The longest 25 hours of my life...

So....today is officially our first day of class in Mysore and my first opportunity to get free wi-fi and update my blog. So far, India has definitely been the most unique destination I have ever experienced. There are so many thoughts and emotions going through my head right now that it is difficult to capture. But, since some of you are anxious to read about what life is like here, I'll try and give you a quick update. Here are some of the highlights I've encountered thus far:

-Saw my first fistfight in an airport between two indian gentlemen (who probably did not make the trip after being tackled by 6 security guards) at the Air India check-in counter.

-Witnessed countless acts of public urination (which seems to be the norm here) including a young boy who decided it would be a good idea to do a #2 in the middle of the street. And yes, he was facing our bus.

-Rode in my very first rickshaw (which is an adrenaline rush in itself as they careen into the many roundabouts in Mysore). There is something to be said about riding in a vehicle that probably has the structural integrity of a bicycle and watching oncoming cars barrel down the road at you in your lane.

-Visited a local tailor shop and had 2 suits, 7 dress shirts, and 4 pairs of slacks custom tailored for the price it would have cost me to buy one "off-the shelf" suit in the US.

-Before the trip, I decided that I would try everything once and keep an open mind. I am still abiding to that rule, but I've decided to add another one. I will try everything once, but I DEFINITELY don't (and won't) try certain things twice. You'll understand when I post some pictures later.

OK...it is lunch time and I don't have Cathy's digital camera with me to upload the pictures so far so I'll stop here. If I have time later today, I'll update some more, hopefully with some pictures.