It's been a week since I landed here and
it's been pretty eventful, so just so you feel as though you are not
missing out on the experience I will share all with you.
First stop was Mumbai last Sunday night/Monday morning. I was leaving
the airport when I made my first mistake, to go with the wrong taxi
driver. There was supposed to be someone waiting for me with a placard
that had my name on it, but I couldn't see it and so being confused and
tired (like normal really I hear you say) I went with this driver who
says 'You go to
Pune
no?' After going about 30 meters with him it dawned on me that I am
going to a hotel first and so I made a quick u-turn. I eventually found
the right person and he presented me with a flower garland as a welcome
gesture on arrival.
I finally got to my home stay in
Pune
where I was expecting a village shack with a bucket for a toilet. But
to my surprise I landed well and truly on my feet. The house I am
staying at is amazing, it has marble floors everywhere, 6 bedrooms, of
which all are en-suite, and leather sofa's...and you thought I would be
slumming it!
As for the volunteer work itself, I have been going around their different centers in
Pune,
some of the schools are just tin shacks on a construction site or in
worse cases the unfinished car park of a new construction. It's
difficult to get your head around at first when you see so much wealth
here but at the same time massive poverty just yards next to it. It does
put into perspective what you have. I will be working at this one
centre where I will be teaching basic English and basic MS Word skills
to the children.
The weather here is amazing too. It is a minimum of 25-30 degrees
every day and this is still the end of winter for them. The worst part
of their winter is if the temperature drops below 4 degrees but for us
that is the best part of our winter!