This is my last Indian update! My train to Chennai leaves tomorrow evening after the SITA Program Farewell Tea. It's tradition: all the families, friends and host students have tea and say their goodbyes at a hotel near the center. If a student wishes to they can perform their extracurricular activity for the group. Sarah and Asumi will do traditional Indian dance; Laura will sing; Danielle will play violin; and I will go yoga! I am very nervous to get up in front of the entire group of people and bend myself in ways often unbecoming, but it's a rite of passage. To make it a little more interesting I've written a fairytale to go along with the moves; in it, my name is Yoga Lakshmi. I try to wake up, get yelled at in class, walk across bridges, and salute the sun. Hopefully, the story will make it a little more interesting...

I finished my paper a day early and turned in all 30 pages with a flourish! I am so proud of the work I put into it and plan to add it to my DU Portfolio- as soon as I get back I'm going to try to find an internship! Luckily, I finished the majority of the work the week before the paper was due, because I got very sick last Tuesday and ended up in the hospital. Don't worry; contrary to popular belief India has some of the best hospitals in the world so I was well taken care of. I was diagnosed with Chicken Gonya, a fever that has been plaguing this part of India and causes severe joint pain. If you catch it early enough all you need is one injection and a couple days rest, which is exactly what I took. I also had laryngitis but some antibiotics and spicy food cleared that right up!

I stayed two days at an ashram in Natham, a rural area outside Madurai. I spent the time doing yoga, eating plain ashram food (they have a very strict diet), resting and relaxing. It was a much needed vacation! Then, I met up with the other students at a Gandhian Thought social work center also located in Natham, where we spent two days resting and relaxing as a group. Now, I have two days with my host family to pack....and rest and relax.

All this relaxation has been nice but, honestly, it's driving me a bit nuts! After such a busy semester it's weird to slow down, especially when I'm so excited to go home. There's only so many times I can pre-pack! My trip home is going to be arduous: it starts with a night train and ends 2 days and 3 planes later. My suitcase is full of presents, and not much else!

I can't wait to see many of you on Thanksgiving! As for everyone else, let's do lunch! But please, no rice.

I have attached a picture of, surprise surprise, me resting and relaxing.