A full week

Another full week of learning to love this new city. During training week, one of the sessions briefed us on the inevitable stages of Culture Shock. I think it is safe to say I'm right on track, still in the "honeymoon" phase when everything is new and different--meaning exciting and good. This morning I paid a few rupees for a lovely-scented flower for my hair and now I sit at my desk (already quite messy!) scanning my to-do list (already quite long!), distracted by the traffic and pedestrians competing for the street below.

It has been just over a week since I began working here at IJM, and I have already gotten a better understanding of our bonded labour slavery casework--the desperate circumstances which require a victim to take out a "loan" which they will never be able to pay back; the exhaustive and intensive investigations process; the dedicated aftercare and education required to empower newly freed individuals; the persistence and excellence of the legal team bringing the case to trial despite many obstacles and much time.

I hope to find a few quiet mintues (quiet of course being a relative term here) sometime this weekend to reflect on some of the challenging aspects of both the work and the culture I've observed and share more about the wonderful people I'm working with and learning so much from.

This weekend I venture to Bangalore for a co-worker's wedding. After witnessing several now-married friends agonize over guest lists, I laughed out loud when I heard weddings here are different, with thousands attending normal weddings! Literally, after our first conversation, he invited me to the wedding and brought me an invitation the next day. It seems the people are both hospitable and celebratory, wanting as many people to join in their happiness as posible. Plus, I'm excited to wear a sari! More to come...

Quick weekend update

To get the weekend started off right, BOTH bags arrived safely and completely. My only regret is that there was no tracking device in either; I would love to see where in the world my luggage traveled (I know it was at some point in London then Australia, finally arriving on Singapore airlines)!

Friday night I attended a traveling circus with new friends from the office. I'm not sure what was more of a spectacle--watching the ancient elephants playing "doctor"to one another or FIVE of us piling into an auto rickshaw after the show.

The elephant performed some old-school tricks, like standing on a stool.

For the sake of the trapeze artists, I hope the ropes in the tent were NOT old-school.

New friends.

Saturday morning I ventured out to explore my neighborhood and stumbled upon Cotton Alley, a wonderful street lined with vendors selling textiles and fabulous fabrics. After meeting up with a couple girls to grocery shop, we enjoyed a delicious meal with the rest of the interns. After church on Sunday, one of the American couples who work here drove me and the other "new guy" an hour and a half to "Ideal Beach," a very resort-y spot, perfect for some R&R. We finished off our evening at a dance festival in a nearby town, marveling at the rhythmic dance movements and accompanying musicians.

And you thought motorcycles were dangerous...try an auto-rickshaw!

Hindu temples are everywhere, tucked in between office buildings, apartment complexes and

 restuarants. They are usually fairly small, sometimes not room for more than the statue inside.

There is actually a large Christian population here, about 8%

 (relative to the rest of South Asia)

Cotton Alley.  Get ready to barter.

And for those of you missing my face,

here it is (sort of) searching for a flat.

Whew! What a weekend. As I begin my internship this week, I look forward to sharing more about IJM's unique vision and hard work here in South Asia.

Look every which way when crossing the street

I just walked down the street--literally--to buy some shoes and dinner.  My first solo jaunt; confidence is key.  Especially when it comes to crossing the street.  Here's why I bring it up: there aren't sidewalks or medians for that matter.  Pedestrians definitely don't have the right of way.  You want to walk against traffic so you can get out of the way.  This traffic is made up mostly of auto-rickshaws, motorbikes and trucks of various sizes, weaving in and around and basically on top of each other--favoring their horns over their brakes.  And when you want to cross the street to get some delicious naan (yeast-less flatbread) and bland veg. noodles (a safe bet for the still-adjusting stomach), you just enter the madness horizontally.  Choose a time when the motorcycles are somewhat staggered--then dash to the single, faded line suggesting a divide in the traffic's direction.  It is a good idea to always look ahead; if you glance back at the traffic whizzing past your backside as well as right in front of your face, you might freak out.  Needless to say, I just conquered crossing rush hour traffic and I'm feeling practically native.

My first day of work was spent in various orientation sessions, meeting with staff from each department and getting a preview of the work I will soon be a part of.  The staff and ex-pats are welcoming and wonderful; I am eager to learn from these colleagues full of fascinating stories and inspiring experiences.  

Another highlight of the day included my first visit to look at an apartment, accompanied by a fellow intern and a new friend on staff.  Our visit with the broker illuminated the potentially difficult process of finding housing and confirmed the need to see what "fully furnished" actually means.  My South Asian friend is going to take me out again tomorrow to look at a few more options, an exciting adventure awaits to be sure.  In other potentially good news, I spoke with a woman at the airport earlier today and our bags are supposed to fly in sometime tonight.  Fingers crossed.

Now I'm off to bed, trying still to beat this jet lag...and eager to get to the beginning of another day.

The adventure(s) begin

The adventure(s) have officially begun! I arrived in South Asia early this morning, after one cancelled flight, a subsequent layover in Doha (I was not sure where or what this oil-rich city on the Persian Gulf was until asking a fellow passenger 5 minutes before boarding the plane--that got a laugh), filing claims for two checked bags (still missing) and a lovely ride from the airport escorted by three co-workers through the narrow, noises streets of my new home.

As I battled adrenaline, jet lag and the early morning light creeping through the blinds in my temporary room, my mind raced, replaying the few sights and sounds I'd already experienced and anticipated all I would see and hear today. On top of that, I was trying to figure out what time it was back in DC, where I'd reluctantly left a very big moment in history. Thanks to the world wide web, I'll get my hands on a transcript of the Inaugural speech soon enough--nice reading material as I digest my first South Asian meal (a big bowl of rice with 8 or 10 different sauces to mix in--some were delicious, others, not so much).

Work begins tomorrow. For now, I attempt to rest. Difficult, because even in the 4 minute walk to the corner store to buy shampoo I have witnessed chaos (crossing the street--YIKES--it's like chicken, the game you were never supposed to play as a little kid), beauty (so much color!), brokenness (a frail man asleep in the middle of the sidewalk, undisturbed by the sandals and barefeet stepping over him), and hospitality (the friends who came to the airport at 3:30 am and stayed until 5, or those who helped me navigate the menu for my first authentic meal).

Already my mind is ripe for reflection and my heart is thankful to be here.