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!