Hi all!

 

Ok, I know this blog posting is long, long overdue, but at least here it is!

 

We are now almost officially living in Mumbai. (We'll register with the foreign office on Monday).

 

We are living in Navi Mumbai (or New Mumbai), just across an inlet of the Arabian Sea from the main city. We are in the neighborhood of Vashi in Navi Mumbai.

 

We have a lovely, brand-new 'flat' (yes, we're in former-British India), on the 10th floor of a 15-story building right in the middle of the city. Grocery shopping, clothes shopping, restaurants, an internet cafe, and international calling booths are all in easy walking distance, and the train station is a 10 min. walk away. Will's work is just next to the station.

 

So, we are still getting settled, but will be finishing our first week of work here. Will travelled far for training from Monday to Wednesday, but now he's going to his regular office.

 

As for me, I went to the Akanksha office on Monday and Tuesday, and it took me about 45 min - not bad at all. But, on the first day, I actually MISSED two trains because they were SO packed that not a single soul could add themselves to the car -- although some tried. The pictures you see, if you've seen them, of Indian trains packed to the bone and people hanging out everywhere are real. It's insanity.

 

Akanksha is fantastic. Here's the link to their website: http://www.akanksha.org/

 

I will be the English teacher at the organization's first full-time school. I'll be teaching 5th graders (about 10-11 years old), and will have one homeroom class that I'll meet with at the beginning and end of the day, and be in charge of, basically.

 

The school will have 3 classes of kindergardeners and 2 classes of 5th graders. Then next year those kids will move up a grade and we'll recruit more kindergardeners and 5th graders, so that the school eventually ends up with all grades k - 10.

 

The school goes from June 1st to May 1st. I'll get a week off for Christmas and a week for Diwali (an Indian holiday - research it for us!!). Plus we'll both get other days off - we should have time to explore India to some degree.

 

We will be recruiting children from the slums nearby the school who are not doing well in standard school or aren't going at all. From what I've seen from the trains, I'm really excited to have the opportunity to provide care, support, and education to the kids that need it here.

 

And, at the same time, we are living in an exciting country, an exciting city, and meeting lots of people. We'll be sure to upload photos soon.

 

While I didn't end up on a more long-term basis with the organization in Afghanistan, we are excited to be doing something needed here.

 

Hello to everyone in Japan - we miss you!!

 

Hello to California - we miss you!!

 

Love to everyone!