ESLP

Right now I'm sitting in my Sustainable living class, learning about how the world is hydro-illiterate, and how of the 1% of the water in the world is drinkable, and how in the past 110 years, we've polluted half of that. Sustainable living class (ESLP) is really scary because the case for the upcoming apocalypse keeps being made stronger and stronger, while making me feel increasingly guilty that i'm not doing enough to help save the planet. However it also gives me many many tools and resources to let me choose my way to subvert the dominant system.

But enough about that, i'm currently dividing my attention between two things, living my life in Santa Cruz, and daydreaming about my future in India. What sandals am i going to get to best suit India? Rainbow's aren't secure enough, Sanuks will get and stay wet during the monsoon season (which is when i will be in India), Crocks are just weird, and i've never worn Tevas or Chacos. Will i want a sandal with a tall sole so i can rise above the grit and grime of Delhi streets, or will I want something light and easy? All this thought devoted just to the idea of what sandals i will be wearing.

Since my pre-orientation meeting this past saturday, talking with returnees and meeting the people i will be going to Delhi with, my mind has been lost in the east with menial questions like my sandal craziness, and imagining myself adapting (or not) to the new culture. I was given a free Lonely Planet guidebook by this girl Roxy, a Delhi returnee who i met at the pre-orientation meeting. This book is incredible! It has premade itineraries for your various purposes, it has a COMPLETE list of all cities and towns in India, holy sites in the area, brief history of the area, hotels (from cheap to expensive), adventure outings, and places to eat. I've been slowly studying the book, and learning what i can from its wise pages.

I spent my premodern india class today creating a to-do/to-get list, figuring out the exchange rate of dollars to rupees, the conversion of Celsius to Fahrenheit, miles to kilometers, and writing them down in my notebook under the heading "General India info". I've also been going through Roxy and Jordan's blog, two students who just got back from india last quarter on the exact same program. I've read almost their entire blog within the past 5 hours.

In short, I'm going (more) crazy. I can't explain to you how excited i am to embark on my adventure, and follow in the footsteps of all those who have gone to india before, and been changed in a thousand different ways.

Too bad I don't leave for another month and a half. For now, i'll resign myself to enjoying the present moment, and soaking up as much of Santa Cruz living so that i have a good supply of memories when i'm away from it for 6 months.

I'm hoping to keep this blog throughout my time in India, both for conservation of my memories, and for sharing with you. I might start using flikr, to help show the inevitable slew of photos that i will take. We'll see.