Well it is official! I am a Rotarian. In between my travels I attended the Denver Mile High Rotary club and have become an official member! After about 10 years of being involved with Rotaract, and thousands of amazing experiences and people, I am now a member. On the other hand, I am also a total geek! I have been working on my blog since I have been home, and I would love for you to look at all the photos and watch all the videos (the kids are adorable), but I am sure you don't have that kind of time, but even if you watch a few, or have a look at some, you make my travels more exciting by allowing me to share them with you! So I hope you enjoy the blog, I think it is my best one yet!!! http://communityworkinjaipur.blogspot.com/ I am off to the Boston Globe Travel show, so if anyone is in the area and would like to go, let me know, we have some tickets (a whole $10 value), but you can plan your next vacation, and swing by the i-to-i table to say hi. As for anything else, I am off to Australia on Monday!!! On the other hand, Happy Full Moon and until next time!!

India ~ Day 5

Well I have been here a week now and it has been awesome so far.

Day 5 my bags did arrive. So I have everything, now I just have to have a little word with United when I get home, but I learned you really can show up to a country with nothing but your purse and survive for almost we week.

The volunteering aspect of it has been great. I learned something, I do still like teaching, just not 3 and 4 year olds when they don’t understand you. They are difficult enough when they do understand you. The older kids have been great. Instead of trying to handle an entire class working one on one seems to do the trick. I am impressed with their English, although we just read the Ugly Duckling which I think most of them had already read about 100 times before and nearly had it memorized.

Other than that, I have had a few chances to get out, not much, but visited The City Palace (www.royalfamilyjaipur.com) one afternoon, but mainly my days are so packed with the project, meals, yoga, etc. I haven’t had much time to explore and that is ok.

Yesterday I visited the Taj Majal. That is one place I am not sure if I ever thought I would get to and it was spectacular. It is just one of those things that puts you in awe when you see it, and something so grand that was made in the name of love. Just incredible. We did a day trip. Took the 6:30am bus to Agra , which took about 5 hours. Hired a rickshaw for the day for 300 rupees and he took us to a place for lunch, the Taj Majal, a place to see marble and back to the bus station for our 5 hour journey home. It was all worth it.

Today is my only day “off” really, and I may go out and explore a bit see what I can see. One week left before my journey home.

I have added a few things to the blog. http://communityworkinjaipur.blogspot.com/ I will put photos and everything up there when I get home. Until then they are all on my camera until next week.

India - Day 4

Well, I am on day four here, and still no bags, who knows where they are, I flew three airlines and non of them want to take responsibility. They are either in Delhi or maybe here. I figure at this point, I probably will just get them in Delhi on my way home.

Anyway, no big deal, I am here, things are good.

I am not sure what to update you on, but here is a typical day.

It starts off with breakfast at about 8am... we were having omelets everyday (basically flat eggs - not American style omelets) - until today, apparently there is a bird flu somewhere in India, so we can't have eggs. (I'll write more about food later).

At 8:45 we are picked up by our taxi - a rickshaw, like a motorcycle with a cage on the back. Five of us squeeze in and we are on our way.. The drive starts into oncoming traffic, until we are able to make a u-turn at the roundabout, dodging the other cars, bikes, dogs, women, wheel burrows, whatever may be in our way.

On our drive we pass anything from cows on the side of the road, dogs, chickens, helmets for sale, vegetable&fruit stands, men peeing on the side of the walls, camels pulling carts, etc. After about 20 minutes or so we pull into the slummy area seeing many of the same things. We get to where we start our 5 min walk or so passing overflowing garbage cans where you may see cows, goats, chickens and such eating their breakfast. People in their homes (which certainly aren't much), or hanging out. Many people say hi, especially when you see five white people walking through these areas.

When we get to the school the children are usually in an assembly singing songs. They head into their classrooms, everyone sits on the floor. Yesterday I was given the playgroup. Probably 3 or 4 year old children, who don't understand anything I have to say, and start beating each other up, wrestling, laughing. I managed to get a few songs in they know, who doesn't know head - shoulders - knees and toes? But that only lasts about 3 minutes and I must have had them for about 45 min. They knew I didn't understand them, they didn't understand me, so it was quite difficult to communicate and do anything. I started to think, teaching is not my thing. Anyway, it was a good day, exhausting, and proving challenging. I don't speak Hindi. Every now and again one of the teachers would come in yell at the kids and tell them to sit down. That lasted very short while. Sometimes you have to wonder if that is even really helping.

Today I colored with the older kids, but there is a lack of paper for anyone to color on so it makes it difficult. I think we are all pitching in on some paper so we have something to do.

Anyway, we finish up about 1pm and head back to the guesthouse, lunch is at 2pm, made up of some sort of vegetarian dish and chibati (bread), very basic.

I have been doing quick e-mail in the afternoon, but haven't had much time since the whole - where are my bags things are consuming my afternoons. (going to the Air India office, airport, shopping for a few new things to wear).

Yoga is at 6:00pm, and again I will write more about the Yoga experiences later.

Dinner at 7:30pm and after that, it's basically a cup of tea some conversations and bed. I can't really venture out after dark, we have to be back by 10pm and I haven;t really had a chance to see much yet since I have been here. I still have 10 days left.

Made it to Jaipur

So out of all the times I have traveled, I at least usually have my toothbrush in my purse... but no, I checked my bags through with everything. A quick thought of, 'maybe i should just take my backpack with me' crossed my mind, but I didn't care. Now I know why.

Anyway, first things first, I have made it to Jaipur safely. It was a long journey, but I am here.

So I get to London, and well when I went to check in, I guess, Robyn (the nice United attendant that checked in my bags) didn't know what she was doing and check both bags with the same number, so instead of even sending one bag through, they canceled the bags and well, I guess they are somewhere in the sky (probably in Delhi by now). All I know is they are not with me in Jaipur. So, yah, that has never happened before. There are a few things I will do from now on, check the baggage numbers and really take the necessities with me. Hopefully I will at least get my bags before my two weeks are up.

I'll get over it, i already have some new clothes and everything else you need. Good thing there is a market place right near my accommodation. I can get whatever I need.

Other than that, the cows hanging out on the side of the road is the most amusing thing to me yet. I haven't had much time to venture out yet.

Today was our first day at our project. There is myself and 4 other people on the project I am doing, an Irish woman and three other English guys. We venture into the very deprived areas of Jaipur. It is always amazing that people live this way. Yet at the same time they all seem happy.

We went into a school in the back of what may be called a slum. The kids were cute there are about 5 classes. All very polite. Our job, for the first day was to take the height and weight of each of the kids. We pretty much guessed on the height, and had a scale for the weight. As for their birthday's no one really knew how old they were or when their birthday was. A few of them spoke words of English.

Anyway, it is difficult to even explain the things that I have seen. The taxi's are a hoot, we managed to fit 7 of us in this little rickshaw taxi.

Without letting this get too long, I am off for now. Looks like I will be taking Yoga classes each night for the two weeks I am here. Why not right.

Also, I am off to the airport to attempt to file a report to figure out if there is any possible way to find my baggage.