Welcome to India!

Well, I can already say that this trip has been worth the crazy long hours we spent on the plane to get here. So much has happened since we left Portland. We had a nice little side trip to Frankfurt, and I think it is safe to say that just about everyone would be okay going back. It was some sort of holiday, so there was a lot of excitement, tasty street food, and a parade. I would suggest asking your student about this mini-excursion, because we split up and everyone had their own experience there. We got to the Delhi airport around 12/12:30am on May 2. I came to India 5 years ago, and the second I was off the plane I could smell that familiar scent that was too mild for anyone who has not been here before to notice. Delhi is as very "clean and green" city, as our tour guide kept telling us, but after some time outside of Delhi I'm sure that everyone in our group will remember this smell and notice it even when it is faint. We were all so tired, yet there was still a feeling of excitement amongst the group. We arrived at our hotel (which is quite swanky, I might add), and were greeted with salty lime drinks and little red dots placed on our foreheads. There isn't much more to say about that night, because I think we pretty much crashed after that. Today has been absolutely wonderful. As I am writing this it is still morning for you back home, so let me tell you from the "future" that this will be a good day. :) My favorite thing about today has been watching my friends get their first taste of this country. I have so enjoyed seeing the excitement, amazement, and other related reactions to everything there is to see here. We spent the first part of the day touring a temple with exceptionally intricate architecture, and later got to spend some time shopping. I'm sure you all know about girls and shopping. Well, combine that with an exotic foreign country and countless bright colors and you can imagine how fun that was! By the time we got to dinner, we were pretty much wiped out. It was a long a full day, and many pictures were taken. I have a mental list of things that I believe one experiences while in India, and after day one our group has already started checking things off this list. So far I would say that we have experienced: 1) Water, water, water! If you aren't using the bathroom a million times a day, you are not drinking enough. And it has to be bottled water! It makes me feel like some sort of fancy rich person to brush my teeth with bottled water. 2) Bug spray. My roommate here in India didn't know what bug spray smelled like before today. By the end of this trip, I think we will all be sick of it! :) 3) Car horns. They really don't mean that other drivers are angry with you! They are actually quite a useful tool for communication on the road (and let me tell you, that is a good thing with Indian driving!) 4) The sun. It is warm. Yep. 5) Hand sanitizer. Like bug spray, it will be our best friend. 6) Head shakes. They actually mean yes. You can tell the difference because they go sideways instead of up and down. I am excited to watch my friends experience more of India, and I am excited to have new experiences myself. There are new things to learn everywhere we go. Did you know chess was created in India? I'm sure everyone else will have many more exciting things to share in the days to come. Please be praying for our group. Warm weather, strange foods, and malaria medications among other things can be hard on our bodies and spirits. So far we have had nothing serious happen, but it would be wonderful to not have to worry about physical discomforts for the next three weeks. And thank you all for being interested in our trip. Namaste! ~Kara