You Know You're in India When...

...school is called off because of rain. There I was at 6:30 am, groggily making my bed and cursing the Rotary club of Udhna, my counselor, the Indian government and all the forces that combine to make me go to school, when Rutvik ran in and told me that the reservoir at the river had run over and school was cancelled. We went up to the terrace and sure enough, our bungalow was surrounded on all sides by brown, muddy water. It's currently rising into the basement, with no signs of stopping. We've just gotten word that they will be releasing more water from the reservoir. People are slogging around up to their thighs in water, and we're pretty much stranded as no one has the courage to try taking a motorbike or car out. We ate leftover pizza for breakfast. Fortunately, the power hasn't gone out - yet.
Everyone else is running around, moving things up from the basement and constructing a makeshift wall around the home theater (if water gets in there, the wiring is doomed - a scary thought), and talking really fast in Gujarati. I can only make out "panni" (water). I was helping out for a while, until it became clear that I was mostly just in the way, so I've retreated to my room until the madness dies down. The panni might not drain away for a few days - hooray!