July 3, 2010
Sorry I haven’t written in so long. Our last week in Goa has been extremely busy and finding the time was….well I always felt like I should be working on school work or taking advantage of the city. Anyway, this week I again went to the Hamaras school, where the orphans and students stay after school. Again I was struck by their awesomeness and it was hard to leave them for the last time. They really enjoyed taking photos with my camera, so I’ll post a few of those.
Other things we did this week: a bit of shopping, some wonderful restaurants (the best Gulab Jamun we’ve found so far) and a lot of seeing churches and temples. Yesterday we had a long day of going to each group’s temple for our project and hearing them present. It literally took from 6:15 in the morning to 8:30 at night, but it was worth it to see the beautiful temples and for the spice plantation that we went to for lunch. The food at this plantation was actually much more delicious than the last one, and it really felt like we were in the middle of a rainforest. Last night, Galit and I went to Baga beach to try to eat dinner, but most of the restaurants were closed for monsoon season. We ended up eating at a “pizzeria” on the beach, where we had a nice view of the beach and the food wasn’t too bad (though the pizza was nothing compared to most at home….it was interesting to try).
Today, being our last day in Goa, I have a lot to do. I need new sunglasses, and am trying to decide how much is reasonable to pay for a nice pair. There is also a gorgeous scarf that I’m thinking about buying: $32 dollars and completely handmade, embroidered with intricate animals. I feel selfish buying it, but I’m not sure I’m able to pass up the opportunity. So, while I’m hoping not to spend too much money in India, there is a lot that looks appealing!
I’ll miss the freedom to wear shorts and tank tops, and I’ll miss R.N. Mishren (our Hindi teacher) telling us to sing and teaching us how to say “I will beat you,” but I’m also extremely excited to see how Madurai is different from Goa. Apparently it’s a lot less adaptive to foreign tourists- my professor says that they won’t necessarily give us silverware at a meal. I’m not sure if I mentioned before, but the traditional way to eat in India is by hand, even with curries, which are mixed with rice. You can only eat with your right hand because the left hand is seen as dirty, so you’ll see people bunching the tips of their fingers together and pushing rice around a plate with curry before pinching some up and putting the whole tips of their fingers in their mouth. At the end of the meal, a metal bowl with warm water and lime in it is presented to wash your hand. I’ve not yet discovered whether or not it’s appropriate to lick your fingers. It’s absolutely amazing, and I wish I could do it, but at the same time- Dad, why did you tell me not to bring my spork!?
Anyway, I think that’s about it for now, if I don’t write again tonight, you’ll hear from me in Madurai!
