THE ½ WAY MARK – CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

I AM NOW ½ WAY DONE WITH MY INTERNSHIP – HARD TO BELIEVE! THE PAST 3 WEEKS HAVE BEEN REALLY…INTERESTING. OK, I’VE ACTUALLY HAD A BLAST HERE SO FAR – EVEN AT WORK. ALTHOUGH I DON’T NECESSARILY LOVE THE TYPE OF WORK I’M DOING (COMMERCIAL ARBITRATIONAL STUFF) OR THE LONG HOURS, I FEEL LIKE I’VE LEARNED A LOT AND MET SOME REALLY NICE PEOPLE. IT IS JUST SO HARD TO FATHOM THAT MY TIME IN INDIA IS 50% OVER. ALTHOUGH, ON THE OTHER HAND - I AM SUPER EXCITED TO REPORT THAT HANK WILL BE RETURNING TO INDIA IN ONLY 14 DAYS!!! I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW HIM THE SIGHTS I’VE FOUND, THE MARKETS I ENJOY, AND SEE THE NEW THINGS WITH HIM THAT I’VE BEEN SAVING FOR WHEN HE GETS BACK.

THE BIG GROUP OF FOREIGN INTERNS WHEN TO AGRA TODAY – A CITY NEAR DELHI AND HOME OF THE TAJ MAHAL. I OPTED NOT TO GO BECAUSE I DECIDED BEFORE I EVER ARRIVED HERE THAT HANK AND I SHOULD SEE THE TAJ TOGETHER. I MEAN, AFTER ALL, IT IS A REALLY BIG DEAL! AND AS CHEESY AS IT SOUNDS, I LIKE MY BIG DEALS WITH A SIDE OF HANKO! SINCE I WASN’T GOING TO AGRA TODAY, THE INTERNS I WORK WITH AND I DECIDED WE WOULD GO TO DILLI HAAT – A BIG CRAFTS MARKET IN SOUTH DELHI. THE MARKET HAS FOOD STATIONS FOR EACH REGION OF INDIA, SO YOU CAN SAMPLE THE DIFFERENT CUISINES ALL IN ONE PLACE. THEY ALSO HAVE CRAFTS FROM THE VARIOUS REGIONS – OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT I HEAR. I DIDN’T GET TO GO TO DILLI HAAT AFTER ALL - AS I WAS STOOD UP BY NOT ONE, BUT BOTH OF THE INTERNS I WORK WITH! ONE CLAIMED NOT TO FEEL WELL, THE OTHER SAID “SOMETHING CAME UP.” WELL YES, I WAS ANNOYED – AND I THOUGHT ABOUT STAYING IN AND SULKING – BUT THEN I THOUGHT HOW I WOULD HATE TO WASTE AN ENTIRE SATURDAY (SINCE I HAVE SO FEW SATURDAYS LEFT)! I THOUGHT OF MY FRIEND, COURTNEY (WHO IS MUCH MORE FEARLESS THAN I) AND ABOUT HOW IF THIS HAD HAPPENED TO HER, SHE WOULD GET DRESSED AND GO OUT EXPLORING ON HER OWN. WELL, I DECIDED TO FOLLOW HER LEAD AND DO JUST THAT! MAYBE I DIDN'T GO “EXPLORING” PER SAY – BUT I WENT BACK TO KHAN MARKET AND SPENT A FEW HOURS REALLY CHECKING OUT EACH SHOP AND WANDERING THE AREA. I HAD A LOT OF FUN THERE, AND I BOUGHT SOME GREAT THINGS! I AM SO GLAD I DID NOT LET THE OTHERS CANCELLING ON ME RUIN MY DAY!

I’VE ASKED ONE OF THE AMERICAN INTERNS (CURREY) TO GO TO DILLI HAAT WITH ME TOMORROW, AND SHE AGREED THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WORTH CHECKING OUT – SO LOOKS LIKE I WON’T MISS THE CRAFTS MARKET AFTER ALL. :)

HERE ARE A FEW PICS. THAT I TOOK TODAY.

MY NEW BANGLES:

ART PIECE FOR OUR COLLECTION:
WITH THE FLASH - THE COLORS ARE SUPER VIVID.

WITHOUT THE FLASH YOU SEE THE GOLD HUE REALLY COME THROUGH.

A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE VASE / CONTAINER:

EVEN GOT A NOBBLY-WOBBLY FOR JACK (AT INDIAN PRICES!):

NOT SURE WHAT THEY WERE GIVING OUT, BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN GOOD!