John, Michelle, Anita and the Vellore Fort

Well, after much hype, three more of my classmates arrived early this morning. After allowing them to sleep off some jet lag, we went to get some food and explore the city a little. It's nice having them around, and with Alok off in Delhi visiting his family for the weekend, I became the default expert on the working of all things India. Strange, but I guess I have been here almost 3 weeks now and have figured out how to get around. So, we hired an autorickshaw and headed out to the only real tourist attraction in Vellore, the Fort. I met a nice young man at the Fort who really wanted me to take his picture. So I did. Wish I would have asked him his name, but he ran off. Today is Republic Day in India. On this day in 1950, India declared itself a republic. It's a day where the Indian flag is flown proudly and worn by most. Hence, the flag on his shirt.

Tomorrow I start working in the Community Health and Development Hospital here on the college campus. It's a hospital whose primary purpose is to serve the poor. Should be an interesting experience.