We are tired again tonight, so I'll just share a few observations I've been meaning to tell you all about.

• Here, married women wear toe rings, usually silver, and usually with multiple rings stacked together.  They also wear a gold necklace given to them on their wedding day.  The gold here is more yellow than the gold at home.  It has red coral and black beads with two gold charms, one given by the husband and one by the bride's mother.  
• Indian women love to adorn themselves, but they don't really wear much makeup.  Some wear garlands of jasmine that drape down their long braids.  Our neighborhood in Bangalore smells bad, so it's really nice to pass a woman on the street with jasmine in her hair.  Indian women also wear bindis as adornment.  You, know, the little red dot between the eyes?  That's all I ever thought a bindi was.  The thing is, bindis come in hundreds if not thousands of designs.  They come in different colors, shapes, and designs.  Some even have jewels.  Women change them like we would change our earrings, to match an outfit or a mood.  Some women don't wear them everyday, and others wear the same one everyday.   
• When Indians (South Indians, especially, I think) are following your line of thought or agreeing with you, they nod their head side to side.  It's almost as if their shoulders are playing ping pong with their heads.  The head just gently bobs from side to side.  However, on quick glance, I sometimes take this nod as a negative response when it really means the opposite.  They still nod and shake their heads "no," but this head bob is a pervasive way to say, "I'm following."
• Indians are incredibly hospitable people.  They remind me of home in that way.  Around lunch, everyone asks if we've eaten and if we've had enough.  Tomorrow, we are supposed to meet at one of the schools at 2:30, but we were told to come early so we could share in their simple lunch.  One thing, however, threw me in the beginning.  When they invite you in to their homes or work places, they say, "Come, come" and wave you inside with little warning.  When seating a guest, all you might hear is "sit, sit."  In our English, the more formal or gracious you are being, the more words you use.  So, you might say, "Please, would you possibly consider meeting my simple request?" instead of "Can you do this?" if you REALLY want it done.  Here, not so much.  I read that Indian languages don't have specific words for please but that there are reflexive endings to words that show politeness.  But, this gets lost in translation, so to the Western ear, Indians seem a bit abrupt and maybe a little rude.  They're just ushering you into their place so they can take care of you.  One of the things I've liked best about this trip was that we've been able to meet real people and get a chance to ask questions and laugh about our funny ways.  They've all been such gracious hosts and so patient with our different-ness.

That's enough for tonight. Goodnight all!