Day in the Life of a Casual Monday

1. Alarm goes off at 6:30am. Makes me reconsider the choice of study abroad programs.
2. Bucket shower in the bathroom, hot water extra hot this morning. Still feel like I'm in a music video while pouring the water over my body.
3. Attempt to dry off with a still damp towel -- fail. And by towel I mean a piece of woven cloth. 
4. Dress for success. Leggings and a new kurta, accessorized with some street stall gems, finished off with a stick-on bindi. 
5. Find light mold growing on my old pair of Rainbows -- fail, again. 
6. Scrub off the mold with nail polish remover. Resourcefulness is a virtue.
7. Cup of scalding, but delicious, chai with Natalie in our bedroom. 
8. Head out for the short walk to school. Disturbed that I'm no longer startled by seeing a naked child sleeping on the middle of the sidewalk. 
9. Breakfast at the center of veg puffs, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, bananas, and peanut butter balls. And I thought I was going to lose weight in India...
10. Study for tomorrow's Hindi test. Mera nam Alison hai. Tumhara nam kya hai? 
11. Development Economics class with one of the best teachers I've ever had. Class almost got locked in the room today. I wouldn't have freaked if all the windows hadn't been surrounded by iron bars. Luckily I busted the doors open with some hidden strength. I like to think of myself as a hero from time to time. 
12. Lunch at Roopali. Tomato Uttappa. 
13. Almost got hit by a public bus, and then an auto-rickshaw, while crossing JM Road. 
14. Hour spent in Fab India buying new clothes. I need to stop using the exchange rate to justify every purchase I make. 
15. Wore my new scarf around my head to pretend to be an Indian princess, but people still spoke to me in English. Third fail of the day. 
16. Saw clips of a film in film class today on the 2002 massacre in Gujarat, India. In three days 3,000 Muslims were slaughtered, raped, and tortured by Hindus. I had never heard of it before. Crazy to find out how little I actually know about the world. 
17. 2-hour Bharatanatyam dance class today in a hidden studio -- run-down, no mirrors, stray dogs. I feel very old NYC dance world… except I'm in India. 
18. Had to sit half the class out because I thought I was going to throw up. India is single handedly ruining my digestive system. 
19. Late night rickshaw ride home = insufferable exhaust from all the cars and scooters + blaring horns + a feeling of unadulterated freedom as we speed through the bright streets and I realize I'm across the world
20. Late night dinner with the host family. I'm going to miss all the spices and a home-cooked dinner every night.
21. Debate whether a fire work show or civil war is occurring outside my window. 
22. Pretend to do some homework. 
23. Time for sleep. The concretesque, hard bed is growing on me. The light, woven "blanket" is still a little less than sufficient.