quick choppy update

What I've been up to:
*Kutch Festival in Gujarat with all of the exchange students. We watched all sorts of traditional dance and stayed in air-conditioned tents in the desert. Silly for my tastes, but as chief guests of the state of Gujarat we didn't have to pay. I only got 6 hours of sleep in about 60 hours, a testament to having fun. The highlight of the festival was when Adam and I took a midnight camel ride, had some hot milk for good luck under the full moon and watched a traditional Indian band smack in the middle of the desert. The scenery was a dreamscape: only the purple grey sky, the tan desert, and the 15 or so musicians on a tenuous wooden platform. Deserts are voids that compel you to run on forever, or at least until you feel something other than the crackled rock-like dirt beneath your sandals.
*Met the chief Minister of Gujarat. Instead of concluding his speech at the end of the festival, he pointed to the well timed fireworks in the distance. More like a magic show...but everyone fell for it.
*Went to an ashram for children orphaned by the massive Bhuj earthquake in 2001. Had a great time playing games in the field then meditating before tea with lots of smiling, curious Indian boys.
*2 half days in Mumbai. Finally had some real ice cream.
*Another short stay in Nashik. Saw the Kalarama temple, a series of caves where Lord Rama was allegedly exiled for 14 years before defeating the Demon God Rawan with the help of a monkey army led by Haruman. Watched the Dusra festival in Nashik, huge fireworks show culminating in the burning-- via fire arrow-- of a 60ft. effigy of Rawan.

Things to Come:
*A surprise 11 day trip to Rajistan for the Pushkar Camel festival. Biggest camel festival in Asia, best place in India to buy paintings and bedsheets and everything else, for cheap. Very excited. Cherry on top: my host dad told me to invite another exchange student so I'd be comfortable. I owe Rotary one good host father.
*The day after I return from Rajistan all exchange students are leaving for a three week tour of South India. The locations will be amazing, but I'm worried about being bad tourists in such a large group.
*Diwali, the festival of lights, starts in a week.
*Promised myself I would read Hindi within four weeks.