Was it all a dream?

I have woken up in my own bed twice now. It is currently the second morning back and I feel so weird. This morning I woke up to my cat asleep on my chest and purring loudly. I am extremely more alive today than I was yesterday. I finally have fast enough internet to post all of the videos I took throughout the trip. Right now I am experiencing a feeling like...was that all real? Did I really go to India? Wait, was that a dream? I am glad I took so many pictures and the videos that I did just so I can re-experience a portion of the feelings I had there.
I am grateful for the internet. I know that sounds pretty first world right now, but I really am. I have been able to share my experiences with so many people. I think one of the most important things that I can do with the experience I had is to pay it forward. Share the love.
So now I am here in Provo. I am home...What now?



Seriously guys, what now?
I am going to Vermont on Monday with Sean. His work is paying for me to go out with him. I will have a week to job hunt, collect my thoughts, and create a plan for the rest of the year.

A list of the weirdest things in India

1. Lines (like a line for food) do not exist. It is a dog eat dog world.
2. Wedding rings? Nope. Instead of a wedding ring to show your marriage, you wear a black bead necklace and matching toe rings. 
3. Head bobble. Instead of nodding to agree or even to show you are listening, you bobble your head. This can be a mild side to side, or even a drastic straight up "shake your no" bobble. This still means yes, though! Sometimes people even understand you better when you head bobble.
4. People....ok not people, men. Men pee on the streets and on the wall. Basically unless it says "do not pass urine" it is fair game. 
5. Showing romantic affection with couples is not cool. HOWEVER, friends will hold hands and be cuddle. It was pretty culture shock to get off the plane and see so many guys holding hands and being cuddly. 
6. Traffic laws exist....as long there is a traffic guard standing somewhere. Honking is used as a brake warning, a blinker, anything. Honking always....all the time...
7. Scooters and motorcycles are everywhere. Not only are they everywhere, but they also have babies just chilling on the motorcycles or scooters. 
8. Bathrooms here....SO, folks grow out their left pinky and thumb fingernail to scoop off the bum hole. They also wipe with their hand. There are weird hose things. Everything is foreign.
9. Everything is dirty, but everything is decorated! Trucks, cars, trees, rocks, you name it. It will be painted and colorful. Everything is brightly painted.
10. Farting, burping, and nose picking is socially acceptable.
11. Everything is misspelled. This is not so much their fault...English was forced upon this country. Chinese is spelled Chinees.
12. Bob Marley. They are true fans. 
13. Buses have segregated seating for men and women....but dudes can still sit in a woman's spot without anyone doing anything.
14. Power and water can go out at any given moment.
15. Everyone's last name is their father's first name.
16. Construction is nonstop and seems to be left unfinished all over the place. The scaffolding they use is made out of sticks. It is messy.
17. Sometimes the city will go on strike. You cannot leave the house. 
18. The sewage system is open. Poopy water everywhere. You might not see it, but you will know it is there because of the smell. 
19. If the store has no change they will give you a little candy to make up for the 2 rupees they do not have.
20. Restaurants can be expected to not have items on their menu. Who knows what they will have, but do not be surprised if they are out of that amazing tomato soup that you came for. 
21. Gender equality is not a thing. If you are showing more than your ankles or any chest, you can be assumed to be inviting the attention you will get (this is mostly in Hyderabad). It is normal to see a group of 5 dudes sitting down chatting and a women slaving away doing heavy labor. Women are expected to do more work but are treated with very little respect. The concept of treating a lady like a gentlemen does not seem to exist. 
22. Babies will be completely decked out in make up. Eye-liner and all. In addition, mothers will also put a large black bindi on the forehead, cheeks, and bottom of the feet for protection. 
23. Spoons, forks? You won't find those. In South India, people use their hand as a utensil. There is a method of getting a little pile on your plate and kind of squishing it, scooping it up and using your thumb to thrust the food in your mouth. Also, do not use your left hand to eat...that is your poop hand. How dare you. 
24. Some people will not accept money if you are handing it with you right hand. 
25. Sarcasm is very rare. VERY rare. If you are sarcastic, people will often take it for face value. 
26. Sometimes if people are agreeing or saying yes, they will not say anything. They just make a "uhh" noise. It is addicting. I have even found myself catching on. 
27. Bartering at markets is a skill. Since we are white, it has been much harder for us to get fair deals, but we have learned. You have to know how to talk to the merchant and how to react to their prices. 90% of this is acting disgusted and giving the face to show it. Sometimes walking away is your best way to know if you are getting a fair deal. Even getting an auto is a bartering deal. 
28. When you think a baby is cute, it is rude to pat their head or touch their feet. The most appropriate thing to do when saying hi to cute kids is pinch their cheeks. 
29. We do not have door knobs in our house. We have door latches. 
30. So this may or may not be normal, but today I saw a man holding a pigeon. He was feeding it grains. I stopped and watched from about 15 feet away. After he finished feeding the bird he threw it up in the air and the bird flew away. Yep. That happened. 
31. There are cows EVERYWHERE and they have the right of way. Do not even think about getting in their way. Everyone respects the cows and their movement. 
32. Everything opens around 11:00 am. Dinner is served around 8 or later. It is normal for things to be open until 10pm.
33. If a cow is giving birth, they will put it on this huge cart for everyone to see and people celebrate.
34. I am fairly certain that there is always a festival happening. It is not often that you experience an evening without loud music and banging drums. 

If I think of more extreme differences, I will make a part two, but hopefully this gives you a little taste of the reality we live in every day. 

My LAST Saturday in India

So for the whole 3 months that volunteers have been in India, there has been an effort to work at the leper colony. It was not until a couple of weeks ago that successful communication happened, and the head doctor invited us to come visit. He asked us to come two days. The first day was last Saturday and I was not able to go due to my trip to Delhi. Apparently on that visit, the rest of the team still in Hyderabad were given a tour of the facility. They saw where the bandages were made and were able to mingle with the residents. There is not just housing and care for the people with leprosy, but also a school for the children who are born with HIV. So today we woke up, took an auto to the Secunderabad bus stand and took a bus to the leper colony. 

This was my first time EVER being there and I was extremely nervous. I have never been in a situation where people are suffering physically in this particular way. We were unsure as to what work they wanted us to do since the previous week was more of just a tour. We signed into the main office building and they escorted us to a room where we met a nurse and a nun. The nurse was extremely friendly and had us sit and get to know each other briefly. We talked about our intentions of the summer and she seemed like the person we should have talked to in order to be of more service this past summer. She told us that she wanted us to watch the wounds being cleaned and re-dressed. She said she would like us to help if we wished after watching the process. 

We walked to a building that was filled with residents waiting to have their bandages redone. We were invited into this tiny room that had two chairs. Each chair had a stool type thing that had a stirrup thing for the patients to put their leg up on. We watched the one man take off the old bandage, clean the wounds, and redress it. I was doing my best to keep cool but I got extremely woozy. I had to step outside for about 5 minutes and process everything. I thought about something Brooke said regarding the body. If you understand what is happening with the body it is a lot easier to look at things that would otherwise be considered gruesome. I was able to collect myself and I went back just in time for Eliza to be working on a man's foot. They just gave her the tools and gave her slight direction. Soon after Meera was working on patients. I knew I would never get a chance to overcome this fear within myself anytime soon, and I asked for gloves. I asked Eliza if I could help her on the next patient and she kindly walked me through. She let me do some of the harder stuff on the next guy. The patients did not speak english, so we did our best to exchange names and ask if things were okay. The process of changing the bandages is quite simple. 

1. Cut of the old bandages-do it slowly near the areas that have wounds as to not damage the healthy skin

2. Clean with a medicated cotton swab

3. Put an antibiotic powder on the wounds

4. Put medicated gauze on the wounds

5. Cover that with a cotton pad

6. Wrap with gauze

I am still in awe that they let us work. There was something about the experience that left us feeling really grateful in many different ways. I was grateful to Sivananda Rehabilitation Home for what they provide. The facility had a serenity that you do not find in India often. It is somehow right off of the road, and yet the trees and plants created a barrier from the world. It provides in patient and out patient care, which is so rad! These people have hope. Being able to mingle, you realize that no matter the outward appearance, there is something in each person that makes them, THEM. 

After that we headed to a place called Wild Ginger (Sean! It exists elsewhere! I am pretty sure the cooks were asian, too) and all shared some Dal Makhani. It was quite bizarre to think, I was just cleaning the wounds of people suffering from leprosy and now I am eating lunch...We washed up well, but there was a part of me that just felt weird. I thought about my Dad and what he would say to me. When I told him previously about the plan to go to the leper colony he advised that I should just leave it to the professionals....Well Dad, there are no professionals, just a doctor training normal people and those normal people training us. I guess in the end that is all we have...normal people.

After lunch, we headed to the general bazaar to find some last gifts for friends and family. Everyone was successful. We all were getting along really well. We ate dinner at a place called Om Shantis. You can get a TON of food for around 120 rupees, which is like 2 bucks. I feel like I need to try as much Indian food as I can (even though I am kind of over Indian food) just because I will never get Naan for 50 cents ever again in my life. 

I am still digging the vibe of this morning. I hate to be selfish, but it was so much more than service. I really did something today that I never thought I would have the chance to do...or even do if I had the chance. It was a cool day for everyone involved. 

Despite the harsh conditions here, including the treatment toward women, I love India. It has taught me so much about myself and also so much about PEOPLE. 

Hope you all are feeling some warm fuzzies like I am. 

Delhi adventures

I feel like the past four days have seemed like a couple of weeks. We have gone to so many places and seen so many things. I am on the roof of the Hotel Ajanta. We just ate dinner over this incredible view and now I am using one of the "complimentary computers" to write this post.
I wish I could blog every 3 hours because after seeing so much, it is hard to decide what to write. Since I have the rest of the night free, I will try to fit in as much as I can remember about Delhi so far.

After arriving in Delhi after a very short flight, it was so strange to not have a work day ahead of me. I have had to tell myself multiple times not to feel guilty for taking this time to see the sights of India when there is so much work that can be done. I feel like I can take this experience and pay the world back within the means that I am capable of. It was such a gift to be able to come to India.

Anyway, day one we got on a plane in Hyderabad at 9am and arrived in Delhi about an hour and a half later. We were picked up by our travel agent and went to Hotel Ajanta. We dropped off our things and then went to a show that night where we saw a live performance of a show that had a similar plot line to that of The Prince of Persia (at least I think so). Our travel agent Steven went with us. All of these buildings at this place were super pretty. In a way it reminded me of a baby Disneyland, except without any rides. We walked into the main building and it was a big indoor courtyard thing. Each little shop or area was themed with different areas of India. There was food specific to location as well as jewelry and clothing. There was a lot of entertainment and the group had a great time looking around at all of the decor and performances.
After about an hour we went to be seated for or show. It was all in Hindi so we had to try and follow along the best we could. It was a bit like Broadway except no live singing. There were however, extremely awesome, massive dance numbers to super fantastic music. There was a lot of energy. We left with huge smiles.
After the show, we saw a little shop that was selling these little wrap things. It is basically some kind of leaf filled with seasonings, dried fruit, and who knows what else. The covered it in silver leaf and stuck it on a toothpick. Steven told me to just stick the whole thing in my mouth and chew it up. So I did. It was an indescribable combination of flavors and I did not like it at first. After chewing for a long time, I missed the whole memo that you are supposed to spit it all out. I swallowed it. I did not get a stomach ache, it just kind of felt like I swallowed a tube of toothpaste.
It was a great first day. We ordered room service that night and we all realized that we love Daal Makhani.

Day two we woke up early and went to Gandhi's house. It was an incredible place. We spent maybe only and hour and a half there though, due to the schedule. We learned about his life and his last hours. We also learned about his ideas about religion and human kind. It was humbling to see the strength one man can have. He possessed so much love for his India. I never knew the story of his assassination. We walked through a part of the house that had a timeline with a detailed description of his last 48 hours. It was heavy to read. I thought about what it must be like to visit Jerusalem. This trip to India has opened my eyes to the vastness of the world and yet, I realize how close we all are as people. How is it that someone has grown up on the other side of the world and whose ancestors are nowhere close to mine can laugh with me and have a connection? There is much more that is connecting us all as humans than I think we are wanting to admit sometimes. This obligation of brotherhood and sisterhood is a difficult concept for me understand, but I think I am a little bit closer.

After Gandhi's house, we took a cab to Agra. I loved the vibe of Agra. I cannot explain why, but it felt so alive. Our first stop was Agra Fort. This place is over 1000 years old. Guess what I learned about India? No matter where you go, concubines are probably part of the history. It was interesting to learn how important having concubines in your palace was. Agra Fort was MASSIVE. Like, huge. There was some crazy technology involved. As a form of air conditioning, there were special room designs and built in streams. Ventilation and water were used in every place we saw. It was exciting to explore and see the progression of style and technology in the newer areas of the fort.
As we were leaving, we saw lots of people wearing orange. This was apparently due to a festival...

Intejection: There are always festivals happening in this country. There is always some group of people doing this or that and when we inquire as to why, the response is always "It's a festival...." I think it is interesting to be in a country that is so passionate that there are so many occasions in which to celebrate.

Ok anyway, after Agra Fort we went to our hotel in Agra which is honestly the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. We went swimming on the roof and later ate dinner with candle light and two men playing the drums and the sitar. There were lots of couples, so I assume that it is a known hotel for the romantic atmosphere. The bed we slept on was the most comfortable thing I have slept on since my arrival to India. We were spoiled to say the least.

The next day we woke up, ate an awesome breakfast and made our way to the TAJ MAHAL. WOOHOO! This is the highlight of my sightseeing so far. It was more beautiful than I anticipated. There was a peaceful feeling at the Taj that I have not felt elsewhere in India. To many of the people of India, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. Many who have the means travel to see the Taj multiple times. We got the chance to talk to some locals who were great.

There was more in this day and the day I experienced today, but I must get off this computer for now. I am the sweatiest person on planet earth right now. Delhi is hot. Realllllyyyyyyy hot.

All of my pictures are on facebook! After I get back to the states I will put descriptions of everything that is in the pictures.

Oh, also, I pet a cobra.

Ok the end.
:)