TESOL certified!

     I did it! Part 1 of my frolicking in India is complete!  I am hereby certified by the American TESOL Institute to Teach English to Speakers of Other Languages!  Woooop!  I am headed back to my apartment now where there is no internet.  I hop a train at 2 pm on Monday for Chennai, hang out there for several hours, then hop another train to Kannur, Kerela.  I heard that the trains are quite an experience so I can't wait to tell ya all about it :-)  I have plenty of catching up to do so Ill blog it up on the train!  I should arrive to Kerela by Tuesday evening (I think) and from there I'll be picked up and transported to my new home for the next 3 months.  I'll be teaching English at the RIMS International School <---check it out! Namoshkar :-) ...at least until Tuesday...then I will start learning Malayalam...which is completely different from Bengali...ha!

Commercially Culturally Competent

Wednesday, September 22
7:30 pm

    I turn on the TV to the Disney channel to find a very interesting show.  There are several women praying to a Hindu god and one woman appears to have magic powers (some green light comes out of her hand and another woman starts talking like a raspy dude bahahah)--everyone appears to be extremely over-enthusiastic in their acting, and it reminds me of an Indian Hannah Montana or Wizards of Waverly Place or something (haha clearly I babysit). It looks extremely cheesy and very much like the slapstick humor shows I've seen in Latin America…anyone seen El Chavo?…just found the parallel interesting.  It was also interesting to me how this is a disney channel show for kids and all the women are in saris and Indian attire (duh, I know); anyways, clearly TV shows are made in context of the country in which they are made, but it was just weird seeing that little Mickey Mouse outline in the bottom left of the screen with all these indian women running around accompanied by the periodic knob-adjusted audience laugh.
    This reminds me of some commercials I've seen on the tube that help me realize how much culture influences the media.  I've never noticed this at home because America is the culture I am used to.  For example, there is one car commercial with a guy driving, and his wife is in the passenger seat with her hands raised daintily so as to not mess up her recently applied henna.  The dude looks very concerned that she's going to get it on the car and she winks and says that she won't.  They pull up to a friends house and the woman forgets or something and puts her hand on the dashboard, smearing her henna all over it in the process…the guy looks almost upset but she just shrugs and smiles and goes "same color?" (the dashboard and the henna are both a darker brown)….they both laugh and then 3 other girls come out of the house with recently applied henna and they all laugh and they drive away with all hands raised, embellished with henna swirls.  That car interior matches wet henna so Im getting it!   Hehe not really, but you get my point?  If not, I have another commercial for ya,
    So there is a girl on a date of sorts with a guy (appears a bit geeky) and then you see her dad pop up behind the guy and stealthily hold the traditional wedding headdress for a male over the guys head…he's pointing and smiling at the girl while doing this.  She scrunches her nose and shakes her head and leaves.  This repeats two more times with two more guys on different dates, each time the girl throwing her hands up and leaving the date all frazzled and frustrated.  Now all this is in Hindi so I can only speculate what is being said while these scenes are happening, but I imagine its something like "are you tired of your father pressuring you to marry losers?!"…something like that….then after, the screen pops up with a website that looks like the equivalent of Match.com or Eharmony… shows a computer screen with a cursor running over some attractive dude faces/profiles and then it flips to the girl on the computer looking at the different guys…and her dad is behind her pointing and helping her pick and they both laugh and look happy doing so together.  This commercial caught me very off guard the first time I saw it and I still find it fascinating to watch.  I'm picturing JIm Dunham and I doing this…. hehe so awkward!  Sorry dad but you know that'd be uber strange if we did that.  Arranged marriages are still very much a norm here in India, and subject or act of having a girlfriend/boyfriend is taboo.  This commercial's website boasts the perfect solution for you and your father to pick a husband together!  In Calcutta, specifically, it is more accepted by my generation to have boyfriends and girlfriends.  Calcutta is much more westernized than the rest of India so I am very interested to see the cultural norms in southern India (as I am told by every single Indian that it is a different world compared to here.) 
   
    Yesterday, after our second teaching lesson, one of our observers/evaluators invited Phil Collins and I over to her home for tea…So sweet!!!  Her home is absolutely GORGEOUS and eclectically decorated with paintings, photography, Hindu god sculptures, tapestries, etc.  She has two sons, so in her home it is her, her husband, two sons, two wives, granddaughter, and then two more people that I don't know who they are--she said there were 9 people living there total.  It was so interesting to me because she exclaimed several times "I'm so lucky because my children and their wives still live with me!"  I'm thinking 'any American parent would be like GET THE HECK OUT ALREADY!'  Actually I did say this out loud and she laughed and reiterated that she loves it and would be devastated if they left.  A girl who works for ATI and sat in on our class a few times had a conversation with Colleen and was simply amazed at the fact that Colleen didn't live with her parents and that Colleen cooked for herself!?!? what!?!?  It is much more family-oriented here… huge families living together under one roof…close quartered offering love and support for one another.  I am reading a book called The Namesake (mom you need to start reading this asap….megan, you too) and its extremely poignant in describing cultural differences between America and India.  One part depicts this woman, Ashima, and her giving birth in America.  She thought it was weird to have a baby in a hospital--a place where mostly sick and dying go.  She describes feeling so isolated and alone and wishes she was back home having her child with her sisters, mother, aunts, and grandmothers surrounding her.  In America it felt very alone, too much space, no social support <---social work term!… I felt so horrible reading this!  Anyways, Im not that far into the book but love it so far and I think it will help me learn a lot about the cultural aspects happening all around me.  Its also really cool because Ashima is from Calcutta and the book has made references to many places I've been to!….it even talked about Tollygunge road which is the street I live on!  Exciting times.

Bichos in my bed

Tuesday, September 21
10:30 pm

    I'm scratching' the dickens out of my bug-bitten foot/legs/arms right now… I'm pretty certain that there are invisible bugs that crawl into my bed at night….iiiickkkch.  The bugs have actually not bothered me until the past few days…they must be making sure I get a fair share of quality time with them before I leave for Kerela on Monday. 
    Yesterday was my first day teaching!  And today my second!  We have gone to two different schools, both filled with uniformed, pig-tailed, enthusiastic, giggling little girls.  We were told to prepare for classes with about 30 students… so I waltzed on into the classroom with my hand-drawn flashcards and worksheets, a little nervous but very excited.  Well, there were actually 60 students in the cramped, sweaty classroom, so we had to fly by the seat of our pants a bit.  I taught a young learners lesson about school supplies and LOVED IT!  The girls seemed to really enjoy the class and I felt completely in my element….a great start to a week full of practice teaching!
    Today we went to a different school with slightly less than satisfactory conditions.  Today's lesson was called a basic lesson, and it a bit more difficult than a young learners lesson.  We are required for the course to do 1 young learners, 2 basic, 1 reading, and 1 listening practice lessons.  The problem with this is that we may not be presented with students at an appropriate level to effectively complete the lesson.  This happened to me today.  So us six teachers roll into this one-room thats about the size of 2 volleyball courts give or take.  The room is divided into 3 sections by two 7 foot partitions….the ceilings are like 20 feet high.  Its boiling hot, the walls and ceiling look like they may give at any time, but the wooden benches and tables within each section are filled with beaming little faces framed in pigtail braids and bows, ear to ear eager smiles, and perfect postures immaculately clad in turquoise jumpers.  We were told that all these sixth grade girls are from the local slums, and have had very limited English experience.   While I was very nervous about teaching this much harder lesson, I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face!
    I went ahead first in the far left hand section with my lesson on "scary things" (we are assigned our topics) and gave all I had.  Keep in mind that there are 3 teachers teaching and 3 classes repeating within one large echoing room, solely divided by a wannabe wall that didn't make it more than a third of the way to the ceiling.  Anyways, it was an experience for sure.  I stumbled a bit with the order of things but got into the swing of it and probably had WAY too much fun acting out each flashcard with the students.  "I am scared of spiders….. I shoo them away!" "I am scared of ghosts!"  "Ahh a shark!"….. anyways….my observer said "has a wealth of expression" and "puts students at ease" for my evaluation.  So I feel great about it!  Despite the fact that it was more difficult to teach this lesson, I really think the girls might go home and tell their parents "I am scared of snakes!"  I hope so anyway :-)
    Tomorrow is another basic lesson and my topic is movies.  I still need to finish all my flashcards depicting romance, comedy, Bollywood, action, etc.
    Haha, and as I sign off I'll have you know…WHISTLA'S HERE!  earplugs anyone?

My location is Love

Sunday September 19
10 pm

    After two weeks here there have been some times when I wish I could just push an OFF button for Kolkata, or rather, a button that controls a box that rises up around me--both giving me personal space and silencing the chaos around me.  Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it here; however, the complete immersion into non-stop erratic chaos of 14 million people in one city of India can get to ya.  Everywhere you are asked to take a taxi, rickshaw, you want dees apples, ma'am ma'am! look at dees beautifil kurtis!!! buses flying at you at god knows how many kilometers an hour, bikes jingling bells behind you, shouts, stares, more vehicles, people, ma'am i have big size dress for you…..AAHHAHAAHHAAHHHHHHHH! Anyways, this morning I really wanted to wear a bag over my head.   However, this day turned out to be the perfect remedy for the "cardiac arrest created by calcutta's chaos conundrum" (that was for megan sargent and whitney fornaris.)  Yes, so Collins and I set off at noon to the New Market to look around (which never works because you are bombarded by vendors who inevitably show you something you MUST have)…. We arrive at the famous Sudder Street---attraction to budget tourists and hippies alike due to some cheap hostels.  Everytime I saw a hippy/tourist I'd point and say to Colleen "Look!! a white person!!"… we truly have become sheltered in our homogenous neighborhood off Tollygunge road.  There are many more beggars around this area due to the prevalence of foreign visitors….just FYI.  Anyhoo, we walk and look around before braving the cramped maze of colored fabrics, idols, jewelry, and over-eager-to-sell-to-white-people-vendors.  First we took the way thru the meat market….PHEW! ***insert dry heave here*** and began looking for some stuff to wear for teaching this week. (We have to wear local dress like a kamees salwaar…in a nutshell…a long shirt with leggings that are tight or loose--as I like to say "Princess Jasmine style."  We actually escaped pretty painlessly and were referred by a new vendor friend to "the best Bengali food" at a restaurant called Prince.  Fish is popular for Bengali cuisine so I went with the waiter's recommendation of aier fish (in a spicy sauce like everything here) with a side of 2 roti (essentially and Indian tortilla…use it as a vessel transport saucy food from plate to mouth as you are not provided with eating utensils).  Aside from my accidental ingestion of several needle-like fish bones… it was GREAT! I have no idea what an aier fish is, or where it comes from--I can look this up later but as you guys have probably figured out my internet access is limited and I write all blogs when access is not, well, accessible…thats neither here nor there---anyways…I'm getting used to having no clue what I'm eating sometimes… I typically just order something and hope for the best.  It's a good method.  I feel I should mention the famous pani puri too.  For 2 rupees you get a hollow thin round dough thing, filled with some spicy, chivy, minty water, and some veggie somethin' or other.  I guess I should look that up too but take my word for it that its LEGIT.  I'm getting so off track here.
    Ok, so what I really wanted to talk about is the fact that I woke up this morning wanting an OFF button really badly and it happened 3 times today!  After the market and Bengali fish experience, Colleen and I headed towards the Mother House, or Mother Teresa's Mission.  Along the way there (and after we got to experience a public pay and use bathroom…lets just say there was a lot of love left in each stall) we stopped at the South Park Street Cemetery.  It was open from 1767-1790 for people to be buried and now is just available to visit.  We signed the guestbook and entered into what seemed like an enchanted moss forest in the back mountains of Ireland.  It was cloudy, damp, with slippery dirt paths winding between these massive gravestones boasting varied structures and eulogies.  When I say massive I mean 20 feet tall!   It was quiet and eerie weaving between the glistening mossy stones, reading Beloved Father, Husband, Brother, Sister, Wife, Mother, Son, Daughter.   It was crazy for me to think that I was in the presence of people's graves from 300 years ago!  I even saw one for a one-year-old :(  All gravestones were in English, and many had suffixes like Esquire.  Based on this and the fact that 1.Calcutta is the former British Capitol of India, 2. Calcutta had established a trading post in 1690, and 3. It was a hub of the East India Trading company… we figured that it was a graveyard for wealthy English merchants of the East India Trading Company.  Asking the doorman for confirmation was not an option considering my limited knowledge of Bengali.  So, I'm just going with the educated guess here.  We explored the graveyard for a bit, inhaling the thick, humid air with our heads tilted back, mouths agape in awe at the pyramids and pillars beneath the jungle-like canopy.  It was peaceful…

    We continued to the Motherhouse.  This is the Missionaries of Charity's Motherhouse where Mother Teresa worked to relieve poverty from 1953 until she died in 1997.  Tiny nuns of all ages, clad in white and blue, scurry about the different levels of the building.  Voices echo between walls that lead up to the open air sky ceiling.  I followed a flight of stairs up to Mother Teresa's room.  I felt honored to be there…I was looking into the room that such an amazing woman lived in day after day of serving the poorest of the poor.  The tiny room, with a tiny bed, and a tiny dresser and table emanated with a calming serenity.  At the foot of her bed, to the left, was a piece of paper taped to the dresser.  It said, "My location is love."
    There is also a small museum that displays different boards full of pictures, facts, and peoples affected by Mother Teresa.  They even had some of her things beneath a glass display case---some were: her handkerchief, pin, toothbrush, tube that was put in her lungs when she was sick (I wasn't sure how I felt about that one), and her sandals.  There was also her pen box that held 1 pencil and 1 pen, accompanied by 1 notebook.  She always insisted on having only one of these things out of respect for the poor.  Next to the museum is a small room with her tomb in the middle.  The room appeared to be a set up for small church services and mass for volunteers and nuns.  (There was a service happening when Colleen and I first walked in.)  The tomb is a rectangular marble structure decorated with an array of gorgeous flowers.  Again, it was truly an honor to be there.  I tip toed out of the room,  slipped on my sandals, and turned to leave.  The air seemed clean and pure, and left me with an uplifting energy.  
   
    Believe it or not, there is still one more OFF button experience left!  Colleen and I had read in our handy Ionely planet India guide book (thanks Barb Ryan :-) about Aurobindo Bhawan, a religious center that has guided mediation on Sundays at 7pm!  We went there not knowing what to expect.  About four other people (all looked like retired old men) came and we all sat in darkness and silence for about a half hour.  It was an interesting experience….it felt powerful to be among such a strong silence… I know Im being deep about all this stuff but really!  We all sat cross legged on little roll out mats.  I wouldn't have described it as "guided" meditation like the book indicated; as there was no verbal guidance.  But, that was ok.  I felt good about the whole thing….my leg did fall asleep and I kinda felt like Liz Gilbert from Eat, Pray, Love in her initial efforts to sit still and meditate for long periods of time (itchy and fidgety)…but afterword I did feel much more relaxed… and less likely to slap the next Indian man that told me he had dresses in "big size" for me.  I should probably go again :-)

    First day of teaching tomorrow!!!!!  My location is love :-)

Haiku I wrote in class today

I really miss cheese
I went to Spencer's for it
But its pricey here.




A small block of sharp cheddar was about 10 bucks.  Unacceptable.

Im sweating on a businessman with a cane

Wednesday, September 15
10:15 pm
    A bug just crawled out of my keyboard…not bueno.  I really hope everyone was wondering what i was doing about 30 minutes ago haha.  I was in completely stopped Kolkata traffic, one of six people in a turned off rickshaw (saves gas…taxis do it too, just turn off vehicles mid-intersection…no big) in the back seat squeezed between a younger business man with a briefcase, and an old business man with a cane.  In front of me of course is the driver, and on either side of him he has a girl who looks about 17 and a guy on the other side with a backpack.  Yet again with the whole awkward white person thing…I just start cracking up… Im thinking about what everyone I know is doing at that exact moment and I find myself sweating on some poor old dude, and jamming my elbow into the guy to the left….while all six of us breathe in exhaust fumes together…priceless.
    Anyways I was on my way back from my second movie experience; however, this time I went BOLLYWOOD!!!! The movie was call Dabaang and was essentially a salad bowl of Jacki Chan, The Matrix, Hot Fuzz, Reno 911, any dubbed Dojo movie you can think of, add some extra cheesy, some belly dancing, singing, and men dancing in scoop neck white t-shirts…and you have yourself the hottest new Bollywood movie in India.  No, it was not in English, nor did it have subtitles….it was brilliant anyways.   I recommend everyone find a way to watch this movie and love every minute of it.  Granted, none of you will get the pleasure of watching the Indian National Anthem being sung by an overzealous Indian man with a mullet (so serious), accompanied by some elderly women right before the movie starts; nor will you get to be asked at least seven times during the intermission if you want popcorn, hot dog, french fries, coffee, or ice cream.  Hehe, please just find a way to watch at least one fight scene.
    Ok, I'm off to bed.  I have more peer teaching tomorrow….wish me luck!

Poverty parallels

      In one area of the city…there is a sidewalk about ten feet wide with a fifteen foot wall on the side opposite of the busy Kolkata street.  For about a mile, this sidewalk is the home for family after family.  The "homes" are constructed out of metal scraps, and plastic bag roofs (one end of the plastic tarp/bag is attached to the wall and it is brought down and anchored at the sidewalk.)  We passed by two children--one maybe 7, the other 4, tops---the older with a rock, the younger holding a stake to a soft spot in the sidewalk, and they were bashing a rock atop of the stake to re-anchor part of their roof.  Mothers are cooking on the sidewalks with a baby in one arm, a man brushes his teeth with a stick, an old woman sweeps the 2 foot space in front of their home entrance, children peer out from the tent-like structures with their inquisitive, heart-melting gazes.  Kids scamper on the sidewalk, all in underwear or rags.   Everyone watches as we walk by, some children wave and giggle, some young mothers smile,  others stare…its a hardened glare, its firm but softly pleading, its wise but weathered.  Its the stare that makes my heart stretch into threads across my chest, my stomach twists into wrenching knots, my throat closes, I bite my lip. 
    I hate this.  I don't think one ever "gets used to" seeing poverty.  Its the same as in the dump in Nicaragua, the alleys of NYC, the streets in Kolkata…It never seems normal, it never settles, its never friggen fair.  I cant just give money to the little girl who came to me holding her finger up close to her cheek softly pleading "1 rupee"… her face shot me back to Nicaragua… to the other little faces saying "1 cordoba" …  my money would give her a meal, maybe lots of meals, but it doesn't fix the system.  It doesn't promote the sustainability, or improve the government….whatever. 
    I guess this is just a reminder of how much stuff I want to do in life, programs I want to support, people I want to advocate for, education I want to obtain so that I can educate others…. facilitate some sustainable something.  Sure do have a long way to go.

Among Oxymorons

Wednesday, September 15

    Dang, things are happening faster than I can blog!  So things that used to be strange are very normal to me now… example: men peeing on the side of the road, women sitting side saddle on motorcycles, men literally washing themselves by faucets on the streets.  Today on the way to school it took me a minute to notice the craziness (by American standard) to see a man driving a motorcycle, a woman holding on behind him with one arm…and laughing baby (like 8 months maybe) in the other arm.  All without helmets…weaving in and out of cars.  This is so normal here…the baby pointed at me so I waved.
    On Sunday at 9:30 am, Colleen, Jenna, Kyle, and I all ventured out in Kolkata… about to embark on quite a journey.  We start at the Victoria Memorial.  Now I wish I could tell you that this important "tourist-must-see" monument was breathtaking, regal, such an exquisite Indian home for Queen Victoria.  Megan Sargent could tell you that as soon as you start talkin' British history, ya kinda lose me and I start thinking about fairies, cute ethnic children, or food.  So I took some pictures of the big ole white building and felt honored to be there…then we left.  The lion statues at the gate were cool looking.

    Ok so we walk for a while thru some hoppin bus station where you choke on exhaust and people yell from the decked out colorful buses, "insert name of destination here!" to get you to get on.  This is EXACTLY what the bus stations are like in Nicaragua…just to comment.  So we enter into the crazy busy part of Kolkata.  We walk on the main roads where there are vendors selling anything and everything.  You have to duck when walking to avoid getting smacked in the face with the dangling pants by each jeans vendor.  The honking floods the streets of people, automobiles, etc etc,…people stare…this is Kolkata.  Anyways, we mosey off the beaten path to the, um, well, shadier roads where you are reminded of the developing country aspect of India.  People are sleeping on the sidewalks and on steps, clad in rags and look sickly thin.  Looking down the alleyways you see children running barefoot through the puddles, mothers washing clothes on the street, with the drying articles decorating the above spaces between buildings.  Just like any third world country, everywhere you look seems like an oxymoron--there are these huge, extravagant government buildings (we saw the British Insurance building, the Bengal state governor's home which looks like the white house, and some banks and important buildings that I couldn't take pictures of because the Kolkata police guys shook their fingers at me and my camera)……. then at the foot of these buildings are the sleeping people, children sifting thru trash, and people bathing on the street by communal spigots.
    ***See my next post for our next encounter on our way to the flower market.  It deserves its own post.
    So while wandering about, a jovial and very willing to help us Indian man decided he would be our tour guide for the day.  Why the heck not, he was full of info and took us to places that we would have never seen had we just wandered on our own.  He took us to the flower market (which we learned later is the largest flower market in Asia!).  OMG, yes OMG, talk about sensory overload!  Walking through the entrance the dirt road is flooded with smells of flowers, plants, spices, then sewer, body, mud…the air is thick and humid, hot and churning with shouts of vendors, squeaking wheels, hustles and bustles of people, pattering feet, rustling leaves and petals.  Open your eyes and oh my gosh the colors, red, orange, and yellow inundate the roadsides.  Greens fill giant sacks and vending tents as people gather stems and leaves with petals of blue, purple, and pink.  Strings of flowers pour over tables and walls.  You walk further down the road until you reach an entrance to the REAL market.  WAFTTTTTTTTT! The smells, sounds, sights magnify and explode all around!  The path is flooded with water and sludge and you slip through the tiny pathways while giant baskets of flowers pass by you atop the head of the person walking beneath you.  It shadowed by tarps draped across the bamboo structures but beams of light burst through the cracks, blinding you, and leaving tiny colorful dots dancing in front of your eyes.  Blurs of orange, red, and yellow swirl around.  Bouquets here, headdresses there, necklaces, baskets, tables…its all flowers! Shouting, staring, sweating, stepping and slipping among the biggest sensory overload I've ever experienced.

    We come to an opening in the back of the market to see the Howrah Bridge.  Its massive and an intimidation structure if you ask me.  I took lots of pictures, some of the bridge, but mainly of the crowds collected below at the river.  They are washing, bathing, playing, talking, standing…basically anything you'd picture people doing at a river, was happening.  There were adorable kids running around.  Ah! so cute. Got some good pictures.  Speaking of which, apparently it is strictly forbidden to take pictures of the bridge; however, our random tour guy took us to the back of the market and said "take picture! this Howrah Bridge! very beautiful."  So that was that.
    So basically we walked for about four hours straight…in midday India heat.  I think I might have started hallucinating at one point. PHEW!  We proceeded to walk some more towards New Market, got some lunch (which my stomach did not appreciate) and I haggled the dickens out of some shirts and gifts for peeps :-)  Definitely a jam packed day!

Strange Realization

Sunday, September 12

    I really wanted to comment on something I realized yesterday.  All around me people are celebrating the Muslim holiday Ramadan-- which for one month you fast until 4 pm everyday, no food, no water.  I actually knew a little about Ramadan from when I had my email pal in Qatar--she explained how they fasted everyday and then everyone would come together for one big meal.  She always talked about the decadent foods she was about to help her mother make for the family and that not eating or drinking is really stinkin' hard to do.  Anyways, most of the streets were closed, and there were very few cars on them yesterday until 4pm to honor the holiday (I think it was the last day of Ramadan or something because its not as empty out as it was yesterday…I'll look into it).  Its quieter than normal,  everything around feels good, welcoming, and celebratory of the holiday…

…and I remember that the date is 9/11.

 It was just…weird.

Indian MTV

Sunday, September 12

    So we had class yesterday to make up for the day we lost from the strike.   It was our first peer teaching practice--YIKES! I guess it would have to be considering this teaching course is condensed into three weeks.  The six of us in the class were divided so that three of us were to make a Basic Learners lesson and the others a Young Learner lesson.  I did a young learners lesson with colors.  The others participated as our students; therefore by the end of Saturday all of us were mind melded into speaking only in the "learning English voice" as I shall dub it…. which leads into the festivities to follow.
    On Saturday night Phil Collins and I went over to Matt, Kyle, and Jenna's air conditioned, with internet, and filtered water (so nice!) apartment to hang out and go out afterwards.  It felt like our conversations ended up going a little like this: (use expressive slow teacher voice) "What do you like to do on the weekend?" "I like to go surfing." "Where do you like to go surfing?" "At the beach."
"What do you want to eat?" "I want to eat noodles." "Where do you want to eat noodles?" "At a restaurant."
"Blue. Blue. Blue. Your shirt is blue."
"Circle. This plate is a circle."
    Anyway you get the picture…repetition was getting to our heads so we headed to none other than the famous Kolkata Club, TANTRA to dance it off.  There was a DJ competition, so 1. there was tons of techno and remixes etc :-) and 2. India's MTV was there.  So, before we even walk into the club this girl with a mic comes up to us (camera crew eagerly follows) and starts interviewing us on the "hottest club in Calcutta!"  Of course we get all excited and say "we're American we love it but this is our first time here! woooo!"…awkward americans…. We scamper in and I head straight to the dance floor where the beats pounding and people are bouncing.  Tantra is a lot more western than what I've seen in Kolkata so far--Kolkata is known to be a lot more westernized in terms of clothing and social norms but Park St in general (area where this club/other clubs/restaurants/shopping) seemed more so.  The guys even wear do-rags here.  Hehe, however, I'm thinking that these are probably not called do-rags because they are worn very different.  Its hard not to laugh because it looks so silly!  Its like they put the thing on from the bottom back of their head and then tie it at the top and wrap the extra material into a bun on the very front top point of their head.  I really just want to run up and tap it like a button and go "BOOP!"  I did not, and will not ever do that here, but I want everyone to know that I want to.
     Dancing is different here.  Its hard to describe because people were still bouncing around with friends and stuff, but its very individual--guys and girls don't dance together really, everyone moves in their particular space.  Now, I realize Im by no meaning the average American dancer because I typically just bound around waving my arms freely, typically smacking someone near me on accident.  So this individual dancing worked perfect!  Phil Collins, Jenna, and I are all bouncing around having a blast…next thing we know, there are cameras on us and lights shining…oh MTV decided to film us crazy kids.  This happened several times throughout the evening so I am guessing there is high probability that whenever they air this DJ competition, we will be sweaty techno craze dancing on the screen.  Awesome! At on point, one really sweet girl who came up to us while we were dancing with a huge smile and said "can I dance with you people!?!"  Haha, we definitely had a great time to say the least.

Communist Movie Experience

Friday September 10

    While in a previous blog I said that I was feeling that I am fitting in more, I did not mean physically.  I am in fact becoming used to the curious stares of women and men (they have no shame in staring you down), the inquisitive looks from adorable kids of all ages, and parents actually pointing me out to their children.  I just smile and wave…which in some cases I feel makes me look like a nice white lady (because most kids grin wildly and wave back), and in some cases I feel silly (as some adults will just crinkle their foreheads and turn away…some do smile back, sometimes).  Whatever, I'm not letting up, I'm a happy kid.
   
    Last night Collins and I elected to head to the movies to see Avatar 3-D for the first time ever (Im telling you, parallel lives its creepy).  Both of us have been the outcast friend at home whose never experienced this adult Fern Gully film and we were elated to have the opportunity in Calcutta.  Now I will tell you that the movie was phenomenal and I loved it and I will probably quote it in my Facebook now because it was so awesome but I am currently laughing out loud at the overall movie experience.
    It starts off with us struggling to buy the tickets (the fact that most people know English is a bold faced lie) and wandering into the theater to go sit down.  Haha, no. Seats are assigned…and not only are they assigned, but the ones they chose for the no more than 20 crowd are to clump all of us in the upper corners of the theater.   The previews begin…I'm sorry, not the preview…. a video of the national anthem being sung begins and we all stand in respect and listen.  Each movie preview that follows is preceded by a Certification of Advertisement  (a very enlarged photocopy) basically stating that the government of India approves the preview for viewing by the people.  Ok, so this was all a very interesting way to start my Avatar experience.  Once the movie started, and I got used to the musty butt smell of my seat, I sat back and sipped my Mountain Dew, completely captivated by the movie.
    So the part where Nitiri is trying to wake up Jake's avatar because the bulldozers are coming is happening… its intense…I'm clutching my armrests…then POOF! the movie cuts off and the lights switch on.  WHAT!?!? I'm about to throw my soda to the lower depths of the theater where no one is sitting anyways because of our assigned seats…who cut the movie off?!!? Then about 10 little Indian men (pun intended at this point) come up the theater stairs yelling "popcorn popcorn" "smoothie, drink, pepsi" "french fries"…. Colleen and I start cracking up….silly Americans we are.  Anyways after about a minute, I turn to her and say, "I guess if you cant beat 'em, join 'em?"  So we purchased a bag of cheddar popcorn to enhance this exceptional movie experience. The vendor was like "two popcorn?! yes?!"…"no one popcorn"…"two popcorn!"… "one!"…always pushing for more purchases!  Apparently all movies here are stop exactly in the middle of the movie--regardless of the action--to sell concessions…. oy... The movie started where it left off and we finished it (LOVE IT SO MUCH) and staggered out with headaches from staring out our smudged 3-D glasses for 2.5 hours.  We took a 50 cent rickshaw ride home and called it a night.
  

The Whistler of Calcutta

Friday September 10
8 am

    So for my first few nights I slept pretty well except for always hearing this faint whistling/screeching of sorts in the wee hours of the morning.  Colleen and I confirmed to one another that there is in fact a highly annoying disturbance of a screeching whistle sound every night from about 12 am onward.  While staying up late talking on Wednesday evening, and discovering how crazy parallel her and my life are, we hear the faint whistling in the distance and coming closer.  Now picture two very tall American girls scurrying around in their panties (we wear as little clothes to sleep as possible to make up for all the fabric with have to wear during the day) trying to see out the windows and back door to discover what the heck is making that sound!  Like out of a horror movie, the whistling gets louder and louder and LOUDER until it seems it is right outside our window!! Colleen snuck a peek and goes "ah its a man with a whistle it really is!!!!!!"…. this negates my theory that it was some Indian hybrid lizard dog… "and he has a STICK!" We screech and scuttle about some more and dubbed the man "The Whistler of Calcutta" and further theorized  that he is part of some great legend or tale, his spirit forced to whistle on the streets every night for eternity.
    We found out the next day from a local girl (who sits in on our class) that………he's the watchman.  wah wah waaaaaah <---let down sound effect.  Yeah she basically just laughed at us and said he whistles to let us know he's doing his job of watching the neighborhood and the stick is "ya know, if theres trouble."  So that settles that I guess.  He still friggen whistles really loud and wakes us up in the night though.  At least we know we're safe?

Indian Fantasia

Friday, September 10
7:30 am

    I'm boiling my water for my instant coffee and getting ready to make an egg for breakfast, listening to the people talking on the street outside the kitchen window, either walking to the water pump or the main road, the man walking back and forth selling spices, and naming the lizard on the wall next to the sink.  I think I'll call him…. Jeffery.  I really love it here.  I am feeling like I fit in the more I am learning about India.  Now before you get your panties in a twist and say "Summer, you are blonde, blue-eyed, and amazon height if you forgot"…yes I haven't forgotten… but I'm loving the fact that people take their shoes off in inside places, eating with your hands is normal, people don't question you if you are squatting down to just chill out for a while (you'll see groups of people in squatted circles on the side of the road), and sitting on the floor inside is completely normal! LOVE IT!  Let me start with where I had this realization….
    On Tuesday, Sam, our landlord and somewhat of a father figure, invited Phil, Collins, and I to go to the Sangeet Music Research Institute to see a classical Hindi concert.  We jumped at the opportunity.  We arrive to the entrance of the school and remove our shoes on the stairs before entering.  Everyone mingles and chats barefoot while a man hands out chai tea and a cracker to everyone.  The chai is warm and soothing, and served in a little clay pot cup that you discard when you finish (Im still trying to figure out this system because I think it involves recycling of sorts but the clay is clearly from the earth, and therefore mingles back with the ground quite nicely).  We enter the music "hall"… a large air-conditioned (YES!), carpeted room with a runway separating the left side (seating for women) and the right (seating for men).  Everyone sits indian style on the floor to watch the indian style performers with their instruments on stage. (NOTE:  I now realize that all these years that I have associated "indian style" sitting with Native Americans, that clearly I am mistaken and it comes from India and the common way to sit here). 
    The first pieces were played by this woman on a sitar (she had the most beautiful deep red and gold embellished sari draped across her and the stage, accompanied by a man on some bongo-looking drums, and another woman on a tanpura (Sam told me the name of it…Im guessing some sort of bass thing? I'm already musically challenged so identifying instruments from over here is as good as me naming the bug outside).  The music was enchanting… I was in an Indian fantasia as the vibrations from the sitar hummed through the floor and into the audiences' bodies, the pitter patter of the drums eluding to dancing feet within a jungle.  The music truly evoked the most interesting imagery in my mind.  The following act had a man singing in Hindi with a deep, "OM-chanting-ish", stomach rooted voice.  As the drums got louder at one point this guy started singing faster and basically pulled out some Scat Man-- Hindi style rapping of sorts.  I was captivated for these 3 hours.

cooped up and Home Alone

Wednesday, September 8
9:30 am
    Phil Collins and I have arrived to school about an hour early today.  It's stinkin' hot but the rain definitely makes it bearable.  So yesterday's strike was very successful.  I was going crazy being cooped up inside so we did end up taking a walk.  The streets were eerily empty and everything but a few vendors were closed.  It was nice because this is the first time that I have successfully crossed the street without seeing my life flash before my eyes--it was sort of cheating since the strike was for transportation and there was barely anyone out.  I've realized that you pretty much just have to commit once your in the street because turning back around in a panic is 1. more dangerous,  and 2. laughed upon by Indians.  I swear I'm gonna get good at this by the time I leave.  I purchased the best mountain dew of my life and I'm savoring it--yes its lasting till tonight.  To be honest yesterday was not that fun filled because the walk only lasted about 20 minutes and then we went home since I got a little paranoid but I've finally learned to trust my gut so I made us go home.  We ate some eggs which tasted awesome since they were straight from the chicken and didn't have any hormones or anything.  6 eggs = 20 rupees = under 50 cents…woop! Another note on chickens… after purchasing the eggs from the vendor who also had a butchered bloody chicken just chillin on the same table must have seen my face because he started laughing and pointed to the guts and said "you want chicken?"  I think being a vegetarian in India is a great idea.  The market right next to our apartment has such an interesting smell.  The vegetables--anything from eggplant, chives, onions, tomatoes, green beans (or at least look like it), and more---- smelled so fresh and earthy.  Then the thick musty mud/trash combo adds to a whiff of fresh raw meat/blood.  I know I'm being grotesquely graphic (sorry jill lol) but this smell is so pungent and interestingly different from anything Ive ever smelled that I want you to think about it.  In fact Collins and I both discussed the fact that its so different we took some extra whiffs instead of holding our breath. 
    Yesterday amidst our sheer boredom, making milk out of powder and water, eating curried ramen, local cookies, and wiring ourselves on sugary instant coffee and soda, Phil showed the not-so-great-with-Indian-electronics-roomie-duo that the TV in our room does in fact work!  So the three of us chilled out and watched some tube.  Yes, Home Alone was even on! 
    Its sad but Im already excited for lunchtime….I cant wait to try something else new!
    Namaste!

Goat Heads

Tuesday, September 6

    Yesterday was Collins' and Summer's first day of school!  We were so giddy we picked out our outfits and took pictures on the car ride there (mom you'd be proud).  There are six of us in the class-- Kyle and Jenna who are teachers from Texas and married, Phillip from New York who's girlfriend is also doing work in India, Matthew from New Zealand (hehe this one is for shmeggles!!) with same story as Phillip, and the single ladies… Colleen and me!  I absolutely love our teacher, Sangeeta.  She's gorgeous (just like every other Indian woman here) and an encyclopedia of info regarding languages, religion, history in India.  These three weeks will be intense for sure, but so much fun.  The first day was more introductory…although I did learn some Setswana (language of Botswana).  Dumella rra, o tsoheli jung?  That means "hello, how are you?".  We learned more too.  The point of this was basically to show us we could learn it based completely on listening, repetition, visual aids, and inflection.  We sipped our chais and chatted, and Phil, Collins, and I went out to eat at a fancy (I called it Aladdin/Jasmine status--they had shiny pillows!) restaurant. We all shared stuffed button mushrooms (they have them dad!), dal, more dal panjeer, and na'an.  Again, delicious, spicy, full flavored…ahhh so good.  In a nutshell, first day of school = exciting and I actually cant wait to do my homework.
    Since Collins and I have an extra room since we have AC slumber party in one room, we asked Phil if he wanted to stay with us.  He was living all alone in a sketchy area, and who doesn't want more company?  He didn't want AC anyways so he's staying in my old room.  So I am living with Phil Collins…hehe.  I must say though, I've turned the AC up each night as I'm getting used to the heat.  During the day its perpetual perspiration but at night its kinda pleasant.  Speaking of night, because the entire country of India elected to stay on the same time, the conveniently placed Kolkata in the far east gets light at about 5 am and dark at about 6 pm.  It throws you off at first but you get used to it.  This is probably why I'm awake so early because I wake up with the sun… its that solar-powered-ness.  After 6 pm the city is booming all around!  More so than during the day.  Phil and I went out exploring and found lots of fun places to eat, get clothes, mobile phone shops, little veggie markets, raw meat just chillin' for sale, sweet shops (Kolkata is famous for its sweets),  and people EVERYWHERE!  I still don't think I can describe the amount of people.  I heard this statistic (and I need to confirm its validity) that India gives birth to the population of Australia every year… and China does too!…..yeah, crazy!
    After waling to and from the apartment several times I keep noticing this butcher shop that always has like 3 goat heads just sitting on the counter, while bodies (I don't know which body belongs to which head) are dangling from above… waiting to be sold.  One time I'll walk by and the goat heads are black and furry, and then when I'm coming back they'll be skinned but with eyes and tongue still.  Then the next time I walk by theres another head with fur and another dangling body.  Ugh, I know I'm grossing people out but I am somehow intrigued by this vendor and the high demand for goats here apparently.  I probably shouldn't mention that across the dirt road to the left and down 10 yards are some little goats tied up :-/    Ok I'm done… on to why we kept going back and forth from apartment to stores...
    Last night we had to stock up on some food for today.  Today is a political "bandh", meaning strike.  Kolkata is a communist state, and there have been a lot of price increases lately.  Due to the inflation a lot of people are losing jobs and things are more expensive and people are angry so they strike.  Sageeta said this has happened 3 times in a month before!  This strike is primarily for all transportation; however, we were told that pretty much the whole city shuts down, everyone pretty much stays either at home or close to it because nothing is open.  Sangeeta said that children play in the streets that are normally swarming with cars, bikes, rickshaws, and people.  As Americans, we were advised to stay at home or near it for our own safety.  So right now I'm drinking my instant coffee with my powder milk, dipping my little Indian sweet cracker things in it while waiting for Phil Collins to wake up. 
    I got an instant meal of Rajma Masala, Colleen has some spicy ramen, we got eggs, and Phil's gonna make some crazy pasta tomato somethin' or other dish that I think he'd like to share :) We'll see how being cooped up will work out for me today…we all know how much I hate being inside for too long.  It does look like its going to downpour pretty soon though, and I doubt my sparkly magenta, $1 umbrella I purchased on the street would suffice anyways.

Considerate Chaotic Colorful Calcutta --"Contains Caffeine"

Sunday, September 5
7:30 am
    So yesterday Collen and I decided we wanted to go to a legit market….none of this fancy mall stuff.  After attempting to find the metro we had to ask several individuals where it was… "right here!" they'd say.  What they really meant is about three blocks down to the left but ya know…close enough.   It was apparently closed until 2:30 pm (things just randomly close and open and we haven't figured out the system yet) so we decided to get some lunch at a lil restaurant.  I had Dal Panjeer (essentially cubed cheese with lentils in a spicy sauce with some na'an bread)….delicious.  Oh, and since there isnt really toilet paper readily available, you really AREN'T supposed to use your left hand to eat. So, I've had to be self conscious about that.  There were some cute little boys working there clearing off the tables and one poured us some glasses of water.  He was so cute I couldn't just not drink the water so I stealthily Steripened the dickens out of it under the table. 
    So the Metro experience.  It follows suit with the principle that you fit as many people in or on any mode of transportation as possible.  So Colleen and I, the tallest, whitest people on this armpit to armpit (because you have to hold onto the metal bar so you don't fall) atmosphere.  Everyone is dripping sweat and kind of leaning towards the bar windows for a good whiff of exhaust air… who cares its like an oven in there!  You'd think that only the kids would hold no shame in staring at us… WRONG! We get stared at hard core everywhere by everyone.  No hoots and hollers like in Nicaragua (I'm surprised and happy about this), just plane stared at.  The metro magnified the staring experience.  I just smile.
    The New Market--- Well this was our true initiation to Kolkata, India.  Shoulder to shoulder, bumper to bumper as far as you could see!  The sidewalk and side streets are lined with vendors of clothes, shoes, flowers, bangles, watches, purses… its like Canal St in NY x 10 and on speed.  Collins and I stepped off the steps from the metro, and hauled it right into the crowd.  Overwhelming is an understatement, though I must say I'm very proud of us for not only braving the streets, but going to the legit New Market underground!  This market was literally underground and a maze of jewelry, sparkling colors, saris, tapestries, pashminas, clothes of every pattern and color.  While being bombarded by tons of little Indian dudes saying "just have a look! you no have to buy, just have a look!"…"I have pashminas, very good price for you"…"beautiful saris madam, you want sari? you want bangles? I have beautiful arf dart scarf narf rarfararafffarrffs"….good lordy, we just wandered around wide eyed thru this labyrinth.  I actually got a lot of stuff for cheap, learned to haggle a bit (not as good as I am in Nicaragua but the language this is a bit difficult here).
    Actually a note on the language bit.  So everyone here basically speaks their mother tongue--the language of the state they live in (here is Bengali), Hindi, and SOME people speak English…and some of those people I still cannot understand what English they are speaking.  So that makes me feel better about teaching English, but makes me not as good at haggling.  Oh well, I'll get better.
    Well I feel that I have explained the "Chaotic Colorful Calcutta" enough that you can picture enough people from about 5 Dave Matthews concerts swarming in this one area of the city.  I would like to explain the "considerate" part.  The people here have blown my mind with their hospitality and kindness.  I sort of expected to just get stared at and bombarded in markets to buy things; but so far, so many people have gone out of their way to help us in certain situations…even when we didn't ask.  On the first day some people in a mobile phone store were very concerned about us getting lost and did what they could to help us figure out how to get back home.  (Barb Ryan, you were called in this endeavor and I'm pretty sure I scared the crap out of you and I'm sorry but we were really fine….our rickshaw driver had taken a wrong turn which was not good for us considering it was our first day…love you :-)
But anyways after we figured out where we need to go, the cell dude even went out and bargained with the rickshaw driver to make sure he didn't rip us off.  Sam, (the man who is letting us stay in this apartment below him) has shown and told us places to go for this and that, checks in on us to make sure we are ok, etc.  We've asked different people on the street where certain things are, and if they don't speak English, they'll point us to someone who does.  In the New Market there was a guy who followed us around for a while, and when we needed to leave he walked us out of the market (remember its a maze underground so this was much appreciated) and pointed us back to the metro… expecting no money either.  I have definitely expected people to want money for helping (like in that market situation) but someone mentioned to me about good kharma from following the Hindi philosophy.  Our English teacher (see future blogs) mentioned that everyone here is family, lives in a community, helps one another.  The people here are selfless and hospitable and it truly shows. 
    "Contains Caffeine"--- Colleen and I tried Thums Up, an Indian beverage that should be familiar to those of you who have read and/or seen Eat, Pray, Love.  It looks like any old Coke or Pepsi, in fact its made by Coke.  Colleen took the first sip, made a face and said, "It tastes like India smells!"  hahaha, but really…. it does!  Now that description would hardly explain why we both finished our bottles but something is good about it!   It has a weird spice aftertaste but it makes you want more!  My theory is that its like the very old school Coca Cola that had actual coke in it…or is that a myth?  Regardless, as a retired Starbucks barista i thought nothing could get me wired.  HA! This stuff is like redbull, coke, mountain dew, coffee, sugar energy…I was like neeeeaaahhhhHHHHHHHHHHhHH! Yeah.  I looked on the ingredients on the bottle… and in big cap letters….in quotations (i find this odd) it says

"CONTAINS CAFFEINE"

No TP

Sunday, September 9, 2010
7:45 am
 **Note--my blogs will most likely be posted in clusters as my internet access is limited.
    So after about 38 splendid hours of traveling…I arrived to Kolkata, India at 9 am on Saturday.  India Air is the best airline i've ever flown… yes for real.  They kept feeding us meals that by no means met the crappy criteria for airplane food--I felt like i was in a restaurant eating curried tofu, rice, and spicy lentils…even the peanuts were spicy!  My new friend who sat next to me for 8 hours said the food was awful so it looks like I've got a lot more good food ahead :)

    On my 30 minute ride from the airport, we came within inches of hitting countless people, cars, bikes, curbs, poles, cows.  Driving is on the opposite side of the road thanks to the English peeps.  Lanes don't exist and the horn is used about as frequently as one blinks.  I basically just laughed and giggled the whole way home.  I'm guessing this may be attributed to lack of sleep, and I hope my driver assumed that because otherwise he may have been a bit nervous as to why I kept bursting out laughing.
    I arrive to my humble abode (which square footage may equal that of my living room at home) with pale pink walls, white tile floors, 2 toilets, 1 shower next to one of the toilets (this is awkward because the toilet gets soaked when you shower) a cute little kitchen with one hot plate, eclectic decorations from a little glass dog figuring, a elephant horoscope looking' tapestry thing, some Betty dolls in the boxes (Betty= Barbie), and 2 bedrooms.  Now when I arrived I met my roommate Colleen, (my driver informed me that I was going to stay with someone named Collins hehe).  Sam is the man who we are living under who sort of gave us the run down on whats going on.  I guess he rents his house out to ATI so the students can stay here?  Anyway, Colleen's room has AC, mine does not--- or should I say now, Colleen's and my room has AC and now there is a spare room with my clothes in it :-)  Problem solved lol.
    Collins (I told her I'm calling her that now) is from Asheville, NC and is AWESOME! I think this will be a great 3 week living arrangement.  Anyways I basically arrived and we headed out to explore!  The streets are booming with vendors, people, taxis, cars, bikes, rickshaws (I think thats what they are called--motorized tri-wheeled bike things with a seat in the back), and the melodic tune of everyones horn honking as the soundtrack. I'm in love with the colors! Its such a crazy contrast because the streets are brownish and dirty but then there are colorful buildings (like the big green temple we now use as a landmark) and woman in beautiful embellished, sparkling saris and kamees.  Bright oranges, reds, greens,  pastel pinks, magenta, electric blue, gold, black, turquoise,  silver, yellow, royal purples, bright whites, and pale violets…EVERY COLOR EVERRRR!  Needless to say its very visually stimulating. Collins and I decided that we needed some Indian woman gear STAT so headed off to the mall.  Due to our delirium and jet lag we felt the mall was a good place to take in all the energy and people without mistakingly walking into some situation our normal non=sleep-deprived selves would not normally walk into.  We got lost anyways  BUT we did get some sweet kameez and churidar that I cannot wait to wear!  Needless to say it was a great first day here in Kolkata. 
    I'm tired of writing and hungry for some crazy amazing breakfast, so I'll just leave you with one bit of info that I want you to ponder…. as I was not aware of this prior to arrival….

    They do not use toilet paper here.

Namaste.

frolicking without borders--- first stop, INDIA!

Well, here it is.  My infamous epic "peace out" that I have been talking about for so many years has finally occurred.  After frolicking about and seeing a lot of Central America (a LOT of Nicaragua--which now I'd like to call a second home) I decided it was time to see a different hemisphere!  So in a nutshell:  I arrive in Kolkata, India at 9 am on Saturday, September 4.  I take classes at the American TESOL Institute for 3 weeks and receive teaching certificate.  I then will head to the southern tip of India to Kannur, Kerela and teach English at a Montessori school for 3 months.  My visa does not run up until late January so I plan to take advantage of my legality in the country and scamper about some landmarks with some friends I will have hopefully made by then.  During these months I will try to set up an actual teaching job in another country so that I can do that upon my boot from India. 

    1:00 pm, Chicago
The best way to enter Chicago and begin a one-way ticket journey to India is having the flight attendant say, "We hope you enjoy your stay here in Chicago or wherever your destination may be.  Be careful out there."   Dually noted there ma'am.  I don't feel that I should describe my Chicago airport experience any more than that I was so excited to get to the terminal for my departure in 5 hours that I neglected to take a breath and get my LAST AMERICAN MEAL (which I've talked to several of you about)…. so now I'm past security and discovered that there is no more than Bugles, Fritos, and $3 Mountain Dews at a newspaper stand.  Welp, thanks to Kat, Megan, and Kelsey's emergency survival stash, I am not too upset about missing out on some deep dish.  Nothing says American like Trail Mix and Ring Pops!  I'm pretty stoked that I may or may not get to practice some Deutsch when I arrive in Frankfurt after an 8 hour flight. 
    Adios.