Orientating

We spent the past week with Will and Sunita, the AJWS staff responsible for the Volunteer Corps program in India, and the eight other AJWS volunteers who will have placements throughout India. They took us through a curriculum prepared by AJWS to both acquaint us with India and prepare us for our placements. We learned about the country's history and array of social issues- the caste system, specifically dalits whom I will be doing my work with, access to education, disaster preparedness, the structure of NGOs and Civil Society, and women and gender. Also the practical stuff like how to navigate from city to city and what to do if invited to a person's home for dinner. The sessions were great- a mix of presentations, guest speakers, documentaries, readings, role plays and discussions. I now have a better understanding of all of these social issues and will learn so much more from my work.

Aside from the all of the learning, we also:
*had a cooking lesson to make paneer (easy to make!) and poha, a mix of vegetables, flattened rice, and spices
*ate a traditional Indian feast
*put on my first of many bindis
*put in an Indian nose pin (I had been wearing the same one since I got my nose pierced in college)
*shopped with Sunita for kurtas (dresses or long shirts) and shawls in the markets
*explored the beautiful grounds of our NGO

The only less than ideal part of the week is that it is unusually cold here. I know I will get no sympathy from anyone east of the Mississippi, but we came here prepared for 70 degrees, not 30! This is so strange for Lucknow that they have actually closed the schools and shortened the work day since so few buildings are equipped with heat. Thursday was the festival of Pogal so everyone tells us it is only supposed to get warmer now!

Aside from Dan, me, and our new friend Molly, the other seven volunteers left Lucknow to head off to their NGOs. We will spend this weekend finding a place to live (we have been staying at our NGO's training facility), procuring mobile phones, buying more Indian attire, and exploring Lucknow. Oh, and in an attempt to look less foreign, Dan grew a mustache.