There are a few things I hate about my life

Number one is that fact that today I found a 6-inch centipede trapped in a bucket in my bathroom.

It was crawling (crawling? running? scampering?) as fast as it could around the bottom rim of the bucket. I stood staring at it for five minutes, and only looked away when my snoozed and subsequently forgotten alarm sounded. I looked to my alarm, then the bug then back again. I've never had to deal with an insect this large. I knew that I only had ten minutes to brush my teeth, get dressed, get all my things together, and take care of the animal before I had to go to my Urdu class. I awkwardly left my bathroom, turned my alarm off, got some clothes on, put my books in my bag, and then promptly returned to my bathroom. The centipede was still there, as I more or less expected. He was still scurrying in circles. Little had really changed. I had 6 minutes until I had to leave.

Still looking at the 'pede, I opened my medicine cabinet and got out my toothbrushing things. With my brow purpetually furrowed, I slowly started brushing my teeth. Now that I think about it, it was probably mroe of a scurry. Not so much a scamper, and definitely not a crawl. Actually, I would use a made up word to describe what he was doing. Skittering. I think, if he were doing anything, he would be skittering. Not as bumpy as a scamper, not as busy-bodied as a scurry, and with a definite goal of escaping. Definitely a skitter. T-minus 3 minutes. I had to finally face the problem of what I was to do with him.

I didn't want to kill him, but I also didn't want him anywhere near me. "Live and let live" is a nice idea until something has an exoskeleton and is 6 inches long. In those cases, I much prefer "Live and put outside". So, I carried the bucket out of my house, only flipping him over once by accident, and threw him into the only potted plant we have. Case closed. Looking back on it, I have no idea why it took my so long to do that. But for a good 8 minutes, the solution to the problem was unconceivable to me.

So that was my morning. After I left the house I went to Urdu where I continued to be shamed approximately every five minutes. Example.
Me (reading from a textbook): kh...khoora
Urdu Professor (Salman Sahib): Khooda. What does it mean?
Me: Doesn't it mean "trash"?
Salman Sahib: ... It means Allah.
Me: ...Yup, yup it does...

That's just one of the things that has happened which has knocked me off whatever pedestal I thought I deserved.

The other most annoying thing in my life is that my camera has decided to stop working. It keeps showing me this message which is something like, "Full CT," and I have absolutely no idea what it means. That's what I get for allowing Scott to lend me his super fancy camera. I think tonight I'll charge the battery and maybe that will fix it. I don't know. In any case, that is why I haven't been taking, or posting any pictures.

In other news, Salman Sahib asked me if I would like to teach english to Muslim girls next semester, which I definitely would. My internship at South Point School hasn't started yet, but I plan on going over there today. It looks like my life will be full of Indian children soon.

I still go to Salman Sahib's school every Saturday morning for an hour to teach english conversation, and it's getting more and more fun as time goes on. The second day though, when they were taking pictures of me with their phones, was a little tense. After I confiscated the phone, which made me feel like a totally hardass-teacher, I tried to delete the photos. Then I couldn't figure out how to. That made me feel old. And I'm 20.

In any case, now they seem to like and pseudo-respect me. They correct my Hindi and I correct their English, so I feel like it's a good system. I prepare a lesson for each class (I know, right?) and try to talk to them in Hindi, while getting them to respond in English. Even in India, there are still those few kids in the class who know more than everyone else does and LOVE showing it. It's strange, but I sort of like them best. One of them is Salman Sahib's son, who's SO GODAMN BOSS. Last week we had an-hour long conversation in which he asked me every question he could think of about America. The following comments were some of my favorites.

Shanivaz: What is your favorite meal?
Me: Meal....hm. Probably pizza. But all the food on Thanksgiving is good too.
Shanivaz: Yes.
(end)
Shanivaz: In America, Empire State Building?
Me: ...Yup.
Shanivaz: How many floors are in it?
Me: Oh I have no idea. Maybe...a hundred and fifty?
Shanivaz: Wow!
(end)
Shanivaz: What is the tallest building in Boston?
Me: I have no idea.
Shanivaz: Oh!
(end)

He's so godamn cool. He brings Salman Sahib and I chai every day we have class. Because he's totally amazing. Also, his younger brother, Shaazan, is 8 months old and the cutest thing in the world. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Shaazan hated me for a month, but today he held my hand and smiled at me. I'm in love with an 8-month old.

Hopefully I'll be able to post pictures soon. The Ganga and the ghats are getting to be absurdly gorgeous at night, so I'll try to take pictures of that.

-allison

ps. The tallest building in Boston is John Hancock Tower at 60-floors, and the Empire State Building has 102 floors. Yeah, I looked it up.