I'm Here!

Hello, everyone! I am happy to report that I survived my 3 flights here, and my first night! I got into Kolkata (Calcutta) at about 11:50 last night. It was interesting; when you land, you walk down stairs out of the plane onto the cement below, and then you take a little bus to the airport building. I had to go through customs and get all my stuff checked, and I was soooo thrilled to walk through the exit gate and see Caitlin and Tuan waiting for me right outside! I hadn't seen a familiar face since Jane dropped me off at the airport at 7:30 on Monday night Washington time. Oh, man...

Right now its Thursday at 10:56 in the morning here in Kolkata. OH! We left the airport and I took my first taxi. That was an interesting experience. They don't ever stop. At intersections, they just honk and keep driving, its crazy! It was raining when I got here last night, and it hasn't stopped yet. The humidity is ridiculous! I feel sticky with sweat all the time. We got to Hotel Maria (our Hostel) and I checked in, and Tuan went in to go to the bathroom, and he said "Yick! Briana, want to see your first cockroach?" It was HUGE! At least the size of a 50 cent peice. Tuan killed it (and was officially dubbed by me the cockroach killer), and we all got ready and went to bed. I actually fell asleep pretty quickly. I slept for a long portion of the flight to Kolkata, which was about 9 hours long.

I woke up at 7 or so this morning, when someone went to the bathroom, and had problems going to sleep after that. You would think that the heat would make me tired all the time, but its not so. It did help me to sleep last night though.

So this morning we got up and Caitlin was gone. She had gone to make a phone call. Tuan told me she wasn't feeling well and she has a temperature of 105 right now. I really hope she gets better. Tuan has also gotten sick already. He thinks it has something to do with always being wet and the pollution and stuff. I think hes got a point.

So I got dressed and we went and ordered breakfast and then went so I could get some money. We came back and our breakfast was brought right to us. breakfast was only about 50 ruppees! (just over a dollar). We went and brought Caitlin ice for her head, and now we're here.

So, I know a lot of you want to know what happened in Frankfurt. So, here goes.

I got off the plane and he wasn't there, waiting with everyone else. So I walked to one end of the airport (to "The Meeting Spot") and back, and when I went back to my gate, he was standing there. I don't think I had ever felt more awkward in my whole life. He looked exactly like his pictures. We hugged and I wasn't hungry because I had eaten on the plane, so he bought be some coffee, and we talked for about an hour and a half. It got way easier to talk to him. It turns out we have a lot in common, but we are two very, VERY different people. I don't think hes a great person, but it is great to know that he is there and that I can have contact with him whenever I want to. I found out that he hasn't lived anywhere but Germany since 1978, and also that I have three half siblings. Lewis III lives on the West coast somewhere, Cheveron lives in Oklahoma, and my little sister...I can't remember what her name is, it starts with Sh or Ch, but she lives in Florida and she just turned 18 on June 22. Her mom is the head of the Psychology Department at FSU. All of his kids have gone to or are going to college, both of his sons went to Oklahoma State and his other daughter wants to go to OS as well. His other two children are rather successful as well. Lewis, Lewis III and I all were born on July 11, which is really bizzare to me.

So, he left me at the gate where I had to go through security and get onto my next and final flight to Kolkata. He actually cried when I left, which made me happy. It means that he actually does care about me and where I am and what I'm doing. We took a picture, but I didn't bring my USB cord with me, so you all will have to wait until I can load it up.

Alright, so tomorrow will be my first day volunteering, and I really hope that Tuan or Caitlin can go with me. I shouldn't be too worried...Tuan did this all by himself for about 3 weeks, and I have both of them on my downtime, at least. Just all do me a favor, and:

~Pray that Caitlin gets better
~Pray that Tuan doesn't get sick again (he doesn't feel to hot today)
~Pray that I don''t get sick and that if I do, that its not bad and that I recover quickly
~Pray for our safety from illness, people, and cockroaches
~Pray that I have the time of my life and that I can put all my resevations aside.

Its really hard, being in a foreign city, knowing almost no one, not knowing how things work, having to trust everyone and no one. This is so new and weird and different. I will try to take a picture of the street later, but Tuan said it was in my best interest to act like I don't care about anyone and that nothing phases me (which so far has worked fantastically), otherwise, I will have a hundred people asking me for things.

Until next time~

Briana