Peace. At the mall..

I went to the mall today. It was its usual sensory overload, but I had an encounter that made me giggle..
Stopping by one of those glittery kiosks selling glittery girly goods; bracelets, hair clips and other add-ons, I ended up purchasing a blinged out hair clip, which will make me, no doubt, much more attractive. I noticed the accent of the salesgirl and asked her where she was from. "Nepal" she answered, and I saw that nice smile that I haven't seen in a while. I knew I recognized the accent because I met so many Nepalese in Rishikesh. We talked about India and so on..she asked what I did in India. "Yoga, mostly.."
As I was leaving, she said "So, did you find peace?" I love a culture that just puts it all out there.
I thought for a second and laughed "Yeah" I answered. "And then I came home!"

Leaving Delhi..Bye stinky country! Love you!

Leaving Delhi is a bit more comfortable than arriving in Delhi. It is not the chaotic mess that was leaving New York. Boarding in NY took over an hour, three airline agents, megaphones and I believe a light saber. One guy was getting deported, one threw a tantrum because he couldn't comprehend the boarding process and there was more pushing and shoving than with a bunch of tweens at a Miley Cyrus concert.
The Delhi departure terminal is heaps better than the arrival area. There is even a Subway sandwich shop. That part being just wrong. I mean, if you are going to install an American super chain, at least make it a Four-Bucks. I watched as the 10 plus group of middle aged Americans scrambled to board the plane. Once I heard a Texan accent and saw a New Orleans t-shirt, big beer belly and white tube socks, I knew I must be on the right flight.

I still think my favorite moment in India was when I stepped on to the 777 and heard the flight attendant call to the ground crew and said that "a passenger has a 'Big Buddha' and is not sure it will fit in the overhead compartment."
I had to ask about this.."Excuse me, did you say that someone has a Big Buddha back there?" She sighed and rolled her eyes.."Yes". With that she was off to help Buddha Man.
Only in India. Where you can buy Buddha statues, wives and an Ayurvedic doctor and try to put them all in the overhead bin. Oh and there is a sale on sprituality. I think it runs until the end of the month.

I still love India :)

Some reality

I have mocked India's odd bits and ironic elements, with love of course..but I would take this country over five trips to sit on a beach in Cabo..Never before have I taken a trip, or adventure, that has made me feel absolutely terrified at times yet totally safe and competent at other times, made me feel completely crazy and yet completely aware, sad for so many, yet grateful for what I take for granted and also just given me a new understanding for what I really 'need'. I have never seen such extremes, anywhere.
The severe poverty, the lack of sanitation, the role women are born into, the way this culture holds on to a belief system that a westerner thinks belongs in the past...all so alive and true here. Dowry burnings and arranged marriages are happening all the time. Of course we have read about all of this, but there was no preparation for actually seeing it. It's pretty devastating and pushes you to your limits of acceptance, because this is so many people's reality. On a simple walk to town I would want to cry ten times and found myself smiling in all my insides ten times to match that. The amazing thing is that so many Indians do not see themselves as 'poor' even in what I would consider terribly sad situations. They cling to their faith, whichever it may be, and seem to maintain calmness and even happiness. I am focusing on the positive encounters, obviously. It would be ignorant to suggest that India is a country of political and religious peace and rest... however, in my observations there is no where nearly as much angst like the kind that we seem to manufacture in the US.
Gives me a lot to be grateful for. My creature comforts, my friends, family, health.. my mind (hopefully, if I have not gone completely bananas yet!)

Delhi and the last days..

Emma is quite possibly one of the most naturally funny girls that I know. Maybe is the Kiwi sarcasm. Possibly it's the directness and her deadpan ability in the most hilarious of situations. The "Americans" at the ashram..they had just returned from visiting the Beatles ashram one evening and upon their return the ever bubbly Emma asks with her big genuine smile, "When did they 'Get Back?'..Did they take the 'Long and Winding road?'..Did they get a 'Ticket to Ride?' I was attempting to unlock my room door and trying not to make eye contact with Emma, fearing a hysterical outburst, I piped in "Hello.. Goodbye!" and shut my door.

The fiddler and Ms. Emma..
When I meet up with Emma and Topher in Delhi, I have never been more happy to meet friends in a city. We bummed around the Paragang section and ate deliciously cheap street food and shopped and haggled, got Henna tattoos and did a whole lot of sitting in cafes. We had a great time and especially after our experience at the ashram, we let loose a bit in the city.
So one afternoon along comes the fiddler..Emma, the best bargaining queen (and also a professsional musician) I have met, ends up finagling a fiddle for 50 Rupees. She and I then assume the role of entertainer and collector. Holding out Toph's hat for donations, we got a lot of strange looks and some laughs, but no Rupees! Surely I would need to learn to dance if we would ever expect to eat!