Taj Mahal and my Bobo Lovelies.

Agra and the Taj Mahal were quite the experience. Here are some pictures from the weekend. Enjoy!

We cannot ask children to do things we ourselves refuse to do.

           This includes taking risks, following your dreams and most importantly following your heart. I’ve realized that much of what I want for these kids, I’ve only thought about for myself. How can I ask of them something I don’t ask of myself? It’s easy to say these things, but if you really think about it, how many of you have actually taken a risk recently? I think we become content in the safe zones that are our lives and we forget to follow our dreams in fear that we will fail. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since working with the students, it’s that life comes down to doing what makes you happy because at the end of the day, there are so many things around us that we cannot control nor will we ever be able to control them. We have to be happy spending time with the people in our lives, even if that time is spent working on math or writing. We have to find the beauty in being able to share meals with others. We have to appreciate the opportunities given to us and continue to work towards even better ones. We have to be happy in order to keep fighting for the things we want most in life.

            

            I’ve truly been changed because of these students. I feel as though every challenge and rough patch I’ve gone through here as well as in my past, was a way for me to appreciate the amazing things in my life- big and small. Being here has opened my eyes to the lives we don’t see everyday and the difficult circumstances they must live in. And even though all these things happen, the people I have met never fail to smile at me when I smile and say hello. I’m sure many of the students I have worked with could think of a million reasons why not to smile, but the fact that they are willing to come to school and work towards a brighter future shows that they are choosing to have a reason to be happy instead. They are learning that they have potential much greater than they had ever known before. I feel blessed to have seen them finally believe in this and themselves.

            

            Today was my last day at the school and I don’t think I’ve ever had to do anything more difficult in my life than walk away after saying my good-byes. Raju, the young man that I’ve grown closest to, gave me a hug just as I was walking to the car. The people here don’t hug. It’s more a custom to shake hands and that is all. Me being me wanted to hug everyone, but I remembered the last time I thought of doing that one of the students got super stiff. Since then, I’ve kept to hand shakes. It warmed my heart when he hugged me because it was one of the moments where neither of us needed to say anything, but we both knew what we were feeling and thinking. These past few days Raju shared with me more of his hopes and secrets than I could’ve ever imagined. The same way he began to trust me, my heart began to make a special place in it for him. I often keep people at a distance for some time before I allow them in, but with Raju the moment came sooner than any other person in my life. He inspires me to take the risks I encourage him to take in his life. He has taught me so much in such a small amount of time. I believe God put us each in one another’s life this summer for a very important reason. I can finish and leave this project knowing that I have impacted someone’s life.

Below are some pictures from the artwork now displayed in the school house, the COMPLETED library,students finishing their last photo project, some of the younger students in the park and some of the wonderful people I’ve been blessed to work with.

Ram, Devender and Manoj

Devender

Library (over 600 books indexed and labelled!)

Art Exhibit- July 15, 2011

 All original student work

Assembly.

Finished drawings.

<3

Walter!

Left- Sunita Ma'am (librarian) Right- Monica Ma'am (Hindi Teacher)

Terrorist Bombing in Mumbai 7/13/2011

Check out these links. It’s pretty disturbing, so beware. It’s really insane to be in India while all this is happening. My prayers are with the family members who have lost loved ones and for those who are fighting for their lives.

Aftermath

Updates and Details. 

Food for thought.

I think you should all check out this article:
Preventing Underage Marriage

I'm curious, what do you all think? What would it take for an entire country to move towards the desired outcomes?

Reflections and Motocycle babes!?

           What do you do when one of the students asks, “What do I need to do to get a passport so that I can go to America?” Maybe you don’t see anything wrong with this question, but for me, it comes with a lot of emotional hardship. One of the students wanted to have a conversation about the kinds of jobs he could get in America as a teenager and what the necessary steps to go to school would be. While I was excited that he was thinking about school, I was also overcome with sadness. For many of the students, completing basic school will be the hardest challenge they face. With pressure from home to work, pressure from others to go down the wrong path, arranged marriage and many other factors, it will be rare to accomplish more than school. When I write this, it sounds very negative and pessimist of me, however, I’m mostly being honest about the realities they face. I wish more than anything that the students I work with excel in every aspect of life and get to a point where they have broken the vicious cycle that is in place for the poor people in India. So when Raju wanted to discuss making it out and living in America, I couldn’t help but feel pain: pain at the idea of him having all these amazing dreams, but having everything work against him and ultimately failing. I’ve spent so much time with the students talking about my college experience and how important it is for them to finish school, that I felt guilty for a moment; like maybe my presence was doing more harm than good. Would Raju be thinking about going to America if I had not come and planted all these wonderful ideas in his mind? Yes, some might say that it’s good to plant ideas of finishing school and the importance of education. And to that, I would agree 100%. I guess more of my concern and pain comes from them having goals they cannot reach. I hate to say that because others have always told me that I can do anything and that nothing is out of reach. I’m not saying I don’t believe in them, because trust me, I do. I think that’s why I feel so much pain and hurt for them. I don’t want them to fail and even more than that, I don’t want them to feel the pain that comes with failure. I guess I know what teachers feel like in different realms of schooling.

            

               So after talking this out and crying a bit to my brother, he brought up some good/heavy questions for me to think about. I’ve planned to continue this kind of work as a career, so he asked me, “Can I do this over and over again?” Before coming here I thought without a doubt that this work was where I belong. And while I still believe that, I’m starting to realize it’s a bigger emotional rollercoaster than I had prepared for. Sure you can always adjust to the culture of where you’re staying, but can you ever really get use to the emotional attachment that comes along with working with so many incredible people? It’s something I’m going to have to spend the rest of my time at Bowdoin thinking about. I also recognize that me being here is not in any way a waste of time. The same brother of mine also reaffirmed that my love for the students has been worth more than the photo skills I’ve given them or the typing skills they’ve learned. I know when I was in high school going through my own obstacles, the people who showered me with love and spent time with me, were the people to make the biggest impact in my life. I will never forget that, and now I know that it’s the one thing I’m hoping the students never forget as well. I also had help from a fellow volunteer and he told me something absolutely beautiful. He said, “ You being here is something I call a ‘privilege’. The things we think about as privileges in the states (money, property, etc) aren’t anything compared to the privilege of seeing the world in a real way. You being here this summer is a way to experience the world not many are not fortunate to have”. Wow, what a great way to look at things. I may leave this place, but this experience will never leave me.

            

             On a lighter note, I rode on the back of a motorcycle today! I know my brother didn’t want me doing that, but I had to because my auto was a no show, so Dr. B. sent the motorcycle. I didn’t have a helmet, so I was nervous and scared at the beginning, but then after a while I let my hair down and enjoyed the ride. I thought I got stares before, but it seemed like me on a bike with this young man (who I might add was a handsome gent) was a bigger deal than just me in a rickshaw. I know it was dangerous, but I was actually really excited I got the experience :D  

India

           has taught me so much about the Indian culture versus what Americans think is the Indian culture, more about my personal strength and millions about who my true friends are. It’s amazing all the things you learn being in a different country, away from all those people. I’m surprised by how much I’ve changed as well and the types of changes I’m going to make in my life when I return home. I feel rooted in the person I am and will become. Before, I was afraid of letting go of people and of ideas, but now I feel confident that each new lesson I am learning/taking back is going to benefit me so much. I can’t wait to meet new challenges and spend time with the people who have proven to be worth my friendship. Yay for my Eat. Pray. Love moments :D

Series of Unfortunate Events.

            Men here really don’t appreciate being lectured or told what to do by women. My rickshaw driver is the perfect example of this. Last week, my Dr. Savita discussed with him the need for him to be on time when picking me up to come to and from school. I know he was going to have a problem with being scolded by a woman because immediately during their talk he started to get loud to the point where he was almost yelling. Dr. Savita being the amazingly strong woman she is, shot him down quickly and made her point clear that he needed to be a more responsible driver. Well, during that ride post conversation, he drove like a crazy man! As if the roads here weren’t bad enough, he took turns and speed bumps like they didn’t exist. It was so terrible that during one of the bumps, the back of the auto went up so badly it made my head hit the roof of the auto. I wish this was the worst of it, but my head came down to meet my laptop sitting upright in my lap, resulting in me biting my lip very severely. I was bleeding for about 5 minutes and spitting out blood for the rest of the ride home. When the other volunteers asked him to be more careful, he just shrugged and kept going. It was really painful and made me so frustrated. When we finally got home, all I wanted to do was get out of the auto and get water for my mouth, but of course this man insisted on me getting water for him from the house. This is typical for drivers to ask for water, but I was already too angry at the whole situation I did not want to be serving this guy water. While I wanted to just walk away, I took a deep breath, grabbed him water and finally walked away. My tongue was swollen and made it impossible for me to eat anything. I also sounded like a person who had just eaten something they were allergic too (i.e. Will Smith in the Movie Hitch).

           

         I hoped the next week would be better. Of course, not to my surprise he again was a reckless, inconsiderate driver who made me feel really uncomfortable. Monday after class was the final straw for this guy as my driver, when he refused to pick up the little sister to one of the girls in the auto with me that I offered to catch a ride with me since we were all going to the same sector, I just had it. He had no reason to say no since the sister was already in the auto going to the same location as the younger one would have been as well as there was enough space in the auto for one more, tiny girl. I tried explaining to him that it made no sense for him not to stop, but he kept waving his hand in my face and blowing me off. On top of that, he doesn’t speak English very well, if at all really, and so we’re just arguing in different languages at the end of the day. Of course I call Dr. B requesting a new driver and what does he say? He says, “ Tell me what the issues are so we can sort it out. It’s too much work for me to find another driver”. HELLO, IT’S YOUR JOB! “too much work”?! You have got to be kidding me. After I explained everything that had happened, he still insisted I use the same driver and that I wasn’t going to get a driver who could speak English because it’s India- “nobody speaks English”. Yeah, this guy is almost as bad as the driver. Finally after staying firm in requesting a new driver, he agreed to find me another. We’ll see tomorrow at 9 a.m. if this driver shows up. (oh and just another note, the bad driver lied to Dr. B and said he picked me up today after school. I had to find another way back to the hostel)

            

               Maybe all these events get to me even more because I haven’t been sleeping much here. It’s way too hot and I’m constantly uncomfortable to the point where I lay in bed trying to sleep for a solid 2 hrs before I actually fall asleep and wake up earlier than needed because it’s too difficult to stay asleep. Last night I think was the worst of all though. The electricity in the entire sector was off. Usually there are generators that keep a select few lights/fans on, but last night those were out as well. So, it was almost 100 degrees at midnight, I couldn’t sleep and there was the most annoying dog outside barking. I wanted to go out there and shut the thing up, but we all know I don’t have that in me AND Devender had just given me wrist thread earlier in the day that is suppose to keep me on the right track. That dog got lucky, in my opinion ;D I think all the students had a rough night because of the heat. I could see today in class they all moved a little slower and were a bit more calm than usual. The heat has been absolutely crushing. I’m trying my best to stay hydrated and in good spirits. I know how easily it can be to become frustrated and unenthusiastic about daily routines. Despite the heat, the students had a great time making the letters of the alphabet out of their bodies! (Special thanks to Janice for the idea) They were super creative and got through the alphabet with no problems. They took a lot of photos, so I’m just going to post my favorite interpretation of the letter ‘D’. These kids never cease to amaze! 

thread that keeps me on the right path :D

Monkey-ing Around :D

                  While waiting for my auto rickshaw at the end of the school day (which happens every morning and afternoon) a few of us volunteers began to discuss some of the issues we have had with our area coordinator. It made me feel a little better knowing I wasn’t going crazy or something, but that there were many who had also experienced the unprofessionalism that is Dr. B. I came to the conclusion that that issue at hand was that instead of being support for the volunteers who are experiences extreme cultural differences when coming to India, he washes his hands of us. Walter, a fellow volunteer here for his second summer and ex-volunteer of Dr. B, talked a lot on the fact that we come here and pay a fee to be supported by our program, but that doesn’t happen. Several times he experienced the same abandonment from the coordinator and because of his unstable experience last summer, has returned on his own without the assistance of the program. Luckily he is amazing and wasn’t completely discouraged from returning, as it is for many volunteers who have gone through this program. I know if I ever return, which I hope to do one day, it will be similar to Walter’s decision to find his own housing and be on his own. I’m grateful for Walter’s honesty and willingness to share his experience with me and two other volunteers. I think some people can be afraid to be honest in fears that they are bad mouthing the program, but I think it’s important for people to bring their stories to the table so that others can really know what the situation really is. I know for me, I’ve had moments where I felt like maybe I shouldn’t speak honestly of my experience to other volunteers in fears that I would taint their image of the India experience, but I think that’s unfair to them. I know I’ve been most appreciative of the honest and true experiences of the volunteers I’ve come into contact with (i.e. Gabby, Walter, and Silpa). Us volunteers have to stick together, am I right!?

            Once I finally made it home from school, I was hanging out in my room when I heard something at my screen door to the balcony. When I looked to see what it was, I found monkeys! They were fighting and playing with each other. I got so excited I grabbed my camera quickly so I could capture pictures and video (see below). I’ve had a few encounters with the buggars, but this was definitely the best. I was able to get some footage of them, but then one of them saw me watching and decided it was time to bounce. I’m starting to not be as afraid, but I’m still very cautious of them. I’d hate to be attacked by a monkey! 

Dancing in the rain

            made me so unbelievably happy. I can’t describe fully the joy that today brought me, so I’m going to post some pictures and let you see a little of today’s fun. Today I felt the happiest since being here.

Auto Rickshaws go on STRIKE!

                 Yup, today the auto rickshaws of Faridabad went on strike. I didn’t think it was possible since most of the drivers don’t report to anyone with their earnings, however, the strike was against the rise in petrol costs. I didn’t believe it at first when my coordinator said the reason he hadn’t gotten me a ride to my project was because there was a strike, but then when I finally made it to the school, Dr. Savita informed me that there was indeed a strike going on. The streets were so empty! I also heard rumors that the other rickshaw drivers would beat the people who refused to strike. While I saw some autos still on the road, when I was returning home later in the afternoon, there wasn’t an auto in sight. I’m hoping that this doesn’t last long because it will make getting anywhere impossible, but more importantly, it will continue to delay me in getting to work. Just another interesting aspect of my experience I suppose!

            Today I returned to Prakashdeep and there is no doubt in my mind that this is where I belong. The moment I walked in, the kids lit up and began to wave like crazy. I felt so much love and happiness within myself. I guess everything happened the way it was suppose to: I learned a few lessons and I returned to the students who genuinely appreciate me in their lives. I’ve never felt more anxious to get back. Immediately Ram and the other boys were asking me for help on their homework as well as showing me some of their latest drawings. One of the boys, Raju, was talking to me about my return and when I told him I was here for another 3 weeks, he made this upset face. When I asked if it was ok for me to stay he said, “ Yes, but 3 weeks is such a short amount of time”. AH, these students are going to make it nearly impossible for me after the 3 weeks to leave. For now, more photo projects and some typing lessons. I have a few ideas for some photo projects that include taking pictures of things that start with the letters of the alphabet, taking self-timed pictures of different emotions and another one that deals with the different parts of body (arms, legs, head). I want to have the students do more with writing as well, so I figured they could write about the different functions of the body, things that make them feel certain emotions and practice their letters. I hope it goes well! I feel right at home with my Prakashdeep family <3

Special Thanks

              to my brother Elmer Moore, Mrs. Janice Jaffe, Eswar Priyadarshan and my love Jay Priyadarshan. The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions and experiences, but it was because of these amazing people I have been able to overcome difficulties. Elmer and Janice came together to contact my coordinator here in India and make sure I was able to return to the project I had already begun. The awesome Priyadarshan men did an incredible job of supporting me if a move to Delhi was necessary. I really feel so blessed to have each and every one of these people in my life and their love/support is something I treasure more than words can describe. Thank you all so much.

           

            That being said, I am so happy to be back at the hostel! All the girls were shocked to see me, but very excited I was back. I had the most interesting cultural experience as well today. One of the beautiful women, Jyoti, had her mom and brother visiting for a few hours and introduced me to them. Well, when we were hanging out in the room, Jyoti’s mom began to rub coconut oil into Jyoti’s hair. It took me back to my younger days when my mom or aunt would run their hands through my hair. I thought it was so wholesome. After she finished, her mom told me to have a seat so that she could do the same to my hair! I can’t lie, I was really excited. The smell of the coconut oil was tantalizing and I soon found myself drifting into a daze. It was an experience that you couldn’t pay for, nor an experience many people who travel here can say they’ve had. I found myself feeling that I am exactly where I need to be, despite all the drama the past 2 days. I realized that these types of experiences are what I will remember when I look back on my trip to India and it is times like these that I am so grateful to be where I am today. 

Keep the Head Up.

              I can’t say I don’t appreciate the mess of an experience I’ve been having. I’m learning my own strength when it comes to handling myself in difficult situations as well as getting some practice dealing with disorganized people/programs. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful friend named Jay whose family knows people in Delhi. We’re currently looking for possible living arrangements so that I can find a new project in Delhi. I went there this past weekend and I’ve got the metro system down enough where I think I can travel to and from project sites. There is this group called Project Why that looks really interesting and was suggested to me by a Bowdoin alum. I’m hoping I can get in contact with the people there to figure something out. I really, really don’t want to leave India sooner than planned, so I’m doing my best to put something together. I’m not sure if I will have internet access once I get to my new location, so I will do my best to keep you all updated on my wild adventures. 

Leaving

is always the hardest part. Today was my last day with the students of Prakashdeep and it was one of the most difficult things I have gone through in India so far. It was hard to explain to the students that I would not be coming back tomorrow morning. They each thanked me for teaching them photography, but more so for the photo albums that they were able to keep. They each bring their photos with them everyday to class and I’ve found a few of them looking at them during the day. Today Raju came up to me with his book and said, “Thanks for this”. My heart melted and I almost broke down right there. I knew I would have a hard time separating from the students I came to know, but I never expected to feel so connected to them. I’ve been told secrets and shared in some of their amazing accomplishments. How do I leave this? I’ve accepted that this is something that I will continue to struggle through, but at the same time I have to remind myself of the impact I have left on their lives as well. It is my biggest hope that one day I will return and see all my beautiful photography students grown, happy and beating the odds. I believe each and every one of them has the grit to make it out of their current conditions, but even more importantly, I think each one wants to have more from their lives. Sigh, my babies are growing up!

            

             Not only did I have to leave the kiddos, I had to say adios to my girl Gabby. I’m suppose to be going to a new project and she is heading home this Saturday. While she will be going home for sure, I’ve been faced again with the unprofessionalism of my director. He has been telling me for the last 2 weeks that I would be going to Darmshala, however, as soon as I sat in his car, he started talking about there being difficulties with me going, as well as program fees I was not aware of. I’m so frustrated and it’s only been 2 hours since I’ve left my other house. Apparently I have to pay the extra fees, the fare to get transported there and it’s not even been finalized for me to be there! He said that the program has too many volunteers going there, so he suggested yet again another project in a different town. Augh, I wish this program was better. I’m looking to see what connections I was given from Bowdoin people so that maybe I can just go work in Delhi. I have a month left and I would really like to be productive. Once I told him that there are possible projects for me via Bowdoin connections and that I want to work with women since it was the focus of my Global Citizen’s Grant, he started saying how he has programs in Delhi that work with women. Where was this when I first came? I told him from the start that that was what I signed up for and that my focus was women’s empowerment. This just doesn’t fit and it’s so unorganized. I’m going to do some research and see what the heck I’m going to do these last few weeks. I was having such an amazing time. 

Blessed.

I am so blessed. I thought for sure I would have a hard time getting through my birthday without my friends and family, but I have been fortunate enough to find people here in India who care for me just as much as those back home. I had 3 different celebrations for my birthday and countless people wish me well. I felt so much love from back home, and love here that I honestly didn’t expect to get. My fellow volunteer, Gabby, helped to make my birthday special by taking me to dinner and drinks. She truly has been such a rock in my life these few weeks. I hope I can continue our friendship when I return to the states. Her mom even talked to me on the phone today and she said something that almost made me cry. She said, “ I have never met you before, but the way my daughter has become so close to you, it means you are an amazing person”. Wow, it’s insane to hear something like that from someone you’ve never met before. I felt honored and special.

            Tonight we went out to celebrate my actual birthday and I felt really beautiful. I have been so sweaty and nasty from the weather, that when I dressed up a bit for the dinner, I felt good. I felt great inside and out. I’ve tried to avoid looking in mirrors because I can be a hot mess at times, but it was nice to recognize the person looking back. Haha. I want to thank all the people that took time out of their day to wish me a happy birthday. I am truly grateful to have each and every one of you in my life. Here are some pictures from the night. I hope you enjoy!

my girl Gabby!

long hair!

ketchup :]

nom nom

surprise cake from my new love!

wish :D

chocolate wasted.

With Love, the Dominoes Team

            What a crazy last few days! I’ll begin first by describing my birthday celebration with the kids. I think I almost cried like 3 different times during the day. When I walked into the school, the children immediately started to shower me with hand made cards and other forms of birthday presents. I read them and as I saw all the lovely things they wrote, my eyes started to fill with tears. They have all become close to my heart, and I can tell from the love they gave me on Friday, I have grown on them as well. It was such an experience to become like family with the students as well as the staff. The students call me “Didi”- which in Indian culture means big sister. Everything they say to me begins with this term and it has become so familiar to me that I’m no longer surprised when one of them calls me by it. I really enjoy it actually. I love feeling as though I have become a part of their family. The Prakashdeep family. The director, Dr. Sivita, told me on Friday, “ I hope you know that you will forever be a part of the Prakasdeep Family”. Again with the tears. I haven’t had the easiest upbringing in terms of family, so being able to adopt a new family made me so absolutely happy. In that moment I had no words for the appreciation I felt for the students and staff allowing me into their lives and more importantly, their hearts. I am completely humbled by their giving hearts. To finish the day with the students, we all had cake. Now this is where I was thrown a curveball- I wasn’t told that whenever it is someone’s birthday, everyone feeds the birthday person from the cake. Yes, I was fed cake by all the students and staff. I was so shocked at first I didn’t know how to react so I just started taking bites. I soon realized it’s best to take extremely small nibbles from each person. The first few times my mouth was full, but then I got smart and started with the tiny nibbles. Whew, 25 people later I was able to sit and enjoy the company. Some of the girls did some dances they had learned before and a few of them sang their favorite Bollywood songs accompanied with the dances from the music videos. Again, I wanted cry. They are just so awesome.

The point where I teared up.

 Gift from Sepna.

 The staff gave me roses :D

            My second celebration took place with the girls in the house. Man, they are a funny group of girls. We went to grab some food from Dominoes [yes, there is a Dominoes here, no it is not as good as the one back home] and they brought along a surprise. The surprise turned out to be a tasty birthday cake. Again I had to be fed by everyone at the table. I don’t think that’s something I will ever get use to. Anyways, after I had a few bites of cake, the girls proceeded to rub it all over my face! It was messy, but very funny. Everyone in the place was staring- even more than usual. All I could do was sit there and take the abuse! Ha, it was cute. The girls thought it was the funniest thing ever, so I was a good sport. While we were waiting for food and talking, one of the male workers came up to me and asked me for my name. I told him and a few minutes later, he came back with a birthday card signed by the entire Dominoes team. SO SO cute. I thought it was super nice, so I asked for a picture with them all. Such a funny experience. 

My girl Neha.

 Group shot!

 Mistake number 1: Giving me a weapon ;D

Being fed, again.

Got.

 Dominoes Team <3

The next day, Saturday, I was off to finally see my darling Branden! After a 20 minute rickshaw ride, hour long metro ride, and 30 min taxi ride, I was finally at Branden’s hotel. Thank goodness we found it because it was in the middle of the most random street! I was so happy to see such a beautiful familiar face. It’s been 3 weeks since I left home, so I think I was due for a taste of home. After a quick nap we began our shopping brigade. The markets here are insane. No joke. Every 2 seconds you have a different person trying to sell you the most random things and telling you, “Special price for you only”. Ha, it’s such a sight. One experience that sticks out the most though was when we were looking at a suit for Branden. It was overpriced and my friend Gabby knew it, so she told us we should keep moving. However, the salesman had different plans for us. He continued to punch numbers into his calculator telling Branden he would continue to go down and give the best price. As soon as we were finally able to walk out, he came up to Gabby, said “you are my sister” and wrapped his arm around her. HILARIOUS! We all started laughing and couldn’t stop for some time. They really don’t give up easily. We all got some good buys and called it a night.

            We helped Branden move into his apartment today, but before we could get there we had to get through the most insane traffic jams. See the pictures for some of the placements of cars/trucks/motorcycles. Our driver literally got out, put the rickshaw in neutral and pushed us out of the chaos. He was a boss. At last we arrived, dropped off the luggage and went on one more shopping extravaganza. While I would’ve liked to spend more time with my darling, Gabby and I had a long treck back to our hostel because we have work tomorrow. Overall the weekend was good and fun way to celebrate my week long birthday. I’m excited for my actual birthday on Tuesday. I was suppose to head north on Wednesday, but it looks like my director had something else planned. I may or may not get there some time this week. We’ll have to see! 

I missed this face!

Scarves...for days.

The lovelies <3

Major traffic Jam.