June 9th

Today was a great day! It started off well, I was able to sleep in until 8 AM - a first for me since arriving to India. I took a rickshaw to work with Gayatri. I learned that she is from a wealthy family and she wants to take me out with her friends. Once I got to work I finished paying for my cellphone and finalized the activation! The cost of a cellphone and service for my time here in India is about $ 50 USD (well worth it). I then went to the Front Office and was lead upstairs to the Royal Club and observed there for the entire day. The supervisor upstairs had lived in the US for 5 years and much enjoyed talking to me. We had a coffee talking about India and the US. I keep learning more Hindi, and I love doing so. I practice before I go to bed at night with Shiny. My general supervisor is mesmerized with me because I go to Cornell University. Literally, every day Mr. Ajit asks me what do I learn at Cornell, what does Cornell teach me that is so special, what would Cornell do in the situation, how does Cornell teach us these ideas? He even wants me to teach a lesson to the executives of the Hotel! After work Monpraid took me to the market by rickshaw. We had to go through the Slum featured in Slumdog Millionaire – the movie speaks the truth. Once at the Market we walked around and I bought a pair of shoes for me, one for Mom, a pair of slippers, two scarves, a tunic, and pants. I also got a sugarcane drink with lime, it was SO good. If I thought people stared at me at the Hotel, the market was 100 times worse. My Indian friends took me to the REAL Indian Market and I was the ONLY Caucasian. I learned how into horoscopes and signs here – it is almost a religion. Every time I meet someone they always ask me my birthday to see what sign I am. My friend, Manpreet, is from Northern India and in her religion she MUST wear certain stones, with certain metals, on certain parts of her body in order to protect her. I am going to buy some once we go to Southern Mumbai. The Indians in Northern India believe that you must, at all times, wear a single silver bangle on your right arm at all times. Hopefully, I am going to pick up some for my family and some green wooden beads that Indian Christians wear around their necks. One of the funniest observations I have made since being here in India is that the Indians do a sideways nod of their head for everything. Doing this basically means “yes” but also means “I understand” or “I agree.” It had taken me such a long time to figure this out! I truly believed that everyone was either crazy or telling me no!