Or should I say, Namaste!
So, I've finally made it - about 8 months after initially applying to VSO I'm now officially out here in India. Been a bit of a madcap last couple of weeks with Visa applications not going particularly smoothly, but thankfully I managed to get mine last Wednesday and I flew out here to Delhi on Monday.
In fact, I was actually quite lucky - they aren't sending any more volunteers this year. Anyone else who didn't managed to get a Visa yet is stuck in the UK until January! So count yourselves lucky that you got rid of me when you did :-)
So, as I said, I'm currently in Delhi. I'll be here until the 7th (next Tuesday), when I catch the overnight train to Ranchi, which is the state capital of Jharkhand, my home for the next 12months. Hopefully Ranjiv will be there to meet me and take me the 50km or so to Hazaribagh, which is where I'll be living and working. No news on the accommodation front just yet, but I'm assured they're working on it - let's face it though, I'm not exactly a stranger to a hotel room, so I think I can manage for a bit!
So what's happening in Delhi, I hear you ask? Well, unfortunately not much! As my visa was delayed I've missed a fair chunk of the In-Country training and won't be given another chance to go through that until March! So in typical Tim style, I'll have to do everything by the seat of my pants.... My schedule for the rest of the week consists of a few talks on finances, security, visas etc.....and that's about it! Over the weekend we're taking a trip the Taj Mahal though, so that's at least a bit of excitement, but I once again seem to be playing the waiting game! I'm trying to fill my time by cramming my head with as much Hindi as I can, but it's pretty slow progress to be honest. Tutor required, me thinks!
That's about it for now I suppose. Next update will be sometime next week I expect, from Jharkhand, hopefully from my new home!
Oh, and I hear the UK is having some lovely weather at the moment. It was 22C today - hope that makes you all feel nice and warm inside ;-)
While in Delhi..go to the karims restaurant in old Delhi and to bukhara restaurant at the mauyra Sheraton hotel(order lamb raan)..you will get the two extreme ends Delhi food experience...don't worry the common factor is amazing food.
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