I'm Back!!

Sorry about the decrease in information everyone!! Yes interesting things have happened, but mostly I've been feeling so unwell that I've been sleeping in my free time as opposed to informing you all of my adventures.

I am currently soaking up the sunshine on the roof of the IES center and lovin life. I think being outside more is crucial to my recovery. Yes, I am still sick. My cough is slowly getting better but I still can't hear out of my left ear. I think I'll go back to the hospital soon if it doesn't get better. Anyway, being up here on the roof is so amazing. I'm blogging/doing hw, listening to Florence and the Machine and just relaxing. It's also the first time I've been alone all trio, and you all know how I appreciate my alone time :)
Also I received a lovely letter from my lovely mother this afternoon. I do love getting snail mail (ahem, just sayin)

So let's see...where did I leave off? I've been getting feedback that the last few lines of my blog were unreadable so here goes.
Last weekend was the group's trip to Khajuraho and I had a wonderful time! There are plenty of pics on fb which I haven't had the chance to edit, respond to, or even look at so I'll try to do that today. Anyway, Khajuraho was breathtaking. These temples have so much hand-carved detail that it's overwhelming. It is also the site of many erotic carvings, which is why there is a warning about them in the album on fb lol. The stories say that these are the birthplace of the Kama Sutra but I have been assured by my prof that that's bull. These carvings depict scenes of everyday life, and sex is a part of life, so that is the reason they are there.
On the way back from Khajuraho we stopped in Orcha which has these beautiful palaces (also on fb). One thing I love about India is the richness of it's history and the fact that they have remains of ancient civilizations. We just don't have any of that in the States.
I've had a few requests so here goes:
What kind of classes will you be taking?
I will be taking Hindi, which consists of 1.5 hour classes 2 times a week. All classes follow this format. I will be learning how to read the characters and speak the language. It is pretty hard for me to be honest. Learning a whole new alphabet hurts my brain.
Indian Women in Fiction and Cinema is exactly what it sounds like. I will be reading stories and watching films which focus on Indian women, both in the past and present.
Yoga and Philosophy, in which I will be practicing Yoga and learning the principles behind it. I have learned quite a bit about this already so I am eager to expand my knowledge.
Socioeconomics in India is the class I am most excited for. It is everything I am interested in all in one class! Economics, education, health, political reform, etc. It is basically my major condensed into one class. I can't wait!!
Cities of Delhi is also going to be wicked cool. We do a lot of field trips, and are basically learning the layout and history of the city.
So basically everything is looking awesome.

What kind of food are you eating?
Lots of things I don't even know the names of. Everything is traditional Indian food that Auntie's cook makes for us. We have three meals a day, and rice and roti (flatbread) are always there. Hardly any fruits, but scads of vegetables. Auntie is a strict vegetarian which means no meat and no eggs (yes dairy, thank heavens). So there is a lot of alternative protein as well, such as beans and lentils. Everything is delicious and spicy which I love!! One thing that surprises us is that there are always at least 4 dishes (not including rice and roti) at every meal! It's insane how much they can do with just vegetables. I love love love the food, but am already craving American pizza (but really, when do I NOT want pizza...).

That's all for now, as I actually have some work to do! Actually having work to do while in India is rather upsetting- there are so many places to go and things to do!!!

ttfn