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!