Hello from India!
On Monday morning we boarded shuttles to the airport to begin our journey to India. After about 8 hours of hanging out at the Atlanta airport, we learned our flight had been cancelled because the plane was damaged and we found ourselves waiting another 24 hours until we boarded our flight.
After another two hour delay and 24 hours in the air, we finally arrived in India on Thursday morning (or Wednesday evening in the States with the 9.5 hour time change). Once in India, went through customs, met our host, and took a bus to the place we would stay for our orientation.
Our hosts let us sleep in until noon and fed us lunch before we started our orientation on Indian culture. That evening we all flooded the nearest coffee shop with wifi to share with friends and family that we had made it to India. Once we got back to the house, we all fell asleep quickly. And finally, after 83 hours of wearing the same clothes, I had the chance shower and put on my only other culturally appropriate outfit (covers knees, ankles, and shoulders).
That day, Kristen, Gabbie and I decided to take a tuk tuk to the mall to buy some kurtas (long Indian shirts usually worn with leggings [see picture]) after another morning of orientation. After purchasing more than we intended due to some persuasive sales women, we grabbed some ice cream and headed out to grab another tuk tuk and make it back in time for dinner. Unfortunately, it is monsoon season here in India and we forgot our rain jackets, so we got drenched on our way back to our place as we rode in the open-sided tuk tuk through the pouring rain.
Fortunately, the plastic bags protected our new clothes so I had something clean to wear now that my only other clean outfit was soaking wet. Despite getting soaked, I had a great time. But, now I will always remember to bring my rain jacket when I leave the house.
Today is our third day here and we will be traveling tonight to our next location where we will be doing our ministry.
Here are some pictures from our time here so far:
The sunset on our first day in India
Tuk tuk ride through the rain
In the tuk tuk
Soaking wet after the tuk tuk ride
In my kurta
Also, I’d like to give a s/o to the Indian Starbucks barista this morning who spelled my name right after people in the Atlanta airport wrote my name as ‘Page’ and ‘Peach’:
