Sept 17-Sept 20th: Train and Arrival to Pen!

Photo: The family I met on the train!
The train to Mumbai was loooonnnggg. It took 2 days to get there, with barely any sleep. I paid for the Non-AC Sleeper Coach, which was super cheap ($8 for the whole trip!), but extremely unsanitary. Nonetheless, I was glad I saved so much money. I ended up sitting with two wonderful families, which made me feel very safe. One family was just a mother and her daughter, and the other was a husband, wife, grandmas, uncle, and auntie. We talked the whole time, and I learned a lot more Hindi! For example, if you want to ask, “What is your name?”, you say “Apka naam kya hai?”. They shared all their food with me, and I shared everything I had with them. It was so nice to have such sweet company on the train. It made all of my worries go away.
The next morning, the family asked if I could come with them and stay at their house one night. It was so nice, but I had already made plans to get picked up in Mumbai at a certain time. So, we had a very long goodbye as they expressed their “very sad feelings” about leaving me. They said I was a part of the family now, and that I needed to visit next time I was in India. When they left, Asma and her mom were still there and they didn’t depart the train until 8pm that night.
I encountered a beggar boy on the train, who I made friends with. He was so happy that we were friends, and we had a lot of laughs together. He had no family, and traveled on trains asking for money, eating when he could, and sleeping anywhere. He was immensely dirty, but had the biggest smile on his face all the time. I wondered why he was so happy. He couldn’t have been older than 8 years old, and this made me very sad. Why doesn’t the Indian government do anything about these children?? They’re all over India, surviving on their own while they can. Very sad. At one point, he just got off the train. He was ready to take on another city.
The other family left, and they also invited me to their house. It is amazing how hospitable the people are here. When entering someone’s home in India, you are treated as a god. The belief here is that guests are “like gods”, and they serve you treats, meals, and food. Often, they give flowers and other gifts to guests and are very grateful to have someone in their home. I had to decline the offer, but I so badly wanted to go with them.
Luckily, I met two boys that asked me to meet their family. I went to their sleeping area, and their mom, auntie, and sister invited me to sleep near them. WHEW, I was glad! So, I moved my stuff and slept near them!
The next morning, we arrived to Mumbai at 3:30am. I had met a man of the name Shah in Agra one week before, and he offered to pick me up and let me stay at his and his wife’s house for one night! But, he picked me up and unfortunately had to go to the airport and fly to Delhi because his brother had gotten very sick. Kindly, he brought me to a safe hotel and paid for my stay, which was the most expensive room I had stayed in yet. The hotel was Rs. 2,640, which is about $56 per night! I couldn’t believe it! I asked him to bring me to a cheaper hotel, because I couldn’t afford it and he refused. Instead, he paid for it graciously, wished me well, and left. The kindness in India is unbelievable.
I went to McDonalds in Mumbai, and it was great! Similarly, they have chicken burgers and ice cream and French fries. But, they don’t have beef! The majority of Indians are Hindu, and Hindu’s believe cows are holy. So, they do not eat beef. Even mentioning eating a cow is offensive. I happily ate a chicken burger in this air-conditioned American-like fast-food restaurant, and I felt great. HA HA.
The next day, I met up with my fellow interns at a guesthouse in Mumbai! And, I had met one of them, Reid, at an orientation in Corvallis before India. I couldn’t believe it! The other one, Jessica, is from Alaska. From here, we drove to Pen, which is about 2 ½ hours south of Mumbai. And, we arrived to our house… our large bunglow in a small town called Pen, that will be living in for the next 10 weeks. YAY!!!