Day 6: Faridabad Highs and Lows

Over the past few days we have been continuing to volunteer at the slum school and trying to figure out what happened with the whole orphanage set up. I could basically write a whole post on the miscommunication and reasoning behind it but I'll save that for a later time. Let's just say that in all the planning we did prior to getting here,  it wasn't at all what we expected. You make an assumption or hear a plan and it doesn't always work that way. You sometimes can't control it and that's what traveling is all about, learning and testing yourself to adapt and just go with the flow without any set expectations. There is no point in letting yourself down and dwell on why it didn't happen the way it should've, you just push through and learn from it. Our morning walk to the school is through the area of Sector 4 in Faridabad a slum, generations of families living in tiny makeshift homes, garbage, pigs, cows and dogs. Dust, pollution from factories, the hot heat and no breeze make for a interesting morning walk. Everyday we head to the slum school, the people of Sector 4 stand watching and staring at you. Their deep dark eyes just stare, it can be really intense but I've come to understand that a lot of it stems from pure curiosity. We are here with 3 other volunteers from Australia and California and when the whole group of us walk it's like a thousand eyes are following you. Many people have mistaken me to be Indian and start speaking Hindi to me, it's quite amusing everywhere I go I seem to fit the bill of the local people.  The children run up to you wanting to shake your hand, ask your name, and bring big smiles, this makes up for everything. It's their infectious smiles and the happiness they shine from the interaction they have with us- holding their hand, giving a high five, these simple things are a definite highlight to their day. I'm lucky to say that the individuals I am here with are like minded and we all feel the need to get MAD (Make A Difference). Our conversations are short of silence as we all share ideas, plans and questions on how we as a group can become a force to make some sort of change. It starts small and takes commitment and  we all can use our life experience to come together to bring inspiration, motivation, passion and empowerment to those who need it. Clearly we are all here for similar reasons and there is a purpose to why we were introduced to each other. I am so grateful to have met them and be able to share my ideas and visions.  Last night four of us felt like we were 15 again, hiding out and sitting on stairs, sipping a few beers we called our little watering hole the Canadian Pub. After getting home we were informed that was an absolute no-no in Faridabad. It's a different trip when you stay with a host family, it's an eye opening, raw, real lesson on what everyday life is like here. Not easy, not glamourous and "A India Hai"- meaning this is India.  Our days can go from one extreme of high to the other extreme of low but at the end of each day I reflect and it arrives somehow at a perfect  kinda balance. The next leg of our trip begins Saturday. Destination Agra home to the magical Taj Mahal. I've been having issues posting photos so I apologize for not having visuals. Here's the number one song on the India! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7ixdeFoB4&sns=em