Aug 29th: Some Numbers

Some Numbers: 

A quantification of small adjustments in the enculturation process

15/24 the rate per hour at which i get mosquito bites

4 amount of Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) Audio books I have access to (one and a half down)

2 the number of times my cheeks have been pinched by Sunita (my host mom's maid)

48 devanagari characters learned  

8.3 percent of devanagari characters remembered 

5.5 average hours i have access to internet a day (11pm-4:30 am chicago/appleton time) 

$=(/100)2 (because dividing by 50 is too hard) 

(km*10)+1= rickshaw fare 

1:1 chance that I will get food poisoning/malaria at any given moment 

100 percent I am willing to risk food poisoning/malaria to eat custard apples

3 hour discrepancy between when I eat dinner in America (6pm) and in India (9pm)

10000000000 amount of dollars I am willing to spend on an internet hot spot and/or body pillow 

>20 lbs that I will gain because of Sunita's cooking  

Aug 28th: Back sweat

 At a temple. I included this picture so you can see my face. Evidence that I am alive.

 So artistic. 

In a tree. Before Helen freaked out that there were snakes in the tree and made me jump down.

Today I walked to school wearing a head scarf, like many of the women here do to block themselves from pollution/men. This was the first time that people didn't stare at my constantly. It was cool finally being able to feel anonymous. 

Also, the next time I travel abroad, I'm bringing my body pillow. 

Aug 27th: Some similarities

Artifacts in My Host Mother's House That Convince Me That Single-Old-Lady-Decor Is Universal:

- one rainbow beanie baby sitting on a shelf

- a cupboard full of knick-knacks 

- multiple posters of Ganesh 

- a tin of stale crackers

- multiple varieties of candies produced from random closets

- a leaning tower of pisa plate hanging on the wall

UPDATE 29/08/12
ATTENTION, ATTENTION!
There is a stuffed monkey with velcro hands holding back the curtains in the kitchen. A STUFFED MONKEY WITH VELCRO HANDS

Aug 23rd: Tulsi Baug

At my dear sister's behest, I have taken some photos. As a bonus, some of them include people, places, and things. I've also located the 'caption' function. 

Tulsi Baug: The large market district where I got two shirts, intense backpack sweat stains, and late-onset claustrophobia

A historical building in Tulsi Baug where everything was beautiful and interesting except the actual historical exhibit. 

The Lego Architecture of Pune: Geometric Obsessions Go International
- A memoir by Cori Lin  

Aug 22nd: Not venting

Understanding That Not All Countries Differentiate Between Heritage and Nationality but Still Desiring to Document the Responses I've Been Required to Reiterate Numerous Times to Airport Security Guards, Passersby, Fellow ACM Students, Marathi Teachers, and Host Mothers: 

• "I am speaking my own language!"
• "No, I'm American" 
• "No, I won't understand the characters of Marathi better because I don't speak Japanese or Chinese"
• "No, I'm American"
• "But I don't like Chinese food."
• "I'm not even Chinese"
• "No, I'm American"
• "Really. I am American"
• "Oh, I feel bad that my host mother's sister was excited to practice her Chinese with me... I don't speak any Chinese"
• "From Chicago." "Originally from Chicago." "Chicago"
• "No, I don't have any Kimonos"
• "I've actually never been to Japan before"
• "Oh no, I don't kneel on the floor and sip my soup straight from the bowl" 
• "I'm American." 

Aug 22nd: Devanagari

 We started to learn devanagari (devine script), or actual Marathi characters, yesterday

Armed with the two characters I know, I've been looking for font differentiations all over the city. This is the word "mother"written over and over. This one's for you, don's top. 

Aug 20th: classes and foods

 the ACM building where we have all of our classes

 No big deal, just a casual lunch with the best food ever

All of the ACM students (50% Lawrence) 

Today was a series of firsts: 

1st Marathi language class

1st official tea times

1st time wearing Indian clothing

1st meal not from the Hotel (I ate too fast and too much, as per usual)

1st time seeing cat testicles (or rather, a not neutered cat) 

Aug 20th: Naan livin

chicken and I in our new clothing

notes from the first couple of days at the hotel: 

- naan for lyfe

- even their worst tea is the best tea

- acm india 2012 is a chaco nation

- if you accidentally walk into a tailors thinking it's a clothing store, just bobble your head and walk away. 

Aug 18th: Hotel Raviraj

travel sketches

aug 17th: amsterdam airport

international flights don't have skymall.