and is known as the yoga capital of the world. It was exactly what we all needed after a crazy week in Delhi. The markets were amazing, the food phenomenal, the people were extremely nice, some interesting yoga classes and a VERY interesting massage... lets just say good think I am not very modiste when it comes to spa treatments.

I got a lot of my family presents and a few other treats for yours truly..... oh how I have incorporated my western style into my new wardrobe.... I must say.... I didn't think it  could be done... but it has been!!!! Who knew that chucks would go so well with a Kurta!

This is the town we stayed in. This picture was taken on a bridge over the Ganges river which is thought to be very sacred and holy. Every night at sunset there is a gathering on the red steps to pray and give offerings to the God's. It was amazing to see and be in the city!

and lastly.... We found a Guru and took a class with him.... It was AMAZING....

Well loves I miss you all so much! I am sorry this blog is all over the place... Kind of where my mind is at today... But I will post again this week with my new pants and shirt I am having made!!!! yaya!!

love to you all

xoxo

First day...

So far this trip has been nothing but exploring my area, eating amazing food and shopping. Then yesterday my roomies and I decided to venture out into Old Delhi to see the Red fort and the famous markets...... Never in my life have I seen such poverty and so many people. I had heard that it would be a sensory overload but I really didn't believe it... until I experienced it. No picture I took can do justice of what it was like. You can barely move because it is so crowded and so many babies and children are homeless sleeping on the sides of the street. Women just followed us begging for money and trying to pick pocket us. At one point I looked down to see a man washing his lettuce in the street water (which is filled with 1sies and 2sies), while next to him men were piercing other men's ears with huge earrings and needles... not how we did as children with safety pins. It was thrilling, amazing and something I cannot explain you just have to experience it yourself.

Side note..... New Delhi's metro systems is one of the best I have ever been on! Clean, efficient and two front cars just for women so the men cannot bother us.

Today we were all taken to our placements to see and observe what we will be doing for our stay here. Michelle is staying almost as long as I am and I was lucky enough to get to go see her work. She is working at the Mother Teresa center for handicapped and disabled children. This facility is where parents dropped there children off and gave them up since they could not take care of them themselves. Needless to say it was extremely hard to see these children but the facility was great and it will be an amazing experience for her.

Once we got to the hope foundation where I will be working along with two other girls, I was blown. It is in a predominately Muslim community who are immigrants to Delhi. It is on the out skirts of the city and most of the people who live here work at any odd job they can find.

Our classrooms are two separate cement rooms with only one light and at least 40 kids in each room. They have barely any resources and all the kids have is a blanket to sit on. I have never been greeted with such excitement before in my life. The kids jumped and hugged us, shook our hands, sang, danced and showed off. One particular little boy came up to me and gave me a little flower as a present. He was so nervous but so excited to give it to me yet it broke my heart because this child is giving me something when he only has a t-shirt and ripped shorts to wear and nothing else, not even lunch or a snack because his family is so poor. At this point we had only been there for 20 minutes.

We were greeted with such excitement from not only the children but also the few staff members. We were traditionally welcomed into the center by having a red dot placed on our forehead, a flower necklace placed around our necks and flowers dropped on our heads. They explained they do this because it shows that we are all equals and we all really answer to one God. It was amazing and something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

I am very excited to work with these kids for the next two months.... not only to teach them but for them to teach me as well.

I cannot really put into writing what I saw and experienced today but I did my best. Soon I will be able to take my camera to work and I will be able to show you who all I am getting to spend my days with!! 

Love to you all

xoxo