Of course, during my time here in India, I am extremely appreciative of my host parents for taking care of me, and providing me with the best experience they were capable of. I am thankful for my friends and family back home, and my exchange student friends in Gujarat, for keeping me sane and happy, and getting me through the times that needed getting through...
But here is a list of thanks, to the people here, who unknowingly made my year that much better, and that much more memorable!
Thanks to... the fitting room attendant in Pantaloons department store, who gave me a big hug and wished me a Happy Diwali during the Diwali festival. This was my first hug after arriving in India, and I appreciated how this lady, unlike so many others who just stare or point at me, accepted me, and welcomed me to be a part of the culture here.
Thanks to... a young boy at my school Sathya Sai, for giving me a friendship day bracelet! Friendship day is a popular holiday here, and most commonly, students exchange chocolates or bracelets. A few girls in my class gave me bracelets, but it was odd for me when they just dropped them on my desk while walking by. I had to stay after school that day to talk with my accounts teacher and try to understand the material (a lost cause). Because of some activity going on that day, he moved me into a grade 7 class room, where a few young boys were still studying. A few of them passed glances as I entered the room, and then they laughed and ran out of the room. One of them stayed though, and he smiled at me. He immediately began asking me questions about America, and why I had come to India. He seemed genuinly interested, and we kept talking for 10 minutes. When he had to leave, he gave me a small bracelet that said "Friends of the heart, Shall never part." It was such a small gesture, but it was the first time a student in the school had reached to me, and I was so grateful.
Thanks to...the five ladies in my train compartment who kept me company on an overnight train journey I took by myself. I am not sure if they were sisters or friends, but the image of those five ladies, all in sarees, with their legs crossed sitting on the train benches, shelling huge bags of green peas, is unforgettable. In broken English, they asked me so many questions, and offered me to shell some peas with them. They shared some snacks with me, and we went on like this, talking and shelling, for a few hours! Though I have so many other adventures travelling on Indian trains, I will always remember those five ladies!
Thanks to...a host family I had in Punjab for one night, during my North India tour. In Punjab, us exchange students were paired up with Rotarian hosts, who volunteered to host for one night. I went with two of my good friends Haley and Stine, to stay with an elderly couple. When we reached their home, Haley was really sick and went straight to sleep. Stine and I were talking with the couple for a little while, and the husband asked if we would prefer a "formal or casual dinner." We both said we were a bit exhausted, and would appreciate a casual dinner. Well, about 15 minutes later when the food was ready, they called us to come. I thought we would be eating at the dinner table, but soon realized, that through the door of their bedroom, I could see a vinyl tablecloth spread out on their bed. Needless to say, the four of us enjoyed a full Indian dinner, lounging on their not-so-big bed, and it was one of the most candid, and innocently hysterical moments of my year!
Thanks to... the girls in Kindergarden who took the school bus with me in the afternoons. These girls made every bus ride home entertaining, and made me laugh even when I wasn't feeling in the mood to. Everyday they would talk to me in Hindi and ask me to open their water bottles, or fill theirs up with my own water, or point to another girl and tell me something that she did. And I don't think some of them ever caught on that I couldn't understand a word they were speaking! They would ask me my name, and I would reply "Chloe". Bacause they didn't recognize this name, they tried to repeat it the way I had said it. After about a week, all the started calling me lovely. I was confused at first, but then realized they though Lovely was my name! When I would get on the bus they would grab at my uniform and say "Lovely didi" which means big sister (they called all the older girls on the bus didi). I thought this was so cute, I never told them they had my name wrong. I liked being Lovely didi! In my last week at school, they saw in my notebook I had out that I had written my name in Hindi. I pointed to it and said "this is my name" in Hindi. They sounded it out, and started whispering "Chloe" to eachother. The one girl on the bus who spoke english looked at me and said "But didi, you told us your name was Lovely!" That same girl became the translator for the others, who would ask her questions and she would ask me in English. One day, she asked me "Didi, do you eat eggs?" to which I replied yes. She said "Didi, do you eat meat?" and I answered no. She smiled and told the other girls, but then looked back at me and said "Didi, please don't eat eggs." The girls were so innocent and lively, and I could never focus on reading whatever book I had in my hands, because they would always distract me. One day, I heard they were playing some game in front of me. I looked up and thought it was "Rock, Paper, Scissors" but when I listened to what they were saying, it was soon clear this was no ordinary game! This was "Lady, Hunter, Tiger" where hunter kills tiger, tiger bites lady, and the lady gets to slap the hunter!
Lastly, Thanks to... a neighbor I met one time in my colony. I introduced myself, and she said "Oooh I like your name! Very spicy!" I thought it was so funny, no one had ever called me spicy!
That was until I came to know she thought my name was Clove...a spice.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Namaste! नमस्ते!
How is it that on one of my last blog entries while in India, that I JUST discovered how to type in Hindi on this program? How amazing is this!
नमस्ते। मेरा नाम कलोई गमर हैं।
Namaste. Meraa nam Chloe Gummer hain. = Hello. My name is Chloe Gummer
Quite amazing indeed!
नमस्ते। मेरा नाम कलोई गमर हैं।
Namaste. Meraa nam Chloe Gummer hain. = Hello. My name is Chloe Gummer
Quite amazing indeed!
What a Wonderful Ride!
Happy Easter everyone!
Well like I said, what a wonderful ride this has been. I have just 3 days left in India, two in Indore, and the last spent sitting in the Delhi International Airport for 14 hours! It is almost surreal that this time has come - but alas, I'm heading home. Though I was scheduled to return May 8th, I will now be arriving home April 8th. I feel the need to see, and be with my family right now, and I am very thankful that Rotary understood. My family is my number one prized possession, and though there is a great distance between us, they have stayed close by, in my heart (no matter how cliched that sounds, it is how I feel!).
I have almost finished my packing! I am proud to say that everything I wanted to bring home fits into my two suitcases, including my hula hoop, a Ganesh idol that I sculpted, 15 sets of bangles, and a few kg (not pounds!) of Indian sweets! It is strange to see my bedroom almost empty. It appears almost as it did when I first arrived here! Don't tell my hosts, but the only noticeable difference to the room after I leave will be a few stains on the walls where I killed unsuspecting mosquitoes. I guess I had to leave my mark in some way!
Even though the clock on my computer reads 1:42 AM, I will try to pump out a few blogs tonight that I had been planning on writing throughout the year, and never got around to doing!
Peace and Love,
Chloe
Well like I said, what a wonderful ride this has been. I have just 3 days left in India, two in Indore, and the last spent sitting in the Delhi International Airport for 14 hours! It is almost surreal that this time has come - but alas, I'm heading home. Though I was scheduled to return May 8th, I will now be arriving home April 8th. I feel the need to see, and be with my family right now, and I am very thankful that Rotary understood. My family is my number one prized possession, and though there is a great distance between us, they have stayed close by, in my heart (no matter how cliched that sounds, it is how I feel!).
I have almost finished my packing! I am proud to say that everything I wanted to bring home fits into my two suitcases, including my hula hoop, a Ganesh idol that I sculpted, 15 sets of bangles, and a few kg (not pounds!) of Indian sweets! It is strange to see my bedroom almost empty. It appears almost as it did when I first arrived here! Don't tell my hosts, but the only noticeable difference to the room after I leave will be a few stains on the walls where I killed unsuspecting mosquitoes. I guess I had to leave my mark in some way!
Even though the clock on my computer reads 1:42 AM, I will try to pump out a few blogs tonight that I had been planning on writing throughout the year, and never got around to doing!
Peace and Love,
Chloe
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Be prepared...unintentional ranting ahead!
Everything has changed since I last wrote...
In the end, I didn't move to a new host family. The doctor ultimately declined, saying it was too much for her right now to take in an ''American girl"...this leads me to say...
I don't understand why so many people declined hosting me during this year. Every time, it was the same. They didn't say, "We're sorry, but we can't host an exchange student right now." It was always, "We're sorry, but we can't host an American girl right now." My host mom (who has confessed to me that she agreed to host me, only out of obligation because she was also sending her son) said to me once, that because I'm American, because I'm from such a developed country, many families here will feel uncomfortable, and even ashamed of their homes and lives, if I stay with them. What will I think of the food they serve? What will I think of the squat toilet I have to use?
But who am I? Some foreign nobility they must impress? I have had this same feeling so many times throughout this year, and still, I get fed up. Why must people here look up to me, because of my nationality? Why should they be ashamed to share themselves with me, and teach me about their culture. I would have never signed up for this program, or chosen India as number one, if I wasn't ready for a year that was completely different from everything I knew.
Do people here really have only one perception of Americans? If so, that makes me extremely sad. Contrary to popular belief, I am not some rich girl, who has my own car, and eats McDonald's for lunch and pizza for dinner, every day. I am not a Christian who goes to church every Sunday. I have not had multiple boyfriends. My education was not easy or simple. Oh yeah, and I am not afraid of "Blacks".
But unfortunately, this is what most people think after taking just one look at me. By the color of my skin, and the clothes that I wear, I am labeled an outsider, and that label, I believe, can never disappear in their minds. And on top of being an outsider, I am American. Sometimes I resent this label. Why can't I just say I'm from, say, Switzerland? Maybe then, I wouldn't have to deal with the misconceptions of being American.
And don't think I receive negative attention for being American. It is quite the opposite. It's the admiration that I loathe, the sparks in peoples' eyes when they realize they've met their first, real life, American. So many American tourists suggest to wear Canadian flags while traveling. But if you want to get anywhere in India, show that Red, White, and Blue proudly, wave those stars and stripes up high. Because nothing is cooler than the land of McDonald's, Akon, or High School Musical. Believe me people when I say, this is what we are known for! Somehow, this is what our reputation in India has come to!
I am done explaining to my teachers at school, or to Rotarians, or to my dance and cooking instructors, what my life at home is really like. I think it is time that America creates a positive, and accurate public image, because I am tired of doing all the explaining!!!
Note to readers: It is 2 AM, it's about 100 degrees, I can't sleep, and the above rant was unintentional. I know it is biased and overgeneralized. I innocently went to write a blog, just to provide an update on my life. But instead, this came spewing out of my head. Maybe tomorrow, I'll read it again, and question what I was thinking, but for now, I will leave it posted.
Goodnight I guess!
In the end, I didn't move to a new host family. The doctor ultimately declined, saying it was too much for her right now to take in an ''American girl"...this leads me to say...
I don't understand why so many people declined hosting me during this year. Every time, it was the same. They didn't say, "We're sorry, but we can't host an exchange student right now." It was always, "We're sorry, but we can't host an American girl right now." My host mom (who has confessed to me that she agreed to host me, only out of obligation because she was also sending her son) said to me once, that because I'm American, because I'm from such a developed country, many families here will feel uncomfortable, and even ashamed of their homes and lives, if I stay with them. What will I think of the food they serve? What will I think of the squat toilet I have to use?
But who am I? Some foreign nobility they must impress? I have had this same feeling so many times throughout this year, and still, I get fed up. Why must people here look up to me, because of my nationality? Why should they be ashamed to share themselves with me, and teach me about their culture. I would have never signed up for this program, or chosen India as number one, if I wasn't ready for a year that was completely different from everything I knew.
Do people here really have only one perception of Americans? If so, that makes me extremely sad. Contrary to popular belief, I am not some rich girl, who has my own car, and eats McDonald's for lunch and pizza for dinner, every day. I am not a Christian who goes to church every Sunday. I have not had multiple boyfriends. My education was not easy or simple. Oh yeah, and I am not afraid of "Blacks".
But unfortunately, this is what most people think after taking just one look at me. By the color of my skin, and the clothes that I wear, I am labeled an outsider, and that label, I believe, can never disappear in their minds. And on top of being an outsider, I am American. Sometimes I resent this label. Why can't I just say I'm from, say, Switzerland? Maybe then, I wouldn't have to deal with the misconceptions of being American.
And don't think I receive negative attention for being American. It is quite the opposite. It's the admiration that I loathe, the sparks in peoples' eyes when they realize they've met their first, real life, American. So many American tourists suggest to wear Canadian flags while traveling. But if you want to get anywhere in India, show that Red, White, and Blue proudly, wave those stars and stripes up high. Because nothing is cooler than the land of McDonald's, Akon, or High School Musical. Believe me people when I say, this is what we are known for! Somehow, this is what our reputation in India has come to!
I am done explaining to my teachers at school, or to Rotarians, or to my dance and cooking instructors, what my life at home is really like. I think it is time that America creates a positive, and accurate public image, because I am tired of doing all the explaining!!!
Note to readers: It is 2 AM, it's about 100 degrees, I can't sleep, and the above rant was unintentional. I know it is biased and overgeneralized. I innocently went to write a blog, just to provide an update on my life. But instead, this came spewing out of my head. Maybe tomorrow, I'll read it again, and question what I was thinking, but for now, I will leave it posted.
Goodnight I guess!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Mind Games...
I've returned to the dusty, noisy, and over-crowded city that I temporarily call home. It's strange, but after a month of traveling, I feel as if my year here in India is complete. I know I still have 2 months here. That's 8 weeks! That's 56 more days!
Some times, I think about that figure, and it seems so small. How am I going home so soon? What have I been doing here, what have I seen and experienced? Is there anything else I want to do before I leave? Yet other days I think about my time left, and I feel my homecoming couldn't come soon enough. I can't wait to see my family and friends. I can't wait to see my town and my house and see how everything has changed, yet also remained the same.
Two days back, after unpacking my suitcase and sending all of my clothes for washing, I couldn't bring myself to put my suitcase back up on the shelf where I keep it. I just had the desire to pack up my suitcase! I tested to see if my novels fit in the grooves of the metal frame. I tested to see if I could manage zipping my suitcase shut with my hula hoop inside. Then, I went through my two dressers and desk, putting aside all of the things I am planning to leave behind in India.
But what is it, that is subconsciously driving me to do this? I know that ideally, I would want to come home before May 1st. I want to visit my Grandma and family in Ohio, I want to see my parents and friends, and I want to be productive with my time (ie. A JOB). But also, I don't want to cut short my time here in India. I should complete my goal of 10 months in India, and not leave after just 8. Besides the three things that I mentioned that are pulling me to want to come home, there also seems to be a general 'nothingness' going on here, that is pushing me to go home. I hope that I'm making sense.
All I mean is that aside from my tours with the exchange students, my mom and aunt visiting, and the exciting Hindu festivals, my life here is pretty ho-hum. I am extremely appreciative of my host parents, who have done so much for me; arranging mehendi and art classes, taking me on many day trips, teaching me about their culture and customs, taking me to I think 10 Indian weddings, taking me shopping, and to see movies, and to swim at the health club, and giving me the opportunity to try every new Indian food! But they are so protective (for good reason, I know), I have never been able to discover anything on my own. No matter how much I tried to convince my self that it wasn't, school here was pretty much a failure. And frankly, the rest of my time is spent in our house, in the quiet last lane in our colony, reading, watching movies, dancing, doing mehendi, anything to pass the time.
In two days, I will be making my first host family switch. According to Rotary Youth Exchange guidelines, a students usually stays with three host families, for about 3+ months each. Well Rotary in India kind of throws all of those guidelines out the window. So, for that reason, after 7.5 months, I am making my first switch. But that family that I am going to (two doctors and three senior citizens...) can only host me for a week. Their situation has changed a bit, with the wife fracturing her wrist and the son's wedding date being preponed to early June. So after a week, I will move in with a different host family (this time for 2 weeks). Then I will be back here for my last month.
This is not the ideal situation, as I am trying to make plans as how I can spend my last two months. I have found a local non-profit, where 80 illiterate and underprivileged girls from small villages live, and they are taught basic skills in cooking, gardening, stitching, as well as health and self confidence. I visited the institute a few days ago, and while I thought it was a great place, doing a wonderful service to the women in need, I didn't see where I could fit in. It may seem like I am not trying, that I am too quick to make judgments, or that if I just go there, I will find something to do. But I am not sure yet whether I will be going there.
I have also found traditional Indian dance classes, that may be a possibility. I would love to learn Indian dance, and it is something I have been inquiring about since I first got here! I also have the opportunity to take a cooking class. This, I am certain I will do! I want to be able to come home and prepare meals for my family, and bring the traditional recipes over from India! I know I will miss the food here tremendously, and it will be great to be able to cook it for myself!
~ ~ ~
I think one of the best pieces of advice I received before coming here was from a past exchange student. He said, 'though it will be hard, try not to have any expectations of what your year will be like'. I have tried to do that here, though I have not always been successful at it, and I have been let down many times. But I feel that this advice needs to carry through to my return, I cannot have any expectations of my emotions upon departing, and I cannot have any expectations of what my life will be like back home...
Peace and Love to All.
***Good night***
Chloe
Some times, I think about that figure, and it seems so small. How am I going home so soon? What have I been doing here, what have I seen and experienced? Is there anything else I want to do before I leave? Yet other days I think about my time left, and I feel my homecoming couldn't come soon enough. I can't wait to see my family and friends. I can't wait to see my town and my house and see how everything has changed, yet also remained the same.
Two days back, after unpacking my suitcase and sending all of my clothes for washing, I couldn't bring myself to put my suitcase back up on the shelf where I keep it. I just had the desire to pack up my suitcase! I tested to see if my novels fit in the grooves of the metal frame. I tested to see if I could manage zipping my suitcase shut with my hula hoop inside. Then, I went through my two dressers and desk, putting aside all of the things I am planning to leave behind in India.
But what is it, that is subconsciously driving me to do this? I know that ideally, I would want to come home before May 1st. I want to visit my Grandma and family in Ohio, I want to see my parents and friends, and I want to be productive with my time (ie. A JOB). But also, I don't want to cut short my time here in India. I should complete my goal of 10 months in India, and not leave after just 8. Besides the three things that I mentioned that are pulling me to want to come home, there also seems to be a general 'nothingness' going on here, that is pushing me to go home. I hope that I'm making sense.
All I mean is that aside from my tours with the exchange students, my mom and aunt visiting, and the exciting Hindu festivals, my life here is pretty ho-hum. I am extremely appreciative of my host parents, who have done so much for me; arranging mehendi and art classes, taking me on many day trips, teaching me about their culture and customs, taking me to I think 10 Indian weddings, taking me shopping, and to see movies, and to swim at the health club, and giving me the opportunity to try every new Indian food! But they are so protective (for good reason, I know), I have never been able to discover anything on my own. No matter how much I tried to convince my self that it wasn't, school here was pretty much a failure. And frankly, the rest of my time is spent in our house, in the quiet last lane in our colony, reading, watching movies, dancing, doing mehendi, anything to pass the time.
In two days, I will be making my first host family switch. According to Rotary Youth Exchange guidelines, a students usually stays with three host families, for about 3+ months each. Well Rotary in India kind of throws all of those guidelines out the window. So, for that reason, after 7.5 months, I am making my first switch. But that family that I am going to (two doctors and three senior citizens...) can only host me for a week. Their situation has changed a bit, with the wife fracturing her wrist and the son's wedding date being preponed to early June. So after a week, I will move in with a different host family (this time for 2 weeks). Then I will be back here for my last month.
This is not the ideal situation, as I am trying to make plans as how I can spend my last two months. I have found a local non-profit, where 80 illiterate and underprivileged girls from small villages live, and they are taught basic skills in cooking, gardening, stitching, as well as health and self confidence. I visited the institute a few days ago, and while I thought it was a great place, doing a wonderful service to the women in need, I didn't see where I could fit in. It may seem like I am not trying, that I am too quick to make judgments, or that if I just go there, I will find something to do. But I am not sure yet whether I will be going there.
I have also found traditional Indian dance classes, that may be a possibility. I would love to learn Indian dance, and it is something I have been inquiring about since I first got here! I also have the opportunity to take a cooking class. This, I am certain I will do! I want to be able to come home and prepare meals for my family, and bring the traditional recipes over from India! I know I will miss the food here tremendously, and it will be great to be able to cook it for myself!
~ ~ ~
I think one of the best pieces of advice I received before coming here was from a past exchange student. He said, 'though it will be hard, try not to have any expectations of what your year will be like'. I have tried to do that here, though I have not always been successful at it, and I have been let down many times. But I feel that this advice needs to carry through to my return, I cannot have any expectations of my emotions upon departing, and I cannot have any expectations of what my life will be like back home...
Peace and Love to All.
***Good night***
Chloe
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Another Perspective...
I am not trying to be lazy, and replace my own thoughts and experiences with those of someone else, but I have found a great blog about travel in India. Interestingly this guy is also from Connecticut, and this is his blog about his travels around the world. Reading his biography, he was a video game designer, uninspired by his work, who one day decided to take a trip to all the places he wanted to see. Everywhere he went, he took a video of himself doing a little jig. He made a video of his dances across all seven continents, and became somewhat of an internet dancing sensation.
I have only read his journal entries about India, but I found them very interesting and entertaining. He visited many places that I have been, and surprisingly, had many similar experiences (with Tibetans in Dharamsala, toilets on the train, dealing with beggars, and so on). His writing style is quite sarcastic, and his attitude is a bit judgmental and stubborn. But I like something about the way he accepts all of his experiences as parts of the whole...
Click here to view the blog!
I have only read his journal entries about India, but I found them very interesting and entertaining. He visited many places that I have been, and surprisingly, had many similar experiences (with Tibetans in Dharamsala, toilets on the train, dealing with beggars, and so on). His writing style is quite sarcastic, and his attitude is a bit judgmental and stubborn. But I like something about the way he accepts all of his experiences as parts of the whole...
Click here to view the blog!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
2010!
Well it's 2010! Hard to believe, huh? Yesterday marked exactly 6 months in India, and still I'm learning about this country, and its sometimes nonsensical practices! Like yesterday, I learned something from my host mom; plants cannot be touched, watered, or plucked at night time, because, well, "plants sleep too." I find that in India, everything has a specific time to sleep. All Hindu gods sleep for some time each day, and a curtain is drawn in front of them in every temple to mark this. Rajkot, a small city I visited in the state of Gujarat, naps every day from 2 to 4 PM, and the streets become almost deserted (for Indian standards)! I, on the other hand, have not taken to the Indian pastime of napping, and have kept up my same sleeping habits from home (bed time on a school night is 12...)!
Moving on, I have to say that I have A LOT to look forward to in the coming months. First of all, next week, I can officially hang up my two hideous navy blue and baby pink school uniforms and put away my clunky black sneakers because...I'm finished with school! Just a few more days, and I'm done! I have permission from my principal for a leave in February, and then in March, the school has exams (which I don't take). After exams, there is a short break, and April marks the beginning of the next school year. It's quite a different academic schedule from mine back home, but it seems to work in my benefit! Before I came on my exchange, my grandma asked me why I was voluntarily doing a fifth year of high school. She said, "You're already smart, you don't need it!" Well I do believe that human beings keep growing and learning every day, and from all sorts of experiences, but my grandma was right. Almost everything that I've learned while over here in India, has occurred outside of my school.
I mentioned above that I'll be taking leave for the full month of February. It is because two big things are happening next month. First, my mom and aunt Mitzi are coming to India! I am so excited to see them, and to show them where I've been living, what I've been eating, all that I'm learning. It will be interesting to be with them when they experience all the 'culture shocks' that I experienced in my first weeks here. They will stay here in Indore a few days, then we'll go together to Delhi and Chandigarh, to volunteer with Rotary's PolioPlus program. I'm sure we'll have an amazing time, volunteering, sight seeing, and just experiencing India!
After two weeks with them, I'll leave again to go on another tour with the exchange students. This time, to southern India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Goa). I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the south! All the sights, smells, tastes, and languages will be completely different from what I have been exposed to for the last six months. Some things I know about south India; Coffee, pronounced "coppy", is the drink of choice, not tea. Coconut oil is used in all of the food preparations. Most south Indians eat a mountain-like pile of rice at each meal. It has a more tropical climate than where I stay. South Indian silk is absolutely gorgeous. Once ruled by the Portuguese, is one of the most popular Indian tourist destinations, known for beautiful beaches, fresh sea food, and sex tourism...I'm only interested in the beaches!!!
On new year's eve in Gujarat, I made a short term resolution to hula-hoop and exercise everyday. I was starting to feel lazy and even though I've lost a little weight over here, I just wasn't feeling great. After three consecutive days of hula-hooping, all I had a bruised waist. I guess I jumped in too quickly! So now I'm trying to be more well rounded, also doing yoga and dancing in my room. My next host family lives in walking distance from a sports club, and they told me I'll be able to go swimming every day! I am also planning on taking some more art classes and a dance class in March and April, which I am looking forward to!
I'll try to blog this month about some things I never made time to write about: Diwali, North India Tour, Christmas, and Gujarat Tour. I'll try to fit it all in before I leave in Feb., and I won't be able to blog for the entire month!
Happy New Year to you all!!! Chloe
Moving on, I have to say that I have A LOT to look forward to in the coming months. First of all, next week, I can officially hang up my two hideous navy blue and baby pink school uniforms and put away my clunky black sneakers because...I'm finished with school! Just a few more days, and I'm done! I have permission from my principal for a leave in February, and then in March, the school has exams (which I don't take). After exams, there is a short break, and April marks the beginning of the next school year. It's quite a different academic schedule from mine back home, but it seems to work in my benefit! Before I came on my exchange, my grandma asked me why I was voluntarily doing a fifth year of high school. She said, "You're already smart, you don't need it!" Well I do believe that human beings keep growing and learning every day, and from all sorts of experiences, but my grandma was right. Almost everything that I've learned while over here in India, has occurred outside of my school.
I mentioned above that I'll be taking leave for the full month of February. It is because two big things are happening next month. First, my mom and aunt Mitzi are coming to India! I am so excited to see them, and to show them where I've been living, what I've been eating, all that I'm learning. It will be interesting to be with them when they experience all the 'culture shocks' that I experienced in my first weeks here. They will stay here in Indore a few days, then we'll go together to Delhi and Chandigarh, to volunteer with Rotary's PolioPlus program. I'm sure we'll have an amazing time, volunteering, sight seeing, and just experiencing India!
After two weeks with them, I'll leave again to go on another tour with the exchange students. This time, to southern India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Goa). I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the south! All the sights, smells, tastes, and languages will be completely different from what I have been exposed to for the last six months. Some things I know about south India; Coffee, pronounced "coppy", is the drink of choice, not tea. Coconut oil is used in all of the food preparations. Most south Indians eat a mountain-like pile of rice at each meal. It has a more tropical climate than where I stay. South Indian silk is absolutely gorgeous. Once ruled by the Portuguese, is one of the most popular Indian tourist destinations, known for beautiful beaches, fresh sea food, and sex tourism...I'm only interested in the beaches!!!
On new year's eve in Gujarat, I made a short term resolution to hula-hoop and exercise everyday. I was starting to feel lazy and even though I've lost a little weight over here, I just wasn't feeling great. After three consecutive days of hula-hooping, all I had a bruised waist. I guess I jumped in too quickly! So now I'm trying to be more well rounded, also doing yoga and dancing in my room. My next host family lives in walking distance from a sports club, and they told me I'll be able to go swimming every day! I am also planning on taking some more art classes and a dance class in March and April, which I am looking forward to!
I'll try to blog this month about some things I never made time to write about: Diwali, North India Tour, Christmas, and Gujarat Tour. I'll try to fit it all in before I leave in Feb., and I won't be able to blog for the entire month!
Happy New Year to you all!!! Chloe
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