Tattoos and dreadlocks

Those 2 things seem to be very interesting to these kids. We had a full day of “let’s touch Leigh’s head!” yesterday. Some were scared some were amazed, but at the end of the day they all gave me the thumbs up or the Ok symbol, basically meaning I’m in the cool kids club.#finally

Also, apparently word has spread that I like Jesus because different kids come up to me all the time and point at my cross tattoo then ask (well not really ask) if I pray. When I say yes I get that thumbs up. #winning My other tattoo isn’t of as much interest because they can’t read all the words.

Yesterday this man asked me what part of Africa I was from…I have no problems with the motherland but I was still over it. I said I am an American but I would love to visit Africa someday soon.

One of the teachers at the school is convinced I need to learn Guajarati, so his class is now solely focused on teaching me how to speak their native language which is totally awesome! Except for the fact that this is literally the hardest language I have ever studied or read or looked at. I can’t even repeat the words once someone else says them! I learned a phrase yesterday that means “how are you?” I asked one of our caretakers in Guajarati how she was and she was so excited! She responded and looked so proud of me! Then she started talking…a lot and very quickly in Gujarati…and I was silent again…she was so proud of me for one second…then she was like lol…you don’t speak Gujarati, and our moment was over. I’m working on being able to hold a minimal conversation….ya…I’ll let y’all know how that goes.

There’s a little girl here and it’s her first year at the school and is just crying and boo hoo-ing all over the place. Well naturally the camp counselor in me wanted to hug her and tell it would be ok, but when no one was looking and I went to sit with her she stopped crying and stuck her tongue out at me. then got up and moved somewhere else to pretend to cry -__- I was SUPER over it. She’s fine. She gets no more sympathy from Leigh.

So I am the best English speaker here…which I find weird because I say things like gooder and bestest  and other things that would shame my high school English teachers, but that is the role I am playing. I am a translator, sure makes me wish I had paid attention during those 3 years of French and 3 semesters of UNC Spanish…whoops…

Many of you have been expressing your confusion about my purpose here in India at this school. To be quite honest, I’m just hanging out. Everyday the kids teach me new signs and help me remember old ones. I’ve literally taught no one anything…and I probably wont…because I don’t know Gujarati…or Indian sign language…or how to embroider, which is what the principal asked me help with…that’s going to be a fail of epic proportions.  I brought plenty of embroidery floss though…so I guess I could teach them how to make friendship bracelets?? Maybe? 

 Melanie and I NOT teaching anything...

The first friend I made (that is a student) here, is named Gelo (short for something I can’t remember how to spell), well I’ve been pronouncing it like Jello…because that’s what is looks like! Well yesterday I found out it’s pronounced like Gela…how was I supposed to know that? I guess I should stop calling him Jello…

 He's the taller one on the second row

The other night I was sitting on a bench with my feet dangling carelessly over the edge, when all of a sudden…BAM this random stray dog tentatively approaches me looking all sad and sullen and he plops his self down with his ENTIRE body pressed up against my feet. Like he wasn’t rubbing his body against my shoes, just sitting literally as close as possible to me. I was just looking around and no one seemed to think that was super strange except for me. SPOILER ALERT: if a stray dog does that weir crap to you MOVE. I mean nothing happened….he just sat pressed against my shows for a few minutes….kind of anti climatic now that I think about it…but still, of all the room in the entire country of India, that is where he chose to sit.

OOO AND LOLZ SO HARD: I have a cricket phone….hahahahaha! does anyone remember those awkward moments when someone asked you for your number and you had to tell them to give you a couple days so you could put some minutes on your phone???? Well I don’t because I’ve never had a Cricket, but I remember my friends riding the Cricket struggle bus. So, I’ve pretty much been sent back to the past in terms of a phone.

More tattoos soon,

Leigh