It's Getting HOT IN HURR

India is hot. Yes.

We are FINALLY having a rest day, which means NO CYCLING! YIPPEE!

Cycling has been fun but also really challenging. I have ultra man legs and a tan of a crazy person. BUT, I am still loving India.

We are staying at a guesthouse in some forest of some village that sounds like "Gerekere." Of course, I could be completely wrong, but that's what I hear when they say the village name. HE HE HE.

The guesthouse is super nice and has lots of shade. We did laundry in the shade today. And YES, I have learned the Indian way of doing laundry.

Squat. Sweat. Slap. Smile.

The position is squatting (as is the same for going to the toilet). You sweat while you pour water on your choice of dirty clothing and scrub your butt off with a brush. Then, you proceed to slap that piece of clothing onto whatever slab of rock you are working on. Finally, you smile a smile of relief and satisfaction (and pride -- for the foreigners only).

This experience (not the laundry..actually the laundry too..but I mean INDIA!) has been freaking amazing. Even if I wanted to write about every day of my trip here, no words can explain the relationships that have been made and the emotions that I feel every day. We travel to so many places, see so many different things and meet so many different people that it is super hard for me to keep track of everything.

Although I don't know the stories of all the Odanadi girls, they are amazing women. Whatever struggles they have had in the past has not stopped them from just being girls. Hopefully this "cycle jatha" - cycle rally - will help them to build their confidence as women living in a country where they are considered significantly less than men.

We have been cycling to villages and schools where the girls will sing songs to bring people out. They then split up and pass out pamphlets explaining what Odanadi Seva Samsthe (Odanadi Seva Trust) does. There is also a phone number for a hotline people are able to call if they are or know someone who is being abused/has been trafficked/etc.

Because the subject of human trafficking is very taboo in India, Stanly and Parashu (the founders of Odanadi) have turned to the theme of "Our Earth, Our People" in order to help spread awareness of environmental issues as well as trafficking issues. I think it's genius but I also think we need to be pushing harder to talk more openly about trafficking issues.

Okay! This entry has been all over the place, I apologize! There are just too many things going on and so many things I want to talk about that I had to write out whatever I could! (:

I hope everyone at home and abroad is doing well!

See everyone in 14 days!

<3, Sharon

THIS. IS. INDIA.

"T.I.I."
- Christina Lagdameo

So we are in Arkulgud or something right now. We are sleeping in a wedding hall tonight and I snuck out with the volunteers to get some Internet time before we have to eat dinner and meet some guy.

Anyways, I've learned that in India, we have no control over anything. Whatever happens, happens. At first it was really frustrating because I never knew what was going on (actually it still is frustrating), but now I think it's gotten a little better. (:

Okay, I have to run. I have no idea what's goin on tomorrow.

All I know is that I have a super duper farmer's tan, bad hair, bad skin...

BUT I know how to eat with my right hand. (:

<3, Sharon

Seven Years in Tibet...

Okay, not really. I wish.

But I've been at a Tibetan colony for the past two days. It is AMAZING here. We visited the Golden Temple with the girls yesterday and had a chance to visit a monastary. And right before we arrived at the Tibetan colony....we were trekking through a jungle with elephants, peacocks, deer and....LEECHES. IT was awesome because we got to stay at this tribal village, which can be compared to a Native American tribe in the United States. The people at this village are very poor and are living on land specifically allotted for them.

I feel so privileged because there is very limited access into the tribal village (which, by the way, took a 25 minute jeep drive into the jungle!) and foreign internationals are NOT allowed to stay over night in the Tibetan colony.

Crazy!!!

Okay, I don't have much time because we have to cycle to another village in 15 minutes so I must end it here!

All I can say is that I am falling more and more in love with the girls and India as well.

Thank you everyone for your support! I will try to update again soon.

<3, Sharon

P.S. CHAI AND BISCUITS = NEW OBSESSION