Some Difficulty, Parties, and Some Monkeys

Sorry, I am a little late, a busy few days.

It doesn’t really click, how under educated Americans are until your math teacher tells you to memorize these thirty trigonometry formulas for homework. Let’s just say that I am no longer an Anand Niketan math student. I feel that the education style and my education here will be one of the harder parts of this exchange. It is a big adjustment, from being a student who, (I think at least), grasps concepts easily, to being confused and having to work very hard for the grades I want to achieve. That combined with the work I need to catch up with, it will be a challenge that I am expecting for mid-terms in a month or so. On a better note, I only must attend school until February (that’s like a six-month summer. Yes, I did the math.) Otherwise, the class of 11th humanities has been an absolute joy to be with and I am very excited for the memories in the future.

On a happier note, I attended two parties this week, all I will say, Indians go hard. First a welcome party with AFS- it was mostly in Gujarati, but the food was FANTASTIC, and I got to talk with Indian alum who went to the U.S., so I am not complaining. I also got to attend a friend’s sweet sixteen, probably the loudest party I've ever been in. It resembled a dubstep concert (Yet Indian dance moves are still somehow stuck in the eighties) there were flashing lights, lasers, music so loud you cannot speak. The food there was also fantastic, the first Italian food, (I was so excited), and cake that I have had in a very long time. The party was worth it, just for that. I also got to buy/wear my first kurta, which you will see down below.

You never really know how much you enjoy something until you don’t have it anymore. That has been one of the major themes in my stay here so far. Not being able to enjoy my music and play the piano as much as I usually do is a point of discomfort. It brings to fruition how much I love the daily activities that I had in the U.S.

I should be shifting to my permanent family soon and as always, I am very excited to experience more new things. Much love to my now second mother, (Mrs. Macchar) for providing me with all the accommodations. (And also for being a wonderful president of AFS Ahmedabad, which makes exchanges like mine possible.) Almost a month now, crazy how fast time goes.

The week ended with a “walk” with my host father and his friends. It was much more of a sit and drink tea/eat samosas than walk, but I am not complaining. The reason I put emphasis on this is because I had my first real monkey experience. While playing with Ajay, the monkeys were all around the playground, swinging from the playscape etc.…. there was even a baby monkey there. Just a point of interest in my week. P.S. I probably missed some things, but it hard to recollect everything I have. More to come. Also the monsoon has begun and I am more excited then I should be.

Lotus in the Park:

Monkey in the park:

Me and a fellow YES Abroader- Madison

A friendly stray-

A totally acidental, but hilarious photo. Archaraj left, Stacy Middle:

Ajay's Backpack and my new Kurta:

The cutest stray:

A good friend, Khyatt: