In June 9, a crazy 3 months ago, us four girls Shelby, Lauren, Sarah and I set off on an adventure like no other. We were going to India, a nation with 1.6 billion people, to teach English for 3 months. I do not doubt those who called us crazy!
Surviving the treacherous journey here, we settled in quickly and immediately took to Udaipur, our home town for the next 12 weeks. Ravi, Ritu and Gaurav our three co-ordinators made us feel right at home, whilst Meenaji and Tulsi, our cooks, introduced us to the local cuisine.O
Fast forward 3 months and we've had amazing experiences, met some awesome people and taught the cutest kids in the world. 42 people have come through the house, allowing us to make friends all over the world. We've been to Jodhpur, Jaipur, The Taj Mahal, on a tiger safari and a camel safari. We've made friends with the locals, encountered crazy monkeys, cows, donkeys and dogs and gotten lost in town, finding amazing alleyways along the way. We've got some awesome bargains and have been ripped off, visited some amazing temples and done too much exercise for 5am. That's all just outside the actual placement.
Teaching has been the most rewarding experience. Our kids were so adorable and saying goodbye has been horrible. Seeing them learn and pick up things whilst having fun, knowing that you've taught them something is incredible. Seeing them get more confident with English and starting to speak is a huge achievement in both your eyes and theirs. They have all made a huge impact on us, more so than we have on them!
All in all, its been an amazing 3 months that all of us will never forget! It will incredibly hard to say goodbye on Tuesday evening but all of us still have adventures ahead bringing more excitement and experiences. Its a bittersweet thought but no doubt, we will all be back. India has touched us in ways we could have never imagined. We are all incredibly grateful for the experience and cannot wait to tell everyone at home all about it! (Sorry dear parents who will no doubt hear the same stories 2000 times)
We've had a blast!
India 2010 girls
Only In India:
1. Does the jeep you're in slow down slightly to let a random man hop on. 5 mins later, you find out he's actually the local guide. For the last 5 mins, you've been planning how to hurt this guy if he attacks you.
2. Is a whole street banked up because a cow won't move.
3. Does a cheese burger literally mean bread with cheese.
4. Can you get headbutted by a cow
5. Will a shopkeeper drop the price by more than 50% in 5 mins.
6. Is rain a valid excuse for the power to go out for 24 hours
7. Does rain stop you from going to school
8. Do you get a day off from school to go to a festival
9. Can you talk to an Indian man in Italian in a jewellery shop
10. are you asked to drive a rickshaw
11. Are bongo drums made of cardboard more expensive than those made of wood
12. Is a train being over an hour late expected
13. Do runaway kids get punished by random ladies on a train
14. Do they transport a dying man by train because it's the quickest way to get anywhere
15. is tea offered in every shop - when buying shoes, bed quilts and pants
16. is the swastika a sign of good luck
17. Do child beggars do backflips continuously at the traffic lights
18. Is it impossible to find bandaids
19. Do you do a tiger safari where it monsoons and hence you don't see a tiger
20. Are there more feral dogs than domestic
21. Do people, upon hearing you're from Aus, exclaim "G'day mate", "Shane Warne", "Champions" and "How do Kangaroos jump?"
22. Is a scarf your best friend, no matter the weather
23. Do marriage ceremonies last for days
24. Is conjunctivitis called Eye Flu
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