Finally!
I don't even know where to start. I was able to negotiate the New Delhi Railway Station at 6:00 a.m. this morning and boarded my train without much trouble. I rode first class AC and I think it might have spoiled me for future train rides in India. I was expecting something completely different, so I made sure to pick up some potato stuffed fried thing called a pakora, and filled my thermos with chai. I know, how cool is that? Anyway, I boarded my train and was immediately served more chai, breakfast and lunch. Oh, and I was given a news paper to read during the ride. The air conditioning was such a nice change from the Delhi heat.
Now I am in Jaipur and I am amazed, and my spirits are very, very high. I checked in to my guesthouse at about 11:30, took a walk, and came back for a short nap. I had dinner with the volunteer coordinator, Mr. Vinod, at this awesome restaurant. If I had my camera I would have taken a picture of my amazing feast. I am so, so, so stuffed!
Oh! And I have some amazing news. A while back I emailed Mr. Vinod and asked him what my final price would be for ten weeks at my program. I mentioned that I was on a very tight budget and wanted to know the total cost before heading out. As a volunteer, I knew I would have to pay for my room and board, and make a contribution to the organization that is offering me the privilege of volunteering. On the website, the cost for 10 weeks is just over USD $1000 . Mr. Vinod wrote back that it would be less than was listed on the website since I am staying for so long, and not working as an English teacher.
So, what is the opposite of getting ripped off? The last few days I have had to constantly bargain for everything, and always keep an eye out for scams. Mr. Vinod sat me down in the guest house lobby and broke down what I will need to pay to his organization and my host organization. Just a side note - Mr. Vinod and his organization simply acts as the coordinator, lining up international volunteers with organizations in India looking for help. He explained that since I was on a budget, he found a community development organization that would house me and feed me for 10 weeks for only 5,000 rupees. Doing the math, that is about $107. I had to ask again if there are any additional fees or costs. He explained that the only other costs I will have to pay for would be personal expenses and touristy stuff.
What?!
I really don't know what to say.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
I am in India!
Hey guys!
Like the title says, I have arrived in India, safe, sound and happy. I finally had a chance to check my email and update you all.
Getting here was quite an adventure. First, my bus ride to Chicago flew by without me even noticing. From there, I made my way to O'Hare in record time and got on board my first flight without any problems. While on the flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, it seemed to be taking forever. But once I was enjoying my layover in Germany, it seemed like I had just left Chicago. Regarding the flight on Air India to Frankfurt, I have never been on much an active flight in all my years. There were so, so, so many children on board and everyone was getting out of their seats to walk around. There were also about 3 screaming babies withing three rows of me, but I had earplugs. So it didn't drive me crazy.
On the flight from Frankfurt to Delhi I accidentally slept. I actually wanted to sleep on my flight to Frankfurt and stay up on the flight into Delhi, but it didn't happen that way. I was so sleepy I was seeing double!
Once I arrived in Delhi I found an ATM and prepaid for a taxi. I gave the guy at the booth a map for my hotel, the Pallavi Palace, and paid roughly $5 for the ride. When I got in the taxi, the location the man at the booth had written on the slip was not the location I needed to go. Although the taxi driver used a map I printed from google to do his best to get me there, there was a point where he turned around in his seat, pointed to a closed road, and told me me quite simply, "No taxi. Rickshaw." I was then hustled out of the taxi and loaded onto a carriage pulled by a bicycle. I asked the price and the young man said 50 rupees.
I would like to interrupt my own story for a moment and thank Blogger for automatically saving my entries. The Internet cafe I am at just lost power and thanks to the auto save, I don't have to start from scratch!
Back to my story, the driver said 50rupees, I halfheartedly said ten. Although I knew 50 was a rip off, I just wanted to find my hotel, put my bags down, and get something to eat. I agreed to 50 rupees, hopped on the seat and we took off down the dodgiest street I have ever seen in my life. There is no way for me to accurately describe my surroundings. I had to hold on for dear life because of all the bricks in the road, bricks that had fallen from the surrounding dilapidated buildings. I wish I could have seen myself!
The rickshaw driver didn't know where to bring me. The young man was maybe 16 years old. Although I had a map, he seemed clueless. At some point in the adventure, he turned his head and said, "now 100 rupees." When we finally arrived at my hotel, the young man asked for 100 rupees. I said no, and handed him a 50 note. He argued in what I think was Hindi, and I argued back in English.
So that's the brief summary of how I got to my hotel from the airport. This morning I woke up at about 4:00 and stayed in my bed until 6:30. I got up, dressed and took a walk around New Delhi looking for food. I'm a little hesitant to eat any and everything just yet, so I ended up heading back to my hotel for breakfast. I ordered aloo gobi from room service, and the staff looked at me like I was a little crazy. I got the impression that aloo gobi is not breakfast food. I guess it's like walking into a Denny's and ordering a plate of spighetti at 7:30 a.m.
Now I am off to go shopping for clothes and a sim card for my phone. I'm a little nervous to leave the area around my hotel because it was so hard to find my way here last night. But I'm brave, so I'll do it.
Love!!!!
MCC
Like the title says, I have arrived in India, safe, sound and happy. I finally had a chance to check my email and update you all.
Getting here was quite an adventure. First, my bus ride to Chicago flew by without me even noticing. From there, I made my way to O'Hare in record time and got on board my first flight without any problems. While on the flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, it seemed to be taking forever. But once I was enjoying my layover in Germany, it seemed like I had just left Chicago. Regarding the flight on Air India to Frankfurt, I have never been on much an active flight in all my years. There were so, so, so many children on board and everyone was getting out of their seats to walk around. There were also about 3 screaming babies withing three rows of me, but I had earplugs. So it didn't drive me crazy.
On the flight from Frankfurt to Delhi I accidentally slept. I actually wanted to sleep on my flight to Frankfurt and stay up on the flight into Delhi, but it didn't happen that way. I was so sleepy I was seeing double!
Once I arrived in Delhi I found an ATM and prepaid for a taxi. I gave the guy at the booth a map for my hotel, the Pallavi Palace, and paid roughly $5 for the ride. When I got in the taxi, the location the man at the booth had written on the slip was not the location I needed to go. Although the taxi driver used a map I printed from google to do his best to get me there, there was a point where he turned around in his seat, pointed to a closed road, and told me me quite simply, "No taxi. Rickshaw." I was then hustled out of the taxi and loaded onto a carriage pulled by a bicycle. I asked the price and the young man said 50 rupees.
I would like to interrupt my own story for a moment and thank Blogger for automatically saving my entries. The Internet cafe I am at just lost power and thanks to the auto save, I don't have to start from scratch!
Back to my story, the driver said 50rupees, I halfheartedly said ten. Although I knew 50 was a rip off, I just wanted to find my hotel, put my bags down, and get something to eat. I agreed to 50 rupees, hopped on the seat and we took off down the dodgiest street I have ever seen in my life. There is no way for me to accurately describe my surroundings. I had to hold on for dear life because of all the bricks in the road, bricks that had fallen from the surrounding dilapidated buildings. I wish I could have seen myself!
The rickshaw driver didn't know where to bring me. The young man was maybe 16 years old. Although I had a map, he seemed clueless. At some point in the adventure, he turned his head and said, "now 100 rupees." When we finally arrived at my hotel, the young man asked for 100 rupees. I said no, and handed him a 50 note. He argued in what I think was Hindi, and I argued back in English.
So that's the brief summary of how I got to my hotel from the airport. This morning I woke up at about 4:00 and stayed in my bed until 6:30. I got up, dressed and took a walk around New Delhi looking for food. I'm a little hesitant to eat any and everything just yet, so I ended up heading back to my hotel for breakfast. I ordered aloo gobi from room service, and the staff looked at me like I was a little crazy. I got the impression that aloo gobi is not breakfast food. I guess it's like walking into a Denny's and ordering a plate of spighetti at 7:30 a.m.
Now I am off to go shopping for clothes and a sim card for my phone. I'm a little nervous to leave the area around my hotel because it was so hard to find my way here last night. But I'm brave, so I'll do it.
Love!!!!
MCC
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I Leave Tomorrow!
I'm trying to put together a blog entry, but it's not happening. I'll post a video sometime this evening or tomorrow. Videos are easier. Check the youtube link on the left. Infact, bookmark it on your browser.
:D
I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow.
:D
I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow.
Friday, May 14, 2010
My Mind is Somewhere Else
I have a little over a week until I am in India and I can't seem to think of anything else! I'm trying to stay focused at work and at home, but it's easier said than done. I can't even focus on this entry. I can't spell. I can't type. I can't alphabetize files at work. I eat cereal and forget to put the milk away. Things are getting bad. It isn't as if I am anxious because I feel unprepared. I am the Queen (yes, capitalized) when it comes to making lists and preparing for things like this. In all honesty, I've had one of my two bags packed for the last two weeks, and every night I unpack it and repack it making sure everything I have on my list is in the bag. Yes, every night. And yes, I'm that crazy.
I have decided not to check any bags. None of the clothes I own are appropriate; my modest clothing will make me too hot, and the clothes that will keep me from overheating are not at all modest. I have decided to pack next to no clothing and buy five salwar kameez outfits when I arrive. Aside from the clothing conundrum, another concern I have with not checking luggage is not being able to bring sun screen. I was told by a friend not to worry about bug repellent, and recommended a brand of cream to pick up when I arrive. But I've been told by many blogs and travel threads to bring sun screen. That advice makes me wonder, how could sunscreen be so hard to find in India? I'm betting it's not that hard. But just to be safe, I'm bring a small 3 0z. tube of SPF 30. Hopefully that will do until I find more.
Well folks, that's all the boring nonsense updates I'll give you for now.
MCC
I have decided not to check any bags. None of the clothes I own are appropriate; my modest clothing will make me too hot, and the clothes that will keep me from overheating are not at all modest. I have decided to pack next to no clothing and buy five salwar kameez outfits when I arrive. Aside from the clothing conundrum, another concern I have with not checking luggage is not being able to bring sun screen. I was told by a friend not to worry about bug repellent, and recommended a brand of cream to pick up when I arrive. But I've been told by many blogs and travel threads to bring sun screen. That advice makes me wonder, how could sunscreen be so hard to find in India? I'm betting it's not that hard. But just to be safe, I'm bring a small 3 0z. tube of SPF 30. Hopefully that will do until I find more.
Well folks, that's all the boring nonsense updates I'll give you for now.
MCC
Monday, May 10, 2010
It's Almost Here!
Hello my dears!
Last Thursday was like Christmas! I received my passport back from the Indian Consulate in Chicago and my new camera I ordered a few days earlier. The camera was a combined graduation gift/bribe from my mother. She wants some personal emails, not just public blog posts. Since the camera arrived while I was at work, I spent the majority of my day taking random pictures of my stapler and keyboard. I have to say, for a camera marketed as an advanced point and shoot it takes really nice photos. I like it lots! Thanks Mom!!
In an attempt to keep this whole Christmas thing going, I also purchased some special camera batteries from Amazon, and a used copy of Lonely Planet's India guidebook. I'm not sure whether I did it because I'm cheap or because I'm savvy. Either way, I intentionally opted for the book that was described as having lots of writing in it. I figured that chances are good that at least some of the writing may be helpful. If it's not helpful writing, it'll be useless writing. Helpful or useless, I've been buying used textbooks for years so I'm used to tattered, dog-eared, highlighted, scribbled in, and generally crappy books. And I saved, like, 20 bucks!
What I'm not excited about is the weight the book will add to my backpack. I'm resisting the urge to check luggage for this trip. Aside from the additional weight of my new book, I'm also worrying about bringing sunscreen. I have been told by numerous sources to bring a huge bottle of high SPF sunblock. But there isn't a way to bring that on a plane without checking my bag. I'm torn! I have two weeks to figure it out.
MCC
Last Thursday was like Christmas! I received my passport back from the Indian Consulate in Chicago and my new camera I ordered a few days earlier. The camera was a combined graduation gift/bribe from my mother. She wants some personal emails, not just public blog posts. Since the camera arrived while I was at work, I spent the majority of my day taking random pictures of my stapler and keyboard. I have to say, for a camera marketed as an advanced point and shoot it takes really nice photos. I like it lots! Thanks Mom!!
In an attempt to keep this whole Christmas thing going, I also purchased some special camera batteries from Amazon, and a used copy of Lonely Planet's India guidebook. I'm not sure whether I did it because I'm cheap or because I'm savvy. Either way, I intentionally opted for the book that was described as having lots of writing in it. I figured that chances are good that at least some of the writing may be helpful. If it's not helpful writing, it'll be useless writing. Helpful or useless, I've been buying used textbooks for years so I'm used to tattered, dog-eared, highlighted, scribbled in, and generally crappy books. And I saved, like, 20 bucks!
What I'm not excited about is the weight the book will add to my backpack. I'm resisting the urge to check luggage for this trip. Aside from the additional weight of my new book, I'm also worrying about bringing sunscreen. I have been told by numerous sources to bring a huge bottle of high SPF sunblock. But there isn't a way to bring that on a plane without checking my bag. I'm torn! I have two weeks to figure it out.
MCC
Saturday, May 1, 2010
My Anxiety Level at a Ten
I believe I'm quickly developing a list for what not to do when applying for a visa to India. At work yesterday I received a phone call from the Travisa office in Chicago, the company that handles the processing of Indian visas. The message told me there was a problem with my application, and they will need more information from me. My contact at the Volunteering India, Meena, told me to apply for a tourist visa and claim I'd be doing "social work" while in the country. I thought it was a little weird, but I assumed he knew what he was doing. So I claimed that instead of simply traveling around taking pictures, I'd be doing social work.
That was a horrible decision.
It turns out that volunteering in India requires me to apply for an entry visa, not a travel visa, and supply Travisa with a invitation letter stating what sort of work I'll be doing while volunteering. The letter must be a PDF file, must be on the organization's letter head, and must have a legible signature. This would all be fine and dandy if I didn't get the impression that this organization was too small to have access to this sort of technology. Although I've emailed past volunteers and know that I am working with a legitimate organization, I have the feeling this is completely one man show. It may even be just a lone guy at an internet cafe.
For the first time since planning this whole thing, I'm having doubts about it all coming together. I know it will, but the stress is overwhelming. If I had run into these problems six weeks before departing, I would feel better. But that's not the case. I have to be super-mega on top of this stuff to ensure I get the visa on time.
Wish me luck.
Best,
MCC
That was a horrible decision.
It turns out that volunteering in India requires me to apply for an entry visa, not a travel visa, and supply Travisa with a invitation letter stating what sort of work I'll be doing while volunteering. The letter must be a PDF file, must be on the organization's letter head, and must have a legible signature. This would all be fine and dandy if I didn't get the impression that this organization was too small to have access to this sort of technology. Although I've emailed past volunteers and know that I am working with a legitimate organization, I have the feeling this is completely one man show. It may even be just a lone guy at an internet cafe.
For the first time since planning this whole thing, I'm having doubts about it all coming together. I know it will, but the stress is overwhelming. If I had run into these problems six weeks before departing, I would feel better. But that's not the case. I have to be super-mega on top of this stuff to ensure I get the visa on time.
Wish me luck.
Best,
MCC
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