A day after my birthday I finally found time to read all of the gorgeous letters, which my friends and family have sent to me. When you are so far away from home, you really need to feel the support from your family and friends. But there are some places in the world that can make you forget the need of travelling, the need of wandering around completely free, because these places carry the freedom itself. A place like this is the most magnificent town I have ever seen in my life – Udaipur.

That day I was very busy with the kids, because they were having exams, testing what they have learned during our time together. It was amazing to see the progress they have made – some of them were not even talking at the beginning, but now they were performing perfectly at the tests. That is why I believe that every child deserves the best attention. Actually, during my journey, I understood one of the most important things regarding our relationships with others – everyone deserves a chance. Oscar Wild once wrote: “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” So, as a teacher it was essential not to jump to conclusions by one or two performances. Instead, you need to be patient and to motivate them to improve. Because learning is the best gift in the World. Moreover, I saw that most of the kids, having the appropriate attitude and attention, were actually growing in front of my eyes. And my present was their smiles. And their laugh was the best melody I have ever heard in my life… So blissful and innocent.

Before lessons, I stopped by at the shop of my friend Rakesh, and I met his wife and his son. They were very polite and I was nicely surprised that they were speaking English so well. We spent some time chatting and looking at the new Vogue. I was quite amazed to see that the Indian edition was as interesting as the other I have read, in fact, it was the best I have ever seen. Usually, Indian fashion is very different from European one, but I saw some interesting models and nicely arranged and stylish sets. They had also some Saris (the Indian 6 meters long traditional dress for women) but as well as many clothes that were very similar to our fashion.

Rakesh was very kind to me and asked me to be the face of his shop. He explained that according to him I am a unique person representing two different sides of a woman. On one side beautiful heart, taking care of the poor, needy, and less fortunate children, but on the other side, young and stylish independent woman. I felt embarrassed of all the nice things he said, and he told me that many other people around was sharing his opinion about me. Again, I was feeling really grateful that my work was appreciated. In my intro presentation, I already told you that I find fashion an interesting topic, but also try not to get very involved into it. I also believe that a young girl must have attention both on her inner and outer beauty.I wish more people would understand that being neat and dapper is not a vice but a virtue and does not make you less intelligent or superficial. I love that my friends have this quality. They are very beautiful inside and outside without being spoiled or shallow.

The night after my birthday, I decided to stay at the hotel and just read and relax because I was exhausted of all the attention I have received. I was at the end of a book, which was very different from everything I have read before, but I loved it. Its name was “King Rat”. I would like to finish this Monday article with my favorite quote from the book and to remind you always to take note of the quotes you like. Or as my mother used to tell me: “Stupid people remember, intelligent ones write the information down.”

“It is better not to protract the battle, once you’ve won it. This is also a sign of a bad taste” So be independent, help the others, and fight for your ideas. Because you could be anything, you wish to be. Don’t let people discourage you or judge you. And finally yet importantly – love! Love everybody even if they don’t love you back. Because only love will make you truly peaceful and successful.

All the best!

Paris