Haircuts in India

As you can imagine - getting a haircut in India is a little risky.  

Since we arrived in India the guys have been getting their hair cut at a hole in the wall place called Ganesh's Hair Saloon.  They give a decent haircut, shave the guys faces and then go to town on the guys heads with a killer head massage.  You can check out a pretty entertaining youtube video of a couple of the guys getting the haircuts...  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxD4w4GYR8A

Don't get the wrong idea - there are some nice salons here where they give incredible head massages and have nice black chairs.  The only problem is that every single stylist in India wants to give one haircut... The Rachel.  Do you remember this haircut?  Here is how The Rachel is described on wikipedia...

The Rachel haircut is a bouncy, square layered hairstyle introduced by Jennifer Aniston in season 1 of the hit American sitcom Friendsand named after her character, Rachel Green. Many women in the 1990s cut their hair in the style.

The style is claimed to have been created by Jennifer Aniston's hairstylist, Chris McMillan. The Rachel haircut became popular among young women and was copied the world over, becoming the 1990s equivalent of Farrah Fawcett's 1970s flip. Aniston only wore that particular hairstyle during the Friends' first and second seasons — at the beginning of the third season, she switched to a more traditional long-haired look — but it has become associated with the character.

Tonight Brittan cut my hair because I am currently trying to get rid of the Rachel.

Muddy Buddy

Every year there is an amazing race that takes place all across the US called the Muddy Buddy. Let me explain it to the best of my understanding...

You sign up with a partner.  The total race is about 6 miles.  Each team has one bike.  At the starting line, one partner will start off on the bike and the other starts off running.  You go about a mile until you come to an obstacle.  I have no idea what the obstacles are but the pictures look like they are pretty fun.  After completing the obstacle you will switch up your means (if you were biking you will now run, if you were running you will now bike.)  You alternate like this for 6 miles and complete five obstacles.  After the 6th mile you meet up with your partner and run through the mud wall to the finish line.  I have no idea what this mud wall is but everyone on the website looks pretty dirty!!  

Doesn't this sound like the most fun way to exercise ever??  Okay, I know that to some of you it sounds miserable but you could even just come cheer us on!!  Surely it would be a fun race to watch!!

Billy and Brittan are in and we would LOVE you to come down too!!  October 25th in Dallas!!!  Afterwards we can shower, go shopping and get some calories in us!!

Varanassi

I haven't had a chance to tell you about our trip to Varanassi. It was to go to a conference but we were also able to see the Ganges River. Varanassi was by far the most interesting place we have been in India. We have been living here over 9 months and most oddities of India have become normal to us but Varanassi had the ability to shock us in new ways. Indians believe that the Ganges (they actually call it the Ganga River) to be a holy river. This makes Varanassi a destination visited by thousands of Indians daily. They come to either bathe in water that I was barely willing to touch or to burn the body of a loved one. All along the river there are ghats which are "holy" places where bodies are burned for cremation. We saw about 30 burnings as we took a boat ride down the river. It was one of the strangest places and experiences of my life. Stephen and I let a candle with flowers out into the river like all of the Hindus were doing. As we did we prayed for Jesus to be the light of India. We love the people of this crazy place.

Happy Holi!!

Holi is the Indian "festival of colors." One person told me that is a celebration of moving from winter to summer, someone else told me that it is in honor of one of the gods and another told me that it is because colors are good for health. So, we're not really sure where it all originated but the tradition is to meet up with all your friends and play colors!! Colors are very fine chalk-like powder in every bright color you can imagine. There are two kinds, the washable and the permanent.
We went to our friend Sheetal's house to play with her family and friends. At first we were a little shy but before you know it we were in an all out color war. It was one of my favorite memories from India and I am so glad Billy was here!!
Here are a few pictures, note the colors on our faces after scrubbing for a LONG time...

Cousin Billy

Cousin Billy is in India! A 4:38 this morning his plane landed in Hyderabad. His bags (huge and filled with wonderful American goodies) came after about 45 minutes. We sat anxiously in the lobby filled with thousands of Indians until finally Bill Will walked through the doors looking a bit out of place. We ran up to hug him and then hopped in the car. So far, he said that the traffic is his least favorite part of India but at 5 a.m. it wasn't too bad. We saw two camels on the way to the airport but couldn't spot them on the way home...BOO.
We had a packed day today of exploring...it was a blast. We are exhausted and about to go to bed but I will update you more on our adventures later!

Reality TV...

I hate to admit it but I love reality tv shows. I know that they are not always right or uplifting...I know that they might be scripted and that the producers might tell them all what to say and do...I know that they are a waste of time... but I love them.
My personal favorites are the Bachelor and American Idol. I will sometimes stoop and watch an episode of the Hills and have recently started watching The Biggest Loser on Erin's ipod.
Usually I try to pretend that I am not all that into these shows...because let's face it, it's embarrassing. This week it came out how addicted I am to the Bachelor. Brittan, Brittany and I have been watching The Bachelor on youtube every week. We have the schedule figured out and download the episodes beforehand so we can watch the entire episode without too many interruptions. This week the finale was not fully posted on youtube. Can you imagine the suspense?? I kept hearing that the finale was soooo crazy, that it was seriously intense, that I was going to be ticked, etc but we were only able to download half of it. We finally found it on itunes and were ecstatic. I get so emotionally attached to this show...it is crazy. PS I love Jillian and now can not wait for the Bachelorette!!
The best thing about American Idol is that we get the current season on our tv here in India. I think it might be a few days after it comes out in the US but it is awesome!! I can not wait to watch this season!!
What are your favorite reality tv shows?? If you are into the Bachelor - what were your thoughts??

Nanny

Two nights ago Stephen's parents called to tell us that his Nanny had passed away.  Nanny was an amazing person so I thought I would share a few words that will always come to my mind when I think about the few years that I had the privilege to know her.  

Selfless- When Stephen and I were dating, fall of 2005, I went down to Winthrop around Thanksgiving.  This weekend he took me to meet his Nanny.  We walked into her house and the shelves and walls were covered with pictures.  Because I was new to Winthrop and to Stephen's family I was asking about every picture.  Probably half of them were pictures of someone in the family but the other half are the ones that really stick out in my memory.  The other half were pictures of random guys and girls who at some point in time had needed help and Nanny had taken them in.  She didn't have a ton of money or possessions but whatever she had she was willing to give away.  I want to be willing to give away everything the Lord blesses me with but my tendency is to do the opposite.  

Joyful- Nanny had a personal relationships with Jesus.  This was apparent because she was always filled with the joy.  This is something that can only happen during hard times if you have the hope which can only come from the Lord.  The last two years of her life Nanny was on bedrest.  Every time we visited her she would share with us stories of what God had done in her life and also randomly break into a song of praise to the Lord.  She was over caring what people thought about her = )

Loving- Stephen has told me so many stories of the way Nanny loved him when he was growing up.  I will never forget my grown husband crawling into the hospital bed with Nanny just to get one of her hugs every time that we visited her.  It made Nanny so happy that she would cry every single time.  

I wish I would have gotten to know her better but I was impacted by the few years that I did know Nanny.