Awaiting my Visa

Sending your passport off isn't very much fun. This must be how parents feel when they put their children on an airplane alone. You worry it won't get where it's going and then life will be over.
I think the girl at the FedEx place thought I was kind of an idiot when I went it to send it. I was asking the same questions in 5 ways because she was confusing me and I'd read a ton of different "rules" about sending this stupid thing. Why is it so terribly complicated? I see the need for tracking my immensely important document but past that it's too much. Geez.
But, it's off, it's been recieved, it's been approved, and it should be on it's way back to me soon.
Hurry hurry hurry.

Contribution Update

If anybody wishes to contribute to my CCS account, my payment deadline has been moved to January 11th! How very nice of them. :)

 “So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked.” ~Mark Twain

What's the deal with Delhi?

If you just wanna Wiki it, here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi

Here's why I need to go to Delhi/India:

> Eighth largest city in the world. Second most populous city in India, next to Mumbai, with 16,753,265 people. That's just interesting in itself.

> Average high temperature in February: 75f, average low: 50f.

> India Gate, Red Fort, tombs, tombs, tombs, and there's apparently a vintage car rally that I'm gonna need to see.

> Food.

> Chai. Hot or cold, I neeeeed to have chai as often as possible.

> I could learn Hindi...maybe. Sambhavta?

> HOLI! More to be written about that later...

I love this ad. I wouldn't mind seeing a tiger while I was there...even if he's not all that polite.

My upcoming adventure!

Hello all,

Since some of you have been given the general outline of what I'm doing, and some haven't heard a bit of it, I just thought I'd send you the whole info package.

I will be blogging about it as well, and hopefully will be able to keep up with it while I'm on my trip but we'll see.

I am enrolled with Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS) to volunteer in New Delhi, India in February. 

I haven't been placed yet but I could be working in the areas of caregiving (infants, children, elderly, people with disabilities), teaching (children, conversational English, assisting special education teachers), healthcare (observing/assisting local health professionals, working with people affected with AIDS/HIV), or community development (sharing professional skills, working with women's groups.)

From what I've learned from alumni volunteers the placements in Delhi are most often with children in schools, orphanages, or daycares, which is what I'm hoping for!

This program provides: volunteer placement, cultural activities, lodging at the CCS home-base, all meals and safe drinking water, in-country transportation to assignments, full-time staff, pre-departure assistance and support, 24-hour emergency hotline, and travel medical insurance.

CCS started in Delhi about 15 years ago so I imagine this home-base will have the most experienced staff out of all their locations, but there are 12 different countries to choose from to visit. I'm just lucky that somewhere I've really wanted to go, and have researched, is on their list!

Since this is my first solo trip overseas, and Dehli is one of the largest cities in the world, I thought this was a very good way to do it since they provide so much support and organized activities, as well as the opportunity to work with the local population. I will have lots of free time though, as our evenings and many afternoons are open to do whatever we wish. They also provide group activities if I choose to join the other volunteers for that.

If anybody would like to check out more information about CCS, this is their website-

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/

and this is the link to the Delhi specific information- http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/countries/asia/volunteer-india/new-delhi.aspx

The only downside is that I'm using all my pennies for this trip. I think it will be worth it though!

However, if anyone would like to contribute to my fund I will gladly accept any donations!

Any contributions given before Dec. 13th can be submitted directly to my CCS account and goes right to my remaining balance, after that I'd still be happy to accept them myself and put it toward my plane tickets, visa, or any requested presents. :)

To contribute online, go to: https://my.crossculturalsolutions.org/login.aspx

Under Sponsors, enter my username: KathayJ

(The website was having a bit of an issue earlier today but it should be up and running now.)

If you would like more information about contributing online or otherwise let me know.

In the U.S., CCS is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Volunteer program fees and donations to CCS are 100% tax-deductible for people who file taxes in the U.S.

If anybody would like to know more about the program, the trip, or just what the heck I'm doing in general feel free to get ahold of me and I'd be happy to tell you more about it! I just wanted to share the beginning of this big adventure with the people who might want to know where I'm galavanting off to.

Phir melenge! (More or less: "see you later" in Hindi, literally: "we will meet again")

Love, Kathay