Last week, I received an e-mail containing the specifics of my upcoming volunteer placement in the Northern Indian village of Bir. The first thing that struck me was the emphasis placed on the fact that I would be in a home with a Western-style, FLUSHING toilet. This fell under the most pertinent information category, which concerned me. What must the volunteer organization think of us pathetic, privileged foreigners going there to volunteer? That we would expect a flushing toilet? I've seen Slumdog Millionaire. I know people squat over holes in the ground in other parts of the world. The most crucial item in my bag is a multitude of toilet paper rolls (that are not typically used by Indians), so I was basically planning on roughing it hygienically. I kind of figured the part about being provided three meals a day would have been a bit higher on the priority list. Or, the bit about being in walking distance of a healthcare facility. In my world, these all top "flushing toilet."
Aside from the flushing toilet news, I also discovered that I will be at one of two projects: either teaching 13 children under age 3, or 17 children between the ages of 4 and 6. Wow. This will take my babysitting experience to a whole new level. Plus, in the evenings, I can help teach English to monks. Not sure that it will be my forte, but hey, I'll take a stab at it. I am open to anything at this point, que sera sera! Staying in Bir will be a grounding experience for sure as it is such a tiny, off-the-beaten-path village in Northern India. I also hope to find it a welcome contrast after sightseeing in Delhi, a chaotic city of people crammed together.
As anyone who is even slightly acquainted with me knows, I have this everlasting, passionate love and obsession with Indian food. It is so intense a love that after my last bite of an Indian dish, I instantly crave another. I think I may actually die and go to Heaven with my first bite of authentic Indian food while on authentic Indian soil (well, probably concrete since my first bite will be in a city). That would make for an interesting obituary at least. Another possible event that will cause me to die and go to Heaven is practicing yoga in India. Definitely a huge check mark on the bucket list. Only one week to go!
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| My number one priority while traveling |
As anyone who is even slightly acquainted with me knows, I have this everlasting, passionate love and obsession with Indian food. It is so intense a love that after my last bite of an Indian dish, I instantly crave another. I think I may actually die and go to Heaven with my first bite of authentic Indian food while on authentic Indian soil (well, probably concrete since my first bite will be in a city). That would make for an interesting obituary at least. Another possible event that will cause me to die and go to Heaven is practicing yoga in India. Definitely a huge check mark on the bucket list. Only one week to go!
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