Christmas in India
on Jane in India (India), 08/Jan/2011 06:52, 34 days ago
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So, a little note about my festive season in India. This year was my first ever Christmas away from home (sob!). As much as I love getting into the Christmas spirit, I kind of missed the whole run up this year, as I left London mid November. And what with moving to India and all I was a bit distracted. But on Christmas Eve I have to admit I was a little blue. Heading off to work in 27°heat and not so much as a Santa hat or mince pie in sight, it was just plain weird. I was a little envious of the snowy Facebook pictures (I know, poor me in my flipflops while everyone else was in winter travel mayhem..). But we gathered together, the local volunteers, for our own little Indian Christmas. I made mulled wine, we had homemade Christmas Cake and Lindt chocolates shipped all the way from Ireland (thank you Mrs. Fives). On Christmas Day we wandered Bhubaneswar and went for a tasty Christmas curry!For New Year's, I went to visit the volunteers atGram Vikas, an NGO set on it's own serene little model village in the rural Orissan jungle (with bears, scorpions and snakes apparently, although I didn't come across any on this trip!). There was a little community party for New Year's Eve, with kids acting, singing and Bollywood dancing! This was followed by food, a bonfire, and many a cheap rum& coke! Exchange weekends with the country Gram Vikas folk are definitely the way to go for a break from the city. Sunday 2nd was the annual work picnic, inKamakhyanagarabout 4 hours away, with all the project staff:
