India

Jan 23

Dear reader,

Today I fought back the tears for the second time this month as I said goodbye to all they people I have been living with for the last three weeks. Sitting in my apartment without my Australian friends is certainly going to be a sad adjustment I am not looking forward to. Thinking about this I started thinking about the things I do still have. The first thing I thought about was you. You all have made my days, lit my path, and pushed me along with your lovely emails, comments, and prayers. I can’t say the journey so far has been easy, but you guys have definitely shown me it is something worth doing.

I have been so impressed by people asking me how they can help and asking me to come and speak to classes upon my return. As many of you know I love this kind of stuff and am looking forward to the people I will meet when I come home. I am so glad you could all learn along side of me and I encourage you to continue to ask questions and keep me informed on how to keep you interested. Also, if more people want to hear about my journey when I return let me know! I look forward to this dates and a chance to explain things from a different perspective.

Anyways, I love you all and you have really kept me smiling throughout this journey. It is almost a third of the way down and I still have much work to do. Keep writing and I will as well! Thanks again!

all my love,

Jake Glaser- or as my friends have so kindly crowned me, “captain India”

NOW A QUICK UPDATE

“We agreed upon 150 rupees and that’s what were paying!”

“no no sir, 250, its night rate, and many person” the rickshaw driver answered back as the seven of us piled out of three person rickshaw. This night looked like all the others. It was dark, but that’s not why you can’t see. The fog made it near impossible to get home. A group of young people outside the cafe advised us not to take a rickshaw because of the danger as well and the lack of them available at this hour. We decided to make it work though. As we walked and walked in search of a way home we spotted a small lantern coming through the fog. A rickshaw driver will to drive all seven of us home at night, unbelievable. On the way home from our last outing, bodies pilled on top of one another, we joked about how close we had become. After we all hung out in the living room of the apartment and talked all night like the great friends we had become. Now with them gone I have been forced to start planning my free time alone.

I am now sitting in the apartment hanging out while the last girl gets ready to leave. In the time I am writing this blog I am also planning my trip for the weekend. I have decided this is the perfect weekend to check off one of my goals. Some people call me crazy for wanting to do this, but I keep telling people that of course I am. So come Friday, hopefully I will be on a train to the state of Punjab. For those of you who don’t know where the Punjab is, it is located right in the middle of what some people would call bad words- Pakistan and Kashmir! My journey will be very quick! I am going to go to the Golden temple and the border, stay the night and then leave. I hope everything works out, but if not I got more time.

It has been a rather simple weekend, so I don’t have much new info to share. If anyone has an suggested topics for an entry for tomorrow though just let me know! I do want to write, so help me out. Thank you everyone again.