Well, things are unpredictable here, as always. One of the volunteers, Drew, and all of the British people left this morning. It was lively with them here, but I am really looking forward to a more focused experience now. I'm feeling so much more integrated into the community here. I can't walk 10 feet without one of the kids or women stopping me to talk, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The crummy news is that my camera is missing. And i am feeling doubly stupid because all of my pictures from Alaska are on the camera, too, instead of safe on my computer at home. I was starting to get upset, when my favorite girl, Sarynia, took my hand and led me to the dining room to have tea and talk with her. She wants me to take her home in my bag, and I absolutely wish that I could.

I was still feeling upset and down when we went to the "goodbye show" that the kids presented for the British people. All of the girls were wearing their Sunday Best, these terribly miss matched sparkly outfits. They were gorgeous. Every one of the children was a part of some song or dance. As I watched them perform and applaud for each other, I felt this sense of peace sneak up on me. Just this feeling that it is out of my hands, and if I find it, awesome, and if I don't, I don't. it sucks and it's frustrating but it's not Everything.

Some of you have asked about my 'typical day', which does not exist. But I'll give it a shot. I wake up around 7, take a shower, pretend to eat breakfast, then sneak back to my room for a granola bar. Then I walk to the senior school with some of the kids. There I will teach a class or two. I'll have them write or talk in English, or go outside for some creative movement. I'll also help Vatsala, the Principal (and one of my favorite people on earth) type some e-mails. Then it's back to the orphanage for lunch. During the afternoon, I pop in and out of the lower school classes and read to the kids, or do rhymes and poems with them. This is a challenge, since most of the little ones only speak Tamil, but I am still novel to them so they pay attention. After school, I will 'rest my eyes' or go into the nursery and play with the babies for a while. In the evenings, I will sometimes go to prayer with them, and usually help the girls with their evening study, which goes on forever. They are definatley of the mindset that quantity of time spent studying is more important than quality, and will not budge on this notion. Believe me, I've tried. I work with the older students during this time or read to the little ones. The little ones have no teacher so they're expected to just sit in a room quietly doing nothing, which is absurd, so i try to give them at least a little stimulation.

This may seem counter intuitive, considering that I am a teacher, but I feel much more useful at the orphanage than the school. I like taking classes but there is this that there is only so much I can teach in a month. I feel that the time that I spend with the orphans is much more rewarding, for them and for me.

All for now...congratulations to Sally on her wedding and Julie for singing the National Anthem at Wrigley. Yea!