Jaipur!

So we finally got to Jaipur today, after a roughly 7 hour bus ride. The city was really interesting to see; since we had to drive through a good chunk of it to get to the hotel we're staying at tonight before meeting/joining with host families, there was a lot to see. From deserts to mountains, marble carving shops to milk stands, Jaipur definitely has a lot of culture. But by far the most striking part of the city (in my opinion, at least) is the huge disparity between the wealthy and the poor. It hit me when we drove through a tourist district that was filled with large hotels, well-cared-for roads, and gift shops to pass through a slum. The juxtaposition of a 5 star hotel with a tin-roofed shack was jarring, to say the least.
I don't really know how to describe the slums. It was really powerful, at least to me - there were families of up to 6 people living in a space the size of an slightly-above-average bathroom in the U.S. And for a source of income, they would run tiny crafts shops out of the fronts of their lean-tos. I hope I get the chance to talk to some of those families and hear their stories at some point in the future.
Other parts of the city that were interesting: marble carving seems to be a big industry here. I think I counted at least 5 shops over the ride through jaipur which specialized in marble-working. They had some really elaborate statues (most of which seemed to be religious. Kaitlyn, you should come visit!) with very intricate details carved in. I was really impressed.
Tomorrow, we take our placement tests and meet the host families. Yes, we were supposed to meet them today, but (surprise) the program changed its schedule again because we started out from Delhi late and didn't get here till evening. So hopefully stuff goes according to the schedule tomorrow so there will finally be a routine.
Also, on a less serious note, people keep mistaking me for a native. I think the best one I have gotten so far was the 40-year-old man who thought I was a tour guide for all the white kids. It was pretty cool (and by cool I mean embarrassing).