Everybody Wants a Water Buffalo

Our group started singing that funny VeggieTales song “everybody wants a water buffalo” at dinner tonight when we found out that all the milk we’ve had the whole trip comes staright from the water buffalos we see roaming the streets and fields. I couldn’t really tell the difference but the cool thing is that my roommate, who is allergic to cows’ milk, isn’t allergic to this milk! It makes delicious ice cream!

We spent the weekend in a town 5 hours away called Ongole. We got to stay at a hotel (interesting experience) while we attended a youth conference. The drive was nice because we got to see so much of the countryside and even a little of the ocean! We were pretty far south in India. Everyone was packed into cars and a bus.

Its crazy how the driving is insane and so many peple are packed into each vehicle! And yet it all seems ironically so safe….

We were greeted at the conference with huge flower garland necklaces made from roses and jasmine flowers. 

At the hotel which was definitely 5-star for india, I lifted my pillow and there was a gecko sleeping under it.

I woke him and he scurried between the headboard & the mattress where he stayed both nights! Eeeck! I walked in the bathroom – which is a tile room with a hole in the ground, sink, and shower head (no actual shower) – I looked staright out the curtainless, open window into the window of the apartment next door. Showering was quite interesting as we almost always had some little person peering around the sheet hanging in the neighbors window. We finally nailed a sheet over our window…

I am finaly feeling much better. I think I am allergic to all the dust so I still am sneezing a lot but overall am feeling pretty good.

I was thrilled when we stopped at a coffeeshop on the way back form the conference last night where I was able to order a “grande latte.” I have to say it was delicious!

I have decided this trip is actually quite healthy for me. I have never sweat so much in my life! I’m drinking bottles and bottles and bottles of water, and then hardly have to pee at all. Very detoxifying I guess! 

I have been religiously following everyones advice about using bottled water to brush my teeth, and not to swallow any shower water as well as take all sort of herbs and pills that I brought from seattle. I am one of the few people who hasn’t gotten an upset stomach yet so something must be working! 

My roommate throughtout the trip is named Barbara.

We get along great. She is in her early 50s and is on the quieter side like I am. In comparison to all the teenagers on our trip one guy on the bus said we’re always very “stoic.” Little do they know we’re always making jokes and laughing at some of the absurd things here. (women’s dress for example: we are constantly being told to wear a longer skirt or longer shirt and to not show our collarbones, yet the indians women wearing Saris have most of their torso exposed. Apparently the collarbone is far more attractive to indian men than the waist!) 

Tomorrow is my birthday as well as another girl on the team’s birthday! Two people have told me there is a surprise party being planned… 

It will be so sad to leave here even though I am definitely getting a little homesick and will be happy to be back in Seattle and my own bed. The widows in the school are so dear to my heart now and have taught me many fun clapping games. Today Barbara and I taught them how to sew hair scrunchies. I had to operaate their manual, foot-pedal sewing machines. I have to say it was quite embarrassing that the pedal was so hard to push and they had to help me! 

Tomorrow morning I get to drive to two brand new schools that haven’t been opened yet. I get to have the honor of opening them because while I was here they received a large donation from the scarf ministry for $1,000 which will pay for sewing machines at both of these new schools! So exciting!