Note from Allen on htis first impressions of India during the monsoons

Dear Friends,

I am safe and sound in India and just wanted to give you guys a little shout out.

First. It's insanely hot. It's so hot I'm afraid of going outside for the next 2 hours because I might melt. I walked out of the airport (at 11pm) and felt like I was slipping into a steamroom. Yeah. not a sauna, a steam room.

I got picked up by the school and everything is comfy cozy here at the compound. although i don't know where any of the other students are and from what i have been told I am actually pretty far away from the city center - so i am kind of on lockdown. but its all good, i got the internet working and have my book..... I think I am in a region of South Delhi built by the British called Cantonment. I might google map it in a minute just to check it out.

I met some pretty interesting folks on the plane. First a lady who is a Database administrator in New York with family in Hyderabad who chatted me up about Nikki's work, and second a Dilliwala (which means person from Delhi) who lives part time in Brazil and imports musical instruments and clothes and stuff to sell to Brazilian hippies - and other tourists. Pretty cool. I have his email and can follow up with him about where he gets his drums. Ah globalization.....

So that's about it for day one. Orientation starts tomorrow and on monday we fly to Lucknow. I don't have a cell phone yet and probably won't get one until I am in lucknow, but when i do, i'll be sure to post the number so you guys can contact me in case of emergency - or just to say hi. BTW to call my Indian Cell phone from SKYPE costs you 2 pennies/minute. so feel free to just give me a buzz sometime when you are in front of your computer. just remember that I am 9.5 hours AHEAD of you in time. so morning time or really late at night for you East coasters would be the best.....

that's all for now.

best,

allen