finishing up

The taxi comes on Friday morning to take us back to Jaipur. Lately, days have been going by pretty quickly. However, it hasn't always been this way- especially when the power is out and I'm sweating buckets.
Tomorrow is my last day with Astha. I finished my process report yesterday, and gave it to the director. I was a little nervous, but I think it turned out well. These final two days, I'll be playing a lot of cards, and attempting to speaking Hinglish with the staff. Today, I tried to teach Sita the words, 'gnarly' 'rad' and 'oh, he's yummy'- all useful words, of course. Her pronouncation is entertaining for the both of us.
This internship has been a great experience, even if I could only understand half of what was going on. Astha does amazing work, and it's refreshing to see people who are so passionate about their work.
Classmates from Jaipur came into Udaipur this weekend. There were a total of 10, so doing activities in a group can get challenging. It was fun though- lots of sitting, eating, OhNo (Uno), and shopping. We also took two rickshaws up to the Monsoon Palace. It was a trick getting up there, and we had to stop twice for the rickshaws to rest so they didn't overheat. One of them had a sub in it, and we got to listen to the Spice Girls- classy. We sat up there until sundown. Here's some photos for your viewing pleasure:




This weekend, I attended a going-away party for a fellow NGO'er, Alvero (from Spain). It's been comforting to have people around that have similar experiences- and that also like to enjoy a cold brew:) Shiveta (on the left) is in the same program as me, then there's Alvero, and Fizzy (from London)


I've gotten pretty close with auntyji. We both are coffee drinkers, so we'll sit and drink and chat. Last night, she came into my room with a gift. It was a traditional Rajasthani dress/sari she had bought for me. It has a proper name, but I forgot. It's deep red, with gold accents- pretty flashy. It's really beautiful, and was unexpected. Then came the other surprise- I was supposed to wear it and go to the photography studio they own. Yep, I was very 'Indian' yesterday. I put it on (with some help), then attempted to put my hair up. I came out, and could clearly see they weren't finished with me. I had auntyji's red bangles put on my wrist, massive earrings and a necklace, and a head wrap thingy. Then they took me downstairs where two women stood over me and did my makeup. Ummm... I have never had so much makeup on in my life. seriously. I felt like a doll. I didn't want to move for fear of messing up the material or my face paint. Auntyji was getting a laugh out of my awkwardness. These photos will not be circulating, but the story was worth sharing.
Thailand is the next destination. We leave Tuesday night and fly to Bangkok, then grab a flight an hour later to Phuket. From there, we are beach hopping, spending about three nights in each place. The last night, we're staying in Bangkok. Protests have settled down there, but it is still recommended not to linger in the city. I'm fine with a little revolutionary activity, as long as I can get to and from the airport.
I will try to post one or two more times while I am here, but I'm not sure what my internet access will be like, or I might just be lazy and laying on the beach.
Less than three weeks, and I am back on Minnesota soil. Uffda.