Thrissur
I went to a small village near Thrissur with Pramella Aunty, Ammu and Bobby to
her brother’s house. It was very peaceful and calm, and was like a small village/town. It wasn’t as big as Cochin, but it was more conservative than Cochin. We went to a famous temple known Guruvayur Temple that was in Thrissur. It is one of the many places that the people from the pilgrimage go to during their trip. We weren’t able to go inside the temple because there were so many people there, but there were many sights to see outside of the temple such as three famous elephants that are shown on a famous Malayalam series, many people who were praying and offering gifts, and festive music. We also went to a temple in the village we were staying at. Since there was a festival going on, there 
were so many lights and festivities. One of the highlights of the festival was seeing 25 decorated elephants! I had never seen so many elephants in my life! I also had the chance to touch one, which was interesting. I expected the skin to be smooth, but actually it was rough and each hair felt hard like plastic! We also ate sugarcane, which is from a tall stalk about 8 to 10 feet tall. As I ate the sweet sugarcane, I was reminded that I had tasted it once before when I had first lived in India before the age of five.
I went to a small village near Thrissur with Pramella Aunty, Ammu and Bobby to
her brother’s house. It was very peaceful and calm, and was like a small village/town. It wasn’t as big as Cochin, but it was more conservative than Cochin. We went to a famous temple known Guruvayur Temple that was in Thrissur. It is one of the many places that the people from the pilgrimage go to during their trip. We weren’t able to go inside the temple because there were so many people there, but there were many sights to see outside of the temple such as three famous elephants that are shown on a famous Malayalam series, many people who were praying and offering gifts, and festive music. We also went to a temple in the village we were staying at. Since there was a festival going on, there 
were so many lights and festivities. One of the highlights of the festival was seeing 25 decorated elephants! I had never seen so many elephants in my life! I also had the chance to touch one, which was interesting. I expected the skin to be smooth, but actually it was rough and each hair felt hard like plastic! We also ate sugarcane, which is from a tall stalk about 8 to 10 feet tall. As I ate the sweet sugarcane, I was reminded that I had tasted it once before when I had first lived in India before the age of five. A Rare Sighting
One evening as I went out for my usual run, I was struck by a beautiful sight. It was of a bright moon bordered by two beautiful stars. I read in the newspaper the next day that it was actually two planets, Venus and Jupiter, and that it is a rare occurrence!
One evening as I went out for my usual run, I was struck by a beautiful sight. It was of a bright moon bordered by two beautiful stars. I read in the newspaper the next day that it was actually two planets, Venus and Jupiter, and that it is a rare occurrence!
Mumbai
Many of you might have known that one of the things that I was going to do while I was in India was visit my orphanage in Pune. About a month ago I booked a train ticket to Mumbai, which is only an hour from Pune. Pramella Aunty’s friend was going to assist me around Mumbai and Pune. The night before I was going to go, I was all done packing and was about to go to sleep, when Pramella Aunty called me downstairs. She showed me the TV which reported the terrorist attacks that were happening as we were watching. I was so shocked and astonished because it happened at the CST train station which was the exact place where I was supposed to get off the train and stay with Pramella Aunty’s friend. Although I wasn’t able to go to my orphanage, I felt very blessed that I was safe from the attacks. My slight disappointment was overshadowed by my gratitude for my wonderful experience in India and my extreme thankfulness for my safety and well-being. I send out prayers to all the families of those who died, and also those who were injured during the attacks.
Many of you might have known that one of the things that I was going to do while I was in India was visit my orphanage in Pune. About a month ago I booked a train ticket to Mumbai, which is only an hour from Pune. Pramella Aunty’s friend was going to assist me around Mumbai and Pune. The night before I was going to go, I was all done packing and was about to go to sleep, when Pramella Aunty called me downstairs. She showed me the TV which reported the terrorist attacks that were happening as we were watching. I was so shocked and astonished because it happened at the CST train station which was the exact place where I was supposed to get off the train and stay with Pramella Aunty’s friend. Although I wasn’t able to go to my orphanage, I felt very blessed that I was safe from the attacks. My slight disappointment was overshadowed by my gratitude for my wonderful experience in India and my extreme thankfulness for my safety and well-being. I send out prayers to all the families of those who died, and also those who were injured during the attacks.
