The End is Nigh

January 21st, 2010
Goodbyes, Beaches, and Traveling

This morning when I woke up, I was ready to get to work! All I had to do was read over my paper and correct it, email it to Harley, write a poem for my super-Secret Friend who already knew I had them, and eat breakfast. I allotted just enough time to do so.
Then Harley came to our door and told us we had to pack everything up before meeting! Needless to say, I was forced to scurry around a bit.

[hello, little friend who jumped out from behind my shampoo and made me scream because I thought you were a giant bug. once I discovered your true, cuter, nature, I was no longer scared, but you ran down the wall and under the bed, which really seemed to bother Shannon.]

At breakfast, as I chewed down a croissant with apple-cinnamon jelly and wrote my acrostic (yes, I am that lame) poem for ANDREW LADUE, one of the women working there decided she really wanted the email address of me, Megan and Kayla. Huh.

Then there was our lovely closing ceremony. We all had to give a 5-minute presentation on our paper. Most of us winged it. It was obvious. I did globalization and its effects on Indian women, if you were wondering. I tried to point out the fact that there are both costs and benefits, but I sounded really negative compared to everyone else (except Andrew, who hates globalization).

Next was Secret India Friend giveaways and poems! Wooo! Laura had me and gave me an owl because I am “wise” and know a bajillion facts about India.

 [am not wise]

I had Andrew, who figured out I had him when we were in Delhi the second time. He told me to give the 300 rupies to the poor, but I got him an elephant and some tea and gave the leftovers away. He really liked the poem ("Poem for a Surprise Ruiner"), which was grand. Plus, he used to live in Japan, so I wrote one of my classic, very un-poetic haikus on the back (you know what I mean, Justine).

Then there was more beach time! Though we had to be ready by 5 and NO LATER to travel our freaking minds out.
This time Andrew was invited to hang out with Francis (our tour-guide intern) for the day. Who would swim with me? I started out tanning, but Christopher and Bryan ended up swimming in the ocean with me, and even Megan and Kayla too!
After swimming that much, tanning was pretty fun. I don’t actually tan though. I just get red and peel or I wear enough sunscreen. This time I chose the latter. Laura told me I look like a porcelain doll.
Heheheh.

Ooooh, and we (Rachel, Bryan, Christopher, Kayla, and I) built a sandcastle! It was ugly, but fun to create. Then we buried Bryan.

[classic merman]

[boobs]

[me, Laura, Christopher, Bryan, Kayla, Rachel]

I got to shower before we left—yayyy!
Then, something amazing happened. For the first time the entire trip, we were all ready BEFORE 5!!!
But the bus was late.
Hours late.
Then there was traffic.
Dinner was hurried.

Now, technically, a lot of the traveling was on this day, but it all blends into one never-ending day for me, so I’ll just put it in a separate post.