the word, mother bird.

hey world.

things are still going swimmingly in jaipur. actually, there better than swimmingly because we're now going on day 7 of my abroad-ness and i have yet to get sick. knock on wood.

VERY exciting things have happened/are happening today. a) OUR HOMESTAY FAMILIES PICK US UP. OMGOMGOMG so exciting and terrifying. i've been working on my conversation skills/topics all week long. and get this-- neither the students nor the homestay families know who they're getting paired with. it's a totaly surprise until we meet at the school this afternoon. b) i received my hindi name today, aka the name that my teachers, homestay family members, and fellow students will refer to me as. what is it, you ask? komul. it means "soft", which i like to think of as a term that highlights my personality, not physique. ha. anyway, that's my name and i really dig it, primarily because it's extremely easy to pronounce. i swear, the hindi names of a few of the other girls in my program are nearly impossible for me to say.

allow me to expand on that point-- speaking hindi is a workout. legit. a workout. the language uses so many different sounds in each WORD. i'm worn out after our hindi drills. furthermore, with the slightest mispronunciation of a character, a word can take on an entirely different meaning. i'm waiting for the day when i tell my homestay mother that loved the toilet instead of dinner. i'll be sure to let you all know when that happens.

anyway-- i believe i left you all at the edge of a cliff in anticipation talking about my school. the SIT location in jaipur really is beautiful. the school is situated on a side street off of a busier road. the floors are entirely marble--seriously, everywhere you walk, you're walking on these impressive slabs of marble. our school is two stories-- the first floor holds the main classroom, the professor's lounge, an office, and the kitchen. the other two classrooms, a library, and azim ji's office are on the second floor. also on the upper level is a stunning terrace that looks out over the neighborhood. it's complete with straw chairs, potted plants, and a treadmill. yes, a treadmill. this is where we eat lunch everyday and i can honestly say that i don't even notice the heat because the setting outside is so pleasant.

also, i am 100% obsessed with the SIT staff that i've met thus far. they all are so, so smart and, more importantly, they're focused on giving us the most enjoyable experience possible.

--alright. got to end this early. HOMESTAY FAMS HAVE ARRIVED.

lylas,
cf