India for the first time

I always enjoy traveling to a new country. It is like being a child all over again, seeing the world in a whole new way, smiling so widely that some may think I actually look strange. This journey, however, is quite special as I am both traveling to a new country, India, and volunteering.

I arrived to Mumbai on Friday night at about 9 PM. Admittedly, I was a bit scared on the plane. It finally hit me that I was going to a country that was so different from anything I had experienced before. Would I like it? Would I hate it? Would I be safe? Would volunteering be all that it was cracked up to be? Given all the warnings from the travel books, it was no wonder I had such mixed feelings.

When I landed, my feelings changed instantly. I quickly found that the Indian people are so kind, patient, and hospitable - something I, as an American, can learn much from. Within the first hour, I had two Indian men explain to me why the domestic airport was different from but the same as the international airport, direct me to the pre-paid taxi section, pay for my cab, and make sure I got to my cab and hotel safely. One even gave me his business card in case I ran into trouble.

Once I arrived to the hotel, I soon realized I booked myself to the wrong hotel, meaning I booked for my final destination city instead of my connecting city...with points...and it was past the timeframe within which I could cancel without a fee. After begging and smiling, the hotel in Mumbai called Chennai, asking them not to charge me and I was able to get a room at the correct hotel. I even got roses and an upgrade. (Why do these things happen when I go to a hotel only to sleep rather than to hang out AND sleep?) When I got upstairs, I decided I could not be crammed in my room overnight without doing "something" in Mumbai. So I hit the hotel bar to write in my journal and found two Americans traveling on business. We chatted until 1:30 AM and they bought me a couple of beers and shared their snacks.

The next morning, I headed off to the airport for my final destination. There were not nearly as many greeters at the domestic airport as there were at the international airport. I later find that entire families gather at airports waiting for their loved ones to return from abroad. There are hundreds of signs being held up so you just pray the person picking you up knows to look for you as well as you knowing who to look for!

And now, I am at the guesthouse of Global Volunteers in Porur, just outside Chennai. There are six female volunteers, mostly from the US and one from Taiwan. Everyone is lovely, including our host, Stephen, his wife and son, the cook, and the watchman.

Today, we had our team meeting to discuss the three weeks. I will be doing construction at an orphanage for half the time and playing with the orphans the other half. Thanks to my friend, Debbie, who donated THREE laptops, these kids are going to have an opportunity to learn computer skills.

Just prior to dinner, we met the orphans. I almost cried. As soon as we opened the gate, the kids were all running to us. Each shook our hand, looked us in the eye, and said anything from "Welcome. How are you?" to "What is your name? My name is...." (Each child greeted each volunteer this way and there were about 40 kids.) And they all wanted their photos taken so they could see what it looked like on the LCD screen. They were unbelievably polite and kind. They all sat down, boys on one side and girls on the other, singing us a song. Then one boy stood up and sang a solo. I looked in amazement at these children who looked at us with so much love and appreciation. I wondered if American children are really like this at this age. These kids sit on a dirt floor, maybe have one outfit, and get a minimal public school education. Yet they are so gentle, sweet, AND energetic!

Some warned me that I will either hate or love India. Sure it is dirty and poverty-striken. Yes, there are cows roaming all over and I can barely breath due to all the exhaust. But by simply walking the streets, smiling and interacting with the locals, I can't help but be elated and grateful for this opportunity.