Well friends......I'm here in India and it's my fourth day figuring it out on the other side of the world. So much to say...it's hard to know where to begin. Plus---it's only my fourth day. So far, so good. I'm happy and healthy and my brain is spinning from all of the new stimuli. Here's the best way I know how to express what I am experiencing.

Here are all the things I love about this place so far.....

1. Birds, Birds, Birds.....there are so many noisy, beautiful birds flying around..I'm in heaven!
2. My new place - The apartment that I live in is a small palace with my very own room for making art, and a spacious living room that also doubles as a hackee sack court. The place also comes equipped with gardens, a pool, a gym, squash and badminton courts, and a ping pong table. Yeah...I am a lady of luxury.
3. The view from my balcony. I live next to a farm that raises water buffalo, goats and chickens. A rooster crows at 5:30 am, and at night, you smell a mixture of campfires and dung. mmmm!
4. The insane amount of varied activity that exists in every corner of this place! There's so much going on that my eyes, ears and nose are never bored!
5. The food!!!I'm having fun learning to cook a new set of dishes. I live pretty far from the city (40 minute taxi ride) so I really have to rely on my own cuisine and that of the local grocery store. Those that know my style of cooking know that I'm having a field day finding new items to through into the pot!
6. Finally.....there's chocalate here - so everything's going to be okay.

Here are some things about this place that I hope I get used to.....

1. The nocturnal frogs that enter the house through my toilet! They're very cute, tiny and yellow -but come on....they came through the toilet! Gives a whole new meaning to PUT THE LID DOWN!
2. The random power outages. They come and go and don't last for long, but they're pretty unpredictable. Keeps me on my toes.
3. The incessant horn honking. Rules of the road are pretty simple...watch your mirrors and honk your horn if you want to arrive alive. Therefore, some of the car horns are pretty elaborate and all of them are very loud. This is pretty annoying considering how many cars are on the road.
4. The limitation of movement. I like to walk and explore, but for now, my movement at night is pretty restricted to the apartment complex. This will take some getting used to, or the freedom will increase as I get to know the place.
5. Being so far from friends and family. Laughing on your own just isn't the same!

That's all for now. I will post more with more pics soon. Feel free to post comments and email. I miss you all lots.