I'm here!

I arrived in Bangalore just yesterday. The weather is in the upper 70's and I am full of anticipation! Yesterday was rough to try and stay awake because of the 10 1/2 hour time difference, all the information thrown at us about do's and don'ts for staying healthy in India and we also took a rather long walk into the nearest town after chai time and before dinner. My dorm is shared with a fellow group member named Ayah, and our pad comes complete with mosquito netting over the beds, one lock dresser for us each, and a full bathroom, it's way better than I had expected! The food here is amazing, as made by our head cook named Clara, but I am trying to only eat it in small doses so I don't get sick. Last night I wrote in my journal and joined the group for a singalong in the rec room upstairs before spending a night(American day) trying to adjust to the time difference...But this morning I woke up bright and cheery to the sound of our musical water filter I am so happy to be here! This morning we ate breakfast before commencing with our first class. Mercy, a leader at Visthar, lead our first class by asking us to each think of ourselves and our lives in terms of a river and to draw that river. We then presented our rivers to each other and it was illuminated that each of us had mad ourselves vulnerable to the rest of the group in sharing common themes of struggle, family/relationships, and a combination of mystery and a sense of purpose were evident in our group presentations. David, another leader of Visthar, told us that we are angry prophets who, if rooted in love, will be able to fulfill man purposes in this world. I feel so blessed to be here and to have an outlet for my passions for people and cultures!

I will be concluding each of my blogs with lessons I have learned here thus far, a kind of "how to survive India" type of thing if you will. #1- do not assume that your surge protector is compatible with the country's current, I plugged mine in and it crackled and sizzled in seconds, making my room stink of burnt plastic! #2- eating with only your right hand is absolutely necessary but not easy when it comes to having to tear bread one-handed and also being asked to pass a dish with your right hand, I get a little confused sometimes as to what is rude and what is normal!

P.S.- tonight is our inauguration ceremony at which we will be garlanded, sung to by the Bandhavi girls rescued from the Devidasi(God slaves literally translated), honored by a delegate, and we will sing "Lean on Me" as a representation of our culture!