DEPARTURE TASKS

I got an email yesterday with that title. Scary. OMG. There are about 10 weekends left until the pack out...a million and a half more memories to be made...and 4 years worth of experience to process. Can you tell I'm getting a little sentimental? Sense the nervousness?

Yup. I am officially leaving India, despite the lingering disbelief that I will actually leave. AH!

The flowers are blooming, the days are getting longer, but this Spring is passing FAR too quickly already. Last vacations, last shopping trips....and then the couch that has to be totally refurbished! I get really excited when I talk about moving home, moving into my room at my mom's, and possibly moving to Chicago. But I guess first things first. My plan is just to be present here...and I think that's the best thing I can do for myself.

My band played last week, this band thing is a total riot! We play at the bar at the commissary, so most of our crowd is usually our friends and family....it's a very forgiving crowd! I've been exposed to totally different different types of music than I ever would've sang...and I love it!
We rehearse a couples of times a week....and then all our friends come out for our gigs. Yay!

Our annual trip to Rishikesh to raft the Ganges is coming up quickly at the end of the month, and then there is a quick 4 hour trip shift to my Spring BReak trip to Bali and the Gili Islands!

Life is good.

november news

Winter in Delhi is quickly approaching. The garbage fires have definitely started and everyone seems to have a lingering cough . SAISA Girl's Soccer has started, so Ive been living soccer 4 days a week, and we have a good team heading to the tourney in Sri Lanka in 3 weeks.
Got back from Goa a few weeks ago, a fabulous trip with lots of relaxation and great food. Ended up running into Tom and Isabelle who I talk with my first year in India. You know you've lived some place for a long time when you have visited the same place 3 times, and run into people you know there:)

Last night the bar at the embassy reopened, and my band played. It's been quite a trip, learning new songs, learning how to sing with your voice singing back at you, being flexible with solos, etc. It's been such a great experience for me, and it's nice to do one thing with not all teachers!

Next Sunday Ill run my 2nd half marathon...when I think about it is still freaks me out, but we're plenty ready. THere are about 20 people I know running it, so it'll be good company:)

The year is FLYING by. I've started to mentally prepare for a move next summer, I'm trying to just stay in the NOW and enjoy every minute.
That's November news for you.
LOVE
b

a birthday playlist

A friend recently challenged me to make a playlist with one song from each of my years on earth. Seemed too hard, but I compiled a list of my favorite birthday memories, a play-list of sorts:)

I've always loved having fall birthday, backdropped by leaves changing color

• Most of my 6-16 birthday parties were in the backyard on Lake Forest, homecoming on the horizon. One year we made a pyramid:)
• 16 year old birthday on Mom's back porch on Lake Hill....big bash, wore a Red and White shirt, did a Eric Nies dance with Lizzie (peppa, peppa)
  
• My 21st at 104 W Gorham. BIG PARTY. Lots of my friends from Madrid drove in
• India birthday #1. Jeff Perkins oh so lovingly pointed out I was drinking Delhi tap water-and 1st time I could throw an adultier party:)
• Keg on the Yamhill porch....that was probably 26 or 27 Trav, Kevin, and Tyler groovin some tunes
• Another Yamhill party, this time with Mom and Tim
  
• The blue oakley sunglasses birthday (thanks SCS!) , celebrated at the Nitty, and then hosted by Sarie- on Bassett?
• Every birthday celebrated with Jules who decorated rooms, sang songs AND invented dances for my two left feet:)
  
• Roller-blading birthday party on the lakefront with the happenstance of big balloon arch that we skated with
  
• First year in Portland birthday, Sarie came in (left little Ian alone at home with craig) and we went to the Cuban place with Rose (el was working)
• Nitty Gritty birthdays with a tag-off to Missy:)
  
• Birthday at the Delta Cafe in Portland-same year as party on the porch?
• Madrid birthday, celebrated in our dorm, then went dancing
  
• Today-starting the day with a 4 mile run with my friends, my motivation and lots of love!
• All the parties I've shared with Doug (and this year marks the end)
• Coffee date birthdays with Kyle before school
  
• My birthdays with my birthday twins, Laura Chrusciel Stone, Brandon Markle, Josh Jenkins, Douglas Beam, Carrie Bui
  

Thanks for all the memories:)

september stuff

It's been a crazy few weeks! Fall is my crazy time. As trip leader for our Week withOut Walls adventure, Team 6 leader, and a member of 3 different musical groups, it seems crazy that I'd also add half marathon training to the mix. But yes, I have. It's been such a fulfilling month. From trips to some Delhi landmarks, to incredible classroom work, I'm totally pleased.

For those of you not on facebook, ask if you'd like to see some pics....haven't quite gotten to that.

I got pulled over last week (not a highlight), which has always been one of my biggest fears of driving in a seemingly lawless city. I was talking on my cell phone, and I suppose I don't know if that really is illegal or not. THe cops here are usually on motorbikes, so they just risk their lives by tapping on your window and pulling in front of you, using there very delhi hand signal of pull over. I WAS FREAKED. Most things in Delhi I have under control, this I did not. I have heard many a horror story about emptying wallets and unsatisfied police officers. I tried to get smart and force them to come with me to the embassy. The policeman was having none of it, or understanding none of it, not quite sure. Eventually he just wabbled his head and said matter of factly "money, " followed with a smile and "now." Um yeah, there aren't many fabulous times to be a white girl in delhi, and this wasn't winning any first time awards. I was able to win a small battle of getting him to back up off my car, which he was leaning into with a creepy grin on his face, while I got my money out. 500 INR was a fine exchange for letting me continue to drive, somewhat lawlessly, on the Indian roads.

I've also started another blog...a professional one with my kids, if you're interested, check it out
http://rgalvan.msblogs.aes.ac.in - my kids are doing AWESOME and inspirational things with it. Very exciting.

What else? I'm in a band. This is pretty much a dream come true gone blues. While I never dreamed of singing the blues, I'm loving the opportunity to sing and perform, it's definitely taking me outside of my comfort zone, which is a welcome adventure. On Friday we'll have our first gig. Ha, a GIG! Love it!

Lots of trips and adventures coming my way this next month. Stay tuned!
LOTS OF LOVE, and drop a comment!

Tea with Gandhi's Granddaughter

Tara was only 14 when her grandfather died, but when she spoke of him, you would never know that over 50 years had passed. Her stories of him and with him are so vivid and clearly hold great importance to her. She actually called herself the most illiterate of the family, because rather than study other people's interpretations of Gandhiji, she uses her memories of him to make sense of who he was and how he thought.

When talking about the separation, what Gandhi above all strived to achieve although he did not agree with partition ,
she shared that eventually he agreed that there was going to be more bloodshed without it. But then she spoke of the terrorism that was present in pre-independent India and how it ensued post-independence. The terror she spoke of, though, wasn't the terrorism we think of. It was the terror of going to sleep hungry, having hungry children, or the terror of being lonely.

I only had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Bhattercharjee for a short time, but her presence was generous and full of love. We all speak the same language, the language of heart.

back.

i'm back. it's the same, yet different.

year 4 brings more comfort than year 3, so where is all this discomfort coming from ?

i arrived 2 weeks ago to the deceivingly fabulous new indira gandhi airport. after waiting for an hour for my bags, i pushed my cart excitedly out the door of the airport. hot. humid. slippery. chaos. welcome back to india.

my house had seemingly stood still, my plants continued growing, and life had carried on without me for 3 months. the hole next to my house is still there, and the house across the street appears to be finished. my car sat waiting for me in the school parking lot, as did the broken side-view and a/c and the newly broken passenger side door and window.

i find it fascinating how different my school life and summer lives are, and moreover how seamless the transition might appear from the outside. i'm experiencing the emotional transition more than usual this year. or is it just that the mundane has hit hard or that i'm more cynical than ever? not sure. it only took 1 drive home to get the road rage back, an appointment-less salon to get the tears flowing, all the while the voice in my head saying 'why did you come back again?'

schools started monday and it was glorious. the reunions with friends have been extraordinary. life is comfortable, too comfortable? i'm looking forward to learning more about myself and delhi this year, try to leave the nah-saying behind and step out into every day as if it were my last (in new delhi).

is this what it means to be a runner?

short post, but needed something short to get me back on here.
last weekend i decided i was a runner....these are my findings.

R est-lots of it. 9:30pm has become "late" for me. i spend most friday's home by 7 or 8pm, in bed by 9pm. getting up early is pretty much my new favorite thing, 430am is a common weekend wakeup time. most running days i end up snoozing at my desk at some point. it's so hot here, running has to at least start before sunrise

I ce- YUP, lots of it too! tonight i sit with my leg propped up: frozen veggies on the foot, frozen hot dogs on the knee, and newly added ice pack to the place where the masseuse rubbed a little to hard!

Carbs-man, i eat them a lot. fuel fuel fuel

Excellant. How I feel after each and everyone, especially now that early runs are over in 3 weeks!

Madison Half in 25 days. Woop Woop!

*disclaimer-all i talk about is running these days, sorry!