Full Power 24 hours! (an Indian saying)

INDIA!!! (i'm going to do my best for a full update before my internet time is up) p.s... the shift button doesn't work, so forgive me for lack of capitalization.

After having a blast in Michigan and New York, I set out for INDIA. I used to talk about traveling India, but there was a part of me that wasn't sure when/if I'd ever make it.

1st 24 hours in India:
While in NY, I had a arranged to meet a friend of a friend in New Delhi, India. That is the only 'plan' that I had at that point. When I arrived to India (around 7pm), I had the cab driver call this friend and we found my way to the flooded garden that led to this friend's apartments. That night, I decided to join him to his family's house in the northeastern state of Assam. He was leaving in the morning, so I bought my ticket online and hoped for the best. In the morning, as we were getting ready to head to the airport, his maid (for lack of a better word) came, cleaned the dishes, set out toast, and did whatever else she does. This was my first interaction with the 'help' of India. Turns out, it was just a taste into what I was about to dive into. We headed to the airport and all I could think about was my friend, Karishma, in the states who is deathly afraid to fly ever since she nose-dived in an airplane in a local flight in India. We didn't nose-dive :) Upon arrival, I met Nalin's mom and driver. We drove through the streets of Guwahati through lush green, tropical landscapes, to one of the most beautiful homes I've seen in a while. I could tell they were quite well-off as the gate man opened the gate, unleashing the tropical paradise that serves as their yard. They have beautiful flowers, exotic trees, a small lake, and a nice porch to enjoy the scenery. The dog took a liking to me, and I didn't enjoy his slobber. The next few hours were filled with lots of friendly conversation and good food with Nalin's family. This was my introduction to the four approximately 15 year olds cooking and cleaning for this family. They live there and work very hard. I took a liking to a few of the girls, but they were pretty shy around me. It took me some getting used to, but I knew I had to learn how things work here. Later, I found out that the girls are able to buy land and houses for their families, and don't necessarily speak Hindi. They speak a mixture of Hindi and some native dialect. I don't know what part of India these girls were from. After 2 years of studying human trafficking and child labor, I found myself conflicted, not sure how to act or what to think. So, I thought nothing, and just observed. This is a new country with a new way of life. Nalin's family are the nicest and most friendly, hospitable and welcoming people ever! They fully welcomed me into their home, gave me a room and his mom took it upon herself to make sure that I had lots of cultural learning experiences; something I am so grateful for. Their family owns a tea farm... or tea company... or something like that. They ship tea off to be mixed and packaged and sold. The business obviously serves them well. I attended the 2nd day of a wedding, which consisted of a colorful assortment of Indian food and Indian versions of other food. I tried a little bit of almost everything. Nalin's mom and her friends were so friendly and made sure that I was able to experience. And I was surprised by how agreeable they were to the fact that I was traveling India without a plan. At the wedding, I was impressed with all the beautiful saris and bracelets that decorated the women.
We left the wedding and headed back home, where I met up with Nalin. We went out and met with some of his friends, went to a small club with a live band, rather weak drinks, beer, lots of fun dancing people. While in Assam, I was definitely the only foreigner around, but people's English and knowledge of America was so good that sometimes I forgot. After the club, we went back to the house and went to sleep. I woke up in the morning and was laying on my bed, when Nalin's mom came in and said their was a massage lady at the house and asked if I wanted a massage. I hesitated, asked how much, waved me off, and I agreed. I had a massage in one of the rooms of the house for about an hour and a half. I think the rest of the days in Assam were mostly filled with food, relaxation, and getting over my jetlag. One of the days, they had the driver take me to a bunch of the famous temples which are in the area and another day they made sure I tried traditional Assamese food. I was so greatful for their amazing generosity and hospitality. I have been keeping in touch with Nalin and will meet up with him in Delhi at some point. Also, I invited him to meet me when I get to a surfing spot and promised to teach him to surf.