This week was… seriously uneventful.  It was super productive, in that not having too much to do allowed me to catch up on a lot of notes and transcripts I had been neglecting, but that doesn’t make for the best of stories.  One thing we did do, however, was visit this fishing village to interview a few people, and I guess that was the moment I realized that we BYU students do actually live in a rather nice area.  This family we went to visit lived in a room.  Like, it was an apartment structure, but the ‘apartment’ was literally only one room.  The cookware was in the “back yard,” just a small area of concrete, and the bathroom was attached at the front of the home.  And this one room was big enough to hold a double bed.  That’s it.  The bed and room to walk from the front to the back of the house.  And I swear I saw four HUGE rats through the back door in the hour that we sat and talked with this family.  That is the one thing about the third world that I just cannot get over.  The bugs, I kill ‘em, or ignore them (that is the more common choice).  The squat toilet – I am a pro.  Showering with buckets, not a problem.  Mice?  Well, if I take a deep breath, I can let them be.  I just have to count to ten and remind myself that mice do not in fact eat people’s faces.  Rats?  Oh, heck no!  I hate them, Hate them, HATE THEM!!!  They are so SO gross.  Remind me to bring lots of Tupperware when I move to Nepal, because I am determined to have a rat-free home, even in Nepal!  One of the rats bit Dr. Krishnayya’s toe the other day.  And, heartless as this is, it was actually quite funny, because earlier that day Ashley had pointed the rat out to Nuckolls, and he’d been all ‘there is nothing you can do about them, but they are harmless.’  And it was THAT NIGHT that a rat bit Krishnayya’s toe.   He is fine, or it would not have been so funny, but seriously, they are worth fearing. Also, in this village, which smelled very bad, as it is a fishing village and so it’s all about dead fish up in that place, I saw a rat that had been run over by a rickshaw or motorcycle or something.  Gross!  Also, the women in this village were consumed by playing this game with broken bits of bangles, which was pretty crazy.  Our trash is the entertainment of these grown women.  Crazy!

Another thing we did this week was to have dinner with a member family that invited us over.  It was actually very nice.  I don’t know what more to even say about this, except that they made really good curry, and they had a dog which lived in the apartment with them.  That was kind of funny, just because there are so many strays here, and I have no idea where that dog goes out each day if it lives in an upper level apartment.  That is really all I have to say about that, but I just do not know why an Indian family would ever have a pet dog. 

Okay, seriously, that is all I’ve got to say this week.  Maybe I will add some pictures.  Maybe I will not.  So, yeah, that was India this week.  Hope all is well in the good old USA.  Love,

Emilee

A Sri Chakra

This little girl just happened to be beautiful, so that is why this picture is here...

This girl, Deeksha, became my BFF in Sri Sailaam

And this is her little sister, whose name is currently escaping me

Some old men reading the paper.  Do you see the one facing the wall.  This proves that old people are crazy in EVERY culture!

Sri Sailaam temple

Kalavahena being performed

Mani in the back (oh, I love this good and sweet woman so much!!!) and Padamaja in front.

These pots are all used to make rice at this cafeteria-style restaurant in Sri Sailaam 

More Kalavahena

This is the older woman who dedicated her week at Sri Sailaam to being a very protective mama bird!

This is the guy who proposed to me.  I really should get less picky...

A cool view.  Do you see those ledges.  Yep, I rode a bus over those roads, all the way down.  There were only a handful of near-death experiences along the way...

This is the second largest dam in Asia, so that is pretty cool.  Mostly, I loved the view.

New friends.  Clearly I don't take selfies often, as I accidentally stuck my tongue out while concentrating to get this shot (which isn't even that good)

My new Indian mom, who gave me American oatmeal.  She is a Saint!

Okay, that is it :)