It's 4:45 in the morning and we have now arrived at our hotel (The Lemon Tree Hotel) in Bangalore! I'm going to take a quick 3 hour nap and then our day begins! I have already done some unpacking so my room feels comfortable and I washed my face -- I was nervous about getting water in my eyes, nose, and mouth so I was very careful! I'm excited to take some pictures and post them to show you all what Bangalore looks like and what I learn...I'll update you later today (Thursday). I did take a picture at the airport though. Signs were in English and another language -- perhaps Arabic??? People drive on the other side of the road, just like in England. I have a lecture on Indian History and Culture later today, so I'll let you know some of the things I learn!! Cheers!
Jen and I have met up with the other 10 Teachers in the Global Classrooms (TGC) teachers in D.C. and are currently hanging out at the Frankfurt airport for our layover. Here's a picture of us in our glasses and comfy clothes having just taken naps and watched movies on our flight from D.C. to Germany. Our next flight is to Bangalore, which will take us about 8.5 hours. I'll post again when we're in Bangalore!!!! Tomorrow is the big day! My flight leaves at 1:11pm from O'Hare. I've got three flights: Chicago to Washington D.C. where I'll meet up with the other 11 teachers going to India and our program coordinator, Des; D.C. to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Bangalore! To keep me busy on the plane I have new books for my Kindle, music and podcasts on my iPod, and Ambien to help me sleep! I also ripped up my LonelyPlanet India guidebook since it was HUGE and heavy. I took out only the parts that I will need and clipped them together to take with me. Here's a picture of my packing list! I've got a lot in my suitcase! Some highlights include: a Sanitizer Pen (for sanitizing tap water), Dasani Drops (I think I'll be drinking a lot of water and might want my water to taste like Raspberry Lemonade occasionally!), a watch, toilet paper, Deep Woods bug spray, long skirts, and an umbrella (it will be monsoon season!). My itinerary looks like this: Thursday, July 17th - Saturday, July 19th = Bangalore Sunday, July 20th = Flight to New Delhi Monday, July 21st - Sunday, July 27th = In New Delhi at my Host Placement teaching and observing Monday, July 28th - Tuesday, July 29th = Meet up with cohort in New Delhi Wednesday, July 30th = Travel to Agra Thursday, July 31st = Visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort Friday, August 1st = Reflect on Trip while in New Delhi Saturday, August 2nd = Fly home I'm excited to experience a new culture and language, but I am nervous that I'll be homesick for my awesome husband and puppy! Hopefully I'll be so busy I won't have time to get homesick.
I just mailed off my visa application and materials! In my application, I needed to include my passport, two passport photos, a utility bill with my address on it, and the visa application (which required another picture). Here is the picture I took quickly of myself for my visa application! I'm excited to start my journey learning all about Indian culture, traditions, geography, literature, people, language, religion, etc. (I hope my visa application is approved quickly!) In order to prepare for my trip, I have begun reading Lonely Planet: India. I know for sure I will be starting out in Bangalore (a city in the southern part of India) and ending my trip in Delhi (in the northern part, only a two hour ride from the Taj Mahal!) Right now I've requested that my current students complete PowerPoints on different aspects of American Teenage Life (expectations of parents, types of schools, typical day of an American teenager, dating, prom, quinceanera, etc). I hope to share these with the school and classes where I'm placed. I most look forward to seeing animals like elephants, touring the Taj Mahal and other historical sites, eating wonderful Indian food, and making new friends! |
AuthorHi! My name is Janna Nobleza and I'm a high school English teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. This blog records my TGC India preparation, journey, and reflections. Archives
August 2014
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