June 30, 2007 - New Delhi, India

"Not all who wander are lost."
~ J. R. R. Tolkien

It has taken sometime to come to terms with the idea of "blogging." It feels awkward letting people know where I'm at and what I'm doing. However, part of the Fulbright Mission is for teachers to take on the role of diplomats for host countries, such as India. Therefore, I will try to update the previous days by referring to my journal and travel itinerary.

On our plane trip from the US to India, we encountered a group of very loud students. Surrounded by about ten of them, I turned to ask the young man sitting next to me where they were from. He informed me they were a group of 39 students, whom just finish their studies in the U.S., from Afghanistan. It took me a good 30 seconds to stop saying "wow" and then I dove into hours of continuous questions about his life, over the last 10 years. He had a very mature global perspective and his recounts of 9.11 were both sad and interesting.

The first day in India was truly my most intense experience with "culture shock". European countries and Japan have nothing on the extremes of India. Our group is staying at the Taj Hotel, which is a Five Star hotel. When England left India in 1947, a group of Indian brothers took back many of the lavish castles and buildings that were under European control. With these buildings, they created a group of hotels called the Taj Hotel's.

When using a restroom in the hotel, a servant opened the stall door for me, and then when finished, she turned on the water, poured soap into my palms, turned off the water, and then towel dried my hands. She did everything but wipe my....
Once again, after 30 seconds of "wow," I tipped her 5 rupees. She was very appreciative because this was a large tip. About 13 cents US.

The evening of the 30th entailed a large welcoming reception with some of the most important US diplomats, currently residing and visiting India in attendance. However, most of us were so tired and jet-lagged, we took turns napping in the restroom throughout the evening. Shhhh....