Not hunrgy...really though...

What I really need is for people in this country to stop trying to force me to eat as much as humanly possible.  Everyone in this school eats a lot, the boys the girls, the women the men, even the dogs, so when you don’t eat as much as them they think you’re literally starving. I ate a normal breakfast and was full, but all of the students were trying to tell me I needed more food and I needed to keep eating, but they don’t understand that I’ve stopped eating because I'm not hungry anymore. Today after lunch (which is at 10 am, I know what you’re thinking; that’s breakfast! I thought the same thing) they gave all the kids mangoes for dessert well they gave all the kids 3 and they tried to give me 3 and I told them no and that I only wanted 1, well that wasn’t acceptable so they gave me 2. I ate one and tried to give the other one back, that didn't work. One of the boys I was eating with made me put it in my purse and told me I could eat it later...I carried a mango around all day.

I know it’s customary and traditional but people have to start letting me do my share of the work (thank you GRP). I haven’t washed a dish, made a bed, wiped a table, or help prepare a meal since I got here, but that’s not from lack of trying! I have tried so hard to wash my own dishes or help in whatever way I can but NO one will let me do anything. I mean if we’re being totally honest some of it I don’t mind…this making my bed everyday thing is no joke.

Let me tell you what is truly unacceptable: I was in a convenient store the other day and my total was 49 rupees well who has perfect change these days? So I gave the nice man 50 rupees expecting to get 1 rupee back, because that’s how simple math works…or so I thought. He gave me back this:

 

In what world and on what planet does 1 rupee change=random Indian candy??????????? I thought it was like a mint that you would get after dinner…then as I stood there staring at him waiting on my change my friend kindly informed me that he didn’t have any change so the candy was my change. I looked around, particularly perplexed…and stated that in my country if a store runs out of change they either give you more back than you’re supposed to have, or they GO FIND SOME CHANGE! No where is it acceptable to give someone candy instead of change. I’m actually still confused.

Apparently fire hazards aren’t like a thing in India. Let me tell you a little bit about how my afternoon went:

4:30 sitting casually in the hostel

4:32 decided I needed some water

4:33 found that the door to exit the hostel was locked…from the outside

4:33 remembered I worked at a school for deaf kids so yelling wasn’t helpful

4:34 waved down a kid made them go get me help

4:38 help finally arrived with a key to let me out

4:39 stormed into the office and ranted about how I could have died

It was pretty eventful.

Just in case anyone was wondering: Yes, it is still hot.

locked safely away,

Leigh