The Bamboozlog Has Arrived! Update #1

I'm in India! Sometimes I still can't believe it. I've only been here a week, but already this place has seeped into my bones. It's by no means a perfect country, nor is it particularly easy to live in, but there is something beautiful about the people and the countryside and the rhythm of life here. Eric and I are settling into our new apartment, into our new school, into the orphanage, and into this ancient, fascinating, and oftentimes frustrating culture. And for the most part, we are loving it.

Trouble
I knew this would be an awesome trip a few days before we left because everything started to fall apart. Two days before our departure, I got a massive case of food poisoning. It was awful--the worst stomach pain I've ever felt for as long as I can remember. That wiped out a full day of preparations for the trip, and I really needed that day. The day before we left Eric came over to help me move, store my car and motorcycle, and take care of a hundred other details (which never got finished). While I was moving my Tempurpedic mattress to Bo and Cindy's place with Abe, Abe, and Annette, it fell out of the back of my truck and promptly got run over by countless cars and trucks. It was a horrible moment. Those of you who know me know that my mattress is (was) my most prized possession and the most valuable thing I own--it's helped me overcome chronic back pain and helped alleviate my insomnia. By the time the CHP came and we got the mattress off the freeway, it was pretty much destroyed. I'm still sad, even more so because I won't be able to afford a new one when I get back. Oh well, I guess that's just the cost of the trip. There's more. The day of our departure we were already running way late when I found out that I was a victim of identity theft and someone had opened at least three credit cards in my name, at least one of which had been used to run up a fairly sizable bill. And then to top it all off, the person who was supposed to give us a ride to the airport never showed up. We had to drive ourselves and we almost didn't make it in time. All in all, it was quite a way to start our journey.

Family
Fortunately the plane ride was uneventful and actually passed fairly quickly (props to British Airway). And when we finally got to Mysore after landing in Bangalore and taking a three hour taxi ride, we were met my John Locklear, his wife Sunita, and their two twin boys, Harley and Hayden. The Locklear's have been a kind of surrogate family for us since we got here, setting up our apartment, helping us buy things and navigate the city, giving us advice, and feeding us. Basically, they're the reason we're still alive. They actually run a school for special needs children here in Mysore called Beautiful Gate (their son Hayden has special needs). They're an awesome family and I'm sure I'll write a lot more about them in the future. The other family we've been adopted into is the Peters family. Dr. Peters and his wife founded the Benson Academy (the school where Eric and I work) and the orphanage. They've actually started schools, orphanages and churches all across India. Steven, the youngest son, has been our contact here in India. He's the director of the Benson Academy, and he's starting the Benson school in Irvine as well. Steven's older brother Sam is in charge of all the construction at the school and orphanage (they still have 10 acres of land to develop), and he's been really helpful in getting us settled in to life in the school and orphanage. And Sunita Locklear is their sister. All things considered, they are a pretty amazing family.

School
Eric and I are just starting to settle into our role as teachers. Eric teaches 3rd grade math, and I teach 4th grade science and social studies (we might end up switching around a little bit though). This past week the students have been taking exams so all we've had to do so far is help them review. We'll be teaching classes for real starting in a few days. It's been pretty fun so far though. The Benson Academy is only four years old, so there aren't that many students yet (only 6-8 per class). Right now, the school only goes from pre-kindergarten up to the 4th grade--every year they'll be adding another grade until it goes to the 10th grade (in India, high school ends after the 10th grade). The campus is amazing. Seriously, it's like paradise. There are palm trees and fruit trees everywhere. The weather has been perfect, cool in the mornings and evenings, sunny and warm in the afternoon, a nice breeze blowing throughout the day (it's actually nicer than So Cal). And because the school and orphanage share the same campus, there are pets everywhere--bird cages, a duck pond, chickens (both normal and extra-hairy) and roosters, German shepherds and a wiener dog, rabbits, guinea pigs, turkeys, and guinea fowl. It's quite the menagerie.

Kids
The kids, both the students and the children at the orphanage, have been the best part of our time here. I'll write a lot more about the kids in the future, but for now some general impressions: The kids here are remarkably well-behaved. They're polite, they smile a lot, and they call us "sir." The children at the orphanage especially are a joy to be around. They all take care of each other, the older ones watching out for the younger ones. Something that surprised us is a lot of the kids look very East Asian. Most of the kids from the orphanage come from a state in India that is very close to Nepal, China, Thailand, and Burma. It was very unexpected to see so many faces that looked like my own (just a lot darker). Overall, the kids are very cute. In fact, Eric and I have discovered the cutest little girl in all of India, maybe even the entire world. Her name is Sahana, and she's in pre-kindergarten. She's small enough to fit in one of our backpacks, so we're thinking of bringing her back with us when we return. She is ridiculously cute. We're looking forward to spending a lot of time with the children, especially the ones from the orphanage. However, many of the kids at the orphanage are very shy and reserved, so we know it's going to take a while to build good relationships. Still, the children seem to like us and we already, secretly have some favorites.

Home
Eric and I live in a rather large 2-bedroom apartment in a gated community on the outskirts of the city. We've spent our evenings and weekends thus far exploring the city and buying stuff for our apartment. It's already starting to feel like home. Though the electricity randomly goes out, we don't have a TV or internet access to entertain us, and we live kind of far from the city center, we are settling in quite nicely. We end up spending our free time at home reading, listening to music, and talking about all kinds of random things. It's a good life so far. And we have plenty of room at our place, so please, come and visit! Mysore is only a 24-hour journey away from California. You'll love it here, I guarantee it.

And to convince you a little more, check out this video of the 1st through 4th graders doing a dance at the school's Annual Day:



Bamboozlement
I thought I'd end all my updates with a brief story where Eric and/or I get bamboozled by the local population. We were told many times by many different people before we came to India that the locals would try to pull a fast one on us because we're foreigners. We've been on our guard ever since. Still, even the most vigilant defender slips up every now and then. Ever since we arrived in India, Eric and I have been looking without much luck to buy some hair clippers so we can cut our own hair. The other day, after a long and arduous search, we finally found a tiny, out-of-the-way store that carried a small selection of electric clippers. It was like finding the Holy Grail--a lifelong quest that drew to a satisfying and successful conclusion. The clippers we chose were heavy and substantial and came with all the attachments. We made the shopkeeper plug the clippers in and demonstrate that they worked. We even managed to bargain down the price from 650 rupees to 500 rupees. Riding home in the auto, we were filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Of course, as soon as we got home and tried to use the hair clippers they broke after two minutes. Ahhh, bamboozled!

Hope you enjoyed this first update. Much more to come!