"I am not ashamed to say that no man I ever met was my father's equal, and I never loved any other man as much." -Hedy Lamarr

If you don't want to read a sappy post about the love I have for my dad, you should probably stop now because I guarantee you that's all this will be about. Well, and street children. But mostly dad.

I landed in the Delhi airport at around noon and took a taxi to the hotel. Dad was in a meeting when I arrived so I let myself into the hotel room and made my self at home (it was REALLY fancy so I had no problem with this). I was midway through eating an apple when I heard the card key and the door opened to reveal my daddy standing in the doorway. In about one second the apple was on the ground and I had literally jumped into his arms. I was twelve again.

Starbuck in Delhi!!

The whole week was basically a vacation for me. I laid by the pool. I ate really awesome food. I slept in. I did all of these things a lot. I also got to explore Delhi and see some really cool things while my dad was in constant meetings. One thing was the sheer amount of shopping I got to do, mainly gifts for my dad and the team he was with. Another really amazing thing was that I got to go to an NGO that my friend Tim works in. I met Tim in Calcutta one day through my Mother T friends and let's just say that our friendship was started then solidified through a really, really heated argument! He's a great guy and I was excited to meet up with him and see the NGO.

It is called Salaam Balak and what they do is intervention, education, and shelter for street children who enter Delhi through the train stations (all illegally without a ticket). The older boys get to practice their english by giving tours of the city and describing the work of Salaam Balak. At the end of a tour we went into a classroom and were able to play with some of the younger boys for awhile. I'm always up for playing with children, and it was a great visit. So if you are reading this Tim, thanks a lot! Keep doing the good work you are doing, because those boys LOVE you!

Tim and his kiddos!

Back at the hotel, I got to hear my dad's thoughts education, poverty, and just India in general. Many of the things bothered him I realized I had become used to (and this isn't necessarily a good thing). The beggar children were really rough on him. For those of you who don't know my father, he probably loves children more than anyone. Ever. This is only a little bit of an exaggeration. Also the poverty and the fact that it is so in your face all the time was hard for him. I think India can be overwhelming at times and hearing my dad's perspectives and questions really reminded me of that fact.

Before I left, he prayed for me, cried a little bit, and told me how proud he was of me. Then I hoped in a taxi for the train station feeling better than I've ever felt away from home. I am so lucky to have the parents that I do. They have loved me and supported me through everything I've ever gone through. Having my dad in India was probably one of the coolest experiences/breaks I could have ever asked for. I am blessed indeed and am even more happy to see my family at Christmas time!