OMGWTFTERRORISTS!!!

So, I'm sure everyone has heard about the Mumbai bombing that happened here in India. I'm just going to start off for all your worriers, I am fine. Mumbai is 1000 miles away from Vizag. So I am safe. No one I know was hurt. And there are no terrorists (that we know of...) near me.
Now that that is said, let's talk about it. So many people were killed in Mumbai. I have heard from 150 to 300 people died and many more injured. It is also said that foreigners were targeted. But the thing is, last time I heard only seven foreigners were killed. So there is a possibility that that fact was just some media hype. Never the less, it makes my position as a foreigner a lot harder here in India.
SYA has put many restrictions on us, both because they are worried and don't want to be liable and they were advised by the police. I have to stay inside and travel from places in an auto always, instead of walking. I can only go out with my host family or with a small (as in one or two other people) group. The police are supposedly watching us too. They have been following people when they walk places and they have called up some people when we all meet together. I have been told that I shouldn't trust the police either. Which makes it kind of scary.
Talking with Indians about everything that has happened it a really interesting experience. You get many different views. The girl in which I sit on the bus with is deeply mourning for all the people. But then again you have people who brush it off. My host family seems concerned but they try not to show it. They are really cracking down on my safety. Which, I appreciate, but can be annoying.
It really is quite scary though. Vizag is on the coast so it is liable for a similar attack. Though it is not a big city like Mumbai. There is also the threat of the Naxalites taking advantage of this event to start their own uprising. (The Naxalites are a communist group that supposedly lives in the forests, and they are prominent in Andrah Pradesh) But I'm sure we will be safe. There is talk of coming home early though. I'll try to keep everyone updated. Sorry for not posting as often!!!
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Tis A Gift To Be Simple...

Thanksgiving. A truly American holiday. Something that obviously does not occur in India. They may have their own similar holiday, but not around this time, and not with the same emphasizes. Naturally, I was kind of depressed about my first Thanksgiving away from my family. I was to spend a holiday, which I had always thought of as a family holiday, with a bunch of people who had been strangers four months prior. Some still strangers. And yes, I must admit, it wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving. Especially since the night before there were terrorist attacks in Mumbai. But I'll talk about that in more depth (and once I know more) in a later post.
As a group of American students, we decided to have a little party. It ended up being a big party involving the host families, something we did not expect when we first began planning. But in India, nothing ever ends up as you originally foresee it. Anyway, all of us made some food and we for some reason hired a restaurant on a beach to make some food. And then we had our party on the beach as well. It ended up being a lot of fun.
I made macaroni-and -cheese and my chocolate-chip cookies again. The cookies came out a lot better this time and they were all gone half way through the party, so I guess they were a hit. I personally did not like my mac-n-cheese, but everyone else did. I couldn't find cheddar so I had to use a processed, cheddar, mozzarella mix, which, obviously, did not taste the same. Everyone else made awesome food. One of the SYA students, Quinn, the one who organized the whole hullabaloo, (yes, I just used that word. XD) told the story of Thanksgiving to our Indian host families. She did a really great job and it was a really sweet speech. I had heard earlier, that when Jayshree (One of our Directors, she was the one to find the host families) invited the host families one of them said, "Wow. I didn't think American's gave thanks." And I must say, Quinn's speech must have put this host father's money where his mouth is... if that makes any sense at all. But it taught him that we do give thanks, and not just on Thanksgiving. I don't know whose host father it was but... I'll leave it at that.
Anyway, I really enjoyed myself. Even though it wasn't the classic sit around the table and talk with your relatives Thanksgiving. It was more of a mix and mingle potluck dinner, but... you get what you get, right? At least we did something, if we didn't I seriously would have been depressed. Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Cooking, Criticisms, and Captivation

Cooking class. It's something that I have been doing the last couple of Sundays. It has been really fun. I have learned to make a whole bunch of Indian dishes. It is taught by Caroline's (another SYA student)host mom. About eight or nine of us show up each Sunday and spend a few hours learning how to cook various Indian dishes and then we get to eat. It usually ends up being highly amusing. The group of people who take cooking is just a really funny bunch of people. The conversations we end up having are hilarious. We talk about our host families, our friends, the gossip about the other SYAers, everything we can think of. Usually I end up being teased mercilessly about something or other, all in good fun of course. And then we make up weird untrue stories about someone in the group and tell another person to see if they will believe. Yes, this isn't Indian and I could be doing the exact same thing in the states. But it will probably be something that stays with me from India, so therefore I found it something that I should mention.
The SYA Trustees and Resident Directors came recently for their annual meeting. India was the location of choice because this is a new location. It was really interesting talking to these SYA power houses about the working of the program and how they got it started. They even asked us for our feed-back on the experience, sending the teachers out of the room for this one. It was surprising how much some people had to say about India, their host families, the amount of activities we were offered. Many people were just unhappy about it. I personally think they just had unrealistically high expectations for a program on its inaugural year. Yes, we have missed out on things that will probably be offered in the next couple years. But we also got to do things that will never happen again, and we get to help shape the program for future years. I just thought people needed to stop whining about discuss what was good about the program, or what we could actually help change, not complain about how little Hindi we have learned or how there is nothing to do in Vizag. Find something to do. I'm able to, shouldn't everyone else be too? I don't know. It just bothered me how ungrateful people were about this amazing opportunity offered to us.
Did you know freckles are considered ugly in India? Like, really ugly. So therefore, I'm considered completely unfortunate here in India. It's kind of funny. And it does no wonders for my self esteem. I asked my host family about it and they brushed it off without giving me an answer. They acted like they hadn't heard the question. And I know they must have because I've asked them more than once getting the same answer. They won't answer me because they don't want to offend me I guess. Because if they said that it's true, they would be calling me ugly. Once someone even suggested that I use some cream or stay out of the sun. I like my freckles! Even though I do have kind of a surplus of them, I have come to accept them as part of me. And if India finds them ugly, then who cares? Right? Haha. It's amusing the definitions of beauty are very different in two different countries. I'm not saying that in the US freckles are considered beautiful but I usually at least get the "I think freckles are cute!" response. And I know I'm not exactly gorgeous in the US either, but nobody has ever avoided the subject about it with me. It's humorous.
Well anyway, I'm going to go put on some make-up and cover up these freckles. (Just kidding!) Sorry for my extremely rapid updating. XD
Much Love,
~ Jenna

It's Been Awhile...

Yeah, yeah, I know. I haven't written in awhile. But I've been doing a lot. Homework, hanging out with friends, more homework, hanging out with the host family. You know, the usual. But it's been a lot of the usual. As my host father so eloquently put it, "She's been up to a lot of things." That was in no way intended to sound as sketchy as I just realized it sounds. Haha. Well, to make up for my absence I shall write a very long post. Now that I've said that, I doubt it will be as long as I intend it to be. But, here 'goes.
The other day, SeoYeun, Brooke, and I decided to go see a movie. We wanted to see the Hindi movie, Hello, which is based on the bestselling novel A Night at the Call Center. So Brooke looked in the newspaper, found out which theatre the movie was playing in and we headed out there. Once there we dodged the sketchy men who looked at us strangely because not many groups of foreign girls come to the movie theatre (or the hall, as they like to call it) never mind any groups of girls. We made our way to the ticket booth, which had a surprisingly short line. The man there looked at us just as strangely, but not as sketchily, as the other men. "Hello?" we asked, "The movie Hello?" "Hindi movie?" was his reply. "Yes, the Hindi movie Hello." So he gave us tickets to what we thought was the Hindi movie Hello. The movie was in an hour or so, so we walked around the area laughing at the many outlandish advertisements and billboards. Then when we returned we found the theatre that was marked on our ticket. And there, was a huge sign advertising the movie that was being played in that theatre. And it wasn't Hello, it was Roadside Romeo. Roadside Romeo was a Hindi movie all right, but it was a Disney movie about a group of Dogs. Yes, Disney has expanded its reach to India, making movies specifically for that audience. We were very confused about why it was not Hello until we realized that this was the "Hindi movie" that the ticket man had spoken of. Hello was not playing that day; we had bought the wrong tickets! So instead of wasting the 40 rupees (less than 1 dollar) that we had spent buying the tickets we went inside to give Roadside Romeo a try. It was a waste of precious minutes of my life that I will never get back. Haha. But pretty much, it was a joke. It was a bunch of dogs talking in Hindi, singing Bollywood songs in Hindi and dancing. Dancing like they do in classic Bollywood movie, with the gyrating hips and the loud facial expressions. It was absolutely ridiculous. We left after ten minutes. I read reviews later saying the second half was better, but... considered how bad the first ten minutes were, I doubt "better" would make up for it. So... that was my first Indian movie theatre experience... hope the next one goes a little better.
For people's birthdays, my host family often likes to go out. So when the birthday of one of our neighbors, and my host sisters "tuition" teacher ("Tuition" is the Indian word for tutoring.) came around, we all went off to the Waltair club for dinner. So I come with them, I'm wearing nicer clothes than the ones I would just hang around the house in, but I have on my flip-flops. Something that would be perfectly acceptable at a place like that in the states, and something I have worn to the Waltair club before. But, for some reason they decided to point out that I was wearing them this time and tell me that I couldn't come in. My host mother came to my rescue and argued that some men had something similar on so why couldn't I. They attempted to argue that the shoes the men were wearing were the same. But then she threw the fact that I was a foreigner, as well as a women, into it and that they were attempting to take advantage of me. It was great. So eventually, they let me in, we called my host mom who was coming a little later and she brought me some real shoes. We made a big show of me changing my shoes though, just to get on their nerves. It was fantastic. XD
Alright, now that I've gotten those two things out of the way. I'm going to talk about something that annoys me. It even annoys the locals here, but it doesn't happen as often to them and they are at least semi used to it. When you are simply sitting somewhere, say it be on the beach, in a park, anywhere. People come up to you and ask you if you want to buy something, ice-cream, a drink, anything. That's perfectly fine in my opinion. Sometimes you may actually want something and you'll be happy they came over. But if you say no to begin with and they keep asking, that is what gets on my nerves. Then, if you're a woman, or a group, and there is at least one guy in the group, the ask him. First, they ask the whole group, everyone says no. Then they continuously ask, "Madam?" But, as they are looking at the guy. The man then has to ask the ladies if they want anything, they tell him no, then he tells the vendor no. It gets highly annoying. "Ice-cream?" "No, thank you." "Madam? Ice-cream? Drink?" "No." "Madam? Madam?" "No!" That is just a shortened version of the normal conversation.
Then, to go along with that theme. The autos. You attempt to cross the street and they follow you. If you stand on the edge of the road, watching the oncoming traffic, kind of peeping out onto the road, at a cross walk, that means you want to cross, not that you want an auto! You can't cross the road if an auto stops in front of you. I have to cross the street to get to this one place that a lot of people hang out. It is conveniently located across from where I live. But this also means, the autos know many foreigners go there. So they hang around, waiting for us to come out so they can snag our ride from the other auto drivers. I personally, don't need an auto. But they think I do. On average, three autos stop for me, just when I'm crossing the street. On right before, one in the middle, (when it is most obvious that I am crossing) and one right when I reach the other side. This isn't counting the ones that beep at me and slow down when I'm simply walking down the sidewalk. It gets very annoying. I can't wait to get back to the taxicabs of the states, the ones you have to flag down, rather than them flagging down you.
As all of you probably know better than me, the US election took place this month. And yes, I watched it. I watched it Wednesday morning though, which was your Tuesday night. I went to my math teachers house, which is right around the corner from mine. I'm so close that he asks me to babysit for him. (Yes, I can even get babysitting jobs in India! Even if they are form Americans...) So I walked down to his house, and a bunch of other people autoed it over and we had pancakes and watched the election. It was nearly noon when Obama finally made his acceptance speech and only three of us students were left. A bunch of the other students when to our APES and econ teacher's house to have lasagna. I didn't know where it was and I take any chance I can get to skip an auto drive, so I stayed with the other two students, my math teacher, my math teacher wife and kids, and my English teacher and his kids, who had come over as well. It was very fun. They canceled school that day so we could watch. So anyway, the next day, all of India knew about Obama's election. It was front page of the newspaper and there was a huge billboard on my bus route saying congratulations. Kids on the bus told me that I had a new president, like I didn't know. It was really interesting to see how much India cared about this election and how much it meant to them. Obviously it means less to them than it does the people of the states. But all of India seemed acutely aware of how much this new US president could affect them as well. I am currently keeping up with the news on Obama, via the Deccan Chronicle, the newspaper my host family gets.
So yeah, that was my long post. Worth the wait? Probably not. But, I did keep to my word and I wrote an uber long post. So be happy with that. Hopefully I shall post a little more reliably now. But I doubt it. Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Diwali: A Do-It-Yourself Fourth of July

Okay, so I've decided I'm going to come back to India every year around this time, just to participate in Diwali again. It was amazing. I'm in love with this holiday and all its utterly dangerous entailments. Hey, we said it ourselves with our Independence Day, what better way is there to celebrate than lighting off fireworks. It's just that here in India, you don't just watch the fireworks, you light them yourselves. A kind of... Do-It-Yourself Fourth of July. Absolutely brilliant. If only fireworks weren't illegal in Massachusetts!
Diwali is a festival celebrated by Hindu's. They are celebrating the return of Rama from exile. You know Rama from the Ramayana? Well he was in exile for fourteen years and when he comes back, he is crowned king. So therefore, that is cause for celebration. Everyone buys sweets for all their friends and they travel to one another's houses giving out these gifts. I helped my host mom wrap her gifts. Also, each family decorates their house with flowers and paint and millions of candles.
It is known as the Festival of Lights, and for good reason. (Though it should really be known as the Festival of Frights...) The candles are one thing that portrays the lights, but the fireworks, or crackers as they call them here, are the bigger thing. At least in my opinion... and all of the children's opinions. Let
me tell you, it's pretty intense.
The night before Diwali, I went to the Waltair Club with my host family. The Waltair club is like a country club that many of the SYA host families belong to. Well anyway, they were having a fireworks show, like you would see on the Fourth of July, right? Wrong. It was the same, except that I was literally less than ten feet away from where they were lighting off the "crackers." Stuff was falling on my head. I seriously felt like I was going to die. I found myself praying to God, to Rama, to Ganesh, to anyone. I didn't think I'd survive the ordeal. But I did, I just had many random pieces of burnt paper in my hair and ash in my eyes. Otherwise, I was fine... physically. Haha.
The next day, on real Diwali, my host family cleaned up and decorated the house. Then that night we went down to the ground floor of the apartment. There everyone was lighting off an array of crackers. If I thought I had almost died the night before, I was probably actually going to die this night! Eventually, after dodging numerous children waving around sparklers and teenage boys preparing rockets, I decided to give it a go myself. My host father handed me a "cracker" and a large incense stick to light it with. The cracker was a coiled piece of something in which you light up and it spins around. I began to light it and my host father suddenly hit it out of my hand. I had been about to light it in my hand! Yeah... that's right. I'm that smart. So then, after my first mishap I began to light crackers while they were on the ground. Then after awhile I grabbed some smaller ones and I began to light them in my hand and throw them out into the parking lot. Hey, it's what the cool kids were doing.
So pretty much, I light off a bunch of fireworks that only professionals would use with a license in Massachusetts. And it was amazing. At night the week before and the week after people would light a few crackers here and there, so I got used to the sound. But on actual Diwali night, it was so loud that I couldn't concentrate on the book I was reading. I made a video. I may upload it if you're lucky. :)
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Half Way Through...

Okay, so I've been here for more than two months. Crazy I know. Now with only two months left... I've felt the need to talk about some things here. If any Indians are reading this, I mean no offense. I'm just commenting on what I observe here, with an American's point of view. I'm sure there are plenty of things that Americans do that you find just as different and / or crazy. So I'm not going to filter myself much... just to warn you. But yeah... it's not all that bad, do not worry.
First things first, and this is all me, not anything to do with Indian culture. My cookie attempt. Last week, I attempted to bake some cookies. In my personal opinion, I failed... miserably. Nevertheless, everyone thought that they tasted good, so I guess I didn't fail that badly. But let me tell you, it was a process. I had to take an auto to the only store that sells baking soda and other needed items. Then of course, I had to search the store for these items. Then I came home, converted my recipes, and began baking. The mixing process went pretty well, it was the baking that was the problem. My batter must have had too much butter or something because they were very watery. So when they began to cook they spread out and I ended up with a sheet of cookie, instead of nice little round cookies. To top that off, the baking time was double. Originally, they were not cooked enough, and when I put them back in, I burnt some. It was incredibly frustrating. But I guess they tasted all right. So all in all, it was a success... for the taste buds, not the eye.
Okay, I may have mentioned this before. But I feel I can mention it again, since I have begun to adopt this myself. The head bob. Indians (At least the ones in Vizag... and in Rajasthan...) bob their heads. Yes, I know most everyone bobs his or her heads in some manner or another. But the way the Indians do it is interesting. It's like dropping the head from one side to another, left, right. But it's a very fluid movement, very natural. If it doesn't look natural then you're not doing it right. It's like the answer to all questions. It can mean yes, no, I'm not sure. Anything. I usually use it as, maybe... But sometimes I use it just to emphasize my original answer. Supposedly, I do it quite well, while other Americans struggle to make their head bob correct, usually failing miserably. I fear that when I go back to the states I'll still be answering my questions with the bob, and people will look at me just as oddly as I did the first person who answered me in that way. And they won't know where I got it from.
Another thing I may have adopted. The phrasing here. The English they use is different from the English we use. Or at least the grammatical structure in which we use to speak. Instead of, "My head hurts," they say, "My head is paining." I don't know why but this always annoys me. There is no reason for it too, but being a writer and a grammar freak I always feel the need to correct them. It could totally be grammatically correct, but it sounds wrong to my ear, therefore it irks me. Another example would be instead of, "I'm going to rest for a bit," they say, "I'm going to rest for some time." Actually, the second one appears to be better grammar, or at least clearer. The phrase, "some time" is used so often that it is beginning to bother me as well. But I'm probably going to go back to the states spewing these phrases and I won't even know it.
One thing I know I definitely won't do, here or anywhere, and something I definitely will not miss... ever. Is the peeing on the side of the road. The men are always doing it. You can't drive down the street without seeing at least one guy standing on the side of the road peeing. It is highly bothersome. The women don't do it for obvious reasons. Yes, people pee on the side of the road in the states as well. But they at least go behind something or into the woods, and there aren't nearly as many people who do it. Here, everywhere you turn there is some guy doing his business. It disturbs me. Just thought everyone should know that.
Well, that's the end of today's post. I'll be posting soon about the festival that is happening right now. Diwali. It shall be interesting, trust me.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

To The Hills!

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. There just has been so much going on. I am a very busy person. So now, I have finally taken time out of my day to inform you on these happenings of my life. Not much homework tonight so I have been emailing all night, and now I'm going to blog. So be excited, this is now a rare occurrence. Haha.
Last weekend we went up to the hills to visit some tribal villages. It was an amazing experience. The whole SYA group split off into our three adviser groups. The three groups went to different locations to specialize in different things. Environment, Agriculture, and Education. I was in the education group. This is good, because that is the one that appealed the most to me anyway. The Environmental group went up to some caves and did something to do with the mining up there. The Agricultural group went up to a village and worked with them on farming techniques, like fertilizer. But that's really all I know about those groups, the Education group, I know a lot more about.
It was a group of six girls, and two teachers. SeoYeun, Victoria, Chloe, Eleanor, Molly, Mr. Stifler, Mr. Billing, and me. The point of the trip was to observe some schools so we could see what kind of help we could give them. Like if, we needed to come back, bring supplies, and help teach the teachers or anything else really. We were visiting schools that were established by the program, Balamitra. The Indian government does not care much for these tribal children so the Balamitra schools are established by a NGO called Sumitra, so the children can have a chance. The schools use the Waldorf teaching style and there are about 8-15 children in each school. But it varies greatly.
We headed up to Poolabunda, the resource center, a three-hour drive from Vizag. After teaching the woman there to make friendship bracelets, a completely unplanned experience, and eating lunch, we continued our journey. A three-hour trek up to the village we would be staying the night at. That trek, I must say, was not at all fun. But I'm not going to talk about it, since it wasn't a nice experience. Haha.
After trekking, we made it to the village where we were treated to a bonfire, dinner, and entertainment. All the villagers were incredibly nice. Even though I couldn't understand anything, they said, since they spoke in Telegu. But I did learn how to say Thank you and Hello in Telegu. Both of which I put to great use. We danced with the woman of the village around the bonfire while the men of the village played instruments. It was really a surreal experience. I was having so much fun. These people live in little huts and have very little but still they know how to have a good time and they are all so happy. To tell you the truth, I am now tempted to someday take a year off from life and go live in a tribal village. It would be the most amazing experience.
After our night sleeping in our sleeping bags on the concrete floor of the school building we began our trek downward. This one was not quite as bad. We stopped at two other Balamitra schools on our way down and visiting with the students and the teachers. All who came to school on Sunday just to see us. It was so nice of them. All the children were so shy though, it was so cute. I really enjoyed visiting them, it was interesting to see the different learning style and how they taught them.
All together, it was a great experience. I really liked going up to the hills, minus the trek up there. Haha. I think we will be going up again, at least to the resource center. Maybe we'll bring games or teach the teachers. I just hope what we do will be helpful and lasting. Otherwise, we will just come across as tourists who don't really care. Which is far from the truth...
Okay, now its bedtime. So I'll write again soon...
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Rajasthan Trip! Woot!

Okay, so I'm kind of lazy, and I have had a lot of work lately... So I'm going to post my English paper on Rajasthan instead of writing a completely different post. So it's a little bland compared to my usual writing. But it is detailed and long. So enjoy it. Or else. Hehehe. Now off to do my homework...
Much Love,
~ Jenna

I stepped out of the bus to see the majestic Amber Fort of Jaipur perched delicately on top of a hill. Just as soon as I had surfaced from the vehicle, merchants began pressing me with their wares, attempting to entice me with their so-called, low prices. A snake charmer begins to play before the group, hoping to get a few rupees from the foreign teenagers, as a few young children scamper around at our feet, causing me to clutch my bag protectively. Quickly, we weave through this chaos toward the jeeps that are to take us to the top. Jeeps that will bring us swiftly past the locals, the wild boars, and the elephants as they meander up to the looming building, carrying eager tourists on their backs. This was my first true Rajasthani experience, just a taste of what the rest of the trip would be like.
The trip was stock full of amazing architectural works, eager merchants and performers, fascinating animals, bustling cities, charming shops, intriguing smells, and much, much more. By simply wandering around one of the cities you could learn so much about the people who lived there. Haggling with vendors who think you're just a silly American, confronting groups of young men who are a little too "snap" happy, watching an energetic man give a magic show, tasting the concoctions that the hotels claimed was American food. All things that are truly unique, unexpected, and spur of the moment. The essence of how a trip like this should go about in order to be able to fully appreciate the color and vibrancy of Rajasthan.
Touring through Jaipur was an experience in itself. For one thing, we were all getting used to the lovely air-conditioned bus that was provided for us. And for another, we were accompanied by my favorite guide of the trip. Well, he talked the loudest at least. I remember, while waiting for the rest of the group after our first viewing of Rajasthani architecture, I was confronted, no attacked, by a vendor. This man would not take no for an answer. He was very persistent in attempting to sell me his instrument, moving his price all the way from 1000 rupees to 200 rupees. Again and again, he came back, asking me to buy it and lowering his price. Each time I told him I was not interested, and still he came. Finally, I escaped; he had found a new victim to prey on. I think that experience right there put me off shopping for most of the trip.
After two nights in Jaipur, it was onto the bus again to make our way to Jodhpur. The Sun City, not the Blue city as some misinformed people call it, was a very charming place. Many of the houses were painted a vibrant baby blue color, giving the city a storybook feel as we travelled through its streets. Once settled into our lovely hotel we were off to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, possibly one of my favorite sites on the tour, even though it was a bit dampened by my physical condition. Getting to the fort and going through it was wonderful, the problem was, getting down. Limping through the back streets of Jodhpur, nearly alone, with an injured knee, still attempting to keep up with the group and our rapid guide as we make our way to the market around the clock tower is quite an out of the ordinary experience, I don't recommend it. But, the light at the end of the tunnel, when we returned to the hotel we were granted access to the pool. The group had a poolside dinner and then an enthusiastic magician provided us with entertainment.
The next morning, it was back on the bus and off to Udaipur. On the way there, we stopped at the Jain Temple of Ranakpur. It was absolutely amazing. All the carvings were so intricate and beautiful, and the stark whiteness of the stone made these carvings all the more prominent. The large temple was perfect for exploring since it had numerous nooks and crannies that no one appeared to enter often. It was another architectural marvel of Rajasthan, one that I had never heard of and probably never would have thought of to see. We reluctantly left the fabulous building and headed to the bus for our scenic bus route to Udaipur. In my opinion, the route that the bus took to the restaurant where we were eating lunch was highly enjoyable. Not many people shared my enjoyment though, since it looked as though we were going to fall of the road and down the mountains to our death at any moment. Our bus driver was one for living on the edge, or maybe he just knew what he was doing and tried things to freak us out and amuse himself.
The first night in Udaipur, I stayed up rather late talking with some other students. This may have nothing to do with Rajasthan itself but it was definitely part of my Rajasthan experience. It was a lot of fun. We talked about everything from politics to philosophy, and we didn't go to sleep until we realized we were keeping our roommate awake as well. So the next morning, I was a bit tired for our tour of the City Palace. The City Palace was yet another good place to wander around in by yourself or with a small group. The area in which we went was set up like a museum, so there were many things to notice and learn about. Across the lake, there was a nice view of the Palace on the Lake, which I wish we could have seen at night, since I heard it is very beautiful. But it was daytime, so I decided to skip the boat ride and go off to explore Udaipur.
Udaipur is an intriguing city, but the ways I found it so are probably very typical of other cities in Rajasthan and other touristy places in India. There are populated areas that cater to the tourist, filled once again with eager vendors showing off their stock. Then on the other hand, if you simple wander around you will find back streets teeming with locals buying spices and other goods or participating in a puja. It was an interesting contrast, with the main street and its half tourist, half local shops acting as the bridge between the two. I got a sunburn from all my outdoor explorations that day. But I would have taken that over shopping any time. You can shop anywhere and buy everything you could ever want on the internet, but you can only explore Udaipur, in Udaipur.
Pushkar, home of the one and only Brahma Temple, was our next destination. Pushkar was one of my favorite places. It had an old charm to it, yet it was extremely touristy. The merchants there would sometimes call out to you to look in their shop, but not nearly as much as the merchants in other places would. Maybe they too knew how touristy their little town was, and they knew that there would be plenty of foreigners, and their money, to go around. Still, I really enjoyed the charismatic little town and the interesting people who I encountered there. Meandering through the streets of Pushkar was a lot more interesting than walking through the streets of Udaipur. Pushkar had more color and intrigue; there were more things to see as you walked through the crowded markets. I found it to be the diamond in the rough of Rajasthan.
Early morning we left for Agra, the longest bus ride of the trip. Everyone slept on the bus, tired from the past couple days of intense travelling. We were now off to see the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I was very excited. Thankfully, the Taj Mahal definitely lived up to expectations. I don't know what I would have done if it turned out to be only half the spectacle that is boasts, it was magnificent. The design of the building was phenomenal. In addition, the whole backdrop of the lake and the long stretch leading up to the palace made the place even more majestic. To tell the truth, the inside of the Taj was a flop. The long wait in line to go inside and see the replica of the tombs was highly anti-climatic. But, the marvel of the outside made up for it two fold, I almost didn't want to leave its looming, off white beauty. However, the enticing thoughts of once again exploring a city of India eventually dragged me away.
Exploring Agra was quite a different experience than exploring Udaipur and Pushkar. Agra was more of a city, and more touristy in a different way that Pushkar was. I even found a shopping mall and a McDonalds. It was as if I was in America again! It was highly amusing. The next morning we woke up early for the last stretch of the trip. Our bus ride to Delhi and our plane flight home. It was sad that we were leaving Rajasthan; it seemed a world apart from Vizag even though they were in the same country. My advice to anyone who is touring Rajasthan, or any other place for that matter, is to explore the places that you visit. Rather than search for the closest place to shop and bargain. All together, you will get a better overall experience and a fuller understanding of the culture of the place you are visiting.

I <3 Bollywood

Last night I went to go see my second Bollywood movie. Rock On! The first one I saw was Singh is King. Both were quite amusing to watch, even though I can't understand Hindi, or in the case of Singh is King, Punjabi. I actually find them almost inspirational and emulative. The way of filming and telling the story is so different from the way we have movies here in the US. Though Rock On! was much more "American" than Singh is King.
You see, in Rock On! the reason the characters were singing was relevant to the rest of the plot. They sung because they were in a band, or they were on stage. In Singh is King, people would randomly burst into song and the setting and costumes would change when that happened. Much like a musical. That is very much like more Bollywood movies. Rock On! is an exception to the usual rules.
The music is wonderful too. Even though I can't understand the lyrics, the tunes are catchy and full of emotion. Through the acting, I can usually tell what is going on too. It's not hard to get pulled into one of these movies, even with the language barrier. It is inspiring me to make a Bollywood style movie using the English language. I'm sure it would be a hit. You just need the main elements: bright beautiful costumes, lots of music and dance, some sort of love story, and a few other things I can't think of. Then you have it made.
All the actors and actresses are absolutely flawless too. They are all beautiful people with perfect hair and perfect teeth and fabulous voices. My host mother commented to me earlier that she doesn't like to watch the movies in Telegu (the native language of Andrah Pradesh) because she doesn't like to look at the people. The people should be beautiful, is what she was saying. And they sure do accomplish that.
The thing is, I haven't seen one Indian man on the street that looks like these movie stars. The woman, you see a few gorgeous faces around, but the men, not so much. So I guess if you are a man blessed with good looks in India you have it made, cause there aren't too many good looking men. At least where I am. No offense to any Indian who may be reading this. :)
Speaking of that... if you have something to comment on about something I have written then please do so in a way that I can respond. If it's just a random comment then that's okay if it's anonymous, but if it's something to do with my opinion then give me a way of defending myself. Someone commented on one of my posts about something. And the way I interpreted the comment was that they had misread something in my post, therefore thinking I thought something that I do not. Sorry about that, but if you have such strong opinions on what I have written give me a way to write back. Thank you!
On a different note, I love celery crackers. I thought everyone should know that. Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna
P.S. I am going to Rajasthan tomorrow so I'll talk about that trip when I get back! Be ready for a full account!
P.P.S. I'm thinking of doing some video blog entries when I get back as well. So look for those!!!

The Orange Shirted Men

Okay, I must say there is one thing that is getting really annoying here in India. The title of this blog post, the orange shirted men. Yes, men in orange shirts, following us around with cameras. They are the camera crew that was hired by SYA to document our time here. They will then use the footage for the DVD that advertises SYA for next year’s prospective students. I see the concept of it and the practicality of it. But, I don’t see why they need to film us every moment of our lives. And pose us! I’ve been taped eating, talking, riding on the bus, walking down the street, and being taking pictures of. It’s rather annoying.
Just yesterday a man came over to my house to take pictures of my host sister and me and the camera men came along to film as well. Not only was it annoying to have my picture taken because they were posing us in situations that don’t actually happen, but being filmed during this. I could hardly stand it. This man was really annoying too. He had me pose touching pictures on the wall like they were something I had never seen before or something. I felt ridiculous. Then they had my host mom pose showing me something from the kitchen and they said my hair was in the way of my face. So my host mom went to put it behind my ear and they were like, "Take a picture! Take a picture!" And I just started laughing, and they got all of that on film.
Then my friend Brooke was having a steak party. Yes, a steak party, in India. I’ll take a moment to explain this phenomenon. Her host mother is Christian, so she has not problem with beef. Knowing that us American’s love beef and that she wanted to feed it to us, she invited a bunch of us over for steak, mashed potatoes and apple crisp. It was wonderful. But, the camera men caught word of this and of course found their way over. While everyone was waiting for dinner the picture man posed us studying, like we were at some sort of study group. Then they set up the dinner table so they could take a picture of all of us together. This messed up Brooke’s host mom’s careful set up as well. They went far enough to even ask another girl, Callie, and me to change since they had already photographed us in those clothes! It was ridiculous, so we didn’t do it. Haha.
So pretty much, they are getting on my nerves. Though they left in time to not dampen the mood of the steak party. Which was quite fun and pleasant. I had a great time. The last week was really good. I’m starting to feel more at home here, if that is at all possible. Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

I Want To Ride My Bicycle

Okay so, everyone thought I would get skinnier here in India. It’s the opposite. I feel like I can feel myself packing on the pounds. Those of you at home who were worried about me in India or who thought I was skinny enough already may be happy. But let me tell you, I am not. I would have at least liked to maintain my weight. So finally, after much search and contemplation I found my solution to the expanding body problem. Exercise.
Yes, I know quite obvious. But here in India as a foreign woman it is much harder than you would think. For one thing, SYA has yet to sync itself with Vishaka Valley School's sports programs, so there are not organized sports for us to join. I then looked into gyms. They are either way too expensive, really sketchy, or too far away for the price to be worth it.
I voiced this problem to my host family, and the problem was solved. A bicycle. I now have two bicycles. A stationary one at home that my host father no longer uses and was in the basement of the apartment building. This is good because that is the only thing I would do at the gym anyway because of my knee, and this one if free. My second bike is a real cycle bike, equipped with its own little basket and everything. It was half the price of a new bike too, since my host father called a few friends to see if they had any extras lying around. I love it! It’s wonderful! Now I can actually get out and exercise.
So that is what I did today. I went out for a ride on beach road for half an hour. It was an experience. For one thing, everyone stares at you. But I'm used to that by now. Second, I was actually a part of the traffic, not just a bystander. I kept my ears perked for the tell-tale beep behind me, the voice of a driver trying to get by. I stayed to the side of the road the best I could. It was quite easy actually. The only trouble I had was crossing the street to begin my ride. Otherwise it was a straight road, nothing to worry about. But it was interesting being in the traffic and learning the way of these drivers. I can't imagine what I'll be like when I come back home just in time for drivers ed. Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Happy Birthday!!! Indian Style.

My birthday was on Tuesday. I turned seventeen while in a foreign country. My first birthday away from home. Kind of sad, but I'm in India! I got to experience a whole new kind of birthday. Well, it wasn't all that different. When I had birthday cake with my host family they fed it to me. Like they put it in my mouth, and they took pictures of everyone feeding me cake. It was kind of funny. Then at school I got to ditch the uniform for a day, which was awesome. When someone says happy birthday to you they shake your hand. Everyone does. There are no exceptions. You can bring in chocolate or candy for your classmates too, not the other way around. That has been nice because randomly students will come in and give us chocolate on their birthdays. Chocolate is always good.
Speaking of chocolate... (Wow, that was a good transition to my next topic!)They do not have Hershey's or any American chocolate here, but they have Cadbury. People who have been to Europe before have told me about Cadbury and how it was better than Hershey's. I never believed them, until now. It is amazing. It's so yummy and delicious. Creamy and fulfilling. Everything you need in chocolate. They have awesome varieties too. Like fruit and nut, which is very yummy. So now I'll stop sounding like the typical chocolate loving woman that I am and move on...
Indian's all do this sort of head bob thing. I've gotten so used to it that I have caught myself doing it on more than one occasion. It's like a slight tilt of the head to the side. They use it as almost the universal answer. It can mean yes, no, or maybe so. It seems to usually mean yes when they use it with silence. Otherwise they follow up the gesture with words. The few times I have done it I have gotten weird looks though... I'm becoming Indian already!
The other day I was walking down the street with two of my friends when suddenly one of them stopped. There were two white men in business suits talking with an auto driver. We literally stopped and stared about them, muttering things about American men and how we never see any. Then we noted that they had noticed us and were laughing so we quickly moved on. But it was really funny because we have already become so used to not seeing white people that it was a shock. I understand why the Indians stare at me now. It was highly amusing.
So that is what happened around my birthday and stuff. It was interesting. Now I'm waiting for the packages my parents sent me... it's been more than a week since they shipped them...
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Me and My Salwar Kameez

I bought some native Indian clothing the other day. It is very pretty. I only bought something called a Salwar Kameez, no saris yet. Haha. A Salwar Kameez it a sort of pant suit like thing. There is a shirt that goes anywhere to a bit above your knees to a bit past it. Then there are pants, but they can be billowy and loose pants or tapered ones that crunch up at the bottom. Then, often times you were a sort of scarf thing around your neck. It's very nice. My host mom wears one everyday to work. I just bought some so now I won't stick out as much here in India. Yay!
I've been noting some interesting things about the culture here. Mostly dining etiquette. For one thing, it's definitely not rude to put your elbows on the table. Everyone does it, and blatantly too. Unless you are younger, in which case you are excused, everyone eats with their right hand. Very rarely do Indian's use thier left hand when eating. To tell you the truth I found out the reason. Let's just say it's hygienic reasons, not religious or anything, and it has something to do with the fact that many Indians don't use toilet paper. Got it? Good.
Showering is interesting. They fill buckets with water and then use a smaller cup to pour the water over their body. At least that's what I assume, since I haven't watched anyone do it. Haha. They do have a shower head at my house, so I use that. But it is cold. The only way I could warm the water is if I bathed the bucket way. And, I'd rather a cold shower than warm water being poured over me... At least at this moment in time.
There is this awesome little kid on the bus I take to go home. He is amazing. He is the bus manager and he definitely does his job. He tells all the other kids where to sit and he brings calm to the chaos. The thing is, he wears his shorts up to his chest and he has immaculately combed hair. But he is multilingual and multi-skilled. Every woman's dream. As my friend Brooke put it today, He’s a tiny high shorted wonder. Haha. But really, he is my hero. And he's like... ten? I’ll get a picture of him. I promise.
I had this really yummy Indian sweet today. It's a fried substance that is then dipped into a sugar syrup making it very crunchy and delicious. Though it was quite filling, or maybe it was just very sweet. I don't know. It was good though. So yeah, that's all I have for today. I had more but I have forgotten. I really need to write down my thoughts as they come to my head. Haha. Oh and just to let everyone know... my birthday is in five days!!! Wooh!!! So that is when I'll next post. See you then!
Much Love,
~ Jenna

More Than A Week Already?!?

I've been here in India for more than a week now. It definitely feels like longer than that. So much happens in a day I guess. I've already learned so much about this new and different culture. I can't even imagine how much I am going to know come December.
Classes start on Monday. So I won't have as much time to update. Probably only on Saturdays or Sundays. But that won't stop me from relaying everything that happens here. The posts will just be longer. Haha.
The uniforms we have are ridiculous. These thick navy skirts and a gray blouse. Not exactly practical in this kind of heat. They look ridiculous on too. The guys have a button up shirt and pants. And on Fridays, the whole get-up is white. Casual Fridays, eh? They make me feel like a really tacky church goer. On stage. Seriously. The shirt I have to wear is exactly the same as the one I wore in Ragtime, except short sleeves.
Supposedly these uniforms are very similar to other ones in other schools. My host sister has a similar uniform, but it's thicker. So I guess I lucked out. Only a little but thick.
As for schools, students are younger here. My host-sister is seven and she is in third grade. My brother at home, Sean is seven and he is young for his grade, and he is in second grade. I have heard a few cases like this. So they must start school sooner. I actually saw three year olds in school, they were so cute.
We had the inauguration of the school building yesterday. On Teacher's Day. We watched the celebrations for Teacher's Day at Visahka Valley School. It was really hot, but they were really cool. The teacher's sang some songs, and then some of the students did some traditional dance. They were really good. Well, it's the only traditional dance I have seen here, so there is nothing to compare to. But they were good to my untrained eye and ear. Then after the celebrations we went to the new building and cut the "ribbon." I was very happy that they had a "ribbon." Well, it was made out of flowers, but they still cut it.
I guess that's enough for today. Not much to write about. But there will be more later!
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Random Comments and Thoughts

Do you know what is kind of fun? Watching cartoons in Hindi. Especially ones that I have seen in English. It is fun, and kind of funny. I was watching TV the other day with Muscaan, my host sister. Her name means smile in Hindi, isn't that cute? Well, we were watching TV and she would watch Disney Channel and Nickelodeon but they had some different shows on them. A few were the same, like Mickey Mouse Club House, but others were very new to me yet they were still on familiar channels. The commercials are amusing too. They are a lot more dramatic than commercials in America. Though I do not understand anything they say. Haha. That will come eventually, when I start classes maybe.
My host family has a maid. I do not know what her name is and I can't really talk to her because she only speaks Telugu, the native language of Andhra Pradesh. I feel bad about this and I don't really know what to do about it. She asks me if I want tea or anything, and she says good morning and good bye but otherwise there has been no real interaction between us. I'm happy that she say good-bye to me but I'm sure she says bye to everyone. I'd love to make friends with her, but the language barrier is hard to cross.
I'm not really sure about her status, either. I read all about the caste system before coming here but it really isn't that apparent. Obviously she is of a lower caste than my host family. They do not treat her badly; they talk to her and everything. But I can tell they think of her as lower. Nothing has specifically been said, but it's quite apparent. So, one of my missions in India. Befriend the maid, well... at least learn her name and be on good terms, if any terms, with her.
They feed me a lot of food. I thought when coming here I would get skinnier because I wouldn't like the food and I would sweat a lot. Well, the sweating is true. Haha. There are some things I don't like, but a lot of the food I really do enjoy. And the sweets and biscuits are very good. All of the fattening stuff. And once my host family realizes I like something they feed me a ton of it. It's very funny.
Yesterday for breakfast I had this huge spread. Scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, toast, corn flakes, tea. It was intense. I was stuffed and they were still giving me more food. I am definitely not going to be losing any weight here. Though, due to the amount of sweating I'm doing, I'm unlikely to gain much either. So I'm good. I'll stay my current weight! Haha.
Much Love,
~ Jenna
P.S. By the way, once classes start I doubt I'll have this much time to blog. The only reason I'm writing so much now is because everything is new and there is so much to comment on.

Auto Adventure

I had a really intense auto adventure today. It was unplanned, but not spur of the moment. I must say, it was very tiring though. Kind of stressful, but very fun. So yeah, I think I'll explain what happened now. Haha.
Today we went to the Vishaka Valley School for the first time. It is nice; the classrooms they built for us are very nice. With lots of fans. Fans are good. Haha. So, they wanted us to take the bus home from school, with the other students. I went on the bus they told me to and watched out for my home. But, I never saw it. I got off on the last stop with two other SYA students. One knew where he was going, the other girl, Brooke, had no idea. Just like me.
I looked around and didn't see any land marks so we decided to get an auto rickshaw. Brooke had her address written down and I didn't. So we decided we would go to her house and then take it from there. We called an auto, asked how much it would be and told him where we were going. So we got in and started heading toward her house.
I'm going to pause here and explain what an auto rickshaw is. Because a few people have already asked me. It's like a taxi. The ones in Vizag are actually yellow like taxis. They have three wheels, two in the back and one in the front. They ride it like a motorcycle, with handle bars. There is a place for people to sit in the back. I think that's the best description I can give. I'll take a picture and put it up eventually.
So, we went on the auto, right? As we drove by in the auto I saw the Park Hotel right by the place we were dropped off. That was the landmark I had been looking for before so I could find the house. But I decided to stay on and not ditch Brooke because she had no idea where she was going. It was a good thing I did too. Otherwise, in her position, I would have been terrified.
You see, the auto driver actually didn't know where he was going. He kept stopping and asking for directions. This got us very worried. We drove around for about forty minutes, looking for Brooke's house. She thought she saw it but the auto driver kept driving. And just when we decided to tell him to go to the Park Hotel because I could find my house from there he turned around and we found it.
So we went to her house and talked with her host family who got in touch with Jayshree, the woman who is working for SYA. We sat and talked and bonded for a while because Brooke's host father's car was at the shop. Then I got in touch with my host mother and we went home, once again by auto. This time Brooke's host father was with us so it went much more smoothly. Funny thing was, when we got to my house we realized the bus stop was about two feet away. I had just been walking and looking in the wrong direction. Haha.
That may not sound that intense to you, but trust me it was. With Indian traffic, and not being able to tell what people are saying or where you are. It was exciting though, it always is in a way, getting lost. So, that was my first Indian adventure. One I am not likely to forget.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

Potato Chips

I have found potato chips. It is wonderful! Something here, which is exactly the same at home. It makes me quite happy. My host family finds it funny that I like the chips so much. They are buying them for me and giving me some to keep in my room. It is funny. But really, it is quite nice having something familiar here.
Everything is so different. The traffic is intense. There are lanes painted but nobody uses them. There are no stop signs, traffic lights, cross walks, speed limits, or seat belts. I can't tell you how many times already I've reached for a seat belt when I sit down only to find nothing there. There are seat belts in the front seats but there might as well not be, since no one uses them. They drive on the opposite side of the road which is very disorienting for me. I almost got hit (again) yesterday because of it. I was crossing the street with the group and I guess we were all looking the wrong way because we had to scramble back to the side of the road or get hit by a bright yellow auto rickshaw.
The money is quite different too. About forty Indian Rupees equals one American Dollar. But you can but things that would cost a dollar in the USA for about five rupees here. I was with my host mother and she was buying some food that would be about fifteen to twenty dollars in the USA but it was about forty rupees here. Only one dollar! I understand now why SYA only told us to bring one hundred and fifty in cash, otherwise you would have a fortune in rupees!
I went to the fish market today with my host father and his friends. It was very interesting. I watched a sting ray being cut apart. Something I doubt many people in the USA have seen. It was... interesting. I am constantly stared at. It makes me feel really out of place. In the part of India where I am foreigners are not common. So I am quite the attraction. I am also still wearing my western clothes. I haven't seen one Indian woman here not wearing native clothing. So I think I shall buy some. That may help me stick out less. And maybe if I get a tan as well... Haha.
It really is quite different here. And different in ways I wasn't even expecting. I mean, I did expect it would be different. But not in some of the ways I have found. But then again there are also many things that are the same, like potato chips.
Much Love,
~ Jenna

I'm Here!

So I'm here in India now and it is amazing. It is exactly as I pictured it. Crazy traffic and I mean crazy. Street vendors on the side of the road. People riding motorcycles. Brightly colored advertisements. It's awesome. And the scenery and nature is beautiful. We're right by the beach, and it is pretty too, though supposedly dangerous. The people are very nice and friendly. It's just a great place. I haven't had much jet lag yet, so that is good. It's my second day here today.
My host family is very nice. Their last name is Jena. This is sort of funny, but very easy to remember. I have a host mother, father, and seven year old sister. They are very nice to me, and I can already feel myself opening up to them. I'm sure I'll end up having a great relationship with them by the end of my trip. My mother is a banker and I think my father is an architect of some kind.
I think they are quite well-off compared to some of the other host families other people on the trip have. I can use toilet paper; other families are asking that you do not use toilet paper because it will clog the toilets. Speaking of toilets, they have more bathrooms than bedrooms. Which I find amusing.
We start school next Friday, I can't wait for that. Before then we will be touring the city and stuff. We were fitted for uniforms today and we got our cell phones. It is free to talk to the people on the trip and anyone else with that service but I have to pay to make other calls. Actually, when people call me (even internationally) it is free for me as well. But, international calls are expensive. One of our teachers tried it with his wife and for them six minutes was like forty-five dollars. So I think I'll be using Skype.
Well, I don't really have much else to say. The country is amazing. My family is wonderful. When more happens I shall write!
Much Love,
~ Jenna

From the Plane

Hi, it's me again. My second blog post about my India trip. Exciting! I'm not there yet. I'm on the plane, going to France. And then from France we will connect to Chennai. I'm very excited to be going, though it hasn't quite hit me yet. I'm going to miss my family and friends but I'm sure I'll make lots of new friends and I'll call my parents every week or so.
I'm on the group flight, like most of the people. Twenty out of the twenty-four are on the group flight so I'm meeting everyone. They all seem very nice and I can't wait to get to know them better. It is mostly girls, only five guys out of the twenty-four. Kind of funny.
I cannot wait to meet my host family. I wonder what they are like, how many people, if they have kids. It's all very exciting and nerve-wracking. Then starting at the school will be fun too. SYA is new to India so the students at Vishaka Valley School will be completely new to this. We will be an interesting attraction. Haha.
I will see SeoYeun in Chennai which will be good. SeoYeun is a good friend of mine from my school. We are the only people who know each other on the trip. It's good in bad, but mostly good! I just want people to pin us as friends already and not want to approach us. But I'm sure that won't happen. It will just be great to have her with me and to see her! Well, that’s all I can think about to write right now. Haha. Next time I write I'll be in India!!!
Much Love,
~ Jenna
P.S. Okay, I just wanted to add a little more about the trip to India. I'm still not there. So I'm on my second flight, from Paris to Chennai. But it was delayed three hours. First when we got to Paris we had to wait four hours for this flight, and then once we were on it they had computer difficulties so they made us wait. Eventually we just switched planes. It was a mess. But, on the bright side, the group got some serious bonding in. Everyone is so nice and friendly, I feel like this is going to be a great trip!

Tomorrow I Go

Tomorrow I am going to India. I am going to be staying in India for a little over three months. From August 27th to about December 20th. This is going to be amazing! I am so excited!
I will be going with a group of 24 students through a program called School Year Abroad. (SYA) India is a new site for SYA and this is their first year so it is only a semester program. I will be one of the pioneers! SYA normally has full year programs, its other sites are Spain, France, Italy, and China. It is a great program and I am so happy to be a part of it.
In India I will be staying with a host family. I have yet to know who they are but I will probably find out soon after I arrive. I can't wait to meet them! The school I will be going to is called Visakha Valley School. I'm very excited to meet the students there as well. I am going to live in Visakhapatnam, also known as Vizag, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This is on the east coast of India; Vizag is a port city on the Indian Ocean.
Now that I've explained the program, I'll tell you a little about myself. I'm a sixteen (going on seventeen) year old girl. I'm starting my junior year of high school. My home school is Brooks School in the state of Massachusetts in the USA. I have a large family whom I love very much, six siblings, a mom, a dad, a step-dad, and a step-mom. I’m sad to be leaving them and my friends and classmates, but I know what I miss at home I will gain two-fold in India.
I like theater, film, and writing. Thus this blog will be really great for writing during my trip. I'm going to write in it so my family and friends, and whomever else wants to can find out what I am going in India.
It's going to be quite the experience and I am so excited but also very nervous. Next time you hear from me I'll be in India!!!
Much Love,
~ Jenna