New Friends!

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Hello beautiful people,

My time as a Kerala Link volunteer is far too quickly coming to a close! I had last week off because there was a huge Christian convention in the area that most of the womens centre's staff was at, so I had some free time!!

Last Sunday the 2 new volunteers came and WHAT a breath of fresh air! They're friends from the UK and we have been up till silly hours the last week that they've been here talking and planning our activities for the school and all that. They are super fun and super funny and enthusiastic and a MUCH better match for me than the last one!! So I was really relieved to have them come, we have a nice little full apartment now and it's a wonderful way to end my time here, on such a good note!

Monday and Tuesday we had our cooking lessons and the normal routine, and I took them all around town to show them Tiruvalla and then we went sari shopping! Santha took us to this very fancy, air-conditioned (!!!) store and I bought two gorgeous saris, not even thinking that now I will have to lug them all over the north of the country with me! Silly silly... I have to be dressed in it by helpful women (Grace, teachers at the school, etc...) every time I want to wear it because I can't quite get the hang of all the pleats and folds and pins but I am TRYING SO HARD that by the time I get home I hope I will have mastered it.

Wednesday through Friday we went to the beach at Varkala, took the train there and back. We left early in the morning so the train was still pleasantly uncrowded and I really don't think there is any better feeling than leaning out the door of a speeding train, wind in your hair, sun over the fields, taking everything in. It's truly incredible and one of those memories that I will always think about whenever the word "India" is mentioned in the future... We stayed at this random old British man's place, he rents a house about a 10 minute walk from the beach and then rents the rooms out, he is about 70 years old and was a part of the old hippie crew who discovered Goa back in the 60s. He is currently engaged to a 30 (!!!) year old Indian woman he met here in the fall named Baby (I know) and they're getting married in September. Quite a character and we stumbled on his place so randomly but it made for a really entertaining stay while we were there!

We came back on Friday and sort of just chilled for the weekend. It was pretty uneventful actually now that I'm looking back on it but it was a welcome break since I'd been so busy in the weeks leading up to it and the next couple weeks are going to be crazy as well!! The new volunteers have come with some amazing iPod speakers and we have been teaching each other Pilates and bellydancing and different kinds of cooking so I've enjoyed having them here for that as well!

One of the nicest things about being here is the library that previous volunteers have left - I've been able to read a TON of fantastic books (The Beach, Infidel, and East of the Sun I would all highly recommend!!) in my downtime and will probably never be able to read as much as I have recently so I've been thrilled to do that too!!

OK my time on here is about up but I do miss everyone a lot, and thank you all again for all your support and love while I'm in my second home!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO
Much Love,
Shannon

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