It's January. Our trip is in April. WOW!!

Here's what you should be working on this month:

-send your deposit to Habitat (if you have not already done so)
-look at flights to/from India and get the approval of your team leader for flight times
-book flight (or wait--your choice but tickets should be booked no later than the first week of March)
-check your passport and make sure it will not expire within 6 months of the trip or you may be denied entry/exit
-book appointment with your local travel clinic and make sure you get any/all shots/vacines/etc.
-the visa you need for entry to India is only good for 6 months--get it now or next month but don't wait until the last minute
-read the Global Village Orientation Handbook over carefully. Take notes on areas you wish to have more information and bring up those points for discussion on our google team page

Is or has anyone purchased a guide book for India? Lonely Planet? Frommers? Is there any tourst attraction or area that you would like to see while we are in the area? Let me know. Our schedule is a bit flexible depending on the event and wishes of the team.

Hello Everyone!

I am still waiting on some of the answers to the questions I sent out. Once I get them all I will send out an email. I'm hoping to do full bio's with pictures once the team is complete.

Sent off information on the Visa process yesterday to India and will let you know as soon as I hear back. Am also looking into the flights--remember not to book until you pass it by me first.

Hello Team ______. We need a team name. Please email any suggestions you have and we can vote on it.

There are 6 confirmed team members thus far--6 to go!

Please email me a short bio and I will compile them and send to the team prior to Christmas.

Hope everyone is having a great fall. 146 days to go till India!!

With weather here on PEI in the mid teens yesterday I am finding it hard to sit in front of the computer and type. I'm going to do a short message today--and then head outside and enjoy the great weather.

Packing...continued.
Most people own digital cameras and more than likely you will want to bring yours with you to India. I can't blame you--I will have mine. What I will mention is that you may want to be very careful in what camera you bring. I brought a small digital camera last time and it was terrific, the pictures were terrifice and I was glad to have it...but once I got back the camera didn't work very well. There was a lot of sand and humidity and my camera didn't hold up well in the end. In fact by the time I arrived back in Canada it has died.I know I am starting to sound like your mother but never bring anything on the trip you are not ready to part with. Just in case. I am in the midst of debate with myself at the moment over what camera to bring with me on this upcoming trip--buy a cheaper camera or bring my SLR. Tough call that will require some additional thought. The other issue is the SLR is bigger and bulkier. The small camera slips into a pocked and doesn't take up much room in the carryon bag.

Ok...I'm off to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

Packing...continued

When travelling it is always best to keep your valuables safe. Ok, it is always best to have your valuable safe. One way to do that when travelling is a money belt. I'm not a big fan of the one around the waist--the pick pockets know it is there, it makes you feel weird when walking around, etc. I also knew I didn't want the kind that hangs around your neck. I would find this very irritating and annoying--personal bias. What I found was a leg holster type money belt. I guess it is really meant as an under arm type thing but I wore it around my thigh and a few other people who have it also mentioned they do it this way.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619347&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302883913

It isn't a must have...but it is a nice to have. Carry a small backpack or purse with your spending money in it and just use this for carrying the rest of your money. I would put some cash in my backpack and then if I had spent it all or needed to get some extra out of the leg holster I would go to the washroom and get the money out transfer to my purse and voila! Problem solved. Mine has gone missing since I returned from India 2 years ago...of course I have moved 3 or 4 times since then so it isn't surprising and this will be on my list to Santa again this year.

Packing

Sure the trip is still 164 days away and it might seem a bit premature to start packing...but Christmas is coming and maybe you need something for the trip that you could have Santa bring.

Pack light. This I can not stress enough.

I would recommend you have three outfits for building in. These are outfits that are going to get dirty, possibly end up with rips or small tears in them and generally you do not need nor plan to ever wear again after the trip.

Pants. This is a must at the build site. No shorts, no skirts and no pants above mid-calf. My preference is that you wear long pants. It is a cultural issue. We do not want to embarass ourselves, our country or worse yet, our hosts by wearing pants that the women would be uncomfortable with us in. If your pants are too short I will not allow you to wear them on the build site.

Yes, it will be super hot. You will adjust trust me. I did it. I was living in -40 temperatures and built in +40 temps wearing long pants. It can be done.

T-shirts are great for the build. Your shirt must have sleeves. Not long sleeves, but sleeves. Again, please respect the Indian culture. Shirts should not be v-neck and should not be low cut. If you lean forward and can see 'the girls' the neckline is too low. Check in the mirror before you pack it.

If you are going to wear a white tshirt you may want to ensure we can't see your bra thru it.  Think sweating, think that you might pour water over your head to cool off. This is not a wet t-shirt contest. I know this may sound picky but I don't want you to be embarassed when you are there.

We are building more than we are R&R'ing. There are laundry facilities at the hotel so you can have one outfit washed while you wear the other one. The 3rd outfit would be a good back up incase your laundry doesn't return on time.

During the evenings and when we are on R&R you are free to wear whatever you want--within reason. Modesty should be at the top of your list and I still wouldn't recommend anything above the knee or tank tops. I had a skirt that came just below my knees that I wore and it was fine. You will stand out and be noticed on the street--lets not attract unwanted attention by showing too much skin. If you are used to resorts or wearing less I understand that you might not feel the need to cover up, but please take my suggestions seriously. Bring a sweater because the evenings cool off some. It isn't cold but when the sun goes down you may experience a chill.

I had two R&R outfits. My skirt and a pair of pants. My theory of packing is that I want to bring back souvenirs and need the room in my bag on the way back. I don't need a ton of clothes to wear--laundry service is cheap and easy to use.

If you have steel toe sneakers bring them. If you don't...don't worry about buying them. Last time we wore sneakers and that was fine. No sandals at the build site--save them for R&R. I wore sandals to the site and changed when I got there. At the end of the day before getting back on the bus I would change back into my sandals. It felt soo good on the toes. There will be a lot of walking during the R&R portions and you might find that a shoe type sandal instead of flip flops will give you better support. Your call.

Work gloves. The bricks are hard and rough and will make you regret not having gloves. The staff on site were always making sure we had gloves on and many of the Indian workers wouldn't start a project with us if we didn't have them on.
A hat. Yep you will want a hat at the build site. Or a hankerchief. I wore a hankerchief over my head and found that to be very comfortable and cooling. Many of my other team members wore hats and were very comfortable as well.

Jewelry. It really is best to leave it at home. Use your own judgement on this but flashy jewelry attracts attention and it isn't always wanted attention. Pick pockets are on the loose and I would hate to see you lose something that has a lot of sentimental (or monetary) value. There is no guarantee that there will be a safe at the hotel to put valuables in.

Clothes are a very personal item when it comes to packing--some people need everything in their closet and some don't. Use your discretion--but remember you will need to take your bags with you over long distances in hotels, airports and on and off buses. There are no porters and everyone will be expected to move/carry their own bags. Less is better.

I would recommend going to see your Travel Clinic as soon as possible. Find out what type of medications, shots, etc you will need. Tell them you will be in Pondicherry, India and surrounding areas. If you are going to stay longer and do some travelling make sure the travel clinic knows that too. They are your best line of defense for staying healthy when travelling abroad. You will need an anti-malaria drug--they can help determine which one and for how long you will need it.

For your own personal medicinal/toiletry kit may I recommend the following:
-something to stop diarehha/something to soften stool--cause you never know which problem you might encounter
-pepto bismal or rolaids if you are not used to spicy food
-pain reliver
-one roll of toilet paper (just in case)
-deoderant, shampoo, soap, etc the things you need to keep yourself clean and comfortable. Do not count on being able to buy any of these items when you arrive and do not count on them coming with the room.
-bandaids, anti bacterial cream (we have a first aid kit on site but this is for blisters and evening injuries)
-bug spray (high DEET content)
-sun screen (bring a high SPF--we are going to be outside in the sun 8+ hours a day--you will get burned unless you cover up.)
-anti-bacterial wipes
-small amount of laundry soap--just in case the laundry service is unavailable
-nail clippers, tooth picks, dental floss
-toothbrush, toothpaste (like you need to be told! ;-)
-face clothes are generally not available. (My mom bought me ones that come in tablet form and expand with water. Great for at the build site to freshen up at to wash up at the hotel)

A few other things to think about bringing with you:
-alarm clock (wind up is good or you will need an adapter)
-zip lock bags (large) for wet/dirty clothes or putting toiletries in to prevent explosions of shampoo.
-camera, extra batteries, charger (and adapter if you need to plug it in)
-journal, pen (Even if you are not a journal person you may find yourself wanting to take notes of where we went for meals, what we did that day, etc. It is a lot to take in and keeping notes will help you tell the tale back home)
-flashlight (small one, I have a wind up one--no batteries and I left it with the village--we will discuss gifts later)
-snacks--we will have lots of food available to us but if you are having tummy troubles you may want a few comfort things. Packaged oatmeal is good for bad tummies, powdered chicken soup, a favorite tea

We will talk about gifts, donations, etc later in the process. There are some items that Habitat India will have on its wish list.

Because packing is such a personal thing it is hard for me to tell you what to bring or not to bring. Practice packing. It might sound odd but it works. Lift the bags, walk around the house with them and think about flying for 14 hours and then needing to lift and carry them a 1/2 kilometre to the train. How heavy are they now?

We were recommended to bring one nice outfit for the dedication or for a fancy night out. I didn't bring one with me and many on our trip didn't--but all the women had bought sari's or other Indian style clothing that we wore to the closing ceremony. It was fun--but if you don't want to you don't need too. You won't need a formal outfit--this whole trip will be pretty casual.

In my training we received a few sites for helping develop packing lists. I haven't inspected any of them yet but here are a couple of the sites:

http://www.onebag.com/list.html

http://www.travelite.org/

http://www.letsgo.com/articles/tips/planning/packing/.php

Oh, check your passport today and see when it expires. If it is in 2011 you may want to renew now. Many countries have issues with allowing you in if your passport expires within 6 months of your visit. You will also need to get a visa for India. The timing of the visa is important as they are only good for a limited amount of time. I'll update you on this next week.

Here are a few other sites you may want to visit:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main

http://www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtml

http://www.travelhealth.gc.ca/

Visit your local library and check out a travel book on India. Check their section on Pondicherry and find a restaurant or two that we might be able to visit when we are there.

Any questions?

Pondicherry.

Some information from a website on Pondicherry:
"It covers a total land area of 492 Square Kilometers. The population of this town is 9,73,829. The main languages spoken here are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French. There are four districts which comprise this territory namely Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe. The best season to visit Pondicherry is between July and February. This town is connected by airways, by railways, and by roadways. Pondicherry is a peaceful city. Pondicherry is referred by names such as ‘Quintessence of French Culture’, ‘India’s Little France’ and ‘The French Riviera of the East’.


This territory was under the French rule for nearly 281 years. Still it has the French flavor in it as one can see by the grand colonial mansions, beautiful boulevards, and placid promenades, spellings on sign boards and buildings, names of roads and public places.

Pondicherry is a well planned and well built town. This is a typical example as one can learn the way the French people gave importance to order and flair. They are known for their rich and quality living. The French too had an eye on the wealth and the fertility of India. Thus the French dream of Indian empire began and got over by establishing their supremacy in Pondicherry. The French constructed many buildings based on their craft and grand architecture. They developed an oval shaped, lovely ‘boulevard town’ – the French quarter. This French quarter was laid out in a geometric grid pattern with straight roads intersecting at right angles. A boulevard encircled the town and a grand canal, divided it into two sections- one the Tamil side called as Ville Noire or the black town and the other, a European side which was known as Ville Blanche or the white town. The impressive Ville Blanche or white town resembles a typical Medieval French township clotted with fine built monuments, government buildings, majestic mansions, elegant churches and lush green parks. "

Pondicherry is very much what we might consider a tourist town. There are some grand hotels and wonderful sights. If this is your first trip to India I think it will be a great place to start. The poverty in India is very evident. You see it everywhere you turn. It is hard to not think about it when we are there helping build homes for those who don't have them. Think about it--now. Think about what you are expecting the streets will look like. Think about how you are going to react. We are representing a wonderful organization in a foreign country and we are representing our country--Canada. The impression you want to leave is important.

Unfortunately this scene is pretty typical around India. Lots of garbage taking over a water system. The smell can take some getting used to.

Also a very typical site. The scared cow. Cows are allowed to walk around free and do whatever they want to do...life is good if you are a cow.

Busy streets day and night.

I just liked the sign. It is for a school zone.

Small market for fresh fruit and veggies.

We watched this gentleman make blinds. See how he weaves the rattan in and out of the string on rocks. It was interesting to watch.

Sari shopping.

One of the great restaurants that we ate at. Doesn't it look fantastic? As I said, I am hoping we are able to eat at a different restaurant each evening. It will be a great way to experience a number of different parts of town and some different styles of food.

Restaurant above is at this hotel.

Open air drive by fruit stand. Mmmm, fresh produce.

The boardwalk in Pondicherry. A favorite place to join for locals.

Welcome!

Catholic church. French history is still found on a number of corners of the city.

There is a lot of work put into decorating things and making them look nice. These little touches are so nice.

Shopping! I'll discuss shopping and bartering at some point. It is an art form and you want to be prepared.

This is the shop I had one of my outfits made at. They take the measurements right there and it was ready for pick up the next evening. Fabric bought at another store on the main street.

Another view of the Boardwalk.

Transportation.

In the French part of the city.

Temple.

Dirty feet after a day of walking around. And I actually had shoes on all day. Kinda scary.

Pineapple for sale. In a number of places you can buy precut pineapple for pennies. It is so delicious.

This friendly man called out to me to take his picture. I did and then he proceeded to...umm, show me his goods. Yeah. Safety first--always travel in pairs.

This is the Hotel Pondicherry where I stay in 2008. Very modern isn't it compared to the pictures of the build site.

Pondicherry. A busy, active, colourful city.

This is actually a bus station.

Street vendors. Everyone is friendly to tourists and so many people want you to take their picture.

I'm not sure what the correct spelling would be but tuk tuk is what we called them. Named after the noise they make. A great--cheap form of transportation. You need to know how to haggle on the price and you need to learn to walk away if they are going to charge too much for the drive. It's lots of fun to drive in one.

I apologize for any errors in the above text. One of the kittens I adopted last week is 'helping' to write the entry.