Some things you should know

In scanning through what I've posted so far on this blog, I found that I have told you about lots of big events, but very little about some everyday things that are a pretty big part of my life right now. This post is to let you in on some important details I've been neglecting to share, in no apparent order.

1. It is hot here. Like boiling lava hot. It's like you're always in an oven except it's an oven that sprays you with water to keep you moist/alive always. Also, there's no a/c anywhere, so you try to spend a lot of time standing downwind of fans. If I had to guess, I'd say it's generally in the low 90's with 80% humidity.

2. The Food. It's great. We get three solid meals every day. Most meals have rice. All have vegetables. We get fruit sometimes but it's rare, but not as rare as meat. No so fast, mom. Before you celebrate that your son is finally eating healthy foods on a regular basis, I should explain that everything--rice vegetables and meat--is coated with a layer or two of oil and/or sugary grease. I'm not really sure if I'm gaining weight or not since there are no scales or mirrors anywhere. I learned today that we've been eating this vegetable called "drumstick" which is, according to some, the solution to malnutrition in the world. Apparently it's a cheaply grown super food, with all of the major vitamins and minerals we need. And hey, when it's doused in oil and indian spices, it's not half bad.

3. I'm being eaten alive by bugs. At any given moment, I probably have about thirty bug bites on me. At first I thought the mosquitoes were the culprits, but I put a mosquito repellent air freshener in my room and I still keep getting bitten. The bites are usually concentrated in small areas or in a path across my skin. Like a Family Circus cartoon.

4. I got a sweet Henna tattoo on my arm. I told the Indian girl to give me a manly one (since Henna is usually a female accessory) but she still drew a flower and a seashell. I guess since it's on my bicep, it's inherently manly. From my vast experience with tattoos, I've gathered that no matter how feminine a tattoo is, it becomes manly when it's on a bicep. Like a heart that says "Mom" or a picture of a woman. Am I right?

Editors Note: Henna is temporary


5. Ping Pong. Boom. Believe it or not, in the heart of rural India, we have a fully modern table with several high quality paddles. Some of my classmates are surprisingly good at at it too. I even lost to one of them, 4 games to 1.

Alright, I think I'm caught up with my posts now. I've had some extra time today because a local waterfall we planned to visit...wait for it...dried up! yesterday!
Anyway, I hope you're doing well. Much love.