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!!