Day 13

View of the school with students sitting outside studying. 

I ate some tamarind candy at the shack below and asked where the garbage was for my wrapper. It was the field to my left, har har har. 

 Ma look at how tall and thin Sweta is compared to me. 

I found ONE bag of chocolate in my suitcase after losing everything at the airport before coming. Since everyone was being so generous with little gifts I decided it was the right time to return the favor. Everyone was super excited about the hershey's nuggets, or "from the USA chocolates!" that I brought. Kalyani took ten home for her friends and family. 

Everyone wanted me to take pictures of them and get them developed and send them to them since they don't have cameras, so the afternoon photo shoot began. I don't like this one of me and Kalyani so I think we should try again at some point. My relationship with Kalyani was always at a table. It was weird seeing myself in a picture with her and both of us standing up. I never realized she was so small. I keep dwarfing those around me. 

I finally got Narayanamma Aunty to smile! I told her it didn't matter that she didn't have teeth. I just wanted a picture of her looking happy since she's always so cheery in person. 

So hard to get pictures of everyone actually smiling and not just staring at the camera. They still don't believe me when I tell them that they look better in photos when they smile. Narayanamma took this one. I don't think she had ever taken a photo before. 

I love this one! 

Went back home and talked to the school kids for a bit. One of the 10th graders named Sai took my camera and took photos of his friends playing cricket during recess. This is one of them I guess. 

Jyothi Akka works at the house and this is her son who hates me. Literally throws himself onto the floor in a temper tantrum at the sight of me. So unfortunate because I would love to play with him. 

The boys invited me to teach them English during study hours but got too distracted playing cricket and never came. The girls, however, were super interested in hearing what I had to say about American life. Once I told them that boys and girls can be platonic friends with each other in America they all told me they wanted to move there haha :)

This is me being super super sweaty in the front of the classroom. I took three baths on this day. 

Went to my cousin's in-laws place. My cousin's new husband started a company called Innoswift Solutions. They develop websites for small entrepreneurial companies in the US. (Ma this is Sheshi's company)

This is the inside of their new office. They currently have four employees. 

Here are her husband's parents. (Ma these are sheshi's parents)