update

sorry i'm not keeping you updated with picture, but i haven't been shooting very much digital and I'm on a PC so I'm having trouble making them lighter or darker. the pictures on the screen are not what they should be. When i get home i will fix them and post it as soon as i can.

Everything is going very well here in Nepal. Its been a bit hard though to adjust to living a new way of life, but I think I'm doing better than expected. Its been a great and empowering challenge for me. I drink tea now (4 times a day) which is a big change. This is the most tea I've had to drink in my whole life. The girls at the orphanage are so cute. There is one girl i wish could come home with me. They work so hard to speak to me in english and i try even harder to understand them in Nepali. Its a great learning experience for us all. They teach me dances, songs and poems (both in english and nepali). On Saturday we're having a celebration party. The girls have ended exams and I am leaving. We are also putting together food for poor families and giving it to them on that day. I have to go, but i'll try to write again later. Hope all is well back home. Here's one image that seems to be working.

gardening

Hyderabad, India

another day in india

yesterday jenny and headed out to a local orphanage called SOS. It's about 30 minutes from where i'm staying, so there was alot of action to see in the streets. Motor bikes, ricksaws, and people with children in tow walking across busy and polluted streets. The orphanage was more like a housing compound. It has 125 children ranging from ages 1 to 18. Each house has 10 kids and one house mother who takes care of them. All houses provide a bed and a cubby per child and a kitchen for each home. They have a garden in back to grow there own food. It took much time to be able to see this, cause the man who runs the facility didn't want to lets look around or take pictures. Somehow jenny and I weasled our way in by saying i'm a student from american and i doing a project for class on orphanages in asia. I also told the manager that i would only be using these photos to project in class and for no other use. hehe. i'm qutie the little liar. It was an amazing elaborate story. Once in we met tons of children. They were animated and very excited to have there pictures taken. Happy Rachel! i only had time to shoot a couple rolls cause they had prayer time, but it was worth it. I can't wait to see them pictures. After getting home Jenny made a good old fashioned american italian meal. Lasagna. It was so delicious and tasted just like home. Today I walked around the house community again. This time with my digital camera, which has awesome cause they loved to see themselves. I had some problems cause the sun was so bright. I had to find as much shade as I could or in some cases use flash so there faces weren't black and completely in shadow. I was talking to them and walked around for about an hour. Now Jenny and I will head in to the city and walk around. I want to get some pashminas, so I'll write again soon.

Greetings from India

Hey everyone,

I finally made it to India after 3 days of flying and a 24 hour layover in Amsterdam. Amsterdam was beautiful. The perfect weather (56 and clear skies). I walked around for hours exploring narrow streets, seeing the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Franks house and getting asked for directions (but trying to explain that i was an american and couldn't). I watched bikes race by and in that time almost got run over by the speeding metal (aka a bicycle). It was quite an embrassing moment. I tried so hard to blend in and look european, but once the bike incident occured they new my secret. I was a dumb FOREIGNER. After leaving Amsterdam I was on route to Hyderabad, India. On the plane there were only 4 "white" people. I of course was the youngest person flying solo, so this caused much conversation and many stares. The indian people came to ask who i was flying with and why "hyderabad" even after i answered all the questions on the list of why, they continued to stare the entire flight. I didn't mind thought. I just retreated to my ipod, my book (jesus' son...thanks nicole) and the inflatable pillow provided by celine. Upon arrival in hyderabad I went through customs and waited for over an hour at baggage claim for my luggage. My long time friend (those living in hyderabad) greeted me with a warm smile and a loud "rach." It was nice to hear the familar sounds of my name (since no one on the plane could pronounce it). My first day in india started late since i was feeling a bit sick from jetlag. Around 2 o' clock we headed out with jenny, a friend of hers (also an american) and jenny's driver. First stop was food. Jenny has been living here for 9 months with her husband, so she's over indian food. I told her i didn't care where we went so we ended up at Subway (yes the same as in the states). Not the same tasting though. Next we spend time at a beautiful marble temple where we had to take off our shoes and no cameras where allowed, i was sad cause the temple was amazing. It overlooked the entire city. I just had to take mental pictures. Jenny and I watched and medited in the silence of the bustling city. I was quite an experience. Today i walked around the housing community where jenny lives (a suburban neighborhood that looks much like calabasas). I will explain when I get home. Most of the commuity is being build, so there are workers all over. They where very excited to meet me and let me take pictures of them. They also wanted me to take pictures with them. I think I got some great portraits. Now I'm checking in with life and relaxing which is nice to do, cause I don't take time like this while at home. I need a nap so I'll right again soon.

-Rachel

blue bug

venice beach, ca