cultural differences, cultural blessings

well, the cultural differences start when you get on the plane!

Lufthansa is a wonderful airline that still provides meals on their flights. now that's shocking! We had a great trip - met up with the other folks in Frankfurt and landed in Chennai about 1/2 hour late - on the 2nd of November, actually, just after midnight. We were met by our OM leaders and had an exciting time finding the mountain of luggage and supplies. Our first true taste of India was stepping outside of the airport ... to a veritable cacophany of sound. Indian traffic is a feast of sight and sound. We've decided that the Indian car can best be described by the famous quote: I beep, therefore, I am. That's not quite how it goes, is it? I'll give an aside here and tell you that traffic really goes by the horn. I think it is proper to notify those you are coming up behind that you are there, by beeping. Then if you decide to pass, you let them know, by beeping. And if a car is coming from the other direction, you and he both acknowledge each other's prescence, by beeping. And on it goes.

We were driven to a very nice hotel in Chennai - yes, it was hot! and humid! and tucked in bed after a quick (cold) shower. The next morning we were given a very nice welcome, and introduction to the people we would be working for, along with a description of their mission work, a plan for the weeks and then we took our busload of people, our truckload of supplies and were driven to Pondicherry. More welcoming words, speeches, a trip through town, special meals, plans for the medical time all being firmed up, changed, revised, organized, disorganized as we went along.

More pics, more stories later. I have got to get some sleep!!