First Impression

       Wow, I'm on the other side of the planet! What a journey. The flights (Den- NY-Paris-Delhi) are now all a blur. I landed in Delhi at 1030 at night along with two other girls. After clearing customs and getting my baggage I was greeted by a driver from IVHQ holding a sign with my name. We waited for the two other girls and then he ushered us into a little car but somehow managed to fit all three of us and our giant suitcases. After an hour ride through the dark where I glanced cows eating trash, dogs running in the streets, people sleeping outside, and a few military stops, we pulled up in front of the hostel. It was locked so we waited outside for twenty minutes for someone to come unlock it. He immediately ushered the three of us into a room outside the house, turned on the light, and walked away. We all stood in the doorway for a moment because the room is tiny, with three twin beds pushed together to make one big bed. Not knowing what town we're in, if there were other volunteers here, or anything about what was going to happen, we chatted for a while but neither one of us was able to sleep much. The heat and lack of AC didn't help with that either......
     This morning, we got up and moseyed into the house where we were all relieved to see 15 other volunteers eating breakfast. Breakfast was a piece of naan and a little cup of chai. No coffee anywhere. It's alright though, I've been meaning to kick that Starbucks tripple shot latte a day habit of mine anyway....
     Shortly after breakfast, our volunteer coordinator came for our orientation. In fact, this whole week I'm in Delhi for orientation and sightseeing. My actual project doesn't start until a week from today (Monday). After my week in Delhi, I will go to Dharamsala, a little town in the Himalayan mountains where the Dalai Lama is in exile, to volunteer in an orphanage. I will be staying with a host family and the weather won't be so hot so needless to say, I'm already eager to get to Dharamsala.
    After orientation, lunch, and Hindi class, myself and most of the other volunteers headed to Delhi. Some of the girls arrived a day or two before me and I was impressed with how well they used the public transportation. So not my area of expertise... So here is how you get to Delhi from whatever town I happen to be in: Five girls pile into one rickshaw in which you have no choice but to put your life in the hands of a stranger as there seem to be no traffic laws here, buy a metro token where the cute old Indian man laughs at your pronunciation of your bus stop, take two metros, arrive in Delhi.
     My first impression of India from what I've observed so far is nothing short of overwhelming. Where we are staying, my volunteer group is the only group of "westerners" that I've seen. So, when there is a group of ten of us out on the street, there are a lot of stares. However, no one harasses or says anything. It's nice, and I can't say the same for many of the Colorado bars that I've been too... This part of the country clearly has way too many people for the resources it has to offer. I saw rows upon rows almost every mile of communities made of tarps or propped up aluminum. Children beg for money with a look of desperation in their eyes that I've never seen in the US. The entire city and metro area is covered in garbage. People clog every inch of the city. There appears to be nowhere but one's home where a person can simply "take a moment." I'm really appreciating my country right now.
     The outdoor markets in Delhi were quite the experience. Being in crowds of people from an entirely different culture is enough to take in let alone the exotic foods and random items sold on the side of the street. I wonder how the women here stay so beautifully put together. Their silk doesn't look wrinkled from humidity, their hair isn't frizzy, their makeup isn't smeared, and their "perfumey" scents are my favorite thing about this place. The women wear perfumes of exotic spices, more savory blends than I'm used to and I think it's lovely. Meanwhile, I didn't bother to wear make up because I knew the heat would melt it off my face, my hair is a wreck, and my clothes are wrinkled from the humid rickshaw ride. Perhaps I'll ask one of those lovely women what their secret is tomorrow....
    Though hot and crowded, the people in this city seem to be pretty peaceful. I didn't hear anyone yelling at anyone else (lots of car horn honking though!) or any disrespect of anything or anyone. I like it. I'm tired and hot but I can't help but look around and say to myself "thank you, thank you, thank you," for so many reasons..........