Janet's Entry January 20,2009

Our flight to Munich Germany seemed like an eternity (about 12 hrs.) I watched a couple of movies, got up and walked around, slept some, knitted some, and ate two meals. When we first got on we ate dinner because it was in the evening, then just before we got off, we ate breakfast, but since we were flying East and through time zones, when we got off in Munich it was dark already. When we got back on the plane to head for Dehli it was dark and they fed us dinner again, and everyone went to sleep, except for us because we already went through a night but then we caught a few naps then ate breakfast again and eight hours after take off from Munich we were here. We didn't really suffer from jet lag although it seemed like it was one eternal night the whole trip.
I was prepared with my little bottle of Vicks Vaporub to put in my nose and I had a handkerchief ready. I had heard that the smell of raw sewage would knock us over. Actually it wasn't bad at all. It just smelled like stale cigars in the Delhi airport and outside too. Now after one week of living here, I don't even notice it anymore.
Gratefully all of our luggage made it safe and sound. I wasn't sure what I would do if any of my luggage containing all my cool missionary clothes got lost, but now I wish they all would have gotten lost and I could just wear the beautiful native Indian clothing all the time. I can't believe my good fortune, but my land lady is a very stylish lady and she also owns a stitching (tailor's) shop which to my great joy is in the basement right underneath our apartment.
She is already in the process of making me some clothes. She took a few measurements, the tailor took a look at me and Walla the top is a perfect fit. I'm going down to pick the pants up tonight.
Now, I've gotten ahead of myself, so I'm going to go back to when we first got off the plane at the airport. My ankles were so swollen up (really embarrassing when you're trying to look like a sharp missionary).
We didn't know for sure if anyone would be there to pick us up. We hadn't really notified anyone that we were coming.
We got through customs in good speed, then dragging our heavy suitcases down a wide corridor of turbaned, bearded, dark skinned, costumed, individuals holding signs with strange writingand names on them, we started searching for ours.
The signs weren't the clean white poster board signs you would see in the U.S. either. They were ragged old cardboard or dirty wrinkled paper signs you might drag out of a recycle bin.
Fred told me to search on the most congested side while he watched on the other. Finally on the very end behind another gate stood President Ricks, Sister Ricks and their Indian driver, Alexander. What a relief it was to find them.
We came straight from the airport to our home here at Vikram Vihar, Lajpat Nagar. Believe it or not they pronounce Lajpat Nagar- Lodgepot Nigger. Fred had just broken himself of saying the "N" word. Now he has to say it every day.