More time in India and the "honeymoon phase" of culture shock continues. We've been getting ourselves adjusted to Jaipur, our program center, and the adventures ahead of us. Everyone involved in the program is very nice. The two academic directors, Mia and Dr. Storm, are both really interesting people. Mia has studied studio art and, most in depth, Indian music. Dr. Storm has a law degree as well as a PHd in art history (of India, of course). They are both very nice and supportive of us.
I've been exploring the city more. Yesterday, partially as a result of being lost, and partially as a result of aimless wandering, I walked around a lot of the city. It's a lot less scary than I previously thought it would be. In the afternoon, we went to a big shopping area around here, which was intense, to say the least. People everywhere shoved their low-quality goods in our faces and begged us to come into small stores. My senses were all completely overloaded, but I enjoyed it greatly. Watching a girl, Jessica, bartering and arguing with salespeople was an experience.
Life in India itself is incredible. The sights, sounds, scents, and just overall atmosphere are all so hard to describe. Dirt is, indeed, everywhere. The scents are so difficult to describe. It is a strange combination of food, dirt, manure, body odor, and other unidentifiable smells. It's not a bad thing, however. The colors are more than I hoped for. The sarees are incredible. One of my favorite sights is that of a woman in a bright saree and a motorcycle helmet, on a motorcycle with her saree blowing in the wind.
The people here have an interesting sense of humor and humility. The rudeness and harassment is much less than I expected. The stares, however, are intense. Most of the people so rarely see Westerners that they find us exotic and watch our every moves.
I'm getting to know some people really well and enjoying a lot of their company. We're all going to have a lot of fun and bond while having these intense experiences.