Mumbai Day 1.5

So now that I have fully slept, I am a little less discombobulated and ornery.  Mumbai is an overload on the senses that is for sure. As I am sitting here, there are construction nosies all around me. I suppose in a city with 11 million people you have no choice but to build constantly. There are constant horns honking, people milling around, it can be hard to find a little bit of quiet. Today started orientation. There are about 30 of us that were hired for this school year. The superintendent said to imagine that the hiring process was as if we were on a lifeboat with 6 other people and of those 6 we were the one picked for the ASB ...then he asked us why did we think we were hired. I said because I am a superstar! LOL LOL

India...Day .5

So I have been here in India for about 9 hours. I am exhausted, hungry, worried, feeling lost and alone. You would think it would be difficult to be alone in a city with over 11 million people...not so much once they drop you off at your apartment. It's just me and my blank walls, my suitcases and laptop. I knew coming here that I would need to experience Mumbai in order to understand it. The learning curve is STEEP. The noise, the people, the trash, stray dogs, simply walking down the street is like playing frogger as there are no sidewalks and the drivers in the streets are lawless. (not really,but it feels that way) Leaving everything I knew and the things and places that were familiar and comfortable with to be dropped in the middle of an unfamiliar and confusing part of the world is daunting. Figuring out how to call home, making sure I use bottled water to brush my teeth, where to buy groceries. At home these things were automatic, here in India it took all of my brain power to figure out how to charge my cell phone. The school was very welcoming, but they can't hold my hand while I adjust. The good thing is I figured out how to trick the internet so I can now watch Netflix and listen to Pandora. See....silver lining in every cloud.