First week

I've arrived and have lasted one week.

Jet leg hasn't been much of an issue (likely because I took my time circling the globe- that three day British pit stop was an excellent idea) and culture shock hasn't been too trying either.  More than anything, I've struggled with the smell here.  After a few days struggling to eat from my olfactory glands' dismay with the new air, I went to a local supermarket and procured an air freshener.  The scent?

 

Florida Sunshine.  I almost broke down in tears out of pure joy!  (I must say, while I've never thought to put a smell to "Florida sunshine," I can't say that this hits the mark.  Regardless, mere mention of home was delightful.

After about five days in town I resumed eating regular meals.  My first attempt in my new kitchen, French toast, tasted fine.  

 

The aesthetic appeal will improve as I grow accustomed to novel kitchen appliances.  (Here's to hoping, at the least.)

I'm settling into the office well.  The IJM staff is warm and welcoming, and I've set up shop at my desk:

But none of us can work forever.  Today was my second Saturday in town, and I wasn't about to sit inside.  Laurel, Aimee and I went to a great Western style restaurant today in a part of the city still bearing the marks of British influence.  

 

We had a wonderful meal, then each chose something from the bountiful dessert display.  

  

...I think I'll be getting along here just fine. 

I chose a brownie, which looked nearly identical to the ones we love at Chick-fil-a!

The rest of the day was spent leisurely perusing the city.  Most locals are busy getting ready for a holiday season.  This means that makeshift monuments and shrines are being built on nearly every street.  I passed a few men putting one up here:

With the holiday season come retail sales, same as home.  These bring shoppers into the city in droves.  Extra shoppers means extra assertive child beggars in traffic.

These boys were just a few years old.  Wearing next to nothing, they fearlessly darted between cars when traffic halted and knocked on windows asking for money.
  

Here are other sights from the city:

Motorcycles are everywhere.  That and scooters.  I'd like to get a scooter for autonomy's sake, but the traffic here is brutal.

Traffic frequently regresses to a game of bumper cars.

These auto-rickshaws are prevalent too.  They're fun for cheap and breezy rides through town.

This man was selling flutes outside the restaurant where we ate today.  He played "My Heart Will Go On" to demonstrate the lyrical depth of the instrument.

KFC.  Sending cardiologists' children to college worldwide.

Abbey Road?  Anybody?

Close enough.

Dogs roam the streets here freely.  Most have no owner and fend for themselves.  They're scrawny and many seem to have mange.

One of the fascinating juxtapositions here is in traffic: retro cabs regularly ride past men on foot pulling cars, avoiding motorcycles, moving alongside Honda and Toyota sedans.

 

While I can't seem to call it home just yet, the city is becoming more central to my way of thought day by day.