First couple of days!

My first two days in Ahmedabad have been a whirlwind. Each day started at 6am and ended at 11pm, which is a long day especially given this heat and my jet lag. And the humidity! The air is simply wet here, mostly, perhaps, because it is still monsoon season. There have been two very hearty rains since I arrived, and we are told there will be one more big push of rain before the season ends.

India is amazing. For our first month here, we are staying in a hostel that is part of a University campus here in Ahmedabad. It is a quiet university founded on Gandhian principles, and thus is a very tranquil and beautiful environment. From my window I can hear peacocks screaming, birds singing, and monkeys loudly jumping from tree to tree.

The first thing we do every morning-- in traditional Indian fashion-- is Safai, which is the cleaning of the home. We each have a task, and collectively clean our hostel. Then we have breakfast, and begin our activities—which range from language lessons to conversations about simple living. All of the fellows eat our meals together, all sitting on the floor. In fact, the floor is the only thing we ever sit on. Actually, my bum is a little sore from this new adjustment, but I love the overall simplicity of life here. It is refreshing in a way I have never experienced. I have no internet within the university campus, but I understand we will make trips to the city every now and then.

In three weeks, I will make the jouney to the site of my project in Deoghar, Jharkhand. Until then, I am learning all the things I need to know to bring about some positive changes here in India. We spend a lot of time talking about development and culture to this end, and I love it! Basically, I am in love with the first two days of my new life, and I am sure the journey will only grow more interesting from here.

Finally out of here

I am on board my flight to Qatar, I believe it is 14 hours. I have a couple of books, an Economist, Hindi on tape, and Qatar Airways' seemingly endless list of movies at my disposal. Adios, or namaste!

Starting off with travel mishaps, of course

I wish I could be writing my first entry from aboard my flight to Doha, where I am supposed to be right now. But that is not where I am. Strangely, I am back in Texas, the last place I thought I would find myself on this journey to India (especially given my relationship with this particular state)-- at a Holiday Inn in muggy Houston, to be specific. Out of my window, I can hear planes taking off. Tomorrow I will be on one. After a day of waiting standby and delayed flights, after running across the entire Houston Intercontinental airport, Qatar airlines said I wouldn't make the flight tonight. After rescheduling, I will be arriving in Ahmedabad exactly 24 hours later than I was supposed to. Could be worse.

On the bright side, I met my NBA idol Steve Nash today. After I gawked, "Oh my god, you're Steve Nash!" we exchanged a few brief comments about our travel, and he even signed the current book I am reading (which I am almost done with, and had planned to ditch in Doha, but will now hang onto for the rest of my time in India, obviously). So it's not all bad. Hopefully my next update will actually be from outside of this country.

Thanks to everyone for all of the amazing goodbye wishes. Much love to all.