I think I have perhaps finally adjusted to the time change. Last night, I slept the whole night through for the first time--I still woke up at 6 on a Sunday morning, before even the small boys. Cankle update--GONE--now just ankles!! I never thought my ankles would look so skinny again in my life (although now they are covered in mosquito bites...).

Yesterday we went into the town of Vijayawada, which is about 15 km away. There's a closer village, the name of which I may never be able to pronounce, about 15 minutes away by bike, but Vijayawada is the "city." This is what I thought India would look like. After hearing again and again about the cows in India, and how they stand in the middle of the road in cities, it was still very shocking to see a cow amidst the traffic and hordes of people. I saw my life flash before my eyes a few times just in the short distance that we walked; the reckless auto-rickshaw drivers seemingly have no concept of human life. I can see what India has the highest deaths per capita from car accidents...

I spent some more time with the small boys yesterday again. I can't get over how cute they are!! They have "homework," and all are very eager to show me all the English they know, and perhaps get a little loud competing to read me their school books. My skin is becoming less of a novelty, but is still plenty amusing.

The children love to have pictures taken of them and love even more to take pictures!! In exchange for being able to take a few pictures, I was given friendship bracelets. I told them that I used to make the exact same friendship bracelets when I was just their age. Some things are universal, I suppose.

It rained all day yesterday--apparently it hasn't rained like that for a few years. How fitting that and Oregonian would bring the rain.

Picture time!

The School

The small boys' home, where I'm living

OK... putting pictures up is a major headache, and after multiple attempts to get something faster to work, I've sold out and created a Facebook album. If you'd like to see pictures and don't have Facebook, email me (gombartz@gmail.com), and I will "share" the album with you on Facebook....it just won't let me share it with a website.