Monsoon Stompin'

Good thing we brought rain boots with us to India... we didn't let the rains stop us today!

Best Week Ever!!

The beautiful lights downtown!!!

I canceled my tickets to Thailand and booked tickets home for the holidays!  I couldn't be happier!!!  The best part is I'll be getting home on my Mom's birthday and staying through Christmas!  The following day I'll be jet setting back to India to meet up with my BEST friend to travel through India for two fantastic weeks! 

This has been the BEST WEEK EVER!!!  That is until December 18th!

Maybe I'll even get to see a little of this beautiful white stuff!  It's been a while!

Stranded in Delhi Airport!!!

 

Photo of the Day

Some ceremony happening on our way home last night. It blocked our street to get home, it's always an adventure in India.

P.S. Life has definitely gotten in the way of blogging :)  Malaysia was amazing check out the photos here.  Lot's of upcoming trips and life in general coming up soon!!

"Dog Meets World" meets "House of Hope"

Me with the lovely House of Hope Children!

The House of Hope is an orphanage that was opened after the devastating Tsunami struck Asia in 2004.  So many were affected, losing their homes, families and lives.  These young children were survivors but unfortunately the same can not be said for some or all of their family members.  Most of the children have at least one surviving family member but they are unable to supply them with a proper home and education they need and deserve. The children stay at the House of Hope for most of the year, attend school and are doing very well. During Christmas, for a week at the end of September and for about a month in the Spring they return home to see their families. This week they had just returned from a week at home with their families, which for most of the children is about 3-4 hours south of Chennai.
 
Once a week I, along with a few other teachers from the American School, visit the children at the House of Hope to socialize and create art projects with them.  This week I took along Dog Meets World.  Dog Meets World is a photo project putting personal portraits into the hands of people around the world who would not otherwise have a picture of themselves.  A picture is such a powerful thing that many of us take for granted.  Taking a picture of yourself and especially having it printed to hold in your hands is such a rare, sometimes impossible task for many people around the world.  Dog Meets World sets out to put pictures into those peoples hands, giving them a permanent place in time.  As Carolyn says... "making anybody, a "Somebody"!"  Having just completed my first photography session for Dog Meets World I have been able to see what joy can be spread through such a small gesture.

These children are some of the sweetest, most appreciative children I have ever met, it will be hard to say goodbye to them in June, but for now I will continue to enjoy my time with them each week as we complete more art projects!  I will for sure be posting more art projects we complete so be sure to check back in and see some of the beautiful art work these children will create!

*If you are traveling and are interested in being a part of Dog Meets World please visit the website at http://www.dogmeetsworld.org/

    
 

*Check out the rest of the House of Hope children and more pictures from our picture art work HERE!

Photo of the Day

The wonderful fruit stand around the corner from my house!

Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Birthday Gandhi!!!

"Father" of India

*A few Gandhi quotes I like, to celebrate his birthday*

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”

“The law of love could be best understood and learned through little children”

   

"Snow" Day

Yesterday we were released from school at 1 o'clock thanks to a pending court verdict over a piece of land in Ayodhya, located in Northern India in Uttar Pradash, who's ownership was being disputed.  The dispute was between the Muslim's, who have a mosque built on the land, and the Hindu's, who believe there is a city buried underground where one of their most important deities, Rama, was born.

The pending court verdict had the potential to cause some intense religious riots throughout India, like this one in Mumbai in 1992.  Thankfully once the verdict was announced the public remained calm and there were no major violent outbreaks.  Definitely better safe than sorry!

The mosque found in Ayodhya.

 

 

The god, Rama.

Photo of the Day

Yes, those are chickens hanging from the motorcycle...

Procrastination...

The thing about living in India is that I can always find something to keep me busy and keep me from doing things I need to do like... report card comments, grad class work, school planning, etc.

The list of things keeping me from doing what I really should be doing includes... planning my trip to Malaysia in two weeks, planning my weekend trips for November, planning my trip to Thailand for a SCUBA course in December, finding accommodations for my December/January India trip with my best friend, and of course dinners with friends, EVERY night of the week!  See there are so many important things to do and finding time for all of them is very difficult.  That said I think it's about time I find some time to fit in my class work or I will find myself without a certification next year, jobless with no money to fund my travel addiction ;)

2 weeks and I will be here....

Mt. Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in SE Asia, we will, hopefully, climb to the top!

Sipiden Island... some of the best SCUBA diving, wish I was certified... DECEMBER!!

Kuala Lumpur, a very metropolitan city.  Excited for the shopping and food!!

Time flies...

Wow... I can't believe I have been back in India for 7 weeks now.  Since school started it has been non stop and I imagine that's how life will be for the next year, which is just fine with me, soaking in every moment I can get.  Here are some highlights from my first month and a half back in India!!!

*Anne's surprise b-day party!!

*Esala Perahera festival in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

*Bumped up to business class thanks to Laura's quick thinking!

*Varkala, India

*Varkala, India, a cliff side beach town on the SE coast in the state of Kerala.

*Varkala, picture perfect!

*The god Ganesh being carried to the Ocean.

*The beautiful children from the fisherman's village who will soon be featured on Dog Meets World.

*A day exploring and shopping in Mamalapurum with Laura :)

*Check out more photos from Sri Lanka and Varkala.