it's been a long time coming... and going.

Okay, so finally after 2 years of being home again, and somehow managing to complete a degree in nursing, I am back travelling and man, it feels good.

It was a bit of a whirlwind getting here... my last week was filled with a ridiculous number of last-minute things to do concerning setting things up for my job in the fall, finishing up course work, arranging my licencing stuff, and actually getting ready for India. This only confirmed 2 things: that beaurocracy and running errands are my worst enemies, and also: I procrastinate like a champ. Did manage, however, to get everything done, and somehow found time to say goodbyes, go to prom (obviously), and fall in love with Toronto again.

So here I am, in Hyderabad. After a brief layover in London (just long enough to say hello to the Queen, walk through Trafalgar Square, eat some lunch by the Thames dahling and fall asleep under a tree in the park), it was only a hop, skip, a 9-hour flight and yet another 1.5 hour flight, and here we are.

My first impressions of India as illustrated by my thoughts driving into town from the aiport: wow, traffic is crazy here - this reminds me quite a bit of Africa *insert many fond memories here* - man it's friggin hot - oops, we just got a flat tire - guess we wait here in the car until it's fixed - these children swarming the car are adorable - oh, one is now opening my door - back on the road - mango lassi??! yes please.

Anyway, I won't bore you with all the details, but the school stuff is going great. We're getting a good orientation to the NGO & what they do, and also some really great training on the health care system here, the challenges they face, and HIV/AIDS in India.

Non-school stuff includes exploring the city, bartering and eating mangoes (extremely messily - it was even IN MY HAIR) in the market, going for world-famous chicken biryani, seeing a fort and light show, buying an Indian cell phone (you basically have to promise them your first-born), eating ice creams by the lake, and much, much more. It's really great to have everyone here with me, and we have even befriended a couple of university students who have kindly shown us around (aka patiently hanging out while we buy up all the pearls in the land). And one of them, Ram, sang Eye of the Tiger with me in the rickshaw on the way home this evening, so really what more could you ask for? Ps. this was when we had 11 people in the rickshaw, which is smaller than a small car, so that was interesting... pictures to follow.

Also, given that tomorrow is my birthday, the girls somehow found me a chocolate cake tonight, so I was touched, and really grateful that this trip is so wonderful so far.

Much love to everyone at home. Talk soon.