Indian Charms

Hi Friends and Family!

We have officially arrived in Bangalore, India. We left Mon evening and arrived at 4:00am Wed morning…a combination of long flights and an approximately 12 hour difference in time zones. The travelling was very smooth. No delays, all our luggage made it, we all made it, and going through border security was relatively a breeze. I had been a little worried about security, so that was great for me! Our only surprise was that Prem and Rita thought we were arriving tomorrow (Thurs), so we ended up with an extra adventure on the bus to get to the house.

At Prem and Rita’s we are experiencing the epitome of Indian hospitality. The food is amazing and we even got a lesson on how to eat in India. Right hand only. No forks allowed! And did I mention right hand only? It’s a little tricky tearing off the pieces of chipate/naan/bread, but it’s all awesome at the moment. Antje and I have already unpacked and settled into our room. It’s downstairs in the house with two twin beds. Our own bathroom is down the hall. The boys are settling into theirs, just outside the house…but they have to cross their bathroom/shower to get to their bedroom. Good luck when someone’s showering!! We have electricity and hot water, girls and guys own bathrooms, and washing machine. They don’t compare to the US, but they are still special commodities here and the house electricity runs on a ton of AA batteries when the main supply is turned off. Crazy!

There’s a park just down the street and that was fun to walk around today as we toured the neighborhood. And yes…we got a few funny looks in our American clothes, but what did you expect? ;) I also hopped over the neighbor’s wall today in order to retrieve the ball we were throwing around. I had permission, but it was an interesting way to meet the neighbors. J

Finally, it’s been a good day simply trying to stay awake. We are all exhausted, but want to stay up so we can get on a good sleep schedule to start helping out at the school on Friday. This led to a lot of chill time and some great conversations. I knew they’d happen, but being me, I loved that they started so soon here! Then again, I guess they started a while ago J. You can be praying for our “jobs” or tasks during our 2 months…trying to figure out what they will be. And also for more great memories and development along the way. “It’s not for us, it’s all for you.” Let it be.

We are probably going to get some Indian clothes tomorrow and then we should be set. Thanks for reading! See you all in 2 months. Much love to my family, my housemates, and all my friends.

Love Lauren and the India team.

P.S. The Team India website is down for maintenance by webs.com. We'll have it updated within a few days.