Okay, let me first start of by saying this post is not going to be a western romanticized vision of this country. To be honest, when I first arrived in India I was petrified. After 22 hours of traveling I truly questioned my original intention to spend a month in this country. My first impression of India was in my flight from Dubai to Delhi during which I sat near two Indian children who proceeded to pull my blonde hair. Once I got of the plane, I stepped into the chaotic Delhi airport in which I was met with a lot of intense staring. I didn't feel completely settled until I got to Dharamshala and got some sleep.
I thought It useful to inform you about the town of Bir where I am staying. Bir is part of Tibetan Village which houses a number of Tibetan refugees. Its a great town because it houses both Buddist and Hindus. It is up in the mountains so the hiking and scenery is amazing. However, Bir is very rural. It is not as westernized as many of the larger cities in India. This being said, we don't typically get hot water, power outages are normal, and toilet paper is not provided in restrooms...
However, so far I love it! The children I work with are wonderful. I teach at a local monastery named Sakya and work with the teenage boys. They enjoy looking at pictures of my family and learning about my life in the states. We work on English grammar and conversation as well as math and geography. I cannot emphasize enough their good hospitality.
Outside of the monastery I enjoy daily walks through town. The colors, sounds, and sites are beautiful. I love the women's brightly colored clothing. Even the women who work in the fields have beautiful clothing.
It's been a week but I'm dreading for the month to end. I look forward to my trip this weekend to Amritsar, near the Pakistani boarder. More to come....