Orientation

Hey again!

So things are moving along slowly but surely. I am just about finishing up the orientation phase of things where they are showing me the different shelters each day. Sunday was our day off which consisted of us roaming throughout the streets to explore. We saw a lot of chickens being slaughtered at the roadsides for flocks of paying customers. There was also goat meat hanging from the ceiling of a shop whilst live goats were tied and forced to stare at their dead friends all day.  Needless to say I have been vegetarian the past week. But it was so hot we basically rested our bones that day.

Monday was a very crazy day filled with every single emotion known to man. I started the day attempting to venture over to New Light (the main headquarters) on my own. Korah hadn't been feeling well and Iona was headed elsewhere so I decided to put my big girl panties on an make a go at it. The journey usually takes about a half hour via the tuk tuk and walking and while I did a great job navigating the majority of it, at the last major intersection I turned left instead of right. A turn that costed me 2 hours in the blazing sun!! I was basically going in circles all around where I needed to be. Everyone would point me one way, and then the other way....and while I was staying positive for the most part near the last 30 minutes the heat really started to take a toll on me. I just about lost it when a young man walked me to the alley where New Light was and I heard the sweet hallelujah chorus. 

Needless to say, I got a great tour of that area.
When I did arrive, the woman I was supposed to meet was even later than I was. When she did appear she said I will be going to the Soma Home later on around 3 or 4. Defeated, I hitched an uber back to the guest home to rehydrate and cool down. 

The soma home was absolutely amazing though. It is a home for young teenage girls from the red light district who are at risk. It is a live in shelter offering them safety, education, nutrition, and whatever medical attention they might require. The girls are all so beautiful and smart. They were all so excited to show me their talents such as their paintings and jewelry they made as well as eager to ask me questions about my life and America. I had to laugh when they showed me a painting of Justin Beiber and said "we hate Justin Beiber."
They were also very obsessed with using my phone to take selfies and use Snapchat. I guess it is a universal obsession. When it came time for me to leave I got the biggest group hug ever. I can't wait to go back and see them.

Tuesday was also eventful. We spent the morning at Jhinuk which is the shelter for toddlers of the red light district. These little ones are just such an adorable group of hyper little monkeys. At any given time you will have 4 or 5 of them just crawling all over you like you are a tree. We spent the morning teaching them some nursery songs as well as the hokey pokey which they loveddd. That was both fun and nostalgic. After that Korah and I headed back to our place for lunch. Iona decided to try to find a post office. Bad choice for Iona because that afternoon and night we got our second taste of the monsoons. In less than an hour the streets were knee high with water. The thunder would literally shake you to the core. It was insane!!! But since Korah and I were indoors, it was super awesome to sit out on the patio and watch. Sucked for Iona though who had to find her way back in that mess.  

And as for yesterday, we started the day with the little ones again. We enjoyed a typical Indian lunch with the kids at New Light (buttload of white rice, some spicy potatoes, and not spicy potatoes) and then headed off to the boys home. This is similar to the Soma Home where it houses teenage boys who are at risk of being abused or becoming pimps. The boys are all so sweet and respectful. We all played the most exciting game of Jenga I have ever played, we conversed since they love practicing their English, and in the evening they put on a very professional magic show for us. Their tricks were actually really good! Some that weren't were just hysterical too. Turns out that a European volunteer taught them the magic. That show was really special and the boys were all so great. Though by the time we got home we were so beat. This place really exhausts the hell out of ya, that is for sure. But so far it has definitely been worth it.
Thanks for checking in!!