Top Ten...

I've noticed that a lot of people who blog, like to post top ten lists. I think this has been done by many people before hand, but here is my top ten favorite things about South Asia list THIS week. NOTE: This is all subject to change.
In no particular order:

10) TaTa Trucks
9) The view of the hills from our balcony
8) The sight of our Aunti Maddou in her kitchen cooking, while sitting on my bed watching a movie
7) The donkeys, water buffalo, cows, goats, sheep, camels, and elephants seen walking down the national highway!
6) Nationals asking me if I'm a local
5) Aloo parantha, Chana Bhatura, Poori and Chana, Chipattis and other National food
4) Abu, our little brother when he makes fun of the way I say to the dog "Jimmy a ja" (Jimmy come)
3) Our Uncle's laugh
2) National's reaction when I start talking to them in Hindi.
1) Sitting on our roof, knitting and talking with our neighbors, while "eating the wind" as they call it

I've often wondered if I've had a permanently LONG "honey moon stage" in the cycle of culture shock while overseas. Not to say there aren't days that are hard and tiring, but on the whole the good days FAR out weigh the hard. It's during those hard days that I try to remember hard days that I've had back in the states, or days that I was stressed out or frustrated back home. Most often I can think of times back in America that were much more difficult with having to use a squatty for a bathroom, or having a little mice in my house. It's those times that keep my life persepctive!

Another Wedding?

Last weekend we went to a friend's house for lunch. It was actually really refreshing because they had told us two weeks before to come on that day!!! Imagine that?! We made an appointment to meet someone, like you would in America! It was kind of nice I must admit to have a little structure to our day. We arrived, they fed us (of course) and afterwards they left us to "take rest". This basically means that they leave you to sleep. They do it all the time here. I don't know if we always look tired after we eat, or whether it's just normal, but they told us to take rest, and then left the room. About 30mins later I was woken by the ringing telephone. We drank chai to help us wake up (it's interesting to me that they give us chai to help us sleep, to help with digestion, AND to help us wake up. CHAI- the wonder drink). After chai we were quickly ushered into the adjoining room to try on Saris.
They dressed us, put make up on us, did our hair! They had a GREAT time. Then we took pictures, got dressed back into our regular clothes and waited while they ready for the market! They then accompanied us to the market to walk us half way home! It was a fun and tiring time- if I ever decide to get married here, I will definitely have a lot of practice.

Lions and Tigers and Elephants?

As I have said many times while living here, things don't always work our here as planned! For example...we were planning on going on a hike through some villages close by. We had to catch a bus to a village and then we would walk from there. We start off, and I fall asleep. This is pretty normal on bus rides here, I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to stay awake! I am awakened by a lot of smoke and load crunching noises coming from the engine, and I see the driver trying to grind the bus into gear. He finally gives up when there is a large smoke plume billowing out of the engine! (the engine is where the passengers sit, so the smoke is inside the bus) We stop, he jumps underneath bangs around a little, and then decides that he can't fix it so we'll wait! For what we were waiting for i'm not 100% sure, but we waited! After about 15-20mins, April and I decided that we were close enough to walk back home. We got out of the bus and started walking. About 5 mins down the road we stopped to talk to some locals and asked them how far away our town was. They said 5 km. It took us 30minutes to go 5KM!!!!!!! That should have been a good indicator right there to what state the bus was in!Because of our unsuccessful arrival at one village we decided to go to another, that was closer the following day. We got on the bus and yet again, I fell asleep. This time I awoke to us almost running into an elephant. In the mountains! I've been told by our uncle that people bring elephants to the mountains because the villagers have never seen one, so the elephant owners can make a lot of money! I got a little excited because I thought maybe it was heading to the same village we were going to. We arrived at the village and hiked around a bit, ate some lunch, and then headed around the lake. We reached the opposite side of the lake and lo and behold before our very eyes was Chanda, the elephant. April and I were so excited we walked straight up to the owner and started bargaining for a ride. It took quite awhile and soon there was a big crowd of people. We weren't sure if the people were there for the elephant or the white people. We finally decided it was both. I mean how often to do you get to see white people RIDING on an elephant in your village? It took us awhile, but with the help of some nationals we finally got them down to a price that we thought was reasonable. $1.50 each. Unfortunately I know that he still ripped us off, but he wasn't budging, so we did! Chanda kneeled down I stepped on her leg and hoisted myself up. Then April got on in front of me, and the owner sat behind her ears. We were bareback, which was interesting when she stands up, b/c there's nothing really for you to hold onto so I almost fell off backwards. We rode around for a bit, everyone laughed and thought it was great, we got off and left! I have to admit not many things embarrass me, but I was thoroughly embarrassed by being an exhibition- it was worth it though to ride on an elephant bareback!

Happy Birthday Benny!

This blog is for my brother and one of my best friends, Benny!!! Today is his birthday! He is one of the most servant hearted people I know. In fact he could be the most servant hearted person I know! We always used to joke with Benny about him being adopted because he really doesn't look like the rest of us kids. He's the only one with blonde hair in almost our whole family! I really don't know where it cam from because all my grandparents had dark hair, and so do my parents. Apparently he looks like our great grand dad or something. He was also a really good kid when he was little, where as me and my other brothers were pretty bad at times. I don't remember Benny ever being spanked, but somehow I think Jake (my other older brother) and I were always getting trouble! This picture is of him and my other brother after a meal at my dad and stepmom's house. He looks like he's about to pass out. We always felt like this on Fridays after our Shabbat meal with dad and stepmom.(She is Israeli and one of the best cooks ever!!-hence the celebration of Shabbat every friday) I have to say I don't have any very up to date pictures of Benny, since I haven't seen him in over 8 months, and all of these make him look like he's narcaleptic. He is really pretty lively in person, especially when he's around other family members. We call it his "party personality" he gets so excited and kind of hyper and gets really goofy!! Benny you're great! I hope you have a great day, if I was closer and had some reeses peanut butter cups I would definitely send some your way! Love you!!