Bradon Loya
Day 1 – Really Long Day
I started the day in Houston. I moved up here because I got an internship to NASA next semester. Our flight did not leave until 7pm which I found to be a very good thing since I was not ready and packed yet. I thought it would be laid back because we had all day but the unexpected happened. My brother broke a bottle of red hot sauce on the floor of the apartment. We spent several hours cleaning it off the white carpet. We were then in a rush to get to the airport. I was a little mad that my brother could not be more careful.

We still got to the airport early and had to wait in the check in line for a super long time. I noticed right off the bat that we were the only American looking people in line. This did not make me feel uncomfortable in any way. I was actually excited to see new things! I do wish I would have packed more. I took a carry-on bag and a small check in bag. Before getting on the plane I eat one last American hamburger at a restraint in the airport. It was one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten. I am definitely eating there again when I return.

I have been on several planes in the recent past but this one was different. They had a screen in the back of each seat that you could watch movies, play games, and listen to music. It was pretty sophisticated and made me wonder if India was really not that underdeveloped. The flight was long, 14 hours to be precise. I was confused of if it was day or night, Monday or Tuesday.

When we arrived I felt scared. This was my first glimpse of India! It turned out that India was actually another 3 hours flight away but I was still not in American. I quickly noticed that the airport was very rundown compared to the US but I was amazed that they still had everything they needed to function. I, for some reason, thought that they would do without and not just be more used. It was still an okay place! I was seeing more and more people looking at me and I felt as though we all stuck out. Nonetheless, I felt safe. No one invaded our space and gave us our room and respect. We got on the got on the second flight and headed to India.

When I got off in India I noticed a cloud in the airport. Dr. Arana said that this was normal. It was from all the pollution and we all stated calling it smog. I felt sick that this was where and what I would be breathing for this entire trip. This feeling continued when I saw our bus. The bus was not in bad shape but it was not as nice as I thought it would be. I knew India was dirty and poor but for some reason thought we would be excused from this.

The real surprise came when we started driving (on the left side!). The poverty was more than I could imagine. I guess I thought it would be bad in places of India but we drove for an hour and it was all terrible. Trash in piles everywhere, people in manmade tents, curb stained black from the filth. It was a true awakening experience and I did not like it. I felt sick, I wasn’t to go back home. Again, thinking we were an exception, I thought we were going to stay in some really nice place. We pulled up to a rundown entrance that is so packed close and filthy. I was very scared at this point. However, like a disguise the inside was fairly nice. Like the airport it had everything you would need just more rundown (still nice to India standards). I was then 5am and we stayed up all night talking about our tourney.

At 8am we eat a really good meal. We were soon off to see Mr. Ria, the billionaire that paid for much of our trip. He gave us all a talk about religion and India which I found to be very interesting. We then eat and were off to Humayn’s Tomb (an ancient king).
We had not slept by this time and were all very tired. The tomb was large and a very neat site to see. However, being really tired, the smog, and all the trash made it very hard to enjoy. We finally made it home and I was able to email my family and friends to let them know I was alive. It was a long day full of fear, excitement, exhaustion, and shock.

First Post in India!

What a trip it has been so far! This is my first post since leaving, but we have much to catch up on. On December 27th, I left the Charlottesville airport at 7:00 a.m. bound for Charlotte, NC where I connected and then traveled to Houston. I arrived there at about lunch time and proceeded to wait for everyone else to show up. Our flight for India did not leave until around 8:00 that evening so I had much time to kill. Unfortunately, Qatar Airlines did not open their ticketing booth until 4:00 so I could not go back into the airport until then. Instead, I went to the Marriot and relaxed in their lobby until the evening. Once I made it through security, I met up with everyone at our gate and we boarded our 14.5 hour flight to Doha, Qatar. Just my luck, about 15 minutes into the flight my television screen quit working. While everyone else was watching movies and playing games, I stared at a blank screen. As unfortunate as this was, I slept a great deal on the flight which was beneficial.

When we arrived in Doha, we deplaned and were bused to the terminal where we went through security and waited to board our flight to Delhi. After waiting in a crowded room, we were bused out to our plane and boarded for another 3 hour flight. Luckily, on this flight, my screen did work so I watched the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” because it dealt with a trip to India. After making it through security, we claimed our luggage and exchanged money. One U.S. dollar is worth about 42 Indian rupees (India’s currency). We met up with our professor, Dr. Joseph Aranha, and loaded up on the air conditioned bus provided by the Rai Foundation.

Before I continue, I will share the reason why I went on this trip and what I expect to see. To no surprise, I was constantly asked over Christmas break why I was going to India with a class that studied architecture when my majors are Animal Science and Political Science. (The class is an Honor’s seminar for Humanities credit- both of which I need for my degree). Last summer when I was studying abroad in France, I received an email about taking this class from the Honor’s College. After looking into it, I felt it was too great an opportunity to pass up. Though I am not 100% sure where my life will lead me, I know that to become the best and most well rounded person I can be, I have to expose myself to cultures and people who are different than what I am used to. I came to India curiously looking to learn about a culture which is completely different from America and Western Europe. Thus far, it has been one of the best and most educational experiences I’ve ever had.

Back to the trip…upon leaving the airport, it did not take us long to realize how crazy the traffic system in India is. Though it was 4:00 a.m., the roads were still pretty crowded. Traffic lanes are completely disregarded and horns blow constantly. Most vehicles do not have mirrors because they have been broken off…that is how close traffic travels together. Vehicle rides are thrilling to say the least! Another thing that quickly stood out is the poverty level. As we traveled up the road, there were several fires spaced out along the roadside where people were huddling for warmth. The structures most use for shelter are nothing more than run down mud huts with tarps wrapped around them. It’s sad to say, but I feel like most of our cattle back at home live in better conditions than a lot of people here. Traveling to our hotel, I felt helpless. Reading about poverty is one thing, experiencing it first hand, however, is completely different. I can’t believe how real poverty is…we are truly blessed to live in the country we live in and should take nothing for granted.

Once we arrived at our hotel, we were led to our rooms. To prevent jet lag, we stayed up until breakfast instead of sleeping. For breakfast we were served omelets which were delicious. We then traveled to the Rai Foundation (our hosts) where we met with the president of the foundation: Vinay Rai. He is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He explained to us about Indian and Hindu culture. When I have more time, I will go more in depth about what he covered. Needless to say, what he had to say was very interesting. We had lunch with him and then listened to another presentation about architecture...I don't remember much of this because I was fighting to stay awake. After that we went to a place called Humayan's Tomb...it was incredible to see and hard to imagine how they built it. Once we were done there we went to an outdoor mall. It reminded me of an Indian version of China town. They sold a lot of fabric and stuff there and really jacked up the prices for us. I didn't buy anything but it was neat to see. By then it was time to come back to the hotel. I fell asleep before dinner and slept for a very long time.

Hey Guys!
Tomorrow we leave for INDIA! :) I hope everyone had a good Christmas yesterday!! I'm just now starting to pack my things and get ready for the trip. I'm glad we don't have to pay for our luggage on Qatar Airways. Oh and I checked their website today to check everything out and see their rules on liquids, luggage, etc. and on the actual ticket reservation page you can choose your meal preference. They had Asian vegetarian, bland meal, child meal, diabetic meal, gluten-free, hindu, low-fat, and a whole bunch more. I've never seen that many choices for a meal on a airline before.
I'll be leaving to Houston tomorrow. My family is driving me there and we're leaving early because none of us have ever driven the the Houston airport. I always fly there but never drive there.
See you guys tomorrow evening!!
- Jenna

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Birthday Jesus! Speaking of, this is a question I probably should have asked in class, but is it cool if I bring my Bible with me, cause I'm going to. I read somewhere that it's illegal to evangelize, but is it okay to bring it for my own personal use?

Anyway, the trip is in two days and I still have a lot to pack. Hope everyone's holidays were merry and safe.

See you guys soon.

Its already Christmas day in India... a very merry Christmas to you all.
 Bon voyage! You are all very fortunate that your flight is not via anywhere in Europe where folks are snowed in and stranded at airports. I was very lucky too to get through Frankfurt en route to India. There were hundreds of flights cancelled that day but mine made it ... 4 hours late but that was a lot better than having to camp at the airport.

Hello,

My brother and I have finally left Lubbock and are now in San Angelo, Texas staying the night with some friends. Unfortunately we will not be at home for Christmas, but its okay because we had Christmas early this year. Last night we eight at Zetners Daughter which is the best steak house in San Angelo; it was delicious.

Bradon and I now leaving on our 11 hour journey to Houston to move him into his place for his internship. Me, I'm just going to be relaxing these next few days before our trip to India while I study some for the MCAT I take this summer.

Happy Holidays,

-Chandon Loya

Trip Rush!

I'm so rushed getting ready for this trip. It hasn't hit me fully yet that in about four days I'll be on my way to India. Now if I can get my stuff into a tiny carry-on bag... It's so small! My backpack so school is bigger. I have about a quarter of the bag left to pack. Then I just need to get some sleep... I guess that is what the 24 hour long flight is for. Four days and counting...I hope Delhi is ready for us.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

-Daniel

I am getting packed and ready to move to Houston. I got an internship in Houston when I return from India so I am packing up all my stuff. I will be driving to Huston to set my place up tomorrow. I am a little sad to be leaving all my friends and family for the semester.

Everything is going smoothly as far as getting ready for India. I still need to get a holder for my passport. I also went to my bank yesterday and they were not able to trade my American money for Indian money. I hope there is a place to exchange money along the way.

Hope everyone has a great holiday session,

Bradon Loya

Went shopping today for the trip. I bought my scarf to wear over my head or whatever it was we needed it for. I felt so sad shopping in the old ladies' section, but then I remembered that none of them are buying their scarves for such a cool reason. Too bad for them; yay for me! So hard to believe we leave on Monday and won't be coming back til next year...jeez. Exciting exciting... can't wait to see you guys soon. My mom has been so worried about me going on this big trip with "people I hardly know" but I think we're a pretty tight class and nothing bonds a group better than an epic adventure in a foreign country. I am secretly hoping this turns into our own personal Indiana Jones movie...so Brandon, you will need your cowboy hat.

Hey Guys,
It has been a long day for me, but I have finally figured out this whole blogging thing. Now on to bigger and better things, India!!!! I'm very excited to be going to a very interesting country that is full of diversity. I have heard many wonderful things about India and can't wait to experience them first hand. Well I hope everyone is having a festive and delightful break and can't wait until we all meet again.

Mayra

Hey guys,

I finally made it onto the blog. Is anyone else having to fly from LBK to Houston? I get to spend the night at the airport on the way back because no flights leave Houston for LBK after we arrive on the 8th. Sad day.

Hi All, Now that everyone has obtained their visas we are all set to start packing for India. Look up the weather conditions for New Delhi for the next few days so as to determine what is the appropriate warm clothing to pack and do ot forget your cameras and its accessories and a journal to record your experinces and impressions of India. I am currently in Beirut, Lebanon and will leave for Bangalore early sunday morning. I will see you all at the airport in New Delhi soon.

After weeks of waiting, my visa finally has finally decided to arrive! Sorry Brandon, looks like you won't be able to spread out on the plane after all :p Now that I don't have to worry about the visa, I can start concentrating on what to pack. I'm really excited to travel to India and can't wait to start this adventure!

India!

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last couple weeks of the semester! I am really looking forward to our trip. I know our horizons will definitely be broadened and I'm excited to get to know everyone better! Now, if my Visa ever gets approved, we will be in good shape!

Cheers!
Brandon

This is my first blog for India. In fact, my first blog ever. Im excited to be going and promise you will be hearing more from me soon!

Bradon

Last Class Day...

Tomorrow is the last class for the India Seminar. It is so weird to think that a few months ago I was sitting on my bed checking my emails. I'm so happy I saw the one for this class. Just a few more weeks till we leave for the ten day trip of a lifetime! I can't wait to experience the culture and sights of India. I think the thing I am most looking forward to is seeing the Taj Mahal and going to the bazaars. In a country whose culture is so varied, who knows what we will experience. I just need to get this final draft of my paper and project done then I'm ready to pack my bag and catch the flight.

India, get ready for the Texas Techsans.

-Daniel