Yesterday we all gathered at the main house in the village for a dance class. Some of the village children came to teach us how to dance to traditional Chinchoti music. It took us a while to learn the steps but it was a lot of fun. We then went back to our host families and had dinner.
It has been great to experience a new culture. This new culture is especially evident when we eat. We eat on the floor and use our right hand. It was hard to get used to at first but after a while it becomes very easy and almost like a habit. The food is also very different but has been delicious!
Today we worked at the site from 9:30am - 2:00pm. Some of us painted a mural and helped to build a wall and move rocks/dirt into the foundation of the stage. It was hard work but we got a lot done. We saw kids from the school we were working at and it was great to interact with them, even with the language barrier. Some of the kids like to watch us work and it is great to see them smile and wave when we wave at them. Some of them are recognizing us from the village and saying hi. They have become friends.
Then the girls and women from BC and Chinchoti got together to talk about being a woman in India and in America. The boys did the same thing. It was really fascinating to learn about more differences and similarities the U.S. has with India. After, we all went to a rice field and did some leadership curriculum with children from Chinchoti. We learned that there are so many different types of leadership and that even one person can change their leadership style from day to day. We are all now having down time. Some of us are having chai while others are just hanging out and talking with their host families. At 9:00 we are going to a dance party for a wedding that is happening tomorrow.
-Tristan, Esme, and Rocco
