Go, go, go...

Week number 3 down and I'm not slowing down...

School...

I'm about to start my 4th week and I can't believe how time has flown by. Last week we had back to school and 11 out of my 14 parents showed up! The night wasn't much different from a back to school night at home... two sessions so parents could have the opportunity to meet multiple children's teachers. Refreshments... well that was a little different, yummy Indian food! THEN on Saturday there was a school picnic... oh my gosh, what a picnic! Huge tents set up, people dressed up in different Disney character costumes, food like you wouldn't believe, huge fields for the kids to play around on, the gym, pool, and roof top (yes roof top) tennis courts were open for different age group rotations. It was pretty impressive.

*The entrance

*Look at all those tables... they were filled with people!

Kamini, Anne, Ashley and myself serving drinks at the picnic :)

Social Life...

I continue to take my pilates class every Tuesday and Thursday. It is wonderfully relaxing, especially after leaving a stressful day of work and then sitting in traffic with all the car horns blowing.

This past weekend I went to Ideal Beach Resort. It's about an hour down the coast from where I live. It was wonderful there and so nice to escape the busy city. I spent the day on the beach lying in a hammock!

*THE BEACH!!!

*My Hammock

*Reading in the hammock

*The fisherman's boats just next to the resort.

I have also just begun doing some volunteer work at a local orphanage, The House of Hope. The orphanage is here in Chennai and homes children who were effected by the Tsunami. The children living in the House of Hope either had one or both of their parents die in the Tsunami. On Friday the group of us that are volunteering went to meet the children and have a small ice cream party with them. The children were so happy and polite, I'm very much looking forward to working with them. I will be going every Wednesday with Kate to do an art lesson with the children.

This week, some time, I'm off to see about getting a treadmill and turning my empty room into an exercise room. I'm itching to run and there aren't any safe areas, away from all of the traffic, around my flat or the school. Also looked into doing a race (possibly a half marathon) here in India... wow the reviews for the races were horrible. "Disorganized, not enough water, people and traffic in the way... During one race the person who won was disqualified for not following the official car even though the official car didn't go the correct route and the winning runner did!" So we shall see... maybe I'll take a weekend and do one up north where it's cooler and the races are supposed to be a little better organized. It would be cool to say I ran a half marathon in INDIA!