So what happens now? (take your picture off another wall...)
Where am I going to? (you'll get by, you always have before...)
Where am I going to? (don't ask anymore...)
(Points go out to anyone who knows this reference.)
Questions and Answers about India:
1. Will you have internet access where you're going? No. I have to travel two hours on a bumpy road outside of my little village. Volunteers can usually do that once or twice a month. This might have changed in the last few months, but to my knowledge this is the way it is.
2. Are you afraid of getting sick? No. I will get sick. It's just the way it is. Fortunately, where I'm going it is extremely hygenic. Trained cooks serve five meals a day to the staff. They know about sanitation and it is a very clean facility. The water source is a very clean and deep, unpolluted well. That's on my campus. The big cities, on the other hand, are dirty. If I live in India long enough, I'm sure to get sick. I'm just counting on it, so I'm not stressing about it.
3. What will your living arrangements be like? I will be living in a guest house next to the nearby art museum outside my window. My room will have a bed, desk, western toilet and shower. I might be sharing my room with another volunteer. I don't know yet.
4. What will your schedule be like? This is a boarding school for impoverished children. So it's school. I'll be tutoring and teaching during the day, and then running a creative expressions extra-curricular group after school. It's yet to be decided what I'll be teaching. I'm going prepared to teach music, dance, art, creative writing and drama. I know, I'm a fake. But I'm good at being a fake!
5. Will you get to travel around India? Definitely. After December, my schedule is incredibly unclear. I don't know where I'll be. But I am looking forward to traveling with Lumina around India in March. That much I know!
If anyone would like to see pictures of the George Foundation, go to www.tgfworld.org and take the tour, or click "Shanti Bhavan" (the name of the school). You can also read previous volunteer's testimonials. I suggest reading Rachel Wolfe's for an excellent account of her experience.
Anyone have any other questions I may be able to answer?
12 comments:
Will you have your guitar?
Is it raining beautiful raindrops where you are today?
the reference is evita. :-)
i'm sending your money order expresspost tomorrow. it'll be there by friday. i'm so sorry for the delay! i can't wait to see the painting in "real life"!
I can't wait to hear about your adventures. Thanks for continually inspiring me; you have become a point of reference for really "living".
Amberlynn, YES GUITAR! And nope on the raindrops. You're so...mmmm... you such a nice thought right now. Oh yeah, and I received your letter in the mail today! Thank you!
em, i miss you so! i miss our exchanges of spiritual passion and love! i miss our goofy explosions of laughter! most of all i miss knowing i have a sister of purity-be safe and visit me soon...
much love from cabby, bella and cinna.b
I was thinking about you the other day and missing the freedom you allowed me to feel. Thank you for you and the moments when I stop and remember beauty. I miss you! Can't wait to hear all about India, I'm sure you're excited to go!!
I need a mailing address for you!!!
I'm so PROUD OF YOU!!!
My question: Will you send some of your wonderful vibes our way? I miss your energy!
reference:
me,
alone,
in the dark,
on a bed
in a dirty apartment
in western europe,
listening to a cassette tape from my only friend,
hearing that song,
realizing that no matter where i go,
who i'm with,
or what happens to me,
i will always feel alone.
thank you andrew lloyd webber
YOu are in INDIA now!
Yay!!! I keep thinking about you landing there...whta you are seeing and smelling and feeling...I am with you baby!
I love you!
I'm so proud of you!
I love you!
Kiss INDIA for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just got this in an email from Emily's sister Rebecca:
"Hello all,
I just got off the phone with Emily who made a surprise call from her new little town in southern India. We weren't ever expecting to hear from her via phone since she told us email would be her only way of contacting us, but now that she's there, she found out that emails will be pretty rare, but she does have access to the phone with the 200 rupee phone cards she can buy. (There's so many numbers involved it takes her 2 minutes to dial them all!)
She wanted me to tell you all that she arrived safely, is healthy and happy and feels an exciting challenge in her new situation. She's quite intimidated by the all the genuis experienced teachers she's working with and the kids are angelic. The weather is like southern CA and she's eating the most amazing food ever!
She has a lot of alone time so she's thrilled that she has her guitar. She's not quite over her jet lag, but it's getting better. She said she feels like she's in a National Geographic article about rural India with no buildings for miles, just fields. She says it's hard to explain, but every moment is unforgettable. A stark contrast to the luxury of the first class seat she got to ride in from NYC to Chennai, India, (since she used one of my buddy passes).?Boy did she love that! Our phone call was only a few minutes, but she really sounds wonderful and she was so happy to get through since she had been trying for 2 days. She sends her love to all of you!
Hope you're all doing well,
Love, Rebecca/Becky "
Hi,
Just read your terrific blog via soon to be mommy emily, and I think you are probalby allergic to the heavenly night blooming jasmine. Its the "night Blooming" part that will get you. You can pick it, touch it etc, but breathing the air that is filled with it can do you in....I learned it the hard way. Someone needs to ship you some claritin :)
L
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