Whatever you thought, you're wrong.

Our plan (as far as I understood) was to leave at 7, Biku was going to drop us off at his parents house and then go meet his friends from class 8. We thought we were getting used to Indian time, so we woke up at 6:55. We still have to calibrate our clocks some more. He was walking around in (the Indian version of) his underwear. He also takes at least an hour to get ready every morning. We waited for him to be done in the bathroom, got ready and had breakfast. Biku told us it's his dream to go ice skating and we said we'd teach him. He wants to take a week-long trip to go to one in another part of India. I also explained what skiing is with drawings in my notebook. We were all ready to leave.. At 9:30. 

It was 75km to Puri, which is about a 2 hr drive. We passed along the river where we had been the night before and it was beautiful in the daylight. The entire road was often covered with hay, goats cows, dogs, villagers, motorcycles and bicycles. All on a dirt road at most 1.5 lanes wide.

We stopped on the way to buy some of those leaves and spices I think are called 'beetle'. We also passed through more of Juanga and saw the crowded huts along the road. 

We pulled up to a picnic spot by a river outside of Puri and Biku told us we were going to meet his friends together. He also informed us we'd be staying over at his house. The plans we thought we'd been told, the plans that were made, and what actually happens have been three completely separate things so far. Going with the flow has already been extremely important. 

The first of Biku's friends showed up around 11:30 and we walked around through the forest by the river looking for a good place to picnic. Over the next hour, more and more friends showed up with a big tarp and a bunch of food and cooking supplies. We ended up driving to another area about a mile away and set things up there. 

Everybody always takes off their shoes before entering pretty much anywhere and this held true for the picnic tarp. Some small fire pits were dug and we all collected wood to get the cooking started. In the middle, everybody ran off to go look at the deer that someone spotted. We started with a cake about 2 hours after we got there. Biku's friends made me cut it and then proceeded to smush cake and icing over everyone's face. It was a little bit like a middle school birthday (or a more recent one of mine). While the cooking was going on, everybody would wander around the forest. We were very near an official entrance to the beach and tried to go down to the water but the guard wouldn't let Connor and I through unless we paid 1000 rupees each (about $17). The price for Indians was 20 rupees and was on a sign, but I didn't see anyone get charged while I was there. 

The cooking process took around four hours and no one seemed to be in any hurry. Some of Biku's friends spoke basic English and I spent a while talking to them. When being served, and most other times, no one here says thank you. It's going to take some getting used to. 

There was trash everywhere and when we were done with the wrappers of things, they were just tossed aside. It's definitely something I'm not totally comfortable with, but there don't seem to be a lot of other options. We ate on plates made from leaves which helped to reduce the waste. 

When we were done eating, we got on the back of Chiku and Anjan's motorcycles and ride back to the river. We were only two to a bike, but most people we passed were at least 3 or 4. After washing the tarp off in the river and taking a few photos, we rode back towards Puri. Riding through Indian traffic is a unique experience. Nobody goes fast, but they also don't follow any rules that I can understand, other than honk all the time. Ever kilometer or so, we'd pass a sign that would say "alert today, alive tomorrow" or "accidents cause tears, safety brings cheers" or "donate blood, but not to the road". The bike I was riding got a flat tire and I hopped got on a different one while Chiku rode slower into Puri. We all went to a mechanic (a tarp hut with some tools in it). It had just gotten dark when we got in the car to go to Biku's house. It definitely felt like time to sleep but it was way too early. We left and went to 4 different stores to find jeans and a shirt for our driver, Bikas. Biku was buying him a gift for the festival. 

--They have a very interesting relationship. In another post, I'll eventually talk about the caste system and how it plays out in daily life-Id also like to talk about women's role in Indian society at some point.--

We eventually found a (very colorful) outfit and went back to Biku's for dinner. I have definitely not mastered sitting on the floor to eat and I'm definitely going to have to work on my flexibility. The picnic and dinner left my legs way too stiff. But on the plus side, pretty soon I'm going to be able to taste with my fingers. 

Biku wanted to stay awake but Connor and I insisted on sleep. The three of us laid down on the bed*

*Side note: beds here consist of a wood platform with something like a lawn chair cushion under a linen sheet on top. The pillows might actually be rocks. I'm not convinced that it's softer than sleeping on the floor. 

I'm going to start writing shorter posts from now on, but I don't want to forget anything and tend to not write as much in my notebook. I had also wanted to write more descriptively, but a combination of my fatigue, the simple sentences required for successful communication here, and the sheer volume of activity make it impossible to write exactly the way I'd like. 

I'll figure it out eventually. 

It's now Monday night and I'll try to post about today after dinner if I have time before sleep. 

Also, at the picnic, I thought I saw an old woman crouching in the bushes to poop. Upon closer inspection, I was mistaken (see below)**

-AB

Saw an old woman

Near the picnic she crouches

A sneaky monkey

**