Oh What a Day!

I feel like there are about a million things I could talk about write now...so I'll just see what comes out...
This morning after arriving in Delhi at 5:30am after a weekend spent at a hill station I began to get calls from friends in Delhi wishing me Happy Birthday! I was a bit into the routine and sitting on the terrace when I got a call from a number I didn't recognize...I wasn't sure if I should answer, but I thought, why not? I did and it was Roshni, Jenny, and Jeff calling me from LOYOLA! Now I hadn't spoken to anyone in the US since July, so you can imagine my excitement (I cried, hahaha). *sigh* That was the best birthday surprise ever...and I'm hoping no one else at home plans on calling me because I don't think I can emotionally handle it! *thanks guys for making me crazy happy and emotional, lol* Reconnecting with home is strangely head clearing, feels good =) Today is also Jackie's birthday (another American student here), so we'll probably get all dressed up and go out with the group =)
other events...
The hill station trip this weekend was with the English Department from Ramjas College, the college I attend here in Delhi. It was really nice to get to know my classmates better and to spend some time out of the city. The camp we went to reminded me a lot of fall in Chicago because the weather was cooler and the leaves were falling; it was nice to feel at home. We got to repel down the side of a...mini cliff I guess you could and cross a crevice strapped to some ropes, which was my favorite...I decided I need to put one of those ropes over Delhi for my morning commute. The fresh air and trees and flowers and cricket game I got to play were all relaxing and refreshing. The only unfortunate part of the weekend was that I got my first bout of Delhi Belly (or maybe not, since I wasn't in Delhi...); suffice to say I spent Sunday night throwing up...6 times in the woods. I was well cared for though...Indian hospitality is always overwhelming, so I felt very well cared after since I was camping with 36 Indians.
a random note...
Last week I got on a bus from the a market called INA (where I failed to find marshmallows for our camping trip...) to our study abroad center. When I got on, some people were already standing and offered me a newly vacated seat, which I gladly took. At the next 2 stops the bus got absolutely packed, so much so that at the next stop the people waiting to get on didn't even try to get on...which is a pretty big deal in Delhi because there's always room for one more. The only reason I mention this is because I found it quite comical. If someone moved several rows back and on the other side of the bus I could feel them move because everyone had to shift for anyone to move and there were guys hanging out of the entrance and exit of the bus as if they were holding in a dam about to burst. I was wondering how in the world I was going to get off this bus, but luckily it unpacked at the stop before mine. *oh delhi*