Destination #3: Pune, Maharastra

I received some very exciting news today. Although apparently Mark Smith (my go-to person at Interserve - such an amazing help!) thinks that it was going to be taken as an inconvenience on my part... he emailed me today to say that I have to go to a compulsory orientation in March, in Puna, Maharastra. But I couldn't be any more excited! To have to visit this amazing city of 3.4 million people (almost NZ in one location!) is not going to produce one inch of a complaint!

So thank you Mark!! :)

Wooo! Now check out its amazingness:

And there it is (A)! On the Western side of India from where I will be (West Bengal on the map).

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Oh my gosh... look how beautiful that walk would be - this is about 35km South of Puna, and the 19km walk takes you to Rajgarh Fort.

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It could almost pass off as a LOTRs type scene in New Zealand!

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I have a small thing for the trains of India - there is so much history to them!

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Yum yum yum! Kebabs! Whenever I eat these in India, I will always think of Larissa and Lyd!

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Mmmm this looks amazing, whatever it is. All I know is that I can buy it in Puna. And that I am going to hunt it down. And then consume its apparent yumminess.

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As always, I am in love with the colours. And I especially love the look of the worn-out paint. Adds so much character.

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What can I say? I am excited for all the new foods in India! It will be like I am weaned from milk for the second time in my life and trying a whole new range of tastes and textures.

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Apparently this is a library. Why can't libraries be like this in New Zealand?!

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Right. I am so sorted. One of my favourite forms of dance in one of my favourite countries. Someone pinch me. But at the same time don't.

Everyone get excited with me!

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I cannot wait to wear traditional Indian clothing.

Today I thought I would test out my head-scarf wrapping ability. Btw, check out my awesome new nail polish!

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3 months and counting...

Good morning!

On Saturday it was the beginning of my three-month countdown towards my departure... I am both excited and also nervous.

My mum bought me these gorgeous pants for India! They are incredibly lightweight, and will be so cooling in the heat:

They are a tiny bit too long, so we are either going to take them up or I am thinking about adding elastic to the bottoms so that they add a bit more shape. But I am just in love with them! I love the detailing on the waist!!!!

So, in terms of where I am at with preparations for India, I have just made an appointment for an interview with The Weekend Sun, our local weekly paper. Eeee! Hopefully this will work in a few ways, by raising awareness, and maybe helping with finding a job and fundraising etc. That is the hope anyway!

My arms have finally recuperated from the injection of an assortment of diseases, and I can actually sleep on my arms now - thank God!

Mum and I went and checked out Kathmandu, as we had a voucher that gets a staff discount on most items, and I bought a few travel essentials! Some travel toiletries like shampoo + bodywash sheets (you wet them and they dissolve and foam! So cool!), a travel towel, a head torch (for the sometimes dodgy power), an alarm clock, and this cool back-pack that folds down to a size that you can just put into your pocket! So it is all very exciting, and becoming so much more real... 

I received an email from one of the ladies that lived at the flat that I will be staying in next year, and I have found out (with relief), that my rent is going to be so much cheaper than originally thought. Instead of 12,500 rupees (Rs) (about 320 NZD) per month, it is actually Rs 6000 (about 153 NZD)!! And around Rs 500 for food per week (around 12 NZD)... so cheap! It's crazy.

The flat has three bedrooms (2double + 1single), with a small lounge and two toilets (one western, one squatting - both flushing).

Oh! Mum and dad (and hopefully my brother) are going to make a trip to visit me for a week or something while I am in India!! Best news! It means that I wont get toooo homesick knowing that I will get to see them within the year :)

Things I need to sort out:

- renewing passport

- filling out 'In the Event of Death' form

- writing and signing my will

- look into travel insurance

- dentist/optometrist/hairdresser

- begin learning the language (Bengali)

- vaccinations

- visas

- find a job

From now on this will be my blog that I will be using for my trip next year! I may change the name, but I am not too sure just yet.

I will continue adding updates and will probably begin putting random pieces of information or facts that I learn along the way, as well as some different words in Bengali, so you can learn with me!!

First lesson - pretty much all the months of the year are pronounced the same in Bengali as it is in English!!!

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India, here I come!

I have just been offered a job for a minimum of 1 year in Kolkata, India, with the organisation 'Freeset'.

Totally buzzing right now.

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