Culture Shock

Boy has it been a rough 2 ½ weeks being back in the States.  Not only is my internal (sleeping) clock off kilter, but I am finding some American culture offensive.  For example, I find it absolutely offensive that a practical stranger would go through my cell phone…let alone take photos with my phone.  Now, I am well aware that some would find this funny, but I do not.  I have never in my life had anyone go through my belongings without my permission.  My parents never went through my stuff, and likewise, my parent’s do not go through each other’s purse or wallet.  To have this person go through my phone was an invasion of my privacy.  The only reason why I trusted this person is the sole fact that they are a spouse to one of my professors. 

This same person acted like a child at the restaurant we went to the other night.  Mind you, I have recently returned from India and my prerogative is a bit different to say the least.  While at dinner, this same person was quite rude to the waitress.  Complaining about the pricing is not going to make the waitress give you anything free.  The complaint was over $1.50.  Are you seriously that big of a tightwad?  No one was forcing you to substitute your fries for union rings.  There are bigger problems to worry about than swapping out fries for union rings.  Why make a mountain out of a molehill?  Top make matters worse, another person at our table wanted to point out to the waitress how the presentation of the union rings looked like a male appendage.  REALLY?!?  Did your mother not teach you anything?  I mean come on for the love of everything sacred and holy.  The rudeness and crassness was beyond my level of comfort.  It is one thing to be crass in a private setting, but it is absolutely unacceptable in a public setting.  Combine the crassness with a professor’s wife who is quite difficult would equal this Southern gal mortified.  All I can say is bless their hearts; their momma just didn’t teach them how to behave in public.  Needless to say, I will NEVER go out in public with them again. 

Some people have given me grief for going to India for my internship.  My response to them is grow up.  I will not apologize for being curious about the World and having the desire to explore it from top to bottom.  I have learned so much during my many travels, and I would do it all over again and again.  I have no regrets.  

I guess it is going to take me longer than I thought to adjust back into American society.  Bless my heart!

I miss the days of PB.......

I miss the days of PB....and no I do not mean Penny Byrne. PB was a boss of mine when I worked at the unmentionable place in Logan. I woke up this morning to an email and Facebook message that now have me in a state of panic. As I was trying to think clearly this morning, all I could think about was how much I missed PB. She is a straight shooter, a fiesty redhead, and I have the utmost respect for her. I will be the first to admit that we got off to a rocky start, but after I showed her that I wasn't just some lazy college student we worked marvelously together.

PB isn't afraid to tell you like it is and very rarely will she sugar coat what she has to tell you. Yes, she will nag you to death if you aren't doing what she asked you to do. We came to a point in our working relationship that she knew that whatever she gave me I would finish by her deadline. She also doesn't listen to someone's bull. She was always telling us to take the emotion of out it and just give her the facts. I think I missed that the most. I am an emotional person, no more than the next. Being over here in India has its challenges in the workplace. I live and work at the same place so it is pretty hard to keep emotion out of it and stay with the facts.

The fact is that there are stupid and lazy people across the world. Laziness and stupidity are not biased. They infect every race, creed, and culture. Yes, working with these two can drive someone insane. That's why PB was soo amazing to work with. She had no problem telling you if you were being lazy or stupid.

So as I read a very disappointment email trying to figure out how what I plan B is, I found myself very grateful for the time I had working with PB. I know that she is enjoying retirement to its fullest. I just wish that her work ethic, skills, and tact could be duplicated. Here's to hoping and finding my plan B!

Randomness

Random Thoughts

Let me first say that I am in a bit of a panic mode. I am a planner. I have been my whole life. For better or worse, I like to have a general idea of what I am doing and where I am going. I am a goal oriented person. So to have only my life somewhat planned till December 17^th is a bit daunting. I really just want to crawl into a whole and not worry about it. I have no place to live in Logan once I get back to school. The place I was going to stay at fell through and I shouldn't be surprised, but I was hoping for the best. Obviously the best did not happen. I will give myself my own advice and say “I'll be strong.”

I should not be complaining. Last week I saw a homeless made take a crap on the side walk because he had nowhere else to go. A group of us toured a massive slum in Mumbai. If you are an illegal immigrant you are not allowed to use public restrooms. You have to pay 2 INR to use the toilet. Most people can't even afford that. So, this makes going to the toilet a problem especially if you're a woman. It is culturally accepted for a man to relieve himself in public. It is not however culturally accepted if a woman were to do so. Most women have to wait till either late at night or rather early in the morning to relieve themselves. As much as I love being in India, I can not accept or wrap my head around the amount of inequality that occurs between the sexes, religions, or even castes.(They say they don't have a caste system, but they still do.)

Let me illustrate. The majority of our local staff uses wood burning stoves as a water heater system. There is a campground on Sangam's property, and the local staff can collect wood to take home. An evening a couple of weeks ago, I noticed Saroj dragging a large potato sack size bag full of wood to take home to her family. Saroj is quite petite and the large sack overwhelmed her small frame. Me being me and not worrying about what is socially acceptable, I quickly ran outside to carry the sack. At first, Saroj said that I could carry the sack to the front gate. I asked her if she was going to wait for the bus or going to her brother's house. When we reached the gate, I told her that I would carry the sack to her brother's house. As we walked together down the alley to her brother's house, I was shocked at the stares that I received. See her world views her as my servant, and it's highly unlikely that her employer would carry a large sack of wood for her. In my world, I view her as my friend and equal. I know that she is up at 4:30 am to put the buckets out so that her family will have enough water for bathing, cleaning, cooking, drinking etc. (If she does not do this, there is no water for her or her family.) She then prepares breakfast and gets her three children off to school. After that, she takes a 30 min. bus ride to Sangam to report for work. She does all of this by 8 am. She works till 6pm. If we have an event, she doesn't get done with work till after 8pm. Immediately she goes home and cooks dinner for her family, does the laundry, and clean the house. This is a typical day in the life of one of our female local staff members. So, when I saw her extremely worn out dragging the sack of wood behind her, I could not do anything but help her. Someone in our group yelled at a child, as we toured the slum in Mumbai, that “if you work really hard, you'll be able to make lots and lots of money.” That may be true where she is from, but here that logic is the exception not the rule.

So, I will not worry about not having a place to live in 5 weeks. My life can always be much worse than that.

Postcards & Mice

Happy Independence Day! Today is India's Independence Day. We (the staff and the Phulenagar Ladies Society) started off the day with a proper Indian flag ceremony followed by an Indian breakfast. (We usually eat a Western breakfast.) This morning was quite nice. So, Happy Independence Day to all of my friends in India!!

So, my work is quickly coming to a close. I have 1 ½ months left here in Pune. I have been busy making plans to overhaul the Yahdei (the shop). If you ever complain about how long it takes to get something done in the States, just come to India and you'll soon come to appreciate the timeliness of vendors back home. I am in the process of making a planogram for the shop, as well as bringing in new product. All is easier said than done. I have 13 days to get everything together. Good luck to me.

I have also been working on designing new postcards for the shop. All I have to say is that they are a slow and tedious process. Most of my friends know how it goes when you make a mock up that you will have to make quite a few changes quite a few different times. I am proud of how they are turning out because I did not think myself capable of doing anything creative on that level.

The excitement lately has not been due to the riots on Mumbai/Pune highway, where people are killed daily, or crazy rickshaw drivers, or even the fight that broke out between two men in the slum across the street. (The two men managed to fight each other with a 2x4 piece of wood in the middle of Alandi Road. Now to give you a visual of Alandi Rd, I would compare it to Main St in Logan while USU is in session during rush hour traffic. For my friends at home, I would compare to Crossgates Blvd and HWY 80 at the peak times of the day or even HWY 25 by Dogwood. When I saw the fight break out, all I could think was “you have got to be kidding me......someone is going to get killed by a car.”) The most exciting thing has been the two mice that have somehow found a way to dwell upstairs with us. For those who do not already know, I absolutely HATE rodents. It all started two nights ago while I was in the lounge. I was by myself and too chicken to get out of the chair where I carefully sat. Luckily for my Priya came in and immediately started laughing at me. I told her to call the night watchman to get the darn thing. He came upstairs to my rescue or so I thought. We couldn't lure the mouse out from under the refrigerator. As soon as we stepped into the hallway, the darn thing ran under the door of someone's room. We asked that person if we could lure the mouse out, and they asked us not to because I really believe that they believed that it wasn't in there, but we saw it go in so whatever. We didn't see the mouse again until last night, except last night we saw a MUCH bigger mouse. Needless to say I screamed my head off and had the night watchman called up again. This time we put a mouse trap (a tree hugger one with carrots and onions in it) by the fridge. We again saw the mouse go under the same door as the night before, but that person wasn't here to give us permission to catch it. So we call them, and they again told us not to catch it in their room. WHAT?!? You have a rodent in your room and you want it to stay there? Trust me I have no desire to go into that person's room, but seriously people. Rodents carry diseases.....do you really need any other reason not to kill the damn thing?!? It's not like the mouse was from PetSmart or something. Needless to say the mice are still on the run somewhere upstairs. How do mice get upstairs anyway? The walls are made of concrete.

I will keep you updated about adventures in miceland! I'm sure there will be more to come!   

A little over two months

Let me explain as to why I am so far behind on my blog entries. I have been creating a blog for Sangam World Centre. It usually is easy, but the challenge is that we have multiple audiences. With that being said, every time I think it's done something else has to change. Tomorrow my line manager and I are going over it again to tweak it before we send it to the powers at be. Let me also just tell you that my public is about 10 million people worldwide. When I am not working on the blog, finding new items for the shop, covering reception, and making participants happy (just to name a few), I also keep the WAGGGS World Bureau updated with the information that they request from me. I do not have the luxury of being expressive with superlatives when I am stressed. What I have found here in India is that there is a massive world of double standards, and it drives me absolutely crazy. That's why I am so very grateful for my friends back in the States that allow me to express myself.

I will say that I am absolutely overwhelmed. I don't know what I was thinking about when I signed up for two summer classes online. The one class is quite informative, but the other class is going to be the death of me. My professor decided to bump everything up at the last minute. I don't have time to breathe let alone get all of his stuff completed. A friend here in India tells me that online classes are easy and shouldn't be a big deal. Well, I wish I could quote a line from the first or second episode of season 1 of Ugly Betty. (Yeah, don't judge me :) Betty is carping on Daniel, and Daniel tells her that not to belittle what he is going through just because she feels like it's easy for her. What is easy for me may not be easy for you and vice versa. So, I try very hard not to mention the stresses of school. Really, it should be not big deal. I just HAVE to pass these two classes. I go back to the States and school in the middle of my last semester. I don't have a place to stay nor a job for that matter. We won't even get started on how stressed I am about finding a real job after I graduate, because really it's a piece of cake. Esta Bien.

I miss the South desperately, and I have been saying “bless your heart” a whole lot more often than I usually due since I have been censored.

On a positive note, I am enjoying what I am doing here. I went to a place called Maher last event. It is a home for children and mentally challenged women. Some of the children were taken off the streets as beggars and given a home. Yes, it is a “children's home” but they now have a roof over there head, clothes on their back, and food in their belly. The women and children touched my heart.  Here is a picture of one of the children that just hung on me. (I absolutely loved every minute there)

I read in the local newspaper about an orphanage where children were beaten and starved to death. This makes me even more grateful that there are good places like Maher as shelters for children to go to. I wanted to cry after reading that story. I do not know how someone can be so cruel. The world is full of beautiful, wonderful sights that remind you that there is a higher existence.

I love you my dear friends. I love my family with every fiber of my being. I might be half way across the world at the moment, but I am always here. I'm grateful that God has not given up on me just yet. Remember “Everything you are learning now is preparing you for something else.”- Marjorie Pay Hinkley.

Fourth of July

Fourth of July

I hope that my parents don't read this post because I am about to write something that they may not like. Over the past three years, I am going to have to admit that Cache Valley has totally grown on me. I thought that I would never be saying that, but today I find myself completely missing my summer routine of lovely Cache Valley. I miss the fireworks from across the valley. I am missing the Car Show!! What I miss the most is spending time with my friends as we enjoy the freedoms that our predecessors fought for and what our military men and women are currently fighting to ensure that our freedoms are not taken away.

India is the most populous democracy. Yet, I don't feel what I feel when I am at home in America. Words cannot adequately describe the peace that I feel after landing back in the States after an overseas trip. I am PROUD to be an American and I wouldn't want it any other way. I hope that everyone enjoys this 4^th of July!

India update is that I am feeling much better. The ladies that work in the kitchen were quite worried at my loss of appetite. They are so sweet. They made plain food especially for me so I could eat a little bit. Some of the ladies know more English than they let one know, and others know very little, but there was an unspoken understanding this past week as I was sick. They could read my face and they figured everything out. I am very blessed to be working with such wonderful individuals. Yesterday during chai time, I sat with the ladies and had chai in the kitchen. I was trying to understand what all they were saying and we discussed my family. A couple of the ladies were having birthdays in their families yesterday and today. They love to hear me tell them how many people are in my family! I tell them that I have my mom, dad, three brothers, one sister, and a dog named Q-tip! Adding my dog at the end cracks them up. I have no idea why they think it's so funny, but they do. I am just happy that I have all of their names etched in my memory. More than half have names that start with the letter “s” and their names are so similar that I literally have to stop and make sure that I say the right name.

Life is good. I cannot complain. I am blessed with a wonderful family (and a dog :)! My friends are extremely supportive, and no I don't judge you when we can't talk all the time like we use to. This time difference is a heiffer! I attend a university that I am proud to be attending. Most importantly, I am from the land of free and home of the brave. What more could I ask for?!

Update

I know that I haven't blogged lately. Lo siento mi amigos. Here is an update:

I have been in India for a little over 1 ½ months now, and yet it only seems like yesterday that I arrived. I am quite settled into living at Sangam. It's challenging because I don't work a normal set of hours usually. Most of the staff works about 12 hour days. Yes, there is that much to do here. I have been the last month finishing training and fine tuning my work plan. People keep asking me what exactly it is that I do here besides have fun. Well, I the first Marketing & Communications Intern for a UN affiliate. There is a lot of ground work to be done. I manage the website, handle the social media aspect of everything. I am responsible for new items for Yahdei (their shop) and I communicate between us and the World Bureau. It doesn't sound like much, but trust me it's a whole heck of a lot when you put everything down on paper.

This week is the first event of the Monsoon season. We have participants from Canada, USA, and Japan. It has been a very fun and interesting week. I did have a girl tell me that she was expecting the spaghetti to taste like it does in the States. I very flippantly told her “Welcome to India!” If you want American food, you are going to have to go the McDonald's and their menu is not the same like it is in the States.

I think the fun part is that I try to talk to the local staff in Hindi and they speak to me in their broken English. It is absolutely hilarious. Oh, I almost forgot I am famous in India. They had the Palki festival last week. It is where they walk Palki (he's a god) down the streets to the different temples. Aruna took us to the temple next door to Sangam, and we had the privilege of being in the temple with many others celebrating! I will have to upload the pictures of the thousands of people that lined the street. It was unreal! So, we sit down in the temple and no sooner than we do we are invited up front to where the band is. The band is sitting on the floor and women are playing small cymbals while dancing. They put the cymbals around my neck and showed me their dance. Everyone was very welcoming and happy that we were there as their guests. So, Starz TV was there and interviewed us for the new report on the festival. Not only am I on a billboard in Taiwan, but now I am on the TV in India. I am one lucky girl!!

So the internet is down again. It happens quite often, and the generator has been on the majority of the afternoon.

Today is a new day. I have been sick for the past couple of days. I will say that being sick while the power is out and the generator not on is rather unpleasant. My complaint for the day is that I seriously wonder what people think about coming to India prior to actually coming over here. All I have to say is yes India is generally a 2^nd world country. If you were to see across the street that I live on, you would see the 3^rd world aspect in full swing. I desperately wanted to tell a couple of people from 1^st world countries this morning to get over it. They were complaining that the pool wasn't open, and I totally understand their frustration, but I also see the flip side of the coin. This is what I desperately wanted to say:

“Honey child, if you want to swim in the green pool go for it! I really don't care. Yes, I do understand that that having the local staff clean it every morning will not solve the greeness, but you have to understand that if they don't do it, the HPM will chew them out and that is not worth it! I'm sorry that you're disappointed that we aren't the Ritz or the Hilton, but I believe that we told you this from the get go. On a bright note, you have about 48 hours left here. You'll be strong because frankly you don't have an option. Welcome to India!”

I can't believe that we are already in July! Man how time flies! Well, I desperately need to get back to work! Know that I love you all and miss you more than I do Blue Bell Ice Cream!!

Father's Day

First let me say Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Daddy! Second, let me apologize for not getting this up sooner. We have been without internet for a little bit and right now we have no electricity. “Welcome to India!” as my friend Gwen says.

I would like to start with one of my favorite stories about my father. I was in the sixth grade and at this particular time in the year we were making our school schedules for seventh grade. If you wanted to be in an AP/Advanced (AP) English class, you had to have your teacher endorse your schedule. I desperately wanted to be in Accelerated English. I loved reading and the English language. My sixth grade Language teacher refused to sign off on my Accelerated English choice because to her I did not have the capacity to handle that particular class. (Side note- at my house the English language is taken very seriously. I do not talk the way I usually do when I am at home with my parents.) That afternoon, I got off the school bus feeling quite defeated. My parents asked me how my day was, and I proceeded to tell them all that had happened. That same week all the schools were having a “Parent's Night” where the parents could meet with the teachers and ask any questions. My mother was to go with my younger brothers because they attended the same elementary school. Daddy woke up early (another side note- my father has worked two jobs the majority of my life...any sleep that he was able to get was quite precious.) and took me to the middle school. My Dad was beyond exhaustion, and yet he got up early to take me to school. All of the teachers were in the gym. I had no idea what he was going to say or what was going to happen. He walked right up to my Language teacher, with me standing sheepishly behind him, and said “Hi. I'm Cliff Statum, Robyn's father.” My teacher in turn introduced herself. The next words that came out of my father's mouth shocked me, and he didn't even raise his voice. He said “Robyn will be in Accelerated English next year.” I thought my teacher was going to argue with my Dad. (mind you I know better than to do that :) Yet, she didn't. She said, “yes sir.” and signed off on my schedule. My father believed in me when my teacher did not. My father stood up for me when I could not stand up for myself. My father is my hero. Even now when I have professors that do not think that I am up to the task, I think of that night. Look where it has gotten me to...doing an internship in the middle of India.

Speaking of India, here is an update:

The last few weeks have been quite challenging. I've gone from people that know me and my personality to many that do not. I am slowly but surely learning not to talk nearly as much as I usually do. I am more apprehensive about becoming accustomed to the double standards that exist here in society. It is difficult coming from a world where we have inalienable rights to moving into a world where nothing was created equal. I am loving my time here the more I get to know the people that I serve.

So, I have been trying to learn all of the local staff''s names. There are 18 in total I do believe, but don't quote me. The ladies are welcoming and very friendly. We have maybe 5 or 6 male staff members. There is one that laughs all the time. His laughter is infectious! You can't help but smile when you are around him.

Life is good. I miss my friends and family. I am becoming accustomed to eating mostly vegetarian food. I did start last night off by walking in the street with some cows. I still jump and start running when goats get near. The other day I grabbed Amina and put her between me and the goat. All is well my friends. I hope that you are doing well. If you need any funny stories, just let me know!

Two Weeks Already?!?

Holy Toledo! I can't believe that I have been at Sangam for two weeks! Time has been flying by too quickly. First, let me apologize for not posting earlier. This week and part of next week I am in training with the volunteers. I haven't even had time to finish school work, which is about to be a problem if I don't structure my free time better. I usually use my free time to rest or to have a India Aaram.

We are officially in monsoon season. (FYI for everyone that works at ICON, every time I type season, I wind up typing sears, and then have to edit the word :) It has been raining just about non-stop since yesterday. Welcome to India!

The other day I went to Laxmi Road. It is in the very heart of Pune, population 3.5 million people. We visited a building that was built in the 1740's. Talk about being awe struck. For those who aren't aware, I love architecture. Don't worry, I am still in the process of uploading all my pictures to FB. It is a long a tedious process on my end.

Today we discussed advocacy and the importance of the three aspects of it. The three aspects are speak out, educate, and do (action). If you do not have all three then it's not advocacy. I was quite moved by the videos that the Nike Foundation produced. I highly suggest that when you have a moment go to www.girleffect.org. As Westerners we sometimes fail to remember that there are still quite a few countries that are still developing. I know that we can not always change the world, but what we can do is to make small decisions to help those around us. Those small decisions will add up over time and change many lives. There is so much more to life than just doing the daily grind. Let's get out of our comfort zone. “Have you done any good today?”

On a lighter note, a mouse was discovered under someone's bed. All I can say is that I am extremely grateful to report that it wasn't my bed it was under. I would have screamed by head off.....I know it's hard to imagine. My sister still tells me that I am not suppose to be afraid of anything.

I saw my first Hindi film last night (Bollywood). We went and saw Ready with Salman. Salman is a famous actor over here, and he is quite hot. No more need to be said other than I did laugh my head off, bought the soundtrack, and when the dvd comes out I will be buying that as well. The next film I want to see is Delhi Belly. I am not sure when it comes out, but I will see it when it does! I like the movie theaters over here. You have an option if you want to buy platinum, gold, or silver seating. You then get an assigned seat. It seriously makes going to the movies so much easier. Oh and there is plenty of leg room! Who can ask for more?

So my friends, I hope that this post finds you doing quite well and enjoying life as much as I am. Life is way too short to not be enjoying what is around us. Peace out till next time.

Second Rain

Second Rain

The second rain of the pre-monsoon season has hit Sangam. I have taken quite a few pictures which I will upload to my FB account. Gwen, Pria, Hayley, and I decided to get wet because the second rain of the season is cleaner than the first. The first has acid in it and it is not advisable to play in it. As we played in the rain, I was reminded of a time quite a few years ago when I also played in the rain.

I remember being a naive 19 year old moving across the country to work at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This was not my first time away from home, but it was not first move by myself. I think I made it to Arizona in like 1 ½ days. I was scared out of my mind. The first night there I cried my eyes out because that was the first time that I felt utterly alone. This was the day and age where cell phones were barely popular and totally not affordable. I could only call home when I had money on my calling card because my Dad had an aneurism over the collect call bill. I didn't know who I was. All I knew was that I was free. All the cares and responsibilities of home were gone. At the time I wanted to get residency in Arizona so I could attend ASU. Over time the homesickness subsided, but there were still occasions where I would give anything in the world to have the comforts of home. I was slowly coming to the realization that my dream to attend ASU would not work out after all. I remember praying about moving back home and trying desperately to make the right decision. Then one night I was walking from the employee dorms to El Tovar (the restaurant I worked at) when my prayers were finally answered. I was to move home! I went straight upstairs to my boss's office and gave my two weeks notice. I was so overwhelmed that I called home and asked my parents to help me move back home. I don't know where my Mom and Dad found the money, but they found enough to fly my Mom to Phoenix to drive back with me to Mississippi. I remember pacing anxiously in the Phoenix airport. When my Mom came out of the gate, we ran to each other ,cried and held one another. That was the day that I started calling my Mom, Momma and my Dad, Daddy. In the South to call your parents Momma and Daddy shows a great amount of love and respect. To this day at my ripe old age of 28, I still call my parents Momma and Daddy.

I guess to make the long story somewhat short is that we will fail at certain times in our lives, and it is okay! We are only human. If we were to succeed all the time, what would we learn? We would not have mistakes that we've made in the past help shape our future. If we do not know the bitter, we will not know the sweet. What I learned by living in Arizona, taught me that no matter what, we will make it through it all. I carried those same lessons learned with me when I moved to Taiwan and now living in India. Life is too short to be living in the past. Learn from life's lessons and move forward. There is sweet beauty all around us if we would only recognize it.

A Week Already?!

So yesterday marked a week of my being in India. I will say so far so good. I just have a small cold that I'm hoping goes away rather quickly. I am still getting use to the customs and it's not as easy as I thought it would be. I will give myself my own advice to “be strong.”

Yesterday was quite adventurous. A new volunteer arrived for the season as well as a guest. After lunch we were on a mission to find a pig. Now there is a great debate here at Sangam as to what a pig in India sounds like. Mina (she's from Pune) says that a pig goes eek, eek, eek while the rest of us say a pig goes oink, oink, oink. Before I go any further, yes I know that this is a chicken and egg argument, but then again I am in India so we can amuse ourselves with silly if not ridiculous missions. Moving right along, so after lunch I grabbed the video camera and the four of us set off to find the pigs on our way to the Big Bazzar (it's a grocery store.) Almost immediately, we found the pigs. The problem was that they were having their Indian siesta. We asked the pig owner if we could video the pigs. There was a little pig that was moving around, but as soon as we got close to it, it froze. I think the little pig was a bit on the shy side. So we said thank you and continued on our way to Big Bazzar. In Pune you have to go through security prior to going into the grocery store. I also had to check my backpack in with this lady outside. At the checkout stand they also put zip ties on your bags, and then they have to check your receipt when you exit. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. We when walked out of Big Bazzar it started raining quite a bit. After waiting like 10 mins, we decided to walk back in the rain. On our way back to Sangam, we ran into the pig that was taking a siesta earlier. Apparently, we scared the pig because it started to run away. So as of today the great debate about the pig noise is still unsolved. Trust me there is no way I could make this stuff up because I am not nearly that creative.

We also have a pool going as to when monsoon season is going to start. According to the local staff, monsoon season starts when the Pune Mirror tells us it's going to start. Don't worry I laughed as well, but they are dead serious. My vote is June 10^th. Since it rained a lot yesterday we were all afraid that the season has started. Luckily for us, the Pune Mirror tells us that we are in pre-monsoon season. The rain yesterday was unbelievable. I will have to take pictures the next time it rains and post them.

I should probably finish unpacking or doing homework for my online class. Maybe I can rearrange my room before I have to go to work at lunch. We will see how much energy I have after I finish my assignment. I am not really homesick because I haven't lived at home in years, but I am “homesick” for my friends. Just know that I miss you as much as you miss me. No worries, I will be back in October. I will say that if you want to send me gatorade, crystal light, or propel packets I am more than willing to accept them :) Just FYI if you send me anything put it in a bubble envelope and not a box. We don't get boxes very quickly. My address is below:

Robyn Statum

Sangam World Centre

Alandi Road

Yerawada
Pune 411 006
India

Peace out for today my friends.  

Memorial Day

I thought that I would start my blog off tonight with these lyrics:

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘ Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

I would like to take a moment from my usual blog to thank the past, present, and future military men and women who have given and will give their lives in order to keep my freedoms in tact. I do not care what your political affiliation is or where you stand on certain issues. Political feelings aside, we should always be grateful and respectful of our military. Yes our country is messed up, but at the end of the day we enjoy many freedoms that the majority of the world does not. I am free to choose how to live my life, what avenue to pursue in college, marry when I want to or not get married at all. I do not have to walk two steps behind a man, and I have the opportunity to further my education. Do you really know how many people in this world do not that those freedoms? I have the right to freedom of the press, speech, right to bare arms, religion, etc. all because brave men and women were and are willing to fight to keep them. Yes our country needs help, but we are a whole hell of a lot better off than ¾ of the world. So when you hate our country, remember what we do have instead of what we do not.

Today, I started my Memorial Day with the usual...a pancake breakfast. If I were at home, I would go to the church and celebrate with an early morning breakfast. Since I do not have the comforts of home here in India, I did the next best thing. I had a pancake breakfast at McDonald's before an early morning movie. The movies over here start a bit earlier than they do in the States. You also get assigned seats which is kind of nice. I didn't have to worry about moving down or make sure that enough seats were saved. Gwen and I did a double header today. We saw Kung Fu Panda 2 and The Hangover 2. Both were absolutely hilarious. Hangover 2 was a bit crude, but the other nice thing about watching movies in India is that they edit the movies. The nudity scenes were non-existent. I can appreciate that.

I had lunch at McDonald's as well. Other than that, today has been a bit boring in comparison to my first couple of days. The electricity keeps going off, and that is completely inconvenient because as usual it is still hotter than all get out! I feel like I need to shower at least 3 times in a day, and I don't because I feel like that's a waste of water. The streets are rather quiet tonight. It is almost as if a storm is brewing and we are heading into monsoon season a bit early. On a side note, on the way back to Sangam after the movies, the rickshaw past a herd of goats that were meandering in the street. I cannot tell you how happy I was that I was in the rickshaw and on the street. We even made him drop us off a little bit further just so I wouldn't have to worry about running into the goats again. Yes, I know crazy, but I really don't care at the moment! :) I will say that I am getting a little bit (and I mean a little bit) more comfortable walking in the middle of the road with traffic flying by me. I'm not entirely sure that I will ever get comfortable with walking in the middle of a highway to get from point A to point B.  

Day 3

Day 3

“ Just a Kiss on Your Lips in the Moonlight”

Well, I am more than half way through with day 3 living at the Sangam World Centre in Pune, India. I think my body is slowly but surely adjusting to the time difference. Yesterday morning I was awake at 4:30 am and this morning at 5:30. I am shooting for 6:30 tomorrow! I seriously have not been up this early since my early morning seminary days, and that was some time ago.

So, last night I went with my director and her husband to visit a local family. I have no clue how to spell their names, but that doesn't matter because they were some of the nicest people I have ever met. They made me feel at home in their country. We all went to Kaluni for dinner. I found out that if you are vegetarian you usually do not drink alcohol. If you are not a vegetarian, they naturally assume that you drink alcohol. Not sure where I fit in because I love my beef, but I don't drink alcohol. We had a good laugh about it. I also found out that Indian driving is very simple. All you have to remember is not to hit people, other vehicles, and the roaming animals in the road. Speaking of roaming animals, we past a herd of goats on the scooter ride last night. Now, I will have to tell you that I am absolutely petrified of goats. No, I am not kidding at all.....just ask my family. They can totally vouch for my crazy fear. :)

I am getting accustomed to the noises around Sangam. We have some freakin annoying birds that never, and I mean never shut up! Apparently, we have a weapons facility across the river at the back of our property. No big deal right? I usually just hear their bell per se (it sounds like a tornado siren) to signal shift changes. Well, today I hear all them testing bombs. I swear I felt like we were under attack. I was the only one freaking out....they just told me to be strong. It was pretty funny. I am not use to people telling me to be strong. It's usually the other way around.

My day starts off with breakfast at 8:30am and then we have morning tea at 11:00am. Lunch comes at 1pm followed by afternoon tea at 4:30pm. Right now the cooks do not prepare dinner so we go out on the town so to speak. I am beginning to enjoy these tea times. We don't usually have those in the States that I am aware of, but they are quite pleasant. Gwen and Priyanti read from the newspaper to each other. The funny part is that we read what's called the “Sexpert”. All I can say is AWKWARD! This first day I went to tea I was laughing so hard I was turning red. The questions are ridiculous, no seriously trust me. The one we read today asked if you can contract HIV by shaking someone's sweaty hand. I will not divulge what the other questions were. All I will say is that we call this time our “colorful conversation time.” We always have a good laugh. I have also been reading the local newspaper in the morning because it's in English. Kim Kardashian is in the paper! Really people?!? I swear her 15 mins of fame was up a long time ago.

The title of today's blog is because the other girls think that I should get an Indian boyfriend while I am over here. So tonight we are going out to find me one. I think it's hilarious! I am more concerned with taking pictures since I haven't than finding myself an Indian boyfriend. Don't worry I will not do anything too stupid! :)

I have found out that we have a movie theater in town and that Harry Potter will be here in July!!!! Sorry, but I kinda love Harry Potter movies.

I just returned from going out tonight. All I can say is that Pizza Hut was HEAVEN! Gwen and Pryanka took me out to tour the shopping district. We took a rishka which is a funny looking taxi.

The pic below is of a rishka..

So blogger is being stupid and won't upload my pic!

These things don't go very fast. It took forever to get from SGS Mall to Sangam. Well, I shouldn't complain because I made it back safe and sound.

We also went shopping at an imported grocery store. I spent $653 rupees. If I weren't so tired I would convert it for you. I do know that $20 USD is about $900 rupees. I won't tell you how little I got for that amount. I definitely wasn't comparison shopping like I usually do!

Tonight was awesome! I am glad that we went out and I was able to see more of the city. Oh I forgot to tell you the most exciting part of the day! There was a mouse in the toilet downstairs. I hate mice almost as much as goats. They are really just about tied in the freaking out Robyn factor. Oh and I now have my international phone # it's +91 9860152916 or you can hit me up on Skype. My Skype name is robyn.statum.   

First 24 Hours

First Day in India

It is hotter than a jalapeno’s.......well you get the general idea! So, I arrived in Pune, India at 4 am from a four hour drive from the Mumbai airport. Let me start today's post upon me arriving at the Mumbai airport. We were late leaving London, which was really no big deal to me because I didn't have a connection in Mumbai. Well about the time we were supposed to be landing in Mumbai, the flight attendant announced over the loud speaker that we were having to circle the city because there was a problem with the landing strip. She was trying her best to soothe over the even further delay, and all I could think “am I the only one who is freaking out that there is a problem with the landing strip?”

Well, we finally land and go through Customs. I had to wait 45 mins for my luggage. I was scared to death that they left my luggage in London. After picking up my luggage I go through two more security check points and head outside. As soon as I walk out, the humidity hits me like a brick. All I can think was “oh you know what” I am going to die. This is more humidity than when I lived in Taiwan. Now comes the hard part. I have to find a guy holding my name because he is the one that is suppose to drive me from Mumbai to Pune. When you come out of the Mumbai airport you walk out into a large square area outlined by barricades. People waiting for passengers are outside of the barricades. So, here I am looking at all these signs and I can't find my name. I am getting nervous because I don't see my name and all I can think about is what my brother Coleman said Monday night. He said “Robyn, don't be nice and start talking to people. There are crazy people over there, so only talk to people who know.” Well, I didn't know a soul but I finally found the guy holding my name on a piece of paper and I said “hey that's me!”

Now here comes the fun part. It is a four hour drive from Mumbai to Pune. I think the fastest the driver went was 90 km/h which I think that's like 55 mph. No wonder it took us four hours to get there. For those that know me, know that I have a lead foot. As we are driving along I notice that randomly these cars are pulled over to the side of the road. They don't have traffic cops like we do in the States. I was curious as to why they were on the side of the road. Well, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew was that we were pulling over to the side of the road. So here we are pulling over in the middle of nowhere and all I can think is what my other brother said. Then I realize that my driver had to relieve himself on the side of the road. I don't think that I could drive over here. We didn't stop for any red lights. The only thing we stopped for was speed bumps that were absolutely massive. Oh and they also drive on the side of the road. When I say “side of the road” for us that means the shoulder. I really thought I was going to die at quite a few times during the trip. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw all the traffic when I was in Beijing, but no India tops the cake on the driving.

Everyone is super nice at Sangam (this is where I will be living for the next 5 months). The food was been surprisingly delicious. Mind you they said that they were making not so spicy food at the moment for me. I walked to the ATM with a local from the center. It was a 5-10 min walk so no big deal right? WRONG! It was hotter than hell outside. As we were walking, these two guys were staring at us. When I asked if next time I should wave, the girl from the center said NO! She said that they like foreigners over here and that they would all folk to me if I were nice to them. She then told me the word for “no” in Hindi is “bas”. I guess I will be using bas quite a bit.

Apparently, the electricity here is not very reliable. I was informed that at random the city will turn off the electricity. Now this wouldn't be a big deal, but it is hotter than hell outside. Today it is suppose to get to 108f. Without electricity I can't even run the fans. So, after the journey to the ATM I was going to work on my online class, but it was too fricking hot. Instead I fell asleep and missed dinner. We were suppose to be going out to eat. I slept for the next 12 hours. Now is is 5:30 am Friday morning and I can't sleep. Oh well, at least I am on their time schedule. I am just happy that I made it through my first 24 hours safe and sound. I was able to get Skype working and I talked to my Mom and sister. Don't worry I will try and upload some pics today. :)

Peace out friends!

Leaving the States

Leaving the States

**Sorry this is so long. Airports over here don't believe in free wi-fi. I am such a spoiled American!**

Wow! It has been a day to say the least. I started off the day waking up to someone trying to wake me up prior to my alarm signaling my wake-up call at least an hour early. When my alarm did go off, me in my normal fashion , hit the snooze button. I was only able to hit it once because the person who tried to wake me up prior to my alarm was now staring at me waiting for me to rise and shine. Needless to say, I got my happy self off the couch (where I have been sleeping since Friday) to start my day.

I made it to the airport and decided to upgrade my flight from Chicago to London to what they call now “Economy Plus” which basically means I pay for 5 more inches of leg room. I thought it was worth it. All the other times I have flown out of the country, I have do so much skinner as all the passengers were packed into a sardine can.

I will say that as I boarded the plane in Salt Lake to head to Chicago that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know this is me telling you this and according to my sister I am not suppose to be afraid of anything, but I was feeling a bit nervous. Luckily for me a good friend called me literally as I was walking onto the plane. The conversation only lasted 5 minutes or so, but that conversation put my mind at rest. Thank you dear friend of mine that called me this morning.

My flight was about 10 minutes late getting into Chicago. I was quite nervous because I have never been to the Chicago airport and I only had 50 minutes before my flight for London left. I hit the ground power walking to find my next terminal. The flight attendant stated that to get to Terminal C all you had to do was go to your right as you excited the gate and look for the escalator. I swear I walked a good mile until the escalator that was mentioned appeared. I made it to the gate and they were already boarding rows 60-66. They had 2 lines and I had no idea what line I should have myself in, so in true Southern fashion I asked some strangers sitting at the gate also waiting to board. They informed me what the two lines were and then asked what my ticket said. I said I have no idea all I know is that I am on row 19. Then the old bat looking at me snicked. Why? Yo no se! So I politely said thank you (and “bless your heart” in my head!) I will never understand some people. Seriously, BLESS THEIR HEART!

I am now flying over somewhere in Canada. I should arrive in London tomorrow morning around 5:30 am. I should really be sleeping right now in order to get my clock on local time, but I do not see that happening anytime soon. I even took my contacts out which usually knocks me straight out, but alas it hasn't worked this time, and I forgot my sleeping pills. Oh well, who needs sleep anyway right?

I just finished watching the movie Company Men. I did not think it would be at all what it was about. Now they are playing Country Strong, but I know how the movie ends, so I more than likely won't watch it. Life is too hard the majority of the time, and I need an escape from time to time. That's why I love reading or discovering something/anything new. I think that if I am going to stay awake that I should do my homework for my online class that is due on Saturday. Hopefully, if I get it done by the time I land in London, I can go ahead submit it and take my first exam all before I leave for Mumbai. Scratch that....they just turned off the lights. Maybe I will go to sleep after all, but before I do that I need to give a shout out to Erica because your song just came on my ipod so I will enjoy before I bid Good Night London time as I fly over Canada. :) I will further update when I wake up in a bit.

Well, I didn't sleep a wink. The lady next to me tried to snuggle up with me. All I can say is EXCUSE me but unless you are my “future husband” and/or a really HOT guy I don't want you invading my bubble. Enough said. The best part was landing as the sun was rising in London. I had to take a 20 min bus ride from where I landed to my connecting gate. All I can say is that I can totally see myself living here.

When I went through their version of security I then went to get my ticket and for the love of six bits they couldn't find me in their system. I about died. All I could think about was Tom Hanks in “The Terminal”. Not really my way of wanting to spend my time in London. Luckily for everyone involved, they found my e-ticket. Now I am just worried about my luggage. They told me that I didn't have to pick it up and re-check it, but the chick who gave me my ticket said that they would pull my luggage once I checked into the gate. I am silently yet fervently praying that my luggage gets on that plane. I am now boarding the plane to Mumbai, India. I am soo stinking happy that they have US outlets on the plane in order for me to charge my new netbook. I am also really hoping that my row isn't completely filled. It didn't look as if the flight was completely booked when I boarded the plane. Hopefully on this flight I can get some much needed rest.

The only exciting part of waiting to board the plane is that there is a guy who talks super fast and I am not sure what language he is speaking. He was bugging some European teenagers. They just ignored him. The guy was acting a bit strange. The worrisome part is that he is on my flight. Back in the States, I would like to think that TSA would be all over him. I think it just became my lucky day my friends.....the flight attendant just moved the one person sitting next to me further up in the cabin and now I have the whole row to myself!!!!! I have never in all my abroad travel have had a whole row to myself. I remember when I flew to China back in 04' that the plane was utterly and completely packed. I mean you couldn't move it was so packed. The bright side was that I slept the whole 16 hours over there and the 14 hours back. Same story for when I went to Taiwan and Ireland. All I can say is WOW!

Well, I have just had a fabulous nap. I think I slept for like may 4-5 hours. When I get to Mumbai, I still have a 4 hour car ride to the city of Pune. They just brought a dinner meal. I couldn't get past the smell of the spices. You know how Ben Stiller's character in “Along Came Polly” got super sick from eating I think it was Thai food. Yeah that was me tonight, so basically I didn't eat it. I got sick from the meal I ate from Chicago to London. I really think I've lost at least 5 pounds since leaving Salt Lake yesterday morning.

I haven't been able to reach my parents, so if anyone who reads this knows how to reach my parents, would you mind doing so? Their computer is in the shop and have zero internet access. Hopefully, I can actually finish my homework on this flight before I go to sleep. I really don't want to worry about getting it done when I get to Pune-my final destination.

Friends, I miss you like crazy. I am so happy that you are willing to take this journey with me through my blog. I am one extremely blessed lady.

PS- I just witnessed this lil old lady chew out the flight attendant. You had to be here!

Leaving the States

My Final Days in the States

Since this past Friday, I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off but what else is new?  Friday I officially moved out of the Castle House and it was bittersweet.  I love the Castle House, and my roommates have been absolutely AWESOME!  I could not have asked for better roommates for the past school year.

I've been in Salt Lake visiting with family and enjoying my the time I have been able to spend with them.  I found out Saturday that the fan on my laptop has bitten the dust.  I usually wouldn't care, but I am taking 2 online classes this summer, and a computer is necessary for me to graduate in December.  So, today I went to Best Buy and bought a netbook.  So far so good.  The only downside is that I keep remembering what programs I need to download before I take off in the morning.  It is also taking me a bit longer to type because I am soo not use to a much smaller keyboard, but I am happy that I was able to get everything together prior to leaving.

This morning I awoke to a call from PB.  Man, I love that woman.  She values honesty and is not afraid to hear an opinion.  I love it!!  I know quite a few people who don't care for her, but that's their problem.  She has always treated me with respect and has never once belittled me.  I have valued my past 3 1/2 years working for her.  I have enjoyed working with her.  She constantly amazes me.

It seems lately that just about everyday I am reminded of how grateful I am for my parents.  They taught me right from wrong and raised me in the Gospel.  They have been patient and loving when I make poor decisions and trust me those happen more often than not.  I can proudly say that at my age (which I will not mention my exact age) that I have a very good relationship with both my parents.  They are my dearest friends, and yet they do not forget that at the end of the day I am their baby girl.  The one that wasn't suppose to make it due to a rare genetic lung defect.  My parents help keep me not only sane but grounded as well.

Later this afternoon, I was reminded at how lucky I am to have the sister that I have.  I know that she is not perfect....shoot I am definitely not even close to being perfect.  Sunshine is a good kid.  Yes, I will most certainly worry about her while I am in India (that is what big sisters do!).  I am soo happy that she is not mixed up in stuff that I see others her age do.  The Lord could not have blessed me with a better sister.

I was able to speak to two of my three brothers.  They gave me their over protective brotherly advice.  I will say that it warmed my heart.  Both of these brothers are married and have families of their own to worry about, but they take the time to call their sister to warn about all the dangers that lurk aboard.  I have three of the best brothers in world.

So, I think that I am packed.  I might repack a bag or so.  I am afraid that one might be a little over the weight limit.  I hate weight limits when it comes to packing for overseas trips.  I am worried that the one bag will be over weight so instead of weighing it, I am writing this blog per my good friend's request.  :)

I really hope that I haven't forgotten anything.  I'm sure that I have knowing me.  Don't worry I will keep you updated as I travel tomorrow via Facebook.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this endeavor.
Thank you to everyone who no matter what supports me.
Thank you to my cousins who have graciously entertained me the last few days.
Thank you to my Mom who has always taught me to dream big.
Thank you to my roommates who are now dealing with "Frank" with great courage.
Thank you to my USU professors who are so willing to work with me till I get back in October.  I LOVE USU!

It's getting late.....I better go weigh that darn bag.....peace out till tomorrow my friends!

Packing and Oh Soo Much More

I just had a little panic/anxiety moment.....I thought today was Wednesday and not Tuesday!  I guess that is what happens when you no longer go to work or school-the days just blend together.  I found out today that my VISA application was accepted, and now my passport is on its return journey to me!  Now I can buy my ticket to Mumbai!

I will have to admit packing is not my strong suite.  Let me clarify, I am quite good at packing and making sure everything fits, but I am totally lacking motivation to pack.  I will have to give a shout out to Angie for forcing me to go to Smith's to pick up free boxes.:)  Yesterday, I spent the day with my BFF Kelli.  I am excited for this new adventure and at the same time I am sadden to be leaving my friends, family, and the Castle House.

On a bright note, I was able to turn in my grad packet to the registrar's office.  Now all I have to do is to make sure I register for my internship credits!  I was absolutely giddy yesterday with excitement!

I will have to say again that I am extremely blessed!  I have wonderful friends, and I am forever thankful for their love and support.  My family continues to amaze me with their encouragement and love.

Packing is calling my name.  No worries, I will catch ya'll as soon as I am done!

Final Week in Logan

Wow!  I am still in shock about this amazing opportunity that I have been given.  Yesterday was my last day at work.  It was bittersweet.  Everyone who truly knows me knows how much I did not care for my job.  I'm definitely not going to miss the job, but I am most definitely going to miss all my co-workers who over time I now call my friends.  They saw me more than my roommates!  All of them will be missed.

Today, I slept in and then decided to go shopping for incidentals that I will need for my journey.  All I can say is how grateful I am for the coupons Kortnie printed off for me!  They saved my life.  I still spent a good bit of mola, but esta bien.  Now all I need to do is to start packing.  I keep dragging my feet.  I have loved every minute living in the Castle House.  It's not just a place that I live in; it's my home.

All I have to say is that I am one very blessed woman.  I have two loving parents who support my crazy whims (like taking an internship in India).  I have three amazing brothers who don't understand my gypsy ways, but are loving and encouraging all the same.  I have the most wonderful younger sister who lights up my life.  She keeps me laughing.  I can't forget Q-Tip-my dog.  She is my most loyal companion.  Without all of this I would be one lost woman roaming the world.  My family is the best!  I know that we are not perfect and that is totally ok because at the end of the day all the nonsense doesn't matter.  We are an eternal family and I couldn't ask for anything more than that.

My friends have been my rock while I have been living in Logan.  Their enthusiasm for my next adventure astounds me.  I think that they are more excited than I am about moving to India for the next 5-5 1/2 months. I will miss the daily chats, but that is why man has created Skype!

The good Lord has blessed me tremendously and without His help I would not be where I am at today!