into the deep...

so here i am on the precipice of my third week in india, and whats new? i feel...good? is that a possibliity? why yes i think it is. i was all set up to upload pictures today, but then i got to the internet place and realized there is no usb thingy here. Why would there be? this is india! nothing is convieniant or works when you want it to. Life is chaos! The six-hour powercuts have stopped though, so that is refreshing.
last week we went on a field trip to a place called Jain Hill, where the infamous jainism originated. There were all these sweet caves with ancient stuff carved all over the walls, and i found out the jains were crazy. Back in the day, they used to pull out their hair with their own hands, a strand at a time. Also, they would eat only a handful of rice once a day, and sit on top of this rockface meditating for hours at a time until they got blisters all over their bare skin. They used pain to transcend the physical world. it was also just a really beautiful place, with huge banyon trees that reach down into this big water reservior which is covered in white lotus flowers. There were all these local people hanging out there too, who were really nice. there was this old ascetic guy who was trying desperately to communicate something to me, but i wasnt sure what he was saying. but it is always inspiring to see traditions that have survived thousands of years and are still going strong.
on sunday i went with my host sister and host mom to an indian amusement park, which was exactly like every scary movie about carnivals that i have ever seen. The rides had to be at least 60 years old, and i went on two of them, sure that both would spiral out of control into a fiery crash. But they didnt. Me and my host sis (who is 18) were the oldest people on any of the rides, which was funny and semi-embarassing, as if i dont already stick out enough with my white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. but all in all, it was a pretty fun night. As we were leaving, there was this little girl who had wandered away from her parents and was hysterical. This being india, ten mothers gathered around the child and tried desperately to appease it with cotton candy and toys, but she wasnt having it. We (my host mom, host sis, and me) waited for a half-hour until the childs mother came. I was kind of surprised. My host mom absolutely refused to leave the premises until the child was returned to her family. Im not so sure that that would be the attitude in the US. There was a huge crowd of people gathered around by the time the mom showed up, and then she was severely scolded by all the surrounding mothers. She looked downright ashamed. So that was an interesting cultural difference.
i have adopted a puppy that hangs out by my house. i feed it crackers soaked in milk every morning and evening, but i dont ever touch it cuz it looks super dirty. He is really cute though, and i think one day im just gonna break down and cuddle him mercilessly. my host parents are very puzzled as to why the puppy is always at our house, and they are constantly shooing him away, but he is just so friendly. so that has been an adventure all its own.
i really like having secrets, and this little dog has made that fact all the more apparent. its so fun to sneak around and i like to make it into a sort of spy mission, even though the stakes are very low. this weekend we are going for an overnight at a yoga ashram, which i am pretty excited about. i havent ever done much yoga, but a ton of people swear by it, so why not? also the idea of an ashram really appeals to me. i will let you know if it lives up to its mystical and hippie-ish reputation.
okay, i think thats all to report for now. but thanks fo commenting everyone, i need those words of encouragement sometimes, as im sure you are all aware. So keep it coming! i miss you all, i am eating lots of crazy fruits (like something called a "custard apple" look it up, no joke) and consuming and expelling as usual. Hopefully i will be able to write again soon!
love,
Emma