New Delhi Noob

So today was my first day actually "in" New Delhi. I'm going to apologize for the lack of photos first, because the internet here is super spotty and it's taking me forever to upload from my phone to my computer. Hopefully that will change when I get to Dharamsala in a couple of days.

Today Kalden and his friend Palsang (a Tibetan monk) and I went to the Red Fort, which was (if I remember the story correctly) built by Emperor Shah Jahan (the same guy who built the Taj Mahal), and there was a big revolt against the British that happened there in the mid-1800s over the fact that some sort of "beef grease" was used in rifles at the time. Cows being sacred to Hindus, which most Indians happen to be, you can see why this would be a problem.

Oh, and yes, I have seen some cows lying in the street, just chilling. And pigs. And one cat. And lots and lots of dogs.

We got some cool photos of the architecture at the Red Fort (which I will upload at some point, I promise). As we walked through and he explained the history of the place, an Indian man who apparently worked there as a guide began chastising him in Hindi, which Kalden later translated to me that he had been angry that Kalden was explaining things instead of hiring a guide. He wanted us to pay him a bribe; Kalden refused, of course, and the guy tore up our tickets. We walked off (well, I just followed because frankly, I had no idea what was going on) and saw the rest of the fort in peace. Afterward, Palsang had  to go to the Chinese Embassy to take care of some paperwork, so Kalden and I headed over to the biggest mosque in Delhi, where they made me take off my shoes and cover up my bare shoulders, and wouldn't let Kalden in since they saw he had a camera. I went in to check it out and wouldn't you know, every third person had a camera. I'm sensing a bit of a double standard around here.

I am kind of digging the whole rickshaw thing. We have been taking pedal rickshaws and autorickshaws around the city, which seem to be able to be hired for about 20 rupees. The subway system here is also really nice. According to Kalden, it's new. It shows. The trains are sleek and quiet, and the subway stations are all sparkly clean. Unfortunately, this stands in a fairly stark contrast to much of the New Delhi "overworld:" there are nice areas but we've also gone through plenty where trash, well, litters the ground, and I've even seen piles of garbage and mounds of actual feces. The toilets are also weird (just a hole and a bucket of water, sometimes a little spray hose, almost never any paper). Plus you have to pay to use the public restrooms. Needless to say, it's an exotic place and that's cool and all, but I can see how I'll miss some of the comforts of home. Like sanitation. I'm keeping in mind, though, that billions of people live like this every day, so there's no good reason I can't manage for a few months. It'll be good for me, right?

I also got to see one of New Delhi's malls, which is strikingly western. So western, in fact, that I had trouble tracking down some "real" Indian clothing; everywhere we turned it was Starbucks, Tommy Hilfiger, McDonald's, even a Haagen-Dazs store. We also visited the Indian National Museum which was full of very cool sculptures of Hindu gods and Buddha, paintings involving an awful lot of cows, and even a human skeleton preserved from some hundreds of years ago.

Almost all of the public places we've gone so far have had security checkpoints in which "ladies" and "gents" form separate lines, put their bags on a conveyor belt into an xray machine, just like at the airport, and you walk through a metal detector and get a quick pat down by an official of your gender. So far I haven't had any problems, but it's a little weird. At least they're generally nicer than the TSA.

Tomorrow evening I board the "very nice Volvo" bus to Dharamsala. Palsang is also going, but on a different bus; a less nice one, perhaps not a Volvo. We should arrive around the same time, so he's going to accompany me to the Charity and make sure I get settled in. A few hours after that is the opening ceremony, and then I'm told I can sleep the rest of the day if I want. Depending on how jet lagged I am (so far, not very), I may, but I think it might be more likely that I check out the charity and try to make a couple new friends, and determine what essentials I might need to pick up from the store. The next day Kalden and Julie, another foreign teacher, will arrive, and he'll help me get settled into whatever room I'll rent for potentially the rest of my stay. I'm going to make "solid internet" a priority when choosing a place. If that's not plausible, I'm going to do my damnedest to find a place in town (Tibet Charity, maybe a library) that does have it so I can stay in touch with all of you. :)

EDIT: Updated to spell Palsang's name correctly. :)

Losing a Whole Day

I've done a little bit of traveling in my life. Generally speaking, I really enjoy traveling by plane; I'm a person whose only reason for shying away from flight is the bureaucratic omnipotence of the TSA, not because of any fear of the transportation itself.

Until yesterday, my longest plane trip had been the first one I made to Florida some ten years ago. The flight itself wasn't that bad, but I did have a 7 hour layover in Atlanta (it was a Thursday... I remember because it was also Thanksgiving). It was a long day, to be sure, but it's not much compared to a 9.5 hour layover followed immediately by a 15 hour flight.

The day started at 4:30am when I woke to a very Sheldon-Cooper-esque “*knock knock knock* Maggie *knock knock knock* Maggie *knock knock knock* Maggie” on my bedroom door. Not the worst way to start a day, really. Dad and I loaded up my stuff, picked up Mom, and made our way to O'Hare. It was definitely nice having them both see me off, as you can see in the picture in a previous post.

Upon check-in I was relieved to find that the suitcase I'd packed was in fact only 43 pounds (well under the 50# limit) so I wouldn't have to do any last-minute rearranging of things into my carry-on. Security was a breeze, and I didn't even get picked for additional screening like I usually do... I guess I look less like a troublemaker at 6 in the morning. The flight from O'Hare to Newark was easy and uneventful. Nothing I hadn't done before.

Upon my arrival in NJ, Brandi gave me directions on how to get to Brooklyn so I could meet her and have a 9.5 hour layover that involved something other than sitting around Liberty International Airport. I congratulated myself on making it through the AirTrain and NY subway on my own like a big girl, and Brandi and I enjoyed some pretty darn good Mediterranean food and a very nice visit before she saw me back to the station and I returned to the airport. I did have to step out for a pat down (I'd rather that than radiation) but then I was on my way to plop down at my gate until we started boarding.

Protip: There aren't many outlets to charge your phone at Liberty International, at least not in Terminal C. Prepare accordingly.

After a flight delay and some moments of “holy shit, this is really happening,” we finally got on the biggest airplane I have personally been on, a 777. You know, one with two aisles and three columns of seats, like you see in the movies. That in itself was a little surreal.

I took my seat near the window, 38L. The leg room in the economy seating area of the plane may not have been anything special (luckily I'm a smallish person to begin with), but the fact that the two seats next to me remained vacant meant I could stretch out all I wanted. I win! Of course, that would have to wait, but I smiled knowing that I was going to be a whole lot more comfortable for the next 15 hours than most of the others on the plane.

Everyone took their seats, the boarding doors closed, and the plane taxied to the runway. It was then, as the plane waited on the tarmac in that customary way that always lasts longer than I expect it to, that I became acutely aware of the sound of the engines. There was something about the way the sound rolled in waves that built my anticipation -- like the wind howling through the woods or an orchestra poised for the director's downbeat – the plane hesitated on the runway as if it were trying to decide whether it actually wanted to take off.

Of course, eventually it did. The engines roared and the plane hurtled down the runway, its nose lifting into the air. It was at this point that I first really, truly, felt at peace with my decision to go to India. In this moment I teared up for the first time since I'd begun planning this whole trip, and in this moment I knew that (nevermind it was was too late to change my mind at that point) it was honestly what I wanted to do. I felt good about it. I could see the wind rushing over the wing of the plane. The pilot pulled us into the air and circled over Newark once, as if extending one last invitation to say goodbye to the only country I'd ever known.

And we were off.

Those of you who expressed a wish that I be able to sleep on said 15 hour flight will be glad to know that that is exactly what I did for most of it. I had 3 books and a loaded, fully charged iPod with me just in case, but I only managed to get through a couple of chapters. I guess 3 hours of sleep the night before will do that to you.

In fact, I slept through the dinner service (which I was quite upset about, because damn did it smell good). Even as I lay there half asleep, I smelled the spicy, aromatic deliciousness that I know to associate with Indian food and knew it was going to be a good trip. Somehow I missed them when they came through the first time, but the nice flight attendant hooked me up with a vegetarian meal once they were done serving drinks, so it all worked out.

Struck with a case of “the itis,” as Joe used to say, I settled in for a nap as the little kid in front of me seemed to work on perfecting his Zanta impression.

I woke up to find the in-flight map showing that we were over the eastern coast of Greenland. Just cracking the window shade was enough to fill the cabin with light, so bright was the sun reflecting off the ocean, the ice, and the clouds. I tried to pick out the shapes of animals, boats, anything, but I'm not sure I actually saw any.

I read for a while and took another nap. Each time I woke up I checked the screen at the front of my seating section to see that a couple more hours had passed. I got through a few chapters of Something Missing and checked the window every so often, but mostly I just saw clouds. After another nap I woke to find that we were within the last 4 hours of the flight. According to the map we were over Afghanistan crossing the border into Pakistan. I took a moment to consider that this was likely the closest I'd ever get to either of these places, and just being able to look out at the parched, cracked earth and know that that's where we were made them more real to me. It was at this point that I started to feel a little anxious. This was really happening. Until now, India still seemed far away both in distance and in time. But now, if I chose to finish my book or flipped through the movies on the screen in front of me and put on Braveheart, I'd be landing by the time it was done.

It was precisely for this reason that I did neither of these things.

I wanted a chance, my last chance, to really think about what was going on. I began to wish I'd learned more Hindi before I left. I wondered if I packed the right clothing. I hoped my contact at Tibet Charity, Kalden, would remember to pick me up at the airport (as it turns out, he did).

As if to echo my own disbelief, the child in the seat in front of me asked his mother “Are we in India?” as we left the airspace over Pakistan.

As we approached Delhi from the northwest, I lifted the shade over my window again. Clouds rolled by, and lightning illuminated the sky beyond the wing. It was incredible. I felt like India was welcoming me, painting a sky more beautiful than any I'd seen before. The lights on the plane would blink and brighten the area for a moment, and then lightning would arc some distance off and reveal the depth and the texture and the massiveness of the clouds.

An hour or so later we finally landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Upon disembarking, a flight attendant reminded us not to drink the water; some of the high school kids whose t-shirts identified them as a volunteer group of some sort laughed and announced to each other that they would have forgotten. Not me... I have my UV water bottle handy, and I'm ready to use it. I made it through Immigration (I threw out the pineapple and dates I'd brought after getting paranoid over a story how my uncle had gotten in trouble once for bringing fruit into a foreign country... turns out they didn't even check), got my bag, and found my ride.

One of the first things I learned about India was that taxi drivers are even more .. umm.. assertive here than they are in, say, Chicago. Granted, I don't have a whole lot of experience traveling in big cities, but suffice it to say I was glad I had someone with me who knew what he was doing. Apparently here it's not uncommon to turn around on a road and head back the wrong way, either. You just put on your hazards and people more or less get out of the way. Kalden explained to me that “you can do this here,” and that road rage is nearly nonexistent because this is just how it works in India.

Two traffic jams and as many hours later, we made it to the hotel. I thanked the taxi driver who responded in like, smiled, and bowed, and Kalden and I headed up what I would consider alleyways to the building. I noticed on the way some stenciled words announcing that the area supported Tibetan autonomy. This made me feel strangely welcome and as if I were in fact in the best hotel I could be. (Kalden has informed me since that this whole area is a Tibetan neighborhood.)

My hotel room is small but clean, and it's a bit funny but I find it more comfortable than many hotel rooms I've stayed in in the US. Maybe it's the cleanliness thing. 

The restaurant here is really nice, too. For breakfast I had muesli with yogurt and nice, big chunks of fresh apple, a boiled egg, and milk tea. Yum!

Today is Tuesday, even though yesterday when I left it was Sunday. I'm feeling pretty good so far, so we'll have to see how hard the jet lag hits me in the next few days. Kalden is going to show me around Delhi today. I think I'm going to opt for some scenic destinations, cultural points of interest and whatnot; he tells me he went to see Wolverine in 3D yesterday and it only cost him 150 rupees (about $2.50) so who knows, maybe a movie will make it into the schedule just to say I did it. Tomorrow evening I'll board the bus to Dharamsala which is where I'll be staying for the next 4 months.

P.S. It's hot here. Really hot, and really humid.

P.P.S. Everything here is in English, which makes it really easy to get around. I guess that's one perk to traveling to a country that was a British colony for a really long time.

FYI

Hi guys,
This is just a quick post to let you all know I'm safely on the ground -- and in a hotel, in fact -- in Delhi. Details and photos to come!

I'm not sure that I'll be able to use my phone, so in the meantime, you all should get Skype and friend me (stillcountingstars13, or search my name). ;) I'm sure the next few days will be crazy for me, but hopefully within a week I'll be more or less settled in and have my technology situation figured out.

Adventure, ho!

C138

Suddenly this all seems more real. Catch you on the flip side... ;)

Here we go!

See you soon, Mom and Dad! Lots of love. :) It's adventure time!

T-9hrs

Well, my friends, this is it. According to the clock on my computer, it's exactly nine hours from my scheduled departure time from O'Hare Airport in Chicago.

No, I'm not done packing yet.

Mostly, but not quite. I've got a load of laundry going, I'm filling up my iPod with 4 months worth of music (including the obligatory Sweet Home Chicago), and I'm double-checking that I've got all the essentials for what feels like the millionth time. Passport? Check. Visa? Check. ID? Check. Delicious snacks? Check. Gameboy, charged, with Harvest Moon and Phantasy Star Collection? Check and double check. Half a dozen books (all given to me by you, my friends)? Check x6. I feel like I ought to be able to finish at least three of them by the end of my 15-hour flight from Newark to Delhi.

Also tonight, I counted the cash I've received from friends and family in the last couple of weeks and am looking at my fundraiser page and am pretty much floored at how generous you all have been to me.... I am truly and deeply touched by your philanthropy, and I sincerely hope that my trip lives up to all our expectations!

Much love to you all! <3

The final stretch

We're down to the last few days before I go!

Monday I got my visa applied for and was assured it would be ready by Friday afternoon (nothing like cutting it close to add some spice to the experience), and both my arms are still sore from my immunizations. Normally I'm not a big fan of vaccinations, but seeing as I'm not sure what to expect on the other side of the world, I think I'll play it safe this time.

Packing is underway and I'm making more lists to minimize the chances of forgetting something important. It sounds like the plan now is to spend a day in Delhi before taking the 12-or-so-hour bus up to Dharamsala, which means I'll be arriving a few hours before the opening ceremony on the first day (August 1) of my charity work. I hope I end up with a reliable internet connection so I can keep you all posted!

There's no turning back now

My flights have been booked! I'm officially leaving on Sunday, July 28 from O'Hare, spending a nice long layover with my dear friend Brandi in Newark before the long leg of the trip (Newark to New Delhi), and returning December 6. Jet lag oughtta be fun.

Preparation begins!

I've been making lists. Lots of lists, full of things that need to happen in the next two weeks.

Recently Dad and I went about obtaining a few travel/survival essentials like a nice new backpack, an electricity converter, and some parachute cord. I'm thinking I'll pack a big suitcase and use the backpack as my carry-on, plus when I get to the Himalayas (because that's where I'm going, you know) I can go hiking if I so desire. Sweet.

Immunizations have been scheduled, as has my visa application interview. One involves going to Morris, the other to Chicago... so next Monday should prove to be all kinds of adventurous.

I've emailed a friend of a friend who lives in India hoping to get some inside info as far as what to expect. Another friend has asked coworkers from India and apparently they say there's no particular reason to be concerned for my safety on my trip. This makes me happy.

My biggest concern right now is getting TO Dharamsala. I figure once I'm there, it's just like being in any other new city: you find where you're staying, you unpack a little, you roam around and familiarize yourself with your surroundings, and then you pass the hell out and try to sleep off some of the jet lag. Maybe not exactly in that order. Luckily, someone from the charity I'll be working with is going to meet me at the airport and we'll travel the rest of the way to Dharamsala together.

In the meantime, preparations for Summerfest, which is rapidly approaching, continue! This Friday at 9pm, at Braidwood city park. It'll be my last big public performance before my trip, so it's an even bigger deal for me than it usually is. Come out and watch -- I promise it'll be a great show!

Any suggestions of things I should take with me?

A blog is born

Hi everyone!

Assuming Blogger is as easy to use as I've been told, this is going to be my main platform for keeping in touch with all of you when I am overseas. I'm not sure yet what my internet access is going to be like, or phone service, or technological capabilities in general, so if nothing else I will try to keep this updated as much as possible!

In the meantime, my fundraiser page is located here if you'd like to donate to help offset my costs. Any and all contributions are graciously accepted. Thank you!

Here's to adventure!! <3