We’ve been making some new friends here from India. We’re beginning to have visitors to our house, which is fun. This morning, I woke up and everyone in the house had gone into town. I decided to go for a walk to the beach. I got there, and there were tons of boys playing cricket. (Actually, they were about my age.) I walked past, but they sort of started asking me weird questions, like, “Where are your friends?” and following me, so I went back home as fast as I could. They seemed pretty harmless, but you never know I suppose. Walking alone was a much different experience than going with a group or at least another person even. It’s something I probably won’t be doing so often…

I did notice some sadder things on that walk though, like a woman scooping water, probably for drinking or at least cooking, into a jug from a dirty puddle on the side of the road. But I suppose those are the things people tell you about in India… there is every type of person here; the richest and the poorest.

Later on, I came back home, and since everyone had returned, we decided to go to the beach in the afternoon. We went at four, and it was wonderful. The currents were extremely strong, but we stayed very close to shore. Celia, Frederic, both Jacobs, and two of our Indian friends and I went. It seems like not many people swim here, and it is definitely uncommon to wear a bathing suit or swim in anything less than saree, so we attracted quite a crowd. It got a little uncomfortable with a ton of men standing around with cameras watching us swim, but hey, we’re doing something weird in their country, and I suppose that we take pictures and stare in the US if someone does something crazy in front of us. Even with the onlookers, the beach was great, and we have plans to go back a lot now, especially since it is so close to our hostel. Tonight, we plan to go into Pondy for dinner… the boys met some British traveller who invited us out to eat. Then later at the hostel, maybe some celebrations- we have two birthdays coming up in the house. 🙂