Assimilation

I've been back in Atlanta for nearly two weeks and I still think about India a lot. Nine weeks still seems like an incredibly short time for me, but I need to acknowledge that it was a long enough period for me to get a relatively good sense of how people in Jodhpur live.

Little ways in which my life was changed from this trip:

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When I moved into Clairmont, I turned off the A/C and opened the windows in my living room and bedroom. I didn't want to be so separate from the outside. In Singapore and in Jodhpur the houses I live in are built with large windows so air can flow in. I like knowing what the weather is like outside, hearing the faint sounds of nature, even dealing with the heat and humidity.

And then my Area Director told us we had to make sure all the thermostats were on and set to 72F to prevent "moisture issues". So after a week's delay I turned on the A/C but kept it at 78F.

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Whenever I get the chance, I eat with my right hand only. But I apologise to the people around me in case it bothers them.

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I feel compelled to say "thiiiik hai" instead of "okaaaay" but I can't since no one will understand me.

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I don't feel comfortable wearing short shorts around (this will probably change). It also amazes me to see girls in two-piece bathing suits (even though I wear one as well).

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I'd like to take a road trip to explore different parts of the US, or at least the South, or at least Georgia. I wish I could walk and walk for hours along the Atlanta streets but I don't think that would be as interesting or as colourful as it is in Jodhpur because Atlanta is more spread out than Jodhpur. I know that Atlanta has a lot of interesting events and I'd like to continue to discover them. Maybe that could be my fall break activity...