Jaipur

I realized I haven't posted a picture of my homestay family. So, there it is. The picture was taken at the wedding a couple weeks ago.

Now that I am finally starting to get used to the city, I'm leaving. It's a crazy place, and I'm thankful I've survived crossing the chaotic streets. Just when there were times when I thought I was gonna be smashed by a rickshaw or scooter, some divine intervention kept me alive. I still gawk at the elephants, camels, and overloaded jeeps with people hanging off the top, and the side (completely true). Even entire families, with groceries, fit on scooters. Child safety seats are nonexistent here. Every type of vehicle and work animal is on the same road. The biggest or one with the least to lose always has the right of way.
Tonight, a group of us went to the second Bollywood movie in three days. The dancing in these movies is so cheesily amazing to watch! I pretty much have no idea what they are saying, but go for the pictures, music, and simosas. Here's a taste (from the Billu Barber movie):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVfX2-oem98
Me and Carly walked up the road to meet friends to go to the movie. They were easy to pick out because there were about six auto rickshaws, five bikes, and a guy with a horse surrounding them. It's quite a scene anytime we need transportation. The first price quoted is always outrageously high, and I've learned to counter with a ¼ of the price. After some haggling, and walking away, they always follow and accept the offer. We opted for the horse taxi- this was a first. The driver was trying to impress us by whipping the horse to go faster, then he tried to get me to hold the reins. Umm, that was uncomfortable. I realized the other day when Carly said, “What the F@#k” to something random, and then it occurred to me that we have those moments at least three times a day. The horse ride was one of those moments.
I'm so used to bargaining, that I'm nervous I'll try to do it with taxis back home. It would be nice to get a better deal on the cab ride home from the bar, then stop to haggle for that bean and cheese burrito from Taco Bell.
Ah, one more story: we got a call Saturday that the 'piercing walla' was at our friends house. 'Wallas' are guys that walk up and down streets and shout out what goods they have to sell. I've seen mostly veggie guys, and some guy selling snake oil. Me and Carly went over to our friends house, and there were already a few friends sitting, waiting to get pierced. I guess he's pretty well known in the neighborhood, and some of the girls were brave enough to try his skills out. I think I'm done piercing all I want to pierce, so I was a spectator. Carly got her third ear piercing, Carolynn got her nose done, and Maggie got her upper lip pierced. This guy was old school, and just had a needle he cleaned, then he bent the metal with a not-so-new looking pliers once the piercing was through the skin. It was a little hard to watch. Nobody has infections yet, so maybe he knows what he's doing. Maggie is in the picture below.

This is the last week of classes, and after Holi, we are off to the internship sites. Many students are staying in or around Jaipur.
The program I will be working with is seven hours south in Udaipur. The organization is called ASTHA (www.astha.org). They run training sessions (literacy and other issue-based courses) for rural women. Once these women are trained, they then go back to their villages to teach other women. They are basically 'paying forward' the empowerment techniques they've picked up to educate other women. I'm super excited about the opportunity and ready to get started. Hopefully my choppy Hindi won't be too big of a hindrance. Usually the best way to learn a language is to be immersed in it, and I should get some good practice.
Holi is going to be celebrated in Goa. I'm headed there with five others on Sunday, and staying until Thursday. This Hindu holiday is a celebration of spring, and has something else to do with the gods- but I don't really know much about that. It's pretty much a big party where paint is thrown all over. We plan to get some squirt guns and fill them when we're down there. Goa is on the southwestern coast, and is a big beach destination. I'm ready for some sand and sea, and can't wait to kick back for five days. Swimsuits and dresses are acceptable, so the atmosphere should be more comfortable. It's a great opportunity to practice some Bollywood dances. This could get interesting.

The picture below was taken in Rishikesh on the Ganges. These are the girls I'm headed to Goa with.