October summed up.

This has indeed been a crazy month, I’ve been so overly busy and I can honestly tell you that blogging hasnt been a top priority on my list. Ill try to make up for it now though.

There was the country celebration with the rotex and amazing danish pastries! I went to Safala with Shaila-auntie (my hostmom) and Janina, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset over the arabian sea.

The ‘october heat’ has indeed been equally draining and energizing. I love it in spite of the dull feeling you sometimes get after too long a day in the sun. Its one of the main reasons of why I came to India - the sun! As long as I remeber to drink a lot of water during the day I can just enjoy the light and totally recharge on energy. All in all I appreciate this bright season that is coming and replacing the monsoon.

Last weekend Janina and I went for a weekend in Lonavala with Janavi from rotex. She was turning 18, and we went there by bus along with all of her friends. We had a lot of fun, and this time it wasnt the sunset but the sunrise that I was fascinated by ;) We left from Charni Rd station on saturday morning and were back late in the afternoon on sunday.

I recieved a parcel from my Grandma with a couple bags of (very needed) liqourice and a donald duck magazine :) And Anna (my best friend from home) sent me a package that I am not allowed to open untill the 31st - my birthday - she wrote it like 10000 times on the outside of the parcel! tusind tak søde unge.

I already slowly started celebrating my birthday, Janina had taken me for the breakfastbuffet in the Taj Mahal Hotel (I have to do the same at her birthday though)! We were all dressed up, and decided to take a cab there, even though its like 100 metres from her house. It was soooo classy! I loved it, doubt I have ever eaten that much for breakfast. We had been fasting since noon on the previous day becouse we wanted to be able to eat like crazy. We ate non-stop for 2 hours and 15 minutes when we just couldnt have any more without cracking, and even around dinnertime I was still uncomfortably full! But it was good - definately good.

Later that same day, we went to meet with Nishita, rotex member who had gone on exchange to Germany, and her friends. We met in one of the many hookah-bars ( på dansk: vandpibe-caféer), smoking and talking all night. Then we walked across the street to see the scarred building across from Nariman Point, where the terrorists had hit 2 years ago, it was a bit odd to see how they, in preparation to Obamas upcoming visit, had repainted the entire front and made small red circles around the bulletholes in the brickwall and doors...

On the 30th I will be moving my hostfamilies. I will leave the Vyas-family to go live with Bal and Nilima Inamdar. They too live in Goregaon west, quite nearby to my current family. On my 2nd day there, we will be hosting a birthday dinner for all the inbounds, it will be really fun! Im so excited.

My parents, brother and grandmother sent me money for my birthday. I have already spent the money from my brother on buying the most amazing orange sari with a gold and purple border, and I have already handed it in to get the blouse stitched:)

111 days, almost 4 months, 2 hostfamilies, 2 trips outside Mumbai, 10000000000 new friends, a new language, a new culture, a new country... one third of my exchange-year has gone by, and Im still enjoying every moment. It still feels like I just arrived, just when I have fallen into a slow rythm something happens and all things are shaken up again (in a good way). This is indeed Incredible India.

Since my small (blue) camera drowned during the junglewalk in the monsoon season, my photoghaphy is only possible with my big Nikon. Because of the overly crowded trains, I prefer not to bring that to townside, and therefore I do not have a lot of photos from the past month :( ill upload some as they magically appear on my memorycard...

take care
Maria