.....

a day at the zoo.

Yesterday we took a school-wide field trip to the zoo! And when I say zoo, I don’t mean good ole John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, or any zoo in America for that matter. This zoo consisted of some ducks, a couple of moneys, some owls, two big pits of snakes, and the main attraction… A PANTHER. The panther was pretty awesome, actually the whole zoo was awesome, actually the whole DAY was awesome. Let us start from the beginning… First, we gathered the children, gave them colored coated name tags, emergency contact number included, and each of us “adults” were assigned a group to take care of. I had a group of seven precious little gems. At first I was kind of concerned that I was going to lose a child, or they would climb in the panthers cage or something like that, but none of the above happened so that was really great! Anyway, we started off piling into rickshaws, and when I say pile.. I really mean pile. I wish I had documented this portion of the day, but I was stuck in a rickshaw surrounded by 11 kids, with no way to get out. There were kids stuffed into these rickshaws like none other, just imagine those cars that like billions of clowns come out of. That was us, but with a rickshaw and cute little Indian children instead. Anyway, once we got to the zoo we checked out all of the animals, there was also a nice little playground that the kids loved. There was this merry-go-round-eque thing (picture below) People were pushing kids around, it was all fun and games... Until Simon, one of the little boys had too much. Did he say anything though? Oh no. He decided to wait for a while… until it was too late. Vomit. Everywhere. Yum. But, he was a champ about the whole situation. He cleaned himself up and ate lunch 15 minutes later. After viewing all of the animals, and the puking situation, and the lack of toilets with an abundance of full bladders (we found a nice little hidden corner that did just fine), we had a picnic! It was wonderful, blankets laid out, some yummy rice stuff (it has an Indian name, but I currently am forgetting it) afterwards we played some games and just hung out. Then, we piled back into the rickshaws again and headed back to the school! Such a great little day. Here are some pictures :)

2+2= 11?

First things first, I know my pre-school and kindergarten teachers aren't reading this right now, but if they were I would want to thank them. For teaching me my A,B,C's and 1,2,3's.

In the afternoon's I spend time with the younger kids at House of Hope, there are four of them right now, Chetan, Tanmay, Sakshi and Sahara. All at pretty different learning levels but in the same class. They only go to school in the mornings and after talking to their teacher I have learned that Sahara and Tanmay don't know their A,B,C's and Chetan and Sakshi need help with their math. So, I started doing just that. Which I figured couldn't be THAT hard right? Abc's I mean, everyone knows the song right? Wrong. Sahara does know the song though, but LMNOP is all one letter. So, I decided to take it a letter a day for Tanmay and Sahara, and its been going pretty well actually. The tracing letter pages that I found online have been the best and also reviewing everyday. Sometimes we have to stay on a letter for two days, but thats alright because they are learning, and I am SO excited for them.

Math is another story... Chetan is VERY good at math, we have our counting beans and he can add up some pretty hefty numbers, I am pretty proud. Sakshi on the other hand.. we were counting beans today. Adding 2 and 2 together.. So, we counted the beans.. "one, two, three, four" "good job Sakshi.. so what is 2+2?" "11!" This is the point where I just look at her and think to myself "are you kidding?" This is also the point where I remember my current math skills and wonder how TERRIBLE I was at math when I was younger.. So, right now were just taking it one day at a time. One math problem a day, and hopefully by February we will figure out together that 2+2 does not equal 11.

Cutest Thangsss

Ohhh, counting beans.

Our newest addition to House of Hope, he just arrived on Saturday. Every time I see him I just want to hug him, and lets be real here, I do.

Sahara

Tanmay

Chetan

Sakshi

Senses

I'm reading a book right now called, Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. I bought it a couple of days ago at a book stand on the streets in Pune for like two dollars. It is incredible. In the first chapter Roberts talks about the smells of India, and the way he describes is perfect.. and I want everyone to read it.. so here we go...

"The first thing I noticed about Bombay, on that first day, was the smell of the different air. I could smell it before I saw or heard anything of India, even as I walked along the umbilical corridor that connected the plane to the airport. I was excited and delighted by it, in that first Bombay minute, but I didn’t and couldn’t recognize it. I know now that it’s the sweet, sweating smell of hope, which is the opposite of hate; and it’s the sour, stifled smell of greed, which is the opposite of love. It’s the smell of gods, demons, empires, and civilizations in resurrection and decay. It’s the blue skin-smell of the sea, no matter where you are in the Island City, and the blood-metal smell of machines. It smells of the stir and sleep and waste of sixty million animals, more than half of them humans and rats. It smells of heartbreak, and the struggle to live, and of the crucial failures and loves that produce our courage. It smells of ten thousand restaurants, five thousand temples, shrines, churches, and mosques, and of a hundred bazaars devoted exclusively to perfumes, spices, incense and freshly cut flowers.

Whenever I return to Bombay, now it's my first sense of the city- that smell, above all things- welcomes me and tells me I’ve come home."

Playtime in the afternoons at House of Hope.. Soon after this picture was taken the swing did indeed break.
More of the festival..

Rooftop of the Girls' Intern Flat

Sahara

festival

Right now in India there is a HUGE Hinda festival honoring the Hindu god, ganesh. Which means there are drums, parades, music, fireworks, etc. going on all hours of the night. Tonight, two of my roommates and I took a rickshaw to the supermarket and we got stuck in a parade for like 15 minutes. BUT, I got a video which sort of explains what has been happening for the past week, and what will happen until the 22nd of September. Its been interesting seeing all of this, especially since it is all for a god that looks like an elephant. But, it shows very much what the Indian culture is all about.

Everything here is going well, I have been very busy with work. I am working with a school in the mornings, helping them in whatever they need really and then in the afternoons I work at an orphanage with kids who are HIV positive, helping them with homework, reading and writing English, playing games, loving them. So far it has been good.. First week was quite overwhelming so I will explain more about each ministry once I have more of a routine and such. But, so far everything has been good :)

lots of love.

enjoy the fall weather in america, i'm missing it already!

first days in photos.

My precious little friend at the orphanage, Sahara, we were playing hide and seek... this was her way of hiding.

Shoe Store in Pune

Hindu Festival celebrating god ganesh.

Flowers.

View from my balcony.

35+ hours.

I am here, I am safe, and I am very jet lagged.

Update soon.

Thanks for your prayers!