India is Amazing

I'm really doing good over here. I'm not sure how eloquent or coherent this will all be since I'm still processing it, and I haven't much time left for the money I decided to use for internet. So I'll just dive in and dish out.

The Sisters of Charity has multiple houses, and the one I'm volunteering at is the Kali Ghat, the home of the destitute and dying. The purpose of this house isn't to keep people from dying, but to help them die with dignity. Despite it's name, I have found the atmosphere there to be strangely positive. I wash dishes,clothes(by stomping on them with my feet), feed the people, massage them, and today I helped peel some garlic.
There are some really interesting characters there. Theres this really great woman from spain who is full of grace and just loves everyone. She is always talking and laughing with this skinny guy from spain who is very animated and passionate. I enjoy watching them converse although I've no idea what they are saying most of the time. There is a guy from India who is really buff. He's an older man who wears a turbin all the time, and he is really loud, yet friendly. The Mashis, the Hindi nurses there, are rough but loving. Then there are two Irish guys who are really cool. And there is a short Asian, who I really like. The first day he yelled at me because I wore my sandals too close to the sink area. He yells at every one equally though, so I respect that. He is really funny. He is very paticular about the way things are done, however, and once you make a mistake there is nothing you can do to ease the pain of his lecture. You just have to stare at him and say "Okay....okay...uh-huh" until he thinks that he has repeated himself to you sufficiently. He never really bothered me after the first day though, and he is one of my favourite people.
It's incredible to see all these different people from different parts of the world working together in harmony and seeing just how similar we all are. It sounds cliche, but it's really true. Also, dealing with people who speak in different toungues helps me to get in touch with the universal language of humanity.

The food here is really great. I've been drinking a lot of Chai. At first I wasn't hungry for much, but my appetite has grown substantially as of late and I'm trying to keep myself from gorging. I haven't been eating as many vegetables though, so I think i"m going to try and hit up a veggie stand and peel some carrots and fruit. I haven't eaten meat at all this trip, and I really haven't missed it. I've been wanting to experiment with going vegetarian and possibly even vegan, so this trip coincides perfectly, as it is not reccomended that you eat meat over here at least for the first month.
The streets are really poor and crowded and dirty but there SO much character here. The other day we went to a mall to watch Harry Potter and I was really creeped out. It was a very strange place to be. I just thought about how much more money people have there, how much cleaner it is, and how much more boring it is. It was like entering some strange vacuum. Such a lack of life in comparison with the busy streets, the cows and chickens, the stray dogs, singing blind people, vendors, rickshaw drivers, etc.

The traffic here is crazy. I was in the front seat of a taxi yesterday as we tore down the streets, and throughout the ride I recalled in my mind just about every accident I have ever been in. It's hard to learn to trust you're driver when you see a car headed straight for you. Amazingly, though, I haven't seen any accidents. I guess it makes sense that if people are not taught to become dependent on signs and lights, they will be forced to stay fully aware every moment they are driving.

So far, everyone has gotten sick at some point on the trip except me and Grant.
Now and then I may get a little bit of an upset stomach but nothing more. Actually, I have had a little bit of a cough the last couple days so you guys should try and nip that in the bud, via prayer.
The girls have also been getting bit by bed bugs like crazy but they haven't touched us. Having leg hair is a good thing. Pray for everyone's overall health to stay strong.

The people here are awesome. Many around our hotel are used to foreigners, so they know how to deal with different people and are very friendly. There is one boy whom we've all gotten to know very well who hangs out near the front gate of our hotel. He is very nice and has already expressed his interest in two of the girls in our group.

The bathrooms as you probably already know, require squatting over a hole in the ground. It's really not so bad. I heard somewhere that going like that actually is good for you colon.
Makes sense.

Today there was a strike due to some political unrest regarding two parties. I guess they set fire to a few of the buses. It's nothing to worry about, though. The strike will be over in about four hours, and everything will open back up again.

I need to seriously start taking some pictures.

Day 1 1/2

We just got to Kolkata yesterday. It's been quite the adventure already. We spent two days sleeping in airports and planes. There are already many funny stories from the trip that I long to share but am afraid would be impossible to explain to anyone who wasn't there.

And the adventure has just barely begun. India is fascinating. It was on from the minute we stepped out of the airport. We were bombarded with new sites, sounds and smells. We met Venessa, who arrived the day before us, and got a taxi while all these people were clamoring for our attention. We packed into two stuffy cabs and waited for what seemed like twenty minutes while the drivers argued with us in broken English in regards to a discrepancy in the price added for luggage space.

Then we tore throughthe lawless streets, honking and dodging traffic and pedestrians by a hairs breath.

I tried to look around in the market but found it almost impossible. Everywhere you look someone is calling for you to buy from them. I was considering the psychology of this high-pressure approach to sales and it's effectiveness. I know that at least for me, I tend to be drawn to the shops where the people are not hassling me. So from that I concluded that they are faulty in their approach. But as I thought some more, I realized that I when I go out to look I do not usually plan on buying something, at least not in the moment. And when I do see something I like, I usually decide to come back, at which point I usually forget.

So the high-pressure method really is effective. It weeds out those who are uninterested and speeds up the sale for those who are. However, I do believe that there are those customers, like me, who require room and space to grow; ones that simply cannot be reeled in with impatience.

Another thing I have noticed is that the people from India have this very interesting head-swivel thing going on when they talk. They maintain eye contact with you while tilting their head slightly from side to side as if it were not connected to the body. It's very intriguing, and I've been practicing it myself.

I believe we start with the Sisters of Charity today or tommorrow. I hearthat we first interview with one of the sisters, who then directs us to the house where we will best fit in.

Thanks for all your continued prayers.

India is Calling

I will be going to India soon now. So far I've been very blessed by all of your gifts and donations, and I got a good tax return, which also will help towards the India fund. While I still have a ways to go, I am making good progress. I'm sending in a batch of used cell phones I've collected so far, and I'm handing out fliers.
I'm very excited. We will be buying the tickets soon, now, the first week of may, and will set off in July. I will definitely post while I'm over there and keep everyone updated.

Thank you all so much for your support! It is much needed/appreciated.