Rising Out of the Dark

Well, I guess it's my turn to beg our audiences' forgiveness. I know that so many of you have been checking this on a regular basis to discover what is new in the world of Bangalore, and we have been remarkably lax in the updating process. It is extraordinary how busy we become in life, quickly neglecting that which we thought we held dear.

As Brad mentioned in his post, life is terribly busy right now, for both of us. In April, I applied for and was accepted to do a Masters of Medical Physics at GA Tech. It is a distance learning program, which will enable me to study here for the next year, before we move home. It also opens all options to us in regards to moving home, as we won't be limited to finding a place that suits both our academic interests. It takes the pressure off. My classes begin on August 20th and while I thought I was only going to take two classes a semester, it looks like I'll be taking 5 instead. Quite a load! We have on deck: Radiation Physics, Nuclear Medicine Physics, Radiation Biology & Oncology, and Special Topics in Imaging. Then, as a co-requisite, I must enroll in an anatomy & physiology class. I've already begun one, also in a distance learning format, through The College of St. Scholastica.

In addition to that, I've spent the past two months working at a local NGO, called Belaku Trust. While there are many different aspects of the work they do, I am currently involved with the income generation units. There are two units, one that does paper making, the other block printing. (If anyone is looking for custom made paper products or custom designed block printed items, you now know where to go!!) It's really inspiring work that keeps me out of the house for 12 hours a day, running around the city or to the villages of Kannakapura, 50KM south of Bangalore. The women are wonderful and have fantastic spunk. I don't know how it will work out to continue to work with Belaku while I study, but I'm hoping to do it all!

In addition to that, we're jumping with anticipation. In the next month and a half, we have two separate visits taking place. First, in the beginning of September, our good friends Josh & Megan will be arriving for a few days. If you haven't checked out their blog, you should! For the past 4 months, they have been backpacking through SE Asia and they are wrapping up their trip with a visit to us! (Okay, actually their last spot is the Maldives for scuba diving, but we're second to last! Wait, that makes us sound like chumps...) We are VERY excited to see them and have them exist in our space for a little while. A few weeks after they leave, my roommate from NYC is coming to visit! Kathrin has been diligently sending me lists of all the places she'd like to see in her 10 days here. Now, Kathrin is a bit of a picture whore (I'm sorry for the harsh language, but it's true!) so I know there will be tons of pics to upload for all to see.

As far as the year beyond that, we don't know what will happen yet! But if I am a good person, I will keep you updated.