India

India

Well hello again computer journal….i swear I will hand write you soon….well INDIA…what can I say I loved it!!!! I was absolutely unstable about entering the country and yes it smelt wicked bad but I really know that I need to go back to India…Well in my first day in India I got a late flight in the most intense security check in ever…I was not aloud in the airport without a ticket, I was manhandled from head to toe…with a full on butt cup – yeah awkward …the plane was intense we all had our own TOUCH SCREEN screens and it was wicked fun I watched friends and some bollywood movie that was wicked bad…then we arrived in New Delhi and we went to the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at ever…it was clearly 5 stars…and they welcomed us with lays and we had delicious India food hahahah and then the best club in all of India was in the bottom of our hotel so naturally we all went to find out that shots were 18 dollars USD EACH!!!! So I did not drink just had fun …. Anywayss then the next morning we borded the bus to get on a train to AGRA the city of the taj mahal… well when we got on the train which was a 3 hour ride…it was so sad first of all first class was seriously like worse than 3rd class in America but we at least had seats and while I was sitting down this boy who was scooting on his shirt and not wearing it scooted up and asked me for money it was heart breaking…and then the guy tried to kick him off and I was like no no and gave the little boy my juicebox, sandwich, hardboiled eggs, and one more thing…he smiled and ran out of the cabin…it was so sad he was my first encounter with the kids but most definitely not my last…than when we got off the train like hahahh this other little boy wanted all out boxed lunches and he was grinning from chin to chin he had more boxes than he could carry…towering over his head on the groud…hahahah and he took mine which was kinda an empty box i felt bad but whatever ahhaha he was happy and then we went to our hotel…which was not as nice as the first but still nice and they gave us the sweetest lays ever they smelt so good and were pink…inside the hotel they had a guy selling tshirts with the taj mahal on it and hahah it said semester at sea on the back…naturally I baught it was only 4 buckss…anywaysss so the later we went to this place which I don’t even know what its called because the tour guide kinda did nothing but it was cool however the bus ride there was heart renching…there were just kids and kids walking or running without shoes and running the legit garbage I have a picture of a lady legit walking bear foot throw a field of sold garbage and cow dung…I have another of a boy who is max. of 3 years old playing in the dirt all by himself with no one in sight for at least a mile it was so depressing…how can a child be all alone like that just by himself it is wicked depressing…anwyayss we got there and it was cool but what was the cooler part was seeing the kids and stuff because as soon as we got the place tons of begger children were there and there was one with one leg, more on him later, and Tanya handed out chocolate and they were grabbing and she was like HEY NO GRABBING and they all single filled and were like okay okay and then they each got one and said thankyou it was funny… and the walk there there was also this snake charmer who legit had a python I was like pooping myself I could not believe it…anyways we get to the pink sandstone buildings and we see these children all carrying bags of grass on their heads and we tried talking to them but all we could get out was their names and that they wanted chocolate but unfortunately we could not give them any because we did not have it … it was sad and the tour guide was yelling at us to hurry up … but to me the best part was not the tours or the taj it was actually talking and seeing all these kids and seeing how corrupt India is with children… so anywasy we get in the the tour guide the one thing he says is don’t get lost of let anyone talk you anywhere because you will disappear…so anyways while I am taking so sweet jumping shots…I cant find doug anywhere nor jen and I was like SHOOT where those kiddies go hahaha anywaysss after looking for them like crazy I found them and felt wicked relieved… anyways soo we are walking back and remember that kid who had one leg…yeah he was a little trickster he was sitting on the ground with two feet and tucked it in his pants…what a skeeze….its all a sad but terrible illusion in india…you cant believe what you see but at the same time it is heart wrenching…more on that later…so we geet back on the bus and then the next day we wake up and it is time to fo to the FABLED TAJ MAHAL and were all wicked excited and like anything that looked like a white dome I kinda jumped and screamed THE TAJ MAHAL and I saw about 3 taj’s before I saw the real deal hahah anywasy well you walk in and every google image you googled comes to mind…it was beautiful the most beautiful building I have ever seen like it was so intense…did you know, lovely readers, that it took 20000 men to build in 22 years and that afterwards all their hands were cut off so they could never make something good again… l anyways I took some pretty sweet jumping shots but jumping off this bench anywaysss so the taj was amazing there are very few words to decribe the feeling of being there just like wow…the inside tho not so wow it was dark and little but the outside wow ahhah me and jake took pictures of us building the taj it they are hysetical … hahahah anywayss while I was walking forwards this women asked me to take a picture of her because we were all doing jumping shots and I was pullin a ma at prom being like “…1…2…3…JJUMP!!” being loud and obnoxious. – so out of character right welll anyways this women was like can you take my picture and I was like “yeaaahhhh totally” and she was like hahahaha “totally … its been so long since I have heard Americans - I love it “ hahah it was funny…she took a jumping shot too – and on the way out these asian tourists –soooooo funnny- were like can you take our picture and I was like sure but only if I can be in one with you and they got sooo excited and took about 6 pics of me and like were all doing extremely asian things in the pics I loved it hahah and I said “nah-ma-stay” which is like “may I bring you peace” in hindu and they giggles and said it back and on the way out like I saw them again and got a pic with these two older ladies…hahahh so anywayss me sarah brad and a couple others were walking back and sarah was being attacked my these children sellers and like there were about 7 of them it was hysterical anyway one stayed with us the whole time his name was Raj he was awesome at first he was not but then we talked to him about his life and what his name was and like sarah offered him money and he would not take it and then he gave us each one of his taj mahal key chains it was sooo sweet and we all gave him some money…and he like did not take it but then he changed his mind…he was so cute…and like then this little child led us all across the street like this little boy stopped all the hetic Indian traffic and walked us to our bus and well all gave him hugs and said goodbye it was so sad I was really sad I had to say goodbye to raj he was so nice…then we went to the agra fort which was cool but totally lackluster to the taj…it was where the son of the father who built the taj mahal locked his father away and his son was mean….the saddest thing of India I rememeber was this tiny tiny boy maybe 3 years old all dirty with a tiny tiny what must be a 4 month old baby if that in his hands…all dirty and like it was so sad he would walk up to our group of people and people would ignore him and I did nto have money otherwise I would have bought him something but I tried to give him the only thing I had which was time and he did not really want it… he could not speak any English he was wayyyyy to young…and I tried and tried to talk but it was so so so sad that he wanted only one thing money…and it was so obvious that there was a corrupt adult behind all of it because someone said that they watched him walk over to a truck with a man sitting it… like in slumdog,…these men make children beg for money and bring it all back to them and they put them on the streets sometimes deforming them to get themselves even more it is disgusting and makes me want to do something…but how the hell can/do you fix such a huge problem as that…then we went to Mother Teresa’s Orphanage – which was the best part of the whole trip it was amazing…it took some of the kids awhile to warm up but I had this like 4/5 year old who was like with me about half the time and immediately he came down and sat in my lap and he did not talk English so it was hard to communicate with him but we legit put stickers all over his face and like I made him rings out of playdough and everytime one feel off he would like come up to me and have my fix it and he was such a smartie he figured out how to zoom and take pics with my Nikon he was not good but was so happy with his results and everyone was giving the kids sunglasses or stuff to put on and I was like shoot what can I give him to put on and so I gave him my shoes and he tried walking but could not even move it was so funny…and I found out he was ticklish and as soon as that happened it was all over hahahaha he was dying and like I was flying him like an airplane and stuff and I just rememeber him walking over to me sitting in my lap semifacing at me and staring in my eyes….it was so depressing…I melted like I don’t know if he was ever seen blue eyes before but he stared for about a minute and I saw in his eyes the curiosity of who I was and why I am here with and when he did that that’s when I realized this is India… India is not a tour … it is not the taj mahal…it is the people and more specifically the kids… and then he ran away and played with his friends…so I walked around a little bit but there was a run of about 30 cribs with 30 babies in it…the orphanage did not have enough people for all the kidss…I mean there would be kids sitting the corning crying..some did not even seem to have any joy in life …one came up to me and she was older and she giggled and gave me a picture she drew and that made me so sad…but she would not talk to me…I don’t know why…so I drew her one and made it for her but she did not think it was pretty enough HAHAH the lil brat ahahh but that’s okay I tried….and then we left…just like that my 1.5 hours there was over and I was so so so so sad…. Then we went back and caught a train ride back to delhi where we stayed the first night… but in the train station we met these little child beggers about like 10 of them and we were all like talking to them and soon they went out of begger mode like they became people and be bought them about 40 bananas and they would stuff them down their shirt and grab another like they did not have one haah one girl looked like she ahd double d boobs because she had so many bananas down her shirt it was hilarious but we talked to them and played with them and asked them all their names and like I gave them chap stick which they LOVED they would put it on their lips rub them together than smack their lips it was so funny…and they also loved getting their picture taken they would like smile and together like punch each other in the face or something…one little girl got violent with this boy who could not walk and I don’t even want to think why he could not because we learned at the orphage that all these kids had parents…there parents put them in the place and make them beg….so sad…when anyways one girl like tried to stteal this boys food and he could not move and so we like moved her away took the food back and gave it back to the …while I am making them sound bad they were so sweet they said like thank you and stuff which is more than the other kids we met … but it was funny beause they would randomly go back into begger mode and elike put their hands on their lips and we would be like shut up your not hungry we just gave you like 40 bananas…and they would be like “what? Bananas?” then they would giggle and talk to us some more… they were so much fun there was a point where this girl had Pringles but not enough to give to all the kids so when their were three of them she was like okay you have to be quiet but I will give you each one pringle and then I put my finget to my lip and went shhhhh and they all went/…shhhhSHHSHSHSH and put their fingers on theirs lips it was so funny….anways we went on the train and had to say goodbye which was sad but it was really cool that we got to talk to them ….then I did not know we had a tour the day after and josh comes bursting into the room like hurry up we are leaving and we both frantically pack our bags to find out that like we weren’t checking out just the tour left and...so anywaysss we went to this like place where it is like a sactuary for all religions and there are 8 in the world and it was so cool it looked like the Sydney opera house and it was beautiful and we got to sit in part of the mass and totally had to take off our shoes…culture hahah then we went to this temple and it was amazing because it was a place where people went to pray for sick people they knew and we were the only tourists there I mean there was a point where it was just me and everyone else who was actually praying and when you walked up the steps at the top you had to kiss the top step and I did nto know if I was supposed to do it so I just did and when we got inside I decided to just sit down and not like walk around and people watch and like see what they were doing so I sat like India style like everyone else and liz and shea joined me and we sat and observed the colors of India were phenomenal they are so bright it was like nothing I has ever seen …bright pink, orange green, yellow it was all so amazing it was the best people watch, bar none then we walked over to this huge pond of holy water…where the people would splash all over themselves systematically up one arm then the other than over their head and it was for some they knew who was sick…THAT WAS REALLY COOL!!! BECAUSE it was not touristy it was like something that these people actually do I mean like I said the people don’t do the taj mahal it was beautiful but if I did not do this other stuff I would have totally missed out…well anywayss the few of us who made it on this trip – where if you missed it that totally blew – but we next went to what I thought was gandis house but it was actually where gandi was shot which I thought was kinda weird but whatever and they have this path of where gandis last steps where and like there were raised little feet and they were his last steps and we were told not to go on them and these asian tourists were so totally on them and I was like “AYYYY – gett off” and they so jumped off immediately haha… but then I took pictures of us walking with gandi it was funny…hahah and then which was really really sad actually we saw his last step and then he was shot…. It was so morbid actually….well then we borded the bus and went back to the hotel to and went on our plane ride back to Chennai…then the next day we went shopping in chennai and like we got these crazy ass rickshaw drivers which is the most terrifying/funny thing ever…when I tell you they use every spot of road they do they really doo…even if they could kill themselves doing it they will even drive on the wrong side of the road… one time a car was coming straight for us and we were on the wrong side of the road and we were blocked on that side and….actually I don’t know how we got out of that one I think I closed my eyes hahah anyways this old man was our driver and he was telling us how all semester at sea where his children and how he has so many letters from stuends and stuff and he is not all about the money…well he took us to one of is friends shops where he gets like something and we were like you brat we don’t want to be here…then he takes us to another one and we were like stupid old man then the bastard leaves us!!!! He was the worst father ever hahahah but it was okay because where we wanted to go was across the street YESS!!! Hahah so we shop there and it was a mega disappointment I don’t really see anything and a lot fo people wanted stuff in India and I was like shoot but then I found pizza hut which is not like the pizza hut at home it was wicked good then we leave after like4 hours of shopping and we are trying to catch a rickshaw and we talk this one guy down to the price it should be and then while we are drivng part of the deal was taking us to this shop we went into the same shop again ahhah talked to the owner super ncie guy I loved him he was the man then we get back into the rickshaw and we changed out desitnation and the guy inside was like you should pay about a buck more for that 50 ruppies and the guy was like no and we WERE LITERALLY FIGHTING WITH HIM BECAUSE HE WAS BEING SUCH A BRAT…IT WAS SO FUNNY – I wanted to scream I did some but not the majority of the brunting…BRITNEY WAS LIKE NO…YOUR CHEATING US HELL NO …. WE ARE NOT PAYING YOU THAT AND FINALLY SHE WAS LIKE GET THE OUT OF THE RICKSHAW RIGHT NOW GET THE OUT AND we start getting 4 people out of this thing built for 2 and he was like OKAY OKAY and it was hysterical and he took us there and left….we went to this market which was so cool bought the stuff the people use to dry the skin and the air with these vibrant colors for the festival they have in india where you just throw colors on everyone…it literally took place the day after we left but that’s okay…then when went to the rickshaw and while driving the guy jacked up the price he was a brat he took the money one of us gave to a begger and we grabbed it out of his hands and gave it back to the old women and he doubled the price while driving and this time I was like NO THAT IS NOT THE PRICE WE AGREED UPON YOU GET and he was like no 200 and I was like ABSOLUTLY NOT WE WILL GET OUT OF THIS RICKSHAW RIGHT NOW AND YOU GET NOTHING…and then he shut up…they were such cheaters of money – and its not the money it’s the principal I mean we were arguing over 2 dollars but we cant let them take advantage of us because then it will just be worse and worse for the next people….but it was okay the bas**** dropped us off at the wrong place and we had to get another rickshaw to the boat ahahha and when he brought us back there where all these beggers and I stole 3 pairs of slippers from the hotel so I could give them to the kids without shoes and I was like “do you want slippers?” and the girl was like “slippers slippers yeah yeah” and as soon as I gave them to her she raised them in her hand and scream AAHHHHH-HA (like success) it was soo so os funny then the other kids ran over and I like yelled at them a little bit like “HEY DON’T GRAB” and they backed off and I gave one pair to one and I was like “SAY THANKYOU” and he was like “thanks” hahah and then two more children came and I only had one pair left and I felt so bad but I just put one in both hands and like ran away ahhaha…. but I loved India… as Less put it you will see some of the most beautiful things and the most heart breaking…you will see color like you have never seen before…you will see little kids without shoes begging you for money but you cant give it to them because it does not help them it actually hurts them…but India was amazing!!! It is the one country where I know I can give more time of my life to and something I would love to do again….

PICS TO COME!!!