Letter 1

Taken from a letter sent to grandparents (minus the mushy stuff), as that's the most efficient way to do this via internet cafe. Hey, it's called letters from hyderabad anyway, isn't it?

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

 

We’re safe in India and it’s been a busy few days! We are finally adjusting to the time change of about 12 hours. It is very hot here, but it’s actually not as hot as we were bracing ourselves for so that is a blessing. It still definitely sucks our energy, so along with the jet lag we’ve been a tired bunch. Luckily we’re adjusting well and we’ve been able to sleep a little extra when we need to.

The city we’re in is called Hyderabad. It’s a huge city of 7 million people, sprawled for what seems like forever. There aren't really any skyscrapers, so it’s just a huge area with lots of small or medium-sized buildings (and the taller ones look unfinished, with rebar sticking out of the top). It’s very colorful here and yet very dirty. The roads usually have lots of dirt, decaying bricks and garbage, and there are people everywhere. There are always new smells, some good and some bad. My nose hasn’t had a break. :)

The other remarkable thing has been the traffic. Oh my goodness, it’s as crazy as I’d ever imagined. Cars, buses, bikes, and rickshaws (three-wheel taxi cars) almost never stop, just filling in whatever space is there – no one pays attention to lines on the road. There is constant honking, but not as we know it. People honk just to let others know that they are there; so it’s a safety measure rather than a sign of annoyance or near-accident. Despite the craziness, I do not feel unsafe. The system is just different, and the drivers just trust everyone else to do their part. It’s definitely an adjustment, but it’s kind of fun.

So far, we have met with a few of the organizations we will be working with while we’re here. The first was a program to try and help villages end child labor. These children who are sent off to work do not get to go to school, so once they are pulled out of work they are not up to speed. So this organization also has a school designed to get them up to speed in 1-2 years. The intent is that then they can enter public schools and have a chance at a decent life. There are complications, but it is progress. We got to meet a class of girls and they told us their hopes and taught us songs and games. It was a great experience.

The other organization we’ve met with deals with different stigmatized medical conditions. They mostly help with leprosy, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. They provide testing, medical attention, and help to rehabilitate and support the people dealing with these diseases. It is such a great program, we were really impressed. We met people with leprosy and the other conditions and got to hear some of their stories. 

Next week, we will continue to meet our other partners before we get started helping them. I am especially excited for the end of next week because we are going to go and stay a few days with some tribal people in the north of our state (Andrha Pradesh) to learn about how a dam that is being built will displace them. We are hoping to do something to try and help lobby against this dam because it is unnecessary and will displace and end up killing many of these tribal peoples. I am really interested in this project, and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to go and stay with these people. Even our country director who is from here doesn’t know their language. We'll probably get to see a snake charmer, and who knows what else.

That's all for now. Our house and our teammates are awesome. There's just too much to tell. But we are safe and happy and doing great! India is definitely spicy all around.

Love,

Katrina and Kyle

 Some photos (none with my camera yet, but i'm excited for that):

Some of the girls at the school - beautiful spirits.

Kyle in front of a Hindu temple. So colorful!

We walked across this. We're getting pretty good. :)