Honking Redefined

Hello! It has been a while....writing a good update has been difficult without a steady internet source. However, I am now feeling established in Pen, India, where I will reside for the next 10 weeks in India, so I should be able to update regularly. There is a local internet hangout, which is a nice place to escape the house and heat for a little while.

A brief recap on the travel before arriving here in India....After my mother and I finished up in the UK, we were on to Berlin, Germany to see the city and then begin our trek through the country by car. Berlin was an amazing thing to see; very fast and industrious. I have found that I really don't do well with big cities for a long time, so it was nice to pick up our car and hit the road to Munich, or Munchen as it is in Deutsch. It was a quick one, as I tested the autobahn out with a nice cruising speed of about 160 km/hr (top speed was 200 km/hr!) owieee!! In Munich, we met up with my dear friend and brother Mr Tony Williams. The three of us then traveled throughout southern Germany and the Bavarian Alps, with too many adventures to discuss here. We finally left the car in Konstanz, Germany, then rocked and rolled to Zurich, Lucerne, Venice, Florence, and lastly Rome. Sooo many astounding sights and experiences, and memories that will last forever. We had our moments of frustration and exaustion, but with the occasional cheap Italian beer on the steps of a church in Florence and good rest in the seats of a Kia See'd outside a hotel in Konstanz, we all agreed that the trip had been a success.

Now for a few details on life so far in India. I write this not to complain in any way, but hopefully to give you a taste of how different this country is from the U.S. India is VERY populous, even in small cities. More people means more waste, commercial and human, more traffic, more of everything. Because there are so many people, it is much more difficult to maintain sanitation, *clean* water distribution, among many other things. We live in a town called Pen, where 60,000 people live and work. I live in a two bedroom bunglow with two girls, Kelly and Jessica. The girls share a room and a bathroom, and I have my own room and bathroom. The bathroom is set up with a shower, toilet, and sink in one small room. Bathing is an intersting endeavor. The shower heads in both bathrooms have not been functional for quite some time, so the method of choice is to fill a bucket with water, and use a small pitcher to soak up and to rinse, with a later-up in between. It's right up my alley. An additional use to this bathroom is the ability to wash our clothes. Same procedure as the shower really, just fill the bucket with soap and water, dunk your clothes and rinse them in a different bucket with clean water, hang to dry. While we are no longer priveledged with the comforts and conveniences life in the states, this is how life is here, and adjusting to these differences is part of the journey. I have probably missed many details about home life so please feel free to ask questions through facebook or email, and I can try to answer them next time.

In regard to honking...Indians do not use their horns out of frustration or panic or their discontent with another driver....they use their horns merrily and incessantly to let others know they are there. Five seconds does not go by on an Indian street without hearing 5-10 loud honks, in every form. It's quite annoying.

I am eager to write more as my time goes on here, as there are many sights, sounds, and smells worth sharing on a daily basis, but I will try giving a weekly update of what we have experienced in our program. Many thanks to all who are praying for me; I will need continual prayers for our safety and strength to press on in a strange world.

Grab a hold of whatcha got,

Reid