39. Drink coconut milk (from a coconut)

INDIA. I wrote so many things down in my detective journal to comment
on but I'll try to space them throughout my posts.

EVERYONE and their mother had big trips planned (to the Taj and such)
so there were very few of us left in Cochin for the entire six days.
It was great because since all of my friends were gone I had to make
new friends. I swear I'm going to get back to school and ask to sit
with random people in the Union and they're going to be like, "umm,
there's an empty table over there." Here it's totally acceptable to
sit wherever. Especially when there are only 32 people on the entire
ship.

India smells. Sometimes bad, sometimes good. Smells like sewage and
then smells like spices.

The first day I had an FDP for class. We went to the Togorme village
to visit a women's group there. It was an incredible experience. We
arrived incredibly late because immigration took forever. It was a
very casual FDP, which was great because then we got to interact with
the people.

They also cooked a meal for us. Served on a banana leaf. It was nice
because they gave us silverware and napkins (something they don't
use). Most people in India eat with their hands (or hand to be more
precise). I watched a little bit. They have it down to an art. We
also walked around the village. Everyone was so happy to see us.

The ladies who were escorting us around really didn't speak much
English. This one kept talking like we eventually would understand
what she was saying. Like if she said it again and again eventually I
would understand Hindu. It was slightly frustrating. I realize I do
that all the time though but in English. I'll have to remember that
for the future. If they don't speak English, repeating it slower and
louder will not make them understand.

I'm starting to confuse things because of all the countries we've
visited. Is the currency the rand? Or the real? Or is it rupees?
What's the conversion rate again? Am I in a tuk tuk, tro tro, or
taxi? Is it a Tata? Is the city Agra or Accra? Ahhhhh, so many
similar yet different names. I feel like I'm constantly trying to
regroup my thoughts.