Holy guacamole.
While I should definitely be catching up on some z's and getting ready for yet another busy day tomorrow, I just can't let today go by without saying something about everything that I just experienced.
Where to even begin! Today was jam-packed with so many twists and turns that I can't even believe that only one day passed.
The day began with an hour-long bus ride to visit India's Parliament. It's a super big deal that we were able to enter, tour, and view India's upper and lower houses of its political system. The complex was so intriguing as we walked building to building across various lawns. The title of this post stems from this part of my day, being that after our cute group photo in front of the Parliament building, I proceed to step into the only six-inch deep hole in the entire place. Luckily, I didn't execute my normal face plant and I don't think that very few people saw. Hey, it wouldn't be a trip if my clumsy self didn't fall at least once during this month.
The next stop was the President's house. Exquisitely designed with gorgeous architecture, gardens, and chandeliers (it even has a kitchen museum!), the place was unlike anything I have ever seen.
After the touring came a what I thought was huge, but delicious lunch. Our Indian friends laughed at us as our eyes got bigger and bigger each time a new dish was brought out; they seem to have this belief that Americans are bottomless pits, and they are very surprised that we did not devour absolutely everything in sight.
As my food baby dissipated, we traveled to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which is Delhi's most prominent Sikh house of worship. Words escaped me as I took in something so awe-inspiring and beautiful. While I felt somewhat uncomfortable because I wasn't sure of all of the proper actions to take while within this holy place, my friends guided me through and made sure I didn't feel all that out of place. There was an extremely serene vibe surrounding the area, and I particularly enjoyed walking barefoot in the rain around this amazing structure.
Another great experience came from our visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple, which is a major temple within Delhi. Numerous cool things occurred during my short time here. I made a wish then jumped to ring a bell at the entrance (supposedly this is supposed to make my wish come true...PLEASE PLEASE), a red dot graced my forehead as I walked through the halls and past the portrayals of Hindu idols. Yet another fantastic learning experience.
AND THE DAY STILL WENT ON. Next came shopping at a crazy overwhelming market. As I perused the different stands, the Indians were sure to keep close watch our their Americans to make sure that we were getting good prices. They bargained tremendously and I scored some pretty exciting items.
AND THEN just as I was still thinking about my filling lunch, we headed to dinner. My plate was full with a bunch of tiny dishes, and while I tried absolutely everything, I looked like I didn't even make a dent on meal by the time we left.
AND THEN the bus ride home. Full of sing-alongs, dance-offs, and many, many laughs, none of us wanted to get off the bus and go to bed. It was the perfect end to such an amazing day.
Side note: today also included many stressful crossings of the street. Lucky for me, I had people to hold onto and hold my hand as I made it safely to the other side of the craziness. Yahoo.
India, I'm falling in love with you.
I LOVE MY NEW INDIAN PALS,
Kirst
While I should definitely be catching up on some z's and getting ready for yet another busy day tomorrow, I just can't let today go by without saying something about everything that I just experienced.
Where to even begin! Today was jam-packed with so many twists and turns that I can't even believe that only one day passed.
The day began with an hour-long bus ride to visit India's Parliament. It's a super big deal that we were able to enter, tour, and view India's upper and lower houses of its political system. The complex was so intriguing as we walked building to building across various lawns. The title of this post stems from this part of my day, being that after our cute group photo in front of the Parliament building, I proceed to step into the only six-inch deep hole in the entire place. Luckily, I didn't execute my normal face plant and I don't think that very few people saw. Hey, it wouldn't be a trip if my clumsy self didn't fall at least once during this month.
The next stop was the President's house. Exquisitely designed with gorgeous architecture, gardens, and chandeliers (it even has a kitchen museum!), the place was unlike anything I have ever seen.
After the touring came a what I thought was huge, but delicious lunch. Our Indian friends laughed at us as our eyes got bigger and bigger each time a new dish was brought out; they seem to have this belief that Americans are bottomless pits, and they are very surprised that we did not devour absolutely everything in sight.
As my food baby dissipated, we traveled to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which is Delhi's most prominent Sikh house of worship. Words escaped me as I took in something so awe-inspiring and beautiful. While I felt somewhat uncomfortable because I wasn't sure of all of the proper actions to take while within this holy place, my friends guided me through and made sure I didn't feel all that out of place. There was an extremely serene vibe surrounding the area, and I particularly enjoyed walking barefoot in the rain around this amazing structure.
Another great experience came from our visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple, which is a major temple within Delhi. Numerous cool things occurred during my short time here. I made a wish then jumped to ring a bell at the entrance (supposedly this is supposed to make my wish come true...PLEASE PLEASE), a red dot graced my forehead as I walked through the halls and past the portrayals of Hindu idols. Yet another fantastic learning experience.AND THE DAY STILL WENT ON. Next came shopping at a crazy overwhelming market. As I perused the different stands, the Indians were sure to keep close watch our their Americans to make sure that we were getting good prices. They bargained tremendously and I scored some pretty exciting items.
AND THEN just as I was still thinking about my filling lunch, we headed to dinner. My plate was full with a bunch of tiny dishes, and while I tried absolutely everything, I looked like I didn't even make a dent on meal by the time we left.
AND THEN the bus ride home. Full of sing-alongs, dance-offs, and many, many laughs, none of us wanted to get off the bus and go to bed. It was the perfect end to such an amazing day.
Side note: today also included many stressful crossings of the street. Lucky for me, I had people to hold onto and hold my hand as I made it safely to the other side of the craziness. Yahoo.
India, I'm falling in love with you.
I LOVE MY NEW INDIAN PALS,
Kirst
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