one week down, three to go

I spent an inappropriately long time trying to think of a title for this blog. Now I have spent an equally inappropriate amount of time trying to figure out what to write in my first blog entry. So much pressure!


But I am done drafting and redrafting. No more perfectionism from me or it will never get done. So with that said, please excuse my poor grammar, mispelled words (my new computer doesn't even have spell check!), and disconnected thoughts. This is just me.


The options were vast when I was looking for a country to go volunteer. Really, my only requirement was that I had not been there before and that I knew very little about the country. India certainly fit the bill. I've been here now a full week. It's had it's ups and downs but overall it's been good. I'm in the volunteer and travel program, so during the week I help teach at a school for street kids and then travel on prearranged trips on the weekend. This past weekend I went to Agra and saw the Taj Mahal, along with several other ancient palaces and mosques. I stay at the volunteer home in Jaipur (aka the pink city). Right now there are 10 other volunteers, but people are always coming and going so the number changes.


Apparently it's really difficult to upload pictures on this site, so here are three random ones. The one below is a fun picture of one of buildings at Fatehpur Sikri - The City of Victory.

This is the entrace to Agra Fort, near the Taj Mahal.

Rahul and Vishal

At the school there are about 20-30 kids, ages 4-12. In the mornings they walk to school from their houses, which are really nothing more than a few sticks holding up some tarps/fabric. "School" is in a little concrete building with two tiny rooms.The kids are split up according to their age and education level. It lasts about 3 hours, where we go over English and Math, with a little play time thrown in. So far, I have been kind of the extra person so I help out with both age groups. The kids are great, and pretty eager to learn. It makes me a little sad that this is the only education that they are getting. I usually end up helping with the kids that are a little further along than the others. With a real education there is no doubt they could go on to make something of there lives. Maybe they will despite the obstacles stacked against them. For the next 3 weeks I am their teacher. So while I'm here I will do my best to teach them as much as I can; and my new goal, to make it as fun for them as I can.


More to come later. But for now this will do.