Getting ready - vaccines

(Our internet has been busted since last Friday, so this post is a bit late . . .)




I got 2 vaccinations on Friday, and I'm due for 2 more in a month. I started an oral Typhoid vaccine today (pill form - weird!), which I'll finish next Tuesday. I also got prescriptions for really bad traveller's diarrhea (only 5 doses - I'd better be careful) and malaria. And I passed my TB test.

I can't believe how quickly the end of the semester is coming. Only about a week left before finals - yikes! Then I have a month free during which I have to try not to forget all my Hindi. I'm still not sure how I'll do that. Maybe by watching 2-3 Hindi films each day?

I'm slowly gathering things I'll need for the trip, like bug spray and an audio recorder. But it seems like the more I put together, the more there is left to find. How will I think of everything???

I'm totally going to India this summer!!

I am going to India this summer for an intensive Hindi program. The webpage for the program is here: http://www.aiislanguageprograms.org/

I will be staying in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

It's a beautiful city. Jaipur has a "semi-arid climate" (desert and scrub) but I'll be there mostly in the monsoon months. It's a beautiful old city, founded in 1727, and one of the first planned cities. It's known as the Pink City because in 1853 all the buildings were painted pink for the Prince of Wales' visit.

I think I'll be staying somewhere in this area:

and I'm guessing that my classes will be at Rajasthan University.

I bought my plane tickets yesterday. I'll fly from Detroit to Newark and then Newark to Delhi (14 hr 20 min flight - yikes).

From what I've read in the orientation material, the program is going to be a LOT of work. But it's going to be verrry much worth it.

I don't think I've adequately conveyed my excitement in this post; I'm not sure how to do that except by saying I'm really really reeeeeeaaaaallllyyy excited!