omg, sounds like you guys are having an amazing time. a positive attitude really does help things not to suck so bad. those pictures are GORGEOUS (why are you not becoming a freelance photographer again :P) and it seems pretty effing awesome over there. keep schmiling!
Things seem to be looking up. Brian's company event sounds like a blast! I'm so glad that you are truly starting to enjoy yourself. I was beginning to worry. Happy anniversary to you and Brian, and please tell him I said so! Your pictures are amazing.
Beautiful Pictures Man, what great pictures. I am so glad you had that little cultural break. Sometimes, just knowing its possible makes bearing the differences a little bit easier. By the time you come home, I'm sure you'll be so acclimated that after just a few weeks you'll be thinking about when you can next go back.
It looks like some of the smog and pollution has left the sky. Those were the bluest skies in any of the pictures you have sent back. I also noticed that the highs are dropping down to only around 99. You must be almost shivering.
Your blogs are great!! Maybe you career needs to be part diplomat, part business person and part travel writer. We are so proud of you.
Dad
hey! Hi Jen--I've been reading the blogs, but just haven't had the time to reply--we've been in Mexico. It all sounds very interesting and a very good life experience. Yep, it would be hard to move in with someone else's parents, esp. from a different culture--hows the move to new digs going? WE NEED MORE PICTURES!!!! We miss you and love you.
Take Care,
M
P.S. Taking the month of August to travel sounds ideal...
i'm glad things are looking up and that it doesn't feel like its going to be as bad as you thought it was going to be. haha you make me feel so unproductive with all your workingness. i miss you jen.
That's really fast! Wow, Jenn, you're getting a lot done in not very much time! From what you described in your blog about how many pictures you've taken and posted along with descriptions and creating a database, I can only tell you that I have known of many situations here in business where getting that stuff done has taken a year! You're no doubt making them very happy with your work!
I will try to send you a care package asap if you will send a shipping address. I say 'try' because I don't know how long it will take or whether there are rules about shipping certain foods to India. Let me know what you'd like me to put in it . . .
It sounds like you are having a wonderful adventure. Remember the three corrolaries of how you can tell how much fun you had: how much it hurts later, how big a mess you made, and what good stories you can tell. Keep up the good work. We are really proud of you!--K
I'm sorry work is so mind-numbing. I love love love reading your blogs. I actually laughed out loud reading that you frequent williamssonoma.com and marthastewart.com to stare at meat. i guess staring at live cows walking around just isn't the same? And to think, you used to be a vegetarian by choice! (Well, kind of...haha).
hey Jennididi! i'm really missing you guys and telling you all my TMW anecdotes. I'm really happy that everything has seemingly worked out and you guys are leading the domestic high life (aww). your photographs are incredible. everytime i read your blog, it seems like you're over there, but you're not all at the same time...like you guys are far away, but i can't seem to grasp the distance of india from here in the states...okay, that was my little ramble. anyways, keep up the good times and keep smiling, sch-weetus!!!!!!!!
hey you! its been so exciting reading all the stuff you've been up to. i'm sad that i missed you in houston and that we won't get to see eachother. oh well. next break! keep updating and i'll keep commenting...or at least trying to! love you jen!
i'm glad the job is going well! i was worried that you might end up hating it or something which would have sucked because it is kind of why you went to india. it sounds like you and brian are having a great time. tell him i say hi and that i really wish i could come! (i definitely did not get all a's this semester...) anyway, i hope the potential new housing works out. can't wait until the next blog!
photos Hi Jenn,
I love your blog and the photos. I think the one of the beans on the cart would be great framed in the kitchen.
I am praying for cooler weather for you and Brian. At least you are used to Houston heat, but Brian must be having a tough time. Take care. Love, Jo
Wonderful Photo's Thanks for the great photos and the Blog entries! Quite an education you are getting in a relatively short time. How's the Hindi coming? Are you getting much of a chance to use it and do you think that it will help your fluency being there all summer?
When you get a chance (and remembering that almost anyone can see these entries, so be careful what you say, especially do not use proper names or identify your Company if anything you say is unflattering) tell us more about your job and how Brian is liking his job. Also, if the job will entail anything fun or unusual.
Karen and I love you and we are so proud of you. Keep it up
DAD
i'm glad things are going (mostly) well and i hope they keep going well when you finally meet your employers! i'm sure they'll be very impressed by you. :)
A correction Hello there,
Good luck on your trip to India. Since I am an Indian, I think I can understand why most men talk to your partner rather than you.
The reason is, it is considered very rude to talk or make an eye contact directly with a woman when she is travelling with a partner. If anything, you should be very concerned about men talking to you directly and not your partner.
It is just local culutural nuances, talking to a woman directly is considered an insult to the partner and to some extent it is equivalent of hitting on another man's wife. In all likelihood, these men are trying to be gentlemen based on their own culture. It is easy to misconstrue these things.
Anyways, have fun guys
Vignesh
ack! "Intollerably hot"?! You're scaring me! And I'm not too keen on being a spectacle, either! I'm just so glad you guys are there. I finally got my tickets today for the flights. Wasn't AIIS stupid enough to have me fly from Newark to Chicago, then to Delhi! Should be a blast. I'll shoot you an e-mail when I'm settled with my address.
Glad you've arrived Thanks so much for the Blog entry. I very glad to see that you've arrived in Jaipur safe and sound. I hope the heat is not too oppresive and that you have tons of fun. Say howdy to Brian for me.
Good luck with the job.
Love
Dad
i'm not sure how else to reply to you, so i hope you get this, and i'm sorry i didn't see your comment sooner. i'm a big fan of air india, and they fly into kochi and trivandrum from mumbai. generally, they're also the cheapest option, and they serve excellent food on board. unfortunately, they don't fly out of texas, so take a local carrier to new york, and then take air india from new york to paris and then on to mumbai. if that's too expensive at this point, then take the cheapest option to mumbai or delhi, and then use either indian airlines, air sahara, or jet airways to go from mumbai/delhi to trivandrum or cochi. there are a bunch of new budget airlines like spice air and kingfisher, but i'm not sure that they fly into kerala. anyway, i hope this gets to you on time and you make it to the wedding. happy travels.
jenn
the particulars I'm exploring the idea of showing up at a wedding Dec. 31 at a location somewhere between Kochi and Trivandrum. I'm sure that if I make it to either location, I'll reach my goal.
Question. Any advice on getting there from Austin? Travelocity gives me the option of multiple destinations and others don't, as you probably know. However, unlike Orbitz, it doesn't indicate specifics if problems with data input arise. It doesn't give me a clue about which part was problematic.
Anyway, if you get this, your wise counsel could make the difference in my attending or not. No pressure implied.
Regards,
Clay
Experiences What a summer--finish high school; go to Honduras/Guatamala; fly to India (by oneself) have a life changing experience then finish up with a deluxe week on a private island. Bravo and Well Done!!!! Now off to U Penn for more great adventures.
Love, Mina
Oh, hon, I hope you don't have malaria! Let me know as soon as you find out anything. In the meantime, I hope you're having a fabulous time on Peter Island (fever-free preferably...). Check your e-mail.
i am so proud of you. you have experienced more than most people will in a lifetime. i think you're on your way home now, and i can't wait to see you. (but i'll give you a chance to recover from jet-lag first.) :)
Mona
non-member comment
omg, sounds like you guys are having an amazing time. a positive attitude really does help things not to suck so bad. those pictures are GORGEOUS (why are you not becoming a freelance photographer again :P) and it seems pretty effing awesome over there. keep schmiling!