A different plan

I headed out today to get a few things done.

I decided to take the auto rickshaws because I was pretty sure of the routes in the area that I wanted to go. I enjoy taking the autos. It's kinda fun and it (usually) gives me a little bit of a sense of accomplishment every time I do end up in the right auto going the right way and get where I want to go! Seems simple, but goodness ... it's not!

So I grabbed my mp3 player and was all set to blare my Natalie Grant and maybe a little Skillet as I was jostled down the road in the auto rickshaw.

The first auto I got in the driver was talking away to the other man in the auto. I just put my earphones in and was just looking at all that surrounded me as I let this powerful worship music pierce through me.

But that driver was talking SO LOUD! I think, "Ok, God ... I have done well talking this new language all week, I just want a little break. Please?"

So I turned up the volume a little more and tried to just focus on the music.

A few minutes later, the driver pulls over and the other guy gets out. He hands him a rs. 10 bill and I see the driver tell the guy that he doesn't have change (he needed to pay 4 rupees). Seeing that he needs change, I pull the change out of my pocket that I was going to use to pay for my ride. A hold it with my hand open towards the driver.

He looks at me with kinda a questioned look on his face and then half smiles and takes the money and gives the other guy his change.

I still have my music going and we pull away and go on towards where I want to go.

Then I realize the driver is talking to me. "Please, Lord", I think, "I just want to listen to my music!"

I take one earphone out to hear him ask me some questions that I do actually understand and I reply to him in his language and he just thinks that's great. So I pull the other earphone out of my ear and decide that since every other time I've ridden in an auto the driver has NEVER spoken to me, I might as well talk to this guy. Plus I'm only a minute or two from getting out! ha

So we exchanged a couple more sentences of conversation and then I tell him to stop in his language. I get out and he starts shouting to everyone how I can speak their language and everyone looks at me! I sink into the concrete and walk across the street to get the next auto.

With my mp3 player in hand, I find the auto rickshaw that I need to get in and another lady asks me where I am going as we were both standing there ready to get in. She asks me in her language and so I respond in her language. Her eyes light up. She takes off and starts speaking the language really fast and says about 5 sentences in about 3 seconds. I laugh and tell her that I am learning but I can only understand when she speaks slowly. So we get in and she starts talking to me s-l-o-w-l-y.

I give up and put my mp3 player in my purse.

I had a wonderful conversation with this lady and find out that she is actually a teacher of the language that I am learning! So she was helping me construct sentences as we flew down the road and I was asking her a couple questions about things I get stumped about and she was very helpful! I get to the next stop and get out and thank the lady for speaking with me. Then before I cross the street to get in the next auto, I get my mp3 player out, again, determined, to use it on this next ride!

Right when the traffic clears and I could cross the road, a cab pulls up and the driver stops right in front of me to find out if I want a ride. I kinda hit the side of the cab (not hard, just enough to make a sound!) and say GO in their language. So he pulls away and I cross the road. I get in the next auto rickshaw (that's the 3rd if you're counting! ha). There's a young girl that gets in with me (the auto rickshaws can comfortably hold about 6 people, although I've been in ones with as many as 10!). She told me that she heard me speak her language to the cab driver and she asked me if I was learning it. So once again I put my mp3 player away.

I finally get to my destination. 3 auto rickshaw rides, 3 complete conversations NOT in English! wow. I think He was just trying to make sure I see that I am making progress. I didn't know that I needed to see that, but I have to say after I got out of the 3rd auto, I was very happy that I was able to talk so much.

It just seems so funny to me that it all happened on the day that I was thinking I was going to just ride in silence with just me and my music.

Obviously my plan ... not His.