Smiling at Strangers: February 2012

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Taj at Sunrise..

I apologize for getting a little behind on my blog updates... life in India is getting busy and more adventurous by the day. Over the past week or so we have had the opportunity to explore Jaipur a little more and get around the city on our own. I attended my first sitar concert and rooftop restaurant.. both were very memorable moments. At the end of this week we had a fun afternoon at a fort on the outskirts of Jaipur, where we learned how to play cricket and bollywood dance.. quite the combination.

This weekend we planned a quick trip to the Taj Mahal, and spent a night in Agra so we could arrive at the Taj at sunrise. It was a beautiful site to see.. completely worth getting up at 5 am! Other than the Taj Mahal, Agra is a bit more chaotic than our new home back in Jaipur. It was exciting and eye-opening to be in a new city. We had some fun interactions with people on the streets of Agra as well as the Taj itself. Both of our big meals were on roof top restaurants with a view of the Taj looming over the city. I think it was a very successful first weekend trip. :)

Now the SIT program is taking us on an excursion to Dehradun for the week. I believe we will be visiting farms and different community organizations in the state of Uttarakhand. I am really looking forward to this trip because this beautiful northern state borders the Himalayas, and I am planning to do my independent study project in this area. Ok, I think that is enough updates for now!

Here are some moree pictures of my adventures:

My first Sitar concert!

Fort on the outskirts of Jaipur.

View of the sunset from the fort

A few friends we made during our Agra adventure

Me at the Taj!!!

The Taj Mahal

Getting to know Jaipur

Hello USA,

This is my first free weekend in Jaipur and we were able to explore and get to know our families and the city a little better over the past few days. I took my first few auto-rickshaw rides and there are a few photos from these fantastic vehicles. On Friday we visited my host sisters store, which is filled with beautiful antiques, and then we went to old city. There are so many shops to buy anything you could imagine, but there is so much to take in that we just walked along and observed everything around us. On Saturday my family held Puja and Prasad at a Hanuman temple, about 20 minutes from the city. It is at the foot of the mountains and was quite an interesting experience. All of the american students stood out at the temple, as usual, but even more so because it was not a place that foreigners visit. One girl asked us to take a picture with her. It is time to accept that no matter how hard we try, we are never going to blend in with the crowd. Unfortunately, the food from the temple ended up making me and many others a little sick, but my stomach is growing tougher with every new day of Indian food!
Bring it on. ;)

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past few days...

Melissa and I trying to protect our lungs in the good old dusty city!

One of the many colorful shops..

Vegetable Market

The view from a cycle-rickshaw ride.. my favorite mode of transportation!

Puja in the Hanuman Temple

View of the Temple

Don't trust the water! ;)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Settling in Jaipur

Namaste Everyone!

Sorry I have not been in contact much, my internet access has been very limited. The SIT program is keeping us very busy! I am in class the majority of the day, and then I spend time with my host family, have dinner with them, and do my homework before I go to bed! Orientation is done and now we are quickly getting into our classes, including Hindi, which is very demanding. :) The good news is every time we use Hindi people they love it. Whether is is my host-grandma, vendors on the street, or taxi drivers, their reactions to Hindi are very encouraging and motivating.

I will give small updates here and there. For now, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!