Spicy Food, Mosquitoes, and Veenas

     And now for something completely different... 

I wasn't lying about the goats-outside-the-window thing.

Foods to eat once I get home:

avocado

black beans

cheese

BAGELS

spaghetti
sandwiches
oranges

kale/spinach
raisins and oatmeal

          As the weeks follow, the list will grow. Fortunately the sweets here are sufficient. For example, the sodas have real sugar instead of corn syrup :)

        Another interesting aspect besides the food differences is the terminology. Instead of asking for questions, professors say "do you have any doubts?". It's also hard to communicate sometimes and it takes a few students to get someone's point across and sometimes the question doesn't even get answered, but this is something we have learned to accept.

Veena 

The instrument that I've been learning to play for a few days: Veena

It is suprising like a guitar but is a lot bigger and you play sitting down with legs crossed. To get to our lessons we take an auto rickshaw to our guru's house in the city. Being the first Indian household I've ever been in, I wasn't sure how to act in the new setting, but our veena guru and her spouse warmly welcomed us into their household. The veena guru is a lovely woman who is simultaneously challenging and very encouraging. She expects us to sing in some Indian language along with the harmony and rhythm pieces of the four part song we're learning.

I feel like the karate kid but with strings instead of fists!