Reality sets in

I would be lying if I said this isn't really hard. I feel so foreign and wonder whether I'll ever feel comfortable. Perhaps not but I guess that's not necessarily the goal. Yesterday Will and I took the train into the Dharavi slum where I am going to be working. It was very intense and we were both pretty shaken up afterwards. I knew that it would be shocking to see but the reality of being amongst such poverty and delapitation feels obviously much scarier than the theoretical. I start Wednesday (it's Monday afternoon here right now) and I'm feeling nervous. Trying to keep myself busy until then doing some Indian cooking and exploring our neighborhood. Been listening to U2, Beth Orton, and Belle & Sebastian to calm my nerves. We are hoping to venture into other parts of Mumbai as well, the more "downtown" area, the more Southern sections. Tomorrow night we are planning to have dinner with a future classmate of Will's who is Indian and is moving to California for graduate school. She has been very helpful in our preparation and we are looking forward to that.
Deep breathing...