So.
. . . where to start? I could start with our flight mishap ( the one
that caused us to fly to India two days late), or I could start with
the welcoming surprise of our host families at the airport and the
days following after, or I could possibly list the details of our
Gateway and National Pre-Departure Orientations. Or, I could just write about my love of the Harry Potter series. But chronological
order is best, no?
Gateway
and National Pre-Departures:
I
guess I'll start with the preparations that got us here. Undoubtedly
you have heard of – or been to – the National Pre-Departure
Orientation. Lectures of relevance to the YES Abroad program and
studying abroad were given, and seemed to have formed a mix between
informative and fun. I personally enjoyed them ( though some did get
to be a little long) and felt very prepared at the end of the day.
After the National PDO took place,
India ( me!) and Thailand groups were whisked away to a hotel to
begin our Gateway Orientation. I can safely say that we all passed
with flying colors. With such small groups, it was very enjoyable and
close-knit. This is a shout-out to Zoe, who was THE best group leader
in the entire world! Zoe, you must have an old soul; you answered all
of our pressing questions in a relaxed, knowledgeable, wisdom-y way,
and we couldn't have asked for a better leader!
Flight Delay:(
Now, after that, we were supposed to
be flown away to our respective countries, but things didn't actually
turn out that way. Untimely weather caused our flight to be delayed
so we would miss our connection to Delhi, but rescue came in the form
of the most awesome customer service agent named Davis. We were with
him for TWO HOURS as we tried to reschedule our flight. Suffice to
say, we eventually were rerouted through Germany, but had to spend
the night in a hotel.
What followed were the longest
twenty-one hours of my entire life. A seven hour flight from Dullas
to Germany. A seven hour layover, where I ordered the famous German
sausage that starts with a B ( which I am two lazy to look up right
now. Bruatworst?). And upon which was followed by a seven hour flight
to Delhi. And upon that flight, I was asked at least three
times by my neighbor whether or not I had a boyfriend. After each
time I told him no, he asked why not. And I kept telling him I was
too busy to trifle with such things. And he kept asking me why not.
And so on. Eventually, however, I believe I got him to rethink the
American Stereotype: all teenagers have boy/girlfriends. I hadn't
even touched Indian soil and I was already helping to break down
stereotypes!
Host Family Meeting:
Initially, we had no idea what to
expect when we landed. We were two days late, and had been told that
there was a possibility that someone was to take us to our
Orientation. However, that was not the case. Imagine our surprise
then, when our host families met us as we exited the the airport! For
those of you worried about the awkwardness of meeting your host
families, who are scared that they might not like you, who are
worried about impressing them – don't be! My meeting with my host
family was simply amazing; we even joked and laughed. It helped that
Pranik was the chatterbox, always thinking of things to say when the
conversation died down. Your host family WANTS you to be there; they
want you to be comfortable. They want you to be a part of the family.
So of course they will want to like you, and (unless you give them
express reason not to )they will.
Life in Three Days:
So, I guess I have a unique situation
on my hand. Well, I'm not claiming I am very special ( because I'm
really not), but my host family is a bit different. Initially, I
believed that there were only three people in my host family: Pragya
( host mother), Pravin ( host father), and Pramay ( host brother). I
believed that because that was the only information I had received
from AFS! And when I say the only info, it was limited to their NAMES
and EMAILS! Just that! But it turns out I have a much larger family
welcoming me into their arms. In addition to the three above, I have
a younger host brother, a host uncle and a host aunt, and a host
grandfather. I also live in two places, a five minute walk from each
other.
At the moment, everything is very new
and very shiny. The food has been fabulous ( I especially like Roti,
a sort of homemade bread, and Paneer, a cottage cheese thing, please forgive the spellings), and
everyone has been super-duper nice to me. They always ask me if I am
okay, or offer me things to drink and eat. They are definitely trying to fatten me up!!
Anyway, all in all, everything has been fabulous. Well, the heat and humidity I could do without, but I'm learning to roll with the punches.
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. — Albus Dumbledore
