My roommates are all sleeping, but I’m jetlagged so I’ve
been up for awhile and figured that I would take this opportunity to update
everybody!
I had a crazy few weeks leading up to this after finding out
that I was selected for the Fishel Fellowship and that my first stop would be
in India 2 weeks later! After a 5 month
interview process, it was an incredible feeling to know that so many people believed
in me and were confident that I could be successful with this fellowship. Everybody at the JDC and Federation has been
amazing and so helpful, and they let me show up a week late to the India program
so that I could attend my UCLA graduation.
I am also thankful for the amount of support that I’ve received from friends,
family, and even acquaintances. I’m really
glad that I was able to have my graduation as a way to get all of my family and
friends together say goodbye before embarking on this adventure!
I got into Mumbai late last night after about a 30 hour
journey. I had my first experience with
how genuinely kind Indian people are before I even got off the plane. I was talking to the Indian guy sitting next
to me, and I mentioned that I left my camera at home and asked if there were any
places he recommended for buying a new one.
He immediately wrote down a bunch of places and told me that he would go
with me to make sure I got a good deal and gave me his number. He also insisted that I use his phone to call
the people from my program even though I assured him they would be at the
airport waiting for me with a sign.
I was picked up from the airport by a driver to take me the
1 hour drive to Thane, the area my apartment is in. I have been in some crazy driving situations,
but nothing comes close to driving in Mumbai.
First of all, there are no lanes, so cars and rickshaws are swerving all
over the place. That combined with dogs and
people walking through cars and the perpetual honking made for a very exciting
ride.
When I got to the apartment, everybody including the program
director, Jacob, was waiting up to welcome me. The other 5 girls are really nice, and they
all seem to know their way around already.
Hopefully I can catch up! After smashing my head on a moving ceiling fan
(so typical Brianna), I decided it was time for bed.
Disclaimer: these postings are my own and don't necessarily
represent the opinions of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee or
the Jewish Federation.
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