I am calling this a desert safari in Jaisalmer although technically it is not in Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer is surrounded by little villages. Some of the villages have people in them and some do not. Some […]
blair lee blog
This blog will have musings about writing, homeschooling, secular science, and of course our travels!
Daydreams and Fairytales in Jaisalmer, India, 12/27/13, post 1 of 3
Here is a secret you don’t know about me. I am a daydreamer, an over the top, lose myself in my own head, fantastical daydreamer. It used to drive my mother wild. I was forever […]
the long drive to Jaisalmer, the best drive of the trip, 12/26/13
When I woke up this morning my plan for the day was to catch up on all my blog posts. The drive was going to be a long one. I am writing about events that […]
an early morning conversation Jaisalmer, India 12/29/13
I woke up early and came downstairs to write. I found myself in a conversation. He wants to come to the US and live. He has a son 4 years old and a daughter 2 […]
Christmas Day 12/25/13 Udaipur, India
We started Christmas at 1 a.m., when we got to our room from the dinner. We all had two presents to open. Just little things, one from each of us to the other. Our Christmas […]
Christmas Eve, Udaipur, 12/24/13 post 2 of 2, the dinner
When we checked into the hotel they told us we had to pay for Christmas Eve dinner even if we did not plan on attending. So of course we decided we might as well attend […]
Christmas Eve, Udaipur, 12/24/13, posts 1 of 2
As Christmas drew near it became more and more strange to be away. I have always loved the holidays starting with Halloween and ending with New Year’s Day. It is my favorite time of year. […]
12/23/13, driving from Jaipur to Udaipur, a stay in a palace
We got on the road about 8:30 this morning. Once we were out of the town of Jaipur, we were in a rural farming community. We drove by 5 carts with men standing up driving in them […]
Jaipur day 2, 12/22/12, post 2 of 2, the monkey temple
Next stop monkey temple. My fear of monkeys lasted one day. It went from fear to healthy respect. If you do not have a serious respect for monkeys, I know you have never encountered one […]
Jaipur day 2, 12/22/13, amber palace post 1 of 2
Today was our day to hike. We didn’t know it when we woke up, but by the time the day was over we had hiked all over the place, and we had conquered some fears. […]
Jaipur day 1, 12/21/13
Jim and I like to stay in B&Bs when we travel. In India we are staying in B&Bs where possible. They are called homestays here. We waited a bit late to start booking this leg […]
Delhi Day 14, one of those special days life tosses at you every now and then, 12/20/13
The girls in our placement wanted to put bindis on. It just didn’t feel right, I took it off shortly after, little did I know. This is Mrs. Peters. She is the teacher Jim and […]
Delhi, India, Day 13, 12/19/13
I did not think my placement could get any better but it did. I am going to be sad to leave, and I will miss all the people there. We leave tomorrow for Jaipur. …but first, the […]
Delhi, India, day 12, 12/18/13
It was another great and rewarding day in Delhi and at our placement. I started my day blogging then did yoga. After that we rushed out to our placement. These are eggplant. To get the […]
12/17/13 post 2 of 2
The movement that came to unite the Indian people came from external sources. India has been invaded many times. Alexander the Greek was one of these Invaders. Lol, not Alexander the Great you will notice, […]
Delhi, India, Day 11, 12/17/13
We have settled into a routine with our placements. I can see how I could make a difference for some of these students. Two weeks just isn’t enough time. I am the main photographer for our […]
12/16/13, post 2 of 2
The morning starts with students reciting the Indian National Anthem The rest of Dr. Singh’s talk and what we did today If there is one thing Westerners find fascinating about India, it has to be […]
Manoran Singh, on Education, Social Differences, and Arranged Marriages 12/16/13
We have guest speakers most of this week. I will take notes and share what I learn about India with you. We are really loving our time in India. The people here are warm and […]
Traveling and Homeschooling from India, 12/15/13
We had a low key day on Sunday, so I wrote about homeschooling for the Sunday post. We did eat at a really nice restaurant, the Clay Oven in Green Park. If you visit Delhi, […]
The daily life of a volunteer, by Sean Lee
So you wake up at about 7:00 in the morning and take a shower as fast as you can, trying not to use too much hot water. When you finally get going you walk about […]
The Taj Mahal in Agra
I have two recommendations if you ever go to the Taj Mahal. Stay at the Banfi Home Stay and pay for a guide at the Taj Mahal. We decided to take a camel into the Taj. […]
Delhi Day 6 and on the road to Agra 12/13/13
Today we went to our placement, and then we got on the road to Agra, which is where the Taj Mahal is. I know I have been saying it every day, but Sean loves his […]
Delhi Day 5, 12/12/13, post 2 of 2
This is the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara Sikh Temple. But first… We started the temple tour with a mosque. The mosque is the Jama Masjid, it is the largest mosque in India. It was built between […]
Delhi Day 5, 12/12/13, post 1 of 2
Here we are dressed and ready for our placements. Delhi is a place full of color similar to our outfits. Now, Sean was not feeling well, but decided to go and sit with the kids. He […]
Funny video where Sean starts videoing us doing yoga and starts doing yoga with the camera still on
Delhi day 4, 12/11/13
Every day we are here, we are more inspired. Very few Americans, in my experience, understand tolerance and acceptance with the depth and breadth that most Indians seem to. Because of this there is a […]
Delhi Day 3, 12/10/13, post 2 of 2
We all went to our placement yesterday and were expected to dress in our outfits we bought. In India teachers are expected to be treated with respect. The female teachers here wear the salwar kameez […]
Our Third Full Day in Delhi, 12,10,13, post 1 of 2
Here are two photos from our assignment. This is of Jim and Alecia. I am exhausted tonight. Today was full, my mind was kept whirring all day. We went to our assignment, then to meet […]
Our second full day in Delhi, India 12/9/13
I waited to shower today until everyone else had showered. Our flat ran out of water after 4 people showered. It wasn’t a big deal. I don’t always shower everyday at home anyway. Jim said, […]
Making Jalebi
Sean ate it and loved it, for about 1/2 a bag.
Our First Full Day in Delhi, 12/8/14, post 2
Delhi is a huge city, filled with the hustle and bustle that you find in huge cities. It is very polluted. The smog is thick in the air. 4 days ago citizens of Delhi voted, […]
Our First Full Day in Delhi, 12/8/14, post 1 of 2
This is our group, in order they are Sean, Patrice, Alecia, Hillary, Jim, and Wendy. I am missing of course, see me below. We are all in a three bedroom two story apartment. We have […]
A Little Bit of Hindi Comes in Handy, 12/7/13
Yesterday we flew over Iran and Pakistan from Dubai to Delhi, India. Jim thought this was the closest he would get to either of these two countries. Little could he guess 😉 I have always […]
3 Rooms for 3 Nights, the Best Laid Plans on Mice And Women Go Awry Every Now and Then, day 3, last day in Dubai, 12,6,2013
Before leaving home: Blair, “So the place I have chosen for us to stay is sort of random and off the beaten path. Just to give you a heads up.” Sean, “Mom I have been […]
Sean Blog 2 -Sean Lee
So to start I didn’t like Dubai. In my eyes all there was were rich people who were rich at the expense of poor people. It made me feel conflicted, because there was a 7 star […]
Some thoughts that came out of your questions and comments 12,6,2013
We just woke up to the call to worship. It is a perfect and fitting end to our stay in Dubai. My brain has been churning away because of your comments. I plan on blogging […]
Day 2, Dubai, the Rest of the Day, 12/5/13
Sean had an interesting observation, there does not seem to be a gender bias about what colors of clothing men and women wear here. He also noticed that we have not seen anyone wearing pink. […]
the Call to Worship, Day 2, Dubai, 12/4/13
Here I am dressed to go out and check out what happens during the Call to Worship. The call is broadcast, and then the service is as well. The entire thing lasts about 30 minutes […]
the actual call to worship. with birds in the background
New Recording 5-1.m4a Here is the call to worship that began at 5:30 a.m. It was very melodious. It went on for about 3 minutes, then stopped and the service which was also broadcast into […]
In the air, India Vacation, day 1, 12/3/20014
Well the laugh was on me. For weeks I have been telling everyone we would leave California and fly west. We did not. When you are 12 hours away it must not matter, and which […]
A Handcrafted Education
I love coffee. My favorite coffee drink right now is a salted caramel soy white chocolate latte extra salt with just a little whipped cream to hold the salt. My favorite coffee drink has changed […]
Only 1 Day until We Leave
We leave tomorrow and the excitement is building. The last few days before a big trip like this are alway jam packed with chores. I need to put a play list together if any of you […]
Our Placements! Teaching, of course!
Happy Thanksgiving even more importantly in our house Happy Birthday Sean, We are going to India to volunteer. We have been anticipating the news about what our assignment would be. I thought I would end […]
The Other Side of the World
Last night as we were headed to bed I informed Sean that it was noon, do pahar, in Delhi. How do you prepare for a time change like that? We stop for 3 nights in […]
Namaste Dost
Namaste Dost, ap kaise hei? Mai bahut achee hunh. Mira nam Blair hei. Mai USA se hunh. Mai kam Hindi bolte hai. Hello friend, how are you? I am very good. My name is Blair. I am from the […]
Isn’t That When Christmas IS????!!!!! by Sean Lee
So, when I first found out that I was going to India in December, I reacted like a somewhat normal teenager, “What… But… But that’s during CHRISTMAS. ” Yes I forgot that we were going […]
