Auntie Auntie

I already feel like I have so much to say but I really don't know how to say it. I love wearing the clothes, I love eating the food (I really do, a lot of other volunteers don't like it but I'm lovin the rice and curry), I love the kids, I love that it's cloudy. It's so exciting when the kids remember your name and when they ask if you can be the one to read with them. They call me Medicine cause that's pretty much how they pronounce Madison. They really are so beautiful.

Funny story, yesterday was our construction day and we tossed bricks in an assembly line from the pile on the ground to make a pile on the roof. If you know me you know my face turns red when I get hot, like really red. Well, it reached a whole new level here haha, I can honestly say I've never sweat that much in my life. It got to the point where you had nowhere to wipe your sweaty face anymore because your shirt was already wet and your whole body was covered in red brick. Yum right? Bucket  showers felt goooood that night.

(I wish you could have seen my face when it was super red, haha jk I hope no one ever sees that again)

I love getting to know these little kids, some of them are such sweethearts and some of them are little stinkers, but they're all pretty cute. I've gotten to know the little boys the most so far because I'm in their hostel at night. There's a 3 little boys that just melt my heart, Vignesh, Vira and Gopi(?). They all have just the sweetest little smiles. Every night I go into Vignesh's room and we sing the alphabet song that we sing with Kate too. "the a says ah the b says buh every letter makes a sound the b says buh." and  Vignesh just screams it at the top of his lungs it's adorable. There's a boy who's a little older named Vamil that's just great. I taught him the parent trap handshake and he's making us show every person we can find. I love teaching them games. I wish I could think of more. I cut when I was throwing bricks so I'm wearing a bandaid and every time they see it they ask why I have it and when I explain that I have a cut they all begin to show me the many cuts/scratches on their bodies and then I feel kind of silly. We have so many things I take for granted as simple as bandaids. We ate lunch with the kids today for the first time, they laughed a little when I didn't know how to eat with my hands correctly. Just so you know you should only use one hand, it's silly to use two. 

This is Gopi, I think, like I said the names are hard for me. He has the longest eyelashes and is just so sweet.

 All of the kids steal your cameras. I was attempting to get it back but Varishnavi (so adorable) insisted on taking more pictures but couldn't figure out how to get her finger out of it haha so cute.

                                          Jennifer on the right is just beautiful.

Well I just know I'm going to get lice at some point on this trip. I feel like it'll be a blessing if I don't. A couple of girls have gotten sick so keep me in you prayers that I won't! We're going into the colonies tomorrow for our medical rotation and I'm so excited. We also get to stop in the art colony and I'm excited to get something. India is humid, life is good, and maddie is happy.

India day one

Well well well, I'm here and I'm safe and happy. This is going to be amazing I can already tell! The kids are so funny, they have so much energy and all they want is your attention and your camera. I'm so excited to get to know them better and learn more of their names. The names are hard. The heat and humidity is intense but bearable, I'll get used to it for sure. I love my session though, there are a lot of really fun girls and I'm just so excited for what's in store these next couple of weeks. Still can't really believe I'm here!

Life according to everyone else's Iphone photos

 Missionary Weekend. So, SO awesome. All of the juniors and seniors in the stake have a 24 hr. mission. I got sent to Torrence, which is kind a little sketchy. I was paired up with Sister Malani from Fiji. She was so  amazing. Since she wasn't the driving companion we got to ride bikes all day. Riding bikes in a skirt on a windy day is HARD. Anyway we ended stopping on the street and trying to give a mormon.org card to just about everyone we could see. We ended up finding two new investigators! It got me all pumped about missionary work, I especially felt a cool connection this year knowing Spencer was doing the exact same thing.

 I suggested to my ward here that we do a Road Rally like we did In Bountiful. I was with all my best friends and it was so much fun. Bottom right picture is Brother Frame our advisor, he couldn't figure out why the iPhone camera was always facing him, it was hilarious.

 It's the art show at LCHS! Woo. All of the art portfolio students, which is the highest class, get their own panel. It's pretty exciting, that's my panel above. It's so incredible the art talent we have at my school, kind of intimidating but cool.

Almost a month ago we had our big Y&G weekend up in Sacramento. It was such a cool experience. It's insane that 2,500+ California students are so excited about government. It was so fun to meet new people, and get to know those around you even better. It's hard to explain but it was awesome. AND I found out I got into BYU while I was there!! (top left picture) So relieved. I can't wait to get up there.

Instead of going to Backwards we got a group together and decided to go to Six Flags. I was terrified, the biggest roller coaster I had been on was Collusus haha. It was such a fun day. The rides were so crazy. I felt like I was going to die the whole time and ended up in tears from laughing so hard on every ride. Funny story I was walking with my friend Sam and we spotted two girls and I said, "bet you $20 they're mormon."Their flowers in hair, bermuda shorts and cap sleeves totally gave it away. We ended up right behind them in the next line and Sam and I started talking very loudly about anything uniquely mormon we could, like mentioning General Conference, and mutual and you name it. They kept turning around and finally we asked if they were mormon and sure enough they were. So funny.

Life is good, Maddie is happy.

Roadtrippin it

Conversation that occurred this morning.
Ali: "Maddie get up we're late for seminary!"
Me:"I think I'm going to sleep through I need to shower anyway."
Ali "Maddie get up we're late for school!"
Me: "Oh darn, just leave me I'll come late to Geology (1st period)."
Me: Wake up at 11 AM. Definitely not going to school hahah.
Why was I so tired?? Cause I just had the best weekend eeevvveer aka the Chamber Tour up the coast to San Fran. I'll give you a few highlights:

*bus rides singing sitting next to Austin singing at the top of his lungs (^Austin)

*my many talks with my friend Brandon about our religions and our little siblings. He's 13 years apart from his little brother and we just talked about how cute it is to have someone so little running around the house and how badly we want to be close with them when we're older.
*waking up at 6 to watch the sunrise on the beach which turned out to be watching the moon (I was obsessed with the moon this week, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen) reflect onto the ocean and the sky turn pink. (the sun rose on the other side of our hotel ahah ah well.)

*Cindy's Polaroid camera, I need one. I really do.
*Walking around Carmel, so quaint. I got a pear shaped candle to add to my collection.
*Singing in the Mission in Monterey, there is always a unique spirit when we sing in a church, no matter what the religion.

*Lunch on the pier in Monterey with the view of the bay the mass of sea lions grunting and the cutest little sea otter that couldn't stop clapping his little paws together. Possibly my new favorite animal.
*Singing at the Church in the Forest. The wall behind the alter was all glass that looked into the forest, It was beautiful.
*Nailing our songs at the San Jose Festival and the clinician not really having anything to say but "That was superb, some college choirs would love to sound like that."That was really exciting.
*Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge with the choir.
*Staying up way too late going from room to room, playing cards, having dance parties or jamming.
*Ghiradelli Square and Union Square

*Dinner Cruise around the bay. Seriously the highlight. We all dressed up, had dinner then spent the whole night dancing. So fun. of course we ran up to the top deck for when we passed under the Bridge. (no one has posted the cute picture yet so you get the spazzy one.)

I know I'm leaving stuff out but basically it was a really great weekend and I am so lucky to be in this choir!

refresh

A quick So SoCal: You know you live in Southern California when...
*a street is closed on the way back from lunch because of a movie set
*When it's winter and it's 80 degrees, leaves are still falling, and flowers are blooming. The seasons here are really confused. Winter break felt more like summer break.
*When Winter Formal is at a club in Hollywood. (El Rey)

Guys I went to dance here in La Canada. WOO. haha I know you're just so excited for me! My date was Brandon (featured in the picture on the left), and it was SO much fun. I had such a fun group, mostly choir kids (almost all my friends are from choir). We ate at my favorite restaurant Umami Burger, then headed down to the dance. The dance itself was way fun, much better than I expected. We ended the night by getting milkshakes at in-n-out and watching A Walk To Remember, or sleeping through A Walk To Remember if you were me. Basically it was a lovely night.
I realized something big. I feel like I fit in here, finally. I love my friends, I love my school and I love California. I realized something else big as well, I have one semester left in high school. Wha?? How did this happen? It's going to be a good semester though I've got a lot to look forward to. Choir Tour up the coast to San Fran, Atlantis with my Dad's work, the art show, Mormon prom wooot, spring break in Yosemite and hopefully a lot of fun adventures in between.
Life is beautiful and Maddie is happy.

oh by the way

1. I went to sanfransisco (picture of me at the MOMA)
2. I went to the Natural History Museum and was blown away with how beautiful the minerals are.
3. Got these lovely things for Christmas
4. I went to New York with Dad and Ali. It was amazing. I love that city.
5. I finished my skateboard for art
6. I went to the mormon rollerskating night, so fun.
7. I went to the MOCA in LA, it is a small little thing.

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how unchristmas of me

I didnt cut out a single snowflake
I didnt put up lights or a tree in my room
I didnt make a christmas CD, infact I hardly listened to Christmas music at all
I didnt make a gingerbread house
I didnt wear a christmas sweater
I didnt watch Elf, infact I only watched one Christmas movie and that was twenty minutes ago
I havent even had peppermint icecream since thanksgiving
I didnt go sledding of course...Christmas still feels weird without snow
It's safe to say I failed this Christmas season. At least I did pllleeennntttyyy of caroling!

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