On the bright side the plane ride from Dubai to India was amazing--mostly because I cant remember any of it. I boarded, put my seat belt on, and the next thing I remember was being poked to get up and eat my dinner, which I head bobbed in and out of consciousness over for a minute until I was poked to get ready for landing. Best. Flight. Ever.
Customs took a bit of time so by the time I exchanged money, got my bags, etc. I didn't make it out to meet my driver (Williams) until 4:00 AM. The first thing he said was "You are very late. A whole hour." He seemed to be driving to make up for the hour delay, with a stop here and there for tea and gas, but apparently he always drives like that. I was still kind of asleepish anyway so whatever. The times I was awake I did have a little bit of an emotional time driving to campus--but good emotional. The smells and sounds and sights and busyness (yes even at 3:00 in the morning) felt so "normal", it instantly was comfortable and reminded me of Africa. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of knowing that this is exactly where I am suppose to be for the time being, it was almost like I was being welcomed "home". Ironic I know, but that is the best way I can describe it.
Since getting here I have been TRYING to adjust to the time--the most common questions I get everyday is, "Ashley, are you tiered?" because apparently even if I don't feel it I look it all the time.
The food isn't exactly Bombay House, but its still good, just VERY spicy. There were a lot of laughs from the locals during my first meal. They were sure to inform me that even though I thought so, the curry really wasn't spicy at all. Awesome. Other then adjusting physically I've been doing a lot of training--medically, technically, doing inventory, getting to know that staff, etc. The first session of volunteers comes this Sunday--the group of BYU nursing students. I am SO grateful for this time I have on campus to get oriented and organized before everything starts. I don't know if I could do it if I didn't have this time.
I LOVED being able to go to church on Sunday. Going to church in a foreign county has become one of my favorite things to do simply because I am away from some of the cultural things are so engrained/mixed into the gospel and church at home. At church on Sunday there were women in pants, people who had nose rings, their belly's showing through the side of their sari's, etc. BUT NO ONE CARED! There were no feminist pant wearers, no rebels with body art, what was important was that they were there and together we had all gathered as brothers and sisters in the gospel to learn about and strengthen our relationship with God. I know not everywhere at home is like that, it is just something that becomes so blatantly obviuos when I experienced church some place else, outside the highly saturated church memberships areas I've always lived in. And there was the cutest little girl in front of me. She was probably only 8 months old or something but she had little bangles on with the dot on her forehead. She melted my heart.
Since getting here I have been TRYING to adjust to the time--the most common questions I get everyday is, "Ashley, are you tiered?" because apparently even if I don't feel it I look it all the time.
The food isn't exactly Bombay House, but its still good, just VERY spicy. There were a lot of laughs from the locals during my first meal. They were sure to inform me that even though I thought so, the curry really wasn't spicy at all. Awesome. Other then adjusting physically I've been doing a lot of training--medically, technically, doing inventory, getting to know that staff, etc. The first session of volunteers comes this Sunday--the group of BYU nursing students. I am SO grateful for this time I have on campus to get oriented and organized before everything starts. I don't know if I could do it if I didn't have this time.
I LOVED being able to go to church on Sunday. Going to church in a foreign county has become one of my favorite things to do simply because I am away from some of the cultural things are so engrained/mixed into the gospel and church at home. At church on Sunday there were women in pants, people who had nose rings, their belly's showing through the side of their sari's, etc. BUT NO ONE CARED! There were no feminist pant wearers, no rebels with body art, what was important was that they were there and together we had all gathered as brothers and sisters in the gospel to learn about and strengthen our relationship with God. I know not everywhere at home is like that, it is just something that becomes so blatantly obviuos when I experienced church some place else, outside the highly saturated church memberships areas I've always lived in. And there was the cutest little girl in front of me. She was probably only 8 months old or something but she had little bangles on with the dot on her forehead. She melted my heart.
